Silver Slugger nomination follows Gold Glove win
Kim returns home on a high note
After completing the Major League Baseball (MLB) season, Kim Ha-seong (San Diego Padres) returns to Korea at Incheon International Airport Terminal 2 on Oct. 11.
Kim Ha-seong (28, San Diego Padres) has been nominated for the Silver Slugger Utility Award in Major League Baseball (MLB).
Major League Baseball announced the nominees for the National League and American League Silver Slugger on Wednesday (Sept. 3).
Kim joins Cody Bellinger (Chicago Cubs), Mookie Betts (Los Angeles Dodgers), and Spencer Steer (Cincinnati Reds) as National League utility nominees.
While he didn’t receive a nomination at second base behind Ozzie Albies (Atlanta Braves), Luis Arares (Miami Marlins), and Keitel Marte (Arizona Diamondbacks), he did receive a nomination in the utility category, which was created last year.
The Silver Slugger is awarded to the most offensive player at each position.
No Korean player has won the Silver Slugger yet.
Kim batted .260 with a .351 on-base percentage, .398 slugging percentage, 17 home runs, 60 RBIs, and 38 stolen bases this season.
“He had his best season of the year,” MLBcom wrote in its nomination, “getting all over the San Diego infield and hitting 17 home runs while stealing 38 bases.”
For the Gold Glove, which is awarded to the “best defender at each position,” Kim was nominated in the National League second base and utility categories.
This means he was recognized as a “big league player” in both offense and defense this season.
For the Gold Glove, Kim will compete against Nico Horner (Chicago Cubs) and Bryson Stott (Philadelphia Phillies) for second base, Betts for utility, and Korean-American Tommy Edmon (St. Louis Cardinals).
Kim’s chances of winning the Silver Slugger are slim.
Bellinger, who hit .307 with 26 home runs and 97 RBIs, and Betts, who hit .307 with 39 home runs and 107 RBIs, are ahead of him.
However, the Gold Glove award is a long shot.
Major League Baseball will reveal the Gold Glove winner on June 6 and the Silver Slugger winner on June 10. 슬롯사이트