San Diego Padres’ Ha-Sung Kim will not be honored as a Silver Slugger.
MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, announced the winners of the Silver Slugger Award on Tuesday. Kim was nominated for the National League utility award, but lost out to the Chicago Cubs’ Cody Bellinger.
The Silver Slugger is awarded to the league’s best hitter based on offensive metrics such as batting average, home runs, and RBIs. It is voted on by the managers and coaches of each team to recognize the best hitter at a defensive position.
Kim played in 152 games this season, batting .260 (140-for-538) with a .351 on-base percentage, .398 slugging percentage, 17 home runs, 60 RBI, 84 runs scored and 38 stolen bases. Had a career-high season. Taking over the leadoff spot for San Diego during the season, Ha Sung Kim was hot at the plate, ranking first in stolen bases, second in slugging percentage, and third in batting average. For his performance, Kim was named a finalist for the Silver Slugger Utility Award.
There was stiff competition in the utility category. He was up against big-name star players like Mookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cody Bellinger of the Chicago Cubs, and Spencer Steer of the Cincinnati Reds. On paper, Kim’s chances of winning the award were slim.
Betts’ stat sheet was particularly impressive. In 152 games, Betts batted .307 (179-for-584) with a .408 on-base percentage, .579 slugging percentage, 39 home runs, 107 RBI, 126 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases. Betts, who played primarily in right field, also saw time at shortstop and second base, making him a Silver Slugger candidate in the utility category.
Bellinger’s resurgence with the Cubs has been nothing short of spectacular. After a stellar 2019 MVP campaign with the Dodgers, Bellinger was placed on waivers last winter. Bellinger eventually signed a one-year, $17.5 million deal with the Cubs. In 130 games, he batted .307 (153-for-499) with a .356 on-base percentage, .525 slugging percentage, 26 home runs, 97 RBI, 95 runs scored, and 20 stolen bases, earning him a nomination for the utility award. 토토사이트
Steer, in his second season in the majors, also had a breakout year. In 156 games, he batted .271 (158-for-582) with a .356 on-base percentage, .464 slugging percentage, 23 home runs, 86 RBI, 74 runs scored and 15 stolen bases.
Bellinger took home the Silver Slugger in the National League’s utility category in a tightly contested race. Previously, Gold Glove winner Ha-Sung Kim had a shot at becoming the first Korean to win the Silver Slugger, but he fell short. Ichiro Suzuki is the only other major leaguer from Asia to win a Silver Slugger.
Meanwhile, the National League Silver Slugger winners were Yandy Diaz (Tampa Bay Rays) at first base, Luis Arajuez (Miami Marlins) at second base, shortstop Francisco Lindor (New York Mets), third baseman Rafael Devers (Boston Red Sox), and outfielders Ronald Acuña Jr, Mookie Betts (Los Angeles Dodgers), and Juan Soto (San Diego Padres), while designated hitter Bryce Harper (Philadelphia Phillies), catcher Adley Rutherford (Baltimore Orioles), and utility Cody Bellinger (Chicago Cubs) were honored.
In the American League, first baseman Matt Olson (Atlanta Braves), second baseman Marcus Semien (Texas Rangers), shortstop Corey Seager (Texas Rangers), third baseman Austin Riley (Atlanta Braves), and outfielder Kyle Tucker (Houston Astros) were recognized, Julio Rodriguez (Seattle Mariners), and Luis Robert Jr. (Chicago White Sox), while designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Angels), catcher William Contreras (Milwaukee Brewers), and utility Gunnar Henderson (Baltimore Orioles) took home Silver Slugger honors.