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

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2020 Baseball Grand Championship

The 11^th Baseball Grand Championship was hosted in Shenzhen, China. Earning the auto-bids for the event was MLB’s Denver and Cincinnati, CABA’s Juarez and Trinidad, EAB’s Hamhung and Osaka, BSA’s Santa Cruz and Santiago, EBF’s Munich and Dublin, EPB’s Chelyabinsk, OBA’s Guam, APB’s Taipei, CLB’s Shenyang, WAB’s Conakry, SAB’s Nagpur, ABF’s Bishkek, ALB’s Basra, and AAB’s Kampala. The wild card spot went to EPB runner-up Volgograd, who was the only 100+ win team of the eligible options.

Major League Baseball was still generally viewed as the strongest and most prestigious of the professional leagues. MLB teams won four of the first five editions of the Grand Championship. However, the last five had been split between five different organizations. MLB would reclaim the top spot in 2020 and for the first time, a team became a two-time Grand Champion.



World Series champion Denver took the top spot at 15-4 in their return to the BGC. The Dragons had won the 2013 Grand Championship and had a second place finish in 2015. Denver led all teams in scoring (104) and was second in runs allowed (51) for a +53 run differential. With this result, many Dragons fans exclaimed their 2020 squad to be the best in pro baseball history.

Denver had tied the MLB record for wins by a World Series champ (114-48) and now had the Grand Championship in addition. One could certainly see that they had a case, although it was hard to evaluate pre-BGC teams without the direct international competition. When combining their MLB regular season, playoffs, and Grand Championship results, Denver was 140-54. This was the most combined wins ever by any franchise in a calendar year.



The Dragons were one game ahead of Conakry at 14-5, who allowed the fewest runs of all teams at 47. The Coyotes’ 2.37 ERA and 12.55 K/9 were both the second-best in BGC history. Conakry’s second place finish was the highest yet for a West African Baseball team. Finishing third was Basra at 13-6, who also placed third in both runs scored (92) and runs allowed (56). This was the second time an Arab League team finished in the top three, joining Jeddah’s 2018 title.

Guam was alone in fourth at 12-7, finishing in the top four for the second time (2016 champs). The Golden Eagles joined Denver, Philadelphia, Kansas City, Phoenix, Goyang, Zamboanga, and Conception as franchises that have finished in the top four multiple times.

Next in line at 11-8 were Chelyabinsk, Cincinnati, and Munich. The Mavericks scored 100 runs, joining Denver as the only teams to score triple digits in 2020. The Reds had a .265 batting average and .333 on-base percentage, both of which were new BGC bests. Rounding off the teams with a winning record was Kampala and Nagpur at 10-9.

Behind them at 9-10 were Juarez, Santa Cruz, Taipei, Trinidad, and Volgograd. Both Dublin and Santiago finished 8-11. Occupying the bottom spots were Osaka (7-12), Bishkek (6-13), Shenyang (5-14), and Hamhung (4-15). The Swans had a .158 batting average, a new tournament low.

Cincinnati 1B Mike Rojas was named Tournament MVP. The 2020 National Association MVP in 19 starts had 25 hits, 17 runs, 5 doubles, 9 home runs, 19 RBI, 13 walks, a 1.345 OPS, 331 wRC+, and 2.31 WAR. Rojas set a new BGC WAR record by a position player, passing Nordine Soule’s 2.21 from 2011. Also notable was Munich rookie Gunnar Jackle at 2.15 WAR and 1.500 OPS. Those ranks as the fifth and third best marks thus far, respectively.

Conakry’s Minusu Ekong earned Best Pitcher honors. The 29-year old Nigerian lefty signed a six-year, $72,400,000 deal for 2020 with the Coyotes after starting with Nouakchott and Bamako. Ekong was 4-0 in his starts with a 1.02 ERA over 35.1 innings, 43 strikeouts, 9 walks, 341 ERA+, and 1.0 WAR. He tossed two complete games, including a five-hit, 11 strikeout shutout against Munich.

While a fine outing by Ekong, some were baffled the award didn’t go to Munich’s Horst Jahne. The 28-year old German set a BGC WAR record for any player at 3.02. Jahne also was 4-0 with a 0.51 ERA over 35.1 innings, 55 strikeouts, and 4 walks. He also tossed 2-hit shutouts against Nagpur and Taipei. This effort gave Jahne a Triple Crown for the tournament, the first player to pull that off.*

*note, the leaderboards omit some players seemingly at random. The numbers still show up in the all-time leaderboards and in the stat pages for the players. This seems to impact award voting as well.*

Other notes: Bishkek’s Tawfik Wardak had the unfortunate distinction of posting the second Titanium Sombrero in BGC history with a six strikeout game.

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2021 MLB Hall of Fame

Two players were selected for Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 2021, led by pitcher Vic Ryan with a 79.2% debut. Outfielder Renaldo Anastasio barely joined him on his second ballot, crossing the 66% requirement at 66.9%. C Sebastian Van Velzen also was above the 60% mark, getting 60.2% in his fifth ballot.



Six other players were above 50%, led by SS Robert Hightower at 59.9% on his eighth attempt. 2B Adrian Vega debuted with 56.5% and 3B Jeanpaul Vick got 55.4% on his second go. SP Victor Burke scored 55.0% in his third ballot, RF Jameson Hughes received 52.4% for his fourth try, and C Brayan Varela got 50.6% on his sixth attempt. The 2021 ballot was a rare case of no players falling off after ten failed attempts.



Vic “Slow Motion” Ryan – Starting Pitcher – San Diego Seals – 79.2% First Ballot

Vic Ryan was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Los Gatos, California; a town of around 33,000 within the San Francisco Bay Area. Ryan was well-rounded with good to great stuff, movement, and control. He had a three-pitch arsenal with 96-98 mph velocity with an impressive slider/sinker pairing. He often could fool hitters on which of the two was coming until it was too late. Ryan also had a respectable changeup. The “Slow Motion” nickname came from how slow of a runner Ryan was in practice.

Ryan was especially strong against right-handed batters, posting a 2.96 ERA and 130 ERA+ against RHP compared to a delightfully average 3.79 ERA and 102 ERA+ versus lefties. His stamina was excellent, leading the American Association multiple times in both complete games and innings pitched. Ryan’s durability was impeccable in his 20s, although a major injury would shorten his career. He was one of the smartest pitchers in the game and was appreciated for his loyalty and dedication.

For his college career, Ryan left California and attended the University of Nebraska. He was excellent with the Huskers in three seasons, posting a 1.99 ERA over 312.2 innings, 23-10 record, 355 strikeouts, 81 walks, 178 ERA+, and 13.9 WAR. In the 2000 MLB Draft, Ryan was picked 16^th overall by San Diego. The Seals gave him a five-year, $20,000,000 deal right away, a far larger payday than expected or required typically for newcomers. Ryan stayed loyal for San Diego for his whole career in part due to how well he was treated from the start.

Ryan was a full-time starter and impressive immediately, debuting with an 8.9 WAR effort that somehow only got him third in Rookie of the Year voting. He had a career and AA-best eight shutouts in his rookie season. Ryan would post 6+ WAR in each of his first seven seasons and was reliably in the top ten for innings pitched. While valuable, he wasn’t overwhelming dominant generally in this earlier years and wasn’t in awards conversations. Happy with the results though, San Diego gave him a five-year, $46,700,000 extension in April 2006.

The Seals were regularly a winning team in the 2000s, but they weren’t the top team initially with Ryan. From 2001-2006, they had three wild cards and didn’t get beyond the second round. San Diego put it together after that though with Ryan playing a big role. The Seals were the #3 seed in 2007 and went on a tear, eventually defeating Winnipeg in the World Series. Ryan stepped up big in five playoff starts, going 3-0 with a 1.77 ERA over 40.2 innings, 35 strikeouts, and 1.9 WAR.

In 2008, the now 28-year old Ryan emerged as a true ace, leading the American Association in WAR (9.9), complete games (21), and shutouts (6). This year also saw a career-best 273 strikeouts, earning his first Pitcher of the Year. San Diego repeated as AACS champs, but lost to Cincinnati in the World Series. In his five playoff starts, Ryan had a 3.03 ERA over 35.2 innings.

San Diego narrowly missed the playoffs in 2009, although Ryan led in WHIP for the first time. Then in 2010, he had his finest season with career and AA bests in wins (24-6), ERA (2.05), WHIP (0.88), quality starts (29), complete games (24), ERA+ (182), FIP- (61), and WAR (10.1). That effort earned Ryan his second Pitcher of the Year award.

Ryan again stepped up in the playoffs as the Seals won their second World Series in four years, this time beating Philadelphia. Ryan was World Series MVP with a 2.41 ERA over 37.1 playoff innings with 40 strikeouts. For his postseason career, he had a rock solid 10-3 record, 2.44 ERA, 154.2 innings, 142 strikeouts, 29 walks, 157 ERA+, and 4.1 WAR. Ryan did surprisingly struggle in the inaugural Baseball Grand Championship with a 5.14 ERA over 28 innings. San Diego finished second in the first BGC behind their World Series foe Philadelphia.

Regardless, Ryan was known as a big game pitcher. As of 2037, his 4.06 playoff WAR and 142 strikeouts both rank 13^th among MLB pitchers. He also earned seven World Champion rings with the United States in the World Baseball Championship (2001, 03, 05, 07, 08, 10, 11). Ryan was named Best Pitcher in 2007 with 17 scoreless innings. In total, Ryan had a 21-5 record over 235.1 innings, 3.44 ERA, 342 strikeouts, and 6.5 WAR.

San Diego gave Ryan a six-year, $117,000,000 extension right at the start of the 2011 campaign. Things soon went south though with a torn flexor tendon on July 2011, putting him out 13-14 months. This also marked the end of the Seals’ run at the top, as they’d spend the next few years in the middle of the standings. Ryan missed the second half of 2011 and most of 2012.

When Ryan returned in the summer of 2012, he was never quite the same. He still provided innings in 2013 and 2014, but his overall effectiveness had fallen to average at best. Ryan struggled then in 2015 with a terrible 5.36 ERA, 3-15 record, and -0.6 WAR over 193 innings. While he still had time left on the deal, Ryan knew he was cooked and was likely to be cut. He retired that winter at age 35 and San Diego immediately retired his #13 uniform.

Ryan finished with a 224-175 record, 3.32 ERA, 3797.2 innings, 3055 strikeouts, 731 walks, 285/464 quality starts, 245 complete games, 38 shutouts, 116 ERA+, and 88.1 WAR. As of 2037, Ryan ranks a nice 69^th in pitching WAR, 97^th in strikeouts, and 29^th in complete games.

He didn’t have the raw dominance to be considered an inner-circle level Hall of Famer. However, Ryan’s resume included two Pitcher of the Year awards, three pennants, two World Series wins, and an ERA title. That alone was plenty for most voters, getting him to 79.2% on his debut. With that, Ryan headlined the 2021 MLB Hall of Fame voting.



Renaldo Anastasio – Right Field – Portland Pacifics – 66.9% Second Ballot

Renaldo Anastasio was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed right fielder from Feira de Santana, a city of 616,000 people in northeast Brazil’s Bahia state. Anastasio joined 1B Aranha Carlos (1999) as the only Brazilian-born inductees into MLB’s Hall of Fame. He did it very much as a jack-of-all-trades type player. Anastasio wasn’t outstanding at any one thing, but he was generally good to occasionally great at everything.

Anastasio was a reliably solid contact hitter with an above average eye for walks. He wasn’t a big bopper, but his 162 game average saw 31 home runs, 32 doubles, and 9 triples. Anastasio was a very adept base stealer with good speed. He was notably a better batter against right-handed pitching (153 wRC+, .899) compared to versus lefties (119 wRC+, .784 OPS).

Right at the start of his career, Anastasio played some center field but he struggled as he didn’t have the range needed for that spot. By his third year, he was a full-timer in right field and graded as a consistently good defender there. Anastasio’s durability was pretty good, playing 120+ games in 17 seasons. He was also well-respected as a team captain, known for his leadership, loyalty, and work ethic. Almost quietly, Anastasio was one of MLB’s top performers consistently to start the 21^st Century.

Anastasio was a rare player to get poached from Brazil as a teenager for MLB. A scout from Portland inked him in December 1995 and brought him to their academy in Oregon. He spent two years in their academy, then debuted for minor league Eugene in 1998 at age 19. Anastasio had respectable results in the minors and saw limited time with the Pacifics in 1999 and 2000, playing 40 games and starting 16. He earned a full-time starting gig in 2001 and held it for the next decade with Portland.

In his rookie year, Anastasio posted a 6.1 WAR, 31 home run, 110 RBI campaign, taking 2001 Rookie of the Year honors. He wouldn’t be in awards conversations, but Anastasio put up 5+ WAR in all but one of his ten seasons starting for the Pacifics. He was above 7+ WAR in four of those seasons, peaking at 8.5 in 2004. Anastasio’s only time as a league leader was with 46 doubles in 2009. He had a career best 41 home runs and 120 runs in 2007.

Portland gave Anastasio an eight-year, $85,400,000 extension in September 2006 and he was one of the club’s most popular stars. The Pacifics had generally been a below average franchise, posting 27-year playoff drought and averaging 74.6 wins per season from 1980-2006. Anastasio helped them snap that drought with berths in 2007 and 2008, although they suffered first round exits both years. 2008 was notably Portland’s first division title since 1919.

Anastasio didn’t get a chance to play in many big games for Portland, but he did see the big stage in the World Baseball Championship. He would regularly return home to Brazil, playing 149 games with 143 starts for his country from 2002-17. Anastasio had 155 hits, 102 runs, 25 doubles, 46 home runs, 103 RBI, 65 stolen bases, a .287/.353/.606 slash, 176 wRC+, and 8.9 WAR. He was third in MVP voting in 2003 as the Brazilians finished fourth place. As of 2037, Anastasio ranks sixth in WAR among position players for Brazil.

After their playoff berths, Portland fell back to .500 in 2009. The Pacifics then were 67-95 in 2010, their worst record of Anastasio’s tenure. Despite his loyalty, Anastasio wanted to be a contender and it appeared Portland’s chance to compete was over. He opted out of his contract, becoming a free agent for the first time at age 31.

With Portland, Anastasio had 1768 hits, 999 runs, 304 doubles, 74 triples, 322 home runs, 997 RBI, a .300/.355/.541 slash, 145 wRC+, and 65.2 WAR. While fans and officials were disappointed, they understood Anastasio’s decision. He remained a popular figure with Pacifics fans even after leaving and his #24 uniform would later become the second jersey retired by Portland.

Anastasio inked a four-year, $70,400,000 deal with Detroit, who was riding a six-year streak of 90+ win seasons. The Tigers hoped Anastasio could get them over the hump, as they hadn’t had any playoff luck yet in the 2000s. He maintained his usual expected production in the Motor City, posting 5+ WAR in all four years. Anastasio’s Tigers debut saw his career best in WAR (8.6) and wRC+ (8.6).

Detroit won division titles in 2011, 2012, and 2014 The Tigers got to the National Association Championship Series in 2012, but fell to wild card Philadelphia. Detroit was the #2 seed in 2014 at 104-58, but was upset in the second round. You couldn’t blame Anastasio for their playoff woes, as he had a .953 OPS and 194 wRC+ in his 20 starts. In total for Detroit, Anastasio had 726 hits, 401 runs, 97 doubles, 40 triples, 106 home runs, 337 RBI, 134 stolen bases, a .293/.338/.492 slash, 156 wRC+, and 26.0 WAR.

Anastasio was a free agent again for 2015 heading towards his age 36 season and was still rated as a very good MLB starter. However, he shocked many by leaving MLB and signing a three-year, $52,200,000 with the Arab League’s Riyadh Rats. It was incredibly rare for a career MLB player to leave for another world league while they were still good enough to be a MLB starter. Typically, veterans only left once they were well over the hill. Anastasio had posted an excellent 6.5 WAR in his last season with the Tigers.

The lone Silver Slugger of Anastasio’s career came in his debut season in Saudi Arabia with 6.5 WAR for Riyadh. The Rats were a bottom-ranked team in a division dominated by Jeddah. Anastasio fell to 3.6 WAR in 2016, the weakest full year of his career. He then struggled to 78 wRC+ and zero WAR over 120 games in 2017. In total for Riyadh, Anastasio had 459 hits, 258 runs, 109 doubles, 72 home runs, 230 RBI, a .283/.332/.510 slash, 127 wRC+, and 10.1 WAR. He was unsigned in 2018 and retired that winter at age 39.

In MLB, Anastasio ended up with 2161 games, 2494 hits, 1400 runs, 401 doubles, 114 triples, 428 home runs, 1334 RBI, 649 walks, 429 stolen bases, a .298/.350/.526 slash, 148 wRC+, and 91.2 WAR. As of 2037, he rated 84^th in WAR among position players. Because he wasn’t amazing at any one thing though, Anastasio didn’t factor into any other leaderboards. There were voters underwhelmed by his lack of awards and black ink, plus his teams didn’t see playoff success (even if that wasn’t his fault).

With the three ALB years, Anastasio ended with 2953 hits, 1658 runs, 510 doubles, 136 triples, 500 home runs, 1564 RBI, 762 walks, 593 stolen bases, a .295/.347/.524 slash, 145 wRC+, and 101.4 WAR. Those extra tallies got him closer to milestones most voters looked for. However, many didn’t give him any credit for post-MLB tallies. Anastasio debuted on the 2020 ballot and missed the cut at 59.6%. He just barely crossed the 66% requirement in 2021 at 66.9%. His steady ability earned Anastasio a second ballot selection to cap off MLB’s 2021 Hall of Fame class.

