CPBL Foreign Players Updates Volume #421
Fubon Guardians News: Erick Leal
On December 21, broadcaster Wang Yi-Hsuan revealed on social media that Erick Leal had expressed interest in playing in Asia in 2026 and was already on the radar of several CPBL teams.
Fast forward to December 31, the Fubon Guardians announced the signing of Erick Leal. The 30-year-old Venezuelan right-hander is expected to arrive in Taiwan in February.
According to the Guardians, after reviewing all potential foreign pitcher candidates, Erick Leal stood out for his ability to consistently log innings and his strong strikeout ability, which they believe fit the team’s needs well.
Erick Leal spent the 2012 to 2019 portion of his professional career in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ and Chicago Cubs’ farm systems. During that period, he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2016-17 and managed to reach Double-A in 2019 before leaving the MLB system.
Over the next several seasons, from 2020 to 2024, Erick Leal primarily split his time between the Mexican League during the summer and the Venezuelan Winter League in the offseason. His most notable season came in 2024 with the Diablos Rojos del México of the LMB, where he posted a 2.91 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with 95 strikeouts over 80.1 innings.
In 2025, Erick Leal signed a minor league deal with the New York Yankees and was assigned to Triple-A. Over 28 appearances, he recorded a 5.61 ERA and 1.36 WHIP while striking out 133 batters in 126.2 innings. Leading up to his signing with the Fubon Guardians, Leal also pitched in the Venezuelan Winter League, though with less impressive results, posting an 8.02 ERA over 33.2 innings.
With the signing of Erick Leal, the Fubon Guardians currently have Suzuki Shunsuke, Shawn Morimando, and Aaron Wilkerson as their group of foreign players for the 2026 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.