Ryu Hyun-jin ‘finally proved it’, highly praised for ‘101km curve + fantastic command’… Time is turning back for the 36-year-old veteran

He also shook off the skeptical views of some who called him a ‘five-inning pitcher.’ Ryu Hyun-jin (36, Toronto Blue Jays) gave a positive signal to the team by pitching 6 innings after returning from injury.

Ryu Hyun-jin started the 2023 Major League Baseball (MLB) home game against the Texas Rangers held at the Rogers Center in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on the 13th (Korean time) and threw only 82 pitches in 6 innings, allowing 5 hits, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts, and 3 runs. did.

Ryu Hyun-jin’s pitch distribution map against Texas on the 13th. /Photo=Baseball Servant website
QS achieved in 480 days, shakes off even the last doubts… High praise from local media!
It was the most innings pitched by Ryu Hyun-jin, who returned early last month after undergoing Tommy John surgery (elbow ligament fusion surgery), and his first quality start in 480 days since the Cincinnati Reds game (6 scoreless innings) on May 21 last year (more than 6 innings as a starter, 3 earned runs or less). all.

Before the surgery, Ryu Hyun-jin ate QS like eating, but it was different after returning. He had excellent performance with 3 wins and 3 losses and an earned run average (ERA) of 2.93 in 8 games, but he finally recorded QS in the 8th time.

Since the game against the Cleveland Guardians on the 27th, he has given up no home runs in 4 consecutive games, but it was a more valuable game because he proved that he could go more than 6 innings.

The content of the game was even better. He used 16 (20%) slow curves with a minimum speed of 63 miles per hour (101.4 km), 25 (30%) four-seam fastballs with an average speed of 88.9 miles (143.1 km), and 18 change-ups and cut fastballs (22 each). %), and 5 sinkers (6%) were also mixed.

High praise is pouring in from the local area as well. American sports media Sports Illustrated (SI) said, “Ryu Hyun-jin struck out Nathaniel Rowe by dropping a shocking 63 mph mph ball. This is the facial expression Rowe made as he returned to the dugout, distraught at the extreme difference in velocity shown by Ryu Hyun-jin. “It was a wild game,” he vividly said, “Ryu Hyun-jin threw the ball as if he was doing batting practice or a soft toss, and the ball, which seemed to be high out of the strike zone, ended up coming perfectly into the course high in the zone. Low had no choice but to freeze.” It was restored.바카라

Another media outlet, ‘BVM Sports’, said, “Ryu Hyun-jin stunned the Texas batter with a slow pitch. His clever pitching style that overwhelmed his opponent made (Rowe) look like a fool,” and ‘The Comeback’ said, “Ryu Hyun-jin never had a strong pitch. “He didn’t show style, but he pitched smartly, like pitchers who have been in the league for years. It was very respectable,” he said. “Everything has been about speed in recent years. Slow curveballs like this are kind of a lost art. With pitches like that in 2023, it’s a big thing.” “It’s encouraging to see that it’s working,” he said.

The head coach is also impressed, Ryu Hyun-jin’s value is soaring… Toronto’s fall baseball also rests on Ryu Hyun-jin’s shoulders.
Toronto manager John Schneider also said in an interview with MLB.com, “The number of pitches was small and the pitch was good. I had good control, so I threw well as planned.” “He threw good balls against his opponent. He rarely allowed strong hits. Considering the appearance of the pitch on the mound, the score situation, and the number of pitches, I decided that I could trust him until the 6th inning.”

The problem is that Ryu Hyun-jin was unable to secure a victory even in a game that lasted 6 innings. Starting with the Cleveland game on the 27th of last month, the pattern of the bullpen giving up runs as soon as Ryu Hyun-jin steps down has been repeated.

The Toronto Star, a local newspaper, said, “The result was not what Toronto wanted, but the responsibility for the loss cannot be placed solely on Ryu Hyun-jin,” and “It was his first QS since May 20, 2022. Ryu Hyun-jin’s ERA, who pitched 35 innings this season, was “It is recording an impressive figure of 2.93,” he praised.

Considering the team’s performance, it is clear that there is some disappointment left. Toronto is in third place in the American League (AL) East Division with 80 wins and 65 losses, 11.5 games behind the leading Baltimore Orioles. They are 2.5 games behind the second-place Tampa Bay Rays. We have to look at fall baseball through the wild card, and here too, we lost 2nd place by 0.5 games to Texas (80 wins, 64 losses).

Ryu Hyun-jin showed a resolute attitude, saying, “I can understand the two-game losing streak to Texas. It’s part of the game. There’s another game tomorrow. We need to focus more on tomorrow’s game and do well.”

It is regrettable that not only the team but Ryu Hyun-jin personally could not add to the victory. However, he only pitched 6 innings and proved that he can pitch more innings. The situation is completely different from a few months ago, when the future seemed uncertain due to injury.

Ryu Hyun-jin will qualify as a free agent (FA) after this season. Although he is old, Ryu Hyun-jin is still showing off his health and raising his value. Even in Toronto, where the bullpen is unstable, Ryu Hyun-jin’s value is only increasing, so his appearances for the remainder of the season will likely be even more important.