# Ha-seong Kim

Ha-seong Kim (Korean: 김하성; born October 17, 1995) is a South Korean professional baseball infielder for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the San Diego Padres, and in the KBO League for the Nexen Heroes.
Kim was drafted 41st overall by the Heroes in the 2014 KBO League Draft. He made his KBO debut with the Heroes in May 2014 and won the KBO League Golden Glove Award in 2018, 2019 and 2020. In December 2020, Kim signed with the Padres and made his MLB debut in 2021. In 2023, Kim became the first Korean-born player to win a Gold Glove Award.

## Early life

Kim was born on October 17, 1995, in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, the youngest of three children.
Kim attended Yatap High School in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, and in 2013 led his high school to a runner-up finish in the National High school Baseball Tournament. In his final high school baseball season, Kim hit for a .375 batting average and recorded a .477 on base percentage along with 20 base steals.

## Professional career
### Nexen/Kiwoom Heroes (2014–2020)
#### 2014

On May 18, he came out as a substitute in Game 3 against the Lotte Giants at Sajik Baseball Stadium and doubled with his first hit and tripled with his second hit.
On June 4, he scored his first home run against pitcher Lee Tae-yang in the top of the eighth inning in Game 2 of Masan NC.
On July 3, Kang Jung-ho, who was out with back pain in Game 3 against the Lotte Giants at Mokdong Baseball Stadium, played as a pinch-runner. With the score tied at 9:9 in the top of the eighth inning and Heo Do-hwan's error made it to the third base with two outs, he advanced to catch Son's hit and throw the ball to prevent a run at an important moment. The commentators also praised him for his skillful catch.
He started as the ninth batter and shortstop in Game 2 against the KIA Tigers at Mokdong Baseball Stadium on July 5. He hit a two-run shot against Park Jun-pyo, which was a 3:3 off-balance home run and a meaningful one that met starting pitcher Van Hekken's 11th win. Kim hit two home runs during his three years in high school, and he reportedly did so in 30 games.
On July 6, he also played as the eighth shortstop in Game 3 against the KIA Tigers at Mokdong Baseball Stadium. Kim Ha-sung's family visited the stadium on this day, and he quickly caught a hit on the chest of third baseman Yoon Seok-min in the top of the eighth inning and threw it out to first base.
On Aug. 15, in Game 16 of the season against Doosan Bears at Mokdong Baseball Stadium, Seo Geon-chang played in the final defense of the ninth inning. Oh Jae-won's class ball was well cleared with a diving catch and showed his good defense to catch the final out count.
In a game against the KIA Tigers on Aug. 16, Kang started as the eighth batter and shortstop in place of Kang Jung-ho, who was designated as the designated hitter for physical fitness. He showed good performance in both offense and defense on the day, and the commentator kept mentioning the "Kim Ha-sung Project." At bat, he got on base 100 percent with one hit and three walks from four times at bat, and managed to steal base after a walk in the fourth inning, and managed to score a point leisurely despite Seo Geon-chang's outfield forward defense when he had a hit. In particular, his RBI single in the fifth inning completed his team's record of hitting all the starters for the season. He also showed good performance in defense by handling tricky balls without difficulty.
Since then, he has steadily gained experience in the first division with great expectations from the manager, and has met the backup expectations as much as Kang Jung-ho's backup shortstop. He also mentioned that Kang Jung-ho is one of the candidates to occupy the position of shortstop, which will be vacant from the 2015 season due to his entry into the Major League.

