Why the Dodgers Should Call Up Hye-Seong Kim

 

Hye-Seong Kim의 속도, BABIP, 그리고 낮은 병살 위험은 그가 지금 당장 다저스에 콜업되어야 하는 이유이며, 그렇지 않다면 그의 가치를 제대로 활용할 수 있는 컨텐더 팀으로 트레이드해야 한다는 점을 보여준다.

Kim’s Case Starts in Triple-A

Hye-Seong Kim has been playing in the background in Oklahoma City, the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate, still waiting for his call back into MLB. Through 81 Triple-A games, MiLB.com lists him at 310 AB, 56 R, 83 H, 3 HR, 29 RBI, and 14 SB, with a .268/.336/.352 slash line and a .688 OPS. Before being sent down in 2026, he also gave the Dodgers 43 MLB games, hitting .259 with 30 hits, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 16 runs, 5 SB, and a .323 OBP, .328 SLG, and .651 OPS. He’s not exactly crushing the ball, but he’s making contact and making plays.

BABIP Shows His Hidden Value

One of the least appreciated stats in baseball is BABIP, or Batting Average on Balls in Play, which measures how often a player gets a hit when they put the ball in play. Of all the Dodgers players, Hye-Seong Kim has the highest. In Triple-A, his BABIP is .359. In MLB this year, his BABIP was .337, which was still strong and helped support his .259 batting average in limited opportunities. That’s higher than Shohei Ohtani (.328), Max Muncy (.289), Andy Pages (.305), and Mookie Betts (.243) and only lower than Freddie Freeman who has a .342 in MLB numbers comparison only.

What 2025 Proved

That’s no coincidence; that’s skill. Let’s take a look. Doesn’t it feel like Hye-Seong was doing better than he was given credit for? Don’t fans ask: why isn’t Hye-Seong playing? Or, he should be the one playing and not the other guy.

Definitely, at least last year, that was indeed what happened. In 2025, Hye-Seong’s BABIP was .396, which is extremely high for the major leagues. To put it in perspective, the MLB average is .300. This means, in 2025, he was reaching 96 points higher than everyone else.

This is taken for granted, given he played 71 regular season games. In contrast, it’s actually very important because, with the limited number of opportunities given to him, he performed at an elite level. A high BABIP can be the difference between an out and not an out. His speed is the main factor, forcing infielders to rush and make mistakes.

Speed Changes the Double-Play Problem

While a high BABIP doesn’t measure GIDP, or Grounded into Double Plays, since an out must be recorded to be grounded out and BABIP measures actual hits, it suggests Hye-Seong’s speed makes him difficult to double up. In 2025, his GIDP was 0. Not one single time. He ended the season with a .280 BA and a .396 BABIP.

But let’s not get excited. 71 games aren’t about apples and oranges. For 71 games, that means 5 more hits would have gotten him up to a .311 BA, while 5 fewer hits would have dropped him to .249. That’s not the point; however, when he did play, he was immediately productive. What hurt Hye-Seong was his K% at 30.6%. His high BABIP indeed helped him hit .280, without a doubt.

The Strikeout Concern

In Triple-A this year, his K% is 25.1%—88 strikeouts in 351 plate appearances—which is still a little high. In the majors in 2026, he struck out 31 times in 131 plate appearances, putting his MLB K% at 23.7%, which was actually better than his Triple-A rate. If he lowers it to 20%, even at the MiLB level, that would be a great sign. For a speed/contact player, the ideal is 15–20%. There’s a caveat to that, though. It doesn’t mean it will translate to MLB, but using his MLB and MiLB stats, it’s reasonable to expect his strikeout rate to remain an important part of the evaluation.

Why He Fits This Dodgers Team

But that’s not as concerning as many would think. Strikeouts are sometimes better than putting a ball in play if they avoid double plays. Through the latest official MLB update on September 12, the Dodgers had grounded into 115 double plays, the second-highest total in the majors. For a team as good as the Dodgers, they shouldn’t be grounding out this much.

So, in retrospect, Kim striking out isn’t as bad as what he brings to the team: avoiding GIDP and forcing infielders to rush and make errors. Even in his 2026 MLB stint, he grounded into only 2 double plays in 130 plate appearances. This can make all the difference in close games. For this reason, he should be called up now.

If the Dodgers Won’t Use Him, Someone Else Will

The Dodgers, if they don’t call him up, should just trade him to a team that can use him. Teams that come to mind are the Rays, Yankees, and Phillies. As you’ve probably noticed, they are all winning teams. But that’s exactly the point. Winning teams know how to use players who bring something different. Not every player has to be a home-run hitter. Some players help by getting on base, putting pressure on the defense, stealing bases, avoiding double plays, and forcing pitchers and infielders to rush.

That is where Kim’s value is. The Rays would probably find a way to use his speed. The Yankees could use more contact and athleticism. The Phillies could use a player who can manufacture runs when the big swing is not there. That’s what Kim gives you. He gives you pressure. He gives you speed. He gives you a different way to win.

That’s the part the Dodgers may be overlooking. Kim may not look like a traditional impact bat, but his skill set has value for winning teams. If the Dodgers are not going to use him, another contender probably will. They can directly tell the Dodgers: you’ve got a great player, but you don’t know how to use him.

Key Takeaways

· Kim’s current production is solid, not overpowering: Through 81 Triple-A games, he owns a .268/.336/.352 slash line with 14 stolen bases, while his 2026 MLB stint produced a .259 average and .323 on-base percentage.

· His value comes from balls in play and speed: Kim’s strong BABIP results and quickness help him pressure defenses, beat out plays, and reduce double-play risk.

· Strikeouts remain the main concern: His 25.1% Triple-A strikeout rate is high for a contact-oriented player, though his 23.7% MLB rate shows some improvement.

· His skill set addresses a Dodgers weakness: With Los Angeles among MLB’s leaders in grounded-into-double plays, Kim offers athleticism and a different way to create offense.

· The Dodgers should make a decision: Kim deserves another major-league opportunity; if the team cannot give him a role, it should consider trading him to a contender that will.

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