OOTP Developments Forums - Baseball: The World's Game

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Four teams fought for the Northern Conference’s top seed across two divisions and were separated by only two wins. Nantes, who debuted in the European Baseball Federation’s Elite Tier with a wild card in 2027, secured the West Division and top spot at 105-57. Hanover at 104-58 won the Central Division to grow their playoff streak to six. It was their first-ever division title in the top tier. The second place finishers both were 103-59 with Manchester in the West and three-time defending EBF champ Rotterdam in the Central.

The Crushers led the entire EBF with 840 runs scored while the Ravens allowed the fewest in the NC at 575. It was Manchester’s second-ever playoff berth (2020), while Rotterdam grew their streak to eight years. It was the seventh year running that the Ravens won 100+ games. Glasgow at 98-64 in the West got the third wild card for back-to-back berths.

Kharkiv and Stockholm tied at 93-69 atop the East Division with the Killer Bees winning the tiebreaker game to advance. This grew Kharkiv’s playoff streak to five and was their fourth division title of the run. The Swordsmen were five wins short in the wild card race. The next closest teams were Cologne (91-71) and Frankfurt (89-73). Notably Dublin fell to 75-87, their first losing season since 2017 and only their second losing campaign since 2004.

Northern Conference MVP went to Nantes LF Freddie Iwan, who was the WARlord at with 9.6. The 25-year old Welsh lefty had 221 hits, 107 runs, 35 doubles, 10 triples, 30 homers, 90 RBI, 50 stolen bases, a .376/.413/.624 slash, 1.036 OPS, and 180 wRC+. He also hit for the cycle in June against Glasgow. The Trappers gave Iwan a five-year, $118,400,000 extension in the offseason, although he ultimately opted out and left for Munich in 2031.

Pitcher of the Year went to Manchester’s David Ruiz, who led in WAR (8.0), WHIP (0.94), K/BB (12.8), quality starts (27), and FIP- (61). The 27-year old Spaniard had a 18-6 record in 231 innings, 261 ERA, 269 strikeouts, and 151 ERA+. The Crushers gave Ruiz a four-year, $62 million extension in the offseason.

Also notable was closer Edward Slomka winning his third Reliever of the Year with Nantes, leading with 45 saves. The 34-year old Pole made his EBF return after a three-year MLB excursion. Slomka’s previous ROTY wins came in 2019 and 2021 for Thessaloniki.

In the first round, Kharkiv edged Glasgow 2-1 and Rotterdam outlasted Manchester 2-1. Both top seeds held in round two with Hanover surviving in five against the Killer Bees and Nantes sweeping the Ravens. This ended Rotterdam’s four-peat bids and marked the first time since 2022 that they didn’t make the Northern Conference Championship. Both Hanover and Nantes earned their first-ever NCC appearance. The Hitmen would pull off the 4-2 road victory over the Trappers and became the sixth original E2L team to make it to the final.

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The Southern Conference wasn’t nearly as top heavy with only 104-58 Munich with triple-digit wins. The Mavericks won a loaded Central Division to grow their division title streak to eight seasons and playoff streak to nine. Munich won 100+ games for the sixth time in that run and allowed the fewest runs in EBF at 554. Their offense also set a new conference team record with 297 doubles.

All three wild cards came from the Central with Ljubljana (96-66), Palermo (95-67), and Bratislava (92-70) advancing. Defending conference champ Zagreb was fifth in the division at 84-78, ending their playoff streak at eight seasons. The Gulls did still extend their streak of winning seasons to 11 years. Both Munich and Rotterdam are tied for the longest active such streak at 12.

For the Juggernauts, this was their first-ever playoff berth in their 12 seasons in the EBF Elite. Ljubljana had only just posted their first winning season in 2027 at 83-79. The Priests picked up their third wild card in five years. The Blue Falcons had just made it back to the EBF Elite, having won the Second League Championship in 2027. It was Bratislava’s first playoff berth in the top tier since 2007.

The #2 seed went to West Division champ Barcelona at 95-67, earning back-to-back division crowns. Marseille led in scoring at 782 runs, but their 90-72 record was five short in the division race and two away for the third wild card. In the East Division, Odesa (87-75) outlasted Chisinau (85-77) to end the Counts’ five-year hold on the division crown. This was the first-ever playoff trip for the Drifters, who joined EBF in a 2000 expansion.

Repeating as MVP was 1B Matt Gomez, although he was now with Marseille. He won in 2027 with Zaragoza, but left the Gold Hawks for free agency and got eight years and $204,800,000 from the Musketeers. The 27-year old Spaniard led in runs (121), OBP (.434), and WAR (10.3). Gomez had 201 hits, 41 doubles, 33 homers, 111 RBI, and 1.037 OPS.

Munich’s Nejc Novak won his third Pitcher of the Year, having previously won in 2022 and 2024. The 32-year old Slovene righty led in ERA (1.66), quality starts (23), and FIP- (61). It was only the third time in the 2000s that a qualifying pitcher had an ERA below 1.70. Novak’s mark ranks 29th as of 2037. He also had a 20-4 record, 10 saves, 233 innings, 244 strikeouts, 224 ERA+, and 7.6 WAR.

The first round had Bratislava over Odesa 2-1 and Ljubljana over Palermo 2-0. Top seed Munich bested the Blue Falcons 3-1 to earn their fourth straight trip to the Southern Conference Championship. Perhaps even more impressive, it was the ninth time in eleven years that the Mavericks were playing for the pennant; a run only rivaled by Zurich during their record 21-year playoff streak.

A newcomer approached though as Ljubljana shocked Barcelona 3-2 in the second round for a conference finals trip in their first-ever playoff appearance. The Juggernauts gave a valiant effort, but couldn’t keep the magic going as Munich prevailed 4-2. The Mavericks won their sixth pennant since 2018 and their 12th overall, now tied with the Mountaineers for the most finals trips.

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The 79th European Championship was the second all-German matchup, joining Munich’s 2021 win over Hamburg. For the first time since 2015, the finale needed all seven games. Hanover won the war of attrition over the Mavericks, becoming the 30th different franchise to win it all. The Hitmen joined Antwerp (2015) and Chisinau (2024) as the only champs that began as European Second League teams back in 2005.

Finals MVP went to LF Felix Timm in his seventh year with Hanover. The 28-year old Austrian and 2024 conference MVP had 17 playoff starts with 18 hits, 12 runs, 2 doubles, 2 triples, 5 homers, and 19 RBI. He had committed the prior spring to an eight-year, $200 million extension with the Hitmen. Five different teams from Germany now have a European Championship as Hanover joined Munich, Berlin, Cologne, and Hamburg.

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Other notes: Kharkiv’s Danut Alecandrescu had the 17th four home run game in EBF history versus Brno on September 13. Max Gerlach, Stefanos Emmanoulidis, and Zeljko Siladjdzic each reached 1500 runs scored, a mark now met by 26 in EBF. Gerlach and Theofilos Psarras became the 31st and 32nd to 1500 RBI. Siladjdzic became the 46th to reach 2500 hits. Christian Brunner became the 40th member of the 500 home run club and won his 7th Silver Slugger at 3B. Slawomir Boguski became the 28th pitcher to 3500 strikeouts,

Promotion/Relegation: In a normal season, Hamburg (57-105), Krakow (60-102), and Wroclaw (62-100) would’ve been relegated from the Northern Conference for losing 100+ games and Skopje (65-97) would’ve been demoted with the lowest Southern Conference record. Those teams caught a lucky break as the European Baseball Federation would choose to expand and realign in 2029. More details on that to come in a later post.

The EBF Elite Tier conferences would shift from three divisions of eight teams (24 total) to two large 13 team divisions (26 total). To facilitate this growth, no teams would be relegated based on 2028 results. Meanwhile the top four from the 2028 European Second League season (Lodz, Lyon, Helsinki, and Sheffield) were promoted to fill the four new spots.

FuzzyRussianHat

04-03-2025 06:59 PM

2028 in BSA

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The Bolivar League’s power was concentrated in the Peru-Bolivia Division with Lima earning repeat titles and the top seed at 109-53. Close behind was Santa Cruz at 102-60 for the first wild card, giving the Crawfish their fifth consecutive playoff berth and fourth straight 100+ win season. The Lobos led all of Beisbol Sudamerica with 903 runs and had a .520 team slugging percentage; the second-best mark in BSA history behind their own .523 from the prior year. Santa Cruz allowed the fewest runs in the league at 611.

The next best two records came from the Colombia-Ecuador Division with Medellin on top at 99-63, ending an eight-year playoff drought for the Mutiny. Three-time defending BL champ Barranquilla was second at 93-69 and grew their playoff streak to seven seasons as the second wild card. Quito was third at 88-74, five short in the wild card race.

Three teams fought in a weaker Venezuela Division with Caracas again coming out on top. The 85-77 Colts fended off 83-79 efforts by both Maracaibo and Valencia. Caracas claimed the division for the fourth straight season and for the 11th time in 12 years. The Colts also posted their 13th consecutive winning season. The Mariners notably had their first winning season since 2019.

Bolivar League MVP went to Lima RF Marc Melgar in his fifth season for his hometown squad. Nicknamed “Alley Cat,” Melgar led in runs (134), total bases (426), batting average (.404), slugging (.754), OPS (1.210), and WAR (9.9). He became the seventh qualifying hitter in BSA history to hit above .400. Melgar also had only the eighth ever BSA season of an OPS above 1.200. He was also only seven short of the single-season runs record.

The 26-year old Peruvian added 228 hits, 43 doubles, 13 triples, 43 home runs, 128 RBI, 65 stolen bases, .456 OBP, and 194 wRC+. Melgar was the #1 pick in the 2022 BSA Draft and the Lobos locked him up after the 2028 season with an eight-year, $160,500,000 extension. He had emerged as an absolute megastar both in his hometown of Lima and throughout all of Peru.

The Lobos also had the Pitcher of the Year Santino Condori. The 28-year old Peruvian led in wins (23-8) and posted a 2.93 ERA over 255.1 innings, 246 strikeouts, 142 ERA+, and 5.8 WAR. Lima also had the #3 pick in 2022’s draft and used it for Condori.

Caracas upset Barranquilla 2-0 in the first round to end the Blues’ four-peat hopes. The Colts gave top seed Lima a fight in the divisional series, but the Lobos escaped with a 3-2 win. This secured repeat trips to the Bolivar League Championship Series for Lima. Santa Cruz swept Medellin on the other side for their second BLCS in three years. The Lobos rolled to a sweep over the Crawfish to end a 26-year pennant drought. Lima became nine-time Bolivar League champs (1935, 1968, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2028).

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Brasilia dominated the Southern Cone League field at 111-51, becoming the league’s first 110+ win team since Fortaleza in 2009. The Bearcats got their second playoff trip in three years, but it was their first North Division title since 2012. Brasilia led the league in runs scored (747) and led all of BSA with 500 runs allowed.

2026 Copa Sudamerica champ Buenos Aires bounced back after just missing the 2027 playoff field. The Atlantics at 100-62 claimed their first Southeast Division title since 2019. Sao Paulo’s four-year division title streak ended, but the 92-70 Padres extended their playoff steak to five seasons. They were the second wild card, beating out defending league champ Manaus by four games (88-74) and Rosario by five (87-75).

In a tight South Central Division, Concepcion (97-65) squeaked by Santiago (96-66). The Chiefs finally ended what was an eight-year division title streak for the Saints. Concepcion had their sixth playoff trip in seven years and their 15th since 2011. Santiago was the first wild card and grew their postseason run to nine years. Like the Chiefs, the Saints have only missed the playoffs thrice over the last 18 seasons. Both Chilean teams had come to expect regular postseason trips.

Santiago two-way star Will Arocha repeated as both Southern Cone League MVP and Pitcher of the Year. It was the third MVP win for the 27-year old Chilean in only his fifth season. On the mound, Arocha led in WAR (9.3), quality starts (27), complete games (19), and shutouts (7). He also had a 17-9 record, 2.36 ERA, 267 innings, 286 strikeouts, 152 ERA+, and a Gold Glove as a pitcher. Arocha also played 88 games at second base and had 126 games total offensively, posting 6.3 WAR, 149 hits, 70 runs, 24 doubles, 15 triples, 21 homers, 82 RBI, 43 stolen bases, .338/.372/.603 slash, and 185 wRC+.

Arocha’s combined 15.6 WAR broke his own two-way record in BSA and was the 11th-best two-way WAR in world baseball history. His season was the 4th-best WAR by any BSA player, behind only pitchers Mohamed Ramos (17.94 in 1936, 17.65 in 1938) and Timoteo Caruso (16.03 in 1942). Arocha again won MVP, Pitcher of the Year, a Gold Glove, and Silver Slugger. Prior to Arocha, that sweep had only been done once in all of professional baseball history; now he had done it back-to-back years.

Sao Paulo ousted Santiago 2-0 in the first round, then stunned top seed Brasilia 3-1 in the divisional series. The Padres earned their fourth Southern Cone Championship trip in five years. Buenos Aires swept Concepcion to set up a rematch of the 2026 league final. The Atlantics again prevailed over Sao Paulo, winning this time 4-2. Buenos Aires became 11-time Southern Cone champs (1941-42, 1945-47, 1963, 1975, 1980, 1982, 2026, 2028).

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Despite the general successes of both teams, the 98th Copa Sudamerica was the first finals battle between Lima and Buenos Aires. The series ended up relatively uneventful with the Atlantics defeating the Lobos 4-1. BA won its second Cup in three years and led all teams with eight overall (1941, 1942, 1945, 1963, 1975, 1980, 2026, 2028).

Finals MVP was 1B Sedat Erdogan, who had an unusual path to Beisbol Sudamerica. The 28-year old Turk had flamed out as a prospect in the Asian Baseball Federatio. Valencia gave him a shot in BSA in 2024 and he spent part of four years there as a backup. He was cut in early 2027 by the Velocity and grabbed shortly thereafter by Buenos Aires.

Erdogan barely played in 2027, but became a starter for the first time in his career for 2028. In 14 playoff starts, Erdogan had 16 hits, 14 runs, 4 homers, and 10 RBI. He’d get taken in the offseason by Cochabamba in an expansion draft, where he spent three unremarkable seasons before retiring. Erdogan finished with only 6.5 WAR for his career, but earned a spot in history with his playoff performance.

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Other notes: Cordoba’s Hernan Bautista tossed BSA’s 50th Perfect Game on May 19 with seven strikeouts facing Porto Alegre. Maturin’s Caleb van Noord had 38 triples, tied for the 4th-best single season in BSA history and three short of the BSA record. In an opener role, Asa McLennan set a league record for pitching starts at 60.

In batting milestones, Juan Rizo and Benjamim Pinheiro became the 24th and 25th to reach 1500 runs scored. Jeffry Lucero became the 58th member of the 500 home run club. Pablo Amor became the 80th to 2500 career hits. SS Eddy Corunha won his 7th straight Silver Slugger. In pitching, Igor Vigil was the 38th to 300 career saves.

FuzzyRussianHat

04-04-2025 05:55 AM

2028 in EAB

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Reigning East Asia Baseball champion Niigata took the Japan League’s top seed and the North Division at 110-52, tying a franchise record. The Green Dragons allowed the fewest runs in EAB (505) and scored the second most in the JL (797). Sapporo was a distant second in the division at 98-64, but it landed the Swordfish a wild card. Sapporo’s playoff streak grew to three with their fifth berth in six years.

Hiroshima got the #2 seed and bye at 103-59 with their third consecutive West Division title. A very tight Central Division saw Nagoya (99-63) fend off Kobe (98-64), and Kyoto (96-66). The Nightowls lead EAB with 797 runs for their second playoff berth in three years. Nagota hadn’t taken a division title though since 2012.

The Blaze ended up with a wild card to grow their playoff streak to six years. The Kamikaze missed the wild card cut by two games. Fukuoka was the next closest at 91-71, extending their streak to winning seasons to a decade despite missing the playoffs. The longest active stretch of winning campaigns was Sapporo at 11 thanks to Osaka’s streak ending in 2028. The Orange Sox had a 13-year run, but struggled to 69-93.

Saitama was the fourth division champ at 90-72 atop the Capital Division. The Sting defeated Tokyo by six games and Yokohama by eight, earning a third title in four years. Last year’s division champ Chiba fell from 100 wins in 2027 to 77-85 in 2028.

Niigata LF Masanori Fukuoka won his second Japan League MVP in three years and posted one of the most impressive hitting seasons in all of baseball history. The 26-year old lefty became the first qualifying player in any league ever with a slugging percentage above .900, posting an incredible .905. Fukuoka had a 1.364 OPS, the second-best in world history only behind Mwarami Tale’s 1.375 from the 2009 African Association of Baseball history. Tale also previously had the slugging world record of .885.

Fukuoka was only the second-ever EAB player to hit above .400, joining Si-Hun Lee’s .411 from 1993. He had a triple slash of .403/.459/.905 for a bonkers 301 wRC+. Fukuoka’s OBP ranked as the fourth-best in EAB history. He also shattered the EAB record for WAR by a position player at 16.51, besting Takashi Ishihara’s 14.32 from 1948. The only other position player mark better in world history was Harvey Coyle’s 16.55 from the 2011 European Baseball Federation season.

Fukuoka’s WAR is the 18th-best single season in baseball history when you factor in pitchers and two-way guys. It was third-best in EAB history behind Toshikuni Naikai’s 18.52 on the mound in 2020 and Tadasumi Tanabe’s 16.6 two-way effort from 1957. Fukuoka still holds the world record for slugging and OPS as of 2037 and holds the EAB record for WAR among position players.

He also set the EAB record for total bases at 523, blowing by Ishiguro’s 491. Fukuoka’s mark ranks fifth in world history with world home run king Majed Darwish of South Asia Baseball holding the top spot with 546 in 2010. Fukuoka’s effort was the ninth Triple Crown hitting season in EAB history and the first since 2008.

Fukuoka led with 136 runs, 233 hits, 70 home runs, and 169 RBI. It was the ninth 70+ homer season in EAB history and the second-best RBI mark behind only Jae-Hee Sin’s 175 from the inaugural 1921 campaign. Fukuoka was nine short of the EAB homers record and 11 from the runs scored mark. He also had 26 doubles, 27 triples, and 38 stolen bases. This earned Fukuoka the richest deal in baseball history to that point, signing an eight-year, $379,500,000 extension in the offseason with the Green Dragons.

