The Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) is the premier baseball league in Taiwan. Founded in 1989, the CPBL has since grown to become one of Asia’s most successful professional sports leagues, with six teams participating in both its main and farm leagues.
With a rich history filled with memorable moments and lasting rivalries, the CPBL provides an exciting brand of competitive baseball for fans across China and beyond.
1. Chen Wei-Yin
Hanshin Tigers
Career
- NPB Central League ERA title (2009)
Chen is a Taiwanese-born pitcher who has spent most of his career in Japan. Chen debuted in the Japanese league, pitching for the Chunichi Dragons, in 2005 and has been with several teams since then.
In 2012, Chen signed with the Baltimore Orioles and made his MLB debut that season.
Chen has had success throughout his career, compiling a 37–33 win–loss record overall while playing for multiple Japanese and American teams including the Los Angeles Dodgers (2015) and Miami Marlins (2019).
At age 37, Chen is still able to pitch at an high level and could potentially be brought back into play by any team looking for bullpen help down the stretch this year or next year Chen Wei-Yin is a promising pitcher in the NPB. He has been successful in capturing two ERA titles and racked up 541 strikeouts over 5 seasons.
Chen also boasts an impressive win-loss record, as he's currently 59–51 with 4.18 ERA and 846 strikeouts to his name.
The lefty was signed by the Chunichi Dragons back in 2004 and spent 6 years there before being traded to Baltimore Orioles midway through the 2012 season, where he would remain until his departure for Miami Marlins at the end of 2015 campaign.
Chen Wei-Yin will be joining Chiba Lotte Marines next year after spending 3 seasons with Hanshin Tigers.
2. Chin-Lung Hu
Fubon Guardians
Career
- Taiwan Series champion (2016)
Chin-Lung Hu made his MLB debut for the Dodgers in 2007. He spent most of his time with the team before being traded to the CPBL's Eda Rhinos in 2013. Hu led the league in batting average (.176) and home runs (2).
Chin-Lung Hu has also had success on the field, winning two Golden Glove Awards while playing for Eda Rhinos. Chin-Lung Hu is a Taiwanese professional baseball player who has played for the Los Angeles Dodgers (2007–2010) and New York Mets (2011).
He was born in 1979 in Taichung, Taiwan. Chin-Lung Hu made his debut with the Chinese Taipei national baseball team at the age of 20 during the 2006 Asian Games held in Doha, Qatar.
In 2010 he helped China to win their first ever Asian Baseball Championship title by playing alongside veterans such as Liao Chihuo and Kuo Chien-yuen for the EDA Rhinos/Fubon Guardians squad.
Chin-Lung Hu also represented Taiwan at two international tournaments: The 2009 World Baseball Classic qualifying tournament and then again at the 2016 Summer Olympics where they were eliminated after reaching the semi finals stage against South Korea.
At present he is contracted to play for both EDA Rhinos/Fubon Guardians and home country’s Centralines Elephants club respectively before retiring from professional baseball later this year according to reports from CPBL sources.
Also Played For: fubon guardians
3. Che-Hsuan Lin
Fubon Guardians
Career
- Taiwan Series champion (2016), Taiwan Series MVP (2016)
Lin is a right-handed outfielder and first baseman who was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the second round of the 2008 amateur draft. He made his professional debut with the Lowell Spinners of the Class A New England League that year.
Lin signed with the Red Sox as a free agent on February 9, 2012 and hit .288/.342/.433 with five home runs and 26 RBI over 53 games for Triple-A Pawtucket before making his MLB debut on April 14 against Oakland.
In 125 career MLB games, Lin has batted .258/.309/.423 with nine home runs and 57 RBI. He spent most of 2016 at Triple-A where he had an outstanding season batting .348/.428/1128 with 31 doubles, 10 triples, 69 homers, 127 RBIs and 129 walks in just 128 games played (the most ever by a Taiwanese player).
On November 3rd 2017 it was announced that Lin had been traded to Atlanta Braves along with Jordan Schafer in exchange for Tyler Flowers, Mallex Smithand Zac Rosscup In 2018 he played 58 games for Atlanta but only managed to bat.
208/.261/, six homers while striking out 139 times which led to him being released after hitting free agency this offseason 6. Che-Hsuan later signed back up witih Boston on a minor league deal.
4. Chien-Ming Wang
New York Yankees
Career
- AL wins leader (2006)
Chien-Ming Wang is a right-handed pitcher who has played for the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals in MLB. He was born on March 31, 1980, in Taiwan and made his MLB debut with the Yankees in 2005.
Wang finished his career with the Royals in 2016 after playing 78 games over three seasons.
His best season came in 2010 when he had a win-loss record of 34 (including 10 shutouts), an ERA of 4.36, and 394 strikeouts to only 22 walks over 183 innings pitched – all career highs.
Chien-Ming Wang currently works as a pitching coach for CTBC Brothers - one of Taiwan's top baseball academie.
Where he helps develop young pitchers into successful professionals Chien-Ming Wang is a Taiwanese professional baseball player who has played for the New York Yankees, Washington Nationals, Toronto Blue Jays and Kansas City Royals.
He was born in Taipei on February 10th, 1980. Chien-Ming Wang made his debut in 2005 with the New York Yankees where he spent four seasons before joining the Washington Nationals in 2011.
With the Nationals he won two NL East titles (2012 & 2013), and also reached the postseason twice during that time - notably making it all the way to Game 7 of the National League Division Series against St Louis Cardinals in 2012 before being eliminated by Arizona Diamondbacks later that year; and then again appearing in an NLCS game.
