Yankees Finally Land A Top 2026 IFA

Carlos Peña
6 hours ago
2 min read

The New York Yankees have officially signed right-handed pitcher Chien-Fan Lai, the highest-rated Taiwanese pitcher in the 2026 international class, to a minor league contract that includes a $872,500 signing bonus making him their biggest bonus baby in their 2026 IFA Class.

The 18-year-old out of Daxi Senior High School in Taoyuan, Taiwan, is an athletic 6'0", 180 LBS RHP from Taitung, that will be reporting to the Yankees Academy in the Dominican Republic for further development to begin his professional career. There's been no reported timeline on his arrival.

Per the Yankees' official press release and first reported via Francys Romero, this is only the third time in franchise history the Yankees have signed a non-drafted free agent out of Taiwan, with the others being Chien-Ming Wang (2000) and infielder Fu-Lin Kuo (2009).

It's their first Taiwanese pitching signing in nearly three decades.

Lai's arsenal is built for swing-and-miss:

Fastball sits 91–94 MPH with good vertical movement; has touched 96 MPH
Curveball with plus shape with heavy depth
Splitter that packs deceptive offspeed with projection for plus swing-and-miss

Chein-Fan's overhead delivery lets him stay behind the ball and generate north-south effectiveness that will be first tested at the DSL level. His frame still has some room to add a few ticks on his offerings and add a fourth pitch as he develops.

In the 2025 U-18 Baseball World Cup Lai represented Taiwan, helping Taiwan claim a bronze medal. Across relief appearances, he struck out 14 hitters over 7 innings of work, it was a dominant showing against international competition that garnered scouts attention.

"The signing of Chien-Fan represents our renewed commitment to players in Taiwan, and in Asia as a whole," said Mario Garza, Yankees Director of International Scouting. "I have seen a focused and self-assured individual with great aptitude and a desire to improve."

Added Matt Slater, Global Player Acquisitions Supervisor: "The Yankees are continually scouting all areas of the world for talented players who can bring value to our organization. Chien-Fan has intriguing upside with the ability to develop into a successful Major League pitcher."

Lai will be heading to the DSL once the official signing happens and he gets settled.

After signing Lai, the Yankees will still be sitting on about $3M in international bonus money. They continue to be active in the region, and there are rumors of reeling in another big prospect or two.

Every Prospect. Every Level. Every Day.