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Ivan “Dragon” Sandoval – Starting Pitcher – Montevideo Venom – 98.5% First Ballot

Ivan Sandoval was a 6’0’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Presidente Franco, Paraguay; a city with about 105,000 people near the southeastern border near Argentina and Brazil. Nicknamed “The Dragon, Sandoval was known for having excellent control of his arsenal along with good-to-great stuff and movement. His velocity peaked in the 96-98 mph range with a curveball, changeup, sinker, splitter arsenal. All four options were equally potent and he had an extreme groundball tendency.

Compared to other BSA aces, Sandoval’s stamina was below average and he didn’t go the distance as often. Despite finishing in the top 20 all-time for innings, h Sandoval didn’t make the top 100 for complete games. However, his excellent durability meant you could rely on plenty of innings each year across his 19-year run. Sandoval’s biggest flaw was he was terrible at holding runners, but fortunately he didn’t allow many to begin with. He also graded as a below average defensive pitcher.

Perhaps Sandoval’s biggest strength was high impeccable character. He was a treasured team captain, renowned for his leadership, loyalty, work ethic, intelligence, and selflessness. You would be hard pressed to find many other better humans in the game’s history than Sandoval. This earned him popularity and respect throughout the continent.

Although his prime years were elsewhere, Sandoval did regularly represent his native Paraguay in the World Baseball Championship. From 2009-17 and 2021-27, Sandoval tossed 228 innings with a 3.00 ERA, 12-14 record, 249 strikeouts, 53 walks, 120 ERA+, 79 FIP-, and 5.6 WAR. As he progressed through the amateur ranks, Sandoval earned interest from throughout the region. In the 2008 BSA Draft, he was picked tenth overall by Montevideo.

Sandoval was a full-timer immediately for the Venom and held the role for a decade. He spent some time in relief and missed part of 2013 to an elbow strain, but otherwise Sandoval was good for 200+ innings and 5.5+ WAR each year with Montevideo. He led the Southern Cone League in wins in both 2011 and 2016. Sandoval was third in 2014 and 2015’s Pitcher of the Year voting, then won the top honor in 2016.

That year, he was the WARlord for the only time in his career with a career-best 8.1. Sandoval’s 2016 also had his best ERA (2.19) and highest strikeout tally (246). He wouldn’t be an awards finalist after that. Montevideo was historically mediocre, although they started to show some life in the 2010s. In 2014, the Venom ended a 15-year playoff drought, although they fell in the first round.

In 2015, Montevideo set a franchise record at 104-58 and earned the #1 seed. They made the Southern Cone final for only the third time in franchise history, but were upset by Recife. In 25 playoff innings, Sandoval had 2.52 ERA and 30 Ks. It proved a one-off for the Venom, who spent the rest of the decade around the .500 mark.

Sandoval had a 3.38 ERA in 2018, his weakest since his rookie year, although he was still worth a rock solid 6.3 WAR. This was a contract year and ultimately he left for free agency at age 32. Sandoval remained very popular with the Uruguayan fans and eventually saw his #11 uniform retired by Montevideo. For the Venom, Sandoval had a 150-93 record, 69 saves, 2.88 ERA, 2199 innings, 2206 strikeouts, 302 walks, 128 ERA+, 69 FIP-, and 62.4 WAR.

He signed a five-year, $47,900,000 deal with Maturin. The Makos were a 2009 expansion team fresh off a stunning 2018, which saw their first playoff berth as a 87-75 wild card and a surprise Bolivar League title. Maturin would earn another wild card in 2019, but lost in the first round. They spent the rest of Sandoval’s tenure just above .500 but outside of the playoffs.

Sandoval led the league twice in FIP- and had 5.5+ WAR each season, continuing his steady and reliable production. He had a 78-45 record, 3.37 ERA, 1160 innings, 1069 strikeouts, 105 walks, 123 ERA+, 73 FIP-, and 31.9 WAR. His deal expired after the 2023 campaign, a free agent again and now 37-years old. Sandoval packed up and moved to Chile on a two-year, $20,200,000 deal with Concepcion. The following winter, the Chiefs extended him at another two years and $16,800,000.

Concepcion was the 2023 Southern Cone champ and Sandoval hoped to make a run at a ring. He stayed very steady as his excellent control allowed his game to age well. The Chiefs got wild cards in both 2024 and 2025, but fell both times in the divisional round. Sandoval allowed three runs over his 9.2 playoff innings. In 2025, he notably reached 250 career wins and 3500 career strikeouts.

Sandoval missed some time in 2026 to an oblique strain and was let go after the season. In three years for Concepcion, he had a 35-28 record, 2.88 ERA, 615.1 innings, 550 strikeouts, 74 walks, 127 ERA+, 76 FIP-, and 15.7 WAR. At age 40, Buenos Aires brought Sandoval in for two years and $14,400,000.

