Baseball: The World's Game (OOTP 22 Fictional World)

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Caracas dominated the Bolivar League competition with a staggering 117-45 record, which was tied for the fourth-best in Beisbol Sudamerica history. No team had won 117+ games in BSA since 1956. The Colts earned their third straight Venezuela Division title and third straight 100+ win season. Caracas allowed the fewest runs in all of BSA (546) and scored the second most (860).

The only team that scored more was Trujillo (879), who dominated the Peru-Bolivia Division at 102-60. The Thoroughbreds earned repeat playoff berths and their first-ever division title. They dethroned Callao, who had a run of four straight division titles. The Cats fell to 71-91, their first losing season since 2007 and only the third time in 12 years that they missed the playoffs altogether.

The Colombia-Ecuador Division was the only competitive one with Medellin (95-67) edging Quito (94-68). The Mutiny repeated as division champs and extended their playoff streak to nine years, winning their eighth division title of that run. For the Thunderbolts as the first wild card, this snapped a 12-year postseason drought. Elsewhere in the division Guayaquil struggled to 69-93 only two years removed from a 101-win season. This was the Golds worst effort since 1997.

Defending Bolivar League champ Maturin very narrowly secured the second wild card spot. The Makos finished 88-74, beating Bogota by one game, Maracaibo by two, Santa Cruz by six, and La Paz by seven. Notably for the Bats, they posted their first winning season since 2008.

Trujillo shortstop Tajo Rios earned Bolivar League MVP in his seventh season. The 28-year old Peruvian led in runs (120), hits (232), total bases (394), batting average (.392), slugging (.666), OPS (1.092), wRC+ (185), and WAR (12.0). He technically fell just short of 12 WAR at 11.99, but it ranks as the 14^th best season by a BSA position player. The last BSA position player with a 12+ WAR season came in 1979. Rios also had 37 home runs, 113 RBI, 52 stolen bases, and a 31-game hitting streak. Before the 2019 season, the Thoroughbreds extended Rios at $86,740,000 over eight years.

For the second time in three years, Caracas righty Julio Arias won Pitcher of the Year. In only his fourth full season, the 26-year old Colombian got his first ERA title (2.49) and led in WHIP (0.92) and FIP- (66). Arias added a 19-3 record over 213 innings, 244 strikeouts, and 157 ERA+.

Defending champ Maturin’s hope for another Cinderella run as the #5 seed was thwarted, ousted 2-1 in the first round by Quito. The Thunderbolts then fell 3-1 in the Divisional Series to top seed Caracas, while Trujillo swept Medellin. The Colts earned back-to-back Bolivar League Championship Series tries, while this was the deepest run for the Thoroughbreds. Trujillo would shock 117-win Caracas 4-2 to snag their first-ever pennant. This makes back-to-back BL pennants by a 2009 expansion team.



It was a close race for the Southern Cone League’s #1 seed but it went to last year’s league runner-up Asuncion at 104-58. This was the first South Central Division title for the Archers since 2010, allowing the fewest runs in the league at 565. North Division champ Fortaleza scored the most at 820 and took the #2 seed at 102-60. The Foxes ended a three year playoff drought.

Recife was six behind in the division at 96-66, securing the first wild card. The Retrievers playoff streak grew to seven seasons with their tenth berth in eleven years. Buenos Aires at 92-70 repeated as Southeast Division champs, beating Rio de Janeiro by three games.

For the second wild card, reigning Copa Sudamerica champ and two-time defending Southern Cone champ Concepcion kept their repeat dreams alive at 92-70. The Chiefs’ playoff streak grew to four years with their eighth berth in nine years. Rio at 89-73 was two games back and Santiago was six away.

Brasilia was nine games short of the wild card at 83-79 despite having the MVP Eddy Corunha. He had an impressive Rookie of the Year campaign in 2018 and topped it in his sophomore season, leading the league in runs (120), homers (58), total bases (430), slugging (.708), OPS (1.112), wRC+ (210), and WAR (10.6). The 24-year old Brazilian shortstop also had 213 hits, 132 RBI, and a .351 batting average.

Recife’s Yuangdong Wang won his second Pitcher of the Year in three years. Counting his trophies from his prior stint in China with Zhengzhou, Wang is now a seven-time POTY recipient overall. The 32-year old lefty led in wins (22-9), innings (275.1), strikeouts (340), quality starts (29), and WAR (7.5). Wang had a 151 ERA+ and 2.35 ERA, finishing second and only falling 14 points from a Triple Crown. Wang joined a very short list of those with multiple Pitcher of the Year awards in multiple world leagues.

Buenos Aires ousted the defending champ Concepcion 2-0 in the first round, then rolled on to a shocking Divisional Series sweep of top seed Asuncion. The Atlantics earned their first Southern Cone Championship appearance since 2003. Recife stunned divisional foe Fortaleza with a road sweep, sending the Retrievers to their eighth LCS since 2009. BA’s magic ran out as Recife prevailed 4-1 for their fourth pennant of the decade. The Retrievers became seven-time Southern Cone champs, an impressive haul for a 1974 expansion team.



The 89^th Copa Sudamerica saw a 4-1 series victory for Recife over Trujillo, giving the Retrievers their fourth cup win (1995, 1996, 2015, 2019). 1B Sebastian Nazario earned finals MVP, having come to Recife in a 2016 deadline trade with Ciudad Guayana. The 29-year old Venezuelan in 13 playoff starts had 20 hits, 14 runs, 1 double, 3 triples, 5 homers, and 12 RBI.



Other notes: Medellin’s Mateo Salinas became the first player in Beisbol Sudamerica history with a seven hit game, going 7-7 on April 13 against Quito. He was only the 12 in all of pro baseball history to achieve the feat. Asuncion’s Vito Mendiero threw BSA’s 48^th Perfect Game on August 25, striking out eight against Sao Paulo. Recife’s Edgardo Mandujano had a 36-game hitting streak in the summer, tying the fifth-longest streak in BSA history.

Antonio Arceo became the sixth member of the 700 home run club and Niccolo Coelho became the 21^st member of the 600 homer club. Coelho, Rodrigo Aguilar, and Manuel Marquez each reached 1500 RBI in 2019, making 30 batters to do so. Coelho won his 10^th Silver Slugger at 3B and Arceo won his 9^th at 2B. Alex Salinas was the 17^th to reach 1500 runs scored. Filipe Loureno became the 31^st reliever to record 300 saves.

Catcher Cicero Lugo won his 12^th consecutive Silver Slugger, becoming the fifth player at any position in BSA with 12+ Sluggers. Lugo also became the first catcher in any world league to achieve 12+ Sluggers. SS Merkin Najera won his tenth Gold Glove, becoming the third shortstop to win the award 10+ times.

No world league in the 2010s had a higher league batting average than the Bolivar League at .274, narrowly edging West African Baseball’s high tallies. The Southern Cone League without the DH was at .265, still firmly above average on the historical scale. Despite the higher batting averages relative to other world leagues in the 2010s, Beisbol Sudamerica’s ERA titles weren’t quite as inflated.

For the 2010s, the Bolivar League’s ERA was 4.01, grading as above average. The Southern Cone’s 3.70 ERA was very average both on the historical scale and compared to other 2010 leagues. BSA’s 2010s were similar to the 2000s, which had seen a spike compared to the below average to low prior decades. The BL’s ERA actually slightly dipped from the 2000s to the 2010s, while LCS’s went slightly up. BSA would maintain a similar environment for the 2020s.

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Three teams fought for the Japan League’s top seed in 2019. All three of those teams repeated as division champs and won their division by double digits. North Division champ Sapporo narrowly claimed the pole position at 99-63. Their division was the tightest amongst the top three seeds, but the Swordfish were still ten games ahead of Saitama and 13 better than Sendai.

Reigning East Asia Baseball champ Osaka at 98-64 fell one short of the top seed. The Orange Sox grew their Central Division streak to five seasons. Kawasaki cruised in the Capital Division at 95-67. Osaka led the JL in scoring with 710 runs, while the Killer Whales allowed the fewest runs at 475.

