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FuzzyRussianHat · 03-19-2025, 05:43 PM

East Asia Baseball’s 2028 Hall of Fame class was an impactful one with four players getting first ballot induction. SP Do-Kyun Lee was the clear headliner at a near unanimous 98.8%. Fellow pitchers Si-Hun Choi and Takeo Nagai were next with solid marks of 86.4% and 83.3%, respectively. 1B/DH Hyogo Murayama narrowly joined them at 70.9%, just crossing the 66% requirement. Two second ballot guys fell short but were above 50% with C Ha-Jan Au at 58.8% and CL Geon-U Kang with 53.3%.

LF Kazuo Satoh fell off the ballot after ten failed tries, peaking at 51.5% in 2020 and ending at 18.8%. He was hurt by leaving for MLB at age 29 after a stellar eight year run with Bucheon, where he won one MVP, four Silver Sluggers, and two Gold Gloves. Satoh notably had 13.37 WAR in 1999, which still ranks as the fifth-best by a position player in EAB as of 2037.

Satoh’s EAB totals ended up being 1255 games, 1646 hits, 821 runs, 199 doubles, 164 triples, 266 home runs, 890 RBI, 396 steals, .328/.376/.624 slash, 166 wRC+, and 60.0 WAR. Satoh had a good MLB run and one year in WAB, giving him full career stats of 2474 games, 2814 hits, 1579 runs, 381 doubles, 258 triples, 500 home runs, 1623 RBI, 651 steals, 654 walks, .305/.358/.566 slash, 150 wRC+, and 97.8 WAR. The combined numbers would’ve gotten him in if they all came in one league, but the even career split kept his accumulations in any one league too low for most voters.

Also dropped after ten failed ballots was 2B Jae-Min Hwang, who peaked at 44.9% in 2020 and ended with 11.8%. Most of his run was with Niigata, winning six Silver Sluggers and two EAB titles. Hwang was also the 2006 EAB Championship MVP and led the league four times in both batting average and hits.

Hwang had 1834 games, 2297 hits, 928 runs, 416 doubles, 107 triples, 52 home runs, 687 RBI, 314 walks, 580 strikeouts, 360 steals, .340/.369/.456 slash, 147 wRC+, and 73.2 WAR. It was often tough for leadoff guys to gain traction without the big power numbers, plus second base was often an overlooked spot too. Hwang’s totals were also hurt by injury issues in his 30s. Although he fell short of the ultimate honor, Hwang’s #2 uniform was retired by the Green Dragons for his role in their 2000s success.

DH/1B Jun-Yeong Song also fell after ten ballots, getting as high as 26.8% on his debut before ending at 8.2%. He was another leadoff guy who lacked the big power numbers and only won Silver Slugger once. Song had 2232 games, 2818 hits, 1192 runs, 546 doubles, 107 triples, 102 homers, 1029 RBI, 387 walks, 347 steals, .346/.380/.477 slash, 136 wRC+, and 58.3 WAR.

Song’s batting average notably ranks 4^th as of 2037 among EAB batters with 3000+ career plate appearances. He did also lose value for many voters since he was a DH for about ¾ of his starts. Song did notably have the rare distinction of winning three championship rings each with different teams, taking the EAB title in 1997 with Yongin, 2003 with Seongnam, and 2013 with Daegu.

Do-Kyun Lee – Starting Pitcher – Seoul Seahawks – 98.8% First Ballot

Do-Kyun Lee was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Siheung, South Korea; a city with around 511,000 people. Lee’s stuff was absolutely incredible and graded as a 10/10 from some scouts in his prime, a very rare grade for a starter. He also had impressive control of his arsenal, although his movement could be inconsistent and lead to home run issues.

Lee’s fastball was stellar and regularly hit the 99-101 mph range. He didn’t lose much speed with a great sinker and also had a screwball and changeup in the arsenal. Lee’s stamina was quite solid in his prime and his durability was strong for most of his run. He was great at holding runners, but did grade as subpar defensively otherwise.

