The San Diego Padres’ Ha-Sung Kim, 28, and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Mookie Betts, 31, are set to battle it out at second base in 2024.
“Betts will be our full-time second baseman in 2024,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said for the first time during an interview with MLB Network’s High Heat program on Friday in Nashville, Tennessee, the site of the Winter Meetings.
“Mookie being a Gold Glove right fielder could be one option,” Roberts said. But it’s a good option for the team to get more playing time at second base and for Jason Heyward to play Gold Glove right field against right-handed pitching.”
The Dodgers signed Heyward to a one-year, $9 million deal last year after he rebounded from a minor league deal. Hayward won five Gold Gloves in the outfield through 2017, and his strong shoulders and defense are still top-notch.레모나토토 주소
The Dodgers would benefit from having Betts at second base to maximize their offense.
An all-around athlete, Betts is a six-time Gold Glove winner in the outfield. This year, however, he was denied a Gold Glove because he is a super-utility man who can play right field, second base, and shortstop.
He was a finalist in both the outfielder and utility man categories, but lost out to division rival San Diego. Fernando Tatis Jr. lost out to Kim for right fielder, and Kim lost out to Ha-Sung Kim for utility man.
Kim became the first South Korean to win a Gold Glove as a utility man after being a finalist at both second base and utility man. In 2022, Kim played shortstop and in 2023, his primary position was second base.
In 2023, Kim played 101 games at second base, 30 at third base, and 18 at shortstop to win the Gold Glove as a utility man. Rookie manager Mike Shields is expected to utilize Kim in a similar fashion to his predecessor, Bob Belbin. The primary position is second base, where the relatively young Kim will play when Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts need a break.
Betts has played 98 games in right field, 65 at second base, and 14 at shortstop. With shortstop Gavin Lux set to return from an Achilles injury in 2024, Roberts could be looking at a built-in second baseman.
In the infield defense, Ha-Sung Kim has already proven himself in the majors. The former MVP has established himself as a super utility man with his natural athleticism. His athleticism with the ball is exceptional, as he has bowled a perfect 300 multiple times.
Kim and Betts will meet for 12 regular-season games. The battle for second base in the National League West in 2024 is set to be one to watch.