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FuzzyRussianHat · 03-03-2025, 05:45 AM

Ryan “Splatter” Skramesto – Right Field/Designated Hitter – 68.7% First Ballot

Ryan Skramesto was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed right fielder from Baerum, Norway; an affluent suburb of Oslo with around 128,000 people. Skramesto was known for steady and strong home run power with 46 dingers per his 162 game average. He was an above average to occasionally good contact hitter with middling marks for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts.

Skramesto had notable splits with more success facing right-handed arms (.898 OPS, 146 wRC+) compared to lefties (.712 OPS, 102 wRC+). His gap power was also underwhelming with only 22 doubles per 162 games. Skramesto’s ability for extra bags was greatly limited by truly putrid speed and baserunning. The nickname “Splatter” usually was a positive one related to his homers, but was sometimes considered derisively towards his sluggishness running.

He spent the first decade of his career playing right field exclusively, where he was a poor defender. After that, Skramesto was a full-time designated hitter with only occasional field work. Excellent durability and a great work ethic helped Skramesto succeed even with his deficiencies. He was also an excellent leader and team captain for much of his run, earning tremendous respect from peers and fans alike.

For most of MLB’s existence, players born outside the United States or Canada had to go through the American college ranks if they wanted to start their careers with Major League Baseball. That was the path Cody Lim followed from Malaysia, for example. But by the end of the 20^th Century, MLB teams became permitted to sign international prospects to developmental academy deals. It was often hard to poach from local competition or even spot talent abroad, but many squads became quite skilled at it.

Skramesto was one of these players who managed to get on the radar of an MLB scout with his exploits at camps in Oslo. They convinced him to move from the colder northern latitudes of Norway down into the warm desert of Las Vegas, inking a deal in July 1999. In 2002 at age 18, Skramesto was brought up to the Vipers’ minor league affiliate in Reno. He started three years there, even winning a Silver Slugger in 2004 with a third place in MVP voting.

That effort got Skramesto promoted to the big club for 2005. He only played 97 games and started 65, but still managed 29 homers and 4.0 WAR. Skramesto was a full-timer after that and started an eight-year streak of 40+ home run seasons, topping 50+ in five campaigns. Skramesto led the American Association in total bases (387), and slugging (.653) in 2010, his only time as a leader. Those were career bests, as was his 1.020 OPS and 7.8 WAR. It was Skramesto’s only time as an MVP finalist, finishing second. He won Silver Sluggers in 2008, 2010, and 2013.

Las Vegas’s first playoff berth with Skramesto was a second round exit in 2009, a feat they matched in 2010. The Vipers wouldn’t post another losing season during Skramesto’s run, but they had trouble breaking through against a loaded Southwest Division. The Vipers realized he was a key piece of the puzzle and signed Skramesto to an eight-year, $99,700,000 extension after the 2009 season.

The Vipers missed the playoffs five times from 2011-16, only making it with a first round exit in 2015. They started a five-year streak from 2017-21 and finally broke through as a wild card in 2018. Las Vegas won the American Association pennant, losing the World Series to Kansas City. Skramesto’s bat was notably diminished though by this point, although his leadership was still quite valuable. Over 43 career playoff games, Skramesto had 33 hits, 22 runs, 3 doubles, 9 homers, 18 RBI, .236/.321/.450 slash, 118 wRC+, and 0.7 WAR.

Although his playoff run in 2018 was unremarkable, Skramesto was excellent in the Baseball Grand Championship over 19 starts with 8 homers, 20 RBI, 18 hits, 13 runs, 1.056 OPS, and 215 wRC+. The Vipers finished 10-9, tied with four other teams for the seventh spot. Skramesto had also gotten to play on the World Baseball Championship stage for his native Norway from 2013-22 with 77 games, 57 hits, 37 runs, 5 doubles, 22 home runs, 41 RBI, .810 OPS, and 2.0 WAR.

Las Vegas had a second round exit in 2019, then an AACS loss in 2020 to Denver. This marked the end of Skramesto’s time in Sin City, although it wasn’t by direct choice. The now 37-year old aging slugger wasn’t protected in the 2020 expansion draft, getting taken 12^th overall by the new Halifax Hound Dogs. For the Vipers, Skramesto had 2424 games, 2357 hits, 1368 runs, 333 doubles, 698 home runs, 1615 RBI, .265/.319/.541 slash, 136 wRC+, and 61.3 WAR.

