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West African Baseball had an impressive four-player Hall of Fame class for 2038 with three getting at or above 98% of the vote. World hit king Fares Belaid (98.8%), DH/RF Shafiu Hassan (98.4%), and SP Koko Omouroun (98.0%) led the way. IF/DH Donatien Nda also was a first ballot nod at a more humble 73.7%. LF Mohamed Khammas had a nice debut, but his 57.8% fell short of the 66% requirement. No one else was above 50% and the best returner was SP Dagobert Mekongo at 47.0% on his second ballot.



1B Edmilson Monteiro was dropped after ten failed ballots, peaking at 44.8% in 2031 and ending at a low of 9.2%. In a 16-year career with Dakar, Monteiro won two MVPs, seven Gold Gloves, and was key in the Dukes’ 2016 championship. He had 2156 games, 2552 hits, 1091 runs, 535 doubles, 29 triples, 341 home runs, 1303 RBI, .317/.361/.518 slash, 129 wRC+, and 52.0 WAR. Despite plenty of accolades, his hitting totals were underwhelming for the high-scoring WAB, banishing him to the Hall of Pretty Good.

LF Mandjou Abado also was dropped on his tenth try, ending at 4.0% and peaking at 32.4%. In 18 seasons between Kumasi and Ouagadougou, he had one Silver Slugger, 2475 games, 2909 hits, 1527 runs, 551 doubles, 312 triples, 247 homers, 1210 RBI, 1199 steals, .298/.328/.495 slash, 115 wRC+, and 59.5 WAR. Adado is notably 16^th in hits, 23^rd in runs, 30^th in doubles, 2^nd in triples, and 4^th in steals. However, he was dismissed as a compiler with underwhelming efficiency metrics.



Fares “Flamethrower” Belaid – Designated Hitter/Third Base – Yaounde Yellow Birds – 98.8% First Ballot

Fares Belaid was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed designated hitter and third baseman from Murnaq, Tunisia; a commune of around 61,000 people just south of the capital Tunis. Belaid earned the nickname “Flamethrower” for his thrilling play style. He was a master at putting the ball in play, known for phenomenal contact skills against both right and left-handed pitching. He very rarely drew walks, but also rarely struck out.

Once the ball was in play, Belaid was a terrific savvy baserunner with very good speed. His gap power was stellar with 44 doubles and 22 triples per his 162 game average. Belaid wasn’t a big slugger, but he did have some home run power with 19 dingers per 162. He did have stronger metrics facing left-handed pitching (1.010 OPS, 157 wRC+) but was by no means poor against righties (.940 OPS, 142 wRC+).

Belaid was one of the game’s true ironmen over a career that spanned four decades, never missing significant time to injury. His biggest weakness perhaps was lackluster defense, thus he made more than 75% of his starts as a designated hitter. Belaid’s defense starts all came at third base with poor metrics. He was a strong leader, very intelligent, and adaptable to his situation. Belaid became one of the most beloved figures in the game’s history en route to becoming the world leader for hits.

Tunisia was part of the Arab world, so it was uncommon that prospects from the country strayed from Arab League Baseball. Belaid’s potential got noticed though throughout Africa with Cotonou in particular taking a liking to him. He moved to Benin on a developmental deal in February 2005. Belaid spent about four full years in their academy, officially debuting with seven games in 2008 at age 19. The Copperheads made him a full-time starter in 2009, although he was an unremarkable rookie.

Both Belaid and Cotonou broke through in 2010. He led the Eastern League in hits, triples, and stolen bases. For his career, Belaid led in hits 12 times, triples eight times, and steals four times. The Copperheads finished atop the standings at 101-61, ending an eight year playoff drought. Belaid was ELCS MVP as they beat Ibadan 3-1 for their first-ever pennant. Cotonou then defeated Abidjan for their first WAB title.

In 10 playoff starts, Belaid had 15 hits, 9 runs, 1 double, 2 triples, 4 homers, 9 RBI, 7 steals, 1.167 OPS, 212 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR. 2010 was the debut of the Baseball Grand Championship and the only year using a nine-game, two division format. The Copperheads tied for second in Division 2 at 6-3 with Belaid posting a .876 OPS and 135 wRC+.