With his impressive strikeout tallies, Lee was a popular player throughout South Korea. However, many fans would quickly sour on him with his outspoken and toxic personality. Lee was loud, self-centered, lazy, and a bit dumb; often clashing with teammates and media. Those traits though made him a favorite of the Twitter troll type of sports fan that you wouldn’t trust next to an unattended drink.

Lee’s stuff was undeniable even as a teenager and he was brought to the capital Seoul on a developmental contract in June 2005. After just over six years in their academy, Lee debuted mostly in relief for 2011. He became a full-time starter in 2012, then became THE strikeout guy in the Korea League in 2013. From 2013-20, he led the league each season in Ks.

He was more than just strikeouts though, as Lee won four straight ERA titles from 2015-18. He was the WARlord from 2014-20 with Seoul and had 10+ in four different seasons. Lee also led five straight years in WHIP from 2015-19 and thrice led in shutouts. From 2015-17, he earned three consecutive Triple Crown seasons. Lee joined Aiya Kodama as the only three-time Triple Crown pitchers in EAB history and is one of only three in any league to achieve the feat consecutively.

Lee is one of six in EAB history to win five Pitcher of the Year awards, taking it in 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. He was also second place in 2019’s voting. In 2015, Lee became the first EAB ace to record a 400+ strikeout season, setting a new high mark at 447. He also was 27-8, becoming the third in EAB with a 27+ win season. On April 27, 2015; Lee recorded a 22 strikeout game against Busan, tying the EAB single-game record set by Michiro Yabuta back in 1924.

The 447 strikeouts remained the record briefly as Toshikuni Naikai topped it with 460 in 2018. Lee’s mark still remains #2 as of 2037 and he would breach 400+ in three more seasons. Only Lee (4) and Naikai (3) have reached the mark in EAB. His 2017 was his best season by WAR at 12.3, which ranks as EAB’s seventh-best by a pitcher. Lee’s top ERA came in 2017 at 1.93.

Lee made world history on September 29, 2016 in an extra innings affair with Jeonju. Over 11.2 innings, Lee struck out 26 batters, a single-game record that hasn’t been matched anywhere before or since. He breached 20 Ks in eight different games with only Naikai besting him in EAB with ten. Lee had 15+ strikeouts in 61 EAB games and would do it five times later in MLB. He also notably struck out 11 consecutive batters on August 6, 2020.

After a stretch in the middle tier, Lee helped Seoul return to contention with three straight trips to the Korea League Championship Series from 2017-19. The Seahawks were thwarted each time, twice by Changwon and once by Seongnam. Lee’s playoff stats were quite solid with a 6-1 record over 71 innings, 2.28 ERA, 116 strikeouts, 14 walks, 165 ERA+, and 3.2 WAR. Seoul would fall one game short of the playoffs in 2020.

Lee signed a seven-year, $154,600,000 extension before the 2017 season. However, his personality clashes with members of the organization and media were becoming more of a problem. After the 2020 season, Lee opted out of his deal and became a free agent heading towards age 32. This marked the end of his time pitching in EAB.

With Seoul, Lee had a 164-87 record, 2.47 ERA, 2404 innings, 3467 strikeouts, 271 walks, 198/266 quality starts, 154 complete games, 29 shutouts, 153 ERA+, 59 FIP-, and 85.3 WAR. Even though he only pitched 10 years in Korea with nine as a starter, Lee ranks 55^th in strikeouts, 40^th in shutouts, and 32^nd in pitching WAR as of 2037.

Among EAB pitchers with 1000+ innings, Lee also ranks 55^th in ERA and 6^th in WHIP (0.86). He also sits 7^th in K/9 (12.98), 32^nd in BB/9 (6.76), and 7^th in BB/9 (1.01). Lee’s .579 opponent’s OPS ranks 46^th, his .206 batting average is 30^th, and .235 OBP is 9^th. Even with the personality clashes, Seoul did eventually retire his #6 uniform at the end of his career.

