Baseball: The World's Game

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Flaco “Flip” Villanueva – Starting Pitcher – Houston Hornets – 72.1% Second Ballot

Flaco Villanueva was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Brownsville, Texas; a city of about 187,000 on the Gulf Coast on the border with Mexico. Nicknamed “Flip,” Villanueva was known for having impressive stuff along with above average control and decent movement. His velocity peaked in the 96-98 mph range with a three-pitch arsenal of cutter, curveball, and changeup. Villanueva’s ability to change speeds in particular made him one of MLB’s top strikeout guys of the era.

His stamina was solid relative to other MLB aces, but he did run into a couple major injuries over a 15-year career. Villanueva had an excellent pickoff move and was elite at holding runners, although his defense otherwise was average. He was quiet and humble with an outstanding work ethic. Being a tall lefty earned Villanueva attention as a teenager, leaving Texas for Rutgers for his collegiate career.

In three years with the Scarlet Knights, Villanueva had an 18-11 record, 2.02 ERA, 263 innings, 151 strikeouts, 169 ERA+, 31 FIP-, and 14.4 WAR. He did notably miss half of his sophomore season to an elbow strain. His college run though earned him plenty of attention ahead of the 2016 MLB Draft. Villanueva made his return to his home state as Houston picked him 22^nd overall.

He made only one regular season appearance in 2017, spending the season otherwise in minor league Corpus Christi. Villanueva did notably make three playoff appearances as the Hornets lost in the second round. Villanueva split time between the minors and majors the next two years with mixed results. Houston was a wild card in 2019 at 93-69, but got hot and made a surprise run to a World Series win over defending champ Kansas City.

Villanueva was a critical part of the playoff run, posting a 2.43 ERA over four starts with 37 strikeouts and 1.0 ERA in 29.2 innings. He had less luck in the Baseball Grand Championship with a 4.72 ERA over 34.1 innings, although he still had a 3-1 record, 48 Ks, and 1.0 WAR. The Hornets finished seventh in the event at 10-9. This earned Villanueva a full-time rotation spot, which he held through 2027 for Houston.

From 2021-24, Villanueva was the American Association leader in strikeouts, thrice getting above 300. He peaked with 318 Ks in 2024, while 2023 had his career bests for wins (24-7), ERA (2.67), and WAR (9.5). 2023 was Villanueva’s only time leading in wins. He also had 9.4 WAR in 2022 and 8.3 in 2021. Despite that, Villanueva’s only time as a Pitcher of the Year finalist was a third place in 2023. That was plenty though to get a five-year, $67,800,000 extension with the Hornets that winter.

Houston didn’t immediately follow up the World Series win with success, missing the playoffs in 2020-21. They got a division title in 2022 at 102-60, but lost in the second round. After another playoff miss in 2023, the Hornets earned the top seed in 2024 at 106-56. Houston claimed the AACS over Seattle, but lost the World Series to Washington.

Villanueva was a stud in the 2024 playoff run with a 1.38 ERA and 3-1 record in five starts, 38 strikeouts, 39 innings, and 1.7 WAR. He was even more dominant in the BFC with an 0.76 ERA over four wins, 35.1 innings, 50 strikeouts, and 2.0 WAR. Houston finished 12-7, one win short of the top spot, but fifth after tiebreakers. His ERA ranks as the 33^rd-best qualifying mark in a BGC (21 innings required) and he posted the 34^th-best pitching WAR in the event.

In August 2025, Villanueva suffered a torn meniscus that ended his season. He was still a good starter after that, but never came close to his previous peaks. The Hornets had second round playoff exits in 2025 and 2027. For his playoff career with Houston, Villanueva had a 7-5 record, 2.54 ERA, 106.1 innings, 117 strikeouts, 160 ERA+, 66 FIP-, and 3.6 WAR. He was certainly a huge reason for their two pennants and his #37 uniform would later be retired by the Hornets.

In total with Houston, Villanueva had a 170-91 record, 3.38 ERA, 2351.1 innings, 2449 strikeouts, 628 walks, 154 complete games, 30 shutouts, 121 ERA+, 76 FIP-, and 62.7 WAR. He declined his contract option after the 2027 campaign, becoming a free agent at age 31. Villanueva got a hefty six-year, $132,600,000 deal with Nashville.

However, Villanueva struggled with Nashville with below league average ERAs in his first three seasons. He dealt with injuries as well, including a partially torn labrum in 2030. The Knights did get a division title in 2029, but lost in the second round with Villanueva posting a 5.12 ERA over three starts. They got back to the playoffs in 2031-32, but Villanueva wasn’t used and they didn’t make it out of the second round.

Villanueva did return to form somewhat in 2031 with a 3.85 ERA, although his strikeouts were down from his peak. He had a similar pace in 2032, but suffered a torn labrum in late July with a 9-10 month recovery time. Villanueva made one relief appearance in spring 2033 but was shellacked, getting cut by Nashville on June 14.

For the Knights, Villanueva had a 58-48 record, 4.44 ERA, 969 innings, 761 strikeouts, 268 walks, 46 complete games, 6 shutouts, 98 ERA+, 97 FIP-, and 14.1 WAR. While he wasn’t outright bad, he definitely wasn’t the big free agent splash Nashville had hoped for. Villanueva wanted to still pitch and Louisville gave him a minor league deal in September, making six poor relief appearances in Lexington. Realizing he was cooked, Villanueva retired that winter at age 37.

Villanueva finished with a 228-139 record, 3.69 ERA, 3320.1 innings, 3210 strikeouts, 896 walks, 234/428 quality starts, 200 complete games, 36 shutouts, 113 ERA+, 82 FIP-, and 76.8 WAR. He ranks 71^st in strikeouts and 97^th in K/9 (8.70) among those with 1000+ innings. Outside of that, he isn’t in the top 100 for any stats, which made Villanueva a borderline Hall of Fame choice for many voters. His forgettable 30s didn’t get him to the big tallies many voters wanted.

However, Villanueva had a lot going for him. Few guys can say they led in strikeouts four straight years. He also had two very strong playoff runs that helped Houston to pennants and a World Series win. Villanueva’s grand tallies weren’t undeniable and he didn’t have a Pitcher of the Year award, but supporters felt he had crossed the line. Villanueva missed the 66% requirement in his 2039 ballot debut at 62.1%, but made it in at 72.1% for Major League Baseball’s 2040 class.



Kwang-Sik Oh – Shortstop-Third Base – Kansas City Cougars – 66.7% Fifth Ballot

Kwang-Sik Oh was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting shortstop and third baseman from Ulsan, South Korea’s eighth-largest city with more than a million inhabitants. He is the third Korean-born player to make it into MLB’s HOF. Oh was a tremendous contact hitter and graded as a 10/10 overall at his peak. He was also excellent at avoiding strikeouts, although he drew walks at a below average rate.

Oh wasn’t a mere slap singles hitter, as his 162 game average got you 33 doubles, 5 triples, and 23 home runs. His power was far more pronounced facing right-handed pitching with a career .919 OPS and 160 wRC+. Facing lefties, he had a .772 OPS and a 121 wRC+. Unlike a lot of high average guys, Oh’s speed was subpar, but his baserunning and stealing skills were rock solid.

Through age 30, Oh was a career shortstop with lousy defensive metrics. He made the switch to third base after that and was a reliably average-to-above average glove there. Oh’s durability was generally strong, playing 135+ games in all but one year from 2013-29. Perhaps most importantly, Oh was an absolute gem of a human. He was a beloved team captain and one of the highest character guys the game has ever had, universally praised for his leadership, work ethic, intelligence, and selflessness. It is no surprise he became extremely popular worldwide by fans and peers alike.

Oh was one of the rare teenage South Koreans that signed a developmental deal north of the 38^th parallel, joining Hamhung in March 2009. He debuted in 2011 at age 19 and had 128 games and 34 starts over his first two seasons. Early in 2012, he had a bone marrow edema in his knee that knocked him out for months. This would be the last significant injury Oh had for the next decade. He was a full-time starter in 2013 and held that for the next five years for the Heat.

After a decent 2013, Oh rattled off four consecutive Korea League batting titles from 2014-17. He won Silver Sluggers each year and emerged as an MVP contender. From 2015-17, Oh led in OBP and WAR; posting three straight 10+ WAR seasons. His .395 average in 2017 was his peak, which ranks as the sixth-best qualifying season in East Asia Baseball history at induction. Oh’s .392 in 2016 ranks as ninth-best and that season featured a 31-game hitting streak. He also twice led in hits and led with a career-best 45 doubles in 2015.

Oh earned MVP honors in 2015, while finishing third in 2016’s voting and second in 2017. This gave Hamhung fans something to cheer, as they had been abysmal in recent memory with only one winning season from 1991-2010. The Heat ended a playoff drought in Oh’s debut 2011 season with a first round exit. They were back below .500 the next three years before a wild card and first round exit in 2015. Hamhung spent the rest of Oh’s tenure just below .500.

The Heat wanted to keep him long-term, but it was clear that Oh was a world class talent that would have plenty of suitors. He left for free agency after the 2017 season heading towards his age 26 campaign; an incredibly young age for such a talent to hit the market. With Hamhung, Oh played 914 games with 1157 hits, 446 runs, 205 doubles, 43 triples, 108 home runs, 508 RBI, 98 steals, .369/.404/.565 slash, 162 wRC+, and 42.1 WAR.

At induction, Oh is EAB’s career leader for batting average among all players with 3000+ plate appearances. He holds #1 by a strong margin too, with the next best being at .350. Oh is also sixth in on-base percentage and 24^th in OPS among EAB qualifiers. This brief run did get him as high as 42.6% for EAB’s Hall of Fame, although he wasn’t around long enough there to get more traction than that.

Oh moved to the United States in 2018 on an eight-year, $195,800,000 deal with Kansas City, who had recently become a contender. The Cougars won the 2016 National Association pennant and lost the World Series to Charlotte, then took second in the Baseball Grand Championship. They were fresh off a second round exit in 2017, but hoped Oh could help them make a dynasty run.

In his debut, Oh won his fifth straight batting title (.358) and was the leader in hits (227) and WAR (9.9). It was a remarkable debut, winning a Silver Slugger and taking second in MVP voting. They won the Upper Midwest Division at 105-57 and earned the top seed, holding the tiebreaker over Boston. The Cougars bested the Red Sox 4-2 in the NACS with Oh earning series MVP. KC then defeated Las Vegas 4-2 for only the franchise’s second-ever World Series win, joining their 1991 triumph.

For the playoff run, Oh had 23 hits, 12 runs, 6 doubles, 1 homer, 5 RBI, .907 OPS, 182 wRC+, and 1.0 WAR; instantly earning a spot in the hearts of the Cougar faithful. He had a respectable showing in the BGC with 19 hits, 14 runs, 6 homers, 12 RBI, .810 OPS, 139 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR. Kansas City would finish 10-9, one of five teams even with the seventh-most wins.

Oh never had an MVP-level season again, but he remained excellent with 6+ WAR each of the next four years for KC. He was the leader in hits again in 2019 and won Silver Sluggers at SS from 2019-21. The Cougars were 107-55 in 2019 and repeated as National Association champs sweeping Boston, but dropped the World Series to Houston in a seven-game thriller.

He had another solid playoff run with 24 hits, 7 runs, 3 doubles, 1 homer, 4 RBI, .938 OPS, 189 wRC+, and 0.7 WAR. In the Baseball Grand Championship, Oh had 23 hits, 11 runs, 5 doubles, 4 homers, 5 RBI, .840 OPS, 130 wRC+, and 0.6 WAR. Kansas City finished 12-7 to earn a third place finish. The Cougars would be a 96-66 wild card in 2020 and got back to the NACS, falling to divisional foe Cincinnati 4-1.

That marked the end of Kansas City’s dynasty run, as they’d miss the playoffs at 85-77 in 2021. The Cougars then spent the next seven years below .500. Oh was there through 2025 and led thrice in doubles, winning his lone Silver Slugger at third base in 2025. Counting EAB, this gave him nine Sluggers for his career. His signing certainly proved a major success for Kansas City, who retired his #36 uniform for his role in their dynasty run.

With the Cougars, Oh played 1226 games with 1548 hits, 692 runs, 263 doubles, 22 triples, 220 homers, 687 RBI, .324/.350/.526 slash, 162 wRC+, and 51.2 WAR. He became a free agent for 2026 heading into his age 34 season and signed for five years and $146 million with Detroit. The Tigers were the defending World Series champ and had been a playoff regular in the 21^st Century. They hoped that like KC, Oh’s skills and leadership could help create a dynasty run.

Oh had his usual production in his debut with Detroit getting a wild card at 90-72, losing in the first round. The Tigers posting losing seasons the next three years as their run had come to an end. Oh was still a respectable starter in 2027-28, but his power noticeably dropped off. 2028 was also the first time he had a batting average below .300 in his career.

In 2029, Oh had a mediocre .698 OPS and 83 wRC+, but still was marginally above replacement level. He was reduced to a bench role in 2030 and spent much of the year with knee injuries, struggling to -0.3 WAR and 56 wRC+. Overall for Detroit, he had 662 games, 682 hits, 309 runs, 100 doubles, 72 home runs, 328 RBI, .299/.332/.452 slash, 113 wRC+, and 15.5 WAR. Oh hoped to play in 2031, but went unsigned all year and retired that winter at age 39.

For his combined pro career, Oh played 2802 games with 3387 hits, 1447 runs, 568 doubles, 81 triples, 400 home runs, 1523 RBI, 493 walks, 966 strikeouts, 216 steals, .332/.363/.522 slash, 151 wRC+, and 108.7 WAR. That resume all in one league is a no-doubter, but Oh did have to deal with seven seasons, including his strongest ones, being in EAB.

His Major League Baseball career had 1888 games, 2230 hits, 1001 runs, 363 doubles, 38 triples, 292 home runs, 1015 RBI, 301 walks, 718 strikeouts, 118 steals, .316/.344/.502 slash, 146 wRC+, and 66. WAR. Since the run was only 11 years, he doesn’t make any top 100 lists on the MLB leaderboards. Some Hall of Fame voters give partial credit for stats in other leagues, but others disregard it entirely. For those especially enamored with accumulations, Oh just wasn’t around long enough to belong.

Supporters fixated on Oh’s critical role in two pennants and a World Series ring for Kansas City. But even still, the lower accumulations and lack of big home run numbers hurt him with some voters. Oh debuted on the MLB ballot in 2036 at 53.4% and hovered around there with 55.3%, 49.9%, and 56.8% after. In 2040, he got the boost to 66.7%, just crossing the 66% threshold to earn a fifth ballot induction.

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For the first time since 2021 and only the second time in the 21^st Century, the Central American Baseball Association didn’t add any players into the Hall of Fame. Closer Diamante Navarette was the only one fairly close to the 66% induction threshold, debuting at 61.2%. LF Fabino Salasar was the only other guy above 50%, debuting at 53.0%. The top returner was 1B Bradley Jaya at 42.1% on his third try.



The only player to drop after ten failed ballots was 2B Leonardo Robles, who peaked at 22.4% in his debut and ended with 8.9%. In 13 seasons with Havana, he won three Silver Sluggers and was part of their 2019 championship. Robles led in stolen bases five times and finished with 1565 games, 2002 hits, 1056 runs, 311 doubles, 188 triples, 64 home runs, 585 RBI, 911 steals, .330/.364/.475 slash, 125 wRC+, and 53.0 WAR. He was done as a starter by age 32, which combined with being a leadoff guy didn’t get him the tallies needed to have any ballot traction.

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East Asia Baseball home run king Kunihiko Ishiguro headlined the 2040 Hall of Fame class with a near unanimous 99.0%. SS Min-Jae Lim joined him on the first ballot at 89.1%. SP Takeo Kobayashi just missed the 66% requirement with 62.9% on his eighth try. Also above 50% was SP Shin-Nin Ikegami debuting at 55.1% and DH/LF Jae-A Choi at 51.0% on his tenth and final try.



For Choi, he got as close as 62.8% in his debut and was also above 60% in 2038, although he was as low as 36.5%. Choi had a 212-year career mostly with Bucheon, playing 3028 games with 3328 hits, 1532 runs, 609 doubles, 75 triples, 508 home runs, 1771 RBI, .298/.344/.503 slash, 132 wRC+, and 71.5 WAR. His longevity put him at 12^th in games played, 35^th in runs, 9^th in hits, 19^th in total bases (5611), 3^rd in doubles, 82^nd in homers, and 18^th in RBI.

Despite that, Choi is outside the top 100 for WAR and never won a Silver Slugger or was a league leader. He also was on mostly bad Bucheon teams with only 20 playoff games over his long career. Choi was dismissed as a compiler by many voters, although it is still shocking to see a guy in the top 10 in hits over 100+ years miss the cut. No player in world history who failed to make their Hall of Fame in ten tries has more career hits.

Close Tatsuya Ueno was also dropped after ten tries, peaking at 44.0% in 2032 and ending with 10.9%. He was hurt by having his 16 year career split between EAB, CABA, and MLB. Ueno did win three Reliever of the Year awards in EAB and had 244 saves, 356 shutdowns, 2.52 ERA, 1007 innings, 1103 strikeouts, 139 ERA+, 79 FIP-, and 20.8 WAR. His combined career had 269 saves, 2.64 ERA, 1238.2 innings, 1314 Ks, 134 ERA+, 80 FIP-, and 24.1 WAR. Even most reliever-friendly voters would agree that Ueno belongs in the Hall of Pretty Good at best.

SP Tai Miura also had his tenth and final try in 2040, ending at 3.7% after a debut at 24.5%. In 13 seasons with six teams, he won three Gold Gloves with a 175-142 record, 3.14 ERA, 2936.1 innings, 2649 strikeouts, 118 ERA+, 89 FIP-, and 52.0 WAR. A fine effort, but he was only a Pitcher of the Year finalist once and struggled in limited playoff outings. Miura was another guy properly left for the HOPG.



Kunihiko Ishiguro – Outfield/Designated Hitter – Gwangju Grays – 99.0% First Ballot

Kunihiko Ishiguro was a 6’3’’, 190 pound left-handed outfielder from Ashikaga, a city with around 140,000 people in central Japan’s Tochigi Prefecture. Ishiguro was known for outstanding home run power along with impeccable durability over a 22 year career. He especially mashed against right-handed pitching with a career 1.023 OPS and 189 wRC+. Facing lefties, he had a decent .765 OPS and 121 wRC+.

Ishiguro’s 162 game average got you 46 home runs, 17 doubles, and 13 triples. Despite being a power-focused slugger, he had rock solid speed and baserunning skills. Ishiguro graded as merely above average-to-good for contact ability. He was better than most at drawing walks and had a middling strikeout rate. His ability to sock towering homers made him one of Japan’s most famous baseball superstars.

One downside is that Ishiguro was a terrible defender at any spot he tried. About half of his career starts came in right field. Most of the rest were split between left field or designated hitter with occasional use at first base. You had to get him in the lineup though and his ironman durability saw him play 145+ games in all but his rookie season. Ishiguro was appreciated for leadership skills and loyalty, but he did get criticized for a weak work ethic and occasionally resting on his laurels.

Ishiguro left Japan for South Korea in October 2008 as a teenager on a developmental deal with Gwangju. He spent most of five years in their academy, debuting in 2013 at age 20 with 74 games and six starts. Ishiguro became a full-time starter in 2014 and immediately became a superstar with a record-shattering season, winning Most Valuable Player and a Silver Slugger as a DH.

At only age 21, Ishiguro crushed 79 home runs, breaking EAB’s record of 73 by Soo-Geun Yim from 2005. This mark remains the EAB record and is tied for 14^th among all leagues. Ishiguro also set the EAB total bases record with 491, passing Yim’s 485. That mark would be passed by only Masanori Fukuoka’s 523 from 2028, but it still ranks 16^th among all world leagues. Gwangju was a perfect fit for his power, as their ballpark was very homer-friendly with only around 310 feet down the lines and 399 feet to dead center.

Ishiguro’s 163 RBI ranks as the fourth-best EAB season and his .765 slugging is ninth. It was also his lone season as the WARlord with a career best 9.8. He also led in runs (133) and wRC+(198). Gwangju at 101-61 was a wild card, their sixth playoff trip in seven years. However, the Grays yet again were unable to win it all. They upset Incheon in the divisional round, but were upset by 89-win Seongnam in the Korea League Championship Series.

In the playoffs, Ishiguro had a 1.124 OPS, 190 wRC+, 12 hits, 6 runs, 4 homers, and 14 RBI. After that historic effort, the Grays gave Ishiguro an eight-year, $82,540,000 extension. Despite his continued dominance, this was Gwangju’s peak during his reign. The Grays spent the next two years around .500, then had only losing records for the rest of his tenure. Despite that, Ishiguro led the KL seven times in homers and total bases, thrice in runs, four times in RBI, five times in slugging, five times in OPS, and four times in wRC+ with Gwangju.

Ishiguro smacked 71 homers in his second full season and had his career bests for OPS (1.128) and wRC+ (203). 2016 saw his peak for runs scored at 138. Ishiguro won his second MVP in 2016 and finished second in 2015 and 2020. He was third in MVP voting for 2017, 2019, and 2021. Ishiguro won Silver Sluggers in each of his Gwangju seasons, winning four as a DH, two in LF, and one apiece in RF and 1B.

Despite all that, Gwangju was going nowhere fast and didn’t expect Ishiguro to re-sign once his deal was up after the 2022 season. Thus, he was traded in December 2021 in a seven-man deal with Hiroshima. For the Grays, Ishiguro played 1353 games with 1513 hits, 960 runs, 151 doubles, 108 triples, 501 home runs, 1061 RBI, 300 stolen bases, .314/.361/.703 slash, 184 wRC+, and 64.3 WAR. He remained a beloved franchise icon long after leaving and his #37 uniform would eventually be retired.

He ended up a one-year rental for the Hammerheads, who went 94-68 in 2022 but had the misfortunate of sharing a division with 110-win eventual champ Fukuoka. It was Ishiguro’s weakest season to that point, although he still had 41 home runs, .894 OPS, 177 wRC+, and 4.4 WAR. He left that winter for free agency at age 30 and joined Osaka on a six-year, $160,000,000 deal.

Ishiguro was still a reliably solid power hitter with the Orange Sox, but never came close to his Gwangju peaks. He won a lone Silver Slugger in 2025 (RF), but was never a league leader or MVP finalist. One downside of moving to the Japan League was the lack of DH, forcing him to display his putrid defense full-time. Osaka had posted a dynasty from 2017-20, but had fallen short of the playoffs twice prior to Ishiguro’s arrival. Osaka stayed above .500 through 2027, but their lone playoff trip was a first round wild card exit in 2025.

For Osaka, Ishiguro played 931 games with 812 hits, 544 runs, 90 doubles, 73 triples, 230 home runs, 490 RBI, .265/.330/.568 slash, 169 wRC+, and 30.2 WAR. He did hit for the cycle in 2027 facing Hamamatsu. Ishiguro also notably started reaching milestones, getting to both 700 home runs and 1500 RBI in 2026, followed by the 1500 run mark in 2027.

Even if he didn’t have league-best power anymore, Ishiguro was still regularly getting 30-45 dingers per year. With his durability and 700+ by his mid 30s, many felt he could challenge Soo-Geum Yim’s career mark of 921. Yim had retired in 2018, passing Lei Meng’s 897 homers that had held since 1971. Hitoshi Kubota also notably finished at 905 after his 2025 retirement. Now 36, Ishiguro’s next deal was for three years and $23,300,000 with Chiba. It was a big pay cut, since he was making more than that entire deal in single seasons with Osaka.

Ishiguro’s production remained remarkably steady in three years with the Comets, who hovered around .500 in his campaigns. He quickly passed the 800 home run milestone and hit for the cycle a second time in 2031 facing Kawasaki. For Chiba, Ishiguro played 465 games with 437 hits, 287 runs, 43 doubles, 47 triples, 101 home runs, 260 RBI, .277/.352/.557 slash, 162 wRC+, and 15.6 WAR. He finished his tenure at 873 home runs, tied with Hyeog-Jun Wi for fourth on the leaderboard and 48 from the record.

Now 39-years old, Ishiguro signed a two-year, $49,200,000 deal with Niigata. The Green Dragons were on a five-year playoff streak and had won two EAB titles, with Ishiguro thinking this could be his last shot at playoff glory. His debut season had 35 homers, joining the vaunted 900 home run club. At 908, he was now #2 in EAB history and only 13 from tying Yim. That season also saw Ishiguro breach the 3000 hit and 2000 RBI milestones. The Green Dragons won another division at 100-62, but lost in the divisional round. They would be one-and-done the next year as a wild card.

However, Ishiguro earned individual glory in 2033 as his 27 home runs were enough to become East Asia Baseball’s HR king. He also scored 81 runs to become the new leader for runs scored and the second to cross 2000. Hits leader Byung-Oh Tan’s 2010 runs had been the top mark since 1953. For Niigata, Ishiguro played 302 games with 263 hits, 166 runs, 24 doubles, 16 triples, 62 homers, 170 RBI, .255/.328/.489 slash, 146 wRC+, and 8.3 WAR.

For 2034, Ishiguro signed a one-year, $6,800,000 deal with Yokohama, who traded him near the deadline in July to Goyang. He was still quite playable with .883 OPS, 164 wRC+, and 3.7 WAR over the split season with 148 games. He went 2-11 in the playoffs as the Green Sox saw a first round exit. Ishiguro’s limited playoff experience saw 26 games, .990 OPS, 180 wRC+, and 1.3 WAR; so you can’t call him a playoff choker despite having such little team luck in his career.

In 2034, Ishiguro also passed Yim’s 7015 total bases and Hitoshi Kubota’s 3304 games played to become EAB’s career leader for both stats. He was up to #2 in RBI, but wouldn’t catch Yim’s 2279. Ishiguro wanted to keep going and seemingly still had something to offer, but he was unsigned for all of 2035. He finally officially retired that winter at age 43.

