Taiwan’s Chinese professional Baseball League (CPBL) is watching closely as newcomer Chien Kuan-lun makes waves during the Winter League season. The left-handed pitcher, recently drafted sixth overall by the Chin-Chin Brothers, earned a key relief victory Tuesday, capping a strong performance throughout the league’s regular season. Chien’s unusual pitching style and unconventional path to professional baseball are quickly making him a player to watch as the regular season approaches.
錢可倫。（中職聯盟提供）
The Japan League team narrowly defeated Taiwan Forestry 3-2 on the final day of the Winter League’s regular season. Left-handed pitcher Chien Kuan-lun, the sixth overall pick in this year’s CPBL draft by the Chin-Chin Brothers, delivered two scoreless innings with two strikeouts to earn a crucial relief victory. Chien has been impressive throughout the Winter League, pitching five scoreless innings across four appearances, and has touched 142 kilometers per hour with his fastball.
Chien’s path to professional baseball was unconventional. His family initially prohibited him from joining a formal baseball team as a child, so he competed in community leagues while also excelling in track and field, specializing in the high jump and long jump. He was allowed to pursue baseball after elementary school, joining the Jianxing Junior High team and later playing at Chiayi High School and National Chiayi University. He was selected by the Brothers in the sixth round of the draft this past summer after finishing his junior year.
What makes Chien particularly intriguing is his unique pitching motion and release point. It’s neither a submarine style nor a traditional sidearm delivery. When compared to Rakuten Monkeys left-hander Wang Chih-hsien, Chien explained, “When I first started playing baseball, I couldn’t raise my arm very high, so I had to pitch like this. Chih-hsien’s release point is angled upwards, while mine is closer to horizontal. The advantage is that my unusual delivery makes it difficult for hitters to adjust.”
Because he started playing organized baseball later than most, Chien saw limited playing time during his youth. After graduating junior high, he didn’t want to stay in Tainan and sought opportunities elsewhere, eventually becoming a key player at Chiayi High School starting in his sophomore year. He decided to enter the draft after completing his junior year of college, and was pleased to be selected earlier than he anticipated.
Chien participated in the Winter League as a supplemental roster addition. He said the coaching staff encouraged him to attack hitters aggressively, and the three hit batters he allowed were a result of not having played in over a month. He hopes to gain more game experience before the start of the regular season next year.
錢可倫。（中職聯盟提供）
熱門賽事、球星動態不漏接
