Orioles' Hyun Soo Kim: Ready to build off rookie campaign

Kim said he's in much better shape than a year ago and is confident he'll perform at a higher level this season than he did in 2016, Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com reports.

Analysis:

Kim's game-winning, pinch-hit homer in late September against Toronto was one of the O's biggest hits of the year, and he posted a .302/.382/.420 line in 95 games his first year in MLB. Even after enjoying some success, Kim and his manager, Buck Showalter, believe the 29-year-old from South Korea has more to offer. "I think he's got another level he can go to," Showalter said. Kim feels having a year of American baseball under his belt will help him ascend the ranks in 2017. Through an interpreter, Kim said, "I've learned the American method of training and workouts. They chose quality over quantity. They don't have to work hours, hundreds of thousands of balls that I would have to hit [in the past]. Rather, my body remembers what I have to do in a short amount of training time. I've learned to be more efficient [with my daily workouts]." If the outfielder can improve against lefties -- and Showalter said he'll get Kim a lot of spring at-bats against southpaws -- then he could land an everyday role that would greatly increase his fantasy value.