Kim Ha-sung (김하성, San Diego Padres) has been getting a lot of praise for his big league debut, which saw him hit his first grand slam.
In particular, Kim’s team, the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB), showed their excitement by posting four posts in a row on their official social media accounts.
On the 22nd (KST), the San Diego team posted the words “Our Korean king” on its official X (formerly Twitter) account, along with a video of Kim’s game.
The team then posted a video of Kim’s grand slam, jokingly calling it “Ha-Slam Kim,” a combination of Kim’s name and a grand slam.
That’s not all. “We’re going to say what everyone is thinking,” the club said, “Kim Ha-sung is awesome,” after showing a video of him taking a photo with his teammates after hitting a home run.
“The S in HSK (Kim Ha Sung’s English acronym) stands for slam (grand slam),” they wrote in both Korean and English.
U.S. media outlets also focused on Kim.
In an article titled “Kim Ha-Sung a key part of San Diego’s rise with grand slam,” MLB.com wrote, “Kim came up big in a must-win game for the Dodgers to advance to the postseason.”
The article continued, “Kim’s value cannot be understated.
“Kim’s value cannot be overstated,” the article continued, “It gives me chills to think of San Diego without him.”
“He’s batting .280 with a .370 on-base percentage and .449 slugging percentage, and he’s playing great defense at all three outfield spots,” the publication said.
“His Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is the highest on the team and he’s one of five candidates for National League Most Valuable Player (MVP).”
The San Diego Union-Tribune, a local newspaper, called Kim “continuing his breakout season” in an article titled “Kim hits walk-off homer to drive in win.”
“He’s the first San Diego player to hit a home run, a double and a stolen base in the same game,” the paper’s Jeff Sanders wrote on social media.
“I don’t think he quite realizes how valuable he is to this team,” he added, a blunt description of Kim’s status as a franchise player.
“He’s having an unbelievable season,” said San Diego Radio Network broadcaster Sammy Levitt, “and he just keeps getting better and better.”
Kim hit a solo home run to left field with two outs in the bottom of the first inning of a 1-0 home game against the Miami Marlins at Petco Park in San Diego, California, USA.
It was the first time Kim hit a grand slam in his MLB debut.
He went 2-for-4 with a home run, four RBIs, two runs scored and one stolen base as San Diego won 6-2. 파워볼