Can Chinese Taipei Star Regain Traction at the 2026 World Baseball Classic?
In the past, Chieh-Hsien Chen was a star for the Chinese Taipei team across multiple international competitions. During the 2023 World Baseball Classic, he batted .357 with two doubles and a triple, as well as two runs batted in. He backed it up with two of his better all-around league seasons in the Chinese Professional Baseball League for the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions. During the 2023 season, Chen kept a .315 average, four home runs, 49 runs batted in, and drew a career-high 65 walks through 109 games. Then, 2024 was his year. The star outfielder pieced together a .334 batting average, 55 runs batted in, and tied his career-high in triples with seven. At the conclusion of the 2024 CPBL season, the WBSC Premier 12 took place. The now 32-year-old outfielder was absolutely on fire and had a tournament for the ages. Chen had a sparkling .625 average, two home runs, and six runs batted in, which turned out to be vital for Chinese Taipei to win the tournament despite the odds against a rock-solid team in Japan.
However, Chen appears to have lost his rhythm after some of the best performances of his career. His recent numbers suggest some bumps in the road. Early last year, his form was already amiss during the 2025 WBC Qualifiers in Taipei. The star outfielder only had three hits in 15 at-bats. A slide in performance did not stop there, as his struggles continued into the 2025 CPBL season. Through 104 games, he had a .277 batting average, four home runs, and 36 runs batted in. Previously, over the course of Chen’s CPBL career, his batting average had not dropped below the .300 mark for the season.
Chinese Taipei is in Pool C at this year’s WBC and will be battling Australia, Czechia, Japan, and Korea. If Chinese Taipei wants to advance alongside Japan in Pool C, they will need a strong contribution from the 32-year-old. As the team captain, Chen will have to put his recent on-field struggles behind him. Hopefully, the big stage that he seems to enjoy can wake up the 32-year-old. If he can rekindle even most of the magic he possessed pre-2025, Chinese Taipei could be a team to watch out for at the WBC. Though they might not have the same level of talent as Japan, they still have plenty of previous experience and team chemistry to lean on.