His one year in Argentina would be plagued by an elbow sprain and shoulder inflammation. Sandoval had 146 innings with a 3.64 ERA, 95 Ks, and 2.1 WAR. His stuff and velocity had dipped noticeable and he couldn’t hit 90 mph anymore, although the control and movement kept him passable. Sandoval opted for retirement after the 2027 campaign at age 41.

Sandoval finished with a 272-174 record, 3.04 ERA, 4120.1 innings, 3920 strikeouts, 510 walks, 364/525 quality starts, 106 complete games, 21 shutouts, 126 ERA+, 72 FIP-, and 112.0 WAR. As of 2037, Sandoval ranks 13^th in wins, 19^th in innings, 32^nd in strikeouts, and 11^th in pitching WAR. His 1.11 BB/9 is 36^th among pitchers with 1000+ innings.

In his time, Sandoval was almost overlooked since he was rarely overwhelmingly dominant and never had the big playoff moment. But his consistency and tallies made him a no-doubt Hall of Famer, although he may just miss the inner-circle depending on your criteria. Sandoval received 98.5% as one of the headliners in a stacked five-player 2033 class for Beisbol Sudamerica.



Niccolo Coelho – Third Base – Recife Retrievers – 98.2% First Ballot

Niccolo Coelho was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed third baseman from Coruripe, Brazil; a municipality with 57,000 people in the country’s northeast. Coelho was renowned for remarkable longevity and fantastic home run power. He was one of the game’s great ironmen, playing 140+ games in all but the final year of his 22-year odyssey. From 2008-22, he was good for 40+ home runs each year and had 45 per his 162 game average.

Coelho was also a very solid contact hitter against both sides and was better than most at drawing walks, although his strikeout rate was middling. He had a .990 OPS and 176 wRC+ facing right-handed pitching and a .954 OPS and 166 wRC+ against lefties. While his power was focused on homers, Coelho could find the gap respectably with 27 doubles and 5 triples per his 162 game average. His baserunning skills were good, but his speed was subpar.

Defensively, Coelho was a career third baseman and graded as a reliably average gloveman for his entire run. He did play first base some at the very start and end of his career with decent results. Coelho stayed incredibly loyal throughout his run, but did still want to be compensated properly. His incredibly longevity and power made him one of the most beloved players of his day. Some would argue Coelho was the best player and biggest icon ever to come out of Brazil.

Coelho was certainly proud of his Brazilian heritage and was a regular in the World Baseball Championship from 2007-26. Although he’d be known as a big game stud in other avenues, Coelho’s WBC stats were merely decent. In 196 games, he had 154 hits, 89 runs, 34 doubles, 42 home runs, 102 RBI, .228/.307/.466 slash, and 4.7 WAR.

Arguably, his best WBC showing came at age 42 in 2025. That year, Coelho helped Brazil to a runner-up finish against Spain with 21 hits, 14 runs, 5 doubles, 8 homers, 15 RBI, and 1.3 WAR over 22 games. Coelho was also part of the 2021 World Champion team, although he had a limited role with only eight games that year. The Brazilians also notably took third place in 2016.

Coelho stayed in his home country for his entire pro odyssey. By the 2005 BSA Draft, he had emerged as arguably Brazil’s best prospect and he went third overall to Recife. Coelho was a full-timer almost right away with 140 games and 119 starts as a rookie, winning 2006 Rookie of the Year honors with 2.7 WAR and .782 OPS. He had similar results in 2007, then emerged as a true stud soon after.

From 2008-2019, Coelho was worth at least 8+ WAR each season with the streak extending to 2023 for 7+ WAR seasons. He won his first Silver Slugger in 2009, then won 11 straight from 2011-21. Coelho has the position record for third baseman in Beisbol Sudamerica and is one of only six at any spot to have won 12+ Silver Sluggers. You could pretty much reliably expect 40+ homers, 100+ RBI, 100+ runs, an average above .300, and often an OPS above one.

Although Coelho missed the Slugger in 2010, he was third in MVP voting and was the Southern Cone League leader in home runs for the first time at 52. This also started a regular run of contention for Recife, who had a playoff drought from 2002-08. The Retrievers were a wild card in 2009 and made the LCS, but fell to Salvador.

Recife repeated as Southern Cone champs in 2010-11, but couldn’t claim Copa Sudamerica with a loss to Santa Cruz in 2010 and Valencia in 2011. Coelho won his first MVP in 2011, leading in runs (117) and RBI (139) with 9.2 WAR and 1.065 OPS. He was impressive in both playoff runs as well. In 2010, Coelho had a 1.214 OPS and 1.4 WAR over 15 starts, followed by 1.071 OPS and 1.1 WAR in 2011. He was unremarkable in the inaugural Baseball Grand Championship in 2010 with .827 OPS and 0.2 WAR as Recife went 4-5 in the initial divisional format. Coelho fared stronger in 2011 with .914 OPS and 0.9 WAR as the Retrievers went 9-10.

