2025 was a success for the Milwaukee Brewers, at least in the regular season. During that span, the Brewers were just three games away from winning 100 games, and they would finish the year 97-65.
The Brewers’ season would end at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers, meaning it’s time for change. One position that could use an upgrade for this team, though, is shortstop. Joey Ortiz is coming off a down year, and at 27 years old, he’s never really shown a ton of upside.
Ha-Seong Kim is an interesting option for the Brewers in free agency now that he’s opted out to hit the open market. While Kim is coming off a bit of a down year, his peak was extremely high.
Based on how good Kim has been for most of his MLB career, it’s going to be interesting to see how teams value the 30-year-old infielder.
This is a PREDICTION, not a REPORT.
More MLB Content From TWSN:
Seattle Mariners Sign Pete Alonso
Minnesota Twins Trade Joe Ryan to the Chicago Cubs
Bo Bichette Will Sign With Atlanta Braves
Ha-Seong Kim Joining Milwaukee Brewers in MLB Free Agency
Now, to give some context as to why Ha-Seong Kim possibly could have been underperforming, let’s look at this article from Quincy Wheeler of Covering the Corner.
Wheeler would go on to explain that, “Kim had an injury-riddled 2025, as he recovered from shoulder surgery, then had a back-strain, then a calf-strain. So, it’s probably fair not to put a TON of stock into his down 2025 season”
Now it’s tough to just throw away a full season where Kim had 171 at-bats, but it’s a fair point nevertheless. From 2021 to 2024, Kim had a WAR above 2.0, and 2023 was his best year.
In 2023, Kim was a Gold Glove winner, and he finished 14th in the NL MVP Voting. That year, Kim had a 5.4 WAR, 17 home runs, and a 0.260 batting average.
There’s no guarantee that Kim is going to be able to get back to that form. Kim was 27 years old that season, and now he’s 30. On the flip side, there aren’t a ton of other players who offer similar upside to Kim. Obviously, you have Bo Bichette, but the price difference between the two is going to be drastic.
How Ha-Seong Kim Fits with the Milwaukee Brewers
According to Fangraphs, Ortiz is projected to be the team’s starting shortstop in 2026. Against right-handed pitching, Ortiz is expected to be hitting last, which isn’t surprising given his stats last year.
For that reason, Kim could absolutely be an upgrade that gives the Brewers hope in the bottom of their lineup. At the same time, Kim provides a lot of defensive versatility.
With Kim being able to fit really anywhere in the infield, the Brewers should be able to find a spot for him in one way or another. If Kim is able to return to how he was playing prior to his injury, the Brewers are getting a massive upgrade.
Even if not, Kim is a solid rotational player who could help out Milwaukee in some way.
Ha-Seong Kim Stats
To take an even closer look at Kim, let’s look at his 2025 stats. Through 191 plate appearances, Kim had a 0.3 WAR, five home runs, and a 0.234 batting average.
Beyond that, Kim also had a 0.304 OBP, 0.345 SLG, and 0.649 OPS mark. Not great numbers, but there’s reason to believe Kim will play better than this. All things considered, it would make a ton of sense for the Milwaukee Brewers to sign Ha-Seong Kim in MLB free agency.