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FuzzyRussianHat · 03-25-2025, 07:08 AM

For the third time in its history, the Asian Baseball Federation had a four-player Hall of Fame class for 2028. Pitcher Khalid Osmonov was the clear headliner on the first ballot at 93.0%. CF Ziad Tarkhan was next with a rock solid 78.3% for his debut. The other two inductees were returning relievers who barely crossed the 66% requirement. Sadri Delkashi got 69.8% on his third ballot and Gafar Aliev got 68.0% in his second try.

Three others were above 50% with SP Amgad al-Jal debuting at 54.5%, SP Ozgur Ermalci debuting with 53.4%, and 1B Aayushi Pereira at 51.9% on his third go. Three ended up dropped after missing induction in ten consecutive ballots. Leading this group was 3B Khuzaimah Hoqar, who peaked at 47.8% in 2020 and ended at 29.0%.

Hoqar won four Silver Sluggers in 16-year career and won the 2006 ABF title with Lahore. He played 2303 games with 1965 hits, 1066 runs, 428 doubles, 478 home runs, 1190 RBI, 718 walks, 2465 strikeouts, .243/.317/.482 slash, 151 wRC+, and 91.3 WAR. Hoqar wasn’t a league leader though and wasn’t quite dominant enough to impress many voters. Still, Hoqar is one of the biggest snubs since he ranks 26^th in WAR among position players and 4^th among third basemen as of 2037.

SP Shaheed Qureshi finished at 8.2% after peaking at 37.9% in 2022. He won 2004 Pitcher of the Year for Ankara, but never replicated that dominance in later seasons. Qureshi had a 161-178 record, 3.44 ERA, 3152.1 innings, 3701 strikeouts, 101 ERA+, and 44.4 WAR. He ranks 25^th in strikeouts as of 2037, but also has the 5^th most walks allowed and 8^th most homers. Qureshi’s boom or bust outings gave him enough bad starts to overshadow his impressive ones.

C Faris Saifullah also fell off the ballot, peaking at 41.1% in 2020 with a finish at only 6.2%. He won seven Silver Sluggers in his 13 year career, but was hurt by the low totals that come with catching. Saifullah had 1614 hits, 797 runs, 342 doubles, 287 home runs, 909 RBI, .260/.329/.459 slash, 147 wRC+, and 71.4 WAR. Saifullah is second in WAR among catchers and 61^st among all position players as of 2037, but yet again HOF voters held catchers to standards nearly impossible to reach with the demands of the position.

Khalid Osmonov – Starting Pitcher – Tehran Tarpons – 93.0% First Ballot

Khalid Osmonov was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. Osmonov had excellent movement on his pitches along with good-to-great stuff and control. His fastball only peaked in the 93-95 mph range, but he countered it with a stellar changeup. Osmonov also had a curveball as a third option and had an extreme groundball tendency.

Compared to most ABF aces, Osmonov had weak stamina and rarely went the distance. His durability was generally solid in his 20s at least. Osmonov had a good pickoff move and was an elite defensive pitcher, winning eight Gold Gloves. He was a fan favorite known for his loyalty and work ethic, showing impressive dedication to both the game and his fans.

Osmonov left Azerbaijan for the Iranian capital in November 2002 as he singed a developmental contract with Tehran. He spent most of five years in the Tarpons academy, officially debuting with 11.1 innings in 2007 at age 20. Osmonov was rostered most of 2008 in the bullpen and earned a rotation spot in 2009. 2010 started the eight-year streak of Gold Glove wins. Osmonov holds the ABF record by Gold Gloves at the position.

In May 2011, Osmonov signed a four-year, $15,360,000 extension with Tehran. The Tarpons had been largely terrible for the prior decade, but they were soon to become a top contender. In 2011, they ended a 17-year playoff drought as a wild card and made a surprise run to the West League pennant. Tehran ultimately fell to Faisalabad in the ABF Championship with Osmonov posting a 2.53 ERA over 21.1 playoff innings.

This was the start of a nine-year playoff streak for the Tarpons, although they didn’t immediately find playoff success. Tehran lost in the first round in 2012, 14, and 15; while losing in the 2013 WLCS. In 2015, they were upset by Shiraz despite being the top seed at 115-47, setting a new ABF wins record. Osmonov was doing his job all the while, taking second in 2012’s Pitcher of the Year voting with an ERA title at 1.65. He followed it up with a third place in 2013.

