San Diego Padres manager Bob Melvin had high praise for Kim, 28, among other players on the team. In particular, he gave him a thumbs-up for his consistent performance.
Kim started at first base against the Miami Marlins in the 2023 Major League Baseball game at Petco Park in San Diego, California, USA, on March 23 (KST).
In his third at-bat, Kim hit his first hit of the game. He took a first-pitch slider from starter Jesus Rusardo and lined it up the middle. Kim’s hit came 13 batters after Jake Cronenworth walked in the bottom of the second inning and could have changed the momentum.
However, he was unable to capitalize on the opportunity. Kim ended the day 1-for-4, keeping his season batting average at .280. Despite the team’s 0-3 loss, Kim’s performance was impressive, as he came up big on several occasions to produce hits.
This year, Kim has continued to excel at the plate. He is batting .280 (117-for-418) with 17 home runs, 49 RBI, 28 doubles, and an OPS of .816. He is on pace to set new career highs in every major offensive metric, including batting average, home runs, RBIs, doubles, and OPS.
A day earlier against Miami, he went 2-for-4 with one home run, four RBIs, two runs scored, and one stolen base, including his first big league grand slam and 300th career hit, in a 6-2 win. His offense is coming alive, just like it did in the KBO.
Of course, his stellar defense is still there. In fact, it has improved. Kim’s steady defense helped him finish second in the National League Gold Glove shortstop race last year, and he’s continued that trend this season.
He can play anywhere from second base (667⅔ innings) to third base (208⅔ innings) to shortstop (119⅔ innings), including his primary position. He’s played a combined 995⅓ innings at second, third, and shortstop, but has only committed six errors. He’s a perfect infield versatility player, energizing the lineup.
As a result of his success, local media outlets in the U.S. have recently highlighted his performance.
Coach Melvin praised Kim for his consistent performance without any deviations. In fact, Kim’s performance has been steady every month. Aside from a slump in April, when he batted .177 (14-for-79), he has batted .276 (21-for-76) in May, .291 (25-for-86) in June, .337 (30-for-89) in July, and .284 (23-for-81) in August. His batting average is a batting average, but most importantly, he’s getting on base consistently and getting hits.
From May to this game, Kim has only missed two consecutive games (June 14-15 against the Cleveland Cavaliers). As the spearhead of the offense, the leadoff hitter is performing at more than 100%.
Although the record was recently broken, he had a 16-game hitting streak that began last month against the Pittsburgh Pirates and ended last week against the Arizona Diamondbacks, tying the Korean record for consecutive games with Choo Shin-soo (41-SSG Rangers) in 2013.
He also had a 15-game hitting streak from last month’s 23rd game against the Detroit Tigers to the 8th game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, tying the Asian record of 15 consecutive games with a double set by Ichiro Suzuki.
Melvin recently told MLB.com, “At times we’ve slumped, but his play hasn’t been like that at all. He’s always been important to us. He brings a lot of energy,” Melvin said, thanking Kim for his consistent performance.
Sports Illustrated (SI), a US-based publication, said, “Kim’s consistent play throughout the year has helped the team stay in the wild card race. It’s been a tough season for San Diego, and he’s provided the stability the team needed. He led by example and developed into one of our better players.”토스카지노
“He will continue to be one of the key players on the team long after the season is over. He has made extraordinary progress as a baseball player.”
In addition, MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, said, “Kim has been a star this season. He’s having one of the best seasons ever for a San Diego second baseman,” and “His value to the team cannot be overstated at this point. Without him, I shudder to think how the season would have gone.”
The San Diego team has also utilized its official social media accounts to comment on Kim’s rise with witty phrases such as “The Kim sensation is real” and “The S in HSK (Ha Seong Kim) stands for slam (grand slam)”.