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FuzzyRussianHat · 12-27-2025, 07:40 AM

Major League Baseball had a four-man Hall of Fame class for 2039, co-headlined by OF Fred Hynes (98.3%) and 1B Mathis Vezina (97.3%). LF/DH Sam Harpster was also a first ballot inductee with 77.7%. SP Rowney Simpson barely breached the 66% requirement at 66.1% to join them on his fourth ballot. SP Flaco Villanueva was a close miss with a debut at 62.1%.

Four other returners were above 50%, but below 60%. 1B Gilbert Windemere had 59.5% for his third ballot, 3B Kwang-Sik Oh got 56.8% on his fourth try, CL Heiharchiro Okasawa received 52.5% on his tenth and final chance, and SP Luke Harrison was at 50.8% in his penultimate chance.

Okasawa was a victim of having a split career, as his combined professional numbers place him right among the best relievers ever. On the MLB ballot, he got as high at 59.5% in 2037and was above 40% in all but one year. Okasawa also peaked on East Asia Baseball’s ballot at 31.9% in 2032 and was also dropped in 2039 after falling to 3.9%.

His career started with Fukuoka in Japan, winning five Reliever of the Year awards in six seasons with a 1.26 ERA over 491 innings, 218 saves, 926 strikeouts, 270 ERA+, 17 FIP-, and 33.5 WAR. Okasawa left for MLB after that and won ROTY with Kansas City in 2016. He had 14 MLB seasons between six teams, then ended his career with one West African Baseball season with Dakar and a final year back in Japan.

In MLB, Okasawa had 274 saves and 352 shutdowns, 2.27 ERA, 848.2 innings, 1328 strikeouts, 154 ERA+, 44 FIP-, and 39.3 WAR. His rate stats were comparable to some closers in the MLB Hall, but many voters were hyper-fixated on saves. Okasawa ranked 83^rd and all but one inductee had 300+ saves, although that mark wasn’t a guarantee either.

Supporters pointed out his impressive MLB playoff numbers, as he won World Series rings in 2012 with Philadelphia and 2018 with KC. Okasawa had a 1.97 ERA in 54 games, 22 saves, 77.2 innings, 114 strikeouts, and 3.0 WAR in the MLB postseason. He’s tied for the most playoff saves and one short of the most appearances. Okasawa’s combined career had 27 saves, a 1.69 ERA, 154 Ks, and 4.4 WAR in 101 innings.

For the full pro run, Okasawa had a 153-93 record, 524 saves, 639 shutdowns, 2.03 ERA, 1250 games, 1486 innings, 2411 strikeouts, 173 ERA+, 41 FIP-, and 73.9 WAR. On the world leaderboard, Okasawa is 7^th in saves, 2^nd in games, and 4^th in shutdowns. Among relievers, he ranks 5^th in WAR and 2^nd in strikeouts. He’s also 32^nd in FIP- among the great relievers, but just misses the top 50 for ERA+.

Certainly, Okasawa has to be considered among the absolute best closers in the game’s history. However, many MLB voters paid little or no mind to stats from other leagues, while also fixating on the save total as the be-all-end-all. And as great as he was in EAB, the majority of those voters felt seven years wasn’t long enough for a HOF career. Those who know ball definitely cite Okasawa as one of the best-ever among those ultimately left out from induction.

Another closer, Stevie Ray Thornton, fell off after ten ballots with a peak of 55.0% in 2031 and a low of 35.9%. Nicknamed “The Wall,” he won four Reliever of the Year awards in a 20-year MLB career and won World Series rings with Philly in 2012, Kansas City in 2018, and Denver in 2022. Thornton was an excellent playoff pitcher with a 1.69 ERA over 74.2 innings, 14 saves, 123 strikeouts, and 4.7 WAR.

Thornton finished with 280 saves and 402 shutdowns, 106-56 record, 1.71 ERA, 1050 innings, 835 games, 1644 strikeouts, 400 walks, 209 ERA+, 42 FIP-, and 50.1 WAR. Among all MLB pitchers with 1000+ career innings, Thornton has the #1 ERA and the best opponent’s slugging percentage of .252. He’s also 2^nd in H/9 (4.94), 3^rd in K/9 (14.09), 7^th in WHIP (0.93), 2^nd in batting average (.162), 8^th in OBP (.252), and 2^nd in OPS (.504). He’s also 31^st in games pitched.

However, Thornton is 76^th in saves, which proved to be a deal breaker for many voters. His WAR is better than all but five MLB HOF relievers and on the world leaderboards for relievers, Thornton is 31^st in ERA, 44^th in WAR, 17^th in ERA+, 35^th in FIP-, and 34^th in opponent’s OPS. Despite his world class efficiency, the lower save count by itself seemingly denied him enshrinement. Still, Thornton can say he’s MLB’s all-time leader among qualifiers for ERA, one of only four with 1000+ innings and sub-two ERA.

Ismael Kaneko was another reliever dropped after ten failed ballots in 2039, ending at 8.3% after a peak at 43.7% in 2031. He had tenure, but nowhere near the peaks of the other two, nor the accolades. Kaneko had a 2.28 ERA over 918 innings, 223 saves, 285 shutdowns, 940 strikeouts, 168 ERA+, 60 FIP-, and 31.6 WAR. It was certainly a career to be proud of, but one correctly left for the Hall of Pretty Good.

