10 months agoWhat a year it was for San Diego Padres second baseman Ha-Seong Kim in 2023. In his third season with the Padres, he was one of the team's most consistent performers all around and set career-highs in batting average (.260), on-base percentage (.351), slugging percentage (.398), OPS (.749), home runs (17), RBI (60), stolen bases (38) and runs scored (84) in a career-high 152 games played. The 28-year-old Korean infielder has steadily shown increased plate discipline in each of his three major-league seasons and no longer looks overmatched by big-league pitching like he did in his first year in 2021. Most of Kim's production has come as a lefty killer, as he produced a 148 wRC+ against southpaws in 2023, compared to just a 95 wRC+ against right-handers. Because of his breakout campaign, Kim went from being a bargain in fantasy drafts last spring to now being overpriced. ATC sees him hitting .248 with 15 home runs, 60 RBI and a drop in stolen bases from 38 to 27 in 2024. Kim's multi-position eligibility at shortstop, second and third base justifies his draft-day price more, and there's still room for improvement in his batting average if he can find more success against right-handed pitching. At RotoBaller, Kim is ranked 77th overall and is considered the No. 7 fantasy second baseman, just behind the Yankees' Gleyber Torres. UPDATE: Adding shortstop eligibility in 2024 -- he's moving to the 6 full-time this year -- will drive Kim's fantasy cost up even more.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBaller