Baseball: The World's Game

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The 2038 Oceania Baseball Association Hall of Fame ballot was an all-time poor one, the first to feature no inductees since 2018. SP Lekinala Desire was close to the 66% threshold with 61.5% on his fifth ballot. Only one other guy even got above 1/3 of the vote and the best debut was down at 28.5%.



Dropped after ten failed tries was SP Fook Mesa, who had a 13-year run with three teams. He peaked at only 24.9% in 2030 and ended at 11.1%. Mesa had a 179-166 record, 3.30 ERA, 3222.2 innings, 2928 strikeouts, 580 walks, 113 ERA+, 80 FIP-, and 76.4 WAR. His career was cut short by multiple elbow blowouts, knocking him out of the game by age 35.

Mesa is still notably 26^th in pitching WAR, but 56^th in strikeouts and 56^th in wins. If he could’ve stuck around a few more years, he might have gotten by on accumulations. Mesa did have one ERA title, but that was his only time as a Pitcher of the Year finalist. He also was on mostly forgettable teams and was out with injury the one time his team won the pennant. Mesa needed either more longevity and/or more dominance to get beyond the Hall of Pretty Good.

CL Mou Rimkeeree also fell off after ten ballots, peaking with a 30.5% debut and ending at 4.9%. He was hurt by a brief MLB run and by being a journeyman who never won Reliever of the Year. Rimkeeree pitched for six OBA teams with a 2.77 ERA, 286 saves, 680 games, 870 innings, 1247 strikeouts, 132 ERA+, 70 FIP-, and 25.9 WAR. It was a nice little career, but most can agree well outside of induction worthy.

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For back-to-back seasons, Austronesia Professional Baseball didn’t add anyone into the Hall of Fame. This was the first back-to-back blank ballot since APB’s first inductee in 1979. SP Yee Husin barely missed the 66% requirement in his debut at 65.4%. Three returners were above 50% with SP Kuo-Chen Kao at 57.8% on his fourth ballot, 1B Ali Yusuf at 57.5% on his tenth and final chance, and SP Joseph Vasquez at 51.6% for his fourth go.



Yusuf was a victim of the APB voters judging hitters in their extremely-low scoring league by world standards. The 2038 ballot was his peak with a low of 37.1% in 2035. Yusuf had a 16-year career mostly with Pekanbaru, winning two MVPs, two Gold Gloves, and three Silver Sluggers. He was a critical piece of the Palms’ 2011 and 2014 championships, winning finals MVP in the former and association finals MVP in the latter.

In 2381 games, Yusuf had 2381 games, 1983 hits, 1033 runs, 305 doubles, 450 homers, 1117 RBI, 1043 walks, 1588 strikeouts, .254/.343/.474 slash, 180 wRC+, and 99.9 WAR. Yusuf ranks 58^th in games, 34^th in runs, 73^rd in hits, 45^th in total bases (3700), 89^th in doubles, 20^th in homers, 28^th in RBI, 2^nd in walks, and 21^st in WAR. His .817 OPS is 47^th among batters with 3000+ plate appearances.

A good chunk of his value came from walks and defense, which many voters pay little mind to. Still, Yusuf had strong power numbers relative to APB’s environment and was a key player in two championship wins for Pekanbaru. It wasn’t enough for the stingy APB voters, but Yusuf at least does have his #16 uniform retired for his key role in Palms history.

Three others were dropped after ten failed ballots, including SP Anto Astuti who peaked at 52.7% in 2031 and ended at 47.1%. He was forced to retire at age 33 after back-to-back rotator cuff tears in 2023, keeping him from reaching higher totals. Astuti had a 175-101 record, 2.40 ERA, 2588 innings, 2929 strikeouts, 425 walks, 112 ERA+, 76 FIP-, and 63.7 WAR. He never won POTY, but had two championship rings with Taipei and was 2020 finals MVP. If Astuti had a few more years of accumulations, he likely gets in, but the injury gods can be cruel.

Another part of Pekanbaru’s title runs was CF Suparman Sena, who peaked at 37.5% in 2029 and ended at only 10.5%. Being a leadoff man also prevented him from getting the right kind of counting stats that voters wanted. Most of his 19-year career came with the Palms, but he did have a two-year MLB gap at the end. Sena was a ten-time all-star, but only won Silver Slugger once.

In APB, Sena had 2464 games, 2367 hits, 1281 runs, 388 doubles, 140 triples, 194 home runs, 647 RBI, 718 walks, 1998 strikeouts, 1170 steals, .248/.308/.379 slash, 133 wRC+, and 113.1 WAR. Sena ranks 12^th in WAR among APB position players, 41^st in games, 4^th in steals, 10^th in runs, 23^rd in hits, 20^th in doubles, and 64^th in triples. However, that resume received a “meh” from the majority of voters.

A similar story was for CF Terrence Kuike, who peaked at 33.5% in 2031 and ended with only 8.2%. He had an 18-year career with Semarang with one MVP, two Gold Gloves, five Silver Sluggers, and two championship rings. Kuike had 2247 games, 2029 hits, 984 runs, 202 doubles, 68 triples, 331 home runs, 790 RBI, 702 walks, 1223 strikeouts, 794 steals, .257/.319/.426 slash, 163 wRC+, and 115.9 WAR.

Kuike is 10^th among APB position players for WAR, but ranks 49^th in runs, 67^th in hits, 80^th in homers, and 37^th in steals. The counting stats just weren’t there despite solid accolades and a stat like WAR didn’t make APB voters budge much. Kuike was extremely popular, but it made little difference. The standards continued to be tough for batters in the extremely low-scoring APB, with voters often comparing their tallies to the greats from other higher-scoring world leagues.

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Chinese League Baseball’s 2038 Hall of Fame ballot nearly came up blank, but SP Xiaole Li narrowly breached the 66% requirement with 68.0% for his seventh try. Next closest was SP Dalong Li at 59.6% for his fourth ballot. SP Yingfa Luo had 55.8% in his third attempt, RF Boyu Long got 52.6% for his ninth go, SP Likong Zhong received 50.6% in his tenth and final opportunity, and SP Haiwei Kang had 50.3% for his second attempt. The best debut was Zhiyang Zhuang at 43.9%.



For Zhong, he got as close at 59.5% in 2034 and had a low of 31.7% in 2037. He was a two-way player who also played first base, but his career was cut short by multiple injuries. Zhong had shoulder inflammation in 2023 kept him out almost all year, his final CLB season at age 31. He spent two years in MLB, but a torn labrum ended his career at age 33.

Zhong won four Silver Sluggers as a pitcher with Guangzhou. On the mound, he had a 124-75 record, 2.27 ERA, 1892.1 innings, 1915 strikeouts, 301 walks, 123 ERA+, 67 FIP-, and 54.9 WAR. At the plate in 718 games, he had 19.4 WAR, 145 wRC+, .and 769 OPS. With a few more healthy years in China, Zhong’s totals probably are just high enough to cross the line. He was a Pitcher of the Year third place finisher twice, but wasn’t dominant enough to overcome the low totals from injury.



Xiaole Li – Starting Pitcher – Dalian Gold Dragons – 68.0% Seventh Ballot

Xiaole Li was a 6’0’’, 190 pound right-handed pitcher from Shenyang, China with nine million people in the Liaoning province. Li was known for absolutely filthy stuff that graded as a 10/10 at his peak. He also had rock solid control and above average-to-good movement. Li had a 99-101 mph fastball along with a forkball, cutter, and changeup in his arsenal.

Li’s main downside was that his stamina was poor relative to most starters and he only hit 200+ innings in four of his 14 seasons. Injury issues also limited his longevity. Li was also awful at holding runners and was a generally poor defender. However, he was renowned as a team captain known for his excellent leadership, work ethic, and loyalty. Li’s high character and terrific stuff pushed him to an excellent career even with his flaws.

Despite Li’s talent, scouts weren’t enamored with him. He was picked in the second round of the 2016 CLB Draft, 40^th overall, by Dalian. Because of the stamina questions, Li was used as a closer in his rookie year with promising results, posting a 1.98 ERA and 36 saves. He was too explosive not to get a bigger role, so he began starting regularly from 2018 onward. From 2019-24, he led the Northern League in FIP- in each of his healthy seasons.

In 2020, Li got his lone ERA title at 1.55, but didn’t have enough innings to get Pitcher of the Year consideration. He had a huge setback in 2021 as acute elbow soreness and shoulder inflammation limited him to only 30.1 innings. Li bounced back in 2022 with his career best ERA 1.45 and 0.68 WHIP along with his first 300+ strikeout season at 315. That earned him a third in Pitcher of the Year voting and a five-year, $55,300,000 extension with the Gold Dragons.

Dalian had been stuck in the lower-middle tier since Li arrived, but they broke a nine-year playoff drought in 2023 as a 89-73 wild card. Li was third in POTY voting again with his career bests for strikeouts (322), and WAR (9.7). In his three playoff starts, he was 1-2 but had a 1.71 ERA and 24 Ks in 21 innings. Dalian made it to the semifinal, but was defeated by eventual CLB champ Tianjin.

Li was solid again in 2024 as the Gold Dragons took the top seed at 100-62, but fell in the Round Robin. He posted a 2.25 ERA over 12 playoff innings. Li remained efficient in the next two seasons, but assorted injuries greatly lowered his inning count. Dalian missed the playoffs in 2025 at 84-78. They were back to the top seed in 2026 at 96-66, but again couldn’t make it beyond the Round Robin. Li had two good playoff starts and finished his playoff career with a 1.69 ERA in seven starts, 48 innings, 58 Ks, 164 ERA+, 49 FIP-, and 1.9 WAR.

After the 2026 season, the soon-to-be 33-year old Li declined his contract option, becoming a free agent for the first time. This also ended his time in China, as he’d ultimately end up in Major League Baseball. Dalian was appreciative of his decade of work and later retired Li’s #17 uniform. He also would still represent China in the World Baseball Championship. From 2018-29, Li had a 2.96 ERA over 118.2 WBC innings with an 11-2 record, 5 saves, 17 strikeouts, 119 ERA+, 68 FIP-, and 3.6 WAR.

Li signed a five-year, $76 million deal with MLB’s Halifax Hound Dogs. He had a good debut season with 6.5 WAR, 218.2 innings, 211 strikeouts, and 3.42 ERA. Halifax, a 2021 expansion team, earned their first-ever playoff berth as a 89-73 wild card, but went one-and-done. Li struggled in his lone MLB playoff start, giving up six runs in 6.2 innings.

In 2028, he struggled to a 4.59 ERA in 166.2 innings and saw his season ended in September with bone chips in his elbow. Li was moved more to the bullpen with occasional starts in 2029 and was efficient in the small sample on a 2.56 ERA over 95 innings. He was back to full-time starting in 2030 but stunk with a 5.35 ERA in 134.2 innings.

In August 2030, Li suffered a torn rotator cuff. Although he was healthy by spring 2031, the injury tanked his signature velocity and he now peaked in the low 90s. He had one relief appearance for Halifax, then was cut in late March. For the Hound Dogs, Li had a 32-34 record, 4.02 ERA, 616 innings, 493 strikeouts, 162 walks, 99 ERA+, 93 FIP-, and 10.4 WAR.

In late April 2031, Li was signed by Brasilia of Beisbol Sudamerica. Ultimately, he spent the year on the reserve roster and never saw the field, retiring that winter at age 37. Li’s combined pro career had a 131-90 record, 95 saves, 2.46 ERA, 2149.1 innings, 2712 strikeouts, 411 walks, 17 complete games, 4 shutouts, 131 ERA+, 58 FIP-, and 72.3 WAR. His FIP- is tied for 33^rd among Hall of Fame starters and retired locks.

Just in China with Dalian, Li had a 99-56 record, 95 saves, 1.83 ERA, 1533.1 innings, 2219 strikeouts, 249 walks, 160/202 quality starts, 4 complete games, 2 shutouts, 150 ERA+, 44 FIP-, and 61.9 WAR. Even with such a small inning count, he ranks 39^th in pitching WAR in Chinese League Baseball. He obviously doesn’t come close to registering in any of the counting stats.

Among those with 1000+ innings, Li is 26^th in ERA and his 0.77 WHIP is 12^th. Li is also 9^th in H/9 (5.45), 6^th in K/9 (13.02), and 7^th in opponent’s OPS (.480) with his triple slash of .174/.211/.269 ranking 9^th/7^th/11^th. Li’s efficiency was world class, but even for very pitcher-friendly CLB voters, the sample size seemed way too small for a starter. It was hard to justify a guy who didn’t even reach 100 wins as belonging. Li also didn’t have a POTY win and although his playoff stats were good, he wasn’t a part of any championship teams.

Li debuted on the 2032 ballot at 42.0% and saw little improvement the next year at 43.8%. He got the bump up to 55.0% and 51.4% in the next two years. Li barely missed the 66% requirement in 2036 at 63.6%, then had a slight dip in 2037 at 58.2%. Those who really appreciated rate stats and short bursts advocated hard for Li’s case. He also had the benefit of a very weak 2038 ballot with weak debuts. He got just across the line at 68.0% on his seventh ballot as China’s lone inductee for the year.

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



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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Koku Omouroun – Starting Pitcher – Freetown Foresters – 98.0% First Ballot

Koku Omouroun was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Lome, the capital and largest city in Togo. He was the first Togolese player to earn Hall of Fame induction. Omouroun had excellent stuff along with impressive control and very good movement. His 98-100 mph fastball was strong, but his knuckle curve was his most dominant pitch. Omouroun also had a rock solid changeup, forkball, and curveball in the arsenal.

West African Baseball pitchers already threw far few innings relative to other world leagues. But even by WAB standards, Omouroun did have below average stamina. Back and elbow injuries also limited him, only breaching 200+ innings twice in 14 seasons. Omouroun was excellent at holding runners, but weak defensively otherwise. He was an adaptable hard worker, emerging as a popular star both at home in Togo and with his adopted home in Sierra Leone with Freetown.

Omouroun was a clear franchise ace as he came up in the college ranks and was the #1 draft pick by the Foresters in 2018. He was a full-time starter right away and an immediate success, winning 2019 Rookie of the Year honors. Omouroun did lose some innings the next two years to injuries, but Freetown was very impressed with the results. After the 2021 season, they signed Omouroun to a six-year, $36,540,000 extension.

In 2022, Omouroun won Pitcher of the Year with only the tenth pitching Triple Crown in WAB history with an 18-6 record, 2.53 ERA, and 300 strikeouts. He also led in WHIP (0.95), quality starts (22), FIP- (61), and WAR (7.2). Freetown ended a seven-year run of losing seasons as a wild card, although they went one-and-done. The Foresters had a similar result in 2022, but they were out of the gutter and would be a regular contender for the rest of the decade.

Omouroun lost two months in 2023 to elbow tendinitis, but still led the Western League in pitching WAR. He made it three straight years in 2024 and led in wins (19-10) and strikeouts (296), taking third in Pitcher of the Year voting. Freetown was a 97-win wild card, but they shocked 114-win Abidjan 3-1 in the WLCS. The Foresters were ultimately swept by Port Harcourt in the WAB Championship, but Omouroun had a 2.61 ERA and 38 Ks in 20.2 playoff innings.

In 2025, Omouroun was second in POTY voting and had his career best 315 strikeouts. Freetown got back to the WLCS as a 97-65 wild card, but fell to top seed Dakar. 2026 would be a huge setback for Omouroun with only 34 innings thanks to bone chips in his elbow. The Foresters missed the playoffs at 86-76, which would be their only miss from 2022-32.

Omouroun was back and seemingly as strong as ever in 2027 with a career high 7.7 WAR and a second place in POTY voting. That summer, Freetown gave the 31-year old lefty a six-year, $105,800,000 extension. The Foresters made another WLCS trip, but again were denied by Dakar.

They would get their revenge on the Dukes in 2028. Freetown finished first at 97-65, beat Dakar 3-2 in the WLCS, then swept Cotonou to win the WAB title. They would struggle to 6-13 in the Baseball Grand Championship, although Omouroun had an impressive 2.64 ERA over 30.2 innings with 43 strikeouts. For his playoff career, he had a 3.08 ERA over 96.1 innings, 5-3 record, 134 strikeouts, 151 ERA+, 81 FIP-, and 2.2 WAR. Omouroun is 7^th in playoff strikeouts in WAB history.

Omouroun remained effective over the next few years, but was less dominant than his peak and missed a few starts each year to injury. Freetown finished second and lost in the 2029 and 2030 WLCS, both times victims again of Dakar. They broke through once more with a franchise-best 111-51 season in 2031. The Foresters topped Nouakchott 3-1 in the WLCS and Ouagadougou 4-1 for their second WAB title in four years.

Unfortunately for Omouroun, a herniated disc kept him out for the entire 2031 postseason run. Freetown was one of five teams tied in seventh at 12-9 in the BGC. Omouroun made one start but was pulled in the second inning with a strained shoulder. These injuries had started to take a toll on his velocity, as he was now peaking in the mid 90s range after being near triple-digits during his prime.

Omouroun had a career worst 4.35 ER in 111.2 innings for 2032, but was still worth 2.2 WAR. Various injuries bothered him, but it was finally a torn triceps that ended his season. Freetown got a wild card and a one-and-done, but this essentially concluded their run as a top contender. Omouroun retired in the winter at age 36 and immediately had his #27 uniform retired.

In total, Omouroun had a 176-72 record, 3.02 ERA, 2244.2 innings, 3039 strikeouts, 341 walks, 191/331 quality starts, 12 complete games, 5 shutouts, 153 ERA+, 64 FIP-, and 72.7 WAR. Omouroun ranks 28^th in wins, 64^th in innings, 27^th in strikeouts, and 9^th in WAR among pitchers. Among those with 1000+ innings, Omouroun is 40^th in ERA, 41^st in BB/9 (1.37), 80^th in H/9 (7.87), 22^nd in K/9 (12.18), and 31^st in WHIP (1.03). His .641 opponent’s OPS is 50^th and his .233/.266/.375 triple slash is 72^nd/28^th/73^rd.

