Local media in the U.S. have been buzzing about the soaring Wins Above Replacement (WAR) of Kim “Awesome Kim” Ha-Sung, 28, of the San Diego Padres, and they’ve attributed it to consistency.
In his third year in the majors, Kim is having a hotter year than ever. In 104 games this season as San Diego’s first baseman, he’s batting .838 with 15 home runs, 41 RBIs, 22 doubles, and an OPS of .838. In April, he had a 1.7 wRC+, but he improved to 2.7 wRC+ in May, 2.6 wRC+ in June, and 2.9 wRC+ in July, culminating in a 3.3 wRC+ in August. In August, he continued his momentum with a batting average of 5% in 2 games.
Three years ago, this was completely unimaginable. The KBO’s top shortstop signed a four-year, $39 million deal with San Diego through the posting system for the 2021 season, but he struggled in his rookie campaign, batting just 2-for-2 with eight home runs and 34 RBIs in 117 games against a stacked infield that included Fernando Tatis Jr, Manny Machado, and Jake Cronenweth.
After Tatis Jr. went down with a broken wrist last year, Kim finally got his chance to play full-time in the majors, and he made the most of it, batting 25-for-51 with 11 home runs, 59 RBIs, 12 doubles and a .708 OPS in 150 games, along with the major league-caliber defense he showed in his rookie year.
This season, his third, also came with question marks from the start. The arrival of superstar Xander Bogaerts at shortstop, Kim’s position in the StubHub League, put him in a precarious position. However, after moving to second base, Kim stabilized his game and became an integral part of the team’s infield.카지노사이트
According to Baseball-Reference, Kim’s WAR as of Wednesday evening was third in the majors (5.4) behind Shohei Ohtani (8.0, Los Angeles Angels) and superstar Ronald Acuna Jr. (5.5, Atlanta Braves). He’s also third in defensive WAR, behind Wander Franco (2.2, Tampa Bay Rays) and Ryan McMahon (2.0, Colorado Rockies). That’s right, a mediocre backup infielder is now in the same league as the likes of Ohtani and Acuna Jr.
According to Sports Illustrated (SI), “Kim has been one of the few bright spots for the Padres this season. He’s a bright spot in an overall underachieving San Diego franchise.” “Kim is hitting consistently this year, with an improvement over last year. His defense is still elite. That’s why his WAR is beyond 2022.”
The praise didn’t stop there. “After batting .333 with seven doubles, five home runs and a .999 OPS in 24 games in July, Kim has started August with eight hits and four doubles. He’s done a great job in the leadoff role for San Diego this season.”
The United States, the home of baseball, has been buzzing about Kim’s so-called “awesomeness.