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| The game between KT and Hanwha at Hanwha Life Ball Park in Daejeon on the 3rd, and Hanwha Ponce, with one out and one base in the top of the 5th inning, are happy after finishing the inning by treating KT Kang Min-sung with a double play. Daejeon = Reporter's wook@sportschosun.com/2025.06.03/ |
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| Hanwha Ponce hugs Ryu Hyun-jin after pitching in the top of the sixth inning at Hanwha Life Ball Park in Daejeon on the 3rd. Daejeon = Reporter's wook@sportschosun.com/2025.06.03/ |
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Hanwha Eagles foreign ace Cody Ponce has completely dominated the KBO League. Hanwha is screaming happily with a foreigner who is as good as the first starter in a long time, and anxiety is growing as well because he is so good even if he does well.
Ponce pitched in 13 games this season with nine wins and no losses, 85 innings, 112 strikeouts, and a 1.80 ERA. In all four categories, Ponce is the only pitcher who has maintained a one-run ERA among pitchers who have completed the regular innings, and Ponce is also the only one who has struck out in triple digits. Although it is early in the first half, it is worth expecting a four-time pitcher with the current momentum.
Hanwha would have had expectations as it brought Ponce to a total of $1 million (about 1.3 billion won), but it would not have known it would be this much. Ponce did not perform as well as expected in the U.S. and Japan.
Ponce was named by the Milwaukee Brewers of the U.S. Major League Baseball in 2015 and has been consistently listed in the top 30 prospects in the team for about three years, but has not achieved any results. He was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2019 and made his big league debut late in 2020. His performance in the two big league seasons in 2020 and 2021 was insignificant with 20 games (5 starts), 1-7, 55 ⅓ innings, and a 5.86 ERA.
Starting in 2022, he moved to the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and dreamed of a turnaround. The Nippon-Ham Fighters managed to perform with a 3.35 ERA in 83 ⅓ innings in 2022 and a 3.66 ERA in 51 ⅔ innings in 2023, but they moved to the Rakuten Golden Eagles last year and struggled with a 6.72 ERA in 67 innings. This is the background of having to move the stage to Korea once more.
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| In a game between KT and Hanwha at Hanwha Life Ball Park in Daejeon on the 3rd, Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon smiles at Ponce, who finished pitching in the top of the 6th inning. Daejeon = Reporter's wook@sportschosun.com/2025.06.03/ |
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| The game between KT and Hanwha at Hanwha Life Ball Park in Daejeon on the 3rd, Hanwha won 10-1. Ponce sharing the joy of victory. Daejeon = Reporter's wook@sportschosun.com/2025.06.03/ |
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Ponce, who came to Korea, became invincible. He is completely overpowering batters by freely using two-seam fastballs, curves, sliders, and changeups on fastballs exceeding 155km/h.
On the 3rd, Ponce led Hanwha to a 10-1 victory in the match against the KT Wiz in Daejeon with two hits, one walk, seven strikeouts and no runs in six innings. Several Major League Scouts visited Daejeon to see Ponce, and the best results were achieved.
It is good for Ponce that Major League scouts pay attention, but Hanwha has no choice but to worry about the breakup already. It was the NC Dinos, who had the best ace in the league, Eric Peddy, in 2023. Peddy was the first foreign pitcher to win three gold medals (average ERA, victory, and strikeout) in 30 games that year, with 20-6, 180 ⅓ innings, 209 strikeouts, and a 2.00 ERA. Of course, NC did its best to take out a multi-year contract card to catch Pedi, but it could not surpass the Chicago White Sox, who offered a total of $15 million (about 20.5 billion won) for two years.
Recently, foreign pitchers visiting the KBO League often aim to return to the Major League by building their careers as ace players. This is why young foreign players with some major league experience have recently come to Korea. Will Ponce be able to write another success story behind Pedi.
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| Hanwha Ponce hugs Ryu Hyun-jin after pitching in the top of the sixth inning at Hanwha Life Ball Park in Daejeon on the 3rd. Daejeon = Reporter's wook@sportschosun.com/2025.06.03/ |
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
