TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Fubon Guardians (富邦悍將) celebrated the signing of Taiwanese baseball star Yu Chang (張育成) on Thursday (July 11) in Taipei. Chang’s 3.5-year contract, valued at NT$92.5 million, sets a new historic record in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL, 中華職棒).
Chang's monthly salary exceeds NT$2.2 million, surpassing his counterpart Chiang Shao-ching's (江少慶) 2021 contract, which was NT$61.2 million over 4.5 years.
The signing ceremony took place at the Courtyard Taipei Downtown (台北國泰萬怡酒店), where Chang donned the Guardians' blue and white jersey with the number 99.
Chang, who has played 235 Major League Baseball games, and has 121 hits, 20 home runs, and 79 runs batted in, or RBIs, under his belt, admitted that he didn't perform well in the U.S., and hopes to perform his best in Taiwan.
He further expressed his joy, saying, “I felt a bit lonely abroad, but returning to the CPBL stage makes me incredibly happy.”
Chang will make his debut at the Xinzhuang Baseball Stadium (新莊棒球場) on Friday (July 12). He enthusiastically stated, “I'm very excited and just want to help the team and play my best. I have confidence in hitting my first home run.”
Fans eagerly await Chang’s performance as he aims to make an immediate impact in the CPBL. The Fubon Guardians hope his experience and skill will lead them to new heights this season.