MLB-hitter
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| ▲ In this Associated Press photo, San Diego Padres third baseman Kim Ha-seong makes a throw to first in the top of the first inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Petco Park in San Diego on May 5, 2021. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ In this Associated Press photo, Kim Ha-seong of the San Diego Padres (C) reacts to a call during the bottom of the seventh inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Petco Park in San Diego on May 4, 2021. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ In this Associated Press photo, Kim Ha-seong of the San Diego Padres gets out of the way of a pitch during the bottom of the fourth inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Petco Park in San Diego on May 5, 2021. (Yonhap) |
MLB-hitter
Padres' Kim Ha-seong trying to make most of limited opportunities
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, May 6 (Yonhap) -- He was an everyday player for most of his seven seasons in his native South Korea, but this year, San Diego Padres rookie Kim Ha-seong hasn't been playing as often as he'd like.
The 25-year-old isn't one to pout or wallow in self-pity, though. He has been trying to stay ready for whenever he gets the call, whether it's as a pinch hitter or a defensive replacement all across the infield.
A career shortstop in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) with the Kiwoom Heroes, Kim has appeared at second base, third base and shortstop this season. He even played left field during spring training.
In a pregame Zoom media session before taking on the Pittsburgh Pirates at Petco Park in San Diego on Wednesday (local time), Kim admitted it has been "difficult" handling multiple positions while not playing regularly. But he's also determined to make the most of his situation.
"The team wants me to be a utility-type player, and so I am trying to focus on the field wherever I play," Kim said. "I've been preparing for this since spring training. The current situation with the team dictates that I won't play every day, and I just have to keep working hard and stay sharp. It's the reality that I have to accept and I want to make sure my lack of playing time doesn't show on the field when I am out there."
Asked if he'll also work on his outfield defense since it may mean more playing opportunities, Kim said, "I came here as an infielder."
Kim got his third straight start and 15th overall on Wednesday but batted 0-for-4 with a strikeout. He's now batting .197/.258/.262 with a home run and four RBIs in 66 plate appearances across 24 games.
These numbers are a far cry from some gaudy stats he put up as a perennial All-Star in the KBO. In his most recent season in Korea last year, Kim belted a career-high 30 home runs and knocked in 109 runs. Even accounting for the obvious differences in the quality of pitching in the two leagues, Kim was expected to do more damage at the plate than what he has shown so far.
Kim said he's been hitting off the pitching machine a lot lately, as he tries to make his swing more compact so that he could better handle higher velocities of big league pitchers.
Kim signed with the Padres last December knowing he'd have to at least move away from his natural position of shortstop, which is occupied by the emerging franchise star Fernando Tatis Jr. Kim handled some third base for the Heroes last year, but he is blocked there by MVP candidate Manny Machado at the hot corner. And incumbent second baseman, Jake Cronenworth, remains ahead of Kim in the depth chart.
Despite some disappointment on a personal level, Kim said, "The team comes first. I want to concentrate on every moment of the game when I am playing."
South Korean baseball fans will be hoping one of those games for Kim will come during the May 14-16 home series against the St. Louis Cardinals. If the stars align, Kim could be facing the Cardinals' Korean starter, Kim Kwang-hyun, against whom he batted 10-for-30 in the KBO.
When asked if he was looking forward to a possible all-Korean duel, Kim said with a wry smile: "I can't afford to think about a game that far down the road. I have to take it one day at a time because I don't know when I will be playing next."
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