OOTP Developments Forums - Baseball: The World's Game

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The top two records in the Northern Conference came from the Central Division with Rotterdam (106-56) outracing Hanover (100-62) for the top spot. The Ravens earned their fifth consecutive division title while the Hitmen were a wild card for the third year running. It was the fourth straight 100+ win season for Rotterdam, who led all of the European Baseball Federation in runs scored (844) and led the conference in fewest allowed (566).

The West and East Division races were both intense for the #2 seed, division titles, and wild card slot. Stockholm at 98-64 won the East in a triumphant return to the Elite Tier, as the Swordsmen were the European Second League’s runner-up in 2024. This was the first playoff berth in the top flight for the Swedish capital since 1993. They finished four games ahead of Berlin and 4.5 ahead of Kharkiv for the division.

Reigning Baseball Grand Champion and three-time defending conference champ Dublin kept their West Division title streak alive at six seasons, albeit narrowly at 97-65. It was a drop from their three straight 110+ win campaigns, finishing 4.5 games ahead of Birmingham and five better than Glasgow. Both teams were right in the mix for the remaining two wild cards along with numerous other squads.

Berlin at 94-68 got the second spot for their second wild card in three years. The final spot had a tie at 93-69 between Kharkiv and Birmingham, which falling just short were Glasgow (92-70), Amsterdam (91-71), Hamburg (89-73), and Frankfurt (88-74). The Killer Bees beat the regular Bees in the tiebreaker game to give Kharkiv repeat playoff trips.

Three teams breached the 100+ loss threshold to suffer relegation in 2025. Riga was the clear bottom team at 53-109, while Nottingham (61-101) and Edinburgh (62-100) both narrowly suffered demotion. Tallinn (63-99), Antwerp (66-96), and Manchester (66-96) each struggled also, but escaped relegation. The Roosters and North Stars both only lasted two years in their EBF Elite stints. The Enforcers’ run lasted a solid 16 seasons with three playoff trips, although they had generally been a mid-level team.

Northern Conference MVP went to Rotterdam CF Kamil Bufka, who also won his third Gold Glove. The 26-year old Czech lefty led in runs (129), home runs (56), total bases (434), slugging (.716), OPS (1.103), wRC+ (198), and WAR (11.1). Bufka added 199 hits, 25 doubles, 21 triples, 125 RBI, and 61 stolen bases. The Ravens would lock him up to be their long-term star in July 2027 at eight years and $222,200,000.

Fourth-year Glasgow lefty Todd McBride snagged Pitcher of the Year. The 25-year old Englishman led in WHIP (0.92) and shutouts (6). McBride had a 20-6 record, 2.54 ERA, 223.1 innings, 233 strikeouts, 153 ERA+, and 7.1 WAR.

Dublin’s reign atop the Northern Conference ended as Kharkiv swept the Dinos in the first round. Berlin swept Hanover on the other side, but the top seeds held in round two. Rotterdam outlasted the Killer Bees 3-2 and Stockholm bested the Barons 3-1. It was the third straight Northern Conference Championship trip for the Ravens, but they hadn’t won the pennant since 1992. The Swordsmen had last made the conference final in 1993 and last won it in 1982.

Rotterdam stopped Stockholm 4-2 to get the Ravens over the hump, becoming six-time Northern Conference champ (1969, 1972, 1977, 1980, 1992, 2025). They also were the first Dutch finalist since Amsterdam in 2016. While Stockholm fell short, they had plenty of momentum to success after returning to the EBF Elite for the first time in eight years.

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The Southern Conference runner-up the past two seasons Zagreb took the top seed at 108-54 in 2025. The Gulls’ playoff streak grew to six with their third division title and fifth 100+ win season of that run. Zagreb was the conference leader in runs scored with 808. Naples was ten back in the Central Division at 98-64, but that was enough to get the second wild card. The Nobles have earned four playoff trips since returning to the EBF Elite in 2019.

In a strong West Division, Munich (100-62) narrowly held off Zurich (99-63) to give the Mavericks five straight division titles. It was Munich’s sixth straight playoff trip as well. The Mountaineers were the first wild card for their third consecutive postseason berth and their ninth in ten years. Defending European Champion Chisinau earned their third straight East Division title at 94-68. The Counts were nine games ahead of second place Odesa, but 85-77 was a solid debut season as the Drifters were last year’s E2L champ.

Seville was third in the West at 93-69, picking up the final wild card over Zaragoza (90-72), and Malta (89-73). The Stingrays earned their second wild card in three years. For the historically inept Marvels, 89 wins set a new franchise record. They were still the only original EBF team to never make the playoffs in the league’s 76 year history. The Gold Hawks notably allowed the fewest runs in EBF at 547.

The Southern Conference also had multiple relegated teams with Thessaloniki (60-102) and Bucharest (62-100) both losing triple-digits. Tirana was the next closest at 66-96, but survived. The Tritons had been a success story amongst the E2L originals and won the pennant in 2017. They got relegated for 2023, but got right back after one year. The return sadly lasted only two years for Thessaloniki. Meanwhile, this was the first relegation for the Broncos since leaving Eurasian Professional Baseball, who had generally hovered around the mid-tier with 79.9 wins per season in EBF.

Leading Zagreb’s efforts was Southern League MVP Ludevit Dano. The 36-year old Slovak third baseman was in his second year with the Gulls, having played previously 12 years for Zurich. Dano led in runs (124), homers (55), and WAR (8.5). He added 183 hits, .965 OPS, and 172 wRC+.

Madrid was a forgettable 77-85, but they had the Pitcher of the Year Griffin Arnall. The 30-year old Irish lefty signed for six years and $98,600,000 with the Conquistadors in 2024 after eight seasons with Lisbon. Arnall led in ERA (2.21), and quality starts (24). He added an 18-6 record and 270 strikeouts over 232.1 innings with 169 ERA+ and 6.6 WAR.

Zurich topped Naples 2-0 and Chisinau downed Seville 2-0 in the first round. The Mountaineers then stunned top seed Zagreb 3-1 in round two to earn their first Southern Conference Championship trip since 2020. The bad postseason results continued for the Gulls, who had no pennants in the last six years despite five 100+ win seasons. Munich held firm 3-1 against defending EBF champ Chisinau, sending the Mavericks to their fifth conference final in six years.

The Mavericks seemed well on their way by starting the series up 3-0, but Zurich rallied to take the series in seven. It was the third rally from down 3-0 in Southern Conference Championship history, joining 1961 and 1967. The Mountaineers earned their third pennant in a decade (2016, 2019, 2025) and their 12th overall, which leads all EBF teams.

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The 76th European Championship was the second finals meeting between Rotterdam and Zurich with the Ravens winning back in 1980. Both teams’ historic finals results continued on a similar path Rotterdam rolled the Mountaineers with a sweep. The Ravens were now 6-0 all-time in the finals and ended a 32-year title drought. For Zurich, they fell to 3-9 in the European Championship.

Finals MVP was 3B Jyriki Vartiainen, best known for his Gold Glove defense and not his bat. The 27-year old from Finland started 15 playoff games with 15 hits, 10 runs, 6 doubles, and 5 RBI. Rotterdam now had the second-most EBF rings behind only Dublin’s seven. The Ravens were the only franchise in all of pro baseball to be unbeaten in the championship and have six titles. The cup returned to Amsterdam for the first time since Rotterdam’s 1992 title.

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Other notes: The incredible Harvey Coyle played his 20th and final season with Oslo, finishing the season with an absurd 205.4 career WAR. He became only the 3rd in all of pro baseball history with 200+ WAR, passing world strikeout king Mohamed Ramos (205.1) of Besibol Sudamerica for 2nd. The only player still in front of him was OBA/MLB legend Jimmy Caliw at 214. Like Coyle, Caliw combined excellent batting at shortstop with tremendous defense.

Coyle finished his age 38 season with an EBF-best 951 home runs, along with 1844 runs, 3134 hits, and 2152 RBI. He passed Jack Kennedy’s 2017 for third on the RBI list and now ranked 7th in runs and 10th in hits in EBF. After an incredible run as the face of Oslo (and European baseball generally), Coyle would be traded in the offseason to Birmingham for prospects.

EBF hit king Jiri Lebr played his final season at age 44 with Thessaloniki. He was best known for a 17-year run with Budapest before bouncing between five teams in his final six seasons. He also had a one-year stint in MLB in there for Washington. Lebr left as EBF’s leader in hits (4494), singles (3198), games (3426), at-bats (13,238), and RBI (2346); marks he still holds as of 2037.

Counting his one MLB season, Lebr retired with 4651 professional hits, second in world history behind only Prometheo Garcia’s 4917 between CABA/MLB. Lebr was also just behind Garcia in at-bats, 6th in games played, and 7th in RBI. He showed the value of consistency and ironman durability, as Lebr won only two Silver Sluggers and was only an MVP finalist twice. His 123.19 WAR ranks 15th among EBF position players as of 2037.

In other milestones, Omer Kadri Nesin was the 22nd to reach 1500 runs scored and the 41st to 2500 hits. Nico Tofani became the 29th to 1500 RBI. Ludevit Dano was the 38th member of the 500 home run club and Forest Campbell was the 40th pitcher to 200 wins. OF Theofilos Psarras won his 10th Silver Slugger. Riga’s Ales Dabrowski on June 4 went 7-9 against Nottingham, becoming only the third in EBF history to post a seven-hit game. Across all world leagues to that point, it was only the 14th seven-hit game.

Promotion/Relegation: Things would be a mess as Bucharest, Thessaloniki, Riga, Edinburgh, and Nottingham were each relegated to the European Second League after losing 100+ games. Earning promotion was E2L champ Luxembourg, runner-up Sofia, semifinalists Marseille and Kyiv, and the top record holding Tbilisi. See the image below for the realignment prompted by 2025’s results.

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FuzzyRussianHat

02-14-2025 06:41 PM

2025 in BSA

Beisbol Sudamerica had used a 26-player active roster size since 1995, the largest of any of the world leagues. However, they announced the lowering of the roster to 25 beginning with the 2025 season. Several leagues were at 25 with a few even lower. Most leagues still had very large reserve rosters at their disposal to quickly swap players around.

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Barranquilla took the Bolivar League’s top seed at 107-55 with a franchise record season. The Blues’ playoff streak grew to four with their third Colombia-Ecuador Division title in that run. Santa Cruz repeated as Peru-Bolivia Division champ at 103-59 and led the league in scoring with 829 runs. After seeing their Venezuela Division title streak end at seven seasons in 2024, Caracas returned to the top spot at 91-71. All three division champs took first by double-digit wins.

Four teams fought over the two wild card spots. Guayaquil got the first one at 92-70 to end a three-year playoff drought. Defending Copa Sudamerica winner Quito and La Paz tied for the second spot at 91-71 while Arequipa just missed at 88-74. The Thunderbolts defeated the Pump Jacks in the tiebreaker game to keep their repeat hopes intact. Despite missing the cut, the Arrows allowed the fewest runs at 597. La Paz notably set a new BSA team record with 521 stolen bases. Cali’s three-year playoff steak also ended with the Cyclones falling to 71-91.

Arequipa 1B Paco Amorim earned Bolivar League MVP, leading the league in runs (116), walks (96), on-base percentage (.452), OPS (1.115), wRC+ (190), and WAR (9.3). The 25-year old Brazilian added 203 hits, 45 home runs, 97 RBI, and 30 doubles. Amorim was already in his seventh season with the Arrows and had finished second in MVP voting in both 2023 and 2024.

Santa Cruz’s Bartolo Flores repeated as Pitcher of the Year, becoming a three-time winner. He posted the 13th Triple Crown pitching season in BSA history and only the third of the 21st Century with a 22-6 record, 2.31 ERA, and 359 strikeouts. It was the fifth straight year that Flores led in strikeouts. The 27-year old Ecuadoran also led in WHIP (0.92) and quality starts (26) for 8.1 WAR and 175 ERA+ over 256.2 innings.

Quito edged Caracas 2-1 in the first round, then had their repeat bid snuffed out in the divisional series 3-1 by top seed Barranquilla. The Thunderbolts had ousted the Blues the prior year in what was Barranquilla’s first-ever trip to the Bolivar League Championship Series. Guayaquil upset Santa Cruz 3-1 on the other side of the bracket, giving the Golds their first BLCS trip since 2017.

The series was a seven game classic with the top-seeded Blues surviving a feisty challenge by Guayaquil. Barranquilla was the first Colombian team to win the Bolivar League since Medellin in 2014, which was the longest drought the country had ever seen. With the Blues’ first title, all three BL expansion teams from 2009 have now won a pennant.

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The Southern Cone League had a tight field as the top four playoff teams were separated by only four wins. The top two records both came out of the South Central Division with Santiago at 99-63 and Concepcion at 97-65. The Saints division title streak grew to six seasons with their tenth playoff berth in 11 years. The Chiefs’ playoff streak grew to four with their ninth berth in a decade. Concepcion allowed the fewest runs in all of BSA at 531. Santiago has now posted 17 consecutive winning seasons and the Chiefs have posted 15.

Fortaleza won the North Division at 96-66 to extend their playoff streak to five with their third division title of the run. In the Southeast Division, defending league champ Sao Paulo was the only winning team at 95-67. The Padres picked up their third division title in four seasons.

