RADIO
Hyun-Jin Ryu 2021 Outlook: Veteran Starter Has Plenty To Offer
4 years agoToronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu was one of the few constants in a world of uncertainty in 2020. The $80 million free agent signing was exactly what Toronto needed as he led the team in starts (12), innings (67), wins (five), and strikeouts (72). Ryu's success predates the pandemic-shortened season, however. Dating back to 2018 with the Dodgers, Ryu has a 2.30 ERA supported by a 3.06 FIP across a 332 inning sample. Ryu keeps hitters off balance with an expanded arsenal, throwing all five of his pitches at least 10 percent of the time with a 17 MPH difference between his fastball and off-speed pitches. As a result, he's one of the elite pitchers in avoiding hard contact. His 3.2 percent barrel rate last season was among the best in the game and his 86.6 MPH average exit velocity over the last three years is in the top eighth percentile in baseball. Ryu isn't a strikeout artist, he has just a 22.3 percent career K-rate, but he'll put up solid ratios and pitch plenty of innings as the ace of the Blue Jays. He's a solid second-starter for fantasy and is fair value around pick 75 in fantasy drafts.
