Korean MLB friends face off in key series

Two former teammates and close friends from South Korea’s Kiwoom Heroes, Lee Jung-hoo (27, San Francisco Giants) and Kim Hye-seong (26, Los Angeles Dodgers), are set to face each other in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the first time. The three-game series, which begins Friday at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, could determine the National League West division leader.

San Francisco and Los Angeles, longtime rivals since their days in New York in the late 19th century, are once again locked in a tight race. The Dodgers, with a record of 41 wins and 28 losses, hold a narrow one-game lead over the second-place Giants (40–29). The two teams are scheduled to meet 13 times in the regular season.

The head-to-head showdown between Lee and Kim has attracted attention in the U.S. MLB.com highlighted the matchup, writing, “Before ‘Grandson of the Wind’ Lee Jung-hoo and ‘Comet’ Kim Hye-seong lit up MLB, they were already among the biggest stars in Korean baseball. The two already share a deep history, but this weekend could write a brand-new chapter.”

The article revisited their shared past, being drafted together by Nexen (now Kiwoom) in 2017, playing side by side for seven years, and even representing South Korea on the national team. It also noted that Lee played a key role in helping Kim navigate his transition to the big leagues, from choosing a team to adjusting to life in the U.S. Lee signed a six-year, $113 million deal with the Giants last year, while Kim joined the Dodgers this season on a deal worth up to $22.5 million over three-plus-two years.

Kim expressed his excitement in a recent interview, saying, “We were drafted together and played together, and now we are facing each other in the big leagues. It’s special to be in the same division. I think it’s going to be really exciting.” Lee also said, “Once the game starts, I won’t think too much about him, but Hye-seong is always in my heart.”

After a shoulder injury limited Lee to just 37 games in his rookie MLB season last year, he has appeared in 67 of the Giants’ 69 games this year, mostly as the No. 3 hitter and center fielder, batting .275 with six home runs and 32 RBIs. Kim, who was not on the Opening Day roster, was called up in May and has been steadily earning playing time. Appearing in 29 games as a second baseman, shortstop, and center fielder, he is batting .391 with two home runs and 10 RBIs.

Under the platoon system, left-handed hitter Kim, who usually starts against right-handers, is likely to play regularly in the three-game series, as the Giants are set to start right-handers Logan Webb and Landen Roupp in the first two games. Lee, who is heating up with hits in his last three games, is likely to face Dodgers starters Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Clayton Kershaw.


Hong-Gu Kang windup@donga.com