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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2023 APB Hall of Fame

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Pitcher Bilibig Sudondo stood alone for induction into Austronesia Professional Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 2023. His debut got him 73.4%, enough to cross the 66% requirement. SP Bagus Ranga barely missed out with 63.6% on his second ballot. SP Dwi Aditya Supandi also was close with a 60.8% fifth try. Three others were above 50% with CL Rizal Prastiche debuting at 56.6%, SP I Komang Ainaga at 52.4% for his fourth try, and SP Putra Andriani at 50.3% in his sixth attempt. LF Beau Cabral was the best non-pitcher at 46.2% in his fifth ballot. No players were cut after ten failed ballots.



Bilibig Sudondo – Starting Pitcher – Pekanbaru Palms – 73.4% First Ballot

Bilibig Sudondo was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Bulakamba, a district of 162,000 in Indonesia’s Central Java province. Sudondo had good to occasionally great stuff and movement along with above average control. His fastball peaked in the 96-98 mph range, while his most impressive pitch was his changeup. Sudondo also had a decent curveball for a third option. Sudondo’s stamina was excellent, but he ran into sporadic injury issues.

He graded as a below average defender despite being an excellent athlete overall. Sudondo was a great baserunner and a good bat by pitcher standards, although not good enough to be a true two-way guy. Still, he won three Silver Sluggers (2007, 2008, 2014) and saw occasional pinch hit and pinch run work with a career 82 wRC+ and 50 stolen bases. Sudondo’s intelligence and adaptability helped him post an impressive career.

Sudondo emerged as one of Indonesia’s best prospects for the 2004 APB Draft. Pekanbaru picked him third overall and made him a full-time starter immediately with strong results. Sudondo had a 1.52 ERA and 4.7 WAR as a rookie, taking second in both Rookie of the Year and Pitcher of the Year voting. Beyond that, he wasn’t typically a league leader outside of complete games, a mark he led in four times.

On July 5, 2008, Sudondo had an 18 strikeout, two walk no-hitter against Kuala Lumpur. He won his lone ERA title in 2009 at 1.70, but it was an injury-shortened year as chronic back soreness kept him out two months. After a few years of steady production, Pekanbaru gave him a four-year, $27,100,000 extension after the 2010 season. On April 11, 2011, Sudondo had his second no-no with 13 Ks and one walk against Semarrang. The 2011 campaign would be a banner year for both Sudondo and Pekanbaru, who had only posted one winning season since 1993.

Sudondo led the Sundaland Association for 2011 in strikeouts (333) and WAR (7.8), his only time leading in either stat for a second place in Pitcher of the Year voting. He was big in the playoffs as Pekanbaru won its first-ever Austronesia Championship, denying Davao’s three-peat. Sudondo was the MVP of the association finals against Surabaya going 3-1 in four playoff starts with a 1.59 ERA, 34 innings, and 38 strikeouts over the postseason. He had a 2.70 ERA over 33.1 innings in the second-ever Baseball Grand Championship with the Palms tying for seventh at 11-8.

2012 would be rough with Sudondo missing almost the entire season between a torn calf muscle and bone chips in his elbow. Sudondo was decent in 2013 and posted his second-best WAR in 2014 at 7.3. Pekanbaru had missed the playoffs in 2012-13, but they won their second APB title in 2014 over Zamboanga. Sudondo again was a strong playoff pitcher, going 3-0 over 27 innings with a 1.67 ERA and 37 strikeouts. He had a 2.63 ERA over 37.2 innings with 42 strikeouts in the Grand Championship as the Palms were a solid fourth place at 12-7.

The 2014 title capped off Sudondo’s Pekanbaru run, as he left that winter for free agency at age 32. With the Palms, Sudondo had a 129-112 record, 2.17 ERA, 2226 innings, 2563 strikeouts, 426 walks, 113 ERA+, and 48.4 WAR. For his role in their two titles, Sudondo’s #4 uniform would later be retired. He got the reputation as a big game pitcher with his career 1.62 ERA, 6-1 record, and 150 ERA+ in 61 APB playoff innings. Despite that, he actually fared quite poorly when pitching for Indonesia in the World Baseball Championship. From 2005-15, he tossed 75.1 innings with a 5.14 ERA, 4-5 record, 97 strikeouts, 27 walks, and 0.3 WAR.

Sudondo ended up with a five-year, $57 million deal with Depok. They remained near the bottom of the standings, although he was quite solid in his first two seasons with 13.4 WAR between them. Sudondo was off to a sluggish start in 2017, then suffered a torn rotator cuff in July. He opted to retire that winter at age 35 instead of trying to rehab from such a major injury. With the Demons, Sudondo had a 29-31 record, 1.97 ERA, 595 innings, 614 strikeouts, 107 walks, 127 ERA+, and 14.0 WAR.

In total, Sudondo had a 158-143 record, 2.13 ERA, 2821 innings, 3177 strikeouts, 533 walks, 178 complete games, 39 shutouts, 115 ERA+, 78 FIP-, and 62.4 WAR. As of 2037, Sudondo ranks 91th in wins, 86^th in innings, 16^th in complete games, 44^th in shutouts, 63^rd in strikeouts, and 70^th in WAR among pitchers. Among all pitchers with 1000+ innings, his ERA is 70^th and his .550 opponent’s OPS is 77^th.

Sudondo’s raw tallies are on the low end compared to the many great aces of the extremely low scoring APB. He didn’t have a POTY win and didn’t dominate leaderboards, but Sudondo had some key accomplishments. His great playoff success, two titles with Pekanbaru, and two no-hitters made up for low accumulations for many voters. Sudondo also debuted in 2023 on a fairly weak ballot, making his resume pop by comparison. He received 73.4% to be APB’s lone Hall of Fame inductee for 2023

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2023 CLB Hall of Fame

For the second time in three years, Chinese League Baseball didn’t add anyone into the Hall of Fame. Coming closest of the 2023 candidates was RF Minghui Ruan at 60.9% on his eighth ballot. 3B Gongsun Yang was next at 54.4% for his sixth try. The best debut was SP Liqiang Yang with 53.3%. CL Jingxing Zhang also breached 50% with 52.5% for his fifth attempt. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots in 2023.



Worth a mention was SS Jun Zhang, who fell below 5% on his seventh ballot to be cut and peaked at only 32.9% in 2018. He had absurd defensive value, posting a zone rating above 30 in five different seasons. Zhang won seven Gold Gloves and three Silver Sluggers although he was merely decent hitter. With Foshan over 14 years, he posted 131.2 WAR, which ranks 4^th among CLB position players as of 2037.

In CLB, Zhang had 2014 hits, 659 runs, 327 doubles, 131 triples, 202 home runs, 829 RBI, .245/.272/.391 slash, and 131 wRC+. He also played his final three years in MLB, getting his career WAR up to 138.7. As of 2037 among all players in the world, that places Zhang 49^th among position players and 83^rd among everybody. No Hall of Fame eligible player in world history has more WAR without having gotten inducted somewhere.

However, CLB voters put far less stock in defensive metrics or stats like WAR. While Zhang did rank 22^nd in hits and 21^st in doubles, he was well down the list in the other counting stats. Hitters had a tough climb to get acceptable tallies with the absurdly low offensive environment of the league as it is. In a different league or era, Zhang gets more recognition for his unique talents, but his time and place banished him to the Hall of Pretty Good.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2023 WAB Hall of Fame

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DH/3B Zakari Emmanuel was the lone inductee for West African Baseball’s 2023 Hall of Fame class, getting in firmly with an 85.7% debut. Three returners were above 60% but just shy of the 66% requirement. CL Francis Koomson saw 64.6% on his third ballot, RP Emma Markson got 61.5% for his sixth go, and 1B Ikechukwu Onyia finished at 60.5% for his third attempt. No one else was above 50% and no players were dropped after ten failed ballots.



Zakari “Butterball” Emmanuel – Designated Hitter/Third Base – Port Harcourt Hillcats – 85.7% First Ballot

Zakari Emmanuel was a 6’3’’, 190 pound left-handed hitting third baseman from Eruwa, a city of 118,000 in southwestern Nigeria. Emmanuel was nicknamed “Butterball” for his love of eating turkey. He was a very strong power hitter with 43 home runs and 37 doubles per his 162 game average. On the whole, Emmanuel graded as having above average to good contract and eye skills.

Against right-handed pitching, Emmanuel was especially strong with a career 1.001 OPS and 162 wRC+. Emmanuel was merely above average to good against lefties with a 119 wRC+ and .811 OPS. Against either side, he did have some strikeout woes. Unlike many sluggers, Emmanuel was a very slick baserunner and base stealer, although he was still limited by subpar speed. He wasn’t going to win many foot races, but Emmanuel picked his spots well.

Around 55% of Emmanuel’s career starts were as a designated hitter. Most of the rest came at third base, but he was an abysmal defender. Emmanuel played a small bit of first base late in his career and was merely poor there. Regardless, his bat and power meant you’d find a spot for him. Emmanuel was considered loyal and adaptable. He also was quite durable in the front end of his career.

Some scouts had Emmanuel as the best hitting prospect in some time ahead of the 2003 WAB Draft. Dakar was enamored and picked Emmanuel with the #1 overall pick. It was a rough start though as he didn’t adjust well to big league hitting. Emmanuel started 11 games and played only 107 in his first two years with subpar results. He became a full-time starter in 2006, but was terrible with -1.5 WAR and .644 OPS in his debut season.

Emmanuel figured things out in 2007 to bring positive value, although he did still lead the Western League in strikeouts. He earned Silver Sluggers in 2007 and 2009 as a DH and led the league with 50 home runs in 2009. Still, Emmanuel never quite lived up to the expectations of the #1 overall pick. Dakar remained bad at the start of his run, although they had gotten just above .500 by the end. The Dukes would be a playoff regular in the 2010s, but Emmanuel wasn’t re-signed after the 2010 season.

With Dakar, Emmanuel had 789 hits, 425 runs, 165 doubles, 184 home runs, 475 RBI, .264/.332/.512 slash, 133 wRC+, and 16.6 WAR. A free agent heading towards only age 27, Emmanuel returned to Nigeria and signed a seven-year, $34,440,000 deal with Port Harcourt. The Hillcats hoped he could still live up to some of that past potential. Ultimately, their investment paid off.

In all six seasons with PH, Emmanuel hit 40+ homers with 100+ RBI, and 5+ WAR. Now playing more third base, he won Silver Sluggers in 2012, 2013, and 2014. As he entered his 30s, Emmanuel became a legit MVP candidate. He led the Eastern League with a career-best 7.8 WAR in 2013, taking second in voting. From 2014-16, he led each year in OPS and hit 50+ homers.

In 2014, Emmanuel was second in MVP voting again despite league bests in home runs (54), RBI (162), and OPS (1.085). He was only the third WAB slugger with a 160+ RBI season. Emmanuel was third in 2015’s MVP voting and second in 2016. He ultimately never claimed the top honor, but did help Port Harcourt find their first sustained success since the mid 1990s.

The Hillcats were a wild card four times from 2011-15. In 2011, 2013, and 2014, they suffered second round defeats. They finished #2 by one game in 2015 and went on a playoff run, ultimately winning the WAB Championship against over Bamako. In that playoff run, Emmanuel had 12 hits, 8 runs, 2 doubles, 5 homers, 6 RBI, and 11 walks over 11 starts with 1.306 OPS. This earned him a fond spot in the hearts of many PH fans despite only a six-year run.

Emmanuel hit well in the 2015 Baseball Grand Championship as well, although Port Harcourt finished in the bottom half at 8-11. In 19 starts, he had 16 hits, 13 runs, 3 doubles, 10 home runs, 14 RBI, 1.077 OPS, and 1.1 WAR. Emmanuel did have limited play in the World Baseball Championship as well for his native Nigeria. From 2009-20, he appeared in 53 games and started 36 with 35 hits, 26 runs, 12 doubles, 12 homers, 29 RBI, .267/.389/.634 slash, and 2.4 WAR.

Port Harcourt fell back to 81-81 in 2016, Emmanuel’s last season. The year had a rough ending as he suffered a fractured knee in September, knocking him out six months. He surprised many by opting out of his seventh year of the deal despite the injury, betting on himself to get a big deal elsewhere. Emmanuel was going to still be only 33-years old and had just taken second in MVP voting. This marked the end of WAB career.

With the Hillcats, Emmanuel had 1103 hits, 702 runs, 235 doubles, 300 home runs, 766 RBI, .323/.391/.665 slash, 167 wRC+, and 39.5 WAR. His gamble paid off with the payday coming in Mexico, signing a five-year, $60,500,000 deal with Ecatepec. The deal got off to a sluggish start with a torn hamstring in the spring. The Explosion opted to use him after that in a platoon role, although Emmanuel did was an efficient hitter in the limited sample size. Gone were the day of MVP contention, however. Ecatepec would be stuck in the mid-tier during Emmanuel’s time in Mexico.

In four seasons with the Explosion, Emmanuel had 342 hits, 193 runs, 63 doubles, 79 home runs, 223 RBI, .304/388/.578 slash, 156 wRC+, and 11.2 WAR. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the fifth year, becoming a free agent again. The soon-to-be 37-year old still had options and ended up in MLB on a two-year, $18,600,000 deal with New York.

