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

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Viaan Ramakrishna – Closer – Lucknow Larks – 88.1% First Ballot

Viaan Ramakrishna was a 6’6’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Chennai, India; formerly known as Madras. Ramakrishna had absolutely filthy stuff along with solid control and movement. His one-two punch was a 97-99 mph fastball and a great slider, both of which were equally potent. Ramakrishna’s remarkable strikeout rate earned him the nickname “Mauler.”

Ramakrishna’s durability was decent for his career and you could usually get a full workload out of him. His stamina was very limited though, so you couldn’t expect many multi-inning outings. Ramakrishna graded as a good defensive pitcher, but his ability to hold runners was shockingly poor. His work ethic was impressive and you could rely on Ramakrishna to give you his absolute best every time.

In the 2004 SAB Draft, Ramakrishna was selected by Lucknow with the ninth pick of the second round; 40^th overall. The Larks had joined the Indian League earlier that year as part of league expansion. Ramakrishna was the full-time closer right away and by his second year, he started a streak of 11 seasons worth 3+ WAR. Ramakrishna led in saves in 2007 with 42, a career best for him. In 2009, he had his career best 203 strikeouts, taking second in Reliever of the Year voting.

Only so much recognition was possible with an expansion team. Lucknow mostly struggled for their first decade apart from a surprise 90-72 in 2008. They plummeted back to 69-93 the next year. By July 2011, the Larks were sellers and sent Ramakrishna to Hanoi at the deadline for three prospects. For Lucknow, Ramakrishna had 536 innings, 213 saves, 2.30 ERA, 1031 strikeouts, 112 walks, 152 ERA+, and 26.1 WAR. Ramakrishna was the franchise’s first Hall of Famer by way of not spending more than three years anywhere else, pitching close to seven years for the Larks.

Ramakrishna had gotten some recognition throughout South Asia Baseball for his work with India in the World Baseball Championship. He made 13 appearances with 20.2 innings and 40 strikeouts in India’s 2009 World Championship win over the United States. He then tossed 13 scoreless innings in 2010 as they finished fourth. Ramakrishna was third that year in Best Pitcher voting. In total, Ramakrishna had 73 innings from 2006-19 with a 2.47 ERA, 22 saves, 121 strikeouts, and 2.5 WAR.

He had his first taste of the SAB playoffs in 2011 with Hanoi, who lost to Dhaka in the Southeast Asia League Championship. Ramakrishna tossed six scoreless innings with 14 Ks, giving him momentum heading to free agency at age 30. Surat signed Ramakrishna for 2012, but traded him to Chittagong in the summer after the Silver Sox underperformed. Ramakrishna had 4.6 WAR, 1.45 ERA, and 35 saves between the squads.

Ramakrishna joined Kolkata in 2013 and led in saves with 42, while also posting his career best ERA at 1.13 to earn his first Reliever of the Year. He missed the playoffs though with a torn rotator cuff suffered in late September. Ramakrishna was back ready by 2014 at age 32 and had a second solid stint with Hanoi, taking second in Reliever of the Year voting. The Hounds fell in the SEAL Championship against Yangon.

Looking to cement his status as a good pick for any SAB Immaculate Grid, Ramakrishna continued to bounce around for the next few years. He had a 1.30 ERA, 35 saves, 183 Ks, and 5.3 WAR in 2015 for Mumbai, winning his second Reliever of the Year. Ramakrishna was a beast in the playoffs as the Meteors won the Indian League title, eventually falling in the SAB Championship to Yangon. Ramakrishna tossed 19 playoff innings with 36 strikeouts, two unearned runs allowed and two saves.

Hanoi brought him back for round three in 2016, taking third in Reliever of the Year voting. Ramakrishna gave up four runs in 11.2 playoff innings with 18 strikeouts and four saves, helping the Hounds win the 2016 SAB Championship over Mumbai. In the Baseball Grand Championship, Ramakrishna had seven saves in nine appearances with a 138 ERA and 25 Ks in 13 innings. Hanoi finished 12-7, one win short of the top spot for a third place finish after tiebreakers.

Between the three stints with Hanoi, Ramakrishna had 84 saves, 203.1 innings, 381 strikeouts, and 10.6 WAR. He also reached 400 career saves in 2016, the fourth to reach the mark in SAB. Ramakrishna joined Yangon in 2017 at age 35 and was moved out of the closer job, but was still effective with 52 innings and a 2.60 ERA. He again shined in the postseason as the Green Dragons beat Kanpur for the SAB Championship.

In the playoffs, Ramakrishna allowed two earned runs over 9.2 innings with 13 strikeouts. He did struggle though in the Baseball Grand Championship, giving up six earned in 5.1 innings. Yangon was near the bottom of the standings at 6-13. Ramakrishna overall earned the reputation as a great playoff pitcher, finishing his SAB career with a 1.33 ERA over 47.1 innings and 28 games, 8 saves, 18 shutdowns, 83 strikeouts, and 2.6 WAR.

Ramakrishna spent 2018 with Ho Chi Minh City and was iffy in a setup role. Hyderabad signed him for 2019 as a closer with decent results initially, but he suffered a ruptured UCL in late May that knocked him out 14 months. Ramakrishna attempted a comeback with Vientiane in 2020 and tossed 11.1 scoreless innings late in the year. That earned him another shot with Hyderabad in 2021 with a 2.35 ERA over 23 innings of back-end relief. Ramakrishna retired that winter shortly after his 40^th birthday.

In total, Ramakrishna had 1154.1 innings over 963 games, 444 saves, 537 shutdowns, a 94-75 record, 2118 strikeouts, 256 walks, 179 ERA+, 43 FIP-, and 54.7 WAR. As of 2037, Ramakrishna ranks 5^th in saves and 4^th in appearances. His WAR is 44^th among all SAB pitchers and is second among SAB Hall of Fame closers.

