Ryu Hyun-jin’s slow curve, can it become the second cutter?

Ryu Hyun-jin started on the 27th (Korean time) in the 2023 Major League (MLB) home game against the Cleveland Guardians held at the Rogers Center in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and recorded 4 hits (2 homers) and 3 runs (2 earned runs) in 5 innings. . His unique pace control and brilliant ball combination stood out. Toronto won 8-3, and Ryu Hyun-jin won three consecutive victories starting with the Chicago Cubs on the 14th. Season 3 wins 1 loss, average ERA is 2.25.먹튀검증

Starting from the game against Cincinnati on the 21st, Ryu Hyun-jin overpowered batters with a slow curve of 65 to 66 miles (104.6 to 106.2 km/h). His drop was bigger than before, and his velocity was slow. In the 2021 season, which he played full-time before leaving due to an elbow injury, the average velocity of the curve was 73.9 miles (118.9 km/h), but against Cincinnati it was 68.8 miles (110.7 km/h).

Ellie de la Cruz, who created a sensation this season with her fast throw and main power, failed to match the timing of her swing to this curve, so she withdrew with a hit and strikeout, respectively.

On the 27th, the Cleveland curve also shone. At the beginning of the first inning, he struck out Oscar Gonzalez with a low curve at 106 km/h in a situation where there was no runner on one company. He displayed a 124 to 5km/h changeup, threw a slower curveball and stole the timing.

The opposite combination also worked. In the match against Gabriel Arias in the second inning without a runner, he showed the 6th curve first and put a changeup on a similar course (lower in the middle) to induce a swing.

After 2 outs in the top of the 4th inning, Andres Himenez, who was facing the opponent, caught a strike with the first ball curve, showed the cutter on a low course outside (based on left-handed batters), and made full use of the 64.6 mile (103.9 km/h) curve that fell further outside, making a clumsy swing. pulled out Jimenez tried controlling the bat, but the ball moved away from Jimenez’s swing as if he had a will.

Rob Friedman, known as an MLB pitching analysis expert, posted this scene on his SNS (social media) and said, “This season’s starting pitcher is the slowest among the balls that induced misses. The pitcher’s velocity is usually checked for ‘how fast’, but Ryu Hyun-jin sees how slow it is.”

In the 2017 season, when Ryu Hyun-jin returned from shoulder surgery and rehabilitation, he installed a cutter and made it a weapon comparable to a changeup. The usage rate, which was 17.9% in the 2017 season, increased to 24.4% in the 2018 season, becoming the second highest ball following the four-seam fastball (fastball). The 2019 season, which ranked first in the MLB ERA (2.32), doubled the effect by properly mixing and using the changeup of the existing main weapon.

Ryu Hyun-jin, who once again had a hiatus of over a year. This time, with a different curve, he is creating a different repertoire than before the injury. Even in the 2016 season, Ryu Hyun-jin’s curve had a large movement, with a horizontal movement of 70.5 inches (179.07 cm), but the average speed at the time was 69.7 miles (112.2 km/h), which was not much different from recent seasons. But his last two races have had a little more horizontal travel, 70.6 inches (179.324 cm), and his velocity has been much slower at 65 to 68 mph. Due to the slower and larger movements, the opponent hitter is having a hard time coping.

However, such a slow ball is highly likely to lead to a long hit if it is targeted. In the game against Cleveland on the 27th, the curve thrown by Tyler Freeman, who had not had a home run since his MLB debut, was hit hard.

As Ryu Hyun-jin’s slow curve draws attention, the analysis of relative power is likely to be strengthened. Attention is focusing on whether the curve can become Ryu Hyun-jin’s main weapon like a cutter.