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JayW UK · 12-23-2025, 05:11 AM

Interlude – Hall of Fame Inductee

At the annual winter meetings, the NABL Hall-of Fame unveiled its newest member, former Houston and Las Vegas pitcher Marc Birstall.

Marc “Presto” Birstall
College – N/A High School
Drafted – 2018 – 1st Round - #14 Overall by Houston
Current Team – None (Retired)
Previous Teams – HOU (2020-2029), LV (2030-2035)

As an eighteen-year-old pitching phenom, Marc Birstall declared for the 2018 draft as soon as he graduated from High-School. Claimed with the fourteenth pick by Houston, Birstall was slow to adapt to the professional game, through his first two years he pitched to an 8-10, 3.73 ERA record in 34 games at both Rookie League and Short Season A level. However, by his third season (2020) the light had come on, splitting time between AA and AAA Birstall started 29-games and recorded a stellar 16-3, 2.19 ERA record and worked his way to the top of BNN’s prospect list. On the back of his excellent 2020 campaign Birstall earned a place on Houston’s opening day roster for the 2021 season and proceeded to take the league by storm with his play, producing a stunning rookie campaign (16-2, 1.81 ERA + 250K) earning an All-Star nod and winning WL Rookie-of-the-Year. A solid sophomore season was followed up by a superb near triple-crown season (he finished 8-strikeouts shy of Pedro Escobar for the WL lead), resulting in Birstall being named 2023 WL Pitcher-of-the-Year. The following four years saw Birstall firmly establish himself as one of the premier pitchers in the NABL (52-24, 2.35 ERA in 133 starts with a phenomenal 10/1 K/BB ratio). However, over the next two seasons Birstall took his play to another level, producing the most dominant spell of pitching in league history (65G, 36-11, 1.56 ERA, 60BB/576k) collecting the 2028 Outstanding Pitcher Award and finishing as runner-up the following season. At the conclusion of the 2029 campaign Birstall announced that he would be testing Free Agency after nine seasons in Houston where even with Birstall’s superior play, the Stars had only managed four playoff appearances (being eliminated at the first hurdle in three of them). Courted by a host of teams Birstall eventually chose Las Vegas, signing a lucrative six-year deal, but before he could throw a pitch in anger for his new team disaster struck, during spring training Birstall tore his UCL, an injury that saw him miss the entire 2030 season. After surgery and a grueling rehab, Birstall returned to the mound for the 2031 season, although he was not as dominating as he had been before his injury, he still pitched well enough to earn his tenth All-Star nod and helped the Gamblers reach the World Series where they fell to Indianapolis in seven games. The next two seasons were frustrating for Birstall as his play remained above average (garnering him another All-Star appearance) but both campaigns ended with Las Vegas falling in the postseason. A shoulder injury limited Birstall to just 17 games in 2034 and although he returned in 2035, injuries had caught up with the once dominant hurler as he produced a disappointing (6-6, 4.10 ERA) campaign before the injury bug bit him again and he ended the season on the DL. With his contract expiring and facing another grueling rehab on his shoulder, Marc Birstall announced his retirement from the game of baseball. The two-time Pitcher-of-the-year enjoyed a 15-year career in which for a large proportion of it, he was one of the best pitchers in the game, earning All-Star nods in eleven of his first twelve seasons (only missing out in 2030 due to injury), never losing more than eight games in a season and, apart from his final two years, also winning at least twelve games every year.

Career Stats
Regular Season
G – 464 GS - 410 W/L – 183-78 SV – 4 ERA – 2.20 IP – 2566.1 BB - 489 K – 3142 WHIP – 0.91 ERA+ 176 WAR – 111.9
Post Season
G - 17 GS - 17 W/L 6-4 SV - 0 ERA – 2.51 IP – 100.1 BB - 28 K - 110 WHIP – 0.95 ERA+ 204

Career Achievements
Outstanding Pitcher Award x2 (2023, 2028)
Rookie of the Year Award (2021)
Pitching Triple Crown (2028)
11x All-Star

