Ryu Hyun-jin (36, Toronto) has two reliable partners. The Toronto Blue Jays were evaluated as having several top catchers in the Major League (MLB).
The American media MLB Network recently selected the best 10 for each position in the big leagues, and announced the catcher rankings on the 3rd (Korean time).
The first place was JT Realmuto (32, Philadelphia). Having signed a contract with the club in 2021 for $115.5 million (approximately 141.8 billion won), he recorded 22 homers and 21 stolen bases last year, becoming the second major league catcher to join the 20-20 club.
Among star players such as Will Smith (LA Dodgers, 2nd) and Wilson Contreras (St. Louis, 5th), Alejandro Kirk (25, Toronto) was ranked 6th.
Last season, Kirk played full-time for the first time in three seasons of his big league debut. In 139 games, he recorded a batting average of 0.285, 14 homers, 63 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.786. He hit 11 home runs in the first half alone and was selected as an American League All-Star, and after the season was selected as a Silver Slugger in the catcher category. He was a player who was recognized for his long hitting power in the past, but last year he showed a more mature hitting ability.
In ninth place, another Toronto catcher engraved his name. It was Danny Jansen (28). Jansen played in 72 games last season and had a batting average of 0.260, 15 home runs, 44 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.855. He recorded career highs in home runs and batting average, and his strength, framing, was still excellent.
The two players split their playing time. Last year, Kirk started 74 games as a catcher and 49 as a designated hitter. Jansen was named in the starting lineup as a catcher in 58 games and a designated hitter in three games. 안전놀이터
Toronto was the only player to have multiple players on the MLB Network’s 10 Best Catchers list. While it was difficult for any team to find a proper starting host, Toronto played a season with two high-quality catchers.
At the end of the season, promising catcher Gabriel Moreno (23) joined. Moreno showed potential by recording a batting average of 0.319 in 25 games.
Having a good hostess means a lot to Ryu Hyun-jin. He was out of season last year due to Tommy John surgery (elbow ligament joint surgery), and he can return as early as the second half of this year. At this time, he will work with Jansen and Kirk.
Jansen was Ryu Hyun-jin’s exclusive catcher. Ryu Hyun-jin, who pitched in 49 games for three years in Toronto, worked with Jansen in 35 of them. On the other hand, he only made a battery with Kirk last year (6 hits and 5 runs in 4 innings).