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West African Baseball had a three-player Hall of Fame class for 2029, easily captained by 1B/DH Lawrence Nassif at a nearly unanimous 99.4%. DH/OF Moses Ajaero also made it with his debut at 73.7%. 2B Kevin Ge got in at 69.8% on his fourth ballot, just passing the 66% requirement. The next closest was 3B Joey Agboola debuting at 58.0%. Two returners cracked 50% with CL Francis Koomson at 52.9% on his ninth try and SP Isaac Appiah with 52.6% for his fifth go. No one was dropped after ten failed ballots.

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Lawrence Nassif – First Base/Designated Hitter – Conakry Coyotes – 99.4% First Ballot

Lawrence Nassif was a 6’3’’, 205 pound right-handed first baseman from Bafoussam, the largest city in Cameroon’s West Region with around 347,000 inhabitants. Nassif was an excellent contact hitter with a very strong bat. He wasn’t one to post gaudy totals, but his production was remarkably consistent. Nassif’s 162 game average got you 42 home runs and 131 RBI, posting 14 seasons with 40+ homers and 17 straight with 100+ RBI.

Nassif’s gap power was also quite good with 40 doubles and 4 triples per his 162 game average. His ability to draw walks and avoid strikeouts were both fairly average, but getting many quality hits easily made up for that. Nassif’s baserunning instincts were pretty good, but he could only do so much as his speed was abysmal.

While his swing was silky smooth, Nassif’s glove work was laughably poor. He split his career starts evenly between first base and designated hitter. Nassif was an ironman who started 145+ games in 18 consecutive seasons. He was also one of the highest character men in baseball and was an excellent team captain. Nassif’s incredible bat, leadership, work ethic, intelligence, and adaptability made him one of West Africa’s most beloved baseball icons ever.

Nassif moved from Cameroon to Nigeria by signing a developmental deal in April 2001 with Kano. Most people don’t realize he started with the Condors since he never played a game for them. He spent the better part of four years in their academy, but was traded to Ouagadougou in December 2004 in a three-player swap. Nassif debuted in 2005 with 43 games and 23 starts for the Osprey at age 20.

2006 began an 18-year run as a regular WAB fixture. Nassif had a respectable rookie campaign, but really found his power in his second full year. Nassif won a Silver Slugger as a DH and was third in 2007’s MVP voting, leading the Eastern League in runs (115), and RBI (129). This was also his first of eight seasons worth 6+ and first of ten seasons with an OPS above one. It also gave Ouagadougou only their second-ever 100 win season, although they were upset by Ibadan in the playoffs.

The Osprey had sustained success with Nassif, earning playoff berths from 2007-09 and from 2011-12. Ouagadougou led the standings in 2009 and 2012, setting a franchise-best 111-51 in the former. However, the Osprey couldn’t make it beyond the ELCS with defeats there in 2009, 2011, and 2012. Nassif’s playoff stats were surprisingly pedestrian over 21 games with 21 hits, 7 runs, 4 doubles, 4 home runs, 12 RBI, .269/.314/.474 slash, 108 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR.

Nassif’s stellar power was a big reason they got that far though. He won another Silver Slugger as a DH in 2008 and took third in MVP voting in 2008 and 2009, along with a second place in 2011. Nassif’s lone time as the WARlord came in 2009 with 7.5 along with his lone batting title with a career best .368. His best WAR (7.8), wRC+ (190), and OPS (1.077) all came in 2011; which also had his first 50 home run season. Nassif also led in runs and OPS in 2012.

Ouagadougou had given Nassif a five-year, $13,180,000 extension in May 2008. He declined the option year after the 2012 campaign and opted for free agency at age 28. With the Osprey, Nassif had 1138 games, 1449 hits, 762 runs, 294 doubles, 30 triples, 294 home runs, 842 RBI, .333/.371/.617 slash, 168 wRC+, and 45.6 WAR. By some metrics, it was his most productive run, although Nassif would be best remembered for his second stop. Still, Ouagadougou fans liked to claim him even if Nassif was inducted in Conakry’s black and orange instead of the blue and red.

The Coyotes backed up the Brinks truck, signing Nassif for an eight-year, $114,400,000 deal. It was a bold move for Conakry, who had finished a last place 62-100 in 2012. They improved slightly, but would still be below .500 from 2013-16. Nassif was third in 2013 and 2017’s MVP voting and won another Slugger in 2017. He led the Western League in home runs in both 2013 (43) and with a career high 51 in 2016.

Conakry made it to .500 in 2017 with another Slugger and third place in MVP voting for Nassif. 2018 would start a five-year playoff streak for the Coyotes with Nassif again winning a Slugger and taking third in MVP voting. In 2019, Nassif had a career best 159 RBI. The Coyotes lost in the second round in 2018 and the WLCS in 2019.

In 2020, Conakry broke through at 107-55 and defeated Yaounde for the West African Championship. Nassif’s playoff stats were poor the prior two years, but he stepped up in 2020 in eight starts with 10 hits, 6 runs, 3 doubles, 2 homers, 4 RBI, .954 OPS, and 0.4 WAR. The Coyotes then surprised on the world stage by finishing 14-5 in the Baseball Grand Championship, second only to Denver. In 19 starts, Nassif had 19 hits, 12 runs, 5 doubles, 5 homers, 18 RBI, .253/.309/.520, 166 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR.

It was a heck of a way to end an eight-year run for Conakry as Nassif cemented his spot in the hearts in the Guinean capital. For the Coyotes, Nassif had 1270 games, 1726 hits, 883 runs, 307 doubles, 338 home runs, 1101 RBI, .341/.384/.612 slash, 151 wRC+, and 41.1 WAR. Conakry would go onto retire Nassif’s #19 uniform for his efforts.

Nassif had also risen up the leaderboards with his consistent numbers. In 2020, he joined Darwin Morris as WAB’s only 3000 hit club members. Nassif also joined Morris and Ahamad Mathew as the only players at 600 home runs. He also had a chance to join Morris in the 2000 run and 2000 RBI clubs. Nassif’s production was slightly down from his Ouagadougou peaks, but he was still looking quite solid in his mid 30s. With his impeccable durability, Nassif seemed primed to make a run at some of Morris’s tallies.

The 36-year old Nassif moved to Cotonou on a three-year, $24,600,000 deal. The Copperheads would be mid-tier in his run, but Nassif stayed steady and won a Silver Slugger in 2022. That was his fifth overall and only one playing first base. Despite his power, Nassif also never won MVP, hurt by being a DH. He crossed 2000 RBI in July 2021, but did fall short of the 2000 run milestone.

With 215 hits in 2021, Nassif passed Morris’s 3288 to become WAB’s new hit king. He held the title only briefly as the eventual world leader Fares Belaid had him beat in 2024. Nassif did usurp Morris’s 2129 RBI for the top spot and did hold that one for a decade before finally being caught. He fell 51 homers short of Morris for the top spot, but notably passed him for the most total bases. Nassif also became the WAB doubles king and the first to 700, although that was also quickly ceded to Belaid.

With Cotonou, Nassif had 473 games, 591 hits, 314 runs, 103 doubles, 123 homers, 395 RBI, .324/.368/.592 slash, 140 wRC+, and 12.2 WAR. He had still been a strong hitter with 39 homers and 3.1 WAR in his last year, however his batting average was sub .300 and OPS sub .900 for the first time since his rookie year. Nassif wanted to still play, but couldn’t find any suitors after a poor showing in the 2024 World Baseball Championship with Cameroon. Only two years prior, he had posted 1.248 OPS over 11 WBC games. He opted for retirement in winter 2024 at age 40.

Nassif finished with 2881 games, 3766 hits, 1959 runs, 704 doubles, 65 triples, 755 home runs, 2338 RBI, 729 walks, 1926 strikeouts, 165 steals, .335/.376/.611 slash, 156 wRC+, and 98.9 WAR. As of 2037, Nassif ranks 7th in games, 3rd in hits, 7th in runs, 5th in total bases (6865), 4th in doubles, 7th in home runs, 3rd in RBI, 32nd in walks, 68th in strikeouts, and 9th in WAR among position players. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances in WAB, Nassif’s .987 OPS is 24th and his triple slash ranks 39th/56th/27th.

The tallies also reach the leaderboards for all of pro baseball history as of 2037 as Nassif ranks 18th in hits, 46th in runs, 16th in doubles, and 13th in RBI. Among Hall of Famers across all leagues, Nassif also ranks 44th in batting average. He did lose WAR points though largely because half of his starts were as a DH and he played putrid defense at first base.