Most notably, his 16.51 K/9 leads all SAB pitchers with 1000+ career innings. The only other qualifying pitchers with a better K/9 in one league were BSA’s Chano Angel (17.33) and CLB’s Yongjie Xie (16.72). As for other SAB rate stats, Ramakrishna is 4^th in ERA, 3^rd in opponent’s OPS (.523), and 4^th in H/9 (5.80). His .179/.230/.293 triple slash each rank 3^rd among qualifiers.

Among all relievers in world history, Ramakrishna ranks 11^th in strikeouts and is one of 18 career relievers with 2000 Ks. He also ranks 35^th in saves, 41^st in games pitched, 29^th in WAR (among relievers), 33^rd in shutdowns, 44^th in ERA+, 32^nd in FIP-, and 48^th in opponent’s OPS.

Few relievers in any league were better at getting strikeouts and even fewer could maintain such a K rate over that long of a career. When you add in Ramakrishna’s playoff success, even most reliever-skeptic voters agreed that he was an obvious choice. At 88.1%, Ramakrishna earned a first ballot selection as part of South Asia Baseball’s 2027 class.



Seyha San – Closer – Bangkok Bobcats – 80.7% First Ballot

Seyha San was a 6’4’’, 195 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Savannakhet, the second-largest city in Laos with around 125,000 people. San was only the second Laotian to earn induction, joining Class of 2008 SP Jade Poomkeaw. San had strong stuff, excellent control, and good movement. His fastball peaked in the 96-98 mph range and was supported by a solid forkball. San had an extreme groundball tendency.

San’s stamina was good and he had mostly good durability after dealing with some injuries in his mid 20s. He graded as subpar at holding runners and defense. He was spotted in May 2001 and signed to a developmental deal with Bangkok, spending around four years in their academy in Thailand. San debuted in 2005 in mid relief at age 20 with a 3.88 ERA over 65 innings. The Bobcats moved him into the closer role after that, which he held for eight years.

There were interruptions due to injury early on. A partially torn labrum in June 2008 put San out for the rest of the year. San bounced back in 2009 with his lone Reliever of the Year win with a 1.52 ERA, 118 strikeouts, and 3.8 WAR in 83 innings. He dealt with another partial labrum tear and forearm inflammation in 2010. San was mostly healthy after that, but didn’t reclaim his 2009 dominance while with Bangkok.

The Bobcats went 88-74 in 2009, their first winning season since 2001. They earned a division title in 2010, but had a first round playoff exit. Bangkok stayed in the upper 80 win tally the next two years, then fell to 69-93 in 2013. San had signed a two-year, $5,040,000 extension in June 2011, but opted for free agency for 2014 at age 29.

With Bangkok, San had a 223 saves, 245 shutdowns, 597.1 innings, 472 games, 2.71 ERA, 729 strikeouts, 162 walks, 144 ERA+, and 17.7 WAR. He was generally liked enough for his nine-year run and the Bobcats later retired San’s #9 uniform. San would bounce back-and-forth between Mumbai and Yangon from 2014-19, closing for both. He was with the Meteors in the even years and the Green Dragons in the odd years.

San led the Southeast Asia League with 39 saves in 2015, his only time as the leader. He was second in Reliever of the Year voting in 2015 and 2018 and third in 2019. Both teams were in the midst of playoff streaks with San getting an Indian League title with Mumbai in 2016 and SAB Championship wins for Yangon in both 2015 and 2017.

His playoff numbers for his career were solid with a 2.40 ERA over 56.1 innings, 28 appearances, 11 saves, 73 strikeouts, and 1.3 WAR. San also had a 1.12 ERA over 16 innings with 21 strikeouts in the Baseball Grand Championship for Yangon. The Green Dragons finished 6-13 in both editions. For Yangon overall, San had 107 saves, 1.75 ERA, 201 innings, 267 Ks, and 7.9 WAR. With the Meteors, he had 107 saves, 2.12 ERA, 242.1 innings, 348 strikeouts, and 8.4 WAR.

In 2018, San became the fifth SAB reliever to 400 career saves. Saroth Bora’s record of 499 seemed possible as San’s game was seemingly aging well. In 2019, he lost almost two weeks to a strained shoulder, but he had his lowest ERA at 0.76. San joined Vientiane for 2020 and got 21 saves in 58 innings with 3.0 WAR. His velocity started to drop though and he was out of the closer role in 2021 with Ho Chi Minh City. San was unsigned in 2022 and retired that winter at age 38.

San finished with 1135.1 innings, 951 games, 460 saves, 502 shutdowns, 105-87 record, 1445 strikeouts, 287 walks, 160 ERA+, 65 FIP-, and 37.4 WAR. As of 2037, San is 4^th in saves and 5^th in games. He has his Hall of Fame classmate Viaan Ramakrishna just beaten in saves, but San’s rate stats were definitely weaker than Ramakrishna’s,

Still among SAB pitchers with 1000+ innings as of 2037, San ranks 9^th in ERA, 84^th in WHIP (1.06), and 38^th in opponent’s OPS (.599). San’s 7.29 H/9 ranks 78^th and his K/9 of 11.45 is 67^th. His .219/.270/.329 triple slash ranked 67^th/65^th/33^rd. San’s WAR ranked 5^th among the other Hall of Fame relievers in South Asia Baseball lore.

San’s longevity got him on the world leaderboards as of 2037, ranking 26^th in saves and 48^th in games pitched. He misses the top 50 in the rate stats though and isn’t generally placed in that tier among the elite of the elite like Ramakrishna. Getting 450+ saves in one league was a clincher by itself though for most voters and San’s playoff value with Yangon and Mumbai clinched it with most remaining doubters. At 80.7%, San secured a first ballot induction to cap off SAB’s three-player 2027 class.

