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FuzzyRussianHat · 11-21-2025, 08:29 AM

A pair of corner infielders were added into Beisbol Sudamerica’s Hall of Fame for 2038 with 1B Juan Rizo at 94.7% and 3B Spinoza Arajo at 87.0%, both on the first ballot. C Cruz Pereira narrowly missed the 66% cut on his debut at 60.9% as the anti-catcher voting bias struck again. The best returner and only other guy above 50% was CL Antonio Kercado with 51.8% in his fourth try.

Dropped after ten ballots was 2B Franklin Chapman, who peaked with a 59.2% debut and was down at 38.8% to end. In an 18-year career, Chapman won two Silver Sluggers, was thrice an MVP finalist, and helped Santa Cruz to their 2008-10 dynasty run. He played 2629 games with 2481 hits, 1382 runs, 353 doubles, 122 triples, 492 home runs, 1375 RBI, 1088 walks, 2518 strikeouts, 192 steals, .274/.351/.503 slash, 124 wRC+, and 73.8 WAR.

Chapman had hoped to be the first Guyanese Hall of Famer, but the advanced metrics were underwhelmed. Although he had 97 playoff games, he also had a mere .694 OPS and 0.5 WAR with a 84 wRC+. Chapman is very popular with Crawfish fans and had his #16 retired for his role in the dynasty. But his stats were underwhelming sharing an era with such powerhouse second basemen as Antonio Arceo, Daniel Schafer, and Oscar Valdivia. Chapman goes down as an inner-circle Hall of Pretty Good-er.

Catcher Luis Calzadilla also fell off after ten ballots, peaking at 35.6% in 2030 and ending with 8.6%. He played all 16 of his seasons with Rosario and won five Gold Gloves, posting 2132 games, 2034 hits, 734 runs, 323 doubles, 194 home runs, 763 RBI, .280/.315/.411 slash, 104 wRC+, and 57.0 WAR. It was hard enough for exceptional catchers to get traction with HOF voters, and Calzadilla was an okay batter at best. He also wasn’t going to get much attention with the Robins, who were almost exclusively lousy in his time.

Juan Rizo – First Base – Ciudad Guayana Giants – 94.7% First Ballot

Juan Rizo was a 6’1’’, 190 pound right-handed first baseman from Corn Island, Nicaragua; located just off the eastern coast with around 8,000 people. Rizo was a well-rounded batter against both sides with great contact ability and a reliable pop in his bat. His power was never prolific, but he got you plenty of extra bases with 31 home runs, 31 doubles, and 12 triples per his 162 game average. Rizo did very rarely walk, but he was better than most in BSA at avoiding strikeouts.

Rizo was slightly better against left-handed pitching (147 wRC+, .953 OPS) compared to facing righties (138 wRC+, .907 OPS). He had good speed and baserunning chops for much of his career. Rizo’s skillset was somewhat unique for a career first baseman, grading as a reliably above average defender. His durability was impressive, playing 130+ games in all but one season from 2013-2030. Rizo’s longevity and reliability made him a well-known figure across the continent.

Nicaraguans typically were in the domain of the Central American Baseball Association, but BSA teams did do occasional scouting in CABA territory. One of them from Venezuela liked a teenaged Rizo and signed him to a developmental deal with Ciudad Guayana in April 2008. He spent the better part of five years in their academy, debuting in 2012 at age 20 with 25 games and one start. Rizo took the full-time gig in 2013 and held it for 16 seasons with the Giants.

Rizo was third in 2013’s Rookie of the Year voting and won his lone Silver Slugger in 2014, leading the Bolivar League with 223 hits. Especially with the many big power hitters at the position, Rizo was rarely in awards conversations. He would be steady and consistent as the Giants ended a 14-year playoff drought in 2015. Ciudad Guayana had hovered mostly in the middle tier since the start of the 21^st Century.

The Giants were wild cards in 2015-16 with divisional series exits both years. Ciudad Guayana was the second wild card in 2017 at 91-71, but went on an impressive postseason tear. The Giants rolled through Medellin, Callao, and Guayaquil to claim the Bolivar League title, going 9-0 against those teams. Copa Sudamerica needed all seven games, but CG outlasted Concepcion to claim their second Cup win, joining their 1984 triumph.

