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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2025 in CABA

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Juarez and Mexico City remained the top squads in the Mexican League’s divisional standings. The Jesters took the top seed at 103-59, earning a fourth consecutive North Division title, their 12^th straight playoff berth, and their 14^th berth in 15 years. The Aztecs won the South Division at 100-62 for their fifth straight playoff trip and their fourth division title of that run.

They were the top two scoring teams with MC at 866 runs and Juarez at 808. Mexico City’s 866 runs and .499 team slugging percentage were both the second-highest in ML history behind only their 891 and .516 from the prior season. Both teams won their division by double-digit games as Guadalajara (90-72) was the only other team even above 90 wins. The Hellhounds earned the first wild card to end a seven year stretch of losing seasons. It was only Guadalajara’s second playoff berth of 21^st Century.

Puebla (88-74) picked up the second wild card for their second postseason berth in three years. Leon (86-77), and Queretaro (85-78) secured the final two spots with Hermosillo, Mexicali, and reigning ML champ Tijuana each just behind at 84-78. The Lions snapped a four-year playoff drought and the Terriers ended an eight-year skid. Although just short of the playoffs, the Maroons allowed the fewest runs at 494, pushing them to their first winning season since 2009.

Mexico City 1B Franklin Madrid repeated as Mexican League MVP with another all-time great season. He smacked 71 home runs, one short of the CABA record 72 reached by Darion Gaudi (2006) and Yohnny Galaz (1988). The 25-year old Cuban again was the WARlord at 12.6 and posted a 1.204 OPS, the fifth-best single-season qualifying OPS in CABA history. His 480 total bases fell one short of the single-season record he set the prior year.

Madrid also was the league leader in runs (134), slugging (.782), and wRC+ (255). He added 234 hits, 25 doubles, a .381 average, and .422 on-base percentage. Madrid’s average was second to Queretaro’s Roberto Sanchez (.394), denying a repeat Triple Crown. In April, the Aztecs signed Madrid to an eight-year, $154,700,000 extension. Sanchez also notably hit 59 doubles, breaking the previous CABA record of 55 by Diego Sierra from 1951.

Tijuana’s Richard Wright won his fifth Pitcher of the Year in six seasons and earned his second Triple Crown with a 22-8 record, 2.01 ERA, and 375 strikeouts. It was a new strikeout high for the 27-year old Jamaican and his sixth consecutive ERA title. Wright pitched 255 innings and led in WHIP (0.82), quality starts (25), complete games (18), shutouts (4), ERA+ (174), FIP- (44), and WAR (11.4).

In the first round, Guadalajara edged Queretaro 2-1 and Puebla edged Leon 2-1. Both division champs rolled to 3-0 sweeps in round two with Juarez over the Pumas and Mexico City over the Hellhounds. The Jesters remarkably earned their seventh straight trip to the Mexican League Championship Series and their 12^th since 2014. It was the second in three years for the Aztecs, who won it all in 2023.

The rematch went all seven games with Juarez outlasting Mexico City for their third pennant in six years. The Jesters also picked up their seventh title in 14 years and ninth since 2005. With 18 total Mexican League titles, Juarez was now tied with Monterrey for the most.



Reigning Central American Baseball Association champ and three-time defending Caribbean League champ Guatemala finished 115-47 for the third-best record in CL history. This was behind the 118-44 record reached by Guatemala in 1969 and Jamaica in 1933. The Ghosts had the fewest runs allowed in the CL at 555 and posted a +300 run differential. Guatemala won a fifth consecutive division title and the first in the new Central Division post realignment.

The new division also saw a strong power effort by Honduras at 101-61, who took the first wild card for their third consecutive wild card. The Horsemen set new CABA all-time team records for home runs (301) and slugging percentage (.518). With that, they led in scoring with 910 runs.

The #2 seed and bye went to West Division champ Santo Domingo at 108-54. The Dolphins earned their third playoff berth in four years, but it was their first division title or 100+ win season since their 2013 pennant. Meanwhile, only Suriname (92-70) was above .500 in the new East Division with three expansion teams clustered there. The Silverbacks picked up their fourth playoff trip in six seasons.

The remaining two wild cards came out of the West with Bahamas at 98-64 and Havana at 89-73. Last year’s CLCS runner-up Haiti (87-75) and Jamaica (82-80) were the first teams out. For the historically hapless Buccaneers, this is their second-ever playoff appearance (1987) since joining CABA in 1962. The Hurricanes ended a three-year drought.

Caribbean League MVP went to Honduras RF Ortiz Rosales, who led the league in RBI (145), total bases (391), and WAR (9.1). The hometown favorite from Tegucigalpa added 116 runs, 54 homers, a .347/.392/.681 slash, 1.073 OPS, and 180 wRC+. The 25-year old lefty signed an eight-year, $150,200,000 extension in September.

Guatemala’s Israel Montague won his fifth consecutive Pitcher of the Year with arguably the greatest pitching season in CABA history. The 28-year old Panamanian lefty won his fifth straight ERA title and set a new league record among qualifying starts at 1.22. The previous best of 1.24 by Lian Llanes had stood since 1922. Montague also struck out 414 batters, tied for the fifth-best single season in CABA.

Montague got those Ks over 235.1 innings to set a new CABA record for K/9 at 15.83. That K/9 ranks 20^th in world history as of 2037. His opponent’s triple slash was .155/.181/.247, which ranked 2^nd/1^st/9^th among qualifying seasons with the .428 OPS ranking third-best in CABA.

He also posted 14.03 WAR, which barely missed the all-time pitching WAR mark in CABA set by Julio Ruiz back in 1912. All but one of the other six 13+ WAR pitching seasons in CABA happened more than a century earlier in a lower-scoring early days CABA. As of 2037, it is the 44^th best pitching WAR season in all of world baseball history. In addition, Montague’s 0.63 WHIP tied the single-season record set by Junior Vergara in 1979. He also led in quality starts (26), ERA+ (328), and FIP- (25) and missed the Triple Crown by one win at 25-3.

This effort also landed Montague a second place finish in MVP voting. Guatemala would nail down a seven-year, $172 million extension with Montague the following May. Montague and Richard Wright made it a eight-player club of guys with five or more Pitcher of the Year wins in CABA. Montague joined Junior Vergara as the only ones to earn five consecutively.

Honduras edged Bahamas 2-1 and Suriname swept Havana 2-0 in the first round. The top seeds held in round two with Guatemala surviving a fierce 3-2 challenge from the Horsemen and a 3-1 Santo Domingo win over the Silverbacks. The Ghosts four-peat bid was alive, setting up a rematch of the 2023 Caribbean League Championship Series against the Dolphins. The Dominican capital was trying to snap an 11-year pennant drought.

Guatemala continued to make history as the Ghosts won the CLCS in a seven-game classic over Santo Domingo. It was the second-ever four-peat in the Caribbean League, joining Salvador’s 1996-99 run. The title made the Ghosts 10-time Caribbean champs.



The 115^th CABA Championship was a rematch from 2022, which saw Guatemala defeat Juarez 4-3. They also met in the 1974 final, a 4-1 Ghosts win. Since their 2022 battle, Guatemala lost to Mexico City in the 2023 final followed by a win over Tijuana in 2024. The Jesters had earned recent CABA titles in 2020, 2017, and 2016.

For the first time since 1988, both LCS matchups and the CABA Championship needed all seven games. Juarez got revenge for the previous losses to secure their fourth title in a decade and seventh overall (1977, 1978, 1981, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2025).

Juarez saw an impressive playoff run from 41-year old Matias Esquilin, who posted a playoff run that landed him CLCS MVP. In 17 playoff starts, Esquilin tied the CABA playoff record of 19 RBI, matching Alphanso Keyes’ 2000 effort. In his 21^st pro season and 14^th with Juarez, Esquilin had 17 hits, 13 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 7 homers, 1.130 OPS, and 1.0 WAR. He now had four championship rings with the Jesters since signing with them back in 2012.



Other notes: Esquilin also became the first CABA player to reach 1500 career stolen bases and only the ninth in world history to do so. He kept soaring up the leaderboards with his longevity and was already CABA’s runs scored leader. Esquilin got to 6836 total bases, passing Prometheo Garcia’s 6791 for the most in CABA history. Esquiin also now held a bad record with the most strikeouts in CABA at 2741.

Esquilin finished the season at 3773 hits, passing Adrian Tovar for second. He was within striking distance of Garcia’s CABA record of 3871 hits. Notably, Garcia was also the world record holder as his MLB run gave him a combined 4917 hits. Esquilin was now at 3237 CABA games played, second only to Tovar’s 3338. He also finished the season at 599 home runs and was primed to join the 600 club in 2026 at age 42.

Payton Nandin became the 23^rd member of the 600 homer club in 2025 while Herve Mickler and Marcelo Campa became the 60^th and 61^st members of the 500 club. Nandin also became the 36^th to reach 1500 career RBI. In pitching milestones, Jamarca Akin became the 12^th to record 4000 strikeouts. Ponciano Reyes was the 52^nd pitcher to reach 200 wins. RF James Figueroa won his 7^th Gold Glove.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2025 in MLB

2025 was a historic year in Major League Baseball for a number of reasons. Perhaps most significant was the introduction of several rule changes designed to increase scoring. Compared to other world leagues and on the historical scale, the American Association had been considered to have a just above average offensive environment while the National Association sans designated hitter was below average.

