Battle for KBO strikeout title going down to wire
Hanwha Eagles starter Cody Ponce celebrates after recording an out against the KT Wiz during the clubs' Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Sept. 20. Courtesy of Hanwha Eagles
Hanwha Eagles ace Cody Ponce broke the single-season strikeout record in Korean baseball on Sept. 3. However, he may not finish the season as the league leader in that category.
That's because Drew Anderson of the SSG Landers has made up serious ground this month to move within striking distance of his fellow American hurler.
Through Monday's action, Ponce was still leading the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) with 242 strikeouts. But Anderson, after striking out seven batters Monday, is now up to 240.
The previous single-season record had been 225, set by Ariel Miranda of the Doosan Bears in 2021.
After surpassing Miranda's mark on Sept. 3, Ponce stood at 228 strikeouts, 14 ahead of Anderson.
Since then, Anderson has added 26 strikeouts over his next three starts, while Ponce has made only two starts and struck out 14.
Ponce has thrown more innings than Anderson, 174 2/3 to 164 1/3, but Anderson has struck out 13.04 batters per nine innings, better than Ponce's rate of 12.47 per nine frames.
Both pitchers have one more start left this month and may get another nod in a makeup game in early October, just before the start of the postseason, depending on where their respective clubs stand in the battle for postseason spots.
Ponce is currently leading the KBO in all Triple Crown categories, with 17 wins, 242 strikeouts and a 1.85 ERA. His lead in ERA is safe, with James Naile of the Kia Tigers, in second place at 2.25, out for the season with an elbow injury and Anderson sitting in third place at 2.28, with a gap he is unlikely to overcome this late in the season.
However, Ponce is only one win ahead of his Eagles teammate, Ryan Weiss, and his strikeout lead is now in danger, too.
Regardless of who takes the strikeout title, Ponce and Anderson will finish with the two highest single-season strikeout totals in KBO history.