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Taiwanese Star Ruei-Yang Gu Lin off to Strong Start in NPB

Yuri KarasawaJun 3, 20257 MIN READ
Taiwanese Star Ruei-Yang Gu Lin off to Strong Start in NPB

During the offseason, baseball fans often focus their attention on players from Nippon Professional Baseball and the Korean Baseball Organization who are making the leap to Major League Baseball. While Japan does export some of its best talents, it also replenishes its own ranks by importing standout players from other levels. A prime example from this past winter is Taiwanese right-handed pitcher Ruei-Yang Gu Lin. 

Gu Lin, 24, dominated the Chinese Professional Baseball League last year, earning MVP honors with an impressive 1.66 ERA and 150 strikeouts over 125 innings. Because he’s under 25, Gu Lin would have faced international bonus pool restrictions similar to those that affected Roki Sasaki’s free agency had he elected to move directly to MLB. Consequently, transitioning to Japan first made perfect sense from a financial standpoint, as proving himself in a more established league could bolster his future value. 

Though Gu Lin is a “rookie” in NPB, he’s no ordinary newcomer. He debuted professionally for the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions in 2019 and maintained a 2.48 ERA and 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings across six seasons. He also gained significant experience pitching for Team Chinese Taipei in international tournaments, notably the 2023 Asia Professional Baseball Championship, where he carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning against Samurai Japan. 

Gu Lin reportedly narrowed his list of finalists down to the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, Yokohama DeNA BayStars, and Yomiuri Giants. He eventually agreed to join the Fighters, who were always the favorites given the organization’s strong relationship with Taiwanese baseball, with prominent figures in the Fighters’ organization, including Nobuhisa Igawa, Hideki Kuriyama, and Atsunori Inaba having all made visits to the island. The deal became official in December when he signed a three-year pact worth $1.7 million plus incentives. 

Of course, the biggest question remaining was how well his game would translate to the NPB level. Not all Taiwanese stars have thrived in Japan, and Gu Lin would face difficult adjustments to a new country, a language barrier, a heavier workload, and higher quality competition, although the cultural and geographic transition would be much smoother compared to moving to North America. 

During his time with the Uni-Lions, Gu Lin primarily relied on three pitches: a four-seam fastball, a curveball, and a splitter. CPBL sources indicate he occasionally dabbled with a two-seam fastball and slider, but his main repertoire remained limited because he had no reason to over-complicate his approach, given his prolonged success. Pitchers in the CPBL also only make about 20 starts a year, and Gu Lin never pitched more than 125 innings in a season. 

Typically, top starters in NPB make at least 25 starts and throw 150 innings a season. They are also expected to have deeper arsenals and work through the order at least three times on most nights. But that’s not to say a pitcher can’t succeed with a shallow selection – those with elite pitches can make it work. Examples include Hiroto Saiki’s high-vert, high-spin fastball, Shunpeita Yamashita’s exceptional fastball velocity and filthy curveball, or Tatsuya Imai’s short slider. This does leave less margin for error and carries inherent reliever risk, though, so Gu Lin worked towards diversifying his mix. 

Fans got their first glimpse of the Taichung City, Taiwan-native in a Fighters uniform during spring training relief appearances, where he predominantly threw fastballs, touching 95 mph. In his second outing, the youngster showcased his potential by generating eight swings and misses in just two innings, reaching 96 mph. He initially stuck closely to a three-pitch mix during the spring games, and the Fighters sent Gu Lin down to their farm team at the beginning of the regular season to stretch him out fully as a starter. 

There, Gu Lin expanded his repertoire to include sliders and sinkers, providing him a five-pitch mix, and continued to adapt to Japanese baseball. He attributes the development of his slider to the guidance of ace Hiromi Itoh, and he quickly gained comfort with it. Gu Lin easily dominated the farm competition, allowing just three runs over 15 ⅔ frames, with a 25% strikeout rate and a 55% groundball rate, leading to his NPB call-up on April 23. 

He allowed seven runs in 5 ⅔ innings against the Rakuten Eagles in his first start but quickly settled down afterward, delivering three consecutive quality starts with seven or more strikeouts. On May 11, he got revenge against Rakuten with a stellar 98-pitch, two-hit complete-game shutout. In his most recent start against the SoftBank Hawks, he worked past a leadoff homer and finished the night with nine strikeouts and just two earned runs in six innings. 

Though his ERA+ currently stands slightly below average at 97 (league average is 100), his peripheral numbers are outstanding. Among NPB pitchers with at least 25 innings pitched, Gu Lin ranks second in strikeout rate minus walk rate (22.5%) and eighth in called strike plus whiff rate (31.1%). 

His four-seam fastball is already among the most effective pitches in the league, sporting a 24.6% whiff rate despite averaging just 92.3 mph. He primarily employs his slider as a secondary against right-handed batters and evenly mixes his sinker, splitter, and curveball when facing left-handers. Interestingly, he has reverse platoon splits so far, with righties posting a .705 OPS compared to only .401 for lefties. Improving against same-handed opposition will be key for his continued success. Additionally, his groundball rate stands at an impressive 49.3%, demonstrating his ability to limit damage even if his strikeout rate dips slightly. 

Ruei-Yang Gu Lin’s strong early results indicate he possesses both the talent and adaptability necessary to thrive long-term in Japan and potentially even in MLB in the future. He’s also expected to headline Chinese Taipei’s pitching staff in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. With Hiromi Itoh, Koki Kitayama, Shoma Kanemura, Takayuki Katoh, Sachiya Yamasaki, and Kota Tatsu, alongside Gu Lin, the Fighters now have one of the most stacked rotations in NPB. 

Photo: Ruei-Yang Gu Lin with the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions. (Photo via @GOCPBL on X)

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