Rizo earned his spot in team history with a monster playoff run, taking MVP of both Copa Sudamerica and the BLCS. In 16 starts, he had 26 hits, 13 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, 14 RBI, 1.127 OPS, 201 wRC+, and 1.1 WAR. Rizo continued on with a strong Baseball Grand Championship with 22 hits, 12 runs, 7 homers, 14 RBI, .981 OPS, 188 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR. Despite his efforts, the Giants were mid-pack at 9-10.

The next two seasons, Ciudad Guayana finished at 79-83. They were still happy with Rizo’s efforts and signed him to a five-year, $34,200,000 extension after the 2018 season. 2020 would be one of his lone injury issues, a torn hip flexor tendon knocked him out in July. At this point, Caracas was firmly in control of the Venezuela Division crown, as the Colts would claim the division and win 100+ games each year from 2017-23.

Ciudad Guayana through earned wild cards in both 2020 and 2021, upsetting the 110-win Colts in 2020. The Giants got to the BLCS both years, but fell to Santa Cruz in 2020 and Valencia in 2021. CG fell four short of a wild card in 2022 and got to the divisional series in 2023. Rizo’s playoff stats were unremarkable outside of the epic 2017 run. That was good enough though for a career 1.4 WAR, 127 wRC+, and .863 OPS over 52 playoff starts for the Giants. Rizo had 64 hits, 28 runs, 7 doubles, 3 triples, 8 homers, 32 RBI, and 19 steals.

On April 9, 2021; Rizo had a six-hit game against Maturin. That year was his only time as an MVP finalist, taking third with a league and career-best 138 RBI. Rizo also had his top mark for homers with 46, his only time with 40+ in a season. In July 2023, Ciudad Guayana gave Rizo a hefty six-year, $137 million extension. He would remain remarkably consistent into his 30s, although Ciudad Guayana fell to the lower-middle tier for the rest of the 2020s.

Perhaps Rizo’s most famous accomplishment came on June 1, 2025 as he went 7-7 against Maturin. There had only been a handful of seven-hit games in world history and this was the second in BSA, joining Mateo Salinas from 2019. Rizo was also the first in Beisbol Sudamerica to have multiple games of 6+ hits, although Jesus Fresco matched that in the 2030s.

With Ciudad Guayana no longer in contention, they opted to trade Rizo in the final year of his deal heading into the 2029 season. The 37-year old was sent to Brasilia for three prospects. For the Giants, Rizo had 2488 games, 3230 hits, 1534 runs, 497 doubles, 198 triples, 480 home runs, 1679 RBI, 374 walks, 836 steals, .331/.355/.569 slash, 141 wRC+, and 71.5 WAR. His #23 uniform would soon be retired for his efforts.

The Bearcats used Rizo in a part-time platoon role, but he did well in 130 games and 86 starts with a .992 OPS, 189 wRC+, and 4.2 WAR. Brasilia had gone 111-51 the prior year, but had gotten upset in the divisional series. 2029 had a similar story with a divisional series defeat despite the top seed at 107-55. With that, Rizo became a free agent for the first time at age 38.

Rizo also played for his native Nicaragua from 2030-32 in the World Baseball Championship, having only briefly played prior in 2014-15. In 43 WBC games, Rizo had 30 hits, 22 runs, 5 doubles, 11 homers, 19 RBI, .199/.248/.450 slash, and 0.7 WAR. He moved back to Venezuela in free agency on a three-year, $30,800,000 deal with Maturin.

The Makos would be mid-grade during his tenure and he had a decent showing in his first two years. In 2030, Rizo became only the fourth in BSA history to reach 3500 hits. Owen Arcia’s all-time mark of 3940 hits didn’t seem like an impossible task. However, he missed part of 2032 to injury and eventually was benched with only 57 games and -0.1 WAR. With Maturin, Rizo had 315 games, 349 hits, 162 runs, 47 doubles, 7 triples, 59 homers, 176 RBI, 85 steals, .298/.325/.500 slash, 117 wRC+, and 4.0 WAR. He retired in winter 2032 at age 41.

