Baseball: The World's Game - Page 105

FuzzyRussianHat · 02-18-2025, 07:41 PM

Rodrigo Aguilar – First Base – Guayaquil Golds – 89.4% First Ballot

Rodrigo Aguilar was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting first baseman from Cuenca, Ecuador; the country’s third-most populous city with around 596,000 inhabitants. Aguilar was famous for prolific home run power, hitting 40+ in all but one of his full seasons. He socked 50+ dingers six times and 60+ four times. Aguilar was also a good contact hitter with an average strikeout rate for the league, but he drew a shockingly small amount of walks despite his power.

Aguilar’s power was fully concentrated on homers with only 19 doubles per his 162 game average. He was hilariously slow on the basepaths, although his instincts were decent. Aguilar played exclusively at first base apart from occasional starts as a designated hitter, posting consistently mediocre defense. His durability was tremendous with 149+ games each year from 2008-20. Aguilar was definitely a fan favorite between his towering home runs, work ethic, and loyalty.

In the 2004 BSA Draft, Aguilar was picked 23^rd overall by Guayaquil, where he spent his entire career. He hadn’t put his power stroke together right away with limited use initially. Aguilar didn’t play in 2005, played only 25 games in 2006, then had 108 games and 16 starts in 2007. He took over a full-time starting job in 2008 and emerged as an elite slugger, starting a decade-long streak of 40+ homer seasons.

Aguilar led the Bolivar League in homers from 2008-11 and in RBI from 2008-10. He won his first Silver Slugger in 2008 as a DH with his later wins at 1B from 09-13 and 2016. Aguilar emerged as truly elite with his first MVP in 2009 with league bests in runs (129), homers (71), RBI (17), total bases (463), slugging (.726), OPS (1.111), wRC+ (190), and WAR (9.8).

He was only the second player in BSA history with a 70+ homer season to that point behind Valor Melo, who did it thrice. The 170 RBI also shattered the BSA record of 151. Aguilar’s career high triple slash (.356/.386/.726), homers, hits (227), OPS, and WAR all came in 2009.

Aguilar put up similar dominance and repeated as MVP in 2010, breaking his RBI record with 173. As of 2037, Aguilar is the only BSA slugger to breach 170+ RBI. He added 68 homers, 8.9 WAR, and a career best 132 runs in 2010. Aguilar was second in MVP voting in 2011 as he led in homers again with 62. In August 2012, the Golds signed him to an eight-year, $64,100,000 extension.

Guayaquil ended a five-year playoff drought and took the top seed at 104-58 in 2008, but was upset in the first round by Callao. The Golds repeated as the top seed in 2009 and 2010, but fell both years to Santa Cruz’s dynasty in the BLCS. Aguilar was excellent in the 2009 playoff run with 15 hits, 10 runs, 8 homers, 15 RBI, and 1.416 OPS over nine games. However, he was unremarkable in his later playoff trips.

The Golds remained a contender, but couldn’t get over the hump. Guayaquil had divisional series losses as a wild card in 2011, 2013, and 2014. They kept a streak of winning seasons, but missed the playoffs in 2012, 2015, and 2016. Aguilar led in homers, RBI, and total bases again in 2016 with 6.1 WAR. His overall hitting production dropped though in the following seasons as he never topped 3+ WAR again.

Guayaquil’s last gasp was 2017 at 101-61, getting upset by Ciudad Guayana in the BLCS. For his playoff career, Aguilar started 52 games with 57 hits, 26 runs, 5 doubles, 17 home runs, 43 RBI, .278/.315/.551 slash, 113 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR. He fared better for Ecuador in the World Baseball Championship from 2008-18. Aguilar played 85 games and started 79 with 79 hits, 41 runs, 11 doubles, 25 homers, 66 RBI, .268/.309/.559 slash, 144 wRC+, and 2.9 WAR.

Aguilar’s deal expired after the 2020 season after a 37 home run, but .771 OPS and 1.4 WAR effort. He wanted to keep playing to chase the 700 home run and 2500 hit milestones, but couldn’t find a suitor for 2021. Aguilar retired that winter at age 36 and saw his #48 uniform immediately retired by Guayaquil.

The final stats for Aguilar had 2186 games, 2461 hits, 1300 runs, 254 doubles, 20 triples, 683 home runs, 1695 RBI, 371 walks, 1556 strikeouts, .303/.339/.592 slash, 138 wRC+, and 60.4 WAR. As of 2037, Aguilar is 12^th in home runs, 14^th in RBI, 51^st in total bases (4804), 99^th in hits, and 71^st in runs. He misses the top 100 in WAR among position players. Aguilar does rank 56^th in slugging and 95^th in OPS (.931) among those with 3000+ plate appearances.

Aguilar wasn’t a well-rounded player, but few had better raw slugging power. He led the league five times in homers, earned two MVPs, and had the single-season RBI record. Those accolades quickly cover up any of his resume weaknesses. Aguilar received 89.4% for a first ballot selection with Beisbol Sudamerica’s 2026 Hall of Fame class.

Homer Torres – Designated Hitter/Left Field – Medellin Mutiny – 68.7% First Ballot

Homer Torres was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting left fielder from the capital of Colombia, Bogota. Torres was one of the better power hitters of his era with 40 home runs, 35 doubles, and 5 triples per his 162 game average. He was stronger facing right-handed pitching (.921 OPS, 140 wRC+) compared to lefties (.810 OPS, 116 wRC+).

Torres was merely an above average contact hitter overall who struggled with strikeouts. He was mid-grade in terms of drawing walks despite his power profile. Torres wasn’t the worst baserunner ever, but his speed was lousy. His overall athleticism was poor and he was a truly putrid defender. Torres made around ¼ of his career starts in left field with the rest of his time as a designated hitter.

Strong durability made him worthwhile along with his power, playing 140+ games each year from 2007-20. Some coaches were frustrated by Torres’ weak work ethic and self-centered attitude. But if you sock a lot of dingers, you’ll find a spot somewhere.

Torres’ power potential pushed him up the ranks for the 2004 BSA Draft, getting picked fifth overall by Medellin. He was mostly a pinch hitter and struggled initially with 11 starts and 167 games in his first two years. Torres was a full-time roster member and started much of 2007, then became a full-time starter after that. He was considered solid, but not elite until around 2011 at age 29.

In 2011, Torres had his first of four straight seasons of 5+ WAR and led the Bolivar League with a career-best 46 doubles. He also led in strikeouts and would again in 2014. 2011 started Medellin’s nine-year playoff streak with a divisional series defeat. They would lose in the 2012 BLCS to Callao.

Torres started a three-year streak as the league’s home run leader from 2012-14 with 57, 53, and 67 dingers. He also led in RBI and total bases in 2012 and 2013, as well as runs in 2012 and 2014. Torres was a Silver Slugger winner in 2012 and 2013, winning his lone MVP in 2013. 2013 had career bests in hits (213), RBI (149), total bases (432), triple slash (.326/.377/.661), OPS (1.038), wRC+ (168), and WAR (7.1). In July 2013, this earned Torres a five-year, $63,100,000 extension.

Medellin won back-to-back Bolivar League titles in 2013 and 2014. They fell to Fortaleza in the 2013 Copa Sudamerica, but got revenge on the Foxes in 2014. Torres’ career playoff numbers were respectable for the Mutiny with 67 games, 76 hits, 42 runs, 13 double, 19 home runs, 41 RBI, .278/.305/.549 slash, 125 wRC+, and 2.2 WAR.

The Munity finished 9-10 in both editions of the Baseball Grand Championship with Torres posting 13 home runs, 29 RBI, and 1.0 WAR over 36 starts. Torres also was a regular for Colombia in the World Baseball Championship. From 2008-20, he played 79 games with 61 hits, 34 runs, 12 doubles, 19 homers, 42 RBI, .271/.349/.578 slash, and 2.8 WAR.

Medellin lost in the BLCS in 2015 and 2016. Their playoff streak continued three more seasons, but they couldn’t get beyond the divisional series. Torres still had solid power numbers in these later years, but his production never again reached his early 30s peak. In total for the Mutiny, Torres played 2036 games with 2119 hits, 1174 runs, 442 doubles, 504 home runs, 1344 RBI, .292/.337/.577 slash, 139 wRC+, and 49.0 WAR.

Torres was a free agent for the first time in 2019 at age 37, finding a home with Santa Cruz on a two-year, $14,200,000 deal. He had two respectable seasons, although 2020 had a career and league worst 201 strikeouts. The Crawfish had a surprise Bolivar League title win in 2020 after a five-year playoff drought, falling in Copa Sudamerica to Santiago. Torres struggled in the playoff run with -0.1 WAR and .607 OPS in 13 games. Santa Cruz was 9-10 in the Baseball Grand Championship with Torres struggling to .524 OPS in 17 starts.

In total for the Crawfish, Torres played 304 games with 310 hits, 184 runs, 58 doubles, 70 home runs, 170 RBI, .267/.312/.509 slash, 116 wRC+, and 4.9 WAR. He wanted to come back for 2021 to chase 600 homers and 2500 hits, but went unsigned as younger and cheaper options were available. Torres retired that winter at age 40 and Medellin brought him in to retire his #8 uniform.

Torres finished with 2340 games, 2429 hits, 1358 runs, 500 doubles, 65 triples, 574 home runs, 1514 RBI, 491 walks, 2227 strikeouts, .288/.334/.567 slash, 136 wRC+, and 53.9 WAR. As of 2037, Torres ranks 37^th in homers, 39^th in RBI, 56^th in runs, 17^th in doubles, 56^th in total bases (4781), and 37^th in strikeouts. He didn’t crack the top 100 in WAR among position players.

The resume was a tricky one for Torres, especially since he debuted on the Hall of Fame ballot alongside his longtime teammate Manuel Marquez. They had similar profiles with Torres looking somewhat like the “Great Value” version by comparison. Torres also lost points with certain voters as someone who spent his career primarily as a DH.

On the positive side, Torres had an MVP, led in homers thrice, had breached the 550 HR and 1500 RBI thresholds, and played an important part in two pennants and a Cup win for Medellin. A few voters liked the symmetry of adding Torres and Marquez together. Torres barely crossed the 66% requirement at 68.7%, but he made it in as a first ballot selection to cap off Beisbol Sudamerica’s three-player class for 2026.

jagreen · 02-18-2025, 10:34 PM

What settings did this league use?

Can players move from say mlb to another league?

Does each league draft separately?

FuzzyRussianHat · 02-19-2025, 07:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jagreen

What settings did this league use?

Can players move from say mlb to another league?

Does each league draft separately?

Settings is a broad question, but each league has its own unique character and quirks that provide for differing results.

Yes, many players have multi-league careers. Each league does have a separate draft (apart from the promotion/relegation leagues where the top and lower tier have a shared draft).

FuzzyRussianHat · 02-19-2025, 07:10 AM

The European Baseball Federation’s 2026 Hall of Fame class was an all-timer with four slam dunk inductees on their debut. While it wasn’t the first-ever class in EBF with 4+ inductees, it was the first to have all of them above 90%. 3B Ben Springer was nearly unanimous as the headliner at 99.3%. Close behind was LF/1B Murray Neilson at 96.4%, 1B Blazej Swierczewski at 96.1%, and SP Gustav Rosengren at 94.3%.

3B Kyle Evrard barely missed the 66% requirement on his eighth ballot at 65.7%. Another eighth ballot guy was above 50% with SP Johannes Jol with 57.5%. No one else was above 50% and no players were dropped from the ballot after ten failed tries.

Ben “Dump Truck” Springer – Third Base – Vienna Vultures – 99.3% First Ballot

Ben Springer was a 6’2’’, 205 pound right-handed third baseman from Eberndorf, Austria; a market town of around 5,800. At his peak, Springer was an exceptional contact hitter with reliably solid power. He was also better than most at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Springer’s power wasn’t prolific, but his 162 game average got you 36 home runs, 36 doubles, and 4 triples. His one real offensive flaw was terrible speed and lackluster baserunning.

Nicknamed “Dump Truck,” Springer exclusively played third base thanks to an impressively strong throwing arm. He never won a Gold Glove, but he was viewed as a consistently good-to-great defender. Few players were scrappier than Springer, who was renowned for his work ethic and adaptability. He persevered for a 21-year career despite a number of significant injuries throughout his run. Between his talent and grit, Springer became a beloved European star and the face of Austrian baseball.

Springer quickly emerged as the best prospect out of Austria in years with plenty of eyes watching his college career from the capital. Vienna was delighted he was still available for the 12^th overall pick in the 1999 EBF Draft. Springer wasn’t fully formed right away, playing only 74 games and starting 14 as a rookie. He looked quite strong in a part-time role for 2001 with 3.8 WAR over 103 games and 87 starts. Springer officially secured the starting job outright in 2002.

2002 started a four year streak as the Southern Conference’s WARlord with each season above 9+ WAR. All of his full seasons for the Vultures were above 5+ WAR and he’d top 9+ in seven years. The 2002-05 run was especially elite with 100+ runs, 100+ RBI, 30+ doubles, 30+ homers, .350+ average, and 1.000+ OPS marks throughout. Springer won MVP and Silver Slugger honors in 2002, 03, and 05 while taking third in MVP voting for 2004.

In 2003, Springer had the first Triple Crown hitting season in a decade and only the fifth-ever in EBF. He had his career best triple slash (.384/.429/.755), OPS (1.184), and wRC+ (221). Springer socked a career-best 52 homers along with 143 RBI and 10.8 WAR. He posted those tallies despite losing four weeks to a sprained ankle. 2003 also had a six-hit game against Yerevan and two different games with three home runs.

This season also marked a return to prominence for Vienna. The Vultures had been a regular contender with five pennants in the late 1960s and early 1970s, but had been largely irrelevant since. They were rarely terrible, but Vienna had only one playoff berth and 79.4 wins per season from 1975-2002. Not only did the Vultures end a two decade playoff drought in 2003, but they went on a tear at 108-54.

Vienna won their sixth Southern Conference Championship and became European Champion for the first time ever, beating Warsaw in the finale. Springer’s excellent carried into the playoffs with 21 hits, 8 runs, 3 doubles, 3 homers, 12 RBI, and .995 OPS over 16 starts. Bringing them their first-ever title immediately made Springer an Austrian baseball legend before his 26^th birthday.

Springer won a batting title in 2004, although he lost a month to a separated shoulder. 2005 was his second MVP and his career bests in WAR (11.0), hits (227), runs (115), and hits (227). Vienna won 100+ games each year from 2003-07 with four division titles. They had disappointing round two exits in 2004, 2006, and 2007. But in 2005, they earned another conference title, upsetting 110-52 Munich for the pennant.

Vienna would be denied the European Championship as Copenhagen pulled off the repeat. After the 2005 campaign, Springer inked an eight-year, $68 million extension to remain the Vultures’ superstar. 2007 had a setback with a strained groin muscle keeping him out almost two months. In 2008, Vienna’s playoff streak ended with a surprising 78-84 season. You couldn’t blame Springer for the down year, as he won a Silver Slugger and was third in MVP voting with a 9.6 WAR effort.

Springer was the WARlord for the fifth time in 2009 at 9.9 and led with 222 hits, winning his fourth MVP and fifth Slugger. Vienna bounced back for a wild card, but lost in the second round. They missed the playoffs the next two seasons as Springer lost some time to injury. He won a Silver Slugger in 2010 despite missing two months to a sprained ankle. Springer won the award again in 2011 even with two months lost between an oblique strain and torn hamstring. He posted OPS’s above one from 2009-12.

In 2012, Springer had a mostly full load with 9.5 WAR, 1.115 OPS, and 40 home runs, taking third in MVP voting. Vienna made it back to the playoffs and beat Zurich for the Southern Conference Championship with Springer earning series MVP. The Vultures were denied in the European Championship as they were swept by Cologne.

Springer was an absolute beast in the 2012 playoffs over 17 games with 30 hits, 19 runs, 5 doubles, 10 home runs, 20 RBI, 1.485 OPS, 313 wRC+, and 2.3 WAR. He was only one homer and one run shy of the EBF postseason records while also posting top ten RBI and hit marks. He couldn’t carry it over into the Baseball Grand Championship with .788 OPS, 118 wRC+, and 0.4 WAR in 19 games. The Vultures still finished in the top half at 11-8, officially ninth. The top five all went 12-7 and four teams were 11-8 in an incredibly tight field.

Vienna won one more division title in 2013 before falling on hard times. For his playoff career, Springer started 66 games with 89 hits, 42 runs, 14 doubles, 19 home runs, 59 RBI, 26 walks, .356/.413/.664 slash, 195 wRC+, and 4.3 WAR. Springer’s run ended poorly as he missed the final months of 2013 to a concussion. Heading towards age 36, the Vultures couldn’t come to terms with their long-time superstar, sending Springer to free agency.

For the Vultures, Springer finished with 1793 games, 2322 hits, 1209 runs, 418 doubles, 427 home runs, 1327 RBI, 509 walks, .351/.398/.624 slash, 181 wRC+, and 106.5 WAR. He’d remain the franchise’s biggest icon with his #45 uniform getting retired soon after his career was over. Springer brought on the second great run of success for Vienna and their first-ever EBF title. They’d be longing for better days soon enough as the Vultures were relegated to the European Second League after an abysmal 59-103 in 2016.

Springer remained proud of his Austrian roots even after leaving Vienna and represented his country steadfastly in the World Baseball Championship. He started every year from 2000-20 with 198 games, 183 hits, 105 runs, 33 doubles, 48 home runs, 115 RBI, .256/.339/.509 slash, and 7.4 WAR. Austria earned its first-ever finals four appearance with Springer in 2017. As of 2037 among Austrians, Springer has the second-most starts and ranks 1^st in hits, 1^st in doubles, 4^th in homers, 2^nd in RBI, 3^rd in runs, and 3^rd in WAR among position players.

The next phase of Springer’s pro career was in Hungary, signing for 2014 to a three-year, $42,900,000 deal with Budapest. He missed the first half of his debut season to a torn back muscle. Various other injuries cost him some bits of 2015 and 2016, although he was still quite good when healthy. The Bombers had a first round playoff exit in 2014 and missed the field the next two years.

For Budapest, Springer played 325 games with 398 hits, 197 runs, 67 doubles, 55 home runs, 214 RBI, .328/.378/.533 slash, 149 wRC+, and 14.4 WAR. A free agent again heading towards age, Springer joined Bucharest at $28,200,000 over two years. While his power wasn’t as impressive, Springer still was a stellar contact hitter and maintained good defense. He posted 7.4 WAR in 2017 and 6.0 WAR in 2018 for the Broncos, helping them to a playoff appearance in 2018.

Over 283 games for Bucharest, Springer had 352 hits, 161 runs, 58 doubles, 51 home runs, 212 RBI, .338/.383/.550 slash, 164 wRC+, and 13.4 WAR. While there, he also reached the 3000 hit and 1500 run milestones. Springer’s stock was still quite high even in his 40s, signing next for 2019 to a two-year, $30,400,000 deal with Rotterdam.

Injuries popped up again as Springer lost about two months to a sprained elbow, but still managed 5.2 WAR and .915 OPS in 104 games for the Ravens. Rotterdam just missed the playoffs and opted to trade Springer in spring training 2020 to Hamburg for three prospects. Even at age 42, Springer still could go with 4.9 WAR and .872 OPS over 120 games. Unfortunately in August 2020, he suffered a ruptured MCL with an expected 10 month recovery time.

The scrappy Springer was determined to make it back from that injury. In December 2020, he even inked a one-year, $19 million deal with MLB’s Washington Admirals with the goal of playing by the summer. Sadly, Springer suffered a major setback in April 2021 in that right knee and his doctors told him to call it quits officially at age 43 before he could make it back.

Springer played 2625 total games with 3330 hits, 1696 runs, 580 doubles, 70 triples, 579 home runs, 1882 RBI, 744 walks, .343/.391/.597 slash, 172 wRC+, and 144.4 WAR. As of 2037, Springer ranks 9^th in hits, 16^th in runs, 3^rd in doubles, 30^th in home runs, 12^th in RBI, 12^th in total bases (5787), and 4^th in WAR among position players. He managed to reach those numbers even gutting through the injuries.

Among EBF batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Springer’s .988 OPS ranks 36^th. His triple slash ranks 15^th/36^th/67^th. Specifically at third base, Springer is EBF’s leader in WAR, games, runs, hits, bases, singles, doubles, and RBI. He is widely considered EBF’s best-ever third baseman with only 2010-20s star Stefanos Emmanoulidis coming close in career WAR, but Emmanoulidis notably would make 1/3 of his starts at shortstop.

Among all players in baseball history as of 2037, Springer is 63^rd in WAR. His batting average also ranks 14^th best among the world’s Hall of Famers, showing the incredible contact skills he had. Springer ranks 3^rd in baseball history in WAR at third base behind only South Asia Baseball hits king Manju Abbas and Beisbol Sudamerica legend Niccolo Coelho. When discussing the greatest third basemen ever in baseball history, Springer makes many of the top five lists.

It’s harder to rank his exact spot in the EBF pantheon of immortals considering the legends that came before and after. When you count pitchers and two-way guys, Springer ranks 7^th in WAR as of 2037. Just about any all-time EBF team has him starting at third base and you could credibly argue he’s a top-five player in EBF history full stop.

Springer is certainly Austria’s best-ever and is in the conversation when discussing the top ten players from any league born in Europe. His career had it all; four MVPs, a Triple Crown, three finals trips, and an EBF title. Even in a loaded 2026 European Baseball Federation Hall of Fame class with four slam dunks, Springer still stood out as the clear headliner at a near unanimous 99.3%.

Murray “Crow” Neilson – Left Field/First Base – Dublin Dinos – 96.4% First Ballot

Murray Neilson was a 6’2’’, 195 pound switch-hitting left fielder and first baseman from Guildford, a town of around 77,000 people in South East England. Neilson had dual English-Scottish heritage and would play with both nations in the World Baseball Championship. Neilson’s skillset was incredibly well rounded as there really wasn’t any facet of the game he wasn’t at least above average at.

Neilson’s contact ability excellent with reliably strong home run and gap power. His 162 game average got you 44 homers, 29 doubles, and 29 triples. Neilson was also solid at drawing walks and better than most at avoiding strikeouts. His hitting was stellar against right-handed pitching with a career 1.089 OPS and 205 wRC+. Against lefties, he was still rock solid with .898 OPS and 159 wRC+. Neilson also had good speed and was one of the more efficient base stealers of his era.

Just over ¾ of his career starts came in left field, where he graded as a reliably positive value defender. Neilson did mix in starts at first base and was subpar in that spot. He durability was generally good and few players had more grit and toughness. Neilson’s work ethic was outstanding and he was renowned as one of the smartest and most loyal men in the game. Few would have a bad word to say about Neilson, who unsurprisingly emerged as one of the biggest baseball stars to come out of the United Kingdom.

Neilson played his college ball at Loughborough University and rose up the UK prospect ranks. He was picked 8^th overall in the 2006 EBF Draft by Edinburgh, who was a charter European Second League franchise. Neilson was one of the first elite players who had to start out in E2L just by circumstance. He was well beyond the skills of most E2L players, posting three straight 10+ WAR seasons to start off. Neilson won Silver Sluggers all three E2L years and took both MVP and Rookie of the Year in 2007. He finished third in 2008’s MVP voting.

Edinburgh earned their first playoff berth in 2008, but was eliminated in the Round Robin phase. In 2009, the Enforcers finished first in the Western Conference and took the pennant, falling in the E2L Championship to Leipzig. Neilson was MVP of the conference finals win over Lyon, helping Edinburgh earn its first promotion to the EBF Elite tier.

Neilson adjusted well to the top flight, posting 9+ WAR, 1.000 OPS, 100+ run efforts in his first two years. He picked up a Silver Slugger in 2011 playing first base. Edinburgh didn’t post a winning season in EBF until 2017, but they were good enough to avoid relegation for more than a decade. Between the leagues with the Enforcers, Neilson had 941 games, 1072 hits, 658 runs, 185 doubles, 242 home runs, 648 RBI, 466 walks, 274 stolen bases, .318/.401/.614 slash, 200 wRC+, and 60.1 WAR. He is remembered fondly in Edinburgh for introducing the city to big league baseball.

A player of Neilson’s caliber though was expected to soon get a big payday with free agency scheduled for after the 2013 season. The still young Edinburgh franchise didn’t have deep enough pockets for that and began shopping Neilson. Prior to 2013, they moved him across the division to Dublin for three prospects. The Dinos weren’t interested in a rental and shortly after the season started signed Neilson to a seven-year, $91,000,000.

2013 was a huge year for Neilson for many reasons. It started out with an excellent performance for England in the World Baseball Championship, helping them defeat Ukraine in the final for their first-ever world title. In 25 games, Neilson had 29 hits, 20 runs, 4 doubles, 12 home runs, 21 RBI, .290/.343/.690 slash, and 1.7 WAR.

With his duel heritage, Neilson bounced back and forth between England and Scotland in the WBC from 2007-20. He played ten events with the English team and four with the Scots. Neilson was also a starter for England in 2019 as they won their second world title with a finals win against Uzbekistan. In total, Neilson played 172 games with 167 hits, 100 runs, 27 doubles, 45 home runs, 114 RBI, .267/.364/.533 slash, and 8.1 WAR.

Neilson joined a Dublin squad that was already a top contender, having won the European Championship in 2010 and 2011. The Dinos had won their seventh division title in eight years in 2012, but were upset in the second round. Neilson’s arrival helped Dublin have its best team of the early 2010s dynasty. The Dinos finished 115-47 and eventually beat Zaragoza in the European Championship.

His 2013 debut season was worth 8.5 WAR, but Neilson shined most in the playoffs as he won finals MVP. In 18 playoff starts, Neilson had 28 hits, 15 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 7 homers, 15 RBI, 5 steals, 1.159 OPS, and 1.7 WAR. Dublin was a surprising 7-12 in the fourth Baseball Grand Championship with Neilson posting 0.7 WAR and .840 OPS over 19 starts.

Neilson’s 2014 saw conference and career bests in home runs (58), and RBI (130), taking third in MVP voting and a Silver Slugger in LF. He won additional Sluggers from 2015-18 and earned a Gold Glove in 2019. Neilson placed third in MVP voting in both 2018 and 2019. He led with a career high 1.084 OPS in 2015 and 10.1 WAR in 2018. All eight of his Dublin seasons had an OPS above one, 7+ WAR, 35+ home runs, and a batting average above .320. Neilson was also one of a select few to hit for the cycle twice in his career.

This Dublin run peaked with the 2013 title. The Dinos lost the 2014 conference final to Valencia and had a second round exit in 2015. From 2016-19, they were mostly stuck around .500 with one first round wild card exit in 2018. Neilson never replicated his 2013 playoff magic, but that run was strong enough to carry his overall stats to .890 OPS and 1.8 WAR over 36 starts, 45 hits, 28 runs, 5 doubles, 2 triples, 9 home runs, 21 RBI, and 164 wRC+.

Neilson signed a three-year, $51,800,000 extension in January 2020 at age 36 as Dublin geared up for what would become another dynasty run to start the decade. The Dinos went 109-53 in 2020, falling in the European Championship to Munich. Neilson missed the playoff run with a fractured elbow suffered on September 26. This injury was expected just to be a season-ender with a 4-5 month recovery time.

Tragically in December, Neilson had a significant catastrophic setback in the elbow recovery, forcing an abrupt and sudden retirement. Dublin immediately retired his #16 uniform and would give him honorary championship rings for their later 2022 and 2023 titles. For the Dinos, Neilson had 1203 games, 1442 hits, 859 runs, 193 doubles, 82 triples, 344 home runs, 946 RBI, 491 walks, 354 stolen bases, .334/.401/.656 slash, 188 wRC+, and 71.8 WAR.

Within the EBF Elite Tier play, Neilson finished with 1681 games, 2020 hits, 1189 runs, 283 doubles, 115 triples, 460 home runs, 1283 RBI, 669 walks, 551 stolen bases, .334/.399/.647 slash, 1.046 OPS, 188 wRC+, and 99.0 WAR. Neilson’s final accumulations ended up on the lower end between his abrupt retirement and his first three years being in E2L. Still as of 2037, he ranks 32^nd in WAR among position players, 81^st in home runs, and 79^th in RBI.

Among EBF batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Neilson’s 1.046 OPS ranks 7^th with his triple slash ranking 47^th/19^th/8^th. Among all world Hall of Famers as of 2037, Neilson is tied for 47^th in batting average, 39^th in OBP, 14^th in slugging, 15^th in OPS, and tied for 16^th in wRC+.

Even over just 11 years in the top tier, Neilson’s effectiveness made him a Hall of Fame lock at 96.4% within the four-player 2026 Hall of Fame class for the European Baseball Federation. Still, he goes down as a “what if?” type player as his diversified skillset probably would’ve aged quite well without the elbow injury. Dublin’s early 2020s dynasty might have been even more dominant and Neilson may have landed among the inner circle of inductees.

FuzzyRussianHat · 02-19-2025, 12:01 PM

Blazej “Rags” Swierczewski – First Base – Riga Roosters – 96.1% First Ballot

Blazej Swierczewski was a 6’1’’, 195 pound right-handed first baseman from Lodz, Poland’s fourth largest city with around 655,000 people. Nicknamed “Rags,” Swierczewski was a well-rounded bat with good-to-great contact and power skills. He was quite solid especially in his later years at drawing walks, although his strikeout rate was subpar. Swierczewski’s power wasn’t prolific, but it was incredibly steady and reliable with 35 home runs and 23 doubles per his 162 game average.

Swierczewski was one of the smartest and craftiest baserunners you’d find, stealing at an impressive efficiency despite never having better than below average running speed. He fared slightly better facing left-handed pitching, but was generally equally effective against both. Swierczewski made almost all of his 3000+ starts at first base and was a reliably solid defender.

He was most renowned throughout Europe as one of the game’s great ironmen. Swierczewski played across four separate decades and 24 seasons, playing 150+ games in all but his first two and final two campaigns. He was a true fan favorite and one of the game’s great people. Swierczewski had a stellar work ethic along with fierce loyalty, strong intelligence, and impressive adaptability.

When Swierczewski was growing up in Poland in the 1980s and early 1990s, the country was still part of the Eurasian Professional Baseball sphere. His pro career started in Latvia as he signed a developmental contract in July 1992 with Riga. Swierczewski debuted in EPB for the Roosters in 1996 at age 20, but he only played 16 games. He remained a reserve in 1997, then saw 68 games and 10 starts in 1998. Riga moved Swierczewski into the lineup full time from 1999 and he’d be a full-timer somewhere through 2018.

Swierczewski’s 1999 was his only full season in EPB, as Riga was among the teams that defected to the European Baseball Federation for 2000. He adjusted swimmingly and posted five straight seasons of 40+ homers and 5.9+ WAR for Riga. Swierczewski led the Northern Conference in WAR in both 2002 (10.1) and 2003 (8.7).

2002 was his best season by many metrics, taking third in MVP voting. Swierczewski saw his career bests in WAR (10.1), OPS (1.055), OBP (.412), slugging (.643), and wRC+ (194). It was hard to get awards attention though as Riga was a newer and smaller market, as well as a team that was mid-tier in their first EBF seasons. For the Roosters, Swierczewski had 1039 games, 1093 hits, 572 runs, 137 doubles, 246 home runs, 634 RBI, .301/.363/.555 slash, 162 wRC+, and 42.1 WAR.

Although Swierczewski’s last season with Riga was his weakest since his rookie year, he was still worth 5.9 WAR and had plenty of suitors. Riga couldn’t compete financially with some of the bigger markets and had to let Swierczewski leave for free agency in 2005 at age 29. He made the move to Austria, signing a seven-year, $48,600,000 deal with Vienna.

Swierczewski never played for one of the Polish pro teams, but he did regularly represent his country in the World Baseball Championship with solid results. From 2000-15, he played 143 games with 127 hits, 79 runs, 17 doubles, 53 home runs, 109 RBI, 66 walks, .250/.349/.602 slash, 172 wRC+, and 6.9 WAR. Poland’s deepest run would be an elite eight trip in 2013.

With the help of Hall of Fame 2026 classmate Ben Springer, Vienna was in contention in the 2000s. Swierczewski was worth 7+ WAR in each of his first five seasons for the Vultures, winning Silver Sluggers in 2005 and 2008. In 2005, Swierczewski was third in MVP voting with his career highs in hits (218), doubles (34), and batting average (.357).

Vienna was the Southern Conference champ in 2005, falling to Copenhagen in the European Championship. The Vultures won 104 and 105 the next two seasons, but lost in the second round both years. Vienna missed the 2008 playoffs, then had a round two exit in 2009 as a wild card. Swierczewski’s playoff numbers were surprisingly underwhelming over 31 starts with 34 hits, 18 runs, 6 doubles, 4 home runs, 13 RBI, .283/.333/.433 slash, 113 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR.

Swierczewski was still good in his last year with Vienna, but had the low WAR of his run at 5.4 as the Vultures just missed the playoffs. For Vienna, Swierczewski played 950 games with 1141 hits, 640 runs, 172 doubles, 229 home runs, 683 RBI, .323/.389/.576 slash, 164 wRC+, and 43.2 WAR. Like with his other stops, Swierczewski remained very popular for years to come with Vultures fans. However, they voided the team option final year of his deal, making Swierczewski a free agent for 2011 at age 35.

The next stop was Greece on a three-year, $30,600,000 deal with Thessaloniki. Swierczewski was steady over the run with the Tritons, who were just looking to hang around the top tier. He played 478 games with 495 hits, 274 runs, 76 doubles, 96 homers, 287 RBI, .293/.363/.518 slash, 140 wRC+, and 15.9 WAR. Next up was a trip to Spain on a three-year, $36,900,000 deal with Madrid for 2014.

Swierczewski’s production dipped a bit in his first two years, although he was still a decent starter. He had a surprise resurgence in 2016 at age 40 with 6.4 WAR and a career-best 129 RBI. Swierczewski also hit 43 home runs, a mark he hadn’t met since the Vienna run. The Conquistadors were pleased and gave him a two-year, $12 million extension. Madrid made the playoffs each year from 2016-19, but never got beyond the second round. Swierczewski had .766 OPS, 119 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR over 16 playoff games.

He didn’t match the 2016 peak, but was still a quality starter for two more seasons. Madrid kept him around as a backup for 2019 and 2020, finishing with 947 games, 786 hits, 472 runs, 107 doubles, 154 home runs, 489 RBI, .261/.337/.465 slash, 124 wRC+, and 19.0 WAR. With the Conquistadors, Swierczewski reached the 3000 hit, 2000 RBI, 700 home run, and 3000 game milestones. He retired after the 2020 season at age 45, joining a very select few in baseball history to make it that long.

Swierczewski’s final tallies in EBF saw 3180 games, 3367 hits, 1899 runs, 459 doubles, 69 triples, 702 home runs, 2025 RBI, 1194 walks, 2234 strikeouts, 355 steals, .300/.368/.541 slash, 151 wRC+, and 116.6 WAR. As of 2037, Swierczewski ranks 2^nd in games played, 7^th in runs, 8^th in hits, 10^th in total bases (6070), 7^th in singles (2137), 23^rd in doubles, 9^th in home runs, 6^th in RBI, 8^th in walks, and 18^th in WAR among position players.

Despite rarely being in MVP conversations, Swierczewski’s remarkable consistency and ironman durability gave him remarkable tallies. Despite being ranks top 10 in many stats, many top 10 lists of EBF’s best-ever position players do leave Swierczewski off between the lack of accolades or big playoff success. No one doubted that he was an inner circle Hall of Famer though and a stellar guy, getting 96.1% to join the impressive four-player 2026 class.

When you add in his early EPB stats, Swierczewski’s final pro baseball stats had 3414 games, 3515 hits, 1958 runs, 492 doubles, 725 home runs, 2093 RBI, 1238 walks, 368 steals, .296/.364/.533 slash, 150 wRC+, and 120.2 WAR. On the world leaderboards as of 2037, Swierczewski ranks 15^th in games played, 47^th in runs, and 44^th in RBI while just missing the top 50 in hits.

He’s one of the all-time ironmen and in the conversation when discussing the best-ever to come out of Poland. Swierczewski has the most career WAR of any Polish position player and is #2 among all players just behind four-time Pitcher of the Year winner Igor Kuchkowski.

Gustav Rosengren – Starting Pitcher – Brussels Beavers – 94.3% First Ballot

Gustav Rosengren was a 6’6’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Umea, a city with around 130,000 inhabitants in northeastern Sweden. Rosengren had great stuff and movement along with solid control. He had an excellent 99-101 mph fastball along with a dangerous forkball, very good changeup, and iffy curveball.

Rosengren’s stamina was above average relative to other EBF aces, but his ironman durability meant you’d get plenty of reliable innings. His pickoff move was great and he was one of the better defensive pitchers. Rosengren was a leader of men, a team captain with an impressive work ethic. He emerged as one of the most universally respected and popular pitchers among peers and fans alike of his era.

A scout from Brussels managed to learn of Rosengren’s potential and signed him in December 2001 a developmental deal. His entire pro career came in Belgium, but Rosengren did still return home to represent Sweden in the World Baseball Championship regularly. From 2007-20, he pitched 197.1 innings with a 2.28 ERA, 14-6 record, 261 strikeouts, and 5.6 WAR. The Swedes earned division titles in 2007, 2008, and 2018 with Rosengren.

Rosengren officially debuted in 2005 at age 21 with one successful relief appearance. He made four starts with 25 relief appearances in 2006 with promising results, earning a rotation stat from 2007 onward. 2007 would be the first of nine straight seasons worth 6+ WAR and with 200+ strikeouts. Rosengren’s first full season starting landed him third in Pitcher of the Year voting.

He would win the top award in 2008 with a conference leading 8.7 WAR and 24 complete games. Rosengren also had his career best ERA of 2.41 and added 280 strikeouts. Brussels returned to relevance and ended a 13-year playoff drought, although they were ousted in the first round. They were a win short of a wild card in 2009, but knew they were on the right track.

The Beavers went 112-50 in 2010, but were upset by Dublin in the Northern Conference Championship. Brussels won two more division titles in 2011 and 2012, but lost in the second round both years. Rosengren’s results were mixed looking good in 2010, poor in 2011, and great in 2012. The Beavers remained above .500 for the next four years but were just outside of the playoffs.

Rosengren thrived though, leading in WAR in 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2014. He won his second Pitcher of the Year in 2011 and finished third in 2010. Rosengren’s career high WAR (9.9) and strikeouts (284) came in 2014, although a higher ERA kept him out of awards talks. He remained loyal to Brussels throughout, signing a six-year, $63,100,000 extension in October 2011 shortly before his 28^th birthday. With Rosengren’s production staying strong through that, he inked another five-year, $64,700,000 extension in December 2016.

Brussels broke through with a 105-57 record in 2017, going all the way to a European Championship win over Thessaloniki. Rosengren posted 2.96 ERA over 24.1 playoff innings with 30 strikeouts. He then had a 2.77 ERA in 26 innings with 23 strikeouts in the Baseball Grand Championship. The Beavers finished at 11-8 with four other teams, only one short of three teams at 12-7. Officially after tiebreakers, Brussels finished fifth. For his playoff career, Rosengren had a 3.28 ERA over 79.2 innings, 90 strikeouts, 116 ERA+, and 2.2 WAR.

The success was a one-off for Brussels, who stayed above .500 but missed the playoffs from 2018-20. Rosengren was less dominant than his 20s, but still was a reliably solid starter through this. From a talent standpoint, he likely could’ve pitched a few more years, but Rosengren decided to retire after the 2020 season just after his 37^th birthday. He was one of the few greats to retire on his own accord and not because he couldn’t hack it anymore or due to injury. The Beavers immediately retired Rosengren’s #55 uniform.

Rosengren finished with a 223-128 record, 2.95 ERA, 3380 innings, 3408 strikeouts, 599 walks, 290/411 quality starts, 120 complete games, 36 shutouts, 129 ERA+, 68 FIP-, and 99.5 WAR. As of 2037, Rosengren ranks 26^th in wins, 37^th in innings, 37^th in strikeouts, 43^rd in complete games, 13^th in shutouts, and 12^th in WAR among pitchers.

Because he didn’t stick around to pad his stats, Rosengren sometimes is overlooked based on his spots on the leaderboards. Based on advanced stats, he’s a dark horse candidate when discussing EBF’s top ten pitchers. In his time, Rosengren was recognized though as a stellar man and a top flight pitcher. He received 94.3% and would headline a Hall of Fame class in many years. Rosengren capped off an incredible four-player group for the European Baseball Federation in 2026.

FuzzyRussianHat · 02-19-2025, 05:38 PM

SP Nijat Statsky was the lone selection for the Eurasian Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 2026. On his seventh ballot, Statsky saw a significant bump up to 77.0%. SP Roman Khilkevich barely missed joining him with a 64.3% debut, just shy of the 66% requirement. Three others were above 50% with CL Povilas Zdancius at 61.0% for his second try, 1B Benjamin Bodnar with 59.0% in his seventh go, and SP Artur Woloshyn at 52.3% on his third ballot.

LF/1B Vadim Papendik notably fell off the ballot as he dropped below 5% on his ninth try. Hurting his candidacy was nine of his 20 years coming in CABA. For his combined pro career, Papendik played 3015 games with five Silver Sluggers, 3394 hits, 1594 runs, 575 doubles, 594 home runs, 1761 RBI, 968 walks, .301/.356/.520 slash, 157 wRC+, and 103.3 WAR.

That combined line gets him into any HOF, but the stats were split about 60/40 between EPB and CABA. The resulting 308 homers, 1896 hits, and 59.9 WAR in EPB weren’t enough to get Papendik much ballot traction. Still, he was a Russian slugger worthy of a brief acknowledgement.

Nijat Statsky – Starting Pitcher – Samara Steelers – 77.0% Seventh Ballot

Nijat Statsky was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Hazorasp, Uzbekistan; a town of 18,000 near the former Aral Sea. Statsky succeeded with overpowering stuff along with solid control and above average movement. His fastball was a good one and peaked in the 99-101 mph range, but his sinker, splitter, and screwball were potent as well.

Statsky’s stamina was average relative to other EPB aces. His biggest flaw perhaps was a terrible pickoff move and inability to hold runners once they got on base. Statsky’s defense otherwise was fine. His durability was solid prior to suffering two major injuries in his mid 30s. Teammates tried to tolerate Statsky because of his talents, but he was an unlikeable jerk. He was outspoken and selfish with a work ethic that would lapse if he didn’t see a specific benefit to himself.

The talent was undeniable though as Statsky came up through the amateur ranks. Most Central Asian prospects adjusted their prospect plans towards the Asian Baseball Federation after the 2000 exodus of teams, but Statsky stayed declared for EPB’s 2000 draft. He knew he was due a prominent spot and was taken #1 overall by Samara, an expansion team in its second season. Statsky negotiated a six-year, $10,800,000 deal beyond the standard rookie compenstation.

