Taiwanese pitcher Lin Rui-chieh's US debut ends in disaster

Taiwanese pitcher Lin Rui-chieh, a 24-year-old graduate student from National Cheng Kung University, endured a harsh introduction to professional baseball in the United States, suffering a disastrous debut for the Minnesota Twins' Class A affiliate.

Lin, who had previously been overlooked in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) draft in 2023 and 2024, entered the game with high expectations after showcasing a fastball clocked at 158 km/h in a selection league. This performance caught the eye of MLB scouts, leading to his signing with the Twins, making him the first player from National Cheng Kung University to play professionally in the US.

However, his much-anticipated debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates' Class A team quickly turned into a nightmare. Lin was unable to record a single out before being removed from the game. He faced a challenging situation, giving up 5 earned runs on 2 hits, issuing 4 walks, and hitting a batter. This resulted in an immediate loss and an undefined earned run average.

Lin's journey to professional baseball in the US was marked by previous setbacks in his home country. While playing for National Taiwan Sport University, he participated in the CPBL rookie draft twice but was not selected. Even after enrolling in National Cheng Kung University's Graduate Institute of Sports Science and Recreation Management in 2025 and re-entering the CPBL's rookie testing session, where he demonstrated a fastball of 152 km/h, he was once again overlooked by domestic teams.