Lee is generally viewed as the best pitcher of the 2010s for the Korea League and the second-best in East Asia Baseball for the time behind only Naikai. Even with a smaller sample size, Lee’s incredible strikeout dominance was among the best ever in any league. That plus five Pitcher of the Year awards made Lee a Hall of Fame lock, even if he was a loudmouth jerk. He received 98.8% to headline EAB’s four-player class in 2028.

His career continued for another six seasons in Major League Baseball. Even while in the United States, Lee did still come back to represent South Korea in the World Baseball Championship. From 2012-23, Lee had a 9-7 record, 173.2 innings, 2.95 ERA, 284 strikeouts, 40 walks, and 4.9 WAR.

Lee’s MLB run began in 2021 on a six-year, $120 million deal with Detroit. The Tigers had been a playoff regular in the past decade, but hadn’t managed to win the National Association pennant. Lee helped them change that in 2021, leading in his MLB debut in Ks and WAR. The season included a 30-inning scoreless streak in the fall. Detroit ultimately lost in the World Series to a 112-win New Orleans squad.

In the playoffs, Lee had a 1.91 ERA over 47 innings, 3-1 record, 63 strikeouts, and 2.2 WAR. Only once before had an MLB pitcher gotten 50+ Ks in the playoffs, falling just short of Kato Tu’s record 65 from 1919. Lee’s WAR was also the second-best ever by a pitcher in MLB history behind only Ned Giles’ 2.3 from 1938. He also had a good showing in the Baseball Grand Championship with a 2.65 ERA over 34 innings and 54 strikeouts. Detroit would finish 11-8, part of a five-way tie for fourth place.

Lee dipped a bit in 2022, but was still solid with 6.5 WAR. He also had a 20 strikeout game on April 7 against Louisville, becoming the first in world history with a 20K game in multiple leagues. The Tigers would miss the playoffs at 86-76, but bounced back with four straight division titles from 2023-26. The previously durable Lee though would see a major setback in May 2023 with a stretched elbow ligament knocking him out 12 months.

He was still good in 2024 and 2025 for the Tigers, but his stuff with diminished with his velocity now peaking in the mid 90s. Lee was decent in the later playoff runs, which included a Detroit World Series win over Nashville. He had a 4.00 ERA over 27 innings in the 2025 Baseball Grand Championship as the Tigers tied for fourth at 12-7. Lee’s overall playoff stats with Detroit saw a 2.79 ERA over 87 innings, 5-3 record, 96 strikeouts, 134 ERA+, and 3.1 WAR.

Lee’s velocity really plummeted in 2026 and he had a 9.00 ERA in three starts for Detroit, who cut him outright on April 10. In total for the Tigers, Lee had a 63-37 record, 3.05 ERA, 1022.1 innings, 1119 strikeouts, 148 walks, 120 ERA+, and 26.1 WAR. Even with the injury and bad final year, Lee certainly proved to be an impactful signing for Detroit.

Chicago employed Lee for only two days in late April and he never saw the field before being cut again. Sacramento gave him a look in May with Lee struggling to a 5.14 ERA over 77 innings. Lee didn’t want to accept that he was done and looked around in 2027. After going unsigned all year, he finally retired at age 38.

Lee’s combined pro baseball stats saw a 230-128 record, 2.70 ERA, 3503.1 innings, 4630 strikeouts, 433 walks, 198 complete games, 41 shutouts, 140 ERA+, 65 FIP-, and 112.0 WAR. Even if you disliked him as a person, Lee was one of the best pitchers of his era and one of the all-time best at getting whiffs. His Seoul run especially was among the strongest decades by any starter, securing Lee’s spot into EAB’s Hall of Fame.

Si-Hun Choi – Starting Pitcher – Kawasaki Killer Whales – 86.4% First Ballot

Si-Hun Choi was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Gimcheon, South Korea; a city of 135,000 in the central part of the country. Choi was well-rounded with good to occasionally great stuff, movement, and control. His fastball peaked in the 95-97 mph range, but it was his excellent changeup which earned the most whiffs. Choi also had a decent curveball and forkball in the arsenal.

