“Maybe now is the time for fruitfulness. All my hard work is paying off.”

Kim Ha-seong (San Diego Padres) consistently led off the first half. He batted leadoff in the first game of the second half against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday. He went 1-for-5 with a home run, one RBI, and one strikeout.

He’s still a distance hitter with a .257 batting average, but The Athletic reports that he has a .310 average on fastballs traveling at least 95 mph (152.8 km/h) and has hit two home runs. He had a .291 OPS against fastballs of 95 mph or more in the 2022 season, with no home runs.토토사이트

In the past two years, Kim has been criticized for not being able to handle fastballs in the mid-90 mph range, which is typical of the major leagues. However, that hasn’t been the case this season. His hitting has definitely improved. There’s no reason why San Diego shouldn’t use him in the leadoff spot with his improved speed and quickness.

In preparation for this season, he lowered his bat arm in order to react to the ball faster. It was an effort to shorten his time to the plate and form up front. While his best friend Lee Jung-hoo (Kiwoom) has returned to his old form, Kim Ha-seong has continued to bang and it has paid off.

The Athletic noted that San Diego’s hitters have been getting better and better at responding to fastballs this season. It’s an encouraging change for a team that needs its bats to come alive in order to fight back. “Especially Ha-Sung Kim, who is in his third season in the majors and has shown overall improvement. In Korea, where the average pitcher throws slower than big league pitchers, he rarely practiced for the high level. Now he works on his mechanics almost every day.”

“Now is the time for it to pay off. All my hard work is paying off,” said Kim. The Athletic reported, “Kim’s emergence has made manager Bob Melvin comfortable with him as a leadoff man. San Diego hopes to see him continue to improve.”

Kim has become an integral part of San Diego’s offense. The data shows that he has made clear progress on offense, not to mention defense. He is being rated conservatively locally for his skills. Unless his offensive performance drops dramatically in the future, the 4+1 year, $39 million deal will be a success for San Diego.