Thirty-six-year-old right-handed pitcher Takashio Masaki is putting up a valiant battle against Father Time this season with the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions of the CPBL. In his second year in Tainan City, Masaki has improved on his past statistics and proven that he belongs in the CPBL.
Masaki’s journey to the CPBL has been anything but ordinary. A native of Japan, he was drafted by the Uni-Lions in the sixth round of the 2024 CPBL Draft, becoming the first foreigner to be drafted. He did so by establishing himself in Taiwan, training in hopes of playing in the CPBL. Even though Masaki was born March 24, 1989,the late-bloomer does not take up a foreign player spot since he was drafted. Masaki had previously declared himself eligible for the CPBL Draft twice, but went undrafted in 2022 and 2023.
Uni-Lions' 高塩將樹 (Masaki Takashio) made his CPBL debut last night, becoming the 1st foreigner to go through the #CPBL draft system.
The 35-year-old Japanese pitcher will be considered a domestic player and will not take up a foreign player slot. pic.twitter.com/qpgDqOHJ69
— CPBL STATS (Taiwan Dark Lemon) ???????? (@GOCPBL) July 29, 2024
Masaki made his bones in the BC League, an independent minor league in Japan in the mid-2010’s. He even spent some time in the Australian Baseball League in 2014, but struggled and was unable to find a home in any major international league.
But Masaki never gave up his dream of playing baseball. Pursuing a career on the diamond overseas, he now finds himself with the Uni-Lions.
While Masaki struggled in his first season for the Lions in 2024, this season he has been stellar. His unorthodox pitching style in which he extends his body and explodes out during his windup has proved effective, as Masaki has pitched 24 2/3 innings out of the bullpen this season to the tune of a 1.82 ERA as of May 30, 2025. He has struck out 22 batters while only walking six and has picked up two wins and a save. He has already surpassed his inning total from last year and has decreased his WHIP from 1.20 to 0.77.
Through 41 games, the Uni-Lions have the best record in the entire CPBL at 24-17. He leads the team in innings without starting a game, and his presence in the back end has afforded the Lions real stability. His unique journey to the CPBL of resilience shows that age doesn’t always define someone in baseball or life, and that one should never give up on a dream.
Photo: Takashio Masaki (Via @GOCPBL on X)