One last guy dropped after ten ballots was SP Jim Young, who peaked with a 21.8% debut and ended at 5.3%. He had an ERA title and won the World Series in 2019 with Houston, but otherwise lacked accolades in a 15 year career. Young had a 204-140 record, 3.09 ERA, 3247.1 innings, 2581 strikeouts, 890 walks, 156 complete games, 31 shutouts, 117 ERA+, 85 FIP-, and 67.2 WAR. Young had a fine career, but doesn’t stand out enough amongst the true legends.

Fred Hynes – Left/Center Field – Pittsburgh Pirates – 98.3% First Ballot

Fred Hynes was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed outfielder from New York City. He was one of the most steady home run hitters in MLB history with 13 seasons of 40+ dingers and five with 50+. Hynes was absolutely dominate against right-handed pitching with a career 1.015 OPS and 192 wRC+, compared to a respectable .786 OPS and 124 wRC+ facing lefties. On the whole, Hynes was an excellent contact hitter, but was fairly average for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts.

His 162 game average got you 49 homers, 27 doubles, 2 triples, and 114 RBI. While his power was focused on the long ball, his gap power was better than most. Hynes was an intelligent and savvy baserunner, but he was limited there by poor speed. He played center field early in his career, but his lousy range led to abysmal results there. Hynes moved to left for most of his run and was mediocre there, but you could do worse. He played designated hitter mostly in his final seasons with Austin.

Hynes’ durability was mostly solid over an 18-year career. He was a scrappy sparkplug type with an impressive work ethic and high baseball IQ. Hynes became very popular across the country as a result. He played three college seasons with Louisville, posting 148 games, 150 hits, 89 runs, 17 doubles, 2 triples, 57 home runs, 121 RBI, .282/.351/.643 slash, 199 wRC+, and 9.2 WAR. With that ‘can’t miss’ power potential, Hynes was picked fifth by Pittsburgh in the 2015 MLB Draft.

The Pirates used him sparingly as a rookie with 116 games and 62 starts, but Hynes thrived with 30 homers, 1.079 OPS, and 4.4 WAR in that small sample. He took a full-time gig the next year and won 2017’s National Association MVP and a Silver Slugger in CF.

Hynes led in runs (127), hits (211), homers (60), total bases (412), triple slash (.352/.413/.687), OPS (1.100), wRC+ (235), and WAR (11.0). The hits, homers, slash line, OPS, wRC+, and WAR would all be career bests. His 121 RBI fell only four short of a Triple Crown season. Not only was this one of the best-ever sophomore campaigns, but it ranks 22^nd in WAR among single-season efforts by an MLB position player.

In 2018, Hynes repeated as MVP and won another Slugger, leading in runs (134) doubles (32), RBI (134), total bases (42), slugging (.669), OPS (1.048), and wRC+ (215). The runs, doubles, RBI, and total bases would be career bests. Pittsburgh went 80-82 both years, which was an improvement from the prior decade. The Pirates had been largely mediocre with only two winning seasons or playoff berths since the mid 1990s.

Despite his efforts, Hynes couldn’t reverse those trends, although Pittsburgh did at least hover around .500 for much of his tenure. They only twice would post a winning record, going 82-80 in both 2024 and 2025. Hynes was third in 2021’s MVP voting and won an additional Silver Slugger in 2023 in LF. After the 2021 season, Hynes signed an eight-year, $167 million extension to stay with the Pirates.

He never reached the heights of the MVP seasons or was an association leader again, but Hynes was remarkably consistent and rock solid. You could reliably expect 40-50 homers, an OPS above .900, and around 5-8 WAR per year like clockwork. Hynes would thrice more have an OPS above one with Pittsburgh in 2021, 2025, and 2027. He hit for the cycle in 2020 against Omaha and stayed mostly healthy, apart from a partially torn labrum in late 2025.

With the Pirates, Hynes had 2136 games, 2402 hits, 1359 runs, 354 doubles, 662 home runs, 1504 RBI, 637 walks, .308/.367/.614 slash, 187 wRC+, and 94.1 WAR. His deal expired after the 2029 season, making him a free agent for the first time heading towards his age 35 season. By the end of the 2020s, Pittsburgh had fallen to the very bottom, going 62-100 in 2029. Hynes was grateful to the fans for his time, but the Pirates clearly had no immediate future success lined up. He would remain very popular and later get his #9 uniform retired.

Hynes signed a four-year, $112,800,000 deal with Austin, who had hovered around .500 for most of the decade. He wouldn’t reverse their fortunes and they didn’t have a winning season with Hynes, making him one of the better players to never complete in the postseason. He barely had any tournament experience either, only playing eight games with two starts in the World Baseball Championship from 2028-30.

His debut with the Amigos in 2030 saw the same solid production he had with most of the Pirates tenure with 49 homers, 1.005 OPS, and 6.7 WAR. Hynes fell off though the next two years with merely decent stats. However in 2032, he notably breached 750 home runs; which had been the long-time historic record by Elijah Cashman. Several guys had passed it with increased slugging broadly in the 21^st Century, but Hynes did make his way into MLB’s top 10 for dingers.

