Japanese media "Various Kim Hye-sung chooses Dodgers due to Ohtani's influence"
Japanese media "Various Kim Hye-sung chooses Dodgers due to Ohtani's influence"
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The Japanese media expressed deep interest in Kim Hye-sung, who became a member of the "superstar" Shohei Ohtani.스포츠토토
Japanese sports media "Nikkan Sports" reported on the 4th that "Kim Hye-sung, an infielder with the Kiwoom Heroes of the KBO League who was seeking to advance to the Major League through the posting system, signed a contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers," adding, "The contract period is three years, 12.5 million dollars (about 18.4 billion won) is guaranteed, and team options are included between 2028 and 2029. The contract could increase to 22 million dollars (about 32.4 billion won)."
MLB.COM, the official website of Major League Baseball, officially announced that Kim will join the LA Dodgers. According to the Associated Press, Kim will receive a $1 million (W1.5 billion) signing bonus if she passes a medical test.
Kim Hye-sung, born in 1999, is a right-handed, left-handed infielder. After graduating from Dongsan High School in Incheon in 2017, he joined Kiwoom in the seventh place in the second round of his rookie year.
Kim Hye-sung has played as Kiwoom's main infielder since the 2018 season, his second year as a member of the team. Until last year, he played 953 games in the KBO League, batting average of 0.304, 1043 hits, 37 homers, 386 RBIs, 591 runs, 211 steals, 0.364 on-base percentage, and 0.403 slugging percentage. He won the Golden Glove for shortstop in the 2021 season and the Golden Glove for second baseman for three consecutive years from the 2022 to 2024 season.
Kim Hye-sung received a military service exemption for the gold medal at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games and got the opportunity to advance to the Major League through the posting system with the consent of his original team Kiwoom.
Kim set a career high record in the 2024 season when she showed off her performance in the Major League. At 127 games, she played a batting average of 0.326, 166 hits, 11 homers, 75 RBIs, 30 steals, 90 runs scored, on-base percentage of 0.383, and slugging percentage of 0.458. She also improved her slugging capability, which was criticized as a weakness, by hitting double-digit homers in her first single season after her debut.
Kim Hye-sung visited the nest before 7 a.m. on the 4th in Korean time, which was the deadline for posting. The Los Angeles Dodgers, the champion of the 2024 World Series, had Kim Hye-sung.
After the posting, Kim received suggestions from teams that wanted to strengthen the infield, and joined hands with the Dodgers. "Kim Hye-sung was impressive in the game against Team Korea (in March last year)," said Brandon Gomes, the Dodgers' general manager, who met with local media including the LA Times. "He showed outstanding dynamics and explosiveness. He has good baserunning ability and can display good defense in various positions. He is also a player who possesses batting ability."
"According to multiple U.S. media, some teams offered Kim Hye-sung better conditions than the Dodgers," Nikkan Sports said. "There is a possibility that the persuasion of Ohtani, a member of the same agency as Kim Hye-sung, influenced Kim Hye-sung's decision."
"Kim Hye-sung not only hit .300 for four consecutive years from the 2021 season, but also participated in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games," he said. "He is a versatile player who can play as a second baseman, shortstop, and third baseman. The Dodgers are strengthening their squad to win the World Series for the second consecutive year by using Kim Hye-sung as a utility player."
MLB.COM also pointed out, "Kim Hye-sung, who turns 26 at the end of this month, has won four Golden Gloves given to the best players in each KBO position," adding, "The Dodgers, who prefer to have versatile fielders, have another central infielder with the addition of Kim Hye-sung."
Ohtani also posted a picture of Kim Hye-sung on his official SNS and sent a congratulatory message with the phrase "Welcome, friend" in Korean.