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EspañolCody Ponce‘s Toronto Blue Jays career got off to a smooth start on Wednesday.
Starting his first spring training game for Toronto against the Detroit Tigers, Ponce struck out two in a perfect opening frame before turning the ball over to Tommy Nance for the second inning.
Ponce began his afternoon by sitting down Parker Meadows after an 11-pitch battle, getting the Tigers’ leadoff batter to swing through a 92.2-m.p.h. cutter for strike three.
He followed that up by striking out Detroit’s top prospect, Kevin McGonigle, with a changeup in the dirt.
And to finish off the inning, Ponce induced a groundout to third baseman Kazuma Okamoto from Jahmai Jones.
When all was said and done, the 31-year-old right-hander had thrown 22 pitches — 16 for strikes — while sitting 96 m.p.h. on 10 fastballs. He also mixed in five changeups, five cutters, one curveball and one slider.
The Blue Jays signed Ponce to a three-year, $30-million contract in the off-season after a record-breaking year in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).
Pitching for the Hanwha Eagles, Ponce set a league record with 252 strikeouts in 180.2 innings while carrying a 1.89 ERA. His efforts earned him both the KBO MVP and pitcher of the year awards.
Before Wednesday’s outing, Toronto manager John Schneider told reporters that the club is planning on Ponce opening the year as a starter.
“The expectation is pitching as a starting pitcher in the rotation,” Schneider said, per Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith. “That’s why we sought him out. That’s why he sought us out.”
