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FuzzyRussianHat · 08-08-2025, 08:45 PM

Four made it into the Asian Baseball Federation Hall of Fame in 2033. Co-headlining as first ballot picks were OF Emmanouil Karakostas (84.6%) and SP Mustafa Jumah (80.6%). Two others squeaked by the 66% requirement to join them. SP Qabir Sabiha got 68.5% on his second try and SP Ahour Sabbari saw 67.7% with his third ballot. Four others were above 50% with 3B Timur Tyan at 55.2% on his second go, LF Ramin Abilov at a 51.3% debut, 3B Eser Haspolatli with 51.35 for his fourth ballot, and CL Raghid Yazdani with 50.2% on the third try. No one was dropped after ten failed ballots.

Emmanouil “Oz” Karakostas – Outfield – Tashkent Tomcats – 84.6% First Ballot

Emmanouil Karakostas was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed outfielder from Ayios Ioannis Rentis, Greece; an Athens suburb with 15,000 people. He had the nickname “Oz,” mostly because teammates didn’t want to say his long name. Karakostas was known for solid contact skills against both sides along with great gap power and fantastic baserunning skills. He also was one of the best at avoiding strikeouts and drew walks at a decent clip. Karakostas wasn’t the worst home run hitter, but he only hit 20+ in three seasons.

Karakostas 162 game average got you 28 doubles, 14 triples, and 13 home runs. He was almost equal facing right-handed pitching (.823 OPS, 155 wRC+) compared to versus lefties (.833 OPS, 156 wRC+). Few players stole bases as efficiently as Karakostas, who was considered one of the most dangerous baserunners of his era. He managed to maintain very good speed even into his 40s.

A strong work ethic and intelligence helped Karakostas to a 22-year career, although he wasn’t going to take a leadership role. Stellar durability certainly helped, playing 145+ games each year from 2009-26. Karakostas bounced around the outfield in his career with around 40% of his starts in left, 35% in right, and the rest in center. He graded as a good defender in LF, below average in RF, and lousy in CF.

Greek players rarely ventured outside of the European Baseball Federation sphere, but a scout from Bishkek took an early liking to Karakostas. They convinced him as a teenager to leave for Kyrgyzstan, signing a developmental deal in January 2001. Karakostas spent the better part of seven years in their academy, although he did officially debut in 2004 at age 19. From 2004-07, Karakostas played only 107 games with 10 starts.

Bishkek was a playoff contender at this point, so finding an open slot for a young player was difficult. The Black Sox notably won the East League pennant in 2007, but lost in the ABF Championship to Istanbul. Karakostas only saw a few pinch hit at-bats in these early years. Karakostas saw more time in 2008 with 89 games and eight starts, then took the full-time job from 2009 onward. In July 2009, he signed a five-year, $12,420,000 extension.

Karakostas was soon considered elite, winning Silver Sluggers in LF for 2011-12. He led in hits (197) and triples (16) in 2010. Karakostas led in triples twice more for the Black Sox and led with 93 steals in 2011. He had a 27-game hit streak in 2009 and hit for the cycle in 2011 against Kabul. Bishkek got the top seed in 2010 at 104-58, but fell in the ELCS to Rawalpindi. Karakostas had a nice postseason effort with a .910 OPS in 2010 games. For the next three years, Bishkek was just above .500, but outside of the playoff race.

2014 was Karakostas’ final year under contract. Bishkek surprised many in February by trading him straight up for SP Taleh Butayev to Faisalabad. For the Black Sox, Karakostas finished with 967 games, 987 hits, 476 runs, 161 doubles, 82 triples, 61 homers, 346 RBI, 411 steals, .315/.365/.477 slash, 164 wRC+, and 37.2 WAR.

The Fire had won the ABF title in 2011 and had the top seed in 2013, but they got upset in the first round. They hoped Karakostas would solidify the lineup and it worked. Faisalabad again got the top seed at 99-63 and went all the way, defeating Mashhad in the ABF Championship. Karakostas won MVP of the ELCS win over Asgabat, posting 17 hits, 10 runs, 4 doubles, 3 homers, 8 RBI, 13 steals, and 1.1 WAR in 15 playoff starts. Faisalabad went 8-11 in the Baseball Grand Championship with Karakostas posting 18 hits, 13 runs, 5 doubles, 3 homers, 7 RBI, and 11 steals.