Belaid had similar stats in 2011 as he won his first Silver Slugger. Cotonou exploded for an all-timer season at 114-48, repeating as WAB champs with a finals win over Freetown. The Copperheads were one of four times tied for eighth at 10-9 in the BGC. Cotonou locked up Belaid long-term at a very bargain rate that winter at eight years and $31,960,000.

In 2012, Belaid won his first MVP and second Silver Slugger, getting his first batting title (.368) and his first of eight seasons leading in WAR (8.6). He also stole 93 bases, which would be a career high. Belaid had 248 hits, which to that point the third-best single season in WAB history. It is a mark he would top eight times and often by a large margin. Belaid also had a historic day on May 14 against Cape Verde, getting both a six-hit game and hitting for the cycle.

Despite Belaid’s efforts, Cotonou took second place at 99-63, one game back on Ouagadougou. The three-peat bid was thwarted with a second round upset loss to Lome. Belaid’s 2013 was solid, but he wasn’t an award winner or league leader. Four teams finished within two games of first in the Eastern League with Cotonou first at 95-67. They survived 3-2 in the ELCS over Ibadan, then swept Dakar for their third title in four years. The Copperheads placed sixth in the Baseball Grand Championship at 11-8.

This was the peak of the Cotonou dynasty, although their playoff streak carried through 2018. The Copperheads had a first place 108-54 in 2014, but lost 3-2 to 104-win Lome in the ELCS. Belaid was the series MVP in defeat with a 1.747 OPS, 340 wRC+, and a playoff-record six triples. They settled for wild cards for the rest of the streak and only got to the ELCS once more, a defeat in 2017 to Kano. Despite that, Belaid continued to be an absolute rock star.

From 2014-17 with Cotonou, Belaid led each year in hits and was the leader in batting average and WAR in all but 2017. He was MVP in 2014 and 2016 with Silver Sluggers both years as a DH. Belaid was also second in 2015’s MVP voting. He had 266 hits in 2014, setting a world record for any league. It was also his first time leading in runs scored at 146.

Belaid broke his own hits record with 268 in both 2015 and 2016. He hit .400 exactly in 2016 and had his career high 30 home runs and a league-best 139 RBI. His career RBI peak was 142 back in 2014. Belaid also led twice in total bases and had the best OBP in 2016 at .415. 2015 featured his second cycle as well as a 31-game hitting streak in the spring and 34-game run in the fall.

To the surprise of many, Belaid exercised his opt-out after the 2017 season. While the 29-year old was appreciative, he wanted to get paid. Belaid remained beloved by Cotonou fans for his role in the dynasty and finished with 1412 games, 2133 hits, 1026 runs, 397 doubles, 214 triples, 160 home runs, 989 RBI, 698 steals, .361/.379/.583 slash, 152 wRC+, and 55.7 WAR. In 54 playoff starts, Belaid had 87 hits, 45 runs, 10 doubles, 9 triples, 7 homers, 36 RBI, 33 steals, .383/.401/.602 slash 165 wRC+, and 3.1 WAR.

Amazingly with those stats and three rings, the Cotonou run is usually ranked just behind his next run with Yaounde. Belaid played almost the exact same number of games between the two, but had more efficient numbers with the Yellow Birds and brought them their own dynasty. He was inducted in yellow, but is adored and claimed by fans of both franchises.

Belaid signed a $96,700,000 over seven years with Yaounde, who was one of WAB’s first expansion teams in 2009. Prior to Belaid, they had never been a playoff team with only one winning season. His arrival saw arguably his best season as he won his fourth MVP and first Silver Slugger as a third baseman. Belaid had career bests for triple slash (.416/.432/.675), OPS (1.107), wRC+ (188), and WAR (10.1). The batting average set the WAB single-season record and was second in world history to that point. It would be passed once in WAB and ranks fifth in the world among qualifying seasons at induction.

Yaounde finished first place at 99-63 and beat Kano 3-1 for the Eastern League pennant, followed by a 4-1 West African Championship triumph against Banjul with Belaid as finals MVP. The Yellow Birds were one of five teams tied for seventh at 10-9 in the Baseball Grand Championship. Just like that, Belaid had turned Yaounde from an unknown into a winner.

