There are 30 teams in Major League Baseball, and over 1000 players who play at least one game each year. In fact, fans often don’t recognize many of them unless they’re from the same division. In 2021, Kim Ha-seong (28, San Diego) was one such player.
He was a local favorite, but not a national player, and he didn’t have the numbers to make a name for himself nationally. In 117 games in 2021, he batted just .202 with a .622 OPS. He was more of a backup who played multiple positions. The Dodgers have had a few more flashy star players than Kim.
But last year, Kim’s profile began to rise. Fans at Petco Park started calling him “Ha Sung Kim” because of his passionate play. When Fernando Tatis Jr. lost a season to injury and a PED suspension, Kim’s name began to be mentioned as a possible replacement. Add to that his stellar defense, and he began to appear in local media highlight programs.
It came as a surprise to many when Kim was named a Gold Glove finalist for the National League shortstop award. Not only because of his record, but also because the people on the field were already recognizing his play. He finished the season with a .251 batting average, 11 home runs, and a .708 OPS in 150 games, with a clear uptick in his offense.
With this year’s performance, Kim’s profile has skyrocketed. He is now recognized as one of the best defensive and offensive second basemen in the league. As of Sept. 9, he’s batting .273 with a .364 on-base percentage, 17 home runs, 57 RBIs, 79 runs scored, 34 doubles, and a .786 OPS in 137 games this season, making him a key player for the team. His defense is still outstanding. Hubo is a Gold Glove favorite at second base in the National League this year.
But a player’s name is only as good as his performance. The higher up you are on the individual performance leaderboards that fans often look at, the more attention you get. This year, Kim has consistently been at the top of defensive metrics such as DRS and OAA, but his offensive numbers have been on fire since the middle of the season.
As a result, through nine days, he ranks 13th in the National League in on-base percentage (.364) and fifth in the National League in stolen bases (34). Behind only Ronald Acuña Jr. (Atlanta), Kim has the most stolen bases this year. As disappointing as San Diego’s performance has been this year, it’s great to see the local media pushing the “Kim is this year’s team MVP” line.
Ken Rosenthal, a columnist for The Athletic and one of the leading sources on North American sports, added his own column on X (formerly Twitter) on the 9th, saying that Kim has been one of the most surprising players of the season, and one of the most popular.
Rosenthal is a prominent columnist and national editor with 1.43 million followers, and the fact that he is being recognized is further evidence that Kim is now a national soccer star. For many, this may have been the moment to put Kim’s name on the map once again.
On the 9th, Kim’s performance continued. Against Houston, last year’s World Series champions and this year’s favorites to win the American League West, Kim had three hits, including two doubles, three stolen bases, and two RBIs. He is the only player in San Diego franchise history to record at least three doubles, three stolen bases, and two RBI in a single game. The storming run was a perfect example of Kim’s signature “hustle.카지노사이트
San Diego’s chances of making the postseason are extremely slim. It’s literally an arithmetic possibility. San Diego’s chances of making the postseason are 0.8 percent as of Sept. 9, according to FanGraphs.
However, Kim is expected to give his best until the end for his personal goal. With all eyes on him to finish the season on a high note with a podium finish, he’ll be in the spotlight again after the season as he bids for an extension. It’s not a bad thing to get your name out there.