John Lepore | December 22nd, 2019
Left-handed starter Hyun-Jin Ryu has signed a 4-year/$80 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. As a 32-year-old pitcher, Ryu had his best season in 2019 leading the league in ERA at 2.32. Let’s take a look at what the Korean star brings to his new team.
Hyun-Jin Ryu was signed to a 6-year/$36 million dollar contract before the 2013 season by the Los Angeles Dodgers. He would start 30 games that year and pitch to an even 3.00 ERA (3.24 FIP), a 1.203 WHIP, and a solid 3.14 K/BB rate. He finished fourth in the NL ROY voting that year and looked to be on pace to co-anchor the staff with fellow lefty Clayton Kershaw.
Ryu missed the 2015 season and all but one start in 2016 due to surgeries on his labrum and elbow. While his comeback in 2017 was somewhat underwhelming, his past two years have been excellent. In 44 starts combined between 2018 and 2019 he’s put up these numbers:
Record: 21-8
ERA: 2.21
IP: 265
K/BB: 252/39
HRs Allowed: 26
WHIP: 1.008
FIP: 3.07
ERA+: 187
The Toronto Blue Jays are getting an excellent pitcher. While health is always an issue, especially for someone with the arm issues he’s had, he has only thrown 740.1 innings in the major leagues. There isn’t a lot of mileage on the arm and although he will be 33 years old in March, the lefty can be a solid top of the rotation pitcher for the Jays’ staff for the duration of the contract.
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