The “Korean Monster” Ryu Hyun-jin, 36, who is a free agent in Major League Baseball (MLB), has received positive reviews locally.
MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, introduced Ryu in an article titled “7 free agents looking to shake off injury-riddled seasons” on Sept. 24 (Tuesday).
“Ryu made a successful comeback after undergoing the second elbow ligament reconstruction surgery of his career (Tommy John surgery),” MLB.com said. “He pitched 52 innings in 11 starts in the 2023 season, posting a 3.46 ERA.”
“His trademark command has regained its strength, and he ranks tied for fourth in MLB in the percentage of pitches in the strike zone (47.6 percent) among pitchers with at least 750 pitches.”
According to MLB stats site BaseballSabermetrics, 395 of the 830 pitches Ryu has thrown this year have been in the “shadow zone,” the area near the strike zone.
The shadow zone is the width of the area where one pitch falls inside and outside the strike zone boundaries.
This means that even though Ryu hasn’t fully regained his velocity since returning from injury, he has a sophisticated arsenal of pitches to offset it.
“Given that he doesn’t have to rely on his hardball, Ryu could have a successful 2024 season, when he’ll be 37,” MLB.com said.
It’s an encouraging assessment, given the recent string of pessimistic projections for Ryu.
Earlier, ESPN’s Jeff Passan ranked Ryu as a Tier 6 free agent, and baseball statistician Dan Zimboski projected Ryu’s 2024 season with a 6-5 record and 4.38 ERA in 17 games and 86⅓ innings. 사설토토