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2024 season begins in earnest You have to look closely to see his true value, he shines more because he has seen it for a long time, Han Song yi does
Kim Ha-sung (San Diego Padres) is entering the Major League Baseball regular season race in earnest. The biggest challenge in the early days of this season is adapting to the new batting order.
Kim Ha-sung played as the fifth batter and shortstop in both the two games of the Seoul Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 20th and 21st (Korea time). He had two walks and a sacrifice fly to post an RBI, but he failed to get a hit in 10 at-bats.
With no hit in two games, Kim's position remains unchanged. He has established himself as the main shortstop by gaining an upper hand in the competition with Jake Cronenworth and Xander Bogaerts, who signed long-term contracts with the San Diego Padres.
Changes in batting order seem to require adjustment. Kim recorded the most at-bats (416) as the first batter during the three Major League seasons (2021-2023). He only played 13 games (39 at-bats) in the fifth. He only had a batting average of 0.205. During the seven seasons (2014-2020) when he played in the KBO league, he recorded the most at-bats (1020).
Kim has been playing as No. 5 since the exhibition game. San Diego manager Mike Shildt likes to place a batter with good contact ability at No. 5. Kim can send a ball from any location, and he knows how to throw a ball. He added Kim to the clean-up trio, saying he can steal bases. Here's why.
The fifth batter is expected to have many RBIs. There are batters with strong overall slugging capability. Until now, Kim's main task was not to produce RBIs but to get on base. It is questionable whether he will be able to display his main weaponry as a fifth batter. Kim ranked fifth with 38 stolen bases in the National League last season (2023).
Changing the batting order could be an opportunity. Kim had the most homeruns (17) in the Major League in the last season (2023), and changed his batting posture to boost his slugging power while he was inactive. He also hit one homer and three doubles in an exhibition game this year, posting a slugging percentage of 0.538.
If Kim Ha-sung, who plays a position with a large defensive burden (striker), performs well as the central lineup, his value will increase. Kim Ha-sung can exercise his status as a free agent after the 2024 season.