Chih-Wei Hu

{{Infobox baseball biography

| name = Chih-Wei Hu

| image = Chih-Wei Hu with Rays in 2018 (1).jpg

| image_size = 230

| caption = Chih-Wei Hu with the Tampa Bay Rays

| team = Uni-President Lions

| number = 58

| position = Pitcher

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1993|11|4}}

| birth_place = Taichung, Taiwan

| bats = Right

| throws = Right

| debutleague = MLB

| debutdate = April 24

| debutyear = 2017

| debutteam = Tampa Bay Rays

| debut2league = CPBL

| debut2date = August 29

| debut2year = 2021

| debut2team = Uni-President Lions

| statyear = 2018 season

| statleague = MLB

| stat1label = Win–loss record

| stat1value = 1–1

| stat2label = Earned run average

| stat2value = 3.52

| stat3label = Strikeouts

| stat3value = 21

| stat2year = April 16, 2025

| stat2league = CPBL

| stat21label = Win–loss record

| stat21value = 19–28

| stat22label = Earned run average

| stat22value = 4.12

| stat23label = Strikeouts

| stat23value = 197

| teams =

Tampa Bay Rays ({{mlby|2017}}–{{mlby|2018}})
Uni-President Lions ({{by|2021}}–present)

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry | {{TPE}} }}

| show-medals =

}}

Chih-Wei Hu ({{zh|t=胡智爲}}; born November 4, 1993) is a Taiwanese professional baseball pitcher for the Uni-President Lions of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Career

=Minnesota Twins=

File:Chih-Wei Hu Minnesota Twins (3).jpg]]

Hu was signed by the Minnesota Twins organization as an international free agent on August 3, 2012. He made his professional debut in 2013 with the Gulf Coast Twins, posting a 2.45 ERA in 12 appearances. In 2014, he pitched with the rookie-level Elizabethton Twins and Single-A Cedar Rapids Kernels, logging a cumulative 8–2 record and 2.15 ERA in 13 games, 12 of them starts.{{cite web |last=Emery |first=Mark |date=July 27, 2014 |title=Minnesota Twins prospect Chih-Wei Hu continues his winning ways with the Class A Cedar Rapids Kernels |url=https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-86474396 |access-date=July 4, 2015 |work=Minor League Baseball}} Hu began the 2015 season with the High-A Fort Myers Miracle, and also pitched in 1 game for the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings.{{cite web|url=http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_27717845/twins-mr-hu-has-created-major-buzz-pitching|title=Tom Powers: Twins' 'Mr. Hu' has created a major buzz|work=TwinCities.com|date=15 March 2015|accessdate=July 4, 2015}}

=Tampa Bay Rays=

File:Chih-Wei Hu in 2017 Durham Bulls.jpg in 2017]]

On July 31, 2015, the Twins traded Hu and Alexis Tapia to the Tampa Bay Rays for pitcher Kevin Jepsen.{{cite web|url=http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/07/31/twins-trade-for-rays-reliever-kevin-jepsen/|title=Twins trade for Rays reliever Kevin Jepsen — HardballTalk|work=nbcsports.com|date=July 31, 2015|accessdate=July 31, 2015}} Hu finished the year with the High-A Charlotte Stone Crabs, struggling with an 0–3 record and 7.36 ERA in 5 games. In 2016, Hu split the season between the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits and the Triple-A Durham Bulls, recording a 7–9 record and 2.75 ERA with 114 strikeouts in {{fraction|147|1|3}} innings of work.{{Cite web |title=Chih-Wei Hu Minor, Winter & Fall Leagues Statistics & History |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=hu----002chi |website=baseball-reference.com}} Hu was named to the roster of the World team for the 2016 All-Star Futures Game.{{cite news|title=2016 Futures Game Rosters|url=http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/futures-game-rosters-2/#YOH1rbOEGJ2838Jo.97|accessdate=28 June 2016|work=Baseball America|date=28 June 2016}} On November 18, 2016, the Rays added Hu to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.{{cite web |title=Rays trade Motter and Shaffer to Mariners, add 8 prospects to roster |url=http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/rays/rays-trade-motter-and-shaffer-to-mariners-for-3-minor-leaguers/2303413 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161119181910/http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/rays/rays-trade-motter-and-shaffer-to-mariners-for-3-minor-leaguers/2303413 |archive-date=2016-11-19 |website=TampaBay.com}}

Hu began the 2017 season with Durham before being promoted to the major leagues for the first time on April 23. He made his MLB debut the following day, pitching a scoreless innings of relief against the Baltimore Orioles. Hu finished his first MLB season with a 1–1 record and 2.70 ERA with 9 strikeouts in 10 innings of work across 6 appearances. In 2018, Hu spent the majority of the year in Durham but recorded a 4.15 ERA in 5 appearances with the Rays.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/player/chih-wei-hu-629496|title=Chih-Wei Hu Stats, Fantasy & News|website=MLB.com}}

=Cleveland Indians=

On November 19, 2018, Hu was traded to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for minor league infielder Gionti Turner.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cleveland.com/tribe/2018/11/cleveland-indians-trade-for-tampa-bay-right-hander-chih-wei-hu.html|title = Cleveland Indians trade for Tampa Bay right-hander Chih-Wei Hu|date = 19 November 2018}} Hu was assigned to the Triple-A Columbus Clippers to begin the 2019 season. On July 3, 2019, he was designated for assignment by the Indians without having appeared in a game for the team.{{cite web|url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/indians-chih-wei-hu-designated-for-assignment/|title=Indians' Chih-Wei Hu: Designated for assignment|author=RotoWire Staff|work=CBS Sports|date=July 3, 2019|accessdate=July 3, 2019}} He was subsequently sent outright to Columbus and later demoted to the Double-A Akron RubberDucks before being released by the Indians on July 30.

