I’m third in WAR…
It’s the era of Ha Sung Kim (San Diego Padres).바카라사이트 He’s the best player in the game, according to the Padres’ players and fans. Kim started at first base on Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers and went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk and two stolen bases.
With his 23rd and 24th stolen bases of the season, he surpassed Shin-Soo Choo’s (Cleveland Indians) 22 in 2010 to become the most stolen bases in a season by a Korean major leaguer in history. He is also on pace to become the first Korean major leaguer to reach 20-30.
While these records are important, Kim’s performance this season has been the best in the majors. In 105 games, he has 349 hits in 100 at-bats, a .287 batting average, 15 home runs, 41 RBI, 60 runs scored, 24 doubles, a .382 on-base percentage, a .458 slugging percentage, and an .840 OPS. He ranks eighth in the National League in batting average, ninth in on-base percentage, and fifth in stolen bases.
His second half performance is even more jaw-dropping. In the majors as a whole, he ranks third with a .386 batting average, fourth with a .494 slugging percentage, tied for sixth with 27 hits, tied for fourth with eight stolen bases, 14th with a .635 on-base percentage, and ninth with a 1.137 OPS.
His 5.4 WAR per Baseball-Reference ranks third in the majors. Shohei Ohtani (LA Angels, 8.7) is first and Ronald Acuna Jr. is second (5.5). His 4.0 offensive WAR ranks 10th in the majors and his 1.8 defensive WAR ranks third in the majors.
While Kim ranks between second and third in the majors in WAR, he has no say in the MVP race. CBS Sports took a look at the MVP races in both leagues today, and Ohtani and Akuna are at the top of the list. The two have been leading the MVP race all season. They are still the frontrunners.
CBS Sports said, “He’s the major league leader in stolen bases and runs scored, what more could you ask for in a leadoff man, and he’s only been walked 59 times in this high-strikeout era. Acuna should have a significant edge among those who vote.”
There’s no doubt that the 8+2 year, $124 million contracted Acuna is putting together the best season of his career. He’s also a strong MVP candidate. It’s no wonder CBS Sports has Freddie Freeman (Los Angeles Dodgers) as a possible MVP contender behind Acuna. Freeman has been one of the best players in the National League this season, thanks to his second-half surge.
However, it’s hard to understand why he’s not on the list of the next best player. CBS Sports only mentioned Matt Olson (Atlanta Braves), Luis Arajuez (Miami Marlins), Mookie Betts (Los Angeles Dodgers), and Juan Soto (San Diego Padres). That’s a shame.