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FuzzyRussianHat · 02-04-2025, 11:49 AM

Ustad “Deacon” Shaikh – Left Field – Los Angeles Angels – 83.9% First Ballot

Ustad Shaikh was a 6’2’’, 195 pound left-handed left fielder from Timargara, Pakistan; a city of 47,600 people in the country’s north. He was the first Pakistani inducted into MLB’s Hall of Fame and was one of the few in world history to get inducted into a league that he didn’t begin his career in. Shaikh got the nickname “Deacon” in the United States for his booming, preacher-like manner of speaking.

Shaikh was an outstanding home run hitter and was especially dominant facing right-handed pitching with a career .957 OPS and 165 wRC+. He wasn’t bad against lefties with .793 OPS and 126 wRC+. On the whole, Shaikh graded as a very solid contact hitter with a great eye for drawing walks and decent strikeout rate. His power was concentrated on dingers with 41 home runs and 22 doubles per his 162 game average. Shaikh was comically slow and sluggish on the basepaths, so he wasn’t going to leg out many extra bags.

Around 70% of Shaikh’s career starts were in left field, but he was an awful defender. He played some first base near the end of his career and was only marginally better. About 20% of his starts were as a designated hitter, but most teams were content to keep him in left mostly. Shaikh had excellent durability, playing 140+ games each year from 1998-2012. He was one of the few in baseball history to play in 24 different seasons and nearly competed in four different decades.

On top of his hitting prowess, Shaikh was a true fan favorite for his intelligence, work ethic, and selflessness. He became beloved at every stop and became one of the most famous baseball stars to come out of Pakistan. Shaikh pulled that off despite never playing for a pro team in his home country, splitting his career between Turkey and the United States.

Despite that, Shaikh proudly represented Pakistan from 1999-2017 in the World Baseball Championship. He did so with impressive stats over 176 games and 148 starts with 147 hits, 101 runs, 16 doubles, 56 home runs, 119 RBI, 81 walks, .272/.392/.617 slash, 190 wRC+, and 9.5 WAR. Shaikh led Pakistan to a fourth place in 2007 and third place in 2010. In 2001, he was second in MVP voting with 1.822 OPS over nine games, 14 hits, 13 runs, 8 homers, 15 RBI, 1.6 WAR, and 412 wRC+.

As of 2037 among Pakistanis, Shaikh ranks 2^nd in WAR among position players, 3^rd in hits, 2^nd in runs, 2^nd in homers, and 1^st in RBI. He’s also 2^nd in games played and is the only Pakistani with an OPS above one with more than 100 at-bats. Shaikh ranks 49^th in WAR among all position players, 78^th in homers, and 73^rd in RBI.

Shaikh’s professional career began in Turkey with Ankara, who spotted him despite humble beginnings and signed him to a developmental deal in December 1992. After three years in the Alouettes’ academy, Shaikh debuted in the Asian Baseball Federation in 1996 at age 20 with 59 games and 7 starts, although he struggled in limited use. He saw 35 games and 14 starts in 1997 with better results. Shaikh got a full-time roster spot in 1998 and started 109 games, but still wasn’t quite ready with a -0.2 WAR season.

Ankara gave him the full-time job in 1999 and he put it all together with a 5.8 WAR effort. He led the league in walks thrice for the Alouettes (1999, 2001, 2002). Shaikh emerged as a top flight player in 2001 and 2002, leading both years in runs scored and on-base percentage. Both seasons had 9+ WAR, 45+ homers, 100+ RBI, and an OPS above one. Shaikh was second in MVP voting both seasons. 2002 had his career highs in runs (125), OPS (1.076), and WAR (9.7).

Shaikh’s efforts and the expanded playoffs starting in 2000 helped Ankara go on a six-year playoff streak from 2000-05. They had only first round exits from 2000-02, although Shaikh was great in his limited sample size with 14 starts, 1.079 OPS, and 1.0 WAR. His final Ankara years and his excellent 2001 World Baseball Championship effort put Shaikh on the radar for franchises around the world. He decided not to re-sign with the Alouettes and entered free agency for 2003 heading towards age 27.

