Baseball: The World's Game - Page 141

FuzzyRussianHat · 04-07-2026, 06:17 AM

Four were added into the European Baseball Federation’s Hall of Fame in 2041 with LF Felix Timm the clear headliner with a nearly unanimous 99.4%. CL Dietrich Hoft was also a first ballot nod at 78.2%. Two returners barely breached the 66% threshold with LF Micha van Vugt at 68.4% on his fourth try and SP Isak Alsaker at 66.7% on his sixth go. RF Ostoja Milic was the only other player above 50%, getting 55.2% with his sixth ballot.

Multiple players fell off the ballot after ten failed tries. CL Emanuel Koch ended at 45.7% and got as high as 52.3% in 2034. He had a 14-year career between EBF and MLB and won Reliever of the Year once. Koch’s combined career had 326 saves and 416 shutdowns, 1034 innings, 1142 Ks, 134 ERA+, 78 FIP-, and 20.9 WAR. Koch is 15^th in EBF saves with 319, but his dominance was well below the usual HOF standard. Still, he was above 40% in all but one year.

3B Jayden Palmer debuted at 31.5% and ended with only 10.0%. In 16 EBF seasons, Palmer had 2166 games, 2229 hits, 1267 runs, 363 doubles, 347 triples, 379 homers, 1252 RBI, .294/.339/.584 slash, 153 wRC+, and 78.0 WAR. He ranks 11^th in triples in EBF and 388 counting his WAB seasons, placing him 17^th on the world leaderboard. Palmer just misses the top 100 for WAR in EBF and has good metrics, but he never was a Silver Slugger winner. He was never dominant enough to gain any real traction with voters.

CF William Fossard peaked only at 15.2%, but managed to avoid dropping from the ballot. His tallies were hurt by having his 18 year career split between EBF, MLB, and OBA. Fossard’s combined career had 2401 games, 2705 hits, 1288 runs, 406 doubles, 203 triples, 248 home runs, 1069 RBI, 683 steals, .312/.345/.491 slash, 137 wRC+, and 66.2 WAR. He led in hits thrice and was a solid leadoff man, but never was an awards winner. The combined total would’ve been closer, but in EBF alone he had 2008 hits, 958 runs, and 54.1 WAR; not nearly enough to induction.

Lastly, 1B Elia Grasso peaked at 16.4% and ended at only 5.3%. He had a 15-year run with Milan and was a Rookie of the Year, but never won any other awards or was a league leader. Grasso had 2138 games, 2361 hits, 1168 runs, 376 doubles, 442 home runs, 1405 RBI, .308/.358/.543 slash, 147 wRC+, and 61.2 WAR. He was a very steady and consistent power bat for mid-level teams, a rock solid Hall of Pretty Good-er.

Felix “Steady” Timm – Left Field – Hanover Hitmen – 99.4% First Ballot

Felix Timm was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed left fielder from Graz, Austria; a country’s second-largest city with about 307,000 people. Nicknamed “Steady” for his consistency, Timm was an impressive contact and power hitter with even production facing lefties or righties. His 162 game average got you 48 home runs, 26 doubles, and 13 triple. Just under half of his career hits were for extra bases and he was the conference leader four times in both slugging percentage and total bases.

Despite the power, Timm was below average at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Unlike many powerful bats though, Timm was an outstanding baserunner with very good speed. It didn’t translate into defensive range though with mediocre metrics in the outfield. Timm primarily played left field but made starts throughout the outfield as well as at second and first base.

The “Steady” nickname also applied to Timm’s durability as an ironman who never missed time to major injury. He started 147+ games each year from 2022-33 and only missed starts at the end due to performance. Timm had good leadership skills and was loyal, spending his entire 14 year run with Hanover. He became very popular throughout Europe, but especially in Germany and his native Austria.

Out of high school, Timm was the 13^th pick in the 2019 EBF Draft by Leipzig. However, he didn’t sign with the Lumberjacks and instead went to college. He was still prized by the time he was up again for the 2021 draft, but went later with the #30 pick to Hanover. Timm was a full-time starter immediately and immediate success, winning Rookie of the Year with a Northern Conference-leading 136 RBI.

For his first 12 seasons, Timm was good for 6+ WAR, 35+ homers, 100+ RBI, 100+ runs, and an OPS above .950. He was the main reason Hanover became an EBF Elite contender for the first time. The Hitmen had earned their first promotion from the European Second League in 2017, but hasn’t posted a winning season yet in the top tier. 2023 began an 11-year postseason streak for Hanover, but they weren’t an immediate playoff success. 2023-27 was all wild cards and first round exits apart from 2026, which had a second-round exit.

Timm was also a regular for his native Austria in the World Baseball Championship from 2022-35 with 190 games, 173 hits, 120 runs, 28 doubles, 66 home runs, 123 RBI, .246/.314/.573 slash, and 7.7 WAR. The Austrians shocked the globe by winning the 2026 World Championship over France. With a population of just over nine million, Austria is the second-smallest country to win the world title behind only Bulgaria, who had a surprise win the following year.

In 2024, Timm led the conference in homers (61), total bases (412), and slugging (.703); earning his first MVP and Silver Slugger. In March 2027, Timm signed an eight-year, $200 million extension with the Hitmen. He won his second Slugger that season. Timm won another Slugger in 2028 and was second in MVP voting, leading in runs (126), total bases (413), and slugging (.691).

Hanover finally broke through in the playoffs against a tough field. They won their first division title at 104-58, beating Rotterdam by one game, but fell one short of Nantes for the top seed. The Hitmen ended up cruising to a 4-1 Northern Conference Championship win over the Trappers. Hanover then won a seven-game classic over Munich for their first European Championship win. They were only the third franchise that began in E2L to win the EBF title to that point, joining Antwerp (2015) and Chisinau (2024).

Timm was MVP of the finals and the second round series against Kharkiv. Over 17 starts, he had 18 hits, 12 runs, 2 doubles, 2 triples, 5 homers, 19 RBI, .904 OPS, 139 wRC+, and 0.7 WAR. Hanover would be one of four teams tied for second in the Baseball Grand Championship at 13-6, officially #2 via tiebreakers. Timm had 15 hits, 9 runs, 8 homers, 12 RBI, .839 OPS, 137 wRC+, and 0.7 WAR. With his leadership, the Hitmen had arrived on the big stage.

Hanover won more games in 2029 at 108-54 as the top seed with Timm winning another Slugger. However, the Hitmen got upset 3-1 by Manchester in the second round. Hanover were a wild card with a second round exit the next year. In 2031-32, Timm would post the best seasons of his career, winning repeat MVPs and Silver Sluggers. Both seasons, he had 10.5 WAR and led the conference in homers, RBI, total bases, slugging, OPS, and wRC+.

2031 had Timm’s career best for OBP (.382), slugging (.768), OPS (1.150), and wRC+ (212). 2032 had his bests for runs (138), hits (209), homers (66), RBI (155), total bases (461), and batting average (.347). Timm joined the legendary Harvey Coyle and Villum Kleist as the only EBF sluggers to smack 60+ homers thrice to that point, although a few more did join them as offensive numbers rose in the 2030s.

Hanover broke their own wins mark in 2031 at 119-43, the fourth-best record in all of EBF history. The Hitmen survived a 4-3 classic over 110-win Rotterdam in the conference championship, but lost the European Championship 4-1 in a rematch with Munich. Timm was MVP of the series with the Ravens and had 19 hits, 10 runs, 4 doubles, 3 homers, 8 RBI, .949 OPS, 169 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR. Hanover was one of five tied for seventh at 12-9 in the BGC with Timm getting 25 hits, 18 runs, 10 homers, 21 RBI, 1.112 OPS, 211 wRC+, and 1.1 WAR.

The Hitmen were an impressive 112-50 in 2032, but lost the Northern Conference Championship 4-1 to 101-win Cologne. Timm had a shocking poor playoff run with .409 OPS and -0.1 WAR. That winter, he opted out of the remainder of his contract and spent a month in free agency at age 33. Timm ended up returning to Hanover on a new five-year, $133,600,000 deal.

2033 was Timm’s last strong year with a .985 OPS, 173 wRC+, and 7.0 WAR. Hanover got the top seed at 104-58 and took the conference final 4-3 over Dublin. The Hitmen would fall 4-2 to Lyon for the EBF title. Timm had one more strong playoff run in him with 23 hits, 11 runs, 4 doubles, 4 homers, 14 RBI, .939 OPS, 163 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR.

Timm had his strongest Baseball Grand Championship and was second in MVP voting on 23 hits, 15 runs, 4 doubles, 6 homers, 13 RBI, 1.030 OPS, 186 wRC+, and 1.1 WAR. Hanover ended up fourth place at 14-7. Over three BGCs, Timm had 61 games, 63 hits, 42 runs, 7 doubles, 24 homers, 46 RBI, .281/.337/.652 slash, and 3.2 WAR. The Hitmen notably had a winning record in all three of Timm’s BGC appearances.

For his playoff career, Timm had 89 starts with 100 hits, 54 runs, 15 doubles, 6 triples, 22 homers, 65 RBI, 34 steals, .287/.322/.555 slash, 142 wRC+, and 3.6 WAR. With Timm’s help, Hanover had an 11-year playoff streak, five division titles, four conference finals trips, three pennants, and one European Championship.

Timm hit for his only cycle on March 31, 2034 against Kharkiv. He saw a sharp decline the rest of the year and even lost the starting job, posting a .751 OPS, 111 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR over 132 games and 94 starts. Hanover’s playoff streak ended with an 89-73. It was truly the end of the era the next season with a 76-86 record in 2035. Timm was more effective but in a pinch hitter role, starting only 10 games and playing 100 with a .856 OPS, 139 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR.

He retired that winter at age 36 and immediately had his #33 uniform retired. Timm’s jersey was the first to be retired by Hanover and he was the second Hall of Famer wearing their hat, joining SP Slawomir Boguski from the class of 2036. Boguski though only played six of his 17 seasons there later in his run, but he was an important part of the dynasty run. Still, Timm was the first true superstar for the club and made the Hitmen a going concern for the first time.

Timm finished with 2118 games, 2409 hits, 1495 runs, 345 doubles, 170 triples, 627 home runs, 1632 RBI, 430 walks, 1494 strikeouts, 802 steals, 4975 total bases, .315/.353/.652 slash, 1.004 OPS, 172 wRC+, ad 97.8 WAR. On the EBF leaderboard, Timm ranks 38^th in runs, 80^th in hits, 38^th in total bases, 22^nd in home runs, 26^th in RBI, 51^st in stolen bases, and 44^th in WAR among position players.

Among EBF batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Timm ranks 9^th in slugging and 28^th in OPS. Among world Hall of Famers and retired locks, Timm has the 13^th best slugging and the #2 mark among EBF greats behind only Jacob Ronnberg, the overall leader at .686. Timm is also one of only 57 world HOFers and retired locks to retire with an OPS above one.

Timm’s abrupt decline kept him from the totals that would’ve put him in the conversations about Europe’s top ten all-time hitters. But he was a clear inner-circle level pick to join the European Baseball Federation’s honored greats. Timm is often cited as Austria’s second-best ever hitter behind only legendary 3B Ben Springer. At a near unanimous 99.4%, Timm headlined a four-man class in 2041 for EBF.

Dietrich Hoft – Closer – Barcelona Bengals – 78.2% First Ballot

Dietrich Hoft was a 5’11’’, 180 pound left-handed relief pitcher from Berlin, the capital of Germany. Hoft was known for having excellent stuff and rock solid control along with above average movement. He had a strong 98-100 mph fastball along with a knuckle curve. Hoft’s stamina was good by reliever standards and he had ironman durability. He was also excellent at holding runners and decent defensively.

Hoft was a high school draft pick in 2017, going late in the second round (129^th overall) to Cologne. After three years in development, Hoft debuted in 2021 at age 21. He was a part-time closer as rookie with iffy results, but earned the full-time role for the following three years. Hoft was third in Reliever of the Year voting in 2022 and 2023, then took second in 2024. In 2024, he led the conference in saves (49) and games (78), both career bests.

Cologne entered the 2020s firmly in the middle-tier around or just above .500. They got a wild card in 2024, but lost in the second round with Hoft struggling to a 6.14 ERA in 7.1 innings. He lost the closer job in 2025, but got it back in 2026. Both years, Hoft had ERAs above three and the Copperheads missed the playoffs. For Cologne, Hoft had 167 saves and 176 shutdowns, a 2.71 ERA, 445 innings, 554 strikeouts, 147 ERA+, 69 FIP-, and 11.4 WAR.

Hoft was also a regular for his native Germany from 2023-33 in the World Baseball Championship and occasionally was a starter. He had strong numbers in the WBC with a 14-3 record, 6 saves, 1.89 ERA, 124 innings, 184 strikeouts, 191 ERA+, 62 FIP-, and 4.3 WAR. The Germans notably had a third place finish in 2024 and fourth place runs in 2030 and 2032.

With one year left under team control, Cologne traded Hoft in November 2026 to Palermo for two prospects. He had mid-relief work for the Priests with a 3.44 ERA over 65.1 innings, 89 Ks, and 0.8 WAR. Hoft became a free agent for 2028 at age 28 and signed a three-year deal worth $18 million for Barcelona. This became Hoft’s signature run and bucked the trend of veteran relievers bouncing around in the second half of their career.

Barcelona was historically one of EBF’s better franchises, but they spent 2022-26 in the European Second League. They made it back to the EBF Elite in 2027 and began a seven-year playoff streak. Ultimately, the Bengals only once got beyond the second round in the streak; a conference finals defeat in 2032 to Zurich.

Hoft wasn’t the closer in his first two years for the Bengals, but his production improved. He was back in the closer role in 2030 and held it the next five years with Barcelona. 2030 saw his lone Reliever of the Year award win with career bests for ERA (1.44), and WAR (4.3). Hoft matched his career-best 49 saves in 2031 and was second in ROTY voting. He signed a two-year, $14,800,000 extension after the 2030 season and then a three-year, $23,700,000 extension the following winter.

Barcelona narrowly missed the playoffs in 2034, then were the conference runner-up in 2035 to Krakow. Hoft’s playoff stats were good overall over 28.2 innings with a 2.20 ERA, 5 saves, 9 shutdowns, 34 Ks, 169 ERA+, 76 FIP-, and 0.5 WAR. He remained the closer through 2034.

Hoft’s velocity dipped down to the 94-96 mph range and he wasn’t used all regular season in 2035 despite being healthy. He made one postseason appearance and took a loss. With that, he retired shortly after his 36^th birthday. The Bengals were grateful enough for his role in their return to the EBF Elite that they retired Hoft’s #26 uniform.

In total, Hoft had an 80-76 record, 369 saves and 408 shutdowns, 2.63 ERA, 846 games, 1031.2 innings, 1317 strikeouts, 182 walks, 146 ERA+, 67 FIP-, and 29.5 WAR. He ranks 3^rd in saves and 4^th in games in EBF. Among those with 1000+ innings, Hoft is 45^th in ERA and 12^th in K/9 (11.49). Of the EBF Hall of Fame seven closers, Hoft is fourth in WAR.

The European Baseball Federation hasn’t really had any big standout closers relative to other leagues. Hoft doesn’t register in terms of dominance at all compared to some of the other Hall of Famers in world history. That said, being third in saves in a league with 90 years of history is an easy sell on its own for most voters. Hoft earned 78.2% for a first ballot nod with the four-man 2041 class.

FuzzyRussianHat · 04-08-2026, 06:29 AM

Micha “Punch” van Vugt – Left Field – Brno Bandits – 68.4% Fourth Ballot

Micha van Vugt was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting left fielder from Soest, Netherlands; a town of 47,000 in the Utrecht province. Nicknamed “Punch,” van Vugt was especially tough facing right-handed pitching with a career .936 OPS and 155 wRC+. He was still respectable against lefties with a .801 OPS and 126 wRC+. Overall, van Vugt was a good contact hitter and was better than most in EBF at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Van Vugt’s power wasn’t prolific, but it was steady with 32 home runs, 29 doubles, and 4 triples per his 162 game average.

His baserunning skills were quite good, but he was limited by below average speed. Van Vugt was primarily a left fielder and was a reliably strong defender who was just a notch below Gold Glove level. He also started at first base as a rookie and sporadically after with average results. He became popular both with fans and teammates for his play, work ethic, and high intelligence. Van Vugt held up mostly well over a 19-year career, but did run into some injuries in his 30s.

As a teenager in January 2011, van Vugt left the Netherlands for Czechia on a developmental deal with Brno. At that point, the Bandits were in the European Second League, but they would earn promotion in 2013 and stay in the EBF Elite Tier for van Vugt’s entire career. He debuted in 2014 at age 19, but saw limited use with 88 games and ten starts in his first two years.

In 2016, van Vugt earned a full-time starting job and held it for 12 years with Brno. His debut season had what would be his career bests for runs (103) and homers (48). He wasn’t dominant enough to win a Silver Slugger and never was an MVP finalist. However, van Vugt’s production was steady and reliable, getting 5+ WAR in ten seasons for the Bandits. In June 2020, he signed an eight-year, $102,800,000 extension with Brno.

2021 was van Vugt’s only season as a conference leader in any stat with 122 RBI and he hit 46 homers. 2022 would be his career best for WAR at 8.5, while 2020 had his best wRC+ at 178. 2023 had his best OPS at 1.017 and best triple slash (.323/.403/.614), although he did lose most of April to a partially torn labrum. Brno’s first-ever playoff trips came as a wild card in 2021 and 2023, but they had first and second round exits, respectively.

The Bandits wouldn’t be above .500 for the next 11 years, but they were still decent enough to avoid relegation until 2034. Van Vugt missed much of 2024 between a bruised kneecap and elbow sprain, but remained steady otherwise. He hit for the cycle in 2022, 26, and 27 to join a short list of guys in EBF to do it thrice. While very popular with Bnro fans, van Vugt also had a following from Dutch fans back home.

He was a regular from 2017-33 in the World Baseball Championship for the Netherlands, playing 151 games with 127 hits, 77 runs, 27 doubles, 26 home runs, 67 RBI, .250/.346/.465 slash, and 4.9 WAR. The lone playoff trip for the Dutch team with van Vugt came in 2031.

With Brno, van Vugt played 1835 games with 1847 hits, 1023 runs, 360 doubles, 48 triples, 395 home runs, 1187 RBI, 703 walks, .299/.372/.565 slash, 155 wRC+, and 72.2 WAR. He would be the first Hall of Fame inductee in the Bandits’ raccoon stripes, although his #25 uniform was surprisingly never retired. It was a somewhat awkward divorce as van Vugt was traded in March 2028 to Amsterdam for two pitching prospects and a draft pick.

Van Vugt had his standard production in 2028 for the Anacondas with 130 games, 29 homers, .876 OPS, 140 wRC+, and 4.7 WAR. Amsterdam struggled to 65-97 and narrowly avoided relegation, opting to let van Vugt enter free agency at age 34. He ended up signing a four-year, $74,400,000 deal with Marseille. Van Vugt was quickly frustrated though with a limited role in 2029 for the Musketeers, playing 132 games and starting only 43. His numbers were also unremarkable with a .685 OPS, 92 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR.

That winter, van Vugt was traded to Cluj-Napoca along with a prospect for pitcher Bodgan Zientara. The Paladins had just gotten promoted back to the EBF Elite for 2030. Van Vugt had a solid 34 homer, .845 OPS, 141 wRC+, 5.4 WAR debut for Cluj-Napoca. The Paladins made an immediate impact with an East Division title at 99-63. Cluj-Napoca then shocked 114-win Munich 4-3 to win their first-ever Southern Conference Championship. They ultimately fell 4-2 to Berlin in the European Championship.

In the playoffs, van Vugt was excellent over 17 starts with 17 hits, 15 runs, 3 doubles, 7 homers, 11 RBI, 1.022 OPS, 187 wRC+, and 1.1 WAR. He had a solid showing in the Baseball Grand Championship with 16 hits, 9 runs, 3 doubles, 4 homers, 6 RBI, .892 OPS, 147 wRC+, and 0.7 WAR. Cluj-Napoca tied for fifth at 12-9, a remarkable turnaround for a franchise that was in E2L the prior year.

Van Vugt had another nice effort in 2031 and the Paladins finished 102-60, a franchise-best. However, they were a wild card thanks to 113-win Ljubljana and ended up losing in the second round with a weak showing by van Vugt. 2031 was notable as van Vugt hit for the cycle in May against Nantes. He became the first in EBF history to earn the cycle four times in a career.

In April 2032, van Vugt suffered a concussion that kept him out three months. He made it back for the summer and crossed the 500 home run and 1500 RBI milestones, although his overall production dipped with a .780 OPS, 124 wRC+, and 1.8 WAR. In three seasons for Cluj-Napoca, van Vugt had 382 games, 356 hits, 200 runs, 60 doubles, 69 homers, 207 RBI, .272/.339/.488 slash, 137 wRC+, and 11.3 WAR. Paladin fans do remember him fondly for his brief tenure and role in their first pennant.

That was the end of van Vugt’s EBF career as none were interested in him for 2033. He wanted to still play somewhere and ended up in Belarus with Eurasian Professional Baseball’s Minsk Miners on a two-year, $9,860,000 deal. Knee troubles and other injuries kept van Vugt to 72 games in 2033, plus he struggled with a .628 OPS, 82 wRC+, and 0.4 WAR.

Minsk got the second wild card at 84-78, but made a surprise run to the EPB Championship with an upset win over 107-win Ufa. In the playoffs, van Vugt had a decent run in 16 starts with 14 hits, 8 runs, 5 homers, .784 OPS, 117 wRC+, and 0.4 WAR. The Miners took last in the BGC at 5-16, but van Vugt was steady with 17 hits, 10 runs, 5 doubles, 4 homers, 11 RBI, .854 OPS, 136 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR. Van Vugt didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the second year of his deal with Minsk and was a free agent for 2034. He went unsigned all year and finally retired at age 40.

For his EBF run, van Vugt had 2479 games, 2377 hits, 1325 runs, 452 doubles, 61 triples, 501 home runs, 1509 RBI, 903 walks, 1210 strikeouts, 219 steals, .291/.363/.546 slash, 150 wRC+, and 89.0 WAR. Van Vugt ranks 36^th in games, 76^th in runs, 89^th in hits, 74^th in total bases (4454), 29^th in doubles, 64^th in home runs, 44^th in RBI, 37^th in walks, and 66^th in WAR for position players.

His longevity and consistency got him some well-rounded accumulations, but nothing jaw-dropping. The vast majority of eligible guys in the European Baseball Federation Hall of Fame with 500+ homers and nearly 90 WAR had been inducted, but not all. Working against van Vugt was the lack of black ink and individual accolades. He also spent his best years on a middling small-market franchise, although the pennant run near the end with Cluj-Napoca was a nice boost.

Voters found van Vugt borderline initially with 49.1% and 52.1% on his first two ballots. He got a big boost in 2040 to 65.9%, but missed the 66% threshold by the slimmest possible margin. Van Vugt needed to win over basically one guy to get across the line in 2041 and got that plus a little cushion at 68.4%, earning a fourth ballot nod as part of a four-man class.

Isak Alsaker – Starting Pitcher – Antwerp Airedales – 66.7% Sixth Ballot

Isak Alsaker was a 6’0’’, 175 pound left-handed pitcher from Oslo, the capital of Norway. Alsaker thrived with excellent stuff, which covered for his merely above average at best control and movement. His velocity peaked at 98-100 mph with a five pitch arsenal of fastball, curveball, screwball, changeup, and cutter. All five options were good, but the cutter and curve were especially potent, leading to an extreme groundball tendency.

Alsaker’s stamina was solid compared to most EBF starters, but he had injury issues over a 14 year career. Back trouble was omnipresent and he ran into elbow troubles. Alsaker was good at holding runners, but otherwise weak defensively. Many teammates viewed him as a selfish loner who wasn’t a team player. Still, Alsaker’s raw stuff couldn’t be ignored, especially as a lefty.

He left Norway as a teenager in January 2011 for Belgium on a developmental deal with Antwerp. Alsaker spent most of six years in their academy apart from a lone start in 2016. He was a part-time starter in 2017 with good results, just pitching enough innings to earn the ERA title at 2.41. Alsaker wasn’t used in the playoffs as the Airedales were a wild card with a first round loss.

Antwerp had seen success just before Alsaker’s call up. They were promoted from the European Second League for 2012 and won the EBF title in 2015. They would retreat into the lower-middle tier as Alsaker emerged as a starter. The Airedales had one more playoff trip in 2021, a wild card and second round exit. They posted a losing record for the next few years after that.

Alsaker was a full-time starter beginning in 2018, but that fall he suffered ulnar nerve entrapment. In 2020, a herniated disc knocked him out the final two months. Alsaker was a solid starter when healthy and broke out with his lone Pitcher of the Year win in 2023. He was the leader in ERA (2.17), innings (256.2), WHIP (0.85), and quality starts (26). Those would be qualifying career bests.

Especially with that big season, Alsaker made it clear to Antwerp management that he wanted to get paid big money. The Airedales had him for one more year, but knew he would command a big free agent salary that they didn’t want to match or couldn’t match. In January 2024, Alsaker was traded to Rotterdam for two prospects and a fifth round draft pick. Both 2B Christopher Rioux and CF Daniel Marras ended up as reliable starters for several years for Antwerp.

Alsaker ended with a 91-63 record, 2.80 ERA, 1439.1 innings, 1521 strikeouts, 305 walks, 136 ERA+, 84 FIP-, and 29.8 WAR. Despite some tension, the Airedales would later retire his #27 uniform. The Ravens were coming off a 110-52 season where they lost to 114-win Dublin in the Northern Conference Championship. They hoped that Alsaker could get them over that hump and were open to a long-term deal with him.

He took third in Pitcher of the Year voting with career and conference-bests for WAR (6.8) and FIP- (60). Alsaker might have gotten the top prize, but he suffered a partially torn UCL at the end of August, missing the playoff run. Rotterdam was again a division champ at 101-61, but again lost to the Dinos dynasty in the conference final. Alsaker had a 2.68 ERA, 12-8 record, 208.1 innings, and 255 Ks.

Alsaker still wanted big free agency money and Rotterdam was leery of a long-term deal off a major injury. He was a free agent at age 30 and powerhouse Dublin gave him a six-year, $135 million deal. Alsaker avoided future arm issues with the Dinos, but did lose a few starts several years to back troubles. He also generally wasn’t elite in five years in Ireland, putting up merely above average stats. Alsaker had a 63-52 record, 3.60 ERA, 10411 innings, 1075 strikeouts, 316 walks, 108 ERA+, 98 FIP-, and 13.6 WAR.

Dublin’s 2020s dynasty ended just before he arrived. The Dinos had two more division titles in 2025-26, but couldn’t advance beyond the second round either year. Dublin spent the next six seasons out of the playoffs as they rebuilt for another later dominant run in the 2030s. They bought out the sixth year of Alsaker’s contract, sending him to free agency at age 35.

Alsaker signed with Zagreb (the defending Southern Conference champ) in 2030 on a one-year, $5,600,000 deal; making a less than a quarter of the peak Dublin salary. He had a nice showing with 5.2 WAR over 221 innings, a 13-7 record, 3.67 ERA, 243 Ks, 103 ERA+, and 79 FIP-. The Gulls got a wild card with a second round exit. Alsaker’s limited playoff experience saw a 2.91 ERA over 34 innings, 2-3 record, 35 Ks, and 0.3 WAR. He also pitched twice for Norway in the World Baseball Championship in 2017-18 with a 4.64 ERA in 21.1 innings.

After the 2030 season, Alsaker decided to retire just after his 36^th birthday. He finished with a 179-130 record, 3.14 ERA, 2910 innings, 3094 strikeouts, 719 walks, 239/369 quality starts, 122 ERA+, 87 FIP-, and 55.4 WAR. Alsaker ranks 92^nd in wins and 60^th in strikeouts, but misses the top 100 for pitching WAR.

The lower inning count keeps him from higher spots on the leaderboards, although his rate stats were comparable to some of the lower-end starters inducted previously into the European Baseball Federation’s Hall of Fame. Alsaker had a Pitcher of the Year award and two ERA titles in his favor. However, he wasn’t a beloved team figure and wasn’t part of any playoff runs.

Alsaker’s resume was definitely borderline and his initial ballots saw 48.7%, 55.9%, and 47.3%. He got a jump to 58.5% in 2039, but dropped back to 51.3% in 2040. For whatever reason in 2041, Alsaker saw another big jump to 66.7%, narrowly breaching the 66% requirement. With that, he was a sixth ballot selection to round out a four-man 2041 class in EBF. Alsaker was also the first inducted with Antwerp as his primary team

FuzzyRussianHat · 04-09-2026, 11:09 AM

Three made it into Eurasian Professional Baseball’s Hall of Fame for 2041. Former Krasnoyarsk teammates 1B/DH Timofei Kalinin and LF Yuri Lukashov both got first ballot nods at 78.4% and 74.8%, respectively. CF Roman Sheshukov on his third try just breached the 66% requirement at 69.5% to join then. SP Tagir Jumayev narrowly missed at 64.2% on his second go. Two other returners were above 50% with 2B Gleb Korelin getting 58.5% in his sixth ballot and LF Brandon Chunchignorov at 53.2% for his fourth attempt.

Dropped after ten failed ballots was SP Grigory Krutov, who peaked at 33.1% in 2033 and ended at 14.2%. He played almost all of his EPB run with Ufa, helping them to the 2015 title. Krutov was also a three-time Pitcher of the Year finalist, but never won the top honor. He had a 156-85 record, 2.48 ERA, 2280.2 innings, 2243 strikeouts, 434 walks, 131 ERA+, 77 FIP-, and 56.7 WAR. Injuries ultimately ended Krutov’s full-time starting career at age 31 and kept him from the tallies needed to make it in, as his trajectory was certainly on track.

1B Gansukh Byambasuren also notably fell below 5% on his ninth ballot and peaked at 29.7%. He had a 14-year career primarily with Vladivostok and won five Silver Sluggers, one Gold Glove, and an MVP. Byambasuren played 2056 games with 2039 hits, 980 runs, 312 doubles, 457 home runs, 1206 RBI, .268/.318/.500 slash, 141 wRC+, and 58.0 WAR. He dropped off noticeably in his early 30s, keeping him from hitting a couple of milestones that might have gotten him across the line.

Timofei Kalinin – Designated Hitter/First Base – Krasnoyarsk Cossacks – 78.4% First Ballot

Timofei Kalinin was a 6’5’’, 200 pound left-handed designated hitter and first baseman from the capital of Russia, Moscow. Kalinin was a solid contact hitter with reliably strong home run and gap power facing right-handed pitching. He had 36 home runs, 31 doubles, and 3 triples per his 162 game average. Kalinin had a career .917 OPS and 162 wRC+ against righties compared to a more middling 104 wRC+ and .695 facing lefties.

On the whole, he was also subpar for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Kalinin was also a very slow baserunner and sluggish athlete overall. 2/3 of his career starts came as a designated hitter. Kalinin spent some time at first base and right field, but was terrible defensively in both spots. He had some knee issues, but being a DH helped Kalinin hang around 18 years.

Kalinin joined Krasnoyarsk on a developmental deal in December 2013 and spent a bit over four years in their academy. He debuted in 2018 with 75 games and 16 starts with okay results. That year, the Cossacks were a 93-69 wild card, one behind Ufa for first place. Krasnoyarsk upset the Fiends 4-3 in the Asian League Championship Series, then knocked off Krasnodar 4-2 to claim the EPB Championship.

For Kalinin, he was used as a pinch hitter in the playoff run. He made three starts and played 13 games in the Baseball Grand Championship, going 6-20 with five homers and 9 RBI. Krasnoyarsk went 9-10 in the event, but it showed Kalinin’s potential as a top flight slugger. Kalinin was rostered full-time in 2019 and a part-time starter. He was then a full-time starter from 2020 through 2034 for the Cossacks

2018 started an 11-yearplayoff streak for Krasnoyarsk with Kalinin as a key fixture. He first was a league leader with 39 doubles in 2020. Although the playoff streak continued, they couldn’t get over the hump from 2019-22; thrice falling in the ALCS. The biggest letdown was 2020, falling to 99-win Chelyabinsk despite the Cossacks’ remarkable 116-46 record.

Kalinin’s big breakout was 2023, winning MVP and leading with career bests for runs (120), homers (50), total bases (367), slugging (.622), OPS (.961), and wRC+ (179). Kalinin also saw his best WAR at 7.5 and his first Silver Slugger as a DH. That year, Krasnoyarsk got the top seed at 103-59 and won the ALCS against Yekaterinburg in a seven game classic. The Cossacks were denied the EPB title though by Volgograd, also in seven games.

Kalinin had 18 hits, 13 runs, 3 doubles, 5 homers, 12 RBI, and 1.0 WAR in the playoff run. He was also generally popular with Russian fans as a regular in the World Baseball Championship from 2021-28. Kalinin played 71 games but started only 51 with 46 hits, 33 runs, 7 doubles, 15 home runs, 27 RBI, .234/.303/.508 slash, and 1.3 WAR.

In 2024, Kalinin led in doubles again. Krasnoyarsk won a weak East Division at 87-75 and got to the ALCS again, falling in a rematch with the Yaks. In April 2025, Kalinin signed a five-year, $53,800,000 extension with the Cossacks. He was All-Star Game MVP, then won league MVP and another Silver Slugger with 46 homers, 119 RBI, .917 OPS, and 6.6 WAR.

Krasnoyarsk had the top seed by far at 101-61 and won their third pennant of the playoff streak. The Cossacks topped Perm 4-2 in the ALCS and swept Moscow to claim the franchise’s fourth EPB title. Kalinin was the ALCS MVP and had 13 hits, 8 runs, 5 homer, 13 RBI, and 0.6 WAR in the playoffs. He only played two BGC games due to a sprained knee and Krasnoyarsk finished 8-11.

Kalinin’s positive efforts in the championship runs are best remembered, but his overall playoff stats were actually shockingly poor. In 94 games and 85 starts, Kalinin had 58 hits, 37 runs, 12 doubles, 16 homers, 47 RBI, 90 strikeouts, .178/.219/.363 slash, 68 wRC+, and 0.2 WAR. He was especially bad in the last three seasons of the streak. Krasnoyarsk had an ALCS loss in 2026 to Yekaterinburg and first round exits the next two years. The Cossacks then began an 11-year playoff drought and mostly hovered just below .500.

Some critics say Krasnoyarsk underperformed during the 11-year playoff streak and criticize Kalinin’s overall numbers. Most though are happy with two EPB titles and three pennants over a decade. Kalinin led the league once more in homers with 46 in 2028 but was done as an awards contender. In July 2030, he signed a five-year, $66,000,000 extension.

Kalinin was still popular in later years and crossed the 550 home run, 1500 RBI, and 2500 hit milestones. He was still productive, but not dominant into his mid 30s. Kalinin finally lost the starting job in 2035 and only played 77 games with 26 starts that year. He retired that winter at age 38 and immediately had his #32 uniform retired for his 18 seasons of service.

In total, Kalinin had 2548 games, 2573 hits, 1315 runs, 495 doubles, 40 triples, 570 home runs, 1568 RBI, 569 walks, 2130 strikeouts, .284/.329/.536 slash, 148 wRC+, and 68.3 WAR. Kalinin ranks 39^th in games, 23^rd in runs, 33^rd in hits, 14^th in total bases (4858), 5^th in doubles, 17^th in homers, 11^th in RBI, and 69^th in strikeouts. Largely due to being a primary DH, Kalinin ranks only 96^th in WAR for position players. Among EPB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, he is 35^th in slugging and his .865 OPS is 44^th.

Most Hall of Fame voters were sold on Kalinin as a top 25 guy in the big counting stats, a two-time MVP, and an EPB champion. Those generally critical of career DHs shunned Kalinin, but that was a small minority. He received 78.4% for the first ballot nod, co-headlining the three-man 2041 class for Eurasian Professional Baseball.

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.

FuzzyRussianHat · 04-11-2026, 05:09 AM

2B/DH Pat Nicholson stood alone for induction into the Oceania Baseball Association Hall of Fame in 2041, receiving the first ballot nod at 77.0%. Two returners were at 55.5% with SP Les Mansell on his third try and CL Kion Young on his second. No one else was above 50%.

Dropped after ten failed ballots was SP Matu Tilimaka, who peaked at 18.9% and ended at 9.5%. He had a 16-year journeyman career with six teams with a 209-211 record, 3.96 ERA, 3837.1 innings, 3411 strikeouts, 909 walks, 95 ERA+, 100 FIP-, and 49.1 WAR. Tilimaka’s longevity got him to 29^th in wins, 13^th in innings, and 32^nd in strikeouts. However, he’s only 78^th in pitching WAR and 2^nd in losses. Voters quickly dismissed Tilimaka as a compiler, but he still could be plenty proud of his effort.

Pat “Skip” Nicholson – Second Base/Designated Hitter – Port Moresby Mud Hens – 77.0% First Ballot

Pat Nicholson was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting infielder from Sydney, Australia. He was affectionately nicknamed “Skip” by teammates for his sparkplug attitude and energy. Nicholson was known for his scrappy work ethic, high intelligence, loyalty, and adaptability. He had plenty of natural talent though and specifically was a great contact hitter with steady power. Nicholson’s 162 game average got you 30 home runs, 29 doubles, and 3 triples.

Nicholson’s best success came facing right-handed pitching (.887 OPS, 149 wRC+) but he was still positive facing lefties (.772 OPS, 121 wRC+). Relative to other OBA bats, he was fairly middling for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Nicholson was also a mediocre baserunner, but you could do worse.

Around 2/3 of Nicholson’s starts came at second base. Despite his energy and effort, he was an abysmal defender there. He made some starts at first base with decent results and also saw some use as a designated hitter. Nicholson held up fairly decently over a 17-year run. As a teenager in January 2014, he left Australia for Papua New Guinea on a developmental deal with Port Moresby.

Nicholson officially debuted in 2017 at age 20, but he saw limited use initially. From 2017-20, he played 154 games and started only 52 with unremarkable results. Nicholson saw a part-time starter role in 2021 and got the full-time gig in 2022, although he missed the second half of that season to a partially torn labrum. He was the full-time starter then from 2023-33 for the Mud Hens.

In 2023, Nicholson won a Silver Slugger and took third in MVP voting, leading the Pacific League in RBI (130), batting average (.347), and OBP (.397). Port Moresby ended a 37-year title drought, winning the PL crown at 102-60. The Mud Hens defeated Christchurch 4-2 to win the Oceania Championship, ultimately beginning a dynasty run for Port Moresby.

Nicholson was 8-21 in the series with five runs, 3 homers, six RBI, and a 1.315 OPS. In the Baseball Grand Championship, he got 19 hits, 11 runs, 7 doubles, 5 homers, 9 RBI, .849 OPS, 138 wRC+, and 0.7 WAR. PM finished 8-11 in the event, but knew they had something with Nicholson. That August, they gave him a four-year, $78 million extension. 2023 was also his first World Baseball Championship for Australia, although he was generally a backup. From 2023-30, he played 45 games and started 24 with a .775 OPS and 0.7 WAR.

2024 was Nicholson’s best year with another Silver Slugger and a second place in MVP voting, leading the PL in hits (210), doubles (40), RBI (131), and batting average (.355). Those were all career bests, as was his 113 runs, 44 homers, .662 slugging, 1.057 OPS, 197 wRC+, and 9.0 WAR.

Port Moresby repeated as PL champ at 103-59 and repeated as OBA champ 4-3 over Sydney. Nicholson had a surprisingly poor series with a .246 OPS and -0.4 WAR, but he was excellent in the BGC with 19 hits, 13 runs, 3 doubles, 7 homers, 13 RBI, 1.027 OPS, 193 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR. The Mud Hens finished 10-9 in a tie for eighth.

Nicholson’s production dipped a bit the next two years, although he was still a solid starter and won another Silver Slugger in 2026 despite losing more than a month to torn ankle ligaments. Port Moresby made it a four-peat in the Pacific League, going 108-54 in 2025 and 119-43 in 2026. They were denied in the 2025 Oceania Championship 4-2 by Sydney, but defeated Christchurch in 2026. Nicholson was good in the former and mediocre in the latter.

In the 2026 BGC, he was excellent with 21 hits, 17 runs, 5 doubles, 10 homers, 20 RBI, 1.133 OPS, 219 wRC+, and 1.7 WAR. Port Moresby was one of six teams tied for the third most wins at 12-7, but officially was eighth after tiebreakers were sorted. In April 2027, Nicholson cashed in with a hefty seven-year, $155 million extension with the Mud Hens.

Nicholson returned to strong form and was third in MVP voting in both 2027 and 2028. Both seasons, he led in doubles, RBI, and total bases. Port Moresby was 106-56 in 2027, joining 1997-2001 Guam as the only teams to win five consecutive Pacific League titles. The Mud Hens won their fourth OBA title in five years in a seven game classic with Canberra. Port Moresby’s dynasty was the third in OBA history to win four titles in a five year stretch, joining Melbourne (six titles from 2004-10) and Honolulu (seven from 1982-90).

It was a merely decent finals for Nicholson, but he again stepped up in the BGC with 17 hits, 11 runs, 4 doubles, 7 homers, 10 RBI, .925 OPS, 171 wRC+, and 1.0 WAR. However, the Mud Hens struggled to 6-13 in the event. They were still competitive in 2028 at 94-68, but Honolulu ran away with the PL crown at 110-52. The dynasty wasn’t done yet though with a pennant in 2029 at 93-69 for PM, edging out the Honu and Fiji both by four games. In their third meeting of the 2020s with Sydney, the Snakes were 4-1 victors.

Nicholson’s production was no longer award-winning or league-leading from 2029-onward, but he was still good for 3+ WAR each year from 2029-31. Port Moresby took third in 2030 at 87-75, then began a rebuild with losing seasons in 2031-32. The latter was the first time Nicholson posted below average batting stats with a 93 wRC+ and 1.0 WAR.

He and the Mud Hens saw resurgence in 2023. Nicholson missed much of the first half to a partially torn labrum, but finished strong with a .850 OPS, 142 wRC+, and 2.9 WAR over 95 games. Port Moresby finished 102-60 for the seventh PL title of Nicholson’s tenure and he’d earn his fifth OBA ring in a seven-game triumph over Brisbane.

Nicholson had a decent series, but his Oceania Championship stats were underwhelming overall. In 44 games, he had 44 hits, 23 runs, 5 doubles, 7 home runs, 21 RBI, .263/.317/.419 slash, 104 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR. Still, he was a key reason Port Moresby was a top contender for a decade.

Despite those unremarkable stats, Nicholson yet again had a strong Baseball Grand Championship showing. In 2033, he had 20 hits, 11 runs, 4 doubles, 5 homers, 8 RBI, .294/.385/.574 slash, 171 wRC+, and 1.0 WAR. Port Moresby finished 9-12 in the event. These were Nicholson’s final games in the red and gold, as he didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the final season of his deal.

With Port Moresby, Nicholson played 1955 games with 2086 hits, 1029 runs, 368 doubles, 35 triples, 378 home runs, 1174 RBI, .300/.342/.526 slash, 145 wRC+, and 52.5 WAR. Unsurprisingly, Skip had his #22 uniform retired shortly thereafter. However, he entered 2034 as a free agent for the first time heading toward age 37. Nicholson ended up signing a three-year, $13 million deal with Samoa.

Nicholson struggled in 2034 with .655 OPS, 78 wRC+, and -0.4 WAR over 126 games and 95 starts. He was relegated mostly to a pinch hit role in 2035, although he had better luck in that small sample size with a 126 wRC+, .824 OPS, and 0.7 WAR. Samoa took fourth in 2034 at 91-71, then finished 100-62 in 2035 for their first Pacific League title since 2018.

The Sun Sox fell 4-3 to Hobart in the Oceania Championship and Nicholson struggled to 2-13 in the series. Still, he ranks 6^th in playoff games (49), 5^th in hits (46), 8^th in runs (23), 15^th in homers (7), and 10^th in RBI (21) in OBA playoff history. Samoa earned an at-large into the BGC and went 9-12. Nicholson only had three pinch-hit appearances, although he did hit a two-run homer.

For his BGC career, Nicholson played 99 games with 97 hits, 64 runs, 23 doubles, 35 home runs, 62 RBI, .272/.349/.636 slash, and 5.6 WAR. He ranks 23^rd in games, 17^th in runs, 15^th in hits, 13^th in total bases (227), 2^nd in doubles, 15^th in homers, 25^th in RBI, and 9^th in WAR for position players. Of the 24 players with 400+ plate appearances in the Baseball Grand Championship, Nicholson’s .985 OPS is 5^th.

