In his third year in the big leagues, Kim is batting .270 with 14 home runs, 37 RBIs and 18 doubles.
.349 batting average in the second half of the season
Ha-Sung Kim (San Diego Padres) 카지노 is on pace for his best season yet.
Since joining the American Major League Baseball in 2021 from the KBO, Kim has been recognised more for his defence than his offence.
In his first season in the big leagues, he showed off his versatility, playing second and third base in addition to his primary position at shortstop. Last year, he was one of three finalists for the National League Gold Glove at shortstop, filling the void left by the departure of Fernando Tatis Jr.
This year, he has moved to second base and continues to play solid defence. According to Baseball-Reference, Kim ranks first in the majors with a 2.1 defensive wins above replacement (dWAR).
[SAN DIEGO=AP/NEWS] San Diego Padres’ Ha-Sung Kim fields during the fifth inning of a Major League Baseball (MLB) baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Petco Park in San Diego, California, U.S., on Thursday. Kim hit his 13th and 14th home runs of the season, a one-run shot in the bottom of the first inning and a two-run shot in the bottom of the fifth inning. 25 July 2023.
In contrast, his batting didn’t get much attention.
Adjusting to a new league, Kim hit just .202 with eight home runs, 34 RBIs, 27 runs scored and six stolen bases in 2021. Last year, he hit .251 with 11 home runs, 59 RBIs, 58 runs scored, and 12 stolen bases.
After an improved but unsatisfactory first season, Kim is looking to take another step forward this season.
“I’m going to be better than last year,” he said of his hitting before the season, and he’s proving it.
Through 25 games, Kim is batting .270 with 14 home runs, 37 RBIs, 53 runs scored, and 18 stolen bases.
On the 25th against the Pittsburgh Pirates, he led off the game with a solo shot to left-centre field and followed it up with another over the left-centre fence in the fifth. His 13th and 14th home runs of the season came on the same day, marking the first time he has recorded multiple home runs in a single game since joining the big leagues.
[San Diego=AP/News] San Diego Padres’ Hyun-Sung Kim celebrates his two-run home run during the fifth inning of a Major League Baseball (MLB) game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Petco Park in San Diego, California, U.S., on Thursday, April 24, 2023. Kim hit a one-run home run in the bottom of the first inning, his 13th and 14th of the season. 25 July 2023.
With defence as his foundation, Kim is now coming into his own offensively.
In the second half of the season, Kim is batting .349 (15-for-43) with four home runs and six RBIs in 11 games. If you extend that to his last 30 games, he’s still hitting .327 (110-for-36) with nine home runs and 18 RBIs.
Having booked his career highs early, Kim is now within striking distance of becoming the first Asian infielder to reach 20 home runs and 20 doubles. With 61 games left in the season, Kim needs just six more home runs and two more doubles to join the iconic 20-20 club.
Only outfielder Shin-Soo Choo (SSG Rangers, 2009-2010-2013) and pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Oh (Los Angeles Angels, 2021) are the only other Asian-born major leaguers to join the 20-20 club. If Kim achieves the feat, he will be the first Asian infielder to do so.
During his KBO career, Kim was an all-around infielder who could play offence, defence and baseball. He hit 20 home runs and 20 doubles twice (2016-2020) and sent 30 balls over the fence in 2020.
Now, in the major leagues, he can hit the ground running. His offensive, defensive, and base-running abilities make his value shine even brighter.