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The Asian Baseball Federation’s 2027 Hall of Fame class was an impressive one with three debuts getting above 95%. 1B Ali Sungu (98.4%), OF Majd Bsharri (97.5%), and SP Ali Massoudi (95.9%) each secured their spots easily. CL Gafar Aliev barely missed the 66% threshold with a 62.7% debut. The best returner and only other guy above 50% was CL Sadri Delkashi at 56.4% for his second ballot. No one was dropped after ten failed ballots.


Ali Sungu – First Base/Designated Hitter – Baku Blackbirds – 98.4% First Ballot

Ali Sungu was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed first baseman from Corlu, Turkey; a city with around 300,000 people located just west of Istanbul. Sungu was an excellent home run hitter and an absolute beast against right-handed pitching, posting a career 1.010 OPS and 188 wRC+. He wasn’t bad against lefties though with .751 OPS and 123 wRC+.

Sungu graded as a strong contact hitter with a solid eye for walks on the whole. He did struggle though with strikeouts against both sides. Sungu’s gap power especially was much more pronounced against righties, but he had 29 doubles and 45 homers per his 162 game average overall. Sungu was a very crafty baserunner and base stealer despite having mediocre speed at best.

All of Sungu’s starts in the field came at first base with generally poor defensive metrics. Just over 70% of his career starts were at 1B with the rest as a designated hitter. While Sungu did miss time here and there, he mostly avoided major injuries over his 17 year career. He was a fan favorite, known for his intelligence, loyalty, and adaptability. Sungu was very popular in Baku, where he spent his entire pro career.

His time in the capital of Azerbaijan began in August 2001 when Sungu signed a developmental deal with Baku. He debuted mostly as a pinch hitter in 2005 at age 20 with 81 games and 10 starts. Sungu was moved to a full-time role after that and maintained that job for 16 years. 2007 would be his first of eight seasons worth 7+ WAR. Sungu would post at least 5+ WAR each year but one from 2007-2020.

Sungu emerged as elite by 2007, winning his first Silver Slugger as a DH. He won an additional DH Slugger in 2008 and four straight at first base from 2010-13 Sungu won MVP in 2010, 2012, and 2013. He was also second in 2008’s MVP voting and second in 2014. During that stretch, Sungu led the West League four times in runs, four times in homers, thrice in RBI, thrice in slugging, and twice in both OPS and wRC+.

2012 was Sungu’s finest year with league and career highs in runs (131), homers (65), RBI (148), total bases (418), OBP (.400), slugging (.706), OPS (1.106), wRC+ (216), and WAR (11.0). The 65 homers were the sixth-most in ABF history to that point and his .326 batting averages fell only seven points shy for a Triple Crown. Sungu also was above one OPS thrice more, hit 50+ homers four times total, and in seven seasons had both 100+ runs scored and 100+ RBI.

Baku had left Eurasian Professional Baseball in the big 2000 exodus of teams and had struggled in their first years in the Asian Baseball Federation. Sungu helped turn the Blackbirds into a contender, earning seven straight playoff berths and six division titles from 2009-15. They went one-and-done in their first appearance in 2009, but they knew they were cooking. That winter, Baku signed Sungu to an eight-year, $47,080,000 extension.

From that came a dynasty run with West League pennant wins in 2010, 2012, and 2013. Baku lost the 2010 ABF Championship to Rawalpindi, then lost in the first round in 2011. The Blackbirds bounced back at 108-54 in 2012, winning their first ABF Championship over Lahore. Baku was 105-57 in 2012 and got back to the final, losing the finals to Hyderabad. The Blackbirds went 104-58 in 2013 and 2014, but both campaigns ended in round one losses.

Sungu was an excellent playoff batter, winning WLCS MVP in 2010 and ABF Championship MVP in 2013. He had 81 playoff starts with 74 hits, 54 runs, 13 doubles, 26 home runs, 55 RBI, 30 walks, .258/.341/.582 slash, 164 wRC+, and 4.3 WAR. In the 2012 Baseball Grand Championship, Sungu had 13 hits, 12 runs, 6 homers, 9 RBI, .924 OPS, 158 wRC+, and 0.7 WAR over 18 games. The Blackbirds finished at 8-11 in their first BGC.

While his pro career was completely in Azerbaijan, Sungu was a strong regular for his native Turkey in the Baseball Grand Championship, helping them to division titles in 2008 and 2014. From 2007-20, Sungu played 130 games for Turkey with 111 hits, 77 runs, 20 doubles, 46 home runs, 96 RBI, .250/.363/.606 slash, and 6.3 WAR.

Baku’s playoff streak ended in 2016 as they were 86-76, one win short of a wild card. In 2017, the Blackbirds made it as far as the WLCS, but lost to a 116-win juggernaut in Tehran. Sungu’s production was down from his peak, but he was still a strong starter in his early 30s. Before the 2017 season, Sungu signed a five-year, $48,400,000 extension. Baku stayed around or just above .500 for his remaining tenure, but didn’t get back to the playoffs.

In May 2019, Sungu became only the third ABF slugger to reach 600 career home runs. He hit 43 that season to get to 632, one away from Radi Umar’s then-record 633. Sungu easily passed it in 2020 while also reaching 2000 career hits and 1500 RBI. With steady production through that year at only age 35, it seemed likely that Sungu would catch Petri Viskari’s records for runs (1446) and RBI (1685).

However, Sungu fell short of both marks as he fell completely off a cliff in 2021. Despite starting the whole year, he only hit 17 home runs with 57 runs, 54 RBI, .642 OPS, and -1.1 WAR. It was an abrupt end to such a storied career with Sungu retiring that winter at age 36. Baku immediately honored him by retiring his #13 uniform. His efforts got them their first pennants in ABF and the Blackbirds would remain a general contender through the 2020s and 2030s.

