OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post

FuzzyRussianHat · 03-18-2025, 04:26 AM

Major League Baseball’s 2028 Hall of Fame class was an impressive one with four inductees. Three were absolute no-doubters with 1B Joran Mallery (99.1%), CF Morgan Short (98.8%), and SP Omari Green (96.5%). Joining them was SP Victor Burke, who finally got beyond the 66% requirement with 71.3% on his tenth and final opportunity.

CL Etzel Urban was the first to miss with a 62.5% debut. 3B Jeanpaul Vick had 59.8% for his ninth ballot. 3B Kieran Wilson was also on his penultimate chance and got 58.7%. CL Sebastian Gomez was the other guy above 50% with 50.7% on his fifth go. Three players would fall off the ballot after ten failed tries.

Among them was SP Jaxson Hardy, who peaked at 28.2% in his debut and ended at 10.0%. He won Pitcher of the Year in 2004 and had a 15-yaer career with Albuquerque, posting a 183-121 record, 3.22 ERA, 2819.2 innings, 2736 strikeouts, 618 walks, 120 ERA+, and 70.6 WAR. The pace was there for Hardy, but about half of his seasons were shortened by injuries, lowering his final accumulations. A few more healthy seasons probably gets him in or at least a closer look.

RF Olen Lack got as close at 54.3% in his debut, but was down to a mere 8.2% at the end. He had 20 seasons with Seattle and one with Atlanta, winning five Gold Gloves and one Silver Slugger. Lack had 3014 games, 3271 hits, 1873 runs, 404 doubles, 120 triples, 446 home runs, 1559 RBI, 1240 walks, 718 stolen bases, .281/.351/.452 slash, 117 wRC+, and 82.7 WAR. The totals were impressive, but he was dismissed as a compiler by some voters. His lack of dominance and black ink put his resume behind his competition.

SP Stan Miller debuted at 38.1%, but was down to 6.2% by his tenth ballot. He had a 17-year career with Cleveland with a 224-168 record, 2.99 ERA, 3998.1 innings, 2729 strikeouts, 854 walks, 112 ERA+, and 65.0 WAR. Miller had longevity, but lacked the raw dominance and never was a Pitcher of the Year finalist. Thus, he fit into the “Hall of Pretty Good” space.

Dieudonne Guegan was worth a mention, falling off on his eighth ballot at 5.0%. He was a two-way whose career was evenly split between MLB and CABA, keeping his stats in either league too low to have a chance. His combined pitching though saw a 220-169 record, 3.07 ERA, 3674.2 innings, 3752 strikeouts, 857 walks, 122 ERA+, and 84.9 WAR. He notably led his league four times in strikeouts. Guegan also had 980 games and 608 starts in the field with 13.8 WAR, .804 OPS, and 121 wRC+. If those totals all came in one league, Guegan probably has a good shot. He also won a World Series with Tampa and CABA Championship with Juarez.

SP Timothy Shibuya was also worth a quick mention, falling below 5% on his ninth ballot. He had a 183-148 record, 3.07 ERA, 3037.1 innings, 2667 strikeouts, 116 ERA+, and 61.8 WAR. Shibuya had two ERA titles and a Pitcher of the Year in 2008 with Winnipeg. He declined quickly after an age 30 labrum tear, preventing Shibuya from getting the bigger totals needed to make the cut.

Joran “Hat” Mallery – First Base – Boston Red Sox – 99.1% First Ballot

Joran Mallery was a 6’9’’, 200 pound left-handed first baseman from Merrimack, New Hampshire; a town of 26,000 people. He was nicknamed “Hat” for his fondness of oversized hats (they’re funny because they’re bigger than a normal hat.) Mallery was a great contact hitter with a solid eye for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. His gap power was especially impressive, leading the league in doubles seven times.

Mallery’s home run power wasn’t prolific, but it was steady. His 162 game average got you 27 homers, 33 doubles, and 2 triples. It shows how great his gap power was to get so many doubles despite putrid speed and baserunning. Mallery fared notably better acing right-handed pitching (.898 OPS, 166 wRC+) compared to lefties (.717 OPS, 114 wRC+).

Defensively, Mallery only ever played first base, a spot perfect for his long 6’9’’ frame. He was a consistently good-to-great defender and won three Gold Gloves. Mallery also had outstanding durability, starting 144+ games in all but his first and final seasons. He was very steady and consistent, proving great value over a 21-year career.

Mallery attended the University of Wisconsin and over three seasons had 146 games, 170 hits, 106 runs, 27 doubles, 46 home runs, 118 RBI, .311/.390/.614 slash, 195 wRC+, and 9.6 WAR. Despite a solid showing, he wasn’t considered a first round prospect by many scouts. Mallery was picked by Boston 10^th in the second round, 70^th overall in the 2002 MLB Draft. He played 93 games and started 79 as a rookie with excellent production, posting a 4.4 WAR and .962 OPS. Mallery was second in Rookie of the Year voting and had a full-time job from 2004 onward.

In his first full year starting, Mallery earned 2004 MVP honors and a Silver Slugger. He led the National Association in runs (112), hits (217), total bases (341), and WAR (9.0) and had a 31-game hitting streak in the late spring. Boston ended a six-year playoff drought and got to the NACS, but fell to Winnipeg. The Red Sox fell to .500 in 2005, but Mallery again won a Silver Slugger. He led in hits (206), doubles (47) and batting average (.344).

Mallery won his second MVP and third Slugger in 2026 as the WARlord (9.4) and doubles leader (41). This year also had his career high 35 home runs. Boston started a five-year playoff streak, although they didn’t get beyond round two from 2006-09. Mallery was second in MVP voting in 2008 with his career best WAR at 10.1. He also had career highs in hits (233), batting average (.363), and OBP (.419). Prior to the 2008 campaign, the Red Sox signed Mallery to an eight-year, $98,700,000 extension.

Boston had the top seed in 2009 at 107-55, but went one-and-done. The Red Sox were 101-61 in 2010 and got back to the NACS, but were denied by Philadelphia. In the playoffs, Mallery’s numbers were good with 35 starts, 39 hits, 21 runs, 7 doubles, 5 homers, 12 RBI, .810 OPS, 140 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR.