Skramesto was used only in a part-time role for Halifax, as the National Association didn’t have the DH option. In 103 games and 49 starts, he had 0.8 WAR and .796 OPS. Skramesto’s 12 homers did make him the sixth member of the 700 home run club. He was a free agent for 2022, but most teams didn’t feel his bat was good enough anymore to justify the roster spot. After going unsigned, Skramesto retired at age 39.

The final stats for Skramesto had 2527 games, 2418 hits, 1398 runs, 343 doubles, 710 home runs, 1652 RBI, 659 walks, 1545 strikeouts, .265/.318/.540 slash, 137 wRC+, and 62.1 WAR. As of 2037, Skramesto ranks 16^th in homers, 76^th in RBI, and 97^th in total bases (4927), He doesn’t crack the top 100 in any other spot, which made certain voters leery. Others gave him a penalty for spending 1/3 of his career as a DH and for a general lack of big awards or black ink.

Most voters saw “700 home runs” and immediately filled in the yes bubble. That was a magic number even with the league’s tallies going up broadly. Even if Skramesto wasn’t exceptional at much beyond homers, few in MLB’s lengthy history did it better. Skramesto was a first ballot selection for the 2027 Hall of Fame class, although he barely crossed the 66% requirement at 68.7%. Still, that earned him his spot among Major League Baseball’s celebrated greats.

Adrian Vega – Second Base – Detroit Tigers – 67.5% Seventh Ballot

Adrian Vega was a 6’0’’, 185 pound right-handed second baseman from the capital of Peru, Lima. Vega was a good to occasionally great contact hitter both ways with an excellent eye. He was one of the best in his era at both drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Vega never had prolific power, but had more of a pop than many other second basemen. His 162 game average got you 29 home runs, 23 doubles, and 3 triples. Vega was a great baserunner, but his top speed was merely below average.

Vega played shortstop early in his career, but struggled there with poor range. He was switched to second base full time shortly after joining Detroit and stayed there apart from his final season at first base. Vega wasn’t exceptional at 2B, but he was reliably average to solid. It wasn’t easy to find guys who could hit like Vega without being a defensive liability. He also physically held up fairly well over 20 years at a demanding spot. The main knock on Vega was for a poor work ethic, but that didn’t keep him from an excellent career.

It was helpful that Vega grew up in a huge metro like Lima, as this raised his profile with international scouts. One of them convinced Vega to leave Peru as a teenager for the big allure of Major League Baseball and the United States. Although Cleveland isn’t the most glamorous American metro, they solid it to Vega and he signed in April 1991. His minor league career began in 1995 at age 20 with Akron.

Vega bounced between the minors and majors for his first few years, including 5.2 WAR in 1999 despite only 105 games and 77 starts. He earned a full-time gig at shortstop in 2000 and won a Silver Slugger. Vega only played 11 games and started 4 in the playoffs, but this helped Cleveland win the World Series in an upset over Seattle. The Cobras fell off though to 75-89 in 2001 and ended up being sellers at the trade deadline.

Cleveland sent Vega to Detroit for 1B, Kwang-Seok Kim, C Mike Tandyo, and a draft pick. For the Cobras, Vega finished with 637 games, 519 hits, 287 runs, 70 doubles, 102 home runs, 305 RBI, .270/.359/.478 slash, 154 wRC+, and 20.9 WAR. His most famous run would be in the Motor City, eventually signing an eight-year, $93,500,000 extension in April 2003.

The Tigers were a wild card in 2001, 2005, and 2007 with first round exits each year. Detroit won the division in 2008, only to fall in the second round. Vega had 14 playoff starts with a .796 OPS and 0.5 WAR. He did get to thrive for Peru as a World Baseball Championship regular from 1997-2015, playing 158 games with 145 hits, 80 runs, 27 doubles, 33 home runs, 71 RBI, 91 walks, .274/.383/.515 slash, 159 wRC+, and 7.0 WAR.

Vega won Silver Sluggers at second base for Detroit from 2002-07, posting 7+ WAR each of those seasons. He took second in 2004’s MVP voting, then won the honor in 2005 with National Association and career-bests in runs (107), OPS (.978), wRC+ (204), and WAR (10.2). Vega also had his highs in hits (189), home runs (36), RBI (117), and slugging (.573). He wasn’t a league leader or award winner beyond that, but the advanced metrics loved Vega in his Tigers run.

With Detroit, Vega played 1062 games with 1165 hits, 679 runs, 151 doubles, 222 home runs, 640 RBI, 499 walks, .305/.386/.530 slash, 181 wRC+, and 58.3 WAR. He surprised many by opting out of the remainder of his contract after the 2008 campaign, becoming a free agent at age 34. Vega stayed in the Midwest and joined St. Louis for $57,600,000 over four seasons.