Chicago Cubs only to be beaten comprehensively - 8 runs off 9 innings - leading to their eventual championship win over Los Angeles Dodgers at Wrigley Field six months later).
In December 2016 Chien-Ming Wang signed with MLB side Kansas City Royals as a free agent following his release from Toronto Blue Jays earlier that month having failed to recapture form after returning from injury.
2016 campaign (he had originally been brought back into rotation by new manager John Gibbons midway through season).
5. Chin-Feng Chen
Rakuten Monkeys
Career
- MLB records, First Taiwan-born player playing in Major League Baseball, , CPBL, , 4x Taiwan Series champion (2006, 2012, 2014-2015)
Chen was born in Taiwan and made his professional debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2002. Chen played for the Lamigo Monkeys of the CPBL from 2006 to 2016, recording a batting average of .304 during that time.
Chen is set to retire at the end of this season, having played his last game with the La New Bears on September 18th. Chin-Feng Chen is a Taiwanese baseball player who has played in the CPBL for three seasons. He won two Taiwan Series titles with La New Bears and one title with Lamigo Monkeys.
Chin-Feng Chen was born on December 13, 1984, in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. His father played basketball professionally and his mother ran track and field competitions at school.
Chin-Feng started playing organized baseball when he was eight years old after being scouted by an NPB scout while playing street ball in Kaohsiung City.
After spending four years at college where he studied business administration, Chin-Feng made his professional debut in 2002 with the Los Angeles Dodgers' Class A affiliate team in Ogden, Utah as a shortstop but only appeared in six games before being traded to the La New Bears of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL).
In 2006 Chin-Fenf joined forces with former major leaguer Lee Tseh Chiu to form Lamigo Monkeys and led them to their first CPBL championship that season en route to winning another title in 2012 and 2014.
Well as making it all the way to the Japan Series twice (2007–2008) without ever reaching victory lane again after falling short against Japanese teams each time despite strong performances from both players on both sides of the plate.
6. Chin-Hui Tsao
Colorado Rockies
Tsao had a successful MLB career with the Colorado Rockies, and then spent one season in Japan before returning to the United States. Tsao debuted in 2003 with the Colorado Rockies and went on to pitch for several other teams over the next few years.
He was most recently pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2015. Chin-Hui Tsao is primarily a pitcher, but he has also played first base and designated hitter in his career.
His CPBL stint with Brother Elephants was particularly successful, as he led all ERA qualifiers during that time period with a 0.39 mark.
Tsao is known for being able to hit well from both sides of the plate, which gives him an advantage against opposing hitters even though he pitches regularly at 95 MPH or faster.
Chin-Hui Tsao currently resides in Taiwan and spends part of each offseason playing ball overseas - including recent appearances in Cuba, Mexico and Venezuela - where he continues to excel as a pitcher.
7. Kuo-Hui Kao
Fubon Guardians
Career
- 3× CPBL home run champion, (2014, 2015, 2016), Taiwan Series champion (2016)
Kao was drafted by the Fubon Guardians in 2007. In 2013, he won his first Taiwan Professional Baseball League MVP Award. Kao has also played for the China Taipei Brave Dragons and the Yokohama BayStars of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball league over the course of his career.
Kuo-Hui is a switch hitter who bats right-handed and throws right-handed. He has been described as having " elite speed ", making him an asset on both sides of the ball defensively, as well as offensively; he ranks second all time in hits (1,636) in NPB history behind only Sadaharu Oh.
Kuo-Hui is married with one child Kuo-Hui Kao is a professional baseball player who plays for the EDA Rhinos and Fubon Guardians. Kuo-Hui Kao was born in Taiwan in 1997, and he started playing baseball when he was just six years old.
In 2013, Kuo-Hui Kao joined the EDA Rhinos as their second baseman, and two years later he moved to first base where he has remained ever since. Kuo-Hui Kao has been a three time CPBL home run champion (2014, 2015, 2016) and a Taiwanese Series champion (2016).
Kuo-Hui Kao is also known for his strong defense at first base; according to ESPN Stats & Info, no other player in the CPBL has made more double plays than him over the past two seasons combined.
8. Tzu-Wei Lin
Boston Red Sox
Tzu-Wei Lin is an infielder for the Saint Paul Saints in 2021. Lin was born in Kaohsiung County, Taiwan, in 1994. He made his MLB debut with the Boston Red Sox on June 24, 2017.
In 49 games played as a rookie, he hit .217 with four home runs and 17 RBIs. On July 1, 2018, Lin was traded to the Oakland Athletics for cash considerations and assigned to their minor league camp.
The A's released him on August 12, 2018 without having offered him a contract extension beyond that day's deadline date of October 2nd; he then signed with the New Orleans Baby Cakes of the Caribbean League that day.
As of September 15th (games past due), 2019 has been his most productive season statistically thus far - batting .306/.362/.546 while slugging 28 homers and driving 92 runs batted in (RBIs).
Also Played For: portland sea dogs
9. Chia-Jen Lo
Fubon Guardians
Chia-Jen Lo was born in Pingtung County, Taiwan on April 7th, 1986. He made his MLB debut for the Houston Astros on July 31st, 2013 and appeared in 10 games that season.
In 2014 he played in the CPBL with the EDA Rhinos where he finished 3rd in ERA (1.81) and won a Gold Glove Award.
Lo is currently a free agent and has been reported to be considering a return to MLB or signing with another team in Asia's Professional Baseball League (CPBL).
Chia-Jen Lo is a Taiwanese starting pitcher who has spent most of his professional career in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL).