Rizo ended with 2933 games, 3707 hits, 1752 runs, 565 doubles, 211 triples, 560 home runs, 1926 RBI, 441 walks, 1773 strikeouts, 953 steals, 814 caught stealing, .328/.353/.563 slash, 140 wRC+, and 79.7 WAR. Rizo ranks 12^th in games, 8^th in runs, 3^rd in hits, 3^rd in total bases (6374), 2^nd in singles (2371), 4^th in doubles, 56^th in triples, 43^rd in homers, 5^th in RBI, 25^th in steals, 10^th in caught stealing, but only 92^nd in WAR among position players. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Rizo’s average ranked 83^rd.

On the world leaderboards at induction, Rizo is 28^th in hits and 24^th in caught stealing. Despite his impressive rankings on the BSA leaderboards, some don’t look at him as an inner-circle Hall of Famer. The WAR mark suggested he was a beneficiary of the much-higher scoring modern Beisbol Sudamerica relative to the lower-scoring 20^th Century.

Rizo also had far fewer accolades and black ink than you’d expect considering his final tallies, so he often isn’t considered a top ten guy even with several top ten spots. Still, he was the definition of consistency and a key figure in Ciudad Guayana’s 2017 title run. That and impressive accumulations made him a very easy inductee in any case. Rizo received 94.7% to take a first ballot spot with a two-man 2038 class for Beisbol Sudamerica.

Spinoza Arajo – Third Base – Buenos Aires Atlantics – 87.0% First Ballot

Spinoza Arajo was a 6’0’’, 195 pound left-handed hitting third baseman from Maracay, Venezuela; a city of 465,000 people near the Caribbean coast. Arajo had rock solid ratings for both contact and home run power, especially facing right-handed pitching. He had a career .983 OPS and 173 wRC+ facing RHP, but was plenty solid against lefties too on a .863 OPS and 146 wRC+.

Arajo’s power was focused on homers with 37 per his 162 game average, with a comparatively low 25 doubles and 3 triples per 162. His speed and baserunning was lousy, so you had no luck with extra bases there. Compared to his BSA peers, Arajo was average to above average at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts.

He was a career third baseman with a strong arm, but he graded as a poor defender with lousy range and glove work. Arajo did sporadically play first base and had respectable ratings there. He had a 19-year run in BSA with mostly decent durability, but he did run into some issues with his right arm specifically. Arajo was adaptable, but wasn’t going to be a leader and his work ethic was lacking. Still, he became a popular figure in a near two-decade run in the Argentinian capital.

Many don’t realize that Arajo actually didn’t start with Buenos Aires, despite his entire BSA career coming with the Atlantics. As a teenager, he signed a developmental deal in October 2010 with Brasilia. After two years in the Bearcats academy, Arajo was part of a four-man trade to Buenos Aires in January 2013. Brasilia specifically wanted veteran SP Fernan Murillo coming off a Pitcher of the Year win. They had him for a one-year rental as part of his 21-year Hall of Fame career.

Arajo debuted in 2014 but saw limited usage in his first three years with no starts and 166 games. He had a full-time roster spot in 2017 with 136 games and 27 starts with promising results. Arajo grabbed the full-time gig in 2018 and delivered big with a second place finish in Southern Cone League MVP voting, leading in slugging (.697), OPS (1.103), and wRC+ (217). Those would be career highs along with his 204 hits, .361 average, and .405 OBP. Arajo’s 50 homers and 9.5 WAR were both the second-best of his career.

That helped the Atlantics end a decade-long playoff drought and earn the top seed at 99-63, but they were upset in the divisional round by Asuncion. Buenos Aires won another division title at 92-70 in 2019 and got to the LCS, but were defeated by Recife. BA fell back below .500 for the next two years with Arajo missing much of 2020 to a stretched elbow ligament, an uncommon injury by a non-pitcher. He rebounded well in 2021 and that winter signed an eight-year, $81 million extension with the Atlantics.

