Jae Kuk Ryu
| IP | 39 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 7.615 |
| WHIP | 1.846 |
| BB/9 | 4.154 |
| SO/9 | 7.385 |
- Full name Jae Kuk Ryu
- Born 05/30/1983 in Choon Chung Do, South Korea
- Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 225 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Duk Soo
- Debut 05/14/2006
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Ryu rode a roller coaster to the majors, finally arriving in Chicago last May. He signed for $1.6 million out of Korea in 2001 and made national headlines two years later when he killed an osprey by knocking it off its perch at Daytona's Jackie Robinson Ballpark with a thrown baseball. He came down with elbow tendinitis in 2004, limiting him to 30 innings. Ryu has lost velocity since, dropping from 92-93 mph to 88-89, but has found success by mixing four pitches. His best offering is his changeup, and he also throws a slider and curveball. Ryu stands out more for his command than his pure stuff. He was so conscious of not issuing walks when he got to the big leagues that he went too far in the other direction, laying the ball over the plate. Not surprisingly, he got hammered, and the Cubs hope he learned that he has to change speeds and live on the corners of the plate. He doesn't have the same ceiling he once did, but he still could become a back-of-the-rotation starter. As with Juan Mateo, Ryu probably is looking at a middle-relief role if he makes the Chicago staff this season. -
When the Cubs signed Ryu out of Korea for $1.6 million in 2001, they figured he'd be contributing at the major league level by now. But when it seemed he might never be remembered for anything beyond killing an osprey by throwing a baseball that knocked it from its perch at Daytona's Jackie Robinson Ballpark in 2003, Ryu turned his career around last year. Hammered in Double-A in 2003 and hampered by elbow tendinitis in 2004, he came back to lead the Southern League in innings and prompted Chicago to protect him on its 40-man roster. Ryu has the best command in the system. He doesn't have a plus pitch, but he can locate all four of his offerings: a fastball that sits at 88-89 mph and maxes out at 91, slider, curveball and changeup. He mixes his pitches well and shows the ability to speed hitters' bats up or slow them down as needed. Ryu used to pitch in the low 90s but still was effective with reduced velocity in 2005. He also seemed to mature after the osprey incident and problems with teammates in the past. Some club officials still wish he were more competitive and took pitching more seriously. If he can build on his development in Triple-A, Ryu likely will make his big league debut this year. -
Ryu may be the most frustrating player in the system, especially considering he signed for $1.6 million. He has made his biggest headlines for killing an osprey in April 2003, throwing a baseball that knocked it from its perch at Daytona's Jackie Robinson Ballpark. He also has had run-ins with teammates, leading to questions about his makeup. Ryu opened 2004 on the disabled list with elbow tendinitis and worked just 26 innings. Also plagued by weakness in his lower back, he got hammered in an Arizona Fall League assignment. Ryu has shown the ability to throw three good pitches for strikes. He has a 92-93 mph fastball, a curveball and a changeup that has some run to it. But he needs to get healthy and grow up. Though he'll probably pitch out of the rotation this year in high Class A or Double-A, he may not be more than a reliever in the majors. -
Ryu has pitched well since the Cubs signed him out of Korea for $1.6 million, but his performance and potential were overshadowed by an incident in April 2003. Ryu killed an osprey by throwing a baseball and knocking it from its perch atop a light pole at Daytona's Jackie Robinson Ballpark. He dominated low Class A after a punitive demotion, then was inconsistent in his first try at Double-A. Ryu can toy with hitters when he's on. His 92-93 mph fastball and his curveball are his primary pitches, and he commands them well. He gets good run on his changeup. Ryu could use better control of his changeup, and his overall command deteriorated in Double-A. Some Cubs officials aren't enamored with his splitter. But his biggest need is to mature and acclimate himself to the United States. In addition to the osprey attack, Ryu also has had multiple run-ins with teammates. Ryu wasn't ready for Double-A last year, but the Cubs couldn't send him back to Daytona. He'll get another shot in 2004. -
The last major signee for former Pacific Rim coordinator Leon Lee, who's now coaching with Japan's Orix Blue Wave, Ryu has been impressive since agreeing to a $1.6 million bonus in June 2001. He was untouchable in the Arizona League that summer, and easily held his own as one of the youngest pitchers in the Northwest League last year. Ryu initially struggled after a late-season promotion to the low Class A Midwest League, but he came on in the playoffs to win his first start and strike out 10 in 52⁄3 innings in his second. Ryu throws a 90-96 mph fastball on a nice downward plane, and his curveball gives him a second plus pitch. He uses both a deceptive splitter and a changeup to keep hitters off balance. His mechanics are smooth and he has decent command. At this point, Ryu just needs more innings to refine his command and improve the consistency of all his pitches. He doesn't use his fastball as much as he should. Ryu didn't know how to prepare and lacked a place to work out when he returned to Korea after the 2001 season, so he wasn't fully ready for spring training in 2002. Those situations have been rectified, so he could make even more progress this year, which he'll start back in low Class A. -
Chicago struck prospect gold when it signed slugger Hee Seop Choi out of Korea for $1.2 million in March 1999, and eight months later they added potential backup catcher Yoon- Min Kweon from the same nation. Pacific Rim coordinator Leon Lee scored another bluechipper last June when he signed Ryu for $1.6 million. Lee had followed him for a year and saw him strike out 20 in seven innings in one of his final high school games. The Cubs believe Ryu would have been a low first-round pick had he been eligible for the 2001 draft. Red tape prevented him from making his U.S. debut until August, when he allowed just one earned run in four Arizona League starts. He already throws 90-95 mph as a teenager, has a tight rotation on his curveball and the makings of a changeup. His breaking ball gets a little slurvy at times and his change still needs improvement, but all of the ingredients are there. Ryu's intelligence and feel for pitching are so advanced that a good spring will allow him to head to full-season ball before he turns 19.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Ryu wouldn't have returned to the MWL in 2003 if not for the well-publicized incident in which he killed an osprey with a baseball while in the high Class A Florida State League. Demoted as a punishment, he also had some makeup issues with Lansing. But he was effective when he took the mound and earned a promotion to Double-A. Much more confident than in last year's stay with Lansing, Ryu kept hitters off balance by mixing his pitches and speed. He commands his 92-93 mph fastball and curveball well, and also throws a splitter and a changeup with nice run. Though he wasn't consistent enough to fool Double-A hitters, Ryu's immaturity is his greatest weakness. -
The Cubs have been as active as any organization in Korea, bringing first baseman Hee Seop Choi through to the big leagues. They now have another gem in Ryu, who finished the season in the low Class A Midwest League. While he didn't dominate the NWL, he showed a repertoire of plus pitches that helped him overcome his inexperience. Ryu uses his 6-foot-3 frame well, getting a good downhill plane and leverage on his fastball, which touches 95-96 mph and usually sits at 90-92. As is the case with Sisco, the Cubs are trying to get Ryu to pitch off his fastball more. Like many Asian pitchers, he can throw his splitter for strikes, has an above-average curveball and the makings of a good changeup. He showed solid command of all four offerings. "I liked him better than the lefties on their staff," Tri-City manager Ron Gideon said. "They were good, but here's a guy with a smooth delivery, a pro body, (he) throws four pitches for strikes and mixes all of them up. He was impressive."
