Hye-Seong Kim's early struggles should be expected

  

English audio above. Korean audio below.

As of the writing of this post, Kim Hye-Seong struggled early in his career in the US, which was expected. Kim Hye-Seong had to adjust to a new environment, a new country, and a new culture. Headlines declare, "Kim Hye-Seong could start a career in minor leagues."

Are they considering ruling him out after only 9 official at-bats? That's just ridiculous. 

There are not enough samples to make such a decision. Let him adjust and figure it out for himself. The main difference is the velocity. The average KBO pitcher throws between 85 and 95 mph fastballs. This is only slightly faster than the upper range of KBO fastballs, with an average difference of about 5 mph. While there are skilled throwers who can throw beyond 94 mph, there are fewer players who can do so. Several pitchers can exceed 100 mph in MLB, but none in KBO. Again, while there are pitchers who throw past the MLB fastball average in the KBO, the frequency in which pitches exceed 98 mph is less common. There are a growing number of pitchers who throw 100 mph in the MLB.

Kim Hye-Seong is still adjusting to the different velocities. The adjustment period will take about a month or two. Lee Jung Hoo also experienced this adjustment period. In his last 5 games before his injury, he hit over .360. It seemed as if he was going to do just fine until he got injured. Before he injured his shoulder, I believe Lee Jung Hoo was in the process of acclimating to the league. 

Having Kim Hye-Seong start in the minor league is counterproductive. It will only stifle his progress. Masataka Yoshida also struggled at the start of his big league career, even though he played in a more elite league than the KBO. He did horribly in the first month in the league. Thereafter, he got hot and managed to finish his rookie season with a .289 BA, far exceeding the critics' expectations.

The Dodgers need not to panic. The Dodgers should not rule out Kim Hye-Seong for nine official at-bats in the Cactus League. What in the world were they expecting? Him hitting .900? It's ridiculous to think they can sign someone from a different country and expect him not to have a re-adjustment period. It's immature.

The Dodgers, despite his struggles offensively, should let him play it out for two months. Allow him to navigate the situation independently. Don't panic over 9 at-bats. That's just ridiculous. It takes foreign players a little bit more time to adjust than the already-honed MLB prospects that move up to major league level.

Relax, be patient! Kim Hye-Seong will be just fine.