Korean Infielder Hyeseong Kim Hits 1st Home Run Since Joining Los Angeles Dodgers

Hyeseong Kim went yard against the San Francisco Giants in a spring training game Saturday, continuing to impress as he fights for a spot on the Los Angeles Dodgers' roster.

Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers second base Hyeseong Kim (6) hits against the Milwaukee Brewers during the third inning at American Family Fields of Phoenix. | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Entering Saturday, Hyeseong Kim wasn't enjoying a particularly successful spring.

The Los Angeles Dodgers infielder went just 1-for-14 at the plate across his first six games in the Cactus League, notching one single and two walks compared to seven strikeouts. Manager Dave Roberts even suggested this past week that Kim – who inked a three-year, $12.5 million contract with the Dodgers in January – could open the year in the minors.

Kim took his first step towards changing the narrative against the San Francisco Giants.

With one out in the bottom of the fifth inning, Kim slapped a fastball to left for an opposite-field solo home run. It marked Kim's first recorded homer in a Dodgers uniform, and his first since leaving Korea.

Hyeseong Kim crushes his first #SpringTraining homer 💪 pic.twitter.com/rgXYIe5YYB

— MLB (@MLB) March 1, 2025

Kim strung together a successful tenure with the Kiwoom Heroes in the Korean Baseball Organization, but he was known more for having a stellar glove than a powerful bat. Still, Kim's slugging percentage went up three years in a row before he left for MLB, and he hit a career-high 11 home runs across 127 games in 2024.

Over the course of his eight KBO seasons, Kim was a .304 hitter with a .766 OPS.

Kim is now bating .125 with a .576 OPS in Cactus League play. The 26-year-old reached base three times and scored three runs Saturday before getting benched for shortstop prospect Sean McLain in the eighth.

Related MLB Stories

• METS PROSPECT DOMINATES: Blade Tidwell, No. 2 pitching prospect in the Mets' farm system, tossed an immaculate inning in a spring training game on Saturday. CLICK HERE

• JUDGE MAKES SPRING DEBUT: In his first spring training game of the year, New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge slapped a two-RBI single through the left side. CLICK HERE

• SIRI TAKES REVENGE: The Rays traded Jose Siri to the Mets over the winter, only for the outfielder to go deep against them in a spring training game. CLICK HERE

Follow Fastball On SI on social media

Continue to follow our Fastball On SI coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.

You can also follow Sam Connon on Twitter @SamConnon.