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Mateo Ramirez – Starting Pitcher – Salvador Stallions – 69.1% Third Ballot

Mateo Ramirez was a 6’2’’, 195 pound left-handed pitcher from Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. Ramirez was known for incredibly overpowering stuff in his prime, which made up for having often mediocre control and movement. His 99-101 mph slider was untouchable when he was dealing, plus he had a strong forkball and cutter.

Ramirez’s stamina was good compared to most CABA aces. He was solid at holding runners, but otherwise subpar defensively. Ramirez was a very hard worker, but he wasn’t one to take on a vocal leadership role. His durability was generally pretty good, especially considering the power and demands of his arsenal.

In July 1999, Ramirez was signed to a developmental deal to leave the Dominican Republic for El Salvador. He spent parts of six years in their academy before debuting in 2005 at age 22, posting mixed results over 13 starts. Ramirez wasn’t used in the playoffs, but earned a ring as Salvador won the CABA Championship over Juarez.

Ramirez was a full-time starter from 2006 onward, starting a streak of six straight seasons as the Caribbean League’s leader in strikeouts. His first full season was his best by many metrics, featuring career and league bests in WAR (9.1), innings (265.1), quality starts (21), and WHIP (0.99). Ramirez struck out 340 and had his best ERA at 2.61, earning Pitcher of the Year.

Salvador continued their playoff streak for three more years, but never went on another title run. They fell in the first round of 2006 and 2007, then had a CLCS upset loss in 2008 to Nicaragua. In his four playoff starts, Ramirez had a 3.06 ERA over 32.1 innings with 33 strikeouts.

2007 had Ramirez’s career best 353 strikeouts, although he came close with 351 in 2010. On top of his streak as the strikeout leader, Ramirez also was the WARlord from 2006-08. He took second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 2007 and 2008. Although the strikeout tallies stayed high, Ramirez’s ERA started to steadily climb as well. Salvador was happy enough to sign a four-year, $34,800,000 extension after the 2009 season.

By 2012 though, Ramirez posted a 3.87 ERA, 266 strikeouts, and 3.2 WAR; all worsts apart from his partial debut campaign in 2005. Salvador’s playoff streak ended in 2009, but they stayed around .500 before finally collapsing to 65-97 in 2012. The Stallions looked to begin a full rebuild and traded Ramirez in the offseason to Guadalajara for two prospects.

With Salvador, Ramirez had a 112-73 record, 3.33 ERA, 1861.1 innings, 2327 strikeouts, 429 walks, 121 ERA+, and 46.7 WAR. His run was memorable enough to Stallions to get his #19 uniform retired by the end of his career. Ramirez’s 2013 with the Hellhounds was a mixed bag with a 3.80 ERA in 236.2 innings, 276 strikeouts, and 4.9 WAR.

Ramirez entered free agency for the first time in 2014 heading towards age 31. He left for Major League Baseball on a three-year, $33,300,000 deal with Charlotte. However, he was used exclusively in his first year with unremarkable results. Ramirez was split between starting and relief with good marks in 2015 with a 2.68 ER over 228.1 innings and 2.4 WAR. He was a starter for early 2016, but was cut after seven unremarkable starts. For the Canaries, Ramirez had a 3.17 ERA over 338 innings, 296 strikeouts, 122 ERA+, and 3.5 WAR.

Denver picked him up with decent results as a backup-end starter, posting 3.49 ERA and 2.2 WAR in 159.2 innings. He made one start in the playoffs, allowing two runs in 8.1 innings. Ramirez would earn a championship ring though as his former Charlotte squad went onto win the World Series. Soon to be 34-years old, Ramirez opted to return to CABA for 2017 on a four-year, $36,600,000 deal with Tijuana.

While his strikeout numbers were well down from his prime, Ramirez had a strong 2.91 ERA and 269 K debut in 2017 for the Toros with 5.3 WAR. He only pitched one relief inning in the playoffs though as Tijuana was one-and-done. Ramirez fell off with a 4.21 ERA over 218 innings in 2018, but did still strike out 239 with 2.3 WAR.

Ramirez made it only three starts into 2019 when he suffered a stretched elbow ligament with an expected 11 month recovery time. Instead of trying to comeback from that, Ramirez retired in the winter at age 36. With Tijuana, he finished with a 32-18 record, 3.56 ERA, 462.1 innings, 532 strikeouts, 80 walks, 109 ERA+, and 8.4 WAR.

The final CABA numbers had a 158-104 record, 3.41 ERA, 2560.1 innings, 3135 strikeouts, 557 walks, 187/321 quality starts, 87 complete games, 16 shutouts, 116 ERA+, 80 FIP-, and 59.9 WAR. As of 2037, Ramirez was 67th in strikeouts, but outside the top 100 in the other counting stats. He did rank 38th in K/9 at 11.02.
However apart from the strikeout numbers, Ramirez’s rate stats were definitely weak relative to other CABA Hall of Famers.

Some supporters gave him partial credit for the brief MLB tenure with his full pro stats being a 194-125 record, 3.39 ERA, 3058 innings, 3535 strikeouts, 696 walks, 116 ERA+, and 65.6 WAR. Ramirez had a Pitcher of the Year award, plus leading the league six straight years in strikeouts and four straight in WAR is something very few in baseball history can claim to have done.

Still, his dominance was brief and a mostly forgettable back end of his career hurt Ramirez’s stats. He debuted on the 2025 ballot at 62.9%, a nice effort but short of the 66% requirement. Ramirez fell to 55.7% in 2026, but got a bump up to 69.1% in 2027. That nice tally made him a third ballot selection and the third of four added to the Central American Baseball Association’s 2027 class.

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Adrian Estrella – Starting Pitcher – Panama Parrots – 66.1% Third Ballot

Adrian Estrella was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Santa Ana, El Salvador’s second-largest city with around 277,000 people. Estrella was known for having impressive stuff with nice movement, although his control was often below average. His fastball was tough despite peaking in the 94-96 mph range. Estrella knew how to change speeds and had a strong changeup and forkball in the arsenal, along with an okay slider.

Estrella’s stamina was solid compared to most CABA aces, but he often missed a few starts each year to smaller injuries. He managed to avoid the big catastrophic injuries until right at the end of his run. Estrella was respectable at holding runners, but below average defensively. He was a very intelligent pitcher who knew when to pick his spots. Estrella was also quiet and humble, making him an appreciated teammate.

In the 2005 CABA Draft, Estrella was picked fifth overall by Panama and pitched 175.1 innings as a rookie with promising results. In his third year, Estrella led the Caribbean League with 25 quality starts and posted his career-best ERA at 2.38. That effort earned him Pitcher of the Year and helped end a 61-year playoff drought for the Parrots, although they lost in the first round. After decades of ineptitude, Panama hoped Estrella would be the ace to lead them to contention.

He couldn’t replicate the 2008 success though and was merely above average for the rest of his 20s. Still, Panama signed Estrella to a five-year, $37,280,000 extension after the 2009 campaign. The Parrots missed the playoffs the next three years, but made it back in 2012 with a first round exit. Then in 2013, Estrella recaptured some of that prior magic, winning his second Pitcher of the Year with a 22-7 record, 2.76 ERA, 278 Ks, and 5.4 WAR.

Panama won their division and made it to the Caribbean League Championship Series, neither of which they had done since their lone title in 1946. However, they were ousted by reigning champ Santo Domingo with Estrella posting a weak 4.91 ERA in three playoff starts. He had a 5.67 ERA over five playoff starts with the Parrots, certainly not what was needed to make the big run. Estrella posted a decent 2014, but Panama fell three games short of a wild card.

For the Parrots, Estrella had a 128-98 record, 3.35 ERA, 1996 innings, 2250 strikeouts, 530 walks, 72 complete games, 15 shutouts, 119 ERA+, and 40.1 WAR. His contract was up after the 2014 season and the soon-to-be 32-year old left for free agency. Estrella was generally appreciated still by Panama fans and officials, eventually getting his #16 uniform retired for his nine years of service.

Estrella signed a five-year, $33,500,000 deal with Havana, spending the rest of his days in Cuba. For much of his time in Panama, Estrella had still gone home to El Salvador for the World Baseball Championship. He pitched from 2007-12 with a 2-5 record, 4.59 ERA, 66.2 innings, 86 strikeouts, and 0.2 WAR. To that point, Estrella had the unfortunate reputation of struggling on the big stage.

He had his standard production in his first year for Havana, but did lose two months in the summer to a hamstring strain. Estrella posted a career and league-best 7.3 WAR in 2016, earning his third Pitcher of the Year award. The Hurricanes ended a six-year playoff drought as a wild card and went on a run, taking the Caribbean League title. Havana was defeated by Juarez’s dynasty 4-1 in the CABA Championship.

Estrella finally had a strong playoff run, posting a 2.70 ERA over 33.1 innings, a 3-1 record, and 38 strikeouts. He was then dominant in his four Baseball Grand Championship starts with a 1.32 ERA in 34 innings, 2-1 record, and 35 strikeouts. Havana finished 11-8, part of a five-way tie for the fifth-best record. Estrella followed it up with a career-best 286 strikeouts in 2017, although his ERA spiked back to 3.84. The Hurricanes had a first round exit with Estrella making only one relief appearance.

In 2018, Estrella was third in Pitcher of the Year voting despite missing the last month to bone chips in his elbow. Havana was the top seed at 104-58, but was upset in the first round and missed having Estrella in the rotation. He was never the same after the bone chips, as it had absolutely tanked his control and stuff. Estrella was used for only 26 innings in 2019 and was left off the playoff roster, although he did earn a championship ring as the Hurricanes won it all.

With his deal expiring and his ability dwindling, Estrella retired after the 2019 campaign at age 36. With Havana, he posted a 59-30 record, 3.36 ERA, 910.2 innings, 1045 strikeouts, 202 walks, 33 complete games, 7 shutouts, 120 ERA+, and 24.6 WAR.

Estrella ended with a 187-128 record, 3.36 ERA, 2906.2 innings, 3295 strikeouts, 732 walks, 225/379 quality starts, 105 complete games, 22 shutouts, 119 ERA+, 82 FIP-, and 64.8 WAR. As of 2037, Estrella was 82nd in wins, 52nd in strikeouts, and 81st in WAR among pitchers. Like his Hall of Fame classmate Mateo Ramirez, Estrella’s totals were definitely borderline.

Working in Estrella’s favor was the three Pitcher of the Year wins, an accolade shared with only 20 other Central American Baseball Association aces. His role in Havana’s 2016 pennant was a big plus too. Still, many voters were underwhelmed by his overall tallies. Estrella debuted at 65.0% in 2025, missing the cut by one percent. He fell to 56.4% in 2026, but bounced back to 66.1% in 2027. By a very slim margin, Estrella snagged a third ballot induction as part of CABA’s four-player class for 2027.

FuzzyRussianHat

03-04-2025 04:38 AM

2027 EAB Hall of Fame

East Asia Baseball’s 2027 Hall of Fame class had two slam dunk inductees with 1B Togai Kobayashi at 98.9% and SP Kaneo Kuroda at 94.1%. Catcher Ha-Jun Au was the next closest to the 66% requirement with a debut at 58.5%. Two players on their second ballot cracked 50% with C Shintaro Onishi at 55.9% and 1B Kyu-Seong Lee at 51.1%.

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SP Rais Malikov fell off after ten ballots, peaking at 54.8% in 2020 and ending at a low of 32.6%. The Russian righty had a 14-year EAB career with three teams, posting a 177-110 record, 2.81 ERA, 2744 innings, 2861 strikeouts, 135 ERA+, and 79.0 WAR. Malikov had an ERA title and twice was a Pitcher of the Year finalist, plus he was a starter for Nagoya’s 2009 championship. Malikov’s rate stats certainly seemed good enough, but his tallies were just low enough to keep him from stronger consideration.

SP Dong-Won Kim also fell off at a mere 19.3% despite debuting with a strong 57.2% in 2018. He pitched 15 years with a 207-187 record, 3.61 ERA, 3630 innings, 3515 strikeouts, 565 walks, 105 ERA+, and 56.6 WAR. Kim had the longevity that Malikov lacked, but didn’t have the dominance or any accolades of note. He was also on mostly weaker teams for much of his run. Kim was a definite “Hall of Pretty Good” type guy.

2B/SS In-Soo Chi was another dropped after ten ballots, peaking at 49.3% in 2019 before finishing at only 9.3%. He had a 19-year run mostly with Ulsan, winning eight Silver Sluggers and four Gold Gloves. Chi had 2598 hits, 1540 runs, 373 doubles, 337 triples, 412 home runs, 1293 RBI, 691 steals, .267/.312/.502 slash, 122 wRC+, and 90.2 WAR. Chi also helped the Swallows win the title in 1996. He had plenty of accolades and nice longevity, but was never a hugely dominant hitter. Voters cared less about his defensive value, thus making Chi one of the larger EAB HOF oversights when looking at WAR.

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Togai Kobayashi – First Base – Kumamoto Monsters – 98.9% First Ballot

Togai Kobayashi was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from Kushiro City, Japan; located on the northern island of Hokkaido with about 157,000 people. Hokkaido is of course best known for its many soap factories. Kobayashi was known for his stellar eye at drawing walks, leading the Japan League in 14 consecutive seasons. He was also a solid contact hitter with a steady pop in his bat, good for 29 home runs, 23 doubles, and 10 triples per his 162 game average. Despite his eye, his strikeout rate was merely okay.

