Taiwan

Taiwan, competing internationally as Chinese Taipei, brings one of Asia's most fervent baseball cultures to the World Baseball Classic, where the sport rivals basketball as the island's most beloved game. The national team plays in front of electric home crowds when hosting tournament games, with fans known for their passionate, all-day support. Taiwan's rosters mix domestic Chinese Professional Baseball League stars with players who have spent time in the MLB and NPB systems. The program's identity is one of intense national pride wrapped around a sport deeply embedded in Taiwanese culture.

The Chinese Taipei Baseball Association was established on February 28, 1973, and the island has a long amateur baseball tradition dating back further, including a celebrated history of Little League World Series success. Taiwan has never won a World Baseball Classic title, with its best finish coming in the second round in multiple editions. The team's most memorable tournament moments have often come at home, where roaring capacity crowds in Taichung have made hosting duties a signature part of the national program's identity. Baseball's status as Taiwan's most-followed sport gives the national team outsized cultural importance relative to its international results.