Cody Ponce is officially the newest member of the Toronto Blue Jays.
The reigning American League champs formally announced on Thursday that the right-hander has been signed to a three-year, $30-million contract. The signing was initially reported on Dec. 2.
Ponce spent the 2025 season in Korea's KBO with the Hanwha Eagles. He was named the league's MVP and won the Choi Dong-won award as the league's top pitcher after posting a 17-1 record with a 1.89 ERA and 0.94 WHIP across 29 starts.
He was dominant in the strikezone, setting both the league's single-season strikeout record with 252 and single-game record with 18.
Prior to his year in Korea, the Pomona, Calif., native had spent three seasons pitching in Japan's NPB, splitting time as a reliever and bullpen arm. He put up a 4.54 ERA with 165 strikeouts in 39 appearances.
Ponce was originally selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the second round of the 2015 MLB Draft. He was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2019 and made his MLB debut on Aug. 20, 2020.
Over two seasons with the Pirates (2020-21), the six-foot-six hurler pitched to a 1-7 record with a 5.86 ERA and 1.536 WHIP with 48 strikeouts in 55.1 innings.
Ponce is the second pitcher the Blue Jays have signed this off-season after penning righty Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210-million contract.
4:29
