Hyun-soo Kim facts for kids

Hyun-soo Kim (born January 12, 1988) is a famous South Korean professional baseball player. He is an outfielder for the LG Twins in the KBO League, which is Korea's top baseball league. Before joining the LG Twins, he played for the Doosan Bears in Korea. He also played in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States for the Baltimore Orioles and the Philadelphia Phillies.

Kim is known for his excellent hitting skills and has won many awards throughout his career. He has also proudly represented South Korea in several international baseball tournaments, winning gold medals for his country.

Quick facts for kids Hyun-soo Kim
Kim with the Orioles 2016
LG Twins – No. 22
Left fielder
Born: (1988-01-12) January 12, 1988 (age 37) Seoul, South Korea
Bats: Left Throws: Right
Professional debut
KBO: September 2, 2006, for the Doosan Bears
MLB: April 10, 2016, for the Baltimore Orioles
KBO statistics (through 2024 season)
Batting average	.313
Home runs	249
Runs batted in	1,432
MLB statistics (through 2017 season)
Batting average	.273
Home runs	7
Runs batted in	36
Teams
Doosan Bears (2006–2015) Baltimore Orioles (2016–2017) Philadelphia Phillies (2017) LG Twins (2018–present)
Career highlights and awards
KBO 5× KBO Golden Glove Award (2008–2010, 2015, 2020) 2× KBO batting champion (2008, 2018) 2× Korean Series champion (2015, 2023) International Tokyo 2020 All-Olympic Baseball Team (2021) All-World Baseball Classic Team (2009) WBSC Premier12 MVP (2015) WBSC Premier12 All-World Team (2015)
Medals Men's baseball Representing KOR Olympic Games Gold 2008 Beijing Team World Baseball Classic Silver 2009 Los Angeles Team WBSC Premier12 Gold 2015 Tokyo Team

Early Baseball Journey

Hyun-soo Kim started his baseball journey in Seoul, South Korea. He showed great talent from a young age.

High School Baseball

Kim went to Shinil High School in Seoul. In 2005, he played for the South Korea junior team. They finished second at the Asian Junior Baseball Championship. Kim was a backup outfielder in that tournament. Later that year, he won an award for being the best high school hitter in South Korea.

Professional Baseball Career

After high school, Kim tried to join the KBO League. He was not chosen in the draft, but the Doosan Bears signed him as a free agent. This means they signed him even though no team picked him in the official draft.

Playing for the Doosan Bears

Kim spent his first year, 2006, playing for the Bears' reserve team. In 2007, he got his chance to play for the main team. He became a starting outfielder when another player got injured. He played well, hitting for a .273 batting average. He also hit 5 home runs and had 32 runs batted in (RBI). He was almost named Rookie of the Year.

In 2008, Kim had an amazing season. He won the batting title with a .357 average. This means he was the best hitter in the league that year. He also had the most hits with 168. He was chosen for the Golden Glove Award as an outfielder. He won this award again in 2009 and 2010.

Time in Major League Baseball

After many successful years in Korea, Kim decided to play in Major League Baseball (MLB). This is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States.

Joining the Baltimore Orioles

In December 2015, Kim signed a two-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles. He joined the team in 2016. At first, he had some challenges during spring training. But he worked hard and made the team.

Kim played his first MLB game on April 10, 2016. He quickly showed his hitting skills. In his first month, he played only a few games but hit very well. He hit his first MLB home run on May 29, 2016. It was a game-winning home run against the Cleveland Indians.

On June 30, Kim helped the Orioles set a new MLB record. The team hit 56 home runs in June, which was the most ever for that month. Kim continued to hit important home runs for the team. He finished his 2016 season with a strong .302 batting average.

Moving to the Philadelphia Phillies

In July 2017, the Orioles traded Kim to the Philadelphia Phillies. He played for the Phillies for the rest of the 2017 season.

Returning to Korea with LG Twins

In December 2017, Kim returned to the KBO League. He signed a four-year contract with the LG Twins. He quickly became a key player for the team. In 2021, he signed another long-term contract with the Twins. He helped the LG Twins win the Korean Series championship in 2023.

Representing His Country

Hyun-soo Kim has proudly played for the South Korea national baseball team many times. He has helped his country win several medals in major international tournaments.

Kim in the outfield during the 2009 World Baseball Classic for the South Korea national baseball team.

Olympic Gold Medal

In August 2008, Kim played for South Korea at the Olympic Games in Beijing. His team won the gold medal in baseball! In a tough game against Japan, Kim hit a crucial single that helped South Korea win.

World Baseball Classic

Kim also played in the World Baseball Classic (WBC). This is a big international tournament where countries compete. In the 2009 WBC, South Korea finished second. Kim played very well, hitting for a .393 average. He was even named to the All-Star team for the tournament. He also played in the 2013 WBC.

Other International Success

Kim continued to represent South Korea in other important events. He won gold medals at the Asian Games in 2010, 2014, and 2018. He also won the MVP award at the 2015 WBSC Premier12 tournament, where South Korea won another gold medal.

Year	Venue	Competition	Team	Individual Note
2005	KOR	Asian Junior Baseball Championship		.250 BA (1-for-4)
2008	CHN	Olympic Games		.370 BA (10-for-27), 4 RBI, 3 R, 2 SB
2009	USA	World Baseball Classic		.393 BA (11-for-28), 4 RBI, 6 R, 7 BB All-Star (DH)
2010	CHN	Asian Games		.556 BA (10-for-18), 5 RBI, 2 BB
2013	TPE	World Baseball Classic	9th	.250 BA (3-for-12), 2 RBI, 1 BB
2014	KOR	Asian Games		.421 BA (8-for-19), 4 RBI, 7 R, 4 BB
2015	JPN	Premier12		.344 BA (11-for-32), 13 RBI, 4 R, 1 SB MVP, All-Star (OF)
2018	INA	Asian Games		.143 BA (3-for-21), 2 RBI, 2 R, 3 BB

Awards and Achievements

Hyun-soo Kim has earned many awards and achieved great things in his baseball career.

• KBO Golden Glove Award: He won this award five times (2008, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2020). This award goes to the best defensive player at each position.
• KBO Batting Champion: He was the best hitter in the KBO League twice (2008, 2018).
• KBO On-base Percentage Title: He led the league in getting on base in 2008.
• KBO Hit Title: He had the most hits in the KBO League twice (2008, 2009).
• Korean Series Champion: He helped his teams win the KBO championship in 2015 and 2023.
• Olympic Gold Medal: He won a gold medal with the South Korean team at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
• WBSC Premier12 MVP: He was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2015 WBSC Premier12 tournament.