CPBL Foreign Players Updates Volume #70

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Uni-Lions News: Austin Bibens-Dirkx

According to NOWNews, the Uni-Lions have signed the former Texas Rangers’ right-hander Austin Bibens-Dirkx for the 2019 CPBL season. When asked by the media, the Uni-Lions has declined to comment, but they hinted the new pitcher is someone who pitched in the MLB last year.

*Update, January 13: The Uni-Lions’ general manager Su Tai-An confirmed the signing of Bibens-Dirkx on the first day of the Spring Training.

The 33-year-old Bibens-Dirkx pitched two seasons in the MLB with a combined record of a 5.21 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, across 114.1 innings over 37 games with the Texas Rangers in 2017 to 2018.

Pitching Repertoire: Austin Bibens-Dirkx

Below are some of Austin Bibens-Dirkx’s pitching clips. Pitcher List has done an amazing job breaking down all his pitches in the MLB.

Fastball (41.58% Thrown, 90.35mph)

Slider (28.35% Thrown, 86.7mph)

Changeup (16.14% Thrown, 84.7mph)

Curveball (13.92% Thrown, 79.7mph)

Had a Chance to Play in Taiwan Last Year

Although this is Austin Bibens-Dirkx’s first time to pitch in Taiwan, it is not the first time we hear his name came up as a potential CPBL foreign player.

On February 17, 2018, Bibens-Dirkx told The Athletic that he received a pretty good offer to play in Taiwan from an unnamed CPBL team. Many people speculated it was either the Fubon Guardians or the Uni-Lions made the offer to Bibens-Dirkx.


Further Readings

Foreign players come and goes, therefore we compiled a foreign players tracker to keep track of all the foreign players signing for the 2019 CPBL season.

4 COMMENTS

  1. Not a bad choice for the Uni-Lions at all. Bibens-Dirkx didn’t have a great ERA in AAA, but his strikeout rate was pretty good, and he’s pitched in the MLB majors the last two years, although not with great results in 2018. As a veteran pitcher, he probably knows how to get himself in shape.

    Any rumors about the Uni-Lions may have agreed to pay him?

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