| Kai-Wei Teng | |
| Team: | San Francisco Giants |
| Number: | 70(MLB); 53(MiLB) |
| Position: | Pitcher |
| Birth Date: | 1 December 1998 |
| Birth Place: | Taichung, Taiwan |
| Bats: | Right |
| Throws: | Right |
| Debutleague: | MLB |
| Debutdate: | March 31 |
| Debutyear: | 2024 |
| Debutteam: | San Francisco Giants |
| Statyear: | July 22, 2024 |
| Statleague: | MLB |
| Stat1label: | Win–loss record |
| Stat1value: | 0–0 |
| Stat2label: | Earned run average |
| Stat2value: | 9.82 |
| Stat3label: | Strikeouts |
| Stat3value: | 7 |
| Teams: |
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Kai-Wei Teng (; born December 1, 1998) is a Taiwanese professional baseball pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2024. Teng stands at 188 cm (6 feet 2 inches) and weighs 113 kg (250 pounds). He currently plays for the Sacramento River Cats, the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants.
Teng attended Shi Yuan Senior High School in Taichung before transferring to Kao-Yuan Vocational High School of Technology & Commerce in Kaohsiung. He enrolled at the National Taiwan Sport University.[1]
On October 20, 2017, the Minnesota Twins signed Teng for a $500,000 signing bonus.[2] He made his professional debut with the rookie–level Gulf Coast League Twins in 2018, making 10 appearances (9 starts) and posting a 3.59 ERA with 47 strikeouts in innings pitched.[3]
He began the 2019 season with the Cedar Rapids Kernels of the Single–A Midwest League, and was named the league's pitcher of the week for the week ending July 14.[4] In 9 games for Cedar Rapids, Teng logged a 4–0 record and 1.60 ERA.
On July 31, 2019, the Twins traded Teng, Jaylin Davis, and Prelander Berroa to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for Sam Dyson.[5] He made five starts for the Single–A Augusta GreenJackets, recording a 1.55 ERA with 39 strikeouts across innings of work. Teng did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[6]
On June 2, 2021, while pitching for the High–A Eugene Emeralds, he was suspended for 10 games after umpires found a foreign substance in his glove.[7] In 21 starts for Eugene, Teng recorded a 4.33 ERA with 142 strikeouts in innings of work.[8] Teng spent the 2022 season with the Double–A Richmond Flying Squirrels, making 28 starts and registering a 6–12 record and 5.22 ERA with a career–high 169 strikeouts in innings pitched.[9]
Teng began the 2023 season back with Double–A Richmond, starting 12 games and posting a 4.75 ERA with 68 strikeouts in innings of work.[10] On June 18, 2023, he was promoted to the Triple–A Sacramento River Cats.[11] In 17 games (16 starts) for Sacramento, Teng logged a 6–5 record and 4.22 ERA with 96 strikeouts across 76 innings pitched.
On November 14, 2023, the Giants added Teng to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.[12] [13] He spent some time in major league spring training,[14] and was optioned to Triple–A Sacramento to begin the 2024 season.[15] On March 29, 2024, Teng was promoted to the major leagues for the first time.[16] [17] Teng made his major league debut in relief of Daulton Jefferies, pitching three innings while yielding four hits and three runs.[18] [19]
Teng played for the Taiwanese national team (Chinese Taipei) in the 2019 Asian Baseball Championship, pitching in the gold medal game against Japan, which Taiwan won.[20] He is included on their roster for the 2023 World Baseball Classic.[21]