The Chinese Taipei Baseball Association has high expectations heading into 2025, particularly after shutting out No. 1-ranked Japan in the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier12 Championship Game at the Tokyo Dome on Nov. 24, 2024. Their 4-0 victory ended Japan’s 27-game international tournament winning streak and strengthened Chinese Taipei’s bid to qualify for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
In the 2024 Premier12 tournament championship game, Chinese Taipei’s pitching held firm, with starting pitcher Yu-Min Lin throwing four innings, allowing one hit, no earned runs, two walks, and three strikeouts. Relief pitchers Yi Chang, Kuan-Yu Chen, and Kai-Wei Lin combined for five innings, allowing four hits, two walks, and striking out eight batters against Japan on Nov. 24.
Chinese Taipei’s offense took control in the fourth inning when Chia-Cheng Lin launched a solo home run over the right-center field wall. Moments later, Chieh-Hsien Chen crushed a three-run homer to right field, helping secure the team’s first international tournament championship with professional players under manager Hao-Jiu Tseng.
Lin held his composure in the bottom of the ninth inning, inducing Japan’s Ryoya Kurihara to line into a double play to first baseman Yu-Hsien Chu, who stepped on the bag to double off Shota Morishita. The dugout erupted in celebration as Chinese Taipei clinched its first intercontinental tournament title on Nov. 24, 2024
Chinese Taipei Premier12 2024 presented by RAXUS Champions! #Premier12 || @Premier12 pic.twitter.com/0UhqYQp1VY
— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) November 24, 2024
“It was very difficult to stop Japan’s 27-game winning streak. We know they are strong and to us, we always say we want to get close to their level, but this time, we actually won. So that shows we are getting closer. But Japan is still a very strong team, so we need to work hard to get even stronger so we can remain close to them,” Hao-Jiu Tseng said during the postgame press conference after the gold medal game.
Prior to winning the 2024 Premier12, Chinese Taipei’s last gold medal in an international senior tournament came in the 2006 Asian Games, where they finished ahead of silver medalist Japan. That year’s competition did not include a playoff format.
They have also claimed five gold medals at the Asian Baseball Championship, winning in 1983, 1987, 1989, 2001, and 2019.
Many Taiwanese players model their game after Japanese baseball, given the sport’s deep influence in the region.
Since Chin-Feng Chen’s debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sept. 14, 2002, 17 players from Taiwan have reached Major League Baseball.
Taiwan has also produced 32 players who have competed in Nippon Professional Baseball, with many facing Japan in international tournaments across multiple age groups.
Japanese media and fans largely viewed Japan’s Premier12 performance as a disappointment after being shut out in the championship game.
Chinese Taipei has a strong roster for the 2025 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers, featuring several key players from the Premier12 championship team, including Chieh-Hsien Chen.
On Feb. 4, World Baseball Classic Inc. announced Chinese Taipei’s official roster for the 2025 WBC Qualifiers.
Chinese Taipei's roster for the 2025 #WorldBaseballClassic Qualifiers: pic.twitter.com/OlZFOX0dyP
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) February 3, 2025
With hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, Chinese Taipei will host the 2025 WBC Qualifiers at the Taipei Dome in Xinyi, Taipei, from Feb. 21-25. The team will compete against South Africa, Spain, and Nicaragua.
The 2024 Premier12 roster featured a mix of domestic talent from the Chinese Professional Baseball League and players from Nippon Professional Baseball and Major League Baseball. A similar structure is expected for the 2025 WBC Qualifiers under manager Hao-Jiu Tseng.
Chinese Taipei’s 2025 WBCQ coaching staff includes Cheng-Min Peng as the hitting coach, Chien-Min Ping as the first base coach, Chiang-Ho Chen as the third base coach, Chih-Kang Kao as the bench coach, and Yueh-Ping Lin as an added coach.
Taiwanese media have not confirmed whether former MLB pitcher Chien-Ming Wang will return as Chinese Taipei’s pitching coach for the 2025 WBC Qualifiers after leading the staff to victory at the 2024 Premier12.
The Chinese Taipei official roster for the 2025 WBCQ is located on MLB.com.
News and updates on the Chinese Taipei national team are available on the CPBL’s official website, as well as their Instagram and Facebook pages.
Chinese Taipei won the Formosa Series, sweeping the two-game exhibition series against the Korean Baseball Organization’s Lotte Giants at the Taipei Dome. They secured a 4-3 victory on Feb. 12 and followed up with a 7-3 win in Game Two on Feb. 13.
Ranked No. 2 in the World Baseball Softball Confederation rankings, Chinese Taipei will compete in the 2025 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers at the Taipei Dome from Feb. 21-25, facing No. 24 Spain, No. 16 Nicaragua, and No. 31 South Africa with hopes of securing a spot in the 2026 tournament. Rankings published by the WBSC.