Kobayashi’s speed was merely above average, but he was a very skilled and crafty base runner and thief. He was more athletic than you might think from someone who started every single game of his career at first base. Kobayashi posted reliably average defense along with largely strong durability. He was also a good leader, making him a very popular player over a 20 year career.

By the 2001 EAB Draft, Kobayashi was atop many of the draft boards. Kumamoto grabbed him with the #1 pick and hoped he might make them a winner. To that point, the Monsters had only two playoff appearances since joining the Japan League in the 1978 expansion. Kobayashi looked okay in a part-time role his rookie year, then was moved into the full-time gig after that. 2004 would be his first of 12 seasons worth 5+ WAR for Kumamoto.

2005 began his remarkable 14-year streak leading the league in walks. It was also Kobayashi’s first of four seasons with OPS above one and his first of four years with a WAR above 8. Kumamoto quickly gave Kobayashi an eight-year, $51,420,00 extension after the 2005 season. He won Silver Sluggers those years of 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2010. Kobayashi was also the WARlord in 2006, 2008, and 2010. He never won MVP, but took second in both 2006 and 2010.

Kobayashi led the league in runs in both 2005 and 2006, posting a career high 110 steals in 2006. He led six times in on-base percentage, peaking with .422 in 2006. That year also saw his career high 1.064 OPS and 217 wRC+, both league bests. Kobayashi’s top WAR was 2010 at 9.3, a year with his best batting average at .330. He never topped 40 home runs, but he smacked 30+ eight times and thrice had 100 RBI.

Kumamoto started posting winning records with Kobayashi, but didn’t break through for playoff berths until 2010 and 2011. The Monsters lost in the 2010 Japan League Championship Series to Kyoto. They got the #1 seed in 2011 at 100-62, but were upset in the first round by Sapporo. Kobayashi held up his end with 1.073 OPS over 14 playoff starts with Kumamoto. They wouldn’t make the playoffs again for the rest of his tenure with only two more winning seasons.

In May 2013, Kobayashi signed a four-year, $67,200,000 extension to stick with the Monsters at age 33. He remained a steady starter for the rest of the deal, although it ended with a torn ligament in his thumb in September 2017. With that, he entered free agency for the first time heading towards his age 38 season.

For Kumamoto, Kobayashi had 2347 games, 2346 hits, 1416 runs, 360 doubles, 156 triples, 425 home runs, 1304 RBI, 1188 walks, 1580 strikeouts, 733 steals, .294/.386/.539 slash, 179 wRC+, and 97.3 WAR. Kobayashi’s #22 uniform would get retired for an impressive 16-year run as the franchise icon. Even if the Monsters never broke through for a deep run, Kobayashi certainly lived up to the #1 overall pick.

Kobayashi signed a three-year, $42 million deal with Sapporo and maintained his remarkably consistent production in his first two years there. He reached the 2500 hit and 1500 run milestones in 2018, then got to both 1500 RBI and 500 home runs in 2020. The Swordfish made the playoffs thrice with Kobayashi, but couldn’t get beyond the first round. Kobayashi again did well in the small playoff sample size with .884 OPS and 182 wRC+ in 15 starts.

He dropped off a bit in the third year and lost some time to a torn hamstring. Still, Sapporo was happy enough to sign Kobayashi to a new three-year, $18,600,000 deal. Unfortunately, he struggled in his limited action in 2021 and missed a big chunk of the year to a torn ligament in his thumb. Kobayashi retired that winter at age 41, finishing up the Sapporo run with 471 games, 399 hits, 294 runs, 42 doubles, 24 triples, 86 home runs, 239 RBI, .257/.350/.482 slash, 153 wRC+, and 13.8 WAR.

Kobayashi played 2818 games with 2745 hits, 1710 runs, 402 doubles, 180 triples, 511 home runs, 1543 RBI, 1408 walks, 1926 strikeouts, 843 steals, .288/.380/.529 slash, 174 wRC+, and 111.1 WAR. Even with his run leading in walks, Kobayashi still only got to 4th on the EAB leaderboard. As of 2037, Kobayashi is 27th in games, 53rd in hits, 14th in runs, 75th in home runs, 39th in total bases (5040), 46th in RBI, 52nd in stolen bases, and 20th in WAR among position players.

Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Kobayashi’s .909 OPS ranks 98th. He does also rank 26th in OBP. Kobayashi is probably among the best EAB players to never play in the championship and almost quietly ended up with a borderline inner-circle type career. He was a near unanimous selection for East Asia Baseball’s 2027 Hall of Fame class at 98.9%.

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Kaneo “Viper” Kuroda – Starting Pitcher – Kitakyushu Kodiaks – 94.1% First Ballot

Kaneo Kuroda was a 6’6’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Kyoto, Japan. Nicknamed “Viper, Kuroda was above average to good in terms of stuff, movement, and control. His velocity peaked in the 94-96 mph range with his cutter, but his most effective pitches were a curveball, forkball, and slider. Kuroda also had a rarely used changeup as a fifth option and had an extreme groundball tendency.
Kuroda’s stamina was good and he had mostly strong durability over a 20-year career. He had an excellent pickoff move and one of the better defensive pitchers.

In the 2001 EAB Draft, Kuroda was the 11th overall pick by Kitakyushu. He became a staple for the Kodiaks, spending his entire two decade career there. Kuroda was a full-time starter right away and took second in Rookie of the Year voting, He was very steady, posting 5+ WAR in all but two seasons from 2003-19. Kuroda only missed the mark in 2014 and 2015 due to injury shortened campaigns.

His third season was his finest by WAR (8.5), and strikeouts (309), taking third in Pitcher of the Year voting. Kuroda took second in 2011 with a 2.16 ERA effort and was second again in 2016 with his career best 1.72 ERA. He generally wasn’t a league leader though, leading once in innings, twice in quality starts, and thrice in shutouts. Kuroda was generally content as Mr. Reliable and Kitakyushu was good with that. They gave him a five-year, $34,900,000 extension in April 2007, followed by another five years and $63,800,000 signed in March 2012.

The Kodiaks were largely a middle-tier team during Kuroda’s tenure, averaging exactly 80 wins per season. Rarely was Kitakyushu outright awful, but they typically weren’t in the playoff mix either. Hiroshima also was a regular atop the West Division during Kuroda’s tenure. Through all of this, Kuroda just plugged along. His biggest moment came on August 6, 2013; a no-hitter against Osaka with nine strikeouts and one walk.

Kuroda’s first major setback came in April 2014 when he tore his UCL, putting him out 12 months and putting his career in doubt. He made it back for 2015, but lost a good chunk of that year to biceps tendinitis. He bounced back impressively tough with his career best ERA in 2016 at age 36, prompting another three-year, $43,100,000 extension with Kitakyushu. Kuroda resumed his standard production for the next few years after that.

In 2019, the Kodiaks finally ended a 21-year playoff drought, falling in the Japan League Championship Series to Kawasaki. Kuroda had a 2.31 ERA in 23.1 innings with 23 strikeouts, the only playoff appearances for his career. That winter, Kitakyushu gave him another three years and $33,700,000. Kuroda would suffer biceps tendinitis that knocked him out in mid-August 2020 as the Kodiaks fell back below .500.

Kuroda was mostly healthy in 2021, but had seen his velocity dip slightly for a 3.08 ERA. He also had 141 strikeouts and 3.0 WAR, the lowest full season of his career. Kuroda still was good enough for a spot, but he decided to retire after the 2021 campaign at age 42. Kitakyushu immediately retired his #29 uniform for his 20 years of steady service.

In total, Kuroda had a 247-203 record, 2.60 ERA, 4360.2 innings, 4372 strikeouts, 758 walks, 393/559 quality starts, 122 complete games, 38 shutouts, 127 ERA+, 77 FIP-, and 104.9 WAR. As of 2037, Kuroda ranks 18th in wins, 8th in innings, 66th in complete games, 8th in shutouts, 10th in strikeouts, and 11th in pitching WAR.

Kuroda was rarely overwhelmingly dominant, but his incredible consistency gave him impressive final tallies among East Asia Baseball’s best-ever pitchers. He might not have felt “inner circle” without a Pitcher of the Year win and being stuck on mostly forgettable Kitakyushu teams. The numbers don’t lie though and they had Kuroda as a slam dunk first ballot Hall of Famer. At 94.1%, he was the second member of EAB’s 2027 class.

FuzzyRussianHat

03-04-2025 12:33 PM

2027 BSA Hall of Fame

Beisbol Sudamerica’s 2027 Hall of Fame ballot lacked many impactful debuts outside of 3B Pedro Gutierrez, who fell short of the 66% threshold with 55.6%. This allowed two returning pitchers to make it across the line, both on their third ballots. Oliverio Garza got the healthy bump up to 82.3%, while Ulisses Natividad barely made it in at 67.1%. No one else was above 50%, although three players that were on their tenth and final chance got above the 1/3 mark.

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The highest of that group was SP Uriel Navas at 49.4%, which was just short of his ballot peak. He won Pitcher of the Year in 2003 and three Gold Gloves in a 13-year run with Santiago, finishing with a 181-130 record, 3.04 ERA, 2909.1 innings, 3018 strikeouts, 414 walks, 120 ERA+, and 68.5 WAR. Injuries kept him from really racking up the tallies, but Navas’ resume was comparable to the two inductees in 2027. He had them both beat in ERA as well, but was perhaps overlooked as Santiago was forgettable in most of his run.

Another pitcher dropped was TJ Jaimes, who won 2004’s Pitcher of the Year and had two Gold Gloves over 13 seasons for Quito. He peaked at 44.4% in 2023 and was below 10% thrice before ending at 39.8%. Jaimes had a 185-134 record, 3.54 ERA, 2846.1 innings, 2804 strikeouts, 521 walks, 115 ERA+, and 56.7 WAR. His resume was a somewhat worse version of Navas, but again wasn’t that far removed from both 2027 inductees. Both Jaimes and Navas have a fair gripe to ask why they missed out if both Garza and Natividad made it in? Sometimes, it comes down to timing and vibes.

Antonio Munoz also fell off after ten years, suffering the same fate of all previous top shelf BSA catchers. He peaked at 42.0% in 2023 and ended with 36.3%. Over 14 years mostly with Cordoba, Munoz won six Silver Sluggers, one Gold Glove, and was a 12-time All-Star with 1865 games, 1769 hits, 855 runs, 283 doubles, 307 home runs, 934 RBI, .286/.352/.491 slash, 138 wRC+, and 74.0 WAR.

As of 2037, Munoz is 6th in WAR among BSA catchers. Yet again though, BSA voters decided there hadn’t been a single catcher worthy over nearly a century of history. It would take Cicero Lugo, arguably the greatest catcher in all of baseball history, to finally break that drought.

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Oliverio Garza – Starting Pitcher – Asuncion Archers – 82.3% Third Ballot

Oliverio Garza was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Clemencia, Colombia; a town of about 14,000 people in the country’s north. Garza had outstanding stuff in his prime, but his control and movement were both often subpar. He had a five-pitch arsenal with a 96-98 mph fastball along with a changeup, forkball, slider, and curveball. All five options were generally equally potent when Garza was on his game.

Compared to other BSA aces, Garza’s stamina was unremarkable and you didn’t get a ton of complete games from him. His durability was typically solid though so you’d get a full workload from Garza. He was average at holding runners and generally good defensively.

Garza was spotted in the wild by Asuncion and signed to a developmental contract in November 1995. He spent most of the next six years in their academy in Paraguay, although he did make five relief appearances between 2000-01. It was hard to break in as the Archers were in the midst of a Southern Cone League dynasty run. Garza did pitch 0.2 scoreless in relief in the 2001 run as Asuncion won its first-ever Copa Sudamerica with a 110-52 campaign.

In 2002, Garza started most of the year with okay results, earning a full-time rotation spot after that. Asuncion won three more division titles from 2002-04, but couldn’t make it out of the divisional series. In 2004, Garza posted his best season by WAR at 6.0. He and the team both fell off significantly in 2005 with a 64-98 campaign, but both bounced back. The Archers would take five more division titles from 2006-10.

Asuncion won its second Copa Sudamerica in 2006 as the bottom seed, beating Caracas in the finale. They lost in the Southern Cone League final in 2007 to Salvador and never made it back in the next three years. Garza’s playoff stats were relatively average with a 3.32 ERA over 86.2 innings, 34 record, 84 strikeouts, 109 ERA+, and 0.6 WAR.

2007 was Garza’s lone time as a Pitcher of the Year finalist, taking second. He led the league with career highs in wins (20-6) and quality starts (26) and posted his best ERA mark at 2.12. Garza never quite matched that level again and was usually considered to be just above average. After the 2009 season, Asuncion gave him a four-year, $37,700,000 extension.

The run was over with the Archers retreating towards the mid-tier for the 2010s. Garza did have one more highlight with a no-hitter against Salta on August 30, 2012 with 13 strikeouts and two walks. In total for Asuncion, Garza had a 158-127 record, 3.39 ERA, 2749 innings, 2893 strikeouts, 690 walks, 107 ERA+, and 43.4 WAR. For his role in the franchise’s first sustained success, Garza’s #25 uniform was eventually retired.

Garza was a free agent for the first time in 2014 at age 34 and signed a one-year, $5,700,000 deal with reigning cup champ Fortaleza. He had a 3.10 ERA and 270 strikeouts with 3.8 WAR, helping the Foxes repeat as Southern Cone champs. They fall in a Copa Sudamerica rematch with Medellin. Garza was iffy in the postseason with a 5.03 ERA over 35 innings. He didn’t fare much better in the Baseball Grand Championship with a 5.33 ERA over 27 innings. Fortaleza would finish 9-10 in the event.