Despite the paycheck, Emmanuel saw limited use with the Yankees, playing only 65 games and starting 39 with .678 OPS, 97 wRC+, and 0.2 WAR. He was let go after one year and couldn’t find a 2022 home despite searching. Emmanuel retired that winter at age 38. For his combined pro career, he had 2271 hits, 1340 runs, 466 doubles, 567 home runs, 1479 RBI, 706 walks, 166 stolen bases, .296/.367/.586 slash, 151 wRC+, and 67.4 WAR.

Just in WAB, Emmanuel had 1892 hits, 1127 runs, 400 doubles, 484 home runs, 1241 RBI, 558 walks, 1811 strikeouts, 139 steals, .295/.364/.593 slash, 151 wRC+, and 56.1 WAR. His accumulations were limited by leaving WAB at age 32 and by a sluggish start with Dakar. As of 2037, Emmanuel ranks 35^th in homers, 72^nd in RBI, 82^nd in runs, 87^th in walks, 93^rd in strikeouts, and 70^th in WAR among position players.

Among WAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Emmanuel’s .958 OPS ranks 42^nd and he ranks 41^st in slugging. Hitting lots of homers will make you memorable with Emmanuel cramming a bunch into a small timeframe. That and his role in Port Harcourt’s 2015 title made him a popular player viewed favorably by most voters despite his deficiencies. Emmanuel received 85.7% to earn first ballot induction firmly as the lone member of West African Baseball’s 2023 Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2023 SAB Hall of Fame

South Asia Baseball had two slam dunk inductees for the 2023 Hall of Fame class with 1B/DH Dhuna Itar at 98.9% and SS/2B Sameer Sheikh at 93.6%. The only other player above 50% was CL Nopporn Samornchai at 51.8% in his debut. The best returner was C Quoc Pham at 49.3% for his fourth ballot. There was one player dropped after ten failed ballots as 1B Junius Hasibuan ended at 37.1%. His peak was 42.9% in 2019.



For Hasibuan, he won three Silver Sluggers and won four SAB Championships between Ho Chi Minh City and Yangon. He had 1688 hits, 1119 runs, 264 doubles, 512 home runs, 1333 RBI, 941 walks, .254/.348/.532 slash, 145 wRC+, and 54.9 WAR. Hasibuan was an impressive slugger, but had the misfortune of competing in an era with more impressive ones. Had he lasted a few more seasons for accumulations, he probably makes it across the line.



Dhuna “Mr. Magnificent” Itar – First Base/Designated Hitter – Johor Bahru Blue Wings – 98.9% First Ballot

Dhuna Itar was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting first baseman from Kharsia, a town of 17,000 in central India. Nicknamed “Mr. Magnificent” for his impressive power, Itar was a stellar home run hitter at his peak. He maintained a 162 game average of 50 homers and 113 RBI. Itar was also great at drawing walks, although his strikeout rate was below average in total. In his prime, he graded as a rock solid contact hitter.

Itar definitely made better contact against right-handed pitching with a career 1.011 OPS and 172 wRC+. Against lefties, he posted a respectable .817 OPS and 130 wRC+. Itar was also good for around 25-30 doubles most years, although his power was more focused on dingers. He also was a very slow and sluggish baserunner, so you couldn’t expect him to leg out many extra bags.

Defensively, Itar only ever started at first base and was a firmly mediocre defender. He made around 70% of his career starts at 1B with the rest as a designated hitter. Itar did run into a number of notable injuries which preventing him from keeping up with his contemporaries on the leaderboards despite a 20 year run. He was beloved not just for his power, but because he was a high-character man. Itar was a team captain known for his leadership, selflessness, and intelligence.

Although coming from humble beginnings, a teenaged Itar managed to catch the attention of a scout for Johor Bahru. They brought him to Malaysia on a developmental deal in October 1993. He spent four seasons in their academy before debuting as a mostly full-time starter in 1998 at age 21. Itar struggled with strikeouts initially and had the most whiffs in the Southeast Asia League in his first two seasons.

Itar was subpar as a rookie, but found his power in year two even with the strikeouts. Itar led the league with 60 homers and 384 total bases in 1999, taking third in MVP voting. He won the top honor and a Silver Slugger in 2000 by becoming SAB’s single-season home run king with 74, besting Amoda Shah’s 70 from two years prior. Itar would be passed in 2008 by Majed Darwish’s absurd 80+ seasons, but his mark is still fifth-best as of 2037 despite broad offensive increases league wide in later years.

Johor Bahru was the second wild card in 1999 and 2000, but went one-and-done both years. They were excited by the possibilities moving forward and gave Itar an eight-year, $11,780,000 extension after the 2000 season. Unfortunately, the Blue Wings fell towards the bottom of the standings for most of Itar’s remaining years. He would miss more than half of 2001 to a torn abdominal muscle. A broken hand cost him part of 2005 while a bone marrow edema in his knee kept him out the final part of 2007.

Itar still put up strong numbers, hitting 50+ homers thrice more. He led SEAL in OPS (1.161) and wRC+ (208) in 2003 with 63 homers and a career-best 9.7 WAR. Itar led in homers in 2003 and doubles in 2004, posting six seasons total for the Blue Wings with an OPS above one. Itar earned Silver Sluggers at first base in 2002, 2003, and 2004.

Johor Bahru was struggling at this point and them and their fellow Malaysian neighbor Kuala Lumpur began looking for the exit. Both teams left SAB for Austronesia Professional Baseball starting with the 2008 season. This made for some awkwardness as their superstar Itar was entering his last year of his contract for 2008. He was less enthused about leaving SAB for APB and was likely to give free agency a shot even if they stayed. Thus, the Blue Wings traded him in December 2007 just before leaving the league to Ho Chi Minh City for three prospects.

With Johor Bahru, Itar finished with 1424 hits, 879 runs, 254 doubles, 483 home runs, 1035 RBI, 617 walks, .282/.362/.630 slash, 171 wRC+, and 60.3 WAR. He was now set to play in Vietnam, although he had being representing his native India in the World Baseball Championship. From 2000-10, Itar played 92 games with 70 starts for the Indians with 74 hits, 50 runs, 9 doubles, 26 home runs, 49 RBI, .262/.346/.571 slash, 163 wRC+, and 3.7 WAR. He was a backup in 2009, but was an important clubhouse leader that year as India earned the World Championship.

Ho Chi Minh City’s playoff streak was at 21 seasons upon Itar’s arrival. His debut saw 67 home runs and a career best 151 RBI, winning a Silver Slugger at 1B and finishing third in MVP voting. The Hedgehogs lost in the first round as a wild card. Itar at age 31 decided to test out free agency that winter and wasn’t signed until spring training. He ultimately hammered out a new five-year, $28 million deal with the Hedgehogs.

In 2009, HCMC won their final SAB Championship of the great dynasty, beating Jaipur in the final. Itar was MVP of the SEAL Championship against Yangon, starting 17 games with 22 hits, 12 runs, 7 home runs, 15 RBI, .344/.358/.688 slash, and 174 wRC+. He got his ring with a chance to prove himself finally on the big stage, although that would be his final playoff appearances.

Ho Chi Minh City’s playoff streak ended in 2010 and they spent a few years near .500 before falling to the bottom for a full rebuild by 2013. Itar’s time as an award winner was done, but he did still hit 40+ homers twice more. A fractured finger and strained knee kept him out much of 2010. More knee troubles and a concussion cost Itar time in 2013.

In total for the Hedgehogs, Itar had 765 hits, 487 runs, 135 doubles, 236 home runs, 551 RBI, .280/.363/.594 slash, 155 wRC+, and 26.8 WAR. In early 2013, he had become the 5^th member of the 700 home run club, although contemporaries like Ratan Canduri, Devavesman Toppo, and Majed Darwish eclipsed his tallies. Itar was still quite popular heading towards age 37, which earned him a one year deal with Pune. For the first time, he’d be playing for a pro team in his native India.

Itar had a nice resurgence for the Purple Knights, leading the league in walks and OBP with a 5.2 WAR season. That earned him a three-year, $21,600,000 deal with Ahmedabad. Unfortunately, that run was marred by a torn ACL suffered in June 2015. Itar played two years and 171 games for the Animals with 3.2 WAR and .807 OPS. He didn’t make the vesting criteria for the third year of the Ahmedabad deal.

He wanted to keep going and spent 2017 with Visakhapatnam, playing 118 games with .707 OPS and 0.5 WAR. That final run did allow Itar to reach the 2500 hit and 450 double milestones, but he fell three dingers short of the 800 home club, a mark met by only four in SAB history. Itar retired after the 2017 campaign at age 40.

Itar finished with 2593 games, 2531 hits, 1572 runs, 453 doubles, 797 home runs, 1810 RBI, 1214 walks, .276/.362/.595 slash, 161 wRC+, and 96.0 WAR. As of 2037, Itar ranks 5^th in homers, 9^th in RBI, 37^th in hits, 18^th in runs, 65^th in doubles, 7^th in walks, 20^th in games played, 19^th in strikeouts, and 23^rd in WAR among position players. Among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Itar’s .957 OPS ranks 33^rd. He also ranks 72^nd in OBP and 30^th in slugging.

He may have been overshadowed somewhat by having so many epic sluggers playing alongside him, but Itar’s power stats in any era certainly earned that “Mr. Magnificent” moniker. He became a megastar despite playing a large chunk of his career with losing teams. Itar was an obvious Hall of Fame headliner and was a near unanimous 98.9% to captain South Asia Baseball’s 2023 class.



Sameer “Burger” Sheikh – Shortstop/Second Base/Designated Hitter – Dhaka Dobermans – 93.6% First Ballot

Sameer Sheikh was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed middle infielder from Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city. At his best, Sheikh was a well-rounded bat with strong contact and power skills. He had an average to above average eye for walks, but was merely okay at avoiding strikeouts. Sheikh didn’t have prolific power, but he got 43 home runs per his 162 game average. That average also got 27 doubles and 7 triples, making him quite adept at extra base hits. Sheikh had good speed and was a fantastic baserunner.

Sheikh lacked range though despite spending his time defensively between shortstop and second base. He was an abysmal defender at either spot, but his offensive value was so strong especially compared to most SS/2Bs. Sheikh had around 45% of his starts at short and around 25% at second, spending most of the rest of his time as a designated hitter.

In his 20s, Sheikh had fairly good durability, but he rarely made it more than half the season in his 30s due to numerous ailments. His tireless work ethic and drive allowed him to still stick around for a 21-year career despite that. Sheikh was an excellent leader and was one of the smarter guys in the game. He garnered great respect and popularity throughout his run.

Sheikh is the only Pakistani in the SAB Hall of Fame, as his countrymen almost exclusively played in the Asian Baseball Hall of Fame. Most SAB scouts don’t even bother looking that far west despite Pakistan’s proximity, but one from Bangladesh caught wind of Sheikh at a camp in Karachi. They convinced him to join Dhaka’s academy in September 1993. Sheikh spent most of four years in developmental, but did debut in 1996 at age 19. He played 47 games and started 10 from 1996-97.

1998 marked the full-time Dhaka debut for Sheikh with merely okay results. He fared better in 1999, but did lose a month to a sprained ankle. Sheikh put it all together in 2000, winning a Silver Slugger at shortstop and getting third in MVP voting. That year, he led the Southeast Asia League in OPS (1.087), wRC+ (200), and WAR (10.5). 2001 would have setbacks though with a concussion and sore shoulder keeping him out more than half the season.

Sheikh’s signature season was 2002, winning his lone MVP and his second Silver Slugger. He posted a league and career-best 11.8 WAR, won a batting title at .333, and added a 1.120 OPS, 53 homers, and 121 RBI. Dhaka also had a surprise playoff berth to end a six-year drought, winning the Southeast Asia League title. They were ultimately defeated by Ahmedabad in the SAB Championship. Sheikh posted an okay .710 OPS and 105 wRC+ over 13 playoff starts.

Either way, Dhaka was satisfied and gave Sheikh an eight-year, $26,240,000 extension that winter. He only led the league once more with a .362 batting average in 2007, but Sheikh hit 40+ homers with 7+ WAR each year from 2003-07. He won Silver Sluggers at SS in 2003, 2004, and 2005, then won a Sluggers at second base in 2006, 2007, and 2008. Sheikh also placed third in 2007’s MVP voting.

After missing the playoffs in 2003 and 2004, Dhaka began a nine year playoff streak in 2005. They were almost always a wild card and only twice got beyond the first round due to the dueling dominance of Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Yangon. The Dobermans were 110-52 in 2009, but still lost the division to a 122-win Hanoi and got upset in the first round. Dhaka made it to 2010 SEAL Championship, but lost to the 121-win Hounds.

From 2008 onward, Sheikh only had a full season in 2010 as injuries began to really pile up. Still, Dhaka gave the popular slugger a five-year, $43,500,000 extension before the 2011 campaign. That year, the Dobermans finally broke through and won the SAB Championship over defending champ Kolkata, knocking off Hanoi along the way. In the playoffs, Sheikh started 18 games with 14 hits, 11 runs, 7 home runs, and 16 RBI. Dhaka went 10-9 in the second Baseball Grand Championship with Sheikh getting 17 hits, 13 runs, 3 doubles, 6 homers, 15 RBI, .873 OPS, and 0.8 WAR over 18 starts.

