OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post

FuzzyRussianHat · 01-21-2025, 05:53 PM

Sang-Min Hwang – Left Field – Changwon Crabs – 67.6% Second Ballot

Sang-Min Hwang was a 6’3’’, 200 pound switch-hitting left fielder from Seoul, the capital of South Korea. Hwang was a well-rounded batter with good-to-great contact, power, and eye skills. He was quite good at drawing walks, although his strikeout rate was average. Hwang wasn’t a prolific home run hitter, but he had a very reliable pop in his bat with 33 home runs, 22 doubles, and 13 triples per his 162 game average. He also was known for being an extreme pull hitter.

Hwang had impressive speed, but he was often too aggressive on the basepaths and got caught stealing far more than he succeeded. The speed served him well as a career left fielder whose excellent defense earned him six Gold Gloves. Hwang’s talent and work ethic made him a successful and popular player over a 20-year run. He did run into sporadic injury issues, but you could usually get a pretty full load out of Hwang.

He attended Gangneung Yeongdong University and rose up the prospect rankings for the 1997 EAB Draft. Hwang was picked fifth by Changwon and was a full-time starter right away, although he struggled in his first two years. He led the Korea League in strikeouts in his first two years, but did also lead in 1999 with 82 walks. Hwang still managed to take third in Rookie of the Year voting despite a -0.1 WAR effort.

Hwang greatly lowered his Ks and improved his contact ability after a few more seasons. He wasn’t typically one to lead the league statistically, but he was worth 4+ WAR seven times with Changwon. Hwang signed an eight-year, $67,400,000 extension after the 2003 campaign. All six of Hwang’s Gold Glove wins came with the Crabs from 2002-07. His first Silver Sluggers came in 2006 and 2009. Hwang was on a stellar pace in 2006 with 1.110 OPS and 6.8 WAR in 121 games, but lost a month to a torn quadriceps.

2006 saw Changwon get the second wild card and make a surprise run to the KLCS, falling there to Seoul. They were generally lousy for the rest of Hwang’s tenure, only posting one other winning season and averaging only 75.6 wins per season. He thrived in his one playoff chance for the Crabs with 1.514 OPS, 17 hits, 12 runs, 5 homers, and 11 RBI in 10 starts.

Hwang missed notable parts of 2007 and 2008 to injury, but was healthy in 2009 for arguably his best season. He led the KL in WAR (8.6), OPS (1.036), and wRC+ (178). The WAR was a career best, as were his 42 home runs and 115 RBI. Hwang was third in MVP voting, his first time as a finalist. This was also his final season with Changwon, opting out of the rest of his deal. Hwang’s stock was at a new high at age 32, setting him up for a big payday.

For Changwon, Hwang had 1652 hits, 939 runs, 226 doubles, 149 triples, 326 home runs, 914 RBI, 759 walks, 372 stolen bases, .279/.360/.533 slash, 141 wRC+, and 53.8 WAR. Many fans still remembered him fondly for being a bright light in a generally weak era, although the organization had some saltiness for him leaving. Hwang’s #26 uniform ultimately wasn’t retired by the Crabs despite his efforts.

Hwang signed a five-year, $55 million deal to join Gwangju as he wanted to join a winner. The Grays had just posted back-to-back first round exits and hoped to get over the hump. Hwang held up his end and even took third in 2012’s MVP voting, leading the KL that year in OBP, slugging, OPS, and wRC+. Gwangju made the KLCS in both 2010 and 2011, but fell both years. They narrowly missed the 2012 playoffs, then lost in the first round of 2013. Hwang in 18 playoff games was great with 1.119 OPS, but he ultimately never got to play in the finals in his career.

For Gwangju in four seasons, Hwang had 588 hits, 326 runs, 81 doubles, 37 triples, 122 home runs, 326 RBI, .312/.401/.589 slash, 168 wRC+, and 22.5 WAR. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the fifth year of the deal, becoming a free agent at age 36. He still had plenty of suitors and signed with Busan at $50,400,000 over three years.

Hwang was on a stellar pace in 2014 when healthy with 5.4 WAR and 1.107 OPS in 87 games, but a rash of injuries kept him out. The Blue Jays struggled to 66-96 and began a rebuild in the offseason, sending Hwang to Daegu in a seven-player offseason swap. Hwang had a nice pace with 4.1 WAR and .925 OPS with the Diamondbacks in 2015, but lost nearly two months to a strained abdominal muscle.
He returned to free agency at age 38 and inked a three-year, $40,300,000 deal with Goyang. Hwang was mostly healthy for a solid 2016 with 3.2 WAR. Unfortunately in late April 2017, Hwang suffered a torn ACL that ended his season after 25 games. Instead of hoping to rehab back from such a major injury, Hwang retired that winter at age 40.