Osmonov inked another six year, $54 million extension in May 2015 at age 28. That year, he delivered his first Pitcher of the Year win, leading in wins (24-2) and WAR (9.0). Osmonov took second in 2016 as the WARlord again with a career best 9.2. Tehran was the #1 seed again, this time at 102-60. The Tarpons got over the hump, winning their first ABF Championship over Dushanbe.

In the playoff run, Osmonov had a 2.13 ERA over 25.1 innings with 38 strikeouts. He boasted similar stats in the Baseball Grand Championship with a 2.15 ERA and 41 Ks in 29.1 innings. Tehran finished 11-8, one of five teams tied for the fifth place spot. The Tarpons and Osmonov were both determined to do even better in 2017 and delivered.

Osmonov won his second Pitcher of the Year with a 1.25 ERA, which ranked behind only Dhofar Ghaffar’s 1.22 from 1989 for the best qualifying season in ABF history. He also posted 0.66 WHIP, which ranks as the third-best in ABF as of 2037. Osmonov had his third straight 9+ WAR season and back-to-back 300+ efforts. He also had his lone no-hitter on August 11 with 17 Ks and one walk facing Ankara. This helped push Tehran to 116-46, breaking their own ABF wins record.

The 2017 Tarpons staked their claim for ABF’s best-ever team by winning it all, defeating Asgabat for the title. Osmonov was surprisingly weak in the playoff run with a 4.91 ERA over 18.1 innings. He made up for it with an impressive 1.42 ERA over 25.1 innings with 35 Ks in the Baseball Grand Championship. Tehran again finished 11-8, this time in a five-way tie for fourth and one game from the top prize.

Osmonov had a good 2018, but Tehran fell to a wild card and lost in the first round. For his playoff career, it was a mixed bag with a 3.17 ERA over 122 innings, 6-6 record, 146 strikeouts, 19 walks, 104 ERA+, 84 FIP-, and 2.6 WAR. In any event, Osmonov is remembered fondly as a huge part of Tehran’s dynasty run. The Tarpons retired his #23 uniform at the end of his career.

His Tehran run ended abruptly with a torn rotator cuff in May 2019. Osmonov was originally diagnosed to be out only 4-5 months, but a setback tacked on another 15 months. He missed all of 2020 and it was uncertain he’d ever return to form or even make it back at all. In his absence, Tehran’s run ended and they plummeted to 68-94 in 2020. Osmonov was still under contract for 2021, but the full rebuild was now on. The Tarpons traded him in the offseason to Dushanbe for two prospects and a second round draft pick.

Osmonov made his return to the field in 2021 with okay production, but he missed the final two months to a torn meniscus. His one year with the Dyano saw a 3.66 ERA over 118 innings and 2.7 WAR. A free agent for the first time at age 35, Osmonov signed a one-year, $4,440,000 deal with Hyderabad. He looked mid with the Horned Frogs as well with a 3.66 ERA over 130.1 innings and 1.5 WAR. Osmonov also missed time between a herniated disc and shoulder inflammation. He opted to retire after the 2022 campaign at age 36.

In total, Osmonov had a 164-97 record, 2.38 ERA, 2388.2 innings, 2878 strikeouts, 472 walks, 235/328 quality starts, 20 complete games, 7 shutouts, 142 ERA+, 69 FIP-, and 68.3 WAR. As of 2037, Osmonov ranks 43^rd in wins, 65^th in innings, 52^nd in strikeouts, and 20^th in pitching WAR. He didn’t have the longevity or innings to really soar up the accumulation leaderboards. But Osmonov’s efficiency was quite impressive.

Among all pitchers with 1000+ innings, his ERA ranks 19^th, his .572 opponent’s OPS is 30^th, and his 0.93 WHIP is 25^th. Osmonov also ranks 34^th in H/9 (6.63) and his .205/.252/.320 triple slash ranks 33^rd for each slot. He was certainly one of the most impressive arms of his era and was a key piece for Tehran’s dynasty run. At 93.0%, Osmonov earned a first ballot headline spot for the four-player 2028 Hall of Fame class for the Asian Baseball Federation.

