Pittsburgh Pirates fans would be forgiven if they did not remember right-handed pitcher Cody Ponce. A former second-round draft pick by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2015, Ponce was traded to the Bucs at the 2019 trade deadline in exchange for Jordan Lyles. He only tossed 55.1 innings in black and gold between 2020 and 2021, while putting up a meager 5.86 ERA (75 ERA+), 5.47 FIP, and 1.54 WHIP.
After 2021, the Pirates let Ponce go to pursue a baseball career in Japan. Three unimpressive seasons in the NPB led Ponce to head for South Korea's KBO prior to the 2025 campaign, where he just revived his career with an historic season.