12-23-2025, 05:11 AM	#214
JayW UK Minors (Triple A) Join Date: May 2019 Location: Hertfordshire Posts: 251	Interlude – Hall of Fame Inductee At the annual winter meetings, the NABL Hall-of Fame unveiled its newest member, former Houston and Las Vegas pitcher Marc Birstall. Marc “Presto” Birstall College – N/A High School Drafted – 2018 – 1st Round - #14 Overall by Houston Current Team – None (Retired) Previous Teams – HOU (2020-2029), LV (2030-2035) As an eighteen-year-old pitching phenom, Marc Birstall declared for the 2018 draft as soon as he graduated from High-School. Claimed with the fourteenth pick by Houston, Birstall was slow to adapt to the professional game, through his first two years he pitched to an 8-10, 3.73 ERA record in 34 games at both Rookie League and Short Season A level. However, by his third season (2020) the light had come on, splitting time between AA and AAA Birstall started 29-games and recorded a stellar 16-3, 2.19 ERA record and worked his way to the top of BNN’s prospect list. On the back of his excellent 2020 campaign Birstall earned a place on Houston’s opening day roster for the 2021 season and proceeded to take the league by storm with his play, producing a stunning rookie campaign (16-2, 1.81 ERA + 250K) earning an All-Star nod and winning WL Rookie-of-the-Year. A solid sophomore season was followed up by a superb near triple-crown season (he finished 8-strikeouts shy of Pedro Escobar for the WL lead), resulting in Birstall being named 2023 WL Pitcher-of-the-Year. The following four years saw Birstall firmly establish himself as one of the premier pitchers in the NABL (52-24, 2.35 ERA in 133 starts with a phenomenal 10/1 K/BB ratio). However, over the next two seasons Birstall took his play to another level, producing the most dominant spell of pitching in league history (65G, 36-11, 1.56 ERA, 60BB/576k) collecting the 2028 Outstanding Pitcher Award and finishing as runner-up the following season. At the conclusion of the 2029 campaign Birstall announced that he would be testing Free Agency after nine seasons in Houston where even with Birstall’s superior play, the Stars had only managed four playoff appearances (being eliminated at the first hurdle in three of them). Courted by a host of teams Birstall eventually chose Las Vegas, signing a lucrative six-year deal, but before he could throw a pitch in anger for his new team disaster struck, during spring training Birstall tore his UCL, an injury that saw him miss the entire 2030 season. After surgery and a grueling rehab, Birstall returned to the mound for the 2031 season, although he was not as dominating as he had been before his injury, he still pitched well enough to earn his tenth All-Star nod and helped the Gamblers reach the World Series where they fell to Indianapolis in seven games. The next two seasons were frustrating for Birstall as his play remained above average (garnering him another All-Star appearance) but both campaigns ended with Las Vegas falling in the postseason. A shoulder injury limited Birstall to just 17 games in 2034 and although he returned in 2035, injuries had caught up with the once dominant hurler as he produced a disappointing (6-6, 4.10 ERA) campaign before the injury bug bit him again and he ended the season on the DL. With his contract expiring and facing another grueling rehab on his shoulder, Marc Birstall announced his retirement from the game of baseball. The two-time Pitcher-of-the-year enjoyed a 15-year career in which for a large proportion of it, he was one of the best pitchers in the game, earning All-Star nods in eleven of his first twelve seasons (only missing out in 2030 due to injury), never losing more than eight games in a season and, apart from his final two years, also winning at least twelve games every year. Career Stats Regular Season G – 464 GS - 410 W/L – 183-78 SV – 4 ERA – 2.20 IP – 2566.1 BB - 489 K – 3142 WHIP – 0.91 ERA+ 176 WAR – 111.9 Post Season G - 17 GS - 17 W/L 6-4 SV - 0 ERA – 2.51 IP – 100.1 BB - 28 K - 110 WHIP – 0.95 ERA+ 204 Career Achievements Outstanding Pitcher Award x2 (2023, 2028) Rookie of the Year Award (2021) Pitching Triple Crown (2028) 11x All-Star Last edited by JayW UK; 12-23-2025 at 05:19 AM.