Cody Ponce impresses in Spring Training debut for Toronto Blue Jays
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The Toronto Blue Jays got their first in-game glimpse of right-hander Cody Ponce on Wednesday, and the early impression was an encouraging one.
Making his Spring Training debut against the Detroit Tigers, the 31-year-old free-agent addition flashed noticeably improved velocity while tossing a clean opening frame.
Cody Ponce worked just one inning, retiring all three hitters he faced. He struck out two and induced a ground ball to cap a tidy, efficient outing.
Cody Ponce's (Spring) Blue Jays debut:
1 IP | 0 H | 0 ER | 2 Ks
He hit 97 MPH on the FB 🤯
1 IP | 0 H | 0 ER | 2 Ks
He hit 97 MPH on the FB 🤯
During his 22-pitch outing, Ponce's fastball topped 96 miles per hour multiple times, a noticeable jump from his previous MLB stint.
In his first two years in MLB (2020,21), Cody Ponce threw just 2 pitches over 95.0 mph. His first 3 pitches of 2026 spring training: 95.2, 95.7, 96.0
If it wasn't already clear, this isn't the old Cody Ponce #BlueJays
If it wasn't already clear, this isn't the old Cody Ponce #BlueJays
He generated swinging strikeouts against established big leaguer Parker Meadows with a cutter and against highly regarded prospect Kevin McGonigle with a well-located changeup.
In his first Grapefruit League appearance of the year, Cody Ponce sat 95.3 m.p.h. After a long at-bat he struck out Parker Meadows swinging. Also whiffed top Tigers prospect Kevin McGonigle. A 5-3 groundout completed Ponce's first inning with the Blue Jays.
Ponce enters the season as one of the more intriguing unknowns in Toronto's projected rotation
The former Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander has spent the last four seasons overseas, rebuilding both his profile and his confidence.
He pitched two years in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters before joining the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in 2024.
In 2025, he took another step forward in South Korea with the Hanwha Eagles of the KBO League.
It was in Korea where Ponce truly elevated his game. Across 29 starts, he posted a sparkling 1.89 ERA and a dominant 17-1 record, earning league MVP honors and reigniting interest from Major League clubs.
That performance ultimately led Toronto to bring him back stateside - and the initial signs suggest that gamble could pay off.
The last time Ponce appeared in the majors was in 2021 with Pittsburgh.
According to Statcast, his fastball averaged just over 93 mph that season, when he struggled to a 7.04 ERA across 15 appearances (including two starts). The added velocity and refined arsenal he now brings represent a significant shift from that version of himself.
«I'm very excited,» Ponce said earlier this month, 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 currently in line to open the year in the Blue Jays rotation, effectively stepping into a role previously occupied by veterans Max Scherzer and Bowden Francis in 2025. Scherzer posted a 5.19 ERA over 17 regular-season starts, while Francis recorded a 6.05 ERA in 14 outings.
Considering Ponce's dominance in Korea, his uptick in velocity, and the adjustments he's carried over from abroad, expecting improvement over those numbers feels more realistic than optimistic.
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| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 25|137 ANSWERS Cody Ponce impresses in Spring Training debut for Toronto Blue Jays Do you think Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Cody Ponce will have a dominant season in MLB like he did in KBO? | ||
| Yes | 75 | 54.7 % |
| No | 16 | 11.7 % |
| Too early to tell | 46 | 33.6 % |
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