Los Angeles Dodgers staring pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu has made 11 starts in

Los Angeles Dodgers staring pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu has made 11 starts in Major League Baseball this season, and is among the National League leaders in earned-run average. Like Chan Ho Park, Ryu has burst on the L.A. scene with some quality starts. Ryu has just two poor outings this season, and the left-hander has been an excellent strike-out pitcher. He is 17th in ERA in the NL and is 18th in strikeouts in the league.

What’s a scary thought is Ryu might be hitting his stride, and could be improving as the season goes along. The lefty is coming off his best start of the season with a two-hit shutout of the hitting-rich Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night.

“He pitched a strong game and came right after us,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of Ryu. “We didn’t get many good looks tonight.”

“Pretty special,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said, after the game. Mattingly might be counting his blessings that Ryu is on the roster after a difficult start to the Dodgers season.

Ryu had a 3.35 ERA in April, but has a 2.38 ERA in May. The rookie is also showing durability. He has gone six innings or more in 10 of his 11 starts.

At the moment, Ryu might be a leading candidate for NL Rookie of the Year. Shelby Miller of the St. Louis Cardinals is the clear frontrunner at the moment, and Didi Gregorius of the Arizona Diamondbacks is also a top candidate, but Ryu is certainly in the mix with a bit more than two-thirds of the season remaining.

If anything, Ryu is at least a potential boost to attendance. Should his strong play continue, there might be additional fans showing up to Dodger Stadium to support the new star in town.