Opening day of the 2026 Chinese Professional Baseball League season in Taiwan is Saturday. The schedule kicks off with a matchup between the CTBC Brothers and Rakuten Monkeys.
There are six CPBL organizations, and a vast majority of Chinese Taipei’s 2026 World Baseball Classic roster was made up of players from the highest level of professional baseball in Taiwan.
The CPBL’s postseason format is unique among other leagues worldwide. The half-season champion with the lower winning percentage plays a playoff series with the team that owns the next-highest winning percentage. The winner of that playoff series goes on to face the half-season champion with the higher winning percentage in the Taiwan Series.
Rakuten Monkeys (2025 Record: 62-57, Won Taiwan Series Over CTBC Brothers)
Notable Additions: Re-sign RHP Pedro Fernandez, Re-Sign OF Lin Li
Notable Losses: RHP Huang Tzu-Peng, LHP Marcelo Martinez
Fernandez was the anchor of the Monkeys’ pitching staff, winning the 2025 CPBL MVP Award after posting a 2.01 ERA in 170 innings. They are the defending champions, and most of the roster is back, seeking a second consecutive title and the organization’s ninth.
CTBC Brothers (2025 Record: 70-50, Lost Taiwan Series Against Rakuten Monkeys)
Notable Additions: RHP Kyle Tyler, Re-sign LHP Jose De Paula
Notable Losses: NA
The Brothers have been one of the most consistent organizations in the CPBL, winning three (2021, 2022, 2024) of the last five championships. De Paula was released last August due to a persistent arm injury, but re-signed for a seventh season as the club’s ace.
Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions (2025 Record: 66-54, Lost to Rakuten Monkeys in Playoff Round)
Notable Additions: Re-sign OF Su Chih-Chieh, RHP Jackson Stephens
Notable Losses: LHP Cristopher Crisostomo, OF Lin An-Ko
Su signed a four-year deal with the Lions, continuing his career with the organization that drafted him in 2016. The Lions’ best offensive player, Lin, is now with the Saitama Seibu Lions in Nippon Professional Baseball.
TSG Hawks (2025 Record: 59-59, Missed Postseason)
Notable Additions: Re-sign OF Steven Moya, Re-sign LHP Eric Stout
Notable Losses: RHP Dinelson Lamet
The Hawks remain a relatively new franchise, playing their first season in 2024. Retaining Moya, the CPBL’s back-to-back home run leader, was essential for a productive offseason.
Wei Chuan Dragons (2025 Record: 55-64, Missed Postseason)
Notable Additions: Re-sign RHP Bryan Woodall, Re-sign RHP Drew Gagnon
Notable Losses: RHP Luis Santos
The Dragons missed the postseason despite finishing last year with the lowest ERA (3.20) among the six clubs. However, their offense averaged just 3.96 runs per game, a number that needs to increase for run support for Woodall and Gagnon.
Fubon Guardians (2025 Record: 46-74, Missed Postseason)
Notable Additions: Re-sign Suzuki Shunsuke, C Lin Dai-An
Notable Losses: OF Lin Che-hsuan
Lin is hanging up the spikes after 11 years with the Guardians, and a career that included a nine-game stint with the Boston Red Sox in 2012. Fubon’s last season with a winning record was in 2019, when they finished 63-55.
Photo: Rakuten Monkeys pitcher Pedro Fernandez delivers a pitch (Courtesy of the Rakuten Monkeys website)