For the second wild card, Asuncion (89-73) edged out Belo Horizonte (86-76) and Manaus (86-76). The Archers were the only team in the Southern Cone League playoff field who wasn’t in it the prior year, ending a five-year drought. Asuncion was the league’s top scoring team with 783 runs.

In only his second season, Santiago two-way player Will Arocha earned Southern Cone League MVP. On the mound, the 24-year old Chilean righty led in wins (19-6), innings (256.1), and complete games (15). He posted a 2.95 ERA, 251 strikeouts, 126 ERA+, and 6.6 WAR.

Arocha also played 88 games at second base and posted 4.5 WAR offensively over 126 total games, leading the league with 23 triples. He’s likely the only player in world history to lead in pitching wins and triples in the same season. Arocha had .928 OPS, 161 wRC+, 80 runs, 18 homers, and 48 stolen bases. The Saints had gotten a steal by picking him 40th overall in the 2023 BSA Draft.

Concepcion righty Agostino Cortez won his second Pitcher of the Year, having previously done it in 2018. It was an impressive bounce-back for the 31-year old Chilean, as he missed all of 2024 to elbow ligament reconstruction surgery. For 2025, Cortez led in ERA (2.25), wins (19-9), complete games (15), shutouts (4), and FIP- (65). He struck out 227 over 231.2 innings for 164 ERA+ and 7.1 WAR.

Sao Paulo beat Asuncion 2-0 in the first round, then upset top seed Santiago 3-2 in the divisional series to keep their repeat hopes intact. The Saints’ general poor playoff luck continued as they’ve made the playoffs 12 times since 2011, but only thrice gotten beyond the divisional series with only one title in 2020. Fortaleza defeated Conception 3-1 to set up a Southern Cone League Championship rematch.

The Foxes got revenge for their 2024 defeat, stopping Sao Paulo 4-2 to win their third pennant in five years. It was Fortaleza’s 13th pennant overall and their sixth of the 21st Century, leading all teams. Despite the defeat, the Padres still have the most Southern Cone crowns at 15.

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Fortaleza still couldn’t get over the final hump, losing in Copa Sudamerica for the fourth straight appearance. The 95th finale went to first-time champ Barranquilla 4-1, becoming the 27th different franchise to win the cup and the first of the 2009 expansion teams. The Foxes are now 4-9 all-time in their finals trips, tying them with Caracas and Sao Paulo for the most runner-up finishes.

LF Emerson Acosta was the star of the playoffs, winning BLCS and finals MVP for Barranquilla. The 30-year old Colombian in 16 playoff starts had 26 hits, 12 runs, 5 doubles, 3 triples, 3 homers, 10 RBI, 1.069 OPS, and 1.0 WAR. With the result, the last five cup wins have gone to Bolivar League teams, although the Blues were the first winner from Colombia since Medellin in 2014.

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Other notes: Niccolo Coelho became the all-time leader in runs scored in BSA and the first to crack 2000, passing Milton Becker’s record 1980 runs. As of 2037, Coelho is one of 33 in all of world history with 2000+ runs. He also in 2025 became the 3rd in Beisbol Sudamerica to reach 3500 hits. At age 42, he was still worth 5.3 WAR in his 20th season for Recife, finishing the season at 3564 hits, 2030 runs, 878 home runs, 2140 RBI, and 163 WAR.

Coelho was already the WAR leader among BSA position players and was only 376 hits, 86 RBI, and 63 homers away from the top spots. Coelho passed Valor Melo’s 870 homers to move into the #2 slot behind Becker’s 941. Only Becker had more RBI (2226) while Owen Arcia (3940) and Javier Herrera (3597) remained ahead in hits. Coelho became the ninth with 3000+ games played in BSA in 2025 and planned on returning for 2026.

Ciudad Guayana’s Juan Rizo went 7-7 against Maturin on June 1, joining Mateo Salinas as the only players with a seven-hit game in BSA history. Through 2025, there have been only 14 seven-hit games in pro baseball history. Michael Escalante was the 22nd to score 1500 career runs. He and three others got to 2500 hits, a mark now achieved by 76 BSA batters. Cicero Lugo became the 15th BSA player to 3000 hits and the first catcher in all of baseball history to reach the mark. Ivan Sandoval was the 15th pitcher to 250 wins and the 52nd to 3500 strikeouts. Lope Martinez was the 67th pitcher to 200 wins.

FuzzyRussianHat

02-15-2025 07:32 AM

2025 EAB Expansion

FuzzyRussianHat

02-15-2025 12:01 PM

2025 in EAB

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Saitama was moved from the North Division to the Capital Division in 2025 and settled in nicely to their new home. The Sting had the Japan League’s best record at 101-61 for their third playoff berth in five years. They finished six games ahead of Chiba, while last year’s division winner Tokyo dropped to 79-83. The #2 seed went to Fukuoka, who won their sixth consecutive West Division at 99-63. The Frogs were five wins better than Kumamoto.

Kobe at 98-64 barely won the Central Division and was only three games away from the top seed. The Blaze won their third consecutive division title. Osaka (97-65) and Nagoya (94-69) were both close behind the Blaze in the Central. The Orange Sox and 96-68 Chiba picked up the two wild cards, while the Nightowls and 94-69 Monsters were the first teams out. Osaka ended a four-year playoff drought and the Comets got their second berth in three years. The Orange Sox notably outperformed their expected win/loss by 11 games.

The big turnaround came from Niigata, winning the North Division at 91-71 over reigning East Asian Baseball champ Sapporo at 87-75. The Green Dragons snapped a 14-year playoff drought, which was the longest active skid in the Japan League. They hadn’t been above .500 since 2018. Kumamoto now has the longest active drought as theirs grew to 14. Niigata led the league in scoring with 709 runs and Chiba allowed the fewest at 497.

Leading Niigata’s offense was 1B To****sugu Kobayashi, who repeated as Japan League MVP. The 26-year old lefty led in hits (222), batting average (.367), on-base percentage (.427), wRC+ (222), and WAR (10.5). Kobayashi added 109 runs, 39 doubles, 28 homers, 102 RBI, and 1.020 OPS. It would be the final season in Japan for the 6’7’’ slugger, who departed for Major League Baseball in the offseason on an eight-year, $233,400,000 deal with Philadelphia.

Veteran lefty Nobuyoshi Yamauchi won his third Pitcher of the Year in his first season for Kobe. He had spent the prior 13 years with Osaka, winning the top honor way back in 2015 and 2017. Many were shocked when the Orange Sox traded him to their divisional foe Blaze in March, especially since he had still pitched respectably, including an ERA title the prior year.

Yamauchi was in the last year of his deal and Osaka wasn’t sure he’d stay. Kobe locked him up to a four-year, $96,800,000 extension after his 2025 resurgence. Yamauchi led in WHIP (0.85), quality starts (25), and shutouts (4). He posted a 2.07 ERA over 261 innings, 297 strikeouts, 20-6 record, 155 ERA+, and 7.4 WAR.

In the brand new wild card round, both division winners advanced over the wild card teams with Niigata over Osaka 2-1 and Kobe over Chiba 2-0. Top seed Saitama ousted the Green Dragons 3-1 in the divisional series while the Blaze upset Fukuoka 3-2.

Kobe hadn’t gotten to the Japan League Championship Series since all the way back in 1994 with a pennant drought back to 1984. The Sting had made it to the JLCS in 2021, but their lone title was nearly a century prior in 1930. Few were even alive to remember Saitama as Japan League champ since it happened before World War II. Incidentally, the Sting’s 1930 JCLS win came over the Blaze.

The series went all seven games for the first time since 2019. For only the second time in JLCS history (1987), all seven games were won by the home team. This allowed the top seed Saitama to defeat Kobe and end their 94-year Japan League title drought.

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Two-time defending Korea League champ Busan repeated as the top seed by winning the South Division at 98-64. The Blue Jays grew their playoff streak to six with their fourth division title of the run. It wasn’t a cakewalk though as the next best two records in the KL were right behind them in the South.

Changwon (94-68) and Daegu (93-69) took the first two wild cards to continue both teams’ general recent success. The Crabs playoff streak grew to five with their ninth berth in a decade. The Diamondbacks secured their third playoff trip in four years. It was Daegu who led the league in scoring in 2025 with 790 runs.

Bucheon allowed the fewest runs (565), enabling them to win the North Division at 92-70. It was the second division title in three years for the Bolts. Hamhung was second at 88-74, which was good enough to get the new third wild card slot over Yongin (86-76), Suwon (85-77), Pyongyang (83-79), and Goyang (82-80). The Heat ended a four-year postseason drought. Last year’s North Division champ Seongnam collapsed to 68-94, their first losing season since 2013.

After earning a wild card in 2024, Gwangju fell to 72-90 in 2025. That didn’t stop 1B Han Yi from repeating as Korea League MVP. The 24-year old lefty led in hits (201), homers (58), RBI (133), total bases (409), slugging (.682), OPS (1.068), wRC+ (186), and WAR (8.9). Yi had 108 runs with a .335 average and .386 OBP.

Pitcher of the Year went to Kwang-Il Chang in his second year with Busan. He joined the Blue Jays for 2024 on a six-year, $121,200,000 following runs with Bucheon and Incheon. The 30-year old lefty led in wins (23-5), and WHIP (0.85). Chang posted a 2.36 ERA over 252 innings with 281 strikeouts, 159 ERA+, and 6.9 WAR.

Daegu edged Hamhung 2-1 in the wild card round, then carried the momentum into a shocking divisional series sweep of defending champion Busan. This gave the Diamondbacks their third Korea League Championship Series trip in four years. Bucheon outlasted Changwon 3-2 on the other side for the Bolts’ first KLCS trip since 2012. Bucheon had home field advantage as a division winner, but Daegu won the KLCS 4-2 for their second pennant in four years. The Diamondbacks lead all teams with 16 Korea League crowns to their name.

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Although the 105th East Asian Championship had a finals “regular” in Daegu, it was Saitama rolling to their first-ever championship 4-1. The Sting became the 27th different EAB franchise to win it all. This left Suwon and Daejeon as the only of EAB’s original teams to never win it all through 105 seasons. The Snappers have at least made it to the finals thrice, while the Ducks never have.

Finals MVP was 1B Masakazu Sunagawa, who returned to Saitama in 2025 as a free agent. He had been drafted by the Sting in 2017, but was traded for 2021 to Tokyo. In 16 playoff starts, the 30-year old three-time Gold Glove winner had 16 hits, 10 runs, 1 double, 3 triples, 6 home runs, and 14 RBI. Sunagawa also hit for the cycle during the series.

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Saitama matched MLB’s Seattle Grizzlies for the longest time in pro baseball history between a franchise’s founding and its first overall championship at 105 years. Right behind was CABA’s Nicaragua Navigators, who finally won it all in their 104th season.

Other notes: 2025 was the final season for seven-time MVP Hitoshi Kubota at age 43, who struggled in 75 games for Kyoto in his 24th season. The long-time Hiroshima LF joined Soo-Geun Yim as the only members of EAB’s 900 home run club, but his 905 fell short of Yim’s record 921.

Kubota’s 2098 RBI, 153.3 offensive WAR, and 1956 runs were each second on the leaderboard at retirement. Byung-Oh Tan remained the runs leader (2010), Yim the RBI king (2279), and Sosuke Hoshizawa the WARlord (156.9). Kubota also retied fifth in hits with 3408 and had a blistering 196 wRC+ for his career, putting himself in the conversation for EAB’s greatest ever player and for the Japanese GOAT.

In other milestones, Jae-A Choi became the 34th to score 1500 runs. He and Yeo-San Park reached 500 home runs to make that a 73-player club. Toshikuni Naikai became the 42nd pitcher to 3500 strikeouts. 67 pitchers were now at 200+ wins with the additions of Il-Hwan Lee, Yun-Jae Paek, Jong-Dae Om, and Hiroshi Yama****a in 2025.

RF Kunihiko Ishiguro won his 9th Silver Slugger. SS Min-Jae Lim earned his 8th Slugger and 2B Dae-Eui Ha got his 7th. Saitama’s Si-Won Joon set a bad playoff record by allowing 45 hits, although part of that was a function of tossing 37.1 innings. He had a 4.10 ERA with 44 strikeouts. Gwangju’s Seung-Ho Lee tossed his second no-hitter.

FuzzyRussianHat

02-15-2025 06:35 PM

2025 CABA Expansion

FuzzyRussianHat

02-16-2025 06:42 AM

2025 in CABA

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Juarez and Mexico City remained the top squads in the Mexican League’s divisional standings. The Jesters took the top seed at 103-59, earning a fourth consecutive North Division title, their 12th straight playoff berth, and their 14th berth in 15 years. The Aztecs won the South Division at 100-62 for their fifth straight playoff trip and their fourth division title of that run.

They were the top two scoring teams with MC at 866 runs and Juarez at 808. Mexico City’s 866 runs and .499 team slugging percentage were both the second-highest in ML history behind only their 891 and .516 from the prior season. Both teams won their division by double-digit games as Guadalajara (90-72) was the only other team even above 90 wins. The Hellhounds earned the first wild card to end a seven year stretch of losing seasons. It was only Guadalajara’s second playoff berth of 21st Century.

Puebla (88-74) picked up the second wild card for their second postseason berth in three years. Leon (86-77), and Queretaro (85-78) secured the final two spots with Hermosillo, Mexicali, and reigning ML champ Tijuana each just behind at 84-78. The Lions snapped a four-year playoff drought and the Terriers ended an eight-year skid. Although just short of the playoffs, the Maroons allowed the fewest runs at 494, pushing them to their first winning season since 2009.

