As the season approaches a close, the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) Wei Chuan Dragons aren’t done bringing in foreign talent. They’ll be signing 30-year-old right-handed pitcher Teddy Stankiewicz.
Born in Keller, Texas, Stankiewicz was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the second round of the 2013 MLB Draft out of Seminole State College. He pitched as a member of the Red Sox organization in the minor leagues from 2013-2019. He reached as high as Triple-A before being released in 2019.
For the 2020 season, Stankiewicz took his talents to the CPBL, signing with the Uni President 7-Eleven Lions. He impressed in his first season, pitching to a 6-0 record, posting a 3.81 ERA in eight starts in ten appearances, striking out 47 batters in 54.1 innings pitched. He would return for the 2021 season, but mid-way through the season, he would join the Toros de Tijuana in Liga Mexicana de Beisbol (LMB).
Stankiewicz decided to return to the CPBL for the 2022 season, joining the CTBC Brothers. In 15 starts, he went 5-6, posting a 4.09 ERA. He pitched 88 innings, striking out only 67 batters. At season’s end, he became a free agent.
The 2023 offseason was interesting for Stankiewicz, who was able to sign a minor-league contract with the Cincinnati Reds. He pitched between Double-A and Triple-A, making 18 appearances in 14 starts, going 4-4, posting a 7.59 ERA in 70 innings, walking 42 batters and striking out 49. He was released during the season, and LMB’s Toros de Tijuana picked him up.
To start the 2024 season, he would return for a full season with the Toros de Tijuana. Making ten starts in 11 games on the hill, Stankiewicz posted a 4-2 record with a 3.53 ERA in 51 innings, but he was only to strike out 29 batters while only walking seven.
Now, he returns to the CPBL, where he will join his third career franchise in their league. The Dragons are currently in fourth place in the CPBL standings, so we will see if Stankiewicz can help their rotation. The Dragons are only four games back of first place in the second-half standings.
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WBN CPBL: https://worldbaseball.com/?s=CPBL
Photo Credit: Pitcher Teddy Stankiewicz #26 of Uni-Lions pitches at the bottom of the first inning during the Taiwan Series Game 7 between CTBC Brothers and Uni-Lions at the Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium on November 08, 2020 in Taichung, Taiwan. (Photo by Gene Wang/Getty Images)
