New ace Ryu under pressure
He doesn’t have much AL experience, but he’s handled tougher challenges than this
Hyun-Jin Ryu has accomplished a lot of things during his six seasons in the major leagues. He has been an all-star, a National League ERA champion and runner-up for the Cy Young Award. In four seasons, Ryu has posted an ERA of 3.38 or below. When he’s at his best, Ryu is among the game’s elite.
Despite the accolades, one thing Ryu has never been is an ace, and that’s about to change. In Los Angeles, Ryu often worked in the shadows of star left-hander Clayton Kershaw and more recently young right-hander Walker Buehler. There won’t be the same luxury in Toronto, not with the arms currently surrounding him, and not after signing the largest free-agent contract in franchise history.
There will be no more blending in, and it’s a concept Ryu is at least familiar with. The 32-year-old is a cult hero in South Korea, and there was a huge contingent of reporters from that side of the world in camp with the Blue Jays on Thursday. Ryu’s used to that. What he’s not used to is the pressure of being the main guy, the one his team uses to end a losing streak or provide rest to the bullpen.
Ryu is set to earn $80 million (U.S.) over the next four years. Expectations for his season have never been higher and it will be up to him to meet them. The good thing is that he is fully aware of the situation and doesn’t seem too concerned about it.
“To be completely honest, I’m not trying to put too much thought into that,” Ryu said through an interpreter on the first official day of spring training. “Of course, it’s nice to be counted on as an ace, but to be honest I’m just another player. We win games by having all the players put in their effort. At the same time, I do realize the expectation and the weight that comes with this kind of contract and I know exactly what the Blue Jays want from me.”
The Blue Jays want a lot. Nobody is expecting Ryu to be quite as good as last season, but they still believe he will be among the top pitchers in the league. After going 14-5 with a 2.32 ERA in 29 starts, there will be some regression.
Ryu no longer has the luxury of seeing a pitcher in the batter’s box two or three times a game. Ballparks in the AL East are also notoriously hitter friendly with the shorter dimensions leading to a high number of home runs.
The transition won’t be easy, but it’s not going to be as hard as the one Ryu made in 2013 by moving from the Korean Baseball Organization at age 26. Back then, Ryu had to deal with the culture shock associated with switching continents, adjusting to a new baseball, plus different routines and expectations than there were in his home country. Ryu hit the ground running with a 3.00 over 30 starts, but the number made the switch look a lot easier than it was.
By comparison, the move to Toronto is simple. Ryu doesn’t have a lot of experience in the AL, but he has pitched regularly in interleague play and shouldn’t be in for too many surprises when he takes the mound for the Jays on opening day against the Red Sox.
“Initially there’s always communications issues, but we have a great interpreter,” Jays pitching coach Pete Walker said. “He has been around in the States playing baseball in the major leagues, so obviously there are a lot of terms he understands, and he probably understands more than he lets on. So far, so good. Great discussions. He’s excited to be here, I know I am. The staff is excited for him to be here.”
The Jays did their homework, too. Walker has been in touch with multiple members of the Dodgers organization to pick their brains about what worked best for Ryu in the past. He has taken the same approach with the pitcher’s camp as well. The current plan seems to be: If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. At age 32, Ryu is a veteran who knows his routine better than anyone. He has already sat down with Walker and they’ve mapped out his schedule for the rest of the spring, assuming good health.
Ryu will ease in just like he does every year. He threw a 33-pitch bullpen session on Thursday, but his first few outings of the Grapefruit League season will be brief as he gradually builds up. This is a guy who has dealt with neck, groin, foot, hip, elbow and shoulder injuries over the past four-plus years. He’s a quality pitcher, but he’s not the most durable so the Jays should be expected to take every precaution early in camp to make sure Ryu is ready to go.
“I’m excited about that kid,” Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said. “He was one of the best pitchers last year in baseball. When we got him, I was excited. We got an ace. He’s an ace. What that means is that every time he takes the mound, we’ve got a chance to win. That’s all you can ask for as a manager and as a team.”
Aces mean different things to different teams. Around these parts the recent memories of a true ace involve names such as David Price and Roy Halladay, but there was a stretch when Drew Hutchison attempted to carry that mantle. The Jays hope Ryu falls in with the former, not the latter, but either way they at least finally have a true leader for the staff.