While Arajo was famous for his career in Argentina, he did return regularly home to Venezuela for the World Baseball Championship. From 2016-29, Arajo played 89 games but started only 47. He had 51 hits, 22 runs, 11 doubles, 10 homers, 28 RBI, .242/.332/.455 slash, and 1.6 WAR.

Buenos Aires earned wild cards in 2022-23, but suffered first round exits both years. In 2022, Arajo won his lone MVP and first Silver Slugger with a league best 52 home runs and career bests for runs (105), and WAR (9.7). He remained good, but the Atlantics stunk with 73 and 69 wins over 2024-25. BA would soon rebound to end the 2020s as Arajo won Sluggers in 2027 and 2028.

In 2026, the Atlantics got the final playoff spot at 92-70 as a wild card. They got hot and upset Sao Paulo to win their first Southern Cone League pennant since 1982. Buenos Aires then won their first Copa Sudamerica since 1980 in a seven-game thriller over defending champ Barranquilla. Arajo was finals MVP and had a big playoff run with 28 hits, 17 runs, 2 doubles, 8 homers, 20 RBI, 1.157 OPS, 235 wRC+, and 1.5 WAR in 19 games.

Buenos Aires was 11-8 in the Baseball Grand Championship in a tie for ninth. Arajo had a solid showing there with 17 hits, 14 runs, 6 homers, 12 RBI, .933 OPS, and 0.9 WAR. The Atlantics were 92-70 again in 2027, but that kept them one win short of the playoffs. In 2028, BA finished a division champ at 100-62, although 111-win Brasilia was the favorite to take the pennant. The Bearcats got upset by Sao Paulo in the divisional series.

The Atlantics then topped the Padres 4-2 for the Southern Cone pennant, followed by a 4-1 win over Lima for their second Copa Sudamerica in three years. Arajo had a respectable showing there with a .866 OPS, then was excellent in the 2028 BGC with 10 homers, 17 RBI, 1.045 OPS, and 1.1 WAR. Despite that, Buenos Aires was in the bottom half at 8-11.

On the whole, Arajo had a rock solid stat line in the postseason. Over 57 starts, he had 72 hits, 36 runs, 12 doubles, 13 home runs, 42 RBI, .317/.347/.542 slash, .889 OPS, 155 wRC+, and 2.4 WAR. Arajo’s role in the cup wins earned him a prominent spot in franchise lore and his #45 uniform would eventually be retired. BA had a playoff near miss in 2029 and a divisional series loss in 2030. They then fell to the bottom of the standings for the rest of Arajo’s tenure.

After the 2029 season, the now 37-year old Arajo signed a three-year, $58 million extension. He had still been quite efficient to that point and had a strong 2030 despite missing a month to a sprained thumb. Injuries started to tank his production after that with a fractured finger in 2031 and a torn labrum in 2032. Buenos Aires didn’t re-sign him after the 2032 campaign, becoming a free agent for the first time at age 40.

Big league clubs though Arajo was cooked, but he was determined to still play somewhere. He settled for the African Second League with Blantyre in 2033 and Kisangani in 2034. Arajo played limited action with both teams with 15o games, 40 starts, and only 0.4 WAR. He retired after the 2034 season at age 34.

With Buenos Aires, Arajo had 2307 games, 2342 hits, 1265 runs, 367 doubles, 42 triples, 552 home runs, 1387 RBI, 644 walks, 1276 strikeouts, .311/.368/.591 slash, 168 wRC+, and 88.5 WAR. Arajo ranks 89^th in runs, 90^th in total bases (4449), 47^th in home runs, 69^th in RBI, and 63^rd in WAR among position players. His slugging was 64^th among those with 3000+ plate appearances and his .958 OPS was 64^th.

While his grand tallies weren’t jaw dropping, Arajo was a remarkably consistent power hitter for a long time with the Atlantics. The MVP win and role in two cups for Buenos Aires generally clinched it for most voters skeptical about the accumulations. At 87.0%, Arajo was the second member of Beisbol Sudamerica’s 2038 Hall of Fame class.

