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FuzzyRussianHat · 04-10-2026, 08:45 AM

Yuri Lukashov – Left Field – Krasnoyarsk Cossacks – 74.8% First Ballot

Yuri Lukashov was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed left fielder from Brest, Belarus; a city of around 346,000 on the border with Poland. Lukashov was a very good contact hitter with a reliable pop in his bat, posting 29 doubles, 10 triples, and 25 home runs per his 162 game average. He was especially potent facing left-handed pitching with a career .941 OPS and 176 wRC+. Lukashov was by no means bad against righties though with a .840 OPS and 147 wRC+.

Relative to other EPB bats, Lukashov was decent at avoiding strikeouts but subpar at drawing walks. He was below average as a baserunner with lackluster speed. Lukashov generally played left field, but did make occasional starts in right and at a first base. At any spot, he was a mediocre defender. Injuries did limit him especially in his later years, but Lukashov managed to play into his 40s. That surprised some detractors as he got criticism for a weak work ethic as well as poor leadership skills and loyalty.

Lukashov left Belarus for Russia in July 2010 on a developmental deal with Krasnoyarsk. He debuted with 15 games in 2014 at age 22, then took on a starting job the next year although he missed a month to a torn abdominal. Still, Lukashov won Rookie of the Year and hit for the cycle. He won his first Silver Slugger in 2016. That year, the Cossacks earned the wild card at 91-71 but lost to Ufa in the Asian League Championship Series. After a playoff miss in 2017, Krasnoyarsk began an 11-year playoff streak.

In 2018, the Cossacks edged Ufa 4-3 to win the pennant, then defeated Krasnodar 4-2 to win the EPB Championship. Lukashov had poor numbers in the playoff run and was decent in the Baseball Grand Championship as Krasnoyarsk finished 9-10.

Lukashov earned his second cycle in 2019 and was third in MVP voting, winning his first batting title with a .330 average. That winter, Krasnoyarsk gave Lukashov an eight-year, $47 million extension. Injuries limited him over the next three seasons with a fractured foot in 2020, fractured ankle in 2021, and torn abdominal in 2022. The Cossacks were pennant-less from 2019-22 with three ALCS defeats, including in 2020 to Chelyabinsk despite a 116-46 regular season. Lukashov did hit for his third cycle in 2022 and is one of three EPB players to achieve the feat thrice.

Krasnoyarsk won the Asian League title in 2023 at 103-59, but lost to Volgograd in the EPB Championship. He struggled in the playoff run with a .576 OPS and 64 wRC+. Overall, Lukashov posted subpar playoff stats for the Cossacks in 94 starts with 85 hits, 35 runs, 16 doubles, 5 triples, 9 homers, 42 RBI, .230/.258/.373 slash, 84 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR.

In 2024, Lukashov led in hits (205) and won his second batting title (.344). Those would be career highs along with his 171 wRC+ and 6.9 WAR, earning a Silver Slugger and a second place in MVP voting. Krasnoyarsk ended up with an ALCS loss to Yekaterinburg.

The Cossacks returned to the top in 2025, beating Perm in the ALCS and Moscow in the EPB Championship. Lukashov led in hits, average, and OBP. He had one of his better playoff runs with a .743 OPS, 125 wRC+, 0.6 WAR. Lukashov was middling in the BGC with a 93 wRC+ and 0.3 WAR as Krasnoyarsk finished 8-11. They took an ALCS loss to Yekaterinburg in 2026, Lukashov’s final year with the team.

Overall for the Cossacks, Lukashov played 1641 games with 2031 hits, 910 runs, 325 doubles, 114 triples, 248 home runs, 973 RBI, 352 walks, .323/.356/.529 slash, 161 wRC+, and 58.1 WAR. For his role in their titles and playoff streak, Lukashov’s #30 uniform was later retired. He declined his contract option after 2026, becoming a free agent for the first time at age 34. Lukashov returned home to Belarus on a four-year, $63,800,000 deal in the capital Minsk.

