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FuzzyRussianHat · 07-13-2025, 05:55 PM

Yuriy “Bingo” Isakov – Left/Right Field – Moscow Mules – 98.5% First Ballot

Yuriy Isakov was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting corner outfielder from Suvlan, Azerbaijan; a municipality of 15,000 people within the capital Baku. He joined Class of 1971 reliever Khalid Azad as the only Azeris in EPB’s Hall of Fame. Nicknamed “Bingo,” Isakov became famous and beloved as one of the most prolific base stealers and as one of the most exciting guys to watch on the basepaths. He was a league leader six times in steals and posted eight different 100+ steal seasons.

Isakov’s ability to get on base made him especially dangerous, earning a 10/10 grade for contact ability in his prime. He was also solid at drawing walks and was better than most at avoiding strikeouts in EPB. Isakov’s speed and gap power pushed him to 32 doubles and 14 triples per his 162 game average. His home run power wasn’t prolific, but he was also good for 17 dingers per 162.

While his contact ability was strong against both sides, Isakov’s power was very much concentrated against right-handed pitching. He had a .997 OPS and 181 wRC+ facing RHP compared to a .798 OPS and 133 wRC+ against lefties with slugging making up most of that drop. But Isakov’s aggressive baserunning and speed usually meant he’d make his way to second or third even off singles and walks.

Isakov made just over half of his career starts in left field with around 1/3 in right and most of the rest as a designated hitter. He graded as a below average defender, but he was by no means a complete liability. Isakov was one of the hardest workers in the game, but he wasn’t a natural leader and could be prone to dumb mistakes. His durability was mostly solid over a 22-year career, becoming extremely popular across three continents.

With the exodus of Central Asian teams to the Asian Baseball Federation in 2000, most Azeri prospects went that way moving forward. Isakov was an exception, drawing attention in his teens from the Russian capital. Moscow signed him to a developmental deal in October 2005 and had him in the academy for a bit over three years. Isakov debuted in 2009, a rare 19-year old in the big time, posting solid results in 84 games and 35 starts.

Moscow was a 92-70 wild card, but upset Minsk in the 2009 European League Championship Series and stunned two-time defending EPB Champion Yekaterinburg in the final. Isakov had 10 games and 8 starts in the playoff run, although he was merely okay at .723 OPS and 0.1 WAR. Still, he would soon become a key playoff performer as the Mules contended regularly throughout the 2010s and 2020s.

Isakov was a full-time starter in 2010 and held that role firmly 15 seasons for Moscow. He started 140+ games in all but three seasons for the Mules, but still had 100+ even with some injuries. Isakov won LCS MVP honors in 2010 as the Mules won the pennant again at 103-59, although they were defeated by Omsk in the EPB Championship. Moscow was the top seed and won 103 games again in 2011, but was upset by Minsk in the ELCS. They then missed the playoffs in 2012-13.

2011 was Isakov’s first Silver Slugger and his only one as a DH. He’d win again in 2012, 14, 16, 17, 20, 22, and 24 in left field and earned the 2019 honor in right. His 2012 would be an all-timer with an incredible .411/.476/.697 slash, 1.173 OPS, and 228 wRC+. There had never been a .400+ hitter in EPB to that point and Isakov set new league high marks for AVG, OBP, and OPS that still stand as of 2037.

Such a mark also seemed impossible in the low-scoring environment of EPB. Isakov’s average ranks as the 12^th-best qualifying season in all of baseball history and his OBP ranks 13^th. Setting a league record in OPS is also impressive since he had only 21 home runs. Isakov posted a league and career-best 27 triples and had his career best in hits with 218. He hit for the cycle in September and had a 28-game and 25-game hitting streak during the season. Despite all that, he was second in MVP voting to Kazan’s Evgeny Kiselev, who led in homers (44) and WAR (10.9).

In 2013, Isakov actually had a higher WAR (9.9 versus 9.6) the next year and led in steals for the first time with 110; again taking second in MVP voting. In May 2014, Moscow locked him up to an eight-year, $64,900,000 extension. Isakov rewarded them by winning that first MVP, leading the league in hits (214), doubles (36), total bases (369), steals (93), triple slash (.381/.441/.657), OPS (1.097), wRC+ (228), and WAR (11.8). It was his career best WAR and ranks as the 4^th-best by an EPB position player as of 2037.

Moscow returned to the playoffs in 2014 as the wild card, falling to Rostov’s dynasty in the ELCS. They rematched the Rhinos the next two years and were victorious both times. 2015 was expected as the top seed at 103-59, but 2016 was a shocker since they won only 83 games and upset 104-win Rostov. Moscow lost the 2015 EPB Championship to Ufa, but got revenge on the Fiends in 2016 to complete an improbable title run.

Isakov was out from early August 2015 through the playoff run with a broken kneecap. He bounced back in 2016 for his third batting title and a 10.4 WAR season, taking second in MVP voting. Isakov was ELCS MVP in 2016, although he had a mid showing in the Baseball Grand Championship with .609 OPS and 0.2 WAR. The Mules finished 9-10 for the event.

