ML’s best season’ Kim Ha-seong “Greedy for the Gold Glove? I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get it”

Kim Ha-seong, an infielder for the Major League Baseball (MLB) San Diego Padres, who had the best year, expressed his gratitude to fans for their support.토토사이트

Kim Ha-seong, who completed the regular season schedule with the away game against the Chicago White Sox on the 2nd, returned to Incheon International Airport Terminal 2 on the 11th. He appeared at his arrival hall, welcomed by many reporters and fans.

Ha-seong Kim, who has been on the big league stage since 2021, achieved great results last year by developing his skills and hitting his first double-digit home run. The upward trend continued into the postseason. Ha-seong Kim contributed to his team by doing his part in the National League Wild Card-Division Series-Championship Series.

However, this does not mean that Kim Ha-seong’s position was guaranteed this season. This is because the outlook before the season was not that bright. Kim Ha-seong, who had to survive among the prominent infielders on his team, had to prove his worth.

Kim Ha-seong, who was not satisfied with his performance from last season, performed poorly in the month of April with a batting average of .100. I had a hectic day participating in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) ahead of the opening of the regular season, and I had to do a lot of hard work. 

Ha-seong Kim gradually improved his batting skills in May and got back on track, dispelling everyone’s concerns. Looking at his performance in July alone, he had 30 hits in 89 at-bats, a batting average of 0.337, and 9 RBIs, with a whopping 5 home runs.

Kim Ha-seong, who showed a steep home run pace, early on set a career-high season by surpassing last year’s number of home runs (11). He showed off his quick feet and base-running sense while running the bases, and succeeded in stealing a whopping 38 bases, ranking 5th in the national league in stolen bases. The final performance this season was 152 games, 538 at-bats, 140 hits, a batting average of 0.260, 17 home runs, 60 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.749.

Above all, what made Ha-seong Kim stand out was his defense. Ha-seong Kim showed off his wide defensive range and stable catching ability, becoming a second baseman recognized not only by the team but also in the league. There was even talk of him becoming the first Asian infielder to win the Gold Glove Award.

The United States also paid attention to Kim Ha-seong’s performance. Ha-seong Kim was ranked as the best second baseman in the National League in defense, beating Nico Horner (Chicago Cubs) and Aji Albis (Atlanta Braves) in a survey of managers, scouts, and officials conducted by Baseball America (BA), an American baseball magazine last month. Ranked first in the category. It was even more meaningful in that the Major League’s ‘expert group’ recognized Kim Ha-seong’s potential and ability.

Additionally, Ha-seong Kim was mentioned in an article about the best second baseman of the season introduced by MLB.com (MLB.com), the official website of the Major League Baseball, late this season. MLB.com focused on Ha-sung Kim’s season performance, saying, “Ha-sung Kim is the most valuable player in the team and is showing solid defense. He achieved career highs in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, and home runs.”

Kim Ha-seong, who had a batting average of only .100 in the month of September, did not produce a single home run during this period and was unable to reach the milestone of 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases. The team had to end the season early as they failed to advance to the postseason, but they are dreaming of a better next year. Ha-Seong Kim plans to gradually prepare for the program prepared for next season in Korea for the time being.

Meanwhile, Ha-seong Kim starts the season in a slightly special way in 2024, his fourth year in the big league. This is because the opening series against the LA Dodgers will be held in Seoul, South Korea, not the United States. On July 13, the MLB Secretariat announced that the MLB World Tour would be held in four countries outside of the United States and Canada during the 2024 MLB regular season, and the Dodgers and San Diego will open the season in a two-game series in Seoul on March 20 and 21, 2024. It also includes the content of taking the exam. This is the first time that an MLB regular season game is being played in Korea.

At the time, San Diego Padres CEO Eric Gruppner said, “We are very excited to be able to host an MLB game in Korea for the first time. Korea is a truly great baseball country with a rich baseball tradition, passionate fans, and outstanding players. The Padres “I am proud to be able to participate in the historic 2024 opening series in Korea as a global ambassador with the Dodgers,” he said.

Ha-seong Kim, who shared his thoughts through the club’s SNS (social networking service), said, “When I joined the Padres, I never imagined that I would have the opportunity to represent San Diego and the Major League in my home country. How amazing is it to be able to wear a San Diego uniform and play in Korea? “I can’t express in words how excited and happy I am,” he said. “It will be a very special and good memory for me to be able to invite my teammates, staff, and coaches to Korea and experience such a great opportunity together. I hope that many Padres fans from Korea will come and support us. “I will be grateful,” he said, expressing his anticipation.

The following is a Q&A with Ha-Seong Kim.

-How do you feel about finishing a season?

“I think it was a season that was both good and sad.”

-I think it was a season in which great progress was made in many ways. How would you rate yourself?

“My goal before the season was always to grow a little more and achieve better results than the previous year, but personally, I feel like I achieved better results than last year, so it’s okay. On the other hand, it’s very disappointing that my performance was not good in the second half of the season.”

-Your close younger brother Lee Jeong-hoo is about to enter the MLB. What advice would you give him?