With Ankara, Shaikh had 779 hits, 472 runs, 153 doubles, 184 home runs, 467 RBI, 408 walks, .282/.386/.542 slash, 168 wRC+, and 31.7 WAR. He was still much younger than most international stars hitting free agency for the first time, putting Shaikh in high demand. He joined Major League Baseball and landed in Tennessee on a four-year, $37,500,000 deal with Nashville. The Knights had won the World Series in 2001 and were the American Association’s runner-up in 2002.

Shaikh debuted with 44 home runs and 3.9 WAR, then had 38 homers and 5.6 WAR in 2004. He won his first Silver Slugger in 2004 as a DH. Nashville just missed the playoffs in 2003, then won the division and lost in the second round of 2004. Two years in, Shaikh decided to opt-out and return to free agency heading towards age 29. With Nashville, he had 315 hits, 189 runs, 46 doubles, 82 home runs, 199 RBI, .275/.371/.536 slash, 143 wRC+, and 9.5 WAR.

Next was a four-year, $45,500,000 deal with Houston, who had won three straight division titles. Shaikh also only spent two years with the Hornets, but was far more dominant than with the Knights. He won a Silver Slugger in 2006 and took second in MVP voting, leading the AA in homers (53), RBI (132), runs (123), total bases (398), slugging (.649), and wRC+ (180). Houston lost in the second round in 2005 and fell incidentally to Nashville in the 2006 AACS. In 19 playoff starts, Shaikh had 26 hits, 12 runs, 5 doubles, 4 homers, 12 RBI, .942 OPS, and 1.1 WAR.

Shaikh again left and for 2007 signed a six-year, $87,400,000 deal with Los Angeles. This started his most famous run shortly before turning 31. In 2008, Shaikh led the American Association with a career-best 59 home runs and won his third Silver Slugger. He led in both homers and RBI in 2012 with 51 and 143. Shaikh also hit 50 homers in 2008 and 52 in 2011.

2010 saw Los Angeles end an 11-year playoff drought, although they lost in the first round in both 2010 and 2011. After the 2010 season, Shaikh opted out of his contract but signed a new four-year, $73,800,000 deal with the Angels. They lost in the second round in 2012 as a wild card.

LA exploded in 2013 for a 119-43 record, the second-most wins in MLB history. However, the Angels were stunned with a second round upset loss to Phoenix. Los Angeles won 100 games in 2014 as a wild card behind the Firebirds in the Southwest Division, eventually losing the AACS to Phoenix. Shaikh was underwhelming in his Angels playoff trips with 27 starts, 21 hits, 10 runs, 2 doubles, 3 home runs, 12 RBI, .226/.301/.366 slash, 83 wRC+, and 0.2 WAR.

Shaikh missed most of the 2014 season between a torn quadriceps and fractured finger, but did make it back for the playoffs. Although he may have underperformed in the playoffs, Shaikh’s regular season numbers were quite good and he was beloved by Angels fans. With LA he had 1092 hits, 669 runs, 115 doubles, 320 home runs, 769 RBI, 393 walks, .281/.365/.562 slash, 155 wRC+, and 35.4 WAR. The Angels retired his #34 uniform at the end of his career for his eight-year efforts.

After the 2014 season, Shaikh was now 38-years old and a free agent again. Houston brought him back on a one-year deal and he returned to form with 40 home runs and 5.9 WAR. Between the Hornets stints, Shaikh had 545 hits, 314 runs, 70 doubles, 138 home runs, 326 RBI, 187 walks, .307/.389/.590 slash, 163 wRC+, and 19.4 WAR.

Shaikh signed for two years and $35,200,000 with Atlanta in 2016. Back issues cost him a chunk of 2016, but he still managed 3.1 WAR over 109 games. The Aces traded him in the offseason though to St. Louis, where he put up similar stats in 2017. The Cardinals extended Shaikh for two-years and $21,000,000 and used him in a platoon role for 2018. He was reduced to the bench completely though in 2019.

Although he only played 70 games and started one in 2019, Shaikh hit four homers; becoming the 26^th member of MLB’s 600 home run club. For the Cardinals, Shaikh had 199 hits, 124 runs, 21 doubles, 54 home runs, 114 RBI, 85 walks, a .233/.321/.457 slash, 139 wRC, and 5.6 WAR. Those were still pretty solid numbers from a guy in his 40s. Shaikh retired after the 2019 campaign at age 43.