Belaid won his fifth MVP and another Slugger at DH in 2019 that included a 34-game hitting streak in the spring. He led again in WAR, hits, and runs with Yaounde second in the standings at 98-64. They ultimately were swept in the ELCS by first place Kano. Belaid made more history in 2020, although he was denied his sixth MVP by his eventual Hall of Fame classmate Donatien Nda.

He shattered his own single-season hits record with 282 and led with a career-best 62 doubles. Belaid was also the WARlord and leader again for runs, total bases, and batting average. With his .401 mark, he became the first in world history with three seasons of .400 or better. Belaid was also the first in world history with 700+ at-bats in a season, which would only be passed later twice. Yaounde was a second-place 99-63, but upset top-seed Ouagadougou 3-2 in the ELCS. The Yellow Birds would be swept in the WAB Championship by Conakry.

Belaid won two more Sluggers in 2021-22 and was second in 2021’s MVP voting. This extended his streak as the hits leader to nine seasons with his fifth straight year leading in runs and fourth time in five years with the batting title. 250+ hits became standard fare for Belaid despite it being an exceptional number. The mark has been hit only 47 times in all of baseball history with Belaid doing it eight times in his career.

Yaounde capped off the dynasty with a first place 96-66 in 2021 and their third pennant in four years, defeating Libreville in the ELCS. They won their second WAB title by knocking off Bamako. The Yellow Birds went 8-11 in the Baseball Grand Championship, Belaid’s last time in the event. Over 84 games, he had 104 hits, 42 runs, 22 doubles, 4 triples, 9 homers, 40 RBI, 20 steals, .307/.334/.475 slash, 127 wRC+, and 2.0 WAR.

In 2021, Belaid reached the 3000 career hit and 1500 runs scored milestones. Carrying over from the prior year, Belaid posted a 43-game hitting streak that ended on April 16. This was the WAB record, although William Green passed it in 2034 with 45. Belaid’s 43 ranks as tied for seventh in world history and is one of only 17 streaks of 40+ games.. He’s also the only player in world history to have four streaks of 30+ hits in a career.

2022 marked the end of the dynasty for Yaounde, although they stayed above .500 through 2025. They missed the playoffs in 2022 and 2024, while suffering wild card first round exits in 2023 and 2025. In the playoffs for the Yellow Birds, Belaid played 40 games with 60 hits, 30 runs, 9 doubles, 11 triples, 4 homers, 22 RBI, 17 steals, .353/.367/.606 slash, 144 wRC+, and 1.8 WAR.

Belaid opted out of his deal after the 2022 season and was a free agent for about two weeks. He ultimately returned to Yaounde on a new four-year, $98,400,000 deal. Belaid won his ninth and final Silver Slugger in 2024 and was second in MVP voting. He matched his world record 282 hits and set the WAB record with 160 runs scored. At induction, 160+ runs has happened only five times in world history. Belaid also saw his fourth .400+ average season, his eighth time as the WARlord, and a career-best .417 OBP.

From 2022-24, Belaid hit for the cycle each year. That gave him five for his career with only Belaid and Beisbol Sudamerica’s Antonio Coria having achieved that feat. Belaid also continued to climb up the career leaderboards. The 282 hits in 2024 allowed him to pass the recently retired Lawrence Nassif’s 3766 to become WAB’s hits king.

He also took over WAB’s top spots for singles, doubles, triples, and stolen bases. Belaid was the second to 2000 runs scored and in 2026 passed Darwin Morris’ record of 2234. He also became only one of six in world history with 4000 career hits. Overall for Yaounde, Belaid finished with 1409 games, 2281 hits, 1250 runs, 416 doubles, 207 triples, 188 home runs, 933 RBI, 702 steals, .376/.394/.606 slash, 153 wRC+, and 63.8 WAR.

Belaid’s #11 uniform would later be retired by Yaounde. It was fitting that teammate Shafiu Hassan, his eventual Hall of Fame classmate, also saw his #2 retired as both turned a new franchise into a champion. Belaid was now a free agent at age 38 and although his numbers had dipped in his later years, he had still been a solid performer.