Niigata also saw Takehiro Nakajima win his first Pitcher of the Year. The 29-year old lefty in his eighth year led in wins (21-5), and quality starts (27). Nakajima had a 1.72 ERA over 246.1 innings, 253 strikeouts, 195 ERA+, and 8.9 WAR. He had been picked by the Green Dragons with the #7 pick in the 2020 EAB Draft.

Saitama swept Kobe 2-0 and Nagoya edged Sapporo 2-1 in the wild card round. The Nightowls then upset Hiroshima 3-1, earning their first trip to the Japan League Championship Series since their incredible 117-45 title campaign in 2009. The Sting gave the reigning champ Niigata a fierce challenge, but the Green Dragons escaped with a 3-2 series win.

Niigata was a heavy favorite to repeat, but pundits crowned them way too early. Not only were they upset in the JLCS by Nagoya, but the Nightowls pulled off a shocking sweep. Nagoya became nine-time Japan League champs (1931, 1934, 1937, 1940, 1948, 1964, 1979, 2009, 2028).

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The Korea League had a competitive field with only seven wins separating the five playoff teams. Busan narrowly got the #1 seed at 100-62, winning a fifth consecutive South Division title. The Blue Jays playoff streak grew to nine seasons, tying the EAB record set by Pyongyang from 1961-69. Busan allowed the fewest runs in the KL at 538. Ulsan was second in the division at 98-64, earning a third straight wild card.

Goyang repeated as North Division champ and missed the top seed by one game at 99-63. Two-time defending league champ Incheon was second at 95-67, keeping their three-peat hope alive as a wild card. The final spot was 93-69 Changwon, bouncing back after having their six-year streak ended in 2027. The Crabs held off Pyongyang (89-73) and Seoul (87-75), the latter of which led in scoring with 783 runs.

Korea League MVP went to third-year Hamhung 1B Toichi Kimura. The 23-year old Japanese lefty led in hits (201), homers (61), RBI (149), total bases (423), slugging (.681), wRC+ (189), and WAR (8.6). Kimura added 120 runs, .324 average, and 1.035 OPS. He fell 15 points shy of a Triple Crown season. The Heat gave Kimura an eight-year, $167,600,000 extension in the offseason.

Ulsan’s Byung-Cheol Ban won Pitcher of the Year, leading in wins (23-6), innings (276), strikeouts (339), complete games (18), and shutouts (6). The 24-year old South Korean righty had a 2.41 ERA, 151 ERA+, and 7.9 WAR. Ban was second in ERA, but still a good distance from the Triple Crown with Goyang’s Oniji Hamamoto at 2.07.

Incheon ousted Changwon 2-0 in the first round, but the defending champs promptly were swept by Busan in the divisional series. Goyang outlasted Ulsan 3-2 on the other side, giving the Green Sox their first Korea League Championship Series trip since 2019. It was the fourth time in the Blue Jays’ run that they had made it, winning pennants in 2023 and 2024.

It was expected to be an intense and close series since one win separated the two division champs. Like the 2028 JLCS, the 2028 KLCS was also an unremarkable sweep with Goyang battering Busan. The Green Sox became five-time Korea League kings (1991, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2028).

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The 108th East Asian Championship was more exciting than both LCS with Goyang defeating Nagoya 4-2. It was the second overall title for the Green Sox, whose other ring came in 2012. Finals MVP went to 2028 Rookie of the Year winner Sung-Hoon Ma. He had been drafted 12th in 2025 by Gwangju, but was traded to Goyang before the 2027 campaign. In 15 playoff starts, Ma had 14 hits, 15 runs, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 6 homers, and 17 RBI.

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Other notes: 2028 saw three perfect games thrown, which had amazingly also happened back in 1935. Despite those occurrences, 2028’s perfectos were only the 40th, 41st, and 42nd in EAB history. The first came from Yokohama’s Mauricio Nieto on May 15 with three strikeouts against Saitama. On August 2, Pyongyang’s Tokuei Wada did it with 11 Ks against Gwangju. Oniji Yamamoto also had 11 Ks for his perfect game over Hamhung on October 4.

In other pitching milestones, Nobuyoshi Yamauchi became the 7th to 4500 strikeouts and Akikazu Yoshida became the 20th to 4000 Ks. Jun-Hwi Jung became only the 47th to 3500 Ks. Il-Hwan Lee and Hiroshi Yama****a became the 15th and 16th to 250 career wins. SS Jae-Won Park and RF Chae-Yun Choi both won their ninth consecutive Gold Gloves. 3B Tae-I Sin won his 7th Gold Glove.

FuzzyRussianHat

04-04-2025 09:35 PM

2028 in CABA

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Leon ran away with the Mexican League’s top seed at 108-54, repeating as South Division champ. The Lions’ playoff streak grew to four seasons as they allowed the fewest runs in the Central American Baseball Association at 534. Leon was also tied for the most scored in the ML at 719 along with Torreon. Mexicali won the North Division at 96-66. Although the Maroons got a repeat playoff berth, this was their first division title since 2007.

The four wild cards went to Cancun (92-70), San Luis Potosi (91-71), Torreon (90-72) and defending ML champ Guadalajara (86-76). Missing the cut was Mexico City (84-78), Monterrey (83-79), Ecatepec (82-80), and Puebla (81-81). The Captains and Hellhounds both earned repeat playoff trips. The Tomahawks ended a three-year drought and the Potros snapped a nine-year skid.

Despite being the last team in, Guadalajara’s pitching staff notably had 1718 strikeouts and a 10.67 K/9. Those ranked as the fifth-most Ks and second-best K/9 in CABA history. The Aztecs as the first team out saw their playoff streak ended at seven years. Last year’s top seed Tijuana notably fell from 104 wins to a lackluster 77-85. It was the first losing campaign since 2013 by the Toros. Meanwhile Juarez dropped to 71-91, their first losing season since 2013. The Jesters had won at least 80 games each season back to 2011. The last time that Tijuana and Juarez were concurrently below 80 wins was 1990.

The playoff miss didn’t stop Mexico City 2B Leonardo Martinez from repeating as Mexican League MVP. The 28-year old righty again led in home runs (56), RBI (124), total bases (395), and WAR (9.3). Martinez added 104 runs, 184 hits, a .308/.343/.661 slash, 1.004 OPS, and 201 wRC+. He stayed one more year with the Aztecs before getting a seven-year, $219,600,000 free agent deal in 2030 with Haiti.

Tijuana’s struggles didn’t hinder ace Richard Wright, who joined Junior Vergara as CABA’s only eight-time Pitcher of the Year winners. It was the fifth straight for Wright, who was in his tenth season for the Toros. The 30-year old Jamaican lefty led in wins (22-8), strikeouts (375), quality starts (24), complete games (15), shutouts (4), FIP- (39), and WAR (11.6).

Wright led in both Ks and WAR for the eighth time in his career. It was actually the first time since his rookie season that he DIDN’T win the ERA title. His 1.97 ranked third with Mexicali’s Stinky Pasillas taking first at 1.59. Wright notably had his fifth sub-two ERA season, posting 176 ERA+ over 247 innings. In 2028, Wright became, the 81st CABA pitcher to 3000 career strikeouts.

The first round of the playoffs saw San Luis Potosi over Torreon and Guadalajara over Cancun, both 2-1. The division champs held firm in round two as Mexicali won 3-1 against the Potros and Leon swept the defending champ Hellhounds. The Lions made their first Mexican League Championship Series trip since their 2018 pennant. For the Maroons, they last made it with their 2007 title. Top-seeded Leon continued their overall dominance and took the MLCS 4-1 against Mexicali. The Lions secured their tenth Mexican League title, having also won in 1927, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1959, 1960, 1964, 1986, and 2018.

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Last year, only one team in the Caribbean League won 100+ games. In 2028, four achieved that mark with a fierce battle for the top seed and two of the division titles. Guatemala ended up the #1 seed narrowly at 108-54 atop the Central Division, while West Division champ Santo Domingo was 107-55. The Ghosts grew their playoff streak to eight, while the defending CL winner Dolphins’ streak grew to four.

Both teams had historic offensive seasons. Santo Domingo scored the most runs in CABA history at 938. The excitement from that led to a new CABA attendance record as well at 2,868,844. Although Guatemala had only 850 runs by comparison, they set new CABA team records for batting average (.299), on-base percentage (.345), and hits (1712).

Even with these offenses, both only won their division titles by six games. In the Central, Honduras was 102-60 to grow their playoff streak to six. Bahamas went 101-61 in the West to extend their streak to four. It was the Buccaneers who allowed the fewest runs at 556.

Those teams also had tough battles for the three wild card slots. Haiti at 99-63 got the remaining spot while Nicaragua (97-65) and Havana (90-72) missed the cut. With that, five of the six playoff teams were repeats. The lone difference was Puerto Rico won a terrible East Division at 82-80, two games ahead of last year’s winner Suriname (80-82) and four better than Trinidad.

Santo Domingo 3B Jamel Forsyth won his second Caribbean League MVP, having previously won in 2024. The 31-year old Grenadan lefty led in the triple slash (.381/.428/.706), OPS (1.135), wRC+ (192), WAR (10.9), runs (131), and RBI (147). Forsyth also had 214 hits and 50 homers, falling eight short of a Triple Crown. The Dolphins gave their superstar a new four-year, $122 million extension the following spring.

Guatemala’s Israel Montague remained a force with his seventh Pitcher of the Year win of his nine-year career. The 31-year old Panamanian lefty earned his second Triple Crown with a 22-6 record, 1.96 ERA, and 398 strikeouts. It was Montague’s seventh ERA title and his fifth time with the most Ks.

He also led in WHIP (0.74), and K/BB (15.3) over 243 innings with a 204 ERA+. Surprisingly, Montague’s 10.5 WAR was second in the league. Bahamas ace Carlos Montes had 11.0 WAR, but comparatively had a 2.52 ERA and 324 Ks. Montague posted his sixth sub-two ERA season.

Bahamas edged Haiti 2-1 and Honduras swept Puerto Rico in the first round. Both wild cards then swept their high-powered foes in round two. The Buccaneers downed Guatemala 3-1 and the Horsemen survived 3-2 against defending champ Santo Domingo. After many years of mediocrity, Bahamas earned its third straight appearance in the Caribbean League Championship Series. Their lone title came against Honduras in 2026.

The Horsemen got their revenge over the Buccaneers 4-2 to end a 16-year pennant drought. Honduras was now 18-time Caribbean champs (1919, 1920, 1922, 1924, 1925, 1939, 1940, 1942, 1953, 1958, 1959, 1963, 1991, 1993, 2003, 2004, 2011, 2028). The Horsemen led all Caribbean teams and were now tied with Juarez for the most finals appearances. Honduras has been to the CLCS a staggering 44 times, which is the most LCS trips by any team in any world league.

With both teams successes, it was unsurprisingly not the first time that Honduras and Leon had met for the Central American Baseball Association Championship. That said, a few generations had passed since the three previous battles. In 1939, the Lions won their first-ever title in a seven-game classic. In 1942, the Horsemen got their revenge in another seven-game showdown. Round three came in 1959 with Leon surviving yet another seven-game thriller.

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Round four in 2028 lived up to the historic billing with the 118th CABA Championship also going the distance. Honduras evened things up against Leon to become nine-time CABA kings. (1926, 1940, 1942, 1958, 1963, 1993, 2003, 2011, 2028). This tied the Horsemen for the second-most with Santo Domingo, while Mexico City’s 11 held the top spot. Finals MVP went to 1B Grady Hall in his fifth season with Honduras. It was the first as a full-time starter for the 26-year old Jamaican. In 19 playoff starts, Hall had 26 hits, 11 runs, 4 doubles, 2 homers, 5 RBI, and 10 stolen bases.

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Other notes: CABA’s 37th perfect game came on May 31 from Guadalajara’s Vicente Perez with 16 strikeouts against Chihuahua. Noah Breton became the first with 900 CABA home runs. He was one of 20 players with 900+ professional homers through the 2028 campaign. Marcelo Campa became only the 26th member of CABA’s 600 homer club and the 23rd to 1500 runs scored. Luis Moran was the 64th to reach 500 homers and Jonas Pimentel was the 63rd to 2500 hits. Amauris Huerta was the 53rd pitcher to 200 wins. SS Ferdinand Varela won his 7th Silver Slugger.

FuzzyRussianHat

04-05-2025 06:58 AM

2028 in MLB

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Ottawa ran away with the National Association’s top seed in 2028 at 105-57, finishing 12 games better than the next team. The Elks were second in both runs scored (818) and fewest allowed (618). The Canadian capital also set a new world season attendance record at 3,431,240, besting the previous high of 3,426,361 by Los Angeles in 2013. Although Ottawa earned repeat playoff berths, it was their first Northeast Division title since 2022.

The #2 seed was Upper Midwest Division champ Cleveland at 93-69, which ended a 19-year playoff drought and 22-year division title drought. Chicago was a close second at 91-71 and earned the first wild card. The Cubs’ playoff streak grew to three years and was their eighth playoff berth of the decade.

The East Division had Raleigh (91-71) survive against Philadelphia (90-72), Washington (89-73), Virginia Beach (87-75), and Baltimore (85-77). The Raptors got their third berth in four years and second division title. Meanwhile the Lower Midwest Division went to 89-73 Indianapolis, topping Wichita by three and Louisville by seven. The Racers earned back-to-back playoff berths, but it was their first division crown since 2013.

The Phillies at 90-72 got the second wild card to end a three-year playoff drought. Washington and the Northeast’s Halifax were tied for the last spot at 89-73. The Hound Dogs won the tiebreaker game to secure repeat playoff trips. The Admirals’ playoff streak ended at five despite leading in scoring with 830 runs. Grand Rapids allowed the fewest runs at 86-76.

Toronto (87-75), Virginia Beach (87-75), Wichita (86-76), Grand Rapids (86-76), Baltimore (85-77), Buffalo (85-77), and defending National Association champ Montreal (85-77) were all right in the mix, but fell just short. The Maples notably saw a four-year playoff streak end. Meanwhile, Cincinnati’s eight-year streak snapped as the Reds fell to 79-83. That was their first losing season since 2017, which had been the longest active streak of winning campaigns. For the Blue Sox, they notably had their first winning season in a decade.

Indianapolis 1B Thomas Rich repeated as National Association MVP. The 29-year old lefty from Westlake, Ohio led in runs (120), total bases (410), OPS (1.088), and wRC+ (201). Rich had 211 hits, 34 doubles, 51 homers, 130 RBI, a .347/.414/.678 slash, and 9.2 WAR.

Pitcher of the Year also had a repeat with Grand Rapids ace Callum McGonagal. The 26-year old Irish righty led in ERA (2.33), WHIP (0.95), complete games (17), shutouts (7), FIP- (55), and WAR (10.3). McGonagal added a 20-9 record, 259.1 innings, 260 strikeouts, and 170 ERA+. He was only one win and six strikeouts short of a Triple Crown season. Among his shutouts was a no-hitter on September 1 with 11 Ks and two walks against Brooklyn.

Two division winners got first round sweeps with Indianapolis over Chicago and Cleveland over Halifax. Philadelphia meanwhile upset their divisional foe Raleigh 3-2. The Phillies gave top seeded Ottawa a fight in round two, but the Elks escaped with a 3-2 series win. The Racers then rolled to a sweep over the Cobras.

For Ottawa, it was their first National Association Champion ship Series trip since their 2003 pennant. Indianapolis hadn’t been there since their 1999 trophy. The Elks lived up to their top seed and cruised to a 4-1 NACS win over the Racers. Despite the drought, it was Ottawa’s 12th pennant (1924, 25, 29, 38, 40, 56, 65, 75, 83, 86, 2003, 28). Philadelphia was the only NA squad with more at 14.

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The two-time defending World Series and Baseball Grand Champion San Diego again led the American Association atop the Southwest Division at 108-54. The Seals led all of Major League Baseball in runs scored (927) and led the AA in fewest allowed (602). San Diego picked up its fifth playoff berth in six years. Southeast Division champ Charlotte gave them a run for the top seed at 104-58. The Canaries earned their second division crown in three seasons and their first 100+ win season since 2012. Last year’s division champ Nashville dropped from 100 wins down to 77-85.

Dallas took the South Central Division at 98-64 in an impressive rebound from a 100-loss 2027 campaign. It was the Dalmatians’ first playoff trip since 2022 and first division title since 1998. Last year’s division winner Houston was second at 93-69. Seattle (97-65) sneaked by Denver (96-66) for the Northwest Division title, growing the Grizzlies’ division title and playoff streak to six seasons.

The Dragons and Southwest runner-up Los Angeles were the first wild cards at 96-66. Denver snapped a five-year drought and the Angels earned their third berth in four years. The Hornets nabbed the final slot at 93-69 for repeat playoff trips and their fifth in seven years. The first teams out were Oakland (89-73), Oklahoma City (88-74), San Antonio (87-75), Tampa (87-75), Calgary (87-75), Atlanta (86-76), and Birmingham (85-77). The expansion Boomers had their first-ever winning season. Fellow expansion teams El Paso and Anchorage were wild cards in 2027, but fell to 81-81 and 75-89 in 2028, respectively.

Orlando had MLB’s worst record at 55-107 and set a new franchise worst. Despite that, it was Orcas DH Jackson Brafford that won American Association MVP. Even as a DH on a trash team, it was hard to ignore breaking MLB’s single season home run record. Brafford smacked a nice 69 dingers, passing the record of 67 set in 2012 by Killian Fruechte and matched in 2022 by Dean Ott.

The 27-year old lefty from Frederick, Maryland also led in total bases (461), slugging (.720), OPS (1.117), and WAR (8.3). Brafford’s total bags ranked second in MLB history behind Sebastian Lunde’s 476 from 1949. He added 215 hits, 134 runs, 35 doubles, 146 RBI, .336 average, .397 OBP, and 180 wRC+. Brafford had stayed committed to Orlando, signing an eight-year, $162 million extension before the 2027 season.

Pitcher of the Year went to ninth-year Charlotte righty Dylan Reed. The 29-yaer old from Cocoa, Florida won the ERA title (2.68) and led in wins (23-8) and quality starts (24). Reed struck out 200 over 268.2 innings with a 165 ERA+ and 6.7 WAR. In February, Reed inked a five-year, $111,600,000 extension with the Canaries.