Certainly the injuries kept Omouroun from getting to the tip top spots on the West African Baseball leaderboards, but few starters were ever more efficient. Among world Hall of Famer starters and retired locks, Omouroun ranks 26^th in ERA+. That effectiveness and role in making Freetown a contender again got Omouroun a no-doubt first ballot induction at 98.0% as part of a loaded 2038 class.



Donatien “Hurricane” Nda – Designated Hitter/First/Second Base – Ouagadougou Osprey – 73.7% First Ballot

Donatien Nda was a 5’11’’, 180 pound switch-hitting designated hitter and infielder from Katiola, Ivory Coast; a city of 91,000 in the center of the country. Nicknamed “Hurricane,” Nda was known for a powerful bat despite not being a huge guy. His 162 game average got you 40 home runs, 37 doubles, and 9 triples. More than half of his career hits went for extra bases. When he made contact, he always hit it very hard with a career .341 BABIP.

However, Nda was merely above average at making contact and had a terrible 30.1% strikeout rate. He did draw walks at a rock solid clip and was a highly skilled baserunner when he got aboard with good speed. Nda fared better facing right-handed pitching (.944 OPS, 132 wRC+) compared to lefties (.840 OPS, 111 wRC+).

He was a treasured team captain and his high character was above reproach. Just over half of his career starts came as a designated hitter. The rest were split fairly evenly between second and first base. Nda graded as a terrible defensive 2B, but had above average results at 1B. His durability was mostly good in a 17-year career. Between his hard hitting and impressive leadership, Nda was a popular figure across his various stops.

Nda quickly emerged as not only the Ivory Coast’s top amateur prospect, but arguably the best in the entire region. Ouagadougou picked him first overall in the 2015 WAB Draft and he won 2016 Rookie of the Year over 121 games and 98 starts. Nda was a full-time starter after that and won a Silver Slugger in 2017 at 2B and 2018 at DH.

The Osprey climbed out of the cellar with playoff berths from 2018-20, although they weren’t able to win the pennant. Their best effort was 2020, taking first in the Eastern League standings at 104-58, but falling to Yaounde in the ELCS. This was Nda’s lone MVP season and a Slugger win at DH, leading in walks (71) and posting career bests for runs (135), hits (196), doubles (41) homers (54), RBI (140), triple slash (.328/.404/.705), OPS (1.109), wRC+ (168), and WAR (7.4).

In Nda’s limited playoff sample size with Ouagadougou though, he went 4-26 with 12 strikeouts in 8 games. The Osprey were above .500, but outside of the playoffs in 2021-22. Nda saw notable regression as he led the league in strikeouts both years. With concerns that the MVP season was a fluke, Ouagadougou let him leave for free agency after the 2022 season at age 29.

For the Osprey, Nda played 1058 games, 1080 hits, 740 runs, 232 doubles, 55 triples, 282 home runs, 693 RBI, 442 walks, 1370 strikeouts, 228 steals, .277/.354/.581 slash, 131 wRC+, and 26.9 WAR. It was his longest stint and he was well liked in Burkina Faso, but he didn’t stay long enough or win enough to get his number retired. Around this time, he did play for his native Ivory Coast from 2022-25 in the World Baseball Championship with 44 games, 31 hits, 18 runs, 4 doubles, 15 homers, 23 RBI, .195/.264/.516 slash, and 1.0 WAR.

Nda ended up in Niger next on a five-year, $69 million deal with Niamey, the defending Eastern League champ. The Atomics missed the playoffs at .500 in his 2023 debut, but had a six-year postseason streak after that. Nda wasn’t award winning, but he put up reliable power averaging 34.4 homers and 102 RBI per season with Niamey.

He did miss the final part of 2025 to a broken bone in his elbow, including the playoff run. This was the Atomics’ top season of his tenure with a first place finish at 105-57, but they were defeated in the ELCS by Ibadan. The other playoff trips were wild cards with first or second round exits. Nda’s strong 2026 gave him good playoff stats in a small nine game sample size with a 1.086 OPS.

Overall for Niamey, Nda had 733 games, 760 hits, 584 runs, 181 doubles, 49 triples, 172 home runs, 510 RBI, 324 walks, 971 strikeouts, 265 steals, .273/.353/.558 slash, 126 wRC+, and 20.2 WAR. He was back to free agency for 2028 at age 34 and moved to another contender on a four-year, $21,620,000 deal with Cotonou. The Copperheads were amidst a dynasty run having won back-to-back WAB titles and a third place in 2027’s Baseball Grand Championship.

A bruised wrist and fractured hand cost him part of 2028, but he had his usual production when healthy. Nda was a pinch hitter for the playoffs but went 4-10 with two doubles, one homer, and four runs. Cotonou won a third straight Eastern League title, but Freetown denied them the WAB title three-peat. In 2029, Nda had a resurgent year and led the league with 127 runs, winning his fourth and final Silver Slugger as a DH. That year, he also reached 500 homers, 1500 runs, and 2000 hits.

Cotonou claimed a fourth straight ELCS win, but lost to Dakar in the West African Championship. The Copperheads went 107-55 in 2030 and got back to the top spot, winning a finals rematch with the Dukes. Nda had a strong playoff run with 13 hits, 12 runs, 8 extra base hits, 8 RBI, and 1.059 OPS. He did have a lackluster .630 OPS in the BGC, which saw a 9-12 finish for Cotonou.

In 2031, Nda reached 600 career homers and 1500 RBI. Cotonou’s bid for a sixth straight EL pennant was denied by Ouagadougou 3-1. For the Copperheads, Nda played 571 games with 574 hits, 431 runs, 130 doubles, 22 triples, 146 home runs, 363 RBI, 294 walks, 698 strikeouts, 170 steals, .264/.356/.546 slash, 123 wRC+, and 13.5 WAR.

Now 38, Nda signed to a three-year, $18,600,000 deal with Kumasi. He missed a month in 2032 to a sprained knee and struggled even when healthy, posting 85 wRC+ and .728 OPS over 111 games and 71 starts for 0.1 WAR. Nda opted to retire in the winter at age 39 instead of playing out his contract, as he likely would’ve been a bench piece at best.

Nda finished with 2473 games, 2475 hits, 1803 runs, 559 doubles, 130 triples, 613 home runs, 1589 RBI, 1112 walks, 3153 strikeouts, 681 steals, .270/.353/.560 slash, 126 wRC+, and 60.6 WAR. He ranks 20^th in games, 11^th in runs, 48^th in hits, 19^th in total bases (5133), 27^th in doubles, 67^th in triples, 15^th in homers, 24^th in RBI, 7^th in walks, 2^nd in strikeouts, and 56^th in WAR among position players. On the downside, he has the 12^th most strikeouts of any player in all of baseball history.

Among WAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, he is 97^th in slugging and 99^th in OPS (.913). The lower average, terrible strikeout rate, and the DH penalty all hurt Nda on the Sabermetric charts and Hall of Fame voters that favored those metrics were skeptical of Nda’s resume. For as many runs and extra base hits he had, his rate stats were pretty underwhelming relative to some of the other all-time greats.

Still, in a league with 60+ years history, Nda was a top 25 batter for homers, runs, walks, and RBI; marks that were hard to ignore. He also had an MVP to his name and was on winning teams, including the back-end of Cotonou’s dynasty. Those tallies and Nda’s high character got him across the 66% threshold for induction. At 73.7%, Nda was a first ballot pick to cap off an impressive four-man 2038 class for West African Baseball.

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South Asia Baseball had three no-doubters added into the Hall of Fame for 2038. SP E.J. Dhananjay and saves leader Amu Singh both had 98.8% while RF Vij Kumaragupta saw 97.9%, making it with ease. Two returners were at 55.8%, missing the 66% requirement with LF Ganga Wong on his third ballot and 2B Shivansh Mahapatra on his second try.




CF/RF Mohan “Dream” Zaman fell off the ballot after ten failed tries, peaking with a 45.0% debut and ending at 17.8%. He had a 17-year career with six Silver Sluggers and was a key figure in Yangon’s mid 2010s titles. Zaman had 2219 games, 2604 hits, 1390 runs, 468 doubles, 268 triples, 53 home runs, 720 RBI, 468 walks, 1061 strikeouts, 1289 steals, .304/.346/.440 slash, 120 wRC+, and 64.5 WAR.

Zaman ranks 41^st in runs, 26^th in hits, 54^th in doubles, 3^rd in triples, and 4^th in steals. However, he was only 99^th in WAR for position players. It was always an uphill climb for leadoff guys with voters expecting more power from their inductees. Zaman ended up as a rock solid Hall of Pretty Good guy.

CL Dhircetas Bangarappa also made it ten ballots, peaking at a 33.4% debut but finishing at 5.2%. In 17 seasons, he had one Reliever of the Year and won two championships with Kolkata. Bangarappa had 293 saves and 414 shutdowns, 2.68 ERA, 1035.1 innings, 1325 strikeouts, 358 walks, 136 ERA+, 65 FIP-, and 29.1 WAR. He ranks 25^th in saves, but wasn’t overwhelmingly dominant like most of the other inductees.



E.J. Dhananjay – Starting Pitcher – Hyderabad Hippos – 98.8% First Ballot

E.J. Dhananjay was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Visakhapatnam, the second-largest city on India’s east coast. Dhananjay was known for excellent stuff in his prime with great control throughout his whole career and very good movement. He had a 99-101 mph fastball along with a cutter, forkball, and changeup with each offering proving effective.

Relative to other SAB starters, Dhananjay had average-at-best stamina. His durability was quite good though and he avoided major injury in a 13-year career. Dhananjay graded as average in terms of defense and holding runners. He was a sparkplug type with an impressive work ethic and adaptability, making the most of his opportunities.

In September 2014, a teenaged Dhananjay signed a developmental deal with Hyderabad. He spent just over four years in the Hippos’ academy before debuting with 79 innings in 2019 at age 20. Dhananjay was a full-time starter the year after with rock solid results, getting his first of nine seasons of 300+ strikeouts in 2021.

In 2022, Dhananjay was second in Pitcher of the Year voting. This pushed Hyderabad to 101-61, a franchise-best to that point. The top-seeded Hippos were denied in the Indian League Championship Series 4-2 by Mumbai. Dhananjay did struggle in his first playoff trip with a 5.74 ERA over 15.2 innings, although he did strike out 29.

Hyderabad spent the next two years above .500, but outside of the postseason. In 2024, Dhananjay was second again in POTY voting and tossed a no-hitter on April 30 with 17 strikeouts and two walks. He led the league in WAR at 8.9 and FIP- at 46.

Dhananjay won Pitcher of the Year in 2025 with only SAB’s seventh pitching Triple Crown on a 19-4 record, 1.71 ERA, 335 strikeouts, and league-best 9.0 WAR and 51 FIP-. That would be his career-best ERA and ranks as the 19^th-best qualifying season in SAB history. Hyderabad broke their franchise record at 102-60, but were a wild card with two-time defending champ Visakhapatnam in the division at 107-55. The Volts would sweep the Hippos in the divisional round.

This was a contract year for Dhananjay, who knew he could command a far bigger salary than what Hyderabad could match. The 27-year old left for free agency, finishing the Hippos run with an 88-49 record, 2.69 ERA, 1350.2 innings, 1861 strikeouts, 262 walks, 136 ERA+, 66 FIP-, and 41.2 WAR. Hyderabad fans would be disappointed that he didn’t stick around, especially since he switched to the “evil empire” in the division.

In Dhananjay’s defense, Visakhapatnam was also his hometown on top of being now three-time defending SAB champs. He signed a seven-year, $114,100,000 deal with the Volts and took second in POTY voting in his debut. Visakhapatnam had its best-record yet at 115-47, but the four-peat bid was thwarted in the ILCS 4-2 by Kolkata. Dhananjay had a 4.50 ERA in 20 innings, not helping a reputation of being a weak playoff pitcher.

Dhananjay had seen tournament play with India in the World Baseball Championship with good results. From 2021-30, he tossed 154.2 innings with an 11-3 record, 2.56 ERA, 234 strikeouts, and 4.8 WAR. The Indians notably took fourth in 2025 and 2028, plus a third place in 2030 with Dhananjay.

In 2027, Dhananjay tossed his second no-hitter on March 2027 with 16 strikeouts and one walk against Nagpur. He’s one of 15 in SAB history to throw multiple no-hitters in a career. He won his second Pitcher of the Year with league bests for wins (23-4), ERA (1.87), and WHIP (0.81). Dhananjay was second in Ks at 325, missing the Triple Crown by 18.

Visakhapatnam again bested their annual wins total going 119-43, but had their worst disappointment yet with a 3-1 first round playoff loss to Pune. The Volts were 110-52 in 2028 but again went one-and-done, dropping a 3-2 result to Jaipur. Dhananjay repeated as Pitcher of the Year with league and career bests for strikeouts (361) and WAR (9.9).

Dhananjay made it a three-peat with his fourth POTY win in 2029 and joined Zainal bin Aziz as the only SAB aces with multiple Triple Crowns, posting a 21-2 record, 1.81 ERA, 345 Ks, 0.76 WHIP, and 9.4 WAR. Visakhapatnam finished 96-66, falling one short of the wild card to end a six-year playoff streak. Dhananjay had two years left on his deal, but again realized his stock was at a major high. He used his opt-out and was a free agent again at age 31.

For the Volts, Dhananjay had a 79-23 record, 2.02 ERA, 926 innings, 1317 strikeouts, 121 walks, 184 ERA+, 54 FIP-, and 34.9 WAR. While Hyderabad was easily his longest tenure, Dhananjay’s most dominant run was in his home city. He got another hefty deal on a five-year, $104 million contract with Yangon. The Green Dragons were trying to rebound after only their second playoff miss since 1995.

And rebound they did, finishing atop the Southeast Asia League at 104-58. Dhananjay led in strikeouts at 290, although his ERA was up significantly to 3.54. SEAL was a higher-scoring league, but he had been below three for the last six years and below two in four seasons. Perhaps most importantly, Dhananjay shed the label as someone who withered in the posotseason.
Over 35.1 innings, Dhananjay had a 2.29 ERA, 2-2 record, 48 strikeouts, and 1.5 WAR. Yangon dethroned Mandalay in the SEAL Championship, ending the Mammoths’ four-year reign. The Green Dragons fell to Ahmedabad in an SAB Championship sweep. Dhananjay’s career playoff stats were a mixed bag with a 3.70 ERA in 121.2 innings, 5-9 record, 163 strikeouts, 16 walks, 107 ERA+, 67 FIP-, and 3.9 WAR. The FIP- and WAR both suggest he was perhaps a victim of bad luck.

Despite being healthy, Dhananjay saw a huge velocity drop in spring training 2031. After regularly hitting triple digits in his career, he was now peaking in the 92-94 mph range. Dhananjay was still passable with a 4.06 ERA in 206 innings, 167 Ks, and 3.8 WAR. He struggled to a 5.95 ERA in 19.2 playoff innings, but Yangon prevailed at 98-64, winning the SAB Championship against Visakhapatnam. The Green Dragons finished 9-12 in the Baseball Grand Championship with Dhananjay posting a respectable 3.07 ERA in 29.1 innings.

Dhananjay’s velocity dropped a bit more and he was relegated to only 28 innings in 2032 with a 5.46 ERA. He remained under contract in 2033 for Yangon but never saw the field, finishing his tenure with a 29-23 record, 3.90 ERA, 447.1 innings, 472 strikeouts, 62 walks, 114 ERA+, 80 FIP-, and 10.2 WAR. The Green Dragons used their team option to void his deal in winter 2033 and Dhananjay retired at only age 35.

In total, Dhananjay had a 196-95 record, 2.66 ERA, 2724 innings, 3704 strikeouts, 445 walks, 250/368 quality starts, 45 complete games, 15 shutouts, 145 ERA+, 64 FIP-, and 86.3 WAR. His shockingly abrupt decline kept him from reaching the top spots on the leaderboards. Still, Dhananjay ranks 18^th in wins, 47^th in innings, 17^th in strikeouts, and 9^th in pitching WAR.

Among pitchers with 1000+ innings, Dhananjay is 37^th in ERA and his 0.94 WHIP is 12^th. He also is 45^th in BB/9 (1.47), 43^rd in H/9 (7.02), 32^nd in K/9 (12.24), and 27^th in opponent’s OPS (.589). Dhananjay’s .214/.252/.337 triple slash ranks 42^nd/15^th/52^nd. He just misses the top 50 for ERA+ among Hall of Fame starting pitchers and retired locks.

Before his sudden fall off, some thought Dhananjay could make a run at being South Asia Baseball’s GOAT pitcher. He still makes some of the top ten lists and even without the longevity is viewed as an inner-circle Hall of Famer by many. Four Pitcher of the Year awards, three ERA titles, and two Triple Crowns puts him in rarefied air. Dhananjay received 98.8% as one of three inductees into SAB’s HOF in 2038.

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Amu Singh – Closer – Kanpur Poison – 98.8% First Ballot

Amu Singh was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Peddapuram, a town of about 49,000 people in south India. Singh was known for stellar stuff and reliably strong control, although his movement was merely decent and he could surrender the long ball. His one-two punch was a 99-101 mph fastball and a changeup that looked the exact same out of his hand.

Singh was remarkably durable and led the league in games pitched seven seasons. He didn’t have the stamina for longer outings, but he was almost always available to get a few key outs if needed thanks to a top notch work ethic. Singh was a very good defensive pitcher and was average at holding runners.