In 2017, Isakov was again second in MVP voting with the league best in steals, average, OBP, OPS, wRC+, and WAR. The 116 steals was his career best and was one short of the then-record. It ranks 4^th as of 2037 in EPB. There have 32 seasons of 100+ steals in EPB and Isakov has ¼ of them. Carrying over from the end of 2016, Isakov had a 57-game on-base streak through to June 2. Despite that, Moscow missed the playoffs at 84-78. They would start up a four-year streak in 2018 with Isakov leading the way once again.

Isakov repeated as MVP in 2018 and 2019, leading both seasons in WAR and hits. 2019 saw his fifth batting title and fourth time leading in OPS. Moscow was a wild card both years and lost to Krasnodar in the 2018 ELCS. They upset Voronezh in the 2019 ELCS with Isakov snagging series MVP. The Mules would fall to Chelyabinsk in the EPB Championship.

He wouldn’t reach MVP heights again, but remained a strong starter into his early 30s. Moscow lost in the first round in a newly expanded postseason, but won another pennant in 2021 before dropping the EPB Championship to Perm. Isakov declined his contract option that winter, but only spent two weeks in free agency before signing a new four-year, $41,400,000 deal with Moscow.

The Mules had a first round exit in 2023 and missed the playoffs in 2022 and 2024. Even in the down years, Isakov still notably hit for the cycle in 2022 and climbed up the leaderboards. He joined the 2500 hit club in 2023 and many figured he’d pass Igor Urban’s 3044 for EPB’s most hits. In 2024, Isakov became EPB’s steals leader by passing Yakov Ryzhikov’s 1436. He was also on the cusp of passing Darian Tasos’ 122.68 to become the WARlord among position players.

To the surprise of many, Isakov declined the fourth year option and left Moscow after the 2024 season. He was a free agent for the first time at age 35 and had worldwide suitors, eventually leaving for the United States and Major League Baseball. Some think he could’ve gone down as EPB’s GOAT hitter had he stayed and some still bestow that honor anyway.

Isakov performed on the big stage over 84 playoff games for Moscow with 104 hits, 51 runs, 11 doubles, 7 triples, 15 homers, 50 RBI, 37 steals, .359/.430/.600 slash, 199 wRC+, and 4.7 WAR. Isakov ranks in the top 20 of numerous stats in EPB postseason history and had two EPB Championship rings and six European League pennants to his name.

With Moscow, Isakov played 2336 games with 2819 hits, 1339 runs, 476 doubles, 232 triples, 273 home runs, 1202 RBI, 942 walks, 1266 strikeouts, 1454 steals, 821 caught stealing, .343/.410/.557 slash, .967 OPS, 181 wRC+, and 118.1 WAR. As of 2037, Isakov is EPB’s steals leader and the leader in OBP among batters with 3000+ plate appearances. He ranks 2^nd in batting average to active player Vladimir Pyatrenka’s .345 and ranks 4^th in OPS. The three players ahead of him in OPS all started their careers by 2026 or later.

For counting stats, Isakov is 16^th in runs, 9^th in hits, 22^nd in total bases (4578), 7^th in doubles, 22^nd in triples, 13^th in singles (1838), 53^rd in RBI, 2^nd in caught stealing, 23^rd in walks, and 2^nd in WAR among position players. It is impressive that a guy without big home run power has a solid case for being EPB’s best-ever hitter overall considering how much weight dingers carry. If his final six years stayed in EPB, Isakov potentially reaches the counting stats to fully secure GOAT status.

Regardless of where he ranks in EPB’s pantheon, Isakov was clearly a true immortal of the game. At 98.5%, he was part of the stellar five-player Hall of Fame class in 2032 for Eurasian Professional Baseball. Isakov’s #9 uniform was also retired by Moscow and he remains one of the most beloved figures in the capital, an especially impressive accomplishment by a non-Russian.

Isakov’s native Azerbaijan was too small to qualify for the World Baseball Championship for much of his prime, but he helped get them there from 2021-29. They also surprised many with a division title in 2023, which helped put Isakov on the radar of some MLB teams. His overall WBC numbers were merely decent with 95 games, 80 hits, 56 runs, 13 doubles, 3 triples, 7 homers, 24 RBI, 56 steals, .252/.367/.377 slash, and 3.3 WAR.

For 2025, Isakov signed a three-year, $70,200,000 deal with MLB’s Atlanta Aces. On the whole, he was a rock solid starter over 407 games with 518 hits, 259 runs, 88 doubles, 26 triples, 37 home runs, 171 RBI, 109 steals, .332/.397/.493 slash, 128 wRC+, and 10.7 WAR. His steal numbers would be way down since MLB coaches permit far fewer attempts than other world leagues. Some also wonder had he stayed in EPB if he would’ve challenged for the world’s steals record.

Atlanta was happy with Isakov’s results, although they remained stuck in the middle-tier despite his efforts. Now 38-years old, Isakov signed a three-year, $51,600,000 deal with Raleigh. He was still an incredible contact hitter, posting a 22-game hit streak ending in mid-April and a 31-game streak ending in mid-June. Back spasms would bother him in the summer, but he still managed 3.2 WAR over 110 games. The Raptors earned a wild card, but went one-and-done.