Ziad Tarkhan – Center Field – Karachi Carp – 78.3% First Ballot

Ziad Tarkhan was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed center fielder from Mardan, Pakistan; a city of around 368,000 people. Tarkhan was a solid contact hitter with a decent eye for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. His gap power was especially potent with 40 doubles and 10 triples per his 162 game average. Tarkhan didn’t have prolific home run power, but he was also good for 22 dingers per 162.

Tarkhan was a menace on the basepaths with great speed and outstanding baserunning and base stealing skills. He spent the vast majority of his career in center field with above average defensive production on the whole. In his later years, Tarkhan spent more time in right field or as a designated hitter. He had some injuries, but held up pretty well over a 19-year career.

Coming out of high school for the 2000 ABF Draft, Tarkhan was already one of the top ranked prospects. He was picked fourth overall by Karachi, who kept him in their developmental system almost exclusively for his first three pro seasons. The Carp though he was ready to start in 2004 and they were right. Tarkhan earned Rookie of the Year and started a streak of 12 consecutive seasons worth 6+ WAR. His lone Gold Glove came in his sophomore campaign in 2005.

2004 started a six-year playoff streak for Karachi, although they had first round exits in the first three years. 2006 was a big disappointment as they had earned the East League’s top seed at 111-51. Still, Tarkhan posted 1.349 OPS and 0.8 WAR in their first round loss in 2006. The Carp had the top seed again in 2007 and made to the ELCS, but were thwarted by Bishkek.

In 2008, Tarkhan won his first Silver Slugger and was third in MVP voting. Karachi broke through and won the ELCS, but lost the ABF Championship to a 112-win Istanbul. The following May, the Carp signed Tarkhan to an eight-year, $60,100,000 extension. Karachi made it back in 2009 and that time claimed their first ABF title, defeating Ankara in the final.

It was a banner year for Tarkhan, who won his lone MVP and another Silver Slugger. He led the league in RBI (108), total bases (346), average (.320), slugging (.595), OPS (.969), wRC+ (204), and WAR (12.2). The average, slugging, OPS, WAR, and RBI were all career bests. His WAR mark ranks as the 20^th best season by an ABF position player as of 2037.

Tarkhan led in WAR again in 2010 at 9.9 and had his bests in runs (110), hits (195), doubles (52), and total bases (352). He won another Slugger and was third in MVP voting, but Karachi missed the playoffs on a tiebreaker. They got back in 2011 but went one-and-done as a wild card. Tarkhan was second in MVP voting and won another Slugger with a 10.0 WAR campaign.

That marked the end of Karachi’s contention, as they only finished above .500 once in the next decade. Tarkhan was a huge part of the playoff success, making 35 starts for the Carp with 43 hits, 23 runs, 10 doubles, 6 triples, 4 homers, 8 RBI, 19 steals, .316/.347/.566 slash, 194 wRC+, and 2.3 WAR. He would remain a popular player and later got his #37 uniform retired for his efforts.

Tarkhan was out of the MVP conversations, but he won more Silver Sluggers in 2012, 13, 14, and 16. In 2016, he lost the final part of the season to a torn back muscle. Karachi gave him a five-year, $38,500,000 extension in March 2017 shortly before his 34^th birthday. It came as a surprise to many to see Tarkhan traded at the 2017 deadline to Dushanbe for three prospects. With the Carp, Tarkhan finished with 1925 games, 2068 hits, 1090 runs, 504 doubles, 120 triples, 280 home runs, 915 RBI, 492 walks, 1394 strikeouts, 867 steals, .285/.332/.503 slash, 164 wRC+, and 105.5 WAR.

Dushanbe had won back-to-back EL pennant and were in the midst of a four-year playoff streak when they acquired Tarkhan. That streak continued for another six seasons. Tarkhan won his ninth and final Silver Slugger in 2017 and held the ABF position record until passed in 2036. Despite his strong playoff stats with Karachi, Tarkhan ended up with lousy marks for Dushanbe. His regular season stats would still be overall positive, but he was definitely down from his prime with age slowing him down.

