Ryu Hyun-jin of the Hanwha Eagles has become the first Korean pitcher to achieve a combined total of 2,500 strikeouts in both South Korea and Major League Baseball (MLB).
On July 19, during a home game against the Kiwoom Heroes at Daejeon Hanwha Life Eagles Park, Ryu took the mound and struck out Kwon Hyuk-bin in the second inning.
Prior to this game, Ryu had recorded 2,499 strikeouts in his career. With this strikeout, he reached the milestone of 2,500, marking the first time a domestic pitcher has achieved this feat across both Korean and American professional baseball.
In the second inning, Ryu allowed three consecutive hits, putting him in a tough spot with runners on first and third base. However, he managed to strike out Kwon Hyuk-bin on three pitches, followed by consecutive strikeouts of Yoo Dong-wook and Choo Jae-hyun, ending the inning without further damage.
After the inning, Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon congratulated Ryu with a bouquet to celebrate his achievement.
Ryu has recorded 1,566 strikeouts in the KBO and 934 in MLB. He debuted with Hanwha in 2006, where he struck out 204 batters in his first season, leading the league in strikeouts, wins, and earned run average. He became the first player in KBO history to win both Rookie of the Year and the regular season MVP in the same year.
Ryu led the league in strikeouts again in 2007, 2009, 2010, and 2012, setting a personal best of 210 strikeouts in 2012. After moving to MLB in 2013, he recorded 665 strikeouts with the Los Angeles Dodgers and 269 with the Toronto Blue Jays. Since returning to Hanwha in 2024, he has struck out 135 batters in his first year and 122 last year.
Ryu achieved his 1,500th strikeout in the KBO earlier this April, and now he has reached the milestone of 2,500 combined strikeouts in Korea and the U.S.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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