A fractured hand did knock him out for the final weeks of the 2031 season. In 2033, Hynes was benched and only saw 25 games and 12 starts. For Austin, he had 466 games, 481 hits, 249 runs, 74 doubles, 121 homers, 330 RBI, .285/.345/.549 slash, 132 wRC+, and 10.9 WAR. Hynes retired after the 2033 season at age 38.

Hynes finished with 2602 games, 2883 hits, 1608 runs, 428 doubles, 25 triples, 783 home runs, 1834 RBI, 780 walks, 1542 strikeouts, .304/.363/.602 slash, .965 OPS, 177 wRC+, and 105.0 WAR. At induction, Hynes is 8^th in homers, 29^th in RBI, 85^th in runs, 25^th in total bases (5710), and 42^nd in WAR for position players. Among MLB hitters with 3000+ plate appearances, Hynes is 20^th in slugging and 31^st in OPS.

He is a guy who sometimes is overlooked when discussing the inner-circle of Major League Baseball Hall of Famers because he played on forgettable teams. Hynes also peaked very early, so he is sometimes remembered more for being consistently solid versus being an MVP early in his run. Few batters were more efficient at the plate in MLB lore and Hynes’ status as an inductee was never in doubt. At 98.3%, Hynes co-headlined a four-man class for 2039.

Mathis “Sarge” Vezina – First Base – Ottawa Elks – 97.3% First Ballot

Mathis Vezina was a 6’2’’, 190 pound left-handed first baseman from Blainville, Quebec; a Montreal suburb with around 60,000 people. The military background in Vezina’s family and his tireless work ethic earned him the nickname “Sarge.” His loyalty also made him a beloved fan favorite with few guys more universally beloved by Canadian baseball fans.

Vezina absolutely dominated right-handed pitching with a career 1.058 OPS and 202 wRC+. He was top of the line for power and contact against RHP, but was merely decent facing lefties (.754 OPS, 117 wRC+). Vezina was among MLB’s best at extra base hits with 48 home runs and 32 doubles per his 162 game average. He was better than most at avoiding strikeouts and above average at drawing walks. Vezina’s baserunning ability was average, but he was laughably slow.

Despite the slowness, Vezina graded as a reliably rock solid defender as a career first baseman. He wasn’t a Gold Glove candidate, but he regularly provided positive value with his glove. Vezina’s durability was mostly good over a 15-year career, playing 130+ games in all but his final season. He left Quebec to play college baseball at North Carolina State, where he thrived.

As a freshman, Vezina was the NCAA MVP and a Silver Slugger winner with 75 hits, 53 runs, 27 homers, 55 RBI, 1.410 OPS, 316 wRC+, and 6.4 WAR in 2016. His WAR is the 5^th-best by a position player in NCAA history and his OPS was the 4^th-best qualifying season. Vezina wasn’t as dominant the next two years, but finished his time for the Wolfpack with 145 games, 183 hits, 129 runs, 22 doubles, 71 homers, 140 RBI, .338/.417/.775 slash, 254 wRC+, 1.192 OPS, and 13.6 WAR. He ranks 13^th for career WAR among college position players.

The regional restrictions for the 2018 MLB Draft meant he’d be back in Canada to start his pro career. Ottawa salivated over his talent and picked Vezina #2 overall, making him a full-time starter right away. He immediately delivered as 2019’s Rookie of the Year with 5.4 WAR and 171 wRC+ over 133 games. 2019 also was his first season in the World Baseball Championship for the Canadian team, which is where he rose to his biggest fame.

In 2021, Vezina won MVP honors in the WBC as Canada placed third, leading the field in homers (13), runs (20), total bases (75), and WAR (2.4). The Canadians didn’t advance in 2022, but Vezina was even better in the smaller sample size to take third in MVP voting. In 10 games, he had 1.8 WAR with a .543/.590/1.314 slash, 1.904 OPS, and 461 wRC+. The OPS is the 17^th-best in WBC history, minimum 56 plate appearances required.

Vezina was second in 2023’s MVP voting as Canada won its first world title since 2004, dramatically beating the United States with a 4-3, ten inning game seven. From 2019-33 in the WBC, Vezina played 190 games with 210 hits, 133 runs, 33 doubles, 81 home runs, 152 RBI, .311/.381/.723 slash, 1.104 OPS, and 13.4 WAR. Among Canadians in the WBC, Vezina is 3^rd in WAR for position players, 4^th in homers, 7^th in hits, 5^th in runs, and 5^th in RBI.

Among all WBC players with 350 plate appearances, Vezina is 18^th in OPS, 29^th in batting average, and 12^th in slugging. He’s also 14^th in homers, 22^nd in RBI, 17^th in total bases (488), 39^th in runs, 29^th in hits, and 12^th in WAR for position players. Although Canada didn’t have deep runs after the 2023 title, Vezina continued to perform each year at a very high level for his country.

Vezina certainly played at a high level in the capital too, taking second in MVP voting in his sophomore season 2020. This had his career highs of 10.7 WAR and 209 wRC+, as well as his first of five seasons with 50+ homers. Vezina would be worth 6+ WAR each of the next 11 seasons and was above 8+ WAR four times in that run. In 2022, he was the National Association leader for the first time with 53 homers.

