"He twisted (in his swing) before, where his body would almost get twisted behind his back. Now, we're basically trying to keep him more square, longer, with the way he loads and swings. Using the ground first and then going ground up."
"I think he's closed some of those holes (where pitchers used to exploit him). The hitting guys worked really hard on cleaning some things up for him mechanically."
Hyeseong Kim, a 27-year-old utility player who signed a three-year, $12.5 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, is departing Spring Training to join Team Korea for the World Baseball Classic. After a strong debut followed by struggles and a shoulder injury in his rookie 2025 season, Kim has shown significant improvement this spring with a .462 batting average and one home run in limited action. Hitting coach Aaron Bates has worked extensively on Kim's mechanics, emphasizing ground-up power generation and keeping his body square through the swing. Manager Dave Roberts acknowledges Kim's mechanical improvements and would prefer he remain with the team, but recognizes the significance of representing one's country in international competition.
#world-baseball-classic #batting-mechanics #spring-training #international-competition #player-development
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