Improving hitting weaknesses is crucial; participation in the Classic will likely determine Kim Hye-seong's future with the Dodgers.

Regarding the role of South Korea’s “comet” Kim Hye-seong with the Los Angeles Dodgers next year, the American Dodgers-focused media outlet Dodgers Nation analyzed today that as a utility player, consistent playing time will depend heavily on his hitting consistency.

The report reviewed Kim Hye-seong’s early season performance: in the first month, he posted an impressive .422 batting average with an OPS over 1.000; however, after the All-Star break, his OPS dropped sharply to .364, finishing the season at .700 OPS.

At 26 years old, Kim Hye-seong appeared in 71 games this season, hitting .280 with 3 home runs, 17 RBIs, a .699 OPS, and stealing 13 bases. The American sports media outlet The Athletic believes that next spring training will be a critical period for Kim to earn the team’s trust.

The analysis pointed out that Kim’s hitting approach has clear flaws: he tends to chase pitches below the strike zone excessively while having a low contact rate on pitches inside the strike zone. Against strong left-handed pitchers, he often finds himself in disadvantageous counts.

Further analysis shows that Kim’s baserunning and defense are major league caliber, but his hitting still requires ongoing adjustments. The team appreciates his openness to modifying his batting stance, and it remains to be seen whether these changes will yield tangible results.

Since next spring training is critical for defining Kim Hye-seong’s role in the regular season, and he has expressed his desire to participate in the March World Baseball Classic (WBC), he will face an important decision between staying with the Dodgers’ spring training camp or joining the national team’s preparations.