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3w ago

Eagles Lean on Ponce as Bullpens Shape Tight KBO Second Half

KBO teams resume play with the first-half leader defending its cushion in a crowded race for the final playoff berth

Hanwha Eagles pitcher Cody Ponce salutes fans during the Korea Baseball Organization All-Star festivities at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark in Daejeon, some 140 kilometers south of Seoul, on July 11, 2025. (Yonhap)
Kia Tigers starter James Naile pitches against the Doosan Bears during a Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, in this June 4, 2025, file photo. (Yonhap)
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Overview

  • Hanwha opened the second half at KT Wiz Park on July 17 with ace Cody Ponce aiming to preserve their 52-33-2 first-half advantage.
  • Ponce leads the league with 11 wins, a 1.95 ERA and 161 strikeouts, anchoring a rotation that ranked first in ERA before the break.
  • Major pitching duels are set across four venues, with LG hosting Lotte in Jamsil, NC facing Kia in Gwangju, Doosan taking on SSG in Incheon and Kiwoom squaring off with Samsung in Daegu.
  • Teams from fifth through eighth place sit within one game of each other, as KT Wiz, SSG Landers, NC Dinos and Samsung Lions jostle for the wild-card spot.
  • Closer duties have become pivotal, with KT’s Park Yeong-hyun pacing the league at 26 saves, followed by Lotte’s Kim Won-jung (24), Kia’s Jung Hai-young (23) and Hanwha rookie Kim Seo-hyeon (22).