The San Diego Padres’ Ha-Sung Kim, 28, is enjoying a successful third year in the ML with some of his best performances to date. His hitting ability has exploded, including his first grand slam, and he’s now in the MVP conversation.
In the second baseman Gold Glove race, however, it’s the opposite. Before the All-Star break, he had a commanding lead over the competition. It was at a point where fans were convinced that they had “already written ‘Kim Haas’ on the list (of winners).토토사이트“
But lately, things have been looking up. Of course, the ‘most likely candidate’ status hasn’t changed. But a new contender has emerged and is quickly closing the gap. Enter the dark horse.
According to data released last week by the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), Kim led the National League second basemen with an SDI of 8.3. The SABR Defensive Index (SDI) is a metric used to determine Gold Glove winners. It’s compiled once a month, and Kim has held onto the top spot since the start of the season. He led second-place Tyro Estrada (SF Giants) by nearly three points.
But things changed in the August tally. For one thing, the face of the competition has changed. Estrada (SDI 4.8) slipped to fifth place. Instead, new chasers have emerged. The Phillies’ Bryson Stott (6.4), Cubs’ Nico Horner (5.7), and Brewers’ Bryce Turan (5.7) moved up.
SDI change for National League second basemen from June to August, via the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR).
Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott threatening Ha-Sung Kim
Of these, Stott’s run at second is the one to watch. He’s only 1.9 SDI away from first place. It’s the closest they’ve been this year.
More importantly, it’s not looking good. For starters, Kim is flat. It was only up 0.3 from July (8.0). Previously, it was up around 2.0 per month. Starr, on the other hand, is on a scary upswing. Until June, it was in sixth place at 1.3. Then it jumped from 4.0 in July to 6.4 in August. Suddenly, he’s a threat.
He joined the Phillies with the first pick of the 2019 draft (14th overall), and shortstop is his natural position. He was upgraded this year when he moved to second base with the acquisition of Trey Turner. He set a franchise record with a hitting streak of 17 games to open the season. He is considered by Phillies fans to be the heir apparent to Chase Utley because of his agile, steady defence.
The ML Gold Glove award is based on defence. The voting panel is made up of 30 managers and coaches (up to six per team), who cannot vote for their own players. Here’s a device to prevent the tendency to follow name recognition. Since 2013, SDIs have been aggregated to increase objectivity. The winners are determined by a scoring system that takes into account 75% of the voting results and 25% of the SDI.
In addition, voters are provided with SDI data on a monthly basis. So it’s safe to say that the numbers are directly or indirectly influencing the awards. Last year, the Gold Glove for every position except pitcher in the AL and pitcher, third base, and shortstop in the NL coincided with the first place SDI. That’s 14 out of 18, a 77.8 per cent match rate.
OSEN DB
As you can see, there is no question that Kim is the favourite. However, there are concerns that a new competitor has emerged and, given the trend, will pose a different threat than before. Furthermore, his team’s performance could also influence voters’ judgement. The Phillies are in the lead for the wild card and are favoured to make the PS.
Of course, Kim’s value has risen significantly in the last two to three months. His defence, fielding, and hitting have been on point. As a result, it’s nice to see his name mentioned in the MVP category, which is much higher than the Gold Glove.
But it’s a title he can’t give up. No Asian infielder has ever won the award. For the first time ever, an all-American honour is at stake. In fact, an MVP nomination is nice to hear, but unlikely. The Gold Glove, on the other hand, is like cash. It’s real, it’s tangible, it’s a career.
Best of all, it’s a race that has been a favourite all season. You can’t afford to allow a last-minute upset. This is the stage where you need to be meticulous and finish strong.