World Baseball Basic managers had been made obtainable to the media through the Winter Conferences, and I took that chance to ask Chinese language Taipei’s Hao-Jiu Tseng about among the finest arms in Taiwan. I had particular pitchers in thoughts, however opted to start with an open-ended query fairly than cite any names. The response I received was likewise non-specific.
“I hope all pitchers from our staff may be identified by all baseball followers,” Tseng instructed me through an interpreter. “There are such a lot of younger pitchers. Most of them are nonetheless enjoying on the minor league degree, however this match might help them enhance their expertise and expertise, and sometime develop into nice gamers at a high degree.”
The primary pitcher he talked about after I adopted up was Wei-En Lin, a 20-year-old left-hander within the Athletics system who was featured right here at FanGraphs again in August. The second was the hurler I used to be most involved in listening to about
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“Jo Hsi Hsu pitches within the [Chinese Professional Baseball League], ”Tseng stated of the recently-turned-25-year-old right-hander, who had a 2.05 ERA and 120 strikeouts, with simply 78 hits allowed, over 114 innings for the Wei Chuan Dragons. “He’s a posted participant this offseason. Proper now he’s eligible to barter with overseas golf equipment. He probably will switch his contract to Japan or America. He’s the ace of the CPBL.
“He’s had accidents since he graduated from the highschool degree and have become an expert participant in Taiwan,” Tseng added. “He was affected person and put in a lot effort for restoration. Now he’s pitching very nicely and may throw as much as 98 mph.”
The Taoyuan Metropolis native will reportedly be attacking batters along with his high-octane heater in NPB subsequent 12 months. Since I spoke to Tseng, Hsu agreed (per JapanBall) to a three-year take care of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.
Lin emerged as one of many high pitching prospects within the Athletics system in 2025, fanning 117 batters and permitting simply 70 hits over 87 innings throughout three ranges as a nineteen-year-old. How do he and Hsu evaluate?
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“Lin is actually younger, however he’s fearless and is usually a actually good pitcher,” replied Tseng. “Hsu has extra expertise, as a result of he has performed within the CPBL for [four] years. If you end up younger, there may be a lot to study. So, it is extremely arduous to check these two gamers, however they each have good things. They are going to be crucial for us on this match. We’re wanting ahead to having extra followers all over the world develop into aware of these two pitchers.”
The 2026 WBC will get underway on March 5 with Chinese language Taipei going through Australia in Tokyo.
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RANDOM HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUPS
Ty Cobb went 10 for 20 in opposition to George Winter.
Bobby Bonds went 8 for 13 in opposition to Chris Quick.
Boots Day went 8 for 16 in opposition to Steve Blass.
Alvin Darkish went 15 for 33 in opposition to Hal Jeffcoat.
Gene Freese went 8 for 18 in opposition to Don Gross.
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Cincinnati Reds batters mixed for 167 residence runs and a .391 slugging proportion this previous season, besting solely 9 different groups in each classes. With that in thoughts, I requested Brad Meador if the NL Central membership wants extra energy within the lineup.
“Yeah, I believe so,” replied the Reds’ common supervisor. “That’s one thing we’ve talked quite a bit about: How do you go about getting it? Our draft philosophy is hitter first — we imagine that for those who’re hitter, the ability will come — and Sal Stewart is an instance of that. We have now guys in our big-league lineup that we really feel have greater than they’ve proven. In the event that they proceed to place collectively higher at-bats and make extra strong contact, the ability goes to come back. That being stated, we want to add extra injury to our lineup.”
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Derek Shelton is now managing in Minnesota after being on the helm in Pittsburgh for 4 full seasons and elements of two others. He was requested on the Winter Conferences what he discovered about growing younger hitters throughout his time with the Pirates.
“I discovered that Triple-A doesn’t put together you for the massive leagues,” stated Shelton. “I believe that’s the largest factor. It’s why we’re seeing, as an trade, so many younger gamers come to the massive leagues and battle. They only don’t hit. The pitching is simply too good right here… The space between the expertise in Triple-A and the massive leagues might be the best it’s ever been.”
How then is it useful for a hitter to return to Triple-A and face the identical degree of pitching as earlier than? Except he’s being fully overmatched, may there be simply as a lot worth in staying the course and permitting him to acclimate to major-league arms?
“Typically it simply helps them mentally,” replied Shelton. “You get your tooth kicked in sufficient instances, typically you want a reset; you want a refresh. There are [also] mechanical changes you can also make. I imply, relying on the group and the place they’re at, they should make that call. Does this particular person keep within the huge leagues and attempt to determine it out, or do you ship him down and provides him a bit of little bit of confidence?”
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A quiz:
From 1980-1999, solely 4 gamers led the American League in stolen bases. Rickey Henderson (12 instances) and Kenny Lofton (5) dominated that 20-year stretch, whereas Harold Reynolds accounted for one of many remaining three theft titles. Which speedster topped the junior circuit within the different two seasons? (A touch: he did so with completely different groups, performed seven of his 10 big-league seasons within the NL, and was a part of a 10-player commerce that included Brad Ausmus.)
