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FuzzyRussianHat · 10-03-2025, 07:06 AM

The Asian Baseball Federation added two pitchers as slam dunk inductees for the 2036 Hall of Fame ballot with Hafez Farzani at 97.4% and Temuri Omarov at 96.5%. 3B Quraishi Lalak was the best returner at 59.2% on his third ballot. Two others were above 50% with CL Raghid Yazdani at 57.9% for his sixth ballot and LF Ramin Abilov at 56.3% on his fourth try. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots in 2036.

Hafez Farzani – Starting Pitcher- Tabriz Tiger Sharks – 97.4% First Ballot

Hafez Farzani was a 5’9’’, 175 pound right-handed pitcher from Andimeshk, Iran; a city with roughly 135,000 people in the country’s west. Farzani had incredible stuff in his prime that many scouts called a 10/10. He also had very good control and respectable movement. Farzani’s 99-101 mph fastball was world class and he had a strong slider and changeup along with a decent curveball. It was shocking for many to see such a powerful fastball come from a guy of his smaller stature.

Farzani had solid stamina, but he’d be cursed with injury issues over a 15-year career, only having six seasons with 200+ innings. He was decent at holding runners, but subpar defensively. Farzani was a sparkplug type who had a remarkable work ethic, allowing him to still thrive even when his smaller frame was beginning to break down.

In the 2015 ABF Draft, Farzani was picked 13^th overall by Tabriz and he spent his entire career with the Tiger Sharks. He was a full-time starter right away and an immediate success, winning 2016’s Rookie of the Year with 305 strikeouts, 2.52 ERA, and 5.4 WAR. The injury trouble started in his second season though, missing most of the regular season to a torn back muscle. His first two seasons started what would be a nine-year playoff streak for Tabriz, although they were a one-and-done wild card in 2016-17.

From 2018-22, the Tiger Sharks were the West League’s top seed and won 103+ games each year. Farzani’s emergence as an elite ace played a huge part in this, leading the league in WHIP from 2018-21. He would three-peat as Pitcher of the Year from 2019-21 and won the Triple Crown each season. There have only been six total pitching Triple Crown wins in ABF history. Farzani joined EAB’s Do-Kyun Lee as the only pitchers in all of pro baseball history to earn three successive Triple Crowns.

2019 had Farzani’z career bests for ERA (1.72) and strikeouts (412), ranking as the tenth-best single-season by Ks in ABF history. 2020 was his best WAR at 10.9 and his 23-1 record gave him a league-record .958 winning percentage. Farzani’s highest win total was the next year at 24-6. After the 2019 campaign, the Tiger Sharks locked Farzani up to a seven-year, $46,180,000 extension.

Tabriz had mixed results in the playoffs, falling in the WLCS in 2018, 2020, and 2022. Their best records were 109-53 in both 2020 and 2021, the latter having a disappointing first round exit. The Tiger Sharks did break through in 2019 at 107-55, winning the West League pennant over Izmir. Tabriz then bested Dushanbe for their first-ever ABF Championship.

Farzani had an all-timer playoff run in 2019, winning all five of his starts with a 1.10 ERA over 41 innings, 59 strikeouts, 2 walks, 305 ERA+, and 1.7 WAR. That tied the ABF playoff record for both wins and Ks in the playoffs to that point. He kept rolling in the Baseball Grand Championship with a 3-1 record, 2.27 ERA, 31.2 innings, 51 Ks, 166 ERA+, and 1.4 WAR. The Tiger Sharks finished 15-4 and became the first ABF team to earn the Grand Championship.

His overall playoff stats were good, although Farzani never quite had a run like that again. Over 140.1 career innings, he had a 2.82 ERA, 8-2 record, 193 strikeouts, 31 walks, 130 ERA+, 67 FIP-, and 4.4 WAR. Farzani was also a regular from 2017-30 in the World Baseball Championship for Iran, although his numbers there weren’t remarkable with a 3.94 ERA in 160 innings, 9-5 record, 266 strikeouts, and 3.1 WAR. He was important for the Iranians’ second place finish in 2018 and third in 2023.

Farzani had his worst injury in July 2022, a torn rotator cuff that knocked him out more than a calendar year. He was back by the 2023 playoffs, which saw a 92-win wild card Tabriz with a surprise playoff run. The Tiger Sharks upset Baku in the WLCS, then upset defending champ Bishkek in the ABF Championship. Farzani had a middling 3.96 ERA in 25 playoff innings, then surprisingly was terrible in the 2023 BGC with a 7.14 ERA over 29 innings. Tabriz finished 8-11 for the event.

