Eagles ace Ponce breaks KBO strikeout record
Hanwha Eagles starter Cody Ponce celebrates during a Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game against the NC Dinos at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark in Daejeon, Wednesday. Courtesy of Eagles
Hanwha Eagles ace Cody Ponce set a new single-season strikeout record in South Korean baseball Wednesday, further burnishing his MVP case in his first year here.
Ponce notched his 226th strikeout of the season during a game against the NC Dinos at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark in Daejeon, 140 kilometers south of Seoul. By striking out Cheon Jae-hwan in the top of the fifth inning, Ponce surpassed the previous Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) record of 225 strikeouts, set by Ariel Miranda of the Doosan Bears in 2021.
Miranda finished that season with 225 strikeouts in 173 2/3 innings. Ponce entered Wednesday's game with 220 Ks in 157 2/3 innings.
Ponce tied Miranda's mark by striking out Matt Davidson for the second out in the top of the fifth inning, and then claimed the record by getting Cheon to whiff on a 1-2 fastball to close out the inning.
Ponce has already set another KBO record by winning his first 16 decisions to start this season. He came into this game with a 16-0 record and a 1.66 ERA in 25 starts.