Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers second base Hyeseong Kim (6) hits against the Milwaukee Brewers during the third inning at American Family Fields of Phoenix. Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Korean Infielder Hyeseong Kim Hits 1st Home Run Since Joining Los Angeles Dodgers

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Sam Connon | Last updated Mar 1, 2025 5:36 PM ET

Entering Saturday, Hyeseong Kim wasn't enjoying a particularly successful spring.

The Los Angeles Dodgers infielder went just 1-for-14 at the plate across his first six games in the Cactus League, notching one single and two walks compared to seven strikeouts. Manager Dave Roberts even suggested this past week that Kim – who inked a three-year, $12.5 million contract with the Dodgers in January – could open the year in the minors.

Kim took his first step towards changing the narrative against the San Francisco Giants.

With one out in the bottom of the fifth inning, Kim slapped a fastball to left for an opposite-field solo home run. It marked Kim's first recorded homer in a Dodgers uniform, and his first since leaving Korea.

Hyeseong Kim crushes his first #SpringTraining homer pic.twitter.com/rgXYIe5YYB
— MLB (@MLB) March 1, 2025

Kim strung together a successful tenure with the Kiwoom Heroes in the Korean Baseball Organization, but he was known more for having a stellar glove than a powerful bat. Still, Kim's slugging percentage went up three years in a row before he left for MLB, and he hit a career-high 11 home runs across 127 games in 2024.

Over the course of his eight KBO seasons, Kim was a .304 hitter with a .766 OPS.

Kim is now bating .125 with a .576 OPS in Cactus League play. The 26-year-old reached base three times and scored three runs Saturday before getting benched for shortstop prospect Sean McLain in the eighth.

This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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