Reporter Kim Joo-hee = Korean major league baseball players are promising a hotter second half than the first. After a short break during the All-Star break, they’re back in action in the second half.
The Korean major leaguer who had the hottest first half of the 2023 season was Kim Ha-seong (San Diego Padres).
After filling in for Fernando Tatis Jr. at shortstop last year, Kim lost the position to free agent Xander Bogaerts ahead of the season. This raised some concerns about Kim’s position, but they proved to be unfounded.
He was quickly recognized for his steady defense and was given the responsibility of playing second base among a stellar infield.
He also made his presence felt offensively. In 85 games, Kim batted .258 with 10 home runs, 31 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases. His Wins Above Replacement (WAR) was 4.1 per Baseball-Reference, good for fifth in the majors.
Previously, Kim’s best major league numbers came last year, when he batted .251 with 11 home runs, 59 RBIs, and 12 doubles in 150 games.
This year, he’s one home run shy of his single-season high, and he’s already on pace for a career-high in stolen bases.
Considering San Diego played 90 games in the first half of the season with 72 games left in the second half, it’s safe to say that Kim has his best season booked. He could become the second Korean hitter after Choo Shin-soo (SSG Rangers) to reach 20 home runs and 20 doubles.
After shaking off a left Achilles injury late in the first half to return to the big leagues, Choi Ji-Man (Pittsburgh Pirates) is set to hit the ground running in the second half.
After being sidelined in April, Choi returned to the major leagues on April 8. He was silent in his 85-day comeback, but showed his health with a single against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sept. 9 and two hits, including a home run, the next day against Arizona on Sept. 10.
The second-half rebound is much needed, if only to make up for a disappointing first half that saw him finish with a .159 batting average, three home runs and four RBIs in 12 games.
Ryu Hyun-jin, the “Korean Monster” of the Toronto Blue Jays, is in the final stages of a year-long rehabilitation.
After having his season cut short last June after undergoing elbow ligament reconstruction surgery, Hyun-jin Ryu has recently returned to full health and has been making rehab appearances.
He threw three innings of four-hit ball with five strikeouts and one run in a minor league rookie league start on May 5, and on May 8, he threw four innings of three-hit ball with one strikeout and no runs in Single-A.카지노
We’re getting closer to seeing Ryu on a major league mound, as he previously targeted a return after the All-Star break.
Ryu is expected to pitch a few more minor league games to get his body in shape and improve his conditioning before returning to the majors.
Bae Ji-hwan (Pittsburgh), who opened the year in the big leagues for the first time, finished the first half of the year batting .238 with two home runs, 19 RBI, 37 runs scored and 20 stolen bases in 76 games. He was first on the team in stolen bases and fifth in runs scored.
He ended the first half on the disabled list with a left ankle injury three days ago, but he’s looking to bounce back in the second half.
Meanwhile, Major League Baseball, which is in the midst of the All-Star break, will take the next 14 days off before resuming play on the 15th.