The Dynamo lost the 2017 ELCS to Asgabat. They had a first round exit in 2018 despite the top seed. Dushanbe avoided that fate again in 2019 and won the pennant, although they were defeated by Tabriz in the ABF Championship. The Dynamo had the top seed twice more in the next three years, but went one-and-done each time. Tarkhan’s playoff stats in Dushanbe had 30 games, 13 starts, 8 hits, 3 runs, 2 doubles, .133/.200/.217 slash, 27 wRC+, and -0.2 WAR.

Although Tarkhan’s later years came in Tajikistan, he still returned home to represent Pakistan in the World Baseball Championship. From 2005-20, Tarkhan played 100 games and started 81 with 81 hits, 40 runs, 18 doubles, 8 homers, 24 RBI, 48 steals, .266/.340/.403 slash, 115 wRC+, and 2.9 WAR. Tarkhan was an important starter in 2007’s fourth place finish by the Pakistanis.

Tarkhan lost two months in 2021 to a sprained ankle and two months in 2022 to a strained hamstring. He was out of the full-time lineup by this point as his numbers had diminished. For Dushanbe, Tarkhan had 521 games, 456 hits, 230 runs, 106 doubles, 27 triples, 49 homers, 214 RBI, 132 steals, .275/.319/.460 slash, 140 wRC+, and 11.6 WAR. He retired after the 2022 campaign at age 39.

The final tallies had 2446 games, 2524 hits, 1320 runs, 610 doubles, 147 triples, 329 home runs, 1129 RBI, 596 walks, 1799 strikeouts, 999 steals, .283/.329/.495 slash, 159 wRC+, and 117.1 WAR. As of 2037, Tarkhan ranks 20^th in games, 19^th in hits, 23^rd in runs, 25^th in total bases (4415), 7^th in doubles, 27^th in triples, 75^th in homers, 51^st in RBI, 7^th in steals, and 4^th in WAR among position players.

Tarkhan also ranks as the leader in hits, doubles, and WAR by ABF center fielders. By many metrics, he’s ABF’s best CF thus far. Voters were surprisingly harsh on him though for not having big power numbers. 78.3% seems way too low considering the numbers cited above. Regardless, that earned Tarkhan a first ballot induction as part of the 2028 Hall of Fame class for the Asian Baseball Federation.