Hwang finished with 2586 games, 2628 hits, 1488 runs, 350 doubles, 212 triples, 530 home runs, 1445 RBI, 1227 walks, 596 stolen bases, .289/.372/.548 slash, 149 wRC+, and 89.2 WAR. As of 2037, Hwang ranks 74^th in hits, 40^th in runs, 76^th in triples, 64^th in home runs, 67^th in RBI, 9^th in walks, and 77^th in WAR among position players. His .920 OPS is 75^th among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances and his OBP ranks 54^th.

His finally tallies were rock solid and hit some of the milestones that voters like such as 2500+ hits and 500 homers. However, Hwang was borderline for some as he had limited accolades or black ink. He was steady and reliable over 20 years with primarily weaker teams, which doesn’t draw you nearly as much attention as someone on a winner or someone with a big peak. Hwang’s value also was boosted by great defense and walks, which wasn’t weighed highly by some traditionalists.

Hwang’s debut ballot in 2023 got 62.8%; solid but short of the 66% requirement. He didn’t win over too many in 2024, but got just enough to cross the line with 67.6%. Hwang secured a second ballot selection as the second of three in East Asia Baseball’s 2024 Hall of Fame class.

Sora Miyoshi – Starting Pitcher – Nagoya Nightowls – 67.3% Third Ballot

Sora Miyoshi was a 6’3’’, 190 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Chiryu, Japan; a city with about 72,000 inhabitants in Honshu’s Aichi Prefecture. Miyoshi wasn’t outstanding at any one thing, but was considered above average to good across the board. His fastball was his best pitch and peaked in the 94-96 mph range. Miyoshi also had a changeup and curveball in the arsenal.

Miyoshi’s stamina was considered pretty good, but smaller injuries did limit him in a few seasons. He was strong at holding runners but was below average defensively. Miyoshi wasn’t one to cause any problems, but he also wasn’t someone you would look to in a leadership role. He was steady and reliable, which allowed him to pitch for 18 seasons.

He was considered a top prospect coming out of Chukyodai Chukyo High School in Nagoya. Some figured Miyoshi would go to college, but Sendai decided to pick him sixth overall in the 1996 EAB Draft. He signed with the Samurai and spent two full years in their developmental system. Miyoshi debuted in 1999 at age 21 with 67.2 innings. Sendai moved him into the rotation full-time after that.

For the Samurai over six seasons in the rotation, Miyoshi was largely average to above average in production with reliable innings. They were a mid-tier team in his run, averaging 76 wins per season with a best of 83-79. Miyoshi had a 91-77 record, 3.27 ERA, 1561.2 innings, 1346 strikeouts, 384 walks, 102 ERA+, and 25.4 WAR. While he wasn’t bad, he wasn’t nearly as dominant as you’d want or expect having been picked sixth overall.

Sendai didn’t re-sign Miyoshi when his contract expired after the 2005 campaign, becoming a free agent heading towards age 28. He signed a five-year, $25,600,000 deal with Nagoya to begin his signature run. Miyoshi’s production got better as he consistently kept his ERA below three for his first seven seasons with the Nightowls, posting 4+ WAR each year.

His only time leading a major stat was in wins at 24-5 in 2009. This season also had his career best WAR at 6.0, which earned his lone Pitcher of the Year finalist season with a third place. Nagoya ended a seven-year playoff drought in 2008 with a first round loss. The Nightowls then shocked the world with a 117-45 campaign in 2009, rolling to the East Asian Championship over Busan. Nagoya’s 2009 squad is often on the short list of the greatest-ever EAB squads.

Miyoshi was actually mediocre in the playoff run with a 4.84 ERA over 22.1 innings. His great regular season though got him paid with a six-year, $59 million extension that winter. Nagoya was a one-and-done, missing the playoffs the next two years. They had a first round exit in 2012, then fell to the bottom of the standings after that. Miyoshi’s playoff stats for his career were a lackluster 4.71 ERA over 36.1 innings. He fared even worse in his limited World Baseball Championship outings for Japan from 2002-09. Miyoshi had 77 innings with a 2-4 record, 5.73 ERA, 93 strikeouts, 20 walks, 62 ERA+, and 0.1 WAR.