He also represented the United States from 2005-11 in the World Baseball Championship with 143 games, 157 hits, 81 runs, 38 doubles, 32 home runs, 103 RBI, .310/.406/.579 slash, and 8.2 WAR. Mallery was third in 2011’s MVP voting and won world titles with the American team in 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, and 2011.

Boston fell to 81-81 in 2011, then dropped to 67-95 in 2012 for their first losing season of Mallery’s career. His production dropped that year to 3.8 WAR and .741 OPS, career lows to that point. Since 2004, he had been worth 6+ WAR each year. Mallery did still win a Gold Glove in 2012 and had won his first the prior year. Feeling a change of scenery was required, Mallery opted out of his deal to become a free agent at age 30.

With the Red Sox, Mallery had 1511 games, 1862 hits, 889 runs, 350 doubles, 259 home runs, 929 RBI, .324/.387/.529 slash, 181 wRC+, and 73.8 WAR. He was very popular as a native New Englander and his #14 uniform would eventually get retired in Boston. Las Vegas was optimistic that Mallery could return to form and signed him to a four-year, $96,400,000 for 2013.

Mallery fared better than 2011, but was still down from his Red Sox prime with 4.9 WAR and .877 OPS. He didn’t feel like it was the right fit and he opted out of the Vipers deal after one year. Mallery then signed a five-year, $108 million deal with St. Louis. His 2014 with the Cardinals was worth 3.6 WAR, but his 2015 looked more like his peak self. Mallery led the NA in doubles (42) and RBI (124) and posted 7.5 WAR.

He had a big impact though as St. Louis went 107-55 and 112-52, winning the National Association pennant both years. The Cardinals couldn’t claim the World Series though, falling to Phoenix in 2014 and Denver in 2015. In 30 playoff starts, Mallery was rock solid with 30 hits, 11 runs, 6 doubles, 7 home runs, 15 RBI, .886 OPS, 174 wRC+, and 1.4 WAR. His Baseball Grand Championship stats were less impressive with only 0.2 WAR over 33 games. St. Louis went 7-12 in the 2014 event and 10-9 in 2015.

Mallery again utilized the opt-out in his deal, becoming a free agent again at age 33. In two seasons for St. Louis, Mallery had 318 games, 345 hits, 183 runs, 72 doubles, 59 home runs, 225 RBI, .288/.351/.505 slash, 164 wRC+, and 11.1 WAR. Even if the stint was short, he was appreciated for his hole in back-to-back pennants for the Cardinals.

Next was a five-year, $120 million deal with Houston. This one actually stuck for all five years, although Mallery’s prime days were gone. He did lead in doubles and win a Gold Glove in 2018, but otherwise he was merely a decent regular season starter for the Hornets. In 786 games, Mallery had 695 hits, 388 runs, 149 doubles, 116 home runs, 406 RBI, .246/.333/.426 slash, 111 wRC+, and 12.8 WAR.

Mallery made his mark in 2019 though, winning American Association Championship Series MVP as Houston edged Nashville for the pennant. They went on to upset defending champ Kansas City in the World Series for their first MLB title in 67 years. In 20 playoff starts in 2019, Mallery had 20 hits, 13 runs, 3 doubles, 6 home runs, 10 RBI, .855 OPS, and 0.8 WAR. He kept similar production in the Baseball Grand Championship with 0.7 WAR and .817 OPS over 19 starts, helping the Hornets finish alone in seventh at 10-9.

Now 39-years old in 2021, Mallery signed with Philadelphia for one year with 1.9 WAR and .708 OPS. He joined New York in 2022 and had a surprise renaissance with 6.0 WAR and .899 OPS for the Yankees. Mallery also smacked 35 home runs, surprisingly matching his career high. Despite that comeback season, that was the end of his MLB run.

Mallery still had international suitors and ended up in the African Association of Baseball on a two-year, $23 million deal with Lilongwe. He declined sharply though and had -0.4 WAR and .645 OPS over 122 games and 97 starts. Mallery retired after the 2023 season at age 41.

For his MLB career, Mallery finished with 3085 games, 3349 hits, 1690 runs, 637 doubles, 45 triples, 523 home runs, 1815 RBI, 1185 walks, 1619 strikeouts, .293/.363/.494 slash, 156 wRC+, and 110.6 WAR. He notably got to second on MLB’s doubles list behind only Stan Provost’s 682. Mallery also ranks 46^th in all of pro baseball history as of 2037 with 650 doubles when adding his AAB tally.

On the MLB leaderboards as of 2037, Mallery is 13^th in games, 24^th in hits, 55^th in runs, 23^rd in total bases (5645), 31^st in RBI, 68^th in walks, and 26^th in WAR among position players. Mallery is probably on the borderline of being considered “inner circle,” depending on how strict one’s definition was. He was a Hall of Fame lock under any metric and was nearly unanimous at 99.1%. Mallery actually managed to finish slightly above WARlord Morgan Short for the highest percentage, but it was really three co-headliners for Major League Baseball’s 2028 class.

Morgan “The Machine” Short – Center Field – Salt Lake City Loons – 98.8% First Ballot

Morgan Short was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed center fielder from Denver, Colorado. Short was called “the Machine” for his tireless work ethic and leadership. He was always willing to go above and beyond for his fans and was one of the smartest guys in the game. Short became an absolutely beloved baseball icon across the United States and by WAR ranks as the best-ever American player.

Short’s contact ability was truly exceptional and on a scale from 1-10, some scouts gave him a 12/10 at his prime. He was excellent at drawing walks, but his ability to avoid strikeouts was truly absurd. Short had a 3.1% strikeout rate for his career and is the only player in all of pro baseball history to have 10,000 career at-bats with fewer than 500 strikeouts.

