For the better part of a decade, Clayton Kershaw has been perhaps the definitive star of the Los Angeles Dodgers. After three National League Cy Young awards, an MVP, 154 wins and a 2.40 career ERA, Kershaw has not only become one of the best pitchers in Dodger history, but one of the best pitchers in the history of baseball.
And yet, Kershaw's era of dominance may be waning. Although he has still been tremendous over the last three seasons, Kershaw has experienced a litany of injuries, and last year he posted the lowest K/9 (8.6) since his rookie season in 2008. Then of course, there are notable the postseason struggles that have plagued Kershaw's legacy as he remains without a World Series ring.
While Walker Buehler's tremendous rookie season and dominant performance in Game 3 of the 2018 World Series seemed to suggest that he was the next star on the rise, the alpha dog in the Dodgers' rotation could actually be another Los Angeles lifer.
Hyun-Jin Ryu first made his big-league debut in 2013, when he went 14-8 in 30 starts for the Dodgers, and placed fourth in the NL Rookie of the Year voting. Since then, he has also succumbed to injuries, missing all of the 2015 season and making just a single start in 2016.
But Ryu showed just how good he can be in 15 starts for the Dodgers last season, when he posted a 1.97 ERA and career-high 9.7 K/9 in 15 starts. And this season, Ryu is proving that he belongs among the game's elite starting pitchers.
Given Kershaw's recent track record and Buehler's slow start to the 2019 season, it could be Ryu who takes up the mantle as the most notable arm in the Dodgers' pitching staff.
Another ill-fated season?
For all of his success in 2018, Ryu struggled immensely in the postseason. He posted an 8.59 ERA in two starts during the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers, and gave up four runs on six hits in his lone start during the World Series.
But with a clean bill of health, Ryu got off to a good start in 2019. The 32-year-old left-hander tossed a pair of quality starts in is first two appearances, giving up three runs in 13 innings of work while striking out 13 as well. He looked to be yet another formidable arm in a Los Angeles rotation that already possessed Kershaw, Buehler, Julio Urias and Ross Stripling.
However, another injury would rear its ugly head. Ryu was pulled after just 1 2/3 innings of work in a April 8 start against the St. Louis Cardinals, saying after the game that he had felt some tightness in his left groin. Ryu had suffered a tear to the same groin in 2018, an injury that had caused him to miss close to 10 weeks.
Needless to say, Ryu's short start as well as his injury did not bode well for a Dodgers team that desperately needed strong starting pitching to match their tremendous early-season offensive output.
Ryu would return on April 20 against the Brewers, but he did not look quite the same as he battled through 5 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on six hits while striking out nine. He threw 92 pitches and allowed a pair of homers, seemingly lacking the command that had made him so lethal in 2018 and during his first two starts of the new season.
Back to business
Since that first start off the Injured List, Ryu has been nothing short of tremendous. In his last three starts, Ryu has given up just three runs in 24 innings of work, capped by a complete-game shutout against the Atlanta Braves on May 7.
Ryu has lowered his ERA to 2.03 (as of May 7), ranking fourth in the MLB in ERA and tied for 12th in terms of starting pitcher fWAR, according to FanGraphs. Similarly, Ryu leads the majors in terms of Expected Fielding Independent Pitching (xFIP) and has the lowest BB/9 rate (0.4) in the bigs.
After allowing at least one homer in each of his first five starts, Ryu has not given up a round-tripper in his last two appearances, scattering one run and eight hits across 17 innings of work.
There is no question that Ryu has the combination of power stuff and command to maintain this level of excellence. He currently has a 9.1 K/9 to match that MLB-best walk rate, and a 22.50 SO/W that also ranks at the top of the league. With a career-best 6.9 H/9 to boot, Ryu has proven to be exceptionally efficient in his work.
While Ryu hardly has the velocity of his contemporary Walker Buehler (average fastball velocity of just over 90 mph) he mixes in each of his five pitches with regular consistency. The increased use of the changeup has paid big dividends, as Ryu was running a 7.8 pitch value with the change after his May 7 start against the Braves.
Likewise, Ryu's cutter that runs in on righties and can back-door left-handed hitters has made him equally effective against opponents from both sides of the plate.
With the bulky left-hander settling into his groove, the sky might be the limit for a Dodgers rotation that has depth (Rich Hill has only made a pair of starts this year) and versatility.
Making his mark
Kershaw was the big storyline heading into the winter, having signed a three-year, $93 million extension that made him one of the highest-paid players in baseball.
Ryu, meanwhile, accepted a qualifying offer for one year and $17.9 million, making him the fourth-highest paid pitcher (behind Kershaw, Hill and closer Kenley Jansen) on his own team.
However, the Dodgers could use a new leader in the rotation. While Kershaw has left an indelible mark on this franchise, his postseason struggles have dogged him throughout his career, and do not appear to be going away anytime soon.
Ryu is actually a year older than Kershaw, and his veteran contributions this season could give Kershaw and the Dodgers a true no. 2 starter heading into October.
With all of the focus on Kershaw, Buehler and some of the other youngsters in the Dodgers lineup, Ryu has fallen under the radar, which might just suit him perfectly as he looks to establish himself as a legitimate ace in a contract season.
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