He was only chasing the record of his senior Choo Shin-soo (41, SSG Landers), but he became the main character of the longest record in the major leagues (ML). This is the story of Ha-seong Kim (28, San Diego Padres).스포츠토토

On the 12th (Korean time), MLB.com, the official homepage of the Major League Baseball, noted that “Ha-seong Kim tied the record for the longest hitting streak by a major league player born in Korea, achieved by Shin-soo Choo.”

Previously, Ha-seong Kim started as the first batter and second baseman in the 2023 Major League (ML) away game against the Arizona Diamondbacks held at Chase Field in Arizona, USA, and recorded 2 hits, 1 RBI, and 1 run in 5 at-bats. Ha-sung Kim, who led San Diego to a 10-5 victory and escape from 4 consecutive losses, rose from 0.288 to 0.290, and his OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) rose from 0.835 to 0.837.

Ha-seong Kim struggled with catcher pop fly outs and grounders in his first two at-bats. However, in his third at-bat, he hit a right field line drive with a batting speed of 99 miles per hour (about 159.3 km), gradually raising his sense of hitting. In the last two at-bats, Kim Ha-seong’s strengths were fully revealed. In the top of the 6th inning, pitcher Luis Frias, who changed from 2 out 2 base, hit a four-seam fastball at 94.9 miles per hour (about 152.7 km) and scored a timely hit with 1 RBI in the left front. This year, Kim Ha-seong does not miss even a fast ball of 95 miles per hour (about 152.9 km).

In the top of the ninth inning, with San Diego leading 7-5, he hit a ball that cut through the middle left and sprinted to second base despite his helmet coming off. In the end, Fernando Tatis Jr.’s 1 RBI and timely double hit home, changing the tense atmosphere of the game.

Kim Ha-seong tied the record for consecutive hits in a Korean major league with his multi-hit in this game. The previous record was Choo Shin-soo’s 16 consecutive hits from the San Francisco Giants game on July 3, 2013, when he was in Cincinnati, to the San Francisco game on the 23rd, and Kang Jung-ho and Choi Man-man both failed.

Also, according to MLB.com, Ha-seong Kim became the first player since Tatis Jr. in 2021 to successfully record 20 long hits and 20 stolen bases in a season with a double in the 9th inning. He then introduced, saying, “He is the most dependable player in San Diego,” and “(Now that he has finished the game on the 12th), he is continuing the record for the longest hitting streak this season.”

The longest hitting streak this season is Marcus Simeon (Texas Rangers)’s 25 games from May 11th to June 7th. Since then, many hitters have tried, but most of them have been cut off in around 20 games. At present, the player with the longest hitting streak is Kim Ha-seong with 16 games.

It is also of interest to see if Ha-seong Kim will be able to soothe the disappointment of tying the Asian Major League multiple on-base record by breaking the record for hits in consecutive games. On the 9th, he went 1 hit and 3 strikeouts in 4 at-bats against the Seattle Mariners, ending up with multiple on-base runs in 16 games in a row.

Ichiro holds the streak of hits in the Asian major leagues in 2009. Ichiro recorded 27 consecutive games from May 7, 2009, against the Kansas City Royals to June 4, 2009, against the Baltimore Orioles.