Kim Ha-seong (28, San Diego Padres), the first Korean to win a Major League Baseball (MLB) Gold Glove, came up short in his bid to win the Silver Slugger.

Kim was not honored at the 2023 MLB Silver Slugger Awards ceremony on Tuesday. He was a finalist in the National League Utility category, but Cody Bellinger (Chicago Cubs) took home the honor.

The first South Korean to win a Silver Slugger award will be honored next.

Established in 1980, the Silver Slugger is awarded to the player with the most outstanding hitting ability by position in each of the two major leagues during a single season. It is differentiated from the Gold Glove, which is awarded to the winner for his defense.

Kim’s offensive prowess this season earned him a Gold Glove nomination for second base and utility and a Silver Slugger nomination for utility.

At the Gold Glove ceremony on June 6, he was named the winner of the Utility Award, making him the first Korean to win the honor.

Kim was a finalist for both the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards.

In 152 games this year, Kim batted .260 with 17 home runs, 60 RBIs, 84 runs scored, 38 doubles, and a .749 OPS. In his third year in MLB, he showed significant improvement at the plate, and in the second half of the year, he became the sparkplug of the offense as a leadoff hitter.

But the competition was too strong. Bellinger, who beat out Ha-Sung Kim for the Silver Slugger utility award, played in 130 games this year, batting .307 with 26 home runs, 97 RBIs, 95 runs scored, and an OPS of .881.

This is Bellinger’s second Silver Slugger award after winning it in 2019 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. 보스토토 도메인

His fellow contenders, Mookie Betts (Dodgers) and Spencer Steer (Cincinnati Reds), hit 39 and 23 home runs, respectively.

Although he didn’t win the award, it’s worth noting that Kim was a finalist for the Silver Slugger Award, which recognizes top players and “hitting craftsmen.