■ Ryu Hyun-jin’s ‘slow curve’, why are big league hitters at a loss?
After returning, the proportion of curves increased to 18.6%,
the latest minimum speed of 104km, the ever-changing drop
width of 181.6cm, the angle became larger, and
the horizontal movement was greatly bent at 34.3cm, backed by excellent control . .’
Ryu Hyun-jin (36, Toronto Blue Jays), who came back from an elbow injury, is making a winning streak with a well-polished secret curve. Ryu Hyun-jin, who underwent left elbow ligament surgery in June of last year, returned to the big leagues after 14 months of long rehabilitation. .
The secret to Ryu Hyun-jin’s good pitching is his curve, which is much stronger than last year. The curve is a ball type in which the index and middle fingers are held on top of the seam of the ball, and the wrist is twisted while throwing. The trajectory of the curve appears to be at the height of the hitter’s head, then drops below the knee in front of home plate.
This most basic pitch has become Ryu Hyun-jin’s most reliable weapon this year. In 2021, which was a full-time season before injuring his elbow, the proportion of curveballs was 12.6% of all pitching, but this year it has increased to 18.6%. This ranks third after fastball (30.2%) and changeup (25.3%). Even last year, the proportion of curves was high at 21.0%, but at the time it was a temporary measure due to an elbow injury.
Although the proportion increased, the restraint unexpectedly decreased sharply. According to Baseball Savant, an American baseball statistics site, the average speed of the curveball this year was just 69.6 miles per hour (112 km). It is 4.3 miles (6.9 km) slower than the average speed of 73.9 miles (118.9 km) in the 2021 season before the injury. In the most recent appearance against Cleveland, the lowest speed of the curve fell to 64.6 miles per hour (104 km). Rob Friedman, an expert on major league pitching analysis, said, “It is the slowest ball that the starting pitcher has induced to miss this season. The pitcher’s velocity is usually checked for ‘how fast’, but Ryu Hyun-jin sees ‘how slow’ it is,” he explained.
In general, it is common knowledge that slow balls are easily attacked by hitters. However, Hyunjin Ryu’s batting average is only 0.182. This is because he is slower but has a bigger curve and a big drop.메이저놀이터
In fact, compared to the season when Ryu Hyun-jin was healthy, the curve’s drop and bending trajectory have changed significantly. In the 2021 season, he threw a curveball that dropped 64.2 inches (163 cm) from the release point. Also, in the 2019 season, when he ranked first in the national league average ERA, his drop was 66.1 inches (167.9 cm). But this year, it drops even more to 71.5 inches (181.6 cm). This is 2 inches (5.1 cm) higher than the league average. The ball’s horizontal movement (movement) has also improved noticeably. In 2021, it was 11.7 inches (29.7 cm) in the opposite direction from the throwing hand, but this year it is bent even more at 13.5 inches (34.3 cm).
A data expert from a club in the metropolitan area hinted, “When looking at professional data, Ryu Hyun-jin is in the process of becoming a curve master.” It is close to 30 km per hour faster than the average speed of this year’s fastball, and it is difficult for opponents to respond to it because it has a large bend and a falling drop. Opponent hitters’ swing-miss rate against actual curves has risen from 13.3% in 2021 to 36.1% this year. However, no matter how excellent the ball is, it is useless if it is not supported by the control. Ryu Hyun-jin’s pitching is already well-known in the major leagues. If you look at the distribution of Ryu Hyun-jin’s pitches, he put all of them in the strike zone except for intentionally low pitches to induce miss swings. It’s not easy to hit the ball he threw because he’s cleverly fighting the ball count here. Major League commentator Song Jae-woo said, “Not long ago, in the major leagues, as modified fastballs such as cut fastballs became very popular, slow breaking balls became rare. Ryu Hyun-jin reads the trend of this era well and is using a slow curve as a deciding ball. Ryu Hyun-jin is a really smart pitcher,” he praised.