Spring Training Wrap-Up: Hyeseong Kim Back to Triple-A?!
Which Korean MLB players will be in action for Opening Day?
I remember when Netflix was a way to rent DVDs through the mail. I haven’t shown either of my kids what a DVD is, but I’m pretty sure my oldest (5 years old) would not be able to comprehend that I couldn’t just pull up any movie or video on a streaming app when I was little.
I never was a DVD rental subscriber, but did sign up for the streaming service before Netflix made their own original content. However, I never got super interested in Netflix originals and primarily used the service to watch the films and TV shows I knew and loved. As these slowly disappeared from the app and the amount of originals increased, I eventually cancelled my subscription.
I would resubscribe for a month here and there to catch up on shows like Stranger Things, Drive to Survive, and Squid Game. But now with Opening Night on Netflix along with other large-scale sporting events (e.g., Canelo vs. Crawford, NFL on Christmas), I’ve become a regular subscriber again. If you told me years ago that one day I’d be watching my favorite sports on the same platform that I binge watched comfort shows like King of the Hill on, I would’ve said you were crazy.
But alas, here we are. The MLB regular season is starting up this week on Netflix, and below are the latest updates on Korean players:
Hyeseong Kim Does Not Make The Dodgers Roster
The biggest story this past week in the Korean MLB world is the news that utility player Hyeseong Kim was cut by the LA Dodgers from the major league roster and sent back to the Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets. This raised many eyebrows since Kim had a very good spring training performance, slashing .407/.448/.519 with an OPS of .967 in 27 at-bats. His World Baseball Classic stats however did leave more to be desired (.083/.214/.333 in 12 at-bats).
Kim was competing with Alex Freeland for that final second base spot with Tommy Edman out on injury. Freeland on paper had a much less impressive spring training with a line of .111/.300/.222. Despite the numbers, the Dodgers believe that Freeland will provide more consistency in getting on base and drawing walks. Plus, he’s a switch hitter and also has versatility throughout the infield.
Kim’s WBC performance vs. his spring training unfortunately shows his streakiness. When Kim is hot, he’s sizzling. Last season when he was called up, he batted .400 in his first month. He then fell back down to earth in his second month and was under .200, finishing the year with a 30% strikeout rate that drew concerns from the Dodgers. The coaching staff have worked with Kim to make adjustments to his swing which they want him to now get used to in Triple-A.
It is probable that if Kim wasn’t signed to the stacked roster that is the Dodgers, he would be most likely be on the Opening Day roster for other teams. Which is too bad since he has a lot of skill and upside that many other clubs would benefit from. Kim was called up last year in May, and will hope to return to the major league roster soon as the 2026 season kicks off this week.
Sung-Mun Song Begins Rookie Season on the IL
The newest KBO prospect to join the MLB will unfortunately begin the season on the injured list. Sung-Mun Song, the highly touted utilityman for the San Diego Padres, reaggravated an oblique injury that he sustained in January. He is not expected to miss extended time, but fans will have to wait to see what kind of impact Song can make for the Padres on both sides of the ball.
In 21 plate appearances during spring training, Song slashed .235/.381/.412 for an OPS of .793. His offensive highlight was a home run during a lopsided 27-6 win against the Seattle Mariners on March 5.
Ji Hwan Bae Will Begin Mets Career in Syracuse
After his stint with the Pirates, Ji Hwan Bae was picked off waivers by the New York Mets. This decision was met with many questions, as Bae’s batting hasn’t been anything to write home about. And while he does provide versatility on defense, his questionable baserunning and more importantly, his domestic violence conviction in 2018 understandably prevents many fans from seeing him in a positive light.
Bae had a decent spring training performance, batting .294/.400/.471 with an OPS of .871, but will start with the Triple-A Syracuse Mets for the 2026 season.
Jung Hoo Lee Looks to Make Big Splash on Opening Night
San Francisco Giants fan favorite and outfielder Jung Hoo Lee is ready to kick off another MLB season on Opening Night in a marquee matchup against the New York Yankees live on Netflix. Lee had a very solid spring training (.455/.500/.727 with an OPS of 1.227) while also serving as captain of Team Korea in the World Baseball Classic where they advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2009.
For the 2026 season, Lee needs to show that despite setbacks in previous seasons, he is physically capable of adjusting to the rigors of a 162-game MLB season. (For reference, a KBO season is 144 games.) He will also need to demonstrate a successful transition to right field after the signing of center fielder Harrison Bader. Based on his spring training performance, it appears that he is adapting well to the new position as well as continuing to be an offensive threat at the plate.
Of course, we can’t forget about Braves utility player Ha-Seong Kim, who is targeting a May return following a finger injury in January.
Be sure to tune in Wednesday night at 8:05 pm ET for the season opener game between the Giants and Yankees and the slate of Opening Day games on Thursday, beginning with the Pirates at the Mets at 1:15 pm ET.
Statistics courtesy of Baseball Reference.