Los Angeles Dodgers Spring Training Update from Phoenix
PHOENIX — Opportunity in baseball rarely announces itself politely, and for Hyeseong Kim, it may have arrived quietly but unmistakably this spring.
With Tommy Edman set to open the season on the injured list following offseason ankle surgery, the Dodgers suddenly have innings available at second base.
Kim, entering his second MLB campaign, stands at the forefront of that conversation.
On Tuesday at Camelback Ranch, he strengthened his case in emphatic fashion.
Camelback Ranch
During a live batting practice session on the backfields, Yoshinobu Yamamoto — the reigning World Series MVP — took the mound before a sizable crowd of Dodgers fans eager for a preview of 2026.
Sixteen pitches into the session, Kim delivered a moment that rippled through the practice complex.
He launched an opposite field home run off Yamamoto, a no doubt drive that carried beyond the right field fence and drew audible reaction from onlookers.
The swing was not merely loud contact.
It was a reminder that Kim’s bat, often overshadowed in a lineup packed with All Stars, carries legitimate authority when his mechanics align.
Yamamoto had opened the session efficiently, walking Teoscar Hernández, inducing a groundball from Andy Pages, and striking out newcomer Kyle Tucker looking.
Kim interrupted that rhythm decisively.
After a brief intermission in which Shohei Ohtani stepped in for his own round of batting practice, Yamamoto returned to face hitters once more.
Kim remained in the box.
On the fifth pitch of his second at bat against Yamamoto, he lined a sharp base hit to right field.
Yamamoto ultimately logged eight plate appearances and 30 pitches, surrendering three hits, two of which belonged to Kim.
For a pitcher of Yamamoto’s caliber, even in a controlled spring environment, that detail resonates.
Adjustments That Continue to Evolve
Kim’s performance is not accidental, nor is it entirely new.
Last season, after arriving from the KBO on a three year, $12.5 million contract, he began reshaping his swing to better handle MLB velocity and sequencing.
“The swing changes we made last year, I would say I felt about 70 percent comfortable with,” Kim said Monday through an interpreter.
That level of partial comfort translated into respectable production but left room for refinement.
This offseason, Kim revisited those mechanical adjustments with greater clarity.
“And then, this offseason and spring training, we were able to recognize some of the other stuff that we needed to work on,” he explained.
He described the process not as reinvention, but calibration.
Subtle timing tweaks, improved weight transfer, and more disciplined pitch recognition formed the backbone of his winter work.
As a rookie, Kim hit .280 with a .314 on base percentage and a .699 OPS across 71 games.
He added three home runs and 17 RBI while splitting time between Triple A and the majors.
A left shoulder injury disrupted his rhythm midseason, limiting sustained momentum.
Still, he remained healthy enough to contribute defensively in October.
When the Dodgers closed out Game 7 of the World Series, Kim was on the field at second base as a late inning defensive reinforcement.
That image lingers.
A rookie imported from Korea, standing in the infield as champagne loomed, underscores the trust the organization already places in him.
Expanding Defensive Versatility
Kim’s 2025 campaign was not confined to second base.
He logged 17 games in the outfield, offering depth behind Pages.
That versatility is not incidental.
“I was aware that I needed to work on my center field and outfield defense,” Kim said.
Even without explicit direction from the front office, he recognized the competitive reality of earning playing time within a star laden roster.
This offseason, he prioritized defensive reps in the outfield and refined footwork routes off the bat.
In a Dodgers system that prizes positional flexibility, that growth may prove as valuable as offensive gains.
Physical Preparation for a Longer Season
Kim also addressed a quieter but critical variable: durability.
He noticed weight loss over the course of his first MLB season, a common adjustment challenge for players adapting to the 162 game grind.
“I noticed that I lost a little bit of weight throughout the season,” he admitted.
Determined to counter that trend, Kim increased protein intake and emphasized structured nutrition.
The result was a two to three kilogram gain this winter, modest but intentional.
In a league where marginal strength improvements can translate into late season consistency, those details matter.
Opportunity Without Assumption
Edman’s delayed return creates a path to early season at bats.
Yet Kim remains measured in his outlook.
“I’m using this time — the offseason and spring training — to just get better,” he said.
He dismissed speculation about guaranteed playing time.
“Whether I play more or not, it doesn’t really affect me much.”
That composure reflects both humility and internal confidence.
The Dodgers’ roster depth ensures competition at nearly every position.
Still, performance often dictates alignment.
If Tuesday’s showing against Yamamoto offers a preview rather than an outlier, Kim’s case strengthens daily.
Spring training statistics rarely predict regular season success with precision.
However, process does matter.
Quality contact against elite pitching, refined mechanics, defensive growth, and improved conditioning compose a compelling portfolio.
As exhibition games begin Saturday, Kim’s trajectory bears close monitoring.
In a lineup brimming with established stars, incremental growth from complementary players often separates contenders from champions.
Hyeseong Kim appears intent on ensuring he is more than depth.
He is preparing to matter.
