The U.S. is also paying keen attention to the news of Kim Hye-sung (25) of the Keum Heroes’ bid to play in the Major League. The official website of the Major League, MLB.com , has a photo of Kim Hye-sung posted on its main page, along with a photo of him playing alongside the biggest offseason player, Rocky Sasaki (23) of the Chiba Lotte Marines.
MLB.com said on the 27th (Korea time), “Kim Hye-sung, one of the best hitters in the KBO League, said at a press conference on the 26th that he will be posted soon. The posting will open up the opportunity for the 25-year-old second baseman to become a Major League FA player.”
With the 2024 season just around the corner, Kim has already announced her bid to become a major league player. Her team Kiwoom already allowed her to play in the big leagues before the 2024 season starts. In June, she signed an agent contract with CAA Sports, the U.S. agency of Shohei Ohtani (30, LA Dodgers).
At the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO Awards held at Lotte Hotel World in Seoul on the 26th, the major league challenge was officially announced. Kim Hye-sung said, “Maybe soon. I didn’t talk about details now. At the meeting, I only talked about having conversations in one team or another,” and added, “Since we have 30 days after applying, I understand that the U.S. winter meeting will be held soon.”
MLB Network reporter John Morosi reported the news on his SNS, saying, “Kim Hye-sung, who is receiving attention from various teams, including the Seattle Mariners, will be posted soon.”
Kiwoom Kim Hye-sung, who graduated from Munchon Elementary School (Goyang Sillittle), Dongsan Middle School, and Dongsan High School, joined Nexen (currently Kiwoom) in Kiwoom as the seventh-ranked player in the first round of the second round of the KBO Rookie Draft in 2017. He has played in 953 games in eight seasons so far this year, batting average of 0.304 (1,043 hits in 3,433 at-bats), 37 homers, 386 RBIs, 591 runs and 211 steals, and on-base percentage of 0.364 on-base plus slugging percentage of 0.403 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) of 0.767. From the 2021 season, when he took the lead, he won the shortstop (2021) and the second baseman (2022-2023) Golden Glove in turn, and won the steal king in the 2021 season.
He wore his first national flag at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics held in 2021, and played as a second baseman for the national team through the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC), the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, and the 2023 Asian Baseball Championship (APBC). Since the Asian Games, he has been recognized for his leadership by leading the team to the gold medal and the runner-up at APBC.
Referring to 꽁머니 Kim Hye-sung’s eight-season KBO record, MLB.com also said, “Kim Hye-sung is an outstanding defender in the center of the infield. He received the KBO Golden Glove as a second baseman in 2022 and 2023, and won in the shortstop category in 2021.”
It is eye-catching that Kim Hye-sung’s photo is hung alongside Sasaki. Sasaki is considered one of the biggest fish in the Major League offseason. It is evaluated as being worth at least $100 million for its fastball, which sprays fastballs with an average speed of 159 kilometers per hour, up to 165 kilometers, and fastballs with a maximum speed of 149 kilometers. In the NPB regular season home game against the Orix Buffaloes on April 10, 2022, it drew attention from all over the world for its perfect game of striking out only 19 in nine innings.
Moreover, the down payment is only up to $7.5 million, attracting 30 Major League teams. Under the U.S.-Japan professional baseball agreement, foreign players under the age of 25 or under six years of professional career can only sign minor league contracts. What was mentioned along with Sasaki is that Kim Hye-sung is an Asian player who can attract attention.
Seattle in the American League West is becoming the most likely destination for Kim. “Seattle second baseman posted a batting average of 0.209 with an OPS of 0.658 and a strikeout rate of 27.1 percent this year,” MLB.com said. “Kim marked a strikeout rate of 16.3 percent from 3,819 times at bat in the KBO.”