Still, Nassif’s hitting ability put him among the inner-circle of Hall of Famers for West African Baseball. He likely is on the shortlist for the best batters to never win MVP, although he came close several times. At 99.4%, Nassif was a nearly unanimous headliner for a strong three-player 2029 class.

FuzzyRussianHat

04-12-2025 06:55 AM

2029 WAB Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Moses Ajaero – Designated Hitter/Right Field – Dakar Dukes – 73.7% First Ballot

Moses Ajaero was a 6’1’’, 195 pound left-handed hitter and outfielder from Kano, Nigeria’s second-largest city with more than four million citizens. Ajaero was a solid contact hitter overall who had a good pop in his bat especially against right-handed pitching. He had a career .959 OPS and 142 wRC+ against RHP compared to .760 OPS and 97 wRC+ against lefties. Ajaero’s ability to get walks and avoid strikeouts were both below average at best.

Ajaero was skilled at getting extra base hits with a 162 game average of 29 doubles, 17 triples, and 31 home runs. He often could leg out an extra base as he had rock solid speed. Ajaero was also one of the craftier base stealers who stole successfully nearly 75% of the time. His speed didn’t translate into range though and his arm and glove work were both mediocre. Ajaero made about 60% of his starts as a designated hitter. Most of the rest came in right field where he graded as a lousy defender.

Wherever you placed him, Ajaero was almost always going to be ready to go. His excellent durability gave him 150+ starts each year from 2009-21. Few were going to outwork Ajaero and he was one of the smartest guys in the game. He wasn’t going to take on an active leadership role, but you knew you’d always get Ajaero’s absolute best effort on the diamond.

Although he grew up in Kano, it would be rival Port Harcourt who snagged Ajaero as a teenage amateur in April 2004. His time with the Hillcats was limited with 62 games and 15 starts from 2007-08. Ajaero’s time there ended thanks to the 2008 expansion draft, as he was picked in the seventh round, 26th overall, by Yaounde. He was a full-time starter in his three seasons with the Yellow Birds, leading the Eastern League with 25 triples in 2011.

For Yaounde, Ajaero had 470 games, 537 hits, 252 runs, 89 doubles, 60 triples, 66 home runs, 269 RBI, .309/.351/.544 slash, 137 wRC+, and 10.6 WAR. In January 2012, the Yellow Birds traded Ajaero to Dakar for prospects RF Shafiu Hassan and P Cledilson Henrique. Both teams won in the deal as Hassan would become a 16-year starter and MVP winner for Yaounde who most expect will get his own Hall of Fame induction once eligible. Henrique was never amazing, but he had his own 14-year career as a journeyman pitcher.

Ajaero’s most famous run came with Dakar, who was in “win now” mode. The Dukes had ended a 16-year playoff drought the prior year and were hoping to become a regular contender. Ajaero helped them achieve that goal as their playoff streak extended through 2017. In his 2012 debut, Ajaero won a Silver Slugger at DH and led the Western League in homers (36) and total bases (358). He also hit for the cycle in September against Banjul.

In the playoffs, Ajaero made his presence especially known, winning Western League Championship Series MVP in Dakar’s upset of top-seed Abidjan. The Dukes did fall in the WAB Championship to Lome. Ajaero’s playoff stats saw 15 starts, 21 hits, 9 runs, 4 doubles, 5 homers, 14 RBI, 1.079 OPS, and 0.9 WAR. Dakar was happy with their acquisition and the next spring gave the soon-to-be 26-year old Ajaero a four-year, $23,580,000 extension. He won his second Silver Slugger in 2013 and was reliably productive after that, although he wasn’t a league leader or awards winner.

Dakar took the top seed in 2013 and won the WL pennant again, falling to Cotonou in the WAB Championship. The Dukes were denied in the 2014 and 2015 WLCS. In 2016, Dakar set a franchise record at 112-50 and finally won it all for the first time, besting Libreville in the final. The Dukes would take last at 4-15 in that year’s Baseball Grand Championship. A second round exit in 2017 was the final playoff berth of the run.

Ajaero’s playoff stats were strong in his first three runs, but weak in the latter three. On the whole he was good with 47 starts, 55 hits, 29 runs, 11 doubles, 4 triples, 13 home runs, 38 RBI, .296/.321/.608 slash, 130 wRC+, and 1.5 WAR. In the BGC, Ajaero posted 20 hits, 11 runs, 6 doubles, 4 homers, 16 RBI, .282/.316/.535 slash, 157 wRC+, and 0.7 WAR over 19 starts. His efforts in Dakar’s 2010s success led to Ajaero’s #27 uniform later getting retired.

In 2015, Ajaero joined the short list to hit for the cycle twice in a career, doing it against Freetown in September. He also had a 27-game hit streak that ended in late April 2016. 2015 had Ajaero’s career highs in WAR (6.9), homers (42), triple slash (.360/.399/.709), and OPS (1.108). He had 42 homers again in 2016 with a career best 125 runs and 137 RBI. Ajaero scored 125 again in 2017 and 119 in 2018. After the 2016 season, Dakar signed the still only 29-year old Ajaero to a seven-year, $88,600,000 extension.

Dakar missed the playoffs by one game in 2018, then collapsed hard and spent the next five years below 70 wins. Ajaero continued to do his job admirably until regressing significantly in 2022 to a -0.8 WAR season. He was reduced to a backup role for 2023 and retired that winter at age 36. With Dakar, Ajaero had 1779 games, 2043 hits, 1198 runs, 313 doubles, 183 triples, 377 home runs, 1165 RBI, 709 steals, .302/.343/.570 slash, 129 wRC+, and 40.1 WAR.

Ajaero ended with 2311 games, 2608 hits, 1468 runs, 408 doubles, 243 triples, 448 home runs, 1449 RBI, 471 walks, 1850 strikeouts, 884 steals, .303/.344/.563 slash, 130 wRC+, and 50.8 WAR. As of 2037, Ajaero ranks 33rd in games, 34th in hits, 27th in runs, 27th in total bases (4846), 12th in triples, 43rd in homers, and 37th in RBI. In part due to being a primary DH, Ajaero ranks only 93rd in WAR among position players.

His numbers were good, but not overwhelming. It was also hard to stand out considering the many great DHs of the era, including his Hall of Fame classmate Lawrence Nassif. What put Ajaero over the top for most voters were solid playoff stats. He was a key starter in a Western League dynasty run for Dakar and helped them to their first WAB title. Ajaero’s 73.7% didn’t cross the 66% requirement by a lot, but it earned a first ballot induction for West African Baseball’s 2029 class.

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Kevin “Cushion” Ge – Second Base/Designated Hitter – Monrovia Diplomats – 69.8% Fourth Ballot

Kevin Ge was a 6’3’’, 200 pound switch-hitting second baseman from Praia, the capital of Cape Verde. Ge wasn’t amazing at any one thing, but was generally above average to good in terms of contact, power, and eye. His 162 game average got you 38 doubles, 8 triples, and 28 home runs. Ge’s strikeout rate was subpar, but had enough high quality hits to make up for it. He was stronger facing lefties (.926 OPS, 143 wRC+) over righties (.858 OPS, 127 wRC+).

Baserunning was one of Ge’s few skills where he was truly great, although his speed was merely good. Like his Hall of Fame classmates, Ge spent a lot of time as a designated hitter. Just over half of his starts came as a second baseman and he graded as a decent defender. Ge’s knees and back did cost him a lot of starts, although his strong work ethic pushed him to an 18-year career regardless.

Ge moved to Niger as a teenager after getting signed to a developmental deal in May 1997 with Niamey. He spent the better part of six years in their academy, officially debuting with three plate appearances in 2002 at age 22. Ge saw part-time use over the following two years before becoming a full-time starter in 2005. That year, he earned an all-star selection and had 4.1 WAR.

However, he was surprised in February 2006 when Niamey traded him to Monrovia straight up for pitcher Ndala Baba. The Diplomats wanted hitting depth fresh off their 2005 pennant win. Ge would be best known for his run with Monrovia, debuting with a Silver Slugger (2B) and third place in MVP voting. 2006 had Ge’s career highs in WAR (7.2) and stolen bases (63).

Monrovia dominated in 2006, winning the WAB Championship over Niamey with a 111-51 record. Ge’s playoff debut was awful with a .459 OPS in nine games, but his overall production earned him an eight-year, $24,500,000 extension that winter. The Diplomats ended up winning the WL pennant again in 2007 and 2008. They lost in a rematch with the Atomics in 2007, then earned their second title over Lagos in 2008. Monrovia had the top seed in 2009 but was upset in the WLCS by Abidjan. The Diplomats made the playoffs again in 2010 and 2011, but lost both times in the second round.

