Wei-Yin Chen

2013

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2012

Chen has been one of Japan's better pitchers since 2008 and an out clause in his NPB contract allowed him to move to MLB and sign three-year deal with the Orioles. Chen moved into Chunichi's rotation full time in 2009, and he had his best season with a 1.54 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 146:40 K:BB ratio. He got it done with electric stuff, working primarily off a fastball with movement that touched 96 mph on his best days, and a mid-80's slider with bite. While Chen has remained highly effective in the two years since, he hasn't repeated his dominant 2009 performance, on either the stats sheet or the radar gun. He's maintained very good, but not quite league leading, ERAs and WHIPs. In 2011 his strikeout rate dropped to 5.15 K/9IP, after hovering around 8.00 K/9IP in previous seasons. Stuff-wise, he's remained a fastball/slider pitcher, but his fastball velocity has cooled off, now sitting at 88-90 mph topping out around 93 mph, and his slider doesn't have quite as much movement. Chen turns 27 in June 2012, so he'll enter MLB with some prime baseball years ahead of him. Even if he can't find a way to stick in the Baltimore rotation, he should have enough stuff to succeed in a bullpen role.

2011

Chen is considered one of Japan's best pitchers and a name to watch in case he decides to come to MLB. Chen regressed a little from his breakout 2009 season, but set a career high with 188 IP, and posted solid rates including a 2.87 ERA and a 1.144 WHIP. But beyond numbers, Chen is a 25-year-old left-hander with an electric arm and is a valuable prospect. Chen is Taiwanese and joined Chunichi after high school, but unlike most foreign players in Japan he doesn't have contractual provisions that allow him to become a free agent if he chooses and is subject to the more restrictive rules governing drafted Japanese players. Chen and his representation are trying to negotiate an opt-out clause into his contract. If they are successful, we'll probably see him in MLB soon. If not, he is still about six years away from free agency.

2010

Chen has emerged as one of the best pitchers in Japan and is a name to watch in case he decides to move to the U.S. The 23-year-old lefty broke out in a big way in 2009, posting a 1.54 ERA in 164 innings. Chen is a rare power lefty, featuring a mid-90s fastball and a hard slider. He is a long way from having the service time he needs for NPB free agency, but his status as a foreign player may allow him to test the MLB market sooner.