Kim Ha-Sung Why it’s a great season…San Diego hasn’t had a second baseman like this in 19 years.
The second baseman could go down in San Diego history.바카라
Ha-seong “Awesome Kim” Kim (28, San Diego Padres) could go down in the record books as a “historic” season in 2023.
In 95 games this year, Kim is batting .267 with a .359 on-base percentage, .425 slugging percentage, and .784 OPS, along with 12 home runs, 34 RBIs, and 18 doubles. His batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, home runs, and stolen bases are all career highs.
Kim’s value can be seen in his Wins Above Replacement (WAR). According to Baseball Reference’s bWAR, Kim’s 4.8 WAR ranks second among all Major League Baseball players. His defensive WAR of 2.1 ranks first in the league. Ronald Acuña Jr. (Atlanta Braves), the favourite for this year’s National League MVP, leads the league with 5.1, but Kim is right behind him. Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Angels), who doubles as a second baseman, has the highest of all major league players at 6.8.
It’s been a while since San Diego has had a second baseman with this kind of performance. As MLB.com recently wrote, “Playing leadoff, Ha Sung Kim might not be considered a superstar. But that’s no longer the case,” noting that “Kim is currently leading the team in bWAR, and San Diego hasn’t had a second baseman with more than 5 WAR since Mark Loretta in 2004.”
Kim Ha Sung
Kim Ha-Sung
Kim Ha Sung
The former San Diego second baseman hit .335 with a .391 on-base percentage, .495 slugging percentage, and .886 OPS with 16 home runs and 76 RBIs in 154 games in 2004, earning him a National League All-Star selection and a Silver Slugger Award for second base. At the time, Loretta had a bWAR of 6.0.
When Loretta left San Diego at the end of the 2005 season, it was difficult for San Diego to find a second baseman of Loretta’s calibre again. However, this year, Kim Ha-seong has been “growing by leaps and bounds” and is becoming a second baseman who can write his name in the club’s history.
Kim Ha-seong