Statsky was used as a closer in his rookie season with 27 saves and 3.9 WAR in 96 innings. He was moved to the rotation after that and did his best for some terrible early Steelers teams. Samara averaged 69.4 wins per season during Statsky’s tenure and he led the European League thrice in losses. Advanced stats showed his lack of help behind him with a below average 96 ERA+ pared with a rock solid 84 FIP-.

Although his whole pro career was in Russia, Statsky did represent his native Uzbekistan in the World Baseball Championship from 2001-13. He tossed 149.2 innings with a 9-12 record, 4.15 ERA, 173 strikeouts, 38 walks, 87 ERA+, and 1.6 WAR. The Uzbeks would earn an elite eight trip in the 2010 event.

Statsky wasn’t shy about his intentions to leave Samara once eligible for free agency after the 2009 campaign. The Steelers traded him prior to that year to Moscow for two prospects and a second round draft pick. With Samara, Statsky posted a 99-130 record, 2.89 ERA, 1991.1 innings, 2167 strikeouts, 460 walks, and 40.8 WAR. He would be the first Hall of Famer in the black and gold and the Steelers later honored him by retiring his #24 uniform.

Moscow wanted the now 31-year old in their long-term plans and prior to his debut gave Statsky a six-year, $35,800,000 extension. The Mules had been a top contender in the decade with EL pennants in 2005, 2006, and 2007 and an EPB title in 2006. Moscow had won their pennants as the wild card and lost the ELCS in 2008 as the first place team.

In 2009, the Mules at 92-70 were a distant second to 106-56 win Minsk, but upset the Miners in the ELCS. Moscow carried the momentum into an EPB Championship win over Krasnoyarsk. Statsky was impactful in the playoffs with a 1.99 ERA and 33 strikeouts over 22.2 innings. However, he was awful in his 2010 and 2011 playoff starts, finishing with a career 5.30 ERA over 54.1 playoff innings. Moscow lost to Omsk in the 2010 EPB Championship and fell to Minsk in the 2011 ELCS.

Statsky led the league in strikeouts (293) and WHIP (0.81) in 2010 to take third in Pitcher of the Year voting. 2010 also featured his lone no-hitter, a 12 strikeout, one walk effort against Voronezh on May 4. He then won the top honor with his finest effort in 2011 with career highs in ERA (2.03), strikeouts (299), WAR (8.1), and wins (17-7).

Moscow’s playoff streak ended at seven seasons with an 85-77 finish in 2012. Statsky’s production dipped to 4.0 WAR, his worst full season with the Mules. Catastrophe occurred in May 2013 with a partially torn UCL putting Statsky on the shelf 10 months. He rehabbed back and started six games in 2014, but he ended up with a torn flexor tendon in May 2014.

The Mules voided the team option year remaining in Statsky’s contract figuring he was cooked. He wanted to play somewhere in 2015, but scouts were unimpressed by what he could do post injury. After going unsigned, Statsky retired at age 37. For the Moscow run, Statsky had a 68-47 record, 2.60 ERA, 1079.2 innings, 1226 strikeouts, 181 walks, 125 ERA+, 78 FIP-, and 26.3 WAR.

Statsky finished with a 167-177 record, 2.79 ERA, 3071 innings, 3393 strikeouts, 641 walks, 245/362 quality starts, 163 complete games, 19 shutouts, 105 ERA+, 82 FIP-, and 67.1 WAR. As of 2037, Statsky ranks 93^rd in pitching WAR, 70^th in strikeouts, and 68^th in complete games.

His case was definitely a borderline one, but some of his marks were comparable to some of the lower-end inductees selected by the pitcher-friendly EPB voters. Some traditionalists dismissed him out of hand for having a losing record. Supporters pointed out how much his traditional metrics were dented by playing on some terrible Samara teams.

Having won a Pitcher of the Year and his role in Moscow’s 2009 title run went a long way. But even by more sabermetric measures, his resume was far from a lock. The fact Statsky was also generally obnoxious didn’t endear himself to many in the game. He was the type of guy that was generally championed by those who started fights in bars with people over bad hot takes.

Statsky debuted at 48.1% in 2020 and stayed between 40-60% for his first couple ballots. He got a sizeable boost to 64.5% in 2024, just missing the 66% requirement. Statsky won over a few more to get to 65.3% in 2025, the highest percentage in a year without inductees. 2026 wasn’t much better for debuts and many voters were loathe to have back-to-back blank ballots. Statsky saw a strong boost up to 77.0% for a seventh ballot addition as the lone 2026 Hall of Famer in Eurasian Professional Baseball.

FuzzyRussianHat · 02-20-2025, 06:35 AM

Pitcher Isaac Tague stood alone for induction into the Oceania Baseball Association’s Hall of Fame in 2026 with a slam dunk 97.5%. LF Samson Gould (58.2%) and SP Raj Marple (55.7%) were the next closest in their debuts, missing the 66% requirement for induction. Two returners were above 50% with SP Joel Wilson at 55.7% for his second ballot and CL Nolan Gilmoon at 51.3% on his eighth try. No players were removed from the ballot after ten failed tries.

Isaac Tague – Starting Pitcher – Guadalcanal Green Jackets – 97.5% First Ballot

Isaac Tague was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Perth, the largest city of Western Australia. Tague’s raw stuff was exceptional and was graded as a 10/10 by some scouts at his peak. His control and movement were merely average, but his ability to change speeds and fool hitters made up for that. Tague’s 99-101 mph fastball was excellent, but it was a stellar circle change that drew the most whiffs. He also had a good regular changeup and occasional sinker in the arsenal.

Tague’s biggest drawback was poor stamina, throwing only nine complete games in his entire career even with OBA’s four-man rotation. His durability was strong so he rarely missed starts, but he didn’t have the 300+ inning seasons one expected out of OBA aces. Tague had a solid pickoff move, but was a subpar defensive pitcher otherwise. Some peers also thought he could be selfish and that his work ethic was unimpressive.

His raw stuff stood out even as a teenager in Australia, earning attention from several OBA clubs. Guadalcanal had the winning pitch, signing Tague to a developmental deal in April 2000. He spent most of five years in their academy in the Solomon Islands, debuting in 2005 at age 21 with 31 innings mostly in relief. Tague was a full-time starter the next year, his first of six seasons worth 8+ WAR. Each of his full seasons were worth at least 5.9 WAR and all but one had 300+ strikeouts.

Tague’s highest strikeout total came with 408 in 2008. His ERAs started to go down and Guadalcanal began primed for a legit run. They had been more bad than good over the prior 30 years with their most recent Pacific League title back in 1977. Tague helped end that drought as the Green Jackets went 113-49 in 2010. They fell to Melbourne’s dynasty in the Oceania Championship with Tague struggling to a 5.06 ERA in his two starts.

He was a big reason they got there though and the Green Jackets gave him a five-year, $33,900,000 extension in May 2011. Guadalcanal finished second in 2011, then won back-to-back PL titles in 2012-13. The Green Jackets got revenge over the Mets in the Oceania Championship in 2012, but were defeated by Christchurch in 2013 despite a franchise-best 115-47 season.

Tague fared better in the later playoff runs, finishing with a 2.94 ERA over 33.2 innings with 45 strikeouts. He also was excellent in the 2012 Baseball Grand Championship with a 1.34 ERA over 33.2 innings, 53 strikeouts, and 2.1 WAR. Guadalcanal finished 12-7 as part of a five-way tie for the top spot, officially taking second via tiebreakers.

Tague was solid in the 2013 event as well with a 2.52 ERA and 39 Ks in 25 innings. The Green Jackets were again 12-7, this time officially taking fifth. From 2007-20, Tague was also a regular in the World Baseball Championship pitching for Australia. He tossed 162.2 innings with a 13-4 record, 3.10 ERA, 261 strikeouts, and 3.7 WAR. Australia’s deepest run with Tague was a fourth place in 2012.

2012 also saw Tague’s first ERA title in the PL at 2.22 along with a league-best 0.90 WHIP, placing third in Pitcher of the Year voting. He was second in 2013 with his finest season by ERA (2.05) and FIP- (47) as well as his second-best WAR of 10.6. Guadalcanal remained solid for the rest of the 2010s and didn’t post a losing season until 2023. However, they didn’t reclaim the throne, typically hovering around third or fourth in the ten-team standings.

Tague signed a four-year, $33,600,000 extension before the 2016 season. That June, he threw a no-hitter against Tahiti with 11 strikeouts and two walks. It was one of only three shutouts he had his entire career. In 2017 at age 33, Tague posted his career best WAR at 10.8 and won his second ERA title at 2.35. He finished second in Pitcher of the Year voting, ultimately never taking the top honor.

He had two more years for Guadalcanal with a bit of a decline in velocity in late 2019. The Green Jackets decided to decline the team option, sending Tague to free agency for the first time at age 36. The franchise was still grateful overall for his 15 years of service and role in their titles, retiring his #5 uniform shortly after his playing career ended.

Tague still thought he had plenty left and signed for three years and $31,100,000 with Honolulu. He was shockingly bad though with a 5.24 ERA in 99.2 innings for the Honu, also missing eight weeks to a strained hamstring. Tague opted to retire that winter shortly after his 37^th birthday.

The final stats saw a 234-146 record, 2.75 ERA, 3661.1 innings, 4866 strikeouts, 775 walks, 349/554 quality starts, 9 complete games 132 ERA+, 66 FIP-, and 113.0 WAR. As of 2037, Tague ranks 17^th in wins, 20^th in innings, 7^th in strikeouts, and 6^th in pitching WAR. His .603 opponent’s OPS ranks 58^th among those with 1000+ career innings and his ERA ranks 70^th.

Tague’s K/9 of 11.96 ranks 4^th among qualifiers, showing he was one of the most efficient strikeout starters of his era. His 6.89 H/9 ranked 40^th. Some argue he was the best OBA ace to never win Pitcher of the Year, although sharing a league with the likes of Timothy Manglona, Akira Brady, and Austin Jong didn’t help his cause.

He won’t crack many top five pitcher lists among OBA scholars, but he rarely misses a top ten list. Tague was somewhat under-rated in his time and a big reason Guadalcanal had their success in the early 2010s. At 97.5%, Tague stood alone for induction into the Oceania Baseball Association Hall of Fame in 2026.

FuzzyRussianHat · 02-20-2025, 01:02 PM

Two players were added into Austronesia Professional Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 2026 upon their ballot debuts. SP Rahmat Hasjim was a nearly unanimous 99.4% and IF Buwono Gunawan only just breached the 66% requirement at 70.8%. Two returners cracked 50% with 3B Yu-Ting Tsai at 54.0% on his second ballot and CL Kyle Oliveira with 53.4% for his third go. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots in 2026.

Rahmat Hasjim – Starting Pitcher – Surabaya Sunbirds – 99.4% First Ballot

Rahmat Hasjim was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Padang, Indonesia; the capital of the West Sumatra province with around 942,000 people. Excellent pinpoint control propelled Hasjim to success along with above average-to-good stuff and movement. His fastball peaked in the 96-98 mph range with an excellent changeup as his second best pitch. Hasjim also featured a nice slider and forkball to complete his arsenal.

Hasjim’s stamina and control meant he was one of APB’s best at going deep into games. His durability was also excellent and he avoided major injuries for his entire 16 year run. Hasjim had a solid pickoff move, but was below average defensively. He was a very driven player with a top level work ethic, pushing Hasjim to one of the better pitching runs of his era in APB.

In the 2004 APB Draft, Hasjim was picked fourth overall by Surabaya. He was split between starting and relief in his first two years and was merely decent initially. The Sunbirds emerged as a contender in 2006, which started a run of six straight Java Sea League titles. Surabaya was the Sundaland Association champ in 2006, but lost the Austronesia Championship to Davao. Hasjim tossed five perfect innings of relief in the run with 8 strikeouts.

In 2007, Hasjim became an ace with an association-best 7.2 WAR along with 301 strikeouts. Surabaya won the pennant again and this time beat Kaohsiung for the APB title. Hasjim posted a 1.52 ERA over 23.2 playoff innings with 21 strikeouts. After the season, Surabaya signed him to a five-year, $20,060,000 extension. The Sunbirds would fall in the Sundaland Association Championship in the next four seasons with unremarkable playoff starts from Hasjim. For his career, he had a 4-8 record, 2.31 ERA, 108 ERA+, 89.2 innings, 93 strikeouts, 13 walks, and 2.1 WAR.

Hasjim regressed hard in 2008, but bounced back with a career and SA best 8.5 WAR and 0.75 WHIP in 2009. He won his first ERA title at 1.65 in 2010 and led in WHIP (0.75), shutouts (8), and wins (19-4) to earn his first Pitcher of the Year. 2010 also saw Hasjim throw APB’s 33^rd perfect game in an eight strikeout effort on July 30 against Batam.

2011 featured career bests in wins (23-7) and ERA (1.59) for back-to-back Pitcher of the Year wins. Hasjim made it a three-peat in 2012 with his fourth 7+ WAR season along with 1.80 ERA and 7 shutouts. In total for Surabaya, Hasjim had a 121-63 record, 1.99 ERA, 1797 innings, 1984 strikeouts, 207 walks, 172/208 quality starts, 77 complete games, 33 shutouts, 124 ERA+, 76 FIP-, and 41.9 WAR.

Hasjim’s deal expired after the 2012 campaign at age 30. Surabaya had fallen to 80-82 that year and felt they couldn’t match the money due to a three-time defending Pitcher of the Year. Hasjim remained popular with Sunbirds fans and his #28 uniform would later be retired. He would ink a six-year, $90,200,000 deal with Jakarta.

He took a break from the World Baseball Championship for much of the Jakarta tenure. Hasjim represented Indonesia from 2007-08, 10-11, and then 17-19. He struggled mostly with a 5.22 ERA over 60.1 innings, 54 strikeouts, 13 walks, 70 ERA+, and 0.4 WAR.

Jakarta was decisively mid during Hasjim’s run with no playoff berths and an average of 82.6 wins per season. Hasjim was consistently solid in the run, but wasn’t in any awards conversations. The main highlight was his second perfect game on May 3, 2015 with seven strikeouts against Semarang. Hasjim became the fourth APB pitcher with multiple perfect games, joining Vhon Lasam, Wisnu Mahmudiana, and Yu-Ren Yang.

For the Jaguars, Hasjim had a 65-60 record, 2.21 ERA, 1285 innings, 1356 strikeouts, 168 walks, 124/153 quality starts, 64 complete games, 12 shutouts, 114 ERA+, and 25.8 WAR. Jakarta bought out the team option sixth year of Hasjim’s deal, sending him to free agency for 2018 at age 35. He still had plenty of value and Bandung gave him a three-year, $34,900,000 deal.

Hasjim had a career resurgence as he won his fourth Pitcher of the Year in 2018 with a career high 18 complete games, 284 innings, and 313 strikeouts. He became only the eighth in APB history to win the award 4+ times. Hasjim had a solid 2019 as well, but fell off noticeably in 2020 with only 1.4 WAR despite leading the SA in complete games. The Blackhawks were in the mid-tier during this effort.

With Bandung, Hasjim had a 46-37 record, 2.09 ERA, 785.1 innings 784 strikeouts, 80 walks, 76/98 quality starts, 43 complete games, 12 shutouts, 123 ERA+, and 13.5 WAR. While there, he reached the 200 win and 4000 strikeout milestones. With his deal wrapping after the 2020 season, Hasjim decided to retire at age 38.

Hasjim posted a 232-160 record, 2.09 ERA, 3867.1 innings, 4124 strikeouts, 455 walks, 372/459 quality starts, 184 complete games, 57 shutouts, 120 ERA+, 81 FIP-, and 81.2 WAR. As of 2037, Hasjim ranks 12^th in wins, 13^th in innings, 15^th in complete games, 10^th in shutouts, 21^st in strikeouts, and 30^th in pitching WAR. Hasjim’s ERA ranks 57^th among APB pitchers with 1000+ innings. His 1.06 BB/9 ranks 15^th and his 0.85 WHIP is 38^th.

He didn’t have the overwhelming dominance of some of the other APB greats and was perhaps overlooked later in his career pitching with average teams. Advanced stats probably keep Hasjim just outside of the inner circle level. However, four Pitcher of the Years, two perfect games, 200+ wins, 4k strikeouts, and a championship win make you a Hall of Fame lock easily. Hasjim was nearly unanimous at 99.4% to headline the 2026 class for Austronesia Professional Baseball.

Buwono Gunawan – Infielder – Taichung Toucans – 70.8% First Ballot

Buwono Gunawan was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting infielder from Tarakan, Indonesia; an island city of around 242,000 people off Borneo. Gunawan was a fantastic contact hitter with impressive gap power, posting 31 doubles and 14 triples per his 162 game average. He also had steady home run power with 28 dingers per 162. Gunawan was decent at drawing walks and great at avoiding strikeouts.

Gunawan was a phenomenal athlete with great speed and baserunning chops even at his size. He was also remarkably versatile and adaptable defensively, making starts at each infield and outfield position. Gunawan’s most frequent spot was first base with about 2/5 of his starts. He graded as a great defender at 1B and was fairly solid at second base and in left field. Gunawan did struggle at the other spots, but he still gave you flexibility rarely seen with such a strong hitter.

Few guys had such a diverse skillset and with his exceptional bat, Gunawan was primed to be a true legend. Gunawan wasn’t going to take an active leadership role, but undeniable talent made him beloved by the fans. His durability was respectable early on, but injury caused a shocking abrupt end to his career.

Gunawan was spotted as a teenager and brought to Taiwan on a developmental deal with Taichung in January 2007. He spent three years in the Toucans academy, then was a rare 19-year old debut in 2010. Gunawan started 119 games that year with okay results, as he wasn’t quite fully formed. He showed a bit more potential in 2011, but missed half of the season to a fractured rib. Gunawan stayed mostly healthy for the nine years after that.

In 2012, Gunawan had arrived as an elite talent. From 2012-17 with Taichung, he had five 8+ WAR seasons, leading the Taiwan-Philippine Association four times. Gunawan won Silver Sluggers in 2012 (at 1B), 2013 (3B), 2014, (1B), 2016 (2B), and 2017 (2B) for the Toucans. He led the TPA twice in hits, RBI, total bases, batting average, OBP, slugging, OPS, and wRC+.

Gunawan won his first MVP in 2013, leading in OPS (.928), wRC+ (199), and WAR (8.0). He also hit for the cycle in 2013 against Hsinchu. Gunawan fared better in 2014 with 10.3 WAR and .952 OPS, but finished second in MVP voting. Gunawan won MVP again in both 2016 and 2017 as the WARlord both years. 2016 had his career bests in WAR (11.0), and hits (189).

Despite his efforts, Taichung was stuck in the middle tier with no one coming close to Taipei’s historic run atop the Taiwan League. Toucans fans loved Gunawan, but weren’t surprise that he left for free agency after the 2017 season. With Taichung, Gunawan had 1151 games, 1207 hits, 568 runs, 222 doubles, 92 triples, 183 home runs, 589 RBI, 299 walks, 460 stolen bases, .289/.337/.517 slash, 170 wRC+, and 55.5 WAR. The Toucans would later retire his #24 uniform.

It was uncommon for such a high-level player to reach free agency only at age 27. Medan won the sweepstakes at $141,600,000 over eight years. This brought Gunawan home to Indonesia, although he had been playing for his country in the World Baseball Championship. From 2013-19, Gunawan had 83 starts, 80 hits, 50 runs, 13 doubles, 5 triples, 20 home runs, 59 RBI, 39 steals, .257/.325/.524 slash, 140 wRC+, and 3.3 WAR. Indonesia was runner-up in 2014 to the United States and was a division champ in 2017.

Gunawan won a Silver Slugger (2B) and his fourth MVP in his Marlins debut, becoming only the seventh in APB history with 4+ MVPs. He led that year in OPS, wRC+, OBP, slugging, and total bases for the third time and posted a career-best 93 stolen bases. Gunawan’s pace was even better in 2019, but he lost a month to a strained groin and barely missed the plate appearance requirements to quality for rate stats. He had his best triple slash (.346/.382/.651), OPS (1.033), and wRC+ (260) in 126 games for 10.2 WAR. Gunawan won a Slugger at 1B and was second in MVP voting.

Medan was 86-76 and 81-81 in his first two years. In 2020, the Marlins ended a six-year playoff drought but lost 4-3 in the Sundaland Association Championship to Palembang. Tragically, this was Gunawan’s only playoff appearances in his career. He had a career high 100 runs and 35 home runs in 2020, again taking second in MVP voting. Gunawan had already reached all of these accolades before turning 30, leading some to think he had a shot to be APB’s greatest-ever position player.

In spring training 2021, those dreams were ended suddenly after a torn ACL in his right knee. The original diagnosis was seven months, which would end Gunawan’s 2021 with a full return in 2022. However, he had a horrible setback in July and never recovered to a level where he could play again. Gunawan officially had to announce his retirement in winter 2021 shortly after only his 31^st birthday. For Medan, Gunawan had 445 games, 499 hits, 266 runs, 88 doubles, 43 triples, 89 home runs, 244 RBI, 227 stolen bases, .304/.341/.574 slash, 209 wRC+, and 29.7 WAR.

Gunawan finished with 1596 games, 1706 hits, 834 runs, 310 doubles, 135 triples, 272 home runs, 833 RBI, 396 walks, 687 steals, .293/.338/.533 slash, 181 wRC+, and 85.2 WAR. The abrupt end kept him from significant counting stats, ranking as of 2037 outside of the top 100s except for his 78^th in doubles, 78^th in triples, and 65^th in stolen bases. In WAR, Gunawan does sit 34^th among position players. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, his .871 OPS ranks 13^th and his triple slash ranks 22^nd/38^th/14^th.

Until Binh Tang’s later dominance, APB never had any position player with a more impressive run in their 20s. It’s hard to guess where Gunawan ends up if he has a healthy 30s, but one would think he would’ve been an inner circle Hall of Famer at worst and possibly a top five level guy at best. Gunawan is one of the largest “what if?” players of his era.

Many voters for the Austronesia Professional Baseball Hall of Fame were very stringy towards hitters in the low-offense league. Because of the lower counting stats, Gunawan debuted on the ballot with a shockingly low 70.8% despite his accolades. That was still just enough to cross the 66% requirement to earn a first ballot selection in APB’s 2026 class.

FuzzyRussianHat · 02-20-2025, 06:12 PM

After three straight years with no Hall of Fame inductees, Chinese League Baseball added three pitchers in 2026 upon their debuts. Yuandong Yang was the headliner at 93.0% and was joined by Wei Huang at 80.1% and Linagyi Shi at 79.4%. Fellow SP Liqiang Yang was the best returner at 55.7% on his fourth ballot. No one else was above 50% with the best position player being SS Jiyu Liu with a 48.4% debut.

Dropped after ten failed ballots was SP Hongtao Chen, who peaked at 40.0% in 2020 and ended with 32.9%. His tallies were somewhat weakened by his final five seasons coming in MLB. Chen pitched 11 years with Harbin and helped them win the China Series in 2003, posting a 136-136 record, 2.28 ERA, 2537.1 innings, 3058 strikeouts, 334 walks, 109 ERA+, 77 FIP-, and 59.4 WAR. Chen had a nice run, but he wasn’t overly dominant and had totals more appropriate for the Hall of Pretty Good.

Yuandong Wang – Starting Pitcher – Zhengzhou Zips – 93.0% First Ballot

Yuandong Wang was a 6’4’’, 195 pound left-handed pitcher from Zhengzhou, China, a prefecture-level city of more than 12.6 million people. Wang had a rare six-pitch arsenal, leading to very effective stuff. He also had rock solid control along with average-to-above average movement. Wang’s fastball peaked in the 96-98 mph range, although his curveball was generally viewed as his most dangerous pitch. He also had reliably nice results from his splitter, forkball, and slider while also having a changeup as a sixth option.

Wang’s stamina was good and his durability was outstanding throughout an 18-year career. His ability to hold runners was rock solid, although his general defense was lackluster. Not many could outwork Wang, whose sparkplug work ethic and adaptability were both top notch. He became one of the most popular pitchers of his era on two different continents.

By the 2007 CLB Draft, Wang was right at the top of the boards for many teams. He’d be picked fifth overall by his hometown Zhengzhou, which is where his entire nine-year run in China took place. Wang was a part-time starter as a rookie with mixed results in the regular season. He did notably throw a two-hit shutout in his one playoff start as the Zips ultimately fell in the semifinal. That effort though earned Wang a full-time spot in the rotation for 2009.

Wang delivered with his first Pitcher of the Year win, leading the Northern League in wins at 21-6. It was his first of seven seasons above 6.5 WAR for Zhengzhou, pushing them to a China Series trip where they lost to Xiamen. Wang tossed 37.1 playoff innings with a 2.17 ERA, 3-2 record, 39 strikeouts, and 115 ERA+. He had similar playoff stats the next year as the Zips took first in the standings but fell in the round robin. Zhengzhou fell off after that and stayed below .500 for the rest of Wang’s tenure.

It certainly wasn’t his fault they couldn’t win, as Wang took Pitcher of the Year again in 2010, 2011, 2014, and 2016. He became the third to win the award 5+ times in CLB history and is one of only four to do so as of 2037. Wang also finished third in 2013’s voting. He had five seasons with 300+ strikeouts and led the league four times. He was the WARlord in both 2011 (9.3) and 2014 (9.6).

The 2014 effort was his best by many metrics with his highest WAR, lone CLB ERA title and lowest ERA (1.25), highest strikeout tally (366), and best WHIP (0.72). In 2010, Wang had a no-hitter on May 16 with 15 strikeouts and four walks versus Shijiazhuang. On September 15, he had a 20 strikeout performance versus Xi’an. Wang tossed his second no-hitter on April 13, 2011 with 14 Ks and one walk facing Jinan.

Wang also got some world attention in the World Baseball Championship, representing China from 2013-18 and in 2020. Over 101 innings, Wang had a 7-5 record, 2.85 ERA, 142 strikeouts, 35 walks, and 2.0 WAR. In 2020, he tossed a n-hitter in an 11 strikeout, four walk effort facing Malaysia.

His best showing was in China’s 2016 world championship win with a 2.20 ERA over 28.2 innings, 40 strikeouts, and 4 quality starts. He notably had a big shutout in their semifinal sweep of Brazil, which put Wang on the radar specifically there. It was known that Wang was entering a contract year and wasn’t likely to return to a struggling Zhengzhou.

After the 2016 season, the now 30-year old Wang left for free agency and declared his willingness to entertain all offers. This ended an impressive CLB career after nine seasons with a 128-71 record, 1.62 ERA, 2100 innings, 2632 strikeouts, 397 walks, 88 complete games, 33 shutouts, 149 ERA+, 64 FIP-, and 62.4 WAR. While Wang was sad to leave his hometown team, everyone understood and cheered him on from afar. Once he returned home after his playing days were done, Zhengzhou quickly retired his #12 uniform and honored him as one of the city’s favorite sons.

The brief CLB career keeps him away from top spots on the accumulation leaderboards, although he is 35^th in pitching WAR, 41^st in strikeouts, and 90^th in wins as of 2037. Among all CLB pitchers with 1000+ innings, Wang ranks 8^th in ERA, 24^th in WHIP (0.81), and 16^th in opponent’s OPS (.493). His triple slash of .180/.223/.271 ranks 18^th/27^th/18^th. Wang also is 37^th in K/9 (11.28) and 17^th in H/9 (5.64).

Very few voters dinged Wang for only pitching nine years in China since his dominance was so absolute. Most also gave him at least some credit for his Beisbol Sudamerica run, although many wonders if he might have made a run as CLB’s greatest-ever pitcher had he stayed. Five Pitcher of the Year awards in nine years might not make you the GOAT, but it makes you a Hall of Fame lock, headlining the 2026 class for Chinese League Baseball at 93.0%.

Wang made the move to Brazil and signed a six-year, $64,800,000 deal with Recife. Skeptics thought he might underwhelm in BSA having to adjust to a much-higher scoring league and a league perceived to have more talent. Wang quickly silenced any skeptics when he debuted with BSA’s first pitching Triple Crown since 2002 and only the 12^th in league history.

With a 20-9 record, 2.26 ERA, 311 strikeouts, and league-best 8.4 WAR, Wang won Southern Cone League Pitcher of the Year. Recife was already a contender at this point, having made seven playoff trips from 2009-16 with three pennants and one Copa Sudamerica win. They got back to the LCS in 2017, but were ousted by Concepcion. Wang did struggle in his first BSA postseason with a 5.06 ERA over 26.2 innings. He also allowed eight runs in only 8.1 innings in the 2018 playoffs as the Retrievers lost in the divisional series.

Wang’s regular season dominance continued, leading again in Ks from 2018-20. In that stretch, he also led twice more in WAR and wins. He was second in 2018’s Pitcher of the Year voting, then won the honor in 2019 and 2020. As of 2037, Wang is one of only nine in all of baseball history to win Pitcher of the Year 8+ times. He and fellow Chinese legend Chuchuan Cao are the only pitchers to win the award thrice in multiple leagues, as Cao had done it in CLB and the Oceania Baseball Association.

In 2019, Wang made up for his initial postseason failings for Recife. He was 3-0 in five starts with a 2.50 ERA over 39.2 innings, 41 strikeouts, and 1.7 WAR, helping the Retrievers to a Copa Sudamerica win over Trujillo. He even had a two-hit shutout in the LCS against Buenos Aires. Wang kept rolling into the Baseball Grand Championship with a 1.82 ERA in 34.2 innings, 3-2 record, 36 strikeouts, 205 ERA+, and 1.3 WAR. Recife finished 14-5 in the BGC, second only to Tabriz’s 15-4.

Wang was respectable in his later playoff trips, although Recife had divisional series losses in both 2020 and 2021. In total, he had a 3.80 ERA over 97 innings, 6-3 record, 107 strikeouts, 93 ERA+, and 2.4 WAR for the Retrievers. His fifth year with Recife did see a noticeable drop in production, going from ERAs in the low twos prior to a 3.22 in 2011. The Retrievers opted to void the team option final year of the deal, sending Wang back to free agency at age 35.

For Recife, Wang posted a 95-33 record, 2.46 ERA, 1290 innings, 1482 strikeouts, 119 walks, 125/162 quality starts, 146 ERA+, and 36.6 WAR. He certainly delivered on that big contract and was remembered fondly by Retrievers fans. Wang stayed in Beisbol Sudamerica and ended up with Maturin on a three-year, $32,700,000 deal.

Wang’s velocity dropped significantly by the end of the Recife run and he peaked in the 89-91 mph range for the Makos. His control was still rock solid and he was passable in two seasons with a 26-18 record, 3.96 ERA, 425 innings, 309 strikeouts, 107 ERA+, and 6.1 WAR. Wang didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the third year of the deal, returning to free agency for 2024 at age 37.

In 2024, Wang signed with Barranquilla and posted a 4.76 ERA over 204 innings and 1.9 WAR. He allowed three runs (two earned) in 4.2 playoff innings as the Blues lost in the Bolivar League Championship Series. Wang joined Barquisimeto in 2025 with similar results on a 4.30 ERA over 142.1 innings and 1.7 WAR. The Black Cats released Wang in the summer and he finished out the 2025 season unemployed. He decided to retire that winter at age 39.

Wang’s BSA tenure had a 141-71 record, 3.12 ERA, 2061.1 innings, 2038 strikeouts, 275 walks, 175/262 quality starts, 73 complete game, 20 shutouts, 124 ERA+, and 46.3 WAR. Once you’re inducted into any league’s Hall of Fame, you’re placed into a “global” hall and removed from ballots of any other leagues you’re eligible for.

Wang probably wouldn’t have made BSA’s between only pitching nine years and being subpar in the back-end. Still, he’s one of the few in world history worthy of genuine consideration for two separate Halls of Fame. Wang had three Pitcher of the Year awards, a Triple Crown, and a Cup win, which was certainly quite the haul.

For his combined pro career, Wang had a 269-142 record, 2.36 ERA, 4161.1 innings, 4670 strikeouts, 654 walks, 395/524 quality starts, 161 complete games, 53 shutouts, 135 ERA+, 73 FIP-, and 108.7 WAR. Despite his accolades, Wang wasn’t quite dominant and/or tenured enough to crack any of the world top 50 leaderboards. That just goes to show how stiff the competition can be though for all of baseball history. With eight POTYs across two leagues, Wang certainly earns a mention among the absolute best aces in the world in the 2010s and early 2020s.

FuzzyRussianHat · 02-21-2025, 06:07 AM

Wei Huang – Starting Pitcher – Shenzhen Spartans – 80.1% First Ballot

Wei Huang was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Chongqing, China’s largest municipality by urban population with nearly 23 million people. Huang had great stuff, very good control, and good movement. His 98-100 mph fastball was impressive and was his most dangerous offering, although his knuckle curve was quite good as well. Huang also had a decent regular curveball and a rarely used changeup in the arsenal.

Huang’s stamina was average relative to other CLB aces. Injuries were a recurring issue that greatly limited his career. Huang was excellent at holding runners and was a strong defensive pitcher. He had a steady and reliable work ethic which allowed him to get the most out of his abilities and opportunities.

Unlike most eventual Hall of Famers, Huang wasn’t at the top of the draft lists. He wasn’t picked in the 2009 CLB Draft until the fourth round’s 13^th selection, the 108^th overall pick. Huang stands as the latest pick to later earn induction in CLB, besting Class of 2005 Pengju Xue who went 69^th. Shenzhen selected Huang and kept him in their developmental system for 2010.

He was moved up to the rotation in 2011 and immediately produced with a 6.1 WAR season over 186 innings, taking second in Rookie of the Year voting. Shenzhen finished first in the Southern League standings, but were ousted in the round robin with Huang allowing one run in his one inning of playoff relief. This started a seven-year playoff streak for the Spartans with four first place finishes.

However, Shenzhen never got over the hump in the playoffs. Their deepest runs were semifinal defeats in 2012 and 2015. Huang held up his end with a 1.80 ERA over 85 postseason innings with 119 strikeouts, 13 walks, 136 ERA+, and 2.9 WAR. A lack of run support though gave him a 2-6 record. He also pitched in three editions of the World Baseball Championship for China with a 2.28 ERA over 23.2 innings and 34 strikeouts. Huang earned a world championship ring with the 2016 Chinese squad, tossing 6.1 scoreless innings of relief with 12 strikeouts.

In his second season, Huang led in strikeouts (345) and WAR (9.1), finishing second in Pitcher of the Year voting. He would lose the front end of 2013 to a partially torn labrum, but did notably toss a 16 strikeout, two walk no-hitter on September 18 against Qingdao. In 2014, Huang lost the first few months to a torn triceps. He was still effective enough to prompt Shenzhen to sign him on a six-year, $37,540,000 extension in the winter.

Huang was full strength in 2015 and won his first Pitcher of the Year with a league-best 1.32 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, and 35 FIP- along with 9.0 WAR and 297 strikeouts. Huang won POTY again in 2017 with his career bests in strikeouts (355), WAR (9.8), and wins (22-6). Injuries popped back up in 2018 with forearm inflammation costing him part of the spring. Shenzhen’s playoff streak ended this year and they spent the next few seasons below .500.

In 2020, Huang suffered a rotator cuff tear in late August that put his career in doubt. The timing was also awful as this coincided with the end of his Shenzhen deal, entering free agency at age 32. The recovery time was an estimated 13-14 months, putting him out for all of 2021. Huang was determined to come back, but teams were skeptical he could recover from such a major injury. He wasn’t signed until June 2022 when Jaipur of South Asia Baseball gave him a one-year, $1,920,000 deal.

Huang only made four starts for the Jokers with mixed results as a ruptured finger tendon ended his season in the fall. He stayed in SAB and signed with Vientiane in 2023, but his control was significantly diminished by the rotator cuff tear. The Vampires only used him for three innings of relief, although they were scoreless. With seemingly no one wanting to give Huang a shot, he retired that winter at age 35.

With Shenzhen, Huang had a 135-60 record, 1.80 ERA, 1967.2 innings, 2525 strikeouts, 303 walks, 202/241 quality starts, 68 complete games, 27 shutouts, 145 ERA+, 55 FIP-, and 67.5 WAR. Even with the incredibly short career, Huang ranks 26^th in pitching WAR as of 2037. He also sits 69^th in wins and 53^rd in strikeout, which are solid rankings considering he falls outside the top 100 for innings.

Among pitchers with 1000+ innings, Huang’s ERA ranks 22^nd. His 0.81 WHIP is 24^th and .509 opponent’s OPS is 31^st. Huang’s triple slash of .187/.225/.284 ranks 48^th/30^th/40^th. He also ranks 46^th in H/9 (5.90) and 22^nd in K/9 (11.55). Huang’s career 55 FIP- also ranks 18^th among all Hall of Fame starters as of 2037. Certainly his rate stats show that for his brief peak, Huang was quite dominant.

There were some voters leery of the low accumulations, but most were sympathetic to the injury issues. Many felt his resume was comparable to Hall of Fame classmate Yuandong Wang, who had almost universal agreement as a lock. Both had similar successes over short time frames, although Wang’s brief stint was because he left and not due to injury. Huang was below Wang with 80.1% of the vote, but it was still plenty for a first ballot slot in the 2026 class for Chinese League Baseball.

Liangyi “Boot” Shi – Nanning Nuts – Starting Pitcher - 79.4% First Ballot

Liangyi Shi was a 6’5’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Nanding, China; a city of around 85,000 people. Nicknamed “Boot,” Shi had solid stuff and control along with above average-to-good movement. His fastball regularly hit 97-99 mph and was part of a three-pitch arsenal along with a slider and changeup.

Shi’s stamina was considered quite good for most of his career and he avoided the major arm injuries that have ruined many other careers. He was better than most at holding runners, although his overall defense was below average. Shi was very intelligent and knew how to perfectly pick his spots with his three pitches, becoming one of China’s best strikeout pitchers in his prime.

In the 2009 CLB Draft, Shi was picked fourth overall by Nanning. The Nuts had just played their first season as one of the six expansion teams introduced earlier that year. Shi was used as a full-time reliever in his first two seasons with mixed results. Nanning made him a full-time starter in his third season, a role he maintained for the rest of his Nuts tenure.

Shi emerged as a great ace with 6+ WAR seasons from 2013-18. He led the Southern League in strikeouts in 2013, 2015, and 2016. Shi was second in 2015’s Pitcher of the Year voting and signed a five-year, $44,800,000 extension that winter with Nanning. 2015 had his career high WAR (9.8) and strikeouts (346) and gave the Nuts their first playoff berth in only their seventh season.

Nanning surprised many by going all the way to the China Series in 2015, falling to Xi’an in the final. Shi was outstanding in the playoffs with a 0.50 ERA and 3-0 record in 35.2 innings with 42 strikeouts, 3 walks, and 1.8 WAR. The Nuts got back to the playoffs in 2016 but fell in the round robin. Shi gave up four runs (three earned) in 8.2 playoff innings in 2016. They would hover around the middle of the standings for the rest of Shi’s run.

Shi’s lone Pitcher of the Year win came in 2016 as he posted only the fifth pitching Triple Crown in CLB history to that point. He had a 21-9 record, 1.76 ERA, and 335 strikeouts with 7 shutouts and 9.7 WAR. Shi had another 9+ WAR season in 2018 with a career and league best 0.78 WHIP that year. 2018 also had his lone no-hitter in a six strikeout performance versus Macau on June 23. In 2020, Shi finished third in Pitcher of the Year voting.

His deal expired with Nanning after the 2020 campaign, becoming a free agent at age 33. Shi opened his search worldwide and ended up in Germany on a five-year, $54,400,000 with Frankfurt of the European Baseball Federation. Nanning was grateful for his efforts as the team’s first ace and a dominant force in their first finals appearance. Shi’s #22 uniform would later be retired and he was the first Hall of Fame inductee wearing Nuts red and gold.

Shi was delightfully average in his debut season with Frankfurt. He was on an excellent pace in his second season, but missed the entire second half to a torn meniscus. Shi was back to middling in 2023 and was reduced to a bullpen role in 2024. A hamstring strain also cost him two months in 2024. Shi didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the fifth year with the Falcons, finishing with a 35-26 record, 3.52 ERA, 573 innings, 522 strikeouts, 92 walks, 109 ERA+, and 9.3 WAR.

He still wanted to pitch in 2025 and signed a one-year deal with EBF’s Valencia, but the Vandals never used him during the season. Shi retired that winter at age 38, posting a combined pro career with a 173-132 record, 2.37 ERA, 2917 innings, 3451 strikeouts, 487 walks, 245/310 quality starts, 109 complete games, 33 shutouts, 118 ERA+, 68 FIP-, and 77.5 WAR.

With Nanning, Shi had a 140-106 record, 2.08 ERA, 2344 innings, 2929 strikeouts, 395 walks, 206/249 quality starts, 99 complete games, 33 shutouts, 121 ERA+, 63 FIP-, and 68.2 WAR. Like his HOF classmates, Shi’s career didn’t have the longevity to soar up the counting stats. Still as of 2037, he ranked 24^th in pitching WAR, 53^rd in wins, 64^th in innings, 77^th in shutouts, and 21^st in strikeouts. Among those with 1000+ innings, Shi’s ERA was 89^th and his opponent’s OPS of .534 was 64^th.

Shi’s WAR in China was similar to his classmates Yuandong Wang and Wei Huang, although he was certainly less dominant compared to them. Voters had already decided that the shorter careers weren’t going to hinder those two and thus it didn’t hinder Shi. Even with less dominance, he still had a POTY, Triple Crown, and a key role in Nanning’s finals berth. Shi got to 79.4% for a first ballot induction as the third member of Chinese League Baseball’s 2026 class.

FuzzyRussianHat · 02-21-2025, 11:47 AM

West African Baseball nearly had a blank Hall of Fame ballot for 2026 but closer Christopher James barely scraped in on his third ballot at 69.6%. 3B Ogunfeyimi Udoka barely missed joining James with a 65.2% debut, less than a point from the 66% requirement. Two other debuts were above 50% with 2B Kevin Ge at 58.6% and SP Zeb Onyedika at 57.5%. On their sixth tries, 1B Ikechukwu Onyia received 52.4% and CL Francis Koomson got 51.3%. RP Emma Markson also cracked the midway mark with 50.2% on his ninth attempt.

No players were dropped after ten ballots, but catcher Okoro Otene was worth mentioning. He fell below 5% on his ninth try and peaked at 24.1%, meaning WAB’s HOF still didn’t have a catcher. Otene was an elite defender with nine Gold Gloves, but his below average bat hurt his case. Over 17 years, Otene had 1885 hits, 844 runs, 549 doubles, 267 home runs, 1016 RBI, 2320 strikeouts, 378 walks, .240/.274/.421 slash, 90 wRC+, and 44.8 WAR.

As of 2037, Otene leads WAB catchers in WAR, runs, games, doubles, homers, RBI, and strikeouts. He’s possibly WAB’s best-ever catcher, but admittedly the bar hasn’t been set too high. Still, it was frustrating for many observers to see multiple world leagues fail to induct a single catcher while adding multiple relief pitchers, considering the far greater importance of the former over the latter.