Many kept watch on if Belaid could make a run at a seemingly impossible world record. Between 1943-1968 in CABA and MLB, Prometheo Garcia had amassed an obscene 4917 hits. Since then, only Europe’s Jiri Lebr had gotten even somewhat close with 4651, retiring in 2025. Through his Cotonou and Yaounde runs, Belaid was at 4414. He also had 813 doubles and 421 triples, which was three behind SAB’s Manju Abbas for the world doubles record and 36 behind EBF’s Carsten Dal in triples.

Belaid signed for 2027 on a three-year, $42,800,000 deal with Lagos. He struggled with the Lizards and was quickly relegated to a bench role, which didn’t help any statistical ambitions. In two-and-a-half years, Belaid played only 167 games and started 86 with 124 hits, 65 runs, 17 doubles, 13 triples, 10 homers, 58 RBI, 39 steals, .297/.324/.471 slash, 101 wRC+, and 1.5 WAR. He did become the world doubles king in Lagos, but the deal had been a bust and many called him washed.

In June 2029, Belaid was traded to Abidjan for two players. He showed some life in the second half with the Athletes with a .821 OPS, 107 wRC+, and 2.0 WAR; crossing 2000 career RBI. Abidjan was a wild card with a first round exit. Belaid did notably go 6-6 on September 19 against Accra, making him the only WAB player with multiple six-hit games.

Now 41, Belaid signed a one-year, $4 million deal with Jos. The Jaspers were one of the expansion teams for 2030 and hoped the legend would sell tickets. In 93 games, Belaid had 119 hits, 59 runs, 23 doubles, 7 triples, 7 homers, 44 RBI, .318/.344/.473 slash, 105 wRC+, and 1.6 WAR. In mid-July, Jos traded Belaid in a four-man deal to Abidjan, beginning a second stint with the Athletes.

Belaid looked a bit like his old self in the second half with 64 games, 1.006 OPS, 156 wRC+, and 2.2 WAR. This got him to 4843 career hits, now in realistic striking distance of Garcia’s 4917. Abidjan was 101-61, but fell in the second round of the playoffs. This was ultimately the final playoff games of Belaid’s career, as the Athletes would hover around .500 for his remaining seasons.

For his playoff career, Belaid had 102 games, 152 hits, 79 runs, 20 doubles, 20 triples, 11 homers, 60 RBI, 53 steals, .356/.371/.574 slash, 143 wRC+, and 4.6 WAR. He is WAB’s career playoffs leader for at-bats (427), hits, total bases (245), singles (101), triples, and steals. Certainly with six pennants and five WAB championship rings along with that, Belaid goes down as one of the most impactful playoff performers in league history.

With the hits record in sight and a strong second half, Abidjan gave Belaid a three-year, $35,300,000 extension. He was a full-time starter in 2031 with 198 hits, 106 runs, .849 OPS, 116 wRC+, and 2.4 WAR. Belaid passed Garcia’s seemingly untouchable hits record and became the only player with 5000 career hits. He also became the world triples leader, the first in world history to 900+ doubles, and only the second with 2500 runs scored.

The all-time runs scored record was 2664, set by world home run king Majed Darwish of South Asia Baseball lore. Belaid hoped to catch that in 2032, but was reduced to a part-time role with only 65 games, 32 starts, .827 OPS, 104 wRC+, and 0.6 WAR. He finished at 2633 runs, just behind Darwish. Between Abidjan stints, Belaid had 360 games, 426 hits, 233 runs, 86 doubles, 31 triples, 41 homers, 186 RBI, 155 steals, .320/.345/.524 slash, 120 wRC+, and 7.1 WAR. He officially retired after the 2032 season at age 44.

Belaid finished with 3441 games, 14,089 at-bats, 2633 runs, 5083 hits, 3266 singles, 939 doubles, 472 triples, 406 home runs, 2210 RBI, 415 walks, 1183 strikeouts, 1650 steals, 460 caught stealing, .361/.380/.581 slash, 147 wRC+, and 129.7 WAR.

Just on the West African Baseball leaderboards, Belaid is the career leader for games, at-bat, runs, hits, total bases (8184), singles, doubles, triples, and steals.
He also ranks 66^th in homers, 4^th in RBI, and 2^nd in WAR for position players. Among WAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Belaid’s triple slash is 5^th/48^th/60^th and his .961 OPS is 43^rd.

