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Defending West African Baseball champ Abidjan again finished with the top record in the Western League, going 100-62. The Athletes extended their playoff streak to four years and earned their ninth berth in a decade. Accra was second at 91-71 to earn repeat wild cards. Freetown’s playoff streak grew to six years, taking the third place slot at 88-74. The Foresters took the final wild card by only one game over Nouakchott, two over Cape Verde, and five over both Conakry and Kumasi.

Western League MVP went to Kumasi designated hitter Mo Reda in his second season as a full-time starter. The Egyptian lefty led in runs (118), home runs (48), RBI (156), total bases (412), slugging (.661), OPS (1.057), wRC+ (189), and WAR (8.7). Reda’s 156 RBI was a new single-season WAB record, which he himself would top two years later. Abidjan’s Antonio Akinyemi repeated as Pitcher of the Year, winning his third. The 32-year old Nigerian lefty led in ERA (2.50), posting a 14-3 record over 197.2 innings with 233 strikeouts and 5.0 WAR.

Freetown upset Accra 2-0 in the wild card round, sending the Foresters to their sixth straight Western League Championship Series appearance. Unfortunately for Freetown, they also lost in the WLCS for the sixth straight year. Abidjan won the rematch 3-1 for a third straight pennant and their seventh in a decade. The Athletes now have 11 WL titles in WAB’s 27 year history.



Last year, Kano had a record-setting 125-37 season, but lost in the WAB Championship. The four-time defending Eastern League champs yet again took first in the standings with the Condors at 105-57. Kano’s postseason streak grew to seven years. Cotonou was second at 95-67 for their second-ever playoff appearance (1987). Ibadan narrowly extended its 12-year playoff streak, the longest active one in WAB. The Iguanas took third at 90-72, edging Lome by one game and Niamey by seven.

Kano’s Darwin Morris won a historic seventh Eastern League MVP. He broke his own runs scored record of 146 from 1997, scoring 152 times for a new world record. This held as the top mark in WAB until 2024 and still sits second in WAB history. The 29-year old Liberian shortstop also led in total bases (417), triple slash (.365/.454/.739), OPS (1.193), wRC+ (215), and WAR (14.5). He added 47 home runs and 134 RBI and posted his fourth season worth 14+ WAR. As of 2037, Morris is the only position player in baseball history with four seasons worth 14+ WAR.

Kano also had the Pitcher of the Year Kennedy Chisanga. He joined the Condors in a trade with Lome in January. The 26-year old Zambian led in wins (20-7), ERA (2.77), and WHIP (1.01). Chisanga added 218 strikeouts over 227 innings with 5.0 WAR. He would cash in with a six-year, $14,780,000 free agent deal in the offseason with Cotonou.

Ibadan earned the road win 2-1 over Cotonou in the wild card round, giving the Iguanas their fourth consecutive appearance in the Eastern League Championship Series. They were again no match for Kano, as the Condors swept them in the ELCS to earn a fifth straight pennant. Kano has won the Eastern League crown nine times now.



For the third straight year, the West African Championship pitted Kano against Abidjan. The Condors won in 1999 to three-peat, then the Athletes stunned the 125-win Kano squad in 2000. In six games, the Condors defeated Abidjan for their fourth WAB title in five years. Kano now has seven WAB titles, second only to Lagos’ eight. 3B Arnaud Aho was finals MVP with the 33-year old Beninois getting 9 hits, 7 runs, 5 home runs, and 11 RBI in 9 starts.



Other notes: Douala’s Kely Ballard had a 35-game hit streak, setting a new WAB record that held until 2013. Jack Kidaii also had a 34-game hit streak in 2001, both passing the previous record of 33. 2B Fausto Pyagbara won his seventh Gold Glove. Finals MVP Arnaud Aho won his ninth Silver Slugger at 3B and Darwin Morris won his eighth at SS. 2B Hamza Seidu won his seventh Silver Slugger.