CPBL Foreign Players Updates Volume #420
Wei Chuan Dragons News: John Gant
On December 31, GO Baseball reported that the Wei Chuan Dragons have signed 33-year-old American right-hander John Gant for the 2026 CPBL season.
John Gant began his professional career in 2011 within the New York Mets organisation and went on to spend 6 seasons at the Major League level. He appeared with the Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, and Minnesota Twins from 2016 to 2021, compiling a 3.89 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP across 372.2 innings in 173 appearances.
Following his MLB tenure, John Gant moved to Japan, signing with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of NPB ahead of the 2022 season. However, his time in Japan was derailed by injuries, and he did not make any first-team appearances during his two seasons in NPB. He only logged 9.2 innings in the minor leagues before being released by the Fighters midway through the 2023 season.
After taking an extended hiatus from professional baseball, John Gant returned to the mound in 2025 with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League. He impressed in his brief stint in the independent league, posting a 1.71 ERA and 0.71 WHIP over 21 innings. His performance ultimately earned him a ticket back to the MLB system, and he finished the remainder of the 2025 season with the Kansas City Royals’ Triple-A team. Across 19 starts, 81 innings, John Gant recorded a 6.00 ERA and a 1.70 WHIP.
With the signing of John Gant, the Wei Chuan Dragons currently have Bryan Woodall (domestic status), Drew Gagnon and C.C. Mercedes as their group of foreign players for the 2026 CPBL season.
Further Readings
Foreign players come and go. Therefore, we have compiled a foreign player tracker, and I’ll be updating that list regularly to keep pace with the ever-changing roster shuffle throughout the 2026 CPBL season.