Mexico City 1B Franklin Madrid repeated as Mexican League MVP with another all-time great season. He smacked 71 home runs, one short of the CABA record 72 reached by Darion Gaudi (2006) and Yohnny Galaz (1988). The 25-year old Cuban again was the WARlord at 12.6 and posted a 1.204 OPS, the fifth-best single-season qualifying OPS in CABA history. His 480 total bases fell one short of the single-season record he set the prior year.

Madrid also was the league leader in runs (134), slugging (.782), and wRC+ (255). He added 234 hits, 25 doubles, a .381 average, and .422 on-base percentage. Madrid’s average was second to Queretaro’s Roberto Sanchez (.394), denying a repeat Triple Crown. In April, the Aztecs signed Madrid to an eight-year, $154,700,000 extension. Sanchez also notably hit 59 doubles, breaking the previous CABA record of 55 by Diego Sierra from 1951.

Tijuana’s Richard Wright won his fifth Pitcher of the Year in six seasons and earned his second Triple Crown with a 22-8 record, 2.01 ERA, and 375 strikeouts. It was a new strikeout high for the 27-year old Jamaican and his sixth consecutive ERA title. Wright pitched 255 innings and led in WHIP (0.82), quality starts (25), complete games (18), shutouts (4), ERA+ (174), FIP- (44), and WAR (11.4).

In the first round, Guadalajara edged Queretaro 2-1 and Puebla edged Leon 2-1. Both division champs rolled to 3-0 sweeps in round two with Juarez over the Pumas and Mexico City over the Hellhounds. The Jesters remarkably earned their seventh straight trip to the Mexican League Championship Series and their 12th since 2014. It was the second in three years for the Aztecs, who won it all in 2023.

The rematch went all seven games with Juarez outlasting Mexico City for their third pennant in six years. The Jesters also picked up their seventh title in 14 years and ninth since 2005. With 18 total Mexican League titles, Juarez was now tied with Monterrey for the most.

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Reigning Central American Baseball Association champ and three-time defending Caribbean League champ Guatemala finished 115-47 for the third-best record in CL history. This was behind the 118-44 record reached by Guatemala in 1969 and Jamaica in 1933. The Ghosts had the fewest runs allowed in the CL at 555 and posted a +300 run differential. Guatemala won a fifth consecutive division title and the first in the new Central Division post realignment.

The new division also saw a strong power effort by Honduras at 101-61, who took the first wild card for their third consecutive wild card. The Horsemen set new CABA all-time team records for home runs (301) and slugging percentage (.518). With that, they led in scoring with 910 runs.

The #2 seed and bye went to West Division champ Santo Domingo at 108-54. The Dolphins earned their third playoff berth in four years, but it was their first division title or 100+ win season since their 2013 pennant. Meanwhile, only Suriname (92-70) was above .500 in the new East Division with three expansion teams clustered there. The Silverbacks picked up their fourth playoff trip in six seasons.

The remaining two wild cards came out of the West with Bahamas at 98-64 and Havana at 89-73. Last year’s CLCS runner-up Haiti (87-75) and Jamaica (82-80) were the first teams out. For the historically hapless Buccaneers, this is their second-ever playoff appearance (1987) since joining CABA in 1962. The Hurricanes ended a three-year drought.

Caribbean League MVP went to Honduras RF Ortiz Rosales, who led the league in RBI (145), total bases (391), and WAR (9.1). The hometown favorite from Tegucigalpa added 116 runs, 54 homers, a .347/.392/.681 slash, 1.073 OPS, and 180 wRC+. The 25-year old lefty signed an eight-year, $150,200,000 extension in September.

Guatemala’s Israel Montague won his fifth consecutive Pitcher of the Year with arguably the greatest pitching season in CABA history. The 28-year old Panamanian lefty won his fifth straight ERA title and set a new league record among qualifying starts at 1.22. The previous best of 1.24 by Lian Llanes had stood since 1922. Montague also struck out 414 batters, tied for the fifth-best single season in CABA.

Montague got those Ks over 235.1 innings to set a new CABA record for K/9 at 15.83. That K/9 ranks 20th in world history as of 2037. His opponent’s triple slash was .155/.181/.247, which ranked 2nd/1st/9th among qualifying seasons with the .428 OPS ranking third-best in CABA.

He also posted 14.03 WAR, which barely missed the all-time pitching WAR mark in CABA set by Julio Ruiz back in 1912. All but one of the other six 13+ WAR pitching seasons in CABA happened more than a century earlier in a lower-scoring early days CABA. As of 2037, it is the 44th best pitching WAR season in all of world baseball history. In addition, Montague’s 0.63 WHIP tied the single-season record set by Junior Vergara in 1979. He also led in quality starts (26), ERA+ (328), and FIP- (25) and missed the Triple Crown by one win at 25-3.

This effort also landed Montague a second place finish in MVP voting. Guatemala would nail down a seven-year, $172 million extension with Montague the following May. Montague and Richard Wright made it a eight-player club of guys with five or more Pitcher of the Year wins in CABA. Montague joined Junior Vergara as the only ones to earn five consecutively.

Honduras edged Bahamas 2-1 and Suriname swept Havana 2-0 in the first round. The top seeds held in round two with Guatemala surviving a fierce 3-2 challenge from the Horsemen and a 3-1 Santo Domingo win over the Silverbacks. The Ghosts four-peat bid was alive, setting up a rematch of the 2023 Caribbean League Championship Series against the Dolphins. The Dominican capital was trying to snap an 11-year pennant drought.

Guatemala continued to make history as the Ghosts won the CLCS in a seven-game classic over Santo Domingo. It was the second-ever four-peat in the Caribbean League, joining Salvador’s 1996-99 run. The title made the Ghosts 10-time Caribbean champs.

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The 115th CABA Championship was a rematch from 2022, which saw Guatemala defeat Juarez 4-3. They also met in the 1974 final, a 4-1 Ghosts win. Since their 2022 battle, Guatemala lost to Mexico City in the 2023 final followed by a win over Tijuana in 2024. The Jesters had earned recent CABA titles in 2020, 2017, and 2016.

For the first time since 1988, both LCS matchups and the CABA Championship needed all seven games. Juarez got revenge for the previous losses to secure their fourth title in a decade and seventh overall (1977, 1978, 1981, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2025).

Juarez saw an impressive playoff run from 41-year old Matias Esquilin, who posted a playoff run that landed him CLCS MVP. In 17 playoff starts, Esquilin tied the CABA playoff record of 19 RBI, matching Alphanso Keyes’ 2000 effort. In his 21st pro season and 14th with Juarez, Esquilin had 17 hits, 13 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 7 homers, 1.130 OPS, and 1.0 WAR. He now had four championship rings with the Jesters since signing with them back in 2012.

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Other notes: Esquilin also became the first CABA player to reach 1500 career stolen bases and only the ninth in world history to do so. He kept soaring up the leaderboards with his longevity and was already CABA’s runs scored leader. Esquilin got to 6836 total bases, passing Prometheo Garcia’s 6791 for the most in CABA history. Esquiin also now held a bad record with the most strikeouts in CABA at 2741.

Esquilin finished the season at 3773 hits, passing Adrian Tovar for second. He was within striking distance of Garcia’s CABA record of 3871 hits. Notably, Garcia was also the world record holder as his MLB run gave him a combined 4917 hits. Esquilin was now at 3237 CABA games played, second only to Tovar’s 3338. He also finished the season at 599 home runs and was primed to join the 600 club in 2026 at age 42.

Payton Nandin became the 23rd member of the 600 homer club in 2025 while Herve Mickler and Marcelo Campa became the 60th and 61st members of the 500 club. Nandin also became the 36th to reach 1500 career RBI. In pitching milestones, Jamarca Akin became the 12th to record 4000 strikeouts. Ponciano Reyes was the 52nd pitcher to reach 200 wins. RF James Figueroa won his 7th Gold Glove.

FuzzyRussianHat

02-16-2025 11:18 AM

2025 in MLB

2025 was a historic year in Major League Baseball for a number of reasons. Perhaps most significant was the introduction of several rule changes designed to increase scoring. Compared to other world leagues and on the historical scale, the American Association had been considered to have a just above average offensive environment while the National Association sans designated hitter was below average.

The worldwide trend had been to increasing scoring, which seemed to peak fan interest in a lot of other world leagues. The trend also saw an increase specifically in home runs. Many fans were especially excited for 2025 as Detroit’s Isaac Cox was seven home runs short of Cody Lim’s career home run record of 758. Fans were enthralled by Lim passing Elijah Cashman in 2020, surpassing a record that had stood since before World War II.

Although MLB’s environment had never been extreme compared to other leagues, it had seen a small but steady downward trend in scoring over the last century. In the 1930s, the American Association’s league ERA averaged out around 4.08 while the National Association was at 3.82. Both had posted single-season lows in 2012 with the NA at 3.28 and AA at 3.77.

With the changes, the National Association’s league ERA increased from 3.52 in 2024 to 3.97 in 2025, while the American Association went from 3.88 to 4.37. Batting averages also spiked going from .242 to .259 in the NA and .250 to .268 in the AA. This placed both associations in the above average to high scoring ranges for the remainder of the 2020s.

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Cincinnati took the National Association’s top seed at 103-59 to win their sixth consecutive Lower Midwest Division title. It was a competitive race for the #1 spot as both Upper Midwest Division winner Detroit and Northeast Division champ Montreal finished 99-63. East Division champ Washington at 97-65 also was in the mix. The Reds won theirs by double-digits though, while the other three each had fierce battles for first

The toughest was in the Upper Midwest with Minneapolis two behind the Tigers at 97-65. Detroit still held on for their third consecutive division crown and a remarkable 13th division title since 2008. For the Moose, they earned the first wild card and finally snapped a 27-year playoff drought, which had been the second-longest active drought in the National Association.

Defending World Series champ Washington won the East by four games over Raleigh and Montreal took the Northeast by six over Toronto. The Maples repeated as division champs while the Admirals had their third in five years and their third consecutive playoff berth.

Both the Timberwolves and Raptors were 93-69, snagging the remaining wild card slots over Louisville (92-70), Quebec City (91-71), Chicago (86-76), Columbus (86-76), and Wichita (86-76). Raleigh became the first of the NA’s expansion teams from 2021 to earn a playoff spot and allowed the fewest runs at 600. Toronto earned its second wild card in three years. Notably Chicago’s playoff streak ended at five seasons despite the Cubs leading in runs scored at 849. The Lynx painfully fell one game short, which extended the NA’s longest active postseason drought to 39 seasons for Louisville.

Cincinnati 1B Mike Rojas became a four-time National Association MVP, having also won it from 2020-22. He became only the tenth player in MLB history to win 4+ MVPs. The 30-year old righty led in RBI (158), total bases (426), slugging (.728), OPS (1.148), and wRC+ (216). The OPS was the ninth-best single season in MLB to that point. Rojas smacked 57 homers with a .364 average, .420 OBP, 123 runs, 213 hits, and 8.8 WAR. He also won MVP honors of the All-Star game, won his seventh Silver Slugger, and had a 32-game hitting streak in the spring.

Pitcher of the Year went to second-year Grand Rapids righty Vitorio Wada. The 21-year old American-Mexican dual national won the ERA title at 2.26 and led in innings (259), quality starts (24), and shutouts (7). Wada posted 210 strikeouts, 7.3 WAR, 161 ERA+, and a 16-9 record. The Growlers had selected him 6th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft out of Ohio State. Also worth a mention was Columbus’s J.J. Fuller becoming a three-time Reliever of the Year winner.

The first round saw all three division winners win with sweeps; Washington over Minneapolis, Montreal over Raleigh, and Detroit over Toronto. The defending champion Admirals then knocked off top seed Cincinnati on the road 3-1 in round two. That was a rematch of the prior year’s National Association Championship Series. Washington’s win prevented the Reds from a fourth straight appearance.

Detroit swept Montreal on the other side 3-0 for their third NACS appearance in five years. The Tigers then dethroned Washington 4-2 to win their second pennant in five years. Detroit was now a six-time National Association champ (1902, 1911, 1932, 1953, 2021, 2025). Notably, no one was still alive to remember their lone World Series win back in MLB’s second-ever season of 1902.

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Only five wins separated the top seed in the American Association from the weakest wild card. Seattle won the Northwest Division for the third straight year at 99-63 and narrowly secured the bye. They were 14 games better than second place Portland, but had to contend with a stacked Southwest Division in the battle for the #1 seed.

Los Angeles emerged atop the Southwest field at 98-64 and led MLB with 923 runs. The Angels picked up their third division title in five seasons. Right behind were Las Vegas (96-66), Oakland (94-68), and San Francisco (94-68), who each secured wild cards. The Gold Rush and Vipers continued to be playoff regulars with both posting their seventh berth in a decade. SF allowed the fewest runs in the American Association at 662.

For the Owls, they finally ended a 28-year playoff drought for only their playoff appearance in the last 45 years. Oakland’s drought had been the second-longest active one in the AA. Miami had MLB’s longest by a healthy margin, growing to 53 seasons with another losing effort in 2025. Expansion Sacramento also notably had a strong 87-75 effort in only their fifth season in the Southwest. Last year’s division champ and the 2023 pennant winner San Diego missed the cut at 83-79.

