The Toronto Blue Jays advanced to the postseason in third place as a wild card, overcoming a competition rate of 2 to 1. However, it appears that ‘Korean Monster’ Ryu Hyun-jin (36) will not be given a postseason starting spot. Local media reports that there is a high possibility that Ryu Hyun-jin, who has been a starting pitcher throughout his career, will not be used as a bullpen member.
Ryu Hyun-jin’s team, Toronto, lost 8-12 to Tampa Bay in the final game of the 2023 American Major League on the 2nd (Korean time). Toronto, with a season record of 89 wins and 73 losses, was confirmed to advance to the postseason as a wild card third place following Tampa Bay with 99 wins and 63 losses and the Texas Rangers with 90 wins and 72 losses.
toronto, ranked third in the wild card, will play a wild card series of best of three against the Minnesota Twins (87 wins, 75 losses), the Central Division champions with the lowest winning percentage among the American League’s three division champions.
In the wild card series, which is a best-of-three series, three starting pitchers are needed. In the Division Series (DS), which is a best-of-five series, three or four starting pitchers are needed. Depending on the circumstances of each team’s starting lineup, a team with a weak 4th starter will use a 3-starter system by having the 1st and 2nd starters pitch twice, while a team with a reliable 4th starter will use a 4-starter system by entrusting the 1st starter to the 5th game.
mlb.com excluded Ryu Hyun-jin’s name while predicting Toronto’s postseason starting rotation. It is expected that the starting lineup will consist of Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassett, Jose Berrios, and Yusei Kikuchi. The bullpen was also expected to consist of eight professional bullpen members, including Jordan Romano, who will play a closing role, as well as Eric Swanson, Imi Garcia, Jordan Hicks, Tim Mazaya, Genesis Cabrera, Chad Green, and Trevor Richards. Although Ryu Hyun-jin can take on the long man role, it is believed that Ryu Hyun-jin, who has played only as a starter throughout his career, will not be used as a bullpen.
oronto’s roster.”
Ryu Hyun-jin, who underwent left elbow ligament fusion surgery in June of last year and went through a 14-month rehabilitation process before returning to the big league stage in a game against the Baltimore Orioles on August 2, appeared in 11 games this season and pitched 52 innings. He posted decent results with 3 wins, 3 losses, and an ERA of 3.46, but with Gauzman, Bassett, Berrios, and Kikuchi already playing the season full-time, it is difficult for Ryu Hyun-jin, who has a small sample, to squeeze in between them.
Just by changing the starting order of Ryu Hyun-jin, who was originally scheduled to start on the 30th of last month, and Kikuchi, who was scheduled to start on the 1st of this month, you can see that the Toronto coaching staff has more trust in Kikuchi, who played the entire season, than in Ryu Hyun-jin.
Kikuchi, the fourth starter, will be used as a bullpen agent in the Wild Card Series. If Gausman, Bassett, and Berrios form the starting lineup, Kikuchi is expected to play as a long man who can pitch more than two innings depending on the game situation. Toronto coach John Schneider also said, “Kikuchi is a really good pitcher. 토토 “He can be used in a variety of ways in the postseason,” he said.
The fact that Toronto’s bullpen is the best in the major leagues in terms of quantity and quality is also bad news for Ryu Hyun-jin. There are many pitchers who can take on the long man role that Ryu Hyun-jin can play. Trevor Richards is a bullpen member with enough innings ability to often serve as a replacement starter, and Chad Green is also a possible player.
This is an assessment by the local media that reflects the view that Ryu Hyun-jin, who has only played as a starter, is not easy to play in a bullpen role where he has to warm up quickly and stand on the mound according to the situation. Perhaps the 7 hits and 2 runs allowed in 3 innings against Tampa Bay on the 1st may have been the last time he wore the Toronto uniform he has worn for 4 years. Is this really the end of Ryu Hyun-jin’s life in Toronto?