San Diego Padres: The dream starting lineup for the 2024 season

6) Ha-Seong Kim - 2B

In a season full of inconsistencies, Ha-Seong Kim was the one constant the Padres could always rely on this season. It never really felt like he hit any massive skid, and was always steady. He had his best season as a Padre in 2023, and really took off after being put in the leadoff spot.

It took a lot to move Kim outside of the top spot in the lineup because of how solid he was in that position, but this team is just too deep to put him there. The options were to either hit Kim at the top and move the first five down, or just slot Kim in at six. The simple reality is I'd rather players like Tatis, Soto, and Machado rack up more at-bats than Kim who is good, but not them.

Kim can still play a big role out of the sixth spot with his power (17 home runs in 2023) while also wrecking havoc on the base paths (38 stolen bases in 2023).

While he'd slide into the sixth spot in this potential lineup, there's a good chance Kim will hit all over the order. He'll probably lead off a good amount when players at the top have a day off, and could even find his way closer to the bottom as a guy who could get on base in front of Tatis and Soto. Kim's value as a Swiss Army Knife on this team is invaluable. The Padres are lucky to have him.