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2021 CABA Hall of Fame

For the first time since 1998, the Central American Baseball Association didn’t add any players into its Hall of Fame with the 2021 voting. RF Einar Rodriguez was the closest to the 66% requirement with 60.3% for his fourth ballot. The only other player even above 50% was SP Secretario Sanz with 51.4% on his fourth try. The top debut was LF Ernesto Rincon at a measly 21.8%.



No players were dropped after ten failed ballots. SP Pablo Vega did notably fall off after going below 5% (4.5%) in his ninth try. In a 15-year career with Juarez, Vega had a 186-120 record, 3.28 ERA, 2838.1. innings, 2708 strikeouts, 390 walks, 113 ERA+, and 61.1 WAR. It was definitely a “Hall of Good” type career, although CABA voters had been kind to similar type pitchers in the past. Vega did have a 2.67 playoff ERA, but his lack of black ink and awards kept him from getting noticed. His ballot peak was 25.0% in 2014.

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2021 EAB Hall of Fame (Part 1)

East Asia Baseball’s 2021 Hall of Fame class was an impressive one with three players getting 94% or above in their ballot debuts. OF Koji Iwasaki led the way at 99.4%, joined by SP Dong-Hyun Jung with 98.7% and OF Dong-Uk Choi with 94.0%. The best returner was SP Jong-Hyeon Chung with 52.2% on his second ballot. No other players were above 50%.



SP Nazonokusa Mori fell off the ballot after ten failed attempts, getting as close at 58.3% in 2016 before ending at a low of 30.1%. Mori had a 16-year career between three teams and was part of Kitakyushu’s EAB Championship three-peat from 1992-94. Mori had a 211-164 record, 3.17 ERA, 3615 innings, 3375 strikeouts, 705 walks, 106 ERA+, and 70.4 WAR. He had nice longevity and accumulations, but was never a Pitcher of the Year finalist and lacked black ink.

RF Pikushi Tamaki also was dropped from the ballot, peaking with his 31.2% debut but ending at only 3.5%. He was cursed by injuries after an electric start to his career with Kyoto, winning MVPs in 1993 and 1995 with 10+ WAR seasons. Tamaki’s 1993 at age 24 saw an impressive 135 runs, 63 homers, 133 RBI, 1.102 OPS, and 230 wRC+.

Unfortunately, Tamaki suffered a PCL tear at age 30 and a broken knee cap at age 33. He finished with 1715 hits, 954 runs, 267 doubles, 129 triples, 386 home runs, 989 RBI, 387 stolen bases, a .288/.343/.570 slash, 173 wRC+, and 73.0 WAR. Tamaki certainly seemed on his way to a Hall of Fame career early on, but he sadly couldn’t stay on the field.



Koji Iwasaki – Outfield/First Base – Osaka Orange Sox – 99.4% First Ballot

Koji Iwasaki was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed corner outfielder and first baseman from Nishinomiya, Japan; a city of around 484,000 inhabitants in the Hyogo Prefecture. Iwasaki was a prolific home run hitter whose power at his peak was graded by many scouts as a 10/10. He had a 12-year streak of 40+ home run seasons and topped 60+ four times. Along with that, Iwasaki was a generally above average to good contact hitter. He was decent at drawing walks, but did struggle with strikeouts.

Iwasaki was an absolute beast against right-handed pitching with a career 207 wRC+ and 1.030 OPS. Against lefties, he had a 123 wRC+ and .742 OPS. Iwasaki struggled against lefties in his 30s, but was still solid against them in his prime. His power was solely concentrated on dingers, as his 162 game average got you only 19 doubles and 9 triples. Unlike many prototypical sluggers, Iwasaki had average speed and baserunning skills.

45% of Iwasaki’s career starts came in right field with the rest almost evenly split between left field and first base. He graded as a putrid outfielder and a mediocre first baseman. Iwasaki would’ve been a perfect fit for the designated hitter, but he played his entire career in the Japan League where that wasn’t an option. He would run into some recurring back issues, but had good durability over a 20-year career. Iwasaki was very popular between his dingers and being a respected team captain. He had excellent leadership skills and a tireless work ethic with few in the league being more universally liked amongst players and fans alike.

Iwasaki attended Kyushu Sangyo University in Fukuoka and quickly emerged as a top prospect heading into EAB’s 1995 Draft. He was picked third overall by Saitama, playing 110 games and starting 41 in his rookie year. Iwasaki was a full-time starter in his second season, but missed the second half of the year to a fractured ankle. He had a full load in 1998 and started a 12-year streak of 40+ home run seasons.

From 1999-2002, Iwasaki had arguably the most impressive power run in EAB history. All four seasons he led in home runs, RBI, total bases, and slugging percentage. Each year had 62+ homers, 135+ RBI, and 400+ bases. Iwasaki also led in runs scored in both 1999 and 2002. He had the top OPS and wRC+ from 2000-02, led in WAR in both 2001 and 2002, and led in OBP in 2002.

Iwasaki smacked 71 home runs in 2001, falling one short of Tsukasa Kato’s record of 72. 2001 also had his career best WAR (10.0) and total bases (440). Iwasaki’s best runs tally was 125 in 1999. 2000 saw his highest RBI mark (146) while 2002 featured his best triple slash (.344/.404/.784), OPS (1.188), and wRC+ (256). He won a Silver Slugger all four years, playing first base in the initial three seasons and left field in the fourth.

Only the first three of these four seasons came with Saitama. Iwasaki was third in 1999 MVP voting, won the award in 2000, and took second in 2001. Despite his efforts, the Sting remained aggressively mid. Saitama averaged 79.8 wins per season during Iwasaki’s run, which was part of what was ultimately a 44-year playoff drought. In total for Saitama, Iwasaki had 833 hits, 531 runs, 114 doubles, 269 home runs, 577 RBI, a .303/.359/.672 slash, 210 wRC+, and 38.7 WAR.

Saitama finished 88-74 in 2001, which was their highest win total since 1977. They missed the playoffs by only two games, but their ownership was notoriously cheap. Free agency wasn’t too far away for Iwasaki and the Sting didn’t want to pay anyone big money. Knowing Iwasaki was likely to command a top level salary, Saitama traded him in spring training 2002 to Osaka for prospects Hideo Sawada and Seung-Jun You. The former ended up being a decent starting pitcher for a few years and the latter never started a game.

Iwasaki’s dominance continued with his second MVP win in his 2002 debut for Osaka. The Orange Sox won the Japan League title, but lost the EAB Championship to Incheon. Iwasaki was JLCS MVP with 22 hits, 18 runs, 6 doubles, 8 homers, and 14 RBI over 17 starts. Osaka wasn’t sure if he’d be a rental initially, but they were able to lock Iwasaki down in the winter to an eight-year, $77,300,000 extension.

He never reached the heights of that four year stretch again, but Iwasaki did hit 40+ homers in the next seven years for Osaka. He led in total bases, slugging, and OPS in 2003, but wasn’t a league leader after that. Iwasaki did top 7+ twice more with the Orange Sox and provided regular power. Osaka won additional division titles in 2003, 2005, and 2006.

The Orange Sox had the #1 seed in 2003 at 109-53, but were upset in the first round by Niigata. Osaka got in at 87-75 in 2005, but went on a surprise run to another JL pennant. They would fall to Seoul in the EAB Championship. The Orange Sox then had a first round loss in 2006. After an awesome 2002 run, Iwasaki was subpar in the 2003 and 2005 playoffs. He missed the 2006 run because of a late season herniated disc.

Iwasaki did take third in MVP voting in 2006 and won his fifth and final Silver Slugger in 2008 (his lone Slugger in right field). All the while, he regularly played for Japan in the World Baseball Championship. From 1998-2010, Iwasaki played 128 games and started 102 with 105 hits, 80 runs, 51 home runs, 95 RBI, a .261/.346/.692 slash, and 6.8 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks fifth among all Japanese position players in WAR, fourth in homers, and seventh in RBI. Iwasaki is also the only player to have started 100+ WBC games for Japan while maintaining an OPS above one (1.038).

In the 2002 WBC, Iwasaki was second in MVP voting with 27 hits, 21 runs, 12 home runs, 23 RBI, and 2.1 WAR over 19 starts. Japan finished fourth that year and took third in 2005. In 2006, the Japanese won their second-ever world title by defeating Germany in the final. Iwasaki had 13 hits, 11 runs, 9 homers, and 22 RBI in the 2006 run with 23 games and 14 starts. His power and leadership in the WBC helped solidify Iwasaki as one of favorite baseball sons in the nation.

Osaka dropped to 66-96 in 2008, which started a five-year stretch at the bottom of the standings. Iwasaki’s contract expired after the 2010 season, making him a free agent for the first time heading towards age 37. Although his 40 homer streak had ended in 2010, he still had suitors. Iwasaki singed a three-year, $21,400,000 deal with Hiroshima.

Iwasaki had 4.0 WAR and 46 homers in his first year with the Hammerheads, then had 33 dingers with 2.2 WAR in 2012. Hiroshima won a weak division with 83 wins in 2013, but stunned the playoff field by winning the Japan League pennant. They dropped the EAB Championship to Goyang. Iwasaki recaptured some of the playoff magic of the 2002 run, starting 13 games with 13 hits, 11 runs, 7 homers, 10 RBI, and a .995 OPS. He would be merely decent in the Baseball Grand Championship with a .771 OPS, 117 wRC+, and 0.4 WAR. The Hammerheads finished 9-10 in the BGC.

While with Hiroshima, Iwasaki became the 11^th member of the 700 home run club and the 36^th to 1500 RBI; reaching both milestones in the same week in early July. He didn’t meet the criteria for the third year of his deal with the Hammerheads, becoming a free agent again. In his two seasons, Iwasaki saw 227 hits, 159 runs, 79 homers, 169 RBI, a .815 OPS, 149 wRC+, and 6.2 WAR.

Coming up on age 39, Osaka brought Iwasaki back in 2013 on a one-year, $6,200,000 deal. A strained PCL cost him part of the season, but he still managed 21 homers, a .902 OPS, and 2.5 WAR over 107 games. The Orange Sox decided to give Iwasaki a three-year, $23,800,000 extension in the winter. In 2014, Iwasaki became only the third member of the 800 home run club. He had 28 dingers and 2.2 WAR over 145 games.

In 2015, Iwasaki was relegated exclusively to a pinch hitting role, playing 105 games but only starting 6. He posted 5 homers and 0.5 WAR, but Osaka did end their playoff drought. They lost in the first round with Iwasaki going 3-4 with a homer and RBI. Iwasaki retired with that at age 41 and the Orange Sox immediately retired his #5 uniform. Between the two runs with Osaka, Iwasaki saw 1520 hits, 924 runs, 185 doubles, 87 triples, 465 home runs, 1006 RBI, 401 walks, a .280/.335/.604 slash, 179 wRC+, and 55.5 WAR.

For his career, Iwasaki had 2738 games, 2580 hits, 1614 runs, 327 doubles, 144 triples, 813 home runs, 1746 RBI, 680 walks, 222 stolen bases, a .282/.337/.617 slash, 185 wRC+, and 100.4 WAR. As of 2037, Iwasaki ranks 6^th in home runs, 18^th in RBI, 21^st in runs, 85^th in hits, and 30^th in WAR among position players. Among EAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Iwasaki’s .954 OPS is 38^th and his slugging percentage ranks 14^th.

Iwasaki’s hitting efficiency ranks quite highly. Among all world Hall of Famers in 2037, he’s one of only 42 whose career wRC+ is 184 or better. He also ranks 47^th in world history for home runs. Iwasaki’s other deficiencies lower him when discussing the absolute inner circle of EAB Hall of Famers. However, he easily ranks among the absolute best power hitters and was a slam dunk Hall of Famer. In a loaded three-player 2021 class, Iwasaki had the highest percentage with a near unanimous 99.4%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2021 EAB Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Dong-Hyun Jung – Starting Pitcher – Seongnam Spiders – 98.7% First Ballot

Dong-Hyun Jung was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from the capital of South Korea, Seoul. Jung boasted excellent stuff along with above average to good movement and control. He had an excellent 97-99 mph fastball, but his most dangerous pitch was a filthy knuckle curve. Jung also had a very good sinker and an okay changeup in his arsenal.

One downside is that Jung had low stamina relative to most EAB aces, although his durability was strong enough to still get you 200+ innings generally. He was also poor at holding runners and defense. Jung often coasted by on his natural talents, as he was criticized for a lack of work ethic, intelligence, and loyalty. Still, when his fastball and knuckle curve were working, Jung was one of the toughest pitchers to hit against in the Korea League.

Jung’s talent was noticed quickly as a teenager and he was inked to a developmental deal by Seongnam in August 1996. He spent most of the next four years in the Spiders’ academy, officially debuting in 2000 at age 21 with 11.1 relief innings. Jung saw 44.2 innings mostly in relief in 2001 and tossed 3.1 scoreless playoff innings. Seongnam lost in the first round, but it marked the start of a five-year playoff streak. Jung was a part-time starter with very promising results in 2002, although he got rocked in his one playoff start by allowing six runs in 3.1 innings. The Spiders won the North Division at 104-58, but were upset in the first round by Daegu.

2003 was Jung’s first full-time year in the rotation and it was an impressive one, winning Pitcher of the Year honors with an ERA title (1.99). He also led in WHIP (0.89), K/BB (9.0), FIP- (59), and WAR (8.1). Jung then had an outstanding playoff run as Seongnam beat Incheon in the KLCS and defeated Niigata in the EAB Championship. In 38.1 playoff innings, Jung saw a 4-1 record, 1.17 ERA, 44 strikeouts, 4 walks, and 2.05 WAR. His WAR mark is the second-best in EAB playoff history behind only Ju-Eon Eun’s 2.26 from 1984.

Seongnam rewarded Jung that winter with a five-year, $18,560,000 extension. He led in strikeouts (292) and WHIP (0.91) in 2006 and topped 7+ WAR thrice more for the Spiders. Jung was second in 2007’s POTY voting with 8.6 WAR, his career best with Seongnam. He remained a strong playoff performer, although the Spiders didn’t claim any more pennants. They lost in the 2004 and 2008 KLCS and had a first round defeat in 2005. Seongnam missed the playoffs in 2006 and 2007.

In the playoffs for Seongnam, Jung finished with a 7-4 record, 2.15 ERA, 83.2 innings, 103 strikeouts, 178 ERA+, and 3.4 WAR. His dominance in the 2003 championship especially earned him a spot in the hearts of many Spiders fans. Jung’s #9 uniform would be retired at the end of his career. With Seongnam, Jung had a 112-49 record, 2.61 ERA, 1507.2 innings, 1812 strikeouts, 235 walks, 146 ERA+, and 46.9 WAR.

Jung’s production dipped a bit in his last year with Seongnam at 4.8 WAR, although he led for the third time in WHIP. His contract expired and the Spiders let him leave for free agency heading towards age 30. Jung would sign a six-year, $53,400,000 deal with Busan. He immediately lived up to the deal, winning his second Pitcher of the Year award in his debut season. On April 6, he tossed his lone no-hitter with eight strikeouts and three walks against Gwangju.

In 2009, Jung led the KL with career bests in wins (20-3), ERA (1.84), WHIP (0.82), quality starts (27), ERA+ (204), and WAR (10.9). He also had a career high 330 strikeouts, falling 13 short of a Triple Crown season. This led the Blue Jays to the top seed at 106-56 and a Korea League pennant, although they fell to 117-win Nagoya in the EAB Championship. Jung again was a postseason beast with a 1.51 ERA and 32 strikeouts over 35.2 innings.

Jung led in WHIP again in 2011 and had 5.8 and 6.0 WAR in the next two seasons. Busan again was division champ in 2010, but went one-and-done despite Jung’s quality start. The Blue Jays fell short of the playoffs by two games in 2012. Jung’s work ethic though was rubbing some within the organization the wrong way. Just before the start of the 2012 regular season, he was traded to Sapporo for three prospects. One of them, OF Hideo Yamamoto, notably would be a strong starter for a decade for Busan.

With the Blue Jays in three seasons, Jung had a 53-22 record, 2.60 ERA, 748.2 innings, 883 strikeouts, 114 walks, 142 ERA+, and 22.7 WAR. His ERA suffered to a career worst 3.49 in 2012, but his 6.0 WAR and 69 FIP- suggested Jung was better than the ERA might suggest. In 2013, he returned to form by leading the Japan League with 7.4 WAR. Jung finished third in POTY voting, his final time as a finalist. Sapporo lost in the 2012 JLCS, then missed the playoffs in 2013.

Jung made it only three starts into the 2014 campaign before suffering a damaged elbow ligament, knocking him out for a calendar year. This was also the final season of his original Busan contract, putting his career in doubt. With Sapporo, he had a 28-16 record, 2.73 ERA, 445.1 innings, 522 strikeouts, 122 ERA+, and 13.9 WAR.

Now 36-years old, Jung signed a one-year deal with his hometown team Seoul. His control took a big hit from the injury but he was still passable, posting a 3.77 ERA over 186.1 innings, 181 strikeouts, 101 ERA+, and 3.9 WAR. Jung opted to retire that winter instead of looking for another new home.

Jung finished with a 205-101 record, 2.70 ERA, 2888 innings, 3398 strikeouts, 477 walks, 41 complete games, 10 shutouts, 137 ERA+, 67 FIP-, and 87.5 WAR. As of 2037, Jung ranks 25^th in pitching WAR, 64^th in strikeouts, and 67^th in wins. His 0.96 WHIP ranks 55^th among all EAB pitchers with 1000+ innings. Jung didn’t have enough innings to get huge accumulations, but 200+ wins and 3000 Ks usually was enough for the traditionalist voters.