This briefly ended Garza’s time in Beisbol Sudamerica, as not many teams were interested in him as a free agent. He ended up moving to West African Baseball on a three-year, $18,300,000 deal with Niamey. Garza did still come home to his native Colombia for the World Baseball Championship. From 2011-19, he had a 3.23 ERA over 69.2 innings, 4-2 record, 109 strikeouts, and 0.8 WAR.

Garza was middling in 2015 for the Atomics and struggled to start 2016, finishing with a 5.87 ERA over 228.1 innings with 267 strikeouts and 2.4 WAR for Niamey. He was traded in July 2016 to Cape Verde and had a decent second half, but this ended his WAB run after two years. Garza put feelers out for a BSA return and Manaus gave him a one-year, $4,640,000 deal.

He had a nice return with the Magpies at age 37, getting 4.4 WAR over 259 innings with a 3.82 ERA and 266 strikeouts. Manaus earned its first-ever playoff berth, but lost in the divisional round. Garza signed with Caracas for 2018 at $5,800,000 and got his 200th win and 3500th strikeout. Maturin then took him for 2019 at $5,900,000 but only used him in 29 innings. Garza retired that winter at age 40.

In BSA, Garza had a 209-149 record, 3.45 ERA, 3471 innings, 3661 strikeouts, 875 walks, 285/461 quality starts, 76 complete games, 23 shutouts, 106 ERA+, 94 FIP-, and 54.6 WAR. As of 2037, Garza ranks 55th in wins, 44th in strikeouts, and 51st in innings pitched. However, he doesn’t crack the top 100 in WAR among pitchers and the rate stats had him below almost all previous BSA Hall of Famers. Only two prior inductees had a worse ERA and only one starter had a lower WAR tally.

Supporters pointed to Garza’s longevity and his role in Asuncion’s success. 200+ wins and 3500+ strikeouts weren’t magic numbers, but close to it with very few guys missing the cut if they hit either mark. The traditional mindset was favored by many BSA voters which helped Garza, even if Sabermetrics were underwhelmed.

He barely missed the 66% requirement with 65.1% and 64.4% in his first two ballots. With limited debuts of note in 2027, Garza got a hefty bump to 82.3% to secure a third ballot induction into the Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Fame. While some scholars argue he’s one of the weaker inclusions by advanced stats, Garza has his spot and plaque regardless.

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Ulisses Natividad – Starting Pitcher – Guayaquil Golds – 67.1% Third Ballot

Ulisses Natividad was a 6’5’’, 205 pound right-handed pitcher from Manta, Ecuador; a city with about 258,000 people on the Pacific coast with the country’s largest seaport. Natividad was well-rounded with good-to-great stuff, movement, and control. His fastball regularly hit the 98-100 mph range and was his best offering along with his splitter. Natividad also had a decent screwball and a rarely used changeup in the arsenal.

Compared to most BSA aces, Natividad’s stamina was below average. Recurring back troubles also limited his innings over a 15-year career. Natividad had an excellent pickoff move and was considered a solid defensive pitcher. Despite his talent, some coaches and peers did get frustrated with Natividad’s selfishness and poor work ethic.

Natividad was one of the top Ecuadoran prospects ahead of the 2003 BSA Draft, which caught the attention of Guayaquil. The Golds picked him 14th overall, but he wasn’t given a prominent role right away. Natividad saw 14 relief appearances in 2004, then an increased bullpen role with 54 games in 2005. Natividad had a part-time starter role in 2006, then finally earned a full-time rotation slot from 2007 onward.

2007 would be the first of eight seasons worth 6+ WAR for Natividad. His ascension helped Guayaquil to a competitive run with six playoff berths from 2008-14 and three division titles. The Golds couldn’t get over the playoff hump though with their deepest runs being Bolivar League Championship Series defeats in 2009 and 2010. Guayaquil would fall in the divisional series in their other appearances during that stretch.

2011 was Natividad’s best effort, earning his lone Pitcher of the Year with career and league bests in WAR (9.4), and quality starts (24). He also posted his highest strikeout total (290) and full season ERA (2.61). Natividad wasn’t a POTY finalist again, but he notably won the ERA title in 2013 at 2.64 and was the 2015 WARlord at 8.9. Natividad did notably have a setback in 2014 with an arthritic elbow costing him most of the second half.

Guayaquil re-signed Natividad on a four-year, $46,400,000 extension after the 2015 season. The Golds remained above .500 but outside the playoffs from 2015-16. They had one last shot with Natividad in 2017, but lost the BLCS in an upset to Maturin. Guayaquil would be below .500 for the rest of Natividad’s tenure.

On the whole, Natividad was solid in the playoffs with stats that closely mirrored his regular season career tallies. Over 13 playoff starts, Natividad had a 3.06 ERA, 5-4 record, 97 innings, 110 strikeouts, 132 ERA+, and 2.1 WAR. Natividad also was a regular for Ecuador in the World Baseball Championship from 2006-19 with 34 appearances, 24 starts, and 171.1 innings. He had a 3.57 ERA, 10-7 record, 200 strikeouts, 45 walks, 101 ERA+, and 3.2 WAR.

Injuries kept Natividad out for a chunk of 2018, although he was still effective when healthy. He had a sudden steep regression in 2019 with a 5.83 ERA over 66.1 innings, eventually getting benched. Natividad retired that winter at age 38 and Guayaquil quickly retired his #23 uniform for his 15 years of service.

Natividad had a 192-110 record, 3.08 ERA, 2761.2 innings, 2804 strikeouts, 399 walks, 231/350 quality starts, 76 complete games, 15 shutouts, 132 ERA+, 71 FIP-, and 79.8 WAR. As of 2037, Natividad ranks 90th in wins and 51st in WAR among pitchers, but misses the other accumulation top 100s. His rate stats are fairly favorable compared to other Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Famers, but the counting stats were on the low end.

On the 2025 ballot, Natividad debuted with 61.9%. He dipped very slightly to 59.3% in 2026. Natividad didn’t grow a ton in 2027, but he got just enough to reach 67.1%. That crossed the 66% requirement for the third ballot induction as the fourth and final member of BSA’s 2027 class.

FuzzyRussianHat

03-04-2025 06:28 PM

2027 EBF Hall of Fame

FuzzyRussianHat

03-05-2025 05:23 AM

2027 EPB Hall of Fame

FuzzyRussianHat

03-05-2025 12:10 PM

2027 OBA Hall of Fame

FuzzyRussianHat

03-05-2025 06:37 PM

2027 APB Hall of Fame (Part 1)

FuzzyRussianHat

03-06-2025 04:43 AM

2027 APB Hall of Fame (Part 2)

FuzzyRussianHat

03-06-2025 04:30 PM

2027 CLB Hall of Fame

Legendary two-way star Chuchuan Cao headlined Chinese League Baseball’s 2027 Hall of Fame ballot at a near unanimous 98.6%. Joining him just beyond the 66% threshold was 1B Peng Wang at 69.7% on his fourth ballot. SP Liqiang Yang missed by less than a point at 65.1% for his fifth try. 3B Gongsun Yang was also painfully short at 62.0% for his tenth and final chance. Also above 50% was CL Jingxing Zhang at 56.0% in his ninth go and SS Jiyu Liu at 54.6% on his second attempt.

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Yang was hurt by the general tough climb batters have with CLB’s voters in the low-scoring league. In 12 years for Macao, he had 1859 hits, 855 runs, 291 doubles, 389 home runs, 969 RBI, 326 walks, .263/.294/.480 slash, 176 wRC+, and 99.4 WAR. Yang won seven Silver Sluggers and peaked at 62.0% in his last ballot after bouncing around the 40-55% range.

As of 2037, Yang is 18th in WAR among position players and has the third most WAR earned at third base. He also helped the Magicians to three China Series appearances, but the lack of a ring was held against him even though his playoff stats were fine. Yang was another victim of tough standards and is often cited as one of the larger snubs for CLB’s Hall of Fame.

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Chuchuan Cao – Pitcher/Left Field – Shenyang Swans – 98.6% First Ballot

Chuchuan Cao was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed from Jiaxing, China; a prefecture-level city of 5.4 million people on the country’s eastern coast near Shanghai. Many argue Cao was the best-ever two-way player in baseball history with some going as far as calling him the best-ever baseball player, full stop. It helped that simply as a pitcher, Cao was an inner-circle level talent.

On the mound, Cao had very good stuff, movement, and control. His 96-98 mph cutter was often his best pitch, but his splitter, curveball, and changeup also were quite effective. Cao’s stamina was fantastic as well and he led the Chinese Northern League twice in innings pitched even while playing a full two-way load. Until his eventual career-ending injury, Cao’s durability was rock solid as well. He was also a strong defensive pitcher with a great pickoff move.

Offensively, Cao was a well-rounded bat who was a great contact hitter with a nice pop in his bat. He was incredible at avoiding strikeouts with a 7.7% career K rate, although he was merely okay at drawing walks. Cao didn’t have prolific power, but his 162 game average got you 19 home runs, 28 doubles, and 11 triples.

On top of that, Cao was a terrific baserunner with great speed. He usually played left field when not pitching and graded as below average defensively, but he was perfectly serviceable. Cao was a one-of-a-kind athlete and even the other outstanding two-way guys in baseball history weren’t seemingly good to great at basically everything. He also had a world class work ethic and tremendous adaptability, a true sparkplug type.

Cao was picked fifth overall by Shenyang in the 2011 CLB Draft and spent his entire ten-year run in China with the Swans. He was a full-time two-way starter immediately and debuted with 5.9 WAR pitching and 5.0 WAR as a batter. Amazingly, Cao was second in both Rookie of the Year and MVP voting thanks to Cheng Kang’s 35 home run, 10.8 WAR rookie campaign. Amazingly, this was the lowest combined WAR season for Cao with Shenyang.

In only his second year in 2013, Cao posted what is widely cited as the greatest single-season effort by any player in baseball history ever. On the mound, he posted CLB’s third-ever pitching Triple Crown season with a 20-8 record, 1.31 ERA, and 356 strikeouts. Cao also led in WHIP (0.70), complete games (29), shutouts (10), FIP- (40), and WAR (12.0). The ERA, Ks, shutouts, FIP-, and WAR would each be CLB career bests for him. Just on the mound, this was an all-time season.

Meanwhile, Cao also played 130 games with his bat and started 117 with 9.6 WAR, 212 wRC+, .311/.354/.565 slash, .919 OPS, 23 home runs, 28 doubles, 143 hits, 62 RBI, 49 steals, and 60 runs. He would have his career highs in hits, homers, OPS, and offensive WAR. The combined WAR total was a truly absurd 21.6, which is the world’s single-season record by three full points. That blew away the previous world record of 17.94 set by world strikeout king Mohamed Ramos in the 1936 Beisbol Sudamerica season.

Purely as a pitcher, Cao led the NL eight of nine seasons in WAR from 2013-21, posting 8+ WAR in each of them and 10+ in four of them. He led thrice in strikeouts, thrice in wins, thrice in WHIP, and twice in innings pitched. Cao won Pitcher of the Year in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2020. He also was second in POTY voting in both 2019 and 2021.

Again, just as a pitcher, Cao’s decade with Shenyang was one of the best ten-year runs any ace has ever posted. He had his first no-hitter on May 23, 2015 with 15 strikeouts and 3 walks versus Qingdao. On April 11, 2016, Cao tossed CLB’s 49th perfect game with 14 Ks against Xi’an. Cao was perfect for a second time on Junt 26, 2020 in a 12 K effort against Jinan. He’s one of three in CLB history with two perfectos.

Meanwhile offensively, Cao was above 6+ WAR seven times and was never below 3+ WAR for the Swans. Although the grand tallies may look low out of context, you have to remember that Chinese League Baseball was an incredibly low-scoring environment, plus the two-way workload meant starting at most around 110-120 games offensively. For his CLB career, Cao had a career 174 wRC+ and won nine Silver Sluggers as a pitcher (2012-18, 2020-21).

The combined results pushed Cao to five MVP wins (2013, 2015, 2017, 2020, 2021). No one else in CLB has five, plus Cao was second in MVP voting in 2012, 2014, and 2016 with a third place in 2018. His combined WAR seasons with Shenyang went 10.9, 21.6, 16.1, 17.9, 16.7, 17.5, 15.3, 11.8, 14.5, and 16.0.

As of 2037 in world baseball history, there have been only 26 seasons by any player worth 16+ WAR; SIX of these are Cao. He has the #1 spot (21.6 in 2013), #4 (17.9 in 2015), #7 (17.5 in 2017), #14 (16.7 in 2016), #21 (16.1 in 2014), and #26 (16.0 in 2021).

Unsurprisingly, Shenyang became a playoff contender with Cao. They ended an 11-year drought in 2015, but lost in the round robin. After missing the cut in 2016, the Swans earned five straight semifinal trips from 2017-21. Their season ended there each year except 2020, when they won the China Series over Macau. In that run, Cao had a 1.96 ERA over 41.1 playoff innings with a 4-1 record and 49 strikeouts, although he struggled to -0.3 WAR offensively. He had a 3.38 ERA in 32 innings in the Baseball Grand Championship and 59 wRC+ offensively with the Swans finishing second-to-last at 5-14.

