Korean big leaguers are raising their stock prices every day. Kim Ha-seong, who had an all-time great season as a Korean beast, is trying to reap the beauty of a kind, and Ryu Hyun-jin returns from injury and shows off his strength. It is worth expecting good news at the negotiating table after the season ends.
Kim Ha-seong started as the first hitter and second baseman in the game against the St. Louis Cardinals held at St. Louis Busch Stadium on the 31st (Korean time), and scored 2 hits, 1 RBI and 1 run in 4 at-bats. His batting average for the season was 0.278.
The team dedicated a come-from-behind two-run four to Tommy Edman in the bottom of the ninth inning and cried over the defeat in two days, but Ha-seong Kim shone. He went to base with a hit by the lead batter in the first inning, and became the main character of the first run two days in a row thanks to Juan Soto’s bunt and Manny Machado’s timely hit.
In the second inning, valuable extra points were scored. In the scoring position of 2nd, 1st and 2nd base, he hit the first pitch curve of St. Louis starter Miles Mycolors and connected it with a timely hit to the left. His season OPS, which succeeded in multi-hit two days in a row following the previous day, was 0.809.
Ha-seong Kim signed a four-year, $28 million contract with San Diego when he entered the United States in 2021. That’s an average of $7 million per year. In light of his performance this season, it is a bargain by any metric, either offensive or defensive.
Unless there is a dramatic drop in performance, it is obvious that the ransom price will skyrocket in the free agent (FA) market after the end of the 2024 season. The versatility to play multiple positions, the age of just turning 30, and the durability of not being easily injured also make us look forward to a large contract.
Toronto Blue Jays Ryu Hyun-jin, who returned from injury, is also increasingly revealing his Stove League prospects. Ryu Hyun-jin, who signed a four-year, $80 million contract with Toronto in 2019, is the final year of his contract this season.안전놀이터
After returning in August, he went 3-1 with a 2.25 ERA, but the situation was completely different just a month ago. This is because he left behind expectations in both 2021 and last year after a good pitch in the 2020 season. A pessimistic prospect was raised that he would not be able to play in the big leagues next year as he even underwent elbow surgery at a fairly young age.
Such doubts turned 180 degrees in five games. In the major leagues, where his fastball average velocity exceeds 150 km/h, he succeeded in reviving his life while embodying the ‘aesthetics of slowness’. His advantage is that he can be relatively free from the aging curve due to his tendency not to depend on restraint or pitch.
If he builds momentum and finishes the season well, he can receive enough attention from the free agent market. Coincidentally, the ‘500 million dollar man’ Shohei Ohtani suffered an elbow injury, and the sale of large pitchers decreased. ‘Healthy Hyun-Jin Ryu’ is definitely an attractive option for a team that is in urgent need of reinforcing the starting lineup.