The playoff stats sealed it for Jung with a 1.97 ERA over 127.2 innings, 10-5 record, 144 strikeouts, 192 ERA+, and 4.2 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 9th in WAR, 18^th in strikeouts, and 16^th in wins in the playoffs. Jung is also one of only three pitchers to have 127+ playoff innings and an ERA below two. That made him a lock, receiving 98.7% as part of the impressive 2021 EAB Hall of Fame class.



Dong-Uk Choi – Right Field – Daejeon Ducks – 94.0% First Ballot

Dong-Uk Choi was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed outfielder from Uiwang, South Korea; a city of around 155,000 within the Seoul Capital Area. Choi was known for having steady and reliable power in his bat, getting 36 home runs, 27 doubles, and 11 triples per his 162 game average. He combined solid slugging with impressive baserunning skills and good speed. Choi was a consistently solid contact hitter with an average eye for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts.

Choi spent his first four seasons in center field, grading as a below average defender. He moved to right and made 2/3 of his career starts there, posting reliably above average defense. Choi had excellent durability, playing 130+ games in all 20 of his professional seasons. He was never the best at any one thing, but his steady above average to good skills across the board made Choi quietly one of the most productive players of his era.

That well-roundedness certainly impressed scouts as Choi thrived at Dankook University in Yongin. So much so that he was picked with the #1 overall pick by Daejeon in the 1995 EAB Draft. The Ducks had been competitive in the 1980s, but never made it over the playoff hump. Since then, they had fallen back to the bottom of the standings where they had historically dwelled. Choi helped them get back to .500 in 1997 and 85-77 in 1998, but they were back near the bottom by the turn of the millennium.

Choi was a full-time starter with merely decent results initially, although he did earn third in 1996’s Rookie of the Year voting. He broke out in 1998 with what would be career highs in home runs (47), total bases (367), and WAR (9.4). Choi won a Silver Slugger in center field and took second in MVP voting. He wouldn’t be an awards candidate for the rest of the Daejeon run, but did breach 4+ WAR thrice more.

With Daejeon, Choi finished with 939 hits, 516 runs, 123 doubles, 209 home runs, 514 RBI, 307 stolen bases, a .276/.322/.530 slash, 132 wRC+, and 31.2 WAR. It would narrowly be his longest run by games played, although not his most impactful or statistically impressive. Many were surprised that Choi was inducted in Ducks’ green. He wouldn’t be strongly associated with any one team though despite being broadly popular across South Korea.

Choi did represent his country from 1997-2009 in the World Baseball Championship with 124 games and 117 starts. He posted 93 hits, 62 runs, 19 doubles, 29 home runs, 73 RBI, 43 walks, 24 stolen bases, a .219/.290/.482 slash, 120 wRC+, and 3.0 WAR. Choi helped South Korea to a runner-up finish in 2003 and a fourth place effort in 2004.

After the 2001 season, Choi had one more year before being free agency eligible. Daejeon figured they wouldn’t be able to keep him and traded the 27-year old to Hiroshima for two prospects. The Hammerheads had won three consecutive division titles, but hadn’t been able to make it out of the first round of the playoffs. Choi had a strong 6.5 WAR debut season and looked good in his limited playoff action, although Hiroshima again went one-and-done. Still, they were satisfied with Choi and signed him to a four-year, $25,600,000 extension.

In 2003, Choi won his second Silver Slugger (first in RF) and took second in Japan League MVP voting. He had his second 40+ homer season (45) and led the JL with a 195 wRC+. He also had 8.3 WAR and his career best in batting average (.320), slugging (.633), and OPS (.996). Hiroshima’s playoff streak grew to five and they got to the JLCS, although they were bounced by Niigata. Choi’s playoff stats were underwhelming with a .626 OPS and 79 wRC+.

Hiroshima set a franchise record at 110-52 in 2004, but again was eliminated by the Green Dragons in the JLCS. Choi again struggled in the playoffs with a .537 OPS and -0.1 WAR over 12 games. He did better the next two years, but the Hammerheads went one-and-done both times despite repeat 100+ win efforts. Choi was second in 2005’s MVP voting and had his lone time leading a counting stat with a career-best 37 doubles. That season also had a career best 197 wRC+ with 8.8 WAR.

For Hiroshima, Choi had 863 hits, 457 runs, 140 doubles, 172 home runs, 508 RBI, 283 stolen bases, a .301/.348/.567 slash, 176 wRC+, and 36.0 WAR. For the playoffs, he had 34 games with a .283/.299/.441 slash, 119 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR. Choi became a free agent for the first time at age 32 and returned to the Korea League on a five-year, $41,500,000 deal with Busan.

Choi earned repeat Silver Sluggers in 2007 and 2008 and averaged 6+ WAR per season in his five years with the Blue Jays. Busan ended a nine-year playoff drought in 2007 as a wild card, but lost in the first round. They missed the 2008 playoffs, then broke through at 106-56 in 2009. The Blue Jays won the Korea League title, but fell to a 117-win Nagoya in the EAB Championship. Choi was again surprisingly underwhelming in the playoff run with a .719 OPS, 89 wRC+, and 0.4 WAR. Still, had secured the lone pennant of his career.

Busan made the playoffs again in 2010, but suffered a first round defeat. Notably with the Blue Jays, Choi hit for the cycle in 2009 against Bucheon on August 5. The next day, he had a three home run game versus the Bolts. Busan narrowly missed the playoffs in his final year there. With the Blue Jays, Choi had 887 hits, 493 runs, 147 doubles, 156 home runs, 494 RBI, 307 stolen bases, a .305/.355/.556 slash, 146 wRC+, and 30.5 WAR. Choi entered free agency again, this time at age 37.

Yongin signed Choi for two-years and $18,400,000 and he delivered his standard production in 2012 with 6.2 WAR over 159 games. The Gold Sox missed the playoffs by only one game. In 2013, Choi had a sluggish start in his first 15 games and Yongin traded him. He was sent to Ulsan for two prospects and quickly ended his slump. Choi saw 6.8 WAR for the Swallows and had a career high 129 RBI. He crossed the 600 home run and 3000 hit milestones with the Swallows. Ulsan had the #1 seed, but fell in the first round. That would be Choi’s final playoff games.

The one mark against his resume was the weaker postseason stats. For his career, Choi had 62 playoff games with 61 hits, 25 runs, 6 doubles, 6 triples, 6 home runs, 26 RBI, 22 stolen bases, a .265/.299/.422 slash, 105 wRC+, and 1.4 WAR. Yongin brought him back and he hit 40 home runs, a very rare feat for a guy who turned 40 in the summer. However, Choi’s 3.8 WAR was his lowest since the start of his career. Between Gold Sox stints, Choi had 9.8 WAR, 347 hits, 199 runs, 60 doubles, 72 home runs, 206 RBI, a .278/.319/.530 slash, and 129 wRC+

Choi had signed a two-year deal when returning with Yongin, but ended up traded again, this time in the offseason to Sapporo. He was still a respectable starter with 2.7 WAR and 134 wRC+ over 144 games for the Swordfish. He moved into the top five in hits and some wondered if he might try to stick around to chase milestones. However, Choi was satisfied with his career and retired that winter at age 41.

For his career, Choi had 3068 games, 3336 hits, 1839 runs, 507 doubles, 199 triples, 679 home runs, 1924 RBI, 834 walks, 1062 stolen bases, a .291/.338/.547 slash, 148 wRC+, and 117.0 WAR. Despite almost never being a league leader, Choi’s consistency and longevity gave him impressive spots on the leaderboards.

As of 2037, Choi ranks 10^th in games played, 8^th in hits, 9^th in runs scored, 8^th in total bases (6278), 23^rd in doubles, 17^th in home runs, 9^th in RBI, 67^th in walks drawn, 19^th in stolen bases, 41^st in caught stealing, and 15^th in WAR among position players. Choi and Yu-Chan Jang are the only EAB players to have stolen 1000+ bases and hit 600+ home runs.

Amazingly, he pulled off such a remarkable resume without ever being particularly dominant and as someone rarely in the MVP conversation. Few if any EAB players provided more value in his era than Choi. He received 94.0% of the vote as the third member of a loaded 2021 East Asia Baseball Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2021 BSA Hall of Fame

Beisbol Sudamerica hits king Owen Arcia was the lone Hall of Fame inductee in 2021 at 97.8%. Only one other player even breached 50% with LF Sergio Echevarria taking 61.3% on his seventh try, falling just shy of the 66% requirement. The next best debut was down at 22.9%.



One player was removed from the ballot after ten failed tries in closer Wellinton Reveles. He had a 14-year career and won Reliever of the Year once with 330 saves and 386 shutdowns, a 2.79 ERA, 1004 innings, 1091 strikeouts, 243 walks, 134 ERA+, and 27.3 WAR. 300+ saves was enough for many relievers, but Reveles’ ERA was weaker than any reliever inducted before or after him in BSA. He didn’t have the dominance required despite decent longevity.



Owen Arcia – Left Field – Barquisimeto Black Cats – 97.8% First Ballot

Owen Arcia was a 5’10’’, 200 pound right-handed outfielder from Acarigua, a city of around 200,000 people in northwestern Venezuela. Arcia was best known as a great contact hitter with great speed and remarkable longevity. He was a true ironman who started 144+ games in 19 seasons and 133 in his rookie year. Arcia graded as average-at-best in terms of drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Whenever he was on base, his speed and base stealing ability made him a pain for pitchers.

Arcia didn’t have prolific power, but he was by no means just a singles slap hitter. His 162 game average saw 34 doubles, 13 triples, and 22 home runs. He had a very strong arm, which served him well in left field where he graded as reliably good. Arcia did start in center field in his first two seasons, but posted subpar results there. He was a fan favorite with his loyalty, work ethic, and ironman durability pushing him to become Beisbol Sudamerica’s hit king.

In the 1995 BSA Draft, Arcia was picked 19^th overall by Barquisimeto. He was a full-time starter immediately for the Black Cats and won his lone Silver Slugger in his second year against weak CF competition. Arcia wasn’t generally one to lead the league, but his production was steady and reliable. With Barquisimeto, he did lead the Bolivar League with 233 hits in 2002. That was his career high, as were his 112 runs, 43 doubles, .369 batting average, .397 on-base percentage, .963 OPS, and 7.0 WAR that same year.

Arcia scored 100+ runs and had 200+ hits both in six different seasons for Barquisimeto. He topped 6+ WAR each year from 2001-2004. The Black Cats gave him a seven-year, $34,020,000 extension in April 2003. They were stuck in the middle tier mostly in his tenure with Arcia’s only playoff games there coming with a first round exit in 2001. Still, he was a fan favorite and remembered Barquisimeto fondly. Arcia’s #56 uniform would later be retired by the team.

He did have some notable achievements with the Black Cats. In 2004, Arcia went 6-6 against Valencia. He hit for the cycle twice in 2005, becoming the third BSA player to do it twice in the same year. The first of his cycles also came during a 35-game hitting streak, which was the fifth-longest in BSA history to that point. Despite these moments, Arcia was disappointed by Barquisimeto’s struggles. They had fallen to 69-93 by 2005 and 74-88 in 2006.

Arcia opted out of the remainder of his deal, becoming a free agent for 2007 at age 33. With the Black Cats, Arcia ended with 2150 hits, 1033 runs, 367 doubles, 122 triples, 234 home runs, 937 RBI, 765 stolen bases, a .319/.354/.514 slash, 136 wRC+, and 56.0 WAR. He also would be inducted and best known for his time with Barquisimeto.

Up next though, Arcia signed a five-year, $36,200,000 deal with Guayaquil. This took him out of his native Venezuela for the first time, making the move to Ecuador. Arcia hadn’t played for his country in the WBC while with the Black Cats, but did return home while with the Golds. From 2008-15, he started 69 games with 52 hits, 30 runs, 10 doubles, 13 home runs, 28 RBI, 28 stolen bases, a .206/.282/.409 slash, 95 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR.

In 2007, Arcia led in hits for the second time and posted what would be the best numbers of his Guayaquil tenure across the board. He remained steady yet again, staying above 4+ WAR each year for the next seven years. Guayaquil became a contender, making the playoffs six times from 2008-14 with three division titles and four seasons with 100+ wins.

However, the Golds ultimately couldn’t win the big one. Four times they fell in the divisional series. Guayaquil got to the Bolivar League Championship Series in both 2009 and 2010, but lost both times to Santa Cruz. Arcia did have good numbers in the playoffs for the Golds with 44 starts, 59 hits, 32 runs, 8 doubles, 10 triples, 6 home runs, 23 RBI, 23 stolen bases, a .326/.333/.580 slash, 140 wRC+, and 2.2 WAR. He earned BLCS MVP honors in defeat in 2010.

Arcia became one of a short list of guys to hit for the cycle thrice in his career, doing it in the 2010 BLCS against the Crawfish. In 2011, he became the ninth BSA player to 3000 career hits and the 12^th to 1500 runs scored. Guayaquil knew what they were going to get and extended Arcia for another three years and $26,400,000 after the 2011 campaign. Even into his late 30s, Arcia stayed healthy and his production remained steady.

Javier Herrera had held BSA’s hit king crown for over 30 years, but it was clear that his 3597 mark was in danger. Arcia ended the 2013 season at 3560 after posting his tenth season with 200+. At age 40, Arcia took over the top spot with 210 hits, a .355 average, and 5.7 WAR in 2014. He also passed Herrera’s 618 to become BSA’s doubles leader. Arcia had become the singles leader as well and was the third to reach 1300+ stolen bases.

Arcia’s 2014 earned him another three-year, $33,700,000 extension with Guayaquil as it seemed like he’d never slow down. However, all good things come to an end as his bat regressed notably despite still being healthy. Arcia posted a -0.3 WAR, .737 OPS, and 94 wRC+. He was at 3940 hits and it seemed like a foregone conclusion that’d cross 4000. Only three players in world history had made it across that line. Milton Becker’s runs record of 1980 also seemed initially reachable with Arcia ending 2015 at 1904.

However with his significant drop in production, Arcia realized his time as a starter was likely done. He decided to retire after the 2015 campaign at age 42 instead of overstaying his welcome. With Guayaquil, he finished with 1790 hits, 871 runs, 276 doubles, 123 triples, 175 home runs, 753 RBI, 608 stolen bases, a .332/.363/.527 slash, 135 wRC+, and 39.9 WAR.

Arcia finished with 3068 games, 3940 hits, 1904 runs, 643 doubles, 245 triples, 409 home runs, 1690 RBI, 613 walks, 1373 stolen bases, a .325/.358/.520 slash, 136 wRC+, and 95.9 WAR. As of 2037, Arcia is still BSA’s all-time leader in hits, singles (2643), and doubles. Among all pro baseball players entering 2037, he sits ninth in hits and is just outside the top 50 in doubles.

On the BSA leaderboards, Arcia is eighth in games played, third in runs scored, 28^th in triples, fifth in total bases (6300), 15^th in RBI, third in stolen bases, second in times caught stealing (972), and 44^th in WAR among position players. Arcia’s batting average ranks 92^nd among all BSA batters with 3000+ plate appearances, losing ground with inflated totals in the years after he retired.

It was the longevity and consistency that made Arcia stand out. Despite being the hit king, he was never an MVP finalist, won only one Silver Slugger, and had limited black ink. Most put stolen bases king Ishmael Perla well ahead when looking at BSA’s best-ever left fielders. Regardless, Arcia certainly earned his spot in the record books and fittingly got to stand alone at 97.8% for Beisbol Sudamerica’s 2021 Hall of Fame voting.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2021 EBF Hall of Fame (Part 1)

The European Baseball Federation had a three-player Hall of Fame class in 2021 with three strong debuts. 1B Carsten Dal was the clear headliner at 98.7%, although SP Geoffrey Hebert (84.8%) and LF Sergio Cipolla (83.2%) were by no means scrubs. 3B Isaad Dorgham nearly joined them on his sixth ballot, but missed the 66% requirement narrowly at 61.6%. Also cracking 50% was a debuting LF Andriy Boychuk at 57.2% and SP Martin Kukoc with 51.5% for his fifth ballot.



3B Gottlob Kiefer was dropped from the ballot after ten failed tries, peaking at 47.1% in 2017. He won four Silver Sluggers with Rotterdam, but he lost out on some accumulations by playing his final five seasons between ABF and EPB. In EBF, Kiefer had 1737 hits, 867 runs, 241 doubles, 359 home runs, 1063 RBI, .307/.340/.558 slash, 150 wRC+, 52.3 WAR. EBF voters had put in some guys with lower accumulations, but Kiefer didn’t have the overwhelming dominance or awards those guys had to get across the line.

SP Jeremias Kohl also was removed after ten ballots, ending at 10.8% and peaking at 32.2% in 2014. He had a 14-year career with Athens and posted a 172-123 record, 3.27 ERA, 2652.1 innings, 2710 strikeouts, 510 walks, 117 ERA+, and 57.0 WAR. Kohl was steady, but was never a conference leader and lacked any notable accolades.



Carsten “Genghis Khan” Dal – First Base – Munich Mavericks – 98.7% First Ballot

Carsten Dal was a 6’5’’, 195 pound left-handed first baseman from Lemvig, Denmark; a town of 6,800 in the North Jutland region. Dal was renowned for his incredible speed and baserunning ability, eventually becoming the world record holder for stolen bases. His lanky frame also allowed him to often stretch out and around incoming tags. Dal was also one of the most well respected men in the game. He was a hard-working team captain known for great leadership, loyalty, adaptability, and intelligence.

