A new concept utility man appeared Kim Hye-sung's great instinct, which was recognized by the media, succeeded in stealing 12 consecutive bases in the big league. If you run, you can't stop it

Jul 23, 2025

"Who can stop Hyesung's speed?"

Kim Hye-sung of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Major League Baseball is drawing attention as he has solidified his position in the team with Super Utility. Although there is still little data, it has already built a unique area and boosted its value as a `new concept utility man.' It's an excellent steal ability. Kim Hye-sung's performance is also attracting attention in the Japanese media.

Kim Hye-sung started the home game against the Minnesota Twins at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, on the 23rd (Korea time) and played a good game with one hit, two RBIs and one stolen base in four at-bats.

Although the Dodgers lost 7-10 on the day, Kim Hye-sung proved his value again with 'Super Utility'. This is because he contributes to the team with stable multi-defense capabilities and is performing a perfect hitting ability that catches the opponent off guard in the lower batting line. Kim Hye-sung's current batting average is 0.317 (40 hits in 126 at-bats in 53 games), and his OPS is 0.782, which is quite consistent.

However, there is another eye-catching thing in Kim Hye-sung's grade index. That's the success rate of stealing. He also added a stolen base in the game against Minnesota on the same day. In the bottom of the sixth inning with two outs and runners on the second and third bases, Kim Ha-sung hit a timely two-run hit by hitting a 99.3-mile (about 160km/h) fastball thrown by opposing pitcher Lewis Balland, and succeeded in stealing second base immediately during the subsequent Miguel Rojas at-bat.

It was his 12th stolen base of the season, ranking second in the team after Shohei Ohtani (13 stolen bases). In particular, it was Kim Hye-sung's 12th consecutive stolen base. Since being called up to the Major League on May 4, he has boasted 100% success without a single failure so far and has been making the major league stage with 'KBO League's great instinct'.

If you add up to the minor leagues before the big league call-up, it is a successful 25 consecutive stolen bases. He also showed an incredible ability to steal 13 bases in the minor leagues and succeed in all of them.

So far this year, only four players in the Major League have not failed to steal a single base. Byron Buxton (Minnesota) and Trevor Story (Boston) have successfully stolen bases for 17 consecutive years, followed by Kim Hye-sung and George Springer (Toronto).

Kim Hye-sung proudly rose to the top class in the Major League steal area with her two feet. In this respect, the expression 'new super utility' is perfect for Kim Hye-sung.

In fact, Kim Hye-sung's ability has already been proven in the KBO League. Kim Hye-sung, who played only on one Kiwoom Heroes team, recorded 211 steals in his career, with a whopping 85.1% success rate. This is the No. 1 record among players with more than 100 steals in KBO league history.

It means that he has fast feet, sharp judgment on situations, and observation ability to read the proper timing of stolen bases from the opponent's battery.

Kim Hye-sung is succeeding in stealing second base after hitting a heavy hit in the top of the third inning against San Francisco on the 12th. Photo = MLB.TV Capture

Thanks to Kim Hye-sung's consistent display of his own weapons, he has now established himself as an indispensable player for the LA Dodgers. If not injured, Kim Hye-sung is likely to show his presence in the big leagues until the end of the season. Manager Dave Roberts is also replacing Kim Hye-sung frequently because of his operating philosophy, but he is sure to give great trust.

Kim Hye-sung's unrivaled ability is also receiving great attention in the Japanese media. Japanese sports media Sponichi Annex reported on the 23rd that Kim Hye-sung is the first player to win the game

Japan 'Sponichi Annex' also paid attention to Kim Hye-sung's performance. The Dodgers bench' Kershaw and others stood up and applauded when Kim Hye-sung hit Balland's first pitch fastball to make a two-run critical hit. He then succeeded in stealing second base at the next batter Rojas' at-bat, saying 'Kim Hye-sung has never failed to steal since being promoted to the Major League. This was the 12th steal. Not only in the Major League but also in Japan, Kim Hye-sung's unrivaled ability seems to be surprised.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.