Christopher James – Closer – Niamey Atomics - 69.6% Third Ballot

Christopher James was a 6’2’’, 205 pound relief pitcher from Zaria, Nigeria; a city of 736,000 and the capital of the Zazzau Emirate Council. James was known for having filthy stuff along with rock solid control and above average movement. He had an incredible 97-99 mph fastball that overpowered even the best hitters that was joined by a nice slider.

James’ stamina was respectable for a reliever, although he did run into some injury issues with his forearm specifically. He had a decent enough pickoff move and was a strong defender. You would be hard pressed to find someone more dedicated and loyal than James. His work ethic and selflessness garnered immense respect from his peers over a 13-year career.

In the 2005 WAB Draft, James was selected with the 13^th pick of the second round, 34^th overall, by Niamey. The Atomics made him their closer right away, a role James held for seven straight years. He led the Eastern League in saves in 2008 with 32, although his high would be 41 in 2012. 2009 had his best WAR total (4.6) and strikeout tally (163), while 2010 had his best ERA for Niamey (2.03). James finished second in Reliever of the Year voting in 2008 and 2010 and took third in 2009.

In James’ rookie season of 2006, Niamey won the EL pennant, falling in the WAB Championship to Monrovia. The Atomics repeated in 2007 and avenged the earlier loss to the Diplomats for the franchise’s second title. Niamey also had playoff trips from 2009-11, but never got beyond the second round. In 14 playoff appearances, James had 5 saves, a 3-1 record, 2.45 ERA, 25.2 innings, 42 strikeouts, 166 ERA+, and 0.4 WAR.

James also was a regular for Nigeria in the World Baseball Championship, although he was used primarily as a starter in the WBC. From 2006-15, James tossed 93 innings with a 3.48 ERA, 9-4 record, 140 strikeouts, 34 walks, 103 ERA+, and 1.7 WAR. The Nigerians would earn a third place finish in 2009 and fourth place in 2011.

After the 2012 season, James became a free agent heading towards age 30 and signed a three-year, $12,960,000 deal with Kumasi. He won his lone Reliever of the Year in his 2013 debut with the Monkeys, leading in saves (40) and games (71) with a career-best 2.02 ERA. He also passed Johnson Madu’s 246 to become the new WAB career saves leader. James had one scoreless playoff inning as Kumasi fell in the first round.

He was merely average in year two as the Monkeys missed the playoffs, but he became the first to 300 career saves. In the offseason, Kumasi traded him back to Niamey for three players. With the Monkeys, James had 69 saves, 126 games, 145 innings, 2.54 ERA, 216 strikeouts, 184 ERA+, and 5.7 WAR.

James struggled in his return season to the Atomics with a 4.76 ERA and became a free agent again for 2016. Between stints with Niamey, James posted 262 saves over 506 games, 618.2 innings, 2.89 ERA, 1028 strikeouts, 167 walks, 146 ERA+, and 24.0 WAR. For his role in their two pennants and one championship win, the Atomics would eventually retire James’ #34 uniform.

Soon to be 33-years old, James signed a three-year, $13,800,000 deal with Port Harcourt. He was good in middle relief in 2016, but struggled early in 2017 in a return to the close role. James posted a 3.88 ERA over 99.2 innings with 20 saves, 132 strikeouts, and -0.1 WAR for the Hillcats. In July 2017, Port Harcourt traded James to Dakar for two prospects.

He stunk in limited use in 2017, but missed the end of the season to a torn meniscus. James returned to the closer role for most of 2018 for the Dukes with okay results, finishing his time there with a 3.95 ERA over 84.1 innings, 26 saves, 97 strikeouts, and an even zero WAR. He decided to retire after the 2018 campaign at age 35.

James finished with 777 games, 947.2 innings, 377 saves, 407 shutdowns, 72-90 record, 1473 strikeouts, 261 walks, 144 ERA+, 67 FIP-, and 29.6 WAR. He remained the WAB saves leader until finally passed in the mid 2030s by Guillaume Mbimbiangoye. James also retired with the most games pitched and ranks fourth as of 2037.

To that point, there hadn’t been much support for relievers in West African Baseball’s Hall of Fame, especially compared to some of the other closer-friendly HOFs. Johnson Madu had been the only true closer inducted and he was far more dominant, but only had 660 innings, 246 saves, 983 Ks, and 29.0 WAR. Axel Kouacou also had 206 saves, but he also had a significant amount of time as a starting pitcher.

James wasn’t the overwhelmingly dominant force either that a lot of other HOF closers were in other leagues, plus he only won ROTY once. However, being the undisputed saves leader and having a championship ring was enough for the majority. James barely missed the 66% requirement with 64.0% and 65.8% in his first two ballots. Third time was the charm with a weak field, finishing at 69.6% as the lone WAB inductee for 2026.

FuzzyRussianHat · 02-21-2025, 05:54 PM

South Asia Baseball added three into the Hall of Fame for 2026, captained by strikeout king Jay Singh at a near unanimous 99.1%. OF Prajwal Adhikari also received a first ballot pick, although his 72.8% made it by a much thinner margin beyond the 66% requirement. CL Viaan Govindraj joined them both with 71.8% for his third ballot. Two others were above 50% with CL Khon Aye Ko at 56.0% for his third try and CF Chris Saandeep debuting at 55.4%.

Dropped after ten ballots was SP Brahma Karim, the 2008 Pitcher of the Year with Yangon. He had two ERA titles in his 13 year career with a 181-69 record, 3.25 ERA, 2343 innings, 2462 strikeouts, 678 walks, 117 ERA+, and 43.3 WAR. Karim was more impressive in the playoffs, winning SAB titles with the Green Dragons in 2001 and Dhaka in 2011. Karim posted a 2.59 ERA over 156.2 innings, 9-4 record, 164 strikeouts, 148 ERA+, and 2.4 WAR in the postseason.

Despite the playoff heroics, most voters felt his accumulations simply weren’t high enough. Karim also didn’t have the big sexy strikeout tallies with detractors arguing he was an above average pitcher who benefited by being on elite teams. Karim peaked at 46.1% in 2023 and generally hovered in the 40s before ending at a low of 16.7%. Although not in the HOF, Karim did see his #23 uniform retired by Yangon for his role in their world record playoff streak.

Jay Singh – Starting Pitcher – Jaipur Jokers – 99.1% First Ballot

Jay Singh was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Bengaluru, India. Singh had impressive overpowering stuff along with above average-to-good movement and control. He threw fire and his 99-101 mph fastball was one of the best. Singh had a diverse six pitch arsenal though with each pitch as an equally viable option. He knew how to mix between the fastball, slider, curveball, forkball, changeup, and circle change to frustrate batters to no end.

Although Singh retired as SAB’s leader in innings, his stamina and ability to go deep in games was surprisingly average at best. Strong longevity and durability though meant you’d always get a nice workload from him regardless. Singh also had an impressive work ethic, becoming one of the most reliable arms ever in SAB. He also had an outstanding pickoff move and was great at holding runners, although his overall defense was merely decent.

Singh’s professional career began in Malaysia as he was signed to a developmental deal by Kuala Lumpur in December 1999. He spent most of three years in their academy, debuting in 2002 at age 20 with six relief appearances. Singh was a full-time starter after that with respectable results, including a third place in 2003’s Rookie of the Year voting. KL earned a wild card that year, falling in the first round. Apart from that, Kuala Lumpur was largely mediocre in the 2000s.

Singh first got major league-wide attention when he led in strikeouts with 303 in 2006. By this point, the Leopards were considering leaving the Southeast Asia League for Austronesia Professional Baseball. KL and fellow Malaysian squad Johor Bahru ended up making the jump for the 2008 season. Singh was entering his last year under contract for 2007 and let Kuala Lumpur know he preferred to stay within the SAB sphere. In January, the Leopards traded Singh to reigning SAB champion Jaipur for three prospects.

For Kuala Lumpur, Singh had a 46-47 record, 3.36 ERA, 834 innings, 1091 strikeouts, 265 walks, 110 ERA+, and 17.9 WAR. The move to Jaipur brought Singh back to his native India. He did sporadically pitch for his country in the World Baseball Championship with appearances from 2006-08, as well as 2012, 14, and 19. Singh did well with a 2.17 ERA in 54 innings, 5-1 record, 77 strikeouts, 166 ERA+, and 1.3 WAR.

Singh’s time with Jaipur would be his most famous run, debuting as 2007 Pitcher of the Year with league bests in ERA (1.98) and wins (20-3). Off that, the Jokers gave him a four-year, $13,120,000 extension. Singh repeated in 2008 with another ERA title (2.24) along with 335 strikeouts and a league best 6.8 WAR. He was second in 2009’s POTY voting with four of his five seasons with Jaipur being worth above 6.5 WAR.

Jaipur’s playoff streak continued with berths from 2007-09. They had the top seed in 2007, but were upset in the first round by Kanpur. The Jokers were a wild card in 2008 and fell in the Indian League Championship Series to Mumbai. Jaipur again was the wild card this year and this time took the ILCS crown over Kolkata. They would be denied the SAB Championship by Ho Chi Minh City. Singh was a mixed bag in the playoffs with a 3.38 ERA over 58.2 innings, 1-3 record, 78 strikeouts, 107 ERA+ and 1.6 WAR. The Jokers began a rebuild after that and were below .500 from 2010-15.

Overall for Jaipur, Singh was impressive with a 2.41 ERA over 1085.2 innings, 77-35 record, 1544 strikeouts, 223 walks, 151 ERA+, and 32.3 WAR. He entered free agency for 2012 at age 30 with plenty of offers. Singh went back to SEAL on a four-year, $18,120,000 deal with Dhaka, the defending champ. For the second time, Singh’s new team was fresh off winning it all.

He took third in Pitcher of the Year voting in his Dobermans debut in 2012. Singh was second in 2013 despite league and career bests in strikeouts (365), K/BB (13.0), quality starts (26), FIP- (46), and WAR (10.5). He also had his career-best 1.94 ERA, but still lost the top honor to Vientiane two-way star Huynh Pham.

Dhaka had first round playoff losses both years as a wild card with Singh having a poor start in 2012 and a good one in 2013. Singh won his third Pitcher of the Year in 2014 with his third ERA title (2.28) and a career best 0.81 WHIP. However, the Dobermans’ nine-year playoff streak still ended in 2014 with an 85-77 finish. The Dobermans signed Singh to a five-year, $46 million extension in April 2015 with the hope of extending their competitive window.

It became clear that a rebuild would be necessary after a poor start to 2015 with an eventual 70-92 finish. Dhaka began a fire sale including a trade in late June sending Singh and $4,700,000 to Hyderabad for three prospects. With the Dobermans, Singh had a 51-32 record, 2.49 ERA, 753 innings, 1053 strikeouts, 127 walks, 152 ERA+, and 25.4 WAR. The Hippos had just missed the playoffs the prior year and hoped Singh could solidify them for a run.

It worked as Hyderabad won the South Division to end a seven-year playoff drought, although they lost in the first round. The Hippos made it to the ILCS in both 2017 and 2018, but both years were denied a pennant by Kanpur. Singh was rock solid in the regular season, but struggled in the playoffs for Hyderabad with a 5.58 ERA in 30.2 innings. For his whole playoff career, Singh was a lackluster 3-9 in 109.1 innings with a 4.20 ERA, 151 strikeouts, 20 walks, 87 ERA+, and 2.8 WAR. Hyderabad hovered around .500 for the rest of his run

Singh began hitting milestones with his longevity. He was the third in SAB to 4000 strikeouts in 2016 and the fifth to 200 wins in 2017. In 2018, he passed Zainal bin Aziz’s 4483 Ks to become the SAB all-time leader. Singh’s velocity started to dip and he fell to a 3.77 ERA and 3.3 WAR in 2020, his worst since his rookie year. He did finish the year with exactly 5000 strikeouts and his 249 wins were only 10 away from Arvind Lal’s record 259.

2020 was the end of Singh’s Hyderabad deal finishing with a 73-58 record, 2.96 ERA, 1117.1 innings, 1312 strikeouts, 223 walks, 124 ERA+, and 26.7 WAR. He pitched the most innings for the Hippos, but only by a few over Jaipur. Singh’s stronger performances with the Jokers led to his induction in Jaipur black and white. He considered sticking around to chase milestones, but Singh ultimately decided to retire that winter at age 39.

Singh finished with a 249-152 record, 2.79 ERA, 3790 innings, 5000 strikeouts, 838 walks, 378/542 quality starts, 23 complete games, 7 shutouts, 132 ERA+, 73 FIP-, and 102.3 WAR. Singh remains SAB’s strikeout king as of 2037 and is one of 44 pitchers in world history with 5000 Ks. He also remains the all-time SAB leader for innings pitched.

As of 2037, Singh is 4^th in wins and 3^rd in pitching WAR. Among those with 1000+ innings, his ERA ranks 56^th and his 1.02 WHIP is 48^th. Singh’s .611 opponent’s OPS is 53^rd with his .219/.268/.343 triple slash ranking 64^th/53^rd/62^nd. He also is 47^th in K/9 (11.87) and his H/9 is 62^nd (7.20).

Most scholars list WARlord and eight-time POTY Zainal bin Aziz as SAB’s GOAT pitcher with several fighting over the next spots in the top ten. Most place Singh somewhere in the top five with some listing him as high as #2. His weaker playoff numbers hurt him on some lists and he didn’t have the peak raw dominance of some of SAB’s other great aces. However, Singh’s longevity and consistency was both top shelf. In any case, he was a slam dunk Hall of Fame headliner, leading South Asia Baseball’s 2026 class with a near unanimous 99.1%.

FuzzyRussianHat · 02-22-2025, 08:02 AM

Prajwal Adhikari – Center/Right Field – Kathmandu Chaparrals – 72.8% First Ballot

Prajwal Adhikari was a 6’2’’, 205 pound right-handed outfielder from Baglung, Nepal, a city of around 260,000 inhabitants. Adhikari was a solid contact hitter who was great at putting the ball in play and avoiding strikeouts, although he was below average at drawing walks. His gap power was his biggest strength as a hitter with 36 doubles and 20 triples per his 162 game average. Adhikari never topped 20+ home runs in a season, but he did usually get you more than 10 each year.

Adhikari speed and baserunning were both pretty good, but his stealing ability was merely above average. His combined offensive skills commonly placed him into the leadoff spot. He started in right field primarily in his first few seasons, but shifted later to center, the inverse of most career trajectories. Adhikari ultimately had around 2/3s of his starts in CF and the rest in RF. He graded on the whole as an excellent defender in right and passable in center.

He had some recurring back troubles later in his career, but Adhikari was generally quite durable across a 17-year career. From 2005-17, he played 145+ games in all but one season. The one main knock teammates had about Adhikari was that he was a bit of a mercenary. He wasn’t going to cause trouble and wasn’t lazy, but you didn’t look to Adhikari for leadership or loyalty.

Adhikari was viewed by many to be the best prospect out of Nepal since the legendary Tirtha Upadhyaya, who was SAB’s lone Nepali Hall of Famer prior to Adhikari. This excited folks in the capital Kathmandu, who hoped to find a Nepali superstar to lead the franchise. The Chaparrals picked Adhikari seventh overall in the 2003 SAB Draft. He struggled with limited use as a rookie with -0.6 WAR over 43 games. Adhikari earned a full-time starting job after that, although it took a bit to reach elite status.

With Kathmandu, Adhikari led the Southeast Asia League thrice in triples and had two 6+ WAR seasons. He didn’t win any awards though and the Chaparrals remained a bottom-tier franchise for most of his run, averaging 74.4 wins per season. Things finally seemed to be trending upward in 2010 at 85-77, their first winning season since 2001. However, Adhikari left after that for free agency seeking a big payday at age 29.

For Kathmandu, Adhikari had 963 games, 1064 hits, 442 runs, 200 doubles, 108 triples, 92 home runs, 526 RBI, 220 steals, .297/.334/.490 slash, 123 wRC+, and 25.3 WAR. It was his longest tenure and thus the team he was inducted with, although his Delhi stint would be certainly his most productive. Adhikari wouldn’t really be upheld as a franchise icon in later years in Kathmandu, although he did remain broadly popular with Nepali baseball fans.

Adhikari signed for $20 million over five years with the Drillers and delivered right away with a career best 8.7 WAR season. He led the Indian League in hits (211), triples (29), and batting average (.356), with career bests in triples, triple slash (.356/.391/.590), OPS (.980), and wRC+ (190). Adhikari won his first Silver Slugger (at CF) and was third in MVP voting, his only time as a finalist. In 2013, Adhikari won his second Slugger with league and career bests in runs (119) and hits (219). In 2014, he hit for his lone cycle of his career.

Delhi generally stunk while Adhikari was there apart from a surprise wild card in 2013, ending a nine-year playoff streak. The Drillers made it to the ILCS after upsetting 111-win Kolkata, but fell to Visakhapatnam. Adhikari had a strong playoff run with 1.309 OPS, 24 hits, 8 runs, and 10 extra base hits in 12 starts. In total over five years with Delhi, Adhikari played 743 games with 925 hits, 468 runs, 187 doubles, 93 triples, 64 home runs, 309 RBI, 211 steals, .323/.360/.520 slash, 160 wRC+, and 31.7 WAR.

Adhikari was now 34 years old and returned to free agency for 2016, joining Hyderabad for $34 million over four years. He won his third Slugger in his debut and led in triples twice. Adhikari became the SAB all-time leader in triples, leading his league six times in the stat. Adhikari had .877 OPS in the postseason as the Hippos lost in the first round in 2016 and the ILCS in 2017. Hyderabad also fell in the 2018 ILCS, but Adhikari missed the playoff run with a herniated disc.

In three years for the Hippos, Adhikari had 435 games, 522 hits, 247 runs, 99 doubles, 59 triples, 43 home runs, 233 RBI, .324/.362/.539 slash, 162 wRC+, and 17.9 WAR. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the fourth year of the contract and returned to free agency at age 37. Adhikari’s production had remained quite steady, which earned him a three-year, $26,700,000 deal with Visakhapatnam..

Adhikari was on a good pace in 2019, but lost around two months in the fall to another herniated disc. He then declined sharply with -1.0 WAR and .647 OPS for the Volts in 2020 over 110 games. Realizing he was cooked, Adhikari retired that winter just after his 39^th birthday. For Visakhapatnam, he played 217 games with 2.8 WAR and .761 OPS.

The final tallies had 2358 games, 2711 hits, 1241 runs, 525 doubles, 284 triples, 212 home runs, 1136 RBI, 461 walks, 1254 strikeouts, 571 stolen bases, .308/.346/.505 slash, 141 wRC+, and 77.7 WAR. Adhikari retired the triples leader and only finally got passed in the mid 2030s by Gunavati Candrajita. As of 2037, Adhikari ranks 21^st in hits, 53^rd in runs, 27^th in doubles, 91^st in RBI, 88^th in stolen bases, and 54^th in WAR among position players.

Adhikari was rarely dominant or considered a top five level player, but he had remarkably consistent and reliable production for 17 years. Being the triples king and hitting 2500+ hits, 1000+ runs, 500+ doubles, and 1000+ RBI were all important milestones for many voters. Some still were skeptical by the lack of big accolades, power stats, and team success. Adhikari debuted with 72.8%, enough to cross the 66% threshold for a first ballot induction with South Asia Baseball’s 2026 Hall of Fame class.

Viaan Govindraj – Relief Pitcher – Visakhapatnam Volts – 71.8% Third Ballot

Viaan Govindraj was a 5’9’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Visakhapatnam, India. The stocky Govindraj had strong stuff and great control along with above average-to-good movement. His one-two punch was a 97-99 mph fastball along with an outstanding circle change. Govindraj expertly changed speeds and fooled batters with which pitch was coming.

Govindraj didn’t have the stamina to go too many innings, but his ironman durability meant he was already ready to come out of the bullpen. He did struggle with holding runners and was below average defensively. Govindraj was quiet and humble, keeping his head down while working his butt off.

Pitchers projected to a career of relief didn’t generally get drafted high, but Govindraj was picked in the late first round. As a Visakhapatnam native, his hometown squad had kept tabs throughout his amateur efforts. The Volts took Govindraj 21^st overall and made him a full-time part of the bullpen right away with immediate results.

Govindraj was third in 2005 and 2006’s Reliever of the Year voting, then took second in 2007. His lone award win came in 2008 with career bests in ERA (1.32), innings (102), strikeouts (166), and WAR (4.8). Govindraj was third in 2009’s voting as he led the Indian League with 45 saves. 2009 was Visakhapatnam’s first winning season or playoff berth since 2001, although they had a first round exit. Govindraj gave up three runs over 5.1 playoff innings.

That marked the end of Govindraj’s first stint with his hometown team as they couldn’t come to terms. It was also his final year pitching for India in the World Baseball Championship. Govindraj pitched from 2004-09 for the Indians with unremarkable results with a 5.59 ERA over 29 innings, 49 strikeouts, and -0.2 WAR. He didn’t leave the Indian League though, joining Mumbai on a one-year deal worth $2,040,000.

Govindraj was second in ROTY for the Meteors with league and career bests in saves (48) and games (79). He tossed 1.2 clean playoff innings, although the Meteors lost in the first round. Govindraj was moved out the closer role and saw limited middle relief use in the next two seasons. He pitched in 2011 for Pune and started 2012 with Delhi. The Drillers traded him in the summer to Yangon, who went on to win the SAB Championship. Govindraj allowed one run over 4.2 playoff innings and four appearances. He then gave up two runs in 4.1 innings in the Baseball Grand Championship as Yangon took tenth at 10-9.

Coming up on age 33, Visakhapatnam brought Govindraj back on a two-year, $7,920,000 deal. The Volts were coming off an Indian League pennant in 2012 He returned to the closer role in 2013 with 41 saves in 72 games, becoming the eighth in SAB to earn 300 career saves. Visakhapatnam repeated as IL champs in 2013, losing the SAB Championship to Hanoi. Govindraj tossed 16 playoff innings with 6 saves, a 2.25 ERA and 27 strikeouts.

He was moved back to middle relief for 2014 as Visakhapatnam fell to Kolkata in the ILCS. Between his two stints with the Volts, Govindraj had 261 saves and 317 shutdowns, 2.09 ERA, 730.2 innings, 1179 strikeouts, 149 walks, 162 ERA+, and 26.2 WAR. The hometown boy would see his #24 uniform eventually retired by the Volts.

Govindraj bounced around as a serviceable middle relief guy for the rest of his career. He had second stints with Mumbai in 2015 and with both Delhi and Yangon in 2016. Govindraj went to Colombo for 2017 and finished up with Hanoi in 2018. He retired that winter at age 38 after 16 seasons.

The final stats for Govindraj saw 871 games, 1127.2 innings, 326 saves, 428 shutdowns, 80-86 record, 1681 strikeouts, 243 walks, 144 ERA+, 62 FIP-, and 35.7 WAR. He ranks 18^th in saves as of 2037 and among pitchers with 1000+ innings Govindraj ranks 16^th in ERA, 18^th in opponent’s OPS (.581), 9^th in K/9 (13.42), and 30^th in H/9 (6.85). His .208/.257/.324 triple slash ranks 25^th/21^st/23^rd.

Govindraj ranks 7^th in WAR and strikeouts among the South Asia Baseball Hall of Fame relievers as of 2037. He wasn’t as dominant as some of those peers which kept him off the ballots of the more reliever-stringent voters. Govindraj still had the milestones that the majority looked for though. He just missed the 66% requirement at 65.1% and 62.8% in his initial two ballots. Third time was the charm for Govindraj at 71.8% to take the third and final slot in the 2026 class.

FuzzyRussianHat · 02-22-2025, 11:30 AM

For back-to-back seasons, the Asian Baseball Federation didn’t add anyone into its Hall of Fame. The closest to the 66% requirement in 2026 was debuting closer Sadri Delkashi who just missed at 64.7%. 1B Aayush Pereira was the only other player above 50% with a 55.6% debut. SP Wepa Khan was the top returner with 48.4% on his second try.

Two-way player Tomas Pataki fell off the ballot after ten failed tries, peaking at 52.9% in 2025 before falling to a low of 29.8% at the end. He won three MVPs and was a seven-time Silver Slugger with five as a pitcher and two at third base. He did lose some tallies by playing his final four seasons between CABA and EPB and because of injuries.

Pataki was better as a hitter with 1295 games, 1139 hits, 562 runs, 266 doubles, 181 home runs, 572 RBI, 420 walks, .292/.361/.513 slash, 166 wRC+, and 47.5 WAR in 13 seasons between Bishkek and Mashhad. Pitching, Pataki had a 110-87 record, 3.20 ERA, 1863.2 innings, 1615 strikeouts, 450 walks, 103 ERA+, and 23.3 WAR. This gave him a combined ABF WAR of 70.8.

Although recognized in his time, many voters felt his stats weren’t nearly impressive enough even when you combined them together. Pataki was definitely just above average at as pitcher and might have gotten more traction if instead dedicated his time to third base. The rate stats showed he could’ve gotten there with more at-bats and tallies. Pataki was hard for some traditionalist voters to grapple with, leaving him on the outside despite three MVP wins.

FuzzyRussianHat · 02-22-2025, 06:08 PM

The 2026 Hall of Fame class for Arab League Baseball had three players headlined by SP Hazem El-Morsy at 96.1%. DH Mohamed Mansour also was a first ballot pick at 80.6% while second ballot Ziyad bin Mostafa narrowly breached the 66% requirement at 70.6%. LF Abduwali Suleiman was the only other player above 50%, getting 59.4% on his sixth try.

CL Wael El Baba was dropped after ten failed ballots, ending at only 5.2% while peaking at 29.4% in 2018. He led in saves and won Reliever of the Year in both 2009 and 2011 for Casablanca. El Baba’s ALB totals were hurt by spending his final five years in MLB. In ALB, he had nine seasons with 197 saves and 264 shutdowns, 2.06 ERA, 602.2 innings, 903 strikeouts, 183 ERA+, and 24.0 WAR. It was an impressive short burst, but not nearly a long enough run to earn any serious consideration.

Hazem El-Morsy – Starting Pitcher – Giza Goats – 96.1% First Ballot

Hasem El-Morsy was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Ismailia, Egypt; a city of around 1,400,000 in the west bank of the Suez Canal. El-Morsy had solid stuff, excellent movement, and very good control. His fastball peaked in the 97-99 mph range, although it was his stellar splitter that caused hitters the most trouble. El-Morsy also had a decent curveball as a third option.

El-Morsy’s stamina was better than most ALB aces with decent stamina, posting 200+ innings in 11 of his 15 seasons. His defense and ability to hold runners were just below average. El-Morsy was a high character player known for his selflessness, work ethic, and intelligence. His character and talent helped him become one of Egypt’s favorite baseball players.

In the 2005 ALB Draft, El-Morsy was picked 15^th overall by Giza, where he’d spend his entire career. He was a full-time starter immediately and earned 2006 Rookie of the Year honors with a 5.4 WAR season. El-Morsy also posted a 1.59 ERA over 22.2 playoff innings with 23 strikeouts as a rookie as the Goats earned their first-ever playoff berth and Western Conference title. Giza ultimately dropped the Arab League Championship to Basra 4-3.

That started a five-year streak for Giza as Nile Division champs, although they didn’t get beyond the first round from 2007-10. El-Morsy won Pitcher of the Year in his second year, leading the WC in 2007 in ERA (2.41), wins (20-7), and WAR (8.5). This was his lone ERA title and a career low and one of three seasons with 300+ strikeouts, fanning 314. 2007 also featured a 20 strikeout game on April 14 versus Amman. El-Morsy was second in 2008’s POTY voting and that winter signed a seven-year, $13,330,000 extension with Giza.

2009 had a setback with bone chips in his elbow in May that kept him out five months. El-Morsy bounced back though with 7.5+ WAR in the next four seasons. He took second in 2010’s POTY voting off a 9.6 WAR effort, then won the award for the second time in 2011. El-Morsy had his career bests in strikeouts (324), WHIP (0.86), quality starts (28), and WAR (10.2). He would finish third in Pitcher of the Year voting in 2014.

El-Morsy declined the option year of his contract, becoming a free agent officially for 2015 at age 31. He came to terms with Giza on a new massive six-year, $80,400,000 deal. After making $11.39 million to that point in his career, El-Morsy now would have an annual $13.4 million salary. Part of this also was due to the general rise in salaries and popularity in Arab League Baseball.

He was happy to stay with Giza and to stay home in Egypt. El-Morsy remained a strong regular in the World Baseball Championship for the Egyptians, tossing 195.2 innings from 2006-20. El-Morsy posted a 2.62 ERA with 206 strikeouts, 57 walks, 138 ERA+, and 4.7 WAR. Egypt would post its best-ever effort to that point with a fourth place finish in 2014.

El-Morsy lost a month in 2015 to an elbow strain, but stayed healthy for the next three years. He led in wins at 21-6 in 2016 despite it being a weaker year by WAR for him. After missing the playoffs from 2011-15, Giza took the top seed in 2016 at 101-61. They were ultimately ousted by Damascus in the conference final as El-Morsy had a lackluster 4.91 ERA over 14.2 innings.

His playoff career stats were a mixed bag outside of the strong 2006 run, finishing with a 3.47 ERA over 59.2 innings, 57 strikeouts, 107 ERA+, and 1.5 WAR. The Goats remained above .500 for the rest of his run, but Cairo would assume control of the Nile Division with a nine-year division title streak. El-Morsy had one more great year in 2018 and took second in Pitcher of the Year voting with 8.0 WAR and 2.48 ERA.

In late June 2019, El-Morsy was again diagnosed with bone chips in his elbow and required surgery. He returned in 2020, but saw diminished skills along with missed games between elbow tendinitis and a bone spur. El-Morsy opted to retire that winter at age 37 and saw his #17 uniform immediately retired by Giza.

El-Morsy finished with a 205-119 record, 2.90 ERA, 3101.2 innings, 3477 strikeouts, 515 walks, 287/423 quality starts, 71 complete games, 23 shutouts, 131 ERA+, 69 FIP-, and 94.0 WAR. As of 2037, El-Morsy is 15^th in wins, 15^th in innings, 12^th in complete games, 6^th in shutouts, 16^th in strikeouts, and 7^th in pitching WAR.

Among pitchers with 1000+ innings, El-Morsy’s ERA ranks 22^nd and his 1.00 WHIP is 15^th. He also posted a .623 opponent’s OPS that ranks 20^th. El-Morsy’s triple slash of .228/.265/.357 ranks 43^rd/21^st/27^th. He also is 56^th in BB/9 (1.49) and 45^th in H/9 (7.55).

El-Morsy is universally considered one of Arab League Baseball’s top 20 pitchers all-time, although he misses the top 10 for many scholars. Regardless of where you might rank him in the grand scheme, El-Morsy was clearly a Hall of Fame headliner. At 96.1%, he took top billing in an impressive three-player 2026 class.

FuzzyRussianHat · 02-23-2025, 08:03 AM

Mohamed Mansour – Designated Hitter – Giza Goats – 80.6% First Ballot

Mohamed Mansour was a 5’11’’, 195 pound left-handed designated hitter from Cairo, Egypt. Mansour was known for having an outstanding eye for drawing walks along with reliably strong home run power. He was dangerous facing right-handed pitching with a career .970 OPS and 161 wRC+. Against righties, Mansour was an above average to good contact hitter with a decent strikeout rate. He was actively bad though for his career facing lefties with .647 OPS and 82 wRC+.

Mansour’s power was concentrated on dingers with a 162 game average of 37 homers, 19 doubles, and 1 triple. His baserunning speed was subpar at its best, but Mansour was a remarkably skilled and crafty baserunner. Few players were ever better at timing his jumps, stealing successfully on 86% of his attempts despite his lackluster top speed. This also was a source of endless frustration for pitchers considering how often Mansour drew walks.

He was one of the few Hall of Famers in world history to make it as a pure DH, as most of the others who played DH at least had some chunks defensively. Mansour never started a game in the field and only played 23 innings defensively his entire career. He did run into some recurring injury issues with his left leg, but he was still good for a 20 year career. Some coaches said Mansour’s work ethic was a bit lacking and he wasn’t one to want to learn new things. But he exceled at enough specific things to earn a roster spot for two decades.

In June 2000, Mansour was signed to a developmental contract with Giza. He officially debuted in 2004 at age 20 with 40 plate appearances and one start. The Goats gave him a starting job after that and by his second year in the lineup, he led the Western Conference in walks. Mansour led in walks four times with Giza and six times in his ALB run.

2006 also marked the start of a five-year playoff streak for the Goats, who won their lone Western Conference pennant over Algiers before dropping the ALB final to Basra. Giza wouldn’t get beyond the first round in the next four years with Mansour posting an unremarkable .222/.394/.426 slash and 107 wRC+ over 16 playoff starts for the Goats. He was an important reason they had their run atop the Nile Division though.

2007 was Mansour’s finest season, leading the conference with 117 runs, 118 RBI, 102 walks, a .342 average, .443 OBP, 1.046 OPS, 187 wRC+, and 8.1 WAR. He won his lone Silver Slugger and took second in MVP voting. The runs, RBI, triple slash, OPS, wRC+, and WAR would be career highs as would his 190 hits and 29 doubles. Mansour was on a similar pace for 2008 but missed the final three months to a fractured ankle.

Mansour took third in 2009’s MVP voting with 40 homers, 107 RBI, and 7.0 WAR. Sharing a conference with Tarek Abdel Rahman and later Adham Abdallah though kept Mansour from winning another Silver Slugger. He had another injury setback with a ruptured Achilles tendon in late September 2010. Mansour missed the playoffs and wasn’t back until the summer of 2011. 2012 would be his final season with Giza, leading yet again in walks.

For the Goats, Mansour had 1168 games, 1151 hits, 686 runs, 155 doubles, 255 home runs, 694 RBI, 690 walks, 173 steals, .290/.394/.524 slash, 155 wRC+, and 39.8 WAR. The franchise liked him enough to eventually retire his #23 uniform. Mansour entered free agency for 2013 at age 29 and left Egypt for the first time. He would still come home for the World Baseball Championship, but he was mostly a backup with 66 games and only 16 starts from 2006-18.

Mansour joined Baghdad on a seven-year, $69,300,000 deal. He led in walks twice with the Brown Bears with steady power, posting six seasons with 30+ homers and three with 100+ RBI. Mansour’s home run high came in 2017 with 55 dingers. He also thrice had above 5+ WAR from the DH spot. Baghdad had been a terribly run franchise, but Mansour did help them to their first-ever playoff trip in 2014. The Brown Bears were ousted in the first round and still haven’t been back to the postseason since as of 2037.

With Baghdad, Mansour played 1061 games with 989 hits, 674 runs, 138 doubles, 270 homers, 647 RBI, 597 walks, 162 steals, .269/.370/.532 slash, 141 wRC+, and 30.7 WAR. In the last year of his deal, Mansour was traded at the deadline to Mecca for four prospects. The Marksmen mostly used him as a pinch hitter to close out 2019 and Mansour’s ALB run. A free agent again at age 36, he opened up a worldwide job search and found a new home in the Oceania Baseball Association.

Mansour moved to Australia on a three-year, $12,960,000 deal with Canberra. He could still hit righties, but his troubles with lefties were worsening, so he was used in a platoon role. Mansour had 2.5 WAR over 114 games and 85 starts for the Centurions in 2020. Canberra traded him after one year to Melbourne in the offseason for two pitchers.

He was a full-time starter both years for the Mets and led twice in walks drawn, posting a .245/.360/.452 slash, 118 wRC+, and 5.3 WAR. Mansour signed a three-year, $16,800,000 deal with Auckland for 2023. He was iffy over 113 games in 2023 and was a backup in 2024 with only 23 games. Mansour was let go and unsigned in 2025, retiring that winter just after his 42^nd birthday. In OBA, he had 541 games, 421 hits, 303 runs, 41 doubles, 103 home runs, 261 RBI, 322 walks, .244/.355/.447 slash, 118 wRC+, and 9.0 WAR.

In the Arab League, Mansour played 2268 games with 2153 hits, 1374 runs, 294 doubles, 14 triples, 531 home runs, 1350 RBI, 1304 walks, 1636 strikeouts, 337 steals, .280/.383/.528 slash, 148 wRC+, and 71.1 WAR. As of 2037, Mansour ranks 43^rd in games, 72^nd in hits, 40^th in runs, 35^th in homers, 52^nd in RBI, 63^rd in total bases (4068), 3^rd in walks, and 36^th in WAR among position players. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, he ranked 21^st in OBP and his .911 OPS was 94^th.

Mansour’s power tallies were impressive enough to outweigh the penalty of being a career DH for most voters. For his combined career, Mansour played 2806 games with 2574 hits, 1677 runs, 335 doubles, 634 home runs, 1611 RBI, 1626 walks, .272/.378/.513 slash, 142 wRC+, and 80.1 WAR. As of 2037, Mansour ranks 19^th in all of pro baseball history in walks drawn. He received 80.6% for the first ballot induction into the Arab League Baseball Hall of Fame for 2026.

Ziyad “Wonder Boy” bin Mostafa – Starting Pitcher – Damascus Dusters – 70.6% Second Ballot

Ziyad bin Mostafa was a 6’4’’, 205 pound left-handed pitcher from Amman, the capital of Jordan. Nicknamed “Wonder Boy” for his childhood successes and potential, bin Mostafa had good-to-great stuff and movement. His control was lackluster early in his career, but he managed to get it to around average in his later years. Bin Mostafa’s 99-101 mph sinker was easily his best pitch, but he also had a splitter, slider, and changeup in the arsenal.

When healthy, his stamina was considered pretty good, but his innings were severely limited due to injuries in his career. Bin Mostafa was excellent at holding runners, but weak defensively otherwise. Few were more respected in the clubhouse as bin Mostafa was a team captain. His leadership, loyalty, work ethic, and intelligence were all top tier.

By the 2006 ALB Draft, bin Mostafa was one of the highest rated pitchers on most boards. He went tenth overall by Damascus, where he’d spend his entire career. Because of early control issues, bin Mostafa had limited use early in his career with only 14 relief appearances in his first two years. He was moved to the closer role with okay results in 2009. 2010 saw 11 starts, but bin Mostafa still was primarily a reliever.

He finally became a full-time starter in 2011 and led the Western Conference in wins at 20-6, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. Damascus gave bin Mostafa a six-year, $13,400,000 extension that winter. The Dusters hoped he was finally that ace to lead them to their first successes. Damascus had been one of ALB’s worst teams to that point with no winning seasons from 1994-2013.

In 2012, bin Mostafa won Pitcher of the Year with conference and career bests in strikeouts (308) and WAR (8.1). He took second in 2014 and Damascus earned their first-ever playoff appearance. The Dusters won the Western Conference at the top seed, but lost to Jeddah in the Arab League Championship. Bin Mostafa missed the playoffs though as he suffered a rotator cuff strain in late September.

This began a six-year playoff streak for Damascus, but sadly bin Mostafa didn’t make a playoff appearance until 2018. In 2015, he was out from late July onward with a ruptured disc in his back. In 2016, bin Mostafa won his second Pitcher of the Year with a career and conference-best 1.99 ERA. Sadly on September 14, he suffered a torn flexor tendon in his elbow that kept him out a calendar year. Damascus did win their first ALB title in 2016 with bin Mostafa earning a ring. Many of his teammates credited his captaincy and leadership for their championship win.

Because of the flexor tear, bin Mostafa made it back for one start at the end of 2017. The Dusters gave him a two-year, $1,680,000 mostly out of respect, a major pay cut. His stuff was diminished and he spent the next two years in middle relief. The leadership ultimately was more valuable then his ability at that point. In 2018, he made his lone career playoff appearance, tossing 1.2 scoreless innings in relief. After the 2019 campaign, bin Mostafa retired at age 35 and Damascus quickly retired his #18 uniform.

The final tallies for bin Mostafa saw a 124-64 record, 59 saves, 2.53 ERA, 1687.2 innings, 1906 strikeouts, 348 walks, 150/196 quality starts, 26 complete games, 7 shutouts, 150 ERA+, 71 FIP-, and 46.9 WAR. He obviously didn’t pitch enough to factor in on the leaderboards, although bin Mostafa was still 60^th in pitching WAR as of 2037.

The rate stats were impressive for bin Mostafa, whose ERA ranked 5^th among those with 1000+ innings. His 1.01 WHIP was 21^st and .611 opponent’s OPS was 13^th. The triple slash for bin Mostafa was .222/.273/.338, ranking 29^th/38^th/7^th. His 7.26 H/9 also ranked 25^th.

While bin Mostafa’s rate stats were Hall of Fame worthy, his accumulations were way on the low end. As of 2037, he still has the fewest wins, innings, strikeouts, and WAR of ALB HOF starters. Bin Mostafa’s tallies are among the lowest of any starter in any league’s Hall, but supporters gave him some grace for the injuries and seeming misuse early in his career.

Two Pitcher of the Year awards go a long way and in that 2011-16 prime, bin Mostafa was easily a top five level pitcher in Arab League Baseball. His leadership and captaincy also really went a long way in getting him across the line. Bin Mostafa barely missed the 66% cutline in his debut ballot with 65.8% in 2025. He got the bump up to 70.6% in 2026 for a second ballot selection as the third member of the 2026 crew.

FuzzyRussianHat · 02-23-2025, 12:39 PM

The African Association of Baseball had a historic record five-player Hall of Fame class in 2026. Each player was first ballot as well, co-headlined by CF Mwarami Tale (99.1%) and 2B Fani Ngambi (98.2%). Joining them was C Steve Isaac (85.5%), CF/1B Ronny Safari (80.5%), and 1B Jose Santarem (74.9%). The only other player above 50% was CL Deon Westerveld debuting at 53.4%. RF Hamad Ali was the top returner with 46.6% on his second try. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots.

Mwarami “Silky” Tale – Center Field – Luanda Landsharks – 99.1% First Ballot

Mwarami Tale was a 6’1’’, 185 pound left-handed center fielder from Dar es Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania. Tale was one of the true legends of the game with incredible home run power, excellent contact skills, and a solid eye for drawing walks. The nickname “Silky” was in relation to Tale‘s incredibly smooth and beautiful swing.

Few if any players in baseball history wrecked right-handed pitching like Tale, who had a career 201 wRC+ and 1.140 OPS against RHP. He was plenty dangerous facing lefties too with a career 139 wRC+ and .878 OPS. Tale’s 162 game average got you a staggering 54 home runs along with 27 doubles and 4 triples. He had nine seasons of 50+ homers and topped 60+ six times. His strikeout rate was just below average.

Tale had pretty good speed, but his baserunning instincts were surprisingly poor and he was caught stealing more than he succeeded. His speed did give him plenty of range as a career center fielder. Tale graded as a reliably above average-to-good defender on the whole, even winning a Gold Glove in 2004. While he did run into sporadic injury troubles, Tale held up remarkably well over 23 years at a very demanding position. He was one of the first worldwide megastars to come out of AAB and is considered by many to be the league’s greatest player ever.

