Professionals from some of the biggest professional baseball leagues in the world will feature in the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games baseball competition, which is set to open on Tuesday at the Shaoxing Baseball & Softball Sports Centre in Shaoxing, just 40 kilometres away from Hangzhou.
Players from the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL), Korean Baseball Organisation (KBO), Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and Major League Baseball (MLB) organisations will feature in the event, as well as some former MLB stars.
A total of nine teams are participating. World No. 70 Thailand, No. 74 Singapore and No. 75 Laos will compete in the first stage (a single round robin) with two spots in the Group Stage at stake. While No. 1 Japan; No. 4 Korea; No. 5 Chinese Taipei; No. 24 China; No. 36 Philippines; and No. 45 Hong Kong, China will open the event in the Group Stage.
Laos, Singapore and Thailand will open the event with a three-team round robin. The top two teams in the first stage will be granted a spot in the Second Stage - Group, where the top-six ranked teams are waiting. Laos and Thailand will open the tournament on Tuesday.
You can see the full schedule here.
Group A
In Group A, No. 1 Japan appear as the favourites to claim the first place against host and No. 23 China, No. 36 Philippines and the second team qualified from the First Stage. The game between China and the Philippines could be a decisive one to see which team advances to the Super Round.
The Japanese team will be led by veteran star Junichi Tazawa, who spent nine years in the Major League Baseball (MLB) playing for the Red Sox, Marlins and Angels. The right handed pitcher will try to lead a Japanese squad full of amateur players, seeking their second gold medal at the continental event. They are the favourites to take Group A.
Hosts China have participated in every baseball competition of the Asian Games, finishing fourth in all of them. Their first goal will be to beat the Philippines (at least) in the group stage to aspire to a Super Round spot. A spot in the Super Round will enable them to at least equal their best position ever, and will open an opportunity to battle for their first ever medal.
After being absent the last three editions of the Asian Games, the Philippines return to the biggest continental multi-sports event hoping to advance to the Super Round. "I believe we're at the same level with China," said Philippine Amateur Baseball Association (PABA) secretary-general Pepe Munoz. "We will do our best. We will be there to win. It’s hard to beat Japan. But maybe we can find a way. Only the top two teams from each group will advance to the super round. That’s why it’s very important to beat China." Earlier this year, the Philippines won the East Asian Cup.
Group B
Two of the Asian giants will collide in Group B. No. 4 Korea and No. 5 Chinese Taipei, two teams filled with star players from the biggest Asian professional leagues, are the strong candidates to advance to the Super Round over the No. 45 Hong Kong, China and a team coming from the first round.
Korea will try to win its fourth consecutive gold medal. The defending gold-medal winners have put together a young team for this Asiad, with most of the players competing in the professional Korean Baseball Organisation (KBO) league. The only amateur in Korea’s roster is 19-year old pitcher Jang Hyun-seok, who recently signed a contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers organisation. Korea is the biggest winner of this competition with five golds.
Chinese Taipei has filled their roster with proven and established professional players, competing at the highest level in the professional Asian leagues, including the Nippon Pro Baseball and the Chinese Professional Baseball League. The squad includes 17 pro players, including Tsung-Cheh Cheng from the MLB Pirates organization, who played very well during this year’s World Baseball Classic. Other big names include former Major Leaguer Tzu-Wei Lin (a 29-year old infielder with five years of experience in MLB, the latest in 2021) and CPBL Lions star An-Ke Lin, who was CPBL home run leader in 2020 and winner of the All-Star HR Derby in 2023.
Hong Kong, China will play their fourth consecutive Asian Games baseball competition. They finished seventh (2010 and 2014) and sixth in the last edition in Jakarta 2018. Hong Kong, China will try to stun one of the two super-powers in the group and advance to the Super Round. Back in May, they finished runner-up at the East Asian Cup, losing to the Philippines in the final, 10-2.
