Taiwanese baseball star Yang Tai‑kang to retire after 21‑year career

Thirty‑nine‑year‑old outfielder Yang Tai‑kang announced he will retire at the end of the 2024 season. The Taiwanese player, who returned to Japan this year with the Oisix Niigata club in the Eastern League, said a press conference will be held on August 1 in Niigata to explain his decision.

Yang began his professional career after being selected first‑round by the Hokkaido Nippon‑Ham Fighters in the 2005 high‑school draft. He switched from infield to outfield in 2009, winning the Pacific League stolen‑base title in 2013 and earning four Golden Glove awards. He spent five seasons (2016‑2021) with the Yomiuri Giants before moving to North America’s independent leagues in 2022. His NPB record includes 1,322 games, a .270 batting average, 105 home runs, 482 RBIs and 141 stolen bases.

The retirement marks the end of a 21‑year professional run that spanned Japan, North America and a brief stint in Australia, making Yang one of the most prominent Taiwanese players in Japanese baseball history.