On the world leaderboards at induction, Belaid is the outright leader in hits and doubles and is tied for 1^st in triples. He ranks 13^th in games, 2^nd in at-bats, 2^nd in runs scored, 2^nd in singles, 28^th in RBI, and 9^th in stolen bases. Among world Hall of Famers, he is 3^rd in batting average. Despite all that, Belaid does miss the world top 100 for WAR, although the DH penalty certainly plays a big role there.

He’s clearly one of baseball’s true immortals between the gaudy tallies and his role in two different epic dynasty runs. Belaid’s exact spot in all-time rankings though can be a contentious debate. Supporters point at the accumulations and rings to put him right near the top. Detractors knock him down for being a career DH and the lack of big home run power.

WAB is also the highest hits environment of any world league. Almost everyone still ranks Prometheo Garcia above Belaid as a pure hitter considering Garcia did it in far lower-scoring leagues and eras while also smacking 928 homers. Belaid’s rate stats, while certainly excellent, don’t rank him at the absolute top thanks to lower home run power and very few walks.

Still, he broke a hits record that many were convinced was untouchable. There may be another century of baseball with no one else reaching 5000 career hits. Belaid is often cited as the second-best player in West African Baseball history, as no one can touch Darwin Morris’ 194.4 WAR, 11 MVPs, 15 Silver Sluggers, and 7 championships. Belaid is a one of a kind legend though, captaining an impressive four-man 2038 Hall of Fame class in WAB.



Shafiu “Down Home” Hassan – Designated Hitter/Right Field – Yaounde Yellow Birds – 98.4% First Ballot

Shafiu Hassan was a 5’11’’, 200 pound left-handed slugger from Enugu, Nigeria; a city of about 876,000 and the capital of its eponymous state. Nicknamed “Down Home,” Hassan was known for his excellent power, smacking 47 home runs and 39 doubles per his 162 game average. He was a solid contact hitter with a decent knack for drawing walks, but he struck out a lot with a 25.2% K rate.

Hassan was strongest facing right-handed arms with a career .987 OPS and 140 wRC+. Facing lefties, he had a .889 OPS and 121 wRC+. Hassan was a smart baserunner, but was limited by comically poor speed. He had an extreme pull tendency on his ground balls. The terrible speed also meant truly putrid range out in right field. Hassan made just under half of his career starts there with terrible results and was also poor in a brief try at first base.

Around half of his starts came as a designated hitter, although he had to cede the role primarily when Fares Belaid joined him in Yaounde. His durability was generally good over a 20-year career. Hassan was controversial with a very outspoken personality. He was considered selfish and most of his spicy hot takes were objectively incorrect. Being a loudmouth goof does make you popular with a certain type of sports fan though, and Hassan had his fans between that and lots of dingers.

Most don’t realize that Hassan’s career started with Dakar, who signed him to a developmental deal in December 2008. He spent three years in the Dukes’ academy, but wasn’t called up. Before the 2012 season, Hassan and P Cledilson Henrique were traded to Yaounde for RF Moses Ajaero. Ajaera would spend a decade with Dakar and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2029.

Hassan debuted in 2013 with 64 games as a pinch hitter for Yaounde. He was a part-time starter in 2014 with decent results, but earned a full-time gig in 2015. By many metrics, Hassan’s first full season was the best of his career, leading the Eastern League in runs (139), homers (61), RBI (164), total bases (471), and slugging (.709). All but the slugging would be career highs, as was his 234 hits, 53 doubles, .352 average, .391 OBP, and 6.8 WAR. That earned Hassan his lone MVP and first Silver Slugger as a DH.

That effort pushed the young expansion Yellow Birds to 83-79, their first winning season since joining WAB in 2009. They were just below .500 the next two years, but Hassan led in homers again in 2016. Yaounde gave him an eight-year, $51,940,000 extension that winter. He would miss about a month in summer 2017 to a fractured shoulder blade and another month in 2018 to a fractured rib.

Even with the 2018 injury, Hassan led the league in homers (57), RBI (145), slugging (.736), and OPS (1.123); the latter two being career bests. Hassan won a Silver Slugger at RF and was second in MVP voting behind Fares Belaid, who joined Yaounde that season. The Yellow Birds were first place at 99-63, dethroned reigning champ Kano in the ELCS, and defeated Banjul in the West African Championship. In their first Baseball Grand Championship, Yaounde was one of five teams tied for seventh at 10-9.

