MLB》Zeng Junyue's 1 data is higher than the major league average! US media suggested that the Pirates directly offer multi-year contracts

Zeng Junyue. (File photo)

[Sports Center/Comprehensive Report] The patron saint of Fubon Titans, Zeng Junyue, has officially applied for admission to the major leagues. Noah Wright, a Pirates writer for the US media "Last Word on Sports", wrote an article suggesting that the Pirates should consider evaluating the possibility of recruiting Zeng Junyue.

American media bluntly stated that don’t be fooled by Zeng Junyue’s height of 5 feet 8 inches and weight of 149 pounds. He actually has quite good ball power. The average speed of the four seams is between 95 and 99 miles. When he represented Taiwan in the Classic this year, the average speed of the four seams was about 95 miles. His vertical displacement (IVB) reached 17.4 inches, which is higher than the major league average.

In addition to the four-seam fastball, Tsang also throws a slurve. During this year's classic, he also used a Carter ball with a mileage of nearly 90 miles. US media stated that Zeng Junyue's overall ball play showed good ball control ability. In 2026, he even wrote the lowest walk rate in a single season of his career. His career walk rate in the mid-career career was only 7.9%. His ball power has the potential to be transferred to the major leagues.

The American media used Hiroki Matsui, who plays for the Padres, to compare the contract that Zeng Junyue may sign. Matsui Hiroki signed a five-year, $28 million contract with the Padres after the 2023 season. Of course, there are still differences between the two situations. The left-hander Matsui Hiroki is already 28 years old during his rookie season in the major leagues. Before joining the Padres, he also spent 10 seasons in Japan, the highest level of professional baseball in Asia; the right-hander Zeng Junyue is only 25 years old, but the overall competitive level of the secondary league is lower than that of the Japanese and Korean leagues.

US media analyzed the current situation of the Pirates bullpen. Currently, Mason Montgomery is firmly in the position of terminator, and Luke Weaver and Yohan Ramirez are also important players. However, other than that, most other pitchers lack experience. US media believe that taking into account Zeng Junyue's age, the Pirates have the opportunity to sign a multi-year contract with him, because Weaver's contract will expire after the season next year, and Ramirez will also become a free agent after the 2028 season.

US media stated that Zeng Junyue may not be assigned to pitch in high-tension situations at the beginning of his major league career, but as long as he accumulates some professional experience and gradually adapts to the new environment, he will definitely have the opportunity to compete for a more important backup role; even if he only boards in the middle of the game, Zeng Junyue can bring a lot of help to the Pirates bullpen. The team can also gradually let him take on pitching tasks in higher-tension situations as the season progresses.