Since Kim Ha-seong signed a 4+1 year deal worth up to $39 million with the San Diego Padres at the end of the 2020 season, not a single KBO player has made the jump to the major leagues. But this offseason, a new major leaguer is on the horizon. Lee Jung-hoo. After being named the MVP of last year’s regular season, Lee declared for the major leagues through the posting system and is expected to hit the major league stage soon.
Another player is also dreaming of making it to the major leagues. Go Woo-seok. Go Woo-seok hasn’t expressed his desire to play in the big leagues once this year, but he received a request from the Major League Baseball office for a background check on April 14. In a move that surprised even the LG Twins, Go Woo-seok’s camp announced his intention to join the major leagues in a post during a meeting with manager Cha Myung-seok.굿모닝토토 주소
As of now, Lee is the only player who will definitely make it to the major leagues, but there will be another one next year. Kim Hye-seong from the Kiwoom Heroes, which has produced many big leaguers, is the next big name to try to make it to the big leagues through posting. The organization has always been very supportive of its players’ aspirations to play in the major leagues, so it’s likely that they will support Kim Hye-sung’s challenge.
Selected by Kiwoom with the seventh overall pick in the second round of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft, Kim will be eligible for postseason eligibility at the end of the 2024 season. Currently, Kim is also hoping to make it to the major leagues. With her “friend” Lee Jung-hoo also leaving for the major leagues, and her close older brother Kim Ha-soo performing at the highest level in the big leagues, Kim Hye-sung is also thinking about going overseas.
Kim revealed her desire to play in the big leagues during a training session for the 2023 Asian Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on June 6. “First of all, I need to do well next season,” she said, but then added, “If I do better than this year, they will look at me favorably, and I think that opportunity will come.” When asked if she had thoughts of going to the big leagues, she replied, “Of course.”
Kim’s strengths are clear. Her precision and quick feet have only gotten better over the years. She has stolen a whopping 181 bases in the last six seasons. This makes her even more valuable in the major leagues, where speedy hitters have an advantage. He can also play most positions in the infield, including shortstop and second base. Although he lacks power, he could reach 200 hits this year.
Kim Ha-seong, who won the Gold Glove this year as the “first” Korean and Asian infielder to do so, also sees Kim as the next player to make it to the major leagues after Lee Jung-hoo. At the Gold Glove award press conference held at Hotel Rivera in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on Nov. 20, Kim did not hesitate to name Kim Hye-sung when asked about the player he is watching as the next major leaguer. “I think the next infielder to come to the major leagues is Kim Hye-sung,” he said.
“I watched the APBC, and I thought that (Kim) was different from other players of her age,” he said. “If she grows up well, I think she will become a better player than me. She is very sincere and has a strong passion for baseball. As an infielder, I think she has a good chance of making it to the major leagues.” He smiled as he praised her.
Having made it to the major leagues first, and now paving the way for his juniors, Kim has two main pieces of advice for future big leaguers. The first is English. “I want them to learn English from a young age. I never thought I’d be in the major leagues, so I’m struggling because I didn’t learn English. I think young players should study English beforehand if they have a dream. I think it will help them survive,” he said.
His second piece of advice is to include an “opt-out” clause in contracts rather than a veto power to send players to the minor leagues. “I also advised (Lee) Jung-hoo in this regard. I don’t think the minor league veto is meaningful. Even in the major leagues, if you make a little bit of money, it’s not easy to go down to the minor leagues unless you really hit rock bottom. So the minor league veto doesn’t mean much to me. I think it’s better to have an opt-out,” he advised.
Kim is looking forward to seeing both Lee and Hye-sung play in the major leagues in the future. “Hye-sung (Kim) contacts me often. I think she’s curious,” he said, laughing. “Curious means she’s thinking about the major leagues. Hye-sung will be able to post next year, and I would like to see her play in the major leagues.”