Karakostas’ one year with Faisalabad was a big success with 8.0 WAR, 178 hits, 85 runs, 34 doubles, .846 OPS, and 170 wRC+. They didn’t reach an agreement, so he ended up as a rental. Karakostas was a top free agent at age 30 and signed a seven-year, $83,200,000 deal with Tashkent. This started his signature run with Silver Sluggers in 2015 (RF) and 2021 (LF).

2020 was Karakostas’ strongest effort with career highs for hits (203), doubles (39), OBP (.384), and WAR (8.7). He also led in triples thrice with the Tomcats and steals once. Karakostas was a redeeming quality in a down period for Tashkent, providing 5+ WAR in all seven seasons. Unfortunately, they had no playoff trips with only two winning seasons and 71.6 wins per season during his tenure. In 1092 games, Karakostas had 1244 hits, 584 runs, 203 doubles, 98 triples, 90 home runs, 452 RBI, 550 steals, .311/.362/.478 slash, 166 wRC+, and 48.6 WAR.

Karakostas was a free agent again for 2022 and still playing at a high level even at age 37. Almaty gave him a two-year, $19,400,000 deal. Karakostas’ production dipped a little in 2022, but he was strong for his sixth Silver Slugger in 2023 (RF). That year saw a league and career-best 116 runs. The Assassins got wild cards both years, but couldn’t get out of the first round. Karakostas had 306 games, 353 hits, 200 runs, 50 doubles, 26 triples, 42 homers, 163 RBI, 132 steals, .302/.351/.497 slash, 162 wRC+, and 11.9 WAR.

With his longevity and consistency, Karakostas was climbing the leaderboards. He crossed the 1000 stolen bases, 1000 RBI, and 2500 hit milestones with Almaty. The 39-year old Karakostas signed a two-year, $22,200,000 deal with Baku and was a decent starter, but his production dropped to career lows by far. Still, Karakostas got 5.6 WAR in 301 games with 305 hits, 185 runs, 48 doubles, 25 triples, 28 homers, 159 steals, and a .275/.330/.439 slash.

In 2024, Baku win the ABF Championship over Almaty as a 94-68 wild card. Karakostas had a strong postseason and won finals MVP, getting 18 hits, 5 runs, 6 extra base hits, and 0.5 WAR in 13 total starts. In the Baseball Grand Championship, the Blackbirds finished 7-12 with Karakostas getting 16 hits, 10 runs, 2 doubles, 3 homers, and 7 steals. Baku won 100 games in 2025, but lost in the first round with Karakostas struggling going 1-18 in the series.

On the whole, Karakostas had good playoff numbers in his career. Over 66 games and 52 starts, he had 61 hits, 27 runs, 8 doubles, 10 triples, 5 homers, 18 RBI, 29 steals, .289/.343/.493 slash, 150 wRC+, and 2.6 WAR. With Baku, he notably became the second to reach 1500 runs scored and the third to 3000 career hits. Mehmet Fatih Canaydin had been the first to both marks the prior year and stayed ahead of Karakostas for those stats and career stolen bases on the leaderboards.

For 2026, Karakostas returned to Faisalabad with a respectable effort with 3.5 WAR, 131 wRC+, and .773 OPS in 146 games. He also had 19 triples, passing Wafiq Rasool’s 248 to become the ABF career leader. Rawalpindi grabbed him for 2027, but he fell off and was reduced to a part-time role with .640 OPS and 0.8 WAR over 130 games and 75 starts. That did get him to 3000 career games, a mark only met by Canaydin in ABF. Karakostas retired that winter at age 43.

Karakostas finished with 3093 games, 3273 hits, 1638 runs, 534 doubles, 266 triples, 252 home runs, 1229 RBI, 820 walks, 1203 strikeouts, 1416 stolen bases, .303/.354/.471 slash, 156 wRC+, and 115.6 WAR. As of 2037, Karakostas remains ABF’s all-time leader for triples. He also ranks 2nd in games, 3^rd in runs, 9^th in total bases (5095), 19^th in doubles, 3^rd in singles (2221), 38^th in RBI, 2^nd in steals, 22^nd in walks, and 5^th in WAR among position players. Karakostas is also 58^th in batting average and 66^th in on-base percentage among batters with 3000+ plate appearances.