Nashville won the Southeast Division at 94-68 to end a two-year playoff skid. It was the sixth berth in a decade for the Knights, who held off Charlotte (90-72), Tampa (88-74) and last year’s winner Orlando (87-75). Those squads had been the next closest in the wild card race.

Defending American Association champ and last year’s top seed Houston had the weakest record of the 2025 playoff teams. Their 91-71 effort still allowed them to repeat as South Central Division champ and earn their third division title in four years. Their closest foe was Austin at 83-79. Two notable runs of winning campaigns came to an end in 2025. Denver fell to 78-84, ending what had been one of MLB’s longest runs at 15 years. New Orleans dropped to 67-95 to snap their own solid nine-year stretch of winning seasons.

Oklahoma City was 81-81, but had the American Association MVP in DH Neil Hollinger. In only his third season, the Lloydminster, Alberta native led in runs (131), hits (230), RBI (157), total bases (451), average (.367), slugging (.720), OPS (1.143), wRC+ (195), and WAR (9.7). He also had 43 doubles, 58 home runs, and a .423 OBP.

Hollinger fell only three homers short of a Triple Crown, which had only been achieved seven times by an MLB hitter. Miami’s Dennis Peters spoiled that with his 61 homer campaign. The NA’s Mathis Vezina also hit 61, making 12 times in MLB history that a slugger has hit 61+ dingers. MLB’s record remained 67 by both Dean Ott (2022) and Killian Fruechte (2012).

Pitcher of the Year went to Los Angeles righty Urbano Coello. The 27-year old Mexican led in WHIP (1.05) and posted a 2.40 ERA over 251.2 innings, 20-5 record, 203 strikeouts, 180 ERA+, and 8.0 WAR. While Coello would pitch another eight years for the Angels, this was sadly his last full season as he’d be plagued with major injuries. Also worthy of mentioning was Memphis’s Vic McCallister winning his third Reliever of the Year.

Houston barely kept their repeat hopes alive, escaping with a 3-2 first round win over Las Vegas. Nashville swept San Francisco while Los Angeles topped Oakland 3-1, moving each division champ forward. The Hornets were promptly swept by Seattle in a rematch of last year’s American Association Championship Series. The Grizzlies earned a third straight trip to the AACS.

The Knights outlasted the Angels 3-2 in round two for a third AACS trip in a decade. Nashville then handled Seattle 4-1 to end a 15 season title drought in Tennessee. The Knights became seven-time American Association champions (1944, 1947, 1954, 2001, 2006, 2009, 2025).

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In the second-ever World Series back in 1902, Detroit defeated Calgary 4-2. Tigers fans back then probably had no idea they’d have to wait until the 125th World Series for their second title. Heck, they probably didn’t even know if baseball would exist that long. When Detroit had last won it all, Theodore Roosevelt had become the first American president to ride in an automobile.

Detroit ended the 122-year drought with a 4-2 victory over Nashville. It was the largest gap between a team’s first and second titles, passing the 110-year wait of the first World Series champ Tampa. Finals MVP was 3B Hidekazu Matsuo in his sixth season with the Tigers. The 35-year old Japanese righty started 17 playoff games with 26 hits, 9 runs, 4 doubles, 1 triple, 4 homers, and 10 RBI.

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Other notes: It was truly a storybook season for Isaac Cox, winning the World Series in his third year with Detroit while becoming the new MLB home run king. He became a rare five-time World Series champ having won four previously with Denver. Cox smacked 37 home runs at age 38 to get to 788 homers, passing Cody Lim’s record of 758.

It wasn’t Cox’s only milestone as he became the 65th member of the 3000 hit club. He was also in striking distance of the 2000 RBI and 2000 runs scored milestones. Cox wouldn’t get to chase the records in Detroit as his deal expired. He would link up with 2021 expansion squad El Paso on a two-year, $28,000,000 deal. Five players reached the 500 home run club in 2025, brining that group to an even 100 in MLB.

Vincent Lepp became only the 9th in MLB history to reach 4000 career strikeouts and the first to do so since 1996. Four would earn their 3000th strikeout, a mark reached by 92 MLB arms. Devin Ormsby became only the 47th to reach 250 career wins. 2025 was the first season since 2003 in MLB to no have a single no-hitter thrown. SS Ledell Pinnock and LF Max Baldwin each won their 9th consecutive Gold Gloves.

Another notable strikeout record was reached by Akira Brady with the eight-time Pitcher of the Year from the Oceania Baseball Association signing with Phoenix in 2025. The 38-year old New Zealander only struck out 159 for the Firebirds, but this got him to a combined 6500+ strikeouts for his pro career. Brady became only the fourth in all of world history to reach that mark.

He also finished the year with 365 total wins, moving to #2 all-time on the world leaderboard. Only Ulices Montero had more with 398 wins from 1913-35 between CABA and MLB. Brady would post middling production in 2026 for Phoenix, then get cut after four appearances in 2027. He went back to OBA for only two more relief appearances later that year. Brady ended with a 382-192 record, 2.52 ERA, 5482 innings, 6725 strikeouts, and 180.4 WAR over his combined career, certainly staking his case as a top five all-time pitcher in world history.

FuzzyRussianHat

02-16-2025 06:00 PM

2025 Baseball Grand Championship

FuzzyRussianHat

02-17-2025 05:49 AM

2026 MLB Hall of Fame (Part 1)

Major League Baseball’s 2026 Hall of Fame class had three players inducted upon their ballot debut. 1B Ju-Won Yoo was the clear headliner at 98.7% and was joined by pitchers Bruno Gallant (89.2%) and Mike Harris (81.0%). SP Victor Burke barely missed the 66% requirement with 64.2% for his eighth ballot. Five other returners were above 50% with 3B Jeanpaul Vick (58.9%, 7th), 3B Kieran Wilson (58.2%, 7th), 2B Adrian Vega (57.9%, 6th), C Sebastian Van Velzen (57.0%, 10th), and CL Sebastian Gomez (50.6%, 3rd).

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Van Velzen was never below 50% and peaked at 60.2% in 2021. He was another one hurt by the anti-catcher bias with the lower totals that come with the position. Still, Van Velzen only won two Silver Sluggers over a 20 year run. He won a World Series with Cincinnati in 2008 and finished with 2108 hits, 897 runs, 324 doubles, 234 home runs, 947 RBI, .270/.349/.407 slash, 124 wRC+, and 70.8 WAR. As of 2037, Van Velzen ranks 13th in WAR among MLB catchers. But he was more of a longevity guy who wasn’t far enough ahead of his immediate peers to make it across the line.

RF Clement Garcia was dropped after ten ballots, peaking at 44.6% in 2019 with a 36.7% finish. He was another longevity guy with a 21 year career, 3007 games, 2706 hits, 1571 runs, 400 doubles, 656 home runs, 1751 RBI, 1173 walks, .261/.337/.496 slash, 139 wRC+, and 63.4 WAR. Garcia notably was the 21st to reach 600 home runs, but he had only one Silver Slugger and was a league leader only once. He was also on mostly forgettable teams and some felt with how long he stuck around that his tallies should’ve been higher.

SP Joshua Williams was worth a mention, falling below 5% to be dropped on his seventh ballot. His first four seasons were possibly the best ever by an MLB pitcher with Louisville, winning three Pitcher of the Year awards and Rookie of the Year with 1258 strikeouts, 39.6 WAR, a 69-42 record, 1103 innings, and a 2.25 ERA. That start to his career made many expect a possible GOAT-level career for Williams, but things went south with a torn labrum in year five.

Williams bounced back with three more good years after that, but declined sharply soon after and was out of MLB before his 32nd birthday. He still managed a 141-113 record, 2.89 ERA, 2456.1 innings, 2420 strikeouts, 855 walks, 123 ERA+, and 68.1 WAR. Williams goes down as one of the big “what if?” players in MLB history with very few aces having a comparable four-year stretch at any point in their career (and probably none with a comparable first four seasons).

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Ju-Won Yoo – First Base – San Diego Seals – 98.7% First Ballot

Ju-Won Yoo was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from Incheon, South Korea. He became the second Korean inducted into MLB’s Hall of Fame, joining catcher Hui-Yun Han from 2009. Yoo had prolific home run power which graded as a 10/10 at his peak from some scouts. He was considered a true five-star player at his peak and a well-rounded bat. Yoo was a great contact hitter with a solid eye for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts.

Yoo’s 162 game average had 44 home runs and 32 doubles. His lone offensive weakness was poor baserunning speed and ability. Yoo was exclusively a first baseman and was consistently a good-to-great defender. He was also one of baseball’s true ironmen, playing 145+ games in 20 consecutive seasons. Despite Yoo’s immense natural gifts, some argued that his work ethic was poor and that he was selfish.

Still, few players in baseball history were as good-to-great at almost all skills offensively. This made Yoo one of the most popular superstars worldwide. He became best known for his MLB tenure, but his first decade was in his home country in East Asia Baseball. Yoo was picked out of Sorae High School in EAB’s 1996 draft by Bucheon with the #2 overall pick. The Bolts mostly kept him in their developmental system early on, but he did play 51 games and started 33 in his first three years.

Yoo started six years for Bucheon and emerged as one of the Korea League’s top talents. He led in on-base percentage (.423) in 2002 and in batting average (.374) and doubles (44) in 2003. Yoo was third in 2005’s MVP voting, although most of his KL bests came in 2003 including OPS (1.089) and WAR (10.2). Despite his efforts, the Bolts were mainly stuck around the middle of the standings, averaging 80 wins per season during his run.

With Bucheon, Yoo had 996 games, 1217 hits, 610 runs, 229 doubles, 224 home runs, 725 RBI, .331/.386/.586 slash, 159 wRC+, and 42.3 WAR. The run made him one of South Korea’s most popular players and got him on the radar of other squads worldwide. Yoo left after the 2005 at age 28 and was looking to specifically secure the bag. He would be one of the rare players to end up inducted into the Hall of Fame of the second world league they played in.

Yoo joined MLB on an eight-year, $93 million deal with San Diego. He really hit his power stride upon his arrival to the United States, leading the American Association in home runs in 2006 and 2007. From his 2006 MLB debut through 2017, Yoo hit 40+ home runs each year and topped 50+ six times. He was the RBI leader four times with the Seals. Yoo won Silver Sluggers from 2006-08 and in 2010 with San Diego and won Gold Gloves in 2009, 2010, and 2012.

In his 2006 debut, Yoo was third in MVP voting. He then won the top honor in 2007 with his peaks with 123 runs, 60 homers, 151 RBI, .673 slugging, and 10.2 WAR. Yoo was second in 2008 MVP voting, then took the award for the second time in 2010. All six of his seasons with San Diego were worth 6+ WAR. His arrival helped begin a dynasty run for the Seals, starting with a second round playoff loss in 2006.

In 2007, San Diego won the World Series over Winnipeg. Yoo was the AACS MVP and posted 23 hits, 9 runs, 3 doubles, 5 homers, 15 RBI, and 1.1 WAR. The Seals won the pennant again in 2008, but lost the World Series to Cincinnati. Yoo was strong again in the run with 21 hits, 11 runs, 5 doubles, 2 homers, 11 RBI, and 10 walks. SD surprisingly just missed the playoffs in 2009, but bounced back in 2010 with a World Series win over Philadelphia.

The Seals fell to the Phillies in a rematch series in the first-ever Baseball Grand Championship with Yoo getting a .748 OPS in 14 starts. Over 57 playoff starts with San Diego, Yoo had 68 hits, 33 runs, 11 doubles, 11 home runs, 37 RBI, 23 walks, .309/.377/.509 slash, 142 wRC+, and 2.5 WAR. Yoo’s role in their dynasty helped furthered his status as a true worldwide baseball superstar. The Seals would just miss the playoffs in Yoo’s final two seasons there.

For San Diego, Yoo had 1101 games, 1288 hits, 748 runs, 200 doubles, 359 home runs, 939 RBI, .304/.370/.608 slash, 169 wRC+, and 55.8 WAR. He declined the contract option for the final two years of his deal, entering free agency for 2013 at age 36. Yoo’s ironman status and consistent production made him still a very hot property even in his mid 30s. Nashville signed him at four years and $106,600,000.

Yoo didn’t win any awards with the Knights, but his power production remained steady throughout. Nashville ended a playoff drought in 2016, falling to Charlotte in the AACS. Yoo was again a strong playoff performer with 15 hits, 12 runs, 7 homers, 11 RBI, and 1.022 OPS over 14 starts. That winter, Nashville gave Yoo a new two-year, $43,200,000 deal to stick around. They just missed the playoffs in 2017 and lost in the first round of 2018.

For Nashville, Yoo played 946 games with 995 hits, 593 runs, 147 doubles, 264 home runs, 630 RBI, .276/.342/.541 slash, 142 wRC+, and 32.9 WAR. In 2018, Yoo crossed the 600 home run and 1500 RBI milestones in MLB. He started to reach impressive world milestones combining his EAB stats. Yoo was past the 800 home run, 3500 hit, 2000 RBI, and 3000 game milestones by the time he left the Knights.

Yoo’s last year with Nashville saw him hit 34 home runs, his first sub-40 season in MLB. He still had plenty of suitors returning to free agency for 2019. At age 41, he inked a two-year, $34,800,000 deal with Brooklyn and gave the Dodgers back-to-back seasons above 4+ WAR. Yoo earned his 2500th MLB hit and 1500th run in 2020 for Brooklyn. He also crossed 2000 combined runs scored and 900 combined home runs.

