Cal Poly Pomona Athletics

After CPP

• Drafted 55th overall by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2015 MLB Draft
• Became the 12th Bronco to appear in a Major League Baseball game
• Made his MLB debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2020 and posted a 3.18 ERA in 17 innings
• Threw a no-hitter for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in 2022, becoming the seventh foreign-born player to accomplish the feat in NPB’s two-league era
• Set a KBO League record with 18 strikeouts in a nine-inning game in 2025
• Set the KBO single-season strikeout record with 228 strikeouts in 2025
• Went 17-1 with a 1.89 ERA and 252 strikeouts in 2025... Named KBO League MVP and won the Choi Dong-won Award
• Signed a three-year, $30 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2025

Awards and Honors

• 2x ABCA All-West Region Second Team (2013, 2015)
• 2x All-CCAA Second Team (2013, 2015)
• All-CCAA Third Team (2014)
• Is one of four pitchers in program history to pitch at least 65 innings and not give up a home run (only one over 75 innings pitched at 185.2)
• 2nd all-time in single season ERA (1.44 in 2015)
• 3rd all-time in career FIP (2.18)
• 3rd all-time in single season FIP (1.91 in 2015)
• 4th all-time in single season FIP (1.94 in 2013)
• 5th all-time in career opponent OPS (.588)
• 5th all-time in single season strikeout to walk ratio (5.38 in 2013)
• 7th all-time in single season saves (6 in 2013)
• 8th all-time in single season walks per nine (1.49 in 2013)
• Three-time member of the zero home run club (minimum 40 innings pitched)

As a Junior in 2015: Made 13 appearances and 12 starts... Posted a 5-3 record with a team-best 1.44 ERA and 1.09 WHIP... Struck out a career-high 67 batters in 62.1 innings... Allowed just 10 earned runs and 14 walks... Recorded 1 save and limited opposing hitters to a .233 batting average... Finished the season with 5 wins, 3 losses and a .900 fielding percentage... All-CCAA Second Team Honors... ABCA All-West Region Second Team.

As a Sophomore in 2014: Started on the mound in 12 his 14 appearances... Recorded a 3.36 earned run average in 75 innings pitched, with only 28 earned runs... Averaged 5.1 innings per outing... Tallied 52 strikouts and 29 walks... Gave up zero home runs... Pitched a season high eight innings on Feb. 22 against the UC San Diego Tritons... Played in the Cape Cod League, which is regarded as the premier amateur baseball league, his performance gained him recognition as one of the league's top 30 prospects, nearly topping the list at the No. 3 spot... All-CCAA Third Team Honors

As a Freshman in 2013: Finished the 2013 season with a 5-2 record while adding six saves to match the program's single-season record... In 48.1 innings, he racked up 43 strikeouts and walked just eight batters... In mid-March at SF State, he threw seven shutout innings and picked up a season-high eight strikeouts... In four starts and 20 appearances, he didn't allow a single homerun... He finished the year at No. 2 on the conference leaderboard for saves... All-CCAA Second Team Honors... ABCA All-West Region Second Team.

High School: A 2012 graduate of Damien High School... Put together an excellent senior season at Damien as he recorded a 3.09 earned run average and struck out 43 batters while allowing only 10 walks.

Personal: Born April 25, 1994… Son of Joe and Jennifer Ponce… Has two sisters, Devan and Jess… Kinesiology major… Favorite sports teams are Rockford Peaches and the Los Angeles Dodgers… Favorite professional athletes are Clayton Kershaw and Dottie Hinson… Enjoys long walks on the beach and practicing his charting because it's the most important part of the game... Aspires to be the bat boy for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes and to play professional baseball.