His regular season production stayed steady through 2012. In 2013, Miyoshi missed half of the season to shoulder inflammation. Miyoshi stayed mostly healthy the two years after that, but was firmly mediocre at that point. With one year left on his deal, the struggling Nightowls traded Miyoshi in the offseason to Fukuoka.

For Nagoya, Miyoshi had a 136-86 record, 3.11 ERA, 2107 innings, 1708 strikeouts, 393 walks, 110 ERA+, and 38.3 WAR. Miyoshi had a bit of a resurgence for the Frogs with a 3.00 ERA and 2.1 WAR over 218.2 innings in 2016. He decided to retire that winter instead of overstaying his welcome at age 38. Nagoya quickly brought him back to retire his #47 uniform for his decade of service and role in their 2009 championship.

Miyoshi finished with a 242-173 record, 3.17 ERA, 3887.1 innings, 3161 strikeouts, 830 walks, 312/502 quality starts, 86 complete games, 24 shutouts, 107 ERA+, 90 FIP-, and 65.8 WAR. As of 2037, Miyoshi ranks 21^st in wins, 24^th in innings, 92^nd in strikeouts, and 98^th in WAR among pitchers. Advanced stats definitely had Miyoshi as someone who was just above average for a long time. He lacked accolades and black ink, leading many voters to dismiss him as a compiler. Weak playoff stats also didn’t help his cause.

Many voters cared about counting stats and traditionalists pointed at Miyoshi’s win total. Every EAB starter who got to 240+ wins before him made it in, although there had been a few in the 230s that missed the cut. Miyoshi was also helped by having his best season with Nagoya’s historic 2009 title and was undoubtedly an important part of one of EAB’s best-ever teams.

Miyoshi missed the cut at 59.7% with his 2022 debut and dropped slightly in 2023 to 55.6%. For 2024, he got a sizeable boost up to 67.3% to sneak across the 66% requirement. Most scholars rank Miyoshi among the weaker starters in the East Asia Baseball Hall of Fame, but he secured his slot on the third ballot regardless as part of a three-player 2024 class.