The historically strong Miners had been relatively unremarkable in recent memory with a title drought back to 2011, although they a few playoff trips in the 2020s. In Lukashov’s debut season, they finished 95-68, winning a tiebreaker game to take the North Division and the European League’s top seed over St. Petersburg. Minsk then outlasted Samara 4-3 in the ELCS and bested Nur-Sultan 4-3 to win the EPB title.

Lukashov had his career-best postseason and won ELCS MVP, getting 22 hits, 11 runs, 3 doubles, 6 homers, 15 RBI, .939 OPS, 197 wRC+, and 1.1 WAR over 18 starts. In the BGC, he was decent with a .795 OPS, 118 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR as the Miners finished 9-10. Minsk wasn’t able to turn it into a sustained run, although they were a wild card the next year. The Miners fell below .500 for the following four years.

For Lukashov, he was steady in 2028 and 2030 for Minsk, but missed most of 2029 to a broken bone in his elbow. For Minsk, he played 485 games with 569 hits, 234 runs, 84 doubles, 24 triples, 77 home runs, 292 RBI, .303/.342/.496 slash, 148 wRC+, and 15.2 WAR. Lukashov was liked back home for this effort and he did play for Belarus in the World Baseball Championship from 2031-34. It was a return to the event for the country, as they hadn’t qualified since 2003.

Coming up on age 39, Lukashov signed a three-year, $26,200,000 deal with Novosibirsk. He ended up playing his final five years for the Nitros, albeit with limited production and injury issues. Novosibirsk had its own playoff streak during Lukashov’s run and won the AL pennant in his last year, but dropped the EPB Championship to Moscow.

For his playoff career, Lukashov played 139 games and started 125 with 119 hits, 48 runs, 23 doubles, 5 triples, 15 home runs, 58 RBI, .240/.274/.397 slash, 96 wRC+, and 1.5 WAR. He has the 2^nd most playoff games in EPB history and ranks 10^th in hits, 16^th in runs, 5^th in doubles, and 9^th in RBI. Although his numbers weren’t dominant, he was a regular starter on contenders and ended up with three EPB titles and six pennants.

Lukashov retired after the 2035 season at age 43, one of a select few to make it to that age. For Novosibirsk, he played 389 games and started 266 with 326 hits, 165 runs, 36 doubles, 13 triples, 62 home runs, 150 RBI, .287/.324/.506 slash, 136 wRC+, and 6.1 WAR.

In total, Lukashov had 2515 games, 2926 hits, 1309 runs, 445 doubles, 151 triples, 387 home runs, 1415 RBI, 529 walks, 1582 strikeouts, .314/.349/.519 slash, 155 wRC+, and 79.4 WAR. Lukashov ranks 47^th in games, 24^th in runs, 6^th in hits, 15^th in total bases (4834), 17^th in doubles, 89^th in triples, 21^st in RBI, and 45^th in WAR among position players. He’s also 21^st in batting average among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, 53^rd in OBP, 52^nd in slugging, and his .871 OPS is 40^th.

Lukashov had impressive tenure and was a key part of many winning teams. A few Hall of Fame voters were still skeptical, arguing he was a compiler who rarely was considered truly elite. Lukashov only got 74.8% for his debut ballot, but it was enough for the induction as part of a three-man 2041 class for Eurasian Professional Baseball.

Roman Sheshukov – Center Field – Volgograd Voyagers – 69.5% Third Ballot

Roman Sheshukov was a 6’1’’, 180 pound switch-hitting center fielder from Bratsk, Russia; a city with around 246,000 inhabitants in the Irkutsk Oblast. Sheshukov was a strong all-around hitter against right-handed pitching with a career .892 OPS and 160 wRC+. He was still decent against lefties with a .746 OPS and 119 wRC+. Sheshukov was rock solid at getting extra base hits with a 162 game average of 33 home runs, 23 doubles, and 14 triples. On the downside, he was subpar for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts.

