The Pittsburgh Pirates are calling up their No.17 prospect, Tsung-Che Cheng.
Cheng, a native of Pingtung County, Taiwan, represented Chinese Taipei in the 2023 World Baseball Classic but has been in the Pirates organization since 2019.
Cheng signed with the Pirates as an international free agent out of high school in 2019 for $380,000. He did not play in the minor leagues in 2019 or 2020 because of the Covid-19 Pandemic, but worked his way up to Triple-A last season. Last season, with Triple-A Indianapolis, he had a 1.126 OPS in six games.
Cheng has also played in the Liga Beisbol Profesional Colombiano and the Caribbean Series. In 2021, he slashed .296/.389/.408 with the Caimanes de Barranquilla as they won the LBPC title and appeared in the Caribbean Series in Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico.
At the 2023 World Baseball Classic, he was Chinese Taipei’s leadoff hitter at just 21 years old. He went 5-for-15 in the tournament with three RBIs and one extra-base hit, a triple. The Pirates move to call him up comes as they place Jared Triolo on the injured list with a back injury.
In his minor league career, Cheng has slashed .260/.359/.770. He has hit 34 home runs and stolen 92 bases.
Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Tsung-Che Cheng waits to take batting practice before a spring training baseball game against the Detroit Tigers Saturday, March 2, 2024, in Lakeland, Fla. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
