Pin-Chieh Chen
| AB | 2166 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .266 |
| OBP | .35 |
| SLG | .357 |
| HR | 12 |
- Full name Pin-Chieh Chen
- Born 07/23/1991 in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
- Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 170 / Bats: L / Throws: R
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
-
Few teams are as active in the Far East as the Cubs, who may produce their first Taiwanese big leaguer in the near future. The top candidates for that distinction are Chen and righthander Yao-Lin Wang, who teamed up at short-season Boise in 2011. Wang led the Northwest League with 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings, while Chen ranked fifth in steals (20) and eighth in batting (.301). Like many Asian players, he uses the slash-and-dash approach that Ichiro has made famous. Chen has some of the best hand-eye coordination in Chicago's system, which bodes well for his ability to hit for average at higher levels. He barrels balls easily but probably won't ever produce more than gap power because he lacks physical projection. He has above-average speed and showed better feel running the bases in 2011 than he had the year before. Though he showed soft hands and made just two errors in 34 games in his 2010 pro debut, Chen moved to center field last summer. While he still needs work on reading balls off the bat and on going back for drives over his head, there's no reason he can't become a solid defender--with arm strength to match--as he gains more experience. He's ready for his full-season debut in 2011.
Minor League Top Prospects
-
A second baseman in his 2010 pro debut, Chen moved to center field this year and put his well above-average speed and solid arm strength to better use. He's still learning how to read balls off the bat and had difficulty going back to make plays early in the season, but made progress as he gained experience. Chen has excellent bat control and uses his hands well in his swing to consistently square balls up. He has almost no power and doesn't project to develop any because he has a thin frame with narrow shoulders. He understands his limitations and uses a slap-and-dash approach to get on base. "Not knowing the numbers, I'd have guessed he hit .340 this year," Johnson said. "He always smokes the ball and has a real knack for squaring it up. He just needs to lift and get stronger. He's like a pitchfork, but he has some unbelievable, God-given hands."
