157km Taiwan 20-year-old fireballer makes perfect save in just three games after NPB's debut... Will he be a potential threat to the Korean national team in the WBC
157km Taiwan 20-year-old fireballer makes perfect save in just three games after NPB's debut... Will he be a potential threat to the Korean national team in the WBC
Blog Article
Just over a week after he was converted into an official player, he made his first hold and even made a save. Nippon Ham Fighters' Taiwanese fireballer Sun Yirei left a strong impression on Japanese fans with his three consecutive games of good pitching.
Sun Yirei took the mound as the team's third pitcher in an away game against the NPB Softbank Hawks in the 2025 regular season of the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) at the Mizuho Paypay Dome in Fukuoka, Japan, on the 27th, and recorded his first save with a perfect pitch with one strikeout and no run in one inning. Nippon Ham won 5-2 against Softbank with the good pitching of starter Ito Hiromi (two runs in seven innings).
Taking the mound in the bottom of the ninth inning with Nippon Ham leading by three runs, Sooni-rey confidently pitched a 151 km/h fastball from the first pitch against Hotaka Yamakawa, a slugger with a total of 261 home runs in the NPB. He then threw a changeup that dropped to the lowest point in the fifth pitch at the ball count of 2-2, and garnered his first out count by hitting a ground ball to the third baseman.
Softbank pulled out its pinch hitter Akihiro Yuto card at the batter's box of Taisei Makihara. Sooni-rei stole his timing with a change-up at the first pitch, grabbed a strike, and drew a swing and miss with a fastball of 151 km/h. Leading the 0-2 advantageous count, he threw a splitter on the third pitch one-bound and struck out swinging.
He handled the last out even more easily. He garnered a swing and miss with a changeup on the first pitch against Hiroki Minae, who appeared as a pinch hitter at bat by Takashi Umino, and induced a ground ball to the third baseman by hitting a fastball on the second pitch to complete the game with 10 pitches accurately. It was the moment when he achieved his first save since his debut.
Sun Yirei, who was born in 2005 and is 20 years old this year, is a right-handed pitcher who has received attention as an ace pitcher since his days in the under-18 national team in Taiwan. Sun Yirei, a fireballer with a maximum speed of 157 kilometers per hour, moved to Japan after signing a contract with Nippon Ham in November 2023. He quickly adapted to the professional world by recording two wins, two losses and an ERA of 3.86 in 15 games in the Eastern League (second division) in 2024.
Sun Yirei, who had two wins and no losses in seven Eastern League games this season and 21 strikeouts and five walks in 26 ⅔ innings, was promoted to an official player on the 22nd. "I'm really happy. I'm confident in my mentality and fastball," he said, adding, "I want to throw like myself (in the first team). I'll show you better performances, so please look forward to it." 안전놀이터
Sun Yirei's confidence is evidenced by his performance as soon as he made his debut in the first division. After his debut against Softbank on Tuesday, he garnered one hit and no run in two innings. At the game against the Rakuten Golden Eagles on Saturday, he pitched perfect pitching with one strikeout in one inning. He also garnered his first save in the game on Tuesday, living up to expectations that he was dubbed "Taiwan's treasure."
If Sun Yee-rey continues his current performance, he is likely to become the mainstay of the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) Taiwanese national team's mound along with his Nippon Ham teammate, Gurin Ruyi. Lee Mi-ri made a strong impression by pitching one ⅔ scoreless innings, taking the mound as a bullpen in the WBC qualifying match against Spain in February and overcoming the crisis with two consecutive strikeouts with one out and a bases loaded. If he steps down to the NPB stage in earnest and builds experience and achieves growth, he could be a potential threat to the South Korean national team in the upcoming WBC.