With the 43^rd pick in the 2014 SAB Draft, Singh was a second round selection by Kanpur. In his first two years under contract, he only saw one appearance. The Poison made him the closer in 2017 and he’d be good for 30+ saves somewhere each year through 2029. Kanpur was in a competitive window with four straight playoff berths from 2015-18.

2017 was their strongest record of the run at 101-61. They beat 100-win Hyderabad for the Indian League title, but dropped the SAB Championship to Yangon. Singh had limited luck in the playoffs with a 4.38 ERA over 12.1 innings. He fared better the next year on a 2.25 ERA in 12 innings. Kanpur finished 96-66 and won it all, defeating the Hippos again in the ILCS and Mandalay in the SAB Championship. Singh had a 2.89 ERA and 5 saves in 9.1 innings for the Baseball Grand Championship as the Poison finished 10-9, one of five teams tied for seventh.

Kanpur missed the playoffs at 84-78 in the next two years, but Singh had his best production yet, leading both years in saves and games. His 50 saves in 2019 would be a career high, one of only four 50+ save seasons in SAB history. Singh was second in 2019’s Reliever of the Year voting. The Poison fell below .500 in 2021 and was clear a rebuild was afoot. That offseason, they traded Singh to Khulna for three prospects. One was SP Saikat Hossain, who went onto be a respectable middle-tier starter for five teams.

With Kanpur, Singh had 204 saves and 209 shutdowns, 25-27 record, 3.00 ERA, 350 games, 416.2 innings, 746 strikeouts, 94 walks, 121 ERA+, 68 FIP-, and 11.8 WAR. It was easily his longest tenure, as he’d go onto have a mercenary type career. However, Singh’s most dominant runs wouldn’t’ come until his 30s.

He spent two years with Khulna, who was firmly middle-tier at this point. For the Claws, Singh had 80 saves, 2.76 ERA, 142 games, 179.2 innings, 340 strikeouts, 144 ERA+, 63 FIP-, and 5.8 WAR. He was far better in 2023, winning his first Reliever of the Year. Singh led in games both years with Khulna and led in saves in 2022.

A free agent for the first time in 2024 at age 31, Singh signed a one-year deal with defending SAB Champion Visakhapatnam. The Volts repeated with a 97-65 season and Singh had his career bests for ERA (1.49) and WAR (5.2), earning his second Reliever of the Year award. Singh had a 2.89 ERA over 18.2 playoff innings with 39 strikeouts. In the Baseball Grand Championship, he gave up two runs in 5.2 innings as Visakhapatnam finished 8-11.

Singh did also see regular action for India in the World Baseball Championship, occasionally getting used as a starter. In 26 appearances, he had 91.2 innings, 1.87 ERA, 7-5 record, 3 saves, 164 strikeouts, and 4.3 WAR. Singh was part of India’s third place finish in 2030 and fourth place efforts in both 2025 and 2028.

Next would be a three-year, $15,300,000 deal with Jaipur. This would be Singh’s most impressive run with Reliever of the Year wins in 2026 and 2027, plus a second place in 2025. Each season he led the Indian League in saves and had 182+ Ks and 4.0 WAR. 2025 had his career best 104.2 innings and 190 strikeouts. Jaipur was competitive with 94+ wins each year, but only made the playoffs in 2027. The Jokers finished 106-56, but were swept by 100-win Ahmedabad in the first round.

For Jaipur, Singh had 138 saves in 223 games, 1.91 ERA, 297 innings, 561 strikeouts, 51 walks, 189 ERA+, 46 FIP-, and 13.2 WAR. Back to free agency at age 35, he signed for two years and $12 million with Pune, who won the 2027 SAB title. He carried over a career-best 38 game saves streak from the prior year and won Reliever of the Year in 2028. It was his third straight and fifth overall.

Singh joined Taj Kanikaraja (6) and Saroth Bora (5) as the only 5+ ROTY winners in SAB. Singh also became SAB’s saves leader in 2028 and the first to reach 500, passing Bora’s 499 and Kanikaraja’s 467. He is one of only 13 pitchers in world history with 500+ professional saves. The Purple Knights were a 93-win wild card in 2028 and lost in the first round. Pune missed the playoffs in 2029 and Singh saw a notable drop with a career worst 4.09 ERA, although he still got 32 saves.

With Pune, Singh had 73 saves in 143 games, 3.08 ERA, 172.1 innings, 274 strikeouts, 30 walks, 131 ERA+, 65 FIP-, and 5.4 WAR. Despite his weaker 2029, Singh still thought he could make a run at the world saves record, held by Beisbol Sudamerica’s Jonathan Iglesias at 579. The 37-year old signed a two-year, $11 million deal with Mandalay. The Mammoths had won four consecutive Southeast Asia League titles and two SAB titles, including a historic 124-win 2028.

Thanks to the strong roster, Singh was limited to only 39 games in middle relief in 2030, although he was effective with a 2.76 ERA. Mandalay won another division title at 99-63, but lost the SEAL finale to Yangon. The Mammoths would be a 91-71 wild card with a first round exit in 2031. Singh was back to closing some with 25 saves and a 3.07 ERA. He became only the fourth in world history with 550+ saves and the first to do it in the 21^st Century.

For the Mammoths, Singh had 28 saves, 101 games, 2.93 ERA, 132 innings, 193 strikeouts, 24 walks, 150 ERA+, 88 FIP-, and 1.5 WAR. He signed with Patna, a recent expansion team, for 2032 but struggled with two saves, a 4.45 ERA, and -0.6 WAR in 58.2 innings. Singh’s control and ability to change speeds were still strong, but the fastball-changeup combo is less useful with 94-96 mph velocity compared to his 100+ peak. He retired that winter shortly after his 40^th birthday.

Singh finished with 565 saves and 605 shutdowns, 1085 games, 1346.2 innings, a 2.69 ERA, 83-95 record, 2357 strikeouts, 272 walks, 142 ERA+, 64 FIP-, and 42.2 WAR. He is SAB’s career leader for both saves and games pitched. Among those with 1000+ innings, Singh ranks 43^rd in ERA and his 0.89 WHIP is 6^th. He also is 8^th in H/9 (6.21), 3^rd in K/9 (15.75), and 22^nd in opponent’s OPS (.585). His .191/.239/.347 triple slash ranks 8^th/6^th/73^rd.

On the world leaderboard among all relievers ever in pro baseball, Singh is tied for 3^rd in saves, 14^th in games, and 9^th in shutdowns. He’s also 3^rd in strikeouts among career relievers, but doesn’t crack the top 50 for WAR. Singh’s longevity was outstanding, but he was never unstoppably dominant like some of the other great closers, falling well short of the top 50s for rate stats all-time.

Among SAB’s HOF closers, he is behind Bora (55.6), Viaan Ramakrishna (54.7), and Kanikaraja (51.7) for career WAR. Thus, you’ll have those who rank guys from that trio ahead of Singh when discussing South Asia Baseball’s best-ever reliever. Singh’s saves tally puts him ahead though of all but three guys in world history, which is hard to discount even if you find the save stat to be over-valued. It was universal though that Singh deserved his spot in the Hall of Fame, getting 98.8% to join a three-man crew in 2038.



Vij “Splatter” Kumaragupta – Right Field – Ahmedabad Animals – 97.9% First Ballot

Vij Kumaragupta was a 6’6’’, 200 pound right-handed right fielder from Basi, India; a sub-division of Jaipur with about 26,000 people. His nickname “Splatter” came from how hard Kumaragupta often hit the ball. His power was very reliable with 38 home runs, 30 doubles, and 9 triples per his 162 game average. Kumaragupta was a rock solid contact hitter and quite good at drawing walks, although his strikeout rate was middling.

Kumaragupta was especially dominant facing left-handed pitching with a career 1.065 OPS and 197 wRC+. He was still plenty dangerous facing righties with a .934 OPS and 164 wRC+. Kumaragupta also boasted good-to-occasionally great speed and baserunning chops. Few players in his era were more consistently efficient offensively.

Defensively, Kumaragupta was a career right fielder with reliably average results. He was known in the clubhouse as a prankster, which endeared him to teammates and fans alike. Kumaragupta’s durability was also generally solid over a 17-year career, playing 148+ games in all but one season from 2017-31.

Kumaragupta wasn’t immediately ready for the big time though despite being drafted seventh in the 2014 SAB Draft by Ahmedabad. He only saw 31 games and four starts in 2015 with lousy results. Kumaragupta spent all of 2016 in the Animals’ academy. He was brought back up for 2017 with a 41 homer, 6.4 WAR effort and become a perennial all-star through 2023 with Ahmedabad.

In 2018, Kumaragupta won his first Silver Slugger and was third in MVP voting, leading the Indian League on a career-best 125 RBI. It was also one of five seasons with an OPS above one and one of five seasons at 8+ WAR. Kumaragupta was third in 2019’s MVP voting.

Ahmedabad had been the dominant force of the IL for most their run, but had their first real lull with losing seasons from 2014-18. They got back to the playoffs in 2019-20, but saw first round exits both years. Ahmedabad hoped Kumaragupta would bring them back to the top and gave him an eight-year, $94,700,000 extension in June 2021. However, the Animals then spent the next three seasons in the middle tier.

Kumaragupta’s lone MVP win and a Slugger came in 2022 with league bests in runs (113), homers (53), RBI (124), walks (78), total bases (381), OPS (1.091), wRC+ (220), and WAR (9.5). The homers, total bases, wRC+, and WAR were each career highs as was his 180 hits and .684 slugging. Kumaragupta won his lone Gold Glove in 2023. In 2024, he suffered his only real significant injury, as a fractured rib kept him out for June.

Ahmedabad got a division title in 2024 at 92-70, but lost the ILCS to Visakhapatnam en route to the Volts’ repeat. It was Kumaragupta ‘s strongest playoff run with a .969 OPS and 0.8 WAR over 12 starts. To the Animals’ disappointment, Kumaragupta opted out of his contract, leaving for free agency ahead of his age 32 season.

He remained very popular generally with Ahmedabad fans and his #6 uniform would later be retired. For the Animals, Kumaragupta had 1278 games, 1343 hits, 828 runs, 235 doubles, 67 triples, 313 home runs, 826 RBI, 542 walks, 355 steals, .305/.383/.602 slash, 188 wRC+, and 59.2 WAR.

Kumaragupta would leave for the Southeast Asia League on a five-year, $86,900,000 deal with Dhaka. Even while gone from India, Kumaragupta still came home regularly for the World Baseball Championship. From 2018-31, he played 155 games and started 144 with 124 hits, 88 runs, 16 doubles, 43 home runs, 89 RBI, 72 walks, 34 steals .230/.334/.506 slash, 143 wRC+, and 5.0 WAR. Kumaragupta was part of India’s third place finishes in 2030-31 and their fourth place outings in 2025 and 2028.

He didn’t win awards with Dhaka, but he was a reliably rock solid starter all four years, peaking with a league-best 78 walks in 2026 with a 1.016 OPS. The Dobermans were amidst what would be an 11-year playoff streak, but they never made it beyond the first round in Kumaragupta’s tenure. Dhaka did have the top seed in 2025 at 101-61, but got upset in the first round by Khulna. Kumaragupta had a .799 OPS in his 14 playoff starts for the Dobermans.

Overall with Dhaka, Kumaragupta had 605 games, 620 hits, 398 runs, 93 doubles, 37 triples, 142 home runs, 393 RBI, 210 steals, .293/.380/.573 slash, 155 wRC+, and 25.4 WAR. The Dobermans voided the team-option fifth year, sending him to free agency for his age 36 season in 2029. Kumaragupta came back to India and inked a three-year, $56,400,000 deal with Visakhapatnam.

Kumaragupta looked like his prime self in 2029 with a league-best 121 runs and .444 OBP. Those were both career bests as was his .339 average and 1.097 OPS. Kumaragupta didn’t replicate that the next two years, but was back to his standard solid stats. The Volts had their playoff streak narrowly ended in 2029, but reclaimed the top seed in 2030 at 112-50 and in 2031 at 100-62.

Visakhapatnam in 2030 was upset by Ahmedabad in the ILCS. The Volts got revenge on the Animals the next year, but lost the SAB Championship to Yangon. In 26 playoff starts, Kumaragupta had a .809 OPS, but he ultimately retired without the big ring. In his overall playoff career, he played 59 games with 57 hits, 33 runs, 13 doubles, 4 triples, 10 homers, 27 RBI, 24 walks, 13 steals, .258/.328/.489 slash, 133 wRC+, and 1.8 WAR.

In three seasons for the Volts, Kumaragupta played 456 games with 490 hits, 332 runs, 119 doubles, 20 triples, 97 home runs, 276 RBI, 242 walks, 142 steals, .304/.392/.582 slash, 167 wRC+, and 18.2 WAR. Kumaragupta still seemed to be at a high level and signed a two-year, $9,920,000 deal with Korat. The Renegades were a recent expansion team that had started in 2030. Kumaragupta missed six weeks to a strained hamstring and age finally caught up to him. In 124 games, he had a .770 OPS, 107 wRC+, and 0.6 WAR. He retired that winter at age 39 with his starting days likely behind him.

Kumaragupta finished with 2463 games, 2556 hits, 1620 runs, 460 doubles, 130 triples, 571 home runs, 1562 RBI, 1140 walks, 1900 strikeouts, 738 steals, .299/.382/.583 slash, 172 wRC+, and 103.4 WAR. Kumaragupta ranks 35^th in games, 13^th in runs, 34^th in hits, 21^st in total bases (4989), 63^rd in doubles, 26^th in homers, 23^rd in RBI, 11^th in walks, 80^th in strikeouts, and 18^th in WAR among position players. Among those with 3000+ plate appearances, his OBP is 22^nd, slugging 45^th, and his .965 OPS is 29^th; but he misses the top 100 for batting average.

While Kumaragupta was rarely considered the tip top guy in the league, he was remarkably consistent as one of the top starters for 15 years. It almost took some voters by surprise just how good his numbers relative to his accolades. Kumaragupta easily earned the first ballot Hall of Fame selection at 97.9% as part of a star-studded three-man 2038 class for South Asia Baseball.

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Two infielders were slam dunk first ballot Hall of Famers for the Asian Baseball Federation in 2038. 2B Ismail Akbar had 98.5% and 1B Ismayil Kostenko joined him at 94.9%. 3B Quraishi Lalak came close to the 66% requirement on his fifth ballot, but was a near miss at 60.6%. Three other long-standing returners were above 50% with LF Ramin Abilov at 56.6% for his sixth try, CL Raghid Yazdani at 55.1% on his eighth try, and 3B Timur Tyan with 51.8% on his seventh go.



SP Yhlas Batyrow received 40.1% on his tenth and final try, peaking with his debut at 50.1%. He was hurt by a 12-year career shortened by major injuries. Batyrow won two ERA titles with Ankara and had a 131-74 record, 2.28 ERA, 1968.1 innings, 2498 strikeouts, 605 walks, 146 ERA+, 75 FIP-, and 49.6 WAR. The rate stats and pace certainly had Batyrow on track, but he didn’t pitch a full season starting after age 28, falling short of the requisite accumulations.

SP Mukhtar Makhmudov finished at 8.8% on his tenth ballot with a peak of 39.0% in 2030. He had longevity, but lacked dominance, plus his final three years were in South America. In ABF, Makhmudov had a 174-124 record, 3.11 ERA, 2858.2 innings, 3696 strikeouts, 701 walks, 111 ERA+, 92 FIP-, and 47.4 WAR. It was a fine Hall of Pretty Good career, but nothing more.

Another SP, Hamat Soomro, fell off after ten failed ballots with a 6.2% finish and 54.9% debut. He had longevity, but no accolades to speak of in a 16-year career. Soomro had a 178-168 record, 2.85 ERA, 3244.1 innings, 4011 strikeouts, 713 walks, 112 ERA+, 91 FIP-, and 55.5 WAR. 4000+ Ks is an impressive feat and ranks him 17^th on ABF’s leaderboard, but he was only 41^st in pitching WAR. With so many more decorated aces in the Federation, the big strikeout tally wasn’t enough to push Soomro across the line.



Ismail Akbar – Second Base – Multan Mighty Cocks – 98.5% First Ballot

Ismail Akbar was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed second baseman from Hyderabad, Pakistan’s seventh-largest city. Akbar was one of ABF’s great home run hitters, a rare thing especially from a career second baseman. He also was a reliably average defender at the spot, so you didn’t lose anything on that front. Akbar had 47 homers and 111 RBI per his 162 game average, but only 24 doubles and 3 triples.

Akbar was merely average in terms of contact ability and walks. He also struggled with strikeouts, posting a lousy 30.7% K rate. When he made contact, Akbar hit it hard and far though. Akbar was especially powerful facing left-handed arms with a career .937 OPS and 184 wRC+. Facing righties, he had a .823 OPS and 147 wRC+. He had ironman durability, a tireless work ethic, and strong loyalty. That and the dingers made Akbar one of Pakistan’s biggest baseball superstars of his era.

He played his whole career in his country, but saw limited use for Pakistan in the World Baseball Championship. From 2020-26 and 2029-30, he played 69 games with 57 starts, posting 45 hits, 29 runs, 4 doubles, 3 triples, 19 homers, 38 RBI, .197/.259/.491 slash, and 1.2 WAR. Akbar was a prominent starter in Pakistan’s 2021 runner-up finish to Brazil. He was also there for the country’s first world title in 2029, although he only had three plate appearances.

Akbar quickly shot up Pakistan’s prospect rankings and went third to Multan in the 2016 ABF Draft. He wasn’t an immediate success, struggling in 2017 over 43 games and 10 starts. Akbar had more promising results in 2018 over 101 games and 97 starts. He earned the full-time gig in 2019 and won his lone career Gold Glove.

