Proven to be a national star, recognized by the front line of the ML field as the ‘king of second base defense’… 亞 Infield’s first Gold Glove, Ha-seong Kim engraved

We were finally recognized by those who were at the forefront of the field. It’s no different from San Diego Padres Kim Ha-seong (28) becoming the first Asian infielder to win the Gold Glove Award.

‘Baseball America’, an American baseball magazine, released the results of the ‘MLB Best Tools 2023’ vote on the 7th (Korean time).

A vote was conducted among current major league managers, scouts, and high-ranking executives. In other words, they were the best talents in each category, hand-selected by people who are currently at the forefront of the major league field. For hitters, it was broken down into hitting, power, base running, bunts, first pitches, hits and runs, and speed, and for pitchers, it was broken down into fastballs, curves, changeups, control, checks, and relief. The top three players in each category were mentioned.

And Kim Ha-seong was selected as the ‘best defensive second baseman’ in the National League. 2nd place was Nico Horner (Chicago Cubs) and 3rd place was Aji Elvis (Atlanta Braves). This result can be seen as the result of Kim Ha-seong leaving a deep impression on the minds of personnel in the major league field with his defensive skills and being recognized for this. It is no exaggeration to say that he is recognized as a second baseman with the best defense.

[Photo] ⓒGettyimages (Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited)

[Photo] ⓒGettyimages (Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited)
The voting results of field officials can also be confirmed in the data. Ha-Seong Kim is proving that he is the best second baseman in many indicators. He ranks 3rd among National League second basemen with a Defensive Run Saved (DRS) score of +8. It is an indicator that measures how many runs were prevented by defense. Additionally, his Outs Above Average (OAA) is +5, ranking 4th among National League second basemen. Although Kim Ha-seong’s numbers have dropped somewhat compared to the early and mid-season, there is room for differences in taste in voting that reflects individual opinions.스포츠토토

In addition, Ha-seong Kim is still ranked first in the SABR Defensive Index (SDI), a defensive index of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), which is the standard for Gold Glove selection. As of last August 13, Ha-seong Kim’s SDI value was 8.3, which is better than Bryson Scott (6.4) and Nico Horner (5.7). The Gold Glove Award is selected by combining 75% of the votes of managers and coaches from the 30 major league clubs with 25% of the SDI index.

‘Baseball America’ selected Kim Ha-seong as the best defensive second baseman, confirming that he is no longer a star in San Diego but has established himself as a national star. Instead of being San Diego’s ‘A Some Kim’, he became ‘A Some Kim’ recognized by the entire major league. And now, it can be interpreted as the result of the vote that more clearly engraves Kim Ha-seong’s name on the first Asian infielder’s Gold Glove Award.

This year, Ha-Seong Kim is having his best season in many ways. He has already been called “San Diego’s MVP,” and continues to perform like a ray of light in a bleak team situation where the possibility of advancing to fall baseball has become slim.

Kim Ha-seong, who was one of the top three finalists for the National League Gold Glove Award as a shortstop last year but was frustrated, has another opportunity. Last year there was only a little bit of anticipation, but this year the atmosphere and current is different. If he actually wins the Gold Glove, Ha-Seong Kim will set a milestone in the history of Asian major leaguers. And it looks like the journey to the milestone will not be long.