01-21-2025, 05:53 PM	#1998
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,426	2024 EAB Hall of Fame (Part 2) Sang-Min Hwang – Left Field – Changwon Crabs – 67.6% Second Ballot Sang-Min Hwang was a 6’3’’, 200 pound switch-hitting left fielder from Seoul, the capital of South Korea. Hwang was a well-rounded batter with good-to-great contact, power, and eye skills. He was quite good at drawing walks, although his strikeout rate was average. Hwang wasn’t a prolific home run hitter, but he had a very reliable pop in his bat with 33 home runs, 22 doubles, and 13 triples per his 162 game average. He also was known for being an extreme pull hitter. Hwang had impressive speed, but he was often too aggressive on the basepaths and got caught stealing far more than he succeeded. The speed served him well as a career left fielder whose excellent defense earned him six Gold Gloves. Hwang’s talent and work ethic made him a successful and popular player over a 20-year run. He did run into sporadic injury issues, but you could usually get a pretty full load out of Hwang. He attended Gangneung Yeongdong University and rose up the prospect rankings for the 1997 EAB Draft. Hwang was picked fifth by Changwon and was a full-time starter right away, although he struggled in his first two years. He led the Korea League in strikeouts in his first two years, but did also lead in 1999 with 82 walks. Hwang still managed to take third in Rookie of the Year voting despite a -0.1 WAR effort. Hwang greatly lowered his Ks and improved his contact ability after a few more seasons. He wasn’t typically one to lead the league statistically, but he was worth 4+ WAR seven times with Changwon. Hwang signed an eight-year, $67,400,000 extension after the 2003 campaign. All six of Hwang’s Gold Glove wins came with the Crabs from 2002-07. His first Silver Sluggers came in 2006 and 2009. Hwang was on a stellar pace in 2006 with 1.110 OPS and 6.8 WAR in 121 games, but lost a month to a torn quadriceps. 2006 saw Changwon get the second wild card and make a surprise run to the KLCS, falling there to Seoul. They were generally lousy for the rest of Hwang’s tenure, only posting one other winning season and averaging only 75.6 wins per season. He thrived in his one playoff chance for the Crabs with 1.514 OPS, 17 hits, 12 runs, 5 homers, and 11 RBI in 10 starts. Hwang missed notable parts of 2007 and 2008 to injury, but was healthy in 2009 for arguably his best season. He led the KL in WAR (8.6), OPS (1.036), and wRC+ (178). The WAR was a career best, as were his 42 home runs and 115 RBI. Hwang was third in MVP voting, his first time as a finalist. This was also his final season with Changwon, opting out of the rest of his deal. Hwang’s stock was at a new high at age 32, setting him up for a big payday. For Changwon, Hwang had 1652 hits, 939 runs, 226 doubles, 149 triples, 326 home runs, 914 RBI, 759 walks, 372 stolen bases, .279/.360/.533 slash, 141 wRC+, and 53.8 WAR. Many fans still remembered him fondly for being a bright light in a generally weak era, although the organization had some saltiness for him leaving. Hwang’s #26 uniform ultimately wasn’t retired by the Crabs despite his efforts. Hwang signed a five-year, $55 million deal to join Gwangju as he wanted to join a winner. The Grays had just posted back-to-back first round exits and hoped to get over the hump. Hwang held up his end and even took third in 2012’s MVP voting, leading the KL that year in OBP, slugging, OPS, and wRC+. Gwangju made the KLCS in both 2010 and 2011, but fell both years. They narrowly missed the 2012 playoffs, then lost in the first round of 2013. Hwang in 18 playoff games was great with 1.119 OPS, but he ultimately never got to play in the finals in his career. For Gwangju in four seasons, Hwang had 588 hits, 326 runs, 81 doubles, 37 triples, 122 home runs, 326 RBI, .312/.401/.589 slash, 168 wRC+, and 22.5 WAR. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the fifth year of the deal, becoming a free agent at age 36. He still had plenty of suitors and signed with Busan at $50,400,000 over three years. Hwang was on a stellar pace in 2014 when healthy with 5.4 WAR and 1.107 OPS in 87 games, but a rash of injuries kept him out. The Blue Jays struggled to 66-96 and began a rebuild in the offseason, sending Hwang to Daegu in a seven-player offseason swap. Hwang had a nice pace with 4.1 WAR and .925 OPS with the Diamondbacks in 2015, but lost nearly two months to a strained abdominal muscle. He returned to free agency at age 38 and inked a three-year, $40,300,000 deal with Goyang. Hwang was mostly healthy for a solid 2016 with 3.2 WAR. Unfortunately in late April 2017, Hwang suffered a torn ACL that ended his season after 25 games. Instead of hoping to rehab back from such a major injury, Hwang retired that winter at age 40. Hwang finished with 2586 games, 2628 hits, 1488 runs, 350 doubles, 212 triples, 530 home runs, 1445 RBI, 1227 walks, 596 stolen bases, .289/.372/.548 slash, 149 wRC+, and 89.2 WAR. As of 2037, Hwang ranks 74^th in hits, 40^th in runs, 76^th in triples, 64^th in home runs, 67^th in RBI, 9^th in walks, and 77^th in WAR among position players. His .920 OPS is 75^th among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances and his OBP ranks 54^th. His finally tallies were rock solid and hit some of the milestones that voters like such as 2500+ hits and 500 homers. However, Hwang was borderline for some as he had limited accolades or black ink. He was steady and reliable over 20 years with primarily weaker teams, which doesn’t draw you nearly as much attention as someone on a winner or someone