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The timing of Ryu Hyun-jin’s (36-Toronto Blue Jays)토토사이트 resurgence ahead of free agency is unbelievable. It’s a lucky charm that he made himself by not giving up and overcoming a hopeless situation.

Ryu started the 2023 Major League Baseball World Series away game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, on 21 July (KST), throwing 83 pitches over five innings, allowing four hits, one walk, seven strikeouts and two runs (no earned) to lead Toronto to a 10-3 victory.

It was his first win in 444 days, coming on the heels of a five-inning, two-hit shutout against the Chicago Cubs on April 14 (five innings, two runs, two hits, three strikeouts, no walks). With his second win in four starts, Ryu lowered his ERA from 2.57 to 1.89. It was his 17th consecutive scoreless inning, dating back to his last start against the Baltimore Orioles in his return from injury.

Slower, slower, slower… Pitching like a baseball guru, Ryu taught a 100-mph fireballer a lesson

Against Cincinnati, Ryu was pitching like a baseball guru. His four-seam fastball topped out at 89.6 mph (144.2 km/h) and averaged 87.4 mph (140.7 km/h), but he used four different pitches, including a changeup (38), curve (16), and cutter (11). His “slower, slower, slower” delivery was on full display, with his fastball touching as low as 105.4 mph (65.5 km/h).

He struck out seven, his most since returning from injury, with four of them coming for outs, highlighting his off-speed pitches and knife-like delivery. In the fourth inning, he struck out right-hander Noelby Marte with a series of two- and three-pitch cutters and a four-seam low to the body. It was like a machine, and it came in exactly the same way. It’s a hard pitch to hit, and the batsman was stuck with another ball.

Ryu struck out Noelby Marte on three pitches in the fourth inning. Two or three pitches almost overlap. /MLB.com Gameday

Ryu’s seven-pitch four-seam fastball to T.J. Hopkins in the fifth inning was just out of the zone but was called a strike. /MLB.com Gameday
In the fifth inning, on a full count, Ryu threw a seven-pitch 89.5 mph (144.0 km/h) four-seam fastball deep to the body against T.J. Hopkins that was just out of the zone. Hopkins, however, thought he had a strike and headed for the dugout before the umpire’s call was made. The pitch was so good that it fooled the batter into thinking it was a strike. Eli De La Cruz, the final batter of the fifth inning, fouled off Ryu’s second-pitch high 88.2-mph (141.9-kilometre) four-seam fastball outside and froze on his third-pitch low 66.8-mph (107.5-kilometre) curveball in the middle for a groundout.

Cincinnati’s other starter on the day, right-handed fireballer Hunter Green, making his first start in two months since June 18 against the Houston Astros following a right hip injury, contrasted with Ryu by allowing nine runs (eight earned) on 10 hits (five homers) with three walks and four strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings. He suffered his fifth loss of the season (2-2) and saw his ERA soar from 3.93 to 4.72.

Green threw a fastball that topped out at 100.3 mph (161.4 km/h) and averaged 98.4 mph (158.4 km/h) on the day, but hitters read his pitches well. A four-seam (51), a slider (32), and a changeup (7) made up a virtually monotonous two-pitch arsenal, all of which were fastballs, so hitters got used to them. It was an iconic game that proved that even in the era of the fastball revolution, a pitcher’s best qualities are command and taking away hitters’ timing.

[Photo] Hunter Green of the Cincinnati Reds. ⓒGettyimages (All rights reserved)

[Photo] Ryu Hyun-jin of the Toronto Blue Jays. ⓒGettyimages (All rights reserved)

“14 months after Tommy John surgery…he’s rewriting the script,” Toronto media praise

After the game, the Toronto Star, a Canadian media outlet, said, “Let’s not forget about Ryu Hyun-jin’s performance. Making his fourth start since undergoing Tommy John surgery in June last year, the 36-year-old hasn’t allowed an earned run in 14 innings in his last three games. It usually takes pitchers 12 to 18 months to return to the big leagues after Tommy John surgery, so it’s not surprising to see him healthy now. What is surprising is how well Ryu has been performing.

“It takes 18 to 24 months for a pitcher to regain his pre-injury command and control. For a veteran, it’s like food for thought. Ryu, who has never been a pitcher who overwhelmed hitters with power, never topped 90 mph (144.8 km/h) on the day, averaging 87.4 mph (140.7 km/h), but it was a tricky trick. He kept hitters off-balance with a great mix of pitches and threw every weapon in his arsenal for strikes.”This is not the kind of pitching a pitcher coming off Tommy John surgery should be doing 14 months later. But Ryu is rewriting the script,” praising his ability to defy conventional wisdom.

MLB.com also said, “It was a reminder of what Ryu is capable of at his best. He doesn’t throw harder than other pitchers, he doesn’t have a ‘wow’ pitch, but he’s smart. He reads hitters’ swings and thoughts better than anyone else, which makes him dangerous for young or aggressive hitters. De La Cruz is a perfect example. In two two-strike counts, he struck out on a 66 mph (106.2 km/h) and 67 mph (107.8 km/h) curveball.” “Ryu has come back faster and in better shape than we expected in spring training.

Ryu’s four-year, $80 million free agent contract with Toronto ends after this season. Normally, pitchers with a Tommy John prognosis would have a hard time getting a good deal in free agency, but Ryu is different. After a career-high season with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2019, where he led the National League in ERA (2.32) and finished second in the Cy Young Award, Ryu is set to receive another big contract this winter.

His age in his mid-to-late 30s will prevent him from signing a long-term deal, but he should be able to get a one- or two-year deal worth $10 million or more per year. In his mid-30s, a second Tommy John surgery left him in a hopeless situation, but Ryu persevered with his rehabilitation. His comeback came at the perfect time, and he is now calling his own shots. Read more at /waw@osen.co.kr

[Photo] Ryu Hyun-jin of the Toronto Blue Jays. ⓒGettyimages (All rights reserved)

[Photo] Ryu Hyun-jin of the Toronto Blue Jays. ⓒGettyimages (All rights reserved)