Sungu ‘s final stats saw 2435 games, 2273 hits, 1438 runs, 433 doubles, 26 triples, 683 home runs, 1571 RBI, 829 walks, 2116 strikeouts, 203 stolen bases, .277/.358/.586 slash, 172 wRC+, and 102.9 WAR. Sungu’s reign as home run king was short-lived with Habib Saquib passing him five years later. Sungu still ranks 4^th in dingers as of 2037 and also ranks 8^th in RBI, 22^nd in games, 42^nd in hits, 12^th in runs, 66^th in doubles, 16^th in total bases (4807), 19^th in walks, 38^th in strikeouts, and 12^th in WAR among position players.

Among ABF batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Sungu’s slugging ranks 23^rd, OBP ranks 52^nd, and his .944 OPS is 25^th. He was one of the best sluggers of his era in ABF and an easy Hall of Fame headliner, leading a loaded three-player 2027 class at 98.4%. Most have Sungu in ABF’s top 20 position player lists with some placing him into the top ten. He’s also usually cited in the top five among all players to come out of Turkey.

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Majd Bsharri – Left/Right Field – Bursa Blue Claws – 97.5% First Ballot

Majd Bsharri was a 6’1’’, 205 pound left-handed hitting corner outfielder from Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city. On the whole, Bsharri graded as good-to-great in terms of contact, power, and eye. He was definitely stronger facing right-handed pitching (.947 career OPS, 171 wRC+) compared to lefties (.730 OPS, 112 wRC+). Bsharri was better than most in ABF at drawing walks, but his strikeout rate was subpar.

Bsharri wasn’t generally a prolific slugger, but both his home run and gap power were reliably strong with a 162 game average of 31 homers, 38 doubles, and 7 triples. His speed was merely average, but Bsharri was a skilled base stealer who got more than swipes than you’d expect. His durability was excellent in his 20s, although he did run into some issues in his 30s.

About 75% of his starts came in the outfield with most split between left and right. Bsharri fared better in left, but he was below average in either spot. He was actively terrible in brief tries in center and at first base. Bsharri did also see just under 20% of his starts as a designated hitter. He was a respected team captain known for his leadership, work ethic, and loyalty. Few players were better men than Bsharri, helping him become a universal favorite among ABF fans and players.

Bsharri left Pakistan for Turkey in April 1999 as he signed a developmental deal with Bursa. He was an incredibly rare 18-year old debutant in 2001, although he only had six at-bats in the regular season. Bsharri also went 2-4 in the playoffs with one double and three RBI as the Blue Claws earned their second pennant, falling to Dushanbe in the ABF Championship. He may hold the distinction as the youngest player in baseball history with a playoff hit, turning 19 on October 10.

Bsharri saw 75 games and 20 starts in 2002, but struggled as he definitely wasn’t ready yet. He didn’t see playoff use as Bursa lost in the WLCS to Isfahan. Bsharri looked better in 2003 with 2.0 WAR over 131 games and 89 starts. He also had five playoff hits as the Blue Claws’ lost in the first round, but saw their playoff streak grow to seven seasons. Bsharri earned a full-time slot in the lineup in 2004 and was a Bursa fixture through 2015.

In 2004, he was merely a decent starter in the regular season. Bsharri also struggled in the playoffs with .577 OPS and -0.2 WAR, but Bursa prevailed for their first ABF Championship win in a rematch with Dushanbe. The Blue Claws liked his potential, giving Bsharri a five-year, $8,820,000 extension that winter. Bsharri emerged as elite in 2005 with his first Silver Slugger (in RF) and a third place in MVP voting, leading in doubles (49), batting average (.320) and OBP (.395). He was okay in the playoffs as Bursa fell to Shiraz in the WLCS.

That was the final year of their playoff streak, as the Blue Claws were mostly around or below .500 for the next decade. Although Bursa’s glory years were done, Bsharri’s began. From 2005-12, he was worth 5+ WAR each year for the Blue Claws, topping 7+ WAR six times. Bsharri won additional Silver Sluggers in 2006-09 in left field and in right field in 2011-12.

Bsharri led in WAR in 2007 (9.1) and 2011 (8.9); leading both years in both total bases and slugging. 2007 was his lone MVP win and also had league and career bests in runs (100), homers (49), OPS (1.060), and wRC+ (193). Bsharri was third in MVP voting in 2005, 2011, and 2012. In June 2009, he signed an eight-year, $64,700,000 extension to stay with Bursa for the long haul.

Despite Bsharri’s consistent and reliable excellence, Bursa showed no signs of improvement with nothing but losing seasons from 2009-19. Bsharri had stayed loyal, but finally felt the need to opt out of his deal early after the 2015 season. Most Blue Claws fans understood and had felt a lot of the same frustrations. With Bursa, Bsharri had 2037 games, 2053 hits, 1095 runs, 515 doubles, 100 triples, 395 home runs, 1113 RBI, 753 walks, 358 steals, .292/.366/.562 slash, 162 wRC+, and 83.8 WAR. His #12 uniform would eventually be retired.

Now 33-years old and a free agent for the first time, Bsharri signed a five-year, $51,500,000 deal with Tehran. He wanted to play for a winner and the Tarpons were on a five-year playoff streak. Tehran had gone 115-47 the prior year, but got upset in the first round. The Tarpons hoped Bsharri could get them over that hump, as they hadn’t made it beyond the WLCS in the last four tries.

Although Bsharri’s production did trop a bit from his Bursa levels, he still was good for 4.4 WAR in his debut season. Most importantly, he stepped up in the playoffs with .937 OPS and 1.0 WAR over 14 starts, helping Tehran win the ABF Championship over Dushanbe. Bsharri was an absolute beast in the Baseball Grand Championship with 1.358 OPS, 272 wRC+, 2.0 WAR, 23 hits, 17 runs, 12 homers, and 16 RBI over 19 starts. The Tarpons finished 11-8, among the five times even for fifth place.