Ge fared better in his later postseason trips, winning WLCS MVP in 2007. In 42 playoff starts for Monrovia, he had 52 hits, 34 runs, 10 doubles, 4 triples, 8 home runs, 32 RBI, 22 steals, .297/.317/.537 slash, 132 wRC+, and 1.9 WAR. He won his second Silver Slugger in 2010, but was never a league leader or in awards conversations beyond that.

Injuries also began to bother Ge more in his later years with the Diplomats. A knee sprain cost him six weeks in mid 2011. Later that year, Ge suffered a ruptured MCL that kept him out for a major chunk of 2012. Once back from that, Ge’s overall production was noticeably down from his prior standard. Monrovia didn’t re-sign him after his contract expired with the 2014 season, sending Ge to free agency for his age 35 season.

With Monrovia, Ge had 1178 games, 1371 hits, 722 runs, 266 doubles, 54 triples, 202 home runs, 731 RBI, 383 steals, .302/.349/.518 slash, 134 wRC+, and 37.7 WAR. It was a strong nine year run to help the Diplomats go on a dynasty run. Ge remains very popular in Liberia years later and his #14 uniform would later be retired by Monrovia.

Ge ended up back where his career started by signing with Niamey at $29,200,000 over four years. He returned to form in 2015 and posted career highs in homers (40), RBI (135), runs (118), triple slash .356/.387/.656), and OPS (1.043). A fractured hand cost Ge part of 2016, but he again was solid in 2017. Torn ankle ligaments cost him most of 2018. Niamey was mostly rebuilding then with a lone first round playoff exit in 2017.

Between stints for the Atomics, Ge had 787 games, 896 this, 477 runs, 195 doubles, 45 triples, 144 home runs, 511 RBI, 228 steals, .314/.353/.566 slash, 137 wRC+, and 20.1 WAR. Coming up on age 39, Ge signed a two-year, $12,200,000 deal with Lome. They were happy to have a veteran as the Lasers were rebuilding after their own early 2010s successes.

Ge was a decent starter in 2019, then was reduced to a part-time role with mediocre 2020 results. Over 275 games, Ge had 291 hits, 131 runs, 59 doubles, 14 triples, 36 homers, 148 RBI, 76 steals, .286/.326/.477 slash, 104 wRC+, and 1.3 WAR. Ge wanted to play in 2021, but didn’t have enough to offer other teams. He finally retired at age 41 after going unsigned.

The final tallies for Ge had 2240 games, 2558 hits, 1330 runs, 520 doubles, 113 triples, 382 home runs, 1390 RBI, 535 walks, 2053 strikeouts, 687 steals, .304/.347/.529 slash, 131 wRC+, and 59.0 WAR. As of 2037, Ge ranks 43rd in games, 36th in hits, 40th in runs, 44th in total bases (4450), 38th in doubles, 79th in homers, 43rd in RBI, and 59th in WAR among position players.

His totals were good, but definitely a bit on the borderline. Ge also didn’t have any black ink and limited personal accolades, along with the “DH penalty.” Working in his favor was a starting role in a dynasty run for Monrovia. Being a key contributor during a team’s reign of dominance often could make the difference when compared to a similar player who instead was on middling teams.

Ge debuted on the 2026 ballot at 58.6%. He just missed the 66% cut in 2027 at 63.8%, then dropped back to 57.8% in 2028. In a way, the 2029 Hall of Fame ballot having other DHs might have helped Ge also get over that stigma. His resume was comparable to Moses Ajaero and many voters figured if one belonged, both did. Ge bumped across the line at 69.8% for a fourth ballot selection to cap off West African Baseball’s 2029 crew.

FuzzyRussianHat

04-12-2025 06:56 PM

2029 SAB Hall of Fame

South Asia Baseball saw two slam dunk Hall of Fame inductees for 2029 with two-way star Huynh Pham at 98.5% and SP Tamim Hasan at 982%. The best returner was SP Siddhant Shakya at 56.2% on his second try, followed by CF Chris Saandeep at 50.5% on his fourth ballot. No one else was above 50%.

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Quoc Pham fell off the ballot after ten failed tries as perhaps another victim of the anti-catcher bias of voters. He had an 18-year career with Dhaka, winning nine Gold Gloves, five Silver Sluggers, and an SAB title in 2011. Pham played 2052 games with 1942 hits, 945 runs, 439 doubles, 376 home runs, 1167 RBI, .257/.300/.471 slash, 116 wRC+, and 64.0 WAR.

Pham’s hitting wasn’t amazing and had the double penalty of the low accumulations that result simply from being a catcher. As of 2037, he ranks third in WAR among SAB catchers, but couldn’t become the third catcher to make SAB’s HOF. Pham came close with a 57.6% debut, but only went down after with a finish of only 24.0%.

Trung Lai was another catcher dropped in 2029 after ten failed ballots, peaking at 54.8% in 2022 and ending with 16.4%. He had a 19-year career with six teams with one Gold Glove, two Silver Sluggers, and five championship rings (four with Ho Chi Minh City, one with Hanoi). Lai ranks sixth in WAR among catchers as of 2037 with 60.0 WAR, 2153 hits, 2102 games, 824 runs, 381 doubles, 144 home runs, 966 RBI, .294/.339/.414 slash, and 116 wRC+.

Also dropped was LF Tommy Toe, who won five Gold Gloves and was finals MVP in Dhaka’s 2011 SAB Championship win. He peaked at 42.4% in his 2020 debut and fell to 4.6% at the end. Toe had 2100 games, 2214 hits, 1164 runs, 367 doubles, 100 triples, 472 home runs, 1346 RBI, .283/.331/.536 slash, 141 wRC+, and 72.7 WAR. With the many powerful outfielders of the era, Toe’s lack of black ink made him forgettable by comparison.

Lastly SP Ba Phan ended his tenth ballot at 3.0% after debuting with 41.2%. The 2010 Pitcher of the Year with Hanoi, major injuries in his early 30s ended his run prematurely. Phan had a 142-108 record, 3.52 ERA, 2342.2 innings, 2723 strikeouts, 715 walks, 111 ERA+, and 40.7 WAR. He might have had a chance with a few more years of tallies, but alas the Baseball Gods can be ruthless towards pitcher’s elbows.

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Huynh Pham – Pitcher/First Base – Vientiane Vampires – 98.5% First Ballot

Huynh Pham was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher and first baseman from Hong Gai, a ward of Ha Long city in Vietnam. The city has around 270,000 people in the country’s northeast. Pham is often cited as the best-ever two-way player to come out of South Asia Baseball. His pitching was his biggest strength with great stuff and solid movement, although his control was subpar.

Pham’s fastball peaked in the 95-97 mph range and was good, but his most dangerous pitches were his curveball and changeup. He also had a slider as a fourth option. Pham’s stamina was excellent and he had excellent durability despite the intense wear and tear of a two-way schedule. His pickoff move and ability to hold runners was excellent and his defense on the mound was solid.

Offensively, Pham was a well-rounded bat with great contact skills and a low strikeout rate, although he was below average at drawing walks. He had a rock solid pop in his bat with 37 doubles, 3 triples, and 28 home runs per his 162 game average. Pham’s biggest offensive flaw was abysmal baserunning and speed. He played first base when not pitching and graded as passable defensively.

On top of this unique skillset, Pham was one of the game’s great captains. He was known by peers and fans for his leadership, loyalty, work ethic, and selflessness. Unsurprisingly, Pham became one of the region’s great baseball superstars. He was one of Vietnam’s best-ever players and became beloved in his home country despite his pro career being elsewhere.

Pham did regularly represent Vietnam in the World Baseball Championship, although his numbers on the world stage were surprisingly underwhelming. From 2010-23 on the mound, Pham had a 5-15 record, 3.95 ERA, 198.1 innings, 270 strikeouts, and 1.2 WAR. His hitting was limited to 28 starts and 38 games with 0.8 WAR. Vietnam notably had a division title with Pham in 2010, his rookie year.

It was clear by the 2009 SAB Draft that Pham was the top rated prospect. Vientiane had the #1 overall pick and grabbed Pham, making him a full-time starting pitcher right away. His debut season saw a league-worst 91 walks, but also 303 strikeouts, 3.30 ERA, and 6.3 WAR to earn Rookie of the Year honors. Pham began playing both ways regularly in his sophomore season and continued that role for the rest of his Vampires tenure.

In 2012, Pham became the first in SAB history to win MVP and Pitcher of the Year in the same season. On the mound, he had Southeast Asia League and career bests for wins (21-5), strikeouts (347), and pitching WAR (8.0). His 2.35 ERA missed the Triple Crown by only five points. He also started a six-year streak of 300 K seasons. On top of that, Pham had 96 games, 3.9 WAR, and .933 OPS with his bat.

