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The Los Angeles Dodgers once again had another monumental offseason as they look to go into dynasty mode after winning the World Series last season. Perhaps the most intriguing addition to the team is Korean superstar Hyeseong Kim. Kim made a name for himself in Korea, and he is now making the move to the United States to play in the MLB. He was one of the hottest names on the market, and of course, it was the Dodgers who went all-in to sign him.
This Dodgers squad was already absolutely loaded as they were the best team in baseball last year, and the addition of Hyeseong Kim makes them even stronger.
“I think that he can certainly win ballgames with his defense alone,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, according to an article from MLB.com. “Then the question is the development part. What's good for him? What's good for the Dodgers? And that, we don't have to answer right now.”
What's so special about Kim is his versatility. There are a lot of players in the MLB that only play one position, but that isn't the case here. The Dodgers can be flexible with Kim.
“I'm not tied down to a single position, so I'm practicing at every single position that I get a chance to,” Kim said with an interpreter. “I'm going to prepare whenever I'm called on to play any position that Doc would want me to play.”
In terms of his hitting, the potential is there for Kim to be one of the best on the team. There are some changes that are being made, but the Dodgers have a lot to work with already.
“He has the ingredients to be great,” hitting coach Aaron Bates said. “It's just kind of fine-tuning things. Obviously, he was a great player in Korea and has all the components, so it's just making some tweaks here and there. All the while, letting him play and play free, mentally.”
This is all a big adjustment for Hyeseong Kim. He is a long way from home playing with all new teammates, but the Dodgers are doing a good job of making him feel welcome.
“Mookie was having fun with him and trying to kind of create a little bit of environment or pressure for him,” Roberts said. “Inclusion. And so that's telling, that people already gravitate toward him.”
The players are making Kim feel welcome, and so are the fans. All of it is making this transition a lot easier for Kim.
“It's a whole new feeling I'm getting, just being welcomed by all these fans,” Kim said. “When they call my name out — ‘Kim! Kim!' — I'm definitely thankful that fans know my name and they want to interact with me.”
Hyeseong Kim and the Dodgers will play their first Spring Training game on Thursday against the Chicago Cubs. They will begin the regular season in Tokyo on March 18th, also against the Cubs.