In 2020, Akbar won his first Silver Slugger and was second in MVP voting, leading the East League in home runs (59), RBI (128), and total bases (3756) while posting 9.1 WAR. He would lead in RBI in five straight seasons and had 50+ homers each year, leading the league thrice more for the Mighty Cocks. Akbar won additional Sluggers in 2021 and 2023. In June 2021, Multan gave him an eight-year, $72,500,000 extension.

Akbar’s lone MVP win was 2023, which had his career highs and league bests in homers (66), RBI (156), total bases (409), slugging (.713), OPS (1.082), and wRC+ (223). Akbar also posted his bests for hits (172), average (.300), OBP (.37), and WAR (10.3). The 156 RBI ranks as the 4^th-best in ABF history and the homers are 13^th.

Despite his efforts, Multan was perpetually mid-tier during his tenure, averaging 84.9 wins per season. They made the playoffs in 2019 and 2023, but both years were wild cards and first round exits. Akbar opted out of his deal in 2023, but stayed one more year with the Mighty Cocks for a raise to $9,200,000. He knew that big money was waiting in free agency that the middling Multan wouldn’t be able to match. Thus, Akbar was a free agent for 2025 at age 30.

With Multan, Akbar had 1096 games, 1042 hits, 595 runs, 161 doubles, 32 triples, 324 home runs, 785 RBI, 319 walks, 1259 strikeouts, 84 steals, .263/.320/.566 slash, 173 wRC+, and 49.7 WAR. Perhaps Akbar could sense what was coming, as the Mighty Cocks plummeted to the bottom of the standings after he left. He still remained beloved by Multan fans, who didn’t blame him for poor management. Akbar’s #28 uniform would later be retired and he was inducted in the green and gold, despite actually playing more games with Lahore. His most dominant efforts certainly came with the Mighty Cocks though.

The big paycheck came with the Longhorns at $147,600,000 over seven years. Lahore was coming off being subpar in the 2020s, but Akbar helped make them a contender as they would be above .500 each of his seasons there. Akbar had reliable power, but wasn’t quite as dominant in his first few seasons as he had been with Multan. The Longhorns got wild cards in 2026 and 2028, but lost both years in the first round.

In 2028, Akbar was back to being elite with a second place in MVP voting and a Silver Slugger, leading in homers (57) and RBI (126). He won his fifth and final Slugger in 2029, which saw a 106-56 season for Lahore. That was still second in the division to 110-win Hyderabad, although the Longhorns lost anyway to Peshawar in the first round.

Lahore tied a franchise record at 110-52, but they were still behind Hyderabad in the division standings by one game. This was the first year of the double-elimination playoff bracket. The Longhorns avoided the Horned Frogs entirely, then beat the Predators twice to claim their first pennant since 2012. They would be denied in the ABF Championship by 113-win Baku, a repeat for the Blackbirds.

Akbar had a big postseason run, including ELCS MVP against Peshawar. In 15 starts, he had 18 hits, 12 runs, 5 doubles, 5 homers, 16 RBI, .316/.361/.702 slash, 223 wRC+, and 1.1 WAR. Lahore earned an at-large into the Baseball Grand Championship, finishing 9-12. Akbar kept rolling with 15 hits, 12 runs, 7 doubles, 6 homers, 11 RBI, 1.084 OPS, 193 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR.

That winter, the Longhorns gave him a two-ear, $25,200,000 extension. Despite the playoff run, Akbar had seen a noticeable dip down to 34 homers in 2030 with 4.2 WAR. He had similar results in 2031, but was benched in 2032 with only 95 games, 59 starts, and 1.3 WAR. Lahore couldn’t follow up on their pennant, falling one win short of the playoffs both years.

For the Longhorns, Akbar played 1172 games with 988 hits, 655 runs, 180 doubles, 334 home runs, 766 RBI, 352 walks, 1483 strikeouts, .237/.299/.525 slash, 142 wRC+, and 41.0 WAR. Akbar hoped to play in 2033, but spent the entire year unsigned. He eventually retired that winter at age 39.

Akbar ended with 2268 games, 2030 hits, 1250 runs, 341 doubles, 42 triples, 658 home runs, 1551 RBI, 671 walks, 2742 strikeouts, 162 steals, .250/.310/.545 slash, 157 wRC+, and 90.7 WAR. Akbar ranks 41^st in games, 30^th in runs, 72^nd in hits, 25^th in total bases (4429), 7^th in homers, 12^th in RBI, 51^st in walks, 9^th in strikeouts, and 27^th in WAR for position players. His slugging is 61^st and .855 OPS is 88^th among ABF batters with 3000+ plate appearances.

Specifically among second basemen, he’s second in WAR only to Thakur Shahzad. Akbar leads all Asian Baseball Federation 2B in slugging, OPS, homers, and RBI. You could make the case for Akbar being ABF’s best at the position all-time. He’s often cited as a top ten power hitter, but not a top ten overall position player. In any case, Akbar was an easy Hall of Fame choice, receiving 98.5% for induction in 2038.



Ismayil Kostenko – First Base – Izmir Ice Caps – 94.9% First Ballot

Ismayil Kostenko was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from Bishkek, the capital and largest city of Kyrgyzstan. He made history as the first-ever Kyrgyz inductee into any HOF. Kostenko was a very well-rounded batter with good-to-great grades across the board for hitting. His contact ability was his biggest strength, but he had a good pop in the bat too. Kostenko was strongest facing left-handed pitching (1.007 OPS, 180 wRC+) but was plenty strong against righties (.912 OPS, 155 wRC+).

Kostenko’s 162 game average got you 37 home runs, 33 doubles, and 2 triples. He wasn’t one to lead the league often, but he was impressively consistent. Kostenko’s biggest offensive weakness was lousy speed and subpar baserunning, but you could do worse. He was a career first baseman with reliably average defense.

His durability was mostly good over a 17-year career. Kostenko was a loudmouth jerk though and most teammates and coaches couldn’t stand his selfish demeanor. He coasted by on natural talent and wasn’t afraid to share his hot takes, no matter how provably wrong they were. This did earn him some popularity though on Twitter with the worst kind of sports fans.

Kostenko left home for Turkey as a teenager in January 2011 on a developmental deal with Izmir. He spent the better part of six years in their academy, officially debuting in 2015 at age 20 with 11 games and four starts. Kostenko didn’t play at all in 2016, then was a full-timer for 2017 with 124 games and 94 starts. He showed promise though and was second in Rookie of the Year voting. Kostenko was a full-timer after that, but did miss more than a month in 2018 to a herniated disc.

2018 saw a turnaround for Izmir, who had been well below .500 in the last 11 seasons. The Ice Caps were a wild card at 88-74 with a first round exit, but the team finally had reason for optimism. In 2019, Kostenko won his first Silver Slugger and was third in MVP voting. Izmir earned its first division title since 1993 and made it to the West League Championship Series at 91-71, but were defeated by 107-win Tabriz.

Kostenko won another Slugger and was second in 2020’s MVP voting, leading the league with career highs for hits (228) and RBI (143). He also had his best for runs (110), doubles (51), average (.370), OPS (1.052), and WAR (8.8). Izmir was an 87-75 wild card with a first round exit. Kostenko won another Slugger in 2021 despite missing a month to an intercostal strain. He also had a 29-game hitting streak in the spring.

Izmir won the division at 98-64 and defeated Mashhad to win only their second-ever pennant, joining the 1991 season. The Ice Caps would be denied their first ABF title, defeated by Faisalabad 4-2. Kostenko was WLCS MVP and in 16 playoff games had 24 hits, 10 runs, 8 doubles, 1 homer, 12 RBI, .953 OPS, and 0.8 WAR. This was the peak for Izmir, who stayed above .500 for the next three years but wouldn’t make the playoffs again in the 2020s.

Kostenko had a good 2022, but his 2023 was the worst full year of his career to that point. Between that drop and his grating personality, Izmir let Kostenko leave for free agency at age 29. With the Ice Caps, Kostenko had 1020 games, 1262 hits, 563 runs, 220 doubles, 196 home runs, 720 RBI, 260 walks, .332/.372/.555 slash, 156 wRC+, and 40.2 WAR. Despite his controversial outlook, Kostenko’s role in the 2021 pennant did get his #30 uniform eventually retired by Izmir.

He stayed in Turkey on a seven-year, $83,200,000 deal with Istanbul. The Ironmen were firmly a middle-tier team at this point and stayed there in what would be a five-year run for Kostenko, averaging 85 wins per season with no playoff trips. Back trouble kept him out a month in 2024, but he still won a Silver Slugger, leading the WL in batting average (.361) and OBP (.417).

Kostenko won his lone MVP in 2025 and his fifth Silver Slugger, leading in hits (224), total bases (379), and OBP (.410). He had a good 2026 and decent 2027 by his standards. In 2028, Kostenko only played 35 games due to a torn PCL in May, knocking him out 11 months. With two years left on his deal, he surprised many by opting out of his contract while recovering from the injury. With the Ironmen, Kostenko played 638 games with 815 hits, 420 runs, 140 doubles, 145 home runs, 462 RBI, .335/.390/.580 slash, 157 wRC+, and 27.4 WAR.

For 2029, the 34-year old Kostenko returned home to Bishkek on a two-year, $19,800,000 deal. He won his sixth and final Silver Slugger in 2029 with a career high 48 home runs along with 8.4 WAR, 180 hits, 106 runs, 31 doubles, 122 RBI, .968 OPS, and 199 wRC+. The Black Sox missed the playoffs via a tiebreaker. With his stock back up after a big season, Kostenko declined the second-year of the Bishkek deal and looked for another big pay day.

He found it at $58,400,000 over three years with Hyderabad. The Horned Frogs were on a six-year playoff streak having won East League pennants from 2026-28 and the ABF title in 2026-27. Hyderabad had finished 110-52 in 2029, but was upset by Peshawar in the ELCS. Kostenko had a solid debut season, helping the Horned Frogs to the top seed at 111-51. He was terrible in the playoffs though as Hyderabad was ousted by the Predators with defeats in the first and second rounds of the double-elimination bracket.

Kostenko had an excellent pace in 2031, but did lose a month to an oblique strain. Hyderabad again got the top seed at 103-59 and this time won the pennant, defeating Rawalpindi in the ELCS. However, Baku completed a three-peat in the ABF Championship. Kostenko had a .860 OPS and 0.7 WAR over 18 playoff starts, redeeming his putrid effort from the prior year.

In 2032, Kostenko was again rock solid on the field. Hyderabad and Rawalpindi tied for first in the Pakistan Division at 105-57, but the Red Wings got the division title on the tiebreaker. Hyderabad had the last laugh in the playoffs though and repeated as East League champs. In a rematch with Baku, the Horned Frogs denied the Blackbirds four-peat with a shocking sweep.

Kostenko missed part of the finals to chronic back soreness, but had a strong postseason with a .971 OPS in 11 starts. He was back for the Baseball Grand Championship with 19 hits, 15 runs, 2 doubles, 9 homers, 16 RBI, .921 OPS, 160 wRC+, and 1.0 WAR. Hyderabad finished at 14-7 alongside Houston and had the tiebreaker head-to-head 6-4, giving the Horned Frogs’ baseball’s ultimate prize.

In three seasons for Hyderabad, Kostenko had 440 games, 490 hits, 254 runs, 73 doubles, 123 home runs, 301 RBI, .292/.338/.557 slash, 166 wRC+, and 15.4 WAR. He was certainly a big reason for the Grand Championship win, but his toxic personality was still an issue. The Horned Frogs didn’t re-sign him and Kostenko went unsigned for all of 2033, despite seemingly still having major league talent. He eventually retired in the winter shortly after his 39^th birthday.

Kostenko finished with 2260 games, 2747 hits, 1343 runs, 464 doubles, 32 triples, 512 home runs, 1605 RBI, 667 walks, 1437 strikeouts, 110 steals, .323/.370/.566 slash, 162 wRC+, and 91.4 WAR. Kostenko ranks 44^th in games, 9^th in hits, 21^st in runs, 16^th in total bases (4811), 48^th in doubles, 23^rd in home runs, 6^th in RBI, 52^nd in walks, and 25^th in WAR for position players. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Kostenko’s triple slash ranks 18^th/29^th/39^th and his .936 OPS ranks 33^rd.

Even if Kostenko was an objectively noxious human, his baseball talent was undeniably elite. He was one of the most consistently efficient bats of his era in the Asian Baseball Federation and even his many haters agreed that he belonged in the Hall of Fame. Kostenko received 94.9% for induction in 2038 as the first player enshired from Kyrgyzstan.

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Four players made it into Arab League Baseball’s Hall of Fame for 2038, each as a first ballot selection. Three got more than 90% of the vote with DH Omar Abdel Rahman (97.2%), SP Ahmed Hussain (96.8%), and 1B/DH Osama Ahmed (92.4%). 1B/DH Kadda Hadj Lamri joined them at 70.0%, just passing the 66% requirement. Only one other player was above 50% with 1B Faqi Al-Thakur with 59.9% on his tenth and final chance.



For Al-Thakur, he was above 50% in all but one try and was above 60% five times, peaking at 64.4% in 2037. He also was at 64.2% in 2036, missing out by a depressingly small margin. Al-Thakur had a 13-year career between Jeddah and Alexandria, helping the Jackals win repeat titles in 2013-14. He had one Gold Gloove, 1954 games, 2323 hits, 1090 runs, 488 doubles, 30 triples, 360 home runs, 1113 RBI, 471 walks, 1609 strikeouts, .313/.361/.533 slash, 142 wRC+, and 60.5 WAR.

Unfortunately for Al-Thakur, there was no shortage of impressive batters in his era at first base and he didn’t have nearly the power that voters wanted from the spot. He also had a very abrupt decline and was lousy in his final three seasons. That limited the accumulations that might have gotten Al-Thakur across the line.

Another 1B Lance Vogel dropped after ten ballots, getting as close as 63.6% in 2036 before ending with 47.0%. The American had a very unique career as his first decade came in MLB, mostly as a backup with Brooklyn. He arrived in ALB at age 30 and played 13 years between six teams, winning titles in 2011 with Basra and 2016 with Damascus.

In ALB, Vogel had 2069 games, 2363 hits, 1211 runs, 493 doubles, 31 triples, 490 home runs, 1411 RBI, 665 walks, .303/.356/.564 slash, 147 wRC+, and 59.7 WAR. It is an impressive run considering he started in ALB at age 30. His combined stats had 3119 games, 2210 starts, 2770 hits, 1433 runs, 565 doubles, 566 home runs, 1665 RBI, .297/.350/.548 slash, 145 wRC+, and 70.2 WAR. If the full longevity was in one league, he probably makes it on tenure. Vogel wasn’t dominant or decorated enough to make it in, but he had an admirable career as one of the few guys in world history with 3000+ pro games.

SP Mohamed Taleb dropped after ten ballots, peaking with a 36.5% debut and ending at only 4.4%. He notably won seven Gold Gloves in 13 years with Dubai, posting a 172-143 record, 3.75 ERA, 2774.2 innings, 3085 strikeouts, 476 walks, 109 ERA+, 91 FIP-, and 50.6 WAR. Apart from his defense, Taleb was fully a Hall of Pretty Good level guy.

Two other starters fell below 5% on their ninth ballots. Amar Ratib in 14 years had one Pitcher of the Year, a 148-101 record, 3.02 ERA, 2369 innings, 2726 strikeouts, 131 ERA+, 76 FIP-, and 62.0 WAR. His pace was elite, but major injuries made him ineffective by age 32. Khaled Al-Bin had a 159-101 record, 3.16 ERA, 2315 innings, 3146 strikeouts, 127 ERA+, 78 FIP, and 56.5 WAR. Poor stamina limited his innings, keeping him from better totals.

Another starter Ali Hussaini had longevity, but lacked dominance with a 202-108 record, 3.67 ERA, 3451.1 innings, 3349 strikeouts, 735 walks, 113 ERA+, 91 FIP-, and 60.2 WAR. Lastly, closer Yaar Shimon had a brief ALB run before leaving for MLB and WAB, posting 265 saves, 2.51 ERA, 720.2 innings, 1003 strikeouts, 158 ERA+, 64 FIP-, and 24.0 WAR. Each had respectable careers, but not ones worthy of enshrinement.



Omar Abdel Rahman – Designated Hitter – Mecca Marksmen – 97.2% First Ballot

Omar Abdel Rahman was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting designated hitter from Cairo, the capital of Egypt. He was the much younger brother of Tarek Abdel Rahman, who was inducted in 2027 and was a four-time MVP. Tarek had already made his debut in 2001 with Jerusalem with Omar was only six years old. Watching his bigger brother inspired him to take up the game and they were both briefly pros at the same time.

They would get to be teammates from 2018-20 for Egypt in the World Baseball Championship. Omar was mostly a backup in his WBC endeavors from 2018-27 with 72 games, 32 starts, 53 hits, 33 runs, 5 doubles, 17 homers, 31 RBI, 16 steals, .325/.372/.669 slash, 194 wRC+, and 3.2 WAR. Abdel Rahman did have an impressive run in 2027 specifically, helping the Egyptians to a playoff berth.

Abdel Rahman was one of the great sluggers of his era with 53 home runs and 131 RBI per his 162 game average. He had six seasons above 50 homers and topped 60+ thrice. Abdel Rahman was also a solid contact hitter with a decent strikeout rate relative to peers, although he drew fewer walks than you’d expect considering his power. He was especially strong facing right-handed pitching with a 1.066 OPS and 172 wRC+ compared to a .825 OPS and 114 wRC+ facing lefties.

His power was mainly focused on homers, but he still got 32 doubles and 4 triples per 162 games. Abdel Rahman’s baserunning and stealing skills were top notch, but he was limited by merely okay speed. He was a career designated hitter as he was absolutely putrid with his glove and only made 109 career starts in the field. Abdel Rahman did get some criticism for a lackluster work ethic and selfishness, but he socked dingers. He had mostly good stamina in his 20s, but ran into some major knee troubles in his 30s.

