Baseball: The World's Game

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Defending West African Baseball champion Dakar again was the Western League’s top seed, winning the new North Division at 104-58. The Dukes’ playoff streak grew to seven seasons, locking up a fourth straight appearance in the Western League Championship Series. Dakar’s high powered offense led WAB with 970 runs and set a new WAB record for team slugging percentage at .542.

Freetown dominated the South Division at 101-61, earning a fourth straight playoff trip and their eighth in nine years. The Foresters allowed the fewest runs in the WL with 668. With the realignment to divisions, the other two playoff teams would be each division’s second place finisher. Both divisions had a handful of teams in a tight race.

The best of them was Monrovia, advancing out of the South at 90-72 ahead of 87-75 efforts by Abidjan and Kumasi. The Diplomats ended what was the longest active playoff drought in WAB at 18 seasons. Monrovia had 1776 hits and a .307 team batting average, which were both the second-best seasons in Western League history. The Monkeys notably had a four-year playoff streak ended and the Athletes missed for only the second time in a decade.

The #2 spot in the North had four teams within three games of each other. Nouakchott (86-76) emerged the victor over Cape Verde (85-77), Bamako (83-79), Conakry (83-79), and Banjul (80-82). The Night Riders ended their won eight year postseason drought.

Dakar 3B Junior Jose won his fourth Western League MVP and seventh Silver Slugger. The 30-year old Mozambican had won the top honor previously in 2024, 27, and 28. Jose led in home runs (63), total bases (428), and WAR (9.7). He added 198 hits, 131 runs, 37 doubles, 141 RBI, 1.123 OPS, and 179 wRC+. The former #1 overall pick was in his eighth year with the Dukes. Jose also had a 25-game hitting streak in the fall and joined the 400 home run and 1000 RBI clubs.

Pitcher of the Year went to Freetown’s Ameyaw Abdul, who led in strikeouts (302), WHIP (0.96), shutouts (2), and WAR (7.9). The 24-year old Cameroonian righty had a 16-8 record, 2.87 ERA, 204 innings, and 161 ERA+. Abdul’s filthy stuff would earn him a six-year, $78,460,000 extension the following summer with the Foresters. He would have a great 2031, but fell off quickly as his control cratered from a combination of injuries and the yips.

Monrovia defeated Nouakchott 2-0 in the first round, but was promptly iced 2-0 by Freetown in the second round. For the fourth straight year and the sixth time in seven years, the Foresters made it to the Western League Championship Series. This renewed a finals rivalry with Dakar, whom they had met four times in that stretch. The Dukes had won in the 2025, 2027, and 2029 encounters with Freetown’s lone win coming in 2028.

Dakar continued their control of the rivalry and did it decisively with a 3-0 WLCS sweep over the Foresters. With the repeat and their fourth pennant in six years, the Dukes were now eight-time Western League champs. They’re the first WL team to win four in a six year span since Monrovia’s four-peat from 2005-08.



Four-time defending Eastern League champ Cotonou looked to continue their dynasty, taking the EL’s top seed and first in the new Coastal Division at 107-55. The Copperheads allowed the fewest runs in WAB at 635 and broke their own WAB single-season attendance record with 2,248,829 tickets sold. Port Harcourt advanced as a distant second place at 91-71, besting Lome by six games. The Hillcats earned repeat playoff berths.

In a tight Interior Division, Kano (98-64) edged out Benin City (97-65) for the top spot, although both advanced to the playoffs. The Condors ended a three-year playoff drought while the Blue Devils earned repeat trips. The next closest team was Niamey down at 88-74, ending their playoff streak at six seasons. Benin City led the EL in scoring with 963 runs.

Leading the Blue Devils offense was Eastern League MVP Joao Sebastiao da Silva, who led with 71 home runs, 167 RBI, 139 runs, and 449 total bases. His was the fifth season in WAB history of 70+ homers and his RBI tally was the fifth-best in WAB annuls. In addition, da Silva had 205 hits, 27 doubles, 1.072 OPS, 163 wRC+, and 7.3 WAR. The 27-year old Angolan third baseman signed an eight-year, $123,980,000 extension with Benin City back in June 2028.

Port Harcourt’s Ngalle Eto’o won his third Pitcher of the Year, having also won it in 2024 and 2028. 2030 was his fourth ERA title at 2.30 as the 31-year old Cameroonian lefty also led in wins (22-5), WHIP (0.81), K/BB (17.6), FIP- (39), and WAR (8.7). Eto’o struck out 282 over 179.2 innings, missing out on the Triple Crown by six Ks behind teammate Alhassan Sheriff.

Benin City beat Port Harcourt 2-0 in the first round, then pulled off the 2-0 upset of Kano in the second round. The Blue Devils had only twice previously been in the Eastern League Championship Series way back in 1980 and 1982. Unfortunately for them, Cotonou’s dynasty stood in the way of winning their first-ever pennant.

The Copperheads prevailed 3-1 over Benin City to complete the five-peat, a feat previously only accomplished in WAB during Kano’s epic nine-year reign from 1997-05. Cotonou became eight-time EL champs (2010, 11, 13, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30).



The 56^th West African Championship was another showdown between Dakar and Cotonou, who had built up an impressive finals rivalry. It began with a Copperheads victory in 2013, the final of their early 2010s dynasty. Cotonou’s second dynasty had a 2027 win over the Dukes, giving them back-to-back titles. The Copperheads lost in the 2028 final to Freetown, followed by Dakar getting revenge in 2029.

For 2030, Cotonou returned to the throne by surviving a seven-game classic with Dakar. The Copperheads were now six-time WAB champs (2010, 11, 13, 26, 27, 30) and were the first to win three titles in five years since they last did it. Finals MVP was 3B Paolo Apanga in his sixth season in Cotonou and first as a full-time starter. The 30-year old Gabonese righty in 11 playoff starts had 16 hits, 10 runs, 2 doubles, 3 homers, and 8 RBI.



Other notes: WAB hit king Fares Belaid moved to #2 on the all-time list for hits in all of pro baseball history. The 41-year old Tunisian started the season with Jos, but was traded to Abidjan in the summer, finishing the campaign with 4843 career hits. This passed EBF hit king Jiri Lebr’s 4651 for the #2 slot. Belaid was now conceivably in striking distance of Prometheo Garcia, who had 5083 hits between his CABA/MLB tenures from 1943-68.

Belaid had a good season with 207 hits, .892 OPS, and 3.8 WAR and signed an extension to stick around with the Athletes. He also finished the year at 2493 runs, 892 doubles and 451 triples. Belaid moved to #2 on the world runs scored list and was just behind SAB legend Majed Darwish’s 2664. Belaid was already the world doubles leader and was now six behind EBF’s Carsten Dal (457) for the most triples ever.

Monrovia’s Adam Seaton had a .398 average in 2030 and set the WAB single-season triples record with 40. It was only the 17^th time across all world leagues that someone recorded a 40+ triple season. WAB’s 20^th perfect game was thrown by Conakry’s Juilen Essongue on July 22 with five strikeouts against Banjul. Abdel Aziz Ashraf became the 6^th member of the 700 home run club and Youssoupha Diop became the 9^th to 600 dingers. Mohamed Khammas was the 25^th to smack 500 homers.

Jonah Moiseiwitsch became the 4^th to reach 3500 career hits and Ahmed Kone was the 8^th to 3000 hits. Diop and Rasaq Kadir each got to 2500 hits, now met by 35 WAB batters. Kadir won his 7^th Silver Slugger in CF. Rio Ogbonna was the 22^nd to reach 1500 RBI while Diop and Desmond Jaiyeola were the 15^th and 16^th to 1500 runs scored. Rene Zossou became the 10^th pitcher to 3500 strikeouts. SS Saturday Solomon won his 8^th consecutive Gold Glove.

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Chinese League Baseball joined the big expansion craze for 2030, although theirs was far more humble with only two new teams. CLB’s first expansion had added six teams back in 2009 to get to 30 overall teams. Joining the Northern League would be the Lanzhou Lava and the Nanchang Crickets entered the Southern League, giving CLB 32 overall teams.



CLB did make a monumental realignment though with the additions. Previously, CLB had been division free, but officials decided to change from that now that both leagues were up to 16 teams apiece. The decision was made to separate into four divisions of four teams each. With this also came a more unbalanced schedule, which was certainly a controversial decision.

The playoff formatting remained similar with four teams advancing to a round robin in each league, followed by a best-of-seven league championship for the top two and the best-of-seven China Series. The Round Robin had previously been a double setup with each team playing each other twice for six total games. For 2030, it was expanded to a triple round robin with each team now playing nine total games with three against each opponent.

Instead of simply the top four teams by record advancing as previously done; now it would be the four division winners. Supporters liked having a team guaranteed from various regions and felt the new setup would intensify regional rivalries. Detractors worried about great teams missing the playoffs in a loaded division while a weak team could advance out of a bad division.

The Northern League’s alignment now had the West Division (Zhengzhou, Urumqi, Xi’an, Lanzhou); Southeast (Shanghai, Hangzhou, Qingdao, Nanjing); Northeast (Harbin, Changchun, Shenyang, Dalian); and the East Central (Jinan, Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang). The Southern League had the Southwest Division (Guangzhou, Nanning, Foshan, Kunming); Southeast (Hong Kong, Xiamen, Shenzhen, Macau); Central (Chongqing, Changsha, Wuhan, Chengdu); and East (Wenzhou, Dongguan, Nanchang, Shantou).

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Two teams were clear standouts in the Northern League; Harbin and Jinan. The Hellcats narrowly had the top record again, winning the new Northeast Division at 103-59. Harbin had a tough fight in the division with 95-67 Changchun, who became the first victim to miss the playoffs under the new wild card free system. The Hellcats set a new Chinese League Baseball attendance record with 2,090,696 tickets solid, besting the previous high set the prior year by Zhengzhou (2,049,265).

Reigning CLB champ Shenyang was a very distant third in the Northeast at 82-80. The Swans allowed the fewest runs in the NL at 508, but only scored 533. For the Jumbos, they rolled to the East Central Division at 102-60 to end a two-year playoff drought. Jinan made their own history, breaking CLB’s team on-base percentage record at .317. It was also the Jumbos’ first-ever 100+ win campaign. Last year’s NL runner-up Tianjin tied with Beijing for second in the division at 85-77.

Zhengzhou claimed the West Division at 92-70, earning their fourth playoff trip in five years. The Southeast Division was the NL’s weak link as Shanghai narrowly advanced at 83-79 over Hangzhou at 82-80. It was an impressive turnaround for the Seawolves, who hadn’t been above .500 since 2022 and hadn’t been a playoff team since 2017. Their 12-year playoff drought had been tied with Chengdu for the longest active skid in CLB.

The Zips took the top awards, led by Northern League MVP Harvey Chong. The 31-year old Hong Kong native was in his 11^th season for Zhengzhou and his ninth starting at first base. Chong led in total bases (413) while adding 210 hits, 109 runs, 58 home runs, 123 RBI, .327/.363/.642 slash, 192 wRC+, and 9.0 WAR. He also notably had a 23-game hitting streak in the fall.

Chong beat out Xiamen’s Liren Poh for the top honor. Poh had him beat for home runs (61) and RBI (130), but had lower advanced stats (.922 OPS, 163 wRC+, 6.7 WAR). Still, Poh’s effort was only the sixth 60+ homer season in CLB history to that point and only the sixth 130+ RBI campaign.

Second-year righty Jianglong An won Pitcher of the Year for the Zips, having led in ERA (1.80), and WAR (7.0). The fourth overall pick in the 2028 CLB Draft, An had been used as a closer the prior year. In 2030, An also had a 19-8 record, 234.2 innings, 254 strikeouts, and 180 ERA+. He was renowned for being “effectively wild,” with stellar stuff and movement (especially with his cutter), but lousy control.

In the new Triple Round Robin playoff format, Harbin took the top honor at 7-2. Both Jinan and Shanghai finished 4-5 while Zhengzhou was 3-6. The tiebreaker sent the Hellcats forward for their first semifinal trip since 2013. For the Jumbos, this was their first since 2016. Harbin had home field advantage, but Jinan dominated the Northern League Championship 4-1, advancing to the China Series for only the second time (2007).



The Southern League in 2030 arguably highlighted the problem with the four division system as the league’s top three records were all in the Central. Chongqing was the clear #1 at 100-62, earning their fifth playoff berth in six years. The Cavaliers hadn’t taken the top seed since 1985. Defending SL champ Changsha at 92-70 and Wuhan at 91-71 both missed the playoffs. The Cannons had allowed the SL’s fewest runs at 452.

The next best division winner was Guangzhou at 87-75 atop the Southwest, fending off Nanning (81-81) and Foshan (80-82). The Gamecocks ended a five-year playoff drought. In the Southeast, Hong Kong (86-76) edged out Xiamen (85-77). The Champions ended a six-year playoff drought, having not won more than 71 games in a season during that rough run.

The Mutts missed the playoffs for only the second time in eight years despite leading the SL with 665 runs scored. In the East Division, Wenzhou (83-79) took first by one game over last year’s top seed and SL runner-up Dongguan (82-80). The Wild ended a five year playoff drought.

Southern League MVP went to fifth-year Guangzhou center fielder Wo-Shi Hsu. The 27-year old from Taiwan led in stolen bases (82) and WAR (10.3). Hsu added 196 hits, 95 runs, 30 doubles, 14 triples, 30 home runs, .322/.374/.565 slash, and 187 wRC+. He had been selected third in the 2025 CLB Draft by the Gamecocks.

Chongqing’s Bin Li won his second Pitcher of the Year, having previously done it in 2026. The 28-year old righty led in WHIP (0.83) and posted a 2.27 ERA over 241.1 innings, 17-9 record, 291 strikeouts, and 138 ERA+. The lanky 6’8’’ Li had signed a six-year, $59,900,000 extension with the Cavaliers back after the 2027 campaign.

Guangzhou (7-2) and Wenzhou (6-3) emerged from the Triple Round Robin while Hong Kong (3-6) and top seed Chongqing (2-7) were ousted. The 2009 expansion Wild had never made it this far, while the Gamecocks’ last semifinal trip was in 2023. Wenzhou rolled 4-1 over Guangzhou for their first-ever Southern League pennant. CLB had continued to show impressive parity with 29 of the 32 teams having advanced to the China Series at least once in its 61-year history. Only 2009 expansion Shijiazhuang and the two brand new teams hadn’t made it yet.



The Jinan versus Wenzhou matchup also guaranteed the 23^rd different franchise to win it all. The Jumbos took the 62^nd China Series 4-2 over the Wild with an unlikely finals MVP in 1B Wenfeng Liu. He had been their first round pick in 2025, but still hadn’t made his CLB debut to that point. Liu’s debut came in the playoffs with 10 starts, 10 hits, 7 runs, 3 home runs, 9 RBI, 1.013 OPS, and 0.7 WAR.

Amazingly, Liu won finals MVP and would never play a CLB regular season game. The Jumbos cut him in 2033 and he’d bounce around as a rarely used bench piece in other leagues. Jinan notably had closer Federico Pagani tie the CLB playoff saves record (8) while Xinhui Liu tied the doubles record (8).



Other notes: Shijiazhuang set new Northern League pitching worsts for runs allowed (727) and team WHIP (1.351). Guangzhou set a new Southern League best for team triples (113). Xiku Yan became the 15^th member of the 400 home run club. Yan and Tao Cai became the 18^th and 19^th to 1000 runs scored. Cai and Xiku Yan became the 17^th and 18^th batters to 2000 career hits.

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It was a tough fight for the Taiwan League title with three teams in the mix for the top spot. Last year’s second place team Taichung nabbed first at 98-64 and the top seed in the Taiwan-Philippine Association. The Toucans narrowly edged out Taipei (97-65) and Tainan (93-69). The Tigercats ended a nine-year playoff drought with the second place finish. Reigning Austronesia Professional Baseball champ Taoyuan was a distant fifth at 84-78. Taipei allowed the TPA’s fewest runs (414) while 88-74 Hsinchu scored the most at 595.

Cebu returned to the top of the Philippine League at 94-68, extending their playoff streak to six seasons. It was a steep drop to second place with three teams battling for the remaining playoff spot. Manila and Cagayan de Oro tied at 83-79 while last year’s PL winner Quezon was 82-80. The Manatees defeated the Critters in the tiebreaker game, ending a nine-year playoff drought for Manila.

“The King” Binh Tang continued his annual dominance for Hsinchu to win an unprecedented tenth Taiwan-Philippine Association MVP. He became the fourth player in all of world baseball history to win 10+ MVPs, joining OBA/MLB legend Jimmy Caliw (12), WAB legend Darwin Morris (11), and CABA legend Kiko Velazquez (10). It was the fourth consecutive for the Vietnamese first baseman, who amazingly was still only 30-years old. Tang also picked up his tenth Silver Slugger.

Tang led in runs (115), home runs (51), total bases (350), OBP (.360), slugging (.598), OPS (.959), wRC+ (201), and WAR (11.2). He added 172 hits, 104 RBI, 43 stolen bases, and a .294 batting average. It was his eighth time as the WARlord, tenth time leading in OPS, sixth time leading in homers, and eighth time leading in runs. The 115 runs were the second-most in APB history behind Tang’s own 122 from 2023. Tang also became the 11^th APB slugger to 500 career home runs.

Pitcher of the Year went to Patrick Chen in his Taichung debut. The 28-year old Indonesian righty was traded to the Toucans in the offseason after eight seasons with Cebu. Chen led in wins (22-8) and WAR (10.4) while adding a 1.76 ERA over 266.1 innings, 315 strikeouts, and 157 ERA+. He edged out Tainan’s Kuan-Yang Kang for the top honor despite the latter’s 1.57 ERA, 425 strikeouts, and 10.4 WAR. Kang’s season was the 15^th in APB history with 425+ Ks.

The divisional round saw stunning upsets as both second place teams upset the league champs. Taipei edged Cebu 3-2 and Manila ousted Taichung 3-1. The last time either had gotten to the Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship was 2020, when the Tigercats defeated the Manatees in the last gasp of Taipei’s lengthy streak atop the Taiwan League. That series was a seven-game thriller, as would be the 2030 rematch.

Game seven came down to the final inning with the score tied 1-1. RF Tsu-Kai Ku wasn’t a big power hitter for Taipei, having only smacked 10 home runs in the regular season. But the hometown kid sent a solo shot over the fence for a 2-1 walkoff win and series victory for the Tigercats over Manila. Taipei earned their eighth TPA pennant (1968, 1988, 1989, 1993, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2030).