03-25-2025, 07:08 AM	#2169
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,096	2028 ABF Hall of Fame (Part 1) For the third time in its history, the Asian Baseball Federation had a four-player Hall of Fame class for 2028. Pitcher Khalid Osmonov was the clear headliner on the first ballot at 93.0%. CF Ziad Tarkhan was next with a rock solid 78.3% for his debut. The other two inductees were returning relievers who barely crossed the 66% requirement. Sadri Delkashi got 69.8% on his third ballot and Gafar Aliev got 68.0% in his second try. Three others were above 50% with SP Amgad al-Jal debuting at 54.5%, SP Ozgur Ermalci debuting with 53.4%, and 1B Aayushi Pereira at 51.9% on his third go. Three ended up dropped after missing induction in ten consecutive ballots. Leading this group was 3B Khuzaimah Hoqar, who peaked at 47.8% in 2020 and ended at 29.0%. Hoqar won four Silver Sluggers in 16-year career and won the 2006 ABF title with Lahore. He played 2303 games with 1965 hits, 1066 runs, 428 doubles, 478 home runs, 1190 RBI, 718 walks, 2465 strikeouts, .243/.317/.482 slash, 151 wRC+, and 91.3 WAR. Hoqar wasn’t a league leader though and wasn’t quite dominant enough to impress many voters. Still, Hoqar is one of the biggest snubs since he ranks 26^th in WAR among position players and 4^th among third basemen as of 2037. SP Shaheed Qureshi finished at 8.2% after peaking at 37.9% in 2022. He won 2004 Pitcher of the Year for Ankara, but never replicated that dominance in later seasons. Qureshi had a 161-178 record, 3.44 ERA, 3152.1 innings, 3701 strikeouts, 101 ERA+, and 44.4 WAR. He ranks 25^th in strikeouts as of 2037, but also has the 5^th most walks allowed and 8^th most homers. Qureshi’s boom or bust outings gave him enough bad starts to overshadow his impressive ones. C Faris Saifullah also fell off the ballot, peaking at 41.1% in 2020 with a finish at only 6.2%. He won seven Silver Sluggers in his 13 year career, but was hurt by the low totals that come with catching. Saifullah had 1614 hits, 797 runs, 342 doubles, 287 home runs, 909 RBI, .260/.329/.459 slash, 147 wRC+, and 71.4 WAR. Saifullah is second in WAR among catchers and 61^st among all position players as of 2037, but yet again HOF voters held catchers to standards nearly impossible to reach with the demands of the position. Khalid Osmonov – Starting Pitcher – Tehran Tarpons – 93.0% First Ballot Khalid Osmonov was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. Osmonov had excellent movement on his pitches along with good-to-great stuff and control. His fastball only peaked in the 93-95 mph range, but he countered it with a stellar changeup. Osmonov also had a curveball as a third option and had an extreme groundball tendency. Compared to most ABF aces, Osmonov had weak stamina and rarely went the distance. His durability was generally solid in his 20s at least. Osmonov had a good pickoff move and was an elite defensive pitcher, winning eight Gold Gloves. He was a fan favorite known for his loyalty and work ethic, showing impressive dedication to both the game and his fans. Osmonov left Azerbaijan for the Iranian capital in November 2002 as he singed a developmental contract with Tehran. He spent most of five years in the Tarpons academy, officially debuting with 11.1 innings in 2007 at age 20. Osmonov was rostered most of 2008 in the bullpen and earned a rotation spot in 2009. 2010 started the eight-year streak of Gold Glove wins. Osmonov holds the ABF record by Gold Gloves at the position. In May 2011, Osmonov signed a four-year, $15,360,000 extension with Tehran. The Tarpons had been largely terrible for the prior decade, but they were soon to become a top contender. In 2011, they ended a 17-year playoff drought as a wild card and made a surprise run to the West League pennant. Tehran ultimately fell to Faisalabad in the ABF Championship with Osmonov posting a 2.53 ERA over 21.1 playoff innings. This was the start of a nine-year playoff streak for the Tarpons, although they didn’t immediately find playoff success. Tehran lost in the first round in 2012, 14, and 15; while losing in the 2013 WLCS. In 2015, they were upset by Shiraz despite being the top seed at 115-47, setting a new ABF wins record. Osmonov was doing his job all the while, taking second in 2012’s Pitcher of the Year voting with an ERA title at 1.65. He followed it up with a third place in 2013. Osmonov inked another six year, $54 million extension in May 2015 at age 28. That year, he delivered his first Pitcher of the Year win, leading in wins (24-2) and WAR (9.0). Osmonov took second in 2016 as the WARlord again with a career best 9.2. Tehran was the #1 seed again, this time at 102-60. The Tarpons got over the hump, winning their first ABF Championship over Dushanbe. In the playoff run, Osmonov had a 2.13 ERA over 25.1 innings with 38 strikeouts. He boasted similar stats in the Baseball Grand