Kim Hye-sung on her MLB pursuit: “Building a good body comes first”
Kim Hye-sung (25, Kiwoom Heroes), who has announced her intention to play in the Major League Baseball (MLB), was reticent about the specifics of the process.
“In order to challenge (the MLB), I need to get my body in good shape,” Kim said to reporters before the KBO Golden Glove Award ceremony at the COEX Auditorium in Seoul on Nov. 11.
When asked, “Are you talking to teams about going to the U.S.,” he said, “No, I’m not. The schedules don’t work out,” he said, then added briefly, “We had a good discussion (with the manager).”
“I think I should prioritize building my body rather than meeting with the club,” she said, adding, “My first goal next year is to do better than I did this year.”
Earlier, Kim said after the Asian Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) last month, “(Kim) Ha-seong is challenging (Lee) Jung-hoo after his brother, so I want to improve my skills and go to the MLB.”
With Kiwoom having produced three major leaguers through its posting system – Kang Jeong-ho (Pittsburgh Pirates) in 2014, Park Byung-ho (Minnesota Twins) in 2015, and Kim Ha-seong (San Diego Padres) in 2020 – it is not unlikely that the organization will respond to Kim’s desire.
As Lee Jeong-hoo informed the club of his intention to play in the United States on December 19 last year, and the club approved his request on January 2, it is likely that Kim will have to go through a similar process.
However, it seems that Kim Hye-sung was cautious on this day, as she believes she needs to prove herself more.
Kim’s KBO career stats include a .300 batting average, 877 hits, 26 home runs, 311 RBIs, 501 runs scored, 181 stolen bases, and an OPS of 0.753.
It’s true that he’s a bit less of a hitter than the likes of Kim Ha-seong (.294, 133 homers, 575 RBI) and Lee Jung-hoo (.340, 515 RBI, 0.898 OPS).
Meanwhile, Kim Hye-sung, who won the Golden Glove as a shortstop in 2021 and as a second baseman last year, said, “When I first won the award, I worked hard because I didn’t want to miss it. I hope I can win the award again this year.”
“I don’t know where I will play next year, but I will try to be a perfect player in every position,” she said. 토토