Nicholson didn’t meet the criteria for the third year of the Samoa deal, finishing the run with 195 games, 118 starts, 120 hits, 57 runs,14 doubles, 23 homers, 69 RBI, .240/.281/.415 slash, 90 wRC+, and 0.2 WAR. The 2035 BGC ended up the final action of his career. Nicholson did hope to play in 2036, but went unsigned all year and finally retired in the winter at age 39.

In total, Nicholson played 2150 games with 2206 hits, 1086 runs, 382 doubles, 37 triples, 401 home runs, 1243 RBI, 491 walks, 1388 strikeouts, .296/.338/.519 slash, 141 wRC+, and 52.7 WAR. Nicholson ranks 70^th in games, 72^nd in runs, 61^st in hits, 64^th in total bases (3865), 46^th in doubles, 60^th in homers, and 42^nd in RBI.

He misses the top 100 for WAR among position players, losing ground between relatively few games played and his abysmal defense. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Nicholson’s triple slash ranked 65^th/88^th/81^st and his .857 OPS was 79^th. By raw tallies out of context, Nicholson may seem more suited for a Hall of Pretty Good spot than the Hall of Fame.

However, Nicholson was a legitimate MVP candidate in multiple seasons in his prime and was a league leader in several stats, including four times in RBI and twice for batting average. He was also a key starter in one of the Oceania Baseball Association’s top dynasty runs. Even supporters agree Nicholson isn’t an inner-circle guy, but the majority felt he was a first ballot choice. He received 77.0% and stood alone for induction in 2041.

FuzzyRussianHat · 04-12-2026, 08:44 AM

Three starting pitchers were added into Austronesia Professional Baseball’s Hall of Fame for 2041. First ballot nods went to Je-Chang Yang at 85.0% and Ferry Iilang at 72.8%. Patrick Chen joined them with 71.9% on his third ballot. Two other SPs barely missed the 66% cut with Kuo-Chen Kao at 63.4% for his seventh try and Moch Kopriyana at 62.8% on his debut. The only batter above 50% was C Fandi Makatindu at 50.9% in his second ballot. No players were dropped after ten failed tries in 2041.

Je-Chang “Terror” Yang – Starting Pitcher – Taichung Toucans – 85.0% First Ballot

Je-Chang Yang was a 6’5’’, 205 pound left-handed pitcher Shulin, Taiwan; an inner-city district of New Taipei City with around 180,000 people. Nicknamed “Terror,” Yang used great control and movement to thrive along with above average stuff. His velocity peaked in the 95-97 mph range with an arsenal of cutter, slider, curveball, and changeup.

Yang’s stamina was generally solid relative to other APB aces. His durability was great prior to suffering a major injury at age 34. Yang was decent at holding runners, but poor defensively otherwise. He was considered a bit greedy, but also quite loyal to those around him. Yang got plenty of hype coming out of Qiangshu High School, as tall lefties always make scouts drool. He was the #2 pick in the 2018 APB Draft by Kaohsiung, but declined their offer and joined National Taiwan University.

After a stellar college career, Yang was the #1 overall pick in 2021 by Taichung and signed a five-year, $19,350,000 major league deal right away. He was immediately a full-time starter worth 5+ WAR in each of his first five seasons. Yang was second in 2022’s Rookie of the Year voting, third in 2023’s Pitcher of the Year voting, and second in 2025’s POTY.

Yang led in wins in 2026 and 2028, posting a career-best 22-8 record in 2028. 2025 was his best ERA at 1.45, although he missed the ERA title by four points. It wasn’t the easiest to get noticed in Taichung at this point, as they had a playoff drought back to 1987. With Yang’s arrival, the Toucans were at least mostly above or around .500 after some putrid seasons just before his debut.

2029 was Yang’s last year under team control with Taichung and they weren’t confident they would be able to re-sign him. That winter, the Toucans traded him to Taoyuan for three prospects. One of them, SS Kuo Peng, went onto be a ten-year starter for them with a reliable glove. For the Tsunami, they had also been stuck in the middle-tier in the last few years and hoped to make a run.

The bet paid off with a 98-64 finish and the top seed in the Taiwan-Philippine Association. Yang had a 20-6 record, 2.41 ERA, 246.1 innings, 288 Ks, and 8.0 WAR. He stepped up huge in the postseason though with an 0.82 ERA over 33 innings, 2-1 record, 37 Ks, and 1.6 WAR. Taoyuan beat Quezon for the TPA title and won the Austronesia Championship 4-1 over Batam; their first APB title since 2008.

Yang had a solid run in the Baseball Grand Championship with a 4-1 record in 41 innings, 2.20 ERA, 46 Ks, and 1.1 WAR. The Tsunami ended up 10-11 in the event. Yang ended up as a rental for them, but you can’t argue with the result of winning a league championship. Taoyuan did negotiate with him, but Yang was excited to see what he could get in free agency heading into his age 30 season.

At this point, he already had national attention pitching for Taiwan in the World Baseball Championship. His numbers weren’t exceptional from 2024-33 with 110.1 innings, 6-3 record, 3.43 ERA, 149 Ks, and 1.5 WAR. Taiwan’s deepest run came in 2029 as runner-up to Pakistan, although Yang was used in a limited relief role that year.

Yang didn’t sign until March 1, 2030, but he ended up going back to Taichung on a three-year, $72 million deal. The Toucans earned a playoff trip the year he was gone and earned the top seed upon his return at 98-64. Yang posted a 1.72 ERA and 7.8 WAR effort. He injured his heel in his one playoff start and the Toucans were upset in the divisional round by Manila.

They stayed in the mix the next two years, but fell just short of the playoffs both years. Between stints with Taichung, Yang had a 164-97 record, 2.31 ERA, 2529.1 innings, 2642 strikeouts, 314 walks, 125 ERA+, 71 FIP-, and 69.5 WAR. His #37 uniform would eventually be retired by the Toucans for his decade of work. Once his deal was up, he was back to free agency for 2033 heading towards age 33.

Taoyuan brought him in for a second stint on a five-year, $88,600,000 deal. Yang took third in 2033’s Pitcher of the Year voting and the Tsunami got a wild card, although they were a one-and-done. After a solid return, Yang saw a velocity drop down to 92-94 mph by the start of 2034. His stuff had diminished noticeably, but he still had firm control of his arsenal. Yang had lackluster results over 91.1 innings, then suffered a devastating rotator cuff tear in late June.

Yang tried to make a comeback but he had trouble getting his velocity beyond the mid 80s. He made one start in 2035 with poor results and retired in the winter at age 35. Between Taoyuan stints, Yang had a 38-24 record, 2.60 ERA, 605 innings, 598 strikeouts, 120 ERA+, 75 FIP-, and 15.4 WAR.

Overall, Yang had a 202-121 record, 2.37 ERA, 3134.1 innings, 3240 strikeouts, 390 walks, 291/386 quality starts, 150 complete games, 41 shutouts, 124 ERA+, 72 FIP-, and 85.0 WAR. Yang ranks 31^st in wins, 60^th in innings, 62^nd in strikeouts, 39^th in complete games, 41^st in shutouts, and 29^th in pitching WAR.

Even though he never won Pitcher of the Year, Yang was a finalist multiple times and put together nice tallies. His dominant playoff run with Taoyuan’s 2029 title really solidified his case as well. Yang isn’t an inner-circle type Hall of Famer, but the voters felt he was a firm first ballot guy. At 85.0%, he headlined a three-pitcher 2041 class for Austronesia Professional Baseball.

FuzzyRussianHat · 04-13-2026, 06:26 AM

Ferry Iilang – Starting Pitcher – Kuala Lumpur Leopards – 72.8% First Ballot

Ferry Iilang was a 5’9’’, 180 pound left-handed pitcher from the capital of Indonesia, Jakarta. Iilang wasn’t exceptional at any one thing, but he was reliably above average-to-good for stuff, movement, and control. His velocity peaked in the 94-96 mph range with an arsenal of fastball, curveball, changeup, and circle change. Iilang’s curveball was generally his most dynamic pitch for drawing whiffs and weak grounders.

Iilang’s stamina was fairly average as APB aces go. He had a 17-year career and had some injuries in his 30s, but he generally avoided big ailments earlier in his career. Iilang had good grades for holding runners and defense. Perhaps Iilang’s biggest strength was his character, as he was a team captain with high marks for leadership and work ethic.

He got plenty of attention playing collegiately in Jakarta and was picked sixth overall by Kuala Lumpur in the 2017 APB Draft. Iilang was used as a part-time starter as a rookie with lackluster results. He was a full-timer in 2019 with much better metrics, tying for the Sundaland Association lead for shutouts with five. One of them was a no-hitter on June 15 with nine strikeouts and a walk against Pekanbaru.

Iilang was back to only a part-time role in 2020, but he became a full-time starter after that for the rest of his run with Kuala Lumpur. 2022 was his only time leading a major stat with the most wins (20) and quality starts (30). In 2021, he had his second no-hitter with 11 Ks and two walks facing Batam on September 26. Iilang had generally steady production with the Leopards, but was never a Pitcher of the Year finalist.

Kuala Lumpur was stick in the middle-tier during Iilang’s run. They were rarely outright bad, averaging 79.4 wins per season in his tenure. However, they made the playoffs only once in 2021, losing in the Sundaland Association Championship to Palembang. Iilang took the loss in his one start but didn’t get support, allowing three runs (one earned) over seven innings.

He did also play for his native Indonesia in the 2022-23 World Baseball Championship with a 4-0 record, 2.54 ERA, 39 innings, 38 Ks, and 0.7 WAR. The Indonesians notably were a playoff team both of those years, but failed to advance to the final four.

Kuala Lumpur gave Iilang a five-year, $40,460,000 extension after the 2022 season. They let him go to free agency once that was up after the 2027 campaign. Iilang finished with a 130-104 record, 2.21 ERA, 2194.1 innings, 2296 strikeouts, 436 walks, 114 ERA+, 88 FIP-, and 40.4 WAR. The Leopards organization appreciated his efforts enough to retire his #22 uniform at the end of his career.

Coming up on age 32, Iilang signed in 2028 to a three-year, $18,500,000 deal with Surabaya. His 2028 effort saw his career best WAR of 6.2 and a 1.64 ERA, behind only his 1.61 from 2025 with KL. Like with the Leopards, the Sunbirds were stuck in the middle-tier during Iilang’s tenure. He ended up with a 37-26 record, 2.03 ERA, 641.1 innings, 641 Ks, 118 ERA+, 86 FIP-, and 12.0 WAR over two-and-a-half seasons.

Iilang got off to a weaker start in 2030 and Surabaya traded him in July to Pekanbaru for three prospects. He was excellent in the final stretch for the Palms with a 1.11 ERA and 3.1 WAR over 130 innings. Pekanbaru won the Malacca League by one game at 95-67 and took Jakarta to the limit, but fell 4-3 in the association championship. Iilang notably had an impressive playoff run, allowing one run over 17.2 innings with 17 Ks.

That finish did boost his stock up a bit as a 35-year old free agent for 2031, signing a four-year, $28,700,000 deal with Makassar. The Maroon Giants were one of the 2029 expansion franchises and were terrible in their first decade. A hamstring strain limited Iilang in 2031 and he was traded in mid-2032, finishing the Makassar tenure with an 8-13 record, 2.76 ERA, 195.1 innings, 185 Ks, 102 ERA+, 83 FIP-, and 3.9 WAR.

He was sent in June 2032 to Depok for two infielders, one veteran and one prospect. Forearm inflammation would knock Iilang out in the final months, missing the playoff run. The Demons notably ended a 31-year playoff drought, but dropped the association finals to Bandung. Iilang had merely okay production in 2033 and missed the final months to an elbow strain. With Depok, he had a 13-9 record, 2.84 ERA, 205.2 innings, 200 Ks, 98 ERA+, 93 FIP-, and 3.3 WAR.

Now 38, Iilang went to Semarang in 2034 but saw limited use, struggling to -0.4 WAR over 27 innings. He did pitch two scoreless innings in the playoffs, but the Sliders lost in the first round. Iilang went back to Pekanbaru in 2035 and had 0.5 WAR and a 1.63 ERA over 49.2 innings. An elbow strain limited him in the summer, but he was not viewed as more than filler by this point. Iilang retireed in the winter at age 39.

Iilang finished with a 203-158 record, 2.21 ERA, 3443.1 innings, 3506 strikeouts, 671 walks, 329/439 quality starts, 111 complete games, 40 shutouts, 115 ERA+, 88 FIP-, and 62.8 WAR. He ranks 30^th in wins, 32^nd in innings, 47^th in strikeouts, 92^nd in complete games, 44^th in shutouts, and 72^nd in pitching WAR. Iilang’s ERA is 96^th among all pitchers with 1000+ innings.

In the hyper-low scoring world of Austronesia Professional Baseball, the Hall of Fame voters are generally favorable to pitchers. Iilang had tenure with 200+ wins and 3500+ strikeouts, but his metrics were definitely on the lower end compared to previous inductees. He also had the misfortune of being on mostly middling teams, limited black ink, and never was a Pitcher of the Year finalist. Still, Iilang’s role as a captain and clubhouse guy went a long way along with his accumulations. He received 72.8% in 2041, enough for the first ballot nod as part of a three-pitcher class.

Patrick Chen – Starting Pitcher – Cebu Crows – 71.9% Third Ballot

Patrick Chen was a 6’0’’, 205 pound right-handed pitcher from Pacet, Indonesia; a sub-district of Bandung with around 328,000 people. Chen had strong overpowering stuff along with rock solid movement and control. He had only two pitches; a 98-100 mph fastball and a slider. Both were equally potent and looked the same coming out of Chen’s hand to the frustration of batters.

Chen also had pretty good stamina, allowing him to be a starter unlike most guys with only two pitches. He did struggle at holding runners and defense. His durability was strong in his 20s, although one big injury in his 30s helped hasten the end of his career. Chen was a known prankster in the clubhouse, often providing needed levity.

In June 2017, Chen left Indonesia for the Philippines on a developmental deal with Cebu. Because of having only two pitches, the Crows initially viewed him as a relief prospect. Chen debuted in middle relief in 2022, then was the closer in 2023. He thrived in the role with a 0.86 ERA over 94 innings, 146 strikeouts, 4.9 WAR, and a Taiwan-Philippine Association best 45 saves. Chen finished second in Reliever of the Year voting.

Chen was convinced he could be a starter and lobbied hard for it. The coaches moved him into the rotation in 2024 and he posted a 1.79 ERA over 231.2 innings, 295 Ks, 54 FIP-, and 8.1 WAR. Chen took third in Pitcher of the Year voting. He was still used in a split starter/relief role after that and had some inconsistencies over the next few years. But his flexibility proved useful as the Crows began a dynasty run.

Cebu finished 105-57 in 2025 to end a 12-year playoff drought. They defeated Hsinchu 4-1 to win the TPA pennant, but lost a 4-3 classic in the Austronesia Championship against Jakarta. Chen had six playoff appearances, getting three wins and three saves with a 1.50 ERA and 20 Ks over 12 innings.

In August 2026, the Crows gave Chen a seven-year, $72,600,000 extension. Cebu only narrowly won a weak Philippine League in 2026 at 85-77. However, the Crows upset Kaohsiung with a sweep in the association finals, then rolled 4-1 over Johor Bahru to win their first APB title since 1991.

Chen was big in relief in the playoffs, allowing one run with five saves over 11.1 innings with 19 Ks. In the Baseball Grand Championship, he made four starts with a 3.08 ERA over 26.1 innings, 39 Ks, 119 ERA+, 51 FIP-, and 1.1 WAR. Cebu struggled to 7-12 in the event.

In 2027, the Crows finished 100-62 and bested the Sweathogs for a third consecutive Taiwan-Philippine Association title. They were denied the Austronesia Championship repeat in another 4-3 classic with Jakarta. Chen tossed 5.1 scoreless innings in the playoff run.

Cebu four-peated as TPA champ in 2028 over Tainan, then defeated Johor Bahru 4-2 for their second APB title of the run. Chen pitched 14 innings in the playoffs with a 0.64 ERA, four saves, and 22 strikeouts. He was less successful in the BGC with a 4.32 ERA over 8.1 innings. The Crows finished 8-11 in the event. Cebu’s playoff streak continued in 2029, but they were a wild card with a divisional round loss.

Chen’s excellent playoff stats played a big role in their four pennants and two APB titles. Over 48.2 innings and 27 relief appearances, he had a 0.74 ERA, 85 strikeouts, 8-2 record, 15 saves, 383 ERA+, 29 FIP-, and 2.7 WAR. It was the biggest factor in Chen’s #29 uniform eventually getting retired by the club. However, Chen and many fans were surprised when he was traded after the 2029 season to Taichung for C Qamarul Tasman and SP Chia-Hen Han. Both would go onto be decent starts for the Crows.

With Cebu, Chen finished with an 84-72 record, 115 saves, 2.39 ERA, 1395.2 innings, 1818 strikeouts, 235 walks, 105/140 quality starts, 43 complete games, 11 shutouts, 118 ERA+, 66 FIP-, and 39.8 WAR. He was now off to Taiwan after playing previously in the Philippines. However, Chen still was a regular all the while for his native Indonesia in the World Baseball Championship.

Chen occasionally started, but was primarily a reliever in the WBC from 2023-37 for Indonesia. He pitched 129.2 innings with a 13-3 record, 17 saves, 2.22 ERA, 201 strikeouts, and 4.4 WAR. Indonesia was a playoff regular, but only got to the final four once with Chen, taking fourth in 2029.

In his Taichung debut in 2030, Chen won his lone Pitcher of the Year, leading with career bests for WAR (10.4) and wins (22-8). He also had his best ERA as a starter (1.76) and matched his high for strikeouts from the prior year at 315. The Toucans won the Taiwan League, but got upset in the divisional round 3-1 by Manila. Chen lost his one start, giving up five runs over seven innings.

That hurt his career playoff stats, but the Cebu dominance gave him final tallies of a 1.46 ERA over 55.2 innings, 94 Ks, 192 ERA+, 31 FIP-, and 3.0 WAR. Chen is 3^rd in playoff saves in APB and his .378 opponents’ OPS is 8^th among those with 30+ playoff innings. Little did he know, this was his final playoff start of his career. Taichung was above .500 the next two years but outside the playoffs, then dropped with three losing seasons after that.

Chen never reached his 2030 dominance, but he was still a strong starter in 2031-32 before falling to below average results in 2031. For Taichung, Chen had a 70-43 record, 2.73 ERA, 1048.2 innings, 1099 strikeouts, 57 complete games, 10 shutouts, 116 ERA+, 80 FIP-, and 24.2 WAR. Unlike with Cebu, the Toucans viewed Chen just as a starter with only the rare use out of the bullpen expected of APB starters.

Now 32-years old, Chen was a free agent for the first time and opened up a global search. He was insistent on being a starter, which scared away some suitors who felt a two-pitch guy had to be a reliever. Chen ended up in Italy on a one-year, $4,600,000 with EBF’s Naples Nobles. He was a full-time starter, but had subpar results with a 4.60 ERA over 201.1 innings, 13-8 record, 204 strikeouts, and 3.4 WAR. Chen’s 82 ERA+, but 90 FIP- suggested he might have had some bad luck.

Chen stayed in Europe in 2035 with Cologne, posting a 10-5 record, 3.57 ERA, 148.2 innings, 120 Ks, 107 ERA+, 103 FIP-, and 1.7 WAR. Unfortunately in mid-July, Chen suffered a torn flexor tendon that put his future in doubt. Milan gave him a chance in 2036 and he had decent results in a split role with a 9-10 record, 3.71 ERA, 162.1 innings, 151 strikeouts, 104 ERA+, 104 FIP-, and 1.3 WAR.

Now 35, Chen went to Major League Baseball and Phoenix. The Firebirds used him in long relief exclusively with 22 appearances, 66 innings, a 4.09 ERA, 47 Ks, 109 ERA+, and 0.4 WAR. Chen went back to EBF in 2037 with Manchester, but struggled to a 6.58 ERA over 26 innings and -0.1 WAR.

He retired that winter at age 37, finishing his EBF tenure with a 32-23 record, 4.15 ERA, 538.1 innings, 495 Ks, 93 ERA+, 99 FIP-, and 6.3 WAR. Chen’s combined pro career had a 187-138 record, 120 saves, 2.85 ERA, 3048.2 innings, 3459 strikeouts, 563 walks, 232/336 quality starts, 107 complete games, 25 shutouts, 112 ERA+, 77 FIP-, and 70.8 WAR.

Just in Austronesia Professional Baseball, Chen had a 154-115 record, 116 saves, 2.54 ERA, 2444.1 innings, 2917 strikeouts, 439 walks, 195/267 quality starts, 100 complete games, 21 shutouts, 117 ERA+, 72 FIP-, and 64.0 WAR. Chen is 68^th in pitching WAR, but outside of the top 100 in all of the counting stats and the rate stats.

This made Chen’s Hall of Fame case a tricky one, as many voters felt he simply didn’t reach the tallies needed for a starter. His split role and final few years in Europe kept the inning count low. Working in Chen’s favor was a Pitcher of the Year award along with excellent playoff numbers as part of Cebu’s dynasty. He barely missed the 66% induction threshold in his first two ballots at 64.6% and 64.8%, respectively. Chen didn’t need to win many over to get across the line and he got the bump to 71.9% in 2041 on his third try, capping off a three-pitcher class.

FuzzyRussianHat · 04-14-2026, 07:47 AM

Three made it into Chinese League Baseball’s Hall of Fame for 2041. CF Ming Li was the clear headliner at 89.9%, while SP Boyu Chen also was a first ballot pick at 78.3%. SP Dalong Li made it in at 73.9% on his seventh ballot. The only other guy above 50% was SP Yingfa Luo, getting 55.0% in his sixth go.

The one player dropped from the ballot after ten failed tries was SP Hui Liu, who peaked at 37.2% and ended at 8.8%. He lost some accumulations by playing his final six seasons in Europe. His ten CLB seasons were with Shantou with one Pitcher of the Year award, 140-81 record, 2.48 ERA, 2105.2 innings, 2034 strikeouts, 115 ERA+, 79 FIP-, and 45.8 WAR.

Liu also had weaker playoff numbers with a 3.38 ERA over 85.1 innings, 82 Ks, 84 ERA+, 106 FIP-, and 1.0 WAR. He did help the Scorpions to a China Series trip in 2024. The pace was there, but even in a pitcher-friendly low-scoring league, Liu needed either more accumulations or far more dominance/accolades to have had a shot at the more than the Hall of Pretty Good.

Ming “Skull” Li – Center Field – Harbin Hellcats – 89.9% First Ballot

Ming Li was a 6’4’’, 195 pound right-handed center fielder from Xianyang, a prefecture-level city of around five million in northwestern China’s Shaanxi province. Nicknamed “Skull,” Li was one of the most all-around efficient hitters in China’s history with equal production against lefties and righties. He had reliable power with 47 home runs, 24 doubles, and 11 triples per his 162 game average.

Li was a rock solid contact hitter as well, although he was merely average for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts relative to his peers. He was also a very good baserunner with the speed to match. Li was a career center fielder with average-to-above average defensive metrics. His durability was good in his 20s, but major injuries forced an early retirement and decline.

Few players in CLB history were more universally beloved by fans and players alike. Li was a massive fan favorite known for his work ethic, adaptability, and team-first attitude. He was the rare five-tool, five-star prospect coming out of China’s collegiate ranks. Li was the #1 overall pick by Harbin in the 2024 CLB Drat and was an immediate success, winning 2025’s Rookie of the Year with a 6.7 WAR debut.

From 2026-32, Li was good for 8.9+ WAR each year and had 10+ WAR in all but 2030. Each of those seasons saw a Silver Slugger win. Li was the leader in total bases thrice, WAR five times and runs scored twice. In both 2029 and 2031, Li led the Northern League in slugging, OPS, and wRC+. His first MVP award came in 2026 as the WARlord at 11.2. He topped it with 13.1 in 2027, but a loaded field led to a third place finish in voting.

Li won MVP again in 2028 and 2029, the latter having his career bests for runs (126), hits (208), total bases (415), average (.356), OBP (.396), and WAR (13.8). The 126 runs set the CLB single-season record and still stands as of induction. The WAR is the 9^th-best single-season for a CLB position player and he joins a short list in world history with multiple seasons of 13+ WAR.

That effort also ended a nine-year playoff drought for Harbin, who finished first in the NL standings at 102-60. However, they were defeated in the Round Robin. That winter, the Hellcats gave Li an eight-year, $107,900,000 extension. Li would take third in 2031’s MVP voting and second in 2032. 2031 had his career bests for slugging (.742), OPS (1.133), and wRC+ (232), although a sore elbow did keep him out for a month. Li also hit for the cycle that year in June.

Harbin became a regular contender with four consecutive 100+ win seasons from 2029-32; posting the top record in the NL each year. The Hellcats couldn’t get the job done in the playoffs though. They made the semifinal in 2030 and 2031, but lost to Jinan in 2030 and Urumqi in 2031. You couldn’t blame Li for the postseason failures as he started 43 games with 62 hits, 27 runs, 10 doubles, 3 triples, 11 homers, 25 RBI, 23 steals .360/.397/.645 slash, 203 wRC+, and 3.3 WAR.

Li also had solid numbers as a regular for China in the World Baseball Championship from 2026-34. He played 91 games with 71 hits, 52 runs, 11 doubles, 35 home runs, 71 RBI, .234/.311/.622 slash, 165 wRC+, and 4.2 WAR. It was a down era for the Chinese national team, as their only playoff trips with Li came in 2033-34.

After the 2032 season, Li opted out of his contract to sign a new bigger deal at $207,600,000 over seven years. He was only 31 at this point and Harbin had no reason to expect issues. Li did the weakest stats of his career to that point in 2033, although he was still worth 6.4 WAR with a 153 wRC+ and .837 OPS. He suffered an oblique strain in 2033 that ended his season. The Hellcats finished 94-68 for another playoff berth, but lost in the round robin. That marked the end of their playoff streak, missing at 86-76 in 2034 followed by five losing seasons.

The beginning of the end for Li started in the 2034 WBC with a broken bone in his right elbow. He was back by the early summer, but posted only 3.1 WAR over 80 games. Li’s bat stayed similar to the prior year, but he saw weaker defensive metrics with the damage to his throwing arm. Then in September, his season ended with a torn labrum.

In May 2035, Li suffered a second torn labrum, this time to his non-throwing arm. The injury was bad enough that doctors told Li that he had to retire, officially ending a brilliant career in his age 33 season. Harbin immediately retired his #14 uniform for his excellent 11 year run.

Li finished with 1469 games, 1656 hits, 944 runs, 216 doubles, 96 triples, 427 home runs, 1002 RBI, 340 walks, 1039 strikeouts, 473 stolen bases, .303/.348/.612 slash, .960 OPS, 187 wRC+, and 97.1 WAR. Even with the small number of games, Li ranks 22^nd in WAR for position players, 34^th in runs, 97^th in hits, 36^th in total bases (3345), 14^th in homers, and 23^rd in RBI. He’s 3^rd in WAR at center field in CLB history.

Among CLB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Li’s triple slash is 38^th/45^th/6^th and his OPS ranks 9^th. His 187 wRC+ places him tied for 35^th among all world Hall of Famers and retired locks, placing Li as one of the absolute best offensive weapons in any league relative to their peers.

If not for the injuries and abrupt end to his career, Li might have ended up as a top five or top ten level player in all of CLB history. He still did plenty to earn a headlining role for the three-player 2041 class for Chinese League Baseball with 89.9%.

FuzzyRussianHat · 04-15-2026, 08:57 AM

Boyu Chen – Starting Pitcher – Jinan Jumbos – 78.3% First Ballot

Boyu Chen was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Longjing, a city of around 178,000 on the border with North Korea. Chen had stellar control and strong stuff with average movement. His fastball reached 98-100 mph, but his changeup and forkball were his most dangerous offerings. Chen also had a slider and curveball in the arsenal.

Relative to most CLB starters, his stamina was below average. Major injuries also severely limited Chen’s career with only seven seasons above 200 innings. Chen did have good grades for defense and holding runners. He was highly intelligent and appreciated for his loyalty and selflessness. Chen’s pro career began with a developmental deal signed in May 2020 with Jinan. He spent around six years in their academy before debuting in 2025 at age 21.

Chen looked promising as a part-time starter in 2025, although he struggled in his one playoff start. Jinan ended an eight-year playoff drought, but lost in the round robin. Chen was a full-time starter and ace after that, taking second in 2027’s Pitcher of the Year voting. That year, he won an ERA title (2.11) and led with a career-best 324 strikeouts.

Jinan had the top record in the Northern League in 2027 at 98-64, but lost again in the round robin with Chen struggling in two appearances. Little did he know, that would be the last time he pitched in the postseason. He did see limited use in the World Baseball Championship for China from 2032-36 with a 2.81 ERA over 51.1 innings, 64 strikeouts, 133 ERA+, 79 FIP-, and 1.1 WAR.

Chen was merely above average in 2028, then had his first major injury in his second start of 2029 with a torn ulnar collateral ligament. He made it back for part of 2030, but suffered a torn rotator cuff that August. That year, Jinan won the China Series at 102-60 to give Chen a ring, although he had to watch wearing a sling. The Jumbos would be just outside of the playoffs for the rest of his tenure.

In 2031, Chen had a remarkable comeback season and led with 9.2 WAR, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. He signed a four-year, $79,700,000 extension in August 2032. Chen won his first POTY in 2032 with an ERA title, his career-best at 1.75. He repeated in 2033 with another ERA title (1.79) along with a career-best 0.75 WHIP, 27.5 K/BB, and 26 quality starts. 2033 also had his lone no-hitter on August 9 against Xi’an with 12 strikeouts and two walks.

After a solid 2034, Chen developed a bone spur in his elbow in July 2035 that ended his season. Then in the 2036 WBC in January, he suffered a second torn UCL. This one was more catastrophic with a 16-17 month recovery time. It effectively ended his Jinan run as he missed the entire 2036 season with his contract expiring that winter.

Chen was a free agent for the first time at age 33, but he and many teams across baseball were hopefully he could recover. He ended up signing with MLB’s Detroit Tigers to a five-year, $113 million contract. Chen was ready to go by June 2037 with his first rehab innings in minor league Lansing. Unfortunately, he quickly developed bone chips in the elbow, ending his season before he could debut with the big league club.

He finally made his MLB debut in 2038 with seven starts, posting a 4.13 ERA over 52.1 innings, 38 Ks, and 0.8 WAR. Unfortunately in late April, Chen tore his rotator cuff with another 14 months of recovery. He made it back in 2039 with four starts, 19 innings, a 2.84 ERA, 11 Ks, and 0.0 WAR. Chen suffered a torn triceps in the summer that again ended his season. Frustrated by his body’s breakdown, he retired that winter just after his 36^th birthday. He only made 11 starts total for Detroit.

In CLB with Jinan, Chen had a 126-74 record, 2.17 ERA, 1996.1 innings, 2325 strikeouts, 186 walks, 193/246 quality starts, 73 complete games, 25 shutouts, 145 ERA+, 68 FIP-, and 57.5 WAR. Chen ranks 90^th in strikeouts and 52^nd in pitching WAR, but misses the other top 100s for counting stats. His 0.84 WHIP is 36^th among all pitchers with 1000+ innings and his 0.84 BB/9 is 2^nd.

Some Hall of Fame voters were leery of the low totals and weak playoff stats in the small sample size. However, most were sympathetic to his injury plight. Few guys have two Pitcher of the Year awards and three ERA titles to their name. Chen was undoubtedly elite when healthy, which earned him 78.3% and a first ballot induction as part of Chinese League Baseball’s 2041 class.

Dalong Li – Starting Pitcher – Hong Kong Champions – 73.9% Seventh Ballot

Dalong Li was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Ningbo, a prefecture-level city of 9.6 million on the East China Sea. Li was known for excellent movement on his pitches along with above average stuff and control. His fastball peaked in the 95-97 mph range, but his strongest pitches were his forkball and splitter. Li also had a slider as a fourth option.

His stamina was subpar relative to most CLB starters, but his durability was excellent so you still would get a full slate of reliable innings. Li had an excellent pickoff move and had good grades for holding runners and defense. He was a scrappy sparkplug type with an impressive work ethic along with strong loyalty and adaptability.

Li was a top prospect for the 2014 CLB Draft and went sixth overall to Hong Kong. He had mixed results as a part-time starter in his rookie year, then got a full-time rotation spot after that. It took a few years for Li to emerge as a proper ace, breaking through in his sixth season. Hong Kong broke through with a six-year playoff streak beginning in 2018.

The Champions weren’t the top seed in either 2018 or 2019, but both years they knocked off Foshan in the semifinal en route to a China Series trip. They were swept in 2018 by Nanjing, but claimed the CLB crown 4-1 over Changchun in 2019. Li provided steady innings with a 2.63 ERA in 2018 over 27.1 and 3.00 ERA over 21 in 2019 for a combined 0.6 WAR. In the 2019 Baseball Grand Championship, Li had a 4.01 ERA over 24.2 innings, 27 Ks, and 0.6 WAR as HK finished 8-11.

He won an ERA title in 2020 with career bests for ERA (1.49), and WHIP (0.77), earning Pitcher of the Year. This was the break in Hong Kong’s dynasty with a round robin loss. Li repeated as Pitcher of the Year in 2021 with league and career bests for wins (20-6) and WAR (7.7). The Champions outlasted Guangzhou 4-3 in the semifinal, but got swept in the China Series by Nanjing.

After the 2021 season, Li signed a four-year, $44,700,000 extension with Hong Kong. He won repeat ERA titles in 2022-23, taking second in Pitcher of the Year both seasons. Hong Kong topped Foshan 4-2 in the 2021 semifinal, then topped Urumqi 4-1 in the China Series. This was probably Li’s best playoff run with a 2.45 ERA over 29.1 innings, 28 strikeouts, and 0.7 WAR. The Champions went 7-12 in the BGC with Li posting a 3.21 ERA over 28 innings, 33 Ks, and 0.7 WAR.

Hong Kong fell in the 2023 round robin to conclude their dynasty run, then spent the next six years at the bottom of the standings. Li’s playoff stats were a mixed bag with a subpar 91 ERA+, but good 80 FIP-. He had a 7-4 record and 3 saves, 3.12 ERA, 129.2 innings, 123 Ks, and 3.0 WAR. Li’s role in the dynasty helped get his #59 uniform eventually retired.

As the Champions fell off, so did Li in his last two seasons, including a league-worst 19 losses in 2024. He became a free agent after the 2025 season and started looking worldwide for his next gig at age 34. Li ultimately left China and ended up in the European Baseball Federation on a five-year, $31 million deal with Seville.

With his stamina issues, the Stingrays used Li as reliever in his first two years with mixed results. Li returned to starting in the next two years in a part-time role, finishing his four-year tenure with a 21-21 record, 18 saves, 2.99 ERA, 463.2 innings, 348 strikeouts, 125 ERA+, 101 FIP-, and 4.1 WAR. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the fifth year of the contract, becoming a free agent again at age 38.

Li bounced around for his final four seasons in a sporadic split between starting, opening, and relief. He spent 2030 with Cluj-Napoca and 2031 with Brno. Li started 2032 with Sarajevo but struggled, getting traded to the European Second League’s Nottingham.

He was back in the EBF Elite in 2033 with Belgrade, but only tossed 18.1 innings. Li was under contract in 2034 with Zurich but never was used, eventually retiring that winter at age 42. Overall in EBF, Li had a 24-36 record, 19 saves, 3.33 ERA, 654.2 innings, 466 strikeouts, 174 walks, 111 ERA+, 102 FIP-, and 5.8 WAR.

In CLB with Hong Kong, Li had a 158-109 record, 2.23 ERA, 2498.2 innings, 2342 strikeouts, 550 walks, 265/338 quality starts, 29 complete games, 10 shutouts, 123 ERA+, 84 FIP-, and 50.5 WAR. Li ranks 24^th in wins, 42^nd in innings, 86^th in strikeouts, and 84^th in pitching WAR. His Hall of Fame case was a tough sell for several voters as his grand totals weren’t overwhelmingly strong. Li also lost some ground for his forgettable final years in Europe.

In his favor were two Pitcher of the Year awards, three ERA titles, and a role in a dynasty run with Hong Kong that had four China Series trips and two titles. Li debuted at 59.8% in 2035 and bottomed out at 56.9% the next year. He just couldn’t cross that 66% requirement with 60.5%, 59.6%, 63.3%, and 59.9% in the next six years.

Perhaps helping Li’s cause for his seventh try in 2041 was sharing the ballot with Boyu Chen. Although Chen was more dominant, he similarly had relatively low totals, two POTY wins, and three ERA titles. More voters felt Chen was an obvious first ballot guy and comparing Li’s resume made Li stand out a bit more as deserving. This time, Li earned 73.9% for the seventh ballot nod to cap off a three-man 2041 class for Chinese League Baseball.

FuzzyRussianHat · 04-16-2026, 07:50 AM

Two outfielders joined the West African Baseball Hall of Fame for 2041. RF El Hadj Sghair was the clear headliner at 95.5%, while LF Mohamed Khammas made it on his fourth ballot at 76.3%. No one else was above 50% with the next highest being 2B Tigui Ekanga debuting at 45.3%.

Dropped after ten ballots included SP Joseph Masuta, who got as close as 63.9% in 2033 before ending at only 23.7%. He was hurt by having most of his 30s split between MLB/CABA and was hurt by major injuries. Masuta’s prime run was with Niamey, winning two Pitcher of the Year awards and two Gold Gloves. He also won the 2020 WAB title with Conakry.

In WAB, Masuta finished with a 152-109 record, 3.63 ERA, 2351.1 innings, 2730 strikeouts, 396 walks, 123 ERA+, 78 FIP- and 58.2 WAR. He ranks 55^th in wins, 46^th in strikeouts, and 29^th in WAR for pitchers. Masuta needed a few more years of tallies to get across the line and was ultimately a victim of injuries, including shoulder inflammation and a torn UCL in his 20s. He did at least see his #23 uniform retired by the Atomics.

Another pitcher dropped after ten tries was Minusu Ekong, who debuted at 52.9% but ended at 14.4%. In 14 seasons, he had one Pitcher of the Year, two Gold Gloves, and won two titles with Conakry. Ekong had a 179-92 record, 3.76 ERA, 2525 innings, 3010 strikeouts, 121 ERA+, 88 FIP-, and 48.1 WAR. He ranks 61^st in pitching WAR, 32^nd in wins, and 30^th in strikeouts. Ekong was also a POTY finalist twice, but he never led the league in a major stat. Skeptical voters felt he needed either a bit more accumulations or big dominance to cross the line.

LF Anthony Olariyi also dropped off after ten ballots, debuting at 50.2% and ending with 12.6%. In a 15-year run with Banjul and Abidjan, he had one Silver Slugger and was finals MVP in defeat for the 2014 Bucks. Olariyi played 2122 games with 2536 hits, 1450 runs, 443 doubles, 216 triples, 384 home runs, 1354 RBI, 691 steals, .305/.362/.550 slash, 133 wRC+, and 63.3 WAR. He ranks 48^th in WAR for position players, but had almost no black ink and was never an MVP candidate. Voters ultimately dismissed Olariyi as a compiler

El Hadj Sghair – Right Field – Lome Lasers – 95.5% First Ballot

El Hadj Sghair was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed right fielder from Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania. Sghair was known for tremendous home run power and an overall knack for extra base hits. More than half of his career hits were for extra bases with 49 homers, 34 doubles, and 7 triples per his 162 game average. When he made contact, Sghair hit it very hard.

However, his contact ability was merely average compared to his WAB peers. Sghair also struck out a lot and drew fewer walks than you’d expect with his power. His results were better facing right-handed pitching (.964 OPS, 137 wRC+) compared to against lefties (.834 OPS, 109 wRC+). Unlike most big sluggers, Sghair had fantastic baserunning skills with good speed.

Defensively, Sghair played right field with reliably average defensive metrics. His range was below average, but his arm and glove work were solid. Sghair also played some first base mostly at the very end of his career and was also quite average there. He was one of the game’s ironmen and played 150+ games each year from 2020-35. Sghair was a fan favorite known for his work ethic and team-first attitude who always took time to sign autographs for kids.

Sghair left Mauritania for Togo as a teenager on a developmental deal in July 2012 with Lome. He spent his entire run with the Lasers, officially debuting in 2017 at age 21. Sghair had limited use initially with only 24 starts and 82 games in his first three years. He earned a full-time gig after that and hit 35+ homers in all of his 16 seasons starting. Sghair also had a 14-year streak of 100+ runs scored and had 100+ RBI in all but one of his full seasons.

He hit for the cycle in 2020 and 2021. Sghair’s first Silver Sluggers came in 2024 and 2025, but he led the Eastern League in homers in 2022 and 2023 with 51 and 62, respectively. Lome had a dynasty run just before he arrived, but were firmly a lower-middle tier team by the 2020s. The Lasers earned wild cards in 2022 and 2028, but didn’t get beyond the first round. Those were the only playoff trips of Sghair’s career. Lome was rarely outright awful though, averaging 78.4 wins per season as he was a starter.

Sghair stayed loyal through it all and signed an eight-year, $169,700,000 extension in March 2024. He won additional Silver Sluggers in 2028, 29, and 32. 2028 was his only season as an MVP finalist, finishing second. That year had league bests in RBI (147) and slugging (.694). It was Sghair’s career best for slugging and OPS (1.043).

In 2032, Sghair had his career bests for home runs (66) and total bases (429), both league bests at age 36. It was also his career best WAR at 6.2. He remained remarkably consistent, but didn’t always stand out in the ultra-high scoring WAB with so many big sluggers with big numbers.

Sghair entered free agency after the 2032 season, but ended up returning to Lome at $38,100,000 over three years. In his later years, his native Mauritania finally qualified for the World Baseball Championship. He played 36 games from 2031-33 with 31 hits, 21 runs, 16 homers, 24 RBI, a .235/.279/.606 slash, 150 wRC+, and 1.5 WAR.

He remained a steady force three more season and breached the 2500 hit, 1500 run, and 750 home run milestones. He fell just short of the 2000 RBI mark, although he wanted to get there. While still hitting homers, Sghair’s overall value was middling by his last year. He was a free agent for 2036 and went unsigned, eventually retiring that winter at age 40. Lome immediately retired his #15 uniform for his steady service.

Sghair finished with 2576 games, 2720 hits, 1773 runs, 540 doubles, 119 triples, 784 home runs, 1946 RBI, 524 walks, 2993 strikeouts, 5850 total bases, 545 stolen bases, .281/.323/.605 slash, 129 wRC+, and 64.8 WAR. He ranks 14^th in games, 14^th in runs, 30^th in hits, 11^th in total bases, 44^th in doubles, 90^th in triples, 7^th in homers, 10^th in RBI, 6^th in strikeouts, and 43^rd in WAR for position players.

Among WAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Sghair is 38^th in slugging and his .928 OPS is 81^st. He’s a top 100 player in world history for homers and RBI, although West African Baseball’s extremely high-scoring environment plays a big role. On the downside, Sghair is 34^th in world history for strikeouts. Stats like wRC+ and WAR show that Sghair wasn’t an inner-circle immortal level Hall of Famer when adjusted for league and era.

His lack of team success knocks him down a few pegs in WAB rankings, but his tallies are still impressive. Sghair was remarkably consistent, steady, and reliable as a power bat. He was easily deserving of the first ballot nod and headlined the 2041 ballot at 95.5%. Some also argue Sghair is the top player to come out of Mauritania, although 2018 inductee Ibrahima Bah most commonly gets cited first.

Mohamed Khammas – Left Field – Kano Condors – 76.3% Fourth Ballot

Mohamed Khammas was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed left fielder from Maqrin, Tunisia; a town of around 26,000 within greater Tunis. Khammas had a steady reliable pop in his bat, getting 32 home runs, 32 doubles, and 16 triples per his 162 game average. Relative to other WAB bats, he had above average contact skills and drew a solid amount of walks. However, Khammas had a lousy strikeout rate.

His best stats came facing left-handed pitching (.950 OPS, 139 wRC+) compared to a .878 OPS and 122 wRC+ facing righties. Despite his large frame and build, Khammas had solid speed and was a very good baserunner. He was a career left fielder and an impressive defender who won two Gold Gloves. Khammas had excellent durability over a 19-year career, starting 135+ games in all but his final season. He was also highly intelligent and was generally viewed as a solid teammate and guy.