It was obvious early on that Tale’s potential was seemingly limitless. Luanda managed to land him to a developmental deal in June 1997, bringing Tale from Tanzania to Angola. He debuted in 2000 at only age 19, although he wasn’t quite ready yet. Tale played 152 games and started 75 in his first two years, but posted -0.6 WR total. He started most of 2002 with promising results, earning the full-time gig after that.

By 2003, Tale discovered his legendary home run power with a 56 dinger effort, leading the Southern Conference in total bases at 406. He had his first of five seasons above 10+ WAR, earning his first Silver Slugger and a second place in MVP voting. From 2003-19, Tale would hit 40+ homers in all but two injury-shortened seasons. He would also reach 7+ WAR in all but three seasons during that stretch and had an OPS above one each year except 2007.

Tale was even better in 2004 with conference bests in runs (140), homers (64), and OPS (1.129) along with 143 RBI and 11.2 WAR. He won his lone Gold Glove and his first MVP, although he shockingly lost out on the Silver Slugger to Arsenio Baroso. Luanda earned their second-ever playoff berth, but fell to Tale’s hometown Dar es Salaam in the Southern Conference Championship. This did start a six-year streak of winning seasons by the Landsharks.

In April 2005, Tale inked an eight-year, $20,320,000 extension with Luanda. He had his first major injury setback that summer with a ruptured finger tendon knocking him out for the fall. Tale bounced back with an all-time season in 2006, setting new single-season records for runs (146), homers (77), total bases (454), slugging (.852), and OPS (1.293).

The home run mark edged the then single-season record of 76 by AAB’s Mohau Sibiya, which was the world record to that point. Tale’s reign atop the world lasted two years before eventual world homer king Majed Darwish smacked 85, 91, and 85 from 2008-10. Tale’s 77 homers rank 14^th in world history as of 2037. He missed the Triple Crown by one point with a .341 average and his 12.5 WAR was the second-best in AAB history to that point. Unsurprisingly, Tale won his second MVP and Silver Slugger.

As of 2037, Tale’s 2006 still ranks as the third-best in WAR for a position player, fourth in homers, fifth in runs, third in OPS, and second in slugging. His hold as the AAB home run king wasn’t passed until 2028, although it was matched once in 2012. This got Luanda back to the playoffs, one game behind Durban for first place. Tale had a forgettable playoff series as the Landsharks were defeated 4-1 by the Deer in the Southern Conference Championship.

Tale had a shockingly poor 2007 by his standards, although he was still good for 5.6 WAR and 45 homers. Luanda stayed above .500, but missed the playoffs in 2007 and 2008. Tale was back to form with his third MVP season in 2008 and third Slugger, leading in homers (63), OPS (1.096), and wRC+ (190). Then in 2009, he managed to somehow best his record-setting 2006 to win his fourth MVP and Slugger, posting the second hitting Triple Crown in AAB history.

With a 1.3748 OPS, Tale set a single-season world record that still stands as of 2037. He had a triple slash of .382/.489/.885, which were all AAB records with new world records for on-base percentage and slugging. As of 2037, the slugging still ranks second in world history and the OBP is third. Tale’s OBP and SLG hold as AAB records while the batting average is third. He also posted 14.4 WAR, which remains the AAB position player record as of 2037 and ranks 23^rd in world history by a position player.

Tale also shattered the previous AAB RBI record with 180, which was the fourth-best in world history to that point. As of 2037, it ranks 11^th in world history and fourth in AAB. He broke his AAB total bases record with 464 and held that mark for two decades before eventually shuffling down to seventh. Tale smacked 71 homers and had career bests in hits (200) and doubles (35). He was one of only five in world history to that point to reach 70+ homers in multiple seasons. Tale also hit for the cycle for the first time in 2009.

Luanda finished first for the first time and defeated Durban for their first-ever Southern Conference pennant. They were dispatched in the Africa Series 5-2 by Addis Ababa for the Brahmas’ second straight title. Tale won conference finals MVP, but stunk up the Africa Series. He graded as surprisingly mediocre in the playoffs on the whole with a .194/.310/.444 slash, 80 wRC+, and zero WAR.

Shortly after the series, Tale shocked the continent by opting out of his Luanda contract early, entering free agency for 2010 headed towards age 29. With the Landsharks, Tale played 1317 games with 1329 hits, 898 runs, 248 doubles, 39 triples, 438 home runs, 1015 RBI, 661 walks, 184 steals, .304/.402/.680 slash, 183 wRC+, and 69.5 WAR. While many Luanda fans hated the abrupt ending, Tale was still beloved overall for his dominance and role in their first pennant. His #3 uniform would be retired once his playing days were over.

Some wondered if this meant Tale would be leaving for a big MLB deal, but he shocked Africa further by signing an eight-year, $29,640,000 deal with Addis Ababa in March 2010. The Brahmas were already amidst a dynasty led by eventual six-time MVP Felix Chaula, Marlin Kimwaki, and three-time Pitcher of the Year Michael Wakachu. Now with Tale, Addis Ababa was primed to be absolutely unstoppable.

In Tale’s debut, Addis Ababa staked their case for AAB’s best-ever season with a 120-42 record and Africa Series win over Harare. That remains the AAB record and the 2010 Brahmas are one of only ten teams in world history as of 2037 to win 120+ games and their league’s title. AA would go 104-58, 113-49, and 105-57 in the next three years and win it all each time, giving them a six-peat overall and four straight with Tale.

Tale overcame his earlier playoff woes with Luanda and was a beast with Addis Ababa, starting 49 games with 59 hits, 40 runs, 17 doubles, 18 home runs, 42 RBI, .333/.443/.746 slash, 1.189 OPS and 3.9 WAR. He was the Africa Series MVP three straight years from 2011-13.

The Brahmas became a staple of the early Baseball Grand Championship events, which started in 2010. They went 6-3 in a tie for second in the initial two-division format in 2010. Addis Ababa was 10-9 in 2011, 11-8 in 2012, and 10-9 in 2013 with official finishes of tenth, seventh, and seventh. Over 66 games, Tale had 2.7 WAR with 39 runs, 57 hits, 6 doubles, 25 home runs, 49 RBI, and 35 walks.

In the regular season, Tale led thrice in WAR, twice in runs, twice in RBI, and once in total bases, OPS, and wRC+ with the Brahmas. He won MVP in 2010, 11, and 13 with a second place in 2012. Tale was the first-ever seven time MVP in AAB, passing the six MVPs by teammate Chaula. Tale also won a Silver Slugger in all five seasons with AA. He still managed it in 2014 despite losing more than a month to back injuries. With Addis Ababa, Tale also became the fourth to 700 home runs and the seventh to 2000 hits.

For the Brahmas, Tale finished with 683 games, 737 hits, 530 runs, 108 doubles, 266 homers, 579 RBI, 415 walks, .310/.414/.699 slash, 197 wRC+, and 40.9 WAR. He’d be beloved in Ethiopia as well for his role in putting the Addis Ababa dynasty over the top. Tale opted out of the final year of his deal to become a free agent for 2015 heading towards age 34. He ended up signing with Johannesburg for $46 million over four years.

Although his career was split between Angola, Ethiopia, and South Africa, Tale did still represent his native Tanzania in the World Baseball Championship from 2001-22. He played 170 games with 140 hits, 86 runs, 18 doubles, 58 home runs, 122 RBI, 88 walks, .236/.342/.563 slash, and 6.1 WAR.

Tale maintained a high level of play with the Jackalopes with 7+ WAR, 40+ homers, 100+ RBI, and 1.000+ OPS in each of his seasons there. He spent six years with Johannesburg, eventually inking a three-year, $33,300,000 extension after the 2018 season. Tale won Silver Sluggers in 2016, 17, 18, 19, and 20. He was second in MVP voting in 2015 and 2017 and third in 2019.

The year prior to signing Tale, Johannesburg had ended a five-year playoff drought. They would finish first in the Southern Conference standings in 2015, 16, 18, 19, and 20. The Jackalopes claimed the pennant in 2015, 16, 18, and 20; although they never could win the Africa Series. Johannesburg fell to Brazzaville in 2015 and 2016 and to Kampala in both 2018 and 2020.

Tale was respectable in the playoffs over 51 starts with 46 hits, 25 runs, 11 doubles, 11 home runs, 22 RBI, .243/.338/.476 slash, 124 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR. He stepped up huge though in the 2015 Baseball Grand Championship as Johannesburg made it in as the at-large. Tale posted 19 hits, 14 runs, 4 doubles, 9 homers, 19 RBI, 1.185 OPS, 200 wRC, and 1.4 WAR in 18 games. The Jackalopes shocked the world by finishing 15-4 with the tiebreaker over Denver, becoming the first Grand Champion out of Africa.

In 2020, Tale missed almost two months between a knee sprain and sprained elbow. Still, he led in WAR (7.3) in only 111 games, earning his record eighth MVP. Tale also became a 15-time Silver Slugger winner, a mark reached by only 13 players in world history as of 2037. Tale is the only of those players to do it as a center fielder. In these later years with Johannesburg, he was also battling the likes of his former teammate Felix Chaula and Luke Tembo for the top spots on AAB’s leaderboards.

Tale was the third to reach 800 homers behind Chaula and Tembo, but ended up passing both for the top spot. By the time he was done, Tale was AAB’s all-time leader in homers, RBI, WAR, hits, runs, total bases, games, and OPS. Over six seasons with Johannesburg, Tale had 771 games, 831 hits, 554 runs, 135 doubles, 264 home runs, 658 RBI, 440 walks, 131 steals, .309/.409/.665 slash, 190 wRC+, and 45.5 WAR.

He was soon to be 40 years old and was a free agent fresh off his eighth MVP. Feeling he had done it all in AAB, Tale made his way to the United States on a three-year, $67,800,000 deal with MLB’s Baltimore Orioles. He was far less dominant in 2021, but still managed 3.6 WAR and 33 homers in his MLB debut. This year allowed him to pass 1000 home runs, 2000 runs, and 3000 hits for his combined pro career. Tale became only the fourth in baseball history with 1000+ dingers over a combined pro career.

Age finally caught up to him and he was benched in 2022, playing 83 games and starting 29 for the Orioles with -0.1 WAR. Tale retired from baseball that winter at age 41, giving him MLB tallies of 231 games, 169 starts, 144 hits, 88 runs, 14 doubles, 38 home runs, 93 RBI, .226/.324/.443 slash, 122 wRC+, and 3.6 WAR.

In AAB, Tale played 2771 games with 2897 hits, 1982 runs, 491 doubles, 63 triples, 968 home runs, 2252 RBI, 1516 walks, 6418 total bases, 2173 strikeouts, 410 steals, .307/.407/.680 slash, 189 wRC+, and 155.8 WAR. As of 2037, Tale is still AAB’s all-time leader in runs, total bases, homers, RBI, and WAR. He also ranks 3^rd in games played, 2^nd in hits, 25^th in doubles, 4^th in walks, and 11^th in strikeouts.

Among AAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances as of 2037, Tale’s 1.087 OPS ranks 3^rd with his triple slash ranking 26^th/8^th/4^th. Tale is also the only eight-time MVP winner and one of two with 15 Silver Sluggers. Along with that was a Triple Crown, four seasons leading in homers, six as the WARlord, four Africa Series titles, three Africa Series MVP wins, and nine conference titles.

It shouldn’t come as a shock that Tale is widely considered as the GOAT for the African Association of Baseball. Felix Chaula is generally the only one close, but Tale has him bested in basically every stat. It’s shocking someone voted against him for the 2026 Hall of Fame ballot, but with 99.1% he deservedly headlined a loaded five-player class. But where does Tale rank on the world leaderboards?

Counting the two years in Baltimore, Tale’s grand totals saw 3002 games, 3041 hits, 2070 runs, 505 doubles, 68 triples, 1006 home runs, 2345 RBI, 1609 walks, 2336 strikeouts, 6700 total bases, .302/.402/.665 slash, 1.067 OPS, 184 wRC+, and 159.4 WAR. As of 2037, Tale is 7^th in home runs, 25^th in runs, 12^th in RBI, and 21^st in WAR for position players.

Among world Hall of Famers, Tale ranks 33^rd in OBP, 4^th in slugging, 4^th in OPS, and 43^rd in wRC+. Against all players ever, he’s 29^th in WAR and ranks 2^nd among all African-born players behind West African Baseball GOAT Darwin Morris of Liberia, who is 5^th at 194.4. It is of course hard to rank players across different leagues and eras. Detractors argue Tale’s tallies were inflated somewhat by a higher-scoring AAB which was perceived by some to be a weaker league than its older counterparts.

Tale’s accomplishments and accolades are remarkable in any context though, making him one of baseball’s true immortals. His incredible run crucial in the huge popularity and prestige boost for AAB and baseball throughout all of Africa. Most scholars have him somewhere on the top 50 list for all baseball players ever and many place him #2 just behind Morris for the best-ever from Africa.

Tale also is considered a top five center fielder in world history by most, ranking only behind MLB WARlord Morgan Short and CLB’s Zhen Zhang for the most WAR at the position. While his exact spot among the world’s elite is up for fierce debate, almost all agree that he is AAB’s greatest player of all time.

FuzzyRussianHat · 02-23-2025, 05:45 PM

Fani “Stretch” Ngambi – Second Base – Harare Hustlers – 98.2% First Ballot

Fani Ngambi was a 6’3’’, 195 pound right-handed second baseman from Somerset West, South Africa; a town of 55,000 within Cape Town’s metropolitan area. Nicknamed “stretch” for his ability beat foes to the bag, Ngambi was one of the all-time great leadoff men. He was a fantastic contact hitter that put the ball in play with excellent frequency, rarely striking out. Ngambi was also one of AAB’s best at drawing walks.

He was extremely dangerous from first base with stellar speed and base stealing ability in his prime. Ngambi’s gap power was good with 39 doubles and 7 triples per his 162 game average. He wasn’t going to hit many home runs, reaching double-digits in only one season.

Apart from playing designated hitter in his final three years, Ngambi was exclusively a second baseman. He won a Gold Glove in 2013, but on the whole graded out as reliably average defensively. Ngambi was incredibly scrappy and intelligent with an impressive work ethic. However, he wasn’t someone to take on a leadership role. Ngambi had some injuries here and there, but held up pretty well for a 22-year career.

In March 1997, Ngambi signed a developmental deal with Dar es Salaam. He became one of the very few in baseball history to make his pro debut at age 18, playing 38 games with 3 starts in 1999. He wasn’t ready for the full-time gig obviously, but saw 199 games and 66 starts from 1999-2001 for the Sabercats. They were a contender at this point, falling to Johannesburg in the Southern Conference Championship in both 2000 and 2001.

Ngambi became a full-time starter from 2002 onward and won his first Silver Slugger in 2003, his first of ten seasons worth 5+ WAR. Dar es Salaam missed the playoffs in 2002, then lost the 2003 conference final to Antananarivo. Ngambi was iffy in his 10 playoff games for Dar with -0.1 WAR and .506 OPS. In 2004, the Sabercats finally broke through with a then-league record tying 114-48 season, upending Kinshasa’s dynasty for their first Africa Series title. Unfortunately for Ngambi, he was out from early May onward with a broken bone in his elbow.

He stayed healthy the next three years for Dar with three straight Silver Sluggers. Ngambi led in steals and walks in 2005, then led in on-base percentage for the first time in 2007. The Sabercats couldn’t follow up their championship season and were down just below .500 by the end of Ngambi’s tenure. He left after the 2007 campaign at age 27 for free agency. With Dar es Salaam, he had 969 games, 959 hits, 569 runs, 211 doubles, 53 triples, 21 homers, 311 RBI, 464 walks, 452 steals, .299/.395/.418 slash, 125 wRC+, and 28.7 WAR.

Ngambi signed a three-year, $9,240,000 deal with Harare initially, starting what would be his signature run. He eventually signed a seven-year, $28 million extension in September 2010. Ngambi won Silver Sluggers with the Hustlers in 2008, 09, 10, 12, 13, 15, and 16. He led thrice in OBP, thrice in steals, and had two batting titles. Ngambi led in runs (135) and steals (139) in 2009, setting a steals record that held for a decade in AAB. It still ranks eighth best as of 2037 in AAB and 19^th on the world leaderboard.

2008 was Ngambi’s best WAR effort at 8.4 along with his best OPS (.939) and wRC+ (167). He is the only AAB player with multiple seasons above .450 OBP as his .453 from 2010 ranks sixth and his .450 from 2012 is 10^th as of 2037. Ngambi also stole 100+ bases in four different seasons. He and Hall of Fame classmate Jose Santarem were the first AAB players to steal 120+ bases in three seasons.

Ngambi helped Harare to their first-ever playoff berth and first place finish in 2010. The Hustlers beat Lusaka for the Southern Conference title, but ran into a 120-win Addis Ababa buzz saw in the Africa Series. After narrowly missing the playoffs in 2011-12, Harare was a wild card in both 2013 and 2014. In the latter, they upset Johannesburg for the conference pennant and downed Nairobi for the franchise’s first AAB title.

He was unremarkable in the first two runs, but Ngambi was the hero in 2014. He won MVP of the Africa Series and the conference final, starting 15 games with 25 hits, 15 runs, 8 doubles, 2 triples, 1 homer, 14 RBI, 7 walks, 18 steals, .424/.471/.678 slash, 191 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR. Ngambi tied the world record for postseason steals, which remains 18 as of 2037. He also set the AAB playoff hits record with 25 which would only be passed once in the following season.

In the Baseball Grand Championship, Ngambi had 18 hits, 8 runs, 5 extra base hits, 9 steals, 119 wRC+, and 0.6 WAR over 18 games. Harare shocked the field with a 14-5 finish, tying for first with MLB’s Phoenix. The Hustlers officially were second as they had lost a 17 inning battle to the Firebirds 6-4. To that point, an African franchise hadn’t finished in the top two.

Ngambi never played for one of the teams in his native South Africa, but he was a regular for them in the World Baseball Championship from 2001-19. He played 132 games with 116 hits, 73 runs, 25 doubles, 52 steals, 75 walks, .250/.368/.360 slash, and 2.7 WAR. In 2005, Ngambi helped South Africa to its first-ever elite eight finish.

Harare just missed the playoffs in 2015, then plummeted to 62-100 the next year to start a six-year stretch of losing seasons. With a rebuild looming, Ngambi was traded after the 2016 season straight up to Maputo for prospect 1B Luzayadio Kalumba. Kalumba notably would be a strong starter for the Hustlers in the early 2020s and won an MVP in 2022.

Ngambi finished with 1264 games, 1406 hits, 841 runs, 337 doubles, 51 triples, 36 home runs, 461 RBI, 762 walks, 909 steals, .318/.426/.442 slash, 136 wRC+, and 51.9 WAR for Harare. Between nine years of solid service and a key role in their lone championship, Ngambi’s #15 uniform would later be retired.

The Piranhas had finished second in the Southern Conference the prior year. In 2017 with Ngambi, they took first in the standings for the first time and won their second pennant. Maputo was ultimately beaten by Mogadishu in the Africa Series with Ngambi struggling in the playoffs to -0.1 WAR in 13 starts. Apart from his awesome 2014 run, Ngambi struggled in the playoffs with a career .255/.353/.385 slash, 100 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR in 54 games.

Maputo would ultimately sign Ngambi to a three-year, $28,500,000 extension after the 2017 season. He was never elite with the Piranhas, but Ngambi was a passable starter four years. He did lose a chunk of 2017 to an elbow strain and more than two months in 2019 to a torn groin muscle. Ngambi was in a DH role in his final seasons and was competing for the top spot on the AAB leaderboards in hits, steals, doubles, and walks.

Ngambi did retire as AAB’s doubles leader at 655, passing Negue Rouillard’s 625 for the top spot. Ngambi also retired with the best on-base percentage at .4125, just ahead of Felix Chaula’s .4122. He ultimately retired second in hits to Mwarami Tale, second in steals to Jose Santarem, and third in walks behind Luke Tembo and Chaula. He retired after the 2020 campaign at age 39. In four seasons for Maputo, Ngambi had 480 games, 459 hits, 225 runs, 107 doubles, 21 triples, 191 RBI, 330 walks, 214 steals .283/.410/.378 slash, 126 wRC+, and 6.7 WAR.

The final tallies had 2713 games, 2824 hits, 1635 runs, 655 doubles, 125 triples, 59 home runs, 963 RBI, 1556 walks, 1162 strikeouts, 1575 stolen bases, 611 caught stealing, .305/.412/.422 slash, 131 wRC+, and 87.3 WAR. As of 2037, Ngambi ranks 4^th in games, 4^th in hits, 7^th in runs, 3^rd in doubles, 8^th in triples, 80^th in RBI, 3^rd in steals, 3^rd in walks, and 8^th in WAR among position players. Ngambi also was caught stealing more than anyone in AAB. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Ngambi is 30^th in batting average and still 3^rd in OBP.

The argument is usually between Ngambi and Santarem for AAB’s top leadoff guy. Santarem had him just beat in contact, power, and speed, but Ngambi’s penchant for walks gave him a much better OBP. Ngambi also ended up with far more WAR with longevity and as a reliable defender at second, while Santarem was a lackluster defensive first baseman. Both earned spots in the impressive 2026 Hall of Fame class for the African Association of Baseball, but most do give the edge to Ngambi.

Ngambi notably ranks 33^rd in walks drawn and 16^th in steals among all players in world history as of 2037. Among all Hall of Famers, he has the 12^th best on-base percentage. Ngambi is widely considered AAB’s best-ever second baseman, leading in WAR, games, hits, runs, singles, doubles, steals, and walks as of 2037. His 12 Silver Sluggers also lead all 2B in AAB. He’d be a clear headliner in almost any other class, but of course he’s in the 2026 group with the GOAT Mwarami Tale. Ngambi ‘s 98.2% certainly solidified his status though as an inner circle pick.

Steven “Pop” Isaac – Catcher – Nairobi Night Hawks – 85.5% First Ballot

Steven Isaac was a 6’3’’, 185 pound right-handed catcher from Kampala, the capital of Uganda. Nicknamed “Pop” in his later years as an elder statesman, Isaac was a great contract hitter with strong power, especially for a catcher. His 162 game average got you 38 home runs and 40 doubles, making Isaac a legit threat in any lineup. He was below average tough when it came to drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. As you might expect from a catcher, Isaac was painfully slow and sluggish as a baserunner.

Isaac had pretty strong durability at a very demanding position, playing 129+ games in all but one year from 2009-22. The downside is that he was a mediocre defensive catcher. Although longevity was part of this, Isaac did retire with the most errors and passed balls of any AAB catcher. It was worth it though to have a legit force and not a liability at the plate. Isaac also was one of the hardest working guys in the game, becoming a beloved figure in Nairobi.

His entire African career came with the Night Hawks, who picked him fourth overall in the 2003 AAB Draft with little college experience. Isaac spent a lot of time training at their academy in Kenya with limited action in his first five years. From 2004-08, he played 218 games and started 145 with unremarkable results. Nairobi decided Isaac was ready for the full-time gig in 2009 and he’d hold the job for more than a decade.

2009 started a seven-year streak of Silver Sluggers for Isaac. He missed it in 2016, but won four more from 2017-20 to finish with 11, an AAB position record. In 2010, Isaac won a batting title with a .348 average and had his career best OPS (1.061). His second batting title came in 2012 at .327 along with his career best OBP at .401. Isaac was above a one OPS four times, hit 40+ homers thrice, and had eight seasons above 6+ WAR.

In 2013, Isaac posted his career best WAR (8.6), wRC+ (196), and runs scored (104), taking second in MVP voting. In the midst of that season, Nairobi signed Isaac to a historic eight-year, $100,200,000 extension. They earned their first-ever playoff berth that year, falling in the Central Conference Championship to the Addis Ababa dynasty.

Isaac was the WARlord at 7.4 in 2014 and this time won MVP, pushing Nairobi to repeat playoff berths. They ended the Brahmas’ six-year reign as AAB champ and eight-year reign as Central Conference champ with Isaac taking series MVP. The Night Hawks were denied in the Africa Series by Harare. In 15 playoff starts, Isaac had 19 hits, 9 runs, 4 doubles, 3 homers, 7 RBI, .921 OPS, 162 wRC+, and 0.7 WAR.

It was a one-off success for Nairobi, who wouldn’t post another winning season until 2021. Isaac carried on though and took third in 2017’s MVP voting and second in 2018. In 2020, he missed six weeks to a strained PCL. Isaac ultimately declined the option year of his contract and entered free agency at age 36. That marked the end of his playing career in Africa, although he’d be forever loved in Kenya for his 17-year run and role in Nairobi’s first-ever pennant. Isaac’s #24 uniform would later be retired.

Although he left for the European Baseball Federation, Isaac would represent his native Uganda from 2021-24 in the World Baseball Championship. Before that, he had only played one game for them back in 2007. Isaac played 45 games with 32 hits, 17 runs, 6 doubles, 8 home runs, 20 RBI, .203/.259/.392 slash, 86 wRC+, and 0.4 WAR.

Isaac’s next home was Switzerland on a three-year, $40,300,000 deal with EBF’s Zurich. He won a Silver Slugger in his debut season, giving him 12 for his career. As of 2037, Isaac is one of only four catchers in baseball history to win the honor 12 or more times. He was a solid starter in 2022 as well for the Mountaineers, posting a two-year total of 11.5 WAR over 261 games, 278 hits, 117 runs, 52 doubles, 48 home runs, 146 RBI, .320/.365/.556 slash, and 158 wRC+. Isaac didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the third year and was back to free agency in 2023 at age 38.

He still showed he had plenty of value and was signed by Ljubljana for three years and $60,800,000. He was an all-star once more, an honor he received 14 times in his career. Isaac had a good 2003 despite losing two months to injury. Age caught up and he was reduced to a part-time role in 2024. For the Juggernauts, Isaac had 166 games, 3.8 WAR, and .815 OPS.

Isaac felt he could still contribute somewhere, but he went unsigned in 2025 and retired that winter at age 41. For his four year EBF tenure, Isaac played 427 games with 421 hits, 183 runs, 77 doubles, 75 home runs, 231 RBI, .304/.348/.534 slash, 146 wRC+, and 15.3 WAR.

With Nairobi, Isaac finished with 1770 games, 1889 hits, 984 runs, 432 doubles, 15 triples, 421 home runs, 1131 RBI, 512 walks, 1497 strikeouts, .299/.359/.572 slash, .931 OPS, 151 wRC+, and 76.3 WAR. Being a catcher limits accumulations, but as of 2037 Isaac still ranks 16^th in WAR among position players. He’s also 53^rd in hits, 73^rd in runs, 52^nd in doubles, 45^th in homers, and 42^nd in RBI. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Isaac is 49^th in OPS and his triple slash ranks 52^nd/99^th/49^th.

Among AAB catchers, Isaac is the career leader in batting average, slugging, OPS, at-bats, hits, runs, total bases, singles, homers, RBI, and WAR. He’s considered AAB’s best hitting catcher by a good margin and usually is cited as the best to play the spot when factoring in total value. Isaac would be the first catcher into the African Association of Baseball’s Hall of Fame and is still the only one as of 2037. He was a first ballot pick at 85.5%, the third-highest mark among the loaded five-player 2026 class.

FuzzyRussianHat · 02-24-2025, 06:35 AM

Ronny Safari – Center Field/First Base – Kigali Guardians – 80.5% First Ballot

Ronny Safari was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting outfielder and first baseman from Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Safari was a rock solid contact hitter and was great at avoiding strikeouts, although he was mediocre at drawing walks. He had nice gap power with reliably steady home run power, posting a 162 game average of 26 home runs, 33 doubles and 6 triples. Safari was good to occasionally great in terms of speed and baserunning.

Around 60% of Safari’s career starts came in center field, mostly in the front end of his career. He was a firmly mediocre defender in CF and was moved to first base in his later years with above average results. Safari also bizarrely got some use at shortstop near the end of his career with truly abysmal defensive production. He was one of the smarter guys in the clubhouse and showed strong durability across a 21 year career.

Safari was the top prospect for the 1998 AAB Draft even as a teenager and was picked first overall by Kigali. He wasn’t quite ready, playing only 11 games and starting three in 1999 at age 19. Safari saw more use in 2000 with 74 games and 70 starts, then became a full-time starter after that. From 2001-07, Safari posted 5+ WAR each season. He led the Central Conference with 52 doubles in 2001 and led again in 2006 with 51.

He also earned batting titles and led in hits in both 2005 and 2007. Safari also led in runs in 2007, a year with career highs in runs (119), homers (41), triple slash (.334/.404/.627), OPS (1.031), and wRC+ (164). His best WAR in AAB was 6.5 in 2003, but he did finish above 6+ WAR five times. 2003 also saw his lone cycle in a game against Kampala. Safari was third in 2003’s MVP voting, second in 2005, and third in 2007. While he never won the top award, Safari did earn Silver Sluggers in CF in 2002, 04, 05, 06, 07, and 08 for Kigali.

The Guardians had been abysmal in AAB’s earliest years with their best season from 1995-02 being a mere 64-98. Safari helped give them their first winning seasons from 2003-06 and their first playoff berth in 2003, although they fell in the conference final to Kinshasa. Safari signed a five-year, $8,900,000 extension after the 2006 season. Kigali made the playoff again in 2008 but were denied by the Addis Ababa dynasty. Safari had a forgettable .773 OPS in seven playoff starts.

With Kigali, Safari had 1622 games, 1938 hits, 1057 runs, 426 doubles, 58 triples, 558 home runs, 1041 RBI, 436 walks, 450 steals, .304/.353/.549 slash, 138 wRC+, and 51.0 WAR. His production waned in his later years for the Guardians with Safari declining his contract option after the 2010 season. He was still very popular as the franchise’s first star player who helped them to their first success, which got Safari’s #21 uniform later retired.

Coming up on age 31, he signed a two-year, $6,560,000 deal with Brazzaville, where he joined the 2000 hit club. Safari had 2.3 WAR and .824 OPS in 2011 for the struggling Blowfish in his one year there. At the time, the African Association of Baseball and European Baseball Federation had an agreement that trades between the leagues could happen. Safari was sent to Zaragoza of the European Second League in the offseason for four prospects.

This temporarily ended his time in Africa, but Safari did still usually play in the World Baseball Championship for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He played from 2002-11, 13-15, and 2019 with 98 games, 88 hits, 42 runs, 16 doubles, 18 home runs, 44 RBI, .285/.321/.524 slash, and 2.7 WAR.

Safari was definitely too good for the E2L with 7.0 WAR in his one year with Zaragoza. He was an important rental as the Gold Hawks earned a promotion to the EBF Elite as E2L runner-up. Safari was now a free agent for 2013 heading towards age 33 and ended up staying in Europe. This time he was in the EBF Elite tier on a four-year, $35,600,000 deal with Lisbon.

For the Clippers, Safari was used almost exclusively as a pinch hitter, but did decent enough to earn a fifth year. He played 515 games and started 97 with 210 hits, 96 runs, 33 doubles, 18 triples, 23 home runs, 98 RBI, 34 steals, .281/.318/.465 slash, 106 wRC+, and 2.0 WAR. Safari’s run in Europe ended for 2018 as a 38-year old free agent, going back to AAB on a one-year, $800,000 deal with Kampala.

Safari played shortstop for the Peacocks and won a Silver Slugger with a .848 OPS in 118 games, although his terrible defense meant only 1.4 WAR. Still, it plugged a hole for Kampala, who finished 111-51 for their first-ever playoff berth. The Peacocks went all the way and won the Africa Series over Johannesburg. Safari had only seven plate appearances in the playoffs and 14 in the Baseball Grand Championship, where they finished 10-9.

He joined Luanda in 2019 in a backup role, but hit very well over 100 games and 38 starts with .992 OPS, 173 wRC+, and 2.1 WAR. Safari went 9-25 in the playoffs with 6 runs, 2 homers, and 5 RBI, helping the Landsharks to an Africa Series win over Brazzaville. Safari played 12 games and started 3 in the Baseball Grand Championship as Luanda went 9-10. Safari was one of a small group to have played in consecutive BGC events but with different teams.

Safari joined the Blowfish in 2020 for a second run, but couldn’t replicate the prior year’s offense with 0.2 WAR and .734 OPS in 84 games and 55 starts. He had one pinch hit double in the playoffs as Brazzaville lost the conference championship. Safari retired that winter at age 40.

For his AAB career, Safari had 2082 games, 2323 hits, 1236 runs, 507 doubles, 75 triples, 390 home runs, 1242 RBI, 545 walks, 1073 strikeouts, 544 steals, .301/.352/.539 slash, 136 wRC+, and 57.0 WAR. As of 2037, Safari is 35^th in games, 19^th in hits, 33^rd in runs, 22^nd in doubles, 35^th in triples, 58^th in homers, 35^th in RBI, 62^nd in steals, and 33^rd in WAR among position players. Safari’s .890 OPS is 90^th among AAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances and his batting average is 42^nd.

Safari’s tallies aren’t at the tip-top, but were pretty solid compared to his peers. Voters noted accolades like seven Silver Sluggers, two batting titles, and three times as a MVP finalist as huge plusses. The two championship rings at the end helped too, even if he was a mere role player by then. Most voters were sold even in a loaded five-player Hall of Fame class for 2026. At 80.5%, Safari was a first ballot inductee and joined the African Association of Baseball’s greats.

Jose “Boxy” Santarem – First Base – Mogadishu Mighty Mice – 74.9% First Ballot

Jose Santarem was a 6’4’’, 195 pound left-handed hitting first baseman from Ndalatando, Angola; a city of around 161,500 in the country’s northwest. He would become the second Angolan Hall of Famer, joining class of 2020 OF Arsenio Barroso. Santarem was the traditional leadoff man with excellent contact ability and blistering speed. He was outstanding at putting the ball in play with a 5.4% career strikeout rate. Santarem was also decent at drawing walks.

Santarem was a nightmare for pitchers to hold once he got on base as he was one of the best-ever base stealers and runners. Most of his batting success came versus right-handed pitching with a career .333 average, .891 OPS, and 138 wRC+. He had no power against lefties with a .268 average, .677 OPS, and 83 wRC+. His gap power was excellent on the whole with 41 doubles and 11 triples per his 162 game average. Santarem didn’t hit many dingers, but he did crack double-digits thrice in his career.

He had the unusual profile as a speedy leadoff guy who played first base exclusively on defense. Santarem graded as a firmly mediocre defender he simply lacked grace with his glove. He did also make just under ¼ of his starts as a designated hitter, mostly in his later seasons. Santarem was adaptable, but also a bit of a dummy. Being an ironman helped prolong his career, playing 148+ games in all but the first and final season of a 16-year career.

Santarem was signed by Mogadishu to a developmental contract in April 2001. He spent most of five years in their academy in Somalia, debuting in 2005 at age 20 with 20 games and 8 starts. Santarem became a full-time starter the next year and led the Central Conference in batting average (.352), hits (210), and triples (13), earning 2006 Rookie of the Year honors. This also started a streak of ten consecutive seasons with 100+ stolen bases. Santarem would get 100+ steals in 13 seasons overall.

From 2007-11, he was the leader in steals, peaking with 134 in 2012. At the time, that was the second-best AAB season behind his Hall of Fame classmate Fani Ngambi’s 139 from 2009. During that stretch, he also won two more batting titles and led trice in both hits and triples. Santarem’s 228 hits in 2008 set an AAB single-season record that held until 2025. It still ranks ninth as of 2037. Santarem also had career highs in runs (112), doubles (60), triple slash (.362/.418/.537) and OPS (.955) that year.

Santarem also set an AAB record in 2009 with 19 triples, which would only be passed twice. Despite his efforts, his lack of home run power at a powerful spot like first base or DH meant Santarem never won a Silver Slugger. Mogadishu was just below .500 in his earliest years, but they did earn playoff trips in 2009 and 2010. Both years, they were summarily dispatched by Addis Ababa’s dynasty in the Central Conference Championship.

The Mighty Mice fully collapsed with a 65-97 record in 2012 and began a fire sale during the season. At the trade deadline, Santarem was sent to Maputo for three prospects. His contributions were enough though that Mogadishu eventually retired his #14 uniform. For the Mighty Mice, Santarem had 1068 games, 1357 hits, 702 runs, 309 doubles, 82 triples, 61 home runs, 428 RBI, 443 walks, 781 steals, .333/.398/.494 slash, 137 wRC+, and 32.6 WAR.

Santarem had a nice second half with Maputo, who had been the Southern Conference champ the prior year. The Piranhas got back to the conference final, but were denied by Lusaka. They didn’t make the playoffs the next three years, but also didn’t have a losing season. Maputo kept Santarem around, signing him to a six-year, $52,200,000 extension in March 2013.

For the Piranhas, Santarem led in steals four times, triples twice, and doubles once. He won his fourth batting title in 2016 with a .336 average and was the OBP leader for the only time in 2018 at .412. Maputo made it back to the playoffs with a conference finals loss in 2016 to Johannesburg.

In 2017, Maputo finished first in the standings and defeated Luanda for their second pennant with Santarem taking conference finals MVP. They would be denied the Africa Series title against Santarem’s former team Mogadishu. In 13 playoff starts, Santarem had 13 hits, 7 runs, 3 doubles, 3 RBI, and 7 steals. The Piranhas would be just above .500 for the next two years.

With Maputo, Santarem played 1154 games with 1305 hits, 669 runs, 267 doubles, 75 triples, 43 homers, 523 RBI, 406 walks, 808 steals, .305/.365/.433 slash, 116 wRC+, and 23.3 WAR. At the time, he was racing his HOF classmate Fani Ngambi for the most steals in AAB history. They were the first two to reach 1500+ for their careers. Santarem ended up edging out Ngambi by 27 and also retired as the AAB leader in triples.

Santarem’s bat had fallen off to a mere .688 OPS and 1.9 WAR in his last year with Maputo, making it unlikely that he might chase the 3000 hit milestone. Santarem signed with Lilongwe for 2020, but struggled to -0.1 WAR and .623 OPS over 67 games and 21 starts. He was unsigned in 2021 and retired that winter at age 37.

The final tallies had 2289 games, 2690 hits, 1387 runs, 581 doubles, 159 triples, 105 home runs, 964 RBI, 859 walks, 513 strikeouts, 1602 stolen bases, 518 caught stealing, .318/.380/.461 slash, 125 wRC+, and 55.8 WAR. As of 2037, Santarem is second in both steals and triples as Djibrilla Ousseini would pass him for both top marks in the mid 2030s.

Santarem also ranks 22^nd in games, 12^th in hits, 21^st in runs, 8^th in doubles, 33^rd in total bases (3904), 79^th in RBI, 2^nd in caught stealing, and 39^th in WAR among position players. Santarem’s batting average ranks 14^th among AAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances and his OBP is 28^th. He also notably ranks 14^th in steals for all of professional baseball as of 2037.

Although he had better stealing success and a higher batting average, most still ranked Ngambi above Santarem as a more valuable leadoff man for the era because of his high walk rate and much better defensive value. Santarem didn’t have the big awards, but he had enough statistical notables to get a strong look. Four batting titles and a boatload of steals get you some prompts even if people expect big power from the position.

His incredibly low strikeout rate was especially impressive and as of 2037, he’s the only AAB Hall of Famer to have 2000+ hits with less than 1000 strikeouts. Santarem was the weakest in a loaded five-player Hall of Fame class, but he still got 74.9% to secure a first ballot induction. This capped off the historic 2026 group for the African Association of Baseball.

FuzzyRussianHat · 02-24-2025, 12:09 PM

The 2026 World Baseball Championship was the 80^th edition and this time was hosted in Valencia, Spain; the first time hosted in Europe since 2005. In Division 1, Italy took the top spot at 10-1, fending off Australia (9-2) and Greece (8-3). It was the second division title in four years for the Italians and their 20^th overall. Italy has advanced more times than any other European country.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo earned their first-ever division title at 10-1 atop Division 2. Cameroon at 8-5 was their only close competitor. The United States finished 5-6, which was the first time ever that the Americans had posted a losing record in division play. It was only the 20^th time in 80 WBCs that the USA didn’t get to the elite eight. Last year’s world champion Spain was also a non-factor in D2 at 4-7.

Austria and Israel tied for Division 3 at 9-2 with the Austrians advancing via the head-to-head tiebreaker. It was the fifth division title for Austria and their third in a decade. France took Division 4 at 9-2, edging out Ukraine (8-3) and Bulgaria (7-4). The French got their second division title in three years and their 15^th overall.

Hungary secured a tight Division 5 at 8-3 for their first-ever division title. Right behind were India (7-4), Iran (7-4), Turkey (7-4), Nigeria (6-5), and Serbia (6-5). Division 6 had a three-way tie for first at 7-4 between Vietnam, South Korea, and the Czech Republic. Five were one back at 6-5 (Iraq, North Korea, Pakistan, Poland, Romania). The tiebreaker sent the Vietnamese forward and earned their third division title (1999, 2010, 2026).

Division 7 also had a first-time winner with 8-3 Tajikistan on top. Last year’s runner-up Brazil finished 7-4 as did Uzbekistan and Venezuela. Lastly in D8, Germany clobbered the field at 10-1 for their 14^th division title and second in three years. No teams from the 2025 elite eight made it back in 2026. With the Tajiks, Hungarians, and Congolese earning their first division titles in 2026, 83 unique nations have now advanced to the elite eight at least once.

The 2026 elite eight was also notable as the second without a single team from the Western Hemisphere (2012). The group had five from Europe, two from Asia, and one from Africa. Round Robin Group A had France first at 5-1, advancing along with 3-3 Austria. Vietnam and Italy both were ousted at 2-4. The French earned their second semifinal trip in three years and their sixth overall. The Austrians secured their third berth in the final four (2017, 2023).

The DR Congo topped Group B at 5-1, followed by both Hungary and Germany at 3-3 and Tajikistan at 1-5. The Hungarians advanced on the tiebreaker, sending two newcomers to the semifinal. With that, 50 countries now have earned a final four appearance over the history of the event.

Both newcomers were ousted in the semifinal, although both forced all five games. France survived Hungary and Austria outlasted the DR Congo. Officially, the Congolese finished third and the Hungarians were fourth. The French earned their second championship berth in three years. The Austrians became the 33^rd different nation to make it to the title.

Austria then became the 20^th different World Champion in event history, winning 4-2 to deny France a second title in three years. This continued the historic parity for the top spot with nine different world champs in nine years. It is also the third straight title for a European nation. Austria set a WBC team record with 53 doubles in their victory.

Tournament MVP was Austrian SS Ernst Scheuermann. The 28-year old four-time Gold Glove winner with Dublin posted 24 hits, 20 runs, 5 doubles, 2 triples, 7 homers, 15 RBI, 22 walks, 15 steals, .242/.395/.545 slash, 173 wRC+, and 1.4 WAR. The Austrians also had the Best Pitcher in Viktor Friedl, a journeyman closer signed with EBF’s Zaragoza for 2026. The 33-year old righty pitched 12 games with a 0.33 ERA over 27.1 innings, 7 saves, 2-0 record, 52 strikeouts, 14 walks, and 1.2 WAR.