Dal was more than just a speedster, as he was a great contact hitter in his prime that was good at drawing walks and excellent at avoiding strikeouts. Dal’s gap power was solid and combined with his speed meant you’d get 26 doubles and 24 triples per his 162 game average. He wasn’t one to hit many home runs, reaching double-digits in only three seasons. However, dingers weren’t expected or required from a top flight leadoff man.

His offensive archetype isn’t what you’d typically associate with a career first baseman, but Dal played there exclusively. He graded as a reliably good-to-great defender. Dal never won a Gold Glove, but has the second-highest accumulated zone rating in EBF history. Strong durability also pushed him to a 22-year career where he rarely missed large chunks of the season.

Dal’s unique speed and skillset earned some attention even as a teenager in a small town in Denmark. A scout from Glasgow happened upon him and inked Dal to a developmental deal in June 1991. He spent a bit over three years in their academy in Scotland, then became a rare player to debut at age 19 in 1994. Dal was mostly a pinch runner and hitter, playing only 61 games and starting 17. The Highlanders gave him the starting job the next year, which he held for the next eight seasons.

All eight of those seasons, Dal was the Northern Conference leader in stolen bases. 1996 marked the start of an 11-year streak of 100+ stolen base seasons. His 135 steals in 1997 remains the EBF single-season record as of 2037. Dal also holds the 6^th (126) and 7^th (124) best single-seasons in EBF. He scored 140 runs in both 1997 and 1999, falling four short of the single-season EBF record. From 1996-2001 with Glasgow, he led five times in run scored and four times in triples. Each of his seasons in that run was also worth 6.5+ WAR.

Without the power numbers generally associated with first base, Dal never won a Silver Slugger despite his tallies. He was certainly an impact player for Glasgow, who gave him an eight-year, $34,760,000 extension after the 2000 season. In 1996, Dal posted a 31-game hitting streak and hit for the cycle. The Highlanders got a wild card that year and suffered a first round exit, but this started what would be a nine-year playoff streak for Glasgow. Each berth from 1997 onward saw a British Isles Division title.

Glasgow couldn’t get over the hump initially with Northern Conference Championship defeats in 1997, 1998, and 2000. They had the top seed with a then-franchise best 108-54 in 1999, but were upset in the first round. The Highlanders finally broke through in 2001, going 110-52 and winning the European Championship over Munich.

That run was Dal’s finest, getting 25 hits, 16 runs, 6 doubles, 4 triples, 12 steals, a .439/.492/.737 slash, 240 wRC+, and 1.8 WAR over 13 starts. Glasgow got back to the conference final in 2002 at 107-55, but was defeated by Kharkiv. In total for Glasgow, Dal had 63 playoff starts, 83 hits, 46 runs, 9 doubles, 11 triples, 5 homers, 20 RBI, 38 stolen bases, a .317/.370/.492 slash, 143 wRC+, and 2.9 WAR.

Dal’s time with Glasgow came to an abrupt end in January 2003, as he was traded to Munich for 2B Bastian Loffler and a prospect. With the Highlanders, Dal finished with 1611 hits, 969 runs, 215 doubles, 192 triples, 66 homers, 433 RBI, 903 stolen bases, a .324/.391/.485 slash, 147 wRC+, and 53.9 WAR. It was certainly his most impactful tenure, but the trade did leave some awkwardness between Dal and Glasgow. He had more WAR there than Munich narrowly, but would play more games and seasons with the Mavericks.

He suffered a broken collarbone in his first month in Munich, but quickly found his rhythm. Dal had 5+ WAR in each of his first five seasons with the Mavericks. 2004 was his strongest, leading in hits (222), triples (229), steals (124), and OBP (.436). Dal led in steals thrice more and in both runs and triples once more. Dal would become a part of Munich’s own decade-long playoff streak, which had started in 2001.

However, disappointments would define much of that run apart from their finals berth in 2001. Munich won 110 games in 2005, but lost to Vienna for the Southern Conference title. The Mavericks fell to Barcelona in the 2006 conference final, then lost in either the first or second round of the next four seasons. Dal’s playoff numbers for Munich were unremarkable with 52 starts, 51 hits, 33 runs, 3 doubles, 6 triples, 5 home runs, 23 RBI, 26 stolen bases, a .248/.295/.393 slash, 93 wRC+, and 1.0 WAR.

Dal was tenured though in the playoffs between Glasgow and Munich, playing 115 games with 134 hits, 79 runs, 12 doubles, 17 triples, 10 homers, 43 RBI, 64 stolen bases, a .286/.337/.449 slash, 121 wRC+, and 3.9 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 5^th in EBF playoff runs, 7^th in hits, and 2^nd in steals.

Although his pro career took him elsewhere in Europe, Dal was also a regular for his native Denmark in the World Baseball Championship for his entire career. He played 157 games with 152 starts from 1996-2015, recording 149 hits, 106 runs, 20 doubles, 11 triples, 6 home runs, 39 RBI, 73 walks, 103 stolen bases, a .258/.349/.362 slash, 111 wRC+, and 4.7 WAR. He ranks 23^rd in steals in WBC history as of 2037.

Munich gave Dal a five-year, $29,600,000 extension before the 2008 season. His production dropped a little bit, but he was still solid into his mid 30s. By the time his deal was running out, the Mavericks had fallen to the bottom of the standings. For his efforts though, Munich would later retire Dal’s #17 uniform. In 2010, Dal was the 7^th to reach 3000 career hits. He was the 13^th to 1500 runs scored in 2008, then became the fifth to 2000 runs in 2013.

He had become the EBF career stolen bases leader early in his Munich tenure, destroying Julien Lefebvre’s previous high mark of 1159. Dal started climbing towards the world stolen bases record of 1721 set by Ishmael Perla and broke it in 2010, finishing the season at 1728. Dal also broke Jacob Ronnberg’s EBF and world record for triples in 2013, passing the previous mark of 436. In addition, he had taken the singles EBF record while with the Mavericks, passing Sauncho Fiero’s 2344.

As time went on, Dal had a realistic shot at passing EBF’s hits and runs records, both held by Ronnberg. Dal would have to do it somewhere other than Munich, as his contract expired after the 2013 season heading towards age 39. With the Mavericks, he had 1878 hits, 1055 runs, 250 doubles, 251 triples, 74 home runs, 619 RBI, 574 walks, 1052 stolen bases, a .310/.373/.471 slash, 134 wRC+, and 52.9 WAR. Dal’s production had started to wane in his later years, plus most teams wanted a big bopper if they were going to sign an aging first baseman.

Vienna would give him a shot for 2014, where he became the second to 3500 hits in early April. A torn back muscle and other injuries kept him out roughly half the season, but Dal was still decent with 2.0 WAR over 79 games. He finished the year at 3580 hits, passing Ronnberg’s 3520 to become EBF’s hit king. Dal was at 2073 runs, nine away from Ronnberg’s record.

Dal signed with Birmingham in 2015 and eventually got benched, posting -0.3 WAR over 74 games. He scored 28 runs though to pass Ronnberg as EBF’s all-time leader. Dal still holds the runs mark as of 2037, although Francisco Cruz took the hit king title away only two years later. Dal also hoped to be the first-ever player to 2000 stolen bases, but fell five short. He thought about trying for another season to catch that mark, but instead retired after the 2015 campaign at age 40.

The final stats for Dal: 3039 games, 3633 hits, 2101 runs, 486 doubles, 457 triples, 150 home runs, 1097 RBI, 1136 walks, 1995 stolen bases, 911 caught stealing, .315/.378/.475 slash, 138 wRC+, and 108.5 WAR. As of 2037, Dal is still EBF’s’ all-time leader in runs scored and stolen bases. He ranks 4^th in games, 3^rd in hits, 14^th in doubles, 2^nd in triples, 2^nd in singles (2540), 2^nd in caught stealing, 10^th in walks drawn, and 23^rd in WAR among position players.

Dal is still the world record holder for stolen bases as of 2037 and is eighth in caught stealing. Two would pass him in triples, leaving him third on that list. Dal also is 22^nd in world history in runs scored and 33^rd in hits. He had a unique skillset that hasn’t been replicated in baseball history, although his lack of raw power numbers often rank him lower than you might expect when discussing the inner-circle of EBF Hall of Famers.

Considering his place on the leaderboards, many wouldn’t expect that Dal never won a Silver Slugger and never was an MVP finalist. Dal did at least have a championship ring with Glasgow and was part of two teams that had sustained playoff streaks. Regardless of where you rank Dal as a complete player in the EBF pantheon, you can credibly argue he was the best and most dangerous baserunner in professional baseball history. Dal headlined a strong three-player 2021 class for the European Baseball Federation’s Hall of Fame.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2021 EBF Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Geoffrey “Toast” Hebert – Starting Pitcher – Luxembourg Lancers – 84.8% First Ballot

Geoffrey Hebert was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Dudelange, Luxembourg; a town of roughly 22,000 people. Hebert was the first Luxembourger to earn induction into EBF’s Hall of Fame. He was nicknamed “toast” due to his steadfast toast breakfast every day. Despite his talents, teammates often criticized Hebert for his selfishness, poor work ethic, and general lack of intelligence.

On the mound though, Hebert had excellent stuff and control along with above average movement. His fastball was quite solid, peaking at 95-97 mph. It was Hebert’s “Bugs Bunny changeup” that garnered most of his whiffs, rated among the best-ever changeups in the game. He also had a good curveball and forkball, plus an alright changeup, making Hebert a tough pitcher to solve when he was on his game.

Compared to most EBF aces, his stamina was considered average. Hebert was an ironman though who never got hurt, leading to a regular 230+ innings in every year that he was a full-time starter. He was considered good at holding runners and average defensively. Still, some detractors thought Hebert’s general lack of dedication prevented him from having an even more successful career.

In a small country like Luxembourg, the few promising prospects get a lot of attention domestically. The nation’s franchise took notice and signed Hebert to a developmental deal in January 1997. He spent four full years in the Lancers’ academy before debuting in 2001 at age 20 with 12 iffy starts. He started most of 2002 with average results, then was moved into the rotation full-time after that.

From 2004-06, Hebert led the Northern Conference each season in WAR. He peaked with 8.1 WAR in 2006, a year that also saw a conference-best 18-8 record and 0.87 WHIP. Hebert led in 2005 in K/BB (11.4), and quality starts (27). He didn’t lead in the other big counting stats, thus he didn’t get strong awards consideration. Hebert was a Pitcher of the Year finalist only once, taking second in 2006.

It was also hard to get attention in Luxembourg, one of EBF’s smallest markets and member countries. The Lancers had been lousy for the 1990s and most of the 1980s. In 2006, they did end a 23-year playoff drought and won a division title, but they were ousted in the second round. Hebert had a 1.80 ERA over 15 innings in his only postseason starts for Luxembourg. The Lancers were around .500 in the following two seasons.

Hebert’s production dipped notably in 2007, but he bounced back in 2008 with a 2.33 ERA; his best with Luxembourg. He didn’t have any particular loyalty though to his home country team and opted for free agency once able after the 2008 season. With the Lancers, Hebert had a 99-80 record, 3.01 ERA, 1745 innings, 1806 strikeouts, 305 walks, 123 ERA+, and 42.8 WAR. This run and his next were roughly even in terms of tenure, although he did decide to get inducted in Lancers’ orange. There is some pride in the country for Hebert being their first HOF, but he isn’t a celebrated icon.

Now 28-years old, Hebert signed a five-year, $35,700,000 deal with Birmingham. All of his seasons with the Bees were above 4+ WAR and he topped 7+ WAR in both 2010 and 2012. Hebert led twice in K/BB and once in quality starts. He had a sub-three ERA thrice, including a career-best 2.17 in 2010. Still, Hebert wasn’t in awards conversations or at the tip-top of leaderboards. Regardless, his production helped the Bees find some success to start the 2010s.

Birmingham had four consecutive playoff berths from 2010-13. 2011 was their best effort, falling in the Northern Conference Championship to Dublin. Hebert was great in that run with a 1.87 ERA over 33.2 playoff innings. He struggled in their other playoff runs, giving him a 4.31 ERA over 54.1 innings for his Bees tenure. Their other berths all ended in either first or second round defeats. Counting Luxembourg, Hebert had a career 3.76 playoff ERA over 69.1 innings.

Generally happy with his production, Birmingham extended Hebert for five years at $53,700,000 in May 2013. His production remained steady through the 2015 season. Despite still having time left on his deal and being productive, Hebert decided he was ready to move on from the game after the 2015 season at age 35. With Birmingham, Hebert had a 113-67 record, 2.95 ERA, 1715.1 innings, 1730 strikeouts, 233 walks, 123 ERA+, and 38.4 WAR.

Hebert finished with a 212-147 record, 2.98 ERA, 3460.1 innings, 3536 strikeouts, 538 walks, 312/447 quality starts, 88 complete games, 24 shutouts, 123 ERA+, and 81.3 WAR. As of 2037, Hebert ranks 30^th in WAR among pitchers, 35^th in wins, and 30^th in strikeouts. He quietly put up a very solid resume, even if wasn’t one to post eye-popping stats.

Some wonder what Hebert’s tallies could’ve looked like if he was more motivated and/or kept playing a few more years. The numbers show he was much better than many realized during his time. Upon confirming those tallies and his resume, most voters were sold, giving Hebert a first ballot induction at 84.8% within EBF’s 2021 Hall of Fame class.



Sergio Cipolla – Left Field – Dublin Dinos – 83.2% First Ballot

Sergio Cipolla was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed left fielder from Paola, a commune of 15,000 inhabitants in southern Italy. Cipolla was a well-rounded hitter who had good-to-great contact and eye skills. He did strikeout a bit more than you’d like, but he got on base regularly and made those opportunities count. Cipolla got plenty of extra base hits with a 162 game average of 24 doubles, 19 triples, and 28 home runs. He was also a fantastic baserunner with excellent speed, leading the conference six times in stolen bases.

Cipolla spent the vast majority of his career in left field, where he graded as a reliably good defender. He did see brief forays in center and right, but struggled in both spots. Cipolla had excellent durability, playing 147+ games in each of his first 14 seasons. His work ethic, loyalty, and exciting skillset made him a fan favorite throughout an 18-year professional career.

Despite the skillset mentioned above, Cipolla came up through the amateur ranks as a starting pitcher. In four college seasons, he had a 3.23 ERA, 448.1 innings, 481 strikeouts, and 100 ERA+. Most scouts were underwhelmed by his pitching prospects, forecasting his talent as borderline. Cipolla wasn’t taking advantage of his incredible athleticism in that role, a fact Dublin noticed. In the 2001 EBF Draft, Cipolla was a late third round pick, going 136^th to the Dinos.

While most teams dismissed him as a weak pitching prospect, Dublin saw his potential elsewhere. Cipolla was a full-time outfielder from the jump and an immediate success, winning 2002 Rookie of the Year honors. He debuted at 5.1 WAR and would hit 6.5+ WAR each year for the next decade in Ireland. From 2004-08, Cipolla was the Northern Conference leader in stolen bases. He swiped 133 bags in 2007, two shy of the EBF record set by his Hall of Fame classmate Carsten Dal.

Cipolla would post a 20-20-20 doubles/triples/homers mark in seven different seasons for the Dinos. Despite that, he surprisingly never hit for the cycle. He earned Silver Sluggers in 2004, 05, 07, 09, 11, and 12. Cipolla was the WARlord twice, posting 9.7 in 2005 and 10.3 in 2007. He was third in MVP voting, but it was hard to gain ground without big home run power.

2007 was a record-setting campaign for Cipolla. Along with his 133 stolen bases, he broke the EBF on-base percentage single-season record at .462, a mark that held until 2023 and still ranks third as of 2037. This season also had a conference-best 101 walks drawn. It was one of five seasons with an OPS above one for Cipolla. He also maintained a remarkable ten-year streak with Dublin scoring 105+ runs.

Cipolla’s efforts helped turn Dublin into a consistent contender. They didn’t immediately begin the dynasty, but did earn four division titles from 2005-09. All of those seasons ended in a second round effort, even in 2009 despite a franchise-record 111-51. Cipolla was holding up his end and the Dinos knew they were close to breaking through. They would ink him to a seven-year, $74,100,000 extension in spring training 2010.

Dublin’s dynasty began there, winning back-to-back European Championships in 2010-11. Cipolla was the finals MVP in 2011, getting 21 hits, 13 runs, 5 triples, 5 homers, 14 RBI, 10 steals, and 1.2 WAR in 15 playoff starts. He had similar stats the prior year with 19 hits, 13 runs, 4 doubles, 5 homers, 10 RBI, and 1.1 WAR.

In the inaugural Baseball Grand Championship in 2010, Dublin was 5-4 and finished fourth in their division. In 2011, they were fifth overall at 12-7. Cipolla was strong as well in the 2011 BGC with 17 hits, 19 runs, 3 doubles, 6 home runs, 12 RBI, 11 steals, a 166 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR over 19 starts. For his Dublin EBF playoff career, Cipolla started 58 games with 74 hits, 43 runs, 6 doubles, 9 triples, 17 home runs, 44 RBI, 24 walks, 35 steals, a .336/.405/.677 slash, 199 wRC+, and 4.1 WAR.

By many metrics, 2012 was Cipolla’s strongest season. He led the conference in runs (132), OBP (.411), OPS (1.112), and wRC+ (210). The runs, OPS, and wRC+ were career highs, as were his 40 home runs and 11.1 WAR. Cipolla was second in MVP voting as Oslo SS Harvey Coyle posted a 13.7 WAR, 61 homer effort en route to his fifth MVP. Despite going 107-55, Dublin was upset in the second round by Paris.