Meanwhile the remaining West Division had a tie at the top between Kitakyushu and Fukuoka at 87-75. The Kodiaks won the tiebreaker game to end their 21-year playoff drought, which had been the longest active skid in Japan. Hiroshima dropped to 79-83, ending their seven-year playoff streak. It was the first losing season since 2009 for the Hammerheads.

Osaka right fielder Shigeyori Suzuki repeated as Japan League MVP. The 27-year old lefty led in runs (109), home runs (57), RBI (125), total bases (403), slugging (.680), OPS (1.035), wRC+ (224), and WAR (9.8). This was Suzuki’s final year with the Orange Sox, who were unable to lock him up long term. He left for MLB and inked an eight-year, $156,600,000 deal with Seattle. While Suzuki never won MVP in MLB, he would post a solid 11 years in the United States.

Fukuoka lefty Toshikuni Naikai won his third Pitcher of the Year in four years. He wasn’t as absurdly dominant as his 17.4 WAR, 1.05 ERA mark from 20187, but the 26-year old was still a beast. Naikai led in ERA (1.93), strikeouts (397), WHIP (0.66), FIP- (34), and WAR (10.3). He tossed 218.2 innings with a 169 ERA+ and 16-5 record. The 397 Ks was tied for the sixth-best single-season effort in EAB to that point.

Naikai threw his second no-hitter of his career with a 21 strikeout, one walk effort against Chiba on August 5. That broke the EAB record for most Ks in a no-no and was only the fourth no-hitter in pro baseball history with 21 strikeouts. It was the seventh 21K game of any kind in EAB. The Frogs locked up their historic ace long-term in the offseason with a seven-year, $140,000,000 extension. Fukuoka would be immediately rewarded when Naikai posted the greatest pitching season ever in 2020.

Kitakyushu upset Sapporo 3-2 in the first round of the playoffs, while Kawasaki ousted the reigning champ Osaka 3-1. The Killer Whales earned repeat berths in the Japan League Championship Series, while the Kodiaks hadn’t gotten that far since 1997. In a seven-game classic, Kawasaki outlasted Kitakyushu for their first pennant since the 1999-2001 three-peat. It was the eighth Japan League title overall for the Killer Whales.



The Korea League had solid parity in 2019 with only eight wins separating the top record from the seventh-best. Changwon again was the top seed, although they narrowly secured it at 97-65 for their fourth straight South Division title. Reigning KL champ Seongnam won the North Division at 96-66, growing their playoff streak to three seasons. The Spiders also secured their fifth playoff berth in six years. The Crabs led the league in scoring (781) and Seongnam allowed the fewest runs (606).

Daegu was only two behind Changwon for the South Division title, but 95-67 got them the first wild card and their first playoff spot since winning it all in 2013. Goyang at 91-71 finished one game ahead of both Jeonju and Seoul at 90-72 for the second wild card. Yongin (89-73), Hamhung (86-76), and Ulsan (85-77) were also in the mix. The Green Sox had repeat playoff berths while the Seahawks had their three-year streak snapped.

Changwon 2B Dae-Eui Ha won his second Korea League MVP in three years. The 27-year old led in runs (119), hits (223), stolen bases (123), and batting average (.361). The 123 steals were the fifth-most in an EAB season. Ha also had 38 doubles, 20 triples, 12 home runs, a .938 OPS, 158 wRC+, and 9.5 WAR. The following spring, the Crabs gave Ha an eight-year, $176,000,000 extension. Ha edged out Gwangju’s Kunihiko Ishiguro for the MVP despite the latter’s 64 home run effort. It was Ishiguro’s fourth time smacking 60+ dingers. Hamhung’s Ye-Joon Ki, notably had 152 RBI, only the 12th to cross 150+ in EAB.

Soon-Jung Lee denied Do-Kyun Lee’s bid for a sixth Pitcher of the Year. Soon-Jung was a 27-year old lefty for Yongin who led in wins (25-3), ERA (1.96), and quality starts (28). He added 227 strikeouts over 262 innings, a 194 ERA+, and 6.5 WAR. Do-Kyun was still a strikeout machine for Seoul with 417 Ks, plus a 2.35 ERA over 257 innings and 10.1 WAR. Do-Kyun’s mark was the fourth most Ks in an EAB season. He played one more year in the South Korean capital before bolting for MLB’s Detroit Tigers. The Seahawks missed the playoffs, but Do-Kyun led them to a team 9.89 K/9, breaking a KL record that held since 1928.

Defending champ Seongnam rolled to a first round sweep of Daegu and Goyang upset top seed Changwon 3-1. For the Green Sox, this was their first Korea League Championship Series try since 2012. The Spiders would prevail 4-2 over Goyang for the repeat and their third pennant in six years. Seongnam became seven-time Korean champs with the result.



The 99^th East Asian Championship was not the first finals meeting between Kawasaki and Seongnam, as the Killer Whales beat the Spiders back in 1982. Seongnam got revenge in a barnburner in 2019, taking the series in seven games. The Spiders became four-time EAB champs (1983, 1990, 2003, 2019).



CF Sung-Man Song was finals MVP in his fifth season for Seongnam, starting 16 playoff games with 22 hits, 10 runs, 1 double, 3 triples, 2 homers, and 11 RBI. Teammate Shigeo Horie was also a key contributor as KLCS MVP, getting 23 hits, 10 runs, 6 home runs, and 22 RBI. The 22 RBI broke the previous EAB playoff record of 21 by Zhanchong Li from 2002. Horie’s mark remains #1 in EAB as of 2037.

Other notes: Kawasaki’s Kazumasa Fujii threw EAB’s 37^th Perfect Game on April 21, striking out six against Kumamoto. Hitoshi Kubota became the 13^th member of the 700 home run club. Kubota and Sang-Jun Gang both reached 1500 runs scored, a mark reached by 32 EAB players. Kaneo Kuroda was the 17^th pitcher to record 4000 strikeouts. Sadaharu Chiba was the 30^th reliever to 300 saves. SS Shingen Matsumara won his eighth Silver Slugger.

For the 2010s, the Japan League had an ERA around 3.37 and .245 batting average, which both graded as below average scoring on the historical scale. The Korea League with the DH was on the upper-end of average with a 3.78 ERA and .260 batting average. These numbers were slightly down from the 2000s, but more or less in line with EAB’s stats since the 1960s. EAB remained consistent into the 2020s.

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For the fifth year in a row, Juarez won the Mexican League’s North Division and took the top seed. The Jesters finished 109-53, ending their playoff streak and 100+ win season streak both to six years. Juarez had a tough challenge in the division with 103-59 Hermosillo. The Hyenas easily got repeat wild cards, posting their winningest season since 1989. The Jesters led all of Mexico in both runs scored (814) and fewest allowed (560).

In the South Division, Puebla had an impressive turnaround from only 67 wins the prior year. The Pumas won the division at 92-70 to end a 23-year playoff drought, which was the second-longest active skid in the ML. Merida was five back at 87-75, which was just enough for the second wild card over Torreon (86-76), Tijuana (85-77), and San Luis Potosi (82-80). The Mean Green snapped an 11-year postseason drought. Although they just missed the playoffs again, the Tomahawks grew their run of winning seasons to 20 years. The defending Mexican League champ Leon limped to 75-87.

Juarez right fielder Loyd Wayne won Mexican League MVP with a record-breaking fourth season. The 25-year old Jamaican led in runs (139), walks (118), triple slash (.381/.490/.755), OPS (1.245), wRC+ (235), and WAR (12.6). Wayne’s .490 on-base percentage set a new world pro baseball record, beating the previous best of .489 by Mwarami Tale of the African Association of Baseball in 2009. Wayne’s 2019 effort ranks second in world history as of 2037, as he himself would top it in 2023.

Wayne’s 1.245 OPS was a CABA single-season record, beating Amazado Matos’ 1.229 from 1968. He had the 19^th-best OPS in any world league to that point. Wayne’s 118 walks were the second-most in CABA history, behind his own 126 from the prior year. Wayne added 53 home runs, 126 RBI, and 45 stolen bases. His WAR mark was the 18^th-best by a CABA position player. The Jesters wisely negotiated an eight-year, $108,500,000 extension signed in late August.

