Dodgers Opinion: Hyeseong Kim Should Remain on 26-Man Roster
MIAMI— The Los Angeles Dodgers’ 26-man roster received a boost of fresh air with the promotion of Korean utilityman Hyeseong Kim from the Triple-A OKC Comets.
Kim, 26, replaced Dodgers utilityman Tommy Edman, who was placed on the 10-day injured list due to a tweaked ankle from last Tuesday’s win over the Miami Marlins. In a short two-game sample size, the KBO star has showcased his unique player profile.
The Dodgers somewhat shocked the baseball world when they won Kim’s services during the 2025 Major League Baseball offseason. Kim was among the best Korean Baseball Players in the KBO for several seasons.
Over his eight years in the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO), Kim hit .304/.364/.403 with 150 doubles, thirty-nine triples, thirty-seven home runs, 386 RBI, 591 runs, and 211 stolen bases.
Kim was posted by the Kiwoom Heroes and signed on the last day of his posting window with the Dodgers for a 3-year, $12.5 million deal with options to extend it to a 5-year, $22 million contract and was seen by many as the logical replacement for Dodgers second baseman Gavin Lux, who was shipped off to the Cincinnati Reds over the winter.
However, unlike other offers Kim received, his spot on the Dodgers’ Opening Day roster was not a given, and that turned out to be true. The Dodgers optioned Kim to the minor leagues after he slashed .207/.303/.310 and posted a .613 OPS in Cactus League play.
The Dodgers stressed that Kim should continue to work on his swing. His speed and defense were Major League-ready, but his bat was not.
Kim made the adjustment quickly, hitting .252/.328/.470 with a .798 OPS in twenty-eight games this season before his promotion.
Despite the promotion on Saturday, May 3rd, Kim would not appear in a game until the following night, when he pinch-ran for Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages in the 9th inning with the Dodgers down 4-3 against the Atlanta Braves.
Kim would make his presence felt immediately, swiping second base and advancing to third on a dropped third strike to Dodgers pinch hitter Will Smith. In the back of my mind, I was half expecting Kim to tie the game with his speed alone, and even Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was impressed that night.
“That was great,” Roberts said. “That was exciting. … That’s just some of the things that speed and what Hyeseong brings to the table.”
Kim would get another opportunity to prove his worth in yesterday’s 7-4 win over the Miami Marlins. The Korean infielder started at second base and batted ninth.
Overall, Kim would go 2-for-4 with a bloop RBI single, another stolen base, and a near-fantastic glove-handed flip that would’ve been an out if Freddie Freeman didn’t commit a rare error.
However, Dodgers all-star right fielder Teoscar Hernández left yesterday’s game early with left hamstring tightness, an injury that is “a little concerning,” according to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. This could extend Kim’s opportunity at the Major League level.
But even without injuries to Edman and Hernández, you can argue Kim deserves a spot on this roster, as the Dodgers’ bench of Miguel Rojas, Chris Taylor, Austin Barnes, and Kiké Hernández has been one of the most unproductive in the league.
Miguel Rojas is in the midst of his thirty-seventh season, and despite a .265 batting average, he has only posted an 83 OPS+ in fifty plate appearances this season.
Taylor, 34, played so poorly the last two seasons that the Dodgers are afraid to give him at-bats with the former all-star batting .200 in twenty plate appearances with eight strikeouts.
Barnes is a serviceable backup catcher, and his placement on the roster does not impact Kim, but even some of the regulars in the lineup are underperforming.
The most notable player is left fielder Michael Conforto, who snapped out of a 0-for-31 streak last night with a line drive single, is hitting just .141/.286/.528 this season with a .528 OPS in thirty-one games this season.
Unlike Rojas or Conforto, Kim can play both infield and outfield. In the minors this season, Kim has played innings at second base, shortstop, and center field, but was also familiar with third base and corner outfield positions in the KBO.
Kim also brings something to the Dodgers roster that you can’t replicate, and that is age. Entering this season, the Dodgers had the second-oldest roster in the sport, with an average age of 30.5, just under the Texas Rangers’ 30.9.
Kim, who is in his twenty-sixth season, brings not only a youthful change to the Dodgers roster but also elite speed and defense, which make his floor as a major leaguer much higher than most.
If Kim can be even slightly league-average with an 80 wRC+, he’ll still be extremely valuable in the long term due to his speed, elite defense, and versatility. He would be our Korean Pete Crow-Armstrong.
Kim will get a few more opportunities this week before Edman likely returns off the injured list this weekend, so if he wants to stay on this roster, he’ll have to make the most of his playing time.
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