Taipei: The All-Star Game weekend of Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) is set to take place at Taipei Dome on July 18-19, marking the third consecutive year the event will be hosted at this indoor venue. This year's event will showcase a matchup between a fan-voted "Team Star" and "Team Taiwan," which will consist of players eligible for the 2026 Asian Professional Baseball Championship (APBC), as announced by CPBL Commissioner Tsai Chi-chang at a promotional event in Taipei.

According to Focus Taiwan, the APBC, scheduled for later this year at Tokyo Dome in Japan, serves as an international tournament primarily for players aged 24 or younger, with each team allowed several wildcard selections. Tsai noted that the Team Taiwan roster for the All-Star Game will not be limited to younger players, indicating the inclusion of potential wildcard candidates for the APBC squad.

With the APBC set to commence soon after the conclusion of the CPBL season, Tsai explained that the league aims to utilize the All-Star Game to foster team chemistry ahead of the international tournament. "We hope to establish a basic team framework through the All-Star Game," Tsai stated.

While discussing the manager for Team Taiwan, Tsai refrained from revealing the name, noting that this announcement would occur at a forthcoming press conference. He hinted that the candidate is part of a cohort of coaches developed by the league through international and developmental tournaments like the APBC and the Asia Winter Baseball League.

Tsai also mentioned that the prospective manager belongs to a similar generation as Taiwan's national team manager Tseng Hao-jiu, who led Taiwan to victory at the 2024 WBSC Premier12. Addressing the possibility of the APBC manager assuming the role for Taiwan in the next year's World Baseball Classic, Tsai remarked that it is not a certainty. "The commissioner may change in the future, and the next person who takes over may not continue with the same plans," Tsai added.