“Must sign extension”, can’t trade, evaluate resources…Kim Ha-Sung shines
“Kim remains a very bright spot for the San Diego Padres. We should sign him to an extension beyond 2024.”
San Diego lost 6-7 in 12 extra innings to the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday (July 17) at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. San Diego, which lost its third straight, fell to 44-50 on the season and is in fourth place in the National League West. They are 10 games behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers (53-39).
It’s an underwhelming report card. That’s because they’ve been rebuilding since last year. At the trade deadline, they added star players like Juan Soto and Josh Hader, and in the offseason, they added big names like Xander Bogaerts to bolster their depth. This time, it felt like the Tado Dodgers were going to be a reality. But when the lid is lifted, it’s not much different from the previous year. In fact, they’re not even guaranteed to make the postseason.
While San Diego has been disappointing, Kim has been shining brightly. That was the case on Sunday. Batting first and second, Kim went 2-for-5 with a double, a home run, one RBI, and two runs scored. He extended his hitting streak to 13 games and is one home run away from tying the major league record for most home runs in a season.
This season, Ha Sung Kim has been an integral part of San Diego. Both offensively and defensively. In 89 games, Kim is batting .262 with 11 home runs, a .351 on-base percentage, and a .418 slugging percentage. In the leadoff spot, he’s even better, batting .259 with five home runs, 10 RBIs, a .362 on-base percentage and a .481 slugging percentage in 81 at-bats.
In just his first year at second base, Kim has also been a force on defense. According to Baseball Reference, he has a defensive WAR of 2.1. This ranked first among all major league players.
The local media has also heaped praise on him. Ben Higgins, a sports news radio host for San Diego’s 10news.com, raved about Kim on social media, saying, “Everything is falling apart around him, but he remains a very bright spot in San Diego.”온라인카지노
He was vocal about the need to sign Kim to an extension. Kim signed a 4+1 year, $39 million deal with San Diego in 2021 through the posting system. The four-year deal ends in 2024. A mutual option would extend the deal for another year.
“Other players can be traded, but Kim will consider an extension beyond 2024,” Higgins said, expressing his hope that San Diego and Kim will stay together.
