TORONTO, ONTARIO - AUGUST 31: Hyun Jin Ryu #99 of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches to the Baltimore Orioles in the first inning during their MLB game at the Rogers Centre on August 31, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images)
When the Toronto Blue Jays signed Hyun-Jin Ryu to a four-year, 80-million-dollar contract, they expected him to be an anchor in the starting rotation.
In his first season with Toronto, Ryu was exactly that. In twelve regular-season starts, the “Korean Monster” pitched to the tune of a 2.69 ERA that helped him finish third in AL Cy Young voting.