#### 2015

He played as the starting shortstop in the opening game against the Hanwha Eagles at Mokdong Baseball Stadium on Mar. 28. He seemed to work out well with his first at-bat hit, but he dropped the ball in the fourth inning due to a bunt failure and a collision with third baseman Kim Min-sung when he defended. Since then, he has been unstable on the defense side, but he has been criticized for showing unexpectedly good performance in his second year of high school. In particular, Kim Ha-sung, who consistently hits in the Nexen Heroes' lineup at the beginning of the season, stood out.
On Apr. 5, in Game 3 against the SK Wyverns at Mokdong Baseball Stadium, he hit a home run and began to catch up with the game, which was dragged 8:0. The game eventually lost 13:7, but he showed growth by batting .318 with a .400 on-base percentage, 0.545 with a slugging percentage, 0.945, and 7 hits in 22 at-bats with one homer, two RBIs, two runs and one stolen base.
After a 2–1 trade between the Nexen Heroes and the Hanwha Eagles, on Apr. 13, he changed his jersey number from 0 to 7, the number he used in high school. Since then, he has been praised for his rapid growth and stable defense.
On April 15, in the first game against the SK Wyverns at Munhak Baseball Stadium, he showed a good defense reminiscent of Kang Jung-ho.
On April 19, in Game 3 against the KIA Tigers at Gwangju Baseball Stadium, he played four hits, including a back-to-back home run against Yoon Suk-min.
When he showed good performance in offense and defense, especially in long balls, he was nicknamed "Peace Prince."
As of Apr. 30, he showed a tremendous record of batting average, slugging percentage, home run, RBI, and OPS among the main shortstop in the 10th team. The shortstop ops was 1.002, and he also ranked sixth in slugging percentage and fourth in war.
On May 1, he recorded one hit and one stolen base from four times at bat in Game 1 against the LG Twins at Jamsil Baseball Stadium. Against Henry Sosa, he also drew admiration from his fans by showing a unique bat control reminiscent of Kang Jung-ho, who has become a major leaguer.
In Game 3 against the Hanwha Eagles at Mokdong Baseball Stadium on June 4, he went 3 for 5 at-bats for the first time in a long time, with one RBI, two runs scored, and two walks, contributing to his team's victory. He was even interviewed by a trainer after the game.
On June 6, he hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning in Game 2 against the Doosan Bears at Mokdong Baseball Stadium. It was even more dramatic because he started with a 0:8 deficit and Kim Min-sung's two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning tied the score at 8:8. The extended game's 10th solo homer, also referred to it as Kim's first walk-off homer of his career. Individually, he showed his recovery from the slump by shooting home runs for the second straight day, and the team managed to trade places by beating Doosan, which had been in third place, to fourth place without a hitch. Kim Ha-sung was also still 19 years old, resulting in his sixth all-time teenage double-digit home run.
He has shown great performance this season and has been honored to participate in the KBO All-Star Game for the first time since his debut. It was also elected through fan and team votes.
On July 8, in Game 2 against the KIA Tigers at Mokdong Baseball Stadium, after walking in the bottom of the 12th inning, he entered the home after the ball fell due to a collision between first baseman Choi Yong-kyu and batter Ko Jong-wook, and scored a walk-off score.
On September 4, against the Hanwha Eagles, he showed a tremendous defense in charge of all three outcounts in a 6:5 victory at the bottom of the ninth inning. In particular, the last outcount was the highlight, and the laser throw that caught the runner on first base, Song Joo-ho, at home, was a defense that kept the victory.The 2015 season showed incredible performances in the KBO League, where it is increasingly difficult to find high school graduate monster rookies, even though they did not achieve 20–20, but they are now just 20 years old in their second year as professionals.
It is overwhelming compared to Kang Jung-ho's second year as a professional shortstop, and the defense, which was worried about 16 errors in the first half alone, showed a sharp decrease in the number of errors in the second half, showing a clear improvement. Even though he played in 140 of 144 games, he performed well and washed them clean.
In many ways, it was a season that filled Kang Jung-ho's vacancy, the best shortstop of all time, better than expected, and made expectations for more brilliant performances in the future.