With the Dodgers, Yoo had 308 hits, 165 runs, 55 doubles, 56 home runs, 159 RBI, 129 walks, .268/.344/.467 slash, 143 wRC+, and 9.8 WAR. This ended his MLB career, but Yoo still thought he had something to offer and wanted to chase some of the world milestones. He went back to EAB for 2021 at age 43 on a one-year, $15,600,000 deal with Kawasaki. The ageless Yoo had 5.1 WAR, 32 home runs, and .840 OPS for the Killer Whales. He became the fourth player in world history to reach 2500 RBI over their combined pro career.

Yoo joined Goyang in 2022 and had the first major injury of a career that spanned four separate decades. A torn meniscus in late March kept him four months and when he returned in the fall, he finally looked pedestrian with a .683 OPS and 0.3 WAR over 59 games. Yoo was only seven hits away from 4000 for his combined pro career, but he decided to retire that winter shortly after his 45th birthday.

Between EAB stints, Yoo played 1202 games with 1402 hits, 728 runs, 255 doubles, 265 home runs, 838 RBI, .318/.377/.566 slash, 156 wRC+, and 47.8 WAR. In MLB, Yoo had 2365 games, 2591 hits, 1506 runs, 402 doubles, 679 home runs, 1728 RBI, 918 walks, 1591 strikeouts, .288/.355/.563 slash, 155 wRC+, and 98.6 WAR.

As of 2037 in MLB, Yoo ranks 21st in home runs, 52nd in RBI, and 59th in WAR among position players. It was especially impressive that he made any leaderboards considering he was 28-years old at his MLB debut. The MLB numbers alone and his playoff success with San Diego’s dynasty made Yoo a Hall of Fame lock, headlining the 2026 class in Major League Baseball at 98.7%. But his combined career stats put him among the true immortals of the game.

Yoo’s combined pro career had 3567 games, 3993 hits, 2234 runs, 657 doubles, 944 home runs, 2566 RBI, 1311 walks, .298/.362/.564 slash, 155 wRC+, and 146.3 WAR. On the world leaderboards as of 2037, Yoo is 7th in games played, 7th in hits, 8th in runs, 39th in doubles, 14th in home runs, 3rd in RBI, and 38th in WAR among position players. Yoo ranks 58th in WAR among all players in baseball history.

His incredible durability and longevity went a long way in his greatness, but Yoo certainly has to be mentioned among the best power hitters and all-around bats ever. Yoo’s combined career WAR is also the most by any Korean and even with some very tough competition, he has a case to be considered South Korea’s best-ever player.

FuzzyRussianHat

02-17-2025 10:13 AM

2026 MLB Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Bruno “Riot” Gallant – Starting Pitcher – Virginia Beach Vikings – 89.2% First Ballot

Bruno Gallant was a 5’10’’, 180 pound right-handed pitcher from Washington, DC. Nicknamed “Riot,” Gallant was a well-rounded ace with good to great stuff, movement, and control. All four of his pitches were equally potent with a 99-101 mph fastball, slider, curveball, and splitter. Gallant’s stamina was impressive and he had fantastic durability, starting 32+ games in all 16 of his seasons.

The one real weak spot in Gallant’s game was a below average pickoff move and unimpressive defense, but he was otherwise considered good to great across the board. Gallant was also incredibly scrappy, known for his sparkplug work ethic, adaptability, and leadership. He was appreciated by teammates and fans alike throughout his run.

Gallant went to the University of Wisconsin and over three years had a 19-13 record, 2.89 ERA, 290 innings, 349 strikeouts, 59 walks, 113 ERA+, 62 FIP-, and 9.9 WAR. Scouts were impressed by his potential and Gallant went second overall to Virginia Beach in the 2004 MLB Draft. He was a full-time starter immediately and held his own in his rookie campaign. Gallant posted 7+ WAR four times with the Vikings over the following six years.

In 2011, Gallant was third in Pitcher of the Year voting, leading the National Association in WAR (9.9) and innings (276). This year also saw Gallant’s career bests in wins (20-11), ERA (2.35), and strikeouts (293). 2011 also saw his lone no-hitter in a nine strikeout game against Pittsburgh on July 23. He led with 9.4 WAR in 2010 and 286 strikeouts in 2009.

It was hard for Gallant to get much publicity though as Virginia Beach stunk during his tenure generally. The Vikings finally got back above .500 in 2010 and just missed the playoffs in 2011, dropping a tiebreaker game to Baltimore for the last wild card. VB hoped they were on the right track with Gallant as the ace, but they couldn’t come to terms with him beyond that. He left for free agency for 2012 at age 28.

Gallant posted a 110-90 record, 2.87 ERA, 1827.1 innings, 1773 strikeouts, 331 walks, 83 complete games, 24 shutouts, 121 ERA+, and 47.7 WAR for the Vikings. He was still liked by fans, but the organization didn’t spend a ton of time highlighting Gallant as a past icon because of his abrupt departure. As of 2037, he is the only inductee in Virginia Beach colors.

He would be much more famous for his second stop in Philadelphia with similar numbers between the two. Gallant did have slightly more innings and WAR with the Vikings in the regular season, thus his induction in blue and gold. His role specifically in the playoffs though with the Phillies played a large part in cementing his status as a Hall of Famer despite never winning Pitcher of the Year. His deal with Philadelphia was worth $152,600,000 over seven years.

The Phillies had been a playoff regular to start the 21st Century with National Association pennants in 2001, 2005, and 2010. They hadn’t won in the World Series in that stretch and had just missed the playoffs in 2011. Philadelphia was the last wild card in 2012, but went on a big playoff run en route to the World Series title upset of Phoenix. In four playoff starts, Gallant had a 1.97 ERA over 32 innings, 31 strikeouts, and 1.1 WAR, earning NACS MVP. He made his presence felt despite actually seeing his regular season production drop significantly from his last two years with WB.

In the Baseball Grand Championship, Philly was in a five-way tie for the top spot at 12-7, officially placing fourth after the tiebreakers were sorted. Gallant had a 3.58 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 32.2 BGC innings. The Phillies again won the NACS as a wild card, but this time lost the World Series to Denver. Over six starts and 45.1 innings, Gallant had a 2.58 ERA and 45 strikeouts. He posted a 3.76 ERA over 40.2 BGC innings with 57 Ks as Philadelphia finished 9-10.

The Phillies made the playoffs four more times with Gallant, but never got beyond the second round. For his playoff career there, he had a 2.21 ERA over 122 innings, 6-4 record, 121 strikeouts, 13 walks, 3 shutouts, 154 ERA+, and 3.4 WAR. Gallant’s best regular season production came in 2018 at age 34 with league and career bests in WHIP (0.83), K/BB (11.3) and quality starts (30). He matched his best ERA at 2.35 and posted 7.8 WAR, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. Gallant was also above 7 WAR back in 2013.

Gallant also had his World Baseball Championship appearances come primarily during the Phillies run. From 2011-18, he posted a 13-3 record, 2.93 ERA, 150.2 innings, 211 strikeouts, and 3.2 WAR. He won world titles with the United States team in 2011, 2014, and 2017. Gallant’s general reputation as a “big game pitcher” became well deserved between the WBC and his time in Philadelphia.

For the Phillies, Gallant finished with a 108-82 record, 2.86 ERA, 1777.1 innings, 1748 strikeouts, 220 walks, 120 ERA+, and 39.6 WAR. His deal expired following his best season for them, upping his value as a 35-year old free agent for 2019. Defending World Series champ Kansas City wanted to add another big game pitcher to the rotation, signing Gallant for three years and $60,600,000.

Gallant’s velocity started to dip and he was below 200 strikeouts for the first time since his rookie year, but he still had enough control and stuff for a solid 2019. The Cougars repeated as National Association champ at 107-55, but lost the World Series to Houston in an upset. Gallant was surprisingly poor in the postseason run with a 5.00 ERA in 27 innings. He fared much better in the Baseball Grand Championship with a 2.31 ERA over 35 innings. KC went 12-7 for a third place finish.

In 2020, Gallant posted career worsts in ERA (4.39) and strikeouts (141) over 233.2 innings. He had a 4.15 ERA in two playoff starts as Kansas City lost in the NACS to Cincinnati. Gallant wasn’t interested in overstaying his welcome and retired that winter at age 37. In two years for KC, he had a 22-27 record, 3.63 ERA, 478.1 innings, 330 strikeouts, 96 ERA+, and 8.3 WAR. For his playoff career total, Gallant had a 2.80 ERA over 157.2 innings, 8-6 record, 148 strikeouts, 123 ERA+, and 3.6 WAR. As of 2037, Gallant ranks 23rd in postseason pitching WAR in MLB.

The final tallies had a 240-199 record, 2.96 ERA, 4083 innings, 3851 strikeouts, 620 walks, 386/532 quality starts, 172 complete games, 45 shutouts, 117 ERA+, 80 FIP-, and 95.6 WAR. As of 2037, Gallant ranks 69th in wins, 81st in innings, 45th in shutouts, 15th in strikeouts, and 37th in pitching WAR. His 1.02 career WHIP ranks 22nd among all pitchers with 1000+ innings. Gallant’s BB/9 of 1.37 ranks 42nd.

Gallant didn’t have the big flashy stats or awards, but he was remarkably consistent and high quality for his run. Almost quietly, he put together stats for a rock solid resume. Gallant’s playoff successes with Philadelphia certainly put him over the top for all but the stuffiest of voters. At 89.2%, Gallant easily earned his first ballot selection as part of an impressive three-player Hall of Fame class for Major League Baseball in 2026.

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Mike Harris – Starting Pitcher – Oklahoma City Outlaws – 81.0% First Ballot

Mike Harris was a 6’1’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Waco, Texas; a city of around 295,000 located halfway between Dallas and Austin. Harris had excellent stuff along with above average-to-good movement and stuff. His 99-101 mph fastball was a strong one, but his fantastic slider and dangerous curveball also led to a lot of whiffs. Harris also had a changeup as a fourth option.

Harris’ durability and stamina were both terrific with 200+ innings in all 16 of his seasons. He was a respectable defensive pitcher, but his pickoff move was subpar. Harris was a high-character player known for his leadership, loyalty, and work ethic. He wasn’t the biggest superstar of his era, but few players were more universally liked amongst their peers.

From 2002-04, Harris pitched for the University of Louisville with a 3.20 ERA over 273 innings, 16-19 record, 271 strikeouts, 101 ERA+, 76 FIP-, and 6.9 WAR. Most scouts thought his upside was well above his production with the Cardinals. Oklahoma City was especially enamored and picked Harris with the #1 overall pick in the 2004 MLB Draft. Harris was a full-time starter right away and led the American Association with seven shutouts as a rookie. After the 2008 campaign, OKC signed him to a six-year, $55,500,000 extension.

It wasn’t until his fifth season that Harris got more league-wide attention, winning 2009 Pitcher of the Year honors. He was the leader in complete games (25) and shutouts (7) and posted his career bests in ERA (2.50), and WAR (6.8). This effort helped end a 25-year playoff drought for Oklahoma City and earned a South Central Division title, although they lost in the first round. Harris’ one playoff start was quality with one run allowed in 7.1 innings. The Outlaws hovered around .500 for the remainder of his run there.

Some were disappointed that as the #1 pick, Harris didn’t completely reverse the fortunes of a generally hapless franchise. He was quite solid in his nine years for OKC, topping 5+ WAR five times. Harris also was third in 2012’s Pitcher of the Year voting. Most fans respected his efforts and his #7 uniform would later be retired. For the Outlaws, Harris finished with a 148-102 record, 3.06 ERA, 2430 innings, 2088 strikeouts, 626 walks, 124 ERA+, 168 complete games, 33 shutouts, and 45.1 WAR.

Harris was entering the last year of his deal for 2014 and Oklahoma City wasn’t confident that the 29-year old righty would re-sign. In the offseason, they traded him to Nashville straight up for 1B Veto Alva. The Knights weren’t looking for a rental and signed Harris to a six-year, $137,200,000 extension in May. He was never an awards finalist for Nashville, but his production was generally steady with four seasons at 4.5+ WAR.

Nashville saw some team success to end the 2010s with division titles in 2016, 2018, and 2020. The Knights lost in the AACS for 2016 and 2019 with a first round exit in 2018. In the playoffs, Harris had a 3.51 ERA over 59 innings with a 3-5 record, 54 strikeouts, 110 ERA+, and 0.5 WAR.

Harris’ notably fell off in 2020, the last year of his Nashville deal. He had career worsts in ERA (4.98), strikeouts (148), and WAR (0.5). Figuring his future prospects were limited, he retired that winter at age 36. For the Knights, Harris posted a 103-96 record, 3.91 ERA, 1765 innings, 1427 strikeouts, 98 ERA+, and 24.2 WAR. In that last year, he became the 43rd MLB pitcher to reach 250 career wins and the 25th to 3500 strikeouts.

The final stats saw a 251-198 record, 3.42 ERA, 4195 innings, 3515 strikeouts, 1102 walks, 309/518 quality starts, 263 complete games, 41 shutouts, 112 ERA+, 94 FIP-, and 69.3 WAR. As of 2037, Harris ranks 47th in wins, 62nd in innings, 19th in complete games, 67th in shutouts, and 30th in strikeouts. He does miss the top 100 for pitching WAR.