The Sundaland Association’s top seed went to Jakarta at 98-64, reclaiming the Java Sea League crown and extending their playoff streak to six seasons. The Jaguars led the SA with 519 runs, allowing them to hold off 96-66 Semarang despite a historically strong pitching staff for the Sliders. Semarang set a new world record with a team ERA of 1.71, an insane mark even in the extremely low scoring APB. Palembang was third in the Java Sea League at 89-73.

The Sliders allowed 342 runs and 289 earned runs, which surprisingly weren’t APB records as 1985 Jakarta had posted 324 and 289. Semarang’s 1878 strikeouts was a new Sundaland Association record, while their 5.68 H/9 was the second-best in SA history and their 0.797 team WHIP was third. Poor offense (only 401 runs) kept the Sliders second, but it did give them back-to-back playoff spots. Semarang also had only 118 doubles as a team, which was a new APB all-time worst.

The Malacca League had three teams in the fight for the two playoff spots. Pekanbaru claimed first at 95-67, followed by Medan at 94-68. Defending SA champ Batam missed the cut at 91-71. The Palms ended a five-year playoff streak and the Marlins snapped a six-year skid. Last year, expansion squad Penang notably was an 88-win wild card in their debut season. The Possums absolutely collapsed in 2030 with an APB worst 54-108 mark.

Pekanbaru’s James Yuwono won his fifth Sundaland Association MVP and his third consecutive. The 31-year old Indonesian also won his eighth Silver Slugger in left field. Yuwono led in runs (97), hits (178), doubles (31), total bases (353), slugging (.593), OPS (9.45), wRC+ (240), and WAR (10.8). He added 42 home runs, 85 RBI, and a .299 average. The tenth year starter for the Palms also hit for the cycle for the first time in April against Penang. Yuwono became the 30^th member of APB’s 400 home run club in 2030.

Medan’s Pao-Huang Lin repeated as Pitcher of the Year with a historic effort. The 23-year old Taiwanese lefty had a 0.76 ERA, which was the second-best qualifying ERA (162 IP required) in APB history and fourth-best in all of world baseball history. The lone APB mark that was better was 0.73 by Ching-Chen Yao in 2014. Lin also led in WHIP (0.59), shutouts (10), ERA+ (315), FIP- (17), and WAR (11.8). He had a 17-4 record and 14 saves over 223.2 innings with 357 strikeouts. It was the 12^th time an APB pitcher had recorded 10+ shutouts.

Jakarta cruised to a divisional round sweep over Medan while Pekanbaru survived 3-2 against Semarang. This gave the Jaguars their sixth appearance in the Sundaland Association championship in eight years, while it was the first since 2024 for the Palms. For the first time since 2020, the SA final needed all seven games. Jakarta prevailed over Pekanbaru for their third pennant in six years and their 12^th overall (1968, 69, 70, 82, 85, 86, 92, 93, 2004, 25, 27, 30). The 12 pennants led all APB teams.



The 66^th Austronesia Championship was the third finals encounter between Jakarta and Taipei. The Tigercats had won 4-3 in 1968, while the Jaguars claimed the 1993 title 4-2. In 2030, Taipei prevailed 4-2 to become four-time APB champs (1968, 1988, 2020, 2030). Seventh-year DH Chin-Tsai Lan earned finals MVP with 17 playoff starts, 14 hits, 9 runs, 5 homers, 8 RBI, and 0.8 WAR. Taipei’s Tao Lee also set a playoff record with 40.1 innings pitched, although he was merely decent with a 2.68 ERA.



Other notes: APB had three perfect games in 2030, bringing the total to 56. The first was July 8 by Kaohsiung’s Wei-Han Chao with 12 strikeouts against Chiayi. The second was August 16 by Cebu’s Hakimi Aziz with 16 strikeouts against Zamboanga. Aziz did it again in a September 13 rematch with the Zebras with 15 strikeouts.

Aziz joined Vhon Lasam, Yu-Ren Yang, and Rahmat Hasjim as the APB aces with two perfect games. He also joined Chinese League Baseball’s Guodong Lin (1981) as the only pitchers in all of world history with two perfect games in the same season. Like Aziz, Lin also earned both of his against the same opponent.

Quezon’s Nazer Fairusshi had the second-ever four home run game in APB on September 21 against Kaohsiung. Chiayi’s Carson Aguiling set a bad APB single-season record by allowing 274 hits. Jakarta’s Fandi Makatindu had a .348 batting average, which was the 4th-best qualifying season in APB to that point. Nazer Fairusshi was the 31^st to score 1000 runs.

Normeezan Hasrin became the 4^th closer to 400 career saves, finishing his final APB season at 431. That put him six short of APB’s all-time record of 437 by Metta Adam. Hasrin would spend his final four seasons between MLB and ALB. 1B Robert Corrado won his 9^th Gold Glove and SP Kuan-Yang Kang won his 7^th. 2B/SS Rahmadi Wahid won his 7^th Silver Slugger.

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The Oceania Baseball Association for 2030 lowered its active roster from 24 players to 23, placing them amongst the lowest of the world leagues. OBA had started at 25 like most leagues, moving to 24 from 1999 onward.



The Australasia League had an intense battle with four teams within two games of the top spot and six teams within seven games. Brisbane and Adelaide finished even in the top spot at 91-71, followed by Perth (90-72), Auckland (89-73), and two-time defending OBA champ Sydney. In a one-game playoff, the Black Bears defeated the Aardvarks for their first pennant in 13 years. Brisbane became four-time AL champs (1991, 2002, 2017, 2030).

Brisbane did it by allowing the fewest runs in the AL at 567, while Adelaide scored the most at 759. The Avengers notably had their first winning season since 2024, while the Snakes grew their run of winning seasons to 16 years. Sydney’s pitching staff also set a new AL record for fewest walks allowed at 242.

Australasia League MVP went to Melbourne LF Jun Lopez-Torres in his fourth season. The 25-year old Australian led in total bases (420), triples (24), batting average (.349), slugging (.698), OPS (1.077), wRC+ (190), and WAR (9.7). Lopez-Torres also had 106 runs, 210 hits, 46 home runs, 124 RBI, and 65 stolen bases.

Auckland’s Braden Sam became the first in OBA history to win Pitcher of the Year and Rookie of the Year. The Papuan righty was the #2 overall pick in the 2029 OBA Draft by the Avengers. Sam led in ERA (2.16), FIP- (53), and WAR (9.7). He tossed 246 innings with a 19-8 record, 285 strikeouts, and 179 ERA+. Unfortunately for Sam, injuries would prevent him from tossing more than a half season’s worth of innings in following seasons.



The Pacific League was also quite competitive with six teams realistically in the hunt for most of the year. New Caledonia pulled away late to take first at 93-69, winning only their second-ever pennant (1970). The historically mediocre Colonels had only thrice before won 90+ games in a season, most recently in 2006. New Caledonia fended off Guadalcanal (89-73), Timor (88-74), defending champ Port Moresby (87-75), Fiji (84-78), and Vanuatu (84-78) for the top spot. The Green Jackets scored the most runs at 689, while the Tapirs allowed the fewest at 576.

Honolulu was 82-80, but they had the Pacific League MVP 1B Liam Winmar. The 29-year old Australian came to the Honu in a 2028 trade with Hobart. In 2030, Winmar led in runs (114), RBI (115), total bases (378), OPS (1.006), and WAR (9.0). He added 175 hits, 55 home runs, 43 stolen bases, and 184 wRC+. Winmar beat out Guam’s Timmy Ellis, who hit 60 home runs and posted only the 19^th 60+ homer season in OBA history.

Port Moresby lefty Darren Soo earned Pitcher of the Year, leading in wins (21-12), and strikeouts (317). The 27-year old Solomon Islander had a 2.85 ERA in 322.2 innings, 126 ERA+, and 5.4 WAR. He was third in ERA, missing the Triple Crown by only 0.25. It was a contract year for Soo who got himself paid on a six-year, $82,700,000 deal with Guadalcanal in the winter.



The 71^st Oceania Championship went to Brisbane over New Caledonia 4-2, making the Black Bears three-time OBA champs (1991, 2002, 2030). Finals MVP was RF Ralph McLean in his eighth year with Brisbane. He went 10-23 with 7 runs, 5 home runs, 6 RBI, 1.545 OPS, and 0.8 WAR.



Other notes: CF Pouvalu Manu won his 15^th and final Gold Glove. He became the 12^th player in all of world history with 15+ Gold Gloves and is the only one to do it in center field. He would retire with an accumulated 271.8 zone rating and 1.067 EFF. 1B David Odom and 3B Natan Chrostek won their 7^th Gold Glove. Trey Cruz became the 8^th player to score 1500 runs and won his 13^th Silver Slugger at second base. Jordy Vincent became the 46^th member of the 400 home run club.

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Beginning in 2030, Eurasian Professional Baseball instituted rule changes designed to increase scoring output. EPB had been considered a below average to low scoring league generally compared to other world leagues. For the 2020s, EPB had a league ERA around 3.15 and a batting average around .242.

With the changes, EPB in the 2030s would have an ERA closer to the 3.65 range and batting averages around .258. This placed EPB into average scoring territory relative to other world leagues historically. EPB’s scoring was in a similar range when it was founded in 1955, but the scoring dropped soon with ERAs in the high twos for much of the 20^th Century before bumping into the low threes after 2006 rule changes.



Reigning EPB champ and two-time defending European League champ Volgograd crushed the competition with a franchise-best 113-49 record. The Voyagers were the first 110+ win team in the EL since Minsk in 1998 and the first in all of EPB since Krasnoyarsk in 2020. Volgograd led the league in runs (740) and fewest allowed (537), earning a third consecutive South Division title. It was their ninth division title in a decade.

Also for the third year running, Gomel won the North Division with a new franchise best at 98-64. It was a steep drop down to the wild cards with both Moscow and Samara advancing at 86-76. Voronezh at 82-80 was the first team out and the only other EL team above .500. The Mules earned repeat playoff trips while the Steelers made it four-in-a-row.

Moscow DH Yuri Demyan won European League MVP with a record breaking campaign. The 25-year old hometown favorite set the new EPB top mark for RBI with 145, passing Dzmitry Kuliev’s 141 which had stood since 1988. Demyan had 428 total bases, just missing Kuliev’s record 429 from the same year. Demyan also led in home runs (58), slugging (.668), OPS (1.047), wRC+ (189), and WAR (8.8).

The fourth-year starter also had 215 hits, 109 runs, and a .335 average. The Mules would give Demyan an eight-year, $97 million extension after the 2031 season.
Demyan was second in batting average in the EL, although he was far from a Triple Crown due to Voronezh’s Vladimir Pyatrenka at .378. Pyatrenka notably broke EPB’s single-season hits record with 241. The top mark had been Nikolay Denisov’s 239 since 1992.

Although Tel Aviv was 79-83, they had the Pitcher of the Year in Nikita Melnikov. The seventh-year righty from Kazakhstan led in ERA (1.87), innings (273.2), WHIP (0.87), K/BB (11.8), quality starts (29), complete games (18), FIP- (60), and WAR (9.6). Melnikov had a 21-9 record, 319 strikeouts, and 187 ERA+. He was the #1 overall draft pick in 2023 by the Aeros and would ink a five-year, $65,600,000 extension in the winter.

Also worth a mention, Volgograd’s Aleksei Kotyukh won his third Reliever of the Year award. The 33-year old has alternated between starting and relief for the Voyagers, even winning the ERA title in 2029 as a starter. Kotyukh led in saves with 39 in 2030 and also won ROTY in 2026 and 2028.

Volgograd escaped with a 3-2 first round victory over Samara, while Moscow upset Gomel 3-1. The Mules earned their first European League Championship Series trip since their 2025 pennant. The Voyagers were going for three straight titles and were a heavy favorite considering the 27 win difference between the teams. However, Moscow dethroned the reigning champs with a stunning 4-2 ELCS upset. It was the 14^th EL crown for the Russian capital (1967, 74, 75, 2005, 06, 07, 09, 10, 15, 16, 19, 21, 25, 30), second-most behind only Minsk (21).



Novosibirsk took the Asian League’s top seed at 102-60, winning the East Division for the first time since the 2000 realignment. The Nitros hadn’t posted a first place finish since 1991 and earned back-to-back playoff berths for the first time since the mid 1990s. Novosibirsk held off two-time defending AL champ Vladivostok, who easily got the first wild card at 96-66 for a third straight playoff trip. The Shibas allowed the fewest runs in EPB at 532.

Nur-Sultan was the top scoring team at 751 runs, pushing them to 94-68 for a fourth consecutive West Division title. Omsk was second at 89-73 to earn the second wild card, ending a two-year playoff drought. Irkutsk was the next closest competitor for the spot at 86-76, followed by last year’s wild card Khabarovsk at 81-81. For the Ice Cats, it was notably their first winning season since 2018.

Leading Novosibirsk to the top seed was Asian League MVP Timofei Kolarov. The 30-year old second baseman had debuted with the Nitros in 2020 after being the #1 overall draft pick in 2018. He had been a full-time starter since 2023. Kolarov led in home runs (47), RBI (109), slugging (.627), and WAR (8.0). The Russian righty added 179 hits, 96 runs, 32 doubles, .308 average, .964 OPS, and 179 wRC+.

Nur-Sultan’s Vardan Aslan won his second Pitcher of the Year in three seasons. The 26-year old Uzbek righty led in wins (21-10), innings (281.2), complete games (24), shutouts (5), and WAR (7.4). Aslan had a 2.72 ERA, 281 strikeouts, 127 ERA+, and 74 FIP-.

Novosibirsk swept Omsk in the first round and Vladivostok got the road upset 3-1 over Nur-Sultan. For the Nitros, this was their first Asian League Championship Series trip since 1991. However, home field advantage made no difference as the Shibas cruised to a 4-1 ALCS victory. Vladivostok is the first EPB team to win three consecutive pennants since Rostov (2012-14) and the first to do it in the AL since Yekaterinburg (2006-08).



The 76^th EPB Championship was a seven-game classic which saw Vladivostok outlast Moscow, bringing the cup to the Russian Far East for the second time in three years. The Mules fall to 5-9 all-time in their finals trips. Finals MVP was Argentine journeyman RF George Lemus, who came to the Shibas in 2029 after a brief run in MLB. The 30-year old had 16 playoff starts with 20 hits, 11 runs, 3 doubles, 4 triples, 3 homers, 12 RBI, and 1.025 OPS.



Other notes: Volgograd’s Marc Kubler had the lone no-hitter of 2030, striking out 18 with two walks against Rostov on September 29. He was one K short of the EPB record for strikeouts in a no-no. Svyatoslav Tyahnybok became the 12^th pitcher to 250 career wins and the 32^nd to 4000 strikeouts. Later in the year, Yevgeni Lyubimov also crossed 4000 Ks.

Yuri Lukashov and Bakhtiyar Dolukhanov became the 32^nd and 33^rd batters to 2500 hits. Brandon Chunchignorov became the 23^rd member of the 500 home run club. Robert Albrecht won his 9^th Gold Glove in center field. RF Timofei Averkin won his 12^th Silver Slugger, becoming the 4^th in EPB to win the award 12+ times at any spot. 3B Yerjanik Kostin won his 7^th Silver Slugger.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

The Northern Conference’s top records were skewed towards the East Division. Berlin earned the top seed at 103-59 to end a four-year playoff drought. It was the first division crown for the German capital since 1999 and first 100+ win season since 1997. The Barons also sold 2,659,709 tickets for the season, the third-highest in European Baseball Federation history. Frankfurt was a close second at 100-62, ending a seven-year playoff drought for the Falcons. It was the second time in franchise history that they won 100+ games.

Two additional wild cards came out of the East with Hanover at 97-65 and reigning EBF champ Kharkiv at 96-66. Both extended lengthy playoff streaks with the Hitmen’s moving to eight years and the Killer Bees’ moving to seven years. The first team out was Warsaw at 89-73.

Nantes (97-65) edged out Manchester (96-66) for the West Division, although both made it to the playoffs. The Trappers have made the playoffs four straight years since their first promotion from the European Second League. Nantes was tied for the most runs scored in the conference at 805 with Berlin. The Crushers allowed the fewest runs in all of EBF (553) and grew their playoff streak to three seasons.
At 88-74, Rotterdam’s playoff streak notably ended at nine years. The Ravens still posted a 14^th consecutive winning campaign. Cologne was the next closest to a wild card after that, ten back at 86-76.

In the West Division, Luxembourg was relegated with the bottom slot at 64-98. They finished five games behind both Copenhagen and London. The Monarchs had a steep fall, having won 91 games in 2029. The Lancers had returned to the EBF Elite in 2026 after 11 years in E2L, but couldn’t climb from the bottom of the standings. In the East, Krakow had the worst overall mark at 59-103, six beneath Wroclaw. It is the third time the Canines have been relegated, although both prior times they were promoted right back up after one E2L year. Krakow had just returned to the top tier for 2028.

A powerful season for Kharkiv shortstop Danut Alecsandrescu earned Northern Conference MVP honors. In his seventh year with the Killer Bees, the 28-year old Romanian switch hitter led in home runs (66), RBI (132), total bases (403), and slugging (.688). Alecsandrescu was the first EBF slugger since 2001 with a 65+ homer season with his mark tied for the ninth-most in federation history. He also had 167 hits, 114 runs, 47 stolen bases, 1.018 OPS, and 7.8 WAR. Kharkiv had given Alecsandrescu an eight-year, $195,400,000 extension after the 2028 campaign.

Glasgow’s Todd McBride won his second Pitcher of the Year, having previously earned the honor in 2025. The 30-year old English lefty won his first ERA title (1.96) and led in WHIP (0.88). McBride had an 18-9 record in 220.1 innings, 267 strikeouts, 193 ERA+, and 7.9 WAR. Much to his chagrin despite, the Highlanders would trade McBride in the offseason to E2L’s Helsinki for prospects. After a contract year with the Honkers, he returned to the top tier in 2032 on a six-year, $157 million deal with Barcelona.

First round playoff matchups saw Hanover over Manchester 2-1 and Kharkiv over Frankfurt 2-0. Both division champs prevailed in round two with Berlin besting the defending champ Killer Bees 3-1 and Nantes surviving 3-2 over the Hitmen. It was the 11^th trip to the Northern Conference Championship for the Barons, although they hadn’t done it since 1998. It was the second try in three years for the Trappers. Berlin ultimately ended their 31-year pennant drought, defeating Nantes 4-2 to become four-time conference champs (1955, 1958, 1998, 2030).



The Southern Conference’s West Division was very top heavy with Munich growing their division title streak to ten seasons and playoff streak to eleven. At 114-48, the Mavericks tied their franchise-best record from 1987 and won 100+ games for the seventh time in a decade. Munich was the top scoring team in all of EBF at 849 runs and allowed the fewest in the conference at 575.