#### 2016

On June 5, he went 2 for 4 (one homer) with two RBIs and two runs scored against the KIA Tigers, the final two-run shot in the eighth inning when the home run was losing 3–2. By already hitting 11 homers and 10 steals, his chances of reaching 20–20, which he did not achieve last year, are extremely high.
In the final game of the weekend against KT, he hit his 12th home run that sealed the victory.
On June 18, against the Hanwha Eagles, he fired a two-run shot that broke the tight balance of one-on-one against Yoon Kyu-jin.
In the match against Hanwha on June 19, he started his first at-bat poorly with a double play, but then hit two consecutive hits, and in the fourth at-bat, he hit a running solo shot against Lee Dong-gul.
There were no home runs throughout July, but on August 4, he finally succeeded in hitting his 15th solo home run of the season against the Lotte Giants at Sajik Baseball Stadium.
On Sept. 4, he had one hit in every four games in September before Hanwha.
On Sep. 19, against the Lotte Giants, he contributed to Nexen's victory by hitting a superb defense in the bottom of the fifth inning by catching all three out-counts by himself and his 19th homerun, which went from 5:0 to 8:0. In the final at-bat, he completed a six-run game with an error hit to the second baseman. With only one home run left until 20–20.
On Sept. 20, he also accumulated a home run against Kim Jin-woo against the KIA Tigers, and became the third shortstop in the KBO to join the 20–20 club. In particular, Kim Ha-sung's 20–20 joined the club at the second youngest age.
It is a season in which he succeeded in joining the 20–20 club by coming up to the third batting order after overcoming a short hitting slump in the early stages.

#### 2017

On April 11, he hit his first home run of the season against Sowon against the KT Wiz.
On Apr. 18, he went 3 for 4 against the SK Wyverns, with one home run, two RBIs and one run scored. In his first three-hit game of the season, he picked up his second two-run shot of the season against Kelly.
On April 23, he went 2-for-5 with one homer, two RBIs and two runs scored against the Lotte Giants.
On May 18, he hit a grand slam against Lee Tae-yang in the first inning against the Hanwha Eagles. It is Kim Ha-sung's fifth grand slam of the season and his first.
On June 9, he performed very well against the Kia Tigers. His performance was three hits, two homers, four RBIs and two runs from five times at bat, and he hit his seventh three-run of the season against shaky Yang in the top of the first inning, and he also hit his eighth solo shot of the season against Yang in the top of the fifth inning. With Kim Ha-sung's performance, this season's first multi-homer game, his team won 7–5.
On July 4, he hit a solo home run on the left side against the Hanwha Eagles.
On July 29, he went 4 for 5 against the Samsung Lions, one home run, five RBIs and three runs.
On Aug. 8, against the Kia Tigers, Lim pulled out a two-run left-handed hit from the first inning, making it the final hit. He now has only one left on his 20th homer for the second consecutive year.
On Aug. 11, he succeeded in achieving 20 home runs for the second consecutive year with three hits and one home run in four at-bats against the Doosan Bears.
On August 30, he went 2-for-3 with three RBIs against the SK Lions, becoming the third all-time single-season 100-run shortstop and second in shortstop single-season RBIs.
He has achieved a personal career high season with the second-best RBI in shortstop history, the most career hits, the most RBIs, and the batting average of 300. He has played a role well as the fourth batter, and his value as a young and viable shortstop was said to be inexorable.