Choi’s stamina was very good and he generally avoided major injuries, tossing 200+ innings in all but two of his 18 seasons. He graded as solid defensively and at holding runners. Choi was outspoken and not the brightest, but he wasn’t actively problematic like his Hall of Fame classmate Do-Kyun Lee. Choi sometimes said the wrong thing at the wrong time, but no one questioned his work ethic or commitment.

In June 2000, a teenaged Choi moved from South Korea to Japan on a developmental contract with Kawasaki. He spent the better part of six years in their academy, debuting in 2005 at age 21 with five poor starts and a 6.75 ERA. They carried on making Choi a full-timer the next year with decent production initially, taking second in 2006’s Rookie of the Year voting. He never was overwhelmingly dominant, but he settled into reliably having a sub-three ERA with 200+ strikeouts and 4+ WAR most years.

Kawasaki was rebuilding when Choi arrived and found their first successes with him in 2010 and 2012. The Killer Whales had the #1 seed both years, but went one-and-done both seasons. They stayed generally above .500, but outside of the playoffs from 2013-17. In August 2014, Choi signed a six-year, $66,600,000 extension to stick with Kawasaki long-term.

Choi was never a Pitcher of the Year finalist and rarely a league leader. He had the most wins in 2015 at 21-8 and led in WHIP in 2013 at 0.83. His best WAR marks were 5.4 in both 2016 and 2017. Kawasaki made it back to the playoffs in 2018, falling in the Japan League Championship Series to Osaka. Then in 2019, the Killer Whales took the pennant, but fell to Seongnam for the EAB Championship.

With Kawasaki, his career playoff numbers were okay with a 3.36 ERA in 75 innings, 2-5 record, 80 strikeouts, 10 walks, 97 ERA+, and 0.5 WAR. He went on a surprise tear in the 2019 Baseball Grand Championship, taking third in Best Pitcher voting with a 1.83 ERA over four starts, 3-1 record, 34.1 innings, 42 strikeouts, and 1.3 WAR. The Killer Whales finished 9-10 in the event.

Despite that effort, Kawasaki declined his contract option after the 2019 campaign, making Choi a free agent for the first time at age 36. For the Killer Whales, he had a 198-139 record, 2.76 ERA, 3238.1 innings, 3084 strikeouts, 544 walks, 121 ERA+, and 59.2 WAR. Kawasaki would later retire his #11 uniform for his steady work over a 15-year run.

Choi signed a two-year, $27 million deal with Busan and gave them his standard production in 2020. The Blue Jays earned the Korea League’s top seed, but lost in the first round with Choi giving up four runs over seven innings in his one playoff start. In 2021, he struggled with injuries, capped off by a torn labrum in July. With Busan, Choi finished with a 16-14 record, 2.94 ERA, 288 innings, 274 strikeouts, 128 ERA+, and 5.4 WAR.

He worked his way back from injury and signed with Daegu in 2022. Choi had a full season, albeit with lackluster results with a 4.52 ERA over 243 innings. He stepped up in four playoff starts though with a 4-0 record, 2.90 ERA, 31 innings, and 20 strikeouts. This helped the Diamondbacks win the Korea League pennant, although they lost to Fukuoka for the EAB Championship. Choi retired with just after his 39^th birthday, not even sticking around for the BGC.

Choi ended with a 234-162 record, 2.89 ERA, 3769.1 innings, 3516 strikeouts, 651 walks, 325/477 quality starts, 141 complete games, 41 shutouts, 118 ERA+, 90 FIP-, and 65.7 WAR. As of 2037, Choi ranks 29^th in wins, 32^nd in innings, 32^nd in complete games, 6^th in shutouts, 49^th in strikeouts, and 100^th in WAR.

Advanced stats suggested Choi was probably closer to “good” rather than “great.” He didn’t have the big awards or black ink, but Choi hit pretty much all of the accumulation check marks that voters looked for out of a starting pitcher. He earned 86.4% for a first ballot induction as the second of four members in East Asia Baseball’s 2028 Hall of Fame class.