For his career, Sheikh’s playoff stats weren’t bad, but were somewhat underwhelming. He started 66 games with 58 hits, 40 runs, 10 doubles, 19 home runs, 46 RBI, 17 steals, .234/.296/.520 slash, 120 wRC+, and 2.1 WAR. His World Baseball Championship stats were closer to his career averages. Sheikh regularly returned home to Pakistan from 1999-2014 for the WBC with 144 games and 125 starts.

For Pakistan, Sheikh played 144 games with 125 starts, posting 130 hits, 75 runs, 27 doubles, 32 homers, 75 RBI, 42 stolen bases, .264/.325/.518, and 5.2 WAR. As of 2037, he has the 5^th most WAR among Pakistani position players and ranks 6^th in hits, homers, and runs. Pakistan earned semifinal appearances in 2007 and 2010.

Dhaka’s playoff run ended in 2014, although Sheikh stuck around for a few one-year deals after that. Among his litany of injuries in his 30s were a broken bone in his elbow, strained groin, oblique strain, high ankle sprain, calf strain, and hamstring strain. Sheikh was still relatively productive when healthy most of the run, although he did end up on the bench by the end. He was on roster in 2018, but didn’t see the field, holding mostly a mentorship role. Sheikh retired that winter at age 41 and Dhaka immediately retired his #14 uniform.

Sheikh had 2216 games, 2350 hits, 1419 runs, 372 doubles, 99 triples, 595 home runs, 1523 RBI, 735 walks, 753 stolen bases, .303/.369/.607 slash, 160 wRC+, and 99.2 WAR. The accumulations aren’t as high as you might think a 21-year vet would have because of the injuries, but they’re still impressive. As of 2037, Sheikh ranks 55^th in hits, 35^th in runs, 22^nd in home runs, 25^th in RBI, 44^th in walks, and 21^st in WAR among position players.

Among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Sheikh’s .976 OPS ranks 20^th best. His triple slash ranks 95^th/46^th/19^th on the all-time leaderboards. Sheikh may have fell short of the inner-circle level, but the injuries might have been what kept him out. Sheikh’s induction qualifications though weren’t in doubt, receiving 93.6% to co-captain an excellent two-player Hall of Fame class for South Asia Baseball in 2023.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2023 ABF Hall of Fame

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Two returners to the ballot earned induction into the Asian Baseball Federation’s Hall of Fame in 2023. SP Omar Ma’mur got a hefty bump up to 81.5% on his fifth ballot while CF Rahman Polat narrowly crossed the 66% requirement with a 70.8% third ballot. The best debut was CL Muqtadir Mehmood at 52.9%. 3B Tomas Pataki also cracked 50% on his seventh go at 51.2%. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots; in fact no returners at all were dropped as none fell below the 5% cut line either.



Omar Ma’mur – Starting Pitcher – Multan Mighty Cocks – 81.5% Fifth Ballot

Omar Ma’mur was a 5’10’’, 180 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Herat, Afghanistan’s third-largest city with around 574,000 inhabitants. Ma’mur was the first Afghani to earn a Hall of Fame nod. Despite having a more compact frame than your typical ace, Ma’mur was a fireballer with great stuff. His fastball regularly hit 99-101 mph and was mixed with a sinker, circle change, and standard changeup.

The downside was that Ma’mur’s control was average at best and his movement was below average. His stamina was average compared to most ABF aces and he was a weak defensive pitcher. Injuries would also limit his longevity, especially in his 30s. Still, Ma’mur’s raw stuff was impressive enough to make him an elite strikeout pitcher at his peak.

Afghanistan’s baseball scene was quite limited as Ma’mur was growing up and scouts for the relatively new ABF generally spent little time looking there for talent. Ma’mur rose to the top quickly though and caught the attention of Multan, who brought him to Pakistan on a developmental deal in January 1995. Ma’mur spent five full years in their academy, then debuted in 2000 at age 22 as a part-time starter. The Mighty Cocks moved him into the rotation full-time after that.

In his first full season in 2001, Ma’mur tossed a no-hitter with eight strikeouts and three walks against Lahore on September 13. From 2002-06 for Multan, Ma’mur had five straight 300+ strikeout seasons and topped 350+ four times. He was the East League leader in 2002 (370) and 2004 (390). Ma’mur also led in wins at 21-7 in 2003, a season that also had his best full season ERA at 2.30. However, he would never be a Pitcher of the Year finalist in his career.

Multan was competitive at this point, starting with first round wild card exits in 2001 and 2002. The Mighty Cocks exploded to 113-49 and won the ABF Championship over Ankara in 2003. To that point, that was the best-ever record by an ABF champ. In his two playoff starts, Ma’mur allowed two runs over 15 innings with 14 strikeouts. He had a three-hit shutout in the ELCS against Almaty Multan missed the playoffs in 2004, then lost the 2005 ELCS to Lahore. Ma’mur had a 2.31 ERA over 23.1 innings in the 2005 run.

The Mighty Cocks fell towards .500 after that and couldn’t come to terms with Ma’mur, who left for free agency heading towards his age 29 season. With Multan, Ma’mur had a 99-62 record, 2.75 ERA, 1530.2 innings, 2110 strikeouts, 335 walks, 109 ERA+, and 27.2 WAR. He stayed in Pakistan, inking a three-year, $9,520,000 deal with Karachi.

Ma’mur maintained the same production level in his first few years with the Carp, but injuries would begin to limit him. In July 2008, he suffered a ruptured finger tendon. Still, Karachi was happy with his results and gave him a seven-year, $35,080,000 extension in the winter. The Carp were a contender at this point with four straight 100+ win seasons from 2006-09. They lost the 2007 ELCS to Bishkek with Ma’mur struggling in his three starts to a 5.00 ERA. He missed the 2008 postseason, but Karachi won the EL pennant, falling in the ABF Championship to Istanbul.

A herniated disc cost Ma’mur the final months of 2009, including the playoff run. Karachi claimed the ABF Championship over Ankara, earning Ma’mur his second ring. The Carp barely missed the playoffs in 2010, then had a first round exit in 2011. Back and shoulder issues plagued Ma’mur in 2010 with a strained hamstring in the summer of 2011. 2012 would see the big one, a torn UCL in June that put Ma’mur out 12 months. By this point, Karachi’s run as a contender had ended, starting a decade-plus playoff drought.

Even before the UCL tear, Ma’mur’s production had dropped noticeably in 2012. He attempted a 2013 comeback but had a lousy 4.58 ERA over four starts. Shortly after coming back, a strained hamstring put Ma’mur back on the shelf. He retired that winter at age 35, ending his Carp run with a 62-34 record, 2.89 ERA, 945.1 innings, 1250 strikeouts, 219 walks, 110 ERA+, and 19.4 WAR.

Ma’mur finished with a 161-96 record, 2.80 ERA, 2476 innings, 3360 strikeouts, 554 walks, 218/327 quality starts, 78 complete games, 27 shutouts, 109 ERA+, and 46.6 WAR. As of 2037, Ma’mur ranks 47^th in wins, 55^th in innings, 34^th in strikeouts, 61^st in complete games, 22^nd in shutouts, and 59^th in pitching WAR. Among all pitchers with 1000+ innings, his 12.21 K/9 ranks 22^nd and his ERA is 93^rd. Ma’mur’s 6.63 H/9 ranks 34^th and his 0.96 WHIP is 43^rd.

Because of his injuries, Ma’mur’s accumulations are certainly lower than most Hall of Fame level aces. He also didn’t have the big awards, but he did get some credit for Multan’s 2003 title run especially. While detractors thought his resume was underwhelming, supporters pointed to his impressive strikeout totals. They argued that without the injuries, Ma’mur would’ve easily landed in a prominent spot on the strikeout leaderboards.

Ma’mur debuted at 55.3% in 2019 and slowly climbed, reaching 63.1% in 2021 and 64.8% in 2022. With few impressive debuts for the 2023 group, Ma’mur earned an impressive bump up to 81.5%. Many scholars argue he’s one of the weaker adds in the Asian Baseball Federation’s Hall of Fame, but Ma’mur secured his 5^th ballot slot regardless in 2023.



Rahman Polat – Center/Left Field – Shiraz Suns – 70.8% Third Ballot

Rahman Polat was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed outfielder from Ankara, the capital of Turkey. Polat was a well-rounded batter with good to great contact, power, and eye ratings; although his strikeout rate was subpar. He had a notably better time against right-handed pitching with .918 OPS and 157 wRC+, although he still found success versus lefties at .800 OPS and 132 wRC+.

Polat’s power was never prolific, but his 162 game average got you plenty of extra base hits with 34 home runs, 27 doubles, and 8 triples. He was a rock solid baserunner and base stealer with nice speed for most of his run. Center field was his primary spot with about 2/3s of his starts there. Most of Polat’s remaining starts were in LF with a few in RF. He graded as below average defensively overall, but he was perfectly serviceable considering his bat’s value.

He managed a 19-year career, but Polat did run into some injury issues, especially with his knees. He was a popular player with fans, but many teammates and coaches were frustrated by Polat. He wasn’t the brightest bulb and was considered to be lazy and unmotivated for most of run. While that may have kept him from reaching his full potential, Polat posted a fine run regardless.

Polat was ranked near the top of the prospect rankings entering ABF’s 2000 Draft. He was picked 3^rd overall by Shiraz, who made him a full-time starter immediately. Polat provided 3.5 WAR as a rookie, but did lead the West League in strikeouts at 228. He cut that down significantly after that and would lead the league in walks drawn thrice. From 2003-2006, Polat posted four straight seasons above 8.5 WAR. Those years and 2002 each saw Silver Slugger wins.

In 2005 and 2006, Polat earned MVP honors as he led both years in WAR. 2004 was actually his WAR best at 10.6, but he surprisingly wasn’t an MVP finalist. Polat did take third in 2003’s voting. 2006 had his bests in runs (114), homers (44), RBI (123), walks (84), OPS (1.004), and wRC+ (177). Shiraz had quickly given Polat an eight-year, $24,400,000 extension after the 2003 campaign.

The Suns had been generally awful in their first 15 years, but Polat helped turn them into a contender in the 2000s. They had playoff berths in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2010. Shiraz broke through in 2005 for their first ABF Championship, beating Lahore in the final. The Suns got back to the finale in 2006, but lost in a rematch with the Longhorns. They fell to Istanbul in the 2010 WLCS with first round losses in 2004 and 2008.

Polat was a playoff stud in 2005, winning MVP of the WLCS and the ABF Championship. In 15 starts, he had 20 hits, 8 runs, 5 doubles, 4 homers, 13 RBI, 9 steals, and 1.130 OPS. Polat did even better in 2006 statistically even though he didn’t win the hardware, starting 17 games with 20 hits, 15 runs, 7 doubles, 6 home runs, 15 RBI, 8 walks, 6 steals, and 1.146 OPS. His critical role in Shiraz’s title seasons earned Polat a fondness with many Suns fans and helped get his #22 uniform later retired. Polat’s playoff career with Shiraz had 49 starts, 51 hits, 33 runs, 12 doubles, 14 homers, 37 RBI, 20 walks, 22 steals, .288/.371/.593 slash, 169 wRC+, and 2.9 WAR.

He had missed some time in 2007 and 2008 to injury and did see his production drop noticeably from his peak. 2007 was his final Silver Slugger with Shiraz. Then in 2009, a ruptured finger tendon and a knee sprain together kept Polat out almost the entire season. Another knee sprain bothered him in 2010 with a fractured rib in 2011. Polat still had good starter numbers, but was no longer the MVP-level talent that he had previously been.

Polat’s contract ended after the 2011 campaign, making him a free agent heading towards age 32. With Shiraz, he had 1363 hits, 843 runs, 258 doubles, 70 triples, 299 home runs, 817 RBI, 601 walks, 461 stolen bases, .274/.360/.534 slash, 153 wRC+, and 67.4 WAR. Polat ended up staying in Iran as he signed a four-year, $31,600,000 deal with Isfahan, who had seen WLCS losses thrice in the prior four years.

Despite never playing for one of the Turkish franchises, Polat did regularly represent his country in the World Baseball Championship. From 2002-19, he played 143 games and started 129 with 108 hits, 73 runs, 14 doubles, 6 triples, 27 homers, 63 RBI, 55 stolen bases, 82 walks, .233/.364/.464 slash, and 4.3 WAR. As of 2037, Polat ranks 4^th in WAR among Turkish position players. Turkey would earn division titles in both 2006 and 2008.

Isfahan had hoped to get over the hump with Polat, but they spent his tenure generally stuck in the middle tier with no playoff berths. Polat did have a bit of a resurgence when healthy, winning Silver Sluggers in 2013 (CF) and 2015 (LF). 2013 was on a great pace until losing six weeks to a broken collarbone. He struggled in 2014 and had an oblique strain plague him, but Polat bounced back with a 7.7 WAR, .979 OPS in 2015 at age 35. That was his best effort since his 2006 MVP season.