Ishiguro finished with 3359 games, 3300 hits, 2123 runs, 345 doubles, 268 triples, 963 home runs, 2157 RBI, 1050 walks, 1985 strikeouts, 7070 total bases, 809 stolen bases, .287/.346/.615 slash, .960 OPS, 172 wRC+, and 126.4 WAR. At induction, Ishiguro is East Asia Baseball’s career leader for homers, runs scored, games, and total bases. He also ranks 11^th in hits, 31^st in triples, 2^nd in RBI, 25^th in walks, and 11^th in WAR for position players. His slugging is 16^th among all EAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances and his OPS is 32^nd.

On the leaderboards for all of professional baseball history, Ishiguro is 19^th in games played, 23^rd in runs, t-10^th in home runs, and 38^th in RBI. He’s certainly one of the game’s immortals and one of the finest sluggers and ironmen ever. Ishiguro’s exact spot among EAB’s best can be contentious as certainly the counting stats places him as a top five bat for many scholars. Others rank him lower since he never had notable team success and because of his poor defense/time as a DH. Regardless, Ishiguro is an inner-circle Hall of Famer and earned the near unanimous 99.0% to headline for EAB in 2040.



Min-Jae Lim – Shortstop – Changwon Crabs – 89.1% First Ballot

Min-Jae Lim was a 6’0’’, 190 pound right-handed shortstop from the Seoul, the South Korean capital. Lim was a rock solid contact hitter with the exact same wRC+ facing lefties or righties. He didn’t have prolific power, but you still get some extra bases with 29 doubles, 14 triples, and 19 home runs per his 162 game average. Lim was better than most in EAB at avoiding strikeouts, but middling at drawing walks.

Lim was a highly skilled baserunner with very good speed for most of his career. He was a career shortstop and an excellent defender that was just a notch below Gold Glove level. Lim probably would’ve won one had he not shared a league for most of his run with 17-time winner Jae-Won Park. His durability was mostly good in his 20s, but his body was wrecked in his later years. Lim was a sparkplug and one of the scrappiest guys in the game, which made him very popular across a 20-year run.

He exceled at Seoul’s Chung-Ang University and was the #3 overall pick in the 2014 EAB Draft for Changwon. Lim was a full-time starter right away and an immediate success, earning 2015 Rookie of the Year with a .858 OPS, 6.4 WAR season. He would be worth 7.8+ WAR for the following nine years with the Crabs and helped the franchise see a remarkable turnaround.

Changwon had only made the playoffs once between 1981-2015 and had been abysmal with 64.25 wins per season from 2007-14. In Lim’s rookie season, the Crabs got back above .500 at 83-79. In 2016, they won the South Division at 92-70 and outlasted Seoul 4-3 to win the Korea League Championship Series. Changwon then swept Yokohama for the franchise’s first East Asian Championship win since 1963.

In the playoff run, Lim had 15 hits, 7 runs, 2 doubles, 3 homers, 4 RBI, 120 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR. He was average in the Baseball Grand Championship with .672 OPS, 100 wRC+, and 0.2 WAR as the Crabs finished 6-13. However, Changwon proved it wasn’t a fluke run by taking the Korea League’s top seed in 2017 at 100-62. They again bested Seoul in the KLCS, then defeated Osaka to repeat as EAB champ. Lim missed the start of the playoffs to a strained back, but had 1.050 OPS, 189 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR in nine games. He was unremarkable in the BGC with a .699 OPS, 93 wRC+, and 0.1 WAR as the Crabs finished 8-11.

2017 also was Lim’s first year representing South Korea in the World Baseball Championship. Through to 2032, he played 163 games with 159 hits, 71 runs, 30 doubles, 6 triples, 13 homers, 56 RBI, .278/.342/.420 slash, and 3.8 WAR. It was a down era for the Korean team, whose only playoff berth with Lim came in 2031.

2018 was Lim’s finest individual effort, winning MVP and his first Silver Slugger with league and career bests for hits (226), RBI (131), batting average (.391), OBP (.427), and WAR (11.3). He also had his bests for wRC+ (176), OPS (1.026), and runs (99). Changwon had their best record yet at 110-52, but was upset by Seongnam in the divisional round. That winter though, the Crabs locked up their star Lim to an eight-year, $157,400,000 extension.

Lim was the WARlord again in 2019, 2022, and 2023 with a run of five seasons of 9+ WAR. He was second in 2019, 2021, and 2022’s MVP voting and had a streak of Silver Slugger wins through to 2025, winning eight total. He led in WAR for 2019 despite missing more than a month to a strained ACL.

Changwon remained a contender, but couldn’t reclaim the full glory of the repeat. They were the top seed in 2019 at 97-65, but again had a one-and-done; this time because of Goyang. They missed the playoffs by a tiebreaker in 2020, but rebounded with a six-year streak. The Crabs were 100-62 in 2021, but a wild card behind 109-win Busan in the South Division. Changwon had the last laugh by beating the Blue Jays 4-1 in the KLCS, but were denied the EAB title in a seven-game battle with Kyoto.

In the 2021 run, Lim had 24 hits, 7 runs, 4 extra base hits, 128 wRC+, .804 OPS, and 0.8 WAR. He struggled to .657 OPS, 81 wRC+, and 0.2 WAR in the BGC as Changwon went 6-13. The Crabs had division titles in 2022-23 including a 108-win mark in the latter, but Lim missed both runs to injury and they went one-and-done. Their last KLCS trip was in 2024 as a 92-win wild card, but Busan got revenge against them.

Changwon got additional wild cards in 2025, 26, and 28, but didn’t win any playoff series. For his playoff career with the Crabs, Lim had merely okay starts in 60 starts with 71 hits, 26 runs, 8 doubles, 5 triples, 5 homers, 30 RBI, 30 steals, .295/.331/.432 slash, 117 wRC+, and 1.8 WAR. He had a career-best 29-game hit streak in summer 2025, but missed two months to injuries. Lim declined his contract option that winter at age 33, but renegotiated to a five-year, $134,800,000 extension to stay with Changwon.

The rest of his tenure was plagued with injuries despite his heart and efforts, although he was still effective when able to play. The first big one came in May 2027 with a broken bone in his elbow. In April 2029, a ruptured finger tendon knocked him out basically the entire season. Changwon got off to a poor start in 2030 and accepted that the run was over. Lim was in the final year of his deal and they traded him at the start of July to Pyongyang for three prospects. One of them was Hideki Yamauchi, who would emerge as a respectable starter and Gold Glove-winning third baseman for the Crabs.

For Changwon, Lim played 1914 games with 2387 hits, 1173 runs, 368 doubles, 170 triples, 223 home runs, 1072 RBI, 899 steals, .331/.374/.523 slash, 149 wRC+, and 115.7 WAR. He remained a beloved franchise icon for his role in their dynasty and turnaround. Lim’s #35 uniform would be retired at the end of his career.

He had a healthy second half with Pyongyang, who was in an intense North Division battle with Goyang. The Pythons finished 109-53, but had to settle for a wild card ending three games behind the Green Sox. Pyongyang was upset in the first round by Jeonju. For the combined season, Lim had .734 OPS, 106 wRC+, and 3.9 WAR. He was now a merely decent hitter at age 38, but still was a strong defender when healthy.

Lim signed a two-year, $48 million deal with Suwon, who was that year’s KLCS runner-up. He was still a solid contributor despite some injury woes, playing 214 games with 218 hits, 124 runs, 33 doubles, 12 triples, 20 homers, 86 steals, .288/.355/.443 slash, 125 wRC+, and 7.4 WAR. The Snappers had a second round exit in 2031, then lost the 2032 KLCS against Busan. Now 40, Lim next joined Goyang on a two-year, $24,600,000 deal.

Torn ankle ligaments kept him out part of the year and kept Lim from reaching the vesting criteria for the second year of the deal. Still, he posted 3.9 WAR over 102 games with .894 OPS and 143 wRC+. Lim struggled to -0.1 WAR and .438 OPS in the playoffs as the Green Sox dropped the KLCS against Incheon. The Inferno would be his final stop for 2034, but he struggled and was limited to a bench role with 56 games and 29 starts. Lim retired that winter at age 42.

Lim finished with 2351 games, 2833 hits, 1426 runs, 427 doubles, 202 triples, 270 home runs, 1246 RBI, 610 walks, 956 strikeouts, 1046 stolen bases, 648 caught stealing, .324/.369/.512 slash, 145 wRC+, and 128.8 WAR. Lim ranks 58^th in runs, 42^nd in hits, 98^th in total bases (4474), 88^th in doubles, 88^th in triples, 25^th in steals, 15^th in caught stealing, and 8^th in WAR among position players.

Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Lim ranks 51^st in batting average and 72^nd in OBP. His career 212.0 zone rating also ranks 14^th best among East Asia Baseball shortstops. Lim’s defensive value was a big reason he was a top ten guy for WAR despite not being at the tip-top of counting stats or home run power. He ranks 3^rd in WAR specifically accrued at shortstop.

Lim might be a tough one to rank among all of EAB’s bests and might be a guy you could call under-rated. Changwon fans certainly recognize his huge role in turning the team into a contender with three pennants and two EAB titles after decades of futility. Lim received 89.1% for a first ballot Hall of Fame nod in 2040 as part of an impressive two-man group for East Asia Baseball.

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In a weaker 2040 Hall of Fame ballot for Beisbol Sudamerica, only one player breached the 66% induction threshold. Closer Igor Vigil made it on his first ballot narrowly at 71.3%. 2B Walter Perez barely missed with a 64.7% debut, as did C Cruz Pereira at 63.1% for his third try. Also above 50% was LF R.J. Zavaleta at 53.0% in his fifth ballot and SP Noel Sandoval with a 51.7% debut.



Dropped after ten failed attempts included LF Sam Rubio, who debuted at 60.4% but was down to 41.6% at the end. In a 15-year career, Rubio won three Silver Sluggers and played 2205 games with 2545 hits, 1254 runs, 332 doubles, 303 triples, 430 home runs, 1366 RBI, 590 steals, .320/.343/.600 slash, 158 wRC+, and 71.3 WAR. Rubio is 12^th on BSA’s triples leaderboard, but never led any other stat and also struggled in the playoffs. He needed either more accolades/dominance or another few years of tallies to escape the Hall of Pretty Good.

Also dropped was SP Adrian Chacon, who peaked at 32.4% and managed to survive all ten ballots despite six years below 10%. In 16 seasons with Medellin, Chacon won eight Gold Gloves with a 206-120 record, 3.57 ERA, 3108.2 innings, 2577 strikeouts, 525 walks, 114 ERA+, 85 FIP-, and 65.3 WAR. He’s arguably BSA’s best-ever defensive pitcher, but the lower strikeout tallies meant he was never a Pitcher of the Year finalist. He did win Copa Sudamerica with the Mutiny, but a career 4.82 ERA in 115.2 playoff innings didn’t help his cause.

Bruno Batista also deserves a quick mention, falling below 5% on his seventh try. His totals were hurt by playing his final four seasons in West African Baseball, but he was a league leader in stolen bases seven times. His combined career had 1374 swipes, 36^th on the world leaderboard. He was also Copa Sudamerica MVP in Quito’s title win.



Igor Vigil – Closer – Porto Alegre Armadillos – 71.3% First Ballot

Igor Vigil was a 6’4’’, 195 pound right-handed relief pitcher from San Pedro, Colombia; a municipality of around 30,000 in the country’s northwest. Vigil was known for having incredible stuff along with rock solid control and movement. He had a 99-101 mph fastball along with a slider, both of which were quite potent. Vigil was especially strong facing right-handed bats with a 1.85 ERA, 211 ERA+, and 36 FIP-; compared to a 2.43 ERA, 158 ERA+, and 66 FIP- against lefties.

Vigil had fantastic durability and never missed time to injury. For a reliever, his stamina was rock solid as well. Vigil’s great work ethic also helped make him more popular than your typical reliever. In April 2015, his pro career began as he signed a developmental deal with Porto Alegre. After five years in their academy, Vigil debuted with 49 relief appearances in 2020.

The Armadillos were a 2009 expansion team and 2020 was only their second-ever playoff berth. It was also their deepest run, falling to Santiago in the Southern Cone League championship. Vigil was not quite big game ready, giving up six runs in 9.2 innings over seven playoff appearances. Porto Alegre hovered mostly around and just below .500 for the rest of his tenure.

However, Vigil took the closer role in 2021 and led the league twice in games pitched and once in saves. He was third in 2023’s Reliever of the Year voting, which would see a career-best 5.8 WAR. Vigil then won the honor three straight years from 2024-26. He had 5.8 WAR again in 2026 and a career-best 1.27 ERA and 154 strikeouts. In seven seasons for Porto Alegre, Vigil had 227 saves and 272 shutdowns, 467 games, 574.1 innings, 1.99 ERA, 858 strikeouts, 188 ERA+, 41 FIP-, and 29.4 WAR.

The Armadillos traded Vigil after the 2026 season to Buenos Aires for two prospects. The Atlantics were the defending Copa Sudamerica winner, having gone on a surprising run as a 92-70 wildcard. They had the same record in 2027, but missed a wild card by one game. BA bounced back in 2028 with a division title at 100-62. Vigil was third in that year’s Reliever of the Year voting.

Vigil made his mark though in the playoffs, as the Atlantics went all the way to a Copa Sudamerica win over Lima. In 10 playoff appearances, Vigil had nine saves with a 1.00 ERA over 18 innings, 34 strikeouts, 358 ERA+, and 0.9 WAR. He would then toss 6.1 scoreless innings in the Baseball Grand Championship as Buenos Aires finished 8-11.

The Atlantics were again one win short of the playoffs in 2029, but Vigil snagged his fourth Reliever of the Year award. At induction, he’s one of 11 closers in BSA history to win the award 4+ times. In three years for Buenos Aires, Vigil had 107 saves and 114 shutdowns, 2.14 ERA, 214 games, 236 innings, 382 strikeouts, 168 ERA+, 48 FIP-, and 10.2 WAR.

He was 31-years old and a free agent for the first time with worldwide offers. Vigil ended up moving to Major League Baseball on a one-year, $8,700,000 deal with Washington. Even while in the United States, Vigil remained a regular for his native Colombia in the World Baseball Championship. He was often a starter for the Colombians from 2022-33 with a 2.04 ERA over 167.1 innings, 10-7 record, 6 saves, and 297 strikeouts. Despite his impressive stats, Colombia didn’t make the playoffs any of his seasons.

Vigil wasn’t the closer for the Admirals in 2030, but was excellent in his role with a 1.58 ERA over 62.2 innings. He gave up one run over six playoff innings as Washington won the National Association pennant, losing the World Series to Seattle. They went 8-13 in the BGC with Vigil giving up three earned runs over six innings.

Next up was a three-year, $19,200,000 deal with Oklahoma City. Vigil was notably third in 2032’s Reliever of the Year voting. OKC made the playoffs once with a first round loss in 2031 and Vigil getting rocked in his lone appearance. Overall in three years, he had 69 saves, 2.69 ERA, 197.1 innings, 193 Ks, 161 ERA+, 81 FIP-, and 4.2 WAR. This run also got Vigil to 400+ career saves across his entire pro career.

For his combined MLB run, Vigil had 73 saves, 105 shutdowns, 2.42 ERA, 277 games, 260 innings, 274 strikeouts, 176 ERA+, 73 FIP-, and 6.3 WAR. Now 35, Vigil returned to South America on a two-year, $10,800,000 deal with Valencia. He was used in a limited role in 2034 with a 2.45 ERA and 4 saves over 40.1 innings and 1.2 WAR. Vigil surprised many by retiring that winter at age 36 despite his stuff still being viewed as excellent.

For his combined pro career, Vigil had a 107-92 record, 411 saves, 504 shutdowns, 2.14 ERA, 944 games, 1110.2 innings, 1567 strikeouts, 281 walks, 180 ERA+, 51 FIP-, and 47.1 WAR. Vigil just misses the world top 50s for saves and WAR among relievers. However, his ERA+ notably makes the cut at 48^th. Just in Beisbol Sudamerica, Vigil had a 75-65 record, 338 saves, 399 shutdowns, 2.05 ERA, 850.2 innings, 1293 strikeouts, 195 walks, 181 ERA+, 44 FIP-, and 40.8 WAR.

Vigil ranks 27^th in saves and 39^th in games pitched, although his rate stats compared favorably with some of the other Hall of Fame relievers in BSA. The four ROTY awards and the outstanding postseason run for Buenos Aires’ 2028 cup win helped him big time with skeptical voters. Vigil also had the benefit of debuting on a weaker 2040 ballot that didn’t have any other inductees. At 71.3%, he just crossed the 66% requirement for a first ballot nod as Beisbol Sudamerica’s lone 2040 selection.

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Three entered the European Baseball Federation Hall of Fame for 2040, captained by world triples leader 1B Aleksandr Parts with a near unanimous 98.9%. Two returners joined him with SP Jack McConnell getting 82.0% on his third ballot and 3B/2B Albert de Jong at 72.0% on his fourth go. LF Micha van Vugt came up painfully short of the 66% threshold with 65.9% for his third attempt. Also above 50% was SP Isak Alsaker at 51.3% in his fifth try.



Among those to fall off the ballot after ten failed tries was LF Danijel Rajovic, who peaked with his 47.9% finish and was as low as 13.4% the prior year. In 13 seasons with Belgrade, Rajovic won two MVPs and four Silver Sluggers with 1920 games, 2126 hits, 1067 runs, 321 doubles, 51 triples, 385 home runs, 1137 RBI, .320/.371/.557 slash, 160 wRC+, and 66.1 WAR. His downfall was a very abrupt decline in his early 30s and he was done as a full-time starter by age 34.

Rajovic did have good playoff stats, getting the Bruisers twice to the conference finals. He needed a few more years of totals to get across the line despite an impressive start with two MVPs in his first four seasons. Rajovic didn’t run into injury issues either, he just fell off faster than you’d expect.

Catcher Gaetano Di Vincenzo also made it ten ballots, ending at 23.4% and peaking with a 39.2% debut. He played 18 years with Milan and won two Silver Sluggers and two Gold Gloves. Di Vincenzo played 2347 games with 2275 hits, 881 runs, 490 doubles, 82 triples, 181 home runs, 1062 RBI, .284/.332/.433 slash, 114 wRC+, and 68.2 WAR. Di Vincenzo is the all-time WARlord for EBF catchers with the lone prior inductee being Ulrich Thomsen. He’s also the leader among catchers for games, hits, total bases, singles, and doubles.

Still, catchers always have a rough time gaining traction with the lower totals that come from the position by its nature. Those biases hurt Di Vencenzo, but even supporters acknowledge he was less an outstanding player and more a guy that was consistently solid for a long while. Being on perpetually mid Maulers teams didn’t get him attention either. Despite being arguably EBF’s best-ever catcher, he misses the cut as with so many other backstops before him.

SP Stefan Romic lasted ten ballots as well, debuting at 26.0% but ending at 8.8%. In 11 seasons, he had a 146-95 record, 3.14 ERA, 2324.2 innings, 2648 strikeouts, 449 walks, 120 ERA+, 73 FIP-, and 62.2 WAR. Romic was a POTY finalist twice, but fell off after bone chips in his elbow at age 33, retiring and declining sharply only two years later. He did notably have a big playoff run with Thessaloniki for their 2017 pennant. Romic’s pace was good, but he needed a few more years of steady totals to have a shot at the Hall.

Lastly, SP Saro Lorikyan ended at 5.4% on his last try and peaked at 32.2% in 2032. In 15 seasons for Warsaw, he had one Gold Glove and a 187-135 record, 3.20 ERA, 2917 innings, 2815 strikeouts, 117 ERA+, 90 FIP-, and 48.2 WAR. Lorikyan was only a POTY finalist once and never a leader in the major stat categories. He had a steady career, but not one impressive enough to warrant induction per the voters.



Aleksandr “Hercules” Parts – First Base – Zagreb Gulls – 98.9% First Ballot

Aleksandr Parts was a 5’9’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from Maardu, Estonia; a town of roughly 17,000 within Tallinn’s metropolitan area. He’s the second-ever Estonian Hall of Famer, joining ABF ace Oskar Tamm. Nicknamed "Hercules," Parts had an incredibly unique profile, especially as a career first baseman as that spot expects big, tall power hitters. Despite being 5’9’’, the stocky Parts was a stellar defender at first, winning ten Gold Gloves.

Instead of big home run power, Parts also was known as a tremendous contact hitter who was stellar at finding the gap. His 162 game average got you 28 doubles, 26 triples, and 17 home runs. Parts also had a strong eye for drawing walks and had a low strikeout rate. His batting results were near equal whether against righties or lefties. Parts was also one of the most skilled baserunners and base stealers you’d find and had good-to-great speed for much of his prime.

Parts had some injuries mostly in his later years, but held up remarkably well over a 24-year pro career. That unique skillset made the stout Parts extremely popular throughout Europe despite his humble beginnings. Small Estonia didn’t get a ton of scouting attention, but Parts was noticed by a visitor from Zagreb. He signed a developmental deal with the Gulls as a teenager in December 2010 and soon would become beloved over the next two decades in the Croatian capital.

He spent about four years in their academy, debuting with 40 games in 2014 at age 20. Parts was a full-time starter the next year, but was a subpar hitter as a rookie. He made big gains in 2016, leading the Southern Conference for the first time in triples with 30. By 2018, he had truly arrived as a star, winning his first batting title (.371) and leading in OBP (.450), wRC+ (196), hits (216), and triples (28). Parts picked up his first Silver Slugger and was third in MVP voting.

Zagreb missed the playoffs in 2018, but their 90-72 mark was their best since their last playoff trip way back in 1997. They just missed again the next year finishing 88-74. The Gulls had been mostly mediocre in the 21^st Century to that point, but had been just mid enough to avoid relegation. The franchise had won the European title in 1960 and 1975, but their longest consecutive playoff run was three years. Soon with Parts leading the way, Zagreb was a sustained contender for a full decade.

From 2018-23, Parts won five batting titles and led the conference four times in hits, on-base percentage, wRC+, and WAR. He also led thrice in OPS, twice in slugging, total bases, and stolen bases, and once in runs scored. 2019 was his first Gold Glove and a second place in MVP voting, despite boasting his career bests for WAR (12.0), hits (229), triples (43), and wRC+ (204). He shared a conference that year with Jean-Paul Lafontaine, who had 54 homers and 11.7 WAR. Parts’ 43 triples was the third-best single-season mark in both EBF and world history (the top six single seasons are all EBF guys).

Parts won his first MVP in 2020 and got a Silver Slugger, while also hitting his lone cycle in June against Bratislava. He posted his career bests for doubles (38), homers (24), total bases (393), and steals (117). Most importantly, Zagreb ended their 22-year playoff drought at 102-60, although they were stuck as a wild card finishing four behind top seed Naples in the Central Division.

The Gulls went one-and-done in an upset loss to eventual champ Munich, but this began an eight-year playoff streak for Zagreb. This also began their intense rivalry with the Mavericks, whom they’d run into five times in the Southern Conference Championship over the next decade. Parts was critical of course, inking an eight-year, $119,700,000 extension that winter.

2021 had a slight dip in production with a fractured foot in September, although he did have a 27-game hitting streak. Parts was back for the playoffs and played well as Zagreb had the top seed at 108-54, but they were denied 4-1 by Munich in the conference finals. Parts then earned repeat MVPs and Silver Sluggers in 2022-23, leading in hits, average, OPS, wRC+, and WAR both years. 2023 had his peak triple slash of .388/.451/.673 with a 1.125 OPS. There have been two qualifying seasons in EBF of a .450+ OBP, which Parts did twice. It was also impressive to lead in slugging twice despite never topping 25 homers in a season.

Zagreb was a wild card in 2022 with a second round loss, yet again running into Munich. The Gulls set a franchise record in 113-49 and got to the conference final, but the 94-win Mavericks were the kryptonite again. Zagreb went 104-58 in 2024, but fell two short of a division title because of Munich. The Mavericks were upset in the second round by Chisinau, but Zagreb couldn’t get around the Counts either with a 4-2 conference finals loss.

The Gulls were now getting the label as being unable to win the big one. After a strong 2021 run, Parts notably was middling in the 2022-24 runs and outright awful in 2025. He fared better in the remaining runs, but his career playoff stats weren’t as great as you’d expect given his regular season results. In 90 starts, Parts had 97 hits, 43 runs, 19 doubles, 8 triples, 4 homers, 38 RBI, 36 walks, 42 steals, .286/.358/.425 slash, 117 wRC+, and 3.2 WAR.

Parts was done as an MVP candidate after the 2022-23 repeat, but he was still worth 6+ WAR from 2024-30 each year sans 2028, which featured a concussion that kept him out for a sizeable chunk. He got recognized for his defense at this point, winning Gold Gloves from 2024-31 and in 2033. Along with the 2019 win, that gave Parts ten Gold Gloves, one of seven in EBF history to achieve that feat at any spot. Notably, he’s one of three at first base to do it.

Zagreb continued to come up short in the big one. They had the top seed in 2025 at 108-54, but went down to Zurich in the second round. That winter, Parts opted out of his current contract, but signed a new richer six-year, $158,400,000 extension to remain in Croatia. The Gulls made the conference finals in 2026 but again fell to Munich.

In 2027, they were the last team in the field as a 90-72 wild card. This time, Zagreb finally slayed the Mavericks in a 4-3 conference finals upset. The Gulls would be defeated 4-1 by Rotterdam in the European Championship. Parts did notably put up an excellent run in the 2027 Baseball Grand Championship with a 1.272 OPS, 21 hits, 17 runs, 7 homers, 19 RBI, 254 wRC+, and 1.7 WAR. They tied for seventh in the event at 10-9.

It looked like the run might be done as Zagreb missed the playoffs at 84-78 in 2028. However, they bounced back for one more division title in 2029 at 98-64. The Gulls were the underdog to top seed Munich in the Southern Conference Championship, but Zagreb pulled off a shocking sweep, taking out years of frustration. The Gulls played a classic with Kharkiv, but fell 4-3 in the European Championship. Parts had unremarkable stats in the run and the BGC, which saw a 7-14 finish.