Isakov fell off in 2029 and dealt with more injuries, playing only 71 games and starting 22 with 0.4 WAR. In 2030, he played only 59 games with four starts. Overall for Raleigh, Isakov had 240 games, 187 hits, 89 runs, 21 doubles, 8 triples, 13 RBI, 28 steals, .315/.392/.443 slash, 133 wRC+, and 3.8 WAR. While there, he did breach 3500 combined professional hits. New York very briefly hired Isakov in 2031, but he never played a game for the Yankees. He retired in the winter of 2031 shortly after his 42^nd birthday.

The combined tallies for Isakov had 2983 games, 3524 hits, 1687 runs, 585 doubles, 266 triples, 323 home runs, 1444 RBI, 1176 walks, 1608 strikeouts, 1591 steals, 913 caught stealing, .340/.407/.541 slash, 170 wRC+, and 132.6 WAR. Among world Hall of Famers as of 2037, Isakov ranks 23^th in batting average and 19^th in OBP. He’s also 15^th in stolen bases, but also 6^th in times caught stealing. Isakov only narrowly misses the top 50 in both hits and WAR by a position player.

Isakov was one of the most impressive and exciting bats of his era, earning impressive metrics even without big home run power or stellar defense. He’s easily the greatest player to come out of Azerbaijan and is a true inner-circle level Hall of Famer for any player who shined in the 2010s-20s. Isakov rightfully earned a prominent spot in a loaded 2032 class for Eurasian Professional Baseball.

Nikolay Kargopolcev – Right Field – Ufa Fiends – 98.5% First Ballot

Nikolay Kargopolcev was a 6’6’’, 200 pound left-handed right fielder from Tikhvin, Russia; a small city of 58,000 people located 120 miles east of St. Petersburg. Kargopolcev was one of EPB’s most prolific home run hitters, leading the Asian League seven times. In a lower-scoring league, he was still able to average 40 homers per 162 game average. Kargopolcev’s gap power was limited with only 18 doubles and 8 triples per 162.

He was a good contact hitter facing right-handed pitching with a career .915 OPS and 169 wRC+. Kargopolcev struggled against lefties though with a lousy .614 OPS and 83 wRC+. Against either side, he drew far fewer walks than you’d expect from a big bopper, yet his strikeout rate wasn’t bad. Also unlike most sluggers, Kargopolcev was an impressive base stealer with very good speed.

Kargopolcev played right field for the vast majority of his career, although he saw some time in left and at first base in his final years. He graded as a bit below average defensively, but he was by no means terrible. Kargopolcev’s durability was excellent over a 21-year career, really primarily missing games towards the end in a platoon role. He had an impressive work ethic and was a great leader, becoming universally beloved by teammates and fans across Russia.

Being a tall, powerful lefty will always draw the attention of scouts even if you grow up in a smaller city. Kargopolcev quickly earned looks as a teenager and committed to a developmental deal with Ufa in July 2003. He debuted in 2006 at age 19, showing promise over 80 games and 55 starts. Kargopolcev earned a full-time job in 2007 and held onto it through 2020 for the Fiends.

In his first full season, Kargopolcev led with 47 home runs, a career-best he’d match twice more. He earned his first Silver Slugger and Ufa made an impressive turnaround from 65 wins the prior year to a wild card at 91-71. They ultimately fell to Yekaterinburg’s dynasty in the Asian League Championship Series. The Fiends dropped back towards the bottom of the standings for the next few years before finally getting back above .500 in 2013.

Kargopolcev dropped off a bit in his second full year, but 2009 marked a streak of eight consecutive seasons with 40+ homers. He was the league leader from 2009-11 and from 2013-14. Kargopolcev led four times in slugging and total bases, thrice in runs, thrice in RBI, thrice in OPS, thrice in wRC+, and twice in WAR during that stretch. He picked up Silver Sluggers from 2011-16 and signed an eight-year, $74,700,000 extension with Ufa in May 2013.

During this stretch, Kargopolcev also won MVP honors in 2011, 13, and 14 with a second place finish in 2016. 2013 saw his career bests in runs (101), total bases (371), slugging (.635), OPS (.955), wRC+ (193), and WAR (7.9). With his dominance, Ufa finally became a sustained contender for the first time in around 50 years. They just missed the playoffs in 2013, then earned four berths in five years from 2014-18.

Ufa lost to Omsk in the 2014 ALCS, but got revenge on the Otters in 2015 for their first-ever Asian League pennant. The Fiends then knocked off Moscow to claim their first EPB Championship. Kargopolcev was surprisingly mediocre in that playoff run with a .553 OPS and 0.1 WAR. But he made up for it in the Baseball Grand Championship with an outstanding 1.336 OPS, 287 wRC+, 1.9 WAR, 26 hits, 20 runs, 15 homers, and 26 RBI. Despite that, Ufa was 8-11 for the event.

The Fiends were even stronger in 2016 at 105-57 and repeated as AL champ, although they fell in a finals rematch to Moscow. Kargopolcev was better in this playoff run with a .889 OPS, but his overall playoff stats were underwhelming for Ufa. In 45 games, he had 41 hits, 19 runs, 5 doubles, 3 triples, 6 homers, 16 RBI, .236/.237/.402 slash, 89 wRC+, and 0.6 WAR.

