How healthy can Ryu Hyun-jin be?”
The future of Ryu Hyun-jin (Toronto Blue Jays), who will enter the 2023-2024 free agent market, is also being discussed little by little in the American media. After returning from Tommy John surgery and rehabilitation after 1 year and 2 months against the Baltimore Orioles on August 2nd, Ryu Hyun-jin went 3 wins, 3 losses, and an average ERA of 2.62 in 9 games.
Compared to August, when he recorded 3 wins, 1 loss, and an ERA of 2.25 in 5 games, September, when he recorded 2 losses and an ERA of 3.05 in 4 games, is slightly worse. However, even if there is no victory in September, it is a good enough move. His hitting percentage of 0.229 and WHIP of 1.12 are better than the sluggish 2021 season (hitting percentage of 0.258-WHIP 1.22) despite playing full time.
Ryu Hyun-jin’s strengths and weaknesses are clear. He is still smart as a top-level finesse pitcher in the major leagues, and the addition of a super slow curve has improved his game management ability. However, finesse features’ unique limitations, considerable age, and injury history are definite disadvantages.
In this situation, Joel Sherman of the New York Post recently reported that the New York Mets would consider signing Ryu Hyun-jin and Luis Serevino (New York Yankees) to one-year contracts. The interpretation is that the Mets will be able to prevent a rapid expansion of their payroll by reinforcing their starting lineup next year. As for the Mets, Justin Verlander (Houston Astros) and Max Scherzer (Texas Rangers) left ahead of the trade deadline. In other words, they need to find starting pitchers to back up Senga Kodai and Jose Quintana, the ‘ghost forkballers’ who signed a 5-year, $75 million (approximately 100.2 billion won) contract and have risen to Cy Young level since his debut season.
The Mets are already considered the top priority in the race to recruit Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Orix Purpalos), where a contract worth more than $100 million is being discussed. However, Sherman believes that Yamamoto alone is not enough. However, Mets fan page Rising Apple raised some questions about Sherman’s report on the 22nd (Korean time).메이저사이트
Rising Apple said, “Severino’s 2023 season was miserable. The average ERA in 19 games is 6.65 (4 wins, 8 losses). “He was recently out for the season due to an (oblique) injury, and injuries are such a common topic that he has only started 30 games twice in eight years.” In fact, he started 31 and 32 games, respectively, in the 2017-2018 season alone. Over the next four years, he appeared in only 65 games.
Still, Serevino is 29 years old. Rising Apple even mentioned Ryu Hyun-jin’s age. “Unlike Severino, Ryu Hyun-jin was successful when he pitched. He has an ERA of 2.62 this season, but the problem is that he has only made 9 starts. He started 31 games in 2021, but Ryu Hyun-jin has never started like that in 10 years in the major leagues.”
In fact, with the exception of 31 games in the 2021 season, Ryu Hyun-jin’s most starts were 30 games in 2013, the season in which he debuted with the LA Dodgers. Rising Apple asked, “What are the chances that Ryu Hyun-jin, who will enter his 37-year-old season next year, will actually be healthy when the Mets need him?”
Rising Apple was hopeful that the new CEO, Davis Stearns, would do well. At the same time, I thought it would be okay for the Mets to sign a contract with one of Ryu Hyun-jin and Severino. However, I thought it would be difficult for both of them to sign and make up 40% of the rotation. Rather, he pointed out that it would be better to check on young pitchers.