Tabriz had one more division title in 2024 at 94-68, but suffered a first round playoff defeat to Baku. The Tiger Sharks missed the playoffs on a tiebreaker in 2025, then spent the next four seasons at or below .500. Farzani had smaller injuries from 2024-26 and was no longer as dominant as his peak, but he was still good for 4+ WAR those three years. The Tiger Sharks gave him a five-year, $84 million extension in March 2026.

Although his innings were limited in 2027, Farzani won his fourth ERA title at 2.13. He had a good pace in 2028, but missed two months to a strained abdominal muscle. Another strained ab and elbow inflammation kept him out most of 2029. His stuff and control were both starting to decline as Farzani tried to work through the injuries.

Various injuries kept Farzani to only 110.2 innings in 2030 with middling production. Tabriz ended their playoff drought and got to the WLCS as a wild card, although they fell to Baku’s dynasty. Farzani struggled in 13 playoff innings to a 7.62 ERA and suffered a torn flexor tendon during the run. His contract was also up and between the injury and his decline, Farzani retired that winter at age 37. Tabriz quickly retired his #40 uniform for his excellent 15 years of service.

Farzani finished with a 179-88 record, 2.65 ERA, 2467.1 innings, 3680 strikeouts, 464 walks, 213/328 quality starts, 83 complete games, 21 shutouts, 142 ERA+, 71 FIP-, and 69.8 WAR. Farzani ranks 33^rd in wins, 56^th in innings, 52^nd in complete games, 42^nd in shutouts, 27^th in strikeouts, and 18^th in WAR among pitchers. Among those with 1000+ innings, his ERA is 54^th and his 0.90 WHIP is 9^th. Farzani is also 19^th in H/9 (6.42), 2^nd in K/9 (13.42), and 51^st in opponent’s OPS (.590) with .199 average ranking 18^th and .242 OBP 15^th.

At his peak, Farzani was among the most dominant pitchers ever in the Asian Baseball Federation. The injuries limited his innings and success in his later years, preventing what could’ve been a top five ace level career. Still, Farzani’s brief prime and role in Tabriz’s 2019 title and Grand Championship win made him a Hall of Fame lock at 97.4%, co-headlining ABF’s 2036 class.

Temuri Omarov – Starting Pitcher – Istanbul Ironmen – 96.5% First Ballot

Temuri Omarov was a 6’6’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Tbilisi, the capital and largest city in Georgia. Omarov was the first Georgian added into ABF’s HOF, although there had been two who made it in Eurasian Professional Baseball. Omarov had tremendous stuff with good-to-great movement and control. He had a three-pitch arsenal with a 97-99 mph fastball, excellent changeup, and a good curveball.

Omarov’s ability to change speeds brought him his greatest successes. His stamina was respectable relative to other ABF aces and he lasted 17 seasons, although he did run into a few big injuries along the way. Omarov was average at holding runners and weak defensively. He didn’t have a big personality, but his big size certainly drew plenty of attention from scouts.

The Tbilisi Trains franchise and Georgia generally was in the European Baseball Federation sphere as Omarov was a teenager, but ABF and EPB teams still kept an eye on the capital. He ended up leaving in December 2010 for Turkey on a developmental deal with Istanbul. Omarov spent his entire career with the Ironmen, debuting in 2014 as a part-time starter at age 22.

Omarov had mixed results in his first three years, but emerged as a true ace by 2017 as the West League leader in WAR (9.2) and wins (21-7); taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. In May 2018, he signed a six-year, $42,900,000 extension to stay with Istanbul. Omarov was second in POTY voting for both 2019 and 2020. The Ironmen got a wild card in 2019, but lost in the first round.

It was a down period for Istanbul, as this would be their only playoff trip from 2010-28. Omarov’s lone playoff start was quality, allowing two runs in 7.2 innings. They weren’t usually atrocious but were often aggressively mid, averaging 80.1 wins during that stretch. Still, Omarov kept his head down and continued pitching at a high level.