With the Imperials, Polat had 464 hits, 256 runs, 86 doubles, 25 triples, 105 home runs, 289 RBI, 183 walks, 96 steals, .275/.353/.542 slash, 157 wRC+, and 20.6 WAR. His strong contract year greatly increased his value heading back into free agency. Polat decided to leave ABF for the European Baseball Championship, securing $39 million over three years with Birmingham.

Polat was a reliably solid starter for the Bees and really earned his keep in 2018. Birmingham went on a surprise run to the European Championship, besting Munich for the title. Polat was finals MVP, starting 17 games with 20 hits, 12 runs, 2 doubles, 4 home runs, 8 RBI, and .875 OPS. He became one of a very select few to win a finals MVP in multiple leagues.

That effort earned him one more year in England, although age caught up with subpar production and multiple knee sprains in 2019. In four seasons for the Bees, Polat had 550 hits, 326 runs, 58 doubles, 26 triples, 105 home runs, 282 RBI, .281/.352/.499 slash, 135 wRC+, and 13.2 WAR. Polat hoped to still play in 2020, but couldn’t find anyone interested. He officially retired that winter at age 40.

For his combined pro career, Polat had 2377 hits, 1425 runs, 402 doubles, 121 triples, 509 home runs, 1388 RBI, 975 walks, 662 steals, .276/.357/.528 slash, 150 wRC+, and 101.2 WAR. However, most ABF voters didn’t care about his Birmingham run. In ABF, Polat had 1827 hits, 1099 runs, 344 doubles, 95 triples, 404 home runs, 1106 RBI, 784 walks, 557 stolen bases, .274/.358/.536 slash, 154 wRC+, and 88.0 WAR.

As of 2037, Polat ranks 57^th in runs, 49^th in home runs, 58^th in RBI, 29^th in walks, 56^th in stolen bases, and 30^th in WAR among position players. He certainly had accolades with two MVPS and eight Silver Sluggers. Polat’s playoff stats were also impressive, playing a huge role in helping make Shiraz a contender for the first time. However, his grand accumulations were deceptively low in the counting stats. Some voters were especially turned off by the lack of 2000 hits. Polat’s lazy reputation also weighed on some.

Polat missed the cut in his first two ballots with 59.7% and 59.4%. For 2023, a fairly open field allowed his resume to get another pass with a bump up to 70.8%. That earned Polat the third ballot induction as the second member of the Asian Baseball Federation’s 2023 Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2023 ALB Hall of Fame (Part 1)

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Three players were added into the Arab League Baseball Hall of Fame in 2023, although it could have easily been only one. 3B Mohammad Al-Munibi was the only slam dunk with an 84.5% debut. Two returners joined him by scraping by the 66% requirement. CL Ramy Kayat received 68.2% for his fifth ballot and 3B Salem Aldani earned 66.1% in his third go. CL Souilem Boudiaf also had a nice showing with 58.5% for his second ballot. No one else was above 50% and none were dropped after ten failed ballots.



Mohammad Al-Munibi – Third Base – Kuwait Whales – 84.5% First Ballot

Mohammad Al-Munibi was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed third baseman from Sanaa, the capital of Yemen. Al-Munibi had reliable home run and gap power with a 162 game average of 35 dingers and 43 doubles. He did grade as an average-at-best contact hitter with a decent eye for walks and subpar strikeout rate. Al-Munibi was also a sluggish and clumsy baserunner.

Al-Munibi exclusively played third base, taking advantage of a strong arm. On the whole, he graded as a reliably average defender. He would be best known as an ironman, starting 146 games each year from 2000-15. It was that steadiness that carried Al-Munibi to a rock solid 19-year professional career.

Kuwait hoped Al-Munibi would be the man to turn their franchise around after mostly struggles to begin their ALB tenure, picking him with the #1 overall pick in the 1998 ALB Draft. He started 110 games and played 127 as a rookie with decent success, taking third in Rookie of the Year voting. Al-Munibi held the full-time gig unopposed for the following 16 years, topping 4+ WAR in 14 of those seasons.

In 2000, Kuwait earned their first-ever playoff berth, winning a terrible division at 83-79. However, they pulled off one of the most shocking upsets in baseball history in the Eastern Conference Final by defeating 121-41 Mosul, the two-time defending champs. The Whales won it all by besting Cairo for the ALB crown. Al-Munibi was merely okay in the playoff run with 9 hits, 6 runs, 1 double, 3 homers, and 6 RBI in 11 starts. Still, it was a true bit of magic for Kuwait fans. The Whales would be decent for the next few years, but wouldn’t get back to the playoffs until 2008.

Al-Munibi remained incredibly steady, although he never was a conference leader or MVP finalist. He did win Silver Sluggers in 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. Kuwait gave him a seven-year, $18,120,000 extension in April 2006. The Whales earned a division title in 2008 but lost in the first round. Kuwait got back in 2009 and upset Basra for their second EC pennant, although they fell in the ALB Championship to Amman. The Whales went back into the middle tier for the rest of Al-Munibi’s run.

In the playoffs, Al-Munibi had 27 starts, 24 hits, 18 runs, 4 doubles, 7 home runs, 18 RBI, a .247/291/.505 slash, 113 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR. Although he wasn’t the unstoppable force one might expect from a #1 draft pick, Al-Munibi did bring home two pennants. His World Baseball Championship stats for his native Yemen looked similar. From 2002-17, Al-Munibi had 92 games and 74 starts with 58 hits, 37 runs, 12 doubles, 19 home runs, 36 RBI, .214/.280/.469 slash, 112 wRC+, and 1.4 WAR.

Al-Munibi signed another three-year, $27,400,000 extension after the 2012 campaign. His production remained remarkably consistent through his 30s, including a 6.4 WAR effort at age 39 in 2015. However, Al-Munibi finally hit the wall after turning 40 in 2016. He was relegated to a part-time role with only 96 games played. Out of respect, Kuwait gave him a three-year, $15,440,000 extension that winter. Al-Munibi was only used 30 games in 2017, retiring that winter at age 41. The Whales immediately made his #10 their first retired uniform number.

The final stats had 2721 games, 2685 hits, 1393 runs, 719 doubles, 581 home runs, 1752 RBI, 741 walks, .272/.322/.530 slash, 131 wRC+, and 84.3 WAR. As of 2037, Al-Munibi ranks 8^th in games played, 25^th in hits, 36^th in runs, 5^th in doubles, 24^th in home runs, 16^th in RBI, 34^th in walks, and 16^th in WAR among position players. Al-Munibi ranks second in WAR at third base and is the positional leader in games, hits, total bases, doubles, and RBI.

Al-Munibi was never dominant, but his consistency and longevity were both remarkable. He was the face of Kuwait baseball for nearly two decades and lived up to the #1 overall pick even without MVP wins or eye-popping stats. At 84.5%, Al-Munibi was a first ballot selection and the headliner for the 2023 Arab League Baseball Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2023 AAB Hall of Fame (Part 1)

The African Association of Baseball’s 2023 Hall of Fame class was an impressive one with three players added and each getting above 92% of the vote. RF Felix Chaula (99.3%), 3B/DH Marlin Kimwaki (97.1%), and OF Negue Rouillard (92.8%) were each important superstars in the early years for AAB. The best returner was 2B Gedeon Bukasa, who missed the cut at 51.6% on his fifth ballot. No one else was above 50%.



Two players were dropped from the ballot after ten failed tries. SP Siyabonga Zongo peaked with his 26.7% debut and was down at 8.2% by the end. He was hurt by leaving AAB after only eight years with Durban, but he had three ERA titles and three Pitcher of the Year wins in that short time. A torn rotator cuff ultimately derailed Zongo’s hopes of MLB glory after leaving South Africa.

For Durban, Zongo had a 114-64 record, 2.85 ERA, 1634.1 innings, 1745 strikeouts, 319 walks, 141 ERA+, and 44.4 WAR. He helped the Deer win the Africa Series twice and certainly seemed well on his way to HOF glory had he remained in AAB and stayed healthy. It’s rare for a three-time Pitcher of the Year to miss the cut, but Zongo just wasn’t around long enough even for those voters who valued big peaks over longevity.

Catcher Robbie Lenihan also dropped after ten ballots, peaking at 27.9% in his debut and ending at 7.2%. The Scottish lefty played his first seven seasons in London, then had a 14-year tenure between five times in AAB. He won four Gold Gloves and was part of championship teams in 2004 for Dar es Salaam and 2005 for Antananarivo.

Lenihan had 1120 AAB hits, 747 runs, 268 doubles, 200 home runs, 669 RBI, 1242 walks, .224/.389/.401 slash, 123 wRC+, and 51.8 WAR. He was fantastic at drawing walks and finished with 1717 for his entire pro career, which ranks 12^th among all players ever. Few catchers as long as Lenihan, retiring at age 43.

If his EBF tallies were with his AAB ones, he might have made it on longevity. However, it was hard for catchers in the best of times to get HOF notice with the lower accumulations that come naturally with the position. Plus, many see the low batting average and high strikeout rate before they notice the high walk tally and OBP. Lenihan certainly goes down as one of the more unique figures from early AAB as a Scotsman that became a favorite throughout Africa.



Felix Chaula – Right Field – Lilongwe Lightning – 99.3% First Ballot

Felix Chaula was a 6’1’’, 190 pound right-handed right fielder from Lindi, a city of 95,000 on Tanzania’s southeastern coast. It is nicknamed as Tanzania’s coconut capital. Chaula had stellar home run power and an excellent eye for drawing walks. He was a good contact hitter, although his strikeout rate was below average. Chaula’s incredible power gave him 55 homers per his 162 game average, becoming one of the most impressive sluggers in world history.

His power was homer-centric, but Chaula’s 162 game average still got you 29 doubles per well. His baserunning skills were decent, but his speed was mediocre at best. Chaula’s defensive range was iffy, but he had a very strong arm to offset it somewhat. He spent the vast majority of his time in right field with below average results on the whole, but he was far from a liability. Despite the career metrics, he won Gold Gloves in 2002 and 2003. Chaula played some left later in his career with weaker results.

Chaula had good durability along with a tireless work ethic and toughness. He wasn’t the smartest, but his drive and natural talent were both overwhelming. Despite bouncing around throughout his career, Chaula was beloved everywhere he went by fans. He was one of the first true massive global baseball superstars to come out of AAB and would be one of the most popular African stars.

Very quickly Chaula rose through the amateur ranks and was almost universally considered the top prospect for the 1997 AAB Draft. Lilongwe picked him with the #1 pick and made him a full-time starter, immediately, although he missed more than half of his rookie season between a hamstring strain and strained oblique. Chaula started to look elite in his second and third seasons, although he did lose over a month both seasons to injuries. He would mostly avoid notable injuries for roughly the next decade.

By 2001, Chaula was fully living up to the hype. From 2001-2003, he led the Southern Conference each year in WAR, home runs, OPS, wRC+, and slugging. Chaula won MVP and Silver Slugger all three years and had Gold Gloves in 2002 and 2003. By WAR, 2003 was the best season of his career at 10.1. From 2002-06, he led each season in on-base percentage as well. Chaula dropped from his 9+ WAR MVP peaks in 2004 and 2005, but added two additional Silver Sluggers.

Despite Chaula’s efforts, Lilongwe generally stunk and only averaged 76.5 wins per season during his run. The Lightning would be the last original AAB team to earn a playoff spot, finally doing it in 2021. It was Chaula’s longest tenure and he’d be inducted wearing the Lilongwe L hat. He would have arguably more memorable tenures elsewhere, as he’d leave for contenders after his time in Malawi. Chaula was beloved in Lilongwe for trying so hard for a bad team and his #28 uniform would later be retired.

With Lilongwe, Chaula had 1075 hits, 721 runs, 200 doubles, 367 home runs, 807 RBI, 575 walks, .297/.407/.666 slash, 187 wRC+, and 55.8 WAR. He left for free agency after the 2005 campaign at age 30 and didn’t come to terms with anyone until spring training. Chaula ended up with a one-year, $3,560,000 deal with Kinshasa. The Sun Cats had been AAB’s first dynasty, having won nine Central Conference titles and six Africa Series rings in AAB’s first 11 years.

Oddly enough, Chaula’s one year in Kinshasa was their first season outside of the playoffs. The Sun Cats finished 86-76, vacating the throne to what would be a dynasty run for Addis Ababa. Chaula held up his end though, winning his fourth MVP and another Silver Slugger. He led in runs, homers, RBI, total bases, OBP, slugging, OPS, wRC+, and WAR. That year had Chaula’s career highs for OBP (.466), slugging (.782), OPS (1.248), and wRC+ (221). As of 2037, his OPS mark ranks as the 8^th best single season in AAB history and the OBP ranks 3^rd best.

With a possible rebuild coming, Kinshasa couldn’t lock up Chaula long-term. Back in free agency, he signed a three-year, $11,360,000 deal with Durban, the defending AAB champ. The Deer finished second in the Southern Conference in 93-69, but got hot and repeated as champs in an Africa Series rematch with Addis Ababa. Chaula won his seventh Silver Slugger and was third in MVP voting.