11-21-2025, 08:29 AM	#2577
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,112	2038 BSA Hall of Fame A pair of corner infielders were added into Beisbol Sudamerica’s Hall of Fame for 2038 with 1B Juan Rizo at 94.7% and 3B Spinoza Arajo at 87.0%, both on the first ballot. C Cruz Pereira narrowly missed the 66% cut on his debut at 60.9% as the anti-catcher voting bias struck again. The best returner and only other guy above 50% was CL Antonio Kercado with 51.8% in his fourth try. Dropped after ten ballots was 2B Franklin Chapman, who peaked with a 59.2% debut and was down at 38.8% to end. In an 18-year career, Chapman won two Silver Sluggers, was thrice an MVP finalist, and helped Santa Cruz to their 2008-10 dynasty run. He played 2629 games with 2481 hits, 1382 runs, 353 doubles, 122 triples, 492 home runs, 1375 RBI, 1088 walks, 2518 strikeouts, 192 steals, .274/.351/.503 slash, 124 wRC+, and 73.8 WAR. Chapman had hoped to be the first Guyanese Hall of Famer, but the advanced metrics were underwhelmed. Although he had 97 playoff games, he also had a mere .694 OPS and 0.5 WAR with a 84 wRC+. Chapman is very popular with Crawfish fans and had his #16 retired for his role in the dynasty. But his stats were underwhelming sharing an era with such powerhouse second basemen as Antonio Arceo, Daniel Schafer, and Oscar Valdivia. Chapman goes down as an inner-circle Hall of Pretty Good-er. Catcher Luis Calzadilla also fell off after ten ballots, peaking at 35.6% in 2030 and ending with 8.6%. He played all 16 of his seasons with Rosario and won five Gold Gloves, posting 2132 games, 2034 hits, 734 runs, 323 doubles, 194 home runs, 763 RBI, .280/.315/.411 slash, 104 wRC+, and 57.0 WAR. It was hard enough for exceptional catchers to get traction with HOF voters, and Calzadilla was an okay batter at best. He also wasn’t going to get much attention with the Robins, who were almost exclusively lousy in his time. Juan Rizo – First Base – Ciudad Guayana Giants – 94.7% First Ballot Juan Rizo was a 6’1’’, 190 pound right-handed first baseman from Corn Island, Nicaragua; located just off the eastern coast with around 8,000 people. Rizo was a well-rounded batter against both sides with great contact ability and a reliable pop in his bat. His power was never prolific, but he got you plenty of extra bases with 31 home runs, 31 doubles, and 12 triples per his 162 game average. Rizo did very rarely walk, but he was better than most in BSA at avoiding strikeouts. Rizo was slightly better against left-handed pitching (147 wRC+, .953 OPS) compared to facing righties (138 wRC+, .907 OPS). He had good speed and baserunning chops for much of his career. Rizo’s skillset was somewhat unique for a career first baseman, grading as a reliably above average defender. His durability was impressive, playing 130+ games in all but one season from 2013-2030. Rizo’s longevity and reliability made him a well-known figure across the continent. Nicaraguans typically were in the domain of the Central American Baseball Association, but BSA teams did do occasional scouting in CABA territory. One of them from Venezuela liked a teenaged Rizo and signed him to a developmental deal with Ciudad Guayana in April 2008. He spent the better part of five years in their academy, debuting in 2012 at age 20 with 25 games and one start. Rizo took the full-time gig in 2013 and held it for 16 seasons with the Giants. Rizo was third in 2013’s Rookie of the Year voting and won his lone Silver Slugger in 2014, leading the Bolivar League with 223 hits. Especially with the many big power hitters at the position, Rizo was rarely in awards conversations. He would be steady and consistent as the Giants ended a 14-year playoff drought in 2015. Ciudad Guayana had hovered mostly in the middle tier since the start of the 21^st Century. The Giants were wild cards in 2015-16 with divisional series exits both years. Ciudad Guayana was the second wild card in 2017 at 91-71, but went on an impressive postseason tear. The Giants rolled through Medellin, Callao, and