Now 33-years old, Cipolla’s stock was at an all-time high. He surprised and disappointed many by opting out of his contract despite being two years into the extension. Dublin expected him to be a centerpiece for a continued dynasty, although they would win a third title and go 115-47 in 2013 without him. Cipolla remained popular in Ireland for his role in turning the Dinos into a powerhouse and saw his #8 uniform eventually retired.

With Dublin, Cipolla had 1986 hits, 1256 runs, 264 doubles, 261 triples, 322 home runs, 1030 RBI, 699 walks, 1057 stolen bases, a .319/.396/.601 slash, 175 wRC+, and 94.7 WAR. This would be the entirety of his EBF career. As of 2037, he ranks 43^rd in WAR for position players, 84^th in runs, 36^th in triples, 12^th in stolen bases, and 96^th in walks drawn.

Cipolla’s earlier departure kept him from soaring up EBF leaderboards and lowered his rankings among Europe’s best. He was undoubtedly a stud though and a big reason Dublin became a regular Northern Conference powerhouse. Those accolades were enough to receive 83.2% and the third spot in EBF’s impressive 2021 Hall of Fame class.

While popular in Ireland for helping turn the capital into a baseball hotbed, Cipolla was also a favorite back home in Italy. From 2003-2018, he was a regular in the World Baseball Championship. Cipolla played 185 games and started 171, posting 163 hits, 125 runs, 22 doubles, 13 triples, 35 home runs, 95 RBI, 126 stolen bases, a .256/.370/.497 slash, and 9.6 WAR.

As of 2037, Cipolla ranks second among all Italian position players in WAR in the WBC. He’s also 2^nd in runs scored, 5^th in hits, 1^st in triples, and 5^th in RBI. Cipolla ranks 6^th among all players in stolen bases and 3^rd in triples. Italy had some of its strongest showings with Cipolla’s leadership, including runner-up finishes in 2005 and 2012, and a fourth place in 2006. He was especially a beast in 2005 over 22 starts with 22 hits, 17 runs, 3 doubles, 4 triples, 8 home runs, 21 RBI, 14 steals, a 1.138 OPS, and 2.0 WAR.

Cipolla did play another seven professional seasons after leaving Ireland. It was hard to turn down the big MLB payday, signing a five-year, $128,000,000 deal with MLB’s Brooklyn Dodgers for 2013. This deal more than doubled his peak Dublin salary, which was nothing to sneeze at in its own right. Cipolla debuted in center field for Brooklyn and won his lone MLB accolade, a Silver Slugger. His 5.8 WAR was his best effort there.

He was a good starter for the Dodgers, although less active MLB basepaths dulled his value somewhat. Brooklyn won a division title in 2013, but lost in the second round. They fell just outside of the playoffs in the next three seasons. With the Dodgers (between two stints), Cipolla had 583 hits, 395 runs, 92 doubles, 29 triples, 99 home runs, 263 RBI, 257 walks, 168 stolen bases, a .247/.334/.436 slash, 136 wRC+, and 19.2 WAR.

Cipolla didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the fifth year of his Dodgers deal, becoming a free agent for 2017 at age 37. Kansas City signed him to a one-year deal where he was a decent part-timer with 2.0 WAR over 101 games and 78 starts. Brooklyn brought him back in 2018 on a two-year deal at $18,400,000. However, Cipolla missed almost the entire season with a fractured knee suffered in spring training.

Brooklyn let him go, but he wanted to comeback in 2019. San Antonio gave Cipolla a shot in 2019, but he struggled to -0.6 WAR over 36 games and 17 starts. He was unsigned for all of 2020 and finally retired that winter at age 41. For his MLB career, Cipolla had 769 games, 674 hits, 452 runs, 105 doubles, 39 triples, 111 home runs, 294 RBI, 197 stolen bases, a .243/.330/.430 slash, 132 wRC+, and 20.6 WAR.

For his combined pro career, Cipolla finished with 2498 games, 2660 hits, 1708 runs, 369 doubles, 300 triples, 433 home runs, 1324 RBI, 999 walks, 1254 stolen bases, a .296/.375/.548 slash, 162 wRC+, and 115.3 WAR. When looking at the best-ever position players to come out of Italy, Cipolla ranks near or at the top after a tremendous career.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2021 EPB Hall of Fame

For the first time since 2010, Eurasian Professional Baseball didn’t add any players into the Hall of Fame. SS Gleb Khassanov was the only player in the entire 2021 group above 50%, barely making it at 50.4% on his ninth ballot. Four other players were above 40% with the best debut being SP Nihat Akhatov at 41.9%. No players were removed from the ballot after ten failed tries.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2021 OBA Hall of Fame

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Two players earned spots into the Oceania Baseball Association Hall of Fame in 2021 upon their debut. SP Ryder Murray was the headliner at 92.3% and was joined by 2B Kalos Ryniker at 77.7%. One returner was above 50%, but below the 66% requirement. SP Jarome Galuvao had 59.6% on his third try. No players fell off the ballot after ten misses.



Ryder Murray – Starting Pitcher – Fiji Freedom – 92.3% First Ballot

Ryder Murray was a 6’5’’, 205 pound right-handed pitcher from Lawson-Hazelbrook, two small towns of a combined 7,000 people in Australia’s New South Wales state. Murray had great stuff and pretty good control, but his movement was often spotty. He allowed the most home runs in the league six times due to the movement issues and had an extreme flyball tendency.

However, Murray’s curveball when it was on graded as a 10/10. He also had a good 94-96 mph fastball along with a decent changeup and screwball. Murray had excellent stamina and strong durability for most of his run, tossing 300+ innings in nine consecutive seasons. He did grade as a poor defensive pitcher and was below average at holding runners.

Although Murray grew up in a smaller town, he did catch the attention of a scout from Fiji. He signed a developmental deal in June 1996 and spent just over four years in the Freedom’s academy. Murray debuted in 2011 at age 21, struggling over 15 starts. He was used only in eight regular season starts in 2002, but had a solid 2.62 ERA over that small sample size.

Fiji won their first-ever Pacific League title in 2002 and called upon the young Murray in the Oceania Championship. However, he struggled in his two starts, allowing 14 runs over 11.1 innings as the Freedom were defeated by Brisbane. This didn’t deter Murray though, who earned a full-time starting role the next year and posted 8.1 EWAR. With Fiji, Murray was above 6+ WAR in six different seasons.

Murray never led the league in strikeouts despite some impressive tallies, generally finishing just below Timothy Manglona or Austin Jong during his Fiji tenure. He breached 400 strikeouts four times. Murray’s ERA was above three in all of his full seasons sans 2004, which kept him out of awards conversations. He did take third in Pitcher of the Year voting in 2006, his only time as a finalist. That season saw his career-best in WAR (9.0), strikeouts (410), and wins (24-13).

Fiji returned to the top of the Pacific League in 2006, beating Tahiti by one game. The Freedom would fall to Melbourne’s dynasty in the Oceania Championship. Murray again struggled in the playoffs, posting a 5.14 ERA over his two starts and 14 innings. Fiji fell to around .500 for the remainder of Murray’s time there. From 2007-10, he led the PL each year in innings pitched and led once in both complete games and shutouts.

With the Freedom, Murray had a 165-125 record, 3.34 ERA, 2783.2 innings, 3299 strikeouts, 523 walks, 215/341 quality starts, 144 complete games, 109 ERA+, and 58.4 WAR. He was appreciated enough by Fiji officials that his #24 uniform was later retired. Murray signed a five-year, $14,240,000 extension in June 2005 for the Freedom, but left for free agency when that expired after the 2010 season. At age 30, he inked a seven-year, $45,060,000 deal with Sydney.

Murray ate innings in his first two years for the Snakes and posted 4+ WAR. His issues allowing home runs continued, becoming the only OBA pitcher to allow 50+ dingers in five different seasons. He had a below average ERA soon, struggling to only 1.6 WAR and 1.9 WAR in 2013 and 2014. 2014 saw an abrupt end to his season with a torn flexor tendon in late July.

This knocked Murray out nearly a full calendar year. He made a comeback late in the 2015 season with decent results. However, Murray decided to retire that winter at age 35. With Sydney, he had a 61-60 record, 3.77 ERA, 1094 innings, 1179 strikeouts, 179 walks, 101 ERA+, and 13.0 WAR.

Murray finished with a 226-185 record, 3.46 ERA, 3877.2 innings, 4478 strikeouts, 702 walks, 291/480 quality starts, 185 complete games, 32 shutouts, 107 ERA+, 90 FIP-, and 71.4 WAR. As of 2037, Murray ranks 34^th in WAR among OBA pitchers, 11^th in innings pitched, 20^th in wins, 10^th in strikeouts, 6^th in complete games, and 15^th in shutouts. On the bad side, his 554 home runs allowed is OBA’s all-time worst.

His ERA was also weaker than most OBA Hall of Famers, but Murray hit most of the statistical benchmarks that the pitcher-friendly OBA voters liked. To that point, any OBA pitcher with 4000+ strikeouts and/or 225 wins got inducted. Murray was no exception, getting in with little opposition at 92.3% to headline OBA’s 2021 HOF class.



Kalos “Hands” Ryniker – Second Base/Designated Hitter – Honolulu Honu – 77.7% First Ballot

Kalos Ryniker was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed second baseman from Gizo, a town of around 7,000 and the capital of the Solomon Islands’ Western Province. Ryniker would be only the second Solomon Islander inducted into OBA’s Hall of Fame, joining Class of 2000 Randol Smith. The nickname “Hands” was simple enough as Ryniker had comically large hands for his frame.

Ryniker was a great contact hitter with reliably strong home run power, getting 40 homers per his 162 game average. His gap power was merely decent with 23 doubles and 3 triples per 162. Ryniker was below average at drawing walks and decent at avoiding strikeouts. He was a very intelligent and crafty baserunner, but still was limited by subpar speed.

Against left-handed pitching, Ryniker was especially good with a career 168 wRC+ and .952 OPS. He was no bum against righties though with a .848 OPS and 141 wRC+. Ryniker had good durability for most of his 18-year career and was known for a stellar work ethic and great leadership. He became a beloved superstar everywhere he went between his talent and by being considered a generally great guy.

About 3/5 of Ryniker’s career starts came at second base, where he graded as a poor defender. He was at least passable enough to be playable since his bat was far stronger than what you’d normally get at 2B. About ¼ of his starts came as a designated hitter. Ryniker played some first base at the end of his run with okay results defensively.

Even coming out of the Solomons, Ryniker quickly rose up the amateur ranks of the Pacific. He would be the #1 overall pick by Honolulu in OBA’s 2002 Draft and started immediately. By WAR, Ryniker had the best-ever season by an OBA Rookie of the Year winner at 8.8, leading the Pacific League with 200 hits. He won Rookie of the Month honors five teams in his debut season. Ryniker also won his first Silver Slugger and took second in MVP voting as a rookie.

Ryniker won additional Silver Sluggers for the Honu in 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2008. 2006 was as a DH while the others were at second base. In his second season, Ryniker earned the sixth-ever Triple Crown by an OBA slugger with 56 home runs, 149 RBI, and a .356 average. At that point, he had the second-most RBI in a season in OBA history. Ryniker’s homers and RBI would be career bests, along with his 225 hits, 424 total bases, .671 slugging, 198 wRC+, and 10.8 WAR. This earned him the first of three MVP awards.

2006 and 2007 saw Ryniker’s other MVP wins, while he finished second in 2008. 2007 had career bests in batting average (.359), OBP (.408), OPS (1.063), and runs scored (114). Ryniker led in both homers and RBI again in 2006. Honolulu was a Pacific League powerhouse in the 1980s and 1990s, but had entered a rebuilding period by the new millennium. Ryniker got them back above .500 in 2006 for the first time since 2000. The Honu finished second in 2007 and third in 2008, but weren’t back on top yet.

To their chagrin, Ryniker decided to leave Hawaii as he became a free agent after the 2008 season at age 29. Thus, his OBA career ended after only six seasons with 948 games, 1212 hits, 587 runs, 129 doubles, 263 home runs, 690 RBI, 169 stolen bases, a .331/.372/.590 slash, 174 wRC+, and 46.3 WAR. As of 2037, his .962 OPS ranks 5^th best among all OBA batters with 3000+ plate appearances. Ryniker’s batting average ranks 3^rd, OBP 2^nd, and slugging 10^th.

This made his case an interesting one for Hall of Fame voters. By pure accumulations and longevity, Ryniker was nowhere close. But his six seasons were brilliant and many voters gave him some credit for his later MLB seasons. He might have ended up among OBA’s inner-circle talents had he stayed. Ryniker’s extreme popularity also helped him overcome the very brief tenure. He received 77.7% in his debut ballot to secure his spot in the 2021 OBA Hall of Fame class. That was an impressive accomplishment since only 1/3 of his career happened in OBA.

Major League Baseball teams were very impressed and rarely did international prospects come on the market so young and at the prime. Denver won the bidding war for Ryniker at $94,400,000 over seven seasons. The Dragons would become known for signing numerous players from other world leagues, a strategy which helped turn them into MLB’s most successful team of the 2010s.

Ryniker’s first three seasons for the Dragons were each worth 6+ WAR, winning three consecutive Silver Sluggers. All three years, he posted 40+ homers and 100+ RBI. 2010 would mark the start of what would become MLB’s longest-ever playoff streak for Denver. The Dragons fell in the American Association Championship Series in both 2010 and 2011. Ryniker struggled in the 2010 run, but was solid in 2011 with a 1.117 OPS, 16 hits, 7 runs, 5 homers, and 16 RBI.

After that, Ryniker’s production dropped off noticeably. The Dragons switched him to a platoon starter in 2012 and 2014 with below average results, although he was a decent full-timer still in 2013. Denver lost in the first round in 2012 and second round in 2014. However, the Dragons came away with a 2013 World Series win over Philadelphia and a 2015 title win over St. Louis.

In those title runs, Ryniker was rock solid and furthered his immense popularity. In 2013, he had 15 hits, 7 runs, 5 homers, 15 RBI, and a 1.210 OPS over 11 games; helping him earn World Series MVP honors. In 2015, Ryniker played 16 games with 17 hits, 9 runs, 5 homers, 11 RBI, and a .905 OPS. For his playoff career with Denver, he played 58 games and started 51, posting 60 hits, 27 runs, 9 doubles, 15 home runs, 44 RBI, a .288/.332/.567 slash, 149 wRC+, and 2.6 WAR.

Ryniker also put up nice numbers in the Baseball Grand Championship, especially in 2015 with 7 homers, 14 RBI, and a 1.121 OPS. Over 31 BGC games, he had 28 hits, 18 runs, 6 doubles, 2 triples, 10 homers, 20 RBI, a .262/.331/.636 slash, 167 wRC+, and 1.3 WAR. Denver claimed the Grand Championship at 15-4 in 2013 and matched that record in 2015, but they took second to Johannesburg on a tiebreaker.

In the end, the investment in Ryniker paid off for Denver as he helped them to become the best in the world. In total, he had 1030 hits, 514 runs, 124 doubles, 221 home runs, 603 RBI, a .286/.321/.512 slash, 133 wRC+, and 25.9 WAR. Despite his playoff heroics, Ryniker’s regular season numbers had dipped significantly by the end of his run. Thus, the Dragons let him leave for free agency after the 2015 title at age 36.

Atlanta picked Ryniker up on a two-year, $18,800,000 deal. He regained some of that old form with a 4.5 WAR, .865 effort in 2016 for the Aces. Atlanta was still a losing team at this point and wanted to cash in on Ryniker’s increased value. In spring training, the Aces traded him to Toronto for two prospects; although neither ultimately made the club.

The 37-year old Ryniker had an impressive 2017 for the Timberwolves with 5.2 WAR, 39 homers, and 150 wRC+; winning his ninth career Silver Slugger. Toronto had been the National Association Championship Series runner-up the prior two years. Despite Ryniker’s success, the Timberwolves fell off a cliff to 69-93 in 2017. He was now a free agent again heading towards 2018 at age 38.

Austin gave Ryniker a three-year, $62,200,000 deal, but age would catch up quickly. He was merely okay in 2018, then fell below average in 2019 before being relegated to a bench role and eventually cut in August 2020. With the Amigos, Ryniker mustered 1.9 WAR, a .716 OPS, and 102 wRC+ in 272 games. He retired after the 2020 season at age 41.

For his MLB career, Ryniker saw 1586 hits, 807 runs, 209 doubles, 323 home runs, 924 RBI, a .281/.317/.498 slash, 130 wRC+, and 37.5 WAR; a perfectly fine career. Combined with his Honolulu days, Ryniker had 2798 hits, 1394 runs, 338 doubles, 586 home runs, 1614 RBI, a .301/.339/.534 slash, 148 wRC+, and 83.9 WAR. Many of OBA’s Hall of Fame voters gave him some credit for the combined resume, earning Ryniker the first ballot nod in 2021 despite only playing six seasons in the Pacific League.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2021 APB Hall of Fame (Part 1)

Austronesia Professional Baseball added three into its Hall of Fame in 2021 on their first ballots, headlined by APB hit king OF Junior Sanchez at 97.8%. SP Chia-Jung Huang was also a slam dunk at 90.4% while fellow pitcher Komalat Sawaengsri got a nice 76.6%. Two returners were above 50%, but shy of the 66% requirement. RF Sutanto Mangkoepradja saw 58.3% on his ninth ballot and SP Dwi Aditya Supandi received 56.4% in his third go.



