Thanks to Ex-Teammate's Advice, Duncan Breaks Through with Career Best

Taiwanese Major League Baseball player Teng Kai-wei delivered a stellar performance in this season, marking what can be described as a career-best masterpiece. In an interview, he reflected on his journey, admitting that earning the team's strong trust and pushing his appearance count to a career high this year was the result of his own hard work, the coaching staff's confidence, and, above all, some invaluable advice given to him by a former teammate during his stint with the San Francisco Giants the previous year. It was this wise and powerful advice that thoroughly awakened Teng, who was facing a slump and self-doubt at the time, teaching him to fully believe in his own weapons and thereby allowing him to find his footing and carve out his own path in Major League Baseball, the highest stage of baseball in the world.

Looking back at Teng's professional baseball journey, the road to challenging Major League Baseball was not entirely smooth. Over the past few years, he continuously honed his skills, adjusted his pitching mechanics, and refined his mindset within the minor league system before finally earning the precious opportunity to be promoted to the major leagues with the San Francisco Giants. However, pitchers newly arriving in the majors often face immense psychological pressure. When confronting top-tier hitters with exceptional batting strength, it is virtually inevitable to experience timidity or excessive avoidance. Teng admitted that upon his initial promotion to the majors, he briefly fell into a psychological mire of "fear of making pitching mistakes," deeply worried that a single misstep would lead to heavy blows from opponents. This fearful mindset ultimately restricted his room for performance, preventing him from fully displaying the potency of his signature pitches on the field.

At the critical moment when Teng felt bewildered and struggled, then-Giants teammate Alex Cobb stepped forward and gave him a wake-up call. During a private conversation, Cobb told Teng earnestly and seriously, "If you are afraid to pitch, you will definitely regret it later." This seemingly simple yet core-hitting advice acted like a shot of adrenaline, deeply engraving itself in Teng's heart. Cobb reminded him that since he had already reached the major league mound through his strength and hard work, he had to unreservedly trust the pitches and weapons he had painstakingly practiced for a long time. If he tied his own hands and feet out of fear of failure, not only would he fail to perform at his standard, but he would also squander the stage that countless players dream of.

This precious experience and the encouragement from his former teammate became the greatest driving force behind Teng's breakout season this year. With increased playing opportunities and heavy reliance from the coaching staff following his transfer to the Houston Astros, Teng translated this mindset into concrete action on the field. When facing batters, he no longer shrank back; instead, he dared to duel, boldly confronting opponents head-on with his signature weapons. This psychological shift was directly reflected in his statistics and field performance, as he not only set a new personal career high in major league appearances, but his pitching also appeared much more composed and confident, displaying the dominance and psychological resilience sufficient to survive in the majors for the long term.

Teng's breakout with the Astros this year is not only an important milestone in his professional career, but it also provides a shot in the arm for Taiwan's baseball community. From early self-doubt to today's confident pitching appearances, this journey proves that in the fiercely competitive environment of the major leagues, while skill is certainly important, strong psychological resilience and absolute trust in one's own weapons are often the decisive factors determining whether a player can go far. Through the stern advice given by his former teammate back then, Teng learned to embrace challenges rather than escape from fear. This precious nourishment for growth will accompany him as he continues to shine brightly on his future baseball journey, heading toward an even more groundbreaking next season.