Other notes: For the first time since 2016, zero no-hitters were pitched in the event. Below are the updated all-time tournament stats. 2026 was unique as the top nine nations all-time in team scoring each missed the elite eight. It was the first time ever that the round robin didn’t have at least one of the US, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, China, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, and/or Russia.

02-18-2025, 07:41 PM	#2081
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,783	2026 BSA Hall of Fame (Part 2) Rodrigo Aguilar – First Base – Guayaquil Golds – 89.4% First Ballot Rodrigo Aguilar was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting first baseman from Cuenca, Ecuador; the country’s third-most populous city with around 596,000 inhabitants. Aguilar was famous for prolific home run power, hitting 40+ in all but one of his full seasons. He socked 50+ dingers six times and 60+ four times. Aguilar was also a good contact hitter with an average strikeout rate for the league, but he drew a shockingly small amount of walks despite his power. Aguilar’s power was fully concentrated on homers with only 19 doubles per his 162 game average. He was hilariously slow on the basepaths, although his instincts were decent. Aguilar played exclusively at first base apart from occasional starts as a designated hitter, posting consistently mediocre defense. His durability was tremendous with 149+ games each year from 2008-20. Aguilar was definitely a fan favorite between his towering home runs, work ethic, and loyalty. In the 2004 BSA Draft, Aguilar was picked 23^rd overall by Guayaquil, where he spent his entire career. He hadn’t put his power stroke together right away with limited use initially. Aguilar didn’t play in 2005, played only 25 games in 2006, then had 108 games and 16 starts in 2007. He took over a full-time starting job in 2008 and emerged as an elite slugger, starting a decade-long streak of 40+ homer seasons. Aguilar led the Bolivar League in homers from 2008-11 and in RBI from 2008-10. He won his first Silver Slugger in 2008 as a DH with his later wins at 1B from 09-13 and 2016. Aguilar emerged as truly elite with his first MVP in 2009 with league bests in runs (129), homers (71), RBI (17), total bases (463), slugging (.726), OPS (1.111), wRC+ (190), and WAR (9.8). He was only the second player in BSA history with a 70+ homer season to that point behind Valor Melo, who did it thrice. The 170 RBI also shattered the BSA record of 151. Aguilar’s career high triple slash (.356/.386/.726), homers, hits (227), OPS, and WAR all came in 2009. Aguilar put up similar dominance and repeated as MVP in 2010, breaking his RBI record with 173. As of 2037, Aguilar is the only BSA slugger to breach 170+ RBI. He added 68 homers, 8.9 WAR, and a career best 132 runs in 2010. Aguilar was second in MVP voting in 2011 as he led in homers again with 62. In August 2012, the Golds signed him to an eight-year, $64,100,000 extension. Guayaquil ended a five-year playoff drought and took the top seed at 104-58 in 2008, but was upset in the first round by Callao. The Golds repeated as the top seed in 2009 and 2010, but fell both years to Santa Cruz’s dynasty in the BLCS. Aguilar was excellent in the 2009 playoff run with 15 hits, 10 runs, 8 homers, 15 RBI, and 1.416 OPS over nine games. However, he was unremarkable in his later playoff trips. The Golds remained a contender, but couldn’t get over the hump. Guayaquil had divisional series losses as a wild card in 2011, 2013, and 2014. They kept a streak of winning seasons, but missed the playoffs in 2012, 2015, and 2016. Aguilar led in homers, RBI, and total bases again in 2016 with 6.1 WAR. His overall hitting production dropped though in the following seasons as he never topped 3+ WAR again. Guayaquil’s last gasp was 2017 at 101-61, getting upset by Ciudad Guayana in the BLCS. For his playoff career, Aguilar started 52 games with 57 hits, 26 runs, 5 doubles, 17 home runs, 43 RBI, .278/.315/.551 slash, 113 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR. He fared better for Ecuador in the World Baseball Championship from 2008-18. Aguilar played 85 games and started 79 with 79 hits, 41 runs, 11 doubles, 25 homers, 66 RBI, .268/.309/.559 slash, 144 wRC+, and 2.9 WAR. Aguilar’s deal expired after the 2020 season after a 37 home run, but .771 OPS and 1.4 WAR effort. He wanted to keep playing to chase the 700 home run and 2500 hit milestones, but couldn’t find a suitor for 2021. Aguilar retired that winter at age 36 and saw his #48 uniform immediately retired by Guayaquil. The final stats for Aguilar had 2186 games, 2461 hits, 1300 runs, 254 doubles, 20 triples, 683 home runs, 1695 RBI, 371 walks, 1556 strikeouts, .303/.339/.592 slash, 138 wRC+, and 60.4 WAR. As of 2037, Aguilar is 12^th in home runs, 14^th in RBI, 51^st in total bases (4804), 99^th in hits, and 71^st in runs. He misses the top 100 in WAR among position players. Aguilar does rank 56^th in slugging and 95^th in OPS (.931) among those with 3000+ plate appearances. Aguilar wasn’t a well-rounded player, but few had better raw slugging power. He led the league five times in homers, earned two MVPs, and had the single-season RBI record. Those accolades quickly cover up any of his resume weaknesses. Aguilar received 89.4% for a first ballot selection with Beisbol Sudamerica’s 2026 Hall of Fame class. Homer Torres – Designated Hitter/Left Field – Medellin Mutiny – 68.7% First Ballot Homer Torres was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting left fielder from the capital of Colombia, Bogota. Torres was one of the better power hitters of his era with 40 home runs, 35 doubles, and 5 triples per his 162 game average. He was stronger facing right-handed pitching (.921 OPS, 140 wRC+) compared to lefties (.810 OPS, 116 wRC+). Torres was merely an above average contact hitter overall who struggled with strikeouts. He was mid-grade in terms of drawing walks despite his power profile. Torres wasn’t the worst baserunner ever, but his speed was lousy. His overall athleticism was poor and he was a truly putrid defender. Torres made around ¼ of his career starts in left field with the rest of his time as a designated hitter. Strong durability made him worthwhile along with his power, playing 140+ games each year from 2007-20. Some coaches were frustrated by Torres’ weak work ethic and self-centered attitude. But if you sock a lot of dingers, you’ll find a spot somewhere. Torres’ power potential pushed him up the ranks for the 2004 BSA Draft, getting picked fifth overall by Medellin. He was mostly a pinch hitter and struggled initially with 11 starts and 167 games in his first two years. Torres was a full-time roster member and started much of 2007, then became a full-time starter after that. He was considered solid, but not elite until around 2011 at age 29. In 2011, Torres had his first of four straight seasons of 5+ WAR and led the Bolivar League with a career-best 46 doubles. He also led in strikeouts and would again in 2014. 2011 started Medellin’s nine-year playoff streak with a divisional series defeat. They would lose in the 2012 BLCS to Callao. Torres started a three-year streak as the league’s home run leader from 2012-14 with 57, 53, and 67 dingers. He also led in RBI and total bases in 2012 and 2013, as well as runs in 2012 and 2014. Torres was a Silver Slugger winner in 2012 and 2013, winning his lone MVP in 2013. 2013 had career bests in hits (213), RBI (149), total bases (432), triple slash (.326/.377/.661), OPS (1.038), wRC+ (168), and WAR (7.1). In July 2013, this earned Torres a five-year, $63,100,000 extension. Medellin won back-to-back Bolivar League titles in 2013 and 2014. They fell to Fortaleza in the 2013 Copa Sudamerica, but got revenge on the Foxes in 2014. Torres’ career playoff numbers were respectable for the Mutiny with 67 games, 76 hits, 42 runs, 13 double, 19 home runs, 41 RBI, .278/.305/.549 slash, 125 wRC+, and 2.2 WAR. The Munity finished 9-10 in both editions of the Baseball Grand Championship with Torres posting 13 home runs, 29 RBI, and 1.0 WAR over 36 starts. Torres also was a regular for Colombia in the World Baseball Championship. From 2008-20, he played 79 games with 61 hits, 34 runs, 12 doubles, 19 homers, 42 RBI, .271/.349/.578 slash, and 2.8 WAR. Medellin lost in the BLCS in 2015 and 2016. Their playoff streak continued three more seasons, but they couldn’t get beyond the divisional series. Torres still had solid power numbers in these later years, but his production never again reached his early 30s peak. In total for the Mutiny, Torres played 2036 games with 2119 hits, 1174 runs, 442 doubles, 504 home runs, 1344 RBI, .292/.337/.577 slash, 139 wRC+, and 49.0 WAR. Torres was a free agent for the first time in 2019 at age 37, finding a home with Santa Cruz on a two-year, $14,200,000 deal. He had two respectable seasons, although 2020 had a career and league worst 201 strikeouts. The Crawfish had a surprise Bolivar League title win in 2020 after a five-year playoff drought, falling in Copa Sudamerica to Santiago. Torres struggled in the playoff run with -0.1 WAR and .607 OPS in 13 games. Santa Cruz was 9-10 in the Baseball Grand Championship with Torres struggling to .524 OPS in 17 starts. In total for the Crawfish, Torres played 304 games with 310 hits, 184 runs, 58 doubles, 70 home runs, 170 RBI, .267/.312/.509 slash, 116 wRC+, and 4.9 WAR. He wanted to come back for 2021 to chase 600 homers and 2500 hits, but went unsigned as younger and cheaper options were available. Torres retired that winter at age 40 and Medellin brought him in to retire his #8 uniform. Torres finished with 2340 games, 2429 hits, 1358 runs, 500 doubles, 65 triples, 574 home runs, 1514 RBI, 491 walks, 2227 strikeouts, .288/.334/.567 slash, 136 wRC+, and 53.9 WAR. As of 2037, Torres ranks 37^th in homers, 39^th in RBI, 56^th in runs, 17^th in doubles, 56^th in total bases (4781), and 37^th in strikeouts. He didn’t crack the top 100 in WAR among position players. The resume was a tricky one for Torres, especially since he debuted on the Hall of Fame ballot alongside his longtime teammate Manuel Marquez. They had similar profiles with Torres looking somewhat like the “Great Value” version by comparison. Torres also lost points with certain voters as someone who spent his career primarily as a DH. On the positive side, Torres had an MVP, led in homers thrice, had breached the 550 HR and 1500 RBI thresholds, and played an important part in two pennants and a Cup win for Medellin. A few voters liked the symmetry of adding Torres and Marquez together. Torres barely crossed the 66% requirement at 68.7%, but he made it in as a first ballot selection to cap off Beisbol Sudamerica’s three-player class for 2026. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

02-19-2025, 07:10 AM	#2084
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,783	2026 EBF Hall of Fame (Part 1) The European Baseball Federation’s 2026 Hall of Fame class was an all-timer with four slam dunk inductees on their debut. While it wasn’t the first-ever class in EBF with 4+ inductees, it was the first to have all of them above 90%. 3B Ben Springer was nearly unanimous as the headliner at 99.3%. Close behind was LF/1B Murray Neilson at 96.4%, 1B Blazej Swierczewski at 96.1%, and SP Gustav Rosengren at 94.3%. 3B Kyle Evrard barely missed the 66% requirement on his eighth ballot at 65.7%. Another eighth ballot guy was above 50% with SP Johannes Jol with 57.5%. No one else was above 50% and no players were dropped from the ballot after ten failed tries. Ben “Dump Truck” Springer – Third Base – Vienna Vultures – 99.3% First Ballot Ben Springer was a 6’2’’, 205 pound right-handed third baseman from Eberndorf, Austria; a market town of around 5,800. At his peak, Springer was an exceptional contact hitter with reliably solid power. He was also better than most at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Springer’s power wasn’t prolific, but his 162 game average got you 36 home runs, 36 doubles, and 4 triples. His one real offensive flaw was terrible speed and lackluster baserunning. Nicknamed “Dump Truck,” Springer exclusively played third base thanks to an impressively strong throwing arm. He never won a Gold Glove, but he was viewed as a consistently good-to-great defender. Few players were scrappier than Springer, who was renowned for his work ethic and adaptability. He persevered for a 21-year career despite a number of significant injuries throughout his run. Between his talent and grit, Springer became a beloved European star and the face of Austrian baseball. Springer quickly emerged as the best prospect out of Austria in years with plenty of eyes watching his college career from the capital. Vienna was delighted he was still available for the 12^th overall pick in the 1999 EBF Draft. Springer wasn’t fully formed right away, playing only 74 games and starting 14 as a rookie. He looked quite strong in a part-time role for 2001 with 3.8 WAR over 103 games and 87 starts. Springer officially secured the starting job outright in 2002. 2002 started a four year streak as the Southern Conference’s WARlord with each season above 9+ WAR. All of his full seasons for the Vultures were above 5+ WAR and he’d top 9+ in seven years. The 2002-05 run was especially elite with 100+ runs, 100+ RBI, 30+ doubles, 30+ homers, .350+ average, and 1.000+ OPS marks throughout. Springer won MVP and Silver Slugger honors in 2002, 03, and 05 while taking third in MVP voting for 2004. In 2003, Springer had the first Triple Crown hitting season in a decade and only the fifth-ever in EBF. He had his career best triple slash (.384/.429/.755), OPS (1.184), and wRC+ (221). Springer socked a career-best 52 homers along with 143 RBI and 10.8 WAR. He posted those tallies despite losing four weeks to a sprained ankle. 2003 also had a six-hit game against Yerevan and two different games with three home runs. This season also marked a return to prominence for Vienna. The Vultures had been a regular contender with five pennants in the late 1960s and early 1970s, but had been largely irrelevant since. They were rarely terrible, but Vienna had only one playoff berth and 79.4 wins per season from 1975-2002. Not only did the Vultures end a two decade playoff drought in 2003, but they went on a tear at 108-54. Vienna won their sixth Southern Conference Championship and became European Champion for the first time ever, beating Warsaw in the finale. Springer’s excellent carried into the playoffs with 21 hits, 8 runs, 3 doubles, 3 homers, 12 RBI, and .995 OPS over 16 starts. Bringing them their first-ever title immediately made Springer an Austrian baseball legend before his 26^th birthday. Springer won a batting title in 2004, although he lost a month to a separated shoulder. 2005 was his second MVP and his career bests in WAR (11.0), hits (227), runs (115), and hits (227). Vienna won 100+ games each year from 2003-07 with four division titles. They had disappointing round two exits in 2004, 2006, and 2007. But in 2005, they earned another conference title, upsetting 110-52 Munich for the pennant. Vienna would be denied the European Championship as Copenhagen pulled off the repeat. After the 2005 campaign, Springer inked an eight-year, $68 million extension to remain the Vultures’ superstar. 2007 had a setback with a strained groin muscle keeping him out almost two months. In 2008, Vienna’s playoff streak ended with a surprising 78-84 season. You couldn’t blame Springer for the down year, as he won a Silver Slugger and was third in MVP voting with a 9.6 WAR effort. Springer was the WARlord for the fifth time in 2009 at 9.9 and led with 222 hits, winning his fourth MVP and fifth Slugger. Vienna bounced back for a wild card, but lost in the second round. They missed the playoffs the next two seasons as Springer lost some time to injury. He won a Silver Slugger in 2010 despite missing two months to a sprained ankle. Springer won the award again in 2011 even with two months lost between an oblique strain and torn hamstring. He posted OPS’s above one from 2009-12. In 2012, Springer had a mostly full load with 9.5 WAR, 1.115 OPS, and 40 home runs, taking third in MVP voting. Vienna made it back to the playoffs and beat Zurich for the Southern Conference Championship with Springer earning series MVP. The Vultures were denied in the European Championship as they were swept by Cologne. Springer was an absolute beast in the 2012 playoffs over 17 games with 30 hits, 19 runs, 5 doubles, 10 home runs, 20 RBI, 1.485 OPS, 313 wRC+, and 2.3 WAR. He was only one homer and one run shy of the EBF postseason records while also posting top ten RBI and hit marks. He couldn’t carry it over into the Baseball Grand Championship with .788 OPS, 118 wRC+, and 0.4 WAR in 19 games. The Vultures still finished in the top half at 11-8, officially ninth. The top five all went 12-7 and four teams were 11-8 in an incredibly tight field. Vienna won one more division title in 2013 before falling on hard times. For his playoff career, Springer started 66 games with 89 hits, 42 runs, 14 doubles, 19 home runs, 59 RBI, 26 walks, .356/.413/.664 slash, 195 wRC+, and 4.3 WAR. Springer’s run ended poorly as he missed the final months of 2013 to a concussion. Heading towards age 36, the Vultures couldn’t come to terms with their long-time superstar, sending Springer to free agency. For the Vultures, Springer finished with 1793 games, 2322 hits, 1209 runs, 418 doubles, 427 home runs, 1327 RBI, 509 walks, .351/.398/.624 slash, 181 wRC+, and 106.5 WAR. He’d remain the franchise’s biggest icon with his #45 uniform getting retired soon after his career was over. Springer brought on the second great run of success for Vienna and their first-ever EBF title. They’d be longing for better days soon enough as the Vultures were relegated to the European Second League after an abysmal 59-103 in 2016. Springer remained proud of his Austrian roots even after leaving Vienna and represented his country steadfastly in the World Baseball Championship. He started every year from 2000-20 with 198 games, 183 hits, 105 runs, 33 doubles, 48 home runs, 115 RBI, .256/.339/.509 slash, and 7.4 WAR. Austria earned its first-ever finals four appearance with Springer in 2017. As of 2037 among Austrians, Springer has the second-most starts and ranks 1^st in hits, 1^st in doubles, 4^th in homers, 2^nd in RBI, 3^rd in runs, and 3^rd in WAR among position players. The next phase of Springer’s pro career was in Hungary, signing for 2014 to a three-year, $42,900,000 deal with Budapest. He missed the first half of his debut season to a torn back muscle. Various other injuries cost him some bits of 2015 and 2016, although he was still quite good when healthy. The Bombers had a first round playoff exit in 2014 and missed the field the next two years. For Budapest, Springer played 325 games with 398 hits, 197 runs, 67 doubles, 55 home runs, 214 RBI, .328/.378/.533 slash, 149 wRC+, and 14.4 WAR. A free agent again heading towards age, Springer joined Bucharest at $28,200,000 over two years. While his power wasn’t as impressive, Springer still was a stellar contact hitter and maintained good defense. He posted 7.4 WAR in 2017 and 6.0 WAR in 2018 for the Broncos, helping them to a playoff appearance in 2018. Over 283 games for Bucharest, Springer had 352 hits, 161 runs, 58 doubles, 51 home runs, 212 RBI, .338/.383/.550 slash, 164 wRC+, and 13.4 WAR. While there, he also reached the 3000 hit and 1500 run milestones. Springer’s stock was still quite high even in his 40s, signing next for 2019 to a two-year, $30,400,000 deal with Rotterdam. Injuries popped up again as Springer lost about two months to a sprained elbow, but still managed 5.2 WAR and .915 OPS in 104 games for the Ravens. Rotterdam just missed the playoffs and opted to trade Springer in spring training 2020 to Hamburg for three prospects. Even at age 42, Springer still could go with 4.9 WAR and .872 OPS over 120 games. Unfortunately in August 2020, he suffered a ruptured MCL with an expected 10 month recovery time. The scrappy Springer was determined to make it back from that injury. In December 2020, he even inked a one-year, $19 million deal with MLB’s Washington Admirals with the goal of playing by the summer. Sadly, Springer suffered a major setback in April 2021 in that right knee and his doctors told him to call it quits officially at age 43 before he could make it back. Springer played 2625 total games with 3330 hits, 1696 runs, 580 doubles, 70 triples, 579 home runs, 1882 RBI, 744 walks, .343/.391/.597 slash, 172 wRC+, and 144.4 WAR. As of 2037, Springer ranks 9^th in hits, 16^th in runs, 3^rd in doubles, 30^th in home runs, 12^th in RBI, 12^th in total bases (5787), and 4^th in WAR among position players. He managed to reach those numbers even gutting through the injuries. Among EBF batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Springer’s .988 OPS ranks 36^th. His triple slash ranks 15^th/36^th/67^th. Specifically at third base, Springer is EBF’s leader in WAR, games, runs, hits, bases, singles, doubles, and RBI. He is widely considered EBF’s best-ever third baseman with only 2010-20s star Stefanos Emmanoulidis coming close in career WAR, but Emmanoulidis notably would make 1/3 of his starts at shortstop. Among all players in baseball history as of 2037, Springer is 63^rd in WAR. His batting average also ranks 14^th best among the world’s Hall of Famers, showing the incredible contact skills he had. Springer ranks 3^rd in baseball history in WAR at third base behind only South Asia Baseball hits king Manju Abbas and Beisbol Sudamerica legend Niccolo Coelho. When discussing the greatest third basemen ever in baseball history, Springer makes many of the top five lists. It’s harder to rank his exact spot in the EBF pantheon of immortals considering the legends that came before and after. When you count pitchers and two-way guys, Springer ranks 7^th in WAR as of 2037. Just about any all-time EBF team has him starting at third base and you could credibly argue he’s a top-five player in EBF history full stop. Springer is certainly Austria’s best-ever and is in the conversation when discussing the top ten players from any league born in Europe. His career had it all; four MVPs, a Triple Crown, three finals trips, and an EBF title. Even in a loaded 2026 European Baseball Federation Hall of Fame class with four slam dunks, Springer still stood out as the clear headliner at a near unanimous 99.3%. Murray “Crow” Neilson – Left Field/First Base – Dublin Dinos – 96.4% First Ballot Murray Neilson was a 6’2’’, 195 pound switch-hitting left fielder and first baseman from Guildford, a town of around 77,000 people in South East England. Neilson had dual English-Scottish heritage and would play with both nations in the World Baseball Championship. Neilson’s skillset was incredibly well rounded as there really wasn’t any facet of the game he wasn’t at least above average at. Neilson’s contact ability excellent with reliably strong home run and gap power. His 162 game average got you 44 homers, 29 doubles, and 29 triples. Neilson was also solid at drawing walks and better than most at avoiding strikeouts. His hitting was stellar against right-handed pitching with a career 1.089 OPS and 205 wRC+. Against lefties, he was still rock solid with .898 OPS and 159 wRC+. Neilson also had good speed and was one of the more efficient base stealers of his era. Just over ¾ of his career starts came in left field, where he graded as a reliably positive value defender. Neilson did mix in starts at first base and was subpar in that spot. He durability was generally good and few players had more grit and toughness. Neilson’s work ethic was outstanding and he was renowned as one of the smartest and most loyal men in the game. Few would have a bad word to say about Neilson, who unsurprisingly emerged as one of the biggest baseball stars to come out of the United Kingdom. Neilson played his college ball at Loughborough University and rose up the UK prospect ranks. He was picked 8^th overall in the 2006 EBF Draft by Edinburgh, who was a charter European Second League franchise. Neilson was one of the first elite players who had to start out in E2L just by circumstance. He was well beyond the skills of most E2L players, posting three straight 10+ WAR seasons to start off. Neilson won Silver Sluggers all three E2L years and took both MVP and Rookie of the Year in 2007. He finished third in 2008’s MVP voting. Edinburgh earned their first playoff berth in 2008, but was eliminated in the Round Robin phase. In 2009, the Enforcers finished first in the Western Conference and took the pennant, falling in the E2L Championship to Leipzig. Neilson was MVP of the conference finals win over Lyon, helping Edinburgh earn its first promotion to the EBF Elite tier. Neilson adjusted well to the top flight, posting 9+ WAR, 1.000 OPS, 100+ run efforts in his first two years. He picked up a Silver Slugger in 2011 playing first base. Edinburgh didn’t post a winning season in EBF until 2017, but they were good enough to avoid relegation for more than a decade. Between the leagues with the Enforcers, Neilson had 941 games, 1072 hits, 658 runs, 185 doubles, 242 home runs, 648 RBI, 466 walks, 274 stolen bases, .318/.401/.614 slash, 200 wRC+, and 60.1 WAR. He is remembered fondly in Edinburgh for introducing the city to big league baseball. A player of Neilson’s caliber though was expected to soon get a big payday with free agency scheduled for after the 2013 season. The still young Edinburgh franchise didn’t have deep enough pockets for that and began shopping Neilson. Prior to 2013, they moved him across the division to Dublin for three prospects. The Dinos weren’t interested in a rental and shortly after the season started signed Neilson to a seven-year, $91,000,000. 2013 was a huge year for Neilson for many reasons. It started out with an excellent performance for England in the World Baseball Championship, helping them defeat Ukraine in the final for their first-ever world title. In 25 games, Neilson had 29 hits, 20 runs, 4 doubles, 12 home runs, 21 RBI, .290/.343/.690 slash, and 1.7 WAR. With his duel heritage, Neilson bounced back and forth between England and Scotland in the WBC from 2007-20. He played ten events with the English team and four with the Scots. Neilson was also a starter for England in 2019 as they won their second world title with a finals win against Uzbekistan. In total, Neilson played 172 games with 167 hits, 100 runs, 27 doubles, 45 home runs, 114 RBI, .267/.364/.533 slash, and 8.1 WAR. Neilson joined a Dublin squad that was already a top contender, having won the European Championship in 2010 and 2011. The Dinos had won their seventh division title in eight years in 2012, but were upset in the second round. Neilson’s arrival helped Dublin have its best team of the early 2010s dynasty. The Dinos finished 115-47 and eventually beat Zaragoza in the European Championship. His 2013 debut season was worth 8.5 WAR, but Neilson shined most in the playoffs as he won finals MVP. In 18 playoff starts, Neilson had 28 hits, 15 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 7 homers, 15 RBI, 5 steals, 1.159 OPS, and 1.7 WAR. Dublin was a surprising 7-12 in the fourth Baseball Grand Championship with Neilson posting 0.7 WAR and .840 OPS over 19 starts. Neilson’s 2014 saw conference and career bests in home runs (58), and RBI (130), taking third in MVP voting and a Silver Slugger in LF. He won additional Sluggers from 2015-18 and earned a Gold Glove in 2019. Neilson placed third in MVP voting in both 2018 and 2019. He led with a career high 1.084 OPS in 2015 and 10.1 WAR in 2018. All eight of his Dublin seasons had an OPS above one, 7+ WAR, 35+ home runs, and a batting average above .320. Neilson was also one of a select few to hit for the cycle twice in his career. This Dublin run peaked with the 2013 title. The Dinos lost the 2014 conference final to Valencia and had a second round exit in 2015. From 2016-19, they were mostly stuck around .500 with one first round wild card exit in 2018. Neilson never replicated his 2013 playoff magic, but that run was strong enough to carry his overall stats to .890 OPS and 1.8 WAR over 36 starts, 45 hits, 28 runs, 5 doubles, 2 triples, 9 home runs, 21 RBI, and 164 wRC+. Neilson signed a three-year, $51,800,000 extension in January 2020 at age 36 as Dublin geared up for what would become another dynasty run to start the decade. The Dinos went 109-53 in 2020, falling in the European Championship to Munich. Neilson missed the playoff run with a fractured elbow suffered on September 26. This injury was expected just to be a season-ender with a 4-5 month recovery time. Tragically in December, Neilson had a significant catastrophic setback in the elbow recovery, forcing an abrupt and sudden retirement. Dublin immediately retired his #16 uniform and would give him honorary championship rings for their later 2022 and 2023 titles. For the Dinos, Neilson had 1203 games, 1442 hits, 859 runs, 193 doubles, 82 triples, 344 home runs, 946 RBI, 491 walks, 354 stolen bases, .334/.401/.656 slash, 188 wRC+, and 71.8 WAR. Within the EBF Elite Tier play, Neilson finished with 1681 games, 2020 hits, 1189 runs, 283 doubles, 115 triples, 460 home runs, 1283 RBI, 669 walks, 551 stolen bases, .334/.399/.647 slash, 1.046 OPS, 188 wRC+, and 99.0 WAR. Neilson’s final accumulations ended up on the lower end between his abrupt retirement and his first three years being in E2L. Still as of 2037, he ranks 32^nd in WAR among position players, 81^st in home runs, and 79^th in RBI. Among EBF batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Neilson’s 1.046 OPS ranks 7^th with his triple slash ranking 47^th/19^th/8^th. Among all world Hall of Famers as of 2037, Neilson is tied for 47^th in batting average, 39^th in OBP, 14^th in slugging, 15^th in OPS, and tied for 16^th in wRC+. Even over just 11 years in the top tier, Neilson’s effectiveness made him a Hall of Fame lock at 96.4% within the four-player 2026 Hall of Fame class for the European Baseball Federation. Still, he goes down as a “what if?” type player as his diversified skillset probably would’ve aged quite well without the elbow injury. Dublin’s early 2020s dynasty might have been even more dominant and Neilson may have landed among the inner circle of inductees. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

02-19-2025, 12:01 PM	#2085
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,783	2026 EBF Hall of Fame (Part 2) Blazej “Rags” Swierczewski – First Base – Riga Roosters – 96.1% First Ballot Blazej Swierczewski was a 6’1’’, 195 pound right-handed first baseman from Lodz, Poland’s fourth largest city with around 655,000 people. Nicknamed “Rags,” Swierczewski was a well-rounded bat with good-to-great contact and power skills. He was quite solid especially in his later years at drawing walks, although his strikeout rate was subpar. Swierczewski’s power wasn’t prolific, but it was incredibly steady and reliable with 35 home runs and 23 doubles per his 162 game average. Swierczewski was one of the smartest and craftiest baserunners you’d find, stealing at an impressive efficiency despite never having better than below average running speed. He fared slightly better facing left-handed pitching, but was generally equally effective against both. Swierczewski made almost all of his 3000+ starts at first base and was a reliably solid defender. He was most renowned throughout Europe as one of the game’s great ironmen. Swierczewski played across four separate decades and 24 seasons, playing 150+ games in all but his first two and final two campaigns. He was a true fan favorite and one of the game’s great people. Swierczewski had a stellar work ethic along with fierce loyalty, strong intelligence, and impressive adaptability. When Swierczewski was growing up in Poland in the 1980s and early 1990s, the country was still part of the Eurasian Professional Baseball sphere. His pro career started in Latvia as he signed a developmental contract in July 1992 with Riga. Swierczewski debuted in EPB for the Roosters in 1996 at age 20, but he only played 16 games. He remained a reserve in 1997, then saw 68 games and 10 starts in 1998. Riga moved Swierczewski into the lineup full time from 1999 and he’d be a full-timer somewhere through 2018. Swierczewski’s 1999 was his only full season in EPB, as Riga was among the teams that defected to the European Baseball Federation for 2000. He adjusted swimmingly and posted five straight seasons of 40+ homers and 5.9+ WAR for Riga. Swierczewski led the Northern Conference in WAR in both 2002 (10.1) and 2003 (8.7). 2002 was his best season by many metrics, taking third in MVP voting. Swierczewski saw his career bests in WAR (10.1), OPS (1.055), OBP (.412), slugging (.643), and wRC+ (194). It was hard to get awards attention though as Riga was a newer and smaller market, as well as a team that was mid-tier in their first EBF seasons. For the Roosters, Swierczewski had 1039 games, 1093 hits, 572 runs, 137 doubles, 246 home runs, 634 RBI, .301/.363/.555 slash, 162 wRC+, and 42.1 WAR. Although Swierczewski’s last season with Riga was his weakest since his rookie year, he was still worth 5.9 WAR and had plenty of suitors. Riga couldn’t compete financially with some of the bigger markets and had to let Swierczewski leave for free agency in 2005 at age 29. He made the move to Austria, signing a seven-year, $48,600,000 deal with Vienna. Swierczewski never played for one of the Polish pro teams, but he did regularly represent his country in the World Baseball Championship with solid results. From 2000-15, he played 143 games with 127 hits, 79 runs, 17 doubles, 53 home runs, 109 RBI, 66 walks, .250/.349/.602 slash, 172 wRC+, and 6.9 WAR. Poland’s deepest run would be an elite eight trip in 2013. With the help of Hall of Fame 2026 classmate Ben Springer, Vienna was in contention in the 2000s. Swierczewski was worth 7+ WAR in each of his first five seasons for the Vultures, winning Silver Sluggers in 2005 and 2008. In 2005, Swierczewski was third in MVP voting with his career highs in hits (218), doubles (34), and batting average (.357). Vienna was the Southern Conference champ in 2005, falling to Copenhagen in the European Championship. The Vultures won 104 and 105 the next two seasons, but lost in the second round both years. Vienna missed the 2008 playoffs, then had a round two exit in 2009 as a wild card. Swierczewski’s playoff numbers were surprisingly underwhelming over 31 starts with 34 hits, 18 runs, 6 doubles, 4 home runs, 13 RBI, .283/.333/.433 slash, 113 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR. Swierczewski was still good in his last year with Vienna, but had the low WAR of his run at 5.4 as the Vultures just missed the playoffs. For Vienna, Swierczewski played 950 games with 1141 hits, 640 runs, 172 doubles, 229 home runs, 683 RBI, .323/.389/.576 slash, 164 wRC+, and 43.2 WAR. Like with his other stops, Swierczewski remained very popular for years to come with Vultures fans. However, they voided the team option final year of his deal, making Swierczewski a free agent for 2011 at age 35. The next stop was Greece on a three-year, $30,600,000 deal with Thessaloniki. Swierczewski was steady over the run with the Tritons, who were just looking to hang around the top tier. He played 478 games with 495 hits, 274 runs, 76 doubles, 96 homers, 287 RBI, .293/.363/.518 slash, 140 wRC+, and 15.9 WAR. Next up was a trip to Spain on a three-year, $36,900,000 deal with Madrid for 2014. Swierczewski’s production dipped a bit in his first two years, although he was still a decent starter. He had a surprise resurgence in 2016 at age 40 with 6.4 WAR and a career-best 129 RBI. Swierczewski also hit 43 home runs, a mark he hadn’t met since the Vienna run. The Conquistadors were pleased and gave him a two-year, $12 million extension. Madrid made the playoffs each year from 2016-19, but never got beyond the second round. Swierczewski had .766 OPS, 119 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR over 16 playoff games. He didn’t match the 2016 peak, but was still a quality starter for two more seasons. Madrid kept him around as a backup for 2019 and 2020, finishing with 947 games, 786 hits, 472 runs, 107 doubles, 154 home runs, 489 RBI, .261/.337/.465 slash, 124 wRC+, and 19.0 WAR. With the Conquistadors, Swierczewski reached the 3000 hit, 2000 RBI, 700 home run, and 3000 game milestones. He retired after the 2020 season at age 45, joining a very select few in baseball history to make it that long. Swierczewski’s final tallies in EBF saw 3180 games, 3367 hits, 1899 runs, 459 doubles, 69 triples, 702 home runs, 2025 RBI, 1194 walks, 2234 strikeouts, 355 steals, .300/.368/.541 slash, 151 wRC+, and 116.6 WAR. As of 2037, Swierczewski ranks 2^nd in games played, 7^th in runs, 8^th in hits, 10^th in total bases (6070), 7^th in singles (2137), 23^rd in doubles, 9^th in home runs, 6^th in RBI, 8^th in walks, and 18^th in WAR among position players. Despite rarely being in MVP conversations, Swierczewski’s remarkable consistency and ironman durability gave him remarkable tallies. Despite being ranks top 10 in many stats, many top 10 lists of EBF’s best-ever position players do leave Swierczewski off between the lack of accolades or big playoff success. No one doubted that he was an inner circle Hall of Famer though and a stellar guy, getting 96.1% to join the impressive four-player 2026 class. When you add in his early EPB stats, Swierczewski’s final pro baseball stats had 3414 games, 3515 hits, 1958 runs, 492 doubles, 725 home runs, 2093 RBI, 1238 walks, 368 steals, .296/.364/.533 slash, 150 wRC+, and 120.2 WAR. On the world leaderboards as of 2037, Swierczewski ranks 15^th in games played, 47^th in runs, and 44^th in RBI while just missing the top 50 in hits. He’s one of the all-time ironmen and in the conversation when discussing the best-ever to come out of Poland. Swierczewski has the most career WAR of any Polish position player and is #2 among all players just behind four-time Pitcher of the Year winner Igor Kuchkowski. Gustav Rosengren – Starting Pitcher – Brussels Beavers – 94.3% First Ballot Gustav Rosengren was a 6’6’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Umea, a city with around 130,000 inhabitants in northeastern Sweden. Rosengren had great stuff and movement along with solid control. He had an excellent 99-101 mph fastball along with a dangerous forkball, very good changeup, and iffy curveball. Rosengren’s stamina was above average relative to other EBF aces, but his ironman durability meant you’d get plenty of reliable innings. His pickoff move was great and he was one of the better defensive pitchers. Rosengren was a leader of men, a team captain with an impressive work ethic. He emerged as one of the most universally respected and popular pitchers among peers and fans alike of his era. A scout from Brussels managed to learn of Rosengren’s potential and signed him in December 2001 a developmental deal. His entire pro career came in Belgium, but Rosengren did still return home to represent Sweden in the World Baseball Championship regularly. From 2007-20, he pitched 197.1 innings with a 2.28 ERA, 14-6 record, 261 strikeouts, and 5.6 WAR. The Swedes earned division titles in 2007, 2008, and 2018 with Rosengren. Rosengren officially debuted in 2005 at age 21 with one successful relief appearance. He made four starts with 25 relief appearances in 2006 with promising results, earning a rotation stat from 2007 onward. 2007 would be the first of nine straight seasons worth 6+ WAR and with 200+ strikeouts. Rosengren’s first full season starting landed him third in Pitcher of the Year voting. He would win the top award in 2008 with a conference leading 8.7 WAR and 24 complete games. Rosengren also had his career best ERA of 2.41 and added 280 strikeouts. Brussels returned to relevance and ended a 13-year playoff drought, although they were ousted in the first round. They were a win short of a wild card in 2009, but knew they were on the right track. The Beavers went 112-50 in 2010, but were upset by Dublin in the Northern Conference Championship. Brussels won two more division titles in 2011 and 2012, but lost in the second round both years. Rosengren’s results were mixed looking good in 2010, poor in 2011, and great in 2012. The Beavers remained above .500 for the next four years but were just outside of the playoffs. Rosengren thrived though, leading in WAR in 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2014. He won his second Pitcher of the Year in 2011 and finished third in 2010. Rosengren’s career high WAR (9.9) and strikeouts (284) came in 2014, although a higher ERA kept him out of awards talks. He remained loyal to Brussels throughout, signing a six-year, $63,100,000 extension in October 2011 shortly before his 28^th birthday. With Rosengren’s production staying strong through that, he inked another five-year, $64,700,000 extension in December 2016. Brussels broke through with a 105-57 record in 2017, going all the way to a European Championship win over Thessaloniki. Rosengren posted 2.96 ERA over 24.1 playoff innings with 30 strikeouts. He then had a 2.77 ERA in 26 innings with 23 strikeouts in the Baseball Grand Championship. The Beavers finished at 11-8 with four other teams, only one short of three teams at 12-7. Officially after tiebreakers, Brussels finished fifth. For his playoff career, Rosengren had a 3.28 ERA over 79.2 innings, 90 strikeouts, 116 ERA+, and 2.2 WAR. The success was a one-off for Brussels, who stayed above .500 but missed the playoffs from 2018-20. Rosengren was less dominant than his 20s, but still was a reliably solid starter through this. From a talent standpoint, he likely could’ve pitched a few more years, but Rosengren decided to retire after the 2020 season just after his 37^th birthday. He was one of the few greats to retire on his own accord and not because he couldn’t hack it anymore or due to injury. The Beavers immediately retired Rosengren’s #55 uniform. Rosengren finished with a 223-128 record, 2.95 ERA, 3380 innings, 3408 strikeouts, 599 walks, 290/411 quality starts, 120 complete games, 36 shutouts, 129 ERA+, 68 FIP-, and 99.5 WAR. As of 2037, Rosengren ranks 26^th in wins, 37^th in innings, 37^th in strikeouts, 43^rd in complete games, 13^th in shutouts, and 12^th in WAR among pitchers. Because he didn’t stick around to pad his stats, Rosengren sometimes is overlooked based on his spots on the leaderboards. Based on advanced stats, he’s a dark horse candidate when discussing EBF’s top ten pitchers. In his time, Rosengren was recognized though as a stellar man and a top flight pitcher. He received 94.3% and would headline a Hall of Fame class in many years. Rosengren capped off an incredible four-player group for the European Baseball Federation in 2026. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