2007 was his first taste of the playoffs and Chaula went ham, earning conference championship MVP and his first ring. In 14 starts, he had 19 hits, 17 runs, 6 doubles, 7 homers, 8 RBI, 1.294, and 1.3 WAR. Chaula’s 17 runs were a new AAB playoff record and would only get topped once in the next 30 years. In the regular season, he had 7.1 WAR and .993 OPS. That was actually the first time since his rookie year that his OPS was below one.

Although it was Chaula’s first playoff experience, he had been participating on the World Baseball Championship stage for his native Tanzania. He kept coming home for the WBC even as he moved across Africa for his pro career. From 2001-19, Chaula started 126 games with 100 hits, 68 runs, 23 doubles, 38 home runs, 88 RBI, .235/.373/.556 slash, and 6.3 WAR. As of 2037, he leads all Tanzanian position players in WAR and ranks 2^nd in homers, 3^rd in runs, 4^th in hits, and 2^nd in RBI.

Chaula’s Durban run lasted only the one championship season, as he opted out of his deal and was again a free agent at age 32. He’d be headed to his fourth team in as many years, although this one would stick for a bit. Chaula missed spring training and finally signed a one-year, $3,400,000 deal with Addis Ababa on April 9. He would ink a five-year, $18 million extension with the Brahmas by July. AA had won back-to-back conference titles before he arrived, but Chaula would help turn the Brahmas into an all-time dynasty.

From 2008-13, Addis Ababa became the first team in any professional league to six-peat as overall champion. Chaula had career highs in 2009 in runs (135), homers (68), and RBI (136) to win his fifth MVP. He led in OPS, OBP, and wRC+ thrice in the run and won his six MVP in 2012, joining his teammate Mwarami Tale as the only six-time MVP winners in AAB history.

Tale had gotten his fifth and sixth in 2010 and 2011 and would earn his seventh in 2013. Chaula was third in 2008 and 2010’s MVP voting and second in 2011. From 2009-13, Chaula won Silver Sluggers each year. He and Tale raced up the leaderboards and both reached 600 home runs and 1500 RBI while in Ethiopia. Chaula got to 1500 runs scored as well in 2012, becoming the second to reach all three marks behind Mohau Sibiya.

With arguably AAB’s two greatest players together and with fellow Class of 2023 Hall of Famer Marlin Kimwaki, Addis Ababa was utterly unstoppable. Not only did they six-peat, but they won the 2010 Africa Series with a 120-42 record. That is AAB’s winningest-ever season and is considered by many as the league’s greatest ever team. As of 2037, it is one of only ten teams in world history to win it all with 120+ victories.

Chaula was a playoff force as well, winning Central Conference Finals MVP and Africa Series MVP in 2009. He was the conference final MVP again in 2010 and 2013. Over 63 playoff starts, Chaula had 71 hits, 42 runs, 14 doubles, 22 home runs, 46 RBI, 39 walks, .314/.427/.668 slash, 197 wRC+, 1.095 OPS, and 4.2 WAR. Adding his Durban run, Chaula had career playoff marks of 1.133 OPS, 206 wRC+, and 5.5 WAR. Few players ever boasted such incredible offensive efficiency in the postseason. As of 2037, Chaula ranks 3^rd in AAB playoff hits, 2^nd in runs, 2^nd in homers, and 4^th in RBI. His teammate Mwarami Tale was the only guy ahead of him in all four stats.

The Baseball Grand Championship began in 2010 and with their dynasty, Addis Ababa got to participate in the first four. The Brahmas were 6-3 in the initial divisional format in 2010. In the later round robin formats, AA was 10-9 in 2011, 11-8 in 2012, and 10-9 in 2013. Although Addis Ababa didn’t get the top spot, they were quite competitive with the world’s best despite AAB being the newest of the major leagues.

Chaula’s impressive play carried onto the grandest stage. Over 65 BGC games, Chaula had 63 hits, 44 runs, 15 doubles, 24 home runs, 42 RBI, 44 walks, .280/.415/.667 slash, 1.082 OPS, and 4.3 WAR. Even if he was inducted in Lilongwe’s colors, the world remembered Chaula’s greatness in Brahmas blue. Their six-peat by any measure is one of the absolute top dynasties in baseball history.

For Addis Ababa, Chaula had 805 hits, 641 runs, 134 doubles, 329 home runs, 708 RBI, 611 walks, .281/.421/.677 slash, 1.098 OPS, 193 wRC+, and 46.0 WAR. In his final year there in 2013, he missed almost half the season to a strained back and oblique strain. Still, that year Chaula became the first AAB slugger to 800 career home runs. He had also taken over the top spots for runs and RBI, although Tale was on his tail.

Chaula’s Brahmas deal expired after the 2013 season and he was now a 38-year old free agent. He ended up next in Mogadishu on a two-year, $22,600,000 deal. It showed how quickly AAB and its salaries had grown, as his two year Mighty Mice deal would pay him slightly more than he got all six years for the Brahmas. Chaula won two more Silver Sluggers and took third in 2015’s MVP voting. Chaula finished on an absolute tear in 2015 with 1.158 OPS, 208 wRC+, and 7.3 WAR, but he only played 116 games because of early season injuries.

Mogadishu was in the middle of the standings in his run, but he was able to add to his impressive tallies. While in Somalia, Chaula had 13.0 WAR over 270 games, 238 hits, 196 runs, 56 doubles, 85 home runs, 198 RBI, 186 walks, .274/.412/.635 slash, 184 wRC+, and 13.0 WAR. He was still clearly elite as he returned to free agency as a 40-year old. Chaula next signed a two-year, $21,200,000 deal with Brazzaville.

The Blowfish run was sadly brief as Chaula suffered a severe concussion in May that kept him out nine months. He only played 27 games for Brazzaville, but he joined the very short list of players to have eight championship rings as the Blowfish won it all. Chaula was also one of a select few to have championship rings from three different franchises. He wouldn’t meet the criteria for the second year of his Brazzaville contract.

Chaula was determined to play again and signed for 2017 with Kampala. His production was down noticeably from his prime, but he still was a solid starter for the Peacocks. While there, Chaula reached the 900 home run, 2500 hit, and 2000 RBI milestones. He was the first in AAB to reach 900 homers or 2000 RBI and was one of a very small group in any league to get there. This would mark the final year of AAB run. His former teammate Mwarami Tale would stick around for another three years and usurp Chaula’s #1 spots on the leaderboards.

He wasn’t done with pro baseball quite yet, as the beloved megastar received a three-year, $24,700,000 deal to play for MLB’s Atlanta Aces. He was merely okay in 2018 with 1.4 WAR and .803 OPS over 138 games. Chaula played only four games in 2019 before getting cut by Atlanta in April. He spent the rest of the year in the minor leagues for Toronto’s affiliate in Hamilton. Chaula retired from the game that winter at age 44.

Chaula’s final AAB numbers saw 2636 games, 2565 hits, 1874 runs, 481 doubles, 925 home runs, 2021 RBI, 1647 walks, 2192 strikeouts, 104 stolen bases, .288/.412/.659 slash, 1.071 OPS, 187 wRC+, and 135.5 WAR. As of 2037, Chaula is 2^nd behind only Tale in homers, runs, RBI, and WAR. He also ranks 2^nd in walks (behind Luke Tembo), 13^th in hits, 30^th in doubles, 10^th in strikeouts, and 6^th in games played.

Among all AAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Chaula’s OPS still ranks 4^th. His triple slash ranks 92^nd/4^th/7^th. Most conversations for AAB’s greatest ever player are merely Chaula versus Tale debates with most giving the edge to Tale for his higher stat totals. It should be no surprise that when they were teammates, they put together one of baseball’s greatest-ever dynasties.

Adding his Atlanta totals, Chaula’s pro career had 2778 games, 2687 hits, 1936 runs, 501 doubles, 948 home runs, 2092 RBI, 1690 walks, 2318 strikeouts, .286/.409/.649 slash, 1.057 OPS, 184 wRC+, and 136.7 WAR. As of 2037 among all pros, Chaula ranks 12^th in homers, 45^th in RBI, and 14^th in walks drawn. Among all Hall of Famers, Chaula is 7^th in OPS, 24^th in OBP, 9^th in slugging, and 45^th in wRC+.

Chaula is clearly one of baseball’s best-ever bats, although the higher-scoring AAB environment did help him out in raw totals. He’s one of only 21 in world history to win 14 or more Silver Sluggers. Chaula narrowly missed the top 50 for WAR among position players, losing some ground for unremarkable defense and baserunning. However, few stepped up more in the playoffs as Chaula’s OPS (1.113) and wRC+ (206) were shockingly higher in the postseason than his gaudy regular season marks.

Regardless of his exact ranking among the world’s greats, Chaula was a huge reason why the African Association of Baseball was such an immediate success. His efforts quickly legitimized AAB as an equal or better than many of the more tenured world leagues. Chaula and his fellow Tanzanian Mwarami Tale sit atop AAB’s Mount Rushmore as legends of African baseball. Somehow Chaula only got 99.3%, but deservedly was the headliner even in a loaded three-player 2023 Hall of Fame class for AAB.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2023 AAB Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Marlin “Kiwi” Kimwaki – Third Base/Designated Hitter – Addis Ababa Brahmas – 97.1% First Ballot

Marlin Kimwaki was a 6’1’’, 205 pound left-handed hitting third baseman from Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He was nicknamed “Kiwi” as a shortened form of his last name. Kimwaki was known for having reliably solid power with a 162 game average of 39 home runs, 29 doubles, and 5 triples. He was an above average contact hitter with a respectable strikeout rate for the league, although he drew walks less often than you might expect.

Kimwaki was a very smart and crafty baserunner, making the most of having merely above average speed. He was a much better bat against right-handed pitching with a career .906 OPS and 140 wRC+. Kimwaki was just above average versus lefties at a 105 wRC+ and .755 OPS. He had impressive durability and an excellent work ethic over an 19-year career.

Defensively, almost all of his starts came at third base. Kimwaki graded as a mediocre defender, leading to around 40% of his starts coming as a designated hitter. Kimwaki’s powerful bat and work ethic made him extremely popular as a part of what would become an epic dynasty for Addis Ababa. His entire pro career came with the Brahmas, who snagged him from the DR Congo in April 1996 with a teenage amateur developmental deal.

Kimwaki was a rare debut as a teenager, playing 70 games and starting 59 in 1999 at age 19. He was similarly a part-timer in 2000, then secured a full-time gig from 2001 onward. Although Addis Ababa became a powerhouse, they were a mid-tier team in Kimwaki’s early years. His bat certainly wasn’t mid, leading the Central Conference from 2003-05 in total bases. Kimwaki led in RBI in both 2003 and 2004. He also led in hits in 2001 and in homers and slugging in 2004.

He never won MVP honors, in part for playing a lot of DH and because of such strong competition for the spot. Kimwaki was second in voting in 2003 and 2004, then took third in 2005 and 2011. He won Silver Sluggers as a DH from 2003-05. Kimwaki then won six more at third base from 2006-08 and 2010-12. He became a popular face of the franchise and signed a seven-year, $26,360,000 extension in May 2007.

Kinshasa was the Central Conference’s original powerhouse, but they ceded the crown to Addis Ababa in 2006. That started a run of eight straight conference titles for the Brahmas, although they lost the 2006 and 2007 Africa Series to Durban. The run though showed that AA was cooking something special, leading to the signing of Felix Chaula in 2008 and Mwarami Tale in 2010.

From there, Addis Ababa had the first-ever six-peat by any world franchise, winning the Africa Series each year from 2008-2013. That included a 120-42 mark in 2010, which is widely viewed as AAB’s best-ever team. Kimwaki maintained steady regular season production through the dynasty, although his role as the franchise’s icon was usurped by Chaula and Tale. Part of that was also due to Kimwaki’s playoff performances.

Despite the team’s success, Kimwaki’s postseason stats were incredibly underwhelming. In 100 games, he had 90 hits, 54 runs, 15 doubles, 20 home runs, 57 RBI, 17 steals, .241/.285/.457 slash, .742 OPS, 99 wRC+, and 1.5 WAR. Kimwaki wasn’t much better in the Baseball Grand Championship appearances with 65 games, 56 hits, 33 runs, 9 doubles, 16 home runs, 40 RBI, .225/.281/.454 slash, .735 OPS, and 1.2 WAR. He wasn’t bad per se, but his big game tallies were far from elite. Still purely based on longevity, Kimwaki ranks 3^rd in playoff hits and runs as of 2037 behind Tale and Chaula. He also is 5^th in playoff homers and 3^rd in RBI.

Kimwaki’s stats were similarly pedestrian playing for the DR Congo in the World Baseball Championship. From 2001-17, he played 72 games and started 55 with 50 hits, 27 runs, 4 doubles, 13 homers, 33 RBI, .229/.289/.427 slash, .715 OPS, and 1.0 WAR.

Addis Ababa’s reign ended in 2014 as they were upset by Nairobi in the conference championship. The Brahmas missed the playoffs in 2015, then entered a period at the bottom after that. Kimwaki stuck around as the other stars bolted, inking a four-year, $25,800,000 extension after the 2014 season. He was soon to be 35-years old by this point and had seen his numbers drop from his previous reliable tallies.

