Kim to be All-Star: “He’s likely to be the first All-Star because he’s the No. 1 overall defensive player” US media backs him up

The 2023 Major League Baseball All-Star Game will take place on July 12 at Seattle’s home field, T-Mobile Park. The process of choosing the players who will take the field on that star-studded stage has already begun. Fan voting for the All-Star Game has been open since June 1.

The top vote-getters will go straight to the All-Star Game, while the rest of the roster will be filled out by managerial nominations. Kim’s team, 메이저사이트 the San Diego Padres, is loaded with nationally recognized stars like Juan Soto, Manny Machado, Darvish Yu, Fernando Tatis Jr, Zander Bogaerts, and Josh Hader. Regardless of the team’s performance, we expect a number of players to make the roster.

These players are All-Star Game regulars. In addition to Machado’s six career All-Star selections, Darvish has five, and Bogacz and Heider have four each. Soto is a two-time All-Star and Tatis Jr. is a one-time All-Star.

However, there’s a player to watch out for more than these stars, according to local media, and that’s Kim Ha-seong. It’s been argued that he could be a first-time All-Star. His defense, which is among the best in the league, is expected to be a big factor in the selection.

The Athletic released its Major League Baseball Power Rankings for this week on Sept. 13 (KST), and each team ranked the players who have never played in an All-Star game as the most likely to make the team. For San Diego, it was Kim Ha-seong.

The Athletic recalled the storied All-Star careers of San Diego players, but also noted that “San Diego still has a few notables. Of his famous teammates, the one most likely to make the All-Star Game is second baseman Ha Sung Kim, who ranks third in the National League in wins above replacement (WAR) for second basemen.

The Athletic continued, “Kim doesn’t provide much impact at the plate, but he’s a defensive gem, leading the National League in Defensive Runs Saved (DRS). That’s not just at second base, it’s at every position,” praising Kim’s defense.

In fact, Kim’s 1.7 WAR per FanGraphs ranks third in the National League behind Yairo Estrada (San Francisco, 2.5) and Luis Araujo (Miami, 2.0). Baseball-Reference’s tally, which values defensive value more highly, shows him as a top-10 value across all positions in the league, and he’s been all over the place in sabermetric metrics this year.

Still in his third year in the majors, his national name recognition is weak, and his offensive impact is somewhat lackluster, so fan voting is at a disadvantage. However, it’s not impossible for him to make it on a manager’s recommendation. He’s already been recognized by the major league industry for his defense, and he’s made some strong plays this year.

If Kim makes the All-Star team, it would be a milestone in Korean history. Even Choo Shin-Soo, a longtime major league player, only made one All-Star appearance in 2018. This shows how difficult it is. Ryu Hyun-jin made a historic start in the 2019 All-Star Game, and Park Chan-ho became the first Korean player to be honored in 2001. Kim Byung-hyun was also named an All-Star in 2002.

However, The Athletic also points out a stumbling block. Paradoxically, it’s their peers. “It’s ironic that if San Diego’s bigger stars make the All-Star roster, Kim could be pushed out of consideration,” The Athletic said. If the fan vote puts multiple players in, the coaches’ picks may not include more San Diego players due to the distribution of teams.