KODI PONSE, evaluated as the best foreign pitcher for the 2025 season, has finally unveiled himself.

PONSE made his first start in the opener against the KT Wiz of the 2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League, held on the 22nd at Suwon KT Wiz Park, throwing 5 innings with 7 hits, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts, and 2 earned runs, contributing to the team's 4-3 comeback victory.

He started his KBO League debut by allowing a double to the leadoff hitter KANG BAEK-HO in the bottom of the first inning, which was tied 0-0. After a strike on the first pitch, his second pitch, a 152 km/h low two-seam fastball, was targeted by KANG BAEK-HO's technical hitting. He then got MEL ROHAS Jr. with a ground out to the second baseman and HUH GYUNG-MIN with a swinging strikeout, creating two outs with a runner on second base, but allowed a 1-RBI tie-breaking hit that landed in front of the left fielder by 4th hitter KIM MIN-HYUK. He finished the first inning by striking out JANG SUNG-WOO looking.

In the bottom of the second, he issued a walk to leadoff hitter MOON SANG-CHUL and committed a balk, creating a scoring threat. Following that, in a one-out, third-base situation after CHUN SUNG-HO's sacrifice hit, he allowed a sacrifice fly from BAE JUNG-DAE. PONSE sent KIM SANG-SOO away with a single to right field but managed to prevent further runs by striking out KANG BAEK-HO with a swinging strikeout.

The bottom of the third was also a crisis, trailing 1-2. After one out, he allowed consecutive hits to HUH GYUNG-MIN and KIM MIN-HYUK, placing runners on first and second base. This time, he showcased his crisis management abilities by striking out JANG SUNG-WOO with a swinging strikeout and getting MOON SANG-CHUL with a ground ball to the right fielder. During MOON SANG-CHUL's at-bat, there was a season's first pitch clock violation, resulting in a ball being called on the first pitch, but he remained unfazed.

After a brief moment of peace in the bottom of the fourth with a clean inning, PONSE once again allowed hits to ROHAS and HUH GYUNG-MIN after one out in the bottom of the fifth. Again, he managed to escape the threat by getting KIM MIN-HYUK with a double play from second base to shortstop to first base, and he finished his debut after being replaced by PARK SANG-WON in the bottom of the sixth while trailing 1-2. Later on, a game-tying hit by pinch hitter HWANG YOUNG-MOOK in the top of the seventh saved him from a loss in his debut.

PONSE threw 87 pitches through five innings. He committed a balk and struggled to adapt to the pitch clock but maintained control, recording 61 strikes and 26 balls. He showcased a variety of pitches including a fastball with a top speed of 155 km/h, curveball, slider, changeup, two-seam, and cutter, which provided enough substance to raise expectations for his next outing.

Having become a Hanwha player for an aggregate of $1 million (about 1.4 billion won), PONSE played in Major League Baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2020 and 2021, appearing in 20 games (5 starts), throwing 55⅓ innings with a record of 1 win and 7 losses, 48 strikeouts, and an earned run average of 5.86.

He also has experience in Asian baseball, having played in Japan's professional baseball league for three seasons with the Nippon Ham Fighters from 2022 to 2023 and last year with the Rakuten Golden Eagles. His combined record over those three seasons is 10 wins and 16 losses with an earned run average of 4.54.

PONSE, who demonstrated an overwhelming performance with 2 wins and an earned run average of 0 and 10 strikeouts in 2 exhibition games, is being evaluated as the league's representative ace expected to dominate this season alongside DOOSAN BEARS' ace COLBIN.

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