CPBL Draft Sees Record 200 Players, No Minor League Experience

Taipei, June 18 (CNA) The 2026 Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) rookie draft will be held in Taichung on June 29. This year's draft has a record 200 participants, the highest in history, with no players possessing minor league experience.

This year, 77 players are participating as high school graduating seniors, along with 3 national team players, 51 recommended by teams, 12 who have won awards in amateur top-tier competitions, and 57 who passed the tryout session. Players are categorized by position: 83 pitchers, 20 catchers, 11 first basemen, 13 second basemen, 7 third basemen, 25 shortstops, and 41 outfielders.

Shortstop positions are drawing attention in this year's draft. Chen Po-kai from Ta-hsi Senior High School possesses excellent physical conditions, with power hitting and explosive strength, and is also the younger brother of Fubon Guardians pitcher Chen Pin-hung. Huang Ching-che from Taitung Senior High School has mobility and the ability to disrupt runners on the base paths. Hsu Shu-cheng from Kinmen, attending Kao Yuan Vocational High School, was selected for the U18 Baseball World Cup Taiwan team last year. Both are highly regarded shortstop prospects.

Among the notable high school players, Chiu Wen-yu, captain of Ping-chen Senior High School, exhibits leadership qualities and mid-to-long-range hitting power, and can play both infield and outfield. Pasula Takislinian, an outfielder from Ku Pao Vocational High School, possesses excellent athletic ability and arm strength, excelling in both offense and defense.

A talking point among college and amateur players is Sohtaro Nagata, who was released by the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball after last season, leading to the creation of the 'Nagata Clause.' He will challenge the CPBL stage this year, potentially becoming the next foreign player to join the CPBL through this clause, following Masaki Takashio.

National Taiwan Sport University pitcher Huang Chieh-han is also drawing attention with his 193 cm height and a fastball reaching 153 km/h, making him hard to ignore. Taipei Municipal University of Education pitcher Chiu Cheng-yi, who was not drafted in his previous two attempts, is challenging again after strengthening his physical condition and pitching speed. (Editor: Li Heng-shan) 1150618

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