Chia-Jen Lo made his CPBL debut with the EDA Rhinos in late 2014 and helped lead the team to their first league title that season. In 2018, he joined the Fubon Guardians as a free agent and led them to another CPBL championship that year.
Chia-jen Lo's impressive statistics have earned him several awards throughout his career, including being named MVP of both the 2017 and 2018 China Series championships.
He will continue to play for either the Fubon Guardians or EDA Rhinos through at least 2021, barring any major signings elsewhere in Chinese baseball.
10. C. C. Lee
Columbus Clippers
Career
- CPBL, Taiwan Series champion (2021, 2022)
C. C. Lee was born in Taiwan and made his MLB debut for the Cleveland Indians in 2013.
In 2016, he pitched for the Saitama Seibu Lions of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball league where he had a record of 1-1 with an ERA of 4.50 and 33 strikeouts in 34 innings pitched.
He is currently out free agent after being released by the Indians earlier this year and has since been exploring various offers from NPB teams across Asia as well as other leagues around the world Lee is a successful pitcher in the CPBL.
Lee has been with two different teams, Cleveland Indians and Saitama Seibu Lions, since 2013.
In 2016 he was acquired by Chinatrust/CTBC Brothers where he currently plays for them as their starting pitcher. He's won 6 games so far this season while having an ERA of 2.71 and striking out 186 batters in 34 innings pitched so far this year.
11. Ni Fu-Te
Career
- Taiwan Series champion (2016)
Ni Fu-Te was born in Pingtung County, Taiwan on November 14th, 1982. Ni made his professional debut with the Chinatrust Whales in 2007 and pitched for them until 2009 when he signed with the Detroit Tigers.
Ni had a win–loss record of 0–1 during his time in MLB but had an earned run average of 4.33 due to 43 strikeouts over 34 innings pitched. After leaving MLB, Ni became pitching coach for ANYO Fresh - a Taiwanese baseball team competing in the CPBL (Chinese Professional Baseball League).
Ni Fu-Te is a Taiwanese baseball player who has played for the Chinatrust Whales (2007–2008), Detroit Tigers (2009–2010) and EDA Rhinos/Fubon Guardians (2015–2020).
He was awarded with Taiwan Series championship in 2016. Ni Fu-Te's playing career may come to an end as he announced his retirement from professional baseball in 2021.
12. Hong-Chih Kuo
Los Angeles Dodgers
Career
- All-Star (2010)
Hong-Chih Kuo was born in Taiwan and played baseball for his country at the junior level. He signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as an undrafted free agent in 2005 and made his MLB debut that same season.
In 2011, he was traded to the Chicago White Sox but only appeared in two games before being released later that year. Hong-Chih Kuo then pitched for a number of independent leagues teams until signing with the Kansas City Royals in December 2017.
He has since posted a record of 13 wins and 17 losses over three seasons with them, most recently appearing in relief during the American League Division Series against Houston Astros this past October. The 41-year-old will likely retire after this season if he doesn't re sign with another team.
A Taiwanese-born pitcher, Hong-Chih Kuo has been one of the most successful pitchers in baseball since joining the Dodgers in 2005. In 2010, he was selected to play in his first All-Star game and finished with a 3.73 ERA. He also won two Gold Glove Awards while playing for Los Angeles (2006, 2007).
13. Jen-Ho Tseng
Chicago Cubs
Tseng was born in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, and played baseball for the national team at age 16. He signed with the Cubs as a free agent in 2017 and made his MLB debut that September.
Tseng has notched one win in only one start thus far in 2018, against the Phillies on May 12th. Tseng's fastball averages 97 mph but can reach up to 100 mph when he needs to; he also throws a slider and changeup.
The Monkeys selected him with the 37th pick of their CPBL draft in 2021 after seeing him pitch for Taiwan at the World Baseball Classic qualifier earlier that year.. Jen-Ho Tseng is a Taiwanese starting pitcher who has spent his entire professional career in Japan.
He was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 2017 but never played for them as he signed with the Rakuten Monkeys instead.
Jen-Ho Tseng has a 9 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 21 innings pitched over two seasons with the Rakuten Monkeys, earning him regular rotation spots. As of 2021, Jen-Ho Tseng will be playing for the RK team in Japan's Professional Baseball League (PBL).
Also Played For: rakuten monkeys
14. Wei-Chung Wang
Milwaukee Brewers
Wei-Chung Wang is a left-handed pitcher in the MLB. He made his debut for the Milwaukee Brewers on April 14, 2014. In 2018, Wei Chuan Dragons drafted him and he has since been with them in the CPBL.
He had an ERA of 6.52 through his first three seasons but has improved this year to have a record of 3 wins and 0 losses thus far in 2019 so far.
As one of only two Taiwanese pitchers playing in MLB at this point, Wang's story shows what can be achieved if hard work pays off and dedication to your craft is upheld.-based journalist Wei-Chung Wang is a Taiwanese left-handed pitcher who has played in the KBO and CPBL.
He was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the fourth round of the 2014 amateur draft, but did not sign with them. Wang made his debut with NC Dinos in 2018, where he posted a 4.26 ERA and 108 strikeouts over 72 innings pitched.
In 2019, Wang signed with Oakland Athletics and had an impressive season; posting a 3.13 ERA while striking out 22 batters over 24 innings pitched (1 start).
Wei-Chung Wang will likely be competing for one of the starting spots on team Pittsburgh Pirates next season; depending on how this year's playoffs go, he could potentially see some time as well against teams like Baltimore Orioles or New York Yankees should they make it that far.