In 2012, Recife finished 91-71 and fell two games short in the wild card race. For Coelho, this year notably had his career high and league best 64 home runs. That August, Coelho inked a seven-year, $68,900,000 extension to stay long-term with Recife. The Retrievers were back in the 2013 playoffs and started a nine-year streak.

Coelho was third in 2013’s MVP voting. Recife was the top seed at 101-61, but lost the Southern Cone Championship to divisional rival Fortaleza. The next year, the Foxes had the #1 seed at 104-58 and the Retrievers were stuck as a wild card at 102-60. They met again in the LCS, again a Fortaleza victory. Those were two of Coelho’s weaker playoff runs, although he was still good.

By many measures, 2014 was Coelho’s best regular season. He won his second MVP and was the league leader in OBP (.423), slugging (.702), OPS (1.125), wRC+ (201), and WAR (11.4). The triple slash (.354 average as well), OPS, and WAR were career bests along with his 201 hits and 118 runs.

Coelho was third in 2015’s MVP voting, but it was one of his most impactful seasons. Recife won the division at 92-70, but got hot and upset Montevideo in the LCS and Maracaibo in Copa Sudamerica. Coelho was MVP of all three postseason rounds, posting 23 hits, 15 runs, 4 doubles, 7 homers, 13 RBI, 1.173 OPS, and 1.4 WAR over 17 starts. His BGC stats were underwhelming though with a .674 OPS and 0.4 WAR, but the Retrievers were still good for a 10-9 finish in a three-way tie for sixth.

2016 saw Coelho’s third MVP win and a league best 139 RBI along with 1.085 OPS and 10.4 WAR. He led in doubles with 45 in 2017, then won his fourth and final MVP in 2018 with league bests in runs (118), homers (54), and WAR (10.6). Recife had a first round exit in 2016, LCS loss in 2017 to Concepcion, and divisional series defeat in 2018. Coelho was now in his mid 30s, but was still as impressive as ever. After the 2018 season, the Retrievers bought out the team option year in his deal, but gave him a new three-year, $46,200,000 contract a few days later.

Coelho’s MVP contention was done at this point, but he remained an elite starter into his 40s. Recife was a 96-66 wild card in 2019, but surprised many by winning Copa Sudamerica over Trujillo. Coelho had another strong postseason in earning his second ring with 1.146 OPS over 13 starts. This would also be by far his best BGC performance as the Retrievers took second at 14-5, just behind 15-4 Tabriz for Grand Champion honors. Coelho had 1.171 OPS, 1.7 WAR, 21 hits, 16 runs, 8 homers, and 14 RBI.

For his BGC career, Coelho started 65 games with 64 hits, 40 runs, 13 doubles, 17 home runs, 40 RBI, .267/.356/.550 slash, and 3.2 WAR. However, it was his BSA playoff starts that were truly excellent. Coelho started 120 games with 154 hits, 86 runs, 26 doubles, 37 home runs, 90 RBI, 42 walks, .333/.388/.647 slash, 193 wRC+, and 7.6 WAR.

As of 2037, Coelho is the BSA playoff career leader in runs, hits, total bases (299), doubles, RBI, and walks. He also ranks second in games played and in homers, on dinger behind Antonio Arceo for the top spot. While having a lot of chances increased his tallies, Coelho’s playoff rate stats were even more impressive than his excellent regular season numbers.

Recife made the playoffs again in 2020-21 and even had the top both years with 97-65 and 103-59 records. However, both times the Retrievers were upset in the divisional round. That marked the end of their run of regular contention and they’d hover around the .500 mark for the next five years. During Coelho’s reign though, Recife had two Copa Sudamerica wins, four Southern Cone pennants, eight LCS trips, seven division titles, and 12 playoff berths. This is certainly one of the strongest prolonged runs in league history.

Coelho signed a two-year, $25,200,000 extension after the 2020 season. His longevity and durability was now pushing him up the leaderboards, which became a larger focus for fans as Recife fell into the mid-tier. In 2022 at age 39, he became the 14^th BSA player to 3000 hits. Coelho’s average did trop to a career low .274 this year, but he otherwise seemingly hadn’t lost a step with 7.7 WAR and 44 home runs.

In June 2023, Coelho became the fourth member of the 800 home run club. He signed another two-year, $44,400,000 extension that winter with Recife. In 2024, Coelho was the third to reach 2000 career RBI and became BSA’s WARlord among position players, passing Diego Pena’s 153.6 that had stood since 1959. The next year, he passed Milton Becker’s 1980 runs scored, becoming the new runs leader and the first in BSA to cross home plate 2000 times. Coelho also became only the third to 3500 hits and passed Becker’s 6837 to become the leader in total bases.