Tehran was even better in 2017, winning the ABF Championship at 116-46 and again going 11-8 in the BGC. Bsharri was only able to provide leadership, as he didn’t play a single game that season after suffering an ACL tear in spring training. He did make it back for 2018 with similar production to his 2016 season. Bsharri then dipped a bit in 2019 and lost about two months to injury. Tehran made the playoffs both years, but couldn’t get beyond the first round.

Bsharri didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the fifth year of the deal, becoming a free agent for 2020 at age 37. With Tehran, Bsharri had 428 games, 369 hits, 198 runs, 81 doubles, 72 home runs, 181 RBI, 110 walks, .262/.326/.482 slash, 145 wRC+, and 11.5 WAR. He was still remembered fondly among Tarpons fans and officials though, especially for his role in the 2016 title. Bsharri decided to return to his home city of Karachi, inking a three-year, $20,900,000 deal with the Carp.

To that point, Bsharri's entire pro career had been outside of his home country Pakistan. However, he had been a regular in the World Baseball Championship, helping Pakistan to a fourth place in 2007 and a third in 2010. From 2006-19, Bsharri played 130 games with 106 hits, 64 runs, 29 doubles, 25 home runs, 78 RBI, .269/.340/.538 slash, and 4.7 WAR.

Bsharri was a decent starter in 2020 with Karachi despite missing a month to a strained oblique. He became only the third ABF batter to reach 2500 hits in August 2020. Bsharri fell off noticeably though and was a part-timer in 2021 with 0.3 WAR over 109 games and 79 starts. He retired after the 2021 season at age 39. With Karachi, Bsharri played 228 games with 175 hits, 96 runs, 30 doubles, 41 homers, 108 RBI, .240/.284/.461 slash, 133 wRC+, and 2.8 WAR.

The final stats had 2693 games, 2597 hits, 1389 runs, 626 doubles, 111 triples, 508 home runs, 1402 RBI, 900 walks, 2246 strikeouts, 479 steals, .283/.353/.541 slash, 157 wRC+, and 98.1 WAR. As of 2037, Bsharri ranks 9^th in games, 16^th in runs, 13^th in hits, 6^th in doubles, 24^th in home runs, 21^st in RBI, 11^th in total bases (4969), 11^th in walks, 30^th in strikeouts, and 18^th in WAR among position players.

Among ABF batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Bsharri’s .895 OPS is 50^th. He also ranks 68^th in OBP and 59^th in slugging. Bsharri didn’t dominate the leaderboards, but he was a reliably strong bat for more than 15 years, earning a spot on many top 20 ABF hitter rankings. At 97.5%, Bsharri was a Hall of Fame lock within the loaded 2027 class for the Asian Baseball Federation.



Ali Massoudi – Starting Pitcher – Rawalpindi Red Wings – 95.9% First Ballot

Ali Massoudi was a 6’4’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Khorramshahr, Iran; a city with around 133,000 people on the Persian Gulf. Massoudi had strong stuff, great control, and above average movement. His velocity peaked in the 95-97 mph range with a cutter and splitter. Massoudi also had a solid knuckle curve and standard curveball along with a rarely seen changeup.

Massoudi had excellent stamina and fantastic durability, tossing 230+ innings in all but his first and final seasons. He was also a terrific defensive pitcher, winning Gold Gloves in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Despite his great defense, Massoudi did struggle holding runners and had a lackluster pickoff move. He was a regular guy who wouldn’t cause problems, but also wouldn’t take a leadership role.

By the 2005 ABF Draft, Massoudi was at the top of many draft boards. He was picked first overall by Rawalpindi and spent his entire career with the Red Wings. Massoudi was kept in their academy for 2006 and debuted in 2007 innings with 90 innings. He was a full-time starter for 2008, but didn’t emerge as a top level ace until his third season.

Massoudi was second in 2009’s Pitcher of the Year voting, posting a league and career best 1.93 ERA. It would also be his best season by WAR (7.5) and was the first of 12 straight seasons with 300+ strikeouts. Massoudi also would post ten consecutive years worth 5+ WAR. Rawalpindi also ended a 20-year playoff drought in 2009 with their second-ever appearance. Massoudi got rocked in his one start though and the Red Wings were ousted in the first round.

He took third in 2010’s Pitcher of the Year voting with league and career highs for strikeouts (358), and WHIP (0.79). Massoudi made up for the prior year’s poor playoff start, posting a 1.95 ERA over 37 postseason innings with 46 strikeouts. Rawalpindi won their first-ever Asian Baseball Federation Championship, beating Baku in the final. Massoudi did struggle though with a 5.30 ERA in 18.2 innings in the Baseball Grand Championship, although Rawalpindi still had a nice showing at 6-3.

Massoudi cemented himself in Red Wings lore though by helping them to their first (and only as of 2037) ABF title. After the season, Rawalpindi signed Massoudi to a seven-year, $43,600,000 extension. The Red Wings would fall to the middle of the standings mostly for most of that run, but Massoudi held up his end. In 2011, he tossed a no-hitter on September 19 with 11 strikeouts and one walk versus Mashhad.

He led in strikeouts and shutouts in 2013, then had the dubious distinction of leading in losses (8-20) in 2014. That wasn’t his fault though as he still was worth 6.3 WAR for a lousy 63-99 squad. Rawalpindi bounced back to just above .500 the next two years, then had a first round playoff exit in 2017. The Red Wings stayed above 80 wins each year for the remainder of Massoudi’s tenure, but never made it back to the playoffs.

In 2017, Massoudi won his lone Pitcher of the Year, leading in innings (260.1), complete games (14), and shutouts (7) along with a 2.07 ERA, 318 Ks, and 6.8 WAR. Massoudi’s contract expired that winter and he was a free agent for the first time at age 32. After surveying the market for about a month, he signed a new five-year, $52,000,000 deal with Rawalpindi.