Hermosillo’s Jamarca Akim repeated as Pitcher of the Year and became the sixth in CABA history to win the award five times. The 30-year old Jamaican lefty had a 17-5 record, 2.64 ERA, and 254 strikeouts over 235.2 innings with a 147 ERA+ and 6.0 WAR. The only stats he led in were complete games (13), and shutouts (4). Akim had signed a new six-year, $82,800,000 deal with the Hyenas prior to the season.

Both first round playoff battles went 3-1 to the division champs with Juarez over Merida and Puebla over Hermosillo. The Jesters earned their fifth Mexican League Championship Series appearance in six years, while the Pumas hadn’t been there since 1996. Juarez was the heavy favorite, but was denied the pennant in back-to-back years. Puebla shocked them with a sweep for their first pennant in 70 years. The Pumas became four-time Mexican League champs (1915, 1928, 1949, 2019).



The top two teams in the Caribbean League fought over the Island Division title. Havana (97-65) narrowly claimed it over Jamaica (96-66), giving the Hurricanes back-to-back division titles and #1 seeds. Havana’s playoff streak grew to four years with the Jazz extending their run to six as the first wild card. Reigning CABA Champion Guyana repeated as Continental Division champ at 89-73. The Golden Knights had four teams within five games of them.

Those four teams and one from the Island Division were in a tight battle for the second wild card. Costa Rica snagged it at 87-75, fending off Panama (85-77), Puerto Rico (85-77), Honduras (84-78), and Salvador (84-78). It was the Rays’ first time in the playoffs in 30 years, ending the second-longest active drought in the Caribbean. The longest in all of CABA is Bahamas at 32 seasons. Haiti finished 81-81, missing the playoffs for only the third time in 23 years. This was the first time since 1993 that the Herons didn’t have a winning record, ending their CL-record streak at 25 years.

Santo Domingo stunk at 71-91, but their right fielder Jarek Wilson-Smith was Caribbean League MVP. The 24-year old Belizean lefty led in runs (124), hits (237), triples (34), total bases (438), triple slash (.379/.406/.700), OPS (1.105), wRC+ (192), and WAR (9.9). Wilson-Smith added 28 doubles, 35 homers, 114 RBI, and 74 stolen bases. It would be his only MVP in an excellent 18-year career with the Dolphins.

Guyana again had Pitcher of the Year, but this time it was Jhon Banuelos. The 26-year old Cuban lefty was the WARlord (6.9) and led with a 65 FIP-. Banuelos saw a 2.86 ERA and 17-9 record in 226.1 innings with 274 strikeouts and a 140 ERA+. Banuelos was the #1 overall draft pick in 2013 by the Golden Knights.

Division champs earned first round sweeps with Havana over Costa Rica and Guyana over Jamaica. The Golden Knights had a shot at repeat Caribbean League titles, while the Hurricanes were going for their second in four years. The CLCS ended up being a dud as Havana swept Guyana to become eight-time Caribbean Champs (1911, 1912, 1913, 1949, 1975, 2009, 2016, 2019).



It was the first time in CABA’s 109 year history that both the MLCS and CLCS ended in sweeps. The 109^th Central American Baseball Association Championship continued that trend with Havana sweeping Puebla, making the Hurricanes five-time CABA champs (1912, 1949, 1975, 2009, 2019). The only other time in all of pro baseball history where a league’s semifinals and championship all ended in sweeps was the inaugural 1931 Beisbol Sudamerica campaign.

Havana was a perfect 11-0 in the postseason, becoming the first CABA champ to run the table since the expansion to three rounds. 1924 Mexico City and 1920 Guadalajara were the only other champs to go unbeaten in the playoffs, both at 8-0. Finals MVP was platoon 1B Alberto Perez who had only six playoff games and five starts, but posted 11 hits, 4 runs, 2 homers, and 8 RBI.



Other notes: Diego Conception became the 16^th CABA reliever to reach 300 career saves. C Luis Moran won his tenth Silver Slugger, becoming the third catcher in CABA history with 10+ (Mar Pavia, Chip Perez). 2B Timmy Asher won his eighth consecutive Silver Slugger.

In the 2010s, the Mexican League’s ERA was around 3.83 with a .262 batting average. The Caribbean League with the DH was only slightly higher with a 3.96 ERA and .265 batting average. Both of these graded as above average scoring on the historical scale and compared to other world leagues in the 2010s.

For the Mexican League, this was the highest ever ERA for a decade, while the Caribbean League dropped nine points from the 2000s. Specifically in 2018, the ML had a 4.02 ERA, which remains a league record as of 2037. Overall, the numbers for the last 30 years were fairly consistent for CABA. Things would continue on the same pace for the 2020s.

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Defending World Series champ Kansas City dominated the competition in the National Association at 107-55, breaking their own franchise record from the prior year by two wins. The Cougars were 11 wins ahead of the next best NA team and earned their fourth consecutive Lower Midwest Division title. It was historically strong pitching that propelled KC to success.

Kansas City allowed 442 runs and 394 earned runs, both setting MLB all-time single-season records that still stand as of 2037. KC’s 2.41 ERA was the second-lowest in MLB history only behind Wichita’s 2.37 from 2004. The 04 Wasps had the previous earned run low (397), while 2005 Cleveland had the prior runs low of 450. The Cougars also had a 0.987 team WHIP, which was the third-best in MLB history.

The #2 seed and second bye went to Northeast Division champ Boston at 96-66. The Red Sox earned their third straight division title, although Quebec City at 93-69 gave them a run for it. The Nordiques earned the first wild card and ended an eight-year playoff drought.

Detroit and Winnipeg finished even at 89-73 atop the Upper Midwest Division. The Tigers won the tiebreaker game for a third consecutive division title and their eighth of the decade. Detroit had the most runs in the NA at 750. The Wolves were a surprising contender having gone 59-103 in both the prior two seasons. Despite a -13 run differential, they narrowly got the second wild card to end an 11-year playoff drought.

Missing the cut in for the second wild card by two wins were Hartford and Cincinnati at 87-75. Chicago (85-77), St. Louis (84-78), and Toronto (83-79) were also in the mix. Philadelphia at 89-73 repeated as East Division champ and earned their 15^th playoff berth in 20 years. The Phillies’ streak of winning seasons grew to 13 years. Their closest competitors were 83-79 New York and 82-80 Baltimore.

National Association MVP was Quebec City’s Alex Mills in his third full season. The 24-year old second baseman from Georgetown, Ontario led in slugging (.609), and wRC+ (199). Mills added 187 hits, 103 runs, 44 home runs, 99 RBI, a .992 OPS, and 8.1 WAR. Mills would go on to have a 15-year Hall of Pretty Good career for the Nordiques.

Winnipeg’s Luke Harrison secured Pitcher of the Year in his ninth season for the Wolves. The 29-year old Albertan righty led in ERA (2.01), quality starts (28), and shutouts (7). Harrison posted 9.2 WAR and a 173 ERA+ over 264.1 innings with a 20-9 record and 265 strikeouts. He also tossed a no-hitter on April 24 with seven strikeouts and one walk versus Cleveland. Harrison inked another five-year extension at $113,000,000 after the 2020 season.

Also worth a mention was Columbus closer J.J. Fuller, who won Reliever of the Year in only his second season. He posted a dominant 6.6 WAR over 74.1 innings, setting an MLB record for WAR by a ROTY winner. Fuller struck out 143 with a 0.97 ERA, 364 ERA+, and NA-best 40 saves.

Winning the division on the one-game tiebreaker gave Detroit home field against Winnipeg in the first round rematch, which they needed to survive 2-1. Quebec City went on the road to upset Philadelphia 2-1 on the other side. Both were ousted 3-1 by the top seeds with Kansas City beating the Nordiques and Boston besting the Tigers.

This set up a rematch in the National Association Championship Series, which hadn’t happened since Chicago versus Montreal in 1979-80. For the first time since 1982, the NACS ended in a sweep with Kansas City clobbering Boston. The Cougars won their third pennant in four years and their eighth overall (1937, 1961, 1962, 1976, 1991, 2016, 2018, 2019). They joined Philadelphia (1941-47 seven-peat and 2010-13), Winnipeg (2004-07), and St. Louis (1908-10) as the only National Association franchises to win three pennants in a four year stretch.



