Ha-Seong Kim Is Proving to Be a Dark Horse Contributor for Braves Down the Stretch

Ha-Seong Kim is shaping up to be a sleeper for the Atlanta Braves down the stretch with the regular season drawing to a close later this month.

Just last night, Ha-Seong Kim came through during the 11th inning of the Braves' matchup against the Philadelphia Phillies, tying it with a one-run single that drove in Ozzie Albies.

Kim would see the fruit of his efforts in real time when Drake Baldwin walked it off with a double to bring him home and secure a 6-5 victory in front of the Truist Park-faithful.

Besides Friday, Kim delivered against the back-to-back defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers on Aug. 26, walking it off in the 10th for a 6-5 win that also secured the series as a whole.

While the 30-year-old shortstop has only batted .135 and recorded a .362 OPS thus far, those figures can mostly be chalked up to a torn tendon he suffered in his right middle finger during the offseason when he slipped and fell on some ice back in his native South Korea.

As a result, he missed the early months of the season and didn't see the field again until Atlanta's May 12 matchup against the Chicago Cubs.

Kim's resiliency has caught the attention of Braves manager Walt Weiss who noted the recent impact he's had in the team's lineup.

"All the stuff he's been through, then you fast forward to later in the season and he's got two of the biggest hits of our season," Weiss said in a postgame press conference. "You love when guys persevere and the game rewards them for it."

Prior to re-signing with the Braves on a one-year, $20 million contract, Atlanta picked him up on waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays during the 2025 season. Kim finished his first 24 games as a Brave hitting .253, a slight improvement from the .214 average he recorded with Tampa Bay.

Nonetheless, he was electric with the San Diego Padres, the club that gave him his first four seasons of major-league action.

In 2022, Kim hit .251 and played a key role in San Diego toppling the 111-51 Dodgers in the NL Divisional Series and making it all the way to the NLCS where they unfortunately fell short to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Now with the Braves eyeing their first World Series title since 2021, Kim has shown flashes of his past form that he could very well return to if he can stay healthy and remain confident in the batter's box.

Kim should get his next opportunity this evening as the Braves look to earn the series win over Philadelphia with right-hander Tyler Mahle taking the mound.