Ufa just missed the playoffs in 2017, then was upset by Krasnoyarsk in the 2018 ALCS. They had losing seasons to close out the decade, but it was the most successful stretch of the franchise’s history. Kargopolcev led in homers once more with 47 in 2018 and joined the 500 homer club. By this point, his time as an MVP contender seemed to be done.

With a rebuild in progress, Ufa surprised many by trading their beloved superstar after the 2020 season to divisional rival and two-time defending EPB champ Chelyabinsk in a four-player deal. In total, Kargopolcev had 2275 games, 2332 hits, 1278 runs, 259 doubles, 116 triples, 588 home runs, 1349 RBI, 790 steals, .279/.308/.550 slash, 152 wRC+, and 75.9 WAR. He would remained beloved by Ufa fans for delivering their first-ever titles and his #18 uniform would later be retired.

Although they had been a wild card both years, the Cadets had earned repeat EPB Championship wins. Their wild card streak continued for another six seasons, although they never won another pennant. Chelyabinsk lost in the 2021 ALCS to Perm, then had first round exits the rest of the run in the expanded postseason. Kargopolcev had decent playoff stats with 29 games, 24 hits, 13 runs, 2 doubles, 6 homers, 15 RBI, .737 OPS, 124 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR.

After a nice debut in 2021 with 4.0 WAR and 35 homers in 125 games, Kargopolcev signed a three-year, $25,200,000 extension. He became the 10^th in EPB to reach 600 home runs and some felt he could challenge Konrad Mazur’s top mark of 740 that had stood since 1987. The hope was dented a bit as he was moved to a part-time starter and platoon role in 2022-23.

Kargopolcev shocked Russian baseball at age 37 in 2024 with a career resurgence, leading in runs (93) and slugging (.590) while adding 38 homers, 116 RBI, 173 wRC+, and 7.7 WAR. He became only the fourth in EPB history to win four MVPs and was among the oldest MVP winners in baseball history. The Cadets gave him another three years and $43,100,000 with that effort. He had crossed the 2500 hit, 1500 RBI, and 1500 run milestones along the way and seemed to have a shot at those records if he could replicate the 2024 pace.

He was a full-timer in 2025 but with merely okay results with 29 homers, .714 OPS, and 2.0 WAR. Still, Kargopolcev joined the 700 home run club and passed Zina Gigolashvili’s 720 for the #2 spot. He was 16 short of Mazur’s record and was in striking distance of his Hall of Fame classmate Igor Gorbatyuk for the runs record and Ivan Mushailov’s RBI record. He had passed Ivan Valev’s 5487 to become the EPB leader in total bases, which held until passed a few years later by Timofei Averkin.

Sadly, Kargopolcev suffered a broken kneecap in March 2026 that kept him out almost all season. He managed to play 36 games with 6 homers and 16 RBI, putting up decent metrics in a small sample size. He was only 10 homers, 26 RBI, and 69 runs away from those records. But sadly, this is where he career ended.

With Chelyabinsk, Kargopolcev finished with 670 games, 581 hits, 322 runs, 73 doubles, 37 triples, 142 home runs, 380 RBI, 216 steals, .254/.280/.505 slash, 134 wRC+, and 16.6 WAR. Kargopolcev wanted to come back to chase those records and many fans wanted to see it. However, he went unsigned all of 2027 despite his campaigning. Kargopolcev ultimately retired after the 2027 season not long after his 41^st birthday.

Kargopolcev’s final stats had 2945 games, 2913 hits, 1600 runs, 332 doubles, 153 triples, 730 home runs, 1729 RBI, 430 walks, 1614 strikeouts, 1006 steals, 638 caught stealing, .274/.302/.540 slash, 148 wRC+, and 92.5 WAR. He’s one of five Hall of Famers in world baseball history with 700+ career home runs and 1000+ career stolen bases.

As of 2037 in EPB, Kargopolcev is 5^th in games, 4^th in runs, 6^th in hits, 2^nd in total bases (5741), 82^nd in triples, 2^nd in homers, 2^nd in RBI, 18^th in steals, and 15^th in caught stealing. Despite those tallies, he ranks only 19^th in WAR among position players. Kargopolcev’s .843 OPS is 56^th among batters with 3000+ plate appearances and his slugging ranks 24^th.

By raw tallies, Kargopolcev’s name quickly comes up among the best-ever in EPB history. Those who favor Sabermetrics often rank his Hall of Fame classmates Yuriy Isakov and Igor Gorbatyuk above him due to high walk rates and better contact skills. But Kargopolcev was the home runs man and is considered by many to be EPB’s best-ever slugger. He’s just above the HR king Mazur in WAR with Mazur notably losing points with his horrendous 4051 strikeouts, which held as the world whiffs record for nearly 50 years.

Kargopolcev loses some points for underwhelming playoff stats, but Ufa earned their first-ever pennants and first EPB title thanks to him. The accumulations, championship ring, and four MVPs certainly make Kargopolcev an inner-circle inductee for Eurasian Professional Baseball. He’d be a headliner almost any year at 98.5%, but ranks as third of five in a stacked 2032 class.