In MLB, Shaikh played 2274 games with 2253 hits, 1356 runs, 272 doubles, 617 home runs, 1472 RBI, 850 walks, a .280/.366/.551 slash, 153 wRC+, and 73.1 WAR. As of 2037, Shaikh ranks 47^th in homers, but misses the top 100 in other stats. Still, it is worth a reminder that his MLB run started in his age 27 season. Some think Shaikh could have been the first to break Elijah Cashman’s long-standing home run record had he been in MLB from the beginning.

Counting his ABF stats, Shaikh had 3131 games, 3032 hits, 1828 runs, 425 doubles, 801 home runs, 1939 RBI, 1258 walks, .281/.372/.549 slash, 157 wRC+, and 104.7 WAR. That stat line would make him an easy lock and most MLB Hall of Fame voters gave him at least some credit for the Ankara run. Shaikh wasn’t an inner circle guy, but the voters felt he was worthy of the first ballot selection at 83.9%, joining the three-player 2025 class.

Easton “Kingfish” MacGregor – Starting Pitcher – Memphis Mountain Cats – 77.9% First Ballot

Easton MacGregor was a 6’8’’, 205 pound left-handed pitcher from Warren, Michigan; a Detroit suburb with around 139,000 people. MacGregor had very solid stuff and movement along with great control. His fastball peaked at 96-98 mph and was his best pitch. MacGregor also had a stellar changeup along with a nice splitter and okay curveball. For reasons never really explained, he earned the nickname “Kingfish.”

MacGregor’s stamina was quite good early in his career and he had excellent durability for most of his run. He tossed 215+ innings each year from 2005-17. MacGregor had a very good pickoff move, but was a weaker defender. He was a team captain who earned tons of respect for his leadership, loyalty, and work ethic. MacGregor wasn’t a megastar with fans, but he was a favorite among players and coaches.

Nothing gets scouts more excited than seeing a tall lefty. MacGregor had a lot of potential from the start, but most teams figured that he’d attend college. Straight out of Detroit Community High School, Memphis picked MacGregor in the sixth round of the 2000 MLB Draft. He was the 294^th overall pick and would be the latest-ever draft pick to earn induction into the MLB Hall of Fame. Rarely even did guys picked that late even make the roster.

MacGregor decided to sign with the Mountain Cats and skip college, spending four years in minor league Jackson. He struggled there and clearly wasn’t ready for pro baseball yet. Still, MacGregor’s high character allowed him to take his lumps and power on. He debuted for Memphis with four poor relief appearances in 2004 at age 21. The Mountain Cats didn’t give up on MacGregor, debuting him with good results as a full-time starter in 2005. He did get rocked in his one playoff start, allowing six runs in 5.2 innings.

Memphis was mostly mediocre despite MacGregor’s efforts. The 2005 first round exit had ended a 12-year playoff drought. They won their division but lost in the second round of 2007’s postseason. Unfortunately, that was their final winning season for two decades. You certainly couldn’t blame MacGregor for the team’s failings, as he had seven seasons above 5+ WAR.

MacGregor’s best effort came in 2008 with his lone ERA title at 2.23. He also had his career bests in strikeouts (238), innings (290.1), and WAR (9.2), but finished third in Pitcher of the Year voting. During the campaign, Memphis signed him to a six-year, $59,900,000 extension. MacGregor was third again in 2009 with a 2.34 ERA effort and 7.6 WAR.

His production dipped a bit for the remaining Memphis seasons, but MacGregor remained a good starter. For the Mountain Cats, MacGregor finished with a 142-111 record, 3.13 ERA, 2399.2 innings, 1915 strikeouts, 479 walks, 121 ERA+, and 57.2 WAR. Memphis would later retire his #8 uniform for efforts. The struggling Mountain Cats decided to move on from MacGregor after the 2013 season, trading him to Philadelphia for two prospects.

MacGregor started with the Phillies at age 31, joining a team that had won back-to-back National Association pennants and had won the World Series in 2012. Philadelphia wanted him long-term from the start and before his first start gave MacGregor a five-year, $116 million extension. Philly remained competitive with five playoff berths from 2014-19, although they never made it beyond the second round. In 46 playoff innings, MacGregor was quite good with a 1.96 ERA, 49 strikeouts, and 1.8 WAR.