Vientiane had been generally terrible since the mid 1990s, but Pham’s efforts turned them into a sustained contender. It was hard to compete with Yangon’s eventual world record breaking playoff streak and the back end of Hanoi’s dynasty run. The Vampires were typically a wild card with berths from 2012-14 and from 2016-20.

Pham repeated as Pitcher of the Year in 2013 and was second in MVP voting, posting a league and career best 1.70 ERA. This was his best offensive season as well by hits (135), RBI (64), and WAR (5.4). Pham’s combined 12.8 WAR would be his single-season peak and was the second-best by an SAB two-way guy behind Sikander Harija’s 14.2 in 2000. That winter, Vientiane gave Pham a five-year, $27,900,000 extension.

2013 also was Pham’s best playoff effort with Vientiane, going 3-0 with an 0.75 ERA over 24 innings and 31 strikeouts. The Vampires got to the SEAL Championship, but fell to Hanoi. They had first round exits in 2012 and 2014, then missed the playoffs in 2015. Pham kept rolling, winning his second MVP in 2014 while finishing second in Pitcher of the Year voting.

Vientiane won their first-ever division title in 2016 and had SEAL’s top seed at 100-62, although they were again thwarted by Hanoi in the LCS. Pham won his third Pitcher of the Year and was second in MVP voting, leading in wins, innings, and strikeouts. Pham repeated as POTY in 2017 with an ERA title (2.55) and the lead in strikeouts (331), and WAR (7.7). Vientiane was a wild card and lost to Yangon in the first round.

For his playoff career with Vientiane, Pham had a 5-4 record, 3.07 ERA, 67.1 innings, 81 strikeouts, 124 ERA+, and 1.2 WAR on the mound. At the plate, he had 19 games, 20 hits, 8 runs, 6 doubles, 4 home runs, 10 RBI, .294/.324/.559 slash, 149 wRC+, and 0.6 WAR. Although they had yet to win it all, Vientiane was finally a contender and Pham was beloved in the Laotian capital. It would devastate Vampires fans to see Pham go, but they would at least get their first pennant in 2019.

With Vientiane on the mound, Pham had a 140-75 record, 2.73 ERA, 1925.1 innings, 2554 strikeouts, 509 walks, 140 ERA+, and 52.5 WAR. At the plate, Pham had 693 games, 802 hits, 390 runs, 174 doubles, 125 homers, 430 RBI, .325/.368/.561 slash, 154 wRC+, and 25.1 WAR. Pham remained beloved despite the sting of him leaving for a rival and his #12 uniform would eventually be retired by the Vampires.

Pham’s Vientiane exit was a confusing one. He declined his contract option on October 17, 2017; then signed a new six-year, $54 million extension with the Vampires eight days later. Less than a month after that, Vientiane traded Pham to rival Yangon for prospects RF Jaivira Kanjam and SP Noor Choudhari. Kanjam was then traded in a separate deal shortly after and never played for the Vampires, while Choudhari ended up being a back-end starter for a few years.

Even though Vientiane still was competitive for the next few years and won a pennant in 2019, the deal was a baffling one on their end. It certainly made sense though for the Green Dragons, the defending SAB Champion in the 23rd year of their record-breaking playoff streak. The streak continued on through Pham’s six-year tenure in Yangon.

Interestingly enough, the trade occurred after the SAB season, but before that year’s Baseball Grand Championship had concluded. Thus, Pham made his first Green Dragons appearance with a quality start in the BGC, giving up two runs over seven innings.

The Green Dragons had Pham focus on just pitching in 2018, which paid off for his fifth Pitcher of the Year award and third ERA title at 1.85. He was back to two-way work in 2019 and was third in MVP voting, posting 4.2 WAR offensively and 5.4 WAR pitching. Pham only saw sporadic use offensively in the following three seasons. In 2021, he won his sixth and final Pitcher of the Year, joining Zainal bin Aziz (8) as the only SAB aces to win the award six times.

Yangon had the top seed in both 2018 and 2019, but lost in the first round both times. They were a wild card in 2020, but went on a surprise run to the Southeast Asia League pennant, eventually falling to Delhi in the SAB Championship. Pham had a strong playoff run with a 1.97 ERA and 43 strikeouts over 32 innings. The Green Dragons had another first round exit in 2021.

In 2022, the now 35-year old Pham had his first major injury setback with a partially torn labrum, keeping him out the first three months. Yangon won their fifth and final SAB Championship of their historic streak, besting Mumbai in the final. Pham struggled in the playoffs with a 6.04 ERA over 25.1 innings. Elbow inflammation limited him to one poor Baseball Grand Championship start, giving up seven runs in 4.2 innings. Yangon finished 11-8 in the event in a five-way tie for fourth.

Pham’s pitching never returned to form after the labrum tear, struggling to a 4.40 ERA over 153.1 innings in 2023. They put him back into the field that year and he could still hit, posting 1.012 OPS and 2.8 WAR in only 62 games. Yangon fell in the first round and Pham wasn’t used in the playoffs. With his deal expiring, Pham seemed cooked as a pitcher and didn’t want to convert full-time to first base. He retired that winter at age 36.

With Yangon, Pham on the mound had an 82-40 record, 3.00 ERA, 1165.1 innings, 1382 strikeouts, 373 walks, 133 ERA+, and 27.6 WAR. At the plate, Pham saw 281 games, 273 hits, 118 runs, 51 doubles, 41 homers, 132 RBI, .361/.388/.597 slash, 168 wRC+, and 10.5 WAR.

Pham’s final pitching numbers had a 222-115 record, 2.83 ERA, 3090.2 innings, 3936 strikeouts, 882 walks, 277/410 quality starts, 86 complete games, 28 shutouts, 138 ERA+, 76 FIP-, and 80.1 WAR. As of 2037, Pham ranks 9th in wins, 18th in innings, 18th in complete games, 5th in shutouts, 10th in strikeouts, 2nd in walks, and 12th in pitching WAR. His ERA is 64th among all pitchers with 1000+ innings and his .615 opponent’s OPS ranks 64th.

Most agree that Pham was a first ballot Hall of Famer on his pitching alone. At the plate, he added 974 games, 1075 hits, 508 runs, 225 doubles, 166 home runs, 562 RBI, 181 walks, .333/.373/.569 slash, 157 wRC+, and 35.6 WAR. Pham reached the 3000+ plate appearances to qualify for the rate leaderboards and his .942 OPS ranks 43rd. His triple slash also ranks 11th/39th/58th, showing his hitting efficiency. Pham likely had the talent to be at or near HOF level offensively had he dedicated his full efforts there.

Pham finished with 115.7 combined WAR, which ranks 11th among all world two-way stars as of 2037 and first among SAB ones. He ranks 17th in WAR amongst all SAB players. Pham certainly goes down as an inner-circle level player and is generally cited as SAB’s best-ever two-way star. At 98.5%, Pham co-headlined an impressive two-player 2029 class for South Asia Baseball. He’s also often cited as a top five player to ever come out of Vietnam.

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Tamim Hasan – Starting Pitcher – Nagpur Patriots – 98.2% First Ballot

Tamim Hasan was a 6’6’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Chittagong, Bangladesh’s second-largest city with 9.2 million people within the district. Hasan was well-rounded with good-to-great stuff, movement, and control. His 99-101 mph fastball was solid, but Hasan confounded batters with a six-pitch arsenal. He also had a cutter, splitter, forkball, slider, and changeup; an arsenal that led to an extreme groundball tendency.

Hasan’s stamina was good and his durability was fantastic, tossing 200+ innings in all but one year from 2008-22. He did struggle holding runners and had poor glove work. Hasan wasn’t going to take a leadership role, but he certainly wasn’t going to cause problems. He was generally liked by teammates and fans across four teams and 17 seasons.

In September 2002, Hasan left Bangladesh for India by signing a developmental deal with Jaipur. After four full years in their academy, Hasan debuted for the Jokers in 2007 at age 20 with 10 solid starts. He also tossed a three-hit shutout in the playoffs, although Jaipur lost in the first round despite having the top seed. The Jokers moved Hasan into the full-time rotation from 2008 onward.

Hasan’s numbers were merely decent in his first few seasons. Jaipur lost in the 2008 ILCS to Mumbai, then won the pennant in 2009 over Kolkata. They would be defeated by Ho Chi Minh City in the SAB Championship. Hasan struggled in his later playoff starts for the Jokers, finishing with a 4.39ERA over 41 innings and 54 Ks. Jaipur began a rebuild and was below .500 from 2010-15.