07-13-2025, 05:55 PM	#2323
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,809	2032 EPB Hall of Fame (Part 2) Yuriy “Bingo” Isakov – Left/Right Field – Moscow Mules – 98.5% First Ballot Yuriy Isakov was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting corner outfielder from Suvlan, Azerbaijan; a municipality of 15,000 people within the capital Baku. He joined Class of 1971 reliever Khalid Azad as the only Azeris in EPB’s Hall of Fame. Nicknamed “Bingo,” Isakov became famous and beloved as one of the most prolific base stealers and as one of the most exciting guys to watch on the basepaths. He was a league leader six times in steals and posted eight different 100+ steal seasons. Isakov’s ability to get on base made him especially dangerous, earning a 10/10 grade for contact ability in his prime. He was also solid at drawing walks and was better than most at avoiding strikeouts in EPB. Isakov’s speed and gap power pushed him to 32 doubles and 14 triples per his 162 game average. His home run power wasn’t prolific, but he was also good for 17 dingers per 162. While his contact ability was strong against both sides, Isakov’s power was very much concentrated against right-handed pitching. He had a .997 OPS and 181 wRC+ facing RHP compared to a .798 OPS and 133 wRC+ against lefties with slugging making up most of that drop. But Isakov’s aggressive baserunning and speed usually meant he’d make his way to second or third even off singles and walks. Isakov made just over half of his career starts in left field with around 1/3 in right and most of the rest as a designated hitter. He graded as a below average defender, but he was by no means a complete liability. Isakov was one of the hardest workers in the game, but he wasn’t a natural leader and could be prone to dumb mistakes. His durability was mostly solid over a 22-year career, becoming extremely popular across three continents. With the exodus of Central Asian teams to the Asian Baseball Federation in 2000, most Azeri prospects went that way moving forward. Isakov was an exception, drawing attention in his teens from the Russian capital. Moscow signed him to a developmental deal in October 2005 and had him in the academy for a bit over three years. Isakov debuted in 2009, a rare 19-year old in the big time, posting solid results in 84 games and 35 starts. Moscow was a 92-70 wild card, but upset Minsk in the 2009 European League Championship Series and stunned two-time defending EPB Champion Yekaterinburg in the final. Isakov had 10 games and 8 starts in the playoff run, although he was merely okay at .723 OPS and 0.1 WAR. Still, he would soon become a key playoff performer as the Mules contended regularly throughout the 2010s and 2020s. Isakov was a full-time starter in 2010 and held that role firmly 15 seasons for Moscow. He started 140+ games in all but three seasons for the Mules, but still had 100+ even with some injuries. Isakov won LCS MVP honors in 2010 as the Mules won the pennant again at 103-59, although they were defeated by Omsk in the EPB Championship. Moscow was the top seed and won 103 games again in 2011, but was upset by Minsk in the ELCS. They then missed the playoffs in 2012-13. 2011 was Isakov’s first Silver Slugger and his only one as a DH. He’d win again in 2012, 14, 16, 17, 20, 22, and 24 in left field and earned the 2019 honor in right. His 2012 would be an all-timer with an incredible .411/.476/.697 slash, 1.173 OPS, and 228 wRC+. There had never been a .400+ hitter in EPB to that point and Isakov set new league high marks for AVG, OBP, and OPS that still stand as of 2037. Such a mark also seemed impossible in the low-scoring environment of EPB. Isakov’s average ranks as the 12^th-best qualifying season in all of baseball history and his OBP ranks 13^th. Setting a league record in OPS is also impressive since he had only 21 home runs. Isakov posted a league and career-best 27 triples and had his career best in hits with 218. He hit for the cycle in September and had a 28-game and 25-game hitting streak during the season. Despite all that, he was second in MVP voting to Kazan’s Evgeny Kiselev, who led in homers (44) and WAR (10.9). In 2013, Isakov actually had a higher WAR (9.9 versus 9.6) the next year and led in steals for the first time with 110; again taking second in MVP voting. In May 2014, Moscow locked him up to an eight-year, $64,900,000 extension. Isakov rewarded them by winning that first MVP, leading the league in hits (214), doubles (36), total bases (369), steals (93), triple slash (.381/.441/.657), OPS (1.097), wRC+ (228), and WAR (11.8). It was his career best WAR and ranks as the 4^th-best by an EPB position player as of 2037. Moscow returned to the playoffs in 2014 as the wild card, falling to Rostov’s dynasty in the ELCS. They rematched the Rhinos the next two years and were victorious both times. 