Scouting Report

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 55 | Splitter: 50 | Control: 40 | Overall: 40

Lin moved to the U.S. to play in the 2022 Northwoods League and 2023 MLB Draft League. Despite rough control, he flashed premium velocity and signed with the Cardinals for $500,000 in July 2023, becoming the first player out of Taiwan to sign with St. Louis. The righty stormed out of the gate in his first full season with Single-A Palm Beach in 2024 but was limited to only 50 1/3 innings across three levels in ’25 by forearm issues and a midseason left oblique injury. Lin made five starts in the Arizona Fall League to make up for the lost time and posted a 19/8 K/BB ratio in 12 1/3 frames.

Standing 6-foot-7, Lin flashed premium velocity less frequently, sitting more in the mid 90s during his time in Arizona. He still touched 100 mph during the regular season, and with 7 feet of extension, he doesn’t always need to live above that threshold to get his fastball on batters quickly. There’s also plenty of ride and run on the pitch to make it a moving target. Lin works with both a changeup and a splitter. The former moves a ton to his arm side to generate whiffs, while the latter really kills spin but can be more unpredictable. He focused on throwing a low-80s slider harder in the AFL, but it’s still a low-spin backside pitch with armside run rather than gloveside break.

After making huge progress with his control in ’24, Lin struggled to find the strike zone consistently in his second full season, a trend that carried into the desert. His long limbs give him a lot that needs to be in sync. With Rule 5 eligibility looming, he is likely best served with a move to the bullpen in the upper Minors, where he can let his stuff truly fly. 

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

A native of Taiwan, Lin pitched stateside in the 2022 Northwoods League and 2023 MLB Draft League, where he showed flashes of brilliant stuff with really rough control. But after posting the Draft League’s best fastball velocity, the right-hander signed with the Cardinals for $500,000 in July 2023, thus becoming St. Louis’ first player signed out of Taiwan. He opened his first full season at Single-A Palm Beach and dominated the Florida State League with a 2.79 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 116 innings.

Lin was the only Palm Beach pitcher to exceed 100 mph in 2024, and he did it 12 times and touched 101 on May 25. He typically stayed more in the 95-98 mph range with his four-seamer, and while the heater had ample armside run, it didn’t come with great ride, causing it to play below the velo. His 86-89 mph changeup was a much better whiff-heavy pitch with 50.8 percent of swings coming up empty against it. The separation off the fastball and similar horizontal movement befuddled many hitters. Lin could also work in a mid-80s slider, but without high spin rates, it will likely be less effective higher up the chain. None of Lin’s pitches averaged gloveside break in the FSL, and that will be a focus entering year two.

For a pitcher who once walked 24 batters in 15 2/3 innings in the Northwoods League, Lin showed a spectacular turnaround when it came to control in the FSL with just a 7.8 percent BB rate. That will be challenged against more patient hitters at High-A and above, but entering his age-23 season, Lin is more raw than many arms his age and could continue to hone his sharpness on the mound.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 45 | Overall: 40

Lin pitched for Chinese Culture University in Taipei before heading to the Northwoods League in 2022. He walked 24 batters in 15 2/3 innings there but still earned an opportunity in the MLB Draft League the following summer, where he posted more promising numbers (3.24 ERA, 15 K, 10 BB in 16 2/3 IP) and had the showcase circuit’s best fastball velocity. The Cardinals signed him for $500,000 on July 3, making him the organization’s first player signed out of Taipei in its history. Lin has opened the 2024 campaign with promising results at Single-A Palm Beach. 

Standing at 6-foot-7, Lin is certainly a presence on the mound, albeit a rather skinny one. He’s averaged 96.6 mph on his four-seamer through his first five Florida State League starts, and it has a ton of arm-side run too with 16.4 inches of horizontal movement. Lin leans on the heater a lot as he gets his career going, but his upper-80s changeup shows some promise with similar arm-side movement and enough separation to generate a whiff rate above 40 percent. It gives him a weapon against lefties and has helped ward off splits issues. The righty is also working on a mid-80s slider that stands out more for its vertical drop.

Lin’s control was a major question mark during his two campaigns in summer collegiate ball, but he’s been better at throwing strikes so far on the pro side. Because he only measures in at a reported 188 pounds right now, there is some projectability remaining even at 22 years old. He has the raw materials to be a fun project for St. Louis, and the early returns are promising for his starting chances.

Awards

AFL Rising Stars

Year	Team
2025

AFL Pitcher of the Week

Week	Team
11/09/2025

FSL Post-Season All-Star

Year	Team
2024

FSL Pitcher of the Month

Month	Team
08/2024

FSL Pitcher of the Week

Week	Team
08/04/2024

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	11/08/2025	National League Fall Stars placed RHP Chen-Wei Lin on the reserve list.
	09/10/2025	RHP Chen-Wei Lin assigned to Glendale Desert Dogs.
	08/26/2025	RHP Chen-Wei Lin assigned to Springfield Cardinals from Peoria Chiefs.
	08/05/2025	Peoria Chiefs activated RHP Chen-Wei Lin from the 7-day injured list.
	07/18/2025	Peoria Chiefs placed RHP Chen-Wei Lin on the 7-day injured list.
	05/11/2025	Peoria Chiefs activated RHP Chen-Wei Lin from the 7-day injured list.
	05/11/2025	Peoria Chiefs activated RHP Chen-Wei Lin from the 7-day injured list.
	05/02/2025	Peoria Chiefs sent RHP Chen-Wei Lin on a rehab assignment to Palm Beach Cardinals.
	04/01/2025	RHP Chen-Wei Lin assigned to Peoria Chiefs.
	08/12/2023	RHP Chen-Wei Lin assigned to Palm Beach Cardinals from FCL Cardinals.
	07/25/2023
	07/25/2023	FCL Cardinals activated RHP Chen-Wei Lin from the temporarily inactive list.
	07/18/2023	RHP Chen-Wei Lin assigned to FCL Cardinals from DSL Cardinals.
	07/17/2023	DSL Cardinals activated RHP Chen-Wei Lin from the restricted list.
	07/03/2023	St. Louis Cardinals signed free agent RHP Chen-Wei Lin to a minor league contract.
	07/03/2023	RHP Chen-Wei Lin assigned to DSL Cardinals from DSL Cardinals.
	05/31/2023	Frederick Keys activated RHP Chen-Wei Lin.
	05/31/2023	Frederick Keys activated RHP Chan-Wei Lin.