He’s given the team hope and entertained fans when the big-name players have been struggling. The numbers speak for themselves. He’s batting .258 with 10 home runs, 31 RBIs, 43 runs scored, 16 doubles, and a .757 OPS.
You can read about his rapid evolution in his third year in the MLB. Last year, he hit .251 with 11 home runs, 59 RBI, 58 runs scored, 12 doubles, and a .708 OPS in 150 games.
This year, his WAR (wins above replacement) is 4.0, which leads all pitchers and catchers. He is tied for fifth among all MLB outfielders with Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels.
Last year, Kim’s WAR was 4.9. He’s 29th overall in MLB, and he’s been steadily building on that momentum for two years in a row. He is often recognized as the MVP of his team’s first half by reporters because his WAR is an excellent measure of a player’s value. For the team, it’s a great value for the money.스포츠토토
Brian Kelly, host of MLB Network’s MLB Now, a sanctioned Major League Baseball broadcast, salivates over Kim’s monster performance whenever he analyzes the Padres. It’s just a shame he wasn’t selected to play in the 2023 All-Star Game in Seattle.
Kim is most pleased with his first-half numbers. In the major leagues, hitters are judged by home runs and pitchers by strikeouts. With double-digit home runs in the first half, Kim showed off his power. His goal before the season was 15. With 10 now, it will be interesting to see how many more he adds in the second half.
Manager Bob Melvin has recently pegged him as a table-setter given his high walk rate. Despite the occasional passive hit and three-strikeout, his .347 slugging percentage is second only to Juan Soto’s (.421) among hitters with a full plate appearance. His 0.757 OPS in the first half is due to a combination of his slugging percentage and on-base percentage. The MLB average OPS in the first half is 0.730.
Kim, who signed a four-year, $28 million contract in 2021, has begun to rebound after bottoming out in his rookie year. Personal hitting coach Choi Won-je expressed confidence before the season, saying, “He’ll be better than last year.” So far, he’s right. So far, so good.
San Diego second baseman Kim Ha-seong showed off his power with 10 home runs in the first half. AFP
After a lackluster May, Kim has posted eight multi-hit games since June and has maintained a steady batting average above .250. He has five home runs since June.
The team rebounded to go 5-1 in their final six games of the first half, so there’s hope for more of the same from Kim in the second half.