15. Chang Tai-shan
Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions
Career
- CPBL Rookie of the Year (1996), CPBL Golden Glove Award (1999, 2000, 2001), CPBL MVP of the Year (2003), 7x Taiwan Series champion (1997, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2011, 2013)
Chang Tai-shan is a third baseman and coach for the Wei Chuan Dragons who has played in the CPBL since 1996. Chang was most famous during his playing days for his batting average, home runs and RBI totals.
He retired at the end of the 2014 season after appearing in 1,134 games over 14 seasons with Wei Chuan Dragons, Tainan Eagles and Chinatrust Whales. Chang also managed various teams including Wei Chuan from 2010 to 2013 before taking on a coaching role with the club starting in 2014 which he still holds as of 2018.
Chang is one of Taiwan's most decorated players having won several awards such as Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors four times (2001, 2002, 2003 & 2004), Golden Glove Awards twice (2002 & 2006), Best Nine Award once (2006).
Chang Tai-shan is a Taiwanese baseball player who has played for the Wei Chuan Dragons, Sinon Bulls and Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions.
Chang won a Golden Glove Award with Wei in 1999 and 2000 before MVP accolades with the 2003 outfit which made it to Taiwan Series titles in 1997, 1998 and 1999 as well as 2004 and 2005. A switch hitter, Chang bats left-handed but throws right-handed making him an unusual sight on the diamond.
Especially given that he started out playing shortstop. He was also part of Chinese Taipei's team at both the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2012 London Olympic Games.
Where they failed to progress past the first round each time despite displaying some impressive batting form (he scored three runs in Beijing).
16. Peng Cheng-min
CTBC Brothers
Career
- Batting average: .333
- Hits: 2044
- Home runs: 192
- Runs batted in: 1096
- Stolen Base: 231
- Runs: 1090
- CPBL MVP of the Year (2010)
Peng Cheng-min is a right fielder and designated hitter in the CPBL. He has played for several teams since debuting in 2001, most notably with the Brother Elephants.
Peng was born on 6 August 1978 in Kaoshiung, Taiwan. He attended National Taipei University of Technology before being drafted by the Brother Elephants in 2001. Peng has spent his entire career playing for CPBL teams, most recently joining Chinatrust Brothers as their designated hitter this season.
In 9 seasons with over 1000 plate appearances, Peng has recorded an impressive batting average of .288/.363/.465 along with 121 home runs and 460 RBIs overall.
With 5 October 2019 marking his last appearance in professional baseball, Peng leaves behind a legacy as one of the greatest hitters and fielders to ever play in Taiwan's top league.
17. Dai-Kang Yang
Lake Country DockHounds
Career
- 1× Pacific League stolen base champion (2013), 3× Pacific League Golden Glove Award (2012–2014), 1× Japan Series champion (2016), 3× NPB All-Star (2012–2014)
Yang is a right-handed outfielder and thrower for the Lake Country DockHounds. He made his debut in Japan with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in 2007, spending time with them before joining the Yomiuri Giants in 2017.
Yang has had success at both levels of Japanese baseball, being named to the NPB All-Star team twice and winning two Golden Glove Awards (2016 and 2018).
The 36-year old Taiwan native also boasts an international background having played for China's Wuhan Catfish from 2009 to 2011 as well as playing.
Taiwan national teams at various age levels including under 23s and senior level competitions such as the World Baseball Classic (WBC) 2013 where he helped guide his country to their first ever global title against Mexico.
Despite enjoying great successes on both sides of the Pacific, Yang will be looking to take his game one step further when competing in Major League Baseball - something that he says he is aiming towards by training harder than ever before during this offseason.
18. Tsao Chun-yang
Career
- Record: 27-29
- Saves: 28
- Holds: 7
- ERA: 3.03
- Strikeouts: 330
- CPBL MVP of the Year (1999), CPBL Rookie of the Year (1999)
Tsao Chun-yang is a Taiwanese pitcher who has played in the Chinese Professional Baseball League since 1999. Tsao was originally drafted by the Uni-President Lions, but did not sign with them and instead signed with the Hanshin Tigers – his current team.
Tsao had an unsuccessful rookie season, posting a record of only 3 wins and 9 losses over 27 appearances. However, he improved dramatically during his second year, finishing with a respectable 29-27 record.
Tsao's standout attribute is undoubtedly his strong right arm; he has recorded 28 saves in his career to date (tied for 8th all time).
The 46-year old Tsao is set to retire at the end of 2008 after spending 13 years in professional baseball – making him one of the longest serving players currently playing in CPBL history.
Tsao Chun-yang has been one of the most consistent pitchers in Taiwan's professional baseball history. He started his career with Uni-President Lions, and won three consecutive MVP awards before transferring to Japan in 2000.
Tsao returned to Taiwan for two more seasons with Chunichi Dragons, where he racked up 330 strikeouts over 328 innings pitched.
In 2003, Tsao was signed by Brother Elephants as a free agent; however, the team folded midseason that year. Tsao spent four years playing for Brother Elephants before retiring at the end of 2008 season after leading all Taiwanese pitchers in ERA (3.03).
19. José de Paula
CTBC Brothers
Career
- CPBL, CPBL MVP of the Year (2020, 2021), Taiwan Series champion (2021)
José de Paula was born on March 4, 1988 in Villa Mella, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. José de Paula made his MLB debut for the New York Yankees on June 21st of this year.
In 2016 and 2017 he pitched for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders in the CPBL where he put up great numbers with a 3-1 record and 2 saves in each season. His impressive performance caught the attention of the CTBC Brothers who signed him to a contract earlier this year.
