Padres' Kim Ha-seong nominated for Silver Slugger Award

In Major League Baseball (MLB) this year, 650 players have taken the plate at least once. Out of this group, only 20 players (3.1%) received nominations for both the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards. Kim Ha-seong of the San Diego Padres is among these select few. This year, the 28-year-old player distinguished himself by performing in the top 3% of MLB in both offense and defense.

According to the Silver Slugger final candidate list announced by the MLB Secretariat on Friday, Kim Ha-seong was named as a candidate in the National League (NL) utility category, alongside Mookie Betts (LA Dodgers), Spencer Stier (Cincinnati Reds), and Cody Bellinger (Chicago Cubs). Kim is also a candidate for the NL Gold Glove awards in the second baseman and utility categories. Since last year, MLB has introduced a separate utility category and is now awarding Gold Gloves and Silver Sluggers to players who have excelled in various positions.

The MLB Secretariat explained the rationale for selecting Kim as a candidate, stating, “Kim Ha-seong displayed his versatility by covering various positions in the San Diego infield this season, where he notched 17 home runs and 38 stolen bases.” Betts recorded 39 home runs and 107 RBIs, while Bellinger contributed 26 home runs and 97 RBIs, making Kim's chances of winning a Silver Slugger less certain. Nevertheless, since both Betts and Bellinger are also listed as candidates in the outfielder category, there remains a chance that Kim may secure a 'surprise award' in the utility category. It's important to note that the Silver Slugger winner is determined by the votes of the coaching staff of all 30 MLB teams.

Kim has a stronger shot at winning the Gold Glove. He is competing with Nico Hoerner (Chicago Cubs) and Bryson Stott (Philadelphia Phillies) in the second base category. In the utility category, Betts and Korean-descendant player Tommy Edman (St. Louis Cardinals) are his competitors. The final Gold Glove winners will be announced on Monday, while the Silver Slugger winners will be revealed on Friday."


Heon-Jae Lee uni@donga.com