Canaydin overshadowed Karakostas a bit for grand tallies, but they are among seven position players between 112-118 WAR as of 2037. None hold a candle to Nizami Aghazade, but Karakostas makes some of the top ten and even top five lists. He often loses some points for the lack of home run power, but his role in titles for both Faisalabad and Baku work in his favor. On the world leaderboard as of 2037, Karakostas notably ranks 26^th in steals.

Hall of Fame voters for the Asian Baseball Federation though can be notably stingy though. Despite Karakostas’s impressive resume, he only received 84.6% of the vote. That was plenty though for the first ballot nod and the top billing for the four-player 2033 class.

Mustafa “Lion” Jumah – Starting Pitcher – Faisalabad Fire – 80.6% First Ballot

Mustafa Jumah was a 6’3’’, 205 pound right-handed pitcher from Kotri, Pakistan; a city of around 106,000 people. When he was younger, people often confused his name Mustafa with Mufasa of Lion King fame, thus the eventual nickname of The Lion. Many also felt Jumah had the heart of a lion as a team captain. He was one of the highest character guys in the game, renowned for his leadership, loyalty, work ethic, and adaptability.

As for his skillset, Jumah had good-to-great stuff and movement, although his control was average at best. A strong 97-99 mph fastball led the way, but his slider and splitter were both potent as well. Jumah also had a rarely seen changeup for a fourth option. He notably fared better facing right-handed bats (3.00 ERA, 78 FIP-) compared to lefties (3.49 ERA, 104 FIP-).

Jumah’s stamina was quite good and he led the league twice in innings pitched. He stayed mostly durable as well over a 15-year career and avoided major injuries. Jumah’s defense and ability to hold runners both graded as subpar. In March 2008, a teenaged Jumah left Pakistan for Turkey on a developmental deal with Adana. He spent close to five full seasons in their academy, debuting with six relief appearances in 2012 at age 20.

In 2013, Jumah had a full-time roster spot primarily as long relief to follow an opener. He managed an impressive 16-2 record with a 2.12 ERA over 144.2 innings. The Axemen moved him to the full-time rotation after that and gave him a five-year, $25,920,000 extension after the 2016 season.

2018 was his finest season, leading the West League in wins (21-9), innings (276.2), quality starts (28), and WAR (7.2). Those were all career bests for Jumah, as was his 340 strikeouts. The 2.18 ERA was also his best full-rotation effort, but he finished second in Pitcher of the Year voting. Jumah wouldn’t be a finalist ever again.

Adana ended a 12-year playoff drought in 2014 and had three straight division titles and ELCS appearances. Unfortunately for the Axemen, they were denied each time in the ELCS, losing to Mashhad, Shiraz, and Tehran respectively. Jumah was good in the 2016 playoffs, but struggled the prior years with a 4.64 ERA over six starts with a 1-4 record, 42.2 innings, 57 strikeouts, and 0.6 WAR.

Following that run, Adana fell to the bottom of the standings for the rest of Jumah’s tenure. He also really stunk to start 2020 with a 5.31 ERA over 120.1 innings. That July, the Axemen traded Jumah to Faisalabad for three players. For Adana, Jumah had a 117-90 record, 3.22 ERA, 1849 innings, 2174 strikeouts, 507 walks, 103 ERA+, 88 FIP-, and 32.9 WAR. He had more innings there than later with the Fire, but Jumah would be more prominently associated with Faisalabad.

Upon his arrival, Jumah was barely used with only 22.2 innings of mostly relief. He also gave up a homer in his one relief inning in the playoffs as the Fire had a first round exit. Still, they saw something in Jumah and gave him a six-year, $59 million extension in March 2021. He was happy to be back home in Pakistan, although he only saw five total appearances for his country in the World Baseball Championship.

Jumah worked his way back into the starting rotation and had three strong seasons with 5.5+ WAR and ERAs below three. Faisalabad took the East League’s top seed in 2021 and went all the way, dethroning reigning champ Bishkek in the ELCS and Izmir in the ABF Championship. In 29 playoff innings, Jumah had a 3.41 ERA with 38 strikeouts. He had a 3.67 ERA over 34.1 innings with 33 Ks in the Baseball Grand Championship as the Fire tied for last at 6-13.

