Ha-Seong Kim's fall from grace reminds Padres fans that A.J. Preller was right to let him walk

There was a time when San Diego Padres fans wanted Ha-Seong Kim on the team for the foreseeable future. He produced back-to-back five-bWAR seasons in San Diego, which was capped by a 2023 season where he won a Gold Glove Award and received MVP votes.

He dipped a little in 2024, but was still a above-average player with the Friars, and fans wondered if he would be offered another contract by the front office. Ultimately, Kim's shoulder surgery cooled AJ Preller's interest in keeping him long-term, which wound up being the right choice.

Now with the Atlanta Braves, the 30-year-old Kim is having a nightmare season. And that's putting it lightly. According to @BaseballWRLD_, Kim's offensive numbers rank among the worst of any hitter all-time with a minimum 85 plate appearances. This should put Padres fans at east knowing they dodged a bullet.

Ha-Seong Kim's 2026 numbers are really that bad

Making $20 million this season, Kim reached the 85-plate appearance threshold on August 15, where he went 0-for-1 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. That dipped his season OPS to .231. It also extended his hitless streak to 11 games, which dates back to June 3. Kim played in more than 11 games over this span, but did not log a plate appearance.

He has five hits in 31 games, all of which are singles. His strikeout rate is above 30 percent, which is a career-worst. At no point this season was his average above .167, which tells us that he isn't amidst a cold streak. He has just been consistently unable to get on base.

So, though Preller drives Padres fans mad sometimes with his annual blockbuster trades and dumping of top prospects, he's bound to get a few moves right every now and then. Staying clear of re-signing Ha-Seong Kim is definitely a feather in his cap.

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