For many voters, counting stats like 250+ wins, 4000+ innings, and 3500+ strikeouts got you across the line. Having a Pitcher of the Year win as well clinched it for many voters who felt Harris’s dominance was lacking compared to other Hall of Famers. Advanced stats do suggest he might be on the lower end of the inductees, but his steady production and high character easily won the day. At 81.0%, Harris was a first ballot pick to cap off MLB’s three-player class for 2026.

FuzzyRussianHat

02-17-2025 07:47 PM

2026 CABA Hall of Fame

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The 2026 Hall of Fame class for the Central American Baseball Association had two inductees upon their first ballot. CF Iwan Valen was the headliner at a nearly unanimous 98.7%, while RP Diego Concepcion joined him with a solid 76.4%. The next closest to the 66% requirement was SP Adrian Estrella with 56.4% for his second ballot. SP Mateo Ramirez got 55.7% and 1B Hasan Alvizo saw 50.8%, both on their second tries. No one else was above 50% and no one was dropped after ten ballots.

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Iwan “Rumble” Valen – Center Field – Mexicali Maroons – 98.7% First Ballot

Iwan Valen was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed center fielder from the capital of Curacao, Willemstad. He became the third from Curacao to earn induction, joining class of 1935 OF Diomar Glas and Class of 2003 SP Gabe de Kroon. In his prime, Valen was a true “five tool player” and was graded as a five-star player by many scouts.

Valen was a very good contact hitter in his prime, although he was average at best for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. He was outstanding at earning extra base hits with a 162 game average of 32 home runs, 23 doubles, and 18 triples. At his peak, Valen was one of CABA’s better home run hitters with six seasons of 40+ dingers. He also was one of the more skilled baserunners with excellent speed, regularly legging out extra bags.

His hitting prowess alone made him elite, but Valen was also one of the finest defensive center fielders of all-time, winning eight Gold Gloves. He played CF exclusively and had remarkable durability in the front end of his career. Valen did run into some injury troubles in his 30s and 40s, but he maintained a remarkably high level of play for 25 years. Not many guys made it into their 40s period and it was even rarer to have someone still posting solid production at such a physically demanding spot like center field.

Valen became one of the biggest worldwide baseball superstars from the Caribbean. He was a renowned prankster and had an elite sense of humor. When it was time to be serious, Valen had high levels of intelligence, adaptability, and leadership. His potential to be such a complete player was evident even as a teenager in Curacao. Valen was spotted and signed to a developmental deal by Mexicali in December 1992.

After three years in the Maroons’ academy, Valen was a 19-year old debutant for 81 games and 11 starts in 1996. He became a full-time starter the next year and emerged as truly elite by his third full season. Prior to the 1999 campaign, the Maroons locked him up on an eight-year, $25,040,000 extension. In 1999, Valen led the Mexican League in WAR (10.4) and triples (30) and hit for the cycle. He won his first Gold Glove and Silver Slugger while also placing third in MVP voting.

From 1999-06 for Mexicali, Valen won a Gold Glove each year and a Silver Slugger in all but 2004. During this stretch, he posted 9+ WAR each season with an OPS above one seven times. Valen also hit above .300 and stole 60+ bases each year. He scored 100+ runs five times, 200+ hits five times, 40+ homers thrice, 100+ RBI seven times, 400+ total bases four times. Valen was the Mexican League leader in hits once, triples twice, RBI once, total bases thrice, slugging thrice, OPS once, wRC+ twice, and WAR five times.

Valen won MVP honors in 2001, 2003, and 2006. He also was second in voting for both 2002 and 2005. 2003 was his finest season by many metrics with career highs in WAR (14.06), homers (57), RBI (143), runs (121), total bases (449), slugging (.752), OPS (1.148), and wRC+ (232). Valen’s WAR mark was the second-best season ever by a CABA position player only behind Prometheo Garcia’s 14.18 from 1949. He also had 12.84 WAR in 2005, which ranks as the 12th-best by a CABA position player as of 2037.

Despite his remarkable success, it was hard to lift a struggling Mexicali squad from mediocrity. The Maroons got back above .500 in 1998 and 1999, but quickly regressed into the 21st Century. In 2006, Mexicali ended a 21-year playoff drought as a wild card but lost in the first round. This would be Valen’s last year in Mexico, as he’d leave for free agency at age 30.

Incidentally, the Maroons won the pennant in 2007 and sent Valen an honorary ring. Although they were sad to see him go, everyone knew he was liable to become one of the game’s richest players to date in MLB. Mexicali fans still adored Valen for decades to come and his #13 uniform would be retired. For the Maroons, Valen had 1646 games, 1958 hits, 1012 runs, 255 doubles, 237 triples, 330 home runs, 1046 RBI, 682 stolen bases, .331/.375/.622 slash, 184 wRC+, and 96.9 WAR.

Valen’s exploits in CABA certainly earned him worldwide attention as did his efforts in the World Baseball Championship. He was a regular for the Netherlands, as Curacao was a constituent of the kingdom. From 1998-2019, Valen played 203 games and started 193 with 211 hits, 117 runs, 29 doubles, 9 triples, 44 home runs, 111 RBI, 75 steals, .281/.338/.519 slash, 145 wRC+, and 7.6 WAR.

As of 2037, Valen leads all Dutch position players in WAR, games, runs, hits, doubles, triples, homers, RBI and steals. Among all players in the WBC, he ranks 24th in hits and 68th in runs. The Netherlands had their deepest-ever run with Valen in 2008, taking runner-up to the United States. The Dutch also earned elite eight trips in both 2002 and 2012.

Valen moved to the United States in 2007 with a seven-year, $95,900,000 deal with MLB’s Cincinnati Reds. He was an immediate success with four straight seasons above 8+ WAR to begin his tenure. Valen was the WARlord in 2008 at 10.6 and led the National Association with 117 RBI in 2009. He won Silver Sluggers from 2007-09 and was an MVP finalist those years.. Valen finished second in 2007 and 2009 and took third in 2008.

While his efforts couldn’t turn Mexicali into a contender, it worked for Cincinnati. The Reds won the Lower Midwest Division title from 2007-09. After a first round exit in 2007, Cincy won back-to-back National Association pennants. Prior to that, their only other pennant in all of franchise history was way back in 1919. Valen was NACS MVP both years with a win over Washington in 2008 and Milwaukee in 2009.

Cincinnati won their second-ever World Series title in 2008 by dethroning reigning champ San Diego. The Reds own repeat hopes were dashed in 2009 by Nashville. In 41 playoff starts, Valen was outstanding with 52 hits, 28 runs, 5 doubles, 4 triples, 15 home runs, 34 RBI, .302/.333/.640 slash, 183 wRC+, and 2.4 WAR. That run cemented his status as one of the biggest megastars in all of baseball. Cincinnati couldn’t maintain beyond that, dropping to 84-78 in 2010. They then fell below .500 for the next seven years.

A big part of their decline would be major injuries to Valen. In June 2011, he suffered a concussion that kept him out for the entire second half. Valen then lost the entire 2012 campaign with a broken kneecap in spring training. He was never the same level player after that as it greatly reduced his power and speed moving forward. While his time as an MVP candidate was done, a reduced Valen still proved to be solid starter into his early 40s.

Valen made it back for one more year with Cincinnati in 2013, posting 4.9 WAR over 145 games. With the Reds, he had 831 games, 851 hits, 482 runs, 93 doubles, 57 triples, 194 home runs, 527 RBI, 181 steals, .280/.329/.539 slash, 158 wRC+, and 44.1 WAR. Even with the injuries in the back end, Valen was well worth the investment and remained beloved by Reds fans for years to come. He was now a free agent for 2014 at age 37 and decided to return to the Caribbean on a two-year, $30 million deal with Trinidad.

After later extensions, Valen played five seasons for the Trail Blazers, although ankle and ACL troubles kept him out large chunks of 2016 and 2017. He was still a positive value fielder and hitter when healthy for Trinidad, who was a lower-rung franchise at that stage. For the Trail Blazers, Valen played 554 games with 578 hits, 303 runs, 87 doubles, 54 triples, 77 home runs, 249 RBI, 189 steals, .280/.333/.487 slash, 123 wRC+, and 19.2 WAR.

For 2019, Valen was traded by Trinidad to Leon for three prospects. He had an impressive 5.4 WAR season over 156 games for the Lions at age 42. Valen signed with Juarez for 2020, but age finally caught up to him as he struggled to -0.5 WAR and .440 OPS over 64 games and 9 starts. He did to end his career as a CABA Champion with the Jesters, although he was a mere 1-5 in the playoffs with a double and run scored. Valen retired that winter at age 44.

In CABA, Valen played 2420 games with 2716 hits, 1411 runs, 363 doubles, 312 triples, 434 home runs, 1375 RBI, 602 walks, 1750 strikeouts, 912 steals, .314/.361/.579 slash, 165 wRC+, and 121.0 WAR. His run in Cincinnati did limit him on the counting leaderboards, but Valen still ranks 15th in WAR among CABA position players as of 2037.

He also ranks 37th in hits, 43rd in runs, 11th in triples, 36th in total bases (5005), 72nd in RBI, and 26th in steals. Valen’s .940 OPS is 80th among all CABA batters with 3000+ plate appearances and his slugging is 78th. He also ranks 6th in zone rating at CF in CABA (139.4) and is second only to Emmanuel Lopez in WAR at CF (131.4).

Valen’s CABA stats and accolades make him a Hall of Fame lock and put him in the conversation for CABA’s best-ever center fielder. Between his reduced tallies from the MLB stint and spending most of his CABA tenure on weaker teams, Valen doesn’t get mentioned as often as maybe he should when discussing CABA all-time top 10 lists. Anyone with any sense viewed Valen as an inner-circle level guy.

When you add his MLB stats, Valen’s status as a true baseball immortal becomes even clearer. He played 3251 professional games with 3567 hits, 1893 runs, 456 doubles, 369 triples, 628 home runs, 1902 RBI, 807 walks, 1093 steals, .305/.352/.569 slash, 163 wRC+, and 165.2 WAR. Valen’s trophy case had 3 MVPs, 10 Silver Sluggers, 8 Gold Gloves, 2 NACS MVP awards, and a World Series ring.

Among all world position players as of 2037, Valen is 33rd in games played, 47th in at-bats, 46th in hits, 25th in triples, and 15th in WAR. Among everyone ever in pro baseball, Valen ranks 20th in WAR. The only player to compile more WAR in center field was MLB WARlord Morgan short at 170.5. Valen certainly deserves mention when discussing the top five center fielders in baseball history.

One could also make the case that Valen is the best-ever position player from a Caribbean island. He also leads that group in WAR with Puerto Rican 1B/3B Donald Gonzalez close behind at 161.3 also between CABA/MLB. The top Caribbean player overall in WAR was pitching wins leader Ulices Montero (191.7), a native of Cuba. It shows though how remarkable Valen was to be even considered in the top five considering the other immortals out of such a baseball rich region.

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Diego Concepcion – Relief Pitcher – Chihuahua Warriors – 76.4% First Ballot

Diego Concepcion was a 6’0’’, 185 pound left-handed relief pitcher from Merida, the largest city of Mexico’s Yucatan state. His stuff was incredibly overpowering along with above average movement, although his control was below average. Concepcion had a one-two punch of a 99-101 mph fastball and a curveball. His durability was impeccable, meaning he was almost always ready to go out of the bullpen. Concepcion had a good pickoff move, but was terrible at fielding the position. He wasn’t going to take a leadership role, but he was far from a malcontent or troublemaker.

Concepcion was first drafted 55th overall by Monterrey in the second round of the 2008 CABA Draft. He declined their offer and spent another year in the college ranks. Concepcion was picked later in the 2009 CABA Draft, 66th overall by Chihuahua with the 34th pick of the second round. He was able to come to terms with the Warriors, who plugged him into the closer role immediately. Concepcion would post 30+ saves in all six seasons with Chihuahua.

He led the Mexican League with 44 saves in 2011 and 41 in 2015. He also had the most appearances in 2011 with 76 and with 78 in 2014. Concepcion was second in 2010’s Rookie of the Year voting. He was second in Reliever of the Year voting in 2011, then took third in 2012 and 2013. Concepcion took the top honor for the first time in 2015 with Chihuahua.

Concepcion was a beast in the 2011 playoffs as Chihuahua won the Mexican League championship, falling to Honduras in the CABA Championship. It was their first pennant since their early 1950s dynasty and plays a big role in Concepcion‘s legacy. He tossed 14.1 scoreless innings over nine appearances with 32 strikeouts, four saves, and five hits. Concepcion allowed one run over five innings with five saves in the Baseball Grand Championship as the Warriors tied for sixth at 11-8.

Chihuahua lost in the first round in 2012, then fell towards the middle of the standings in the next few years. With Concepcion due for free agency after the 2016 season and their window ending, the Warriors opted to trade him for 2016 to Leon for prospects. With Chihuahua, Concepcion had 232 saves over 566.1 innings, 2.48 ERA, 869 strikeouts, 153 ERA+, and 21.3 WAR.

Concepcion was used in mid relief for the Lions and had three scoreless playoff innings as Leon lost in the Mexican League Championship Series to Juarez. Now a free agent at age 30, Concepcion signed a two-year, $11,400,000 deal with Salvador. He soon started a brief foray in the World Baseball Championship for Mexico. From 2018-21, he tossed 49.1 innings with a 2.92 ERA and 80 strikeouts.