The worldwide trend had been to increasing scoring, which seemed to peak fan interest in a lot of other world leagues. The trend also saw an increase specifically in home runs. Many fans were especially excited for 2025 as Detroit’s Isaac Cox was seven home runs short of Cody Lim’s career home run record of 758. Fans were enthralled by Lim passing Elijah Cashman in 2020, surpassing a record that had stood since before World War II.

Although MLB’s environment had never been extreme compared to other leagues, it had seen a small but steady downward trend in scoring over the last century. In the 1930s, the American Association’s league ERA averaged out around 4.08 while the National Association was at 3.82. Both had posted single-season lows in 2012 with the NA at 3.28 and AA at 3.77.

With the changes, the National Association’s league ERA increased from 3.52 in 2024 to 3.97 in 2025, while the American Association went from 3.88 to 4.37. Batting averages also spiked going from .242 to .259 in the NA and .250 to .268 in the AA. This placed both associations in the above average to high scoring ranges for the remainder of the 2020s.



Cincinnati took the National Association’s top seed at 103-59 to win their sixth consecutive Lower Midwest Division title. It was a competitive race for the #1 spot as both Upper Midwest Division winner Detroit and Northeast Division champ Montreal finished 99-63. East Division champ Washington at 97-65 also was in the mix. The Reds won theirs by double-digits though, while the other three each had fierce battles for first

The toughest was in the Upper Midwest with Minneapolis two behind the Tigers at 97-65. Detroit still held on for their third consecutive division crown and a remarkable 13^th division title since 2008. For the Moose, they earned the first wild card and finally snapped a 27-year playoff drought, which had been the second-longest active drought in the National Association.

Defending World Series champ Washington won the East by four games over Raleigh and Montreal took the Northeast by six over Toronto. The Maples repeated as division champs while the Admirals had their third in five years and their third consecutive playoff berth.

Both the Timberwolves and Raptors were 93-69, snagging the remaining wild card slots over Louisville (92-70), Quebec City (91-71), Chicago (86-76), Columbus (86-76), and Wichita (86-76). Raleigh became the first of the NA’s expansion teams from 2021 to earn a playoff spot and allowed the fewest runs at 600. Toronto earned its second wild card in three years. Notably Chicago’s playoff streak ended at five seasons despite the Cubs leading in runs scored at 849. The Lynx painfully fell one game short, which extended the NA’s longest active postseason drought to 39 seasons for Louisville.

Cincinnati 1B Mike Rojas became a four-time National Association MVP, having also won it from 2020-22. He became only the tenth player in MLB history to win 4+ MVPs. The 30-year old righty led in RBI (158), total bases (426), slugging (.728), OPS (1.148), and wRC+ (216). The OPS was the ninth-best single season in MLB to that point. Rojas smacked 57 homers with a .364 average, .420 OBP, 123 runs, 213 hits, and 8.8 WAR. He also won MVP honors of the All-Star game, won his seventh Silver Slugger, and had a 32-game hitting streak in the spring.

Pitcher of the Year went to second-year Grand Rapids righty Vitorio Wada. The 21-year old American-Mexican dual national won the ERA title at 2.26 and led in innings (259), quality starts (24), and shutouts (7). Wada posted 210 strikeouts, 7.3 WAR, 161 ERA+, and a 16-9 record. The Growlers had selected him 6^th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft out of Ohio State. Also worth a mention was Columbus’s J.J. Fuller becoming a three-time Reliever of the Year winner.

The first round saw all three division winners win with sweeps; Washington over Minneapolis, Montreal over Raleigh, and Detroit over Toronto. The defending champion Admirals then knocked off top seed Cincinnati on the road 3-1 in round two. That was a rematch of the prior year’s National Association Championship Series. Washington’s win prevented the Reds from a fourth straight appearance.

Detroit swept Montreal on the other side 3-0 for their third NACS appearance in five years. The Tigers then dethroned Washington 4-2 to win their second pennant in five years. Detroit was now a six-time National Association champ (1902, 1911, 1932, 1953, 2021, 2025). Notably, no one was still alive to remember their lone World Series win back in MLB’s second-ever season of 1902.



Only five wins separated the top seed in the American Association from the weakest wild card. Seattle won the Northwest Division for the third straight year at 99-63 and narrowly secured the bye. They were 14 games better than second place Portland, but had to contend with a stacked Southwest Division in the battle for the #1 seed.

Los Angeles emerged atop the Southwest field at 98-64 and led MLB with 923 runs. The Angels picked up their third division title in five seasons. Right behind were Las Vegas (96-66), Oakland (94-68), and San Francisco (94-68), who each secured wild cards. The Gold Rush and Vipers continued to be playoff regulars with both posting their seventh berth in a decade. SF allowed the fewest runs in the American Association at 662.

For the Owls, they finally ended a 28-year playoff drought for only their playoff appearance in the last 45 years. Oakland’s drought had been the second-longest active one in the AA. Miami had MLB’s longest by a healthy margin, growing to 53 seasons with another losing effort in 2025. Expansion Sacramento also notably had a strong 87-75 effort in only their fifth season in the Southwest. Last year’s division champ and the 2023 pennant winner San Diego missed the cut at 83-79.

Nashville won the Southeast Division at 94-68 to end a two-year playoff skid. It was the sixth berth in a decade for the Knights, who held off Charlotte (90-72), Tampa (88-74) and last year’s winner Orlando (87-75). Those squads had been the next closest in the wild card race.

Defending American Association champ and last year’s top seed Houston had the weakest record of the 2025 playoff teams. Their 91-71 effort still allowed them to repeat as South Central Division champ and earn their third division title in four years. Their closest foe was Austin at 83-79. Two notable runs of winning campaigns came to an end in 2025. Denver fell to 78-84, ending what had been one of MLB’s longest runs at 15 years. New Orleans dropped to 67-95 to snap their own solid nine-year stretch of winning seasons.

Oklahoma City was 81-81, but had the American Association MVP in DH Neil Hollinger. In only his third season, the Lloydminster, Alberta native led in runs (131), hits (230), RBI (157), total bases (451), average (.367), slugging (.720), OPS (1.143), wRC+ (195), and WAR (9.7). He also had 43 doubles, 58 home runs, and a .423 OBP.

Hollinger fell only three homers short of a Triple Crown, which had only been achieved seven times by an MLB hitter. Miami’s Dennis Peters spoiled that with his 61 homer campaign. The NA’s Mathis Vezina also hit 61, making 12 times in MLB history that a slugger has hit 61+ dingers. MLB’s record remained 67 by both Dean Ott (2022) and Killian Fruechte (2012).

Pitcher of the Year went to Los Angeles righty Urbano Coello. The 27-year old Mexican led in WHIP (1.05) and posted a 2.40 ERA over 251.2 innings, 20-5 record, 203 strikeouts, 180 ERA+, and 8.0 WAR. While Coello would pitch another eight years for the Angels, this was sadly his last full season as he’d be plagued with major injuries. Also worthy of mentioning was Memphis’s Vic McCallister winning his third Reliever of the Year.

Houston barely kept their repeat hopes alive, escaping with a 3-2 first round win over Las Vegas. Nashville swept San Francisco while Los Angeles topped Oakland 3-1, moving each division champ forward. The Hornets were promptly swept by Seattle in a rematch of last year’s American Association Championship Series. The Grizzlies earned a third straight trip to the AACS.

The Knights outlasted the Angels 3-2 in round two for a third AACS trip in a decade. Nashville then handled Seattle 4-1 to end a 15 season title drought in Tennessee. The Knights became seven-time American Association champions (1944, 1947, 1954, 2001, 2006, 2009, 2025).



In the second-ever World Series back in 1902, Detroit defeated Calgary 4-2. Tigers fans back then probably had no idea they’d have to wait until the 125^th World Series for their second title. Heck, they probably didn’t even know if baseball would exist that long. When Detroit had last won it all, Theodore Roosevelt had become the first American president to ride in an automobile.

Detroit ended the 122-year drought with a 4-2 victory over Nashville. It was the largest gap between a team’s first and second titles, passing the 110-year wait of the first World Series champ Tampa. Finals MVP was 3B Hidekazu Matsuo in his sixth season with the Tigers. The 35-year old Japanese righty started 17 playoff games with 26 hits, 9 runs, 4 doubles, 1 triple, 4 homers, and 10 RBI.



Other notes: It was truly a storybook season for Isaac Cox, winning the World Series in his third year with Detroit while becoming the new MLB home run king. He became a rare five-time World Series champ having won four previously with Denver. Cox smacked 37 home runs at age 38 to get to 788 homers, passing Cody Lim’s record of 758.

It wasn’t Cox’s only milestone as he became the 65^th member of the 3000 hit club. He was also in striking distance of the 2000 RBI and 2000 runs scored milestones. Cox wouldn’t get to chase the records in Detroit as his deal expired. He would link up with 2021 expansion squad El Paso on a two-year, $28,000,000 deal. Five players reached the 500 home run club in 2025, brining that group to an even 100 in MLB.

Vincent Lepp became only the 9^th in MLB history to reach 4000 career strikeouts and the first to do so since 1996. Four would earn their 3000^th strikeout, a mark reached by 92 MLB arms. Devin Ormsby became only the 47^th to reach 250 career wins. 2025 was the first season since 2003 in MLB to no have a single no-hitter thrown. SS Ledell Pinnock and LF Max Baldwin each won their 9^th consecutive Gold Gloves.