He was noticeably better against right-handed pitching with .994 OPS and 172 wRC+ for his career, but was plenty solid facing lefties with .828 OPS and 131 wRC+. Short’s gap power was quite good with 32 doubles and 9 triples per his 162 game average. He also was terrific at legging out extra bases with elite speed and baserunning skills. Short’s one “flaw” offensively was a lack of prolific home run power, but he still was good for 22 dingers per 162 games.

Apart from the very end of his career, Short was a career center fielder and graded as an excellent defender that won six Gold Gloves. The physical toll of the position did catch up to Short in his 30s and he missed significant chunks of time in the back end of his career. Even still, Short powered through for an incredible 21-year career.

Short played his college baseball for the University of Virginia, winning a Silver Slugger as a sophomore. In three years for the Cavaliers, Short had 143 games, 176 hits, 109 runs, 26 doubles, 5 triples, 30 home runs, 89 RBI, .333/.426/.572 slash, 192 wRC+, and 9.2 WAR. Those efforts led to being selected 10^th overall by Salt Lake City in the 2001 MLB Draft.

The Loons were still a relatively new franchise having entered MLB in the 1982 expansion. They got their first playoff berth in 2000, but fell hard to 67-95 in 2001. Short debuted in 2002 with a Rookie of the Year campaign at 6.0 WAR. He led the American Association in on-base percentage at .417, starting a five-year streak leading the stat. Short also won his first Silver Slugger and SLC got a wild card, falling in the first round.

From 2003-08, Short led in batting average each year and had OPS above one and OBP’s above .430. Each season also was worth 9+ WAR with 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2008 all being the league’s best at 11.9. Short won MVP in those four seasons and took third in 2003. He won Silver Sluggers each year and started a five-year streak of Gold Glove wins from 2006-10. In 2007, Short still got to 9.8 WAR despite losing a month to a strained oblique.

During that stretch, Short led in runs twice, hits thrice, doubles thrice, OPS thrice, and wRC+ once. 2006 had his career best slugging (.611), OPS (1.061), and doubles (48). Short’s highest runs mark was 130 in 2005 with his best hit tally 224 in 2003. He also led in stolen bases twice with Sal Lake City, peaking with 67 in 2009. Short’s 11.9 WAR seasons rank as the 7^th-10^th best by a MLB position player as of 2037.

Salt Lake City did make the playoffs from 2004-06 with Short, but the small market squad couldn’t claim the pennant. 2004 was their best effort, falling in the AACS to Phoenix. The Loons lost in the first round in 2005. In 2006, they earned a bye at 100-62, but went one-and-done. In his 18 playoff starts, Short had 27 hits, 10 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 1 homer, 4 RBI, .397/.446/.544 slash, 169 wRC+, and 1.1 WAR. SLC fell to 78-84 the next two years, then had a first round exit in 2009.

During this time, Short became a beloved superstar across the United States, but not because of his work in Utah. He became a fixture in the World Baseball Championship and shined on that stage greater than anyone else. In his first WBC in 2003, Short was second in MVP voting and led all players in runs and walks. This was his first world championship ring for the USA. Short ended up with additional rings in 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2017, and 2020.

Short remained a beast for his entire career in the WBC, leading the event in runs scored six times, hits six times, doubles once, total bases once, steals six times, and WAR thrice. Short was second again in 2008’s MVP voting, then won it for the first time with a historic 2009. That year in 25 starts, Short had 49 hits, 32 runs, 7 doubles, 7 homers, 18 RBI, 19 steals, .462/.521/.726 slash, 1.247 OPS, and 2.7 WAR.

The 2009 effort set WBC event records for both hits and runs. The hits mark and Short’s 35 singles are still WBC records as of 2037, while the runs mark would be passed once. Short was third in 2010 and 2011’s MVP voting. Then in 2020 at age 39, Short won his second WBC MVP, leading all players in hits (37), runs (25), total bases (66), steals (24), and WAR (2.0). He became the ninth player to win Tournament MVP multiple times.

With his remarkable longevity and consistency over 20 years, plus the USA’s common deep runs, Short racked up remarkable tallies in the World Baseball Championship. He started 307 games with 414 hits, 304 runs, 71 doubles, 11 triples, 68 home runs, 195 RBI, 156 walks, 247 stolen bases, .335/.415/.575 slash, 182 wRC+, and 22.9 WAR.

As of 2037, Short is the WBC’s all-time leader in at-bats (1237), runs, hits, singles (264), doubles, stolen bases, caught stealing (92), and WAR among all players. Short is also 2^nd in games played, 4^th in batting average and 20^th in OBP (250 plate appearances required), 29^th in homers, 8^th in RBI, and 2^nd in total bases (711). This made Short beloved domestically and known worldwide. His graciousness towards players and fans of all nationalities made Short a true citizen of the world.

After the 2009 season, Short left Salt Lake City for free agency at age 28. With the Loons, he had 1216 games, 1623 hits, 850 runs, 278 doubles, 97 triples, 172 home runs, 746 RBI, 574 walks, 393 steals, .359/.431/.578 slash, 167 wRC+, and 82.8 WAR. Short’s #25 uniform would get retired and he’d be remembered as SLC’s first superstar player. For his next run, he signed an eight-year, $111,100,000 deal with Los Angeles. The Angels were hoping Short could end their 11-year playoff drought, as they had been stuck around .500 generally in that run.

It worked, as LA started a six-year playoff streak. Short won Silver Sluggers from 2010-12 with a Gold Glove in 2010. He took third in 2011’s MVP voting, then won the award for the fifth time in 2012. Short joined Elijah Cashman and Andrei Tanev as MLB’s only 5+ MVP winners. He was the WARlord in both 2011 and 2012, getting 11.8 in 2012. That year also had his seventh batting title with a career best .381 average and .452 OBP. Although Los Angeles made the playoffs from 2010-12, they didn’t get beyond round two.

In 2013, Short ran into his first injury troubles, missing three months between a strained hamstring and shoulder tendinitis. Even so, the Angels exploded for a 119-43 season; the second-most wins in an MLB season ever. Unfortunately, they were upset in the second round by Phoenix with Short struggling to an 3-17 series. His overall playoff numbers with LA were okay with 18 starts, 23 hits, 9 runs, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 3 home runs, 8 RBI, .835 OPS, 135 wRC+, and 0.6 WAR.