03-19-2025, 05:43 PM	#2158
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,887	2028 EAB Hall of Fame (Part 1) East Asia Baseball’s 2028 Hall of Fame class was an impactful one with four players getting first ballot induction. SP Do-Kyun Lee was the clear headliner at a near unanimous 98.8%. Fellow pitchers Si-Hun Choi and Takeo Nagai were next with solid marks of 86.4% and 83.3%, respectively. 1B/DH Hyogo Murayama narrowly joined them at 70.9%, just crossing the 66% requirement. Two second ballot guys fell short but were above 50% with C Ha-Jan Au at 58.8% and CL Geon-U Kang with 53.3%. LF Kazuo Satoh fell off the ballot after ten failed tries, peaking at 51.5% in 2020 and ending at 18.8%. He was hurt by leaving for MLB at age 29 after a stellar eight year run with Bucheon, where he won one MVP, four Silver Sluggers, and two Gold Gloves. Satoh notably had 13.37 WAR in 1999, which still ranks as the fifth-best by a position player in EAB as of 2037. Satoh’s EAB totals ended up being 1255 games, 1646 hits, 821 runs, 199 doubles, 164 triples, 266 home runs, 890 RBI, 396 steals, .328/.376/.624 slash, 166 wRC+, and 60.0 WAR. Satoh had a good MLB run and one year in WAB, giving him full career stats of 2474 games, 2814 hits, 1579 runs, 381 doubles, 258 triples, 500 home runs, 1623 RBI, 651 steals, 654 walks, .305/.358/.566 slash, 150 wRC+, and 97.8 WAR. The combined numbers would’ve gotten him in if they all came in one league, but the even career split kept his accumulations in any one league too low for most voters. Also dropped after ten failed ballots was 2B Jae-Min Hwang, who peaked at 44.9% in 2020 and ended with 11.8%. Most of his run was with Niigata, winning six Silver Sluggers and two EAB titles. Hwang was also the 2006 EAB Championship MVP and led the league four times in both batting average and hits. Hwang had 1834 games, 2297 hits, 928 runs, 416 doubles, 107 triples, 52 home runs, 687 RBI, 314 walks, 580 strikeouts, 360 steals, .340/.369/.456 slash, 147 wRC+, and 73.2 WAR. It was often tough for leadoff guys to gain traction without the big power numbers, plus second base was often an overlooked spot too. Hwang’s totals were also hurt by injury issues in his 30s. Although he fell short of the ultimate honor, Hwang’s #2 uniform was retired by the Green Dragons for his role in their 2000s success. DH/1B Jun-Yeong Song also fell after ten ballots, getting as high as 26.8% on his debut before ending at 8.2%. He was another leadoff guy who lacked the big power numbers and only won Silver Slugger once. Song had 2232 games, 2818 hits, 1192 runs, 546 doubles, 107 triples, 102 homers, 1029 RBI, 387 walks, 347 steals, .346/.380/.477 slash, 136 wRC+, and 58.3 WAR. Song’s batting average notably ranks 4^th as of 2037 among EAB batters with 3000+ career plate appearances. He did also lose value for many voters since he was a DH for about ¾ of his starts. Song did notably have the rare distinction of winning three championship rings each with different teams, taking the EAB title in 1997 with Yongin, 2003 with Seongnam, and 2013 with Daegu. Do-Kyun Lee – Starting Pitcher – Seoul Seahawks – 98.8% First Ballot Do-Kyun Lee was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Siheung, South Korea; a city with around 511,000 people. Lee’s stuff was absolutely incredible and graded as a 10/10 from some scouts in his prime, a very rare grade for a starter. He also had impressive control of his arsenal, although his movement could be inconsistent and lead to home run issues. Lee’s fastball was stellar and regularly hit the 99-101 mph range. He didn’t lose much speed with a great sinker and also had a screwball and changeup in the arsenal. Lee’s stamina was quite solid in his prime and his durability was strong for most of his run. He was great at holding runners, but did grade as subpar defensively otherwise. With his impressive strikeout tallies, Lee was a popular player throughout South Korea. However, many fans would quickly