02-19-2025, 05:38 PM	#2086
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,783	2026 EPB Hall of Fame SP Nijat Statsky was the lone selection for the Eurasian Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 2026. On his seventh ballot, Statsky saw a significant bump up to 77.0%. SP Roman Khilkevich barely missed joining him with a 64.3% debut, just shy of the 66% requirement. Three others were above 50% with CL Povilas Zdancius at 61.0% for his second try, 1B Benjamin Bodnar with 59.0% in his seventh go, and SP Artur Woloshyn at 52.3% on his third ballot. LF/1B Vadim Papendik notably fell off the ballot as he dropped below 5% on his ninth try. Hurting his candidacy was nine of his 20 years coming in CABA. For his combined pro career, Papendik played 3015 games with five Silver Sluggers, 3394 hits, 1594 runs, 575 doubles, 594 home runs, 1761 RBI, 968 walks, .301/.356/.520 slash, 157 wRC+, and 103.3 WAR. That combined line gets him into any HOF, but the stats were split about 60/40 between EPB and CABA. The resulting 308 homers, 1896 hits, and 59.9 WAR in EPB weren’t enough to get Papendik much ballot traction. Still, he was a Russian slugger worthy of a brief acknowledgement. Nijat Statsky – Starting Pitcher – Samara Steelers – 77.0% Seventh Ballot Nijat Statsky was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Hazorasp, Uzbekistan; a town of 18,000 near the former Aral Sea. Statsky succeeded with overpowering stuff along with solid control and above average movement. His fastball was a good one and peaked in the 99-101 mph range, but his sinker, splitter, and screwball were potent as well. Statsky’s stamina was average relative to other EPB aces. His biggest flaw perhaps was a terrible pickoff move and inability to hold runners once they got on base. Statsky’s defense otherwise was fine. His durability was solid prior to suffering two major injuries in his mid 30s. Teammates tried to tolerate Statsky because of his talents, but he was an unlikeable jerk. He was outspoken and selfish with a work ethic that would lapse if he didn’t see a specific benefit to himself. The talent was undeniable though as Statsky came up through the amateur ranks. Most Central Asian prospects adjusted their prospect plans towards the Asian Baseball Federation after the 2000 exodus of teams, but Statsky stayed declared for EPB’s 2000 draft. He knew he was due a prominent spot and was taken #1 overall by Samara, an expansion team in its second season. Statsky negotiated a six-year, $10,800,000 deal beyond the standard rookie compenstation. Statsky was used as a closer in his rookie season with 27 saves and 3.9 WAR in 96 innings. He was moved to the rotation after that and did his best for some terrible early Steelers teams. Samara averaged 69.4 wins per season during Statsky’s tenure and he led the European League thrice in losses. Advanced stats showed his lack of help behind him with a below average 96 ERA+ pared with a rock solid 84 FIP-. Although his whole pro career was in Russia, Statsky did represent his native Uzbekistan in the World Baseball Championship from 2001-13. He tossed 149.2 innings with a 9-12 record, 4.15 ERA, 173 strikeouts, 38 walks, 87 ERA+, and 1.6 WAR. The Uzbeks would earn an elite eight trip in the 2010 event. Statsky wasn’t shy about his intentions to leave Samara once eligible for free agency after the 2009 campaign. The Steelers traded him prior to that year to Moscow for two prospects and a second round draft pick. With Samara, Statsky posted a 99-130 record, 2.89 ERA, 1991.1 innings, 2167 strikeouts, 460 walks, and 40.8 WAR. He would be the first Hall of Famer in the black and gold and the Steelers later honored him by retiring his #24 uniform. Moscow wanted the now 31-year old in their long-term plans and prior to his debut gave Statsky a six-year, $35,800,000 extension. The Mules had been a top contender in the decade with EL pennants in 2005, 2006, and 2007 and an EPB title in 2006. Moscow had won their pennants as the wild card and lost the ELCS in 2008 as the first place team. In 2009, the Mules at 92-70 were a distant second to 106-56 win Minsk, but upset the Miners in the ELCS. Moscow carried the momentum into an EPB Championship win over Krasnoyarsk. Statsky was impactful in the playoffs with a 1.99 ERA and 33 strikeouts over 22.2 innings. However, he was awful in his 2010 and 2011 playoff starts, finishing with a career 5.30 ERA over 54.1 playoff innings. Moscow lost to Omsk in the 2010 EPB Championship and fell to Minsk in the 2011 ELCS. Statsky led the league in strikeouts (293) and WHIP (0.81) in 2010 to take third in Pitcher of the Year voting. 2010 also featured his lone no-hitter, a 12 strikeout, one walk effort against Voronezh on May 4. He then won the top honor with his finest effort in 2011 with career highs in ERA (2.03), strikeouts (299), WAR (8.1), and wins (17-7). Moscow’s playoff streak ended at seven seasons with an 85-77 finish in 2012. Statsky’s production dipped to 4.0 WAR, his worst full season with the Mules. Catastrophe occurred in May 2013 with a partially torn UCL putting Statsky on the shelf 10 months. He rehabbed back and started six games in 2014, but he ended up with a torn flexor tendon in May 2014. The Mules voided the team option year remaining in Statsky’s contract figuring he was cooked. He wanted to play somewhere in 2015, but scouts were unimpressed by what he could do post injury. After going unsigned, Statsky retired at age 37. For the Moscow run, Statsky had a 68-47 record, 2.60 ERA, 1079.2 innings, 1226 strikeouts, 181 walks, 125 ERA+, 78 FIP-, and 26.3 WAR. Statsky finished with a 167-177 record, 2.79 ERA, 3071 innings, 3393 strikeouts, 641 walks, 245/362 quality starts, 163 complete games, 19 shutouts, 105 ERA+, 82 FIP-, and 67.1 WAR. As of 2037, Statsky ranks 93^rd in pitching WAR, 70^th in strikeouts, and 68^th in complete games. His case was definitely a borderline one, but some of his marks were comparable to some of the lower-end inductees selected by the pitcher-friendly EPB voters. Some traditionalists dismissed him out of hand for having a losing record. Supporters pointed out how much his traditional metrics were dented by playing on some terrible Samara teams. Having won a Pitcher of the Year and his role in Moscow’s 2009 title run went a long way. But even by more sabermetric measures, his resume was far from a lock. The fact Statsky was also generally obnoxious didn’t endear himself to many in the game. He was the type of guy that was generally championed by those who started fights in bars with people over bad hot takes. Statsky debuted at 48.1% in 2020 and stayed between 40-60% for his first couple ballots. He got a sizeable boost to 64.5% in 2024, just missing the 66% requirement. Statsky won over a few more to get to 65.3% in 2025, the highest percentage in a year without inductees. 2026 wasn’t much better for debuts and many voters were loathe to have back-to-back blank ballots. Statsky saw a strong boost up to 77.0% for a seventh ballot addition as the lone 2026 Hall of Famer in Eurasian Professional Baseball. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

02-20-2025, 06:35 AM	#2087
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,783	2026 OBA Hall of Fame Pitcher Isaac Tague stood alone for induction into the Oceania Baseball Association’s Hall of Fame in 2026 with a slam dunk 97.5%. LF Samson Gould (58.2%) and SP Raj Marple (55.7%) were the next closest in their debuts, missing the 66% requirement for induction. Two returners were above 50% with SP Joel Wilson at 55.7% for his second ballot and CL Nolan Gilmoon at 51.3% on his eighth try. No players were removed from the ballot after ten failed tries. Isaac Tague – Starting Pitcher – Guadalcanal Green Jackets – 97.5% First Ballot Isaac Tague was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Perth, the largest city of Western Australia. Tague’s raw stuff was exceptional and was graded as a 10/10 by some scouts at his peak. His control and movement were merely average, but his ability to change speeds and fool hitters made up for that. Tague’s 99-101 mph fastball was excellent, but it was a stellar circle change that drew the most whiffs. He also had a good regular changeup and occasional sinker in the arsenal. Tague’s biggest drawback was poor stamina, throwing only nine complete games in his entire career even with OBA’s four-man rotation. His durability was strong so he rarely missed starts, but he didn’t have the 300+ inning seasons one expected out of OBA aces. Tague had a solid pickoff move, but was a subpar defensive pitcher otherwise. Some peers also thought he could be selfish and that his work ethic was unimpressive. His raw stuff stood out even as a teenager in Australia, earning attention from several OBA clubs. Guadalcanal had the winning pitch, signing Tague to a developmental deal in April 2000. He spent most of five years in their academy in the Solomon Islands, debuting in 2005 at age 21 with 31 innings mostly in relief. Tague was a full-time starter the next year, his first of six seasons worth 8+ WAR. Each of his full seasons were worth at least 5.9 WAR and all but one had 300+ strikeouts. Tague’s highest strikeout total came with 408 in 2008. His ERAs started to go down and Guadalcanal began primed for a legit run. They had been more bad than good over the prior 30 years with their most recent Pacific League title back in 1977. Tague helped end that drought as the Green Jackets went 113-49 in 2010. They fell to Melbourne’s dynasty in the Oceania Championship with Tague struggling to a 5.06 ERA in his two starts. He was a big reason they got there though and the Green Jackets gave him a five-year, $33,900,000 extension in May 2011. Guadalcanal finished second in 2011, then won back-to-back PL titles in 2012-13. The Green Jackets got revenge over the Mets in the Oceania Championship in 2012, but were defeated by Christchurch in 2013 despite a franchise-best 115-47 season. Tague fared better in the later playoff runs, finishing with a 2.94 ERA over 33.2 innings with 45 strikeouts. He also was excellent in the 2012 Baseball Grand Championship with a 1.34 ERA over 33.2 innings, 53 strikeouts, and 2.1 WAR. Guadalcanal finished 12-7 as part of a five-way tie for the top spot, officially taking second via tiebreakers. Tague was solid in the 2013 event as well with a 2.52 ERA and 39 Ks in 25 innings. The Green Jackets were again 12-7, this time officially taking fifth. From 2007-20, Tague was also a regular in the World Baseball Championship pitching for Australia. He tossed 162.2 innings with a 13-4 record, 3.10 ERA, 261 strikeouts, and 3.7 WAR. Australia’s deepest run with Tague was a fourth place in 2012. 2012 also saw Tague’s first ERA title in the PL at 2.22 along with a league-best 0.90 WHIP, placing third in Pitcher of the Year voting. He was second in 2013 with his finest season by ERA (2.05) and FIP- (47) as well as his second-best WAR of 10.6. Guadalcanal remained solid for the rest of the 2010s and didn’t post a losing season until 2023. However, they didn’t reclaim the throne, typically hovering around third or fourth in the ten-team standings. Tague signed a four-year, $33,600,000 extension before the 2016 season. That June, he threw a no-hitter against Tahiti with 11 strikeouts and two walks. It was one of only three shutouts he had his entire career. In 2017 at age 33, Tague posted his career best WAR at 10.8 and won his second ERA title at 2.35. He finished second in Pitcher of the Year voting, ultimately never taking the top honor. He had two more years for Guadalcanal with a bit of a decline in velocity in late 2019. The Green Jackets decided to decline the team option, sending Tague to free agency for the first time at age 36. The franchise was still grateful overall for his 15 years of service and role in their titles, retiring his #5 uniform shortly after his playing career ended. Tague still thought he had plenty left and signed for three years and $31,100,000 with Honolulu. He was shockingly bad though with a 5.24 ERA in 99.2 innings for the Honu, also missing eight weeks to a strained hamstring. Tague opted to retire that winter shortly after his 37^th birthday. The final stats saw a 234-146 record, 2.75 ERA, 3661.1 innings, 4866 strikeouts, 775 walks, 349/554 quality starts, 9 complete games 132 ERA+, 66 FIP-, and 113.0 WAR. As of 2037, Tague ranks 17^th in wins, 20^th in innings, 7^th in strikeouts, and 6^th in pitching WAR. His .603 opponent’s OPS ranks 58^th among those with 1000+ career innings and his ERA ranks 70^th. Tague’s K/9 of 11.96 ranks 4^th among qualifiers, showing he was one of the most efficient strikeout starters of his era. His 6.89 H/9 ranked 40^th. Some argue he was the best OBA ace to never win Pitcher of the Year, although sharing a league with the likes of Timothy Manglona, Akira Brady, and Austin Jong didn’t help his cause. He won’t crack many top five pitcher lists among OBA scholars, but he rarely misses a top ten list. Tague was somewhat under-rated in his time and a big reason Guadalcanal had their success in the early 2010s. At 97.5%, Tague stood alone for induction into the Oceania Baseball Association Hall of Fame in 2026. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

02-18-2025, 10:34 PM	#2082
jagreen Minors (Double A) Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 160	What settings did this league use? Can players move from say mlb to another league? Does each league draft separately?

02-20-2025, 01:02 PM	#2088
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,783	2026 APB Hall of Fame Two players were added into Austronesia Professional Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 2026 upon their ballot debuts. SP Rahmat Hasjim was a nearly unanimous 99.4% and IF Buwono Gunawan only just breached the 66% requirement at 70.8%. Two returners cracked 50% with 3B Yu-Ting Tsai at 54.0% on his second ballot and CL Kyle Oliveira with 53.4% for his third go. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots in 2026. Rahmat Hasjim – Starting Pitcher – Surabaya Sunbirds – 99.4% First Ballot Rahmat Hasjim was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Padang, Indonesia; the capital of the West Sumatra province with around 942,000 people. Excellent pinpoint control propelled Hasjim to success along with above average-to-good stuff and movement. His fastball peaked in the 96-98 mph range with an excellent changeup as his second best pitch. Hasjim also featured a nice slider and forkball to complete his arsenal. Hasjim’s stamina and control meant he was one of APB’s best at going deep into games. His durability was also excellent and he avoided major injuries for his entire 16 year run. Hasjim had a solid pickoff move, but was below average defensively. He was a very driven player with a top level work ethic, pushing Hasjim to one of the better pitching runs of his era in APB. In the 2004 APB Draft, Hasjim was picked fourth overall by Surabaya. He was split between starting and relief in his first two years and was merely decent initially. The Sunbirds emerged as a contender in 2006, which started a run of six straight Java Sea League titles. Surabaya was the Sundaland Association champ in 2006, but lost the Austronesia Championship to Davao. Hasjim tossed five perfect innings of relief in the run with 8 strikeouts. In 2007, Hasjim became an ace with an association-best 7.2 WAR along with 301 strikeouts. Surabaya won the pennant again and this time beat Kaohsiung for the APB title. Hasjim posted a 1.52 ERA over 23.2 playoff innings with 21 strikeouts. After the season, Surabaya signed him to a five-year, $20,060,000 extension. The Sunbirds would fall in the Sundaland Association Championship in the next four seasons with unremarkable playoff starts from Hasjim. For his career, he had a 4-8 record, 2.31 ERA, 108 ERA+, 89.2 innings, 93 strikeouts, 13 walks, and 2.1 WAR. Hasjim regressed hard in 2008, but bounced back with a career and SA best 8.5 WAR and 0.75 WHIP in 2009. He won his first ERA title at 1.65 in 2010 and led in WHIP (0.75), shutouts (8), and wins (19-4) to earn his first Pitcher of the Year. 2010 also saw Hasjim throw APB’s 33^rd perfect game in an eight strikeout effort on July 30 against Batam. 2011 featured career bests in wins (23-7) and ERA (1.59) for back-to-back Pitcher of the Year wins. Hasjim made it a three-peat in 2012 with his fourth 7+ WAR season along with 1.80 ERA and 7 shutouts. In total for Surabaya, Hasjim had a 121-63 record, 1.99 ERA, 1797 innings, 1984 strikeouts, 207 walks, 172/208 quality starts, 77 complete games, 33 shutouts, 124 ERA+, 76 FIP-, and 41.9 WAR. Hasjim’s deal expired after the 2012 campaign at age 30. Surabaya had fallen to 80-82 that year and felt they couldn’t match the money due to a three-time defending Pitcher of the Year. Hasjim remained popular with Sunbirds fans and his #28 uniform would later be retired. He would ink a six-year, $90,200,000 deal with Jakarta. He took a break from the World Baseball Championship for much of the Jakarta tenure. Hasjim represented Indonesia from 2007-08, 10-11, and then 17-19. He struggled mostly with a 5.22 ERA over 60.1 innings, 54 strikeouts, 13 walks, 70 ERA+, and 0.4 WAR. Jakarta was decisively mid during Hasjim’s run with no playoff berths and an average of 82.6 wins per season. Hasjim was consistently solid in the run, but wasn’t in any awards conversations. The main highlight was his second perfect game on May 3, 2015 with seven strikeouts against Semarang. Hasjim became the fourth APB pitcher with multiple perfect games, joining Vhon Lasam, Wisnu Mahmudiana, and Yu-Ren Yang. For the Jaguars, Hasjim had a 65-60 record, 2.21 ERA, 1285 innings, 1356 strikeouts, 168 walks, 124/153 quality starts, 64 complete games, 12 shutouts, 114 ERA+, and 25.8 WAR. Jakarta bought out the team option sixth year of Hasjim’s deal, sending him to free agency for 2018 at age 35. He still had plenty of value and Bandung gave him a three-year, $34,900,000 deal. Hasjim had a career resurgence as he won his fourth Pitcher of the Year in 2018 with a career high 18 complete games, 284 innings, and 313 strikeouts. He became only the eighth in APB history to win the award 4+ times. Hasjim had a solid 2019 as well, but fell off noticeably in 2020 with only 1.4 WAR despite leading the SA in complete games. The Blackhawks were in the mid-tier during this effort. With Bandung, Hasjim had a 46-37 record, 2.09 ERA, 785.1 innings 784 strikeouts, 80 walks, 76/98 quality starts, 43 complete games, 12 shutouts, 123 ERA+, and 13.5 WAR. While there, he reached the 200 win and 4000 strikeout milestones. With his deal wrapping after the 2020 season, Hasjim decided to retire at age 38. Hasjim posted a 232-160 record, 2.09 ERA, 3867.1 innings, 4124 strikeouts, 455 walks, 372/459 quality starts, 184 complete games, 57 shutouts, 120 ERA+, 81 FIP-, and 81.2 WAR. As of 2037, Hasjim ranks 12^th in wins, 13^th in innings, 15^th in complete games, 10^th in shutouts, 21^st in strikeouts, and 30^th in pitching WAR. Hasjim’s ERA ranks 57^th among APB pitchers with 1000+ innings. His 1.06 BB/9 ranks 15^th and his 0.85 WHIP is 38^th. He didn’t have the overwhelming dominance of some of the other APB greats and was perhaps overlooked later in his career pitching with average teams. Advanced stats probably keep Hasjim just outside of the inner circle level. However, four Pitcher of the Years, two perfect games, 200+ wins, 4k strikeouts, and a championship win make you a Hall of Fame lock easily. Hasjim was nearly unanimous at 99.4% to headline the 2026 class for Austronesia Professional Baseball. Buwono Gunawan – Infielder – Taichung Toucans – 70.8% First Ballot Buwono Gunawan was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting infielder from Tarakan, Indonesia; an island city of around 242,000 people off Borneo. Gunawan was a fantastic contact hitter with impressive gap power, posting 31 doubles and 14 triples per his 162 game average. He also had steady home run power with 28 dingers per 162. Gunawan was decent at drawing walks and great at avoiding strikeouts. Gunawan was a phenomenal athlete with great speed and baserunning chops even at his size. He was also remarkably versatile and adaptable defensively, making starts at each infield and outfield position. Gunawan’s most frequent spot was first base with about 2/5 of his starts. He graded as a great defender at 1B and was fairly solid at second base and in left field. Gunawan did struggle at the other spots, but he still gave you flexibility rarely seen with such a strong hitter. Few guys had such a diverse skillset and with his exceptional bat, Gunawan was primed to be a true legend. Gunawan wasn’t going to take an active leadership role, but undeniable talent made him beloved by the fans. His durability was respectable early on, but injury caused a shocking abrupt end to his career. Gunawan was spotted as a teenager and brought to Taiwan on a developmental deal with Taichung in January 2007. He spent three years in the Toucans academy, then was a rare 19-year old debut in 2010. Gunawan started 119 games that year with okay results, as he wasn’t quite fully formed. He showed a bit more potential in 2011, but missed half of the season to a fractured rib. Gunawan stayed mostly healthy for the nine years after that. In 2012, Gunawan had arrived as an elite talent. From 2012-17 with Taichung, he had five 8+ WAR seasons, leading the Taiwan-Philippine Association four times. Gunawan won Silver Sluggers in 2012 (at 1B), 2013 (3B), 2014, (1B), 2016 (2B), and 2017 (2B) for the Toucans. He led the TPA twice in hits, RBI, total bases, batting average, OBP, slugging, OPS, and wRC+. Gunawan won his first MVP in 2013, leading in OPS (.928), wRC+ (199), and WAR (8.0). He also hit for the cycle in 2013 against Hsinchu. Gunawan fared better in 2014 with 10.3 WAR and .952 OPS, but finished second in MVP voting. Gunawan won MVP again in both 2016 and 2017 as the WARlord both years. 2016 had his career bests in WAR (11.0), and hits (189). Despite his efforts, Taichung was stuck in the middle tier with no one coming close to Taipei’s historic run atop the Taiwan League. Toucans fans loved Gunawan, but weren’t surprise that he left for free agency after the 2017 season. With Taichung, Gunawan had 1151 games, 1207 hits, 568 runs, 222 doubles, 92 triples, 183 home runs, 589 RBI, 299 walks, 460 stolen bases, .289/.337/.517 slash, 170 wRC+, and 55.5 WAR. The Toucans would later retire his #24 uniform. It was uncommon for such a high-level player to reach free agency only at age 27. Medan won the sweepstakes at $141,600,000 over eight years. This brought Gunawan home to Indonesia, although he had been playing for his country in the World Baseball Championship. From 2013-19, Gunawan had 83 starts, 80 hits, 50 runs, 13 doubles, 5 triples, 20 home runs, 59 RBI, 39 steals, .257/.325/.524 slash, 140 wRC+, and 3.3 WAR. Indonesia was runner-up in 2014 to the United States and was a division champ in 2017. Gunawan won a Silver Slugger (2B) and his fourth MVP in his Marlins debut, becoming only the seventh in APB history with 4+ MVPs. He led that year in OPS, wRC+, OBP, slugging, and total bases for the third time and posted a career-best 93 stolen bases. Gunawan’s pace was even better in 2019, but he lost a month to a strained groin and barely missed the plate appearance requirements to quality for rate stats. He had his best triple slash (.346/.382/.651), OPS (1.033), and wRC+ (260) in 126 games for 10.2 WAR. Gunawan won a Slugger at 1B and was second in MVP voting. Medan was 86-76 and 81-81 in his first two years. In 2020, the Marlins ended a six-year playoff drought but lost 4-3 in the Sundaland Association Championship to Palembang. Tragically, this was Gunawan’s only playoff appearances in his career. He had a career high 100 runs and 35 home runs in 2020, again taking second in MVP voting. Gunawan had already reached all of these accolades before turning 30, leading some to think he had a shot to be APB’s greatest-ever position player. In spring training 2021, those dreams were ended suddenly after a torn ACL in his right knee. The original diagnosis was seven months, which would end Gunawan’s 2021 with a full return in 2022. However, he had a horrible setback in July and never recovered to a level where he could play again. Gunawan officially had to announce his retirement in winter 2021 shortly after only his 31^st birthday. For Medan, Gunawan had 445 games, 499 hits, 266 runs, 88 doubles, 43 triples, 89 home runs, 244 RBI, 227 stolen bases, .304/.341/.574 slash, 209 wRC+, and 29.7 WAR. Gunawan finished with 1596 games, 1706 hits, 834 runs, 310 doubles, 135 triples, 272 home runs, 833 RBI, 396 walks, 687 steals, .293/.338/.533 slash, 181 wRC+, and 85.2 WAR. The abrupt end kept him from significant counting stats, ranking as of 2037 outside of the top 100s except for his 78^th in doubles, 78^th in triples, and 65^th in stolen bases. In WAR, Gunawan does sit 34^th among position players. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, his .871 OPS ranks 13^th and his triple slash ranks 22^nd/38^th/14^th. Until Binh Tang’s later dominance, APB never had any position player with a more impressive run in their 20s. It’s hard to guess where Gunawan ends up if he has a healthy 30s, but one would think he would’ve been an inner circle Hall of Famer at worst and possibly a top five level guy at best. Gunawan is one of the largest “what if?” players of his era. Many voters for the Austronesia Professional Baseball Hall of Fame were very stringy towards hitters in the low-offense league. Because of the lower counting stats, Gunawan debuted on the ballot with a shockingly low 70.8% despite his accolades. That was still just enough to cross the 66% requirement to earn a first ballot selection in APB’s 2026 class. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

02-20-2025, 06:12 PM	#2089
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,783	2026 CLB Hall of Fame (Part 1) After three straight years with no Hall of Fame inductees, Chinese League Baseball added three pitchers in 2026 upon their debuts. Yuandong Yang was the headliner at 93.0% and was joined by Wei Huang at 80.1% and Linagyi Shi at 79.4%. Fellow SP Liqiang Yang was the best returner at 55.7% on his fourth ballot. No one else was above 50% with the best position player being SS Jiyu Liu with a 48.4% debut. Dropped after ten failed ballots was SP Hongtao Chen, who peaked at 40.0% in 2020 and ended with 32.9%. His tallies were somewhat weakened by his final five seasons coming in MLB. Chen pitched 11 years with Harbin and helped them win the China Series in 2003, posting a 136-136 record, 2.28 ERA, 2537.1 innings, 3058 strikeouts, 334 walks, 109 ERA+, 77 FIP-, and 59.4 WAR. Chen had a nice run, but he wasn’t overly dominant and had totals more appropriate for the Hall of Pretty Good. Yuandong Wang – Starting Pitcher – Zhengzhou Zips – 93.0% First Ballot Yuandong Wang was a 6’4’’, 195 pound left-handed pitcher from Zhengzhou, China, a prefecture-level city of more than 12.6 million people. Wang had a rare six-pitch arsenal, leading to very effective stuff. He also had rock solid control along with average-to-above average movement. Wang’s fastball peaked in the 96-98 mph range, although his curveball was generally viewed as his most dangerous pitch. He also had reliably nice results from his splitter, forkball, and slider while also having a changeup as a sixth option. Wang’s stamina was good and his durability was outstanding throughout an 18-year career. His ability to hold runners was rock solid, although his general defense was lackluster. Not many could outwork Wang, whose sparkplug work ethic and adaptability were both top notch. He became one of the most popular pitchers of his era on two different continents. By the 2007 CLB Draft, Wang was right at the top of the boards for many teams. He’d be picked fifth overall by his hometown Zhengzhou, which is where his entire nine-year run in China took place. Wang was a part-time starter as a rookie with mixed results in the regular season. He did notably throw a two-hit shutout in his one playoff start as the Zips ultimately fell in the semifinal. That effort though earned Wang a full-time spot in the rotation for 2009. Wang delivered with his first Pitcher of the Year win, leading the Northern League in wins at 21-6. It was his first of seven seasons above 6.5 WAR for Zhengzhou, pushing them to a China Series trip where they lost to Xiamen. Wang tossed 37.1 playoff innings with a 2.17 ERA, 3-2 record, 39 strikeouts, and 115 ERA+. He had similar playoff stats the next year as the Zips took first in the standings but fell in the round robin. Zhengzhou fell off after that and stayed below .500 for the rest of Wang’s tenure. It certainly wasn’t his fault they couldn’t win, as Wang took Pitcher of the Year again in 2010, 2011, 2014, and 2016. He became the third to win the award 5+ times in CLB history and is one of only four to do so as of 2037. Wang also finished third in 2013’s voting. He had five seasons with 300+ strikeouts and led the league four times. He was the WARlord in both 2011 (9.3) and 2014 (9.6). The 2014 effort was his best by many metrics with his highest WAR, lone CLB ERA title and lowest ERA (1.25), highest strikeout tally (366), and best WHIP (0.72). In 2010, Wang had a no-hitter on May 16 with 15 strikeouts and four walks versus Shijiazhuang. On September 15, he had a 20 strikeout performance versus Xi’an. Wang tossed his second no-hitter on April 13, 2011 with 14 Ks and one walk facing Jinan. Wang also got some world attention in the World Baseball Championship, representing China from 2013-18 and in 2020. Over 101 innings, Wang had a 7-5 record, 2.85 ERA, 142 strikeouts, 35 walks, and 2.0 WAR. In 2020, he tossed a n-hitter in an 11 strikeout, four walk effort facing Malaysia. His best showing was in China’s 2016 world championship win with a 2.20 ERA over 28.2 innings, 40 strikeouts, and 4 quality starts. He notably had a big shutout in their semifinal sweep of Brazil, which put Wang on the radar specifically there. It was known that Wang was entering a contract year and wasn’t likely to return to a struggling Zhengzhou. After the 2016 season, the now 30-year old Wang left for free agency and declared his willingness to entertain all offers. This ended an impressive CLB career after nine seasons with a 128-71 record, 1.62 ERA, 2100 innings, 2632 strikeouts, 397 walks, 88 complete games, 33 shutouts, 149 ERA+, 64 FIP-, and 62.4 WAR. While Wang was sad to leave his hometown team, everyone understood and cheered him on from afar. Once he returned home after his playing days were done, Zhengzhou quickly retired his #12 uniform and honored him as one of the city’s favorite sons. The brief CLB career keeps him away from top spots on the accumulation leaderboards, although he is 35^th in pitching WAR, 41^st in strikeouts, and 90^th in wins as of 2037. Among all CLB pitchers with 1000+ innings, Wang ranks 8^th in ERA, 24^th in WHIP (0.81), and 16^th in opponent’s OPS (.493). His triple slash of .180/.223/.271 ranks 18^th/27^th/18^th. Wang also is 37^th in K/9 (11.28) and 17^th in H/9 (5.64). Very few voters dinged Wang for only pitching nine years in China since his dominance was so absolute. Most also gave him at least some credit for his Beisbol Sudamerica run, although many wonders if he might have made a run as CLB’s greatest-ever pitcher had he stayed. Five Pitcher of the Year awards in nine years might not make you the GOAT, but it makes you a Hall of Fame lock, headlining the 2026 class for Chinese League Baseball at 93.0%. Wang made the move to Brazil and signed a six-year, $64,800,000 deal with Recife. Skeptics thought he might underwhelm in BSA having to adjust to a much-higher scoring league and a league perceived to have more talent. Wang quickly silenced any skeptics when he debuted with BSA’s first pitching Triple Crown since 2002 and only the 12^th in league history. With a 20-9 record, 2.26 ERA, 311 strikeouts, and league-best 8.4 WAR, Wang won Southern Cone League Pitcher of the Year. Recife was already a contender at this point, having made seven playoff trips from 2009-16 with three pennants and one Copa Sudamerica win. They got back to the LCS in 2017, but were ousted by Concepcion. Wang did struggle in his first BSA postseason with a 5.06 ERA over 26.2 innings. He also allowed eight runs in only 8.1 innings in the 2018 playoffs as the Retrievers lost in the divisional series. Wang’s regular season dominance continued, leading again in Ks from 2018-20. In that stretch, he also led twice more in WAR and wins. He was second in 2018’s Pitcher of the Year voting, then won the honor in 2019 and 2020. As of 2037, Wang is one of only nine in all of baseball history to win Pitcher of the Year 8+ times. He and fellow Chinese legend Chuchuan Cao are the only pitchers to win the award thrice in multiple leagues, as Cao had done it in CLB and the Oceania Baseball Association. In 2019, Wang made up for his initial postseason failings for Recife. He was 3-0 in five starts with a 2.50 ERA over 39.2 innings, 41 strikeouts, and 1.7 WAR, helping the Retrievers to a Copa Sudamerica win over Trujillo. He even had a two-hit shutout in the LCS against Buenos Aires. Wang kept rolling into the Baseball Grand Championship with a 1.82 ERA in 34.2 innings, 3-2 record, 36 strikeouts, 205 ERA+, and 1.3 WAR. Recife finished 14-5 in the BGC, second only to Tabriz’s 15-4. Wang was respectable in his later playoff trips, although Recife had divisional series losses in both 2020 and 2021. In total, he had a 3.80 ERA over 97 innings, 6-3 record, 107 strikeouts, 93 ERA+, and 2.4 WAR for the Retrievers. His fifth year with Recife did see a noticeable drop in production, going from ERAs in the low twos prior to a 3.22 in 2011. The Retrievers opted to void the team option final year of the deal, sending Wang back to free agency at age 35. For Recife, Wang posted a 95-33 record, 2.46 ERA, 1290 innings, 1482 strikeouts, 119 walks, 125/162 quality starts, 146 ERA+, and 36.6 WAR. He certainly delivered on that big contract and was remembered fondly by Retrievers fans. Wang stayed in Beisbol Sudamerica and ended up with Maturin on a three-year, $32,700,000 deal. Wang’s velocity dropped significantly by the end of the Recife run and he peaked in the 89-91 mph range for the Makos. His control was still rock solid and he was passable in two seasons with a 26-18 record, 3.96 ERA, 425 innings, 309 strikeouts, 107 ERA+, and 6.1 WAR. Wang didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the third year of the deal, returning to free agency for 2024 at age 37. In 2024, Wang signed with Barranquilla and posted a 4.76 ERA over 204 innings and 1.9 WAR. He allowed three runs (two earned) in 4.2 playoff innings as the Blues lost in the Bolivar League Championship Series. Wang joined Barquisimeto in 2025 with similar results on a 4.30 ERA over 142.1 innings and 1.7 WAR. The Black Cats released Wang in the summer and he finished out the 2025 season unemployed. He decided to retire that winter at age 39. Wang’s BSA tenure had a 141-71 record, 3.12 ERA, 2061.1 innings, 2038 strikeouts, 275 walks, 175/262 quality starts, 73 complete game, 20 shutouts, 124 ERA+, and 46.3 WAR. Once you’re inducted into any league’s Hall of Fame, you’re placed into a “global” hall and removed from ballots of any other leagues you’re eligible for. Wang probably wouldn’t have made BSA’s between only pitching nine years and being subpar in the back-end. Still, he’s one of the few in world history worthy of genuine consideration for two separate Halls of Fame. Wang had three Pitcher of the Year awards, a Triple Crown, and a Cup win, which was certainly quite the haul. For his combined pro career, Wang had a 269-142 record, 2.36 ERA, 4161.1 innings, 4670 strikeouts, 654 walks, 395/524 quality starts, 161 complete games, 53 shutouts, 135 ERA+, 73 FIP-, and 108.7 WAR. Despite his accolades, Wang wasn’t quite dominant and/or tenured enough to crack any of the world top 50 leaderboards. That just goes to show how stiff the competition can be though for all of baseball history. With eight POTYs across two leagues, Wang certainly earns a mention among the absolute best aces in the world in the 2010s and early 2020s. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

02-21-2025, 06:07 AM	#2090
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,783	2026 CLB Hall of Fame (Part 2) Wei Huang – Starting Pitcher – Shenzhen Spartans – 80.1% First Ballot Wei Huang was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Chongqing, China’s largest municipality by urban population with nearly 23 million people. Huang had great stuff, very good control, and good movement. His 98-100 mph fastball was impressive and was his most dangerous offering, although his knuckle curve was quite good as well. Huang also had a decent regular curveball and a rarely used changeup in the arsenal. Huang’s stamina was average relative to other CLB aces. Injuries were a recurring issue that greatly limited his career. Huang was excellent at holding runners and was a strong defensive pitcher. He had a steady and reliable work ethic which allowed him to get the most out of his abilities and opportunities. Unlike most eventual Hall of Famers, Huang wasn’t at the top of the draft lists. He wasn’t picked in the 2009 CLB Draft until the fourth round’s 13^th selection, the 108^th overall pick. Huang stands as the latest pick to later earn induction in CLB, besting Class of 2005 Pengju Xue who went 69^th. Shenzhen selected Huang and kept him in their developmental system for 2010. He was moved up to the rotation in 2011 and immediately produced with a 6.1 WAR season over 186 innings, taking second in Rookie of the Year voting. Shenzhen finished first in the Southern League standings, but were ousted in the round robin with Huang allowing one run in his one inning of playoff relief. This started a seven-year playoff streak for the Spartans with four first place finishes. However, Shenzhen never got over the hump in the playoffs. Their deepest runs were semifinal defeats in 2012 and 2015. Huang held up his end with a 1.80 ERA over 85 postseason innings with 119 strikeouts, 13 walks, 136 ERA+, and 2.9 WAR. A lack of run support though gave him a 2-6 record. He also pitched in three editions of the World Baseball Championship for China with a 2.28 ERA over 23.2 innings and 34 strikeouts. Huang earned a world championship ring with the 2016 Chinese squad, tossing 6.1 scoreless innings of relief with 12 strikeouts. In his second season, Huang led in strikeouts (345) and WAR (9.1), finishing second in Pitcher of the Year voting. He would lose the front end of 2013 to a partially torn labrum, but did notably toss a 16 strikeout, two walk no-hitter on September 18 against Qingdao. In 2014, Huang lost the first few months to a torn triceps. He was still effective enough to prompt Shenzhen to sign him on a six-year, $37,540,000 extension in the winter. Huang was full strength in 2015 and won his first Pitcher of the Year with a league-best 1.32 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, and 35 FIP- along with 9.0 WAR and 297 strikeouts. Huang won POTY again in 2017 with his career bests in strikeouts (355), WAR (9.8), and wins (22-6). Injuries popped back up in 2018 with forearm inflammation costing him part of the spring. Shenzhen’s playoff streak ended this year and they spent the next few seasons below .500. In 2020, Huang suffered a rotator cuff tear in late August that put his career in doubt. The timing was also awful as this coincided with the end of his Shenzhen deal, entering free agency at age 32. The recovery time was an estimated 13-14 months, putting him out for all of 2021. Huang was determined to come back, but teams were skeptical he could recover from such a major injury. He wasn’t signed until June 2022 when Jaipur of South Asia Baseball gave him a one-year, $1,920,000 deal. Huang only made four starts for the Jokers with mixed results as a ruptured finger tendon ended his season in the fall. He stayed in SAB and signed with Vientiane in 2023, but his control was significantly diminished by the rotator cuff tear. The Vampires only used him for three innings of relief, although they were scoreless. With seemingly no one wanting to give Huang a shot, he retired that winter at age 35. With Shenzhen, Huang had a 135-60 record, 1.80 ERA, 1967.2 innings, 2525 strikeouts, 303 walks, 202/241 quality starts, 68 complete games, 27 shutouts, 145 ERA+, 55 FIP-, and 67.5 WAR. Even with the incredibly short career, Huang ranks 26^th in pitching WAR as of 2037. He also sits 69^th in wins and 53^rd in strikeout, which are solid rankings considering he falls outside the top 100 for innings. Among pitchers with 1000+ innings, Huang’s ERA ranks 22^nd. His 0.81 WHIP is 24^th and .509 opponent’s OPS is 31^st. Huang’s triple slash of .187/.225/.284 ranks 48^th/30^th/40^th. He also ranks 46^th in H/9 (5.90) and 22^nd in K/9 (11.55). Huang’s career 55 FIP- also ranks 18^th among all Hall of Fame starters as of 2037. Certainly his rate stats show that for his brief peak, Huang was quite dominant. There were some voters leery of the low accumulations, but most were sympathetic to the injury issues. Many felt his resume was comparable to Hall of Fame classmate Yuandong Wang, who had almost universal agreement as a lock. Both had similar successes over short time frames, although Wang’s brief stint was because he left and not due to injury. Huang was below Wang with 80.1% of the vote, but it was still plenty for a first ballot slot in the 2026 class for Chinese League Baseball. Liangyi “Boot” Shi – Nanning Nuts – Starting Pitcher - 79.4% First Ballot Liangyi Shi was a 6’5’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Nanding, China; a city of around 85,000 people. Nicknamed “Boot,” Shi had solid stuff and control along with above average-to-good movement. His fastball regularly hit 97-99 mph and was part of a three-pitch arsenal along with a slider and changeup. Shi’s stamina was considered quite good for most of his career and he avoided the major arm injuries that have ruined many other careers. He was better than most at holding runners, although his overall defense was below average. Shi was very intelligent and knew how to perfectly pick his spots with his three pitches, becoming one of China’s best strikeout pitchers in his prime. In the 2009 CLB Draft, Shi was picked fourth overall by Nanning. The Nuts had just played their first season as one of the six expansion teams introduced earlier that year. Shi was used as a full-time reliever in his first two seasons with mixed results. Nanning made him a full-time starter in his third season, a role he maintained for the rest of his Nuts tenure. Shi emerged as a great ace with 6+ WAR seasons from 2013-18. He led the Southern League in strikeouts in 2013, 2015, and 2016. Shi was second in 2015’s Pitcher of the Year voting and signed a five-year, $44,800,000 extension that winter with Nanning. 2015 had his career high WAR (9.8) and strikeouts (346) and gave the Nuts their first playoff berth in only their seventh season. Nanning surprised many by going all the way to the China Series in 2015, falling to Xi’an in the final. Shi was outstanding in the playoffs with a 0.50 ERA and 3-0 record in 35.2 innings with 42 strikeouts, 3 walks, and 1.8 WAR. The Nuts got back to the playoffs in 2016 but fell in the round robin. Shi gave up four runs (three earned) in 8.2 playoff innings in 2016. They would hover around the middle of the standings for the rest of Shi’s run. Shi’s lone Pitcher of the Year win came in 2016 as he posted only the fifth pitching Triple Crown in CLB history to that point. He had a 21-9 record, 1.76 ERA, and 335 strikeouts with 7 shutouts and 9.7 WAR. Shi had another 9+ WAR season in 2018 with a career and league best 0.78 WHIP that year. 2018 also had his lone no-hitter in a six strikeout performance versus Macau on June 23. In 2020, Shi finished third in Pitcher of the Year voting. His deal expired with Nanning after the 2020 campaign, becoming a free agent at age 33. Shi opened his search worldwide and ended up in Germany on a five-year, $54,400,000 with Frankfurt of the European Baseball Federation. Nanning was grateful for his efforts as the team’s first ace and a dominant force in their first finals appearance. Shi’s #22 uniform would later be retired and he was the first Hall of Fame inductee wearing Nuts red and gold. Shi was delightfully average in his debut season with Frankfurt. He was on an excellent pace in his second season, but missed the entire second half to a torn meniscus. Shi was back to middling in 2023 and was reduced to a bullpen role in 2024. A hamstring strain also cost him two months in 2024. Shi didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the fifth year with the Falcons, finishing with a 35-26 record, 3.52 ERA, 573 innings, 522 strikeouts, 92 walks, 109 ERA+, and 9.3 WAR. He still wanted to pitch in 2025 and signed a one-year deal with EBF’s Valencia, but the Vandals never used him during the season. Shi retired that winter at age 38, posting a combined pro career with a 173-132 record, 2.37 ERA, 2917 innings, 3451 strikeouts, 487 walks, 245/310 quality starts, 109 complete games, 33 shutouts, 118 ERA+, 68 FIP-, and 77.5 WAR. With Nanning, Shi had a 140-106 record, 2.08 ERA, 2344 innings, 2929 strikeouts, 395 walks, 206/249 quality starts, 99 complete games, 33 shutouts, 121 ERA+, 63 FIP-, and 68.2 WAR. Like his HOF classmates, Shi’s career didn’t have the longevity to soar up the counting stats. Still as of 2037, he ranked 24^th in pitching WAR, 53^rd in wins, 64^th in innings, 77^th in shutouts, and 21^st in strikeouts. Among those with 1000+ innings, Shi’s ERA was 89^th and his opponent’s OPS of .534 was 64^th. Shi’s WAR in China was similar to his classmates Yuandong Wang and Wei Huang, although he was certainly less dominant compared to them. Voters had already decided that the shorter careers weren’t going to hinder those two and thus it didn’t hinder Shi. Even with less dominance, he still had a POTY, Triple Crown, and a key role in Nanning’s finals berth. Shi got to 79.4% for a first ballot induction as the third member of Chinese League Baseball’s 2026 class. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