2015 was expected as the top seed at 103-59, but 2016 was a shocker since they won only 83 games and upset 104-win Rostov. Moscow lost the 2015 EPB Championship to Ufa, but got revenge on the Fiends in 2016 to complete an improbable title run. Isakov was out from early August 2015 through the playoff run with a broken kneecap. He bounced back in 2016 for his third batting title and a 10.4 WAR season, taking second in MVP voting. Isakov was ELCS MVP in 2016, although he had a mid showing in the Baseball Grand Championship with .609 OPS and 0.2 WAR. The Mules finished 9-10 for the event. In 2017, Isakov was again second in MVP voting with the league best in steals, average, OBP, OPS, wRC+, and WAR. The 116 steals was his career best and was one short of the then-record. It ranks 4^th as of 2037 in EPB. There have 32 seasons of 100+ steals in EPB and Isakov has ¼ of them. Carrying over from the end of 2016, Isakov had a 57-game on-base streak through to June 2. Despite that, Moscow missed the playoffs at 84-78. They would start up a four-year streak in 2018 with Isakov leading the way once again. Isakov repeated as MVP in 2018 and 2019, leading both seasons in WAR and hits. 2019 saw his fifth batting title and fourth time leading in OPS. Moscow was a wild card both years and lost to Krasnodar in the 2018 ELCS. They upset Voronezh in the 2019 ELCS with Isakov snagging series MVP. The Mules would fall to Chelyabinsk in the EPB Championship. He wouldn’t reach MVP heights again, but remained a strong starter into his early 30s. Moscow lost in the first round in a newly expanded postseason, but won another pennant in 2021 before dropping the EPB Championship to Perm. Isakov declined his contract option that winter, but only spent two weeks in free agency before signing a new four-year, $41,400,000 deal with Moscow. The Mules had a first round exit in 2023 and missed the playoffs in 2022 and 2024. Even in the down years, Isakov still notably hit for the cycle in 2022 and climbed up the leaderboards. He joined the 2500 hit club in 2023 and many figured he’d pass Igor Urban’s 3044 for EPB’s most hits. In 2024, Isakov became EPB’s steals leader by passing Yakov Ryzhikov’s 1436. He was also on the cusp of passing Darian Tasos’ 122.68 to become the WARlord among position players. To the surprise of many, Isakov declined the fourth year option and left Moscow after the 2024 season. He was a free agent for the first time at age 35 and had worldwide suitors, eventually leaving for the United States and Major League Baseball. Some think he could’ve gone down as EPB’s GOAT hitter had he stayed and some still bestow that honor anyway. Isakov performed on the big stage over 84 playoff games for Moscow with 104 hits, 51 runs, 11 doubles, 7 triples, 15 homers, 50 RBI, 37 steals, .359/.430/.600 slash, 199 wRC+, and 4.7 WAR. Isakov ranks in the top 20 of numerous stats in EPB postseason history and had two EPB Championship rings and six European League pennants to his name. With Moscow, Isakov played 2336 games with 2819 hits, 1339 runs, 476 doubles, 232 triples, 273 home runs, 1202 RBI, 942 walks, 1266 strikeouts, 1454 steals, 821 caught stealing, .343/.410/.557 slash, .967 OPS, 181 wRC+, and 118.1 WAR. As of 2037, Isakov is EPB’s steals leader and the leader in OBP among batters with 3000+ plate appearances. He ranks 2^nd in batting average to active player Vladimir Pyatrenka’s .345 and ranks 4^th in OPS. The three players ahead of him in OPS all started their careers by 2026 or later. For counting stats, Isakov is 16^th in runs, 9^th in hits, 22^nd in total bases (4578), 7^th in doubles, 22^nd in triples, 13^th in singles (1838), 53^rd in RBI, 2^nd in caught stealing, 23^rd in walks, and 2^nd in WAR among position players. It is impressive that a guy without big home run power has a solid case for being EPB’s best-ever hitter overall considering how much weight dingers carry. If his final six years stayed in EPB, Isakov potentially reaches the counting stats to fully secure GOAT status. Regardless of where he ranks in EPB’s pantheon, Isakov was clearly a true immortal of the game. At 98.5%, he was part of the stellar five-player Hall of Fame class in 2032 for Eurasian Professional Baseball. Isakov’s #9 uniform was also retired by Moscow and he remains one of the most beloved figures in the capital, an especially impressive accomplishment by a non-Russian. Isakov’s native Azerbaijan was too small to qualify for the World Baseball Championship for much of his prime, but he helped get them there from 2021-29. They also surprised many with a division title in 2023, which helped put Isakov on the radar of some MLB teams. His overall WBC numbers were merely decent with 95 games, 80 hits, 56 runs, 13 doubles, 3 triples, 7 homers, 24 RBI, 56 steals, .252/.367/.377 slash, and 3.3 WAR. For 2025, Isakov signed a three-year, $70,200,000 deal with MLB’s Atlanta Aces. On the whole, he was a rock solid starter over 407 games with 518 hits, 259 runs, 88 doubles, 26 triples, 37 home runs, 171 RBI, 109 steals, .332/.397/.493 slash, 128 wRC+, and 10.7 WAR. His steal numbers would be way down since MLB coaches permit far fewer attempts than other world leagues. Some also wonder had he stayed in EPB if he would’ve challenged for the world’s steals record. Atlanta was happy with Isakov’s results, although they remained stuck in the middle-tier despite his efforts. Now 38-years old, Isakov signed a three-year, $51,600,000 deal with Raleigh. He was still an incredible contact hitter, posting a 22-game hit streak ending in mid-April and a 31-game streak ending