The umpire’s third strike call is heard as he calls a strike. Kim Ha-seong (28, San Diego) stands at the plate and looks at the umpire. He’s not arguing, but he’s clearly frustrated. He swallows his frustration and heads to the dugout. It’s a scene we’ve seen a lot of lately.
Kim has seen an unusually high number of balls called strikes this season. He’s also been the victim of some of the worst calls in the game. One of the worst strike-and-ball calls of the day came on April 4 against San Francisco at Petco Park in San Diego, California.
Kim was feeling good at the start of the game. In the first inning, he hit a clean single to right field. Then, when Tatis Jr. stepped up to the plate, he took a perfect throw from the opposing starter, Alex Cobb, and raced to second base. It was such a perfect throw that the catcher had no chance, and Kim slid into second base on a head-first slide. 30th stolen base of the season. He became the first Korean player in history to reach 30 stolen bases in a single season.
The Padres scored three runs in the first inning on a two-run single by Soto and an RBI double by Bogaerts. But in the bottom of the second inning, with the bases loaded and the score 3-0, Kim got an unfair call. After getting a hit in his first at-bat, Cobb was more cautious in his second. Kim also picked his pitches carefully. The game went to a full count. The sixth and seventh pitches were fouled off, and when the eighth pitch was a sinker that sailed outside, Kim realized he was going to get a strike.
But umpire Ryan Willis, who was overseeing the game, called it a strike. Kim’s face contorted. He was convinced it was out of the strike zone. But the call was not to be overturned. There was nothing he could do but step back in disbelief.
It was a blown call. It was obvious. Umpire Scorecards, which tracks the accuracy of umpire calls, ranked it as the worst strike-and-ball call of the game on Friday. This analysis takes into account how bad the call was and the importance of the game situation. In addition to the mechanical analysis, we also look at the context of the call and how much it changed the odds of winning. The fact that this was the worst call of the game, even with the bases loaded in the second inning, is a testament to Kim’s injustice.
Umpire Willis didn’t get the call wrong on this day; his accuracy rate was above average at 95%. That’s not bad for a human being. Kim Ha-sung is the one who should feel the brunt of the blame. However, this latest situation is not only symbolic of the umpire’s problems, but also of Kim’s brilliant initiative.
A complete ball is rarely called a strike. A complete strike is rarely called a ball. It’s human, and calls are made on pitches that are close to the borderline. As major league pitchers get faster and use more off-speed pitches, the umpires have a tougher job, which means that Kim is a good caller. “If he doesn’t hit it, it’s a ball, if he’s frustrated, it’s a ball,” the perception goes.
Kim’s improved initiative is reflected in his statistics. He’s not one of the league’s top hitters who blasts the ball out of the park. Instead, he contributes to his team through persistence. He’s not easily fooled by pitches. He is very annoying for pitchers. There’s a reason why San Diego manager Bob Melvin, a 1,500-game winner in the majors, trusts him as his number one option.
His chase rate (the percentage of swings at pitches outside the strike zone) is just 19.5% this year. Out of 10 pitches, he’s only reaching for two. That’s elite, in the top 7% of the major leagues.
In 2021, Kim’s chase rate was 24.2%, and last year it was 24.9%. You can see that this year, those numbers are way down. In addition, his contact rate on pitches outside the zone improved from 66.7% last year to 72% this year. This symbolizes that fewer swings are being made at pitches outside the zone.
The same goes for the swing rate. In 2021, it was 21.6%. Kim is not a typical big hitter. Considering that, it was a bit high. But last year it dropped to 19.1%, and this year it’s at a career-low 17.3%. This is still an elite performance in the top 10% of the major leagues.
His overall offensive aggressiveness is down from last year, perhaps due to his move to leadoff and his emphasis on getting on base. After hovering around 44% in his first two years, his swing rate has dropped significantly to 37.8% this year, and he’s barely looking at pitches. Last year’s swing rate was 24.9%, this year it’s 19.3%. Compared to 2021 (31.6%), the difference is stark. To summarize, Kim is approaching the plate more cautiously, looking at the ball, not taking as many false swings, and being more patient with pitches. He’s drawing more walks and winning more battles to frustrate opposing pitchers.카지노사이트
All of these processes have led to better end results. Kim has a strikeout rate of just 18.9% this year. His walk rate is up to 12.1%. His walk rate is also in the top 13% in the majors. There are ways to get on base that don’t require a hit. In San Diego, where there are many players who are more of a cool-ball type of player than a patient one, this advantage is more specialized and shines through. It’s no coincidence that the fans at Petco Park applaud Kim for his tenacity.