"Los Angeles Dodgers utility man Hyeseong Kim stated he's looking forward to facing Japanese teammates Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto with Team Korea in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Team Korea and Team Japan are both in Pool C, meaning they'll square off at least once before the end of the tournament. "I'm definitely looking forward to it," Kim said. "I haven't played a ton against Team Japan with Team Korea, so I want to make sure I get to play against them this WBC. I just want to prepare the right way. It's an important game.""
"He made his debut for the Dodgers in 2025, and played 71 games for the team during their championship season. Kim made a great impression in his first month, batting over .400 and having an OPS higher than 1.000, but limited opportunities throughout the regular season led to a steady decline in his numbers. The 27-year-old finished the year with a .280 batting average and .699 OPS while hitting three homers and driving in 17 runs. He seems to have made an impression with the Dodgers, though, as manager Dave Roberts said he has a chance to take over the starting second baseman spot while Tommy Edman is out. "I think Hyeseong's in the mix, we've got [Santiago] Espinal, obviously Miggy Ro is going to do some things over there, Freeland certainly in the mix, so we're got some nice options," Roberts said."
Hyeseong Kim will join Team Korea for the 2026 World Baseball Classic and expects to face Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto when Korea and Japan meet in Pool C. Team Japan beat Korea 13-4 in their last WBC meeting in 2023. Kim debuted with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2025, appearing in 71 games and starting strong with a month batting over .400 and an OPS above 1.000 before declining due to limited opportunities. He finished 2025 with a .280 average, .699 OPS, three homers and 17 RBIs. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts indicated Kim is among options to start at second base.
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