Professional baseball players Cody Ponce (31) and Ryan Weiss (29) of the Hanwha Eagles are dominating as the league's top one-two punch.
On the 22nd, Ponce started the game against the Kiwoom Heroes in the '2025 Shinhan Bank SOL Bank KBO League' at Hanwha Life Park in Daejeon, pitching 5⅔ innings, allowing 2 hits, 1 walk, striking out 12, and giving up 2 earned runs to earn an unearned victory. He overwhelmed the Kiwoom batters with a fastball that reached a maximum speed of 159 km/h.
This season, Ponce has played 16 games (101⅔ innings), recording 10 wins and an earned run average of 2.04. He has lowered his ERA to 2.04, surpassing Drew Anderson (SSG, 2.05) to take the top spot in the league. He is also maintaining his position at the top for wins and strikeouts (141), achieving results that allow him to challenge for the Triple Crown.
Not only Ponce but also Ryan Weiss, who forms the one-two punch with Ponce, is showing good performance. In his second season this year, Weiss has appeared in 15 games (95⅓ innings), recording 9 wins and 2 losses with an ERA of 2.83. He ranks 7th in ERA, tied for 2nd in wins, and 4th in strikeouts.
Ponce and Weiss are recognized as the league's best one-two punch. Ace pitchers from other teams have also acknowledged their abilities. SSG's Mitch White, in an interview on the 18th, said, “I saw the game where Ponce had 18 strikeouts. Weiss is also a very good pitcher. Therefore, I cannot disagree with the idea that Ponce and Weiss are the league's best one-two punch. I believe both players are excellent pitchers.”
SSG's Anderson and White are also achieving impressive results comparable to Ponce and Weiss. Anderson has played 15 games (88 innings), recording 5 wins and 3 losses with an ERA of 2.05, while White has played 11 games (63⅔ innings), recording 5 wins and 2 losses with an ERA of 2.40. Anderson ranks 2nd in ERA, 2nd in strikeouts, and tied for 16th in wins.
In an interview on the 21st, SSG manager Lee Seung-yong said, “To evaluate fairly, it seems that right now we could see Ponce and Weiss as better than our Anderson and White. Our players are also pitching very well, but there's a slight difference in innings. Ponce and Weiss have proven that they can go 7 or 8 innings. Our players are still struggling to reach 6 or 7 innings, and 8 to 9 innings is still difficult.” He acknowledged the performance of Ponce and Weiss this season.
“However, Anderson and White are also gradually adjusting,” emphasized manager Lee Seung-yong. “I thought Anderson would get better after seeing him throw curves in the later innings. I believe White can also go 7 or 8 innings if he adapts well to the KBO League. I think our pitchers are the ones who can continue to improve,” he said with a smile.
As Ponce and Weiss show remarkable performances this season, Anderson and White, along with James Naile and Adam Oller (KIA), are also performing at a high level, fiercely chasing Ponce and Weiss. Fans are keenly watching who will emerge victorious in the exciting competition among the top pitchers as the season comes to a close.
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