Barcelona was next at 107-55, forced to settle for the first wild card. The Bengals extended their playoff streak to four seasons and earned back-to-back 100+ win campaigns. In the East Division, Cluj-Napoca at 99-63 took first by six games for only their second-ever playoff berth in the EBF Elite (2020). The Paladins had spent the prior six years in the Second League and had just gotten promoted back for 2030.

Their closest foes in the East were defending conference champ Zagreb (93-69) and Ljubljana (92-70), who both earned wild cards. The Gulls earned their tenth playoff trip in eleven years, while the Juggernauts made it three in-a-row. For the final wild card, Rome (90-72) edged out Marseille (88-74), Tirana (87-75), Milan (87-75), and Odesa (86-76). The Italian capital ended a five-year playoff skid. Chisinau notably fell to 77-85, their first losing season since returning to the EBF Elite in 2023.

Yerevan and Bratislava were even at the bottom of the East at 56-106, however the tiebreaker formula doomed the Valiants to relegation. The Blue Falcons were saved as the new relegation rules merely demoted each division’s last place team, as opposed to the previous rule that dropped any 100+ loss team. Yerevan’s return to the top tier lasted only three seasons. Naples (65-97) was the worst in the West with only Palermo (72-90) somewhat close by. This is the second demotion for the Nobles, who spent 2013-18 in E2L. Naples had been strong to start the 2020s and won a pennant in 2022, but they struggled specifically from 2028 onward.

While Budapest was a non-factor at 72-90, their 1B Attila Sebek earned Southern Conference MVP. The 25-year old Czech lefty led in home runs (62), walks (114), total bases (412), OBP (.462), slugging (.757), OPS (1.220), wRC+ (226), and WAR (11.4). Sebek also had 193 hits, 121 runs, and a .355 average. His OPS ranked as the fifth-best single-season in EBF history. His 114 walks was the ninth-best effort in EBF annuls. Sebek needed it to beat out the likes of Cluj-Napoca RV Dimitar Ivanov, who matched his 62 homers and led with 149 RBI.

Barcelona’s J.R Pando won his second Pitcher of the Year, having earlier won in 2027. The 25-year old Spanish lefty led in wins (24-4), ERA (1.90), and quality starts (25). Pando tossed 237.1 innings with 262 strikeouts, 201 ERA+, 57 FIP-, and 8.7 WAR. Despite the Bengals’ efforts, Pando would leave for free agency after the 2031 campaign, eventually inking a seven-year, $196 million deal with Warsaw.

Both first round series saw 2-1 results with Zagreb over Ljubljana and Rome over Barcelona. The defending champ Gulls fell 3-1 to Cluj-Napoca in the second round, giving the Paladins their first-ever trip to the Southern Conference Championship. Munich defeated the Red Wolves 3-1, returning the Mavericks to the finale for the sixth straight year.

Since 2018, the SC final has featured Munich each year sans 2019 and 2024. In that stretch, the Mavericks had gone 6-4 against their various foes. Munich would be denied for the second straight year and third time in four years. Cluj-Napoca pulled off the upset in a seven game classic to become the 39^th different franchise to win a conference crown. The Paladins joined Zaragoza (2012-13) and Valencia (2013-14) as teams that made the European Championship one year removed from being in the European Second League. C-N became the seventh franchise founded with the 2005 E2L season with a pennant.



In the 81^st European Championship, Berlin bested Cluj-Napoca 4-2 to give the Barons their-second title (1958). This set the record for most seasons between titles in EBF at 71 years. 2B Mark Schroder won finals MVP in his tenth year with Berlin. In 16 playoff starts, Schroder had 19 hits, 12 runs, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 4 home runs, 11 RBI, 6 stolen bases, .964 OPS, and 0.9 WAR.



Other notes: Brno’s offense drew only 207 walks all season, a new EBF single-season worst. Turin’s Ubaldo Grasso had a 34-game hitting streak, tied for the 10^th-longest in EBF history. Stefanos Emmanoulidis became the 10^th member of the 700 home run club. Theofilos Psarras and Zeljko Siladjdzic became the 41^st and 42^nd sluggers to sock 500 dingers.

Aleksandr Parts became the 15^th batter to join the 3000 hit club and won his 8^th Gold Glove at first base. SS Andrea Tonetti won his 9^th Gold Glove. In pitching milestones, Griffin Arnall became the 29^th to record 3500 strikeouts. Mario Perez, Grigol Dzneladze, Isak Alsaker, and Nejc Novak each joined the 3K club in 2030, making 64 EBF aces to hit the mark.

Promotion/Relegation: Demoted from the Northern Conference were Luxembourg and Krakow, while Naples and Yerevan were ousted from the Southern Conference. The Lancers and Nobles were sent to E2L’s Western Conference while the Canines and Valiants joined the Eastern Conference.

Earning promotion were Sarajevo, Edinburgh, Reykjavik, and Tallinn. The Enforcers and Raccoons both were moved into the NC West Division, while the Twisters joined the NC East. Sarajevo moved to the SC East, while a team would need to be shifted to restore balance. NC West champ Nantes ended getting swapped into the SC West to fix this. Meanwhile, Toulouse and Athens were relegated from E2L to European Tier Three. Dresden replaced the Toads in the WC and Gdansk took the Anchors’ spot in the EC.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

With the completion of the 2030 season, Beisbol Sudamerica became the fourth of the major world baseball leagues to have 100+ seasons worth of history. Like their predecessors, BSA announced a Centennial Team honoring the absolute best players through the league’s first century.

The continent’s largest country Brazil was represented the most with ten Brazilian players. Venezuela was next with six, followed by two apiece by Bolivia and Argentina. Ecuador, Colombia, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay each had one player while Peru surprisingly didn’t have anyone on the squad.



Starting Lineup

Catcher – Cicero Lugo – Santiago Saints – 2004-26 – 16x Silver Slugger, 17x All-Star, 1x Copa Sudamerica Winner, 1x OPS Leader, 1x WARlord – 3061 games, 3139 hits, 1617 runs, 612 doubles, 91 triples, 578 home runs, 1697 RBI, 835 walks, 1647 strikeouts, .316/.368/.571, 160 wRC+, 137.4 WAR.

First Base – Valor Melo – Salvador Storm – 1970-87 – 6x MVP, 10x Silver Slugger, 13x All-Star, Rookie of the Year, 3x Copa Sudamerica Winner, 1x Finals MVP, 2x LCS MVP, Single Season HR King (76), 9x HR Leader, 6x Runs Scored Leader, 8x RBI Leader, 6x OPS Leader, 5x WARlord – 2636 games, 2915 hits, 1708 runs, 414 doubles, 50 triples, 870 home runs, 1862 RBI, 854 walks, 1792 strikeouts, .309/.371/.640, 197 wRC+, 140.9 WAR.

Second Base – Niculao Semide – Fortaleza Foxes – 1963-83 – 4x MVP, 13x Silver Slugger, 15x All-Star, 2x Copa Sudamerica Winner, 2x Finals MVP, 2x LCS MVP, 3x Runs Scored Leader, 2x Hits Leader, 1x HR Leader, 1x RBI Leader, 2x Batting Title, 3x OPS Leader, 3x WARlord – 2593 games, 2906 hits, 1588 runs, 376 doubles, 97 triples, 515 home runs, 1374 RBI, 1288 walks, 1240 strikeouts, 574 stolen bases, .324/.408/.560, 191 wRC+, 150.0 WAR.

Shortstop – Diego Pena – Belo Horizonte Hogs – 1933-58 – 15x Silver Slugger, 18x All-Star, 1x Gold Glove, 3x Copa Sudamerica Winner, Most Games Played, 1x HR Leader, 2x WARlord – 3588 games, 2775 hits, 1956 runs, 286 doubles, 257 triples, 725 home runs, 1754 RBI, 1168 walks, 3773 strikeouts, 664 stolen bases, .224/.291/.465, 144 wRC+, 153.6 WAR.

Third Base – Niccolo Coelho – Recife Retrievers – 2006-27 – 4x MVP, 12x Silver Slugger, 16x All-Star, Rookie of the Year, 2x Copa Sudamerica Winner, 1x Finals MVP, 1x LCS MVP, Career Runs Scored and RBI Leader, Position Player WARlord, 2x Runs Scored Leader, 3x HR Leader, 2x RBI Leader, 1x OPS Leader, 2x WARlord – 3369 games, 3745 hits, 2133 runs, 552 doubles, 100 triples, 926 home runs, 2231 RBI, 1112 walks, 2639 strikeouts, 241 stolen bases, .313/.374/.607, 174 wRC+, 168.5 WAR.

Left Field – Ishmael “Lucifer’ Perla – Buenos Aires Atlantics – 1952-66 – 2x MVP, 13x Silver Slugger, 7x Gold Glove, 15x All-Star, 1x Copa Sudamerica Winner, Career Stolen Bases Leader, 8x Runs Scored Leader, 4x Hits Leader, 7x Batting Title, 4x OPS Leader, 10x WARlord – 2256 games, 2641 hits, 1462 runs, 402 doubles, 341 triples, 177 home runs, 985 RBI, 1203 walks, 1031 strikeouts, 1519 stolen bases, .332/.419/.536, 201 wRC+, 152.1 WAR.

Center Field - Pasquale Martin – Valencia Velocity – 1973-90 – 3x MVP, 7x Silver Slugger, 17x All-Star, 2x Copa Sudamerica Winner, 1x LCS MVP, 2x Runs Scored Leader, 2x HR Leader, 2x RBI Leader, 2x Batting Title, 2x OPS Leader, 4x WARlord – 2621 games, 2816 hits, 1702 runs, 455 doubles, 175 triples, 646 home runs, 1629 RBI, 1237 walks, 2060 strikeouts, 802 stolen bases, .303/.387/.597, 172 wRC+, 127.6 WAR.

Right Field - Celso “Yogi” Galo – Rosario Robins – 1963-84 – 2x MVP, 8x Silver Slugger, 12x All-Star, 1x Copa Sudamerica Winner, 1x Runs Scored Leader, 3x Hits Leader, 1x HR Leader, 1x RBI Leader, 5x Batting Title, 3x OPS Leader, 1x WARlord – 2771 games, 3182 hits, 1467 runs, 516 doubles, 83 triples, 526 home runs, 1506 RBI, 759 walks, 1268 strikeouts, 403 stolen bases, .337/.387/.576, 193 wRC+, 126.1 WAR.

Designated Hitter – Milton Becker – Caracas Colts – 1990-08 – 3x MVP, 12x Silver Slugger, 14x All-Star, Career Home Run King – 2836 games, 3386 hits, 1980 runs, 446 doubles, 91 triples, 941 home runs, 2226 RBI, 1131 walks, 2107 strikeouts, 159 stolen bases, .320/.389/.647, 174 wRC+, 126.7 WAR.

Reserves

First Base – Javier “Snapper” Herrera – Quito Thunderbolts – 1957-78 – 4x MVP, 8x Silver Slugger, 6x Gold Glove, 16x All-Star, 1x Copa Sudamerica Winner, 3x Runs Scored Leader, 5x Hits Leader, 8x Batting Title, 6x OPS Leader, 3x WARlord – 2912 games, 3597 hits, 1639 runs, 618 doubles, 300 triples, 348 home runs, 1546 RBI, 950 walks, 1855 strikeouts, 1230 stolen bases, .335/.388/.545, 164 wRC+, 117.9 WAR.

First Base – Bernaldo “Cowboy” Lagasse – Brasilia Bearcats – 1995-09 – 3x MVP, 5x Silver Slugger, 10x All-Star, 2x Copa Sudamerica Winner, 1x Finals MVP, 2x LCS MVP, 5x Runs Scored Leader, 1x HR Leader, 5x OPS Leader, 6x WARlord – 2117 games, 2361 hits, 1434 runs, 361 doubles, 36 triples, 551 home runs, 1280 RBI, 1221 walks, 1407 strikeouts, 19 stolen bases, .325/.424/.613, 195 wRC+, 111.0 WAR.

Third/Second Base – Angel Gabriel Cornejo – Cordoba Chanticleers – 1936-59 – 7x Silver Slugger, 15x All-Star, 3x Copa Sudamerica Winner, 1x LCS MVP, 1x OPS Leader, 1x WARlord – 3444 games, 3253 hits, 1507 runs, 426 doubles, 56 triples, 555 home runs, 1570 RBI, 940 walks, 2300 strikeouts, 213 stolen bases, .272/.327/.456, 155 wRC+, 139.0 WAR.

Second Base – Daniel “Tall One” Schafer – Manaus Magpies – 2011-27 – 2x MVP, 4x Silver Slugger, 14x All-Star, 2x Copa Sudamerica Winner, 1x Finals MVP, 3x Batting Title, 1x OPS Leader, 3x WARlord – 2456 games, 3236 hits, 1538 runs, 425 doubles, 151 triples, 451 home runs, 1499 RBI, 911 walks, 1407 strikeouts, 364 stolen bases, .357/.414/.586, 177 wRC+, 120.7 WAR.

Center Field – Saul Vargas – Cali Cyclones – 1933-51 - 4x MVP, 11x Silver Slugger, 11x All-Star, 6x Runs Scored Leader, 5x Hits Leader, 4x Batting Title, 3x OPS Leader, 6x WARlord – 2714 games, 2948 hits, 1514 runs, 377 doubles, 262 triples, 338 home runs, 1179 RBI, 747 walks, 1686 strikeouts, 1191 stolen bases, .290/.340/.479, 146 wRC+, 115.6 WAR.

Left/Center Field – Owen Arcia – Barquisimeto Black Cats – 1996-15 – 1x Silver Slugger, 8x All-Star, 1x LCS MVP, 2x Hits Leader, Career Hits Leader – 3068 games, 3940 hits, 1904 runs, 643 doubles, 245 triples, 409 home runs, 1690 RBI, 613 walks, 1805 strikeouts, 1373 stolen bases, .325/.358/.520, 136 wRC+, 95.9 WAR.

Pitching Staff

Starting Pitcher – Mohamed “Toto” Ramos – La Paz Pump Jacks – 1931-48 – 7x Pitcher of the Year, 2x MVP, 16x All-Star, 2x ERA Title, 15x Strikeout Leader, 11x WARlord, Single Season Strikeout World Record (549), Single Season Pitching WAR Record (17.94), 4x Copa Sudamerica Winner, 1x Finals MVP, 1x LCS MVP, World Career Leader in Strikeouts and Shutouts, WARlord Among All World Pitchers, BSA Career Leader in Wins, Complete Games, Shutouts, 2x Perfect Game, 9x No-Hitter, 13x Games w/20+ Ks, Single Game Strikeout Record (23) - 347-170, 1.98 ERA, 5030 innings, 7747 strikeouts, 782 walks, 296 complete games, 100 shutouts, 152 ERA+, 50 FIP-, 205.1 WAR.

Starting Pitcher – Laurenco Cedillo – Guayaquil Golds – 1956-75 – 7x Pitcher of the Year, 15x All-Star, 4x ERA Title, 3x Strikeout Leader, 11x WARlord – 342-198, 2.43 ERA, 5102.1 innings, 5358 strikeouts, 780 walks, 203 complete games, 56 shutouts, 137 ERA+, 64 FIP, 162.9 WAR.

Starting Pitcher – Lazaro Rodriguez – Valencia Velocity – 1971-88 – 9x Pitcher of the Year, 12x All-Star, 2x Copa Sudamerica Winner, 4x ERA Title, 10x Strikeout Leader, 11x WARlord, 1x Perfect Game, 2x No-Hitter – 11 Games w/20+ Ks – 309-155, 2.60 ERA, 4261.1 innings, 6045 strikeouts, 712 walks, 257 complete games, 55 shutouts, 136 ERA+, 61 FIP-, 148.0 WAR.

Starting Pitcher – Evan “Bull” Yho – Buenos Aires Atlantics – 1935-53 – 3x Pitcher of the Year, 13x All-Star, 3x Copa Sudamerica Winner, 1x LCS MVP, 2x ERA Title, 3x Strikeout Leader, 4x WARlord, 2x No-Hitter – 289-168, 1.96 ERA, 4478.1 innings, 5591 strikeouts, 624 walks, 159 complete games, 60 shutouts, 144 ERA+, 56 FIP-, 155.0 WAR.

Starting Pitcher – Timoteo Caruso – Rio de Janeiro Redbirds – 1936-50 – 4x Pitcher of the Year, 12x All-Star, Rookie of the Year, 5x ERA Title, 3x Strikeout Leader, 6x WARlord, 1x Perfect Game, 2x No-Hitter – 219-99, 119 saves, 1.56 ERA, 3184 innings, 4290 strikeouts, 459 walks, 104 complete games, 50 shutouts, 176 ERA+, 39 FIP-, 138.6 WAR.

Starting Pitcher – Domingas Ribeiro – Sao Paulo Padres – 1964-78 – 6x Pitcher of the Year, 12x All-Star, 1x Copa Sudamerica Winner, 6x ERA Title, 1x Strikeout Leader, 8x WARlord, 1x Perfect Game, 2x No-Hitter – 245-118, 72 saves, 2.02 ERA, 3490.1 innings, 4085 strikeouts, 374 walks, 113 complete games, 43 shutouts, 155 ERA+, 58 FIP-, 120.5 WAR.

Pitcher/Right Field – Ignacio Rola – Salvador Storm – 1936-49 – 1x MVP, 11x Silver Slugger, 4x All-Star, 1x Copa Sudamerica Winner – 185-130, 12 saves, 2.29 ERA, 2925.2 innings, 3064 strikeouts, 439 walks, 82 complete games, 22 shutouts, 118 ERA+, 78 FIP-, 69.1 WAR – 1066 games, 842 hits, 349 runs, 111 doubles, 7 triples, 10 home runs, 202 RBI, 88 walks, 402 strikeouts, 446 stolen bases, .268/.292/.350, 107 wRC+, 24.6 WAR.

Closer – Chano “Steady” Angel – Salvador Storm – 1931-44 – 6x Reliever of the Year, 11x All-Star, 4x Saves Leader, World ERA Leader – 80-50, 411 saves, 0.99 ERA, 1124.2 innings, 2165 strikeouts, 252 walks, 533 shutdowns, 304 ERA+, 10 FIP-, 79.0 WAR.

Closer – Jonathan Iglesias – Caracas Colts – 1935-53 – 3x Reliever of the Year, 8x All-Star, 3x Copa Sudamerica Winner, 3x Saves Leader, World Career Saves Leader, – 123-146, 579 saves, 1.85 ERA, 1256 games, 1609.2 innings, 2331 strikeouts, 350 walks, 705 shutdowns, 163 ERA+, 43 FIP-, 75.9 WAR.