02-21-2025, 11:47 AM	#2091
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,783	2026 WAB Hall of Fame West African Baseball nearly had a blank Hall of Fame ballot for 2026 but closer Christopher James barely scraped in on his third ballot at 69.6%. 3B Ogunfeyimi Udoka barely missed joining James with a 65.2% debut, less than a point from the 66% requirement. Two other debuts were above 50% with 2B Kevin Ge at 58.6% and SP Zeb Onyedika at 57.5%. On their sixth tries, 1B Ikechukwu Onyia received 52.4% and CL Francis Koomson got 51.3%. RP Emma Markson also cracked the midway mark with 50.2% on his ninth attempt. No players were dropped after ten ballots, but catcher Okoro Otene was worth mentioning. He fell below 5% on his ninth try and peaked at 24.1%, meaning WAB’s HOF still didn’t have a catcher. Otene was an elite defender with nine Gold Gloves, but his below average bat hurt his case. Over 17 years, Otene had 1885 hits, 844 runs, 549 doubles, 267 home runs, 1016 RBI, 2320 strikeouts, 378 walks, .240/.274/.421 slash, 90 wRC+, and 44.8 WAR. As of 2037, Otene leads WAB catchers in WAR, runs, games, doubles, homers, RBI, and strikeouts. He’s possibly WAB’s best-ever catcher, but admittedly the bar hasn’t been set too high. Still, it was frustrating for many observers to see multiple world leagues fail to induct a single catcher while adding multiple relief pitchers, considering the far greater importance of the former over the latter. Christopher James – Closer – Niamey Atomics - 69.6% Third Ballot Christopher James was a 6’2’’, 205 pound relief pitcher from Zaria, Nigeria; a city of 736,000 and the capital of the Zazzau Emirate Council. James was known for having filthy stuff along with rock solid control and above average movement. He had an incredible 97-99 mph fastball that overpowered even the best hitters that was joined by a nice slider. James’ stamina was respectable for a reliever, although he did run into some injury issues with his forearm specifically. He had a decent enough pickoff move and was a strong defender. You would be hard pressed to find someone more dedicated and loyal than James. His work ethic and selflessness garnered immense respect from his peers over a 13-year career. In the 2005 WAB Draft, James was selected with the 13^th pick of the second round, 34^th overall, by Niamey. The Atomics made him their closer right away, a role James held for seven straight years. He led the Eastern League in saves in 2008 with 32, although his high would be 41 in 2012. 2009 had his best WAR total (4.6) and strikeout tally (163), while 2010 had his best ERA for Niamey (2.03). James finished second in Reliever of the Year voting in 2008 and 2010 and took third in 2009. In James’ rookie season of 2006, Niamey won the EL pennant, falling in the WAB Championship to Monrovia. The Atomics repeated in 2007 and avenged the earlier loss to the Diplomats for the franchise’s second title. Niamey also had playoff trips from 2009-11, but never got beyond the second round. In 14 playoff appearances, James had 5 saves, a 3-1 record, 2.45 ERA, 25.2 innings, 42 strikeouts, 166 ERA+, and 0.4 WAR. James also was a regular for Nigeria in the World Baseball Championship, although he was used primarily as a starter in the WBC. From 2006-15, James tossed 93 innings with a 3.48 ERA, 9-4 record, 140 strikeouts, 34 walks, 103 ERA+, and 1.7 WAR. The Nigerians would earn a third place finish in 2009 and fourth place in 2011. After the 2012 season, James became a free agent heading towards age 30 and signed a three-year, $12,960,000 deal with Kumasi. He won his lone Reliever of the Year in his 2013 debut with the Monkeys, leading in saves (40) and games (71) with a career-best 2.02 ERA. He also passed Johnson Madu’s 246 to become the new WAB career saves leader. James had one scoreless playoff inning as Kumasi fell in the first round. He was merely average in year two as the Monkeys missed the playoffs, but he became the first to 300 career saves. In the offseason, Kumasi traded him back to Niamey for three players. With the Monkeys, James had 69 saves, 126 games, 145 innings, 2.54 ERA, 216 strikeouts, 184 ERA+, and 5.7 WAR. James struggled in his return season to the Atomics with a 4.76 ERA and became a free agent again for 2016. Between stints with Niamey, James posted 262 saves over 506 games, 618.2 innings, 2.89 ERA, 1028 strikeouts, 167 walks, 146 ERA+, and 24.0 WAR. For his role in their two pennants and one championship win, the Atomics would eventually retire James’ #34 uniform. Soon to be 33-years old, James signed a three-year, $13,800,000 deal with Port Harcourt. He was good in middle relief in 2016, but struggled early in 2017 in a return to the close role. James posted a 3.88 ERA over 99.2 innings with 20 saves, 132 strikeouts, and -0.1 WAR for the Hillcats. In July 2017, Port Harcourt traded James to Dakar for two prospects. He stunk in limited use in 2017, but missed the end of the season to a torn meniscus. James returned to the closer role for most of 2018 for the Dukes with okay results, finishing his time there with a 3.95 ERA over 84.1 innings, 26 saves, 97 strikeouts, and an even zero WAR. He decided to retire after the 2018 campaign at age 35. James finished with 777 games, 947.2 innings, 377 saves, 407 shutdowns, 72-90 record, 1473 strikeouts, 261 walks, 144 ERA+, 67 FIP-, and 29.6 WAR. He remained the WAB saves leader until finally passed in the mid 2030s by Guillaume Mbimbiangoye. James also retired with the most games pitched and ranks fourth as of 2037. To that point, there hadn’t been much support for relievers in West African Baseball’s Hall of Fame, especially compared to some of the other closer-friendly HOFs. Johnson Madu had been the only true closer inducted and he was far more dominant, but only had 660 innings, 246 saves, 983 Ks, and 29.0 WAR. Axel Kouacou also had 206 saves, but he also had a significant amount of time as a starting pitcher. James wasn’t the overwhelmingly dominant force either that a lot of other HOF closers were in other leagues, plus he only won ROTY once. However, being the undisputed saves leader and having a championship ring was enough for the majority. James barely missed the 66% requirement with 64.0% and 65.8% in his first two ballots. Third time was the charm with a weak field, finishing at 69.6% as the lone WAB inductee for 2026. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

02-21-2025, 05:54 PM	#2092
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,783	2026 SAB Hall of Fame (Part 1) South Asia Baseball added three into the Hall of Fame for 2026, captained by strikeout king Jay Singh at a near unanimous 99.1%. OF Prajwal Adhikari also received a first ballot pick, although his 72.8% made it by a much thinner margin beyond the 66% requirement. CL Viaan Govindraj joined them both with 71.8% for his third ballot. Two others were above 50% with CL Khon Aye Ko at 56.0% for his third try and CF Chris Saandeep debuting at 55.4%. Dropped after ten ballots was SP Brahma Karim, the 2008 Pitcher of the Year with Yangon. He had two ERA titles in his 13 year career with a 181-69 record, 3.25 ERA, 2343 innings, 2462 strikeouts, 678 walks, 117 ERA+, and 43.3 WAR. Karim was more impressive in the playoffs, winning SAB titles with the Green Dragons in 2001 and Dhaka in 2011. Karim posted a 2.59 ERA over 156.2 innings, 9-4 record, 164 strikeouts, 148 ERA+, and 2.4 WAR in the postseason. Despite the playoff heroics, most voters felt his accumulations simply weren’t high enough. Karim also didn’t have the big sexy strikeout tallies with detractors arguing he was an above average pitcher who benefited by being on elite teams. Karim peaked at 46.1% in 2023 and generally hovered in the 40s before ending at a low of 16.7%. Although not in the HOF, Karim did see his #23 uniform retired by Yangon for his role in their world record playoff streak. Jay Singh – Starting Pitcher – Jaipur Jokers – 99.1% First Ballot Jay Singh was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Bengaluru, India. Singh had impressive overpowering stuff along with above average-to-good movement and control. He threw fire and his 99-101 mph fastball was one of the best. Singh had a diverse six pitch arsenal though with each pitch as an equally viable option. He knew how to mix between the fastball, slider, curveball, forkball, changeup, and circle change to frustrate batters to no end. Although Singh retired as SAB’s leader in innings, his stamina and ability to go deep in games was surprisingly average at best. Strong longevity and durability though meant you’d always get a nice workload from him regardless. Singh also had an impressive work ethic, becoming one of the most reliable arms ever in SAB. He also had an outstanding pickoff move and was great at holding runners, although his overall defense was merely decent. Singh’s professional career began in Malaysia as he was signed to a developmental deal by Kuala Lumpur in December 1999. He spent most of three years in their academy, debuting in 2002 at age 20 with six relief appearances. Singh was a full-time starter after that with respectable results, including a third place in 2003’s Rookie of the Year voting. KL earned a wild card that year, falling in the first round. Apart from that, Kuala Lumpur was largely mediocre in the 2000s. Singh first got major league-wide attention when he led in strikeouts with 303 in 2006. By this point, the Leopards were considering leaving the Southeast Asia League for Austronesia Professional Baseball. KL and fellow Malaysian squad Johor Bahru ended up making the jump for the 2008 season. Singh was entering his last year under contract for 2007 and let Kuala Lumpur know he preferred to stay within the SAB sphere. In January, the Leopards traded Singh to reigning SAB champion Jaipur for three prospects. For Kuala Lumpur, Singh had a 46-47 record, 3.36 ERA, 834 innings, 1091 strikeouts, 265 walks, 110 ERA+, and 17.9 WAR. The move to Jaipur brought Singh back to his native India. He did sporadically pitch for his country in the World Baseball Championship with appearances from 2006-08, as well as 2012, 14, and 19. Singh did well with a 2.17 ERA in 54 innings, 5-1 record, 77 strikeouts, 166 ERA+, and 1.3 WAR. Singh’s time with Jaipur would be his most famous run, debuting as 2007 Pitcher of the Year with league bests in ERA (1.98) and wins (20-3). Off that, the Jokers gave him a four-year, $13,120,000 extension. Singh repeated in 2008 with another ERA title (2.24) along with 335 strikeouts and a league best 6.8 WAR. He was second in 2009’s POTY voting with four of his five seasons with Jaipur being worth above 6.5 WAR. Jaipur’s playoff streak continued with berths from 2007-09. They had the top seed in 2007, but were upset in the first round by Kanpur. The Jokers were a wild card in 2008 and fell in the Indian League Championship Series to Mumbai. Jaipur again was the wild card this year and this time took the ILCS crown over Kolkata. They would be denied the SAB Championship by Ho Chi Minh City. Singh was a mixed bag in the playoffs with a 3.38 ERA over 58.2 innings, 1-3 record, 78 strikeouts, 107 ERA+ and 1.6 WAR. The Jokers began a rebuild after that and were below .500 from 2010-15. Overall for Jaipur, Singh was impressive with a 2.41 ERA over 1085.2 innings, 77-35 record, 1544 strikeouts, 223 walks, 151 ERA+, and 32.3 WAR. He entered free agency for 2012 at age 30 with plenty of offers. Singh went back to SEAL on a four-year, $18,120,000 deal with Dhaka, the defending champ. For the second time, Singh’s new team was fresh off winning it all. He took third in Pitcher of the Year voting in his Dobermans debut in 2012. Singh was second in 2013 despite league and career bests in strikeouts (365), K/BB (13.0), quality starts (26), FIP- (46), and WAR (10.5). He also had his career-best 1.94 ERA, but still lost the top honor to Vientiane two-way star Huynh Pham. Dhaka had first round playoff losses both years as a wild card with Singh having a poor start in 2012 and a good one in 2013. Singh won his third Pitcher of the Year in 2014 with his third ERA title (2.28) and a career best 0.81 WHIP. However, the Dobermans’ nine-year playoff streak still ended in 2014 with an 85-77 finish. The Dobermans signed Singh to a five-year, $46 million extension in April 2015 with the hope of extending their competitive window. It became clear that a rebuild would be necessary after a poor start to 2015 with an eventual 70-92 finish. Dhaka began a fire sale including a trade in late June sending Singh and $4,700,000 to Hyderabad for three prospects. With the Dobermans, Singh had a 51-32 record, 2.49 ERA, 753 innings, 1053 strikeouts, 127 walks, 152 ERA+, and 25.4 WAR. The Hippos had just missed the playoffs the prior year and hoped Singh could solidify them for a run. It worked as Hyderabad won the South Division to end a seven-year playoff drought, although they lost in the first round. The Hippos made it to the ILCS in both 2017 and 2018, but both years were denied a pennant by Kanpur. Singh was rock solid in the regular season, but struggled in the playoffs for Hyderabad with a 5.58 ERA in 30.2 innings. For his whole playoff career, Singh was a lackluster 3-9 in 109.1 innings with a 4.20 ERA, 151 strikeouts, 20 walks, 87 ERA+, and 2.8 WAR. Hyderabad hovered around .500 for the rest of his run Singh began hitting milestones with his longevity. He was the third in SAB to 4000 strikeouts in 2016 and the fifth to 200 wins in 2017. In 2018, he passed Zainal bin Aziz’s 4483 Ks to become the SAB all-time leader. Singh’s velocity started to dip and he fell to a 3.77 ERA and 3.3 WAR in 2020, his worst since his rookie year. He did finish the year with exactly 5000 strikeouts and his 249 wins were only 10 away from Arvind Lal’s record 259. 2020 was the end of Singh’s Hyderabad deal finishing with a 73-58 record, 2.96 ERA, 1117.1 innings, 1312 strikeouts, 223 walks, 124 ERA+, and 26.7 WAR. He pitched the most innings for the Hippos, but only by a few over Jaipur. Singh’s stronger performances with the Jokers led to his induction in Jaipur black and white. He considered sticking around to chase milestones, but Singh ultimately decided to retire that winter at age 39. Singh finished with a 249-152 record, 2.79 ERA, 3790 innings, 5000 strikeouts, 838 walks, 378/542 quality starts, 23 complete games, 7 shutouts, 132 ERA+, 73 FIP-, and 102.3 WAR. Singh remains SAB’s strikeout king as of 2037 and is one of 44 pitchers in world history with 5000 Ks. He also remains the all-time SAB leader for innings pitched. As of 2037, Singh is 4^th in wins and 3^rd in pitching WAR. Among those with 1000+ innings, his ERA ranks 56^th and his 1.02 WHIP is 48^th. Singh’s .611 opponent’s OPS is 53^rd with his .219/.268/.343 triple slash ranking 64^th/53^rd/62^nd. He also is 47^th in K/9 (11.87) and his H/9 is 62^nd (7.20). Most scholars list WARlord and eight-time POTY Zainal bin Aziz as SAB’s GOAT pitcher with several fighting over the next spots in the top ten. Most place Singh somewhere in the top five with some listing him as high as #2. His weaker playoff numbers hurt him on some lists and he didn’t have the peak raw dominance of some of SAB’s other great aces. However, Singh’s longevity and consistency was both top shelf. In any case, he was a slam dunk Hall of Fame headliner, leading South Asia Baseball’s 2026 class with a near unanimous 99.1%. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

02-22-2025, 08:02 AM	#2093
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,783	2026 SAB Hall of Fame (Part 2) Prajwal Adhikari – Center/Right Field – Kathmandu Chaparrals – 72.8% First Ballot Prajwal Adhikari was a 6’2’’, 205 pound right-handed outfielder from Baglung, Nepal, a city of around 260,000 inhabitants. Adhikari was a solid contact hitter who was great at putting the ball in play and avoiding strikeouts, although he was below average at drawing walks. His gap power was his biggest strength as a hitter with 36 doubles and 20 triples per his 162 game average. Adhikari never topped 20+ home runs in a season, but he did usually get you more than 10 each year. Adhikari speed and baserunning were both pretty good, but his stealing ability was merely above average. His combined offensive skills commonly placed him into the leadoff spot. He started in right field primarily in his first few seasons, but shifted later to center, the inverse of most career trajectories. Adhikari ultimately had around 2/3s of his starts in CF and the rest in RF. He graded on the whole as an excellent defender in right and passable in center. He had some recurring back troubles later in his career, but Adhikari was generally quite durable across a 17-year career. From 2005-17, he played 145+ games in all but one season. The one main knock teammates had about Adhikari was that he was a bit of a mercenary. He wasn’t going to cause trouble and wasn’t lazy, but you didn’t look to Adhikari for leadership or loyalty. Adhikari was viewed by many to be the best prospect out of Nepal since the legendary Tirtha Upadhyaya, who was SAB’s lone Nepali Hall of Famer prior to Adhikari. This excited folks in the capital Kathmandu, who hoped to find a Nepali superstar to lead the franchise. The Chaparrals picked Adhikari seventh overall in the 2003 SAB Draft. He struggled with limited use as a rookie with -0.6 WAR over 43 games. Adhikari earned a full-time starting job after that, although it took a bit to reach elite status. With Kathmandu, Adhikari led the Southeast Asia League thrice in triples and had two 6+ WAR seasons. He didn’t win any awards though and the Chaparrals remained a bottom-tier franchise for most of his run, averaging 74.4 wins per season. Things finally seemed to be trending upward in 2010 at 85-77, their first winning season since 2001. However, Adhikari left after that for free agency seeking a big payday at age 29. For Kathmandu, Adhikari had 963 games, 1064 hits, 442 runs, 200 doubles, 108 triples, 92 home runs, 526 RBI, 220 steals, .297/.334/.490 slash, 123 wRC+, and 25.3 WAR. It was his longest tenure and thus the team he was inducted with, although his Delhi stint would be certainly his most productive. Adhikari wouldn’t really be upheld as a franchise icon in later years in Kathmandu, although he did remain broadly popular with Nepali baseball fans. Adhikari signed for $20 million over five years with the Drillers and delivered right away with a career best 8.7 WAR season. He led the Indian League in hits (211), triples (29), and batting average (.356), with career bests in triples, triple slash (.356/.391/.590), OPS (.980), and wRC+ (190). Adhikari won his first Silver Slugger (at CF) and was third in MVP voting, his only time as a finalist. In 2013, Adhikari won his second Slugger with league and career bests in runs (119) and hits (219). In 2014, he hit for his lone cycle of his career. Delhi generally stunk while Adhikari was there apart from a surprise wild card in 2013, ending a nine-year playoff streak. The Drillers made it to the ILCS after upsetting 111-win Kolkata, but fell to Visakhapatnam. Adhikari had a strong playoff run with 1.309 OPS, 24 hits, 8 runs, and 10 extra base hits in 12 starts. In total over five years with Delhi, Adhikari played 743 games with 925 hits, 468 runs, 187 doubles, 93 triples, 64 home runs, 309 RBI, 211 steals, .323/.360/.520 slash, 160 wRC+, and 31.7 WAR. Adhikari was now 34 years old and returned to free agency for 2016, joining Hyderabad for $34 million over four years. He won his third Slugger in his debut and led in triples twice. Adhikari became the SAB all-time leader in triples, leading his league six times in the stat. Adhikari had .877 OPS in the postseason as the Hippos lost in the first round in 2016 and the ILCS in 2017. Hyderabad also fell in the 2018 ILCS, but Adhikari missed the playoff run with a herniated disc. In three years for the Hippos, Adhikari had 435 games, 522 hits, 247 runs, 99 doubles, 59 triples, 43 home runs, 233 RBI, .324/.362/.539 slash, 162 wRC+, and 17.9 WAR. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the fourth year of the contract and returned to free agency at age 37. Adhikari’s production had remained quite steady, which earned him a three-year, $26,700,000 deal with Visakhapatnam.. Adhikari was on a good pace in 2019, but lost around two months in the fall to another herniated disc. He then declined sharply with -1.0 WAR and .647 OPS for the Volts in 2020 over 110 games. Realizing he was cooked, Adhikari retired that winter just after his 39^th birthday. For Visakhapatnam, he played 217 games with 2.8 WAR and .761 OPS. The final tallies had 2358 games, 2711 hits, 1241 runs, 525 doubles, 284 triples, 212 home runs, 1136 RBI, 461 walks, 1254 strikeouts, 571 stolen bases, .308/.346/.505 slash, 141 wRC+, and 77.7 WAR. Adhikari retired the triples leader and only finally got passed in the mid 2030s by Gunavati Candrajita. As of 2037, Adhikari ranks 21^st in hits, 53^rd in runs, 27^th in doubles, 91^st in RBI, 88^th in stolen bases, and 54^th in WAR among position players. Adhikari was rarely dominant or considered a top five level player, but he had remarkably consistent and reliable production for 17 years. Being the triples king and hitting 2500+ hits, 1000+ runs, 500+ doubles, and 1000+ RBI were all important milestones for many voters. Some still were skeptical by the lack of big accolades, power stats, and team success. Adhikari debuted with 72.8%, enough to cross the 66% threshold for a first ballot induction with South Asia Baseball’s 2026 Hall of Fame class. Viaan Govindraj – Relief Pitcher – Visakhapatnam Volts – 71.8% Third Ballot Viaan Govindraj was a 5’9’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Visakhapatnam, India. The stocky Govindraj had strong stuff and great control along with above average-to-good movement. His one-two punch was a 97-99 mph fastball along with an outstanding circle change. Govindraj expertly changed speeds and fooled batters with which pitch was coming. Govindraj didn’t have the stamina to go too many innings, but his ironman durability meant he was already ready to come out of the bullpen. He did struggle with holding runners and was below average defensively. Govindraj was quiet and humble, keeping his head down while working his butt off. Pitchers projected to a career of relief didn’t generally get drafted high, but Govindraj was picked in the late first round. As a Visakhapatnam native, his hometown squad had kept tabs throughout his amateur efforts. The Volts took Govindraj 21^st overall and made him a full-time part of the bullpen right away with immediate results. Govindraj was third in 2005 and 2006’s Reliever of the Year voting, then took second in 2007. His lone award win came in 2008 with career bests in ERA (1.32), innings (102), strikeouts (166), and WAR (4.8). Govindraj was third in 2009’s voting as he led the Indian League with 45 saves. 2009 was Visakhapatnam’s first winning season or playoff berth since 2001, although they had a first round exit. Govindraj gave up three runs over 5.1 playoff innings. That marked the end of Govindraj’s first stint with his hometown team as they couldn’t come to terms. It was also his final year pitching for India in the World Baseball Championship. Govindraj pitched from 2004-09 for the Indians with unremarkable results with a 5.59 ERA over 29 innings, 49 strikeouts, and -0.2 WAR. He didn’t leave the Indian League though, joining Mumbai on a one-year deal worth $2,040,000. Govindraj was second in ROTY for the Meteors with league and career bests in saves (48) and games (79). He tossed 1.2 clean playoff innings, although the Meteors lost in the first round. Govindraj was moved out the closer role and saw limited middle relief use in the next two seasons. He pitched in 2011 for Pune and started 2012 with Delhi. The Drillers traded him in the summer to Yangon, who went on to win the SAB Championship. Govindraj allowed one run over 4.2 playoff innings and four appearances. He then gave up two runs in 4.1 innings in the Baseball Grand Championship as Yangon took tenth at 10-9. Coming up on age 33, Visakhapatnam brought Govindraj back on a two-year, $7,920,000 deal. The Volts were coming off an Indian League pennant in 2012 He returned to the closer role in 2013 with 41 saves in 72 games, becoming the eighth in SAB to earn 300 career saves. Visakhapatnam repeated as IL champs in 2013, losing the SAB Championship to Hanoi. Govindraj tossed 16 playoff innings with 6 saves, a 2.25 ERA and 27 strikeouts. He was moved back to middle relief for 2014 as Visakhapatnam fell to Kolkata in the ILCS. Between his two stints with the Volts, Govindraj had 261 saves and 317 shutdowns, 2.09 ERA, 730.2 innings, 1179 strikeouts, 149 walks, 162 ERA+, and 26.2 WAR. The hometown boy would see his #24 uniform eventually retired by the Volts. Govindraj bounced around as a serviceable middle relief guy for the rest of his career. He had second stints with Mumbai in 2015 and with both Delhi and Yangon in 2016. Govindraj went to Colombo for 2017 and finished up with Hanoi in 2018. He retired that winter at age 38 after 16 seasons. The final stats for Govindraj saw 871 games, 1127.2 innings, 326 saves, 428 shutdowns, 80-86 record, 1681 strikeouts, 243 walks, 144 ERA+, 62 FIP-, and 35.7 WAR. He ranks 18^th in saves as of 2037 and among pitchers with 1000+ innings Govindraj ranks 16^th in ERA, 18^th in opponent’s OPS (.581), 9^th in K/9 (13.42), and 30^th in H/9 (6.85). His .208/.257/.324 triple slash ranks 25^th/21^st/23^rd. Govindraj ranks 7^th in WAR and strikeouts among the South Asia Baseball Hall of Fame relievers as of 2037. He wasn’t as dominant as some of those peers which kept him off the ballots of the more reliever-stringent voters. Govindraj still had the milestones that the majority looked for though. He just missed the 66% requirement at 65.1% and 62.8% in his initial two ballots. Third time was the charm for Govindraj at 71.8% to take the third and final slot in the 2026 class. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

02-22-2025, 11:30 AM	#2094
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,783	2026 ABF Hall of Fame For back-to-back seasons, the Asian Baseball Federation didn’t add anyone into its Hall of Fame. The closest to the 66% requirement in 2026 was debuting closer Sadri Delkashi who just missed at 64.7%. 1B Aayush Pereira was the only other player above 50% with a 55.6% debut. SP Wepa Khan was the top returner with 48.4% on his second try. Two-way player Tomas Pataki fell off the ballot after ten failed tries, peaking at 52.9% in 2025 before falling to a low of 29.8% at the end. He won three MVPs and was a seven-time Silver Slugger with five as a pitcher and two at third base. He did lose some tallies by playing his final four seasons between CABA and EPB and because of injuries. Pataki was better as a hitter with 1295 games, 1139 hits, 562 runs, 266 doubles, 181 home runs, 572 RBI, 420 walks, .292/.361/.513 slash, 166 wRC+, and 47.5 WAR in 13 seasons between Bishkek and Mashhad. Pitching, Pataki had a 110-87 record, 3.20 ERA, 1863.2 innings, 1615 strikeouts, 450 walks, 103 ERA+, and 23.3 WAR. This gave him a combined ABF WAR of 70.8. Although recognized in his time, many voters felt his stats weren’t nearly impressive enough even when you combined them together. Pataki was definitely just above average at as pitcher and might have gotten more traction if instead dedicated his time to third base. The rate stats showed he could’ve gotten there with more at-bats and tallies. Pataki was hard for some traditionalist voters to grapple with, leaving him on the outside despite three MVP wins. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder) Last edited by FuzzyRussianHat; 02-22-2025 at 06:07 PM.

02-22-2025, 06:08 PM	#2095
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,783	2026 ALB Hall of Fame (Part 1) The 2026 Hall of Fame class for Arab League Baseball had three players headlined by SP Hazem El-Morsy at 96.1%. DH Mohamed Mansour also was a first ballot pick at 80.6% while second ballot Ziyad bin Mostafa narrowly breached the 66% requirement at 70.6%. LF Abduwali Suleiman was the only other player above 50%, getting 59.4% on his sixth try. CL Wael El Baba was dropped after ten failed ballots, ending at only 5.2% while peaking at 29.4% in 2018. He led in saves and won Reliever of the Year in both 2009 and 2011 for Casablanca. El Baba’s ALB totals were hurt by spending his final five years in MLB. In ALB, he had nine seasons with 197 saves and 264 shutdowns, 2.06 ERA, 602.2 innings, 903 strikeouts, 183 ERA+, and 24.0 WAR. It was an impressive short burst, but not nearly a long enough run to earn any serious consideration. Hazem El-Morsy – Starting Pitcher – Giza Goats – 96.1% First Ballot Hasem El-Morsy was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Ismailia, Egypt; a city of around 1,400,000 in the west bank of the Suez Canal. El-Morsy had solid stuff, excellent movement, and very good control. His fastball peaked in the 97-99 mph range, although it was his stellar splitter that caused hitters the most trouble. El-Morsy also had a decent curveball as a third option. El-Morsy’s stamina was better than most ALB aces with decent stamina, posting 200+ innings in 11 of his 15 seasons. His defense and ability to hold runners were just below average. El-Morsy was a high character player known for his selflessness, work ethic, and intelligence. His character and talent helped him become one of Egypt’s favorite baseball players. In the 2005 ALB Draft, El-Morsy was picked 15^th overall by Giza, where he’d spend his entire career. He was a full-time starter immediately and earned 2006 Rookie of the Year honors with a 5.4 WAR season. El-Morsy also posted a 1.59 ERA over 22.2 playoff innings with 23 strikeouts as a rookie as the Goats earned their first-ever playoff berth and Western Conference title. Giza ultimately dropped the Arab League Championship to Basra 4-3. That started a five-year streak for Giza as Nile Division champs, although they didn’t get beyond the first round from 2007-10. El-Morsy won Pitcher of the Year in his second year, leading the WC in 2007 in ERA (2.41), wins (20-7), and WAR (8.5). This was his lone ERA title and a career low and one of three seasons with 300+ strikeouts, fanning 314. 2007 also featured a 20 strikeout game on April 14 versus Amman. El-Morsy was second in 2008’s POTY voting and that winter signed a seven-year, $13,330,000 extension with Giza. 2009 had a setback with bone chips in his elbow in May that kept him out five months. El-Morsy bounced back though with 7.5+ WAR in the next four seasons. He took second in 2010’s POTY voting off a 9.6 WAR effort, then won the award for the second time in 2011. El-Morsy had his career bests in strikeouts (324), WHIP (0.86), quality starts (28), and WAR (10.2). He would finish third in Pitcher of the Year voting in 2014. El-Morsy declined the option year of his contract, becoming a free agent officially for 2015 at age 31. He came to terms with Giza on a new massive six-year, $80,400,000 deal. After making $11.39 million to that point in his career, El-Morsy now would have an annual $13.4 million salary. Part of this also was due to the general rise in salaries and popularity in Arab League Baseball. He was happy to stay with Giza and to stay home in Egypt. El-Morsy remained a strong regular in the World Baseball Championship for the Egyptians, tossing 195.2 innings from 2006-20. El-Morsy posted a 2.62 ERA with 206 strikeouts, 57 walks, 138 ERA+, and 4.7 WAR. Egypt would post its best-ever effort to that point with a fourth place finish in 2014. El-Morsy lost a month in 2015 to an elbow strain, but stayed healthy for the next three years. He led in wins at 21-6 in 2016 despite it being a weaker year by WAR for him. After missing the playoffs from 2011-15, Giza took the top seed in 2016 at 101-61. They were ultimately ousted by Damascus in the conference final as El-Morsy had a lackluster 4.91 ERA over 14.2 innings. His playoff career stats were a mixed bag outside of the strong 2006 run, finishing with a 3.47 ERA over 59.2 innings, 57 strikeouts, 107 ERA+, and 1.5 WAR. The Goats remained above .500 for the rest of his run, but Cairo would assume control of the Nile Division with a nine-year division title streak. El-Morsy had one more great year in 2018 and took second in Pitcher of the Year voting with 8.0 WAR and 2.48 ERA. In late June 2019, El-Morsy was again diagnosed with bone chips in his elbow and required surgery. He returned in 2020, but saw diminished skills along with missed games between elbow tendinitis and a bone spur. El-Morsy opted to retire that winter at age 37 and saw his #17 uniform immediately retired by Giza. El-Morsy finished with a 205-119 record, 2.90 ERA, 3101.2 innings, 3477 strikeouts, 515 walks, 287/423 quality starts, 71 complete games, 23 shutouts, 131 ERA+, 69 FIP-, and 94.0 WAR. As of 2037, El-Morsy is 15^th in wins, 15^th in innings, 12^th in complete games, 6^th in shutouts, 16^th in strikeouts, and 7^th in pitching WAR. Among pitchers with 1000+ innings, El-Morsy’s ERA ranks 22^nd and his 1.00 WHIP is 15^th. He also posted a .623 opponent’s OPS that ranks 20^th. El-Morsy’s triple slash of .228/.265/.357 ranks 43^rd/21^st/27^th. He also is 56^th in BB/9 (1.49) and 45^th in H/9 (7.55). El-Morsy is universally considered one of Arab League Baseball’s top 20 pitchers all-time, although he misses the top 10 for many scholars. Regardless of where you might rank him in the grand scheme, El-Morsy was clearly a Hall of Fame headliner. At 96.1%, he took top billing in an impressive three-player 2026 class. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

02-23-2025, 08:03 AM	#2096
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,783	2026 ALB Hall of Fame (Part 2) Mohamed Mansour – Designated Hitter – Giza Goats – 80.6% First Ballot Mohamed Mansour was a 5’11’’, 195 pound left-handed designated hitter from Cairo, Egypt. Mansour was known for having an outstanding eye for drawing walks along with reliably strong home run power. He was dangerous facing right-handed pitching with a career .970 OPS and 161 wRC+. Against righties, Mansour was an above average to good contact hitter with a decent strikeout rate. He was actively bad though for his career facing lefties with .647 OPS and 82 wRC+. Mansour’s power was concentrated on dingers with a 162 game average of 37 homers, 19 doubles, and 1 triple. His baserunning speed was subpar at its best, but Mansour was a remarkably skilled and crafty baserunner. Few players were ever better at timing his jumps, stealing successfully on 86% of his attempts despite his lackluster top speed. This also was a source of endless frustration for pitchers considering how often Mansour drew walks. He was one of the few Hall of Famers in world history to make it as a pure DH, as most of the others who played DH at least had some chunks defensively. Mansour never started a game in the field and only played 23 innings defensively his entire career. He did run into some recurring injury issues with his left leg, but he was still good for a 20 year career. Some coaches said Mansour’s work ethic was a bit lacking and he wasn’t one to want to learn new things. But he exceled at enough specific things to earn a roster spot for two decades. In June 2000, Mansour was signed to a developmental contract with Giza. He officially debuted in 2004 at age 20 with 40 plate appearances and one start. The Goats gave him a starting job after that and by his second year in the lineup, he led the Western Conference in walks. Mansour led in walks four times with Giza and six times in his ALB run. 2006 also marked the start of a five-year playoff streak for the Goats, who won their lone Western Conference pennant over Algiers before dropping the ALB final to Basra. Giza wouldn’t get beyond the first round in the next four years with Mansour posting an unremarkable .222/.394/.426 slash and 107 wRC+ over 16 playoff starts for the Goats. He was an important reason they had their run atop the Nile Division though. 2007 was Mansour’s finest season, leading the conference with 117 runs, 118 RBI, 102 walks, a .342 average, .443 OBP, 1.046 OPS, 187 wRC+, and 8.1 WAR. He won his lone Silver Slugger and took second in MVP voting. The runs, RBI, triple slash, OPS, wRC+, and WAR would be career highs as would his 190 hits and 29 doubles. Mansour was on a similar pace for 2008 but missed the final three months to a fractured ankle. Mansour took third in 2009’s MVP voting with 40 homers, 107 RBI, and 7.0 WAR. Sharing a conference with Tarek Abdel Rahman and later Adham Abdallah though kept Mansour from winning another Silver Slugger. He had another injury setback with a ruptured Achilles tendon in late September 2010. Mansour missed the playoffs and wasn’t back until the summer of 2011. 2012 would be his final season with Giza, leading yet again in walks. For the Goats, Mansour had 1168 games, 1151 hits, 686 runs, 155 doubles, 255 home runs, 694 RBI, 690 walks, 173 steals, .290/.394/.524 slash, 155 wRC+, and 39.8 WAR. The franchise liked him enough to eventually retire his #23 uniform. Mansour entered free agency for 2013 at age 29 and left Egypt for the first time. He would still come home for the World Baseball Championship, but he was mostly a backup with 66 games and only 16 starts from 2006-18. Mansour joined Baghdad on a seven-year, $69,300,000 deal. He led in walks twice with the Brown Bears with steady power, posting six seasons with 30+ homers and three with 100+ RBI. Mansour’s home run high came in 2017 with 55 dingers. He also thrice had above 5+ WAR from the DH spot. Baghdad had been a terribly run franchise, but Mansour did help them to their first-ever playoff trip in 2014. The Brown Bears were ousted in the first round and still haven’t been back to the postseason since as of 2037. With Baghdad, Mansour played 1061 games with 989 hits, 674 runs, 138 doubles, 270 homers, 647 RBI, 597 walks, 162 steals, .269/.370/.532 slash, 141 wRC+, and 30.7 WAR. In the last year of his deal, Mansour was traded at the deadline to Mecca for four prospects. The Marksmen mostly used him as a pinch hitter to close out 2019 and Mansour’s ALB run. A free agent again at age 36, he opened up a worldwide job search and found a new home in the Oceania Baseball Association. Mansour moved to Australia on a three-year, $12,960,000 deal with Canberra. He could still hit righties, but his troubles with lefties were worsening, so he was used in a platoon role. Mansour had 2.5 WAR over 114 games and 85 starts for the Centurions in 2020. Canberra traded him after one year to Melbourne in the offseason for two pitchers. He was a full-time starter both years for the Mets and led twice in walks drawn, posting a .245/.360/.452 slash, 118 wRC+, and 5.3 WAR. Mansour signed a three-year, $16,800,000 deal with Auckland for 2023. He was iffy over 113 games in 2023 and was a backup in 2024 with only 23 games. Mansour was let go and unsigned in 2025, retiring that winter just after his 42^nd birthday. In OBA, he had 541 games, 421 hits, 303 runs, 41 doubles, 103 home runs, 261 RBI, 322 walks, .244/.355/.447 slash, 118 wRC+, and 9.0 WAR. In the Arab League, Mansour played 2268 games with 2153 hits, 1374 runs, 294 doubles, 14 triples, 531 home runs, 1350 RBI, 1304 walks, 1636 strikeouts, 337 steals, .280/.383/.528 slash, 148 wRC+, and 71.1 WAR. As of 2037, Mansour ranks 43^rd in games, 72^nd in hits, 40^th in runs, 35^th in homers, 52^nd in RBI, 63^rd in total bases (4068), 3^rd in walks, and 36^th in WAR among position players. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, he ranked 21^st in OBP and his .911 OPS was 94^th. Mansour’s power tallies were impressive enough to outweigh the penalty of being a career DH for most voters. For his combined career, Mansour played 2806 games with 2574 hits, 1677 runs, 335 doubles, 634 home runs, 1611 RBI, 1626 walks, .272/.378/.513 slash, 142 wRC+, and 80.1 WAR. As of 2037, Mansour ranks 19^th in all of pro baseball history in walks drawn. He received 80.6% for the first ballot induction into the Arab League Baseball Hall of Fame for 2026. Ziyad “Wonder Boy” bin Mostafa – Starting Pitcher – Damascus Dusters – 70.6% Second Ballot Ziyad bin Mostafa was a 6’4’’, 205 pound left-handed pitcher from Amman, the capital of Jordan. Nicknamed “Wonder Boy” for his childhood successes and potential, bin Mostafa had good-to-great stuff and movement. His control was lackluster early in his career, but he managed to get it to around average in his later years. Bin Mostafa’s 99-101 mph sinker was easily his best pitch, but he also had a splitter, slider, and changeup in the arsenal. When healthy, his stamina was considered pretty good, but his innings were severely limited due to injuries in his career. Bin Mostafa was excellent at holding runners, but weak defensively otherwise. Few were more respected in the clubhouse as bin Mostafa was a team captain. His leadership, loyalty, work ethic, and intelligence were all top tier. By the 2006 ALB Draft, bin Mostafa was one of the highest rated pitchers on most boards. He went tenth overall by Damascus, where he’d spend his entire career. Because of early control issues, bin Mostafa had limited use early in his career with only 14 relief appearances in his first two years. He was moved to the closer role with okay results in 2009. 2010 saw 11 starts, but bin Mostafa still was primarily a reliever. He finally became a full-time starter in 2011 and led the Western Conference in wins at 20-6, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. Damascus gave bin Mostafa a six-year, $13,400,000 extension that winter. The Dusters hoped he was finally that ace to lead them to their first successes. Damascus had been one of ALB’s worst teams to that point with no winning seasons from 1994-2013. In 2012, bin Mostafa won Pitcher of the Year with conference and career bests in strikeouts (308) and WAR (8.1). He took second in 2014 and Damascus earned their first-ever playoff appearance. The Dusters won the Western Conference at the top seed, but lost to Jeddah in the Arab League Championship. Bin Mostafa missed the playoffs though as he suffered a rotator cuff strain in late September. This began a six-year playoff streak for Damascus, but sadly bin Mostafa didn’t make a playoff appearance until 2018. In 2015, he was out from late July onward with a ruptured disc in his back. In 2016, bin Mostafa won his second Pitcher of the Year with a career and conference-best 1.99 ERA. Sadly on September 14, he suffered a torn flexor tendon in his elbow that kept him out a calendar year. Damascus did win their first ALB title in 2016 with bin Mostafa earning a ring. Many of his teammates credited his captaincy and leadership for their championship win. Because of the flexor tear, bin Mostafa made it back for one start at the end of 2017. The Dusters gave him a two-year, $1,680,000 mostly out of respect, a major pay cut. His stuff was diminished and he spent the next two years in middle relief. The leadership ultimately was more valuable then his ability at that point. In 2018, he made his lone career playoff appearance, tossing 1.2 scoreless innings in relief. After the 2019 campaign, bin Mostafa retired at age 35 and Damascus quickly retired his #18 uniform. The final tallies for bin Mostafa saw a 124-64 record, 59 saves, 2.53 ERA, 1687.2 innings, 1906 strikeouts, 348 walks, 150/196 quality starts, 26 complete games, 7 shutouts, 150 ERA+, 71 FIP-, and 46.9 WAR. He obviously didn’t pitch enough to factor in on the leaderboards, although bin Mostafa was still 60^th in pitching WAR as of 2037. The rate stats were impressive for bin Mostafa, whose ERA ranked 5^th among those with 1000+ innings. His 1.01 WHIP was 21^st and .611 opponent’s OPS was 13^th. The triple slash for bin Mostafa was .222/.273/.338, ranking 29^th/38^th/7^th. His 7.26 H/9 also ranked 25^th. While bin Mostafa’s rate stats were Hall of Fame worthy, his accumulations were way on the low end. As of 2037, he still has the fewest wins, innings, strikeouts, and WAR of ALB HOF starters. Bin Mostafa’s tallies are among the lowest of any starter in any league’s Hall, but supporters gave him some grace for the injuries and seeming misuse early in his career. Two Pitcher of the Year awards go a long way and in that 2011-16 prime, bin Mostafa was easily a top five level pitcher in Arab League Baseball. His leadership and captaincy also really went a long way in getting him across the line. Bin Mostafa barely missed the 66% cutline in his debut ballot with 65.8% in 2025. He got the bump up to 70.6% in 2026 for a second ballot selection as the third member of the 2026 crew. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

