New League, New Style of Play, New Ecosystem: CPB “Gets on Base” to Launch a New Chapter in the Commercialization of Chinese Baseball
Published: 2025-11-29 – Beijing
Whether in terms of competitive strength or its vast commercial potential, the emergence of CPB is not merely the launch of a new league—it is more like the collective realization of years of accumulation and anticipation in Chinese baseball.
By Liu Chengkang
In China, baseball has long been seen as a niche sport. Yet at the recently concluded 15th National Games, baseball unexpectedly became a “dark horse.” A supposedly niche event held in Zhongshan, a second-tier city outside the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau megaregion, managed to draw high attendance and create a passionate atmosphere of continuous cheering.
This scene gave us a glimpse of Chinese baseball’s potential and vitality. Looking back now, the baseball fever at the National Games seems to have been building momentum for a new chapter of the sport in China.
Shortly after the 15th National Games ended, on November 26, in Shenzhen—just across the water from Zhongshan—the press conference for the CPB China Professional Baseball City League (hereinafter “CPB”) gathered representatives from five brand-new clubs (Changsha Want Want Black Bears, Xiamen Dolphins, Shenzhen Blue Sox, Fuzhou Sea Knights, and Shanghai Charoen Pokphand Dragons) to jointly launch the league’s first event: the 2026 Spring Inaugural Tournament.
Breakthrough Momentum in Chinese Baseball
In recent years, baseball in China has achieved new breakthroughs. On the field, the Chinese national team earned its best-ever result—fourth place—at the 2024 U23 Baseball World Cup. In participation, the number of active baseball players has surpassed 22 million, with a broader connected demographic exceeding 43 million, over 80% of whom are 20 to 35 years old. The youth development system has also strengthened, with 31 national youth competitions and more than 900 participating teams.
As Xie Bin, Vice President of the Chinese Baseball Association, stated at the press conference:
“The CPB China Professional Baseball City League is born at the right moment. Supported by favorable policies and the momentum of the National Games—and the shared aspirations of everyone in the baseball community—it is poised to rise.”
In Sports Money’s view, CPB is not only inheriting the baseball enthusiasm of the National Games but also taking on a new mission—to bring a high-level, market-driven baseball spectacle to Chinese sports.
A Top-Tier Competitive Baseball Platform
For any newly established sports league, its foundation is determined not by slogans or packaging but by pure competitive strength. The skill, depth, and structure of its players directly determine whether the league can genuinely attract the market.
The CPB Spring Inaugural Tournament’s open tryouts and draft showcased the true baseline of Chinese baseball.
Since October, CPB has held open tryouts in five cities nationwide, attracting over 500 players with professional potential. According to official statistics:
Players aged 18–22 accounted for 41%
Players aged 23–28, considered the prime years, accounted for 36%
In terms of player level, the draft pool was surprisingly strong. Participants included student athletes, youth-system players, players with professional backgrounds, and those with overseas experience:
18% had professional or semi-professional backgrounds
35% had provincial-team experience or high placements at national tournaments
Five Simultaneous “First Overall Picks”
In the first round of the “Super Round,” all five teams designated their picks simultaneously—meaning each club effectively had its own “first overall pick.”
These included:
Wu Qirui and Huadancairang, members of the national team that achieved China’s best-ever U23 World Cup result
Yi Jian, who once played for the MLB Milwaukee Brewers organization
Gong Haicheng and Zhang Yinfan, who helped Shanghai and Jiangsu win bronze and gold at the 15th National Games respectively
CPB worked with the Baseball Federation of Asia to implement a data-driven, standardized evaluation system, meaning sports science has been embedded into the league from day one.
Giving Former Pros a Way Back
Liang Xintong, selected in the fifth round of the Super Round and a former player in MLB’s development program (MLBDC), said the tryout athletes were “all at a very high level.” Now a ski coach, he sees CPB as a beacon allowing athletes like him—who once had professional-level ability but no longer played baseball—to return to the game.
