Fitness issues? Aftermath of surgery? Ryu Hyun-jin, who is shaking, will ‘falter’ if he goes beyond the 4th inning.
His hitting percentage rose from 0.186 in the 1st to 3rd innings to 0.384 in the 4th to 6th innings, allowing more than 5 runs in 8 games this season only 4 times.
Ryu Hyun-jin (Hanwha Eagles), who returned to the KBO League after 12 years, is falling below expectations with unexpectedly poor performance. After only 4 episodes, he repeatedly shows signs of shaking, and is even destroying his pride as a 'special ace'.
Ryu Hyun-jin, who returned to the KBO League after 11 years in the American Major League (MLB), has 2 wins, 4 losses, and an average ERA of 5.65 this season.
He ranks only 25th in earned run average among 27 pitchers who have played regulation innings through the last 9 days. In terms of runs allowed, he is tied for first place with 33 points (ERA, 27) with Robert Dugger (32 earned runs), who was kicked out of SSG Landers.
It is quite different from the time he dominated the KBO League with a total of 98 wins, 52 losses, and an ERA of 2.80 from 2006 to 2012 before advancing to the United States.
Although it is impossible to avoid a decline in her status due to age and other factors compared to when she was at her peak, she does not live up to the name 'Ryu Hyun-jin'.
Moreover, even though he continued to pitch steadily until the 3rd inning, he continued to shake sharply in the 4th inning, after the opponent's batting order had made one turn.
Her hitting percentage, which was only 0.186 in the 1st to 3rd innings, soared to 0.384 in the 4th to 6th innings. In her most recent appearance, against the Lotte Giants on the 8th, she blocked the game well by allowing just 1 run until the 4th inning, but then gave up 4 runs in the 5th inning to turn things around. Although he suffered a fielder's defensive error, he was disappointed in the fact that his unique crisis management skills were not demonstrated and the team collapsed. He frequently appears in games where he concedes a large number of goals. Ryu Hyun-jin, who achieved quality starts (QS, 3 earned runs or less in 6 or more innings as a starter) 4 times in the 8 games he appeared on the mound this year, gave up 5 or more runs in all 4 other games. In the match against Kiwoom Heroes on the 5th of last month, which was his third appearance this season, he gave up 9 runs in 4⅓ innings, recording the most runs allowed in a single game. At that time, he pitched scoreless until the 4th inning, but was completely attacked by Kiwoom batters, with 7 consecutive hits in the 5th inning alone. Ryu Hyun-jin, who underwent elbow surgery in June 2022 while playing for the MLB Toronto Blue Jays, completed rehabilitation and returned to the mound in the middle of last season. Considering that this was his first season after surgery, the team managed him thoroughly. The most pitches he pitched in a game last season was 89. This year is the first time I am working full time after surgery. Moreover, as his return to Korea was only decided in February, he was unable to properly conduct spring training, which hindered his preparation for the season. Because of these factors, concerns were raised about his match stamina from the beginning. After winning his first win against the Doosan Bears on the 11th of last month, Ryu Hyun-jin disagreed with the assessment that ‘the pitch quality declines after 70 pitches’, saying, “It seems to be a result-oriented thing.” However, even after the game passes the mid-point, it shows signs of rapid fluctuation. In the past, Ryu Hyun-jin was a pitcher who intimidated opponents with just his name. Now, due to great ups and downs, he seems to be being pushed out as a pitcher who leaves room for opposing hitters to attack.