The Cardinals were mid-tier during his run, as he came just before their 2014 and 2015 pennants. Vega had his first major injury setback in 2011 with severe shoulder inflammation requiring surgery, missing the entire campaign. Hamstring and back issues kept him out parts of 2012, but he had nice value still when healthy. For St. Louis, Vega played 426 games with 431 hits, 246 runs, 75 doubles, 75 home runs, 247 RBI, .281/.355/.483 slash, 156 wRC+, and 19.1 WAR.

Vega signed a three-year, $57,600,000 deal for 2013 with Austin. He had a nice first year for the Amigos, but his bat fell off to around league average in year two, giving him 4.6 WAR, .778 OPS, and 116 wRC+ over 253 games in Austin. He was traded in the last year of the deal with $6,700,000 to Virginia Beach for two prospects. Vega played 131 games with the Vikings and posted 1.3 WAR, .704 OPS, and 108 wRC+. He retired that winter at age 41.

The final tallies had 2509 games, 2477 hits, 1391 runs, 353 doubles, 42 triples, 455 home runs, 1351 RBI, 1060 walks, 119 stolen bases, .286/.364/.495 slash, 160 wRC+, and 104.2 WAR. As of 2037, Vega is 43^rd in WAR among position players, but he doesn’t crack the top 100 in any other stat. He was notably 7^th in WAR specifically accumulated at second base.

A stat like WAR appreciated Vega’s reliable defense, nice walk rate, and excellent strikeout rate. For voters that preferred the traditional counting stats, Vega’s resume was underwhelming. Second base also wasn’t the easiest to get traction at. Many voters thought Vega’s tallies simply weren’t impressive enough to be deserving of the nod. Supporters pointed out the WAR mark, but also the seven Silver Sluggers and the MVP win.

Vega was generally the best hitting 2B of his prime in the National Association, but that still didn’t win over some. Vega debuted on the 2021 ballot at 56.5%, then dropped to 48.1% in year two. He was basically stuck around 56-58% for the next four years with little movement. Vega’s seventh chance in 2027 got him a slight bump up to 67.5%, just high enough to sneak across the 66% requirement. With that, he capped off Major League Baseball’s three-player 2007 Hall of Fame class.