Guayaquil to claim the Bolivar League title, going 9-0 against those teams. Copa Sudamerica needed all seven games, but CG outlasted Concepcion to claim their second Cup win, joining their 1984 triumph. Rizo earned his spot in team history with a monster playoff run, taking MVP of both Copa Sudamerica and the BLCS. In 16 starts, he had 26 hits, 13 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, 14 RBI, 1.127 OPS, 201 wRC+, and 1.1 WAR. Rizo continued on with a strong Baseball Grand Championship with 22 hits, 12 runs, 7 homers, 14 RBI, .981 OPS, 188 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR. Despite his efforts, the Giants were mid-pack at 9-10. The next two seasons, Ciudad Guayana finished at 79-83. They were still happy with Rizo’s efforts and signed him to a five-year, $34,200,000 extension after the 2018 season. 2020 would be one of his lone injury issues, a torn hip flexor tendon knocked him out in July. At this point, Caracas was firmly in control of the Venezuela Division crown, as the Colts would claim the division and win 100+ games each year from 2017-23. Ciudad Guayana through earned wild cards in both 2020 and 2021, upsetting the 110-win Colts in 2020. The Giants got to the BLCS both years, but fell to Santa Cruz in 2020 and Valencia in 2021. CG fell four short of a wild card in 2022 and got to the divisional series in 2023. Rizo’s playoff stats were unremarkable outside of the epic 2017 run. That was good enough though for a career 1.4 WAR, 127 wRC+, and .863 OPS over 52 playoff starts for the Giants. Rizo had 64 hits, 28 runs, 7 doubles, 3 triples, 8 homers, 32 RBI, and 19 steals. On April 9, 2021; Rizo had a six-hit game against Maturin. That year was his only time as an MVP finalist, taking third with a league and career-best 138 RBI. Rizo also had his top mark for homers with 46, his only time with 40+ in a season. In July 2023, Ciudad Guayana gave Rizo a hefty six-year, $137 million extension. He would remain remarkably consistent into his 30s, although Ciudad Guayana fell to the lower-middle tier for the rest of the 2020s. Perhaps Rizo’s most famous accomplishment came on June 1, 2025 as he went 7-7 against Maturin. There had only been a handful of seven-hit games in world history and this was the second in BSA, joining Mateo Salinas from 2019. Rizo was also the first in Beisbol Sudamerica to have multiple games of 6+ hits, although Jesus Fresco matched that in the 2030s. With Ciudad Guayana no longer in contention, they opted to trade Rizo in the final year of his deal heading into the 2029 season. The 37-year old was sent to Brasilia for three prospects. For the Giants, Rizo had 2488 games, 3230 hits, 1534 runs, 497 doubles, 198 triples, 480 home runs, 1679 RBI, 374 walks, 836 steals, .331/.355/.569 slash, 141 wRC+, and 71.5 WAR. His #23 uniform would soon be retired for his efforts. The Bearcats used Rizo in a part-time platoon role, but he did well in 130 games and 86 starts with a .992 OPS, 189 wRC+, and 4.2 WAR. Brasilia had gone 111-51 the prior year, but had gotten upset in the divisional series. 2029 had a similar story with a divisional series defeat despite the top seed at 107-55. With that, Rizo became a free agent for the first time at age 38. Rizo also played for his native Nicaragua from 2030-32 in the World Baseball Championship, having only briefly played prior in 2014-15. In 43 WBC games, Rizo had 30 hits, 22 runs, 5 doubles, 11 homers, 19 RBI, .199/.248/.450 slash, and 0.7 WAR. He moved back to Venezuela in free agency on a three-year, $30,800,000 deal with Maturin. The Makos would be mid-grade during his tenure and he had a decent showing in his first two years. In 2030, Rizo became only the fourth in BSA history to reach 3500 hits. Owen Arcia’s all-time mark of 3940 hits didn’t seem like an impossible task. However, he missed part of 2032 to injury and eventually was benched with only 57 games and -0.1 WAR. With Maturin, Rizo had 315 games, 349 hits, 162 runs, 47 doubles, 7 triples, 59 homers, 176 RBI, 85 steals, .298/.325/.500 slash, 117 wRC+, and 4.0 WAR. He retired in winter 2032 at age 41. Rizo ended with 2933 games, 3707 hits, 1752 runs, 565 doubles, 211 triples, 560 home runs, 1926 RBI, 441 walks, 1773 strikeouts, 953 steals, 814 caught stealing, .328/.353/.563 slash, 140 wRC+, and 79.7 WAR. Rizo ranks 12^th in games, 8^th in runs, 3^rd in hits, 3^rd in total bases (6374), 2^nd in singles (2371), 4^th in doubles, 56^th in triples, 43^rd in homers, 5^th in RBI, 25^th in steals, 10^th in caught stealing, but only 92^nd in WAR among position players. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Rizo’s average ranked 83^rd. On the world leaderboards at induction, Rizo is 28^th in hits and 24^th in caught stealing. Despite his impressive rankings on the BSA leaderboards, some don’t look at him as an inner-circle Hall of Famer. The WAR mark suggested he was a beneficiary of the much-higher scoring modern Beisbol Sudamerica relative to the lower-scoring 20^th Century. Rizo also had far fewer accolades and black ink than you’d expect considering his final tallies, so he often isn’t considered a top ten guy even with several top ten spots. Still, he was the definition of consistency and a key figure in Ciudad Guayana’s 2017 title run. That and impressive accumulations made him a very easy inductee in any case. Rizo received 94.7% to take a first ballot spot with a two-man 2038 class for Beisbol Sudamerica. Spinoza Arajo – Third Base – Buenos Aires Atlantics – 87.0% First Ballot Spinoza Arajo was a 6’0’’, 195 pound left-handed hitting third baseman from Maracay, Venezuela; a city of 465,000 people near the Caribbean coast. Arajo had rock solid ratings for both contact and home run power, especially facing right-handed pitching. He had a career .983 OPS and 173 wRC+ facing RHP, but was plenty solid against lefties too on a .863 OPS and 146 wRC+. Arajo’s power was focused on homers with 37 per his 162 game average, with a comparatively low 25 doubles and 3 triples per 162. His speed and baserunning was lousy, so you had no luck with extra bases there. Compared to his BSA peers, Arajo was average to above average at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. He was a career third baseman with a strong arm, but he graded as a poor defender with lousy range and glove work. Arajo did sporadically play first base and had respectable ratings there. He had a 19-year run in BSA with mostly decent durability, but he did run into some issues with his right arm specifically. Arajo was adaptable, but wasn’t going to be a leader and his work ethic was lacking. Still, he became a popular figure in a near two-decade run in the Argentinian capital. Many don’t realize that Arajo actually didn’t start with Buenos Aires, despite his entire BSA career coming with the Atlantics. As a teenager, he signed a developmental deal in October 2010 with Brasilia. After two years in the Bearcats academy, Arajo was part of a four-man trade to Buenos Aires in January 2013. Brasilia specifically wanted veteran SP Fernan Murillo coming off a Pitcher of the Year win. They had him for a one-year rental as part of his 21-year Hall of Fame career. Arajo debuted in 2014 but saw limited usage in his first three years with no starts and 166 games. He had a full-time roster spot in 2017 with 136 games and 27 starts with promising results. Arajo grabbed the full-time gig in 2018 and delivered big with a second place finish in Southern Cone League MVP voting, leading in slugging (.697), OPS (1.103), and wRC+ (217). Those would be career highs along with his 204 hits, .361 average, and .405 OBP. Arajo’s 50 homers and 9.5 WAR were both the second-best of his career. That helped the Atlantics end a decade-long playoff drought and earn the top seed at 99-63, but they were upset in the divisional round by Asuncion. Buenos Aires won another division title at 92-70 in 2019 and got to the LCS, but were defeated by Recife. BA fell back below .500 for the next two years with Arajo missing much of 2020 to a stretched elbow