Dennis Lin, a reporter specializing in statistics at The Athletic, predicted in January that “San Diego will be able to see the results of the extension contract if it guarantees Kim Ha-sung $130 million to $150 million for seven years, including this year.” That’s how Kim Ha-sung, who was rumored to be trading at the time, evaluated the conditions he could catch before becoming an FA, or market value.
This is because Kim Ha-sung hit a career high in offense and defense in the previous season. Reporter Lin’s estimation of the ransom was based on the fact that he has grown into an infielder representing the Major League three years after entering the Major League.
Kim Ha-sung marked a batting average of 0.260, 17 homers, 60 RBIs, 84 runs, 38 steals, and 0.749, marking the highest in his life in each category. On top of that, he won the NL Utility Gold Glove in recognition of his top-notch defensive skills by taking over the third baseman and shortstop based on the second baseman, further increasing his value.
Around the same time, CBS Sports ranked Kim Ha-sung sixth overall in the “Early 2025 MLB FA Rankings.” CBS Sports said, “Kim Ha-sung has recorded around WAR 5 for two consecutive years, showing far more defense than average, hits, walks and stolen bases,” adding, “We will have an interesting season again this year. If you perform at a high level again, you will give up your mutual options and become an FA, so General Manager AJ Prelor should offer an extension contract and hold on.”
Local media outlet Bleacher Report (BR) put Kim Ha-sung in ninth place in an article titled “Preliminary MLB Top Class FA Contract Prospect” on the 14th, suggesting the expected contract size at $68 million for four years. Not only the contract period but also the average annual salary (AAV) is $17 million, which is lower than reporter Lin’s offseason forecast.
On top of that, another media outlet, MLBTR, also ranked Kim Ha-sung eighth in an article titled “2024-2025 MLB FA Power Ranking: June Edition” on the 28th. 슬롯사이트 순위
MLBTR said, “Kim Ha-sung’s offense is not that interesting, but he is a good hitter because he judges the strike zone well and has complete contact technology. He also gets as many walks as he strikes out,” but added, “The batting average of the in-play hit was disappointing at 0.236, which lowered the overall offense. He has poor assets in that regard, and the sabermetrics of in-play hits are not so impressive.”
“The hard hit rate this season is 35.5%, but it is still about 2% below the league average. I think I will hit more home runs than last year, but it is by no means a threat in terms of power,” he said.
“Kim Ha-sung broke away from the shabbyness of his debut season and hit a WAR 4 or higher for two consecutive seasons. This year is a similar pace. It is not likely to be any better than now, but the combination of contact ability and defense and base learning deserves to be seen as a key player above average,” he said. “As he enters the 29-year-old season, he will be able to win a five-year contract in the FA market.”
Kim Ha-sung’s relatively low evaluation seems to have also affected the prominence of Milwaukee Brewers Willie Adames, the same reserve FA shortstop.
MLBTR put Adames in third place and wrote, “He has the leadership and intangible assets that the club wants from shortstop. Trevor Story, Javier Baez, and Dansby Swanson signed FA contracts for 6-7 years, $140 million to $177 million, which shows how clubs rate shortstop with sufficient batting power and above-average defense.” Adames also means that a contract of about $150 million is possible for 6-7 years.
Adames was ranked 12th in the CBS Sports preliminary FA rankings in January. Considering that Kim Ha-sung was ranked 6th at the time, it can be said that the tide has turned significantly during the first half of this season. According to the MLBTR rankings, Juan Soto, the No. 1 New York Yankees, No. 2 Baltimore Orioles Corbin Burns, No. 3 Adames, No. 4 Houston Astros Alex Bregman, No. 5 Atlanta Braves Max Fried, No. 6 Detroit Tigers Jack Fleherty, No. 7 New York Mets Pete Alonso, No. 8 Kim Ha-sung, No. 9 Boston Red Sox Nick Pivetta, No. 10 Mets Luis Severino.
Last offseason, Adames was below the FA ranking than Kim Ha-sung, but now he has risen to the top-class level. As of today, he has a batting average of 0.238, 13 homers, 54 RBIs, 43 points, and an OPS of 0.755. Adames was born in September 1995 and is about the same age as Kim Ha-sung (October 1995), but he is one level above the overall valuation.