Fastball

Former Dodgers, Blue Jays Ace Does Something No Baseball Player in History Has Done

Credit to Hyun-Jin Ryu, who just did something that no baseball player in baseball history has ever done before.

Brady Farkas

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Hyun Jin Ryu (99) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays in the fifth inning at Tropicana Field in 2023.
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Hyun Jin Ryu (99) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays in the fifth inning at Tropicana Field in 2023. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
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Congratulations are in order for former Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays ace pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu, who just became the first player in all of baseball history to accomplish this feat.

Per Daniel Kim, who covers the KBO, on social media:

Hyun-jin Ryu became 1st ever pitcher to start both #KBO and #MLB All-Star game tonight. #HanwhaEagles #Dodgers #ASG

The 37-year-old Ryu signed a deal in Korea this past offseason after spending 10 years in the big leagues with the Dodgers and Blue Jays. He signed an eight-year contract worth more than $12 million (US) that will run until he's 45 years old. While there's always a chance that he doesn't reach the end of the contract, this is a great way for him to pitch in front of fans who supported him before ever came to the US.

Ryu did have major league interest before returning to Korea. The San Diego Padres, for instance, were connected to him. Assuming his major league career is done, Ryu finishes at 78-48 lifetime with a 3.27 ERA. He threw more than 1,000 major league innings and was an All-Star in 2019, the year he started the game. He received Cy Young votes in two separate seasons and won the ERA crown in 2019.

In Korea this year, he's 5-5 with a 3.62 ERA. He has 103 career wins in the KBO, meaning he has a very solid chance of hitting the 200-win plateau across his entire career. He's at 181 right now.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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