Los Angeles Dodgers infielders Hyeseong Kim and Alex Freeland will look to claim the same spot on the Dodgers’ Opening Day roster in spring training, per MLB.com’s Sonja Chen.
Chen held an “Ask Me Anything” thread on the r/Dodgers Reddit page Thursday, and responded to a question on whether or not Freeland had a chance at playing for the Dodgers come Opening Day.
“I think Freeland could have a shot at making the Opening Day roster, but that roster spot may be more between him and Hyeseong Kim,” Chen wrote. “That feels like a big spring roster battle to watch. If Freeland doesn’t make it, he’s only in his age-24 season and a valuable depth piece to have. I think he has room to continue developing in Triple-A if he starts the season there.”
Both Kim and Freeland began the 2025 season in Triple-A, and each had solid seasons while at the lower level. Freeland had a .835 OPS with 16 homers and 82 RBIs with Oklahoma City in 106 games, and Kim had a .793 OPS in just 37 games with the Comets.
How Did Alex Freeland and Hyeseong Kim Perform in MLB in 2025?
Kim received his call up before Freeland, joining the Dodgers towards the beginning of May. The rookie got off to a hot start in MLB, batting .422 with a 1.058 OPS in May and hitting two of his three home runs on the season.
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Afterwards, though, his opportunities came few and far between, leading to a gradual decline. He finished the year with a .699 OPS through 71 games.
Freeland didn’t join the MLB club until they had some injury trouble at the end of July. The 24-year-old played second and third base in MLB, but never got a chance at shortstop — his natural position.
He played nearly every game for a full month, batting .190 with a .602 OPS through 29 games with two homers and six RBIs through 84 at-bats. After the returns of key players such as Kim and a new injury problem at catcher presenting itself, the Dodgers optioned Freeland back to Triple-A at the beginning of September.
Will Alex Freeland or Hyeseong Kim Start if They Make the Roster?
The Dodgers definitely have a spot for Kim or Freeland on the roster, and they could find their chance to start early on.
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Tommy Edman’s availability is in doubt for the start of the season, per Fabian Ardaya, leaving second base up for grabs between the two sophomores and new signing Andy Ibañez. If either of them have a solid spring, they could very well find themselves in the starting spot come Opening Day.
Which of the two would you rather see on the roster?
6 Responses
KIM is preferred, in a heartbeat. I don’t know why Roberts hates him, he benched him when he was hitting over.400. He DAZZLED when he first played. He was called up intermittingly and barely got the chance to bat. Freelland started off well but the more he played—Roberts gave him a good long look—he fell below .200 ans wea demoted. J
Kim looked the better of the two. So what is it with Roberts? Not partial to Koreans? Why did Friedman sign him if they don’t like his play? The disjointed number of ABs Roberts gave him barely allowed him to prove he could play as he did when he started, then was dumped back to OkC even tho he shined. WTF???
Kim was hot; use him ’til he’s not.
Definitely hope he can come out like he did that first month! If not, Freeland can definitely do a job if needed
If he continues to show offensive success in spring, he has a good chance of making the Opening Day roster.
Why does Roberts do a lot of things, like stick with a left fielder who can’t hit. Which he did last year.
Dave Roberts has managed back-to-back championship rosters, which is no easy feat. His managerial decisions have become key for LA, like when he decided to start Miguel Rojas in Games 6 and 7 of the World Series.