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NEWS NOTES
Sung Mun Music has reportedly agreed to signal with the San Diego Padres. The 29-year-old third baseman slashed .315/.387/.536 with 26 residence runs for the KBO’s Kiwoom Heroes this 12 months. In 2024, he slashed .340/.409/.518 with 19 residence runs.
The Cincinnati Reds introduced the members of their 2026 Corridor of Fame class this week. The foursome contains Lou Piniella, Brandon Phillips, Aaron Harang, and Reggie Sanders.
Greg Thayer, a right-hander who appeared in 20 video games for the Minnesota Twins in 1978, died on December 12 at age 76. A local of Cedar Rapids, Iowa who performed each baseball and soccer at St. Cloud State College, Thayer tossed 45 innings to the tune of a 3.80 ERA and a 1-1 won-lost report.
Mike Campbell, a Seattle native who pitched for the Mariners from 1987-1989, and later for the Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres, and Chicago Cubs, died on Monday at age 61. Drafted seventh total by his hometown staff out of the College of Hawaii in 1985 — the Pittsburgh Pirates had taken Barry Bonds sixth total — Campbell would later be a part of the 1989 commerce that introduced Randy Johnson to Seattle from Montreal. All instructed, Campbell went 12-19 with a 5.86 ERA over 233-and-a-third profession innings.
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The reply to the quiz is Brian Hunter, who led the AL in 1997 when he pilfered 74 bases for the Detroit Tigers, and once more in 1999 when he swiped 44 with the Seattle Mariners.
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I posted the next on Bluesky earlier this week, and it bears repeating right here:
Bobby Abreu had a 10-year stretch (1998-2007) the place he slashed .302/.411/.505 with 218 residence runs, 289 steals, a 137 wRC+, and 52.3 WAR. Throughout that point, he in some way made simply two All-Star groups and by no means completed larger than 14th in MVP voting.
That Abreu acquired so little recognition all through these peak seasons shouldn’t be solely confounding, it has virtually definitely impacted his Corridor of Fame probabilities. By little fault of his personal, Abreu is being seen by a big swath of the citizens as a participant who wasn’t practically nearly as good because the numbers present — which was very a lot the case when he performed. His 2000 season particularly stands out. That 12 months, Abreu slashed .316/.416/.554 with 42 doubles, 10 triples, 25 residence runs, 28 steals, a 143 wRC+, and 6.9 WAR… and didn’t get a lot as a down-ballot MVP vote.
Add within the totality of his profession — he performed 18 seasons in all — and Abreu deserves extra respect than he has to this point garnered from voters. Within the six ballots he has beforehand appeared on, the under-appreciated outfielder has topped out at 19.5% of help. He’ll virtually definitely exceed that quantity this time round — the poll is much less stacked — however by how a lot? And what about his forthcoming years of eligibility?
Indicators level to Abreu remaining on the surface wanting in. They need to level to Cooperstown.
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FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Yokohama DeNA BayStars second baseman Shugo Maki — certainly one of NPB’s high hitters over the previous 5 seasons — has reportedly expressed hopes of sooner or later enjoying in MLB. The 27-year-old slugger was additionally quoted just lately as saying that 22-year-old Chunichi Dragons left-hander Yumeto Kanemaru was the hardest pitcher he confronted this 12 months. Maki referred to as the rookie’s fastball “intimidating.”
Jacob Berry is 20-for-60 and has left the yard twice for the Puerto Rican Winter League’s Leones de Ponce. A primary-round decide in 2022 out of LSU, the 24-year-old third baseman/outfielder within the Miami Marlins group had eight residence runs and a 104 wRC+ with Triple-A Jacksonville this season.
Yohendrick Pinango is slashing .325/.398/.650 with six residence runs in 95 plate appearances for the Venezuelan Winter League’s Cardenales de Lara. A 23-year-old outfielder whom the Toronto Blue Jays acquired from the Chicago Cubs within the July 2024 Nate Pearson commerce, Pinango put a 122 wRC+ and slugged 15 residence runs between Double-A New Hampshire and Triple-A Buffalo.
Mel Rojas Jr. is slashing .232/.353/.327 in 201 plate appearances for the Dominican Winter League’s Tigres del Licey. The 35-year-old former Pittsburgh Pirates and Atlanta Braves prospect has performed 18 skilled seasons and hit 178 of his 278 residence runs with the KBO’s KT Wiz. Rojas has additionally performed in Japan and Mexico.
Landen Bourassa has fanned 35 batters and issued only a pair of free passes whereas permitting 9 earned runs over 35 innings for the Australian Baseball League’s Sydney Blue Sox. The 29-year-old right-hander from Lethbridge, Alberta pitched for the unbiased American Affiliation’s Winnipeg Goldeyes this summer season.
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A random obscure former participant snapshot:
Matt Winters had a prolonged profession, though it included simply 42 big-league video games. Suiting up for the Kansas Metropolis Royals in 1989, the left-handed-hitting outfielder went 25-for-107 with a pair of solo residence runs. He was initially within the Yankees system. Winters was drafted twenty fourth total in 1978 with a decide New York acquired as compensation for the Boston Pink Sox signing Mike Torrez as a free agent (Rex Hudler was the Yankees’ different first-rounder that 12 months).
