List of Major League Baseball players from Taiwan

Last updated

This is a list of players from Taiwan in Major League Baseball. There have been 17 players total from Taiwan. Those players, especially star pitcher Chien-Ming Wang, became household names of Taiwanese people and induced huge followings for their games during MLB seasons. In November 2011, the inaugural MLB Taiwan All-Star Series was played in five games at three ballparks across Taiwan during the postseason. Wang and Fu-Te Ni were called up by the Chinese Taipei national baseball team against the MLB All-Star team. [1] All Taiwanese players who have appeared in Major League Baseball began their professional baseball careers in the United States by signing with teams as an international free agent. The first Taiwanese baseball player to be selected and signed via the Major League Baseball draft process was Lyle Lin, who was drafted in the fourteenth round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft, and signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks. [2] [3]

Contents

Active players

Included in this table are players who are on, or have been on, an active MLB roster during the current MLB season (or, during the offseason, players who were on an active MLB roster during the most recently completed MLB season). Players are ordered by the date of MLB debut.

Name Position MLB debutGamesMLB team(s)Ref.
Kai-Wei Teng Pitcher March 31, 20241 San Francisco Giants (2024–) [4]
* Games played through the 2024 regular season.

Former players

Listed below are previous players in MLB, ordered by the date of their final MLB appearance.

NameMLB debutMLB final gameGamesPositionMLB team(s)Current league/statusTeamRef.
Chin-Feng Chen September 14, 2002July 23, 200519 Outfielder Los Angeles Dodgers (2002–2005)Retired
(Manager)		 Fubon Guardians farm team [5]
Fu-Te Ni June 28, 2009June 29, 201058 Pitcher Detroit Tigers (2009–2010)Retired
(Pitching Coach)		 XPORTS [6]
Chin-Lung Hu September 1, 2007May 16, 2011118 Infielder Los Angeles Dodgers (2007–2010)
New York Mets (2011)		 CPBL Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions [7]
Hong-Chih Kuo September 2, 2005September 24, 2011218 Pitcher Los Angeles Dodgers (2005–2011)Retired— [8]
Che-Hsuan Lin April 14, 2012October 1, 20129 Outfielder Boston Red Sox (2012) CPBL Fubon Guardians [9]
Chia-Jen Lo July 31, 2013September 28, 201319 Pitcher Houston Astros (2013) CPBL Wei Chuan Dragons [10]
C. C. Lee July 14, 2013September 30, 201547 Pitcher Cleveland Indians (2013–2015) CPBL CTBC Brothers [11]
Chin-Hui Tsao July 25, 2003May 21, 201657 Pitcher Colorado Rockies (2003–2005)
Los Angeles Dodgers (2007, 2015–2016)		Retired— [12]
Chien-Ming Wang April 30, 2005August 30, 2016174 Pitcher New York Yankees (2005–2009)
Washington Nationals (2011–2012)
Toronto Blue Jays (2013)
Kansas City Royals (2016)		Retired
(Pitching Coach)		 CTBC Brothers [13]
Jen-Ho Tseng September 14, 2017May 8, 20183 Pitcher Chicago Cubs (2017–2018) CPBL Rakuten Monkeys [14]
Chih-Wei Hu April 24, 2017September 27, 201811 Pitcher Tampa Bay Rays (2017–2018) CPBL Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions [15]
Wei-Chieh Huang April 23, 2019May 14, 20194 Pitcher Texas Rangers (2019) MiLB/IL Indianapolis Indians [16]
Wei-Chung Wang April 14, 2014September 17, 201947 Pitcher Milwaukee Brewers (2014, 2017)
Oakland Athletics (2019)
Pittsburgh Pirates (2019)		 CPBL Wei Chuan Dragons [17]
Wei-Yin Chen April 10, 2012September 28, 2019219 Pitcher Baltimore Orioles (2012–2015)
Miami Marlins (2016–2019)		 Free agent — [18]
Tzu-Wei Lin June 24, 2017April 26, 2021102 Infielder Boston Red Sox (2017–2020)
Minnesota Twins (2021)		 CPBL Rakuten Monkeys [19]
Yu-Cheng Chang June 28, 2019August 6, 2023235 Infielder Cleveland Guardians (2019–2022)
Pittsburgh Pirates (2022)
Tampa Bay Rays (2022)
Boston Red Sox (2022–2023)