Charlotte swept Houston, Dallas downed Denver 3-1, and Los Angeles upset Seattle 3-2 in the first round. The Dalmatians then outlasted the Canaries 3-2 in round two while San Diego dispatched the Angels 3-1. For Dallas, they earned their first trip to the American Association Championship Series since their 1980 World Series win. This was an incredible accomplishment considering the Dalmatians were a putrid 62-100 the prior year.

They were the feel good story, but Dallas ran into the historic juggernaut that was San Diego. The Seals rolled to a 4-1 victory for their third straight pennant and fourth in six years. San Diego now had 13 American Association pennants (1936, 55, 56, 58, 66, 67, 2007, 08, 10, 23, 26, 27, 28), tying them with Phoenix for the most. The Seals were the fourth in AA history to three-peat, joining Houston (1910-12), Memphis (1913-15), and New Orleans (1970-72).

The 128th World Series had two of the most successful MLB franchises squaring off for the second time. Back in 1956, San Diego won a 4-3 classic over Ottawa to repeat as MLB champs. The Seals ended up winning three titles in four years having also won in 1958. SD now had another shot at the elusive three-peat, an incredibly tough feat considering the number of teams and talent level in MLB. The only previous three-peats came from Houston (1910-12), Philadelphia (the lone four-peat from 1941-44), and New Orleans (1970-72).

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San Diego joined that exclusive list, defeating Ottawa in a 4-3 thriller. The Seals became the first ten-time World Series winner (1936, 55, 56, 58, 66, 2007, 10, 26, 27, 28). They had been tied with Denver for the most titles at nine. In his 13th season catching for SD, Jim Fisher earned World Series MVP. The three-time Gold Glover in 16 playoff starts had 20 hits, 11 runs, 3 doubles, 7 homers, and 16 RBI.

San Diego became the sixth franchise in all of pro baseball history to win at least 10 overall league crowns. With them were Minsk (14 in EPB), Kano (12 in WAB), Ahmedabad (12 in SAB), Mexico City (11), and Kyiv (8 in EPB, 2 in EBF). It was already a historic dynasty with the 119-win 2027 squad considered by many as the best team in baseball history. The Seals now had a shot at an unthinkable accomplishment, a third straight Baseball Grand Championship.

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Other notes: Ottawa reliever Lucas Oldham had an awesome playoff run, setting playoff records for WHIP (0.36), and opponent’s OBP (.109) with a minimum 15 innings required. Oldham was also only the 11th qualifying pitcher in MLB playoff history to post an ERA of zero. The 24-year old Englishman tossed 16.2 scoreless innings over eight appearances with four saves and 23 strikeouts.

61-101 Milwaukee had historically bad pitching with a 5.03 team ERA and 801 earned runs allowed. The only National Association team worse over 128 seasons was the 1912 Baltimore Orioles with a 5.22 ERA and 834 earned runs allowed. Detroit’s offense had 85 triples, tying the NA team record set in 1991 by Buffalo.

Despite the feat’s rarity, four players had hitting streaks of 30+ games in 2028. Miami’s J.C Wener was the best at 35, tied for the 12th-longest in MLB history. The record remained Jayden Gagnon’s 49 from 1930. MLB home run king Isaac Cox became the first to 900 dingers and the 13th to 3500 career hits. Through 2028, Cox was one of 20 sluggers in baseball history with 900+ professional homers.

Cox still looked good at age 41 with 39 homers, 115 RBI, .922 OPS, and 4.1 WAR. He now had 2264 RBI and 6981 total bases, putting him in very close to the #1 spot held by Stan Provost of 2271 RBI and 6989 total bases. Cox’s 2198 runs were second, but still 150 short of Provost. Cox also got to 138.2 career WAR, passing Elijah Cashman’s 136.6 for 3rd among MLB position players. #2 Graham Gregor would still be a tough chase at 147.95, while the leader Morgan Short was almost certainly unreachable at 170.47.

The 600 home run club also grew from 33 members to 38 in 2028 as Titan Gormley, Itumeleng Sagandira, Jason Perazzo, Fred Hynes, and Peter Schon all reached the mark. Perazzo and Sagandira also reached 1500 RBI, achieved by 125 MLB sluggers. 111 had now reached 500 homers with the additions of Gilbert Windemere, Dennis Peters, and Jeff Bonner to the list. Alberto Peron became the 67th member of the 3000 hit club.

In pitching notables, Vincent Lepp became the 6th to 4500 strikeouts, finishing the year at 4539. The 39-year old had 5.5 WAR, but a 4.35 ERA and 131 Ks with Houston in 2028. Lepp would keep pitching in 2029 with Calgary, but Julius Jordan’s top Ks mark of 4988 was still a long way away. Lepp’s 321 wins were also still 40 away from Parker Harpaz’s top mark. At 140.6 WAR, Lepp was just behind Harpaz (141.8) for third among MLB pitchers. Ned Giles (151.7) and Newton Persaud (145.8) were also ahead.

In other pitching notables, Storm de Ruyter was the 50th to reach 250 wins. LF Max Baldwin won his 12th and final Gold Glove. He was the position leader and one of only five at any spot in MLB to win the award 12+ times. 1B Jan Rychtr won his 8th Gold Glove. Remarkably winning his first MLB Gold Glove at age 41 was the legendary shortstop Harvey Coyle. This gave him 14 Gold Gloves total when combined with his 13 in the European Baseball Federation.

Coyle was in his second MLB season with Ottawa, having missed half of 2027 to injury. In 148 games, the Englishman was good for an AA-best 10.1 WAR along with 47 home runs, 105 RBI, and .947 OPS. The professional baseball all-time WARlord now had amassed 227.1 career WAR.

Coyle now had a combined 1051 homers, moving past Ratan Canduri (1049) and Antonio Arceo (1043) on the all-time list. Only still ahead were Majed Darwish (1271) and Nordine Soule (1073). Another milestone reached by Coyle in 2028 was 2000+ combined professional runs, a mark shared with only 27 others. Coyle was also up to 2383 RBI which placed him 7th in the world leaderboard.

FuzzyRussianHat

04-05-2025 07:27 PM

2028 Baseball Grand Championship

FuzzyRussianHat

04-06-2025 06:18 AM

2029 MLB Hall of Fame

Major League Baseball’s 2029 Hall of Fame ballot nearly ended up empty, but one player got across the 66% requirement. That was 3B Jeanpaul Vick at 73.3%, finally making it on his tenth and final ballot. Two debuts came very close with closer Tyler Sattler at 63.5% and C Dominick Hennessy at 63.2%. Also above 60% was CL Etzel Urban with 62.3% on his second ballot and 3B Kieran Wilson at 60.2% in his tenth and last chance.

Four other players were above 50%, but below 60%. LF Lorenzen Campbell was at 56.5% in his debut, while CL Jeremy Dau had the same on his eighth go. CL Sebastian Gomez received 55.3% for his sixth ballot and 1B Colin Jordan had 53.5% on his tenth try.

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For Kieran Wilson, his 60.2% was his peak ballot and he was never below 40%. He had a 20-year career with one MVP, three Silver Sluggers, and two World Series wins with San Diego. Wilson’s longest tenure was 12 years with Las Vegas, who later retired his #39 uniform. Injuries did limit his final tallies despite the length of his run.

Wilson played 2325 games with 2463 hits, 1223 runs, 425 doubles, 405 home runs, 1346 RBI, .291/.336/.498 slash, 131 wRC+, and 82.5 WAR. His resume was somewhat similar to 2029 inductee Jeanpaul Vick, but Vick had 700+ more games to raise his accumulations. Wilson ranks 17th in WAR at 3B as of 2037, but he didn’t have prolific power and didn’t quite get to the benchmarks many voters wanted.

For Colin Jordan, he had a 19-year MLB run, then spent his final four seasons in the Arab League. He lacked big awards and black ink with only one Silver Slugger, but was a nine-time All-Star. Jordan was most notable as the 2001 World Series MVP with Nashville, where he spent his first nine seasons. His 53.5% mark in 2029 was his peak with a low of 34.9% in 2022.

Jordan in MLB had 2403 games, 2734 hits, 1338 runs, 535 doubles, 404 homers, 1446 RBI, .307/.356/.511 slash, 138 wRC+, and 75.2 WAR. First base has tough competition though and expects big time slugging stats. Had Jordan not left for his final four years, he might have gotten the benchmarks required. Adding his ALB years, he had 3285 hits, 1642 runs, 642 doubles, 543 homers, 1831 RBI, and 90.0 WAR; tallies that probably get you in. Jordan remains popular in Nashville for his role in their title, but is a Hall of Pretty Good type.

CF Damien Yang also fell off after ten failed ballots, peaking at 40.9% in 2021 and ending at a low of 14.6%. The Hong Kong native had an 18-year career between Phoenix and Quebec City and won 11 Gold Gloves, tied for the MLB position record. Yang won two World Series rings with the Firebirds and one Silver Slugger. Defensively, Yang ranks fourth among all MLB CFs in accumulated zone rating at 268.7.

Yang’s overall stats had 2627 games, 2694 hits, 1516 runs, 303 doubles, 89 triples, 123 homers, 721 RBI, 1282 walks, 746 stolen bases, .272/.357/.357 slash, 108 wRC+, and 95.9 WAR. Yang’s incredible defensive value got him to 66th on the position player WAR list as of 2037 and tenth in WAR at CF. His bat was simply too weak though to resonate with most Hall of Fame voters, although he does deserve mention whenever you discuss MLB’s best-ever glovemen.

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Jeanpaul Vick – Third Base – Seattle Grizzlies – 73.3% Tenth Ballot

Jeanpaul Vick was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed corner infielder from Breckenridge, Colorado; a town of around 5,000 people. Vick had a well-rounded bat with good to occasionally great contact and power against both sides. He had a solid eye for drawing walks and was decent at avoiding strikeouts. Vick wasn’t going to provide overwhelming power, but his 162 game average still got you a respectable 25 home runs, 23 doubles, and 5 triples.

Vick’s speed and baserunning ability graded as delightfully average. He made around 80% of his starts at third base with consistently average to above average defensive production. Vick spent some time in his final years at first base and was rock solid there, even winning a Gold Glove in 2011 at age 39.

His durability was excellent in his 20s and mostly good in his 30s apart from a few small things here and there. Vick wasn’t disruptive by any means, but he was considered a bit of a loner. He just wanted to clock in, collect his paycheck, and clock out. Still, Vick’s remarkably steady and consistent production made him a popular and reliable player throughout a 21-year career.

Despite being the model of steady consistency in the end, Vick was a very highly touted prospect after four years at Alabama. He played 189 games with 212 hits, 158 runs, 33 doubles, 42 homers, 117 RBI, 143 walks, .313/.438/.551 slash, 182 wRC+, and 11.4 WAR. As of 2037, Vick is the all-time NCAA leader in runs scored and ranks third in walks. He won a Silver Slugger in 1991, helping the Crimson Tide to their first College World Series win against Illinois.

In the 1991 MLB Draft, Vick was the #1 overall pick by Salt Lake City. However, he couldn’t come to terms with the Loons and returned for his senior season. SLC had the #2 pick in the 1992 MLB Draft because Vick didn’t sign and chose him again. This time, they came to terms with a five-year, $10,850,000 deal to make Vick far richer than your typical entry level players.

Vick was a high level starter right away, taking second in 1993 Rookie of the Year voting. His two Silver Sluggers came with the Loons in 1994 and 1996. In 1996, Vick had his career bests in runs (110), hits (191), homers (36), RBI (116), batting average (.319), slugging (.569), OPS (.966), wRC+ (156), and WAR (9.1). All eight of his SLC seasons were worth 4.5+ WAR with five seasons above 6+ WAR. However, he was never a league leader or MVP candidate.

Salt Lake City was a 1982 expansion team and took a while to find success. With Vick, they started to hover more around .500 after being well below generally in the 1980s. In 2000, the Loons had their first-ever wild card, but went one-and-done. Vick was 0-9 in his lone playoff starts with Salt Lake City. They would see more regular contention in the 2000s, but Vick was gone after the 2000 campaign to seek out free agent money.

For the Loons, Vick had 1247 games, 1370 hits, 743 runs, 197 doubles, 40 triples, 220 home runs, 785 RBI, 542 walks, .292/.368/.492 slash, 133 wRC+, and 51.3 WAR. It was his most statistically impressive run, but Vick would become better known for his Seattle tenure. He played slightly more games with the Grizzlies and opted to be inducted in the green and gold despite having better metrics as a Loon.

The 29-year old Vick signed a five-year, $47 million deal with Seattle, who was coming off their first-ever American Association pennant. The Grizzlies hoped Vick could solidify their depth and deliver that first World Series ring. His first two years were his best with 7.0 WAR and 6.1 WAR. Vick was never above 5 WAR after that, but was usually around 3-4 WAR most seasons. You knew what you were going to get with him and could focus on plugging other holes in the lineup.

Seattle had the top seed from 2001-03, but couldn’t get over the hump despite winning 108, 104, and 113 games. The Grizzlies fell in the AACS in 2001 and 2003 with a second round exit in the middle. Vick’s playoff numbers were solid though as he handled his business as expected. Seattle fell two games short of the wild card in 2004, ending a six-year playoff streak.

In 2005, Seattle bounced back with the top seed at 105-57 and finally broke through, winning their first-ever World Series title over Philadelphia. Vick was MVP of the second round and over 15 playoff starts had 19 hits, 8 runs, 2 doubles, 4 home runs, 13 RBI, 10 walks, 1.122 OPS, and 0.7 WAR. This was the last year of his deal and the now 34-year old opted to try his hand again at free agency.

After testing the market for a month, Vick returned to the Grizzlies on a four-year, $38,400,000 deal. Seattle got the top seed in 2007 at 102-60, but was upset by San Diego in the AACS. They were out of the playoffs and mid for the other years of Vick’s deal. In total for the Grizzlies, Vick had 1312 games, 1314 hits, 717 runs, 189 doubles, 192 home runs, 690 RBI, 590 walks, .280/.364/.459 slash, 124 wRC+, and 38.4 WAR.

Vick was now 38 and a free agent again, signing a two-year, $23,100,000 deal with Los Angeles. He still provided positive value, but his bat had regressed to average at best marks by this point with 102 wRC+ and .700 OPS over 260 games with 3.6 WAR. Vick did win his lone Gold Glove in 2011 when moved to first base and passed the 1500 run and 1500 RBI milestones.

LA made the playoffs both years he was there, but fell in the first round both times. Vick’s playoff career stats were actually more statistically impressive than his regular season tallies with 53 games, 46 starts, 53 hits, 25 runs, 8 doubles, 10 home runs, 33 RBI, .325/.407/.558 slash, 154 wRC+, and 1.8 WAR. He was now 40-years old and signed a one-year deal for 2012 with Louisville.

A strained abdominal cost him close to two months, but Vick still had 1.8 WAR and .694 OPS over 112 games for the Lynx. He joined Boston in 2013 and again lost time to a strained abdominal. Vick had 111 games, .640 OPS, and 0.8 WAR for the Red Sox, but notably joined the 3000 hit club while there. Vick still wanted to play in 2014 but had limited utility at that point. He had a brief tryout in August 2014 with Las Vegas, but was cut after going 0-5 in two games. Vick retired that winter at age 43.

In total, Vick had 3044 games, 3071 hits, 1658 runs, 435 doubles, 89 triples, 470 home runs, 1666 RBI, 1321 walks, 1720 strikeouts, 178 steals, .277/.357/.460 slash, 125 wRC+, and 95.7 WAR. As of 2037, Vick ranks 16th in games played and is one of only 20 guy with 3000+ MLB games. He’s also 59th in hits, 65th in runs, 69th in RBI, 76th in total bases (5094), 35th in walks, and 68th in WAR among position players.

Vick’s resume was a tough one for many Hall of Fame voters. Those who valued longevity and consistency felt he was an obvious pick, but many put far more emphasis on peaks. Vick didn’t have black ink and his awards were quite limited. Detractors felt he merely sustained above average-ness for 20 years and thus wasn’t at the Hall of Fame level.

Supporters noted his tenure and consistency, along with good playoff numbers and a key role in Seattle’s first World Series win. Detractors countered that a guy with 3000+ games should’ve finished with higher tallies. 3000+ hits, 1500+ runs, and 1500+ RBI were usually pretty strong benchmarks though. Vick also ranked 10th in WAR specifically at third base despite having a lacking trophy shelf compared to those in similar company.

Vick debuted at a rock solid 57.3%, but hardly any voters changed their opinion over the coming years. From 2020-26, Vick was always between 54-60%. He finally cracked the 60% mark in 2027 at 63.2%, but fell back to 59.8% in 2028. 2029 was his tenth and final chance and Vick had the benefit of not having any slam dunk debutants to compete with. Some of the detractors finally budged and Vick got 73.3%, making him the lone inductee into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 2029. Vick became the fifth to make MLB’s HOF on their tenth and final ballot.

FuzzyRussianHat

04-06-2025 06:44 PM

2029 CABA Hall of Fame

Two pitchers were added upon their ballot debut in 2029 into the Central American Baseball Association Hall of Fame. Reliever Wes Vargas led the way at 86.4% and was joined by starter Samuel Toledo at 75.0%. Two returners were above 50%, but short of the 66% requirement. 1B Hasan Alvizo got 54.4% for his fifth ballot and SP Montell Donald had 53.2% in his seventh try.

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Dropped after ten ballots was closer Alejandro Valadez, who won five straight Reliever of the Year awards from 2002-06 with Haiti. He won three CABA Championships with the Herons, although his playoff stats were underwhelming with a 3.51 ERA over 56.1 innings and 14 saves. Valadez’s regular season stats were excellent, but brief. He left for MLB with mixed results at age 30, thus limiting his CABA stats to seven years for Haiti and one final return year with Havana.

Valadez in CABA had 192 saves, 1.49 ERA, 549 innings, 808 strikeouts, 267 ERA+, and 26.1 WAR. The pace was certainly there and he’s the only CABA closer to win five ROTY awards. However, many voters couldn’t justify inducting someone, especially a relief pitcher, on just essentially seven years of production. Valadez peaked at 44.2% in 2021 and ended at only 8.9%.

