Kim Hye-sung, the top statistical batter, is also successful. Why? When I looked into the first 3G of the big leaguer's debut in Korea and Japan, everyone was in the 30s or higher

May 09, 2025

Kim Hye-sung, the top statistical batter, is also successful. Why? When I looked into the first 3G of the big leaguer's debut in Korea and Japan, everyone was in the 30s or higher
LA Dodgers Kim Hye-sung hits a hit in the eighth inning against the Miami Marlins on the 8th (Korea time). ImagesYonhap News



Kim Hye-sung, the top statistical batter, is also successful. Why? When I looked into the first 3G of the big leaguer's debut in Korea and Japan, everyone was in the 30s or higher
Kim Hye-sung has become a key player for the Dodgers less than a week after his big league debut. ImagesYonhap News
Los Angeles Dodgers' Kim Hye-sung has also received a passing score in batting since his Major League debut, increasing the possibility of 'Long Run'.

Even if Tommy Edman returns from the injured list, he will not likely go down to the minor leagues. Manager Dave Roberts said on the 8th (Korean time) "We plan to keep Kim Hye-sung in the big league even after Edman's return."

The Dodgers called up Kim Hye-sung from Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets on the 4th when Edman, who suffered an ankle injury, was placed on the 10-day IL.




As soon as Kim Hye-sung reached the big league, he made his major league debut as a defensive replacement against the Atlanta Braves, and on the 5th against Atlanta, he entered as a pinch runner in the ninth inning and failed to stand at the plate for two consecutive games.

However, Kim Hye-sung started all three consecutive away games against the Miami Marlins at Rondipo Park in Miami, Florida from the 6th to the 8th, and played an active role in the at-bat, effectively receiving a passing score from Roberts as a `big league hitter.'

Roberts seems to be satisfied with Kim Hye-sung's hit. When Kim Hye-sung was sent to a minor league camp in March, he ordered him to adapt well to his new batting form and fastball, because he is hitting hard every day in less than a week of call-ups.




Let's see the first three games since our debut as a batter. Kim Hye-sung recorded a batting average of 0.417 (5 hits in 12 at-bats), two RBIs, three runs scored, two steals, and an OPS of 0.833 in the three consecutive games against Miami. Roberts' least favorite strikeout was only once in 12 at-bats. The swing and miss rate is 20.8%, which is smaller than the league average of 25.0%, while the strike zone contact rate is 93.8%, exceeding the league average of 82.0%.

Kim Hye-sung's batting performance in the first three games of his debut is not inferior to other Korean and Japanese hitters.

Kim Hye-sung, the top statistical batter, is also successful. Why? When I looked into the first 3G of the big leaguer's debut in Korea and Japan, everyone was in the 30s or higher
Lee Jung-hoo hits a timely hit in the eighth inning against the Chicago Cubs on the 7th (Korea time). AFP Yonhap News
Lee Jung-hoo, who entered the big league after signing a six-year, $113 million contract with the San Francisco Giants last year, hit 0.333 (4 hits in 12 at-bats), one home run, four RBIs, one run, and an OPS of 0.869 in his first three games. Lee Jung-hoo, who was adjusting smoothly by confirming his chances of success, suffered a shoulder injury when he hit the fence while trying to catch a fly against the Cincinnati Reds on May 13, the 37th game of the season, and ended the season early.




Kim Ha-sung made his debut with the San Diego Padres in 2021 and batted .333 (2 for 6) with an RBI in his first three games, two of which he played as a substitute. Kim Ha-sung took the lead in 2022, his second season, and in 2023, he marked a batting average of 0.260 with 17 home runs, 60 RBIs, 84 points, 38 steals, and 0.749 OPS, which was a remarkable hitter to occupy the NL utility Gold Glove. Kim Hye-sung is more like Kim Ha-sung than Lee Jung-hoo.

Kim Hye-sung, the top statistical batter, is also successful. Why? When I looked into the first 3G of the big leaguer's debut in Korea and Japan, everyone was in the 30s or higher
Shohei Ohtani during his time with the LA Angels. AP Yonhap News
Shohei Ohtani started as the eighth designated hitter against the Oakland Athletics on March 30, his debut in 2018 when he was with the Los Angeles Angels, and went 1 for 5. It wasn't a great start, but on April 4th against the Cleveland Guardians, he hit three hits, three RBIs and two runs in four at-bats, including a home run, and began to show the true value of Otani 'Batter'. The next day, he also hit a home run for two consecutive days against Cleveland, scoring two hits, two RBIs and one run from five times at bat. He hit .429 (6 hits in 14 at-bats) with two home runs, five RBIs, three runs scored, and an OPS of 1.286 in his first three games.

Ohtani also pitched as a pitcher in his Major League debut season, but he pitched only 10 games due to an elbow injury, and as a hitter, he hit .285 with 22 homers, 61 RBIs, and .925 OPS in 104 games, winning the AL Rookie of the Year.

Kim Hye-sung, the top statistical batter, is also successful. Why? When I looked into the first 3G of the big leaguer's debut in Korea and Japan, everyone was in the 30s or higher
Masataka Yoshida, Boston Red Sox. AP Yonhap News
Seiya Suzuki, a Japanese who joined the Chicago Cubs for $85 million for five years in 2022, hit .262 with 14 homers, 46 RBIs and an OPS of 0.770, in 111 games in his debut season, drawing attention with a batting average of .375 (3 hits in 8 at-bats), one homer, six RBIs, four walks, and an OPS of 1.288 in his first three games. It was his debut season that confirmed his possibility as the Cubs' main hitter.

Left-handed hitter Masataka Yoshida, who signed a five-year, $90 million contract with the Boston Red Sox a year later, batted .308 (4 for 13), had three RBIs, four walks and an OPS of .798 in the first three games of his 2023 debut season. Yoshida, who showed off his contact ability by marking a seven-year batting average of 0.327 (884 hits in 2,703 at-bats) by being the batting champion twice for the Orix Buffaloes in Japanese professional baseball, showed off his formidable skills with a batting average of 0.289, 15 homers, 72 RBIs, 71 points, and an OPS of 0.783 in his big league debut season.

How will Lee Jung-hoo and Kim Ha-sung from Korea perform in the first three games after their major league debut.

Batters from Korea and Japan generally performed well in the first three games of their Major League debut season. Kim Hye-sung is no exception.

Kim Hye-sung, the top statistical batter, is also successful. Why? When I looked into the first 3G of the big leaguer's debut in Korea and Japan, everyone was in the 30s or higher
Kim Hye-sung hits a right-handed hit in the seventh inning against Miami on the 8th (Korea time). AFP Yonhap News


This article was translated by Naver AI translator.