Hyeseong Kim didn't enter the 2025 season with nearly as much fanfare as fellow Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Roki Sasaki, but his talent was clear. Some even believed in his talent enough to pick him over Sasaki -- at the time a resounding favorite -- for the Rookie of the Year award.
Of course, neither player emerged victorious, but the Dodgers won the World Series anyway, so no harm done. However, Kim's play on the field did leave something to be desired. In 180 plate appearances, he hit .280/.314/.385, good for a 95 wRC+. Most troublingly, his lack of power (three home runs) and strikeout troubles (30.