Yu-Cheng Chang (; born August 18, 1995) is a Taiwanese professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field, between first base and third base. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns pla ...

for the

Fubon Guardians The Fubon Guardians () are a professional baseball team in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) in Taiwan. The team is owned by Fubon Financial Holding Co. and play their home games at Xinzhuang Baseball Stadium in New Taipei City. ...

of the

Chinese Professional Baseball League The Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL; ) is the top-tier professional baseball league in Taiwan. The league was established in 1989 and played the first season in 1990. CPBL eventually absorbed the competing Taiwan Major League in 20 ...

(CPBL). He has previously played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) for the Cleveland Indians / Guardians,

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...

, and

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

. Chang made his MLB debut in 2019. He represented the

Chinese Taipei national baseball team The Chinese Taipei national baseball team ( zh, t=中華臺北棒球代表隊, p=Zhōnghuá Táiběi Bàngqiú Dàibiǎoduì) is the national men's baseball team of Taiwan. It is governed by the Chinese Taipei Baseball Association. The team is r ...

(Taiwan) in the

2023 World Baseball Classic The 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international professional baseball tournament and the fifth iteration of the World Baseball Classic. It began on March 8, 2023, and ran until March 21. It was originally scheduled to take place in ...

Early life and education

Chang was born in Donghe,

Taitung County Taitung () is the third largest county in Taiwan, located primarily on the island's southeastern coast and also including Green Island, Orchid Island and Lesser Orchid Island. The seat is located in Taitung City. Name While its name means "East ...

, and attended Taiyuan Elementary School and Taiyuan Junior High School. He played baseball at the Taichung Senior Agricultural and Vocational High School and was a senior student when he signed with the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...

Professional career

Cleveland Indians / Guardians (2013–2022)

Minor leagues (2013–2019)

Chang signed with the

in 2013 as an international

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

for a $500,000

signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...

. He made his professional debut in 2014 with the

Arizona League Indians The Arizona Complex League Guardians are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians, competing in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays its home games at Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Arizona. The team is ...

of the

Rookie-level Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National L ...

Arizona League The Arizona Complex League (ACL) is a rookie-level Minor League Baseball league that operates in and around Phoenix, Arizona, since 1988. Prior to 2021, it was known as the Arizona League (AZL). Along with the Florida Complex League (FCL), it fo ...

, where he batted .346 with six

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...

s, 25

runs batted in A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...

(RBIs), and a .986

on-base plus slugging On-base plus slugging (OPS) is a sabermetric baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player both to get on base and to hit for power, two important offensive skills, are ...

(OPS) in 42

games played Games played (GP) is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated (in any capacity); the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested. Associat ...

. He spent the 2015 season with the

Lake County Captains The Lake County Captains are a Minor League Baseball team in Eastlake, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, that plays in the Midwest League as the High-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. The Captains joined the Class A Midwest League following ...

of the Single–A

Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...

, where he posted a .232 average with nine home runs and 52 RBIs in 105 games. In 2016, while playing for the

Lynchburg Hillcats The Lynchburg Hillcats are a Minor League Baseball team in Lynchburg, Virginia that plays in the Carolina League and is the Single-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They were a farm team of the Atlanta Braves from 2011 to 2014, the Cincinn ...

of the High–A

Carolina League The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...

, Chang was named an

all-star An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry. Sports "All-star" as a sport ...

. He was reported to be involved in a trade to the

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...

for

Jonathan Lucroy Jonathan Charles Lucroy (born June 13, 1986) is an American former professional baseball catcher. Between 2010 and 2021, he spent 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) playing for the Milwaukee Brewers, Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Range ...

during the 2016 season; however, the trade fell apart after Lucroy would not waive his no-trade clause. Chang finished the 2016 season with a .259

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

with 13 home runs and 70 RBIs in 109 games. In 2017, Chang played for the

Akron RubberDucks The Akron RubberDucks are a Minor League Baseball team based in Akron, Ohio. The team, which plays in the Eastern League (1938–present), Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They play in Canal Park (Akron, Ohio) ...

of the Double–A Eastern League, where he hit .220, along with a .461

slugging percentage In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at-bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at-bats for a given player, an ...

, with a career-high 24 home runs and 66 RBIs in 126 games. On November 20, 2017, the Indians added Chang to their

40-man roster A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, an ...

to protect him from the

Rule 5 draft The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball (MLB) player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor lea ...

