Orix Buffaloes sign Taiwanese prospects Chang Yi-an and Hsu Chen-wei

The Orix Buffaloes have officially signed two young Taiwanese players, Chang Yi-an and Hsu Chen-wei, as developmental players. The signing was announced during a press conference held in Osaka.

Chang Yi-an, an 18-year-old infielder and former captain of the Taiwan U18 team, joins the club with a strong hitting pedigree. While he possesses pitching potential with a top speed of 149 km/h, he stated his current priority is to stabilize his performance as a position player to earn a spot on the main roster.

Hsu Chen-wei, also 18, joins as a pitcher. He has demonstrated a top fastball speed of 153 km/h and utilizes a splitter as a key weapon. Hsu expressed his ambition to quickly rise to the first team and eventually become a pitcher capable of dominating all teams in the NPB.

Senior Taiwanese player Chen Mu-heng welcomed his new teammates, noting that the addition of fellow countrymen provides more partners in Japan. Chen has offered to mentor the newcomers, emphasizing the importance of learning Japanese culture and language to aid their mental and professional integration.