As a pitcher José de Paula has an excellent fastball that can reach speeds upwards of 100 mph and is also very accurate with his offspeed pitches including a curveball and changeup which have helped him dominate hitters in Asia Minor Baseball League (CPBL).
With one more season left in his current deal with CTBC Brothers, José de Paulo looks poised to make waves on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean when he finally makes it back to North America next year as an established Major Leaguer.
20. Ngayaw Ake
Wei Chuan Dragons
Career
- Batting average: .311
- Home runs: 299
- Runs batted in: 1,195
- CPBL Best Ten Award (2006–2009, 2015), CPBL Gold Glove (2007), 4× Taiwan Series champion (2006, 2012, 2014, 2015), Taiwan Series Most Valuable Player (2012, 2015), CPBL MVP of the Year (2015)
Ngayaw Ake is a Taiwanese infielder who has played in the Chinese Professional Baseball League for several clubs since 2004. He had a breakout year with the La New Bears in 2015, batting .311 with 299 home runs and 1,195 RBIs during his time there.
In 2016 he moved to the Wei Chuan Dragons and continued to produce at an elite level, finishing fourth on the team in batting average (.340) while also hitting 36 home runs and driving in 119 Runs batted in.
At age 41 Ngayaw Ake still has plenty of baseball left inside him, looking to help his teams compete for championships throughout his career.
Ake was born on December 15, 1988 in the suburbs of Taipei. Ake began playing baseball at an early age and quickly developed into one of Taiwan's top players.
He started his professional career with Chinatrust Brothers in 2006 and led them to 4 championships during his tenure there before joining Wei Chuan Dragons after the 2014 season. Ake is a two-time CPBL MVP (2015, 2016) as well as a four-time Taiwan Series champion (2006, 2012, 2014, 2015).
His best performance came in 2012 when he won both MVP and Golden Glove awards while leading Wei Chuan Dragons to their first ever Taiwanese Series championship victory over Uni-President Lions.
21. Hou Fenglian
Hou Fenglian is a second baseman for the Chinese national baseball team. Hou was born in 1987 in Hebei, China and started playing baseball at a young age.
Hou played collegiately at National Taiwan University and then joined the professional ranks in 2006 with the Taiwanese Chinatrust Whales where he spent four seasons before joining the Chinese national team in 2008.
Hou has represented his country at various international events including the 2009 World Baseball Classic and 2012 Olympic Games, winning silver medals both times.
In 2013, Hou signed with the Seattle Mariners organization as an international free agent but returned to China after just one season due to injury problems Hou Fenglian is a 42-year old right-handed pitcher who has spent the majority of her career playing in China.
She made her debut with the Chinese national team in 2002 and was part of their gold medal winning team at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Hou also competed for China at both the 2007 World Women's Baseball Championship and 2008 Beijing Olympics, where they finished fourth and second respectively.
In 2009 she signed with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim as a free agent, but only played sparingly for them before being released in 2011 after losing 11 games out of 22 starts.
Since then she's been spending time between pitching camps throughout Asia, most notably stints with Japan's Softbank Hawks (2012), South Korea's SK Wyverns (2013) and Thailand'sเอ็กซ์ฟ้า Red Sox (2014).
Hou is married to fellow baseball player Guoqing Gao, whom she met while both were playing for China at an international tournament; they have two sons together.
In 2016 Hou returned to play professionally in Taiwan with The Chinatrust Whales following a successful tryout period that included some impressive performances against top level American teams including Team USA during exhibition games held prior to CPBL season opening weekend.
After appearing in just four games for Taipei Excellence , Hou announced her retirement from professional baseball on July 25th citing health concerns brought about by overtraining.
22. Zhang Zhenwang
Zhang Zhenwang is a catcher who began his professional career with the Tianjin Lions of the China Baseball League. He led them to the championship series in 2002, 2005 and 2006 before moving on to play in the New York Yankees organization.
Zhang has made an impact both at the minor league level and with international teams, earning accolades along the way. In 2017, he was named MVP of MLB's All-Star Futures Game after going 4 for 5 with a home run and two RBIs Zhang Zhenwang was born on February 20, 1984 in Beijing, China.
He played for the People's Republic of China National Team from 2003 to 2006 and participated in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. Zhang began his professional career with the Beijing Lions in 2004 and played for them until 2007.
After leaving Beijing, he signed with the Kumamoto Toyo Carp of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball League (NPB) and had a successful season there before returning to play in NPB again with the Chunichi Dragons in 2010.
In 2011, Zhang joined Chinese baseball giant Guangdong Southern Tigers where he has remained ever since as one of their top hitters and captains of their team during both Kingdom Series (CSL) and Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL).
23. Liu Kai
Liu Kai is a left-handed pitcher in the New York Yankees organization. Liu was drafted by the Yankees in the first round of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft out of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
In his four seasons with SIUE, Liu compiled a 35-27 record and 4 complete games while striking out over 330 batters in 328 innings pitched. He made his professional debut at Low A Charleston RiverDogs where he went 3-1 with a 2.58 ERA and 45 strikeouts over 51 innings pitched before being promoted to High.
A Tampa Bay Rays where he was 1-5 with a 5.06 ERA but struck out 104 batters over 101 innings pitched en route to being named Florida State League Pitcher of The Year for 2008 season.
After pitching 138⅓ innings without allowing an earned run or walk that year (the most consecutive scoreless innings among all minor league pitchers).
After spending 2009 season playing for Cuban team Naranjeros de Villa Clara, Liu joined Trenton Thunder of the Eastern League as their Opening Day starter going 6-4 with a 26 ERA before experiencing elbow sorenes.