In 2015, MacGregor finished second in Pitcher of the Year voting with a 2.23 ERA, 70.0 WAR season. Then in 2016, he posted his career best ERA at 2.16 and led in wins for the only time at 21-7, which earned MacGregor his lone Pitcher of the Year win. He was solid again in 2017 and 2018, but lost some time in 2018 due to shoulder inflammation.

MacGregor had one year left on his deal, but Philadelphia voided the team option year and sent him to free agency at age 36. In five seasons, he had an 81-48 record, 2.62 ERA, 1208 innings, 1040 strikeouts, 153 walks, 133 ERA+, and 27.9 WAR. MacGregor was generally well liked by Phillies fans for his efforts and had interested teams for 2019. He ended up inking a two-year, $35,800,000 deal with Dallas.

He still ate innings that year for the Dalmatians for 4.4 WAR, but his ERA rose to 3.92, the second-worst of his career. Dallas traded him in the offseason to San Francisco for two prospects. Sadly, MacGregor never pitched for the Gold Rush as he suffered a partially torn UCL in spring training 2020. Instead of trying to make a comeback, MacGregor retired shortly after his 38^th birthday.

MacGregor finished with a 3.02 ERA, 234-174 record, 3853.1 innings, 3129 strikeouts, 675 walks, 309/476 quality starts, 237 complete games, 45 shutouts, 123 ERA+, and 89.5 WAR. As of 2037, MacGregor ranks 89^th in wins, 83^rd in strikeouts, 34^th in complete games, 45^th in shutouts, and 65^th in WAR amongst pitchers.

He was rarely considered THE guy, but MacGregor was a solid top ten to top five level pitcher for much of his career. He hit most of the minimum pre-requisite milestones and had a Pitcher of the Year award and an ERA title. MacGregor had garnered plenty of respect within the game and it got him 77.9% and a first ballot induction to cap off Major League Baseball’s 2025 Hall of Fame class.