Sheshukov was a highly intelligent and skilled baserunner, although his speed was above average at best. His range, glove work, and arm though were excellent as a career center fielder, winning two Gold Gloves. He saw sporadic starts elsewhere in the outfield and a few at third base and shortstop, although he had poor results as an infielder.

You could plug him anywhere and he’d give it his all, as Sheshukov was a real scrappy sparkplug type with high marks for adaptability and work ethic. He wasn’t one to be the vocal leader, but he was fiercely loyal and dedicated. Sheshukov gutted out a 20 year career despite being physically wrecked in his 30s. That toughness and grit made him one of Russia’s biggest baseball superstars of the era.

After a stellar college career, Sheshukov went fourth overall to Volgograd in the 2014 EPB Draft. He was a full-time starter right away and an immediate success as 2015 Rookie of the Year. Sheshukov won Silver Sluggers from 2016-18, but missed out in 2019 with a recurring hamstring injury.

Volgograd had been terrible before he arrived and hadn’t seen any success to that point since joining in the 2000 expansion. They finished the 2010s consistently just above .500 with Sheshukov, although still outside of the playoffs. The Voyagers felt Sheshukov could get them there and gave him an eight-year, $56,600,000 extension after the 2019 season. The investment paid off as 2020 began a seven-year playoff streak and a dynasty run.

In 2020, Sheshukov pulled off the rare awards clean sweep, winning MVP, Silver Slugger, and Gold Glove. He led the European League in WAR at 10.8, which was a career best along with his 189 hits, 97 runs, 30 doubles, .382 OBP, .629 slugging, and 1.005 OPS. Volgograd shattered their franchise wins record at 106-56, but amazingly didn’t win the South Division with Voronezh at 107-55. The Voyagers got the last laugh, emphatically sweeping the Zephyrs in the ELCS. Volgograd was denied the EPB Championship 4-2 to Chelyabinsk.

In 15 playoff starts, Sheshukov had 18 hits, 9 runs, 3 doubles, 1 homer, 7 RBI, .812 OPS, 130 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR. He was especially strong in the Baseball Grand Championship, as Volgograd qualified as an at-large and finished 9-10. Sheshukov was third in MVP voting for the event with 21 hits, 12 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, 12 RBI, .974 OPS, 213 wRC+, and 1.4 WAR.

Sheshukov was already used to tournament play as a regular from 2016-27 and in 2031 in the World Baseball Championship for Russia. He played 123 games with 109 hits, 57 runs, 20 doubles, 5 triples, 25 homers, 62 RBI, .242/.291/.475 slash, and 2.9 WAR. It was a down era for the Russian team, whose only playoff berth with Sheshukov was in 2023.

He won another Silver Slugger in 2021 and was third in MVP voting. Volgograd dominated the EL field at 109-53, but was upset in the first round by 87-win Nizhny Novgorod. Recurring hamstring strains kept Sheshukov out large chunks of 2022 and most of the playoff run. The Voyagers finished 100-62 and won their second ELCS over St. Petersburg, but lost the EPB Championship to Omsk.

For 2023, Sheshukov won his second MVP, second Gold Glove, and sixth Silver Slugger. He led the EL in RBI (117), total bases (334), slugging (.569), and WAR (9.5) and posted his career best 42 home runs. Volgograd went 102-60 and won its third ELCS in four years, this time over Minsk. The Voyagers capped it off with a 4-3 victory in an EPB Championship classic over Krasnoyarsk for the franchise’s first title.

Back troubles kept Sheshukov out for part of the postseason and BGC and he struggled in both, but regardless had helped deliver a ring for Volgograd. The Voyagers finished 7-12 in the BGC. This was their peak with Sheshukov, as they had three more division titles but had first round exits from 2024-26.

Hamstring issues kept him out more than half of 2024. Sheshukov was his last fully healthy season, leading in WAR (7.3) and taking second in MVP voting. In 2026, Sheshukov had a big injury with a ruptured Achilles tendon. That ultimately marked the end of his time with Volgograd, as he surprisingly declined his contract option.