Massoudi spent his entire pro career in Pakistan, but he did regularly go home to Iran for the World Baseball Championship. From 2009-21, Massoudi tossed 193 innings with a 4.34 ERA, 12-10 record, 253 strikeouts, 51 walks, and 1.8 WAR. He was strong in 2018 as the Iranians earned their first-ever finals trip, dropping the World Championship to Poland. Over 34.2 innings, Massoudi had a 3-1 record, 2.86 ERA, and 50 Ks.

He remained among the top innings guys and in 2020 became the sixth ABF pitcher to 4000 career strikeouts. Massoudi’s stuff diminished sharply though in 2021 and he was moved out of the rotation, posting -0.6 WAR and 4.34 ERA for the year. He did become the ninth to 200 wins that year, but knew it was time to retire after that season’s struggles just after his 36^th birthday. Rawalpindi immediately retired Massoudi’s #22 uniform for his 15 years of service.

Massoudi finished with a 205-169 record, 2.74 ERA, 3564.2 innings, 4324 strikeouts, 608 walks, 309/423 quality starts, 176 complete games, 51 shutouts, 113 ERA+, 85 FIP-, and 70.5 WAR. As of 2037, Massoudi ranks 15^th in wins, 7^th in innings, 8^th in complete games, 2^nd in shutouts, 10^th in strikeouts, and 17^th in pitching WAR.

Among those with 1000+ innings, Massoudi’s ERA ranks 71^st. His .587 opponent’s OPS is 47^th and his 0.93 WHIP is 25^th. Massoudi had a triple slash of .208/.249/.338, ranking 52^nd/26^th/74^th. His 10.92 K/9 is 98^th, his 6.80 H/9 in 53^rd, and his 1.54 BB/9 is 68^th.

Massoudi will make some top ten ABF pitcher lists, but he wasn’t quite dominant enough or tenured enough to have that locked up fully. His Hall of Fame spot though was easily locked up between 200+ wins, 4000+ Ks, an ERA title, a Pitcher of the Year award, and a key role in a championship win. At 95.9%, Massoudi capped off an outstanding three-player 2027 class for the Asian Baseball Federation.

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Designated Hitter Tarek Abdel Rahman stood alone for Hall of Fame induction at 98.8% for Arab League Baseball’s 2027 voting. LF Abduwali Suleiman was the only other player to crack 50%, receiving 52.6% in his seventh ballot. RF Rauf Salah was the only other guy above 1/3 of the vote, debuting at 40.3%.



SP Jabor Karim was dropped after ten ballots, peaking at 29.5% in 2019 and ending at 15.0%. His tallies were hurt by spending his final six years in Europe. In ALB, Karim had an 11-year run with Tripoli, winning Pitcher of the Year and an ERA title in 2006. Karim had a 140-128 record, 3.40 ERA, 2557 innings, 3024 strikeouts, 482 walks, 112 ERA+, and 65.1 WAR. Had he stayed in ALB, he likely makes it in since he got to 211 wins, 4255 Ks, and 93.7 WAR for his combined career. Karim’s ALB tenure alone wasn’t long enough or insanely dominant enough to get the nod.



Tarek “Gorilla” Abdel Rahman – Designated Hitter – Jerusalem Jets – 98.8% First Ballot

Tarek Abdel Rahman was a 6’6’’, 205 pound left-handed hitting designated hitter from Cairo, the capital of Egypt. Abdel Rahman had both awesome contact skills and home run power. He was also good at drawing walks, but his strikeout rate was subpar. Still, not only did Abdel Rahman get a ton of hits, but he got high quality ones. His 162 game average got you 52 home runs, 37 doubles, and 120 RBI. Abdel Rahman was a beast against both righties and lefties as well. His raw power earned the nickname “Gorilla.”

Although he was a world class batter, Abdel Rahman’s athleticism otherwise was terrible. He was a cartoonishly sluggish and slow baserunner and he barely seemed to know how to put on a glove. Abdel Rahman wisely was used as a DH for more than 85% of his starts, as his limited time in left field was atrocious. He managed to post a 21-year career despite dealing with some major injuries in his time. Some criticized Abdel Rahman’s work ethic, but even if he sometimes coasted, his bat was special.

Abdel Rahman was inked as a teenage amateur in July 1997, leaving Egypt for Jerusalem. He officially debuted in 2001 at age 20, although he only made nine plate appearances. Abdel Rahman was up full time for 2002, but he’d miss significant time in the second half to a ruptured Achilles tendon. He got through all of 2033 with 44 home runs and 5.4 WAR, showing he had the makings of an elite bat.

His pace was even better the next few years, but he couldn’t stay healthy for a full campaign. Abdel Rahman missed six weeks in the summer of 2004 to a broken collarbone, but still was strong enough to earn an eight-year, $11,840,000 extension in the offseason. A PCL strain cost him a month in 2005, but his efforts earned Jerusalem a Levant Division title. Abdel Rahman won his first Silver Slugger (his only one in left field) and was third in MVP voting. The Jets would lose in the first round of the playoffs in both 2005 and 2006.

Abdel Rahman had a hamstring strain that kept him out more than two months in 2006. In 2007, he dealt with recurring back spasms in the summer. Abdel Rahman had a strong postseason though with Jerusalem winning the Western Conference title, eventually falling to Medina in the ALB Championship. In nine starts, he had 10 hits, 7 runs, 3 doubles, 3 home runs, and 7 RBI. Those would be his final playoff games for the Jets, as they’d go on a 13-year playoff drought despite his later MVP campaigns.

He missed almost all of the 2008 campaign to a broken kneecap in late April. Abdel Rahman finally would stay largely healthy for the next six years and reached his high batting potential. From 2009-12, Abdel Rahman won four straight MVPs and Silver Sluggers with each season having 9.5+ WAR, 55+ homers, 109+ runs, 134+ RBI, and OPS above 1.103.

