Dominican pitcher José De Paula was recently released from the CTBC Brothers’ active roster, casting uncertainty over the future of one of the most iconic foreign players in Chinese Professional Baseball League history.
Though he remains on the farm team roster, league rules render him ineligible to return to the top-tier squad for the remainder of the 2025 season. The move follows a persistent arm injury that has sidelined him since June and prematurely ended his campaign. While the Brothers have expressed interest in re-signing De Paula for the 2026 season, this could mark the end of an era for both the team and the 37-year-old southpaw.
De Paula’s professional baseball journey began nearly two decades ago when he signed with the San Diego Padres in 2006. Over the next 7 1/2 seasons, he toiled in the minor leagues, missing one full season due to suspension. His perseverance paid off in 2015, when he made his Major League debut with the New York Yankees, allowing just one run in 3 1/3 innings against the Detroit Tigers. It would be his lone MLB appearance, placing him among the 725 pitchers in history who appeared in only a single Major League game.
Across his minor league career, De Paula made 111 appearances, compiling a 3.94 ERA, with 410 strikeouts over 480 innings pitched. He continued his professional journey in independent baseball in Japan in 2017, followed by two seasons with the Sultanes de Monterrey in the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol in 2018 and 2019, where he was a solid contributor.
In 2020, De Paula signed with the CTBC Brothers in Taiwan, a move that would transform his career. What began as a promising acquisition quickly became one of the greatest foreign pitcher runs in CPBL history. That year, he dominated the league with a 3.20 ERA and 192 strikeouts in 174 1/3 innings, earning CPBL Most Valuable Player honors and leading the Brothers to the Taiwan Series.
His 2021 campaign was even more spectacular. De Paula posted a 1.77 ERA with 187 strikeouts in 178 innings, becoming only the second player in league history to win back-to-back MVP awards. He guided the Brothers to a Taiwan Series title, earning the win in Game 1 and closing out Game 4, delivering the franchise’s first championship in 11 years. That moment cemented his legacy—not only as the ace of the team, but as a CPBL legend and a fan favorite across Taiwan.
Over the next 3 1/2 seasons, De Paula continued to anchor the Brothers’ rotation, adding two more Taiwan Series titles to his résumé and compiling a career CPBL record that places him among the best to ever pitch in the league. Despite his abbreviated 2025 season due to injury, he still managed a 2.75 ERA over 52 1/3 innings. Across his CPBL career, De Paula has amassed 800 strikeouts in 867 innings, with a 2.78 ERA and multiple playoff triumphs.
Earlier this year, he became the winningest pitcher in CTBC Brothers history, surpassing the milestone in a victory over the Fubon Guardians in May. From 2004 to 2019, the Brothers captured only one championship. With De Paula leading the charge, they claimed three titles in his first five seasons and came within one win of a fourth.
If this marks the end of José De Paula’s time in Taiwan, he leaves behind an indelible legacy. More than just a foreign import, he became a cornerstone of a championship dynasty, a two-time MVP, and a symbol of excellence for the Brothers.
At 37 years old, his future in the CPBL remains uncertain—but his place in the league’s history is already secure.
Photo: Jose De Paula of the CTBC Brothers.