Which led him to have Tommy John surgery on 25 June 2010 and miss remainder of 2010 campaign alongside entire Staten Island Yankees roster due to injury; however, he returned from injury during 2011 campaign starting 10 games for Trenton hitting.
280/.338/.500 with 8 home runs including tying career high setting 7 hits in 9 at bats against Harrisburg Senators on 20 July 2011 earning promotion back up to Double AA Scranton/Wilkes.
Barre RailRiders finishing 2013 season appearing in 47 games between both teams going 14-8 & recording 148 strikeouts over 132 ⅔ IP leading minor league baseballs' strikeout crown.
24. Wang Chao
Wang Chao is a Chinese professional baseball outfielder who currently plays for the Tianjin Lions of the China Professional Baseball League. Wang was born in 1985 and played college ball at Nankai University before joining the Tianjin Lions in 2006.
In 2008, he helped lead China to its first-ever World Baseball Classic title, batting .462 with three home runs en route to being named tournament MVP.
Wang signed a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles in 2011 and made his MLB debut later that year but did not play again until 2014 when he appeared in 26 games for the O's as a pinch hitter and defender.
In 2016, Wang became a free agent and re-joined the Tianjin Lions after impressing scouts during spring training; however, injuries limited him to just 14 games over two seasons with them before signing on with Japan's Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks this past offseason.
25. Zhang Yufeng
Zhang Yufeng is a Chinese shortstop who has played for the national team since 2008.
He was drafted in the third round of the 2007 amateur draft by the Chicago White Sox, and made his professional debut with their minor league affiliate in Class A Kannapolis that same year.
Zhang also appeared in 38 games with Shanghai Tigers of the Chinese Professional Baseball League during 2011 before being traded to Beijing Yanjing Dragons at midseason.
Zhang finished out 2012 season playing for Hubei Lions in China's Central League before signing a contract with the New York Yankees as an international free agent prior to 2013 season.
In total, Zhang has batted .261/.329/.379 with 13 home runs and 85 RBIs over parts of six seasons in both Asia's top leagues. The 25-year old infielder will represent China at this summer's World Baseball Classic where they are currently ranked second behind Japan.
26. Li Weiliang
Li Weiliang is a talented baseball player who has represented his country at the international level. Li Weiliang began playing baseball in high school and quickly developed into one of China's top players.
Li Weiliang has played for several professional teams over the course of his career, most notably for the Beijing Ducks and Shanghai Dragons. Li Weiliang is currently a free agent and is looking to continue playing professionally in 2019.
In 2018, Li Weiliang was named Chinese Player of the Year after leading his team to victory in both the amateur national championship tournament and Asia Series playoffs that year。 Li Weiliang biography Li Weiliang is a member of Team China and competed in the 2008 Summer Olympic games.
Li Weiliang was born on December 20, 1980, in Hebei Province, China. At the age of 22 years old, Li Weiliang became one of the youngest athletes to ever compete in an Olympics when he represented his country at the 2008 Games in Beijing, China.
Li made history by becoming only the second Chinese male athlete - after Yang Tse-tung - to make it to the finals of an event at an Olympic Games; he finished fourth (and last) in men's table tennis singles competition at Beijing2008.
In 2010 Li won gold medals as part of Team China’s victorious campaign at both World Table Tennis Championships and Asian Championship 2011 respectively.
In addition to his success on court, we also know that Li is quite popular off it with fans praising him for his down-to-earth personality and modesty despite all his achievements so far.
27. Xia Kangnan
Xia Kangnan had a successful high school career with the Zhejiang Wolves. He was drafted by the Shanghai Eagles in the 2008 amateur draft and made his pro debut in 2009.
Xia has been one of the most consistent pitchers for Shanghai, posting ERAs between 3 and 5 every year since he joined the team. In 2017, Xia led all Chinese baseball players in ERA (1.69), WHIP (0.92) and Wins Above Replacement.
With an impressive résumé like that, it's no surprise that some Major League teams have shown interest in signing him after he finishes his current contract with Shanghai at the end of this season Xia Kangnan was born in 1993 in China.
He played for the China national baseball team in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. Xia Kangnan has a batting average of .291 and is known for his ability to hit home runs.
Xia Kangnan worked as an analyst with Chinese television network CCTV during the 2013 WBC qualifying rounds, providing commentary on games from Beijing's Olympic Sports Center Stadium.
In 2016, he signed with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball league. 6 Xia Kangnan is considered one of China's brightest young stars and will look to help.
His country make further progress at world tournaments such as this year’s edition of Asia’s biggest sporting event – The 2018 Asian Games held in Indonesia from 18 August to 2 September.
28. Wang Jingchao
Wang Jingchao is an infielder for the Boston Red Sox. He was born in Tianjing, China and moved to the United States when he was a teenager. Wang played college baseball at Georgia Tech before being drafted by the Red Sox in 2008.
In 2012, Wang signed a $14 million contract extension with Boston that will keep him with the team through 2020.
In 2017, Wang won his first Gold Glove Award as an American League infielder and led all players with 132 putouts on defense that season.
On August 29th of this year, against Detroit Tigers, he hit a walk-off home run in extra innings to win the game 5-4; it was his first career walk off homer and fourth career go-ahead RBIs (tied for third most among AL players).
As of September 1st 2018 Wang has appeared in 185 games (174 starts) over seven seasons with Boston averaging 28 innings pitched per season while batting .259/.312/.390 with 34 doubles 8 triples 22 home runs and 97 RBIs.
