The fastest 200 strikeouts in Korea, the U.S., and Japan, there was no pitcher like this in the KBOWill 250K be born?

Aug 13, 2025

The fastest 200 strikeouts in Korea, the U.S., and Japan, there was no pitcher like this in the KBOWill 250K be born?
The game between the Hanwha Eagles and the Lotte Giants at Hanwha Life Ball Park in Daejeon on the 12th. Hanwha starter Ponce pitched seven scoreless innings. Ponce coming down the mound after pitching in the seventh inning. Daejeon = Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2025.08.12/



The fastest 200 strikeouts in Korea, the U.S., and Japan, there was no pitcher like this in the KBOWill 250K be born?
The game between the Hanwha Eagles and the Lotte Giants at Hanwha Life Ball Park in Daejeon on the 12th. Hanwha starter Ponce pitched seven scoreless innings. Ponce coming down the mound after pitching in the seventh inning. Daejeon = Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2025.08.12/
Hanwha Eagles foreign pitcher Cody Ponce is drawing attention by surpassing the 200 strikeouts mark for the season in KBO history.

Ponce started the game against the Lotte Giants in Daejeon on the 12th and pitched seven innings of three hits and no runs to win his 15th game of the season. He added nine strikeouts to 202 for the season. It is the overwhelming number one in this category. He caught 11 more than runner-up SSG Landers foreign pitcher Drew Anderson (191).

In addition to strikeouts, Ponce is ranked first in the multiple wins and ERA (1.61), which is likely to be a pitcher's triple crown. He has virtually confirmed the No. 1 winning rate as he has no losses yet.




The pitching innings (145 ⅔), WHIP (0.86), and hit rate (0.185) are also ranked first. On May 17, he struck out 18 in eight innings against SSG, setting the record for the most strikeouts in KBO regular innings. Following 100 strikeouts in the minimum game (12) season, the minimum game (23) exceeded 200 strikeouts. The driving force behind Hanwha's sensation this season is Ponce's good pitching. There seems to be no disagreement with the MVP of the 2025 season.

Ponce will be the sixth best foreign pitcher in the KBO after Doosan Bears Daniel Rios in 2007, Doosan Dustin Nippert in 2016, Doosan Josh Lindblom in 2019, Doosan Ariel Miranda in 2021, and NC Dinos Eric Peddy in 2023.

The fastest 200 strikeouts in Korea, the U.S., and Japan, there was no pitcher like this in the KBOWill 250K be born?
Hanwha Ponce (light display scene), who struck out Lotte Ko Seung-min in the top of the sixth inning and set a new record for the least game (23 games) with 200 strikeouts.
It should be noted that no pitcher in the U.S.-Japan professional baseball league has reached the 200 strikeouts mark yet this season.




In the major leagues, Philadelphia Phillies Jack Wheeler ranks first with 189 strikeouts, Boston Red Sox Garrett Crochet ranks second with 188 and Detroit Tigers Tarik Skubal ranks third with 187. They are all AL pitchers. In the NL, the San Diego Padres Dylan Sheath ranks first with 169, followed by the San Francisco Giants Logan Webb (168), and the Pittsburgh Pirates Polskins (162).

In NPB, Nippon-Ham Fighters Ito Hiromi ranks first overall with 138 strikeouts. Softbank Hawks Rivan Moinello and Seibu Lions' Tatsuya Imai are tied for second with 134.

In the nine-inning strikeout rate (K/9), which indicates a pitcher's strikeout ability, Sizu ranks first with 11.760 and Wheeler ranks second with a narrow 11.758 in the Major League. This is followed by Scoobull (11.58) and Crochet (11.11). In NPB, Imai is the highest at 10.25, followed by Monello (9.40) and Ito (8.96).




But Ponce's 'K/9' boasts an overwhelming number. He pitched 145 ⅔ innings and recorded 202 strikeouts, reaching a whopping 12.48. If you throw nine innings, it means you will strike out 12 to 13. Among pitchers who passed the regular innings, Ponce is the only pitcher in Korea, the U.S. and Japan with a figure of 12 or higher.

No pitcher had a K/9 of 12 or more even if he ranked first to fourth in the strikeout rankings for the most in a season in KBO history.

The fastest 200 strikeouts in Korea, the U.S., and Japan, there was no pitcher like this in the KBOWill 250K be born?
Ponce, who is congratulated by manager Kim Kyung-moon after pitching in the seventh inning.
When Doosan Bears Ariel Miranda set a career-high 225 strikeouts in a KBO season in 2021, K/9 was 11.66. K/9 was 10.29 when Kiwoom Heroes Ahn Woo-jin struck out 224 in 2022. In 1984, Lotte Giants Choi Dong-won pitched 284 ⅔ innings with 223 strikeouts, while K/9 was 7.05.

When Lotte Joo Hyung-kwang struck out 221 in 1996, the fourth in the history of strikeouts, he pitched 216 ⅔ innings and recorded 9.18 in 'K/9'. In 2012, when Hanwha Ryu Hyun-jin, whom Ponce admires, recorded his career high of 210 strikeouts, 'K/9' was 10.35. Ponce's strikeout ability is the best in KBO history.

Ponce was born in April 1994 and began his minor league career in the second round of the 2015 draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. He made his major league debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2020. However, he pitched 55 ⅓ innings in 20 games in two seasons until 2021 to raise his ERA to 5.86.

He entered the NPB in 2022 and joined Hanwha this year after playing three seasons with the Nippon Ham Fighters and Rakuten Golden Eagles until last year. The NPB's overall record is 10 wins and 16 losses, 4.54 ERA, and 165 strikeouts in 202 innings in 39 games. It was not an outstanding performance, but it drew attention when he achieved a no-hitter against the Softbank Hawks in August 2022 when he was at Nippon Ham.

When he was in the Major League, his average fastball speed was 93.2 miles (150.0 kilometers). In NPB, it was only 150 to 151 km. Since coming to KBO this year, it has accelerated to a maximum of 159km and an average of 153km. In addition, he has improved his ability to use changeups, curves, and sliders.

Ponce is expected to take the mound 7-8 times the rest of the season. He has an average of 8.78 strikeouts in a game, so he can add more than 60 in the future. Even considering the physical fitness arrangement, 250 strikeouts for the season seem possible.





This article was translated by Naver AI translator.