Kimwaki was a part-time platoon starter in 2014, 2015, and 2017 with one last full-time starting year in 2016. He regressed to actively bad by 2017 and was let go after the season. Kimwaki was unsigned in 2018 and retired that winter at age 38. Addis Ababa quickly brought him back in to retire his #13 uniform for an impressive 19 years of service. He retired as AAB’s all-time hits leader, but held that spot very briefly with Tale and Fani Ngambi passing him by the end of the 2010s.

In total, Kimwaki had 2684 games, 2737 hits, 1532 runs, 483 doubles, 77 triples, 648 home runs, 1765 RBI, 565 walks, 512 steals, .278/.329/.540 slash, 132 wRC+, and 65.6 WAR. As of 2037, Kimwaki is 7^th in hits, 14^th in runs, 28^th in doubles, 13^th in home runs, 9^th in RBI, and 22^nd in WAR among position players. His slugging percentage is 87^th among batters with 3000+ plate appearances.

Kimwaki was certainly overshadowed by some teammates during the peak dynasty run, but his tallies were easily deserving on their own merit. He was equally beloved in Ethiopia and remains the Addis Ababa franchise leader in games and hits. Kimwaki would be a Hall of Fame headliner in most classes, taking the #2 spot in the loaded 2023 AAB crew at 97.1%.



Negue Rouillard – Center Field – Lusaka Lake Monsters – 92.8% First Ballot

Negue Rouillard was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed center fielder from Moundou, Chad’s second-largest city with around 138,000 inhabitants. As of 2037, Rouillard is the only Chadian member of AAB’s Hall of Fame. He was a solid contact hitter with an impressively reliable pop in his bat. Rouillard was especially good at finding the gap with 43 doubles and 6 triples per his 162 game average. He could go yard though with 32 homers per 162, including two 40+ seasons.

Rouillard had a fairly low strikeout rate for a guy of his power, although he was below average at drawing walks compared to other AAB bats. He was one of the slickest and craftiest baserunners in the game. Rouillard’s speed was above average to good, but not incredible. Still, few guys knew how to infuriate opposing pitchers more once he got on.

His speed wasn’t good enough to thrive in center field, although he played almost his entire career there. Rouillard’s iffy range made him a well below average defender, but his offensive ability was strong enough to make coaches put up with his lacking glove work. Rouillard also stayed impressively durable at a demanding position, starting 145+ games in all but one season from 2002-17. He was a popular baseball figure throughout Zambia, playing most of his career with Lusaka.

The Lake Monsters caught wind of Rouillard as a teenage amateur in Chad and signed him to a developmental deal in January 1997. Rouillard debuted in 2001 at age 21 with 20 games and 1 start. He earned the full-time role for 2002 and held it steadfastly for the next 14 seasons. Rouillard posted a conference-best 46 doubles and had 7.7 WAR and 42 homers in 2002 to earn Rookie of the Year and a Silver Slugger.

Rouillard didn’t win his next Slugger until 2010, although that was due to stiff competition. He won again in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014. Rouillard placed third in MVP voting in 2006 and 2008. 2008 had his career best WAR, leading the Southern Conference at 8.7. It was also his lone season with an OPS above one at 1.005. Rouillard led in hits twice, runs once, doubles thrice, and triples once. He scored 100+ runs in seven different seasons.

He remained steadfast to Lusaka, who didn’t have a winning season from 1998-2007. Rouillard signed a four-year, $8,070,000 extension after the 2007 season, followed by a six-year, $23,600,000 extension in June 2011. He helped the Lake Monsters to their first-ever sustained success, earning four consecutive playoff berths from 2010-13.

Lusaka lost in the 2010 conference final to Harare and in 2011 to Maputo. They broke through though for back-to-back pennants in 2012-13, although they couldn’t get by the Addis Ababa dynasty in the Africa Series. Rouillard was solid in the 2012 run, but was terrible in his other postseason tries. He finished with 42 starts, 41 hits, 24 runs, 8 doubles, 3 triples, 4 homers, 23 RBI, .229/.254/.374 slash, 66 wRC+, and 0.3 WAR.

While some fans derided him as a playoff choker, most realized that Lusaka wouldn’t have become a contender without him. The Lake Monsters fell to 73-89 in 2014, then got back to the playoffs with a conference finals loss to Johannesburg in 2015. That marked the end of their competitive window. Now in his mid 30s, Rouillard’s production and power started to wane with age. In his final year of 2016, he was reduced to a backup role with only 90 games and 59 starts.

For Lusaka, Rouillard had 2555 hits, 1399 runs, 578 doubles, 83 triples, 466 home runs, 1368 RBI, 688 walks, 768 stolen bases, .295/.348/.542 slash, 140 wRC+, and 77.2 WAR. The Lake Monsters later retired his #1 uniform for his impressive effort. Rouillard felt he could still go and Kigali gave him a shot for 2017 on a one-year, $720,000 deal.

Rouillard notably led in doubles with 47 in 2017, but posted only 2.8 WAR and .805 OPS over the season. He had become the second to 2500 hits, one year after his Hall of Fame classmate Marlin Kimwaki did it. Rouillard wanted to chase 3000, but 2017 would be his final season in the top tier, finishing just behind Kimwaki. Rouillard played one final year in the newly formed African Second League in 2018 for Bulawayo. He was unsigned in 2019 and retired that winter at age 39.

For his AAB run, Rouillard had 2409 games, 2720 hits, 1490 runs, 625 doubles, 87 triples, 487 home runs, 1441 RBI, 726 walks, 823 stolen bases, .294/.347/.537 slash, 139 wRC+, and 80.0 WAR. As of 2037, Rouillard ranks 10^th in hits, 18^th in runs, 5^th in doubles, 28^th in home runs, 18^th in RBI, and 14^th in WAR among position players. His .885 OPS is 96^th among AAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances.

Rouillard was never THE guy in his career, but he was a reliably solid starter for a long time and one of AAB’s early stars. He helped Lusaka find its footing and earn its first pennants in the early 2010s. Rouillard’s Hall of Fame case was easy and he got 92.8%, capping off a stellar three-player 2023 class for the African Association of Baseball.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2023 World Baseball Championship

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The 2023 World Baseball Championship was the 77^th edition of the event and was centered in Brisbane, Australia. In a very competitive Division 1, Italy (8-3) fended off 7-4 runs from Niger and Romania with three others at 6-5. Italy earned back-to-back division titles and their third in five years. It was the 19^th time overall that the Italians got to the elite eight, which leads European countries.

After rare back-to-back misses, the United States made it back to the elite eight by winning Division 2 at 9-2. The Democratic Republic of the Congo was next at 8-3 with England, Ivory Coast, and Spain each at 7-4. The Americans have moved forward 59 times beyond the first round.

Division 3 had a three-way tie at 8-3 between Taiwan, the Philippines, and Azerbaijan. The tiebreaker went to the Azeris, marking their first-ever division title. Azerbaijan became the 79^th unique country to make it to the elite eight. Ethiopia was in the D3 mix at 7-4 as well with China not making it back after a 6-5 finish. Canada dominated Division 4 at 10-1 for their second division title in three years. The Canadians advanced for the 41^st time.

Iran at 9-2 secured Division 5, holding off India and Turkey at 8-3. This was the fourth division win for the Iranians and first since their 2018 runner-up effort. Defending world champion Nigeria was a complete non-factor at 4-7. In D6, Indonesia was the lone unbeaten at 11-0. The Indonesians and Italians were the only teams from the 2022 elite eight to get back in 2023. It was Indonesia’s 24^th division title, second-most among Asian nations. South Korea was a strong 9-2, but couldn’t handle the Indonesian buzzsaw.

Austria took Division 7 at 9-2 while Brazil, Czechia, and Germany were the next closest at 7-4. It was Austria’s fourth division title and first since 2017. Lastly D8 had a tie at 8-3 between Russia and Iraq, while Algeria, Kenya, and Pakistan were all 7-4. The head-to-head tiebreaker ended a 14-year drought for the Russians, earning their 16^th division title overall. Last year’s runner-up Poland dropped to 5-6.

Round Robin Group A had Iran (5-1) and Austria (4-2) advance, while Indonesia (3-3) and Azerbaijan (0-6) were eliminated. The Iranians earned their third semifinal berth and the Austrians got their second. Group B saw the USA (5-1) and Canada (3-3) move forward with Russia and Italy both out at 2-4. The Americans earned their 52^nd final four appearance and the Canadians got their 30^th.

The traditional powers prevailed in the semifinals with Canada over Iran 3-1 and the United States over Austria 3-1. The Iranians were officially third and the Austrians matched their best finish in fourth. The US secured a 48^th championship appearance and the Canadians got their 17^th. They regularly met in the finals early in WBC history with 1947, 1948, 1954, 1957, 1960, and 1972 meetings. The Americans won all of those previous battles sans 1954, which saw Canada come back from being down 3-0 in the series.



The 77^th World Championship ended up being a classic, needing all seven games for the first time since 2015. It was also only the second time that game seven needed extra innings, which had happened in Canada’s 1995 win over China. The Canadians were again the extra innings victory, taking game seven 4-3 in ten innings to win the series 4-3.

Canada moved to 8-9 in their championship appearances, having the second-most world titles. This did end an 18-year title drought going back to 2004 for the Canadians. The result also led to a sixth different world champ in as many years. The Americans would’ve broken that streak had they won, as they were the 2020 champs. The USA is now 41-7 in the championship.



Both offenses were impressive with Canada scoring the second-most runs per game (6.4) and the US the fourth most (6.3) among all teams. Leading the effort for the Canadians was Tournament MVP Mark Johnston, a sixth-year RF for MLB’s Ottawa Elks. In 28 starts, Johnston had 41 hits, 27 runs, 6 doubles, 15 home runs, 27 RBI, 14 walks, 1.291 OPS, and 2.8 WAR. His hit tally was the fourth-most in WBC history to that point.

Best Pitcher was given to Ike Tribaldos of the Philippines, a fifth-year reliever with APB’s Quezon Zombies. Between a shutout start and two relief appearances, Tribaldos tossed 15.1 scoreless innings with a 3-1 record, 3 hits and 2 walks allowed, and 31 strikeouts. The shutout came in a 19-strikeout one-hitter against Ghana.

Other notes: Belgium’s Giannino Perrone hit for the cycle against Ireland, becoming the 18^th in WBC history to achieve the feat. Brazil’s Café Vicente had 2023’s lone no-hitter, striking out 12 and walking five against the Czech Republic on January 24. Going back to the end of 2022, Canada’s Mathis Vezina had a 22-game hit streak ended on January 24. He became the ninth to have a 20+ game hit streak in the WBC.

Below are the updated all-time tournament stats.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2023 in A2L

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2023 was the second season that promotion and relegation was active in the African Second League. Maputo was one of the first relegated away from the African Association’s top tier in 2022, but they Grandpa Simpson’d their way back up. The Piranhas won the Southern Conference at 103-59, while their nearest foes were 95-67 Gaborone and 94-68 Comoros. Although they didn’t get promoted, both the Golden Bears and Chimps set new franchise bests.



Once proud Kinshasa couldn’t pull off the same immediate escape in the Central Conference, finishing fifth at 81-81. Mombasa took the top spot at 91-71, beating Juba by five games, Bahir Dar by six, and Mbuji-Mayi by seven. The Jungle Cats finished second in back-to-back years.



The seventh Second League Championship needed all nine games with Maputo defeating Mombasa in a classic battle.



Other notes: Even with the gimmick rules that lead to obscene scoring in A2L, Lubango’s pitching staff was especially bad. They had a team 7.11 ERA, allowing 1222 runs and 1126 runs; new conference worsts. On the other side, Gaborone’s 867 runs allowed were the second-lowest in conference history. Two no-hitters were thrown in 2023, which would be the only A2L season with multiple no-nos. There wouldn’t be another one thrown until 2030.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2023 in E2L

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The European Second League’s Western Conference had Nottingham and Liverpool tied for the top spot at 97-65. Officially, the North Stars had the #1 seed via the tiebreaker as they ended a six-year playoff drought. The Phantoms earned back-to-back berths, while Cardiff got their third straight. The Crew hoped this one would finally earn them relegation, tying for third with Zaragoza at 92-70. The Gold Hawks had their first berth since getting relegated back to E2L for 2021.

A number of teams fell just short of the four-team playoff field. Gothenburg and Stuttgart were both three games back at 89-73, while Marseille was 87-75. For the Gales, they missed out after having the Eastern Conference’s top record in 2022. They switched conferences in 2023 to maintain geographic balance after the prior year’s shifts.



In the Western Conference’s Round Robin, Zaragoza fared the best at 4-2. Nottingham and Liverpool both tied at 3-3 and Cardiff was 2-4. The tiebreaker sent the North Stars to the Eastern Conference Championship over the Phantoms. However, the Gold Hawks rolled to the pennant 4-1 over Nottingham to earn a second promotion. Zaragoza had been the first of the original E2L teams to make it to the European Championship in the top tier back in 2013.