Zagreb had one more playoff trip as a wild card in 2030, but lost in the second round. They would spend the next six years in the 70s win range, officially marking the end of their longest sustained run. Although the Gulls never won the tip top prize, getting two conference titles, six conference finals trips, four division titles, and ten berths over 11 years is a run most franchises would be thrilled with. Parts was there for all of it as a beloved figure, eventually getting his #20 uniform retired.

Parts was in his late 30s as the 2030s dawned and was hitting statistical milestones, including 3000 hits and 400 triples in 2030. At induction, only 12 players in world history have 400+ career triples. The EBF record was Carsten Dal’s 457, which had become the world record in the mid 2010s. Over in West African Baseball, the eventual world hits king Fares Belaid passed that mark, retiring as the leader with 472 after the 2032 season.

After the 2030 season, Parts signed a three-year, $62,200,000 extension with Zagreb. Injuries started to pop up in these later years, including a fractured knee in 2031 and both ACL and oblique strains after that. Parts’ production had dipped in 2031-32, but in 2033 at age 33 he was still good for .911 OPS, 155 wRC+, and 5.1 WAR. He also got 13 triples that year to get to 454 for his career, three short of Dal’s EBF record.

His deal was up that winter, sending him to free agency for the first time heading into his age 40 season. For Zagreb, Parts played 2724 games with 3393 hits, 1801 runs, 470 doubles, 454 triples, 283 home runs, 1555 RBI, 1089 walks, 1265 strikeouts, 1208 stolen bases, .340/.404/.565 slash, 167 wRC+, and 130.0 WAR. He remained beloved in the Croatian capital, but some diehards were briefly annoyed as Parts joined the hated Mavericks for 2034 on a two-year, $24,800,000 deal.

Munich’s own 13-year playoff streak had ended by this point and like Zagreb, they were now firmly in the mid-tier. Parts only played one year in Germany and was plagued by knee issues, playing only 86 games with .714 OPS, 103 wRC+, and 1.4 WAR. He did get seven triples though, passing Dal to become EBF’s all-time leader and #2 on the world list. Parts was also close to 3500 hits and thought he could still get there and maybe get to 2000 career runs. However, European teams thought he was cooked and that marked the end of his EBF career.

Parts was determined to still play somewhere and took a two-year, $9,840,000 with Cotonou of West African Baseball for 2035. Torn ankle ligaments kept him out much of the year with only 63 games, .887 OPS, 137 wRC+, and 1.7 WAR. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria and was a free agent again for 2035. Parts signed a one-year deal with WAB’s Kano, but more torn ankle ligaments limited him to only 43 games, although he did have a .939 OPS, 149 wRC+, and 1.6 WAR in the small sample.

He was now at 469 triples, three away from Belaid’s world pro baseball record of 472. Parts wanted to get it and stayed in WAB for 2037 with Libreville. Smaller injuries limited him early in the season, then he suffered a catastrophic broken kneecap in late July. In 63 games, Parts had .940 OPS, 148 wRC+, and 1.6 WAR; still competent when healthy. He got three triples that year, tying him with Belaid for the world record.

In three WAB seasons, Parts had 169 games, 212 hits, 113 runs, 40 doubles, 11 triples, 19 home runs, 94 RBI, 47 steals, .330/.405/.516 slash, 144 wRC+, and 4.8 WAR. Parts didn’t want the broken kneecap to be his final time on the field and rehabbed hard in hopes of playing in 2038. However, he went unsigned all year and finally retired that winter at age 44.

For his combined pro career, Parts played 2979 games with 3683 hits, 1949 runs, 520 doubles, 472 triples, 307 home runs, 1680 RBI, 1189 walks, 1430 strikeouts, 1277 stolen bases, 548 caught stealing, .337/.402/.556 slash, .958 OPS, 164 wRC+, and 136.2 WAR.

In addition to being tied for the world record in triples, Parts ranks 39^th in the world list for hits and just misses the top 50 for runs and steals. Among world Hall of Famers and retired locks, Parts is 43^rd in batting average and 34^th in OBP. He also just misses the top 100 for WAR among all players ever, sitting 105^th at induction. Just in EBF, Parts had 2810 games, 3471 hits, 1836 runs, 480 doubles, 461 triples, 288 homers, 1586 RBI, 1115 walks, 1303 Ks, 1230 steals, 532 caught stealing, .338/.401/.558 slash, 166 wRC+, and 131.4 WAR.

On the EBF leaderboards, Parts is 10^th in games, 10^th in runs, 5^th in hits, 13^th in total bases (5737), 7^th in singles (2242), 18^th in doubles, 1^st in triples, 29^th in RBI, 6^th in steals, 24^th in caught stealing, 14^th in walks, and 9^th in WAR among position players. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Parts ranks 39^th in batting average, 17^th in on-base percentage, and 75^th in OPS.

Parts is easily an inner-circle Hall of Famer for the European Baseball Federation and one of the game’s immortals. Despite not being a big bopper, he’s also the EBF WAR leader at first base and is considered the positional GOAT by some. Some have Parts as a top ten all-time position players in EBF history and almost all place him in the top 20 rankings somewhere. At 98.9%, he headlined a three-man 2040 class for EBF and proudly represented his native Estonia.

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Jack McConnell – Starting Pitcher – Berlin Barons – 82.0% Third Ballot

Jack McConnell was a 6’2’’, 195 pound left-handed pitcher from Stenhousemuir, a town of just under 10,000 in Scotland’s Central Lowlands. McConnell’s biggest strength was having stellar pinpoint control for his entire career with excellent movement. This made up for having merely above average stuff with a peak velocity of 91-93 mph; among the lowest of any Hall of Famer you’ll find.

McConnell’s arsenal was fastball, curveball, screwball, changeup, and splitter with an extreme groundball tendency. He had fantastic durability and pitched 200+ innings each year from 2017-34. McConnell’s stamina for going deep in games though was merely above average relative to most great aces. He was better than most at holding runners, but otherwise had unremarkable defensive stats.

In April 2011, a teenaged McConnell left Scotland for Finland on a developmental deal with Helsinki. While in the academy, the Honkers were relegated to the European Second League after going 55-107 in 2013. McConnell spent about six years in training, debuting with two relief appearances in 2016. McConnell earned a full-time rotation spot from 2017 onward.

It became clear he was better than most E2L talent right away, as he was second in both Pitcher of the Year and Rookie of the Year voting in 2017. He was second in POTY again in 2019 and won a Silver Slugger with a decent bat by pitcher standards. McConnell was the leader in wins for 2019 and in wins, ERA, and WAR in 2020.

Helsinki had playoff trips in 2017 and 2019, but failed to advance out of the round robin. The Honkers in 2020 finally got to the conference finals, earning a promotion back to the EBF Elite Tier. In his four E2L seasons, McConnell had a 70-25 record, 2.06 ERA, 923 innings, 883 strikeouts, 196 walks, 159 ERA+, 67 FIP-, and 27.9 WAR. He showed he could hang right away in the top level with back-to-back 7+ WAR seasons.

Although they were back up, Helsinki had finished 80-82 and 73-89 upon their return. McConnell was grateful for his start there, but it was clear that he wasn’t likely to stick around once free agent eligible for 2024. Thus before the 2023 season, the Honkers traded McConnell to Rotterdam for two prospects. He correctly left the sinking ship, as Helsinki was an abysmal 54-108 the next year and demoted right back.

In his one year with the Ravens, McConnell was second in Pitcher of the Year voting, leading the Northern Conference in FIP- (58) and WAR (8.8); both career bests in EBF. He also had a 2.79 ERA, 19-6 record, 242.1 innings, and 240 Ks. Rotterdam won their division at 110-52, but was denied the conference crown by 114-win Dublin, who was amidst a dynasty run. McConnell’s playoff debut in the top tier had a 2.89 ERA over 18.2 innings.

McConnell did have tournament experience before that, as he represented his native Scotland from 2022-34 in the World Baseball Championship. Over 187 innings, he had a 14-8 record, 2.50 ERA, 186 strikeouts, and 5.3 WAR. Despite his efforts, the Scots never secured a playoff berth.

Now a free agent at age 29 for 2024, McConnell signed a seven-year, $163,800,000 deal with Berlin. His most famous run would be in the German capital. The Barons were competitive in his first six years with five winning seasons, but their lone playoff appearance was a wild card and second round exit in 2025. McConnell was second in 2024’s POTY voting, his only time as a finalist with Berlin. Still, his production was steady, consistent, and rock solid.

2030 was a breakthrough for the Barons, who took the Northern Conference’s top seed at 103-59. Berlin bested Nantes 4-2 in the final for their first pennant since 1998. The Barons then defeated Cluj-Napoca 4-2 to win their second-ever European Championship (1958). McConnell was critical in the playoff run, winning his four starts with a 1.50 ERA over 30 innings, 20 strikeouts, and 0.8 WAR.

McConnell kept rolling into the Baseball Grand Championship, winning those four starts with a 1.91 ERA over 33 innings with 35 Ks and 1.6 WAR; taking third in Best Pitcher voting. Most importantly, Berlin finished 17-4 and became only the second European club to claim the Grand Champion honor. It was a hell of a way to cap off McConnell’s seven-year run with the Barons and forever made him a very popular figure in the German capital.

For Berlin, McConnell finished with a 110-62 record, 3.05 ERA, 1713.2 innings, 1427 strikeouts, 191 walks, 72 complete games, 20 shutouts, 129 ERA+, 78 FIP-, and 41.1 WAR. Back to free agency for 2031 at age 36, McConnell signed a two-year, $29,200,000 deal with Lyon. He was still steady with the Lords, posting a 2.91 ERA over 476 innings, 29-20 record, 347 Ks, 123 ERA+, 89 FIP-, and 8.1 WAR. Lyon earned its first-ever playoff berth in the top tier in 2032, falling in the second round as a wild card.

McConnell was back to free agency and surprisingly couldn’t find another European home despite his consistency and still excellent control. He ended up in Sudan on a three-year, $36 million deal with Khartoum of Arab League Baseball. McConnell was still reliable in his first two years, although he was surprisingly poor in three playoff starts with three defeats and a 6.87 ERA over 18.1 innings. The Cottonmouths lost in the 2033 Western Conference final and fell in the second round of 2034.

In 2035, McConnell’s stuff and control plummeted and he was limited to only 44.1 innings. Overall in ALB, he had a 30-19 record, 3.61 ERA, 460.2 innings, 375 strikeouts, 67 walks, 120 ERA+, 92 FIP-, and 7.9 WAR. He hoped to still pitch in 2036 somewhere in the world, but went unsigned all year and finally retired in the winter at age 42.

The trouble for McConnell’s Hall of Fame candidacy is having only 12 seasons in the European Baseball Federation Elite Tier, as the four E2L seasons don’t count as major league. Adding the ALB seasons, his combined top-flight pro stats saw a 218-132 record, 3.45 ERA, 3384.2 innings, 2825 strikeouts, and 80.5 WAR. Just in EBF, he had a 188-113 record, 3.04 ERA, 2924 innings, 2450 strikeouts, 327 walks, 110 complete games, 27 shutouts, 127 ERA+, 77 FIP-, and 72.6 WAR.

Still, McConnell ranks 45^th in WAR among pitcher. However, he is 71^st in wins, 97^th in innings, 62^nd in complete games, 39^th in shutouts, and outside of the top 100 for strikeouts. His 1.01 BB/9 is notably 9^th among all pitchers with 1000+ innings and his rate stats overall are favorable compared to many other inductees. McConnell did have detractors though with the lower accumulations (strikeouts especially) and the lack of a POTY award or ERA title.

His efficiency was a big plus for supporters, but the biggest thing in his favor was Berlin’s 2030 title run. McConnell was an absolute stud in that postseason run, pushing the Barons to not only the European Championship, but the Baseball Grand Championship. The lower tallies still kept him just barely out below the 66% threshold with 65.7% and 64.9% in his first two ballots. McConnell saw the big boost to 82.0% in 2040 for a third ballot spot into EBF’s Hall of Fame.



Albert “Nervous” de Jong – Third/Second Base – Frankfurt Falcons – 72.0% Fourth Ballot

Albert de Jong was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed third and second baseman from Middelharnis, a town of about 7,000 in the western Netherlands. Nicknamed “Nervous,” de Jong was a well-rounded batter at his peak with good-to-great marks for contact and power. His 162 game average got you 36 home runs, 22 doubles, and 18 triples for a steady dose of extra base hits. On the downside, he was subpar at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts.

De Jong was a bit better facing left-handed pitching (.964 OPS, 162 wRC+) but was plenty potent facing righties (.906 OPS, 147 wRC+). He was a highly skilled baserunner and clever thief with good speed. Defensively, de Jong saw just over half of his starts at third base, where he graded as a reliably solid glove. Most of his other starts were at second, where he was below average, but passable.

High adaptability served him well over a 15 year career with mostly good marks for durability. De Jong was notably very outspoken, but wasn’t necessarily a troublemaker or malcontent. Many fans appreciated his candor and he was one of his era’s more popular players. As a teenager, he left the Netherlands in October 2013 on a developmental deal with Frankfurt. De Jong spent most of four years in their academy, officially debuting in 2017 with eight games.

De Jong’s full-time debut came in 2018 with decent results. That year, the Falcons earned their first-ever playoff appearance in the EBF Elite Tier at 93-69 and had a surprise run to the Northern Conference Championship, falling 4-2 to Birmingham. De Jong had an impressive postseason with a 1.408 OPS and 0.9 WAR over 10 starts. By the next year, he had emerged as elite with his first of five straight seasons worth 7+ WAR and first of nine straight worth 5+.

His first Silver Slugger wins came in 2019 (3B) and 2020 (2B). He was the conference WARlord at 9.7 in 2020, which would be a career best as was his 175 wRC+, .331 average, .368 OBP, and 1.009 OPS. Frankfurt won division titles both years, but couldn’t advance beyond round two. They missed the cut in 2021, then had a wild card and first round exit in 2022.

Although he was a star in Germany, de Jong did regularly represent the Netherlands in the World Baseball Championship from 2019-31. He played 113 games with 111 hits, 54 runs, 22 doubles, 5 triples, 27 homers, 67 RBI, 30 steals, .261/.322/.526 slash, 144 wRC+, and 4.1 WAR for the Dutch team.

De Jong was back winning Silver Sluggers in 2023 (2B), 2025 (3B), and 2026 (3B). 2023 was his lone time as an MVP finalist, taking third by leading the conference with 395 total bases. 2025 had de Jong’s peak for homers (48), RBI (123) and runs (119). In August 2024, he committed to a seven-year, $184,800,000 extension with the Falcons. Frankfurt was almost always above .500 for the rest of the decade, but wouldn’t make the playoffs from 2023-29 despite his efforts.

2028 was his largest injury to date with a torn abdominal muscle in the fall. He was still solid in 2029, but was reduced to a part-time role in 2030 with 118 games and only 42 starts. Frankfurt got back to the playoffs at 100-62, but were a one-and-done wild card. The Falcons ended up voiding the team option year of de Jong’s deal, sending him to free agency at age 35.

His outspoken nature did cause some clashes with management at the end, which some suspect is why his #27 uniform wasn’t retired. For 2031, de Jong signed a three-year, $16,800,000 deal with Rome. He struggled in a limited role with 101 games, 34 starts, .666 OPS, 87 wRC+, and 0.1 WAR. With a roster spot not guaranteed next year, de Jong retired that winter at age 36.

De Jong played 1967 games with 2127 hits, 1215 runs, 262 doubles, 217 triples, 438 home runs, 1199 RBI, 355 walks, 1469 strikeouts, 537 steals, .302/.336/.587 slash, 152 wRC+, and 80.4 WAR. He ranks 97^th in total bases (4137), 73^rd in triples, and 90^th in WAR for position players. De Jong had good marks for efficiency, but his totals weren’t exceptional. Although Frankfurt was always decent in his run, they also never had the big championship run with de Jong.

Many figured his resume was borderline, but de Jong was quite popular and had friends in high places. He debuted in 2037 at 62.0%, only narrowly missing the 66% requirement. De Jong dropped to 59.4% in 2038, then missed by the slimmest margin at 65.9% in 2039. He got across the line at 72.0% in 2040 to earn a fourth ballot induction as part of a three-man class for the European Baseball Federation.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Eurasian Professional Baseball had a strong three-man Hall of Fame class in 2040 with each earning first ballot nods. Co-headlining was hit king RF Timofei Averkin at 99.1% along with P Aleksei Kotyukh at 97.5%. SP Araz Aliev joined them with 76.9%. Four were above 50%, but short of the 66% requirement for induction. SP Tagir Jumayev debuted at 58.2%, SP Yaroslav Alalykin got 53.2% in his eighth ballot, and both CL Dimo Antonov and CF Roman Sheshukov received 50.6% on their second tries.



3B/RF Tayyar Abdualiyev got 48.4% in his tenth and final chance, peaking at 60.1% in 2038. He had a 19-year EPB career with five Silver Sluggers, 2519 games, 3002 hits, 1028 runs, 525 doubles, 79 triples, 192 home runs, 1086 RBI, 299 walks, .314/.336/.446 slash, 134 wRC+, and 75.3 WAR. Abdualiyev ranks 5^th in hits, 3^rd in doubles, 15^th in batting average (min 3000 PA), but only 67^th in WAR.

Abdualiyev is the EPB career leader in singles at 2206, with some dismissing him as a mere singles-merchant and compiler. It didn’t help that he played on mostly forgettable teams and never made the playoffs in his prime run with Chelyabinsk. Still, it is surprising to see the #5 guy in hits across more than 80 years of history miss the cut, even with his other deficiencies.

His former Cadets teammate 1B Sergei Stoev also fell off after ten ballots, debuting with a 59.6% peak and ending at 38.0%. His entire 15-year run was with Chelyabinsk with one MVP and three Silver Sluggers. Stoev was also still there when the Cadets became a winner with their 2019-20 EPB Championship repeat. He played 2199 games with 1929 hits, 1122 runs, 320 doubles, 619 home runs, 1337 RBI, 561 walks, 2720 strikeouts, .242/.297/.528 slash, 143 wRC+, and 59.5 WAR.

Stoev ranks 12^th in homers, 33^rd in RBI, but misses the top 100 for WAR among position players and is 12^th in strikeouts. He was the inverse player of Abdualiyev in many ways in being all homers, but weak in other aspects of the game. Similar to the 3000 hit mark, many would assume that 600 homers in a low-scoring league like EPB would be a magic number, but alas. Stoev did notably also have unremarkable playoff stats despite being part of a dynasty run.

2B Pavel Khuzin also deserves a quick nod, falling below 5% on his eighth ballot. He won nine Silver Sluggers (7 at 2B, 2 at DH) and was a key cog in Rostov’s 2013 title win. Khuzin played 2222 games, 2332 hits, 1261 runs, 403 doubles, 144 triples, 192 home runs, 800 RBI, 1036 walks, 736 steals, .282/.361/.435 slash, 141 wRC+, and 71.1 WAR. Even if he was the best hitting second baseman of his day, Khuzin still wasn’t dominant enough relative to everyone to get much HOF traction, peaking at 26.9%.



Timofei “Farmer” Averkin – Right Field – Perm Pitbulls – 99.1% First Ballot

Timofei Averkin was a 6’3’’, 205 pound right-handed hitting right fielder from Tuapse, Russia; a small city of around 61,000 on the northeast shore of the Black Sea. He was nicknamed “Farmer” as he loved spending his offseasons out on the farm. Averkin was known for his impressive consistency across a 20-year career with a balanced bat against both lefties and righties.

Averkin graded as a rock solid contact hitter with stellar gap power and respectable home run power. His 162 game average got you 26 doubles, 19 triples, and 30 home runs. Averkin was surprisingly mediocre at drawing walks, but had a low strikeout rate and was great at putting the ball in play. He was a very skilled baserunner when he got on and an adept thief with good-to-occasionally great speed.

He was a career right fielder with occasional use as a designated hitter. Averkin was mediocre defensively, but you could definitely do a lot worse. He was a true fan favorite and among the most beloved ballplayers ever in Russia, known for his impressive work ethic, strong loyalty, and thoughtful intelligence. The one downside is that he wasn’t going to be a vocal leader in the clubhouse.

In December 2010, a teenaged Averkin joined Perm on a developmental deal. The Pitbulls were still a new franchise having debuted with the 2008 expansion. After four full years in the academy, Averkin debuted in 2015 with 63 games and 40 starts, although he struggled to -0.5 WAR. He still got a full-time gig the next year with better results. From 2017-24, he would be worth 6+ WAR each season for Perm. Averkin won his first Silver Slugger in 2017 and was a league leader for the first time with 25 triples.

In July 2018, he hit for the cycle twice in a month, an EPB first. Averkin won his second Slugger and was second in MVP voting, leading the Asian League in runs (103), hits (202), triples (22), total bases (353), slugging (.568), OPS (.915), and wRC+ (180). Perm also finished 88-74, missing the playoffs but earning the franchise’s first winning season. They went 86-76 the next year, one win short of a wild card, and Averkin won another Slugger.

In 2020, Averkin didn’t win a Slugger but was third in MVP voting with a league and career-best 110 runs. Perm got its first division title at 106-56, but got upset by eventual champ Chelyabinsk in the first round. Averkin led in runs again in 2021 and Perm was 104-58, this time the top seed. They avenged the prior year’s loss to the Cadets in a seven-game ALCS classic, then defeated Moscow 4-1 for their first-ever EPB Championship.

Averkin was finals MVP in the win over the Mules, posting 24 hits, 11 runs, 3 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, 13 RBI, .936 OPS, 188 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR over 16 playoff starts. The Pitbulls went 7-12 in the Baseball Grand Championship with Averkin posting a .838 OPS, 128 wRC+, and 0.6 WAR. He was the franchise’s first superstar, delivering the first title in the team’s 14-year existence. That winter, Perm signed Averkin to an eight-year, $73,100,000 extension.

He was also broadly popular in Russia and played often in the World Baseball Championship, but surprisingly he was usually a reserve. He played from 2019-32 but in 42 games with only 21 starts with 25 hits, 12 runs, 6 doubles, 5 homers, 11 RBI, .287/.364/.529 slash, and 1.3 WAR.

Averkin was second in MVP voting in 2022, 2023, and 2028 for Perm with a third place in 2025. He won Silver Sluggers from 2022-28 with the last one his only win as a DH. Averkin led in both OPS and wRC+ from 2024-25. He also hit for the cycle again in 2026, making him and Armand Gonzalez the only guys in EPB history to do it thrice. Averkin also posted a six-hit game in 2027 against Yekaterinburg.

Perm remained a contender with division titles in 2022-23, but both years saw first round playoff exits. The Pitbulls had a surprising drop to 73-89 in 2024, but rebounded with another West Division crown in 2025 at 90-72. Perm made the ALCS, but was defeated by Krasnoyarsk 4-2. The Pitbulls fell back below .500 the next two years before a wild card in 2028 at 93-69. They made it back to the ALCS, but lost 4-1 against Vladivostok.

Averkin’s later playoff stats were respectable, finishing with 47 starts for Perm, 58 hits, 28 runs, 5 doubles, 5 triples, 9 homers, 26 RBI, .309/.332/.532 slash, 161 wRC+, and 1.9 WAR. Although there was some disappointment that the Pitbulls didn’t get back to the finals, Averkin was beloved for delivering that first title. His #10 uniform would later be retired for his efforts.

To the surprise of many, Averkin declined his contract option after the 2028 season, leaving for free agency at age 34. He signed a four-year, $80,800,000 deal with Krasnoyarsk, who was riding an 11-year playoff streak. The timing was poor for Averkin, as the Cossacks streak ended in his debut and they spent his entire run just below .500.

It wasn’t his fault, as in 2029 he led in runs, hits, triples, total bases, slugging, OPS, and wRC+. Averkin then led and had career bests for hits (218), doubles (38), triples (30), total bases (379), batting average (.357), OPS (.997), and wRC+ (184) in 2030. He got Silver Sluggers both years and was second in 2030’s MVP voting. Averkin ultimately never won the top prize despite being a six-time finalist, 12-time Silver Slugger winner, and 16-time all-star. He’s one of only four in EPB history with 12+ Slugger wins.

Averkin’s pace was still strong in 2031, but he missed a month to back spasms. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the fourth year of the deal, becoming a free agent for 2032. With Krasnoyarsk, Averkin played 429 games with 564 hits, 268 runs, 101 doubles, 66 triples, 62 home runs, 247 RBI, 138 steals, .330/.357/.576 slash, 168 wRC+, and 19.1 WAR.

Coming up on his age 38 season, Averkin joined Volgograd on a two-year, $33,200,000 deal. His production did dip from his previous baseline, but Averkin was still productive in 308 games with 344 hits, 185 runs, 52 doubles, 18 triples, 63 home runs, 195 RBI, 121 steals, .291/.324/.525 slash, 136 wRC+, and 8.5 WAR. The Voyagers lost in the first round of the playoffs both years with Averkin playing surprisingly poorly with a .351 OPS, -6 wRC+, and -0.4 WAR in nine starts.

Career milestones became a focus at this point as in 2032, Averkin breached the 3000 hit, 1500 run, and 1500 RBI milestones. To that point, he was the 4^th to 3000 hits, 5^th to 1500 runs, and 11^th to 1500 RBI in EPB history. The hits record was only 3044 set by Igor Urban in 2002, a mark Averkin surpassed in 2032. After 2033 he was at 1632 runs, just behind Igor Gorbatyuk’s 1669 for the top spot. Averkin was also at 1680 RBI, ranking 5^th but only 75 short of Ivan Musahilov’s record of 1755.

Averkin felt he could reach both marks and for 2034, returned ‘home’ to Perm on a threre-year, $25,200,000 deal. Back spasms kept him out the first two months and his production dipped to replacement levels with 109 games, .688 OPS, 97 wRC+, and 0.3 WAR. He scored 57 runs to become the all-time leader, but his 46 RBI left him 29 short of that record.