Closer – Freddie Sandoval – Fortaleza Foxes – 1935-50 – 3x Reliever of the Year, 11x All-Star, 4x Saves Leader – 60-55, 459 saves, 1.44 ERA, 1047.1 innings, 1655 strikeouts, 204 walks, 578 shutdowns, 201 ERA+, 25 FIP-, 61.3 WAR

Manager – Nolan Best – Sao Paulo Padres (1975-96), Cali Cyclones (1999-00) – 4x Copa Sudamerica Wins, 6x League Champ, 12x Playoff Berths, 12x Division Titles, 6x Manager of the Year, 2226-1651, .574%.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

The best three records in the Bolivar League battled in the Peru-Bolivia Division with Arequipa, Lima, and La Paz earning return playoff berths. The Arrows were third last year, but went onto win the pennant anyway. In 2030, Arequipa took first at 104-58 and secured the top seed. The Lobos took second at 98-64, growing their playoff streak to four years. La Paz was third at 96-66 for the final wild card slot. Arequipa allowed the fewest runs (602) while Lima’s offense had 1768 hits; the second-most in BL history.

Bogota ended the longest active playoff drought in the Bolivar League at 22 seasons. The Bats won the Colombia-Ecuador Division at 94-68, fending off Barranquilla (90-72), and Guayaquil (88-74). Although the Blues led ins coring with 838 runs, their playoff streak ended at eight seasons.

Caracas reclaimed the Venezuela Division at 91-71, earning their 12^th division crown in 14 years. Barquisimeto was second at 83-79 while last year’s division winner Maracaibo fell to 76-86. For the Colts, they’ve now posted 15 winning seasons in a row.

Lima’s Marc Melgar won his third consecutive Bolivar League MVP. The 28-year old hometown hero led in hits (257), runs (133), RBI (132), total bases (470), average (.415), slugging (.758), OPS (1.208), wRC+ (204), and WAR (10.4). Melgar joined West African Baseball hit king Fares Belaid as the only players in world history to hit above .400 thrice. For Melgar, he has done it consecutively with .404, .420, and .415 from 2028-30.

Melgar’s 257 hits were a career high and tied for third-most in Beisbol Sudamerica history behind Nuno Escalante’s 262 from 2018 and Juan Suarez’s 259 from 2022. His 470 total bases tied for the sixth-best in BSA history. Melgar also had 36 doubles, 15 triples, and 49 home runs. He also accomplished the rare feat of having a six-hit game and three home run game in the same season. Melgar did the former against Trujillo on August 2 and the latter facing Quito on September 12.

In his second year with Caracas, Bartolo Flores became a four-time Pitcher of the Year winner. He had won the award previously with Santa Cruz in 2021, 24, and 25. Flores joined the Colts on a five-year, $120 million deal for 2029. The 32-year old Ecuadoran righty remarkably led the league in strikeouts for the tenth consecutive season, this time with 340. Flores also led in WAR (8.3) and K/BB (13.6). He posted a 2.78 ERA in 252.2 innings, 143 ERA+, and 17-10 record.

Bogota swept Caracas 2-0 in the first round, then shocked defending champ Arequipa 3-2 in the divisional series. The Bats earned their first trip to the Bolivar League Championship Series since their early 2000s dynasty run. Lima outlasted La Paz 3-2 on the other side, giving the Lobos their third BLCS trip in four years. Bogota ultimately ended their 24 year title drought with a 4-2 victory over Lima, making the Bats seven-time Bolivar League champs (1951, 1973, 1995, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2030).



Three teams were in a tight fight for the Southern Cone League’s top seed. South Central Division champ Santiago and North Division champ Brasilia finished even at 102-60 with the tiebreaker giving the #1 spot to the Saints. Santiago’s playoff streak grew to 11 seasons with ten division titles in that run. The Saints are now on a 22-year streak of winning seasons. The Bearcats meanwhile earned a third straight division crown.

Brasilia had to fend off a 100-62 Manaus for the division crown, as the Magpies took the first wild card. It was Manaus’s second playoff berth in three years. Salta gave the Saints a fight at 96-66, which ended a nine-year playoff drought for the Silver Hawks as the second wild card. Just missing the wild card cut from those divisions were Salvador (94-68), Concepcion (93-69), and defending Copa Sudamerica winner Belo Horizonte (89-73).

Over in the Southeast Division, Buenos Aires (89-73) prevailed over Rosario (86-76), Sao Paulo (84-78), and Montevideo (83-79). The Atlantics picked up their third playoff trip in five years, while the Padres saw their streak ended at six. Brasilia led the Southern Cone League with 830 runs and had a .493 team slugging percentage, the third-best in league history. The Chiefs allowed the fewest runs at 509.

MVP honors went to Sao Paulo 3B Hector Gonzalez in his second year as a full-time starter. The 27-year old Colombian led in WAR (10.9), walks (78), OBP (.439), and wRC+ (209). Gonzalez added 47 home runs, 113 RBI, 216 hits, 108 runs, and 1.080 OPS. This effort earned him an eight-year, $146,900,000 extension in the offseason. Gonzalez held off Rio de Janeiro slugger Simon Veronese for MVP, as the latter led with 60 home runs and 142 RBI.

Veteran Vitorio Rosales had a career year at age 35 for Salta, winning Pitcher of the Year. He joined the Storm in 2029 after pitching previously with Cali and Barranquilla. The Colombian righty won an ERA title at 2.26 and led with four shutouts. Rosales had a 19-12 record, 262.1 innings, 251 strikeouts, 163 ERA+, and 7.1 WAR.

Buenos Aires ousted Salta 2-0 in the first round, but promptly was swept 3-0 by Santiago in the divisional series. The Saints earned their fourth trip to the Southern Cone Championship in a decade. On the other side, Manaus upset Brasilia 3-2 in a classic. For the third straight year, the Bearcats went one-and-done despite winning 100+ games.

The Magpies earned their second-ever finals trip, having won their lone pennant in 2027 in an upset over Santiago. Manaus reused the same script, knocking off the Saints 4-2 to claim the Southern Cone crown. For Santiago, they’ve now lost their last four finals trips. For the tenth straight year, the Saints made the playoffs and left ultimately empty handed.



Bogota ultimately rolled to a 4-1 victory over Manaus in the 100^th edition of Copa Sudamerica. The Bats won their fourth cup, having also taken it in 2000, 2004, and 2005. Four of the last seven Copa Sudamericas have been won by a Colombian team. CF Axel Greene was a surprise finals MVP winner, considering he finished his career with -4.2 WAR over 823 games. The 30-year old Belizean in 18 playoff starts had 19 hits, 9 runs, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 2 homers, 8 RBI, and 0.5 WAR.



Other notes: Curitiba’s pitching staff allowed 1725 hits with a 10.87 H/9, both marks were the second-worst in Southern Cone League history behind their own worsts of 1774 and 11.19 from the prior year. In milestones, Juan Rizo became the 4^th to 3500 career hits. Elijah Reuter became the 19^th member of the 3000 hit club. The 500 home run club now had 65 members after Martinho Criscuolo, Spinoza Arajo, and Santino Garza met the mark in 2030.

Otavio Furtado and Bartolo Flores became the 71^st and 72^nd pitchers to win 200 wins. Flores also became the 53^rd to 3500 strikeouts. Isias Fabian became the 40^th closer to 300 saves. LF Feliz Zaldivar won his 8^th straight Gold Glove. SS Eddy Corunha won his 9^th Silver Slugger.

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Beisbol Sudamerica completed season #100 in 2030, becoming the fourth of the major pro leagues to reach the milestone. Below are the results and stats from BSA’s first 100 seasons.



In the Bolivar League, Caracas and Medellin have been the most successful teams. The Colts have the most playoff appearances (37), pennants (15), division titles (36), and the best average wins per season (85.2). The Mutiny have been to the LCS the most (27) and they are even with Caracas for Copa Sudamerica wins at six. All but the brand new expansion teams in the BL have at least one pennant. Maracaibo is the only original team from the BL without a Cup win and has the fewest playoff berths of those teams at 11.

In the Southern Cone League, Santiago and Sao Paulo have been the strongest squads. The Saints lead all teams with 47 playoff berths, 42 division titles, 29 LCS trips, and 88.8 wins per season. The Padres have had better playoff luck with 15 pennants compared to Santiago’s nine, while both have six cups. Buenos Aires leads all teams with eight Cup wins. Montevideo is the only original team in BSA without a single pennant, only making the playoffs six times in 100 years. The Southern Cone League has fared better in Copa Sudamerica with a 56-44 record over the Bolivar League.

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East Asia Baseball saw a four-team expansion of the Japan League in 2025, moving it to 20 teams split between four divisions. The Korea League remained at 16 teams in two divisions, although the long-term plan was to do a similar expansion a few years later. In 2030, the KL made its additions to get to 20 teams and also split into a four-division format for the first time.



Three new South Korean teams entered the league with the Cheongju Checkers, Gimhae Golden Angels, and Jeju Islanders. EAB also added the Chongjin Ironbirds, a third team from North Korea. The league had only had two NK teams (Pyongyang and Hamhung) since EAB’s founding. Those teams had stayed in EAB despite political tensions, but those issues and North Korea’s own internal woes had prevented new NK teams from joining. By 2030, the political situation had gotten less tenuous and there was less pushback against the idea.



The next big step was figuring out how to divide the teams into four divisions after more than a century with a two division setup. The North Division would have the three NK teams (Pyongyang, Hamhung, Chongjin) along with Goyang and Seoul. Making up the Central Division was Bucheon, Incheon, Seongnam, Suwon, and Yongin. In the Southwest Division you had Jeonju, Gwangju, Jeju, Daejeon, and Cheongju. Lastly, the Southeast Division saw Busan, Daegu, Ulsan, Changwon, and Gimhae.

The Korea League also expanded the postseason to match the Japan League with the four division champs and two wild cards advancing. The wild card round was a best-of-four hosted by the division champ. They needed only two wins to advance, while the wild card had to win thrice. The divisional round was a HH-AA-H best of five, while the League Championship Series and EAB Championship were both HH-AAA-HH best-of-sevens.

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Five of the six playoff teams from 2029 in the Japan League made it back in 2030. Nagoya swapped spots with Kobe in the Central Division with both teams fighting for the top seed. The Nightowls finished 106-56 for their third straight playoff berth, while the Blaze had to settle for a wild card at 103-59. Kobe’s playoff streak grew to eight seasons. Nagoya led the JL with 784 runs scored. The Blaze pitching staff had 1808 strikeouts and a 11.05 K/9, both of which were the second-best in East Asia Baseball history.

Reigning EAB champ Niigata was also in the hunt for the top seed at 103-59, dominating the North Division. The Green Dragons’ playoff streak grew to four years. Kitakyushu was the one new playoff team for 2030, edging out Hiroshima by two games for the West Division title. The Kodiaks finished 94-68 and allowed the fewest runs at 489. It was a remarkable turnaround for Kitakyushu, who hadn’t seen a winning season in a decade.

At 92-70, the Hammerheads got the second wild card to grow their playoff streak to five. Kyoto was the closest foe at 90-72, missing the cut after winning 101 games the prior year. The weakest division champ was Tokyo at 92-70, repeating atop the Capital Division. Chiba was second place at 85-77. Also worth a mention was Sapporo at 76-86, their first losing season since 2017.

Hiroshima 1B Hyung-Gwang Sohn won his second Japan League MVP, having previously earned it in 2027. The 28-year old lefty led in home runs (49), RBI (136), total bases (362), OBP (.415), slugging (.643), OPS (1.058), wRC+ (220), and WAR (9.8). Sohn added 182 hits, 110 runs, and a .323 average. Sohn would sign a historic eight-year, $391,500,000 extension with the Hammerheads in August 2031; the richest deal in baseball history to that point.

Pitcher of the Year was Kitakyushu’s Hyuuma Miyata in his third season. He bounced back after missing most of 2029 to a torn rotator cuff. The 24-year old righty led in ERA (1.52), WHIP (0.79), and quality starts (29). Miyata’s ERA was the 25^th-best qualifying ERA in EAB history. He struck out 251 over 242 innings with a 16-7 record, 218 ERA+, and 6.9 WAR.

In the wild card round, Tokyo swept Kobe 3-0 and Kitakyushu held off Hiroshima 3-1. Nagoya clobbered the Tides 3-0 in the divisional round, while Niigata survived 3-2 against the Kodiaks. The defending champ Green Dragons earned their fourth straight trip to the Japan League Championship Series. The Nightowls had played spoiler to a 110-win Niigata in 2028 in the JLCS, preventing a repeat bid.

This time, Nagoya had home field advantage and again would prevent the Green Dragons from repeat pennants. The JLCS went seven games for the first time since 2025 with the Nightowls prevailing, becoming ten-time Japan League champs (1931, 1934, 1937, 1940, 1948, 1964, 1979, 2009, 2028, 2030).



The realigned Korea League ended up with a loaded North Division. Goyang and Pyongyang had a fierce battle for the top seed which the Green Sox claimed with a franchise-best 112-50. The Pythons were a close second at 109-53, but had to settle for the first wild card. Pyongyang ended a 13-year playoff drought, while Goyang won a fourth straight division title. The Green Sox led EAB in scoring with 893 runs, while the Pythons allowed the fewest in the KL at 532.

The #2 seed went to defending Korea League champ Busan at 101-61 atop the Southeast Division. The Blue Jays won a seventh straight division title and grew their EAB-record playoff streak to 11 years. For the eighth time in that streak, Busan won 100+ games. Suwon won the Central Division at 95-67, topping Incheon (89-73) by six. The Snappers earned repeat playoff trips, although it was their first division title since 2021.

Seoul also advanced out of the North Division as the second wild card at 92-70. The Seahawks were one better than Ulsan (91-71) and three ahead of Incheon (89-73). Seoul ended their own playoff drought at 11 years. The Inferno had their playoff streak end at four seasons. Yongin, a wild card last year, notably struggled to 68-94. The weakest division champ was Jeonju at 87-75, the only team above .500 in the Southwest Division. The Jethawks snapped an eight-year playoff drought, earning their first division title since the 1980s.

Daejeon continued to struggle at 70-92, growing their playoff drought to 42 seasons. Despite that, they had the Korea League MVP Hyeon-Jun Kim. The 25-year old 3B led in slugging (.700), OPS (1.101), wRC+ (189), and WAR (10.9). Kim added 202 hits, 113 runs, 58 home runs, 136 RBI, and a .340 average.

The struggling Ducks wouldn’t be able to keep Kim beyond 2031, as he’d sign an eight-year, $324 million deal with expansion Jeju. He held off Hamhung’s Toichi Kumura for MVP despite the latter’s 64 home runs and 162 RBI. It was only the fifth time in EAB history that a player had 160+ RBI.

Pitcher of the Year went to Goyang’s Oniji Yamamoto, winning his second ERA title. The 25-year old lefty had a 1.58 ERA and led in K/BB (13.0), quality starts (27), FIP- (51), and WAR (9.7). Yamamoto had a 21-3 record over 238.2 innings with 299 strikeouts and 246 ERA+. He missed the Triple Crown by one win and 12 strikeouts.

Jeonju upset Pyongyang 3-1 in the wild card round and Suwon topped Seoul 3-1. Top seed Goyang ousted the Jethawks 3-1 in the divisional series, earning a shot at their second pennant in three years. Meanwhile, the Snappers stunned Busan 3-1 to earn back-to-back trips to the Korea League Championship Series. The Green Sox rolled to a 4-1 KLCS win over Suwon to become six-time KL champs (1991, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2028, 2030).



For the first time since 2009, the East Asian Championship featured the top seed from both leagues. It was also a rematch of the 2028 finale, which Goyang won 4-2 over Nagoya. The Nightowls got revenge 4-1 over the Green Sox to claim the 110^th EAB title. Nagoya became six-time EAB champs (1930, 1934, 1940, 1964, 2009, 2030).

Mitsuo Wada had a huge postseason, winning MVP of the EAB Championship, JLCS, and divisional series. The 26-year old 3B joined Nagoya as a free agent in 2030 after starting with Jeonju. In 15 playoff starts, Wada had 23 hits, 11 runs, 5 doubles, 4 triples, 1 homer, 6 RBI, 1.071 OPS, and 1.0 WAR. Nightowls closer Kenji Yoshii also tied the EAB playoff record of eight saves. He posted a 1.04 ERA over 17.1 innings with 20 strikeouts.



Other notes: The 43^rd Perfect Game in EAB was thrown by Pyongyang’s Yasuo Nakajima, fanning 11 against Daejeon on July 7. Tokyo’s Toshio Takahashi threw 16 scoreless playoff innings over two starts, becoming the 10^th in EAB playoff history with a zero ERA over 15+ innings. Seongnam’s Tae-Yang Chai had a four home run game on May 30 against Hamhung, the 15^th such game in EAB history. He was the first to do it with only solo homers.

Nobuyoshi Yamauchi became the 2^nd pitcher to 5000 career strikeouts. He finished the year at 5049, still a good distance from Sang-Hun Joon’s top mark of 5694. As of 2037, Yamauchi is one of only 44 pitchers in all of pro baseball history with 5000+ Ks.

Kunihiko Ishiguro became the 6^th member of the 800 home run club. Natsuo Suyama became the 75^th to 500 homers and the 99^th to 2500 hits. Dae-Eui Ha was the 25^th batter to reach 3000 hits and the 36^th to 1500 runs scored. SS Jae-Won Park and RF Chae-Yun Choi both won their 11^th consecutive Gold Glove. CF Ebizo Umezu won his 8^th Gold Glove.

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Back in 2025, the Central American Baseball Association had a huge six-team expansion. This brought the Caribbean League to 20 teams and the Mexican League to 18. The plan was always to also bring the ML to 20 teams, but officials felt adding eight teams at once was too many. By 2030, the plan was in motion to add two more teams to get the Mexican League to 20 teams.



The Aguascalientes Cactus and Tuxtla Terror were the two teams added into the Mexican League. The ML had kept a two-division format to that point, while the Caribbean League had switched to three divisions following the 2025 expansion. The ML made the same switch now with 20 teams for a format with two divisions of seven teams and one with six.

The North Division would have Tijuana, Juarez, Mexicali, Chihuahua, Hermosillo, Monterrey, and Torreon. The South Division had Mexico City, Ecatepec, Merida, Puebla, Cancun, Toluca, and Tuxtla. The new Central Division would have Leon, Guadalajara, Queretaro, Culiacan, San Luis Potosi, and Aguascalientes.



CABA also for 2030 lowered the service time requirements for free agency from six years to only five, a big win for the players. This put CABA even with East Asia Baseball, the Oceania Baseball Association, and South Asia Baseball as the least restrictive of the world leagues.

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Leon was the Mexican League’s top seed for the third straight year, although they only edged out defending Central American Baseball Association champ Ecatepec by one game. The Lions won the new Central Division at 100-62, posting their fourth straight division title and fourth straight 100+ win season. Leon’s playoff streak grew to six seasons. The Explosion dominated the South Division at 99-63 for repeat playoff trips and led the ML in scoring with 754 runs.