He started to look more like an ace with sub-three ERA and 6+ WAR seasons in 2011-12. Hasan also struck out 333 in 2011, his career high. The rebuilding Jokers gave him a three-year, $11,800,000 extension in April 2012. However, Hasan regressed somewhat in 2013 and Jaipur explored trade options. In January 2014, he was traded to Yangon for three prospects.

With Jaipur, Hasan had a 79-70 record, 3.31 ERA, 1399.2 innings, 1783 strikeouts, 342 walks, 109 ERA+, and 29.7 WAR. He was 27 and joined a Green Dragons squad that was 19 years deep into a world record 29 season playoff streak. Hasan proved a good short-term investment, leading the Southeast Asia League in wins in both 2014 and 2015. He also led in WAR in 2014 at 6.7 and strikeouts in 2015 at 320. 2015 also had his best WAR to that point at 8.0, although Hasan wasn’t a Pitcher of the Year finalist.

Yangon repeated as SEAL champ in 2014-15. They lost the 2014 SAB Championship to Kolkata with Hasan posting a 2.59 ERA over 31.1 playoff innings with 49 strikeouts. In 2015, the Green Dragons went 111-51 and bested Mumbai in the SAB Championship. Hasan struggled in that postseason run to a 6.07 ERA over 29.2 innings. He was merely okay in the Baseball Grand Championship with a 4.45 ERA over 30.1 innings with 27 Ks. Yangon was near the bottom of the standings at 6-13.

In two seasons, Hasan had a 40-15 record, 3.11 ERA, 474.1 innings, 619 strikeouts, 85 walks, 123 ERA+, and 14.6 WAR. They couldn’t come to terms on a long-term deal, sending Hasan to free agency for the first time at age 29. He ended up signing with Nagpur at $38 million over four years. The Patriots were a 2004 expansion team still looking for their first-ever success, although they had gotten above .500 a few times in the early 2010s.

Hasan returned to India and spent the majority of his career there, but he did regularly represent his native Bangladesh in the World Baseball Championship. From 2009-23, Hasan had a 12-12 record, 3.61 ERA, 236.2 innings, 303 strikeouts, and 4.5 WAR. The Bangladeshis notably earned their second-ever WBC division title in 2018.

Nagpur would see their first playoff appearances with Hasan, who posted his most efficient seasons. He led in WAR in both 2019-20, strikeouts in 2019 and 2021, wins in 2020, and innings in 2019, 21, and 22. Hasan was second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 2018 and 2019 with a third place in 2021. His lone POTY win came in 2020, which had his career best ERA (2.44) and record (22-5). 2019 was his peak ERA at 8.5.

The Patriots had a four-year playoff streak from 2018-21, peaking with a SAB Championship win in 2020. Hasan was an absolute beast in that run with a 0.92 ERA, 39 innings, 3-2 record, 36 strikeouts, and two shutouts. He had a solid showing in the Baseball Grand Championship with a 3.05 ERA over 38.1 innings and 37 strikeouts. Nagpur finished 10-9 in the event, tying for eighth.

Hasan was subpar in his other playoff starts with Nagpur, but is remembered fondly for his role in their first championship. The Patriots lost in the first round in 2018-19 and fell in the ILCS for 2021. In 11 playoff starts, Hasan was 7-4 with a 2.85 ERA, 79 innings, 81 strikeouts, 5 walks, 130 ERA+, and 2.2 WAR. For his entire career, Hasan had a 13-9 playoff record, 3.68 ERA, 181 innings, 223 Ks, and 4.2 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 3rd in wins, 5th in strikeouts, and 7th in WAR.

In May 2019, Hasan signed a four-year, $42,600,000 extension with Nagpur. In 2021, he became the fourth in SAB history with 4000 strikeouts. The Patriots’ playoff streak ended in 2022, although they were still 86-76. They voided the team option for Hasan despite still looking strong that year at 6.2 WAR. For Nagpur, Hasan had a 116-72 record, 2.77 ERA, 1632 innings, 2082 strikeouts, 280 walks, 133 ERA+, and 47.6 WAR. He’d be the first Hall of Famer inducted representing the Patriots

Hasan had still looked strong to end his run and many thought he could chase SAB’s top marks for wins and strikeouts. Vientiane signed the 36-year old for two years and $28 million. However, Hasan shockingly stunk and got quickly removed from the rotation, posting an abysmal 6.08 ERA over 124.1 innings with 74 Ks and -0.1 WAR. He did become the second to reach 4500 strikeouts, but his cliff came abruptly. Hasan retired that winter at age 37.

The final tallies had a 239-164 record, 3.14 ERA, 3630.1 innings, 4558 strikeouts, 718 walks, 293/462 quality starts, 97 complete games, 26 shutouts, 118 ERA+, 75 FIP-, and 91.8 WAR. As of 2037, Hasan ranks 5th in wins, 11th in losses, 4th in innings, 9th in complete games, 7th in shutouts, 2nd in strikeouts, and 5th in pitching WAR. He doesn’t crack the top 100 for ERA and only ranks 96th in opponent’s OPS (.631) among qualifiers. Hasan also is 80th in K/9 at 11.30.

Hasan didn’t have the raw dominance to challenge Zainal bin Aziz for South Asia Baseball’s GOAT pitcher slot, but his longevity put him into the top ten and top five conversations. Hasan also played a big role in Nagpur’s first SAB Championship and two pennants with Yangon’s dynasty. He easily earned 98.2% to co-headline SAB’s 2029 Hall of Fame class.

FuzzyRussianHat

04-13-2025 08:43 AM

2029 ABF Hall of Fame

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The Asian Baseball Federation had a two-player Hall of Fame class for 2029 co-headlined by slam dunk picks with SP Hossein Hatami at 98.5% and OF Shadi Alam at 96.1%. CL Ananthakrishnan Khan barely missed the 66% cut to join then with a debut at 65.0%. SP Hamat Soomro had a nice debut at 54.9%. Two second ballot returners were above 50% with SP Ozgur Ermalci at 53.7% and SP Amgad al-Jal at 51.6%. SP Yhlas Batyrow was also just above 50% with a 50.1% debut. No players were dropped following ten failed ballots.

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Hossein Hatami – Starting Pitcher – Shiraz Suns – 98.5% First Ballot

Hossein Hatami was a 6’5’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Mashhad, Iran’s second-most populous city with around 3,400,000 people in the country’s northeast. Hatami had filthy stuff that graded as 9/10 from scouts in his peak. He also had rock solid control, but his movement was below average. Hatami’s fastball regularly hit the 98-100 mph range. He also had a slider and changeup with all three as equally potent options.

Hatami’s stamina was merely average relative to other ABF aces. However, he avoided big injuries until late in his career and regularly gave you a full slate of starts. Hatami was good at holding runners, but was mediocre defensively otherwise. He was very intelligent and loyal, traits that served him well over a 16-year pro career.

After growing up in Northeastern Iran, Hatami moved to the country’s south by inking a developmental deal with Shiraz in May 2003. He spent around six years in their academy, debuting in 2008 at age 21 with 13 relief appearances. Hatami was split between the bullpen and starting in 2009, then secured a full-time rotation spot in 2010.

In 2010, Shiraz was defeated in the West League Championship Series by Baku. Hatami’s first playoff stats saw a 3.15 ERA and 26 strikeouts over 20 innings. The Suns would be outside the playoffs the next four seasons, but were still decent. Hatami’s production continued to improve, getting his first of nine straight 300+ strikeout seasons in 2013. He led the WL for the first time with 337 in 2014.

In April 2015, Shiraz signed Hatami to a five-year, $45 million extension. 2015 had Hatami’s career best ERA at 1.79 and best WAR at 8.6, placing second in Pitcher of the Year voting. The Suns were a 94-68 wild card, but upset 115-win Tehran en route to a pennant. Shiraz fell to Dushanbe in the ABF Championship with Hatami posting a 2.45 ERA over 33 playoff innings with 51 strikeouts.

Hatami wouldn’t be a Pitcher of the Year finalist again, but he’d lead in strikeouts thrice more for Shiraz. He had a career best 398 strikeouts in 2016, but also set a bad league record by allowing 46 home runs that year. Hatami had a quality start in the 2016 playoffs with the Suns as they lost in the first round. Shiraz missed the cut by one game in 2017, then spent the next five years below .500.

