Korean Media: Kim Hye-seong Faces a Crucial Year to Stay on the Team, Must Overcome Two Major Hitting Weaknesses in Spring Training

The Los Angeles Dodgers have fully launched their spring training. Recently, the American outlet The Athletic published an article highlighting key spring training focuses for each player aiming for a third consecutive championship. Among them, Korean infielder Kim Hye-seong was singled out: whether he can break through his hitting struggles against major league pitchers will determine his future with the Dodgers.

The article pointed out that since September last year, the Dodgers have significantly limited Kim Hye-seong’s playing time, rarely giving him batting opportunities even when he was part of the substitute rotation. The team has two main demands for him: reduce swings at low pitches and improve his ability to hit off-speed pitches—two weaknesses that are especially harmful when facing left-handed pitchers.

From a statistical perspective, Kim Hye-seong posted a .280 batting average and a .699 OPS last season, which seems acceptable, but this was mainly supported by a strong performance early in the season after reaching the majors. In the later regular season and playoffs, his impact was noticeably diminished.

When predicting the Dodgers’ opening roster, MLB.com has already excluded Kim Hye-seong from the second base competition, naming veteran Miguel Rojas as the starting second baseman for the opener. Kim currently holds a guaranteed three-year, $12.5 million contract, which can extend up to five years and $22 million. Although he has joined spring training early, every game in the upcoming Classic and warm-up matches will be scrutinized closely by the team—this is the test he must pass to earn the right to stay on the roster.