Ottawa was a historically strong franchise, but the 2010s had seen some of their darkest seasons, thrice losing 100+ games. They ended an eight-year playoff drought with a wild card in 2021, then won a division title in 2022 at 102-60. Both seasons, the Elks were ousted in the first round. The following four years, Ottawa was generally a few games just below or above .500. Any future success though would need Vezina, who signed an eight-year, $194,700,000 extension in May 2024.

Vezina was third in 2022’s MVP voting, second in 2025, third in 2026, and third in 2029. Despite his talent, he never won a Silver Slugger with the incredibly loaded field at first base, most notably Mike Rojas who won the honor eight times. Vezina led in homers with 61 in 2025 and 60 in 2026. He also led in doubles (39) in 2027, total bases (401) in 2029, slugging (.682) in 2028, and WAR (9.5) in 2025. From 2025-30, Vezina had an OPS above one each season.

Ottawa was back in the playoffs for 2027 as a wild card, but again had a first round exit. This started a five-year streak though and a dynasty run with back-to-back National Association pennants in 2028-29. They were the top seed both years with 105 and 104 wins, beating Indianapolis and Tulsa in the NACS respectively. Vezina was MVP of the 2028 series and unsurprisingly had solid playoff numbers. Over 54 starts, he had 65 hits, 36 runs, 12 doubles, 16 home runs, 31 RBI, .933 OPS, 159 wRC+, and 2.4 WAR.

The World Series ring proved elusive for Ottawa as they came up against San Diego’s dynasty. The Seals won four straight from 2026-29, although the Elks were the only team to take them to seven games in 2028. Ottawa would get swept in 2029. However, the Elks had the last laugh in 2028 as San Diego went for an unprecedented third straight title in the Baseball Grand Championship. Ottawa would claim the grand prize at 15-4, becoming the first Canadian Grand Champion.

Vezina was the star of the 2028 BGC and won MVP honors, joining the short list of guys to win MVP in both the BGC and WBC. In 19 games, he had 23 hits, 17 runs, 12 homers, 16 RBI, 1.204 OPS, 234 wRC+, and 1.7 WAR. Vezina was merely decent in the 2029 run with a .765 OPS, 124 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR. Ottawa nearly successfully defended the title as they, Kharkiv, and Cape Town each finished 14-7. However, the Elks lost to both head-to-head, placing them third after tiebreakers with the Cowboys claiming the throne.

2030 had their best record of the run at 108-54, but a surprise 109-53 effort by Buffalo left them as a wild card, where they were shocked in the first round by Kansas City. Ottawa won the Northeast Division at 94-68 in 2031, but were upset in the NACS by the division’s runner-up Toronto in a stunning sweep. This marked the end of the Elks’ run at the top, but Vezina had brought the storied franchise back to the peak.

In 2032, Ottawa fell off to 72-90 and Vezina saw a regression in the final year of his contract. In 87 games, he had .840 OPS, 136 wRC+, and 2.4 WAR; by no means awful, but far from his annual production prior to that. With the reign over, the Elks traded Vezina in July with 3B prospect Nick Ware and $48,350,000 cash to Kansas City for three prospects.

Vezina remained beloved in Ottawa and understood the move, maintaining no hard feelings. For the Elks, he had 2077 games, 2456 hits, 1341 runs, 411 doubles, 628 home runs, 1521 RBI, .316/.381/.618 slash, 187 wRC+, and 104.6 WAR. His #20 uniform would quickly be retired after his career ended. Vezina’s production stayed at the same pace in the second half for the Cougars with 60 games, .877 OPS, 137 wRC+, and 1.4 WAR. KC finished 89-75, missing the playoffs after a pair of tiebreaker games in a crowded wild card field.

He was a free agent for the first time heading towards his age 35 season in 2033. Omaha felt Vezina had plenty left and gave him a four-year, $46,800,000 deal. He missed a month to a sprained ankle, but was mediocre when healthy. Vezina played 93 games and started 62 with 59 hits, 43 runs, 11 homers, 36 RBI, .699 OPS, 92 wRC+, and 0.1 WAR. He retired that winter at age 35, realizing that maintaining a spot in the majors wasn’t likely.

Vezina finished with 2230 games, 2581 hits, 1418 runs, 434 doubles, 24 triples, 654 home runs, 1602 RBI, 810 walks, 1190 strikeouts, .313/.377/.609 slash, .986 OPS, 182 wRC+, and 106.1 WAR. He didn’t quite soar up the leaderboards since he was done at age 35, but Vezina still ranks 84^th in total bases (5025), 33^rd in homers, 94^th in RBI, and 38^th in WAR for position players. Among MLB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Vezina is 17^th in OPS and 17^th in slugging.

His numbers alone would’ve been enough for a Hall of Fame nod, but Vezina’s efforts in winning the Grand Championship for Ottawa and a World Championship for Canada made his name a hallowed one amongst canucks. By the HOF monitor and JAWS metrics, Vezina is the second-best Canadian behind only MLB hits king Stan Provost.

While Provost is most commonly cited as Canada’s best-ever, you’ll rarely find a top five list that doesn’t feature Vezina. Depending on how strict your definition is, Vezina might fit in that inner-circle level among all of Major League Baseball’s greats. He co-headlined a four-man 2039 Hall of Fame class at 97.3%.