57 Players Drafted, More to Come
A total of 57 players were drafted. But this represents only part of the league's talent base. Clubs are free to sign additional players from Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and overseas.
According to Shanghai CP Dragons GM Zhang Xiaotian:
“Two-thirds of our roster was already signed before the draft—the draft served as targeted reinforcement.”
Youth Development as the Future
Youth training will also be a critical pillar.
Clubs like Changsha Want Want Black Bears are working with local associations to build a 4-tier youth system (primary school–university)
Fuzhou Sea Knights are preparing to convert a golf course owned by their parent company into an international-standard baseball park
From its large-scale, high-level draft to its open, market-oriented player system, CPB is positioning itself as a professional platform built on competitive strength, professional standards, and deep talent reserves—fully capable of becoming China’s highest baseball stage.
A New Engine for China’s Baseball Industry
If elite players give CPB confidence on the competitive side, its commercial structure determines how far it can ultimately go.
CPB’s biggest innovation is its fully market-driven, fully commercialized business model. The founding clubs are each backed by different enterprises—including consumer goods giants, cultural-tourism groups, and local capital—creating diversified investment and natural industrial synergy.
This means CPB begins with advantages in:
Ticketing
Media/content production
Sponsorships
IP operations
Merchandise
Urban cultural tourism
Five Teams Instead of Four
Originally planned as a four-team league, CPB expanded to five after both Xiamen and Fuzhou demonstrated strong commitment.
CPB plans to further expand club numbers in future seasons, giving more cities a chance to join.
“League Productization” and a Three-Year Plan
Unlike past domestic baseball events, CPB introduces true league productization, supported by a three-year development roadmap:
2026: Tournament-style centralized competition
2027: Summer league upgraded to touring home-and-away
2028: Full home-and-away format, matching international professional standards
This long-term strategy builds:
Stable home-field cultures
Fan economies
Deep city engagement
These are the core assets of sustainable professional sports.
Building a Baseball Cultural Ecosystem
CPB aims to create an immersive baseball culture—not just a league:
CPB Girls (cheer squad)
Team fight songs
City cultural performances
Fan-perspective live rooms
Fan-oriented post-game conferences
Other content innovations
Baseball—with its rhythm, social attributes, and entertainment value—is globally recognized as a culture-driven sport. CPB hopes to replicate this by connecting Chinese cultural elements with global baseball traditions.
Policy Support and International Outlook
Under China’s goal of a 70 trillion yuan sports industry by 2030, sports consumption will rise sharply. Market-driven events like CPB—which integrate culture, tourism, and sports—are well-positioned to receive policy and societal support.
CPB also has natural international potential due to its alignment with the Chinese Baseball Association and the Baseball Federation of Asia.
As club brands mature and competition improves, CPB could attract more overseas:
Players
Coaches
Management talent
It may also develop cross-regional collaboration—training camps, preseason games, youth partnerships, brand collabs—helping CPB evolve into a regional Asian baseball asset.
Conclusion: A Full-Scale Sports Business Ecosystem
CPB’s future is not merely a story of league operations—it is a complete sports business ecosystem that features:
Market-driven development
Industrial-level planning
Cultural ecosystem building
International expansion potential
In a period when China’s sports industry is rapidly transitioning toward market-driven models, baseball’s cultural appeal, consumption characteristics, and social attributes uniquely position CPB as a potential model for a new generation of sports leagues.
From competitive strength to long-term commercial outlook, CPB represents not just a new league but the accumulated expectations of Chinese baseball finally crystallizing.
It inherits the passion unleashed at the 15th National Games and aligns with China’s broader shift toward marketized and brand-driven sports development.
In the coming years, CPB will not only train elite players and build city-based baseball cultures—it will push baseball into the heart of China’s sports industry, becoming a growing sports consumption IP.
A new era of Chinese baseball is arriving—and CPB is its starting point.
Image source,Getty Images
