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Hyeseong Kim has left a lasting first impression on his new teammates and coaching during the early days of his first spring training with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Kim has dazzled with his defense to the point where manager Dave Roberts doesn’t want to tie him completely to the infield.
According to Roberts, Kim will see time at second base, third base, and center field this spring. While he never played center field in a KBO game, he did make 44 appearances in left field during the 2020 season.
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Before high school, he primarily played the outfield and actually feels more comfortable in center, where he prefers tracking fly balls from that perspective.
“I think that he can certainly win ballgames with his defense alone,” Roberts said. “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.”
Kim could earn the starting second base job vacated by Gavin Lux’s trade to Cincinnati or he could be a left-handed superutility option.
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“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 international scout Dean Kim interpreting. “I’m going to prepare whenever I’m called on to play any position that Doc would want me to play.”
Kim appears to be adjusting fine on the field but the biggest difference for him might be in the box. Hitting against Major League Baseball pitchers is slightly different from the KBO.
“Defensively, I think it’ll be very seamless,” Roberts said. “Offensively, there’s certainly more velocity. Controlling, getting his path right. Being able to handle balls that move late, handle velocity, use the whole field. He’s going to put the ball in play. He can run.
“I just think he needs repetition. So we’re going to try to get him out there as much as we can (in Cactus League games) to calibrate on big-league stuff. But he’s already shown me that he’s a quick study, and he’s got aptitude.”
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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