Chinese Taipei did not qualify for the 2026 WBC, even though they ended up with the same record as Panama, Italy, Cuba, and the Netherlands at 2-2. The team was eliminated due to the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s (WBSC) Team Quality Balance run differential rule.
Chinese Taipei will have to compete at a high level once they take the field at the Taipei Dome to open up the first day of the WBCQ on February 21. They will face a Spain team that will have players mostly from all over Latin America that have played in the minor leagues in the United States, the División de Honor de Béisbol league, which is organized by the Real Federación Española de Béisbol y Sófbol, and players that have played this past winter league season outside of free agents.
Chinese Taipei went 1-2 in the first WBC in 2006 and did not qualify for the second round. They finished 0-2 in Pool A of the 2009 WBC, suffering losses to China and South Korea.
In 2013, Chinese Taipei had to qualify for the tournament and did so convincingly, defeating New Zealand 10-0, the Philippines 16-0, and New Zealand again 9-0 in the final qualifier game at Xinzhuang Baseball Stadium in Xinzhuang, New Taipei, Taiwan.
Chinese Taipei went 2-1 in Pool B of the 2013 WBC at Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium in Taichung, Taiwan and ended tied in first place with South Korea and the Netherlands. However, they were eliminated in the double-elimination Pool 1 second round, losing to Japan 4-3 and Cuba 14-0.
At the 2017 WBC in Pool B at Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium, Chinese Taipei went winless at 0-3 and finished in last place against Israel, South Korea, and the Netherlands.
The 2025 WBCQ and a potential berth in the main tournament will be critical in shaping the future of Chinese Taipei’s baseball program, with many players aiming to make their mark in Major League Baseball or solidify their careers in the Chinese Professional Baseball League.
Chinese Taipei will open up on home soil at the Taipei Dome on February 21 against No. 24 ranked Spain at 6 a.m. EST.
International Baseball Researcher Jeff Duda reported on February 10, that Chinese Taipei’s starting rotation in the WBCQ will be Tzu-Chen Sha, Jo-Hsi Hsu, Po-Yu Chen, and Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuan reported by Yi-Gen Wang of NOWNews on Feb. 10.
According to reports, Taiwan’s starting rotation in the WBCQ will be Tzu-Chen Sha, Jo-Hsi Hsu, Po-Yu Chen and Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang https://t.co/mY10MUESbG
— Jeff Duda (@INTLBaseball24) February 10, 2025
Players to Watch for Chinese Taipei at 2026 WBCQ
Tzu-Hao Chen made history as the first Taiwanese professional player to sign a contract worth over NTD 100 million (approximately $3.05 million USD). After filing for free agency following the 2024 season, he secured a 10-year deal valued at NTD 130 million ($3.96 million USD), solidifying his position as a key figure in Chinese Taipei’s baseball landscape.
Other notable players under contract with Major League Baseball organizations have been granted permission to represent Chinese Taipei at the 2025 WBCQ. Potential starting pitchers include Po-Yu Chen, Chen Jong-Au Zhuang, and Tzu-Chen Sha, along with domestic standout Jo-Hsi Hsu. The bullpen will feature Sheng-En Lin, Wei-En Lin, and promising Nippon Professional Baseball prospects Yi-Lei Sun and Shiang-Sheng Hsu, the latter being the youngest member of the Yakult Swallows at 19.
Veteran closer Yun-Wen Chen, who holds the Chinese Professional Baseball League all-time saves record, is a leading candidate for the closer role. He will be supported by Chun-Yueh Tseng and Yen-Ching Lu, both of whom represented Chinese Taipei at the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Chen leads the CPBL all-time saves leaderboard with 129, ahead of Yueh-Ping Lin and Mike Garcia, who has 124.
Pitching coach Yueh-Ping Lin acknowledged the team’s flexibility in bullpen management, “Yun-Wen Chen is the best closer we have, but we will assess game situations and adjust accordingly. Chen and Tseng can also be deployed as middle relievers,” published by WBSC on February 9.
Yueh-Ping Lin also emphasized the importance of depth in the bullpen, stating in an interview published on Feb 9 on WBSC “While the starters are most likely settled, I do worry a little bit more about the bullpen. Our pitching staff is younger, with less [international baseball] experience than our Premier12 roster. Given the pitch count limit, I’d like to see us bringing more pitchers, as I suspect the Qualifier would become a series of bullpen games.”
Chieh-Hsien Chen was named the 2024 Premier12 MVP, leading the tournament with a .632 batting average, a .700 OBP, and a 1.617 OPS. He played all seven games, collecting 24 at-bats with 15 hits, one double, two home runs, six RBIs, five runs scored, and two stolen bases, while drawing four walks and striking out twice.
Yu-Min Lin led the Premier12 in strikeouts with 19 over 12 innings, posting a 1.50 ERA. He was not invited on the 2025 WBCQ roster but could be an option for the nation for the 2026 WBC roster, if they qualify.
Sheng-En Lin recorded a .450 OBP and three extra-base hits in the Premier12.