Tallinn had the Eastern Conference’s best record for the first time in franchise history at 102-60. It was the third-ever playoff berth for the Twisters, joining their 2020 and 2015 efforts. Thessaloniki, who just got relegated the prior year after 15 years in the top tier, took second at 98-64. The Tritons other two seasons in E2L ended with promotion back in the inaugural 2005 season and in 2007.

Odesa (94-68) and Riga (92-70) took the other playoff spots with Tbilisi (90-72) and Vilnius (85-77) as the first teams out. The Drifters earned their first playoff berth since 2019. The Roosters earned repeat berths, having been the conference runner-up in 2022. Lodz was denied a third straight berth at 78-84, their first losing season since 2015. Although the Victory finished sixth, it was notably their first winning season since getting relegated for 2016.



The Round Robin was a complete mess as all four teams finished exactly even at 3-3. After a big pile of tiebreakers, the teams advancing to the Eastern Conference Championship was #1 seed Tallinn and #4 seed Riga. The Twisters then rolled the Roosters with a sweep, giving the Estonian capital its first-ever promotion. In the Second League Championship, Zaragoza edged Tallinn in a seven-game classic.



Ultimately the European Baseball Federation’s Elite Tier would be bottom heavy with five teams finishing with 100+ losses. Thus, five E2L teams would earn promotion. Semifinalists Riga and Nottingham also earned promotions as a result. It was the first-ever promotion for the North Stars and the second for the Roosters, who have been stuck in E2L since 2008.

The fifth promotion slot went to the next best playoff team by record, which narrowly pushed Thessaloniki (98-64) in ahead of Liverpool (97-65). The Tritons earned an immediate escape, keeping them as arguably the most successful franchise that formed with E2L’s pilot season. By just missing out, the Phantoms remain stuck with Turin, Nantes, Stuttgart, and Lodz as the only teams to only play in E2L thus far without a single promotion.

Other notes: Cardiff 1B Zachary Brown won MVP with a record setting season, posting E2L single season records for WAR (13.6), slugging (.721), OPS (1.176) and runs (133). He earned his third consecutive Triple Crown and third straight MVP. Brown became the fourth in E2L history to win three MVPs. Liverpool’s Curran Notts set the single-season E2L record for doubles with 57. Marseille set a new E2L team record with 326 doubles. Brussels’ pitching staff allowed 1464 hits with an 8.94 H/9, both setting new E2L worsts.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2023 in AAB

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Defending Southern Conference champ Antananarivo finished first in the standings again with a franchise-best 107-55 mark. The Eagles earned their third straight playoff berth, leading the conference with 847 runs. Harare was a strong second at 100-62 to set up a conference finals rematch. Lilongwe was third at 94-68 and Cape Town was fourth at 90-72.

The gap between the new teams of the African Second League and the African Association’s top tier were still evident. In their first year in the big time, Nampula finished at the bottom at 61-101 to get relegated right back. The Pheasants’ pitching staff had only 957 strikeouts and a 5.96 K/9, setting new AAB lows. Durban only narrowly escaped relegation at 65-97, beating Nampula by four games.

Harare designated hitter Maninho Magaia won his second Southern Conference MVP in three years. The 28-year old Mozambican led in homers for the third straight year, this time smacking 72. This was five short of the single-season record and one behind Magaia’s only 73 from the prior year. He also led in runs (129), total bases (398) and slugging (.689) while adding 127 RBI, 1.058 OPS, 183 wRC+, and 7.0 WAR. Magaia would eventually get his long-term deal with the Hustlers in August 2025 at $151.8 million over six years.

Lilongwe righty Julian Ndaya repeated as Pitcher of the Year, leading in wins (21-6) and WAR (7.0). The Congolese 29-year old had a 2.99 ERA over 243.2 innings, 270 strikeouts, and 137 ERA+. Ndaya also picked up his sixth Gold Glove. He stayed one more year with the Lightning before inking a big free agent deal with Lubumbashi at $118.8 million over six years.



In the top-heavy Central Conference, three-time defending Africa Series champ Kampala (105-57) outraced Ndjamena (102-60) for the top spot. The Peacocks took first for the fifth time in six years, leading all of AAB in scoring at 882 runs. Kampala’s offense had 63 triples, setting a new conference record. Their pitching staff also had a 1.102 WHIP, which was the third-lowest in conference history. The Peacocks dynasty had become wildly popular throughout Uganda, setting a new AAB season attendance record at 2,091,156. That mark would only finally be passed in 2034.

The Magic took second again to set up the conference finals rematch, allowing the fewest runs at 608. There was a big 14 game gap to third place with both Lubumbashi and Nairobi at 88-74. At the bottom, Bangui failed miserably in their first year in the top tier at 52-110, getting relegated right back down. They had the second worst record in AAB history to that point with only 2019 Addis Ababa worse at 48-114.

Taking Central Conference MVP was Kampala right fielder Menzi Maketa. The 27-year old South African led in RBI (135) while posting 42 homers, 108 runs, 1.011 OPS, 173 wRC+, and 6.4 WAR. This effort earned Maketa a seven-year, $169.4 million extension the following spring. His Peacocks teammate Djibrilla Ousseini notably had 222 hits and 7.9 WAR as the leadoff guy, falling six hits short of the AAB single-season record.

Kampala also had the Pitcher of the Year as Ermias Tadele won it for the third time (2018, 2021, 2023). In his sixth year with the Peacocks, the 35-year old Ethiopian lefty led in wins (23-1), WHIP (0.87), K/BB (8.5), quality starts (24), FIP- (50), and WAR (10.0). Tadele had a 2.47 ERA and 263 strikeouts over 240.2 innings with a 165 ERA+. He posted the third-highest single-season WAR for an AAB pitcher to that point, narrowly missing Mobutu Kandol’s top mark of 10.17 from 2001. Tadele’s .958 winning percentage also set a new AAB record.

In 2023, Tadele became the third AAB pitcher to 200 career wins and the fifth to 3000 strikeouts. He finished the year at 215 wins, passing Franklin Goagoseb (208) and Henry Kibirige (203) for the #1 spot. Tadele led in WAR for the seventh straight year and became the only AAB pitcher with 100+ for his career. He pitched one more year for the Peacocks, then had his final season with Bujumbura in 2025.

For the second time in AAB history (2011-12), both conference finals saw rematches. They both had the same end result as well with Antananarivo defeating Harare 4-2 to repeat as Southern Conference champs and with Kampala sweeping Ndjamena in the Central Conference final. The Eagles secured their sixth pennant (2002, 03, 05, 08, 22, 23) while the Peacocks won their fourth in a row and fifth in six years.



The 29^th Africa Series did see a reversed result from the prior season. Antananarivo broke up the dynasty and denied Kampala’s four-peat, taking the series 5-3. It was the second title for the Eagles, joining their 2005 championship win. 1B Helmi Yousif was their top performer, winning conference finals MVP and posting 13 hits, 8 runs, 4 doubles, 5 homers, and 14 RBI in 13 playoff starts. Kampala 1B Relebogile Matima won finals MVP in defeat with 14 hits, 9 runs, 7 homers, and 12 RBI over 11 playoff starts.



This did mark the end of the great Kampala dynasty, as they wouldn’t be back in the AAB playoffs for a decade-plus. With four titles and a runner-up over a six year run; along with two second place finishes in the Baseball Grand Championship; they certainly go down as an all-timer. Many fans still rate Addis Ababa’s 2008-13 six-peat and Kinshasa’s six titles and nine pennants from 1995-05 higher. Still, the Peacocks’ showings in Africa and on the world stage greatly raised AAB’s stock internationally as a top flight league.

Other notes: Finals MVP Relebogile Matima became the 6^th member of the 700 home run club while Patrick Babila became the 8^th to 600 homers. Matima also was the 8^th to score 1500 runs. Babila had the 12^th four home run game in AAB history, doing it against the champs on 7/21. Babila also earned his 8^th Gold Glove at first base and his 7^th Silver Slugger. C Destin Kette and 2B Sphamandla Madinane both earned their 7^th Gold Gloves.

Promotion/Relegation: Bangui and Nampula were both relegated after one season. Maputo gets promoted back to the top tier after one year in A2L, while Mombasa will get its first shot at the top tier in 2024.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2023 in ALB

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The Arab League’s Western Conference was remarkably top heavy as the three division winners each won 100+ games and took their division by 18+ games. Algiers earned only their third-ever Mediterranean Division title (2006, 2021, 2023) and had their first-ever 100+ win season. The Arsenal took the top seed at 109-53, leading all of ALB in both runs (911) and fewest allowed (583). Algiers set an ALB team record with 312 home runs and had the second-most strikeouts (1825) and second-best K/9 (11.19) in conference history.

Amman repeated as Levant Division champ at 106-56 and earned their third division title in four years. Damascus at 88-74 was the closest second place team at 18 games back. Cairo clobbered the Nile Division at 102-60 for their seventh straight division win. The Pharaohs now have 16 playoff berths through ALB’s first 34 seasons. Defending ALB champ Casablanca was 20 games back in the Mediterranean at 89-73, posting their ninth winning season in a row.

Although his squad missed the playoffs, Damascus DH Said Fawzi picked up Western Conference MVP. In his 12^th year with the Dusters, the 33-year old Libyan led in hits (222), doubles (57), total bases (448), OBP (.410), slugging (.715), OPS (1.125), wRC+ (192), and WAR (8.7). Fawzi added 55 homers, 133 RBI, and a .354 average.

Algiers lefty Muhammad Nour won his fifth straight Pitcher of the Year and had his most impressive effort year. The 25-year old Algerian posted ALB’s first Triple Crown pitching season since 2014 and its seventh ever with a 22-6 record, 2.27 ERA, and 393 strikeouts over 246 innings. Nour also led in quality starts (26), ERA+ (193), FIP- (44), and WAR (11.7). His WAR mark was the fourth best single-season by an ALB pitcher and his strikeout tally was the sixth most.

Amman ousted Cairo 2-0 in the first round of the playoffs to earn repeat Western Conference Finals berths. For Algiers, their only prior WCF came back in 2016. The Arsenal were denied their first pennant as the Aviators took it 3-1 to become four-time Western Conference champs (1999, 2009, 2010, 2022). It was the first pennant for a Levant Division team since Damascus’s 2016 win.



Basra was light years ahead of the Eastern Conference field at 112-50, winning a sixth consecutive Mesopotamia Division title. The Bulldogs earned the #1 seed for the third year running and guaranteed a fifth straight trip to the conference final. Basra led the conference in runs (886) and fewest allowed (600). The Bulldogs had Iraq’s hottest ticket, setting a new ALB season attendance record at 2,090,541.

Abu Dhabi repeated as Gulf Division champ at 91-71, finishing eight games better than Bahrain. That was the first-ever winning season by the 2016 expansion Blitz. Two-time defending conference champ Jeddah’s historic ALB-record playoff streak grew to 13. The Jackals finished 88-74, fighting off a competitive Saudi Division field with Mecca (84-78), Medina (82-80), and Riyadh (81-81) each in the mix.

Destroyers 1B Mohamed Ali Mansour repeated as Eastern Conference MVP with record breaking power. In his fourth year starting for Abu Dhabi, the 24-year old Moroccan crushed 82 home runs, breaking the ALB record 76 set by Ali Jassem in 2020. Mansour was only the second player in world history to hit 80+ homers, joining world home run king Majed Darwish who did it thrice in South Asia Baseball.

Mansour also led in runs (139), RBI (163), total bases (490), slugging (.829), OPS (1.236), wRC+ (209), and WAR (10.6) while adding a .350 average. He set a new ALB total bases record and posted the second-best slugging and fifth-best OPS marks. He was nine RBI short of Nordine Soule’s ALB record 172 from 2008. He also posted a six-hit game In May against Bahrain. Mansour signed an eight-year, $104.3 million extension after the season with the Destroyers, although he opted out after the 2026 campaign.

Basra’s Ahmed Hussain repeated as Pitcher of the Year. It was his third, having also won back in 2018. The 31-year old Bahraini lefty also earned the Triple Crown like his Western Conference counterpart, posting a 22-5 record, 2.58 ERA, and 327 strikeouts over 240.1 innings. Hussain also led in WHIP (0.96) and quality starts (27) while posting 8.8 WAR.

Abu Dhabi edged Jeddah 2-1 to oust the reigning conference champ, sending the Destroyers to their first Eastern Conference Final since 2017. Basra was the heavy favorite, but suffered a shocking 3-1 loss to Abu Dhabi. The Destroyers earned their fourth pennant (2012, 2016, 2017, 2023). It was the third straight year that the Bulldogs lost as the #1 seed, moving them to 1-4 in the ECF in the last five years.



The 34^th Arab League Championship was a seven game thriller claimed by Amman over Abu Dhabi, bringing the cup home to Jordan for the third time (2009, 2010, 2023). The Aviators became the sixth ALB franchise to win 3+ championships. RF Nathan Nasreddine had a big playoff run in his first year as a full-tie starter. The 24-year old Lebanese righty won MVP of both the ALB Championship and conference final, starting 13 playoff games with 17 hits, 12 runs, 4 doubles, 5 homers, and 11 RBI.



