San Diego Padres Kim Ha-seong won the National League Utility Category Gold Glove Award. Second base was taken by Nico Horner of the Chicago Cubs.
MLB.com, the official Major League Baseball website, announced the final list of 2023 Gold Glove winners on the 6th (Korean time). What attracted the most attention was whether Ha-Seong Kim won the award. Ha-seong Kim, who was selected as a finalist in the second baseman and utility player categories, won the golden glove in the utility category.
The Gold Glove is an award given to the best defenders at each position in the major leagues and was established in 1957. One manager and six coaches from each team will vote for the award, and the winner will be determined based on fielding statistical data (SDI) developed by the American Baseball Research Association. 75% of coaching staff votes and 25% of SDI are reflected.
Kim Ha-seong has clearly established himself as San Diego's starting second baseman this year. Last year, he played as a shortstop and boasted a solid defense that made him one of the three finalists for the Gold Glove. However, Ha-seong Kim had to change his position because San Diego, which is aiming to win the World Series, recruited free agent shortstop Xander Bogaerts to reinforce its players.
Even before the 2023 season began, there was belief that Ha-seong Kim would succeed as a second baseman. MLB.com also predicted last winter, "Kim Ha-seong has proven to be a shortstop with elite defensive ability in 2022. Even if he moves to second base because of Bogaerts, he will show off solid defense."
Kim Ha-seong, who had always played as a shortstop since his school days, also worked hard to transform into a second baseman. He focused more on defensive training than usual. He had to prove his competitiveness to survive in San Diego, which boasts a thick player base. He was in a position where he needed to be given playing time rather than his position, so he worked hard.
Since spring training, Ha-seong Kim has shown signs of success as a second baseman. The successive lake rains attracted attention. He showed off his presence right from his exhibition games. Local media also continued to give favorable reviews day after day, saying, “Ha-seong Kim moved to second base, but he is the best central infielder.”
Even after the Major League season opened, Kim Ha-seong’s performance continued. Even in his unfamiliar position, Ha-Seong Kim boasted perfect defensive skills. Even before the 2023 season reached its turning point, Ha-seong Kim was mentioned as a strong candidate for the Gold Glove Award. Ha-seong Kim also became greedy. Ha-seong Kim said, "In the past, I never thought about winning the Gold Glove. But as I entered my third season, I started to think that I could win the award. If I do my job, I will be rewarded." I aimed.
Kim Ha-sung's lake rain dazzled even American baseball fans. 오피뷰 San Diego fans were enthusiastic about his unsparing play. Every time Ha-seong Kim steps up to bat, he chants ‘Ha-seong Kim.’ Ha-seong Kim also said about his changed status, "Now the fans like me a lot. They chant my name louder than other players. That's why I think I run around the stadium harder. I am a player who does his best in every game and makes a lot of hustle plays. “It has left an imprint on my fans. They seem to like that side of me,” he said.
Ha-Seong Kim's performance continued in other positions as well. Ha-seong Kim played 856⅔ innings as a second baseman. Not only that, he also played 253⅓ innings as a third baseman and 153⅓ innings as a shortstop. Former San Diego coach Bob Melvin believed in Kim Ha-seong's defensive ability and entrusted him with various areas of the infield. Thanks to Ha-seong Kim's constant running, his teammates, including Bogaerts and Manny here Machado, were able to rest.
Kim Ha-seong, who showed off his top-class defensive ability in the major leagues, was once again named to the list of final candidates for the Gold Glove Award. He was selected as one of the three finalists for the second baseman category along with Nico Horner of the Chicago Cubs and Bryson Stutt of the Philadelphia Phillies. All of them moved to second base this year. MLB.com introduced, “The National League Gold Glove Second Baseman candidates are comprised of players who moved to second base and had a successful season.”
In the utility category, Ha-Seong Kim competed with Tommy Edman of the St. Louis Cardinals and Mookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Edman, who participated as a member of the Korean national team at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) held last March, was named in the utility category by playing shortstop, second base, and center fielder for his team, St. Louis. Betts also showed stable defense regardless of whether he played in or out of the field, including right fielder, second baseman, and shortstop.
He became the first Korean major leaguer to win a Gold Glove. He was the first Asian major league infielder to win the Golden Glove, but was unable to achieve his goal. Previously, Ichiro Suzuki, who played for the Seattle Mariners, won the American League Outfielder Gold Glove Award 10 times from 2001 to 2010.
Ha-seong Kim, who won his first Gold Glove, is aiming for the Silver Slugger on the 10th. The Silver Slugger is an award given to the best hitter, and the winner is determined based on offensive indicators. In 152 games during this year's regular season, Ha-seong Kim played with 17 home runs, 60 RBIs, 84 runs, a batting average of 0.260 (140 hits in 538 at-bats), an on-base percentage of 0.351, a slugging percentage of 0.398, and an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 0.749.
Based on these performances, Ha-seong Kim was selected as a candidate in the utility category. He competes with Betts of the Dodgers, Cody Bellinger of the Chicago Cubs, and Spencer Stier of the Cincinnati Reds. Since he has to compete with top players in the major leagues such as Betts and Bellinger, his chances of winning the award are low, but it is worth holding out hope until the end.
Meanwhile, the American League Gold Glove for first baseman is Nathaniel Rowe (Texas Rangers), second baseman is Andre Jimenez (Cleveland Guardians), shortstop is Anthony Wolf (New York Yankees), third baseman is Matt Chapman (Toronto Blue Jays), and catcher is Jonah. Haim (Texas), pitcher Jose Berrios (Toronto), left fielder Stephen Kwan (Cleveland), center fielder Kevin Kiermaier (Toronto), right fielder Adolis Garcia (Texas), and utility player Maricio Dubon (Houston) were selected. .
National League: 1st baseman Christian Walker (Arizona Diamondbacks), 2nd baseman Nico Horner (Chicago Cubs), shortstop Dansby Swanson (Cubs), 3rd baseman Key Brian Hayes (Pittsburgh Pirates), catcher Gabriel Moreno (Arizona Diamondbacks), pitcher Jack Wheeler (Philadelphia Phillies), left fielder Ian Happ (Cubs), center fielder Brenton Doyle (Colorado Rockies), right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (San Diego Padres), and utility Ha-seong Kim (San Diego Padres) held the golden gloves.