In 2019, the three young guns following Ryu Hyun-jin collapsed one by one and scattered LAD prospects here and there

Sep 01, 2025

In 2019, the three young guns following Ryu Hyun-jin collapsed one by one and scattered LAD prospects here and there
LA Dodgers Ryu Hyun-jin and Walker Buehler are putting their arms around each other during training ahead of Game 1 of the World Series against the Boston Red Sox at Dodger Stadium in 2018. AP Yonhap News



In 2019, the three young guns following Ryu Hyun-jin collapsed one by one and scattered LAD prospects here and there
Walker Buehler signed a minor league contract with Philadelphia after failing to revive with the Boston Red Sox this year and being released recently. AP Yonhap News
When the Los Angeles Dodgers discovered three promising pitchers in 2019, they said they would not worry about the rotation for the next 10 years.

That year, the Dodgers had strong first to fourth starters, including Ryu Hyun-jin, Clayton Kershaw, Kenta Maeda, and 24-year-old 'Younggun' Walker Buehler. This is the season when Ryu Hyun-jin won the combined ERA (2.32) title in both leagues and ranked second in the NL Cy Young Award voting.

At the time, it was Buehler who was in the spotlight. Buehler, who was evaluated as a next-generation ace with an 8-5 record and a 2.62 ERA in 24 games in the previous season, played his first full-time rotation of the year and threw 182 ⅓ innings in 30 games, marking 14-4 with a 3.26 ERA and 215 strikeouts.




After going through the shortened season in 2020, he started 33 games in 2021, losing 16-4 with a 2.47 ERA and 212 strikeouts in 207 ⅔ innings, ranking fourth in the NL Cy Young Award. Buehler, who signed a two-year, $8 million contract ahead of the 2021 season, was expected to easily receive a total of $200 million if he became an FA. His fastball of more than 100 miles and aggressive game style were evaluated as being born with ace qualities.

But the injury held back. I had an elbow injury in 2022, so I ended up with Tommy John Surgery that summer and was off until 2023. Then, he returned last year and lost the Dodgers' trust by marking a 5.38 ERA in 16 games.

However, Buehler announced his revival in the postseason last year. In Game 3 of the World Series against the Yankees, he won the game with two hits and five strikeouts in five innings, and in Game 5, he took the mound at the bottom of the ninth inning and became a pitcher who caught three batters and secured the championship.




In 2019, the three young guns following Ryu Hyun-jin collapsed one by one and scattered LAD prospects here and there
Walker Buehler, who took the mound in Game 3 of the World Series against the New York Yankees on October 29 (Korea time) last year. AP Yonhap News
However, the Dodgers were cold when they became the FA. Qualifying offers (QO) are not presented. Eventually, the QO amount of $21.05 million and 2026 will be in Boston's hands, offering mutual optionsI left Juss. But it didn't work out as I wanted in Boston. He was released after marking 7-7 with a 5.45 ERA in 22 games.

Boston President Craig Brisloe released Buehler on the 30th (Korea time) and said, `We respect and value what kind of player Buehler is and what he has done so far, so we decided to choose the most fair way for him.' In other words, it is a consideration to find a new team as soon as possible to send it out immediately without doing the designation assignment (DFA).

Two days later, on the 1st, it was reported that Buehler signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. Buehler, who was immediately transferred to Triple-A, is said to continue throwing as a starter. But we don't know when Philadelphia will call him up. Philadelphia's rotation is solid with Christopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo, Rangers Suarez, Aaron Nola and Taijuan Walker, although ace Jack Wheeler recently ended the season.




If Buehler, who is on the verge of becoming an FA again at the end of this season, gets a chance to throw in the postseason like last year, that remains to be seen. Buehler will already be 32 next year. 'Awesome' The timing is gone.

In 2019, the three young guns following Ryu Hyun-jin collapsed one by one and scattered LAD prospects here and there
Hulio Urías enjoyed his prime in 2021-2022, but disappeared from the Major League due to an unfortunate incident. AP Yonhap News
The starting prospect who attracted attention with Buehler in 2019 was Julio Urias. The Mexican made his big league debut in 2016 after signing with the Dodgers in 2012 when he was 16 years old, marking 4-3 with a 2.49 ERA in 37 games (8 starts) in 2019. Urías, who rose to the top level in 2021 with 20-3 losses, 2.96 ERA and 195 strikeouts, pitched 175 innings in 31 games in 2022, ranking first in the NL ERA with 17-7 losses, 2.16 ERA and 166 strikeouts, making him third in the Cy Young Award voting.

He even had the honor of starting the 2023 opening game. However, due to injuries and unpleasant events that year, he failed to gain momentum and collapsed. He was listed on the IL for 40 days due to a hamstring injury in the first half of the year, and after returning, he was ordered to administrative leave by MLB at the end of the season and disappeared from the Major League due to the Dodgers' abandonment of the contract and MLB's suspension of play.

In 2019, the three young guns following Ryu Hyun-jin collapsed one by one and scattered LAD prospects here and there
Dustin May has been sluggish even after moving to Boston. AP Yonhap News
And Dustin May is a promising prospect in 2019 along with the two players. However, he also left the Dodgers for Boston through a trade on the 1st. The Dodgers, which have plenty of starting resources, abandoned their lingering desires for May. However, May is still sluggish with 1-4 losses, a 5.68 ERA and a 0.308 hit rate in five games after moving to Boston.

May, a third-round draft pick in 2016, debuted in the big leagues in 2019 and drew attention for her fastball over 100 miles, but stayed as a prospect at the end of his life and went up and down the minor leagues before going into long-term rehabilitation after receiving Tommy John Surgery in the summer of 2023. He was the first full-time starter this season, but he took advantage of the opportunity and eventually did not get the trust of the Dodgers.

In 2019, the three young guns following Ryu Hyun-jin collapsed one by one and scattered LAD prospects here and there
LA Dodgers Bobby Miller has not been able to escape jagged pitching in Triple-A this year. AP Yonhap News
The Dodgers is a team that represents the 21st century strong team trend. Palm became an outpost to dominate the trade market, and superstars attracted by massive investments with capital power formed the mainstream of the Dodgers. The driving force behind the recent two World Series wins can be attributed to trade and FA.

Bobby Miller, a first-round draft pick in 2020, also doesn't know when he'll pack his bags. He was evaluated as a talent to succeed Clayton Kershaw with 11 wins, 4 losses and a 3.84 ERA in 22 games in 2023, but he is in a position to be in the bullpen, not a starter in Triple-A, after suffering from a shoulder injury last year.





This article was translated by Naver AI translator.