12-27-2025, 07:40 AM	#2645
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,165	2039 MLB Hall of Fame (Part 1) Major League Baseball had a four-man Hall of Fame class for 2039, co-headlined by OF Fred Hynes (98.3%) and 1B Mathis Vezina (97.3%). LF/DH Sam Harpster was also a first ballot inductee with 77.7%. SP Rowney Simpson barely breached the 66% requirement at 66.1% to join them on his fourth ballot. SP Flaco Villanueva was a close miss with a debut at 62.1%. Four other returners were above 50%, but below 60%. 1B Gilbert Windemere had 59.5% for his third ballot, 3B Kwang-Sik Oh got 56.8% on his fourth try, CL Heiharchiro Okasawa received 52.5% on his tenth and final chance, and SP Luke Harrison was at 50.8% in his penultimate chance. Okasawa was a victim of having a split career, as his combined professional numbers place him right among the best relievers ever. On the MLB ballot, he got as high at 59.5% in 2037and was above 40% in all but one year. Okasawa also peaked on East Asia Baseball’s ballot at 31.9% in 2032 and was also dropped in 2039 after falling to 3.9%. His career started with Fukuoka in Japan, winning five Reliever of the Year awards in six seasons with a 1.26 ERA over 491 innings, 218 saves, 926 strikeouts, 270 ERA+, 17 FIP-, and 33.5 WAR. Okasawa left for MLB after that and won ROTY with Kansas City in 2016. He had 14 MLB seasons between six teams, then ended his career with one West African Baseball season with Dakar and a final year back in Japan. In MLB, Okasawa had 274 saves and 352 shutdowns, 2.27 ERA, 848.2 innings, 1328 strikeouts, 154 ERA+, 44 FIP-, and 39.3 WAR. His rate stats were comparable to some closers in the MLB Hall, but many voters were hyper-fixated on saves. Okasawa ranked 83^rd and all but one inductee had 300+ saves, although that mark wasn’t a guarantee either. Supporters pointed out his impressive MLB playoff numbers, as he won World Series rings in 2012 with Philadelphia and 2018 with KC. Okasawa had a 1.97 ERA in 54 games, 22 saves, 77.2 innings, 114 strikeouts, and 3.0 WAR in the MLB postseason. He’s tied for the most playoff saves and one short of the most appearances. Okasawa’s combined career had 27 saves, a 1.69 ERA, 154 Ks, and 4.4 WAR in 101 innings. For the full pro run, Okasawa had a 153-93 record, 524 saves, 639 shutdowns, 2.03 ERA, 1250 games, 1486 innings, 2411 strikeouts, 173 ERA+, 41 FIP-, and 73.9 WAR. On the world leaderboard, Okasawa is 7^th in saves, 2^nd in games, and 4^th in shutdowns. Among relievers, he ranks 5^th in WAR and 2^nd in strikeouts. He’s also 32^nd in FIP- among the great relievers, but just misses the top 50 for ERA+. Certainly, Okasawa has to be considered among the absolute best closers in the game’s history. However, many MLB voters paid little or no mind to stats from other leagues, while also fixating on the save total as the be-all-end-all. And as great as he was in EAB, the majority of those voters felt seven years wasn’t long enough for a HOF career. Those who know ball definitely cite Okasawa as one of the best-ever among those ultimately left out from induction. Another closer, Stevie Ray Thornton, fell off after ten ballots with a peak of 55.0% in 2031 and a low of 35.9%. Nicknamed “The Wall,” he won four Reliever of the Year awards in a 20-year MLB career and won World Series rings with Philly in 2012, Kansas City in 2018, and Denver in 2022. Thornton was an excellent playoff pitcher with a 1.69 ERA over 74.2 innings, 14 saves, 123 strikeouts, and 4.7 WAR. Thornton finished with 280 saves and 402 shutdowns, 106-56 record, 1.71 ERA, 1050 innings, 835 games, 1644 strikeouts, 400 walks, 209 ERA+, 42 FIP-, and 50.1 WAR. Among all MLB pitchers with 1000+ career innings, Thornton has the #1 ERA and the best opponent’s slugging percentage of .252. He’s also 2^nd in H/9 (4.94), 3^rd in K/9 (14.09), 7^th in WHIP (0.93), 2^nd in batting average (.162), 8^th in OBP (.252), and 2^nd in OPS (.504). He’s also 31^st in games pitched. However, Thornton is 76^th in saves, which proved to be a deal breaker for many voters. His WAR is better than all but five MLB HOF relievers and on the world leaderboards for relievers, Thornton is 31^st in ERA, 44^th in WAR, 17^th in ERA+, 35^th in FIP-, and 34^th in opponent’s OPS. Despite his world class efficiency, the lower save count by itself seemingly denied him enshrinement. Still, Thornton can say he’s MLB’s all-time leader among qualifiers for ERA, one of only four with 1000+ innings and sub-two ERA. Ismael Kaneko was another reliever dropped after ten failed ballots in 2039, ending at 8.3% after a peak at 43.7% in 2031. He had tenure, but nowhere near the peaks of the other two, nor the accolades. Kaneko had a 2.28 ERA over 918 innings, 223 saves, 285 shutdowns, 940 strikeouts, 168 ERA+, 60 FIP-, and 31.6 WAR. It was certainly a career to be proud of, but one correctly left for the Hall of Pretty Good. One last guy dropped after ten ballots was SP Jim Young, who peaked with a 21.8% debut and ended at 5.3%. He had an ERA title and won the World Series in 2019 with Houston, but otherwise lacked accolades in a 15 year career. Young had a 204-140 record, 3.09 ERA, 3247.1 innings, 2581 