How a journeyman pitcher rewrote the record books in South Korea
In short: After stints in the MLB and Japan, Cody Ponce arrived in the KBO League and achieved the impossible. In a single season, he didn't just dominate; he shattered long-standing records, proving that greatness often requires a change of scenery to truly flourish.
Cody Ponce’s career is a study in global persistence. After being drafted in the second round by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2015 with a $1,108,000 bonus, the California native navigated the rigorous American minor league system before making his MLB debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates in August 2020. However, it was his move to the KBO League's Hanwha Eagles that transformed him from a reliable arm into a historic phenomenon.
During the 2025 KBO season, Ponce embarked on a record-breaking campaign. In May, he set a new league benchmark for strikeouts in a single nine-inning game, recording 18 strikeouts and surpassing Hyun-jin Ryu’s 2010 record of 17. He continued this momentum through September, when he surpassed Ariel Miranda’s previous single-season strikeout record by reaching a total of 228. He eventually finished the season with a staggering 252 strikeouts across 180+2/3 innings, leading the Eagles to a second-place finish.
His dominance was not limited to regular-season statistics. In the playoffs, Ponce was instrumental in leading the Eagles to the Korean Series, earning the unanimous Choi Dong-won Award and the league MVP title. This extraordinary performance paved the way for a massive return to Major League Baseball. On December 10, 2025, the Toronto Blue Jays signed him to a three-year, $30 million contract—the largest deal ever for a pitcher returning to the MLB from the KBO, eclipsing Erick Fedde’s $15-million agreement.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Cody Ponce
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