If there was any weakness in Cao’s resume, it is that his playoff stats were a mixed bag. As a pitcher with Shenyang, he had a 9-9 record in 20 starts, 163.2 innings, 2.47 ERA, 201 strikeouts, and 5.6 WAR. Cao’s 109 ERA+ was unremarkable, but his 60 FIP- suggested bad luck. As of 2037, Cao ranks 2nd in playoff innings, WAR, and strikeouts; but he is also first in losses and hits allowed (144).

At the plate he had 65 games, a .268/.300/.437 slash, 143 wRC+, 2.2 WAR, 62 hits, 25 runs, 9 doubles, 8 home runs, 37 RBI, and 20 steals. Cao was by no means bad in the playoffs, but he looked human compared to the regular season exploits.

Cao was also a regular for China in the World Baseball Championship from 2013-24. On the mound, he had an 11-3 record over 120 innings, 2.92 ERA, 168 strikeouts, and 2.9 WAR. At the plate, he had 21 games and 9 starts with a .286/.326/.429 slash and 0 WAR. Cao earned a world championship with the 2016 Chinese squad, who beat Venezuela in the final.

His exploits in CLB quickly became the stuff of legend around the world, which made Cao an interesting free agent. Fresh off his fifth MVP, the soon to be 33-year old Cao hit the market for 2022 as his Shenyang deal ended. This marked the end of his CLB career as the league’s overall WARlord at 158.3, just ahead of shortstop Junjie Hsiung’s 152.62.

Cao’s final pitching numbers with Shenyang was a 177-88 record, 1.75 ERA, 2566.2 innings, 3242 strikeouts, 330 walks, 257/298 quality starts, 150 complete games, 52 shutouts, 149 ERA+, 51 FIP-, and 97.2 WAR. As of 2037, Cao is 12th in wins, 11th in complete games, 3rd in shutouts, 13th in strikeouts, and 5th in pitching WAR. Keep in mind, he got that high on the leaderboards with only a ten-year career.

Among CLB pitchers with 1000+ innings, Cao ranks 16th in ERA, 19th in WHIP (0.79), and 15th in opponent’s OPS (.491). His .186/.216/.275 triple slash ranks 38th/16th/23rd. Cao also ranks 32nd in K/9 (11.37), 51st in H/9 (5.94), and 41st in BB/9 (1.16). Many speculate that if Cao stayed in China, he might have ended up as the league’s GOAT pitcher. Even in just a decade, Cao’s pitching alone was worthy of an inner-circle Hall of Fame induction. Shenyang didn’t hesitate to retire his #25 uniform once his playing days were officially done.

At the plate, Cao played 1252 games and started 1138 with 1283 hits, 576 runs, 216 doubles, 88 triples, 153 home runs, 586 RBI, 264 walks, 444 stolen bases, .292/.333/.486 slash, 174 wRC+, and 61.1 WAR. If Cao had dedicated his time exclusively to the outfield, he probably had the skill to get into the Hall of Fame just based on that. He was an obvious Hall of Famer and frankly his 98.6% was too low as he headlined Chinese League Baseball’s 2027 class.

Cao’s career continued though beyond China and many thought he’d end up in Major League Baseball. He surprised several observers though by moving to Australia on a four-year, $43,200,000 deal with Sydney of the Oceania Baseball Association. It was also a surprise that Cao agreed to focus primarily on his pitching. Two-way use was quite rare in OBA, especially as it was the only major league to employ a four-man rotation. The Australasia League also employed the designated hitter, meaning Cao wasn’t batting on his pitching days.

In three straight years for the Snakes, Cao won Pitcher of the Year, leading each season in wins. He twice led with 10+ WAR and twice led in innings, complete games, quality starts, shutouts, and FIP-. Cao also led with 347 strikeouts in 2023 and 0.90 WHIP in 2024. As of 2037, he is one of nine in world history with a combined eight or more POTY wins. Cao did see limited use in the outfield with okay results, playing 115 games with 79 starts for 2.7 WAR, .761 OPS, and 111 wRC+.

Sydney won the Oceania Championship in 2022, defeating Vanuatu for the title. Cao allowed four runs with 14 innings in two starts. He then had a 3.03 ERA over 38.2 innings in the Baseball Grand Championship and 47 strikeouts. Sydney finished 8-11 in the 2022 BGC. The Snakes took second in the Australasia League in 2023 and won the pennant in 2024, falling in the OBA final to Port Moresby.

To that point, Cao’s career durability had been impressive. But calamity occurred on September 4, 2024 with a torn rotator cuff. This cost Cao the final month and the OBA Championship, but he was given a 7-8 month recovery window for the full expectation of returning. Sydney officials weren’t optimistic though and voided the team option fourth year of his contract.

With Sydney, Cao had a 76-20 record, 2.78 ERA, 916 innings, 975 strikeouts, 109 walks, 47 complete games, 12 shutouts, 139 ERA+, 69 FIP-, and 27.7 WAR. He was set to be 36-years old for the 2025 season coming off a major injury, but the hope was that he’d return to form once healed. Cao quickly signed a three-year, $55,200,000 deal with Major League Baseball’s San Diego Seals.

Sadly, Cao’s MLB debut never materialized. He had a setback in February 2025 that required another surgery. Doctors told Cao that his best case was another 15 months of recovery time, meaning a return date for late spring 2026. During the rehab process, it became quickly clear that his stuff was going to be significantly weakened and potentially not MLB caliber. It was a tough choice, but Cao decided to retire from baseball in the winter of 2025 at age 36.

For his combined pitching career, Cao had a 253-108 record, 2.02 ERA, 3482.2 innings, 4217 strikeouts, 439 walks, 335/414 quality starts, 197 complete games, 64 shutouts, 146 ERA+, 55 FIP-, and 124.9 WAR. He only narrowly missed the top 50 for pitching WAR among all players as of 2037. Cao’s ERA is 33rd, ERA+ ranks 44th and his FIP- is 19th among Hall of Fame starters. Again, just as a pitcher, Cao had an inner-circle level HOF career.

The combined offensive numbers had 1367 games, 1217 starts, 1377 hits, 630 runs, 236 doubles, 96 triples, 160 home runs, 626 RBI, 285 walks, 392 strikeouts, 473 stolen bases, .291/.332/.483 slash, 169 wRC+, and 63.8 WAR. Cao finished with a combined WAR of 188.7, which as of 2037 is 8th in world history for all players. It is the best by a two-way guy, topping the 180.0 by EPB legend Igor Bury.

If Cao hadn’t torn the rotator cuff and kept going for a few more years, supporters suggest he would’ve been the undisputed greatest player in baseball history. Even with the injury, you could still credibly make that case. Even among two-way legends, there had never been someone who was seemingly good at almost every single possible baseball skill.

Some detractors ding him for the perceived lower talent level of CLB relative to other world leagues. Cao’s pitching was stellar in OBA too, so certainly he would’ve thrived pitching anywhere. Whether he would’ve been as effective offensively in another world league is an open question. Cao’s playoff stats, while not poor, weren’t as exceptional as one might expect.

His overall list of accomplishments though playing only 13 years is absurd; eight Pitcher of the Year awards, five MVPs, nine Silver Sluggers, championship rings in both CLB and OBA, three no-hitters, and two perfect games. The case is strong that Chuchuan Cao may have been the most all-around talented baseball player in the history of the game.

He’s usually cited as the greatest player to come out of China and as the best-ever two-way player. His exact spot on the GOAT rankings is contentious, but you’d rarely find him outside of most top ten lists. Assessing the true worth of a two-way guy by itself isn’t particularly simple. Cao was arguably a top 50 all-time pitcher and combined that with all-star level production in the outfield. In any event, Cao certainly was one of the true immortals of the game.

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Peng Wang – First Base/Designated Hitter – Chengdu Clowns – 69.7% Fourth Ballot

Peng Wang was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed hitting first baseman from Chongqing, China’s largest municipality by urban population at 22.8 million people. Wang was an excellent home run hitter with above average to good contact. He had a decent eye for walks, but he struggled with strikeouts. Wang’s 162 game average got you 45 homers, 24 doubles, and 2 triples; focusing his power on dingers. He wasn’t going to leg out extra bags often with lousy speed and poor baserunning.

Wang played first base exclusively in China and was a reliably solid defender, even winning a Gold Glove as a rookie in 2007. After leaving CLB, he was primarily a designed hitter with occasional starts at 1B. Wang had recurring knee issues, but generally didn’t miss big stretches over his 17 year career. He wasn’t a troublemaker, but he also wasn’t one to take on a leadership role.

Coming out of college, Wang had power potential rarely seen in the low-scoring world of Chinese League Baseball. He was selected second overall in the 2006 CLB Draft by Chengdu and was a full-time starter immediately, earning a four-year, $10,720,000 deal as a rookie. Wang won a Gold Glove in his debut season, but struggled offensively and led the Southern League in strikeouts. He put it together in year two, getting at least 6.5 WAR each year for the rest of the run with the Clowns.

Wang’s arrival turned Chengdu into a regular contender, starting an eight-year playoff streak in 2008. In 2009, Wang led in home runs (45), RBI (92), and runs (93), earning his first Silver Slugger and taking third in MVP voting. The Clowns made the semifinal for the first time in their run, but were denied by Xiamen. A bone bruise in his wrist kept Wang out part of the fall, but he was back for the playoff run to cement his spot in CLB lore.

Chengdu was the #4 seed in 2010, but went on a tear all the way to their first China Series victory over Macau. Wang was finals MVP and in 20 playoff starts had 18 hits, 11 runs, 7 homers, 15 RBI, 3 doubles, 229 wRC+, and 1.4 WAR. He was merely average in the inaugural Baseball Grand Championship with the Clowns going 4-5 in the divisional format used just in the 2010 BGC. The title run cemented Wang’s spot as a Chengdu legend, but his 2011 campaign made him a league legend.

Entering 2011, the low-scoring CLB had single-season records of 59 home runs and 125 RBI. Wang obliterated both of those marks with 70 dingers and 150 RBI, marks that still haven’t been passed in CLB as of 2037. His 15.09 WAR was the second-best by a CLB position player behind only Libo Li’s 15.85 from 1980. Wang’s 409 total bases were a new CLB record and still ranks 10th as of 2037.

Wang also set a new CLB slugging record (.693) and just missed the OPS record (1.054). He led in runs (113) and wRC+ (272), winning his first MVP and second Silver Slugger. Chengdu made it back to the semifinal, but were ousted by Changsha. Wang led again in homers the next three years and twice more led in RBI, slugging, OPS, and wRC+. He also led in runs and total bases for 2012, and in OBP for 2014. His 1.078 OPS in 2014 did break the then CLB record, although that was topped two years later. Wang twice more also breached double-digit WAR.

With his efforts, Wang won MVPs in both 2012 and 2014 and earned Silver Sluggers from 2012-14. Chengdu lost in the round robin in 2012, then won their second China Series in 2013 over Hangzhou. Wang was semifinal MVP and had another strong showing with 17 hits, 7 runs, 5 homers, and 12 RBI in 17 starts. In the Baseball Grand Championship, Wang was merely okay with 104 wRC+ and 0.3 WAR in 18 starts as the Clowns tied for last at 6-13. He missed the 2014 playoffs to a concussion and the Clowns lost in the round robin.

For his playoff career with Chengdu, Wang started 63 games with 59 hits, 26 runs, 11 doubles, 16 home runs, 45 RBI, .259/.310/.518 slash, 191 wRC+, and 3.5 WAR. He was a critical piece for the Clowns’ only two titles and his #7 uniform was retired at the end of his pro career. Wang’s talents were too overwhelming though to stay in China as he quickly had interest from around the globe. He entered free agency after the 2014 season at age 30 and knew he could secure the bag.

With Chengdu, Wang had 1197 games, 1116 hits, 661 runs, 159 doubles, 330 home runs, 769 RBI, .257/.326/.532 slash, 204 wRC+, and 69.9 WAR. That eight-year run was his full CLB career, which ranks him 51th in home runs as of 2037 and 88th in WAR for position players. But his overall tallies were certainly on the low end simply because of the brief tenure. Among CLB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Wang’s OPS of .857 ranks 52nd and his slugging is 41st.

Some think that if Wang stayed, he would’ve had an excellent shot at becoming CLB’s home run king. There were many voters though that gave him zero credit for his later MLB numbers and felt Wang wasn’t worthy purely based on lack of tenure. He just missed the cut in his first two Hall of Fame ballots with 60.1% in 2024 and 65.3% in 2025. Wang dropped to 48.4% on his third try in 48.4%.

Supporters though pointed out some defining accolades: three MVPs, five times as the home run leader, the single-season HR and RBI leader, and two championship rings. Getting all of that made him worthy in their eyes even with only eight years of tallies. Wang bumped back up on his fourth try in 2027 to 69.7%, crossing the 66% threshold. This secured a fourth ballot induction into the Chinese League Baseball Hall of Fame for 2027.

Wang had another eight years post CLB though, heading to Major League Baseball for 2015 on a seven-year, $166,600,000 deal with San Francisco. Wang was mostly a DH with the Gold Rush and had nice power numbers right away with back-to-back 40+ homer seasons. He only had one elite year in SF, winning a Silver Slugger in 2017 with an American Association best 54 homers and 119 RBI. Wang dropped off a bit for the rest of his tenure, but was still a decent enough starter. He did lose almost all of 2019 from a torn ACL suffered late in the 2018 campaign.