29. Kao Kuo-ching
Career
- Games: 886
- Batting average: 0.307
- Hits: 1030
- Home runs: 90
- RBIs: 535
- Stolen bases: 18
- CPBL MVP of the Year (2007), 5x Taiwan Series champion (2008-2009, 2011, 2013, 2020), Taiwan Series MVP (2013)
Kao Kuo-ching is a first baseman who has played for the Uni-President Lions since 2004. He has played 886 games in that time, with an average of .272 batting Average and 57 home runs.
Kao is also known for his strong throwing arm, having thrown out 30% of potential baserunners attempted on him during his career thus far.
In 2011, he was named MVP of the Chinese Professional Baseball League playoffs after hitting 5 home runs in 12 playoff games to help lead the Lions to their second title in 3 years.
Kao retired from professional baseball at the end of 2012 season but continues to play amateur ball as part of Team China at international events such as World Cup qualifiers and Olympic qualification tournaments Kao Kuo-ching is a Taiwanese professional baseball player.
He has played for Uni-President Lions since 2004 and was the CPBL MVP in 2007. Kao Kuo-ching is known as one of the most consistent players in Taiwan's pro baseball history, having never had a season with an ERA over 3.00 or batting average below .300.
Kao Kuo-ching won 5 championships with Uni-President Lions including titles in 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2020 which makes him the all time leader among Chinese Taipei Professional Baseball (CPBL) player.
In terms of championship wins Kao also represented his country at international play winning gold medals at both the 2006 Asian Games and 2010 Asia Cup tournaments.
30. Mike Johnson
Career
- CPBL wins leader (2008), CPBL MVP of the Year (2008)
Mike Johnson was born on October 3, 1975 in Edmonton, AB. He made his MLB debut for the Baltimore Orioles in 1997 and ended up playing parts of six seasons with the team.
In 2002, he played for the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes of NPB before moving to Korea and signing with the Kia Tigers a year later.
Johnson finished his career in 2009 with five appearances (four starts) for SK Wyverns of CPBL before retiring from baseball at age thirty-seven after spending thirteen seasons in professional baseball Mike Johnson was drafted in the 1st round of the 1997 MLB amateur draft by the Baltimore Orioles.
Mike Johnson made his MLB debut with the Baltimore Orioles in 1998 and went on to play for them until 2001. In 2002, Mike Johnson signed with the Montreal Expos and spent 2 seasons there before moving to Japan where he played for 3 different teams over 7 years.
In 2007, Mike Johnson came back to America and rejoined the Detroit Tigers organization where he currently plays as a reserve outfielder/first baseman.
31. Lin En-yu
Career
- 2x CPBL MVP of the Year (2005, 2006), CPBL Rookie of the Year (2005)
Lin En-yu is a right-handed pitcher who played in the CPBL and NPB from 2005 to 2007. He had a 38–23 win–loss record with an earned run average of 2.37 and 446 strikeouts in 417 innings pitched over that span.
Lin made his professional debut with the Macoto Cobras in Taiwan's CPBL before moving to Japan to play for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, where he finished his career after four seasons. Lin En-yu is a former professional baseball player who represented Chinese Taipei in international competitions.
Lin began his professional career with the Macoto Cobras in 2005 and then played for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles from 2007 to 2009. In 2010, he joined Brother Elephants/Chinatrust Brothers where he currently plays for their team in the CPBL.
Throughout his career, Lin has been consistently one of the most dominant players on the field, amassing a win–loss record of 1–3 and an earned run average of 3.63 while striking out 28 batters over 138 innings pitched spread across four seasons playing professionally.
32. Lin Yi-chuan
Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions
Career
- Taiwan Series champion (2016), 3x CPBL MVP of the Year (2009, 2013, 2014), CPBL Rookie of the Year (2009)
Lin Yi-chuan is a left-handed first baseman and third baseman who has played for the Uni-President Lions since 2009. He was signed by the EDA Rhinos in March of that year, but didn't make his debut until later that season with Uni-President.
In 2010 he hit .291 with 10 home runs and 62 RBIs in 134 games, earning him league MVP honors. Lin's 2011 campaign was even better as he slashed .337/.431/.643 with 24 home runs and 101 RBIs en route to CPBL MVP honors once again.
His 2012 season was cut short due to an ankle injury sustained while playing for Taiwan in the World Baseball Classic qualifiers, but he bounced back strong in 2013 batting .329/.436/.646 with 25 homers and 92 RBIs before announcing his retirement at the end of the season (he returned briefly during 2016).
Lin Yi-Chuan ranks second all time on Uni-President's list for hits (338), doubles (59) and total bases (610). He also owns club records for walks (119) and slugging percentage (.586). After retiring from professional baseball, Lin will serve as a coach for UNLV's baseball team starting this upcoming school year.
33. Wang Po-jung
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters
Career
- CPBL, 3× Taiwan Series Champion (2015, 2017, 2018), Taiwan Series Outstanding player (2015), Quadruple Crown (2017) [1], 2× CPBL RBI leader (2016, 2017), 2× CPBL Batting champion (2016, 2017), 2× CPBL Hits leader (2016, 2017), CPBL Home Run leader (2017), 2× CPBL MVP of the Year (2016, 2017), 2× CPBL Best Ten (2016, 2017), 2× CPBL Gold Glove Award (2016, 2017), CPBL Rookie of the Year (2016), 2× CPBL All-Star (2016, 2017), Hits, single season (200), Batting average, single season (.414), , Chinese Taipei national baseball team, , Asia Professional Baseball Championship Best Ten (2017)
Wang Po-jung is a 29-year old outfielder for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in Japan's NPB. He made his professional debut with the Lamigo Monkeys in Taiwan last September and has since hit .386 with 86 home runs and 319 RBIs over just 201 games.
