"The most bizarre in history": Kim Hye-seong, who plays in Triple-A, ranks fourth in All-Star voting... Shocking 'Dodgers power' in the U.S.

*This content was translated by AI.

The popularity of Kim Hye-seong (27, LA Dodgers) and the Dodgers is becoming a hot topic even in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States.

On the 23rd (Korean time), Kim Hye-seong received 659,500 votes in the second interim results of the first round of fan voting for the All-Star Game announced by the MLB office, securing fourth place in the National League (NL) second baseman category.

U.S. baseball media ClutchPoints stated on this day, "It is a surprise that a Dodgers Triple-A player has ranked fourth in the second baseman category in the All-Star fan voting," adding, "It is somewhat unexpected for a player not currently playing in the major leagues to rank fourth in the second baseman category."

This is perhaps a natural reaction, demonstrating just how popular the Dodgers are. Kim Hye-seong, who signed a contract worth up to $22 million (approximately 33.1 billion won) for a 3+2-year deal last year to join the big leagues, posted batting averages of 0.259 (116 at-bats, 30 hits), one home run, 11 RBIs, 16 runs scored, and an OPS of 0.651 in 43 games this season, falling short of last year's performance, and was sent to the Triple-A team Oklahoma City Comets on May 30.

In Triple-A, he has played in 24 games, recording a batting average of 0.296 (98 at-bats, 29 hits), 11 RBIs, 19 runs scored, two stolen bases, an on-base percentage of 0.358, a slugging percentage of 0.347, and an OPS of 0.705. Although he has not yet been called up to the major leagues, he is outperforming formidable competitors in the fan voting.

Not only is A.J. Albies (Atlanta), who leads the NL second baseman category, but Bryson Stott (Philadelphia) and Bryce Turlington (Milwaukee) in second place, as well as players who received fewer votes than Kim Ha-seong, all have impressive performances. Ketel Marte (Arizona), Brandon Lowe (Pittsburgh), and J.J. Hardy (St. Louis) have hit 12, 18, and 12 home runs respectively but remain ranked between sixth and eighth, while batting machine Luis Arraez (San Francisco), who is batting 0.320, is ranked fifth, just behind Kim Hye-seong.

Of course, since this is truly "fan voting," performance and rankings do not necessarily correlate. However, Kim Hye-seong has drawn attention by securing a high ranking as a minor leaguer despite not being injured.

The media stated, "Considering that Kim Hye-seong has not appeared in any major league games since the end of May, this ranking is exceptional," and explained, "As a former KBO player, he played 38 games for the Dodgers at the beginning of this season before being sent down to Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets. When the latest voting results were released, he had spent nearly a month with the Comets."

ClutchPoints also focused on the players behind him. "Kim Hye-seong is ahead of major league veterans such as San Francisco's Luis Arraez and Arizona's Ketel Marte," stating, "This result demonstrates the influence of fan voting and the size of Kim Hye-seong's fanbase. He remains a popular player in Korea after his successful performance with the Kiwoom Heroes, and the Dodgers' global fanbase has further elevated his recognition."

The media highlighted this as one of the most surprising results among many All-Star candidates. "It remains to be seen whether Kim Hye-seong will rise to a higher position in the voting process, but his vote count has been recorded as one of the most unexpected results in the 2026 All-Star Game," and added, "Currently, a Triple-A player has turned the fierce competition for the National League second baseman into the most bizarre story in the history of baseball fan voting."

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*This content was translated by AI.