Ponce was once a top 10 prospect for the Brewers after they drafted him in the second round in 2015, but he struggled to find his footing in the Minors before eventually being traded to the Pirates in 2019. The righty made his MLB debut in 2020, but he put up a 5.86 ERA in 20 appearances from 2020-21.
It was at that point that Ponce took his career overseas. He spent the next three seasons pitching to mixed results in Japan — but moving to Korea in 2025 may prove to be a turning point.
Things finally seemed to click last season for Ponce, who went 17-1 with a 1.89 ERA for the Hanwha Eagles. He had 252 strikeouts over 180 2/3 innings, setting a single-season strikeout record in the KBO League en route to earning the league MVP Award.
Now, the 31-year-old Ponce will look to build off that success as he returns to the Majors. It may not be the path he envisioned for himself a decade ago, but plenty of players have revitalized their big league dreams after spending time playing in Japan or Korea.
Here’s a look at a few of the most notable players to have MLB success after returning from playing overseas:
Erick Fedde, RHP
MLB: 2017-22, ’24-present
Korea: 2024
A first-round pick by the Nationals in 2014, Fedde was ranked among the club’s top prospects alongside the likes of future stars Juan Soto and Trea Turner. Despite the high expectations, Fedde struggled to gain footing in the big leagues, posting a 5.41 ERA over 102 outings (88 starts) from 2017-22. He made 21 appearances (12 starts) for the 2019 World Series-winning club, though he did not appear in the postseason.
After recording a 5.81 ERA for the Nats in 2022, Fedde switched gears and decided to sign with the NC Dinos of the KBO League. The move proved to be a positive one for the righty, who went 20-6 with a 2.00 ERA in his lone season in Korea. Fedde returned to the Majors in ’23, racing out to a 7-4 start with a 3.11 ERA for the White Sox before being one of the most sought after arms at that season’s Trade Deadline.
Merrill Kelly, RHP
Korea: 2015-18
MLB: 2019-present
An eighth-round pick by the Rays in 2010, Kelly toiled around the Minors for a few seasons before having a bit of a breakout season in ’14 when he went 9-4 with a 2.76 ERA with Triple-A Durham. Still, it wasn’t enough to break into the big leagues, so Kelly opted to sign with the SK Wyverns of the KBO League following the season. He went on to go 48-32 with a 3.86 ERA over four seasons in Korea, capped off by a dominant outing in Game 3 of the 2018 Korean Series en route to helping his team win the title.
Kelly’s success earned him a two-year deal from the D-backs, and he went on to become a top-of-the-rotation starter for more than a half-decade. After posting a respectable 4.27 ERA from 2019-21, Kelly fully broke out during the 2022-23 seasons. He went 13-8 with a 3.37 ERA in ’22, then helped lead the D-backs to the NL pennant in ’23, when he went 12-8 with a 3.29 ERA during the regular season before going 3-1 with a 2.25 ERA in four postseason starts.
Miles Mikolas, RHP
MLB: 2012-14, ’18-present
Japan: 2015-17
Mikolas’ first taste of the big leagues came in 2012 when he posted a 3.62 ERA over 25 relief appearances for the Padres. He spent the majority of the ’13 season in the Minors, then was acquired — and converted to a starter — by the Rangers ahead of the ’14 campaign. Mikolas struggled in his new role, posting a 6.44 ERA over 10 starts before taking his career to Japan for the ’15 season.
Mikolas had immediate success in Japan, going 13-3 with a 2.11 ERA with the Yomiuri Giants in 2015. He followed it up with a 2.45 ERA in ’16 and a 2.25 ERA in ’17. The Cardinals gave him another big league opportunity in ’18, and he picked up right where he left off in Japan. Mikolas went 18-4 with a 2.83 ERA in 32 starts with St. Louis, earning his first career All-Star selection and finishing sixth in NL Cy Young voting. He earned another All-Star nod in ’22 and became a mainstay in the Cardinals’ rotation.
Eric Thames, 1B/OF
MLB: 2011-12, ’17-20
Korea: 2014-16
Japan: 2021
Thames made his Major League debut with the Blue Jays in 2011, hitting 12 home runs in just 95 games while posting a 105 OPS+ — but he struggled to build off that success in ‘12. He hit just three home runs and had a 77 OPS+ in 46 games before being traded to the Mariners at the Trade Deadline. Thames didn’t perform much better in Seattle and spent the entire ’13 season in the Minors. He was traded to the O’s in July of that season and later designated for assignment in September.
Following his down 2013 season, Thames was offered a contract by the NC Dinos of the KBO League. Thames dazzled during his time in Korea, averaging 41 homers and 127 RBIs in his three seasons with the Dinos. Those power numbers earned him a big league offer from the Brewers — and he kept raking in his return to The Show. Thames teed off for 31 homers in his first season back in 2017, then added 16 homers in an injury-plagued ’18 season and 25 homers in ’19. Overall, he hit 72 home runs in 383 games — an average of 30 homers per 162 games — with a 118 OPS+ in his three seasons with the Brewers after returning from Korea. After a down 2020 season with the Nationals, Thames wrapped up his professional career with one season in Japan.
Colby Lewis, RHP
MLB: 2002-07, ’10-16
Japan: 2008-09
A highly touted prospect after being selected by the Rangers in the first round of the 1999 Draft, Lewis had trouble living up to the lofty expectations. He put up a 7.08 ERA in 41 appearances (30 starts) with the Rangers from 2002-03, then made just three starts in ’04 before undergoing rotator cuff surgery that sidelined him for the remainder of the season. He was claimed off waivers by the Tigers that offseason, though he missed the entire ’05 campaign while rehabbing.
After struggling to get on track with the Tigers in 2006 and the A’s in ’07, Lewis signed with the Hiroshima Carp in Japan. He proceeded to go 26-17 with a 2.82 ERA in 55 outings over the next two seasons, prompting the Rangers to give him another look in 2010. He rewarded the club by winning a dozen games and posting a 3.72 ERA over 32 regular-season starts as the Rangers clinched their first postseason berth in more than a decade. Lewis went 3-0 with a 1.71 ERA in four starts that postseason to help Texas win its first pennant. He became a rotation staple over the next half-decade, earning 65 wins and posting a respectable 4.27 ERA over 161 starts from 2010-16.