Short used his contract opt-out to leave Los Angeles after four seasons. For the Angels, he had 547 games, 691 hits, 367 runs, 104 doubles, 24 triples, 69 home runs, 282 RBI, 173 steals, .334/.408/.507 slash, 151 wRC+, and 34.2 WAR. Heading towards his age 33 season, Short signed a five-year, $115,000,000 deal with Brooklyn.

With the Dodgers, Short won Silver Sluggers in 2014, 15, and 16 along with a 2016 Gold Glove. He became the first (and only as of 2037) MLB player at any position with 14 Silver Sluggers. Short is only one of two in world history with 14+ Sluggers as a center fielder. When healthy, Short’s production was still very good with Brooklyn.

The trouble was staying healthy though. It was a number of different ailments; most notable was a ruptured MCL in September 2017. That was the one season the Dodgers made the playoffs with Short, but he was unavailable as they ultimately fell to Boston in the National Association Championship Series. Brooklyn didn’t have any losing seasons with Short, but were generally a few games out of the playoff picture.

For the Dodgers, Short had 620 games, 709 hits, 421 runs, 97 doubles, 22 triples, 84 home runs, 279 RBI, 330 walks, 220 steals, .322/.410/.500 slash, 171 wRC+, and 37.5 WAR. In 2018, Short became the 61^st member of MLB’s 3000 hit club. While a Dodger, Short also became MLB’s all-time WARlord He ended his time at Brooklyn at 154.5, passing Elijah Cashman’s top mark for position players (136.6) and the #1 overall spot by pitcher Ned Giles at 151.7.

Short signed a three-year, $74,800,000 deal for 2019 with Houston. He would be out from August onward with a fractured ankle, missing the playoff run. The Hornets went on a surprise run to the World Series, giving Short a championship ring. He never did get to play in the Fall Classic or Baseball Grand Championship sadly. Short was out almost all of 2020 with torn ankle ligaments and an oblique strain.

With Houston, Short managed only 127 games in two years, but still had 7.1 WAR, 140 hits, 86 runs, 19 doubles, 14 home runs, 53 RBI, .316/.418/.472 slash, and 147 wRC+. Soon to be 40-years old, Short ended up signing three-year, $61,200,000 deal with Sacramento. This was expected to be a big ticket boom for the Shamrocks, who were set to make their debut season with 2021’s league expansion.

The ankle injuries had tanked Short’s range so he was moved to the corners. He could still bat, leading in OBP for the sixth time in 2021 with 5.5 WAR over 125 games. Short was still providing positive value until August 14, 2022, when his career came to an abrupt end. He took an errant fastball to the head, suffering a career-ending fractured skull at age 41.

It was a horrifying end to an incredible career, showing that the baseball gods could be cruel even to immortals. It was a traumatizing event for his legions of fans, although thankfully Short did make a full recovery in retirement. With Sacramento, Short had 223 games, 249 hits, 146 runs, 37 doubles, 28 homers, 83 RBI, 66 steals, .318/.413/.493 slash, 146 wRC+, and 8.9 WAR.

Short finished with 2733 games, 3412 hits, 1870 runs, 535 runs, 155 triples, 367 home runs, 1443 RBI, 1355 walks, 367 strikeouts, 877 steals, .341/.420/.535 slash, .955 OPS, 162 wRC+, and 170.5 WAR. As of 2037, Short is still the WARlord and ranks 80^th in games, 19^th in hits, 16^th in runs, 49^th in total bases (5358), 22^nd in singles (2355), 18^th in doubles, 85^th in triples, 28^th in walks, and 9^th in steals. Among all MLB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Short ranks 9^th in batting average, 3^rd in OBP, and 38^th in OPS.

On the world leaderboards as of 2037, Short ranks 8^th in WAR among position players and 13^th amongst everyone. Against the world’s Hall of Famers, Short has the 22^nd best batting average and 3^rd-best on-base percentage. He also is the WARlord among American players, ahead of 3B Graham Gregor (148.0) and SP Vincent Lepp (144.4).

So is Morgan Short the greatest player in MLB history? If WAR is the decisive metric, then yes, but there’s a fierce debate. A big part of Short’s huge WAR totals come from his great defense in center field, high walk rate, low strikeout rate, and great baserunning. For some, those factors are considered far less important than power stats.

Short certainly wasn’t a mere singles slap hitter, but the lack of home run and RBI tallies do work against him even if he was an incredibly efficient hitter. He also never had the signature playoff run, although his many awesome performances in the World Baseball Championship can’t be completely ignored.

When looking at the Hall of Fame metrics, Short does lead in JAWS at 125.0 and is 2^nd in standards, but he ranks 14^th in black ink, 32^nd in grey ink, and 7^th in monitor. Of course, this just reaffirms how impossibly difficult it is to compare different players at different positions with different skillsets across different eras.

Seven-time MVP and former home run king Elijah Cashman often still gets cited by many as the GOAT. Only a few other batters come up in the GOAT conversations, then you have trying to figure out where the great pitchers slot in. Even when factoring in everybody, you’d be hard pressed to find Short outside of most top 10 lists for MLB players. When factoring in all players in all leagues, it gets a lot tougher. You could plausibly place Short into the top 10, especially with his success coming in MLB’s American Association, generally viewed as the world’s highest talent subleague. Short generally makes any top 50 list and is typically somewhere in most top 25s.

Another question to ask, is Morgan Short the best-ever center fielder? He also has the highest career WAR there as well, but there are a couple other guys close behind. It would be hard to find a scholar that doesn’t have Short at least in the top 5 all-time for center fielders.

In any event, Short was a true immortal of the game and one-of-a-kind. Credible arguments could be made for Short as MLB’s best-ever player, the best-ever American-born player, and the best-ever center fielder. It is surprising that he only got 98.8% and actually was just behind Johan Mallery in vote share for the 2028 Hall of Fame class. Regardless, Short has his deserved inner-circle spot amongst Major League Baseball’s greats.

