The CPBL’s first half has concluded for all but two teams, and every club is preparing for the second half, which began Friday night.
The CTBC Brothers and Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions still have one first-half game remaining after a previous postponement, but it likely will not be played until after the second half concludes. That creates a unique scenario in which a postponed first-half game could ultimately determine the playoff fate of multiple teams.
The Lions currently trail the TSG Hawks by a half-game in the overall standings, and the final playoff berth could come down to those two teams.
Wei Chuan Dragons dominate first half
The Wei Chuan Dragons wrapped up the first half with a 39-21 record to clinch a postseason berth. They finished five games ahead of the field and put themselves in an excellent position to reach the Taiwan Series.
Their 39 wins tied the 2014 Lamigo Monkeys for the third-most victories in a CPBL first half.
The Dragons’ pitching staff has been nothing short of dominant. All three of their foreign starting pitchers own ERAs below 2.00, led by Marcelo Martínez, who has a 0.83 ERA in 54 1/3 innings. John Gant has posted a 1.42 ERA in 63 1/3 innings.
In Gant’s final start of the first half, he went 7 innings with 8 strikeouts and just 1 run allowed against the CTBC Brothers as his dominance continued this season. He had an opportunity to be recently signed by KBO teams but has decided to remain a Dragon for the remainder of the season.
Gant and Martínez have emerged as two of the leading candidates for CPBL MVP and have helped the Dragons post a historic 2.29 team ERA. If they maintain that pace, they would shatter the CPBL record for lowest team ERA in a season.
Another major reason for the Dragons’ first-half success has been the breakout season from center fielder Tian-Shin Kuo.
The 26-year-old has already established career highs with a .798 OPS and six home runs. He was even better in June, earning CPBL Hitter of the Month honors after posting an .884 OPS with two home runs and seven RBIs.
Li earns consecutive monthly honors
Fubon Guardians ace Tung-Ming Li was named CPBL Pitcher of the Month for the second consecutive month.
In June, Li went 4-0 with a 1.38 ERA over 26 innings while striking out nine.
He also became the fifth pitcher in CPBL history to win 10 games during the first half of a season. Li is also the fifth Taiwanese pitcher to win Pitcher of the Month in consecutive months and the first to accomplish the feat since Chien-Fu Yang won the award in June and July 2010 while pitching for the Sinon Bulls, the franchise now known as the Fubon Guardians.
Former finalists struggle
Last year’s Taiwan Series featured the CTBC Brothers and Rakuten Monkeys. This season, those same two clubs occupy the bottom two spots in the standings.
The Brothers still have one first-half game remaining, but they finished the first half with a 20-37-2 record. It marks their first last-place finish in the first half since 2018.
Their only path to the postseason is winning the second half. The Brothers have missed the playoffs only twice over the previous 12 seasons and have won three of the past five CPBL championships. It has been a stunning fall for one of the league’s premier franchises.
The Rakuten Monkeys have also endured a disappointing first half. Although they reached the Taiwan Series in 2025, they finished the first half at 24-34-2.
The Monkeys have reached the postseason in 11 of the past 15 seasons and have won eight championships over the past 20 years.
If both the Monkeys and Brothers miss the playoffs, it would mark the first time since 2011 that the previous season’s Taiwan Series finalists both failed to qualify for the postseason.
CPBL Draft
The CPBL Draft was held Monday, with the Fubon Guardians holding the No. 1 overall pick.
The Guardians selected shortstop Po-Kai Chen from Daxi High School in Taoyuan City, Taiwan. His older brother, Ping-Hong Chen, is currently a pitcher for the Guardians, giving the siblings an opportunity to play together in the future.
Wei Chuan Dragons interested in Stuart Fairchild
In potentially significant CPBL news, the Wei Chuan Dragons have confirmed their interest in recently released outfielder Stuart Fairchild and have already reached out to him.
Fairchild appeared in 14 games with the Guardians this season, posting a .565 OPS before being designated for assignment and sent to Triple-A. He declined the outright assignment and elected free agency.
Now on the open market, Fairchild is expected to be one of the most sought-after free agents for teams across Asia. He would be a major addition for the Wei Chuan Dragons, who captured the CPBL’s first-half title and are looking to further strengthen their roster for the second half.
Fairchild would also likely become an instant fan favorite in Taiwan following his standout performance for Chinese Taipei at this year’s World Baseball Classic. His tournament was highlighted by an eighth-inning go-ahead two-run home run against Korea in Chinese Taipei’s final game of the tournament.
Although Fairchild has struggled offensively in the major leagues, he owns a career .884 OPS in Triple-A and would be expected to provide significant offensive production if he signs in Taiwan.
First-half standings
- Wei Chuan Dragons: 39-21
- Fubon Guardians: 34-26
- TSG Hawks: 30-29-1
- Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions: 29-29-1
- Rakuten Monkeys: 24-34-2
- CTBC Brothers: 20-37-2
Photo: Tian-Shin Kuo (Photo credit to Wei Chuan Dragons)
