Will Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Kim Hye-sung fill Gavin Lux (Cincinnati Reds) in ball and defense? According to the U.S. baseball statistics website FanGraph, Lux is expected to fall short this year.

The Dodgers, which showed "broad strides" by recruiting Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Tyler Glasnow last winter, made the stove league hot despite having strong enough power to lift the World Series trophy. Immediately after the offseason began, they signed Blake Snell, the winner of the "Two Major Leagues Cy Young Awards," and Michael Confoto, an outfielder, to renew his contract with Blake Treinen to strengthen their power.메이저사이트

However, the Dodgers' ambition was endless. Despite having "MVP" Mookie Betts, Gavin Lux, Tommy Edman, Miguel Rojas and Chris Taylor, they hoped to strengthen the infield, and multiple U.S. media outlets created a connection with Kim Ha-sung. Of course, negotiations with Teoscar Hernandez, who had become a free agent, were slow at the time. Using Betts as a shortstop and Edman as a center fielder, he could have connected with Kim Ha-sung in order to increase defense capability.

However, the link between Kim Ha-sung and the Dodgers was broken a few days later. This is because the Dodgers succeeded in re-signing Hernandez. Therefore, the Dodgers have completed both the inside and outside composition. However, a surprise news came out on the 4th. The Dodgers recruited Kim Hye-sung, who challenged the big league through posting. The contract is worth 22 million dollars for three plus two years, guaranteeing 12.5 million dollars for three years, and 9.5 million dollars (about 13.9 billion won) will be added for two years if the option is implemented.

In response, local media in the U.S. predicted that Kim will play the role of "super utility." The main players were Freddie Freeman, Gavin Lux at second base, Mookie Betts at shortstop, and Max Muncy at third base. Consequently, some media outlets suggested that the trade could proceed as the Dodgers' infielders reached saturation point, but Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes dismissed the possibility, saying there is no trade. However, it didn't take long for Dodgers to change its position.

The Dodgers, which acquired Kim on Friday, used Gavin Lux, its main second baseman, as a trade card on Friday, three days after the game. Kim's competitor instantly dropped. Brand Gomes, the general manager, predicted that Kim will be able to play in the Major League if she undergoes revision in several factors including approach. As such, expectations are high for Kim.

However, the U.S. media are clearly divided. There is no disagreement that Kim will be given more chances at second base than before Lux was traded, but many are negative about whether she will be able to play at the big league level. "The biggest question is how Kim's bat can match Major League pitching," MLBTR said. "She hit .326 with an on-base percentage of 0.384 in the 2022-2024 season, and her wRC+ has never fallen below 118 in any season. However, she has never displayed strength."

"The number of double-digit homers was recorded in 2024, but the net hit rate was 0.132, which was below the league average. Therefore, it is natural to worry that Kim Hye-sung does not have the power to become a starting player in the Major League. Look at his former teammate, Kim Ha-sung. He played in 138 games in the last season and hit 30 home runs in Korea. In the KBO League, he used to be a threatening power. However, after coming to the Major League, Kim Ha-sung became known as a soft-heating specialist," he pointed out. The LA Times also predicted that Kim will not be able to completely fill Lux's void.

In the meantime, "Fangraph" predicted Kim Hye-sung's performance this year, predicting that he will play in 94 games and will have a batting average of 0.217 OPS of 0.628. In particular, his contribution to victory (WAR) compared to his replacement was only 0.4. This is a little better than when Kim Ha-sung debuted for the San Diego Padres. On the contrary, Lux is expected to have a batting average of 0.256 OPS of 0.732 and WAR 1.3 with 12 home runs, 52 RBIs, 56 runs, and eight steals in 112 games.

Japan's "Full Count" also paid attention to this. "Most of the players who are trying to play in the Major League in Korea are underperforming compared to their time in Korea," said "Full Count." Park Byung-ho, who hit 50 home runs for the second consecutive year, hit 12 home runs in Minnesota in 2016 and Kim Ha-sung hit 30 home runs, but he hit eight in his first season since debuting. He hit 17 home runs in 2023, but his batting average and RBIs were different from those of Korea. Kim Hye-sung is a fast-footed school hitter, and the U.S. is also pointing out the lack of power. "Lux's WAR in 2024, which was traded with Kim Hye-sung's acquisition, was 1.5," he said, expressing doubt whether Kim will be able to fill the gap between the players.

Everything, however, should be open to the public. Predictions are only predictions. What is clear, however, is that in order to become the mainstay of the Dodgers, Lux should not be remembered.