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Since 2011, the Oceania Baseball Association had required only five years of minimum service for players to reach free agency; the lowest of the world leagues. In an effort to keep players from leaving the region so quickly, OBA bumped that back up to the original six years starting in 2031. OBA still was among the lower of the world leagues, leaving CABA, SAB, and EAB with the five year standard. Those leagues had only recently made their switches down to five.



For the first time in 34 years, Perth finished atop the Australasia League standings. The Penguins had been close recently, taking third at 90-72 in 2030 and second in 2029 at 93-69. Perth pulled off a 105-57 mark in 2031 and led the Oceania Baseball Association with 779 runs scored. The Penguins became nine-time league champs (1960, 61, 78, 79, 86, 93, 94, 97, 2031).

Sydney was second at 97-65, followed by reigning OBA champ Brisbane at 92-70 and Melbourne at 90-72. The Snakes notably posted a 17^th consecutive winning season, one season short of Honolulu’s OBA record. The Black Bears allowed OBA’s fewest runs at 520.

Leading the way for Perth was Australasia League MVP Jody Riley in his fourth season. The 25-year old Australian first baseman led with 56 home runs and 122 RBI. Riley added 168 hits, 110 runs, 21 doubles, 1.036 OPS, 178 wRC+, and 7.6 WAR. The Penguins had picked Riley fifth overall in the 2027 OBA Draft.

Brisbane’s Jayden Rhode won Pitcher of the Year in his in his seventh season. The 28-year old Australian righty won the ERA title at 2.31 and led in FIP- (67), and WAR (8.0). Rhode won his fourth Gold Glove and had 319 strikeouts over 260.2 innings with a 17-10 record and 165 ERA+. The Black Bears would commit to Rhode the following March with a six year, $180,900,000 extension.



The Pacific League saw a major shakeup at the top of the standings. Defending champ New Caledonia plummeted to 66-96 after their surprise 2030 title. Port Moresby, who won six pennants in the 2020s, finished 72-90 for their first losing season in a decade. This opened up the chance for some to end a significant title drought.

Guadalcanal and Fiji took advantage, tying for the top spot at 96-66 to require a tiebreaker game for the first time since 2003. The Green Jackets prevailed and ended their 17-year title drought, becoming eight-time PL champs (1961, 64, 66, 68, 77, 2010, 12, 13, 31). Honolulu was also a competitive third at 91-71. Guadalcanal led the PL with 762 runs scored while the Freedom allowed the fewest at 603.

Fiji LF Pierce Meecham was Pacific League MVP in his fifth season. The 28-year old Australian lefty led in runs (112), hits (224), doubles (38), RBI (122), total bases (418), triple slash (.360/.384/.671), OPS (1.055), wRC+ (206), and WAR (9.6). Meecham’s 42 home runs were second to Honolulu’s Liam Winmar at 48, missing the Triple Crown by six. The Freedom extended Meecham after the season for five years and $77,900,000.

Tahiti was mid at 82-80, but they saw the Pitcher of the Year Steven Gamboa. The 34-year old Timorese lefty had a 19-10 record, 2.45 ERA, 290.1 innings, 301 strikeouts, 147 ERA+, and 4.8 WAR. He led in shutouts (5) and also walks (88). It was Gamboa’s one season with the Tropics. He had been with Honolulu from 2022-30 and returned to the Honu for 2032.



The 72^nd Oceania Championship was a rematch of the second, which saw Guadalcanal victorious over Perth back in 1961. The Penguins got the long-waited revenge with an emphatic sweep, becoming five-time OBA champs (1960, 1978, 1993, 1994, 2031). Journeyman 2B Brodie Hazlett was finals MVP, going 9-16 with 5 runs, 3 triples, 2 RBI, and 4 steals.



Other notes: Quinn Burry became the 50^th pitcher to 3000 career strikeouts. Jordy Vincent and Evan Yoshida were the 68^th and 69^th to 1000 runs scored, while Pat Nicholson and Sumeet Singh were the 73^rd and 74^th to 1000 RBI. 3B Natam Chrostek and 1B David Odom won their 8^th Gold Gloves and C Kristian Duenas won his 7^th.