Dieudonne Guegan was also worth a brief mention despite falling below 5% on his eighth ballot. His career was split evenly between CABA and MLB and hurt his final tallies in either league. Combined, Guegan had a 220-169 record, 3.07 ERA, 3674.2 innings, 3752 strikeouts, 122 ERA+, and 84.9 WAR. He also played some outfield and won three Silver Sluggers with 13.8 WAR and .804 OPS offensively. Those stats in one league probably gets him in, but the even split kept his tallies too low.

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Wes Vargas – Closer – Guatemala Ghosts – 86.4% First Ballot

Wes Vargas was a 5’10’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Quetzaltenango, Guatemala; a city of 180,000 also known by the Maya name Xelaju. Vargas had strong stuff along with very good movement and control in his prime. His fastball peaked in the 96-98 mph range, but his sinker was similarly quick and looked the same out of his hand.

Especially compared to other relievers, Vargas had both excellent stamina and durability. He was always ready to go out of the bullpen and could even start in a pinch. Vargas had a good pickoff move, but graded as a weak defender. He wasn’t one to commit to one team, but was reliable at each of his stops.

Vargas wasn’t picked until early in the third round in the 2003 CABA Draft, in part because he graded out as a reliever and because he was fresh out of high school. He stayed in his home country with Guatemala grabbing him 71st overall. Vargas spent three years in the Ghosts academy before debuting in 2007. He had a rough rookie year with a 5.12 ERA in 58 innings, but was moved into the closer role for 2008.

He held the closer role six years for Guatemala, leading the Caribbean League with 45 saves in 2013. Vargas twice led in games pitched and had his career best 4.5 WAR, 130.2 innings, and 163 strikeouts in 2009 to earn his first Reliever of the Year award. He won again in 2010 with 4.1 WAR, 1.95 ERA, and 135 Ks over 101.2 innings. The Ghosts ended a 16-year playoff drought that year, but lost in the first round. They were consistently middling for the rest of his run.

Vargas for Guatemala had 226 saves, 2.86 ERA, 658.2 innings, 778 strikeouts, 169 walks, 141 ERA+, and 17.3 WAR. It was by far his longest tenure with one team and thus the colors he was inducted with. Vargas was proud of his heritage and represented his country during and after his time with the Ghosts in the World Baseball Championship. He was often used as a starting pitcher in the WBC.

From 2008-23, Vargas had 167.1 WBC innings with a 13-8 record, 2.32 ERA, 9 saves, 4 complete games, 2 shutouts, 240 strikeouts, 61 walks, and 6.1 WAR. Guatemala finished fourth place in both 2009 and 2013. Vargas’ 2020 was notably as he gave up one run over two complete games with 30 strikeouts.

His CABA career took Vargas to the Mexican League in 2014 at age 28 on a three-year, $19,900,000 deal with Monterrey. He won Reliever of the Year in 2014 by leading with 40 saves and a career best to that point ERA of 1.94. For the Matadors, Vargas had 68 saves over 178.2 innings, 2.17 ERA, 238 strikeouts, and 6.0 WAR.

Vargas had one year left on his Monterrey deal for 2016, but was traded in the offseason for prospects to Leon. His ERA jumped to 3.38 for the Lions with 39 saves over 77.1 innings and 2.4 WAR. Vargas had a 1.69 ERA over 5.1 playoff innings with Leon falling in the MLCS to Juarez.

He went to Haiti for 2017 on a three-year, $17,400,000 deal but was relegated to the back of the bullpen with the Herons, posting 3 saves and a 3.28 ERA over 118 inning with 108 Ks and 1.4 WAR over two seasons. Now 34-years old, Vargas was traded for 2019 to Havana straight up for prospect SP Simon Bonnet. The Hurricanes moved Vargas back to the closer role with great success, leading with 33 saves and a career-best 1.24 ERA.

Vargas won his fourth Reliever of the Year, becoming the tenth in CABA history to do so. He also got saves in all five playoff appearances with 15 strikeouts and six hits allowed over 8.1 innings, helping Havana win the CABA Championship over Puebla. He had a 3.86 ERA over 9.1 innings in the Baseball Grand Championship as the Hurricanes finished 9-10. Vargas’ value was back up as he returned to free agency and signed a two-year, $12,800,000 deal with Hermosillo.

In 2020, Vargas was second in Reliever of the Year voting and became the fourth CABA closer to 400 career saves. He led in games with 76 and had 39 saves and a 1.90 ERA over 75.2 innings. Hermosillo was defeated in the MLCS with Vargas getting a 3.27 ERA over 11 innings and two saves. Despite that effort, the Hyenas voided the option year of his deal, sending Vargas back into free agency at age 35.

Instead of chasing the CABA saves record of 430 by Feliz Fuentes, Vargas opted to give Major League Baseball a look. New Orleans signed him for two years and $14,800,000. Vargas was good in his limited middle relief use with a 1.38 ERA over 45.2 innings, but the Mudcats needed to make up roster room somewhere and cut him in July. He finished the year with Baltimore with a 3.75 ERA over 12 innings. Although he was off the roster, Vargas did receive a World Series ring in 2021 as New Orleans won it all, joining the short list of guys with both a World Series and CABA Championship ring.

Vargas came back to CABA in 2022 on a two-year, $12,800,000 deal with Juarez. He saw limited use though and only had two saves over 69.1 innings with 2.86 ERA, 71 Ks, and 1.0 WAR. Vargas had a 2.61 ERA in 10.1 playoff innings in the run as the Jesters were amidst a lengthy playoff streak. Juarez won the Mexican League in 2022, but lost the CABA finale to Vargas’ former Guatemala squad. The Jesters dropped the 2023 MLCS to 117-win Mexico City. Vargas had a 3.14 ERA over 14.1 innings in the 2022 BGC as Juarez finished 11-8 in a five-way tie for fourth.

This marked the end of Vargas’ CABA career. He signed back in MLB for 2024 with Virginia Beach, but was cut after spring training. Vargas ended up in Ukraine with Odesa of the European Second League, pitching 37.2 innings with a 2.63 ERA. The Drifters did notably earn promotion and won the E2L title. Vargas spent 2025 in the minor leagues with Raleigh’s affiliate Greensboro. He retired that winter shortly after his 40th birthday.

In CABA, Vargas finished with 962 games, 97-95 record, 410 saves, 444 shutdowns, 2.69 ERA, 1243 innings, 1476 strikeouts, 286 walks, 147 ERA+, and 33.6 WAR. As of 2037, Vargas is tied for 2nd in CABA saves. However, he’s only 11th in WAR among CABA Hall of Fame closers despite having the 4th-most innings of that group. Vargas also is third in games pitched in CABA.

He doesn’t rank among the all-time most dominant relievers in world history, but 400 saves and four Reliever of the Year wins gets you in even with many voters who are iffy on inducting closers. The title with Havana and his role in that brief stint also boosted his resume. Vargas got 86.4% for a first ballot induction to headline the 2029 class for the Central American Baseball Association.

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Samuel Toledo – Starting Pitcher – Puebla Pumas – 75.0% First Ballot

Samuel Toledo was a 6’4’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Nicolas Romero, Mexico; a city with 366,000 people just northwest of Mexico City. Toledo had fantastic stuff along with great movement and rock solid control. His 98-100 mph fastball was top tier and he also had a very good changeup and splitter. Toledo also had a weak curveball as a fourth option.

Toledo’s stamina and durability were merely average compared to your typical CABA ace. He graded as a good defensive pitcher, but did have a weak pickoff move and struggled holding runners. Toledo was well liked amongst his peers and was a very quiet and humble man. He wasn’t one to care about personal glory or accolades.

Despite not drawing attention to himself, scouts certainly noticed Toledo as he came up the amateur ranks. He was the #1 overall pick in the 2010 CABA Draft by Puebla and was used mostly in the bullpen as a rookie with okay results. Toledo was moved to the rotation full-time in year two and by year three was a regular 6+ WAR pitcher. The Pumas quickly gave Toledo a six-year, $64,600,000 extension after the 2013 season.

Puebla a bottom-tier team most of Toledo’s run, as they didn’t make the playoffs from 1996-2018. By his late 20s, Toledo was becoming more effective. He won his lone ERA title in 2016 at 2.43 and had a career best 0.82 WHIP. Toledo’s best ERA came in 2017 at 2.23 along with a league-best 21-7 record, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting.

Toledo was second again in 2018, leading in strikeouts (294), and WAR (8.9) for the first time. Puebla had hovered around .500 in the last few years, but fell off to 67-95 in 2018. The Pumas thought a rebuild might be in order and Toledo was entering the final year of his deal. In the offseason, Toledo was traded to Tijuana for four hitting prospects. Incidentally, Puebla had a shocking Mexican League title win in 2019 after Toledo left, although they reverted soon back to the mid-tier.

For Puebla, Toledo had a 115-76 record, 2.79 ERA, 1669.1 innings, 1992 strikeouts, 286 walks, 135 ERA+, and 49.6 WAR. The Pumas retired Toledo’s #30 once his career was over. He had gotten some notice domestically as a regular for Mexico in the World Baseball Championship. From 2012-23, Toledo had a 13-12 record, 3.86 ERA, 205.1 innings, 314 strikeouts, 94 ERA+, and 4.8 WAR. Toledo did struggle in the 2015 WBC, although Mexico took second despite his 8.22 ERA over 30.2 innings and -0.5 WAR. He was better in later runs including a third place in 2018 and fourth place in 2020.

In his one year with Tijuana in 2019, Toledo was again second in Pitcher of the Year voting. He had a 12-12 record, 2.67 ERA, and led in strikeouts (301), WHIP (0.90), FIP- (56), and WAR (8.6). The K mark would be Toledo’s career best, but the Toros missed the playoffs at 85-77. Toledo was now set for free agency for the first time at age 31. He signed a five-year, $68 million deal to join Leon.

Toledo had a good debut in 2020 and the Lions won the South Division at 105-57. They lost in the first round, although Toledo gave up only one run over 9.1 innings in his lone playoff appearances. Leon struggled the next four years and Toledo lost a chunk of 2021 to bone chips in his elbow. Toledo then posted a 4.01 ERA in 2022, his worst of his career.

In 2023, Toledo bounced back with a 2.81 ERA over 234 innings, 249 strikeouts, and 5.1 WAR. However, Leon was an abysmal 57-105 to tie a franchise worst. Toledo had one year left and could certainly still go, but he decided to retire that winter at only age 35. For the Lions, Toledo had a 38-45 record, 3.25 ERA, 744 innings, 848 strikeouts, 115 ERA+, and 19.9 WAR.

Toledo finished with a 165-133 record, 2.91 ERA, 2642.1 innings, 3141 strikeouts, 513 walks, 233/329 quality starts, 71 complete games, 15 shutouts, 129 ERA+, 67 FIP-, and 78.1 WAR. As of 2037, Toledo ranks 65th in strikeouts and 40th in pitching WAR despite missing the top 100 in either innings or wins. His 10.70 K/9 was 53rd among all pitchers with 1000+ innings.

Partly because of the early end to his career, Toledo’s accumulations are definitely on the low end compared to other Hall of Famers. His rate stats certainly looked worthy though and every eligible CABA pitcher with more WAR had gotten in. Most (but not all) that had gotten to 70+ WAR had made it in. Most of the guys above 3000+ strikeouts had made it too, although the misses were generally near the bottom end like Toledo.

He also had the misfortune on being on mostly forgettable teams. Toledo never won Pitcher of the Year, but taking second thrice does resonate with voters. Toledo also had an ERA title and led in both strikeouts and WAR twice. He didn’t get headliner numbers, but 75.0% was plenty for Toledo to make it into the HOF on the first ballot with the 2029 class for the Central American Baseball Association.

FuzzyRussianHat

04-07-2025 06:49 AM

2029 EAB Hall of Fame (Part 1)

East Asia Baseball had an impressive four-player Hall of Fame class for 2029 with each guy making it upon their debut. 3B Chul Park was the clear headliner at 97.7%, followed by OF Sang-Beom Shin at 86.2%. RF Toshiyoshi Kubo and SP Kenzaburo Miyazaki crossed the 66% requirement by more humble margins at 73.9% and 68.2%, respectively. 2B Ryuichi Sawa almost joined him on his debut, but narrowly missed at 62.5%. No one else was above 50%.

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Dropped after ten failed tries was SP Jong-Gyeon Chung, who peaked at 60.8% in his debut but ended at 35.6%. He had a 15-year career with Busan, but ran into injuries and didn’t have a full season after his age 31 campaign. Chung had a 177-109 record, 2.77 ERA, 2561 innings, 2633 strikeouts, 473 walks, 137 ERA+, and 67.7 WAR.

The rate stats certainly were worthy, although he generally wasn’t a league leader. Chung was twice a Pitcher of the Year finalist and helped Busan to a 2009 pennant. If he had just a few more years to get to 200+ wins and 3000+ strikeouts, Chung probably makes it in. Instead, he was banished to the Hall of Pretty Good. Chung does live on as a Blue Jays ring of honor member with his #20 uniform retired.

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Chul “Rags” Park – Third Base – Ulsan Swallows – 97.7% First Ballot

Chul Park was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting third baseman from Gyeongsan, South Korea; a city with around 267,000 partially within metropolitan Daegu. Park was your traditional leadoff hitter offensively with great contact ability along with top flight speed and baserunning skills. Park’s gap power was outstanding with a 162 game average of 42 doubles and 19 triples. He was also good for 9 home runs per 162. He regularly put the ball in play with a decent strikeout rate, but Park rarely drew walks.

That offensive profile doesn’t scream “third base,” but that’s where Park spent his entire career. While he had a good arm, he graded as a subpar but passable defender. Park was a true ironman and never missed a single game to injury over an 18-year career. He was as scrappy as they come with a fantastic work ethic and “can do” attitude. Those traits made Park a very popular player even without the towering home run power of most superstar batters.

Park attended Woosung High School like many other greats and earned plenty of attention with scouts. Bucheon took him 25th overall in the 2003 EAB Draft and convinced Park to sign instead of attending college. He spent most of the next two years in their academy, although he did officially debut in 2005 with seven plate appearances at age 19. Park was on the roster full-time from 2006 and started most of that year with passable results.

He was a full-time starter from 2007 onward and put up 5+ WAR each of the next five years for Bucheon. Park won his first Silver Slugger in 2008 and was third in MVP voting. He led the Korea League with career highs in hits (235), and doubles (47). Park also had his career bests for homers (16), triple slash (.380/.403/.605), OPS (1.008), and wRC+ (175). In 2008, Park also hit for the cycle against Daegu.

Park won additional Silver Sluggers from 2009-11 for the Bolts, leading again in doubles in 2009 and in steals in 2011. Despite his efforts, Bucheon had been stuck mostly at the bottom of the standings for a decade. The Bolts did see some life in 2011 at 89-73, missing the wild card by three. However, Bucheon and Park couldn’t come to terms on a long-term deal, sending him to free agency at only age 26.

His more famous tenure began in 2012 on a four-year, $42,800,000 deal with Ulsan. The Swallows ended a four-year playoff drought upon his debut and made the postseason five times from 2012-17. Park won Sluggers in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, and 2022 with Ulsan. He was second in 2014’s MVP voting with league bests in hits (230) and triples (29). That year also had Park’s career high in runs at 130. He led twice in runs, twice in hits, thrice in doubles, thrice in triples, and once in steals during the Ulsan run.

Ulsan mostly struggled in the playoffs with first round exits in the mid 2010s, but 2015 was an exception. The Swallows broke through for the Korea League pennant, but fell to Yokohama in the EAB Championship. In that run, Park had 18 starts with 25 hits, 10 runs, 5 extra base hits, 14 steals, and 0.7 WAR. In the Baseball Grand Championship, Park had 19 starts, 19 hits, 8 runs, 4 doubles, 3 homers, 5 RBI, 94 wRC+, and 0.1 WAR. Ulsan ultimately finished at 6-13 in the event.

His playoff stats overall were unremarkable with 34 starts, 40 hits, 17 runs, 5 doubles, 3 triples, 3 homers, 18 RBI, 17 steals, .280/.313/.420 slash, 102 wRC+, and 0.6 WAR. Park also played off and on in the World Baseball Championship from 2008-21 with South Korea. In 59 games, he had 44 hits, 17 runs, 11 doubles, 2 homers, 15 RBI, 21 steals, .260/.296/.361 slash, and 0.5 WAR.

Park did well enough though to get a seven-year, $136,600,000 extension with Ulsan before the 2015 campaign. The Swallows were middling to end the 2010s, then fell towards the very bottom in the early 2020s. Park was steady through it all, even posting his career best 8.8 WAR in 2020 at age 34. In 2021, Park became the 22th EAB batter to join the 3000 hit club.

After an abysmal 59-103 campaign in 2022, Park became a free agent at age 37. His production had stayed steady to this point and he explored his options, but decided to return to Ulsan for three years and $28,300,000. Considering his impeccable durability and consistency, some thought Park might make a run at EAB’s hits title and the top spot in doubles.

The decline came sharply in 2023 and he was benched with -0.5 WAR and .706 OPS over 90 games. Park retired that winter at age 38 and immediately had his #20 uniform retired by the Swallows. With Ulsan, Park played 1787 games with 2236 his, 1145 runs, 464 doubles, 218 triples, 83 home runs, 758 RBI, 867 steals, .314/.343/.476 slash, 123 wRC+, and 59.3 WAR.

Park’s final tallies had 2700 games, 3403 hits, 1713 runs, 692 doubles, 323 triples, 144 home runs, 1117 RBI, 471 walks, 1613 strikeouts, 1262 steals, 694 caught stealing, .320/.348/.486 slash, 127 wRC+, and 90.4 WAR. As of 2037, Park ranks 41st in games, 7th in hits, 13th in runs, 2nd in doubles, 14th in triples, 32nd in total bases (5173), 5th in steals, 8th in caught stealing, and 69th in WAR among position players.

The lack of home run power of course tanks his WAR a bit despite having such high tallies elsewhere. The total bases mark was especially impressive though considering the lack of homers. Park also ranks 72nd in batting average among those with 3000 plate appearances. He ranks 5th in WAR at third base specifically and leads all 3Bs in runs, hits, singles, doubles, triples, steals, and caught stealing.

