“Kim is becoming elite in the infield.”
Kim Ha-seong’s (San Diego Padres) fans in South Korea received some shocking news on March 13 (KST). Kim finished ninth in this year’s National League Second Base All-Star Fan Vote. In his third year in the big leagues, Kim is considered by experts to be the best center fielder and all-around player in the National League. However, there was a big gap between the fans and the experts.
Luis Ararez (Miami Marlins) is about 420,000 votes behind the leader. There’s nothing to say he can’t overcome this, but it’s hard to see Kim realistically making the All-Star Game based on fan votes. Ararez is a homegrown sensation who is on pace for a fourth straight year. Once again, fans are more interested in his offense than his defense. He stands out and is flashy.
As for Kim, he has a chance to make the All-Star Game if he is recommended by his manager. But more important than the All-Star Game is the money. If a 4+1 year, $39 million contract feels like a bargain, he’ll be sitting on a fortune in his early 30s. He could get a long-term deal from San Diego, or he could get a good deal in free agency. At 28, Kim is still in his prime.
As Sports Illustrated’s San Diego fan nation Inside the Padres reported on Thursday, “Things have been looking up for San Diego lately. Tatis has played a lot of games to get comfortable in the outfield, Soto has stepped up his production at the plate, and Kim is becoming elite in the infield.”
“San Diego is an offense-driven team with Tatis and Xander Bogaerts,” said The Athletic’s Brittany Girouli. This team will have even more scary talent when it gets hot. Still, it’s crazy to see them floundering under a .391 team on-base percentage with a five-game winning percentage.”
Inside the Padres also said, “San Diego will need a tremendous amount of maturity and consistency to make the postseason.” Kim could do a lot of good for the team if he can increase his arsenal a bit more and hit in the 2-6 range. At the very least, he needs to maintain his current form. He needs to continue to prove himself worth 49.8 billion won 메이저놀이터.