Other notes: Jeddah’s Amar Rasmi stole 139 bases, falling four short of his own ALB record 143 from 2018. Abu Dhabi’s Khali Allawi had a 30-game hit streak, falling four short of ALB’s record of 34. Yahya bin Hakam and Ali Jassem both reached 800 home runs, joining Nordine Soule as ALB’s only sluggers to do so. Four players reached 2500 hits, making that a 16-member club. Two pitchers breached 3000 strikeouts with 19 now having hit that mark. SS Ayoub El Taib won his 8^th Silver Slugger.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2023 in ABF

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The top two teams in the Asian Baseball Federation’s East League fought for the North Division title with reigning ABF champ Bishkek (103-59) beating out Almaty (99-63). Both teams earned their fourth consecutive playoff berth with the result. The Assassins notably were the EL’s top scoring team at 740 runs. Last year’s top seed Dushanbe fell to 79-73, ending their ABF-record playoff streak at ten seasons. It was the first time since 2011 that the Dynamo were below .500.

Faisalabad (94-68) edged out Multan (93-69), Karachi (91-71), and Rawalpindi (86-76) in the South Division. The Fire secured a fifth consecutive division title with the result. The Mighty Cocks narrowly got the second wild card to end a three-year playoff drought. Faisalabad allowed the fewest runs in all of ABF at 520.

Multan 2B Ismail Akbar won East League MVP with remarkable power, leading in home runs (66), RBI (156), total bases (409), slugging (.713), OPS (1.082), and wRC+ (223). This was tied for the 6^th-most homers and was the 2^nd-most RBI, falling two short of Fakhri Rajavi’s 158. Akbar had 104 runs, .300 average, and 10.3 WAR. The Mighty Cocks wouldn’t be able to lock up the 29-year old Akbar beyond 2024, as he’d sign a seven-year, $147.6 million deal with Lahore.

Karachi veteran Qabir Sabiha won his first Pitcher of the Year in his tenth season. The 31-year old Pakistani lefty led in strikeouts (352) and shutouts (7). Sabiha had a 2.41 ERA in 242.2 innings, 21-7 record, 145 ERA+, and 7.3 WAR. The Carp rewarded him with a hefty five-year, $100 million extension in the summer, although he’d only pitch three more seasons.

Also of note, Faisalabad closer Raghid Yazdani won his fourth Reliever of the Year, becoming the third in ABF history to win the award 4+ times. His previous wins had been 2016-18 with Gujranwala. He came to the Fire in 2023 after three years for Kabul, posting an 0.66 ERA over 81.1 innings, 35 saves, 148 strikeouts, and 4.9 WAR. Yazdani also became the third to reach 300 saves in ABF.

Bishkek survived 3-2 over Multan in the first round and Faisalabad bested Almaty 3-1. This set up Black Sox versus Fire for the third consecutive season in the East League Championship Series. Bishkek prevailed 4-2 over Faisalabad to repeat and to earn their third pennant in four years. The Black Sox secured their fourth ABF pennant and 13^th overall when adding in their Eurasian Professional Baseball days.



The West League was very competitive in 2023 with eight teams within seven games of the top seed. Defending EL champ Baku got the top seed at 95-67 to repeat as West Division champs. Mashhad got their third straight playoff berth at 93-69 atop the Central Division. The Mercury hadn’t won a division crown since 1994. Tabriz was one back in the division at 92-70, which earned the first wild card. Their playoff streak grew to eight seasons.

For the second wild card, Bursa (91-71) edged out Izmir (90-72), Shiraz (90-72), Istanbul (89-73), and Adana (88-74). The Blue Claws got their second berth in four years and set a new ABF team record with 460 stolen bases. Bursa was the WL’s top scoring team at 817 while Tabriz allowed the fewest at 586. Notably Ankara (65-97), Isfahan (65-97), and Asgabat (68-94) all fell hard after winning seasons the prior year. The Alphas had their first losing campaign since 2015.

West League MVP went to Istanbul RF Khalaf bin Abdullah in his third season. The 22-year old Kuwaiti switch hitter led in RBI (145), total bases (429), slugging (.693), and WAR (9.7). He added 120 runs, 58 home runs, 1.060 OPS, and 177 wRC+.

Shiraz righty Elnur Hasanov won Pitcher of the Year, leading in wins (21-9), complete games (16), and shutouts (5). The 28-year old Kazakh righty had a 2.51 ERA over 258 innings, 359 strikeouts, and 7.0 WAR. Hasanov beat out reigning POTY Temuri Omarov from Istanbul despite Omarov’s 2.42 ERA, 365 strikeouts, and 10.2 WAR; all league bests.

Baku swept Bursa in the first round while Tabriz got the 3-1 road win over Mashhad, setting up a rematch in the West League Championship Series. It was the fifth time in six years that the Tiger Sharks made it and the first time as the road underdog. Despite their previous top seeds, the Tiger Sharks had gone 1-3 in the previous tries. Tabriz was successful this time though, denying the Blackbirds’ repeat bid 4-1. It was their second pennant, joining their 2019 Baseball Grand Championship campaign.



Tabriz also secured their second ABF Championship win, upsetting the defending champ Bishkek 4-2 in the 39^th ABF finale. Veteran 2B Maksat Musienko was finals MVP in his fifth season for the Tiger Sharks. The 34-year old Kyrgyz righty started 15 playoff games with 22 hits, 11 runs, 3 doubles, 4 homers, and 9 RBI.



Other notes: Petri Viskari’s brief run as ABF’s all-time leader in runs scored (1446) ended in 2023. Tabriz’s Shadi Alam capped off his 16-year run with a title and with the top mark in runs scored at 1491. Mehmet Fatih Canaydin also passed Viskari’s mark to end 2023 with 1481. Canaydin would easily usurp Alam for the top mark in early 2024. Fakhri Rajavi became the 4^th to reach 1500 RBI and Golshifteh Shirazinia was the 13^th to 500 home runs.

In pitching milestones, Hossein Hatami became the 4^th to reach 4500 strikeouts, finishing his final season at 4566. Hatami also was the 11^th to 200 wins, retiring at 204. Hamat Soomro became the 9^th to 4000 strikeouts while both Mukhtar Makhmudov and Sijad Khaleel reached 3500 Ks, making that a 15-player club.

Mashhad’s Ahour Sabbari threw ABF’s 16^th perfect game on August 29, striking out ten versus Ankara. Dushanbe’s Mubariz Isaev threw his second no-hitter, having tossed one way back in 2014 with Baku. RF Hana Zuhair won his 11^th consecutive Gold Glove, becoming the third in ABF at any position with 11+ GGs. SS Nizami Aghazade won his tenth Silver Slugger. ABF’s all-time WARlord Aghazade had 141.8 at the end of the 2023 campaign at only age 35.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2023 in SAB

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The Indian League was captivated by an incredible three-team battle in the Central Division with the #1 seed and first wild card on the line. After trading the lead back-and-forth, Kolkata and Delhi finished tied at 102-60 with Jaipur one back at 101-61. In a one-game tiebreaker, the Cosmos defeated the Drillers to take the division and the #1 seed.

Kolkata’s playoff streak grew to three and Delhi’s to four as they got the first wild card. The Jokers became the first-ever 100+ win team in South Asia Baseball history to miss the playoffs. Jaipur allowed the fewest runs in the IL at 538 while Delhi scored the most at 779.

Visakhapatnam won the South Division at 96-66 to end an eight-year playoff drought, while last year’s division winner Hyderabad was six back at 90-72. In a weak West Division, Pune (85-77) prevailed as the only team above .500. Ahmedabad was second at 79-83 and defending IL champ Mumbai was 78-84. The Purple Knights earned their fourth playoff appearance in five seasons.

A competitive battle for Indian League MVP went to Delhi RF Rahul Gonzales. After eight seasons between Hyderabad and Da Nang, he signed with the Drillers for 2023. Gonzales led in hits (213) and OBP (.422) while adding 112 runs, 25 homers, 106 RBI 1.011 OPS, 187 wRC+, and 8.7 WAR. He only stayed two years of his five year deal with Delhi before opting out for another free agent deal with expansion Patna.

Also worth a mention was Jaipur CF Trong Tran, who won Rookie of the Year and led in WAR (8.7) and slugging (.657). He set a new rookie for WAR by a ROTY winner, but surprisingly wasn’t in the MVP top three. Kolkata’s Duong Nguyen was in the mix with a league best 62 homers and 144 RBI.

Delhi’s Amir Kapur repeated as Pitcher of the Year, again leading in ERA (2.26) and WAR (7.0). The 27-year old Indian righty also led in WHIP (0.87) and FIP- (59). Kapur had a 15-4 record, 10 saves, 320 strikeouts, and 170 ERA+ in 206.2 innings.

By winning the tiebreaker, Kolkata got home field against Delhi in the first round as the wild card always met the #1 seed. The Cosmos survived a fierce challenge 3-2 from the Drillers, earning their first Indian League Championship Series trip since their 2014 title. On the other side, Visakhapatnam outlasted Pune 3-2. The Volts also last got to the ILCS in 2014 with their only pennants coming in 2012 and 2013. Visakhapatnam upset Kolkata 4-2 to claim their third Indian League title, getting some revenge for the 2014 defeat.



Dhaka dominated the Southeast Asia League standings at 108-54 to grow their playoff streak to three, although the Dobermans hadn’t been North Division champs since 2011. Dhaka led SEAL in both runs scored (868) and fewest allowed (579). Da Nang secured the South Division at 101-61, their third division title in four years. Reigning SAB champ Yangon was four back at 97-65, getting the first wild card and extending their world record playoff streak to 29 seasons.

Hanoi was 96-66 with an eight game gap to their closest wild card foes in Ho Chi Minh City, Vientiane, and Khulna each at 88-74. The Claws are still the only SAB expansion team without a playoff berth, although 88 wins was a new franchise best. The Hounds ended a five-year playoff drought, while the Vampires missed for only the third time since 2012. Hai Phong, who had won three straight North Division titles, limped to 75-87.

Southeast Asia League MVP went to DH Arav Walif in his Dhaka debut. The 28-year old Indian signed with the Dobermans to an eight-year, $130,400,000 deal after his previous time with Bengaluru and Da Nang. Walif led in hits (211), total bases (395), slugging (.628), OPS (1.012), and wRC+ (170). He had 6.0 WAR, 45 home runs, 119 RBI, and a .335 average.

Another free agent acquisition was Pitcher of the Year with Hong Thanh Chung in his Hanoi debut. He had been respectable in nine years with Surat and signed a modest five-year, $19,600,000 deal with the Hounds. The 29-year old Vietnamese righty broke out by leading in wins (24-4), innings (255.2), complete games (12), and shutouts (4). Chung had a 2.68 ERA, 337 strikeouts, 151 ERA+, and 7.8 WAR.

Dhaka rolled Hanoi for a first round sweep while Da Nang ousted defending champ Yangon 3-1, setting up a rematch of the 2021 Southeast Asia League Championship. The home field was switched from that encounter, but the victor was the same. The 2023 battle was a seven game classic that came down to the final at-bat with the Dobermans winning 8-7 on a walk-off, the first-ever walk-off final for the SEAL Championship. Dhaka became seven-time league champs with the win.



In the 44^th South Asia Baseball Championship, Visakhapatnam claimed their first overall title with a 4-2 upset win over Dhaka. The Volts became the 15^th SAB franchise to win it all and the 9^th of the Indian League’s original 12 teams. 1B Borey Horn was finals MVP in his sixth and final year with Visakhapatnam. The 28-year old Cambodian in 17 playoff starts had 16 hits, 10 runs, 6 home runs, and 16 RBI. Horn used that run to cash in for a five-year, $61.9 million deal in the offseason with Ho Chi Minh City.



Other notes: 2023 had marked a major change for world home run and RBI king Majed Darwish, signing with Da Nang after two decades with Hanoi. At age 40, the Bahraini switch hitter led for the 11^th time in home runs (49) and the 13^th time in RBI (146). Darwish’s homer world record increased to 1172 and his RBI world record grew to 2801.

Darwish also became the new world league in runs scored, getting 110 more and finishing the season at 2476. He passed CABA/MLB legend Prometheo Garcia’s 2374, which had been the high mark since 1968. Darwish was now at 165.5, an especially incredible mark considering how much time he’s spent at DH. This put him in striking distance of Ratan Canduri’s 169.1 for the SAB WARlord title.

Darwish also had a 31-game hit streak in 2023, tied for the second-longest in SAB to that point. Abhiji Srivas had the top mark with 35 games in 2019. Additionally, Darwish earned his 13^th Silver Slugger, although it was only his second at first base. He had ten as a DH and one in left field. Darwish joined V.J. Williams as the only SAB players with 13 Silver Sluggers at any position. 3B Yasir Malkawi won his 11^th Silver Slugger, setting a position record.

In pitching milestones, Tamin Hasan wrapped his career at 4558 strikeouts, passing Zainal bin Aziz (4483) for the #2 spot. He remained second to Jay Singh’s 5000 exactly for the top mark. Devidasa Anantya and Harpal Kumaragupta were the 14^th and 15^th to reach 3500 strikeouts. Kywe Lwin was the 13^th to reach 300 saves. CF Omer al-Jabiri won his 8^th Gold Glove.