'Korean baseball on high alert!' T.O.P and Won Tae-in face their archenemies from Taiwan's AG team "One key player to be drafted from each club"

*This content was translated by AI.

The Asian Games gold medal race for the Korean baseball national team has entered a state of 'extreme emergency.' This is because Taiwan has declared it will draft key players from its domestic professional league (CPBL), and it has been confirmed that many 'nightmare archenemies' who once collapsed the Korean mound are included.

With the 2026 Nagoya·Aichi Asian Games scheduled to take place from September 19 to October 4, the roster of professional players for the Taiwan national baseball team is being revealed one by one. According to reports by multiple Taiwanese media outlets including LTN and Mirror News on the 3rd, the Chinese Taipei Baseball Association (CTBA) has established a basic principle of 'drafting one key player from each of the six CPBL clubs' to minimize power losses for league-affiliated teams while maximizing competitiveness in international tournaments, and has begun serious selection.

The first to confirm the call-up notice was Chen Chien-wei (29), the star outfielder of Rakuten Monkeys. Chen Hao-chu, manager of Rakuten, stated in an interview with local media on the 3rd: "We received a request for his call-up. Although it will have a huge impact on our team's power, we will fully cooperate with the national team."

Chen Chien-wei gained eligibility as a reserve force through his participation in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) held in 2023 and is currently subject to mandatory military service for five years, meaning he must comply with this call-up. Known as the epitome of a power hitter, he has left very painful memories for Korean fans. In the first group stage match of the 2024 Premier12, he hit a towering bases-loaded home run against Korea's ace Ko Young-pyo, delivering a fatal blow to Korean baseball.

Liu Chih-hung (26), the star third baseman of Wei Chuan Dragons, has also been called up by the national team. Liu Chih-hung expressed his honest feelings: "Receiving the call during the season makes me torn between wanting to help my team and Na Ra-reul (CEO)." In response, Wei Chuan manager Yu Chun-chang added strength to the call, saying, "We will actively cooperate with the nation's summons."

Liu Chih-hung is also a powerful hitter who has bombarded the Korean mound. He was a key figure who sent a sharp tying solo home run against Korean right-handed pitcher Won Tae-in (26) during the 2023 Asia Professional Baseball Championship (APBC), chilling the Korean bench.

Other clubs are also moving quickly. Lin Wei-chu, general manager of Fubon Guardians, explained on the 3rd: "In response to CTBA's request, we have already submitted our club's recommended player list. However, we have not yet received notification of the final confirmed roster. We will need to wait and see on specific personnel."

Based on reports from Taiwanese media, the Taiwan national baseball team for this Asian Games is expected to be formed as a joint team of amateur (non-professional) players and professional players. If top-tier star players from Taiwan's domestic league are drafted with at least one player per team, along with overseas players and elite amateur resources, Taiwan's strength facing Korea is expected to be beyond imagination.

For the Korean Asian Games national team aiming for the gold medal, Taiwan's 'declaration of elite formation' featuring many archenemies who once defeated Ko Young-pyo and Won Tae-in is approaching as a heavier warning than ever before.

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*This content was translated by AI.