in mid-June. Back spasms would bother him in the summer, but he still managed 3.2 WAR over 110 games. The Raptors earned a wild card, but went one-and-done. Isakov fell off in 2029 and dealt with more injuries, playing only 71 games and starting 22 with 0.4 WAR. In 2030, he played only 59 games with four starts. Overall for Raleigh, Isakov had 240 games, 187 hits, 89 runs, 21 doubles, 8 triples, 13 RBI, 28 steals, .315/.392/.443 slash, 133 wRC+, and 3.8 WAR. While there, he did breach 3500 combined professional hits. New York very briefly hired Isakov in 2031, but he never played a game for the Yankees. He retired in the winter of 2031 shortly after his 42^nd birthday. The combined tallies for Isakov had 2983 games, 3524 hits, 1687 runs, 585 doubles, 266 triples, 323 home runs, 1444 RBI, 1176 walks, 1608 strikeouts, 1591 steals, 913 caught stealing, .340/.407/.541 slash, 170 wRC+, and 132.6 WAR. Among world Hall of Famers as of 2037, Isakov ranks 23^th in batting average and 19^th in OBP. He’s also 15^th in stolen bases, but also 6^th in times caught stealing. Isakov only narrowly misses the top 50 in both hits and WAR by a position player. Isakov was one of the most impressive and exciting bats of his era, earning impressive metrics even without big home run power or stellar defense. He’s easily the greatest player to come out of Azerbaijan and is a true inner-circle level Hall of Famer for any player who shined in the 2010s-20s. Isakov rightfully earned a prominent spot in a loaded 2032 class for Eurasian Professional Baseball. Nikolay Kargopolcev – Right Field – Ufa Fiends – 98.5% First Ballot Nikolay Kargopolcev was a 6’6’’, 200 pound left-handed right fielder from Tikhvin, Russia; a small city of 58,000 people located 120 miles east of St. Petersburg. Kargopolcev was one of EPB’s most prolific home run hitters, leading the Asian League seven times. In a lower-scoring league, he was still able to average 40 homers per 162 game average. Kargopolcev’s gap power was limited with only 18 doubles and 8 triples per 162. He was a good contact hitter facing right-handed pitching with a career .915 OPS and 169 wRC+. Kargopolcev struggled against lefties though with a lousy .614 OPS and 83 wRC+. Against either side, he drew far fewer walks than you’d expect from a big bopper, yet his strikeout rate wasn’t bad. Also unlike most sluggers, Kargopolcev was an impressive base stealer with very good speed. Kargopolcev played right field for the vast majority of his career, although he saw some time in left and at first base in his final years. He graded as a bit below average defensively, but he was by no means terrible. Kargopolcev’s durability was excellent over a 21-year career, really primarily missing games towards the end in a platoon role. He had an impressive work ethic and was a great leader, becoming universally beloved by teammates and fans across Russia. Being a tall, powerful lefty will always draw the attention of scouts even if you grow up in a smaller city. Kargopolcev quickly earned looks as a teenager and committed to a developmental deal with Ufa in July 2003. He debuted in 2006 at age 19, showing promise over 80 games and 55 starts. Kargopolcev earned a full-time job in 2007 and held onto it through 2020 for the Fiends. In his first full season, Kargopolcev led with 47 home runs, a career-best he’d match twice more. He earned his first Silver Slugger and Ufa made an impressive turnaround from 65 wins the prior year to a wild card at 91-71. They ultimately fell to Yekaterinburg’s dynasty in the Asian League Championship Series. The Fiends dropped back towards the bottom of the standings for the next few years before finally getting back above .500 in 2013. Kargopolcev dropped off a bit in his second full year, but 2009 marked a streak of eight consecutive seasons with 40+ homers. He was the league leader from 2009-11 and from 2013-14. Kargopolcev led four times in slugging and total bases, thrice in runs, thrice in RBI, thrice in OPS, thrice in wRC+, and twice in WAR during that stretch. He picked up Silver Sluggers from 2011-16 and signed an eight-year, $74,700,000 extension with Ufa in May 2013. During this stretch, Kargopolcev also won MVP honors in 2011, 13, and 14 with a second place finish in 2016. 2013 saw his career bests in runs (101), total bases (371), slugging (.635), OPS (.955), wRC+ (193), and WAR (7.9). With his dominance, Ufa finally became a sustained contender for the first time in around 50 years. They just missed the playoffs in 2013, then earned four berths in five years from 2014-18. Ufa lost to Omsk in the 2014 ALCS, but got revenge on the Otters in 2015 for their first-ever Asian League pennant. The Fiends then knocked off Moscow to claim their first EPB Championship. Kargopolcev was surprisingly mediocre in that playoff run with a .553 OPS and 0.1 WAR. But he made up for it in the Baseball Grand Championship with an outstanding 1.336 OPS, 287 wRC+, 1.9 WAR, 26 hits, 20 runs, 15 homers, and 26 RBI. Despite that, Ufa was 8-11 for the event. The Fiends were even stronger in 2016 at 105-57 and repeated as AL champ, although they fell in a finals rematch to Moscow. Kargopolcev was better in this playoff run with a .889 OPS, but