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Cheng Tsung-che

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Cheng Tsung-che
Pittsburgh Pirates – No. 71
Shortstop / Second baseman
Born: (2001-07-26) July 26, 2001 (age 23)
Pingtung County, Taiwan
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
Medals
Men's baseball
Representing  Chinese Taipei
U-18 Baseball World Cup
Gold medal – first place 2019 Gijang Team
Asian Games
Silver medal – second place 2022 Hangzhou Team

Cheng Tsung-che (Chinese: 鄭宗哲; born July 26, 2001) is a Taiwanese baseball infielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). He signed with the Pirates as an international free agent in 2019.

Professional career

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Cheng, a native of Pingtung County, Taiwan, signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates out of Pu-Men High School as an international free agent on July 2, 2019, for a signing bonus of $380,000.[1][2] He did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[3]

Cheng made his professional debut with the Florida Complex League Pirates in 2021,[4] and played second base, third base, and shortstop throughout the season.[5] After the 2021 minor league season ended, Cheng played winter ball with the Caimanes de Barranquilla, winning the 2022 Caribbean Series.[6]

Cheng spent the 2022 Minor League Baseball season with the Bradenton Marauders, playing shortstop more frequently.[5] He appeared in 104 games, hit for a .270 batting average, .376 on-base percentage, and a .794 on-base plus slugging percentage, while scoring 79 runs. Of his 38 extra-base hits, seven were triples. He led the Florida State League in triples and runs scored, finished second in on-base percentage, fourth in batting average, and fifth in on-base plus slugging percentage. Cheng's 33 stolen bases in 39 attempts led all minor leaguers within the Pirates organization.[5][7] At the end of the 2022 minor league season, Cheng was assigned to the Gigantes de Carolina of the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League.[8]

At the start of the 2023 regular season, Cheng ranked thirtieth on MLB Pipeline's list of top Pirates prospects[9] and was assigned to the Greensboro Grasshoppers.[10][11] On June 23, he played his first game at the Double–A level, with the Altoona Curve.[12] During the season, Cheng set a career high in triples and was ranked by MLB Pipeline as the twenty-second best Pirates prospect.[13]

On November 14, 2023, the Pirates added Cheng to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.[14][15] Prior to the start of the 2024 season, he was ranked the seventeenth-best Pirates prospect by MLB Pipeline.[16] Cheng was optioned to Double–A Altoona to begin the year.[17]

On September 17, 2024, the Pirates called up Cheng to Triple-A Indianapolis Indians from the Double-A Altoona Curve. [18]

International career

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Shortly after signing with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cheng competed in the 2019 U-18 Baseball World Cup.[19] Cheng was named to the Chinese Taipei national baseball team roster for the 2023 World Baseball Classic.[20] Over the course of the tournament, he batted for a .333 (5-for-15) batting average as a leadoff hitter[21] and drove in three runs.[22][23][24] Later that year, Cheng appeared in the postponed 2022 Asian Games, competing in five baseball games, batting .318/.455/.348 in 22 at-bats,[25] and winning a silver medal with Chinese Taipei.