For his combined Perm tenure, Averkin played 2111 games with 2457 hits, 1236 runs, 302 doubles, 255 triples, 409 home runs, 1284 RBI, 323 walks, 1089 strikeouts, 806 steals, .297/.328/.544 slash, 160 wRC+, and 84.8 WAR. Averkin retired that winter after a 20-year career at age 40.

Averkin played 2848 games with 3365 hits, 1689 runs, 455 doubles, 339 triples, 534 home runs, 1726 RBI, 436 walks, 1463 strikeouts, 1065 steals, 650 caught stealing, .301/.332/.546 slash, 159 wRC+, and 112.4 WAR. At induction, Averkin is still Eurasian Professional Baseball’s leader for hits, runs, and total bases (6100). He also ranks 9^th in games, 13^th in doubles, 2^nd in triples, 23^rd in homers, 4^th in RBI, and 3^rd in WAR for position players.

Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Averkin’s .878 OPS ranks 30^th and he is 40^th in batting average and 20^th in slugging. He’s often ranked as a top five position player in EPB history and sometimes even gets the #1 spot, as EPB doesn’t have a clear undisputed #1 guy like some leagues. At a near unanimous 99.1%, Averkin co-headlined the three-man 2040 Hall of Fame class for Eurasian Professional Baseball.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Aleksei Kotyukh – Pitcher – Volgograd Voyagers – 97.5% First Ballot

Aleksei Kotyukh was a 6’5’’, 205 pound left-handed pitcher from the Moscow, the capital of Russia. Kotyukh was known for having excellent stuff along with consistently strong control and movement. His fastball peaked at 99-101 mph and he had a good changeup, but it was his filthy slider that got the most whiffs.

Kotyukh’s biggest weakness as a starter was poor stamina, thus his career was split between the rotation and relief. His durability was decent across a 17-year run. Kotyukh was strong at holding runners, but other below average defensively. He was a fan favorite known for a strong work ethic and team-first attitude. However in the clubhouse, Kotyukh was definitely a follower and not a leader.

In February 2014, Kotyukh joined Volgograd on a developmental deal. He spent the better part of five years in their academy, debuting with seven relief appearances in 2018. Kotyukh saw a few starts but mostly relief in 2019 with mixed results. It was enough though to earn a full-time starting gig in 2020, which he held through 2025. This also marked the start of a dynasty run for the Voyagers, who had only made the playoffs once since joining in the 2000 expansion.

Volgograd was 106-56 in 2020, but this was second in the South Division to 107-win Voronezh. The Voyagers would sweep the Zephyrs though in the European League Championship Series for their first pennant, but lost the EPB Championship 4-2 to Chelyabinsk. In his three playoff starts, Kotyukh had a 1.33 ERA over 20.1 innings with 27 Ks. Volgograd got an at-large into the Baseball Grand Championship with Kotyukh posting a 1.57 ERA in 23 innings with 26 Ks. They finished 9-10 for the event.

The Voyagers improved to 109-53 in 2021and by far had the top seed, but they were upset in the first round 3-2 by Nizhny Novgorod. Kotyukh really broke out in 2022 with 8.9 WAR and 2.02 ERA, his career-best as a starter. Volgograd won the division at 100-62 and outlasted St. Petersburg in a seven-game ELCS. The Voyagers were denied the EPB title again though, this time 4-2 to Omsk. Kotyukh again was a playoff stud with a 0.98 ERA over 27.2 innings, 38 Ks, and 1.4 WAR.

They didn’t earn another berth in the BGC, but Kotyukh continued his tournament career in the World Baseball Championship for Russia. From 2020-34, he tossed 110.2 innings with a 2.68 ERA, 9-5 record, 161 Ks, and 2.9 WAR. Kotyukh also split use between starting and relief in the WBC.

Kotyukh led the European League in FIP- in both 2023-24, but never had enough innings to be a Pitcher of the Year finalist. In 2023, Volgograd was 102-60 and knocked off 103-win Minsk 4-1 for their third pennant in four years. The Voyagers finally took the top prize, surviving a seven-game war with Krasnoyarsk in the EPB Championship. This was one of the only weak playoff runs for Kotyukh with a 5.11 ERA in his 24.2 innings. He fared better in the BGC with a 1.98 ERA and 28 Ks in 27.1 innings, although Volgograd went 7-12.

2024 was his peak with career bests for WAR (9.1), quality starts (27), strikeouts (291) and innings (229.2). That winter, Volgograd gave Kotyukh a five-year, $34,000,000 extension. It was also the end of the first chunk of the Voyagers dynasty. They had three more division titles from 2024-26, but never got out of the first round. Their seven-year playoff streak ended with a 75-89 record in 2027.

Despite still being a strong starter in 2025, the decision was made to move Kotyukh to the bullpen in 2026. He thrived in the role, winning Reliever of the Year in both 2026 and 2028. 2026 had his best ERA (1.30) and most WAR (5.9) as a reliever. He took the honor in 2028 despite shoulder inflammation that kept him out from August onward. Volgograd returned to form despite Kotyukh’s injury, winning the ELCS in 2028 but losing to Vladivostok in the EPB Championship.

Kotyukh was back as a starter in 2029 and only tossed 198 innings, but he won his lone ERA title at 1.82 and led in FIP- (51). That August, he signed a new five-year, $58 million extension. He went on another playoff tear with a 1.63 ERA over 27.2 innings, 38 Ks, and 1.4 WAR. Volgograd at 97-65 beat Samara in the ELCS, then won their second EPB Championship in a rematch with the Shibas. Kotyukh posted a 3.38 ERA over 24 BGC innings as the Voyagers finished 10-11.

For the rest of his career, Kotyukh was in the closer role. He led in saves in both 2030-31, including a career-best 39 in 2030. Kotyukh won Reliever of the Year both years and was third in 2032. He’s one of eight in EPB history to win ROTY four times. 2030 saw a franchise-best 113-49 season for Volgograd, but they were shocked 4-2 in the ELCS by 86-win Moscow. That truly marked the end of the Voyagers decade-long dominance. They made the playoffs twice more in 2032-33, but didn’t advance out of the first round.

For his playoff career, Kotyukh had a 2.48 ERA over 137.2 innings, 10-9 record, 4 saves, 171 strikeouts, 134 ERA+, 55 FIP-, and 4.9 WAR. In the BGC, he had 2.30 ERA, 3-3 record, 74.1 innings, 80 strikeouts, and 1.9 WAR. His role in the playoffs especially solidified his spot as a franchise icon and Kotyukh’s #24 uniform would be retired by Volgograd once he retired.

His production dipped a bit in 2033 as he dealt with back problems. Kotyukh was still an effective reliever the next year, but at the end of his contract at age 37 with the Voyagers entering into a rebuilding period. Kotyukh opted to retire that winter to close out a 17-year career.

Kotyukh finished with a 159-113 record, 250 saves, 283 shutdowns, 2.22 ERA, 2164 innings, 2690 strikeouts, 346 walks, 165 quality starts, 11 complete games, 1 shutout, 147 ERA+, 58 FIP-, and 79.8 WAR. He ranks 44^th in saves, 14^th in games, and 60^th in WAR for pitchers. The split role kept him from the top 100 for the normal starter stats.

Among all pitchers with 1000+ innings, Kotyukh is 39^th in ERA and 59^th in WHIP (0.93). His 11.19 K/9 is 34^th and his .566 opponent’s OPS is 44^th. It is often tough to evaluate Hall of Fame pitchers who had an even starter/relief split because they don’t tend to have the accumulations expected for either role. Often times too, guys in this situation were rarely excellent in both roles. Kotyukh was an exception to that though and his playoff excellence made him an easy yes for almost all voters. He received 97.5% to co-headline a three-man 2040 class for Eurasian Professional Baseball.



Araz Aliev – Starting Pitcher – Gomel Griffins – 76.9% First Ballot

Araz Aliev was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Karsi, Uzbekistan; a city of around 278,000. Aliev had exceptional control for his entire career along with excellent stuff and good movement. His fastball regularly hit the 99-101 mph range, but his changeup and curveball were even more deadly. Aliev’s ability to locate and change speeds made him incredibly tough when he was dealing.

Aliev also had elite stamina, but he would be limited over his 13-year career by a few major injuries. He was above average at holding runners and decent defensively. Aliev had strong leadership skills and wasn’t in the game for the money. He became the first star player for Gomel, who debuted as part of the 2020 expansion as the second team from Belarus.

By this point, most Uzbek and other central Asian prospects ended up in the Asian Baseball Federation, but Aliev made his intentions towards EPB. The Griffins picked him with the #1 overall draft pick in 2021 and he was a full-time starter right away. In his rookie year, a sore shoulder would keep him out for two months. After that, Aliev had a six-year streak as the European Leagues WARlord with 8+ each season. Four times he was in the double-digits.

Aliev was third in 2023’s Pitcher of the Year voting and second in 2024. He finally won the top award in 2026 with 12.3 WAR and his first time as the strikeout leader with 390. He also had a career best 28 complete games. Aliev led in Ks again the next two years and on July 20, 2027 set the EPB record for strikeouts in a game with 24 over 11 innings against Moscow. Only one player in world history had more Ks in a game with East Asia Baseball’s Do-Kyun Lee fanning 26 over 11.2 innings in 2016.

After the 2027 season, Aliev signed a seven-year, $77,100,000 extension with Gomel. The Griffins had been terrible in their first seasons, but 2027 was their first winning campaign at 82-80. Gomel’s first-ever playoff berth or division title came in 2028 at 90-72. To get there, Aliev had one of the all-time great pitching seasons. He won his second POTY and was second in MVP voting.

Aliev posted a blistering 13.98 WAR with 397 strikeouts, both league and career bests. The WAR was the fourth-best season by an EPB pitcher and was the 47^th-best WAR by any pitcher in any league ever. His 1.98 ERA and 22 wins kept him eight points and one win short of a Triple Crown. Aliev also had a 34 FIP-, 160 ERA+, 22 complete games, and 6 shutouts.

His dominance continued into the postseason with a 1.14 ERA over three starts, 23.2 innings, 37 strikeouts, 3 walks, 277 ERA+, and 1.7 WAR. Gomel earned its first-ever ELCS trip, but lost 4-1 to Volgograd. Sadly, this would be Aliev’s only playoff experience. They would win division titles with first round exits in 2029-30, but Aliev would be out with injuries. He did see some World Baseball Championship play from 2025-33 for his native Uzbekistan with a 3.07 ERA, 108.1 innings, 9-5 record, 142 Ks, 118 ERA+, 75 FIP-, and 2.8 WAR.

2029 was on-pace for another great year, but Aliev suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in late June, knocking him out 12-13 months. He returned in June 2030, but would suffer a torn flexor tendon in August with another eight months of recovery. These injuries tanked his pinpoint control, which graded as a 9/10 at his peak.

Aliev’s stuff was still better than most and he stayed mostly healthy in 2031-32, but his production was average at best. Gomel’s playoff streak ended and they spent his final years in the middle tier. In his second start 2033, Aliev suffered a torn labrum with another 11 months of recovery. Aliev made it back for 2034, but struggled to a 4.39 ERA over 158 innings with 2.2 WAR and 135 Ks. He retired that winter just after his 36^th birthday and his #30 uniform was immediately the first jersey retired by the Griffins.

In total, Aliev had a 166-110 record, 2.69 ERA, 2582.2 innings, 2997 strikeouts, 410 walks, 200/301 quality starts, 201 complete games, 38 shutouts, 120 ERA+, 63 FIP-, and 83.8 WAR. He was outside of EPB’s top 100 for wins, innings, and strikeouts. However, Aliev was still 50^th in WAR among pitchers and 31^st in complete games. Among those with 1000+ innings, his 10.44 K/9 was 78^th.

Rarely will a pitcher have such a pronounced difference between their ERA+ and FIP-. The latter especially suggested that his traditional metrics were weakened significantly by how bad Gomel was in the first half of his career, which saw the lion’s share of his innings. The FIP- mark is just outside of the top 50 for all Hall of Fame starting pitchers.

The injuries of course also dented his counting stats and being on an expansion team limited his exposure. Some voters who fixate on counting stats and traditional metrics felt Aliev was undeserving. The majority was impressed however by his remarkable dominance in his prime and was sympathetic to having an injury-shortened run. Aliev received 76.9%, which was enough for the first ballot nod to cap a three-man 2040 class for Eurasian Professional Baseball.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

SP Quinn Burry was the lone inductee into the Oceania Baseball Association’s Hall of Fame for 2040 as a slam dunk pick at 98.9%. The only other guy above 50% was CL Kion Young, who debuted at 51.2%. SP Les Mansell was the best returner at 42.8% in his second try. 1B Earl Pacubas was the best position player at 42.0% on his sixth try.



Reliever Jay McKaig fell off after ten failed ballots, peaking with a 37.8% debut and ending at 12.4%. He was hurt by having much of his 30s spent in MLB, which included one of his three Reliever of the Year wins. McKaig had a 50 save season in 2014 and had four OBA titles; one with Tahiti, and three over two separate runs with Sydney.

In OBA alone, McKaig had a 2.54 ERA, 626 games, 794.2 innings, 278 saves, 341 shutdowns, 1203 strikeouts, 147 ERA+, 60 FIP-, and 26.6 WAR. He had another 77 saves, 7.2 WAR, and 303 Ks in MLB. Despite his rings, he had a lousy 6.55 ERA over his 11 playoff innings. McKaig also wasn’t quite overwhelmingly dominant enough to stand out amongst the other inducted closers.



Quinn Burry – Starting Pitcher – Christchurch Chinooks – 98.9% First Ballot

Quinn Burry was a 6’6’’, 205 pound right-handed pitcher from Somerville, a town of just over 4,000 people in Western Australia. Burry had incredible stuff in his prime and was a rare starter to earn a 10/10 stuff rating. His movement was also very good, but he did notably have average at best control. His 99-101 mph fastball was an all-timer along with a stellar slider and a good changeup.

Relative to most OBA aces, Burry’s stamina was underwhelming and he had surprisingly few complete games and shutouts. The lackluster control played a role with high pitch counts. His hard throwing also came with the cost of injuries, especially in his 30s. Burry was below average defensively and decent at holding runners. With his stellar fastball though, it’s not surprising that he became extremely popular.

Burry left Australia for New Zealand in July 2016 when he signed a developmental deal with Christchurch. He spent around six years in training before debuting in 2021, although he had only 10 starts and five relief appearances in his first two years. He did see 11.1 innings in two relief appearances with a 5.56 ERA in the 2021 Oceania Championship, as the Chinooks lost to Vanuatu.

Burry was made a full-time starter in 2023 and started a streak of ten seasons each worth 6.7+ WAR. Christchurch won the Australasia League title at 101-61, but lost to Port Moresby 4-2 in the Oceania Championship, which was the start of the Mud Hens dynasty run. Burry had a 4.09 ERA over 11 innings in the esries with 15 Ks and 0.1 WAR.

2024 was his World Baseball Championship debut for his native Australia, helping them to a division title that year. From 2024-33, Burry tossed 217.1 WBC innings with a 21-6 record, 3.23 ERA, 338 strikeouts, and 4.7 WAR. Although his most famous seasons were in New Zealand, Burry remained extremely popular back at home.

Burry was third in 2024’s Pitcher of the Year voting and tossed his lone no-hitter on July 15 with 9 Ks and 3 walks facing Adelaide. There was a three-way tie for the AL pennant, but Sydney won the tiebreaker games over the Chinooks and Canberra. 2024 was also Burry’s first year leading in strikeouts with 350. That winter, Christchurch gave him a seven-year, $90,780,000 extension.

From 2025-28, he would be the leader in FIP-. 2025 was his first ERA title at 1.86, but he barely qualified with only 164.1 innings. Burry had a sprained ankle cost him a month in the spring and a strained shoulder knock him out six weeks in the summer. Christchurch was tied for fourth at 89-73, but they had a streak of winning seasons back to 2011.

2026 was the last pennant of that run for the Chinooks with a dominant 109-53, three games ahead of reigning champ Sydney. Burry won his first Pitcher of the Year and recorded the Triple Crown with a 25-7 record, 1.93 ERA, and 435 strikeouts. He also led in WHIP (0.85), quality starts (32), and WAR (12.8); the latter being his career best.

In the Oceania Championship against 119-win Port Moresby, Christchurch was defeated 4-2. Burry had a fine effort with a 1.76 ERA over 15.1 innings with 24 Ks. The Chinooks qualified for the Baseball Grand Championship with Burry posting a 2.05 ERA over 30.2 innings, 44 Ks, and 1.0 WAR. The Chinooks struggled to 6-13 despite his efforts. Christchurch would be third at 90-72 in 2027, then spent the next five seasons hovering around .500.

Burry thrived though, winning Pitcher of the Year again in 2027 and 2029 with a second place in 2028 and third place in 2030. From 2026-29, he led each year in WAR and strikeouts with 400+ Ks each year. He peaked with 436 strikeouts in 2028 and won his third ERA title in 2027 at 2.05. In April 2031, Christchurch gave him a six-year, $167,200,000 extension at age 31.

The Chinooks had buyer’s remorse quickly with a lackluster start to the year on a 3.79 ERA and 2.9 WAR over 154.1 innings. He was surprisingly and abruptly traded in July to Guadalcanal for three prospects. One was CF Jared Kamtaura, who would win two Silver Sluggers later for Christchurch. Still, it was an abrupt end for a franchise superstar, whose #34 uniform would later be retired. With the Chinooks, Burry had a 164-91 record, 2.74 ERA, 2399.2 innings, 3166 strikeouts, 571 walks, 141 ERA+, 64 FIP-, and 79.6 WAR.

There weren’t hard feelings, but Burry did feel a bit slighted and finished 2031 strong with a 2.53 ERA and 4.6 WAR over 139 innings for the Green Jackets. Guadalcanal finished 97-66, defeating Fiji in a tiebreaker game for the Pacific League title. They would get swept by Perth for the OBA crown with Burry giving up four runs over 5.1 innings in his lone start and defeat.

Elbow inflammation kept Burry out much of spring 2032, but his production was strong when healthy as he won his fourth ERA title at 2.12; just crossing the innings threshold. Guadalcanal repeated as PL champ at 100-62 and prevailed 4-2 over Brisbane to finally give Burry his first OBA ring. He was 1-1 in his starts, but both were quality with a 1.80 ERA over 15 innings. In the Baseball Grand Championship, he posted a 3.54 ERA over 40.2 innings with 55 strikeouts as the Green Jackets went 9-12.

Injuries plagued the remainder of his run. In 2033, shoulder tendinitis cost him much of the spring, followed by bone chips in his elbow in August. Then in May 2034, Burry suffered a partially torn UCL that was expected just to keep him out the rest of the season. Unfortunately, a setback in October led to doctors telling him he had to retire at only age 34. For Guadalcanal, Burry had a 46-12 record, 2.18 ERA, 528 innings, 672 strikeouts, 108 walks, 169 ERA+, 66 FIP-, and 16.6 WAR.

Burry finished with a 210-103 record, 2.64 ERA, 2927.2 innings, 3838 strikeouts, 679 walks, 277/405 quality starts, 56 complete games, 12 shutouts, 145 ERA+, 64 FIP-, and 96.2 WAR. He just misses the top 50 for both ERA+ and FIP- among Hall of Fame starters in world history. In OBA, Burry is 25^th in wins, 61^st in innings, 18^th in strikeouts, and 9^th in WAR among pitchers.

Among those with 1000+ innings, Burry is 53^rd in ERA and 40^th in WHIP (0.97). His 6.67 H/9 is 26^th and his 11.80 K/9 is 9^th. He’s also 46^th in opponent’s OPS at .595. If not for the injuries, Burry might have made a strong run at being a top five pitcher in Oceania Baseball Association history. His 3.41 playoff ERA over 58 innings and 70 Ks does knock him down slightly in the argument for the inner-circle. Burry’s candidacy though was never in doubt, earning 98.9% as the lone OBA inductee in 2040.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

A weaker 2040 Hall of Fame ballot for Austronesia Professional Baseball saw only one player breach the 66% induction threshold. Pitcher Yee Husin on his third ballot made it in with 75.7%. SP Patrick Chen barely missed at 64.8% on his second try, as did SP Kuo-Chen Kao at 61.0% on his sixth ballot. C Fandi Makatindu was the best debut at 55.1%. Two other returners were above 50% with SP Joseph Vasquez at 51.3% for his sixth go and SP Jacob Chang at 50.1% for his seventh attempt.



The one man dropped after ten failed ballots was SP James Mancebo, who peaked with his 33.8% debut and ended at 8.8%. In a 15-year run almost exclusively with Taipei, he had one ERA title and was twice second in Pitcher of the Year voting. Mancebo had a 174-125 record, 2.45 ERA, 2828 innings, 2951 strikeouts, 112 ERA+, 74 FIP-, and 72.7 WAR.

Mancebo had a 4-10 record in the playoffs with a 2.99 ERA over 105.1 innings, 105 Ks, 92 ERA+, 89 FIP-, and 2.0 WAR. He did help the Tigercats win it all in 2020 after so many early exits in their playoff streak. Mancebo did also have an impressive 0.39 ERA over 23 innings in their APB finals loss in 2016. Unfortunately for him, there are so many stud pitchers in the ultra-low scoring APB with more impressive totals, thus he was banished to the Hall of Pretty Good.



Yee Husin – Starting Pitcher – Palembang Panthers – 75.7% Third Ballot

Yee Husin was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Tangerang, Indonesia; a city of nearly two million people bordering Jakarta. Husin had rock solid stuff and movement, although his control was merely average. His velocity peaked in the 96-98 mph range with the rare six pitch arsenal of fastball, slider, curveball, forkball, changeup, and splitter. All but the changeup had at least decent grades as well and were perfectly viable options.

Relative to other APB aces, Husin’s stamina was average. Although he managed to post an 18-year career, he also ran into several major injuries that limited his innings. Husin also was terrible at holding runners with weak defense, but fortunately he didn’t give up a lot of baserunners to begin with.

Husin was one of the rare high school prospects who didn’t sign a developmental deal, but was instead drafted as a teenager. His potential was strong enough to warrant the #4 pick in the 2012 APB Draft from Palembang. The Panthers kept him in the academy training two full seasons, debuting him with 40.2 innings in 2015. He saw a partial starter role in 2016 with sketchy results, then suffered a torn rotator cuff at the end of the season. Fortunately, he was healed up for 2017, but Palembang still used him only as a part-time starter.

In 2018, he earned the full-time starter role and had arguably his best-ever season, leading the Sundaland Association with 324 strikeouts. That was his only time ever leading a major stat and his 8.8 WAR would be a career best, taking third in Pitcher of the Year voting. Palembang ended a decade-long playoff drought going 101-61 atop the Java Sea League, but lost the association championship 4-1 to Johor Bahru. Husin struggled in his two starts with a 5.91 ERA in 10.2 innings.

He kept a similar pace in 2019, but hamstring issues kept him out two months in the spring and in the late fall. Husin missed the playoffs, but Palembang defeated Taipei to claim their first-ever Austronesia Championship. He was back by the Baseball Grand Championship and had a 2.59 ERA in 31.1 innings, 33 Ks, 147 ERA+, and 0.7 WAR.

Despite a fine showing, the Panthers finished last at 6-13. The effort was good enough for Palembang to give Husin a five-year, $45,900,000 extension that winter. Husin also became a World Baseball Championship regular for his native Indonesia. From 2018-27, he tossed 93.2 innings with a 9-2 record, 3.07 ERA, 119 strikeouts, and 2.2 WAR. The Indonesians earned three playoff berths with Husin’s help.

Husin was healthy in 2020 and Palembang repeated as Sundaland Association champ, but lost the APB title in a seven-game battle with Taipei. Husin had a 2.32 ERA over 31 playoff innings with 36 Ks and 1.1 WAR. He was respectable again in 2021 as the Panthers three-peated in the SA, this time at 101-61. Palembang defeated Hsinchu 4-2 to secure their second APB title in three years.

That was Husin’s strongest playoff run, going 1.78 ERA over 25.1 innings with 31 Ks en route to a finals MVP win. He was unable to follow it up in the BGC with a 4.71 ERA over 28.2 innings and 31 Ks. However, Palembang fared much better this time, taking third place at 13-6. This was the peak of their dynasty run, as they’d miss the playoffs by three wins the next year. The Panthers were then below .500 the following three years as they began a decade-plus playoff drought.

2022 had Husin’s first no-hitter on July 14 with 14 strikeouts and 1 walk facing Bandung. He looked like a legit ace again with a career high 345 strikeouts along with 8.3 WAR. Husin was back to his more standard production in 2023, his final season for Palembang. That year also saw a Silver Slugger win, although his career batting stats were putrid.

With the Panthers, he had a 100-67 record, 2.16 ERA, 1717 innings, 2107 strikeouts, 398 walks, 48 complete games, 16 shutouts, 118 ERA+, 73 FIP-, and 43.8 WAR. For his role in the dynasty, Palembang later retired his #33 uniform. The Panthers were out of contention by this point and Husin was coming up on age 30 with one year left on his deal. In December 2023, he was traded straight up to Medan for SS Jasper Akbar, who was ultimately a career backup. The Marlins were the defending APB champ and hoped for a dynasty run.

Husin posted a 1.81 ERA, 284 Ks, and 6.1 WAR for the Marlins in 2024. He also tossed his second no-hitter on June 2 against Bandung with 10 Ks. Medan was 89-73, four wins short of Pekanbaru in the Malacca League. They didn’t sign Husin long-term, making him a free agent for the first time in 2025. He signed a four-year, $49,200,000 deal to join Surabaya.

A sprained ankle limited him in 2015, but Husin joined the short list of guys with three no-hitters in a career. On June 21, he did it with 10 Ks facing Jakarta. It was his second no-hitter without a walk, but alas he wasn’t perfect. Husin wasn’t an awards candidate, but he was solid the next two years for the Sunbirds. They were in the middle-tier just outside of the playoffs during his tenure. In three seasons, Husin had a 29-30 record, 2.21 ERA, 642.2 innings, 761 strikeouts, 114 ERA+, 87 FIP- and 12.2 WAR.