03-18-2025, 04:26 AM	#2155
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,894	2028 MLB Hall of Fame (Part 1) Major League Baseball’s 2028 Hall of Fame class was an impressive one with four inductees. Three were absolute no-doubters with 1B Joran Mallery (99.1%), CF Morgan Short (98.8%), and SP Omari Green (96.5%). Joining them was SP Victor Burke, who finally got beyond the 66% requirement with 71.3% on his tenth and final opportunity. CL Etzel Urban was the first to miss with a 62.5% debut. 3B Jeanpaul Vick had 59.8% for his ninth ballot. 3B Kieran Wilson was also on his penultimate chance and got 58.7%. CL Sebastian Gomez was the other guy above 50% with 50.7% on his fifth go. Three players would fall off the ballot after ten failed tries. Among them was SP Jaxson Hardy, who peaked at 28.2% in his debut and ended at 10.0%. He won Pitcher of the Year in 2004 and had a 15-yaer career with Albuquerque, posting a 183-121 record, 3.22 ERA, 2819.2 innings, 2736 strikeouts, 618 walks, 120 ERA+, and 70.6 WAR. The pace was there for Hardy, but about half of his seasons were shortened by injuries, lowering his final accumulations. A few more healthy seasons probably gets him in or at least a closer look. RF Olen Lack got as close at 54.3% in his debut, but was down to a mere 8.2% at the end. He had 20 seasons with Seattle and one with Atlanta, winning five Gold Gloves and one Silver Slugger. Lack had 3014 games, 3271 hits, 1873 runs, 404 doubles, 120 triples, 446 home runs, 1559 RBI, 1240 walks, 718 stolen bases, .281/.351/.452 slash, 117 wRC+, and 82.7 WAR. The totals were impressive, but he was dismissed as a compiler by some voters. His lack of dominance and black ink put his resume behind his competition. SP Stan Miller debuted at 38.1%, but was down to 6.2% by his tenth ballot. He had a 17-year career with Cleveland with a 224-168 record, 2.99 ERA, 3998.1 innings, 2729 strikeouts, 854 walks, 112 ERA+, and 65.0 WAR. Miller had longevity, but lacked the raw dominance and never was a Pitcher of the Year finalist. Thus, he fit into the “Hall of Pretty Good” space. Dieudonne Guegan was worth a mention, falling off on his eighth ballot at 5.0%. He was a two-way whose career was evenly split between MLB and CABA, keeping his stats in either league too low to have a chance. His combined pitching though saw a 220-169 record, 3.07 ERA, 3674.2 innings, 3752 strikeouts, 857 walks, 122 ERA+, and 84.9 WAR. He notably led his league four times in strikeouts. Guegan also had 980 games and 608 starts in the field with 13.8 WAR, .804 OPS, and 121 wRC+. If those totals all came in one league, Guegan probably has a good shot. He also won a World Series with Tampa and CABA Championship with Juarez. SP Timothy Shibuya was also worth a quick mention, falling below 5% on his ninth ballot. He had a 183-148 record, 3.07 ERA, 3037.1 innings, 2667 strikeouts, 116 ERA+, and 61.8 WAR. Shibuya had two ERA titles and a Pitcher of the Year in 2008 with Winnipeg. He declined quickly after an age 30 labrum tear, preventing Shibuya from getting the bigger totals needed to make the cut. Joran “Hat” Mallery – First Base – Boston Red Sox – 99.1% First Ballot Joran Mallery was a 6’9’’, 200 pound left-handed first baseman from Merrimack, New Hampshire; a town of 26,000 people. He was nicknamed “Hat” for his fondness of oversized hats (they’re funny because they’re bigger than a normal hat.) Mallery was a great contact hitter with a solid eye for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. His gap power was especially impressive, leading the league in doubles seven times. Mallery’s home run power wasn’t prolific, but it was steady. His 162 game average got you 27 homers, 33 doubles, and 2 triples. It shows how great his gap power was to get so many doubles despite putrid speed and baserunning. Mallery fared notably better acing right-handed pitching (.898 OPS, 166 wRC+) compared to lefties (.717 OPS, 114 wRC+). Defensively, Mallery only ever played first base, a spot perfect for his long 6’9’’ frame. He was a consistently good-to-great defender and won three Gold Gloves. Mallery also had outstanding durability, starting 144+ games in all but his first and final seasons. He was very steady and consistent, proving great value over a 21-year career. Mallery attended the University of Wisconsin and over three seasons had 146 games, 170 hits, 106 runs, 27 doubles, 46 home runs, 118 RBI, .311/.390/.614 slash, 195 wRC+, and 9.6 WAR. Despite a solid showing, he wasn’t considered a first round prospect by many scouts. Mallery was picked by Boston 10^th in the second round, 70^th overall in the 2002 MLB Draft. He played 93 games and started 79 as a rookie with excellent production, posting a 4.4 WAR and .962 OPS. Mallery was second in Rookie of the Year voting and had a full-time job from 2004 onward. In his first full year starting, Mallery earned 2004 MVP honors and a Silver Slugger. He led the National Association in runs (112), hits (217), total bases (341), and WAR (9.0) and had a 31-game hitting streak in the late spring. Boston ended a six-year playoff drought and got to the NACS, but fell to Winnipeg. The Red Sox fell to .500 in 2005, but Mallery again won a Silver Slugger. He led in hits (206), doubles (47) and batting average (.344). Mallery won his second MVP and third Slugger in 2026 as the WARlord (9.4) and doubles leader (41). This year also had his career high 35 home runs. Boston started a five-year playoff streak, although they didn’t get beyond round two from 2006-09. Mallery was second in MVP voting in 2008 with his career best WAR at 10.1. He also had career highs in hits (233), batting average (.363), and OBP (.419). Prior to the 2008 campaign, the Red Sox signed Mallery to an eight-year, $98,700,000 extension. Boston had the top seed in 2009 at 107-55, but went one-and-done. The Red Sox were 101-61 in 2010 and got back to the NACS, but were denied by Philadelphia. In the playoffs, Mallery’s numbers were good with 35 starts, 39 hits, 21 runs, 7 doubles, 5 homers, 12 RBI, .810 OPS, 140 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR. He also represented the United States from 2005-11 in the World Baseball Championship with 143 games, 157 hits, 81 runs, 