TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's professional baseball league wrapped up its preseason games on Wednesday, setting a new attendance record.

The 30 games drew 104,596 spectators, with an average of 3,487 per game, surpassing last year's preseason total attendance of 93,074 and an average of 3,102 per game. This year’s increase is largely attributed to the growth in attendance at outdoor stadiums, per UDN.

Two games were held at the Taipei Dome. The first game between the CTBC Brothers and Rakuten Monkeys attracted 18,513 people, while the second, between the CTBC Brothers and Fubon Guardians, saw 16,006 spectators.

These numbers did not surpass last year's highest attendance records. Excluding the Taipei Dome, the 28 non-Taipei Dome games this year saw 70,077 attendees, up from nearly 57,000 last year.

Historically, the highest average attendance for preseason games, before the Taipei Dome's involvement, was 2,097 in 2009, when 25,168 spectators attended 12 games.

Baseball Commissioner Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) said that last year’s high attendance was driven by the Taipei Dome effect, marking the first time the league hosted games at the dome. Taiwan’s success in international competitions has also fueled excitement this year. 

Taiwan clinched the World Baseball Softball Confederation Premier12 championship against Japan in November. In February, the country secured a spot in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

Looking ahead to the regular season, Tsai expressed hope that fan support would continue to grow, further boosting ticket sales.