ligament, an uncommon injury by a non-pitcher. He rebounded well in 2021 and that winter signed an eight-year, $81 million extension with the Atlantics. While Arajo was famous for his career in Argentina, he did return regularly home to Venezuela for the World Baseball Championship. From 2016-29, Arajo played 89 games but started only 47. He had 51 hits, 22 runs, 11 doubles, 10 homers, 28 RBI, .242/.332/.455 slash, and 1.6 WAR. Buenos Aires earned wild cards in 2022-23, but suffered first round exits both years. In 2022, Arajo won his lone MVP and first Silver Slugger with a league best 52 home runs and career bests for runs (105), and WAR (9.7). He remained good, but the Atlantics stunk with 73 and 69 wins over 2024-25. BA would soon rebound to end the 2020s as Arajo won Sluggers in 2027 and 2028. In 2026, the Atlantics got the final playoff spot at 92-70 as a wild card. They got hot and upset Sao Paulo to win their first Southern Cone League pennant since 1982. Buenos Aires then won their first Copa Sudamerica since 1980 in a seven-game thriller over defending champ Barranquilla. Arajo was finals MVP and had a big playoff run with 28 hits, 17 runs, 2 doubles, 8 homers, 20 RBI, 1.157 OPS, 235 wRC+, and 1.5 WAR in 19 games. Buenos Aires was 11-8 in the Baseball Grand Championship in a tie for ninth. Arajo had a solid showing there with 17 hits, 14 runs, 6 homers, 12 RBI, .933 OPS, and 0.9 WAR. The Atlantics were 92-70 again in 2027, but that kept them one win short of the playoffs. In 2028, BA finished a division champ at 100-62, although 111-win Brasilia was the favorite to take the pennant. The Bearcats got upset by Sao Paulo in the divisional series. The Atlantics then topped the Padres 4-2 for the Southern Cone pennant, followed by a 4-1 win over Lima for their second Copa Sudamerica in three years. Arajo had a respectable showing there with a .866 OPS, then was excellent in the 2028 BGC with 10 homers, 17 RBI, 1.045 OPS, and 1.1 WAR. Despite that, Buenos Aires was in the bottom half at 8-11. On the whole, Arajo had a rock solid stat line in the postseason. Over 57 starts, he had 72 hits, 36 runs, 12 doubles, 13 home runs, 42 RBI, .317/.347/.542 slash, .889 OPS, 155 wRC+, and 2.4 WAR. Arajo’s role in the cup wins earned him a prominent spot in franchise lore and his #45 uniform would eventually be retired. BA had a playoff near miss in 2029 and a divisional series loss in 2030. They then fell to the bottom of the standings for the rest of Arajo’s tenure. After the 2029 season, the now 37-year old Arajo signed a three-year, $58 million extension. He had still been quite efficient to that point and had a strong 2030 despite missing a month to a sprained thumb. Injuries started to tank his production after that with a fractured finger in 2031 and a torn labrum in 2032. Buenos Aires didn’t re-sign him after the 2032 campaign, becoming a free agent for the first time at age 40. Big league clubs though Arajo was cooked, but he was determined to still play somewhere. He settled for the African Second League with Blantyre in 2033 and Kisangani in 2034. Arajo played limited action with both teams with 15o games, 40 starts, and only 0.4 WAR. He retired after the 2034 season at age 34. With Buenos Aires, Arajo had 2307 games, 2342 hits, 1265 runs, 367 doubles, 42 triples, 552 home runs, 1387 RBI, 644 walks, 1276 strikeouts, .311/.368/.591 slash, 168 wRC+, and 88.5 WAR. Arajo ranks 89^th in runs, 90^th in total bases (4449), 47^th in home runs, 69^th in RBI, and 63^rd in WAR among position players. His slugging was 64^th among those with 3000+ plate appearances and his .958 OPS was 64^th. While his grand tallies weren’t jaw dropping, Arajo was a remarkably consistent power hitter for a long time with the Atlantics. The MVP win and role in two cups for Buenos Aires generally clinched it for most voters skeptical about the accumulations. At 87.0%, Arajo was the second member of Beisbol Sudamerica’s 2038 Hall of Fame class. __________________ 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)