Toronto, which started a full-fledged challenge for the presidency, poured a lot of money into building a stable starting rotation. Of the 30 major league teams, only a handful of them have invested more money in rotation than Toronto. A total of 420 million dollars (about 555.3 billion won) was spent on five people.
Along the way, Hyunjin Ryu (4 years, $80 million), Jose Berrios (7 years, $131 million), Kevin Gaussman (5 years, $111 million), Kikuchi Yusei (3 years, $36 million), and Chris Veteran starting pitchers gathered in one place until the bash (3 years, $63 million). It has been a pleasure to watch the development of team prospect Alec Manoa. It was also evaluated that it built the strongest rotation among teams in the Eastern Division of the American League this year. However, once I got on it, the taste of the roller coaster was right.
The Toronto starting lineup is recording an average ERA of 4.22 until the 8th (Korean time). 13th in the league, a figure that does not match the amount invested. It is comforting that he played the second most innings in the league (196⅓ innings), but it was not a high-quality inning. Even though the players throw well, it suddenly collapses and the calculation becomes difficult. It is literally a roller coaster with steep uphill and downhill slopes.
In fact, the starters who were battered in 4 consecutive matches against Boston threw well in 3 consecutive matches against Pittsburgh. It’s fortunate that it doesn’t collapse too much, but it doesn’t live up to Toronto’s expectations. There is no player with an average ERA in the 5-point range, but the reality of the Toronto rotation is that there is no player with an average ERA in the 2-point range, which is the symbol of an ace. Kikuchi has the best ERA at 3.35, followed by Gaussman (3.86), Bassitt (4.28), Manoa (4.71) and Berrios (4.91).메이저사이트
North American sports media ‘The Athletic’ picked this undulating rotation due to Toronto’s problems in the power rankings announced on the 9th (Korean time). ‘The Athletic’ points out that the Toronto starting lineup is on a rollercoaster ride, saying, ‘The upcoming schedule is tough. Toronto faces Philadelphia, Atlanta, New York Yankees, Baltimore, Tampa Bay and Minnesota. All of them are a team capable of advancing to the playoffs.”
At the same time, Ryu Hyun-jin, who is undergoing elbow ligament reconstruction surgery (Tommy John surgery) and is being reconstructed, was selected as a ‘player I wish you were here’. ‘The Athletic’ said, ‘At times like this, experience is important. Hyun-Jin Ryu is Toronto’s longest-serving pitcher and debuted earlier than any other pitcher on the starting list. I played long enough to know how to play a stable game,” he recalled, saying, “In 2019, when Ryu Hyun-jin finished second in the Cy Young Award voting, Ryu Hyun-jin helped the Los Angeles Dodgers win 106 wins.”
The year 2019, which is remembered as Ryu Hyun-jin’s heyday, did not have severe ups and downs. He was the driving force behind the National League’s highest earned run average of 2.32. At the time of 2019, Ryu Hyun-jin played a total of 29 games, and he only scored 5 or more runs in 3 games. Even when he was playing as Toronto’s ace in 2020, he had only two games of 4 runs or more in 12 games. He has never had a game with more than 6 runs, which he regards as a symbol of hunting.
‘The Athletic’ raised expectations, saying, ‘Ryu Hyun-jin is still recovering from Tommy John surgery, but he could return later this summer if Toronto is still on a roller coaster ride.’
Toronto coach John Schneider said during spring training that if Ryu Hyun-jin returns from rehabilitation, he will be included in the starting rotation right away. Ryu Hyun-jin cannot lead the rotation alone, but the addition of one more stable pitcher who can break the losing streak and continue the winning streak is a big plus for Toronto. His need is great, and his position is strong. The key is for him to come back healthy.