THE Chinese Professional Baseball (CPB) League, a brand-new professional baseball league announced last month in Shenzhen, will open its 2026 season in Shenzhen on New Year’s Day.

Five clubs — Changsha Want Want Happy, Xiamen Dolphins, Shenzhen Bluesox, Fuzhou Sea Knights, and Shanghai Dragons — will play a 40-game regular season from Jan. 1 through Feb. 4, according to the league’s Shanghai-based operating company Coolbang Sports.

The season will primarily be held at Zhongshan Park Baseball Field in Shenzhen, with a backup venue in the city of Zhongshan in Guangdong.

The regular-season champion will advance directly to a best-of-three championship series from Feb. 6-8. The second finalist will be determined by a playoff between the second and third-place teams.

The goal is to evolve the newly forged CPB into a full home-and-away professional league by the 2028 season, according to Chung Chun-hao, operating director of Coolbang.

“With Chinese teams performing better internationally in recent years, drawing more fan and investor attention, we believe it’s about time,” said Chung. “We are committed to developing a sustainable commercial model through ticketing, broadcasting, sponsorship, and merchandise.”

The league’s launch follows positive signs for baseball in China. The national men’s team placed fourth at the 2024 World Baseball and Softball Confederation’s (WBSC) U23 World Cup, its best-ever international result. Baseball games at the just-concluded 2025 National Games in Guangdong also sold out, attracting spectators from Hong Kong and Macao.

To build its rosters, the CPB conducted China’s first-ever baseball talent draft in Shenzhen at the end of last month. The five clubs selected 57 players from over 500 prospects. The draft attracted a mix of Chinese national team members, veterans of overseas leagues in Japan, South Korea, and North Amercia, and amateurs such as college players, expats, and ordinary enthusiasts.

While international interest is high, each club’s 26-player roster is limited to 10 imported players. “With draftees and imports from places like the U.S. and South Korea, we’ve signed around 20 players. The international field is expected to keep growing,” said Zhang Xiaotian, general manager of the Shanghai Dragons.            (SD News)