02-04-2025, 11:49 AM	#2038
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,892	2025 MLB Hall of Fame (Part 2) Ustad “Deacon” Shaikh – Left Field – Los Angeles Angels – 83.9% First Ballot Ustad Shaikh was a 6’2’’, 195 pound left-handed left fielder from Timargara, Pakistan; a city of 47,600 people in the country’s north. He was the first Pakistani inducted into MLB’s Hall of Fame and was one of the few in world history to get inducted into a league that he didn’t begin his career in. Shaikh got the nickname “Deacon” in the United States for his booming, preacher-like manner of speaking. Shaikh was an outstanding home run hitter and was especially dominant facing right-handed pitching with a career .957 OPS and 165 wRC+. He wasn’t bad against lefties with .793 OPS and 126 wRC+. On the whole, Shaikh graded as a very solid contact hitter with a great eye for drawing walks and decent strikeout rate. His power was concentrated on dingers with 41 home runs and 22 doubles per his 162 game average. Shaikh was comically slow and sluggish on the basepaths, so he wasn’t going to leg out many extra bags. Around 70% of Shaikh’s career starts were in left field, but he was an awful defender. He played some first base near the end of his career and was only marginally better. About 20% of his starts were as a designated hitter, but most teams were content to keep him in left mostly. Shaikh had excellent durability, playing 140+ games each year from 1998-2012. He was one of the few in baseball history to play in 24 different seasons and nearly competed in four different decades. On top of his hitting prowess, Shaikh was a true fan favorite for his intelligence, work ethic, and selflessness. He became beloved at every stop and became one of the most famous baseball stars to come out of Pakistan. Shaikh pulled that off despite never playing for a pro team in his home country, splitting his career between Turkey and the United States. Despite that, Shaikh proudly represented Pakistan from 1999-2017 in the World Baseball Championship. He did so with impressive stats over 176 games and 148 starts with 147 hits, 101 runs, 16 doubles, 56 home runs, 119 RBI, 81 walks, .272/.392/.617 slash, 190 wRC+, and 9.5 WAR. Shaikh led Pakistan to a fourth place in 2007 and third place in 2010. In 2001, he was second in MVP voting with 1.822 OPS over nine games, 14 hits, 13 runs, 8 homers, 15 RBI, 1.6 WAR, and 412 wRC+. As of 2037 among Pakistanis, Shaikh ranks 2^nd in WAR among position players, 3^rd in hits, 2^nd in runs, 2^nd in homers, and 1^st in RBI. He’s also 2^nd in games played and is the only Pakistani with an OPS above one with more than 100 at-bats. Shaikh ranks 49^th in WAR among all position players, 78^th in homers, and 73^rd in RBI. Shaikh’s professional career began in Turkey with Ankara, who spotted him despite humble beginnings and signed him to a developmental deal in December 1992. After three years in the Alouettes’ academy, Shaikh debuted in the Asian Baseball Federation in 1996 at age 20 with 59 games and 7 starts, although he struggled in limited use. He saw 35 games and 14 starts in 1997 with better results. Shaikh got a full-time roster spot in 1998 and started 109 games, but still wasn’t quite ready with a -0.2 WAR season. Ankara gave him the full-time job in 1999 and he put it all together with a 5.8 WAR effort. He led the league in walks thrice for the Alouettes (1999, 2001, 2002). Shaikh emerged as a top flight player in 2001 and 2002, leading both years in runs scored and on-base percentage. Both seasons had 9+ WAR, 45+ homers, 100+ RBI, and an OPS above one. Shaikh was second in MVP voting both seasons. 2002 had his career highs in runs (125), OPS (1.076), and WAR (9.7). Shaikh’s efforts and the expanded playoffs starting in 2000 helped Ankara go on a six-year playoff streak from 2000-05. They had only first round exits from 2000-02, although Shaikh was great in his limited sample size with 14 starts, 1.079 OPS, and 1.0 WAR. His final Ankara years and his excellent 2001 World Baseball Championship effort put Shaikh on the radar for franchises around the world. He decided not to re-sign with the Alouettes and entered free agency for 2003 heading towards age 27. With Ankara, Shaikh had 779 hits, 472 runs, 153 doubles, 184 home runs, 467 RBI, 408 walks, .282/.386/.542 slash, 168 wRC+, and 31.7 WAR. He was still much younger than most international stars hitting free agency for the first time, putting Shaikh in high demand. He joined Major League Baseball and landed in Tennessee on a four-year, $37,500,000 deal with Nashville. The Knights had won the World Series in 2001 and were the American Association’s runner-up in 2002. Shaikh debuted with 44 home runs and 3.9 WAR, then had 38 homers and 5.6 WAR in 2004. He won his first Silver Slugger in 2004 as a DH. Nashville just missed the playoffs in 2003, then won the division