Faisalabad won three more division titles and made the ELCS from 2022-24, but they couldn’t claim another pennant. The Fire fell to Bishkek the first two years, then lost to Almaty in 2024. Jumah’s playoff results were underwhelming with a 4.56 ERA over 53.1 innings, and 69 strikeouts. He had a 76 ERA+, but his 75 FIP- and 1.5 WAR did suggest he caught some bad breaks.

Jumah’s production fell closer to league average in his final few seasons. Faisalabad fell to 78-84 in 2025 to end their six-year playoff streak, then plummeted to the bottom with four consecutive 100+ loss seasons after that. In his later years, he was able to become the 12^th pitcher to 200 career wins and the 11^th to 4000 strikeouts.

In total for Faisalabad, Jumah had a 104-76 record, 3.19 ERA, 1674 innings, 1907 strikeouts, 435 walks, 110 ERA+, 90 FIP-, and 29.6 WAR. He was well respected enough by the organization that his #36 uniform would be retired. Jumah announced his retirement after the 2027 campaign at age 36.

Jumah finished with a 221-166 record, 3.21 ERA, 3523 innings, 4081 strikeouts, 942 walks, 268/418 quality starts, 127 complete games, 29 shutouts, 106 ERA+, 89 FIP-, and 62.5 WAR. As of 2037, Jumah ranks 6^th in wins, 11^th in losses, 12^th in innings, 21^st in complete games, 18^th in shutouts, 13^th in strikeouts, and 29^th in pitching WAR.

He does also have the unfortunate distinction of having more walks than anyone else in ABF. Additionally, Jumah misses the top 100 for rate stats. He wasn’t overly dominant and was rarely considered a top three pitcher, but longevity and a championship ring go a long way. Plus, Jumah was as well respected as a captain as you’d find. His character, 200+ wins, and 4000+ Ks got him to 80.6% for a first ballot selection in the 2033 Hall of Fame class for the Asian Baseball Federation.

