How Cody Ponce Motivated New Astros Starter Ryan Weiss in KBO

Ryan Weiss parlayed a terrific season in the KBO into a contract with the Houston Astros to bolster the back end of their rotation.

The thing is, he wasn’t even the best pitcher on his KBO team last year. That honor belonged to Cody Ponce, who had such an incredible season that he landed a three-year, $30 million deal from the AL pennant winners, the Toronto Blue Jays.

Weiss reportedly agreed to a deal worth $2.8 million. He’s not complaining. In fact, he said that playing with Ponce motivated him in ways he couldn’t have expected and had a hand in his return to the Majors in 2026.

Ryan Weiss on Cody Ponce

Last season, Ryan Weiss and Cody Ponce combined for nearly 500 strikeouts pitching for the Hanwha Eagles.

In 2026, they will both be pitching in the majors.#Astros | #BlueJays
🔗 https://t.co/fGPbvbj8w4 pic.twitter.com/pT5pKmmF1D
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) December 11, 2025

In an appearance on MLB Network Radio, Weiss talked about the seasons both he and Ponce had with the Hanwha Eagles. Weiss pitched behind Ponce in the rotation, so he got to watch what turned out to be the best pitcher in the league in 2025.

“He would pitch the day before me, so I think it really dialed me in for the next day to say ‘Ok, here’s what working for him and this is kind of what I have to do if I want to have the same success,” Weiss said. “We would just bounce things off each other in the dugout or in the clubhouse. I think it helped both of us out a lot. And, honestly, just competing [with him]. I love to compete and if he’s going to go out there and throw six shutty [shutout innings], then I have to go out there and throw six shutty.”

Weiss made 30 starts and pitched to a impressive 2.87 ERA and 1.024 WHIP with a record of 16-5, striking out 207 batters in 178.2 innings while walking just 56.

Ponce had an incredible season. He had a 1.89 ERA and struck out 225 hitters in 180.2 innings. He set a KBO single-season record for strikeouts, which included an 18-strikeout game, and won the league’s MVP award.

Weiss will have to be motivated from afar. But there’s a chance that the pair could face each other in the regular season and, perhaps, the postseason. The Blue Jays are loading up for another World Series run, while the Astros are trying to get back to the playoffs after their eight-year postseason streak came to an end. Weiss will have to play a role in that comeback.

The right-hander has never pitched in the Majors. He was the Arizona Diamondbacks’ fourth-round pick in 2018 out of Wright State. He worked his way up to Triple-A ball by 2022 and split time with the Diamondbacks’ Triple-A team and the Kansas City Royals’ Triple-A team before he went overseas for the 2024 season.

As a minor league pitcher, he has a record of 17-14 with a 4.88 ERA in 132 games, with 47 starts, including 294 strikeouts and 106 walks.

Ryan Weiss on Cody Ponce

Recommended Articles