It was still an impregnable wall even after defending third base for the first time in 10 days. Ha-seong Kim (28, San Diego Padres) has greatly increased the chances of winning the Gold Glove as the first Asian major leaguer infielder with excellent third base defense that prevents runs.토토사이트
Kim Ha-seong started as the first batter and third baseman in the 2023 American Professional Baseball Major League (ML) home game against the Arizona Diamondbacks held at Petco Park in San Diego, California, on the 18th (Korean time), and only struck out 1 in 4 at bats. . The season batting average fell from 0.284 to 0.281, and the OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) fell from 0.820 to 0.813.
His standout scene on this day was defense. San Diego gave third baseman Manny Machado a break and sent Ha-seong Kim instead, and Ha-seong Kim handled three ground balls on the spot, bringing tension to the field until the end of the game.
The first scene was Kyle Lewis at bat in the bottom of the 4th inning when the score was 0-0. Lewis hit the ball toward third base, and Kim Ha-seong stretched out his arm without moving his body to catch it, then threw it to first base with a turning throw to make an out count.
The second scene was more dramatic. In the top of the 9th inning, with San Diego trailing 1-3, Gabriel Moreno hit the ball at 99.6 miles per hour (approximately 160.3 km) with 2nd out and 1st base and quickly headed for the left foul line. However, even the right hit was helpless in front of Kim Ha-seong, who has a Gold Glove level defense. Ha-seong Kim snatched Moreno’s batted ball with a backhand catch and threw it straight to first base to catch the runner. Thanks to this, San Diego was able to aim for a final turnaround in the bottom of the ninth, but in the end they couldn’t make up for a single point and lost 1-3.
However, Kim Ha-seong is increasing his chances of winning the National League (NL) Gold Glove this season by showing top-notch defense not only at second base, his main position, but also at third base and shortstop. Defensive Run Saved (DRS), second baseman (649⅔ innings) +12 points, third baseman (181⅓ innings) +2 points, shortstop (119⅓ innings) +3 points He is performing above average (DRS 0 points) in all positions.
DRS +12 ranked first among National League second basemen, and ranked sixth among all positions. This is the reason why Kim Ha-seong is considered the most influential National League second baseman Gold Glove winner this season by many local media outlets in the United States. Not only that, but he is gradually meeting his qualifications in the Gold Glove Utility Division, which was newly established last year.
In this sector, where utility players who play a variety of positions have made a high contribution to defense, the exact criteria for innings and position digestion have not yet been revealed. For that reason, we have no choice but to guess through last year’s 6 finalists in the Utility Gold Glove category.
Last year, like Ha-seong Kim, LeMayhew also made it to the final three candidates by digesting first baseman (265 innings), second baseman (385⅔ innings), and third baseman (385⅔ innings). Another close example is Tommy Edman (St. Louis Cardinals), a Korean major leaguer who won the Taegeuk mark at the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC). He played both infield and outfield positions, including center fielder (5 innings) and right fielder (3 innings). However, center fielder and right fielder were only temporary measures, and the proportion of second baseman and shortstop increases the chances of Kim Ha-seong meeting the Utility Gold Glove qualification. If he is nominated in both categories, becoming the first Asian major league infielder to win the Gold Glove is not a dream.
On the other hand, he was generally unlucky at bat. The opposing pitcher is right-handed pitcher Jack Gallen, who is considered a candidate for the National League Cy Young Award with an average ERA of 3.24 with 12 wins and 5 losses in 25 games this season. From his first at-bat in the first inning, Kim Ha-seong attacked a fastball driven into the middle and hit the ball at 96.8 miles per hour. However, left fielder Tommy Pam jumped in front of the fence and caught it, making it out.
Kim Ha-seong, who had been withdrawn in the 3rd inning with a ball to left field, was regretfully withdrawn in the 5th inning with a straight hit to right field. He hit Galen’s fifth fastball well and produced a batted ball at 98.8 miles per hour, but right fielder Corbin Carroll’s glove was waiting in front of him. Considering his batting speed, direction, and distance, it was even more disappointing because it was a batting average of 0.770.