TAINAN, Taiwan -- When Ted Heid examines baseball's growing, global landscape, he sees a country that could prove to be a hotbed of talent for years to come.

"I think Taiwan is kind of the prime area because the players there are willing to come over [to North America] right out of high school," said Heid, director of Pacific Rim Operations for the Mariners. "They play a lot of big games. Their style of play is more Westernized. They play a more power and speed game; it's not as mechanical, as in some other countries."

That Taiwan has a significant baseball talent pool has never been in doubt. This island nation of 23 million -- slightly smaller in size than Maryland and Delaware combined -- has won 17 Little League World Series titles, earned the silver medal at the 1992 Olympics and qualified for this summer's Games in Athens.

But what was in doubt -- at least until five years ago -- was the willingness of Taiwan-born players to test their talents in the Majors. That all changed in January 1999, when the Dodgers signed Chin-Feng Chen out of Tainan.

The Dodgers and Mariners have the strongest footholds in Taiwan, with three players in each organization's system. The Mariners, who are the only team to employ a full-time scout in Taiwan, have an interpreter work regularly with their Taiwanese players.

Unlike some Japanese and Korean players, who ventured to North America in the prime of their careers, Taiwan's most talented baseball players are in their late teens.

But what these players may lack in years they make up for in experience, as most are exposed to multiple international competitions when they are as young as 10.

Rockies prospect Ching-Lung Lo, a 6-foot-6, 190-pound right-hander from Tainan, was the youngest player in the Rookie Pioneer League in 2002, making his professional U.S. debut at the age of 17. Lo, who is now playing for Class A Asheville and will pitch in the Olympics, helped Taiwan win the 2001 Junior Asia Cup.

"He exceeded all expectations at a young age [playing in international competitions]," said Marc Gustafson, Colorado's assistant director of player development. "He already has played with a lot of pressure."

Gustafson added that Lo is "starting to fill out" and projected that the 19-year-old could grow into an intimidating, 220- to 230-pound presence on the mound.

"There's no question [Lo] has the skills to be a Major League pitcher," Gustafson explained. "It's just a matter of maturity, time and the development process."

Added Vincent Liao, manager of Chinese and Taiwanese affairs for Dodgers: "[Taiwan-born players] don't play in as many games as [U.S. high school players], but they have played in more important games. These kids have played in many single-elimination games."

Whereas most U.S. high schools play primarily a regular-season schedule, Taiwan is a country of tournaments. Much is at stake during these four to five annual events, with players who perform well earning college scholarships, and winning high schools receiving equipment, funding and prestige.

These tournaments also serve as the main attraction for Major League scouts. According to Liao, Taiwanese prospects are often easier to sign than players from Asia's two larger baseball titans because, unlike those in Japan and Korea, the professional league in Taiwan is not considered an option, as the competition and salaries are lower. Taiwan's college program is also less developed.

And in contrast to Korea, where the majority of exports to make the Major League thus far have been pitchers, Taiwan is proving to be generating gifted position players.

Two of the Mariners' three Taiwan-born prospects are shortstop Yung-Chi Chen, 21, and catcher Chao-Kuan Wu, 20. According to Heid, the 5-foot-11 Chen has great hands and displays some power with his bat. The native of Taitung County has been playing in extended spring training in Peoria, Ariz., but will likely be promoted to Class A or High-A this summer while also playing in the Olympics.

The 6-foot-4, 195-pound Wu played first base in high school but has been converted to a catcher, and his left-handed bat is viewed as a precious commodity. Last season he batted .279 for Peoria.

"We're giving him every opportunity to be a catcher," said Heid of Wu. "Whether he can be a Major League catcher remains to be seen, but his bat is his most exciting tool."

At the 2002 World Junior Championships, Wu strapped on the pads after Taiwan's starting catcher was injured. He batted .419 and belted four home runs in the tournament to help his country finish second.

Liao said that the Dodgers envision Chin-Feng Chen, currently playing at Triple-A Las Vegas, helping the Major League club later this season, especially down the stretch. The 26-year-old Chen began the 2004 season as a utility outfielder after belting 26 home runs for Las Vegas last season.

Chen batted leadoff and played center field for Taiwan's 1990 Little League World Series championship team and became the first Taiwan-born player to make the Majors, earning a late September 2002 call-up and posting a walk at Coors Field in his first at-bat.

Last July, Chen's countryman Chin-Hui Tsao, 25, made his Major League debut, for the Rockies. The right-hander -- signed by Colorado in 1999 after being wooed by Japan's Yomiuri -- received a standing ovation when he exited after pitching 7 1/3 innings in his debut, striking out five and allowing three runs and eight hits.

This season, however, Tsao has suffered from tendinitis and didn't make the Major League roster out of Spring Training. In fact, since they have been coming to the U.S., the durability of Taiwan-born pitchers has been questioned. Yankees prospect Chien-Ming Wang, 24, missed nearly 18 months following shoulder surgery. The 6-foot-3 right-hander is pitching for Double-A Trenton, and through 55 2/3 innings this season, was 2-4 with a 5.01 ERA.

Dodgers left-handed prospect Hong-Chih Kuo, 22, the first Taiwanese high school player signed by a Major League club, has had two Tommy John surgeries. He is still rehabilitating.

According to Colorado's Gustafson, Taiwanese pitchers throw a lot more innings in their youth than their U.S. counterparts, and it's not unusual for them to throw a complete game and then pitch again two days later.

In addition, some prospects have floundered after coming to the U.S. Earlier this season, the Red Sox parted ways with Jun-Chung Huang, 22, and Wang Chao, 19, a 6-foot-5 right-handed Seattle prospect from across the Taiwan Straits in China, has been slow to develop, said Heid.

Still, as far as durability, Liao doesn't believe it's a cause for concern.

"[Tsao and Kuo] are explosive-type pitchers. In high school they both pitched in the mid-90s, and with that comes some risk of having the ligament exposed," he said. "But they both are by far the best talent to come out of Taiwan as far as pitching."

The Dodgers are certainly invested in Taiwan, having maintained a partnership with the Sinon Bulls in the Chinese Professional Baseball League, Taiwan's pro league, since 1996. Bulls owner T.F. Yang helped the Dodgers sign Kuo and another prospect, 20-year-old shortstop Chin-Lung Hu, both of whom are on the Olympic roster. Like the Mariners' Chen, Hu has great hands and tremendous speed, said Liao.

Los Angeles has been sending coaches to Taiwan at least once a year to conduct clinics, former Dodger Teddy Martinez has been the Bulls hitting coach the past three seasons and another former Dodgers employee, Luis Trinidad, has been the Bulls trainer the past four years.

The Mariners have also sent coaches to Taiwan, and have hosted coaches and the national team in Peoria. In addition, Seattle recently signed high school pitcher Chia-An Huang, a six-foot, 195-pound right-hander who has a mid-to upper 90s fastball.

So while it remains unclear if, when and which Taiwan-born player will make a big splash in North America, Major League teams will continue to scour the island for talent, especially knowing that they can develop a prospect right out of high school. It isn't a stretch to assume that in a few seasons, Taiwanese players will be making a Major League impact much like Japanese-born players are today.

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.