Thu, Mar 05, 2026 page6

• What are Taiwan’s World Baseball Classic prospects?

  • Staff writer, with CNA
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  The World Baseball Classic (WBC) has generally followed a similar script for Taiwan: infinite fan enthusiasm met by a disappointing showing.

  Taiwan have only advanced to the second round once in five WBCs, but the team’s captain, Chen Chieh-hsien, is looking to do better.

  “I hope that on March 10, we will not be seeing you back in Taiwan,” Chen said on Saturday last week as the team departed for Japan to finalize preparations for Pool C games, which begin today when Taiwan play Australia.

  

  Taiwan’s Lyle Lin, left, talks to reporters in Tokyo yesterday.

  Photo: AP

  Taiwan will have to finish in the top two in the five-team Pool C that also consists of the Czech Republic, South Korea, and powerhouse Japan to advance to the quarter-finals in Miami.

  That goal might seem like a stretch given the team’s showing, especially at the plate, in recent exhibition games.

  They dropped two games to Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) franchises — 4-0 to defending champions the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and 6-1 to the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters — and also lost to and tied the Kiwoom Heroes of the Korea Baseball Organization, scoring only four runs in the two games.

  Veteran play-by-play man Martin Lin said that even manager Tseng Hao-jiu acknowledged that Taiwan’s hitters were struggling with their timing in the warm-up games.

  However, the poor results were “not the end of the world,” Lin said.

  What matters more in short tournaments is building momentum once the tournament begins, he said.

  “Once one or two players get hits and boost morale, the effect can spread quickly,” Lin said. “That was the case in the 2024 WBSC [World Baseball Softball Confederation] Premier12, when no one expected Chen Chieh-hsien to channel his inner Shohei Ohtani.”

  Chen, who earned Premier12 Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors after batting .625 with two homers to lead Taiwan to their first major international title, said he had struggled before that tournament until a two-run homer against South Korea in the opener changed everything.

  “I realized I could actually do it,” Chen said.

  Videoland Sports anchor Jacky Lee on Tuesday also said that the exhibition results mattered little.

  “The priority is for players to fine-tune their games while staying healthy,” Lee said. “If these results help the team identify and fix problems early, it’s actually a blessing in disguise.”

  Taiwan have recruited most of the top players they pursued, but two high-profile names — Houston Astros right-hander Teng Kai-wei and Chicago Cubs prospect Jonathon Long — withdrew from consideration.

  Their absences are widely regarded as the biggest voids in Taiwan’s 30-man roster.

  Lin said he believes the coaching staff was prepared for the absence of Teng, the only Taiwanese pitcher to appear in the MLB over the past two seasons.

  However, he described Long’s withdrawal as a “huge blow” due to his elite power.

  Long, a 24-year-old infielder who hit .305/.404/.479 in Triple-A last season, was forced to withdraw after spraining his left elbow late last month.

  “In a short series, power is far more impactful than a small ball lineup,” Lin said.

  Long’s absence creates more opportunities for established sluggers like two-time CPBL home run leader Giljegiljaw Kungkuan and 2023 WBC Pool A MVP Yu Chang, both of whom can play first base, Lee said.

  Lin and Lee praised the team’s balance.

  “Our 2023 roster was strong offensively, but weak on the mound,” Lin said of the team who finished last in a group in which all five teams had 2-2 records, because they conceded the most runs.

  “This year, they are much more balanced,” he said.

  He pointed to fireballers Gu Lin Ruei-yang and Hsu Jo-hsi, the CPBL’s top pitchers in 2024 and last year respectively, as the team’s dual aces. Both have since moved to the NPB.

  “Their performances will dictate how far our team goes,” Lin said.

  As for the offense, Lin said he expected Lee Hao-yu, with the Detroit Tigers’ Triple-A affiliate, to step up and make up for Long’s slugging power, although there were last-minute questions about Lee Hao-yu’s availability.

  Jacky Lee said this is the most well-rounded roster in the most recent three editions of the WBC as he highlighted 20-year-old lefty Lin Wei-en, who rose to Double-A in the Athletics organization last year.

  “If Lin Wei-en can thrive under high-level pressure ... it will give Taiwan’s pitching staff a major shot in the arm,” Jacky Lee said.

  With Japan favored to top the pool and Australia and the Czech Republic considered underdogs, South Korea are Taiwan’s primary obstacle to the quarter-finals, the two experts said.

  Martin Lin suggested Taiwan deploy their pitching staff to ensure the best arms are available for Sunday’s showdown with South Korea.

  Taiwan might benefit from a favorable schedule, Jacky Lee said.

  Taiwan are to play a morning game against the Czech Republic on Saturday, giving them nearly a full day of rest before Sunday’s game, while South Korea must face Japan on Saturday night.

  “Playing a morning game immediately after a night game takes a heavy physical toll,” Lee said, adding that Taiwan have to “capitalize on that.”
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