For the Voyagers, Sheshukov had 1568 games, 1744 hits, 899 runs, 228 doubles, 153 triples, 327 home runs, 943 RBI, 433 steals, .291/.334/.544 slash, 160 wRC+, and 82.9 WAR. Sheshukov was a beloved franchise icon for his role in bringing them to legitimacy and his #43 uniform would later be retired.

Even with his Achilles injury fresh, the 34-year old Sheshukov felt he could still land a big payday. MLB’s St. Louis Cardinals signed him to a four-year, $110,400,000 deal, which roughly tripled his peak salary from Volgograd. The deal was a major bust with more injuries. Sheshukov missed most of 2027 to a torn PCL, most of 2028 to radial nerve compression, and much of 2029 with assorted injuries.

On top of that, Sheshukov was subpar even when he played. He finished in St. Louis with 153 games, 125 hits, 67 runs, 14 doubles, 23 homers, 63 RBI, .230/.274/.401 slash, 84 wRC+, and 2.3 WAR. The Cardinals stunk and management took plenty of criticism for the failed deal. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the fourth season and was a free agent again for 2030.

Even many teams in Russia were skeptical Sheshukov could still go, but Samara gave him a one-year, $5,400,000 deal. Hip and hamstring issues limited him to 85 games, but Sheshukov was elite in that small sample size with .960 OPS, 172 wRC+, and 4.8 WAR. He also hit for the cycle in August against Krasnoyarsk. The Steelers were a wild card with a first round exit. Samara was happy though with Sheshukov and gave him a conditional two-year, $34,800,000 extension.

More injuries limited him to 63 games and he was middling when healthy with a .738 OPS, 114 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR. For Samara, Sheshukov ended with 148 games, 155 hits, 82 runs, 17 doubles, 40 homers, 85 RBI, .279/.323/.547 slash, 148 wRC+, and 5.9 WAR. They had another wild card and first round exit in 2031, but he didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the second year of the deal.

Sheshukov went to Krasnoyarsk for 2032, but a strained hamstring and a torn PCL limited him to 14 games. He went to Nizhny Novgorod in 2033 and more hamstring issues limited him to 61 games. That marked the end of his EPB tenure, but Sheshukov wasn’t ready to call it quits yet. He ended up in Bissau of West African Baseball.

He looked decent in 60 games for the Bullets with 134 wRC+, 1.6 WAR, and .961 OPS. However, Sheshukov suffered a broken kneecap in June that effectively ended his career. He hoped to play somewhere in 2035, but it was clear to teams that he physically couldn’t hold up anymore. Sheshukov finally officially retired in winter 2035 at age 43.

In Eurasian Professional Baseball, Sheshukov played 1791 games with 1968 hits, 1012 runs, 262 doubles, 165 triples, 373 home runs, 1057 RBI, 394 walks, 1397 strikeouts, 481 steals, .289/.331/.539 slash, 157 wRC+, and 90.5 WAR. He ranks 25^th in WAR for position players and 67^th in triples, but misses the top 100 in all other counting stats. His slugging is 32^nd among batters with 3000+ plate appearances and his .871 OPS is 40^th.

For many Hall of Fame voters, Sheshukov’s accumulations were simply too low. Unfortunately as well, many had recent memories of his last decade of injury prone play. A lot of his value also came from defense in center field, thus his impressive WAR despite lower tallies. His rate stats and awards though certainly gave him a strong case, along with his role in three pennants and an EPB title for Volgograd.

Sheshukov debuted at 58.8% in 2039, then dropped to 50.6% in 2040. In 2041, he received a noticeable jump up to 69.5%, getting him past the 66% induction threshold. Sheshukov earned a third ballot nod to cap off a solid 2041 class in EPB. Even with the injury issues, few guys worked harder than Sheshukov and his role in making the Voyagers a regular EPB contender can’t be understated.

