Before Ha-Seong Kim became a fan favorite in San Diego, before he jumped to the United States, before he won three straight Gold Gloves in Korea, he was a 21-year-old shortstop who hoped the World Baseball Classic would be the perfect springboard for a budding career.
To this day, pulling his country's jersey over his shoulders remains one of the great honors of his life. But there's more than a tinge of disappointment as Kim recalls his first selection to the Korean National Team.
Not only were they on the wrong side of one of the greatest upsets in the history of the event, a loss to a no-named Israeli team that sent Kim and Co. spiraling toward elimination on their turf, it was the second straight first-round exit for the Koreans.
Even the family and friends closest to Kim best knew better than to razz him or really talk to discuss it at all.
"It was that serious," Kim said through interpreter Leo Bae. "It was that shocking. I was the youngest player on the team, and I think they just wanted to leave me alone."
Six years later, Kim joins La Jolla Country Day alum Tommy Edman as the only established major leaguers on the Korean National Team. This year's event figures to be a coming-out party for reigning KBO MVP Jung-hoo Lee, but, with Hyun Jin Ryu losing most of 2022 to Tommy John surgery, it is Kim who has emerged as the Korean major leaguer with the most star power.
With that notoriety comes accountability.
"Now I'm the veteran," said Kim, who will leave the Padres on Monday to train with his countrymen. "I have to play a really good bridge between the young guys and the older guys. … I feel responsible on that team."
Kim's transformation from a wide-eyed newcomer at Petco Park to a core member of last year's postseason run certainly won't hurt that cause. The infielder took on a more prominent role as the Padres wrestled first with Fernando Tatis Jr.'s fractured wrist and later his season-ending suspension. A year after hitting .202/.270/.352 as a rookie, Kim penned the second-most productive shortstop season since Ozzie Smith was worth 4.0 wins above replacement in 1980. Yes, Kim's Gold Glove-caliber defense provided much of the value in his 3.7-WAR season, second only to Tatis' 2021 effort (7.3), but the offensive strides were noticeable as his gains against high-velocity pitching helped raise his batting line to .251/.325/.383 in Year 2.
"He was an integral part of this team," Padres manager Bob Melvin said. "I'm not sure that was the case his first year. But what he did last year, we could not have gotten as far as we did without his consistency on defense. There were times he was leading off against left-handed pitching and like anybody, ups and downs of a season, there were times where he performed really well offensively for us and brought a ton of energy to our team.
"I can't say enough good things about him."
The ultimate compliment is that Kim immediately became the subject of trade chatter once Padres President of Baseball Operations A.J. Preller reeled in Xander Bogaerts. The Padres are "my family," Kim said, but his name tumbling in the rumor mill only affirms his rising trajectory.
"I take all that as complimentary," he said. "I give thanks to all the people who talk about my name, because that means … they like me and consider me a good player. So that motivates me going into the season to work harder and show (everyone) what I have."
What he has is hope that he'll continue to tap into the power he showcased in Korea, an elite glove that moves seamlessly between third, shortstop and second and all kinds of momentum after taking such a large leap in 2022. Bogaerts' arrival means Kim's primary spot will shift to second base, though he'll likely see time at all three spots again. Of course, with a glut of infield talent — especially if Tatis stays current at shortstop after returning from his suspension — Kim's sagging numbers against right-handed pitching could push him to the bench against some of the harder throwers in the league.
It's why his mindset hasn't wavered since he arrived in camp in the spring of 2021.
"At the end of the day, I have to play well to be on the field," Kim said. "I have to play well to be in the lineup. So I'm not worried about that other stuff. I'm just worried about my job. So work out, go out there and play well so Bob can use me anywhere in the field."