Another notable strikeout record was reached by Akira Brady with the eight-time Pitcher of the Year from the Oceania Baseball Association signing with Phoenix in 2025. The 38-year old New Zealander only struck out 159 for the Firebirds, but this got him to a combined 6500+ strikeouts for his pro career. Brady became only the fourth in all of world history to reach that mark.

He also finished the year with 365 total wins, moving to #2 all-time on the world leaderboard. Only Ulices Montero had more with 398 wins from 1913-35 between CABA and MLB. Brady would post middling production in 2026 for Phoenix, then get cut after four appearances in 2027. He went back to OBA for only two more relief appearances later that year. Brady ended with a 382-192 record, 2.52 ERA, 5482 innings, 6725 strikeouts, and 180.4 WAR over his combined career, certainly staking his case as a top five all-time pitcher in world history.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2025 Baseball Grand Championship

The 2025 Baseball Grand Championship was the 16^th edition of the event and was hosted in Cape Town, South Africa. The auto-bids for the event were MLB’s Detroit and Nashville, CABA’s Guatemala and Juarez, EAB’s Saitama and Daegu, BSA’s Fortaleza and Barranquilla, EBF’s Zurich and Rotterdam, EPB’s Krasnoyarsk, OBA’s Sydney, APB’s Jakarta, CLB’s Nanjing, WAB’s Dakar, SAB’s Visakhapatnam, ABF’s Mashhad, ALB’s Basra, and AAB’s Lusaka. ALB’s Amman was the at-large team, making their third consecutive appearance in the event.

There ended up being a tie for the top spot as Lusaka and Nashville both finished 14-5. In their encounter on November 16, the Lake Monsters were 6-4 winners over the Knights, giving Lusaka the tiebreaker to send the Grand Championship to Zambia. The Lake Monsters became the second winner from the African Association of Baseball, joining 2015 Johannesburg.



Lusaka scored 116 runs (6.1 per game), setting a new event record. Their team .258 batting average was the second-best in BGC history. The Lake Monsters had the best run differential in 2025 at +33 with Nashville second at +27. The Knights were the first MLB team in the top two since New Orleans in 2021. Mashhad was alone in third at 13-6, which was the second time an Asian Baseball Federation team landed in the top three (Tabriz was champ in 2019).



Detroit and Dakar were both 12-7 with the Tigers officially taking fourth with the head-to-head tiebreaker. Detroit posted a .336 team OBP, a new tournament record. Barranquilla, Guatemala, and Rotterdam were each next at 11-8. The Ghosts allowed the fewest runs in the event at 56. Fortaleza, Juarez, and Zurich rounded out the teams above .500 at 10-9.

Sydney was alone in 12^th at 9-10. Six teams then finished at 8-11; Amman, Basra, Daegu, Jakarta, Krasnoyarsk, and Saitama. Nanjing was 19^th in 3-16 and Visakhapatnam was at the bottom at 2-17. The Volts had the worst record in BGC history.

Tournament MVP was Rotterdam 1B Zachary Brown, who played all 19 games with 21 hits, 17 runs, 7 doubles, 7 home runs, 13 RBI, .375/.500/.873 slash, 1.375 OPS, 272 wRC+, and 1.7 WAR. It was his lone season with the Ravens, as the 28-year old from Gibraltar arrived after a trade from Cardiff. Brown’s Rotterdam run and this effort earned him a six-year, $164 million free agent deal in the offseason with Warsaw.

Best Pitcher honors went to Juarez veteran Amauris Huerta in his fourth year with the Jesters. The 31-year old Mexican tossed 28 innings with a 1.29 ERA, 1-0 record, 27 strikeouts, 4 walks, 326 ERA+, and 1.1 WAR. He took it despite a record-setting 64 strikeout effort by Guatemala’s Israel Montague.

Other notes: Saitama’s Ju-An Youm set a BGC record with 14 doubles that still holds as of 2037. Detroit’s Eka Melgiansyan had 15 stolen bases, one short of the event record. Rotterdam’s Pasquale Barola set a record with a 22 strikeout game against Nanjing on November 5, doing it only eight innings.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2026 MLB Hall of Fame (Part 1)

Major League Baseball’s 2026 Hall of Fame class had three players inducted upon their ballot debut. 1B Ju-Won Yoo was the clear headliner at 98.7% and was joined by pitchers Bruno Gallant (89.2%) and Mike Harris (81.0%). SP Victor Burke barely missed the 66% requirement with 64.2% for his eighth ballot. Five other returners were above 50% with 3B Jeanpaul Vick (58.9%, 7^th), 3B Kieran Wilson (58.2%, 7^th), 2B Adrian Vega (57.9%, 6^th), C Sebastian Van Velzen (57.0%, 10^th), and CL Sebastian Gomez (50.6%, 3^rd).



Van Velzen was never below 50% and peaked at 60.2% in 2021. He was another one hurt by the anti-catcher bias with the lower totals that come with the position. Still, Van Velzen only won two Silver Sluggers over a 20 year run. He won a World Series with Cincinnati in 2008 and finished with 2108 hits, 897 runs, 324 doubles, 234 home runs, 947 RBI, .270/.349/.407 slash, 124 wRC+, and 70.8 WAR. As of 2037, Van Velzen ranks 13^th in WAR among MLB catchers. But he was more of a longevity guy who wasn’t far enough ahead of his immediate peers to make it across the line.

RF Clement Garcia was dropped after ten ballots, peaking at 44.6% in 2019 with a 36.7% finish. He was another longevity guy with a 21 year career, 3007 games, 2706 hits, 1571 runs, 400 doubles, 656 home runs, 1751 RBI, 1173 walks, .261/.337/.496 slash, 139 wRC+, and 63.4 WAR. Garcia notably was the 21^st to reach 600 home runs, but he had only one Silver Slugger and was a league leader only once. He was also on mostly forgettable teams and some felt with how long he stuck around that his tallies should’ve been higher.

SP Joshua Williams was worth a mention, falling below 5% to be dropped on his seventh ballot. His first four seasons were possibly the best ever by an MLB pitcher with Louisville, winning three Pitcher of the Year awards and Rookie of the Year with 1258 strikeouts, 39.6 WAR, a 69-42 record, 1103 innings, and a 2.25 ERA. That start to his career made many expect a possible GOAT-level career for Williams, but things went south with a torn labrum in year five.

Williams bounced back with three more good years after that, but declined sharply soon after and was out of MLB before his 32^nd birthday. He still managed a 141-113 record, 2.89 ERA, 2456.1 innings, 2420 strikeouts, 855 walks, 123 ERA+, and 68.1 WAR. Williams goes down as one of the big “what if?” players in MLB history with very few aces having a comparable four-year stretch at any point in their career (and probably none with a comparable first four seasons).



Ju-Won Yoo – First Base – San Diego Seals – 98.7% First Ballot

Ju-Won Yoo was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from Incheon, South Korea. He became the second Korean inducted into MLB’s Hall of Fame, joining catcher Hui-Yun Han from 2009. Yoo had prolific home run power which graded as a 10/10 at his peak from some scouts. He was considered a true five-star player at his peak and a well-rounded bat. Yoo was a great contact hitter with a solid eye for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts.

Yoo’s 162 game average had 44 home runs and 32 doubles. His lone offensive weakness was poor baserunning speed and ability. Yoo was exclusively a first baseman and was consistently a good-to-great defender. He was also one of baseball’s true ironmen, playing 145+ games in 20 consecutive seasons. Despite Yoo’s immense natural gifts, some argued that his work ethic was poor and that he was selfish.

Still, few players in baseball history were as good-to-great at almost all skills offensively. This made Yoo one of the most popular superstars worldwide. He became best known for his MLB tenure, but his first decade was in his home country in East Asia Baseball. Yoo was picked out of Sorae High School in EAB’s 1996 draft by Bucheon with the #2 overall pick. The Bolts mostly kept him in their developmental system early on, but he did play 51 games and started 33 in his first three years.

Yoo started six years for Bucheon and emerged as one of the Korea League’s top talents. He led in on-base percentage (.423) in 2002 and in batting average (.374) and doubles (44) in 2003. Yoo was third in 2005’s MVP voting, although most of his KL bests came in 2003 including OPS (1.089) and WAR (10.2). Despite his efforts, the Bolts were mainly stuck around the middle of the standings, averaging 80 wins per season during his run.

With Bucheon, Yoo had 996 games, 1217 hits, 610 runs, 229 doubles, 224 home runs, 725 RBI, .331/.386/.586 slash, 159 wRC+, and 42.3 WAR. The run made him one of South Korea’s most popular players and got him on the radar of other squads worldwide. Yoo left after the 2005 at age 28 and was looking to specifically secure the bag. He would be one of the rare players to end up inducted into the Hall of Fame of the second world league they played in.

Yoo joined MLB on an eight-year, $93 million deal with San Diego. He really hit his power stride upon his arrival to the United States, leading the American Association in home runs in 2006 and 2007. From his 2006 MLB debut through 2017, Yoo hit 40+ home runs each year and topped 50+ six times. He was the RBI leader four times with the Seals. Yoo won Silver Sluggers from 2006-08 and in 2010 with San Diego and won Gold Gloves in 2009, 2010, and 2012.

