He's sliding to steal the 2nd base!
Hye-Sung Kim’s Blazing Speed Keeps Him Perfect in the Majors: 12-for-12 on Stolen Bases
LA Dodgers infielder Hye-Sung Kim (27) continues to turn heads with his electric base running. With 12 stolen bases and zero failed attempts, he’s maintaining a perfect 100% success rate — an increasingly rare feat in Major League Baseball.
On July 23 (KST), Kim started as the second baseman and No. 7 hitter against the Minnesota Twins at Dodger Stadium. He went 1-for-4 with 2 RBIs and a stolen base, slightly dipping his season average from .320 to .317 (40 hits in 126 at-bats). But more importantly, he broke out of a 10-at-bat hitless slump and showed once again why his speed is such a critical asset to the Dodgers lineup.
Breaking the Slump — and the Game Open
After going hitless in his previous three games (8 at-bats), Kim also started slow in this one, grounding out in the 2nd and striking out in the 4th. But he delivered when it mattered most. In the bottom of the 6th, with 2 outs and runners on second and third, Kim jumped on the very first pitch — a 99.3 mph fastball from reliever Louie Varland — and drilled a line drive up the middle for a clutch 2-RBI single. It narrowed the gap to 5-6 and marked his 15th RBI of the season.
Even the Dodgers' broadcast crew on SportsNet LA was excited. Analyst Orel Hershiser noted, “He’d been struggling at the plate, grounding out and striking out, but this time he stayed low on the fastball and barreled it right back up the middle.”
Speed That Changes the Game
Once Kim reached first, all eyes were on him. Commentator Joe Davis said, “Kim Hye-Sung has been absolutely perfect when it comes to base stealing in the majors,” setting the stage for what came next.
On the second pitch of Miguel Rojas’ at-bat, Kim took off. Catcher Christian Vázquez fired a quick throw to second, and second baseman Willi Castro tagged fast — but Kim slid in headfirst, barely beating the tag with his left hand. Stolen base No. 12. Still zero caught stealing.
Hershiser was stunned: “He outran the pitcher’s delivery and the catcher’s pop time. It was like watching someone fly between first and second base.” Davis added, “Kim went 13-for-13 in steals with Triple-A Oklahoma City. Now he’s 12-for-12 in the big leagues. That’s 25 straight successful attempts.”
Elite Speed, Elite Precision
Kim’s sprint speed clocks in at 28.7 ft/sec, placing him in the top 14% of MLB players. But it’s not just raw speed — his timing off the pitcher, explosive start, and flawless slides are textbook examples of base-running excellence.
Back in the KBO League, Kim was already an elite base stealer. Between his 2017 debut and the 2023 season, he recorded 211 stolen bases with just 37 failures, a success rate of 85.1% — second only to Kim Ji-chan (Samsung Lions) among Korean players with over 100 steals.
Now in MLB, Kim is taking it to the next level.
One of Only Four
Among the 78 players in the majors with 10 or more stolen bases this season, only four remain perfect:
Byron Buxton (Twins) – 17
Trevor Story (Red Sox) – 17
George Springer (Blue Jays) – 10
Hye-Sung Kim (Dodgers) – 12
That puts Kim in elite company — and the only newcomer among them.
The Speed Weapon Dodgers Needed
The Dodgers have needed this burst of speed. Shohei Ohtani, who stole 59 bases last year, has just 13 so far this season as he balances pitching duties again. While Andy Pages (8) and Mookie Betts (6) contribute occasionally, none possess Kim’s explosive gear.
Currently just one steal behind Ohtani, it seems inevitable that Kim will soon take over as the Dodgers' team leader in stolen bases. And with every game, he’s proving that speed — when paired with smarts — is still one of the most dangerous tools in baseball.
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