03-03-2025, 05:45 AM	#2119
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,039	2027 MLB Hall of Fame (Part 2) Ryan “Splatter” Skramesto – Right Field/Designated Hitter – 68.7% First Ballot Ryan Skramesto was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed right fielder from Baerum, Norway; an affluent suburb of Oslo with around 128,000 people. Skramesto was known for steady and strong home run power with 46 dingers per his 162 game average. He was an above average to occasionally good contact hitter with middling marks for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Skramesto had notable splits with more success facing right-handed arms (.898 OPS, 146 wRC+) compared to lefties (.712 OPS, 102 wRC+). His gap power was also underwhelming with only 22 doubles per 162 games. Skramesto’s ability for extra bags was greatly limited by truly putrid speed and baserunning. The nickname “Splatter” usually was a positive one related to his homers, but was sometimes considered derisively towards his sluggishness running. He spent the first decade of his career playing right field exclusively, where he was a poor defender. After that, Skramesto was a full-time designated hitter with only occasional field work. Excellent durability and a great work ethic helped Skramesto succeed even with his deficiencies. He was also an excellent leader and team captain for much of his run, earning tremendous respect from peers and fans alike. For most of MLB’s existence, players born outside the United States or Canada had to go through the American college ranks if they wanted to start their careers with Major League Baseball. That was the path Cody Lim followed from Malaysia, for example. But by the end of the 20^th Century, MLB teams became permitted to sign international prospects to developmental academy deals. It was often hard to poach from local competition or even spot talent abroad, but many squads became quite skilled at it. Skramesto was one of these players who managed to get on the radar of an MLB scout with his exploits at camps in Oslo. They convinced him to move from the colder northern latitudes of Norway down into the warm desert of Las Vegas, inking a deal in July 1999. In 2002 at age 18, Skramesto was brought up to the Vipers’ minor league affiliate in Reno. He started three years there, even winning a Silver Slugger in 2004 with a third place in MVP voting. That effort got Skramesto promoted to the big club for 2005. He only played 97 games and started 65, but still managed 29 homers and 4.0 WAR. Skramesto was a full-timer after that and started an eight-year streak of 40+ home run seasons, topping 50+ in five campaigns. Skramesto led the American Association in total bases (387), and slugging (.653) in 2010, his only time as a leader. Those were career bests, as was his 1.020 OPS and 7.8 WAR. It was Skramesto’s only time as an MVP finalist, finishing second. He won Silver Sluggers in 2008, 2010, and 2013. Las Vegas’s first playoff berth with Skramesto was a second round exit in 2009, a feat they matched in 2010. The Vipers wouldn’t post another losing season during Skramesto’s run, but they had trouble breaking through against a loaded Southwest Division. The Vipers realized he was a key piece of the puzzle and signed Skramesto to an eight-year, $99,700,000 extension after the 2009 season. The Vipers missed the playoffs five times from 2011-16, only making it with a first round exit in 2015. They started a five-year streak from 2017-21 and finally broke through as a wild card in 2018. Las Vegas won the American Association pennant, losing the World Series to Kansas City. Skramesto’s bat was notably diminished though by this point, although his leadership was still quite valuable. Over 43 career playoff games, Skramesto had 33 hits, 22 runs, 3 doubles, 9 homers, 18 RBI, .236/.321/.450 slash, 118 wRC+, and 0.7 WAR. Although his playoff run in 2018 was unremarkable, Skramesto was excellent in the Baseball Grand Championship over 19 starts with 8 homers, 20 RBI, 18 hits, 13 runs, 1.056 OPS, and 215 wRC+. The Vipers finished 10-9, tied with four other teams for the seventh spot. Skramesto had also gotten to play on the World Baseball Championship stage for his native Norway from 2013-22 with 77 games, 57 hits, 37 runs, 5 doubles, 22 home runs, 41 RBI, .810 OPS, and 2.0 WAR. Las Vegas had a second round exit in 2019, then an AACS loss in 2020 to Denver. This marked the end of Skramesto’s time in Sin City, although it wasn’t by direct choice. The now 37-year old aging slugger wasn’t protected in the 2020 expansion draft, getting taken 12^th overall by the new Halifax Hound Dogs. For the Vipers, Skramesto had 2424 games, 2357 hits, 1368 runs, 333 doubles, 698 home runs, 1615 RBI, .265/.319/.541 slash, 136 wRC+, and 61.3 WAR. Skramesto was used only in a part-time role for Halifax, as the National Association didn’t have the DH option. In 103 games and 49 starts, he had 0.8 WAR and .796 OPS. Skramesto’s 12 homers did make him the sixth member of the 700 home run club. He was a free agent for 2022, but most teams didn’t feel his bat was good enough anymore to justify the roster spot. After going unsigned, Skramesto retired at age 39. The final stats for Skramesto had 2527 games, 2418 hits, 1398 runs, 343 doubles, 710 home runs, 1652 RBI, 659 walks, 1545 strikeouts, .265/.318/.540 slash, 137 wRC+, and 62.1 WAR. As of 2037, Skramesto ranks 16^th in homers, 76^th in RBI, and 97^th in total bases (4927), He doesn’t crack the top 100 in any other spot, which made certain voters leery. Others gave him a penalty for spending 1/3 of his career as a DH and for a general lack of big awards or black ink. Most voters saw “700 home runs” and immediately filled in the yes bubble. That was a magic number even with the league’s tallies going up broadly. Even if Skramesto wasn’t exceptional at much beyond homers, few in MLB’s lengthy history did it better. Skramesto was a