His MLB tenure, which got here at age 29 in his twelfth skilled season, was adopted by 5 homer-happy campaigns with Japan’s Nippon Ham Fighters. A Buffalo native who attended highschool in close by Williamsville, NY (the hometown of highly-regarded Miami Marlins prospect Joe Mack), Winters left the yard 160 instances over that 1990-1994 span. All instructed, he totaled 1,715 hits and 352 homers as a professional. Publish-playing profession, he coached stateside within the minors and in addition scouted for the Fighters.
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Two units of quotes had been left on the cutting-room ground after I just lately wrote about Kyle Finnegan returning to Detroit through free company. One pertained to his slider, which he’d begun throwing extra towards the top of his Nationals tenure, then principally shelved after being traded to the Tigers on the deadline.
“The slider has all the time been sort of a piece in progress for me,” Finnegan instructed me. “I’ve bounced round with it at instances. I used to throw extra of a cutter-ish slider, then I attempted to leap on the sweeper bandwagon, however that didn’t actually play too nicely with the the way in which I throw the ball. It wasn’t constant sufficient, so I went again to extra of the gyro. The motion profile on it has really been fairly good. It’s been anyplace from zero to negative-four in each instructions, horizontal and vertical, so it’s sort of in that death-ball vary. Even so, the splitter is a much better pitch for me.”
The opposite pertained to his willingness to embrace change.
“You’ve received to embrace the adapter-guy mentality on this recreation,” stated Finnegan. “Gamers are consistently making changes. It’s one thing you could have management of, diving right into a change if it is going to profit you. It’s by no means a nasty factor to no less than perceive it. So, for me it’s about making an attempt to realize an understanding of my pitches, on the similar time realizing that I’ve to simply go on the market and compete as soon as the lights come on.”
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LINKS YOU’LL LIKE
MLB caught Emmanuel Clase breaking in-game cellphone guidelines previous to information of the betting scheme he’s embroiled in’s coming to mild. Evan Drellich and Zack Meisel teamed up for the story at The Athletic.
At CBS Sports activities, Mike Axisa wrote about the Yankees shedding a high worldwide prospect to the Mets following a scouting shakeup.
At Bless You Boys, Brandon Day wrote about how a breakout season turned Troy Melton into the Detroit Tigers’ brightest younger hope for the beginning rotation.
Brew Crew Ball’s Adam Zimmer dug deep into the profile of Angel Zerpa, Milwaukee’s latest commerce acquisition.
That is a number of years outdated, however nicely value revisiting at SABR’s Baseball Card Weblog. Mark Armour instructed the story of the 1967-1968 participant boycott of Topps.
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RANDOM FACTS AND STATS
The 1999 Cleveland Indians had six gamers with 500 or extra plate appearances and an OBP of .397 or larger: Roberto Alomar, David Justice, Kenny Lofton, Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome, and Omar Vizquel. All however Justice scored over 100 runs.
Probably the most runs a pitcher has allowed in a single season with all of them being earned is 118, by Seattle’s Joel Pineiro in 2005. Probably the most runs a pitcher has allowed over his total profession with all of them being earned is 115, by Logan Kensing, who toed the rubber for 5 groups throughout the 2004-2016 seasons. (Hat tip to Sports activities-Reference’s Katie Sharp.)
Tom Brunansky had 306 doubles, 271 residence runs, a .434 slugging proportion, and 69 stolen bases. George “the Boomer” Scott had 306 doubles, 271 residence runs, a .435 slugging proportion, and 69 stolen bases.
The Pink Sox signed Tom Gordon to a free agent contract on as we speak’s date in 1995. A brief-of-stature right-hander with a hammer curveball, “Flash” went on to log an AL-best 46 saves for Boston in 1998. The next 12 months, Stephen King revealed a novel titled The Lady Who Liked Tom Gordon.
The Mets signed R.A. Dickey as a free agent on as we speak’s date in 2009. The knuckleballer captured the NL Cy Younger Award with New York in 2012 after going 20-6 with a 2.73 ERA.
Gamers born on as we speak’s date embrace Brian Schlitter, a right-hander who appeared in 78 video games for the Chicago Cubs from 2010-2015, and in six video games for the Oakland Athletics in 2019. The Oak Park, Illinois native received three of 9 choices, had a 5.20 ERA, and swatted a single in his lone at-bat.
Additionally born on as we speak’s date was Jack Daniels, an outfielder from Chester, Pennsylvania who had 41 hits and a 57 wRC+ whereas enjoying in 106 video games for the Boston Braves in 1952. Daniels hammered a pair of residence runs, each in opposition to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Lefty Leifield was certainly one of Pittsburgh’s finest pitchers through the deadball period, going 103-80 with a 119 ERA+ from 1906-1911. Previous to turning into a Pirate, Leifield logged 26 wins for the Western League’s Des Moines Underwriters in 1905.