The name value from his brother and his own talents drew attention from scouts as a teenager. Abdel Rahman in September 2011 signed a developmental deal with Mecca and spent the better part of five years in their academy. He was terrible in 21 games and 12 starts in 2015 at age 20. Abdel Rahman looked better with 59 games and 3 starts in 2016. The Marksmen gave him 126 games and 57 starts in 2017, then a full-time starting gig in 2017.

From 2017-19, Abdel Rahman led the Eastern Conference three straight seasons in home runs, slugging, OPS, and wRC+. He also twice led in RBI and WAR during that stretch, winning three consecutive MVP awards and Silver Sluggers. After the 2017 effort, Mecca gave him a five-year, $11,860,000 extension. 2019 was the peak with career bests in runs (138), hits (210), doubles (45), homers (71), RBI (157), total bases (474), and WAR (9.5). His is one of 19 seasons in ALB history with 70+ homers.

These efforts got Mecca above .500, but the Holy City remained outside of the playoffs. The Marksmen had been mid-to-mediocre for their entire existence with their only playoff trips in 1996 and 2009. Their 91-71 in 2019 was the second-best record in franchise history to that point, but they shared a division with defending champ Jeddah at 104-58 and a 100-win Riyadh.

Abdel Rahman won the 2020 MVP despite a sprained ankle costing him a month. Mecca collapsed horribly that year at 59-103, a franchise worst. They finished 72-90 in 2021 and needed to rebuild quickly. Abdel Rahman had only one year left on his deal and the Marksmen weren’t optimistic they’d be able to re-sign him, so he was traded for three pitching prospects to Mosul.

In one year with the Muskies, Abdel Rahman won a Silver Slugger and had 211 hits, 118 runs, 39 doubles, 46 homers, 126 RBI, .351/.398/.666 slash, 163 wRC+, and 6.6 WAR. He didn’t put Mosul over the top as they finished 82-80. Now a free agent heading towards his age 28 season, Abdel Rahman entertained offers league-wide. Mecca was able to reach his big number and brought him back on an eight-year, $171,200,000 deal. Abdel Rahman stayed with the Marksmen for the rest of his run.

Abdel Rahman was down from his MVP peaks, but was still a top flight power hitter in his return to Mecca. He won a Silver Slugger in 2024 the Marksmen got a wild card at 96-66 in the newly expanded postseason, although they lost in the first round. Mecca was just above .500 the next two years, then got another wild card and a second round exit in 2027. Abdel Rahman ended up with only four career playoff starts, as the Marksmen had losing campaigns for the remainder of his tenure.

He got additional Silver Sluggers in 2025 and 2026 with a third place in MVP voting in the latter. In 2026, Abdel Rahman led the conference in homers (62), slugging (.781), OPS (1.167), and wRC+ (195). The slugging and OPS would both be career highs and he was on pace for perhaps his best effort if not for a fractured thumb costing him most of July.

In early April 2027, Abdel Rahman suffered a fractured knee that knocked him out five months. While still playable, his hitting was noticeably less impactful upon his 2028 return with .880 OPS and 114 wRC+, career lows to that point. To make things worse, Abdel Rahman suffered a torn PCL in August 2028. A setback in spring training 2029 kept him out for an additional 12 months, missing the entire 2029 campaign.

Smaller injuries limited him some in 2030, but Abdel Rahman still proved useful at age 35 with 42 homers, .963 OPS, and 3.6 WAR. That winter, Mecca gave him a three-year, $28,500,000 extension. Abdel Rahman was decent in 112 games in 2031, then struggled in 2032 over 70 games with injury issues both years. He retired after the 2032 season at age 37 and Mecca quickly retired his #17 uniform for his efforts.

Abdel Rahman ended with 2025 games, 2377 hits, 1360 runs, 400 doubles, 50 triples, 658 home runs, 1639 RBI, 415 walks, 1480 strikeouts, 338 steals, .317/.355/.648 slash, 1.003 OPS, 157 wRC+, and 69.2 WAR. He ranks 86^th in games, 44^th in runs, 54^th in hits, 32^nd in total bases (4851), 18^th in homers, 23^rd in RBI, and 44^th in WAR among position players. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Abdel Rahman is 57^th in batting average, 11^th in slugging, and 20^th in OPS.

Among world Hall of Famers and retired locks, Abdel Rahman ranks 14^th in slugging and 45^th in OPS, showing the raw power he possessed. He wasn’t quite as impactful as his brother Tarek, but both had similar arcs as multi-time MVPs with primarily one team that never saw much playoff success. Omar’s accomplishments were plenty for 97.2% of the vote, the highest share in a four-man 2038 class for Arab League Baseball.



Ahmed Hussain – Starting Pitcher – Basra Bulldogs – 96.8% First Ballot

Ahmed Hussain was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Ar Rayyan, Qatar; the country’s third-largest municipality with around 605,000 people. Hussain was the first-ever Qatari Hall of Famer and many view him as the Arab League’s best-ever pitcher. He was well-rounded with reliably great stuff, movement, and control. The control especially never weakened and allowed him to stick around even as his stuff dwindled in his later years.

Hussain was never overwhelmingly powerful, as his velocity peaked at 94-96 mph. He was a master at changing speeds though between his fastball, slider, and changeup. Hussain’s stamina was good, but it was his excellent durability and longevity which pushed him to more innings than anyone in ALB history. He was top notch at holding runners with reliable defense, winning a Gold Glove in 2024. Hussain was highly adaptable, but did sometimes show some green and laziness.

In April 2008, a teenaged Hussain left Qatar for Iraq on a developmental deal with Basra. He spent four full years in their academy before debuting in long relief for 2012 at age 20, posting a 4.85 ERA in 91 innings. Hussain was a full-time starter after that and didn’t immediately have his control locked in, leading the Eastern Conference in walks with 93 in 2013. He had that figured out by 2016 and would walk 41 or fewer each year after that.

Hussain led in quality starts for the first of seven seasons in 2016 and had 8.2 WAR and his first sub-three ERA season. Hussain had his first of six seasons above 300+ Ks with a conference-best 313 in 2017, although his ERA jumped up to four. Basra’s rebuild was nearly complete at this point. The Bulldogs were dominant from 2003-12, but fell below .500 from 2013-15. They were back on the winning track in 2016-17, but still behind Mosul in the Mesopotamia Division.

2018 would begin a nine-year division title streak for Basra with Hussain leading the way as the ace. He won his first Pitcher of the Year award, leading in wins (21-6) and WAR (8.6). Hussain did lose his one playoff start with four runs allowed in 6.2 innings as the Bulldogs lost in the first round. For the next eight seasons, they would make it each time to the Eastern Conference Final. After the 2018 effort, Basra gave Hussain a six-year, $93,200,000 extension. Hussain would be good for 7+ WAR each year through 2025

Basra lost to Jeddah in the 2019 conference final, giving the Jackals back-to-back pennants. The Bulldogs improved to 101-61 in 2020 but were still the #2 seed behind 104-win Jeddah. Basra got a surprising road sweep to claim the pennant, then cruised 4-1 over Cairo to claim the Arab League Championship. Hussain was third in Pitcher of the Year voting.

He had a reputation for lackluster playoff stats at this point, as his 4.82 ERA in 18.2 innings was unremarkable in 2020. Hussain quieted most critics with an excellent Baseball Grand Championship run as the Bulldogs finished third at 13-6. In four starts, Hussain had 33 innings, a 2-1 record, 1.64 ERA, 24 strikeouts, two complete games, and 0.9 WAR.

Over the next four seasons, Basra won 102, 108, 112, and 100 games. However, the Bulldogs kept running into road blocks in the conference finals with upset defeats. They lost in 2021-22 in rematches with Jeddah, to Abu Dhabi in 2023, and Kuwait in 2024. Hussain had better playoff numbers in this era though and also had his best overall performances.

Hussain was second in 2021’s Pitcher of the Year voting, then won the honor four straight years from 2022-25. His lone Gold Glove came in 2024. Hussain’s best was 2022 with career highs for wins (23-4), ERA (1.87), strikeouts (329), WHIP (0.84), quality starts (27), ERA+ (239), FIP- (46), and WAR (11.6). The ERA mark ranks as the 14^th-best qualifying season in ALB and the WAR is the 7^th-best for a pitcher. Despite that, he fell 11 strikeouts short of the Triple Crown thanks to Riyadh’s Diyar Abbas.

2023 was slightly statistically weaker, but Hussain got the Triple Crown this year on a 22-5 record, 2.58 ERA, and 327 strikeouts with 8.8 WAR. He didn’t lead any of the big three stats in 2024, but was the WARlord at 10.1. Now 33-years old, Basra gave Hussain a five-year, $121 million extension.

The Bulldogs finished 99-63 in 2025, one behind Riyadh for the top seed. They finally broke through the noise, winning the ECF against an unexpected foe in 86-win Medina. Basra then denied 110-win Amman’s three-peat bid to claim their second ALB title in six years. This was easily Hussain’s most impressive playoff run with a 1.56 ERA in four starts, 34.2 innings, 3-0 record, 36 strikeouts, 282 ERA+, and 1.2 WAR.

Hussain wasn’t able to carry that into the Baseball Grand Championship, which saw an 8-11 finish for the Bulldogs. In 32.2 innings, Hussain had a 3.86 ERA and 42 strikeouts. He would get limited help in the 2026 postseason, going 0-3 with a 3.68 ERA as the 98-win Bulldogs lost the conference final to 104-win Bahrain. This marked the end of Basra’s playoff streak, as they dropped below .500 to close out the decade.

For his playoff career, Hussain had a 3.48 ERA, 134.2 innings, 6-7 record, 157 strikeouts, 11 walks, 123 ERA+, 74 FIP-, and 3.8 WAR. He ranks sixth in both strikeouts and pitching WAR in playoff history. While he wasn’t overwhelmingly dominant in the playoffs, Hussain was remembered fondly for his role in two championship wins. Naturally, his #22 uniform was later retired by Basra.

Hussain was second in 2026’s Pitcher of the Year voting, then had a notable dip in 2026 with a 4.16 ERA and 217 strikeouts. He rebounded with his third ERA title in 2028 at 2.68, joining Rashid Tariq as the only six-time Pitcher of the Year winners in ALB history. Hussain had a better ERA and was the WARlord in 2029, taking second in the voting.

He was also starting to climb up the all-time leaderboards, staking a claim as ALB’s GOAT pitcher. He finished 2029 with 293 career wins, passing Tariq’s 285 to become ALB’s all-time leader. Hussain blew by the old strikeout mark of 4055 by Khamis Sheik back in 2026 and became the first in ALB history to 5000+ Ks in 2029. At induction, Hussain is one of only 46 pro pitchers in baseball history with 5000+ strikeouts. His 8.7 WAR in 2029 also passed Tariq’s 125.5 to become the all-time WARlord among ALB pitchers.

In September 2028, Hussain had his first major injury with bone chips in his elbow. While he bounced back, his velocity did start to wane, although fortunately he hadn’t been one to rely on power. Hussain dropped to a 4.06 ERA in 2030. Now 39-years old, Hussain let their long-time ace leave for free agency. With Basra, he had a 299-153 record, 3.09 ERA, 4204.2 innings, 5100 strikeouts, 699 walks, 395/583 quality starts, 136 ERA+, 68 FIP-, and 131.9 WAR.
Hussain had wanted to be the first to 300 wins in Bulldogs red, but he was one short. He quickly got that accomplishment with Casablanca on a two-year, $46,800,000 deal. Hussain had below average results for a middling Bruins squad with a 13-1 record, 4.58 ERA, 249.1 innings, 195 strikeouts, 95 ERA+, 89 FIP-, and 3.9 WAR. He retired after the 2032 season at age 41.

In total, Hussain had a 312-168 record, 3.18 ERA, 4454 innings, 608 starts, 5295 strikeouts, 726 walks, 409 quality starts, 72 complete games, 20 shutouts, 132 ERA+, 69 FIP-, and 135.8 WAR. Hussain is the all-time leader for Arab League Baseball in wins, innings, strikeouts, and WAR. He is 2^nd in starts, 9^th in complete games, and 10^th in shutouts. Hussain is also 2^nd in WAR among all ALB players behind only home run king Nordine Soule’s 153.5.

Among those with 1000+ innings, Hussain is 53^rd in ERA and 51^st in WHIP (1.07). He also sits 53^rd in BB/9 (1.47), 48^th in K/9 (10.7), and 55^th in opponent’s OPS (.659). Hussain is 64^th in opponent’s OBP (.283) and 59^th in slugging (.376). On the world leaderboards, Hussain ranks tied for 31^st in wins, 25^th in strikeouts, 51^st in quality starts, and 35^th in pitching WAR. Among all players ever, he just misses the world top 100 for WAR, sitting at 103^rd.

Hussain is certainly one of the game’s immortals and has a strong case for being ALB’s best-ever pitcher. Some still credibly argue for Tariq, who won seven Pitcher of the Year awards and had better rate stats over fewer seasons with Mosul. Hussain’s contemporary Diyar Abbas is also close in WAR, but isn’t as decorated with slightly weaker metrics. If not the GOAT, Hussain is almost always rated #2 behind Tariq. He’s certainly an inner-circle Hall of Famer, earning 96.8% as part of a loaded four-man 2038 class.

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Osama Ahmed – First Base/Designated Hitter – Amman Aviators – 92.4% First Ballot

Osama Ahmed was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from Aleppo, Syria; the country’s second-largest city with more than two million residents. He was only the second Syrian Hall of Famer, joining class of 2021 1B Samer Al-Mousa. Although Ahmed never was the conference leader, he had some of the most reliable home run power you’d find in the world.

Ahmed got you 50 homers, 33 doubles, and 2 triples per his 162 game average. He had nine seasons of 50+ dingers and once breached 60. Ahmed was also better than most in ALB at drawing walks, but he was merely an above average contact hitter and terrible at avoiding strikeouts. His stats were close to even whether against right-handed or left-handed pitching.

His baserunning skills were average, but his speed was quite poor. Ahmed spent about 2/3 of his starts at first base with the rest as a designated hitter. He graded as a reasonably serviceable defender. Near ironman durability helped make Ahmed well known, playing 150+ games in all but two of his 17 seasons. Ahmed also was one of the most respected men in the clubhouse as a team captain known for his leadership, work ethic, and team-first attitude.

Ahmed quickly became known as one of the Levant’s top collegiate prospects. In the 2014 ALB Draft, he went third to Amman, but he didn’t sign and returned to college. One year later, the Aviators’ interest hadn’t waned and they got him with the #4 pick. Ahmed had a part-time role with 117 games and 98 starts, taking second in 2016’s Rookie of the Year voting.

He was a full-time starter after that, although he did lead the Western Conference with 234 strikeouts in 2017. Ks would be a recurring issue (he did become ALB’s whiff king), but he wouldn’t be the season leader except once in his twilight. Apart from his 139 RBI in 2018, Ahmed was never a conference leader in any major stat.

He also never won MVP or was a Silver Slugger winner, although the fierce competition among 1Bs played a big role. The likes of Ali Jassem, Yahya bin Hakam, and Gilon Bassman denied him. The former two are HOFers and Bassman almost certainly will be once eligible. Amman was certainly pleased with Ahmed’s results, giving him a five-year, $25,400,000 extension after the 2020 season. The Aviators ended a seven-year playoff drought in 2020, but did lose in the first round.

After a losing season in 2021, Amman became a powerhouse with four straight division titles from 2022-25. They lost the 2022 Western Conference Final to Casablanca, then won three straight from 2023-25. They won 106, 104, and 110 games; each time ousting Algiers in the finale. 2025 had Ahmed’s career bests for runs (129), homers (66), RBI (161), and OPS (1.088), but he amazingly wasn’t an MVP finalist.

Amman won back-to-back ALB titles, defeating Abu Dhabi in 2023 and Kuwait in 2024. Despite 2025 being their best record, the three-peat was denied by Basra. Ahmed’s playoff stats were a mixed bag with a strong run in 2025 (including conference finals MVP), but iffy stats otherwise. In 43 starts with the Aviators, Ahmed had 39 hits, 23 runs, 9 doubles, 9 homers, 27 RBI, .238/.323/.470 slash, 104 wRC+, and 0.7 WAR.

His stats in the Baseball Grand Championship were similarly mixed. Ahmed was excellent in 2023 with 17 hits, 15 runs, 4 doubles, 11 homers, 13 RBI, 1.149 OPS, 234 wRC+, and 1.5 WAR. He was outright awful in 2024 and okay in 2025, finishing with 57 starts, 41 hits, 31 runs, 10 doubles, 18 homers, 36 RBI, .201/.302/.515 slash, 135 wRC+, and 1.9 WAR. Amman finished 9-10 in 2023, 7-12 in 2024, and 8-11 in 2025.

In June 2025, the Aviators gave Ahmed a five-year, $95 million extension. Amman remained in the 80-90 win range to finish out the decade, but fell outside of the playoffs as Jerusalem took over control in the division. Ahmed carried on with his consistent production until finally dripping off significantly in 2030. The Aviators let him leave for free agency at age 38.

For Amman, Ahmed had 2302 games, 2364 hits, 1556 runs, 461 doubles, 742 homers, 1736 RBI, 865 walks, 2781 strikeouts, .278/.357/.602 slash, 145 wRC+, and 70.6 WAR. He was popular for his key role in their 2020s dynasty and his #1 uniform would soon be retired by the Aviators. Ahmed felt he still had something to offer and signed a one-year, $2,400,000 deal with Medina.