Tampa Bay Rays

(2024–)		 MiLB/IL Durham Bulls [20]

All-Star Game selections

PlayerLeagueSelectionsYear(s)Notes
Hong-Chih Kuo NL 1 2010 Selected in place of injured Jason Heyward. [21]
Bold indicates the player was selected to the starting roster

Postseason appearances

PlayerSeasonsPositions WC DS CS World Series Refs
Series
won		Games
played		Series
won		Games
played		Series
won		Games
played		Series
won		Games
played
Wei-Yin Chen 2012 Baltimore Orioles
2014 Baltimore Orioles 		P L
W 		1
1
L
1		 [22]
[23] [24]
Hong-Chih Kuo 2006 Los Angeles Dodgers
2008 Los Angeles Dodgers
2009 Los Angeles Dodgers 		P L

W 		1

1
L
L
3
4		 [25]
[26]
[27] [28]
Chien-Ming Wang 2005 New York Yankees
2006 New York Yankees
2007 New York Yankees 		P L
L
L 		1
1
2		 [29]
[30]
[31]

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References

  1. ↑ "MLB Network to show Taiwan series". Nats Insider. 2011-10-26. Retrieved 2019-02-13.
  2. ↑ Yeh, Joseph (23 June 2019). "Lin joins D-Backs, becomes 1st Taiwanese to sign via MLB draft". Central News Agency. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  3. ↑ Metcalfe, Jeff (June 5, 2019). "ASU baseball finishes with five drafted players, same as 2018". Arizona Republic. Retrieved June 24, 2019. Republished as: "ASU baseball's Lyle Lin, Carter Aldrete selected in 2019 MLB draft". MSN. June 5, 2019. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
  4. ↑ "Kai-Wei Teng Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  5. ↑ "Chin-Feng Chen". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 2008-08-02.
  6. ↑ "Fu-Te Ni". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 2008-08-02.
  7. ↑ "Chin-Lung Hu". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 2008-08-02.
  8. ↑ "Hong-Chih Kuo". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 2008-08-02.
  9. ↑ "Che-Hsuan Lin". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 2012-04-15.
  10. ↑ "Chia-Jen Lo". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 2013-08-01.
  11. ↑ "C.C. Lee". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
  12. ↑ "Chin-hui Tsao". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 2008-08-02.
  13. ↑ "Chien-Ming Wang". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 2008-08-02.
  14. ↑ "Jen-Ho Tseng". baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
  15. ↑ "Chih-Wei Hu". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
  16. ↑ "Wei-Chieh Huang". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Wei-Chung Wang". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Wei-Yin Chen". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Tzu-Wei Lin". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Yu Chang". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  21. ↑ Bernacchio, Adam (July 13, 2010). "Dodgers' Hong-Chih Kuo in All-Star Game; Injured Jason Heyward Out". Bleacher Report . Retrieved May 7, 2022.
  22. ↑ "2012 AL Division Series 1". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2022-05-08.
  23. ↑ "2014 AL Division Series 2". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2022-05-08.
  24. ↑ "2014 AL Championship Series". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2022-05-08.
  25. ↑ "2006 NL Division Series 1". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2022-05-08.
  26. ↑ "2008 NL Championship Series". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2022-05-08.
  27. ↑ "2009 NL Division Series 1". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2022-05-08.
  28. ↑ "2009 NL Championship Series". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2022-05-08.
  29. ↑ "2005 AL Division Series 2". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2022-05-08.
  30. ↑ "2006 AL Division Series 1". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2022-05-08.
  31. ↑ "2007 AL Division Series 2". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2022-05-08.
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