Did Hanwha ultimately block the 'Korean opponent' matchup? The KBO 11-win pitcher faces a non-Korean team... Who will be in the final? [Aichi Nagoya AG]

*This content was translated by AI.

Originally expected to start against Korea, Wang Yencheng (25, Hanwha Eagles), the KBO's 11-win left-handed pitcher, has been unexpectedly named as the starter for China instead. Under these circumstances, his appearance in a Korean match is now unlikely.

The Taiwan national baseball team will face the Chinese national team at 6:30 p.m. on the 25th in the first Super Round game of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

According to ET Today and other Taiwanese media, Taiwan has announced Wang Yencheng as its starter for the China match.

Taiwan entered the Super Round with one loss after losing 0-5 to Korea in their Group Stage opener. China also enters the matchup with one loss. Thus, both teams face a highly critical game.

ET Today explained, "Until now, Taiwan has not used even a single pitcher from overseas leagues during the group stage. Wang Yencheng is the first starter from an overseas league to be deployed in this Asian Games."

Wang Yencheng currently plays full-time as a starter for Hanwha in the KBO League. This season, he has recorded 11 wins, 6 losses, and an ERA of 3.97.

It was initially expected that Wang Yencheng would start against Korea. Given his active performance in the KBO League, it is not an exaggeration to say he knows Korean batters better than other Taiwanese pitchers.

However, surprisingly, Taiwan's final starter for their Group Stage opener against Korea was Lin Yi-wei. At the time, Taiwanese media such as TVBS reported, "The reason Wang Yencheng could not start against Korea lies in usage restrictions imposed by his team, Hanwha." They added, "After much deliberation over how to utilize Wang Yencheng, Taiwan head coach Tang Deng-kai selected Lin Yi-wei, who has relatively less information available, as the starter for the first game."

Tang Deng-kai, head coach of the Taiwan national team, stated, "Hanwha club presented several conditions. These were communicated to Jo Geon-eun (CEO) team operations department," and added, "These measures will not hinder Jo Geon-i (CEO) team's overall strategy. We are not afraid and will proceed with our planned approach."

In fact, Hanwha and the Taiwan national team set specific conditions during the process of deploying Wang Yencheng for the Asian Games. A Hanwha official said, "We negotiated deployment conditions with Taiwan from the perspective of player protection, remaining season schedule, and maintaining team strength. After understanding the restrictions major league minor league teams impose when sending players to international tournaments, we presented multiple options and coordinated with Taiwan."

Hanwha did not disclose the detailed contract terms. However, it is reported that they proposed measures similar to those seen in Major League Baseball's 30-man roster and minor league deployments, including limits on total games played during the tournament, innings pitched, and prohibitions on consecutive starts. If Wang Yencheng pitches heavily against China, there is a very high likelihood he will not appear in the final against Korea, which takes place just two days later on the 27th. Under these circumstances, it is quite possible that Hanwha even included a clause preventing Wang Yencheng from starting against Korea. In soccer, when a player is loaned to another team, conditions are often set prohibiting them from playing against their original club—a similar situation applies here.

Taiwan holds an overwhelming advantage over China in their historical Asian Games matchups, with eight consecutive wins. However, they struggled in the last two encounters. In the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games, Taiwan narrowly defeated China 1-0. Then, at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, they won 4-1. They are certainly not an opponent to be taken lightly. Ultimately, Wang Yencheng has been entrusted with a significant mission against China.

Taiwan will play its first Super Round game against China on the 25th, followed by a final Super Round match against Japan on the 26th. If Taiwan defeats both China and Japan, they are expected to meet Korea in the final. ET Today reported, "Left-handed pitcher Lin Wei-min, who plays in the U.S. minor leagues, is expected to start against Japan."

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*This content was translated by AI.