The San Diego Padres are looking to make history by winning their first ever World Series. However, as the Padres look to battle in 2023, their 2024 season could see San Diego making even more history.
The Padres are one of the teams being considered to play a regular season series in South Korea in 2024, via Dennis Lin and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. It would be the first time MLB games would be played in South Korea.
San Diego has infielder Ha-Seong Kim on their roster. Before joining the Padres, Kim was a star in the Korean Baseball League. The infielder spent seven years in the KBO, appearing in 891 games. He hit .294 with 133 home runs, 575 RBI and 134 stolen bases.
For Kim, playing in South Korea would be a homecoming. He would be able to in his home country in front of fans who admired him during his KBO days. For the Padres, a series in South Korea would make history and help MLB continue their quest to host games in foreign countries.
This season, the Padres played a series against the San Francisco Giants in Mexico. Later in the year, the Chicago Cubs will take on the St. Louis Cardinals in England.
While the Padres aren't the only team in the running to play in South Korea, San Diego has been open to play outside of the US before. Having Kim on the roster gives the Padres a personal reason to want to play. Overall, as the MLB looks to branch out of the US, San Diego has a chance to make history in South Korea.