Chen Chin-feng (
That honor goes to pitcher Tsao Chin-hui (曹錦輝), who Baseball America ranked as the 61st top prospect -- three places above Chen.
Tsao leads a group of five Taiwan players in the minor leagues who are looking for further progress that will help push them toward the big leagues.
After signing for a US$2.2 million bonus in 1999, Tsao had a fine 2000 debut, but tore ligaments in his elbow after only four starts last season. He is working his way back from surgery and is expected to be a starter this season in the Class-A Northwest League with the Tri-City Dust Devils.
Despite the setback, Tsao is still ranked as the Rockies' top prospect and is expected to debut in 2004 at Coors Field.
But, Tsao isn't the only Taiwanese pitcher in North America recovering from reconstructive surgery on an arm. Kuo Hong-chih (郭泓志) of the Dodgers and Wang Chien-ming (王建民) of the New York Yankees are also trying to get back on the mound.
Kuo, a 20-year-old lefthander, spent most of last season in rehabilitation after blowing out his elbow in his first pro start in 2000 -- when he struck out seven of the 10 batters he faced.
The Dodger's sixth-ranked prospect appears to have fully recovered after throwing well in spring training and has even found time to go fishing with fellow Dodger Chen, it has been reported.
Kuo is expected to report to the South Georgia Waves in the South Atlantic League later this season.
It wasn't Wang Chien-ming's elbow, but his shoulder that sent him under the knife last year.
The New York Yankees prospect missed all of last season and though he is said to be progressing well, he is not expected to return to competition until the middle of this year.
The one Taiwan pitcher who has remained healthy -- and almost completely out of the news -- is Kevin Huang Jun-chung (
Huang is quietly moving up through the Boston Red Sox system, throwing this season with the Augusta Greenjackets in the South Atlantic League.
The Pingtung native is 1-0 with a 0.96 ERA through four games, after going 5-2, 2.25 last season with Lowell in the New York-Penn League.
The newcomer of the Taiwanese contingent in the minors is Luo Chin-lung (
The Rockies got their hands on the 16-year-old with a US$1.4 million bonus last November. The 192cm pitcher and his 154kph fastball were also reportedly pursued by the Dodgers, Red Sox, Yankees, Atlanta Braves and Seattle Mariners.
Even though he has yet to throw an inning in the US, he has already been hyped to number eight on the Colorado list of prospects and is expected to begin his pro career in the rookie-level Pioneer League in Casper, Wyoming, when short-season ball starts in June.
Not all of of Taiwan's pitching prospects are headed to North America.
Chang Chih-chia is headed to Japan and a reported ?130 million (about US$1 million) signing bonus with the Seibu Lions.
Chang put his lock on an offer from Japan by pitching a complete game shutout against a strong team from Japan to give Taiwan the bronze medal in last year's Baseball World Cup in Taiwan.
Chang, who started this year pitching for Taipei Gida in the Taiwan Major League, will join fellow Taiwan pitcher Hsu Ming-chieh on the Seibu roster.
Former Gida manager Tim Ireland, who signed Tsao Chin-hui for the Rockies, is managing the Class-A Tulsa Drillers this season.
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