08-08-2025, 08:45 PM	#2373
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,094	2033 ABF Hall of Fame (Part 1) Four made it into the Asian Baseball Federation Hall of Fame in 2033. Co-headlining as first ballot picks were OF Emmanouil Karakostas (84.6%) and SP Mustafa Jumah (80.6%). Two others squeaked by the 66% requirement to join them. SP Qabir Sabiha got 68.5% on his second try and SP Ahour Sabbari saw 67.7% with his third ballot. Four others were above 50% with 3B Timur Tyan at 55.2% on his second go, LF Ramin Abilov at a 51.3% debut, 3B Eser Haspolatli with 51.35 for his fourth ballot, and CL Raghid Yazdani with 50.2% on the third try. No one was dropped after ten failed ballots. Emmanouil “Oz” Karakostas – Outfield – Tashkent Tomcats – 84.6% First Ballot Emmanouil Karakostas was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed outfielder from Ayios Ioannis Rentis, Greece; an Athens suburb with 15,000 people. He had the nickname “Oz,” mostly because teammates didn’t want to say his long name. Karakostas was known for solid contact skills against both sides along with great gap power and fantastic baserunning skills. He also was one of the best at avoiding strikeouts and drew walks at a decent clip. Karakostas wasn’t the worst home run hitter, but he only hit 20+ in three seasons. Karakostas 162 game average got you 28 doubles, 14 triples, and 13 home runs. He was almost equal facing right-handed pitching (.823 OPS, 155 wRC+) compared to versus lefties (.833 OPS, 156 wRC+). Few players stole bases as efficiently as Karakostas, who was considered one of the most dangerous baserunners of his era. He managed to maintain very good speed even into his 40s. A strong work ethic and intelligence helped Karakostas to a 22-year career, although he wasn’t going to take a leadership role. Stellar durability certainly helped, playing 145+ games each year from 2009-26. Karakostas bounced around the outfield in his career with around 40% of his starts in left, 35% in right, and the rest in center. He graded as a good defender in LF, below average in RF, and lousy in CF. Greek players rarely ventured outside of the European Baseball Federation sphere, but a scout from Bishkek took an early liking to Karakostas. They convinced him as a teenager to leave for Kyrgyzstan, signing a developmental deal in January 2001. Karakostas spent the better part of seven years in their academy, although he did officially debut in 2004 at age 19. From 2004-07, Karakostas played only 107 games with 10 starts. Bishkek was a playoff contender at this point, so finding an open slot for a young player was difficult. The Black Sox notably won the East League pennant in 2007, but lost in the ABF Championship to Istanbul. Karakostas only saw a few pinch hit at-bats in these early years. Karakostas saw more time in 2008 with 89 games and eight starts, then took the full-time job from 2009 onward. In July 2009, he signed a five-year, $12,420,000 extension. Karakostas was soon considered elite, winning Silver Sluggers in LF for 2011-12. He led in hits (197) and triples (16) in 2010. Karakostas led in triples twice more for the Black Sox and led with 93 steals in 2011. He had a 27-game hit streak in 2009 and hit for the cycle in 2011 against Kabul. Bishkek got the top seed in 2010 at 104-58, but fell in the ELCS to Rawalpindi. Karakostas had a nice postseason effort with a .910 OPS in 2010 games. For the next three years, Bishkek was just above .500, but outside of the playoff race. 2014 was Karakostas’ final year under contract. Bishkek surprised many in February by trading him straight up for SP Taleh Butayev to Faisalabad. For the Black Sox, Karakostas finished with 967 games, 987 hits, 476 runs, 161 doubles, 82 triples, 61 homers, 346 RBI, 411 steals, .315/.365/.477 slash, 164 wRC+, and 37.2 WAR. The Fire had won the ABF title in 2011 and had the top seed in 2013, but they got upset in the first round. They hoped Karakostas would solidify the lineup and it worked. Faisalabad again got the top seed at 99-63 and went all the way, defeating Mashhad in the ABF Championship. Karakostas won MVP of the ELCS win over Asgabat, posting 17 hits, 10 runs, 4 doubles, 3 homers, 8 RBI, 13 steals, and 1.1 WAR in 15 playoff starts. Faisalabad went 8-11 in the Baseball Grand Championship with Karakostas posting 18 hits, 13 runs, 5 doubles, 3 homers, 7 RBI, and 11 steals. Karakostas’ one year with Faisalabad was a big success with 8.0 WAR, 178 hits, 85 runs, 34 doubles, .846 OPS, and 170 wRC+. They didn’t reach an agreement, so he ended up as a rental. Karakostas was a top free agent at age 30 and signed a seven-year, $83,200,000 deal with Tashkent. This started his signature run with Silver Sluggers in 2015 (RF) and 2021 (LF). 