Tijuana repeated as North Division champ at 93-69, earning their fourth division crown in five years. The Toros allowed the league’s fewest runs at 533. Chihuahua was second in the division at 88-74, which secured the second wild card. The first spot went to the Central’s San Luis Potosi at 91-71. The Warriors ended a six-year playoff drought, while the Potros picked up their second berth in three years.

The third and final wild card spot saw Toluca take it at 86-76, the first-ever playoff berth for the 2025 expansion Tortugas. Close behind but just short were Puebla (85-77), Aguascalientes (83-79), Monterrey (81-81), and Tuxtla (81-81). It was an impressive debut for both the Cactus and Terror, avoiding losing campaigns in their respective inaugural campaigns. Notable was the complete collapses of both Guadalajara (60-102) and Mexico City (58-104). Both had won pennants only a few years prior.

Ecatepec LF Castulo Castro earned Mexican League MVP in his fourth season. The 26-year old Guatemalan led in runs (119), walks (96), average (.359), OBP (.457), OPS (1.143), wRC+ (223), and WAR (11.1). Castro was second in both home runs (46) and RBI (115) while also stealing 82 bases. He was a breakout star, having been picked in the fifth round by the Explosion in the 2025 CABA Draft. After the 2029 campaign, Castro committed long-term to Ecatepec on an eight-year, $161,200,000 extension.

Tijuana’s Richard Wright won Pitcher of the Year for the tenth time, becoming only the fourth in all of pro baseball history to win the top honor 10+ times. He matched the legendary Junior Vergara among CABA aces. Wright had won from 2020-22, then 24-30 for a seven year streak. By Wright’s lofty standard, this was actually the weakest campaign of the run apart from 2020. He did lose some innings to forearm tendinitis in the fall.

The 32-year old Jamaican lefty won his tenth ERA title (1.65) and led in WHIP (0.84). Wright had a 15-6 record, 190.2 innings, 292 strikeouts, 216 ERA+, and 8.1 WAR. It was his first season below 300 strikeouts since 2020 and ended a streak of seven seasons of 10+ WAR.

In the first round of the playoffs, Tijuana swept Toluca 2-0 and San Luis Potosi topped Chihuahua 2-0. Both second round matchups saw the top seeds upset. The Toros toppled defending champ Ecatepec 3-2, while the Potros ousted Leon 3-1. This was SLP’s first trip to the Mexican League Championship Series since joining in the 2003 expansion. For Tijuana, it was their fourth MLCS trip in a decade. The Toros returned to the throne by sweeping San Luis Potosi, becoming 11-time Mexican champs (1913-14, 16-19, 23, 98, 2021, 24, 30).



Haiti had the Caribbean League’s top seed at 101-61 atop the West Division. Although it was their fourth consecutive playoff trip, the Herons hadn’t been a division champ since 2024. It was notably their seventh playoff trip in nine years. Guatemala was their closest foe for the top seed at 96-66, edging out two-time defending CL champ Honduras (95-67) for the Central Division. The Ghosts’ playoff streak grew to ten seasons; while the Horsemen had theirs grow to eight as the first wild card. Honduras led all teams with 889 runs.

The contenders for the remaining two wild cards battled across the Central and West. Santo Domingo (92-70) and Bahamas (90-72) advanced, while Nicaragua (89-73) and last year’s CLSC runner-up Salvador (89-73) both missed. The Buccaneers earned their sixth straight playoff trip, while the Dolphins secured their seventh berth in nine years. In a weak East Division, Curacao (85-77) held off Suriname (82-80). The Chaos were the first of the 2025 expansion teams in the CL to earn a playoff spot. Last year’s division champ Trinidad was 79-83 despite allowing the fewest runs at 613. The Trail Blazers managed to only score 595 runs.

Leading Curacao to its first success was Caribbean League MVP Rogerio Peraza. The 26-year old Cuban first baseman led in home runs (65), RBI (157), total bases (470), and slugging (.750). Peraza had 208 hits, 122 runs, 31 doubles, 18 triples, 1.122 OPS, 183 wRC+, and 9.1 WAR. The Chaos had picked him third in the 2026 CABA Draft and gave Peraza an eight-year, $203,500,000 extension before the 2030 season.

Guatemala ace Israel Montague won his eighth Pitcher of the Year (2021-25, 27-28, 30). The 33-year old Panamanian lefty led in ERA (2.54), strikeouts (370), WHIP (0.94), and WAR (9.7). Montague had a 19-10 record over 241.1 innings and 162 ERA+. He won his eighth ERA title and led in strikeouts for the seventh time. Montague also tossed his first no-hitter on July 15, striking out 16 with one walk against East Cuba. In addition, Montague became the 32^nd CABA ace to 3500 strikeouts and the 57^th to 200 wins in 2030.

Honduras outlasted Santo Domingo 2-1 and Curacao topped Bahamas 2-0 in the first round of the playoffs. Haiti dethroned the defending champion Horsemen 3-2 in round two, giving the Herons their first Caribbean League Championship trip since 2024. The Chaos shocked Guatemala 3-2 on the other side to earn their first-ever CLCS trip. Curacao gave a nice effort, but Haiti prevailed 4-2 to end a 14-year pennant drought. The Herons became 11-time Caribbean kings (1937-38, 73, 2000-02, 06-07, 10, 15, 30).



Despite both team’s successes, the 120^th CABA Championship was the first finals battle between Tijuana and Haiti. The Toros took down the Herons 4-2 to become six-time CABA champs (1913-14, 1918-19, 2021, 2030). This continued a run of parity for the top soot with eight champs in eight years. Finals MVP was catcher Yangency Iniguez in his fourth season and first as a full-time starter. The 23-year old Puerto Rican started 16 playoff games with 21 hits, 7 runs, 2 doubles, 1 homer, and 14 RBI.

Tijuana also had excellent pitching in their playoff run. Richard Wright set a new CABA playoff record with 62 strikeouts, posting a 2.30 ERA over 43 innings. J.R. Romero meanwhile tied the playoff wins record by going 4-0, although he had a mere 3.45 ERA over 28.2 innings with 23 Ks.



Other notes: Bahamas’ Felix Rodriguez had a 36-game hitting streak end in early April that carried over from the prior season. This was the fourth-longest streak in CABA history. Jarek Wilson-Smith became the 15^th member of the 3000 hit club. Wilson-Smith also became CABA’s all-time triples leader at 393, passing Mario Bueno’s 377 that had held since 1989.

Wilson-Smith and Jonas Pimentel both earned their 1500^th run scored, a club of only 25 in CABA. Wilson-Smith and Ruben Cabrera both crossed 1500 RBI, a mark met by 39 CABA batters. Cabrera became the 65^th to reach 2500 hits. Quirino Brito became the 58^th pitcher to 200 wins. Rodney Louis was the 83^rd ace to 3000 strikeouts. 3B Jamel Forsyth won his 7^th Silver Slugger.

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The top two records in the National Association by a healthy margin battled for the top seed and the Northeast Division. Buffalo shockingly took first at 109-53, edging out two-time defending NA champ Ottawa by one game (108-54). It was a franchise record for the Blue Sox, whose only previous 100+ win seasons came more than a century prior from 1920-22. Buffalo ended a 12-year playoff drought and earned their first division title since 1994.

The Blue Sox won many close games, setting a new MLB single-season team record with 55 saves. They outperformed their expected win/loss by an incredible 17 games. The Elks had your more traditional dominance, allowing the fewest runs at 574 and scoring the third-most in the NA at 815. Ottawa broke their own season attendance world record with 3,524,226 tickets sold.

There was a big gap to the next best division champs, which were Washington and Chicago each at 94-68. The Admirals repeated in the East at 94-68, earning their eighth playoff trip of the decade. Baltimore was a close second at 91-71 to secure the second wild card, ending a 13-year playoff drought for the Orioles. The Cubs won the Upper Midwest for the fourth time in five years and picked up their tenth playoff trip in eleven years.

Kansas City grabbed repeat playoff trips by winning the Lower Midwest at 92-70, their first division title since their 2019 pennant. Last year’s division champ Tulsa held off a tight field for the final wild card. The Tornado finished even at 88-74 with Wichita, but won the one-game playoff to advance. Columbus (87-75), Halifax (86-76), Montreal (85-77), Omaha (85-77), Detroit (83-79), Brooklyn (83-79), and New York (83-79) were all right in the mix.

It was a heartbreaking miss for the Wasps, whose playoff drought continued to 26 seasons, the worst active skid in the National Association. There was also a notably collapse for Louisville down to 56-106, their first losing season since 2019. Despite that streak, the Lynx had been aggressively mid with only one playoff berth in that run.

Indianapolis’s playoff streak snapped at year years with a 79-83 finish. Still, Racers 1B Thomas Rich won his third MVP in four years. The 31-year old lefty from Westlake, Ohio led in hits (238), total bases (444), OPS (1.131), wRC+ (221), and WAR (10.4). Rich had 112 runs, 33 doubles, 53 home runs, 128 RBI, and a .380/.422/.709 slash. His hit tally was tied for the seventh-best in MLB history while his total bases were sixth-best.

Pitcher of the Year was a repeat win for Wichita’s John Ziocha in only his third season. The 23-year old Zimbabwean lefty led in ERA (2.19), shutouts (5), FIP- (57), and WAR (8.9). Ziocha had a 15-4 record in 238 innings, 219 strikeouts, and 169 ERA+. Tragically, Ziocha would face severe shoulder inflammation shortly thereafter, making only seven starts from 2031-32. He would have only 386 total innings from 2031-36, a sad decline for one of the game’s most promising young aces.

The division champs all advanced out of the first round using their home field and one-game handicap. That included 92-win Kansas City ousting 108-win Ottawa 3-2, ending the Elks’ hope for a three-peat. Washington topped Baltimore 3-1 and Chicago swept Tulsa 3-0. In round two, the Admirals cruised to a 3-0 sweep over the Cubs. For Washington, they earned their third trip to the National Association Championship Series in seven years.

Buffalo proved to be a paper tiger, as they were upset 3-1 in the second round by the Cougars. It was Kansas City’s first NACS trip in a decade, looking to reclaim the glory of their late 2010s dynasty. Although they dispatched the top two teams by record, KC promptly got battered by the Admirals. Washington posted only the second NACS sweep in 50 years to win their sixth pennant (1912, 1914, 1930, 1966, 2024, 2030).



Houston had Major League Baseball’s best record at 111-51 to take the American Association’s top seed by a healthy margin. The Hornets repeated as South Central Division champs, growing their playoff streak to four. Houston got its seventh playoff trip in nine years, allowing the AA’s fewest runs at 620. The Hornets sold 3,376,719 tickets, the third-highest attendance mark in AA history.

12 games separated Houston from the #2 seed San Diego, winning a hyper competitive Southwest Division at 99-63. The four-time defending World Series champs won their seventh division title in eight years, fending off San Francisco (97-65) and Oakland (96-66). Both earned wild cards with a repeat trip for the Owls. The Gold Rush ended a three-year drought, although it was their sixth appearance in a decade. Sacramento was fifth in the division at 81-81 despite leading in runs (910) and setting a new MLB team slugging percentage record at .505. The Shamrocks’ 826 runs allowed kept them from their first-ever playoff trip.

Seattle nearly got the #2 seed at 98-64, extending their Northwest Division streak to eight seasons. Anchorage was a competitive second place at 93-69, which earned the third wild card spot. The Avalanche got their third wild card in four years, holding off Dallas (91-71), Denver (88-74), New Orleans (88-74), and Albuquerque (86-76).

A weak Southeast Division saw Charlotte advance at 88-74, giving the Canaries their fourth playoff trip in five years and third division crown of that stretch. Last year’s division champ Nashville was second at 82-80 with Miami third at 81-81. The Mallards were at least respectable this year, but their MLB record playoff drought grew to 58 seasons.

Although Albuquerque missed the playoffs, they had reason for optimism with second-year RF Calvin Clavell winning American Association MVP. The 22-year old lefty from Jennings, Missouri led in runs (128), total bases (434), slugging (.719), OPS (1.132), and wRC+ (188). Clavell added 213 hits, 36 doubles, 59 home runs, 147 RBI, .353 average, and 9.5 WAR. The Isotopes had taken Clavell fifth overall in the 2028 MLB Draft.

Vladyslav Zaporoshehenko made an impressive MLB debut, winning Pitcher of the Year for Houston. The 29-year old Ukrainian lefty had won the award in 2027 for Cologne of the European Baseball Federation. Zaporoshchenko came to MLB on a six-year, $167,500,000 deal with the Hornets and immediately delivered. He had a 3.26 ERA over 243 innings, 17-5 record, 232 strikeouts, 135 ERA+, 68 FIP-, and 7.7 WAR.

Division champs all advanced out of the first round, although the only sweep was San Diego over Anchorage. Charlotte outlasted San Francisco 3-2 and Seattle did the same to Oakland. The Grizzlies then shocked the Seals with a 3-0 sweep, getting some revenge for their multiple recent losses to San Diego in the American Association Championship Series.

This ended the Seals’ bid for a historic fifth straight World Series win and gave Seattle its seventh AACS trip in eight years. The dominance of San Diego’s dynasty run couldn’t be overstated, joining Philadelphia (1941-44) as the only four-peats in MLB history. The Seals had also won the Baseball Grand Championship in 2026 and 2027, the only repeat in that event. Especially when considering the talent level of the modern game, the late 2020s Seals certainly have a legitimate case for baseball’s best-ever dynasty.

On the other side, Charlotte stunned top seed Houston with a 3-2 upset, giving the Canaries their first AACS trip since their 2016 pennant. With San Diego out of the way, Seattle finally got over the final hump. The Grizzlies won a 4-3 classic over the Canaries, winning the pennant after seven straight AACS defeats. Despite 12 trips since the turn of the millennium, this was only Seattle’s third pennant (2000, 2025, 2030).



In the 130^th World Series, Seattle defeated Washington 4-2 to finally overcome their recent disappointments. The Grizzlies won their second MLB title (2005), becoming the 35^th franchise with multiple rings. The Admirals moved to 3-3 in their Fall Classic appearances.

Finals MVP went to veteran LF Fabino Salasar in his sixth season in Seattle. The 31-year old Mexican had spent his first seven years with CABA’s Haiti and was known for defense with nine Gold Gloves between MLB and CABA. Although he was World Series MVP, Salasar actually had -0.2 WAR for the postseason run. He had 17 hits, 6 runs, and 8 RBI in 20 playoff starts.



Other notes: Buffalo’s Matt Stewart recorded 49 saves, breaking Dylan Laporte’s MLB single-season record of 47 that had held back to 1905. Stewart also had 87 appearances, one short of Matt Hataway’s record of 88 from 2098. San Diego’s Emilian Bohler had 27 triples to tie the MLB record. He had previously done it in 2027, as had Neil Allan in 1930. Detroit broke the MLB team record for triples with 93. The previous best was 91 by Houston in 1978.

MLB’s 35^th Perfect Game came from Ottawa’s Lee Weber on August 28 with 12 strikeouts against Cincinnati. Austin’s Chun-Hsiu Wang had a four home run game against Memphis on March 28. Then on April 24, Los Angeles’ Foma Yudov did it against Phoenix. Four homers have been hit 43 times in MLB history

Entering 2030, only nine players had hit 700+ home runs in MLB. Three joined the club in 2030; Jason Perazzo, Itumeleng Sagandira, and Fred Hynes. Perazzo, Sagandira, and Mike Rojas each scored their 1500^th run, a mark met by 121 batters. Ben Conlee became the 130^th to 1500 RBI. B.J. Pasternack became the 68^th to 3000 hits. Pasternack, Sam Harpster, and Gilbert Windemere each joined the 600 home run club, growing that group to 42 strong.

Enyoy Zavala and Mark Jonhston were the 115^th and 116^th to 500 homers. Ronaldo Zellweger was the 100^th pitcher to 3000 strikeouts. Dale Matsuo, Falco Villanueva, and Kipp Semykin all got their 200^th win, met by 229 pitchers. 1B Jan Rychtr won his 9^th Gold Glove.

World baseball WARlord Harvey Coyle played his final MLB season in 2030 at age 43. He finally looked human in his fourth year with Ottawa, missing half the year to injury with only 1.2 WAR and .706 OPS in 89 games. This was essentially the end of his baseball career, although the Englishman would sign with Port Moresby of the Oceania Baseball Association for 2031. Coyle played only four games with the Mud Hens, suffering a torn PCL that April that effectively ended his career.

Between EBF, MLB, and OBA; Coyle was arguably the greatest baseball player ever. He finished with a combined 234.9 WAR, 3430 games, 3695 hits, 2167 runs, 487 doubles, 218 triples, 1092 home runs, 2500 RBI, 919 walks, 504 steals, .296/.349/.632 slash, and 169 wRC+. Coyle’s trophy case had nine MVPs, 14 Gold Gloves at shortstop, 14 Silver Sluggers, and 20 all-star selections. As of 2037, Coyle ranks 14^th among all players in games played, 15^th in runs, 27^th in hits, 3^rd in homers, and 5^th in RBI. He combined an all-time bat with possibly the best defense ever, compiling a career 609.5 zone rating and 1.132 EFF.

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The 2030 Baseball Grand Championship was the 21^st edition of the event and was hosted in Lima, Peru. The auto-bid teams in the field were MLB’s Seattle and Washington, CABA’s Tijuana and Haiti, EAB’s Nagoya and Goyang, BSA’s Bogota and Manaus, EBF’s Berlin and Cluj-Napoca, EPB’s Vladivostok, OBA’s Brisbane, APB’s Taipei, CLB’s Jinan, WAB’s Cotonou, SAB’s Ahmedabad, ABF’s Baku, ALB’s Muscat, and AAB’s Cape Town. The at-large bids went to ABF’s Lahore, WAB’s Dakar, and AAB’s Mogadishu.

This was also an occasion where the defending Grand Champion had a chance to repeat, as Cape Town had surprised many in 2029 as an at-large. The Cowboys were a strong second place at 15-6, allowing the fewest runs at 59. However, Berlin had a dominant showing at 17-4, joining 2024 Dublin as the only European teams to win the BGC.



The Barons had the most wins and best winning percentage in event history. Berlin also set new BGC records for runs scored (120), and hits (190). They also had the second-fewest runs allowed at 64 for a +56 run differential. This was the second-best differential in even history behind only 2012 Philadelphia’s +60. The only other teams that had been at +50 or better included +55 by San Diego in 2026, +53 by 2020 Denver, +51 by 2015 Antwerp, and +50 by 2019 Tabriz.