04-10-2026, 08:45 AM	#2804
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,404	2041 EPB Hall of Fame (Part 2) Yuri Lukashov – Left Field – Krasnoyarsk Cossacks – 74.8% First Ballot Yuri Lukashov was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed left fielder from Brest, Belarus; a city of around 346,000 on the border with Poland. Lukashov was a very good contact hitter with a reliable pop in his bat, posting 29 doubles, 10 triples, and 25 home runs per his 162 game average. He was especially potent facing left-handed pitching with a career .941 OPS and 176 wRC+. Lukashov was by no means bad against righties though with a .840 OPS and 147 wRC+. Relative to other EPB bats, Lukashov was decent at avoiding strikeouts but subpar at drawing walks. He was below average as a baserunner with lackluster speed. Lukashov generally played left field, but did make occasional starts in right and at a first base. At any spot, he was a mediocre defender. Injuries did limit him especially in his later years, but Lukashov managed to play into his 40s. That surprised some detractors as he got criticism for a weak work ethic as well as poor leadership skills and loyalty. Lukashov left Belarus for Russia in July 2010 on a developmental deal with Krasnoyarsk. He debuted with 15 games in 2014 at age 22, then took on a starting job the next year although he missed a month to a torn abdominal. Still, Lukashov won Rookie of the Year and hit for the cycle. He won his first Silver Slugger in 2016. That year, the Cossacks earned the wild card at 91-71 but lost to Ufa in the Asian League Championship Series. After a playoff miss in 2017, Krasnoyarsk began an 11-year playoff streak. In 2018, the Cossacks edged Ufa 4-3 to win the pennant, then defeated Krasnodar 4-2 to win the EPB Championship. Lukashov had poor numbers in the playoff run and was decent in the Baseball Grand Championship as Krasnoyarsk finished 9-10. Lukashov earned his second cycle in 2019 and was third in MVP voting, winning his first batting title with a .330 average. That winter, Krasnoyarsk gave Lukashov an eight-year, $47 million extension. Injuries limited him over the next three seasons with a fractured foot in 2020, fractured ankle in 2021, and torn abdominal in 2022. The Cossacks were pennant-less from 2019-22 with three ALCS defeats, including in 2020 to Chelyabinsk despite a 116-46 regular season. Lukashov did hit for his third cycle in 2022 and is one of three EPB players to achieve the feat thrice. Krasnoyarsk won the Asian League title in 2023 at 103-59, but lost to Volgograd in the EPB Championship. He struggled in the playoff run with a .576 OPS and 64 wRC+. Overall, Lukashov posted subpar playoff stats for the Cossacks in 94 starts with 85 hits, 35 runs, 16 doubles, 5 triples, 9 homers, 42 RBI, .230/.258/.373 slash, 84 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR. In 2024, Lukashov led in hits (205) and won his second batting title (.344). Those would be career highs along with his 171 wRC+ and 6.9 WAR, earning a Silver Slugger and a second place in MVP voting. Krasnoyarsk ended up with an ALCS loss to Yekaterinburg. The Cossacks returned to the top in 2025, beating Perm in the ALCS and Moscow in the EPB Championship. Lukashov led in hits, average, and OBP. He had one of his better playoff runs with a .743 OPS, 125 wRC+, 0.6 WAR. Lukashov was middling in the BGC with a 93 wRC+ and 0.3 WAR as Krasnoyarsk finished 8-11. They took an ALCS loss to Yekaterinburg in 2026, Lukashov’s final year with the team. Overall for the Cossacks, Lukashov played 1641 games with 2031 hits, 910 runs, 325 doubles, 114 triples, 248 home runs, 973 RBI, 352 walks, .323/.356/.529 slash, 161 wRC+, and 58.1 WAR. For his role in their titles and playoff streak, Lukashov’s #30 uniform was later retired. He declined his contract option after 2026, becoming a free agent for the first time at age 34. Lukashov returned home to Belarus on a four-year, $63,800,000 deal in the capital