On the world leaderboards as of 2037, Park sits 21st in doubles and 49th in steals while narrowly missing the top 50 in triples. When discussing East Asia Baseball’s best-ever leadoff guys, Park’s name definitely ranks near the top. At 97.7%, he captained a strong four-player 2029 Hall of Fame class.

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Sang-Beom Shin – Outfield - Kawasaki Killer Whales – 86.2% First Ballot

Sang-Beom Shin was a 6’1’’, 175 pound switch-hitting outfielder from Incheon, South Korea. Shin was known for strong home run power, smacking 40+ in 10 of his 14 seasons and 50+ in five. His contact and eye were both merely average to occasionally above average. He also was subpar at avoiding strikeouts. Shin’s power was focused on dingers, but he did still get 20 doubles and 9 triples per his 162 game average,

Unlike most prototypical sluggers, Shin was actually very fast and was an outstanding baserunner, although he didn’t get ton of chances to flaunt it. The speed was far more evident in the outfield with around 65% of his starts in left and most of the rest split between right and center. Shin graded as an excellent defender in the corners and won four Gold Gloves in left. His results in center were more average, but you could certainly put him there in a pinch and expect passable results.

Along with his great athleticism, Shin’s durability was generally quite strong. He started 135+ games in all but one year from 2011-23. Shin’s biggest downside was his personality as he was often considered selfish and lazy. His work ethic was lacking and he definitely wasn’t going to take a leadership role. But Shin socked dingers and because chicks dig the long ball, he was one of the more popular players of his era.

Shin was one of the rare Korean players that spent his entire pro career in the Japan League. He was signed as a teenage amateur in January 2005 with Kawasaki and had his entire pro run there. Shin did still regularly come home to play in the World Baseball Championship for South Korea. From 2012-23, he played 95 games with 72 hits, 59 runs, 6 doubles, 35 homers, 67 RBI, 28 steals, .217/.292/.551 slash, and 3.1 WAR.

After four full years in Kawasaki’s academy, Shin saw sporadic use in 2009 and 2010 in his early 20s. He played 73 games and started 32 with mixed results. Shin also started three playoff games in 2010 for the top-seeded Killer Whales, but struggled to 2-12 as they were upset in the first round. He was still good enough to earn the full-time starting gig from 2011 onward.

Apart from a lousy 2013 effort, Shin was worth 40+ homers and 8+ WAR each year from 2011-21. The Killer Whales again were the #1 seed in 2012, but again lost in the first round. They spent the next five years competitive, but outside of the playoffs as Yokohama took control of the Capital Division. Shin led with a career high 132 RBI in 2012 and had his first 50+ homer season.

In 2015, Shin got his first major awards consideration with a second place in MVP voting, leading the Japan League with 8.5 WAR. That winter, Kawasaki gave Shin an eight-year, $171,000,000 extension. He had a four-year streak of Gold Glove wins from 2016-19 and took third in 2017 and 2019’s MVP voting. He still didn’t have a Silver Slugger to that point, a function of sharing a league and primary position with seven-time MVP winner Hitoshi Kubota.

Shin led in home runs for the first time with 57 in 2017. Kawasaki returned to contention with division titles in 2018 and 2019. The Killer Whales lost the 2018 JLCS to Osaka, but won the pennant in 2019. They would fall to Seongnam in the EAB Championship. Shin’s playoff numbers were good over 41 starts with 41 hits, 24 runs, 6 doubles, 5 triples, 11 homers, 25 RBI, .255/.288/.559 slash, 159 wRC+, and 1.8 WAR. In the 2019 Baseball Grand Championship, Shin had 14 hits, 11 runs, 8 homers, 12 RBI, .903 OPS, and 0.8 WAR. The Killer Whales finished 9-10 in the event.

In 2020, Shin finally won his first Silver Slugger (playing CF that year) and was second in MVP voting with league and career bests in homers (59) and WAR (10.1). He led in homers (53) and runs (113) in 2021 for his one MVP win and second Slugger in CF. Kawasaki missed the 2020 playoffs and had a one-and-done in 2021 despite a 103-59 record. The Killer Whales began a streak of losing seasons for the rest of the decade after that.

2022 saw Shin’s first notable injury with a hamstring strain costing him six weeks, although his rate stats were still good. In 2023, he abruptly fell off a cliff with only 26 homers, a .197/.252/.380 slash, 88 wRC+, and -0.2 WAR. Shin had one more year left on his deal, but decided to retire at age 35 after such a frustrating campaign. Kawasaki quickly retired his #15 uniform for his 14 years of service.

Shin had 2085 games, 1888 hits, 1256 runs, 257 doubles, 118 triples, 601 home runs, 1312 RBI, 645 walks, 451 steals, .254/.314/.562 slash, 162 wRC+, and 88.4 WAR. As of 2037, Shin ranks 39th in homers and 81st in WAR for position players despite not cracking the top 100 in any other stats. It was rare for a Hall of Famer to not even get to 2000 career hits, but big sluggers were generally the exception.

Simply between raw power, great baserunning, and strong defense, Shin was a very valuable player despite his other deficiencies. Staying your whole career with one team is a plus for many voters and most agree his awards shelf would’ve been much fuller if not for Kubota dominating at LF during Shin’s prime. He led in homers thrice, had an MVP, and helped the Killer Whales to a pennant. Those facts got Shin to 86.2% as the second of four inductees into the 2029 HOF class for East Asia Baseball.

FuzzyRussianHat

04-07-2025 06:45 PM

2029 EAB Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Toshiyoshi Kubo – Right Field – Kyoto Kamikaze – 73.9% First Ballot

Toshiyoshi Kubo was a 5’9’’, 180 pound left-handed right fielder from Yokohama, Japan. Against right-handing pitching, Kubo was a rock solid contact hitter with a steady pop in his bat. Facing RHP, he had a strong career .904 OPS and 172 wRC+. Against lefties though, Kubo was subpar with .658 OPS and 97 wRC+. He was merely okay at drawing walks against either side, but his strikeout rate was decent.

Kubo certainly didn’t have prolific power, but his 162 game average got you plenty of extra base hits with 32 home runs, 20 doubles, and 9 triples. His baserunning speed and ability graded as above average to good. Kubo was a career right fielder and was an excellent defender with strong glove work and a powerful arm, winning six Gold Gloves in his career. Kubo’s ironman durability added to his reliability with 135+ games in all but his first two seasons. Few players were as steady and consistent over a 16-year career.

After playing at Waseda University in Tokyo, Kubo was picked 10th overall by Kyoto in the 2006 EAB Draft. He spent almost all of 2007 in their academy and only made 13 pinch hit plate appearances in the regular season. The Kamikaze surprisingly ended an 11-year playoff drought and got to the Japan League Championship Series, where they fell to Tokyo. Kubo played eight playoff games and started one, but had unremarkable production.

Kubo was a part-time starter in 2008 with better metrics, winning Rookie of the Year over 120 games and 78 starts. He then took on the full-time gig after that. From 2009-21, Kubo was worth 5+ WAR each season and had 30+ homers in all but two years. In 2010, he won his first Silver Slugger and was third in MVP voting.

Kyoto missed the playoffs in 2008-09, but began a dynasty run from 2010-14. The Kamikaze won the EAB Championship in 2010 over Yongin with Kubo earning JLCS MVP over Kumamoto. Over 14 playoff starts, he had 21 hits, 12 runs, 2 doubles, 3 triples, 5 homers, 15 RBI, 1.185 OPS, and 1.4 WAR. Kubo had .896 OPS in the inaugural Baseball Grand Championship with Kyoto going 4-5 in the initial divisional format. One week after their title win, the Kamikaze gave Kubo an eight-year, $90 million extension.

Kubo won another Slugger in 2011 and Kyoto repeated as EAB champs, beating Goyang in the final. He was more forgettable in that playoff run with .693 OPS and 0.3 WAR over 17 starts. Kubo was stronger in the BGC with 22 hits, 13 runs, 6 homers, 18 RBI, .930 OPS, and 0.9 WAR as the Kamikaze went 9-10. Kyoto missed the 2012 playoffs by one game, then had a first round exit in 2013.

The Kamikaze capped off the run with their third title in 2014, dispatching Seongnam in the EAB Championship. Kubo was decent in the playoffs, finishing his Kyoto tenure with 61 playoff games, 65 hits, 32 runs, 8 doubles, 4 triples, 11 homers, 34 RBI, .291/.321/.511 slash, 147 wRC+, and 2.1 WAR. Kyoto was 8-11 in the 2014 BGC with Kubo getting 19 hits, 10 runs, 7 homers, 12 RBI, .907 OPS, and 0.5 WAR over 19 starts.

Kubo also regularly played in the World Baseball Championship for Japan from 2010-21, posting 91 games, 72 hits, 45 runs, 11 doubles, 26 homers, 59 RBI, .249/.314/.564 slash, and 2.6 WAR. The Japanese team finished third in both 2012 and 2019 while Kubo was a starter.

Kyoto fell to the middle tier for the remainder of Kubo’s time. He won his third Silver Slugger in 2015 and posted his career best OPS of .951 and 190 wRC+. In 2017, Kubo led a major stat for the only time with a career high 118 runs scored. 2017 also had his peaks in hits (196), batting average (.320), and WAR (8.2). Kubo’s first Gold Glove win came in 2018, his final season for the Kamikaze. His deal expired and Kubo became a free agent for the first time heading towards his age 34 season.

For Kyoto, Kubo had 1707 games, 1861 hits, 1005 runs, 221 doubles, 95 triples, 351 home runs, 958 RBI, 416 steals, .297/.335/.531 slash, 160 wRC+, and 66.4 WAR. He was very popular for his steady production for a decade and his role in three titles. Kubo’s #13 uniform would be retired by the Kamikaze at the end of his career. Up next would be a four-year, $54 million deal with Sapporo. Kubo would later sign an extension and play five years total with the Swordfish.

Kubo won five straight Gold Gloves with Sapporo and was worth 6+ WAR in each of his first three years. At age 35 in 2020, Kubo had his career best home run tally with 46. His bat and power declined noticeably in his last two years, although he still was a positive value player. Sapporo had division titles in 2019, 2020, and 2023; but couldn’t get out of the first round.

His playoff stats were poor in a limited sample size for Sapporo with 13 starts, .146/.163/.167 slash, and -0.4 WAR. Overall though with the Swordfish, Kubo had 771 games, 765 hits, 396 runs, 85 doubles, 36 triples, 142 homers, 421 RBI, .281/.319/.496 slash, 148 wRC+, and 26.3 WAR. Kubo hoped to play in 2024, but couldn’t find any suitors, eventually retiring that winter at age 39.

Kubo finished with 2478 games, 2626 hits, 1401 runs, 306 doubles, 131 triples, 493 home runs, 1379 RBI, 521 walks, 574 steals, .293/.330/.521 slash, 156 wRC+, and 92.7 WAR. As of 2037, Kubo is 76th in hits, 62nd in runs, 89th in homers, 85th in RBI, and 59th in WAR among position players. He was one of those guys who quietly put up better tallies than many realized, since he never had massive peaks in his career.

There were some voters who thought his lack of big dominance should keep him out. However, the majority felt his tallies were solid enough. Kubo’s role in three championships for Kyoto clinched it for many voters. Kubo’s 73.9% got him across the 66% line for a first ballot induction as part of East Asia Baseball’s 2029 Hall of Fame class.

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Kenzaburo “Pappy” Miyazaki – Yokohama Yellow Jackets – 68.2% First Ballot

Kenzaburo Miyazaki was a 6’0’’, 190 pound right-handed pitcher from Soka, Japan; a city of just under 250,000 people in the Saitama Prefecture. He was nicknamed “Pappy” as his friendly nature reminded you of a kind old man. Miyazaki’s fastball was far from kind to hitters though. It regularly was in the 99-101 mph range and gave Miyazaki a top tier stuff rating. He also had a respectable changeup and curveball in the arsenal.

Miyazaki’s movement and control were both above average to good, allowing him to focus on overpowering you with that fastball. His stamina was below average compared to most EAB aces and injuries would limit his output over a 15-year career. Miyazaki was a strong defensive pitcher and had a good pickoff move.

He attended Koku Gakuin University in Yokohama and drew plenty of attention from the city’s Yellow Jackets franchise. Yokohama grabbed Miyazaki in the 2008 EAB Draft with the #2 overall pick. As a rookie, Miyazaki was a full-time closer with mixed results with 28 save and a 3.84 ERA over 75 innings. He was a starter in 2010, but wasn’t ready yet for the big-time with a poor 4.73 ERA. A torn back muscle and forearm strain kept Miyazaki out much of 2011.

Miyazaki was good in limited innings in 2011, but some were worried that he might be a bust. The Yellow Jackets showed faith in Miyazaki and gave him a six-year, $39,540,000 extension after the 2011 campaign. He quickly justified that faith by winning 2012 Pitcher of the Year with an ERA title (1.78) and a league-best 0.72 WHIP. He also struck out 305 and had his career best WAR of 8.2.

In 2014, Miyazaki led the Japan League in strikeouts (311), WHIP (0.85), shutouts (5), and WAR (8.1); taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. This helped Yokohama finally end a 22-year playoff drought, as they had been generally lousy since the turn of the century. The Yellow Jackets lost in the first round, but the franchise had real momentum for the first time since their late 1980s pennants.

While Miyazaki never again was a POTY finalist, he gave steady production in the regular season along with some solid playoff starts. Yokohama went 101-61 in 2015 and won it all, defeating Ulsan in the EAB Championship. Miyazaki won MVP of the JLCS win over Hiroshima, winning all five of his postseason starts with a 2.41 ERA over 37.1 innings and 46 strikeouts. Miyazaki was excellent in the Baseball Grand Championship with a 1.51 ERA and 42 Ks over 35.2 innings as the Yellow Jackets finished 9-10. He took second in BGC Best Pitcher voting.

Yokohama won the Japan League again in 2016, but lost the EAB final to Changwon. Miyazaki was even stronger in this run with a 1.39 ERA and 38 Ks in 32.1 innings, although he was more middling in the BGC with a 3.64 ERA over 29.2 innings and 42 strikeouts. The Yellow Jackets finished 11-8, one of five teams tied for the fifth-best record. Yokohama lost in the first round in 2017 with Miyazaki posting a lackluster 5.54 ERA in 13 innings. Miyazaki also saw limited use in the World Baseball Championship for Japan from 2011-20 with a 3.60 ERA over 95 innings, 4-6 record, 135 strikeouts, and 1.9 WAR.

Before the 2017 campaign, Miyazaki signed a five-year, $75,800,000 extension with Yokohama. The Yellow Jackets would be in the 70s range for wins for the next few years. Miyazaki was steady until suffering a torn flexor tendon in late June 2020 that knocked him out 10 months. He was back by spring 2020, but rotator cuff inflammation limited his starts.

Miyazaki had one year left on his deal and Yokohama’s competitive window had ended. The Yellow Jackets traded the soon-to-be 35-year old before the 2022 season to Fukuoka for prospects that ultimately didn’t pan out. For Yokohama, Miyazaki had a 149-105 record, 2.76 ERA, 2340.1 innings, 2871 strikeouts, 418 walks, 120 ERA+, and 54.2 WAR. Miyazaki’s #77 uniform would be later retired for his efforts and role in their pennant runs.

Fukuoka had won back-to-back division titles, but wanted to get over the hump. Miyazaki helped them as he looked solid in 2022 despite a partially torn labrum in May. He had a 2.37 ERA and 190 Ks over 182.1 innings with 4.3 WAR. The Frogs went 110-52 and won it all, defeating Daegu in the EAB Championship. Miyazaki was used as a reliever in the playoffs, but was a beast with 10.1 scoreless innings in six appearances with 15 strikeouts and 3 saves. Miyazaki was back to the rotation in the Baseball Grand Championship with a 3.81 ERA over 28.1 innings and 31 Ks. Fukuoka finished 11-8 in a five-way tie for fourth.

In total, Miyazaki had very good career playoff stats with an 8-1 record, 3 saves, 2.22 ERA, 109.2 innings, 137 strikeouts, 151 ERA+, and 3.0 WAR. He was a free agent for the first time heading towards age 36 and Osaka thought he still had some juice, giving Miyazaki a three-year, $40,500,000 deal. He only pitched in 2023 with mixed results on a 3.84 ERA over 187.2 innings, 117 Ks, and 2.1 WAR. Miyazaki decided to retire that winter at age 36.

Miyazaki finished with a 175-124 record, 2.81 ERA, 2710.1 innings, 3178 strikeouts, 491 walks, 227/336 quality starts, 70 complete games, 22 shutouts, 118 ERA+, 79 FIP-, and 60.7 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 89th in strikeouts but missed the top 100 in any other stat. Miyazaki’s resume was a tough one as his counting stats were on the lower end compared to what Hall of Fame voters usually expected. Working in his favor was an ERA title and Pitcher of the Year win, although Miyazaki’s time as a true top five level ace was brief.

He was more consistently above average in his later years, which hurt him with some voters. The playoff successes really helped Miyazaki’s cause. He was a big reason Yokohama won two pennants and an EAB title. Those who had forgotten that were reminded of his value with his dominance during Fukuoka’s 2022 title campaign. Miyazaki only narrowly crossed the line at 68.2%, but he made it in as a first ballot pick to wrap up an impressive four-player 2029 class for East Asia Baseball.

FuzzyRussianHat

04-08-2025 06:49 AM

2029 BSA Hall of Fame

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Right fielder Vicente Cristan was the lone addition into the Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Fame for 2029, earning first ballot honors with 78.6%. The next closest to the 66% threshold was 2B Franklin Chapman debuting at 59.2%. Three returners were above 50% with CL Samuel Andrade at 57.5% for his second ballot, 3B Pedro Gutierrez with 55.8% on his third try, and SP Rodrigo Quiroz at 55.4% on his second go. No players were removed from the ballot after ten failed attempts.

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Vicente “Cubby” Cristan – Right Field – Montevideo Venom – 78.6% First Ballot

Vicente Cristan was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed right fielder from Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay. Nicknamed “Cubby,” Cristan was an excellent contact hitter with a very good pop in his bat. While never a league leader, he got plenty of extra bases with a 162 game average of 31 doubles, 9 triples, and 34 home runs. Cristan had four seasons with 40+ homers and once topped 50. He was respectable at avoiding strikeouts, but was average at best drawing walks.