References

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  1. ^ "Reds' De La Cruz headlines Players of the Month". MILB.com. 7 September 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  2. ^ Yen, William (10 July 2019). "Taiwanese high school infielder signs with Pittsburgh Pirates". Central News Agency. Retrieved 16 January 2023. Republished as: "Kaohsiung high schooler signs with US' Pirates". Taipei Times. 11 July 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  3. ^ "2020 Minor League Baseball season cancelled". mlb.com. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
  4. ^ Mackey, Jason (8 December 2021). "Pirates Pipeline: Five under-the-radar prospects you should know". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  5. ^ a b c Avallone, Michael (7 December 2022). "Priester, Rodriguez pack a punch for Pirates". MILB.com. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  6. ^ Miranda, Eugenio (3 February 2022). "Serie del Caribe: Final inédita entre Gigantes del Cibao y Caimanes de Barranquilla". ESPN.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  7. ^ delos Santos, Justice (8 November 2022). "Pirates announce honors for top Minor League performers". MLB.com. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  8. ^ "Los Cangrejeros están a un paso de adelantar a la Serie Final". Primera Hora (in Spanish). 14 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  9. ^ Mayo, Jonathan (April 5, 2023). "Where the Pirates' Top 30 Prospects are starting season". MLB.com. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  10. ^ "Pirates announce preliminary Minor League rosters". MLB.com. 3 April 2023. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  11. ^ Gorman, Kevin (3 April 2023). "Henry Davis, Liover Peguero to start at Altoona as Pirates announce minor league rosters". Pittsburgh Tribune Review. Retrieved 9 April 2023. High-A Greensboro's roster features a pair of top-10 prospects in right-hander Bubba Chandler and lefty Anthony Solometo, as well as top-30 prospects in infielder Tsung-Che Cheng and outfielder Hudson Head.
  12. ^ "Pirates farm report for June 23, 2023: Anthony Solometo shines in home debut for Curve". Pittsburgh Tribune Review. June 23, 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2023. 2B Tsung-Che Cheng (.000) hit a sacrifice fly in his Double-A debut.
  13. ^ Destin, Andrew (August 28, 2023). "Pirates Pipeline: Shortstop Tsung-Che Cheng utilizing speed in breakout campaign". Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Retrieved November 5, 2023. The 22-year-old switch-hitting shortstop from Pingtung County, Taiwan, whom the team signed as an international free agent in 2019, first showcased his sensational speed with the Pirates when he swiped 16 bags in just 38 Florida Complex League games in 2021. But it isn't just the ability to steal bases that's allowed Cheng to rise to No. 22 overall in the Pirates' system, per MLB Pipeline. Facing some of the stiffest competition yet of his career in High-A Greensboro and Double-A Altoona, Cheng has run into some power to complement his usually high batting average, hitting 11 home runs so far in 2023. But even when Cheng isn't depositing balls over the fence, he's driving them and getting off to the races, as evidenced by his career-high 10 triples this season.
  14. ^ Mackey, Jason (November 14, 2023). "Pirates add Braxton Ashcraft, Tsung-Che Cheng to 40-man roster ahead of Rule 5 draft". Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  15. ^ Gorman, Kevin (November 14, 2023). "Pirates add RHP Braxton Ashcraft, INF Tsung-Che Cheng to roster to protect from Rule 5 Draft". Pittsburgh Tribune Review. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  16. ^ Mackey, Jason (January 15, 2024). "As international signing day kicks off, Pirates secure two of Baseball America's top 32 options". Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Retrieved February 4, 2024. If you look at the Pirates' top 30 prospects list, it's littered with recent international additions. Nine of those guys comprise MLB Pipeline's current ranking of Pirates prospects, highlighted by right-hander Jun-Seok Shim at No. 14. Shim, signed a year ago, was the 10th-ranked prospect when he was selected. He's followed by shortstop Yordany De Los Santos, who was 12th in the 2022 class and received a bonus of $1.2 million. After Tsung-Che Cheng (No. 17), who was added to the 40-man roster this offseason, there's outfielder Shalin Polanco at No. 21. The Pirates signed Polanco (no relation to Gregory) for $2.35 million in the 2021-22 period, the second-biggest bonus in franchise history for an international player.
  17. ^ Gorman, Kevin (March 12, 2024). "Pirates sign LHP Eric Lauer, camp cuts include 2023 Opening Day starter, 1st-round pick". Pittsburgh Tribune Review. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  18. ^ "Transactions". MiLB.com. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
  19. ^ "Panamá cayó en el debut del Mundial U18 ante China Taipei" (in Spanish). RPC-TV. 30 August 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  20. ^ Yang, Chi-fang; Chao, Yen-hsiang (13 January 2023). "Former MLB infielder Yu Chang listed on Taiwan WBC team roster". Central News Agency. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  21. ^ Crouse, Jake (November 15, 2023). "Breaking down the Bucs' Rule 5 protections". MLB.com. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  22. ^ Yen, William (8 March 2023). "Taiwan outplayed 12-5 by Panama in World Baseball Classic first game". Central News Agency. Retrieved 13 March 2023. However, Panama surged again with another six runs in the top of the six frame to bring the score to 11-1 before Taiwan secured its second run in the bottom of the sixth inning when second baseman Cheng Tsung-che (鄭宗哲) singled on a sharp line drive for Kungkuan Giljegiljaw to score.
  23. ^ Yen, William (10 March 2023). "WBC/Taiwan wins thriller against Italy at World Baseball Classic". Central News Agency. Retrieved 13 March 2023. Taiwan tied the game in the bottom of the second inning when second baseman Cheng Tsung-che (鄭宗哲) singled on a ground ball to the right field for teammate Chen Chieh-hsien (陳傑憲) to make it 2-2.
  24. ^ Yen, William (12 March 2023). "Yu Chang grand slam gives Taiwan chance to advance in WBC". Central News Agency. Retrieved 13 March 2023. Taiwan responded in the bottom of the inning on a Chiang Kun-yu sacrifice fly that scored catcher Kungkuan Giljegiljaw and a gorgeous drag bunt base hit down the first-base line by Cheng Tsung-che (鄭宗哲) that sent Chen Chieh-hsien (鄭宗哲) home to put Taiwan ahead 7-2.
  25. ^ "CHENG Tsung-Che". World Baseball Softball Confederation Asia. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
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