TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's national baseball team unveiled its 2026 World Baseball Classic roster Friday (Feb. 6), featuring nine active MLB and NPB pitchers. The announcement signals Taiwan's strongest international pitching corps in recent years. South Korean media outlet OSEN highlighted Taiwan's pitching strength, citing an increase in average fastball speed and the team's 2024 victory over Japan's Samurai Japan.
South Korea's coaching staff expressed concern about Taiwan's roster, noting the strategic selection of 16 pitchers to evenly distribute the workload. The large pitching staff prevents any single player from shouldering excessive innings during the tournament's demanding schedule.
Chinese Taipei manager Tseng Hao-chu (曾豪駒) said the team will deploy specialized pitching strategies tailored to each opponent's hitting characteristics. South Korean media spotlighted Lin Yu-min (林昱珉), a Triple-A pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks, for his strong international record.
Lin pitched six scoreless innings at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games and struck out three batters over 4.2 innings against South Korea at the 2024 Premier12. The 2026 WBC schedule features a crucial matchup between Taiwan and South Korea on Saturday (March 8), which could determine both teams' advancement to the quarterfinals. South Korea's team has prioritized the face-off against Taiwan, recognizing its significance in their tournament strategy. ◼