Stuart Fairchild stamped his authority early during Team Chinese Taipei’s 14-0 win over Team Czechia in their World Baseball Classic Pool C game on Saturday at the Tokyo Dome. The Cleveland Guardians outfielder hit a massive grand slam in the second inning.

Fairchild came to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded in the top of the second. He hit the very first pitch he faced from Czechia pitcher Jan Novak, an 83.2 mph changeup, to left center field as his teammates, Chen-Wei Chen, Tsung-Che Cheng and Cheng-Hui Sung rounded the bases to score.

Chinese Taipei took a 6-0 lead by the end of the inning and piled on eight more runs to finish the game in seven innings as per the mercy-run rule. Fairchild went 2-for-2 on the night with 4 runs himself and 2 walks. This is the biggest stage where he has shown his true potential. In five MLB seasons so far, he has a .223 average with 18 home runs and 68 RBIs.

Throughout Fairchild’s career, his wife, Hanna, has been a big support. Not much is known about how their relationship started, but they both went to the same college. Stuart played three seasons of NCAA baseball for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, where he managed a .334 average with 27 home runs and 155 RBIs in 177 games from 2015 to 2017.

According to Hanna’s LinkedIn profile, she received her bachelor’s degree in Politics & International Affairs at Wake Forest in 2018. She has also done her master’s in event management from New York University and is currently employed as a Communications Specialist.

Hanna had announced their engagement on Oct. 19, 2024, with a post on her Instagram account. Stuart went down on one knee beside the Wenatchee River in Leavenworth, Washington. The pair got married a few months ago on Dec. 7, 2025, in a private ceremony in Rhodes, Greece.

Hanna Fairchild shares wholesome moments from husband’s big day

Hanna took to Instagram to share a few snaps from her time on the sidelines during her husband’s game against the Czechs on Saturday. She sported a Taiwanese cap and jersey that tied in the front, over a white top and a pair of grey denims.

She will hope that Stuart continues that form through the rest of the WBC and carries on the momentum into the big leagues. His strong performances can see him make the Guardians’ Opening Day roster.