No players were dropped from the ballot after ten failed tries, but 3B Bakori Permana deserves a mention. He fell below 5% on his ninth try and was dropped, peaking at 31.2% in his debut. A 10-time all-star and one-time Silver Slugger winner, Permana had 2436 hits, 990 runs, 433 doubles, 156 triples, 179 home runs, 892 RBI, 756 walks, 624 stolen bases, a .262/.318/.399 slash, 139 wRC+, and 80.8 WAR.

As of 2037, Permana is 47^th in WAR among position players and 15^th in hits. He was also part of a 1994 championship season for Bandung and Jakarta’s 2004 title win. However, Permana didn’t have the awards, black ink, or power numbers to stand out despite having solid totals by APB’s standards.



Junior “Box Car” Sanchez – Outfield/Designated Hitter – Davao Devil Rays – 97.8% First Ballot

Junior Sanchez was a 6’5’’, 200 pound right-handed hitting outfielder from Kawit, Philippines; a municipality of 107,000 people located in the Cavite province. He had the unusual nickname “Box Car,” given based on his childhood love of freight trains. Few in baseball history were better at putting the ball in play than Sanchez, who had excellent contact skills and was great at avoiding strikeouts. He was poor at drawing walks, but still was regularly among APB’s top spots in on-base percentage from his batting average alone.

Sanchez was the prototypical leadoff man who also had terrific baserunning speed and skills. He was an incredibly aggressive baserunner and while he became APB’s career steals leader, Sanchez also was caught more than anyone in pro baseball history. He wasn’t just a singles slap hitter, getting you 27 doubles and 21 triples per his 162 game average. Sanchez wasn’t going to go yard often, only reaching 10+ home runs in four of his 19 seasons.

His baserunning speed didn’t translate to defensive range and his arm strength was lacking. A plurality of Sanchez’s starts came as a designed hitter, around 40% mostly in the middle and tail end of his career. About another 40% of starts came in right field, mostly at the start of his career, while the rest came in left primarily in his mid 30s. Sanchez graded as a mediocre defender at either spot, but you could find worse.

Teams didn’t generally like placing non-power hitters at DH, but Sanchez’s skillset proved an exception. He became a superstar in the Philippines as an ironman, playing 145+ games in all but his debut season. Sanchez was quite adaptable and considered one of the smartest guys in the game. That intelligence allowed him to pick his spots during at bats, hitting for an impressive clip even in the extremely low offense environment of APB.

Sanchez’s contract skills were impressive even as a teenager, which quickly caught the attention of Filipino scouts. Davao snagged him for their academy in April 1994, where he spent around three years and change. Sanchez was a rare player to debut as a teenager, starting at age 19 in 1997 with 73 games and 25 starts. He started most of 1998, but was merely okay at that point. The Devil Rays locked him into a full-time gig after that for the next 15 years as a beloved fixture of the franchise.

1999 was Sanchez’s first time leading the Taiwan-Philippine Association in both hits and stolen bases, although he hadn’t found his gap power yet and still had some limited utility. He would lead in steals again in 2000 and in doubles in 2001; hitting 4+ WAR in both seasons. From 2002-13, Sanchez led the TPA in hits in 11 of 12 seasons. Each year was above 4+ with six seasons above 6+ WAR.

Getting 200+ hits in a season was rare in APB’s “dead ball” style. As of 2037, it has happened only 39 times in APB history with ten of those seasons belonging to Sanchez. His 219 hits in 2002 set APB’s single-season record and held as the top mark until 2031. As of 2037, Sanchez has the #3, #6, #7, #13, and #18 most hits in a season on APB’s leaderboard. His 2002 also saw a .347 batting average, which was the second-best in APB to that point. Sanchez won five consecutive batting titles from 2002-06 and had the best average eight times in his career.

Sanchez’s first Silver Slugger came in 2001 in right field, followed by his second in 2002 and a second place in MVP voting. Davao ended a five-year run of losing seasons in 2002 and won the TPA pennant, falling to Semarang in the APB Championship. Sanchez had 17 hits, 4 runs, .893 OPS, and 180 wRC+ in his playoff debut, winning MVP honors of the association finals.

The Devil Rays missed the playoffs the next two seasons, but Sanchez carried on with two more Silver Sluggers and a second place in 2004’s MVP voting. 2004 had career bests in doubles (36), OBP (.377), OPS (.889), and WAR (8.6). Davao gave Sanchez a four-year, $34,800,000 extension after the 2003 season. In 2005, he won his fifth straight Silver Slugger and his lone MVP. This was his lone season leading in OPS, his third leading in OBP, and fourth in steals.

This also marked the start of Davao’s Philippine League dynasty, as they’d be the PL’s best for the next seven seasons. The Devil Rays repeated as Austronesia Champion in 2005 and 2006, defeating Palembang in the former and Surabaya in the latter. 2005 also had a 27-game hit streak, one short of APB’s record to that point. In June 2007, Davao gave Sanchez a new six-year, $59,400,000 to lock him in as the franchise’s icon for the long haul.

Davao fell in the TPA final in both 2007 and 2008 with Sanchez struggling in both playoff runs. He still took second in 2008’s MVP voting, which saw his career high for runs scored (108). Sanchez had 214 hits, but this was his lone season that kept him from a 12-year run as the leader in hits. 2008 was notable for Sanchez’s 130 stolen bases, which remains APB’s single-season best as of 2037. There have been only 37 seasons in APB of 100+ steals; a mark reached seven times by Sanchez including the #1, #4, and #7 spots.

The Devil Rays resumed their dynasty with their second APB Championship repeat, defeating Singapore in 2009 and Medan in 2010. Davao won their sixth TPA pennant with Sanchez in 2011, but Pekanbaru denied them the APB three-peat. Sanchez was association finals MVP in 2009 and 2011 and the APB finals MVP in 2010. 2010 also saw a third place finish in MVP voting overall.

For his playoff career, Sanchez made 81 starts with 109 hits, 44 runs, 18 doubles, 7 triples, 5 home runs, 24 RBI, 45 stolen bases, a .331/.355/.474 slash, 156 wRC+, and 3.4 WAR. As of 2037, he’s APB’s career playoff leader in at-bats (329), runs, hits, total bases (156), singles (79), doubles, stolen bases, and caught stealing (44).

Davao also made the new Baseball Grand Championship with their 2010 and 2011 efforts, finishing 2-7 for tenth in 2010 and 8-11 for 14^th in 2011. Sanchez had 0.5 WAR over 27 games with 30 hits, 17 runs, 8 doubles, 4 homers, 12 RBI, and 8 steals.

Sanchez also was a regular for the Philippines in the World Baseball Championship from 2000-2013. He played 91 games and started 64, posting 77 hits, 43 runs, 14 doubles, 48 stolen bases, a .288/.345/.367 slash, and 1.4 WAR. Although he was never particularly impressive on the world stage, Sanchez was adored by Filipino fans and was one of the country’s most recognizable baseball stars.

Davao’s run of dominance ended in 2012, as they would be stuck just above .500 for the next three years. The year prior, Sanchez posted only the 13^th six-hit game in APB history. Even as the Devil Rays ceded the Association’s top spot, Sanchez kept climbing up the leaderboards. He passed A.J. Tan’s 2957 hits in 2012 to become APB’s new hits leader, then became the first to reach 3000 early in 2013.

For the Devil Rays, Sanchez had 2573 games, 3197 hits, 1288 runs, 446 doubles, 333 triples, 114 home runs, 840 RBI, 1467 stolen bases, a .321/.346/.466 slash, 152 wRC+, and 85.0 WAR. By the time he was done in Davao, Sanchez was APB’s hits and stolen bases leader. The runs scored, doubles, and triples records were also within striking distance.

With the competitive window seemingly closing, Davao didn’t re-sign Sanchez after the 2013 season, making him a free agent for the first time at age 36. He still maintained a great relationship with the organization and was a regular fixture after his retirement. Sanchez’s #4 uniform would be retired and he’d remain a beloved figure throughout the Philippines. For 2014, he made the move to Manila on a two-year, $19,200,000 deal with the Manatees.

Manila was unremarkable in Sanchez’s two seasons there. He was still a passable starter, but no longer was he the hits leader despite leading both seasons in at-bats. Sanchez’s batting average also fell below .300, which had only happened in his first full season back in 1998. With Manila, Sanchez had 367 hits, 158 runs, 35 doubles, 34 triples, 19 home runs, 97 RBI, 143 stolen bases, a .289/.319/.415 slash, 129 wRC+, and 4.9 WAR.

While there, Sanchez passed Chun-Chia Lan’s 1361 runs scored and 4891 total bases, A.J. Tan’s 2310 singles, River Bulseco’s 464 doubles, and Lin Zulkifli’s 362 triples to take those top spots on the APB career leaderboards. Sanchez wanted to still play in 2016, but teams didn’t think he could still go enough to justify the price tag. He retired in the winter of 2016 at age 39.

Sanchez finished with 2893 games, 3564 hits, 1446 runs, 481 doubles, 367 triples, 133 home runs, 937 RBI, 352 walks, 1610 stolen bases, 1227 caught stealing, .317/.343/.461 slash, 150 wRC+, and 89.9 WAR. As of 2037, Sanchez still holds APB’s career records for at-bats (11,243), hits, singles (2583), triples, stolen bases, and caught stealing. He also ranks 2^nd in runs, 3^rd in total bases (5178), 68^th in RBI, and 28^th in WAR among position players.

Until Binh Tang came along, Sanchez also had the best batting average of any APB hitter with 3000+ plate appearances. He still ranks 28^th in OBP, 91^st in slugging, and 56^th in OPS (.804). When looking at all of pro baseball history as of 2037, Sanchez is the world record holder by a comfortable margin of a bad stat: times caught stealing. He does notably rank 12^th in successful steals, 29^th in triples, and 49^th in hits. It was especially impressive to have as many hits as he had considering how low scoring APB is. He’s one of only four guys to breach 3000 hits as of 2037 in APB.

With the lack of home run power and walks, plus negative defensive value, Sanchez rates much lower in WAR than his leaderboard placement would suggest. However, Sanchez was exceptional at the things he did well and was a critical piece in helping Davao win four APB titles in their dynasty run. He was a deserved headliner at 97.8% in a strong three-player 2021 APB Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2021 APB Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Chia-Jung Huang – Starting Pitcher – Taichung Toucans – 90.4% First Ballot

Chia-Jung Huang was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Taoyuan, the fifth largest city in Taiwan. Huang was a well-rounded pitcher with good to great stuff, movement, and control. His velocity hit the 97-99 mph range regularly with a four-pitch arsenal of slider, changeup, sinker, and splitter. Huang had strong stamina and fairly good durability for much of his career. He was below average defensive, but decent at holding runners. Huang was quite adaptable to various situations, but he wasn’t one to take a leadership role.

Huang pitched for Jianan University of Pharmacology and Technology in Tainan, emerging as one of the island’s top prospects by the 2000 APB Draft. He would be picked 12^th overall by Taichung, where he’d spend his entire 14-year career. Huang had 23 games over his first two seasons with okay results, then was moved into the rotation full-time after that.

By his fourth year, Huang emerged as a legitimate ace. In 2004, he led the Taiwan-Philippine Association and posted career bests in wins (21-9), ERA (1.44), innings (293), quality starts (30), and shutouts (7). Huang also had 7.0 WAR, 294 strikeouts, and 193 ERA+, earning his lone Pitcher of the Year. This did start a run of eight consecutive seasons worth 6+ WAR for Huang.

Huang’s 2007 would see a career best 10.0 WAR along with 315 strikeouts. During that autumn, the Toucans gave him a five-year, $35,300,000 extension. Taichung would be in contention for the Taiwan League’s top spot in the late 2000s and early 2010s, but couldn’t overcome Taipei’s dominance. The Toucans were above .500 more often than not during Huang’s career, but never made the playoffs. They had 90+ wins four times in his run, but it ultimately wasn’t enough.

He carried on into his 30s, although Huang wasn’t one to generally be at the top of leaderboards. He did lead in wins at 20-12 in 2009 and led in both 2009 and 2011 in shutouts. Huang was second in 2010’s Pitcher of the Year voting and third in 2011. He did also pitch for Taiwan in the World Baseball Championship off and on with 129.2 innings, an 8-4 record, 3.12 ERA, 141 strikeouts, 115 ERA+ ,and 3.3 WAR. Huang notably had a 2.49 ERA and 39 strikeouts over 43.1 innings in 2004, helping Taiwan to a runner-up finish to Canada.

Huang’s control improved as he aged, which kept him successful into his 30s even after a major setback in 2012. That April, Taichung gave him a five-year, $59,100,000 extension. Two weeks later, he suffered a partially torn labrum that required surgery, putting Huang on the mend seven months. Huang bounced back impressively though with 6.3 and 7.2 WAR in his next two seasons.

In 2015, a strained hamstring would keep Huang out most of the spring. That season saw 3.4 WAR, a 2.75 ERA, and 105 ERA+ over 183.1 innings. It also saw Taichung fall to 74-88, their first losing season in seven years. Huang seemed still capable of hanging around, but he decided to retire that winter at age 37. For his 14 years of steady service, the Toucans retired his #1 uniform.

Huang finished with a 182-145 record, 2.10 ERA, 3165.1 innings, 3402 strikeouts, 449 walks, 174 complete games, 48 shutouts, 132 ERA+, and 86.4 WAR. As of 2037, Huang ranks 27^th in pitching WAR, 51^st in wins, 45^th in strikeouts, 19^th in complete games, and 20^th in shutouts. Among all pitchers with 1000+ career innings, his ERA ranks 61^st.

He almost quietly was one of the more efficient pitchers of his era in APB. Even if his raw totals weren’t at the tip-top, Huang’s rate stats certainly looked comparable to many other pitchers that made the Hall of Fame cut. The voters certainly noticed his contributions and put Huang in firmly at 90.4%, the second member of a strong 2021 class.



Komalat Sawaengsri – Starting Pitcher – Taoyuan Tsunami – 76.6% First Ballot

Komalat Sawaengsri was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Sadao, a district of 124,0000 people in southern Thailand’s Songkhla province. He was a dual national with a Thai father and Taiwanese mother, becoming the first APB Hall of Famer born in Thailand. Sawaengsri had electric stuff with great movement and above average control.

Sawaengsri had an impressive 97-99 mph fastball, but his slider was top shelf, graded as a 10/10 in his prime. He also had a solid changeup and curveball in the arsenal. Sawaengsri was considered a very good defensive pitcher, winning Gold Gloves in 2005 and 2013. He had good stamina for most of his career, but had recurring back troubles and ran into arm injuries in his 30s. Sawaengsri was a respected leader throughout a 13-year professional career.

Thai prospects were generally part of the South Asia Baseball domain, but his Taiwanese family connections gave him a chance at the more prestigious APB. Sawaengsri moved to Taiwan late in primary school and remained into college, quickly rising up the prospect ranks. In the 2002 APB Draft, Sawaengsri was picked 7^th overall by Taoyuan. He was a full-time starter immediately and tossed 215+ innings in all eight seasons with the Tsunami.

After taking third in 2003’s Rookie of the Year voting, Sawaengsri had seven years in a row worth 7+ WAR. He topped 300+ strikeouts four times and had a sub-two ERA thrice. Sawaengsri had four seasons above 8+ WAR and won his first Pitcher of the Year in 2006 with a 23-8 record, 1.80 ERA, 369 strikeouts, and 9.8 WAR. 2007 would be notable for his lone no-hitter, coming on July 16 with 9 strikeouts and 3 walks versus Tainan.

2008 was Sawaengsri’s lone ERA title at 1.13, which ranks as the 22^nd-best qualifying ERA as of 2037 in APB. He had a 252 ERA+, 0.68 WHIP, and 9.3 WEAR despite missing a few starts to injury. Sawaengsri earned his second Pitcher of the Year and Taoyuan ended a ten-year playoff drought. They had gone 88-74 in the prior two seasons, but the same finish in 2008 finally got the Tsunami back to the top of the Taiwan League.

Taoyuan was the weakest playoff team by record, but they went on a surprise run and won the 2008 Austronesia Championship over Singapore. In Sawaengsri’s only three playoff starts of his career, he was untouchable. He tossed 26 scoreless innings, striking out 29 while allowing only nine hits and two walks. Sawaengsri had a two-hitter against Davao in the TPA finals and saw a three-hitter against the Sharks in the APB final. He earned Association Championship MVP for his efforts, which went down as one of the all-time efforts by any pitcher in any league’s postseason.

Sawaengsri did also pitch well on the World Baseball Championship stage, making 15 appearances from 2003-2015. He pitched for Thailand in his first six WBCs, but the dual national switched to Taiwan for his final two tries. In total, Sawaengsri saw a 6-5 record over 84.2 innings, 2.76 ERA, 101 strikeouts, 35 walks, 133 ERA+, and 2.2 WAR.

Taoyuan missed the TL title by three games in 2009, then dropped off to 75-87 in 2010. Sawaengsri had two more strong years for the Tsunami, including career bests in 2009 for strikeouts (379), WAR (10.4), innings (282.1), and quality starts (29). It would be his only time leading the league in strikeouts. Sawaengsri did have an unfortunate end to his Taoyuan tenure, suffering a torn back muscle in September 2010.

With that injury and an imminent rebuild, the Tsunami led Sawaengsri leave for free agency heading towards age 31. In total, he had a 131-81 record, 2.12 ERA, 1961.2 innings, 2551 strikeouts, 360 walks, 133 ERA+, and 65.9 WAR. Sawaengsri’s epic playoff run in 2008 alone secured him a spot in franchise lore. The Tsunami would retire his #17 uniform at the end of his career.

Sawaengsri stayed in the Taiwan League and signed a five-year, $53,500,000 deal with Taichung. He missed a month of 2011 to elbow inflammation, but still had a strong 6.1 WAR debut season. Disaster struck though in May 2012 with a partially torn UCL ending his season. Sawaengsri was back in 2013 but saw below average results while missing some time to other lingering injuries. His 2013 ended in September with shoulder inflammation.

