The reason domestic baseball fans were focused on the matchup between the Atlanta Braves and Minnesota Twins was singular: news of Kim Ha-seong left sitting alone on the bench. After signing a massive one-year, $20 million (approx. 28.2 billion KRW) deal and donning the Atlanta uniform, Kim failed to step up to the plate even once during the entire three-game series against Minnesota.

This silence toward him isn't just a matter of rest. Currently, Kim's season batting average is .066, a slump rarely seen in the 150-year history of Major League Baseball. It is lower than the .071 record of Ron Karkovice in 1987, which was the lowest in modern baseball history for a hitter with a qualifying number of plate appearances. With his severe struggles continuing after returning from injury, criticism from the local media is intensifying by the day.

The most painful aspect is that opportunities aren't coming his way despite the struggles of other shortstops on the team. Atlanta's other shortstop options, Jim Jarvis and Mauricio Dubón, are also in batting slumps, yet manager Walt Weiss did not use Kim even as a pinch hitter throughout the three-game series. As a proven veteran with confirmed defensive skills, his apparent classification as being completely outside the team's plans is raising concerns among fans.

The longer the silence lasts, the more a vicious cycle repeats where even the chances for a turnaround are dwindling. Whether Kim can break this cold bench atmosphere and return to the plate to showcase his characteristic energetic style remains to be seen, and the hearts of fans watching Atlanta's lineup cards for the rest of the season are growing heavy.

Related Links