Tsung-Che Cheng

Tsung-Che Cheng (鄭宗哲)

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 5' 8", Weight 180 lb.
• High School Pu-Men High School
• Debut April 9, 2025

• Born July 26, 2001 in Pingtung County Taiwan

BR page

Biographical Information

Tsung-Che Cheng has played for the Chinese Taipei National team before signing with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2019.

Cheng was signed by Pirates for a $380,000 signing bonus. He hit .219/.306/.313 with 2 stolen bases in the 2019 U-18 Baseball World Cup and helped Taiwan win the gold medal. Tseng made his pro debut with the FCL Pirates Gold in 2021, having had to sit out the 2020 season when the COVID-19 pandemic had shut down the minor leagues, and he batted .312/.449/.492 with 14 stolen bases. He then recorded a .296/.389/.408 batting line for the Caimanes de Barranquilla in the winter, and he appeared in the 2022 Caribbean Series. He also played for Taiwan in the 2021 U-23 Baseball World Cup. Cheng hit .270/.316/.418 with 33 stolen bases in 2022 with the Bradenton Marauders of the Florida State League. He was second in the league in stolen bases, only behind Omar De Los Santos. He also played 19 games for the Gigantes de Carolina of the Puerto Rican League with a .182/.270/.242 batting line in the winter.

The Pingtung native then made Taiwan's roster for the 2023 World Baseball Classic. He was 3 for 5 with a triple off Wilfredo Pereira of Panama, and he went 1-for-4 with a game-tying single against Ryan Castellani of Italy. Cheng went 1-for-3 against the Netherlands, and he was 0-for-3 with a walk against Cuba. He improved to .308/.406/.575 with 9 triples and 13 steals for the Greensboro Grasshoppers in the South Atlantic League in 2023, and he got 13 steals with a .251/.304/.352 batting line for the Altoona Curve in the Eastern League.

Cheng played for Taiwan in the 2022 Asian Games (which were held in 2023 after delays). He was 1-for-4 with a double against Dong-ju Moon of South Korea, and he went 0-for-4 versus Hong Kong. Cheng was 1-for-4 against China. In the Gold Medal Game, Cheng was 3-for-4 with two doubles against Moon of Korea, but Taiwan lost with a 0-2 score. He hit .218/.320/.341 with 11 homers and 16 steals for the Curve in 2024, and he also went 6-for-13 with the AAA Indianapolis Indians.

Tsung-Che started the 2025 season with Indianapolis, going 1 for 14 in his first 5 games. In spite of the slow start, on April 7th, he was called up to Pittsburgh for the first time following a string of injuries to big league infielders, the latest felling Jared Triolo who was placed on the injured list with a back sprain that day. He made his debut on April 9th, starting at shortstop and hitting 9th against the St. Louis Cardinals. He went 0 for 2 before being pinch hit for in the 8th, long before the game was decided in Pittsburgh's favor in the 13th inning.

Further Reading

• Alex Stumpf: "'Oh, it's true': Cheng salvages wife's birthday with MLB callup", mlb.com, April 7, 2025. [1]

Related Sites

• Tsung-Che Cheng on mlb.com
• BR Minors page