CPBL: Wei Chuan Dragons' local pitchers rival foreign stars, eye record

The Wei Chuan Dragons' homegrown pitchers are proving their mettle this season, demonstrating performance levels that rival their foreign counterparts.

Local right-hander Kuo Yu-cheng secured his second win of the season on Tuesday, pitching five innings and allowing just one run against the Rakuten Monkeys. Kuo now holds a 2-0 record with a 3.00 ERA over four starts. He joins fellow local pitcher Tseng Jen-ho, who boasts a 2-1 record with a 1.59 ERA in three starts.

Collectively, the Dragons' local starting pitchers have made seven starts this season, accumulating a 4-1 record with a 2.37 ERA. Their batting average against is .253, and their WHIP is 1.08. These statistics represent the best performance among all local pitchers in the league, with their ERA being particularly noteworthy.

When combined with the team's four foreign pitchers, including ERA leader Chiang Kai, as well as Steel Dragon, Misael, and El Magico, and veteran "local foreign player" Wu Tou, the Dragons' starting rotation presents a formidable force. The team's overall starting pitcher ERA stands at 1.99, with a .228 batting average against and a 1.08 WHIP, all leading the league. This strong performance puts the Wei Chuan Dragons' starting rotation in contention to break the 1995 record for the best single-season ERA by a team's starting pitchers, which was 2.42, set by the Uni-President Lions.

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Kuo Yu-cheng's performance has always been quite stable. Because Wu Tou fills a local spot, Kuo Yu-cheng has had fewer starting opportunities. I hope he can get more starting chances going forward.