Championship with a 2.15 ERA and 41 Ks in 29.1 innings. Tehran finished 11-8, one of five teams tied for the fifth place spot. The Tarpons and Osmonov were both determined to do even better in 2017 and delivered. Osmonov won his second Pitcher of the Year with a 1.25 ERA, which ranked behind only Dhofar Ghaffar’s 1.22 from 1989 for the best qualifying season in ABF history. He also posted 0.66 WHIP, which ranks as the third-best in ABF as of 2037. Osmonov had his third straight 9+ WAR season and back-to-back 300+ efforts. He also had his lone no-hitter on August 11 with 17 Ks and one walk facing Ankara. This helped push Tehran to 116-46, breaking their own ABF wins record. The 2017 Tarpons staked their claim for ABF’s best-ever team by winning it all, defeating Asgabat for the title. Osmonov was surprisingly weak in the playoff run with a 4.91 ERA over 18.1 innings. He made up for it with an impressive 1.42 ERA over 25.1 innings with 35 Ks in the Baseball Grand Championship. Tehran again finished 11-8, this time in a five-way tie for fourth and one game from the top prize. Osmonov had a good 2018, but Tehran fell to a wild card and lost in the first round. For his playoff career, it was a mixed bag with a 3.17 ERA over 122 innings, 6-6 record, 146 strikeouts, 19 walks, 104 ERA+, 84 FIP-, and 2.6 WAR. In any event, Osmonov is remembered fondly as a huge part of Tehran’s dynasty run. The Tarpons retired his #23 uniform at the end of his career. His Tehran run ended abruptly with a torn rotator cuff in May 2019. Osmonov was originally diagnosed to be out only 4-5 months, but a setback tacked on another 15 months. He missed all of 2020 and it was uncertain he’d ever return to form or even make it back at all. In his absence, Tehran’s run ended and they plummeted to 68-94 in 2020. Osmonov was still under contract for 2021, but the full rebuild was now on. The Tarpons traded him in the offseason to Dushanbe for two prospects and a second round draft pick. Osmonov made his return to the field in 2021 with okay production, but he missed the final two months to a torn meniscus. His one year with the Dyano saw a 3.66 ERA over 118 innings and 2.7 WAR. A free agent for the first time at age 35, Osmonov signed a one-year, $4,440,000 deal with Hyderabad. He looked mid with the Horned Frogs as well with a 3.66 ERA over 130.1 innings and 1.5 WAR. Osmonov also missed time between a herniated disc and shoulder inflammation. He opted to retire after the 2022 campaign at age 36. In total, Osmonov had a 164-97 record, 2.38 ERA, 2388.2 innings, 2878 strikeouts, 472 walks, 235/328 quality starts, 20 complete games, 7 shutouts, 142 ERA+, 69 FIP-, and 68.3 WAR. As of 2037, Osmonov ranks 43^rd in wins, 65^th in innings, 52^nd in strikeouts, and 20^th in pitching WAR. He didn’t have the longevity or innings to really soar up the accumulation leaderboards. But Osmonov’s efficiency was quite impressive. Among all pitchers with 1000+ innings, his ERA ranks 19^th, his .572 opponent’s OPS is 30^th, and his 0.93 WHIP is 25^th. Osmonov also ranks 34^th in H/9 (6.63) and his .205/.252/.320 triple slash ranks 33^rd for each slot. He was certainly one of the most impressive arms of his era and was a key piece for Tehran’s dynasty run. At 93.0%, Osmonov earned a first ballot headline spot for the four-player 2028 Hall of Fame class for the Asian Baseball Federation. Ziad Tarkhan – Center Field – Karachi Carp – 78.3% First Ballot Ziad Tarkhan was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed center fielder from Mardan, Pakistan; a city of around 368,000 people. Tarkhan was a solid contact hitter with a decent eye for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. His gap power was especially potent with 40 doubles and 10 triples per his 162 game average. Tarkhan didn’t have prolific home run power, but he was also good for 22 dingers per 162. Tarkhan was a menace on the basepaths with great speed and outstanding baserunning and base stealing skills. He spent the vast majority of his career in center field with above average defensive production on the whole. In his later years, Tarkhan spent more time in right field or as a designated hitter. He had some injuries, but held up pretty well over a 19-year career. Coming out of high school for the 2000 ABF Draft, Tarkhan was already one of the top ranked prospects. He was picked fourth overall by Karachi, who kept him in their developmental system almost exclusively for his first three pro seasons. The Carp though he was ready to start in 2004 and they were right. Tarkhan earned Rookie of the Year and started a streak of 12 consecutive seasons worth 6+ WAR. His lone Gold Glove came in his sophomore campaign in 2005. 2004 started a six-year playoff streak for Karachi, although they had first round exits in the first three years. 