San Francisco made the playoffs from 2016-18, earning a pennant in 2017 with a World Series loss to Boston. The Gold Rush finished 11-8 in the Baseball Grand Championship in a five-way tie for fourth. SF lost in the second round in 2016 and 2021 and had an AACS defeat in 2018. Wang’s playoff starts were alright with 29 starts, 28 hits, 11 runs, 6 homers, 20 RBI, 117 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR. He was solid in the BGC over 19 starts with 14 hits, 15 runs, 7 homers, 9 RBI, 157 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR.

While in the United States, Wang did return home for a few appearances in the World Baseball Championship for China. From 2010-18, Wang played 71 games with 67 hits, 46 runs, 10 doubles, 24 home runs, 48 RBI, a .260/.344/.578 slash, and 3.4 WAR. Wang was a starter for the 2016 Chinese squad which won the World Championship, besting Venezuela in the final.

For San Francisco, Wang had 897 games, 835 hits, 513 runs, 140 doubles, 249 home runs, 611 RBI, 276 walks, 884 strikeouts, .248/.322/.517 slash, 127 wRC+, and 19.6 WAR. While he was a nice player for seven years with the Gold Rush, some felt he didn’t live up to the big paycheck and fanfare he received. Wang was a free agent again for 2022 heading towards age 38 and signed a one-year, $9,100,000 deal with Montreal.

Wang’s power dropped to a low 28 homers and 67 RBI, although his WAR was still comparable to his last San Francisco season with the added value of playing 1B again instead of DH. He wanted to play again in 2023, but couldn’t find any suitors apart from a minor league deal in September with minor league Chesapeake, where he played one game. Wang retired that winter at age 39, finishing the MLB tenure with 1050 games, 966 hits, 585 runs, 158 doubles, 277 home runs, 678 RBI, 319 walks, 1050 strikeouts, .247/.321/.503 slash, 125 wRC+, and 22.3 WAR.

The combined pro stats had 2247 games, 2082 hits, 1246 runs, 317 doubles, 607 home runs, 1447 RBI, 678 walks, 2293 strikeouts, .252/.323/.518 slash, 166 wRC+, and 92.1 WAR. Wang was one of the more steady sluggers of his era, leading his league six times in homers and five times in RBI across CLB and MLB. That power certainly made Wang worthy of recognition with his CLB dominance snagging him a Hall of Fame slot.

FuzzyRussianHat

03-07-2025 05:51 AM

2027 WAB Hall of Fame

West African Baseball added two into the Hall of Fame for 2027, captained by SP Christopher Larbi at a nearly unanimous 99.2%. 3B/DH Ogunfeyimi Udoka joined him on his second ballot, making it past the 66% requirement at 70.1%. 2B Kevin Ge narrowly missed in his second try at 63.8%. Also above 50% was SP Isaac Appiah at 55.1% on his third ballot and CL Francis Koomson at 52.0% for his seventh go.

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Pitcher Emma Markson fell off after ten failed ballots, getting above 60% twice and ending at 42.9%. He was hurt by having his career split between starting and relief, the switch coming at age 28 after a ruptured disc. Markson pitched 14 yars for Lome and won Pitcher of the Year in 2002, finishing with a 117-83 record, 3.20 ERA, 1715.1 innings, 2155 strikeouts, 255 walks, 124 ERA+, and 33.9 WAR. He was on a nice pace, but fell way short of the needed tallies. It was somewhat surprising Markson actually got as close to induction as he did.

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Christopher Larbi – Starting Pitcher – Abidjan Athletes – 99.2% First Ballot

Christopher Larbi was a 5’11’’, 190 pound left-handed pitcher from Cape Coast, Ghana; a city of around 108,000 people. Larbi had great stuff, solid control, and above average movement. His fastball peaked in the 97-99 mph range and was good, but it was Larbi’s fantastic knuckle curve which was his most dangerous pitch. He also had a nice slider and forkball, plus an okay changeup.

WAB starters weren’t expected to go deep into games anywhere as often as other leagues, but Larbi’s stamina was low even by those standards with six career complete games. He had ironman durability though, so you’d go no shortage of appearances. Larbi’s innings weren’t as frequent as other aces, but his were incredible efficient. He had an excellent pickoff move, but was otherwise weak defensively. Larbi was sometimes considered selfish, but he never was a malcontent.

In March 2002, Larbi was signed as a teenage amateur by Abidjan, making the move from Ghana to the Ivory Coast. He spent five full years in their academy before debuting in 2007 at age 21 with part-time use. Larbi was a back-end starter in 2008, then a full-time one generally after that. In 2009, he had a 3.72 ERA over 19.1 playoff innings with 24 strikeouts as the Athletes beat Ibadan for the WAB Championship. It was Abidjan’s fifth straight playoff trip, but the first time they had broken through in that run.

The Athletes made it back to the final in 2010, but lost to Cotonou in the Championship. Abidjan then suffered back-to-back Western League Championship Series defeats. Larbi’s playoff stats were poor in this era, but he had begun to emerge as a regular season force. He had 5+ WAR each year from 2009-15 and was the WARlord in 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2015. During this run, Larbi led in wins four times, ERA thrice, strikeouts thrice, WHIP five times, K/BB four times, and FIP- six times.

Larbi was second in 2010’s Pitcher of the Year voting, then won for the first time in 2012 with career and league bests in ERA (1.72), WHIP (0.78), quality starts (260), ERA+ (225), FIP- (49), and WAR (8.4). Larbi’s ERA mark is the ninth-best qualifying season in WAB history as of 2037 and is one of only 33 qualifying seasons below two. He also was third in 2012’s MVP voting.

In 2013, Larbi tossed WAB’s ninth pitching Triple Crown season with a 19-6 record, 2.93 ERA, and 258 Ks to repeat as Pitcher of the Year. That winter, Abidjan signed Larbi to a six-year, $87,300,000 extension. He three-peated with a league and career-best 314 strikeouts in 2014, taking second in ERA at 2.62. Larbi made it four straight in 2015 with his third ERA title (2.38) and fourth time as the WARlord (7.9). Larbi was only the fifth WAB pitcher to win the award four times and the first to do it consecutively.

Abidjan missed the playoffs in 2013, then had back-to-back second round exits in 2014-15. The Athletes missed the playoffs from 2016-17, then had a WLCS loss in 2018 and second round loss in 2019. For his playoff career with Abidjan, Larbi had a lackluster 2-6 record, 4.19 ERA, 88 innings, 123 strikeouts, 95 ERA+, and 2.0 WAR.

Larbi dropped off noticeably from 2016-18 with ERAs back above three, but he returned to form with his fourth ERA title in 2019 at 2.42. He led in WAR for the fifth time and took second in Pitcher of the Year voting. Before the 2019 season, Abidjan had given Larbi a five-year, $49 million extension. The team went 108-54 that year, but was open to trade offers despite just re-signing Larbi. His value had spiked after his 2019 resurgence and the Athletes moved him in the offseason to Conakry for two prospect outfielders.

For Abidjan, he had a 184-72 record, 2.76 ERA, 2334 innings, 3101 strikeouts, 318 walks, 155 ERA+, and 68.8 WAR. Larbi remained very popular after leaving and his #13 uniform would soon be retired. The deal with the Coyotes was also a bit surprising since they were a direct competitor for Abidjan, having lost in the WLCS in 2019. Conakry hoped Larbi could be the final piece to get them over the hump.

Larbi moved to Guinea and ultimately never played for either team from his native Ghana. He did see sporadic use for Ghana in the World Baseball Championship from 2008-10, 2016-18, and 2021. In the WBC, Larbi had a 3-7 record, 3.51 ERA, 66.2 innings, 87 strikeouts, 16 walks, and 0.3 WAR.

In 2020, Larbi was third in Pitcher of the Year voting and Conakry indeed got over that hump. The Coyotes had a franchise-best 107-55 season and won their second WAB title, besting Yaounde in the final. Larbi did struggle in his two playoff starts, giving up 10 runs in 11.1 innings. He redeemed himself in the Baseball Grand Championship with a 1.24 ERA over 29 innings and 39 strikeouts. Conakry surprised many observers with a second place finish at 14-5, just behind Denver’s 15-4. That was the best-ever finish by a WAB team to that point.

Larbi had a respectable 2021 and gave up one run over nine playoff innings as Conakry lost the WLCS to Abidjan. That year, he crossed the 200 win and 3500 strikeout thresholds. Larbi still seemed capable, but decided to retire that winter at age 35. With the Coyotes, Larbi had a 24-16 record, 3.48 ERA, 367.2 innings, 448 strikeouts, 56 walks, 127 ERA+, and 7.6 WAR.

The final stats for Larbi: 208-88 record, 2.86 ERA, 2701.2 innings, 3549 strikeouts, 374 walks, 219/402 quality starts, 6 complete games, 3 shutouts, 151 ERA+, 71 FIP-, and 76.4 WAR. As of 2037, Larbi is 6th in wins, 29th in innings, 8th in strikeouts, and 7th in WAR among pitchers. Even with relatively fewer innings and a shorter run than some Hall of Fame levels, Larbi’s excellent efficiency gave him strong counting stats.

Among WAB pitchers with 1000+ innings as of 2037, Larbi is 24th in ERA, 9th in WHIP (0.97), and 26th in opponent’s OPS (.620). His .224/.259/.362 triple slash ranks 33rd/17th/42nd. Larbi’s 11.82 K/9 is 31st, his 7.45 H/9 is 35th, and his 1.25 BB/9 ranks 19th. Among all Hall of Fame starters in world history, Larbi’s ERA+ ranks 26th. He was definitely among the most efficient starters of his era.

Larbi’s final totals often aren’t quite high enough to get him into the #1 spot, but most top ten WAB pitcher lists have Larbi on there somewhere. At 99.2%, Larbi was a near unanimous selection and the headliner for West African Baseball’s 2027 Hall of Fame class.

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Ogunfeyimi Udoka – Third Base/Designated Hitter – Niamey Atomics – 70.1% Second Ballot

Ogunfeyimi Udoka was a 6’2’’, 195 pound left-handed hitting third baseman from Ibi, Nigeria; a town of 84,000 in the country’s southeast. Udoka was a solid contract hitter with an excellent pop in his bat against right-handed pitching. His 162 game average got you 40 doubles and 35 home runs with almost all of the power against RHP (career 1.006 OPS, 157 wRC+). Udoka struggled facing lefties with .689 OPS and 78 wRC+ for his career.

Udoka was average at best in regards to drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts on the whole. His baserunning skills were okay, but his speed was mediocre. From 2012-18, Udoka was a full-time third baseman and was a generally lousy defender. Before and after that stretch, he was mainly a designated hitter. About 2/3 of his career starts came at 3B in total with almost all of the rest at DH. Udoka had mostly good durability and intelligence, which combined with his power meant you’d find a spot for him in the lineup somewhere.

In August 2001, Udoka was signed as a teenage amateur to a developmental deal with Niamey. He debuted for the Atomics in 2005 at age 20, although he struggled over only 35 games and 15 starts. Udoka was a part-timer for the next two years, showing lots of promise in 2007 specifically with 30 home runs and 3.5 WAR over only 45 starts and 102 games.

Niamey was a contender in Udoka’s earliest years, winning back-to-back Eastern League pennants in 2006-07. They lost the 2006 WAB Championship to Monrovia, then got revenge against the Diplomats in 2007. Udoka stepped up big in the 2007 run, starting 10 games with 11 hits, 9 runs, 4 home runs, and 13 RBI. That helped him earn the full-time starting gig from 2008 onward.

Udoka led the league in doubles in both 2009 (54) and 2011 (54), which was the only stat he ever led in. Udoka did notably hit 40+ homers in both 2009 and 2010 and had 100+ RBI six times. He won his two Silver Sluggers (as a DH) in 2009 and 2010, taking second in MVP voting both years. 2010 had his career bests in WAR (7.6), runs (119), and homers (45). Udoka also took third in 2014’s MVP voting with his career best triple slash (.370/.414/.688) and OPS (1.082).

Niamey stayed above .500 from 2008-15, but couldn’t match their earlier playoff runs. The Atomics had second round exits in 2009 and 2010, followed by first round defeats in 2011 and 2014. Apart from the great 2007 run, Udoka’s playoff numbers were underwhelming. He finished with 33 games, 28 hits, 22 runs, 4 doubles, 2 triples, 9 homers, 25 RBI, .228/.301/.512 slash, 114 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR.

Udoka’s stats were similar representing his native Nigeria from 2008-15 in the World Baseball Championship. He had a nice 2011 run, helping the Nigerians to a fourth place finish. On the whole in the WBC, Udoka had 39 games and 29 starts with 28 hits, 15 runs, 4 doubles, 8 home runs, 23 RBI, .262/.313/.523 slash, 136 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR.

In August 2008, Udoka had signed an eight-year, $25,460,000 extension with Niamey. He continued forward with mostly good results, but struggled to start off the 2016 campaign; his final year under contract. The Atomics were struggling as a whole and they’d end up at 67-95, their first losing season in two decades. It became clear that a rebuild was in order and they traded Udoka at the end of May to Port Harcourt for prospect pitcher Saifoulaye Bangoura. Bangoura ended up being a serviceable back-end arm for the Atomics for 15 years.

Udoka finished in Naimey with 1511 games, 1714 hits, 934 runs, 391 doubles, 327 home runs, 1033 RBI, 438 walks, .318/.369/.584 slash, 146 wRC+, and 48.3 WAR. He had become a popular player over his 11 year tenure in Niger and Udoka’s #29 uniform would be eventually retired.

