Yes, that image is of Paul Skenes. No, he cannot win the Rookie of the Year award again after his triumph in 2024 (though, if anyone can bend the rules to their whims, it might as well be him).
Skenes does have a really good teammate, Bubba Chandler, who is looking like a potential favorite for the 2025 edition of the award. But he's not the player we're here to discuss, especially since most baseball fans know Chandler's name.
Like most discussions in the baseball world, we'll turn our attention to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Of course, they enlist Roki Sasaki, the Japanese phenom who is the resounding favorite for the 2025 National League top rookie trophy.
But it's one of Sasaki's teammates — a fellow international signee from this past winter — who has the potential to surprise the baseball world this season.
Fans can't forget about Dodgers' Hyeseong Kim in Rookie of the Year race
It may seem odd that, with all the amazing rookies on Opening Day rosters, including Sasaki, the Cubs' Matt Shaw, and the Nationals' Dylan Crews, we're honing in on a player whom the Dodgers have chosen to stash at Triple-A to begin the campaign.
However, Kim is an elite defender and fast runner who offers multi-position versatility (his best position is second base). The Dodgers appeared to have opened up that spot after Kim's signing when they traded Gavin Lux, but they seem content to roll with established veterans like Chris Taylor and Tommy Edman at the position for now.
Don't let that short-term decision-making fool you, though. Kim is the highest upside option they have at the keystone, and at 26 years old, shouldn't need much seasoning in the minors before he's ready to take regular reps int he Dodgers' loaded lineup.
Kim is a lefty batter and a lithe, speedy contact hitter, who batted .326/.383/.458 last season (and .335/.396/.446 in 2023). His OBP has exceeded .370 in each of the last four seasons, and his strikeout and walk rates both surpassed KBO league averages.
Sure, his power leaves something to be desired — his 11 home runs in 2024 were a career high — and his 33% strikeout rate in spring training prior to being reassigned looks daunting.
But I shouldn't need to tell you that an on-base threat at the top or bottom of this Dodgers lineup is going to score a lot of runs. And since he'd be hitting around looming power threats like Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman, the KBO sensation will certainly get his fair share of pitches to hit.
With defensive versatility that could lead to him playing a Ben Zobrist-esque role in the majors, it isn't hard to envision Kim exploding onto the scene once he gets his chance with the championship favorites.