San Diego infielder Ha-Sung Kim almost lost a valuable at-bat. A hard hit to third base was initially recorded as an error, potentially costing him a run and an RBI, but was later corrected to a double during the game. His on-base percentage was affected.
Kim started at shortstop in the eighth spot in the batting order against the Chicago Cubs in the 2023 Major League Baseball game at Petco Park in San Diego, California, on June 6. He went 2-for-3 with a home run, a walk, and an RBI, while also playing solid defense to help his team to a 5-0 victory. His RBI came in his first at-bat in the second inning. He hit a double to plate Matt Carpenter.
However, the official scorekeeper originally recorded the hit as an error by the third baseman. Third baseman Patrick Wisdom stuck his glove out and it slipped under him. The scorer thought it was a catchable ball, but it was too fast for a simple error. According to BaseballSabermetrics, Kim’s pitch traveled at 168.1 kilometers per hour (104.5 miles per hour).
It was the third-fastest hit of the game. Fernando Tatis Jr.’s seventh-inning grounder reached 106.2 miles per hour (170.9 km/h) and Matt 스포츠토토 Carpenter’s eighth-inning fly ball to the walking track reached 105.7 miles per hour (170.1 km/h). Among the hits, Kim’s was the fastest. Given the velocity of his bat, it appears that the error was corrected to a hit.
Kim’s last hit came on May 31 against Miami. After going hitless in the next five games, he got his 19th RBI with a timely double on the sixth.
If the hit was left as an error, it would have cost Kim both his batting average and on-base percentage. His batting average would have dropped to 0.246 instead of 0.251, and his on-base percentage would have dropped to 0.383 instead of 0.394. His OPS would have dropped to 0.726 instead of 0.742.
Meanwhile, on June 6, American sports publication The Athletic named Kim as the favorite for the National League Gold Glove shortstop award. Kim took the news in stride. “At first, I didn’t think about winning the Gold Glove at all, but as I entered my third year, I realized that I might win it,” Kim said.