He returned to the closer role for the Stallions, who won the Caribbean League title in 2017. Salvador lost to Juarez in the CABA Championship, but Concepcion was again a strong playoff performer. He had seven saves in nine appearances, allowing three unearned runs in eight innings with 13 strikeouts. Concepcion also had a 1.12 ERA over 8 innings with 16 Ks in the Baseball Grand Championship with the Stallions going 8-11.

Concepcion won his second Reliever of the Year in 2018 with a 1.06 ERA over 76.2 innings and 4.5 WAR, although Salvador fell to .500. In two seasons, he had a 1.82 ERA in 148.1 innings, 50 saves, 239 strikeouts, and 6.6 WAR. Now 32-years old, Concepcion earned MLB attention and signed a three-year, $25,200,000 deal with Phoenix. However, he was cut after spring training and returned to Mexico on a two-year, $12 million deal with Juarez.

He earned back-to-back Reliever of the Year wins with the Jesters, becoming the 11th in CABA history to win the award four times. 2020 was Concepcion’s most dominant season with a blistering 0.53 ERA, 46 saves, and 5.0 WAR; all career bests. His ERA was tied for the third-lowest by a ROTY winner in CABA history. Concepcion was strong enough to even finish second in Pitcher of the Year winning.

Juarez lost in the MLCS in 2019, then won the CABA title in 2020 at 112-50. Concepcion was surprisingly average in the 2020 run with a 3.77 ERA over 14.1 innings. However, he redeemed himself with five saves and an 0.77 ERA over 11.2 innings in the Baseball Grand Championship. The Jesters finished 9-10 in the BGC.

For his CABA playoff career, Concepcion had a 1.32 ERA over 47.2 innings, 34 appearances, 16 saves, 80 strikeouts, 351 ERA+, and 2.4 WAR. He had a unique feat of having pitched in three BGCs with three different teams. Concepcion’s career stats in the Baseball Grand Championship saw a 1.09 ERA over 24.2 innings, 13 saves, 49 strikeouts, and 1.3 WAR.

In two years for Juarez, Concepcion had 80 saves, 1.16 ERA, 162.2 innings, 260 strikeouts, 338 ERA+, and 9.6 WAR. Coming off his best season at age 34, Phoenix gave him another shot for the 2021 MLB season at two years and $15,600,000. Concepcion was solid in his limited sample size, but was only used for 11 innings. The Firebirds traded Concepcion before the 2022 season to Washington.

Concepcion never pitched for the Admirals, getting cut after spring training. He would toss 12 innings for Charlotte in 2022 before being released in July. Concepcion very briefly was under contract with both Salt Lake City and Toronto, but never saw the field for either. He finished the year in the African Second League with Bangui. Concepcion’s velocity had plummeted at this point and limited his possible use. He was under contract for 2023 with Puebla but didn’t see any use. Concepcion retired that winter at age 37.

In CABA, Concepcion had 369 saves and 397 shutdowns, 932.2 innings, 731 games, 82-55 record, 1448 strikeouts, 203 walks, 177 ERA+, 51 FIP-, and 38.5 WAR. As of 2037, Concepcion ranks 9th in saves. Among CABA Hall of Fame closers, he ranks 6th in strikeouts and 6th in WAR.

Concepcion hit the totals most CABA voters wanted from a Hall of Fame reliever. Four Reliever of the Year wins and his awesome playoff production put him over the top. Concepcion received 76.4% in his debut, earning the first ballot selection for the 2026 HOF class for the Central American Baseball Association.

FuzzyRussianHat

02-18-2025 07:36 AM

2026 EAB Hall of Fame

East Asia Baseball’s 2026 Hall of Fame class had two first ballot inductees with SP Jae-Ha Jung (92.5%) and LF A-Min Bae (80.5%). Two other debuts were above 50%, but short of the 66% requirement with C Shintaro Onishi at 59.0% and 1B Kyu-Seong Lee at 58.0%. No one else was above 50% with the best returner being SP Jong-Hyeon Chung with 49.2% for his seventh ballot.

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Falling off the ballot after ten failed tries was CL Geon-Min Lee, peaking at 44.5% in 2018 but ending at only 6.8%. He was a three-time Reliever of the Year winner, but his EAB tallies were limited as he also spent time in MLB, CABA, and WAB. Lee played for 16 different franchises and his combined pro career had 291 saves, 2.19 ERA, 1009 innings, 1261 strikeouts, and 36.1 WAR. Just in EAB, Lee had 276 saves, 191 ERA, 649.1 innings, 916 strikeouts, and 29.6 WAR; tallies low enough to leave him in the Hall of Pretty Good.

SP Masaharu Asano also lasted ten ballots, ending at only 5.5% and peaking at 30.7% in 2018. He had nice longevity, but lacked dominance with a 182-150 record, 3.17 ERA, 3308.2 innings, 3228 strikeouts, 1088 walks, 105 ERA+, and 43.9 WAR. Asano was a firm Hall of Good type player.

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Jae-Ha Jung – Starting Pitcher – Seongnam Spiders – 92.5% First Ballot

Jae-Ha Jung was a 6’1’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Daegu, South Korea. Jung had solid stuff with above average-to-good control, although his movement was below average. His fastball only peaked in the 93-95 mph range, getting most of his whiffs with a stellar changeup and a very good curveball. Jung had an extreme fly ball tendency, but his ability to change speeds led to good strikeout numbers.

Jung’s stamina was excellent, leading the league twice in innings and five times in complete games. His durability was also quite good and he avoided major injuries, tossing 215+ innings in all but his rookie season. Jung was respectable at holding runners, but was a weak defender. His sparkplug attitude and work ethic allowed him to achieve beyond his raw ability.

In the 2003 EAB Draft, Jung was picked straight out of Woosung High School with the 31st overall pick by his hometown Daegu. He opted to sign and enter their developmental system instead of college and was excited to play for his childhood favorite team. After two years as a reserve, Jung pitched 142.1 innings in 2006 at age 21. He had growing pains as a rookie, but looked great in year two as a full-time starter. Jung led the Korea League in both complete games and shutouts in 2007.

Jung posted 5+ WAR in four of his seven seasons with Daegu. He won Pitcher of the Year in 2011 with league and career bests in wins (21-10), innings (278), strikeouts (311), ERA+ (145), and WAR (6.7). Jung also posted his career-best 2.56 ERA. The Diamondbacks were above average in his tenure with 85 wins per season, but 2009 was their lone playoff appearance with a first round exit. Incidentally, Daegu won the EAB Championship the year after Jung left.

Although he hoped to come to terms with his hometown team, Jung and Daegu couldn’t come to terms after the 2012 season. With the Diamondbacks, he had a 111-77 record, 3.24 ERA, 1681 innings, 1714 strikeouts, 384 walks, 94 complete games, 14 shutouts, 115 ERA+, and 29.2 WAR. Now 28-years old, Jung began his more famous run with a six-year, $87 million deal with Seongnam.

Jung struggled in his 2013 Spiders debut, but bounced back with three consecutive 6+ WAR seasons. He won his second Pitcher of the Year in 2014 by leading in wins (20-10), quality starts (22), and complete games (19). Jung also had a 2.87 ERA and 6.5 WAR. He had similar results in 2015 and was third in POTY voting. Jung regressed towards more average to below average production from 2017-onward.

His efforts helped Seongnam return to form, earning six playoff berths from 2014-20. The Spiders won the Korea League in 2014, but fell to Kyoto in the EAB Championship. Jung had a 2.77 ERA over 39 playoff innings in 2014, then posted a 3.55 ERA over 33 innings in the Baseball Grand Championship. Seongnam finished in the bottom half at 8-11.

Seongnam was defeated by Ulsan in the 2015 KLCS. They missed the playoffs in 2016 and had a first round defeat in 2017. The Spiders then claimed back-to-back KL pennants in 2018-19. Seongnam was defeated in the 2018 EAB Championship by Kyoto, then won it all in 2019 against Kawasaki. Jung had a 1.65 ERA and 43 strikeouts over 32.2 innings in 2018, followed by a 1.96 ERA over 18.1 innings in 2019.

Jung had a 3.34 ERA over 29.2 innings in the 2018 Baseball Grand Championship, then struggled to a 5.40 ERA over 33.1 innings in 2019. Seongnam went 11-8 in 2018 with a sixth place finish after tiebreakers. They fell to a tie for 18th at 7-12 in 2019. Jung’s BGC stats were unremarkable with a 4.12 ERA, 3-9 record, 96 innings, and 106 strikeouts.

However, his overall stats in the EAB postseason were quite solid with a 9-4 record in 17 starts, 2.70 ERA, 136.2 innings, 136 strikeouts, 26 walks, 141 ERA+, and 3.9 WAR. Jung also pitched for South Korea in the World Baseball Championship with 66.1 innings from 2009-19 with a 3.66 RA, 4-3 record, 69 strikeouts, and 0.2 WAR.

In June 2018, Seongnam signed Jung to a four-year, $32,700,000 extension. By 2020, he posted only 1.7 WAR over 217.2 with 185 strikeouts, his lowest production since his rookie year. Jung opted to retire that winter at age 35. For the Spiders, he had a 112-104 record, 3.59 ERA, 2017.2 innings, 2081 strikeouts, 378 walks, 116 complete games, 14 shutouts, 105 ERA+, and 32.7 WAR. For his role in their 2010s success, Seongnam retired Jung’s #26 uniform.

Jung ended with a 223-181 record, 3.43 ERA, 3698.2 innings, 3795 strikeouts, 762 walks, 272/441 quality starts, 210 complete games, 28 shutouts, 110 ERA+, 92 FIP-, and 61.9 WAR. As of 2037, Jung ranks 42nd in wins, 35th in innings, 4th in complete games, 46th in shutouts, and 28th in strikeouts. Despite those stats, he was outside the top 100 in pitching WAR. Jung was hurt by allowing 420 home runs, the 15th most.

Advanced stats rank Jung lower than many Hall of Fame starters in East Asia Baseball’s Hall of Fame. However, he had more than enough accolades for the voters. Two Pitcher of the Year awards, 200+ wins, 3500+ strikeouts, and strong playoff runs for Seongnam made Jung an easy yes for almost all voters. He received 92.5% to headline EAB’s 2026 class on the first ballot.

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A-Min Bae – Left Field – Suwon Snappers – 80.5% First Ballot

A-Min Bae was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting left fielder from Seoul, South Korea. Bae at his prime was an awesome hitter, especially against right-handed pitching with a career 1.032 OPS and 179 wRC+. Versus lefties, he was merely decent with .747 OPS and 111 wRC+. On the whole, Bae graded as a good-to-great contact hitter with a solid eye for drawing walks and respectable strikeout rate. He was also known as an extreme pull hitter on ground balls.

Bae was one of the best home run hitters of his era, smacking 40+ dingers each year from 2007-18 with 50+ in eight of those seasons. His power was concentrated there, but he could find the gap with 23 doubles and 7 triples per his 162 game average. Bae’s speed and baserunning both graded as reliably above average.

Defensively, Bae played almost exclusively in left field and graded as a reliably solid gloveman. He was one of the most reliable guys of his time thanks to stellar durability, playing 143+ games in all but the final season of his 19-year career. Bae’s power and consistency turned him into one of the biggest baseball superstars to come out of South Korea.

Bae attended Korea University in Seoul and quickly emerged as a “can’t miss” prospect for the 2005 EAB Draft. Suwon selected with the #1 overall pick and threw him into the starting lineup immediately. Bae thrived right away with 5.1 WAR and .930 to win 2006 Rookie of the Year honors. In his second and third seasons, he was the best hitter in the Korea League.

2007 and 2008 saw back-to-back Triple Crown wins by Bae, who became the only EAB batter to earn the honor twice. There hadn’t been a Triple Crown hitting season in EAB since 1966. 2007 had 55 home runs, 147 RBI, and a .377 average; followed by 61 homers, 137 RBI, and a .385 average in 2008. Both years, Bae won MVP and also led in runs, total bases, slugging OPS, wRC+, and WAR.

Bae posted 13.61 WAR in 2008, which was tied for the second-best WAR by a position player in EAB history to that point behind Takashi Ishihara’s 14.32 from 1948. Bae’s 1.240 OPS was also the second-best behind Young-Hwan Sha’s 1.258 from 1960. Both marks still rank third as of 2037. Bae’s .805 slugging set a new EAB record that would only be passed once. 2008 had his career highs in homers (61), total bases (449), triple slash (.385/.436/.805), and wRC+ (238). 2007 had his bests in hits (223) and RBI (147).

He led in runs in 2009 with a merely great 6.7 WAR season. Bae then won his third and fourth MVPs in 2010 and 2011, leading both years in OPS, WAR, wRC+, and slugging. Bae scored a career-best 136 runs in 2010 and also led that year in homers and the triple slash. He was second in 2012’s MVP voting and won Silver Sluggers for Suwon in 2007, 08, 10, 11, and 12.

The Snappers ended an eight-year playoff drought in 2009 with a division title at 100-62. Suwon fell in the KLCS to top seed Busan. They then had first round playoff exits in 2010 and 2011. The Snappers missed the playoffs at 83-79 in 2012. Bae’s playoff numbers in 20 starts had 25 hits, 13 runs, 6 doubles, 2 triples, 3 home runs, 8 RBI, .329/.370/.579 slash, 159 wRC+, and 1.0 WAR.

