Chien-Ming Wang
Born: 3/31/1980 in Tainan City, Tainan, Taiwan
MLB Debut: 2005-04-30 | Final Game: 2016-08-30
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'4" | Weight: 225 lbs
Biography
Chien-Ming Wang was a Taiwanese professional baseball pitcher who made a significant impact in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2005 until his retirement in 2016. Born in 1980, Wang showcased a remarkable talent for pitching, quickly establishing himself as a formidable presence on the mound. Throughout his career, he achieved a record of 68 wins and 34 losses, with an earned run average (ERA) of 4.36. Wang's ability to induce ground balls and maintain control made him a key asset to the teams he played for, particularly during his tenure with the New York Yankees, where he became known for his effective sinker.
Wang's career spanned a transformative period in baseball, marked by an increase in offensive production and the evolution of pitching strategies. He recorded a total of 394 strikeouts and contributed one save, reflecting his role primarily as a starting pitcher. His impressive performance during the mid-2000s, which included back-to-back seasons of 19 wins, helped solidify his reputation as one of the leading pitchers of his era. Wang's journey not only highlighted the growing influence of international players in MLB but also inspired a generation of baseball talent from Taiwan and beyond.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 68 | 34 | 174 | 126 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 845.7 | 918 | 410 | 65 | 252 | 394 | 4.36 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | NYY | AL | 8 | 5 | 18 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 116.3 | 113 | 52 | 32 | 47 | 4.02 | - |
| 2006 | NYY | AL | 19 | 6 | 34 | 33 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 218.0 | 233 | 88 | 52 | 76 | 3.63 | - |
| 2007 | NYY | AL | 19 | 7 | 30 | 30 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 199.3 | 199 | 82 | 59 | 104 | 3.70 | - |
| 2008 | NYY | AL | 8 | 2 | 15 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 95.0 | 90 | 43 | 35 | 54 | 4.07 | - |
| 2009 | NYY | AL | 1 | 6 | 12 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42.0 | 66 | 45 | 19 | 29 | 9.64 | - |
| 2011 | WAS | NL | 4 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 62.3 | 67 | 28 | 13 | 25 | 4.04 | -983.4 |
| 2012 | WAS | NL | 2 | 3 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32.3 | 50 | 24 | 15 | 15 | 6.68 | -1491.3 |
| 2013 | TOR | AL | 1 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27.0 | 40 | 23 | 9 | 14 | 7.67 | -1053.9 |
| 2016 | KCR | AL | 6 | 0 | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 53.3 | 60 | 25 | 18 | 30 | 4.22 | - |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 174 | 39 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 21 | 0.051 | 0.098 | 0.077 | 0.174 | 0.0 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | NYY | AL | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 2006 | NYY | AL | 34 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 2007 | NYY | AL | 30 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 2008 | NYY | AL | 15 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 2009 | NYY | AL | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 2011 | WAS | NL | 11 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0.053 | 0.0 |
| 2012 | WAS | NL | 10 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0.167 | 0.0 |
| 2013 | TOR | AL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 2016 | KCR | AL | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | ALDS2 | NYA | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 2006 | ALDS1 | NYA | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 2005 | ALDS2 | NYA | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 19.0 | 28 | 16 | 5 | 7 | 7.58 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | ALDS2 | NYA | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5.7 | 14 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 19.06 |
| 2006 | ALDS1 | NYA | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6.7 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4.05 |
| 2005 | ALDS2 | NYA | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6.7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1.35 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 174 | 126 | 49 | 159 | 4 | 15 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | NYA | P | 18 | 17 | 4 | 38 | 1 | 3 |
| 2006 | NYA | P | 34 | 33 | 15 | 42 | 1 | 4 |
| 2007 | NYA | P | 30 | 30 | 11 | 34 | 0 | 3 |
| 2008 | NYA | P | 15 | 15 | 7 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | NYA | P | 12 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| 2011 | WAS | P | 11 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 2012 | WAS | P | 10 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 2 |
| 2013 | TOR | P | 6 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 2 |
| 2016 | KCA | P | 38 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 174 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | This Year in Baseball Starter of the Year | MLB.com GIBBY |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | KCA | AL | $1,000,000 |
| 2012 | WAS | NL | $4,000,000 |
| 2011 | WAS | NL | $1,200,000 |
| 2010 | WAS | NL | $2,000,000 |
| 2009 | NYA | AL | $5,000,000 |
| 2008 | NYA | AL | $4,000,000 |
| 2007 | NYA | AL | $489,500 |
| 2006 | NYA | AL | $353,175 |
| Total Career Earnings | $18,042,675 | ||
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Cy Young Award | AL | 2nd | 51.0 | 140 | 0 |
| 2006 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 26th | 2.0 | 392 | 0 |