INTERVIEW / WBC 'one of the greatest experiences of my life': Fairchild

Phoenix, March 19 (CNA) Despite Team Taiwan's early exit from the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) earlier this month, outfielder Stuart Fairchild said he cherished the tournament as "one of the greatest experiences of my life."

Speaking to CNA in Goodyear, Arizona, on Thursday, Fairchild reflected on his WBC debut with Team Taiwan and said he would be willing to suit up for the team again if invited.

"If they want me to be on the team and they invite me, you know, it was one of the greatest experiences of my life, I would love to do it again," he said.

Born to a Taiwanese mother and an American father, Fairchild first said he was open to playing in the WBC for Team Taiwan a year ago in an interview with CNA.

The Seattle native turned 30 on Tuesday and has played five seasons in Major League Baseball. He is currently in the Guardians' spring training camp on a minor league contract with the club.

Looking back at his WBC journey, Fairchild said he was impressed by Taiwanese fans' passion for the game, even when the team was shut out in its first two games, including a 13-0 mercy-rule loss to Japan in seven innings.

"The biggest thing I learned was that the fans of Taiwan love baseball, and that wasn't something that I really had an understanding of beforehand," he said, adding that the support felt unwavering regardless of the results.

"You know, we didn't start off the tournament very well as a team, but it didn't really matter. It felt like every single game was a home game. And, yeah, they just kept rooting us on."

In his first WBC appearance, Fairchild batted .250 in 12 at-bats and hit two home runs, both of them crucial for a team that struggled offensively. He drove in a team-high six runs, all on the two home runs, and also drew four walks and stole three bases.

His 1.188 OPS (on-base plus slugging) made him one of three players on the team with an OPS above 1.000, while no other player reached .700.

The performance saw followers of Fairchild's Instagram account surge from fewer than 50,000 before the tournament to about 334,000 as of Friday.

At noon Friday, Taiwan's EasyCard Corp. began a one-week pre-order for an EasyCard featuring Fairchild during the WBC.

Fairchild, who had never been to Taiwan until arriving a day before the team flew to Miyazaki in late February to prepare for the WBC, said the team's warm welcome helped him quickly settle in.

"The welcome that they gave to me just made me feel comfortable right away. And I was just able to be myself," he said.

Now back in the United States for spring training, Fairchild said his main goal is to help the Guardians win and reach the playoffs. He also plans to visit Taiwan after the 2026 season.

"I think it'd be a lot of fun to experience more of Taiwan and understand the culture more. And I know my family would love it too. My mom hasn't been back to Taiwan since she was 12 years old, so I know it's been on her list," he said.