Minsk. The historically strong Miners had been relatively unremarkable in recent memory with a title drought back to 2011, although they a few playoff trips in the 2020s. In Lukashov’s debut season, they finished 95-68, winning a tiebreaker game to take the North Division and the European League’s top seed over St. Petersburg. Minsk then outlasted Samara 4-3 in the ELCS and bested Nur-Sultan 4-3 to win the EPB title. Lukashov had his career-best postseason and won ELCS MVP, getting 22 hits, 11 runs, 3 doubles, 6 homers, 15 RBI, .939 OPS, 197 wRC+, and 1.1 WAR over 18 starts. In the BGC, he was decent with a .795 OPS, 118 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR as the Miners finished 9-10. Minsk wasn’t able to turn it into a sustained run, although they were a wild card the next year. The Miners fell below .500 for the following four years. For Lukashov, he was steady in 2028 and 2030 for Minsk, but missed most of 2029 to a broken bone in his elbow. For Minsk, he played 485 games with 569 hits, 234 runs, 84 doubles, 24 triples, 77 home runs, 292 RBI, .303/.342/.496 slash, 148 wRC+, and 15.2 WAR. Lukashov was liked back home for this effort and he did play for Belarus in the World Baseball Championship from 2031-34. It was a return to the event for the country, as they hadn’t qualified since 2003. Coming up on age 39, Lukashov signed a three-year, $26,200,000 deal with Novosibirsk. He ended up playing his final five years for the Nitros, albeit with limited production and injury issues. Novosibirsk had its own playoff streak during Lukashov’s run and won the AL pennant in his last year, but dropped the EPB Championship to Moscow. For his playoff career, Lukashov played 139 games and started 125 with 119 hits, 48 runs, 23 doubles, 5 triples, 15 home runs, 58 RBI, .240/.274/.397 slash, 96 wRC+, and 1.5 WAR. He has the 2^nd most playoff games in EPB history and ranks 10^th in hits, 16^th in runs, 5^th in doubles, and 9^th in RBI. Although his numbers weren’t dominant, he was a regular starter on contenders and ended up with three EPB titles and six pennants. Lukashov retired after the 2035 season at age 43, one of a select few to make it to that age. For Novosibirsk, he played 389 games and started 266 with 326 hits, 165 runs, 36 doubles, 13 triples, 62 home runs, 150 RBI, .287/.324/.506 slash, 136 wRC+, and 6.1 WAR. In total, Lukashov had 2515 games, 2926 hits, 1309 runs, 445 doubles, 151 triples, 387 home runs, 1415 RBI, 529 walks, 1582 strikeouts, .314/.349/.519 slash, 155 wRC+, and 79.4 WAR. Lukashov ranks 47^th in games, 24^th in runs, 6^th in hits, 15^th in total bases (4834), 17^th in doubles, 89^th in triples, 21^st in RBI, and 45^th in WAR among position players. He’s also 21^st in batting average among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, 53^rd in OBP, 52^nd in slugging, and his .871 OPS is 40^th. Lukashov had impressive tenure and was a key part of many winning teams. A few Hall of Fame voters were still skeptical, arguing he was a compiler who rarely was considered truly elite. Lukashov only got 74.8% for his debut ballot, but it was enough for the induction as part of a three-man 2041 class for Eurasian Professional Baseball. Roman Sheshukov – Center Field – Volgograd Voyagers – 69.5% Third Ballot Roman Sheshukov was a 6’1’’, 180 pound switch-hitting center fielder from Bratsk, Russia; a city with around 246,000 inhabitants in the Irkutsk Oblast. Sheshukov was a strong all-around hitter against right-handed pitching with a career .892 OPS and 160 wRC+. He was still decent against lefties with a .746 OPS and 119 wRC+. Sheshukov was rock solid at getting extra base hits with a 162 game average of 33 home runs, 23 doubles, and 14 triples. On the downside, he was subpar for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Sheshukov was a highly intelligent and skilled baserunner, although his speed was above average at best. His range, glove work, and arm though were excellent as a career