38 doubles, 32 home runs, 103 RBI, .310/.406/.579 slash, and 8.2 WAR. Mallery was third in 2011’s MVP voting and won world titles with the American team in 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, and 2011. Boston fell to 81-81 in 2011, then dropped to 67-95 in 2012 for their first losing season of Mallery’s career. His production dropped that year to 3.8 WAR and .741 OPS, career lows to that point. Since 2004, he had been worth 6+ WAR each year. Mallery did still win a Gold Glove in 2012 and had won his first the prior year. Feeling a change of scenery was required, Mallery opted out of his deal to become a free agent at age 30. With the Red Sox, Mallery had 1511 games, 1862 hits, 889 runs, 350 doubles, 259 home runs, 929 RBI, .324/.387/.529 slash, 181 wRC+, and 73.8 WAR. He was very popular as a native New Englander and his #14 uniform would eventually get retired in Boston. Las Vegas was optimistic that Mallery could return to form and signed him to a four-year, $96,400,000 for 2013. Mallery fared better than 2011, but was still down from his Red Sox prime with 4.9 WAR and .877 OPS. He didn’t feel like it was the right fit and he opted out of the Vipers deal after one year. Mallery then signed a five-year, $108 million deal with St. Louis. His 2014 with the Cardinals was worth 3.6 WAR, but his 2015 looked more like his peak self. Mallery led the NA in doubles (42) and RBI (124) and posted 7.5 WAR. He had a big impact though as St. Louis went 107-55 and 112-52, winning the National Association pennant both years. The Cardinals couldn’t claim the World Series though, falling to Phoenix in 2014 and Denver in 2015. In 30 playoff starts, Mallery was rock solid with 30 hits, 11 runs, 6 doubles, 7 home runs, 15 RBI, .886 OPS, 174 wRC+, and 1.4 WAR. His Baseball Grand Championship stats were less impressive with only 0.2 WAR over 33 games. St. Louis went 7-12 in the 2014 event and 10-9 in 2015. Mallery again utilized the opt-out in his deal, becoming a free agent again at age 33. In two seasons for St. Louis, Mallery had 318 games, 345 hits, 183 runs, 72 doubles, 59 home runs, 225 RBI, .288/.351/.505 slash, 164 wRC+, and 11.1 WAR. Even if the stint was short, he was appreciated for his hole in back-to-back pennants for the Cardinals. Next was a five-year, $120 million deal with Houston. This one actually stuck for all five years, although Mallery’s prime days were gone. He did lead in doubles and win a Gold Glove in 2018, but otherwise he was merely a decent regular season starter for the Hornets. In 786 games, Mallery had 695 hits, 388 runs, 149 doubles, 116 home runs, 406 RBI, .246/.333/.426 slash, 111 wRC+, and 12.8 WAR. Mallery made his mark in 2019 though, winning American Association Championship Series MVP as Houston edged Nashville for the pennant. They went on to upset defending champ Kansas City in the World Series for their first MLB title in 67 years. In 20 playoff starts in 2019, Mallery had 20 hits, 13 runs, 3 doubles, 6 home runs, 10 RBI, .855 OPS, and 0.8 WAR. He kept similar production in the Baseball Grand Championship with 0.7 WAR and .817 OPS over 19 starts, helping the Hornets finish alone in seventh at 10-9. Now 39-years old in 2021, Mallery signed with Philadelphia for one year with 1.9 WAR and .708 OPS. He joined New York in 2022 and had a surprise renaissance with 6.0 WAR and .899 OPS for the Yankees. Mallery also smacked 35 home runs, surprisingly matching his career high. Despite that comeback season, that was the end of his MLB run. Mallery still had international suitors and ended up in the African Association of Baseball on a two-year, $23 million deal with Lilongwe. He declined sharply though and had -0.4 WAR and .645 OPS over 122 games and 97 starts. Mallery retired after the 2023 season at age 41. For his MLB career, Mallery finished with 3085 games, 3349 hits, 1690 runs, 637 doubles, 45 triples, 523 home runs, 1815 RBI, 1185 walks, 1619 strikeouts, .293/.363/.494 slash, 156 wRC+, and 110.6 WAR. He notably got to second on MLB’s doubles list behind only Stan Provost’s 682. Mallery also ranks 46^th in all of pro baseball history as of 2037 with 650 doubles when adding his AAB tally. On the MLB leaderboards as of 2037, Mallery is 13^th in games, 24^th in hits, 55^th in runs, 23^rd in total bases (5645), 31^st in RBI, 68^th in walks, and 26^th in WAR among position players. Mallery is probably on the borderline of being considered “inner circle,” depending on how strict one’s definition was. He was a Hall of Fame lock under any metric and was nearly unanimous at 99.1%. Mallery actually managed to finish slightly above WARlord Morgan Short for the highest percentage, but it was really three co-headliners for Major League Baseball’s 2028 class. Morgan “The Machine” Short – Center Field – Salt Lake City Loons – 98.8% First Ballot Morgan Short was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed center fielder from Denver, Colorado. Short was called “the Machine” for his tireless work ethic and leadership. He was always willing to go above and beyond for his fans and was one of the smartest guys in the game. Short became an absolutely beloved baseball icon across the United States and by WAR ranks as the best-ever American player. Short’s contact ability was truly exceptional and on a scale from 1-10, some scouts gave him a 12/10 at his prime. He was excellent at drawing walks, but his ability to avoid strikeouts was truly absurd. Short had a 3.1% strikeout rate for his career and is the only player in all of pro baseball history to have 10,000 career at-bats with fewer than 500 strikeouts. He was noticeably better against right-handed pitching with .994 OPS and 172 wRC+ for his career, but was plenty solid facing lefties with .828 OPS and 131 wRC+. Short’s gap power was quite good with 32 doubles and 9 triples per his 162 game average. He also was terrific at legging out extra bases with elite speed and baserunning skills. Short’s one “flaw” offensively was a lack of prolific home run power, but he still was good for 22 dingers per 162 games. Apart from the very end of his career, Short was a career center fielder and graded as an excellent defender that won six Gold Gloves. The physical toll of