Abdel Rahman won four straight batting titles and led the conference all four years in OPS, wRC+, and runs scored. He thrice led in WAR, homers, and slugging; and twice led in both hits and RBI. Abdel Rahman’s best batting average (.380) and OBP (.440) came in 2009 along with 11.0 WAR. His 1.236 OPS that year was the third-best in ALB history to that point and still ranks seventh best as of 2037.

In 2010, he broke the league’s OPS record at 1.244, a mark that would only be passed twice in ALB history. It ranks as the 36^th best single-season in any world league by OPS as of 2037. Abdel Rahman also smacked 72 homers to break the then ALB-single season record of 70 by Nordine Soule from 2005. Abdel Rahman held the #1 spot in ALB for five years before Yahya bin Hakam hit 75 in 2015. Abdel Rahman’s .834 slugging percentage from 2010 remains the ALB record as of 2037 and ranks as the 13^th-best qualifying season in world history. This year also had his career best 11.5 WAR, a number even more magnificent when you realize that came despite the DH penalty.

Despite how often he led the relevant stats, 2012 was Abdel Rahman’s lone Triple Crown with 64 homers, 138 RBI, and a .335 average. It was only the sixth batting Triple Crown in ALB history and no one has done it since. 2012 also saw Abdel Rahman hit for the cycle in late September. That summer, he signed a six-year, $35,800,000 extension with the Jets. Jerusalem came close to the playoffs in 2009, 2011, and 2012, but a dynasty run by Amman in the division kept them out. The Jets then wouldn’t post another winning season until 2019.

Abdel Rahman fell back to Earth in 2013 and 2014, but was still quite good with 48 home runs both seasons. His final years in Jerusalem saw the return of injury troubles. Abdel Rahman lost the spring of 2015 to a strained oblique, followed by a ruptured MCL in September which kept him out until summer 2016. In 2017, he dealt with a torn quad, quad strain, and strained rib cage muscle among other things. That winter, Abdel Rahman declined the option year of his deal, entering free agency for the first time at age 37.

With Jerusalem, Abdel Rahman had 1872 games, 2206 hits, 1260 runs, 470 doubles, 629 home runs, 1451 RBI, 541 walks, .315/.373/.658 slash, 190 wRC+, and 88.5 WAR. He was very popular with fans throughout the region, but surprisingly he never had his #7 uniform retired. For 2018, Abdel Rahman returned to his native Egypt on a two-year, $19,600,000 deal with Alexandria.

Although he had spent his pro career in Israel to that point, Abdel Rahman had been a regular in the World Baseball Championship for the Egyptian team. From 2004-20, he played 149 games with 129 hits, 82 runs, 28 doubles, 41 home runs, 88 RBI, .249/.330/.539 slash, and 5.3 WAR. Although he struggled in that run specifically, Abdel Rahman was part of Egypt’s first-ever semifinal berth in 2014; a fourth place finish.

Abdel Rahman showed he could still hit when healthy in 2018, leading in slugging and posting 7.1 WAR and 49 homers in 122 games. Still, he didn’t meet the criteria for the second year and was back to free agency. That effort got Abdel Rahman back on radars worldwide. He ended up moving to Argentina and Beisbol Sudamerica for 2019 on a two-year, $26 million deal with Buenos Aires. Abdel Rahman only had 15 games in 2019 for the Atlantics due to a torn ACL in spring training.

He stayed in BSA for 2020 on a one-year deal with Santiago worth $8,100,000. Abdel Rahman was exclusively in a pinch hitting role, but posted .973 OPS and 160 wRC+ over 120 plate appearances. He struggled in the playoffs to -0.2 WAR, but he picked up a Copa Sudamerica ring as the Saints won the Cup against Santa Cruz. Abdel Rahman started in the Baseball Grand Championship with .738 OPS and 0.4 WAR with Santiago going 8-11.

Abdel Rahman went back to Egypt for 2021 with Alexandria, posting 2.2 WAR over 121 starts with 44 home runs and .914 OPS. In this final season, he became ALB’s sixth member of the 700 home run club. Between stints with the Astronauts, Abdel Rahman had 243 games, 267 hits, 173 runs, 50 doubles, 93 home runs, 201 RBI, .293/.352/.658 slash, 1.010 OPS, 166 wRC+, and 9.3 WAR. He retired that winter at age 40.

The final Arab League Baseball tallies for Abdel Rahman saw 2115 games, 2473 hits, 1433 runs, 520 doubles, 722 home runs, 1652 RBI, 619 walks, 2034 strikeouts, .312/.371/.658 slash, 1.029 OPS, 187 wRC+, and 97.8 WAR. As of 2037, Abdel Rahman ranks 61^st in games, 42^nd in hits, 30^th in runs, 11^th in homers, 20^th in RBI, 43^rd in doubles, 21^st in total bases (5209), 57^th in walks, 52^nd in strikeouts, and 9^th in WAR among position players.

Among ALB batters with 3000+ plate appearances as of 2037, Abdel Rahman ranks 12^th in OPS, 74^th in average, 41^st in OBP, and 7^th in slugging. Counting his BSA stats, Abdel Rahman had a career 187 wRC+, which is tied for 31^st among world Hall of Famers as of 2037. Among that same group, Abdel Rahman’s OPS is 23^rd and his slugging is 8^th.

Few hitters ever were more efficient than Abdel Rahman and it’s remarkable he got close to 100 WAR despite being a career DH. Had he been able to stay healthy, he might have ended up in the same atmosphere as Nordine Soule, who holds the top mark in all of ALB’s big offensive counting stats. Either way, Abdel Rahman was a no-doubt HOF lock and stood alone at 98.8% for ALB’s 2027 class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

The African Association of Baseball nearly followed up its historic five-player 2026 Hall of Fame class with a blank one in 2027. DH Hamad Ali barely made it across the 66% line to get in with 66.1% on his third ballot. 2B Gedeon Bukasa barely missed at 64.2% for his ninth try. Both RF Anthony Chongo (fifth ballot) and CL Deon Westerveld (second ballot) received 60.5% while SP Valentine Hategekimana (third ballot) had 55.0%. Two debuts were above 50% with SP Natnael Seyoum at 56.1% and 1B Lifa Moyo at 51.3%. No players were dropped from the ballot after ten failed attempts.