2020 was the last year under his Shiraz deal and the Suns were in rebuild mode. In the offseason, the 33-year old Hatami was traded to Multan for three prospects. For Shiraz, Hatami had a 156-116 record, 2.83 ERA, 2489.2 innings, 3524 strikeouts, 442 walks, 118 ERA+, and 58.3 WAR. The Suns retired his #7 uniform at the end of his career for his 12 years of service.

Although he was traded to a team in Pakistan, Hatami continued to return to Iran for the World Baseball Championship. He pitched from 2010-22 for the Iranian team and primarily was used as a reliever. Over 104.2 innings, Hatami had a 7-5 record, 12 saves, 179 strikeouts, 32 walks, 97 ERA+, and 1.7 WAR. Iran had its best-ever finish in 2018, taking runner-up to Poland.

Hatami led in strikeouts and WHIP in his first two seasons with Multan, who fell just short in the wild card race. They were happy with Hatami’s production and gave him a five-year, $44 million extension in July 2020. In 2021, he became the eighth to reach 4000 career strikeouts. At that point, it felt like Hatami could make a legit run at Hasan Afshin’s record of 5151.

After great durability in his career, Hatami suffered a damaged elbow ligament in June 2022. He made it back in summer 2023, but saw his strikeout numbers and production dip. It did allow Hatami to cross 4500 Ks and 200 wins. He decided to retire that winter at age 36. With the Mighty Cocks, Hatami had a 48-30 record, 2.56 ERA, 732.2 innings, 1042 strikeouts, 90 walks, 130 ERA+, and 17.3 WAR.

Hatami finished with a 204-146 record, 2.77 ERA, 3222.1 innings, 4566 strikeouts, 532 walks, 302/417 quality starts, 51 complete games, 10 shutouts, 120 ERA+, 78 FIP-, and 75.8 WAR. As of 2037, Hatami ranks 18th in wins, 22nd in innings, 8th in strikeouts, 9th in home runs allowed (362), and 12th in WAR among pitchers. Among those with 1000+ innings, Hatami’s ERA ranks 79th and his .613 opponent’s OPS is 91st. He also ranks 12th in K/9 (12.75) and 56th in BB/9 (1.49).

Although he never won Pitcher of the Year and was only a finalist once, Hatami put up impressive tallies. Few pitchers in any league can say they led their league six times in strikeouts. Hatami received 98.5% to co-headline the 2029 Hall of Fame class for the Asian Baseball Federation.

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Shadi “Skull” Alam – Outfield – Tabriz Tiger Sharks – 96.1% First Ballot

Shadi Alam was a 6’2’’, 190 pound left-handed outfielder from Tabriz in northwestern Iran, the country’s sixth-largest city with about 1.7 million people. Nicknamed “Skull,” Alam had reliably steady contact and power skills. He was also solid at drawing walks, but did have a subpar strikeout rate. Alam’s power wasn’t prolific, but it was consistent with a 162 game average of 36 home runs, 32 doubles, and 7 triples.

Alam was notably better facing right-handed pitching (.945 OPS, 165 wRC+) but was still potent facing lefties (.795 OPS, 131 wRC+). He was a very skilled base stealer with good speed. Alam bounced around the outfield in his career and graded as rock solid defensively in the corners. His speed wasn’t good enough for the range needed in center field, grading as mediocre there. Alam had around 40% of his starts in left field, around 33% in center, and the rest in right.

By the end of his 16-year career, Alam was one of the most universally beloved players to come out of Iran. He was viewed as an ironman, playing 150+ games in all but his rookie season. Alam was also a team captain and his character was beyond reproach. He was a great leader, loyal, intelligent, adaptable, and hard working. Fans, friends, and foes alike had nothing but admiration for Alam.

It was clear as Alam rose through the amateur ranks that he was destined for greatness. It worked out that his hometown team Tabriz had the #1 overall pick for the 2007 ABF Draft. The Tiger Sharks picked their local star, who had fallen in love with baseball having gone to Tabriz games as a kid. Alam was a part-time starter in 2008 with mixed results as a rookie. He was a full-time starter after that and an elite one, posting a nice 6.9 WAR or better from 2009-20.

In 2010, Tabriz had only their second-ever playoff berth with the previous one being in their inaugural 1985 season. They would be roughly around .500 for the following five years. 2010 started an eight-year streak of Silver Sluggers for Alam. He won in CF from 2010-12, in RF from 2013-15, in LF for 2016, and back in RF for 2017. Alam was determined to make his hometown team a contender for the first time and signed an eight-year, $79,900,000 extension with Tabriz after the 2012 season.

Alam was third in 2010’s MVP voting. In 2014, he had his lone batting title (.320), his first season of 1.000 OPS, and a career and league best 122 RBI. In 2016, Alam had his finest season and won MVP, posting a league and career best 10.4 WAR. He also had his person highs for home runs (45), and wRC+ (205). This also marked the beginning of a nine-year playoff streak for Tabriz. Alam was third in MVP voting in both 2017 and 2020, winning his final Silver Slugger in the latter campaign.

Tabriz lost in the first round in 2016-2017. They took the West League’s top seed in 2018 at 103-59, but were upset by Asgabat in the WLCS. The Tiger Sharks bested that record at 107-55 in 2019 and won their first-ever ABF Championship, topping Dushanbe in the finale. Alam won finals MVP, although statistically he had better postseasons.

The big shock came in the 2019 Baseball Grand Championship as Tabriz took the top team honor at 15-4, becoming the first ABF team to win the Grand Championship. In 18 starts, Alam had 18 hits, 12 runs, 4 doubles, 6 home runs, 9 RBI, .281/.373/.625 slash, 196 wRC+, and 1.0 WAR. Alam achieved something very few in baseball history have accomplished; he turned his hometown team from a bottom feeder into the best in the world.

Alam was beloved in Tabriz, but also was a favorite for all Iranian fans. He was a regular in the World Baseball Championship from 2010-22, playing 140 games with 125 hits, 79 runs, 27 doubles, 38 home runs, 88 RBI, 31 stolen bases, .239/.344/.521 slash, and 5.6 WAR. In 2018, the Iranians made it to the World Championship for the first time, falling 4-1 to Poland. Iran also earned a division title in 2015.

After the 2019 triumph, the soon-to-be 35-year old Alam signed a four-year, $46,400,000 extension with Tabriz. The Tiger Sharks were the top seed again from 2020-22, but couldn’t get back to the ABF Championship. They were 109-53 in 2020, but lost to Bursa in the WLCS. Tabriz again was 109-53 in 2021, but lost in round one to Mashhad. They were 103-59 in 2022 and dropped the WLCS to Baku.

Alam started to wind down with his WAR dropping to 4.1 in 2021 and 4.3 in 2022. In 2023, he had his worst full season tallies, although was still a passable starter with 2.3 WAR and .774 OPS. Alam’s leadership was still quite important as a 92-70 wild card Tabriz went on a surprise run to their second ABF Championship, upsetting Bishkek in the final,

For his playoff career, Alam had 76 games, 84 hits, 45 runs, 18 doubles, 17 home runs, 32 RBI, 15 steals, .291/.343/.550, 150 wRC+, and 3.5 WAR. In his last run though, he had -0.1 WAR and .526 OPS. Alam opted to retire with that age 38 and didn’t play in the Baseball Grand Championship. The Tiger Sharks quickly retired the #20 uniform of their hometown hero.

Alam finished with 2451 games, 2491 hits, 1491 runs, 485 doubles, 109 triples, 548 home runs, 1397 RBI, 940 walks, 546 steals, .282/.356/.548 slash, 156 wRC+, and 109.9 WAR. As of 2037, Alam ranks 19th in games, 21st in hits, 6th in runs, 33rd in doubles, 60th in triples, 16th in home runs, 23rd in RBI, 13th in total bases (4838), 10th in walks, 17th in strikeouts (2462), and 9th in WAR among position players. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Alam’s .905 OPS ranks 42nd. He also ranks 60th in OBP and 51st in slugging.

He wasn’t overwhelmingly dominant, so many scholars leave Alam just outside of their top ten lists. He makes almost all top 20 lists for Asian Baseball Federation history and generally is viewed as a top ten player to come from Iran. Alam’s story was truly romantic, not many get to spend their whole career with their hometown team. Even fewer win two league titles and fewer yet win the Baseball Grand Championship. Alam was a Hall of Fame lock at 96.1% to co-headline ABF’s 2029 class.