and lost in the second round of 2004. Two years in, Shaikh decided to opt-out and return to free agency heading towards age 29. With Nashville, he had 315 hits, 189 runs, 46 doubles, 82 home runs, 199 RBI, .275/.371/.536 slash, 143 wRC+, and 9.5 WAR. Next was a four-year, $45,500,000 deal with Houston, who had won three straight division titles. Shaikh also only spent two years with the Hornets, but was far more dominant than with the Knights. He won a Silver Slugger in 2006 and took second in MVP voting, leading the AA in homers (53), RBI (132), runs (123), total bases (398), slugging (.649), and wRC+ (180). Houston lost in the second round in 2005 and fell incidentally to Nashville in the 2006 AACS. In 19 playoff starts, Shaikh had 26 hits, 12 runs, 5 doubles, 4 homers, 12 RBI, .942 OPS, and 1.1 WAR. Shaikh again left and for 2007 signed a six-year, $87,400,000 deal with Los Angeles. This started his most famous run shortly before turning 31. In 2008, Shaikh led the American Association with a career-best 59 home runs and won his third Silver Slugger. He led in both homers and RBI in 2012 with 51 and 143. Shaikh also hit 50 homers in 2008 and 52 in 2011. 2010 saw Los Angeles end an 11-year playoff drought, although they lost in the first round in both 2010 and 2011. After the 2010 season, Shaikh opted out of his contract but signed a new four-year, $73,800,000 deal with the Angels. They lost in the second round in 2012 as a wild card. LA exploded in 2013 for a 119-43 record, the second-most wins in MLB history. However, the Angels were stunned with a second round upset loss to Phoenix. Los Angeles won 100 games in 2014 as a wild card behind the Firebirds in the Southwest Division, eventually losing the AACS to Phoenix. Shaikh was underwhelming in his Angels playoff trips with 27 starts, 21 hits, 10 runs, 2 doubles, 3 home runs, 12 RBI, .226/.301/.366 slash, 83 wRC+, and 0.2 WAR. Shaikh missed most of the 2014 season between a torn quadriceps and fractured finger, but did make it back for the playoffs. Although he may have underperformed in the playoffs, Shaikh’s regular season numbers were quite good and he was beloved by Angels fans. With LA he had 1092 hits, 669 runs, 115 doubles, 320 home runs, 769 RBI, 393 walks, .281/.365/.562 slash, 155 wRC+, and 35.4 WAR. The Angels retired his #34 uniform at the end of his career for his eight-year efforts. After the 2014 season, Shaikh was now 38-years old and a free agent again. Houston brought him back on a one-year deal and he returned to form with 40 home runs and 5.9 WAR. Between the Hornets stints, Shaikh had 545 hits, 314 runs, 70 doubles, 138 home runs, 326 RBI, 187 walks, .307/.389/.590 slash, 163 wRC+, and 19.4 WAR. Shaikh signed for two years and $35,200,000 with Atlanta in 2016. Back issues cost him a chunk of 2016, but he still managed 3.1 WAR over 109 games. The Aces traded him in the offseason though to St. Louis, where he put up similar stats in 2017. The Cardinals extended Shaikh for two-years and $21,000,000 and used him in a platoon role for 2018. He was reduced to the bench completely though in 2019. Although he only played 70 games and started one in 2019, Shaikh hit four homers; becoming the 26^th member of MLB’s 600 home run club. For the Cardinals, Shaikh had 199 hits, 124 runs, 21 doubles, 54 home runs, 114 RBI, 85 walks, a .233/.321/.457 slash, 139 wRC, and 5.6 WAR. Those were still pretty solid numbers from a guy in his 40s. Shaikh retired after the 2019 campaign at age 43. In MLB, Shaikh played 2274 games with 2253 hits, 1356 runs, 272 doubles, 617 home runs, 1472 RBI, 850 walks, a .280/.366/.551 slash, 153 wRC+, and 73.1 WAR. As of 2037, Shaikh ranks 47^th in homers, but misses the top 100 in other stats. Still, it is worth a reminder that his MLB run started in his age 27 season. Some think Shaikh could have been the first to break Elijah Cashman’s long-standing home run record had he been in MLB from the beginning. Counting his ABF stats, Shaikh had 3131 games, 3032 hits, 1828 runs, 425 doubles, 801 home runs, 1939 RBI, 1258 walks, .281/.372/.549 slash, 157 wRC+, and 104.7 WAR. That stat line would make him an easy lock and most MLB Hall of Fame voters gave him at least some credit for the Ankara run. Shaikh wasn’t an inner circle guy, but the voters felt he was worthy of the first ballot selection at 83.9%, joining the three-player 2025 class. Easton “Kingfish” MacGregor – Starting Pitcher – Memphis Mountain Cats – 77.9% First Ballot Easton MacGregor was a 6’8’’, 205 pound left-handed pitcher from Warren, Michigan; a Detroit suburb with around 139,000 people. MacGregor had very solid stuff and movement along with great control. His fastball peaked at 96-98 mph and was his best pitch. MacGregor also had a stellar changeup along with a nice splitter and okay curveball. For reasons never really explained, he earned the nickname “Kingfish.” MacGregor’s