After his early career successes, Bae was one of the most highly anticipated free agents in some time. Suwon was disappointed that they couldn’t match the big number Bae would demand. The Snappers would fall to below .500 for the next eight years and some in management were bitter towards Bae for leaving. Most fans still remembered him fondly and cheered him on as he left for the United States and Major League Baseball at age 28.

With Suwon, Bae played 1094 games with 1364 hits, 820 runs, 194 doubles, 84 triples, 326 home runs, 808 RBI, 401 walks, 271 stolen bases, .348/.407/.691 slash, 1.097 OPS, 192 wRC+, and 66.0 WAR. Over a seven-year run, you’d be hard pressed to find any better than Bae’s efforts. This would be the entirety of his EAB career, so obviously he didn’t get the accumulations for the leaderboards.

However among all EAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances as of 2037, Bae is the all-time leader in OPS. His triple slash ranks 3rd/3rd/2nd and he is one of only 12 players with 4+ MVPs. Some wonder if Bae could’ve ended up in the conversation for EAB’s greatest of all time had he stuck around. There were some Hall of Fame voters that voted against him purely for the lack of tenure. Most gave Bae at least some credit for his MLB totals and others felt his seven-year run was so extraordinary to be deserving on its own. At 80.5%, Bae was a first ballot pick for EAB’s 2026 class.

Even though the majority of his pro career was in Major League Baseball, Bae would come back home to represent South Korea regularly for the World Baseball Championship. From 2010-23, Bae played 117 games and started 104 with 99 hits, 79 runs, 20 doubles, 31 home runs, 63 RBI, 50 walks, 18 steals, .253/.335/.546 slash, 145 wRC+, and 4.5 WAR.

Bae’s MLB run began in Los Angeles as the Angels signed him to a mammoth eight-year, $185,600,000 deal. He debuted with 50 home runs and 5.3 WAR. From 2013-18, Bae had 37+ homers, 100+ RBI, 100+ runs, and 5+ WAR each year. He posted 8+ WAR in 2014, 2015, and 2017. Bae led the American Association in runs (122), homers (57), RBI (127), and total bases (385) in 2015; all MLB highs for him. He had 8.4 WAR and OPS above one in both 2015 and 2017, finishing second in MVP voting both years. Bae won Silver Sluggers in 2014, 15, 17, and 18; giving him nine for his combined career.

Los Angeles was in contention in a strong Southwest Division during this era. In Bae’s debut, the Angels had one of the all-time best regular season runs at 119-43, but had a shocking second round upset loss to Phoenix. The Firebirds ousted LA in the 2014 AACS as well. Los Angeles was the top seed again in 2015 at 109-53, but was denied in the AACS by Denver. The Angels shockingly dropped to 70-92 in 2016. They got back to the playoffs for a first round loss in 2017, then were just outside of the playoffs the next three years.

Bae’s playoff stats were subpar for LA with 26 starts, 25 hits, 11 runs, 5 doubles, 4 home runs, 15 RBI, .236/.278/.396 slash, 85 wRC+, and 0.3 WAR. He certainly delivered though in the regular season for the most part over the Angels deal. Bae did start to regress in his last two years with 2.1 WAR in 2019 and 4.9 WAR in 2020. In total for LA, Bae had 1250 games, 1276 hits, 855 runs, 164 doubles, 379 home runs, 873 RBI, 505 walks, .276/.347/.573 slash, 149 wRC+, and 49.8 WAR.

Now 36-years old, Bae was back to free agency for 2021. He ended up signing with expansion Halifax at $51 million over three years. Bae had an impressive debut season at 7.0 WAR and .922 OPS, leading the Hound Dogs to a winning record at 83-79 in their inaugural season. Bae had a good 2022, but fell off quite a bit in 2023. For Halifax, Bae played 475 games with 407 hits, 242 runs, 43 doubles, 103 home runs, 246 RBI, .250/.333/.479 slash, 144 wRC+, and 13.2 WAR.

Bae thought he could still contribute and signed with Orlando in 2024, but he struggled in 78 games with -0.6 WAR. He went unsigned in 2025 and finally retired that winter at age 41. For his MLB career, Bae played 1803 games, 1732 hits, 1119 runs, 213 doubles, 488 home runs, 1151 RBI, 723 walks, 105 stolen bases, .267/.341/.540 slash, 145 wRC+, and 62.4 WAR.

It was quite the run for a guy who started his MLB tenure at only age 28. Once you’re inducted into any world Hall of Fame, you’re off other ballots and in the “global” HOF. Bae’s resume probably had a legitimate shot to also make MLB’s HOF had he gotten a chance. He was one of a very short list whose career in two different leagues was good enough to be worthy of dual induction consideration.

For his combined pro career, Bae played 2897 games with 3096 hits, 1939 runs, 407 doubles, 131 triples, 814 home runs, 1959 RBI, 1124 walks, 1799 strikeouts, 376 steals, .297/.365/.592 slash, 163 wRC+, and 128.5 WAR. As of 2037, Bae is 46th on the world list in home runs and he cracks the top 100 in RBI, runs, and WAR. Bae is definitely on the short-list for the best-ever batters to come out of South Korea.

FuzzyRussianHat

02-18-2025 12:33 PM

2026 BSA Hall of Fame (Part 1)

Three players received first ballot Hall of Fame selections for Beisbol Sudamerica in 2026. RF Manuel Marquez was the clear headliner at 97.9% with 1B Rodrigo Aguilar joining him at a rock solid 89.4%. DH/LF Homer Torres joined them at 68.7%, scraping by the 66% requirement. SP Oliverio Garza barely missed joining them with 64.4% on his second ballot. Two other returners were above 50% with SP Ulisses Natividad getting 59.3% on his second try and 3B Artemio Reyes at 56.5% for his tenth and final shot.

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For Reyes, he won three Silver Sluggers over 17 years and won Copa Sudamerica twice with Asuncion. He played 2196 games with 2589 hits, 1253 runs, 302 doubles, 234 triples, 172 home runs, 816 RBI, 273 walks, 515 strikeouts, 1189 stolen bases, .327/.352/.489 slash, 141 wRC+, and 76.2 WAR. As of 2037, Reyes ranks 9th in stolen bases. However, it was tough for leadoff guys without big power numbers to get traction with a lot of voters. Reyes came closest in 2024 at 61.1% and ended at 56.5%, ranking him as one of the best guys to miss the cut.

SP Hernan Mendez lasted ten ballots, although he peaked only at 25.2% with a finish at 13.7%. He won Pitcher of the Year and an ERA title in 2008 at age 35 for Buenos Aires. Mendez finished with a 170-146 record, 3.12 ERA, 3032.2 innings, 3651 strikeouts, 897 walks, 114 ERA+, and 63.3 WAR. He didn’t quite have the dominance or tenure to make the cut and was mostly stuck on forgettable teams.

LF Henrique Valada also made it ten years, ending at only 8.8% with a peak at 41.9% for his debut. Valada was a playoff hero for Salvador, winning LCS MVP thrice and Copa Sudamerica MVP in the Storm’s 2007 and 2009 title wins. In 83 playoff games, Valada had a .369/.407/.624 slash, 1.032 OPS, 194 wRC+, and 4.0 WAR.

In the regular season, he won two Silver Sluggers with 2017 games, 2295 hits, 1058 runs, 228 double, 250 triples, 193 home runs, 914 RBI, 593 walks, 612 steals, .350/.403/.559 slash, 174 wRC+, and 56.9 WAR. Valada won three batting titles and ranks 16th in batting average in 2027 among those with 3000+ plate appearances. Despite his playoff heroics, Valada also didn’t have the power numbers most voters required and didn’t have the longevity to rack up accumulations. Valada’s #33 is retired though by Salvador and he remains one of the team’s great heroes even if didn’t crack the Hall of Fame.

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Manuel Marquez – Right Field – Medellin Mutiny – 97.9% First Ballot

Manuel Marquez was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed right fielder from the capital of Colombia, Bogota. Marquez was a great contact hitter with reliably strong power, posting 44 home runs, 32 doubles, and 5 triples per his 162 game average. His ability to draw walks and avoid strikeouts was merely decent. Marquez fared notably better against right-handed pitching (1.002 career OPS, 162 wRC+). but was rock solid facing lefties (.868 OPS, 131 wRC+). His baserunning speed and instincts were subpar.

Marquez played right field almost exclusively and was a terrible defender. Still, Medellin kept him there generally with his Hall of Fame classmate Homer Torres occupying the designated hitter slot. His durability was respectable over a 17-year career. Marquez was appreciated by fans and teammates for his loyalty, sticking with the Mutiny for his entire run. His #1 jersey could be found in great numbers in the crowd long after his playing career ended.

He emerged as arguably Colombia’s top prospect entered into the 2002 BSA Draft and was picked third overall by Medellin as a teenager. The Mutiny kept him in developmental almost exclusively in his first two years with only 16 games in 2004. Marquez was rostered most of 2005 with 112 games, but only started 25 games. The Mutiny moved him into a full-time starting role in 2006 and he remained a fixture for 15 years.

Marquez won his first Silver Slugger in 2007 and was third in MVP voting, leading the Bolivar League in OPS (1.033), slugging (.652), and wRC+ (169). He won the MVP and another Slugger in 2008 with a league-best 121 runs, 48 homers, and 397 total bases. 2011 would be his strongest effort, earning his second MVP and third Slugger. That year had career bests in runs (137), hits (221), homers (60), RBI (158), total bases (447), triple slash (.363/.403/.734), OPS (1.137), wRC+ (197), and WAR (9.0). He fell only two homers short of a Triple Crown.

2011 also ended a 12-year stretch of losing seasons for Medellin, beginning what would be a nine-year playoff streak with eight Colombia-Ecuador Division titles. They lost in the divisional series that year, but knew they had something cooking. The Mutiny signed the 28-year old Marquez to an eight-year, $87,700,000 to lead the way. 2012 would have his first injury setbacks with a knee sprain and fractured hand costing him about half of the season. The Mutiny would be ousted in the BLCS by Callao.

Marquez was healthy the next few years, leading in runs in 2013 and posting 6+ WAR in 2013, 2015, and 2016. He earned Sluggers in 2013 and 2015, taking second in 2013’s MVP voting. Medellin repeated as Bolivar League champs in 2013-14. They faced Fortaleza in Copa Sudamerica in both years, losing in 2013 but winning in 2014. Marquez etched his spot into immortality with an all-time playoff run in 2014, winning MVP of all three rounds.

In 17 playoff starts in 2014, Marquez had 34 hits, 18 runs, 7 doubles, 2 triples, 11 home runs, 28 RBI, .472/.480/1.083 slash, 1.563 OPS, 324 wRC+, and 2.4 WAR. Marquez set BSA playoff records for runs, hits, total bases (78), homers, and RBI; all marks that still stand as of 2037. Marquez opted out of his Mutiny deal that winter in order to sign a new six-year, $74,400,000 deal with Medellin.

He had an outstanding run in the 2013 Baseball Grand Championship with 1.307 OPS and 1.9 WAR, but was unremarkable in 2014 with .760 OPS and 0.3 WAR. The Mutiny finished 9-10 in both events. Marquez was also a regular for Colombia in the World Baseball Championship. From 2007-20, he played 122 games with 96 hits, 62 runs, 18 doubles, 28 home runs, 62 RBI, .233/.334/.485 slash, and 4.1 WAR.

Marquez played a huge role in Colombia’s runner-up finish to the United States in the 2010 WBC. He finished second in MVP voting, starting 25 games with 30 hits, 22 runs, 4 doubles, 12 homers, 20 RBI, 1.206 OPS, and 2.3 WAR. Colombia also made it to the elite eight in 2015.

Medellin fell in the BLCS in 2015 and 2016. They remained a playoff team the next three years, but couldn’t get beyond the divisional series. For his playoff career, Marquez started 54 games with 76 hits, 41 runs, 14 doubles, 20 homers, 55 RBI, .350/.386/.719 slash, 195 wRC+, and 3.8 WAR. He dealt with forearm injuries to lose bits of the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Marquez won his sixth and final Silver Slugger with a healthy 2019.

In 2020, Marquez reached the 2500 hit, 600 home run, and 1500 run milestones. He still hit 33 home runs with .882 OPS and 2.7 WAR that year, but this was his weakest full season of his career. Medellin just missed the playoffs and didn’t re-sign Marquez as they tried to re-tool. Marquez went unsigned for 2021 and retired that winter at age 38. The Mutiny quickly retired Marquez’s #1 uniform upon that announcement.

Marquez finished with 2290 games, 2652 hits, 1502 runs, 458 doubles, 74 triples, 625 home runs, 1650 RBI, 513 walks, 1685 strikeouts, .318/.361/.616 slash, 156 wRC+, and 80.5 WAR. As of 2037, Marquez ranks 60th in hits, 27th in runs, 37th in doubles, 21st home runs, 17th in RBI, 30th in total bases (5133), and 88th in WAR among position players. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Marquez’s .977 OPS ranks 35th and he ranks 23rd in slugging.

The tallies on their own get Marquez across the line and his playoff heroics make him a headliner. He’s not quite to the “inner circle” level of players, but he’s a legend in Medellin for very justified reasons. Marquez received 97.9% to headline the three-player 2026 Hall of Fame class for Beisbol Sudamerica.

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