Ryu Hyun-jin’s fastball performance against Texas was impressive, with a speed of 143 km/h.
Toronto’s Hyun-jin Ryu used a slower fastball that ranks in the bottom two percent in the majors to hold the Texas offense to zero hits.
Ryu struck out five and allowed three runs in six innings against Texas at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada, today (Aug. 13).
He earned his first quality start of the season (6+ innings, 3 earned runs or less), but was unable to get any support from his team’s offense and took the loss.
Ryu pitched well against a Texas lineup that leads the American League in batting average (.266) and OPS (.793).
He gave up a two-run homer to Grossman in the fourth inning, but he wreaked havoc on the Texas lineup with his sharp delivery and seasoned command of his pitches.
What stood out most was the power of his four-seam fastball.
It topped out at 145.8 mph and averaged just 143 mph, but he didn’t give up a single hit in 25 pitches (seven hits, three walks, zero strikeouts).
Notably, of the five strikeouts he recorded on the day, three of them were on four-seam fastballs, a whopping 60%.
What makes Ryu’s fastball so effective, even with a velocity in the bottom 2% of the major leagues, is his clever delivery.
Ryu won battles with his curveball, which touched as low as 100 mph, and his fastball, which topped out at 145.8 mph, by poking it into all corners of the zone.
Three of Ryu’s five strikeouts on the day were for strikes, and he kept Texas hitters off balance.
Even more encouraging was the slight uptick in his fastball velocity.
Ryu’s average fastball velocity this season was 142.2 mph, but against Texas, it was nearly a full mph higher at 143 mph.
As Ryu continues to improve his velocity, 먹튀검증토토사이 it will be interesting to see if he can reap the rewards of this season as it comes to a close.