center fielder, winning two Gold Gloves. He saw sporadic starts elsewhere in the outfield and a few at third base and shortstop, although he had poor results as an infielder. You could plug him anywhere and he’d give it his all, as Sheshukov was a real scrappy sparkplug type with high marks for adaptability and work ethic. He wasn’t one to be the vocal leader, but he was fiercely loyal and dedicated. Sheshukov gutted out a 20 year career despite being physically wrecked in his 30s. That toughness and grit made him one of Russia’s biggest baseball superstars of the era. After a stellar college career, Sheshukov went fourth overall to Volgograd in the 2014 EPB Draft. He was a full-time starter right away and an immediate success as 2015 Rookie of the Year. Sheshukov won Silver Sluggers from 2016-18, but missed out in 2019 with a recurring hamstring injury. Volgograd had been terrible before he arrived and hadn’t seen any success to that point since joining in the 2000 expansion. They finished the 2010s consistently just above .500 with Sheshukov, although still outside of the playoffs. The Voyagers felt Sheshukov could get them there and gave him an eight-year, $56,600,000 extension after the 2019 season. The investment paid off as 2020 began a seven-year playoff streak and a dynasty run. In 2020, Sheshukov pulled off the rare awards clean sweep, winning MVP, Silver Slugger, and Gold Glove. He led the European League in WAR at 10.8, which was a career best along with his 189 hits, 97 runs, 30 doubles, .382 OBP, .629 slugging, and 1.005 OPS. Volgograd shattered their franchise wins record at 106-56, but amazingly didn’t win the South Division with Voronezh at 107-55. The Voyagers got the last laugh, emphatically sweeping the Zephyrs in the ELCS. Volgograd was denied the EPB Championship 4-2 to Chelyabinsk. In 15 playoff starts, Sheshukov had 18 hits, 9 runs, 3 doubles, 1 homer, 7 RBI, .812 OPS, 130 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR. He was especially strong in the Baseball Grand Championship, as Volgograd qualified as an at-large and finished 9-10. Sheshukov was third in MVP voting for the event with 21 hits, 12 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, 12 RBI, .974 OPS, 213 wRC+, and 1.4 WAR. Sheshukov was already used to tournament play as a regular from 2016-27 and in 2031 in the World Baseball Championship for Russia. He played 123 games with 109 hits, 57 runs, 20 doubles, 5 triples, 25 homers, 62 RBI, .242/.291/.475 slash, and 2.9 WAR. It was a down era for the Russian team, whose only playoff berth with Sheshukov was in 2023. He won another Silver Slugger in 2021 and was third in MVP voting. Volgograd dominated the EL field at 109-53, but was upset in the first round by 87-win Nizhny Novgorod. Recurring hamstring strains kept Sheshukov out large chunks of 2022 and most of the playoff run. The Voyagers finished 100-62 and won their second ELCS over St. Petersburg, but lost the EPB Championship to Omsk. For 2023, Sheshukov won his second MVP, second Gold Glove, and sixth Silver Slugger. He led the EL in RBI (117), total bases (334), slugging (.569), and WAR (9.5) and posted his career best 42 home runs. Volgograd went 102-60 and won its third ELCS in four years, this time over Minsk. The Voyagers capped it off with a 4-3 victory in an EPB Championship classic over Krasnoyarsk for the franchise’s first title. Back troubles kept Sheshukov out for part of the postseason and BGC and he struggled in both, but regardless had helped deliver a ring for Volgograd. The Voyagers finished 7-12 in the BGC. This was their peak with Sheshukov, as they had three more division titles but had first round exits from 2024-26. Hamstring issues kept him out more than half of 2024. Sheshukov was his last fully healthy season, leading in WAR (7.3) and taking second in MVP voting. In 2026, Sheshukov had a big injury with a ruptured Achilles tendon. That ultimately marked the end of his time with Volgograd, as he