2021 was Omarov’s first major injury with a partially torn labrum in mid-August. He bounced back impressively and won his lone Pitcher of the Year award in 2022 with an ERA title (2.16) and league bests for WHIP (0.87), FIP- (59), and WAR (7.4). Omarov was the WARlord again the next two years and led with career bests in 2023 of 10.2 WAR and 365 Ks. He also won another ERA title at 2.42, but finished second to Elnur Hasanov in POTY voting.

In July 2024, Omarov signed a new five-year, $98,800,000 extension with Istanbul. He would miss all of the 2026 season from a torn flexor tendon in spring training. Omarov made it back in 2027 and was still quite effective in limited innings with a 1.84 ERA, the best of his career. When healthy in the next few years, Omarov proved to still be effective.

Unfortunately, he was never really healthy again. Back trouble and a hamstring strain cost him part of 2028, although Istanbul gave him a three-year, $44,100,000 extension regardless. Forearm inflammation and a ruptured finger tendon kept him out much of 2029, missing out on only the second playoff berth of his Ironmen run.

Omarov suffered a torn rotator cuff in April 2030, although he did make it back for the very end of the season. He made it back right at the end of the year and still had a 1.98 ERA that season in his 36.1 innings. However, the physical toll was exhausting and Istanbul wasn’t interested in a new extension. Omarov retired that winter at age 38 and immediately had his #4 retired by the Ironmen for his efforts.

In total, Omarov had a 190-137 record, 2.85 ERA, 2941 innings, 3941 strikeouts, 560 walks, 251/391 quality starts, 102 complete games, 28 shutouts, 129 ERA+, 68 FIP-, and 86.8 WAR. Omarov ranks 24^th in wins, 34^th in innings, 31^st in complete games, 20^th in shutouts, 18^th in strikeouts, and 8^th in pitching WAR. Among those with 1000+ innings, Omarov’s 12.06 K/9 ranks 27^th and his .612 opponent’s OPS is 90^th.

Omarov was consistently one of the top pitchers in the Asian Baseball Federation, although he almost was underappreciated since Istanbul was so forgettable in that era. Like his Hall of Fame classmate Hafez Farzani, Omarov might have also had a shot at top five spots in the leaderboards if not for injuries. Still, his career was still plenty good for a no-doubt election at 96.5% to co-headline the 2036 class for ABF.