With a year left, Husin was traded for 2028 to Depok for three prospects. A broken wrist and torn triceps limited him to 189.1 innings for the Demons, but he was effective with a 1.95 ERA and 5.0 WAR. Now a free agent again at age 35, Medan brought him in for a second run at $87,400,000 over four years. He tossed 176.2 solid innings in 2029, but would be limited to only 111 total innings over the next three years because of injuries.

In May 2030, Husin suffered a torn flexor tendon with a 12 month recovery time. Elbow inflammation kept him out after returning in 2031, although he did make a playoff start that year (he got rocked, 4 runs over 2.2 innings). Husin got a strained hamstring in early 2032, then had a torn rotator cuff in July 2032 that effectively ended his career.

Between Medan runs, Husin had a 26-31 record, 2.49 ERA, 530.2 innings, 594 strikeouts, 114 walks, 105 ERA+, 78 FIP-, and 11.9 WAR. Despite an estimated 16 month recovery for the torn rotator cuff, Husin hoped to make a comeback. He did actually sign in September 2033 with OBA’s Adelaide, but never made it to the field. Husin officially retired that winter at age 39.

Husin finished with a 166-135 record, 2.22 ERA, 3079.2 innings, 3694 strikeouts, 646 walks, 300/399 quality starts, 91 complete games, 27 shutouts, 115 ERA+, 77 FIP-, and 72.9 WAR. He ranks 86^th in wins, 65^th in innings, 36^th in strikeouts, and 42^nd in WAR among pitchers. Husin’s ERA is 98^th among those with 1000+ innings, his .550 opponent’s OPS is 71^st, and his 10.80 K/9 is 74^th.

Even with how pitcher-friendly Austronesia Professional Baseball Hall of Fame voters are, Husin’s resume didn’t really pop among the tough competition. He never won POTY, was only a finalist once, and barely had black ink. His rate stats were solid, but not exemplary. Husin’s grand totals also weren’t huge either, but his higher than expected marks for Ks, WAR, and FIP- helped him with Sabermetric-minded voters.

Doing a big part of the heavy lifting was his role in Palembang’s dynasty, helping them to three pennants and their first two APB titles. Husin barely missed the 66% requirement with 65.4% and 62.0% in his first two ballots. A weak 2040 group with no standouts helped Husin get the bump up to 75.7% for a third ballot nod. He’s one of the weaker players to stand alone in a class, but Husin regardless can call himself an APB Hall of Famer.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Two pitchers earned first ballot induction into Chinese League Baseball’s Hall of Fame for 2040. Ponziano Gonzalez was a no-doubter at 91.1%, while Zhongjie Lu just barely crossed the 66% induction threshold at 68.2%. SP Dalong Li was the top returner, missing on his sixth ballot at 59.9%. SP Yingfa Luo was also above 50% at 57.0% for his fifth go. The top hitter was 2B Shimin Loy, debuting at 46.8%. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots.




Ponziano Gonzalez – Starting Pitcher – Changsha Cannons - 91.1% First Ballot

Ponziano Gonzalez was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Tarragona, Spain; a city of about 141,000 people on the northeastern coast. He’s the first inductee into CLB’s HOF born outside of Asia. Gonzalez developed incredible stuff with a 10/10 grade at his peak. He also had rock solid control, but his movement was subpar and he sometimes had trouble allowing home runs.

Gonzalez had an impressive 99-101 mph fastball along with a great forkball and a decent changeup and splitter. Relative to most CLB aces, his stamina was merely okay. Gonzalez avoided big injuries early in his career, but later issues forced an abrupt retirement. He graded below average for defense and holding runners. Gonzalez also didn’t have the strongest work ethic and could coast on his natural talents. Still, that natural ability made him an elite strikeout pitcher.

It was an unusual path for Gonzalez to end up an ace in China. Rarely did non-Chinese prospects enter the league, and those that did were almost always from a neighboring country. Gonzalez’s pro career actually started in Canada, as he was scouted by MLB’s Calgary Cheetahs. They gave him a developmental deal in February 2019. Gonzalez spent three years in their academy with the expected call up for 2023 to minor league Regina.

However, Gonzalez struggled in spring training and now that he had turned 20, per MLB rules he couldn’t stay in the academy. Calgary didn’t keep him for their minor league roster, cutting Gonzalez that March. At that point, his control hadn’t developed and his stuff potential ratings weren’t what they’d end up being. Gonzalez briefly moved back to Spain, but sent his tapes to basically every pro team in the world, hoping that someone would give him a chance.

In May, Changsha grabbed him to start his Chinese career, but he spent all of 2023 on their reserve roster. Gonzalez began to hone his craft and made his debut in 2024 with part time use and decent results. He started to look solid by 2025, but missed half of the season to a torn triceps. This would be his last major injury while with the Cannons. From 2026-34, he’d be good for 300+ strikeouts each season and seven times was worth 7+ WAR.

2026 was Gonzalez’s best year by many measures, although he took second in Pitcher of the Year voting. He posted Southern League and career bests for ERA (1.30), WAR (11.2), WHIP (0.68), and FIP- (26). Gonzalez also struck out 358, his first of six straight seasons as the league leader. Changsha was still middling at this point and he had an 11-10 record with 11 saves despite his efforts. Gonzalez led in WAR again in 2027 and was third in POTY voting.

Gonzalez saw a dip in production the next two years with 5.4 and 5.7 WAR, but he did win a Gold Glove in 2028. Changsha ended a five-year playoff drought and took the top seed at 99-63, but lost in the round robin. Gonzalez’s playoff debut was iffy with a 3.38 ERA in two starts. Still, the Cannons signed him to a six-year, $70,700,000 extension that winter.

Changsha was the final playoff team in 2029 at 88-74, but got hot and upset top-seed Dongguan in a stunning sweep, earning their first China Series trip since 2011. The Cannons fell 4-1 to Shenyang in the final with Gonzalez posting a 2.55 ERA over 24.2 playoff innings with 41 strikeouts and 1.3 WAR. 2030 marked the realignment to the divisional format, which kept Changsha out of that year’s playoffs despite a 92-70 record. The Cannons dropped to 80-82 in 2031.

Gonzalez was back as the WARlord in 2030 and had his career best 381 strikeouts in 2031, which ranks as the 12^th-best single-season in CLB history. His 14.58 K/9 from the year ranks as the sixth-best qualifying effort. Gonzalez lost the Ks lead narrowly in 2032, but was the WARlord for the fourth time and was second in Pitcher of the Year voting.

Changsha returned to the playoffs from 2032-35 as Central Division champs. They were 99-63 in 2032 and Gonzalez had a dominant 0.43 ERA in 21 playoff innings, but they lost in the round robin. In 2033, Gonzalez won his second ERA title at 1.89, earning his lone Pitcher of the Year win. This season also saw his lone no-hitter on June 29 with 18 strikeouts and two walks facing Wuhan.

He would have an impressive postseason as the Cannons won the China Series over Hangzhou 4-2. In six starts, Gonzalez had a 1.33 ERA, 2-1 record, 40.2 innings, 63 Ks, and 1.6 WAR. The 63 strikeouts set a CLB playoff record which still holds as of induction. In his Baseball Grand Championship debut, Gonzalez had a 2.19 ERA over 37 innings with a 2-2 record, 57 Ks, and 1.2 WAR. Changsha finished 8-13 in the event.

They got the #1 seed in 2034 at 101-61, but were upset by 86-win Wenzhou in the semifinal. Gonzalez was third in POTY voting, leading again in Ks and WAR. For his playoff career, Gonzalez had a 2.06 ERA over 127 innings, 7-5 record, 186 strikeouts, 153 ERA+, 45 FIP-, and 5.4 WAR. He is fifth in playoff Ks in CLB history and fourth in pitching WAR.

While in China, Gonzalez did return home to represent Spain in the World Baseball Championship from 2026-35. In 141 innings, he had a 9-7 record, 3.51 ERA, 215 Ks, and 2.0 WAR. The Spaniards notably had a fourth place finish in the 2027 event.

Gonzalez’s deal was up after the 2034 season and at age 32, he had a ton of interest worldwide. He decided to leave China and enter free agency, but his impressive decade with the Cannons led to his #26 uniform later being retired. Gonzalez gave MLB another shot and signed a four-year, $78,600,000 deal with Anchorage.

Unfortunately, the deal was snake-bitten from the start. He had a decent 2035 with 4.3 WAR and 214 Ks, but a 4.23 ERA over 221.1 innings. However, the big moment was a torn labrum on August 29 with a nine month recovery. Gonzalez was back by summer 2036, but developed shoulder bursitis in August that cost him a month. Then in mid-September, Gonzalez partially tore his UCL.

Gonzalez was a shell of himself after that, struggling to a 5.19 ERA over 100.2 innings in 2037. He spent part of the year in minor league Fairbanks, then suffered a full UCL tear in August. Anchorage voided the fourth year option that winter and Gonzalez finished with a lackluster 4.42 ERA over 393.1 innings, 24-22 record, 347 strikeouts, 97 ERA+, 93 FIP-, and 6.7 WAR. His deal went down as a major free agent bust. Gonzalez did hope to make it back somewhere, but a setback in summer 2038 forced an official retirement at age 36.

In Chinese League Baseball, Gonzalez had a 143-103 record, 2.20 ERA, 2318.1 innings, 3345 strikeouts, 400 walks, 224/290 quality starts, 42 complete games, 18 shutouts, 136 ERA+, 58 FIP-, and 78.3 WAR. He ranks 46^th in wins, 10^th in strikeouts, 69^th in innings, and 14^th in WAR for pitchers. His 0.85 WHIP is 45^th among those with 1000+ innings and his 12.99 K/9 is 7^th.

Gonzalez’s run was brief, but incredibly impactful in China. Had he stayed there and not run into injuries, he would’ve had a good shot to become the strikeouts leader (4367). Gonzalez helped Changsha to a title and two China Series trips and was a regular Pitcher of the Year finalist, even if he won only once. He was an easy first ballot Hall of Fame choice, headlining the 2040 ballot at 91.1%.



Zhongjie “Condor” Lu – Starting Pitcher – Kunming Muscle – 68.2% First Ballot

Zhongjie Lu was a 6’1’’, 190 pound left-handed pitcher from Dali, a city with around 771,000 people in southwestern China. Nicknamed “The Condor,” Lu had strong stuff with good movement, but his control was lackluster. He wasn’t overpowering with 94-96 mph peak velocity, but he was effective at changing speeds between his fastball, curveball, and changeup.

Lu’s stamina was good compared to most CLB aces, but he did have a few key injuries. He was solid at holding runners, but had weak grades for defense otherwise. Lu was well-liked in the clubhouse for his intelligence and leadership. He was a late bloomer though, mainly due to the control issues. Lu went 55^th overall in the 2021 CLB Draft to Kunming. After four years on the reserve roster, Lu debuted at age 24 as a full-timer with respectable results, taking second in 2026’s Rookie of the Year voting.

That year, Kunming made it to the China Series, falling 4-2 to Tianjin. Lu was unremarkable in five playoff starts with a 3.82 ERA over 37.2 innings, 1-3 record, 48 Ks, and 0.5 WAR. His sophomore season saw his lone Pitcher of the Year win, leading the Southern League in ERA (1.48), WHIP (0.78), and wins (21-6); all career bests. He also struck out 316, one of three seasons Lu had of 300+ Ks. He posted a 2.20 ERA over 16.1 playoff innings, but the Muscle lost in the semifinal to Xiamen.

Kunming would spend the next six years in the middle tier. Lu was third in 2028 and 2030’s POTY voting, then took third in 2033. He won another ERA title in 2031 at 1.57, but only narrowly met the innings requirement thanks to a summer rotator cuff strain. Lu was the strikeouts leader in 2032-33, peaking with 334 in 2033. That year also had his career best 9.0 WAR, his only time as the WARlord in China.

Kunming ended the playoff drought in 2034 at 94-68, but lost in the round robin with Lu posting a 2.16 ERA in two starts. His production did dip somewhat and Kunming decided to let him leave for free agency heading into his age 33 season. This marked the end of Lu’s time in China, but he would notably see his #15 uniform retired for his nine seasons of work with the Muscle.

Lu surprised many by ending up in West African Baseball, signing a four-year, $94,400,000 deal with Cotonou. He had an impressive debut and led the Eastern League in WAR, taking second in POTY voting. Lu struggled in his lone WAB playoff start, giving up four runs in 5.1 innings as they lost in the first round. Cotonou was just above .500 but out of the playoffs the next year, then fell to the bottom to close the decade.

In 2036, Lu was still a good starter, but down from the prior year. His stuff fell off in 2037 and he had a subpar 4.70 ERA over 191.2 innings. Lu then suffered a torn UCL in May 2038 that effectively ended his career, as he retired in the winter at age 36. With Cotonou, he had a 43-30 record, 4.12 ERA, 686.1 innings, 733 strikeouts, 178 walks, 111 ERA+, 91 FIP-, and 12.1 WAR.

In Chinese League Baseball, Lu had 140-99 record, 2.30 ERA, 2198.2 innings, 2633 strikeouts, 527 walks, 209/268 quality starts, 93 complete games, 30 shutouts, 129 ERA+, 80 FIP-, and 49.4 WAR. Lu ranks 54^th in wins, 42^nd in strikeouts, and 92^nd in WAR among pitchers. Even by the very pitcher-friendly standards for CLB’s Hall of Fame, Lu’s numbers really aren’t overwhelming by any stretch.

Supporters noted two ERA titles, a Pitcher of the Year award, and a few times as a finalist. Some also gave him some grace for lower accumulations based on his short run and later injuries. The 129 ERA+ and 80 FIP- are certainly rate marks that match well with previous inductees. Scholars will argue Lu is one of the weaker guys to ever earn a first ballot nod, but he did just that at 68.2% in 2040, just crossing the 66% threshold.

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Three made the West African Baseball Hall of Fame in 2040 with the clear headliner being SP Ngalle Eto’o at 97.3% on his debut. Two others just made it past the 66% requirement. LF Kevin Serville on his second try earned 72.0%, while 1B Hadj Sagna debuted at 67.4%. Also above 50% was LF Mohamed Khammas at 57.5% on his third try and SP Jacques Ahouansou at 50.2% for his fourth attempt. No players were dumped after ten failed ballots.



Ngalle Eto’o – Starting Pitcher – Port Harcourt Hillcats – 97.3% First Ballot

Ngalle Eto’o was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Kousseri, Cameroon; a city of 89,000 people in the country’s far north. Eto’o had incredible control that earned a rare 10/10 grade from scouts at his peak. He also had excellent stuff with respectable movement. Eto’o had a 98-100 mph fastball along with a strong curveball and sinker, plus an okay changeup.

Even with pitchers in West African Baseball not expected to throw nearly as many innings as other leagues, Eto’o’s stamina was mediocre. He only had seven complete games for his entire run and only five seasons with 200+ innings. Eto’o’s durability was strong in his prime years, so he wouldn’t miss starts. He was good at holding runners with decent defensive grades.

In June 2015, a teenaged Eto’o left Cameroon for Nigeria on a developmental deal with Port Harcourt. He spent just over five years in their academy before making a full-time debut in 2021. Eto’o was third in Rookie of the Year voting, then led the Eastern League in FIP- in 2022. That was also his first of seven seasons worth 6.5+ WAR.

Eto’o led in WHIP for the first of seven seasons in 2023 and had 9.1 WAR, the second-best of his career. He took second in Pitcher of the Year voting to teammate Jacques Ahouansou, who posted the second-best WAR ever by a WAB pitcher (11.9) and won a Triple Crown. Had Ahouansou not existed, Eto’o would’ve gotten his own Triple Crown that year. Eto’o’s 337 strikeouts would be his career best.

Their combined effort ended a seven-year playoff drought for Port Harcourt, earning the #1 seed at 104-58. They were upset 3-2 by Kano in the ELCS with Eto’o giving up four runs over nine innings in two appearances. In 2024, Eto’o won his first Pitcher of the Year, posting league and career bests for ERA (2.17), WHIP (0.80), quality starts (25), and WAR (9.3). He also led in wins at 20-3

Port Harcourt again was the #1 seed at 101-61, but this time they won the ELCS in a sweep over Ibadan. The Hillcats then swept Freetown to win their fifth-ever West African Championship, posting an unbeaten 7-0 postseason run. Both of Eto’o’s starts were quality with 13 innings, 17 strikeouts, and 2 earned runs allowed. He then posted a 1.32 ERA over 27.1 innings in the Baseball Grand Championship with 40 strikeouts, a 1-1 record, and 1.2 WAR. Port Harcourt finished 10-9 in a tie for eighth.

Eto’o did also see regular tournament usage for his native Cameroon. From 2021-34, he pitched in 21 games with 109.2 innings, a 2.46 ERA, 4-6 record, 140 strikeouts, and 3.4 WAR. He was a very popular player both back at home and in Nigeria as a star for Port Harcourt. In March 2026, the Hillcats signed Eto’o to a seven-year, $174,400,000 extension.

He did have a weaker 2025 with only 5.0 WAR. Port Harcourt got a wild card at 93-69 and lost in the second round. The Hillcats missed the playoffs the next three seasons, but Eto’o kept rolling. He was second in 2026’s POTY voting, leading that year in both WAR and strikeouts. Eto’o then won the honor for the second time in 2028 with the lead in ERA (2.75), Ks (308), and WAR (8.0). He was denied a Triple Crown with a 14-7 record.

It was the first of three straight ERA titles and WARlord crowns for Eto’o. He was second in 2029’s Pitcher of the Year voting and Port Harcourt got a wild card at 87-75. They made it to the ELCS, but lost to Cotonou’s dynasty in a sweep. Eto’o won his third Pitcher of the Year honor in 2030 with a 22-5 record, 2.30 ERA, and 8.7 WAR in 2030; along with his career best FIP- of 39. His 282 strikeouts fell eight short of the league lead, keeping him from the Triple Crown again.

Port Harcourt was a wild card again but went one-and-done in 2030. That marked Eto’o’s final playoff appearance, finishing his career with a 3.06 ERA, 50 innings, 3-2 record, 72 strikeouts, 153 ERA+, 58 FIP-, and 1.9 WAR. The Hillcats would spend the rest of the decade firmly in the upper-middle tier; generally above .500 but still outside of the playoffs.

Eto’o was still effective but less dominant in 2031. Disaster struck at the end of the season with a torn flexor tendon. He made it back by spring 2032, but a fractured elbow in June ended that season with only nine starts. Eto’o was healthy in 2033, but much less effective with a 4.19 ERA; the worst of his Port Harcourt tenure. That was the last year of his deal and the Hillcats let him leave for free agency.

For Port Harcourt, Eto’o had a 171-89 record, 2.96 ERA, 2320.2 innings, 3227 strikeouts, 195 walks, 158 ERA+, 64 FIP-, and 78.2 WAR. He was very popular for his dominance and role in their title, quickly getting his #10 uniform retired. Eto’o still felt he could go and signed a four-year, $18 million deal with Monrovia. However, he was lousy and quickly reduced to a bullpen role, posting a 5.06 ERA over 74.2 innings with 1.2 WAR and 87 Ks. Eto’o also ran into bone chips in his elbow, missing much of the fall. He opted to retire that winter at age 35.

The final numbers saw a 173-95 record, 3.02 ERA, 2395.1 innings, 3314 strikeouts, 206 walks, 16.9 K/BB, 226/368 quality starts, 7 complete games, 2 shutouts, 155 ERA+, 64 FIP-, and 79.3 WAR. Eto’o ranks 32^nd in wins, 49^th in innings, 20^th in strikeouts, and 6^th in pitching WAR. His ERA is 40^th among those with 1000+ innings.

Eto’o’s 0.77 BB/9 is the best among qualifiers in West African Baseball history by a healthy margin, as the next best is 0.98. He also is 75^th in H/9 (7.81), 12^th in K/9 (12.45), and 6^th in WHIP (0.95). Eto’o’s .646 opponent’s OPS is 57^th, his .233 batting average is 71^st, and .257 OBP is 13^th.

Among all Hall of Fame starting pitchers and retired locks, his ERA+ is tied for 17^th. It goes to show how remarkably efficient Eto’o was, even if his excellence isn’t obvious to some observers due to WAB’s extremely high scoring environment. The relatively low inning count does hurt him when discussing WAB’s all-time aces, but many put Eto’o right in the top ten or top five conversations. He was a HOF lock regardless, headlining a three-man 2040 class at 97.3%.

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Kevin Serville – Left Field – Niamey Atomics – 72.0% Second Ballot

Kevin Serville was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting left fielder from Sibut, Central African Republic; a town of 24,000 people. He’s the first WAB HOFer from the CAR and the second overall, joining 3B Warren Biloa (AAB Class of 2036). Serville was an excellent contact hitter, especially facing right-handed pitching. He posted a career 1.049 OPS and 163 wRC+ facing RHP compared to an .856 OPS and 119 wRC+ against lefties.

Serville didn’t have prolific power, but he got you plenty of extra base hits with 43 doubles, 12 triples, and 34 home runs per his 162 game average. Serville graded as middling at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Athletically, Serville had above average speed and baserunning chops. He also graded as average-to-above average defensively as a career left fielder. Serville was a fan favorite known for a strong work ethic and team first attitude. He managed a 15-year career, although recurring knee issues did limit him at times.

The Central African Republic wasn’t known for having many prospects and most usually ended up in the African Association of Baseball, which has a team in the capital Bangui. The Badgers notably weren’t formed until 2018, Serville’s draft year. Serville ended up leaving to attend college in Nigeria and became a top WAB prospect. In the 2018 WAB Draft, he was picked 11^th overall by Niamey.

Serville was a full-time starter right away with immediate results, winning 2019 Rookie of the Year honors. The Atomics got a wild card that year, but lost in the second round. They spent the next two years around .500 as Serville emerged as a strong starter, winner Silver Sluggers from 2020-22. He was third in 2021’s MVP voting, leading the Eastern League in OBP (.409), slugging (.698), OPS (1.107), wRC+ (174), and WAR (8.3). This would be his only season as the WARlord and was a career best. That winter, Niamey gave Serville an eight-year, $54,760,000 extension.

In 2022, Serville won his lone MVP, leading the year in RBI (142) and posting career bests for runs (120), hits (221), doubles (50), and triples (17). Serville also hit for the cycle and had a 26-game hitting streak in the summer. Niamey took the top seed at 98-64 and earned the franchise’s fourth pennant, defeating Ibadan 3-1 in the ELCS. The Atomics would get swept in the West African Championship by Conakry. Serville was the ELCS MVP and had a 1.030 OPS and 180 wRC+ over eight playoff starts.

2023 was Serville’s first major setback with a ruptured MCL in his left knee in late April. That year, Niamey missed the playoffs at 81-81. He had smaller injuries the next two years that cost him a month or so, but he was still good for third in 2025’s MVP voting. That year, Serville was the leader in OBP (.410), slugging (.726), OPS (1.135), and wRC+ (186); which would be full season career bests.

Niamey had a six-year playoff streak from 2024-29, but couldn’t get over the hump. They had WAB’s best record in 2025 at 105-57, but were upset 3-2 by Ibadan in the ELCS. The other seasons were wild cards with first or second round exits. Serville’s playoff numbers were good overall with 25 starts, 35 hits, 18 runs, 5 doubles, 5 homers, 16 RBI, .966 OPS, 150 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR.

2026 was Serville’s strongest pace, but he missed the second half of the season with a torn PCL, this time in his right knee. He bounced back in 2027 with another Silver Slugger and a third place in MVP voting. Now 31-years old, Serville surprised many by opting out of his remaining Niamey deal, entering free agency. He remained popular with Atomics fans and his #2 uniform was later retired. For Niamey, Serville played 1075 games with 1500 hits, 811 runs, 333 doubles, 97 triples, 236 home runs, 870 RBI, .360/.400/.657 slash, 165 wRC+, and 49.1 WAR.

His peak annual salary more than doubled by signing a five-year, $103 million deal with Abidjan. Serville missed part of April 2028 to a fractured thumb, but was good for his fifth and final Silver Slugger. Despite a solid effort, the Athletes struggled to 72-90, ending a seven-year playoff streak. They bounced back with a wild card in 2029, but had a first round exit. Abidjan then fell three wins short of the playoffs in 2030.

Serville was still a solid starter both years, but again lost some time to injury, most notably with shoulder tendinitis in fall 2030. He opted out of his deal after three seasons, finishing the Abidjan run with 369 games, 481 hits, 243 runs, 78 doubles, 82 homers, 274 RBI, .348/.393/.616 slash, 152 wRC+, and 13.3 WAR. Now 34, Serville inked a four-year, $64 million deal with Conakry; which was a bit of a pay cut from his prior deal.

The Coyotes were above .500 in his run consistently, but outside of the playoffs. Serville was a decent starter in the first two years, then merely okay in the third year. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the fourth year of the deal. With Conakry, Serville had 430 games, 474 hits, 244 runs, 90 doubles, 73 homers, 223 RBI, .292/.341/.502 slash, 117 wRC+, and 4.5 WAR. He was unsigned for all of 2034, finally retiring that winter shortly after his 38^th birthday.

Serville finished with 1874 games, 2455 hits, 1298 runs, 501 doubles, 137 triples, 391 home runs, 1367 RBI, 462 walks, 1160 strikeouts, 420 steals, .342/.385/.614 slash, 152 wRC+, and 67.0 WAR. He ranks 51^st in runs, 58^th in hits, 54^th in total bases (4403), 55^th in doubles, 59^th in triples, 81^st in homers, 55^th in RBI, and 38^th in WAR among position players.

Among West African Baseball batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Serville’s triple slash ranks 25^th/34^th/27^th and his .999 OPS is 21^st. Among world Hall of Famers and retired locks, Serville also ranks tied for 18^th in batting average. He just missed a career OPS of 1.000, which only 54 HOFers and retired locks have met. Certainly, WAB’s extremely high offense environment helps inflate that, but Serville stands out even amongst his WAB peers.

