Kai-Wei Teng Bio
Kai-Wei Teng (born December 1, 1998) is a Taiwanese professional baseball pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). A right-handed starter who has developed through the Giants’ minor league system, Teng earned a spot on the Major League roster after years of steady progression. He made his MLB debut in 2024 and is widely regarded as a promising arm within the organization.
Teng first gained attention after being signed by the Minnesota Twins out of Taiwan in 2017, and he later joined the Giants through a midseason trade in 2019. His journey includes a gold medal performance for Chinese Taipei in the 2019 Asian Baseball Championship, a milestone that underscored his potential on an international stage.
Early Life and Background
Kai-Wei Teng grew up in Taiwan and attended Shi Yuan Senior High School in Taichung before transferring to Kao-Yuan Vocational High School of Technology & Commerce in Kaohsiung. His education path reflects a commitment to balancing academics with the demands of competitive baseball, a balance that helped shape his disciplined approach to the sport.
After completing high school, Teng enrolled at the National Taiwan Sport University, a respected institution for athletic development in Taiwan. This combination of structured schooling and competitive play laid the groundwork for his transition into professional baseball and ultimately drew the attention of MLB scouts.
Path to Professional Baseball
Teng’s path to the professional ranks began on October 20, 2017, when the Minnesota Twins signed him for a $500,000 signing bonus. He made his professional debut in 2018 with the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Twins, appearing in 10 games and making 9 starts. He posted a 3.59 ERA with 47 strikeouts across 42 and 2/3 innings pitched, an encouraging start to his career.
He began the 2019 season with the Cedar Rapids Kernels of the Single-A Midwest League, where he was named the league’s pitcher of the week for the week ending July 14. In 9 appearances for Cedar Rapids, Teng logged a 4-0 record and a 1.60 ERA, cementing his reputation as a strikeout pitcher with strong command.
Kai-Wei Teng Career
Minnesota Twins Era (2017–2019)
Kai-Wei Teng was originally part of the Minnesota Twins organization, where he developed as a starting pitcher during his first two professional seasons. His assignment to the Gulf Coast League Twins in 2018 gave him a measured introduction to professional baseball, and his 3.59 ERA demonstrated an ability to handle advanced competition at a young age.
His standout 2019 campaign with the Cedar Rapids Kernels, including a 4-0 record and a 1.60 ERA, marked him as one of the Twins’ more promising international prospects. That summer, he also represented Chinese Taipei at the 2019 Asian Baseball Championship, contributing to a gold medal victory over Japan in the final.
San Francisco Giants Development (2019–2023)
On July 31, 2019, the Minnesota Twins traded Kai-Wei Teng, along with Jaylin Davis and Prelander Berroa, to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for pitcher Sam Dyson. After the trade, Teng joined the Single-A Augusta GreenJackets, where he made five starts and recorded a 1.55 ERA with 39 strikeouts across 39 and 2/3 innings. The canceled 2020 minor league season due to the COVID-19 pandemic kept him off the mound for a full year.
Returning in 2021, Teng pitched for the High-A Eugene Emeralds, recording a 4.33 ERA with 142 strikeouts in 95 and 2/3 innings across 21 starts, though a 10-game suspension in June followed the discovery of a foreign substance in his glove. He spent 2022 with the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels, posting a 6-12 record and 5.22 ERA with a career-high 169 strikeouts in 136 and 1/3 innings.
In 2023, Teng began the year at Double-A Richmond before earning a promotion to the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats on June 18. He combined for a 6-5 record and a 4.22 ERA with 164 strikeouts across both levels, showing growth in command and durability. On November 14, 2023, the Giants added him to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.
Major League Debut (2024)
Kai-Wei Teng opened 2025 with Triple-A Sacramento but earned his first call-up when the Giants selected his contract on August 1, 2025. That night, he started his first MLB game, pitching 3 and 1/3 innings in a loss against the New York Mets. One week later, on August 8, he earned his first MLB win, pitching five innings in relief of opener Matt Gage against the Washington Nationals.
Driving Style and Strengths
Teng is recognized as a strikeout-oriented pitcher with the ability to generate swings and misses at every level of the minor leagues. His track record of 169 strikeouts in 2022 and consistent high strikeout totals highlight a swing-and-miss profile. Working within the Giants’ development system has helped him refine his secondary offerings and build durability over longer outings.
Notable Events and Milestones
A defining moment in Kai-Wei Teng’s career came in 2019, when he helped Chinese Taipei win gold at the Asian Baseball Championship by pitching in the final against Japan. His MLB debut on March 29, 2024, and his first MLB win in August 2025 mark significant milestones in his progression to the highest level of professional baseball.
Kai-Wei Teng Career Wins
Kai-Wei Teng has collected wins at every level of his professional career, beginning in the Gulf Coast League and continuing through Triple-A Sacramento. His first MLB victory came on August 8, 2025, when he pitched five innings in relief against the Washington Nationals.
Minor League Highlights
Teng went 4-0 with a 1.60 ERA across nine appearances for the Cedar Rapids Kernels in 2019, his first full professional winning record. He later posted a 6-5 mark with the Sacramento River Cats in 2023, followed by a 3-2 record with Triple-A Sacramento in 2025 prior to his recall to the majors.
Kai-Wei Teng Family
Personal Life
Kai-Wei Teng maintains a private personal life, and details about his immediate family are not publicly available in verified sources. His educational background in Taiwan, including time at Shi Yuan Senior High School in Taichung and Kao-Yuan Vocational High School of Technology & Commerce in Kaohsiung, reflects the supportive foundation that helped launch his baseball career.
2025 Season Performance
Kai-Wei Teng began the 2025 season with the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, where he posted a 3-2 record and a 3.67 ERA with 86 strikeouts and two saves over 54 innings across 25 appearances. His strong performance at Triple-A positioned him as a candidate for a Major League opportunity later in the summer.
On August 1, 2025, the San Francisco Giants selected Teng’s contract and added him to the active roster. That night, he made his first MLB start, pitching 3 and 1/3 innings in a loss against the New York Mets. One week later, on August 8, he earned his first MLB win by pitching five innings in relief of opener Matt Gage against the Washington Nationals, marking a positive step in his big-league development.