‘Miracle man’ Ryu Hyun-jin, 36, of the Toronto Blue Jays, is expected to sign a lucrative contract in Major League Baseball next year. In the U.S., there are reports that Ryu will sign a multi-year contract next season. At this rate, a two-year contract is expected to become the norm, beyond the minimum 1+1 contract.
MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, mentioned Ryu’s name in a list of nine prospective free agents who need to finish the 2023 season well. In addition to Ryu, the list included Matt Chapman (Toronto), Cody Bellinger (Chicago Cubs), Lucas Giolito (Cleveland Cavaliers), Teoscar Hernandez (Seattle Mariners), Aaron Nola (Philadelphia Phillies), Eduardo Rodriguez (Detroit Tigers), Luis Severino (New York Yankees), and Blake Snell (San Diego Padres). All of them are legitimate contenders.
Ryu has been writing his own miracle story this season. Ryu first underwent elbow ligament splicing surgery (Tommy John surgery) in 2004, when he was a sophomore at Dongshan High School. The surgery was highly successful. In 2006, Ryu joined the Hanwha Eagles with the second overall pick in the first round of the Korean Baseball Organization draft. In his debut that year, Ryu led the league in wins (18), ERA (2.23), and strikeouts (204), earning him three pitching awards, as well as season MVP and rookie of the year honors. Ryu went on to dominate the KBO and become one of the best pitchers in South Korea. In seven seasons in the KBO, he appeared in 190 games, compiling a 98-52 record with one save and a 2.80 ERA.
He also excelled in international competition. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he pitched a complete game shutout against Canada. He also started the gold medal game against Cuba, going 2-0 with a 1.04 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 17⅓ innings. Ryu’s stellar performance helped South Korea win an Olympic gold medal and put him on the international map as he received military service benefits. After the 2012 season, Ryu entered the major leagues through the posting system. The Los Angeles Dodgers won the bidding war for Ryu, spending $25.73 million, 33 cents on the dollar (about $27.9 billion at the time). Ryu eventually signed a massive six-year, $36 million contract with the Dodgers. It was a huge jackpot.
Shoulder surgery in 2015, elbow surgery in 2016, elbow ligament reconstruction last year… and he still stood tall.
Ryu’s dominance continued with the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 2013, his rookie season, he went 14-8 with a 3.00 ERA and finished fourth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting. The following year, Ryu won 14 games again, but before the 2015 season, he underwent Tommy John surgery on his left shoulder. His second major surgery since his high school days. It was the most sensitive part of the pitcher’s shoulder, but Ryu persevered. In September 2016, he underwent arthroscopic surgery on his elbow.
Since then, Ryu has made a miraculous comeback. In 2019, he went 14-5 and led the National League in ERA (2.32). He also finished second in the Cy Young Award voting. As a result, accepting a qualifying offer from the Los Angeles Dodgers at the end of the 2018 season (a one-year contract offered to a free agent by the original club, with a salary equal to the average of the top 125 highest-paid pitchers in the big leagues) was a gesture of faith. He ended up signing a four-year, $80 million free agent jackpot deal with Toronto ahead of the 2020 season. After fulfilling his role in Toronto, Ryu went under the knife last June for the second elbow ligament reconstruction surgery of his career. After a year and two months of rehabilitation, he returned to the major leagues and is currently writing a human triumph drama. In seven starts since his return, he is 3-2 with a 2.65 ERA, allowing 15 runs (10 earned) on 34 hits, 28 walks, and 28 strikeouts in 34 innings.
Ryu is ‘different’ from other pitchers who’ve had elbow ligament splicing surgery, and if his pace this season is any indication, he’ll be even better next year.
MLB.com noted that Ryu is different from other pitchers who have had elbow ligament splicing surgery. “Typically, it takes a while for pitchers to get back on track after undergoing elbow ligament splicing surgery. “In his seven starts since coming off the disabled list, Ryu has posted a sparkling 2.65 ERA and 1.06 WHIP (walks allowed per inning) in 34 innings. “He filled the void in our five-man rotation that was left by Alec Manoa, who was sent down to the minors twice this season.
Ryu has been pitching consistently since his return. Since his return on Aug. 2 against the Baltimore Orioles, he has slowly started to regain his form. On August 8, he pitched a four-inning no-hitter against Cleveland, allowing just one hit while walking one and striking out two. Then, against the Chicago Cubs on April 14, Ryu earned his first win of the season with five innings of two-hit ball, two walks, three strikeouts, and two runs (two earned), extending his winning streak to three games. Most importantly, he has one of the best velocity control in baseball. Ryu has shown that velocity isn’t everything in the major leagues, and he’s been able to shut down hitters with his flawless pitch design. Ryu himself has expressed great satisfaction with his curveball, saying, “I’d give it a 100 out of 100.” On September 2 against Colorado at Coors Field, he pitched five innings of four-hit ball (one home run), two walks, three strikeouts, and two runs. On Sept. 7, he allowed two runs on five hits (one homer) with one walk and five strikeouts in five innings against Oakland. Five innings in five straight games. With the exception of the first Baltimore game, he has allowed two earned runs or less in all six games since Cleveland.카지노사이트
At this rate, he’s sure to get a lot of offers after the season is over. Basically, Ryu is now a reliable five-inning starter who minimizes runs. “He’s 36 years old,” MLB.com writes, “so he’s not going to get a four-year, $80 million deal like he did last time when he hits free agency (due to his age).” “If he keeps rolling like this he could put himself in line for a lucrative multiyear pact, which seemed unlikely a month ago,” he added. In the United States, Ryu is considered a poster child for second elbow ligament reconstruction surgery. If he can keep his arm healthy, Ryu is already a proven top pitching resource. It will be interesting to see which team Ryu hits the jackpot once again after the season is over. There is already a lot of interest.