Ahmed had 155 hits, 99 runs, 36 doubles, 32 homers, 82 RBI, .269/.360/.497 slash, 125 wRC+, and 3.0 WAR with Medina, but also an Eastern Conference worst 217 strikeouts, passing 3000 to become the career leader. The Mastodons got to the conference final, but lost to Muscat’s dynasty as Ahmed struggled.

Suez gave him a look in 2032 with 147 hits, 84 runs, 39 doubles, 82 homers, 75 RBI, .253/.344/.472 slash, 113 wRC+, and 1.9 WAR. This did allow Ahmed to reach the 800 home run and 500 double milestones for his career. He retired that winter at age 39.

Ahmed finished with 2621 games, 2666 hits, 1739 runs, 536 doubles, 32 triples, 802 home runs, 1893 RBI, 995 walks, 3214 strikeouts, 107 steals, .276/.357/.588 slash, 142 wRC+, and 75.5 WAR. Ahmed is 12^th in games, 7^th in runs, 29^th in hits, 11^th in total bases (5672), 40^th in doubles, 7^th in homers, 5^th in RBI, 13^th in walks, 1^st in strikeouts, and 27^th in WAR among position players. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Ahmed is 60^th in slugging and his .947 OPS is 51^st.

He is one of only 58 players in all of pro baseball history with 800+ homers, but on the downside is 8^th all-time for strikeouts and one of 31 guys with 3000 Ks. That more than anything kept Ahmed from racking up more accolades despite some impressive accumulations and a role in a great dynasty with Amman. He still did plenty to get the ultimate accolade, a first ballot Hall of Fame induction. Ahmed received 92.4% as part of a four-man 2038 class for Arab League Baseball.




Kadda Hadj “Dagger” Lamri – Designated Hitter/First Base – Basra Bulldogs

Kadda Hadj Lamri was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from Marrakech, Morocco; the nation’s fourth-largest city with just over one million people. Nicknamed “Dagger,” his power wasn’t prolific, but was consistently rock solid with 37 home runs, 115 RBI, 38 doubles, and 9 triples per his 162 game average. Lamri also was a reliably good contact hitter with a respectable eye for walks, although his strikeout rate was subpar.

Lamri’s production was slightly stronger facing left-handed pitching (1.045 OPS, 160 wRC+ in ALB) compared to against righties (.967 OPS, 147 wRC+). His speed was surprisingly impressive for guy with his power, but his baserunning instincts were mediocre. Just over half of his career starts came as a designated hitter with almost all of his time with his glove at first base. Defensively, Lamri wasn’t the dirt worst, but he was definitely on the lower-end.

His reliable bat and high character made Lamri a popular figure in his time. Teammates and coaches adored him as a team captain with high grades for leadership, work ethic, intelligence, and adaptability. He was fiercely loyal, but also wanted to get what he felt he had earned. Lamri’s durability was excellent and he never missed significant time to injury, playing 137+ games in all 17 of his full seasons.

Lamri left Morocco for Iraq in June 2013 on a developmental contract with Basra. Although his entire Arab League run was with the Bulldogs, he still came home regularly for the World Baseball Championship. From 2020-35, Lamri played 168 games for Morocco with 122 hits, 79 runs, 26 doubles, 5 triples, 39 homers, 88 RBI, .217/.305/.489 slash, and 3.7 WAR.

He spent the better part of six years in Basra’s academy. Lamri did see limited action from 2017-19 with six starts and 82 games. He was brought up as a full-time starter for 2020 and kept the role through 2031 for the Bulldogs. By this point, Basra was back as a regular Eastern Conference contender with 2018 starting up a nine-year streak of division titles. From 2019-26, they played in the conference final each year.

In Lamri’s debut as a starter, Basra finished 101-61 and broke through as Arab League Champion, denying a three-peat bid by Tripoli. Lamri had an impressive postseason with 17 hits, 10 runs, 5 doubles, 3 homers, 12 RBI, 1.142 OPS, 210 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR. He was merely okay in the Baseball Grand Championship with a .732 OPS, 109 wRC+, and 0.4 WAR as the Bulldogs were third at 13-6.

The next four years, Basra lost in the conference finals despite averaging 105.5 wins per season. Lamri struggled in these playoff runs, but he was thriving in the regular season. He led in RBI in both 2021 and 2022, although he put up higher tallies each of the next three years. Lamri was third in 2023’s MVP voting and second in 2024. In 2024, he had his career highs for runs (131), hits (207), homers (56), total bases (438), slugging (.703), OPS (1.094), wRC+ (172), and WAR (7.3). Lamri also hit for the cycle in June 2024 against Riyadh.

In April 2025, Lamri signed a seven-year, $193,600,000 extension to stick with Basra. He won his three Silver Sluggers in 2025, 27, and 28 with consistent production. In 2028, he posted a career and conference best 56 doubles. At 99-63 in 2025, Basra broke through for their second ALB Championship win, denying Amman’s three-peat attempt.

Lamri had a good showing with a .925 OPS and 0.7 WAR over 14 games. In the BGC, he had a .920 OPS, 154 wRC+, and 0.6 WAR, but Basra finished 8-11. Lamri’s playoff stats were a mixed bag overall with 55 games, 59 hits, 36 runs, 11 doubles, 3 triples, 8 home runs, 49 RBI, .280/.338/.474 slash, 114 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR. Still, his leadership was important for their playoff streak and the Bulldogs later retired his #15 uniform.

Basra’s playoff streak ended with 2026’s conference finals loss to Bahrain, as they were in the lower-middle tier for the rest of his tenure. Lamri’s bat dipped in these years, but he was still a capable starter for a mid 30s slugger. The Bulldogs voided the team-option seventh year of his deal, as he no longer justified top tier money. Thus, Lamri became a free agent for the first time at age 36.

He opened up a worldwide search and landed in Major League Baseball on a three-year, $19,500,000 deal with Salt Lake City. Lamri had a very respectable debut season with 33 homers, 128 RBI, .893 OPS, and 3.3 WAR in 2032. However, he fell to subpar metrics in the remaining two years for the Loons, who were stuck in the 70s win range. In Utah, Lamri played 446 games with 466 hits, 245 runs, 69 doubles, 26 triples, 69 home runs, 283 RBI, 114 walks, .277/.323/.472 slash, 106 wRC+, and 3.1 WAR.

That ended his time with a proper big league club, giving him 2409 games, 2769 hits, 1502 runs, 580 doubles, 141 triples, 578 home runs, 1762 RBI, and 58.0 WAR. Lamri wasn’t ready to quit yet, but could only find work in European Tier Three with Montenegro. He was a decent two-year starter for the Mountain Goats with .734 OPS, 121 wRC+, and 2.2 WAR in 304 games. After going unsigned for 2037, Lamri finally retired in the winter at age 42.

Just in Arab League Baseball with Basra, Lamri played 1963 games with 2303 hits, 1257 runs, 511 doubles, 115 triples, 509 home runs, 1479 RBI, 617 walks, 1569 strikeouts, 358 steals, .312/.369/.619 slash, 151 wRC+, and 54.9 WAR. He ranks 99^th in games, 57^th in runs, 61^st in hits, 47^th in total bases (4571), 49^th in doubles, 45^th in homers, 37^th in RBI, 63^rd in walks, and 73^rd in WAR for position players. For those with 3000+ plate appearances, Lamri’s triple slash was 76^th/50^th/28^th and his .988 OPS was 27^th.

Lamri’s accumulations weren’t overwhelmingly high and he played in an era with a lot of very good slugging 1B/DH types, including guys he shared the 2038 Hall of Fame class with. However, his rate stats, high character, and role in two titles for Basra helped Lamri win over just enough voters to cross the 66% threshold. He received 70.0% for a first ballot selection to cap off a four-man crew in 2038.

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The African Association of Baseball saw three players added into the Hall of Fame as first ballot picks in 2038. 1B/DH Maninho Magaia led this group at 96.7% with RF Salum Khosa close behind at 89.4%. OF Regis Mugabo joined them at a respectable 74.6%. Two returners were above 50%, but short of the 66% induction threshold with SP Teo Tokala at 55.5% on his sixth try and 1B Herve Otepa with 53.3% for his ninth go.



Dropped after ten failed ballots was SP Franklin Goagoseb, who peaked at 45.5% in 2034 and ended at 38.8%. In 16 years mostly with Mogadishu, Goagoseb won one Pitcher of the Year and two Gold Gloves, and helped the Mighty Mice to the 2017 title. He had a 208-153 record, 3.78 ERA, 3306.2 innings, 3026 strikeouts, 1077 walks, 108 ERA+, 87 FIP-, and 65.0 WAR.

Pitchers in AAB don’t throw nearly as many innings as other world leagues, so Goagoseb ranks 3^rd in wins, 11^th in strikeouts, 3^rd in innings, and 11^th in pitching WAR. AAB voters seemed to expect their aces to have more comparable numbers to other world greats, which wasn’t reasonable. Goagoseb’s rate stats weren’t overwhelming and some called him a compiler, as he had only one POTY and was a finalist once more. Still, it is surprising that someone that far up on the leaderboards for the influential stats was left to the Hall of Pretty Good.

SP Yannick Thomas also fell off, debuting at 44.8% and ending at only 21.2%. The Frenchman had his first five years in Europe before coming to AAB, winning two Pitcher of the Year awards and the Africa Series in 2019 for Luanda. In AAB, Thomas had a 122-80 record, 3.14 ERA, 1712.1 innings, 2024 strikeouts, 582 walks, 128 ERA+, 78 FIP-, and 41.7 WAR. The rate stats were certainly in line with inductees, but he didn’t have the tenure between his early Europe years and a catastrophic torn rotator cuff in his early 30s effectively ending his career.



Maninho Magaia – First Base/Designated Hitter – Harare Hustlers – 96.7% First Ballot

Maninho Magaia was a 6’2’’, 195 pound right-handed slugger from Beira, Mozambique; a port city of more than 530,000 people in the country’s center. He was the first Mozambican inductee into AAB’s HOF. Magaia’s batting style was very much “go big or go home,” as a whopping 41% of his career hits were home runs. When he made contact, he hit hard with 62 homers per his 162 game average, an obscene number even in a very-high scoring league.

He didn’t get many non-homer extra base hits though with only 14 doubles and 2 triples per 162. Magaia was a merely decent contact hitter, but he did draw a lot of walks. He also didn’t have an obscene strikeout rate like you might expect, hovering closer to the league average. Magaia was stronger overall facing left-handed pitching (1.085 OPS, 177 wRC+), than against righties (.963 OPS, 146 wRC+).

Also adding to his unusual profile was that Magaia had above average speed and baserunning skills. However like you might expect, he had about half of his starts as a designated hitter. Most of his defensive play came at first base with lousy results. Magaia also saw limited outfield use and was even worse there. His durability was mostly good in a 16-year career and his towering bombs made him very popular. Magaia wasn’t a leader, but he was liked well enough in the clubhouse.

Magaia signed with Harare to a developmental deal in July 2011. It was hard to figure out exactly how to use a guy with his profile, especially as his home run power wasn’t fully formed and would be his big selling point. The Hustlers debuted him with 10 games in 2016 at age 21. Magaia had sporadic use in his first four seasons with 234 games and 118 starts. Harare had won it all in 2014, but had been terrible since 2016.

In 2020, Magaia earned a full-time starting job and hit 55 homers. From 2021-26, he would hit at least 68 homers each season, leading the Southern Conference five times. Magaia won Silver Sluggers as a DH from 2021-23 and 25 along with a win at 1B in 2026. He secured the MVP in 2021 and 2023 with a second place finish in 2022 and third place in 2020, 2024, and 2026.

Magaia’s home run peak was 73 in 2022, although he had 72 in 2023, 71 in 2025, and 70 in 2026. He is one of three players in all of world history to record 4+ seasons with 70+ homers. Magaia led in total bases from 2021-23 with a high of 398 in 2023. His best OPS was 1.124 in 2026 and his top WAR was 7.3 in 2021. He also led thrice in runs scored, twice in RBI, and once in walks. Magaia also posted a four home run game in 2022 against Maputo.

This power pulled Harare out of the cellar with wild cards in 2022-23, including the franchise’s first 100 win season in 2023. However, both years they fell to Antananarivo in the Southern Conference Championship. Magaia was outstanding in the 2022 series but weak in 2023, combining for a 1.065 OPS and 186 wRC+ in 11 starts. These would be his only career postseason starts as the Hustlers would stay at or above .500 for the rest of his tenure, but be outside of the playoffs.

In August 2025, Magaia signed a six-year, $151,800,000 extension keeping him in Zimbabwe. In 2027, he would make his World Baseball Championship debut as Mozambique started qualifying for the first time. From 2027-32, Magaia played 67 WBC games with 50 hits, 34 runs, 2 doubles, 24 homers, 43 RBI, .209/.302/.519 slash, 134 wRC+, and 2.4 WAR.

Magaia led once more in homers with 58 in 2028, putting him above 600 for his career and winning his sixth Silver Slugger (his second at 1B). His popularity with Harare led to his #4 uniform later getting retired. However, Magaia opted out of his deal following the 2028 campaign, becoming a free agent for the first time at age 34. With Harare, Magaia had 1653 games, 1541 hits, 1131 runs, 134 doubles, 14 triples, 636 homers, 1311 RBI, 910 walks, 1054 strikeouts, 221 steals, .275/.381/.645 slash, 163 wRC+, and 54.4 WAR.

Dar es Salaam signed Magaia at four years and $76,800,000. The Sabercats had won a pennant in 2027, but abruptly fell off a cliff with five straight seasons in the 60s win range. Magaia was down from his prime, but still had plenty of power in his first three years for Dar, including 61 homers in 2031. That earned his seventh and final Silver Slugger, his third playing at first base.

Magaia finished 2031 at 800 homers exactly, one of seven to reach the mark in AAB. Some thought he might chase Mwarami Tale’s record 968 and Magaia hit another 43 dingers in 2032. Despite that, he had a .741 OPS, 92 wRC+, and 0 WAR as a full-time starter. Dar es Salaam suffered relegation and Magaia retired that winter shortly after his 38^th birthday. For the Sabercats, he had 565 games, 495 hits, 376 runs, 61 doubles, 207 home runs, 426 RBI, 283 walks, 505 strikeouts, .242/.341/.582 slash, 132 wRC+, and 11.3 WAR.

The final stats saw 2218 games, 2036 hits, 1507 runs, 195 doubles, 21 triples, 843 home runs, 1737 RBI, 1193 walks, 1559 strikeouts, 278 steals, .266/.370/.628 slash, 155 wRC+, and 65.7 WAR. Magaia ranks 29^th in games, 43^rd in hits, 17^th in runs, 6^th in homers, 11^th in RBI, 14^th in walks, and 22^nd in WAR among position players.

Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Magaia is 56^th in OBP, 15^th in slugging, and his .999 OPS is 17^th. Among world Hall of Famers and retired locks, Magaia is 48^th in slugging. He also ranks 41^st on the all-time home run list for all players ever.

Magaia posted one of the more peculiar career stat lines you’ll see, even in a very high-scoring and high-homer environment like the African Association of Baseball in the 21^st Century. For raw power, few have ever been better and that propelled him to an easy Hall of Fame induction at 96.7%, leading the three-man 2038 class.

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Salum Khosa – Right Field – Brazzaville Blowfish – 89.4% First Ballot

Salum Khosa was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed right fielder from Zanzibar, Tanzania; an island city of 219,000 people. Khosa was an above average-to-good contact hitter against both sides with a reliable pop in his bat, posting 37 home runs, 36 doubles, and 6 triples per his 162 game average. He graded as middling for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Khosa had reliably good speed and baserunning ability.

Khosa was primarily a right fielder and a rock solid one, winning two Gold Gloves. He occasionally could sub in center, but lacked the range to be any good there. Khosa’s durability was generally great, playing 136+ games in all but one season from 2015-29. He was a team captain and beloved by peers for his work ethic, loyalty, leadership, and selflessness. Khosa’s high character and talent made him one of the region’s most popular stars.

By the 2013 AAB Draft, Khosa was rated very highly as a prospect and went third overall to Brazzaville. He was a part-time starter as a rookie with subpar results, but was a full-timer the next year with good marks, including a conference-best 15 triples. Brazzaville had been historically mediocre to that point, but earned their first-ever playoff trip in 2015 as a 102-60 wild card.

The Blowfish upset their cross-river rival Kinshasa to win the Central Conference, then knocked off Johannesburg in the Africa Series. The young Khosa had a terrible postseason with .548 OPS and -0.4 WAR. He fared worse in the Baseball Grand Championship with 21 strikeouts, .473 OPS, and -0.4 WAR. Brazzaville finished 8-11 in the event while the Jackalopes, who the Blowfish beat for the AAB crown, earned the top prize.

2016 had the same story for Brazzaville. The Blowfish were 104-58, second in the conference to the Sun Cats. They upset Kinshasa for back-to-back pennants, then defeated Johannesburg in an Africa Series rematch 5-3. This time, Khosa redeemed himself in the playoff as finals MVP, posting 17 hits, 12 runs, 6 homers, 15 RBI, 1.107 OPS, 192 wRC+, and 1.1 WAR in 13 playoff starts. He had an unremarkable .649 OPS, 81 wRC+, and 0.3 WAR in the BGC and Brazzaville finished 6-13.

Khosa led the conference with 42 homers in 2016, albeit a low number for a conference leader in AAB. In 2017, he was the WARlord at 7.2 to win his first Silver Slugger. Brazzaville was 98-64, but missed the playoffs as they were seven back on Mogadishu and one behind Bujumbura. Khosa led in hits with 179 in 2018 and won his second Silver Slugger while taking third in MVP voting. The Blowfish were back in second place, but fell in the conference final to 111-win Kampala.