Port Harcourt was the 2015 WAB Champion, but had started slow in 2016 and hoped Udoka could help steady the ship. He was decent with 23 home runs, 76 RBI, and 2.4 WAR over 88 games and 69 starts. However, the Hillcats ended up finishing at .500. Udoka was now a free agent for the first time at age 32 and inked a five-year, $38 million deal with Accra.

Udoka was a good starter in his first two years for Accra, even hitting 42 dingers in 2018. The Alligators got to 89-73 in 2017; their best effort since 2001, but fell just short of the playoffs. Accra would be below average for the rest of Udoka’s run. He declined in year three and was a weak backup for his final two years, retiring after the 2020 campaign at age 36. For the Alligators, Udoka had 420 games, 381 hits, 202 runs, 84 doubles, 88 home runs, 236 RBI, .282/.322/.542 slash, 118 wRC+, and 6.9 WAR.

The final stats for Udoka had 2019 games, 2187 hits, 1191 runs, 497 doubles, 36 triples, 438 home runs, 1345 RBI, 522 walks, 1258 strikeouts, .310/.359/.578 slash, 140 wRC+, and 57.7 WAR. As of 2037, Udoka ranks 74th in hits, 70th in runs, 48th in doubles, 47th in home runs, 58th in RBI, 62nd in total bases (4070), and 63rd in WAR among position players. His .936 OPS is 60th among WAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, as was his slugging.

Udoka’s tallies were definitely on the borderline compared to other Hall of Famers for West African Baseball. Supporters pointed out Niamey’s team success while Udoka was there, along with steady power and three finishes as an MVP finalist. Detractors thought his tallies weren’t quite high enough and he didn’t have the raw dominance to overrule that. He also lost some points for being a DH for a 1/3 of his run. In his 2026 ballot debut, Udoka barely missed the 66% requirement at 65.2%. He won over a few more voters in 2027 to get to 70.1%, securing the second ballot induction.

FuzzyRussianHat

03-07-2025 03:04 PM

2027 SAB Hall of Fame (Part 1)

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The 2027 Hall of Fame class for South Asia Baseball was an impressive one with three players added on their first ballot. LF/DH Ratan Canduri was the clear headliner at 98.9%, joined by relief pitchers Viaan Ramakrishna (88.1%) and Seyha San (80.7%). Two returners cracked 50% with CF Chris Saandeep at 54.0% on his second ballot and CL Khon Aye Ko at 50.9% in his fourth try. No players were removed after ten failed ballots.

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Ratan “Fang” Canduri – Left Field/Designated Hitter – Mandalay Mammoths – 98.9%

Ratan Canduri was a 6’1’’, 195 pound right-handed left fielder from Bhuj, India; a city of around 188,000 in the country’s west. Canduri was famous for his outstanding home run power which many scouts rated as a 10/10 in his prime. He was also an elite contact hitter with an excellent eye for drawing walks, although his strikeout rate was average at best. Few batters in all of baseball history though were as efficient and effective at the plate. Canduri’s 162 game average got you 49 home runs, 30 doubles, and 2 triples. He was also a very intelligent and skilled baserunner despite having poor speed.

Canduri’s main downside was being an abysmal fielder. About 60% of his starts came in left field with sporadic use at first base. Around 30% of his starts were as a designated hitter. Canduri had remarkable longevity and mostly avoided major injuries, playing 130+ games in 21 consecutive seasons. His bat was so incredible that he remained a strong starter into his 40s. Canduri was adaptable to his situations and emerged as a megastar worldwide and arguably the best-ever player from India.

In June 1994, a teenaged Canduri was spotted and signed to a developmental deal with Mandalay. He spent a bit over three years in their academy in Myanmar before making his debut in 1997 at age 20. Canduri wasn’t fully formed yet and was mediocre in his first three years, posting -0.5 WAR over 196 games and 86 starts. Canduri put things together in 2000 with 34 homers, 4.8 WAR, and 1.011 OPS over 125 games and 85 starts. The Mammoths gave him an eight-year, $10,720,000 extension that winter in hopes that they had found their star.

After a good 2001, Canduri became elite from 2002-08 with Mandalay. Each season had OPS above one, 40+ homers, 100+ RBI, and 7+ WAR. For the Mammoths, he led the Southeast Asia League thrice in OPS, wRC+, and total bases; twice in average, on-base percentage, slugging, and walks; and once in hits, homers, RBI, and WAR. Canduri won Silver Sluggers each year in left except for 2007.

2002 was the first of seven seasons total with 50+ homers. Canduri was second in 2003’s MVP voting, winning his first batting title (.347). He won his first MVP in 2006 with SAB’s second-ever hitting Triple Crown to that point with 65 homers, 139 RBI, and a .367 average. Canduri’s .486 on-base percentage set a new world record and his .806 slugging and 1.292 OPS were both new SAB records. This season also had Canduri’s career bests for WAR (13.2) and walks (118).

Canduri bested his power numbers in 2008 with career highs of 74 home runs, 154 RBI, and 473 total bases. He also won his third batting title (.383), topped his slugging (.834), and matched his 1.292 OPS from 2008. However, this started the trend of Canduri’s excellence being overshadowed by Hanoi’s Majed Darwish. That year, Darwish beat out Canduri for MVP by obliterating world power records at 85 homers and 220 RBI. Darwish also usurped Canduri’s SAB slugging and OPS records.

While Canduri had become a known star in SEAL, he also was perhaps underappreciated to that point due to Mandalay’s struggles. The Mammoths didn’t make the playoffs in his reign, peaking at 88-74 in 2007. Canduri was due for free agency in 2009 at age 32 and decided to test the market. He couldn’t get the long-term deal he wanted from anyone, ultimately signing a one-year, $4,960,000 deal with Ho Chi Minh City.

The Hedgehogs had been the perennial power to that point and were on a 22-year playoff streak. 2009 would be the last year of that streak, but they capped it off with their sixth SAB Championship and 14th SEAL title of the run. Canduri had 67 homers, 140 RBI, 1.227 OPS, and 10.7 WAR, but again was second in MVP voting because Darwish had a bonkers 91 homers, 209 RBI, and 1.293 OPS. HCMC beat Jaipur for the title with Canduri getting 20 hits, 10 runs, 5 doubles, 5 homers, and 13 RBI in his first 17 playoff games.

Canduri played on the World Baseball Championship stage prior to that, playing 180 games for India from 2002-20. He had 138 hits, 130 runs, 55 homers, 125 RBI, 25 doubles, .224/.352/.532 slash, and 7.9 WAR. Canduri had a big showing in 2009 as the Indians won their first World Championship over the United States, starting 24 games with 22 hits, 25 runs, 9 doubles, 7 homers, and 22 RBI. India also notably finished fourth place the next year.

For 2010, the 33-year old Canduri was back in free agency and switched to the Indian League on a one-year, $5,300,000 deal with Pune. He played first base this year and won a Silver Slugger there along with his second MVP. Canduri led in homers (69), OBP (.475), slugging (.796), OPS (1.270), wRC+ (262), and WAR (12.6) and added career highs in runs (149) and hits (201). The Purple Knights took the top seed at 109-53, but were upset by Kolkata in the ILCS.

Canduri finally signed a longer deal for 2011, joining Bengaluru at $14,900,000 over three years. He played two seasons for the Blazers and dropped off notably in 2011 with a bad by his standards 5.3 WAR season. Canduri rebounded with a Silver Slugger (at 1B) and a second place in MVP voting for 2012, leading in OPS for the fifth time.

The Blazers were in the middle of the standings these years and Canduri declined the third-year option, finishing with 14.3 WAR, 211 wRC+, and 1.068 OPS over 274 games for Bengaluru. Canduri stayed in the IL on a one-year, $8,400,000 deal for 2013 with Delhi. Here, he won his third MVP and ninth Silver Slugger (his third at 1B).

Canduri had an incredible triple slash of .406/.487/.817 for a 1.304 OPS, 270 wRC+, and 11.8 WAR. This set SAB single-season records for average and OBP with the OBP mark still standing as of 2037 and the average getting beaten only once. The OPS was third only behind Darwish’s 1.321 in 2010 and 1.312 from 2008.

As of 2037, Canduri’s 1.304 OPS from 2013 is one of only six seasons in all of world history above 1.300. In SAB, Canduri has the #3, #5, #6, #8, and #9 best OPS seasons. He also has the #4, #5, #7, #9, and #10 ranked seasons by slugging percentage. In all of world history as of 2037, a slugging above .800 has happened 41 times; three of these are Canduri.

This 2013 effort got Delhi to the ILCS, but they lost to Visakhapatnam. Canduri would miss the postseason due to a broken bone in his elbow suffered in early September. Back to free agency he went, this time signing a one-year, $8,000,000 deal with Yangon. This brought him back to the Southeast Asia League for the first time since his Ho Chi Minh City stint. He ended up signing on for a second year with the Green Dragons at $7,500,000. By this point, Yangon was in the middle of what would be a world record 29 season playoff streak.

Canduri led in OPS for the seventh and final two and led in OBP twice more, but his prolific power was gone as he was now in his late 30s. Still, he was good for 30+ homers for another seven years. Canduri was third in 2014’s MVP voting and Yangon won the SEAL title, falling to Kolkata in the SAB Championship. Canduri had 14 hits, 8 runs, 3 homers, and 12 RBI in the playoff run.

Yangon won it all in 2015, defeating Mumbai for the SAB Championship with Canduri getting 16 hits, 10 runs, 5 homers, and 8 RBI in the playoff run. The Green Dragons struggled to 6-13 in the Baseball Grand Championship, but Canduri thrived in 19 starts with 1.240 OPS, 20 hits, 17 runs, 10 homers, and 14 RBI.

Canduri was now 39-years old, but still hitting at a very high level. He signed two years and $24,200,000 with Kanpur, posting 12.5 WAR over 294 games, 300 hits, 177 runs, 59 doubles, 73 homers, 184 RBI, and .960 OPS. Canduri won his tenth and final Silver Slugger in 2017 back in left field. The Poison fell in the 2016 ILCS with Canduri struggling to -0.2 WAR in the playoffs. He redeemed himself in 2017 with 1.099 OPS, 5 homers, and 13 RBI as Kanpur won the Indian League pennant, falling to Yangon for the SAB Championship.

With the Poison, Canduri also continued his climb up SAB’s leaderboards. He and Darwish both joined the 900 home run club in August 2017. In September 2016, Canduri was the third to 3000 hits and a month prior, he was the fourth to 2000 RBI. The top power marks of Tirtha Upadhyaya seemed catchable, but Canduri knew he wouldn’t get the #1 spot with the younger Darwish already ahead of him.

Canduri returned to Yangon in 2018 and scored his 2000th run, passing Manju Abbas that season for the SAB record. Of course, Darwish reached 2000 runs only two months later and soon passed Canduri for the top spot. A late season twisted ankle kept Canduri out for the playoffs as the top-seeded Green Dragons were upset in the first round. Between Yangon stints, Canduri played 430 games with 477 hits, 314 runs, 79 doubles, 117 home runs, 320 RBI, .305/.396/.593 slash, 169 wRC+, and 19.5 WAR.

Now 42-years old, Canduri returned where his career started with Mandalay. The Mammoths had recently become a contender, falling to Pune in the 2019 SAB Championship. Canduri hoped to win it all with his original squad, but they were thwarted in the 2019 SEAL Championship by Vientiane. That year, he led in walks for the fifth time and crossed 1600 for his career, putting him within striking distance of the SAB record 1647 by K.C. Choudhury.

Combining 2019 with his original run, Canduri’s Mandalay numbers saw 1699 games, 1823 hits, 1072 runs, 316 doubles, 518 home runs, 1211 RBI, 783 walks, .324/.409/.661 slash, 187 wRC+, and 83.4 WAR. Unsurprisingly, the Mammoths retired his #21 uniform at the end of his career and he remained a beloved figure there.

Canduri spent two final seasons with Dhaka. In 2020, he reached 1000 career home runs, a mark to that point reached only by Darwish the year prior and the Arab League’s Nordine Soule. Canduri would finish behind both in homers and RBI, but he placed himself in the highest circles ever reached by sluggers. Canduri also passed Choudhury in 2020 to become SAB’s walks leader, a distinction he still holds as of 2037.

In 2020, Canduri also joined Abbas as SAB’s only players with 3500 hits. He ended 2020 at 3633 and had hoped to chase Abbas’ high mark of 3897. Canduri was still solid in 2020 with a 3.5 WAR, 37 homer season. However, age finally caught him in 2021 as he struggled to a league-worst 201 strikeouts. Canduri had only 0.7 WAR and .709 OPS, easily the worst full-time numbers of his career.

Dhaka ended a playoff drought in 2021 and went on a surprise run, giving Canduri one last shot at the playoffs. The Dobermans won the SEAL title, but fell in the SAB Championship to Delhi. Canduri struggled to a .576 OPS over 18 starts. His career playoff numbers weren’t bad, but definitely were well below his regular season dominance with 104 starts, 102 hits, 60 runs, 15 doubles, 24 home runs, 67 RBI, .264/.340/.494 slash, 128 wRC+, and 2.9 WAR. Canduri would’ve loved to keep playing, but it was clear he was finally washed, retiring after the 2021 season at age 45.

Canduri’s final stats had 3479 games, 3770 hits, 2334 runs, 647 doubles, 44 triples, 1049 home runs, 2496 RBI, 1735 walks, 2688 strikeouts, 126 stolen bases, .316/.405/.642 slash, 187 wRC+, and 169.1 WAR. In just about any league at any time period, those totals put you in GOAT hitter territory, but Canduri had the misfortune of being a contemporary of Majed Darwish, who ended up as the world’s HR, RBI, and runs leader.