Cristan was good against both sides, but was more dangerous facing right-handed pitching (1.003 OPS, 172 wRC+) compared to lefties (.839 OPS, 134 wRC+). While caught stealing more than he succeeded, Cristan overall had above average to good speed and baserunning skills. However, that speed didn’t translate to range in the outfield.

He played left field in his first full season, then switched to right field for the remainder of his Beisbol Sudamerica run. Cristan had a strong arm, but his glove work and instincts were terrible and he graded quite poorly. His final seasons saw a move to designated hitter. Cristan’s durability was mostly good for a 19-year career. He had a strong ethic and stayed loyal to Montevideo, making him a true fan favorite.

Cristan was picked young by the Venom with the sixth pick of the 2006 BSA Draft. He did officially debut in 2007 at age 19 with one game, but he spent his early years in their academy. Cristan played 51 games and started two in his first three seasons in Uruguay. He saw 117 games in 2010 and 107 in 2011, but only started 42 between them. Cristan looked solid though in the small sample size and earned the full-time gig for 2012. His earlier games meant this didn’t count as a rookie season.

However, Cristan had one of the all-time great full-time debuts, winning 2012 MVP and a Silver Slugger in LF. He became only the third in BSA history to that point to bat above .400 and was the fourth to get 250+ hits. Cristan led the Southern Cone League with a .404/.435/.755 triple slash, 1.190 OPS, 239 wRC+, 252 hits, 143 RBI, and 471 total bases. Those would all be career highs, as would his 118 runs, 13 triples, 53 home runs, and 9.8 WAR. Cristan also hit for the cycle against his hometown Asuncion in June.

Cristan never had a season that incredible again, but remained quite strong, posting seven more seasons with 5+ WAR and seven more with an OPS above one for Montevideo. Cristan also scored 100+ runs with 40+ homers in both 2014 and 2015, while smacking 49 dingers in 2020. He won additional Silver Sluggers in 2017, 2018, and 2020 with the Venom, who gave Cristan an eight-year, $74,700,000 extension in June 2015.

Montevideo had been a historically mediocre franchise, although with Cristan they were generally competitive. The Venom averaged 84.6 wins per season when he was a full-time starter, but weren’t often in the playoff hunt. Montevideo did have a first round exit in 2014, followed by a franchise record 104-58 in 2015. That got them the top seed, but they were ousted in the LCS by Recife. Montevideo’s only other playoff trip with Cristan was a first round exit in 2021. In 15 playoff starts, he had a .236/.276/.582 slash, 127 wRC+, and 0.3 WAR.

While he became a favorite in Uruguay, Cristan did return home regularly to represent Paraguay in the World Baseball Championship. From 2010-27, he played 136 games and started 120 with 131 hits, 66 runs, 30 doubles, 10 triples, 23 homers, 62 RBI, 30 steals, .274/.327/.523 slash, 145 wRC+, and 4.4 WAR. In 2025, Paraguay notably earned its second-ever division title.

Cristan remained steady into his early 30s, but his value started to wane in his later years. His batting average was still good, but now regularly below .300. Combined with Cristan’s worsening defense and he only was worth a combined 4.2 WAR in his final three years. Montevideo was appreciative of their long-time star, but opted not to sign him after his deal expired with the 2023 season. Thus, Cristan was now a free agent for the first time at age 36. The Venom did honor him a few years later by retiring his #21 uniform.

South American teams generally thought Cristan was cooked and he had to expand his search worldwide. He found an unlikely home in Turkey with a three-year, $13,600,000 with Bursa of the Asian Baseball Federation. The Blue Claws moved him to DH, where he found a bit of a second life. In 2025, Cristan led the league with 133 RBI, earning a Silver Slugger and a third place in MVP voting. Bursa had the West League’s top seed in 2024 at 105-57, but fell in the WLCS to Baku. The Blue Claws had a first round exit in 2025 and missed the playoffs in 2026.

With Bursa, Cristan had 391 games, 495 hits, 259 runs, 106 doubles, 24 triples, 77 home runs, 306 RBI, .334/.371/.593 slash, 155 wRC+, and 12.9 WAR. He stayed in ABF and moved to Iran on a three-year, $37,700,000 deal with Tehran. Cristan struggled hard though in 2027 for the Tarpons with -0.9 WAR and .680 OPS over 135 games. Tehran did win the pennant and lost the ABF Championship facing Hyderabad. Cristan in 9 playoff games was terrible with .259 OPS and -0.4 WAR. He retired from the game that winter at age 40.

For his combined pro career, Cristan had 2589 games, 2990 hits, 1506 runs, 491 doubles, 145 triples, 539 home runs, 1653 RBI, 539 walks, 533 steals, .331/.369/.597 slash, 164 wRC+, and 73.2 WAR. Just in BSA with Montevideo, Cristan had 2063 games, 2381 hits, 1188 runs, 351 doubles, 120 triples, 448 home runs, 1291 RBI, 424 walks, 942 strikeouts, 443 steals, .337/.375/.611 slash, 171 wRC+, and 61.1 WAR.

As of 2037, Cristan ranks 46th in batting average among those with 3000+ plate appearances. He also is 63rd in on-base percentage and 27th in slugging. Cristan’s OPS of .985 places him 24th among qualifiers, a very impressive mark. However, Cristan is outside of the top 100 in all of the counting stats, which hurt him with some voters. Apart from his incredible MVP season, Cristan also wasn’t ever a BSA league leader.

That said, he had an MVP win, four Silver Sluggers, and a .400 hitting season. The metrics showed Cristan was an elite hitter, although poor defense tanked his WAR tally. Most voters also appreciated his loyalty to Montevideo, where he was the face of the franchise for 15 years. Beisbol Sudamerica’s 2029 Hall of Fame ballot was a quiet one as well without many other impactful debuts, helping Cristan’s resume to stand out. He received 78.6% for the first ballot nod as the lone 2029 addition.

FuzzyRussianHat

04-08-2025 06:34 PM

2029 EBF Hall of Fame

Two first ballot picks were added for the European Baseball Federation’s Hall of Fame in 2029. SP Gianfranco Marinis led the way at 98.3% while OF Dominik Brozik had a rock solid 81.6%. Two third ballot guys were above 60%, but just short of the 66% requirement with LF Emilson Patino at 62.7% and RF Dylan Fitzpatrick at 61.5%. Three others were above 50% with CF Joris Kostic at 56.9% on his sixth ballot, CL Stefan Sedlak at 56.6% for his eighth try, and LF Marco Solis with a 52.5% debut.

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SP Ebbe Arvidsson got 49.9% on his tenth and final ballot. The Swedish righty generally hovered in the 30-49% range, but fell off after ten failed tries. He had a 15-year run with Athens and posted a 131-85 record, 2.91 ERA, 2164.2 innings, 2338 strikeouts, 297 walks, 132 ERA+, and 57.6 WAR. Arvidsson’s rate stats were certainly worthy, but injuries meant he only had six full seasons in his run. The accumulations were just too low and he didn’t have big awards to make up for it.

RF Sam Connor also fell off the ballot, peaking with a 43.3% debut but ending at only 16.9%. The Irishman spent most of his 19-year career with Belfast with one Silver Slugger and no black ink. In EBF, Connor had 2636 games, 2699 hits, 1465 runs, 428 doubles, 183 triples, 506 home runs, 1504 RBI, 738 walks, 828 steals .286/.338/.530 slash, 142 wRC+, and 74.8 WAR. Connor earned impressive tallies from his steady production, but he lacked big accolades and was overlooked on some bad Brewers squads during his prime.

SS Adam Tretyak was also worth a quick mention as he fell below 5% on his ninth ballot and was dropped. He started in EPB while did lower his final EBF accumulations over a 20 year career primarily with Budapest. Tretyak won five Silver Sluggers with 1857 games, 2399 hits, 1139 runs, 402 doubles, 170 triples, 80 home runs, 781 RBI, 524 steals, .326/.355/.460 slash, 127 wRC+, and 73.3 WAR. It is always an uphill climb though for leadoff type guys without home run power. Tretyak wasn’t exceptional enough at any one thing to get much ballot traction, peaking at 27.6% n 2022.

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Gianfranco Marinis – Starting Pitcher – Barcelona Bengals – 98.3% First Ballot

Gianfranco Marinis was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Lucca, a city of around 89,000 people in central Italy. His rock solid and steady control kept Marinis passable throughout a 22-year career. His stuff and movement were generally graded as above average to occasionally gold. Marinis’ fastball did top out in the 97-99 mph range and was part of a five-pitch arsenal that included a slider, forkball, changeup, and splitter. No one pitch was overpowering, but each was a respectable option.

Marinis’ stamina and durability were both outstanding and he never missed starts due to injuries. He also had an excellent pickoff move and was considered a good defensive pitcher. Marinis was highly adaptable and intelligent, traits that served him well. He was never overwhelmingly dominant, but his steadiness and consistency were hard to find.

Out of college, Marinis was very highly touted and Barcelona selected him third in the 2001 EBF Draft. He struggled with limited relief use in 2002, then was a full-time starter in 2003. Marinis was split back between starting and relief in 2004, but returned to the rotation after that. 2005 would be his best season by some metrics with a conference best 21-8 record and career best 6.9 WAR. Marinis also led in wins again in 2007, but never was a Pitcher of the Year finalist. He led in complete games and shutouts twice and innings pitched once.

After struggling to start the 21st Century, Barcelona had a three-year division title streak from 2005-07. The Bengals lost in the first round in 2005, but earned the Southern Conference pennant the latter years. Barcelona set a franchise record in 2005 at 111-51, but fell to Kyiv in the European Championship. The Bengals were 96-66 in 2007 and got revenge over the Kings in that year’s final.

Marinis’ career playoff numbers were actually more impressive than his regular season tallies. Over the 2006-07 run, he had a 6-2 record over 73.1 innings with a 2.33 ERA, 60 strikeouts, and 1.7 WAR. After the 2006 season, Barcelona gave Marinis a six-year, $44,760,000 extension. He continued his same steady results, although the Bengals just missed the playoffs in 2008-09. They made it back with division titles in 2010 and 2011.

Barcelona lost the 2010 conference final to Zurich, but beat Athens for the 2011 pennant. The Bengals were denied the European Championship by the fledgling Dublin dynasty, but Marinis had a 2.53 ERA over 32 innings in that run. He was excellent in the Baseball Grand Championship with a 1.29 ERA over 35 innings with 33 Ks. Despite his efforts, Barcelona struggled to 6-13 in the event. The following spring, Marinis inked a five-year, $53,900,000 extension The Bengals were stuck in the middle tier for the following three years.

2015 saw one last gap for Barcelona, winning the conference as a wild card and falling to Antwerp in the European Championship. This was Marinis’ best playoffs yet with a 1.30 ERA and 27 Ks in 41.2 innings. He couldn’t carry that over into the BGC with a 4.34 ERA over 33.1 innings as the Bengals finished 9-10. For his playoff career with Barcelona, Marinis had a 11-6 record, 2.56 ERA, 176 innings, 145 strikeouts, 24 walks, 153 ERA+, and 3.3 WAR.

Although he stepped up in the big games, his regular season stats had been delightfully average into his 30s. Barcelona voided the team option year of Marinis’ deal, sending him to free agency for 2017 at age 36. With the Bengals, Marinis had a 215-153 record, 3.73 ERA, 3428 innings, 2914 strikeouts, 659 walks, 104 ERA+, 89 FIP-, and 62.4 WAR. His next stop would be a three-year, $32,900,000 deal with Madrid.

Although Marinis remained in Spain, he had been a regular for his native Italy throughout his career in the World Baseball Championship. From 2005-23, Marinis had a 14-8 record, 3.34 ERA, 207.1 innings, 207 strikeouts, 66 walks, and 2.8 WAR. The Italians were quite competitive in that era with a second place in 2005, third in 2006, second in 2012, fourth in 2019, and third in 2022.

Madrid was a wild card throughout each of Marinis’ years there, but couldn’t get beyond the second round. In 22.2 playoff innings, he had a 3.97 ERA and 20 Ks. He stayed steady overall in his three seasons with a 39-32 record, 3.45 ERA, 665 innings, 555 strikeouts, 111 ERA+, and 9.9 WAR. In 2019, Marinis became the 8th pitcher in EBF history with 250 career wins.

Now 39-years old and a free agent again, Marinis went north to Norway on a three-year, $28,900,000 deal with Oslo. He couldn’t maintain his usual steady stats in the first two years with the Octopi, although they did get a playoff berth in 2021. Marinis rebounded a bit in 2022, which led to a July trade to Lisbon for four prospects. With Oslo, Marinis had a 31-33 record, 4.35 ERA, 589.2 innings, 402 strikeouts, and 4.6 WAR.

Marinis had a decent second half with Lisbon, who made the playoffs but lost in the first round. He posted a 3.53 ERA and 1.6 WAR over 97 innings. Marinis still wanted to play and was at 291 wins, now second on the EBF all-time list. The top mark was held by Jean-Luc Roch, who finished with 300 exactly. Dublin gave Marinis a one-year, $7,500,000 deal for the 2023 campaign.

It was an okay effort as a part-time innings eater with a 3.90 ERA, 159.1 innings, 103 strikeouts, and 0 WAR. However, Marinis had a 11-4 record with the Dinos, passing Roch to become the all-time EBF leader. As of 2037, Marinis is one of only 46 pitchers in all of pro baseball history in the 300 club. The longevity also got him to 4000 strikeouts, the 10th in EBF to do so.

Dublin was amidst another dynasty and repeated as European Champion with a 114-48 record. Marinis’ postseason contribution was one scoreless inning of relief. For his playoff career, he had a 12-9 record, 2.73 ERA, 207.2 innings, 169 strikeouts, 26 walks, 142 ERA+, and 3.3 WAR. As of 2037, Marinis is 9th in playoff wins, 10th in strikeouts, and 19th in WAR among pitchers. With nothing left to prove and probably not enough juice left to stick around, Marinis retired shortly after his 43rd birthday.

Marinis finished with a 302-225 record, 3.77 ERA, 4939 innings, 4053 strikeouts, 939 walks, 4053 strikeouts, 347/607 quality starts, 186 complete games, 28 shutouts, 103 ERA+, 93 FIP-, and 78.4 WAR. As of 2037, Marinis is EBF’s all-time leader in wins, starts (607), innings, and hits allowed (5269). He also is 2nd in losses, 4th in complete games, 31st in shutouts, 11th in strikeouts, 11th in walks (939), and 34th in WAR among pitchers. On the world leaderboards, Marinis ranks 41st in wins and 27th in innings.

The rate stats though grade Marinis’ production as being above average at best though. He was never a Pitcher of the Year finalist and only once finished top ten in the conference for ERA. Despite EBF’s wins leader, Marinis’ name rarely gets mentioned in the conversations for Europe’s GOAT pitcher and some wouldn’t even put him into the top ten.

However, longevity and consistency certainly have to count for something. Plus, Marinis cemented himself as an all-time great with strong playoff stats. He was a big reason Barcelona won four pennants and a European Championship. Certainly Marinis’ candidacy wasn’t in doubt, receiving 98.3% to headline the 2029 Hall of Fame class for the European Baseball Federation.

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Dominik Brozik – Left/Center Field – Cologne Copperheads – 81.6% First Ballot

Dominik Brozik was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed outfielder from Policka, a small town of roughly 9,900 in the Czech Republic. Brozik was a well-rounded batter with good-to-great contract, eye, and power. He wasn’t amazing at any one thing, but he was at least decent across the board. His 162 game average got you 33 home runs, 24 doubles, and 11 triples for a steady dose of extra base hits.

Brozik’s best numbers came against right-handed pitching with a career .980 OPS and 174 wRC+. Against lefties, he had a respectable .790 OPS and 124 wRC+. Brozik’s speed was above average and he had strong baserunning skills. He had the flexibility to bounce around the outfield with about 2/3 of his starts in left field, around 1/4 in center field, and sparing starts in right or at first base. Brozik didn’t have the range for CF and had lackluster results there, but he graded as reliably solid in the corners.

Few peers or fans would have a bad word to say about Brozik as a person. He was known for his fierce loyalty, strong work ethic, and great intelligence. Brozik’s durability was mostly good over a 17-year career. Combine that with reliable and predictable production and you had one of the most popular players of the 2010s for European baseball.

In the 2006 EBF Draft, Brozik was picked 16th overall by Cologne. The Copperheads were an expansion team in 2000 and struggled in the front end of the decade, but Brozik helped turn Cologne into a regular contender. Brozik won 2007 Rookie of the Year with his first of ten straight seasons with 6+ WAR, .300+ average, and .900+ OPS. 2007 saw a 85-77 record, the Copperheads’ first-ever winning season.

In 2008, Cologne won a division title at 102-60 and got all the way to the Northern Conference Championship where they fell to Kyiv. Brozik won his first Silver Slugger (LF) and his lone MVP, leading the conference with 132 runs. That would be a career high, as would his 211 hits, 45 homers, and 116 RBI. In his first postseason, Brozik had .913 OPS and 0.3 WAR. Cologne went 90-72 in 2009 but missed the postseason narrowly.

From 2010-17, the Copperheads rattled off an eight-year division title streak. Brozik was second in 2010’s MVP voting with a 1.050 OPS, 202 wRC+, 10.1 WAR effort. He won a Silver Slugger in 2011 (CF) and was third in MVP voting with his career best10.8 WAR and a match of his 132 runs and 211 hits from 2008. After the 2012 season, Brozik signed a seven-year, $82,740,000 extension with the Copperheads. Brozik was just outside of the awards conversations in the mid 2010s, but remained incredibly steady and productive.

Cologne’s overall playoff success was limited. From 2010-15, they were ousted in the first or second round each year sans 2012; including despite a 110-52 record in 2011 and 107-55 mark in 2013. 2012 would be the breakthrough though, winning the European Championship against Vienna. The Copperheads were 11-8 in the Baseball Grand Championship, part of a four-way tie for sixth but one game short from the five-way tie for first at 12-7. Brozik had a strong showing in the BGC with 19 hits, 14 runs, 6 doubles, 6 homers, 9 RBI, .961 OPS, and 1.0 WAR.

Brozik’s overall playoff stats with Cologne were surprisingly underwhelming. Over 59 starts, he had 55 hits, 36 runs, 7 doubles, 6 triples, 7 homers, 29 RBI, 19 walks, 12 steals, .243/.300/.420 slash, 104 wRC+, and 1.0 WAR. The Copperheads concluded their playoff streak with conference finals losses in both 2016 and 2017. Cologne hovered around the middle of the standings for the next few seasons.

