CUMBERLAND — The Atlanta Braves will keep Ha-Seong Kim on their roster for the 2026 season because he is owed $20 million. As of mid-May 2026, Kim has appeared in 13 games, batting .095 with three errors and a -0.8 WAR, which is below replacement level. He has posted an OPS+ of -14 and a wRC+ of -19 in 45 at-bats. Defensively, he has recorded -4 outs above average (OAA) at shortstop.
Kim’s 2026 season followed a four-month absence due to surgery in January on a torn tendon in his middle finger, an injury that also prevented him from playing for his national team in the World Baseball Classic.
Kim joined the Braves in September 2025 after being designated for assignment by the Tampa Bay Rays, for whom he played 24 games earlier that season. In his limited time with Atlanta in 2025, he hit three home runs and improved his OPS+ from 71 with Tampa Bay to 95 with the Braves.
Before his stint with Tampa Bay, Kim spent four seasons with the San Diego Padres from 2021 to 2024, accruing 15.1 WAR over 540 games. During that stretch, he posted a 99 OPS+, recorded +24 outs above average, and posted a +18 Fielding Run Value. He won a Gold Glove at shortstop in 2023.
Braves manager Walt Weiss said the shortstop position will be “day-to-day” regarding who plays among Jorge Mateo, Ha-Seong Kim, and Mauricio Dubón. The Braves awarded Kim a $20 million contract for the 2026 season after acquiring him off waivers.