In the American Association, it was Denver doing the dominating with historic pitching. The Dragons finished ten ahead of the next closest team at 106-56, earning a third straight 100+ win season and tenth consecutive Northwest Division title. Denver joined Ottawa (1932-41) as the only teams in MLB history with a ten-year playoff streak.

The Dragons allowed 505 runs, 438 earned runs, and had a 2.71 team ERA. Each of these was all-time single-season bests in the American Association, which has higher scoring than the National Association thanks to the designated hitter. Denver’s records remain AA bests as of 2037, beating the 2.84 ERA and 461 earned runs by 1972 Albuquerque and the 521 runs allowed by 2012 Oakland. The Dragons also posted a 1.038 team WHIP, which is the third-lowest in AA history. Denver actually underperformed their expected win/loss by ten games. They were second in runs (839) for a +334 run differential.

The three other division winners were within two games of each other, making for a fierce fight for the #2 seed and bye. Reigning AA champ Las Vegas narrowly got it at 96-66 atop the Southwest Division. The Vipers grew their playoff streak to three, although it was their first division title since 2009. Vegas had to fend off a tough division, beating Oakland by five games, San Diego by six, and Los Angeles by seven.

The #3 seed was Oklahoma City at 95-67 atop the South Central Division. It ended a nine-year playoff drought for the Outlaws and was an impressive recovery from an abysmal 62-100 the prior year. Houston was right behind them at 93-69, while New Orleans (87-75) and Austin (86-76) were competitive. Nashville got the #4 seed to repeat atop the Southeast Division at 94-68. Their lone competitor was an 87-75 Jacksonville.

Salt Lake City was the most distant second place finisher at 11 games behind Denver, but their 95-67 record earned a repeat wild card for the Loons. The Hornets at 93-69 got the second spot for their second berth in three years. Houston beat out Oakland by two games, San Diego by three, Los Angeles by four, New Orleans and Jacksonville by six, Austin by seven, and Dallas by eight. The Seals had by far the most runs in MLB at 917. Last year’s runner-up and the 2017 AA champ San Francisco was a non-factor, falling to 78-84.

Leading Oklahoma City’s turnaround was 3B Albert Gardiner, the American Association MVP. In his fourth season, the 24-year old Texan led in home runs (63), total bases (409), slugging (.691), and wRC+ (185). Gardiner added 8.9 WAR, 1.068 OPS, 118 runs, and 129 RBI. He fell four short of the MLB single-season home run record, but got paid for his efforts with an eight-year, $159,700,000 extension at season’s end from the Outlaws.

Gardiner had to fend off a very solid challenge for MVP by Houston RF Ric Ransom, who led in batting average (.334) and RBI (160) while taking second in WAR (9.3) and third in homers (55). Ransom was only the fifth in MLB history to reach 160+ RBI and the first to do it since 1978.

In his MLB debut, Las Vegas righty Daniel Newqvist won Pitcher of the Year. The 30-year old from Sweden came over on a seven-year, $145,800,000 deal with the Vipers after pitching nine years in EBF’s Stockholm. Newqvist led in WHIP (0.88), quality starts (27), and complete games (25). He added a 22-6 record, 2.45 ERA, 275.2 innings, 289 strikeouts, 158 ERA+, and 9.1 WAR.

Nashville swept Salt Lake City and Houston swept Oklahoma City in the first round of the playoffs. The Hornets then shocked top seed Denver 3-1 in the second round, marking back-to-back years that the Dragons went one-and-done despite the #1 seed. Houston earned its first American Association Championship Series berth since 2008.

On the other side, Nashville got the 3-1 road win over Las Vegas, giving the Knights their second AACS in four years. In a seven game classic, the Hornets stung Nashville, giving the pennant to the #6 seed for back-to-back seasons. This was Houston’s tenth pennant, but it was their first in 67 years. The Hornets had made the AACS eight times since their 1952 title, but had gone 0-8 in that stretch.



Kansas City was aiming to be the first repeat World Series champion since Phoenix in 2003-04. They were the heavy favorite for the 119^th World Series, but the magic continued for Houston, who won a seven game thriller over the Cougars. This tied the Hornets with Denver for the most MLB titles at eight, although they didn’t expect to wait two generations to get #8. Houston’s prior wins were 1908, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1920, 1922, and 1952.

It was RBI leader Ric Ransom who won World Series MVP. The Beaumont, Texas native had 20 playoff starts with 26 hits, 12 runs, 2 doubles, 2 triples, 5 home runs, and 17 RBI. Houston joined 2011 Tampa, 1953 Phoenix, 1982 St. Louis, 1988 and 1990 Virginia Beach, and 2012 Philadelphia as the World Series champs to come from the #6 seed.



Other notes: Cody Lim became only the fifth member of the 700 home run club. In his 15^th and final year with Oklahoma City, Lim smacked 53 homers to get to 722, ranking third behind Elijah Cashman’s 750 and Kaby Silva’s 731. The 35-year old Malaysian had the MLB record for 50+ homer seasons with nine, but almost quietly climbed the ranks with only four Silver Sluggers and no MVPs.

Graham Gregor meanwhile became the 27^th to reach 600 home runs and the 62^nd to 3000 hits. Both Joran Mallery and Ryan Skramesto got to 1500 RBI. Killian Fruechte won his ninth Silver Slugger and his eighth in left field. SS Fritz Louissi won his eighth Silver Slugger. Easton MacGregor and Omari Green became the 81^st and 82^nd pitchers to 3000 strikeouts. Montreal’s offense drew only 274 walks all season, an MLB all-time worst.

For the 2010s, the National Association had a 3.41 league ERA and .240 batting average, both of which graded as below average scoring on the historical scale. This was the lowest batting average for a decade in NA history and was one point ahead of the 2000s for lowest ERA. The NA did set single season lows with a .237 batting average in 2013 and a 3.28 ERA in 2012.

The American Association had a .251 batting average and 3.84 ERA, which were both average to above average relative to other world leagues and historical averages. However, these were both all-time low marks for the AA. The AA set a single-season low ERA of 3.77 in 2012.

MLB’s numbers overall were very consistent from the 2010s back through the 1990s. However, these 30 years were down relative to the years prior with a 3.68 ERA in the NA from the 1900s-80s and a 4.11 ERA for the AA. Like many other world leagues, MLB officials would opt for rule changes in the 2020s to increase scoring.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

The 2019 Baseball Grand Championship was the tenth year of the event and the first to be hosted in the United States. Incidentally, one of the participants was playing in their home city for the first time, as Houston had been selected to host years prior. The World Series champion Hornets hoped to continue on an impressive playoff run.

The auto-bids for the event were MLB’s Houston and Kansas City, CABA’s Havana and Puebla, EAB’s Seongnam and Kawasaki, BSA’s Trujillo and Recife, EBF’s Hamburg and Zurich, EPB’s Chelyabinsk, OBA’s Sydney, APB’s Palembang, CLB’s Hong Kong, WAB’s Kano, SAB’s Pune, ABF’s Tabriz, ALB’s Tripoli, and AAB’s Luanda. The wild card went to WAB runner-up Bamako, who had finished 109-53. They controversially got the nod over defending Grand Champion Jeddah. The Jackals were the ALB runner-up at 104-58 and thought the defending title justified their spot despite the Bullfrogs winning more.



The BGC again showed how small the gap truly was between each of the world leagues as the sixth different league fielded the champ in six years (and the seventh overall). The Asian Baseball Federation’s Tabriz took the top spot at 15-4, setting a new runs record for the event at 112. The Tiger Sharks also had a +50 run differential, which was the third-highest to that point. Tabriz led all teams in homers (52), OBP (.328), slugging (.532), and OPS (.860). Prior to that, the ABF’s best finish was fellow Iranian squad Tehran in fourth in 2017.



