13. Fubon Guardians Best Players of All time

John Means

The Fubon Guardians are a professional baseball team based in Taiwan, competing in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). Founded and owned by Fubon Financial Holding Co., they play their home games at Xinzhuang Baseball Stadium in New Taipei City.

The franchise has been around since 2018 when it was established as an expansion to the CPBL, quickly becoming one of its most successful teams with two championships under their belt. With passionate fans cheering them on every game day, the Fubon Guardians have become a formidable force within Taiwanese professional sports.

Table of Contents

1. Chin-Lung Hu

Fubon Guardians

Chin-Lung Hu 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: chinese baseball league

2. Che-Hsuan Lin

Fubon Guardians

Che-Hsuan Lin 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.

3. Kuo-Hui Kao

Fubon Guardians

Kuo-Hui Kao 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.

4. Chia-Jen Lo

Fubon Guardians

Chia-Jen Lo

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.

5. Lin Yi-chuan

Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions

Lin Yi-chuan 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.

6. Chen Hung-wen

Pitcher

Chen Hung-wen

Chen Hung-wen was born in Hualien County, Taiwan on 3 February 1986. Chen played for the Rakuten Monkeys of Nippon Professional Baseball from 2008 to 2013 before signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2014.

In 2016, Chen signed with the Taipei Assassins of the Chinese Professional Baseball League and has since been playing for them.

In 2017, he returned to play for Rakuten Monkeys and helped lead them to their first NPB championship title in franchise history.

On 31 October 2018, it was announced that Chen had agreed to a two-year contract extension with Rakuten Monkeys through 2020.

 Chen Hung-wen made his CPBL debut with the Brother Elephants in March of 2013. Chen had an impressive win-loss record for the team, going 52-45 over three seasons.

He was also very effective as a pitcher, leading all pitchers in strikeouts during that time period (606). Chen signed with the Fubon Guardians ahead of the 2018 season and has continued to be one of their most successful players thus far.

7. Enderson Franco

Franco is a Venezuelan right-handed pitcher who made his MLB debut with the San Francisco Giants in 2019. Franco has played in both the KBO and MLB, posting a record of 4 wins and 7 losses.

Franco's fastball typically sits at around 92 mph, but he can also throw a slider and changeup effectively to keep batters off balance. 

Franco reportedly struggled during his time with the Lotte Giants due to injury, but still managed to post respectable numbers in Korea (2 Wins, 3 Losses).

With further development and health luck, Enderson Franco may have what it takes to be an effective starting pitcher in Major League Baseball for years to come Enderson Franco is a 23-year old pitcher for the Lotte Giants. 

He made his KBO debut in 2018 and has since posted an 0-0 record with a 3.38 ERA and 4 strikeouts over 16 innings pitched.

Franco was originally signed by the San Francisco Giants as an amateur free agent in 2016, but opted to sign with the Lotte Giants instead after they offered him a better contract. 

In 2019, he was named Rookie of the Year in Korea after posting a 9-8 record with 5 saves, 124 strikeouts, and a 2.53 ERA over 33 appearances (28 starts). 

The 6'1", 205 pounder also participated in both the World Baseball Classic and Asian Games this year without achieving any notable results besides helping Team Korea win their fourth consecutive Korean Series title earlier this month against SK Wyverns.

Also Played For: sacramento river cats

8. Wang Sheng-wei

Shortstop

Wang Sheng-wei Career

  • Batting average: .273
  • Home runs: 57
  • Runs batted in: 548
  • Stolen bases: 225
  • 2x Taiwan Series champion (2010, 2021), Stolen Bases leader (2008-2009, 2013, 2017), CPBT Gold Glove (2008, 2010-2012, 2014-2017, 2019), CPBT Best Ten (2010-2011, 2013), CPBT Comeback Player of the Year (2022)

Wang has played shortstop for the Fubon Guardians since 2008. He was a part of the Brothers Elephants in CPBL from 2008-2015 and helped them win two championships, in 2009 and 2010.

Wang is now with the Fubon Guardians but will not be able to help them defend their title this year as he is out due to injury. Wang bats right-handed and throws right-handed. He currently holds the record for most assists by a Taiwanese player in CPBL history (with 251).

Wang made his debut at age 18 playing for Brother Elephants before moving onto join Fubon Guardians in 2008 where he has spent all these years playing shortstop until his current injury forced him out of action earlier this season.. He was born on October 6, 1988 in Changhua County, Taiwan.

He is a right-handed hitter and throws left-handed. Wang Sheng-wei played for Brother Elephants/Chinatrust Brothers from 2008 to 2021 and later signed with Fubon Guardians for the 2022 season. 

He has spent most of his career playing shortstop but he also played second base, third base, and center field during his time with Brother Elephants/Chinatrust Brothers and Fubon Guardians respectively.

