"I don't want to let Kim Hye-sung go," but the Dodgers, who are disappointed with the batting average of 0.462, said, "I have no choice but to watch the growth from a distance."

*This content was translated by AI.

Last year, he used it as a half-length one, but with the new season ahead, the Los Angeles Dodgers are looking at Kim Hye-sung (27), who is leaving for the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), and is rekindling his bitter taste.

Kim Hye-sung played four times in the Dodgers' spring camp exhibition game in Arizona, USA, hitting 0.462 (6 hits in 13 at-bats), one home run, five RBIs, three runs and two steals, an on-base percentage of 0.462, a slugging percentage of 0.692 and an OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) of 1.154.

Tommy Edman, who can play both infield and outfield, injured his ankle and went to the operating table, raising expectations for Kim Hye-sung, who can play this role as it is. He performed better than expected, but he left to join the national team.

MLB.COM, the official website of MLB, also said on the 28th (Korea Standard Time), "Kim Hye-sung is leaving camp to participate in WBC," adding, "Kim Hye-sung has caused a lot of trouble for the Dodgers." "The competition for second baseman will continue without Kim Hye-sung, who performed impressively," he said.

Kim Hye-sung will fly to Japan on the 28th to join the national team. The national team, which has been playing practice games with KBO League teams in Okinawa, Japan since the 15th, moved to Osaka on the same day. In addition to Kim Hye-sung, Lee Jung-hoo (San Francisco), Korean players Germai Jones, Ko Woo-seok (Detroit), Shay Witcom (Houston), and Dane Dunning (Seattle) will also join Osaka.

For the Dodgers, there is no choice but to be disappointed. MLB.COM, which introduced the Korean national team's schedule, said, "If Korea fails to pass the group stage, Kim Hye-sung may return to Camelback Ranch for an exhibition game for about a week and a half," adding, "Until then, the Dodgers will have no choice but to watch Kim Hye-sung's growth from a distance. Kim Hye-sung hit his first home run and the final solo shot in his last at-bat, leaving a scene that will remain a path for the team," he said.

However, WBC is a new opportunity for Kim Hye-sung. Kim Hye-sung, who entered the MLB for up to 22 million dollars (about 31.7 billion won) for 3+2 years through posting last year, played 71 games for the Dodgers with a batting average of 0.280 (45 hits in 161 at-bats), three home runs, 17 RBIs, 19 runs and 13 steals (one failure), a on-base percentage of 0.314 and a slugging percentage of 0.385 and an OPS of 0.699.

What was unfortunate was the opportunity to play. He hit a batting average of 0.381 (8 hits in 21 at-bats) against left-handed pitchers, but he was only given a very limited opportunity. WBC is also a stage where Kim Hye-sung's true value can be widely known.

His confidence is considerable. After the last game, Kim Hye-sung laughed when asked if he liked having a great finish, saying, "Ask manager Dave Roberts," and Roberts said, "Kim Hye-sung has had a really great camp so far. I really like Kim Hye-sung's style of play. The home run was simply the icing on the cake. I support Kim Hye-sung's future and look forward to coming back," he encouraged.

Kim Hye-sung also showed off his fantastic defense as a center fielder in this spring camp. This is why Kim Hye-sung's value is greatly raised. MLB.COM said, "Kim Hye-sung is a versatile player and will be a great help to the team. In particular, utility man Edman is on the injured list and has to compete with prospect Alex Freeland for the second baseman position, he said. "Edman's biggest advantage is his versatility, and if Kim Hye-sung adds depth to the outfield, he can be advantageous to enter the opening roster."

Kim Hye-sung said, "I don't think I'm completely satisfied with the results of the spring camp," adding, "I'm trying to focus on what I'm focusing on now. Refining the quality of movement and swing mechanisms. And I'm trying to play every day and I hope the results will come out during the season."

Ahead of last season, he also changed his swing to effectively target big league pitchers. Kim Hye-sung said in response, "I'm about 70% satisfied." On top of that, we took it to the next level through off-season training. He also said he is focusing on using his lower body better when swinging.

Roberts said, "Kim Hye-sung seems to respond better to breaking balls. "I don't chase the ball that falls under the strike zone," he said. "I'm hitting a fast ball of speed as always. It seems to have compensated for the weaknesses of the swing. It's still spring camp, but Kim Hye-sung's appearance so far is really great."

The outlook for WBC is also bright. The reason is that the level of pitchers to meet in the WBC is relatively lower than those competing in the big leagues. MLB.COM said, "In WBC, Kim Hye-sung meets pitchers who are lower than those he faces in MLB, so the LA Dodgers should take this into account when evaluating his performance on the Korean national team," adding, "But the Dodgers know what to see in Kim Hye-sung's swing even if they face pitchers who are not big league pitchers."

"The hitting coaches have worked really hard to refine his batting mechanism," Roberts said. "I think it will work against Major League pitchers as well. Of course, the WBC's pitching staff will not be as good as the pitchers he will face in the Major League, but I'm sure his improvements will work in the Major League," he said.

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*This content was translated by AI.