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ranked Chang as Cleveland's sixth-best

prospect Prospect may refer to: General * Prospect (marketing), a marketing term describing a potential customer * Prospect (sports), any player whose rights are owned by a professional team, but who has yet to play a game for the team * Prospect (minin ...

going into the 2018 season. He spent the 2018 season with the

Columbus Clippers The Columbus Clippers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They are located in Columbus, Ohio, and are named for speedy Merchant ship, merch ...

of the Triple–A

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major ...

, batting .256 with 13 home runs and 62 RBIs in 127 games. He returned to Columbus to begin the 2019 season.

Major leagues (2019–2022)

On 28 June 2019, the Indians promoted Chang to the major leagues. He debuted that night against the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...

, starting at third base. On 25 August, Chang hit his first career hit and triple against the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...

, against starter

Eric Skoglund Eric Lawrence Skoglund (born October 26, 1992) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals from 2017 to 2019. Playing career Amateur Skoglund attended Sarasota High Sch ...

in the third inning and reliever Scott Barlow in the seventh inning. On 9 September, he hit his first major league home run, a three-run homer, against

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...

reliever Justin Anderson. Overall with the 2019 Cleveland Indians, Chang batted .178 with one home run and six RBIs in 28 games. Chang played in 10 games during the shortened 2020 season, batting .182 with no home runs and one RBI. Chang started at first base for Cleveland on

Opening Day Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent year ...

in 2021. He hit his first home run of the season on 5 June, a three-run shot off

reliever Adam Plutko. Chang finished the

2021 season 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...

with nine home runs and 39 RBIs while batting .228 over 89 games. Chang appeared in four games for Cleveland during the 2022 season; he was 0-for-10 at the plate while

striking out ''Striking Out'' is an Television in the Republic of Ireland, Irish television legal drama television series, broadcast on RTÉ, that first aired on 1 January 2017, based on ''The Good Wife'' by Robert King (writer), Robert and Michelle King. Prod ...

seven times. He was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must, within seven days, return the pla ...

on 26 May 2022.

Pittsburgh Pirates (2022)

On 30 May 2022, the Guardians traded Chang to the

for cash considerations. In 18 games with the Pirates, he batted .167 with one home run and two RBIs while appearing defensively at first base and second base. He was designated for assignment on 30 June.

Tampa Bay Rays (2022)

On 5 July 2022, the

claimed Chang off waivers from the Pirates. He was promoted to the Rays' major-league roster on 8 July. In 36 games with the Rays, he batted .260 with three home runs and 12 RBIs, while appearing at every infield position and also pitching two innings. On 9 September, Chang was designated for assignment.

Boston Red Sox (2022–2023)

On 12 September 2022, the

claimed Chang off waivers from the Rays. He was added to Boston's major-league roster two days later. In 11 games with the Red Sox, he batted .150 (3-for-20) with one RBI, and made defensive appearances at first base, second base, and shortstop. Overall during the 2022 season, Chang appeared in 51 MLB games for four different teams, batting .222 with three home runs and 13 RBIs. On 18 November, Chang was non-tendered by the Red Sox and became a free agent. On October 13, Chang elected free agency. The Red Sox re-signed Chang to a one-year, major league contract on 16 February 2023. He made the Red Sox Opening Day roster. In April, he was briefly on paternity leave and missed one game for the birth of a daughter. On 25 April, he was placed on the injured list due to a

hamate bone The hamate bone (from Latin hamatus, "hooked"), or unciform bone (from Latin '' uncus'', "hook"), Latin os hamatum and occasionally abbreviated as just hamatum, is a bone in the human wrist readily distinguishable by its wedge shape and a hook- ...

fracture in his left hand. After suffering a setback in his rehab, Chang was transferred to the 60-day injured list on 22 June. He was activated from the injured list on 7 July. In 39 games, he hit .162/.200/.352 with 6 home runs and 18 RBI. On 8 August, Chang was

by Boston after

Trevor Story Trevor John Story (born November 15, 1992) is an American professional baseball shortstop and second baseman for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Colorado Rockies. Story made his MLB de ...

was activated from the injured list. On 11 August, it was announced that Chang accepted an outright assignment to Boston's Triple-A affiliate, the

Worcester Red Sox The Worcester Red Sox (nicknamed the WooSox) are a professional minor league baseball team based in Worcester, Massachusetts. Beginning play in 2021, the team is the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, succeeding the Pawtucket Red Sox. Th ...

