As spring camp training for 30 Major League Baseball (MLB) teams approaches in about 20 days, Ryu Hyun-jin, who is in search of a new team, is once again drawing attention.
On Friday, MLB.com published an article titled "Five free agent (FA) starting pitchers who are underrated but can deliver surprising performances," and prominently featured Ryu Hyun-jin as the first mentioned player. Subsequent to Ryu, James Paxton, Michael Lorenzen, Jacob Junis, and Carlos Carrasco were also selected as starting pitchers with the potential to outperform expectations.
"Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, etc., will undoubtedly sign multi-year contracts worth $100 million, but there are other pitchers who are hidden gems," MLB.com said. "Five pitchers, including Ryu Hyun-jin, will be able to perform beyond expectations this season."
MLB.com mentioned that although Ryu is past his prime, he is still a strong asset who can contribute to the starting pitching staff. This assessment is grounded in the fact that Ryu pitched steadily in the 11 games he started in the second half of last year after returning from elbow ligament joint surgery in 2022. After resuming pitching in August of last year, the Korean pitcher completed 52 innings, securing three wins and three losses, with an ERA of 3.46.
Citing injury history and age as variables, MLB.com noted that Ryu underwent shoulder surgery in 2015 and elbow surgery in 2022. Since 2017, he has pitched more than 100 innings in a season only three times. Last year, Ryu Hyun-jin's average four-seam fastball velocity dropped to an all-time low of 142 km/h. Still, as long as he is not ailing, the media added that Ryu possesses valuable tools to compensate for the decline in velocity, such as control and breaking balls. Currently awaiting his contract, Ryu is engaged in personal training in preparation for the new season in Okinawa, Japan.
Heon-Jae Lee uni@donga.com