Tsung-Che Cheng (Chinese: 鄭宗哲; pinyin: Zhèng Zōngzhé; born July 26, 2001) is a Taiwanese professional baseball infielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). He signed with the Pirates as an international free agent in 2019 and made his MLB debut in 2025.
Cheng was raised in Jiuru, Pingtung County, Taiwan, the younger of two sons born to a truck driver and homemaker.[1] He began playing baseball around the age of five, and, inspired by Chien-Ming Wang, originally intended to become a pitcher.[1] Cheng signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates out of Pu-Men High School as an international free agent on July 2, 2019, for a signing bonus of $380,000.[2][3] He did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[4]
Cheng made his professional debut with the Florida Complex League Pirates in 2021,[5] and played second base, third base, and shortstop throughout the season.[6] After the 2021 minor league season ended, Cheng played winter ball with the Caimanes de Barranquilla, winning the 2022 Caribbean Series.[7]
Cheng spent the 2022 Minor League Baseball season with the Bradenton Marauders, playing shortstop more frequently.[6] He appeared in 104 games, hit for a .270 batting average, .376 on-base percentage, and a .794 on-base plus slugging percentage, while scoring 79 runs. Of his 38 extra-base hits, seven were triples. He led the Florida State League in triples and runs scored, finished second in on-base percentage, fourth in batting average, and fifth in on-base plus slugging percentage. Cheng's 33 stolen bases in 39 attempts led all minor leaguers within the Pirates organization.[6][8] At the end of the 2022 minor league season, Cheng was assigned to the Gigantes de Carolina of the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League.[9]
At the start of the 2023 regular season, Cheng ranked thirtieth on MLB Pipeline's list of top Pirates prospects[10] and was assigned to the Greensboro Grasshoppers.[11][12] On June 23, he played his first game at the Double–A level, with the Altoona Curve.[13] During the season, Cheng set a career high in triples and was ranked by MLB Pipeline as the twenty-second best Pirates prospect.[14]
On November 14, 2023, the Pirates added Cheng to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.[15][16] Prior to the start of the 2024 season, he was ranked the seventeenth-best Pirates prospect by MLB Pipeline.[17] Cheng was optioned to Double–A Altoona to begin the year.[18] In 126 appearances for the Curve, he slashed .218/.320/.341 with 11 home runs, 54 RBI, and 16 stolen bases. On September 17, 2024, the Pirates promoted Cheng to the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians.[19]
Cheng was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis to begin the 2025 season.[20] On April 7, 2025, Cheng was promoted to the major leagues for the first time following an injury to Jared Triolo.[21][22] Two days later, Cheng made his major league debut against the St. Louis Cardinals,[23][24] and became the 18th Taiwanese player in Major League Baseball history.[25]
Shortly after signing with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cheng competed in the 2019 U-18 Baseball World Cup.[26] Cheng was named to the Taiwanese national team roster for the 2023 World Baseball Classic.[27] Over the course of the tournament, he batted for a .333 (5-for-15) batting average as a leadoff hitter[28] and drove in three runs.[29][30][31] Later that year, Cheng appeared in the postponed 2022 Asian Games, competing in five baseball games, batting .318/.455/.348 in 22 at-bats,[32] and winning a silver medal with Taiwan. Cheng was named to Taiwan's preliminary roster for the World Baseball Classic 2025 Qualifiers,[33] but later withdrew.[34]
Cheng is known by the nickname "Z" because the pinyin of the three Chinese characters in his name, Zhèng Zōng Zhé, all start with the letter Z. However, the actual romanization of his name uses the Wade–Giles system.[35][36]
Cheng is married to Irene.[21][37] The couple met in elementary school, and started dating after high school.[1]
High-A Greensboro's roster features a pair of top-10 prospects in right-hander Bubba Chandler and lefty Anthony Solometo, as well as top-30 prospects in infielder Tsung-Che Cheng and outfielder Hudson Head.
2B Tsung-Che Cheng (.000) hit a sacrifice fly in his Double-A debut.
The 22-year-old switch-hitting shortstop from Pingtung County, Taiwan, whom the team signed as an international free agent in 2019, first showcased his sensational speed with the Pirates when he swiped 16 bags in just 38 Florida Complex League games in 2021. But it isn't just the ability to steal bases that's allowed Cheng to rise to No. 22 overall in the Pirates' system, per MLB Pipeline. Facing some of the stiffest competition yet of his career in High-A Greensboro and Double-A Altoona, Cheng has run into some power to complement his usually high batting average, hitting 11 home runs so far in 2023. But even when Cheng isn't depositing balls over the fence, he's driving them and getting off to the races, as evidenced by his career-high 10 triples this season.
If you look at the Pirates' top 30 prospects list, it's littered with recent international additions. Nine of those guys comprise MLB Pipeline's current ranking of Pirates prospects, highlighted by right-hander Jun-Seok Shim at No. 14. Shim, signed a year ago, was the 10th-ranked prospect when he was selected. He's followed by shortstop Yordany De Los Santos, who was 12th in the 2022 class and received a bonus of $1.2 million. After Tsung-Che Cheng (No. 17), who was added to the 40-man roster this offseason, there's outfielder Shalin Polanco at No. 21. The Pirates signed Polanco (no relation to Gregory) for $2.35 million in the 2021-22 period, the second-biggest bonus in franchise history for an international player.
However, Panama surged again with another six runs in the top of the six frame to bring the score to 11-1 before Taiwan secured its second run in the bottom of the sixth inning when second baseman Cheng Tsung-che (鄭宗哲) singled on a sharp line drive for Kungkuan Giljegiljaw to score.
Taiwan tied the game in the bottom of the second inning when second baseman Cheng Tsung-che (鄭宗哲) singled on a ground ball to the right field for teammate Chen Chieh-hsien (陳傑憲) to make it 2-2.
Taiwan responded in the bottom of the inning on a Chiang Kun-yu sacrifice fly that scored catcher Kungkuan Giljegiljaw and a gorgeous drag bunt base hit down the first-base line by Cheng Tsung-che (鄭宗哲) that sent Chen Chieh-hsien (鄭宗哲) home to put Taiwan ahead 7-2.
Of the nine players on the training roster who play overseas, eight are pitchers, including Zhuang Chen Zhong-ao (莊陳仲敖), Sun Yi-lei (孫易磊), Lin Sheng-en (林盛恩) and Sha Tzu-chen (沙子宸), while Cheng Tsung-che (鄭宗哲) is an infielder.
In addition to Lin, infielder Cheng Tsung-che (鄭宗哲) has also withdrawn from the initial 36-player training roster, Tsai said.
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