Yi-Hao Lin

Yi-Hao Lin (林羿豪)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 187 lb.

• Born January 2, 1991 in Hsinchu City Taiwan

BR register page

Biographical Information

Yi-Hao Lin has pitched in Nippon Pro Baseball and CPBL for 15 years.

Lin was timed at 93 mph when only 15 years old. That drew the interest of the Yomiuri Giants, who signed him for an undisclosed amount. He spent several years in the minors. Called up in late 2010, he debuted on August 7 with two hitless innings, but walked two, threw two wild pitches and allowed a run with control issues. His fastball was timed at 96 mph with a low three-quarter delivery during the 2010 season. Lin made Taiwan's roster for the 2010 Asian Games. He also pitched for Taiwan in the 2010 Intercontinental Cup. He worked six shutout innings, striking out seven and allowing only two hits though he walked four.

The Hsinchu native had a 3.00 ERA in 52 appearances and a 3.26 ERA in 30 games in the ni-gun in the next two seasons respectively, but he didn't pitch any games with the big club. He then represented Taiwan in the 2012 Asian Championship and the 2013 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers. In the latter event, Lin pitched a shutout inning against the Philippines and Taiwan advanced. He also played for Taiwan in the 2013 World Baseball Classic, and he pitched 2/3 of a shutout inning. His ERA rose to 5.91 in the NPB Farm Leagues in 2013, and the Giants released him. Lin then went back to Taiwan and joined the CPBL.

The EDA Rhinos selected Lin in the second round of the 2013 CPBL Draft, and he soon became an important part of their bullpen. He recorded a 3.05 ERA in 59 appearances, and he notched 16 holds. Lin was 2nd in games (6 behind Yu-Hsun Chen) and 4th in holds (14 behind Chen). He played a league-leading 60 games in 2015 with a 4.50 ERA and 18 holds, and he was 2nd in holds (1 behind Ta-Yuan Kuan). He slumped to a 5.46 ERA in 35 games in 2016, and he soon bounced back and collected 5 holds with a 3.94 ERA in 33 games in 2017. His ERA was 4.05 in 22 appearances in 2018.

Lin had his career year in 2019. He was selected into the 2019 CPBL All-Star Games, but he surrendered 3 runs in 2/3 of a inning and got a blown save. He notched a career-high 19 holds with a 2.54 ERA in 52 games, ranking 2nd in holds (3 behind Tzu-Peng Huang) and 4th in appearances (13 behind Kai-Wen Cheng). However, the 2019 season was his last productive season, as his ERA rose to 6.29 in 46 games in 2020. He only played 3 games with the big club in 2021, then the Guardians released him. The Wei-Chuan Dragons signed him, and he had a 3.72 ERA in 10 games in 2022. He announced his retirement after the 2022 season, and became the coach of Cheng-De High School in 2023.

Lin's repertoire included a fastball (peak 95.6 mph), shuuto and forkball.

Overall, Lin was 12-20 with a 4.14 ERA, collected 79 holds and 13 saves, pitched 304 2/3 innings and struck out 284 in 9 seasons in the CPBL. As of 2023, he was 7th in holds (46 behind Yu-Hsun Chen) and 27th in appearances (316 behind Chien-San Kao).

Sources

• Taiwan Baseball Wiki
• CPBL.com Bio
• Japanbaseballdaily.com
• 2010 Intercontinental Cup Final Report