For the first time in franchise history, Brazzaville led the Central Conference standings in 2019 at 107-55. Khosa won another Slugger and was third in MVP voting, posting his career bests for triple slash (.337/.383/.661), OPS (1.044), wRC+ (173), and WAR (7.7). He was on a good pace to win MVP, but suffered a torn hamstring in September. That kept Khosa out for the playoffs, which saw the Blowfish win the pennant over Bujumbura. They would be denied by Luanda in the Africa Series.

That winter, Brazzaville signed Khosa to an eight-year, $53,800,000 extension. He won one more Silver Slugger in 2020, but his overall batting numbers wouldn’t reach his previous heights again. The Blowfish were 100-62 in 2020 but lost the conference final to Kampala. Apart from the 2016 run, Khosa’s playoff numbers were poor, posting a .715 OPS, 87 wRC+, and 0.4 WAR in 38 starts for Brazzaville.

The Blowfish dropped to 80-82 in 2021 then plummeted to 64-98 in 2022, narrowly avoiding relegation. Although Khosa wanted to be loyal, it looked like Brazzaville was in for a long rebuild. He opted out of his contract for 2023, becoming a free agent at age 32. With the Blowfish, Khosa had 1295 games, 1411 hits, 757 runs, 319 doubles, 57 triples, 288 home runs, 890 RBI, 343 walks, 1030 Ks, 392 steals, .285/.332/.546 slash, 137 wRC+, and 39.1 WAR.

Khosa remained popular with Brazzaville fans and his #30 uniform would later be retired. A desire to return to his native Tanzania did play a big role in his signing with Dar es Salaam at $66,500,000 over five years. Khosa had been a regular for Tanzania in the World Baseball Championship with 122 games from 2015-32. He posted 82 hits, 38 runs, 16 doubles, 3 triples, 15 homers, 34 RBI, .203/.253/.370 slash, and 0.8 WAR.

In the five year stint with the Sabercats, Khosa was pretty consistently worth around 4 WAR per season. He did see a power boost in his last year in 2027, leading the conference with 146 RBI and posting a career-best 49 homers and 111 runs. Khosa also won his first Gold Glove in 2026. Dar es Salaam had historically been a middle-lower tier in the last decade plus and they had mostly the same results with Khosa. However, 2027 was an unlikely exception.

The Sabercats finished first at 92-70, two games ahead of defending Southern Conference champ Cape Town. It was their third-ever first place finish, having last done it with their lone Africa Series win in 2004. Dar es Salaam outlasted the Cowboys 4-3 to claim the pennant, but lost the Africa Series 5-2 to Mogadishu. Khosa again had terrible playoff results with .445 OPS and -0.4 WAR.

This was the last year of Khosa’s deal, becoming a free agent at age 37. He signed for two years and $22 million with Addis Ababa, the reigning Central Conference champ. Hamstring issues limited him to 108 games with lackluster results with 25 homers, .795 OPS, 95 wRC+, and 1.1 WAR. Khosa didn’t meet the vesting criteria and was a free agent again for 2029. Dar es Salaam brought him back in at $11,800,00 over two years.

The Sabercats’ success was fleeting, as they followed up the 2027 pennant with a lousy 64-98 effort in 2028. They stayed below 70 wins the next few years and narrowly avoided relegation until finally falling down in 2032. Khosa played three more years with DeS and won a Gold Glove in 2030. He dealt with multiple herniated discs which kept him out big chunks of both 2030 and 2031.

Between stints with Dar es Salaam, Khosa had 1082 games, 1143 hits, 689 runs, 225 doubles, 41 triples, 265 home runs, 743 RBI, 297 walks, 889 strikeouts, 387 steals, .277/.329/.545 slash, 121 wRC+, and 24.9 WAR. Now 41, Khosa joined Windhoek for only $1,460,000 in 2032 and was a lackluster bench piece. In 83 games and 47 starts, he had .717 OPS, 80 wRC+, and -0.3 WAR. After going unsigned in 2033, Khosa retired in the winter at age 43.

Khosa finished with 2568 games, 2707 hits, 1538 runs, 572 doubles, 103 triples, 588 home runs, 1728 RBI, 670 walks, 2045 strikeouts, 818 steals, .279/.328/.542 slash, 127 wRC+, and 64.8 WAR. He ranks 8^th in games, 11^th in hits, 13^th in runs, 9^th in total bases (5249), 10^th in doubles, 16^th in triples, 16^th in homers, 12^th in RBI, 86^th in walks, 15^th in strikeouts, and 24^th in WAR among position players. Khosa’s slugging ranks 88^th among AAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances.
Most wouldn’t call him an inner-circle Hall of Famer since he was rarely a conference leader and didn’t have a ton of accolades. Khosa’s longevity, consistency, and high character though pushed him to a career that the mass majority felt was worthy of induction. Khosa received 89.4% for a first ballot nod, joining a three man group in 2038 for the African Association of Baseball.



Regis Mugabo – Right/Left Field – Luanda Landsharks – 76.4% First Ballot

Regis Mugabo was a 6’2’’, 205 pound right-handed corner outfielder from Rwamagana, Rwanda; a city of around 98,000 people. Mugabo was the traditional leadoff man known for outstanding contact ability. He was excellent at avoiding strikeouts, but very rarely drew walks. Mugabo’s gap power was impressive and he gave you some home run power too with a career 162 game average of 46 doubles, 8 triples, and 17 homers. On the basepaths, he had rock solid speed and skills.

Mugabo’s best results came facing left-handed pitching with a career .911 OPS and 144 wRC+, compared to a .839 OPS and 128 wRC+ with righties. His career was split nearly evenly between right and left field with strong defensive metrics in both spots. Mugabo was better in RF and won three Gold Gloves there. His durability was generally sturdy in a 19-year career. He meant well, but Mugabo did score poorly for traits like leadership, intelligence, and work ethic.

The talent was undeniable though and Mugabo was the #1 overall pick in the 2013 AAB Draft by Luanda. However, he didn’t meet that potential immediately and saw limited use initially. In his first four years, Mugabo only started 132 games and played 210 despite being healthy. He got the full-time gig in 2018 and would lead the Southern Conference in hits five consecutive seasons. In that run, he had three batting titles and led in doubles four times, including with 65 in 2018. That stands as the 6^th-best single-season in AAB and 18^th in world history for all leagues.

Mugabo also won his Gold Gloves in 2018, 20, and 21. Luanda became a contender to end the 2010s with wild cards from 2017-19. They lost in the conference finals in 2017-18, but broke through in 2019 at 95-67 with an upset over Johannesburg with Mugabo as series MVP. The Landsharks then defeated Brazzaville 5-2 in the Africa Series for their first title.

In the small 23 game sample size, Mugabo fared well in the playoffs with 24 hits, 18 runs, 7 doubles, 5 homers, 13 RBI, 15 steals, .308/.367/.590 slash, 168 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR. His Baseball Grand Championship effort in 2019 though was subpar with 17 hits, 7 runs, 3 doubles, 3 homers, RBI, .697 OPS, 82 wRC+, and -0.1 WAR. Luanda finished 9-10 and Mugabo never got to play in the postseason again despite having more than a decade of career to go.

After the 2021 season, Mugabo signed a four-year, $17,600,000 extension with Luanda. Following the 2019 title, Luanda spent three years in the middle tier before struggling after that. Mugabo’s numbers dipped a bit as well and the Landsharks finished 60-102, avoiding relegation only because Johannesburg was 54-108. Luanda had a fire sale in March 2025 which included sending Mugabo to Kampala for five prospects, none of which amounted to much.

For the Landsharks, Mugabo played 1291 games with 1556 hits, 681 runs, 400 doubles, 51 triples, 128 home runs, 637 RBI, 189 walks, 551 steals, .324/.351/.508 slash, 134 wRC+, and 37.4 WAR. He was popular for his role in the team’s lone AAB title and would get his #22 uniform later retired. Mugabo was excited for 2024 with the Peacocks, as Kampala was fresh off a dynasty run with four AAB titles and five pennants from 2018-23.

Unfortunately, the Peacocks were a non-factor at 84-78, but Mugabo had arguably his best hitting season as he broke AAB’s single-season hits record with 234, besting the old high 228. Mugabo would get passed twice in later years. His .377 batting average was the second-best qualifying season in AAB history at that point and ranks fourth at induction. Mugabo also had his career highs for homers (23), RBI (126), OBP (.406), slugging (.606), OPS (1.013) and wRC+ (161).

Mugabo was a rental for Kampala, becoming a free agent for the first time in 2026 at age 32. Maputo grabbed him at five years and $68 million. He couldn’t match his peak in a two year run for the Piranhas with 292 games, 374 hits, 183 runs, 88 doubles, 14 triples, 26 homers, 164 RBI, .326/.354/.495 slash, 114 wRC+, and 4.7 WAR. Maputo had barely missed the playoffs the year before Mugabo’s arrival, but two years later they were relegated to the African Second League, causing Mugabo to opt-out.

He left Africa as his next deal was a $15,900,000, three year contract with Guadalcanal of the Oceania Baseball Association. Mugabo earned his lone Silver Slugger in 2028 for the Green Jackets, leading the Pacific League with 210 hits and a .353 average. He posted 6.2 WAR, but Guadalcanal was mediocre at 73-89. They traded Mugabo in the offseason for five prospects to defending PL champ Honolulu.

Mugabo had two solid years with the Honu, although they missed the pennant by four games in 2029 and took seventh in 2030. He won his sixth batting title in 2030 at .321 and led in his with 196. In 306 games, he had 383 hits, 175 runs, 58 doubles, 22 triples, 34 homers, 114 RBI, .312/.331/.478 slash, 132 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR. Back to free agency for 2031 at age 38, Mugabo returned to AAB with a three-year, $44,100,000 deal with Addis Ababa. The Brahmas would win 96 and 95 games from 2031-32, but fell just shy of the postseason.

It was a good 2031 for Mugabo, but back spasms kept him out a chunk of 2032. In 230 games, Mugabo had 324 hits, 160 runs, 67 doubles, 31 homers, 134 RBI, 71 steals, .340/.377/.522 slash, 134 wRC+, and 7.0 WAR. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the third year of the deal and was again a free agent. He ended up back in OBA on a three-year, $13,080,000 deal with Gold Coast, where he had .766 OPS, 110 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR over 155 games. The run was notable as he hit for the cycle in June against Hobart.

Mugabo retired after the 2033 season at age 41. In four OBA seasons, he had 613 games, 763 hits, 323 runs, 123 doubles, 45 triples, 67 homers, 273 RBI, 70 walks, 255 strikeouts, 146 steals, .314/.333/.484 slash, 132 wRC+, and 15.1 WAR. Mugabo’s combined pro career had 2576 games, 3251 hits, 1445 runs, 735 doubles, 125 triples, 275 homers, 1334 RBI, 391 walks, 934 Ks, 899 steals, .326/.353/.508 slash, 133 wRC+, and 71.2 WAR. His 735 doubles notably rank 13^th on the world leaderboard.

In AAB, Mugabo played 1963 games with 2488 hits, 1122 runs, 612 doubles, 80 triples, 208 homers, 1061 RBI, 321 walks, 679 strikeouts, 753 steals, .330/.360/.516 slash, 133 wRC+, and 56.1 WAR. Mugabo ranks 51^st in games, 44^th in runs, 17^th in hits, 39^th in total bases (3884), 7^th in doubles, 29^th in triples, 59^th in RBI, 29^th in steals, and 40^th in WAR among position players. His batting average is 8^th among AAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances.

Mugabo didn’t have the big power to earn accolades, but leading in hits eight times and batting average six times in a career earns attention. He was also a big reason for Luanda’s lone championship win, but was perhaps overlooked in his later years on weaker teams. Mugabo only received 76.4% of the vote, but it was enough for a first ballot nod to cap off a three-man 2038 Hall of Fame class for the African Association of Baseball.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

The World Baseball Championship had expanded from 96 to 112 teams for 2031, but opted to go even bigger for 2038. The game’s popularity had only continued to grow and at this point, all but the smallest countries had a major professional team. Youth and amateur participation had also grown significantly with smaller countries lobbying for another WBC expansion so they could participate. Officials always liked chances to grow the sport and thus another expansion and reformat of the WBC came for 2038.

The big jump was from 112 teams up to 160 total. With the 2031 change, 16 playoff teams advanced with the top two teams out of eight divisions. The 2038 expansion switched to a 16-division format with ten teams each and only the first place team advancing. Previously, all teams in a division played once, which led to 13 games in the most recent format. Officials didn’t want to take away guaranteed games which would happen with smaller divisions playing once, so the divisional format was opened up to a double round robin. Each team would play each other twice for 18 games in the initial stage.

Apart from there being 16 division champs and no wild cards, the playoff format otherwise remained unchanged. The 16 teams advanced to four-team double round robin groups with the best two in those groups making the elite eight. The quarterfinals were best-of-three, semifinal best-of-five, and World Championship best-of-seven.



The 2038 WBC was the 92^nd edition and the primary host city was Santiago, Dominican Republic. Division 1 was very competitive with Ethiopia holding on at 12-6 over both Colombia and Ivory Coast at 11-7 and both El Salvador and the DR at 10-8. The Ethiopians had lost both of their games to the Ivory Coast, but swept the Colombians (including a 6-5, 10 inning affair). Ethiopia earned its eighth playoff appearance with four in the last seven years.

Italy emerged from Division 2 at 13-5, fending off 12-6 runs from both Latvia and Peru. The Italians ended on a five-game win streak, including a 3-1 victory in their finale over the Peruvians. Italy advanced for the first time since 2033 and 23^rd time overall. It was an impressive debut for the Latvians, one of the small countries making its WBC debut with the expanded field.

Algeria earned Division 3 at 14-4 thanks to a 7-1 record in one-run games. China and Jordan were the nearest foes at 12-6 each. This was only the third-ever postseason trip for the Algerians, joining their shocking 2030 world title and 2012. England (13-5) bested Japan (12-6) and Bolivia (11-7) in Division 4. The English had 1-0 and 6-3 wins over the Japanese. England earned its 13^th division title and ended a four-year drought.

Division 5 saw Australia (14-4) outrace Malaysia (13-5), Argentina (12-6) and 11-7 efforts by Ecuador and Hungary. The Aussies split their early games with Malaysia, but their 7-6 win in ten innings proved critical down the stretch. The Australians secured back-to-back postseason trips for the first time and now have advance ten times.

Austria at 13-5 survived over both South Korea and Germany at 12-6, plus both Belgium and Cuba at 11-7. The Austrians had built up a big lead at 12-2, allowing them to hold on despite dropping their last two games to their closest foes. Austria now has four playoff trips in six years and nine overall.

Egypt won Division 7 at 14-4 with Canada giving chase at 13-5. They split their series with the Egyptian win being a 4-3, 14 inning marathon. Egypt remains hot with three straight postseason berths and six in seven years. They’ve advanced 11 times overall.

Division 8 was a three team race with Brazil (14-4) taking first ahead of Afghanistan (13-5) and the Czech Republic (12-6). The Brazilians swept both the Czechs and Afghans, including a 3-1 win over the latter in their penultimate contest. Brazil has 40 postseason trips to their name and five in the 2030s. They have the third most appearances behind only the United States and Canada.



Nigeria (15-3) won a fierce battle over Nicaragua (14-4) in Division 9. The Nigerians ended on a seven game winning streak, including a 2-0 result over the Nicaraguans. Nigeria advanced for the 11^th time overall and the second time in three years. Indonesia at 15-3 controlled Division 10 with Myanmar (13-5) and Bangladesh (12-6) as their nearest foes. The Indonesians have secured a third successive playoff trip and their sixth of the 2030s. They’ve advanced 33 times overall.

The four-time defending world champ United States was by far the most impressive team at 17-1 in Division 11 with their lone loss to Serbia 4-3. The Americans have a nine-year postseason streak and a very nice 69 berths overall. Venezuela prevailed at 14-4 in D12 with Vietnam one back at 13-5. They were even entering the final day, but the Venezuelans took the finale 6-1 to advance. Venezuela has advanced eight times, most recently 2030. The Netherlands, last year’s runner-up, was tied for fourth at 10-8 with Romania.

Division 13 had the biggest surprise winner with Suriname at 12-6, edging out 11-7 Thailand and Switzerland and also 10-8 Sweden and Sri Lanka. The Surinamese had only even qualified twice before in WBC history and the excitement of a smaller nation advancing was what officials hoped for. Suriname became the 93^rd unique nation to advance out of the divisional stage. Spain clobbered the Division 14 field with Mexico a very distant second at 12-6. This was the Spaniards’ 13^th postseason berth and first since 2029.

The most competitive group was Division 15 with Pakistan, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine each tied at 12-6, plus Poland and Saudi Arabia were 11-7. The Pakistanis defeated the Kazakhs 11-4 in the finale, which gave Pakistan the tiebreaker. They had dropped the earlier game to Kazakhstan, but had swept Ukraine; while the Ukrainians split with Kazakhstan. The Pakistanis earned their 11^th postseason trip and fourth in a decade.

Lastly in a top-heavy Division 16, the Philippines at 16-2 took top honors over 15-3 South Africa. The Filipinos swept the South Africans, including a 4-1 result in the penultimate match to clinch. The Philippines have advanced 19 times and thrice in the last five seasons.

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In the Double Round Robin, the United States was the only team to sweep its group at 6-0 in Group A. Venezuela at 3-3 advanced with 2-4 Australia and 1-5 Suriname ousted. Austria took top honors at 4-2 in Group B with both Nigeria and Indonesia 3-3 and England 2-4.

The Indonesians had the tiebreaker in their split with the Nigerians, who had an even run differential against each other. Nigeria was -5 against the other teams and Indonesia was -2. The Indonesians beat the Nigerians 7-4 in the final game of the round. Spain and Brazil both emerged from Group C at 4-4 over 3-3 Ethiopia and 1-5 Italy. And in Group D, it was Pakistan and Algeria advanced at 4-4 each. The Philippines was 3-3 and Egypt 1-5.

