I was scolded for tanning on the beach during training, but Japan was also surprised by the return of Ponce ML

Dec 03, 2025

I was scolded for tanning on the beach during training, but Japan was also surprised by the return of Ponce ML
The game between the Hanwha Eagles and the LG Twins in Game 3 of the Korean Series at Hanwha Life Ball Park in Daejeon on the 29th. Hanwha Ponce is catching his breath. Daejeon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.10.29/



Japanese baseball fans were also surprised by Kodi Ponce's return to gold.

Ponce, who swept four pitchers (average ERA, multiple wins, strikeouts, innings) and league MVP with a 17-1 record and 1.89 ERA for the Hanwha Eagles this season, headed to the U.S. last weekend. The prevailing prediction was that a major league contract was imminent as he moved directly to the United States with his wife and daughter still in postpartum care.

The prediction was right. Local media outlets in the U.S., including 'ESPN' on the 3rd (Korea time), have agreed to a three-year, $30 million (about 44 billion won) deal with the Toronto Blue Jays and are waiting for a medical test," he reported. Toronto, which is the most aggressive in the stove league this year, will be able to build a strong starting rotation next season by recruiting Dylan Sheese and Ponce.




I was scolded for tanning on the beach during training, but Japan was also surprised by the return of Ponce ML
The game between the Hanwha Eagles and the LG Twins in Game 3 of the Korean Series at Hanwha Life Ball Park in Daejeon on the 29th. Hanwha Ponce is catching his breath. Daejeon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.10.29/
Japanese sports media also broke the news of Ponce's trip to Toronto. Before playing for Hanwha, he was paying attention to Ponce's performance this season as much as he played for the Nippon-Ham Fighters and Rakuten Golden Eagles.

"Daily Sports" reported that "Former Nippon-Ham, Rakuten's Ponce agreed with the Blue Jays" and "Sponichi Annex" also reported that "Former Nippon-Ham, Rakuten-Ham, Rakuten-Ponce, has the highest record ever for a return to the Major League from South Korea."

The reaction of the fans is also surprising. One fan was warned when his coach discovered that Ponce was sleeping and tanning on the beach right next to him while everyone was training during the Nago spring camp in his second year"It was always a smiling face. The ball wasn't bad, but I hope it's something that has grown mentally" he said.




I was scolded for tanning on the beach during training, but Japan was also surprised by the return of Ponce ML
The game between the Hanwha Eagles and the LG Twins in Game 3 of the Korean Series at Hanwha Life Ball Park in Daejeon on the 29th. Shim Woo-joon and Hwang Young-mook, who scored during Hanwha Choi Jae-hoon's timely hit with two outs and runners on the second and third bases in the bottom of the eighth inning, are making high fives with their teammates. Daejeon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.10.29/
Another fan was also scolded when it was shown on the broadcast screen that he was swimming while practicing for the Okinawa spring camp during the Nippon Ham period. I'm looking forward to seeing how well I can play in the Major League."

Of course, it is not desirable to be found tanning during the spring camp and training schedule, but in fact, there is a rumor that Ponce struggled with cultural differences during his Japanese life. This is what foreign players who come to Korea through Japan talk about in common. There are walls that are conservative and difficult to adapt to, especially for foreign players.

However, in Korea, the club's treatment of foreign players and the formation of relationships with teammates are different. Throughout his team life at Hanwha, Ponce received a high score for being almost like a family with his colleagues, and there was no noise in his life.




The Japanese baseball community also seems to be very interested in how Ponce will show after re-entering the Major League. Another fan commented "Arrests have increased dramatically in Korea, and that seems to be a factor in good performance," he said, expressing expectations.





This article was translated by Naver AI translator.