As the Texas Rangers look to fortify their pitching staff ahead of the 2026 season, a familiar name is surfacing on the radar-Cody Ponce. The 31-year-old right-hander, once a second-round pick by the Milwaukee Brewers, is reportedly drawing serious interest from multiple MLB clubs after a dominant campaign overseas. And while his resurgence is turning heads, it’s his asking price that might give the Rangers pause.
Cody Ponce’s Comeback Tour Hits High Gear
Let’s start with the numbers-because they’re eye-popping. In 2025, pitching for the Hanwha Eagles in the KBO, Ponce put together a season that would make any scout sit up and take notice.
Over 29 starts, he went 17-1 with a 1.89 ERA, racked up a record-setting 252 strikeouts, walked just 41, and posted a 0.95 WHIP across 180.2 innings. That strikeout total wasn’t just impressive-it set a new KBO single-season record.
He even notched a single-game record with 18 punchouts in May.
That kind of dominance doesn’t go unnoticed, especially from a pitcher who once struggled to find his footing in the majors.
From Fringe Starter to Overseas Ace
Ponce’s journey has been anything but linear. Drafted in 2015 out of Cal Poly by the Brewers, he was later traded to the Pirates in 2019 in exchange for Jordan Lyles.
His early MLB stints were rocky. He debuted during the COVID-shortened 2020 season and made 15 appearances in 2021, but the results were far from encouraging: a 7.04 ERA, 54 hits, and 34 earned runs allowed in limited action.
After that, he took his talents overseas. A stint in Japan’s NPB yielded middling results, but it was in Korea where everything clicked.
Ponce didn’t just reinvent himself-he became a different pitcher. His fastball velocity ticked up to 95 mph, two miles per hour faster than during his Pittsburgh days, and he added a splitter to his arsenal.
The result? A devastating mix that baffled KBO hitters and led to a 12.6 K/9 rate.
Could Ponce Fit in Arlington?
There’s no question the Rangers could use a guy like Ponce. They’re in need of a starter, a catcher, a second baseman, and a full bullpen rebuild. That's a lot of holes to fill, and while Ponce checks one of those boxes-potentially as a back-end starter or even a high-leverage reliever-his reported asking price might be a dealbreaker.
Word is, Ponce is seeking a contract in the $30 to $40+ million range. That’s a steep ask for a pitcher who hasn’t thrown a big-league pitch since 2021, no matter how dominant he’s been overseas.
Texas is already navigating a tight payroll. With several arbitration cases still pending and some big contracts on the books, the Rangers are projected to have somewhere between $35 and $55 million to round out the roster. That money has to stretch across six to eight spots, which makes committing a large chunk of it to a pitcher with limited MLB success a risky move.
Still, There’s Value Here
That said, Ponce’s upside is real. He’s not just a reclamation project-he’s a pitcher who’s evolved.
That improved velocity, the addition of a splitter, and the ability to miss bats at an elite rate all point to someone who could contribute right away. Whether that’s as a fifth starter or a swingman out of the bullpen, there’s a role for him on a big-league staff.
And there’s precedent for this kind of return. Erik Fedde, another former MLB arm who found new life in the KBO, signed a two-year, $15 million deal with the White Sox before the 2024 season. If Ponce is willing to consider a similar structure, he could be a bargain for a team like Texas that needs innings, strikeouts, and depth.
Final Word
Cody Ponce is no longer the fringe prospect trying to stick in a big-league bullpen. He’s a reinvented pitcher with a dominant season under his belt and a skillset that fits what many MLB teams are looking for.
The price tag might scare some teams off, especially one like the Rangers with multiple needs and limited flexibility, but the stuff is real. If the numbers from Korea translate even halfway back to MLB, Ponce could go from overseas standout to one of the offseason’s sneakier signings.