After being relegated to the qualifiers following the first five-way tie in World Baseball Classic history in 2023, Chinese Taipei earned its way back by defeating Spain in the final qualifier at the Taipei Dome.
Since the 2023 WBC ended, Chinese Taipei has experienced unprecedented success. In the 2024 Premier12 tournament, it stunned Japan 4-0 in the final at the Tokyo Dome to capture the title. Now it returns to the site of its greatest victory for Pool C play — and with what is the most talented roster in its history.
Players to Watch
Jonathon Long, ranked as the Cubs’ No. 6 prospect by MLB Pipeline in 2025, will be one of Chinese Taipei’s offensive leaders. The first baseman hit .305/.404/.479 with 20 home runs and 91 RBIs in his first Triple-A season in 2025. He is expected to serve primarily as the designated hitter, providing power to a lineup that leaned heavily on Yu Chang in 2023.
Hao-Yu Lee, who can play second or third base, adds further pop. Ranked as Detroit’s No. 6 prospect by MLB Pipeline to close 2025, Lee hit .243/.342/.406 with 14 home runs, 61 RBIs and 22 stolen bases in his first Triple-A season. His combination of power and speed makes him one of the most dynamic hitters in the lineup. He was especially effective against left-handed pitching, batting .299/.395/.523 with six home runs and 18 RBIs against lefties in 2025.
Yu-Cheng Chang was one of the breakout stars of the 2023 World Baseball Classic. The MVP of Pool A hit two of the tournament’s most memorable home runs, including a grand slam against the Netherlands. Although Chinese Taipei was ultimately relegated after the five-team tiebreaker, Chang delivered a dominant performance, posting a 1.438 OPS with two home runs and eight RBIs.
After time in Major League Baseball, Chang returned to Taiwan and played for the Fubon Guardians in 2025, hitting .292/.385/.532 with 14 home runs and 35 RBIs. He finished third in the CPBL in OPS and was the only player with fewer than 85 games played to reach double-digit home runs, despite battling injuries. He is expected to be the starting first baseman.
Right-hander Ruei-Yang Gu Lin anchors the rotation. After six seasons in the CPBL, including an MVP award in 2024, he moved to the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Japan’s Pacific League. Injuries limited his time with the top club, but he posted a 3.62 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 32 1/3 innings during his transition to NPB.
Jo-Hsi Hsu gives Chinese Taipei another frontline starter. The right-hander, who can reach 98 mph, signed with the SoftBank Hawks after considering a move to MLB. In 2025 with the Wei Chuan Dragons, Hsu threw 114 innings with 120 strikeouts and a 2.05 ERA — the first 100-inning season of his professional career.
Left-hander Wei-En Lin may be the most dynamic arm on the staff. The 20-year-old reached Double-A in 2025 after beginning the season at High-A in the Athletics organization. At High-A, he posted a 3.26 ERA with 40 strikeouts in 30 1/3 innings as a long reliever before making two starts at Double-A in September. Ranked the Athletics’ No. 4 prospect by Baseball America, Lin could reach the majors late in 2026. The Tokyo stage could serve as his international breakout.
Chinese Taipei’s 2026 WBC schedule (Pool C)
March 5 vs. Australia
March 6 vs. Japan
March 7 vs. Czechia
March 8 vs. South Korea
2026 Chinese Taipei World Baseball Classic Roster
Pitchers
RHP Yi Chang (Fubon Guardians)
LHP Kuan-Yu Chen (Rakuten Monkeys)
RHP Po-Yu Chen (Pittsburgh Pirates)
RHP Hao-Chun Cheng (CTBC Brothers)
RHP Ruei-Yang Gu Lin (Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters)
RHP Jo-Hsi Hsu (Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks)
RHP Chih-Wei Hu (Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions)
RHP Kai-Wei Lin (Wei Chuan Dragons)
RHP Shih-Hsiang Lin (TSG Hawks)
LHP Wei-En Lin (Athletics)
LHP Yu-Min Lin (Arizona Diamondbacks)
RHP Tzu-Chen Sha (Athletics)
RHP Yi-Lei Sun (Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters)
RHP Jyun-Yue Tseng (Fubon Guardians)
RHP Jun-Wei Zhang (Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks)
RHP Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang (Athletics)
Catchers
Shao-Hung Chiang (Wei Chuan Dragons)
Kungkuan Giljegiljaw (Wei Chuan Dragons)
Lyle Lin (Free agent)
Infielders
Yu-Cheng Chang (Fubon Guardians)
Tsung-Che Cheng (Boston Red Sox)
Kun-Yu Chiang (CTBC Brothers)
Hao-Yu Lee (Detroit Tigers)
Tzu-Wei Lin (Rakuten Monkeys)
Jonathon Long (Chicago Cubs)
Nien-Ting Wu (TSG Hawks)
Outfielders
Chen-Wei Chen (Rakuten Monkeys)
Chieh-Hsien Chen (Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions)
Stuart Fairchild (Cleveland Guardians)
An-Ko Lin (Saitama Seibu Lions
Photo: Chieh-Hsien Chen slides into home plate against Italy at the World Baseball Classic at Taichung International Baseball Stadium on March 10, 2023 (AP Photo/I-Hwa Cheng)