For the third straight season, the Southern Cone League champ took second place. Recife was right behind Tabriz at 14-5, leading all teams with 45 runs allowed and a 2.12 ERA. The Retrievers tied Jeddah from the prior year for the fewest runs allowed in the current format. It was a two game drop to Kansas City and Pune at 12-7 with the Cougars taking third place on the tiebreaker. KC had a +35 run differential while the Purple Knights were only +2. It was the first time in four years that the MLB had a team in the top three. Pune set a high-mark for the Indian League, although SAB’s Hanoi had been third in 2016.

Next were Puebla and Zurich both at 11-8, followed by the host Houston at 10-9. Five teams finished 9-10; Hamburg, Havana, Kawasaki, Luanda, and Trujillo. Bamako, Hong Kong, Kano, Sydney, and Tripoli were all 8-11. The Bullfrogs notably scored the second most runs (95), but allowed the most (101). The Snakes notably stole a tournament-record 41 bases. Chelyabinsk and Seongnam were 7-12 and Palembang was alone in last at 6-13.

Trujillo’s Rico Ortega was named Tournament MVP. The 33-year old Peruvian was in his 11^th year for his hometown squad, but missed almost all of the 2019 season to a fractured coracoid in his shoulder. In the BGC, Ortega started 18 games with 17 hits, 16 runs, 11 home runs, 21 RBI, 12 walks, a 1.274 OPS, and 1.6 WAR. Ortega took the top honor despite Hamburg’s Oliver Schmitz leading all players in RBI (29) and home runs (16); both of which were the second most in BGC history to date.

Best Pitcher went to Luanda’s Guimas Simoes, who had been a subpar back-end starter for the Landsharks. The 27-year old Angolan lefty had three excellent starts with a 0.40 ERA over 22.2 innings, 2-0 record, 25 strikeouts, 4 hits, and 5 walks allowed. Simoes had a .070 opponent’s OPS, which remains a tournament record as of 2037 among any pitcher with 21+ innings. It was the one standout moment for a guy who posted a career WAR of 7.6.

Other notes: The seventh no-hitter in Baseball Grand Championship history was thrown on November 14 by Sydney’s Jay McKaig, striking out 18 and walking two against Zurich. Kawasaki’s Dagutorio Dodo was the second to have a four home run game, doing it on November 22 against Palembang. Puebla’s Clayton Morgan had the unfortunate distinction of being the first to earn the Titanium Sombrero with a six strikeout game.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

Major League Baseball’s 2020 Hall of Fame class saw two first ballot inductees, although neither breached 80%. OF Lukas Warrell led the way at 76.8% with 2B Cole Becenti close behind at 73.8%. SS Robert Hightower barely missed the 66% requirement with 64.8% for his seventh ballot. This was the closest Hightower has gotten and his third time above 50%.



Five other players were above 50%, led by RF Renaldo Anastasio debuting at 59.6%. C Sebastian Van Velzen got 59.2% for his fourth ballot. 3B Jeanpaul Vick debuted with 57.3%. SP Bob Gallagher earned 56.2% in his tenth and final try, while SP Victor Burke picked up 50.6% for his second chance.

For Gallagher, he peaked at 61.1% in 2018 and had a low of 43.6% in 2017. He spent most of his 15-year MLB run with Cleveland and posted a 226-181 record, 3.22 ERA, 3934.1 innings, 3394 strikeouts, 892 walks, 160 complete games, 111 ERA+, and 79.0 WAR. However, Gallagher lacked black ink and awards and was dismissed as an above average compiler. He also played his final three years in EBF and those extra accumulations might have just gotten him in. But instead, Gallagher fell to the Hall of Pretty Good.

Catcher Jacob Gibson was dropped after ten failed ballots as well, peaking at 46.3% in 2012 and ending at only 10.1%. He had a 21-year career with Edmonton and posted one Gold Glove and one Silver Slugger, 2182 hits, 1142 runs, 393 doubles, 247 home runs, 1081 RBI, 1143 walks, a .254/.345/.391 slash, 107 wRC+, and 66.6 WAR. Among catchers, he ranks 16^th in WAR. Gibson had impressive longevity, but he was generally not considered elite. With the trouble even top-tier catchers can have getting inducted, longevity was never going to be enough for Gibson.

Also dropped was reliever Christian Yates, who got as high as 38.4% in 2012 but ended at only 3.7%. He had a 13-year career with 303 saves, 2.30 ERA, 820.1 innings, 885 strikeouts, 252 walks, 159 ERA+, and 29.5 WAR. Yates never won Reliever of the Year and was far less dominant than what was needed for a closer to earn the nod. Still, Yates deserves credit for lasting ten years on the ballot.



Lukas Warrell – Left/Right Field – Albuquerque Isotopes – 76.8% First Ballot

Lukas Warrell was a 6’0’’, 200 pound outfielder from Tucson, Arizona; the state’s second-largest city with just over one million in the metropolitan area. Warrell had an unusual hitting profile as he was incredible at drawing walks, yet terrible at avoiding strikeouts. Against right-handed pitching, he had strong power with above average contact skills, posting a career 145 wRC+ and .914 OPS. Warrell struggled against lefties often with a career 92 wRC+ and .691 OPS.

Warrell’s power was reliable in the middle of the lineup, getting 32 home runs, 22 doubles, and 7 triples per his 162 game average. He had solid speed along with outstanding baserunning and stealing instincts. Warrell was a corner outfielder with about half of his career starts in left field, 1/3 in right field, and the rest as a designated hitter. He graded as a strong RF and above average LF. Warrell’s work ethic and loyalty made him a popular and well respected player. He also showed solid durability over a 22-year career.

From 1990-92, Warrell played college baseball at Clemson, winning an NCAA Gold Glove in 1991 and both a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger in 1992. For his college career, Warrell had 148 games, 124 hits, 99 runs, 20 doubles, 45 home runs, 94 RBI, 111 walks, 121 strikeouts, a .256/.402/.593 slash, 176 wRC+, and 8.0 WAR. In the 1992 MLB Draft, Warrell was picked 24^th overall by Albuquerque, making his return to the southwest.

Warrell was a part-time starter with 4.8 WAR in his debut season in 98 starts and 120 games, finishing third in Rookie of the Year voting. He then started all 162 games as a DH in 1994 and won a Silver Slugger, scoring an incredible 150 runs. This not only set a new MLB single-season record, but it was a world record at the time. Warrell’s mark remained the MLB record until 2036 and ranks as the 13^th-best season in world history as of 2037. He also led the American Association in walks (102) and had his first of three 40+ home runs seasons. Warrell also posted his first of eight seasons worth 5+ WAR.

Albuquerque ended a six-year playoff drought and got the #2 seed in 1994, but lost in the second round to Atlanta. The Isotopes would be stuck mostly below average in the next six seasons, averaging 76.8 wins. Warrell played well, but was outside of awards conversations or league leading stats. 1998 had a big setback as a severely strained hip muscle knocked him out five months. However, Albuquerque still gave Warrell an eight-year, $40,800,000 extension in the winter.

In 2001, Warrell led the AA in runs (120), walks (102), and WAR (8.9), while getting 41 home runs and 101 RBI, winning a Silver Slugger in LF and taking second in MVP voting. This started a six-year playoff streak for Albuquerque, although they again went one-and-done despite having the first round bye. Warrell did even better in 2002, winning his lone MVP and third Silver Slugger. He led in runs (124), walks (109), OPS (1.044), and WAR (9.6). Warrell’s WAR and OPS were career highs as was were his 46 home runs and 125 RBI.

Albuquerque was a wild card in 2002, but went on a playoff tear for their first American Association pennant since 1975. Warrell was AACS MVP as they ousted Nashville, but the Isotopes did lose to Milwaukee in the World Series. In the playoff run, Warrell had 19 starts, 18 runs, 28 hits, 5 doubles, 2 triples, 4 home runs, 14 RBI, 13 walks, and a 1.133 OPS. The Isotopes had first round losses in 2003, 2004, and 2006. They got back to the AACS in 2005, but fell to top seed Seattle.