However, Brozik did have good numbers as a regular for the Czech Republic in the World Baseball Championship. From 2006-23, Brozik played 163 games with 135 hits, 75 runs, 27 doubles, 36 homers, 88 RBI, 42 steals, .247/.353/.501 slash, and 5.9 WAR. The Czechs’ lone division title during Brozik’s tenure came in 2021.

A number of back and oblique injuries kept Brozik out half of 2017. He bounced back and was still rock solid in 2018, but Cologne decided to void the final year option of his deal. Brozik remained very popular and maintained a good relationship with Copperheads officials, who retired his #30 uniform at the end of his career. However, he was now to become a free agent for his age 36 season in 2019.

With Cologne, Brozik played 1706 games with 2155 hits, 1246 runs, 244 doubles, 137 triples, 374 home runs, 1091 RBI, 615 walks, 412 steals, .336/.393/.591 slash, 177 wRC+, and 89.6 WAR. Brozik had worldwide suitors and opted for Major League Baseball on a three-year, $51,200,000 deal with Salt Lake City. He had an impressive debut in the States, winning a Silver Slugger in 2019 in CF with a 6.3 WAR campaign. The Loons were a repeat wild card team, but lost in the first round.

Brozik looked merely decent in 2021 and missed their second round playoff exit on a late August sprained ankle. He regressed hard in 2021 with .642 OPS, 76 wRC+, and 0 WAR over 141 games. In total for SLC, Brozik had 414 games, 378 hits, 233 runs, 68 doubles, 19 triples, 66 home runs, 216 RBI, .247/.322/.445 slash, 113 wRC+, and 8.5 WAR. Brozik was back to free agency heading towards age 39 for 2022.

It was clear his MLB tenure was done, but Brozik hoped he could still contribute back in Europe. London gave him a shot on a two-year, $15,400,000 deal. Brozik was passable in 2022, then looked good in a smaller platoon sample size in 2023. He had 201 games, 171 hits, 88 runs, 22 doubles, 32 homers, 95 RBI, .269/.342/.473 slash, 123 wRC+, and 3.6 WAR for the Monarchs. Brozik retired after the 2023 campaign at age 40.

In the European Baseball Federation, Brozik had 1907 games, 2326 hits, 1334 runs, 266 doubles, 143 triples, 406 home runs, 1186 RBI, 685 walks, 1098 strikeouts, 437 steals, .330/.388/.581 slash, 173 wRC+, and 93.1 WAR. As of 2037, Brozik ranks 85th in hits, 62nd in runs, 87th in total bases (4096), and 46th in WAR among position players. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, his batting average is 56th, OBP is 42nd, and slugging is 92nd. Brozik’s .969 OPS is good for 55th.

Brozik didn’t have eye-popping accumulations, but his hitting efficiency metrics were excellent. His totals when adding the MLB stats saw 2704 hits, 1567 runs, 334 doubles, 162 triples, 472 homers, 1402 RBI, 854 walks, 473 steals, .315/.376/.557 slash, 162 wRC+, and 101.7 WAR.

He wasn’t viewed as an inner-circle level Hall of Famer, but Brozik’s resume was rock solid. He also played a huge role in turning the young Cologne franchise into a reliable contender. Brozik was the first to have his number retired by the Copperheads and joined 2028 inductee Pavel Pajitnov as those inducted in the green and gold. Brozik received 81.6% to take the second slot in the European Baseball Federation’s 2029 class.

FuzzyRussianHat

04-09-2025 06:08 AM

2029 EPB Hall of Fame

The 2029 Hall of Fame ballot for Eurasian Professional Baseball was a weaker one with the best debut at a measly 32.8%. Pitcher Povilas Zdancius was the lone inductee by just crossing the 66% requirement at 67.2% in his fifth ballot. Three others were above 50% with 3B Bladyslav Chychykov (59.9%) and 1B Roman Stanchinsky (55.8%) both on their second ballot. 1B Benjamin Bodnar got 51.4% for his tenth and final chance.

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For Bodnar, he had an 18-year career almost exclusively with Yekaterinburg, helping them win four EPB titles. The Hungarian got as close at 59.0% in 2026 and was never below 44%. Bodnar won MVP honors in 2004 and had four Gold Gloves and five Silver Sluggers. His totals saw 2066 games, 2031 hits, 1023 runs, 292 doubles, 98 triples, 413 home runs, 1138 RBI, .276/.334/.510 slash, 155 wRC+, and 69.7 WAR. Injuries in his 30s greatly limited his tallies and left him in “Hall of Pretty Good” territory in the minds of many voters.

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Povilas Zdancius – Pitcher – St. Petersburg Polar Bears – 67.2% Fifth Ballot

Povilas Zdancius was a 5’10’’, 180 pound right-handed pitcher from Vitebsk in northern Belarus, the country’s fourth-largest city with roughly 358,000 inhabitants. Zdancius had excellent control and great movement along with good stuff. His fastball peaked in the 95-97 mph range and was actually probably his weakest pitch. Zdancius’ changeup and sinker were his best offerings and he had a splitter.

Guys with four credible pitches are almost always starters, but Zdancius’ poor stamina led to most of his career coming from the bullpen. Despite the stamina issues, Zdancius‘ durability was great and he avoided the big injuries that often plague pitchers. He was subpar at holding runners and below average defensively. However, Zdancius had an excellent work ethic and was one of the smartest guys in the game. He was also appreciated in the clubhouse as a strong leader.

Zdancius was picked out of high school by St. Petersburg in the 1997 EPB Draft, going 108th overall in the early fourth round. He would be the second-latest picked player to earn induction for EPB’s Hall of Fame with only Class of 2011 SP Temuujin Munkhuu going later at 127. Zdancius spent his first two years in the Polar Bears’ academy before seeing part-time relief use in 2000-01.

From 2002-04, Zdancius was a starter with strong results, leading the European League twice in quality starts. He had 6.5+ WAR each year as St. Petersburg continued a rebuild, falling just short of the playoffs in 2003 and 2004. Zdancius was third in 2003’s Pitcher of the Year voting with career bests in WAR (8.0), and strikeouts (299).

Despite that momentum, Zdancius was surprisingly relegated to only 18 relief appearances in 2005 despite being seemingly healthy. The Polar Bears moved him to the closer role for the four following years, where he twice led in games pitched and once in saves. Zdancius was Reliever of the Year in 2006 with 1.22 ERA over 81.1 innings, 35 saves, and 113 strikeouts. He took third in ROTY in 2007, 08, and 09.

St. Petersburg led the standings and got to the ELCS in 2005 and 2006, but lost both times against Moscow. The Polar Bears fell towards third place for the next few years. Zdancius’ limited playoff use saw two runs allowed in five innings and four appearances. He also saw brief World Baseball Championship use from 2001-03 for his native Belarus, but struggled to a 5.22 ERA over 29.1 innings.

Zdancius became a free agent after the 2009 season at age 32. For St. Petersburg, he had an 84-52 record, 140 saves, 1.91 ERA, 1182 innings, 1342 strikeouts, 194 walks, 143 ERA+, and 39.4 WAR. The Polar Bears organization liked Zdancius enough to eventually retire his #28 uniform. He’d spend the next nine years in South America, starting with a three-year, $9,360,000 deal with Bogota.

He was middle relief in 2010 for the Bats with a 2.45 ERA over 44 innings. Bogota traded Zdancius in the offseason to Cordoba, who put him back into a closer role for 2011. Zdancius was second in Reliever of the Year voting and led in games with 78 for 2011, posting a 2.45 ERA and 36 saves. The Chanticleers lost in the Southern Cone Championship with Zdancius posting a 5.23 ERA over 10.1 playoff innings.

Zdancius was demoted to middle relief for his second year with Cordoba. After that, he signed for two years and $11,600,000 with Rosario, where he had 74.1 innings, 3.39 ERA, and 1.0 WAR. Zdancius played for Callao in 2015 with a 2.89 ERA, 11 saves, 67 strikeouts, and 0.8 WAR in 74.2 innings. He had 2.38 ERA, 56.2 innings, 1.7 WAR, and 64 Ks in 2016 with Santiago. Zdancius then struggled to a 5.02 ERA over 14.1 innings in 2017 with Sao Paulo.

In 2018, Cordoba gave him a second shot and he had a 2.43 ERA in 33.1 innings. Zdancius had a 2.82 ERA over 165.2 innings, 162 Ks, and 2.6 WAR between the stints with the Chanticleers. For his Beisbol Sudamerica career, Zdancius had a 43-30 record, 65 saves, 2.91 ERA, 349 games, 429.2 innings, 427 strikeouts, 97 walks, 129 ERA+, and 5.9 WAR.

Zdancius came back to EPB in 2019 with Vladivostok where he posted a 3.41 ERA over 34.1 innings. The Shibas cut him in July, but Minsk grabbed him and he finished strong with 16.2 scoreless innings over five appearances. Zdancius decided to retire that winter shortly after his 42nd birthday.

In EPB, Zdancius ended with an 86-53 record, 142 saves, 1.93 ERA, 454 games, 102 starts, 1233 innings, 1373 strikeouts, 198 walks, 83/102 quality starts, 22 complete games, 5 shutouts, 143 ERA+, 63 FIP-, and 40.0 WAR. Among all pitchers with 1000+ career innings, Zdancius’ ERA ranks 11th. His .532 opoonents’ OPS ranks 17th while his triple slash of .203/.240/.292 ranks 47th/28th/11th.

His accumulation stats there are obviously incredibly low for either a starter or reliever. Zdancius’ resume was a difficult one to judge as there weren’t even comparisons amongst starters or relievers. The rate stats were obviously strong, but he was also by having half his career on a different continent. Working in his favor was a generally positive reputation and pitcher-friendly voters for the Eurasian Professional Baseball Hall of Fame.

Zdancius debuted at 64.9% in 2025, barely missing the 66% requirement. He was at 61.0%, 63.6%, and 50.4% in the next three ballots. His fifth ballot in 2029 came against a very weak field with no standout debuts. That helped Zdancius get the bump just across the line at 67.2% for a fifth ballot selection as the lone 2029 inductee. Many scholars cite Zdancius as one of the weaker additions you’ll find, but he’s in regardless.

FuzzyRussianHat

04-09-2025 05:57 PM

2029 OBA Hall of Fame (Part 1)

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The Oceania Baseball Association had a loaded four player Hall of Fame class for 2029 with each debuting at above 89%. 1B/DH Adrian Kali (97.5%), OF Suliano Nadruku (97.2%), 1B Naldo Soto (91.2%), and SP August Lantz (89.1%) made up one of the most impressive groups in league history. 3B Dale Harper notably debuted at a solid 56.5%, but was still shy of the 66% requirement. The only returner above 50% was SP George Hudson at 50.2% for his fifth ballot. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots.

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Adrian Kali – First Base/Designated Hitter – Port Moresby Mud Hens – 97.5% First Ballot

Adrian Kali was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea. Kali was a great contact hitter with a reliably strong bat, posting 35 home runs, 31 doubles, and 3 triples per his 162 game average. He regularly hit above .300 in the lower-scoring world of OBA and was equally potent against both sides. Kal’s ability to draw walks and avoid strikeouts were both average at best.

Although he got on base a lot, Kali was a terrible baserunner with poor speed. He was a subpar defender at first base, but wasn’t a complete liability. Kali’s first few seasons were primarily as a designated hitter. He made just over 60% of his starts at 1B with basically all of the rest as a DH.

Kali was a true ironman and never missed a start to injury, starting 149+ games each year from 2005-23. He was also a hard worker and incredibly selfless and dedicated. Kali was a true fan favorite who became beloved throughout the region as he later challenged for OBA’s hit king crown. He was especially beloved in his native Papua New Guinea and became one of the country’s favorite sons.

Growing up in Port Moresby, Kali was an avid Mud Hens fan in his youth. As he progressed through the amateur ranks, his hometown team certainly kept tabs on him as a possible future star. That dream came true with the 2003 OBA Draft with Kali going fourth overall to the Mud Hens. He was mostly in their academy in 2004 with only 7 games and 2 starts. Kali was moved to a full-time starting role in 2005 and was an OBA fixture for 19 years.

Kali won Rookie of the Year in 2005 with a 1.6 WAR campaign. From 2006-09, he led the Pacific League thrice in both hits and RBI. Kali also led in RBI again in 2011 and twice socked 40+ dingers for Port Moresby. His lone Silver Slugger came in 2011 at 1B. Kali’s steady but not flashy production didn’t lend itself to many big awards. He also was competing with some of the top sluggers in the game as a DH/1B.

It also didn’t help that Port Moresby to that point had been mostly mediocre since the start of the 1990s. Although they became a 2020s dynasty, the Mud Hens were unremarkable despite Kali’s efforts. They averaged 76 wins per season while he was a starter, peaking with at 89-73 in 2010. In April 2008, Kali signed a five-year, $18,320,000 extension with his hometown team.

Port Moresby was seemingly trending upwards to start the 2010s, but fell off hard with a 65-97 campaign in 2012. The Mud Hens were sellers in the offseason, which included shipping away Kali in the last year of his deal in a five-player trade with Christchurch. For Port Moresby, Kali had 1289 games, 1504 hits, 732 runs, 232 doubles, 284 home runs, 853 RBI, .300/.345/.527 slash, 147 wRC+, and 36.1 WAR.

Although disappointed at the ending, Kali was happy to have gotten to represent his hometown for eight years and was beloved locally. His #12 uniform would later be retired and he’d be inducted in Mud Hens’ red and gold. Kali was excited to join a potential contender as Christchurch was seemingly on the cusp. 2013 started a dynasty run for the Chinooks, who went 110-52 and beat Guadalcanal in the Oceania Championship.

Kali was a one-year rental, but lived up to his role as he won finals MVP, going 10-18 in the series with 5 doubles, 2 runs, 1 homer, and 4 RBI. He remained strong in the World Baseball Championship over 19 starts with 19 hits, 15 runs, 9 homers, 2 doubles, 17 RBI, and 1.1 WAR. The Chinooks finished 8-11 for the event. These ultimately were Kali’s only career postseason appearances. He also had a career best 122 runs in his lone Christchurch season.

Coming up on age 30, Kali was a free agent for the first time heading into 2014. The finals MVP helped earn him a seven-year, $71,400,000 deal with Gold Coast. He ultimately played six years for the Kangaroos as a regular all-star, although they were stuck near the bottom of the standings. Kali led the Australasia League with a career best 40 doubles in 2017. He also had his career best triple slash (.337/.382/.620), OPS (1.003), wRC+ (169), and WAR (6.7) in 2016.

In total, Kali played 938 games for Gold Coast with 1068 hits, 503 runs, 188 doubles, 204 home runs, 607 RBI, .304/.354/.544 slash, 142 wRC+, and 27.9 WAR. With one year left on his contract, the 36-year old Kali was traded in the offseason for prospects to Brisbane. His one year with the Black Bears saw 3.2 WAR, 30 homers, and .859 OPS.

Kali joined Guadalcanal in 2021 on a two-year, $12,400,000 deal and quickly became the third member of the 3000 hit club. He ended the season at 3129 hits, passing Junia Lava for OBA’s top spot. Kali also became the fifth to reach 1500 runs scored and the 11th to 600 home runs, hitting all three marks in 2021. That year, he also led the PL with 112 RBI and hit 40 home runs. The Green Jackets finished 100-62, two games behind Vanuatu for the top spot.

Guadalcanal again was two games out of first in 2022, although Kali’s power dipped notably. He finished over two seasons with 351 hits, 179 runs, 55 doubles, 65 home runs, 201 RBI, .297/.335/.516 slash, and 8.1 WAR. Kali signed with Melbourne for 2023 on a two-year, $9,520,000 deal. With his longevity, the records for both runs scored and RBI were in reach.

Kali had his weakest year since his rookie campaign with 1.9 WAR, .758 OPS, and 24 homers. He did pass Arjita Gabeja (1683) for the runs scored record, although Roe Kaupa passed Kali the next year. He finished 10 RBI shy of Lava’s top mark of 1989, another mark Kaupa also eclipsed. Kali also got to 574 doubles, 22 away from the top mark held by fellow 2023 retiree Dale Harper of 596. Kali decided to retire after the 2023 campaign at age 39.

The final stats saw 2999 games, 3467 hits, 1704 runs, 574 doubles, 62 triples, 650 home runs, 1979 RBI, 805 walks, 2354 strikeouts, .300/.346/.529 slash, 143 wRC+, and 83.7 WAR. As of 2037, Kali remains OBA’s all-time hit king and is ranked 5th in games, 3rd in runs, 2nd in total bases (6115), 2nd in doubles (574), 7th in home runs, 3rd in RBI, 20th in walks, 13th in strikeouts, and 24th in WAR for position players.

Kali‘s .875 OPS ranks 49th among batters with 3000+ plate appearances. His triple slash of .300/.346/.529 ranks 46th/58th/58th. Despite inner-circle totals, Kali was never an MVP finalist and generally wasn’t considered a top five player in his prime. Some scholars would leave him off top five or even top ten position player lists for OBA despite being so high in the final leaderboards. Playing on a lot of bad teams also didn’t help his cause there.

That said, Kali was beloved for his role as the consistent ironman and there’s something to be said for that longevity. Retiring as your league’s hit king is a remarkable accomplishment, even if he was overshadowed in his era by fellow Papuan Roe Kaupa. Kali received 97.5%, the highest percentage of the four strong inductees into the 2029 Hall of Fame class for the Oceania Baseball Association.

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Suliano “Moby Dick” Nadruku – Left/Center Field – Port Moresby Mud Hens – 97.2% First Ballot

Suliano Nadruku was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed outfielder from Capiata, Fiji; a city of 198,000 people. Nadruku in his prime was an excellent contact hitter with a decent strikeout rate, although he didn’t draw too many walks. His gap power was rock solid and he got you plenty of extra base hits with a 162 game average of 31 doubles, 15 triples, and 28 home runs. Nadruku was better facing right-handed pitching (.918 OPS, 158 wRC+) but was capable facing lefties too (.791 OPS, 124 wRC+).