=Chicago Cubs=

On August 8, 2019, Hu signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs.{{cite news |last1=Polishuk |first1=Mark |title=Cubs Sign Chih-Wei Hu To Minors Deal |url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2019/08/cubs-sign-chih-wei-hu-to-minors-deal.html |publisher=MLB Trade Rumors |date=August 8, 2019}} He finished the year in Chicago's minor league system, posting a 2–2 record between the Triple–A Iowa Cubs and the Double–A Tennessee Smokies. Hu elected free agency following the season on November 4.{{Cite web|title=Minor League Free Agents 2019|url=https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/minor-league-free-agents-2019/|access-date=August 20, 2024|website=baseballamerica.com|date=November 7, 2019 |language=en}}

=San Diego Padres=

On December 19, 2019, Hu signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres organization.{{Cite web |date=19 December 2019 |title=Padres Sign Chih-Wei Hu |url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2019/12/padres-sign-chih-wei-hu.html |website=MLB Trade Rumors}} Hu did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/06/2020-minor-league-season-will-be-canceled.html|title = 2020 Minor League Season Canceled| date=30 June 2020 }} On November 2, 2020, he elected free agency.{{Cite web|title=Full List of 2020-2021 MiLB Free Agents|url=https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/full-list-of-2020-2021-milb-free-agents/|access-date=September 21, 2024|website=baseballamerica.com|date=November 2, 2020 |language=en}}

In June 2021, an unnamed team in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) made an offer to sign Hu, but the amount was not enough to convince Hu to go overseas and he did not sign with the team.{{cite tweet|number=1412387561562009614|user=GOCPBL|title=According to ETtoday, an unnamed NPB team made an offer to sign 胡智為 (Hu Chih-Wei) back in June. However, the amount… |date=6 July 2021}}

=Uni-President Lions=

On July 1, 2021, Hu announced that he would enter the mid-season draft in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL).{{cite tweet|number=1410512665705730048|user=GOCPBL|title=Former MLB right-hander 胡智為 (Hu Chih-Wei) announced he will enter the 2021 mid-season draft. Hu is very likely to b… |date=1 July 2021}} He was selected fourth overall by the Uni-President Lions.{{cite news |last1=Hsieh |first1=Ching-wen |last2=Yeh |first2=Joseph |title=Ex-minor league fireballer No. 1 pick in Taiwan baseball draft |url=https://focustaiwan.tw/sports/202107120022 |access-date=12 July 2021 |agency=Central News Agency |date=12 July 2021}} He made 12 appearances down the stretch, logging a 4–4 record and 4.74 ERA.

In 2022, Hu made 27 appearances (26 starts) for the Lions, registering a 9–13 record and 3.35 ERA with 84 strikeouts across {{fraction|150|2|3}} innings of work. The following season, he started 15 games (out of 18 appearances) for the club, and posted a 4–8 record and 4.70 ERA with 42 strikeouts across {{fraction|84|1|3}} innings pitched.

On February 14, 2024, it was announced that Hu would miss the first half of the season after undergoing surgery to remove bone spurs from his elbow.{{Cite web |date=2024-02-14 |title=胡智爲要動右肘骨刺手術上半季無法回歸 |trans-title=Hu Zhiwei had surgery on his right elbow bone spur and could not return in the first half of the season |url=https://sports.ettoday.net/news/2682479 |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=ETtoday運動雲 {{!}} ETtoday新聞雲 |language=zh-Hant}} He returned to pitch in 8 games in 2024, with a 2–3 record and 5.00 ERA.{{Cite web |title=HU Chih Wei 58 |url=https://en.cpbl.com.tw/team/person?Acnt=0000001719 |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=Chinese Professional Baseball League}}

International career

He played for Taiwan at the 2014 Asian Games at the 2014 Asian Games. He also played for his national team in the 2009 World Baseball Classic and 2023 World Baseball Classic.{{Cite web |title=Chih-Wei Hu MLB, Minor League Baseball Statistics |url=https://www.thebaseballcube.com/content/player/181625/ |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=The Baseball Cube}}

References

External links

{{Baseballstats|mlb=629496|espn=35294|br=h/huch02|fangraphs=16419|brm=hu----002chi}}
{{2014 Asian Games profile|5123094}}
{{Facebook|chihwei.hu.3|Chih-Wei Hu}}

Category:1993 births

Category:Living people

Category:Akron RubberDucks players

Category:Asian Games medalists in baseball

Category:Asian Games silver medalists for Chinese Taipei

Category:Baseball players at the 2014 Asian Games

Category:Baseball players from Taichung

Category:Cedar Rapids Kernels players

Category:Columbus Clippers players

Category:Durham Bulls players

Category:Elizabethton Twins players

Category:Fort Myers Miracle players