10-03-2025, 07:06 AM	#2482
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,016	2036 ABF Hall of Fame The Asian Baseball Federation added two pitchers as slam dunk inductees for the 2036 Hall of Fame ballot with Hafez Farzani at 97.4% and Temuri Omarov at 96.5%. 3B Quraishi Lalak was the best returner at 59.2% on his third ballot. Two others were above 50% with CL Raghid Yazdani at 57.9% for his sixth ballot and LF Ramin Abilov at 56.3% on his fourth try. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots in 2036. Hafez Farzani – Starting Pitcher- Tabriz Tiger Sharks – 97.4% First Ballot Hafez Farzani was a 5’9’’, 175 pound right-handed pitcher from Andimeshk, Iran; a city with roughly 135,000 people in the country’s west. Farzani had incredible stuff in his prime that many scouts called a 10/10. He also had very good control and respectable movement. Farzani’s 99-101 mph fastball was world class and he had a strong slider and changeup along with a decent curveball. It was shocking for many to see such a powerful fastball come from a guy of his smaller stature. Farzani had solid stamina, but he’d be cursed with injury issues over a 15-year career, only having six seasons with 200+ innings. He was decent at holding runners, but subpar defensively. Farzani was a sparkplug type who had a remarkable work ethic, allowing him to still thrive even when his smaller frame was beginning to break down. In the 2015 ABF Draft, Farzani was picked 13^th overall by Tabriz and he spent his entire career with the Tiger Sharks. He was a full-time starter right away and an immediate success, winning 2016’s Rookie of the Year with 305 strikeouts, 2.52 ERA, and 5.4 WAR. The injury trouble started in his second season though, missing most of the regular season to a torn back muscle. His first two seasons started what would be a nine-year playoff streak for Tabriz, although they were a one-and-done wild card in 2016-17. From 2018-22, the Tiger Sharks were the West League’s top seed and won 103+ games each year. Farzani’s emergence as an elite ace played a huge part in this, leading the league in WHIP from 2018-21. He would three-peat as Pitcher of the Year from 2019-21 and won the Triple Crown each season. There have only been six total pitching Triple Crown wins in ABF history. Farzani joined EAB’s Do-Kyun Lee as the only pitchers in all of pro baseball history to earn three successive Triple Crowns. 2019 had Farzani’z career bests for ERA (1.72) and strikeouts (412), ranking as the tenth-best single-season by Ks in ABF history. 2020 was his best WAR at 10.9 and his 23-1 record gave him a league-record .958 winning percentage. Farzani’s highest win total was the next year at 24-6. After the 2019 campaign, the Tiger Sharks locked Farzani up to a seven-year, $46,180,000 extension. Tabriz had mixed results in the playoffs, falling in the WLCS in 2018, 2020, and 2022. Their best records were 109-53 in both 2020 and 2021, the latter having a disappointing first round exit. The Tiger Sharks did break through in 2019 at 107-55, winning the West League pennant over Izmir. Tabriz then bested Dushanbe for their first-ever ABF Championship. Farzani had an all-timer playoff run in 2019, winning all five of his starts with a 1.10 ERA over 41 innings, 59 strikeouts, 2 walks, 305 ERA+, and 1.7 WAR. That tied the ABF playoff record for both wins and Ks in the playoffs to that point. He kept rolling in the Baseball Grand Championship with a 3-1 record, 2.27 ERA, 31.2 innings, 51 Ks, 166 ERA+, and 1.4 WAR. The Tiger Sharks finished 15-4 and became the first ABF team to earn the Grand Championship. His overall playoff stats were good, although Farzani never quite had a run like that again. Over 140.1 career innings, he had a 2.82 ERA, 8-2 record, 193 strikeouts, 31 walks, 130 ERA+, 67 FIP-, and 4.4 WAR. Farzani was also a regular from 2017-30 in the World Baseball Championship for Iran, although his numbers there weren’t remarkable with a 3.94 ERA in 160 innings, 9-5 record, 266 strikeouts, and 3.1 WAR. He was important for the Iranians’ second place finish in 2018 and third in 2023. Farzani had his worst injury in July 2022, a torn rotator cuff that knocked him out more than a calendar year. He was back by the 2023 playoffs, which saw a 92-win wild card Tabriz with a surprise playoff run. The Tiger Sharks upset Baku in the WLCS, then upset defending champ Bishkek in the ABF Championship. Farzani had a middling 3.96 ERA in 25 playoff innings, then surprisingly was terrible in the 2023 BGC with a 7.14 ERA over 29 innings. Tabriz finished 8-11 for the event. Tabriz had one more division title in 2024 at 94-68, but suffered a first round playoff defeat to Baku. The Tiger Sharks missed the playoffs on a tiebreaker in 2025, then spent the next four seasons at or below .500. Farzani had smaller injuries from 2024-26 and was no longer as dominant as his peak, but he was still good for 4+ WAR those three years. The Tiger Sharks gave him a five-year, $84 million extension in March 2026. Although his innings were limited in 2027, Farzani won his fourth ERA title at 2.13. He had a good pace in 2028, but missed two months to a strained abdominal muscle. Another strained ab and elbow inflammation kept him out most of 2029. His stuff and control were both starting to decline as Farzani tried to work through the injuries. Various injuries kept Farzani to only 110.2 innings in 2030 with middling production. Tabriz ended their playoff drought and got to the WLCS as a wild card, although they fell to Baku’s dynasty. Farzani struggled in 13 