the position did catch up to Short in his 30s and he missed significant chunks of time in the back end of his career. Even still, Short powered through for an incredible 21-year career. Short played his college baseball for the University of Virginia, winning a Silver Slugger as a sophomore. In three years for the Cavaliers, Short had 143 games, 176 hits, 109 runs, 26 doubles, 5 triples, 30 home runs, 89 RBI, .333/.426/.572 slash, 192 wRC+, and 9.2 WAR. Those efforts led to being selected 10^th overall by Salt Lake City in the 2001 MLB Draft. The Loons were still a relatively new franchise having entered MLB in the 1982 expansion. They got their first playoff berth in 2000, but fell hard to 67-95 in 2001. Short debuted in 2002 with a Rookie of the Year campaign at 6.0 WAR. He led the American Association in on-base percentage at .417, starting a five-year streak leading the stat. Short also won his first Silver Slugger and SLC got a wild card, falling in the first round. From 2003-08, Short led in batting average each year and had OPS above one and OBP’s above .430. Each season also was worth 9+ WAR with 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2008 all being the league’s best at 11.9. Short won MVP in those four seasons and took third in 2003. He won Silver Sluggers each year and started a five-year streak of Gold Glove wins from 2006-10. In 2007, Short still got to 9.8 WAR despite losing a month to a strained oblique. During that stretch, Short led in runs twice, hits thrice, doubles thrice, OPS thrice, and wRC+ once. 2006 had his career best slugging (.611), OPS (1.061), and doubles (48). Short’s highest runs mark was 130 in 2005 with his best hit tally 224 in 2003. He also led in stolen bases twice with Sal Lake City, peaking with 67 in 2009. Short’s 11.9 WAR seasons rank as the 7^th-10^th best by a MLB position player as of 2037. Salt Lake City did make the playoffs from 2004-06 with Short, but the small market squad couldn’t claim the pennant. 2004 was their best effort, falling in the AACS to Phoenix. The Loons lost in the first round in 2005. In 2006, they earned a bye at 100-62, but went one-and-done. In his 18 playoff starts, Short had 27 hits, 10 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 1 homer, 4 RBI, .397/.446/.544 slash, 169 wRC+, and 1.1 WAR. SLC fell to 78-84 the next two years, then had a first round exit in 2009. During this time, Short became a beloved superstar across the United States, but not because of his work in Utah. He became a fixture in the World Baseball Championship and shined on that stage greater than anyone else. In his first WBC in 2003, Short was second in MVP voting and led all players in runs and walks. This was his first world championship ring for the USA. Short ended up with additional rings in 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2017, and 2020. Short remained a beast for his entire career in the WBC, leading the event in runs scored six times, hits six times, doubles once, total bases once, steals six times, and WAR thrice. Short was second again in 2008’s MVP voting, then won it for the first time with a historic 2009. That year in 25 starts, Short had 49 hits, 32 runs, 7 doubles, 7 homers, 18 RBI, 19 steals, .462/.521/.726 slash, 1.247 OPS, and 2.7 WAR. The 2009 effort set WBC event records for both hits and runs. The hits mark and Short’s 35 singles are still WBC records as of 2037, while the runs mark would be passed once. Short was third in 2010 and 2011’s MVP voting. Then in 2020 at age 39, Short won his second WBC MVP, leading all players in hits (37), runs (25), total bases (66), steals (24), and WAR (2.0). He became the ninth player to win Tournament MVP multiple times. With his remarkable longevity and consistency over 20 years, plus the USA’s common deep runs, Short racked up remarkable tallies in the World Baseball Championship. He started 307 games with 414 hits, 304 runs, 71 doubles, 11 triples, 68 home runs, 195 RBI, 156 walks, 247 stolen bases, .335/.415/.575 slash, 182 wRC+, and 22.9 WAR. As of 2037, Short is the WBC’s all-time leader in at-bats (1237), runs, hits, singles (264), doubles, stolen bases, caught stealing (92), and WAR among all players. Short is also 2^nd in games played, 4^th in batting average and 20^th in OBP (250 plate appearances required), 29^th in homers, 8^th in RBI, and 2^nd in total bases (711). This made Short beloved domestically and known worldwide. His graciousness towards players and fans of all nationalities made Short a true citizen of the world. After the 2009 season, Short left Salt Lake City for free agency at age 28. With the Loons, he had 1216 games, 1623 hits, 850 runs, 278 doubles, 97 triples, 172 home runs, 746 RBI, 574 walks, 393 steals, .359/.431/.578 slash, 167 wRC+, and 82.8 WAR. Short’s #25 uniform would get retired and he’d be remembered as SLC’s first superstar player. For his next run, he signed an eight-year, $111,100,000 deal with Los Angeles. The Angels were hoping Short could end their 11-year playoff drought, as they had been stuck around .500 generally in that run. It worked, as LA started a six-year playoff streak. Short won Silver Sluggers from 2010-12 with a Gold Glove in 2010. He took third in 2011’s MVP voting, then won the award for the fifth time in 2012. Short joined Elijah Cashman and Andrei Tanev as MLB’s only 5+ MVP winners. He was the WARlord in both 2011 and 2012, getting 11.8 in 2012. That year also had his seventh batting title with a career best .381 average and .452 OBP. Although Los Angeles made the playoffs from 2010-12, they didn’t get beyond round two. In 2013, Short ran into his first injury troubles, missing three months between a strained hamstring and shoulder tendinitis. Even so, the Angels exploded for a 119-43 season; the second-most wins in an MLB season ever. Unfortunately, they were upset in the second round by Phoenix with Short struggling to an 3-17 series. His overall playoff numbers with LA were okay with 18 starts, 23 hits, 9 runs, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 3 home runs, 8 RBI, .835 OPS, 135 wRC+, and 0.6 WAR. Short used his contract opt-out to leave Los Angeles after four seasons. For the Angels, he had 547 games, 691 hits, 367 