"I hope HYUNJIN signs well"…Ponce's simple wish to be rated all-time
"I hope HYUNJIN signs well"…Ponce's simple wish to be rated all-time
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"I didn't know I was considered the best pitcher of all time in the KBO. Is that true?"
Cody Ponce, a foreign pitcher of the Hanwha Eagles, has appeared in four games since the opening of the 2025 season on the 22nd of last month and received a report card with 25 innings, two wins and no losses, and an ERA of 3.60. In particular, he not only led the team to victory by pitching two runs in seven innings at home against the KIA Tigers on the 28th of last month, but also captured the hearts of fans by calling a team meeting during the game and shouting "fighting."
Kia Tigers' manager Lee Bum-ho also said, "I think he has a really good pitching capability. I think he is the best pitcher in Korea so far. He throws breaking balls well, and when it comes to changeups, it doesn't feel like a catcher blocking, but he makes them look similar in a strike zone."
KT Wiz manager Lee Kang-chul, a "master pitcher trainer," also admitted during the exhibition game in March, "The phone was really good. The pitching form was so pretty. He seems to be a pitcher who can catch him again in Japan," adding, "The ball is really good, but I have to try it if I meet him somehow."
However, Ponce himself was not aware of any praise from the opposing team's coaches because he was not looking for Korean baseball news separately. When the reporters informed him that he is already considered the best foreign pitcher in KBO history, he joked, "Is that true? Isn't that just the reporters think so?" and smiled cheerfully, saying, "I'll believe what you've said."
Born in 1994, Ponce is a right-handed fireballer who is 198 centimeters tall and weighs 115 kilograms. He was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the second round and 55 times overall in the 2015 Major League Draft, drawing attention as a promising player.
Ponce's overall performance in the Major League is not that impressive, with one win, seven losses and an earned run average of 5.86 in 55 ⅓ innings in 20 games. However, it was positive that he was still young at 31 years old this year and had experience in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
In the 2022-2023 season, Ponce did not have a bad performance with 7-10 losses in 24 games for the Nippon Ham Fighters. In particular, he also tasted the joy of achieving a no-hitter against the Softbank Hawks in the 2022 season.
Ponce has been concerned about not being able to play more than 100 innings in a single season in the last three years, but he has eased fans' worries every time he takes the mound after the opening of the 2025 season. In particular, the change-up, which began throwing in earnest this year, is gaining power.
Ponce said, "I didn't learn change-up from anyone. I learned it by myself by looking at the videos," adding, "I think I'm still young. If I lack pitches, I'm trying to improve my completeness through training."
Regarding ABS (automatic pitching determination system) of the KBO League, he said, "I haven't fully adapted yet. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad, but personally, it's more convenient for the referee to call me."
Ponce's 2025 season goal is also humble. He is focusing on completing the 2025 season while maintaining good health. He said he did not regret his lack of support for scoring goals after the season opened. "I am grateful to myself that I can be a starting pitcher."
Ponce, however, confessed that he had a simple wish to get as many autographs as possible this year from his teammate and Hanwha's symbol, "Korean Monster." 먹튀검증
Ponce said, "I think there will be a lot of times when I need Ryu Hyun-jin's signature while I'm in Hanwha. "Sometimes he's stingy when he signs for me," he said. "When I ask him to do it every day, he sometimes says, 'No, no.' My goal is to get as many photos of Ryu as possible," he said, drawing laughter.