In spring training 2014, Sawaengsri suffered an extreme ruptured disc in his back, knocking him out the entire season. He was determined to make it back and did by the 2015 WBC. Sawaengsri’s control fell off hard after this injury, but he still was okay over 103.2 innings in 2015. Unfortunately in July, his season ended with a ruptured finger tendon. Sawaengsri opted for retirement that winter at age 35, ending his Taichung run with a 32-23 record, 2.19 ERA, 521.2 innings, 567 strikeouts, 125 ERA+, and 11.4 WAR.

In total, Sawaengsri had a 163-104 record, 2.14 ERA, 2483.1 innings, 3118 strikeouts, 495 walks, 114 complete games, 33 shutouts, 131 ERA+, and 77.3 WAR. As of 2037, Sawaengsri ranked 35^th in pitching WAR, 86^th in wins and 69^th in strikeouts, although he didn’t crack the top 100 in innings. His ERA did rank 71^st amongst all APB arms with 1000+ career innings.

In part because of injuries, his accumulations were on the lower end even for pitcher-friendly APB voters. However, Sawaengsri had two Pitcher of the Year awards, an ERA title, and an epic playoff run en route to a title. Those factors won over the majority of voters, getting Sawaengsri to 76.6% upon his ballot debut. He capped off an impressive three-player class for Austronesia Professional Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 2021.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2021 CLB Hall of Fame

For the fourth time in a decade, Chinese League Baseball didn’t add any players into the Hall of Fame with the 2021 voting. Two returners were quite close to the 66% requirement with CL Boyang Cao at 63.0% in his second ballot and LF Seok-Hyeon So with 62.3% for his eighth go. Also cracking 50% was RF Minghui Ruan with 59.3% for his sixth ballot, CL Jingzing Zhang at 55.3% on his third hope, and 3B Gongsun Yang at 50.3% on his fourth attempt. The best debut was CF Sheng-Yu Pei with 41.0%. No players were removed from the ballot after ten failed attempts.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2021 WAB Hall of Fame

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Two players were added into the West African Baseball Hall of Fame for 2021. 1B Ahamad Mathew was the clear headliner at a nearly unanimous 98.4%. On his seventh try, 3B Awudu Haddad got an impressive boost up to 78.6%. RP Emma Markson came close to joining them on his fourth ballot, but his 61.7% was still shy of the 66% requirement. Two other debuts breached 50% with RP Francis Koomson at 53.7% and 1B Ikechukwu Onyia at 51.8%. No players were removed from the ballot after ten failed attempts.



Ahamad “Casino” Mathew – First Base – Ibadan Iguanas – 98.4% First Ballot

Ahamad Mathew was a 6’1’’, 205 pound right-handed first baseman from Maiduguri, Nigeria; a city with around 791,000 inhabitants in the northeastern Borno State. The nickname “Casino” came from his fondness of (non-baseball) gambling. Mathew’s eye for the strike zone was legendary with few players in baseball history more effective at drawing walks than him. He also had remarkably consistent and impressive home run power, hitting 39+ home runs in all but one of his fully healthy seasons.

Mathew was merely an above average contact hitter and struck out more than yo might expect, but his power and knack for walks still made him a very dangerous batter. His gap power was respectable with 26 doubles and 6 triples per his 162 game average in addition to his homers. Mathew graded as a slightly above average baserunner, providing more value than your prototypical slugger.

About ¾ of Mathew’s starts came at first base, where he graded as a reliably solid defender. He was a designated hitter primarily in three early seasons and sporadically played right field with lousy results. Mathew was viewed as an ironman for much of his career, starting 150+ games in each of his first 14 seasons. He was a clubhouse leader and was known to be quite adaptable, becoming one of WAB’s biggest superstars of his era.

Mathew was impressive even as a teenager, which led to him being snagged by Ibadan as an amateur in March 1993. He spent most of five years in their academy, officially debuting at age 19 in 1996 with 13 at-bats. Mathew was back on the reserve roster in 1997, then emerged as a full-time starter from 1998-onward. Mathew had a terrific debut with 7.0 WAR, 39 home runs, and an Eastern League best 105 walks. He won 1998 Rookie of the Year and his first Silver Slugger.

The Iguanas at this point earned an eighth consecutive playoff berth. Their streak lasted 12 seasons total, but they were thwarted in the ELCS by Kano’s dynasty each year from 1998-2001. Mathew emerged as a start though, starting a streak of 14 consecutive seasons worth 5+ WAR. During that run, he led in walks in all but one season. Mathew posted 100+ walks 12 times in his career, which is 1/3 of WAB’s 100+ walk seasons as of 2037. His best was 123 in 2001, falling three short of Robbie Oakes’ WAB record 126 from 1984.

Mathew was more than walks though, as during that same WAR streak he was above 40+ home runs 12 times, 100+ RBI 13 times, 100+ runs scored 11 times. In July 2000, Ibadan gave Mathew an eight-year, $16,190,000 extension. Mathew won additional Silver Sluggers in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2008, and 2010; all at first base apart from the 2001 win (DH).

Mathew never won MVP, but was third in 2001, second in 2004, second in 2007, second in 2008, third in 2010, and third in 2011. He had the misfortune of sharing a league with WAB GOAT Darwin Morris for a good chunk of his career. Mathew led the league in runs thrice, home runs twice, walks 14 times, and on-base percentage six times. He had an OPS above one in ten different seasons and led the EL in 2004. Mathew was the WARlord in 2008, although his career best was 9.5 in 2010.

Ibadan’s playoff steak would end in 2002, but with Mathew they’d be back in the playoffs in 2004, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2013. Five of those ended in ELCS losses with one first round defeat, but the Iguanas did finally break through. Despite being the bottom seed at 84-78 in 2009, they won the EL pennant, falling to Abidjan in the WAB Championship.

You couldn’t blame Mathew for their playoff woes as in 69 starts he had 69 hits, 38 runs, 11 doubles, 7 triples, 15 home runs, 41 RBI, 44 walks, a .284/.395/.572 slash, 152 wRC+, and 2.6 WAR. These efforts made him beloved by Ibadan fans, even if there was frustration that they seemingly couldn’t win the big one despite their regular playoff berths.

Mathew became beloved though throughout all of Nigeria for his remarkable dominance in the World Baseball Championship from 1999-2014. He played 179 games with 171 starts, getting 152 hits, 129 runs, 20 doubles, 63 home runs, 137 RBI, 121 walks, a .267/.412/.634 slash, 199 wRC+, and 11.3 WAR. As of 2037, he is Nigeria’s all-time leader in WAR, runs, hits, homers, and RBI.

The Nigerians started to get more worldwide attention with Mathew leading the way. They took runner-up to Indonesia in 1999, finished third in 2009, and fourth in 2011. Among all players of 2037, Mathew is 24^th in WAR for position players, 42^nd in runs, 39rd in home runs, 37^th in RBI, and 23^rd in walks. His OBP ranks 24^th among all batters with 250+ WBC plate appearances and his OPS (1.047) ranks 64^th. These efforts helped make Mathew one of the most endearing figures of Nigerian baseball.

In April 2008, Ibadan extended the now 31-year old Mathew for another five years at $21 million. In 2011, he became the second player to score 1500 career runs and the second to 600 home runs, feats only previously reached by Darwin Morris. Mathew that year also was the fourth to reach 1500 RBI. It was a season that saw his career-best 52 home runs and his second-best RBI mark at 131. Mathew became the third to earn 1000+ career walks and blew by Morris’s 1307 to become WAB’s walks leader.

The iron man finally ran into injury issues in 2012, starting with a fractured right thumb in spring training that required surgery. Mathew missed three months, only to return in the summer and miss another seven weeks with a fractured finger on his other hand. Ibadan would execute the option year to bring Mathew back for 2013.

Mathew showed he still had it, smacking 50 homers with 5.6 WAR in 2013 at age 36. He had a 1.071 OPS, the third best of his career behind only 2010 (1.077) and 2008 (1.072). Ibadan again fell in the ELCS, this time to Cotonou. Their legendary superstar’s deal ran out after the 2013 and they couldn’t come to terms, sending Mathew to free agency at age 37.

With Ibadan, Mathew had 2438 hits, 1674 runs, 392 doubles, 688 home runs, 1736 RBI, 1629 walks, a .289/.410/.601 slash, 171 wRC+, and 109.0 WAR. He was THE franchise hero and left with no hard feelings. Mathew’s #32 uniform would be retired immediately after his career ended and he would be a team ambassador for many years following his playing career.

Mathew still had high value and Abidjan snatched him up at $18,400,000 over two years. He left Nigeria for the first time in his illustrious career, making the move to the Ivory Coast. Mathew was a good starter in 2014, but it was easily his weakest full season with only 33 home runs and 3.8 WAR. That year, Mathew joined Morris as the only 700 home run players and was the sixth to reach 2500 hits. Abidjan would lose in the second round of the playoffs.

Unfortunately for Mathew, he fell off in 2015 with 0.0 WAR, a .739 OPS, and 19 home runs over 120 games. Abidjan again lost in the second round of the playoffs. Prior to that decline, some thought he might challenge Darwin Morris’s home run record, but Mathew realized he was cooked. He retired that winter at age 39, ending his Abidjan stint with 268 games, 250 hits, 161 runs, 47 doubles, 52 home runs, 151 RBI, 143 walks, a .259/.358/.482 slash, 116 wRC+, and 3.8 WAR.

At retirement, Mathew was second only to Darwin Morris in home runs, runs scored, RBI, and WAR. He finished with 2698 games, 2688 hits, 1835 runs, 439 doubles, 92 triples, 740 home runs, 1887 RBI, 1772 walks, 318 stolen bases, a .286/.405/.589 slash, 166 wRC+, and 112.8 WAR. As of 2037, Mathew is still WAB’s walks leader and has the eighth most in all of pro baseball history.

Even with offensive numbers spiking in WAB in the 2020s and 2030s, Mathew still ranks as of 2037 4^th in WAR, 9^th in home runs, 11^th in RBI, 9^th in runs scored, and 28^th in hits. Mathew ranks 10^th in OBP among any WAB batter with 3000+ plate appearances, 45^th in slugging, and 22^nd in OPS (.994). Amongst all of the world’s Hall of Famers, Mathew is 27^th in OBP and just outside of the top 50 in OPS.

If not for Morris, Mathew likely would’ve been widely considered the best player of his era in WAB. It’s hard to believe a guy as impressive as Mathew never snagged an MVP or a WAB title. Regardless, he certainly belongs in the inner circle of West Africa Baseball’s Hall of Fame and has an argument as being the best-ever to come out of Nigeria. At 98.4%, Mathew headlined WAB’s 2021 HOF class.



Awudu Haddad – Third Base – Abidjan Athletes – 78.6% Seventh Ballot

Awudu Haddad was a 6’2’’, 195 pound left-handed hitting and right-handed throwing third baseman from Gbarnga, Liberia; a city of 34,000 people and the capital of Bong County. Gbarnga is also the birthplace of Tamba Hali, an all-pro NFL defensive lineman. On the whole, Haddad was a jack-of-all-trades type of hitter who didn’t grade as great at any one thing, but was generally above average to occasionally good across the board.

Haddad was notably stronger facing right-handed pitching (142 wRC+, .888 OPS) compared to lefties (101 wRC+, .722 OPS). His 162 game average got you 32 home runs, 34 doubles, and 5 triples. Haddad’s power was reliable, but not league-leading. He graded as above average in terms of both contact and eye with a middling strikeout rate relative to other WAB greats. Haddad was likely delightfully average in terms of baserunning speed and ability.

All of his starts in the field came at third base where he graded as; you guessed it, reliably above average to good. Haddad’s arm strength was notably great, a must for the position. Haddad started around ¾ of his games at 3B with the rest as a designated hitter. His durability was quite good over an 18-year career. Where Haddad excelled was character, considered one of the finest humans to play the game. He was a team selfless team captain with a tireless worth ethic and great loyalty. Haddad as a person was above reproach, making him one of the most popular and respected players of his era.

Haddad rated quite highly as a prospect and was picked third overall by Kumasi in the 1994 WAB Draft. The Monkeys didn’t rush him into the lineup, using him only 8 games in 1995. Haddad played 113 and started 64 in 1996 with unremarkable results. He was ready though for the full-time gig by 1997 and posted 4+ WAR over each of the next five seasons for Kumasi.

He breached 6+ thrice in that run, winning Silver Sluggers in 1998 (DH), 1999 (3B), and 2001 (3B). Haddad’s best year with Kumasi came without a Slugger, posting 7.7 WAR, 43 home runs, and 121 RBI in 2000. The Monkeys won the Western League pennant in 1998, but fell in the WAB Championship to the Kano dynasty. Haddad was unremarkable going 6-26 in the run with a 102 wRC+. Kumasi would be stuck right around .500 for the next three seasons.

With the Monkeys, Haddad had 908 hits, 517 runs, 217 doubles, 190 home runs, 574 RBI, a .283/.338/.545 slash, 142 wRC+, and 29.0 WAR. Kumasi couldn’t come to terms with Haddad, making him a free agent after the 2001 season at age 27. Abidjan would grab him at $21,440,000 over eight years, beginning what would be Haddad’s most famous run.

For the Athletes, Haddad breached 40+ home runs thrice and 4+ WAR six times. His finest effort was 2005, which had a career high 7.8 WAR and .985 OPS. He won Silver Sluggers in 2005, 2007, and 2008, giving him six for his career. Haddad’s lone Gold Glove also came with Abidjan in 2007.

When Haddad arrived, Abidjan was coming off three straight WL pennants. They fell off with three straight playoff misses from 2002-04, but then began an eight-year playoff streak in 2005. The Athletes were one-and-done from 2005-07. They had the top seed in 2008 at 106-56, but fell to Monrovia in a WLCS upset. Haddad’s playoff stats were poor over 13 starts with a .196/.268/.333 slash.

Abidjan did go onto win pennants in 2009 and 2010, but Haddad was gone by then as he declined his contract option after the 2008 season. Haddad finished with 1114 hits, 621 runs, 208 doubles, 233 home runs, 621 RBI, a .275/.334/.517 slash, 134 wRC+, and 34.3 WAR. This also marked the end of his WAB career at only age 34. Haddad opened up a global search in free agency and landed upon Argentina, signing a four-year, $21,200,000 deal with Buenos Aires.

Haddad was a reliably steady starter in his first three years in South America, although he fell off in his fourth year. For the Atlantics, he played 572 games with 537 hits, 254 runs, 108 doubles, 81 home runs, 261 RBI, a .273/.331/.474 slash, 119 wRC+, and 12.6 WAR. During his tenure, Buenos Aires was stuck in the bottom end of the standings.

A free agent again at age 38, Haddad went back to Africa, but not to WAB. He signed a two-year, $2,480,000 deal with Nairobi of the African Association of Baseball. Haddad was unremarkable in his one year in Kenya, playing 99 games with 98 wRC+ and 0.9 WAR. The Night Hawks let him go and Haddad was unsigned throughout 2014, retiring that winter at age 40.

For his combined pro career, Haddad had 2624 hits, 1429 runs, 551 doubles, 516 home runs, 1507 RBI, 793 walks, 253 stolen bases, a .275/.335/.513 slash, 132 wRC+, and 76.8 WAR. The combined resume was slightly borderline, but probably good enough for most Halls of Fame. However, five of those seasons came outside WAB and meant little or nothing to most WAB voters.

In WAB, Haddad saw 2022 hits, 1138 runs, 425 doubles, 61 triples, 423 home runs, 1195 RBI, 576 walks, 185 stolen bases, a .279/.335/.529 slash, 138 wRC+, and 63.3 WAR. As of 2037, Haddad is 43^rd in WAR among position players, but 94^th in hits, 79^th in runs, 92^nd in doubles, 58^th in home runs, and 78^th in RBI. The raw tallies were definitely on the low end, compounded by his lack of black ink or big seasons. Haddad never was an MVP finalist despite his efforts.

Supporters pointed to his WAR to show that he was more effective than the raw tallies might suggest. It also is generally tough for guys who weren’t exceptional at one specific skill to draw attention to themselves. Supporters also noted that Haddad was truly an exceptional human being. Fans loved him and no teammate or coach had a bad word about his character.

Haddad debuted on the 2015 ballot at 53.2% and dropped slightly to 51.5% in 2016, which would be his low. He bounced around the next few years to 61.1%, 56.2%, 63.8%, and 59.5%. On his seventh ballot, a groundswell of support emerged to get Haddad across the finish line. He received a sizeable bump to 78.6%, crossing the line with room to spare for a seventh ballot induction within WAB’s 2021 Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2021 SAB Hall of Fame

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Inner-circle Hall of Fame great Tritha Upadhyaya headlined South Asia Baseball’s two-player 2021 class at a near unanimous 98.6%. RF Han Kywe Khant joined him at 73.9%, finally breaching the 66% requirement on his ninth try. Two catchers were above 50% on their second ballot with Quoc Pham at 53.3% and Trung Lai with 50.7%. No players fell off the SAB ballot after ten failed tries.



Tirtha “Numbers” Upadhyaya – Second Base – Ho Chi Minh City Hedgehogs – 98.6% First Ballot

Tirtha Upadhyaya was a 6’0’’, 195 pound left-handed hitting and right-handed throwing second baseman from Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. He was the first-ever Nepali Hall of Famer and had a tremendous impact in growing the game’s popularity back home, even if he never played for his hometown team. Upadhyaya had the nickname “Numbers” for his fascinating with mathematical probabilities related to baseball. When he retired, Upadhyaya was at or near the top of most of SAB’s hitting leaderboards.

