English Rosters and League Overview

English Rosters for 2021 CPBL Season

Useful Blog Posts for the 2021 CPBL Season

Below are a few useful English Guide related to the CPBL, we’ll teach you how to set up CPBL TV, read the schedule, buying merchandise and most importantly, how to buy tickets at the stadium.

CPBL Brief History

CPBL was established in 1990 with a four teams structure, after several expansions in 1997, Taiwan reached a record high of 11 active teams. However, due to a string of game-fixing scandals, the CPBL has reduced down to four teams since 2009.

In 2019, the CPBL announced that Wei Chuan Dragons would return to professional baseball as the fifth team in the league. The Dragons will began their 2020 season in the CPBL minor league and make their inaugural season in 2021.

Here’s a graphical chart which show the CPBL history timeline.

Regular Season Structure

Each team plays 120 games with 60 games each in the first and second-half season. Unlike the MLB, the CPBL games can be declared as a tie after 12 innings of play.

Postseason Structure: Playoff Series & Taiwan Series

With the season split in a two half-season format, there are three potential postseason scenarios which might lead to a best-of-five Playoff Series (If required) or a best-of-seven Taiwan Series.

  • Scenario #1 – If two different teams win each half-season, then those two teams will play in a best-of-seven Taiwan Series.
  • Scenario #2 – If the same team wins both half-seasons, then they will advance to the Taiwan Series with a one-game advantage. The other spot will be determined by a best-of-five Playoff Series between the second and third-best teams in the overall standings.
  • Scenario #3 – If a team finishes with the best winning percentage but does not win either of a half-season, then they will play a best-of-five series with a half-season winner with the lowest win percentage. The winner then will advance to the Taiwan Series.

First Team, Farm Team

Each team is allowed to carry a 26-man active roster including foreign players. Teams are allowed to register up to three foreign players on their active roster and play two simultaneously on the field.

A typical CPBL organisation will have a first team and a farm team with a total of 55 to 60 players in the organisation. Players sent down to the farm team must remain for at least ten days before they can be called up again.

CPBL Draft

The CPBL draft is held in the middle of the season for amateur players as well as military reserve players. Upon drafting the players, the team will have up to August 31 to sign them.

Trade Deadline

August 31 is the trade deadline and the last day to register foreign players for the remaining of the season. Any players acquired after the trade deadline are not eligible to play in the regular season games and the post-season games.

Free Agency, International Free Agency

The FA system was implemented in 2010. Players with nine years of service will be granted free agency (Eight years for those completed university). Players with three years of service will be eligible to file for international free agency status with the consent of the player’s team.