Tunisian prospects generally ended in the Arab League, but Khammas was an exception like his contemporary, the eventual world hit king Fares Belaid. He went to Nigeria to play collegiately and became a top prospect for the 2013 WAB Draft, going second to Kano. The Condors had been an epic dynasty in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but were amidst a rebuild. Khammas was a full-time starter right away and took second in Rookie of the Year voting.

After a respectable rookie campaign, Khammas’s second year was arguably his best with a career best .338/.416/.634 slash, 1.051 OPS, 161 wRC+, and 7.7 WAR. He won Silver Sluggers in 2015, 16, 17, and 23. However, Khammas was never an MVP finalist or a league leader apart for in triples in 2020 and 2023. He was a reliable starter though worth around 5-7 WAR each year during his primary run with Kano. The Condors quickly gave Khammas an eight-year, $44,020,000 extension after the 2016 season.

After five straight losing seasons, Kano was back above .500 in 2015 at 86-76, although three wins short of a wild card. They started a new six-year playoff streak in 2016. Kano was second in 2016 at 96-66 and got swept by Libreville in the Eastern League Championship Series. The next year, they were first at 101-61 and swept Cotonou in the ELCS. The Condors then defeated Bamako 4-1 in the West African Championship for the franchise’s 11^th WAB title.

Khammas had surprisingly weak numbers in the run with .663 OPS, 68 wRC+, and 0 WAR. He was merely okay in the Baseball Grand Championship with .772 OPS, 116 wRC+, and 0.2 WAR. Kano was two wins behind first place, but was one of four teams tied for ninth at 10-9 in an extremely tight field. The Condors got back to the ELCS in 2018 at 96-66, but lost 3-1 to Yaounde.

Kano got the top seed in 2019 at 106-56 and got ELCS revenge by sweeping the Yellow Birds. The Condors then edged Bamako 4-3 for the WAB title. Khammas again had below average stats and continued struggling into the BGC as the Condors finished 8-11. Despite his efforts, Khammas on the whole had poor playoff stats for his career with Kano. In 56 starts, he had 47 hits, 34 runs, 9 doubles, 5 triples, 7 homers, 25 RBI, 66 strikeouts, .224/.301/.414 slash, 83 wRC+, and 0.3 WAR.

The Condors were a wild card for 2020-21 but failed to advance beyond the second round. They then struggled to 74-88 in 2022, but had a bounce-back in 2023 taking second at 96-66. Kano upset top seed Port Harcourt 3-2 in the ELCS, but got swept in the West African Championship by Abidjan. This was Khammas’s best postseason effort with .967 OPS, 141 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR.

It also marked the end of his first run with the Condors, as he declined his contract option to enter free agency at age 33. Khammas signed a four-year, $61,600,000 deal Lagos. His overall production was down from his usual standard, but he was still a respectable starter for the Lizards. Khammas played 593 games with 607 hits, 398 runs, 100 doubles, 52 triples, 135 home runs, 362 RBI, 175 walks, 674 Ks, 134 steals, .266/.327/.533 slash, 118 wRC+, and 14.3 WAR.

Lagos had only been above .500 once from 2009-23, but Khammas helped them contend with three wild cards during his tenure. Their deepest run was an ELCS appearance in 2026 where they took 112-win Cotonou the distance. Khammas wasn’t outstanding in the playoffs but fared better than his Kano tenure with an .860 OPS, 115 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR over 22 starts.

Now 37 heading into 2028, Khammas signed a three-year, $14,200,000 deal with Accra. He had two steady seasons there and won his first Gold Glove in 2029. The Alligators made one playoff trip with a second round exit in 2028. Khammas had 304 games, 301 hits, 178 runs, 54 doubles, 24 triples, 55 home runs, 164 RBI, 89 steals, .276/.336/.520 slash, 118 wRC+, and 6.5 WAR. In January 2030, Accra traded Khammas to Kano for two prospects.

Khammas’s bat was around league average at this point, but he won his second Gold Glove in 2030 and still had positive value, prompting the Condors to give him a three-year, $23,200,000 extension. Kano returned to the playoffs from 2030-32, but failed to make it out of the second round with weak results from Khammas. He was eventually relegated to a bench role late in the 2032 season.

He didn’t meet the vesting criteria and was a free agent for 2033. After going unsigned, Khammas officially retired shortly after his 43^rd birthday. Between stints with Kano, Khammas had 1907 games, 1995 hits, 1213 runs, 392 doubles, 204 triples, 357 home runs, 1207 RBI, 709 walks, 1913 strikeouts, 492 steals, .286/.362/.555 slash, 131 wRC+, and 59.1 WAR. The Condors retired his #57 uniform for his combined 13 seasons of work.

Khammas finished with 2804 games, 2903 hits, 1789 runs, 546 doubles, 280 triples, 547 home runs, 1733 RBI, 974 walks, 2941 strikeouts, 715 steals, .281/.352/.546 slash, 5650 total bases, 127 wRC+, and 79.9 WAR. He ranks 8^th in games, 13^th in runs, 20^th in hits, 14^th in total bases, 40^th in doubles, 5^th in triples, 30^th in homers, 18^th in RBI, 12^th in walks, 7^th in strikeouts, and 13^th in WAR for position players. On the downside, he ranks 39^th on the world leaderboard for strikeouts.

Despite impressive tallies and longevity, many Hall of Fame voters dismissed Khammas as a compiler. He had almost no black ink and was never an MVP finalist, plus his playoff stats were underwhelming despite being 8^th in playoff games with 82. He also was 7^th in playoff runs (53) and 19^th in hits (75), but he had a career .766 OPS, 95 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR.

Khammas debuted on the 2038 ballot at 57.8%, then barely missed the 66% requirement in 2039 at 63.9%. After a drop to 57.5% in 2040, Khammas got the boost across the line in 2041 at 76.3%. With that, he secured a fourth ballot nod as part of a two-man 2041 class for West African Baseball.

FuzzyRussianHat · 04-17-2026, 07:34 AM

Three were inducted for South Asia Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 2041, captained by 2B/SS Agnisika Dhavita at 93.5%. CL Raj Bhaskar also got the first ballot nod, but only narrowly breached the 66% requirement at 70.9%. Fellow reliever Zulfiker Uddin also made the cut at 67.0% in his third ballot. Three others were above 50% with CF Pyae Sin Nyo at 58.2% on his second try, 2B Shivansh Mahapatra at 55.2% for his fifth go, and 3B Jay Prasad with a debut at 51.0%.

Dropped after ten ballots was 1B Rochana Sanson, who debuted and peaked at 49.3% and ended at 36.0%. He won three Silver Sluggers in a 17 year career and won two SAB titles with Yangon. Sanson played 2281 games with 2213 hits, 1161 runs, 360 doubles, 585 homers, 1457 RBI, 472 walks, 1757 strikeouts, .289/.334/.573 slash, 149 wRC+, and 63.4 WAR. Despite a solid resume, 1B is a crowded position and Sanson falls outside the top 100 for WAR among position players.

Also removed after ten failed ballots was SP Arjay Mohan who peaked at 35.3% and ended at only 4.2%. In a 15-year career, he won Pitcher of the Year in 2017 and twice led in strikeouts and WAR. Mohan had a 135-123 record, 3.26 ERA, 2416.2 innings, 3243 strikeouts, 505 walks, 112 ERA+, 78 FIP-, and 57.8 WAR. He was elite in his 20s but fell off hard in his 30s, although he still ranks 35^th in strikeouts and 37^th in pitching WAR. Mohan needed a few more decent years to get across the line.

Agnisika “Bones” Dhavita – Second Base/Shortstop – Surat Silver Sox – 93.5% First Ballot

Agnisika Dhavita was a 5’10’’, 200 pound right-handed middle infielder from Koyampattur, a city of around 1.6 million in southern India’s Tamil Nadu state. Nicknamed “Bones,” Dhavita was a leadoff man who had very good contact skills along with an excellent eye for walks and avoiding strikeouts. He gave you similar results facing lefties or righties. Dhavita was also highly skilled baserunner with solid speed. He didn’t have much power but could still find the gap with a 162 game average of 30 doubles, 13 triples, and 8 home runs.

Dhavita’s main downside was the lack of range defensively. He was a shortstop primarily in his initial years but was abysmal there. Dhavita moved to second base more regularly and was still mediocre, but less problematic. Around 70% of his starts were in the middle infield with some limited use at first base (with okay results) and center field (with lousy results). Dhavita was a likeable guy, but his work ethic and adaptability were lacking. He had his share of injuries but held on for a 22-year career.

By the time his college career was over for the 2013 SAB Draft, Dhavita was at the top of many prospect lists. He went #1 to Surat, but had a limited role as a rookie as he struggled over 103 games and 12 starts. Dhavita got the full-time gig the next year and fared better. He eventually was the top bat at shortstop for the Indian League with Silver Sluggers from 2016-19. In April 2017, the Silver Sox gave Dhavita a five-year, $24,100,000 extension.

In 2019, Dhavita won his first batting title with a career-best .382 average and led with a .445 OBP. This year also had his best slugging (.590), OPS (1.035), and wRC+ (196). Despite his efforts, Surat remained a terrible franchise. The Silver Sox had a playoff drought back to 1990 and rarely had a winning season in the drought. Surat did finish 84-78 in 2018, their only winning season from 2012-27.

Dhavita’s first major injury came in 2020 with a fractured thumb that kept him out the entire spring. That winter, he opted out of his deal with Surat as the Silver Sox were going nowhere fast. A free agent at age 28, Dhavita signed an eight-year, $72 million deal with Da Nang. The Nailers had just posted their best-ever season at 105-57, although they were one-and-done in the playoffs.

While Dhavita was now playing in Vietnam, he remained a regular for his native India in the World Baseball Championship. He started from 2017-27 and was a backup in 2028-30 and 33. Over 134 games, Dhavita had 136 hits, 69 runs, 17 doubles, 9 triples, 9 homers, 35 RBI, 79 walks, 75 steals, .289/.397/.420 slash, 136 wRC+, and 3.8 WAR. He was notably a starter for India’s fourth place finish in 2025. He was also rostered for their fourth in 2028 and third in 2030.

Dhavita’s Da Nang debut was his best season with career and Southeast Asia League bests for runs (124), hits (217), and WAR (8.3). He also led in average and OBP while getting his high 46 doubles. Dhavita won his final Silver Slugger at SS and was second in MVP voting. He also hit for the cycle in August against Dhaka. The Nailers won the division at 96-66 and made it to the LCS, getting upset 4-2 by 87-win Dhaka.

Da Nang finished 96-66 again in 2022, but fell two wins short of the wild card and three shy of the division title. Dhavita missed more than two months between a fractured finger and torn hamstring. He was back healthy in 2023 and won his first Silver Slugger playing second base. Dhavita had a 27-game hitting streak in the fall and was the MVP runner-up, leading in WAR, average, and OBP.

The Nailers won the division at 101-61, but lost the SEAL final 4-3 to 108-win Dhaka. In his 21 playoff games for Da Nang, Dhavita was solid with 28 hits, 10 runs, 5 doubles, 3 homers, 12 RBI, 11 steals, .886 OPS, 138 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR. They had a wild card and first round exit in 2024, but a bone marrow edema in his wrist kept Dhavita out in the final weeks. The Nailers stayed above .500 the next two years but were outside the playoffs.

Dhavita won another batting title in 2025 and led in OBP in 2025, 26, and 27. He won Silver Sluggers each year, giving him nine overall and four at second base. For Da Nang, Dhavita played 994 games, 1281 hits, 680 runs, 205 doubles,, 94 triples, 56 home runs, 507 RBI, 506 walks, 433 steals, .350/.430/.504 slash, 149 wRC+, and 41.2 WAR. It was his most impressive tenure, but he played a few more games with Surat and was inducted in the Silver Sox hat. Still, he’s generally remembered fondly by Nailers fans.

With one year left on his eight-year deal, Da Nang traded the 36-year old Dhavita to Kanpur for a five prospect haul. One of them, SS Syed Ahmed, did go onto become a decent starter. Dhavita missed some time to a fractured tibia in 2028 for the Poison and struggled in a part-time role. He played 111 games, started 57, and had a .724 OPS, 113 wRC+, and 0.3 WAR.

A free agent for 2029, Dhavita signed a conditional two-year, $15,200,000 deal with Jaipur. He was only a part-time starter, but his bat returned to strong levels with a .968 OPS, 172 wRC+, and 3.9 WAR over 113 games and 72 starts. The Jokers were a wild card with a first round exit. Dhavita didn’t meet the criteria for the second year of the deal. For 2030, he signed a two-year, $14,400,000 deal with Rajshahi, one of the expansion teams starting play that year.

Dhavita was a full-time starter for the Red Pandas with unremarkable results on a .733 OPS, 100 wRC+, and 1.1 WAR. In January 2031, he was traded to Ho Chi Minh City for two prospects. Dhavita was okay over 111 games for the Hedgehogs, who were on a division title streak. They finished 102-60, but got upset in the first round by Yangon. HCMC liked Dhavita enough to give him a two-year, $11,600,000 extension.

In 2032, Dhavita recaptured some old magic at age 40 with a .954 OPS, 157 wRC+, and 4.6 WAR; earning his 11^th Silver Slugger overall and fifth at second base. He signed a new two-year, $21 million extension that winter. Ho Chi Minh City would win 104 and 106 games in 2032-33, but lost in the divisional series both years. Dhavita had good playoff numbers in the small 14 game sample size with 20 hits, 11 runs, .975 OPS, 161 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR. He missed much of 2033 to injury, most notably a strained groin.

In three seasons for the Hedgehogs, Dhavita played 283 games with 330 hits, 186 runs, 57 doubles, 12 triples, 11 homers, 121 RBI, 144 walks .328/.415/.442 slash, 131 wRC+, and 3.9 WAR. Hanoi signed him for 2034 and his missed three months to a dislocated shoulder. Dhavita got his 3000^th career hit and still could bat with a .886 OPS, .343 average, 141 wRC+, and 2.6 WAR over 90 games.

For 2035, Dhavita went back where he began for one final season with Surat, posting 1.7 WAR and 101 wRC+ over 152 games. Between stints with the Silver Sox, Dhavita had 1082 games, 1131 hits, 530 runs, 185 doubles, 85 triples, 65 homers, 412 RBI, 402 walks, 393 steals, .314/.385/.467 slash, 149 wRC+, and 30.2 WAR. He was generally popular from the previous stint and Surat honored him by retiring his #16 uniform after he called it quits that winter at age 43.

Dhavita played 2830 games with 3200 hits, 1630 runs, 518 doubles, 224 triples, 140 home runs, 1227 RBI, 1275 walks, 1231 strikeouts, 1012 stolen bases, 516 caught stealing, 4586 total bases, .328/.407/.470 slash, .877 OPS, 144 wRC+, and 86.9 WAR. He ranks 8^th in games played, 13^th in runs, 7^th in hits, 40^th in total bases, 4^th in singles (2318), 39^th in doubles, 6^th in triples, 77^th in RBI, 13^th in steals, 3^rd in caught stealing, 6^th in walks, and 38^th in WAR for position players.

Among SAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Dhavita ranks 28^th in batting average and 6^th in on-base percentage. Among world Hall of Famers and retired locks, Dhavita is tied for 21^st in OBP. Few guys could get on base like Dhavita, although his lack of power and poor defense does keep him from the true inner-circle despite his hit tally. He was a clear first ballot selection though and captained South Asia Baseball’s three-player 2041 class with 93.5%.

FuzzyRussianHat · 04-18-2026, 07:47 AM

Raj Bhaskar – Closer – Chennai Cows – 70.9% First Ballot

Raj Bhaskar was a 6’2’’, 205 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Bariapur, a city of around 53,000 in eastern India’s West Bengal state. Bhaskar was known for incredible stuff with stellar movement, although his control was merely above average. His one-two punch was fastball/splitter with 97-99 mph peak velocity and an extreme groundball tendency.

Even by reliever standards, Bhaskar’s stamina was weak and you couldn’t expect many multi-inning outings. However, he had superb durability and never missed time to injury. Bhaskar had below average grades for defense and holding runners. He was picked in the second round, 44^th overall, by Chennai in the 2020 SAB Draft. Bhaskar only made five appearances as a rookie, but was the full-tme closer for the following five years for the Cows.

Bhaskar put up reliably solid numbers for Chennai but wasn’t an awards finalist. The Cows were mediocre when he arrived and got above .500 in his later years, but never made it to the postseason. It was Bhaskar’s longest tenure so he’s inducted with Chennai, but he isn’t viewed as a franchise icon. He pitched 339.2 innings with 154 saves and 166 shutdowns, 2.38 ERA, 549 strikeouts, 133 walks, 154 ERA+, 57 FIP-, and 12.8 WAR

After the 2026 season, Chennai traded Bhaskar with one year left for team control to Khulna for two prospects. He posted his career best ERA of 1.42 and highest strikeouts (147) in his one year with the Claws, taking second in Reliever of the Year voting. Bhaskar had 31 saves over 82.2 innings with 4.0 WAR. Khulna fell two games short of the playoffs at 89-73, but Bhaskar was able to increase his stock heading into free agency at age 30.

He remained in the Southeast Asia League on a three-year, $18,100,000 deal with Mandalay. Although away from home, Bhaskar continued to pitch for his native India in the World Baseball Championship, sometimes as a starter. From 2024-34, Bhaskar tossed 98.2 innings with a 2.83 ERA, 9-2 record, 154 strikeouts, and 3.4 WAR. The Indians were regular contenders in this era, taking fourth in both 2025 and 2028 and getting third three straight years from 2030-32.

Bhaskar joined Mandalay mid-dynasty run as they had repeated as SEAL champ in 2026-27 and won the South Asia Baseball crown in 2026. The Mammoths had an all-time season in 2028 at 124-38. Bhaskar won Reliever of the Year and had league and career bests for saves (42) and games (72) as well as his career best 5.1 WAR.

The Mammoths capped off the season as an all-time team, beating Yangon 4-1 in the SEAL finals and Ahmedabad 4-1 to win the SAB crown. In 15 playoff innings, Bhaskar had four saves, a 1.80 ERA, and 25 Ks. He posted a 1.80 ERA and five saves over 10 innings in the Baseball Grand Championship with 19 strikeouts. Mandalay finished 13-6, one of four teams tied for second but officially fifth after tiebreakers.

Still, the Mammoths run was historic as to that point in all of baseball history, only 1995 Ahmedabad had won 124+ games and took their overall league title. Japan’s Hamamatsu would beat that by winning the East Asian Baseball title and Grand Championship in 2036 at 126-36. Even with the top-heavy nature of the great SAB champs, the 2028 Mandalay squad deserves a look discussing SAB’s best-ever.

Despite his efforts, Bhaskar was moved to a setup role in 2029 and only pitched 41.1 innings despite remaining effective. He tossed two scoreless playoff innings as Mandalay went 115-47 and four-peated as SEAL champ, although they got swept by Delhi in the SAB Championship. Bhaskar threw five scoreless innings in the 2029 BGC as Mandalay finished 10-11.

Bhaskar reclaimed the closer role and won Reliever of the Year in 2030, matching his career best 42 saves. He had three saves but one loss in the playoffs, giving up four runs over nine innings. Mandalay won another division title at 99-63, but they were defeated 4-2 by Yangon in the LCS. In three seasons for the Mammoths, Bhaskar had 86 saves and 105 shutdowns, 1.91 ERA, 203 innings, 335 strikeouts, 66 walks, 221 ERA+, 52 FIP-, and 9.0 WAR. Albeit brief, it was his most impactful tenure.

Now 33, Bhaskar was a free agent again for 2031 and signed a three-year, $15,160,000 deal with Ho Chi Minh City. He took second in 2031’s Reliever of the Year voting and was third in 2032 for ROTY and Pitcher of the Year. Despite that, Bhaskar was moved out of the closer role in his third year. He threw eight scoreless innings in the playoffs overall for the Hedgehogs, who had three straight 100+ win seasons but couldn’t get out of the divisional round.

For Ho Chi Minh City, Bhaskar had 64 saves, 2.30 ERA, 203.2 innings, 313 strikeouts, 49 walks, 192 ERA+, 57 FIP-, and 7.8 WAR. He returned to India in 2034 on a two-year, $8,800,000 deal with Visakhapatnam. Bhaskar was used in middle relief with good results in 2034 but mixed results in 2035. He had a 3.10 ERA over 110.1 innings, 4 saves, 141 Ks, 126 ERA+, 71 FIP-, and 2.1 WAR. Bhaskar gave up a run in his only playoff inning in 2035 as the Volts lost in the first round. That was his final outing, retiring that winter at age 37.

Bhaskar finished with 815 games, 939.1 innings, 339 saves and 428 shutdowns, 95-62 record, 1485 strikeouts, 306 walks, 175 ERA+, 57 FIP-, and 35.7 WAR. He ranks 16^th in games and saves in SAB. Bhaskar’s inning count was lower than most of the other closers inducted into South Asia Baseball’s Hall of Fame, but his WAR was in line with that group.

His resume wasn’t overwhelming, but Bhaskar crossed the milestones most reliever-friendly voters looked for. He also had two Reliever of the Year awards and an important role in one of SAB’s all-time great teams with Mandalay in 2028. Bhaskar earned 70.9% to narrowly breach the 66% requirement for a first ballot induction in 2041.

Zulfiker Uddin – Closer – Vientiane Vampires – 67.0% Third Ballot

Zulfiker Uddin was a 6’5’’, 195 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Udhampur, a city of 91,000 people in the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region of northern India. Uddin used overpowering stuff to succeed making up for having merely above average movement and okay control. His 98-100 mph fastball was impressive and he countered it with a sinker.

Uddin had notable splits with a 2.43 ERA, 161 ERA+, and 56 FIP- facing right-handed bats compared to a 2.78 ERA, 141 ERA+, and 86 FIP- against lefties. His stamina was solid for a reliever and he had excellent durability, avoiding major injuries in his career. Uddin had great defense and a strong pickoff move. His main downside was a weak work ethic and questionable intelligence and adaptability.

As a teenager in December 2012, Uddin moved to Laos on a developmental deal with Vientiane. He debuted in 2016 at age 2016 with decent results over 61.1 innings. That year, the Vampires set a franchise record at 100-62 and got the top seed in the Southeast Asia League. However, Vientiane lost 4-1 in the LCS to Hanoi and Uddin got rocked in his one playoff appearance. That shook his confidence and he only was used in five appearances the next year.

Uddin was back up full-time in 2018 and took over the closer role. He took second in Reliever of the Year voting and posted what would be a career best for WAR at 4.0. He led in games the next year at 69 and again was second in ROTY voting. Vientiane lost in the 2018 LCS to Mandalay, although Uddin fared much better in the playoffs.

In 2019, the Vampires were a 90-72, but won their first-ever SEAL pennant. They upset 104-win Yangon 3-2 in the first round, then outlasted the Mammoths 4-3 in the LCS. Vientiane was denied in the SAB Championship 4-2 by Pune. In 11 playoff appearances, Uddin was a mixed bag with five saves, but a 3.47 ERA over 17.2 innings, 24 Ks, and 0.2 WAR.

Uddin was a part-time closer with middling results in 2020, but reclaimed the gig for the next three years with Vientiane. He was second in 2021’s ROTY voting and third in 2022. Uddin had poor playoff appearances though as the Vampires had first round exits in 2020 and 2022 as a wild card. His playoff career for Vientiane had a lackluster 4.91 ERA over 33 innings, 7 saves, 2-4 record, 42 Ks, 79 ERA+, 100 FIP-, and 0.4 WAR.

Overall for Vientiane though, Uddin had 178 saves and 207 shutdowns, 45-34 record, 2.27 ERA, 519 innings, 781 strikeouts, 174 ERA+, 61 FIP-, and 18.4 WAR. It was the first time the Vampires were a contender over a sustained period and the run had their first (and so far only) pennant. For his role overall, Vientiane eventually retired Uddin’s #34 uniform. However, they let him go into free agency for his age 29 season in 2024.

Uddin made his return to his native India on a three-year, $10,920,000 deal with Delhi. He had still represented his country in the World Baseball Championship with 42 innings from 2023-27, a 2-2 record, 3.00 ERA, 42 innings, 69 strikeouts, and 0.5 WAR. In 2028 for the struggling Drillers, Uddin had 35 saves, 2.68 ERA, 97.1 innings, 151 Ks, and 2.6 WAR. He was on the move that winter via expansion draft, taken the third round and tenth overall by Indore.

In 50 innings for the Razorbacks, Uddin had 15 saves, a 3.96 ERA, 75 Ks, and 1.4 WAR. Indore traded him in July to Ho Chi Minh City for three prospects. Uddin had similar numbers in the back end for the Hedgehogs, but would post a 2.27 ERA with 26 saves the next year to finish second in Reliever of the Year voting. Back to free agency for 2027, he signed a one-year, $3,640,000 deal with Bengaluru. Uddin struggled to 5.17 ERA and -0.6 WAR in long relief for the Blazers and was traded in late July to Yangon.

Uddin rebounded a bit with the Green Dragons with a 3.31 ERA, 15 saves, 52 Ks, and 1.2 WAR over 32.2 innings. He also had three scoreless playoff innings, although Yangon lost in the first round. Uddin was then picked up by the two-time defending Southeast Asia League champion Mandalay on a two-year, $11million deal. His Hall of Fame classmate Raj Bhaskar would have the closer role and not Uddin.

He thrived in the limited role with a 1.14 ERA over 47.1 innings, 66 strikeouts, and 1.4 WAR. Despite only nine saves, Uddin got third in Reliever of the Year voting. Mandalay had a historic 124-38 season, beating Yangon for the SEAL title and Ahmedabad in the SAB Championship. The Mammoths were tied for second in the Baseball Grand Championship at 13-6 but officially fifth after tiebreakers. Still, they went down as one of the greatest teams in South Asia Baseball history.

Uddin was important in five playoff appearances, recording three wins with a 1.35 ERA over 6.2 innings with 10 Ks. He struggled in the BGC though with a 7.36 ERA over 7.1 innings. In 2029, Uddin finally won his first Reliever of the Year award despite not being the closer, a rarity with voters often very save focused. He had nine saves, a 2.13 ERA, 105.2 innings, 144 Ks, and 2.1 WAR.

Mandalay pulled off the SEAL four-peat at 115-47 but lost the SAB Championship against Delhi. Uddin had a terrible postseason giving up five runs in 1.1 innings, but did toss five scoreless innings in the BGC as the Mammoths finished 10-11. In two seasons for Mandalay, Uddin had 18 saves, 16-7 record, 1.82 ERA, 153 innings, 210 strikeouts, 45 shutdowns, 239 ERA+, 66 FIP-, and 3.5 WAR.

Soon to be 35, Uddin returned to Ho Chi Minh City for a second stint at two years and $8,800,000. He had a respectable 2030 with 27 saves, 2.45 ERA, 73.1 innings, 103 Ks, and 2.6 WAR. Uddin struck out the one batter he faced in the postseason as HCMC lost in the first round. Despite being healthy, the Hedgehogs didn’t use Uddin all year in 2031 despite being on roster. Between stints for HCMC, he had 73 saves, a 2.70 ERA, 213 innings, 293 Ks, 154 ERA+, 75 FIP-, and 5.5 WAR.

Uddin joined Jaipur in 2032 with 22 saves, a 2.36 ERA, 45.2 innings, 40 Ks, and 0.9 WAR. He then went to Delhi in 2033 but only tossed 13.1 innings, although he got nine saves with a 3.38 ERA and 0.3 WAR. Uddin was unsigned for all of 2034 and eventually retired that winter at age 39.

In total, Uddin pitched 1186.2 innings in 885 games with 336 saves, 447 shutdowns, a 2.59 ERA, 108-96 record, 1695 strikeouts, 327 walks, 151 ERA+, 70 FIP-, and 33.3 WAR. Uddin ranks 9^th in saves and 9^th in games. Among pitchers with 1000+ innings, his ERA is 29^th. Uddin’s .606 opponent’s OPS is 48^th, his 12.86 K/9 is 18^th, and his 7.09 H/9 is 50^th.

Compared to the other inducted closers in South Asia Baseball’s Hall of Fame, Uddin had a comparable WAR to the lower-end guys although his ERA was weaker than all but one. He didn’t have the raw dominance of some of his peers and although he was on a lot of winning teams, his 4.87 ERA over 44.1 playoff innings hurt him. Uddin also never led in saves and only won Reliever of the Year once, although he was notably a finalist six other times.

Uddin debuted on the 2039 ballot at 61.9% and jumped slightly to 63.0% the next year. He only won over a few in 2041, but it got him just beyond the 66% requirement. With 67.0%, Uddin earned a third ballot induction to cap off the three-man 2041 class for SAB.

FuzzyRussianHat · 04-19-2026, 06:27 AM

The Asian Baseball Federation had a strong three-man Hall of Fame class for 2041 with all first ballot picks. 3B/1B Hakan Mocuk was the headliner with a near unanimous 98.9%. Fellow 3B/1B Mahtab Malik was a firm inductee at 90.0%, while C Ali Mahdian had a more humble 71.0% to narrowly breach the 66% requirement. Two longstanding returners fell just short with LF Ramin Abilov at 60.6% on his ninth ballot and 3B Quraishi Lalak with 60.2% for his eighth go. CL Yasar Khatter was also above 50% with 56.6% on his third try.

The one player off the ballot after ten failed tries was 3B/2B Timur Tyan, who peaked at 55.4% and never fell below 49%. He had a 24 year career, but did play six of his final seasons between ALB and MLB. In ABF, Tyan won three Silver Sluggers and won four batting titles with Shiraz. He played 2261 ABF games with 2570 hits, 1114 runs, 466 doubles, 217 triples, 206 home runs, 956 RBI, 660 steals, .308/.345/.489 slash, 146 wRC+, and 84.5 WAR.

Tyan ranks 64^th in runs, 20^th in hits, 55^th in doubles, 6^th in triples, and 40^th in WAR among position players. Despite the totals, many voters dismissed him as a compiler and there were those generally skeptical of leadoff guys who lacked big home run and RBI totals. Tyan helped Shiraz win a pennant in 2015 and got his #5 uniform retired by the Suns. He ends up as one of the best players to miss the cut for ABF’s HOF.

Hakan Mocuk – Third/First Base – Izmir Ice Caps – 98.9% First Ballot

Hakan Mocuk was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed corner infielder from Taskent, Turkey; a small district in the country’s south-central region. Mocuk was one of ABFs most reliable sluggers with impressive power equally facing lefties and righties. His 162 game average got you 43 home runs, 37 doubles, 3 triples, and 118 RBI. Mocuk was above average for contact and walks, but he had a lousy strikeout rate. He was also a laughably slow and sluggish baserunner.

Mocuk had impressive arm strength and was primarily a third baseman. However, his overall glove work and poor range meant he was a subpar defender. Around ¼ of his career starts came at first base, all after his 32^nd birthday, and he graded as a reliably average-to-above average defender there. Mocuk’s durability was generally strong, allowing for a 21-year career. His character was also beyond reproach as Mocuk was a beloved team captain and stellar guy. He emerged as one of the biggest baseball heroes to come out of ABF or Turkey.

By the 2013 ABF Draft, Mocuk had plenty of suitors and went third overall to Izmir. He was still a bit raw at that point and didn’t play in 2014 while only playing 26 games in 2015. Mocuk was a part-time starter and on the roster full-time in 2016 with promising results. He earned the full-time gig from 2017 onward for the Ice Caps, starting an 18-year streak of 35+ home run seasons and a 16-year run with 100+ RBI.

Mocuk won his first Silver Slugger in 2018 at third base and continued a streak of wins through 2025. The Ice Caps ended a 15-year playoff drought in 2018 and lost in the first round, but it was a huge turnaround for a struggling franchise. They had won fewer than 70 games in each of the prior seven seasons. During the 2019 season, Izmir locked Mocuk up to an eight-year, $65,640,000 extension.

2019 saw his first MVP award with 51 home runs, .971 OPS, 185 wRC+, and 8.5 WAR. Izmir won the Turkish Division at 91-71 and got to the West League Championship Series, although they were defeated 4-2 by Tabriz. Mocuk repeated as MVP in 2020 as he had 62 doubles, which ranks as the fifth-best single-season in ABF history. Mocuk also led the league in total bases (416), slugging (.688), OPS (1.069), wRC+ (177), and WAR (9.7). He also had his career best 207 hits, .342 average, and .383 OBP. Izmir was a wild card with a first round exit.

Mocuk three-peated as MVP in 2020, leading in home runs (53) and RBI (154); the latter a career high. Izmir won the division at 98-64 and knocked off Mashhad for the franchise’s second-ever pennant (1991). The Ice Caps were denied their first-ever ABF Championship with a 4-2 loss to Faisalabad. It was Mocuk’s strongest playoff run for Izmir with 20 hits, 11 runs, 8 doubles, 4 homers, 15 RBI, .958 OPS, 156 wRC+, and 0.7 WAR.

Overall in 34 playoff starts for the Ice Caps, Mocuk had 36 hits, 20 runs, 13 doubles, 7 homers, 20 RBI, .273/.304/.530 slash, 134 wRC+, and 1.1 WAR. This was the peak of their run, falling just outside the playoffs in the next three years. After that, Izmir returned to being a bottom-feeder for next decade or so. But Mocuk was beloved as perhaps the biggest reason the Ice Caps were a contender in the late 2010s and early 2020s.

Mocuk was also a general superstar for Turkish fans and was a regular in the World Baseball Championship. From 2018-34, he played 161 games with 115 hits, 78 runs, 19 doubles, 43 home runs, 91 RBI, .228/.288/.521 slash, and 4.5 WAR. The Turks usually had a winning record with Mocuk, but only got out of the round robin once in 2022.

He remained steady for the rest of his Izmir tenure but was outside of the MVP conversations. Mocuk played 1681 games with 1771 hits, 924 runs, 438 doubles, 455 home runs, 1303 RBI, .289/.335/.594 slash, 154 wRC+, and 66.1 WAR. His #39 uniform would be retired at the end of his career. With the Ice Caps now well below .500, they traded Mocuk to Baku in March 2027 for two prospects. One was SP Arsen Murzabayev, who went onto to a respectable 13-year career.

The Blackbirds had won West League pennants in 2022 and 2024, as well as the ABF title in 2024. However, they had just missed the playoffs the year prior to acquiring Mocuk. Baku moved him to first base and he won his first Silver Slugger there and took second in MVP voting, leading in homers (58) and RBI (138). Thrilled with the result, the Blackbirds gave Mocuk a five-year, $95 million extension. They got back to the playoffs at 99-63 but ate a first round defeat. Baku then missed the playoffs in 2028 at 82-80, their last miss prior to beginning an all-time dynasty run.

Mocuk led in RBI in both 2028-29. In 2029, he had his career bests for home runs (62), total bases (422), slugging (.706), and runs (116). Mocuk led the league in each sans runs and also led with 147 RBI and 8.5 WAR, earning his fourth MVP and tenth Silver Slugger. He’s one of six in ABF history to win MVP four or more times.

Baku had the WL’s best record at 100-62 and defeated Mashhad 4-2 in the WLCS. The Blackbirds then topped Peshawar 4-1 to win the ABF Championship. Mocuk had 20 hits, 12 runs, 4 doubles, 6 homers, 15 RBI, 1.045 OPS, 177 wRC+, and 1.0 WAR across 16 playoff starts. In his first Baseball Grand Championship, he was merely decent with 18 hits, 6 runs, 4 doubles, 3 homers, 7 RBI, .726 OPS, 118 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR. Baku still saw a solid 12-9 finish in a three-way tie for seventh.

Mocuk moved back to third base and won additional Silver Sluggers in 2030 and 31, making him one of only three in ABF history to win the award 12+ times. He joined the legendary Nizami Aghazade and two-way player Safdar Kahlwan. In 2030, Mocuk passed Petri Viskari (1685) to become ABF’s career leader for RBI. Then in 2031, Mocuk became ABF’s all-time home run king at 692, passing Habib Saquib’s record of 683.

Baku went 113-49 in 2030 and 114-48 in 2031, securing the ABF Championship three-eat with wins over Lahore and Hyderabad, respectively. Mocuk was strong in both runs with a combined 1.9 WAR, 12 homers, 23 RBI, 23 hits, and 19 runs over 27 games.

In the BGC, Baku tied for fifth in 2030 at 12-9. Mocuk had a solid showing with 16 hits, 10 runs, 3 doubles, 7 homers, 15 RBI, .917 OPS, 161 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR. He struggled the next year with .720 OPS, 95 wRC+, and 0.2 WAR. The Blackbirds finished at 13-8, one game short of first place but fourth after tiebreakers were sorted out.

2032 did see a dip for Mocuk at 3.5 WAR, .820 OPS, and 120 wRC+; all full season lows. He still hit 42 homers with 87 RBI, becoming the first in ABF to reach 700 career homers and 2000 RBI. Baku had its best record yet at 118-42 and four-peated atop the West League, but they were denied a fourth ABF title in a rematch with Hyderabad. Mocuk was decent in the run (.823 OPS, 128 wRC+, 0.5 WAR), but he struggled to .573 OPS, 62 wRC+, and -0.1 WAR in the BGC. The Blackbirds got an at large and went 13-8, taking seventh after tiebreakers.

Mocuk was a critical part of the dynasty as his 64 playoff starts had 75 hits, 39 runs, 13 doubles, 23 home runs, 49 RBI, .322/.367/.674 slash, 181 wRC+, and 3.5 WAR. He admittedly was more underwhelming in his 82 BGC games with 59 hits, 30 runs, 14 doubles, 20 home runs, 37 RBI, .201/.268/.461 slash, and 1.5 WAR.

Overall in five seasons for Baku, Mocuk played 916 games with 960 hits, 541 runs, 188 doubles, 279 homers, 711 RBI, 256 walks, 1013 strikeouts, .278/.328/.584 slash, 145 wRC+, and 32.9 WAR. Because of the dynasty, Mocuk was arguably more famous for the Blackbirds run despite playing longer and stronger for Izmir. He’s likewise a beloved figure in the Azeri capital much as he is at home in Turkey.

Now 39, Mocuk was a free agent for the first time and signed a three-year, $27,900,000 deal with Tashkent. He was used in a part-time starting role with the Tomcats and still was an effective hitter in the first two years, although he fell off notably at the end. For Tashkent, Mocuk played 322 games and started 163 with 172 hits, 100 runs, 35 doubles, 50 homers, 118 RBI, .234/.306/.488 slash, 129 wRC+, and 5.1 WAR.

The Tomcats were an East League contender with Mocuk’s leadership. They went 103-59 in 2033 but got upset in the first round. They lost in the ELCS in 2034 to Rawalpindi and in 2035 to Osh. He had mixed results in the playoffs, finishing his postseason career with 120 games, 103 starts, 120 hits, 63 runs, 28 doubles, 32 homers, 77 RBI, 23 walks, 149 strikeouts, .298/.336/.605 slash, 159 wRC+, and 4.8 WAR. Mocuk ranks 8^th in playoff hits, 6^th in runs, 7^th in games, 4^th in homers, and 4^th in RBI.

Mocuk did reach a bad milestone in the final years, 3000+ career strikeouts. He wanted to keep playing in 2036, but went unsigned and eventually retired that winter just after his 43^rd birthday. Mocuk had contemporaries right behind him for his power titles with Sultan Han becoming the new home run king in early 2038 and the new RBI leader in 2039. Youssouf Raza also passed him on the home run chart.

In total, Mocuk played 2929 games with 2903 hits, 1565 runs, 661 doubles, 48 triples, 784 home runs, 2132 RBI, 729 walks, 3140 strikeouts, 6012 total bases, .281/.330/.583 slash, .913 OPS, 149 wRC+, and 104.1 WAR. Mocuk ranks 5^th in games, 8^th in runs, 8^th in hits, 2^nd in total bases, 5^th in doubles, 3^rd in homers, 2^nd in RBI, 45^th in walks, 1^st in strikeouts, and 14^th in WAR for position players. For ABF batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Mocuk is 30^th in slugging and 46^th in OPS.

Mocuk ranks 44^th on the world leaderboard for RBI and 75^th for homers, although on the downside he’s 17^th in strikeouts. He’s one of only nine players in world history with 650+ doubles and 775+ homers. Mocuk is 9^th in WAR at third base in ABF history, losing some tallies for his run at 1B. He’s also lower in WAR than the power numbers might suggest, largely due to the terrible strikeout rate.

That might keep Mocuk just outside of some top 10 lists for Asian Baseball Federation batters, but he definitely makes the cut for many observers. His high character and leadership can’t be ignored either with Baku’s dynasty and a pennant for Izmir. Mocuk is one of ABF’s top legends and an easy Hall of Fame headliner atop the three-man 2041 class at 98.9%.

FuzzyRussianHat · 04-20-2026, 08:30 AM

Mahtab “The Mayor” Malik – Third/First Base – Karachi Carp – 90.0% First Ballot

Mahtab Malik was a 6’2’’, 200 pound switch-hitting corner infielder from Tando Allah Yar, Pakistan; a city of around 422,000 in the Hyderabad Division. His affable demeanor earned “The Major” as a nickname for Malik. He was incredibly likeable and a team captain known for his dedication, work ethic, and intelligence. Malik was also a rock solid contact and power hitter from both sides of the plate.

His 162 game average got you 37 home runs and 30 doubles. Malik was below average for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts, but his high slugging and average more than made up for it. On the downside, Malik was a laughably poor and slow baserunner. Around 2/3 of his career starts came at third base with lousy defensive metrics. The rest were at first base, where he graded as actually quite good with his glove. Malik also never missed any significant time to injury in his 14-year career.

Malik was picked tenth by Karachi in the 2021 ABF Draft. He was full-time on the roster right away but used mostly as a pinch hitter with only 54 starts over his first three years. Malik finally got the full-time job in 2025 and won his first Silver Slugger that year at 1B. Karachi had been mid-tier for the last few years, but 2025 saw the Carp end a 13-year playoff drought at 100-62.

They were still second in the division to 105-win Hyderabad, but the Horned Frogs got upset in the first round by Almaty. Karachi topped Dushanbe 3-1 in the first round and rolled the Assassins 4-1 to claim the East League Championship Series. The Carp were then defeated 4-2 by Mashhad in the ABF Championship. In 15 playoff starts, Malik was solid with 14 hits, 9 runs, 3 doubles, 3 homers, 8 RBI, .801 OPS, 147 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR.

Karachi got the top seed the next year at 99-63, but lost the ELCS 4-2 to Hyderabad. This was Malik’s last playoff games as the Carp wouldn’t get back in his tenure. They were rarely outright bad going .500 or better from 2027-31 and in 2033. Malik remained steady though even as the team entered perpetual mid-ness.

Malik did get a chance to play on the World Baseball Championship stage regularly from 2025-34 for Pakistan. In 118 games and 102 starts, he had 95 hits, 47 runs, 15 doubles, 27 home runs, 63 RBI, .235/.292/.478 slash, 124 wRC+, and 3.0 WAR. Malik notably was a starter for Pakistan’s first World Championship win in 2029 with 23 hits, 9 runs, 6 homers, and 14 RBI that year.

From 2025-31, he had a Silver Slugger streak winning at 1B in 2025-27 and 3B after. Karachi gave Malik a five-year, $142 million extension in August 2028. He was the leader in RBI four times, and total bases thrice. In 2027, Malik led in hits (218), total bases (416), slugging (.685), OPS (1.076), and wRC+ (224); all career bests. Surprisingly despite his 9.4 WAR, he wasn’t an MVP finalist that year.

Malik never won MVP, but did take second in 2029, 2030, and 2031. He had 9+ WAR thrice, peaking at 9.8 in 2030. 2031 saw his career best for home runs (56) and runs scored (113). After missing the honor in 2032, Malik won his eighth and final Silver Slugger in 2033 at 3B. That winter, he signed a three-year, $75,600,000 extension to stay loyal to Karachi.

Both Malik’s and the Carp’s decline began in 2034. His contact ability plummeted in 2034 and he was benched with .631 OPS, 79 wRC+, and 0.1 WAR over 105 games and 27 starts. Malik was a bit better in 2035 but was still used only sparingly with 72 games and 9 starts. He opted to retire that winter shortly after his 37^th birthday. Karachi immediately retired Malik’s #35 uniform for his 14 years of work.

Malik finished with 1967 games, 1945 hits, 962 runs, 367 doubles, 18 triples, 450 home runs, 1191 RBI, 428 walks, 1401 strikeouts, 3698 total bases, .315/.358/.598 slash, 183 wRC+, and 77.5 WAR. Not becoming a starter until age 26 and his abrupt decline meant Malik had really only a decade worth of accumulations. Thus, he ranks 99^th in hits, 74^th in total bases, 41^st in homers, 52^nd in RBI, and 55^th in WAR among position players.