surprisingly declined his contract option. For the Voyagers, Sheshukov had 1568 games, 1744 hits, 899 runs, 228 doubles, 153 triples, 327 home runs, 943 RBI, 433 steals, .291/.334/.544 slash, 160 wRC+, and 82.9 WAR. Sheshukov was a beloved franchise icon for his role in bringing them to legitimacy and his #43 uniform would later be retired. Even with his Achilles injury fresh, the 34-year old Sheshukov felt he could still land a big payday. MLB’s St. Louis Cardinals signed him to a four-year, $110,400,000 deal, which roughly tripled his peak salary from Volgograd. The deal was a major bust with more injuries. Sheshukov missed most of 2027 to a torn PCL, most of 2028 to radial nerve compression, and much of 2029 with assorted injuries. On top of that, Sheshukov was subpar even when he played. He finished in St. Louis with 153 games, 125 hits, 67 runs, 14 doubles, 23 homers, 63 RBI, .230/.274/.401 slash, 84 wRC+, and 2.3 WAR. The Cardinals stunk and management took plenty of criticism for the failed deal. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the fourth season and was a free agent again for 2030. Even many teams in Russia were skeptical Sheshukov could still go, but Samara gave him a one-year, $5,400,000 deal. Hip and hamstring issues limited him to 85 games, but Sheshukov was elite in that small sample size with .960 OPS, 172 wRC+, and 4.8 WAR. He also hit for the cycle in August against Krasnoyarsk. The Steelers were a wild card with a first round exit. Samara was happy though with Sheshukov and gave him a conditional two-year, $34,800,000 extension. More injuries limited him to 63 games and he was middling when healthy with a .738 OPS, 114 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR. For Samara, Sheshukov ended with 148 games, 155 hits, 82 runs, 17 doubles, 40 homers, 85 RBI, .279/.323/.547 slash, 148 wRC+, and 5.9 WAR. They had another wild card and first round exit in 2031, but he didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the second year of the deal. Sheshukov went to Krasnoyarsk for 2032, but a strained hamstring and a torn PCL limited him to 14 games. He went to Nizhny Novgorod in 2033 and more hamstring issues limited him to 61 games. That marked the end of his EPB tenure, but Sheshukov wasn’t ready to call it quits yet. He ended up in Bissau of West African Baseball. He looked decent in 60 games for the Bullets with 134 wRC+, 1.6 WAR, and .961 OPS. However, Sheshukov suffered a broken kneecap in June that effectively ended his career. He hoped to play somewhere in 2035, but it was clear to teams that he physically couldn’t hold up anymore. Sheshukov finally officially retired in winter 2035 at age 43. In Eurasian Professional Baseball, Sheshukov played 1791 games with 1968 hits, 1012 runs, 262 doubles, 165 triples, 373 home runs, 1057 RBI, 394 walks, 1397 strikeouts, 481 steals, .289/.331/.539 slash, 157 wRC+, and 90.5 WAR. He ranks 25^th in WAR for position players and 67^th in triples, but misses the top 100 in all other counting stats. His slugging is 32^nd among batters with 3000+ plate appearances and his .871 OPS is 40^th. For many Hall of Fame voters, Sheshukov’s accumulations were simply too low. Unfortunately as well, many had recent memories of his last decade of injury prone play. A lot of his value also came from defense in center field, thus his impressive WAR despite lower tallies. His rate stats and awards though certainly gave him a strong case, along with his role in three pennants and an EPB title for Volgograd. Sheshukov debuted at 58.8% in 2039, then dropped to 50.6% in 2040. In 2041, he received a noticeable jump up to 69.5%, getting him past the 66% induction threshold. Sheshukov earned a third ballot nod to cap off a solid 2041 class in EPB. Even with the injury issues, few guys worked harder than Sheshukov and his role in making the Voyagers a regular EPB contender can’t be understated. __________________ 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)