The first half of the 2024 CPBL season is officially in the books, and the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions were named champions. By securing the first-half season title, the Lions automatically clinched a playoff berth, finishing four games ahead of the second-place Rakuten Monkeys. The half-season title is the Lions’ 17th in franchise history since the team played their first season in the CPBL in 1990.
As the CPBL season switches to the second half, here is a look at the top news and notes from the past week in Taiwan’s highest level of professional baseball.
CPBL Mid-Season Draft is on Friday
The 2024 CPBL mid-season draft will take place this Friday, June 28. One hundred seventy-eight players may hear their names called. According to CPBL Stats on X, 74 pitchers, 18 catchers, seven first basemen, 11 second basemen, 14 third basemen, 18 shortstops, and 36 outfielders are available.
The Fubon Guardians possess the first pick and are expected to select former MLB infielder Yu Chang. On June 18, Chang announced he would opt out of his minor league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays to return to Taiwan.
In 2023, 43 players out of 178 were taken in the mid-season draft, 22 of which were high school players.
President of LMB Meets with CPBL Commissioner
On Monday, CPBL Stats on X reported that Horacio de la Vega, the President of Liga Mexicana de Beisbol, met with CPBL commissioner Tsai Chi-Chang to discuss the possibility of an exhibition series between the national teams of Mexico and Taiwan.
Mexico and Chinese Taipei will both participate in November’s Premier12 2024. Mexico will compete in Group A with the Netherlands, Panama, Puerto Rico, the United States, and Venezuela. Chinese Taipei will compete in Group B with Australia, Cuba, Japan, Korea, and the Dominican Republic.
An exhibition series between Chinese Taipei and Mexico before the Premier12 tournament could be a great way to promote November’s Premier12 and international baseball.
Top Pitching Performance: Uni-Lions’ Gu Lin Ruei-Yang
On Saturday, Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions’ starting pitcher Gu Lin Ruei-Yang allowed just one earned run on three hits and struck out 10 in seven innings in a 2-1 win against the Wei Chuan Dragons.
With the win, he lowered his ERA to 1.99 in 2024, using his explosive fastball to blow away the Dragons at the plate.
Gu Lin represented Taiwan in the 2017 U-18 World Baseball Cup and the 2023 Asian Games, where Chinese Taipei lost 2-0 in the championship to South Korea. He did not play for the Uni-Lions in the 2020 Taiwan Series due to a 100-inning limit the team set for him during the season.
This Day in Taiwanese Baseball History
On June 26, 2019, the Chinatrust Brothers, now known as the CTBC Brothers, signed lefty Casey Harman to a contract, who left the Pericos de Puebla of the LMB to play in the CPBL.
Harman went 5-3 with a 4.55 ERA in 13 games for the Brothers, striking out 58 in 63.1 innings. The lefty last appeared in professional baseball during the 2022-23 Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacífico season with the Venados de Mazatlán.
Harman played collegiate baseball at Clemson University, and the Chicago Cubs selected him in the 29th round of the 2010 MLB June Amateur Draft.
Final First-Half Season CPBL Standings
You can watch the CPBL on DAZN
Photo Courtesy of CPBL Stats