In his 2006 debut, Yoo was third in MVP voting. He then won the top honor in 2007 with his peaks with 123 runs, 60 homers, 151 RBI, .673 slugging, and 10.2 WAR. Yoo was second in 2008 MVP voting, then took the award for the second time in 2010. All six of his seasons with San Diego were worth 6+ WAR. His arrival helped begin a dynasty run for the Seals, starting with a second round playoff loss in 2006.

In 2007, San Diego won the World Series over Winnipeg. Yoo was the AACS MVP and posted 23 hits, 9 runs, 3 doubles, 5 homers, 15 RBI, and 1.1 WAR. The Seals won the pennant again in 2008, but lost the World Series to Cincinnati. Yoo was strong again in the run with 21 hits, 11 runs, 5 doubles, 2 homers, 11 RBI, and 10 walks. SD surprisingly just missed the playoffs in 2009, but bounced back in 2010 with a World Series win over Philadelphia.

The Seals fell to the Phillies in a rematch series in the first-ever Baseball Grand Championship with Yoo getting a .748 OPS in 14 starts. Over 57 playoff starts with San Diego, Yoo had 68 hits, 33 runs, 11 doubles, 11 home runs, 37 RBI, 23 walks, .309/.377/.509 slash, 142 wRC+, and 2.5 WAR. Yoo’s role in their dynasty helped furthered his status as a true worldwide baseball superstar. The Seals would just miss the playoffs in Yoo’s final two seasons there.

For San Diego, Yoo had 1101 games, 1288 hits, 748 runs, 200 doubles, 359 home runs, 939 RBI, .304/.370/.608 slash, 169 wRC+, and 55.8 WAR. He declined the contract option for the final two years of his deal, entering free agency for 2013 at age 36. Yoo’s ironman status and consistent production made him still a very hot property even in his mid 30s. Nashville signed him at four years and $106,600,000.

Yoo didn’t win any awards with the Knights, but his power production remained steady throughout. Nashville ended a playoff drought in 2016, falling to Charlotte in the AACS. Yoo was again a strong playoff performer with 15 hits, 12 runs, 7 homers, 11 RBI, and 1.022 OPS over 14 starts. That winter, Nashville gave Yoo a new two-year, $43,200,000 deal to stick around. They just missed the playoffs in 2017 and lost in the first round of 2018.

For Nashville, Yoo played 946 games with 995 hits, 593 runs, 147 doubles, 264 home runs, 630 RBI, .276/.342/.541 slash, 142 wRC+, and 32.9 WAR. In 2018, Yoo crossed the 600 home run and 1500 RBI milestones in MLB. He started to reach impressive world milestones combining his EAB stats. Yoo was past the 800 home run, 3500 hit, 2000 RBI, and 3000 game milestones by the time he left the Knights.

Yoo’s last year with Nashville saw him hit 34 home runs, his first sub-40 season in MLB. He still had plenty of suitors returning to free agency for 2019. At age 41, he inked a two-year, $34,800,000 deal with Brooklyn and gave the Dodgers back-to-back seasons above 4+ WAR. Yoo earned his 2500^th MLB hit and 1500^th run in 2020 for Brooklyn. He also crossed 2000 combined runs scored and 900 combined home runs.

With the Dodgers, Yoo had 308 hits, 165 runs, 55 doubles, 56 home runs, 159 RBI, 129 walks, .268/.344/.467 slash, 143 wRC+, and 9.8 WAR. This ended his MLB career, but Yoo still thought he had something to offer and wanted to chase some of the world milestones. He went back to EAB for 2021 at age 43 on a one-year, $15,600,000 deal with Kawasaki. The ageless Yoo had 5.1 WAR, 32 home runs, and .840 OPS for the Killer Whales. He became the fourth player in world history to reach 2500 RBI over their combined pro career.

Yoo joined Goyang in 2022 and had the first major injury of a career that spanned four separate decades. A torn meniscus in late March kept him four months and when he returned in the fall, he finally looked pedestrian with a .683 OPS and 0.3 WAR over 59 games. Yoo was only seven hits away from 4000 for his combined pro career, but he decided to retire that winter shortly after his 45^th birthday.

Between EAB stints, Yoo played 1202 games with 1402 hits, 728 runs, 255 doubles, 265 home runs, 838 RBI, .318/.377/.566 slash, 156 wRC+, and 47.8 WAR. In MLB, Yoo had 2365 games, 2591 hits, 1506 runs, 402 doubles, 679 home runs, 1728 RBI, 918 walks, 1591 strikeouts, .288/.355/.563 slash, 155 wRC+, and 98.6 WAR.

As of 2037 in MLB, Yoo ranks 21^st in home runs, 52^nd in RBI, and 59^th in WAR among position players. It was especially impressive that he made any leaderboards considering he was 28-years old at his MLB debut. The MLB numbers alone and his playoff success with San Diego’s dynasty made Yoo a Hall of Fame lock, headlining the 2026 class in Major League Baseball at 98.7%. But his combined career stats put him among the true immortals of the game.

Yoo’s combined pro career had 3567 games, 3993 hits, 2234 runs, 657 doubles, 944 home runs, 2566 RBI, 1311 walks, .298/.362/.564 slash, 155 wRC+, and 146.3 WAR. On the world leaderboards as of 2037, Yoo is 7^th in games played, 7^th in hits, 8^th in runs, 39^th in doubles, 14^th in home runs, 3^rd in RBI, and 38^th in WAR among position players. Yoo ranks 58^th in WAR among all players in baseball history.

His incredible durability and longevity went a long way in his greatness, but Yoo certainly has to be mentioned among the best power hitters and all-around bats ever. Yoo’s combined career WAR is also the most by any Korean and even with some very tough competition, he has a case to be considered South Korea’s best-ever player.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2026 MLB Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Bruno “Riot” Gallant – Starting Pitcher – Virginia Beach Vikings – 89.2% First Ballot

Bruno Gallant was a 5’10’’, 180 pound right-handed pitcher from Washington, DC. Nicknamed “Riot,” Gallant was a well-rounded ace with good to great stuff, movement, and control. All four of his pitches were equally potent with a 99-101 mph fastball, slider, curveball, and splitter. Gallant’s stamina was impressive and he had fantastic durability, starting 32+ games in all 16 of his seasons.

The one real weak spot in Gallant’s game was a below average pickoff move and unimpressive defense, but he was otherwise considered good to great across the board. Gallant was also incredibly scrappy, known for his sparkplug work ethic, adaptability, and leadership. He was appreciated by teammates and fans alike throughout his run.

Gallant went to the University of Wisconsin and over three years had a 19-13 record, 2.89 ERA, 290 innings, 349 strikeouts, 59 walks, 113 ERA+, 62 FIP-, and 9.9 WAR. Scouts were impressed by his potential and Gallant went second overall to Virginia Beach in the 2004 MLB Draft. He was a full-time starter immediately and held his own in his rookie campaign. Gallant posted 7+ WAR four times with the Vikings over the following six years.

In 2011, Gallant was third in Pitcher of the Year voting, leading the National Association in WAR (9.9) and innings (276). This year also saw Gallant’s career bests in wins (20-11), ERA (2.35), and strikeouts (293). 2011 also saw his lone no-hitter in a nine strikeout game against Pittsburgh on July 23. He led with 9.4 WAR in 2010 and 286 strikeouts in 2009.

It was hard for Gallant to get much publicity though as Virginia Beach stunk during his tenure generally. The Vikings finally got back above .500 in 2010 and just missed the playoffs in 2011, dropping a tiebreaker game to Baltimore for the last wild card. VB hoped they were on the right track with Gallant as the ace, but they couldn’t come to terms with him beyond that. He left for free agency for 2012 at age 28.

Gallant posted a 110-90 record, 2.87 ERA, 1827.1 innings, 1773 strikeouts, 331 walks, 83 complete games, 24 shutouts, 121 ERA+, and 47.7 WAR for the Vikings. He was still liked by fans, but the organization didn’t spend a ton of time highlighting Gallant as a past icon because of his abrupt departure. As of 2037, he is the only inductee in Virginia Beach colors.

He would be much more famous for his second stop in Philadelphia with similar numbers between the two. Gallant did have slightly more innings and WAR with the Vikings in the regular season, thus his induction in blue and gold. His role specifically in the playoffs though with the Phillies played a large part in cementing his status as a Hall of Famer despite never winning Pitcher of the Year. His deal with Philadelphia was worth $152,600,000 over seven years.

The Phillies had been a playoff regular to start the 21^st Century with National Association pennants in 2001, 2005, and 2010. They hadn’t won in the World Series in that stretch and had just missed the playoffs in 2011. Philadelphia was the last wild card in 2012, but went on a big playoff run en route to the World Series title upset of Phoenix. In four playoff starts, Gallant had a 1.97 ERA over 32 innings, 31 strikeouts, and 1.1 WAR, earning NACS MVP. He made his presence felt despite actually seeing his regular season production drop significantly from his last two years with WB.