2020 was Karakostas’ strongest effort with career highs for hits (203), doubles (39), OBP (.384), and WAR (8.7). He also led in triples thrice with the Tomcats and steals once. Karakostas was a redeeming quality in a down period for Tashkent, providing 5+ WAR in all seven seasons. Unfortunately, they had no playoff trips with only two winning seasons and 71.6 wins per season during his tenure. In 1092 games, Karakostas had 1244 hits, 584 runs, 203 doubles, 98 triples, 90 home runs, 452 RBI, 550 steals, .311/.362/.478 slash, 166 wRC+, and 48.6 WAR. Karakostas was a free agent again for 2022 and still playing at a high level even at age 37. Almaty gave him a two-year, $19,400,000 deal. Karakostas’ production dipped a little in 2022, but he was strong for his sixth Silver Slugger in 2023 (RF). That year saw a league and career-best 116 runs. The Assassins got wild cards both years, but couldn’t get out of the first round. Karakostas had 306 games, 353 hits, 200 runs, 50 doubles, 26 triples, 42 homers, 163 RBI, 132 steals, .302/.351/.497 slash, 162 wRC+, and 11.9 WAR. With his longevity and consistency, Karakostas was climbing the leaderboards. He crossed the 1000 stolen bases, 1000 RBI, and 2500 hit milestones with Almaty. The 39-year old Karakostas signed a two-year, $22,200,000 deal with Baku and was a decent starter, but his production dropped to career lows by far. Still, Karakostas got 5.6 WAR in 301 games with 305 hits, 185 runs, 48 doubles, 25 triples, 28 homers, 159 steals, and a .275/.330/.439 slash. In 2024, Baku win the ABF Championship over Almaty as a 94-68 wild card. Karakostas had a strong postseason and won finals MVP, getting 18 hits, 5 runs, 6 extra base hits, and 0.5 WAR in 13 total starts. In the Baseball Grand Championship, the Blackbirds finished 7-12 with Karakostas getting 16 hits, 10 runs, 2 doubles, 3 homers, and 7 steals. Baku won 100 games in 2025, but lost in the first round with Karakostas struggling going 1-18 in the series. On the whole, Karakostas had good playoff numbers in his career. Over 66 games and 52 starts, he had 61 hits, 27 runs, 8 doubles, 10 triples, 5 homers, 18 RBI, 29 steals, .289/.343/.493 slash, 150 wRC+, and 2.6 WAR. With Baku, he notably became the second to reach 1500 runs scored and the third to 3000 career hits. Mehmet Fatih Canaydin had been the first to both marks the prior year and stayed ahead of Karakostas for those stats and career stolen bases on the leaderboards. For 2026, Karakostas returned to Faisalabad with a respectable effort with 3.5 WAR, 131 wRC+, and .773 OPS in 146 games. He also had 19 triples, passing Wafiq Rasool’s 248 to become the ABF career leader. Rawalpindi grabbed him for 2027, but he fell off and was reduced to a part-time role with .640 OPS and 0.8 WAR over 130 games and 75 starts. That did get him to 3000 career games, a mark only met by Canaydin in ABF. Karakostas retired that winter at age 43. Karakostas finished with 3093 games, 3273 hits, 1638 runs, 534 doubles, 266 triples, 252 home runs, 1229 RBI, 820 walks, 1203 strikeouts, 1416 stolen bases, .303/.354/.471 slash, 156 wRC+, and 115.6 WAR. As of 2037, Karakostas remains ABF’s all-time leader for triples. He also ranks 2nd in games, 3^rd in runs, 9^th in total bases (5095), 19^th in doubles, 3^rd in singles (2221), 38^th in RBI, 2^nd in steals, 22^nd in walks, and 5^th in WAR among position players. Karakostas is also 58^th in batting average and 66^th in on-base percentage among batters with 3000+ plate appearances. Canaydin overshadowed Karakostas a bit for grand tallies, but they are among seven position players between 112-118 WAR as of 2037. None hold a candle to Nizami Aghazade, but Karakostas makes some of the top ten and even top five lists. He often loses some points for the lack of home run power, but his role in titles for both Faisalabad and Baku work in his favor. On the world leaderboard as of 2037, Karakostas notably ranks 26^th in steals. Hall of Fame voters for the Asian Baseball Federation though can be notably stingy though. Despite Karakostas’s impressive resume, he only received 84.6% of the vote. That was plenty though for the first ballot nod and the top billing for the four-player 2033 class. Mustafa “Lion” Jumah – Starting Pitcher – Faisalabad Fire – 80.6% First Ballot Mustafa Jumah was a 6’3’’, 205 pound right-handed pitcher from Kotri, Pakistan; a city of around 106,000 people. When he was younger, people often confused his name Mustafa with Mufasa of Lion King fame, thus the eventual nickname of The Lion. Many also felt Jumah had the heart of a lion as a team captain. He was one of the highest character guys in the game, renowned for his leadership, loyalty, work ethic, and adaptability. As for his skillset, Jumah had good-to-great stuff and movement, although his control was average at best. A strong 97-99 mph fastball led the way, but his slider and splitter were both potent as well. Jumah also had a rarely seen changeup for a fourth option. He notably fared