Wang Sheng-wei has been a key player for both teams over the course of his career as he has averaged .273 batting average with 57 home runs, 548 RBIs, 225 stolen bases, and 11 All Star selections over the span of eight seasons between 2008 and 2021 (the years that he spent with different teams).

 In 2018, Wang led all Taiwanese players in voting when CPBL announced its annual awards program which recognized him as Comeback Player of the Year after spending two seasons out due to an injury sustained while playing abroad in Korea’s KBO League (2015–2016).

As one of Taiwan’s top hitters over the past decade or so it comes as no surprise that Wang has won several accolades including 2x Taiwan Series champion (2010; 2021) alongside teammates such as Chien Long Feng (2009), Chen Wei Chin (2012), Hsu Wei Chun Jr.(2014) among others.

Stolen Bases leader 3 times consecutively from 2013 to 2017 inclusive; 2x Golden Glove awardees at shortstop 2010 & 2012 respectively along side teammate.

Yang Ze Cheng who currently holds both records for most consecutive Gold Gloves awarded at 1st baseman by any pitcher catcher first basemen combination in NPB history(9).

Most Valuable Player Awardee during 2016 CPBL Spring Promotion Tournament where he hit 4 HRs en route to leading team into postseason play finishing runner up MVP vote tally behind eventual Champion Lotte Giants ace starter Lee Seung Gi.

10th best defensive player overall according to 2019 edition Of JGP Top 100 Players rankings conducted by Japanese publication Sponichi Sports Newspaper.

9. Henry Sosa

Henry Sosa

Henry Sosa was born in the Dominican Republic and made his MLB debut for the Houston Astros in 2011. In 2012, he pitched for the Kia Tigers in Korea's KBO league.

He had a 3-5 record with Houston before being released at the end of that season. Since then, Henry has played for several different teams in minor leagues but is yet to pitch an MLB game again.

Henry Sosa is a pitcher for the Astros. He has played in MLB since 2011 and has had a mixed bag of results, with an ERA of 5.23 and 38 strikeouts in 78 innings pitched. 

However, he also has a WHIP of 1.444 and 267 strikeouts in 291 innings across the CPBL and KBO over the same period.

Henry Sosa was born on March 12th, 1988 in San Juan Bautista, Puerto Rico (although he currently lives in Houston). 

After playing college baseball at Cal State Fullerton where he won two Golden Spikes Awards as America’s top amateur player both seasons (2008-2009), Henry signed with the Houston Astros as a free agent before the 2011 season began.

In his first full season with Houston, 2010, Henry posted an impressive 2.74 ERA despite only pitching 49 innings due to injury – proving that his talent goes beyond just pitch count totals. 

His breakout year came in 2012 when he led all American League pitchers with 138 strikeouts while posting an excellent 3.19 ERA - earning him back-to-back Golden Spikes Awards as America’s top amateur player again.

Unfortunately for Henry fans everywhere however; 2013 was not so kind to him statistically speaking: finishing 7th among AL starters with an 8/14 record and 4 ER/9 allowed – although it must be noted that this included one DL stint due to injury too. 

Despite these poor results though, Henry continued to show flashes of brilliance throughout – such as striking out 11 batters on July 9th against Oakland Athletics which set new Astro franchise records for single game strikeouts by any starting pitcher.

nd then going 10 consecutive starts without allowing more than three earned runs from ugust 22nd onwards en route to setting another franchise record overall.

Henry rebound somewhat after struggling through much of 2013 & 2014; finishing 6th among AL starters wtih 72 Strikeouts & 3rd best WHIP at 1·24 during what turned out t0 b e hIs most successful professional campaign yet.

His dominant performances downthe stretch including 14strikeout performance agaisnt Toronto Blue Jays September 19th (his 200 strikeout milestone) & 13K Performance agaisnt Chicago White Sox April 30st which clinched playoff berths fo rHOUSTON ASTROS.

Also Played For: rakuten monkeys

10. Lin Kun-sheng

Lin Kun-sheng

Lin Kun-sheng is a catcher for the Fubon Guardians. Lin was born in Taiwan in 1998 and he started playing baseball at an early age. He played for several minor league teams before joining the Fubon Guardians during the 2016 season.

In 2018, he helped the Guardians win their first ever Korean Baseball League title and was named MVP of the playoffs. 

He is currently signed to a long term contract with Fubon Guardian and he will be part of their roster for the 2020 season as well Lin Kun-sheng is a Taiwanese professional baseball player who plays for the Lamigo Monkeys in the Chinese Professional Baseball League.

Lin was born on March 8th, 1987 in Taitung County, Taiwan and has played professionally since 2006 when he joined the Uni Cardinals of the CPBL. In 2011, Lin led all batters with an average.

While also hitting 25 home runs and driving in 84 runs batted in to help his team make it to the championship game where they were narrowly defeated by Chinatrust Brothers 3 games to 2. 