“Actually, I don’t have any advice for (Lee) Jeong-hoo. I think he is a very complete hitter, so I think he will get good results if he watches a lot of pitches from major league pitchers and adapts from spring training.”

-If Lee Jeong-hoo contacts you first, what would you like to tell him?

“I haven’t really thought about it. I plan to tell you enough about what I felt, and I think I will tell you to prepare well because (MLB) is not an easy place.”

-On the 10th, before the Gocheok Samsung-Kiwoom match, San Francisco general manager Pete Putilla came to see Jeong-hoo Lee in person. What would it be like if Jeong-hoo Lee went to San Francisco, the ‘district rival team’?

“I don’t really care about that, and I hope Jung-hoo goes to a place where he excels and shows a good side of himself.”

-Has he ever thought about what he would do if they played on the same team.

“He played a lot (together) in Korea, so I think it’s up to Jung-hoo to take care of it, and I try not to put that pressure on him.”

-The biggest achievement this season is the increase in slugging ability. How satisfied do you think you are?

“In the off-season, I trained a lot with Coach Won-je Choi and others, and there was some form correction. At first, I thought I should focus on long hits, but half of them seemed to be a success and half of them showed a lot of things that needed improvement, so in the off-season “I think I need to pay more attention to that aspect. Next year is an important time for me personally, so I think I need to prepare well.”

-If you specifically talk about what needs to be improved.

“I think it’s too early to talk now, and I think we need to organize things a little more.”

-I unfortunately missed 20 home runs-20 stolen bases and 20 home runs-40 stolen bases. What do you think?

“I definitely think it’s disappointing, but I don’t care because I think that only with such regret can we make greater progress. I’ll set a better goal for next year so I can focus.”

-I think you might be greedy for the Gold Glove award.

“It would be a lie if I said I wasn’t greedy. I don’t know what the outcome will be, but I am looking forward to it.”

-The day before, Lee Jeong-hoo said, ‘Ha-seong said that he was afraid if he thought that Korean players might not advance to the major league because of him.’ How do you feel about this season, which ended relatively successfully?

“I had poor results in my first year, and I was young when I went to the United States. I received a lot of money, but I did not get good results, so it is true that I thought, ‘It might be a negative influence on juniors who dream of playing in the major leagues in the future.’ That’s why I thought I had to do better, and I hope many Korean players have big goals and work hard to dream of playing in the major leagues from a young age.”

-Do you think that your juniors will be able to benefit from Kim Ha-seong now?

“It’s still not enough, but in the end, I think I benefited from them, so I’m very grateful to those seniors. I think Jeonghu should be thankful to me too (laughs).”

-You are very popular locally. What do you think is your attractive point?

“First of all, I am very grateful to the fans in San Diego for being so supportive. The cheers and calls for my name are louder than other players. First of all, I am remembered as a player who does his best in every game and makes a lot of hustle plays. “I think that’s why people like me.” –

You recorded the most stolen bases in a season, including during the KBO League. What was your goal before the season?

“When it comes to stealing bases, probability is important. Probability is more important than running a lot, and I don’t know if the probability was good, but I want to increase the success rate next year and record a lot of stolen bases. – As a fellow player and close senior, Lee Jeong-hoo is a major player

. In what areas do you think you can show competitiveness in the league?

“Jung-hoo is a player who can hit, play defense, and run the bases. That’s Junghoo’s strength, and even if he competes well with overseas players, he won’t fall behind.” -The

fans must have been disappointed and he himself must have been disappointed that he didn’t hit a home run after the Miami game on August 22, but were there factors other than physical strength that played a role? .

“First of all, I think stamina was the first thing, and I think I played more positions than last year and attempted to steal more bases, so I think my stamina dropped a bit in the second half because of these things. “I think we need to improve this area as well.”

-The national team that attempted a generational change won a gold medal at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. How did you feel watching the juniors?

“I watched the game as a highlight, and first of all, I am so congratulated on winning the gold medal. I also went to the Asian Games (2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games) and won a gold medal, but I think I overcame that pressure well.” World Baseball Classic in March “I am very grateful to my juniors who performed well in the next tournament despite their poor performance at the (WBC). Ultimately, I have a duty to spread the word about Korean baseball, but I think my juniors also played with that sense of responsibility.”

-What are your plans in Korea?

“I plan to rest and train according to the schedule I have prepared.”

-The Major League Opening Game will be held in Korea next year, and I think it will be a special experience.

“I’m looking forward to it a lot, and as I said in the U.S., I think it’s even more meaningful because it’s my first time playing a major league game in Korea. I hope a lot of juniors and amateur players will come and watch the game. By watching things like that, they can develop their dreams. “I think the fans will really like it. I also think it’s a great honor to be able to attend my first major league game in Korea.”

-I think there was some anxiety around this time last year because the possibility of a trade was mentioned, but in that respect, I think we can spend this winter a little more comfortably.

“Actually, I don’t worry too much about a trade because I don’t know what will happen. I think I should prepare well.

-Have you had any discussions with close players such as Manny Machado or Fernando Tatis about coming to Korea next year?

“There is a lot to say, but I plan to listen to what the players want as much as possible. There are so many, so I will stop here (laughter).”