strikeouts, 890 walks, 156 complete games, 31 shutouts, 117 ERA+, 85 FIP-, and 67.2 WAR. Young had a fine career, but doesn’t stand out enough amongst the true legends. Fred Hynes – Left/Center Field – Pittsburgh Pirates – 98.3% First Ballot Fred Hynes was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed outfielder from New York City. He was one of the most steady home run hitters in MLB history with 13 seasons of 40+ dingers and five with 50+. Hynes was absolutely dominate against right-handed pitching with a career 1.015 OPS and 192 wRC+, compared to a respectable .786 OPS and 124 wRC+ facing lefties. On the whole, Hynes was an excellent contact hitter, but was fairly average for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. His 162 game average got you 49 homers, 27 doubles, 2 triples, and 114 RBI. While his power was focused on the long ball, his gap power was better than most. Hynes was an intelligent and savvy baserunner, but he was limited there by poor speed. He played center field early in his career, but his lousy range led to abysmal results there. Hynes moved to left for most of his run and was mediocre there, but you could do worse. He played designated hitter mostly in his final seasons with Austin. Hynes’ durability was mostly solid over an 18-year career. He was a scrappy sparkplug type with an impressive work ethic and high baseball IQ. Hynes became very popular across the country as a result. He played three college seasons with Louisville, posting 148 games, 150 hits, 89 runs, 17 doubles, 2 triples, 57 home runs, 121 RBI, .282/.351/.643 slash, 199 wRC+, and 9.2 WAR. With that ‘can’t miss’ power potential, Hynes was picked fifth by Pittsburgh in the 2015 MLB Draft. The Pirates used him sparingly as a rookie with 116 games and 62 starts, but Hynes thrived with 30 homers, 1.079 OPS, and 4.4 WAR in that small sample. He took a full-time gig the next year and won 2017’s National Association MVP and a Silver Slugger in CF. Hynes led in runs (127), hits (211), homers (60), total bases (412), triple slash (.352/.413/.687), OPS (1.100), wRC+ (235), and WAR (11.0). The hits, homers, slash line, OPS, wRC+, and WAR would all be career bests. His 121 RBI fell only four short of a Triple Crown season. Not only was this one of the best-ever sophomore campaigns, but it ranks 22^nd in WAR among single-season efforts by an MLB position player. In 2018, Hynes repeated as MVP and won another Slugger, leading in runs (134) doubles (32), RBI (134), total bases (42), slugging (.669), OPS (1.048), and wRC+ (215). The runs, doubles, RBI, and total bases would be career bests. Pittsburgh went 80-82 both years, which was an improvement from the prior decade. The Pirates had been largely mediocre with only two winning seasons or playoff berths since the mid 1990s. Despite his efforts, Hynes couldn’t reverse those trends, although Pittsburgh did at least hover around .500 for much of his tenure. They only twice would post a winning record, going 82-80 in both 2024 and 2025. Hynes was third in 2021’s MVP voting and won an additional Silver Slugger in 2023 in LF. After the 2021 season, Hynes signed an eight-year, $167 million extension to stay with the Pirates. He never reached the heights of the MVP seasons or was an association leader again, but Hynes was remarkably consistent and rock solid. You could reliably expect 40-50 homers, an OPS above .900, and around 5-8 WAR per year like clockwork. Hynes would thrice more have an OPS above one with Pittsburgh in 2021, 2025, and 2027. He hit for the cycle in 2020 against Omaha and stayed mostly healthy, apart from a partially torn labrum in late 2025. With the Pirates, Hynes had 2136 games, 2402 hits, 1359 runs, 354 doubles, 662 home runs, 1504 RBI, 637 walks, .308/.367/.614 slash, 187 wRC+, and 94.1 WAR. His deal expired after the 2029 season, making him a free agent for the first time heading towards his age 35 season. By the end of the 2020s, Pittsburgh had fallen to the very bottom, going 62-100 in 2029. Hynes was grateful to the fans for his time, but the Pirates clearly had no immediate future success lined up. He would remain very popular and later get his #9 uniform retired. Hynes signed a four-year, $112,800,000 deal with Austin, who had hovered around .500 for most of the decade. He wouldn’t reverse their fortunes and they didn’t have a winning season with Hynes, making him one of the better players to never complete in the postseason. He barely had any tournament experience either, only playing eight games with two starts in the World Baseball Championship from 2028-30. His debut with the Amigos in 2030 saw the same solid production he had with most of the Pirates tenure with 49 homers, 1.005 OPS, and 6.7 WAR. Hynes fell off though the next two years with merely decent stats. However in 2032, he notably breached 750 home runs; which had been the long-time historic record by Elijah Cashman. Several guys had passed it with increased slugging broadly in the 21^st Century, but Hynes did make his way into MLB’s top 10 for dingers. A fractured hand did knock him out for the final weeks of the 2031 season. In 2033, Hynes was benched and only saw 25 