Pirates All 40: Prospect Tsung-Che Cheng Needs Rebound After Down Year

This is one in a series of stories breaking down members of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 40-man roster.

Tsung-Che Cheng was one of two prospects the Pittsburgh Pirates added to their 40-man roster last offseason to protect from the Rule 5 draft.

That decision didn’t come as much of a surprise given the level of success the native of Taiwan had in his minor-league career. Cheng, who’s listed at just 5-foot-7 and 173 pounds, has good on-base skills, good speed, a strong glove and a little bit more pop than you might expect by just looking at him.

Cheng’s first full season came with Low-A Bradenton in 2022, where he finished with a .795 OPS, 38 extra-base hits, 52 RBIs and 33 stolen bases in 104 games.

The following year, Cheng capitalized on the hitter-friendly South Atlantic League with High-A Greensboro. In 57 games there to start the season, the left-handed hitter slashed .308/.406/.575 with 12 doubles, nine triples, nine home runs, 31 RBIs and 13 steals.

Typically, a player’s performance with Double-A Altoona serves as a true gauge a prospect’s real potential. If that’s once again the case, there are some concerns for Cheng.

After his excellent performance with Greensboro, Cheng was bumped up to Altoona for the final 66 games of the season, but his numbers didn’t translate. Cheng slashed just .251/.304/352 with four home runs.

This past season, Cheng showed increased power but again underperformed. In 126 games with the Curve in 2024, the 23-year-old hit just .218 with a .662 OPS. He roped 19 doubles, slugged 11 home runs, drove in 54 runs and stole 16 bases.

The Pirates promoted Cheng to Triple-A Indianapolis to end the season. Though the sample was just six games, he finished strong. Cheng went 6 for 13 and drew four walks in his first taste with the organization’s top affiliate.

While Cheng’s bat remains a question mark, his speed and defense raises his floor as a prospect. If nothing else, he could serve as a depth piece with two important attributes that could help a team, especially late in games.

Background

• The Pirates signed Cheng as an amateur free agent in 2019 for $380,000.
• He was named a minor-league All-Star in both 2022 (Bradenton) and 2023 (Greensboro).
• Cheng is Pittsburgh Baseball Now’s No. 20 Pirates’ prospect entering 2025.