As the second half of the 2024 CPBL season begins, let’s look at the top news and notes from the past week in Taiwan’s highest level of professional baseball.
Guardians Sign Pitcher from Atlantic League
On Sunday, CPBL Stats on X reported the Fubon Guardians signed right-handed American pitcher Jack Labosky for the remainder of the 2024 CPBL season.
Labosky, 27, made 10 starts for the Lancaster Stormers of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball in 2024, posting a fantastic 2.92 ERA in 64.2 innings. However, he struck out only 6.1 batters per nine innings.
Labosky, a product of Duke University, will join the Guardians starting rotation immediately for the second half of the season.
Taiwanese Tigers Prospect to Play in MLB Futures Game
Detroit Tigers prospect Hao-Yu Lee, born in New Taipei, Taiwan, will represent the Tigers in the 2024 MLB All-Star Futures Game.
Lee, 21, will play in the game with his fellow Tigers teammate Max Clark, the No. 13 overall prospect in the Tigers organization, according to MLB Pipeline.
Lee signed with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2021 and represented Taiwan in the 2022 Asian Games. He’s hitting .295 with 11 home runs and 44 RBI in 65 games thus far in 2024 with Double-A Erie.
Chen Sheng-Ping Officially Returns to Taiwan
Infielder Chen Sheng-Ping, a first-round draft pick by the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions in the 2024 CPBL mid-season draft, signed a 2.5-year deal worth 389,000 USD with the club, reported CPBL Stats on X.
Chen was a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks minor league system before being taken by the Uni-Lions in the draft. He requested his release from the Diamondbacks in June and hit poorly with Double-A Amarillo in 25 games beforehand.
Chen, 23, will take his .217 career batting average to the Uni-Lions and his birth country, where he might find a more suitable role with more playing time.
This Day in Taiwanese Baseball History
On July 3, 2016, Lamigo Monkeys left fielder Wang Po-Jung hit two home runs with four RBI to lead his team to a 7-6 victory over the Uni-Lions.
Wang, 30, currently plays for the TSG Hawks and is nicknamed “The King” by CPBL fans and teammates.
He is a two-time CPBL MVP (2016, 2017), three-time Taiwan Series champion (2015, 2017, 2018) and two-time CPBL Batting Champion (2016, 2017).
CPBL Standings as of Wednesday, July 3
All six teams in the CPBL will begin their second half-season schedule on Friday, July 5. Updated standings for the second half of the season will be included in each weekly roundup.
Each team begins the second half season with a 0-0-0 record, indicating no official standings to report today.
Photo Credit: Duke infielder/right handed pitcher Jack Labosky (6) takes a lead during a college baseball game between the Duke University Blue Devils and the University of Miami Hurricanes on April 8, 2017. (Photo by Richard C. Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
