What history will we write today? Kim Hye-sung, who made the U.S. excited for the first MLB record. Why I'm looking forward to his start
Jun 03, 2025
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MLB was turned upside down by the rookie's amazing performance from South Korea. Kim Hye-sung (26), who was recruited by the Los Angeles Dodgers through posting last winter, changed his perception of himself with his amazing performance in offense and defense.
Kim Hye-sung was close to being called up to the big league due to the injury of her main player, but she appeared in an interleague home game against the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California on the 1st (Korea time) and set a record that will remain in MLB's history.
Kim Hye-sung started the game against the Yankees as the ninth shortstop and recorded four hits, one walk, two RBIs and three runs in four at-bats, including one home run. It was Kim Hye-sung's first four-hit, five-base game. If I had only added a triple, I would have achieved 'cycling hit'.
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He then moved to center field when defending in the top of the sixth inning and took care of leadoff hitter Aaron Judge. Kim Hye-sung quickly caught Judge's ball and threw it quickly and accurately to second base when it cut through the left-center outfield and hit the fence on a one-bound basis. Judge, who looked down on Kim Hye-sung's throwing ability, was eventually tagged out at second base. It was Kim Hye-sung's first outfield bodhisattva scene.
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Opta Statts, a statistics company, said Kim Hye-sung is the first player in the modern era since the 20th century to hit more than four hits in a game, including a home run, and at the same time recorded a single double play and an outfield bodhisattva in defense. He was named in major league history as a true 'multiplayer'.
It is worth evaluating that Shohei Ohtani's record of hitting cycling hits in the attack and going through the infield and outfield at the same time is almost comparable to his record of 50 home runs and 50 steals in one season. In some ways, it can be seen as a record that is difficult to reproduce again.
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This means that Kim Hye-sung has emerged as a dark horse in the race for the NL Rookie of the Year. The fWAR of Drake Baldwin (Atlanta Braves), who is considered the most advanced in the NL Rookie of the Year, is 1.3, followed by Tim Tawa (Arizona Diamondbacks) and Liam Hicks (Miami Marlins). Kim Hye-sung is fourth in terms of fWAR. This means that it has become the first Korean to try for the Rookie of the Year award in the Major League.
However, despite this performance, Kim Hye-sung is not yet the main player of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
After the 1st day of the game "Kim Hye-sung has above average shoulders and arms, and he is very good as an all-around player. LA Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who praised Kim Hye-sung again in the game against the Yankees on the 2nd, said, "If I get a chance to play, I can perform and use it well.'
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However, Dodgers home fans have not forgotten Kim Hye-sung, who performed amazingly. When Kim Hye-sung, who was excluded from the starting lineup against the Yankees on the 2nd, appeared as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the 8th inning, home fans cheered and welcomed Kim Hye-sung's appearance. In the hearts of Dodgers fans, Kim Hye-sung has already become a real person who emits brilliant light.
In the end, Roberts said after the game on the 2nd that `Kim Hye-sung will start as shortstop in the next game.' Kim Hye-sung will start the home game against the New York Mets at 11:10 a.m. on the 3rd.
The Mets' starting pitcher on the day is right-handed pitcher Paul Blackburn. Blackburn made his big league debut with Oakland in 2017 and came out with four to five pre-issuances before moving to the Mets at the trade deadline last year. However, he was hurt by a hit in a game against San Diego on August 24 last year, his fifth start for the Mets.
Since then, Blackburn, who was out for the season due to back disk symptoms, has re-entered his rehabilitation due to a right knee injury at the end of March, the end of spring camp. In minor league rehabilitation games, he started in seven games and recorded a 2-2 record with a 3.68 ERA. In the end, he returned as a big league starter after almost 10 months.
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In addition, Kim Hye-sung is batting .400 (18 hits in 45 at-bats) with an OPS of .949 against right-handers. For Kim Hye-sung, Blackburn, who just returned from injury, is a good pitcher to draw multi-hitters.
If Kim Hye-sung again shows his strong performance against the Yankees on the 1st, he can break the platoon frame that Roberts is pushing and leap to the real starting line. In addition, he can firmly establish a top position in the NL Rookie of the Year race. I'm already looking forward to how Kim Hye-sung will perform against the Mets.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