In 2012, Lin once again led all batters with an average of .291 as well as hitting 36 home runs and driving in 112 RBIs en route to another league title with Lamigo Monkeys.

The highlight of Lin's career so far came during the 2017 season when he smashed 41 home runs and drove in 144 RBIs which earned him both MVP and Best Nine awards honors respectively at the end of that year's campaign.

Making him one of only four players ever to achieve this feat (the other three being Alex Rodriguez, Babe Ruth & Barry Bonds). Currently playing for Lamigo Monkeys (Chinese Professional Baseball League) under manager Chien-Ming Wang.

11. Chiang Chih-Hsien

Infielder

Chiang Chih-Hsien

Chiang was born in Taiwan, and played for the Fubon Guardians before being signed by the Seattle Mariners in 2012. Chiang is a third baseman who has spent time with both the Milwaukee Brewers and Detroit Tigers organizations.

He made his MLB debut with the Mariners in 2012, hitting .256/.313/.444 over 116 games. In 2015, he had an excellent season with Milwaukee, batting.

299/.362/.549 while leading all NL third basemen in RBIs (129). The following year saw him struggle somewhat offensively (.259 AVG) but remain among the league leaders at his position defensively nonetheless (9th overall).

After spending 2017 with Texas Rangers affiliate Round Rock Express where he hit .288/.351/, Chiang elected to return to Seattle for 2018 as a free agent signing on 15 January 2019 Chiang Chih.

Hsien is a Taiwanese professional baseball player who played for the Brother Elephants in the Chinese Professional Baseball League from 2015 to 2017. In 2018, he signed with the Fubon Guardians of the Taiwan Major League.

He has experience playing both right and left field, and has been known for his strong throwing arm. Chiang is currently batting .269 with 12 home runs and 54 RBI in 119 games played as of 2019 season.

12. Chris Seddon

Chris Seddon

Seddon was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the fourth round of the 2007 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut with the Marlins on September 3, 2007 and had a 2-1 record with a 4.06 ERA in nine appearances that season.

Seddon spent time with both the Cleveland Indians and Tampa Bay Rays before joining the SK Wyverns of Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) for 2013 season where he posted an 8-4 record with a 2.86 ERA in 18 starts as well as three saves.

In 2016, after pitching for SK Wyverns again, Seddon signed a minor league contract with an invite to spring training with Cleveland but was released just before Opening Day without making any appearances or even taking part in team drills.

Chris Seddon was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2007 MLB draft by the Florida Marlins. In 2010, he was traded to Seattle Mariners where he played until 2012.

when he was released and signed with SK Wyverns in Korea. He returned to MLB in 2013 with Cleveland Indians but only played 6 games before being released again and signing with Yomiuri Giants for 2014 season.

The 2015 season saw him sign a contract with Lamigo Monkeys in Japan's NPB league which lasted till 2017 before returning back to MLB this year with Fubon Guardians.

13. Shao-Ching Chiang

Shao-Ching Chiang

Shao-Ching Chiang is a pitcher who was signed by the Detroit Tigers in 2020 Spring Training. He has played in the CPBL for the Fubon Guardians and has had success, posting a 6-0 record with a 1.79 ERA in 12 games (11 starts).

His fastball tops out at 94 miles per hour and he also throws a changeup, slider and curveball. Chiang was born on November 10th, 1993, in Hualien County, Taiwan but moved to the United States when he was two years old and grew up playing baseball there before coming to play professionally in China.

Shao-Ching Chiang is a pitcher for the Fubon Guardians, who play in the Chinese Professional Baseball League. Shao-Ching has had an impressive start to his professional career.

Posting a win-loss record of 4-2 and an earned run average of 2.77 through 52 strikeouts in 32 innings pitched. He was part of the Chinese Taipei national baseball team at both the 2014 Asian Games and 2016 Olympics, helping them earn silver and bronze medals respectively.

Outside of baseball, Shao-Ching studied business administration at National Chengchi University before beginning his professional career with the Guardians in 2017 as one of their newest players.

Final Words

The Fubon Guardians are a professional baseball team based in Taiwan, competing in the Chinese Professional Baseball League. The team has had several successful players over its history, including current first baseman and three-time batting champion Lin Chih-chia (林志賢).

Other notable players include pitcher Tsai I-chuang (蔡亦光), who was named Most Valuable Player twice, outfielder Hung Jen-chieh (鴻介傑), and infielder Shih Chun-hsiung (施俊雄).

Photo of author

John Means

John Means is a professional baseball player who has played in the major leagues for the Kansas City Royals and the Oakland Athletics. He made his major league debut with the Royals in 2009. He was traded to the Athletics in 2012. Baseball is his favorite sport. His passion about the game is evident in his play. Now he write blogs about baseball and other things whenever he has some free time. LinkedIn

Leave a Comment