The rate stats, popularity, awards, and Niamey’s team success all helped Serville’s cause. However, his accumulations were admittedly underwhelming. Serville just missed the 66% induction threshold with 63.6% on his debut ballot in 2039. He got the bump up to 72.0% for 2040, securing a second ballot selection as part of a three-man class.



Hadj Sagna – First Base – Kano Condors – 67.4% First Ballot

Hadj Sagna was a 6’2’’, 205 pound left-handed first baseman from Dakar, the capital of Senegal. Against right-handed pitching, Sagna was a rock solid contact hitter with excellent power. He boasted a 1.043 OPS and 155 wRC+ facing righties, but was subpar against lefties with a .769 OPS and 97 wRC+. Sagna’s 162 game average saw 41 home runs, 41 doubles, 5 triples, and 124 RBI. Despite the power profile, Sagna was merely okay at drawing walks and was lackluster at avoiding strikeouts.

Sagna’s baserunning and stealing ability were both excellent, although he was still limited with mediocre speed. He was a fundamentally sound defender as a career first baseman. Although his overall metrics were just above average, Sagna’s peak defense earned three Gold Glove wins. His durability was always rock solid as well, starting 140+ games each year from 2021-31. Sagna saw an abrupt decline, but was very reliable during his decade as a starter with Kano.

In May 2016, he left Senegal for Nigeria on a developmental deal with the Condors. Sagna spent the better part of five years in the academy, although he did see 40 games and five starts from 2019-20. Playing time also wasn’t easy to come by with Kano as a top contender in the late 2010s and the WAB champ in 2019. Sagna didn’t play in the postseason run, but did see nine pinch hit at-bats in the Baseball Grand Championship. He struggled going 1-9 with five strikeouts. Kano had wild cards in 2020-21 and didn’t get beyond the second round.

Sagna’s debut as a starter came in 2021, leading the Eastern League with 142 RBI. His production dipped a bit in 2022 and Kano’s playoff streak ended with a 74-88 record. They bounced back for a 96-66 mark and the #2 seed in 2023. Sagna got his first Silver Slugger and led with a career-best 164 RBI, which is tied for the 11^th-best single season in WAB history. He also had his career best for runs scored at 128, total bases at 409, and had his first of four seasons with 50+ homers.

Kano upset Port Harcourt 3-2 to win the 2023 ELCS, but were promptly swept by Abidjan in the West African Championship. Sagna was a surprisingly poor postseason run with a .567 OPS, 42 wRC+, and -0.1 WAR. One knock on him would be weak career playoff stats with 25 games, 18 hits, 9 runs, 3 doubles, 3 homers, 11 RBI, .212/.253/.353 slash, 54 wRC+, and -0.1. WAR. 2023 marked the end of the Condors’ run as a top squad, as they got only one more playoff berth (one-and-done in 2026) and two more winning seasons in the decade.

Sagna held up his end in this weaker era for the team, winning Silver Sluggers from 2023-25 and 2027. He also won his Gold Gloves in 2027, 28, and 30. Sagna’s 2027 had the rare awards sweep with his lone MVP win, leading the league in RBI (154), total bases (407), slugging (.667), and WAR (7.4). This year also had his best average (.346) and OPS (1.060). 2024 had his peak for doubles with 64, while 2025 and 2030 shared his homers peak with 53.

After the 2025 season, Sagna signed a three-year, $68 million extension with Kano. He then signed a mammoth seven-year, $241,500,000 extension in July 2028 to become one of the richest guys in league history. The Condors were back as a playoff team from 2030-32 and got a division title in 2030; but they never advanced beyond the second round.

Sagna also saw a sharp and sudden decline in his early 30s. By 2032, he was reduced to a part-time role and had subpar results even doing that. The contract was a major albatross as he was full on benched, playing only 20 games from 2033-34 despite being healthy; making $34 million both years. Sagna wanted to contribute, but he was simply washed and retired after the 2034 season just after his 36^th birthday. Despite the rough ending, Kano would quickly retire his #27 uniform for his prior efforts.

In total, Sagna had 1890 games, 2208 hits, 1265 runs, 480 doubles, 54 triples, 479 home runs, 1452 RBI, 498 walks, 1576 strikeouts, 292 steals, .313/.363/.601 slash, .964 OPS, 139 wRC+, and 56.8 WAR. Sagna ranks 61^st in runs, 84^th in hits, 60^th in total bases (4233), 64^th in doubles, 40^th in homers, 38^th in RBI, and 72^nd in WAR for position players. His OPS is 43th among WAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances and he ranks 39^th in slugging.

Sagna’s resume was a tough one, as he had some notable awards and rate stats over a short run. The rapid decline and poor playoff stats certainly made him a borderline Hall of Famer though. Sagna debuted on West African Baseball’s 2040 ballot and breached the 66% requirement by a slim margin at 67.4%. Many thought he’d have to wait if he got in, but Sagna narrowly earned the first ballot nod to cap off a three-man 2040 class.

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South Asia Baseball’s 2040 Hall of Fame class was one of its most impressive ones with four inductees, each on the first ballot above 85%. 1B/DH Arav Walif (98.8%) and 3B/DH Cao An Ngo (97.0%) led the way with LF Binh Su Bac (92.9%) and OF Nurul Sultana (85.2%) close behind. CL Zulfiker Uddin barely missed the 66% requirement with 63.0% on his second ballot. No one else was above 50%.



Dropped after ten failed ballots was two-way player Xuan Hung, who peaked with a 33.0% debut and ended at 6.5%. He had a 17-year career with eight teams and won two titles with Yangon. He had seven Silver Sluggers split between the outfield and pitching. Hung’s batting metrics were quite good over 1425 games with 1423 hits, 757 runs, 266 doubles, 24 triples, 334 home runs, 908 RBI, .305/.358/.587 slash, 164 wRC+, and 50.3 WAR.

On the mound, Hung tossed 3121.2 innings with a 192-170 record, 4.01 ERA, 2631 strikeouts, 497 walks, 95 ERA+, 103 FIP-, and 35.8 WAR. His 86.1 combined WAR is 35^th in world history amongst two-way guys. Hung might have had a better shot if he was a full-time batter, since he graded as a below average innings eater pitcher. His batting rate stats certainly had a HOF pace, but he didn’t have enough tallies from the part-time role and wasn’t a good enough pitcher to wow the voters.



Arav Walif – First Base/Designated Hitter – Bengaluru Blazers – 98.8% First Ballot

Arav Walif was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from Laharpur, a city of 84,000 people in India’s Uttar Pradesh state. Walif was a very well-balanced batter with equal results against lefties and righties. He was a reliably solid contract hitter with a steady pop in his bat, posting 36 home runs, 33 doubles, and 6 triples per his 162 game average. Walif had below average grades for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. He also graded as below average for baserunning and speed.

All of Walif’s starts in the field came at first base, although he did see some time as a designated hitter. He graded as a reliably average defender. Walif was a guy who wasn’t generally exceptional at any one thing, but he was generally at least decent at everything. Perhaps his biggest strength was as an ironman who never missed time to injury, starting 149+ games each year from 2018-33. Walif was also a team captain known for strong leadership and a great work ethic, which helped make him one of India’s most popular players.

Walif went ninth to Bengaluru in the 2014 SAB Draft, but wasn’t used immediately. He didn’t play at all in 2015 and only saw six plate appearances in 2016. Walif debuted mostly full-time in 2017 with 122 starts and would be a full-time starter somewhere for the following 16 years. It wasn’t until his fifth year starting that Walif got awards attention, taking second in MVP voting. That year, he led the Indian League in hits (203) and batting average (.335).

It was hard to get attention at this point as Bengaluru was a bottom-rung franchise. Their best record during Walif’s tenure was 77-85. The Blazers didn’t have much to offer him and it was assumed that he’d leave for free agency once eligible in 2023. Thus just before the 2022 season, Walif was traded to Da Nang for three prospects. The Nailers had gotten repeat division titles, but were still shooting for its first pennant.

Despite his talent, Walif was a guy who never stayed long in any one place and his longest tenure was with Bengaluru, thus his induction in Blazers colors. He played 774 games with 834 hits, 368 runs, 136 doubles, 25 triples, 136 home runs, 428 RBI, .291/.341/.499 slash, 146 wRC+, and 20.1 WAR.

Walif delivered in his one year in Da Nang, winning a Silver Slugger at DH with league and career bests for hits (221) and OBP (.405). He also had a career bust 125 runs and league bests for RBI (139), OPS (1.042), and wRC+ (173). Walif also had 7.5 WAR, 40 doubles, and 40 homers. Despite that, the Nailers’ 96-66 record kept them two wins short of the playoffs. But it certainly boosted Walif’s profile as he entered free agency at age 28.

He was gone from his native India at this point, but Walif would see use in the World Baseball Championship from 2022-33. He played 67 games with only 48 starts, posting 47 hits, 18 runs, 7 doubles, 10 homers, 21 RBI, .236/.306/.422 slash, and 0.9 WAR. Although his role was limited, Walif was there for India’s fourth place finishes in 2025 and 2028 and the third place in 2032 and 2033.

Walif got his first big contract in Bangladesh on an eight-year, $130,400,000 deal with Dhaka. He won a Slugger (DH) and his lone MVP in his 2023 Dobermans debut, leading the Southeast Asia League in hits, total bases, slugging, OPS, and wRC+. Dhaka had the top record at 108-54 and won the SEAL pennant against Da Nang, but fell 4-2 to Visakhapatnam in the SAB Championship.

In his first playoff run, Walif was rock solid with 20 hits, 11 runs, 6 doubles, 2 homers, 8 RBI, .931 OPS, 154 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR. Dhaka earned an at-large bid into the Baseball Grand Championship and stunned the world by winning the top prize at 14-5. Through 2039, the 2023 Dobermans are the only SAB team to take Grand Champion honors. Walif had 23 hits, 11 runs, 7 doubles, 5 homers, 12 RBI, .867 OPS, 143 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR.

That secured a warm spot for Walif with many Dhaka fans, despite his run lasting only three years. He opted out after the 2025 season, but gave them two more solid seasons. The Dobermans’ playoff streak continued, but they had first round exits both years. Overall, Walif played 474 games with 604 hits, 292 runs, 99 doubles, 25 triples, 111 homers, 344 RBI, .323/.368/.581 slash, 153 wRC+, and 16.9 WAR. The Dhaka run is generally considered Walif’s most famous of his many brief tenures.

Now 31, Walif returned to India on a four-year, $43,800,000 deal with Chennai. He spent two years with the Cows and won a Silver Slugger in 2026 (1B). That year had his career best WAR of 8.7 and doubles at 53. Chennai was above .500 but outside of the playoffs both years. In 319 games, Walif had 421 hits, 214 runs, 82 doubles, 82 homers, 246 RBI, .330/.359/.608 slash, 185 wRC+, and 14.9 WAR.

Next was a four-year, $54,800,000 deal with Hanoi. It was a rebuilding era for the Hounds, who hovered in the mid-tier in Walif’s three seasons there. His production dipped a bit in the first two years, but returned closer to form in 2030 with a career-best 48 homers. Walif played 476 games, 605 hits, 315 runs, 87 doubles, 115 home runs, 359 RBI, .321/.363/.567 slash, 144 wRC+, and 14.2 WAR. This time, Walif didn’t opt out, but Hanoi bought out the final year of his deal.

At age 36, Walif next joined Bangkok at $29,100,000 over three years and actually stayed the full length. He had a resurgence with a second place in 2031 MVP voting, posting his career-best OPS at 1.053. Walif had a strong 2032, taking third in MVP voting, and a decent 2033 for the Bobcats. They earned wild cards each of his seasons and an LCS trip in 2032, but got swept by Mandalay. Walif had a .923 OPS, 144 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR in his 22 playoff starts in Thailand.

For Bangkok, Walif had 470 games, 641 hits, 323 runs, 106 doubles, 116 home runs, 376 RBI, .344/.374/.604 slash, 154 wRC+, and 16.7 WAR. While there, he crossed the 3000 hit, 600 home run, and 1500 runs scored milestones. With his ironman durability and consistency, some thought Walif might challenge the all-time hits record of 3897 by Manju Abbas.

That thought was quickly dashed though with Walif’s 2034 season for Nay Pyi Taw. He fell hard off a cliff in 93 games with a .588 OPS, 61 wRC+, and -1.3 WAR with the Capitals. It was his seventh team and combined with his many milestones, Walif was quite popular with SAB’s version of Immaculate Grid. He retired after the poor 2034 campaign at age 39.

Walif played 2765 games with 3391 hit, 1663 runs, 564 doubles, 106 triples, 606 home runs, 1917 RBI, 661 walks, 2085 strikeouts, 206 steals, .317/.359/.560 slash, 152 wRC+, and 89.0 WAR. Walif ranks 10^th in games, 11^th in runs, 6^th in hits, 6^th in total bases (5985), 15^th in doubles, 19^th in homers, 6^th in RBI, 83^rd in walks, 49^th in strikeouts, and 32^nd in WAR for position players. His .919 OPS is 67^th among batters with 3000+ plate appearances and he ranks 47^th in average and 79^th in slugging.

Even with the tallies, most wouldn’t call Walif a top ten all-time player in South Asia Baseball history. But he was beloved at all of his stops, had plenty of accumulations, and played a big role in Dhaka’s Grand Championship win. Walif was a Hall of Fame lock and his 98.8% was the highest mark among the four inductees in 2040.



Cao An “Ping” Ngo – Third Base/Designated Hitter – Hyderabad Hippos – 97.0% First Ballot

Cao An Ngo was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed corner infielder from Bien Hoa, Vietnam; the country’s sixth-largest city with about 1,272,000 inhabitants. Nicknamed “Ping,” Ngo was a well-rounded batter with rock solid contact and eye skills along with reliably strong power. His 162 game average got you 44 home runs and 33 doubles. Ngo was strongest facing lefties (1.007 OPS, 173 wRC+) but was plenty great against righties (.965 OPS, 158 wRC+). His one downside offensively was a middling strikeout rate.

Despite having mediocre to poor top speed for most of his career, Ngo was a remarkably skilled baserunner who successfully stole bases on 93% of attempts. That skill didn’t translate to defense with awful metrics anywhere he took his glove. His starts were around 40/40/20 between third base, designated hitter, and first base. Ngo’s durability was excellent though and that plus a reliable power bat made him a successful and popular star of his era.

Ngo quickly rose up the amateur ranks and was considered one of Vietnam’s best prospects in some time. His career began in Bangladesh as he was picked second by Chittagong in the 2016 SAB Draft. Although he never played for a Vietnamese franchise, Ngo was a regular for his country in the World Baseball Championship from 2021-34.

He played 133 WBC games with 98 starts, posting 90 hits, 76 runs, 19 doubles, 37 homers, 73 RBI, .240/.334/.584 slash, 158 wRC+, and 5.1 WAR. Ngo was especially strong in 2027 with 21 hits, 21 runs, 10 homers, 22 RBI, 1.145 OPS, 215 wRC+, and 1.9 WAR over 22 starts. Vietnam finished third that year, the nation’s top WBC finish to date.

Ngo spent his first few years in Chittagong in their academy, only playing 16 games with no starts from 2017-19. He got the call up as a full-timer in 2020, although he had middling production. Ngo put it together the next year, starting a streak of 11 seasons with 40+ homers and 100+ RBI. 2024 started a nine year run of seasons with 6+ WAR. It was his lone time as the league leader in home runs with a career best 53. Ngo won his first Silver Slugger (DH) and was third in MVP voting.

In 2025, Ngo grabbed the MVP and his second Slugger, leading in total bases (382), OPS (1.041), wRC+ (165), and WAR (8.4). Despite his efforts, Chittagong was aggressively mid in his years as a starter, averaging 74.5 wins per season with only one year above .500. This MVP win came in a contract year and Ngo was excited to see what he could get on the open market. Thus, he left for free agency at age 28.

For the Commandos, Ngo played 963 games with 993 hits, 615 runs, 183 doubles, 258 home runs, 709 RBI, 191 steals, .284/.365/.566 slash, 141 wRC+, and 31.5 WAR. He left for the Indian League on an eight-year, $131,300,000 deal with Hyderabad. It was especially notable as unlike the Southeast Asia League, the IL didn’t use the DH. Ngo had been a primary DH for Chittagong with only occasional starts at third to that point. He took over 3B full-time in his first five years with the Hippos, then shifted to first in his later seasons.

Ngo became a rare MVP winner for both leagues as he took the IL honor in 2026, leading and posting career bests for OBP (.404), slugging (.699), OPS (1.103), wRC+ (220), and WAR (10.1). Ngo was the leader in WAR, doubles, slugging and OPS the next year as well with a second place finish in MVP voting. He won Silver Sluggers at 3B from 2026-29, giving him six for his career.

Hyderabad hovered around .500 in these prime years for Ngo. From 2026-30, their worst year was 79-83, but they couldn’t win 90+ or make the playoffs. The Hippos finally reversed that trend with a six-year streak from 2031-36. However, the first three years were each wild cards and they didn’t get beyond the divisional round. Ngo only ended up with 13 career playoff games, although he was excellent with a 1.051 OPS and 199 wRC+ in the small sample size.

Ngo’s production did start to dip in 2032-33, although he was still good for 30+ homers both years. Although his defense was always bad, it had become especially putrid by the end and was a big reason Ngo got benched for 2034. He played only 56 games as a pinch hitter and had a 1.242 OPS in 2034, showing he could still swing the stick. Ngo had signed a two-year, $26,900,000 extension after the 2033 season, but didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the second year.

With Hyderabad, Ngo played 1253 games with 1368 hits, 800 runs, 273 doubles, 339 home runs, 930 RBI, .318/.383/.628 slash, 179 wRC+, and 56.7 WAR. He was very popular with Hippos fans and his #26 uniform was quickly retired. Ngo hoped to still play in 2035 somewhere as a DH and hoped to breach the 600 home run mark, as he was three short. However, he went unsigned all season and retired that fall after his 38^th birthday.

Ngo ended with 2216 games, 2361 hits, 1415 runs, 456 doubles, 36 triples, 597 home runs, 1639 RBI, 871 walks, 1728 strikeouts, 4680 total bases, 315 steals, .303/.375/.600 slash, .975 OPS, 162 wRC+, and 88.2 WAR. Ngo ranks 74^th in games, 41^st in runs, 63^rd in hits, 34^th in total bases, 70^th in doubles, 22^nd in homers, 19^th in RBI, 28^th in walks, and 35^th in WAR among position players. His OPS is 23^rd among SAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances and he is 38^th in OBP and 28^th in slugging.

He was one of the most steady and reliable power hitters in South Asia Baseball of the 2020s. Ngo goes down as one of the best-ever who never made it to an LCS in his entire career, although that certainly wasn’t his fault. At 97.0%, Ngo was an easy first ballot Hall of Famer, joining a loaded four-man class for SAB in 2040.

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Binh Su Bac – Left Field – Delhi Drillers – 92.9% First Ballot

Binh Su Bac was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting left fielder from Hong Gai, Vietnam; a city of 270,000 people in the country’s north. Bac was a traditional leadoff man known for excellent contact ability and putting the ball in play. His strikeout rate was much lower than most SAB stars, but he very rarely drew walks. Bac’s production was roughly the same against both righties and lefties. His gap power was rock solid and he wasn’t completely devoid of home run power, giving you 40 doubles, 11 triples, and 18 homers per his 162 game average.

Bac had good-to-occasionally great speed and baserunning skills. He was a career left fielder with reliably solid defensive metrics, even winning a Gold Glove in 2029. Bac was popular as one of the scrappiest guys in the game, known for his sparkplug work ethic, leadership, and adaptability. His durability was mostly good and his grittiness meant he rarely missed big chunks to injury.

In April 2012, a teenaged Bac left Vietnam for India on a developmental deal with Delhi. He never played for a Vietnamese franchise in his 20 year pro career, but he still did return home regularly for the World Baseball Championship. From 2017-33, Bac played 127 games with 108 hits, 46 runs, 20 doubles, 13 homers, 43 RBI, .252/.279/.414 slash, and 0.6 WAR. This helped maintain his popularity in his home country, although his WBC numbers weren’t amazing. Bac was notably part of Vietnam’s third place in 2027 and fourth place in 2033; the top finishes in the nation’s history.

In the Indian capital, Bac spent only around three years in the academy and was a rare teenage debut at age 19 in 2015. He saw 72 games and 28 starts with mixed results. Bac got the full-time gig the next year and led the league with 201 hits. He led in hits again in 2018 with 211 for the Drillers and led with 15 triples in 2019. Bac’s first Silver Slugger came in 2019 with his second in 2020.

2020 was also his only time as an MVP finalist, taking third. Bac won the batting title at .380 and had league and career bests for doubles (51), OPS (1.027), and wRC+ (196). He had 7.1 WAR in both 2019-20, his career best. 2019 marked a turnaround for Delhi, who had bottomed out at an abysmal 54-108 in 2018 with five straight losing seasons. They were back above .500 in 2019 at 83-79, then won the Central Division in 2020 at 92-70; although they lost in the first round of the playoffs.

Delhi was the wild card in 2021 at 92-70, but made a surprise run. They upset top-seed Kolkata with a first round sweep, then defeated Nagpur 4-1 to win the franchise’s first Indian League pennant. The Drillers then outlasted Dhaka 4-3 in a seven game classic for the SAB Championship. Bac was an absolute stud in the postseason, winning MVP of both the ILCS and the finals.

In 15 playoff starts, Bac had 25 hits, 12 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, 11 RBI, 1.009 OPS, 209 wRC+, and 1.1 WAR. Among the hits was a walkoff RBI double in game one of the finals, a 6-5 win in 10 innings. Bac had a respectable effort in the Baseball Grand Championship with 25 hits, 14 runs, 6 homers, 15 RBI, .852 OPS, 131 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR. Delhi finished in the middle of the standings at 10-9.

Bac was very popular, but did disappoint many Delhi fans by leaving for free agency that winter with his stock at an all-time high at only age 26. Many think that’s why his jersey was never retired despite such a critical role in the Drillers’ first-ever title. In seven years, Bac played 928 games with 1208 hits, 483 runs, 242 doubles, 78 triples, 114 home runs, 506 RBI, 176 steals, .346/.366/.558 slash, 168 wRC+, and 33.5 WAR.

He signed an eight-year, $72,800,000 deal with Yangon. Bac led the Southeast Asia League with 221 hits in 2022 as the Green Dragons won the division at 99-63. This was the 28^th season of their historic world record playoff streak. Yangon knocked off top seed Hai Phong 4-1 for their ninth SEAL pennant of the streak. The Green Dragons then defeated Mumbai 4-2 for the SAB title, their fifth of the streak.

Bac was unremarkable in this playoff run with a .679 OPS, 85 wRC+, and 0.0 WAR. He had similar numbers with a .649 OPS, 90 wRC+, and -0.1 WAR in the BGC. Yangon was one of five teams at 11-8, officially seventh after tiebreakers. Still, Bac is one of the few players in BGC history to play in back-to-back editions but with different teams.

His production was steady the next for years, although not quite to his Delhi peaks. Yangon’s streak got to 29 years in 2023, but ended with a rare losing season in 2024. The Green Dragons made it back to the playoffs the next four years with an LCS loss in 2026. Bac’s playoff stats were a mixed bag overall with Yangon with 34 games, 44 hits, 10 runs, 7 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, 20 RBI, 17 steals, .317/.331/.453 slash, 114 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR.

Bac had three years left on the eight-year contract, but Yangon traded him after the 2026 season to Bengaluru for two players. In five seasons, Bac played 754 games with 998 hits, 434 runs, 177 doubles, 45 triples, 84 home runs, 403 RBI, 235 steals, .333/.352/.506 slash, 132 wRC+, and 22.8 WAR.

The Blazers were middle-tier in Bac’s three years there with no playoff berths, although they missed by only two wins at 91-71 in 2028. He played 462 games with 544 hits, 211 runs, 100 doubles, 24 triples, 42 homers, 207 RBI, 136 steals, .314/.332/.472 slash, 131 wRC+, and 10.2 WAR. Bac was now 34 and a free agent for the second time. He signed a four-year, $33 million deal with Nay Pyi Taw, who was an expansion team beginning play in 2030.

Notably in 2030, Bac had a six-hit game against his former team Yangon on June 2030. He also won the batting title in 2030 with a .384 average and had a bit of a resurgence. In 2031, he joined the 3000 hit club. Bac had three solid seasons with Nay Pyi Taw, although the team had limited success as you’d expect with an expansion squad. Bac played 426 games with 614 hits, 238 runs, 119 doubles, 25 triples, 49 home runs, 274 RBI, 144 steals, .369/.381/.559 slash, 145 wRC+, and 14.5 WAR.

Bac missed part of 2032 with a torn hamstring and didn’t get the vesting criteria for the fourth year of his deal. He signed a two-year, $19,200,000 deal with Lucknow and was still respectable in 93 games with 122 hits, .355 average, .891 OPS, 150 wRC+, and 2.6 WAR. Unfortunately, he suffered a broken kneecap in August 2033, putting his future in doubt.

Bac hoped to make it back as he was close to the 3500 hit, 1500 run, and 1500 RBI milestones. For 2034, he signed with Jaipur to a two-year, $9,780,000 deal, but sadly only played six games with the Jokers. Bac again broke his right kneecap, which effectively ended his career. Instead of trying to rehab back, he retired in the winter just after his 39^th birthday.

In total, Bac had 2669 games, 3497 hits, 1420 runs, 660 doubles, 178 triples, 298 home runs, 1455 RBI, 306 walks, 1215 strikeouts, 713 steals, .341/.359/.527 slash, 147 wRC+ and 84.3 WAR. Bac ranks 18^th in games, 39^th in runs, 4^th in hits, 13^th in total bases (5407), 3^rd in singles (2361), 3^rd in doubles (660), 18^th in triples, 38^th in RBI, 51^st in steals, and 43^rd in WAR among position players.