Berlin’s star was RF Elias Helwig in his 12^th season for the German capital. In 20 starts, Helwig had 25 hits, 18 runs, 4 doubles, 12 home runs, 18 RBI, 1.234 OPS, and 1.98 WAR. For second place Cape Town, they joined San Diego and Denver as the only teams to hold a first and second place finish in event history. The Cowboys set an event record with a .859 team WHIP.



Seattle and Tijuana were tied at 14-7 with the head-to-head tiebreaker placing the Toros third and Grizzlies fourth. Tijuana became the fourth Mexican League team to earn a top three finish. Baku and Cluj-Napoca were next at 12-9 with the Blackbrids taking fifth on the tiebreaker. After that, Brisbane, Manaus, Mogadishu, and Muscat were each at 11-10. The Mighty Mice had the second-most runs scored at 104.

Goyang stood alone in 11^th at 10-11. Six teams finished 9-12; Ahmedabad, Bogota, Cotonou, Dakar, Lahore, and Vladivostok. At 8-13 were Haiti, Jinan, Taipei, and Washington. Nagoya was alone in last place at 7-14, despite setting a new BGC team record with 47 doubles. Washington set a record for walks drawn with 94.

Tournament MVP was a strange and controversial choice as Washington 2B Jude Hoffer won it for the second time. It was baffling as over 21 games, Hoffer had a lackluster 0.3 WAR and .186/.321/.500 slash line. He joined Mike Rojas as the only two-time winners, having also won MVP in 2024.

The statistically logical choice would’ve been Mogadishu’s Abel Teklemariam, who set new BGC records for total bases (76) and WAR by a position player (2.40). The 25-year old Ethiopian second baseman in 21 games had 29 hits, 20 runs, 7 doubles, 2 triples, 12 home runs, 28 RBI, a 1.460 OPS, and 294 wRC+. As of 2037, his OPS ranks 7^th among qualifiers and his 1.013 slugging percentage is 5^th. Teklemariam’s RBI also were tied for the 4^th-best.

Best Pitcher went Bogota’s Leonardo Scarpa in his sixth year for the Bats. The 26-year old Brazilian in four starts had 29.2 innings, a 3-0 record, 0.30 ERA, 29 strikeouts, 16 hits allowed, three runs, one earned run, one walk, and 1.7 WAR. Scarpa’s ERA was the third-lowest qualifying ERA in BGC history and the lowest among any pitcher in the full round robin format. Brisbane’s Andrew Pendlebury was also notable, setting a BGC record with 72 strikeouts. Tijuana’s Richard Wright had the highest WAR at 2.32, the fifth-best by a pitcher in event history.

Other notes: Three other event records were set in 2030. Offensively, Bogota’s Mariano Salas became the first to record five triples, while Cluj-Napoca’s Theo Pereira tied the singles record with 22. Seattle’s Kendrick Dodd also was the first to record five wins. Cape Town’s Leo Williams became the 7^th to get 5+ hits in a game.

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For the second time in four years, Major League Baseball inducted four players into the Hall of Fame. The 2031 crew didn’t have any inner circle level guys, but 3B Hossein Kokabi (84.7%) and DH Tijani Matibuze (82.0%) earned solid first ballot nods. Both CL Tyler Sattler (69.4%) and C Dominick Hennessy (67.6%) just crossed the 66% requirement on their third ballots. CL Etzel Urban barely missed out on his fourth go at 65.4%.

Six other players were above 50%, but short of 60%. CL Jeremy Dau on his tenth and final chance received 55.7%. Another reliever, Stevie Ray Thornton, had 55.0% with his second ballot. LF Lorenzen Campbell saw 54.7% for his third go. CL Sebastian Gomez had 52.0% for his eighth ballot, CL Heihachiro Okasawa posted 51.1% with his second try, and 1B Thomas Lewis saw 50.5% for his seventh go.



For Dau, he was hurt somewhat by having many other strong relievers clogging up the ballot. In MLB primarily with Memphis and Austin, Dau had three Reliever of the Year awards, 326 saves, 400 shutdowns, 1040.2 innings, 1806 strikeouts, 275 walks, 194 ERA+, and 61.9 WAR. Dau has more WAR and strikeouts than any reliever that made it into MLB’s HOF. By many metrics, you could argue he was more deserving than Sattler, who made it in with the 2031 voting.

On top of the glut of relievers, the biggest thing working against Dau might have been where he played. He tossed 8.2 scoreless playoff innings in his career, but was never on a team that made any sort of meaningful postseason run. It shows how much reputation and fanfare can matter. Thus, Dau is relegated to the Hall of Pretty Good. He hovered in the 50% range most of his time on the ballot, peaking at 56.5% in 2929.

John Milligan was another reliever who fell off the ballot after ten tries in 2031, although he peaked at only 39.2% in 2923. He was a journeyman with nine MLB teams, posting 274 saves, 405 shutdowns, 2.51 ERA, 1098.2 innings, 1244 strikeouts, 267 walks, 137 ERA+, and 29.8 WAR. Milligan had no accolades though and definitely wasn’t going to make it in if someone like Dau couldn’t.

RF Suhail Abou also was cut from the ballot, peaking at 39.6% in 2023 and ending with only 7.0%. He won MVP in his second season with Montreal, but settled into more consistently good tallies over a 19-year run between the Maples, Detroit, and Austin. Abou never led the league apart from that 1999 season and didn’t win any Silver Sluggers.
That said, the Emirati had solid tallies with 2722 games, 2708 hits, 1523 runs, 415 doubles, 124 triples, 497 home runs, 1444 RBI, 1098 walks, .278/.360/.500 slash, 160 wRC+, and 105.4 WAR. As of 2037, Abou ranks 40^th in WAR among position players and has the highest WAR of any MLB player to fall from the ballot without induction. Abou was hurt by being good at basically all facets, but not outstanding at any one thing. His teams also never had the signature playoff run to vault him more into the spotlight. Fans of advanced stats though champion Abou as one of the biggest snubs you’ll find.



Hossein Kokabi – Third Base – San Antonio Oilers – 84.7% First Ballot

Hossein Kokabi was a 6’0’’, 190 pound left-handed hitting third baseman from Alvand, Iran; a tiny village with 380 people in the country’s northwest. He was the first Iranian to earn induction into MLB’s Hall of Fame and one of only a few Iranians to play significant time in the league. Kokabi was most famous for an outstanding eye for drawing walks, although he was a rock solid contact and power hitter as well.

Kokabi especially gave right-handing pitchers fits with a career .991 OPS and 176 wRC+. His stats against lefties were closer to mid-tier with a .711 OPS and 106 wRC+. Despite his eye, Kokabi’s strikeout rate was unremarkable. His 162 game average got you 36 home runs, 26 doubles, and 3 triples for a steady dose of extra base hits. Kokabi was a very crafty baserunner, but his utility was limited by poor speed.

Defensively, Kokabi played his entire career as a third baseman. He graded as a below average defender on the whole, but he wasn’t a total liability either. Kokabi’s durability was excellent in his 20s, but he did run into injury woes in his 30s. Kokabi was a fan favorite with a tireless work ethic and team-first attitude. Despite coming from a tiny village on the other side of the world, Kokabi became one of the more popular stars of his era across North America.

Even with the humble beginnings, Kokabi managed to stand out as a prospect attending camps in Iran’s larger cities. International scouting for MLB teams was still limited in this era, especially in a place like Iran due to political tensions with the United States. A scout from Austin though saw Kokabi and was incredibly impressive. They managed to convince him to move to Texas as a teenage amateur prospect in September 2005.

Although Kokabi would be most famous for his time in the Lone Star state, he never played in the majors for the Amigos. They brought him up to minor league Waco for 2008, but sent him to San Antonio that summer in a three-player deal. Kokabi showed some promise especially in 2012 at age 22, getting the call up late that year. Kokabi earned the starting job in 2011 for the Oilers and held it for the next seven years, posting 5+ WAR each season in San Antonio.

Kokabi won Silver Sluggers in 2012, 13, 15, and 16 for the Oilers. He took third in 2013’s MVP voting and second in 2014. In 2014, Kokabi led the American Association for the first time in walks with 106 and posted a career best 10.0 WAR. In 2015, he won the MVP as the WARlord with 9.4, posting career highs in home runs (51), RBI (121), and runs scored (120).

San Antonio had been generally inept in recent memory with no playoff trips from 1987-2012 and only three winning seasons in that stretch. Kokabi helped them end that drought with division titles from 2013-15, although they only once got to the second round in 2015. In the small sample size, Kokabi’s playoff stats were strong with a 1.006 OPS over 12 starts. The Oilers fell to 80-82 in 2016, then collapsed back to the bottom in 2017 at 69-93.

Generally, San Antonio wasn’t willing or able to sign the few stars they’d developed to long-term deals. Kokabi led in WAR again in 2016, but did drop off noticeable in 2017. While a 5.6 WAR, .869 OPS season was still strong by normal metrics, it was his weakest tallies since his rookie year. Between being cheap and worried that Kokabi had peaked, the Oilers let him leave for free agency after the 2017 season at age 30.

For San Antonio, Kokabi had 1108 games, 1151 hits, 693 runs, 174 doubles, 273 home runs, 665 RBI, 650 walks, .288/.388/.546 slash, 155 wRC+, and 54.6 WAR. He was still adored over his brief tenure, giving a generation of Oilers fans their first-ever look at winning baseball. Kokabi maintained a good relationship with the franchise even after leaving and would eventually see his #41 uniform retired. Kokabi still had plenty of suitors even after a relatively down year and inked a six-year, $153,600,000 deal with Boston. The Red Sox were the defending World Series champion and hoped to build a dynasty with Kokabi’s help.

Although his pro career came in the US, Kokabi did return home regularly to represent Iran in the World Baseball Championship. From 2012-26, Kokabi had 170 games with 137 hits, 115 runs, 24 doubles, 43 home runs, 90 RBI, .233/.369/.506 slash, and 7.3 WAR. He was very popular became home and played a big role in Iran’s 2018 runner-up finish against Poland.

In 2018, Kokabi had 19 hits, 18 runs, 7 home runs, 15 RBI, 24 walks, and 1.3 WAR. The 24 walks as of 2037 are tied for the seventh-most in WBC history. He also helped Iran to a third place in 2023. Kokabi ranks 18^th in walks drawn among all players in WBC history and leads all Iranians in batting WAR, runs, hits, games, and walks.

Kokabi returned to his old form in his first two years with Boston, winning back-to-back Silver Sluggers despite more than a month both years to injuries. He led in walks, OBP, OPS, and WAR in 2019, taking second in MVP voting. The 2017 MLB champ Red Sox remained strong, but were denied in the National Association Championship Series both years by Kansas City.

2020 was a major setback as Kokabi was out from mid-May onward from a torn labrum. Boston struggled to 76-86, their first losing season since 2012. The Red Sox and Kokabi bounced back in 2021 with the top seed at 105-57. It was his one weak playoff effort statistically with 16 strikeouts and a .488 OPS over 10 starts. Boston still made it back to the NACS, but this time was dispatched by Detroit.

Kokabi led in OBP for the second time in 2021 and won his seventh and final Silver Slugger. He was still a very efficient hitter at this point, although his power stats had dipped from his prime. Boston got one last wild card and lost in the first round, the last gasp of their run as a contender. Although they didn’t win a pennant with Kokabi, his playoff stats were solid over 31 starts with 33 hits, 16 runs, 7 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, 14 RBI, .282/.373/.453, 154 wRC+, and 1.3 WAR.

In five seasons for the Red Sox, Kokabi had 572 games, 641 hits, 380 runs, 100 doubles, 118 home runs, 341 RBI, 324 walks, .320/.416/.563 slash, 194 wRC+, and 33.5 WAR. He was also quite popular amongst the Boston faithful and the signing was generally viewed as a success even without a pennant. Kokabi declined the contract option sixth season, returning to free agency for the 2023 season at age 35.

Kokabi returned to Texas, this time on a three-year, $103,500,000 deal with Houston. He was still a good starter in 2023, but his stats were easily the weakest to that point of any of his full seasons. The Hornets missed the playoffs at 87-75. Kokabi looked closer to his old self in 2024 with .907 OPS and 5.8 WAR in 131 games, helping Houston to the American Association’s top seed at 106-56. The Hornets won the pennant, falling in the World Series to Washington. Unfortunately for Kokabi, a torn hamstring in mid-September kept him out for the entire playoff run. He made it back for only one start in the Baseball Grand Championship, going 0-4.

In 2025, Kokabi looked mid and had more nagging injuries, getting 1.3 WAR and .758 OPS in 111 games. Houston won a division title, but lost in the second round. For the Hornets, Kokabi played 388 games with 366 hits, 235 runs, 53 doubles, 68 home runs, 198 RBI, .261/.358/.458 slash, 125 wRC+, and 10.9 WAR. He wanted to still play in 2026, but couldn’t find any teams interested. Kokabi played that January in the WBC for Iran, but ultimately retired by the end of the year shortly after his 39^th birthday.

Kokabi finished with 2068 games, 2158 hits, 1308 runs, 327 doubles, 44 triples, 459 home runs, 1204 RBI, 1182 walks, 1510 strikeouts, .292/.390/.534 slash, 160 wRC+, and 99.1 WAR. As of 2037, Kokabi ranks 41^st in on-base percentage among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances. Kokabi ‘s .924 OPS also ranks 83^rd best. He also ranks 55^th in WAR among position players and 69^th in walks, although doesn’t crack the top 100 in any of the other counting stats.

At third base, Kokabi ranks 6^th in WAR and 12^th in homers, showing how valuable he was especially at that spot. Even without big counting stats, Kokabi had the intangibles and the work ethic to excel. Only a smattering of voters held the counting stats against him, as Kokabi earned the first ballot nod in 2031 at 84.7%. He has his deserved spot among Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame greats and is usually among the shortlist of the best batters ever to come out of Iran.



Tijani Matibuze – Designated Hitter – Vancouver Volcanoes – 82.0% First Ballot

Tijani Matibuze was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed slugger from Ibadan, the third-largest city in Nigeria. He was only the third African-born player to earn a spot into MLB’s Hall of Fame, joining legendary slugger Kaby Silva (Cape Verde) and SP Abdul Karim Hussein (Somalia). Matibuze was an all-around impressive hitter with good-to-great contact, power, and eye skills. He was one of the hardest guys to strike out in the game, retiring with only 571 Ks and a 5.3% strikeout rate.

Matibuze’s power wasn’t overwhelming, but was steady with 33 home runs and 22 doubles per his 162 game average. He was effective against both sides, but was better facing lefties (.957 OPS, 159 wRC+) versus righties (.854 OPS, 138 wRC+). While Matibuze got on base a ton, he was an abysmal baserunner.

That clumsiness extended to defensive woes, as Matibuze was laughably bad with his glove. He only played 187 games in the field, posting putrid results in left field. Fortunately, Matibuze played in the American Association and could make almost all of his starts as a designated hitter. His durability was mostly respectable across a 17-year career. Matibuze was very loyal and generally well liked amongst both peers and fans.

As a teenager, Matibuze moved from Nigeria to the United States and found his way into the college baseball ranks with Oklahoma. From 2006-08 as a Sooner, Matibuze played 145 games with 174 hits, 75 runs, 33 doubles, 32 home runs, 96 RBI, 34 walks, .297/.337/.525 slash, 163 wRC+, and 7.3 WAR. The regional restrictions were still in effect by the 2008 MLB Draft, meaning players born outside of the US sphere and Canada weren’t eligible until the fourth round.

With the fifth pick of the round, 180^th overall, Matibuze was picked by Vancouver. In 2009, he played 122 games with .859 OPS and 2.8 WAR, earning Rookie fo the Year honors. Matibuze was a good starter the next two years, then earned some league-wide attention in 2012 with his lone Silver Slugger and a second place in MVP voting. He had 8.3 WAR, 1.017 OPS, 46 home runs, and career bests in runs (106), and RBI (129).

In 2015, Matibuze won his first batting title and led the AA in both average (.348), and OBP (.409). The effort led to a five-year, $129,600,000 extension with Vancouver signed in March 2016. He led in both again in 2016 (.336, .420) and had career and association bests in OPS (1.021), wRC+ (180) and hits (203). Matibuze also had his highest power output of 47 home runs and led with 128 RBI, taking second again in MVP voting.

Matibuze wasn’t a league leader or awards winner for the rest of his run, but he remained a steady starter for Vancouver. The Volcanoes had regressed into a bottom tier franchise by Matibuze’s time, averaging only 72.7 wins per season in his run. They only were above .500 twice, peaking at 86-76 in 2015. You couldn’t blame him though, as he stayed loyal for more than a decade to the team that picked him. Vancouver fans were appreciative and his #8 uniform would later be retired.

During this time, Matibuze was able to thrive on the big stage for Nigeria in the World Baseball Championship. From 2010-25, he played 146 games with 149 hits, 90 runs, 26 doubles, 45 home runs, 106 RBI, .300/.389/.628 slash, and 8.5 WAR. In 2022, Matibuze helped Nigeria to its first-ever World Championship, defeating Poland in the finale. In that run, he had 25 games, 29 hits, 17 runs, 10 homers, 17 RBI, 1.046 OPS, and 1.7 WAR.

As of 2037, Matibuze ranks second in WAR among Nigerians in the WBC and 83^rd among all position players. For Nigerians, he is 5^th in games played, 2^nd in hits, 4^th in runs, and 5^th in homers. Matibuze was a popular figure in his home country and was a guy who helped show MLB fans how strong baseball’s presence in Africa had gotten by this point.

For Vancouver, Matibuze had 1972 games, 2279 hits, 1130 runs, 277 doubles, 400 home runs, 1264 RBI, 900 walks, .306/.381/.514 slash, 148 wRC+, and 64.4 WAR. His deal expired after the 2021 season, becoming a free agent for the first time at age 34. A number of American Association teams had interest, including 2019 World Series champ Houston. The Hornets signed Matibuze at $79,200,000 across four years.

For the first three years, Matibuze gave Houston comparable production to much of his Vancouver run. The Hornets had a second round exit in 2022 despite a 102-60 record. A strained lat suffered in September kept Matibuze from his MLB playoff debut. Houston just missed the field in 2023, then won the AA pennant in 2024 at 106-56.

In his first postseason, Matibuze was surprisingly mediocre over 14 games with a .146/.300/.341 slash. He fared much better in the Baseball Grand Championship over 19 starts with a .254/.338/.634 slash, 18 hits, 14 runs, 3 doubles, 8 home runs, and 16 RBI. Houston officially finished fifth at 12-7, losing the tiebreaker to Bandung while finishing just one game back on 13-6 Dublin, Chisinau, and Sao Paulo.

