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D.J. Serna – Outfield/Designated Hitter – Quito Thunderbolts – 79.0% First Ballot

D.J. Serna was a 6’4’’, 195 pound left-handed outfielder from Altagracia de Orituco, Venezuela, a town of around 52,000 in the central part of the country. Serna was known for prolific home run power, smacking 40+ in 12 different seasons and topping 50+ five times. He was also very good at drawing walks with many teams not wanting to risk the long ball. Despite that, Serna did struggle with strikeouts.

He was a solid contact hitter against right-handed pitching with a career 1.000 OPS and 156 wRC+. However, Serna was below average facing lefties with a .729 OPS and 96 wRC+. His power was definitely concentrated on homers, getting only 24 doubles per his 162 game average. Serna also wasn’t going to get extra bases with his legs as he was pathetically slow and clumsy on the basepaths.

Serna’s lack of grace and speed also led to terrible defense throughout his career. He made a bit over half of his starts in the corner outfield, primarily in left, but he was most useful as a designated hitter. Serna was a very hard worker and a vocal leader, but he could be a bit rigid and slow. He had generally good durability and become a popular figure for his towering homers.

His power potential was spotted even as a teenager by an Ecuadoran scout visiting Venezuela. They convinced Serna to come to Quito on a developmental deal signed in December 1994. He spent five years in the Thunderbolts academy, then had a part-time role in 2000 at age 22 with 100 games and 13 starts. Serna was a full-time starter by 2001, although he missed two months to a severe hip strain. He stayed mostly healthy after that and was a full-timer in Quito for the next 12 years.

2002 started a six-year streak of 40 home run seasons and a seven-year stretch of 100+ RBI efforts. Serna topped an OPS of one in four of these seasons and had five seasons above 5+ WAR. He took his first Silver Slugger in 2003 in left field with his second in 2005. It was the 2005 campaign that launched Serna into the spotlight, mainly because he launched the ball

Serna became the 11^th player to that point to reach 63 home runs. He also led in runs (125), RBI (140), total bases (424), slugging (.744), OPS (1.106), wRC+ (199), and WAR (9.6); all career highs. Serna also had career bests in batting average (.349), and OBP (.416), winning his lone Bolivar League MVP. Quito ended a nine-year playoff drought and had the top seed, but was upset by La Paz in the divisional series. Serna was 3-15 with one homer in what would sadly be his only postseason.

Quito did make it to the BLCS in 2006, but shoulder inflammation kept Serna out for the final weeks of the season. He was second in MVP voting with 7.1 WAR and a league-best 56 home runs. Serna led in homers again in 2007 with 53 to win his third Silver Slugger. After the season, he inked a seven-year, $58,400,000 extension to remain with Quito. The Thunderbolts were almost never bad in his tenure, but were stuck in the middle tier, averaging 83.3 wins per season during Serna’s run.

The great regret for Serna’s career was the lack of big game experience. He only played in three editions of the World Baseball Championship for his native Venezuela, although he was solid with a .919 OPS and 162 wRC+ from 2006-08. Serna’s overall efficiency fell a bit into his 30s, but he was still a very reliable power bat. Serna reached an OPS above one twice and led the league twice in walks in the back-end of the Quito run.

Serna would become the 16^th Beisbol Sudamerica hitter to reach 600 career home runs in 2014. The season had a rough end though as torn ankle ligaments knocked him out for the second half. Even before the injury, it was by far his weakest full season effort with only 0.6 WAR, 105 wRC+, and .773 OPS over 101 games. Serna became a free agent after that heading towards age 37.

BSA teams thought his best days were gone, thus Serna had to open up his search parameters. He found a home in Lebanon on a three-year, $14,640,000 deal with the Arab League’s Beirut. Serna had an impressive debut 2015 season, leading the Western Conference in home runs (59), slugging (.672), and OPS (1.038). This earned him a third place in MVP voting.

Serna couldn’t quite replicate that in 2016, but still was solid with 4.3 WAR and 42 home runs, getting home over 700 homers for his combined pro career. He would struggle in 2017 and get benched, posting -0.3 WAR and a .684 OPS over 106 games. With Beirut, Serna had 340 hits, 214 runs, 61 doubles, 123 home runs, 259 RBI, .894 OPS, 146 wRC+, and 9.6 WAR. He looked for a home in 2018, but went unsigned and retired at age 40. Upon this news, Quito brought him back to retire his #8 uniform for his impressive service.

With Quito, Serna had 2054 hits, 1268 runs, 307 doubles, 612 home runs, 1426 RBI, 847 walks, a .288/.363/.595 slash, .957 OPS, 145 wRC+, and 61.8 WAR. As of 2037, Serna ranks 23^rd in home runs, 85^th in runs, 55^th in RBI, and 46^th in walks. He doesn’t crack the top 100 in WAR among position players though, hurt by his porous defense and baserunning. Still, among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Serna ranks 53^rd in slugging and 63^rd in OPS.

For his combined pro career, Serna had 2394 hits, 1482 runs, 368 doubles, 735 home runs, 1685 RBI, 1012 walks, a .281/.357/.590 slash, 145 wRC+, and 71.4 WAR. There were a few voters that marked him down for the lack of team success and for being a DH/poor defender. However, most agreed that Serna’s dominant power made him one of the most feared sluggers of his era. That got him to the first ballot at 79.0% as the third of four players in BSA’s impressive 2020 Hall of Fame class.