Among ABF batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Malik ranks 33^rd/63^rd/21^st and his .956 OPS is 27^th. His 183 wRC+ just misses the top 50 among all world Hall of Famers and retired locks, showing how efficient Malik was in his prime. That efficiency, his loyalty to Karachi, role in their 2025 pennant, and his high character made The Mayor an easy inductee even without big final tallies. Malik made it firmly at 90.0% as part of the Asian Baseball Federation’s 2041 class.

Ali Mahdian – Catcher – Tabriz Tiger Sharks – 71.0% First Ballot

Ali Mahdian was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting catcher from Behshahr, Iran; a city with about 95,000 in the north-central part of the country. Many consider Mahdian as the greatest defensive catcher in the history of the game. He was stellar at calling the game, blocking, and throwing out runners. Mahdian was also a team captain with excellent leadership and intelligence behind the plate. He also had great durabilty, starting 120+ games each year from 2020-35.

Even by catcher standards though, Mahdian wasn’t much of a hitter. He was merely decent facing right-handed pitching (.768 OPS, 110 wRC+) and was outright awful facing lefties (.596 OPS, 66 wRC+). Mahdian wasn’t devoid of power, but only got you 16 home runs and 35 doubles per his 162 game average. He was below average for drawing walks and avoid strikeouts. Mahdian was also a terrible baserunner and very slow.

In April 2014, a teenaged Mahdian signed a developmental deal with Tabriz. He was a rare 19-year old debut in 2017, although Mahdian was a part-time starter only in his first three years. Tabriz had just started a playoff streak when he arrived and won the ABF Championship in 2017. Mahdian only had one at-bat in the playoff run, but did start 10 games in the Baseball Grand Championship. He did struggle with .541 OPS and -0.1 WAR, but the Tiger Sharks shocked the field by claiming the top spot at 15-4.

He took over the full-time gig in 2020 and was a starter for 16 years. This started an 16-year streak of Gold Gloves behind the plate. Tabriz quickly gave him an eight-year, $48,620,000 extension after the 2020 season. Mahdian had his best offensive years initially with Silver Sluggers from 2020-22. 2022 had his career best for WAR (6.7), wRC+ (136), OPS (.875), and homers (21).

The Tiger Sharks’ playoff streak continued through 2024. Tabriz had the top seed from 2020-22, but failed to win the pennant. They lost the 2020 WLCS to Bursa, lost in the first round in 2021, then lost the 2022 WLCS to Baku. The Tiger Sharks were a 92-70 wild card in 2023, but got revenge on the Blackbirds to win the WLCS 4-1. Tabriz then defeated Bishkek 4-2 for their second ABF Championship win.

On the whole, Mahdian had weak playoff numbers in his career. In 96 games and 89 starts total, he had 86 hits, 37 runs, 15 doubles, 5 triples, 10 homers, 47 RBI, .252/.274/.413 slash, 87 wRC+, and 0.7 WAR. In the 2023 BGC, he had a .645 OPS, 86 wRC+, and 0.0 WAR. Tabriz couldn’t match their earlier BGC magic and finished 8-11. But Mahdian was extremely popular for his leadership and work behind the plate.

He was also nationally popular as the backstop for Iran in the World Baseball Championship from 2018-36. However, Mahdian had -0.6 WAR over 163 games with 102 hits, 45 runs, 27 doubles, 13 home runs, 66 RBI, and .193/.252/.318 slash. Iran’s deepest run was a third place finish in 2023. Despite his value elsewhere though, Mahdian’s bat didn’t hold up against the strongest competition.

Tabriz had a first round exit in 2024 to cap off their nine-year playoff streak. They missed the playoffs on a tiebreaker in 2025 at 94-68, then spent the next four years at or just below .500. With the rebuild in process and Mahdian in the final year of his deal for 2028, the Tiger Sharks traded him at the deadline to Bishkek in a six-player deal.

Mahdian played 48 games for the Black Sox with 1.1 WAR, .615 OPS, and 83 wRC+. Despite their push, Bishkek finished 87-75, missing the last wild card by three wins. Mahdian was now a free agent at age 31 and was still extremely popular in Tabriz and fond of the city and franchise. He returned to the Tiger Sharks on a five-year, $25 million deal.

From this point, he was pretty firmly a well-below average batter, but still a positive value player on defense. He even saw a batting resurgence in 2031 that led to a 6.2 WAR season. Tabriz’s rebuild ended and they got a wild card in 2030 at 97-65, ultimately falling in the WLCS as Baku began its dynasty. The Tiger Sharks lost in the first round in 2031 and 2032 as a wild card, then just missed the cut in 2033. Mahdian was a free agent again after the 2033 season, but in January 2034 signed a new two-year, $12,400,000 deal with Tabriz.

In 2034, Tabriz won the Central Division at 105-57. Baku was the heavy favorite with a historic 124-win season, but Ahvaz ousted them with two different series wins in the double-elimination format. The Tiger Sharks cruised to a later WLCS sweep of the Athletics, then beat Rawalpindi 4-2 for the ABF Championship. Tabriz finished 11-10 in the Baseball Grand Championship with Mahdian posting -0.2 WAR.

Tabriz got the #1 seed in 2035 at 113-49, but fell to Gaziantep in the WLCS. This was Mahdian’s final year and saw his 16^th Gold Glove. He’s one of only five players in all of world history at any position with 16+ GGs. Mahdian has the most of any ABF player and any catcher. No other catcher had won more than 12 in any league. Mahdian wanted to play in 2036 but went unsigned, eventually retiring that winter at age 39.

Mahdian finished with 2244 games, 2093 hits, 845 runs, 485 doubles, 24 triples, 216 home runs, 923 RBI, 446 walks, 1770 strikeouts, .266/.309/.416 slash, 99 wRC+, and 65.6 WAR. He ranks 54^th in games, 69^th in hits, 42^nd in doubles, and 84^th in WAR among position players. On the downside, Mahdian is the only Hall of Fame position player in world history with a wRC+ below 100 and he has the lowest OPS of any inductee.

However, Mahdian also finished with a career 165.6 zone rating, 1.052 EFF, 3.25 catchers’ ERA, and 49.7% runners thrown out. No other catcher in world history has even cracked 100+ ZR, which shows how impressive he was with his glove. Some guys had been better but had far shorter careers with worse bats and poor longevity. Mahdian was at least passable offensively for the position.

Still, even among Asian Baseball Federation catchers, Mahdian was 3^rd in WAR. His candidacy was a tricky especially as offensive value makes up the lion’s share of a position player’s worth for most. Catchers also generally run into the issue of lower accumulations with the position even for strong batters, making their resumes look weak relatively.

Mahdian had those qualities though which don’t register as obviously on the stat sheet. He made each of the pitchers he caught for better, which in turn helped Tabriz emerge as a regular contender in his career. Over his career, they made the playoffs 15 times with three ABF titles, a Grand Championship, eight LCS trips, and nine division titles. He was also a critical clubhouse leader and captain.

While the skeptics rightly noted he was a middling bat, Mahdian’s supporters had Tabriz’s team success to point to along with his incredible defense. Most informed scholars rank Mahdian as the greatest defensive catcher in baseball history, but even that didn’t guarantee induction. It was ultimately enough though as he earned 71.0%, narrowly breaching the 66% requirement for a first ballot nod to cap off ABF’s 2041 class.

FuzzyRussianHat · 04-21-2026, 07:27 AM

Arab League Baseball had three strong inductees into the Hall of Fame for 2041, captained by SP Diyar Abbas with the rare unanimous nod. He joins SAB SP Zainal bin Aziz, EPB SP/LF Igor Bury, OBA SP Jonah Lois, BSA RF Luca Alvares, and CABA SP Antonio Desir as the only players in any world league to get 100% of the vote.

2B Iqbal Matharu (90.0%) and RF Azhar Eid (84.7%) both joined Abbas firmly. Three returners were above 50%, but short of the 66% threshold. 1B Mohamed Ali Mansour had 57.5% on his seventh ballot, SP Ahmed Essa had 55.6% for his fifth try, and SP Muhammed Fadel saw 53.4% with his eighth go. No players were dropped from the ballot after ten failed tries.

Diyar Abbas – Starting Pitcher – Riyadh Rats – 100.0% First Ballot

Diyar Abbas was a 6’6’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Sulaymaniyah, Iraq; a city of 847,000 in the country’s Kurdistan region. Abbas was well-rounded with great stuff, movement, and control for his entire run. His control got even better in his final years even as his velocity dropped, helping Abbas play into his 40s. He had a five-pitch arsenal with 99-101 mph velocity; fastball, forkball, sinker, slider, and changeup.

Abbas had stellar stamina relative to his ALB peers and had excellent durability, avoiding any major injury until his penultimate season. He led the conference 12 times for innings pitched and tossed 220+ each year from 2018-33. Abbas was a good defensive pitcher, but was subpar at holding runners. He was a true fan favorite and one of the game’s most likeable guys, known for his leadership, work ethic, loyalty, and adaptability. With all of those traits combined, you get ALB’s first unanimous Hall of Famer.

He left Iraq for Saudi Arabia as a teen in September 2012 by signing a developmental contract with Riyadh. Abbas debuted with four relief appearances in 2016 at age 21, then was full-time in the bullpen the next year with decent results. He became the ace in 2018 with his first of 14 consecutive seasons worth 6+ WAR and the first of nine straight worth 7.5+ WAR. Abbas also started a seven year streak as the Eastern Conference leader for innings pitched.

In 2020, Abbas won his first Pitcher of the Year award, leading in strikeouts (318), and WAR (9.5). He took third in 2021, second in 2023, third in 2024, and third in 2025. Abbas led again in strikeouts in 2022 with a career-best 340. He was the WARlord at 9.1 in 2023, starting a four-year streak of 9+ WAR seasons. Abbas led in strikeouts from 2024-27. From 2019-26, he led seven times in complete games, but surprisingly never tossed a no-hitter.

In June 2023, Abbas signed a seven-year, $180 million extension with Riyadh. He was perhaps underappreciated initially as the Rats were historically one of ALB’s less successful franchises. They had a playoff drought back to 2002, although they did start consistently finishing around or above .500 with Abbas. Their closest breakthrough was a franchise-best 100-62 in 2019, but ALB didn’t have wild cards at this point. They were four games behind Jeddah, whose Arabia Division streak stretched from 2011-24.

Riyadh finally ended that streak at 100-62 in 2025, but was upset in the divisional round. They missed the playoffs at 82-80 in 2026, but Abbas won his second Pitcher of the Year and posted ALB’s ninth-ever Triple Crown pitching season. He had a 22-9 record, 2.82 ERA, and 305 Ks. Abbas also saw his career best WHIP (0.93), complete games (12), and WAR (9.6).

He surprisingly had his ERA above four in 2027. The wild card was now a thing and Riyadh got it in 2027, but lost in the first round. In 2028, they won a terrible division at 79-83 and made it to the Eastern Conference Final, falling 3-2 to Muscat. Abbas was respectable in that run with a 3.42 ERA over 23.2 innings, but he stunk in his previous two playoff starts. In his Riyadh career, he had a 5.05 ERA in five starts, 35.2 innings, 2-3 record, 45 strikeouts, 91 ERA+, 85 FIP-, and 0.8 WAR.

Abbas was a tournament regular with better results for his native Iraq in the World Baseball Championship. From 2018-34, Abbas tossed 269.1 innings with a 3.07 ERA, 13-15 record, 351 strikeouts, 116 ERA+, 78 FIP-, and 6.8 WAR. Despite his efforts, Iraq failed to earn their first postseason berth during his tenure.

In 2028, Abbas led in wins for the second time and in WAR, taking second in POTY voting. Riyadh dropped to 74-88 the next year, their first time below 80 wins with Abbas as a full-time starter. That winter, the Rats traded their 34-year old ace to Alexandria for two prospects and a draft pick. Although Riyadh never broke through with Abbas, he was beloved and his #15 uniform would later be retired. Abbas finished with a 222-123 record, 3.33 ERA, 3082.2 innings, 3605 strikeouts, 421 walks, 110 complete games, 17 shutouts, 132 ERA+, 66 FIP-, and 100.8 WAR.

Abbas took second in Western Conference Pitcher of the Year voting in his Astronauts debut, leading in wins and WAR. Alexandria missed the wild card by one win at 89-73, but they were happy with Abbas and gave him a three-year, $92,500,000 extension. In 2031, he won his third Pitcher of the Year with his second ERA title, a career-best 2.55. Abbas also led in WAR and wins both for the final time.

Alexandria got the top seed at 102-60, but got upset in the second round by Damascus. They were a division champ and ousted in the second round in 2032 as well. Again, Abbas was shockingly poor in the playoffs with a 9.28 ERA over his two starts. His career playoff ERA was 6.02 over 46.1 innings with a 2-5 record, 54 Ks, 75 ERA+, 93 FIP-, and 0.8 WAR. That’s generally the biggest mark against him when discussing ALB’s pitching greats.

Abbas did also see his velocity start to dip in his final seasons with Alexandria. Over four years, he had a 67-37 record, 3.41 ERA, 977 innings, 972 strikeouts, 93 walks, 129 ERA+, 75 FIP-, and 26.6 WAR. He was climbing up the leaderboards and with his durability, many expected Abbas to challenge Ahmed Hussain’s all-time marks for strikeouts (5295), wins (312), and WAR (135.79). Abbas was now at 289 wins, 4577 Ks, and 127.3 WAR; holding the #2 spot for each stat.

For 2034, Abbas signed a conditional two-year, $29,800,000 deal with Tunis. His control was still excellent, but his velocity was dropping hard and he was now peaking in the 91-93 mph range. In 96 innings for the Thunder Cats, he had a 4.59 ERA, 59 Ks, and 1.4 WAR. Abbas suffered his first major injury that June with a bone spur in his elbow, ending his season and the brief tenure in Tunis. He tried a comeback in 2035 with Suez for the veteran minimum and missed part of the year to a sprained ankle. He struggled in his limited use with a 5.75 ERA over 81.1 innings, 40 Ks, and -0.1 WAR. Abbas retired that winter at age 40.

Abbas finished with a 296-171 record, 3.42 ERA, 4237 innings, 4676 strikeouts, 539 walks, 341/546 quality starts, 148 complete games, 21 shutouts, 129 ERA+, 70 FIP-, and 128.8 WAR. He ranks 2^nd in wins, 2^nd in strikeouts, 2^nd in pitching WAR, 2^nd in complete games, 8^th in shutouts, and 2^nd in innings. Among ALB pitchers with 1000+ innings, Abbas’s ERA is 92^nd. His 1.14 BB/9 is 14^th and his 1.11 WHIP is 88^th. He’s 52^nd in the world leaderboard for wins and in the top 100 for strikeouts.

He’s certainly one of Arab League Baseball’s immortals and usually cited as a top three pitcher in league history. Ahmed Hussain is typically considered the GOAT and although Abbas beats Rashid Tariq in totals, many would rank Tariq higher due to his playoff success and role in a dynasty with Mosul. Almost no one would dare place Abbas outside of the top five and few guys were more likeable. Thus, Abbas was ALB’s first unanimous Hall of Famer to headline a strong three-man 2041 class.

FuzzyRussianHat · 04-22-2026, 07:23 AM

Iqbal “Deranged” Matharu – Second Base – Mecca Marksmen – 90.0% First Ballot

Iqbal Matharu was a 5’11’’, 185 pound right-handed second baseman from Suez, Egypt; a city of 690,000 people best known for the eponymous canal. The nickname “Deranged” came from Matharu’s intense work ethic which powered him through an 18-year career. He was one of the all-time great contact hitters with a 10/10 grade from scouts for most of his career. Matharu was excellent at putting the ball in play and avoiding strikeouts.

He wasn’t just a singles slap hitter and knew how to find the gap, but Matharu wasn’t a home run hitter. His 162 game average got you 51 doubles, 12 triples, and 8 homers. On the downside, he also very rarely drew walks. Matharu was a stellar baserunner with very good speed. He was a career second baseman and graded as delightfully average defensively. Matharu’s durability was mostly good in his 20s, but knee and back issues were recurring problems in his later seasons.

Matharu left Egypt for Mecca for more than just the expected pilgrimage, signing a developmental deal with the Marksmen in July 2016. He was a rare 18-year old debutant in 2018 albeit with only eight at-bats. Matharu got a full-time starting job in 2019 at 19 and had it for 15 years with Mecca, although he missed much of his sophomore season to a torn meniscus. He finished second in 2019’s Rookie of the Year voting.

In 2021, Matharu won his first batting title at .355 and led the Eastern Conference with 214 hits. His averages only went up, although he didn’t lead in average again until 2027. Matharu led in hits again with 239 in 2022 and 258 in 2024, the latter tied for the fourth-most in an ALB single season. He won his first Silver Sluggers from 2023-25. Matharu had a six-hit game on May 2022 against Mecca and another six-hit game in extra innings versus Amman in April 2024. He is the only ALB player to achieve the feat twice.

Mecca had been historically unsuccessful and their division was firmly controlled by Jeddah from 2011-24. With the addition of the wild card in 2024, the Marksmen finally ended a 14-year playoff drought, although they lost in the first round. They were a wild card again and lost in the second round of 2027. The rest of the decade, Mecca was typically around or just below .500. Matharu ended up with only five career playoff games.

Although famous for his run in Saudi Arabia, Matharu did regularly represent his native Egypt in the World Baseball Championship. From 2020-35, he played 143 games and started 132 with 140 hits, 41 runs, 23 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, 34 RBI, 47 steals, .272/.306/.348 slash, 90 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR. Egypt’s deepest run was a division title in 2027.

In April 2025, Matharu signed an eight-year, $222,200,000 extension to remain Mecca’s leadoff man. He led again in hits that year, then led with a career-best 259 in 2027. It is the third-most in an ALB single season and tied for 13^th in any league. Matharu also led with career bests for average (.407) and OBP (.428). The average is the fifth-best in ALB history and the 28^th-best qualifying season in any world league.

2025 also had his longest hitting streak at 29 games. Matharu had ten separate 20+ game hitting streaks, the most of any ALB player. He won additional Silver Sluggers in 2027, 29, and 30; getting six for his career. Matharu reliably got around 6+ WAR from the leadoff spot for most of his prime run. 2030 was where injuries became more an issue, missing about half of the season with strained hamstrings.

After a mostly healthy 2031, more hamstring issues kept him out the second half of 2032 and he missed much of the first half to an oblique strain. Smaller injuries limited him to a half-season in 2033 and his production dropped with a career low .761 OPS and 99 wRC+. That was the end of the Mecca run with 1853 games, 2819 hits, 1254 runs, 595 doubles, 144 triples, 90 homers, 783 RBI, 282 walks, 804 steals, .368/.396/.518 slash, 138 wRC+, and 77.1 WAR. Matharu remains very popular in the Holy City and had his #15 uniform retired.

Matharu’s bat rebounded a bit in 2034 for Tripoli but assorted injuries limited him to 97 games with 135 hits, .824 OPS, 116 wRC+, and 2.2 WAR. Surprisingly, Riyadh gave him a three-year deal in 2035, but he only played the one year with 0 WAR, .745 OPS, and 95 wRC+ over 83 games and 53 starts. Matharu retired that winter at age 36, although the last year with the Rats allowed him to join the 3000 hit club.

Overall, Matharu played 2033 games with 3026 hits, 1329 runs, 638 doubles, 149 triples, 97 homers, 854 RBI, 303 walks, 777 strikeouts, 4253 total bases, 842 steals, .365/.393/.513 slash, 136 wRC+, and 79.2 WAR. Matharu ranks 89^th in games, 53^rd in runs, 13^th in hits, 63^rd in total bases, 5^th in singles (2142), 21^st in doubles, 30^th in triples, 34^th in steals, and 25^th in WAR among position players. He ranks 3^rd in WAR for ALB second basemen.

Among ALB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, only two active guys have a better batting average. He also ranks 10^th in OBP. Among all world Hall of Famers and retired locks, Matharu has the 2^nd-best batting average only behind EBF’s Franco Gilbert at .373. Even accounting for the higher-offense environment of Arab League Baseball, Matharu is one of the absolute best contact hitters in the game’s history.

Of course with the lack of home run power, Matharu won’t find himself in the conversations as a top ten position players in ALB’s history. But he easily ranks among the best leadoff guys and second basemen the league had ever seen. Matharu earned 90.0% for a firm first ballot nod as part of a three-player 2041 HOF class.

Azhar Eid – Right Field – Kuwait Whales – 84.7% First Ballot

Azhar Eid was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed right fielder from Sanaa, the capital of Yemen. Eid was an especially solid hitter facing right-handed pitching with a career 1.006 OPS and 154 wRC+. He was merely okay facing lefties with a .775 OPS and 99 wRC+. On the whole, Eid graded as a quite good contact hitter, but he was subpar at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts.

His gap power was especially potent, but Eid got you a steady amount of dingers too. Eid’s 162 game average had 51 doubles, 8 triples, and 31 home runs. He was an incredibly skilled baserunner and thief, although he was limited by merely above average speed. Eid had an absolute cannon arm as a right fielder with above average defense grades overall. He also played some first base at the end of his career with respectable metrics. Eid’s durability was mostly good over an 18-year run.

Eid left Yemen for Kuwait as a developmental prospect in December 2015. He spent around three years in their academy, debuting in 2018 with 22 pinch hit at-bats at age 21. Eid earned a full-time starting job in 2019 and led the Eastern Conference with 57 doubles en route to Rookie of the Year honors. He led again with 57 doubles in 2021 and led in runs (127) and WAR (7.7). That earned Eid his first Silver Slugger and a second place in MVP voting.

He remained steady and got another Silver Slugger in 2022, but the award was hard to come by as he shared a conference and position with eventual hit king Ahmed Yasser Basha. 2022 also saw Eid ‘s first cycle in September against Mosul. Kuwait had also generally been a middle-tier team, but Eid helped them end a 14-year playoff drought in 2024.

It was the first year the wild card was employed and the Whales took one at 98-64. They got hot and upset Basra to win the Eastern Conference crown 3-1, although they lost the Arab League Championship in a sweep by Amman. Eid had a decent playoff showing with 12 hits, 6 runs, 6 doubles, 1 homer, 8 RBI, .787 OPS, 99 wRC+, and 0.3 WAR.

He struggled in the next two years in the playoffs as Kuwait repeated as a wild card, but had back-to-back first round exits. The Whales spent the rest of his tenure outside of the playoffs and usually in the 70s win range. Eid stayed loyal with a seven-year, $143 million extension signed in April 2025. He won his third Silver Slugger in 2027 and was second in MVP voting, ultimately failing to capture the top honor.

2027 was definitely Eid’s best season with conference and career bests for total bases (428), slugging (.716), OPS (1.111), wRC+ (178), and WAR (9.0). He also had his highs for hits (211), runs (130), and homers (48). Eid also earned his second cycle in April against Damascus. A severely strained hip muscle kept him out much of 2028. Eid rebounded in 2029 with a career-best 63 doubles, which ranks as the ninth-best single season in ALB history.

Eid was still a decent starter after that, but his production started to dip in his last two seasons and he missed chunks of 2023 to various injuries. For Kuwait, Eid played 2039 games with 2442 hits, 1416 runs, 659 doubles, 106 triples, 412 home runs, 1359 RBI, 549 steals, .321/.368/.597 slash, 144 wRC+, and 74.4 WAR. For his 15 years of service, the Whales retired Eid’s #9 uniform at the end of his career.

He was also liked back home in Yemen as a regular in the World Baseball Championship. From 2021-36, Eid played 166 games with 131 hits, 78 runs, 32 doubles, 33 home runs, 75 RBI, .230/.292/.471 slash, 120 wRC+, and 4.1 WAR. The Yemeni notably earned their first-ever playoff trips with Eid in 2024 and 2032.

A free agent for the first time at age 35, Eid signed for 2033 to a three-year, $14,760,000 deal with Abu Dhabi. However, he only played 26 games for the Destroyers thanks to a torn labrum in May. In January 2034, Eid was traded to Aleppo straight up for LF Evzen Chavalik. He was middling in 2034, but had a pretty solid 2035 worth 4.2 WAR for the Alliance.

Eid had 297 games, 321 hits, 146 runs, 69 doubles, 14 triples, 43 home runs, 156 RBI, .300/.350/.511 slash, 122 wRC+, and 6.0 WAR. He also joined the 700 double club and hoped he could chance Abdul Rahman Abu Hamal’s record 773. Eid was ultimately unsigned in 2036, but played one final WBC for Yemen. He officially retired in the winter at age 39.

The grand totals for Eid saw 2362 games, 2790 hits, 1583 runs, 737 doubles, 120 triples, 456 home runs, 1522 RBI, 581 walks, 2102 strikeouts, 627 steals, .318/.366/.585 slash, 141 wRC+, and 81.1 WAR. Eid ranks 42^nd in games, 21^st in runs, 26^th in hits, 32^nd in total bases (5135), 5^th in doubles, 52^nd in triples, 72^nd in homers, 37^th in RBI, 82^nd in walks, 49^th in strikeouts, 77^th in steals, and 22^nd in WAR among position players.

Among ALB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Eid’s slash is 57^th/59^th/71^st and his .952 OPS is 47^th. Eid also ranks 14^th on the world leaderboard for doubles. He wasn’t a perennial MVP candidate and was on largely forgettable teams, but Eid was reliably one of the best outfielders in Arab League Baseball of his era. It earned him 84.7% for a first ballot induction to bookend an impressive three-man 2041 Hall of Fame class.

FuzzyRussianHat · 04-23-2026, 10:08 AM

Three made it into the African Association of Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 2041 with the clear headliner 1B/DH Trevor Zhou with 98.1%. 3B Ibukun da Costa also had a solid first ballot nod at 82.7%. SP Vally Nzamba meanwhile made it in his tenth and final chance at 74.0%. He became the fourth AAB inductee to make it in on his tenth try. Two returning pitchers were above 50% but short of the 66% requirement. Fasika Mulatu was on his third try and Miracle Rukundo on his ninth, both getting 58.8%. No players were dropped from the ballot after ten failed attempts.

Trevor Zhou – First Base/Designated Hitter – N’Djamena Magic – 98.1% First Ballot

Trevor Zhou was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed first baseman from Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe. Zhou was a great contact hitter and especially mashed against right-handed pitching with a career 1.078 OPS and 170 wRC+. He was merely decent against lefties with a .786 OPS and 107 wRC+. Zhou was good at drawing walks, but did have a subpar strikeout rate.

He had reliably strong power with 43 home runs and 41 doubles per his 162 game average. Although he scored plenty of runs, Zhou was a painfully slow baserunner and quite sluggish. He made all of his defensive starts at first base and was below average, but not abysmal with his glove. About 1/3 of Zhou’s starts were as a designated hitter. His powerful bat, high work ethic, and loyalty made him a fan favorite. Zhou also had mostly good durability over an 18-year career.

Zhou left Zimbabwe for Chad in May 2015 with a developmental deal for N’Djamena. He debuted in 2018 at age 21 as a part-timer, then was a full-time starter the next year. Zhou was elite by 2020, winning his first Silver Slugger and taking third in MVP voting with a Central Conference leading 52 home runs and 1.077 OPS.

He won additional Sluggers in 2021-22, leading in OBP in 2021 and in slugging, OPS, wRC+, runs, and WAR in 2022. Zhou was second in 2022’s MVP voting and N’Djamena ended a 15-year playoff drought. The Magic won 95 in 2022 and 102 in 2023, but both years fell victim to Kampala’s dynasty in the conference finals. Zhou was great in the small sample size with a 1.443 OPS, 299 wRC+, and 0.7 WAR in six starts. They spent the next three years hovering around the .500 mark.

Zhou won Sluggers again in from 2024-26 and won his lone MVP in 2025. That year had career and conference bests for OBP (.445) and WAR (9.4), as well as career bests for hits (211), homers (57), RBI (137), average (.377), slugging (.77), OPS (1.215), and wRC+ (211). The OPS ranks as the 13^th-best qualifying season in AAB history and the triple slash ranked 6^th/18^th/20^th.

In April 2025, Zhou signed a three-year, $32,500,000 extension with N’Djamena. In 2027, he saw a shockingly poor season with .809 OPS, 105 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR. Prior to that, he had posted above one OPS in seven straight seasons. Although still very popular, the Magic was worried Zhou was cooked. In May 2028, he was traded to Nairobi for two prospects.

Zhou finished for the Magic with 1455 games, 1603 hits, 937 runs, 386 doubles, 395 home runs, 1020 RBI, 732 walks, 1129 strikeouts, .310/.398/.617 slash, 163 wRC+, and 54.5 WAR. The abrupt end did spoil the relationship a bit with N’Djamena and thus his jersey was never retired. Nairobi was confident Zhou’s poor 2027 was a fluke and gave him a four-year, $56,800,000 extension only a week after the trade.

The bet paid off as Zhou was back to strong starting numbers the next few years, although he was no longer award winning. Nairobi was first in the Central Conference at 93-69 in 2028, but lost the conference final 4-3 to Addis Ababa. After back-to-back playoff misses, the Night Hawks fell in the 2031 conference final to Djibouti.

In 2032, Nairobi tied for first in the conference at 102-60 and had the tiebreaker for home field over Brazzaville. The Night Hawks beat the Blowfish 4-2 for the pennant, then won their first-ever Africa Series title 5-3 over Johannesburg. Zhou was finals MVP with 14 hits, 8 runs, 4 doubles, 6 homers, 12 RBI, 1.233 OPS, 204 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR over 13 playoff starts.

Nairobi then shocked many observers by winning the Baseball Grand Championship at 16-5. Zhou had another nice showing over 21 games with 18 hits, 14 runs, 7 homers, 12 RBI, .875 OPS, 142 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR. He had also been a reliable tournament player for his native Zimbabwe in the World Baseball Championship. From 2028-35, Zhou played 97 games with 90 hits, 46 runs, 15 doubles, 29 homers, 65 RBI, .259/.340/.553 slash and 4.3 WAR.

Fresh off the Africa Series MVP win, Nairobi gave Zhou a three-year, $59 million extension. He had two more solid seasons, although injuries limited him somewhat and he didn’t meet the criteria for third year. The Night Hawks failed to follow up immediately on their Grand Championship win with back-to-back losing seasons. Still, Zhou was a critical piece of bringing the hardware to Kenya.

For Nairobi, Zhou played 1041 games with 1079 hits, 693 runs, 250 doubles, 281 homers, 728 RBI, 556 walks, 897 strikeouts, .298/.394/.608 slash, 147 wRC+, and 29.6 WAR. Port Elizabeth gave Zhou a three-year, $21,300,000 deal but he dropped off noticeably in 2035 with .818 OPS, 109 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR over 125 games. Zhou retired that winter at age 38.

Zhou finished with 2621 games, 2783 hits, 1697 runs, 660 doubles, 27 triples, 695 home runs, 1811 RBI, 1352 walks, 2147 strikeouts, .303/.394/.607 slash, 1.001 OPS, 154 wRC+, and 85.1 WAR. He ranks 7^th in games, 8^th in runs, 7^th in hits, 5^th in total bases (5582), 3^rd in doubles, 11^th in homers, 9^th in RBI, 9^th in walks, 13^th in strikeouts, and 11^th in WAR for position players.

Among AAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Zhou’s triple slash ranks 44^th/18^th/30^th and his OPS is 15^th. Among world Hall of Famers and retired locks, Zhou is one of 57 guys to retire with an OPS above one. He’s also 44^th on the world doubles leaderboard.

Zhou almost quietly put up numbers that arguably place him as a top ten position players all-time in the African Association of Baseball. He wasn’t always thought of as an MVP candidate, but he was a remarkably solid bat and an important part of Nairobi’s Grand Championship and AAB title wins. The voters acknowledged that as Zhou received 98.1% to captain a three-man class for 2041.

FuzzyRussianHat · Yesterday, 06:13 AM

Ibukun da Costa – Third Base – Nairobi Night Hawks – 82.7% First Ballot

Ibukun da Costa was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting third baseman from Cabinda, Angola; a city of 550,000 in the country’s northwest. He and fellow 2041 classmate Vally Nzamba were the third and fourth Angolans to make it into AAB’s HOF. Da Costa was known for his reliable and impressive home run power with 46 dingers per his 162 game average. He also got you 28 doubles per 162 and he was also quite good at drawing walks,

Against right-handed pitching, he was a decent contact hitter and posted a career .972 OPS and 144 wRC+. Da Costa really struggled against lefties though with a .711 OPS and 84 wRC+. He had a poor strikeout rate against both with an especially lousy 30.3% facing LHP. Da Costa still got on base at a good clip from walks, but his speed and baserunning were both subpar.

He had a very strong arm, thus da Costa was a career third baseman. Defensively, he graded as reliably average and he had plenty of added value with strong durability, playing 145+ games each year from 2021-33. Da Costa’s steady ability and power made him a very popular figure throughout the continent, but especially in Kenya for Nairobi. The Night Hawks took da Costa ninth overall in the 2019 AAB Draft.

As a rookie, da Costa played 114 games with 25 homers, 90 wRC+, and 1.5 WAR, which was good enough for Rookie of the Year. He hit 45 homers the next year and was good for 40+ homers in all but one of the next 12 seasons. Da Costa led the Central Conference with 51 homers in 2022, winning his lone MVP and his first Silver Slugger. This year also had his career best wRC+ (170) and WAR (7.0). Da Costa won additional Silver Sluggers from 2023-26.

After the 2025 season, da Costa signed a seven-year, $32,080,000 extension for Nairobi. After mediocrity to end the 2010s, the Night Hawks were just outside of the playoffs in the first half of the 2020s. In 2026, Nairobi finished first atop the standings for the first time at 102-60, one game ahead of Bujumbura. They ultimately lost 4-2 to the Bighorns in the conference final, although da Costa went 8-20 with a 1.428 OPS. That year, he had career bests for runs (116), hits (153), homers (54), and RBI (128); finishing third in MVP voting.

Da Costa’s efficiency dropped notably the next four seasons, especially against lefties. After a losing season in 2027, Nairobi got first in 2028 at 93-69. Da Costa had five home runs in the Central Conference Championship, but they were still defeated 4-3 by Addis Ababa. The Night Hawks went .500 in 2029, then finished fourth in 2030 at 92-70.

In 2031, da Costa had a notable rebound to win his sixth Silver Slugger with 6.2 WAR and a career best 1.042 OPS. He also had a four home run game with 10 RBI in May against Mombasa. Nairobi won a one-game playoff to earn the wild card over Addis Ababa at 97-66, but promptly got swept in the conference final by Djibouti.

Da Costa won his seventh and final Silver Slugger in 2032. Nairobi and Brazzaville finished even atop the standings at 102-60, but the Night Hawks got first via tiebreaker. They bested the Blowfish 4-2 to finally win the conference title, then defeated Johannesburg 5-3 in the Africa Series for the franchise’s first-ever AAB title.

For da Costa, he was decent in the playoffs with 10 hits, 6 runs, 3 homers, 6 RBI, .970 OPS, 137 wRC+, and 0.2 WAR. In the Baseball Grand Championship, he struggled to a .136/.208/.409 slash with 6 homers, 73 wRC+, and 0 WAR in 17 games. Despite that, Nairobi shocked the field by finishing 16-5 to earn Grand Champion honors. After 13 years for Nairobi, da Costa had reached the pinnacle of team success.

This also marked the end of his contract, sending him to free agency for the first time at age 36. For Nairobi, he played 1948 games with 1651 hits, 1132 runs, 339 doubles, 569 home runs, 1305 RBI, 936 walks, 2017 strikeouts, .253/.347/.569 slash, 131 wRC+, and 55.3 WAR. Da Costa was extremely popular for his service with the Night Hawks and his #17 uniform would later be retired.

He was also very popular back home in his native Angola as one of the country’s few major starts. Da Costa was a regular in the World Baseball Championship as a starter from 2021-28, then as a reserve through 2036. He played 118 WBC games with 61 hits, 42 runs, 10 doubles, 24 homers, 41 RBI, .182/.302/.426 slash, and 1.8 WAR.

For 2033, da Costa signed a three-year, $64,400,000 deal with Cape Town. He was merely decent in 2033, then had an actively below average bat in 2034 but still some positive WAR from defense. Cape Town notably took second in 2034 at 91-71 and upset Johannesburg 4-1 in the Southern Conference Championship, although they lost 5-4 in the Africa Series to Brazzaville.

Da Costa had a lousy .694 OPS, 64 wRC+, and 0 WAR for the playoffs. For his career, he still had a strong .996 OPS, 141 wRC+, and 1.3 WAR over 40 starts with 15 homers and 26 RBI; winning two pennants, one Africa Series, and a Grand Championship. Da Costa didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the third year with the Cowboys, finishing with 275 game, 227 hits, 135 runs, 48 doubles, 60 homers, 173 RBI, .235/.319/.474 slash, 104 wRC+, and 2.4 WAR.

Now 38, da Costa joined Johannesburg in 2035 on a one-year, $2,080,000 deal. A strained hamstring kept him out much of the year, but in a platoon role his bat still looked strong. Over 74 games, da Costa had 24 homers, 1.063 OPS, 158 wRC+, and 2.4 WAR. He also hit four homers in May against Comoros. This joined Timeo Kahudi as the only AAB players with multiple four-homer games; a feat met by only six in all of pro baseball history. Despite the resurgent bat, da Costa was unsigned in 2036 and retired that winter at age 39.

In total, da Costa played 2297 games with 1938 hits, 1314 runs, 402 doubles, 653 home runs, 1533 RBI, 1084 walks, 2390 strikeouts, .251/.345/.560 slash, 129 wRC+, and 61.4 WAR. He ranks 24^th in games, 36^th in runs, 54^th in hits, 30^th in total bases (4321), 73^rd in doubles, 13^th in homers, 19^th in RBI, 23^rd in walks, 4^th in strikeouts, and 31^st in WAR for position players. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, da Costa’s .905 OPS is 93^rd and he is 78^th in slugging.

The high strikeout rate and lower average knock da Costa down a few pegs for Sabermetric stats. However, he’s the African Association of Baseball’s career leader among third basemen for games, runs, homers, RBI, and WAR. Da Costa isn’t an inner-circle level Hall of Famer, but the majority agreed he was clearly a first-ballot talent. He earned 82.7% for induction with a three-man 2041 class for AAB.

Vally Nzamba – Starting Pitcher – Johannesburg Jackalopes – 74.0% Tenth Ballot

Vally Nzamba was a 5’10’’, 185 pound right-handed pitcher from Luanda, the capital of Angola. Nzamba was known for great control, rock solid stuff, and average movement. He had 97-99 mph peak velocity with a cutter, changeup, curveball, and circle change arsenal. Relative to other AAB aces, Nzamba had excellent stamina for much of his career, leading the conference thrice in innings pitched.

On the downside, Nzamba ran into some injury issues and only had a 12-year career. He was decent at holding runners, but had poor defensive metrics otherwise. Some coaches felt Nzamba was a bit selfish and unintelligent. Despite not having the prototypical size for an ace, his talent and potential were noticed as a teenager. In May 2007, he left Angola for South Africa on a developmental deal with Johannesburg.

Nzamba spent around seven years in their academy before debuting in 2013 at age 22. He had limited use and struggled in his first two seasons, then saw some improvement as a part-timer in 2015. That year, Johannesburg finished atop the Southern Conference at 110-52 and won the pennant over Lusaka. They ultimately fell to Brazzaville 5-4 in the Africa Series.

In the postseason, Nzamba was a full-time starter with weak results with a 5.54 ERA over 26 innings, 2-2 record, and 35 Ks. He had a 75 ERA+, but a 92 FIP- and 0.4 WAR. Johannesburg got an at-large into the Baseball Grand Championship and finished tied for first at 15-4 with Denver. The Jackalopes won the head-to-head 13-7 over the Dragons, becoming the first African team to win Grand Champion honors. Nzamba still wasn’t ready for that stage, posting 7.04 ERA over 23 innings with -0.3 WAR.

For 2016, Nzamba became a full-time starter and led the conference in wins at 22-5. Johannesburg repeated as conference champ at 106-56, but again lost to Brazzaville in the Africa Series, this time 5-3. Nzamba was again mixed in the playoffs with a 4.87 ERA over 20.1 innings, 22 Ks, but a 90 FIP- and 0.4 WAR. The Jackalopes finished 93-69 the next year, falling one win short of a wild card.

Johannesburg returned to first place in 2018 at 101-61 and beat Luanda to win their third pennant in four years. Yet again, the Jackalopes failed in the Africa Series with a 5-3 loss to Kampala. Nzamba had his strongest postseason with a 1.95 ERA over 27.2 innings and 35 Ks. He posted a 3.94 ERA in 16 innings in the 2019 playoffs as the Jackalopes were upset 4-2 by the Landsharks in the conference finals.

2019 was Nzamba’s best season by a healthy margin, winning Pitcher of the Year with conference and career bests for wins (25-5), ERA (2.05), innings (263.1), quality starts (27), complete games (15), shutouts (6), FIP- (56), and WAR (10.1). He also had his best for strikeouts at 302, missing the Triple Crown by 21. His production dipped the next year with a 4.52 ERA over 191 innings and dealt with a bone spur in his elbow in the spring.

2020 was the last gasp of Johannesburg’s dynasty run. They again took first in the standings at 98-64 and won their fourth pennant in six years, defeating Dar es Salaam. The Jackalopes still couldn’t prevail in the Africa Series with a 5-2 loss to Kampala. Nzamba had a 3.00 ERA over 24 innings and 0.8 WAR. Over 16 playoff starts for Johannesburg, Nzamba had a 5-9 record, 3.79 ERA, 114 innings, 140 strikeouts, 107 ERA+, 85 FIP-, and 2.4 WAR.

Johannesburg remained above .500 in 2021-22 but missed the playoffs, then dropped to 74-88 in 2023. Nzamba won his second Pitcher of the Year in 2021 with a 3.00 ERA, 16-9 record, 251 Ks, and 5.5 WAR. He struggled to start 2023 with a 4.47 ERA over 149 innings. With the Jackalopes struggling as well and Nzamba in the final year under team control, they traded him to N’Djamena for four prospects.

Nzamba finished with a 124-80 record, 3.56 ERA, 1898 innings, 2037 strikeouts, 447 walks, 114 ERA+, 83 FIP-, and 41.8 WAR for Johannesburg. The Jackalopes later retired his #17 uniform for his efforts. In the back end for the Magic, he had a 3.70 ERA over 58.1 innings with 69 Ks and 1.5 WAR.

N’Djamena made the playoffs at 102-60, but couldn’t dethrone the Kampala dynasty and got swept in the Central Conference Championship. Nzamba for his efforts gave up one run over seven innings in his one playoff start. He also began pitching for his native Angola in the World Baseball Championship from 2021-26. Nzamba was a reliever in 2021 and starter after. He pitched 95.2 innings with a 7-4 record, 6 saves, 3.01 ERA, 123 strikeouts, and 2.6 WAR.

Now a free agent at age 33, Nzamba signed a four-year, $31,200,000 deal with Harare. However, he never reached his previous peak in three seasons for the Hustlers, who were a mid-grade team during his run. Nzamba had a 34-31 record, 4.99 ERA, 582.1 innings, 548 Ks, 140 walks, 94 ERA+, 90 FIP-, and 10.6 WAR.

He also dealt with shoulder inflammation in the 2026 season and failed to meet the vesting criteria for the fourth year of his deal. This inflammation tanked his velocity and he had only 89-91 mph peak velocity in 2027. Nzamba hoped to play somewhere, but went unsigned all year and eventually retired in the winter at age 37.

Nzamba finished with a 160-115 record, 3.89 ERA, 2538.2 innings, 2654 strikeouts, 594 walks, 181/336 quality starts, 105 complete games, 17 shutouts, 108 ERA+, 85 FIP-, and 53.9 WAR. He ranks 32^nd in wins, 33^rd in innings, 6^th in complete games, 8^th in shutouts, 26^th in strikeouts, and 34^th in WAR among pitchers. His 1.17 WHIP is 73^rd among AAB pitchers with 1000+ innings. Nzamba also is 38^th in BB/9 (2.11) and 86^th in K/9 (9.41).

The Hall of Fame candidacy for Nzamba was tough as his tally weren’t overwhelmingly impressive. Working in his favor was two Pitcher of the Year awards, but he didn’t have many exceptional seasons. He was part of Johannesburg’s run of four pennants and the Grand Championship win, but their big triumph was early in his career. The team’s inability to win the Africa Series did leave a stain for some voters.

Nzamba debuted on the 2032 ballot at only 34.2%. He hovered in-between 30-50% for seven seasons, then finally got a big boost to 62.3% in 2039. That still kept him short of the 66% induction threshold. Nzamba dropped to 55.4% in 2040, but rebounded on his tenth and final opportunity at 74.0%. With that, he capped off a three-man 2041 class for the African Association of Baseball.