sour on him with his outspoken and toxic personality. Lee was loud, self-centered, lazy, and a bit dumb; often clashing with teammates and media. Those traits though made him a favorite of the Twitter troll type of sports fan that you wouldn’t trust next to an unattended drink. Lee’s stuff was undeniable even as a teenager and he was brought to the capital Seoul on a developmental contract in June 2005. After just over six years in their academy, Lee debuted mostly in relief for 2011. He became a full-time starter in 2012, then became THE strikeout guy in the Korea League in 2013. From 2013-20, he led the league each season in Ks. He was more than just strikeouts though, as Lee won four straight ERA titles from 2015-18. He was the WARlord from 2014-20 with Seoul and had 10+ in four different seasons. Lee also led five straight years in WHIP from 2015-19 and thrice led in shutouts. From 2015-17, he earned three consecutive Triple Crown seasons. Lee joined Aiya Kodama as the only three-time Triple Crown pitchers in EAB history and is one of only three in any league to achieve the feat consecutively. Lee is one of six in EAB history to win five Pitcher of the Year awards, taking it in 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. He was also second place in 2019’s voting. In 2015, Lee became the first EAB ace to record a 400+ strikeout season, setting a new high mark at 447. He also was 27-8, becoming the third in EAB with a 27+ win season. On April 27, 2015; Lee recorded a 22 strikeout game against Busan, tying the EAB single-game record set by Michiro Yabuta back in 1924. The 447 strikeouts remained the record briefly as Toshikuni Naikai topped it with 460 in 2018. Lee’s mark still remains #2 as of 2037 and he would breach 400+ in three more seasons. Only Lee (4) and Naikai (3) have reached the mark in EAB. His 2017 was his best season by WAR at 12.3, which ranks as EAB’s seventh-best by a pitcher. Lee’s top ERA came in 2017 at 1.93. Lee made world history on September 29, 2016 in an extra innings affair with Jeonju. Over 11.2 innings, Lee struck out 26 batters, a single-game record that hasn’t been matched anywhere before or since. He breached 20 Ks in eight different games with only Naikai besting him in EAB with ten. Lee had 15+ strikeouts in 61 EAB games and would do it five times later in MLB. He also notably struck out 11 consecutive batters on August 6, 2020. After a stretch in the middle tier, Lee helped Seoul return to contention with three straight trips to the Korea League Championship Series from 2017-19. The Seahawks were thwarted each time, twice by Changwon and once by Seongnam. Lee’s playoff stats were quite solid with a 6-1 record over 71 innings, 2.28 ERA, 116 strikeouts, 14 walks, 165 ERA+, and 3.2 WAR. Seoul would fall one game short of the playoffs in 2020. Lee signed a seven-year, $154,600,000 extension before the 2017 season. However, his personality clashes with members of the organization and media were becoming more of a problem. After the 2020 season, Lee opted out of his deal and became a free agent heading towards age 32. This marked the end of his time pitching in EAB. With Seoul, Lee had a 164-87 record, 2.47 ERA, 2404 innings, 3467 strikeouts, 271 walks, 198/266 quality starts, 154 complete games, 29 shutouts, 153 ERA+, 59 FIP-, and 85.3 WAR. Even though he only pitched 10 years in Korea with nine as a starter, Lee ranks 55^th in strikeouts, 40^th in shutouts, and 32^nd in pitching WAR as of 2037. Among EAB pitchers with 1000+ innings, Lee also ranks 55^th in ERA and 6^th in WHIP (0.86). He also sits 7^th in K/9 (12.98), 32^nd in BB/9 (6.76), and 7^th in BB/9 (1.01). Lee’s .579 opponent’s OPS ranks 46^th, his .206 batting average is 30^th, and .235 OBP is 9^th. Even with the personality clashes, Seoul did eventually retire his #6 uniform at the end of his career. Lee is generally viewed as the best pitcher of the 2010s for the Korea League and the second-best in East Asia Baseball for