TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Yang Nien-hsi (陽念希), a young starting pitcher who led Taiwan’s team to the recent U18 Asian Baseball Championship, confirmed on Friday (Dec. 13) that he has signed with Major League Baseball’s San Francisco Giants for NT$16.2 million (US$500,000).
The hard-throwing right-hander, who currently pitches for the University of Taipei, boasts a fastball that clocks in at 152 kilometers per hour (94.5 miles per hour). As a student at Taoyuan's Pingjen Senior High School, he was selected for Taiwan’s U18 team in 2023 and competed against the US team, giving up just two runs and striking out five over seven innings.
Most recently, Yang was the starting pitcher in the 2024 U18 Asian Youth Baseball Championship final against Japan. He scattered five hits over 2 2/3 innings, recording three strikeouts and one earned run. Taiwan won the game, marking just the third time in 17 years that it has defeated Japan in international competition.
Yang has long aspired to play professional baseball overseas. While some of his teammates chose to go to Japan after high school for training, he held out for an MLB contract. In the meantime, he played for the University of Taipei, competing this season in the Taiwan University Baseball League.
His last outing as a starting pitcher was on Friday (Dec. 13) against National Taiwan Sport University, where he pitched 1 2/3 innings, allowed four earned runs, and suffered a loss.
Yang said the atmosphere and tradition of the US MLB better suit his personality and talent. Prior to his signing, 2-3 MLB teams were tracking his progress, but he ultimately chose the San Francisco Giants. His contract will officially take effect pending a physical examination.
While Yang’s achievement fulfills his dream of competing in the US, some baseball fans have expressed concern that his MLB contract could prevent him from representing Taiwan in future international competitions.