Among SAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Bac is 13^th in batting average. He’s tied for 24^th among all world Hall of Famers and retired locks. Bac also ranks 43^rd on the world leaderboard for doubles and just missed the 3500 hit club, which has only 71 members. Those totals and his role in titles for both Delhi and Yangon made Bac an easy HOF choice, receiving 92.9% as part of a loaded four-man 2040 class for South Asia Baseball.



Nurul Sultana – Outfield – Dhaka Dobermans – 85.2% First Ballot

Nurul Sultana was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed outfield from Chittagong, the second-largest city in Bangladesh. Sultana was a well-rounded batter with good-to-great marks for contact, power, and eye. He wasn’t one with league-leading power, but he had plenty of extra base hits with 37 doubles, 9 triples, and 32 home runs per his 162 game average. Sultana’s strikeout rate was below average, but not awful relative to his peers.

Sultana’s best results came facing left-handed pitching (.953 OPS, 154 wRC+) but he was still solid facing righties (.882 OPS, 139 wRC+). His biggest strength offensively perhaps was stellar baserunning and stealing ability along with great speed. Just over half of his career starts came in center field with average defensive metrics. His other starts came in the corners with strong marks there defensively. Sultana’s durability was mostly good over a 14-year career.

He dominated Bangladesh’s amateur ranks and had plenty of national attention ahead of the 2020 SAB Draft. Sultana was picked eighth by Dhaka and had part-time use as a rookie with mixed results. His rookie year ended a seven-year playoff drought and started an 11-year streak for the Dobermans. Sultana saw little use in the playoff run, but an 87-win Dhaka made a surprise run to the Southeast Asia League title. They would fall ultimately to Delhi in the SAB Championship.

Sultana was a full-time starter from 2022 onward and was good for 6+ WAR each of his remaining seasons with Dhaka. He missed a bit of 2023 to elbow troubles, but was otherwise healthy for the Dobermans. 2023 was Dhaka’s other pennant of the run, taking the top seed and SEAL title at 108-54. They lost the SAB Championship to Visakhapatnam, the first of the Volts’ three-peat.

Although he missed the playoff run, Sultana was healthy for the Baseball Grand Championship with Dhaka earning an at-large. The Dobermans stunned the field by winning the top prize at 14-5 with Sultana posting 17 hits, 13 runs, 4 doubles, 5 home runs, 9 RBI, .770 OPS, 119 wRC+, and 0.6 WAR. That run was the outlier of Dhaka’s playoff streak, as they failed to get out of the first round for the rest of Sultana’s tenure. He did get criticized for poor playoff numbers with a .590 OPS, 59 wRC+, and 0.1 WAR in 34 games for Dhaka.

Sultana got his first individual accolades with Silver Sluggers in 2024 (RF) and 25-28 (CF). He was third in 2025’s MVP voting and second in 2027. From 2026-28, Sultana was the WARlord and twice led in both runs scored and stolen bases. 2027 was his peak for WAR (10.1), while 2026 had the highest run total (131). His 121 steals in 2028 remains a top ten season in SAB history. Sultana also hit for the cycle in both 2024 and 2027.

He was very popular in Dhaka, signing an eight-year, $90,247,250 extension in March 2025. Sultana was also a popular regular for Bangladesh in the World Baseball Championship from 2023-34. He had 134 WBC games with 129 hits, 78 runs, 21 doubles, 39 homers, 82 RBI, 48 steals, .258/.316/.542 slash, and 6.1 WAR.

There was frustration that Dhaka couldn’t succeed in the playoffs after the Grand Championship win in 2023. Making it toughest was the rise of Mandalay’s SEAL dynasty from 2026-29. Sultana surprised many by opting out of the Dobermans deal after the 2028 season, becoming a free agent at 31. With Dhaka, he played 1097 games with 1321 hits, 871 runs, 255 doubles, 60 triples, 225 homers, 574 RBI, 683 steals, .303/.353/.545 slash, 141 wRC+, and 59.6 WAR. Dhaka later retired his #32 uniform for his efforts.

He moved to India on a six-year, $136,800,000 deal with Visakhapatnam. Since their 2023-25 three-peat, the Volts had seen their own playoff disappointments despite 110+ win seasons. Sultana won a Silver Slugger in his debut (LF) with a 9.0 WAR season, but Visakhapatnam at 96-66 fell one win short of the playoffs. They bounced back from that with four straight divisional titles.

Sultana won another Slugger (CF) in 2030 and his lone MVP, leading the Indian League in both WAR (9.3) and runs (130). This also had his career best for wRC+ (170), and homers (42). He played solidly in the postseason, but 112-win Visakhapatnam was upset 4-3 in the ILCS by Ahmedabad.

In 2031, Sultana missed six weeks to a strained lat. However, he had his best postseason run as the Volts got revenge on the Animals in the ILCS with Sultana as series MVP. Visakhapatnam lost 4-2 to Yangon in the SAB Championship. For the playoff run, Sultana had a .981 OPS, 181 wRC+, and 1.1 WAR. His playoff stats the next two years were subpar, but he finished with positive stats overall for the Volts with 58 games, 64 hits, 32 runs, 13 doubles, 8 homers, 25 RBI, .792 OPS, 121 wRC+, and 1.9 WAR.

Visakhapatnam repeated as SAB champ in 2032-33, beating Mandalay and Yangon respectively in the finals. Sultana was excellent in 2032, but did see a dip in batting for 2033. His BGC stats were also underwhelming with .695 OPS, 97 wRC+, and 0.4 WAR in 2032, then .740 OPS, 114 wRC+, and 0.3 WAR in 2033. The Volts finished 7-14 in 2032 and 8-13 in 2033.

In spring training 2034, Sultana suffered a torn labrum that put him out three months. He struggled once back with a .629 OPS, 71 wRC+, and 0.4 WAR in 90 games and Visakhapatnam missed the playoffs at 86-76. Overall for the Volts, Sultana had 822 games, 919 hits, 583 runs, 189 doubles, 52 triples, 156 home runs, 479 RBI, 442 steals, .300/.349/.548 slash, 145 wRC+, and 36.8 WAR. He went unsigned in 2035 and eventually retired that winter at age 38.

Sultana finished with 1919 games, 2240 hits, 1454 runs, 444 doubles, 112 triples, 381 home runs, 1053 RBI, 529 walks, 1562 strikeouts, 1125 steals, .302/.351/.546 slash, 143 wRC+, and 96.3 WAR. Sultana ranks 32^nd in runs, 85^th in hits, 80^th in total bases (4051), 83^rd in doubles, 85^th in triples, 97^th in homers, 7^th in steals, and 22^nd in WAR for position players.

His grand tallies aren’t huge, but WAR definitely showed his impressive value from things like baserunning and defense. Even if his playoff marks weren’t great, Sultana was a key starter for two perennial contenders, winning two SAB titles and five pennants. He received 85.2% for a first ballot induction, capping off a strong four-man 2040 Hall of Fame class for South Asia Baseball.

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The Asian Baseball Federation had two no-doubt Hall of Famers for 2040 with SP Hamid Osam at 98.8% and OF/DH H.A. Rahman at 98.3%. Two returners were at 62.2%, just missing the 66% induction mark, with CL Yasar Khatter on his second ballot and LF Ramin Abilov on his eighth. Two others were above 50% with 3B Quiraishi Lalak getting 57.1% for his seventh try and 3B Timur Tyan at 53.6% in his penultimate chance.



Dropped after ten ballots was SP Nayif Elmi, who had a 10-year career with Asgabat. He debuted at 42.4% and was down to 11.8% by the end. Elmi won Pitcher of the Year once and led in strikeouts thrice, but injuries effectively ended his full-time run before turning 30. Elmi had a 128-66 record, 2.67 ERA, 1821.1 innings, 2529 strikeouts, 123 ERA+, 78 FIP-, and 42.0 WAR. The pace was certainly there, but Elmi had nowhere near the longevity needed.

Also lasting ten years was CL Mohammad Kapani, who debuted at 36.6% and ended at 5.8%. He was hurt by having a few years in MLB and never winning Reliever of the Year. In ABF, Kapani had 294 saves and 396 shutdowns, 2.17 ERA, 886.2 innings, 1436 strikeouts, 149 ERA+, 57 FIP-, and 31.7 WAR. He also notably had a stellar playoff run with Bishkek’s 2020 championship with 1.4 WAR over 17 innings with 33 strikeouts and 1.06 ERA. Kapani is another guy who just needed a few more years of totals to have earned serious consideration.



Hamid “Buddy” Osam – Starting Pitcher – Almaty Assassins – 98.8% First Ballot

Hamid Osam was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Lahore, Pakistan; the 27^th largest city in the world. Nicknamed “Buddy,” Osam thrived on overpowering stuff with good movement and okay control. He had 98-100 mph peak velocity with a three-pitch arsenal of curveball, splitter, and cutter. The curve and splitter in particular both graded as excellent and he was great at changing speeds.

Osam’s stamina was lackluster compared to most starters as he only had 14 complete games in his career. His durability was excellent though and he never missed any appreciable time, which made up somewhat for his ability to go deep in games. Osam was decent at holding runners and good defensively. He wasn’t one to take a leadership role, but he became very popular over a 14-year career with Almaty.

Although his entire pro run came in Kazakhstan, Osam did still regularly return home to Pakistan for the World Baseball Championship. He pitched from 2025-34 in a split role with 39 appearances and 14 starts, posting a 2.40 ERA, 8-4 record, 13 saves, 131 innings, 206 strikeouts, 150 ERA+, 72 FIP-, and 3.8 WAR. Osam cemented his national popularity in 2029 as Pakistan beat Taiwan in the final for their first world title. He was second in Best Pitcher voting with a 0.39 ERA in 23 innings, 3-0 record, 8 saves, 46 Ks, and 1.5 WAR.

Osam left for Almaty though as a teenager with a developmental deal signed in June 2016. He debuted with eight appearances in 2021 at age 22, then had a split role in 2022 with 136 decent innings. Osam became a full-time starter after that for the Assassins, who had a playoff streak from 2020-29. They were usually a wild card, but did win division titles in 2024, 26, and 27.

He never won Pitcher of the Year, but Osam was second in 2025’s voting, third in 2027 and 2029, and second again in 2032. His lone ERA title came in 2027 at 2027 and he led thrice in FIP, but generally didn’t have enough innings to lead in the other stats. Osam’s ERA was below three in each of his 14 seasons. He was remarkably consistent, which helped Almaty as a consistent playoff team.

The Assassins didn’t have the playoff success you’d hope for with such a streak. They did break through as East League champ in 2024 at 95-67, but lost the ABF Championship to Baku. Osam was excellent in that playoff run with an 0.90 ERA and 3-0 record in four starts, 30 innings, 47 strikeouts, and 1.6 WAR. Almaty saw an ELCS defeat to Karachi the next year. The rest of their postseason trips with Osam all had first round exits.

Apart from the 2024 run, Osam’s playoff results were somewhat underwhelming. He finished with a 7-8 record, 3.79 ERA, 109.1 innings, 153 strikeouts, 24 walks, 93 ERA+, 96 FIP-, and 2.0 WAR. He signed a four-year, $22,200,000 extension in April 2026, then a six-year, $159,800,000 deal in July 2030. Almaty stayed above .500 into the 2030s, but had playoff misses in 2030 and 2032 with a first round exit in the middle.

Osam remained consistent all the way and had a career best 20-4 record in 2034, although his strikeout and WAR numbers both were down from his usual marks. Almaty finished 102-60, losing in the ELCS to Hyderabad’s dynasty. Surprisingly despite being healthy, Osam was used for one relief appearance in that run. He decided to retire that winter at age 36 and immediately had his #2 uniform retired by the Assassins.

In total, Osam had a 200-89 record, 68 saves, 2.47 ERA, 2619.1 innings, 3530 strikeouts, 547 walks, 14 complete games, 9 shutouts, 142 ERA+, 68 FIP-, and 75.4 WAR. Osam ranks 23^rd in wins, 48^th in innings, 31^st in strikeouts, and 16^th in WAR for pitchers.

Among those with 1000+ innings, Osam is 32^nd in ERA, 24^th in WHIP (0.93), and 25^th in K/9 (12.13). His .567 opponent’s OPS is 24^th and his .201/.245/.321 triple slash ranks 26^th/17^th/37^th. Osam didn’t have big totals or accolades, but he was one of the most consistent and efficient pitchers of his era. This was easily recognized by the Asian Baseball Federation’s Hall of Fame voters, giving Osam a near unanimous 98.8% for induction in 2040.



H.A. “Pendragon” Rahman – Outfield/Designated Hitter – Bursa Blue Claws – 96.5% First Ballot

H.A. Rahman was a 6’2’’, 195 pound right-handed outfielder from South Dum Dum, India; a city of around 400,000 within greater Kolkata. Nicknamed “Pendragon,” Rahman was an elite leadoff hitter known for excellent contact ability and a strong eye for drawing walks. He was a leader in batting average four times and on-base percentage eight times over his career. Rahman was also a very dangerous baserunner once on base with stellar instincts and very good speed. His ability to get on was equally potent against lefties and righties.

The main downside for Rahman was a lack of power, although he wasn’t bad at finding the gap. His 162 game average got you 32 doubles, 15 triples, and 4 home runs. Rahman’s strikeout rate was better than most, but still slightly higher than you’d expect. He had an incredibly high .385 BABIP, so good things happened when he put the ball in play.

Despite Rahman’s speed, he was a mediocre defender with the majority of his starts in right field. He sometimes played left with similar results and saw roughly 1/3 of his starts as a designated hitter. Rahman had an impressive work ethic and was one of baseball’s great minds. While he had some injuries here and there, he held up mostly well over a 23-year career.

Indian players typically stayed in the South Asia Baseball sphere, but a young Rahman caught the eye of a scout from Bursa, who brought him back to Turkey on a developmental deal in December 2010. He spent around four years in their academy, but did debut in 2014 with one at-bat. Rahman was used as a part-timer with iffy results over 63 games in 2015. He earned a full-time starting job in 2016 and was a league leader for the first time in 2017 with 112 runs, 20 triples, 97 steals, a .336 average, and .417 OBP.

Rahman was the OBP leader again from 2018-19 and 2021-22 for the Blue Claws. He also led in walks and stolen bases in 2021-22. In summer 2018, Rahman had a 31-game hitting streak, six short of the ABF record. From 9/1/18 to 6/12/19, he had a 50-game on-base streak; a mark hit by very few in world history. Rahman wasn’t in awards conversations though with his lack of power, but Bursa was satisfied with the results. They gave him a three-year, $30,100,000 extension after the 2021 season. He opted out the next winter and inked a new eight-year, $85 million deal.

Bursa ended a 14-year playoff drought in 2020 at 89-73 and upset defending ABF champ Tabriz 4-3 in the West League Championship Series. The Blue Claws took Bishkek to the limit, but fell 4-3 in the ABF Championship. Bursa was just outside the playoffs the next two years, then had berths from 2023-25. They got the top seed in 2024 at 105-57, but fell to Baku in the WLCS. The other years had wild cards and first round exits.

Rahman’s playoff stats were respectable in 23 starts for Bursa with 29 hits, 13 runs, 7 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers, 10 RBI, 11 steals, .326/.394/.517 slash, 137 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR. He also returned home to India for the World Baseball Championship, but was only an occasional starter. From 2018-34, he played in 11 WBCs with 70 games, 40 starts, 37 hits, 20 runs, 6 doubles, 2 triples, 1 homer, 10 RBI, 30 steals, .226/.369/.305 slash, 99 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR. Rahman was on roster for India’s third place finishes in 2030-31.

In his early 30s, Rahman missed some time with recurring plantar fasciitis in 2024, 2025, and 2027. In 2026, he again led in batting average (.372) and OBP (.443), both bests for his Bursa run. The Blue Claws fell to 86-76 outside of the playoffs in 2026, then would spend the rest of the decade with losing records. Rahman used his opt-out after the 2027 campaign, making him a free agent for the first time heading towards age 34.

With Bursa, Rahman played 1752 games with 2105 hits, 1130 runs, 370 doubles, 176 triples, 52 home runs, 614 RBI, 803 walks, 949 steals, .324/.401/.459 slash, 137 wRC+, and 54.0 WAR. He was popular for his efforts with the Blue Claws and his #3 uniform would later be retired. Rahman ended up in Pakistan on a four-year, $35,600,000 deal with Peshawar. The Predators had been the East League’s runner up to Hyderabad the prior year.

Rahman had an impressive 197 wRC+ and .959 OPS in 2028, but missed a big chunk between a strained oblique and plantar fasciitis. The latter kept Rahman out for the entire postseason as Peshawar was again denied in the ELCS by the Horned Frogs. Rahman stayed healthy in 2029 and put together by far the best season of his career, winning his lone Silver Slugger (RF) with a third place in MVP voting. He posted league and career bests for runs (132), hits (216), average (.378), OBP (.452), and WAR (9.8). Rahman also saw his best for doubles (41), slugging (.552), OPS (1.003), and wRC+ (208).

Peshawar won the division at 99-63 and again met 110-win Hyderabad in the ELCS, but this time upset the Horned Frogs in a 4-3 classic. The Predators ultimately lost 4-1 in the ABF Championship to Baku. Rahman had 20 hits, 11 runs, 8 steals, .779 OPS, 137 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR in 16 playoff starts. Although his regular season was weaker in 2030, he had a better postseason with 21 hits, 11 runs, 12 steals, 1.083 OPS, 232 wRC+, and 1.1 WAR over 13 starts. Peshawar again made the ELCS, but this time lost to 110-win Lahore.

Rahman was limited to a part-time platoon role in 2031 as Peshawar’s playoff streak ended with an 85-77 finish. Over his four year deal, he had 514 games, 603 hits, 340 runs, 112 doubles, 48 triples, 14 homers, 196 RBI, 232 steals, .349/.421/.494 slash, 178 wRC+, and 22.3 WAR. Coming up on his age 38 season, Rahman was a free agent again. He went back to Turkey with a three-year, $31,200,000 deal with Istanbul.

The Ironmen were above .500 during his run with a playoff berth in 2033 as a 105-win wild card, but they were ousted in the second round of the playoffs. Rahman ended up out for the playoff run to a strained abdominal. He was a consistent respectable starter in his three seasons for Istanbul with 417 games, 507 hits, 254 runs, 91 doubles, 23 triples, 12 homers, 177 RBI, 174 steals, .329/.409/.441 slash, 131 wRC+, and 9.6 WAR.

Rahman also hit notable milestones with the Ironmen, including 3000 career hits and 1500 runs scored. He was #3 all-time in hits for ABF at 3215 and some thought he might chase Mehmet Fatih Canaydin’s record of 3696. However, Rahman found that ABF teams were generally not looking at 41-year old leadoff guys with poor defense.

His pro career wasn’t done, as he signed a three-year, $13,440,000 deal with Krasnoyarsk of Eurasian Professional Baseball. Rahman showed he could still go in his Russian debut, leading the Asian League in 2035 in batting average (.361) and OBP (.426). Rahman had an okay 2036, but was subpar in 2037. The Cossacks were firmly a lower-end team at this point, but Rahman ended up as a nice veteran contributor.

For Krasnoyarsk, Rahman played 424 games with 494 hits, 188 runs, 55 doubles, 38 triples, 7 homers, 157 RBI, 156 walks, 153 steals, .319/.383/.417 slash, 127 wRC+, and 6.7 WAR. Rahman hoped to still play in 2038, but went unsigned all year and retired that winter at age 44. For his combined pro career, Rahman finished with 3107 games, 3709 hits, 1912 runs, 628 doubles, 285 triples, 85 homers, 1144 RBI, 1386 walks, 1899 strikeouts, 1508 steals, 773 caught stealing, .328/.403/.456 slash, 141 wRC+, and 92.6 WAR.

On the world leaderboard, Rahman sits 33^rd in hits, 19^th in stolen bases, and 36^th in caught stealing. He also cracks the top 100 for runs scored and doubles. Among world Hall of Famers and retired locks, Rahman is 33^rd in on-base percentage and one of only 41 guys with a career OBP at .400+. For his ABF career, Rahman played 2683 games with 3215 hits, 1724 runs, 573 doubles, 247 triples, 78 homers, 987 RBI, 1230 walks, 1641 strikeouts, 1355 steals, 659 caught stealing, .329/.406/.462 slash, 143 wRC+, and 85.9 WAR.

Among ABF players, Rahman is 13^th in games, 4^th in runs, 3^rd in hits, 25^th in total bases (4516), 2^nd in singles (2317), 15^th in doubles, 5^th in triples, 67^th in RBI, 4^th in walks, 4^th in steals, 2^nd in caught stealing, 75^th in strikeouts, and 35^th in WAR for position players. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Rahman is 12^th in average, 4^th in OBP, and his .868 OPS is 87^th.

The lack of power stats and weak defense keeps Rahman from being included at the tip-top of HOF players despite being top five in runs and hits. But his totals and longevity made him an easy choice for ABF’s 2040 HOF class at 96.5% and puts him on the short list amongst the most impressive leadoff hitters of all-time.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Arab League Baseball had three slam dunk Hall of Famers for the 2040 class with SP Bakr Mahdi (98.5%), LF Wissam Magdy (98.5%), and 3B Malik Zouaoui (96.9%). The only other player above 50% was SP Ahmed Essa at 51.7% on his fourth ballot. No players were dropped after ten failed tries.



Bakr Mahdi – Starting Pitcher – Medina Mastodons – 98.5% First Ballot

Bakr Mahdi was a 6’6’’, 205 pound right-handed pitcher from Safwah, Oman. Mahdi was a well-rounded consistent pitcher with great grades for stuff, movement, and control. His arsenal had a 97-99 mph fastball leading the way along with a solid curveball and splitter, plus a rarely used changeup. Mahdi’s only real downside was having merely average stamina relative to his peers.

Mahdi’s durability was rock solid for the majority of his career, only running into major injuries in his late 30s. He also had good grades for defense and holding runners. On top of that, Mahdi was a team captain known for his leadership and work ethic in the clubhouse. It comes as no surprise that he was one of ALB’s premiere aces of his era.

His potential was clear coming out of college and Mahdi went fifth in the 2019 ALB Draft to Medina. The Mastodons used him only in sporadic relief as a rookie, but he was a full-time starter by year two. Based on innings, he was actually second in Rookie of the Year voting in 2021, his second actual season. Mahdi was solid by year three and a true ace after that, posting 6+ WAR each year from 2023-33 for Medina. During that stretch, all but one season had 250+ strikeouts. The Mastodons knew what they had, giving Mahdi a six-year, $45,240,000 extension after the 2022 season.

Mahdi won Pitcher of the Year in 2024, winning the ERA title (2.71) and leading in wins (21-4), WHIP (0.95), and quality starts (28). He took third in 2026’s voting, which had his career-best for WAR at 8.4. Medina snapped a 14-year playoff drought as a wild card in 2025 at 86-76. The Mastodons made a surprise run to the Eastern Conference Final, but lost to Basra. Medina was division champ in 2026, but went one-and-done.

In 2027, Mahdi took his second POTY with another ERA title (2.73) and his bests for wins (22-5) and WHIP (0.92). Medina took the top seed at 110-52 and bested 105-win Sulaymaniyah for their first pennant since 2007. In a seven-game thriller, the Mastodons outlasted Jerusalem to claim the Arab League Championship.

The postseason run was a mixed bag for Mahdi with a middling 4.57 ERA, although his 48 FIP- and 0.9 WAR suggested he was better than that ERA suggested. He struck out 34 over 21.2 innings. Mahdi struggled to a 5.18 ERA in 33 innings for the Baseball Grand Championship, striking out 47 with 0.4 WAR. Medina finished 9-10 for the event.

In June 2028, Medina gave Mahdi a hefty six-year, $184,900,000 extension. He would lead the conference from 2028-31 in strikeouts, peaking with 298 in 2030. Despite remaining consistent, Mahdi wasn’t a Pitcher of the Year finalist again. He did notably toss his lone no-hitter on August 30, 2031 with 10 strikeouts and two walks facing Amman.

Medina had a surprising 75-89 record following their 2027 title, but rebounded for division titles from 2029-31. The Mastodons made the ECF in 2030-31, but lost both times to Muscat’s dynasty. For his playoff career, Mahdi again had mixed results with a 4.21 ERA and 108 ERA+, but a 68 FIP-. He posted 3.1 WAR over 92 innings with a 7-5 record and 117 strikeouts. Medina was one win shy of the playoffs in 2032, then had a second round exit in 2033.

Mahdi declined the contract option for the final year of his deal, leaving for free agency in 2034 heading into his age 36 season. For Medina, he had a 200-122 record, 3.60 ERA, 2957.1 innings, 3430 strikeouts, 125 ERA+, 70 FIP-, and 88.3 WAR. For his efforts over 14 seasons, the Mastodons later retired his #18 uniform and he remains a popular player throughout Saudi Arabia. For 2034, he joined Beirut on a three-year, $73,200,000 deal.

Elbow inflammation kept Mahdi out two months in 2034, but he was still very effective with a 2.60 ERA over 159.1 innings, 13-4 record, 177 Ks, and 5.1 WAR. Unfortunately in mid-September, Mahdi suffered a damaged elbow ligament that ultimately ended his Bluebirds run after one year. The injury had a 14-15 month recovery time, leading many to assume his career was over. After missing all of 2035, Mahdi put his name out there that he was ready to pitch somewhere in 2036 at age 38.

Major League Baseball gave him a look on a two-year, $38,200,000 deal with Anchorage. While not dominant, Mahdi was still a nice contributor in 2036 for the Avalanche with a 4.03 ERA in 203.1 innings, 107 ERA+, 10-13 record, 119 Ks, and 3.0 WAR. He did get beat up in his one playoff start as Anchorage lost in the second round.

Mahdi’s velocity started to dip and after spring training 2037 he was released by the Avalanche. Charlotte quickly picked him up and he saw 69.2 innings for the Canaries mostly in relief with a 4.26 ERA, 19 Ks, and 0.1 WAR. Mahdi retired that winter at age 39. For his combined pro career, he had a 227-142 record, 3.60 ERA, 3389.2 innings, 3745 Ks, 603 walks, 125 ERA+, 73 FIP-, and 96.5 WAR.