games and 12 starts. For Austin, he had 466 games, 481 hits, 249 runs, 74 doubles, 121 homers, 330 RBI, .285/.345/.549 slash, 132 wRC+, and 10.9 WAR. Hynes retired after the 2033 season at age 38. Hynes finished with 2602 games, 2883 hits, 1608 runs, 428 doubles, 25 triples, 783 home runs, 1834 RBI, 780 walks, 1542 strikeouts, .304/.363/.602 slash, .965 OPS, 177 wRC+, and 105.0 WAR. At induction, Hynes is 8^th in homers, 29^th in RBI, 85^th in runs, 25^th in total bases (5710), and 42^nd in WAR for position players. Among MLB hitters with 3000+ plate appearances, Hynes is 20^th in slugging and 31^st in OPS. He is a guy who sometimes is overlooked when discussing the inner-circle of Major League Baseball Hall of Famers because he played on forgettable teams. Hynes also peaked very early, so he is sometimes remembered more for being consistently solid versus being an MVP early in his run. Few batters were more efficient at the plate in MLB lore and Hynes’ status as an inductee was never in doubt. At 98.3%, Hynes co-headlined a four-man class for 2039. Mathis “Sarge” Vezina – First Base – Ottawa Elks – 97.3% First Ballot Mathis Vezina was a 6’2’’, 190 pound left-handed first baseman from Blainville, Quebec; a Montreal suburb with around 60,000 people. The military background in Vezina’s family and his tireless work ethic earned him the nickname “Sarge.” His loyalty also made him a beloved fan favorite with few guys more universally beloved by Canadian baseball fans. Vezina absolutely dominated right-handed pitching with a career 1.058 OPS and 202 wRC+. He was top of the line for power and contact against RHP, but was merely decent facing lefties (.754 OPS, 117 wRC+). Vezina was among MLB’s best at extra base hits with 48 home runs and 32 doubles per his 162 game average. He was better than most at avoiding strikeouts and above average at drawing walks. Vezina’s baserunning ability was average, but he was laughably slow. Despite the slowness, Vezina graded as a reliably rock solid defender as a career first baseman. He wasn’t a Gold Glove candidate, but he regularly provided positive value with his glove. Vezina’s durability was mostly good over a 15-year career, playing 130+ games in all but his final season. He left Quebec to play college baseball at North Carolina State, where he thrived. As a freshman, Vezina was the NCAA MVP and a Silver Slugger winner with 75 hits, 53 runs, 27 homers, 55 RBI, 1.410 OPS, 316 wRC+, and 6.4 WAR in 2016. His WAR is the 5^th-best by a position player in NCAA history and his OPS was the 4^th-best qualifying season. Vezina wasn’t as dominant the next two years, but finished his time for the Wolfpack with 145 games, 183 hits, 129 runs, 22 doubles, 71 homers, 140 RBI, .338/.417/.775 slash, 254 wRC+, 1.192 OPS, and 13.6 WAR. He ranks 13^th for career WAR among college position players. The regional restrictions for the 2018 MLB Draft meant he’d be back in Canada to start his pro career. Ottawa salivated over his talent and picked Vezina #2 overall, making him a full-time starter right away. He immediately delivered as 2019’s Rookie of the Year with 5.4 WAR and 171 wRC+ over 133 games. 2019 also was his first season in the World Baseball Championship for the Canadian team, which is where he rose to his biggest fame. In 2021, Vezina won MVP honors in the WBC as Canada placed third, leading the field in homers (13), runs (20), total bases (75), and WAR (2.4). The Canadians didn’t advance in 2022, but Vezina was even better in the smaller sample size to take third in MVP voting. In 10 games, he had 1.8 WAR with a .543/.590/1.314 slash, 1.904 OPS, and 461 wRC+. The OPS is the 17^th-best in WBC history, minimum 56 plate appearances required. Vezina was second in 2023’s MVP voting as Canada won its first world title since 2004, dramatically beating the United States with a 4-3, ten inning game seven. From 2019-33 in the WBC, Vezina played 190 games with 210 hits, 133 runs, 33 doubles, 81 home runs, 152 RBI, .311/.381/.723 slash, 1.104 OPS, and 13.4 WAR. Among Canadians in the WBC, Vezina is 3^rd in WAR for position players, 4^th in homers, 7^th in hits, 5^th in runs, and 5^th in RBI. Among all WBC players with 350 plate appearances, Vezina is 18^th in OPS, 29^th in batting average, and 12^th in slugging. He’s also 14^th in homers, 22^nd in RBI, 17^th in total bases (488), 39^th in runs, 29^th in hits, and 12^th in WAR for position players. Although Canada didn’t have deep runs after the 2023 title, Vezina continued to perform each year at a very high level for his country. Vezina certainly played at a high level in the capital too, taking second in MVP voting in his sophomore season 2020. This had his career highs of 10.7 WAR and 209 wRC+, as well as his first of five seasons with 50+ homers. Vezina would be worth 6+ WAR each of the next 11 seasons and was above 8+ WAR four times in that run. In 2022, he was the National Association leader for the first time with 53 homers. Ottawa was a historically strong franchise, but the 2010s had seen some of their darkest seasons, thrice losing 100+ games. They ended an eight-year playoff drought with a wild card in 2021, then won a division title