At his peak, Upadhyaya was a great contact hitter with incredible home run power. He had a decent eye for drawing walks, but did struggle with strikeouts. When he made contact, he made it count though with 12 seasons of 50+ home runs and 49 dingers over his 162 game average. Upadhyaya found the gap less often than you might think with only 22 doubles and 6 triples per 162, but the raw homer power made him a perennial MVP candidate.

Upadhyaya was especially dominant facing right-handed pitching with an outstanding career 1.007 OPS and 190 wRC+. He was by no means bad against lefties with a .829 OPS and 142 wRC+. Upadhyaya’s speed was merely average, but he was incredibly slick at getting steals at an impressive clip. Few players were smarter on the basepaths at picking their spots.

Defensively, Upadhyaya made about 70% of his career starts at second base where he graded as a poor defender. He sporadically played third base and fared no better there. About 20% of his starts were as a designated hitter. Upadhyaya’s durability was solid in his prime and he still battled age in his later years to pull off a 23-year career. Upadhyaya’s remarkable bat, longevity, and great leadership made him one of the first megastars that South Asia Baseball could market.

In May 1990, a teenaged Upadhyaya moved to India as he signed a developmental deal with Bengaluru. He debuted in 1993 at age 19, but struggled over 87 games and 16 starts. Upadhyaya figured it out the next year with a solid 4.8 WAR effort over 139 games. By his second full season, Upadhyaya was arguably the best player in South Asia Baseball.

Over the next five seasons for the Blazers, Upadhyaya led the IL each year in home runs, total bases, slugging percentage, OPS, and wRC+. All five seasons were above 10+ WAR, leading the league in four of those years. Upadhyaya also led thrice in runs scored and thrice in RBI. His 69 home runs in 1996 broke the previous single-season record by two. Although he only held the top spot for two years, Upadhyaya’s 69 homers ranks as the 10^th best season in SAB as of 2037.

With that, Upadhyaya won five consecutive MVP awards and Silver Sluggers, becoming SAB’s first-ever five-time MVP. 1996 also had Upadhyaya’s highest WAR total at 13.58, which was the second-best to that point and ranks fourth among position players as of 2037. 1997 also had career bests in hits (194), triple slash (.336/.395/.737), OPS (1.132), and wRC+ (261). He also became the first-ever SAB slugger to have multiple four home run games, doing it in both 1997 and 1998.

Upadhyaya’s incredible numbers couldn’t turn Bengaluru into a winner with only two winning seasons and one playoff berth during his tenure. The Blazers won a weak South Division in 1995 and made it to the ILCS, but fell to 124-win Ahmedabad. Upadhyaya wanted to play on a winner and knew he would command the league’s biggest salary as a free agent, thus he left Bengaluru after the 1999 season at only age 26.

With the Blazers, Upadhyaya finished with 1024 hits, 624 runs, 123 doubles, 347 home runs, 680 RBI, 208 stolen bases, a .295/.352/.649 slash, 221 wRC+, and 64.3 WAR. By far, his most dominant tenure was with Bengaluru, but Upadhyaya would be best known for his next run. He signed an eight-year, $15,300,000 deal with Ho Chi Minh City. The Hedgehogs were the dynasty of the Southeast Asia League. When Upadhyaya arrived, they were on a 13-year playoff streak with nine SEAL pennants and three in-a-row. However, they only had one SAB title (1997) thanks to the adjacent Ahmedabad dynasty.

Upadhyaya played a big role in getting them over that final hump. He had a weak debut season by his standards with only 5.9 WAR in 2000, but he’d get more than 7+ WAR over the next six seasons. Upadhyaya led in WAR in 2001 and 2003, but posted his HCMC best in 2002 at 11.1. That year also saw him match his 69 homer best and score a league high 120 runs. Upadhyaya scored a career high 126 runs the next year. 2003 would be his lone MVP in SEAL, giving him six for his career. Only he and Majed Darwish have 6+ MVPS in SAB as of 2037.

In 2004, Upadhyaya smacked 68 homers with 158 RBI, which set a new single-season RBI record. The 158 still ranks eighth best as of 2037. In 2005, Upadhyaya had his third game with four home runs. He is the only player in all of pro baseball history to smack four homers in three different games. Upadhyaya won Silver Sluggers from 2000-03 at second base, then took it in both 2004 and 2006 as a DH.

Ho Chi Minh City’s dominance continued, winning their second SAB Championship in 2000 over Ahmedabad. The Hedgehogs got upset in the 2001 LCS by Yangon and the 2002 LCS by Dhaka. They rebounded for a SAB Championship three-peat, winning 118, 122, and 121 games. By wins, this is the most dominant three-peat in pro baseball history, going 361-125. Hanoi would win two more games in their 2008-10 run, but only got one SAB title in that stretch.

Upadhyaya’s playoff accolades included SAB Championship MVP in 2003 and the LCS MVP in both 2003 and 2005. The 2003 run was an all-timer over 13 games with 19 hits, 14 runs, 3 doubles, 8 homers, 16 RBI, and a 1.600 OPS. In total for HCMC, Upadhyaya played 81 postseason games with 99 hits, 52 runs, 15 doubles, 26 home runs, 64 RBI, 22 stolen bases, a .347/.408/.709 slash, 201 wRC+, and 5.9 WAR.

After the 2005 title run, Upadhyaya opted out of his HCMC contract only to sign a new three-year, $11,240,000 deal with the Hedgehogs. In 2006, he became the second-ever member of SAB’s 700 home run club. He passed Amoda Shah’s 729 to become SAB’s home run king, a title he held for around a decade. In 2006, Upadhyaya also became the fourth to reach 1500 RBI.

Ho Chi Minh City went 116-46 in 2006, but was upset in the LCS by Yangon. Upadhyaya then shocked the Hedgehogs by opting out of his new deal, leaving to sign a one-year deal with the Green Dragons. He posted 6.9 WAR with Yangon, missing a month to a torn thumb ligament. Yangon got back to the LCS, but lost to now rising Hanoi.

Now 34-years old, Upadhyaya went back to Ho Chi Minh City in 2008 on a two-year deal at $8,160,000. He became the first to reach 800 career home runs and the fifth to 2500 hits, getting 7.5 WAR in 2008. HCMC’s playoff streak grew to 22 years, but they were ousted in the first round of the playoffs. This was also Upadhyaya’s final year in Vietnam’s largest city, where he’d remain a beloved superstar for many years after for his role in their historic dynasty. HCMC decided to decline the team option for 2009.

Between stints, Upadhyaya played eight years in HCMC with 1337 hits, 883 runs, 176 doubles, 444 home runs, 997 RBI, 391 walks, 321 stolen bases, a .292/.355/.642 slash, 174 wRC+, and 68.1 WAR. His #9 uniform would get retired and he’d be most commonly remembered in Hedgehogs red. Upadhyaya still had another seven pro seasons to go, although by many measures that was his last great season.

Upadhyaya went back to Yangon in 2009 and missed almost two months to torn thumb ligaments. Still, he earned his 12^th and final Silver Slugger, a mark only reached by three SAB players. The Green Dragons earned their fourth consecutive LCS berth, but would be defeated by Ho Chi Minh City. Upadhyaya would be unavailable for the postseason run due to injury. He still managed 10.4 WAR between his two years with the Green Dragons.

Up next was a two-year, $8,120,000 deal with Kanpur. Upadhyaya became a platoon starter, still looking good in 2010 with 5.7 WAR in 142 games and 96 starts. However, Upadhyaya was actively bad with an 86 wRC+ and 1.0 WAR in 2011. With the Poison, he became the first SAB slugger to 900 home runs and the first to 2000 RBI. Upadhyaya was only the fourth player in all of pro baseball history to reach 900 home runs to that point. He played concurrent to the Arab League’s Nordine Soule, who became the first to reach 1000 dingers in 2012.

Upadhyaya bounced around in his final four seasons as an occasional starter and pinch hitter. He played 2012 with Jaipur, 2013 with Chittagong, 2014 with Dhaka, and 2015 with Hanoi. When it looked like he was building momentum, he ran into injury issues. Upadhyaya’s final playoff appearances came in 2015 with the Hounds, struggling over ten starts. Hanoi fell that year to Yangon in the LCS.

For his playoff career, Upadhyaya played 110 games with 124 hits, 62 runs, 19 doubles, 5 triples, 33 home runs, 80 RBI, 31 walks, 25 stolen bases, .316/372/.641 slash, 178 wRC+, and 6.5 WAR. Most of that was with HCMC, becoming known as a clutch performer. As of 2037, Upadhyaya ranks 11^th in playoff hits, 14^th in runs, 8^th in home runs, and 7^th in RBI.

In his final years, Upadhyaya was padding his spots on the leaderboards. He ended with 973 home runs, second in the world at retirement to Soule’s 1073. Upadhyaya passed Manju Abbas’s 154.75 to become SAB’s WARlord at 156.13. He fell short of Abbas for the most runs scored by 76. Upadhyaya joined Abbas as the only guys with 3000 hits to that point, but he was a long way from Abbas’ 3897. At retirement, Upadhyaya also was the SAB leader in RBI and total bases. He was unsigned in 2016, retiring that winter at age 43.

Upadhyaya finished with 3192 games, 3056 hits, 1981 runs, 431 doubles, 118 triples, 973 home runs, 2160 RBI, 928 walks, 2794 strikeouts, 720 stolen bases, a .283/.347/.614 slash, 178 wRC+, and 156.1 WAR. The big power stats from Majed Darwish and Ratan Canduri would overtake Upadhyaya in the high-powered world of SAB by the time he was inducted. Still, Upadhyaya ranks impressively in many stats.

As of 2037, Upadhyaya is 3^rd in homers, 4^th in RBI, 3^rd in total bases (6642), 4^th in runs, 8^th in hits, 4^th in games played, 76^th in doubles, 21^st in walks drawn, 4^th in strikeouts, and 3^rd in WAR. Among SAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, his .961 OPS is 28^th best and Upadhyaya’s slugging ranks 16^th. The OPS number is especially impressive since he doesn’t crack the top 100 in batting average or OBP.

In all of world history as of 2037, Upadhyaya is 8^th in home runs, 32^nd in RBI, 38^th in runs scored, 41^st in games played, and 27^th in WAR among position players. He’s one of only 51 players at any position with 150+ career WAR, ranking 36^th out of everybody. While some worldwide downplay SAB sluggers with the league’s high-homer atmosphere, there’s no doubt that Upadhyaya was one of baseball’s true immortals.

If not for Darwish and Canduri rising to prominence by the end of Upadhyaya’s run, he might get more consideration as South Asia Baseball’s best-ever player. Most scholars will put him in the top five in SAB and in the top five second basemen in world history. Only BSA’s Niculao Semide has more career WAR accumulated specifically at second base.

Upadhyaya is easily Nepal’s greatest baseball export and some argue he makes the top ten for any Asian-born player. He was a critical part of Ho Chi Minh City’s historic dynasty and one of the biggest superstars to ever come out of South Asia Baseball. The 98.6% he received in 2021 was frankly too low, but either way he headlined SAB’s 2021 Hall of Fame class.



Han Kywe Khant – Right Field – Ahmedabad Animals – 73.9% Ninth Ballot

Han Kywe Khant was a 6’2’’, 195 pound right-handed right fielder from Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city. Khant was an excellent contact hitter who was good at avoiding strikeouts, although he was merely decent at drawing walks. His gap power was impressive, averaging 45 doubles and 4 triples per his 162 game average. Khant wasn’t a prolific slugger, but he was also good for 21 home runs per 162 games. His baserunning skills were respectable, but he was still limited with subpar speed.

Khant exclusively played right field and graded as a consistently weak defender plagued by poor range. He had good durability though for most of his run and certainly deserved his spot with his bat. Khant was considered a solid clubhouse leader and became a popular player with fans and teammates alike. He would be a playoff regular between his two stops, playing in many big games in his career.

Even out of high school, Khant emerged as the top prospect out of Myanmar and arguably the best in all of Southeast Asia. In the 1991 SAB Draft, Chittagong picked him with the #2 overall pick. However, Khant couldn’t come to terms with the Commandos and went to college. Three years later in the 1994 SAB Draft, his hometown Yangon grabbed him with the #5 pick. Khant was a full-time starter immediately for the Green Dragons, winning a Silver Slugger in 1995 and taking second in Rookie of the Year voting. He was also a rare player to hit for the cycle in his rookie season.

1995 also marked the start of what would be a world-record 29-year playoff streak for Yangon, falling to Ho Chi Minh City’s dynasty in the Southeast Asia League Championship. Khant won additional Sluggers in 1996, 1998, and 1999 for the Green Dragons. He had three seasons above 6.5 WAR, leading in both hits and batting average in both 1998 and 1999. 1999 had a second place in MVP voting with career highs in runs (91), hits (212), doubles (48), RBI (136), average (.357), OPS (.959), and WAR (7.7). Khant also led SEAL in doubles and OBP in 1998.

Yangon was only 89-73 in 1996, but they stunned 115-win HCMC to win the SEAL title. The Green Dragons would fall to Ahmedabad in the SAB Championship. Yangon won three division titles over the next four years, but all four seasons saw first round playoff exits. Khant’s playoff stats were respectable over 40 games with 46 hits, 17 runs, 9 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, 20 RBI, a .307/.346/.473 slash, 138 wRC+, and 1.6 WAR.

In 2000, Khant’s production dipped a bit down to 4.1 WAR. While still solid, it was the weakest of his Yangon run. Despite his popularity, Khant and his hometown team couldn’t come to terms, sending him to free agency at age 29. With Yangon, Khant had 1143 hits, 472 runs, 266 doubles, 119 home runs, 615 RBI, a .333/.375/533 slash, 159 wRC+, and 35.2 WAR. His stats would be comparable with Yangon and his next stop Ahmedabad, but Khant would be inducted wearing the Animals’ shade of green.

Ahmedabad inked Khant to a seven-year, $16,760,000 deal. At this point, the Animals were on a 16-year playoff streak, winning the Indian League title 13 times in that run and the SAB Championship 11 times. Ahmedabad had won seven consecutive IL crowns, but had just lost the SAB final to Ho Chi Minh City. Khant’s debut saw the Animals finish 125-37, one win behind 1993 HCMC for the most by any team in pro baseball history.

Khant was great in the regular season, matching his career best WAR (7.7) and posting his best wRC+ (207). However, he was iffy in this playoff run with a .627 OPS over eight games. Ahmedabad again won the IL, but was upset ironically by Yangon in the SAB Championship. The Animals won 118 games in 2002, winning the IL crown again with a SAB Championship win over Dhaka. Khant was ILCS MVP with his finest playoff run, getting 23 hits, 3 runs, 5 doubles, 12 RBI, and a .500/.500/.674 slash in 12 starts.

That would be the final title of Ahmedabad’s playoff streak, although they extended the streak for another five years. The Animals had ILCS losses in 2003, 05, and 06; and first round defeats in 04 and 07. Khant had steady numbers throughout, winning his fifth Silver Slugger in 2003. His playoff numbers were quite good over 63 starts for Ahmedabad with 74 hits, 30 runs, 21 doubles, 7 home runs, 29 RBI, 17 walks, a .301/.349/.472 slash, 159 wRC+, and 3.0 WAR.

For his playoff career, Khant played 103 games with 120 hits, 47 runs, 30 doubles, 11 homers, 49 RBI, a .303/.348/.472 slash, 151 wRC+, and 4.6 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 14^th in postseason hits, 39^th in runs, 32^nd in RBI, and 8^th in doubles. Khant’s numbers were less impressive in the World Baseball Championship, regularly playing for Myanmar from 1995-2008. In 129 WBC games, he had 104 hits, 48 runs, 26 doubles, 17 home runs, 55 RBI, a .224/.277/.390 slash, 95 wRC+, and 1.6 WAR.

Khant was steady until falling off a bit in 2006, getting reduced to a part-time role. He reclaimed the starting job in 2007 with a solid 4.0 WAR effort in the last year of his Ahmedabad deal. With the Animals, Khant had 1081 hits, 477 runs, 252 doubles, 124 home runs, 537 RBI, a .309/.354/.496 slash, 169 wRC+, and 34.2 WAR. He still seemed to be starter quality, but Khant couldn’t find any interested teams for the 2008 season. After going unsigned, he retired in the winter at age 36.

The final stats for Khant saw 1867 games, 2224 hits, 949 runs, 518 doubles, 47 triples, 243 home runs, 1152 RBI, 440 walks, a .321/.365/.514 slash, 164 wRC+, and 69.4 WAR. As of 2037, Khant ranks 74^th in hits, 32^nd in doubles, 86^th in RBI, and 84^th in WAR among position players. Among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances, his batting average sits 25^th and his OBP is 63^rd. While efficient, Khant’s totals were very much borderline.

His solid playoff numbers were a plus, but there had been so many other inductees from the Ahmedabad dynasty already with more impressive stats. Still, Khant debuted in 2013 at 56.4%, a solid start that suggested room for growth. The next three ballots saw 48.1%, 58.5%, and 46.6%. Khant got to 60.9% in his fifth ballot, but then hit a new low of 37.1% in 2018.

In 2019, Khant bounced back big to 65.7%, missing the 66% requirement by the slimmest of margins. He fell back to 45.9% the next year, starting to run out of time. 2021 would be his ninth and potentially penultimate time on the ballot. Voters gave Khant’s resume another look and it won over just enough doubters. At 73.9%, he was a ninth ballot inductee to cap off South Asia Baseball’s 2021 Hall of Fame class.