#### 2018

On April 4, he recorded three hits and two runs in four at-bats against KT, showing a batting performance that erased his sluggish performance.
On May 5, he recorded a solo shot for Children's Day, tying for the most home runs in his team with six. He also played a role in filling the vacancy of Park Byung-ho and Seo Geon-chang.
On July 2, he was not named the Best All-Star, as the final voting result for the 2018 KBO All-Star Game ranked third in the shortstop category. However, he played on the coach's recommendation list, and on the day of the All-Star Game on July 14, he played as a pinch hitter in the top of the third inning of the main game, hitting a solo home run, and then three-run home run in the eighth inning, recording four RBIs, including a multi-homer game. He eventually beat Jarrod Hoying by just one vote to be named the "Mr. All-Star."
He started as the ninth shortstop in the Asian Games qualifying match against Taiwan, but he remained hitless. However, he came out as the second batter and played a consistent role, including a one-run home run against Japan, making up for his sluggish performance, winning a gold medal, and earning a special military service exemption.
On Sept. 21, with his team losing 3–0 against the Samsung Lions, he hit Baek's first pitch in the bottom of the fourth inning and hit a tying three-run home run over the central fence. And Kim Ha-sung hit 20 home runs for the third consecutive year on the day. He went 2 for 4 with three RBIs and one home run.
On Oct. 16, he went 3 for 5 with two doubles, an RBI, and a run scored in the first wild-card game against the KIA Tigers. Good defense was also seen during the game, resulting in the team's 6:10 win to advance to the semi-playoffs.
In the first half of 2018, Kim Ha-sung won a special military service for winning the Asian Games gold medal thanks to his good performance, and was also selected as Mr. All-Star in the All-Star Game and won the much-awaited "Golden Glove."
He said he was disappointed that he won the Golden Glove for a performance that was not satisfactory to him due to a bad performance in the second half. However, he evaluated 20 home runs for three consecutive years, and the number of errors decreased compared to last year, positively, and was evaluated as a player with potential for development.

#### 2019

As of April 29, he has hit only two home runs, but he has been active in the central lineup, drawing RBIs almost every game.
On May 19, he was the third designated hitter against the Lotte Giants at Gocheok Sky Dome, and he recorded two hits, two runs, one homer and four RBIs in four at-bats with a home run behind left field in the second inning and a single in front of left field in the fourth inning.
On June 6, he came out as the third third baseman in Game 9 of the SK Wyverns, leading his team to victory with a home run behind left field in the first inning, a first-pitch left-center double between runners first and second in the third inning, a hit in front of center field in the seventh inning, and a double in the eighth inning.
On June 27, against the KIA Tigers, he came out as the second shortstop and recorded two hits, one homer, three RBIs, and one steal in five at-bats with a double to left field in the first inning, and a home run behind left field with two outs and runners on the first and third bases in the seventh inning.
On September 11, in Game 15 of the SK Wyverns at Munhak Baseball Stadium, he hit a two-run timely hit against Kim Kwang-hyun to achieve his first 100 RBIs and 100 runs of the season.
In the semi-playoff, he went 2-for-5 with two RBIs in Game 4, leading his team to the playoffs.
In the first round of the playoffs, he received the Daily MVP award for an RBI double leading 1–0 in the 11th inning of extra time.
He went 0-for-4 with one walk in Game 3 of the playoffs. He made his second Korean Series appearance since his debut, winning 10:1.
Although most hitters had a much lower season than last year due to official balls, Kim Ha-sung showed tremendous productivity, with all records except home runs rising significantly. Thanks to this, he finished the 2019 season with first place in the fielder's WAR and second place in the WPA. In particular, the 7.22 WAR recorded this season was not only a personal career high, but also ranked seventh in the history of shortstops in a single season.

#### 2020

He hit his first homer of the season against Hong in the opening game against Gwangju KIA on May 5. He became the first batter in his team to hit a homerun last year and this year.
On May 20, he hit a solo home run against Park Jong-hoon in the first inning in Game 2 of the season against the SK Wyverns.
On May 23, he hit a solo home run against Choi Young-hwan in the third inning in the second game of the season against the Sajik Baseball Stadium Lotte Giants.
On May 31, he hit a three-run home run against Bae Je-sung at a time when his team was trailing 9:4 against KT in Gocheok.
He is rebounding again by shooting a three-run home run against Lim Chan-kyu in the Gocheok LG match on the 5th.
On June 12, he made his first blood home run of the season against Koo Chang-mo, drawing a 125-meter-long arch against Koo Chang-mo against the NC Dinos.
On June 13, he hit a two-run home run against Lee Jae-hak against the NC Dinos, hitting his second consecutive home run.
On June 30, he went 5 for 5 against the Doosan Bears and became the top contributor to his team's victory.
After the game, he posted an OPS of 0.919, 16 homers, 55 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases, approaching career high in almost all statistics.
On Sept. 4, he stole for the 19th time against the Hanwha Eagles.
On Sept. 8, he went 4 for 6 against the SK Wyverns, showing good performance. He then hit his 24th homer of the season, setting a career-high for a single season.
On Sep. 14, he finally hit his 30th home run against the KT Wiz. Just six years after Kang in 2014, another shortstop with 30 home runs was born in the Heroes. In addition, he became the second shortstop in KBO history to reach 30-100-100.
For the second consecutive year, following 2019, he has recorded over 140 wRC+, solidifying his status as the best right-handed hitter in the league. He became the second shortstop to have 30 home runs-100 RBIs-100 points since Kang Jung-ho. It is the first KBO record for a shortstop to join the 20–20 club at the same time. Therefore, due to the KBO league's initial record-crazy nature, he produced a formidable performance to even become an MVP of the season.
Kim won the KBO League Golden Glove Award in three consecutive years, from 2018 to 2020.
After the 2020 season, on November 25, 2020, the Heroes announced it was allowing Kim to enter the posting system to play in Major League Baseball (MLB).

