Ha Sung Kim, 28, is being recognized as San Diego’s best infielder. There’s even talk of him moving back to shortstop.
This season, Kim has shown steep growth in his offense. On Nov. 21, Yahoo Sports in the U.S. published a list of quiet but powerful players, and Kim was one of them. Yahoo Sports said, “Kim’s defense is unquestionable at any position. San Diego’s third-best shortstop has evolved into the team’s full-time second baseman.”토토사이트
The only shortstops more famous than Kim are Fernando Tatis Jr. (24) and Xander Bogaerts (31). Both are highly paid. San Diego, which acquired All-Star shortstop Bogaerts before the offseason, moved Tatis Jr. to the outfield and gave Ha-Sung Kim second base.
Tatis Jr. and Bogaerts have not been able to hold their own against Kim. Yahoo Sports emphasized that “Kim is the most valuable player in the San Diego system by Wins Above Replacement (WAR) over the three shortstops, including Bogaerts and Tatis Jr.” Kim continues to lead the team in WAR.
Sports Illustrated (SI) also reported on the 21st (KST), “San Diego’s defense is fourth in the majors. “Next year, Bogaerts could move to another position and Kim could return to shortstop. He was the MVP for San Diego this year.” With the Padres not considering returning Tatis Jr. to the infield, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Kim play shortstop at this point.
San Diego manager Bob Melvin told the San Diego Union-Tribune, “He’s a great defender. He’s got great hands, great quickness. I would recommend a Gold Glove for his defense this year. No matter where we put him, he gets it done.”
Kim played shortstop last year, filling the void left by Tatis Jr.’s injury and PED suspension. He played 119.1 innings at shortstop again this year. It will be interesting to see how San Diego decides to move on from this season’s disappointing return on investment.