Hyeseong Kim’s first season with the Dodgers did not unfold the way anyone around the club probably pictured when he got his shot.
The infielder ended up appearing in just 43 big-league games after stepping in early in the year when Mookie Betts went down with an oblique injury. Kim finished with a .259/.323/.328 line, along with one home run, 11 RBIs, 31 strikeouts and 12 walks. That’s not the kind of production that locks down a regular role, but it does leave open the possibility that there’s still a fit if the rest of the profile sharpens up.
For a stretch, Kim looked like he might stick as a useful bottom-of-the-order piece thanks to his defense and his ability to come through in big spots. But once Betts returned, and with Tommy Edman and Kike Hernandez in the mix as well, the roster picture tightened quickly. There just wasn’t much room left for another utility option.
Alex Freeland ended up taking the final spot on the end of the roster because he was a prospect performing well in Triple-A. Kim didn’t force the issue there, either. His work in Triple-A was modest at best, as he hit .262/.330/.345 while continuing to battle strikeouts and missing too often on the on-base side.
That left him off the roster until the NLDS, when he was added as a pinch-hitting and defensive option. Even that run was brief. He appeared in only a series before the Dodgers removed him from the NLCS roster to open up space for another pitcher.
So 2026 wound up being a missed opportunity for Kim, who had hoped to hold an active roster spot all season. But the door is still open for 2027, and that season could look very different if he finds a better offensive gear.
The Dodgers need more youth and speed, and Kim gives them both, at least in terms of the physical tools. He’s about to turn 28, carries a strong athletic profile, and brings speed and a quality glove to the table.
The issue is simple: he has to hit enough for those tools to matter. The Dodgers need him on base more often if his speed is going to become part of the equation. A better walk rate, fewer strikeouts and more contact would make him a much more useful player.
That kind of improvement would let Kim play into a role similar to Chandler Simpson, whose game offers a reminder that high-contact speedsters with solid defense can still matter for a World Series contender. The Tampa Bay Rays are the example here.
If Kim can put the ball in play more often and cut down on the swing-and-miss, he could give the Dodgers something different. And with 2027 serving as his final year before arbitration, the clock is ticking toward a decision on what comes next.
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