. He elected free agency following the season on 13 October.

Tampa Bay Rays (second stint) (2024)

On 20 February 2024, Chang signed a minor league contract with the Rays. On 1 March, it was announced that Chang would miss six–to–eight weeks with an oblique strain, ending his chances of making the Opening Day roster. In 14 games for the Triple–A

Durham Bulls The Durham Bulls are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. They are located in Durham, North Carolina, and play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, which opened ...

, he batted .293/.431/.512 with two home runs, seven RBI, and two stolen bases. On 18 June, Chang announced that he would be leaving the Rays organization and returning to Taiwan to enter the 2024

CPBL The Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL; ) is the top-tier professional baseball league in Taiwan. The league was established in 1989 and played the first season in 1990. CPBL eventually absorbed the competing Taiwan Major League in 20 ...

draft.

Fubon Guardians (2024–present)

On June 28, 2024, Chang was selected by the

with the first overall pick of the 2024

mid–season draft. Chang and the Guardians agreed to the largest contract in league history on July 11, 2024, worth NT$92.5 million over three and a half years. In the 2024 season, Chang appeared in 47 games, recording 37 hits, including 5 doubles, 1 triple, and 10 home runs, along with 30 RBIs and 29 runs scored. He posted a .270 batting average, a .445 on-base percentage, and a .540 slugging percentage, while striking out 40 times and stealing 4 bases.

International career

Chang was selected to the

(Taiwan) roster for the

. He initially declined to play for the national team, preferring to prepare for the upcoming MLB season. The decision garnered widespread backlash from Taiwanese fans, who labelled Chang a "military deserter"; he previously had been exempted from compulsory military service in exchange for representing Taiwan in the

2019 Asian Baseball Championship The 29th Asian Baseball Championship was the international baseball competition for Asian men's national teams. It was held in Taichung and Yunlin County, Yunlin, Taiwan, on October 14 to 20, 2019. Chinese Taipei and China, the top two finishers, ...

and other international competitions. Chang reversed his decision, pledging to play for Taiwan "if selected." At the 2023 tournament, Chang emerged as the breakout player on the Chinese Taipei roster. In a nod to the controversy surrounding his military exemption, he became known for saluting after reaching base; fans nicknamed him "the Minister of Defense." Despite his team failing to reach the quarterfinals, Chang was named the

most valuable player In team sports, a most valuable player (MVP) award is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particular competition, or ...

Pool A Pool may refer to: Bodies of water * Swimming pool, usually an artificial structure containing a large body of water intended for swimming * Reflecting pool, a shallow pool designed to reflect a structure and its surroundings * Tide pool, a roc ...

after batting .438 (7-for-16) with two home runs and eight RBIs in four games. Chang was ultimately selected for the 2023 All-World Baseball Classic Team as first baseman, making him the first Taiwanese (Chinese Taipei) player to be on the All-World Baseball Classic Team. Chang was selected to represent the Chinese Taipei national baseball team in the 2025 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers (WBCQ). He delivered a strong performance throughout the tournament, hitting a home run in the opening game and maintaining a consistent batting average of .389.

Personal life

Chang is from the

Amis people The Amis (; ), also known as the Pangcah (which means 'people' and 'kinsmen'), are an indigenous Austronesian ethnic group native to Taiwan. They speak the Amis language (; ), an Austronesian language, and are one of the sixteen officially ...

, an Indigenous

Austronesian Austronesian may refer to: *The Austronesian languages *The historical Austronesian peoples The Austronesian people, sometimes referred to as Austronesian-speaking peoples, are a large group of peoples who have settled in Taiwan, maritime Sout ...

ethnic group in

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

. He and his wife, Ling, have a son and a daughter. Chang's brother is also a professional baseball player.

Notes

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chang, Yu 1995 births Living people Akron RubberDucks players Arizona League Indians players Boston Red Sox players Cleveland Guardians players Cleveland Indians players Columbus Clippers players Durham Bulls players Fubon Guardians players Glendale Desert Dogs players Lake County Captains players Lynchburg Hillcats players Major League Baseball infielders Major League Baseball players from Taiwan Mesa Solar Sox players Pittsburgh Pirates players Portland Sea Dogs players Sportspeople from Taitung County Taiwanese expatriate baseball players in the United States Tampa Bay Rays players Worcester Red Sox players Amis people 2023 World Baseball Classic players Taiwanese indigenous sportspeople