MLB.com: “Ryu Hyun-jin Could Sign a Multi-Year Free Agent Contract

MLB.com: “Ryu Hyun-jin Could Sign a Multi-Year Free Agent Contract After the End of the Season.”

After returning from injury, the average ERA was 2.65 in 7 games... 36-year-old Ryu Hyun-jin, who has a good pitching streak without ups and downs and competes with his ball control rather than his pitch, ‘appeals his charm’ to MLB clubs 바카라사이트

Ryu Hyun-jin (36, Toronto Blue Jays)'s return to the KBO League appears to be delayed by several years.

MLB.com, the American professional baseball Major League (MLB) website, predicted on the 8th (Korean time) that Ryu Hyun-jin, who will become a free agent (FA) after the 2023 season, could sign a multi-year contract with an MLB club.

MLB.com highlighted Ryu Hyun-jin in an article titled ‘9 prospective free agents who must finish the 2023 season well.’

The media said, "Generally, it takes a long time for a pitcher who has undergone elbow ligament joint surgery (Tommy John surgery) to get back on track, but Ryu Hyun-jin shows a different side," and "After returning, he pitched 34 innings in 7 starts. “While taking charge, he closed the gap in Toronto’s starting rotation with outstanding ERA of 2.65 and WHIP (on-base percentage allowed per inning) of 1.06.”

He continued, “Although 36-year-old Ryu Hyun-jin will not be able to sign a four-year free agent contract worth $80 million (approximately 106.6 billion won) (signed with Toronto in 2020), if he continues his current form, he can sign a multi-year free agent contract, which seemed unlikely. “We will be able to sign a contract with an MLB club,” he analyzed.

Ryu Hyun-jin returned to the big leagues last month, 14 months after undergoing left elbow ligament fusion surgery in June of last year.

Except for the game against the Cleveland Guardians on the 8th, where he was forced off early due to being hit by a batted ball, he has continued to be in a stable form, taking responsibility for more than 5 innings in all games since his return.

Detailed records are also good.

He has 3 wins, 2 losses, and an average ERA of 2.65, and maintains top records in detailed indicators such as a hitting percentage of 0.219, walks per 9 innings of 2.12, and BABIP (batting average on balls in play) of 0.242.

In fact, not many experts predicted that Ryu Hyun-jin would remain in MLB after the 2023 season.

This is because it was judged that no MLB team would offer a large amount of money to Ryu Hyun-jin, who has a history of surgery and is older.

However, Ryu Hyun-jin returned quickly and immediately showed off his top skills, showing his appeal to MLB teams in need of a starting pitcher.

The reason MLB experts predict a high possibility of Ryu Hyun-jin renewing his contract is not just because of his performance this season.

It also plays a role in the fact that Ryu Hyun-jin is not a fastball pitcher who competes with pitches, but rather a pitcher with ball control who can control opposing hitters with precise ball control.

Usually, fastball pitchers tend to have a decline in performance according to the aging curve (an aging curve in which skills decline with age), but players with good pitch control are less affected by aging problems.

In fact, in terms of pitch alone, Ryu Hyun-jin is at the lowest level in MLB.

His average fastball speed this season is 88.4 miles per hour (about 142.3 km), which is very slow.

According to Baseball Savant, an MLB record statistics site, Ryu Hyun-jin's average fastball velocity this season is only 607th among 618 MLB pitchers who threw more than 100 pitches.

However, Ryu Hyun-jin is continuing his top form with various breaking balls and 'awl control'.

Meanwhile, Ryu Hyun-jin announced that he would finish his career with his former home team, the Hanwha Eagles of the KBO League.

He did not specify when he would return to the Korean stage.