Player Profile: Jen-Ho Tseng

Playing in front of thousands of screaming fans is something that many of us dream about, all-the-while realizing that maybe we are ill-equipped to handle the pressure.

Athletes are a rare breed. The ability to perform at peak levels under intense pressure is part of what makes them so admirable and heroic, and that performance is part of what we come to see when we pass through the gates of a ballpark.

This skill, this ability to excel despite so many obstacles in one's way is an incredible thing, and it is something that grows with time and experience.

As fans, typically we hold professionals to a higher standard than collegiate players and collegiate players to a higher one than high school athletes. We tend to give the younger guys a break and expect more in clutch moments from the veterans.

With Pelicans starting pitcher Jen-Ho Tseng, that luxury of understanding was not one afforded to him. As the youngest player on his team by nearly four years, Tseng competed in the 2013 World Baseball Classic for Taiwan as an 18-year-old. A year prior to that, he dominated in the World Junior Baseball Championship, and, now, he tries to build off of an outstanding first year in pro ball as one of the youngest pitchers in the Carolina League.

Tseng, the first Taiwanese-born player in Pelicans history, will spend the entire 2015 campaign under the legal drinking age, not turning 21 until late October.

With his molded-in-the-fire background on the Taiwanese National Team, it is not surprise that Tseng sailed through Midwest League competition a year ago, posting a 6-1 record and a 2.40 ERA in 19 appearances with the Cubs former Class-A affiliate, the Kane County Cougars.

Tseng won't wow you with overpowering stuff, but the right-hander knows how to pitch. He balances his upper 80s, low 90s fastball with a curveball and change and impeccable command. Tseng walked just 15 batters, striking out 85, in 105 innings of work in the Midwest League.

Don't let the age, and the language barrier, and slender build fool you: Tseng is ready to shine here in the Carolina League.