1 Korean player moves on, another eliminated in MLB postseason
Summary
The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Atlanta Braves 4-1 at Truist Park in Atlanta on Wednesday to advance to the National League Championship Series. The Dodgers will face the Milwaukee Brewers for the second straight year. Korean infielder Kim Hye-seong appeared as a defensive replacement, while Braves shortstop Kim Ha-seong was eliminated after an injury-plagued season.
Key Facts
- The Milwaukee Brewers finished the regular season with the best record in MLB at 103-59 and defeated the San Diego Padres 3-1 in the deciding NLDS game.
- Kim Hye-seong played 43 regular-season games, batting.259 with one home run, 11 RBIs and five stolen bases before being recalled from the minors on Sept. 28.
- Kim Hye-seong has played second base, shortstop, center field and left field during his MLB career and has been caught stealing twice in 20 attempts.
- Kim Ha-seong batted.116 in 51 regular-season games, with no home runs, 38 strikeouts and 16 walks after missing time because of a surgically repaired right middle-finger tendon.
- Kim Ha-seong went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts across the Wild Card Series and NLDS before being benched for Wednesday’s game.
Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Kim Hye-seong and Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages celebrate winning Game 4 of baseball's National League Division Series, against the Atlanta Braves, Oct. 7, in Atlanta. AP-Yonhap
One Korean player has moved on to the next stage in the ongoing Major League Baseball (MLB) postseason, eliminating his countryman in the process.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, two-time defending World Series champions, defeated the Atlanta Braves 4-1 at Truist Park in Atlanta on Wednesday (local time) to close out the best-of-five National League Division Series (NLDS) in four games.
In the upcoming National League Championship Series, the Dodgers will face the Milwaukee Brewers for the second straight year. The Dodgers swept the Brewers last year en route to the World Series title.
The Brewers had the best record in the regular season this year at 103-59 and knocked off the San Diego Padres in four games in the NLDS with a 3-1 victory on the road Wednesday.
For the Dodgers, Korean infielder Kim Hye-seong made his first postseason appearance this year as a defensive replacement at second base to start the bottom of the ninth inning.
Kim, as a sophomore, appeared in only 43 games in the regular season, posting a .259 batting average with one homer, 11 RBIs and five steals, and he spent most of the year in the minors. The Dodgers recalled the versatile and speedy Korean on Sept. 28 and put him on their postseason roster.
Over his MLB career, Kim has played second base, shortstop, center field and left field. He has only been caught twice in 20 steal attempts.
Last year, Kim became the first Korean position player to win a World Series title. He is now trying to be the first Korean player to capture consecutive World Series rings.
The Braves' exit spelled the end of a lost season for their Korean shortstop Kim Ha-seong.
After a brief stint with the Braves in an injury-plagued 2025 season, Kim signed a one-year deal with the club as a free agent in December, betting on himself for a big 2026 campaign that he hoped would set him up for a lucrative pay day on the open market.
However, Kim suffered a serious finger injury when he slipped on ice and fell while staying in Korea in January. A torn tendon in his right middle finger kept Kim out until May, though he missed more time in July due to inflammation in that surgically repaired finger.
Kim batted his career-worst .116 in 51 games in the regular season, with zero home run and 38 strikeouts against 16 walks.
He still made the Braves' postseason roster but went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts in two games in the Wild Card Series and two games in the NLDS. Kim was benched for Wednesday's game.
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