runs, 104 doubles, 24 triples, 69 home runs, 282 RBI, 173 steals, .334/.408/.507 slash, 151 wRC+, and 34.2 WAR. Heading towards his age 33 season, Short signed a five-year, $115,000,000 deal with Brooklyn. With the Dodgers, Short won Silver Sluggers in 2014, 15, and 16 along with a 2016 Gold Glove. He became the first (and only as of 2037) MLB player at any position with 14 Silver Sluggers. Short is only one of two in world history with 14+ Sluggers as a center fielder. When healthy, Short’s production was still very good with Brooklyn. The trouble was staying healthy though. It was a number of different ailments; most notable was a ruptured MCL in September 2017. That was the one season the Dodgers made the playoffs with Short, but he was unavailable as they ultimately fell to Boston in the National Association Championship Series. Brooklyn didn’t have any losing seasons with Short, but were generally a few games out of the playoff picture. For the Dodgers, Short had 620 games, 709 hits, 421 runs, 97 doubles, 22 triples, 84 home runs, 279 RBI, 330 walks, 220 steals, .322/.410/.500 slash, 171 wRC+, and 37.5 WAR. In 2018, Short became the 61^st member of MLB’s 3000 hit club. While a Dodger, Short also became MLB’s all-time WARlord He ended his time at Brooklyn at 154.5, passing Elijah Cashman’s top mark for position players (136.6) and the #1 overall spot by pitcher Ned Giles at 151.7. Short signed a three-year, $74,800,000 deal for 2019 with Houston. He would be out from August onward with a fractured ankle, missing the playoff run. The Hornets went on a surprise run to the World Series, giving Short a championship ring. He never did get to play in the Fall Classic or Baseball Grand Championship sadly. Short was out almost all of 2020 with torn ankle ligaments and an oblique strain. With Houston, Short managed only 127 games in two years, but still had 7.1 WAR, 140 hits, 86 runs, 19 doubles, 14 home runs, 53 RBI, .316/.418/.472 slash, and 147 wRC+. Soon to be 40-years old, Short ended up signing three-year, $61,200,000 deal with Sacramento. This was expected to be a big ticket boom for the Shamrocks, who were set to make their debut season with 2021’s league expansion. The ankle injuries had tanked Short’s range so he was moved to the corners. He could still bat, leading in OBP for the sixth time in 2021 with 5.5 WAR over 125 games. Short was still providing positive value until August 14, 2022, when his career came to an abrupt end. He took an errant fastball to the head, suffering a career-ending fractured skull at age 41. It was a horrifying end to an incredible career, showing that the baseball gods could be cruel even to immortals. It was a traumatizing event for his legions of fans, although thankfully Short did make a full recovery in retirement. With Sacramento, Short had 223 games, 249 hits, 146 runs, 37 doubles, 28 homers, 83 RBI, 66 steals, .318/.413/.493 slash, 146 wRC+, and 8.9 WAR. Short finished with 2733 games, 3412 hits, 1870 runs, 535 runs, 155 triples, 367 home runs, 1443 RBI, 1355 walks, 367 strikeouts, 877 steals, .341/.420/.535 slash, .955 OPS, 162 wRC+, and 170.5 WAR. As of 2037, Short is still the WARlord and ranks 80^th in games, 19^th in hits, 16^th in runs, 49^th in total bases (5358), 22^nd in singles (2355), 18^th in doubles, 85^th in triples, 28^th in walks, and 9^th in steals. Among all MLB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Short ranks 9^th in batting average, 3^rd in OBP, and 38^th in OPS. On the world leaderboards as of 2037, Short ranks 8^th in WAR among position players and 13^th amongst everyone. Against the world’s Hall of Famers, Short has the 22^nd best batting average and 3^rd-best on-base percentage. He also is the WARlord among American players, ahead of 3B Graham Gregor (148.0) and SP Vincent Lepp (144.4). So is Morgan Short the greatest player in MLB history? If WAR is the decisive metric, then yes, but there’s a fierce debate. A big part of Short’s huge WAR totals come from his great defense in center field, high walk rate, low strikeout rate, and great baserunning. For some, those factors are considered far less important than power stats. Short certainly wasn’t a mere singles slap hitter, but the lack of home run and RBI tallies do work against him even if he was an incredibly efficient hitter. He also never had the signature playoff run, although his many awesome performances in the World Baseball Championship can’t be completely ignored. When looking at the Hall of Fame metrics, Short does lead in JAWS at 125.0 and is 2^nd in standards, but he ranks 14^th in black ink, 32^nd in grey ink, and 7^th in monitor. Of course, this just reaffirms how impossibly difficult it is to compare different players at different positions with different skillsets across different eras. Seven-time MVP and former home run king Elijah Cashman often still gets cited by many as the GOAT. Only a few other batters come up in the GOAT conversations, then you have trying to figure out where the great pitchers slot in. Even when factoring in everybody, you’d be hard pressed to find Short outside of most top 10 lists for MLB players. When factoring in all players in all leagues, it gets a lot tougher. You could plausibly place Short into the top 10, especially with his success coming in MLB’s American Association, generally viewed as the world’s highest talent subleague. Short generally makes any top 50 list and is typically somewhere in most top 25s. Another question to ask, is Morgan Short the best-ever center fielder? He also has the highest career WAR there as well, but there are a couple other guys close behind. It would be hard to find a scholar that doesn’t have Short at least in the top 5 all-time for center fielders. In any event, Short was a true immortal of the game and one-of-a-kind. Credible arguments could be made for Short as MLB’s best-ever player, the best-ever American-born player, and the best-ever center fielder. It is surprising that he only got 98.8% and actually was just behind Johan Mallery in vote share for the 2028 Hall of Fame class. Regardless, Short has his deserved inner-circle spot amongst Major League Baseball’s greats. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)