The Americans swept Indonesia 5-1 and 4-2 in their quarterfinal to keep their five-peat bid alive. Austria won 5-4 in a walkoff to start against Venezuela, then fell 6-2. Game three went 4-0 to the Austrians on a five-hit shutout by Philipp Schutz. Austria earned its fourth appearance in the final four, having last done it with their 2026 world title.

Pakistan outraced Brazil 8-7 in the opener, but the Brazilians matched 8-4. Game three was locked at 6-6 from the sixth inning until the tenth, when Brazil broke through on a walkoff solo homer by Caio Mergulho. Brazil advanced to the semifinal for the 25^th time and fourth time in the 2030s. Lastly, Spain’s offense exploded for 14-5 and 11-6 wins in a sweep of Algeria.



The United States opened with a 4-0 win in their semifinal against Austria. Mason Pechart pitched 6.2 innings and all of his 17 outs were strikeouts. The Austrians matched with their own 2-0 shutout, then went ahead on a 10-5 win. The Americans rolled 9-2 in game four, then took the clincher 7-1 to advance to the finals for the eighth time in the decade. Jay Pirtle struck out 16 over 7.2 innings with one run allowed for the US.

Spain took their opener over Brazil 6-5, but it was all Brazil after that on 7-2, 6-5, and 14-5 results. The Brazilians hit 25 homers over the series, earning their 12^th finals appearance and third of the 2030s. Austria officially took third place and Spain was fourth. This was the Austrians’ first time with the bronze medal and the Spaniards’ second time taking fourth.



The 92^nd World Championship was another showdown between two of the top powers. They had most recently met in the 2031 finale, a sweep by the Untied States. The Americans had also defeated Brazil in 1984, 1976, and 1966. The Brazilians were five-time champs (most recently in 2033 over England), but hadn’t yet slain the American dragon.

The US opened strong on 7-1 and 6-4 wins, but Brazil grabbed the next two by 8-3 and 5-4 margins. The Americans went back ahead on a 4-0 winner in game five. In game six, Brazil opened with a two-run homer in the top of the first inning. The US got one back in the seventh, then Brandon McElveen’s solo homer in the bottom of the ninth tied it at 2-2.

In the tenth, Iriah Easton had a leadoff single and stole second. The bases were soon loaded after an intentional walk and unintentional one. Pablo Rivera’s sacrifice fly to center scored Easton for a 3-2 final and a fifth consecutive world title for the Americans. This US dynasty has seven rings in eight years, putting them at 48-9 overall in the championship. Brazil is now 5-7 all-time in the finale.





With more games, the USA broke the event record for runs scored (222) and hits (320), while tying the team doubles mark (53). Brazils 214 runs were third-most. They also set the top two spots for strikeouts with 564 by American arms and 483 for Brazil. This obliterated the old Ks mark of 448 set by the US in 448. The Americans also tied the saves record of 16.



America closer Devon Figueroa’s 12 saves were a new event record, as were Kent Taylor’s 7 wins. Taylor also had a new record for innings at 69 and led all pitchers with 2.6 WAR and 99 strikeouts. It was the third-most Ks in event history with Nick Hedrick’s 109 from 1957 still holding as the top mark. In a bad record, Uriah Easton was caught stealing 18 times, although his 28 successful steals were two short of the record.

South African SS Rajah Bhagwan was Tournament MVP in a dominant 18 game effort, leading all qualifying players in triple slash (.432/.517/1.162), OPS (1.679), wRC+ (370), and WAR (3.2). The 27-year old for AAB’s Asmara Anteaters had 32 hits, 25 runs, 17 homers, and 27 RBI. Bhagwan’s WAR was the sixth-best by a position player in event history and one of only ten times a position player recorded 3+ WAR.

Best Pitcher went to Mexico’s Nicky Aparicio, a two-time Reliever of the Year winner in CABA for Culiacan. The 28-year old righty tossed 21.2 innings in six appearances with a 0.42 ERA, 2-0 record, 4 saves, 38 strikeouts, and 1.3 WAR. His effort included a three-hit shutout against Uruguay.



Other notes: Five pitchers tossed no-hitters in the 2038 event, all coming in the divisional stage.



13-time APB MVP Binh Tang played his 19^th tournament for Vietnam and became the 3^rd in event history with 100+ career home runs. His 101 sits behind Jimmy Caliw’s 121 for the Philippines and Connor Neumeyer’s 111 for the US. Tang also became the 5^th to score 200 runs in the WBC. He’s also 4^th in hits (285) and 4^th in WAR (18.88) among position players. Japan’s Masanori Fukuoka is also close to the 100 dinger club with 98.

Below are the updated all-time team stats

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The biggest free agent contract overall went to CF/P Reinhard Wolf, who won three Silver Sluggers in EBF with Cologne. The 28-year old Austrian left for the United States and MLB on a seven-year, $338 million deal with defending World Series champ Tampa. Houston, looking to continue competing in the American Association, were also major spenders.

The Hornets spent $858 million between 2B Faxien Rao, 1B Jose Angel Esqueda, and RF Toshiki Naruse. Esqueda shattered the MLB home run and RBI record in 2036 for Las Vegas with 84 and 184, respectively. The 31-year old Dominican missed a chunk of 2037 to a knee sprain, then opted out of his Vipers deal. Rao came over from CLB’s Hong Kong and Naruse from EAB, having split 2037 between Chiba and Gimhae. Esqueda’s $47,500,000 annual salary for 2038 was the largest of all free agents and was set to be the fifth-highest of all batters in the world.

13-time Taiwan-Philippine Association MVP Binh Tang left Austronesia Professional Baseball, signing a two-year, $81 million MLB deal with Washington. Tang is APB’s all-time leader in triple slash, OPS, runs, total bases, doubles, homers, RBI, and WAR; looking for another challenge perhaps after re-writing the APB record books. Unless he returns later in his career, he will finish second in APB hits at 3490 behind Junior Sanchez’s 3564. Below are the other top hitter signings for 2038.



The highest annual payday for a free agent pitcher was Weston Pascal at $39,500,000 for 2038. He signed a four-year deal with Detroit after bouncing between Birmingham, Ottawa, and Tampa in the last three years. The largest overall pitching contract went to Sutrisno Kartano at $189 million in four years for Seattle. The 31-year old Indonesian was a former APB Pitcher of the Year with Semarang and is known for arguably the best changeup in the game, rated 12/10 by scouts.

Ten-time CABA Pitcher of the Year winner Israel Montague joined Haiti at $46,800,000 in two years. He had been with Leon the prior four seasons and was with Guatemala famously before that. Montague approaches his age 41 season as CABA’s all-time leader in wins with a shot of becoming the strikeout leader. Three-time Pacific League Pitcher of the Year Dirk Murray moved on from Tahiti after a stellar six-year stint. The 35-year old Canadian stayed in the PL with a four-year, $128 million deal with Honolulu.

Five-time MVP and three-time Pitcher of the Year Will Arocha returned to Beisbol Sudamerica on a two-year, $54,800,000 deal with Bogota. The two-way star was a beast with Santiago before leaving in 2033 for MLB’s Kansas City. The Cougars had surprisingly cut him in July 2037 and he finished the year with ALB’s Jerusalem. Major injuries had limited Arocha’s MLB efforts and his Bogota tenure got off to a similarly bad start, suffering a torn rotator cuff in spring training. He does hope to be available by the summer.

Below are the other top free agent pitching signings.

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Above are the top ranked batters in the world entering the 2038 season. The highest annual salary are Kawasaki 3B Yoshikazu Fujioka and Hiroshima 1B Hyung-Gwang Sohn both at $53 million. Sohn has two years left on a $391,500,000 overall deal, the richest in the game. Below are the top rated pitchers in baseball. Semarang’s Yuchi Jiang has the biggest annual salary for 2038 at a cool $50 million.



MILESTONE WATCH

In Major League Baseball: Orlando’s Jackson Brafford is three away from only the third MLB slugger with 800 homers. He’s also ten short of 2000 RBI and Washington’s Pat Eichelberger is 41 away. Ten MLB sluggers have 2000+ RBI so far. Fabien Muller is only 28 strikeouts away from becoming the 10^th MLB ace with 4000.

Milton Ramirez signed with Seattle after a five-year run in Houston and is only 36 runs from being the fourth in MLB with 2000. Ramirez is also chasing Bill Tan’s MLB career stolen bases record of 1177; Ramirez is at 1094. With MLB’s lower steals environment, he’s likely two good years away. He’s also at 3692 hits, putting him possibly two years from the vaunted 4000 club.

In Beisbol Sudamerica, Arequipa’s Paco Amorim is in striking distance of 2000 RBI, 2000 runs, 750 homers, 3500 hits, and 150 WAR. Although he left APB for MLB and Washington, Binh Tang approaches the career pro milestones of 2000 RBI, 2000 runs, 800 homers, and 3500 hits. He sits at 189.7 career WAR, seventh on the all-time list for all players ever.

OBA’s Trey Cruz sits at 1938 runs, close to Roe Kaupa’s league record. He’s already above 2000 for his combined pro career adding his MLB totals and could join the 4000 club with a strong year, sitting at 3806 professional hits. CABA’s Israel Montague is at 5671 strikeouts and could catch Ulices Montero’s 5849 which has held since 1929 as the top mark.

AAB’s Dagne Mersha is at 880 homers and 1966 RBI. Only two in AAB history have reached 900 dingers and only three have 2000 RBI. In CLB, Syamsul Azzahari has 586 home runs, putting him close to Tao Cai’s league record 595.

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2038 marked the tenth season of European Tier Three and while the new teams were happy and building up their fan bases, there was still a sense that the league hadn’t yet delivered. Nine of the original ET3 franchises had gotten promoted at least once to the European Second League, but none of them had yet posted a winning season in E2L. Most of these squads had gotten relegated right back to ET3 after only one or two seasons.

ET3 was outside of the main European Baseball Federation draft along with E2L, so it didn’t get the same access to young talent. Starting with 2039, there were plans to add its own draft, although it would have to be made up of prospects that didn’t get picked in their own parent league’s drafts. The other big plan designed to increase movement between teams was set to start in 2038.

Previously, only the top two in the ET3 standings earned promotions. Moving forward, the top four would move up, while the bottom two in the E2L’s conferences would be relegated. Supporters of the idea hoped it would give more teams the chance to find their footing at a higher level and it allowed more prominent relegated teams a quick escape route. Some of the weaker E2L franchises did worry though knowing that their own odds of dropping down increased.

ET3 did also expand its postseason now that four teams were to be promoted. The postseason results were ultimately just for pride, as the top four in the standings are bumped up regardless of result. The semifinals would be #1 versus #4 and #2 versus #3 in a best-of-five; followed by a best-of-seven championship.



Palermo and Kyiv ended up tied for the top spot at 97-65, providing an escape for two established franchises. The Priests were first place on the tiebreaker, having gone 5-4 against the Kings in the season series. Kyiv finished strong, ending the season with a seven-game winning streak and a 14-3 record in the final three weeks.

For their Priests, their ET3 stay was a one-and-done, although they had also been down in 2034 with a quick exit. The Kings finally climbed out after a three year stint in Tier Three. It had been a dark period for the Ukrainian capital, which historically was one of the most successful franchises in baseball history with eight Eurasian Professional Baseball titles and two EBF rings.

Two ET3 originals earned the other promotions with Dresden at 94-68 and Nuremberg at 91-71. London was stuck as they fell short at 90-72, followed by Lviv at 87-75. The Monarchs had the best run differential at +133, but under-performed their expected win/loss by ten games with a 16-31 mark in one-run games. It was the first-ever promotion for the Nightmares and the second for the Diesel. Dresden had moved up in 2030, but immediately had dropped back down.

Both semifinal matchups went all five games with Palermo beating Nuremberg and Dresden upsetting Kyiv. The Tier Three Championship went to the Priests 4-2. The game six clincher was a 15-inning marathon with a 5-4 final score.

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The African Second League’s Southern Conference had a four team race for the two playoff spots. Antananarivo had the best record at the all-star break at 59-32 and used that to hold onto first place despite a losing record in the second half. The Eagles finished at 94-68, one game better than 93-69 Pretoria. Missing the cut narrowly were Maseru (92-70) and Eswatini, who couldn’t overcome weaker first halves.

Antananarivo had the best run differential in A2L at +153. The Eagles looked for an immediate escape as they’ve been on the roller coaster, getting promoted to the African Association of Baseball’s First League in 2036, then immediately getting relegated back after 2037 This was the first-ever playoff berth for the Purple Rage. Pretoria is the second of the eight 2029 expansion teams with a postseason berth and hopes to be the first promoted. Eswatini did it last year, but lost in the conference final.

Mwanza had the best second half of any team at 47-24, pushing them to the Central Conference’s top spot at 94-68. It was the second playoff berth for the White Tigers (2034) as they shoot for their first-ever promotion. Bukavu had the conference’s best record at the break at 55-36. They were a middling 36-35 in the back end, but the great start allowed them to hold second place at 91-71.

For the Bluefins, this is their first playoff trip since getting relegated back to A2L for 2036. Bukavu had the best run differential at +153, but had a losing record in one-run games at 16-21. Pointe-Noire was a close third at 88-74, followed by Juba at 87-75 and Bahir Dar at 85-77. The Pride was 3-7 in their final ten games which sank their hopes. Mbuji-Mayi, 2037’s first place finisher, tied with Kisumu for sixth at 83-79.

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Antananarivo opened with the one-game bonus as the #1 seed in the Southern Conference Championship and started game one with a 4-3 win over Pretoria in 11 innings. Clinching it was a solo walk off homer by the excellently named Big Hurt dos Santos.

The Purple Rage started up 5-0 in game two, but the Eagles had a six-run sixth inning en route to an 8-6 win. Pretoria battled back with 5-4 and 11-2 wins. However, Antananarivo secured game five 5-3 to win the series by the 4-2 margin, earning their second promotion in three years.

Mwanza had the one-game advantage in the Central Conference Championship and started hot with a 15-5 win over Bukavu. The Bluefins got one back 3-2 in game two. The White Tigers took a 8-7 walkoff winner in game three and a 7-5 result in game four to clinch the series 4-1, earning the team’s first-ever promotion. This leaves Blantyre and Juba as the only original African Second League teams to never get promoted at least once in the league’s 21-year history.



The Second League Championship needed all nine games in a battle of two evenly matched squads. Antananarivo took the first two games in Madagascar by 10-5 margins. Mwanza earned an 11-4 road win in game three, but fell 15-4 in game four back in Tanzania. However, the White Tigers rattled off three straight wins by 6-3, 14-6, and 7-0 scores to take the series lead.

The series shifted back to Antananarivo with a 7-0 home win in game eight, forcing a decisive finale. The Eagles led 8-2 entering the eighth inning, but Mwanza got three in the eighth and another three in the ninth to force extras; both innings featuring three-run homers. Jamal Saidi’s two-run bomb in the top of the 11^th was the final dagger ultimately as the White Tigers prevailed 10-8 to win the series 5-4. Saidi went 5-6 with two homers, four RBI, and three runs.

Other notes: Timothy Tefera became the 3^rd with 500 homers in A2L as well as the 2^nd to both 1500 RBI and 1500 runs scored. Jean Sony Mutoni of Blantyre set an A2L single-season record with 179 singles.

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Paris dominated the Western Conference at 107-55, posting the best record and run differential (+240) in the European Second League. It was the third playoff trip in four years since the Poodles were relegated back to E2L for 2035. Great pitching led the way with a team 2.37 ERA, 431 runs allowed, 392 earned runs, 343 walks, and a 0.978 WHIP; each mark was the second-best in conference history. Lisbon was a competitive second place at 101-61, giving the Clippers three successive playoff trips.

It was a sharp drop to third place Stuttgart at 92-70 and Brussels at 88-74; the other two playoff teams. The Beavers notably were five games below .500 at the all-star break, but ended the season on a 41-22 run. The Silver Sabres earned their first playoff trip since 2034. It was Brussels first berth since returning to E2L in 2034. The first teams out were Rome (85-77), Nantes (85-77), and Lyon (83-79).

With the rule change for 2038, now the bottom two teams in each conference are relegated to European Tier Three instead of just one. Suffering that fate from the Western Conference were Bordeaux (56-106), and The Hague (65-97). Geneva (66-96) and Nottingham (70-92) both narrowly survived. Yet again, the ET3 originals have had no luck sticking in E2L with the Hackers lasting only two seasons and the Blue Angels three. Bordeaux’s mark was the longest stint of this group as sad as that is.



The Eastern Conference had a tie for first place at 101-61 between Sofia and Brno with the Spikes officially taking the top spot via the tiebreaker. They had different paths with Sofia posting a +208 run differential, under-performing their expected win/loss by seven games. The Bandits meanwhile outperformed theirs by eight with a +97 differential. Brno’s bullpen had 69 saves, a new European Second League single-season record. For Sofia, they earned back-to-back playoff spots. The Bandits got their second in four years.

Yerevan was next at 96-66 and was E2L’s top offense with 693 runs. This was the Valiants’ first playoff berth since returning to E2L in 2031. Despite going 3-7 in their last ten games, Dnipro at 89-73 held on for the final playoff spot over Vilnius (86-76) and Bucharest (84-78). This ended an 11-year playoff drought for the Defenders, who have been hovering around .500 for most of the 2030s.

Suffering relegation were Riga and Cyprus both at 63-99. The Roosters ended the season on a six-game losing streak to tank any hopes of survival. Bratislava at 68-94 and Prague at 70-92 were the next closest. This was Riga’s first time relegated to European Tier Three; they had spent all but two years since 2008 in E2L. The Crush was last year’s ET3 champ and was a one-and-done.