### San Diego Padres (2021–2024)

On December 31, 2020, Kim signed with the San Diego Padres of MLB for a four-year, $28 million deal, including a mutual option for the 2025 season. Kim made his major-league debut on April 1, 2021. He pinch hit for Emilio Pagán, and struck out against Alex Young of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Kim hit his first MLB home run in a 7–4 victory over the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas on April 10, 2021. On June 19, after the Padres lost Fernando Tatis Jr. due to injury, Kim hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to lead the Padres to a 7–5 victory against the Cincinnati Reds. Kim saw increased playing time at shortstop for the Padres after Tatis was placed on the injured list in late July 2021. On August 1, Kim hit a home run and drove in an MLB-career high three runs in his first game filling in for Tatis at shortstop. Kim finished the 2021 season batting .202 with eight home runs, 34 RBIs, and six stolen bases in 117 games.
On August 26, 2022, Kim had a career-high five RBI in a game against the Kansas City Royals. Kim finished the 2022 season with a .251 batting average, 11 home runs, 59 RBI, 12 stolen bases, and a .708 OPS in 150 games played. He mostly played as a shortstop in the season, filling in for Tatis after he was suspended for performance-enhancing drugs.
On April 3, 2023, Kim hit his first MLB walk-off home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks following a solo home run by pinch hitter David Dahl. On July 24, Kim had his first MLB multi-home-run game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. On August 21, Kim hit his first major league grand slam against Miami Marlins pitcher Ryan Weathers. In 152 appearances for the Padres, he slashed .260/.351/.398 with 17 home runs, 60 RBI, and 38 stolen bases. After the 2023 season, Kim received the National League Gold Glove Award for utility players, becoming the first Korean player to win a Gold Glove.
On August 30, 2024, Kim won a lawsuit against ex-baseball player Lim Hye–dong for breach of contract. The Seoul Central District Court ordered Lim to pay ₩800 million ($594,000 USD) to Kim. In 121 games for San Diego in 2024, he batted .233/.330/.370 with 11 home runs, 47 RBI, and 22 stolen bases. Due to shoulder surgery, Kim missed the Padres' 2024 postseason run. On October 3, 2024, Kim hired Scott Boras to represent him in free agency. Kim declined his portion of a mutual option on November 4, and became a free agent.

### Tampa Bay Rays (2025–present)

On February 3, 2025, Kim signed a two-year, $29 million contract with the Tampa Bay Rays.

## International career

Kim represented the South Korea national baseball team at the 2013 18U Baseball World Cup, 2017 World Baseball Classic,2017 Asia Professional Baseball Championship, 2018 Asian Games and 2019 WBSC Premier12.
In 2013 18U Baseball World Cup, Kim batted .433, going 13-for-30, driving in three RBIs and scoring 9 runs. South Korea finished 5th in the tournament.
In 2019 WBSC Premier12, Kim was named the best shortstop.