Cristobal “Thrash” Nava – Closer – Maracaibo Mariners – 70.4% First Ballot

Cristobal Nava was a 6’7’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from San Cristobal, Venezuela; a city of 282,000 people located near the Colombian border. Nava’s stuff was absolutely filthy despite having merely below average movement or stuff. His 96-98 mph fastball was tough to hit, but his changeup was stellar. Nava’s ability to change speeds and make both pitches look the same out of his hand often covered for his other deficiencies.

Nava graded as a strong defensive pitcher who was average at holding runners. He had excellent durability and was almost always available over his 18-year career. Nava was also a team captain and a highly respected leader. Teammates and coaches noted his intelligence, loyalty, and work ethic. These skills made him stand out entering the 1996 BSA Draft more than most relievers would. Nava was picked early in the second round, 36^th overall, by Maracaibo.

The Mariners made Nava the closer right away and he held that role for a decade. Saves weren’t the easiest to come by as Maracaibo was hot garbage throughout Nava’s tenure. They averaged 71.2 wins per season and only finished above .500 once, going 82-80 in 2005. Still, Nava had five seasons with 30+ saves, topped 4+ WAR thrice, and had a sub-two ERA five times. His only time leading in saves came in 2002 with 32.

Nava won Reliever of the Year in 2001, posting a 1.34 ERA, 34 saves, 123 strikeouts, and 3.8 WAR. His best ERA was 1.06 in 2000 and his highest WAR (4.6) and strikeout totals (148) came in 2002. Nava was second in Reliever of the Year voting in 1997, 1998, 2000, 2004, and 2006. He finished third in 1999 and 2002. In total for Maracaibo, Nava had 288 saves and 319 shutdowns, a 2.23 ERA, 749.1 innings, 1306 strikeouts, 240 walks, 176 ERA+, and 34.8 WAR.

He was also a regular for Venezuela in the World Baseball Championship with 70 appearances from 1997-2013. In that stretch, Nava had a 3.83 ERA over 89.1 innings, 40 saves, 7-8 record, 183 strikeouts, 53 walks, 95 ERA+, and 1.2 WAR. Nava continued to pitch for his country even after he stopped playing for Venezuelan based teams.

Nava’s Maracaibo run ended after the 2006 season with free agency at age 32. Appreciative of his efforts, the Mariners would retire his #11 uniform at the end of his career. Nava’s next move was a two-year, $7,520,000 deal with Bogota. He won his second Reliever of the Year in his Bats debut with 38 saves, 1.52 ERA, 77 innings, 131 strikeouts, and 3.9 WAR. Bogota got the top seed in the Bolivar League at 106-56, but went one-and-done in the playoffs.

In 2008, Nava was moved out of the closer role, but was still effective in 32.2 innings. In total for Bogota, he had 40 saves, a 1.56 ERA, 109.2 innings, 180 strikeouts, 261 ERA+, and 5.2 WAR. Next, Nava signed a two-year, $8,000,000 deal with Asuncion. The Archers used him in a setup role in 2009 with a 2.22 ERA over 52.2 innings with 1.6 WAR. They would buy out the team option year, sending Nava back to free agency at age 35.

Nava ended up finding a job in Major League Baseball, heading to the United States on a two-year, $13,400,000 deal with Cincinnati. He was below average in 69 innings in 2010 with 4.04 WAR in middle relief. Nava was looking better with a 2.42 ERA in 48.1 innings in 2011, but the Reds traded him at the deadline. He had a 3.38 ERA over 117.1 innings, 162 strikeouts, 100 ERA+, and 1.5 WAR in total with Cincinnati.

He was traded to Baltimore, posting a 3.45 ERA over 28.2 innings in the second half. Nava did post 4.2 scoreless playoff innings for the Orioles, although they had a first round exit. This ended his MLB tenure as he looked back at Beisbol Sudamerica. Brasilia gave the 37-year old Nava a look at $11,500,000 over two years.

Nava returned to the closer role for the first time since 2012 with decent results for the Bearcats, posting 66 saves over 143.2 innings, 2.76 ERA, 247 strikeouts, 132 ERA+, and 3.6 WAR. Brasilia got to the Southern Cone Championship in 2012, but fell to Concepcion. Nava had four saves in seven playoff appearances with a 3.65 ERA over 12.1 innings.

A free agent yet again, Nava pitched one final season with Maturin. He struggled with a 4.47 ERA over 56.1 innings with the Makos. He only got one save, which kept him three short from 400 in his career. Nava decided to retire after the 2014 campaign at age 40.

In BSA, Nava had a 95-103 record, 397 saves and 478 shutdowns, 2.35 ERA, 1111.2 innings, 1913 strikeouts, 330 walks, 165 ERA+, and 46.5 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 10^th in saves. Amongst BSA Hall of Fame relievers, he’s 8^th in WAR, 3^rd in strikeouts, and 15^th in ERA. Against all pitchers with 1000+ career innings, Nava’s ERA is 52^nd and his .590 opponent’s OPS is 65^th.

Many other HOF relievers have more dominant stats, but Nava’s longevity and leadership impressed a lot of voters. He was also consistently a top three closer for his entire Maracaibo run. This got Nava to 70.4%, just enough for a first ballot induction to finish off Beisbol Sudamerica’s four-player 2020 class.