Padres Highlights: Analyst Breaks Down How Ha Seong-Kim Has Become of the MLB’s Best Players
Despite being snubbed from the All-Star Game, Padres infielder Ha-Seong Kim has turned in his best MLB season to date.
Though his offensive numbers might not scream one of the best players in MLB, at least one analyst is taking notice of a special year for the Korean product.
After being signed by the Padres in the winter of 2021 from his previous team in the KBO, Kim's first two seasons in the brown and gold were mired with inconsistency and inability to hit high velocity stuff from pitchers state side.
It's been a totally flipped script for Kim this year and his dominance was brought to attention on the national scene in this past weekend's series against the rival Dodgers.
Despite all the hype around Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman's performances in the NL MVP race, both Dodgers superstars lag behind Kim's WAR production for 2023.
Always surehanded with the glove as one of the best defenders in the world since he stepped into Petco Park, Kim has brought the stick with him this year as perhaps the Padres' best bat this season.
That's quite a surprising distinction to make considering all the hype around his superstar teammates in the lineup such as Xander Boegarts, Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado.
None of those names mentioned with much more media attention have been as rock solid as Kim this year for San Diego with Tatis Jr. saying as much about his teammate.
A five-tool player in every sense of the word, numerous defensive metrics love Kim's versatility and glove, but Kim's also the team leader in stolen bases on the year, quickly approaching 30 steals.
With added power in his bat with 15 home runs this year and a decently high average, Kim has kept the Padres afloat in what's been a disappointing season in San Diego for those around him.
