Hanwha Eagles' Ryu Hyun-jin claims monster record of 200 wins

Hanwha Eagles' Ryu Hyun-jin claims monster record of 200 wins

Published: 24 May. 2026, 19:00

Hanwha Eagles' pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin celebrates his 200th win with his family in Daejeon on May 24. [HANWHA EAGLES]

DAEJEON — When the Hanwha Eagles unexpectedly tapped a little-known high school rookie named Ryu Hyun-jin as their starting pitcher against the LG Twins at Jamsil Stadium on April 12, 2006, fans from both teams began buzzing the moment the unfamiliar pitcher struck out LG leadoff hitter Ahn Jae-man.

The “Monster,” as Ryu later came to be known, announced his arrival by throwing 7 1/3 scoreless innings in his debut to earn his first professional victory.

Twenty years later, on Sunday, Ryu reached the milestone of 200 career professional wins in front of home fans in Daejeon — his “second hometown.” Ryu led Hanwha to a 5-2 victory over the Doosan Bears after allowing two runs over 6 2/3 innings. It was his fifth win of the season and the 122nd victory of his KBO career. Combined with his 78 wins in MLB, Ryu reached 200 wins across Korea and the United States.

Ryu is the only Korean pitcher to reach 200 wins while having played in both MLB and the KBO. He also became only the second pitcher in Korean league history to record 200 professional wins regardless of league, following Song Jin-woo, the winningest Korean pitcher with 210 victories. Song became the first pitcher in league history to reach 200 wins in 2006, the same year Ryu joined Hanwha, before retiring in 2009 with his No. 21 permanently retired by the club. Twenty years later, Ryu followed in the footsteps of his former senior teammate by completing the same achievement.

Hanwha Eagles' pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin [HANWHA EAGLES]

“I remember watching Song Jin-woo

seonbae

[senior] earn his 200th win from the dugout as a rookie,” Ryu said after the game on Sunday. “At the time, I never imagined that I would one day reach 200 wins myself. It is an honor to follow the same path. I also want to surpass his record of 210 wins someday, but for that to happen, I think I’ll need to take good care of myself,” he added with a laugh.

The 19-year-old rookie who earned his first victory with a boyish face has now become the oldest player on the team and serves as the emotional leader of the clubhouse. In the meantime, Ryu married former sports announcer Bae Ji-hyun and built a family with a daughter and a son. Whenever Ryu takes the mound, his father and mother also gather at the stadium with the rest of the family, and Sunday was no exception.

Hanwha Eagles' pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin, left, hugs his daughter as she runs to celebrate his 200th win in Daejeon on May 24. [HANWHA EAGLES]

After receiving a bouquet from his children, Ryu smiled brightly and said, “As a father, I feel proud to be able to show my children a major achievement like this.”

The accomplishment also carried special meaning for the family that shared the long journey with him.

“It’s not easy anymore to watch my son pitch every game,” his father said. “I was nervous until the very end and felt my heart burning the whole time, but I’m relieved that he achieved such a great record.” The pitcher's mother said that “Hyun-jin worked harder than anyone to get to 200 wins. I’m happy that we can all share this moment together.”

Hanwha Eagles' pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin hugs his team manager Kim Myung-moon on May 24. [HANWHA EAGLES]

“He has always been a husband I am proud of, but today I felt that once again," said Ryu's wife, Bae. "There were many difficulties and challenges along the way, but seeing him overcome them and achieve his goal reminded me once more of what an incredible person he is.”

Hanwha also prepared a grand celebration for the occasion. As soon as Ryu’s 200th win became official, everyone from manager Kim Kyung-moon to the youngest player on the roster gathered together to applaud him. Coaches and former teammates who spent time with Ryu in MLB, as well as Cody Ponce and Ryan Weiss, who played with Hanwha last year, also sent video messages from the United States.

Ryu, who has always said that “the team’s victory comes before my own,” pledged after the game that “for the rest of my career, I do not need any more individual records. I will run forward, focusing only on winning a championship with Hanwha.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

BY BAE YOUNG-EUN [

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