The Toronto Blue Jays made another splash in the free agency market this week, this time it was an “off the grid” option. The club signed right-handed pitcher Cody Ponce to a three-year deal worth $30 million.
Ponce is a former second-round draft pick, selected back in the 2015 MLB draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. The right-hander attended California State Polytechnic University, a D1 program.
He played six seasons in the minor leagues and two seasons in the big leagues before heading overseas, where he pitched for four seasons. His most recent season in 2025 was in the KBO League with the Hanwha Eagles.
Ponce’s Statistics
The Blue Jays followed Ponce and his performance of the past season. It was his 2025 performance that highlighted his value towards a major league contract. In the KBO, Ponce won 17 games and lost only one in 29 starts.
He pitched 180 and 2/3 innings, striking out a KBO single-season record 252 batters, while only allowing 41 walks. Ponce also kept the opposition’s run production to a minimum, allowing only 38 earned runs, 10 home runs, and 128 hits versus 697 batters faced.
The other impressive statistic was his 1.89 ERA throughout 2025, which ultimately named him the KBO MVP. Before the KBO, Ponce has been pitching in Japan since 2022. In 2024, he finished with 127 innings on the Rakuten Golden Eagles, pitching in both the Major League equivalent and their minor league system.
Blue Jays, RHP Cody Ponce agree to 3-year deal, per multiple reports including MLB’s @Feinsand.
Ponce was named the KBO League MVP this past season, posting a 17-1 record and a 1.89 ERA. pic.twitter.com/L2e84GZ4EB
— MLB (@MLB) December 2, 2025
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Ponce maintained a good separation between strikeouts and walks consistently through his career, especially in recent times. The right-hander only has two Major League seasons under his belt (2020 and 2021), where the pitching was to a minimum. Most of his professional mound work was in the minor leagues.
Synopsis and Analysis
Ponce is right-handed, standing at 6-foot-6, built all-around with strength from the ground up. His arm strength is evident in his velocity, and he’s able to be consistent in his mechanical approach and delivery.
When he started in the Major Leagues, he was equipped with a four-seam fastball, cutter, curveball, slider, changeup, and sinker. The right-hander now mostly depends on his heater, the curveball, and the splitter, which is one of his main attractions, similar to other starters on the Jays staff.
His fastball has gained good velocity, averaging 93 mph in 2021, and now he’s around 95-96 mph consistently, going up to 98 mph. The curveball is a dangerous option against hitters, while the splitter works as his put-away option.
The new Blue Jays arm repeats his delivery well, both from the wind and the stretch. Ponce can work quickly with runners on, controlling the run game, while maintaining pitch command.
Ponce throws a ton of strikes, fills up the zone, and can last various in-game innings. He’s built to start, but could be a huge asset to the Blue Jays’ bullpen depending on what the organization ends up doing this winter.
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