Shock: 'Former Hanwha' beloved foreign investor returns to KBO? → The situation is not looking good; is this a case of repeated early demotions despite a dream MLB debut, or simply bad luck?

*This content was translated by AI.

Ryan Weiss (30, Houston Astros), who had a stellar season with the Hanwha Eagles last year, struggled again in his second major league appearance since his MLB debut.

On the 22nd (Korean time), Weiss started for the Houston Astros against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio, in a 2026 MLB regular-season away game. He pitched 3⅓ innings, allowing 5 hits (including 1 home run), 4 walks, 4 strikeouts, and 2 earned runs.

Weiss threw a total of 86 pitches, of which only 48 were strikes. After this game, his season record stood at 7 appearances, 2 losses with no wins, and an ERA of 6.50. Over 18 innings, he allowed 25 hits (5 home runs), 14 walks, 22 strikeouts, and 14 runs (13 earned), with a batting average against of 0.325 and an innings per baserunner (WHIP) of 2.17. His detailed statistics were also poor.

Houston's starting lineup for the game included Carlos Correa (shortstop), Jordan Alvarez (designated hitter), Jose Altuve (second baseman), Christian Walker (first baseman), Isaac Paredes (third baseman), Cam Smith (right fielder), Yainer Diaz (catcher), Bryce Matthews (center fielder), and Dustin Harris (left fielder).

In response, Cleveland started Parker Meis. Their lineup featured Steven Kwan (center fielder), Chase DeLauter (designated hitter), Jose Ramirez (third baseman), Kyle Manzardo (first baseman), George Valera (right fielder), Daniel Schneemann (second baseman), Angel Martinez (left fielder), Austin Hedges (catcher), and Brayan Rocchio (shortstop).

Weiss struggled from the start of the game. In the bottom of the first inning, he successfully handled Kwan with a ground ball to first base and DeLauter with a ground ball to the pitcher's mound. However, he allowed a double to Ramirez and a walk to Manzardo, putting runners on first and second. Valera then hit a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Ramirez. Schneemann struck out, ending the inning.

In the second inning, Weiss gave up a solo home run. Martinez, the leadoff batter, hit Weiss's fifth pitch over the right-field wall on a 3-1 count, making the score 2-0. He then struck out Hedges with a swing-and-miss and got Rocchio out with a ground ball to shortstop. However, he walked Kwan and DeLauter consecutively, putting the team in another scoring danger. Ramirez was then retired with a ground ball to first base, preventing further runs.

In the third inning, Weiss got Manzardo out with a fly ball to left field and Valera out with a fly ball to shortstop. Although he walked Schneemann in the next at-bat, he struck out Martinez with a swing-and-miss to end the inning.

Weiss took the mound again in the fourth inning. He allowed a hit to center-left field by Hedges, the leadoff batter, before striking out Rocchio with a swing-and-miss. Kwan then hit a ground ball to left field, putting runners on first and second again. Weiss was then removed from the game. Houston brought in Colton Gordon to the mound. Gordon retired the next two batters with fly balls, so Weiss's earned run total did not increase.

After Weiss was removed, Houston scored three runs in the fifth inning to take a 3-2 lead. They added another run in the seventh to go ahead 4-2. However, they surrendered six runs in the bottom of the eighth and ultimately lost 5-8.

Meanwhile, Weiss first connected with Korea in June 2024 as a replacement foreign player for Ricardo Sanchez, who was placed on the injured list due to elbow pain while playing for the Hanwha Eagles. He signed a one-year contract worth a total of $100,000 (with a signing bonus of $12,000, an annual salary of $48,000, and incentives of $40,000) and pitched on the Daejeon mound. The contract duration was six weeks.

Weiss delivered performances that exceeded expectations. In 16 appearances, he recorded 5 wins and 5 losses with an ERA of 3.73. Over 91⅔ innings, he allowed 77 hits (8 home runs), 29 walks, 3 hit-by-pitches, 98 strikeouts, and 43 runs (38 earned). After the 2024 season, Hanwha extended another offer to Weiss. They secured him under terms totaling up to $950,000, including a guaranteed amount of $750,000 (with a signing bonus of $150,000 and an annual salary of $600,000) and incentives of $200,000.

Weiss continued his outstanding performance in the 2025 season. In 30 appearances, he achieved 16 wins and 5 losses with an ERA of 2.87. Over 178⅔ innings, he allowed 127 hits (13 home runs), 56 walks, 13 hit-by-pitches, 207 strikeouts, and 63 runs (57 earned). Alongside top ace Cody Ponce, who dominated the KBO League, Weiss formed a powerful foreign one-two punch that played a major role in Hanwha's runner-up finish in the Korean Series.

After the season ended, Weiss left Hanwha and returned to the U.S. The team that reached out to him was the Houston Astros. The contract terms were for up to $10 million over two years (approximately 14.7 billion won). It was reported that he is guaranteed $2.6 million for the 2026 season, with an option for the 2027 season.

Recently, news of his reputation as a devoted husband has drawn attention. Michael Schwab of the Houston-focused podcast "Ice Box Insider" shared on his social networking service (SNS) on the 10th: "Weiss's wife, Haley Brooke Weiss, said that her husband puts his wedding ring in his back pocket when he takes the mound. (Upon checking, it's true)."

Before joining Hanwha, Weiss had pitched in 132 games (47 starts) over five minor league seasons, recording 17 wins and 14 losses with an ERA of 4.88. Over 313⅓ innings, he recorded 294 strikeouts while issuing 106 walks, resulting in a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 2.79, which was considered solid. In 2023, he played for the Fubon Guardians in the Taiwan Professional Baseball League, gaining experience in Asian baseball. Having never made his MLB debut, he finally achieved his dream of appearing in a major league game on the 17th against the Colorado Rockies. However, he struggled, pitching 3⅔ innings (76 pitches), allowing 3 hits, striking out 3, walking 4, and giving up 2 runs. Again, he failed to leave a memorable impression. Concerns are growing among the Houston bench and fans.

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*This content was translated by AI.