04-07-2026, 06:17 AM	#2801
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,402	2041 EBF Hall of Fame (Part 1) Four were added into the European Baseball Federation’s Hall of Fame in 2041 with LF Felix Timm the clear headliner with a nearly unanimous 99.4%. CL Dietrich Hoft was also a first ballot nod at 78.2%. Two returners barely breached the 66% threshold with LF Micha van Vugt at 68.4% on his fourth try and SP Isak Alsaker at 66.7% on his sixth go. RF Ostoja Milic was the only other player above 50%, getting 55.2% with his sixth ballot. Multiple players fell off the ballot after ten failed tries. CL Emanuel Koch ended at 45.7% and got as high as 52.3% in 2034. He had a 14-year career between EBF and MLB and won Reliever of the Year once. Koch’s combined career had 326 saves and 416 shutdowns, 1034 innings, 1142 Ks, 134 ERA+, 78 FIP-, and 20.9 WAR. Koch is 15^th in EBF saves with 319, but his dominance was well below the usual HOF standard. Still, he was above 40% in all but one year. 3B Jayden Palmer debuted at 31.5% and ended with only 10.0%. In 16 EBF seasons, Palmer had 2166 games, 2229 hits, 1267 runs, 363 doubles, 347 triples, 379 homers, 1252 RBI, .294/.339/.584 slash, 153 wRC+, and 78.0 WAR. He ranks 11^th in triples in EBF and 388 counting his WAB seasons, placing him 17^th on the world leaderboard. Palmer just misses the top 100 for WAR in EBF and has good metrics, but he never was a Silver Slugger winner. He was never dominant enough to gain any real traction with voters. CF William Fossard peaked only at 15.2%, but managed to avoid dropping from the ballot. His tallies were hurt by having his 18 year career split between EBF, MLB, and OBA. Fossard’s combined career had 2401 games, 2705 hits, 1288 runs, 406 doubles, 203 triples, 248 home runs, 1069 RBI, 683 steals, .312/.345/.491 slash, 137 wRC+, and 66.2 WAR. He led in hits thrice and was a solid leadoff man, but never was an awards winner. The combined total would’ve been closer, but in EBF alone he had 2008 hits, 958 runs, and 54.1 WAR; not nearly enough to induction. Lastly, 1B Elia Grasso peaked at 16.4% and ended at only 5.3%. He had a 15-year run with Milan and was a Rookie of the Year, but never won any other awards or was a league leader. Grasso had 2138 games, 2361 hits, 1168 runs, 376 doubles, 442 home runs, 1405 RBI, .308/.358/.543 slash, 147 wRC+, and 61.2 WAR. He was a very steady and consistent power bat for mid-level teams, a rock solid Hall of Pretty Good-er. Felix “Steady” Timm – Left Field – Hanover Hitmen – 99.4% First Ballot Felix Timm was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed left fielder from Graz, Austria; a country’s second-largest city with about 307,000 people. Nicknamed “Steady” for his consistency, Timm was an impressive contact and power hitter with even production facing lefties or righties. His 162 game average got you 48 home runs, 26 doubles, and 13 triple. Just under half of his career hits were for extra bases and he was the conference leader four times in both slugging percentage and total bases. Despite the power, Timm was below average at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Unlike many powerful bats though, Timm was an outstanding baserunner with very good speed. It didn’t translate into defensive range though with mediocre metrics in the outfield. Timm primarily played left field but made starts throughout the outfield as well as at second and first base. The “Steady” nickname also applied to Timm’s durability as an ironman who never missed time to major injury. He started 147+ games each year from 2022-33 and only missed starts at the end due to performance. Timm had good leadership skills and was loyal, spending his entire 14 year run with Hanover. He became very popular throughout Europe, but especially in Germany and his native Austria. Out of high school, Timm was the 13^th pick in the 2019 EBF Draft by Leipzig. However, he didn’t sign with the Lumberjacks and instead went to college. He was still prized by the time he was up again for the 2021 draft, but went later with the #30 pick to Hanover. Timm was a full-time starter immediately and immediate success, winning Rookie of the Year with a Northern Conference-leading 136 RBI. For his first 12 seasons, Timm was good for 6+ WAR, 35+ homers, 100+ RBI, 100+ runs, and an OPS above .950. He was the main reason Hanover became an EBF Elite contender for the first time. The Hitmen had earned their first promotion from the European Second League in 2017, but hasn’t posted a winning season yet in the top tier. 2023 began an 11-year postseason streak for Hanover, but they weren’t an immediate playoff success. 2023-27 was all wild cards and first round exits apart from 2026, which had a second-round exit. Timm was also a regular for his native Austria in the World Baseball Championship from 2022-35 with 190 games, 173 hits, 120 runs, 28 doubles, 66 home runs, 123 RBI, .246/.314/.573 slash, and 7.7 WAR. The Austrians shocked the globe by winning the 2026 World Championship over France. With a population of just over nine million, Austria is the second-smallest country to win the world title behind only Bulgaria, who had a surprise win the following year. In 2024, Timm led the conference in homers (61), total bases (412), and slugging (.703); earning his first MVP and Silver Slugger. In March 2027, Timm signed an eight-year, $200 million extension with the Hitmen. He won his second Slugger that season. Timm won another Slugger in 2028 and was second in MVP voting, leading in runs (126), total bases (413), and slugging (.691). Hanover finally broke through in the playoffs against a tough field. They won their first division title at 104-58, beating Rotterdam by one game, but fell one short of Nantes for the top seed. The Hitmen ended up cruising to a 4-1 Northern Conference Championship win over the Trappers. Hanover then won a seven-game classic over Munich for their first European Championship win. They were only the third franchise that began in E2L to win the EBF title to that point, joining Antwerp (2015) and Chisinau (2024). Timm was MVP of the finals and the second round series against Kharkiv. Over 17 starts, he had 18 hits, 12 runs, 2 doubles, 2 triples, 5 homers, 19 RBI, .904 OPS, 139 wRC+, and 0.7 WAR. Hanover would be one of four teams tied for second in the Baseball Grand Championship at 13-6, officially #2 via tiebreakers. Timm had 15 hits, 9 runs, 8 homers, 12 RBI, .839 OPS, 137 wRC+, and 0.7 WAR. With his leadership, the Hitmen had arrived on the big stage. Hanover won more games in 2029 at 108-54 as the top seed with Timm winning another Slugger. However, the Hitmen got upset 3-1 by Manchester in the second round. Hanover were a wild card with a second round exit the next year. In 2031-32, Timm would post the best seasons of his career, winning repeat MVPs and Silver Sluggers. Both seasons, he had 10.5 WAR and led the conference in homers, RBI, total bases, slugging, OPS, and wRC+. 2031 had Timm’s career best for OBP (.382), slugging (.768), OPS (1.150), and wRC+ (212). 2032 had his bests for runs (138), hits (209), homers (66), RBI (155), total bases (461), and batting average (.347). Timm joined the legendary Harvey Coyle and Villum Kleist as the only EBF sluggers to smack 60+ homers thrice to that point, although a few more did join them as offensive numbers rose in the 2030s. Hanover broke their own wins mark in 2031 at 119-43, the fourth-best record in all of EBF history. The Hitmen survived a 4-3 classic over 110-win Rotterdam in the conference championship, but lost the European Championship 4-1 in a rematch with Munich. Timm was MVP of the series with the Ravens and had 19 hits, 10 runs, 4 doubles, 3 homers, 8 RBI, .949 OPS, 169 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR. Hanover was one of five tied for seventh at 12-9 in the BGC with Timm getting 25 hits, 18 runs, 10 homers, 21 RBI, 1.112 OPS, 211 wRC+, and 1.1 WAR. The Hitmen were an impressive 112-50 in 2032, but lost the Northern Conference Championship 4-1 to 101-win Cologne. Timm had a shocking poor playoff run with .409 OPS and -0.1 WAR. That winter, he opted out of the remainder of his contract and spent a month in free agency at age 33. Timm ended up returning to Hanover on a new five-year, $133,600,000 deal. 2033 was Timm’s last strong year with a .985 OPS, 173 wRC+, and 7.0 WAR. Hanover got the top seed at 104-58 and took the conference final 4-3 over Dublin. The Hitmen would fall 4-2 to Lyon for the EBF title. Timm had one more strong playoff run in him with 23 hits, 11 runs, 4 doubles, 4 homers, 14 RBI, .939 OPS, 163 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR. Timm had his strongest Baseball Grand Championship and was second in MVP voting on 23 hits, 15 runs, 4 doubles, 6 homers, 13 RBI, 1.030 OPS, 186 wRC+, and 1.1 WAR. Hanover ended up fourth place at 14-7. Over three BGCs, Timm had 61 games, 63 hits, 42 runs, 7 doubles, 24 homers, 46 RBI, .281/.337/.652 slash, and 3.2 WAR. The Hitmen notably had a winning record in all three of Timm’s BGC appearances. For his playoff career, Timm had 89 starts with 100 hits, 54 runs, 15 doubles, 6 triples, 22 homers, 65 RBI, 34 steals, .287/.322/.555 slash, 142 wRC+, and 3.6 WAR. With Timm’s help, Hanover had an 11-year playoff streak, five division titles, four conference finals trips, three pennants, and one European Championship. Timm hit for his only cycle on March 31, 2034 against Kharkiv. He saw a sharp decline the rest of the year and even lost the starting job, posting a .751 OPS, 111 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR over 132 games and 94 starts. Hanover’s playoff streak ended with an 89-73. It was truly the end of the era the next season with a 76-86 record in 2035. Timm was more effective but in a pinch hitter role, starting only 10 games and playing 100 with a .856 OPS, 139 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR. He retired that winter at age 36 and immediately had his #33 uniform retired. Timm’s jersey was the first to be retired by Hanover and he was the second Hall of Famer wearing their hat, joining SP Slawomir Boguski from the class of 2036. Boguski though only played six of his 17 seasons there later in his run, but he was an important part of the dynasty run. Still, Timm was the first true superstar for the club and made the Hitmen a going concern for the first time. Timm finished with 2118 games, 2409 hits, 1495 runs, 345 doubles, 170 triples, 627 home runs, 1632 RBI, 430 walks, 1494 strikeouts, 802 steals, 4975 total bases, .315/.353/.652 slash, 1.004 OPS, 172 wRC+, ad 97.8 WAR. On the EBF leaderboard, Timm ranks 38^th in runs, 80^th in hits, 38^th in total bases, 22^nd in home runs, 26^th in RBI, 51^st in stolen bases, and 44^th in WAR among position players. Among EBF batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Timm ranks 9^th in slugging and 28^th in OPS. Among world Hall of Famers and retired locks, Timm has the 13^th best slugging and the #2 mark among EBF greats behind only Jacob Ronnberg, the overall leader at .686. Timm is also one of only 57 world HOFers and retired locks to retire with an OPS above one. Timm’s abrupt decline kept him from the totals that would’ve put him in the conversations about Europe’s top ten all-time hitters. But he was a clear inner-circle level pick to join the European Baseball Federation’s honored greats. Timm is often cited as Austria’s second-best ever hitter behind only legendary 3B Ben Springer. At a near unanimous 99.4%, Timm headlined a four-man class in 2041 for EBF. Dietrich Hoft – Closer – Barcelona Bengals – 78.2% First Ballot Dietrich Hoft was a 5’11’’, 180 pound left-handed relief pitcher from Berlin, the capital of Germany. Hoft was known for having excellent stuff and rock solid control along with above average movement. He had a strong 98-100 mph fastball along with a knuckle curve. Hoft’s stamina was good by reliever standards and he had ironman durability. He was also excellent at holding runners and decent defensively. Hoft was a high school draft pick in 2017, going late in the second round (129^th overall) to Cologne. After three years in development, Hoft debuted in 2021 at age 21. He was a part-time closer as rookie with iffy results, but earned the full-time role for the following three years. Hoft was third in Reliever of the Year voting in 2022 and 2023, then took second in 2024. In 2024, he led the conference in saves (49) and games (78), both career bests. Cologne entered the 2020s firmly in the middle-tier around or just above .500. They got a wild card in 2024, but lost in the second round with Hoft struggling to a 6.14 ERA in 7.1 innings. He lost the closer job in 2025, but got it back in 2026. Both years, Hoft had ERAs above three and the Copperheads missed the playoffs. For Cologne, Hoft had 167 saves and 176 shutdowns, a 2.71 ERA, 445 innings, 554 strikeouts, 147 ERA+, 69 FIP-, and 11.4 WAR. Hoft was also a regular for his native Germany from 2023-33 in the World Baseball Championship and occasionally was a starter. He had strong numbers in the WBC with a 14-3 record, 6 saves, 1.89 ERA, 124 innings, 184 strikeouts, 191 ERA+, 62 FIP-, and 4.3 WAR. The Germans notably had a third place finish in 2024 and fourth place runs in 2030 and 2032. With one year left under team control, Cologne traded Hoft in November 2026 to Palermo for two prospects. He had mid-relief work for the Priests with a 3.44 ERA over 65.1 innings, 89 Ks, and 0.8 WAR. Hoft became a free agent for 2028 at age 28 and signed a three-year deal worth $18 million for Barcelona. This became Hoft’s signature run and bucked the trend of veteran relievers bouncing around in the second half of their career. Barcelona was historically one of EBF’s better franchises, but they spent 2022-26 in the European Second League. They made it back to the EBF Elite in 2027 and began a seven-year playoff streak. Ultimately, the Bengals only once got beyond the second round in the streak; a conference finals defeat in 2032 to Zurich. Hoft wasn’t the closer in his first two years for the Bengals, but his production improved. He was back in the closer role in 2030 and held it the next five years with Barcelona. 2030 saw his lone Reliever of the Year award win with career bests for ERA (1.44), and WAR (4.3). Hoft matched his career-best 49 saves in 2031 and was second in ROTY voting. He signed a two-year, $14,800,000 extension after the 2030 season and then a three-year, $23,700,000 extension the following winter. Barcelona narrowly missed the playoffs in 2034, then were the conference runner-up in 2035 to Krakow. Hoft’s playoff stats were good overall over 28.2 innings with a 2.20 ERA, 5 saves, 9 shutdowns, 34 Ks, 169 ERA+, 76 FIP-, and 0.5 WAR. He remained the closer through 2034. Hoft’s velocity dipped down to the 94-96 mph range and he wasn’t used all regular season in 2035 despite being healthy. He made one postseason appearance and took a loss. With that, he retired shortly after his 36^th birthday. The Bengals were grateful enough for his role in their return to the EBF Elite that they retired Hoft’s #26 uniform. In total, Hoft had an 80-76 record, 369 saves and 408 shutdowns, 2.63 ERA, 846 games, 1031.2 innings, 1317 strikeouts, 182 walks, 146 ERA+, 67 FIP-, and 29.5 WAR. He ranks 3^rd in saves and 4^th in games in EBF. Among those with 1000+ innings, Hoft is 45^th in ERA and 12^th in K/9 (11.49). Of the EBF Hall of Fame seven closers, Hoft is fourth in WAR. The European Baseball Federation hasn’t really had any big standout closers relative to other leagues. Hoft doesn’t register in terms of dominance at all compared to some of the other Hall of Famers in world history. That said, being third in saves in a league with 90 years of history is an easy sell on its own for most voters. Hoft earned 78.2% for a first ballot nod with the four-man 2041 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)

04-08-2026, 06:29 AM	#2802
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,402	EBF Hall of Fame (Part 2) Micha “Punch” van Vugt – Left Field – Brno Bandits – 68.4% Fourth Ballot Micha van Vugt was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting left fielder from Soest, Netherlands; a town of 47,000 in the Utrecht province. Nicknamed “Punch,” van Vugt was especially tough facing right-handed pitching with a career .936 OPS and 155 wRC+. He was still respectable against lefties with a .801 OPS and 126 wRC+. Overall, van Vugt was a good contact hitter and was better than most in EBF at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Van Vugt’s power wasn’t prolific, but it was steady with 32 home runs, 29 doubles, and 4 triples per his 162 game average. His baserunning skills were quite good, but he was limited by below average speed. Van Vugt was primarily a left fielder and was a reliably strong defender who was just a notch below Gold Glove level. He also started at first base as a rookie and sporadically after with average results. He became popular both with fans and teammates for his play, work ethic, and high intelligence. Van Vugt held up mostly well over a 19-year career, but did run into some injuries in his 30s. As a teenager in January 2011, van Vugt left the Netherlands for Czechia on a developmental deal with Brno. At that point, the Bandits were in the European Second League, but they would earn promotion in 2013 and stay in the EBF Elite Tier for van Vugt’s entire career. He debuted in 2014 at age 19, but saw limited use with 88 games and ten starts in his first two years. In 2016, van Vugt earned a full-time starting job and held it for 12 years with Brno. His debut season had what would be his career bests for runs (103) and homers (48). He wasn’t dominant enough to win a Silver Slugger and never was an MVP finalist. However, van Vugt’s production was steady and reliable, getting 5+ WAR in ten seasons for the Bandits. In June 2020, he signed an eight-year, $102,800,000 extension with Brno. 2021 was van Vugt’s only season as a conference leader in any stat with 122 RBI and he hit 46 homers. 2022 would be his career best for WAR at 8.5, while 2020 had his best wRC+ at 178. 2023 had his best OPS at 1.017 and best triple slash (.323/.403/.614), although he did lose most of April to a partially torn labrum. Brno’s first-ever playoff trips came as a wild card in 2021 and 2023, but they had first and second round exits, respectively. The Bandits wouldn’t be above .500 for the next 11 years, but they were still decent enough to avoid relegation until 2034. Van Vugt missed much of 2024 between a bruised kneecap and elbow sprain, but remained steady otherwise. He hit for the cycle in 2022, 26, and 27 to join a short list of guys in EBF to do it thrice. While very popular with Bnro fans, van Vugt also had a following from Dutch fans back home. He was a regular from 2017-33 in the World Baseball Championship for the Netherlands, playing 151 games with 127 hits, 77 runs, 27 doubles, 26 home runs, 67 RBI, .250/.346/.465 slash, and 4.9 WAR. The lone playoff trip for the Dutch team with van Vugt came in 2031. With Brno, van Vugt played 1835 games with 1847 hits, 1023 runs, 360 doubles, 48 triples, 395 home runs, 1187 RBI, 703 walks, .299/.372/.565 slash, 155 wRC+, and 72.2 WAR. He would be the first Hall of Fame inductee in the Bandits’ raccoon stripes, although his #25 uniform was surprisingly never retired. It was a somewhat awkward divorce as van Vugt was traded in March 2028 to Amsterdam for two pitching prospects and a draft pick. Van Vugt had his standard production in 2028 for the Anacondas with 130 games, 29 homers, .876 OPS, 140 wRC+, and 4.7 WAR. Amsterdam struggled to 65-97 and narrowly avoided relegation, opting to let van Vugt enter free agency at age 34. He ended up signing a four-year, $74,400,000 deal with Marseille. Van Vugt was quickly frustrated though with a limited role in 2029 for the Musketeers, playing 132 games and starting only 43. His numbers were also unremarkable with a .685 OPS, 92 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR. That winter, van Vugt was traded to Cluj-Napoca along with a prospect for pitcher Bodgan Zientara. The Paladins had just gotten promoted back to the EBF Elite for 2030. Van Vugt had a solid 34 homer, .845 OPS, 141 wRC+, 5.4 WAR debut for Cluj-Napoca. The Paladins made an immediate impact with an East Division title at 99-63. Cluj-Napoca then shocked 114-win Munich 4-3 to win their first-ever Southern Conference Championship. They ultimately fell 4-2 to Berlin in the European Championship. In the playoffs, van Vugt was excellent over 17 starts with 17 hits, 15 runs, 3 doubles, 7 homers, 11 RBI, 1.022 OPS, 187 wRC+, and 1.1 WAR. He had a solid showing in the Baseball Grand Championship with 16 hits, 9 runs, 3 doubles, 4 homers, 6 RBI, .892 OPS, 147 wRC+, and 0.7 WAR. Cluj-Napoca tied for fifth at 12-9, a remarkable turnaround for a franchise that was in E2L the prior year. Van Vugt had another nice effort in 2031 and the Paladins finished 102-60, a franchise-best. However, they were a wild card thanks to 113-win Ljubljana and ended up losing in the second round with a weak showing by van Vugt. 2031 was notable as van Vugt hit for the cycle in May against Nantes. He became the first in EBF history to earn the cycle four times in a career. In April 2032, van Vugt suffered a concussion that kept him out three months. He made it back for the summer and crossed the 500 home run and 1500 RBI milestones, although his overall production dipped with a .780 OPS, 124 wRC+, and 1.8 WAR. In three seasons for Cluj-Napoca, van Vugt had 382 games, 356 hits, 200 runs, 60 doubles, 69 homers, 207 RBI, .272/.339/.488 slash, 137 wRC+, and 11.3 WAR. Paladin fans do remember him fondly for his brief tenure and role in their first pennant. That was the end of van Vugt’s EBF career as none were interested in him for 2033. He wanted to still play somewhere and ended up in Belarus with Eurasian Professional Baseball’s Minsk Miners on a two-year, $9,860,000 deal. Knee troubles and other injuries kept van Vugt to 72 games in 2033, plus he struggled with a .628 OPS, 82 wRC+, and 0.4 WAR. Minsk got the second wild card at 84-78, but made a surprise run to the EPB Championship with an upset win over 107-win Ufa. In the playoffs, van Vugt had a decent run in 16 starts with 14 hits, 8 runs, 5 homers, .784 OPS, 117 wRC+, and 0.4 WAR. The Miners took last in the BGC at 5-16, but van Vugt was steady with 17 hits, 10 runs, 5 doubles, 4 homers, 11 RBI, .854 OPS, 136 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR. Van Vugt didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the second year of his deal with Minsk and was a free agent for 2034. He went unsigned all year and finally retired at age 40. For his EBF run, van Vugt had 2479 games, 2377 hits, 1325 runs, 452 doubles, 61 triples, 501 home runs, 1509 RBI, 903 walks, 1210 strikeouts, 219 steals, .291/.363/.546 slash, 150 wRC+, and 89.0 WAR. Van Vugt ranks 36^th in games, 76^th in runs, 89^th in hits, 74^th in total bases (4454), 29^th in doubles, 64^th in home runs, 44^th in RBI, 37^th in walks, and 66^th in WAR for position players. His longevity and consistency got him some well-rounded accumulations, but nothing jaw-dropping. The vast majority of eligible guys in the European Baseball Federation Hall of Fame with 500+ homers and nearly 90 WAR had been inducted, but not all. Working against van Vugt was the lack of black ink and individual accolades. He also spent his best years on a middling small-market franchise, although the pennant run near the end with Cluj-Napoca was a nice boost. Voters found van Vugt borderline initially with 49.1% and 52.1% on his first two ballots. He got a big boost in 2040 to 65.9%, but missed the 66% threshold by the slimmest possible margin. Van Vugt needed to win over basically one guy to get across the line in 2041 and got that plus a little cushion at 68.4%, earning a fourth ballot nod as part of a four-man class. Isak Alsaker – Starting Pitcher – Antwerp Airedales – 66.7% Sixth Ballot Isak Alsaker was a 6’0’’, 175 pound left-handed pitcher from Oslo, the capital of Norway. Alsaker thrived with excellent stuff, which covered for his merely above average at best control and movement. His velocity peaked at 98-100 mph with a five pitch arsenal of fastball, curveball, screwball, changeup, and cutter. All five options were good, but the cutter and curve were especially potent, leading to an extreme groundball tendency. Alsaker’s stamina was solid compared to most EBF starters, but he had injury issues over a 14 year career. Back trouble was omnipresent and he ran into elbow troubles. Alsaker was good at holding runners, but otherwise weak defensively. Many teammates viewed him as a selfish loner who wasn’t a team player. Still, Alsaker’s raw stuff couldn’t be ignored, especially as a lefty. He left Norway as a teenager in January 2011 for Belgium on a developmental deal with Antwerp. Alsaker spent most of six years in their academy apart from a lone start in 2016. He was a part-time starter in 2017 with good results, just pitching enough innings to earn the ERA title at 2.41. Alsaker wasn’t used in the playoffs as the Airedales were a wild card with a first round loss. Antwerp had seen success just before Alsaker’s call up. They were promoted from the European Second League for 2012 and won the EBF title in 2015. They would retreat into the lower-middle tier as Alsaker emerged as a starter. The Airedales had one more playoff trip in 2021, a wild card and second round exit. They posted a losing record for the next few years after that. Alsaker was a full-time starter beginning in 2018, but that fall he suffered ulnar nerve entrapment. In 2020, a herniated disc knocked him out the final two months. Alsaker was a solid starter when healthy and broke out with his lone Pitcher of the Year win in 2023. He was the leader in ERA (2.17), innings (256.2), WHIP (0.85), and quality starts (26). Those would be qualifying career bests. Especially with that big season, Alsaker made it clear to Antwerp management that he wanted to get paid big money. The Airedales had him for one more year, but knew he would command a big free agent salary that they didn’t want to match or couldn’t match. In January 2024, Alsaker was traded to Rotterdam for two prospects and a fifth round draft pick. Both 2B Christopher Rioux and CF Daniel Marras ended up as reliable starters for several years for Antwerp. Alsaker ended with a 91-63 record, 2.80 ERA, 1439.1 innings, 1521 strikeouts, 305 walks, 136 ERA+, 84 FIP-, and 29.8 WAR. Despite some tension, the Airedales would later retire his #27 uniform. The Ravens were coming off a 110-52 season where they lost to 114-win Dublin in the Northern Conference Championship. They hoped that Alsaker could get them over that hump and were open to a long-term deal with him. He took third in Pitcher of the Year voting with career and conference-bests for WAR (6.8) and FIP- (60). Alsaker might have gotten the top prize, but he suffered a partially torn UCL at the end of August, missing the playoff run. Rotterdam was again a division champ at 101-61, but again lost to the Dinos dynasty in the conference final. Alsaker had a 2.68 ERA, 12-8 record, 208.1 innings, and 255 Ks. Alsaker still wanted big free agency money and Rotterdam was leery of a long-term deal off a major injury. He was a free agent at age 30 and powerhouse Dublin gave him a six-year, $135 million deal. Alsaker avoided future arm issues with the Dinos, but did lose a few starts several years to back troubles. He also generally wasn’t elite in five years in Ireland, putting up merely above average stats. Alsaker had a 63-52 record, 3.60 ERA, 10411 innings, 1075 strikeouts, 316 walks, 108 ERA+, 98 FIP-, and 13.6 WAR. Dublin’s 2020s dynasty ended just before he arrived. The Dinos had two more division titles in 2025-26, but couldn’t advance beyond the second round either year. Dublin spent the next six seasons out of the playoffs as they rebuilt for another later dominant run in the 2030s. They bought out the sixth year of Alsaker’s contract, sending him to free agency at age 35. Alsaker signed with Zagreb (the defending Southern Conference champ) in 2030 on a one-year, $5,600,000 deal; making a less than a quarter of the peak Dublin salary. He had a nice showing with 5.2 WAR over 221 innings, a 13-7 record, 3.67 ERA, 243 Ks, 103 ERA+, and 79 FIP-. The Gulls got a wild card with a second round exit. Alsaker’s limited playoff experience saw a 2.91 ERA over 34 innings, 2-3 record, 35 Ks, and 0.3 WAR. He also pitched twice for Norway in the World Baseball Championship in 2017-18 with a 4.64 ERA in 21.1 innings. After the 2030 season, Alsaker decided to retire just after his 36^th birthday. He finished with a 179-130 record, 3.14 ERA, 2910 innings, 3094 strikeouts, 719 walks, 239/369 quality starts, 122 ERA+, 87 FIP-, and 55.4 WAR. Alsaker ranks 92^nd in wins and 60^th in strikeouts, but misses the top 100 for pitching WAR. The lower inning count keeps him from higher spots on the leaderboards, although his rate stats were comparable to some of the lower-end starters inducted previously into the European Baseball Federation’s Hall of Fame. Alsaker had a Pitcher of the Year award and two ERA titles in his favor. However, he wasn’t a beloved team figure and wasn’t part of any playoff runs. Alsaker’s resume was definitely borderline and his initial ballots saw 48.7%, 55.9%, and 47.3%. He got a jump to 58.5% in 2039, but dropped back to 51.3% in 2040. For whatever reason in 2041, Alsaker saw another big jump to 66.7%, narrowly breaching the 66% requirement. With that, he was a sixth ballot selection to round out a four-man 2041 class in EBF. Alsaker was also the first inducted with Antwerp as his primary team __________________ 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)

04-09-2026, 11:09 AM	#2803
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,402	2041 EPB Hall of Fame (Part 1) Three made it into Eurasian Professional Baseball’s Hall of Fame for 2041. Former Krasnoyarsk teammates 1B/DH Timofei Kalinin and LF Yuri Lukashov both got first ballot nods at 78.4% and 74.8%, respectively. CF Roman Sheshukov on his third try just breached the 66% requirement at 69.5% to join then. SP Tagir Jumayev narrowly missed at 64.2% on his second go. Two other returners were above 50% with 2B Gleb Korelin getting 58.5% in his sixth ballot and LF Brandon Chunchignorov at 53.2% for his fourth attempt. Dropped after ten failed ballots was SP Grigory Krutov, who peaked at 33.1% in 2033 and ended at 14.2%. He played almost all of his EPB run with Ufa, helping them to the 2015 title. Krutov was also a three-time Pitcher of the Year finalist, but never won the top honor. He had a 156-85 record, 2.48 ERA, 2280.2 innings, 2243 strikeouts, 434 walks, 131 ERA+, 77 FIP-, and 56.7 WAR. Injuries ultimately ended Krutov’s full-time starting career at age 31 and kept him from the tallies needed to make it in, as his trajectory was certainly on track. 1B Gansukh Byambasuren also notably fell below 5% on his ninth ballot and peaked at 29.7%. He had a 14-year career primarily with Vladivostok and won five Silver Sluggers, one Gold Glove, and an MVP. Byambasuren played 2056 games with 2039 hits, 980 runs, 312 doubles, 457 home runs, 1206 RBI, .268/.318/.500 slash, 141 wRC+, and 58.0 WAR. He dropped off noticeably in his early 30s, keeping him from hitting a couple of milestones that might have gotten him across the line. Timofei Kalinin – Designated Hitter/First Base – Krasnoyarsk Cossacks – 78.4% First Ballot Timofei Kalinin was a 6’5’’, 200 pound left-handed designated hitter and first baseman from the capital of Russia, Moscow. Kalinin was a solid contact hitter with reliably strong home run and gap power facing right-handed pitching. He had 36 home runs, 31 doubles, and 3 triples per his 162 game average. Kalinin had a career .917 OPS and 162 wRC+ against righties compared to a more middling 104 wRC+ and .695 facing lefties. On the whole, he was also subpar for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Kalinin was also a very slow baserunner and sluggish athlete overall. 2/3 of his career starts came as a designated hitter. Kalinin spent some time at first base and right field, but was terrible defensively in both spots. He had some knee issues, but being a DH helped Kalinin hang around 18 years. Kalinin joined Krasnoyarsk on a developmental deal in December 2013 and spent a bit over four years in their academy. He debuted in 2018 with 75 games and 16 starts with okay results. That year, the Cossacks were a 93-69 wild card, one behind Ufa for first place. Krasnoyarsk upset the Fiends 4-3 in the Asian League Championship Series, then knocked off Krasnodar 4-2 to claim the EPB Championship. For Kalinin, he was used as a pinch hitter in the playoff run. He made three starts and played 13 games in the Baseball Grand Championship, going 6-20 with five homers and 9 RBI. Krasnoyarsk went 9-10 in the event, but it showed Kalinin’s potential as a top flight slugger. Kalinin was rostered full-time in 2019 and a part-time starter. He was then a full-time starter from 2020 through 2034 for the Cossacks 2018 started an 11-yearplayoff streak for Krasnoyarsk with Kalinin as a key fixture. He first was a league leader with 39 doubles in 2020. Although the playoff streak continued, they couldn’t get over the hump from 2019-22; thrice falling in the ALCS. The biggest letdown was 2020, falling to 99-win Chelyabinsk despite the Cossacks’ remarkable 116-46 record. Kalinin’s big breakout was 2023, winning MVP and leading with career bests for runs (120), homers (50), total bases (367), slugging (.622), OPS (.961), and wRC+ (179). Kalinin also saw his best WAR at 7.5 and his first Silver Slugger as a DH. That year, Krasnoyarsk got the top seed at 103-59 and won the ALCS against Yekaterinburg in a seven game classic. The Cossacks were denied the EPB title though by Volgograd, also in seven games. Kalinin had 18 hits, 13 runs, 3 doubles, 5 homers, 12 RBI, and 1.0 WAR in the playoff run. He was also generally popular with Russian fans as a regular in the World Baseball Championship from 2021-28. Kalinin played 71 games but started only 51 with 46 hits, 33 runs, 7 doubles, 15 home runs, 27 RBI, .234/.303/.508 slash, and 1.3 WAR. In 2024, Kalinin led in doubles again. Krasnoyarsk won a weak East Division at 87-75 and got to the ALCS again, falling in a rematch with the Yaks. In April 2025, Kalinin signed a five-year, $53,800,000 extension with the Cossacks. He was All-Star Game MVP, then won league MVP and another Silver Slugger with 46 homers, 119 RBI, .917 OPS, and 6.6 WAR. Krasnoyarsk had the top seed by far at 101-61 and won their third pennant of the playoff streak. The Cossacks topped Perm 4-2 in the ALCS and swept Moscow to claim the franchise’s fourth EPB title. Kalinin was the ALCS MVP and had 13 hits, 8 runs, 5 homer, 13 RBI, and 0.6 WAR in the playoffs. He only played two BGC games due to a sprained knee and Krasnoyarsk finished 8-11. Kalinin’s positive efforts in the championship runs are best remembered, but his overall playoff stats were actually shockingly poor. In 94 games and 85 starts, Kalinin had 58 hits, 37 runs, 12 doubles, 16 homers, 47 RBI, 90 strikeouts, .178/.219/.363 slash, 68 wRC+, and 0.2 WAR. He was especially bad in the last three seasons of the streak. Krasnoyarsk had an ALCS loss in 2026 to Yekaterinburg and first round exits the next two years. The Cossacks then began an 11-year playoff drought and mostly hovered just below .500. Some critics say Krasnoyarsk underperformed during the 11-year playoff streak and criticize Kalinin’s overall numbers. Most though are happy with two EPB titles and three pennants over a decade. Kalinin led the league once more in homers with 46 in 2028 but was done as an awards contender. In July 2030, he signed a five-year, $66,000,000 extension. Kalinin was still popular in later years and crossed the 550 home run, 1500 RBI, and 2500 hit milestones. He was still productive, but not dominant into his mid 30s. Kalinin finally lost the starting job in 2035 and only played 77 games with 26 starts that year. He retired that winter at age 38 and immediately had his #32 uniform retired for his 18 seasons of service. In total, Kalinin had 2548 games, 2573 hits, 1315 runs, 495 doubles, 40 triples, 570 home runs, 1568 RBI, 569 walks, 2130 strikeouts, .284/.329/.536 slash, 148 wRC+, and 68.3 WAR. Kalinin ranks 39^th in games, 23^rd in runs, 33^rd in hits, 14^th in total bases (4858), 5^th in doubles, 17^th in homers, 11^th in RBI, and 69^th in strikeouts. Largely due to being a primary DH, Kalinin ranks only 96^th in WAR for position players. Among EPB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, he is 35^th in slugging and his .865 OPS is 44^th. Most Hall of Fame voters were sold on Kalinin as a top 25 guy in the big counting stats, a two-time MVP, and an EPB champion. Those generally critical of career DHs shunned Kalinin, but that was a small minority. He received 78.4% for the first ballot nod, co-headlining the three-man 2041 class for Eurasian Professional Baseball. __________________ 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)

04-10-2026, 08:45 AM	#2804
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,402	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)

04-11-2026, 05:09 AM	#2805
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,402	2041 OBA Hall of Fame 2B/DH Pat Nicholson stood alone for induction into the Oceania Baseball Association Hall of Fame in 2041, receiving the first ballot nod at 77.0%. Two returners were at 55.5% with SP Les Mansell on his third try and CL Kion Young on his second. No one else was above 50%. Dropped after ten failed ballots was SP Matu Tilimaka, who peaked at 18.9% and ended at 9.5%. He had a 16-year journeyman career with six teams with a 209-211 record, 3.96 ERA, 3837.1 innings, 3411 strikeouts, 909 walks, 95 ERA+, 100 FIP-, and 49.1 WAR. Tilimaka’s longevity got him to 29^th in wins, 13^th in innings, and 32^nd in strikeouts. However, he’s only 78^th in pitching WAR and 2^nd in losses. Voters quickly dismissed Tilimaka as a compiler, but he still could be plenty proud of his effort. Pat “Skip” Nicholson – Second Base/Designated Hitter – Port Moresby Mud Hens – 77.0% First Ballot Pat Nicholson was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting infielder from Sydney, Australia. He was affectionately nicknamed “Skip” by teammates for his sparkplug attitude and energy. Nicholson was known for his scrappy work ethic, high intelligence, loyalty, and adaptability. He had plenty of natural talent though and specifically was a great contact hitter with steady power. Nicholson’s 162 game average got you 30 home runs, 29 doubles, and 3 triples. Nicholson’s best success came facing right-handed pitching (.887 OPS, 149 wRC+) but he was still positive facing lefties (.772 OPS, 121 wRC+). Relative to other OBA bats, he was fairly middling for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Nicholson was also a mediocre baserunner, but you could do worse. Around 2/3 of Nicholson’s starts came at second base. Despite his energy and effort, he was an abysmal defender there. He made some starts at first base with decent results and also saw some use as a designated hitter. Nicholson held up fairly decently over a 17-year run. As a teenager in January 2014, he left Australia for Papua New Guinea on a developmental deal with Port Moresby. Nicholson officially debuted in 2017 at age 20, but he saw limited use initially. From 2017-20, he played 154 games and started only 52 with unremarkable results. Nicholson saw a part-time starter role in 2021 and got the full-time gig in 2022, although he missed the second half of that season to a partially torn labrum. He was the full-time starter then from 2023-33 for the Mud Hens. In 2023, Nicholson won a Silver Slugger and took third in MVP voting, leading the Pacific League in RBI (130), batting average (.347), and OBP (.397). Port Moresby ended a 37-year title drought, winning the PL crown at 102-60. The Mud Hens defeated Christchurch 4-2 to win the Oceania Championship, ultimately beginning a dynasty run for Port Moresby. Nicholson was 8-21 in the series with five runs, 3 homers, six RBI, and a 1.315 OPS. In the Baseball Grand Championship, he got 19 hits, 11 runs, 7 doubles, 5 homers, 9 RBI, .849 OPS, 138 wRC+, and 0.7 WAR. PM finished 8-11 in the event, but knew they had something with Nicholson. That August, they gave him a four-year, $78 million extension. 2023 was also his first World Baseball Championship for Australia, although he was generally a backup. From 2023-30, he played 45 games and started 24 with a .775 OPS and 0.7 WAR. 2024 was Nicholson’s best year with another Silver Slugger and a second place in MVP voting, leading the PL in hits (210), doubles (40), RBI (131), and batting average (.355). Those were all career bests, as was his 113 runs, 44 homers, .662 slugging, 1.057 OPS, 197 wRC+, and 9.0 WAR. Port Moresby repeated as PL champ at 103-59 and repeated as OBA champ 4-3 over Sydney. Nicholson had a surprisingly poor series with a .246 OPS and -0.4 WAR, but he was excellent in the BGC with 19 hits, 13 runs, 3 doubles, 7 homers, 13 RBI, 1.027 OPS, 193 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR. The Mud Hens finished 10-9 in a tie for eighth. Nicholson’s production dipped a bit the next two years, although he was still a solid starter and won another Silver Slugger in 2026 despite losing more than a month to torn ankle ligaments. Port Moresby made it a four-peat in the Pacific League, going 108-54 in 2025 and 119-43 in 2026. They were denied in the 2025 Oceania Championship 4-2 by Sydney, but defeated Christchurch in 2026. Nicholson was good in the former and mediocre in the latter. In the 2026 BGC, he was excellent with 21 hits, 17 runs, 5 doubles, 10 homers, 20 RBI, 1.133 OPS, 219 wRC+, and 1.7 WAR. Port Moresby was one of six teams tied for the third most wins at 12-7, but officially was eighth after tiebreakers were sorted. In April 2027, Nicholson cashed in with a hefty seven-year, $155 million extension with the Mud Hens. Nicholson returned to strong form and was third in MVP voting in both 2027 and 2028. Both seasons, he led in doubles, RBI, and total bases. Port Moresby was 106-56 in 2027, joining 1997-2001 Guam as the only teams to win five consecutive Pacific League titles. The Mud Hens won their fourth OBA title in five years in a seven game classic with Canberra. Port Moresby’s dynasty was the third in OBA history to win four titles in a five year stretch, joining Melbourne (six titles from 2004-10) and Honolulu (seven from 1982-90). It was a merely decent finals for Nicholson, but he again stepped up in the BGC with 17 hits, 11 runs, 4 doubles, 7 homers, 10 RBI, .925 OPS, 171 wRC+, and 1.0 WAR. However, the Mud Hens struggled to 6-13 in the event. They were still competitive in 2028 at 94-68, but Honolulu ran away with the PL crown at 110-52. The dynasty wasn’t done yet though with a pennant in 2029 at 93-69 for PM, edging out the Honu and Fiji both by four games. In their third meeting of the 2020s with Sydney, the Snakes were 4-1 victors. Nicholson’s production was no longer award-winning or league-leading from 2029-onward, but he was still good for 3+ WAR each year from 2029-31. Port Moresby took third in 2030 at 87-75, then began a rebuild with losing seasons in 2031-32. The latter was the first time Nicholson posted below average batting stats with a 93 wRC+ and 1.0 WAR. He and the Mud Hens saw resurgence in 2023. Nicholson missed much of the first half to a partially torn labrum, but finished strong with a .850 OPS, 142 wRC+, and 2.9 WAR over 95 games. Port Moresby finished 102-60 for the seventh PL title of Nicholson’s tenure and he’d earn his fifth OBA ring in a seven-game triumph over Brisbane. Nicholson had a decent series, but his Oceania Championship stats were underwhelming overall. In 44 games, he had 44 hits, 23 runs, 5 doubles, 7 home runs, 21 RBI, .263/.317/.419 slash, 104 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR. Still, he was a key reason Port Moresby was a top contender for a decade. Despite those unremarkable stats, Nicholson yet again had a strong Baseball Grand Championship showing. In 2033, he had 20 hits, 11 runs, 4 doubles, 5 homers, 8 RBI, .294/.385/.574 slash, 171 wRC+, and 1.0 WAR. Port Moresby finished 9-12 in the event. These were Nicholson’s final games in the red and gold, as he didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the final season of his deal. With Port Moresby, Nicholson played 1955 games with 2086 hits, 1029 runs, 368 doubles, 35 triples, 378 home runs, 1174 RBI, .300/.342/.526 slash, 145 wRC+, and 52.5 WAR. Unsurprisingly, Skip had his #22 uniform retired shortly thereafter. However, he entered 2034 as a free agent for the first time heading toward age 37. Nicholson ended up signing a three-year, $13 million deal with Samoa. Nicholson struggled in 2034 with .655 OPS, 78 wRC+, and -0.4 WAR over 126 games and 95 starts. He was relegated mostly to a pinch hit role in 2035, although he had better luck in that small sample size with a 126 wRC+, .824 OPS, and 0.7 WAR. Samoa took fourth in 2034 at 91-71, then finished 100-62 in 2035 for their first Pacific League title since 2018. The Sun Sox fell 4-3 to Hobart in the Oceania Championship and Nicholson struggled to 2-13 in the series. Still, he ranks 6^th in playoff games (49), 5^th in hits (46), 8^th in runs (23), 15^th in homers (7), and 10^th in RBI (21) in OBA playoff history. Samoa earned an at-large into the BGC and went 9-12. Nicholson only had three pinch-hit appearances, although he did hit a two-run homer. For his BGC career, Nicholson played 99 games with 97 hits, 64 runs, 23 doubles, 35 home runs, 62 RBI, .272/.349/.636 slash, and 5.6 WAR. He ranks 23^rd in games, 17^th in runs, 15^th in hits, 13^th in total bases (227), 2^nd in doubles, 15^th in homers, 25^th in RBI, and 9^th in WAR for position players. Of the 24 players with 400+ plate appearances in the Baseball Grand Championship, Nicholson’s .985 OPS is 5^th. Nicholson didn’t meet the criteria for the third year of the Samoa deal, finishing the run with 195 games, 118 starts, 120 hits, 57 runs,14 doubles, 23 homers, 69 RBI, .240/.281/.415 slash, 90 wRC+, and 0.2 WAR. The 2035 BGC ended up the final action of his career. Nicholson did hope to play in 2036, but went unsigned all year and finally retired in the winter at age 39. In total, Nicholson played 2150 games with 2206 hits, 1086 runs, 382 doubles, 37 triples, 401 home runs, 1243 RBI, 491 walks, 1388 strikeouts, .296/.338/.519 slash, 141 wRC+, and 52.7 WAR. Nicholson ranks 70^th in games, 72^nd in runs, 61^st in hits, 64^th in total bases (3865), 46^th in doubles, 60^th in homers, and 42^nd in RBI. He misses the top 100 for WAR among position players, losing ground between relatively few games played and his abysmal defense. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Nicholson’s triple slash ranked 65^th/88^th/81^st and his .857 OPS was 79^th. By raw tallies out of context, Nicholson may seem more suited for a Hall of Pretty Good spot than the Hall of Fame. However, Nicholson was a legitimate MVP candidate in multiple seasons in his prime and was a league leader in several stats, including four times in RBI and twice for batting average. He was also a key starter in one of the Oceania Baseball Association’s top dynasty runs. Even supporters agree Nicholson isn’t an inner-circle guy, but the majority felt he was a first ballot choice. He received 77.0% and stood alone for induction in 2041. __________________ 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)