In the Baseball Grand Championship, Philly was in a five-way tie for the top spot at 12-7, officially placing fourth after the tiebreakers were sorted. Gallant had a 3.58 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 32.2 BGC innings. The Phillies again won the NACS as a wild card, but this time lost the World Series to Denver. Over six starts and 45.1 innings, Gallant had a 2.58 ERA and 45 strikeouts. He posted a 3.76 ERA over 40.2 BGC innings with 57 Ks as Philadelphia finished 9-10.

The Phillies made the playoffs four more times with Gallant, but never got beyond the second round. For his playoff career there, he had a 2.21 ERA over 122 innings, 6-4 record, 121 strikeouts, 13 walks, 3 shutouts, 154 ERA+, and 3.4 WAR. Gallant’s best regular season production came in 2018 at age 34 with league and career bests in WHIP (0.83), K/BB (11.3) and quality starts (30). He matched his best ERA at 2.35 and posted 7.8 WAR, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. Gallant was also above 7 WAR back in 2013.

Gallant also had his World Baseball Championship appearances come primarily during the Phillies run. From 2011-18, he posted a 13-3 record, 2.93 ERA, 150.2 innings, 211 strikeouts, and 3.2 WAR. He won world titles with the United States team in 2011, 2014, and 2017. Gallant’s general reputation as a “big game pitcher” became well deserved between the WBC and his time in Philadelphia.

For the Phillies, Gallant finished with a 108-82 record, 2.86 ERA, 1777.1 innings, 1748 strikeouts, 220 walks, 120 ERA+, and 39.6 WAR. His deal expired following his best season for them, upping his value as a 35-year old free agent for 2019. Defending World Series champ Kansas City wanted to add another big game pitcher to the rotation, signing Gallant for three years and $60,600,000.

Gallant’s velocity started to dip and he was below 200 strikeouts for the first time since his rookie year, but he still had enough control and stuff for a solid 2019. The Cougars repeated as National Association champ at 107-55, but lost the World Series to Houston in an upset. Gallant was surprisingly poor in the postseason run with a 5.00 ERA in 27 innings. He fared much better in the Baseball Grand Championship with a 2.31 ERA over 35 innings. KC went 12-7 for a third place finish.

In 2020, Gallant posted career worsts in ERA (4.39) and strikeouts (141) over 233.2 innings. He had a 4.15 ERA in two playoff starts as Kansas City lost in the NACS to Cincinnati. Gallant wasn’t interested in overstaying his welcome and retired that winter at age 37. In two years for KC, he had a 22-27 record, 3.63 ERA, 478.1 innings, 330 strikeouts, 96 ERA+, and 8.3 WAR. For his playoff career total, Gallant had a 2.80 ERA over 157.2 innings, 8-6 record, 148 strikeouts, 123 ERA+, and 3.6 WAR. As of 2037, Gallant ranks 23^rd in postseason pitching WAR in MLB.

The final tallies had a 240-199 record, 2.96 ERA, 4083 innings, 3851 strikeouts, 620 walks, 386/532 quality starts, 172 complete games, 45 shutouts, 117 ERA+, 80 FIP-, and 95.6 WAR. As of 2037, Gallant ranks 69^th in wins, 81^st in innings, 45^th in shutouts, 15^th in strikeouts, and 37^th in pitching WAR. His 1.02 career WHIP ranks 22^nd among all pitchers with 1000+ innings. Gallant’s BB/9 of 1.37 ranks 42^nd.

Gallant didn’t have the big flashy stats or awards, but he was remarkably consistent and high quality for his run. Almost quietly, he put together stats for a rock solid resume. Gallant’s playoff successes with Philadelphia certainly put him over the top for all but the stuffiest of voters. At 89.2%, Gallant easily earned his first ballot selection as part of an impressive three-player Hall of Fame class for Major League Baseball in 2026.



Mike Harris – Starting Pitcher – Oklahoma City Outlaws – 81.0% First Ballot

Mike Harris was a 6’1’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Waco, Texas; a city of around 295,000 located halfway between Dallas and Austin. Harris had excellent stuff along with above average-to-good movement and stuff. His 99-101 mph fastball was a strong one, but his fantastic slider and dangerous curveball also led to a lot of whiffs. Harris also had a changeup as a fourth option.

Harris’ durability and stamina were both terrific with 200+ innings in all 16 of his seasons. He was a respectable defensive pitcher, but his pickoff move was subpar. Harris was a high-character player known for his leadership, loyalty, and work ethic. He wasn’t the biggest superstar of his era, but few players were more universally liked amongst their peers.

From 2002-04, Harris pitched for the University of Louisville with a 3.20 ERA over 273 innings, 16-19 record, 271 strikeouts, 101 ERA+, 76 FIP-, and 6.9 WAR. Most scouts thought his upside was well above his production with the Cardinals. Oklahoma City was especially enamored and picked Harris with the #1 overall pick in the 2004 MLB Draft. Harris was a full-time starter right away and led the American Association with seven shutouts as a rookie. After the 2008 campaign, OKC signed him to a six-year, $55,500,000 extension.

It wasn’t until his fifth season that Harris got more league-wide attention, winning 2009 Pitcher of the Year honors. He was the leader in complete games (25) and shutouts (7) and posted his career bests in ERA (2.50), and WAR (6.8). This effort helped end a 25-year playoff drought for Oklahoma City and earned a South Central Division title, although they lost in the first round. Harris’ one playoff start was quality with one run allowed in 7.1 innings. The Outlaws hovered around .500 for the remainder of his run there.

Some were disappointed that as the #1 pick, Harris didn’t completely reverse the fortunes of a generally hapless franchise. He was quite solid in his nine years for OKC, topping 5+ WAR five times. Harris also was third in 2012’s Pitcher of the Year voting. Most fans respected his efforts and his #7 uniform would later be retired. For the Outlaws, Harris finished with a 148-102 record, 3.06 ERA, 2430 innings, 2088 strikeouts, 626 walks, 124 ERA+, 168 complete games, 33 shutouts, and 45.1 WAR.

Harris was entering the last year of his deal for 2014 and Oklahoma City wasn’t confident that the 29-year old righty would re-sign. In the offseason, they traded him to Nashville straight up for 1B Veto Alva. The Knights weren’t looking for a rental and signed Harris to a six-year, $137,200,000 extension in May. He was never an awards finalist for Nashville, but his production was generally steady with four seasons at 4.5+ WAR.

Nashville saw some team success to end the 2010s with division titles in 2016, 2018, and 2020. The Knights lost in the AACS for 2016 and 2019 with a first round exit in 2018. In the playoffs, Harris had a 3.51 ERA over 59 innings with a 3-5 record, 54 strikeouts, 110 ERA+, and 0.5 WAR.

Harris’ notably fell off in 2020, the last year of his Nashville deal. He had career worsts in ERA (4.98), strikeouts (148), and WAR (0.5). Figuring his future prospects were limited, he retired that winter at age 36. For the Knights, Harris posted a 103-96 record, 3.91 ERA, 1765 innings, 1427 strikeouts, 98 ERA+, and 24.2 WAR. In that last year, he became the 43^rd MLB pitcher to reach 250 career wins and the 25^th to 3500 strikeouts.

The final stats saw a 251-198 record, 3.42 ERA, 4195 innings, 3515 strikeouts, 1102 walks, 309/518 quality starts, 263 complete games, 41 shutouts, 112 ERA+, 94 FIP-, and 69.3 WAR. As of 2037, Harris ranks 47^th in wins, 62^nd in innings, 19^th in complete games, 67^th in shutouts, and 30^th in strikeouts. He does miss the top 100 for pitching WAR.

For many voters, counting stats like 250+ wins, 4000+ innings, and 3500+ strikeouts got you across the line. Having a Pitcher of the Year win as well clinched it for many voters who felt Harris’s dominance was lacking compared to other Hall of Famers. Advanced stats do suggest he might be on the lower end of the inductees, but his steady production and high character easily won the day. At 81.0%, Harris was a first ballot pick to cap off MLB’s three-player class for 2026.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2026 CABA Hall of Fame

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The 2026 Hall of Fame class for the Central American Baseball Association had two inductees upon their first ballot. CF Iwan Valen was the headliner at a nearly unanimous 98.7%, while RP Diego Concepcion joined him with a solid 76.4%. The next closest to the 66% requirement was SP Adrian Estrella with 56.4% for his second ballot. SP Mateo Ramirez got 55.7% and 1B Hasan Alvizo saw 50.8%, both on their second tries. No one else was above 50% and no one was dropped after ten ballots.



Iwan “Rumble” Valen – Center Field – Mexicali Maroons – 98.7% First Ballot

Iwan Valen was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed center fielder from the capital of Curacao, Willemstad. He became the third from Curacao to earn induction, joining class of 1935 OF Diomar Glas and Class of 2003 SP Gabe de Kroon. In his prime, Valen was a true “five tool player” and was graded as a five-star player by many scouts.

Valen was a very good contact hitter in his prime, although he was average at best for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. He was outstanding at earning extra base hits with a 162 game average of 32 home runs, 23 doubles, and 18 triples. At his peak, Valen was one of CABA’s better home run hitters with six seasons of 40+ dingers. He also was one of the more skilled baserunners with excellent speed, regularly legging out extra bags.

His hitting prowess alone made him elite, but Valen was also one of the finest defensive center fielders of all-time, winning eight Gold Gloves. He played CF exclusively and had remarkable durability in the front end of his career. Valen did run into some injury troubles in his 30s and 40s, but he maintained a remarkably high level of play for 25 years. Not many guys made it into their 40s period and it was even rarer to have someone still posting solid production at such a physically demanding spot like center field.