Po-Yu Chen tossed eight scoreless innings with nine strikeouts in the Premier12.
Wei-En Lin maintained a 0.90 WHIP and allowed just one earned run over seven innings.
All of the 2024 Premier12 stats are located on WBSC.org.
2025 WBCQ Chinese Taipei Official Roster
Pitchers
Ruei-Yang Gu Lin
Yuni-Wen Chen
Dong-Ming Li
Chun Huang
Siang-Sheng Hsu
Po-Yu Chen
Wei-En Lin
Chen Zhuang
Yu-Cheng Wu
Yen-Ching liu
Jyun-Yue Tseng
Joh-Hsi Hsu
Sheng-En Lin
Yi-Lei Sun
Tzu-Chen Sha
Catchers
Chia-Cheng Lin
Shao-Hung Chiang
Chung-Yu Chen
Infielders
Tzu-Yu Tseng
Tzu-Wei Lin
Yu-Cheng Chang
Nien-Ting Wu
Ji-Hong Liu
Outfielders
Tzu-Hao Chen
Wun-Jie Chen
Chieh-Hsien Chen
Cheng-Jui Sung
All WBC Qualifier games will be streamed live on the official World Baseball Classic website, as well as on Facebook and YouTube. Streaming will continue through the final out of the second qualifier in Tucson, Arizona, on March 6.
On Nov. 24, Baseball International reported that total attendance for the 2024 Premier12 tournament reached 468,423 fans across Group A, Group B, and the Super Round from Nov. 9-24.
With the first 2025 WBC Qualifier (WBCQ) taking place at the Taipei Dome, games featuring host nation Chinese Taipei are expected to generate significant excitement—similar to their strong fan presence during Group B of the Premier12 in November.
The Taipei Dome drew 39,000 fans when Chinese Taipei faced South Korea on Nov. 13, 2024. Against the Dominican Republic, attendance was 25,000. Chinese Taipei’s passionate fanbase is expected to create a similarly electric atmosphere for the upcoming WBCQ games.
2026 World Baseball Classic Information:
The United States, Italy, Mexico, Great Britain and a Qualifier nation will compete at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas from March 6-11 in Pool B.
Puerto Rico, Cuba, Canada, Panama, and a Qualifier nation will compete in San Juan, Puerto Rico at Hiram Bithorn Stadium from March 6-11 in Pool A.
Japan, Australia, South Korea, Czech Republic, and a Qualifier nation will compete at the Tokyo Dome from March 5-10 in Pool C.
Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Netherlands, Israel, and a Qualifier nation will compete at loanDepot Park in Miami in Pool D from March 6-11.
The Quarterfinals of the 2026 WBC will feature the Pool A runner-up facing the Pool B winner on March 13, while the Pool B runner-up will face the Pool A winner on March 14 at Daikin Park.
The other side of the Quarterfinals will be on March 13 with the Pool C runner-up playing the Pool D winner and the Pool D runner-up will compete the Pool C winner on March 14 at loanDepot Park.
The 2026 WBC semifinals will be held on March 15 and 16 at loanDepot Park, with the championship game taking place on March 17.
The 2025 WBC Qualifiers for the 2026 tournament will take place at the Taipei Dome in Taipei, Taiwan, from February 21-25.
Nicaragua, South Africa, Chinese Taipei, and Spain will compete in the first 2025 WBC Qualifier at the Taipei Dome.
2025 WBC Qualifiers Schedule – Taipei Dome
All Game Start Times Are Listed Eastern Standard Time
February 21, 2025
South Africa vs. Nicaragua – 11 p.m. EST – February 20
Spain vs. Chinese Taipei – 6 a.m. EST
February 22, 2025
Spain vs. Nicaragua – 11 p.m. EST – February 21
Chinese Taipei vs. South Africa – 6 a.m. EST
February 23, 2025
South Africa vs. Spain – 11 p.m. EST – February 22
Nicaragua vs. Chinese Taipei – 6 a.m. EST
February 24, 2025 – Qualifier Game
2nd Place Team vs. 3rd Place Team – 6 a.m. EST
The other 2025 WBC Qualifiers venue will take place at Veterans Memorial Stadium at Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Ariz. from March 2-6.
China, Brazil, Germany, and Colombia will compete in the second 2025 WBC Qualifiers at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
2025 WBC Qualifiers Schedule – Veterans Memorial Stadium
All Game Start Times Are Listed Eastern Standard Time
March 2, 2025
China vs. Germany – 1 p.m. EST
Brazil vs. Colombia – 8 p.m. EST
March 3, 2025
Brazil vs. Germany – 1 p.m. EST
Colombia vs. China – 8 p.m. EST
March 4, 2025
China vs. Brazil – 1 p.m. EST
Germany vs. Colombia – 8 p.m. EST
March 5, 2025 – Qualifier Game
2nd Place Team vs. 3rd Place Team – 8 p.m. EST
