Ha-Sung Kim (28, San Diego) is having his best season yet. The Dodgers have summoned Mark Loretta, the greatest second baseman of all time, and he is proving to be a key part of the team’s offense.
According to MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, “Playing leadoff, Kim may not be considered a superstar, but that’s no longer the case. He currently leads the team in bWAR (wins above replacement per Baseball Reference), and San Diego hasn’t had a second baseman with a bWAR of 5 or better since Mark Loretta in 2004.”
Loretta was San Diego’s leading second baseman in 2004, batting .335 with 16 home runs, 76 RBIs, a .391 on-base percentage, a .495 slugging percentage and an .886 OPS, and earned a Silver Slugger Award for second base. That year, Loretta posted a 6.0 bWAR.온라인카지노
Currently, Kim has a bWAR of 4.8, which is second in the majors behind only Ronald Acuña Jr. (Atlanta-5.1). Acuña Jr. is the reigning National League MVP. His defensive WAR (wins above replacement) of 2.1 is first in the majors. It’s no wonder San Diego is thinking of Loretta with Kim’s performance.
San Diego Padres second baseman Ha-Sung Kim high-fives pinch-hitter Lugned Odor after stealing second and scoring on Manny Machado’s RBI single in the third inning. San Diego|USA TODAY Sports Yonhap News
Kim has also been making strides offensively. This season, he is batting .267 with 12 home runs, 34 RBIs, 18 doubles, a .359 on-base percentage, a .425 slugging percentage, and a .784 OPS. Most of his offensive numbers are career-low.
The offense has definitely changed for Kim, who is developing into a top-tier major league player.