Hassan led in homers and slugging again in 2019 for another Silver Slugger and second place in MVP voting. This year also saw Hassan hit for his only career cycle. Yaounde fell in an ELCS rematch with Kano. The Yellow Birds were second in 2020 at 99-63, but upset top seed Ouagadougou for the pennant, followed by a WAB Championship loss to Conakry.

In 2021, Hassan led in homers for the fifth and final time with 51. Yaounde defeated Bamako to win their second WAB title in four years with Hassan earning finals MVP, getting six homers in nine playoff starts. For his playoff career, Hassan had 40 starts with 48 hits, 30 runs, 5 doubles, 14 homers, 36 RBI, .298/.326/.602 slash, 132 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR. He had weak numbers in the 2021 BGC as the Yellow Birds finished 8-11.

Hassan did also see some tournament play with his native Nigeria in the World Baseball Championship. He was mostly a reserve but played 64 games from 2015-27 with 35 hits, 24 runs, 5 doubles, 15 homers, 31 RBI, .282/.353/.685 slash, and 2.3 WAR. Although he struggled in his limited use, Hassan was part of Nigeria’s 2022 world championship team.

After their 2021 title, Yaounde only made the playoffs twice more with first round wild card exits in 2023 and 2025. Hassan regressed noticeably in 2022 and dealt with a concussion. He never quite reached his previous peaks, but did post solid power stats in the mid 2020s, including 56 homers in 2026. That was his fourth and final Silver Slugger.

A fractured finger kept him out much of 2027, but he did join the 600 home run club that year. In 2029, Hassan was the fifth to reach 700 homers in WAB. This also marked the end of his time in Yaounde, leaving for free agency for the first time at age 37. With the Yellow Birds, Hassan had 2369 games, 2668 hits, 1596 runs, 586 doubles, 705 home runs, 1899 RBI, 632 walks, .308/.358/.628 slash, 141 wRC+, and 58.8 WAR.

For his role in the dynasty, Yaounde did retire Hassan’s #2 uniform at the end of his career. He was somewhat bitter that it was retired the same day as Belaid’s #11, as Hassan didn’t like being overshadowed or considered as the Robin to Belaid’s Batman. The outspoken nature did alienate Hassan from some of his former Yellow Birds comrades in his post-career punditry.

For 2030, Hassan joined Lagos at $14,880,000 over three years. He had a nice showing in 2030 with 42 homers and 3.0 WAR over 138 games. Hassan struggled only 12 games in 2031 and was traded in April straight up to Daloa for 2B Albert Kante. He spent two seasons with below average metrics for the Danes, playing 283 games with 265 hits, 141 runs, 63 doubles, 65 homers, 195 RBI, .248/.297/.493 slash, 94 wRC+, and 0.4 WAR.

While there, Hassan did breach the 3000 hit, 800 home run, and 2000 RBI milestones. He passed what was the long-standing home run record of 806 by Darwin Morris, but was one of four guys to cross that mark in the 2030s. With Abdel Aziz Ashraf on his way to 1000+ dingers, Hassan wasn’t going to hold the home run king crown even briefly. He retired after the 2032 season at age 40.

Hassan had 2802 games, 3080 hits, 1824 runs, 673 doubles, 35 triples, 812 home runs, 2192 RBI, 741 walks, 2837 strikeouts, .300/.351/.610 slash, .961 OPS, 135 wRC+, and 61.9 WAR. Hassan ranks 9^th in games, 10^th in runs, 11^th in hits, 8^th in total bases (6259), 7^th in doubles, 4^th in homers, 5^th in RBI, 8^th in strikeouts, and 52^nd in WAR for position players. Among WAB hitters with 3000+ plate appearances, Hassan is 29^th in slugging and his .961 OPS is 42^nd.

On the world leaderboards, Hassan ranks 52^nd in home runs and 30^th in RBI. Even with West African Baseball’s inflated offense environment helping, Hassan was one of the premiere sluggers of his era. Advanced metrics keep him from registering higher on all-time lists, but his power and role in Yaounde’s dynasty made him a Hall of Fame lock. Hassan received 98.4% as part of a loaded four-man 2038 crew for WAB.