Valen became one of the biggest worldwide baseball superstars from the Caribbean. He was a renowned prankster and had an elite sense of humor. When it was time to be serious, Valen had high levels of intelligence, adaptability, and leadership. His potential to be such a complete player was evident even as a teenager in Curacao. Valen was spotted and signed to a developmental deal by Mexicali in December 1992.

After three years in the Maroons’ academy, Valen was a 19-year old debutant for 81 games and 11 starts in 1996. He became a full-time starter the next year and emerged as truly elite by his third full season. Prior to the 1999 campaign, the Maroons locked him up on an eight-year, $25,040,000 extension. In 1999, Valen led the Mexican League in WAR (10.4) and triples (30) and hit for the cycle. He won his first Gold Glove and Silver Slugger while also placing third in MVP voting.

From 1999-06 for Mexicali, Valen won a Gold Glove each year and a Silver Slugger in all but 2004. During this stretch, he posted 9+ WAR each season with an OPS above one seven times. Valen also hit above .300 and stole 60+ bases each year. He scored 100+ runs five times, 200+ hits five times, 40+ homers thrice, 100+ RBI seven times, 400+ total bases four times. Valen was the Mexican League leader in hits once, triples twice, RBI once, total bases thrice, slugging thrice, OPS once, wRC+ twice, and WAR five times.

Valen won MVP honors in 2001, 2003, and 2006. He also was second in voting for both 2002 and 2005. 2003 was his finest season by many metrics with career highs in WAR (14.06), homers (57), RBI (143), runs (121), total bases (449), slugging (.752), OPS (1.148), and wRC+ (232). Valen’s WAR mark was the second-best season ever by a CABA position player only behind Prometheo Garcia’s 14.18 from 1949. He also had 12.84 WAR in 2005, which ranks as the 12^th-best by a CABA position player as of 2037.

Despite his remarkable success, it was hard to lift a struggling Mexicali squad from mediocrity. The Maroons got back above .500 in 1998 and 1999, but quickly regressed into the 21^st Century. In 2006, Mexicali ended a 21-year playoff drought as a wild card but lost in the first round. This would be Valen’s last year in Mexico, as he’d leave for free agency at age 30.

Incidentally, the Maroons won the pennant in 2007 and sent Valen an honorary ring. Although they were sad to see him go, everyone knew he was liable to become one of the game’s richest players to date in MLB. Mexicali fans still adored Valen for decades to come and his #13 uniform would be retired. For the Maroons, Valen had 1646 games, 1958 hits, 1012 runs, 255 doubles, 237 triples, 330 home runs, 1046 RBI, 682 stolen bases, .331/.375/.622 slash, 184 wRC+, and 96.9 WAR.

Valen’s exploits in CABA certainly earned him worldwide attention as did his efforts in the World Baseball Championship. He was a regular for the Netherlands, as Curacao was a constituent of the kingdom. From 1998-2019, Valen played 203 games and started 193 with 211 hits, 117 runs, 29 doubles, 9 triples, 44 home runs, 111 RBI, 75 steals, .281/.338/.519 slash, 145 wRC+, and 7.6 WAR.

As of 2037, Valen leads all Dutch position players in WAR, games, runs, hits, doubles, triples, homers, RBI and steals. Among all players in the WBC, he ranks 24^th in hits and 68^th in runs. The Netherlands had their deepest-ever run with Valen in 2008, taking runner-up to the United States. The Dutch also earned elite eight trips in both 2002 and 2012.

Valen moved to the United States in 2007 with a seven-year, $95,900,000 deal with MLB’s Cincinnati Reds. He was an immediate success with four straight seasons above 8+ WAR to begin his tenure. Valen was the WARlord in 2008 at 10.6 and led the National Association with 117 RBI in 2009. He won Silver Sluggers from 2007-09 and was an MVP finalist those years.. Valen finished second in 2007 and 2009 and took third in 2008.

While his efforts couldn’t turn Mexicali into a contender, it worked for Cincinnati. The Reds won the Lower Midwest Division title from 2007-09. After a first round exit in 2007, Cincy won back-to-back National Association pennants. Prior to that, their only other pennant in all of franchise history was way back in 1919. Valen was NACS MVP both years with a win over Washington in 2008 and Milwaukee in 2009.

Cincinnati won their second-ever World Series title in 2008 by dethroning reigning champ San Diego. The Reds own repeat hopes were dashed in 2009 by Nashville. In 41 playoff starts, Valen was outstanding with 52 hits, 28 runs, 5 doubles, 4 triples, 15 home runs, 34 RBI, .302/.333/.640 slash, 183 wRC+, and 2.4 WAR. That run cemented his status as one of the biggest megastars in all of baseball. Cincinnati couldn’t maintain beyond that, dropping to 84-78 in 2010. They then fell below .500 for the next seven years.

A big part of their decline would be major injuries to Valen. In June 2011, he suffered a concussion that kept him out for the entire second half. Valen then lost the entire 2012 campaign with a broken kneecap in spring training. He was never the same level player after that as it greatly reduced his power and speed moving forward. While his time as an MVP candidate was done, a reduced Valen still proved to be solid starter into his early 40s.

Valen made it back for one more year with Cincinnati in 2013, posting 4.9 WAR over 145 games. With the Reds, he had 831 games, 851 hits, 482 runs, 93 doubles, 57 triples, 194 home runs, 527 RBI, 181 steals, .280/.329/.539 slash, 158 wRC+, and 44.1 WAR. Even with the injuries in the back end, Valen was well worth the investment and remained beloved by Reds fans for years to come. He was now a free agent for 2014 at age 37 and decided to return to the Caribbean on a two-year, $30 million deal with Trinidad.

After later extensions, Valen played five seasons for the Trail Blazers, although ankle and ACL troubles kept him out large chunks of 2016 and 2017. He was still a positive value fielder and hitter when healthy for Trinidad, who was a lower-rung franchise at that stage. For the Trail Blazers, Valen played 554 games with 578 hits, 303 runs, 87 doubles, 54 triples, 77 home runs, 249 RBI, 189 steals, .280/.333/.487 slash, 123 wRC+, and 19.2 WAR.

For 2019, Valen was traded by Trinidad to Leon for three prospects. He had an impressive 5.4 WAR season over 156 games for the Lions at age 42. Valen signed with Juarez for 2020, but age finally caught up to him as he struggled to -0.5 WAR and .440 OPS over 64 games and 9 starts. He did to end his career as a CABA Champion with the Jesters, although he was a mere 1-5 in the playoffs with a double and run scored. Valen retired that winter at age 44.

In CABA, Valen played 2420 games with 2716 hits, 1411 runs, 363 doubles, 312 triples, 434 home runs, 1375 RBI, 602 walks, 1750 strikeouts, 912 steals, .314/.361/.579 slash, 165 wRC+, and 121.0 WAR. His run in Cincinnati did limit him on the counting leaderboards, but Valen still ranks 15^th in WAR among CABA position players as of 2037.

He also ranks 37^th in hits, 43^rd in runs, 11^th in triples, 36^th in total bases (5005), 72^nd in RBI, and 26^th in steals. Valen’s .940 OPS is 80^th among all CABA batters with 3000+ plate appearances and his slugging is 78^th. He also ranks 6^th in zone rating at CF in CABA (139.4) and is second only to Emmanuel Lopez in WAR at CF (131.4).

Valen’s CABA stats and accolades make him a Hall of Fame lock and put him in the conversation for CABA’s best-ever center fielder. Between his reduced tallies from the MLB stint and spending most of his CABA tenure on weaker teams, Valen doesn’t get mentioned as often as maybe he should when discussing CABA all-time top 10 lists. Anyone with any sense viewed Valen as an inner-circle level guy.

When you add his MLB stats, Valen’s status as a true baseball immortal becomes even clearer. He played 3251 professional games with 3567 hits, 1893 runs, 456 doubles, 369 triples, 628 home runs, 1902 RBI, 807 walks, 1093 steals, .305/.352/.569 slash, 163 wRC+, and 165.2 WAR. Valen’s trophy case had 3 MVPs, 10 Silver Sluggers, 8 Gold Gloves, 2 NACS MVP awards, and a World Series ring.

Among all world position players as of 2037, Valen is 33^rd in games played, 47^th in at-bats, 46^th in hits, 25^th in triples, and 15^th in WAR. Among everyone ever in pro baseball, Valen ranks 20^th in WAR. The only player to compile more WAR in center field was MLB WARlord Morgan short at 170.5. Valen certainly deserves mention when discussing the top five center fielders in baseball history.

One could also make the case that Valen is the best-ever position player from a Caribbean island. He also leads that group in WAR with Puerto Rican 1B/3B Donald Gonzalez close behind at 161.3 also between CABA/MLB. The top Caribbean player overall in WAR was pitching wins leader Ulices Montero (191.7), a native of Cuba. It shows though how remarkable Valen was to be even considered in the top five considering the other immortals out of such a baseball rich region.