Matibuze struggled to 95 wRC+ and 0.2 WAR in 2025 over 118 games. He joined the 500 home run club early in the year, but saw his role reduced. Houston won a division title, but lost in the second round with Matibuze going 1-11 in the playoffs. For the Hornets overall, Matibuze had 552 games, 556 hits, 329 runs, 71 doubles, 111 home runs, 339 RBI, 268 walks, .269/.354/.470 slash, 126 wRC+, and 12.1 WAR. He announced his retirement that winter shortly after his 38^th birthday.

The final stats saw 2524 games, 2835 hits, 1459 runs, 348 doubles, 511 home runs, 1603 RBI, 1168 walks, .298/.375/.504 slash, 143 wRC+, and 76.5 WAR. As of 2037, Matibuze ranks 92^nd in RBI and 73^rd in walks, but is out of the top 100 in any other counting stat. Still, it had been very rare in MLB’s history that 500+ homers plus 1500+ RBI didn’t get you across the line.

Matibuze had the penalty of being a DH and the misfortune of being on mostly bad Vancouver teams, but he had plenty of respect amongst his peers. Two batting titles and two second place finishes in MVP voting as a DH on a weak team gave Matibuze a pretty big boost. He debuted on the ballot at 82.0%, becoming the second of four players added to the 2031 Hall of Fame class for Major League Baseball.

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Tyler Sattler – Closer – Kansas City Cougars – 69.4% Third Ballot

Tyler Sattler was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Jollyville, Texas; a neighborhood in northern Austin with around 16,000 people. Sattler had absolutely filthy stuff along with great movement and above average control. He had an impressive one-two punch of a 99-101 mph fastball and a slider. Sattler was especially strong against right-handed bats with a career 1.77 ERA, while his ERA was a respectable 2.67 versus lefties.

Sattler’s stamina and durability were quite good for a reliever. He graded as a good defensive pitcher with a decent pickoff move. Sattler wasn’t disruptive in the clubhouse, but he was very much a lone wolf and was considered selfish by some teammates.

Although known as a career reliever as a pro, Sattler was a starter from 2007-09 for the University of Memphis. Over 36 starts, Sattler had a 2.37 ERA, 22-9 record, 296.2 innings, 365 strikeouts, 72 walks, 138 ERA+, and 12.6 WAR. Despite those numbers, having only two pitches meant most teams projected Sattler as a closer. Still, Kansas City felt he could be a very high value closer, picking Sattler 11^th overall in the 2009 MLB Draft. Not only was it rare for a reliever to go so high, but even rarer for one to get a rookie deal beyond the scale, signing at $30,960,000 over his first four years.

Sattler was the closer right away for the Cougars, leading the National Association in 2011 with a career best 37 saves. In 2013, he had his best strikeout tally with 156. Sattler had four seasons above 4 WAR for KC and four times had an ERA below two. His best ERA was 0.99 in 2016, although he was used as a setup guy that year with only 45.1 innings. Sattler never won Reliever of the Year, but took second in 2011, third in 2013 and 2014, and second again in 2019.

Since their 1991 World Series win, Kansas City hadn’t been back to the playoffs. They broke the drought in 2014 with a surprise appearance in the NACS, although they lost to top seed St. Louis. Sattler was a beast in that playoff run with 11.2 scoreless innings, 18 strikeouts, and five saves. The Cougars narrowly missed the playoffs in 2015, then started a dynasty run in 2016 with five straight postseason trips.

Kansas City won the 2016 pennant, but fell to Charlotte in the World Series. Sattler was merely decent in his limited playoff use with two runs allowed in 4.2 innings. He also had two runs allowed in 6.2 innings in the 2016 Baseball Grand Championship. KC finished second at 12-7, one game behind Guam. Sattler re-signed that winter with the Cougars on a three-year, $42,600,000 deal.

Sattler returned to the closer role and led in both saves and games, although Kansas City had a first round exit. He was back to an effective setup role in 2018 as the Cougars won the World Series over Las Vegas. KC was 10-9 in the BGC with Sattler getting limited use. He was back to the closer role for the next two years with another pennant in 2019 for Kansas City. They lost the World Series to Houston, then were third in the BGC at 12-7. In the last gasp of the playoff run, the Cougars fell to Cincinnati in the 2020 NACS.

For his playoff career, Sattler had 16 saves and 18 shutdowns, 2.53 ERA, 40 games, 57 innings, 83 strikeouts, 138 ERA+, and 2.3 WAR. As of 2037, he is tied for 11^th in playoff saves. In the BGC, Sattler had a stronger 1.65 ERA over 15 games, 5 saves, 16.1 innings, 39 strikeouts, 235 ERA+, and 1.1 WAR. His reliably steady postseason stats played a notable role in getting Sattler across the line for some Hall of Fame voters.

Overall for KC, Sattler had a 80-63 record, 275 saves, 1.90 ERA, 673 games, 825.2 innings, 368 shutdowns, 1349 strikeouts, 234 walks, 179 ERA+, and 40.4 WAR. His contributions were strong enough to get his #2 uniform retired at the end of his career. Now 32-years old for the 2021 season, Sattler signed a three-year, $21,500,000 deal with New York. His debut season was a mixed bag for the Yankees with 31 saves, but a 3.38 ERA; the worst of his career to that point.

Despite avoiding injuries, Sattler’s velocity plummeted fast. After regularly hitting triple-digits in his prime, he was peaking in the 95-97 mph range by 2022 and could rarely reach 90 mph by 2023. Sattler was a back-end reliever in 2022, then struggled in 2023 and was cut in the summer. For New York, Sattler had 34 saves, 3.68 ERA, 164 innings, 173 strikeouts, 94 ERA+, and 2.6 WAR. He finished 2023 in minor league Fairbanks, retiring in the winter at age 34.

Sattler finished with a 93-83 record, 309 saves, 427 shutdowns, 2.19 ERA, 989.2 innings, 1522 strikeouts, 298 walks, 156 ERA+, 48 FIP-, and 43.0 WAR. As of 2037, he is 40^th in saves. However, MLB saves king Carson Hanford was the only Hall of Fame closer in MLB with more strikeouts than Sattler. He ranked 9^th in WAR among those HOF relievers.

His overall stats were fairly comparable to some of the other inductees even without as much longevity. Strikeouts are sexy and made many remember Sattler as more dominant than perhaps he actually was. Being on Kansas City’s roster during a mini-dynasty run definitely helped Sattler get recognized more than some of the other relievers who shared a ballot with him.

Still, Sattler never won Reliever of the Year and some voters felt he didn’t quite have the tenure to cross the line. He barely missed the 66% requirement in 2029 at 63.5% and barely moved in 2030 at 63.0%. Sattler only got a small bump in 2031, but the move to 69.4% was enough to secure a spot on the third ballot. With that, he was the third of four inductees into Major League Baseball’s 2031 class.



Dominick “Bubbles” Hennessy – Catcher – Detroit Tigers – 67.6% Third Ballot

Dominick Hennessy was a 6’6’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting catcher from Kenosha, Wisconsin; a city with around 100,000 people on Lake Michigan between Milwaukee and Chicago. Nicknamed “Bubbles” for his fondness of bubbling beverages, Hennessy was a remarkably well-rounded catcher. He wasn’t outstanding at any one specific thing, but he was generally above average to good across the board.

Offensively, Hennessy’s biggest strengths came facing right-handed pitching with a .833 OPS and 152 wRC+. His biggest flaw was a weakness against lefties with a .621 OPS and 84 wRC+, but he was overall a much better bat than most catchers. Hennessy’s 162 game average had 19 home runs, 29 doubles, and 2 triples. As you might expect from a catcher, Hennessy was a laughably slow and sluggish baserunner. Still, you could count on a reliably positive bat towards the bottom of the lineup from him.

Usually, teams had to settle for weak defense if their catcher was a decent hitter. However, Hennessy was a reliably strong defensive catcher who was just a step below the Gold Glove tier. While he did have some injuries, Hennessy gutted out a 23-year career as one of the very few catchers in all of baseball history to start a game at age 43. Hennessy wasn’t going to be outworked with his sparkplug personality endearing him to teammates and fans alike.

Hennessy attended Texas Tech from 1998-2000, playing 132 games with 128 hits, 64 runs, 31 doubles, 21 home runs, 80 RBI, 43 walks, .278/.350/.487, 149 wRC+, and 4.7 WAR. In the 2000 MLB Draft, he was picked 33^rd overall by Detroit. Hennessy struggled in limited play as a rookie, then was used with nice results in a platoon role in 2002-03. Hennessy earned the full-time gig in 2004 and was a full-time starter reliably through the 2020 season.

2005 was Hennessy’s best season by WAR (7.1) and OPS (.888). He had a similarly nice 6.9 WAR in 2004 and was above 5 WAR in ten different seasons. Hennessy won his first Silver Sluggers for Detroit in 2004 and 2005. At this point, the Tigers were regularly making the playoffs, but were notorious for struggling to get beyond the second round. They had such a fate in 2005, 07, and 08.

After the 2008 season, the now 28-year old Hennessy and Detroit couldn’t come to terms, sending him to free agency. Boston was interested and gave him a four-year, $53,800,000 deal. Things got off to a terrible start though with a ruptured Achilles tendon in spring 2009, knocking Hennessy out the entire year. To his credit, he made it back in 2009 and again played at a high level, posting 5.0 WAR over 141 games.

Boston got to the NACS, but fell to Philadelphia with Hennessy struggling to a .136/.224/.227 slash in the postseason. He decided to opt out of his deal, returning to free agency for 2011 at age 30. Hennessy moved to Brooklyn on a four-year, $56,800,000 deal with the Dodgers. He played quite well there, winning Silver Sluggers in both 2011 and 2012.

In 2011, Brooklyn won their second-ever National Association pennant with the previous win way back in 1958. They were denied their first World Series win by Tampa. The Dodgers finished 12-7 in the second Baseball Grand Championship, officially placing fourth. Hennessy was decent in the BGC with 0.4 WAR and .759 OPS in 16 games. He had struggled in the playoff run though with -0.4 WAR and a lousy .394 OPS.

The Dodgers had a wild card exit in 2012 and Hennessy again opted out of his deal. In two strong seasons for Brooklyn, Hennessy played 259 games, 266 hits, 105 runs, 56 doubles, 32 home runs, 139 RBI, .300/.358/.476 slash, 158 wRC+, and 11.6 WAR. Hennessy ended up back where he started on a four-year, $87,200,000 deal with Detroit. He would sign two extensions later on, ultimately spending a full decade back with the Tigers.

Hennessy won a Silver Slugger in 2020 and posted steady results as an elder statesman for the Tigers. Both he and Detroit couldn’t seem to get over the playoff woes with early exits for the Tigers and poor hitting for Hennessy. For his playoff career, Hennessy had 78 games, 59 hits, 26 runs, 11 doubles, 7 home runs, 32 RBI, .215/.278/.345 slash, 80 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR.

Injuries including a fractured thumb kept Hennessy out more than half of the season in 2021. That year, Detroit finally broke through and won the National Association pennant over Boston, although they lost the World Series to 112-win New Orleans. Hennessy did hit well in the four playoff games he made at the end. In the BGC, he had 15 starts with 0.1 WAR and .634 OPS. The Tigers finished 11-8, one of five teams tied for fourth place.

Hennessy was in his 40s at this point and had still played at a consistent level. He fell off a bit in 2022 and lost a bit of time to injury. That was the end of the Tigers which spanned 18 seasons across two runs. For Detroit, Hennessy had 2215 games, 1988 hits, 865 runs, 385 doubles, 275 home runs, 1041 RBI, 609 walks, .276/.335/.452 slash, 137 wRC+, and 76.9 WAR.

He remained a popular figure in the Motor City well into retirement, although his #29 uniform ultimately wasn’t retired by the Tigers. In 2023, Hennessy signed a three-year, $34,800,000 deal with Philadelphia. The long-term hopes proved a miss by the Phillies as he struggled to .568 OPS and 0.0 WAR in 86 games. He retired after the 2023 campaign at age 43.

Hennessy finished with 2701 games, 2439 hits, 1052 runs, 483 doubles, 320 home runs, 1265 RBI, 741 walks, 1361 strikeouts, .277/.336/.449 slash, 137 wRC+, and 93.5 WAR. As of 2037, Hennessy is 75^th in WAR among all position players and 4^th among catchers. He also has played more games at catcher than anyone in MLB while ranking 8^th in hits, 13^th in runs, and 8^th in home runs.

However, Hall of Fame voters always seem to give catchers a tough time since the position prevents the big tallies accrued at other spots. A lot of Hennessy’s value came from defense and longevity, traits that are undervalued by certain voters. Detractors dismissed him as a compiler and also highlighted his poor playoff record. Supporters saw the longevity as a major plus, impressed by his reliability and consistency.

You could certainly argue Hennessy is a top five catcher in Major League Baseball history and even most detractors at least give him the top ten. Still, the anti-catcher bias from voters meant Hennessy missed the cut in his first two ballots at 63.2% in 2029 and 57.2% in 2030. He barely crossed the 66% line in 2031, but 67.8% earned him the third ballot selection to cap off the 2031 Hall of Fame class.

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The Central American Baseball Association had an impressive four player Hall of Fame class for 2031 with each player making it on their first ballot. SP Luis Ruiz and RF Max Valentin were both nearly unanimous at 99.7% and 98.2%, respectively. First basemen Guillermo Velasquez and Miguel Gonzales both received 71.2%, just crossing the 66% requirement. No other players were above 50% with the best returner being SP Montell Donald with 49.4% on his ninth try.



Dropped after ten failed ballots was 3B Nesto Rangel, who played 15 seasons between four teams. He won one Silver Slugger and was 2001 Rookie of the Year, finishing with 2142 games, 2453 hits, 1066 runs, 408 doubles, 358 home runs, 1180 RBI, .314/.346/.519 slash, 142 wRC+, and 77.2 WAR. Rangel also won championships with Havana in 2009 and Torreon in 2013. However, he had no black ink and Hall of Pretty Good tallies, peaking at 39.1% in 2024 and ending with only 7.7%.



Luis Ruiz – Starting Pitcher – Juarez Jesters – 99.7% First Ballot

Luis Ruiz was a 6’0’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Siguatepeque, Honduras; a city with around 79,000 inhabitants halfway between the country’s two largest cities. Ruiz was best known for having excellent movement on his pitches, leading to an extreme groundball tendency. His stuff and control both graded as above average to good, but he wasn’t overpowering like many top aces. Ruiz’s fastball peaked in the 94-96 mph range and was mixed in with a slider, curveball, and changeup.

Ruiz had solid stamina and his pitch-to-contact style often let him go deep into games. He had a fantastic pickoff move and was an excellent defensive pitcher, winning Gold Gloves from 2016-18. Ruiz’s durability was also fantastic, tossing 240+ innings in all but two seasons from 2010-24.

Additionally, Ruiz was a starter quality hitter and probably could’ve been a two-way player if given the chance. He never got to start in the field, but he often was used as a pinch hitter. Unlike most pitchers, Ruiz rarely was the worst hitter in the lineup, posting a career .820 OPS and 124 wRC+. He had a fairly well-rounded bat and was a very smart baserunner, although his speed was average at best.

In May 2005, a teenaged Ruiz signed a developmental deal with Juarez and would spend his entire pro career in Mexico. Still, he did return home to Honduras regularly for the World Baseball Championship after his debut. From 2011-25, Ruiz had a 3.14 ERA over 157.2 innings, 9-10 record, 169 strikeouts, 53 walks, and 2.5 WAR. After just over five years in the Jesters academy, Ruiz’s CABA debut came in 2010 at age 22.

Ruiz had a solid rookie season with a 3.01 ERA over 182.1, earning a full-time rotation spot for the following 14 years. He led the ML in innings pitched in 2011, but had his career worst ERA of 4.19. Ruiz improved from there, but was generally rated as a good but not amazing starter in his first few seasons. The pitching depth helped Juarez establish one of the greatest dynasty runs in CABA history during Ruiz’s tenure.

The Jesters had a wild card in 2011, then won the Mexican League pennant in 2012. They fell to Santo Domingo in the CABA Championship, but Ruiz had a solid postseason with a 2.84 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 31.2 innings. He struggled to a 5.28 ERA over 30.2 innings in the Baseball Grand Championship as Juarez finished 9-10. The Jesters missed the playoffs at 80-82 in 2013, making some observers predict they’d be a flash in the pan. Those observers couldn’t have been more wrong, as Juarez would post a 13-year postseason streak starting in 2014.

After the 2013 season, the Jesters gave Ruiz a five-year, $46,900,000 extension. In 2014, Juarez fell to Torreon in the MLCS. The Jesters then won three straight pennants, defeating Leon in both 2015 and 2016 and topping Guadalajara in 2017. During this time, Ruiz went from a good starter to a legitimate ace. He took third in 2015’s Pitcher of the Year voting and won a Silver Slugger. That year had a career best 25-2 record along with a 2.91 ERA.

Juarez lost to Haiti in the 2015 CABA Championship with Ruiz struggling in the playoff run to a 6.07 ERA in 29.2 innings. He again was iffy in the BGC with a 5.19 ERA in 26 innings as the Jesters again were 9-10. Ruiz led in innings pitched the next two years and had career highs in innings (269) and strikeouts (291) in 2016. He won his lone Pitcher of the Year in 2017 with a league and career best 7.6 WAR.

Ruiz fared better in the playoffs with a 2.61 ERA over 31 innings in 2016 and 2.82 ERA in 38.1 innings in 2017. Juarez repeated as CABA champ, defeating Havana in the 2016 finale and Salvador in 2017. Ruiz was merely okay in the 2016 BGC with a 4.45 ERA in 30.1 innings. The Jesters finished 11-8 in 2016 in a five-way tie for fifth.

In 2017, Juarez was the first CABA team to claim Baseball Grand Champion honors. They finished in a three-way tie at 12-7, but had head-to-head victories over both Concepcion and Bamako. Ruiz had a better effort this time with a 3.26 ERA over 30.1 innings and 36 strikeouts. The following spring, the Jesters locked him up to another six years at $79,200,000.

Ruiz was third in 2018 and 2022’s Pitcher of the Year voting, leading in wins both years as well as in 2020. He led thrice in his career in shutouts, but never had a no-hitter. Juarez had the #1 seed in both 2018 and 2019, but was ousted in the first round and MLCS, respectively. The Jesters returned to the throne in 2020 at 112-50, their best record of the streak. Juarez defeated Trinidad to secure their third CABA Championship in five years. This was Ruiz’s finest playoff run with a 2.76 ERA over 42.1 innings with 36 Ks. He also had a 2.94 ERA in 33.2 innings with 38 Ks in that year’s BGC, although the Jesters finished 9-10.

