"Most Overrated Player in MLB": Cold Eyes on Kim Ha-seong, Doubts Emerge Over Post-Injury Aftereffects

*This content was translated by AI.

"Kim Ha-seong is one of the most overrated players in Major League Baseball (MLB)."

This is an excruciatingly harsh evaluation directed at Kim Ha-seong (31, Atlanta Braves). After enduring his worst season yet, Kim Ha-seong now faces frigid assessments from local media.

On the 20th (Korean time), U.S. sports outlet Sporting News published an article titled "Why the $20 million contract Atlanta paid a Gold Glove-winning shortstop is MLB's worst deal."

Despite lingering effects from injuries, Kim Ha-seong entered free agency and signed a two-year, $29 million ($404 billion won) deal with the Tampa Bay Rays. However, he struggled further amid injury setbacks. Opting out of that contract, Kim re-entered the market, prompting Atlanta to offer him a one-year, $20 million deal as if reassessing his value.

Another injury derailed him again. While staying in Korea before spring training, Kim Ha-seong slipped on icy roads and ruptured the tendon in his right middle finger. He was called up from the minors in May but managed only a .066 batting average (5 hits in 76 at-bats) across 31 games, with no extra-base hits whatsoever.

Local media emphasize that Kim Ha-seong's slump is far from ordinary. In fact, his batting average ranks last among all MLB batters who have recorded at least 85 plate appearances in history. Since the live-ball era began, Kim Ha-seong is the only batter to post a batting average of .100 or below Jang Ta-ga (EVP).

The outlet stated, "This isn't just the worst season in baseball history; it's undoubtedly the most miserably wasteful use of $20 million in human history."

When Atlanta acquired Kim Ha-seong, they also sent infielder Jorge Mateo to the Tampa Bay Rays. The media noted, "Mateo's time with Atlanta didn't yield positive results for either side, but the situation became far more serious after Kim Ha-seong's return. That is why Bleacher Report ranked Kim's one-year, $20 million contract as one of the worst in MLB history."

Last season, while playing for Tampa Bay, Kim Ha-seong moved to Atlanta and recorded a .253 batting average and 0.684 OPS (on-base plus slugging) across 24 games before returning to free agency. Convinced by his post-trade performance, Atlanta made a bold investment in him.

However, the outlet remarked, "Whatever the Atlanta front office saw in him for 2025, he delivered no results this season. Kim Ha-seong's statistics are abysmal, and one cannot help but suspect that the tendon rupture in his finger during the off-season continues to plague him."

This could be a plausible explanation. If so, additional time may be needed for him to fully recover his physical condition. Conversely, if not, it would amount to admitting that Kim Ha-seong has been in steady decline since his injury. Either way, there is nothing pleasant for Kim Ha-seong about this situation.

Kim Ha-seong's first MLB team, the San Diego Padres, is being praised for making a wise decision.

"Priest on Base," which covers San Diego news, stated, "Kim Ha-seong's downfall reminds San Diego fans that General Manager A.J. Preller made the right call in letting him go."

During his glamorous days, Kim Ha-seong suffered a shoulder injury midway through the 2024 season, prompting GM A.J. Preller to abandon efforts to retain him—a move hailed as "a divine stroke of luck." The outlet explained, "Kim Ha-seong is enduring a nightmare of a season. And that's putting it mildly. San Diego fans must be sighing with relief."

Priest on Base noted that Kim Ha-seong managed just five hits in 31 games this season, with poor overall performance. He recorded no extra-base hits, and his strikeout rate exceeded 30%, marking the worst of his career. The outlet pointed out that his seasonal batting average never surpassed .167, consistently failing to get on base.

The media argued, "While GM Preller often disappoints San Diego fans by executing major trades and trading away promising prospects, he occasionally makes brilliant decisions. Not re-signing Kim Ha-seong is undoubtedly one of his finest choices."

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*This content was translated by AI.