04-12-2026, 08:44 AM	#2806
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,402	2041 APB Hall of Fame (Part 1) Three starting pitchers were added into Austronesia Professional Baseball’s Hall of Fame for 2041. First ballot nods went to Je-Chang Yang at 85.0% and Ferry Iilang at 72.8%. Patrick Chen joined them with 71.9% on his third ballot. Two other SPs barely missed the 66% cut with Kuo-Chen Kao at 63.4% for his seventh try and Moch Kopriyana at 62.8% on his debut. The only batter above 50% was C Fandi Makatindu at 50.9% in his second ballot. No players were dropped after ten failed tries in 2041. Je-Chang “Terror” Yang – Starting Pitcher – Taichung Toucans – 85.0% First Ballot Je-Chang Yang was a 6’5’’, 205 pound left-handed pitcher Shulin, Taiwan; an inner-city district of New Taipei City with around 180,000 people. Nicknamed “Terror,” Yang used great control and movement to thrive along with above average stuff. His velocity peaked in the 95-97 mph range with an arsenal of cutter, slider, curveball, and changeup. Yang’s stamina was generally solid relative to other APB aces. His durability was great prior to suffering a major injury at age 34. Yang was decent at holding runners, but poor defensively otherwise. He was considered a bit greedy, but also quite loyal to those around him. Yang got plenty of hype coming out of Qiangshu High School, as tall lefties always make scouts drool. He was the #2 pick in the 2018 APB Draft by Kaohsiung, but declined their offer and joined National Taiwan University. After a stellar college career, Yang was the #1 overall pick in 2021 by Taichung and signed a five-year, $19,350,000 major league deal right away. He was immediately a full-time starter worth 5+ WAR in each of his first five seasons. Yang was second in 2022’s Rookie of the Year voting, third in 2023’s Pitcher of the Year voting, and second in 2025’s POTY. Yang led in wins in 2026 and 2028, posting a career-best 22-8 record in 2028. 2025 was his best ERA at 1.45, although he missed the ERA title by four points. It wasn’t the easiest to get noticed in Taichung at this point, as they had a playoff drought back to 1987. With Yang’s arrival, the Toucans were at least mostly above or around .500 after some putrid seasons just before his debut. 2029 was Yang’s last year under team control with Taichung and they weren’t confident they would be able to re-sign him. That winter, the Toucans traded him to Taoyuan for three prospects. One of them, SS Kuo Peng, went onto be a ten-year starter for them with a reliable glove. For the Tsunami, they had also been stuck in the middle-tier in the last few years and hoped to make a run. The bet paid off with a 98-64 finish and the top seed in the Taiwan-Philippine Association. Yang had a 20-6 record, 2.41 ERA, 246.1 innings, 288 Ks, and 8.0 WAR. He stepped up huge in the postseason though with an 0.82 ERA over 33 innings, 2-1 record, 37 Ks, and 1.6 WAR. Taoyuan beat Quezon for the TPA title and won the Austronesia Championship 4-1 over Batam; their first APB title since 2008. Yang had a solid run in the Baseball Grand Championship with a 4-1 record in 41 innings, 2.20 ERA, 46 Ks, and 1.1 WAR. The Tsunami ended up 10-11 in the event. Yang ended up as a rental for them, but you can’t argue with the result of winning a league championship. Taoyuan did negotiate with him, but Yang was excited to see what he could get in free agency heading into his age 30 season. At this point, he already had national attention pitching for Taiwan in the World Baseball Championship. His numbers weren’t exceptional from 2024-33 with 110.1 innings, 6-3 record, 3.43 ERA, 149 Ks, and 1.5 WAR. Taiwan’s deepest run came in 2029 as runner-up to Pakistan, although Yang was used in a limited relief role that year. Yang didn’t sign until March 1, 2030, but he ended up going back to Taichung on a three-year, $72 million deal. The Toucans earned a playoff trip the year he was gone and earned the top seed upon his return at 98-64. Yang posted a 1.72 ERA and 7.8 WAR effort. He injured his heel in his one playoff start and the Toucans were upset in the divisional round by Manila. They stayed in the mix the next two years, but fell just short of the playoffs both years. Between stints with Taichung, Yang had a 164-97 record, 2.31 ERA, 2529.1 innings, 2642 strikeouts, 314 walks, 125 ERA+, 71 FIP-, and 69.5 WAR. His #37 uniform would eventually be retired by the Toucans for his decade of work. Once his deal was up, he was back to free agency for 2033 heading towards age 33. Taoyuan brought him in for a second stint on a five-year, $88,600,000 deal. Yang took third in 2033’s Pitcher of the Year voting and the Tsunami got a wild card, although they were a one-and-done. After a solid return, Yang saw a velocity drop down to 92-94 mph by the start of 2034. His stuff had diminished noticeably, but he still had firm control of his arsenal. Yang had lackluster results over 91.1 innings, then suffered a devastating rotator cuff tear in late June. Yang tried to make a comeback but he had trouble getting his velocity beyond the mid 80s. He made one start in 2035 with poor results and retired in the winter at age 35. Between Taoyuan stints, Yang had a 38-24 record, 2.60 ERA, 605 innings, 598 strikeouts, 120 ERA+, 75 FIP-, and 15.4 WAR. Overall, Yang had a 202-121 record, 2.37 ERA, 3134.1 innings, 3240 strikeouts, 390 walks, 291/386 quality starts, 150 complete games, 41 shutouts, 124 ERA+, 72 FIP-, and 85.0 WAR. Yang ranks 31^st in wins, 60^th in innings, 62^nd in strikeouts, 39^th in complete games, 41^st in shutouts, and 29^th in pitching WAR. Even though he never won Pitcher of the Year, Yang was a finalist multiple times and put together nice tallies. His dominant playoff run with Taoyuan’s 2029 title really solidified his case as well. Yang isn’t an inner-circle type Hall of Famer, but the voters felt he was a firm first ballot guy. At 85.0%, he headlined a three-pitcher 2041 class for Austronesia Professional Baseball. __________________ 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)

04-13-2026, 06:26 AM	#2807
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,402	2041 APB Hall of Fame (Part 2) Ferry Iilang – Starting Pitcher – Kuala Lumpur Leopards – 72.8% First Ballot Ferry Iilang was a 5’9’’, 180 pound left-handed pitcher from the capital of Indonesia, Jakarta. Iilang wasn’t exceptional at any one thing, but he was reliably above average-to-good for stuff, movement, and control. His velocity peaked in the 94-96 mph range with an arsenal of fastball, curveball, changeup, and circle change. Iilang’s curveball was generally his most dynamic pitch for drawing whiffs and weak grounders. Iilang’s stamina was fairly average as APB aces go. He had a 17-year career and had some injuries in his 30s, but he generally avoided big ailments earlier in his career. Iilang had good grades for holding runners and defense. Perhaps Iilang’s biggest strength was his character, as he was a team captain with high marks for leadership and work ethic. He got plenty of attention playing collegiately in Jakarta and was picked sixth overall by Kuala Lumpur in the 2017 APB Draft. Iilang was used as a part-time starter as a rookie with lackluster results. He was a full-timer in 2019 with much better metrics, tying for the Sundaland Association lead for shutouts with five. One of them was a no-hitter on June 15 with nine strikeouts and a walk against Pekanbaru. Iilang was back to only a part-time role in 2020, but he became a full-time starter after that for the rest of his run with Kuala Lumpur. 2022 was his only time leading a major stat with the most wins (20) and quality starts (30). In 2021, he had his second no-hitter with 11 Ks and two walks facing Batam on September 26. Iilang had generally steady production with the Leopards, but was never a Pitcher of the Year finalist. Kuala Lumpur was stick in the middle-tier during Iilang’s run. They were rarely outright bad, averaging 79.4 wins per season in his tenure. However, they made the playoffs only once in 2021, losing in the Sundaland Association Championship to Palembang. Iilang took the loss in his one start but didn’t get support, allowing three runs (one earned) over seven innings. He did also play for his native Indonesia in the 2022-23 World Baseball Championship with a 4-0 record, 2.54 ERA, 39 innings, 38 Ks, and 0.7 WAR. The Indonesians notably were a playoff team both of those years, but failed to advance to the final four. Kuala Lumpur gave Iilang a five-year, $40,460,000 extension after the 2022 season. They let him go to free agency once that was up after the 2027 campaign. Iilang finished with a 130-104 record, 2.21 ERA, 2194.1 innings, 2296 strikeouts, 436 walks, 114 ERA+, 88 FIP-, and 40.4 WAR. The Leopards organization appreciated his efforts enough to retire his #22 uniform at the end of his career. Coming up on age 32, Iilang signed in 2028 to a three-year, $18,500,000 deal with Surabaya. His 2028 effort saw his career best WAR of 6.2 and a 1.64 ERA, behind only his 1.61 from 2025 with KL. Like with the Leopards, the Sunbirds were stuck in the middle-tier during Iilang’s tenure. He ended up with a 37-26 record, 2.03 ERA, 641.1 innings, 641 Ks, 118 ERA+, 86 FIP-, and 12.0 WAR over two-and-a-half seasons. Iilang got off to a weaker start in 2030 and Surabaya traded him in July to Pekanbaru for three prospects. He was excellent in the final stretch for the Palms with a 1.11 ERA and 3.1 WAR over 130 innings. Pekanbaru won the Malacca League by one game at 95-67 and took Jakarta to the limit, but fell 4-3 in the association championship. Iilang notably had an impressive playoff run, allowing one run over 17.2 innings with 17 Ks. That finish did boost his stock up a bit as a 35-year old free agent for 2031, signing a four-year, $28,700,000 deal with Makassar. The Maroon Giants were one of the 2029 expansion franchises and were terrible in their first decade. A hamstring strain limited Iilang in 2031 and he was traded in mid-2032, finishing the Makassar tenure with an 8-13 record, 2.76 ERA, 195.1 innings, 185 Ks, 102 ERA+, 83 FIP-, and 3.9 WAR. He was sent in June 2032 to Depok for two infielders, one veteran and one prospect. Forearm inflammation would knock Iilang out in the final months, missing the playoff run. The Demons notably ended a 31-year playoff drought, but dropped the association finals to Bandung. Iilang had merely okay production in 2033 and missed the final months to an elbow strain. With Depok, he had a 13-9 record, 2.84 ERA, 205.2 innings, 200 Ks, 98 ERA+, 93 FIP-, and 3.3 WAR. Now 38, Iilang went to Semarang in 2034 but saw limited use, struggling to -0.4 WAR over 27 innings. He did pitch two scoreless innings in the playoffs, but the Sliders lost in the first round. Iilang went back to Pekanbaru in 2035 and had 0.5 WAR and a 1.63 ERA over 49.2 innings. An elbow strain limited him in the summer, but he was not viewed as more than filler by this point. Iilang retireed in the winter at age 39. Iilang finished with a 203-158 record, 2.21 ERA, 3443.1 innings, 3506 strikeouts, 671 walks, 329/439 quality starts, 111 complete games, 40 shutouts, 115 ERA+, 88 FIP-, and 62.8 WAR. He ranks 30^th in wins, 32^nd in innings, 47^th in strikeouts, 92^nd in complete games, 44^th in shutouts, and 72^nd in pitching WAR. Iilang’s ERA is 96^th among all pitchers with 1000+ innings. In the hyper-low scoring world of Austronesia Professional Baseball, the Hall of Fame voters are generally favorable to pitchers. Iilang had tenure with 200+ wins and 3500+ strikeouts, but his metrics were definitely on the lower end compared to previous inductees. He also had the misfortune of being on mostly middling teams, limited black ink, and never was a Pitcher of the Year finalist. Still, Iilang’s role as a captain and clubhouse guy went a long way along with his accumulations. He received 72.8% in 2041, enough for the first ballot nod as part of a three-pitcher class. Patrick Chen – Starting Pitcher – Cebu Crows – 71.9% Third Ballot Patrick Chen was a 6’0’’, 205 pound right-handed pitcher from Pacet, Indonesia; a sub-district of Bandung with around 328,000 people. Chen had strong overpowering stuff along with rock solid movement and control. He had only two pitches; a 98-100 mph fastball and a slider. Both were equally potent and looked the same coming out of Chen’s hand to the frustration of batters. Chen also had pretty good stamina, allowing him to be a starter unlike most guys with only two pitches. He did struggle at holding runners and defense. His durability was strong in his 20s, although one big injury in his 30s helped hasten the end of his career. Chen was a known prankster in the clubhouse, often providing needed levity. In June 2017, Chen left Indonesia for the Philippines on a developmental deal with Cebu. Because of having only two pitches, the Crows initially viewed him as a relief prospect. Chen debuted in middle relief in 2022, then was the closer in 2023. He thrived in the role with a 0.86 ERA over 94 innings, 146 strikeouts, 4.9 WAR, and a Taiwan-Philippine Association best 45 saves. Chen finished second in Reliever of the Year voting. Chen was convinced he could be a starter and lobbied hard for it. The coaches moved him into the rotation in 2024 and he posted a 1.79 ERA over 231.2 innings, 295 Ks, 54 FIP-, and 8.1 WAR. Chen took third in Pitcher of the Year voting. He was still used in a split starter/relief role after that and had some inconsistencies over the next few years. But his flexibility proved useful as the Crows began a dynasty run. Cebu finished 105-57 in 2025 to end a 12-year playoff drought. They defeated Hsinchu 4-1 to win the TPA pennant, but lost a 4-3 classic in the Austronesia Championship against Jakarta. Chen had six playoff appearances, getting three wins and three saves with a 1.50 ERA and 20 Ks over 12 innings. In August 2026, the Crows gave Chen a seven-year, $72,600,000 extension. Cebu only narrowly won a weak Philippine League in 2026 at 85-77. However, the Crows upset Kaohsiung with a sweep in the association finals, then rolled 4-1 over Johor Bahru to win their first APB title since 1991. Chen was big in relief in the playoffs, allowing one run with five saves over 11.1 innings with 19 Ks. In the Baseball Grand Championship, he made four starts with a 3.08 ERA over 26.1 innings, 39 Ks, 119 ERA+, 51 FIP-, and 1.1 WAR. Cebu struggled to 7-12 in the event. In 2027, the Crows finished 100-62 and bested the Sweathogs for a third consecutive Taiwan-Philippine Association title. They were denied the Austronesia Championship repeat in another 4-3 classic with Jakarta. Chen tossed 5.1 scoreless innings in the playoff run. Cebu four-peated as TPA champ in 2028 over Tainan, then defeated Johor Bahru 4-2 for their second APB title of the run. Chen pitched 14 innings in the playoffs with a 0.64 ERA, four saves, and 22 strikeouts. He was less successful in the BGC with a 4.32 ERA over 8.1 innings. The Crows finished 8-11 in the event. Cebu’s playoff streak continued in 2029, but they were a wild card with a divisional round loss. Chen’s excellent playoff stats played a big role in their four pennants and two APB titles. Over 48.2 innings and 27 relief appearances, he had a 0.74 ERA, 85 strikeouts, 8-2 record, 15 saves, 383 ERA+, 29 FIP-, and 2.7 WAR. It was the biggest factor in Chen’s #29 uniform eventually getting retired by the club. However, Chen and many fans were surprised when he was traded after the 2029 season to Taichung for C Qamarul Tasman and SP Chia-Hen Han. Both would go onto be decent starts for the Crows. With Cebu, Chen finished with an 84-72 record, 115 saves, 2.39 ERA, 1395.2 innings, 1818 strikeouts, 235 walks, 105/140 quality starts, 43 complete games, 11 shutouts, 118 ERA+, 66 FIP-, and 39.8 WAR. He was now off to Taiwan after playing previously in the Philippines. However, Chen still was a regular all the while for his native Indonesia in the World Baseball Championship. Chen occasionally started, but was primarily a reliever in the WBC from 2023-37 for Indonesia. He pitched 129.2 innings with a 13-3 record, 17 saves, 2.22 ERA, 201 strikeouts, and 4.4 WAR. Indonesia was a playoff regular, but only got to the final four once with Chen, taking fourth in 2029. In his Taichung debut in 2030, Chen won his lone Pitcher of the Year, leading with career bests for WAR (10.4) and wins (22-8). He also had his best ERA as a starter (1.76) and matched his high for strikeouts from the prior year at 315. The Toucans won the Taiwan League, but got upset in the divisional round 3-1 by Manila. Chen lost his one start, giving up five runs over seven innings. That hurt his career playoff stats, but the Cebu dominance gave him final tallies of a 1.46 ERA over 55.2 innings, 94 Ks, 192 ERA+, 31 FIP-, and 3.0 WAR. Chen is 3^rd in playoff saves in APB and his .378 opponents’ OPS is 8^th among those with 30+ playoff innings. Little did he know, this was his final playoff start of his career. Taichung was above .500 the next two years but outside the playoffs, then dropped with three losing seasons after that. Chen never reached his 2030 dominance, but he was still a strong starter in 2031-32 before falling to below average results in 2031. For Taichung, Chen had a 70-43 record, 2.73 ERA, 1048.2 innings, 1099 strikeouts, 57 complete games, 10 shutouts, 116 ERA+, 80 FIP-, and 24.2 WAR. Unlike with Cebu, the Toucans viewed Chen just as a starter with only the rare use out of the bullpen expected of APB starters. Now 32-years old, Chen was a free agent for the first time and opened up a global search. He was insistent on being a starter, which scared away some suitors who felt a two-pitch guy had to be a reliever. Chen ended up in Italy on a one-year, $4,600,000 with EBF’s Naples Nobles. He was a full-time starter, but had subpar results with a 4.60 ERA over 201.1 innings, 13-8 record, 204 strikeouts, and 3.4 WAR. Chen’s 82 ERA+, but 90 FIP- suggested he might have had some bad luck. Chen stayed in Europe in 2035 with Cologne, posting a 10-5 record, 3.57 ERA, 148.2 innings, 120 Ks, 107 ERA+, 103 FIP-, and 1.7 WAR. Unfortunately in mid-July, Chen suffered a torn flexor tendon that put his future in doubt. Milan gave him a chance in 2036 and he had decent results in a split role with a 9-10 record, 3.71 ERA, 162.1 innings, 151 strikeouts, 104 ERA+, 104 FIP-, and 1.3 WAR. Now 35, Chen went to Major League Baseball and Phoenix. The Firebirds used him in long relief exclusively with 22 appearances, 66 innings, a 4.09 ERA, 47 Ks, 109 ERA+, and 0.4 WAR. Chen went back to EBF in 2037 with Manchester, but struggled to a 6.58 ERA over 26 innings and -0.1 WAR. He retired that winter at age 37, finishing his EBF tenure with a 32-23 record, 4.15 ERA, 538.1 innings, 495 Ks, 93 ERA+, 99 FIP-, and 6.3 WAR. Chen’s combined pro career had a 187-138 record, 120 saves, 2.85 ERA, 3048.2 innings, 3459 strikeouts, 563 walks, 232/336 quality starts, 107 complete games, 25 shutouts, 112 ERA+, 77 FIP-, and 70.8 WAR. Just in Austronesia Professional Baseball, Chen had a 154-115 record, 116 saves, 2.54 ERA, 2444.1 innings, 2917 strikeouts, 439 walks, 195/267 quality starts, 100 complete games, 21 shutouts, 117 ERA+, 72 FIP-, and 64.0 WAR. Chen is 68^th in pitching WAR, but outside of the top 100 in all of the counting stats and the rate stats. This made Chen’s Hall of Fame case a tricky one, as many voters felt he simply didn’t reach the tallies needed for a starter. His split role and final few years in Europe kept the inning count low. Working in Chen’s favor was a Pitcher of the Year award along with excellent playoff numbers as part of Cebu’s dynasty. He barely missed the 66% induction threshold in his first two ballots at 64.6% and 64.8%, respectively. Chen didn’t need to win many over to get across the line and he got the bump to 71.9% in 2041 on his third try, capping off a three-pitcher 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)

04-14-2026, 07:47 AM	#2808
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,402	2041 CLB Hall of Fame (Part 1) Three made it into Chinese League Baseball’s Hall of Fame for 2041. CF Ming Li was the clear headliner at 89.9%, while SP Boyu Chen also was a first ballot pick at 78.3%. SP Dalong Li made it in at 73.9% on his seventh ballot. The only other guy above 50% was SP Yingfa Luo, getting 55.0% in his sixth go. The one player dropped from the ballot after ten failed tries was SP Hui Liu, who peaked at 37.2% and ended at 8.8%. He lost some accumulations by playing his final six seasons in Europe. His ten CLB seasons were with Shantou with one Pitcher of the Year award, 140-81 record, 2.48 ERA, 2105.2 innings, 2034 strikeouts, 115 ERA+, 79 FIP-, and 45.8 WAR. Liu also had weaker playoff numbers with a 3.38 ERA over 85.1 innings, 82 Ks, 84 ERA+, 106 FIP-, and 1.0 WAR. He did help the Scorpions to a China Series trip in 2024. The pace was there, but even in a pitcher-friendly low-scoring league, Liu needed either more accumulations or far more dominance/accolades to have had a shot at the more than the Hall of Pretty Good. Ming “Skull” Li – Center Field – Harbin Hellcats – 89.9% First Ballot Ming Li was a 6’4’’, 195 pound right-handed center fielder from Xianyang, a prefecture-level city of around five million in northwestern China’s Shaanxi province. Nicknamed “Skull,” Li was one of the most all-around efficient hitters in China’s history with equal production against lefties and righties. He had reliable power with 47 home runs, 24 doubles, and 11 triples per his 162 game average. Li was a rock solid contact hitter as well, although he was merely average for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts relative to his peers. He was also a very good baserunner with the speed to match. Li was a career center fielder with average-to-above average defensive metrics. His durability was good in his 20s, but major injuries forced an early retirement and decline. Few players in CLB history were more universally beloved by fans and players alike. Li was a massive fan favorite known for his work ethic, adaptability, and team-first attitude. He was the rare five-tool, five-star prospect coming out of China’s collegiate ranks. Li was the #1 overall pick by Harbin in the 2024 CLB Drat and was an immediate success, winning 2025’s Rookie of the Year with a 6.7 WAR debut. From 2026-32, Li was good for 8.9+ WAR each year and had 10+ WAR in all but 2030. Each of those seasons saw a Silver Slugger win. Li was the leader in total bases thrice, WAR five times and runs scored twice. In both 2029 and 2031, Li led the Northern League in slugging, OPS, and wRC+. His first MVP award came in 2026 as the WARlord at 11.2. He topped it with 13.1 in 2027, but a loaded field led to a third place finish in voting. Li won MVP again in 2028 and 2029, the latter having his career bests for runs (126), hits (208), total bases (415), average (.356), OBP (.396), and WAR (13.8). The 126 runs set the CLB single-season record and still stands as of induction. The WAR is the 9^th-best single-season for a CLB position player and he joins a short list in world history with multiple seasons of 13+ WAR. That effort also ended a nine-year playoff drought for Harbin, who finished first in the NL standings at 102-60. However, they were defeated in the Round Robin. That winter, the Hellcats gave Li an eight-year, $107,900,000 extension. Li would take third in 2031’s MVP voting and second in 2032. 2031 had his career bests for slugging (.742), OPS (1.133), and wRC+ (232), although a sore elbow did keep him out for a month. Li also hit for the cycle that year in June. Harbin became a regular contender with four consecutive 100+ win seasons from 2029-32; posting the top record in the NL each year. The Hellcats couldn’t get the job done in the playoffs though. They made the semifinal in 2030 and 2031, but lost to Jinan in 2030 and Urumqi in 2031. You couldn’t blame Li for the postseason failures as he started 43 games with 62 hits, 27 runs, 10 doubles, 3 triples, 11 homers, 25 RBI, 23 steals .360/.397/.645 slash, 203 wRC+, and 3.3 WAR. Li also had solid numbers as a regular for China in the World Baseball Championship from 2026-34. He played 91 games with 71 hits, 52 runs, 11 doubles, 35 home runs, 71 RBI, .234/.311/.622 slash, 165 wRC+, and 4.2 WAR. It was a down era for the Chinese national team, as their only playoff trips with Li came in 2033-34. After the 2032 season, Li opted out of his contract to sign a new bigger deal at $207,600,000 over seven years. He was only 31 at this point and Harbin had no reason to expect issues. Li did the weakest stats of his career to that point in 2033, although he was still worth 6.4 WAR with a 153 wRC+ and .837 OPS. He suffered an oblique strain in 2033 that ended his season. The Hellcats finished 94-68 for another playoff berth, but lost in the round robin. That marked the end of their playoff streak, missing at 86-76 in 2034 followed by five losing seasons. The beginning of the end for Li started in the 2034 WBC with a broken bone in his right elbow. He was back by the early summer, but posted only 3.1 WAR over 80 games. Li’s bat stayed similar to the prior year, but he saw weaker defensive metrics with the damage to his throwing arm. Then in September, his season ended with a torn labrum. In May 2035, Li suffered a second torn labrum, this time to his non-throwing arm. The injury was bad enough that doctors told Li that he had to retire, officially ending a brilliant career in his age 33 season. Harbin immediately retired his #14 uniform for his excellent 11 year run. Li finished with 1469 games, 1656 hits, 944 runs, 216 doubles, 96 triples, 427 home runs, 1002 RBI, 340 walks, 1039 strikeouts, 473 stolen bases, .303/.348/.612 slash, .960 OPS, 187 wRC+, and 97.1 WAR. Even with the small number of games, Li ranks 22^nd in WAR for position players, 34^th in runs, 97^th in hits, 36^th in total bases (3345), 14^th in homers, and 23^rd in RBI. He’s 3^rd in WAR at center field in CLB history. Among CLB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Li’s triple slash is 38^th/45^th/6^th and his OPS ranks 9^th. His 187 wRC+ places him tied for 35^th among all world Hall of Famers and retired locks, placing Li as one of the absolute best offensive weapons in any league relative to their peers. If not for the injuries and abrupt end to his career, Li might have ended up as a top five or top ten level player in all of CLB history. He still did plenty to earn a headlining role for the three-player 2041 class for Chinese League Baseball with 89.9%. __________________ 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)

04-15-2026, 08:57 AM	#2809
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,402	2041 CLB Hall of Fame (Part 2) Boyu Chen – Starting Pitcher – Jinan Jumbos – 78.3% First Ballot Boyu Chen was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Longjing, a city of around 178,000 on the border with North Korea. Chen had stellar control and strong stuff with average movement. His fastball reached 98-100 mph, but his changeup and forkball were his most dangerous offerings. Chen also had a slider and curveball in the arsenal. Relative to most CLB starters, his stamina was below average. Major injuries also severely limited Chen’s career with only seven seasons above 200 innings. Chen did have good grades for defense and holding runners. He was highly intelligent and appreciated for his loyalty and selflessness. Chen’s pro career began with a developmental deal signed in May 2020 with Jinan. He spent around six years in their academy before debuting in 2025 at age 21. Chen looked promising as a part-time starter in 2025, although he struggled in his one playoff start. Jinan ended an eight-year playoff drought, but lost in the round robin. Chen was a full-time starter and ace after that, taking second in 2027’s Pitcher of the Year voting. That year, he won an ERA title (2.11) and led with a career-best 324 strikeouts. Jinan had the top record in the Northern League in 2027 at 98-64, but lost again in the round robin with Chen struggling in two appearances. Little did he know, that would be the last time he pitched in the postseason. He did see limited use in the World Baseball Championship for China from 2032-36 with a 2.81 ERA over 51.1 innings, 64 strikeouts, 133 ERA+, 79 FIP-, and 1.1 WAR. Chen was merely above average in 2028, then had his first major injury in his second start of 2029 with a torn ulnar collateral ligament. He made it back for part of 2030, but suffered a torn rotator cuff that August. That year, Jinan won the China Series at 102-60 to give Chen a ring, although he had to watch wearing a sling. The Jumbos would be just outside of the playoffs for the rest of his tenure. In 2031, Chen had a remarkable comeback season and led with 9.2 WAR, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. He signed a four-year, $79,700,000 extension in August 2032. Chen won his first POTY in 2032 with an ERA title, his career-best at 1.75. He repeated in 2033 with another ERA title (1.79) along with a career-best 0.75 WHIP, 27.5 K/BB, and 26 quality starts. 2033 also had his lone no-hitter on August 9 against Xi’an with 12 strikeouts and two walks. After a solid 2034, Chen developed a bone spur in his elbow in July 2035 that ended his season. Then in the 2036 WBC in January, he suffered a second torn UCL. This one was more catastrophic with a 16-17 month recovery time. It effectively ended his Jinan run as he missed the entire 2036 season with his contract expiring that winter. Chen was a free agent for the first time at age 33, but he and many teams across baseball were hopefully he could recover. He ended up signing with MLB’s Detroit Tigers to a five-year, $113 million contract. Chen was ready to go by June 2037 with his first rehab innings in minor league Lansing. Unfortunately, he quickly developed bone chips in the elbow, ending his season before he could debut with the big league club. He finally made his MLB debut in 2038 with seven starts, posting a 4.13 ERA over 52.1 innings, 38 Ks, and 0.8 WAR. Unfortunately in late April, Chen tore his rotator cuff with another 14 months of recovery. He made it back in 2039 with four starts, 19 innings, a 2.84 ERA, 11 Ks, and 0.0 WAR. Chen suffered a torn triceps in the summer that again ended his season. Frustrated by his body’s breakdown, he retired that winter just after his 36^th birthday. He only made 11 starts total for Detroit. In CLB with Jinan, Chen had a 126-74 record, 2.17 ERA, 1996.1 innings, 2325 strikeouts, 186 walks, 193/246 quality starts, 73 complete games, 25 shutouts, 145 ERA+, 68 FIP-, and 57.5 WAR. Chen ranks 90^th in strikeouts and 52^nd in pitching WAR, but misses the other top 100s for counting stats. His 0.84 WHIP is 36^th among all pitchers with 1000+ innings and his 0.84 BB/9 is 2^nd. Some Hall of Fame voters were leery of the low totals and weak playoff stats in the small sample size. However, most were sympathetic to his injury plight. Few guys have two Pitcher of the Year awards and three ERA titles to their name. Chen was undoubtedly elite when healthy, which earned him 78.3% and a first ballot induction as part of Chinese League Baseball’s 2041 class. Dalong Li – Starting Pitcher – Hong Kong Champions – 73.9% Seventh Ballot Dalong Li was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Ningbo, a prefecture-level city of 9.6 million on the East China Sea. Li was known for excellent movement on his pitches along with above average stuff and control. His fastball peaked in the 95-97 mph range, but his strongest pitches were his forkball and splitter. Li also had a slider as a fourth option. His stamina was subpar relative to most CLB starters, but his durability was excellent so you still would get a full slate of reliable innings. Li had an excellent pickoff move and had good grades for holding runners and defense. He was a scrappy sparkplug type with an impressive work ethic along with strong loyalty and adaptability. Li was a top prospect for the 2014 CLB Draft and went sixth overall to Hong Kong. He had mixed results as a part-time starter in his rookie year, then got a full-time rotation spot after that. It took a few years for Li to emerge as a proper ace, breaking through in his sixth season. Hong Kong broke through with a six-year playoff streak beginning in 2018. The Champions weren’t the top seed in either 2018 or 2019, but both years they knocked off Foshan in the semifinal en route to a China Series trip. They were swept in 2018 by Nanjing, but claimed the CLB crown 4-1 over Changchun in 2019. Li provided steady innings with a 2.63 ERA in 2018 over 27.1 and 3.00 ERA over 21 in 2019 for a combined 0.6 WAR. In the 2019 Baseball Grand Championship, Li had a 4.01 ERA over 24.2 innings, 27 Ks, and 0.6 WAR as HK finished 8-11. He won an ERA title in 2020 with career bests for ERA (1.49), and WHIP (0.77), earning Pitcher of the Year. This was the break in Hong Kong’s dynasty with a round robin loss. Li repeated as Pitcher of the Year in 2021 with league and career bests for wins (20-6) and WAR (7.7). The Champions outlasted Guangzhou 4-3 in the semifinal, but got swept in the China Series by Nanjing. After the 2021 season, Li signed a four-year, $44,700,000 extension with Hong Kong. He won repeat ERA titles in 2022-23, taking second in Pitcher of the Year both seasons. Hong Kong topped Foshan 4-2 in the 2021 semifinal, then topped Urumqi 4-1 in the China Series. This was probably Li’s best playoff run with a 2.45 ERA over 29.1 innings, 28 strikeouts, and 0.7 WAR. The Champions went 7-12 in the BGC with Li posting a 3.21 ERA over 28 innings, 33 Ks, and 0.7 WAR. Hong Kong fell in the 2023 round robin to conclude their dynasty run, then spent the next six years at the bottom of the standings. Li’s playoff stats were a mixed bag with a subpar 91 ERA+, but good 80 FIP-. He had a 7-4 record and 3 saves, 3.12 ERA, 129.2 innings, 123 Ks, and 3.0 WAR. Li’s role in the dynasty helped get his #59 uniform eventually retired. As the Champions fell off, so did Li in his last two seasons, including a league-worst 19 losses in 2024. He became a free agent after the 2025 season and started looking worldwide for his next gig at age 34. Li ultimately left China and ended up in the European Baseball Federation on a five-year, $31 million deal with Seville. With his stamina issues, the Stingrays used Li as reliever in his first two years with mixed results. Li returned to starting in the next two years in a part-time role, finishing his four-year tenure with a 21-21 record, 18 saves, 2.99 ERA, 463.2 innings, 348 strikeouts, 125 ERA+, 101 FIP-, and 4.1 WAR. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the fifth year of the contract, becoming a free agent again at age 38. Li bounced around for his final four seasons in a sporadic split between starting, opening, and relief. He spent 2030 with Cluj-Napoca and 2031 with Brno. Li started 2032 with Sarajevo but struggled, getting traded to the European Second League’s Nottingham. He was back in the EBF Elite in 2033 with Belgrade, but only tossed 18.1 innings. Li was under contract in 2034 with Zurich but never was used, eventually retiring that winter at age 42. Overall in EBF, Li had a 24-36 record, 19 saves, 3.33 ERA, 654.2 innings, 466 strikeouts, 174 walks, 111 ERA+, 102 FIP-, and 5.8 WAR. In CLB with Hong Kong, Li had a 158-109 record, 2.23 ERA, 2498.2 innings, 2342 strikeouts, 550 walks, 265/338 quality starts, 29 complete games, 10 shutouts, 123 ERA+, 84 FIP-, and 50.5 WAR. Li ranks 24^th in wins, 42^nd in innings, 86^th in strikeouts, and 84^th in pitching WAR. His Hall of Fame case was a tough sell for several voters as his grand totals weren’t overwhelmingly strong. Li also lost some ground for his forgettable final years in Europe. In his favor were two Pitcher of the Year awards, three ERA titles, and a role in a dynasty run with Hong Kong that had four China Series trips and two titles. Li debuted at 59.8% in 2035 and bottomed out at 56.9% the next year. He just couldn’t cross that 66% requirement with 60.5%, 59.6%, 63.3%, and 59.9% in the next six years. Perhaps helping Li’s cause for his seventh try in 2041 was sharing the ballot with Boyu Chen. Although Chen was more dominant, he similarly had relatively low totals, two POTY wins, and three ERA titles. More voters felt Chen was an obvious first ballot guy and comparing Li’s resume made Li stand out a bit more as deserving. This time, Li earned 73.9% for the seventh ballot nod to cap off a three-man 2041 class for Chinese League Baseball. __________________ 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)

04-16-2026, 07:50 AM	#2810
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,402	2041 WAB Hall of Fame Two outfielders joined the West African Baseball Hall of Fame for 2041. RF El Hadj Sghair was the clear headliner at 95.5%, while LF Mohamed Khammas made it on his fourth ballot at 76.3%. No one else was above 50% with the next highest being 2B Tigui Ekanga debuting at 45.3%. Dropped after ten ballots included SP Joseph Masuta, who got as close as 63.9% in 2033 before ending at only 23.7%. He was hurt by having most of his 30s split between MLB/CABA and was hurt by major injuries. Masuta’s prime run was with Niamey, winning two Pitcher of the Year awards and two Gold Gloves. He also won the 2020 WAB title with Conakry. In WAB, Masuta finished with a 152-109 record, 3.63 ERA, 2351.1 innings, 2730 strikeouts, 396 walks, 123 ERA+, 78 FIP- and 58.2 WAR. He ranks 55^th in wins, 46^th in strikeouts, and 29^th in WAR for pitchers. Masuta needed a few more years of tallies to get across the line and was ultimately a victim of injuries, including shoulder inflammation and a torn UCL in his 20s. He did at least see his #23 uniform retired by the Atomics. Another pitcher dropped after ten tries was Minusu Ekong, who debuted at 52.9% but ended at 14.4%. In 14 seasons, he had one Pitcher of the Year, two Gold Gloves, and won two titles with Conakry. Ekong had a 179-92 record, 3.76 ERA, 2525 innings, 3010 strikeouts, 121 ERA+, 88 FIP-, and 48.1 WAR. He ranks 61^st in pitching WAR, 32^nd in wins, and 30^th in strikeouts. Ekong was also a POTY finalist twice, but he never led the league in a major stat. Skeptical voters felt he needed either a bit more accumulations or big dominance to cross the line. LF Anthony Olariyi also dropped off after ten ballots, debuting at 50.2% and ending with 12.6%. In a 15-year run with Banjul and Abidjan, he had one Silver Slugger and was finals MVP in defeat for the 2014 Bucks. Olariyi played 2122 games with 2536 hits, 1450 runs, 443 doubles, 216 triples, 384 home runs, 1354 RBI, 691 steals, .305/.362/.550 slash, 133 wRC+, and 63.3 WAR. He ranks 48^th in WAR for position players, but had almost no black ink and was never an MVP candidate. Voters ultimately dismissed Olariyi as a compiler El Hadj Sghair – Right Field – Lome Lasers – 95.5% First Ballot El Hadj Sghair was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed right fielder from Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania. Sghair was known for tremendous home run power and an overall knack for extra base hits. More than half of his career hits were for extra bases with 49 homers, 34 doubles, and 7 triples per his 162 game average. When he made contact, Sghair hit it very hard. However, his contact ability was merely average compared to his WAB peers. Sghair also struck out a lot and drew fewer walks than you’d expect with his power. His results were better facing right-handed pitching (.964 OPS, 137 wRC+) compared to against lefties (.834 OPS, 109 wRC+). Unlike most big sluggers, Sghair had fantastic baserunning skills with good speed. Defensively, Sghair played right field with reliably average defensive metrics. His range was below average, but his arm and glove work were solid. Sghair also played some first base mostly at the very end of his career and was also quite average there. He was one of the game’s ironmen and played 150+ games each year from 2020-35. Sghair was a fan favorite known for his work ethic and team-first attitude who always took time to sign autographs for kids. Sghair left Mauritania for Togo as a teenager on a developmental deal in July 2012 with Lome. He spent his entire run with the Lasers, officially debuting in 2017 at age 21. Sghair had limited use initially with only 24 starts and 82 games in his first three years. He earned a full-time gig after that and hit 35+ homers in all of his 16 seasons starting. Sghair also had a 14-year streak of 100+ runs scored and had 100+ RBI in all but one of his full seasons. He hit for the cycle in 2020 and 2021. Sghair’s first Silver Sluggers came in 2024 and 2025, but he led the Eastern League in homers in 2022 and 2023 with 51 and 62, respectively. Lome had a dynasty run just before he arrived, but were firmly a lower-middle tier team by the 2020s. The Lasers earned wild cards in 2022 and 2028, but didn’t get beyond the first round. Those were the only playoff trips of Sghair’s career. Lome was rarely outright awful though, averaging 78.4 wins per season as he was a starter. Sghair stayed loyal through it all and signed an eight-year, $169,700,000 extension in March 2024. He won additional Silver Sluggers in 2028, 29, and 32. 2028 was his only season as an MVP finalist, finishing second. That year had league bests in RBI (147) and slugging (.694). It was Sghair’s career best for slugging and OPS (1.043). In 2032, Sghair had his career bests for home runs (66) and total bases (429), both league bests at age 36. It was also his career best WAR at 6.2. He remained remarkably consistent, but didn’t always stand out in the ultra-high scoring WAB with so many big sluggers with big numbers. Sghair entered free agency after the 2032 season, but ended up returning to Lome at $38,100,000 over three years. In his later years, his native Mauritania finally qualified for the World Baseball Championship. He played 36 games from 2031-33 with 31 hits, 21 runs, 16 homers, 24 RBI, a .235/.279/.606 slash, 150 wRC+, and 1.5 WAR. He remained a steady force three more season and breached the 2500 hit, 1500 run, and 750 home run milestones. He fell just short of the 2000 RBI mark, although he wanted to get there. While still hitting homers, Sghair’s overall value was middling by his last year. He was a free agent for 2036 and went unsigned, eventually retiring that winter at age 40. Lome immediately retired his #15 uniform for his steady service. Sghair finished with 2576 games, 2720 hits, 1773 runs, 540 doubles, 119 triples, 784 home runs, 1946 RBI, 524 walks, 2993 strikeouts, 5850 total bases, 545 stolen bases, .281/.323/.605 slash, 129 wRC+, and 64.8 WAR. He ranks 14^th in games, 14^th in runs, 30^th in hits, 11^th in total bases, 44^th in doubles, 90^th in triples, 7^th in homers, 10^th in RBI, 6^th in strikeouts, and 43^rd in WAR for position players. Among WAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Sghair is 38^th in slugging and his .928 OPS is 81^st. He’s a top 100 player in world history for homers and RBI, although West African Baseball’s extremely high-scoring environment plays a big role. On the downside, Sghair is 34^th in world history for strikeouts. Stats like wRC+ and WAR show that Sghair wasn’t an inner-circle immortal level Hall of Famer when adjusted for league and era. His lack of team success knocks him down a few pegs in WAB rankings, but his tallies are still impressive. Sghair was remarkably consistent, steady, and reliable as a power bat. He was easily deserving of the first ballot nod and headlined the 2041 ballot at 95.5%. Some also argue Sghair is the top player to come out of Mauritania, although 2018 inductee Ibrahima Bah most commonly gets cited first. Mohamed Khammas – Left Field – Kano Condors – 76.3% Fourth Ballot Mohamed Khammas was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed left fielder from Maqrin, Tunisia; a town of around 26,000 within greater Tunis. Khammas had a steady reliable pop in his bat, getting 32 home runs, 32 doubles, and 16 triples per his 162 game average. Relative to other WAB bats, he had above average contact skills and drew a solid amount of walks. However, Khammas had a lousy strikeout rate. His best stats came facing left-handed pitching (.950 OPS, 139 wRC+) compared to a .878 OPS and 122 wRC+ facing righties. Despite his large frame and build, Khammas had solid speed and was a very good baserunner. He was a career left fielder and an impressive defender who won two Gold Gloves. Khammas had excellent durability over a 19-year career, starting 135+ games in all but his final season. He was also highly intelligent and was generally viewed as a solid teammate and guy. Tunisian prospects generally ended in the Arab League, but Khammas was an exception like his contemporary, the eventual world hit king Fares Belaid. He went to Nigeria to play collegiately and became a top prospect for the 2013 WAB Draft, going second to Kano. The Condors had been an epic dynasty in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but were amidst a rebuild. Khammas was a full-time starter right away and took second in Rookie of the Year voting. After a respectable rookie campaign, Khammas’s second year was arguably his best with a career best .338/.416/.634 slash, 1.051 OPS, 161 wRC+, and 7.7 WAR. He won Silver Sluggers in 2015, 16, 17, and 23. However, Khammas was never an MVP finalist or a league leader apart for in triples in 2020 and 2023. He was a reliable starter though worth around 5-7 WAR each year during his primary run with Kano. The Condors quickly gave Khammas an eight-year, $44,020,000 extension after the 2016 season. After five straight losing seasons, Kano was back above .500 in 2015 at 86-76, although three wins short of a wild card. They started a new six-year playoff streak in 2016. Kano was second in 2016 at 96-66 and got swept by Libreville in the Eastern League Championship Series. The next year, they were first at 101-61 and swept Cotonou in the ELCS. The Condors then defeated Bamako 4-1 in the West African Championship for the franchise’s 11^th WAB title. Khammas had surprisingly weak numbers in the run with .663 OPS, 68 wRC+, and 0 WAR. He was merely okay in the Baseball Grand Championship with .772 OPS, 116 wRC+, and 0.2 WAR. Kano was two wins behind first place, but was one of four teams tied for ninth at 10-9 in an extremely tight field. The Condors got back to the ELCS in 2018 at 96-66, but lost 3-1 to Yaounde. Kano got the top seed in 2019 at 106-56 and got ELCS revenge by sweeping the Yellow Birds. The Condors then edged Bamako 4-3 for the WAB title. Khammas again had below average stats and continued struggling into the BGC as the Condors finished 8-11. Despite his efforts, Khammas on the whole had poor playoff stats for his career with Kano. In 56 starts, he had 47 hits, 34 runs, 9 doubles, 5 triples, 7 homers, 25 RBI, 66 strikeouts, .224/.301/.414 slash, 83 wRC+, and 0.3 WAR. The Condors were a wild card for 2020-21 but failed to advance beyond the second round. They then struggled to 74-88 in 2022, but had a bounce-back in 2023 taking second at 96-66. Kano upset top seed Port Harcourt 3-2 in the ELCS, but got swept in the West African Championship by Abidjan. This was Khammas’s best postseason effort with .967 OPS, 141 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR. It also marked the end of his first run with the Condors, as he declined his contract option to enter free agency at age 33. Khammas signed a four-year, $61,600,000 deal Lagos. His overall production was down from his usual standard, but he was still a respectable starter for the Lizards. Khammas played 593 games with 607 hits, 398 runs, 100 doubles, 52 triples, 135 home runs, 362 RBI, 175 walks, 674 Ks, 134 steals, .266/.327/.533 slash, 118 wRC+, and 14.3 WAR. Lagos had only been above .500 once from 2009-23, but Khammas helped them contend with three wild cards during his tenure. Their deepest run was an ELCS appearance in 2026 where they took 112-win Cotonou the distance. Khammas wasn’t outstanding in the playoffs but fared better than his Kano tenure with an .860 OPS, 115 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR over 22 starts. Now 37 heading into 2028, Khammas signed a three-year, $14,200,000 deal with Accra. He had two steady seasons there and won his first Gold Glove in 2029. The Alligators made one playoff trip with a second round exit in 2028. Khammas had 304 games, 301 hits, 178 runs, 54 doubles, 24 triples, 55 home runs, 164 RBI, 89 steals, .276/.336/.520 slash, 118 wRC+, and 6.5 WAR. In January 2030, Accra traded Khammas to Kano for two prospects. Khammas’s bat was around league average at this point, but he won his second Gold Glove in 2030 and still had positive value, prompting the Condors to give him a three-year, $23,200,000 extension. Kano returned to the playoffs from 2030-32, but failed to make it out of the second round with weak results from Khammas. He was eventually relegated to a bench role late in the 2032 season. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria and was a free agent for 2033. After going unsigned, Khammas officially retired shortly after his 43^rd birthday. Between stints with Kano, Khammas had 1907 games, 1995 hits, 1213 runs, 392 doubles, 204 triples, 357 home runs, 1207 RBI, 709 walks, 1913 strikeouts, 492 steals, .286/.362/.555 slash, 131 wRC+, and 59.1 WAR. The Condors retired his #57 uniform for his combined 13 seasons of work. Khammas finished with 2804 games, 2903 hits, 1789 runs, 546 doubles, 280 triples, 547 home runs, 1733 RBI, 974 walks, 2941 strikeouts, 715 steals, .281/.352/.546 slash, 5650 total bases, 127 wRC+, and 79.9 WAR. He ranks 8^th in games, 13^th in runs, 20^th in hits, 14^th in total bases, 40^th in doubles, 5^th in triples, 30^th in homers, 18^th in RBI, 12^th in walks, 7^th in strikeouts, and 13^th in WAR for position players. On the downside, he ranks 39^th on the world leaderboard for strikeouts. Despite impressive tallies and longevity, many Hall of Fame voters dismissed Khammas as a compiler. He had almost no black ink and was never an MVP finalist, plus his playoff stats were underwhelming despite being 8^th in playoff games with 82. He also was 7^th in playoff runs (53) and 19^th in hits (75), but he had a career .766 OPS, 95 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR. Khammas debuted on the 2038 ballot at 57.8%, then barely missed the 66% requirement in 2039 at 63.9%. After a drop to 57.5% in 2040, Khammas got the boost across the line in 2041 at 76.3%. With that, he secured a fourth ballot nod as part of a two-man 2041 class for West African Baseball. __________________ 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)