the time behind only Naikai. Even with a smaller sample size, Lee’s incredible strikeout dominance was among the best ever in any league. That plus five Pitcher of the Year awards made Lee a Hall of Fame lock, even if he was a loudmouth jerk. He received 98.8% to headline EAB’s four-player class in 2028. His career continued for another six seasons in Major League Baseball. Even while in the United States, Lee did still come back to represent South Korea in the World Baseball Championship. From 2012-23, Lee had a 9-7 record, 173.2 innings, 2.95 ERA, 284 strikeouts, 40 walks, and 4.9 WAR. Lee’s MLB run began in 2021 on a six-year, $120 million deal with Detroit. The Tigers had been a playoff regular in the past decade, but hadn’t managed to win the National Association pennant. Lee helped them change that in 2021, leading in his MLB debut in Ks and WAR. The season included a 30-inning scoreless streak in the fall. Detroit ultimately lost in the World Series to a 112-win New Orleans squad. In the playoffs, Lee had a 1.91 ERA over 47 innings, 3-1 record, 63 strikeouts, and 2.2 WAR. Only once before had an MLB pitcher gotten 50+ Ks in the playoffs, falling just short of Kato Tu’s record 65 from 1919. Lee’s WAR was also the second-best ever by a pitcher in MLB history behind only Ned Giles’ 2.3 from 1938. He also had a good showing in the Baseball Grand Championship with a 2.65 ERA over 34 innings and 54 strikeouts. Detroit would finish 11-8, part of a five-way tie for fourth place. Lee dipped a bit in 2022, but was still solid with 6.5 WAR. He also had a 20 strikeout game on April 7 against Louisville, becoming the first in world history with a 20K game in multiple leagues. The Tigers would miss the playoffs at 86-76, but bounced back with four straight division titles from 2023-26. The previously durable Lee though would see a major setback in May 2023 with a stretched elbow ligament knocking him out 12 months. He was still good in 2024 and 2025 for the Tigers, but his stuff with diminished with his velocity now peaking in the mid 90s. Lee was decent in the later playoff runs, which included a Detroit World Series win over Nashville. He had a 4.00 ERA over 27 innings in the 2025 Baseball Grand Championship as the Tigers tied for fourth at 12-7. Lee’s overall playoff stats with Detroit saw a 2.79 ERA over 87 innings, 5-3 record, 96 strikeouts, 134 ERA+, and 3.1 WAR. Lee’s velocity really plummeted in 2026 and he had a 9.00 ERA in three starts for Detroit, who cut him outright on April 10. In total for the Tigers, Lee had a 63-37 record, 3.05 ERA, 1022.1 innings, 1119 strikeouts, 148 walks, 120 ERA+, and 26.1 WAR. Even with the injury and bad final year, Lee certainly proved to be an impactful signing for Detroit. Chicago employed Lee for only two days in late April and he never saw the field before being cut again. Sacramento gave him a look in May with Lee struggling to a 5.14 ERA over 77 innings. Lee didn’t want to accept that he was done and looked around in 2027. After going unsigned all year, he finally retired at age 38. Lee’s combined pro baseball stats saw a 230-128 record, 2.70 ERA, 3503.1 innings, 4630 strikeouts, 433 walks, 198 complete games, 41 shutouts, 140 ERA+, 65 FIP-, and 112.0 WAR. Even if you disliked him as a person, Lee was one of the best pitchers of his era and one of the all-time best at getting whiffs. His Seoul run especially was among the strongest decades by any starter, securing Lee’s spot into EAB’s Hall of Fame. Si-Hun Choi – Starting Pitcher – Kawasaki Killer Whales – 86.4% First Ballot Si-Hun Choi was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Gimcheon, South Korea; a city of 135,000 in the central part of the country. Choi was well-rounded with good to occasionally great stuff, movement, and control. His fastball peaked in the 95-97 mph range, but it was his excellent changeup which earned the most whiffs. Choi also had a decent curveball and forkball in the arsenal. Choi’s stamina was