PITTSBURGH — A former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher hasn’t pitched in the MLB the past four seasons, but is trending towards making a big time return, with a solid contract as well.
Former Pirates Pitcher Cody Ponce Looks for MLB Return
Cody Ponce, who pitched for the Pirates in 2021, his last MLB stop, is attempting to make an MLB comeback next season and already has suitors.
Ponce spent three seasons in Japan from 2022-24, but his last season in Korea is what is making him a desirable free agent.
Ken Rosenthal and Katie Woo of The Athletic reported that Ponce will likely earn a three-year deal of at least $30 million and could go higher than $40 million.
This would set a new record for a pitcher signing from Korea for an MLB team, with the previous high coming when the Chicago White Sox signed right-hander Erick Fedde to a two-year, $15 million deal.
Why are MLB Teams Now Interested in Ponce?
Ponce had a breakout campaign with the Hanwha Eagles of the KBO League, or Korea Professional Baseball, in 2025.
He finished with a 17-1 record in 29 starts with Hanwha, a 1.89 ERA over 180.2 innings pitched, 252 strikeouts to 52 walks and a 0.94 WHIP.
Jul 3, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Cody Ponce (44) delivers a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Ponce won KBO League MVP honors for the month of March-April and finished his season by winning the Choi Dong-won Award, the KBO MVP award.
He set a new record for strikeouts in a KBO nine-inning game with 18 against SSG Landers on May 18 and broke the KBO season record for strikeouts.
Ponce also had some great performances in the postseason, leading Hanwha to the Korean Series, where they lost in five games to the LG Twins.
Eno Sarris of The Athletic noted that Ponce has improved his velocity on his fastball to 95 mph, after it was just 93 mph back with the Pirates, which also increased the effectiveness of his offspeed pitches. Sarris also wrote on his new plus splitter, that helped him establish a K/9 of 12.6 last season.
Cody Ponce’s Tenure with the Pirates
Ponce joined the Pirates in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers on July 29, 2019, which saw left-handed pitcher Jordan Lyles go the other way.
He pitched with both Double-A Altoona, a 6.00 ERA over three appearances and one start, and Triple-A Indianapolis the rest of the season, with a 5.30 ERA over four starts.
Ponce moved back and forth between the Pirates and the alternate training site in 2020, as there was no minor league season, finally making his MLB debut.
He had a solid campaign, with a 1-1 record over five appearances and three starts, a 3.18 ERA over 17.0 innings pitched, 12 strikeouts to six walks, a .200 opposing batting average and a 1.06 WHIP.
May 25, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Cody Ponce (44) delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Ponce then struggled with the Pirates over four MLB stints in 2021, which saw him bounce between them and Indianapolis.
He finished with a 0-6 record over 15 appearances and two starts, a 7.04 ERA over 38.1 innings pitched, 36 strikeouts to 11 walks, a .344 opposing batting average and a 1.75 WHIP.
Ponce then left the Pirates and signed with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of NPB in Japan. He pitched with them for two seasons before pitching for Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in 2024.