The Chinese Professional Baseball League announced its 2026 award winners Monday.

The top honor went to John Gant, who was named the league’s Most Valuable Player. Gant arguably put together the best season by a foreign starting pitcher in CPBL history and one of the best seasons overall. He fell just short of the CPBL single-season ERA record of 1.40, but his 1.49 ERA was the lowest ever by a starting pitcher. He also recorded 136 strikeouts in 133 1/3 innings.

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Gant continued his dominance in the Taiwan Series, posting a 1.88 ERA across two starts. He threw eight scoreless innings in Game 1, helping the Wei Chuan Dragons win the championship. Before the series, Gant promised his teammates they could shave his head if the Dragons won. They followed through after the championship victory.

Gant made 173 appearances during his MLB career with the Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals and Minnesota Twins, posting a 3.89 ERA. He briefly played in Japan in 2023 but dealt with injuries before returning to the minor leagues and independent baseball in 2025. After signing with the Dragons in December, Gant delivered a historic performance in 2026.

Gant beat out Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions starting pitcher Brock Dykxhoorn and TSG Hawks first baseman Steven Moya for the award.

Dykxhoorn finished second in the CPBL with a 1.61 ERA and tied for third in the league with 150 2/3 innings pitched. Moya led the league in OPS (.878), home runs (20) and RBIs (90) in 116 games.

Manager of the Year: Chun-Chang Yeh

Wei Chuan Dragons manager Chun-Chang Yeh was named the 2026 Manager of the Year. It was his third time receiving the award.

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Rookie of the Year: Yun-Hua Chung

The 22-year-old rookie closer posted a 2.66 ERA in 50 2/3 innings and led the CPBL with 33 saves.

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Comeback Player of the Year: Wun-Jie Chen

TSG Hawks outfielder Wun-Jie Chen won Comeback Player of the Year after missing the entire 2025 season with an ankle injury.

Chen returned strong in 2026, putting together the best season of his career. His .708 OPS translated to a 122 Weighted Runs Created Plus(wRC+) in the pitching-dominated CPBL.

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Most Improved Player: Jia-Hui Zeng

Rakuten Monkeys starting pitcher Jia-Hui Zeng won Most Improved Player after breaking through in 2026.

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After struggling to establish himself with the Monkeys’ first team, Zeng emerged as a key part of their rotation. He posted a 2.69 ERA with 78 strikeouts across 120 2/3 innings. He looks poised to remain a fixture in the Monkeys’ starting rotation for years to come.

2026 Gold Glove Award Winners

  • Pitcher: Brock Dykxhoorn (Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions)

  • Catcher: Chia-Hsiang Sung (Rakuten Monkeys)

  • First base: Kuo-Chen Fan (Fubon Guardians)

  • Second base: Kai-Wei Li (Wei Chuan Dragons)

  • Third base: Ji-Hong Liu (Wei Chuan Dragons)

  • Shortstop: Kun-Yu Chiang (CTBC Brothers)

  • Outfield: Tian-Shin Kuo (Wei Chuan Dragons)

  • Outfield: Wun-Jie Chen (TSG Hawks)

  • Outfield: Cheng-Jui Sung (CTBC Brothers)

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