Warrell was also a regular during his peak in the World Baseball Championship for the United States, starting 223 games from 1994-2004. He posted 169 hits, 164 runs, 32 doubles, 11 triples, 55 home runs, 55 home runs, 144 RBI, 185 walks, 326 strikeouts, 117 stolen bases, a .220/.382/.506 slash, 157 wRC+, and 11.2 WAR. As of 2037, Warrell has the third most walks and strikeouts in WBC history. He also ranks 15^th in runs scored.

In 1996, Warrell was WBC MVP, leading all players in homers (12), RBI (27), walks (17), total bases (70), and WAR (2.2). He led in walks drawn five times, runs twice, strikeouts thrice, and steals twice. Warrell was third in WBC MVP voting in both 1994 and 2002. He was a key part of six world champion American teams (1996, 97, 98, 2000, 01, 03).

After his 2002 MVP season for Albuquerque, Warrell was never quite as dominant again. He was still good enough and well liked to stick around. Warrell declined his contract option after the 2005 season, but inked a new three-year, $30 million deal with the Isotopes. 2006 would be a disaster though with a ruptured Achilles tendon in late June, knocking him out 14 months. Warrell did come back for two more solid seasons to conclude a 16-year run in New Mexico.

The Isotopes got the #1 seed in 2008 at 104-58, but again went one-and-done despite the bye. Warrell’s playoff stats overall weren’t bad over 44 starts, 45 hits, 29 runs, 7 doubles, 4 triples, 8 homers, 26 RBI, 29 walks, 15 steals, a .281/.387/.525 slash, and 142 wRC+. While some critics noted that Albuquerque underperformed in this era, Warrell still helped them to their first pennant in 25 years.

With Albuquerque, Warrell had 2007 hits, 1453 runs, 320 doubles, 107 triples, 447 home runs, 1284 RBI, 1265 walks, 1754 strikeouts, 500 stolen bases, a .266/.376/.515 slash, 139 wRC+, and 84.3 WAR. The Isotopes would eventually retire Warrell’s #14 uniform. He was a free agent for the first time at age 37 and signed a three-year, $35,400,000 deal with Charlotte.

Warrell had a career best 114 walks in his Charlotte debut and got 112 walks two years later. In total, he had 353 hits, 232 runs, 52 doubles, 11 triples, 74 home runs, 219 RBI, 295 walks, .230/.359/.423 slash, 116 wRC+, and 9.7 WAR. The Canaries took the #2 seed in 2011, but went one-and-done. While in Charlotte, Warrell reached the 1500 runs scored and 1500 walks drawn milestones.

Now 40-years old, Warrell signed a three-year, $39,100,000 deal with Calgary. He was merely okay starting in 2012, but trouble struck in August with a broken kneecap. A setback required surgery, putting him out almost all of 2013. Warrell returned as a part-time starter in 2014, but stunk with -0.8 WAR over 86 games. In total for the Cheetahs, he played 212 games for 1.7 WAR, a .697 OPS, and 96 wRC+. Warrell retired after the 2014 season just after his 43^rd birthday.

Warrell finished with 2824 games, 2517 hits, 1815 runs, 389 doubles, 123 triples, 557 home runs, 1586 RBI, 1656 walks, 2330 strikeouts, 597 stolen bases, a .256/.368/.491 slash, 132 wRC+, and 95.6 WAR. As of 2037, Warrell ranks 24^th in runs, 85^th in home runs, 99^th in RBI, 6^th in walks, 15^th in strikeouts, and 70^th in WAR among position players. In all of pro baseball history, Warrell sits 14^th in walks drawn.

He had a unique skillset with impressive longevity. Warrell’s outstanding 150 run effort in 1994 earned him a significant place in MLB history. He didn’t have the raw dominance of some other Hall of Fame hopefuls, but Warrell hit enough milestones to secure the first ballot nod. He wasn’t an inner-circle guy at 76.8%, but this got him in to lead the two-player 2020 class.



Cole “Buddha” Becenti – Second Base – Orlando Orcas – 73.8% First Ballot

Cole Becenti was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed second baseman from Louisville, Kentucky. He would become the first Kentuckian to earn induction and the first player representing the Orlando Orcas. At his peak, Becenti was a well-rounded hitter that was good to occasionally great in terms of both contact and power. His eye for walks and avoiding strikeouts were both average to slightly below average. Becenti was notably better against left-handed pitching (152 wRC+, .915 OPS) but wasn’t bad against righties (135 wRC+, .843 OPS).

Becenti’s reliable power set him apart from many batters, getting 39 home runs and 30 doubles per his 162 game average. His baserunning skills were alright, but his speed was lousy. Despite that, Becenti’s range was respectable and he graded as reliably average defensively at second base. He started about ¾ of his games at 2B with the rest either at first base or as a designated hitter. Becenti ran into some knee troubles, but still held up for an 18-year pro career. He emerged as the first star player with Orlando, who joined MLB in the 1982 expansion.

It was a rough start for the Orcas, who were the last of those expansion teams to earn a playoff spot. Becenti caught their eye as he put up big numbers at Vanderbilt, winning a Silver Slugger his freshman year in 1996. He took second in NCAA MVP voting that year and third in 1997. As a Commodore, Becenti played 149 games with 174 hits, 110 runs, 33 doubles, 54 home runs, 110 RBI, 79 walks, .316/.406/.670 slash, 215 wRC+, and 11.2 WAR. In the 1998 MLB Draft, Orlando picked him with the #3 overall pick.

Becenti started most of his rookie year with okay results with 2.5 WAR in 131 games, taking third in Rookie of the Year voting. He broke out in his sophomore campaign, leading the American Association in both home runs (48) and WAR (9.9). Becenti won his first Silver Slugger and took second in MVP voting. He posted 6+ WAR each year from 2000-2005 and topped 9+ WAR in 2000, 2003, 2004, and 2005. Becenti won Silver Sluggers in 2002-05 at second base, then again in 2007 as a DH for the Orcas.

In 2003, Becenti won MVP, which was a rare feat for a second baseman. He led again in WAR (9.7) and home runs (50), getting career bests in homers, RBI (124), and hits (203). Orlando earned their first-ever playoff berth and division title, but went one-and-done. Despite Becenti’s best efforts, the Orcas would stay stuck at or below .500 for the rest of his run. Orlando wouldn’t make the playoffs again until 2024.

Becenti led in wRC+ (184) in 2004, although he wasn’t a league leader after that. He would smack 49 home runs in 2007 and breach 35+ dingers in four other seasons. Becenti finished third in 2004 and 2005’s MVP voting. Orlando gave him an eight-year, $61,340,000 extension after the 2002 season. 2006 would be his first major injury setback, missing most of the season to a torn meniscus in his right knee.

He would post three more solid years with the Orcas after that. Becenti also played 71 games from 2001-07 in the World Baseball Championship for the United States with 52 hits, 33 runs, 7 doubles, 17 home runs, 44 RBI, a .843 OPS, 145 wRC+, and 1.9 WAR. Becenti was part of world champion American teams in 2001, 2003, 2005, and 2007.

In total for Orlando, Becenti had 1778 hits, 923 runs, 295 doubles, 399 home runs, 1049 RBI, a .297/.345/.558 slash, 150 wRC+, and 74.0 WAR. His #2 uniform would later be the first number retired by the Orcas. Becenti’s run in central Florida ended after the 2009 season as he declined his contract option, becoming a free agent at age 32. He earned a big paycheck with San Francisco worth $72 million over five years.

Becenti’s Gold Rush debut was his best year, winning his seventh Silver Slugger. However, he tore his right knee meniscus again in 2011, missing most of the year. Becenti would struggle in the next two years in the Bay with only 1.8 WAR over 258 starts. San Francisco wouldn’t make the playoffs during his four year tenure, which saw 447 games, 447 hits, 202 runs, 59 doubles, 91 home runs, 252 RBI, a .262/.306/.461 slash, 116 wRC+, and 9.2 WAR. SF bought out the final year of Becenti’s contract, making him a free agent for 2014 at age 36.

He signed a one-year deal with Omaha and showed some of his old ability, posting 4.5 WAR, a 142 wRC+, .779 OPS, and 30 home runs with the Hawks. However, this was Becenti’s final MLB season. After struggling to find a suitor stateside, he opened up his search worldwide. Becenti ended up in West African Baseball and Burkina Faso on a three-year, $24,000,000 deal with Ouagadougou.

