'Is this the difference in their market value?' Kim Hye-seong hesitated twice before using the ABS, while Lee Jung-hoo confidently overturned the umpire's call.

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Hye-seong (27, Los Angeles Dodgers) and Lee Jung-hoo (28, San Francisco Giants), who are teammates from the same Kiwoom Heroes draft class, displayed sharply contrasting behaviors during an ABS (Automated Ball-Strike) challenge in their Major League Baseball matchup, sparking discussion.

A memorable scene unfolded on the 13th (Korea time) at the UCLA Field at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, USA, where the Dodgers and Giants faced off in a '2026 Major League Baseball (MLB)' game.

Kim Hye-seong, who started as the Dodgers' ninth hitter and second baseman, was retired with a disappointing strikeout in his first at-bat in the bottom of the second inning. The first and second pitches thrown by opposing starting pitcher Adrian Houser were clearly 'balls' that fell outside the strike zone, even to the naked eye. However, the umpire's hand rose without mercy. The pitches were also ignored by the strike zone on the Major League Baseball game day broadcast.

Kim Hye-seong appeared flustered but ultimately failed to send a challenge signal. It seemed as though a 'trauma' from failing an ABS challenge in a home game against the Texas Rangers on April 13, which led to public criticism from Dodgers manager Dave Roberts saying, "You should not have used it there," held him back.

In contrast, San Francisco's 'Grandson of the Wind,' Lee Jung-hoo, displayed a different level of confidence. In the top of the third inning, when Lee Jung-hoo faced Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, he immediately requested a challenge the moment the first pitch, a 95.5 mph sinker to the body, was called a strike.

The review result was surprising. As Lee Jung-hoo had confidently predicted, the ball was slightly outside the zone, and the strike call was ultimately overturned to a ball. It was a moment where the 'mental leeway' provided by a massive market value exceeding $100 million and a firm position within the team translated into the decisiveness to catch even a 0.1-inch error.

Analysis suggests that this difference in response stemmed from the players' 'market value' and their respective standing within their teams. Lee Jung-hoo signed a massive six-year, $113 million (approximately 168.9 billion won) contract with the San Francisco Giants ahead of the 2024 season. The mental leeway gained as a firm core player of the team became the basis for confidently confronting umpire calls.

In contrast, Kim Hye-seong, who donned the Dodgers uniform ahead of the 2025 season on a three-year, $12.5 million (approximately 18.7 billion won) contract, is in a position where he must prove his value in every game. The average annual salary difference of about 4.5 times is said to have led to psychological pressure, resulting in a lack of voice within the team and the need to be mindful of the manager's reactions.

Ultimately, even before the mechanical ABS, the outcome was determined by the players' standing and mental battle. Kim Hye-seong, trapped by trauma, and Lee Jung-hoo, as confident as his massive market value. The divergent scenes of these two teammates once again showed that Major League Baseball is a ruthless jungle.

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*This content was translated by AI.