With the second half of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) complete, teams are gearing up for the Playoff Series. Here is the top news and notes from last week in Taiwan’s highest level of professional baseball.
Zhang Jun-Wei Reaches Preliminary Agreement with NPB Team
According to Merit Times in Taiwan, pitcher Zhang Jun-Wei has an agreement with an unnamed Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) team. The 18-year-old can reach up to 97 mph with his fastball and represents Taiwan for both their U-18 and U-23 Baseball World Cup. Zhang made two starts in the U-18 Baseball World Cup in 2023, going 1-0, posting a 0.68 ERA, and striking out 11 batters in 10.1 innings of work.
Taiwan Announces Premier12 Roster
On October 9, Taiwan released its roster for the upcoming WBSC Premier12 Tournament. Twenty-five of the players rostered for the competition in November have experience playing in the CPBL, while three are currently with minor-league organizations. Taiwan’s first game will be on November 13, when they will host South Korea at the Taipei Dome. The first pitch is set for 5:30 a.m. EST.
Taiwan to Compete in 2024 Formosa Series
Taiwan is set to compete in the 2024 Formosa Series, with all games being played at the Taipei Dome. They will compete against the Czech Republic on November 2-3. Taiwan will use their Premier12 roster for this exhibition series to prepare for the tournament.
2024 Playoff Series Begins Tomorrow
The CPBL Playoff Series will kick off tomorrow, with the Rakuten Monkeys facing the Uni-Lions. The Uni-Lions will start with a 1-0 advantage for this series. The winner of this playoff series will go on to face the CTBC Brothers in the Taiwan Series. Game 1 is set for October 12.
FINAL CPBL STANDINGS
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WBN CPBL: https://worldbaseball.com/?s=CPBL
Photo Credit: Sung En Tseng #32 of CTBC brothers celebrates after hitting a double in the bottom of the fifth inning during the CPBL game between Wei Chuan Dragons and CTBC Brothers at Taipei Dome on September 22, 2024 in Taipei, Taiwan. (Photo by Gene Wang/Getty Images)