very good and he generally avoided major injuries, tossing 200+ innings in all but two of his 18 seasons. He graded as solid defensively and at holding runners. Choi was outspoken and not the brightest, but he wasn’t actively problematic like his Hall of Fame classmate Do-Kyun Lee. Choi sometimes said the wrong thing at the wrong time, but no one questioned his work ethic or commitment. In June 2000, a teenaged Choi moved from South Korea to Japan on a developmental contract with Kawasaki. He spent the better part of six years in their academy, debuting in 2005 at age 21 with five poor starts and a 6.75 ERA. They carried on making Choi a full-timer the next year with decent production initially, taking second in 2006’s Rookie of the Year voting. He never was overwhelmingly dominant, but he settled into reliably having a sub-three ERA with 200+ strikeouts and 4+ WAR most years. Kawasaki was rebuilding when Choi arrived and found their first successes with him in 2010 and 2012. The Killer Whales had the #1 seed both years, but went one-and-done both seasons. They stayed generally above .500, but outside of the playoffs from 2013-17. In August 2014, Choi signed a six-year, $66,600,000 extension to stick with Kawasaki long-term. Choi was never a Pitcher of the Year finalist and rarely a league leader. He had the most wins in 2015 at 21-8 and led in WHIP in 2013 at 0.83. His best WAR marks were 5.4 in both 2016 and 2017. Kawasaki made it back to the playoffs in 2018, falling in the Japan League Championship Series to Osaka. Then in 2019, the Killer Whales took the pennant, but fell to Seongnam for the EAB Championship. With Kawasaki, his career playoff numbers were okay with a 3.36 ERA in 75 innings, 2-5 record, 80 strikeouts, 10 walks, 97 ERA+, and 0.5 WAR. He went on a surprise tear in the 2019 Baseball Grand Championship, taking third in Best Pitcher voting with a 1.83 ERA over four starts, 3-1 record, 34.1 innings, 42 strikeouts, and 1.3 WAR. The Killer Whales finished 9-10 in the event. Despite that effort, Kawasaki declined his contract option after the 2019 campaign, making Choi a free agent for the first time at age 36. For the Killer Whales, he had a 198-139 record, 2.76 ERA, 3238.1 innings, 3084 strikeouts, 544 walks, 121 ERA+, and 59.2 WAR. Kawasaki would later retire his #11 uniform for his steady work over a 15-year run. Choi signed a two-year, $27 million deal with Busan and gave them his standard production in 2020. The Blue Jays earned the Korea League’s top seed, but lost in the first round with Choi giving up four runs over seven innings in his one playoff start. In 2021, he struggled with injuries, capped off by a torn labrum in July. With Busan, Choi finished with a 16-14 record, 2.94 ERA, 288 innings, 274 strikeouts, 128 ERA+, and 5.4 WAR. He worked his way back from injury and signed with Daegu in 2022. Choi had a full season, albeit with lackluster results with a 4.52 ERA over 243 innings. He stepped up in four playoff starts though with a 4-0 record, 2.90 ERA, 31 innings, and 20 strikeouts. This helped the Diamondbacks win the Korea League pennant, although they lost to Fukuoka for the EAB Championship. Choi retired with just after his 39^th birthday, not even sticking around for the BGC. Choi ended with a 234-162 record, 2.89 ERA, 3769.1 innings, 3516 strikeouts, 651 walks, 325/477 quality starts, 141 complete games, 41 shutouts, 118 ERA+, 90 FIP-, and 65.7 WAR. As of 2037, Choi ranks 29^th in wins, 32^nd in innings, 32^nd in complete games, 6^th in shutouts, 49^th in strikeouts, and 100^th in WAR. Advanced stats suggested Choi was probably closer to “good” rather than “great.” He didn’t have the big awards or black ink, but Choi hit pretty much all of the accumulation check marks that voters looked for out of a starting pitcher. He earned 86.4% for a first ballot induction as the second of four members in East Asia Baseball’s 2028 Hall of Fame class. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)