Here's what the Blue Jays getting in KBO MVP ace Cody Ponce

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Former Pirates pitcher was so dominant in Korea last year that he became a hot commodity with a number of North American teams.

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Published Dec 03, 2025 • 4 minute read

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Cody Ponce of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches during a game in 2021. Getty ImagesArticle content

What are the Blue Jays getting in their latest bid to build the stoutest starting rotation in the American League?

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In Cody Ponce, an intriguing and apparently electric arm they’re shipping over from Korea after agreeing to terms on a three-year, $30 million US deal, Toronto has landed the latest pitcher who went to Asia to revive his career and appears to have reaped the rewards.

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The Jays — and others who observed, scouted and pursued Ponce — are not buying the guy who most recently pitched in North American big leagues in 2021.

They’re not interested in a guy who was a swingman for a bad Pirates team and whose MLB pitching career was screeching towards a dead end.

No, the Jays are buying the KBO MVP — a dude who was so dominant in Korea last year that he became a hot commodity with a number of North American teams.

Pitching to a 17-1 record with the Hanwha Eagles, punctuated by a brilliant 1.89 ERA, Ponce immediately adds depth to the Jays rotation with potential upside to be more than that.

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They’re also buying a compelling pitch mix that they feel fits with what they like. At the core is a fastball that bumped up in velocity in 2025 to the 97 mph range, which is complemented by a dynamic curveball as well as a splitter, a popular on the Jays staff.

The deal, pending Ponce passing a physical, is the latest to alter the look of a team clearly committed to ensuring the successes of 2025 were not an outlier.

What does the Jays rotation look like?

With $240 million US total expended on new starters in the first month of free agency, the Jays were serious about upgrades following the departures of Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer to free agency.

Here’s how it shakes down:

Kevin Gausman. Veteran remains the would-be ace of the staff and, all things being equal, looms as the opening day starter. At age 34, he’s still in his prime but is headed for free agency following the 2026 season.

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Shane Bieber. The former Cy Young Award winner surprised some in quickly deciding to remain with the Jays by activating his one-year option. Bieber clearly enjoyed his three months in the Jays organization, particularly the exhilarating October playoff run. He’s also betting on himself to continue to improve after missing more than a year following Tommy John surgery.

Trey Yesavage. The rookie sensation will technically be a rookie again, looking to build on his brilliant end of season/postseason.

Dylan Cease. The Jays finally made the seven-year, $210 million US deal for Cease official on Tuesday, confirming one of the biggest MLB off-season moves thus far. Cease immediately has the possibility of being an impact arm at the front of the rotation.

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Cody Ponce. The latest acquisition provides depth and potentially much more.

Jose Berrios. Well, there’s more to this story…

What about Jose Berrios?

He was a reliable workhorse for most of his five years pitching with the Jays, but is the popular veteran the odd man out?

It’s certainly a question worth asking given the Puerto Rican’s plummet in 2025 that saw a frustrating end brought on by injury and lagging performance.

Berrios, who was the opening day starter for the Jays in 2025, never got on track, eventually losing his spot in the rotation and then left off the post-season roster for each of the Jays’ three series due to injury concerns.

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The fact that the Jays have aggressively pursued — and landed — starters is at the least an indication they have concerns about Berrios’ ability to bounce back and potentially indicates they are willing to move on from him.

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To that end, the Athletic’s Mitch Bannon reports that the Jays are “willing to listen” to trade proposals for Berrios.

Fun Ponce fact

In pitching for the Hanwha Eagles last season, Ponce was in a rotation that included former Jays starter Hyun-Jin Ryu and the two apparently became quite tight.

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Blue Jays snag KBO ace Cody Ponce to add to rotational depth

Ponce, who admired Ryu when he pitched with the Dodgers, showed up at the KBO all-star game in July wearing a Ryu No. 99 Blue Jays jersey.

You can be sure the topic of Canada, Toronto and the Blue Jays came up regularly.

Tough to say if it was a factor for him settling on the Jays, but it couldn’t have hurt.

What’s next for Jays?

The aggressive off-season being engineered by general manager Ross Atkins continues to press forward with significant bolstering of the rotation.

Adding Ponce and Dylan Cease certainly adds to the starting depth. Next up will be adding an impact arm to the bullpen and a prolific bat that the likes that Bo Bichette or Kyle Tucker could bring.

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Here’s what the Blue Jays getting in KBO MVP ace Cody Ponce

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