with a big peak. Hwang’s value also was boosted by great defense and walks, which wasn’t weighed highly by some traditionalists. Hwang’s debut ballot in 2023 got 62.8%; solid but short of the 66% requirement. He didn’t win over too many in 2024, but got just enough to cross the line with 67.6%. Hwang secured a second ballot selection as the second of three in East Asia Baseball’s 2024 Hall of Fame class. Sora Miyoshi – Starting Pitcher – Nagoya Nightowls – 67.3% Third Ballot Sora Miyoshi was a 6’3’’, 190 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Chiryu, Japan; a city with about 72,000 inhabitants in Honshu’s Aichi Prefecture. Miyoshi wasn’t outstanding at any one thing, but was considered above average to good across the board. His fastball was his best pitch and peaked in the 94-96 mph range. Miyoshi also had a changeup and curveball in the arsenal. Miyoshi’s stamina was considered pretty good, but smaller injuries did limit him in a few seasons. He was strong at holding runners but was below average defensively. Miyoshi wasn’t one to cause any problems, but he also wasn’t someone you would look to in a leadership role. He was steady and reliable, which allowed him to pitch for 18 seasons. He was considered a top prospect coming out of Chukyodai Chukyo High School in Nagoya. Some figured Miyoshi would go to college, but Sendai decided to pick him sixth overall in the 1996 EAB Draft. He signed with the Samurai and spent two full years in their developmental system. Miyoshi debuted in 1999 at age 21 with 67.2 innings. Sendai moved him into the rotation full-time after that. For the Samurai over six seasons in the rotation, Miyoshi was largely average to above average in production with reliable innings. They were a mid-tier team in his run, averaging 76 wins per season with a best of 83-79. Miyoshi had a 91-77 record, 3.27 ERA, 1561.2 innings, 1346 strikeouts, 384 walks, 102 ERA+, and 25.4 WAR. While he wasn’t bad, he wasn’t nearly as dominant as you’d want or expect having been picked sixth overall. Sendai didn’t re-sign Miyoshi when his contract expired after the 2005 campaign, becoming a free agent heading towards age 28. He signed a five-year, $25,600,000 deal with Nagoya to begin his signature run. Miyoshi’s production got better as he consistently kept his ERA below three for his first seven seasons with the Nightowls, posting 4+ WAR each year. His only time leading a major stat was in wins at 24-5 in 2009. This season also had his career best WAR at 6.0, which earned his lone Pitcher of the Year finalist season with a third place. Nagoya ended a seven-year playoff drought in 2008 with a first round loss. The Nightowls then shocked the world with a 117-45 campaign in 2009, rolling to the East Asian Championship over Busan. Nagoya’s 2009 squad is often on the short list of the greatest-ever EAB squads. Miyoshi was actually mediocre in the playoff run with a 4.84 ERA over 22.1 innings. His great regular season though got him paid with a six-year, $59 million extension that winter. Nagoya was a one-and-done, missing the playoffs the next two years. They had a first round exit in 2012, then fell to the bottom of the standings after that. Miyoshi’s playoff stats for his career were a lackluster 4.71 ERA over 36.1 innings. He fared even worse in his limited World Baseball Championship outings for Japan from 2002-09. Miyoshi had 77 innings with a 2-4 record, 5.73 ERA, 93 strikeouts, 20 walks, 62 ERA+, and 0.1 WAR. His regular season production stayed steady through 2012. In 2013, Miyoshi missed half of the season to shoulder inflammation. Miyoshi stayed mostly healthy the two years after that, but was firmly mediocre at that point. With one year left on his deal, the struggling Nightowls traded Miyoshi in the offseason to Fukuoka. For Nagoya, Miyoshi had a 136-86 record, 3.11 ERA, 2107 innings, 1708 strikeouts, 393 walks, 110 ERA+, and 38.3 WAR. Miyoshi had a bit of a resurgence for the Frogs with a 3.00 ERA and 2.1 WAR over 218.2 innings in 2016. He decided to retire that winter instead of overstaying his welcome at age 38. Nagoya quickly brought him back to retire his #47 uniform for his decade of service and role in their 2009 championship. Miyoshi finished with a 242-173 record, 3.17 ERA, 3887.1 innings, 3161 strikeouts, 830 walks, 312/502 quality starts, 86 complete games, 24 shutouts, 107 ERA+, 90 FIP-, and 65.8 WAR. As of 2037, Miyoshi ranks 21^st in wins, 24^th in innings, 92^nd in strikeouts, and 98^th in WAR among pitchers. Advanced stats definitely had Miyoshi as someone who was just above average for a long time. He lacked accolades and black ink, leading many voters to dismiss him as a compiler. Weak playoff stats also didn’t help his cause. Many voters cared about counting stats and traditionalists pointed at Miyoshi’s win total. Every EAB starter who got to 240+ wins before him made it in, although there had been a few in the 230s that missed the cut. Miyoshi was also helped by having his best season with Nagoya’s historic 2009 title and was undoubtedly an important part of one of EAB’s best-ever teams. Miyoshi missed the cut at 59.7% with his 2022 debut and dropped slightly in 2023 to 55.6%. For 2024, he got a sizeable boost up to 67.3% to sneak across the 66% requirement. Most scholars rank Miyoshi among the weaker starters in the East Asia Baseball Hall of Fame, but he secured his slot on the third ballot regardless as part of a three-player 2024 class. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports The Level Playing Field: Alternate MLB History From 1884-Onward Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)