Hyeseong Kim draws All-Star buzz despite minor-league assignment

Triple-A infielder currently ranks fourth in fan voting for National League second basemen.

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated Jun 181 min read

MLB

Who's a player you think deserves more All-Star Game buzz? 🤔 https://t.co/sWd8uHogi6

What happened: Hyeseong Kim is emerging as an unconventional candidate in the 2026 MLB All-Star voting. Despite being optioned to Triple-A on May 30, the infielder has received significant fan support, drawing more votes than most active major league candidates at his position.

Why it matters: The strong fan turnout reflects Kim's enduring popularity and international backing rather than his current major league production. His position in the voting highlights the impact of fan mobilization on the All-Star selection process, even when a player is not on an active major league roster.

By the numbers: In the first interim balloting results released in mid-June, Kim ranked fourth among National League second basemen with 345,924 votes. Prior to his demotion, he appeared in 43 major league games this season, hitting .259 with a .651 OPS.

What to watch: Voting will continue through the end of June as Kim attempts to hit his way back onto the major league roster, currently batting .308 in Triple-A.

Sources

@MLBNetwork Jun 17, 9:54 PM ET

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Hyeseong Kim draws All-Star buzz despite minor-league assignment

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