playoff innings to a 7.62 ERA and suffered a torn flexor tendon during the run. His contract was also up and between the injury and his decline, Farzani retired that winter at age 37. Tabriz quickly retired his #40 uniform for his excellent 15 years of service. Farzani finished with a 179-88 record, 2.65 ERA, 2467.1 innings, 3680 strikeouts, 464 walks, 213/328 quality starts, 83 complete games, 21 shutouts, 142 ERA+, 71 FIP-, and 69.8 WAR. Farzani ranks 33^rd in wins, 56^th in innings, 52^nd in complete games, 42^nd in shutouts, 27^th in strikeouts, and 18^th in WAR among pitchers. Among those with 1000+ innings, his ERA is 54^th and his 0.90 WHIP is 9^th. Farzani is also 19^th in H/9 (6.42), 2^nd in K/9 (13.42), and 51^st in opponent’s OPS (.590) with .199 average ranking 18^th and .242 OBP 15^th. At his peak, Farzani was among the most dominant pitchers ever in the Asian Baseball Federation. The injuries limited his innings and success in his later years, preventing what could’ve been a top five ace level career. Still, Farzani’s brief prime and role in Tabriz’s 2019 title and Grand Championship win made him a Hall of Fame lock at 97.4%, co-headlining ABF’s 2036 class. Temuri Omarov – Starting Pitcher – Istanbul Ironmen – 96.5% First Ballot Temuri Omarov was a 6’6’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Tbilisi, the capital and largest city in Georgia. Omarov was the first Georgian added into ABF’s HOF, although there had been two who made it in Eurasian Professional Baseball. Omarov had tremendous stuff with good-to-great movement and control. He had a three-pitch arsenal with a 97-99 mph fastball, excellent changeup, and a good curveball. Omarov’s ability to change speeds brought him his greatest successes. His stamina was respectable relative to other ABF aces and he lasted 17 seasons, although he did run into a few big injuries along the way. Omarov was average at holding runners and weak defensively. He didn’t have a big personality, but his big size certainly drew plenty of attention from scouts. The Tbilisi Trains franchise and Georgia generally was in the European Baseball Federation sphere as Omarov was a teenager, but ABF and EPB teams still kept an eye on the capital. He ended up leaving in December 2010 for Turkey on a developmental deal with Istanbul. Omarov spent his entire career with the Ironmen, debuting in 2014 as a part-time starter at age 22. Omarov had mixed results in his first three years, but emerged as a true ace by 2017 as the West League leader in WAR (9.2) and wins (21-7); taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. In May 2018, he signed a six-year, $42,900,000 extension to stay with Istanbul. Omarov was second in POTY voting for both 2019 and 2020. The Ironmen got a wild card in 2019, but lost in the first round. It was a down period for Istanbul, as this would be their only playoff trip from 2010-28. Omarov’s lone playoff start was quality, allowing two runs in 7.2 innings. They weren’t usually atrocious but were often aggressively mid, averaging 80.1 wins during that stretch. Still, Omarov kept his head down and continued pitching at a high level. 2021 was Omarov’s first major injury with a partially torn labrum in mid-August. He bounced back impressively and won his lone Pitcher of the Year award in 2022 with an ERA title (2.16) and league bests for WHIP (0.87), FIP- (59), and WAR (7.4). Omarov was the WARlord again the next two years and led with career bests in 2023 of 10.2 WAR and 365 Ks. He also won another ERA title at 2.42, but finished second to Elnur Hasanov in POTY voting. In July 2024, Omarov signed a new five-year, $98,800,000 extension with Istanbul. He would miss all of the 2026 season from a torn flexor tendon in spring training. Omarov made it back in 2027 and was still quite effective in limited innings with a 1.84 ERA, the best of his career. When healthy in the next few years, Omarov proved to still be effective. Unfortunately, he was never really healthy again. Back trouble and a hamstring strain cost him part of 2028, although Istanbul gave him a three-year, $44,100,000 extension regardless. Forearm inflammation and a ruptured finger tendon kept him out much of 2029, missing out on only the second playoff berth of his Ironmen run. Omarov suffered a torn rotator cuff in April 2030, although he did make it back for the very end of the season. He made it back right at the end of the year and still had a 1.98 ERA that season in his 36.1 innings. However, the physical toll was exhausting and Istanbul wasn’t interested in a new extension. Omarov retired that winter at age 38 and immediately had his #4 retired by the Ironmen for his efforts. In total, Omarov had a 190-137 record, 2.85 ERA, 2941 innings, 3941 strikeouts, 560 walks, 251/391 quality starts, 102 complete games, 28 shutouts, 129 ERA+, 68 FIP-, and 86.8 WAR. Omarov ranks 24^th in wins, 34^th in innings, 31^st in complete games, 20^th in shutouts, 18^th in strikeouts, and 8^th in pitching WAR. Among those with 1000+ innings, Omarov’s 12.06 K/9 ranks 27^th and his .612 opponent’s OPS is 90^th. Omarov was consistently one of the top pitchers in the Asian Baseball Federation, although he almost was underappreciated since Istanbul was so forgettable in that era. Like his Hall of Fame classmate Hafez Farzani, Omarov might have also had a shot at top five spots in the leaderboards if not for injuries. Still, his career was still plenty good for a no-doubt election at 96.5% to co-headline the 2036 class for ABF. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)