CPBL Foreign Players Updates Volume #351
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Wei Chuan Dragons News: Bryan Woodall
On September 14, the Wei Chuan Dragons’ Bryan Woodall pitched five innings against the CTBC Brothers, officially earning his domestic player status in the CPBL by accumulating nine years of service. As per CPBL regulations, starting in the 2025 season, the 37-year-old CPBL veteran will no longer occupy a foreign player slot on the active roster.
Just a few hours before the game, the Wei Chuan Dragons announced they had decided to exercise the club option on Bryan Woodall, bringing him back for the 2025 CPBL season.
Dragons Exercised Club Option For 2025 Season
According to the Dragons’ general manager, at the end of the 2023 season, the Dragons had already signed Bryan Woodall to a 1+1 contract. Based on his performance in 2024, the team will have the option to retain him either as a player or a coach in 2025.
In an interview with UDN, the Dragons’ manager admitted that while Bryan Woodall may not perform at the same level as other top-tier foreign players, his experience and ability still surpass many domestic players.
“Bryan Woodall is a very smart pitcher. Now that he’s gained domestic status, even at an older age, he could potentially pitch for another 2-3 years, maybe even into his 40s,” said the Dragons’ manager to UDN.
“It’s exciting, and I couldn’t have done it without everyone and the opportunities I’ve been given,” Woodall told ETtoday. “I’m trying to make the most of it by showing up every day and continuing to get better. I love competing, and I believe I can still pitch at a higher level.”
Wei Chuan Dragons’ Bryan Woodall logged his 700th career strikeout last night. The 37-year-old, 10-season veteran became the 15th #CPBL player to reach that 700K milestone. 👏 pic.twitter.com/okxZ9IzihY
— CPBL STATS 🪬🔮 (@GOCPBL) August 17, 2024
Bryan Woodall, who has been active in the CPBL since 2015, has played for the CTBC Brothers (2015-17), the Fubon Guardians (2018-20), and the Wei Chuan Dragons (2021-present). Over those ten seasons, he has compiled a career record of a 3.71 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP across 1,091 innings.
Although Bryan Woodall’s fastball velocity has declined significantly in recent years, he is able to compensate for that with his experience and ability to effectively attack the strike zone, inducing batters to put the ball in play and get outs.