Seoul: Having only had a brief stint in Major League Baseball and then spending three years in Japan with two clubs, American pitcher Cody Ponce found a new home in South Korea this year. He had no trouble adjusting to the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) as a new starter for the Hanwha Eagles. In fact, it was opposing KBO hitters who struggled to adjust to Ponce's pitching throughout the year. The 31-year-old ace rode his performance to the regular-season MVP trophy.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Ponce garnered 96 out of 125 votes from the media after winning the pitching Triple Crown as the KBO leader with 17 wins, a 1.89 ERA, and a league-record 252 strikeouts. Ponce was also voted the Player of the Month for the March-April period after going 5-0 with a 1.96 ERA across his first seven starts in the KBO.
Ponce maintained his form with a 1.91 ERA and a perfect 3-0 record in May, followed by another 3-0 month in June with a 2.12 ERA. In July, Ponce went 2-0, giving up just one earned run in 25 innings for a 0.36 ERA. He did not lose his first decision until September 20 against the KT Wiz, where Ahn Hyun-min, named Rookie of the Year, hit a three-run home run off Ponce in the first inning. By winning his first 17 decisions, Ponce set a KBO record for the longest winning streak by a pitcher from the start of a season.
Ponce broke several records this year, including the single-season strikeout record on September 3, surpassing the previous mark of 225 set by Ariel Miranda of the Doosan Bears in 2021. Ponce finished the season with 27 more strikeouts than Miranda. On August 12, Ponce became the fastest pitcher to reach 200 strikeouts in a season, achieving this feat in his 23rd start and in 144 1/3 innings.
On May 17, Ponce tied the record for most strikeouts in a game with 18 against the SSG Landers, matching the mark set by former Haitai Tigers star Sun Dong-yol in 1991 and setting a new standard for a nine-inning contest. Ponce's current teammate, Ryu Hyun-jin, held the previous nine-inning record with 17 strikeouts in 2010.
Ponce, who admires Ryu from his days with the Los Angeles Dodgers, even donned Ryu's Toronto Blue Jays jersey while pitching in the All-Star Game. On Monday, Ponce became the first Eagles player since Ryu in 2006 to win the MVP and the first qualified pitcher since Ryu in 2010 to finish a season with a sub-2.00 ERA.
Whether Ponce will return for another season with the Eagles remains uncertain. He may follow in the footsteps of former KBO MVPs like Eric Thames in 2015, Josh Lindblom in 2019, and Erick Fedde in 2023, and return to the majors. If Ponce secures a big league contract, it will be a full-circle moment for a pitcher who made only 20 appearances for the Pittsburgh Pirates between 2020 and 2021.