Texas Rangers prospect Seong-Jun Kim made an impressive professional debut with Single-A Hickory
The Texas Rangers may have another intriguing two-way prospect developing in their organization.
Seong-Jun Kim, ranked No. 8 among Rangers prospects, made his Single-A Hickory debut Wednesday night and immediately showed why Texas is giving him an opportunity to develop as both a hitter and pitcher.
The 19-year-old right-hander worked two scoreless innings against Single-A Delmarva, striking out four batters while allowing just one hit.
Kim's debut came after he spent the season in the Arizona Complex League, where he showed plenty of potential at the plate and on the mound.
As a hitter, Kim batted .303 across 48 games and displayed significant offensive ability. He also gained experience pitching, posting a 1.04 ERA over 8.2 innings while recording 10 strikeouts.
That combination has made Kim an intriguing player to follow as he moves through the Rangers' farm system.
His first appearance with Hickory came against a Delmarva lineup that featured two of the Baltimore Orioles' top selections from the 2026 MLB Draft. Kim wasted little time making an impression.
He struck out second-round pick Ty Head to begin the game before later getting first-round selection Eric Booth Jr. to swing and miss.
Kim did allow a single during his first inning, but he quickly ended the threat by getting a ground ball. He returned for the second inning and retired all three batters he faced, striking out two of them.
The performance gave Kim a strong introduction to full-season Minor League baseball.
His pitching arsenal also provides reason for optimism. Kim features a fastball that generally sits in the low 90s and can reach the mid-90s. He also throws a slider, splitter and curveball, giving him several pitches to work with as he continues developing on the mound.
Texas signed Kim for $1.2 million out of the international market in 2025 and has taken an interesting approach by allowing him to continue playing both sides of the game.
At only 19 years old, Kim remains in the early stages of his development. The Rangers will likely continue to monitor how he progresses both offensively and as a pitcher before determining where his long-term future lies.
For now, though, Kim has given the organization another reason to be excited about his potential. His strong debut at Hickory showed that his pitching ability could become an important part of his development as he continues his journey through the Rangers' system.
