"Don't trust the defense..." Hanwha Ryu Hyun-jin, who was lonely, said, "I believe unconditionally now" → Why 'a new history of strikeouts' was possible [the scene of Incheon]

*This content was translated by AI.

"Now you have to trust the beast unconditionally."

He struck out 1,500 in just 10 seasons. After 11 years in the United States, he achieved it as the oldest, but at the same time, he was listed as the main character of the minimum game record. Nevertheless, Ryu Hyun-jin (39, Hanwha Eagles) lowered his posture.

Ryu Hyun-jin started the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League away game against SSG Landers at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 7th and threw 93 pitches in 6 innings, allowing four hits, two walks, and 10 strikeouts.

Ryu Hyun-jin, who missed the victory due to bullpen difficulties after pitching two runs (one earned) in five innings in his first appearance of the season against KT Wiz on the 1st, won his first win of the season with a solid pitch even in the cold weather.

The maximum speed of the fastball hit 146km/h, and the sweeper also mixed 41 fastball, 18 change-ups, and 13 cutters and curves to 8 pitches, overwhelming the SSG lineup with various repertoires.

It is a more meaningful victory because SSG was ranked first alone with 7 wins and 1 loss in eight games with the overwhelming strength of the opponent's batters. SSG was the strongest lineup in the early days of the season, scoring 68 points in eight games and an average of 8.5 points per game, but failed to perform well in front of Ryu Hyun-jin.

Ryu Hyun-jin struck out Guillermo Herredia on three pitches in the bottom of the first inning, setting a career record of 1,500 strikeouts in the KBO league. It is the seventh record in KBO history, and Ryu Hyun-jin reached this record in just 10 seasons except for 11 years when he played in the U.S.

He beat Song Jin-woo (36 years, 5 months and 26 days at the time) in 2002 to become the oldest player in history (39 years, 13 days) with 1,500 strikeouts, which is also the minimum game record. It was achieved in 246 games, 55 faster than the legendary Sun Dong-yeol, who set this record in 301 games in 1994. This figure is possible only when an average of 150 are caught every season.

Yang Hyun-jong (KIA) is ranked first in this category with 2,189 overall, and Ryu Hyun-jin is overwhelmingly ranked first with 2,443 if he includes 934 caught in the Major League.

In addition, he struck out 10 on the same day, which is the first time in 13 years and 6 months since the Nexen Heroes match (one run and 12 strikeouts in 10 innings) on October 4, 2012, the last game before Ryu Hyun-jin entered the big league in the KBO League, and 13 years and 8 months since the regular innings on July 24, 2012 against the Lotte Giants (three runs and 10 strikeouts in 9 innings).

It was the first time in nearly seven years since the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates (two runs with 10 strikeouts in seven innings) on April 27, 2019, when he recorded a career high in the Major League. As I got older, I naturally had no choice but to reduce strikeouts as I operated with more weight on sophisticated control and seasoned hand-to-hand combat than strength.

Therefore, it is quite surprising to have 10 strikeouts and wins against the strongest lineup at this point.

Ryu Hyun-jin, who heard about the record after the game, said, "I have no desire for strikeouts at all," but added, "It would be nice to have a day like this once in a while. It's good to have a double-digit strikeout for the first time in a long time," he said.

Ryu Hyun-jin, who looked back on his days in the KBO League more than 10 years ago, said, "Even then, I didn't throw with the intention of striking out. Unlike now, there has been a change in restraint because it can be used when using strength, but it seems to be difficult these days. "I don't think we can catch him just by striking out," he explained.

In the process of giving advice to promising players at that time, "You shouldn't trust the defense and throw it. The statement that "you have to catch it" became a hot topic, but there was also a joke that Ryu Hyun-jin had to strike out in line with Hanwha's unstable defense situation at the time.

Ryu Hyun-jin said, "Now, I have to trust the fielder unconditionally," adding, "I think I have to trust the fielder because I'm very poor at striking out."

It's not a pointless remark. Ryu Hyun-jin threw a funny 150km/h, but his maximum speed was only 146km on the day. Ironically, this is the point where Ryu Hyun-jin's long run is rather possible.

He throws aggressive pitching with the idea of using more fielders to catch batters than before, and adds excellent control and various pitches that can mislead batters, so he can continue to play in advantageous counts. As a result, it has the upper hand in the physical fight, which is still the reason to get many strikeouts.

Temperament that is stronger to cold than heat is also affecting the rise in the early part of the season. Ryu Hyun-jin said, "I think it's better to throw on a cool day than on a hot day," adding, "So I was throwing well even when I had a breath at the beginning of the season, and I was preparing in the dugout to stay warm as much as possible, and that helped me a lot."

He has allowed four runs (three earned runs) in 11 innings in two games, 14 strikeouts and an ERA of 2.45. The stronger lineup is also a factor that makes us look forward to Ryu Hyun-jin's season. Ryu Hyun-jin said, "I think I'll get a lot of help. "There were a lot of big innings in previous games," he said, expressing his expectation, "I hope that when I take the mound, I will be able to score a lot in a fast inning, so that I can throw longer innings with a more comfortable mind."

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*This content was translated by AI.