Supervised by the Baseball Federation of Asia (BFA) and the Chinese Baseball Association (CBA), baseball in China is welcoming the newest attempt at professionalisation, Chinese Professional Baseball (CPB) with Shenzhen, Guangdong, hosting the inaugural draft to mark the league’s official launch on Wednesday.
CBA Vice President Xie Bin said: “The CPB was established at the right time, benefiting from the favoured policies, the momentum carried over from the National Games, and the shared expectation from baseball enthusiasts, as we expect the CPB will professionalise and industrialise the sport in the long run.”
The Founding Five
The new league is composed of five franchises that identify with their home field cities. Changsha Want Want Happy, based in Changsha City of Hunan Province, is sponsored by one of the largest food corporations in China, Want Want Group. Shenzhen Bluesox is in one of the four First-Tier Cities, Shenzhen, and is backed by the Shenzhen Bluesox Culture & Tourism Inc. The Fuzhou Sea Knights make Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian Province, their home and are sponsored by Han Yuan Investment. Xiamen Dolphins, another franchise in Fujian Province, is based in Xiamen, one of China’s most important port cities, and is sponsored by Xiamen Sports Properties. The Shanghai Dragons, the franchise based in China’s largest city, is sponsored by the internationally renowned enterprise Charoen Pokphand Group.
The managers of the five teams also feature a range of international baseball experience with the Dragons boasting former KBO/NPB/MLB pitcher Dae-Sung Koo from Korea; the Sea Knights led by former CPBL Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions manager Wen-Sheng Lu (managerial record 280-220 with four Taiwan Series titles in five seasons); Want Want Happy have former CPBL Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions pitcher Chun-Liang Wu (50-31, 3.37 ERA); Xiamen Dolphins will be managed by former CPBL Sinon Bulls pitcher Tung-Yen Tsai, and Shenzhen Bluesox have invited Ray Chang – a former Minor League Baseball (MiLB) infielder (with San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Red Sox, Minnesota Twins and Cincinnati Reds Farm Systems) and current Major League Baseball (MLB) China Baseball Operations Head – to manage the team. Chang, born in Kansas City, Missouri, USA in 1983, represented China as a player at the 2009, 2013, and 2017 World Baseball Classics.
Player Draft
According to information released by CPB, tryouts have been held in Shenzhen, Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, and Xiamen since October, with more than 500 players signed up to pursue their dream of becoming future professional baseball stars.
The players entering the draft are split into two groups based on skill level and experience. The Super Round class featured players with international and national tournament experience, while the Talent Round class featured players with bright potential.
In the first round of the Super Round class, several players with both the XIX Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 and WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup 2024 appearances were selected first, as the Dolphins picked right-handed pitcher Jian Yi, and southpaw Huadancairang went to Want Want Happy. Asian Games outfielder Yu-Yang Li and infielder Jin Yang were selected by Want Want Happy and Dragons, respectively, and the Bluesox picked shortstop Qirui Wu, a WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup 2024 alum. Pitcher and outfielder Huanchen Fu went to the Dolphins.
The Dragons also selected LIU Wei-Yu, who represented China in the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup 2025, making him the first one in his class to turn pro.
After the conclusion of the draft, the clubs will enter the phase of negotiating terms with free agent players, including undrafted players from the mainland, and players from Macau, China; Hong Kong,China; Taiwan and international players.
The salary range for drafted players will be between 20,000 RMB ($US 2,800) and 40,000 RMB ($US 5,600) per month, according to CPB.
Season Structures for 2026 and beyond
The competition schedule for the inaugural season and the 2027 campaign will be divided into two parts: Spring League and Summer League.
The Spring League of the inaugural CPB season will open on 1 January, 2026, with five teams playing a total of 49 games, including five exhibition games, forty regular-season games, one wild-card game, and a best-of-three championship series that concludes the season on 8 February, 2026.
Most games will be played at the Shenzhen Zhongshan Baseball Park, with some games scheduled at the Zhongshan International Baseball and Softball Centre, the competition venue for the 15th National Games of China.
CPB is planning to hold the 12-week Summer League, with the detailed schedule and venue selection to be determined. According to the proposal announced by CPB, the 2027 season structure will be similar to that in 2026, and CPB’s objective is to open the 2028 season with a full-fledged, home-and-away 20-week professional schedule.
Implementing Baseball Cultures
In addition to the competition, CPB will also devote itself to building a baseball-viewing culture among fans across various aspects. According to CPB, a talent draft for cheerleading girls will be held in December, aiming to assemble an eight-member CPB Girls cheering group to perform during the games alongside famed cheerleaders from Taiwan.
As sports presentation will be key to motivating fans during games, CPB announced that it will also work with the renowned Golden Melody Award-winning team to produce exclusive music elements for the league and each franchise.
