The Los Angeles Dodgers’ starting staff has been led by ace Clayton Kershaw for several years running now and consistently been considered among the best in baseball.
While Kershaw is always the one in the discussion for the Cy Young Award and other accolades, quality arms such as Hyun-Jin Ryu, Rich Hill and Kenta Maeda have also played a big part in the Dodgers’ run of success.
Ryu, in particular, has really taken his game to the next level over the last two seasons. While Ryu may not be getting much recognition for it around the league, he is getting some love in his own clubhouse as Hill recently sung his praise, as seen on SportsNet LA:
“Yeah, 100% underrated. His ability to make pitches in very important counts, his ability to have the feel for all of his pitches — changeup; cutter; curveball, which he can changes shapes on, bend it from 12 to six, 11 to five, 10 to four — but really his overall feel for what he can do with a baseball. I really believe you can take a scouting report and just have him face any lineup and he would be able to go out there and dominate with just his ability to pitch.”
Ryu had a career year for the Dodgers in 2018 despite being limited to 15 starts because of a significant groin tear. While logging 82.1 total innings, he went 7-3 with a 1.97 ERA, 3.00 FIP and 1.01 WHIP with 89 strikeouts and 15 walks.
He wound up accepting the Dodgers’ qualifying offer this past offseason to remain with the team for at least one more season, and so far it has worked out well for both sides.
In his first seven starts in 2019, Ryu has proven that his 2018 success was not a fluke. He is 4-1 with a 2.03 ERA, 2.99 FIP and 0.81 WHIP. The 32-year-old has struck out 45 while walking just two in 44.1 innings.
The biggest issue for Ryu over the years has been his health, but if he can complete a full season in 2019 then he could put himself into the Cy Young discussion and cash in on a nice contract with the Dodgers or elsewhere next winter.