FuzzyRussianHat

04-13-2025 08:25 PM

2029 ALB Hall of Fame

FuzzyRussianHat

04-14-2025 05:45 AM

2029 AAB Hall of Fame

FuzzyRussianHat

04-14-2025 06:59 PM

2029 World Baseball Championship

FuzzyRussianHat

04-15-2025 05:50 AM

2029 EBF Expansion

FuzzyRussianHat

04-15-2025 08:01 PM

2029 E2L and ET3

FuzzyRussianHat

04-16-2025 06:34 AM

2029 AAB Expansion

FuzzyRussianHat

04-16-2025 07:35 PM

2029 in A2L

FuzzyRussianHat

04-17-2025 07:39 AM

2029 in AAB

FuzzyRussianHat

04-17-2025 08:15 PM

2029 in ALB

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Jerusalem again took the Western Conference’s top seed, leading all of Arab League Baseball in fewest runs allowed (578) and leading the WC in runs scored (908). The Jets were down from their franchise-best 113 wins from 2028, but 103-59 got them a fourth straight Levant Division title. Jerusalem’s playoff streak grew to six years. Their team batting average of .296 and .528 steam slugging were both the third best mark in conference history.

Alexandria took the #2 seed at 98-64 atop the Nile Division for their third division title in four years. Reigning ALB champ Algiers won the Mediterranean Division at 94-68. The Arsenal’s playoff streak grew to seven seasons, the longest active run in ALB. Algiers also got their seventh division title of the decade. Tripoli’s three-year playoff streak ended as they finished 85-77, nine back on the Arsenal in the division.

Getting the wild cards were Damascus (92-70) and Cairo (90-72) with the Privateers as the first team out. The Dusters earned repeat wild cards and the Pharaohs got their third straight trip and 12th since 2017. Cairo’s pitching set new league records for fewest walks allowed (240) and best BB/9 (1.49). The Privateers were the first team out at 85-77, followed by Aleppo at 84-78. This was the first winning season for the 2024 expansion Alliance. Also of note was Amman at 80-82, their first losing campaign since 2021.

Jerusalem’s Misbah Salah earned Western Conference MVP in his seventh season with the Jets. The 26-year old Saudi right fielder led in batting average (.376), OBP (.414), OPS (1.112), wRC+ (184), and WAR (9.5). Salah saw 113 runs, 203 hits, 44 doubles, 17 triples, 32 home runs, 103 RBI, and 83 stolen bases. The Jets signed Salah in the spring to a four-year, $141,500,000 extension.

Pitcher of the Year also went to Jerusalem with Hilal Mohsen repeating. The 28-year old Syrian lefty had a 19-11 record, 2.94 ERA, 241.2 innings, 204 strikeouts, 5 shutouts, 151 ERA+, and 7.1 WAR. The sky seemed to be the limit for Mohsen, who signed a four-year, $48,400,000 extension in the offseason. Unfortunately, he suffered a torn UCL in September 2030 and would only toss 71 relief innings for the remainder of his career.

The wild card round had Damascus sweep Cairo, followed by a stunning 2-0 sweep by the Dusters over top seed Jerusalem. It was back-to-back years that the Jets went one-and-done. On the other side, the reigning ALB champ Algiers got ousted 2-0 by Alexandria.

For the Astronauts, it was their first Western Conference Final trip since their 2013 pennant. Damascus’s drought went back to their 2016 ALB title. The Dusters kept rolling and swept Alexandria to become three-time WC champs (2014, 2016, 2029). Damascus was the second wild card to earn a trip to the finals since the playoff and league expansion in 2024.

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The Gulf Division had two all-time great teams facing off for the division title and the Eastern Conference’s top seed. Defending EC champ Muscat narrowly took it at 114-48, relegating Dubai to a mere wild card even at 111-51. The Threshers won their third straight division title and fourth in five years. The Diamonds were a shocker considering they hadn’t been to the playoffs or posted a winning season since 2020.

Dubai led the conference in both runs scored (954) and fewest allowed (612). That run tally was the third most in ALB history behind Muscat’s 1000 from the prior year and Tripoli’s 1001 from 2027. The Diamonds smacked 308 home runs, four off the team record co-held by 2028 Amman and 2023 Algiers. Dubai did set a new record for team slugging percentage at .544, besting the Threshers’ .542 from 2028. Muscat in their own right had a .303 batting average, the third-best in ALB history. Their bullpen also had 63 saves, two short of the conference record.

It was a steep 20 game drop from wild card Dubai to find the #2 seed Mosul at 91-71. The Muskies edged 89-73 Sulaymaniyah to repeat as Mesopotamia Division champs. The Sultans got the second wild card and grew their playoff streak to three. Their nearest wild card foe was 83-79 Doha, who notably had their first winning campaign in a decade. The Arabia Division went to Medina at 88-74, their third title in four years. Mecca was a distant second at 78-84. Riyadh had won a terrible division the prior year at 79-83.

Muscat RF Ahmed Yasser Basha won his second Eastern Conference MVP and made history along the way. He had a .418 batting average, topping the league record of .414 set two years prior by Gilon Bassman. Basha’s mark was the third-best qualifying average in all of pro baseball history. The only ones better came in Beisbol Sudamerica with Francisco Magellan at .4202 in 2010 and Marc Melgar with .4196 also in 2029.

The 28-year old Egyptian led in the triple slash (.418/.448/.760), OPS (1.208), wRC+ (204), WAR (11.5), and hits (253). Basha added 119 runs, 50 doubles, 47 home runs, 138 RBI, and 108 steals. His OPS ranked as 12th best in ALB history. He also picked up his seventh Gold Glove in right field. Muscat eventually gave Basha a six-year, $210,900,000 extension after the 2031 season.

Dubai’s Hamad Saleh won Pitcher of the Year in an impressive rebound from a torn rotator cuff. The 25-year old Emirati lefty was second in 2027’s Rookie of the Year voting, but missed all of 2028 to injury. Saleh led in wins (25-5), ERA (2.54), innings (262.2), complete games (14), and shutouts (6). He also had 7.3 WAR, 177 ERA+, and 259 strikeouts; falling 11 short of a Triple Crown. The Diamonds signed Saleh to a six-year, $99,600,000 deal the following spring, but additional injuries would limit his innings significantly.

111-win Dubai unsurprisingly swept Sulaymaniyah in the wild card. With the format always placing the wild card round winner against the top seed, you had the 111-win Diamonds and 114-win Muscat in round two. The Threshers took the series 2-0 to keep their repeat bid intact. On the other side, Mosul edged Medina 2-1 to earn their first Eastern Conference Final trip since 2017. The Muskies gave a spirited effort, but Muscat took the ECF 3-1 to earn repeat pennants.

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Muscat was a heavy favorite in the 40th Arab League Championship having won 22 more games than wild card Damascus. The Threshers had a shot to not only win their first championship, but to cement themselves in the conversation for ALB’s best-ever team. The Dusters’ improbable run continued though, pulling off the stunning upset 4-2.

Damascus earned their second ALB ring (2016) and became the first wild card to win the title since the playoffs expanded in 2024. Journeyman RF Mazen “Frankenstein” Mostafa was finals MVP in his 16th professional season and second with the Dusters. The 37-year old Jordanian in 12 playoff starts had 15 hits, 10 runs, 6 home runs, 12 RBI, 1.211 OPS, and 0.8 WAR.

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Other notes: Longtime Basra ace Ahmed Hussain became ALB’s new career leader in both pitching wins and WAR. The 37-year old Qatari went 20-5 with a 2.61 ERA, 253 strikeouts, and 8.7 WAR in 2037. Hussain ended the year with 293 wins, passing Rashid Tariq’s top mark of 285. He also got to 127.1 WAR, topping Tariq’s 125.5. Hussain was already the ALB strikeouts leader at 4916 and is in striking distance of both 5000 Ks and 300 wins for 2030.

Tripoli’s Ibrahima Ba became the 16th ALB slugger with a four home run game. Dubai’s Khalid Sebil posted a 33-game hitting streak, four short of the record 37 set last year by Abdul Jalil Dahir. Osama Ahmed became the 8th member of ALB’s 700 home run club. Wissam Magdy became the 15th to 600 dingers and Mohamed Ali Mansour was the 35th to reach 500 homers. Omar Azim became the 12th to score 1500 runs.

Diyar Abbas became the 11th pitcher to reach 3500 career strikeouts. Muhammad Nour was the 28th to 3000 Ks. RF Nathan Nasreddine won his 7th Gold Glove. 3B Malik Zouaoui won his 10th Silver Slugger. He became the seventh at any position in ALB to win 10+ Sluggers.

The Arab League had a huge spike in offense for the 2020s with a league earned run average for the decade at 4.46. The prior two decades had seen ERAs in the 3.90 range. ALB was in very high scoring territory with only West African Baseball’s 2020s being higher historically.