In Arab League Baseball, Mahdi had a 213-126 record, 3.55 ERA, 3116.2 innings, 3607 strikeouts, 548 walks, 291/445 quality starts, 29 complete games, 7 shutouts, 127 ERA+, 70 FIP-, and 93.3 WAR. Mahdi ranks 12^th in wins, 14^th in innings, 13^th in strikeouts, and 8^th in pitching WAR. If not for his injury, Mahdi might have made a run at being a top five all-time ace in ALB. Regardless, he was a Hall of Fame lock at 98.5% in the loaded 2040 class.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Wissam Magdy – Left Field – Algiers Arsenal – 98.5% First Ballot

Wissam Magdy was a 6’7’’, 205 pound left-handed left fielder from the capital of Libya, Tripoli. Magdy simply socked dingers at an absurd rate, even when acknowledging ALB’s high home run rate relative to other leagues. He also had the benefit of playing his entire career in Algiers, whose ballpark was very homer-friendly with a 1.161 ballpark factor. Still, Magdy had a bonkers 70 home runs per his 162 game average. Scouts gave him a 10/10 power rating at his peak and around 42% of his career hits were homers.

Magdy was especially strong against right-handed pitching with a career .731 slugging percentage, 1.083 OPS, and 166 wRC+. Against lefties, he was a more pedestrian .530 slugging, .815 OPS, and 107 wRC+. At his best, Magdy was merely a decent contact hitter with below average marks for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. He only had 20 doubles per 162 games with his power focused on homers and Magdy was slow and sluggish on the basepaths, although you could do worse.

Defensively, Magdy primarily played left field with around 4/5 of his starts there and most of the rest as a designated hitter. He graded as a poor defender for glove work, but his arm wasn’t bad. Magdy’s durability was mostly good and he was appreciated by peers for leadership. Naturally, he became a popular figure with his towering bombs.

Scouts see a powerful, tall left-handed prospect and immediately salivate. Magdy was drafted by Algiers out of high school with the #10 pick in 2017’s ALB Draft. He was still quite raw and needed time to develop, spending all of 2018-19 in the academy. Magdy saw part-time use in 2020-21 with mixed results, but secured a full-time starting job from 2022 onward. He smacked 60 homers in 2022 and would hit at least 57 in each season through 2033.

Magdy was the Western Conference leader in homers from 2023-29 and from 31-33. He had 11 seasons with 60+ homers, a world record. His rise also helped make Algiers a contender for the first time. Prior to the 2020s, the Arsenal had only one playoff appearance over their first 31 seasons. They got a division title with a first round exit in 2021 for their second-ever berth. After a losing 2022, Algiers began an 11-year playoff streak in 2023 with division titles in all but one season.

The first awards for Magdy were Silver Sluggers from 2022-25. After the 2023 season, he signed an eight-year, $53,900,000 extension with the Arsenal. They got the top seed that year at 109-53, but lost 3-1 to Amman in the Western Conference Final. Algiers made it back to the WCF again the next two years, but fell to the Aviators during a dynasty run for Amman.

Magdy led in slugging for the first time in 2024 and was third that year in MVP voting. In 2025, he had his first of four straight seasons with 70+ homers. Only AAB’s Martin Kulatilaka also had four straight 70+ HR years from 2035-38. In 2026, Magdy smacked 82 home runs, tying the ALB single-season record set three years prior by Mohamed Ali Mansour. To that point, it was tied for the fourth-most homers in any single-season in any league. 2026 had Magdy’s career best triple slash (.316/.366/.794), OPS (1.159), wRC+ (186), and WAR (8.0).

Algiers at 97-65 narrowly got the top seed in 2026 and Amman missed the playoffs. The Arsenal swept Jerusalem for their first conference title, then swept Bahrain for the Arab League Championship. They were 9-1 over the postseason, one of the more impressive runs in ALB history. Magdy’s stats saw a 1.022 OPS, 153 wRC+, and 0.4 WAR. In the Baseball Grand Championship, he had 16 hits, 11 runs, 8 homers, 16 RBI, .888 OPS, 179 wRC+, and 1.0 WAR; but Algiers struggled to 6-13.

Magdy was third in a crowded MVP field and won a Slugger in 2027 with record shattering power. He posted an absurd 89 home runs and 183 RBI, both of which remain ALB records by a healthy margin. This was the closest anyone had come to the world record 91 homers by South Asia Baseball’s Majed Darwish in 2009. It remains the #3 season at induction, as AAB’s Dagne Mersha got to 90 the next year. Magdy’s RBI mark is also tied for the 11^th-best single season in any world league. He also had his career bests for runs (135) and hits (188), but his other metrics were actually down from the prior year.

Algiers was possibly the best wild card team ever at 112-50, finishing one behind Tripoli in the Mediterranean Division standings. They were defeated 2-1 by Cairo in the wild card round. Magdy got another slugger in 2028 with ‘only’ 74 homers and the Arsenal at 111-51 won the division over the 102-win Privateers. Algiers outlasted Tripoli 3-2 to win the conference title, then earned their second ALB title in three years with a sweep of Muscat. Magdy had surprisingly pedestrian playoff stats, but was stronger in the BGC with 17 hits, 13 runs, 10 homers, 18 RBI, .967 OPS, 170 wRC+, and 1.0 WAR. Despite that, Algiers finished 7-12 in the BGC.

The next two years had division titles, but second round exits for the Arsenal. In May 2031, Magdy signed a five-year, $58 million extension to stay in Algiers. That summer, he hit his 700^th home run, a remarkable feat for a guy who was only 32 years old. The Arsenal at 90-72 upset Jerusalem in the second round and edged Damascus 3-2 for a third conference title, but they were denied 4-1 by Muscat for the ALB title.

In 2032, Magdy had his fifth 70+ homer season and led for the last time in RBI and slugging. He won his seventh Silver Slugger and first as a DH. Algiers earned the top seed at 102-60, but was upset by expansion Aleppo in the second round. Magdy won his final Slugger (DH) and led in homers for the tenth and final time in 2033. This had him at 868 dingers through his age 34 season, leading many to think he might realistically challenge Nordine Soule’s ALB career record of 1073.

2033 was also the third ALB Championship win of Algiers’ playoff streak, knocking out Khartoum in the conference final and Doha in the overall finale. They had their best showing in the Baseball Grand Championship, taking ninth outright at 11-10. It was Magdy’s weakest BGC with a .753 OPS, 108 wRC+, and 0.4 WAR, but he did have a better ALB postseason.

Magdy’s overall career playoff stats had 69 starts, 68 hits, 45 runs, 7 doubles, 35 homers, 57 RBI, .258/.306/.682 slash, 138 wRC+, and 2.3 WAR. He ranks one behind Walid Bennani for the ALB playoff record for homers and is sixth in RBI. Magdy also ranks 7^th in runs and 5^th in total bases. In his 58 BGC starts, Magdy had 47 hits, 36 runs, 24 home runs, 47 RBI, .222/.300/.571 slash, 153 wRC+, and 2.4 WAR.

His decline was abrupt in 2034, which started with missing most of April to a bone marrow edema in his knee. Magdy was awful all season with only 25 homers in 124 games, a .211/.281/.431 slash, 77 wRC+, and -1.1 WAR. Algiers at 90-72 ended up one win short in both the division and wild card races, ending their playoff streak. As grateful as the Arsenal were for Magdy’s efforts, it was clear he was cooked and he retired that year at age 36. Algiers immediately announced the retirement of his #8 uniform for his 15 seasons of dingers.

Magdy ended with 2074 games, 2139 hits, 1455 runs, 259 doubles, 893 homers, 1824 RBI, 525 walks, 1829 strikeouts, .286/.337/.683 slash, 1.020 OPS, 152 wRC+, and 64.4 WAR. He ranks 76^th in games, 33^rd in runs, 83^rd in hits, 32^nd in total bases (5109), 5^th in homers, 14^th in RBI, 76^th in strikeouts, and 52^nd in WAR among position players. Among ALB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Magdy is the career slugging leader and his 1.020 OPS is 16^th; despite being outside the top 100 for average and OBP.

On the world leaderboards, Magdy is 33^rd in home runs. Among world Hall of Famers and retired locks, his slugging percentage is second only to EBF legend Jacob Ronnberg at .686. Magdy’s OPS also sits 30^th among this group. When it came to slugging and hitting home runs, Magdy did it at a rate unseen throughout baseball history.

However, at all other facets of the game he was unexceptional, thus being 52^nd in WAR despite his absurd power. But that power alone and his role in Algiers’ dynasty made him a surefire HOF with a unique spot in Arab League Baseball’s history. Before Magdy’s arrival, the Arsenal were perpetually mid and after, they were a regular contender. He received 98.5% as part of a three-man HOF class for 2040.



Malik Zouaoui – Third Base – Tripoli Privateers – 96.9% First Ballot

Malik Zouaoui was a 5’11’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting third baseman from Tajarwin, Tunisia; a town of around 19,000 people. Zouaoui was one of the game’s best power hitters and was especially dominant facing right-handed pitching with a career 1.056 OPS and 164 wRC+. Facing lefties, he was merely decent with a 117 wRC+ and .848 OPS. His 162 game average got you 51 home runs and 38 doubles.

On the whole, Zouaoui graded with above average-to-good grades for contact and eye. However, he did strike out a ton with a 26.7% K rate. He was a “three true outcomes” guy with 43% of his plate appearances ending in homer, walk, or strikeout. Zouaoui was also a pathetically slow and sluggish baserunner. He was a career third baseman and had mediocre defensive metrics, but his bat alone made Zouaoui arguably the most impactful 3B thus far in ALB’s history.

Zouaoui’s hitting made him very popular as did his sparkplug attitude. He had a tireless work ethic along with a high baseball IQ and adaptability. Zouaoui also boasted ironman durability at a demanding spot, starting 145+ games each year from 2020-33. Despite humble beginnings, Zouaoui’s potential was noticed in nearby Libya. Tripoli inked him to a developmental deal in October 2013 as a teenager.

He spent the better part of five seasons in their academy, officially debuting with four at-bats in 2018. Zouaoui had a part-time role in 2019 with 92 games and 47 starts, but thrived in the small sample size with a 1.096 OPS, 177 wRC+, and 2.6 WAR. This earned the 22-year old the starting spot for the playoffs, where he made his mark in Privateers history.

Tripoli had won the Western Conference title the prior year, but lost to Jeddah in the Arab League Championship. The Privateers were 107-55 in 2019, but needed to go through 111-win Cairo for the pennant. Tripoli got the 3-0 sweep, then outlasted Jeddah 4-3 in a finals rematch for the Privateers’ second-ever title. Zouaoui was MVP of both series with 20 hits, 15 runs, 4 doubles, 6 homers, 14 RBI, 1.393 OPS, 265 wRC+, and 1.3 WAR.

Zouaoui kept rolling in the Baseball Grand Championship over 18 games with 17 hits, 11 runs, 2 doubles, 8 homers, 13 RBI, 11 walks, 1.226 OPS, 213 wRC+, and 1.4 WAR. Tripoli finished 8-11, but Zouaoui had already made his mark and become a fan favorite with his stellar run. He would be a full-time starter for the next 14 seasons in the Libyan capital.

In 2020, Zouaoui won his first of ten consecutive Silver Sluggers. It was also his first of three seasons with 60+ homers and first of seven seasons of 50+. Tripoli got the #1 seed at 108-54, but fell in their third straight WCF meeting with Cairo, this time upset 3-1 by the 93-win Pharaohs. Zouaoui was the series MVP even in defeat with a 1.732 OPS in four games.

Zouaoui signed an eight-year, $60,300,000 extension with Tripoli in April 2021. In 2022, he led the conference in homers (64), total bases (429), slugging (.723), OPS (1.137), wRC+ (186), and WAR (9.2); earning MVP honors. Zouaoui was second in 2025’s MVP voting with the lead in RBI (168), total bases (448), slugging (.762), OPS (1.163), wRC+ (191), and WAR (9.6). This year also had his career best for homers with 73.

However, Tripoli was stuck in the middle tier from 2021-25 with their best season at 83-79. Zouaoui dipped a bit in 2026, but the Privateers ended the playoff drought, albeit as a wild card with a second round exit. For 2027, Zouaoui was second in MVP voting but posted his career best for triple slash (.364/.428/.771), OPS (1.199), wRC+ (194), WAR (10.5), runs scored (139), and hits (218).

The Privateers needed to go 113-49 to hold off 112-win Algiers to win the division title and take the top seed. The Arsenal were upset in the first round, while Tripoli was stunned 3-1 by 94-win Jerusalem in the conference final. The Privateers went 102-60 in 2028, but Algiers took the division at 111-51 and defeated Tripoli in the conference final.

Zouaoui was hit-or-miss in his later playoff trips, but overall had excellent stats over 35 games with 48 hits, 28 runs, 11 doubles, 13 homers, 30 RBI, .356/.400/.726 slash, 190 wRC+, and 2.2 WAR. 2028 was Tripoli’s last playoff trip with Zouaoui, as they’d go 85-79 the next year followed by six straight losing seasons.

While the team struggled, Zouaoui remained a regular Silver Slugger winner and signed a five-year, $156,700,000 extension in June 2029. His 11 Silver Sluggers is the position record for ALB third basemen and he’s one of five at any position to win 11+ Sluggers. Zouaoui was done as an MVP candidate at this point, but remained a solid starter into his mid 30s.

In 2033, Zouaoui still hit 49 home runs but saw a notable dip with full season lows for OPS (.846), wRC+ (113), and WAR (1.8) and a new high of 206 strikeouts. He was reduced to a bench role in 2034 with only 32 starts and 81 games with a 93 wRC+ and 0 WAR. Zouaoui retired that winter at age 37 and immediately had his #20 uniform retired for his 17-year run with Tripoli.

Zouaoui ended with 2375 games, 2579 hits, 1572 runs, 552 doubles, 34 triples, 745 home runs, 1838 RBI, 832 walks, 2554 strikeouts, 5434 total bases, .301/.370/.635 slash, 1.005 OPS, 153 wRC+, and 90.6 WAR. Zouaoui ranks 37^th in games, 21^st in runs, 45^th in hits, 20^th in total bases, 39^th in doubles, 10^th in homers, 11^th in RBI, 22^nd in walks, 15^th in strikeouts, and 13^th in WAR among position players.

Among Arab League Baseball hitters with 3000+ plate appearances, Zouaoui is 44^th in OBP, 21^st in slugging, and 19^th in OPS. Among world Hall of Famers and retired locks, Zouaoui ranks 37^th in slugging and 46^th in OPS. He’s also the leader among ALB 3B for runs, homers, and WAR. There is a case that Zouaoui is the top third baseman in ALB history thus far, although Mohammad Al-Munibi (83.8 WAR) and the active Fekri Al-Baada both make their own solid cases. In any case, Zouaoui’s career was a HOF lock at 96.9% to round off a stellar three-man class for 2040.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

2B/LF Matheus Mabanza stood alone for induction into the African Association of Baseball’s Hall of Fame at 91.5% in 2040. Two returners were above 50%, but short of the 66% induction threshold. SP Fasika Mulatu saw 58.0% on his second try and SP Vally Nzamba was at 55.4% on his ninth attempt.



DH/2B Tsegaye Alemu was the lone man dropped after ten failed tries in 2040, ending at 23.8% and peaking at 41.2% in 2034. He was a leadoff man who led thrice in hits, five times in steals, and once in batting average and WAR; winning 2016 MVP with Bujumbura. Alemu had two Silver Sluggers, but he didn’t have the power or advanced stats to make a real run at the Hall.

Alemu ended with 1747 games, 1917 hits, 1028 runs, 366 doubles, 125 triples, 50 homers, 481 RBI, 527 walks, 418 strikeouts, 1156 steals, .315/.376/.441 slash, 118 wRC+, and 37.5 WAR. He ranks 9^th in triples and 6^th in stolen bases, but Sabermetrics weren’t kind to him and he played on mostly weak teams. It didn’t help Alemu that he was a putrid defender and made more than half of his starts as a DH.



Matheus Mabanza – Second Base/Left Field – Nairobi Night Hawks – 91.5% First Ballot

Matheus Mabanza was a 6’1’’, 190 pound left-handed hitting second baseman and utility man from Beni, a city of around 232,000 in the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Mabanza was an excellent contact hitter who regularly put the ball in play and avoided strikeouts, although he was merely okay at drawing walks. His batting results were basically even whether facing right-handed or left-handed pitching.

Mabanza’s gap power was impressive and he wasn’t devoid of home run power, posting 43 doubles, 5 triples, and 24 homers per his 162 game average. His baserunning and stealing ability both graded as quite good, although his speed was merely above average. That also limited him defensively, as he had lousy glove work at any spot he tried. Just over half of his starts came at second base, but Mabanza did see some use in left field and shortstop.

Even with his defensive deficiencies, Mabanza was always going to give his all with a sparkplug work ethic and adaptability. Surprisingly though, some criticized him for a perceived lack of loyalty and leadership. Back injuries were a recurring issue for Mabanza in an 18-year career, but he generally avoided big season-ending type injuries.

Mabanza was one of the top college prospects ahead of the 2016 AAB Draft and went third overall to Kigali. He had growing pains initially and struggled to -0.5 WAR in his first two seasons as a part-timer. Mabanza put it together in 2019 and won the batting title at .353, getting his first Silver Slugger at 2B. He won again in 2020 with the lead in doubles, average, OBP, and wRC+. The .635 slugging, 1.047 OPS, and 178 wRC+ that year were career bests. In 2021, Mabanza hit for the cycle against Kampala.

He had two more years as a solid starter, but Kigali continued to struggle. 2021 saw an 84-78 finish, their first winning season since 2012, but they were back below .500 the next year. It didn’t seem likely that Mabanza would stay long-term with the Guardians, so they traded him in March 2023 to Nairobi for prospects. He played 705 games with 832 hits, 436 runs, 186 doubles, 17 triples, 106 home runs, 360 RBI, 158 steals, .326/.388/.536 slash, 151 wRC+, and 23.9 WAR.

Mabanza became famous with the Night Hawks, who were competitive in the early 2020s but just outside of the playoffs. He won Silver Sluggers from 2024-26 and 28-29. Mabanza signed a three-year, $28,500,000 extension in April 2024 and two days later, had a six-hit game facing Ndjamena. 2024 saw his third batting title and a 65 double season, one of only 24 such seasons in any world league.

2026 was Mabanza’s only season as an MVP finalist, taking second with conference bests in doubles (58) and average (.361). This also had his career best 8.1 WAR, 119 runs, and 216 hits. Nairobi finished 103-59, their third-ever playoff trip and first time atop the Central Conference standings. They fell 4-2 in the conference finals to Bujumbura with Mabanza missing the series to a herniated disc. Still, his overall season earned a five-year, $121 million extension the following spring.

Mabanza never again reached that level of production, but he remained a capable starter for the next few years. Nairobi was first in the standings again in 2028 at 93-69, but lost 4-3 in the conference championship to Addis Ababa. In his first playoff series, Mabanza struggled to a .509 OPS and -0.2 WAR.

He had played in the World Baseball Championship previously for the DR Congo, albeit with unremarkable stats. In 123 games, Mabanza had 111 hits, 63 runs, 19 doubles, 15 homers, 42 RBI, .253/.319/.403 slash, and 2.4 WAR. His best effort was 2026 with a .897 OPS and 1.0 WAR, helping the Congolese to a third place finish; the only semifinal trip in national history.

In 2031, Mabanza earned his second cycle against Ndjamena, making him one of seven in AAB history to achieve the feat twice. Nairobi got back to the playoffs as a wild card in 2031, but lost to Djibouti in the conference final. Mabanza was out from September onward from a strained lat. In 2032, the Night Hawks took first in the standings for the third time, tying their franchise best at 102-60. Nairobi had finished tied with Brazzaville, but had the tiebreaker for home field advantage.

This time, the Night Hawks bested the Blowfish 4-2 for the Central Conference pennant. Nairobi then won its first-ever Africa Series title 5-3 over Johannesburg. Mabanza notably struggled to a .613 OPS, 59 wRC+, and -0.1 WAR in the playoffs. He fared much more respectably in the Baseball Grand Championship with 17 hits, 14 runs, 3 doubles, 8 homers, 15 RBI, .865 OPS, 132 wRC+, and 0.7 WAR. The Night Hawks stunned the world with a 16-5 finish to claim the Grand Championship.

It was a one-off ultimately with back-to-back losing seasons to follow for Nairobi. Mabanza signed a two-year, $21 million extension after the 2032 season, but posted middling stats for those final two seasons. He suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in summer 2033. Mabanza was healthy mostly in 2034, but his .777 OPS and 0.2 WAR were full season career worsts.

In total for Nairobi, Mabanza played 1614 games with 2013 hits, 1087 runs, 435 doubles, 52 triples, 223 homers, 886 RBI, 508 walks, 501 steals, .326/.384/.526 slash, 133 wRC+, and 45.4 WAR. Mabanza was a free agent for the first time in 2035, but no teams were interested. After going unsigned, he finally retired that winter at age 41. Shortly after that, the Night Hawks announced the retirement of Mabanza’s #18 uniform for his 12 years of solid service in the Kenyan capital.

Mabanza finished with 2319 games, 2845 hits, 1523 runs, 621 doubles, 69 triples, 339 home runs, 1246 RBI, 741 walks, 770 strikeouts, 659 steals, .326/.385/.529 slash, 138 wRC+, and 69.3 WAR. He ranks 22^nd in games, 18^th in runs, 3^rd in hits, 20^th in total bases (4621), 7^th in doubles, 91^st in homers, 38^th in RBI, 63^rd in walks, 45^th in steals, and 21^st in WAR for position players. Among AAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Mabanza ranks 13^th in batting average and 27^th in OBP.

While he wasn’t quite well-rounded or powerful enough to be an inner-circle level Hall of Famer, Mabanza’s credentials were rock solid. He especially stood out with a relatively quiet ballot for his 2040 debut. Mabanza earned 91.5% to become the lone inductee for the African Association of Baseball in 2040.

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The 94^th World Baseball Championship was hosted in Kampala, Uganda. Division 1 was a two team battle with Canada and Cameroon both at 15-3. They split their meetings with a 4-1 Canadian win and 4-2 Cameroonian win, giving the run differential tiebreaker to Canada. This denied what would’ve been Cameroon’s first-ever division title. The Canadians advanced for the 43^rd time, ending the longest drought in their history at eight seasons.

The United States was shooting for a seventh straight world title and dominated Division 2 at 16-2, four games ahead of their nearest foes Iran and South Africa. The Americans have moved forward 72 times in WBC history. D3 had a three-way tie at 12-6 between China, Finland, and Malaysia. The Finns advanced on a tiebreaker having swept the Malaysians, while the other matchups between the three were splits. This was Finland’s third-ever division title, joining their 2016-17 repeat.

Cuba clobbered the Division 4 field at 15-3, finishing four better than Japan and Turkey. This was the sixth division crown for the Cubans and first since 2007. India cruised in Division 5 at 14-4 with Bangladesh a distant second at 11-7. The Indians have advanced 18 times, 11 of those since 2024. Somalia, last year’s runner-up, finished tied for fourth at 9-9.

The Dominican Republic and Spain tied for first in Division 6 at 14-4, followed by South Korea at 12-6. The DR and Spanish split a pair of games with 2-1 and 7-6 margins. However, the Dominicans advanced with only 55 runs allowed compared to 64 by Spain. The DR advanced for back-to-back seasons and for the fifth time overall.

Division 7 had a three-way tie at 13-5 with Austria, Mexico, and Tanzania. All three split their pairs, but the run differential went to the Austrians (+6) over the Mexicans (+5) and Tanzanians (-11). Austria advanced for the tenth time overall and the fifth time in eight years. In D8, Brazil (14-4) held off last year’s third place finisher Venezuela (13-5). It was the 41^st playoff trip for the Brazilians and their sixth in the last decade.



Argentina (14-4) outlasted Kyrgyzstan (13-5) and the Netherlands (12-6) in Division 9. Critically, the Argentines swept both, including a 4-1 win in the penultimate game over the Kyrgyz. In their 10-0 opening win, Cristian Valdez tossed the 14^th perfect game in event history. It was Argentina’s 14^th division title and first since 2019.

Division 10 saw Indonesia and Italy tied at 13-5, while Senegal was one behind at 12-6. The Italians won the first meeting 4-3, then Indonesia matched 3-2 in the final game of the round on a walkoff single. The second tiebreaker of overall run differential favored the Indonesians (+48) over Italy (+24). Indonesia’s playoff streak grew to five years with their 35^th overall. They’ve only missed out thrice since 2028.

Another three way tie happened in Division 11 at 13-5 between Colombia, Romania, and Russia. On the last day, the Russians rolled the Romanians, which both created the three-way tie and gave Russia the edge amongst the three in run differential. They each split with the Russians +4, Colombians even, and Romanians -4. Russia moved on for the 22^nd time and back-to-back years. It was also their sixth playoff trip since 2032.

Over in Division 12, it was the Czech Republic, Ecuador, and Philippines all even at 13-5. The Czechs swept the Ecuadorans and split with the Filipinos, while Ecuador swept the Philippines. It was the ninth playoff appearance for Czechia and the second in four years. In D13, Haiti prevailed at 14-4 with Pakistan second at 12-6. The Haitians snagged repeat division titles and their seventh overall.

Division 14 saw Uzbekistan and Ethiopia at 14-4 with France 13-5. The Ethiopians won their opener 4-0 over the Uzbeks, but an 8-3 score in the rematch gave Uzbekistan the tiebreaker by one run. The Uzbeks became six-time division champs, having last achieved the feat in 2019.

Last year’s fourth place squad Australia won Division 15 at 14-4, besting England by one game. The Aussies swept the English 4-1 and 7-6 in their meetings. It was Australia’s fourth straight postseason trip and 12^th overall. Lastly, Vietnam won Division 16 outright at 14-4 with the Ivory Coast second at 12-6. The Vietnamese advanced for the seventh time overall and third in the last decade.