CPBL Roundup: Fubon Guardians Bolster Rotation for Playoff Chase, Monkeys Continue to Soar in Second Half

The story of the second half has been the resurgence of both of last year’s finalists, the CTBC Brothers and 2025 champion Rakuten Monkeys.

After both struggled and finished at the bottom of the standings, Rakuten occupies the top spot at 15-12, while the Brothers are third at 16-14. Both teams’ likely paths to the postseason will involve winning the second half. The Brothers entered this week with pivotal games against the Wei Chuan Dragons and Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions.

On Thursday, the Brothers took on the Dragons, who entered the day in first place at 16-12 in the second half. The Brothers could move within one game of the Dragons with a win.

Facing Marcelo Martinez, one of the best starters in the CPBL this season, the Brothers got off to a fast start in the first inning at Taipei Dome. After a sacrifice fly put the Brothers ahead 1-0, an RBI single by Wei-Chen Wang and an RBI double by Kun-Yu Chiang gave them a 3-0 lead.

They extended the lead to 4-0 in the sixth.

On the mound, the Brothers got a dominant performance from Jose De Paula. He pitched seven scoreless innings with four strikeouts and allowed just three hits. He left the game with calf cramps.

With De Paula out of the game, the Dragons scored twice in the eighth and got an RBI double from Shun-Ho Wang to make it a 4-3 game. Brothers closer CC Lee recorded the final out on a groundout to secure the 4-3 victory.

The win lifted the Brothers to within a game of the Dragons for second place in the second-half standings.

Last week, the Fubon Guardians announced the signing of American pitcher AJ Candelario. After missing all of 2025 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, Candelario returned in 2026 and had his most notable performance with the Acereros de Monclova. It was the first time in his career that he became a full-time starter.

Candelario posted a 3.48 ERA in 54 1/3 innings with 45 strikeouts and allowed just two home runs in the hitter-friendly environment of the Liga Mexicana de Béisbol.

He will join a Guardians team searching for its first playoff berth in eight years. Fubon has allowed 4.4 runs per game in the second half, which ranks second-worst in the CPBL. Candelario will look to bolster a struggling pitching staff and help get the Guardians back into the postseason.

The Guardians currently hold the third and final playoff spot with a full-season record of 46-41, three games ahead of the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions.

Fubon Guardians Strengthen Rotation With Former MLB Arm - This week, the Fubon Guardians announced the addition of right-handed pitcher Tyler Ivey. Once a top prospect with the Astros, Ivey made his major league debut with Houston in 2021 before an injury ended his season. He retired in 2022 at 26 years old but returned to baseball in 2025.

Ivey pitched in Triple-A in 2025 with the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, throwing 122 innings with 102 strikeouts and a 5.83 ERA. After becoming a free agent, he signed with the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos of the Liga Mexicana de Béisbol. In 78⅓ innings, he struck out a team-leading 85 batters while posting a 5.74 ERA.

Ivey joins A.J. Candelario as the second pitcher from Dos Laredos to sign with the Fubon Guardians.

The Guardians’ pitching staff has the fewest strikeouts in the CPBL and the league’s second-worst ERA. With a remade rotation featuring pitchers capable of generating more swings and misses, the Guardians will look for their pitching staff to step up during the final month of the season as they fight for a playoff spot.

The Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions currently sit fourth in the second-half standings and fourth in the full-season standings as they look to claim their sixth postseason berth in the last seven years. They trail the Guardians by three games for the final playoff spot and entered the week facing a critical stretch as they chase a postseason berth.

The Lions traveled to play a two-game series against the TSG Hawks this week, with both teams looking to climb the standings.

In Game 1 on Tuesday, the Lions scored eight runs from the sixth inning on for an 8-0 shutout victory. In Game 2, it was a back-and-forth contest, with the Lions taking a 5-3 lead in the eighth.

The Hawks rallied in the bottom of the inning. After a sacrifice fly, Nien-Ting Wu delivered a clutch RBI single to tie the game. That set the stage for catcher Shih-Hao Liu’s heroics.

Liu hit a three-run home run over the right-field fence on a 2-1 pitch to give the Hawks an 8-5 lead, and they held on to win by that same score.

The Hawks entered the game four games behind the Guardians for the third and final playoff spot and had lost three of their previous four games. The clutch win kept them within 3 1/2 games of the Guardians, and they also remain three games behind second-half leader Rakuten.

If the Hawks win the second half, that would provide them another path to the postseason.

Second-half standings
1. Rakuten Monkeys, 15-12
2. Wei Chuan Dragons, 16-13
3. CTBC Brothers, 16-15
4. Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions, 15-16
5. TSG Hawks, 13-16
6. Fubon Guardians, 12-15

Playoff Picture

CPBL Playoff Series - Rakuten Monkeys vs. Fubon Guardians

Rakuten would start the series with a 1-0 lead because it currently leads the second-half standings.

Taiwan Series - Wei Chuan Dragons vs. CPBL Playoff Series winner