As of 2037 in SAB, Canduri ranks 2nd in games, 3rd in hits, 2nd in total bases (7652), 6th in singles (2030), 5th in doubles, 2nd in home runs, 2nd in RBI, 1st in walks, 9th in strikeouts, and 2nd in WAR among position players. Although Darwish had him beat by a decent margin in some counting stats, Canduri was only five points behind him in WAR; although part of that could be attributed to Darwish having a larger share of starts as a DH.

Among SAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Canduri’s 1.047 OPS is 4th and his triple slash ranks 36th/5th/5th. Canduri did have Darwish beat in both batting average and on-base percentage, but Darwish’s insane power pushed him higher in OPS. Among world Hall of Famers as of 2037, Canduri ranks 25th in OBP, 20th in slugging, 14th in OPS, and 31st in wRC+. Canduri’s high walk rate actually helped him to a higher wRC+ than Darwish (187 versus 181).

On the world leaderboards as of 2037, Canduri is 9th in games played, 34th in at-bats (11,926), 6th in runs, 17th in hits, 50th in doubles, 5th in home runs, 7th in RBI, 9th in walks, and 11th in WAR among position players. When including all players ever, Canduri sits 16th in WAR. He has the most of an Indian-born player (Abbas was next at 154.7) and ranks 6th among all players born in Asia.

Most people default to Darwish as South Asia Baseball’s GOAT because of his wacky power tallies, but Canduri was closer to matching his value than many realize. SAB has had some major offensive standouts in its history, but most usually have Darwish, Canduri, Upadhyaya, and Abbas in the top four. Canduri didn’t have quite as many awards as the others and didn’t have the real “signature run” with one team that the others had. Although he won a few titles, he also didn’t have huge playoff stats. Playing for eight different teams might have also caused some to overlook Canduri relative to his incredible production.

Where he lands on the world’s all-time rankings is always a fierce debate as well. SAB’s offensive environment (and homers especially) is higher than other world leagues, and some argue that the overall quality of play is among the low end relative to other leagues. Thus, some scholars might slightly nerf the big stat totals from guys like Canduri.

But even when you try to normalize the numbers, Canduri clearly emerges as an all-time immortal in terms of offensive production. Even the biggest SAB detractors would be unlikely to keep him off of top 50 lists for position players. In terms of purely batting, you could arguably stick him into the top 10. The few position players ahead of him in career WAR generally gained that extra value with defense. Canduri was an abysmal fielder and spent almost 1/3 of his career as a DH.

Any way you slice it; there have been very few players in baseball history to have the high contact, power, and eye skills that Canduri had. Even fewer maintained those skills at a high level well into their 40s. Canduri was a true inner-circle level talent and headlined SAB’s 2027 Hall of Fame class at 98.9%.

FuzzyRussianHat

03-07-2025 07:12 PM

2027 SAB Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Viaan Ramakrishna – Closer – Lucknow Larks – 88.1% First Ballot

Viaan Ramakrishna was a 6’6’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Chennai, India; formerly known as Madras. Ramakrishna had absolutely filthy stuff along with solid control and movement. His one-two punch was a 97-99 mph fastball and a great slider, both of which were equally potent. Ramakrishna’s remarkable strikeout rate earned him the nickname “Mauler.”

Ramakrishna’s durability was decent for his career and you could usually get a full workload out of him. His stamina was very limited though, so you couldn’t expect many multi-inning outings. Ramakrishna graded as a good defensive pitcher, but his ability to hold runners was shockingly poor. His work ethic was impressive and you could rely on Ramakrishna to give you his absolute best every time.

In the 2004 SAB Draft, Ramakrishna was selected by Lucknow with the ninth pick of the second round; 40th overall. The Larks had joined the Indian League earlier that year as part of league expansion. Ramakrishna was the full-time closer right away and by his second year, he started a streak of 11 seasons worth 3+ WAR. Ramakrishna led in saves in 2007 with 42, a career best for him. In 2009, he had his career best 203 strikeouts, taking second in Reliever of the Year voting.

Only so much recognition was possible with an expansion team. Lucknow mostly struggled for their first decade apart from a surprise 90-72 in 2008. They plummeted back to 69-93 the next year. By July 2011, the Larks were sellers and sent Ramakrishna to Hanoi at the deadline for three prospects. For Lucknow, Ramakrishna had 536 innings, 213 saves, 2.30 ERA, 1031 strikeouts, 112 walks, 152 ERA+, and 26.1 WAR. Ramakrishna was the franchise’s first Hall of Famer by way of not spending more than three years anywhere else, pitching close to seven years for the Larks.

Ramakrishna had gotten some recognition throughout South Asia Baseball for his work with India in the World Baseball Championship. He made 13 appearances with 20.2 innings and 40 strikeouts in India’s 2009 World Championship win over the United States. He then tossed 13 scoreless innings in 2010 as they finished fourth. Ramakrishna was third that year in Best Pitcher voting. In total, Ramakrishna had 73 innings from 2006-19 with a 2.47 ERA, 22 saves, 121 strikeouts, and 2.5 WAR.

He had his first taste of the SAB playoffs in 2011 with Hanoi, who lost to Dhaka in the Southeast Asia League Championship. Ramakrishna tossed six scoreless innings with 14 Ks, giving him momentum heading to free agency at age 30. Surat signed Ramakrishna for 2012, but traded him to Chittagong in the summer after the Silver Sox underperformed. Ramakrishna had 4.6 WAR, 1.45 ERA, and 35 saves between the squads.

Ramakrishna joined Kolkata in 2013 and led in saves with 42, while also posting his career best ERA at 1.13 to earn his first Reliever of the Year. He missed the playoffs though with a torn rotator cuff suffered in late September. Ramakrishna was back ready by 2014 at age 32 and had a second solid stint with Hanoi, taking second in Reliever of the Year voting. The Hounds fell in the SEAL Championship against Yangon.

Looking to cement his status as a good pick for any SAB Immaculate Grid, Ramakrishna continued to bounce around for the next few years. He had a 1.30 ERA, 35 saves, 183 Ks, and 5.3 WAR in 2015 for Mumbai, winning his second Reliever of the Year. Ramakrishna was a beast in the playoffs as the Meteors won the Indian League title, eventually falling in the SAB Championship to Yangon. Ramakrishna tossed 19 playoff innings with 36 strikeouts, two unearned runs allowed and two saves.

Hanoi brought him back for round three in 2016, taking third in Reliever of the Year voting. Ramakrishna gave up four runs in 11.2 playoff innings with 18 strikeouts and four saves, helping the Hounds win the 2016 SAB Championship over Mumbai. In the Baseball Grand Championship, Ramakrishna had seven saves in nine appearances with a 138 ERA and 25 Ks in 13 innings. Hanoi finished 12-7, one win short of the top spot for a third place finish after tiebreakers.

Between the three stints with Hanoi, Ramakrishna had 84 saves, 203.1 innings, 381 strikeouts, and 10.6 WAR. He also reached 400 career saves in 2016, the fourth to reach the mark in SAB. Ramakrishna joined Yangon in 2017 at age 35 and was moved out of the closer job, but was still effective with 52 innings and a 2.60 ERA. He again shined in the postseason as the Green Dragons beat Kanpur for the SAB Championship.

In the playoffs, Ramakrishna allowed two earned runs over 9.2 innings with 13 strikeouts. He did struggle though in the Baseball Grand Championship, giving up six earned in 5.1 innings. Yangon was near the bottom of the standings at 6-13. Ramakrishna overall earned the reputation as a great playoff pitcher, finishing his SAB career with a 1.33 ERA over 47.1 innings and 28 games, 8 saves, 18 shutdowns, 83 strikeouts, and 2.6 WAR.

Ramakrishna spent 2018 with Ho Chi Minh City and was iffy in a setup role. Hyderabad signed him for 2019 as a closer with decent results initially, but he suffered a ruptured UCL in late May that knocked him out 14 months. Ramakrishna attempted a comeback with Vientiane in 2020 and tossed 11.1 scoreless innings late in the year. That earned him another shot with Hyderabad in 2021 with a 2.35 ERA over 23 innings of back-end relief. Ramakrishna retired that winter shortly after his 40th birthday.

In total, Ramakrishna had 1154.1 innings over 963 games, 444 saves, 537 shutdowns, a 94-75 record, 2118 strikeouts, 256 walks, 179 ERA+, 43 FIP-, and 54.7 WAR. As of 2037, Ramakrishna ranks 5th in saves and 4th in appearances. His WAR is 44th among all SAB pitchers and is second among SAB Hall of Fame closers.

Most notably, his 16.51 K/9 leads all SAB pitchers with 1000+ career innings. The only other qualifying pitchers with a better K/9 in one league were BSA’s Chano Angel (17.33) and CLB’s Yongjie Xie (16.72). As for other SAB rate stats, Ramakrishna is 4th in ERA, 3rd in opponent’s OPS (.523), and 4th in H/9 (5.80). His .179/.230/.293 triple slash each rank 3rd among qualifiers.

Among all relievers in world history, Ramakrishna ranks 11th in strikeouts and is one of 18 career relievers with 2000 Ks. He also ranks 35th in saves, 41st in games pitched, 29th in WAR (among relievers), 33rd in shutdowns, 44th in ERA+, 32nd in FIP-, and 48th in opponent’s OPS.

Few relievers in any league were better at getting strikeouts and even fewer could maintain such a K rate over that long of a career. When you add in Ramakrishna’s playoff success, even most reliever-skeptic voters agreed that he was an obvious choice. At 88.1%, Ramakrishna earned a first ballot selection as part of South Asia Baseball’s 2027 class.

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Seyha San – Closer – Bangkok Bobcats – 80.7% First Ballot

Seyha San was a 6’4’’, 195 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Savannakhet, the second-largest city in Laos with around 125,000 people. San was only the second Laotian to earn induction, joining Class of 2008 SP Jade Poomkeaw. San had strong stuff, excellent control, and good movement. His fastball peaked in the 96-98 mph range and was supported by a solid forkball. San had an extreme groundball tendency.

San’s stamina was good and he had mostly good durability after dealing with some injuries in his mid 20s. He graded as subpar at holding runners and defense. He was spotted in May 2001 and signed to a developmental deal with Bangkok, spending around four years in their academy in Thailand. San debuted in 2005 in mid relief at age 20 with a 3.88 ERA over 65 innings. The Bobcats moved him into the closer role after that, which he held for eight years.

There were interruptions due to injury early on. A partially torn labrum in June 2008 put San out for the rest of the year. San bounced back in 2009 with his lone Reliever of the Year win with a 1.52 ERA, 118 strikeouts, and 3.8 WAR in 83 innings. He dealt with another partial labrum tear and forearm inflammation in 2010. San was mostly healthy after that, but didn’t reclaim his 2009 dominance while with Bangkok.

The Bobcats went 88-74 in 2009, their first winning season since 2001. They earned a division title in 2010, but had a first round playoff exit. Bangkok stayed in the upper 80 win tally the next two years, then fell to 69-93 in 2013. San had signed a two-year, $5,040,000 extension in June 2011, but opted for free agency for 2014 at age 29.

With Bangkok, San had a 223 saves, 245 shutdowns, 597.1 innings, 472 games, 2.71 ERA, 729 strikeouts, 162 walks, 144 ERA+, and 17.7 WAR. He was generally liked enough for his nine-year run and the Bobcats later retired San’s #9 uniform. San would bounce back-and-forth between Mumbai and Yangon from 2014-19, closing for both. He was with the Meteors in the even years and the Green Dragons in the odd years.

San led the Southeast Asia League with 39 saves in 2015, his only time as the leader. He was second in Reliever of the Year voting in 2015 and 2018 and third in 2019. Both teams were in the midst of playoff streaks with San getting an Indian League title with Mumbai in 2016 and SAB Championship wins for Yangon in both 2015 and 2017.

His playoff numbers for his career were solid with a 2.40 ERA over 56.1 innings, 28 appearances, 11 saves, 73 strikeouts, and 1.3 WAR. San also had a 1.12 ERA over 16 innings with 21 strikeouts in the Baseball Grand Championship for Yangon. The Green Dragons finished 6-13 in both editions. For Yangon overall, San had 107 saves, 1.75 ERA, 201 innings, 267 Ks, and 7.9 WAR. With the Meteors, he had 107 saves, 2.12 ERA, 242.1 innings, 348 strikeouts, and 8.4 WAR.

In 2018, San became the fifth SAB reliever to 400 career saves. Saroth Bora’s record of 499 seemed possible as San’s game was seemingly aging well. In 2019, he lost almost two weeks to a strained shoulder, but he had his lowest ERA at 0.76. San joined Vientiane for 2020 and got 21 saves in 58 innings with 3.0 WAR. His velocity started to drop though and he was out of the closer role in 2021 with Ho Chi Minh City. San was unsigned in 2022 and retired that winter at age 38.

San finished with 1135.1 innings, 951 games, 460 saves, 502 shutdowns, 105-87 record, 1445 strikeouts, 287 walks, 160 ERA+, 65 FIP-, and 37.4 WAR. As of 2037, San is 4th in saves and 5th in games. He has his Hall of Fame classmate Viaan Ramakrishna just beaten in saves, but San’s rate stats were definitely weaker than Ramakrishna’s,

Still among SAB pitchers with 1000+ innings as of 2037, San ranks 9th in ERA, 84th in WHIP (1.06), and 38th in opponent’s OPS (.599). San’s 7.29 H/9 ranks 78th and his K/9 of 11.45 is 67th. His .219/.270/.329 triple slash ranked 67th/65th/33rd. San’s WAR ranked 5th among the other Hall of Fame relievers in South Asia Baseball lore.