Diego Concepcion – Relief Pitcher – Chihuahua Warriors – 76.4% First Ballot

Diego Concepcion was a 6’0’’, 185 pound left-handed relief pitcher from Merida, the largest city of Mexico’s Yucatan state. His stuff was incredibly overpowering along with above average movement, although his control was below average. Concepcion had a one-two punch of a 99-101 mph fastball and a curveball. His durability was impeccable, meaning he was almost always ready to go out of the bullpen. Concepcion had a good pickoff move, but was terrible at fielding the position. He wasn’t going to take a leadership role, but he was far from a malcontent or troublemaker.

Concepcion was first drafted 55^th overall by Monterrey in the second round of the 2008 CABA Draft. He declined their offer and spent another year in the college ranks. Concepcion was picked later in the 2009 CABA Draft, 66^th overall by Chihuahua with the 34^th pick of the second round. He was able to come to terms with the Warriors, who plugged him into the closer role immediately. Concepcion would post 30+ saves in all six seasons with Chihuahua.

He led the Mexican League with 44 saves in 2011 and 41 in 2015. He also had the most appearances in 2011 with 76 and with 78 in 2014. Concepcion was second in 2010’s Rookie of the Year voting. He was second in Reliever of the Year voting in 2011, then took third in 2012 and 2013. Concepcion took the top honor for the first time in 2015 with Chihuahua.

Concepcion was a beast in the 2011 playoffs as Chihuahua won the Mexican League championship, falling to Honduras in the CABA Championship. It was their first pennant since their early 1950s dynasty and plays a big role in Concepcion‘s legacy. He tossed 14.1 scoreless innings over nine appearances with 32 strikeouts, four saves, and five hits. Concepcion allowed one run over five innings with five saves in the Baseball Grand Championship as the Warriors tied for sixth at 11-8.

Chihuahua lost in the first round in 2012, then fell towards the middle of the standings in the next few years. With Concepcion due for free agency after the 2016 season and their window ending, the Warriors opted to trade him for 2016 to Leon for prospects. With Chihuahua, Concepcion had 232 saves over 566.1 innings, 2.48 ERA, 869 strikeouts, 153 ERA+, and 21.3 WAR.

Concepcion was used in mid relief for the Lions and had three scoreless playoff innings as Leon lost in the Mexican League Championship Series to Juarez. Now a free agent at age 30, Concepcion signed a two-year, $11,400,000 deal with Salvador. He soon started a brief foray in the World Baseball Championship for Mexico. From 2018-21, he tossed 49.1 innings with a 2.92 ERA and 80 strikeouts.

He returned to the closer role for the Stallions, who won the Caribbean League title in 2017. Salvador lost to Juarez in the CABA Championship, but Concepcion was again a strong playoff performer. He had seven saves in nine appearances, allowing three unearned runs in eight innings with 13 strikeouts. Concepcion also had a 1.12 ERA over 8 innings with 16 Ks in the Baseball Grand Championship with the Stallions going 8-11.

Concepcion won his second Reliever of the Year in 2018 with a 1.06 ERA over 76.2 innings and 4.5 WAR, although Salvador fell to .500. In two seasons, he had a 1.82 ERA in 148.1 innings, 50 saves, 239 strikeouts, and 6.6 WAR. Now 32-years old, Concepcion earned MLB attention and signed a three-year, $25,200,000 deal with Phoenix. However, he was cut after spring training and returned to Mexico on a two-year, $12 million deal with Juarez.

He earned back-to-back Reliever of the Year wins with the Jesters, becoming the 11^th in CABA history to win the award four times. 2020 was Concepcion’s most dominant season with a blistering 0.53 ERA, 46 saves, and 5.0 WAR; all career bests. His ERA was tied for the third-lowest by a ROTY winner in CABA history. Concepcion was strong enough to even finish second in Pitcher of the Year winning.

Juarez lost in the MLCS in 2019, then won the CABA title in 2020 at 112-50. Concepcion was surprisingly average in the 2020 run with a 3.77 ERA over 14.1 innings. However, he redeemed himself with five saves and an 0.77 ERA over 11.2 innings in the Baseball Grand Championship. The Jesters finished 9-10 in the BGC.

For his CABA playoff career, Concepcion had a 1.32 ERA over 47.2 innings, 34 appearances, 16 saves, 80 strikeouts, 351 ERA+, and 2.4 WAR. He had a unique feat of having pitched in three BGCs with three different teams. Concepcion’s career stats in the Baseball Grand Championship saw a 1.09 ERA over 24.2 innings, 13 saves, 49 strikeouts, and 1.3 WAR.

In two years for Juarez, Concepcion had 80 saves, 1.16 ERA, 162.2 innings, 260 strikeouts, 338 ERA+, and 9.6 WAR. Coming off his best season at age 34, Phoenix gave him another shot for the 2021 MLB season at two years and $15,600,000. Concepcion was solid in his limited sample size, but was only used for 11 innings. The Firebirds traded Concepcion before the 2022 season to Washington.

Concepcion never pitched for the Admirals, getting cut after spring training. He would toss 12 innings for Charlotte in 2022 before being released in July. Concepcion very briefly was under contract with both Salt Lake City and Toronto, but never saw the field for either. He finished the year in the African Second League with Bangui. Concepcion’s velocity had plummeted at this point and limited his possible use. He was under contract for 2023 with Puebla but didn’t see any use. Concepcion retired that winter at age 37.

In CABA, Concepcion had 369 saves and 397 shutdowns, 932.2 innings, 731 games, 82-55 record, 1448 strikeouts, 203 walks, 177 ERA+, 51 FIP-, and 38.5 WAR. As of 2037, Concepcion ranks 9^th in saves. Among CABA Hall of Fame closers, he ranks 6^th in strikeouts and 6^th in WAR.

Concepcion hit the totals most CABA voters wanted from a Hall of Fame reliever. Four Reliever of the Year wins and his awesome playoff production put him over the top. Concepcion received 76.4% in his debut, earning the first ballot selection for the 2026 HOF class for the Central American Baseball Association.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2026 EAB Hall of Fame

East Asia Baseball’s 2026 Hall of Fame class had two first ballot inductees with SP Jae-Ha Jung (92.5%) and LF A-Min Bae (80.5%). Two other debuts were above 50%, but short of the 66% requirement with C Shintaro Onishi at 59.0% and 1B Kyu-Seong Lee at 58.0%. No one else was above 50% with the best returner being SP Jong-Hyeon Chung with 49.2% for his seventh ballot.



Falling off the ballot after ten failed tries was CL Geon-Min Lee, peaking at 44.5% in 2018 but ending at only 6.8%. He was a three-time Reliever of the Year winner, but his EAB tallies were limited as he also spent time in MLB, CABA, and WAB. Lee played for 16 different franchises and his combined pro career had 291 saves, 2.19 ERA, 1009 innings, 1261 strikeouts, and 36.1 WAR. Just in EAB, Lee had 276 saves, 191 ERA, 649.1 innings, 916 strikeouts, and 29.6 WAR; tallies low enough to leave him in the Hall of Pretty Good.

SP Masaharu Asano also lasted ten ballots, ending at only 5.5% and peaking at 30.7% in 2018. He had nice longevity, but lacked dominance with a 182-150 record, 3.17 ERA, 3308.2 innings, 3228 strikeouts, 1088 walks, 105 ERA+, and 43.9 WAR. Asano was a firm Hall of Good type player.



Jae-Ha Jung – Starting Pitcher – Seongnam Spiders – 92.5% First Ballot

Jae-Ha Jung was a 6’1’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Daegu, South Korea. Jung had solid stuff with above average-to-good control, although his movement was below average. His fastball only peaked in the 93-95 mph range, getting most of his whiffs with a stellar changeup and a very good curveball. Jung had an extreme fly ball tendency, but his ability to change speeds led to good strikeout numbers.

Jung’s stamina was excellent, leading the league twice in innings and five times in complete games. His durability was also quite good and he avoided major injuries, tossing 215+ innings in all but his rookie season. Jung was respectable at holding runners, but was a weak defender. His sparkplug attitude and work ethic allowed him to achieve beyond his raw ability.

In the 2003 EAB Draft, Jung was picked straight out of Woosung High School with the 31^st overall pick by his hometown Daegu. He opted to sign and enter their developmental system instead of college and was excited to play for his childhood favorite team. After two years as a reserve, Jung pitched 142.1 innings in 2006 at age 21. He had growing pains as a rookie, but looked great in year two as a full-time starter. Jung led the Korea League in both complete games and shutouts in 2007.

Jung posted 5+ WAR in four of his seven seasons with Daegu. He won Pitcher of the Year in 2011 with league and career bests in wins (21-10), innings (278), strikeouts (311), ERA+ (145), and WAR (6.7). Jung also posted his career-best 2.56 ERA. The Diamondbacks were above average in his tenure with 85 wins per season, but 2009 was their lone playoff appearance with a first round exit. Incidentally, Daegu won the EAB Championship the year after Jung left.

Although he hoped to come to terms with his hometown team, Jung and Daegu couldn’t come to terms after the 2012 season. With the Diamondbacks, he had a 111-77 record, 3.24 ERA, 1681 innings, 1714 strikeouts, 384 walks, 94 complete games, 14 shutouts, 115 ERA+, and 29.2 WAR. Now 28-years old, Jung began his more famous run with a six-year, $87 million deal with Seongnam.