his overall playoff stats were underwhelming for Ufa. In 45 games, he had 41 hits, 19 runs, 5 doubles, 3 triples, 6 homers, 16 RBI, .236/.237/.402 slash, 89 wRC+, and 0.6 WAR. Ufa just missed the playoffs in 2017, then was upset by Krasnoyarsk in the 2018 ALCS. They had losing seasons to close out the decade, but it was the most successful stretch of the franchise’s history. Kargopolcev led in homers once more with 47 in 2018 and joined the 500 homer club. By this point, his time as an MVP contender seemed to be done. With a rebuild in progress, Ufa surprised many by trading their beloved superstar after the 2020 season to divisional rival and two-time defending EPB champ Chelyabinsk in a four-player deal. In total, Kargopolcev had 2275 games, 2332 hits, 1278 runs, 259 doubles, 116 triples, 588 home runs, 1349 RBI, 790 steals, .279/.308/.550 slash, 152 wRC+, and 75.9 WAR. He would remained beloved by Ufa fans for delivering their first-ever titles and his #18 uniform would later be retired. Although they had been a wild card both years, the Cadets had earned repeat EPB Championship wins. Their wild card streak continued for another six seasons, although they never won another pennant. Chelyabinsk lost in the 2021 ALCS to Perm, then had first round exits the rest of the run in the expanded postseason. Kargopolcev had decent playoff stats with 29 games, 24 hits, 13 runs, 2 doubles, 6 homers, 15 RBI, .737 OPS, 124 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR. After a nice debut in 2021 with 4.0 WAR and 35 homers in 125 games, Kargopolcev signed a three-year, $25,200,000 extension. He became the 10^th in EPB to reach 600 home runs and some felt he could challenge Konrad Mazur’s top mark of 740 that had stood since 1987. The hope was dented a bit as he was moved to a part-time starter and platoon role in 2022-23. Kargopolcev shocked Russian baseball at age 37 in 2024 with a career resurgence, leading in runs (93) and slugging (.590) while adding 38 homers, 116 RBI, 173 wRC+, and 7.7 WAR. He became only the fourth in EPB history to win four MVPs and was among the oldest MVP winners in baseball history. The Cadets gave him another three years and $43,100,000 with that effort. He had crossed the 2500 hit, 1500 RBI, and 1500 run milestones along the way and seemed to have a shot at those records if he could replicate the 2024 pace. He was a full-timer in 2025 but with merely okay results with 29 homers, .714 OPS, and 2.0 WAR. Still, Kargopolcev joined the 700 home run club and passed Zina Gigolashvili’s 720 for the #2 spot. He was 16 short of Mazur’s record and was in striking distance of his Hall of Fame classmate Igor Gorbatyuk for the runs record and Ivan Mushailov’s RBI record. He had passed Ivan Valev’s 5487 to become the EPB leader in total bases, which held until passed a few years later by Timofei Averkin. Sadly, Kargopolcev suffered a broken kneecap in March 2026 that kept him out almost all season. He managed to play 36 games with 6 homers and 16 RBI, putting up decent metrics in a small sample size. He was only 10 homers, 26 RBI, and 69 runs away from those records. But sadly, this is where he career ended. With Chelyabinsk, Kargopolcev finished with 670 games, 581 hits, 322 runs, 73 doubles, 37 triples, 142 home runs, 380 RBI, 216 steals, .254/.280/.505 slash, 134 wRC+, and 16.6 WAR. Kargopolcev wanted to come back to chase those records and many fans wanted to see it. However, he went unsigned all of 2027 despite his campaigning. Kargopolcev ultimately retired after the 2027 season not long after his 41^st birthday. Kargopolcev’s final stats had 2945 games, 2913 hits, 1600 runs, 332 doubles, 153 triples, 730 home runs, 1729 RBI, 430 walks, 1614 strikeouts, 1006 steals, 638 caught stealing, .274/.302/.540 slash, 148 wRC+, and 92.5 WAR. He’s one of five Hall of Famers in world baseball history with 700+ career home runs and 1000+ career stolen bases. As of 2037 in EPB, Kargopolcev is 5^th in games, 4^th in runs, 6^th in hits, 2^nd in total bases (5741), 82^nd in triples, 2^nd in homers, 2^nd in RBI, 18^th in steals, and 15^th in caught stealing. Despite those tallies, he ranks only 19^th in WAR among position players. Kargopolcev’s .843 OPS is 56^th among batters with 3000+ plate appearances and his slugging ranks 24^th. By raw tallies, Kargopolcev’s name quickly comes up among the best-ever in EPB history. Those who favor Sabermetrics often rank his Hall of Fame classmates Yuriy Isakov and Igor Gorbatyuk above him due to high walk rates and better contact skills. But Kargopolcev was the home runs man and is considered by many to be EPB’s best-ever slugger. He’s just above the HR king Mazur in WAR with Mazur notably losing points with his horrendous 4051 strikeouts, which held as the world whiffs record for nearly 50 years. Kargopolcev loses some points for underwhelming playoff stats, but Ufa earned their first-ever pennants and first EPB title thanks to him. The accumulations, championship ring, and four MVPs certainly make Kargopolcev an inner-circle inductee for Eurasian Professional Baseball. He’d be a headliner almost any year at 98.5%, but ranks as third of five in a stacked 2032 class. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)