KBO’s Kiwoom Heroes Plan To Post Infielder Hye Seong Kim For MLB Teams Next Offseason

For the second time in five years, the Kiwoom Heroes of the Korea Baseball Organization will post an infielder for MLB clubs. The Heroes announced this week that they’ll post second baseman/shortstop Hye Seong Kim for big league clubs following the 2024 campaign (English-language link via Jee-ho Yoo of South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency).

Kim (no relation to former Heroes infielder Ha-Seong Kim, who was his double-play partner in the KBO) will be 25 years old and have seven seasons of pro experience in the KBO, thus exempting him from amateur status under MLB’s international free agency rules. He’ll be able to sign a Major League contract of any length with any team, though he’ll still fall under the purview of the MLB/KBO posting system — meaning any team to sign him will need to pay a posting/release fee to the Heroes.

Kim doesn’t possess the power that many prominent KBO free agents have been able to market when seeking to jump to the Majors. However, he’s batted .300 or better in each of the past three seasons while continually whittling down his strikeout rate and improving his walk rate. Over the past three years, Kim is a .319/.380/.405 hitter — including a .335/.396/.446 slash in 2023. He’s connected on just 14 homers since 2021 but also touts 67 doubles, 16 triples and a hefty 105 steals in 119 tries (88.3% success rate). Kim walked at a 7% clip with a 25.2% strikeout rate as a rookie in 2018, but he walked at a 9.2% rate with just a 12.4% strikeout rate in 2023. That marked his third straight year with a strikeout rate of 15% or lower.

Prior to the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Kyle Glaser of Baseball America ranked Kim ninth among international prospects to watch in that year’s tournament. Glaser called Kim a plus defender at second who can handle shortstop on occasion, adding that he has strong pitch recognition skills, a “preternatural feel for contact” and an ability to catch up to good velocity. Kim has a Gold Glove at shortstop and two at second base. As one might expect for a player with Kim’s minimal home run totals, BA’s scouting report paints him as a line-drive hitter with a knack for finding the barrel but a lack of over-the-fence power.

While the lack of power will limit Kim’s appeal in MLB free agency, he’s at the very least a high-contact left-handed bat who can handle multiple positions and deliver value on the bases. At 24 years old (25 later this month), it’s not out of the question that Kim develops a bit more power this season, though his swing doesn’t appear geared for substantial power (as seen in this 35-minute compilation of highlights from Kim at the plate this past season). He’s listed at 5’10” and 170 pounds, so Kim certainly doesn’t have a prototypical slugging frame.

There’s a ways to go before Kim is legitimately on MLB radars in free agency next winter; it stands to reason that with a major injury and/or down season at the plate, he might not test the free-agent waters at all. Still, Kim made clear that his ultimate goal is to secure an opportunity to test himself in MLB. “Just challenging myself to make it to such a big stage means a lot to me,” he told reporters (via Yoo).

Lack of power notwithstanding, Kim could draw interest as a speed/contact-oriented second baseman next winter. Glaser tabbed him as a potential big league utilityman. His age will surely hold appeal, and Kim will likely be an affordable alternative to MLB free agents like Gleyber Torres, Jose Altuve and, coincidentally, his own former teammate and double-play partner (Ha-Seong Kim), who’ll become a free agent next winter when the mutual option on his contract with the Padres is inevitably declined (likely by the player). As a potential, if not likely entrant into next winter’s free-agent class, Kim’s production will be worth keeping an eye on during the 2024 KBO campaign.