Ryu Hyun-jin, Who Won the Best Pitcher Award Despite Throwing Softly, Foreshadows Monster Pitching in the Second Half
He struggled in March and April, but his ERA has been the highest since May.
'The Return of the Korean Monster' Ryu Hyun-jin (37, Hanwha Eagles) received the Best Pitcher Award (prize money of 3 million won) at the 2024 KBO All-Star Game 'without using any strength'.
Ryu Hyun-jin, who enjoyed the festival and even took the prize money, will pour out the strength he saved in the second half of the season.
Ryu Hyun-jin pitched one inning as a starter for the 2024 KBO All-Star Game held at Incheon SSG Landers Field on the 6th, allowing no hits and no runs.
On this day, Ryu Hyun-jin threw 12 pitches as if he was warming up. 파워볼사이트 추천
He had already pitched 7 innings (7 hits, 2 runs) in the game against KT Wiz on the 3rd, and he could not pitch at full strength in preparation for the second half of the season starting on the 9th.
Ryu Hyun-jin only slightly increased his speed once to 134 km/h, and all of his other 11 pitches were under 130 km/h.
However, he was lucky.
Dream All-Stars 1-3, Koo Ja-wook (Samsung Lions), Jung Soo-bin, and Yang Eui-ji (all Doosan Bears), failed to attack Ryu Hyun-jin's "too slow" pitches.
Ryu Hyun-jin pitched a perfect inning and earned the win as a starter as the Nanum All-Stars won 4-2.
Ryu Hyun-jin was a starting pitcher in the Western League in 2012 before he went to the American Major League (2013) and won the Best Pitcher Award for 2 innings of no hits and no runs.
After completing his 11-year stint in the United States (2013-2023), Ryu Hyun-jin returned to Hanwha in 2024 and was selected as a KBO All-Star for the first time in 12 years.
He participated in this All-Star game without much effort, and with some luck, he won the All-Star Game Outstanding Pitcher Award for the first time in 12 years.
At the beginning of the regular season, Ryu Hyun-jin struggled.
He had a series of misfortunes, such as fielders making mistakes or balls that were hit by the batter becoming hits.
Ryu Hyun-jin's March and April records were 2 wins, 3 losses, and an ERA of 5.21 in 7 games.
At the time, his OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) was 0.641, ranking 6th, and his detailed records were respectable, but Ryu Hyun-jin was uneasy because he fell to 22nd place in the ERA category, which he considered most important.
However, Ryu Hyun-jin recovered in May, going 1 win, 1 loss, and an ERA of 3.27 in 4 games, and then rebounded in June and July, going 2 wins, 1 loss, and an ERA of 1.97 in 5 games.
Excluding the March and April records, his ERA since May is 2.50, ranking 1st in this category.
Ryu Hyun-jin finished the first half with 5 wins, 5 losses, and an ERA of 3.62.
He raised his ERA ranking, which had been pushed out of the top 20, to 9th place, and in the FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) category, which calculates only home runs, walks, and strikeouts that the pitcher can control regardless of defense, he rose to 2nd place with 3.36.
In the game against the KIA Tigers on June 23, he gave up 3 home runs, giving up a total of 5 home runs, and he gave up the title of 'fewest home runs allowed in the first half among pitchers who completed the required innings' to Doosan's Kwak Bin (allowing 4 home runs), but Ryu Hyun-jin showed off his outstanding 'long hit suppression ability' with a slugging percentage allowed of 4th (0.353).
Ryu Hyun-jin said, "There were many disappointing games at the beginning of the season.
I came back after 12 years and was so eager to show off that I tried to fight with all my might, which led to a lot of runs being conceded."
He added, "The moment I let my guard down, I felt more comfortable and my performance improved.
I think I found myself at the end of the first half of the season."
If luck is on his side, like in the All-Star Game, Ryu Hyun-jin can show even more monstrous performance in the second half.