stamina was quite good early in his career and he had excellent durability for most of his run. He tossed 215+ innings each year from 2005-17. MacGregor had a very good pickoff move, but was a weaker defender. He was a team captain who earned tons of respect for his leadership, loyalty, and work ethic. MacGregor wasn’t a megastar with fans, but he was a favorite among players and coaches. Nothing gets scouts more excited than seeing a tall lefty. MacGregor had a lot of potential from the start, but most teams figured that he’d attend college. Straight out of Detroit Community High School, Memphis picked MacGregor in the sixth round of the 2000 MLB Draft. He was the 294^th overall pick and would be the latest-ever draft pick to earn induction into the MLB Hall of Fame. Rarely even did guys picked that late even make the roster. MacGregor decided to sign with the Mountain Cats and skip college, spending four years in minor league Jackson. He struggled there and clearly wasn’t ready for pro baseball yet. Still, MacGregor’s high character allowed him to take his lumps and power on. He debuted for Memphis with four poor relief appearances in 2004 at age 21. The Mountain Cats didn’t give up on MacGregor, debuting him with good results as a full-time starter in 2005. He did get rocked in his one playoff start, allowing six runs in 5.2 innings. Memphis was mostly mediocre despite MacGregor’s efforts. The 2005 first round exit had ended a 12-year playoff drought. They won their division but lost in the second round of 2007’s postseason. Unfortunately, that was their final winning season for two decades. You certainly couldn’t blame MacGregor for the team’s failings, as he had seven seasons above 5+ WAR. MacGregor’s best effort came in 2008 with his lone ERA title at 2.23. He also had his career bests in strikeouts (238), innings (290.1), and WAR (9.2), but finished third in Pitcher of the Year voting. During the campaign, Memphis signed him to a six-year, $59,900,000 extension. MacGregor was third again in 2009 with a 2.34 ERA effort and 7.6 WAR. His production dipped a bit for the remaining Memphis seasons, but MacGregor remained a good starter. For the Mountain Cats, MacGregor finished with a 142-111 record, 3.13 ERA, 2399.2 innings, 1915 strikeouts, 479 walks, 121 ERA+, and 57.2 WAR. Memphis would later retire his #8 uniform for efforts. The struggling Mountain Cats decided to move on from MacGregor after the 2013 season, trading him to Philadelphia for two prospects. MacGregor started with the Phillies at age 31, joining a team that had won back-to-back National Association pennants and had won the World Series in 2012. Philadelphia wanted him long-term from the start and before his first start gave MacGregor a five-year, $116 million extension. Philly remained competitive with five playoff berths from 2014-19, although they never made it beyond the second round. In 46 playoff innings, MacGregor was quite good with a 1.96 ERA, 49 strikeouts, and 1.8 WAR. In 2015, MacGregor finished second in Pitcher of the Year voting with a 2.23 ERA, 70.0 WAR season. Then in 2016, he posted his career best ERA at 2.16 and led in wins for the only time at 21-7, which earned MacGregor his lone Pitcher of the Year win. He was solid again in 2017 and 2018, but lost some time in 2018 due to shoulder inflammation. MacGregor had one year left on his deal, but Philadelphia voided the team option year and sent him to free agency at age 36. In five seasons, he had an 81-48 record, 2.62 ERA, 1208 innings, 1040 strikeouts, 153 walks, 133 ERA+, and 27.9 WAR. MacGregor was generally well liked by Phillies fans for his efforts and had interested teams for 2019. He ended up inking a two-year, $35,800,000 deal with Dallas. He still ate innings that year for the Dalmatians for 4.4 WAR, but his ERA rose to 3.92, the second-worst of his career. Dallas traded him in the offseason to San Francisco for two prospects. Sadly, MacGregor never pitched for the Gold Rush as he suffered a partially torn UCL in spring training 2020. Instead of trying to make a comeback, MacGregor retired shortly after his 38^th birthday. MacGregor finished with a 3.02 ERA, 234-174 record, 3853.1 innings, 3129 strikeouts, 675 walks, 309/476 quality starts, 237 complete games, 45 shutouts, 123 ERA+, and 89.5 WAR. As of 2037, MacGregor ranks 89^th in wins, 83^rd in strikeouts, 34^th in complete games, 45^th in shutouts, and 65^th in WAR amongst pitchers. He was rarely considered THE guy, but MacGregor was a solid top ten to top five level pitcher for much of his career. He hit most of the minimum pre-requisite milestones and had a Pitcher of the Year award and an ERA title. MacGregor had garnered plenty of respect within the game and it got him 77.9% and a first ballot induction to cap off Major League Baseball’s 2025 Hall of Fame class. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)