U.S. media delivers harsh assessment of Kim Ha-seong's 2026 season: "A nightmare season for the ages → Ice road accident ruined everything"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

"When describing Kim Ha-seong's 2026 season, we were running out of synonyms for the word 'nightmare.' It was a historically terrible year."

A U.S. media outlet delivered a scathing review of infielder Kim Ha-seong (31) in its opening summary of the 2026 season. The analysis noted that despite signing a one-year, $20 million (approximately 26.5 billion won) contract to join the team, he left behind his worst-ever performance report card amid unexpected injuries and severe slumps.

The Atlanta Braves-focused outlet "Battery Power" summarized Kim Ha-seong's 2026 season on the 20th (Korean time), noting, "He had raised expectations by rebounding with a .253 batting average, three home runs, and a wRC+ (weighted runs created plus; 100 is average) of 92 in his final 24 games of the 2025 season, but all plans fell through."

Ahead of the 2026 season, Kim Ha-seong waived a $16 million player option and entered the free agent market, signing a one-year, $20 million contract with Atlanta. However, he hit a snag before opening day. While preparing for the season in Korea, he suffered a fall on an icy road during winter, resulting in a ruptured tendon in his right middle finger. Diagnosed with at least four months of absence, he missed spring training and the early part of the season entirely. Although he returned in May, he failed to find any hitting rhythm, and in July, he was placed back on the injured list (IL) due to inflammation in the same finger. Consequently, concerns had arisen regarding his inability to complete spring training normally.

His statistics were also shocking. Kim Ha-seong appeared in only 51 regular-season games, recording a .116 batting average, .219 on-base percentage, .140 slugging percentage, and a wRC+ of 7. The outlet stated, "Among Major League batters with at least 140 plate appearances, he posted the lowest wRC+ and expected weighted on-base average (xwOBA)." It further pointed out that his defensive metrics (Outs Above Average) based on Statcast were also -3, indicating a collapse on both offense and defense. The report added that his slump led to team losses, citing instances such as his weak grounder against Aroldis Chapman in a one-run game with two outs and bases loaded, which was his fifth game back.

There were moments of brilliance. After returning from a rehabilitation schedule in August, he came on as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the ninth inning with runners on first and second and two outs against the LA Dodgers, hitting a walk-off hit. In September, he also recorded a tying hit and a walk-off run in the bottom of the 11th inning against the Philadelphia Phillies. However, the sample size was far too small to create a turnaround, and he managed only a wRC+ of 20 in eight plate appearances during the postseason.

The outlet expressed a skeptical view on Kim Ha-seong's market value as he regains free agent eligibility. Battery Power stated, "Manager Walt Weiss highly praised Kim Ha-seong's professional attitude, and there is no clear internal alternative, but no team will offer him $20 million again. It will also be difficult for him to secure a guaranteed amount of over $5 million (approximately 6.6 billion won)." The outlet predicted that Atlanta is also likely to shake off the failure and start fresh with a new lineup.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original