San Diego Padres infielder Ha Sung Kim, 28, who is on an upward curve for the 2023 season, has been named to the All-MLB Team at second base.
MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, announced the second baseman nominees for the All-MLB Team on Friday.온라인바카라
The All-MLB Team officially announces its nominees in November at the end of the season, and then a fan vote (50%) and an expert panel vote (50%) are conducted to determine the final results in December. Voters are categorized into First and Second Teams, with the top vote-getters at each position (five starting pitchers, two relievers, one position-specific infielder, and three non-position-specific outfielders) being named to the First Team, and the runners-up being named to the Second Team.
On a list categorized as award favorites, strong contenders to challenge them, and dark horses, Kim was listed as a “challenger.
Kim is having a career year in his third year in the big leagues. He’s batting .275 (459-for-126) with 17 home runs, 52 RBIs, 31 doubles, and a .794 OPS.
In particular, his ability to get on base off the leadoff man has been outstanding and has helped fuel the team’s offense. He had a 16-game hitting streak from July 25 against the Pittsburgh Pirates to last month’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, matching the Korean record for consecutive games with a hit that Shin-Soo Choo set in 2013 with Cincinnati.
He also had a streak of 15 consecutive games with a double from July 23 against the Detroit Tigers to July 8 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, tying legend Ichiro Suzuki’s record for consecutive doubles.
According to MLB.com, “Kim has been San Diego’s most valuable player, leading the team. “He doesn’t hit the ball hard, but he creates his own zone and doesn’t swing at bad pitches,” said Fangraphs, “and his fWAR (wins above replacement) is 4.4. He already has 31 stolen bases and is +10 in DRS (runs prevented) when playing second base, which ranks fourth among second basemen.”
Meanwhile, the frontrunners for second base on the All-MLB team are Marcus Simeon (33, Texas Rangers) and Luis Arajes (26, Miami Marlins), both of whom spent time with Ryu and the Toronto Blue Jays.
Simeon is batting .271 (154-for-568) with 20 home runs and a .793 OPS this year, making him the centerpiece of the Texas offense. Araes has shown off his power with a league-leading .356 batting average (183-for-514) and is on pace to reach the 200-hit plateau for the first time in his career.
Joining Kim as a strong challenger is Aji Alvis (26-Atlanta Braves), who is hitting .503 with 28 home runs this year.
Other dark horses include Ketel Marte (30-Arizona), Gleyber Torres (27-New York Yankees), Bryson Stott (26-Philadelphia Phillies), and Nico Horner (26-Chicago Cubs).