The Hanwha Eagles introduced Thursday they’ve signed a Taiwanese pitcher Wang Yan-Cheng to fill their Asian quota for the 2026 season, changing into the primary Korea Baseball Group (KBO) membership to utilize the brand new rule.
The Eagles mentioned Wang, 24, agreed to a one-year deal price $100,000. Beginning in 2026, KBO golf equipment, along with carrying three foreign-born gamers, will every be allowed to signal an additional participant from an Asian nation or Australia. That participant will need to have competed in Asia or in Australia within the season instantly earlier than the given yr, and KBO groups might not spend greater than $200,000 on an Asian quota participant, together with wage, signing bonus and buyout charges paid to the participant’s former group.
Wang beforehand pitched for the minor league affiliate of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in Japan’s Nippon Skilled Baseball from 2020 to 2025 and compiled a 20-21 document with a 3.62 ERA in 85 outings.
The left-hander had his greatest season in 2025, going 10-5 with a 3.26 ERA over a career-high 116 innings throughout 22 video games. Within the NBP’s Jap League, Wang completed second in wins and third in ERA.
In line with the Eagles, Wang can contact 154 kph along with his fastball and pairs that with a pointy slider. He goes after hitters and has a easy, fast supply that may maintain runners in verify.
Wang represented Chinese language Taipei on the 2023 Asia Skilled Baseball Championship, a under-24 event involving Chinese language Taipei, Korea, Japan and Australia, and the lefty acquired the beginning towards Korea.
Except for the Asian participant, KBO groups can every signal a most two international pitchers and one international place participant.
In 2025, the Eagles boasted probably the most dominant one-two punch on the prime of their beginning rotation, with American starter Cody Ponce and Ryan Weiss.
Ponce gained the pitching Triple Crown with 17 wins, a 1.89 ERA and a league-record 252 strikeouts. Weiss gained 16 video games and had 207 strikeouts. The duo turned the primary pair of teammates to every put up 200 or extra strikeouts in KBO historical past.