San’s longevity got him on the world leaderboards as of 2037, ranking 26th in saves and 48th in games pitched. He misses the top 50 in the rate stats though and isn’t generally placed in that tier among the elite of the elite like Ramakrishna. Getting 450+ saves in one league was a clincher by itself though for most voters and San’s playoff value with Yangon and Mumbai clinched it with most remaining doubters. At 80.7%, San secured a first ballot induction to cap off SAB’s three-player 2027 class.

FuzzyRussianHat

03-08-2025 04:41 AM

2027 ABF Hall of Fame (Part 1)

FuzzyRussianHat

03-08-2025 01:38 PM

2027 ABF Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Majd Bsharri – Left/Right Field – Bursa Blue Claws – 97.5% First Ballot

Majd Bsharri was a 6’1’’, 205 pound left-handed hitting corner outfielder from Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city. On the whole, Bsharri graded as good-to-great in terms of contact, power, and eye. He was definitely stronger facing right-handed pitching (.947 career OPS, 171 wRC+) compared to lefties (.730 OPS, 112 wRC+). Bsharri was better than most in ABF at drawing walks, but his strikeout rate was subpar.

Bsharri wasn’t generally a prolific slugger, but both his home run and gap power were reliably strong with a 162 game average of 31 homers, 38 doubles, and 7 triples. His speed was merely average, but Bsharri was a skilled base stealer who got more than swipes than you’d expect. His durability was excellent in his 20s, although he did run into some issues in his 30s.

About 75% of his starts came in the outfield with most split between left and right. Bsharri fared better in left, but he was below average in either spot. He was actively terrible in brief tries in center and at first base. Bsharri did also see just under 20% of his starts as a designated hitter. He was a respected team captain known for his leadership, work ethic, and loyalty. Few players were better men than Bsharri, helping him become a universal favorite among ABF fans and players.

Bsharri left Pakistan for Turkey in April 1999 as he signed a developmental deal with Bursa. He was an incredibly rare 18-year old debutant in 2001, although he only had six at-bats in the regular season. Bsharri also went 2-4 in the playoffs with one double and three RBI as the Blue Claws earned their second pennant, falling to Dushanbe in the ABF Championship. He may hold the distinction as the youngest player in baseball history with a playoff hit, turning 19 on October 10.

Bsharri saw 75 games and 20 starts in 2002, but struggled as he definitely wasn’t ready yet. He didn’t see playoff use as Bursa lost in the WLCS to Isfahan. Bsharri looked better in 2003 with 2.0 WAR over 131 games and 89 starts. He also had five playoff hits as the Blue Claws’ lost in the first round, but saw their playoff streak grow to seven seasons. Bsharri earned a full-time slot in the lineup in 2004 and was a Bursa fixture through 2015.

In 2004, he was merely a decent starter in the regular season. Bsharri also struggled in the playoffs with .577 OPS and -0.2 WAR, but Bursa prevailed for their first ABF Championship win in a rematch with Dushanbe. The Blue Claws liked his potential, giving Bsharri a five-year, $8,820,000 extension that winter. Bsharri emerged as elite in 2005 with his first Silver Slugger (in RF) and a third place in MVP voting, leading in doubles (49), batting average (.320) and OBP (.395). He was okay in the playoffs as Bursa fell to Shiraz in the WLCS.

That was the final year of their playoff streak, as the Blue Claws were mostly around or below .500 for the next decade. Although Bursa’s glory years were done, Bsharri’s began. From 2005-12, he was worth 5+ WAR each year for the Blue Claws, topping 7+ WAR six times. Bsharri won additional Silver Sluggers in 2006-09 in left field and in right field in 2011-12.

Bsharri led in WAR in 2007 (9.1) and 2011 (8.9); leading both years in both total bases and slugging. 2007 was his lone MVP win and also had league and career bests in runs (100), homers (49), OPS (1.060), and wRC+ (193). Bsharri was third in MVP voting in 2005, 2011, and 2012. In June 2009, he signed an eight-year, $64,700,000 extension to stay with Bursa for the long haul.

Despite Bsharri’s consistent and reliable excellence, Bursa showed no signs of improvement with nothing but losing seasons from 2009-19. Bsharri had stayed loyal, but finally felt the need to opt out of his deal early after the 2015 season. Most Blue Claws fans understood and had felt a lot of the same frustrations. With Bursa, Bsharri had 2037 games, 2053 hits, 1095 runs, 515 doubles, 100 triples, 395 home runs, 1113 RBI, 753 walks, 358 steals, .292/.366/.562 slash, 162 wRC+, and 83.8 WAR. His #12 uniform would eventually be retired.

Now 33-years old and a free agent for the first time, Bsharri signed a five-year, $51,500,000 deal with Tehran. He wanted to play for a winner and the Tarpons were on a five-year playoff streak. Tehran had gone 115-47 the prior year, but got upset in the first round. The Tarpons hoped Bsharri could get them over that hump, as they hadn’t made it beyond the WLCS in the last four tries.

Although Bsharri’s production did trop a bit from his Bursa levels, he still was good for 4.4 WAR in his debut season. Most importantly, he stepped up in the playoffs with .937 OPS and 1.0 WAR over 14 starts, helping Tehran win the ABF Championship over Dushanbe. Bsharri was an absolute beast in the Baseball Grand Championship with 1.358 OPS, 272 wRC+, 2.0 WAR, 23 hits, 17 runs, 12 homers, and 16 RBI over 19 starts. The Tarpons finished 11-8, among the five times even for fifth place.

Tehran was even better in 2017, winning the ABF Championship at 116-46 and again going 11-8 in the BGC. Bsharri was only able to provide leadership, as he didn’t play a single game that season after suffering an ACL tear in spring training. He did make it back for 2018 with similar production to his 2016 season. Bsharri then dipped a bit in 2019 and lost about two months to injury. Tehran made the playoffs both years, but couldn’t get beyond the first round.

Bsharri didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the fifth year of the deal, becoming a free agent for 2020 at age 37. With Tehran, Bsharri had 428 games, 369 hits, 198 runs, 81 doubles, 72 home runs, 181 RBI, 110 walks, .262/.326/.482 slash, 145 wRC+, and 11.5 WAR. He was still remembered fondly among Tarpons fans and officials though, especially for his role in the 2016 title. Bsharri decided to return to his home city of Karachi, inking a three-year, $20,900,000 deal with the Carp.

To that point, Bsharri's entire pro career had been outside of his home country Pakistan. However, he had been a regular in the World Baseball Championship, helping Pakistan to a fourth place in 2007 and a third in 2010. From 2006-19, Bsharri played 130 games with 106 hits, 64 runs, 29 doubles, 25 home runs, 78 RBI, .269/.340/.538 slash, and 4.7 WAR.

Bsharri was a decent starter in 2020 with Karachi despite missing a month to a strained oblique. He became only the third ABF batter to reach 2500 hits in August 2020. Bsharri fell off noticeably though and was a part-timer in 2021 with 0.3 WAR over 109 games and 79 starts. He retired after the 2021 season at age 39. With Karachi, Bsharri played 228 games with 175 hits, 96 runs, 30 doubles, 41 homers, 108 RBI, .240/.284/.461 slash, 133 wRC+, and 2.8 WAR.

The final stats had 2693 games, 2597 hits, 1389 runs, 626 doubles, 111 triples, 508 home runs, 1402 RBI, 900 walks, 2246 strikeouts, 479 steals, .283/.353/.541 slash, 157 wRC+, and 98.1 WAR. As of 2037, Bsharri ranks 9th in games, 16th in runs, 13th in hits, 6th in doubles, 24th in home runs, 21st in RBI, 11th in total bases (4969), 11th in walks, 30th in strikeouts, and 18th in WAR among position players.

Among ABF batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Bsharri’s .895 OPS is 50th. He also ranks 68th in OBP and 59th in slugging. Bsharri didn’t dominate the leaderboards, but he was a reliably strong bat for more than 15 years, earning a spot on many top 20 ABF hitter rankings. At 97.5%, Bsharri was a Hall of Fame lock within the loaded 2027 class for the Asian Baseball Federation.

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Ali Massoudi – Starting Pitcher – Rawalpindi Red Wings – 95.9% First Ballot

Ali Massoudi was a 6’4’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Khorramshahr, Iran; a city with around 133,000 people on the Persian Gulf. Massoudi had strong stuff, great control, and above average movement. His velocity peaked in the 95-97 mph range with a cutter and splitter. Massoudi also had a solid knuckle curve and standard curveball along with a rarely seen changeup.

Massoudi had excellent stamina and fantastic durability, tossing 230+ innings in all but his first and final seasons. He was also a terrific defensive pitcher, winning Gold Gloves in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Despite his great defense, Massoudi did struggle holding runners and had a lackluster pickoff move. He was a regular guy who wouldn’t cause problems, but also wouldn’t take a leadership role.

By the 2005 ABF Draft, Massoudi was at the top of many draft boards. He was picked first overall by Rawalpindi and spent his entire career with the Red Wings. Massoudi was kept in their academy for 2006 and debuted in 2007 innings with 90 innings. He was a full-time starter for 2008, but didn’t emerge as a top level ace until his third season.

Massoudi was second in 2009’s Pitcher of the Year voting, posting a league and career best 1.93 ERA. It would also be his best season by WAR (7.5) and was the first of 12 straight seasons with 300+ strikeouts. Massoudi also would post ten consecutive years worth 5+ WAR. Rawalpindi also ended a 20-year playoff drought in 2009 with their second-ever appearance. Massoudi got rocked in his one start though and the Red Wings were ousted in the first round.

He took third in 2010’s Pitcher of the Year voting with league and career highs for strikeouts (358), and WHIP (0.79). Massoudi made up for the prior year’s poor playoff start, posting a 1.95 ERA over 37 postseason innings with 46 strikeouts. Rawalpindi won their first-ever Asian Baseball Federation Championship, beating Baku in the final. Massoudi did struggle though with a 5.30 ERA in 18.2 innings in the Baseball Grand Championship, although Rawalpindi still had a nice showing at 6-3.

Massoudi cemented himself in Red Wings lore though by helping them to their first (and only as of 2037) ABF title. After the season, Rawalpindi signed Massoudi to a seven-year, $43,600,000 extension. The Red Wings would fall to the middle of the standings mostly for most of that run, but Massoudi held up his end. In 2011, he tossed a no-hitter on September 19 with 11 strikeouts and one walk versus Mashhad.

He led in strikeouts and shutouts in 2013, then had the dubious distinction of leading in losses (8-20) in 2014. That wasn’t his fault though as he still was worth 6.3 WAR for a lousy 63-99 squad. Rawalpindi bounced back to just above .500 the next two years, then had a first round playoff exit in 2017. The Red Wings stayed above 80 wins each year for the remainder of Massoudi’s tenure, but never made it back to the playoffs.

In 2017, Massoudi won his lone Pitcher of the Year, leading in innings (260.1), complete games (14), and shutouts (7) along with a 2.07 ERA, 318 Ks, and 6.8 WAR. Massoudi’s contract expired that winter and he was a free agent for the first time at age 32. After surveying the market for about a month, he signed a new five-year, $52,000,000 deal with Rawalpindi.

Massoudi spent his entire pro career in Pakistan, but he did regularly go home to Iran for the World Baseball Championship. From 2009-21, Massoudi tossed 193 innings with a 4.34 ERA, 12-10 record, 253 strikeouts, 51 walks, and 1.8 WAR. He was strong in 2018 as the Iranians earned their first-ever finals trip, dropping the World Championship to Poland. Over 34.2 innings, Massoudi had a 3-1 record, 2.86 ERA, and 50 Ks.

He remained among the top innings guys and in 2020 became the sixth ABF pitcher to 4000 career strikeouts. Massoudi’s stuff diminished sharply though in 2021 and he was moved out of the rotation, posting -0.6 WAR and 4.34 ERA for the year. He did become the ninth to 200 wins that year, but knew it was time to retire after that season’s struggles just after his 36th birthday. Rawalpindi immediately retired Massoudi’s #22 uniform for his 15 years of service.

Massoudi finished with a 205-169 record, 2.74 ERA, 3564.2 innings, 4324 strikeouts, 608 walks, 309/423 quality starts, 176 complete games, 51 shutouts, 113 ERA+, 85 FIP-, and 70.5 WAR. As of 2037, Massoudi ranks 15th in wins, 7th in innings, 8th in complete games, 2nd in shutouts, 10th in strikeouts, and 17th in pitching WAR.

Among those with 1000+ innings, Massoudi’s ERA ranks 71st. His .587 opponent’s OPS is 47th and his 0.93 WHIP is 25th. Massoudi had a triple slash of .208/.249/.338, ranking 52nd/26th/74th. His 10.92 K/9 is 98th, his 6.80 H/9 in 53rd, and his 1.54 BB/9 is 68th.

Massoudi will make some top ten ABF pitcher lists, but he wasn’t quite dominant enough or tenured enough to have that locked up fully. His Hall of Fame spot though was easily locked up between 200+ wins, 4000+ Ks, an ERA title, a Pitcher of the Year award, and a key role in a championship win. At 95.9%, Massoudi capped off an outstanding three-player 2027 class for the Asian Baseball Federation.