Cody Ponce speaks on his first start for the Toronto Blue Jays

Feb 25, 2026 (8:11 PM)

Photo credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Cody Ponce overpowering early nerves in his electric spring debut gives fans immense hope for a dominant starting rotation.

Watching the Dodgers celebrate a championship on our home dirt left a massive void in our collective baseball hearts.

The pain of coming so incredibly close to ultimate glory is a feeling you simply do not brush off overnight.

Toronto proudly posted a stellar 94-68 record last season, but the pitching staff ran out of gas when it mattered most.

The front office totally refused to wallow in self-pity and aggressively searched the globe for fresh reliable arms.

Cody Ponce (Drafted Round 2, 2015 by Milwaukee Brewers) arrived in camp with absolutely everything to prove.

The 31-year-old towering righty spent the last few seasons completely rebuilding his pitching mechanics overseas.

He completely dominated the Korean league last year, posting an absurd 1.89 ERA and 252 strikeouts to win MVP.

Fans are absolutely buzzing at the exciting thought of adding an international superstar to this loaded pitching staff.

He looked slightly nervous during a grueling 11-pitch battle against the very first batter he faced this afternoon.

But true veterans know exactly how to slow their own heartbeat down when the bright lights shine.

He confidently unleashed a nasty 92 mph cutter to secure his first massive strikeout in a Blue Jays uniform.

Striking out two batters in a flawless opening inning proves his reconstructed arm is completely ready for the American League.

Seeing his raw fastball touch 96 mph immediately silences any lingering doubts about his pure velocity.

Pitching coach Pete Walker loves working with a healthy veteran who completely understands how to attack the strike zone.

The rotation desperately needs someone who can routinely eat innings and intimidate hitters deep into the summer.

Taking a calculated risk on a bounce-back candidate easily separates smart organizations from the rest of the pack.

Let the big man pitch and watch him become an absolute fan favorite in Canada.

Previously on Toronto Baseball Insider

POLL
FEVRIER 25\|286 ANSWERS Cody Ponce speaks on his first start for the Toronto Blue Jays Will Cody Ponce win 15 games for the Blue Jays this season?
Yes	207	72.4 %
No	79	27.6 %
List of polls