"We Are Looking at Something Bigger and Better"… Kim Ha-seong's Roster Spot and the Paradox of a .123 Batting Average
Atlanta has clinched a postseason berth with 90 wins, but Kim Ha-seong is hitting .123. A local outlet included him on its projected 26-man postseason roster, but there has been no official announcement from the club yet.
Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.
Three-Line Summary
- On Sept. 18 (local time), Atlanta beat Houston 6-2 to improve to 90-64 and clinch a playoff berth for the 8th time in the past 9 seasons.
- Kim Ha-seong's 2026 season stands at 46 games, 14 hits in 114 at-bats, a .123 batting average and 0 home runs (as of Sept. 20, 2026).
- The local outlet 'House That Hank Built' included Kim Ha-seong among 6 infielders in its Sept. 14 roster projection.
A year ago, Atlanta went 76-86 and finished 4th in the division. A year later, the same team is 90-64. That is 14 more wins and 22 fewer losses. Through that turnaround season, one Korean infielder has hit .123 in 46 games. His salary is $20 million. On the numbers alone, it is a mismatched pairing.
Atlanta Clinches Postseason Berth, 90-64 and a Magic Number of 3
According to ESPN and the AP, Atlanta beat Houston on Sept. 18 local time, 6-2. Harris II, Acuña Jr. and Olson each hit a two-run homer. It was the club's 90th win of the season and its 8th playoff berth in the past 9 seasons. Manager Walt Weiss said after the game, "Everything you get in this league, you earn through effort."
The division title is not yet secured. Atlanta is first in the NL East at 90-64, 5 games ahead of second-place Philadelphia (85-69) (as of Sept. 18, 2026, local time). The magic number is 3. In its Sept. 19 projection, CBS Sports had Atlanta as the No. 3 seed, facing No. 6 San Diego.
Kim Ha-seong's Stats: .123 Batting Average, $20 Million Salary
According to MLB.com and FanGraphs, Kim Ha-seong's 2026 season stands at 46 games, 14 hits in 114 at-bats, a batting average of .123 (as of Sept. 20, 2026). He has 0 home runs and a .351 OPS. The sample is thin because of injuries. He underwent surgery in January 2026 for a torn tendon in his right middle finger, then went down again with inflammation and was called up in early August, Newsis reported.
| Category | Games | AVG | HR | wRC+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB career (2021–2026) | 634 | .235 | 52 | 94 |
| 2026 season | 46 | .123 | 0 | 5 |
| KBO 7 seasons (2014–2020) | — | .294 | 133 | — |
On Nov. 4, 2025, Kim Ha-seong declined his 2026 player option worth $16 million and became a free agent, Xportsnews reported. He re-signed with Atlanta on Dec. 15 for 1 year and $20 million. That is $4 million, or 25%, more than the option. What that money bought was 14 hits in 46 games.
| Rank | Player | Salary | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lee Jung-hoo | $22 million | San Francisco |
| 2 | Kim Ha-seong | $20 million | Atlanta |
| — | Kim Hye-seong | $3.75 million | LA Dodgers |
Kim Ha-seong's Roster Spot Is a Local Outlet's Projection, Not a Club Announcement
The Atlanta local outlet 'House That Hank Built' published a projection on Sept. 14 that factored in the absences of Elder (knee) and Thomas (intercostal). Its makeup was 2 catchers, 6 infielders, 5 outfielders and 13 pitchers, with Kim Ha-seong among the 6 infielders. However, it is a fan-community-style local outlet, so it carries different weight from an official club announcement.
The basis is his September rebound. On Sept. 11 against Tampa Bay, he had a multi-hit, 2-RBI game that snapped a 3-game losing streak, and his September batting average at that point was .353. On the 13th against Philadelphia, he hit an 11th-inning game-tying RBI single. There are numbers pointing the other way, too. Money Today reported that in the game against Chicago on the 17th, he went hitless and was replaced by a pinch hitter in the 9th inning.
The regular season ends on Sept. 27. The Wild Card Series (best-of-3) begins on Sept. 29. The 26-man roster is submitted right after the regular season ends. The 8 remaining games and the magic number of 3 are as of the end of the Sept. 18 (local time) game, and the club has not yet officially confirmed that Kim Ha-seong will join the roster.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Is Kim Ha-seong's postseason roster spot confirmed?
No. What has come out so far is a projection published on Sept. 14 by the Atlanta local outlet House That Hank Built, a predicted roster that includes Kim Ha-seong among 6 infielders. The outlet reported that against left-handed starters, Manager Weiss uses Kim Ha-seong at shortstop and Mauricio Dubón in left field. No official club announcement has been made.
Q. What is Kim Ha-seong's salary and contract length?
It is a 1-year, $20 million contract signed with Atlanta on Dec. 15, 2025. It is a single-year deal for the 2026 season, and he declined the $16 million player option that had been part of his previous 2-year, $29 million contract with Tampa Bay on Nov. 4, 2025.
Q. Who will Atlanta face in the Wild Card round?
CBS Sports' Sept. 19 projection has Atlanta as the No. 3 seed facing No. 6 San Diego at home. However, it is an unverified projection and could change depending on the results of the 8 remaining games.
Related Official Sites
- MLB official Atlanta Braves page — the primary source for club schedules and roster announcements
- MLB official Kim Ha-seong stats page — season stats such as batting average and OPS are updated in real time
- MLB official postseason page — provides matchups and game schedules as the official reference
- MLB official Wild Card standings — lets you check the seeding race every day
Featured image · Archival photo · Not an on-site photo of a current game in this article · Photo composite · Photo = Wikimedia Commons (Ryan Casey Aguinaldo), CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo = Wikimedia Commons (Tyler Lahti), CC BY-SA 2.0
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