04-17-2026, 07:34 AM	#2811
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,402	2041 SAB Hall of Fame (Part 1) Three were inducted for South Asia Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 2041, captained by 2B/SS Agnisika Dhavita at 93.5%. CL Raj Bhaskar also got the first ballot nod, but only narrowly breached the 66% requirement at 70.9%. Fellow reliever Zulfiker Uddin also made the cut at 67.0% in his third ballot. Three others were above 50% with CF Pyae Sin Nyo at 58.2% on his second try, 2B Shivansh Mahapatra at 55.2% for his fifth go, and 3B Jay Prasad with a debut at 51.0%. Dropped after ten ballots was 1B Rochana Sanson, who debuted and peaked at 49.3% and ended at 36.0%. He won three Silver Sluggers in a 17 year career and won two SAB titles with Yangon. Sanson played 2281 games with 2213 hits, 1161 runs, 360 doubles, 585 homers, 1457 RBI, 472 walks, 1757 strikeouts, .289/.334/.573 slash, 149 wRC+, and 63.4 WAR. Despite a solid resume, 1B is a crowded position and Sanson falls outside the top 100 for WAR among position players. Also removed after ten failed ballots was SP Arjay Mohan who peaked at 35.3% and ended at only 4.2%. In a 15-year career, he won Pitcher of the Year in 2017 and twice led in strikeouts and WAR. Mohan had a 135-123 record, 3.26 ERA, 2416.2 innings, 3243 strikeouts, 505 walks, 112 ERA+, 78 FIP-, and 57.8 WAR. He was elite in his 20s but fell off hard in his 30s, although he still ranks 35^th in strikeouts and 37^th in pitching WAR. Mohan needed a few more decent years to get across the line. Agnisika “Bones” Dhavita – Second Base/Shortstop – Surat Silver Sox – 93.5% First Ballot Agnisika Dhavita was a 5’10’’, 200 pound right-handed middle infielder from Koyampattur, a city of around 1.6 million in southern India’s Tamil Nadu state. Nicknamed “Bones,” Dhavita was a leadoff man who had very good contact skills along with an excellent eye for walks and avoiding strikeouts. He gave you similar results facing lefties or righties. Dhavita was also highly skilled baserunner with solid speed. He didn’t have much power but could still find the gap with a 162 game average of 30 doubles, 13 triples, and 8 home runs. Dhavita’s main downside was the lack of range defensively. He was a shortstop primarily in his initial years but was abysmal there. Dhavita moved to second base more regularly and was still mediocre, but less problematic. Around 70% of his starts were in the middle infield with some limited use at first base (with okay results) and center field (with lousy results). Dhavita was a likeable guy, but his work ethic and adaptability were lacking. He had his share of injuries but held on for a 22-year career. By the time his college career was over for the 2013 SAB Draft, Dhavita was at the top of many prospect lists. He went #1 to Surat, but had a limited role as a rookie as he struggled over 103 games and 12 starts. Dhavita got the full-time gig the next year and fared better. He eventually was the top bat at shortstop for the Indian League with Silver Sluggers from 2016-19. In April 2017, the Silver Sox gave Dhavita a five-year, $24,100,000 extension. In 2019, Dhavita won his first batting title with a career-best .382 average and led with a .445 OBP. This year also had his best slugging (.590), OPS (1.035), and wRC+ (196). Despite his efforts, Surat remained a terrible franchise. The Silver Sox had a playoff drought back to 1990 and rarely had a winning season in the drought. Surat did finish 84-78 in 2018, their only winning season from 2012-27. Dhavita’s first major injury came in 2020 with a fractured thumb that kept him out the entire spring. That winter, he opted out of his deal with Surat as the Silver Sox were going nowhere fast. A free agent at age 28, Dhavita signed an eight-year, $72 million deal with Da Nang. The Nailers had just posted their best-ever season at 105-57, although they were one-and-done in the playoffs. While Dhavita was now playing in Vietnam, he remained a regular for his native India in the World Baseball Championship. He started from 2017-27 and was a backup in 2028-30 and 33. Over 134 games, Dhavita had 136 hits, 69 runs, 17 doubles, 9 triples, 9 homers, 35 RBI, 79 walks, 75 steals, .289/.397/.420 slash, 136 wRC+, and 3.8 WAR. He was notably a starter for India’s fourth place finish in 2025. He was also rostered for their fourth in 2028 and third in 2030. Dhavita’s Da Nang debut was his best season with career and Southeast Asia League bests for runs (124), hits (217), and WAR (8.3). He also led in average and OBP while getting his high 46 doubles. Dhavita won his final Silver Slugger at SS and was second in MVP voting. He also hit for the cycle in August against Dhaka. The Nailers won the division at 96-66 and made it to the LCS, getting upset 4-2 by 87-win Dhaka. Da Nang finished 96-66 again in 2022, but fell two wins short of the wild card and three shy of the division title. Dhavita missed more than two months between a fractured finger and torn hamstring. He was back healthy in 2023 and won his first Silver Slugger playing second base. Dhavita had a 27-game hitting streak in the fall and was the MVP runner-up, leading in WAR, average, and OBP. The Nailers won the division at 101-61, but lost the SEAL final 4-3 to 108-win Dhaka. In his 21 playoff games for Da Nang, Dhavita was solid with 28 hits, 10 runs, 5 doubles, 3 homers, 12 RBI, 11 steals, .886 OPS, 138 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR. They had a wild card and first round exit in 2024, but a bone marrow edema in his wrist kept Dhavita out in the final weeks. The Nailers stayed above .500 the next two years but were outside the playoffs. Dhavita won another batting title in 2025 and led in OBP in 2025, 26, and 27. He won Silver Sluggers each year, giving him nine overall and four at second base. For Da Nang, Dhavita played 994 games, 1281 hits, 680 runs, 205 doubles,, 94 triples, 56 home runs, 507 RBI, 506 walks, 433 steals, .350/.430/.504 slash, 149 wRC+, and 41.2 WAR. It was his most impressive tenure, but he played a few more games with Surat and was inducted in the Silver Sox hat. Still, he’s generally remembered fondly by Nailers fans. With one year left on his eight-year deal, Da Nang traded the 36-year old Dhavita to Kanpur for a five prospect haul. One of them, SS Syed Ahmed, did go onto become a decent starter. Dhavita missed some time to a fractured tibia in 2028 for the Poison and struggled in a part-time role. He played 111 games, started 57, and had a .724 OPS, 113 wRC+, and 0.3 WAR. A free agent for 2029, Dhavita signed a conditional two-year, $15,200,000 deal with Jaipur. He was only a part-time starter, but his bat returned to strong levels with a .968 OPS, 172 wRC+, and 3.9 WAR over 113 games and 72 starts. The Jokers were a wild card with a first round exit. Dhavita didn’t meet the criteria for the second year of the deal. For 2030, he signed a two-year, $14,400,000 deal with Rajshahi, one of the expansion teams starting play that year. Dhavita was a full-time starter for the Red Pandas with unremarkable results on a .733 OPS, 100 wRC+, and 1.1 WAR. In January 2031, he was traded to Ho Chi Minh City for two prospects. Dhavita was okay over 111 games for the Hedgehogs, who were on a division title streak. They finished 102-60, but got upset in the first round by Yangon. HCMC liked Dhavita enough to give him a two-year, $11,600,000 extension. In 2032, Dhavita recaptured some old magic at age 40 with a .954 OPS, 157 wRC+, and 4.6 WAR; earning his 11^th Silver Slugger overall and fifth at second base. He signed a new two-year, $21 million extension that winter. Ho Chi Minh City would win 104 and 106 games in 2032-33, but lost in the divisional series both years. Dhavita had good playoff numbers in the small 14 game sample size with 20 hits, 11 runs, .975 OPS, 161 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR. He missed much of 2033 to injury, most notably a strained groin. In three seasons for the Hedgehogs, Dhavita played 283 games with 330 hits, 186 runs, 57 doubles, 12 triples, 11 homers, 121 RBI, 144 walks .328/.415/.442 slash, 131 wRC+, and 3.9 WAR. Hanoi signed him for 2034 and his missed three months to a dislocated shoulder. Dhavita got his 3000^th career hit and still could bat with a .886 OPS, .343 average, 141 wRC+, and 2.6 WAR over 90 games. For 2035, Dhavita went back where he began for one final season with Surat, posting 1.7 WAR and 101 wRC+ over 152 games. Between stints with the Silver Sox, Dhavita had 1082 games, 1131 hits, 530 runs, 185 doubles, 85 triples, 65 homers, 412 RBI, 402 walks, 393 steals, .314/.385/.467 slash, 149 wRC+, and 30.2 WAR. He was generally popular from the previous stint and Surat honored him by retiring his #16 uniform after he called it quits that winter at age 43. Dhavita played 2830 games with 3200 hits, 1630 runs, 518 doubles, 224 triples, 140 home runs, 1227 RBI, 1275 walks, 1231 strikeouts, 1012 stolen bases, 516 caught stealing, 4586 total bases, .328/.407/.470 slash, .877 OPS, 144 wRC+, and 86.9 WAR. He ranks 8^th in games played, 13^th in runs, 7^th in hits, 40^th in total bases, 4^th in singles (2318), 39^th in doubles, 6^th in triples, 77^th in RBI, 13^th in steals, 3^rd in caught stealing, 6^th in walks, and 38^th in WAR for position players. Among SAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Dhavita ranks 28^th in batting average and 6^th in on-base percentage. Among world Hall of Famers and retired locks, Dhavita is tied for 21^st in OBP. Few guys could get on base like Dhavita, although his lack of power and poor defense does keep him from the true inner-circle despite his hit tally. He was a clear first ballot selection though and captained South Asia Baseball’s three-player 2041 class with 93.5%. __________________ 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)

04-18-2026, 07:47 AM	#2812
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,402	2041 SAB Hall of Fame (Part 2) Raj Bhaskar – Closer – Chennai Cows – 70.9% First Ballot Raj Bhaskar was a 6’2’’, 205 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Bariapur, a city of around 53,000 in eastern India’s West Bengal state. Bhaskar was known for incredible stuff with stellar movement, although his control was merely above average. His one-two punch was fastball/splitter with 97-99 mph peak velocity and an extreme groundball tendency. Even by reliever standards, Bhaskar’s stamina was weak and you couldn’t expect many multi-inning outings. However, he had superb durability and never missed time to injury. Bhaskar had below average grades for defense and holding runners. He was picked in the second round, 44^th overall, by Chennai in the 2020 SAB Draft. Bhaskar only made five appearances as a rookie, but was the full-tme closer for the following five years for the Cows. Bhaskar put up reliably solid numbers for Chennai but wasn’t an awards finalist. The Cows were mediocre when he arrived and got above .500 in his later years, but never made it to the postseason. It was Bhaskar’s longest tenure so he’s inducted with Chennai, but he isn’t viewed as a franchise icon. He pitched 339.2 innings with 154 saves and 166 shutdowns, 2.38 ERA, 549 strikeouts, 133 walks, 154 ERA+, 57 FIP-, and 12.8 WAR After the 2026 season, Chennai traded Bhaskar with one year left for team control to Khulna for two prospects. He posted his career best ERA of 1.42 and highest strikeouts (147) in his one year with the Claws, taking second in Reliever of the Year voting. Bhaskar had 31 saves over 82.2 innings with 4.0 WAR. Khulna fell two games short of the playoffs at 89-73, but Bhaskar was able to increase his stock heading into free agency at age 30. He remained in the Southeast Asia League on a three-year, $18,100,000 deal with Mandalay. Although away from home, Bhaskar continued to pitch for his native India in the World Baseball Championship, sometimes as a starter. From 2024-34, Bhaskar tossed 98.2 innings with a 2.83 ERA, 9-2 record, 154 strikeouts, and 3.4 WAR. The Indians were regular contenders in this era, taking fourth in both 2025 and 2028 and getting third three straight years from 2030-32. Bhaskar joined Mandalay mid-dynasty run as they had repeated as SEAL champ in 2026-27 and won the South Asia Baseball crown in 2026. The Mammoths had an all-time season in 2028 at 124-38. Bhaskar won Reliever of the Year and had league and career bests for saves (42) and games (72) as well as his career best 5.1 WAR. The Mammoths capped off the season as an all-time team, beating Yangon 4-1 in the SEAL finals and Ahmedabad 4-1 to win the SAB crown. In 15 playoff innings, Bhaskar had four saves, a 1.80 ERA, and 25 Ks. He posted a 1.80 ERA and five saves over 10 innings in the Baseball Grand Championship with 19 strikeouts. Mandalay finished 13-6, one of four teams tied for second but officially fifth after tiebreakers. Still, the Mammoths run was historic as to that point in all of baseball history, only 1995 Ahmedabad had won 124+ games and took their overall league title. Japan’s Hamamatsu would beat that by winning the East Asian Baseball title and Grand Championship in 2036 at 126-36. Even with the top-heavy nature of the great SAB champs, the 2028 Mandalay squad deserves a look discussing SAB’s best-ever. Despite his efforts, Bhaskar was moved to a setup role in 2029 and only pitched 41.1 innings despite remaining effective. He tossed two scoreless playoff innings as Mandalay went 115-47 and four-peated as SEAL champ, although they got swept by Delhi in the SAB Championship. Bhaskar threw five scoreless innings in the 2029 BGC as Mandalay finished 10-11. Bhaskar reclaimed the closer role and won Reliever of the Year in 2030, matching his career best 42 saves. He had three saves but one loss in the playoffs, giving up four runs over nine innings. Mandalay won another division title at 99-63, but they were defeated 4-2 by Yangon in the LCS. In three seasons for the Mammoths, Bhaskar had 86 saves and 105 shutdowns, 1.91 ERA, 203 innings, 335 strikeouts, 66 walks, 221 ERA+, 52 FIP-, and 9.0 WAR. Albeit brief, it was his most impactful tenure. Now 33, Bhaskar was a free agent again for 2031 and signed a three-year, $15,160,000 deal with Ho Chi Minh City. He took second in 2031’s Reliever of the Year voting and was third in 2032 for ROTY and Pitcher of the Year. Despite that, Bhaskar was moved out of the closer role in his third year. He threw eight scoreless innings in the playoffs overall for the Hedgehogs, who had three straight 100+ win seasons but couldn’t get out of the divisional round. For Ho Chi Minh City, Bhaskar had 64 saves, 2.30 ERA, 203.2 innings, 313 strikeouts, 49 walks, 192 ERA+, 57 FIP-, and 7.8 WAR. He returned to India in 2034 on a two-year, $8,800,000 deal with Visakhapatnam. Bhaskar was used in middle relief with good results in 2034 but mixed results in 2035. He had a 3.10 ERA over 110.1 innings, 4 saves, 141 Ks, 126 ERA+, 71 FIP-, and 2.1 WAR. Bhaskar gave up a run in his only playoff inning in 2035 as the Volts lost in the first round. That was his final outing, retiring that winter at age 37. Bhaskar finished with 815 games, 939.1 innings, 339 saves and 428 shutdowns, 95-62 record, 1485 strikeouts, 306 walks, 175 ERA+, 57 FIP-, and 35.7 WAR. He ranks 16^th in games and saves in SAB. Bhaskar’s inning count was lower than most of the other closers inducted into South Asia Baseball’s Hall of Fame, but his WAR was in line with that group. His resume wasn’t overwhelming, but Bhaskar crossed the milestones most reliever-friendly voters looked for. He also had two Reliever of the Year awards and an important role in one of SAB’s all-time great teams with Mandalay in 2028. Bhaskar earned 70.9% to narrowly breach the 66% requirement for a first ballot induction in 2041. Zulfiker Uddin – Closer – Vientiane Vampires – 67.0% Third Ballot Zulfiker Uddin was a 6’5’’, 195 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Udhampur, a city of 91,000 people in the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region of northern India. Uddin used overpowering stuff to succeed making up for having merely above average movement and okay control. His 98-100 mph fastball was impressive and he countered it with a sinker. Uddin had notable splits with a 2.43 ERA, 161 ERA+, and 56 FIP- facing right-handed bats compared to a 2.78 ERA, 141 ERA+, and 86 FIP- against lefties. His stamina was solid for a reliever and he had excellent durability, avoiding major injuries in his career. Uddin had great defense and a strong pickoff move. His main downside was a weak work ethic and questionable intelligence and adaptability. As a teenager in December 2012, Uddin moved to Laos on a developmental deal with Vientiane. He debuted in 2016 at age 2016 with decent results over 61.1 innings. That year, the Vampires set a franchise record at 100-62 and got the top seed in the Southeast Asia League. However, Vientiane lost 4-1 in the LCS to Hanoi and Uddin got rocked in his one playoff appearance. That shook his confidence and he only was used in five appearances the next year. Uddin was back up full-time in 2018 and took over the closer role. He took second in Reliever of the Year voting and posted what would be a career best for WAR at 4.0. He led in games the next year at 69 and again was second in ROTY voting. Vientiane lost in the 2018 LCS to Mandalay, although Uddin fared much better in the playoffs. In 2019, the Vampires were a 90-72, but won their first-ever SEAL pennant. They upset 104-win Yangon 3-2 in the first round, then outlasted the Mammoths 4-3 in the LCS. Vientiane was denied in the SAB Championship 4-2 by Pune. In 11 playoff appearances, Uddin was a mixed bag with five saves, but a 3.47 ERA over 17.2 innings, 24 Ks, and 0.2 WAR. Uddin was a part-time closer with middling results in 2020, but reclaimed the gig for the next three years with Vientiane. He was second in 2021’s ROTY voting and third in 2022. Uddin had poor playoff appearances though as the Vampires had first round exits in 2020 and 2022 as a wild card. His playoff career for Vientiane had a lackluster 4.91 ERA over 33 innings, 7 saves, 2-4 record, 42 Ks, 79 ERA+, 100 FIP-, and 0.4 WAR. Overall for Vientiane though, Uddin had 178 saves and 207 shutdowns, 45-34 record, 2.27 ERA, 519 innings, 781 strikeouts, 174 ERA+, 61 FIP-, and 18.4 WAR. It was the first time the Vampires were a contender over a sustained period and the run had their first (and so far only) pennant. For his role overall, Vientiane eventually retired Uddin’s #34 uniform. However, they let him go into free agency for his age 29 season in 2024. Uddin made his return to his native India on a three-year, $10,920,000 deal with Delhi. He had still represented his country in the World Baseball Championship with 42 innings from 2023-27, a 2-2 record, 3.00 ERA, 42 innings, 69 strikeouts, and 0.5 WAR. In 2028 for the struggling Drillers, Uddin had 35 saves, 2.68 ERA, 97.1 innings, 151 Ks, and 2.6 WAR. He was on the move that winter via expansion draft, taken the third round and tenth overall by Indore. In 50 innings for the Razorbacks, Uddin had 15 saves, a 3.96 ERA, 75 Ks, and 1.4 WAR. Indore traded him in July to Ho Chi Minh City for three prospects. Uddin had similar numbers in the back end for the Hedgehogs, but would post a 2.27 ERA with 26 saves the next year to finish second in Reliever of the Year voting. Back to free agency for 2027, he signed a one-year, $3,640,000 deal with Bengaluru. Uddin struggled to 5.17 ERA and -0.6 WAR in long relief for the Blazers and was traded in late July to Yangon. Uddin rebounded a bit with the Green Dragons with a 3.31 ERA, 15 saves, 52 Ks, and 1.2 WAR over 32.2 innings. He also had three scoreless playoff innings, although Yangon lost in the first round. Uddin was then picked up by the two-time defending Southeast Asia League champion Mandalay on a two-year, $11million deal. His Hall of Fame classmate Raj Bhaskar would have the closer role and not Uddin. He thrived in the limited role with a 1.14 ERA over 47.1 innings, 66 strikeouts, and 1.4 WAR. Despite only nine saves, Uddin got third in Reliever of the Year voting. Mandalay had a historic 124-38 season, beating Yangon for the SEAL title and Ahmedabad in the SAB Championship. The Mammoths were tied for second in the Baseball Grand Championship at 13-6 but officially fifth after tiebreakers. Still, they went down as one of the greatest teams in South Asia Baseball history. Uddin was important in five playoff appearances, recording three wins with a 1.35 ERA over 6.2 innings with 10 Ks. He struggled in the BGC though with a 7.36 ERA over 7.1 innings. In 2029, Uddin finally won his first Reliever of the Year award despite not being the closer, a rarity with voters often very save focused. He had nine saves, a 2.13 ERA, 105.2 innings, 144 Ks, and 2.1 WAR. Mandalay pulled off the SEAL four-peat at 115-47 but lost the SAB Championship against Delhi. Uddin had a terrible postseason giving up five runs in 1.1 innings, but did toss five scoreless innings in the BGC as the Mammoths finished 10-11. In two seasons for Mandalay, Uddin had 18 saves, 16-7 record, 1.82 ERA, 153 innings, 210 strikeouts, 45 shutdowns, 239 ERA+, 66 FIP-, and 3.5 WAR. Soon to be 35, Uddin returned to Ho Chi Minh City for a second stint at two years and $8,800,000. He had a respectable 2030 with 27 saves, 2.45 ERA, 73.1 innings, 103 Ks, and 2.6 WAR. Uddin struck out the one batter he faced in the postseason as HCMC lost in the first round. Despite being healthy, the Hedgehogs didn’t use Uddin all year in 2031 despite being on roster. Between stints for HCMC, he had 73 saves, a 2.70 ERA, 213 innings, 293 Ks, 154 ERA+, 75 FIP-, and 5.5 WAR. Uddin joined Jaipur in 2032 with 22 saves, a 2.36 ERA, 45.2 innings, 40 Ks, and 0.9 WAR. He then went to Delhi in 2033 but only tossed 13.1 innings, although he got nine saves with a 3.38 ERA and 0.3 WAR. Uddin was unsigned for all of 2034 and eventually retired that winter at age 39. In total, Uddin pitched 1186.2 innings in 885 games with 336 saves, 447 shutdowns, a 2.59 ERA, 108-96 record, 1695 strikeouts, 327 walks, 151 ERA+, 70 FIP-, and 33.3 WAR. Uddin ranks 9^th in saves and 9^th in games. Among pitchers with 1000+ innings, his ERA is 29^th. Uddin’s .606 opponent’s OPS is 48^th, his 12.86 K/9 is 18^th, and his 7.09 H/9 is 50^th. Compared to the other inducted closers in South Asia Baseball’s Hall of Fame, Uddin had a comparable WAR to the lower-end guys although his ERA was weaker than all but one. He didn’t have the raw dominance of some of his peers and although he was on a lot of winning teams, his 4.87 ERA over 44.1 playoff innings hurt him. Uddin also never led in saves and only won Reliever of the Year once, although he was notably a finalist six other times. Uddin debuted on the 2039 ballot at 61.9% and jumped slightly to 63.0% the next year. He only won over a few in 2041, but it got him just beyond the 66% requirement. With 67.0%, Uddin earned a third ballot induction to cap off the three-man 2041 class for SAB. __________________ 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)

04-19-2026, 06:27 AM	#2813
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,402	2041 ABF Hall of Fame (Part 1) The Asian Baseball Federation had a strong three-man Hall of Fame class for 2041 with all first ballot picks. 3B/1B Hakan Mocuk was the headliner with a near unanimous 98.9%. Fellow 3B/1B Mahtab Malik was a firm inductee at 90.0%, while C Ali Mahdian had a more humble 71.0% to narrowly breach the 66% requirement. Two longstanding returners fell just short with LF Ramin Abilov at 60.6% on his ninth ballot and 3B Quraishi Lalak with 60.2% for his eighth go. CL Yasar Khatter was also above 50% with 56.6% on his third try. The one player off the ballot after ten failed tries was 3B/2B Timur Tyan, who peaked at 55.4% and never fell below 49%. He had a 24 year career, but did play six of his final seasons between ALB and MLB. In ABF, Tyan won three Silver Sluggers and won four batting titles with Shiraz. He played 2261 ABF games with 2570 hits, 1114 runs, 466 doubles, 217 triples, 206 home runs, 956 RBI, 660 steals, .308/.345/.489 slash, 146 wRC+, and 84.5 WAR. Tyan ranks 64^th in runs, 20^th in hits, 55^th in doubles, 6^th in triples, and 40^th in WAR among position players. Despite the totals, many voters dismissed him as a compiler and there were those generally skeptical of leadoff guys who lacked big home run and RBI totals. Tyan helped Shiraz win a pennant in 2015 and got his #5 uniform retired by the Suns. He ends up as one of the best players to miss the cut for ABF’s HOF. Hakan Mocuk – Third/First Base – Izmir Ice Caps – 98.9% First Ballot Hakan Mocuk was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed corner infielder from Taskent, Turkey; a small district in the country’s south-central region. Mocuk was one of ABFs most reliable sluggers with impressive power equally facing lefties and righties. His 162 game average got you 43 home runs, 37 doubles, 3 triples, and 118 RBI. Mocuk was above average for contact and walks, but he had a lousy strikeout rate. He was also a laughably slow and sluggish baserunner. Mocuk had impressive arm strength and was primarily a third baseman. However, his overall glove work and poor range meant he was a subpar defender. Around ¼ of his career starts came at first base, all after his 32^nd birthday, and he graded as a reliably average-to-above average defender there. Mocuk’s durability was generally strong, allowing for a 21-year career. His character was also beyond reproach as Mocuk was a beloved team captain and stellar guy. He emerged as one of the biggest baseball heroes to come out of ABF or Turkey. By the 2013 ABF Draft, Mocuk had plenty of suitors and went third overall to Izmir. He was still a bit raw at that point and didn’t play in 2014 while only playing 26 games in 2015. Mocuk was a part-time starter and on the roster full-time in 2016 with promising results. He earned the full-time gig from 2017 onward for the Ice Caps, starting an 18-year streak of 35+ home run seasons and a 16-year run with 100+ RBI. Mocuk won his first Silver Slugger in 2018 at third base and continued a streak of wins through 2025. The Ice Caps ended a 15-year playoff drought in 2018 and lost in the first round, but it was a huge turnaround for a struggling franchise. They had won fewer than 70 games in each of the prior seven seasons. During the 2019 season, Izmir locked Mocuk up to an eight-year, $65,640,000 extension. 2019 saw his first MVP award with 51 home runs, .971 OPS, 185 wRC+, and 8.5 WAR. Izmir won the Turkish Division at 91-71 and got to the West League Championship Series, although they were defeated 4-2 by Tabriz. Mocuk repeated as MVP in 2020 as he had 62 doubles, which ranks as the fifth-best single-season in ABF history. Mocuk also led the league in total bases (416), slugging (.688), OPS (1.069), wRC+ (177), and WAR (9.7). He also had his career best 207 hits, .342 average, and .383 OBP. Izmir was a wild card with a first round exit. Mocuk three-peated as MVP in 2020, leading in home runs (53) and RBI (154); the latter a career high. Izmir won the division at 98-64 and knocked off Mashhad for the franchise’s second-ever pennant (1991). The Ice Caps were denied their first-ever ABF Championship with a 4-2 loss to Faisalabad. It was Mocuk’s strongest playoff run for Izmir with 20 hits, 11 runs, 8 doubles, 4 homers, 15 RBI, .958 OPS, 156 wRC+, and 0.7 WAR. Overall in 34 playoff starts for the Ice Caps, Mocuk had 36 hits, 20 runs, 13 doubles, 7 homers, 20 RBI, .273/.304/.530 slash, 134 wRC+, and 1.1 WAR. This was the peak of their run, falling just outside the playoffs in the next three years. After that, Izmir returned to being a bottom-feeder for next decade or so. But Mocuk was beloved as perhaps the biggest reason the Ice Caps were a contender in the late 2010s and early 2020s. Mocuk was also a general superstar for Turkish fans and was a regular in the World Baseball Championship. From 2018-34, he played 161 games with 115 hits, 78 runs, 19 doubles, 43 home runs, 91 RBI, .228/.288/.521 slash, and 4.5 WAR. The Turks usually had a winning record with Mocuk, but only got out of the round robin once in 2022. He remained steady for the rest of his Izmir tenure but was outside of the MVP conversations. Mocuk played 1681 games with 1771 hits, 924 runs, 438 doubles, 455 home runs, 1303 RBI, .289/.335/.594 slash, 154 wRC+, and 66.1 WAR. His #39 uniform would be retired at the end of his career. With the Ice Caps now well below .500, they traded Mocuk to Baku in March 2027 for two prospects. One was SP Arsen Murzabayev, who went onto to a respectable 13-year career. The Blackbirds had won West League pennants in 2022 and 2024, as well as the ABF title in 2024. However, they had just missed the playoffs the year prior to acquiring Mocuk. Baku moved him to first base and he won his first Silver Slugger there and took second in MVP voting, leading in homers (58) and RBI (138). Thrilled with the result, the Blackbirds gave Mocuk a five-year, $95 million extension. They got back to the playoffs at 99-63 but ate a first round defeat. Baku then missed the playoffs in 2028 at 82-80, their last miss prior to beginning an all-time dynasty run. Mocuk led in RBI in both 2028-29. In 2029, he had his career bests for home runs (62), total bases (422), slugging (.706), and runs (116). Mocuk led the league in each sans runs and also led with 147 RBI and 8.5 WAR, earning his fourth MVP and tenth Silver Slugger. He’s one of six in ABF history to win MVP four or more times. Baku had the WL’s best record at 100-62 and defeated Mashhad 4-2 in the WLCS. The Blackbirds then topped Peshawar 4-1 to win the ABF Championship. Mocuk had 20 hits, 12 runs, 4 doubles, 6 homers, 15 RBI, 1.045 OPS, 177 wRC+, and 1.0 WAR across 16 playoff starts. In his first Baseball Grand Championship, he was merely decent with 18 hits, 6 runs, 4 doubles, 3 homers, 7 RBI, .726 OPS, 118 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR. Baku still saw a solid 12-9 finish in a three-way tie for seventh. Mocuk moved back to third base and won additional Silver Sluggers in 2030 and 31, making him one of only three in ABF history to win the award 12+ times. He joined the legendary Nizami Aghazade and two-way player Safdar Kahlwan. In 2030, Mocuk passed Petri Viskari (1685) to become ABF’s career leader for RBI. Then in 2031, Mocuk became ABF’s all-time home run king at 692, passing Habib Saquib’s record of 683. Baku went 113-49 in 2030 and 114-48 in 2031, securing the ABF Championship three-eat with wins over Lahore and Hyderabad, respectively. Mocuk was strong in both runs with a combined 1.9 WAR, 12 homers, 23 RBI, 23 hits, and 19 runs over 27 games. In the BGC, Baku tied for fifth in 2030 at 12-9. Mocuk had a solid showing with 16 hits, 10 runs, 3 doubles, 7 homers, 15 RBI, .917 OPS, 161 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR. He struggled the next year with .720 OPS, 95 wRC+, and 0.2 WAR. The Blackbirds finished at 13-8, one game short of first place but fourth after tiebreakers were sorted out. 2032 did see a dip for Mocuk at 3.5 WAR, .820 OPS, and 120 wRC+; all full season lows. He still hit 42 homers with 87 RBI, becoming the first in ABF to reach 700 career homers and 2000 RBI. Baku had its best record yet at 118-42 and four-peated atop the West League, but they were denied a fourth ABF title in a rematch with Hyderabad. Mocuk was decent in the run (.823 OPS, 128 wRC+, 0.5 WAR), but he struggled to .573 OPS, 62 wRC+, and -0.1 WAR in the BGC. The Blackbirds got an at large and went 13-8, taking seventh after tiebreakers. Mocuk was a critical part of the dynasty as his 64 playoff starts had 75 hits, 39 runs, 13 doubles, 23 home runs, 49 RBI, .322/.367/.674 slash, 181 wRC+, and 3.5 WAR. He admittedly was more underwhelming in his 82 BGC games with 59 hits, 30 runs, 14 doubles, 20 home runs, 37 RBI, .201/.268/.461 slash, and 1.5 WAR. Overall in five seasons for Baku, Mocuk played 916 games with 960 hits, 541 runs, 188 doubles, 279 homers, 711 RBI, 256 walks, 1013 strikeouts, .278/.328/.584 slash, 145 wRC+, and 32.9 WAR. Because of the dynasty, Mocuk was arguably more famous for the Blackbirds run despite playing longer and stronger for Izmir. He’s likewise a beloved figure in the Azeri capital much as he is at home in Turkey. Now 39, Mocuk was a free agent for the first time and signed a three-year, $27,900,000 deal with Tashkent. He was used in a part-time starting role with the Tomcats and still was an effective hitter in the first two years, although he fell off notably at the end. For Tashkent, Mocuk played 322 games and started 163 with 172 hits, 100 runs, 35 doubles, 50 homers, 118 RBI, .234/.306/.488 slash, 129 wRC+, and 5.1 WAR. The Tomcats were an East League contender with Mocuk’s leadership. They went 103-59 in 2033 but got upset in the first round. They lost in the ELCS in 2034 to Rawalpindi and in 2035 to Osh. He had mixed results in the playoffs, finishing his postseason career with 120 games, 103 starts, 120 hits, 63 runs, 28 doubles, 32 homers, 77 RBI, 23 walks, 149 strikeouts, .298/.336/.605 slash, 159 wRC+, and 4.8 WAR. Mocuk ranks 8^th in playoff hits, 6^th in runs, 7^th in games, 4^th in homers, and 4^th in RBI. Mocuk did reach a bad milestone in the final years, 3000+ career strikeouts. He wanted to keep playing in 2036, but went unsigned and eventually retired that winter just after his 43^rd birthday. Mocuk had contemporaries right behind him for his power titles with Sultan Han becoming the new home run king in early 2038 and the new RBI leader in 2039. Youssouf Raza also passed him on the home run chart. In total, Mocuk played 2929 games with 2903 hits, 1565 runs, 661 doubles, 48 triples, 784 home runs, 2132 RBI, 729 walks, 3140 strikeouts, 6012 total bases, .281/.330/.583 slash, .913 OPS, 149 wRC+, and 104.1 WAR. Mocuk ranks 5^th in games, 8^th in runs, 8^th in hits, 2^nd in total bases, 5^th in doubles, 3^rd in homers, 2^nd in RBI, 45^th in walks, 1^st in strikeouts, and 14^th in WAR for position players. For ABF batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Mocuk is 30^th in slugging and 46^th in OPS. Mocuk ranks 44^th on the world leaderboard for RBI and 75^th for homers, although on the downside he’s 17^th in strikeouts. He’s one of only nine players in world history with 650+ doubles and 775+ homers. Mocuk is 9^th in WAR at third base in ABF history, losing some tallies for his run at 1B. He’s also lower in WAR than the power numbers might suggest, largely due to the terrible strikeout rate. That might keep Mocuk just outside of some top 10 lists for Asian Baseball Federation batters, but he definitely makes the cut for many observers. His high character and leadership can’t be ignored either with Baku’s dynasty and a pennant for Izmir. Mocuk is one of ABF’s top legends and an easy Hall of Fame headliner atop the three-man 2041 class at 98.9%. __________________ 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)

