Ryu Hyun-jin’s (36, Toronto) entry into the Major League in 2013 is remembered as a major event that left a mark in Korean baseball history. Up until then, the posting amount far exceeded public expectations, surprising everyone. It was a large contract worth more than $10 million per year on average, including the posting amount and annual salary. It was a huge hit that no one expected.
There was controversy as to whether it was successful or not. They ranged from the opinion that “there is enough competitiveness to work” to the extreme prediction that “it will be difficult to survive at the major league level.” Ryu Hyun-jin achieved great success in 2013, his first year, pitching 192 innings in 30 games and recording 14 wins, 8 losses, and an ERA of 3.00. The year 2013 went down in history as a memory that showed that the Major League, which we had looked at like a space planet, was not as far away as we thought.
Ryu Hyun-jin is the most successful example of a player who went from the KBO League to the Major League. He has overcome all kinds of hardships, including shoulder surgery and elbow surgery, and is recording his 10th season performance this year. In early 2015, he underwent shoulder surgery and his career was in danger, but he made a comeback with indomitable will, setting a precedent that is rare even in the major leagues.
In particular, in 2019, he ranked first in the National League in earned run average (2.32) and also ranked second in Cy Young Award voting. As a result, ahead of the 2020 season, he signed a four-year contract with Toronto worth $80 million, gaining both wealth and fame. In 2020, he reached his second peak by ranking third in American League Cy Young Award voting.소닉카지노
Although he underwent elbow ligament reconstruction surgery (Tommy John surgery) in June of last year, Ryu Hyun-jin once again stood up with superhuman strength. Since returning this year, he has pitched 29 innings in 6 games and has achieved excellent results with 3 wins, 1 loss, and an ERA of 2.48. This is an even greater record considering that he is a player whose arm sensation is not yet complete.
Like this, Ryu Hyun-jin is a greater player than we think. He also tends to be more undervalued in Korea. If you look at the ERA rankings of active Major League players, you can quickly see that Ryu Hyun-jin is the player who has shown the highest quality pitching for the longest period of time in the United States.
Since entering the major leagues, Ryu Hyun-jin has logged 78 wins, 46 losses, and an average ERA of 3.24 in 1,032⅓ innings. The Major League is a stage where it is not easy to record an ERA of 3.24 in a season. However, Ryu Hyun-jin did this during his 10-season career. He ranks 6th among active major league pitchers who have played more than 1,000 innings.
The current number one player is Clayton Kershaw (LA Dodgers), a former teammate of Ryu Hyun-jin, who once had the title of the best pitcher on the planet without any awkwardness. Kershaw has recorded a career ERA of 2.48 since his debut in 2008 until this year. Jacob deGrom (Texas), who inherited the title of ‘Best pitcher on Earth’ from Kershaw, follows with 2.53. The two players were the best players in the human world over the past 10 years. Among active starting pitchers who have pitched more than 1,000 innings, only two have an ERA in the 2-point range.
Third place is Chris Sale (Boston), the legend of strikeouts in Major League history, with a score of 3.10. Sale struck out a whopping 2,165 batters in 1,760⅔ innings. 4th place is Max Scherzer (Texas), a prospective Hall of Fame player with a total of 213 wins, with a rating of 3.13. Fifth place is Gerrit Cole (New York Yankees), who holds the title of most expensive pitcher in Major League history. Cole, also known as the king of all-timers, has a career ERA of 3.21.
Ryu Hyun-jin follows him. Until this season, Justin Verlander (Houston), a ‘golden bully’ with 254 wins in his major league career, was in 6th place, but this year, as Ryu Hyun-jin succeeded in lowering his average after returning, he rose to 6th place. 8th place is Stephen Strasberg, who eventually announced his retirement after an injury, with 3.24. Ryu Hyun-jin, Verlander, and Strasberg compete with a decimal difference at 3.24. Strasburg is now off the active list.
Looking at his performance since 2018, Ryu Hyun-jin is a top-tier player. Among pitchers who have pitched more than 500 innings since 2018, Ryu Hyun-jin’s ERA (3.10) ranks 12th in the league. DeGrom (2.08), Verlander (2.50), Kershaw (2.78), and Scherzer (2.80) are ranked 1st to 4th, while Walker Buehler (LA Dodgers‧2.95), Cole (2.99), and Julio Urias (LA Dodgers‧ 2.99), the average ERA is in the 2-point range.
They are followed by Max Fried (Atlanta, 3.01), Brandon Woodruff (Milwaukee, 3.04), Trevor Bauer (Yokohama, 3.07), Blake Snell (San Diego, 3.10), and Ryu Hyun-jin. Ryu Hyun-jin’s ERA is better than that of players who once dominated the league or are currently showing peak form (Jack Gallen, Shane Bieber, Jack Wheeler, Corbin Burns). Among them, the title of player with the slowest velocity is a bonus. This is the part where you can really feel the greatness of Ryu Hyun-jin.