2025 was his weakest year since his second season, but Coelho at age 42 still had a rock solid 5.3 WAR and .856 OPS. He did notably hit only 28 homers, his first sub-30 dinger season since his sophomore campaign. BSA’s home run, RBI, and hits records all seemed reachable. At this point, Coelho had 3564 hits, 2030 runs, 878 homers, and 2140 RBI. He was 376 from Owen Arcia to become the hit king and only 63 homers and 91 RBI behind Becker for those crowns. Coelho had moved into the #2 spot for homers that year, passing Valor Melo’s 870.

Coelho wanted to continue the chase with Recife and they were happy to have him with another two years and $20 million. 2026 had similar stats to the prior year with 5.1 WAR and .887, but he got his power stroke back with 41 homers and 75 RBI. Coelho joined the elusive 900 home run club, met by only 23 in all of world history as of 2037. He was now 22 homers and 11 RBI from Becker and 218 hits from Arcia.

Age does catch everyone eventually, even the immortals. The 44-year old Coelho finally looked pedestrian in 2027 and Recife was 69-93, their worst year since his arrived by a healthy margin. He was limited to 68 games and 24 starts with .723 OPS, 0.4 WAR, 7 homers, 16 RBI, and 23 hits. Coelho passed Becker to become the RBI leader, but he finished 15 homers and 195 hits short of those top spots. He retired that winter and immediately had his #17 uniform retired by Recife. Coelho’s retirement ceremony and announcement were among the biggest in the continent’s history.

Coelho finished with 3369 games, 3745 hits, 2133 runs, 552 doubles, 100 triples, 926 home runs, 2231 RBI, 7275 total bases, 1112 walks, 2639 strikeouts, 241 stolen bases, .313/.374/.607 slash, 174 wRC+, and 168.5 WAR. As of 2037, Coelho is still Beisbol Sudamerica’s leader for runs scored, total bases RBI and WAR among position players. He’s #2 on the overall WAR board behind only world strikeout king Mohamed Ramos at 205.06. Coelho ranks 3^rd in games played and at-bats (11,978), 2^nd in hits, 2^nd in homers, 6^th in doubles, 12^th in walks, and 10^th in strikeouts. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Coelho is 69^th in OBP, 30^th in slugging, and 33^rd in OPS at .981.

On the world leaderboards as of 2037, Coelho is 16^th in games played, 17^th in runs, 19^th in hits, 20^th in homers, 24^th in RBI, and 12^th in WAR among position players. Amongst everyone to ever play the game, Coelho sits 17^th in WAR. He has the most of any Brazilian and is 3^rd among South American-born players behind Ramos (Bolivia) and Ishmael Perla (Argentina). Perla had only 152.1 WAR in BSA, but got to 170.0 combining his five MLB seasons.

When you combine those tallies, plus his spots on the playoff leaderboards, two Copa Sudamerica rings, and four pennants; is Niccolo Coelho the best player in Beisbol Sudamerica history? There’s certainly a compelling case, especially for the best-ever position player. Ramos and his absurd 7747 strikeouts most often takes the #1 spot with many considering him the best pitcher in all of baseball history. But for position players, Coelho is hard to beat.

Diego Pena has him beat for longevity and had great defensive value at shortstop, but wasn’t as efficient as hitter. Advanced stats loved Perla’s walks and stolen bases, but definitely lacked power and playoff success. Niculao Semide also didn’t have Coelho’s power metrics. The big power guys like Milton Becker and Valor Melo didn’t quite have the longevity of Coelho. Some put Angel Gabriel Cornejo (138.98 total WAR) in the conversation for best-ever third baseman, but he notably had a good chunk at second base.

At third base in BSA, Coelho is the all-time leader in slugging, OPS, games, runs, hits, total bases, homers, RBI, walks, and WAR; pretty firmly cementing himself as the league’s GOAT there. Coelho had 151.75 WAR specifically playing 3B, 2^nd only in world history to South Asia Baseball’s Manju Abbas (154.84). Abbas has Coelho beat in some of the counting stats, but he notably played 3630 of his 3656 career games there, the most of any player ever at one specific position. The case could legitimately be made for Coelho as not only Beisbol Sudamerica’s best-ever position player, but the best third baseman in professional baseball history.

He’s a beloved Brazilian icon and considered by many as the country’s best-ever, although he has steep competition like the before mentioned liked of Pena, Semide, and Melo among others. Coelho is easily one of the game’s immortals and as inner-circle of a Hall of Famer as you can get. Somehow, he had only the third highest voting percentage of the loaded 2033 class, albeit at 98.2%. But the competition is tough in arguably the greatest-ever class in BSA’s history.