Optimistic About Lin Yu-min's MLB Promotion, Pitching Director: Athletic Talent is Among the Best
Chris Mears, the pitching director for the Arizona Diamondbacks, highly praises Taiwanese pitcher Lin Yu-min's athletic ability and talent. Mears expects Lin Yu-min not only to be promoted to MLB but also to have a long career, supporting his pitching stability and velocity improvement. Despite a 6.64 ERA in Triple-A last year, Mears believes he will grow with experience.
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- 📰 Published: April 8, 2026 at 08:46
- 🔍 Collected: April 8, 2026 at 09:00 (14 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 15, 2026 at 19:42 (178h 42m after Collected)
Chris Mears, who oversees dozens of pitchers in the minor league system, recently spoke with CNA at the spring training base, commenting on the development progress of Taiwanese pitchers Lin Yu-min and Huang Chung-hsiang under his charge, and highly praised Lin Yu-min's athletic talent.
Mears said that Lin Yu-min is one of the most athletically talented pitchers in the Diamondbacks' minor league system, with fluid movements on the mound and a variety of high-level breaking pitches including curveballs, sweepers, and sliders. The team's goal for him is "not just to get promoted, but to stay there long enough."
Mears joined the Diamondbacks system this year, having previously worked in pitcher development for the Red Sox and Guardians systems. He is responsible for coordinating the development direction of minor league pitchers, including adjusting pitching mechanics, designing pitch types, formulating training plans, and assisting pitchers at all levels to advance.
Mears emphasized that Lin Yu-min's athletic ability and pitching coordination are excellent, and the team has been helping him improve his pitching power and aggressiveness, to consistently throw his best pitches into the strike zone.
Last year, Lin Yu-min pitched a full season in Triple-A, the highest level of the minor leagues, starting 23 games with a relatively high ERA of 6.64. Mears said this is a necessary hurdle for young players, as Triple-A brings together many high-level hitters. Lin Yu-min needs to show more ambition and aggressiveness mentally.
Mears said that Lin Yu-min doesn't need to change anything just because he's been promoted to Triple-A. More importantly, he should leverage his existing strengths, especially "trusting his pitch quality, having a clear intention, aggressively attacking the strike zone, and not worrying about who's standing in the batter's box."
In recent years, Lin Yu-min has represented Taiwan and achieved good results in international competitions. Mears said that the team has been paying attention to Lin Yu-min's performance in the Premier12 and the World Baseball Classic. Lin Yu-min told him that he "felt great pitching in the World Baseball Classic," and hopes to carry that confidence and aggressive attacking attitude into the season.
Regarding his arsenal of pitches, Mears said that Lin Yu-min has a rich repertoire, with different approaches for left-handed and right-handed batters. He can generate high-quality spin on the ball, and his curveball, sweeper, and slider all have excellent movement.
Mears said that during spring training, the team helped Lin Yu-min improve his pitching stability, increase his velocity, and enhance his pitch quality. While promotion to the major leagues this year is indeed a team goal, the greater emphasis is on preparing him thoroughly so that he can stay there for a long time once he gets there. (Edited by Tien Jui-hua) 1150408
Mears said that Lin Yu-min is one of the most athletically talented pitchers in the Diamondbacks' minor league system, with fluid movements on the mound and a variety of high-level breaking pitches including curveballs, sweepers, and sliders. The team's goal for him is "not just to get promoted, but to stay there long enough."
Mears joined the Diamondbacks system this year, having previously worked in pitcher development for the Red Sox and Guardians systems. He is responsible for coordinating the development direction of minor league pitchers, including adjusting pitching mechanics, designing pitch types, formulating training plans, and assisting pitchers at all levels to advance.
Mears emphasized that Lin Yu-min's athletic ability and pitching coordination are excellent, and the team has been helping him improve his pitching power and aggressiveness, to consistently throw his best pitches into the strike zone.
Last year, Lin Yu-min pitched a full season in Triple-A, the highest level of the minor leagues, starting 23 games with a relatively high ERA of 6.64. Mears said this is a necessary hurdle for young players, as Triple-A brings together many high-level hitters. Lin Yu-min needs to show more ambition and aggressiveness mentally.
Mears said that Lin Yu-min doesn't need to change anything just because he's been promoted to Triple-A. More importantly, he should leverage his existing strengths, especially "trusting his pitch quality, having a clear intention, aggressively attacking the strike zone, and not worrying about who's standing in the batter's box."
In recent years, Lin Yu-min has represented Taiwan and achieved good results in international competitions. Mears said that the team has been paying attention to Lin Yu-min's performance in the Premier12 and the World Baseball Classic. Lin Yu-min told him that he "felt great pitching in the World Baseball Classic," and hopes to carry that confidence and aggressive attacking attitude into the season.
Regarding his arsenal of pitches, Mears said that Lin Yu-min has a rich repertoire, with different approaches for left-handed and right-handed batters. He can generate high-quality spin on the ball, and his curveball, sweeper, and slider all have excellent movement.
Mears said that during spring training, the team helped Lin Yu-min improve his pitching stability, increase his velocity, and enhance his pitch quality. While promotion to the major leagues this year is indeed a team goal, the greater emphasis is on preparing him thoroughly so that he can stay there for a long time once he gets there. (Edited by Tien Jui-hua) 1150408