By Matthew Tallarini
World Baseball Network
Chinese Taipei announced their roster for the 2023 Asia Professional Baseball Championship, which will be held from November 16-19 at the Tokyo Dome.
The Asia Professional Baseball Championship will also have Japan, Chinese Taipei, and Australia participate in the U-24 event.
The APBC is a U-24 event and is also considered an international senior tournament, as each team can carry three players on the roster between the ages of 24 and 29. The APBC roster eligibility requires that players have three years or less of service time in professional baseball. This is the only U-24 event sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation.
Japan is ranked at No. 1 in the world and South Korea is ranked No. 4 in the World Baseball Rankings. Chinese Taipei is No. 5.
Australia is ranked at No. 11 in the world and is in the World Baseball Softball Confederation Oceania sector. If Australia can medal at the APBC, the nation could qualify for its second consecutive WBSC Premier 12 tournament in the history of their nation. Australia is in front of No. 11 Puerto Rico and No. 12 Panama as of October 5, when the rankings were last updated.
The Premier 12 tournament will start on Nov. 10, 2024, after the regular seasons in Major League Baseball, Liga Mexicana de Beisbol, Nippon Professional Baseball, the Korean Baseball Organization, and the Chinese Professional League in Taiwan.
Chinese Taipei lost in the gold medal game of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, to No. 4 ranked South Korea 2-0 in early October.
Chinese Taipei went 2-2 during the 2023 World Baseball Classic and will have to qualify for the next tournament in 2026. Chinese Taipei hosted Pool A of the 2023 World Baseball Classic with Italy, Cuba, Panama, and the Netherlands participating during the early round of the tournament, and finished last because of the Total Quality Balance tie-breaking criteria.
This the second APBC event to be held. The first was in 2017, with Japan taking the gold medal over South Korea 7-0. Seibu Lions utility player Shuta Tonosaki was named the MVP of the first APBC.
Chinese Taipei will participate in the event for the second time in the APBC and finished in third place during the 2017 tournament when it was three teams.
Chinese Taipei will be the host at the Asia Baseball Championship at the start of December. This will be their fourth international senior event tournament during the 2023 international baseball calendar cycle from December 3-10 at the Asia Baseball Championship at the Taipei Dome and Taichung Intercontinental Stadium in Taiwan.
The Asia Baseball Championship will also be the first event at the Taipei Dome.
South Korea, Pakistan, Palestine, Japan, and China will participate in the Asia Baseball Championship.
The Chinese Taipei roster at the APBC will consist of players at the Chinese Professional Baseball League farm level from all six teams and one player from Nippon Professional Baseball.
Infielder Lin Tzu-Hao will be the only player returning to the Chinese Taipei roster from the 19th Asian Games that is on the active roster for the APBC.
The Chinese Taipei coaching staff for the APBC will consist of all coaches in the Chinese Professional Baseball League minor league system and will be replaced by the 19th Asian Games coaching staff for the nation that was mainly led by semi-pro coaches.
2023 Asia Professional Baseball Championship Schedule
All Games Will Be Played At The Tokyo Dome
Wednesday, November 15
11 p.m. EST – Korea vs. Australia
Thursday, November 16
6 a.m. EST – Chinese Taipei vs. Japan
11 p.m. EST – Australia vs. Chinese Taipei
Friday, November 17
6 a.m. EST – Japan vs. Korea
11 p.m. EST – Australia vs. Japan
Saturday, November 18
6 a.m. EST – Korea vs. Chinese Taipei
10 p.m. EST – Bronze Medal Game
Sunday, November 19
5 a.m. EST – Gold Medal Game
2023 Chinese Taipei APBC Official Roster
NPB-Nippon Professional Baseball
Pitchers (Team)
Wang Chih-Hsuan (Rakuten Monkeys)
Gu Lin Ruei-Yang (Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions)
Li Zi-Qiang (Fubon Guardians)
Lin Shao-En (Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions)
Chiu Chun-Wei (Rakuten Monkeys)
Chen Ke-Yi (Rakuten Monkeys)
Chen Po-Ching (TSG Hawks)
Tseng Jyun-Yue (Fubon Guardians)
Chiang Kuo-Hao (Fubon Guardians)
Lin Kai-Wei (Wei Chuan Dragons)
Wang Yan-Chang (Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles-NPB)
Catchers (Team)
Lin Wu Chen-Wei (CTBC Brothers)
Jiang Shao-Hong (Wei Chuan Dragons)
Dai Pei-Feng (Fubon Guardians)
Infielders (Team)
Chiang Kun-Yu (CTBC Brothers)
Ho Heng-Yu (Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions)
Lin Tzu-Hao (Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions)
Lin Ching-Kai (Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions)
Ma Chieh-Sen (Rakuten Monkeys)
Yeh Tzu-Ting (Fubon Guardians)
Liu Ji-Hong (Wei Chuan Dragons)
Outfielders (Team)
Kung Nien-En (Fubon Guardians)
Yueh Cheng-Hua (CTBC Brothers)
Chiu Chih-Cheng (Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions)
Kuo Tian-Shin (Wei Chuan Dragons)
Chen Chieh-Hsien (Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions)
2023 Chinese Taipei APBC Coaching Staff
Manager – Chen Jinfeng
Bench Coach/Third Base Coach – Guo Jianlin
Hitting Coach/First Base Coach – Chen Lianhong
Pitching Coach – Hui Mingjie
Bullpen Coach – Xiao Yijie