Wang Po-Jung officially signs with Nippon Ham Fighters

Chinese Professional Baseball League legend Wang Po-Jung has taken the next step in his career, officially signing with the Nippon Ham Fighters.

Wang Po-Jung has already made his mark on baseball, at least in the Chinese Professional Baseball League. The fearsome power hitter won the Quadruple Crown in 2017, leading the league in hits, homers, RBI, and batting average. He posted a ridiculous .407/.491/.700 batting line, while hitting 31 homers, driving in 101 runs, and recording 171 hits. That was actually a decrease from his hit total in 2016, when finished the year with 200 hits.

Furthering his status as a traiblazer in the CPBL, Wang became the first player to be posted in the history of the league. The Nippon Ham Fighters won his rights, as the posting system there extends to Japan and Korea, but not to the majors.

Now, Wang is set to take the next step in his professional baseball journey. He has signed a three year deal with the Fighters, receiving an stimated ¥400 million, plus incentives. This step in the process will bring Wang ever closer to the majors, should he decide to go that route.

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Nonetheless, this will be a major upgrade in competition for the power hitting outfielder. While the CPBL has seen a few former major leaguers head that way in recent years, the league still ranks behind both Nippon Professional Baseball and the Korean Baseball Organization in overall talent.

That is not a reason to disregard Wang’s incredible performance in the CPBL. He has been a dominant force, even in what could be considered a down year. In 2018, he went through his first prolonged slump, due to an expanded strike zone in the league. Nonetheless, he rebounded to post a stellar .351/.446/.547 batting line, belting 17 homers and 32 doubles.

Wang has already had a bit of experience against NPB pitching. He faced off against Takahiro Norimoto and Tomoyuki Sugano, the latter of which became the first player to throw a no hitter in the Climax Series. If he can handle those two pitchers with success, even in an exhibition, it bodes well for his future in Japan.

Wang Po-Jung is officially set to begin the next chapter of his professional career, as he has signed a three year deal with the Nippon Ham Fighters. If he succeeds in Japan, he may be a step away from heading to the majors.