The Atlanta Braves have spent most of June looking like a team that forgot how to hit. After a scorching start that had them cruising in the NL East, they’ve now dropped back-to-back series against the Chicago White Sox and the New York Mets. The division lead is still comfortable at seven games, but the Philadelphia Phillies are creeping closer, and the Braves’ lineup has a glaring weak spot that’s impossible to ignore.
That weak spot is Ha-Seong Kim.
The infielder, signed last season to a deal worth $28 million, missed the early part of 2026 with an injury and has been a disaster at the plate since returning. Through 18 games, Kim is batting .086 — that’s five hits in 58 at-bats — with zero extra-base hits and a 25% strikeout rate. Braves writer Mark Bowman of MLB.com dug into just how rare this level of futility is, noting on X that Kim has joined an ugly list of players who hit below .100 through their first 18 games for the franchise.
Bowman pointed out that Kim is the 17th Braves position player to accomplish that particular feat. Sandy Leon was the 16th. Recent names on that list include Marcell Ozuna in 2023 (.085), Ryan Langerhans in 2007 (.053), and Lonnie Smith in 1992 (.094). Not exactly the company general manager Alex Anthopoulos had in mind when he brought Kim aboard for his versatility and playoff experience.
Kim’s struggles are especially jarring given what the Braves gave up for him. The front office traded for Kim at the 2025 deadline, believing his ability to play multiple infield positions and handle high-leverage at-bats would bolster a team with World Series aspirations. Instead, he’s become a black hole in the order. Fans online have noted that Kim looks lost at the plate — chasing pitches out of the zone and often failing to make hard contact even on hittable fastballs.
To be fair, the Braves are still 46-26, good for the best record in the National League. But the Los Angeles Dodgers have now leapfrogged them for the most wins in MLB with 47, and Atlanta’s recent slide has exposed a lineup that suddenly looks thin. When you’re getting almost nothing from a player making $7 million a year, it puts extra pressure on stars like Ronald Acuña Jr. and Austin Riley to carry the load every night.
There’s still time for Kim to turn it around — the season hasn’t even reached the All-Star break. But the sample size is getting harder to dismiss. Bowman’s numbers make it clear: if Kim doesn’t start producing soon, he’ll become the answer to a trivia question nobody wants to be part of. The Braves host the San Francisco Giants for the second game of a doubleheader Wednesday evening in Atlanta, and all eyes will be on Kim’s spot in the order.
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