2006 was a big disappointment as they had earned the East League’s top seed at 111-51. Still, Tarkhan posted 1.349 OPS and 0.8 WAR in their first round loss in 2006. The Carp had the top seed again in 2007 and made to the ELCS, but were thwarted by Bishkek. In 2008, Tarkhan won his first Silver Slugger and was third in MVP voting. Karachi broke through and won the ELCS, but lost the ABF Championship to a 112-win Istanbul. The following May, the Carp signed Tarkhan to an eight-year, $60,100,000 extension. Karachi made it back in 2009 and that time claimed their first ABF title, defeating Ankara in the final. It was a banner year for Tarkhan, who won his lone MVP and another Silver Slugger. He led the league in RBI (108), total bases (346), average (.320), slugging (.595), OPS (.969), wRC+ (204), and WAR (12.2). The average, slugging, OPS, WAR, and RBI were all career bests. His WAR mark ranks as the 20^th best season by an ABF position player as of 2037. Tarkhan led in WAR again in 2010 at 9.9 and had his bests in runs (110), hits (195), doubles (52), and total bases (352). He won another Slugger and was third in MVP voting, but Karachi missed the playoffs on a tiebreaker. They got back in 2011 but went one-and-done as a wild card. Tarkhan was second in MVP voting and won another Slugger with a 10.0 WAR campaign. That marked the end of Karachi’s contention, as they only finished above .500 once in the next decade. Tarkhan was a huge part of the playoff success, making 35 starts for the Carp with 43 hits, 23 runs, 10 doubles, 6 triples, 4 homers, 8 RBI, 19 steals, .316/.347/.566 slash, 194 wRC+, and 2.3 WAR. He would remain a popular player and later got his #37 uniform retired for his efforts. Tarkhan was out of the MVP conversations, but he won more Silver Sluggers in 2012, 13, 14, and 16. In 2016, he lost the final part of the season to a torn back muscle. Karachi gave him a five-year, $38,500,000 extension in March 2017 shortly before his 34^th birthday. It came as a surprise to many to see Tarkhan traded at the 2017 deadline to Dushanbe for three prospects. With the Carp, Tarkhan finished with 1925 games, 2068 hits, 1090 runs, 504 doubles, 120 triples, 280 home runs, 915 RBI, 492 walks, 1394 strikeouts, 867 steals, .285/.332/.503 slash, 164 wRC+, and 105.5 WAR. Dushanbe had won back-to-back EL pennant and were in the midst of a four-year playoff streak when they acquired Tarkhan. That streak continued for another six seasons. Tarkhan won his ninth and final Silver Slugger in 2017 and held the ABF position record until passed in 2036. Despite his strong playoff stats with Karachi, Tarkhan ended up with lousy marks for Dushanbe. His regular season stats would still be overall positive, but he was definitely down from his prime with age slowing him down. The Dynamo lost the 2017 ELCS to Asgabat. They had a first round exit in 2018 despite the top seed. Dushanbe avoided that fate again in 2019 and won the pennant, although they were defeated by Tabriz in the ABF Championship. The Dynamo had the top seed twice more in the next three years, but went one-and-done each time. Tarkhan’s playoff stats in Dushanbe had 30 games, 13 starts, 8 hits, 3 runs, 2 doubles, .133/.200/.217 slash, 27 wRC+, and -0.2 WAR. Although Tarkhan’s later years came in Tajikistan, he still returned home to represent Pakistan in the World Baseball Championship. From 2005-20, Tarkhan played 100 games and started 81 with 81 hits, 40 runs, 18 doubles, 8 homers, 24 RBI, 48 steals, .266/.340/.403 slash, 115 wRC+, and 2.9 WAR. Tarkhan was an important starter in 2007’s fourth place finish by the Pakistanis. Tarkhan lost two months in 2021 to a sprained ankle and two months in 2022 to a strained hamstring. He was out of the full-time lineup by this point as his numbers had diminished. For Dushanbe, Tarkhan had 521 games, 456 hits, 230 runs, 106 doubles, 27 triples, 49 homers, 214 RBI, 132 steals, .275/.319/.460 slash, 140 wRC+, and 11.6 WAR. He retired after the 2022 campaign at age 39. The final tallies had 2446 games, 2524 hits, 1320 runs, 610 doubles, 147 triples, 329 home runs, 1129 RBI, 596 walks, 1799 strikeouts, 999 steals, .283/.329/.495 slash, 159 wRC+, and 117.1 WAR. As of 2037, Tarkhan ranks 20^th in games, 19^th in hits, 23^rd in runs, 25^th in total bases (4415), 7^th in doubles, 27^th in triples, 75^th in homers, 51^st in RBI, 7^th in steals, and 4^th in WAR among position players. Tarkhan also ranks as the leader in hits, doubles, and WAR by ABF center fielders. By many metrics, he’s ABF’s best CF thus far. Voters were surprisingly harsh on him though for not having big power numbers. 78.3% seems way too low considering the numbers cited above. Regardless, that earned Tarkhan a first ballot induction as part of the 2028 Hall of Fame class for the Asian Baseball Federation. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports The Level Playing Field: Alternate MLB History From 1884-Onward Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)