better facing right-handed bats (3.00 ERA, 78 FIP-) compared to lefties (3.49 ERA, 104 FIP-). Jumah’s stamina was quite good and he led the league twice in innings pitched. He stayed mostly durable as well over a 15-year career and avoided major injuries. Jumah’s defense and ability to hold runners both graded as subpar. In March 2008, a teenaged Jumah left Pakistan for Turkey on a developmental deal with Adana. He spent close to five full seasons in their academy, debuting with six relief appearances in 2012 at age 20. In 2013, Jumah had a full-time roster spot primarily as long relief to follow an opener. He managed an impressive 16-2 record with a 2.12 ERA over 144.2 innings. The Axemen moved him to the full-time rotation after that and gave him a five-year, $25,920,000 extension after the 2016 season. 2018 was his finest season, leading the West League in wins (21-9), innings (276.2), quality starts (28), and WAR (7.2). Those were all career bests for Jumah, as was his 340 strikeouts. The 2.18 ERA was also his best full-rotation effort, but he finished second in Pitcher of the Year voting. Jumah wouldn’t be a finalist ever again. Adana ended a 12-year playoff drought in 2014 and had three straight division titles and ELCS appearances. Unfortunately for the Axemen, they were denied each time in the ELCS, losing to Mashhad, Shiraz, and Tehran respectively. Jumah was good in the 2016 playoffs, but struggled the prior years with a 4.64 ERA over six starts with a 1-4 record, 42.2 innings, 57 strikeouts, and 0.6 WAR. Following that run, Adana fell to the bottom of the standings for the rest of Jumah’s tenure. He also really stunk to start 2020 with a 5.31 ERA over 120.1 innings. That July, the Axemen traded Jumah to Faisalabad for three players. For Adana, Jumah had a 117-90 record, 3.22 ERA, 1849 innings, 2174 strikeouts, 507 walks, 103 ERA+, 88 FIP-, and 32.9 WAR. He had more innings there than later with the Fire, but Jumah would be more prominently associated with Faisalabad. Upon his arrival, Jumah was barely used with only 22.2 innings of mostly relief. He also gave up a homer in his one relief inning in the playoffs as the Fire had a first round exit. Still, they saw something in Jumah and gave him a six-year, $59 million extension in March 2021. He was happy to be back home in Pakistan, although he only saw five total appearances for his country in the World Baseball Championship. Jumah worked his way back into the starting rotation and had three strong seasons with 5.5+ WAR and ERAs below three. Faisalabad took the East League’s top seed in 2021 and went all the way, dethroning reigning champ Bishkek in the ELCS and Izmir in the ABF Championship. In 29 playoff innings, Jumah had a 3.41 ERA with 38 strikeouts. He had a 3.67 ERA over 34.1 innings with 33 Ks in the Baseball Grand Championship as the Fire tied for last at 6-13. Faisalabad won three more division titles and made the ELCS from 2022-24, but they couldn’t claim another pennant. The Fire fell to Bishkek the first two years, then lost to Almaty in 2024. Jumah’s playoff results were underwhelming with a 4.56 ERA over 53.1 innings, and 69 strikeouts. He had a 76 ERA+, but his 75 FIP- and 1.5 WAR did suggest he caught some bad breaks. Jumah’s production fell closer to league average in his final few seasons. Faisalabad fell to 78-84 in 2025 to end their six-year playoff streak, then plummeted to the bottom with four consecutive 100+ loss seasons after that. In his later years, he was able to become the 12^th pitcher to 200 career wins and the 11^th to 4000 strikeouts. In total for Faisalabad, Jumah had a 104-76 record, 3.19 ERA, 1674 innings, 1907 strikeouts, 435 walks, 110 ERA+, 90 FIP-, and 29.6 WAR. He was well respected enough by the organization that his #36 uniform would be retired. Jumah announced his retirement after the 2027 campaign at age 36. Jumah finished with a 221-166 record, 3.21 ERA, 3523 innings, 4081 strikeouts, 942 walks, 268/418 quality starts, 127 complete games, 29 shutouts, 106 ERA+, 89 FIP-, and 62.5 WAR. As of 2037, Jumah ranks 6^th in wins, 11^th in losses, 12^th in innings, 21^st in complete games, 18^th in shutouts, 13^th in strikeouts, and 29^th in pitching WAR. He does also have the unfortunate distinction of having more walks than anyone else in ABF. Additionally, Jumah misses the top 100 for rate stats. He wasn’t overly dominant and was rarely considered a top three pitcher, but longevity and a championship ring go a long way. Plus, Jumah was as well respected as a captain as you’d find. His character, 200+ wins, and 4000+ Ks got him to 80.6% for a first ballot selection in the 2033 Hall of Fame class for the Asian Baseball Federation. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports The Level Playing Field: Alternate MLB History From 1884-Onward Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)