Dodgers’ dynamic rookie is quickly upending NL Rookie of the Year race

In Thursday’s blowout Dodgers’ win against the Athletics, LA’s two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani took the headlines yet again. Ohtani went 2-or-5 with two home runs on his bobblehead giveaway night, leading the Dodgers on their 19-2 romp over the A’s. But somewhat lost in Ohtani’s shadow is another name that could one day dominate the headlines and one that now has a legitimate shot at bringing home the NL Rookie of the Year award. That would be KBO star Hyeseong Kim.

Batting ninth in Thursday’s game, Kim went 3-3 with a double and two walks, making it aboard in all five of his plate appearances and allowing him to score on both Ohtani’s home runs. Entering Friday, Kim is now hitting .429/.467/.571 with one home run and three stolen bases in 28 at-bats.

Kim was a premier talent with the South Korean Kiwoom Heroes of the KBO before signing with the Dodgers this offseason. In the past four years with the Heroes, Kim posted batting averages ranging from .304 to .335, stole 135 bases and won KBO Golden Gloves each season (three at second base, one at shortstop).

Wary of how his bat would play in majors, the Dodgers started him out at Triple-A where he hit .252/.328/.470 with five home runs and 13 stolen bases in 115 at-bats. Kim, who has never hit more than 11 home runs in a single season during his eight-year career in South Korea, is not known for his power. So, his five home runs in this large, minor-league sample size are a rather new development, possibly hinting that the Dodgers organization helped him figure something out.

Kim was called up after Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman fell on the injured list, making his debut on May 3, though he didn’t collect his first plate appearance until the 5^th. Now off to an amazing start, Kim has quickly thrust himself into the NL ROY conversation.

His top two competitors are two high-flying catchers: Drake Baldwin of the Braves and Agustin Ramirez of the Marlins, each of whom have a solid head start on Kim, totaling over 70 at-bats a piece. Here’s a comparison of their stat lines (all stats as of writing on Friday): 

Table 

We also can’t discount a third catcher, Kim’s teammate, Dalton Rushing, who made his debut during Thursday’s slugfest. However, it is too early to speculate on Rushing’s chances.

Only time will tell if Kim can keep up his torrid pace and claim the title of NL ROY. But, with his elite bat-to-ball skills, impressive speed, top-notch defense and perhaps a bit of newfound thump in his bat, Kim is looking like a solid contender.