Nadruku was also one of the faster and more skilled baserunners and base stealers of his era. He played center field at the start of his career, but struggled there as his baserunning speed didn’t translate to range. Left field would prove a perfect fit with Nadruku making 75% of his starts there. He graded as a reliable good-to-great defender and won four Gold Gloves in left.

His durability was generally strong as he started 120+ games in all 16 of his professional seasons. Nadruku was adaptable, worked hard, and was a major fan favorite. His career took him to four different countries, but he endeared himself to fans and peers at every stop. Nadruku would be the third player born in Fiji to earn his way into OBA’s Hall of Fame.

Nadruku’s pro career began in Papua New Guinea as he was selected fifth overall by Port Moresby in the 2007 OBA Draft. He was only there six years, although this would be his longest tenure and possibly his most impressive. As mentioned with his HOF classmate Adrian Kali, the Mud Hens were mostly hot garbage in the 2000s and 2010s. Still, Nadruku made an impact right away, taking third in Rookie of the Year voting. In his second season, he won a Silver Slugger in CF.

In 2010, Nadruku won Pacific League MVP and a LF Silver Sugger with league bests in hits (224), average (.367), OBP (.402), OPS (1.035), wRC+ (184), and WAR (9.5). The hit tally, AVG, OBP, and WAR would be career highs as were his 89 stolen bases. Nadruku was second in 2011’s MVP voting and won another Slugger, leading in hits (212), doubles (40), and WAR (9.5). The doubles were a career high as were his 113 RBI, 1.043 OPS, and 201 wRC+. 2011 also was the first of three consecutive Gold Gloves.

Those years were the closest Port Moresby came to contending in some time with an 89-73 record in 2010 and 83-79 in 2011. They plummeted down to 65-97 in 2012 and stayed there for the next few years. Nadruku had a good 2012, but struggled to meet his previous standards in 2013 with a .770 OPS and 3.7 WAR. Apart from his first and final season, that was Nadruku’s worst OPS. It was bad timing as it was a contract year as well.

Port Moresby was worried Nadruku was going to be expensive and possibly would never return to form, thus they let him leave for free agency after the 2013 season. With the Mud Hens, Nadruku had 919 games, 1088 hits, 541 runs, 166 doubles, 79 triples, 163 home runs, 525 RBI, 384 steals, .310/.343/.541 slash, 149 wRC+, and 36.1 WAR. Coming up on his age 29 season, Nadruku found that Perth still had great interest as they signed him at six years and $60 million.

Nadruku spent five years with the Penguins and was above 7 WAR in three of those seasons. In 2016, he led the Australasia League with 220 hits and posted 8.4 WAR. In 2017, he led in hits (209), WAR (8.1), and led with a career high 121 runs. That effort earned a third place in MVP voting. Perth was in the upper half of the standings of Nadruku’s’ tenure, but ultimately couldn’t compete with the dynasty run of Christchurch. Perth’s best season was second place at 97-65 in 2016, which was paltry compared to the Chinooks world-record 126-36 mark that same year.

For Perth, Nadruku had 754 games, 964 hits, 516 runs, 169 doubles, 75 triples, 124 home runs, 463 RBI, 395 steals, .325/.353/.557 slash, 151 wRC+, and 34.0 WAR. He declined the sixth-year contract option and entered free agency again for the 2019 season at age 33. Nadruku’s next stop was Hawaii on a five-year, $61 million deal with Honolulu.

The investment immediately paid off for the Honu as Nadruku won 2019 MVP honors, leading the Pacific League with 368 total bases. Honolulu won the PL at 99-63 for their first pennant since 1996, although they fell to Sydney in the Oceania Championship in a seven-game classic. In his lone playoff series, Nadruku went 8-27 with 4 runs, 3 homers, 6 RBI, and 2 steals. It was a one-off for the Honu, although they did remain above .500 the next two seasons.

Nadruku won his fourth Gold Glove and fourth Silver Slugger in 2020 and led in hits for the fifth time. He couldn’t maintain that production, but was still a solid starter for two more years with Honolulu. For the Honu, Nadruku had 593 games, 713 hits, 337 runs, 96 doubles, 58 triples, 108 home runs, 358 RBI, 233 steals, .312/.345/.547 slash, 157 wRC+, and 22.5 WAR.

Honolulu fell to 72-88 in 2022 and started a rebuild plan. Nadruku was traded in the offseason to Tahiti for two prospects. Nadruku struggled in his one year with the Tropics, posting -0.1 WAR and .711 OPS over 140 games. He did reach the 400 home run milestone, but came up short of the 3000 hit, 1500 run, and 1500 RBI thresholds that had seemed achievable a few years earlier. Nadruku retired that winter at age 38.

Nadruku finished with 2406 games, 2899 hits, 1461 runs, 457 doubles, 223 triples, 409 home runs, 1391 RBI, 445 walks, 1322 strikeouts, 1054 stolen bases, 625 caught stealing, .312/.345/.541 slash, 149 wRC+, and 92.5 WAR. As of 2037, Nadruku ranks 29th in games, 9th in hits, 11th in runs, 11th in doubles, 18th in triples, 51st in homers, 24th in RBI, 12th in total bases (5029), and 13th in WAR among position players. Among OBA batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Nadruku’s triple slash ranks 27th/63rd/38th. His .885 OPS sits 35th.

Depending on how strict your definition of “inner-circle” is, Nadruku might make the cut. He was universally liked, but does slide down some of the all-time rankings due to lack of team success and/or big home run numbers. Nadruku’s status as a Hall of Fame lock though was undisputed. At 97.2%, he ranked second of four in the loaded 2029 class for the Oceania Baseball Association.

FuzzyRussianHat

04-10-2025 05:51 AM

2029 OBA Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Naldo “Train” Soto – First Base – Christchurch Chinooks – 91.2% First Ballot

Naldo Soto was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Nicknamed “the Train,” Soto was a great contact hitter against both sides with a rock solid pop in his bat. His gap power was especially impressive, leading the league seven times in doubles. Soto gave you 38 doubles and 4 triples per his 162 game average. His home run power was respectable too with 28 per 162 and three seasons with 40+ homers.

Soto was better than most in OBA at avoiding strikeouts, but below average at drawing walks. His speed and baserunning skills were both poor. Despite that, Soto was a reliably above average to good defender at first base. He briefly played right field in the middle of his career and was terrible there. Soto’s durability was generally strong as he played 125+ games in all 16 of his pro seasons.

Most Filipino players play in Austronesia Professional Baseball, but Soto declared his intentions for the Oceania Baseball Association after an impressive amateur career. The Philippines was outside of the regional requirements for the OBA Draft’s first three rounds, meaning Soto wasn’t eligible until round four. In 2007, Soto was the fourth pick of the fourth round, 67th overall, by Vanuatu. The Wizards were still a new expansion franchise that had started play in only 2006.

Soto was a full-time starter right away, but was terrible as a rookie with .581 OPS and -1.4 WAR. He looked decent in his sophomore campaign, then was solid by year three as he led in doubles for the first time. Soto’s lone Gold Glove came in 2012. In 2013, he flashed home run power for the first time with 40 dingers and a Pacific League best 114 RBI. That was also his best Vanuatu season by WAR at 6.3.

The Wizards still had little luck contending in those early years, finally getting their first winning campaign in 2014. Soto was gone for free agency though after the 2013 season at age 28. With Vanuatu, he had 939 games, 1049 hits, 394 runs, 180 doubles, 122 home runs, 487 RBI, 222 walks, .296/.340/.457 slash, 129 wRC+, and 20.8 WAR. Soto was generally popular though for a solid effort in the Wizards’ formative years.

Soto’s most famous tenure began in 2014 on a five-year, $58,900,000 deal with Christchurch. Although his biggest successes came in New Zealand, around this time Soto also represented his native Philippines in the World Baseball Championship. From 2013-23, he played 72 games with 41 hits, 20 runs, 9 doubles, 11 homers, 26 RBI, .220/.319/.446 slash, and 1.0 WAR. Soto struggled in a backup role in 2015, but was part of the Filipino World Champion team that year.

Christchurch was the reigning Oceania Champion when they signed Soto and he helped them establish an Australasia League dynasty. He led in doubles from 2014-16, although his first year saw a big dip in homers down to 17. Soto rebounded with a career best 48 homers and 129 RBI by 2016. That year also saw a second place in MVP voting and Soto’s career bests in runs (117), OPS (1.070), wRC+ (189), and WAR (8.4). Soto was third in 2015’s MVP voting and second in 2016, winning Silver Sluggers both years at 1B.

The Chinooks went 105-57 and repeated as OBA champs in 2014, besting Tahiti in the finale. Christchurch repeated as AL champs in 2015, but lost their finals rematch to the Tropics. Soto’s playoff numbers were unremarkable these two years going 8-36 with 5 runs, 2 homers, 6 RBI, and 0 WAR. He fared better in the 2014 World Baseball Championship but only played 14 games and started 6 with 0.3 WAR and 1.003 OPS. The Chinooks took third in the event at 13-6.

2016 was a historic 126-36 season for Christchurch, tying the world record for wins in a season. However, they suffered a shocking 4-3 defeat in the Oceania Championship to Guam. This was Soto’s best postseason effort going 11-28 with 4 runs, 4 doubles, 2 homers, 6 RBI, 1.164 OPS, and 0.5 WAR. The Chinooks qualified for the 2016 BGC and finished 11-8 in a five-way tie for fifth. Incidentally, the same Golden Eagles that took the OBA title from Christchurch went on to win the Grand Championship. Soto in the event had 18 hits, 13 runs, 4 doubles, 3 homers, 11 RBI, .829 OPS, and 0.5 WAR.

Christchurch was one win behind Brisbane for the 2017 pennant. They stayed above .500 but out of the hunt for 2018 and 2019. Soto remained strong and took second in MVP voting for both 2017 and 2018. He won a Silver Slugger in 2017 at RF with league bests in batting average (.350), OBP (.397), OPS (1.030), and wRC+ (175). He won another batting title in 2018 at .359. Soto’s home run power dipped in 2019, but he made up for it by setting the OBA single-season doubles record with 56. This remains OBA’s top doubles mark as of 2037.

Certainly Soto had lived up to his original deal and signed a five-year, $73,500,000 extension with Christchurch in May 2018. He led in doubles twice more and in 2022 led the AL in OPS (1.040) and wRC+ (180). That year at age 36, Soto had his career bests in hits (213), average (.369), and OBP (.408).

Christchurch returned to the Australasia League perch to start the new decade, taking the pennant in 2020, 2021, and 2023. They were unable to add another OBA title to the mantle, falling to Guam, Vanuatu, and Port Moresby chronologically. Soto’s career playoff numbers weren’t bad, but they weren’t outstanding. In 35 games, he had 39 hits, 13 runs, 6 doubles, 5 homers, 21 RBI, .300/.324/.477 slash, 124 wRC+, and 0.6 WAR.

As his career progressed, Soto battled with his Hall of Fame classmate Adrian Kali and Dale Harper for the OBA career doubles record. The group each passed the old high of 510 by Henry Bell, who had been the only one to reach 500 over OBA’s first 50 seasons. All three finished their careers in 2023 but Soto would be third at 570 behind Harper’s 596 and Kali’s 574. Soto was also hoping to join both in the 3000 hit club, although he failed to reach that mark.

Soto wasn’t quite ready to retire when he did though. 2023 was the last year of the Christchurch deal and he still posted 2.9 WAR, although his .473 slugging was his lowest power output in more than a decade. Soto was a free agent for 2024 with no one signing him all year. He eventually retired that winter at age 39 and the Chinooks quickly honored him and retired his #2 uniform. With Christchurch, Soto had 1486 games, 1872 hits, 918 runs, 390 doubles, 297 home runs, 996 RBI, .333/.370/.577 slash, 158 wRC+, and 56.1 WAR.

The final stats had 2425 games, 2921 hits, 1312 runs, 570 doubles, 58 triples, 419 home runs, 1483 RBI, 524 walks, .319/.358/.531 slash 147 wRC+, and 76.9 WAR. As of 2037, Soto is 27th in games, 8th in hits, 23rd in runs, 17th in total bases (4864), 3rd in doubles, 47th in home runs, 15th in runs, and 29th in WAR for position players. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Soto’s triple slash ranks 14th/25th/56th and his .889 OPS is 28th.

Soto probably falls just short of the “inner-circle” level of Hall of Fame inductees. Still, his tallies were plenty impressive and he was in the MVP conversation at his peak. Soto was also a big part of six Australasia League pennants, two OBA titles, and a 126-win season for Christchurch. He received 91.2% for a firm first ballot selection, making Soto the third of four inductees in the loaded 2029 class for the Oceania Baseball Association.

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August Lantz – Starting Pitcher – Guadalcanal Green Jackets – 89.1% First Ballot

August Lantz was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Perth, the largest city in Western Australia. Lantz was known for pinpoint control, although his stuff was solid despite not being overpowering. His movement did grade as below average, leading to occasional issues allowing home runs and an extreme flyball tendency.

Lantz’s fastball peaked in the 93-95 mph range, but he had a deadly changeup that garnered many whiffs. He had a five-pitch arsenal that also included a knuckle curve, splitter, and forkball. Each option was respectable and Lantz knew how to alternative between his options. His stamina was very good, but he’d lose a few starts to injuries in multiple seasons. His defense and pickoff move were both subpar.

Few players were more respected and admired amongst their peers. Lantz was a team captain and known for his leadership, work ethic, and loyalty. He was considered one of the highest character men of the Pacific League. Lantz spent his entire career in the PL despite growing up in Australia. In July 1999, a teenaged Lantz signed a developmental deal with Guadalcanal. He spent just over six years in the academy on the Solomon Islands before debuting in 2005 at age 21.

Lantz was passable as a part-time starter as a rookie, earning a full-time rotation spot after that. His production was average in his first two full seasons, followed by struggles in 2008 that were exasperated by a sprained ankle and shoulder bursitis. Lantz bounced back with a good 2009, followed by his finest season in 2010. He took second in Pitcher of the Year voting with a league and career best 27-4 record. Lantz also posted his career high WAR (9.4), FIP- (58), and posted his first of four straight 300+ strikeout seasons.

This helped Guadalcanal emerge as a contender after being generally mediocre since the 1980s. The Green Jackets ended a 32-year pennant drought and set a franchise record at 113-49. They would be defeated in the Oceania Championship by Melbourne’s dynasty, who also won 113 games in 2010. Lantz posted a 4.76 over 11.1 innings and two starts. The season performance though earned him a seven-year, $33,880,000 extension with Guadalcanal signed in April 2011.

Lantz was never a Pitcher of the Year finalist again, but he posted 6+ WAR in each of the next four seasons. Guadalcanal was second in the Pacific League in 2011, then won back-to-back pennants in 2012-13. The Green Jackets were 103-59 in 2012 and got revenge over the Mets for the OBA title. Guadalcanal broke their franchise record in 2013 at 115-47, but fell in the finale to Christchurch.

Overall, Lantz had good playoff numbers in those runs and finished with a career 3.07 ERA over 44 innings, 2-1 record, 48 strikeouts, and 1.2 WAR. Guadalcanal made the Baseball Grand Championship both years and finished 12-7 both times. In 2012, that put them in a five-way tie for the top spot, officially taking second after the tiebreakers were sorted. In 2013, the Green Jackets were one of three tied for third, officially placing fourth. Lantz had an iffy 4.60 ERA and 48 Ks over 31.1 innings in 2012. He fared better in 2013 with a 3.48 ERA over 31 innings and 45 strikeouts.

Lantz was also a regular for his native Australia in the World Baseball Championship, although his stats were underwhelming. He had 36 appearances from 2008-21 with an 11-9 record, 4.22 ERA, 213.1 innings, 235 strikeouts, 56 walks, and 1.6 WAR. The Australians notably took fourth in 2012 and also earned a division title in 2017.

Guadalcanal remained in the top half of the standings for the rest of the decade, but weren’t able to take the top spot again. Lantz remained largely steady, although he lost some time in 2015 to a strained hamstring and a strained oblique in 2017. Now 35-years old, Lantz signed a two-year, $5,920,000 extension in October 2018. After the 2019 campaign though, Lantz was traded to Honolulu for three prospects and a draft pick.

For the Green Jackets, Lantz had a 233-164 record, 3.37 ERA, 3698 innings, 3805 strikeouts, 503 walks, 108 ERA+, and 80.1 WAR. For his 15 years of service and important role in three titles, Lantz’s #27 uniform would later be retired. Honolulu was the defending Pacific League champ and hoped Lantz could give them some pitching depth. They ultimately dropped to 83-79 in 2020, although Lantz gave them his standard production with a 3.56 ERA over 272.2 innings and 5.4 WAR. With the Honu, he became the 11th in OBA history to reach 4000 strikeouts.

A free agent for the first time at age 37, Lantz signed a three-year, $24,300,000 deal with Guam, who had replaced Honolulu atop the PL in 2020. He was decent with a 3.27 ERA over 55 innings, but missed most of the 2021 campaign to shoulder inflammation. Lantz then lost the entire 2022 season with a damaged elbow ligament at the end of spring training. He was let go by the Golden Eagles for 2023.

Lantz still wanted to play and Tahiti gave him a shot for 2023 on a one-year, $4,400,000 deal. He suffered a partially torn labrum in late March, keeping him out until the summer. Lantz made it back for two starts, allowing one run over six innings. However, elbow inflammation kept him out for the rest of the season. Lantz opted to retire that winter at age 40.

The final stats for Lantz had a 252-183 record, 3.38 ERA, 4031.2 innings, 4126 strikeouts, 541 walks, 316/539 quality starts, 141 complete games, 18 shutouts, 107 ERA+, 84 FIP-, and 86.1 WAR. As of 2037, Lantz ranks 7th in wins, 8th in innings, 14th in strikeouts, and 17th in pitching WAR. His 1.21 BB/9 is 26th among all pitchers with 1000+ career innings. However, Lantz falls outside of the top 100 for the other rate stats.

Lantz was never overwhelmingly dominant and wasn’t generally viewed as a top three pitcher in his prime. He was incredibly consistent though and racked up accumulations that certainly placed him among the greats. Lantz’s leadership couldn’t be overstated either, playing a big role in three Pacific League pennants and one OBA title for Guadalcanal. Lantz received 89.1% for the first ballot induction, the fourth member of a loaded 2029 Hall of Fame class for the Oceania Baseball Association.

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