Baseball has changed a lot. Evaluation criteria have changed, and other training methods have also changed accordingly. As time passes, pitchers throw things they never imagined. The 100 mph speed limit, which was only occasionally recorded 15 years ago, is now a daily occurrence. With the possibility of consecutive hits extremely low, batters focus on long hits. Aiming for a home run or double hit is more likely to score than a single hit.안전놀이터
As a result, batting averages are plummeting. The league average batting average has plummeted, and the number of hitters in the 30% has also decreased significantly. In 2000, the major league (MLB) average batting average was 0.270. At that time, the standard for a good hitter could be set at 30%. However, from 2010 to this year, the league average batting average is formed around 0.250. In 2022, the league average batting average was 0.243, the lowest number recorded in the 21st century. There were also only 11 hitters who hit 30%.
This year is no different. The league average batting average has risen to 0.248, but there are 11 30% hitters like last year. It has become difficult to find a 30% hitter to the extent that there is not even one per team.
The same goes for Ha-seong Kim’s team, San Diego. There is no hitter to do 3. There are many star players in the field, such as Juan Soto, Fernando Tanis Jr., Manny Machado, and Xander Bogarts, but none have reached a batting average of 300. However, this year, Kim Ha-seong, who is playing a more valuable role than them, draws a steep upward curve. He, who had a batting average of 0.202 in 2021, his first year in MLB, is hitting 0.287, the highest on the team.
This is the result of recent strenuous efforts. He had a batting average of just 0.241 through May. However, since June, multi-hit games have increased significantly, and after the All-Star break, the bat literally caught fire. In the 20 games he played in the second half, he had a batting average of 0.392. As his accuracy increased, so did his slugging, and he hit 5 home runs and had a 0.635 slugging percentage. With an OPS of 1.135, he is MVP in the second half.
It was the same with the Los Angeles Dodgers on the 5th (Korean time). From the first at-bat in the first inning, he attacked opposing starting pitcher Bobby Miller’s curve and scored a right-handed hit. In the second at-bat in the third inning, Miller threw a 101-mph fastball, which led to a left-handed hit. This is Kim Ha-seong, who is evolving into a flawless hitter who hits the ball over 100 miles.
So he makes us look forward to higher places as well. He can even reach the endangered 30% if he looks in the second half. He is currently 17th in the league in batting average, but with a . He is not a hitter who only has a high batting average without a long hit, but a hitter with a special value that can hit long hits and steal bases. In the game against the Dodgers on the 5th, he created a scoring opportunity by stealing bases after hitting in the first inning and stealing bases after hitting in the third inning.
The timing is also good. After the 2024 season, he becomes a free agent. There is a mutual agreement option to extend the contract period with San Diego by one year, but at this point, Ha-seong Kim has a 0% chance of executing it. Since he has already been recognized for his defensive ability as a shortstop, a huge contract is expected to await if he becomes a free agent.
It was the same in Korea. He dreamed of MLB early on and improved every year. He surpassed 30 home runs and an OPS of 0.900 for the first time in the 2020 season ahead of his MLB advance. Big league clubs such as San Diego and Toronto paid attention to this part, and even on the top stage, they improve every year.
It is only natural that Petco Park becomes hot when Ha-seong Kim stands at bat.