Hanwha Eagles' Wang Yan-cheng to Represent Taiwan in Asian Games

Hanwha Eagles' key starting pitcher Wang Yan-cheng will compete for the Taiwan national team at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
Taiwan announced today, July 14, that it has finalized its 24-man baseball roster for the Asian Games, which includes Wang.
As a result, Wang will leave Hanwha during the Asian Games period to play in the Taiwan national team uniform.
Since Taiwan is in Group B with South Korea for the Asian Games group stage, there is a possibility that Wang could face South Korea on the mound.
Wang, Hanwha's Asian quota player, is a core starter who has recorded 7 wins and 3 losses with a 3.59 ERA in 17 games in the KBO League this season.
With infielder Roh Si-hwan and outfielder Moon Hyun-bin already confirmed to be called up to the national team, Hanwha faces an inevitable void in its roster with Wang also joining the Asian Games.
However, Hanwha has stated that it will not block Wang from participating in the Asian Games.
Son Hyuk, general manager of Hanwha, stated, "We have been discussing the issue of Wang's participation in the Asian Games," adding, "Once we receive an official request from Taiwan, we plan to cooperate with the call-up as long as it does not put excessive strain on the player."
In addition to Wang, the Taiwan national team roster also includes left-handed pitcher Lin Yu-min (Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks), who has troubled Korean hitters in every international tournament, and big leaguer Tsung-Che Cheng (Boston Red Sox), who hit a home run against South Korea in the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC).
However, it remains uncertain whether the Boston Red Sox will allow Cheng to join the team, as he is currently playing in Major League Baseball (MLB).
Regarding this, the Chinese Taipei Baseball Association stated, "The national team roster is subject to change."
Pitcher Hsu Ruo-hsi (SoftBank Hawks), who is currently dealing with a back injury, may also be replaced.
Other players named to the national team include pitchers Gu Lin Ruei-yang and Sun Yi-lei (both Nippon-Ham Fighters) playing in Nippon Professional Baseball, as well as pitchers Chuang Chen-yu (Triple-A affiliate of the Athletics) and Pan Wen-hui (Double-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies) playing in the U.S. minor leagues.
Of the 24 players, 8 are based overseas and 16 are domestic players.
Meanwhile, the South Korean national team, led by manager Ryu Ji-hyun, is placed in Group B alongside Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Thailand, and will play against Taiwan on September 21, Hong Kong on September 22, and Thailand on September 23.
If they finish in the top two of the group, they will advance to the Super Round, carrying over their group stage results to face the top two teams from Group A.
Group A consists of Japan, which has formed its team with 24 industrial (semi-professional) baseball players, as well as China, the Philippines, and Palestine.
In terms of team strength, it is expected that if South Korea wins the match against Taiwan on the 21st, which is considered the biggest hurdle in the group stage, their chances of reaching the final will significantly increase.
There is a high possibility that they will face Taiwan again in the final.
Taiwan is also expected to view the match against South Korea as the most critical game and will likely mobilize all its key pitchers, including Wang Yan-cheng.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.