Kim Ha-sung (28, San Diego Padres)’s bat turns fiercely. He is also overcoming 20 home runs and highs as he finishes adapting to the fast ball. Kim Ha-sung played as the first batter (second baseman) and scored one hit and one run in five at-bats in a game against the LA Angels in San Diego Petco Park, California, on the 4th (Korea Standard Time). The season’s batting average dropped slightly to 0.257, but continued to hit for three consecutive games.
In particular, Kim Ha-sung has a batting average of 0.321 (17 hits in 53 at-bats) and five home runs and 12 RBIs in the last 15 games. Kim Ha-sung, 토토사이트 who had only five home runs until May, hit his 10th home run on the 3rd, quickly reaching the double-digit home run high. He hit 11 home runs last season, but this year he hit 10 before finishing the first half.
It seems possible to achieve the “20-20 Club,” a symbol of the Hotajun people. The term “20-20 club” refers to recording 20 home runs and more than 20 stolen bases. It is a record that can only be achieved by combining long-hitting power, fast feet, and baseball sense. Choo Shin-soo and Ohtani Shohei (LA Angels) are the only players who have achieved “20-20” as Asians so far.
During the KBO League Kiwoom Heroes, Kim Ha-sung was an all-weather infielder with both offense, defense, and base running skills. In 2020, he also achieved 30 home runs and 30 steals. However, after entering the U.S. in 2021, the following year, his long-hitting power has decreased. His defense skills improved, but he only hit eight home runs in his first year in the Major League. It was not able to properly cope with the fastball exceeding 150 kilometers per hour.
Kim Ha-sung, who was like that, has changed. His batting average for fastballs in 2021 was 0.231, but it rose to 0.262 last year. All of the sixth and tenth home runs of the season were made by hitting fastballs. In particular, in the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on the 30th of last month, Louis Ortiz hit a fastball of 156.6 kilometers per hour to make his ninth home run.
Kim Ha-sung reduced his movement in the at-bat last year by making a leg kick that raised his legs smaller to match the pitching rhythm. Instead of reducing the size of the swing, the speed was increased. This year, it is also coping with fastballs through fine adjustments.
Kim Ha-sung’s contract with San Diego (a four-year total of $28 million, about 36.4 billion won) ends next year. Local media predict that San Diego is likely to offer an extension of the contract. If it comes to the FA (free agent) market in the 2025 season, it is predicted that its annual salary will increase by more than 10 million dollars (13 billion won) on average and the total amount will increase by two to three times.