DETROIT — Taiwan’s baseball breakthrough in Major League Baseball has reached another milestone.
Detroit Tigers infielder Lee Hao-yu has set the MLB single-season RBI record for a Taiwanese-born player, driving in his 41st run of the 2026 season during Detroit’s 8-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday.
The 23-year-old reached the milestone with a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning, pushing him past Yu Chang’s previous record of 39 RBIs, set with the Cleveland Guardians in 2021.
The achievement adds another major Taiwanese baseball record to Lee’s remarkable rookie season.
Lee breaks another Taiwanese MLB record
Lee entered Sunday’s game with 40 RBIs after an explosive performance against Colorado one day earlier.
On Saturday, he went 3-for-5 with two doubles, a triple, two runs and three RBIs as the Tigers defeated the Rockies 11-7. The performance helped set the stage for his record-breaking RBI the following day.
Lee then added another RBI Sunday without recording a hit. Batting second and starting at second base, he lifted a sacrifice fly to right field with the bases loaded, bringing home Detroit’s sixth run.
His 41 RBIs now stand alone as the most in a single MLB season by a player born in Taiwan.
Yu Chang’s record falls
The previous benchmark belonged to Yu Chang, who produced 39 RBIs for Cleveland during the 2021 season.
Lee has now surpassed several of Chang’s single-season marks during his first year in the majors.
In August, Lee broke Chang’s Taiwanese MLB single-season record for hits. He collected his 55th hit—and eventually finished that game with 57—to move beyond Chang’s 54-hit mark from 2021.
That means Lee has already established himself as the new Taiwanese single-season leader in multiple offensive categories while still in his first MLB season.
A stunning rise for the 23-year-old
Lee made his MLB debut for Detroit in April, becoming the 19th Taiwan-born player to reach the major leagues.
The former Philadelphia Phillies prospect was acquired by Detroit in 2023 and entered the 2026 season ranked among the organization’s top prospects.
He has since developed into a regular contributor for the Tigers, splitting time primarily between second and third base. MLB’s official profile lists him as a 23-year-old right-handed hitter from New Taipei, Taiwan.
His progress has been particularly striking because he arrived in the majors without the enormous expectations attached to some of baseball’s biggest international prospects.
Instead, his production has steadily built throughout the season.
More Taiwanese records could be within reach
Lee’s record-breaking RBI total is only part of his growing statistical footprint.
MLB reported in August that he was already threatening several of Yu Chang’s Taiwanese single-season records, including nine home runs and 32 runs, while his RBI total was approaching Chang’s 39.
Lee has now passed the RBI mark.
He also entered the September 14 slate with eight home runs, meaning he remains just one homer away from tying Chang’s 2021 Taiwanese record of nine.
He is also one triple away from matching Chang’s three triples from that season, according to Taiwan News.
Lee is building a new chapter for Taiwan baseball
Lee’s breakthrough is significant beyond the numbers.
Taiwan has produced MLB players for decades, but the country’s representation in the majors has historically been particularly associated with pitchers. Lee’s offensive production is helping change that perception.
MLB noted earlier this season that he was among only 11 Taiwan-born players to record an MLB hit and had already moved into second place on Taiwan’s all-time MLB hit list.
His emergence also comes after Taiwan’s strong showing on the international baseball stage, including the country’s participation in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
For Lee, however, the focus appears to remain on establishing himself as a major-league player rather than simply collecting records.
That makes his latest milestone even more impressive.
At just 23, Lee Hao-yu has already rewritten one of Taiwan’s most important MLB offensive records—and with the season still underway, the record book may not be finished changing.
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