in 2022 at 102-60. Both seasons, the Elks were ousted in the first round. The following four years, Ottawa was generally a few games just below or above .500. Any future success though would need Vezina, who signed an eight-year, $194,700,000 extension in May 2024. Vezina was third in 2022’s MVP voting, second in 2025, third in 2026, and third in 2029. Despite his talent, he never won a Silver Slugger with the incredibly loaded field at first base, most notably Mike Rojas who won the honor eight times. Vezina led in homers with 61 in 2025 and 60 in 2026. He also led in doubles (39) in 2027, total bases (401) in 2029, slugging (.682) in 2028, and WAR (9.5) in 2025. From 2025-30, Vezina had an OPS above one each season. Ottawa was back in the playoffs for 2027 as a wild card, but again had a first round exit. This started a five-year streak though and a dynasty run with back-to-back National Association pennants in 2028-29. They were the top seed both years with 105 and 104 wins, beating Indianapolis and Tulsa in the NACS respectively. Vezina was MVP of the 2028 series and unsurprisingly had solid playoff numbers. Over 54 starts, he had 65 hits, 36 runs, 12 doubles, 16 home runs, 31 RBI, .933 OPS, 159 wRC+, and 2.4 WAR. The World Series ring proved elusive for Ottawa as they came up against San Diego’s dynasty. The Seals won four straight from 2026-29, although the Elks were the only team to take them to seven games in 2028. Ottawa would get swept in 2029. However, the Elks had the last laugh in 2028 as San Diego went for an unprecedented third straight title in the Baseball Grand Championship. Ottawa would claim the grand prize at 15-4, becoming the first Canadian Grand Champion. Vezina was the star of the 2028 BGC and won MVP honors, joining the short list of guys to win MVP in both the BGC and WBC. In 19 games, he had 23 hits, 17 runs, 12 homers, 16 RBI, 1.204 OPS, 234 wRC+, and 1.7 WAR. Vezina was merely decent in the 2029 run with a .765 OPS, 124 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR. Ottawa nearly successfully defended the title as they, Kharkiv, and Cape Town each finished 14-7. However, the Elks lost to both head-to-head, placing them third after tiebreakers with the Cowboys claiming the throne. 2030 had their best record of the run at 108-54, but a surprise 109-53 effort by Buffalo left them as a wild card, where they were shocked in the first round by Kansas City. Ottawa won the Northeast Division at 94-68 in 2031, but were upset in the NACS by the division’s runner-up Toronto in a stunning sweep. This marked the end of the Elks’ run at the top, but Vezina had brought the storied franchise back to the peak. In 2032, Ottawa fell off to 72-90 and Vezina saw a regression in the final year of his contract. In 87 games, he had .840 OPS, 136 wRC+, and 2.4 WAR; by no means awful, but far from his annual production prior to that. With the reign over, the Elks traded Vezina in July with 3B prospect Nick Ware and $48,350,000 cash to Kansas City for three prospects. Vezina remained beloved in Ottawa and understood the move, maintaining no hard feelings. For the Elks, he had 2077 games, 2456 hits, 1341 runs, 411 doubles, 628 home runs, 1521 RBI, .316/.381/.618 slash, 187 wRC+, and 104.6 WAR. His #20 uniform would quickly be retired after his career ended. Vezina’s production stayed at the same pace in the second half for the Cougars with 60 games, .877 OPS, 137 wRC+, and 1.4 WAR. KC finished 89-75, missing the playoffs after a pair of tiebreaker games in a crowded wild card field. He was a free agent for the first time heading towards his age 35 season in 2033. Omaha felt Vezina had plenty left and gave him a four-year, $46,800,000 deal. He missed a month to a sprained ankle, but was mediocre when healthy. Vezina played 93 games and started 62 with 59 hits, 43 runs, 11 homers, 36 RBI, .699 OPS, 92 wRC+, and 0.1 WAR. He retired that winter at age 35, realizing that maintaining a spot in the majors wasn’t likely. Vezina finished with 2230 games, 2581 hits, 1418 runs, 434 doubles, 24 triples, 654 home runs, 1602 RBI, 810 walks, 1190 strikeouts, .313/.377/.609 slash, .986 OPS, 182 wRC+, and 106.1 WAR. He didn’t quite soar up the leaderboards since he was done at age 35, but Vezina still ranks 84^th in total bases (5025), 33^rd in homers, 94^th in RBI, and 38^th in WAR for position players. Among MLB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Vezina is 17^th in OPS and 17^th in slugging. His numbers alone would’ve been enough for a Hall of Fame nod, but Vezina’s efforts in winning the Grand Championship for Ottawa and a World Championship for Canada made his name a hallowed one amongst canucks. By the HOF monitor and JAWS metrics, Vezina is the second-best Canadian behind only MLB hits king Stan Provost. While Provost is most commonly cited as Canada’s best-ever, you’ll rarely find a top five list that doesn’t feature Vezina. Depending on how strict your definition is, Vezina might fit in that inner-circle level among all of Major League Baseball’s greats. He co-headlined a four-man 2039 Hall of Fame class at 97.3%. __________________ 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)