Cody Ponce relives his record setting game and the moment that moved him to tears

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Cody Ponce made an appearance on the Baseball is Dead podcast this week. He discussed his 18-strikeout game, which set a KBO record for the most strikeouts in a nine-inning game, and shared an endearing, personal story that may bring a tear to your eye.

A visibly emotional Ponce explained that his mother passed away in 2017 to stage four brain cancer. He went on to describe a white butterfly that flew past him moments before he struck out his 17th batter of that historic game. That punchout tied Ponce with former Blue Jays pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu, who was cheering his teammate on from the Hanwha Eagles dugout. 

Ponce then went on to explain that in Korean lore, the appearance of a white butterfly symbolizes that your ancestors are with you. He said that the same butterfly hovered around the mound for the entirety of the next at-bat.

Cody Ponce relives his record setting game and the moment that moved him to tears

Ponce was asked what he was feeling after setting the record. He bowed to his teammate Ryu in a sign of respect, and then his emotions took over. He says that he felt the presence of his mom with him on the mound, “I felt my mom was there, my mom was in my arms, she was on my back, she was standing on my shoulders, she was just there. It was that moment of baseball history for me that will be forever remembered.”

Ponce is already an easy guy to root for. He was overwhelmed in his first taste of MLB action and worked hard to get his career back on track via a tour through the Pacific Rim. The courage he showed in sharing his story will only make this new Blue Jays pitcher even more of a fan favorite. The 31-year-old was 1-7 with a 5.86 ERA over 20 appearances from 2020-2021 with the Pittsburgh Pirates in his first foray into the major leagues. 

He worked on his delivery and stuff and has re-invented himself as a high strikeout pitcher who baffled KBO’s best hitters last years after a stint in Japan. The righthander went 17-1 with a 1.89 ERA and 252 strikeouts over 180.2 innings to capture both the MVP and top pitcher awards in 2025.

This heartfelt story will resonate with Blue Jays fans, and they’ll be eagerly anticipating adding Ponce to a staff that already includes last season’s rookie sensation, Trey Yesavage, former Cy Young award winner Shane Bieber, and splashy free-agent signing Dylan Cease.