Korean MLB stars finish season with mixed results

Korean MLB players Lee Jung-hoo (27, San Francisco), Kim Ha-seong (29, Atlanta), and Kim Hye-sung (26, Los Angeles Dodgers) wrapped up the 2025 Major League Baseball regular season with a mix of disappointment and optimism.

Lee was the most consistent of the trio. After a 37-game debut season cut short by injury last year, he played a full 2025 season. In the regular-season finale on Sept. 29, Lee went 3-for-3 at home against Colorado, helping San Francisco to a 4-0 win and finishing the season with 149 hits.

Lee got off to a strong start in April, batting .324, but slumped to .143 in June, the worst stretch of his professional career. He rebounded after August, hitting .306 for the remainder of the season and finishing with a .266 average, the highest on the San Francisco team. He also ranked third in MLB with 12 triples.

Against fastballs, including four-seamers, two-seamers, and sinkers, Lee hit .294. Against breaking balls such as curveballs and sliders, he batted just .208, suggesting he excelled in straight-on matchups but struggled in pitch-selection battles. Buster Posey, San Francisco’s baseball operations president, said, “You don’t know what the big leagues are like until you play a full season. Lee will improve next year with more thorough preparation.”

Kim Ha-seong is also viewed as a player to watch next season. After signing a two-year free-agent deal with Tampa Bay last offseason, he was waived due to injury without appearing in a game. Atlanta, needing a shortstop, picked up his contract.

Next year, Kim will earn $16 million and can either remain with Atlanta or opt out and enter free agency. Without him, Atlanta faces uncertainty at the shortstop position.

A 2023 Gold Glove winner for utility play, Kim is an attractive option for teams needing infield defense. After a full season with Atlanta, he could pursue a higher-paying contract next year or become a sought-after shortstop in the current market. The presence of Jurickson Profar (32), Kim’s close friend from his San Diego days and a fellow Korean-American in Atlanta, may influence his decision to stay.

Kim Hye-sung, who debuted in the majors this year, is still fighting to secure his spot. He had more at-bats in the minors (169) than in the majors (161). After batting .304 from his May debut through July, he was sidelined by a shoulder injury and sent back to the minors, returning with a .130 average.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts rarely gave Kim opportunities against left-handed pitchers. Of his 166 at-bats, only 20 came against lefties. Kim is also the only Korean player whose team reached postseason contention, but his place on the playoff roster remains uncertain. Kim said, “No matter what happens, I just prepare for the game.”

On Sept. 29, Kim started at shortstop and eighth in the lineup against Seattle, hitting a two-run homer in his first at-bat to help the Dodgers to a 6-1 victory. Teammate Shohei Ohtani (31) hit his 55th home run, setting new personal and franchise single-season records.

With all 30 teams playing their final regular-season games, the postseason matchups are now set. The four teams that secured league championships early—Milwaukee, Seattle, Toronto, and Philadelphia—advance directly to the Division Series. The division winners with lower winning percentages, the Dodgers and Cleveland, will play wild-card series against Detroit and Cincinnati in a best-of-three format starting Oct. 1.


Bo-Mi Im bom@donga.com