02-23-2025, 12:39 PM	#2097
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,783	2026 AAB Hall of Fame (Part 1) The African Association of Baseball had a historic record five-player Hall of Fame class in 2026. Each player was first ballot as well, co-headlined by CF Mwarami Tale (99.1%) and 2B Fani Ngambi (98.2%). Joining them was C Steve Isaac (85.5%), CF/1B Ronny Safari (80.5%), and 1B Jose Santarem (74.9%). The only other player above 50% was CL Deon Westerveld debuting at 53.4%. RF Hamad Ali was the top returner with 46.6% on his second try. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots. Mwarami “Silky” Tale – Center Field – Luanda Landsharks – 99.1% First Ballot Mwarami Tale was a 6’1’’, 185 pound left-handed center fielder from Dar es Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania. Tale was one of the true legends of the game with incredible home run power, excellent contact skills, and a solid eye for drawing walks. The nickname “Silky” was in relation to Tale‘s incredibly smooth and beautiful swing. Few if any players in baseball history wrecked right-handed pitching like Tale, who had a career 201 wRC+ and 1.140 OPS against RHP. He was plenty dangerous facing lefties too with a career 139 wRC+ and .878 OPS. Tale’s 162 game average got you a staggering 54 home runs along with 27 doubles and 4 triples. He had nine seasons of 50+ homers and topped 60+ six times. His strikeout rate was just below average. Tale had pretty good speed, but his baserunning instincts were surprisingly poor and he was caught stealing more than he succeeded. His speed did give him plenty of range as a career center fielder. Tale graded as a reliably above average-to-good defender on the whole, even winning a Gold Glove in 2004. While he did run into sporadic injury troubles, Tale held up remarkably well over 23 years at a very demanding position. He was one of the first worldwide megastars to come out of AAB and is considered by many to be the league’s greatest player ever. It was obvious early on that Tale’s potential was seemingly limitless. Luanda managed to land him to a developmental deal in June 1997, bringing Tale from Tanzania to Angola. He debuted in 2000 at only age 19, although he wasn’t quite ready yet. Tale played 152 games and started 75 in his first two years, but posted -0.6 WR total. He started most of 2002 with promising results, earning the full-time gig after that. By 2003, Tale discovered his legendary home run power with a 56 dinger effort, leading the Southern Conference in total bases at 406. He had his first of five seasons above 10+ WAR, earning his first Silver Slugger and a second place in MVP voting. From 2003-19, Tale would hit 40+ homers in all but two injury-shortened seasons. He would also reach 7+ WAR in all but three seasons during that stretch and had an OPS above one each year except 2007. Tale was even better in 2004 with conference bests in runs (140), homers (64), and OPS (1.129) along with 143 RBI and 11.2 WAR. He won his lone Gold Glove and his first MVP, although he shockingly lost out on the Silver Slugger to Arsenio Baroso. Luanda earned their second-ever playoff berth, but fell to Tale’s hometown Dar es Salaam in the Southern Conference Championship. This did start a six-year streak of winning seasons by the Landsharks. In April 2005, Tale inked an eight-year, $20,320,000 extension with Luanda. He had his first major injury setback that summer with a ruptured finger tendon knocking him out for the fall. Tale bounced back with an all-time season in 2006, setting new single-season records for runs (146), homers (77), total bases (454), slugging (.852), and OPS (1.293). The home run mark edged the then single-season record of 76 by AAB’s Mohau Sibiya, which was the world record to that point. Tale’s reign atop the world lasted two years before eventual world homer king Majed Darwish smacked 85, 91, and 85 from 2008-10. Tale’s 77 homers rank 14^th in world history as of 2037. He missed the Triple Crown by one point with a .341 average and his 12.5 WAR was the second-best in AAB history to that point. Unsurprisingly, Tale won his second MVP and Silver Slugger. As of 2037, Tale’s 2006 still ranks as the third-best in WAR for a position player, fourth in homers, fifth in runs, third in OPS, and second in slugging. His hold as the AAB home run king wasn’t passed until 2028, although it was matched once in 2012. This got Luanda back to the playoffs, one game behind Durban for first place. Tale had a forgettable playoff series as the Landsharks were defeated 4-1 by the Deer in the Southern Conference Championship. Tale had a shockingly poor 2007 by his standards, although he was still good for 5.6 WAR and 45 homers. Luanda stayed above .500, but missed the playoffs in 2007 and 2008. Tale was back to form with his third MVP season in 2008 and third Slugger, leading in homers (63), OPS (1.096), and wRC+ (190). Then in 2009, he managed to somehow best his record-setting 2006 to win his fourth MVP and Slugger, posting the second hitting Triple Crown in AAB history. With a 1.3748 OPS, Tale set a single-season world record that still stands as of 2037. He had a triple slash of .382/.489/.885, which were all AAB records with new world records for on-base percentage and slugging. As of 2037, the slugging still ranks second in world history and the OBP is third. Tale’s OBP and SLG hold as AAB records while the batting average is third. He also posted 14.4 WAR, which remains the AAB position player record as of 2037 and ranks 23^rd in world history by a position player. Tale also shattered the previous AAB RBI record with 180, which was the fourth-best in world history to that point. As of 2037, it ranks 11^th in world history and fourth in AAB. He broke his AAB total bases record with 464 and held that mark for two decades before eventually shuffling down to seventh. Tale smacked 71 homers and had career bests in hits (200) and doubles (35). He was one of only five in world history to that point to reach 70+ homers in multiple seasons. Tale also hit for the cycle for the first time in 2009. Luanda finished first for the first time and defeated Durban for their first-ever Southern Conference pennant. They were dispatched in the Africa Series 5-2 by Addis Ababa for the Brahmas’ second straight title. Tale won conference finals MVP, but stunk up the Africa Series. He graded as surprisingly mediocre in the playoffs on the whole with a .194/.310/.444 slash, 80 wRC+, and zero WAR. Shortly after the series, Tale shocked the continent by opting out of his Luanda contract early, entering free agency for 2010 headed towards age 29. With the Landsharks, Tale played 1317 games with 1329 hits, 898 runs, 248 doubles, 39 triples, 438 home runs, 1015 RBI, 661 walks, 184 steals, .304/.402/.680 slash, 183 wRC+, and 69.5 WAR. While many Luanda fans hated the abrupt ending, Tale was still beloved overall for his dominance and role in their first pennant. His #3 uniform would be retired once his playing days were over. Some wondered if this meant Tale would be leaving for a big MLB deal, but he shocked Africa further by signing an eight-year, $29,640,000 deal with Addis Ababa in March 2010. The Brahmas were already amidst a dynasty led by eventual six-time MVP Felix Chaula, Marlin Kimwaki, and three-time Pitcher of the Year Michael Wakachu. Now with Tale, Addis Ababa was primed to be absolutely unstoppable. In Tale’s debut, Addis Ababa staked their case for AAB’s best-ever season with a 120-42 record and Africa Series win over Harare. That remains the AAB record and the 2010 Brahmas are one of only ten teams in world history as of 2037 to win 120+ games and their league’s title. AA would go 104-58, 113-49, and 105-57 in the next three years and win it all each time, giving them a six-peat overall and four straight with Tale. Tale overcame his earlier playoff woes with Luanda and was a beast with Addis Ababa, starting 49 games with 59 hits, 40 runs, 17 doubles, 18 home runs, 42 RBI, .333/.443/.746 slash, 1.189 OPS and 3.9 WAR. He was the Africa Series MVP three straight years from 2011-13. The Brahmas became a staple of the early Baseball Grand Championship events, which started in 2010. They went 6-3 in a tie for second in the initial two-division format in 2010. Addis Ababa was 10-9 in 2011, 11-8 in 2012, and 10-9 in 2013 with official finishes of tenth, seventh, and seventh. Over 66 games, Tale had 2.7 WAR with 39 runs, 57 hits, 6 doubles, 25 home runs, 49 RBI, and 35 walks. In the regular season, Tale led thrice in WAR, twice in runs, twice in RBI, and once in total bases, OPS, and wRC+ with the Brahmas. He won MVP in 2010, 11, and 13 with a second place in 2012. Tale was the first-ever seven time MVP in AAB, passing the six MVPs by teammate Chaula. Tale also won a Silver Slugger in all five seasons with AA. He still managed it in 2014 despite losing more than a month to back injuries. With Addis Ababa, Tale also became the fourth to 700 home runs and the seventh to 2000 hits. For the Brahmas, Tale finished with 683 games, 737 hits, 530 runs, 108 doubles, 266 homers, 579 RBI, 415 walks, .310/.414/.699 slash, 197 wRC+, and 40.9 WAR. He’d be beloved in Ethiopia as well for his role in putting the Addis Ababa dynasty over the top. Tale opted out of the final year of his deal to become a free agent for 2015 heading towards age 34. He ended up signing with Johannesburg for $46 million over four years. Although his career was split between Angola, Ethiopia, and South Africa, Tale did still represent his native Tanzania in the World Baseball Championship from 2001-22. He played 170 games with 140 hits, 86 runs, 18 doubles, 58 home runs, 122 RBI, 88 walks, .236/.342/.563 slash, and 6.1 WAR. Tale maintained a high level of play with the Jackalopes with 7+ WAR, 40+ homers, 100+ RBI, and 1.000+ OPS in each of his seasons there. He spent six years with Johannesburg, eventually inking a three-year, $33,300,000 extension after the 2018 season. Tale won Silver Sluggers in 2016, 17, 18, 19, and 20. He was second in MVP voting in 2015 and 2017 and third in 2019. The year prior to signing Tale, Johannesburg had ended a five-year playoff drought. They would finish first in the Southern Conference standings in 2015, 16, 18, 19, and 20. The Jackalopes claimed the pennant in 2015, 16, 18, and 20; although they never could win the Africa Series. Johannesburg fell to Brazzaville in 2015 and 2016 and to Kampala in both 2018 and 2020. Tale was respectable in the playoffs over 51 starts with 46 hits, 25 runs, 11 doubles, 11 home runs, 22 RBI, .243/.338/.476 slash, 124 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR. He stepped up huge though in the 2015 Baseball Grand Championship as Johannesburg made it in as the at-large. Tale posted 19 hits, 14 runs, 4 doubles, 9 homers, 19 RBI, 1.185 OPS, 200 wRC, and 1.4 WAR in 18 games. The Jackalopes shocked the world by finishing 15-4 with the tiebreaker over Denver, becoming the first Grand Champion out of Africa. In 2020, Tale missed almost two months between a knee sprain and sprained elbow. Still, he led in WAR (7.3) in only 111 games, earning his record eighth MVP. Tale also became a 15-time Silver Slugger winner, a mark reached by only 13 players in world history as of 2037. Tale is the only of those players to do it as a center fielder. In these later years with Johannesburg, he was also battling the likes of his former teammate Felix Chaula and Luke Tembo for the top spots on AAB’s leaderboards. Tale was the third to reach 800 homers behind Chaula and Tembo, but ended up passing both for the top spot. By the time he was done, Tale was AAB’s all-time leader in homers, RBI, WAR, hits, runs, total bases, games, and OPS. Over six seasons with Johannesburg, Tale had 771 games, 831 hits, 554 runs, 135 doubles, 264 home runs, 658 RBI, 440 walks, 131 steals, .309/.409/.665 slash, 190 wRC+, and 45.5 WAR. He was soon to be 40 years old and was a free agent fresh off his eighth MVP. Feeling he had done it all in AAB, Tale made his way to the United States on a three-year, $67,800,000 deal with MLB’s Baltimore Orioles. He was far less dominant in 2021, but still managed 3.6 WAR and 33 homers in his MLB debut. This year allowed him to pass 1000 home runs, 2000 runs, and 3000 hits for his combined pro career. Tale became only the fourth in baseball history with 1000+ dingers over a combined pro career. Age finally caught up to him and he was benched in 2022, playing 83 games and starting 29 for the Orioles with -0.1 WAR. Tale retired from baseball that winter at age 41, giving him MLB tallies of 231 games, 169 starts, 144 hits, 88 runs, 14 doubles, 38 home runs, 93 RBI, .226/.324/.443 slash, 122 wRC+, and 3.6 WAR. In AAB, Tale played 2771 games with 2897 hits, 1982 runs, 491 doubles, 63 triples, 968 home runs, 2252 RBI, 1516 walks, 6418 total bases, 2173 strikeouts, 410 steals, .307/.407/.680 slash, 189 wRC+, and 155.8 WAR. As of 2037, Tale is still AAB’s all-time leader in runs, total bases, homers, RBI, and WAR. He also ranks 3^rd in games played, 2^nd in hits, 25^th in doubles, 4^th in walks, and 11^th in strikeouts. Among AAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances as of 2037, Tale’s 1.087 OPS ranks 3^rd with his triple slash ranking 26^th/8^th/4^th. Tale is also the only eight-time MVP winner and one of two with 15 Silver Sluggers. Along with that was a Triple Crown, four seasons leading in homers, six as the WARlord, four Africa Series titles, three Africa Series MVP wins, and nine conference titles. It shouldn’t come as a shock that Tale is widely considered as the GOAT for the African Association of Baseball. Felix Chaula is generally the only one close, but Tale has him bested in basically every stat. It’s shocking someone voted against him for the 2026 Hall of Fame ballot, but with 99.1% he deservedly headlined a loaded five-player class. But where does Tale rank on the world leaderboards? Counting the two years in Baltimore, Tale’s grand totals saw 3002 games, 3041 hits, 2070 runs, 505 doubles, 68 triples, 1006 home runs, 2345 RBI, 1609 walks, 2336 strikeouts, 6700 total bases, .302/.402/.665 slash, 1.067 OPS, 184 wRC+, and 159.4 WAR. As of 2037, Tale is 7^th in home runs, 25^th in runs, 12^th in RBI, and 21^st in WAR for position players. Among world Hall of Famers, Tale ranks 33^rd in OBP, 4^th in slugging, 4^th in OPS, and 43^rd in wRC+. Against all players ever, he’s 29^th in WAR and ranks 2^nd among all African-born players behind West African Baseball GOAT Darwin Morris of Liberia, who is 5^th at 194.4. It is of course hard to rank players across different leagues and eras. Detractors argue Tale’s tallies were inflated somewhat by a higher-scoring AAB which was perceived by some to be a weaker league than its older counterparts. Tale’s accomplishments and accolades are remarkable in any context though, making him one of baseball’s true immortals. His incredible run crucial in the huge popularity and prestige boost for AAB and baseball throughout all of Africa. Most scholars have him somewhere on the top 50 list for all baseball players ever and many place him #2 just behind Morris for the best-ever from Africa. Tale also is considered a top five center fielder in world history by most, ranking only behind MLB WARlord Morgan Short and CLB’s Zhen Zhang for the most WAR at the position. While his exact spot among the world’s elite is up for fierce debate, almost all agree that he is AAB’s greatest player of all time. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

02-23-2025, 05:45 PM	#2098
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,783	2026 AAB Hall of Fame (Part 2) Fani “Stretch” Ngambi – Second Base – Harare Hustlers – 98.2% First Ballot Fani Ngambi was a 6’3’’, 195 pound right-handed second baseman from Somerset West, South Africa; a town of 55,000 within Cape Town’s metropolitan area. Nicknamed “stretch” for his ability beat foes to the bag, Ngambi was one of the all-time great leadoff men. He was a fantastic contact hitter that put the ball in play with excellent frequency, rarely striking out. Ngambi was also one of AAB’s best at drawing walks. He was extremely dangerous from first base with stellar speed and base stealing ability in his prime. Ngambi’s gap power was good with 39 doubles and 7 triples per his 162 game average. He wasn’t going to hit many home runs, reaching double-digits in only one season. Apart from playing designated hitter in his final three years, Ngambi was exclusively a second baseman. He won a Gold Glove in 2013, but on the whole graded out as reliably average defensively. Ngambi was incredibly scrappy and intelligent with an impressive work ethic. However, he wasn’t someone to take on a leadership role. Ngambi had some injuries here and there, but held up pretty well for a 22-year career. In March 1997, Ngambi signed a developmental deal with Dar es Salaam. He became one of the very few in baseball history to make his pro debut at age 18, playing 38 games with 3 starts in 1999. He wasn’t ready for the full-time gig obviously, but saw 199 games and 66 starts from 1999-2001 for the Sabercats. They were a contender at this point, falling to Johannesburg in the Southern Conference Championship in both 2000 and 2001. Ngambi became a full-time starter from 2002 onward and won his first Silver Slugger in 2003, his first of ten seasons worth 5+ WAR. Dar es Salaam missed the playoffs in 2002, then lost the 2003 conference final to Antananarivo. Ngambi was iffy in his 10 playoff games for Dar with -0.1 WAR and .506 OPS. In 2004, the Sabercats finally broke through with a then-league record tying 114-48 season, upending Kinshasa’s dynasty for their first Africa Series title. Unfortunately for Ngambi, he was out from early May onward with a broken bone in his elbow. He stayed healthy the next three years for Dar with three straight Silver Sluggers. Ngambi led in steals and walks in 2005, then led in on-base percentage for the first time in 2007. The Sabercats couldn’t follow up their championship season and were down just below .500 by the end of Ngambi’s tenure. He left after the 2007 campaign at age 27 for free agency. With Dar es Salaam, he had 969 games, 959 hits, 569 runs, 211 doubles, 53 triples, 21 homers, 311 RBI, 464 walks, 452 steals, .299/.395/.418 slash, 125 wRC+, and 28.7 WAR. Ngambi signed a three-year, $9,240,000 deal with Harare initially, starting what would be his signature run. He eventually signed a seven-year, $28 million extension in September 2010. Ngambi won Silver Sluggers with the Hustlers in 2008, 09, 10, 12, 13, 15, and 16. He led thrice in OBP, thrice in steals, and had two batting titles. Ngambi led in runs (135) and steals (139) in 2009, setting a steals record that held for a decade in AAB. It still ranks eighth best as of 2037 in AAB and 19^th on the world leaderboard. 2008 was Ngambi’s best WAR effort at 8.4 along with his best OPS (.939) and wRC+ (167). He is the only AAB player with multiple seasons above .450 OBP as his .453 from 2010 ranks sixth and his .450 from 2012 is 10^th as of 2037. Ngambi also stole 100+ bases in four different seasons. He and Hall of Fame classmate Jose Santarem were the first AAB players to steal 120+ bases in three seasons. Ngambi helped Harare to their first-ever playoff berth and first place finish in 2010. The Hustlers beat Lusaka for the Southern Conference title, but ran into a 120-win Addis Ababa buzz saw in the Africa Series. After narrowly missing the playoffs in 2011-12, Harare was a wild card in both 2013 and 2014. In the latter, they upset Johannesburg for the conference pennant and downed Nairobi for the franchise’s first AAB title. He was unremarkable in the first two runs, but Ngambi was the hero in 2014. He won MVP of the Africa Series and the conference final, starting 15 games with 25 hits, 15 runs, 8 doubles, 2 triples, 1 homer, 14 RBI, 7 walks, 18 steals, .424/.471/.678 slash, 191 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR. Ngambi tied the world record for postseason steals, which remains 18 as of 2037. He also set the AAB playoff hits record with 25 which would only be passed once in the following season. In the Baseball Grand Championship, Ngambi had 18 hits, 8 runs, 5 extra base hits, 9 steals, 119 wRC+, and 0.6 WAR over 18 games. Harare shocked the field with a 14-5 finish, tying for first with MLB’s Phoenix. The Hustlers officially were second as they had lost a 17 inning battle to the Firebirds 6-4. To that point, an African franchise hadn’t finished in the top two. Ngambi never played for one of the teams in his native South Africa, but he was a regular for them in the World Baseball Championship from 2001-19. He played 132 games with 116 hits, 73 runs, 25 doubles, 52 steals, 75 walks, .250/.368/.360 slash, and 2.7 WAR. In 2005, Ngambi helped South Africa to its first-ever elite eight finish. Harare just missed the playoffs in 2015, then plummeted to 62-100 the next year to start a six-year stretch of losing seasons. With a rebuild looming, Ngambi was traded after the 2016 season straight up to Maputo for prospect 1B Luzayadio Kalumba. Kalumba notably would be a strong starter for the Hustlers in the early 2020s and won an MVP in 2022. Ngambi finished with 1264 games, 1406 hits, 841 runs, 337 doubles, 51 triples, 36 home runs, 461 RBI, 762 walks, 909 steals, .318/.426/.442 slash, 136 wRC+, and 51.9 WAR for Harare. Between nine years of solid service and a key role in their lone championship, Ngambi’s #15 uniform would later be retired. The Piranhas had finished second in the Southern Conference the prior year. In 2017 with Ngambi, they took first in the standings for the first time and won their second pennant. Maputo was ultimately beaten by Mogadishu in the Africa Series with Ngambi struggling in the playoffs to -0.1 WAR in 13 starts. Apart from his awesome 2014 run, Ngambi struggled in the playoffs with a career .255/.353/.385 slash, 100 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR in 54 games. Maputo would ultimately sign Ngambi to a three-year, $28,500,000 extension after the 2017 season. He was never elite with the Piranhas, but Ngambi was a passable starter four years. He did lose a chunk of 2017 to an elbow strain and more than two months in 2019 to a torn groin muscle. Ngambi was in a DH role in his final seasons and was competing for the top spot on the AAB leaderboards in hits, steals, doubles, and walks. Ngambi did retire as AAB’s doubles leader at 655, passing Negue Rouillard’s 625 for the top spot. Ngambi also retired with the best on-base percentage at .4125, just ahead of Felix Chaula’s .4122. He ultimately retired second in hits to Mwarami Tale, second in steals to Jose Santarem, and third in walks behind Luke Tembo and Chaula. He retired after the 2020 campaign at age 39. In four seasons for Maputo, Ngambi had 480 games, 459 hits, 225 runs, 107 doubles, 21 triples, 191 RBI, 330 walks, 214 steals .283/.410/.378 slash, 126 wRC+, and 6.7 WAR. The final tallies had 2713 games, 2824 hits, 1635 runs, 655 doubles, 125 triples, 59 home runs, 963 RBI, 1556 walks, 1162 strikeouts, 1575 stolen bases, 611 caught stealing, .305/.412/.422 slash, 131 wRC+, and 87.3 WAR. As of 2037, Ngambi ranks 4^th in games, 4^th in hits, 7^th in runs, 3^rd in doubles, 8^th in triples, 80^th in RBI, 3^rd in steals, 3^rd in walks, and 8^th in WAR among position players. Ngambi also was caught stealing more than anyone in AAB. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Ngambi is 30^th in batting average and still 3^rd in OBP. The argument is usually between Ngambi and Santarem for AAB’s top leadoff guy. Santarem had him just beat in contact, power, and speed, but Ngambi’s penchant for walks gave him a much better OBP. Ngambi also ended up with far more WAR with longevity and as a reliable defender at second, while Santarem was a lackluster defensive first baseman. Both earned spots in the impressive 2026 Hall of Fame class for the African Association of Baseball, but most do give the edge to Ngambi. Ngambi notably ranks 33^rd in walks drawn and 16^th in steals among all players in world history as of 2037. Among all Hall of Famers, he has the 12^th best on-base percentage. Ngambi is widely considered AAB’s best-ever second baseman, leading in WAR, games, hits, runs, singles, doubles, steals, and walks as of 2037. His 12 Silver Sluggers also lead all 2B in AAB. He’d be a clear headliner in almost any other class, but of course he’s in the 2026 group with the GOAT Mwarami Tale. Ngambi ‘s 98.2% certainly solidified his status though as an inner circle pick. Steven “Pop” Isaac – Catcher – Nairobi Night Hawks – 85.5% First Ballot Steven Isaac was a 6’3’’, 185 pound right-handed catcher from Kampala, the capital of Uganda. Nicknamed “Pop” in his later years as an elder statesman, Isaac was a great contract hitter with strong power, especially for a catcher. His 162 game average got you 38 home runs and 40 doubles, making Isaac a legit threat in any lineup. He was below average tough when it came to drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. As you might expect from a catcher, Isaac was painfully slow and sluggish as a baserunner. Isaac had pretty strong durability at a very demanding position, playing 129+ games in all but one year from 2009-22. The downside is that he was a mediocre defensive catcher. Although longevity was part of this, Isaac did retire with the most errors and passed balls of any AAB catcher. It was worth it though to have a legit force and not a liability at the plate. Isaac also was one of the hardest working guys in the game, becoming a beloved figure in Nairobi. His entire African career came with the Night Hawks, who picked him fourth overall in the 2003 AAB Draft with little college experience. Isaac spent a lot of time training at their academy in Kenya with limited action in his first five years. From 2004-08, he played 218 games and started 145 with unremarkable results. Nairobi decided Isaac was ready for the full-time gig in 2009 and he’d hold the job for more than a decade. 2009 started a seven-year streak of Silver Sluggers for Isaac. He missed it in 2016, but won four more from 2017-20 to finish with 11, an AAB position record. In 2010, Isaac won a batting title with a .348 average and had his career best OPS (1.061). His second batting title came in 2012 at .327 along with his career best OBP at .401. Isaac was above a one OPS four times, hit 40+ homers thrice, and had eight seasons above 6+ WAR. In 2013, Isaac posted his career best WAR (8.6), wRC+ (196), and runs scored (104), taking second in MVP voting. In the midst of that season, Nairobi signed Isaac to a historic eight-year, $100,200,000 extension. They earned their first-ever playoff berth that year, falling in the Central Conference Championship to the Addis Ababa dynasty. Isaac was the WARlord at 7.4 in 2014 and this time won MVP, pushing Nairobi to repeat playoff berths. They ended the Brahmas’ six-year reign as AAB champ and eight-year reign as Central Conference champ with Isaac taking series MVP. The Night Hawks were denied in the Africa Series by Harare. In 15 playoff starts, Isaac had 19 hits, 9 runs, 4 doubles, 3 homers, 7 RBI, .921 OPS, 162 wRC+, and 0.7 WAR. It was a one-off success for Nairobi, who wouldn’t post another winning season until 2021. Isaac carried on though and took third in 2017’s MVP voting and second in 2018. In 2020, he missed six weeks to a strained PCL. Isaac ultimately declined the option year of his contract and entered free agency at age 36. That marked the end of his playing career in Africa, although he’d be forever loved in Kenya for his 17-year run and role in Nairobi’s first-ever pennant. Isaac’s #24 uniform would later be retired. Although he left for the European Baseball Federation, Isaac would represent his native Uganda from 2021-24 in the World Baseball Championship. Before that, he had only played one game for them back in 2007. Isaac played 45 games with 32 hits, 17 runs, 6 doubles, 8 home runs, 20 RBI, .203/.259/.392 slash, 86 wRC+, and 0.4 WAR. Isaac’s next home was Switzerland on a three-year, $40,300,000 deal with EBF’s Zurich. He won a Silver Slugger in his debut season, giving him 12 for his career. As of 2037, Isaac is one of only four catchers in baseball history to win the honor 12 or more times. He was a solid starter in 2022 as well for the Mountaineers, posting a two-year total of 11.5 WAR over 261 games, 278 hits, 117 runs, 52 doubles, 48 home runs, 146 RBI, .320/.365/.556 slash, and 158 wRC+. Isaac didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the third year and was back to free agency in 2023 at age 38. He still showed he had plenty of value and was signed by Ljubljana for three years and $60,800,000. He was an all-star once more, an honor he received 14 times in his career. Isaac had a good 2003 despite losing two months to injury. Age caught up and he was reduced to a part-time role in 2024. For the Juggernauts, Isaac had 166 games, 3.8 WAR, and .815 OPS. Isaac felt he could still contribute somewhere, but he went unsigned in 2025 and retired that winter at age 41. For his four year EBF tenure, Isaac played 427 games with 421 hits, 183 runs, 77 doubles, 75 home runs, 231 RBI, .304/.348/.534 slash, 146 wRC+, and 15.3 WAR. With Nairobi, Isaac finished with 1770 games, 1889 hits, 984 runs, 432 doubles, 15 triples, 421 home runs, 1131 RBI, 512 walks, 1497 strikeouts, .299/.359/.572 slash, .931 OPS, 151 wRC+, and 76.3 WAR. Being a catcher limits accumulations, but as of 2037 Isaac still ranks 16^th in WAR among position players. He’s also 53^rd in hits, 73^rd in runs, 52^nd in doubles, 45^th in homers, and 42^nd in RBI. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Isaac is 49^th in OPS and his triple slash ranks 52^nd/99^th/49^th. Among AAB catchers, Isaac is the career leader in batting average, slugging, OPS, at-bats, hits, runs, total bases, singles, homers, RBI, and WAR. He’s considered AAB’s best hitting catcher by a good margin and usually is cited as the best to play the spot when factoring in total value. Isaac would be the first catcher into the African Association of Baseball’s Hall of Fame and is still the only one as of 2037. He was a first ballot pick at 85.5%, the third-highest mark among the loaded five-player 2026 class. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

02-24-2025, 06:35 AM	#2099
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,783	2026 AAB Hall of Fame (Part 3) Ronny Safari – Center Field/First Base – Kigali Guardians – 80.5% First Ballot Ronny Safari was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting outfielder and first baseman from Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Safari was a rock solid contact hitter and was great at avoiding strikeouts, although he was mediocre at drawing walks. He had nice gap power with reliably steady home run power, posting a 162 game average of 26 home runs, 33 doubles and 6 triples. Safari was good to occasionally great in terms of speed and baserunning. Around 60% of Safari’s career starts came in center field, mostly in the front end of his career. He was a firmly mediocre defender in CF and was moved to first base in his later years with above average results. Safari also bizarrely got some use at shortstop near the end of his career with truly abysmal defensive production. He was one of the smarter guys in the clubhouse and showed strong durability across a 21 year career. Safari was the top prospect for the 1998 AAB Draft even as a teenager and was picked first overall by Kigali. He wasn’t quite ready, playing only 11 games and starting three in 1999 at age 19. Safari saw more use in 2000 with 74 games and 70 starts, then became a full-time starter after that. From 2001-07, Safari posted 5+ WAR each season. He led the Central Conference with 52 doubles in 2001 and led again in 2006 with 51. He also earned batting titles and led in hits in both 2005 and 2007. Safari also led in runs in 2007, a year with career highs in runs (119), homers (41), triple slash (.334/.404/.627), OPS (1.031), and wRC+ (164). His best WAR in AAB was 6.5 in 2003, but he did finish above 6+ WAR five times. 2003 also saw his lone cycle in a game against Kampala. Safari was third in 2003’s MVP voting, second in 2005, and third in 2007. While he never won the top award, Safari did earn Silver Sluggers in CF in 2002, 04, 05, 06, 07, and 08 for Kigali. The Guardians had been abysmal in AAB’s earliest years with their best season from 1995-02 being a mere 64-98. Safari helped give them their first winning seasons from 2003-06 and their first playoff berth in 2003, although they fell in the conference final to Kinshasa. Safari signed a five-year, $8,900,000 extension after the 2006 season. Kigali made the playoff again in 2008 but were denied by the Addis Ababa dynasty. Safari had a forgettable .773 OPS in seven playoff starts. With Kigali, Safari had 1622 games, 1938 hits, 1057 runs, 426 doubles, 58 triples, 558 home runs, 1041 RBI, 436 walks, 450 steals, .304/.353/.549 slash, 138 wRC+, and 51.0 WAR. His production waned in his later years for the Guardians with Safari declining his contract option after the 2010 season. He was still very popular as the franchise’s first star player who helped them to their first success, which got Safari’s #21 uniform later retired. Coming up on age 31, he signed a two-year, $6,560,000 deal with Brazzaville, where he joined the 2000 hit club. Safari had 2.3 WAR and .824 OPS in 2011 for the struggling Blowfish in his one year there. At the time, the African Association of Baseball and European Baseball Federation had an agreement that trades between the leagues could happen. Safari was sent to Zaragoza of the European Second League in the offseason for four prospects. This temporarily ended his time in Africa, but Safari did still usually play in the World Baseball Championship for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He played from 2002-11, 13-15, and 2019 with 98 games, 88 hits, 42 runs, 16 doubles, 18 home runs, 44 RBI, .285/.321/.524 slash, and 2.7 WAR. Safari was definitely too good for the E2L with 7.0 WAR in his one year with Zaragoza. He was an important rental as the Gold Hawks earned a promotion to the EBF Elite as E2L runner-up. Safari was now a free agent for 2013 heading towards age 33 and ended up staying in Europe. This time he was in the EBF Elite tier on a four-year, $35,600,000 deal with Lisbon. For the Clippers, Safari was used almost exclusively as a pinch hitter, but did decent enough to earn a fifth year. He played 515 games and started 97 with 210 hits, 96 runs, 33 doubles, 18 triples, 23 home runs, 98 RBI, 34 steals, .281/.318/.465 slash, 106 wRC+, and 2.0 WAR. Safari’s run in Europe ended for 2018 as a 38-year old free agent, going back to AAB on a one-year, $800,000 deal with Kampala. Safari played shortstop for the Peacocks and won a Silver Slugger with a .848 OPS in 118 games, although his terrible defense meant only 1.4 WAR. Still, it plugged a hole for Kampala, who finished 111-51 for their first-ever playoff berth. The Peacocks went all the way and won the Africa Series over Johannesburg. Safari had only seven plate appearances in the playoffs and 14 in the Baseball Grand Championship, where they finished 10-9. He joined Luanda in 2019 in a backup role, but hit very well over 100 games and 38 starts with .992 OPS, 173 wRC+, and 2.1 WAR. Safari went 9-25 in the playoffs with 6 runs, 2 homers, and 5 RBI, helping the Landsharks to an Africa Series win over Brazzaville. Safari played 12 games and started 3 in the Baseball Grand Championship as Luanda went 9-10. Safari was one of a small group to have played in consecutive BGC events but with different teams. Safari joined the Blowfish in 2020 for a second run, but couldn’t replicate the prior year’s offense with 0.2 WAR and .734 OPS in 84 games and 55 starts. He had one pinch hit double in the playoffs as Brazzaville lost the conference championship. Safari retired that winter at age 40. For his AAB career, Safari had 2082 games, 2323 hits, 1236 runs, 507 doubles, 75 triples, 390 home runs, 1242 RBI, 545 walks, 1073 strikeouts, 544 steals, .301/.352/.539 slash, 136 wRC+, and 57.0 WAR. As of 2037, Safari is 35^th in games, 19^th in hits, 33^rd in runs, 22^nd in doubles, 35^th in triples, 58^th in homers, 35^th in RBI, 62^nd in steals, and 33^rd in WAR among position players. Safari’s .890 OPS is 90^th among AAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances and his batting average is 42^nd. Safari’s tallies aren’t at the tip-top, but were pretty solid compared to his peers. Voters noted accolades like seven Silver Sluggers, two batting titles, and three times as a MVP finalist as huge plusses. The two championship rings at the end helped too, even if he was a mere role player by then. Most voters were sold even in a loaded five-player Hall of Fame class for 2026. At 80.5%, Safari was a first ballot inductee and joined the African Association of Baseball’s greats. Jose “Boxy” Santarem – First Base – Mogadishu Mighty Mice – 74.9% First Ballot Jose Santarem was a 6’4’’, 195 pound left-handed hitting first baseman from Ndalatando, Angola; a city of around 161,500 in the country’s northwest. He would become the second Angolan Hall of Famer, joining class of 2020 OF Arsenio Barroso. Santarem was the traditional leadoff man with excellent contact ability and blistering speed. He was outstanding at putting the ball in play with a 5.4% career strikeout rate. Santarem was also decent at drawing walks. Santarem was a nightmare for pitchers to hold once he got on base as he was one of the best-ever base stealers and runners. Most of his batting success came versus right-handed pitching with a career .333 average, .891 OPS, and 138 wRC+. He had no power against lefties with a .268 average, .677 OPS, and 83 wRC+. His gap power was excellent on the whole with 41 doubles and 11 triples per his 162 game average. Santarem didn’t hit many dingers, but he did crack double-digits thrice in his career. He had the unusual profile as a speedy leadoff guy who played first base exclusively on defense. Santarem graded as a firmly mediocre defender he simply lacked grace with his glove. He did also make just under ¼ of his starts as a designated hitter, mostly in his later seasons. Santarem was adaptable, but also a bit of a dummy. Being an ironman helped prolong his career, playing 148+ games in all but the first and final season of a 16-year career. Santarem was signed by Mogadishu to a developmental contract in April 2001. He spent most of five years in their academy in Somalia, debuting in 2005 at age 20 with 20 games and 8 starts. Santarem became a full-time starter the next year and led the Central Conference in batting average (.352), hits (210), and triples (13), earning 2006 Rookie of the Year honors. This also started a streak of ten consecutive seasons with 100+ stolen bases. Santarem would get 100+ steals in 13 seasons overall. From 2007-11, he was the leader in steals, peaking with 134 in 2012. At the time, that was the second-best AAB season behind his Hall of Fame classmate Fani Ngambi’s 139 from 2009. During that stretch, he also won two more batting titles and led trice in both hits and triples. Santarem’s 228 hits in 2008 set an AAB single-season record that held until 2025. It still ranks ninth as of 2037. Santarem also had career highs in runs (112), doubles (60), triple slash (.362/.418/.537) and OPS (.955) that year. Santarem also set an AAB record in 2009 with 19 triples, which would only be passed twice. Despite his efforts, his lack of home run power at a powerful spot like first base or DH meant Santarem never won a Silver Slugger. Mogadishu was just below .500 in his earliest years, but they did earn playoff trips in 2009 and 2010. Both years, they were summarily dispatched by Addis Ababa’s dynasty in the Central Conference Championship. The Mighty Mice fully collapsed with a 65-97 record in 2012 and began a fire sale during the season. At the trade deadline, Santarem was sent to Maputo for three prospects. His contributions were enough though that Mogadishu eventually retired his #14 uniform. For the Mighty Mice, Santarem had 1068 games, 1357 hits, 702 runs, 309 doubles, 82 triples, 61 home runs, 428 RBI, 443 walks, 781 steals, .333/.398/.494 slash, 137 wRC+, and 32.6 WAR. Santarem had a nice second half with Maputo, who had been the Southern Conference champ the prior year. The Piranhas got back to the conference final, but were denied by Lusaka. They didn’t make the playoffs the next three years, but also didn’t have a losing season. Maputo kept Santarem around, signing him to a six-year, $52,200,000 extension in March 2013. For the Piranhas, Santarem led in steals four times, triples twice, and doubles once. He won his fourth batting title in 2016 with a .336 average and was the OBP leader for the only time in 2018 at .412. Maputo made it back to the playoffs with a conference finals loss in 2016 to Johannesburg. In 2017, Maputo finished first in the standings and defeated Luanda for their second pennant with Santarem taking conference finals MVP. They would be denied the Africa Series title against Santarem’s former team Mogadishu. In 13 playoff starts, Santarem had 13 hits, 7 runs, 3 doubles, 3 RBI, and 7 steals. The Piranhas would be just above .500 for the next two years. With Maputo, Santarem played 1154 games with 1305 hits, 669 runs, 267 doubles, 75 triples, 43 homers, 523 RBI, 406 walks, 808 steals, .305/.365/.433 slash, 116 wRC+, and 23.3 WAR. At the time, he was racing his HOF classmate Fani Ngambi for the most steals in AAB history. They were the first two to reach 1500+ for their careers. Santarem ended up edging out Ngambi by 27 and also retired as the AAB leader in triples. Santarem’s bat had fallen off to a mere .688 OPS and 1.9 WAR in his last year with Maputo, making it unlikely that he might chase the 3000 hit milestone. Santarem signed with Lilongwe for 2020, but struggled to -0.1 WAR and .623 OPS over 67 games and 21 starts. He was unsigned in 2021 and retired that winter at age 37. The final tallies had 2289 games, 2690 hits, 1387 runs, 581 doubles, 159 triples, 105 home runs, 964 RBI, 859 walks, 513 strikeouts, 1602 stolen bases, 518 caught stealing, .318/.380/.461 slash, 125 wRC+, and 55.8 WAR. As of 2037, Santarem is second in both steals and triples as Djibrilla Ousseini would pass him for both top marks in the mid 2030s. Santarem also ranks 22^nd in games, 12^th in hits, 21^st in runs, 8^th in doubles, 33^rd in total bases (3904), 79^th in RBI, 2^nd in caught stealing, and 39^th in WAR among position players. Santarem’s batting average ranks 14^th among AAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances and his OBP is 28^th. He also notably ranks 14^th in steals for all of professional baseball as of 2037. Although he had better stealing success and a higher batting average, most still ranked Ngambi above Santarem as a more valuable leadoff man for the era because of his high walk rate and much better defensive value. Santarem didn’t have the big awards, but he had enough statistical notables to get a strong look. Four batting titles and a boatload of steals get you some prompts even if people expect big power from the position. His incredibly low strikeout rate was especially impressive and as of 2037, he’s the only AAB Hall of Famer to have 2000+ hits with less than 1000 strikeouts. Santarem was the weakest in a loaded five-player Hall of Fame class, but he still got 74.9% to secure a first ballot induction. This capped off the historic 2026 group for the African Association of Baseball. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

02-24-2025, 12:09 PM	#2100
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,783	2026 World Baseball Championship The 2026 World Baseball Championship was the 80^th edition and this time was hosted in Valencia, Spain; the first time hosted in Europe since 2005. In Division 1, Italy took the top spot at 10-1, fending off Australia (9-2) and Greece (8-3). It was the second division title in four years for the Italians and their 20^th overall. Italy has advanced more times than any other European country. The Democratic Republic of the Congo earned their first-ever division title at 10-1 atop Division 2. Cameroon at 8-5 was their only close competitor. The United States finished 5-6, which was the first time ever that the Americans had posted a losing record in division play. It was only the 20^th time in 80 WBCs that the USA didn’t get to the elite eight. Last year’s world champion Spain was also a non-factor in D2 at 4-7. Austria and Israel tied for Division 3 at 9-2 with the Austrians advancing via the head-to-head tiebreaker. It was the fifth division title for Austria and their third in a decade. France took Division 4 at 9-2, edging out Ukraine (8-3) and Bulgaria (7-4). The French got their second division title in three years and their 15^th overall. Hungary secured a tight Division 5 at 8-3 for their first-ever division title. Right behind were India (7-4), Iran (7-4), Turkey (7-4), Nigeria (6-5), and Serbia (6-5). Division 6 had a three-way tie for first at 7-4 between Vietnam, South Korea, and the Czech Republic. Five were one back at 6-5 (Iraq, North Korea, Pakistan, Poland, Romania). The tiebreaker sent the Vietnamese forward and earned their third division title (1999, 2010, 2026). Division 7 also had a first-time winner with 8-3 Tajikistan on top. Last year’s runner-up Brazil finished 7-4 as did Uzbekistan and Venezuela. Lastly in D8, Germany clobbered the field at 10-1 for their 14^th division title and second in three years. No teams from the 2025 elite eight made it back in 2026. With the Tajiks, Hungarians, and Congolese earning their first division titles in 2026, 83 unique nations have now advanced to the elite eight at least once. The 2026 elite eight was also notable as the second without a single team from the Western Hemisphere (2012). The group had five from Europe, two from Asia, and one from Africa. Round Robin Group A had France first at 5-1, advancing along with 3-3 Austria. Vietnam and Italy both were ousted at 2-4. The French earned their second semifinal trip in three years and their sixth overall. The Austrians secured their third berth in the final four (2017, 2023). The DR Congo topped Group B at 5-1, followed by both Hungary and Germany at 3-3 and Tajikistan at 1-5. The Hungarians advanced on the tiebreaker, sending two newcomers to the semifinal. With that, 50 countries now have earned a final four appearance over the history of the event. Both newcomers were ousted in the semifinal, although both forced all five games. France survived Hungary and Austria outlasted the DR Congo. Officially, the Congolese finished third and the Hungarians were fourth. The French earned their second championship berth in three years. The Austrians became the 33^rd different nation to make it to the title. Austria then became the 20^th different World Champion in event history, winning 4-2 to deny France a second title in three years. This continued the historic parity for the top spot with nine different world champs in nine years. It is also the third straight title for a European nation. Austria set a WBC team record with 53 doubles in their victory. Tournament MVP was Austrian SS Ernst Scheuermann. The 28-year old four-time Gold Glove winner with Dublin posted 24 hits, 20 runs, 5 doubles, 2 triples, 7 homers, 15 RBI, 22 walks, 15 steals, .242/.395/.545 slash, 173 wRC+, and 1.4 WAR. The Austrians also had the Best Pitcher in Viktor Friedl, a journeyman closer signed with EBF’s Zaragoza for 2026. The 33-year old righty pitched 12 games with a 0.33 ERA over 27.1 innings, 7 saves, 2-0 record, 52 strikeouts, 14 walks, and 1.2 WAR. Other notes: For the first time since 2016, zero no-hitters were pitched in the event. Below are the updated all-time tournament stats. 2026 was unique as the top nine nations all-time in team scoring each missed the elite eight. It was the first time ever that the round robin didn’t have at least one of the US, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, China, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, and/or Russia. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)