Becenti couldn’t carry over his 2014 momentum to WAB. He was average-at-best over 105 games in 2016 and below average in 2016, missing part of the year to elbow tendinitis. In 217 games for the Osprey, Becenti had 2.9 WAR and 100 wRC+. He didn’t meet the criteria for his deal, becoming a free agent again at age 39. Becenti hoped to catch on somewhere in 2017, but was unsigned and later retired at age 40.

For his MLB career, Becenti ended with 2381 hits, 1196 runs, 379 doubles, 520 home runs, 1383 RBI, a .288/.335/.532 slash, 143 wRC+, and 87.7 WAR. As of 2037, he doesn’t crack the top 100 in any major statistic. However, Becenti does rank 14^th in WAR, 5^th in home runs, and 18^th in RBI accrued at second base. For his era, supporters noted that he was the American Association’s best second baseman.

There were detractors who felt Becenti’s raw numbers weren’t strong enough. Others held his lack of team success as a mark against him. Becenti wasn’t an inner-circle level guy, but in the 2000s you would have been hard pressed to find a better second baseman in MLB. At 73.8%, Becenti got enough for the first ballot induction with MLB’s 2020 Hall of Fame class

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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The Central American Baseball Association’s 2020 Hall of Fame voting lacked impactful debuts with only one newcomer getting above 20%. However, this opened things up for three returners to cross the 66% requirement for induction. 1B Yonder Aguirre led the way with 83.3% in his third ballot. SP Julio Sandoval made it on his seventh attempt at 73.3% and fellow pitcher Ian Paniagua got 69.3% for his third ballot. No one else was above 50% and no players were dropped after ten failed ballots.



Yonder Aguirre – First Base – Havana Hurricanes – 83.3% Third Ballot

Yonder Aguirre was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. Aguirre was a solid contract hitter with a great pop in his bat, getting 38 home runs and 32 doubles per his 162 game average. He wasn’t a league leader, but Aguirre was steady and consistent. However, Aguirre was mediocre both at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. He was also very slow and sluggish on the basepaths.

Aguirre made around 80% of his starts at first base with most of the rest as a designated hitter. He was a reliably good defender at first, winning Gold Gloves from 2007-09. Aguirre had outstanding durability and basically never missed time to injury. He was quite intelligent, but was viewed by most teammates as a distant loner.

His power potential was quickly noticed as a teenager growing in in the Dominican capital. A visiting scout from Havana was able to convince Aguirre to come to Cuba on a developmental deal in March 1994. He spent most of six years in their academy, but Aguirre did debut in 1997 at age 19. From 1997-99, he played 80 games and started 37, struggling in his limited play. Aguirre earned a full-time starting gig in 2000 and held it exclusively for the next decade.

From 2000-07, Aguirre posted 4.9+ WAR, 30+ home runs, 110+ RBI, and a .300+ batting average each year. He topped 40 home runs six times in that stretch, winning a Silver Slugger at DH in 2000 and 1B in 2005. Aguirre signed a two-year, $11,600,000 extension in April 2003, then inked a seven-year, $50,300,000 extension in May 2005.

Aguirre was third in MVP voting in 2005, his only time as a finalist. This was his lone time leading in a major stat with 219 hits. That was a career high, as was his 116 runs, 137 RBI, .342/.372/.618 slash, .989 OPS, 165 wRC+, and 8.2 WAR. Aguirre’s 45 homers were his second most, as he smacked 46 in 2003.

Havana was regularly above .500 in this era, but fell behind the dynasty runs of Haiti and Honduras. The Hurricanes lost in the Caribbean League Championship Series in both 2002 and 2004, then lost in the first round in 2005. They missed the playoffs from 2006-08. Aguirre also played 80 games with 62 starts for the Dominican Republic from 2000-13 in the World Baseball Championship, posting 62 hits, 36 runs, 14 doubles, 19 home runs, 33 RBI, a .247/.297/.538 slash, 143 wRC+, and 2.4 WAR

Aguirre’s production dropped sharply after the 2007 season, going from a regular 5+ WAR guy to the 2-3 WAR range. He still hit 43 home runs in the 2009 season, then stepped up in the playoffs as Havana won the CABA Championship over Monterrey. In 16 playoff starts, Aguirre posted 19 hits, 12 runs, 7 homers, 14 RBI, and a .985 OPS. For his playoff career, he started 36 games with 40 hits, 22 runs, 8 doubles, 12 homers, 27 RBI, a .274/.287/.589 slash, 132 wRC+, and 1.3 WAR. The Hurricanes would fall off after this surprise title win, finishing below .500 the next four years.

In 2010, Aguirre was reduced to a backup role with only 89 games and 47 starts. He was back to starting two more seasons with Havana, reaching 500 career home runs. After the 2012 season, Aguirre became a free agent for the first time at age 35. The Hurricanes would later retire his #28 uniform for his efforts and role in their first title since 1975.

Aguirre couldn’t find another CABA job and moved to West African Baseball in 2013 on a three-year, $16,500,000 deal with Ouagadougou. He was an okay starter in 2013 with 1.3 WAR and 108 wRC+ in 147 games and 126 starts. Aguirre struggled in only 49 games in 2014 with -0.8 WAR and a .512 OPS. He retired that winter at age 37.

With Havana, Aguirre had 2408 hits, 1194 runs, 410 doubles, 505 home runs, 1456 RBI, 266 walks, 1744 strikeouts, a .306/.330/.563 slash, 137 wRC+, and 59.5 WAR. As of 2037, Aguirre ranks 86^th in hits, 69^th in home runs, and 55^th in RBI. He does fit outside of the top 100 in WAR among position players. He had some nice home run tallies, but advanced stats put him a bit on the borderline. Aguirre also lacked black ink, but he was often in the top ten in big stats during his prime.

Aguirre just missed the cut in his first two ballots at 64.7% and 62.9%. A lack of impactful debuts helped make his resume jump out a bit more come the 2020 CABA Hall of Fame ballot. Aguirre’s home run power, a sustained run with one team, and helping Havana win the title in 2009 helped get him the nod, even if he wasn’t THE top first baseman of his era. Aguirre bumped up to a rock solid 83.3% for a third ballot induction and the headline spot in 2020.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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Julio Sandoval – Starting Pitcher – Honduras Horsemen – 73.3% Seventh Ballot

Julio Sandoval was a 6’2’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Las Vegas, Honduras, a town of around 11,000 people. Sandoval had very good stuff and movement, although his control was never better than average. His 97-99 mph sinker was his strongest pitch, but his curveball, changeup, and splitter were each potent options. Sandoval’s stamina was good compared to most CABA aces and he had good durability, tossing 200+ innings in all but his final season. He was average defensively and was generally a well-liked guy in the clubhouse.

Sandoval emerged as a top pitching prospect ahead of CABA’s 1997 Draft and was picked ninth overall by Panama. The Parrots made him a full-time starter right away with 219 innings and 2.2 WAR in his rookie season. Sandoval got more effective after that and topped 6+ WAR in three of his five seasons with the Parrots. He led the Caribbean League in innings in 2000 (289.2) and unfortunately led in walks (101) in 2001. Sandoval was a good starter at this point, but wasn’t in awards conversations.

Panama was subpar during this era, averaging 74.6 wins per season in Sandoval’s tenure. With that, they weren’t able to match the contract value that Sandoval would get on the free agent market after the 2002 season. In five seasons for the Parrots, Sandoval had a 75-64 record, 3.59 ERA, 1285 innings, 1245 strikeouts, 401 walks, 112 ERA+, and 26.0 WAR.

Heading towards his age 28 season, Sandoval returned to his home country and signed a four-year, $17,280,000 deal with Honduras. This became his most famous and notably run. The Horsemen had been a regular contender recently, earning nine playoff berths in the prior ten years. However, they had struggled in the postseason since their 1993 CABA title with four CLCS defeats and four losses in the first round.

