Ryu Hyun-jin, 200th Career Win in Korea and the U.S. Just One Step Away [Suwon Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

'Korean Monster' Ryu Hyun-jin (39, Hanwha Eagles) is set to challenge for his 200th career win in Korea and the U.S.

Ryu Hyun-jin will make a start against KT Wiz in an away game of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 17th.

Ryu Hyun-jin, who graduated from Changyoung Elementary, Dongsan Middle, and Dongsan High schools, was selected as the second pick in the second round of the 2006 KBO Rookie Draft by Hanwha. From his debut year, he stood out and was unusually included in the starting rotation for a high school rookie. He earned his first win in his debut game on April 12, 2006, against the LG Twins at Jamsil. Starting with that victory, he had his best season that year with 18 wins, 6 losses, 1 save, an ERA of 2.23, and 204 strikeouts in 201⅔ innings across 30 games. He led all rookie pitchers with 18 wins and won the pitcher triple crown (wins, ERA, strikeouts), becoming the first player in KBO League history to win both Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season.

Afterward, Ryu Hyun-jin recorded 98 wins over seven seasons in the KBO League until 2012 before moving to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Major League Baseball (MLB). He won 14 games in his first year and played for the Dodgers until 2019, accumulating a total of 54 wins. In 2020, he moved to the Toronto Blue Jays and added 24 wins through 2023, recording a total of 78 wins in MLB before returning to the domestic league. His overall MLB career stats were 186 games, 78 wins, 48 losses, 1 save, an ERA of 3.27, 1055⅓ innings, and 934 strikeouts.

Ahead of the 2024 season, he signed a major eight-year, 17 billion won contract with his former team Hanwha and returned to the Korean KBO League. Even after returning after 13 years, Ryu Hyun-jin's competitiveness remained intact. He recorded his first win since returning to Korea in a game against the Doosan Bears at Jamsil on April 11, 2024. He then reached 100 career wins in the KBO in a game against the SSG Landers in Daejeon on April 30. With 10 wins in his return season in 2024, 9 wins in 2025, and 4 wins this season, he has recorded a total of 199 wins as of the game on the 17th.

The batting lineup, currently showing strong offensive form, is a solid support for Ryu Hyun-jin's quest for 200 wins. Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon said, "Our players are doing well. Sometimes the bats connect well, sometimes they don't, and records take time if you don't make them quickly. I believe the players will work hard."

Noh Si-hwan, who is starting as the number one batter for the first time in his career, also said, "I didn't think much about it. The batting order doesn't matter; if I bat first, it feels like I'll bat from first to ninth in the pros. It will be fun. Since I'll be batting first, I'll get more at-bats, so I want to hit as many hits as possible to help Senior Ryu Hyun-jin reach 200 wins."

On this day, Hanwha lined up with Noh Si-hwan (third baseman), Yonatan Peraza (right fielder), Moon Hyun-bin (left fielder), Kang Baek-ho (designated hitter), Lee Jin-young (center fielder), Lee Do-yoon (second baseman), Kim Tae-yeon (first baseman), Choi Jae-hoon (catcher), and Sim Woo-jun (shortstop). The starting pitcher was Ryu Hyun-jin.

In response, KT lined up with Choi Won-jun (right fielder), Kim Min-hyuk (left fielder), Kim Hyun-soo (first baseman), Sam Hilliard (center fielder), Jang Sung-woo (designated hitter), Kim Sang-soo (second baseman), Oh Yun-seok (third baseman), Han Seung-taek (catcher), and Lee Kang-min (shortstop). The starting pitcher was Matt Sauer.

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*This content was translated by AI.