Fifteen out of 16 voters from the Chinese Baseball Writers Association gave Pan the nod for his outstanding performance on the mound last month.
The 21-year-old right-hander from Pingtung was 4-0 in five starts for the Lions with an unearthly ERA of 0.5. In the 35-2/3 innings that Pan pitched, he allowed only two runs on 20 hits, while fanning 24.
Opposing hitters batted a meagerly .153 against Pan throughout the entire month. In those five impressive starts, Pan averaged over seven innings per outing, giving the bullpen a much needed rest.
"Pan's stamina allows the Lions coaching staff to be flexible in their relief-pitching strategies," Elephants manager Lin Yi-tseng (
Pan also enjoyed success at the beginning of the season, winning five straight games at one point.
Then things fell apart for him as he watched his ERA climb from under 2 before June to above 3 between June and July.
His recent success in complementing John Frascatore and Jose Parra on the starting rotation will play a key part in the team's quest for a title in final part of the season.
The August Offensive Player of the Month honors was also claimed by a Lions player in the course of their 14-2-1 run. Chen Lien-hung (
His .351 batting average, 20 hits, and 12 RBI's also places him among the league leaders in each category.
It was the first time in Chen's seven-year career that he won the award.
The all-star slugger from Tainan County was such an offensive threat that he ended up drawing 10 walks in 67 at-plate appearances.
On Aug. 23 and Aug. 24, Chen delivered back-to-back game-winning home runs against the Sinon Bulls.
Amid a current 12-game hitting streak, Chen has helped jumpstart an otherwise sluggish Lions offense. Teammates who had batted one spot ahead of Chen in the order all enjoyed a great month offensively, because Chen provided them with protection against being intentionally walked by opposing pitchers.
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