The Toronto Blue Jays got their first look at free-agent pitching acquisition Cody Ponce in live game action on Wednesday, where the 31-year-old showcased increased velocity in his start.
Ponce only pitched the first inning, setting down three Detroit Tigers batters in order. He struck out two hitters and forced a groundout.
Ponce represents a true wild card in the Blue Jays’ potential rotation this season. The former Pittsburgh Pirates righty spent the past four years pitching abroad - he spent two seasons with NPB’s Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan, then joined the Rakuten Golden Eagles in 2024 before moving to South Korea to join the Hanwha Eagles in KBO in 2025.
Ponce elevated his play in Korea, earning the league’s MVP award after pitching to a 1.89 earned-run average and a 17-1 record over 29 starts.
That led to the Blue Jays taking a chance on him in a return to the majors - and the very early returns look promising.
Ponce’s fastball exceeded 96 miles per hour on multiple occasions in the 22-pitch outing, and he picked up swinging strikeouts on big leaguer Parker Meadows on a cutter as well as top prospect Kevin McGonigle on a changeup.
The last time Ponce pitched stateside, he was with the Pirates in 2021. Per Statcast, his fastball averaged just over 93mph in that season - and he pitched to a ghastly 7.04 ERA over 15 games (two starts).
“I’m very excited,” Ponce said earlier in February, per MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson. “I Think we have a great [staff] ... But I have a lot to learn. I don’t know much, so it’s been a while since I’ve been up here. I’m just going to pick everybody’s brains and try to have the most success I can.”
Ponce is expected to be a member of the starting rotation when the season begins, and is essentially being tasked to replace the production of Max Scherzer and Bowden Francis in 2025 - Scherzer held a 5.19 ERA over 17 regular-season starts, and Francis contributed an ERA of 6.05 in 14 starts.
Given the track record Ponce established in Korea, the increased velocity and adjusted delivery he has carried over from his time overseas and the early returns in camp, an improvement over those numbers seems like a low expectation.
“We did some really good things last year, obviously, but we’re always looking at ways to get better,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said earlier in the month. “How can you improve a starting staff that can miss more bats? That’s where Dylan [Cease], Cody and Trey [Yesavage] come in.”