ALB’s league batting average also was around .272 for the decade, well up from the .252 of the 2010s. Only WAB and the Bolivar League specifically were higher. It continued the general trend of most world leagues shooting for increased scoring in the 2020s.

FuzzyRussianHat

04-18-2025 06:17 AM

2029 in ABF

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The East League’s South Division was extremely top heavy as it boasted the top two records in the entire Asian Baseball Federation. Three-time defending EL champ Hyderabad took top billing at 110-52 with Lahore close behind at 106-56. The Horned Frogs playoff streak grew to six seasons with their fourth division title of the run. The Longhorns were a wild card for the third time in four years. Hyderabad allowed the fewest runs in ABF at 464.

Peshawar won the North Division at 99-63 thanks to a record breaking offense. The Predators set new East League single-season records for runs scored (841), batting average (.277), on-base percentage (.337), hits (1559), and triples (82). Peshawar also had the second-most doubles at 373, behind their own 376 from the prior year. The Predators repeated as division champs and earned their third straight playoff spot.

Eight games back in the division were both Almaty and Bishkek, who tied for the second wild card. ABF doesn’t use tiebreaker games and the formula extended the Assassins playoff streak to ten years. This matched the ABF record set by Dushanbe from 2013-22. Also in the mix but just short in the wild card race were Gujranwala (89-73) and Karachi (86-76). The EL’s 2029 playoff teams and seeding were identical to 2028.

Despite being the #4 seed, Almaty had the East League’s Most Valuable Player and Pitcher of the Year winners. LF Youssouf Raza won his third straight MVP and led in slugging (.684), OPS (1.072), and wRC+ (222). The 28-year old Pakistani had 176 hits, 100 runs, 52 home runs, 118 RBI, .325 average, and 8.7 WAR. He also earned his seventh consecutive Silver Slugger.

Pitcher of the Year was Furkan Alturfan, who led in wins (20-5) and quality starts (25). The 30-year old Turkish lefty had a 2.17 ERA, 227.2 innings, 285 strikeouts, 163 ERA+, and 6.3 WAR. Alturfan signed a four-year, $40,060,000 extension the prior fall after being mostly decent prior to his 2029 breakout. Surprisingly, Almaty didn’t protect him for the upcoming expansion draft and Alturfan would be the first pick to the new Ahvaz Athletics. Also worth mentioning, Lahore’s Kharouf Qadir won his third straight Reliever of the Year. The 32-year old righty led in saves (43) and games (43) and had a 1.21 ERA.

Division winners prevailed in the first round with Hyderabad over Almaty 3-1 and Peshawar over Lahore 3-1. For the third straight season, the Horned Frogs were to host the Predators in the East League Championship Series. Unlike the last two years, Peshawar prevailed with a 4-3 upset over Hyderabad. The Predators won their fourth pennant and first since 1992.

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Four teams fought over the West League’s top seed and the West Division title. Baku emerged on top at 100-62 for their sixth playoff berth of the decade. Right behind were Istanbul (98-64), Ankara (97-65), and Adana (96-66). The Ironmen and Alouettes got the wild cards, while the Axemen unfortunately missed the cut. Ankara got repeat playoff berths while Istanbul ended a nine-year playoff drought. Last year’s division champ and WLCS runner-up Gaziantep fell to 81-81.

Over in a weaker Central Division, Mashhad (92-70) topped reigning ABF champ Tehran (87-75). The Mercury extended their playoff streak to nine years and their division title run to five. The Tarpons missed the cut after earning back-to-back pennants. The Axemen led the EL with 874 runs scored and the Alouettes allowed the fewest at 562.

In his third year with Baku, 1B Hakan Mocuk became only the third in ABF history to become a four-time MVP. The 35-year old Turkish righty won three straight back in 2019-21 with Izmir. Although this effort returned him to the top honor, Mocuk had still been playing at a high level in between MVPs. He won his 10th Silver Slugger in 2029, although it was only his second at first base after being a third baseman prior.

Mocuk led in home runs (62), RBI (147), total bases (422), slugging (.706), and WAR (9.85). He also had 116 runs, 191 hits, 39 doubles, .319 average, 1.072 OPS, and 182 wRC+. Mocuk became ABF’s all-time RBI leader by finishing 2029 with 1703, passing Petri Viskari’s 1685 for the top mark. Mocuk also became the sixth member of the 600 home run club, finishing the season at 608. With two more great seasons or three good ones, Mocuk would be primed to pass Habib Saquib’s 686 for the home run king crown.

Baku also had the Pitcher of the Year Agshin Jumayev, who became a three-time winner (2025, 2027, 2029). The 28-year old Tajik lefty posted only the fifth-ever Triple Crown pitching season in ABF and became the third to achieve the feat. Jumayev posted a 2.37 ERA, 21-5 record, and 374 strikeouts over 250.1 innings. He was also the league leader in WHIP (0.93) and shutouts (4) while posting 8.7 WAR. Jumayev also tossed his first no-hitter on April 3 with 12 Ks and one walk against Isfahan.

Division champs advanced in the first round of the playoffs with Baku surviving 3-2 against Ankara and Mashhad over Istanbul 3-1. From 2021-26, either the Mercury or the Blackbirds were in the West League Championship Series. However, this was their first time in the decade facing off for the pennant. Baku took the series 4-2 over Mashhad to win their sixth WL crown and first since 2024.

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The 45th Asian Baseball Federation Championship had Baku defeat Peshawar 4-1, giving the Blackbirds their third ABF title (2012, 2024, 2029). Veteran 2B Musa Qarayev won finals MVP in his 11th season with Baku, bouncing back after missing almost all of the 2029 season from a ruptured MCL from the prior August. In 16 playoff starts, the 32-year old Azeri had 28 hits, 10 runs, 9 doubles, 9 RBI, .961 OPS, and 0.9 WAR. The 28 hits were the third-most in ABF postseason history.

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Other notes: Hyderabad’s Talib Abul Qadir tossed ABF’s 23rd perfect game on July 27, striking out 14 against Faisalabad. He would then throw another no-hitter on September 1 with 11 Ks and one walk against Faisalabad. Qadir was the fourth ABF pitcher to have multiple no-hitters in the same season, but was the only one with a perfecto among them. Shiraz set an all-time bad pitching mark for ABF by allowing 1634 hits with a 10.20 H/9. Gaziantep also notably allowed 1625 hits, which would’ve been a new worst if not for the Suns.

2029 was the final season for ABF hit king Mehmet Fatih Canaydin, who played until age 44 and had a 25-year career with eight teams. As of 2037, Canaydin remains ABF’s all-time leader in games (3445), at-bats (12,460), runs (1880), hits (3696), singles (2474), and stolen bases (1610). At retirement, he also had the most total bases (5805) and was second in doubles (691) and third in WAR among position players (117.3). Canaydin also cracks the world leaderboards as of 2037, ranking 10th in games, 13th in at-bats, 26th in hits, 22nd in doubles, and 11th in steals.

In other milestones, Sijad Khaleel became the first ABF pitcher to reach 250 wins. 2029 was his final season, retiring with a 256-168 record across 19 seasons with Bishkek. He also became the second to 5000 strikeouts, but his 5023 Ks fell just short of Hasan Afshin’s 5151 for the top spot. Khaleel also retired second in pitching WAR at 108.34, behind Yazeed Anwari’s 111.39. As of 2037, Khaleel remains ABF’s all-time leader in games started (514) and innings pitched (4036).

Elnur Hasanov notably was the 13th pitcher to 4000 strikeouts and Hafez Farzani was the 21st pitcher to 3500 Ks. In hitting milestones, Bardia Petrosian was the 18th to reach 500 home runs. Hasan Yun was the 13th and Hana Zuhari was the 14th to 2500 hits. C Ali Mahdian won his 10th Gold Glove and CF Anatoly Memmedov won his 8th. Mahdian was the 4th in ABF history at any position with 10 Gold Gloves. 1B Safdar Kahlwan won his 7th Silver Slugger.

Like many other leagues, the Asian Baseball Federation also had an increase in scoring in the 2020s compared to the prior years. There was a significant statistical difference though between the West League (using the DH) and the East League (sans DH).

The WL had a 4.04 ERA and .260 batting average for the decade, well up from the .235 average and 3.32 ERA of the 2010s. That put the West League in above average scoring territory relative to world history and other leagues. The WL set new single year highs with a .263 average and 4.11 ERA in 2024.

The EL jumped but far less significantly with a 3.49 ERA and .239 average compared to the .227 average and 3.17 ERA of the 2010s. The East League went from low to below average scoring relative to the historical scale. ABF on the whole was mid-grade in its scoring environment compared to the other world leagues in the 2020s.