Hamad “Skull” Ali – Designated Hitter – Lusaka Lake Monsters – 66.1% Third Ballot

Hamad Ali was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed designated hitter from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s largest city. Nicknamed “Skull,” Ali was best known for excellent home run power. He was a good contact hitter at his peak with a nice eye for walks and avoiding strikeouts. Ali’s power was concentrated on dingers with 51 homers and 29 doubles per his 162 game average. His baserunning skill was decent, but poor speed limited his utility.

Ali was a true designated hitter, never starting a single game in the field. He only played nine relief innings defensively for his entire run. Ali’s durability was a mixed bag as was his consistency. He was a bit of a loudmouth dummy and at times clashed with teammates and coaches. But when he was on his game, Ali was one of AAB’s most dangerous power hitters.

Even knowing he probably had little defensive value from the jump, Ali earned plenty of attention ahead of the 2004 AAB Draft. He was picked fourth overall by Lusaka, where he spent his entire pro career. Ali was very much an unfinished and unpolished player when he was drafted, needing four years of development before being big league ready. From 2005-08, he played a whopping 11 games and went 2-12.

Ali was a part-time starter in 2009 and earned the full-time DH job from 2010-onward. He won Silver Sluggers from 2010-13 and from 2015-16. In that stretch, Ali smacked 40+ home runs each year with five seasons above 1.000 OPS, six seasons with 100+ RBI, and five seasons with 100+ runs scored. Lusaka also emerged as a contender aided by Ali’s bat, making the playoffs from 2010-13 and in 2015. From 2011-13, the Lake Monsters took first in the Southern Conference standings.

In 2010, Ali was third in MVP voting, followed by second place finishes in both 2011 and 2012. 2010 also saw Ali join the short list of players with a four home run game, ding it against Durban on August 18. In 2011, Ali was a conference leader for the first time with 140 runs, 145 RBI, 407 total bases, and 191 wRC+. Lusaka would be denied in the conference final in 2010 and 2011. The Lake Monsters would earn their first pennants going back-to-back in 2012-13, although they couldn’t claim the Africa Series crown due to the Addis Ababa dynasty.

Ali’s career playoff numbers saw 36 starts, 31 hits, 23 runs, 7 doubles, 10 home runs, 21 RBI, .233/.338/.511 slash, 123 wRC+, and 1.0 WAR. He earned conference championship MVP in the 2012 victory over Maputo, avenging their defeat to the Piranhas the prior year. He also represented his native Tanzania in seven editions of the World Baseball Championship, playing 51 games with 39 hits, 22 runs, 8 doubles, 12 homers, 21 RBI, .849 OPS, and 1.6 WAR.

In 2013, Ali won his lone MVP and set both career and conference bests in runs (153), hits (192), home runs (68), RBI (155), total bases (438), slugging (.711), OPS (1.121), wRC+ (192), and WAR (9.4). The 153 runs set a new AAB single-season record with only South Asia Baseball’s Majed Darwish having scored more prior. As of 2037, Ali’s mark ranks as the 8^th-best in world history and only finally got bested in AAB in 2028. 150+ runs have only been scored 15 times total in world history.

2014 was shortened by a broken hand and Lusaka fell to 73-89. Ali‘s pace had still be great and the Lake Monsters gave him a four-year, $33,200,000 extension in May 2015. They bounced back in 2015 at 94-68, but lost in the conference final to Johannesburg. Ali would be out from mid-August onward with a broken bone in his elbow. His production never quite reached his prior bests after that and Lusaka would fall to the bottom of the standings for the rest of the decade.

Ali still had a good 2016 with 53 home runs and 4.9 WAR, although his overall batting production was down from prior years. He was outright bad in 2017 with .708 OPS, 95 wRC+, and a .193 average. Ali bounced back in 2018 with .908 OPS, 150 wRC+, and 4.0 WAR.

The righting of the ship was temporary though as Lusaka had no choice but to bench him in 2019. That year, Ali had a putrid .490 OPS, 31 wRC+, and -1.7 WAR over 118 games and 50 starts. He became a free agent for 2020, but a DH who now stinks at hitting understandably didn’t get much interest. Ali retired that winter at age 35 and Lusaka brought him back to retire his #45 uniform.

Ali played 1553 games with 1430 hits, 1030 runs, 282 doubles, 488 home runs, 1083 RBI, 685 walks, 1228 strikeouts, .267/.360/.598 slash, 155 wRC+, and 48.6 WAR. Because of a short career, Ali isn’t high on the counting stats. As of 2037, he does still make 27^th in homers, 52^nd in RBI, 62^nd in runs, 70^th in total bases (3202), 77^th in walks, and 58^th in WAR among position players. It is notable he even got that high on the WAR chart considering he was a career DH and was outside the top 100 in hits.

Among AAB hitters with 3000+ plate appearances, Ali’s .957 OPS ranks 33^rd. He also ranks 29^th in slugging and 92^nd in OBP. Ali’s resume was a tough one for voters with his lack of longevity and no defensive value being big minuses. On the plus side, his power stats were fantastic, plus he had an MVP and the single-season runs record. Spending his whole career with Lusaka and helping them to their first two pennants also worked in Ali’s favor.

Ali debuted with a nice 58.3% in 2025. He fell to 46.6% in 2026, but the loaded five-player class that year certainly played a role. With a weaker group in 2027, Ali’s resume looked better by comparison. He just scraped by the 66% requirement with 66.1%, but it was enough to get him in on his third ballot. With that, Ali was the lone selection for the 2027 Hall of Fame for the African Association of Baseball.