[FuzzyRussianHat]

Pitcher Andrei Linev stood alone for induction into the Eurasian Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 2033 with a near unanimous 99.0%. 1B Zygmunt Socha came close to the 66% requirement, but just missed with a 62.7% debut. SP Yaroslav Alalykin also had a nice debut at 59.5%. Four returners were above 50% with 1B Sergie Stoev at 58.8% on his third ballot, 3B Tayyar Abdualiyev with 58.5% for his third go, 1B Roman Stanchinsky at 51.8% on his sixth try, and 3B Vladyslav Chychykov with 51.1% in his sixth ballot. No one was dropped after ten failed ballots in 2033, in fact the only players removed were six debuts below 5%.



Andrei Linev – Starting Pitcher – Moscow Mules – 99.0% First Ballot

Andrei Linev was a 6’0’’, 190 pound right-handed pitcher from Voronezh, Russia; a city of just over one million in the country’s southwest. Linev had excellent stuff and control along with above average movement. His 99-101 mph fastball was among the best in the game, but his forkball, changeup, and cutter were each rock solid options.

Compared to other EPB aces, Linev’s stamina was considered average. Great durability more than made up for that and Linev tossed 200+ innings in each of his full seasons. His big, powerful release effort despite his average size did lead troubles holding runners. Linev also graded as mediocre defensively. He was appreciated by his peers for his loyalty and adaptability, becoming a popular player over a 16-year run in the Russian capital.

In December 2007, a teenage Linev made the move to Moscow on a developmental deal. He spent most of five years in their academy, debuting in 2012 with 15.1 innings at age 21. Linev was made a full-time starter in 2013, although he wasn’t ready with a lackluster 4.55 ERA in 2013. He put things together in 2014, his first of 13 consecutive seasons worth 6+ WAR. That earned a second place in Pitcher of the Year voting.

Linev earned his lone POTY in 2015, leading the European League in wins (21-5), strikeouts (305), K/BB (12.2), quality starts (27), and WAR (7.2). His 2.00 ERA fell only ten points short of a Triple Crown season. This would be Linev’s career best for ERA and wins, although he’d have six more seasons with a higher WAR total. Moscow also won the EL pennant, but lost the EPB Championship to Ufa.

Moscow barely made the playoffs in 2016 at 83-79, but shocked 104-win Rostov in the ELCS and upset Ufa in a finals rematch. The Mules went 9-10 in the Baseball Grand Championship, but Linev was dominant in the event with a 0.67 ERA over 26.2 innings with 41 Ks. He won Best Pitcher and even was second in MVP voting. That helped Linev earn a reputation as a big game pitcher, although his career playoff numbers weren’t anything special in the end.

Linev was a regular for Russia in the World Baseball Championship from 2014-27. In 114 innings, he had an 8-10 record, 3.87 ERA, 146 strikeouts, 39 walks, and 2.0 WAR. Their lone playoff appearance during that stretch was a division title in 2023. That was notably Linev’s best performance in the WBC with a 0.43 ERA over 21 innings and 31 strikeouts.

In 2018 and 2020, Linev was second in Pitcher of the Year voting. He led the EL in strikeouts and WAR in both 2018-19. Linev also had the best WHIP in 2018-20 and 2022-23. He had nine seasons with 300+ strikeouts, peaking with 338 in 2023. Linev notably saw his highest WAR in 2022 at 10.0. He held remarkably steady production into his mid 30s and signed a four-year, $54,800,000 extension with Moscow after the 2023 campaign.

The Mules remained a regular contender with playoff trips from 2018-21 and in both 2023 and 2025. Moscow won the European League pennant in 2019, 2021, and 2025, but lost the EPB Championship to Chelyabinsk, Perm, and Krasnoyarsk respectively. 2019 was Linev’s best postseason statistically with an 0.82 ERA over 22 innings with 30 strikeouts.

For his playoff career, Linev had a 2.98 ERA over 175.1 innings, 9-10 record, 225 strikeouts, 25 walks, and 6.6 WAR. His 107 ERA+ is merely okay, but his 55 FIP- and high WAR total suggests Linev was stronger than the traditional stats may suggest. As of 2037, he ranks 5^th in playoff pitching WAR and 9^th in strikeouts.

Linev kept on rolling, getting both his 200^th career win and 4000^th strikeout both on April 28, 2026. In 2027, his velocity had dipped from his usual triple-digit peaks, although he was still hitting 96-98 mph. Linev had a 3.30 ERA over 240.1 innings with 4.8 WAR, still a fine season for most pitchers. However, it was his lowest across the board since his rookie year. Moscow declined the team option year in his deal and Linev decided to retire that winter at age 36. The Mules immediately retired his #26 uniform for his role in 15 years, five pennants, and one EPB Championship.

In total, Linev had a 227-138 record, 2.62 ERA, 3624.2 innings, 4480 strikeouts, 436 walks, 325/461 quality starts, 107 complete games, 20 shutouts, 121 ERA+, 66 FIP-, and 110.8 WAR. As of 2037, Linev is 28^th in wins, 39^th in innings, 17^th in strikeouts, and 13^th in pitching WAR. He’s also notably 13^th in career BB/9 (1.08) among pitchers with 1000+ innings and 39^th in WHIP.

Linev isn’t at the very tip top among the many excellent pitchers to come through Eurasian Professional Baseball, but his resume was a slam dunk. He’s one of those guys that was probably even better than traditional metrics suggest at face value. Still, those traditional metrics got him 99.0% of the vote, standing alone for induction in 2033 into EPB’s Hall of Fame.