Wang was born in Pingtung County, Taiwan on September 9th, 1993 to an Taiwanese father and Japanese mother. After playing baseball at local schools he moved to Taipei to attend National Chengchi University before signing with the Lamigo Monkeys as an amateur free agent in 2015.
In 2017 Wang won both CPBL MVP honors as well as the Golden Glove Award after batting .372/.453/.760 with 35 HRs, 127 RBIs, 107 walks (a league record) and 22 SBs en route to winning his first MVP award while helping lead the Monkeys to their 2nd straight championship title (they would also repeat as champions 2 years later).
His performance during 2018 saw him once again named CPBL MVP after hitting .389/.516/.844 with 44 HRs, 156 RBIs and 128 walks across 196 games - breaking several more records along the way including most homers by a player over a 3 year span (46), most doubles (47), most times reaching base via walk or hit by pitch (139), etc.
making him only the 4th player ever to win multiple CPBL MVP Awards. Representing Team Asia at each of the past two World Baseball Classic tournaments (#WBC2017 & #WBC2019).
Being chosen captain of Team Asia for WBC2019 following Yu Darvish's retirement from international play due to injury becoming one of only 5 players ever selected for consecutive WBC team rosters despite never having played professionally outside Asia prior TOO.
34. Sung Chia-hao
Career
- NPB All-Star (2021)
Sung Chia-hao is a Taiwanese pitcher who has played for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in Japan since 2017. He originally debuted with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks, but was traded to the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles before the 2016 season.
Sung had an impressive rookie campaign in 2017, posting a 3-1 record with a 1.71 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 54 innings pitched. His 2018 season was marred by injuries, however he still managed to post an 8-8 record with 2 saves and a 462 strikeout total over 153 innings pitched (a career high).
As of 2019, Sung is considered one of the best pitchers on the team and looks poised for another successful year as they attempt to win their first championship in franchise history Sung.
Chia-hao is a right-handed pitcher who has been with the Rakuten Golden Eagles since 2016. Sung has posted an impressive 9-7 record and 3.45 ERA in his three seasons with the team, earning him accolades as one of the top pitchers in NPB.
He's also racked up 113 strikeouts while limiting opponents to only 0 saves through 2020 - proving he can be a difference maker on both sides of the ball for any team lucky enough to have him on their roster.
35. Connor Joe
Colorado Rockies
Connor Joe is a 30-year-old first baseman/outfielder currently playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Connor Joe was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 2nd round of the 2010 MLB draft, but he never played for them due to being traded to Pittsburgh before ever appearing in a game.
In 2016, Connor Joe had his best season yet as he hit .270 with 27 home runs and 104 RBIs in 146 games played.
Connor Joe has consistently been one of the top hitters in baseball over his career, and many expect him to continue that trend into 2021 when he will be entering his fourth full season with the Pirates.
Connor Joe is married with two children, and enjoys spending time outdoors fishing or mountain biking when not playing baseball or working out at his physical therapy gym during off days between seasons.
36. Cheng Tsung-che
Cheng Tsung-che is a young infielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was born in Pingtung County, Taiwan and has played in the minors since he was 16 years old.
Cheng's skills on the field have drawn interest from many Major League organizations, and it seems likely that he will be called up to the big leagues at some point this season.
In 2018, Cheng hit .272 with 25 doubles and 10 triples in 122 games between Class A Advanced Bradenton (Florida) and Double-A Altoona (Pennsylvania). Cheng is known for his speed on the base paths, as well as his defensive abilities at second base and third base.
He is considered to have a bright future ahead of him in baseball Cheng Tsung-che is a talented pitcher for Chinese Taipei Men's Baseball team. Cheng has represented his country at multiple tournaments, including the U-18 Baseball World Cup and the Gijang Tournament.
Heading into 2019, Cheng is one of the most promising pitchers on China Taipei's roster. Look for him to continue to make an impact on the international stage in future years.
37. Manny Bañuelos
Pittsburgh Pirates
Manny Bañuelos is a 31-year-old pitcher who has spent time with the Atlanta Braves and the Oklahoma City Dodgers in 2018. He played for Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in 2018 where he had an ERA of 3.01 and 106 strikeouts in 111 innings pitched.
In CPBL, Bañuelos has appeared with Fubon Guardians so far this season, posting a 2-1 record and 1.35 ERA over 25 appearances (24 starts).
Known for his fastball/curveball combo, Manny will look to continue his success in Korea next year as he looks to make it big in MLB Manny Bañuelos is a Cuban-born pitcher who has spent most of his career in the Chinese Professional Baseball League.
He made his MLB debut with the Atlanta Braves in 2015 and appeared in 8 games, recording an ERA of 6.36 before being traded to the Chicago White Sox later that year.
In 2019, he signed with the Fubon Guardians and helped them win their first CPBL title since 2007. He is currently set to join the New York Yankees for the 2022 season but whether or not he will make an appearance remains to be seen due to injury concerns.
Final Words
The Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) is the premier baseball league in Taiwan. The CPBL has seen a lot of talented players come and go over the years, but there are a few players that have stood out above the rest and deserve recognition for their accomplishments in the league.
Some of these standout players include Chen-Hsun Liao, Hsueh-Wei Wang, Chien-Ming Wang, Kuo Chin-Lung, Wei Chung-Ting Lee and Chang Chih Kuo.
