Major League Baseball’s Gold Glove and Silver Slugger divisions have newly established ‘Utility Man’ since last year. It follows the recent trend of major league clubs emphasizing the multi-position of their players.
For example,스포츠토토 even if there is a player who has played 1,000 innings as a second baseman, third baseman, and shortstop, it is difficult to receive a Gold Glove or Silver Slugger in a specific position if the proportion of the three positions is even. It’s because the voting corps can’t help but consider defensive innings. In the local area, they are responding relatively favorably, saying that they can evaluate the value of utility players.
However, in the Utility Gold Glove category this year, players who played together as part of the Korean national team at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March may compete. This is because Kim Ha-seong (28, San Diego), who was the main shortstop, and Tommy Edman (28, St. Louis), who was second baseman, are emerging as strong candidates in the field.
The defense of the two players is already established. Edman, who has attracted attention since his amateur days with excellent defense and athleticism, has a history of winning the Gold Glove for second baseman in 2021, the third year of his debut. He has already been recognized as the best defensive player in the league. Since his major league debut in 2019, Edmund has never posted a negative number in win contribution versus defensive replacement (WAR).
Kim Ha-seong, who was a finalist for the Gold Glove Award in the National League shortstop category last year, is gaining a national reputation for his defense this year. This is because he is overwhelmingly leading the major leagues in DRS (an indicator that measures how much runs are prevented by defense). The local media said that based on this defensive power, Kim Ha-sung’s first all-star game was predicted.
Both players are likely to be included in the utility category rather than a specific position. Kim Ha-seong started as the team’s starting second baseman this year, but due to team circumstances, he is moving back and forth between various positions. He played third base during Manny Machado’s injury and shortstop during Xander Bogatz’s injury. The player who covers the break between the two players is also Kim Ha-seong. Edmund plays both the infield and outfield. Starting this year, he will also play a lot of defense in center field.
Ha-seong Kim played 290⅓ innings as second baseman, 136⅓ innings as third baseman, and 76⅓ innings as shortstop until the 12th. It is true that it is not common among league infielders to play three positions like this.
The same goes for Edmund, who has played every position in his career except first baseman and catcher. Edmund has pitched in 228 innings this year as a shortstop, 150⅓ as a second baseman and 136⅔ as an outfielder. He played 92⅓ innings in center field and 44⅓ innings in right field. He is an all-weather player.
Kim Ha-seong recorded +7 in OAA this year, ranking 8th overall in the major leagues. The players in the 1st to 7th places ahead of Kim Ha-seong are all sure of their positions. He is not a player who can be classified as a utility. Edmund also has a +3 OAA while struggling to move between positions, and his defensive skills are also recognized. He is a very outstanding player in the infield defense, and the speed at which he builds OAA can be accelerated if he gains experience in the center field defense. Of the two players, there is interest in whether the winner will emerge as the final Gold Glove winner.