Brothers' rookie catcher Chen Jiu-deng fearless in pitch calling: 'We are one on the field'
Chen Jiu-deng, the 21-year-old catcher for CTBC Brothers, joined the team in the 2024 mid-season draft and was promoted to the first team in early May this year. In 5 games so far, he has started 3, showing composure beyond his years. He emphasizes 'we are one on the field' when communicating with pitchers and has the courage to ask veteran foreign pitchers to trust his pitch calling. Despite extreme nervousness in his first start, with help from starting catcher Kao Yu-chieh, his tension level has dropped from 10 to 6 out of 10.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: June 4, 2026 at 16:55
- 🔍 Collected: June 4, 2026 at 17:15 (20 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: June 6, 2026 at 16:08 (46h 52m after Collected)
(Central News Agency reporter Su Chih-yu, Taipei, 4th) CTBC Brothers' 21-year-old catcher Chen Jiu-deng has earned a starting spot in the first team in his second year in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). Although he still struggles to hide his nervousness in high-intensity games, he shows remarkable composure beyond his years when communicating with pitchers and directing the defense. Chen said, 'We are one on the field.'
After joining the Brothers in the 2024 mid-season draft, Chen was promoted to the first team last year but had only 2 at-bats. He was called up again in early May this year and has appeared in 5 games, starting 3 of them. In two of those starts, he caught for Felix Pena, a pitcher he was familiar with from the minor league, and in another game, he demonstrated his courage as a catcher by telling pitcher Cheng Hao-chun, 'Trust my pitch calling.'
Reflecting on his mindset at the time, Chen said, 'As a catcher, you have to control the game. Although the ball is in the pitcher's hand, it's the catcher who gives the signs and commands the defense.' The philosophy he has always been taught is that there are no seniors or juniors on the field, even when dealing with veteran foreign pitchers. 'There's no need to be afraid of what he might think about my pitch calling. We are mutual; we share both the good and the bad together,' he added.
Regarding his first start on May 27, Chen admitted he was extremely nervous. Even when catching coach Wang Chun-chieh tried to chat with him to help him relax, he couldn't focus. Starting catcher Kao Yu-chieh stepped in, telling the coach, 'He's already very nervous, stop talking to him.' It wasn't until the game against the Fubon Guardians on May 30, after experiencing a low-scoring battle in the early innings, that he gradually got used to the high-intensity game. 'As long as I stay focused, I don't overthink things,' he said.
With more starting opportunities and the addition of former minor league teammates like Chang Shih-lun and Lin Jui-chun to the first-team roster, Chen has adapted more quickly. He tells himself, 'The only difference between the first team and the minor league is the intensity; the things I need to do are the same. If my nervousness was a 10 out of 10 in the first game, it's now about a 6.'
Facing an unexpectedly fast growth trajectory, Chen has a mature mindset, turning trust into motivation. 'If the coach puts me in the starting lineup, it means he trusts me,' he said. 'All I can do is take the homework I've done by observing first-team games while in the minor league and execute it to the best of my ability on the field.' (Editor: Chang Ya-ching) 1150604
After joining the Brothers in the 2024 mid-season draft, Chen was promoted to the first team last year but had only 2 at-bats. He was called up again in early May this year and has appeared in 5 games, starting 3 of them. In two of those starts, he caught for Felix Pena, a pitcher he was familiar with from the minor league, and in another game, he demonstrated his courage as a catcher by telling pitcher Cheng Hao-chun, 'Trust my pitch calling.'
Reflecting on his mindset at the time, Chen said, 'As a catcher, you have to control the game. Although the ball is in the pitcher's hand, it's the catcher who gives the signs and commands the defense.' The philosophy he has always been taught is that there are no seniors or juniors on the field, even when dealing with veteran foreign pitchers. 'There's no need to be afraid of what he might think about my pitch calling. We are mutual; we share both the good and the bad together,' he added.
Regarding his first start on May 27, Chen admitted he was extremely nervous. Even when catching coach Wang Chun-chieh tried to chat with him to help him relax, he couldn't focus. Starting catcher Kao Yu-chieh stepped in, telling the coach, 'He's already very nervous, stop talking to him.' It wasn't until the game against the Fubon Guardians on May 30, after experiencing a low-scoring battle in the early innings, that he gradually got used to the high-intensity game. 'As long as I stay focused, I don't overthink things,' he said.
With more starting opportunities and the addition of former minor league teammates like Chang Shih-lun and Lin Jui-chun to the first-team roster, Chen has adapted more quickly. He tells himself, 'The only difference between the first team and the minor league is the intensity; the things I need to do are the same. If my nervousness was a 10 out of 10 in the first game, it's now about a 6.'
Facing an unexpectedly fast growth trajectory, Chen has a mature mindset, turning trust into motivation. 'If the coach puts me in the starting lineup, it means he trusts me,' he said. 'All I can do is take the homework I've done by observing first-team games while in the minor league and execute it to the best of my ability on the field.' (Editor: Chang Ya-ching) 1150604