Juarez had a MLCS loss in 2021 to Tijuana, then won another Mexican League title in 2022 over Ecatepec. They were denied by Guatemala in the CABA Championship, but finished higher in the BGC at 11-8 in a five-way tie for fourth. Juarez had MLCS losses again in 2023 and 2024 as Ruiz continued to provide his standard quality production. Now 36-years old, Ruiz signed a three-year, $50,400,000 extension to stay with the Jesters in January 2024.

2025 was the last gasp of the great dynasty run, winning their fourth CABA Championship in a decade with a finals upset over 115-win Guatemala. Ruiz’s already lower velocity dropped significantly that year and he was reduced to a part-time role. He only tossed 75.2 innings in the regular season and didn’t see any postseason use. Still, he became one of the few in CABA history with four championship rings. Ruiz retired that winter at age 38 and immediately saw his #24 uniform retired.

Ruiz’s career BGC stats were a mixed bag with a 7-13 record, 4.01 ERA, 182 innings, 216 strikeouts, 54 walks, and 4.7 WAR. As a function of longevity, Ruiz ranks 4^th in innings and 6^th in strikeouts in event history. He unfortunately is tied for first in losses, but is 7^th in pitching WAR.

His playoff stats in CABA weren’t incredible either, but were more positive overall. He tossed 293.1 innings over 43 games with a 17-17 record, 3.47 ERA, 257 strikeouts, 53 walks, 22 quality starts, 10 complete games, 3 shutouts, 112 ERA+, 84 FIP-, and 6.4 WAR. As of 2037, Ruiz is the CABA playoff leader in starts (38), and innings (293), but also in losses, hits allowed (293), and walks (53). He’s tied for 3^rd in wins and ranks 3^rd in strikeouts and 4^th in pitching WAR.

For his regular season career, Ruiz had a 268-125 record, 3.20 ERA, 3788.2 innings, 3405 strikeouts, 696 walks, 297/458 quality starts, 165 complete games, 29 shutouts, 121 ERA+, 83 FIP-, and 81.5 WAR. As of 2037, Ruiz ranks 8^th in wins, 20^th in innings, 15^th in complete games, 34^th in shutouts, 41^st in strikeouts, and 34^th in pitching WAR. His consistency and style was a great fit with Juarez’s great defense, ranking 15^th among qualifiers in winning percentage at .682.

At the plate, Ruiz had 861 games and 458 starts with 481 hits, 262 runs, 95 doubles, 18 triples, 74 home runs, 247 RBI, 118 walks, 23 stolen bases, .282/.332/.488 slash, 124 wRC+, and 19.0 WAR. That extra skillset certainly enhanced his value for a combined 100.5 WAR for his career.

Ruiz lacked the overwhelming dominance needed to be considered a top five level pitcher and he misses many of the top 10 lists. However, he was certainly a consistent and indispensible part of a 16-year run for Juarez that saw four CABA titles, seven Mexican League pennants, 12 MCLS appearances, and 15 playoff trips. At a near unanimous 99.7%, Ruiz co-headlined a strong four-player 2031 Hall of Fame class for the Central American Baseball Association.



Max Valentin – Right Field – Leon Lions – 98.2% First Ballot

Max Valentin was a 6’2’’, 195 pound left-handed right fielder from Leon, Mexico. Valentin was known for excellent home run power along with rock solid contact skills. Despite his power, he was subpar at drawing walks with a middling strikeout rate. Valentin made his hits count though, smacking 40+ home runs in ten seasons and 50+ in six.

Valentin’s gap power was respectable with 29 doubles and 3 triples along with his 51 homers per 162 games. He was an extremely intelligent baserunner, but he was still quite limited by terrible speed. Valentin was an impressive bat against either side, but did have better numbers facing right-handed pitching (1.012 OPS, 182 wRC+) compared to facing lefties (.903 OPS, 155 wRC+).

He spent his entire career in the Mexican League, which meant the designated hitter wasn’t an option. Valentin was an abysmal fielder at any spot, but made ¾ of his starts in right field. The rest of his time was either in left or at first base. Valentin was one of baseball’s true gentlemen, a team captain praised for his work ethic, leadership, and intelligence. Back and knee troubles did limit him especially later in his career, but Valentin still gritted out a 17-year run.

Valentin grew up in Leon as a Lions fan and the franchise was delighted for the chance at a possible hometown superstar as he rose through the amateur ranks. Leon picked him second overall in the 2006 CABA Draft, although Valentin was still considered a bit raw then. He was a late bloomer, only playing 59 games in his first three years. Valentin became a starter for the first time in 2010 at 26, a very late age to reach the lineup for the first time especially for a highly rated prospect.

It was worth the wait as Valentin had 41 homers, 1.072 OPS, and 6.8 WAR in 124 games. Unfortunately, his season ended in late August to a fractured ankle, but he still earned his first Silver Slugger. Leon ended a 17-year playoff drought, having been stuck in the middle tier mostly in-between. Valentin healed up nice and led the Mexican League in 2011 with 53 home runs, winning another Silver Slugger. It would be his second of seven seasons with an OPS above one.

Valentin was on an even better pace in 2012, but lost two months between an intercostal strain and strained PCL. In 2013, the Lions started a four-year run of division titles as Valentin stayed mostly healthy. That year, he led in homers (57), total bases (382), slugging (.728), OPS (1.106), and wRC+ (211), earning MVP and his third Silver Slugger. The Lions took the top seed at 101-61, but suffered an upset first round defeat to Monterrey.

Leon lost in the first round in 2014, then had MLCS defeats to the fledgling Juarez dynasty in 2015-16. In March 2015, Leon gave Valentin a six-year, $79,200,000 extension. Valentin won his second MVP in 2016 with league bests in homers (66), RBI (135), slugging (.748), OPS (1.124), and wRC+ (206). This would be his career peak for homers, runs (121), total bases (415), and WAR (8.3).

Valentin won another Slugger in 2017, although Leon fell to 82-80. The Lions bounced back in 2018 and had a surprise pennant run, defeating Guyana in the CABA Championship for their first title since 1986. Overall, Valentin’s career playoff numbers were underwhelming over 40 total starts with 0.6 WAR, 102 wRC+, .748 OPS, 39 hits, 18 runs, 4 doubles, 8 home runs, and 16 RBI.

He did have a good run in the 2018 Baseball Grand Championship over 19 starts with 17 hits, 9 home runs, 11 runs, 3 doubles, 12 RBI, .849 OPS, and 0.8 WAR. Leon was one of four teams tied for third at 11-8, officially placing fifth after the tiebreakers were sorted. Valentin also played for Mexico in the World Baseball Championship from 2012-22 with 92 games, 73 hits, 38 runs, 18 doubles, 23 home runs, 53 RBI, .251/.310/.570 slash, and 3.0 WAR.

Valentin made his presence most known in Mexico’s 2015 run, which saw a runner-up finish in a 4-3 World Championship classic against the Philippines. He led all players with 10 home runs, adding 24 hits, 14 runs, 5 doubles, 18 RBI, 1.150 OPS, and 1.6 WAR. Valentin was second in Tournament MVP honors for his efforts. Although he was a bench player in 2018, Valentin was there for a third place finish by the Mexicans.

From 2019 onward, Valentin missed a month or more each season to various injuries. In 2020, he was on a wild pace at age 36 with 57 homers, 111 RBI, 223 wRC+, and 8.0 WAR over 125 games. He had career bests in the triple slash (.349/.391/.777) and OPS (1.168), taking third in MVP voting. After missing the playoffs in 2019, Leon had one last burst at 105-57 in a loaded 2020 playoff field. They ultimately had a first round exit to 103-win Hermosillo. The Lions would spend the next four years below .500 before returning to success in 2025.

Valentin’s impressive pace that year led to a three-year, $41,600,000 extension that winter with the Lions. He remained good the next two years despite his injury woes. Valentin then started to lose his power in addition to still having durability issues in his final years. He and his hometown team agreed to part ways after the 2024 season, sending Valentin to free agency at age 41.

He wanted to still play, but most teams weren’t looking for aged sluggers even if they were great clubhouse guys. Valentin did find a home with Toluca, who joined the Mexican League as an expansion team for 2025. In one year for the Tortugas, Valentin played 109 games with 16 home runs, .835 OPS, 147 wRC+, and 1.9 WAR. He retired that winter at age 41 and his hometown Leon immediately brought him in to retire his #1 uniform.

Valentin played 2136 games with 2426 hits, 1349 runs, 376 doubles, 45 triples, 674 home runs, 1586 RBI, 436 walks, 1632 strikeouts, .313/.350/.634 slash, 175 wRC+, and 80.4 WAR. As of 2037, Valentin ranks 14^th in home runs and 31^st in RBI despite missing as many games as he did to injuries. He’s also 81^st in hits, 58^th in runs, 42^nd in total bases (4914), and 79^th in WAR among position players.

Against all batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Valentin is 18^th in slugging percentage and his .984 OPS is 29^th. He was one of the premiere power guys of his era and helped his hometown Leon return to contention, setting the stage for their late 2020s and early 2030s success. The injuries and terrible defense keep him probably just out of the inner circle, but Valentin’s Hall of Fame status wasn’t at all in doubt. With 98.2%, he co-headlined a four-player 2031 class for the Central American Baseball Association.

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Guillermo Velasquez – First Base – Ecatepec Explosion – 71.2% First Ballot

Guillermo Velasquez was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from Belen, Mexico; a village of around 6,000 in the Tabasco state. Velasquez was a rock solid contact hitter with steady gap and home run power, posting 34 doubles and 33 home runs per his 162 game average. He was merely average at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Velasquez was equally potent facing right-handed pitching (.949 OPS) as he was versus lefties (.937 OPS).

On the basepaths, Velasquez was laughably slow and clumsy. He would face criticism from teammates and media for a perceived lack of hustle and intelligence, which was especially noticeable with his baserunning. Despite his lacking athleticism, Velasquez graded as a reliably good defensive first baseman, where he made all of his career starts. His durability was quite good as well, playing 140+ games each year from 2014-24.

In the 2011 CABA Draft, Velasquez was picked 12^th overall by Puebla. He had good batting numbers as mostly a pinch hitter in 2012-13 for the Pumas, posting .949 OPS and 3.5 WAR over 237 games and 38 starts. Puebla was just outside of the playoffs both of these years, but became disenchanted with Velasquez’s poor work ethic. After the 2013 campaign, Velasquez was traded after only two seasons with the team that picked him, sent to Ecatepec for SP Jordan Altamirano and 3B Aitor Flores.

Velasquez became known for his time with the Explosion, becoming a full-time starter for the next 11 years. In his debut, he led the Mexican League with 213 hits and added 42 home runs, 1.005 OPS, and 8.3 WAR. 2016 would be his finest season with league and career bests in hits (235), total bases (416), batting average (.383), OBP (.421), and WAR (10.1). Velasquez also had career bests in runs (113), homers (45), slugging (.679), and OPS (1.100), wining his lone Silver Slugger and taking second in MVP voting.

He wasn’t an MVP finalist after that, although his 2017 campaign also notably had 1.071 OPS, 202 wRC+, and 9.2 WAR. In May 2017, Velasquez signed an eight-year, $124,900,000 extension with Ecatepec. Although a historically powerful team, this was a down era for the Explosion. They were still usually above .500, but only made the playoffs once from 2013-28.

Velasquez was steady, but not amazing into his early 30s apart from 2022. That year saw a return to top form with a league and career best 149 RBI, along with 38 homers, .979 OPS, and 8.0 WAR. From that, Velasquez placed second in MVP voting. This was Ecatepec’s lone playoff trip with Velasquez, which saw an MLCS loss to Juarez. Velasquez stunk in his lone postseason with a .190/.190/.238 slash in six starts. He also saw occasional use for Mexico in the World Baseball Championship from 2015-18 and in 2023 with 24 games and 8 starts.

He had two more good years for Ecatepec, then fell off notably in 2025, reduced to a part-time role with .729 OPS over 120 games and 97 starts. Velasquez was unsigned for 2026 and retired that winter just after his 38^th birthday. For Ecatepec, Velasquez had 1800 games, 2260 hits, 1058 runs, 411 doubles, 392 home runs, 1328 RBI, .331/.370/.575 slash, 164 wRC+, and 73.2 WAR. For his efforts, the Explosion retired his #13 uniform.

In total, Velasquez had 2037 games, 2360 hits, 1109 runs, 428 doubles, 43 triples, 412 home runs, 1388 RBI, 433 walks, 1360 strikeouts, .330/.370/.575 slash, 164 wRC+, and 76.7 WAR. As of 2037, Velasquez ranks 97^th in hits, 98^th in homers, 69^th in RBI, 53^rd in doubles, and 89^th in WAR among position players. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Velasquez ranks 47^th in batting average, 79^th in OBP, 85^th in slugging, and his .945 OPS is 68^th.

Velasquez was certainly among the most efficient hitters of his era, but his longevity and grand tallies were admittedly borderline. He also played for a rare downturn for Ecatepec and racked up fewer accolades than you might expect. Still, most voters thought Velasquez’s resume was plenty good enough for the nod. At 71.2%, he crossed the 66% requirement for a first ballot selection as part of the four-player 2031 Hall of Fame class for the Central American Baseball Association.



Miguel Gonzales – First Base – Mexico City Aztecs – 71.2% First Ballot

Miguel Gonzales was a 6’6’’, 190 pound left-handed first baseman from Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. Gonzales was an impressive contact hitter with a very sturdy pop in his bat, getting 39 home runs, 28 doubles, and 3 triples per his 162 game average. He was better than most at avoiding strikeouts, but below average at drawing walks. Gonzalez was effective against both sides, but was especially strong facing right-handed pitching (.980 OPS, 166 wRC+) compared to against lefties (.894 OPS, 150 wRC+).

His biggest offensive flaw was laughably slow and sluggish baserunner. Despite that, Gonzales graded as a reliably average to above average defensive first baseman, where he made all of his career starts. Gonzales had impressive durability, playing 159+ games each year from 2012-22. He was considered a good leader and was one of the smarter guys in the clubhouse.

Gonzales left Nicaragua as a teenage amateur and moved to Mexico, signing a developmental deal with Monterrey on New Year’s Eve 2003. Few realize he began with the Matadors organization, since all of his pro games came with Mexico City. Gonzales spent five years in Monterrey’s academy, then was part of a four-player trade to the Aztecs in January 2009. He spent most of three years in Mexico City’s academy, debuting with 21 games in 2011 at age 23.

After showing great promise in that small sample size, Gonzales emerged as a full-time starter in 2012 and held the job for the next 11 years. He won 2012 Rookie of the Year honors with a 6.7 WAR, .957 OPS debut season. Gonzales had roughly similar results the next two years and hit for the cycle in 2014 against Cancun. That winter, Mexico City gave Gonzales an eight-year, $81 million extension. They hitched their wagon to Gonzales hoping to end a playoff drought dating back to 1985. Although the Aztecs had rarely been terrible in the last decade, they couldn’t climb out of the mid-tier.

2015 was easily Gonzales’ finest season, winning his lone Silver Slugger and taking second in MVP voting. He led the Mexican League with career bests in hits (237), total bases (457), triple slash (.375/.4097/.723), and OPS (1.130). Gonzales also had his bests in runs (117), home runs (60), RBI (142), wRC+ (207), and WAR (9.6). He fell seven homers and eight RBI short of a Triple Crown, finishing second in both stats.

Gonzales was never again a Silver Slugger winner or MVP finalist, but he remained remarkably consistent and usually got you around 40 homers, 200 hits, a .325 average, and 6-7 WAR each year. In 2019, Gonzales notably had a six hit game facing Puebla. Still, Mexico City remained stuck in perpetual averageness, keeping Gonzales from making his playoff debut until his mid 30s. He did get to play on the World Baseball Championship stage for his native Nicaragua from 2012-20, playing 73 games with 81 hits, 36 runs, 20 doubles, 19 home runs, 45 RBI, .316/.385/.633 slash, and 3.8 WAR.

In 2021, the Aztecs finally ended that playoff drought with a division title at 91-71, although they lost in the first round of the postseason. They got back as a wild card in 2022, but again were one-and-done. While his regular season results remained steady, Gonzales did struggle to 2-18 over these two playoff trips. Generally pleased though with Gonzales’ continued production, Mexico City gave him another four years and $56,800,000 after the 2022 season.

2023 saw a steep regression for Gonzales as well as a fractured wrist that cost him six weeks. He only played 107 games and started 77 with career lows to that point in OPS (.774) and WAR (1.3). However, Mexico City finally broke through with a dominant 117-45 campaign. The Aztecs dethroned Juarez for the ML pennant and ended a 49-year CABA Championship drought by defeating the reigning champ Guatemala.

Gonzales had a limited playoff role, but stepped up for his longtime team. In 13 games and three starts, Gonzales went 8-20 with 5 runs, 2 doubles, 3 homers, 6 RBI, 1.379 OPS, and 0.7 WAR. He reclaimed a starting job for the Baseball Grand Championship, although he was subpar over 19 starts with a .190/.282/.333 slash and 0.2 WAR. Mexico City finished in the bottom half at 9-10.

For his final two years, Gonzales was mostly a pinch hitter with only nine starts over 170 games. The Aztecs had a historic 120-42 season in 2024, but were shocked by Tijuana in the first round. They won 100 games in 2025, falling to Juarez in the MLCS. For his playoff career, Gonzales had 26 games and 9 starts with .813 OPS, 131 wRC+, and 0.4 WAR. His deal expired after 2025 and Gonzales went unsigned in 2026, retiring that winter shortly after his 39^th birthday. Mexico City quickly honored him for 15 years of service, retiring his #20 uniform.

Gonzales finished with 2061 games, 2401 hits, 1140 runs, 357 doubles, 38 triples, 499 home runs, 1345 RBI, 454 walks, 960 strikeouts, .327/.368/.590 slash, 162 wRC+, and 72.9 WAR. As of 2037, Gonzales is 89^th in hits, 86^th in total bases (4331), 75^th in home runs and 83^rd in RBI. He’s narrowly outside the top 100 for WAR among position players. However, Gonzales’ .958 OPS is 51^st among all CABA batters with 3000+ plate appearances and his triple slash is 73^rd/88^th/57^th.

In many ways, there are similarities between Gonzales’ resume and that of 2031 Hall of Fame classmate Guillermo Velasquez. Both were career first basemen with very consistent production, although neither had MVPs and weren’t generally in the conversation apart from one or two big seasons. Velasquez had him just beat for WAR, but Gonzales had more homers and a championship ring to his name.

Almost to a man, voters felt that either both deserved it or that both didn’t. Gonzales and Velasquez both got the exact same vote share at 71.2%, but this was enough to cross the 66% threshold for first ballot nods for both men. These two first basemen capped off an impressive four player HOF class for the Central American Baseball Association.