Two young Taiwanese pitchers are set to take the mound in Major League Baseball’s six-week fall league, which features prospects from various franchises.
According to the full rosters announced by the MLB on Wednesday, left-handed pitcher Lin Yu-min and right-hander Pan Wen-hui are to play for the Salt River Rafters and the Glendale Desert Dogs respectively in the six-team Arizona Fall League.
The fall league, set to run from Oct. 7 to Nov. 16, is an off-season developmental league primarily for talented minor league players, with each major league organization sending at least eight top prospects to participate.
Photo: CNA
More than 200 players are to compete, six of whom are on MLB 40-man rosters, according to the MLB Web site.
In addition, 14 players ranking among the MLB Pipeline’s top 100 prospects are also participating, led by the Kansas City Royals’ top prospect Jac Caglianone, who is ranked No. 15.
The announcement means that Lin and Pan, who were teammates at Kainan University before playing in the US, would become the 12th and 13th Taiwanese players to participate in the league.
Lin, who received the green light from the Arizona Diamondbacks to play for Taiwan at this year’s Premier12 starting in the middle of November, was a top-10 prospect in the franchise’s farm system.
In his third year in the US, the 21-year-old was promoted to the Diamondbacks’ Triple-A affiliate on Sunday and made his debut for the Reno Aces the same day. He struck out two and walked three, allowing one run over 4-2/3 innings pitched for a no-decision.
Lin, who made one start during the Diamondbacks’ spring training, began the season in Double-A and recorded three wins and six losses over 19 starts, with a 4.28 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 94-2/3 innings.
Meanwhile, the 22-year-old Pan of the Philadelphia Phillies spent most of the season in High-A after returning from injury in June. He struck out 22 batters over 21 innings while allowing three earned runs.
The Phillies have not yet confirmed whether he can play for Taiwan at the Premier12.
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