04-20-2026, 08:30 AM	#2814
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,402	2041 ABF Hall of Fame (Part 2) Mahtab “The Mayor” Malik – Third/First Base – Karachi Carp – 90.0% First Ballot Mahtab Malik was a 6’2’’, 200 pound switch-hitting corner infielder from Tando Allah Yar, Pakistan; a city of around 422,000 in the Hyderabad Division. His affable demeanor earned “The Major” as a nickname for Malik. He was incredibly likeable and a team captain known for his dedication, work ethic, and intelligence. Malik was also a rock solid contact and power hitter from both sides of the plate. His 162 game average got you 37 home runs and 30 doubles. Malik was below average for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts, but his high slugging and average more than made up for it. On the downside, Malik was a laughably poor and slow baserunner. Around 2/3 of his career starts came at third base with lousy defensive metrics. The rest were at first base, where he graded as actually quite good with his glove. Malik also never missed any significant time to injury in his 14-year career. Malik was picked tenth by Karachi in the 2021 ABF Draft. He was full-time on the roster right away but used mostly as a pinch hitter with only 54 starts over his first three years. Malik finally got the full-time job in 2025 and won his first Silver Slugger that year at 1B. Karachi had been mid-tier for the last few years, but 2025 saw the Carp end a 13-year playoff drought at 100-62. They were still second in the division to 105-win Hyderabad, but the Horned Frogs got upset in the first round by Almaty. Karachi topped Dushanbe 3-1 in the first round and rolled the Assassins 4-1 to claim the East League Championship Series. The Carp were then defeated 4-2 by Mashhad in the ABF Championship. In 15 playoff starts, Malik was solid with 14 hits, 9 runs, 3 doubles, 3 homers, 8 RBI, .801 OPS, 147 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR. Karachi got the top seed the next year at 99-63, but lost the ELCS 4-2 to Hyderabad. This was Malik’s last playoff games as the Carp wouldn’t get back in his tenure. They were rarely outright bad going .500 or better from 2027-31 and in 2033. Malik remained steady though even as the team entered perpetual mid-ness. Malik did get a chance to play on the World Baseball Championship stage regularly from 2025-34 for Pakistan. In 118 games and 102 starts, he had 95 hits, 47 runs, 15 doubles, 27 home runs, 63 RBI, .235/.292/.478 slash, 124 wRC+, and 3.0 WAR. Malik notably was a starter for Pakistan’s first World Championship win in 2029 with 23 hits, 9 runs, 6 homers, and 14 RBI that year. From 2025-31, he had a Silver Slugger streak winning at 1B in 2025-27 and 3B after. Karachi gave Malik a five-year, $142 million extension in August 2028. He was the leader in RBI four times, and total bases thrice. In 2027, Malik led in hits (218), total bases (416), slugging (.685), OPS (1.076), and wRC+ (224); all career bests. Surprisingly despite his 9.4 WAR, he wasn’t an MVP finalist that year. Malik never won MVP, but did take second in 2029, 2030, and 2031. He had 9+ WAR thrice, peaking at 9.8 in 2030. 2031 saw his career best for home runs (56) and runs scored (113). After missing the honor in 2032, Malik won his eighth and final Silver Slugger in 2033 at 3B. That winter, he signed a three-year, $75,600,000 extension to stay loyal to Karachi. Both Malik’s and the Carp’s decline began in 2034. His contact ability plummeted in 2034 and he was benched with .631 OPS, 79 wRC+, and 0.1 WAR over 105 games and 27 starts. Malik was a bit better in 2035 but was still used only sparingly with 72 games and 9 starts. He opted to retire that winter shortly after his 37^th birthday. Karachi immediately retired Malik’s #35 uniform for his 14 years of work. Malik finished with 1967 games, 1945 hits, 962 runs, 367 doubles, 18 triples, 450 home runs, 1191 RBI, 428 walks, 1401 strikeouts, 3698 total bases, .315/.358/.598 slash, 183 wRC+, and 77.5 WAR. Not becoming a starter until age 26 and his abrupt decline meant Malik had really only a decade worth of accumulations. Thus, he ranks 99^th in hits, 74^th in total bases, 41^st in homers, 52^nd in RBI, and 55^th in WAR among position players. Among ABF batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Malik ranks 33^rd/63^rd/21^st and his .956 OPS is 27^th. His 183 wRC+ just misses the top 50 among all world Hall of Famers and retired locks, showing how efficient Malik was in his prime. That efficiency, his loyalty to Karachi, role in their 2025 pennant, and his high character made The Mayor an easy inductee even without big final tallies. Malik made it firmly at 90.0% as part of the Asian Baseball Federation’s 2041 class. Ali Mahdian – Catcher – Tabriz Tiger Sharks – 71.0% First Ballot Ali Mahdian was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting catcher from Behshahr, Iran; a city with about 95,000 in the north-central part of the country. Many consider Mahdian as the greatest defensive catcher in the history of the game. He was stellar at calling the game, blocking, and throwing out runners. Mahdian was also a team captain with excellent leadership and intelligence behind the plate. He also had great durabilty, starting 120+ games each year from 2020-35. Even by catcher standards though, Mahdian wasn’t much of a hitter. He was merely decent facing right-handed pitching (.768 OPS, 110 wRC+) and was outright awful facing lefties (.596 OPS, 66 wRC+). Mahdian wasn’t devoid of power, but only got you 16 home runs and 35 doubles per his 162 game average. He was below average for drawing walks and avoid strikeouts. Mahdian was also a terrible baserunner and very slow. In April 2014, a teenaged Mahdian signed a developmental deal with Tabriz. He was a rare 19-year old debut in 2017, although Mahdian was a part-time starter only in his first three years. Tabriz had just started a playoff streak when he arrived and won the ABF Championship in 2017. Mahdian only had one at-bat in the playoff run, but did start 10 games in the Baseball Grand Championship. He did struggle with .541 OPS and -0.1 WAR, but the Tiger Sharks shocked the field by claiming the top spot at 15-4. He took over the full-time gig in 2020 and was a starter for 16 years. This started an 16-year streak of Gold Gloves behind the plate. Tabriz quickly gave him an eight-year, $48,620,000 extension after the 2020 season. Mahdian had his best offensive years initially with Silver Sluggers from 2020-22. 2022 had his career best for WAR (6.7), wRC+ (136), OPS (.875), and homers (21). The Tiger Sharks’ playoff streak continued through 2024. Tabriz had the top seed from 2020-22, but failed to win the pennant. They lost the 2020 WLCS to Bursa, lost in the first round in 2021, then lost the 2022 WLCS to Baku. The Tiger Sharks were a 92-70 wild card in 2023, but got revenge on the Blackbirds to win the WLCS 4-1. Tabriz then defeated Bishkek 4-2 for their second ABF Championship win. On the whole, Mahdian had weak playoff numbers in his career. In 96 games and 89 starts total, he had 86 hits, 37 runs, 15 doubles, 5 triples, 10 homers, 47 RBI, .252/.274/.413 slash, 87 wRC+, and 0.7 WAR. In the 2023 BGC, he had a .645 OPS, 86 wRC+, and 0.0 WAR. Tabriz couldn’t match their earlier BGC magic and finished 8-11. But Mahdian was extremely popular for his leadership and work behind the plate. He was also nationally popular as the backstop for Iran in the World Baseball Championship from 2018-36. However, Mahdian had -0.6 WAR over 163 games with 102 hits, 45 runs, 27 doubles, 13 home runs, 66 RBI, and .193/.252/.318 slash. Iran’s deepest run was a third place finish in 2023. Despite his value elsewhere though, Mahdian’s bat didn’t hold up against the strongest competition. Tabriz had a first round exit in 2024 to cap off their nine-year playoff streak. They missed the playoffs on a tiebreaker in 2025 at 94-68, then spent the next four years at or just below .500. With the rebuild in process and Mahdian in the final year of his deal for 2028, the Tiger Sharks traded him at the deadline to Bishkek in a six-player deal. Mahdian played 48 games for the Black Sox with 1.1 WAR, .615 OPS, and 83 wRC+. Despite their push, Bishkek finished 87-75, missing the last wild card by three wins. Mahdian was now a free agent at age 31 and was still extremely popular in Tabriz and fond of the city and franchise. He returned to the Tiger Sharks on a five-year, $25 million deal. From this point, he was pretty firmly a well-below average batter, but still a positive value player on defense. He even saw a batting resurgence in 2031 that led to a 6.2 WAR season. Tabriz’s rebuild ended and they got a wild card in 2030 at 97-65, ultimately falling in the WLCS as Baku began its dynasty. The Tiger Sharks lost in the first round in 2031 and 2032 as a wild card, then just missed the cut in 2033. Mahdian was a free agent again after the 2033 season, but in January 2034 signed a new two-year, $12,400,000 deal with Tabriz. In 2034, Tabriz won the Central Division at 105-57. Baku was the heavy favorite with a historic 124-win season, but Ahvaz ousted them with two different series wins in the double-elimination format. The Tiger Sharks cruised to a later WLCS sweep of the Athletics, then beat Rawalpindi 4-2 for the ABF Championship. Tabriz finished 11-10 in the Baseball Grand Championship with Mahdian posting -0.2 WAR. Tabriz got the #1 seed in 2035 at 113-49, but fell to Gaziantep in the WLCS. This was Mahdian’s final year and saw his 16^th Gold Glove. He’s one of only five players in all of world history at any position with 16+ GGs. Mahdian has the most of any ABF player and any catcher. No other catcher had won more than 12 in any league. Mahdian wanted to play in 2036 but went unsigned, eventually retiring that winter at age 39. Mahdian finished with 2244 games, 2093 hits, 845 runs, 485 doubles, 24 triples, 216 home runs, 923 RBI, 446 walks, 1770 strikeouts, .266/.309/.416 slash, 99 wRC+, and 65.6 WAR. He ranks 54^th in games, 69^th in hits, 42^nd in doubles, and 84^th in WAR among position players. On the downside, Mahdian is the only Hall of Fame position player in world history with a wRC+ below 100 and he has the lowest OPS of any inductee. However, Mahdian also finished with a career 165.6 zone rating, 1.052 EFF, 3.25 catchers’ ERA, and 49.7% runners thrown out. No other catcher in world history has even cracked 100+ ZR, which shows how impressive he was with his glove. Some guys had been better but had far shorter careers with worse bats and poor longevity. Mahdian was at least passable offensively for the position. Still, even among Asian Baseball Federation catchers, Mahdian was 3^rd in WAR. His candidacy was a tricky especially as offensive value makes up the lion’s share of a position player’s worth for most. Catchers also generally run into the issue of lower accumulations with the position even for strong batters, making their resumes look weak relatively. Mahdian had those qualities though which don’t register as obviously on the stat sheet. He made each of the pitchers he caught for better, which in turn helped Tabriz emerge as a regular contender in his career. Over his career, they made the playoffs 15 times with three ABF titles, a Grand Championship, eight LCS trips, and nine division titles. He was also a critical clubhouse leader and captain. While the skeptics rightly noted he was a middling bat, Mahdian’s supporters had Tabriz’s team success to point to along with his incredible defense. Most informed scholars rank Mahdian as the greatest defensive catcher in baseball history, but even that didn’t guarantee induction. It was ultimately enough though as he earned 71.0%, narrowly breaching the 66% requirement for a first ballot nod to cap off ABF’s 2041 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)

04-21-2026, 07:27 AM	#2815
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,402	2041 ALB Hall of Fame (Part 1) Arab League Baseball had three strong inductees into the Hall of Fame for 2041, captained by SP Diyar Abbas with the rare unanimous nod. He joins SAB SP Zainal bin Aziz, EPB SP/LF Igor Bury, OBA SP Jonah Lois, BSA RF Luca Alvares, and CABA SP Antonio Desir as the only players in any world league to get 100% of the vote. 2B Iqbal Matharu (90.0%) and RF Azhar Eid (84.7%) both joined Abbas firmly. Three returners were above 50%, but short of the 66% threshold. 1B Mohamed Ali Mansour had 57.5% on his seventh ballot, SP Ahmed Essa had 55.6% for his fifth try, and SP Muhammed Fadel saw 53.4% with his eighth go. No players were dropped from the ballot after ten failed tries. Diyar Abbas – Starting Pitcher – Riyadh Rats – 100.0% First Ballot Diyar Abbas was a 6’6’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Sulaymaniyah, Iraq; a city of 847,000 in the country’s Kurdistan region. Abbas was well-rounded with great stuff, movement, and control for his entire run. His control got even better in his final years even as his velocity dropped, helping Abbas play into his 40s. He had a five-pitch arsenal with 99-101 mph velocity; fastball, forkball, sinker, slider, and changeup. Abbas had stellar stamina relative to his ALB peers and had excellent durability, avoiding any major injury until his penultimate season. He led the conference 12 times for innings pitched and tossed 220+ each year from 2018-33. Abbas was a good defensive pitcher, but was subpar at holding runners. He was a true fan favorite and one of the game’s most likeable guys, known for his leadership, work ethic, loyalty, and adaptability. With all of those traits combined, you get ALB’s first unanimous Hall of Famer. He left Iraq for Saudi Arabia as a teen in September 2012 by signing a developmental contract with Riyadh. Abbas debuted with four relief appearances in 2016 at age 21, then was full-time in the bullpen the next year with decent results. He became the ace in 2018 with his first of 14 consecutive seasons worth 6+ WAR and the first of nine straight worth 7.5+ WAR. Abbas also started a seven year streak as the Eastern Conference leader for innings pitched. In 2020, Abbas won his first Pitcher of the Year award, leading in strikeouts (318), and WAR (9.5). He took third in 2021, second in 2023, third in 2024, and third in 2025. Abbas led again in strikeouts in 2022 with a career-best 340. He was the WARlord at 9.1 in 2023, starting a four-year streak of 9+ WAR seasons. Abbas led in strikeouts from 2024-27. From 2019-26, he led seven times in complete games, but surprisingly never tossed a no-hitter. In June 2023, Abbas signed a seven-year, $180 million extension with Riyadh. He was perhaps underappreciated initially as the Rats were historically one of ALB’s less successful franchises. They had a playoff drought back to 2002, although they did start consistently finishing around or above .500 with Abbas. Their closest breakthrough was a franchise-best 100-62 in 2019, but ALB didn’t have wild cards at this point. They were four games behind Jeddah, whose Arabia Division streak stretched from 2011-24. Riyadh finally ended that streak at 100-62 in 2025, but was upset in the divisional round. They missed the playoffs at 82-80 in 2026, but Abbas won his second Pitcher of the Year and posted ALB’s ninth-ever Triple Crown pitching season. He had a 22-9 record, 2.82 ERA, and 305 Ks. Abbas also saw his career best WHIP (0.93), complete games (12), and WAR (9.6). He surprisingly had his ERA above four in 2027. The wild card was now a thing and Riyadh got it in 2027, but lost in the first round. In 2028, they won a terrible division at 79-83 and made it to the Eastern Conference Final, falling 3-2 to Muscat. Abbas was respectable in that run with a 3.42 ERA over 23.2 innings, but he stunk in his previous two playoff starts. In his Riyadh career, he had a 5.05 ERA in five starts, 35.2 innings, 2-3 record, 45 strikeouts, 91 ERA+, 85 FIP-, and 0.8 WAR. Abbas was a tournament regular with better results for his native Iraq in the World Baseball Championship. From 2018-34, Abbas tossed 269.1 innings with a 3.07 ERA, 13-15 record, 351 strikeouts, 116 ERA+, 78 FIP-, and 6.8 WAR. Despite his efforts, Iraq failed to earn their first postseason berth during his tenure. In 2028, Abbas led in wins for the second time and in WAR, taking second in POTY voting. Riyadh dropped to 74-88 the next year, their first time below 80 wins with Abbas as a full-time starter. That winter, the Rats traded their 34-year old ace to Alexandria for two prospects and a draft pick. Although Riyadh never broke through with Abbas, he was beloved and his #15 uniform would later be retired. Abbas finished with a 222-123 record, 3.33 ERA, 3082.2 innings, 3605 strikeouts, 421 walks, 110 complete games, 17 shutouts, 132 ERA+, 66 FIP-, and 100.8 WAR. Abbas took second in Western Conference Pitcher of the Year voting in his Astronauts debut, leading in wins and WAR. Alexandria missed the wild card by one win at 89-73, but they were happy with Abbas and gave him a three-year, $92,500,000 extension. In 2031, he won his third Pitcher of the Year with his second ERA title, a career-best 2.55. Abbas also led in WAR and wins both for the final time. Alexandria got the top seed at 102-60, but got upset in the second round by Damascus. They were a division champ and ousted in the second round in 2032 as well. Again, Abbas was shockingly poor in the playoffs with a 9.28 ERA over his two starts. His career playoff ERA was 6.02 over 46.1 innings with a 2-5 record, 54 Ks, 75 ERA+, 93 FIP-, and 0.8 WAR. That’s generally the biggest mark against him when discussing ALB’s pitching greats. Abbas did also see his velocity start to dip in his final seasons with Alexandria. Over four years, he had a 67-37 record, 3.41 ERA, 977 innings, 972 strikeouts, 93 walks, 129 ERA+, 75 FIP-, and 26.6 WAR. He was climbing up the leaderboards and with his durability, many expected Abbas to challenge Ahmed Hussain’s all-time marks for strikeouts (5295), wins (312), and WAR (135.79). Abbas was now at 289 wins, 4577 Ks, and 127.3 WAR; holding the #2 spot for each stat. For 2034, Abbas signed a conditional two-year, $29,800,000 deal with Tunis. His control was still excellent, but his velocity was dropping hard and he was now peaking in the 91-93 mph range. In 96 innings for the Thunder Cats, he had a 4.59 ERA, 59 Ks, and 1.4 WAR. Abbas suffered his first major injury that June with a bone spur in his elbow, ending his season and the brief tenure in Tunis. He tried a comeback in 2035 with Suez for the veteran minimum and missed part of the year to a sprained ankle. He struggled in his limited use with a 5.75 ERA over 81.1 innings, 40 Ks, and -0.1 WAR. Abbas retired that winter at age 40. Abbas finished with a 296-171 record, 3.42 ERA, 4237 innings, 4676 strikeouts, 539 walks, 341/546 quality starts, 148 complete games, 21 shutouts, 129 ERA+, 70 FIP-, and 128.8 WAR. He ranks 2^nd in wins, 2^nd in strikeouts, 2^nd in pitching WAR, 2^nd in complete games, 8^th in shutouts, and 2^nd in innings. Among ALB pitchers with 1000+ innings, Abbas’s ERA is 92^nd. His 1.14 BB/9 is 14^th and his 1.11 WHIP is 88^th. He’s 52^nd in the world leaderboard for wins and in the top 100 for strikeouts. He’s certainly one of Arab League Baseball’s immortals and usually cited as a top three pitcher in league history. Ahmed Hussain is typically considered the GOAT and although Abbas beats Rashid Tariq in totals, many would rank Tariq higher due to his playoff success and role in a dynasty with Mosul. Almost no one would dare place Abbas outside of the top five and few guys were more likeable. Thus, Abbas was ALB’s first unanimous Hall of Famer to headline a strong three-man 2041 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)

04-22-2026, 07:23 AM	#2816
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,402	2041 ALB Hall of Fame (Part 2) Iqbal “Deranged” Matharu – Second Base – Mecca Marksmen – 90.0% First Ballot Iqbal Matharu was a 5’11’’, 185 pound right-handed second baseman from Suez, Egypt; a city of 690,000 people best known for the eponymous canal. The nickname “Deranged” came from Matharu’s intense work ethic which powered him through an 18-year career. He was one of the all-time great contact hitters with a 10/10 grade from scouts for most of his career. Matharu was excellent at putting the ball in play and avoiding strikeouts. He wasn’t just a singles slap hitter and knew how to find the gap, but Matharu wasn’t a home run hitter. His 162 game average got you 51 doubles, 12 triples, and 8 homers. On the downside, he also very rarely drew walks. Matharu was a stellar baserunner with very good speed. He was a career second baseman and graded as delightfully average defensively. Matharu’s durability was mostly good in his 20s, but knee and back issues were recurring problems in his later seasons. Matharu left Egypt for Mecca for more than just the expected pilgrimage, signing a developmental deal with the Marksmen in July 2016. He was a rare 18-year old debutant in 2018 albeit with only eight at-bats. Matharu got a full-time starting job in 2019 at 19 and had it for 15 years with Mecca, although he missed much of his sophomore season to a torn meniscus. He finished second in 2019’s Rookie of the Year voting. In 2021, Matharu won his first batting title at .355 and led the Eastern Conference with 214 hits. His averages only went up, although he didn’t lead in average again until 2027. Matharu led in hits again with 239 in 2022 and 258 in 2024, the latter tied for the fourth-most in an ALB single season. He won his first Silver Sluggers from 2023-25. Matharu had a six-hit game on May 2022 against Mecca and another six-hit game in extra innings versus Amman in April 2024. He is the only ALB player to achieve the feat twice. Mecca had been historically unsuccessful and their division was firmly controlled by Jeddah from 2011-24. With the addition of the wild card in 2024, the Marksmen finally ended a 14-year playoff drought, although they lost in the first round. They were a wild card again and lost in the second round of 2027. The rest of the decade, Mecca was typically around or just below .500. Matharu ended up with only five career playoff games. Although famous for his run in Saudi Arabia, Matharu did regularly represent his native Egypt in the World Baseball Championship. From 2020-35, he played 143 games and started 132 with 140 hits, 41 runs, 23 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, 34 RBI, 47 steals, .272/.306/.348 slash, 90 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR. Egypt’s deepest run was a division title in 2027. In April 2025, Matharu signed an eight-year, $222,200,000 extension to remain Mecca’s leadoff man. He led again in hits that year, then led with a career-best 259 in 2027. It is the third-most in an ALB single season and tied for 13^th in any league. Matharu also led with career bests for average (.407) and OBP (.428). The average is the fifth-best in ALB history and the 28^th-best qualifying season in any world league. 2025 also had his longest hitting streak at 29 games. Matharu had ten separate 20+ game hitting streaks, the most of any ALB player. He won additional Silver Sluggers in 2027, 29, and 30; getting six for his career. Matharu reliably got around 6+ WAR from the leadoff spot for most of his prime run. 2030 was where injuries became more an issue, missing about half of the season with strained hamstrings. After a mostly healthy 2031, more hamstring issues kept him out the second half of 2032 and he missed much of the first half to an oblique strain. Smaller injuries limited him to a half-season in 2033 and his production dropped with a career low .761 OPS and 99 wRC+. That was the end of the Mecca run with 1853 games, 2819 hits, 1254 runs, 595 doubles, 144 triples, 90 homers, 783 RBI, 282 walks, 804 steals, .368/.396/.518 slash, 138 wRC+, and 77.1 WAR. Matharu remains very popular in the Holy City and had his #15 uniform retired. Matharu’s bat rebounded a bit in 2034 for Tripoli but assorted injuries limited him to 97 games with 135 hits, .824 OPS, 116 wRC+, and 2.2 WAR. Surprisingly, Riyadh gave him a three-year deal in 2035, but he only played the one year with 0 WAR, .745 OPS, and 95 wRC+ over 83 games and 53 starts. Matharu retired that winter at age 36, although the last year with the Rats allowed him to join the 3000 hit club. Overall, Matharu played 2033 games with 3026 hits, 1329 runs, 638 doubles, 149 triples, 97 homers, 854 RBI, 303 walks, 777 strikeouts, 4253 total bases, 842 steals, .365/.393/.513 slash, 136 wRC+, and 79.2 WAR. Matharu ranks 89^th in games, 53^rd in runs, 13^th in hits, 63^rd in total bases, 5^th in singles (2142), 21^st in doubles, 30^th in triples, 34^th in steals, and 25^th in WAR among position players. He ranks 3^rd in WAR for ALB second basemen. Among ALB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, only two active guys have a better batting average. He also ranks 10^th in OBP. Among all world Hall of Famers and retired locks, Matharu has the 2^nd-best batting average only behind EBF’s Franco Gilbert at .373. Even accounting for the higher-offense environment of Arab League Baseball, Matharu is one of the absolute best contact hitters in the game’s history. Of course with the lack of home run power, Matharu won’t find himself in the conversations as a top ten position players in ALB’s history. But he easily ranks among the best leadoff guys and second basemen the league had ever seen. Matharu earned 90.0% for a firm first ballot nod as part of a three-player 2041 HOF class. Azhar Eid – Right Field – Kuwait Whales – 84.7% First Ballot Azhar Eid was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed right fielder from Sanaa, the capital of Yemen. Eid was an especially solid hitter facing right-handed pitching with a career 1.006 OPS and 154 wRC+. He was merely okay facing lefties with a .775 OPS and 99 wRC+. On the whole, Eid graded as a quite good contact hitter, but he was subpar at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. His gap power was especially potent, but Eid got you a steady amount of dingers too. Eid’s 162 game average had 51 doubles, 8 triples, and 31 home runs. He was an incredibly skilled baserunner and thief, although he was limited by merely above average speed. Eid had an absolute cannon arm as a right fielder with above average defense grades overall. He also played some first base at the end of his career with respectable metrics. Eid’s durability was mostly good over an 18-year run. Eid left Yemen for Kuwait as a developmental prospect in December 2015. He spent around three years in their academy, debuting in 2018 with 22 pinch hit at-bats at age 21. Eid earned a full-time starting job in 2019 and led the Eastern Conference with 57 doubles en route to Rookie of the Year honors. He led again with 57 doubles in 2021 and led in runs (127) and WAR (7.7). That earned Eid his first Silver Slugger and a second place in MVP voting. He remained steady and got another Silver Slugger in 2022, but the award was hard to come by as he shared a conference and position with eventual hit king Ahmed Yasser Basha. 2022 also saw Eid ‘s first cycle in September against Mosul. Kuwait had also generally been a middle-tier team, but Eid helped them end a 14-year playoff drought in 2024. It was the first year the wild card was employed and the Whales took one at 98-64. They got hot and upset Basra to win the Eastern Conference crown 3-1, although they lost the Arab League Championship in a sweep by Amman. Eid had a decent playoff showing with 12 hits, 6 runs, 6 doubles, 1 homer, 8 RBI, .787 OPS, 99 wRC+, and 0.3 WAR. He struggled in the next two years in the playoffs as Kuwait repeated as a wild card, but had back-to-back first round exits. The Whales spent the rest of his tenure outside of the playoffs and usually in the 70s win range. Eid stayed loyal with a seven-year, $143 million extension signed in April 2025. He won his third Silver Slugger in 2027 and was second in MVP voting, ultimately failing to capture the top honor. 2027 was definitely Eid’s best season with conference and career bests for total bases (428), slugging (.716), OPS (1.111), wRC+ (178), and WAR (9.0). He also had his highs for hits (211), runs (130), and homers (48). Eid also earned his second cycle in April against Damascus. A severely strained hip muscle kept him out much of 2028. Eid rebounded in 2029 with a career-best 63 doubles, which ranks as the ninth-best single season in ALB history. Eid was still a decent starter after that, but his production started to dip in his last two seasons and he missed chunks of 2023 to various injuries. For Kuwait, Eid played 2039 games with 2442 hits, 1416 runs, 659 doubles, 106 triples, 412 home runs, 1359 RBI, 549 steals, .321/.368/.597 slash, 144 wRC+, and 74.4 WAR. For his 15 years of service, the Whales retired Eid’s #9 uniform at the end of his career. He was also liked back home in Yemen as a regular in the World Baseball Championship. From 2021-36, Eid played 166 games with 131 hits, 78 runs, 32 doubles, 33 home runs, 75 RBI, .230/.292/.471 slash, 120 wRC+, and 4.1 WAR. The Yemeni notably earned their first-ever playoff trips with Eid in 2024 and 2032. A free agent for the first time at age 35, Eid signed for 2033 to a three-year, $14,760,000 deal with Abu Dhabi. However, he only played 26 games for the Destroyers thanks to a torn labrum in May. In January 2034, Eid was traded to Aleppo straight up for LF Evzen Chavalik. He was middling in 2034, but had a pretty solid 2035 worth 4.2 WAR for the Alliance. Eid had 297 games, 321 hits, 146 runs, 69 doubles, 14 triples, 43 home runs, 156 RBI, .300/.350/.511 slash, 122 wRC+, and 6.0 WAR. He also joined the 700 double club and hoped he could chance Abdul Rahman Abu Hamal’s record 773. Eid was ultimately unsigned in 2036, but played one final WBC for Yemen. He officially retired in the winter at age 39. The grand totals for Eid saw 2362 games, 2790 hits, 1583 runs, 737 doubles, 120 triples, 456 home runs, 1522 RBI, 581 walks, 2102 strikeouts, 627 steals, .318/.366/.585 slash, 141 wRC+, and 81.1 WAR. Eid ranks 42^nd in games, 21^st in runs, 26^th in hits, 32^nd in total bases (5135), 5^th in doubles, 52^nd in triples, 72^nd in homers, 37^th in RBI, 82^nd in walks, 49^th in strikeouts, 77^th in steals, and 22^nd in WAR among position players. Among ALB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Eid’s slash is 57^th/59^th/71^st and his .952 OPS is 47^th. Eid also ranks 14^th on the world leaderboard for doubles. He wasn’t a perennial MVP candidate and was on largely forgettable teams, but Eid was reliably one of the best outfielders in Arab League Baseball of his era. It earned him 84.7% for a first ballot induction to bookend an impressive three-man 2041 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)

04-23-2026, 10:08 AM	#2817
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,402	2041 AAB Hall of Fame (Part 1) Three made it into the African Association of Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 2041 with the clear headliner 1B/DH Trevor Zhou with 98.1%. 3B Ibukun da Costa also had a solid first ballot nod at 82.7%. SP Vally Nzamba meanwhile made it in his tenth and final chance at 74.0%. He became the fourth AAB inductee to make it in on his tenth try. Two returning pitchers were above 50% but short of the 66% requirement. Fasika Mulatu was on his third try and Miracle Rukundo on his ninth, both getting 58.8%. No players were dropped from the ballot after ten failed attempts. Trevor Zhou – First Base/Designated Hitter – N’Djamena Magic – 98.1% First Ballot Trevor Zhou was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed first baseman from Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe. Zhou was a great contact hitter and especially mashed against right-handed pitching with a career 1.078 OPS and 170 wRC+. He was merely decent against lefties with a .786 OPS and 107 wRC+. Zhou was good at drawing walks, but did have a subpar strikeout rate. He had reliably strong power with 43 home runs and 41 doubles per his 162 game average. Although he scored plenty of runs, Zhou was a painfully slow baserunner and quite sluggish. He made all of his defensive starts at first base and was below average, but not abysmal with his glove. About 1/3 of Zhou’s starts were as a designated hitter. His powerful bat, high work ethic, and loyalty made him a fan favorite. Zhou also had mostly good durability over an 18-year career. Zhou left Zimbabwe for Chad in May 2015 with a developmental deal for N’Djamena. He debuted in 2018 at age 21 as a part-timer, then was a full-time starter the next year. Zhou was elite by 2020, winning his first Silver Slugger and taking third in MVP voting with a Central Conference leading 52 home runs and 1.077 OPS. He won additional Sluggers in 2021-22, leading in OBP in 2021 and in slugging, OPS, wRC+, runs, and WAR in 2022. Zhou was second in 2022’s MVP voting and N’Djamena ended a 15-year playoff drought. The Magic won 95 in 2022 and 102 in 2023, but both years fell victim to Kampala’s dynasty in the conference finals. Zhou was great in the small sample size with a 1.443 OPS, 299 wRC+, and 0.7 WAR in six starts. They spent the next three years hovering around the .500 mark. Zhou won Sluggers again in from 2024-26 and won his lone MVP in 2025. That year had career and conference bests for OBP (.445) and WAR (9.4), as well as career bests for hits (211), homers (57), RBI (137), average (.377), slugging (.77), OPS (1.215), and wRC+ (211). The OPS ranks as the 13^th-best qualifying season in AAB history and the triple slash ranked 6^th/18^th/20^th. In April 2025, Zhou signed a three-year, $32,500,000 extension with N’Djamena. In 2027, he saw a shockingly poor season with .809 OPS, 105 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR. Prior to that, he had posted above one OPS in seven straight seasons. Although still very popular, the Magic was worried Zhou was cooked. In May 2028, he was traded to Nairobi for two prospects. Zhou finished for the Magic with 1455 games, 1603 hits, 937 runs, 386 doubles, 395 home runs, 1020 RBI, 732 walks, 1129 strikeouts, .310/.398/.617 slash, 163 wRC+, and 54.5 WAR. The abrupt end did spoil the relationship a bit with N’Djamena and thus his jersey was never retired. Nairobi was confident Zhou’s poor 2027 was a fluke and gave him a four-year, $56,800,000 extension only a week after the trade. The bet paid off as Zhou was back to strong starting numbers the next few years, although he was no longer award winning. Nairobi was first in the Central Conference at 93-69 in 2028, but lost the conference final 4-3 to Addis Ababa. After back-to-back playoff misses, the Night Hawks fell in the 2031 conference final to Djibouti. In 2032, Nairobi tied for first in the conference at 102-60 and had the tiebreaker for home field over Brazzaville. The Night Hawks beat the Blowfish 4-2 for the pennant, then won their first-ever Africa Series title 5-3 over Johannesburg. Zhou was finals MVP with 14 hits, 8 runs, 4 doubles, 6 homers, 12 RBI, 1.233 OPS, 204 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR over 13 playoff starts. Nairobi then shocked many observers by winning the Baseball Grand Championship at 16-5. Zhou had another nice showing over 21 games with 18 hits, 14 runs, 7 homers, 12 RBI, .875 OPS, 142 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR. He had also been a reliable tournament player for his native Zimbabwe in the World Baseball Championship. From 2028-35, Zhou played 97 games with 90 hits, 46 runs, 15 doubles, 29 homers, 65 RBI, .259/.340/.553 slash and 4.3 WAR. Fresh off the Africa Series MVP win, Nairobi gave Zhou a three-year, $59 million extension. He had two more solid seasons, although injuries limited him somewhat and he didn’t meet the criteria for third year. The Night Hawks failed to follow up immediately on their Grand Championship win with back-to-back losing seasons. Still, Zhou was a critical piece of bringing the hardware to Kenya. For Nairobi, Zhou played 1041 games with 1079 hits, 693 runs, 250 doubles, 281 homers, 728 RBI, 556 walks, 897 strikeouts, .298/.394/.608 slash, 147 wRC+, and 29.6 WAR. Port Elizabeth gave Zhou a three-year, $21,300,000 deal but he dropped off noticeably in 2035 with .818 OPS, 109 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR over 125 games. Zhou retired that winter at age 38. Zhou finished with 2621 games, 2783 hits, 1697 runs, 660 doubles, 27 triples, 695 home runs, 1811 RBI, 1352 walks, 2147 strikeouts, .303/.394/.607 slash, 1.001 OPS, 154 wRC+, and 85.1 WAR. He ranks 7^th in games, 8^th in runs, 7^th in hits, 5^th in total bases (5582), 3^rd in doubles, 11^th in homers, 9^th in RBI, 9^th in walks, 13^th in strikeouts, and 11^th in WAR for position players. Among AAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Zhou’s triple slash ranks 44^th/18^th/30^th and his OPS is 15^th. Among world Hall of Famers and retired locks, Zhou is one of 57 guys to retire with an OPS above one. He’s also 44^th on the world doubles leaderboard. Zhou almost quietly put up numbers that arguably place him as a top ten position players all-time in the African Association of Baseball. He wasn’t always thought of as an MVP candidate, but he was a remarkably solid bat and an important part of Nairobi’s Grand Championship and AAB title wins. The voters acknowledged that as Zhou received 98.1% to captain a three-man class for 2041. __________________ 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)

Yesterday, 06:13 AM	#2818
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,402	2041 AAB Hall of Fame (Part 2) Ibukun da Costa – Third Base – Nairobi Night Hawks – 82.7% First Ballot Ibukun da Costa was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting third baseman from Cabinda, Angola; a city of 550,000 in the country’s northwest. He and fellow 2041 classmate Vally Nzamba were the third and fourth Angolans to make it into AAB’s HOF. Da Costa was known for his reliable and impressive home run power with 46 dingers per his 162 game average. He also got you 28 doubles per 162 and he was also quite good at drawing walks, Against right-handed pitching, he was a decent contact hitter and posted a career .972 OPS and 144 wRC+. Da Costa really struggled against lefties though with a .711 OPS and 84 wRC+. He had a poor strikeout rate against both with an especially lousy 30.3% facing LHP. Da Costa still got on base at a good clip from walks, but his speed and baserunning were both subpar. He had a very strong arm, thus da Costa was a career third baseman. Defensively, he graded as reliably average and he had plenty of added value with strong durability, playing 145+ games each year from 2021-33. Da Costa’s steady ability and power made him a very popular figure throughout the continent, but especially in Kenya for Nairobi. The Night Hawks took da Costa ninth overall in the 2019 AAB Draft. As a rookie, da Costa played 114 games with 25 homers, 90 wRC+, and 1.5 WAR, which was good enough for Rookie of the Year. He hit 45 homers the next year and was good for 40+ homers in all but one of the next 12 seasons. Da Costa led the Central Conference with 51 homers in 2022, winning his lone MVP and his first Silver Slugger. This year also had his career best wRC+ (170) and WAR (7.0). Da Costa won additional Silver Sluggers from 2023-26. After the 2025 season, da Costa signed a seven-year, $32,080,000 extension for Nairobi. After mediocrity to end the 2010s, the Night Hawks were just outside of the playoffs in the first half of the 2020s. In 2026, Nairobi finished first atop the standings for the first time at 102-60, one game ahead of Bujumbura. They ultimately lost 4-2 to the Bighorns in the conference final, although da Costa went 8-20 with a 1.428 OPS. That year, he had career bests for runs (116), hits (153), homers (54), and RBI (128); finishing third in MVP voting. Da Costa’s efficiency dropped notably the next four seasons, especially against lefties. After a losing season in 2027, Nairobi got first in 2028 at 93-69. Da Costa had five home runs in the Central Conference Championship, but they were still defeated 4-3 by Addis Ababa. The Night Hawks went .500 in 2029, then finished fourth in 2030 at 92-70. In 2031, da Costa had a notable rebound to win his sixth Silver Slugger with 6.2 WAR and a career best 1.042 OPS. He also had a four home run game with 10 RBI in May against Mombasa. Nairobi won a one-game playoff to earn the wild card over Addis Ababa at 97-66, but promptly got swept in the conference final by Djibouti. Da Costa won his seventh and final Silver Slugger in 2032. Nairobi and Brazzaville finished even atop the standings at 102-60, but the Night Hawks got first via tiebreaker. They bested the Blowfish 4-2 to finally win the conference title, then defeated Johannesburg 5-3 in the Africa Series for the franchise’s first-ever AAB title. For da Costa, he was decent in the playoffs with 10 hits, 6 runs, 3 homers, 6 RBI, .970 OPS, 137 wRC+, and 0.2 WAR. In the Baseball Grand Championship, he struggled to a .136/.208/.409 slash with 6 homers, 73 wRC+, and 0 WAR in 17 games. Despite that, Nairobi shocked the field by finishing 16-5 to earn Grand Champion honors. After 13 years for Nairobi, da Costa had reached the pinnacle of team success. This also marked the end of his contract, sending him to free agency for the first time at age 36. For Nairobi, he played 1948 games with 1651 hits, 1132 runs, 339 doubles, 569 home runs, 1305 RBI, 936 walks, 2017 strikeouts, .253/.347/.569 slash, 131 wRC+, and 55.3 WAR. Da Costa was extremely popular for his service with the Night Hawks and his #17 uniform would later be retired. He was also very popular back home in his native Angola as one of the country’s few major starts. Da Costa was a regular in the World Baseball Championship as a starter from 2021-28, then as a reserve through 2036. He played 118 WBC games with 61 hits, 42 runs, 10 doubles, 24 homers, 41 RBI, .182/.302/.426 slash, and 1.8 WAR. For 2033, da Costa signed a three-year, $64,400,000 deal with Cape Town. He was merely decent in 2033, then had an actively below average bat in 2034 but still some positive WAR from defense. Cape Town notably took second in 2034 at 91-71 and upset Johannesburg 4-1 in the Southern Conference Championship, although they lost 5-4 in the Africa Series to Brazzaville. Da Costa had a lousy .694 OPS, 64 wRC+, and 0 WAR for the playoffs. For his career, he still had a strong .996 OPS, 141 wRC+, and 1.3 WAR over 40 starts with 15 homers and 26 RBI; winning two pennants, one Africa Series, and a Grand Championship. Da Costa didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the third year with the Cowboys, finishing with 275 game, 227 hits, 135 runs, 48 doubles, 60 homers, 173 RBI, .235/.319/.474 slash, 104 wRC+, and 2.4 WAR. Now 38, da Costa joined Johannesburg in 2035 on a one-year, $2,080,000 deal. A strained hamstring kept him out much of the year, but in a platoon role his bat still looked strong. Over 74 games, da Costa had 24 homers, 1.063 OPS, 158 wRC+, and 2.4 WAR. He also hit four homers in May against Comoros. This joined Timeo Kahudi as the only AAB players with multiple four-homer games; a feat met by only six in all of pro baseball history. Despite the resurgent bat, da Costa was unsigned in 2036 and retired that winter at age 39. In total, da Costa played 2297 games with 1938 hits, 1314 runs, 402 doubles, 653 home runs, 1533 RBI, 1084 walks, 2390 strikeouts, .251/.345/.560 slash, 129 wRC+, and 61.4 WAR. He ranks 24^th in games, 36^th in runs, 54^th in hits, 30^th in total bases (4321), 73^rd in doubles, 13^th in homers, 19^th in RBI, 23^rd in walks, 4^th in strikeouts, and 31^st in WAR for position players. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, da Costa’s .905 OPS is 93^rd and he is 78^th in slugging. The high strikeout rate and lower average knock da Costa down a few pegs for Sabermetric stats. However, he’s the African Association of Baseball’s career leader among third basemen for games, runs, homers, RBI, and WAR. Da Costa isn’t an inner-circle level Hall of Famer, but the majority agreed he was clearly a first-ballot talent. He earned 82.7% for induction with a three-man 2041 class for AAB. Vally Nzamba – Starting Pitcher – Johannesburg Jackalopes – 74.0% Tenth Ballot Vally Nzamba was a 5’10’’, 185 pound right-handed pitcher from Luanda, the capital of Angola. Nzamba was known for great control, rock solid stuff, and average movement. He had 97-99 mph peak velocity with a cutter, changeup, curveball, and circle change arsenal. Relative to other AAB aces, Nzamba had excellent stamina for much of his career, leading the conference thrice in innings pitched. On the downside, Nzamba ran into some injury issues and only had a 12-year career. He was decent at holding runners, but had poor defensive metrics otherwise. Some coaches felt Nzamba was a bit selfish and unintelligent. Despite not having the prototypical size for an ace, his talent and potential were noticed as a teenager. In May 2007, he left Angola for South Africa on a developmental deal with Johannesburg. Nzamba spent around seven years in their academy before debuting in 2013 at age 22. He had limited use and struggled in his first two seasons, then saw some improvement as a part-timer in 2015. That year, Johannesburg finished atop the Southern Conference at 110-52 and won the pennant over Lusaka. They ultimately fell to Brazzaville 5-4 in the Africa Series. In the postseason, Nzamba was a full-time starter with weak results with a 5.54 ERA over 26 innings, 2-2 record, and 35 Ks. He had a 75 ERA+, but a 92 FIP- and 0.4 WAR. Johannesburg got an at-large into the Baseball Grand Championship and finished tied for first at 15-4 with Denver. The Jackalopes won the head-to-head 13-7 over the Dragons, becoming the first African team to win Grand Champion honors. Nzamba still wasn’t ready for that stage, posting 7.04 ERA over 23 innings with -0.3 WAR. For 2016, Nzamba became a full-time starter and led the conference in wins at 22-5. Johannesburg repeated as conference champ at 106-56, but again lost to Brazzaville in the Africa Series, this time 5-3. Nzamba was again mixed in the playoffs with a 4.87 ERA over 20.1 innings, 22 Ks, but a 90 FIP- and 0.4 WAR. The Jackalopes finished 93-69 the next year, falling one win short of a wild card. Johannesburg returned to first place in 2018 at 101-61 and beat Luanda to win their third pennant in four years. Yet again, the Jackalopes failed in the Africa Series with a 5-3 loss to Kampala. Nzamba had his strongest postseason with a 1.95 ERA over 27.2 innings and 35 Ks. He posted a 3.94 ERA in 16 innings in the 2019 playoffs as the Jackalopes were upset 4-2 by the Landsharks in the conference finals. 2019 was Nzamba’s best season by a healthy margin, winning Pitcher of the Year with conference and career bests for wins (25-5), ERA (2.05), innings (263.1), quality starts (27), complete games (15), shutouts (6), FIP- (56), and WAR (10.1). He also had his best for strikeouts at 302, missing the Triple Crown by 21. His production dipped the next year with a 4.52 ERA over 191 innings and dealt with a bone spur in his elbow in the spring. 2020 was the last gasp of Johannesburg’s dynasty run. They again took first in the standings at 98-64 and won their fourth pennant in six years, defeating Dar es Salaam. The Jackalopes still couldn’t prevail in the Africa Series with a 5-2 loss to Kampala. Nzamba had a 3.00 ERA over 24 innings and 0.8 WAR. Over 16 playoff starts for Johannesburg, Nzamba had a 5-9 record, 3.79 ERA, 114 innings, 140 strikeouts, 107 ERA+, 85 FIP-, and 2.4 WAR. Johannesburg remained above .500 in 2021-22 but missed the playoffs, then dropped to 74-88 in 2023. Nzamba won his second Pitcher of the Year in 2021 with a 3.00 ERA, 16-9 record, 251 Ks, and 5.5 WAR. He struggled to start 2023 with a 4.47 ERA over 149 innings. With the Jackalopes struggling as well and Nzamba in the final year under team control, they traded him to N’Djamena for four prospects. Nzamba finished with a 124-80 record, 3.56 ERA, 1898 innings, 2037 strikeouts, 447 walks, 114 ERA+, 83 FIP-, and 41.8 WAR for Johannesburg. The Jackalopes later retired his #17 uniform for his efforts. In the back end for the Magic, he had a 3.70 ERA over 58.1 innings with 69 Ks and 1.5 WAR. N’Djamena made the playoffs at 102-60, but couldn’t dethrone the Kampala dynasty and got swept in the Central Conference Championship. Nzamba for his efforts gave up one run over seven innings in his one playoff start. He also began pitching for his native Angola in the World Baseball Championship from 2021-26. Nzamba was a reliever in 2021 and starter after. He pitched 95.2 innings with a 7-4 record, 6 saves, 3.01 ERA, 123 strikeouts, and 2.6 WAR. Now a free agent at age 33, Nzamba signed a four-year, $31,200,000 deal with Harare. However, he never reached his previous peak in three seasons for the Hustlers, who were a mid-grade team during his run. Nzamba had a 34-31 record, 4.99 ERA, 582.1 innings, 548 Ks, 140 walks, 94 ERA+, 90 FIP-, and 10.6 WAR. He also dealt with shoulder inflammation in the 2026 season and failed to meet the vesting criteria for the fourth year of his deal. This inflammation tanked his velocity and he had only 89-91 mph peak velocity in 2027. Nzamba hoped to play somewhere, but went unsigned all year and eventually retired in the winter at age 37. Nzamba finished with a 160-115 record, 3.89 ERA, 2538.2 innings, 2654 strikeouts, 594 walks, 181/336 quality starts, 105 complete games, 17 shutouts, 108 ERA+, 85 FIP-, and 53.9 WAR. He ranks 32^nd in wins, 33^rd in innings, 6^th in complete games, 8^th in shutouts, 26^th in strikeouts, and 34^th in WAR among pitchers. His 1.17 WHIP is 73^rd among AAB pitchers with 1000+ innings. Nzamba also is 38^th in BB/9 (2.11) and 86^th in K/9 (9.41). The Hall of Fame candidacy for Nzamba was tough as his tally weren’t overwhelmingly impressive. Working in his favor was two Pitcher of the Year awards, but he didn’t have many exceptional seasons. He was part of Johannesburg’s run of four pennants and the Grand Championship win, but their big triumph was early in his career. The team’s inability to win the Africa Series did leave a stain for some voters. Nzamba debuted on the 2032 ballot at only 34.2%. He hovered in-between 30-50% for seven seasons, then finally got a big boost to 62.3% in 2039. That still kept him short of the 66% induction threshold. Nzamba dropped to 55.4% in 2040, but rebounded on his tenth and final opportunity at 74.0%. With that, he capped off a three-man 2041 class for the African Association of Baseball. __________________ 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)