Pedro Fernandez, ace pitcher with the Rakuten Monkeys, on Wednesday won the CPBL regular-season Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, becoming the first international player to do so.
Fernandez, who is from the Dominican Republic, earned 208 points out of a possible 230 in MVP voting for the regular season.
He also claimed the Taiwan Series MVP award at the ceremony at Kaohsiung Marriott Hotel.
Photo: CNA
In the league’s 36-year history, it was the first time that an international player had taken the two awards in one year and the fourth time that any player had done so.
“I want to thank each of my coaches and teammates. They are part of this special honor,” the right-hander said in a recorded speech.
“This achievement is not mine alone, but the fruition of our entire team,” Fernandez said, adding that he would never forget the moment.
Photo: CNA
Fernandez, who joined the Monkeys in 2023, had his second full CPBL season this year, leading the league with 168 strikeouts and 15 wins over 170 innings in 26 starts, while ranking fourth with a 2.01 ERA.
Fubon Guardians reliever Li Wu Yung-qin was named Most Improved Player, while TSG Hawks closer Lin Shi-xiang won the rookie and saves awards.
Li Wu tossed 42-1/3 innings in 56 appearances this season for the Guardians, posting an ERA of 2.76.
Photo: CNA
He thanked his wife for supporting him through “a decade of ups and downs,” during which he mostly played in the minors.
Lin, 24, played in 60 games out of the bullpen, throwing 60-1/3 innings and recording a league-high 30 saves with a 1.79 ERA.
CPBL commissioner Tsai Chi-chang at the ceremony announced plans to introduce a ball-strike challenge system in 2027.
Photo: CNA
The league would trial TrackMan — a Doppler radar technology system that tracks the movement and characteristics of a baseball — next season, with the aim of officially implementing the automatic ball-strike challenge system in 2027.
Other initiatives include recruiting Japanese umpires to improve the quality of the games and launching a new CPBL app, he said.
Photo: CNA
Photo: CNA
After letting another big lead slip with an error-strewn performance at the French Open on Wednesday, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka felt like getting as far away from the courts as possible. “Just want to quit tennis right now,” Sabalenka said after wasting a lead of a set and two breaks in a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 loss to Diana Shnaider in the women’s singles quarter-finals. “We’ll see in few days. Hopefully I’ll get back on track mentally.” Sabalenka’s wait for a first French Open title continues despite the four-time major winner leading 4-1 in the second set and being two points from victory while
BIG NAMES GONE: Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title, reaching semi-finals for the fifth time in six years and finishing second on three occasions Alexander Zverev on Tuesday breezed past Rafael Jodar to stay on course for an elusive Grand Slam title at the French Open, while Jakub Mensik halted Joao Fonseca’s scintillating run in the quarter-finals. Zverev, the highest-ranked player left in the men’s draw, put an end to Spanish teenager Jodar’s impressive Roland Garros debut, easing into the semi-finals with a 7-6, (7/3), 6-1, 6-3 win. The 29-year-old Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title. He has finished runner-up on three occasions, including at the 2024 French Open. “I want to win the matches that are ahead of
For some, Cristiano Ronaldo remains the essential spearhead for Portugal’s FIFA World Cup bid, while others believe his presence would prevent Roberto Martinez’s strong side from flourishing. The debate around the five-time Ballon d’Or winner rages on, as it did at UEFA Euro 2024 and four years ago in Qatar — yet Ronaldo endures, ready to play in a record sixth World Cup. The 41-year-old remains a global superstar despite swapping the European elite for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, and is the leading men’s international goalscorer with 143 strikes. With 25 of those coming in 30 games under Martinez, the coach
Taiwanese sprinter Chen Yi-cen on Friday won the silver medal in the women’s 400m final at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships in Hong Kong, with a time of 53.16 seconds. Chen, 15, was the youngest among the eight finalists, and her performance also met the qualifying standard of 53.50 seconds for the Nagoya Asian Games in Japan in September and October. Chen first made her mark at the National Games in Tainan in 2023, at the age of 13, winning the women’s 400m final in 55.55 seconds to become the youngest gold medalist in the history of the event. Meanwhile,
RSS