Sandoval helped Honduras get back to the mountaintop, winning the CABA Championship over Ecatepec in 2003 with a 110-52 record. He took third in Pitcher of the Year voting with a 7.2 WAR effort and went 3-0 in the playoffs with a 25.4 ERA and 35 strikeouts over 28.1 innings. Honduras repeated as Caribbean champ in 2004, but lost the CABA finale in a rematch with the Explosion. Sandoval had a 3.90 ERA over 27.2 playoff innings with 33 strikeouts in the 2004 run.

2004 was Sandoval’s finest season, winning his lone Pitcher of the Year by posting the first Triple Crown pitching season in CABA since 1996. He had a 24-3 record, 2.11 ERA, and 351 strikeouts; all career highs. Sandoval also hit his career best WAR at 8.6. He led in WAR at 8.4 in 2005 and took second in POTY voting. He allowed 4 runs in 8.1 innings in his lone playoff start as Honduras was a wild card with a first round defeat.

Sandoval posted 6.5 WAR in 2006 and Honduras got back to the CLCS, although they were ousted by Haiti. He had a 1.93 ERA over 14 playoff innings. For his postseason career, Sandoval had a 3.10 ERA and 5-1 record over 78.1 innings, 81 strikeouts, 18 walks, 127 ERA+, and 0.8 WAR. While his tenure was only four years, Sandoval played a big role in getting Honduras over the hump for two pennants and one CABA title. With the Horsemen, he had a 76-26 record, 2.72 ERA, 1021 innings, 1174 strikeouts, 255 walks, 146 ERA+, and 30.7 WAR.

Soon to be 32-years old, Sandoval was a free agent again for 2007. Jamaica inked him to a six-year, $37,900,000 deal which ended up being a big bust. His velocity had dipped from the upper 90s to mid 90s in his last year with Honduras, but Sandoval declined rapidly with the Jazz. In his Jamaica debut, Sandoval was peaking in the 90-92 mph range and struggled to a 4.40 ERA and 1.5 WAR over 256 innings.

For 2008, Sandoval now was topping out in the 85-87 mph range. He was actively bad over 187.1 innings with a 4.37 ERA and was taken out of the rotation. Sandoval remained under contract for 2009 and 2010, but Jamaica didn’t use him in either season. With the Jazz, he had a 4.18 ERA over 443.1 innings, 17-32 record, 233 strikeouts, 98 ERA+, and 2.0 WAR. Sandoval officially retired after the 2010 season at age 35.

Sandoval finished with a 168-122 record, 3.36 ERA, 2749.1 innings, 2652 strikeouts, 757 walks, 186/335 quality starts, 115 complete games, 119 ERA+, and 58.6 WAR. As of 2037, he falls outside the top 100 in all of the counting stats except for the bad one of walks (39^th). Sandoval’s quick and sudden decline kept him from reaching accumulations that most figured he’d reach easily based on how his 20s went. Because of that, many voters felt he didn’t have the tenure to deserve a Hall of Fame spot. Supporters noted his window of dominance with Honduras, the Triple Crown season, and two Caribbean pennants.

In 2014, Sandoval debuted on the ballot at 47.8%. He bounced between the 40-55% range for his next three ballots, then came close to the 66% requirement in 2018 at 61.9%. Sandoval dropped back to 54.6% in 2019, but got the benefit of weak debuts for 2020. He bumped across the line at 73.3% for induction with the 2020 class on his seventh ballot.



Ian Paniagua – Starting Pitcher – Juarez Jesters – 69.3% Third Ballot

Ian Paniagua was a 6’6’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico; a town of 75,000 within the San Juan metropolitan area. Despite his size, Paniagua wasn’t a power pitcher as his velocity peaked at only 89-91 mph. However, he had solid stuff with a diverse six-pitch arsenal mixed with great control and strong movement. Paniagua had a fastball, slider, forkball, changeup, cutter, and circle change on offer.

Paniagua’s stamina was good relative to other CABA aces and he had reliable durability for most of his run. He was mediocre at holding runners and fielding the position. The main knock on Paniagua was that he was a selfish jerk. Many teammates and coaches noted his lack of effort and intelligence. Even if he coasted at times on his natural talent, Paniagua still managed to post a 17-year professional career.

In November 1990, a teenaged Paniagua was spotted by a visiting Mexican scout from Juarez, giving him a developmental contract. He spent five years in the Jesters’ academy before debuting in 1996 at age 22, posting a 4.25 ERA over 118.2 innings. He started much of 1997, then was a full-time fixture in the rotation from 1998-2009 with Juarez. During that run, Paniagua topped 5+ WAR in nine different seasons. His production and innings were steady, although he rarely was a league leader and was never a Pitcher of the Year finalist. Paniagua did have the most complete games in 2003 and quality starts in 2007.

Juarez gave Paniagua a five-year, $13,360,000 extension after the 1998 season, followed by a seven-year, $40,760,000 extension just before the 2003 campaign. They knew what to expect from Paniagua, which helped the Jesters become a contender in the 2000s. From 2000-06, Juarez had six playoff berths. They fell in the Mexican League Championship Series in 2000 and 2002, then had first round exits as a wild card in 2003 and 2004.

The Jesters broke through and won back-to-back Mexican League titles in 2005-06. Juarez failed to win the CABA Championship though, falling to Salvador in 2005 and Haiti in 2006. Paniagua was excellent in the 2006 run with a 2.37 ERA over 38 innings. However, he struggled in his other playoff opportunities. For his career, Paniagua was a lackluster 7-10 with a 4.67 ERA over 115.2 playoff innings with 98 strikeouts, 13 walks, 80 ERA+, and 0.8 WAR. He did fare better in his sporadic World Baseball Championship appearances for Puerto Rico with 111 innings, a 2.59 ERA, 8-3 record, 1.3 WAR, and 112 strikeouts.

Juarez fell just outside the playoffs for the remainder of Paniagua’s run. He saw his first injury setback in late summer 2008 with a torn rotator cuff. Paniagua bounced back though with a career-best 2.80 ERA in 2009. Still, the Jesters bought out the remainder of his deal, making Paniagua a free agent at age 36. Despite his personality clashes, Juarez would later retire his #30 uniform. Paniagua had a 213-142 record, 3.56 ERA, 3255 innings, 3104 strikeouts, 609 walks, 104 ERA+, and 69.1 WAR.

Tijuana signed Paniagua to a three-year, $17,100,000 deal. He ate innings, but otherwise struggled with his worst production in his two seasons for the Toros. Paniagua posted a 21-30 record, 4.14 ERA, 461 innings, 378 strikeouts, 89 ERA+, and 4.2 WAR. Tijuana would trade him in the offseason to Santo Domingo for three prospects.

Paniagua was a back-end starter with passable results in his one year with the Dolphins with 2.9 WAR over 170 innings and a 4.24 ERA. He wasn’t used in the playoffs, but he earned a ring as Santo Domingo won the CABA Championship against his former squad Juarez. Paniagua did see 15 innings in the Baseball Grand Championship, but struggled to a 7.20 ERA. He wanted to play somewhere in 2013, but teams weren’t interested. Paniagua retired in the winter at age 39.

In total, Paniagua had a 245-177 record, 3.66 ERA, 3886 innings, 3595 strikeouts, 771 walks, 295/500 quality starts, 130 complete games, 22 shutouts, 101 ERA+, and 76.2 WAR. As of 2037, Paniagua ranks 18^th in wins, 16^th in innings, 31^st in strikeouts, 44^th in complete games, 34^th in walks, and 44^th in WAR among pitchers. The 101 ERA+ and 3.66 ERA suggested sustained averageness, although his 86 FIP- suggested Paniagua may have been stronger than the ERA stats would suggest.

There were voters who were underwhelmed by his overall production, playoff struggles, and lack of awards. Paniagua’s ERA would be the worst of any Hall of Fame inductee in CABA. Plus, he was an unlikeable jerk. However, Paniagua’s longevity got him to milestones though as to that point, every eligible pitcher with 230+ wins and/or 3500+ strikeouts made the cut. He narrowly missed the 66% requirement in his first two ballots at 61.9% and 62.6%. Paniagua didn’t cross the line by much, but 69.3% in 2020 earned him a third ballot induction into CABA’s HOF.