first ballot selection for the 2027 Hall of Fame class, although he barely crossed the 66% requirement at 68.7%. Still, that earned him his spot among Major League Baseball’s celebrated greats. Adrian Vega – Second Base – Detroit Tigers – 67.5% Seventh Ballot Adrian Vega was a 6’0’’, 185 pound right-handed second baseman from the capital of Peru, Lima. Vega was a good to occasionally great contact hitter both ways with an excellent eye. He was one of the best in his era at both drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Vega never had prolific power, but had more of a pop than many other second basemen. His 162 game average got you 29 home runs, 23 doubles, and 3 triples. Vega was a great baserunner, but his top speed was merely below average. Vega played shortstop early in his career, but struggled there with poor range. He was switched to second base full time shortly after joining Detroit and stayed there apart from his final season at first base. Vega wasn’t exceptional at 2B, but he was reliably average to solid. It wasn’t easy to find guys who could hit like Vega without being a defensive liability. He also physically held up fairly well over 20 years at a demanding spot. The main knock on Vega was for a poor work ethic, but that didn’t keep him from an excellent career. It was helpful that Vega grew up in a huge metro like Lima, as this raised his profile with international scouts. One of them convinced Vega to leave Peru as a teenager for the big allure of Major League Baseball and the United States. Although Cleveland isn’t the most glamorous American metro, they solid it to Vega and he signed in April 1991. His minor league career began in 1995 at age 20 with Akron. Vega bounced between the minors and majors for his first few years, including 5.2 WAR in 1999 despite only 105 games and 77 starts. He earned a full-time gig at shortstop in 2000 and won a Silver Slugger. Vega only played 11 games and started 4 in the playoffs, but this helped Cleveland win the World Series in an upset over Seattle. The Cobras fell off though to 75-89 in 2001 and ended up being sellers at the trade deadline. Cleveland sent Vega to Detroit for 1B, Kwang-Seok Kim, C Mike Tandyo, and a draft pick. For the Cobras, Vega finished with 637 games, 519 hits, 287 runs, 70 doubles, 102 home runs, 305 RBI, .270/.359/.478 slash, 154 wRC+, and 20.9 WAR. His most famous run would be in the Motor City, eventually signing an eight-year, $93,500,000 extension in April 2003. The Tigers were a wild card in 2001, 2005, and 2007 with first round exits each year. Detroit won the division in 2008, only to fall in the second round. Vega had 14 playoff starts with a .796 OPS and 0.5 WAR. He did get to thrive for Peru as a World Baseball Championship regular from 1997-2015, playing 158 games with 145 hits, 80 runs, 27 doubles, 33 home runs, 71 RBI, 91 walks, .274/.383/.515 slash, 159 wRC+, and 7.0 WAR. Vega won Silver Sluggers at second base for Detroit from 2002-07, posting 7+ WAR each of those seasons. He took second in 2004’s MVP voting, then won the honor in 2005 with National Association and career-bests in runs (107), OPS (.978), wRC+ (204), and WAR (10.2). Vega also had his highs in hits (189), home runs (36), RBI (117), and slugging (.573). He wasn’t a league leader or award winner beyond that, but the advanced metrics loved Vega in his Tigers run. With Detroit, Vega played 1062 games with 1165 hits, 679 runs, 151 doubles, 222 home runs, 640 RBI, 499 walks, .305/.386/.530 slash, 181 wRC+, and 58.3 WAR. He surprised many by opting out of the remainder of his contract after the 2008 campaign, becoming a free agent at age 34. Vega stayed in the Midwest and joined St. Louis for $57,600,000 over four seasons. The Cardinals were mid-tier during his run, as he came just before their 2014 and 2015 pennants. Vega had his first major injury setback in 2011 with severe shoulder inflammation requiring surgery, missing the entire campaign. Hamstring and back issues kept him out parts of 2012, but he had nice value still when healthy. For St. Louis, Vega played 426 games with 431 hits, 246 runs, 75 doubles, 75 home runs, 247 RBI, .281/.355/.483 slash, 156 wRC+, and 19.1 WAR. Vega signed a three-year, $57,600,000 deal for 2013 with Austin. He had a nice first year for the Amigos, but his bat fell off to around league average in year two, giving him 4.6 WAR, .778 OPS, and 116 wRC+ over 253 games in Austin. He was traded in the last year of the deal with $6,700,000 to Virginia Beach for two prospects. Vega played 131 games with the Vikings and posted 1.3 WAR, .704 OPS, and 108 wRC+. He retired that winter at age 41. The final tallies had 2509 games, 2477 hits, 1391 runs, 353 doubles, 42 triples, 455 home runs, 1351 RBI, 1060 walks, 119 stolen bases, .286/.364/.495 slash, 160 wRC+, and 104.2 WAR. As of 2037, Vega is 43^rd in WAR among position players, but he doesn’t crack the top 100 in any other stat. He was notably 7^th in WAR specifically accumulated at second base. A stat like WAR appreciated Vega’s reliable defense, nice walk rate, and excellent strikeout rate. For voters that preferred the traditional counting stats, Vega’s resume was underwhelming. Second base also wasn’t the easiest to get traction at. Many voters thought Vega’s tallies simply weren’t impressive enough to be deserving of the nod. Supporters pointed out the WAR mark, but also the seven Silver Sluggers and the MVP win. Vega was generally the best hitting 2B of his prime in the National Association, but that still didn’t win over some. Vega debuted on the 2021 ballot at 56.5%, then dropped to 48.1% in year two. He was basically stuck around 56-58% for the next four years with little movement. Vega’s seventh chance in 2027 got him a slight bump up to 67.5%, just high enough to sneak across the 66% requirement. With that, he capped off Major League Baseball’s three-player 2007 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)