Jung struggled in his 2013 Spiders debut, but bounced back with three consecutive 6+ WAR seasons. He won his second Pitcher of the Year in 2014 by leading in wins (20-10), quality starts (22), and complete games (19). Jung also had a 2.87 ERA and 6.5 WAR. He had similar results in 2015 and was third in POTY voting. Jung regressed towards more average to below average production from 2017-onward.

His efforts helped Seongnam return to form, earning six playoff berths from 2014-20. The Spiders won the Korea League in 2014, but fell to Kyoto in the EAB Championship. Jung had a 2.77 ERA over 39 playoff innings in 2014, then posted a 3.55 ERA over 33 innings in the Baseball Grand Championship. Seongnam finished in the bottom half at 8-11.

Seongnam was defeated by Ulsan in the 2015 KLCS. They missed the playoffs in 2016 and had a first round defeat in 2017. The Spiders then claimed back-to-back KL pennants in 2018-19. Seongnam was defeated in the 2018 EAB Championship by Kyoto, then won it all in 2019 against Kawasaki. Jung had a 1.65 ERA and 43 strikeouts over 32.2 innings in 2018, followed by a 1.96 ERA over 18.1 innings in 2019.

Jung had a 3.34 ERA over 29.2 innings in the 2018 Baseball Grand Championship, then struggled to a 5.40 ERA over 33.1 innings in 2019. Seongnam went 11-8 in 2018 with a sixth place finish after tiebreakers. They fell to a tie for 18^th at 7-12 in 2019. Jung’s BGC stats were unremarkable with a 4.12 ERA, 3-9 record, 96 innings, and 106 strikeouts.

However, his overall stats in the EAB postseason were quite solid with a 9-4 record in 17 starts, 2.70 ERA, 136.2 innings, 136 strikeouts, 26 walks, 141 ERA+, and 3.9 WAR. Jung also pitched for South Korea in the World Baseball Championship with 66.1 innings from 2009-19 with a 3.66 RA, 4-3 record, 69 strikeouts, and 0.2 WAR.

In June 2018, Seongnam signed Jung to a four-year, $32,700,000 extension. By 2020, he posted only 1.7 WAR over 217.2 with 185 strikeouts, his lowest production since his rookie year. Jung opted to retire that winter at age 35. For the Spiders, he had a 112-104 record, 3.59 ERA, 2017.2 innings, 2081 strikeouts, 378 walks, 116 complete games, 14 shutouts, 105 ERA+, and 32.7 WAR. For his role in their 2010s success, Seongnam retired Jung’s #26 uniform.

Jung ended with a 223-181 record, 3.43 ERA, 3698.2 innings, 3795 strikeouts, 762 walks, 272/441 quality starts, 210 complete games, 28 shutouts, 110 ERA+, 92 FIP-, and 61.9 WAR. As of 2037, Jung ranks 42^nd in wins, 35^th in innings, 4^th in complete games, 46^th in shutouts, and 28^th in strikeouts. Despite those stats, he was outside the top 100 in pitching WAR. Jung was hurt by allowing 420 home runs, the 15^th most.

Advanced stats rank Jung lower than many Hall of Fame starters in East Asia Baseball’s Hall of Fame. However, he had more than enough accolades for the voters. Two Pitcher of the Year awards, 200+ wins, 3500+ strikeouts, and strong playoff runs for Seongnam made Jung an easy yes for almost all voters. He received 92.5% to headline EAB’s 2026 class on the first ballot.



A-Min Bae – Left Field – Suwon Snappers – 80.5% First Ballot

A-Min Bae was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting left fielder from Seoul, South Korea. Bae at his prime was an awesome hitter, especially against right-handed pitching with a career 1.032 OPS and 179 wRC+. Versus lefties, he was merely decent with .747 OPS and 111 wRC+. On the whole, Bae graded as a good-to-great contact hitter with a solid eye for drawing walks and respectable strikeout rate. He was also known as an extreme pull hitter on ground balls.

Bae was one of the best home run hitters of his era, smacking 40+ dingers each year from 2007-18 with 50+ in eight of those seasons. His power was concentrated there, but he could find the gap with 23 doubles and 7 triples per his 162 game average. Bae’s speed and baserunning both graded as reliably above average.

Defensively, Bae played almost exclusively in left field and graded as a reliably solid gloveman. He was one of the most reliable guys of his time thanks to stellar durability, playing 143+ games in all but the final season of his 19-year career. Bae’s power and consistency turned him into one of the biggest baseball superstars to come out of South Korea.

Bae attended Korea University in Seoul and quickly emerged as a “can’t miss” prospect for the 2005 EAB Draft. Suwon selected with the #1 overall pick and threw him into the starting lineup immediately. Bae thrived right away with 5.1 WAR and .930 to win 2006 Rookie of the Year honors. In his second and third seasons, he was the best hitter in the Korea League.

2007 and 2008 saw back-to-back Triple Crown wins by Bae, who became the only EAB batter to earn the honor twice. There hadn’t been a Triple Crown hitting season in EAB since 1966. 2007 had 55 home runs, 147 RBI, and a .377 average; followed by 61 homers, 137 RBI, and a .385 average in 2008. Both years, Bae won MVP and also led in runs, total bases, slugging OPS, wRC+, and WAR.

Bae posted 13.61 WAR in 2008, which was tied for the second-best WAR by a position player in EAB history to that point behind Takashi Ishihara’s 14.32 from 1948. Bae’s 1.240 OPS was also the second-best behind Young-Hwan Sha’s 1.258 from 1960. Both marks still rank third as of 2037. Bae’s .805 slugging set a new EAB record that would only be passed once. 2008 had his career highs in homers (61), total bases (449), triple slash (.385/.436/.805), and wRC+ (238). 2007 had his bests in hits (223) and RBI (147).

He led in runs in 2009 with a merely great 6.7 WAR season. Bae then won his third and fourth MVPs in 2010 and 2011, leading both years in OPS, WAR, wRC+, and slugging. Bae scored a career-best 136 runs in 2010 and also led that year in homers and the triple slash. He was second in 2012’s MVP voting and won Silver Sluggers for Suwon in 2007, 08, 10, 11, and 12.

The Snappers ended an eight-year playoff drought in 2009 with a division title at 100-62. Suwon fell in the KLCS to top seed Busan. They then had first round playoff exits in 2010 and 2011. The Snappers missed the playoffs at 83-79 in 2012. Bae’s playoff numbers in 20 starts had 25 hits, 13 runs, 6 doubles, 2 triples, 3 home runs, 8 RBI, .329/.370/.579 slash, 159 wRC+, and 1.0 WAR.

After his early career successes, Bae was one of the most highly anticipated free agents in some time. Suwon was disappointed that they couldn’t match the big number Bae would demand. The Snappers would fall to below .500 for the next eight years and some in management were bitter towards Bae for leaving. Most fans still remembered him fondly and cheered him on as he left for the United States and Major League Baseball at age 28.

With Suwon, Bae played 1094 games with 1364 hits, 820 runs, 194 doubles, 84 triples, 326 home runs, 808 RBI, 401 walks, 271 stolen bases, .348/.407/.691 slash, 1.097 OPS, 192 wRC+, and 66.0 WAR. Over a seven-year run, you’d be hard pressed to find any better than Bae’s efforts. This would be the entirety of his EAB career, so obviously he didn’t get the accumulations for the leaderboards.

However among all EAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances as of 2037, Bae is the all-time leader in OPS. His triple slash ranks 3^rd/3^rd/2^nd and he is one of only 12 players with 4+ MVPs. Some wonder if Bae could’ve ended up in the conversation for EAB’s greatest of all time had he stuck around. There were some Hall of Fame voters that voted against him purely for the lack of tenure. Most gave Bae at least some credit for his MLB totals and others felt his seven-year run was so extraordinary to be deserving on its own. At 80.5%, Bae was a first ballot pick for EAB’s 2026 class.

Even though the majority of his pro career was in Major League Baseball, Bae would come back home to represent South Korea regularly for the World Baseball Championship. From 2010-23, Bae played 117 games and started 104 with 99 hits, 79 runs, 20 doubles, 31 home runs, 63 RBI, 50 walks, 18 steals, .253/.335/.546 slash, 145 wRC+, and 4.5 WAR.

Bae’s MLB run began in Los Angeles as the Angels signed him to a mammoth eight-year, $185,600,000 deal. He debuted with 50 home runs and 5.3 WAR. From 2013-18, Bae had 37+ homers, 100+ RBI, 100+ runs, and 5+ WAR each year. He posted 8+ WAR in 2014, 2015, and 2017. Bae led the American Association in runs (122), homers (57), RBI (127), and total bases (385) in 2015; all MLB highs for him. He had 8.4 WAR and OPS above one in both 2015 and 2017, finishing second in MVP voting both years. Bae won Silver Sluggers in 2014, 15, 17, and 18; giving him nine for his combined career.

Los Angeles was in contention in a strong Southwest Division during this era. In Bae’s debut, the Angels had one of the all-time best regular season runs at 119-43, but had a shocking second round upset loss to Phoenix. The Firebirds ousted LA in the 2014 AACS as well. Los Angeles was the top seed again in 2015 at 109-53, but was denied in the AACS by Denver. The Angels shockingly dropped to 70-92 in 2016. They got back to the playoffs for a first round loss in 2017, then were just outside of the playoffs the next three years.

Bae’s playoff stats were subpar for LA with 26 starts, 25 hits, 11 runs, 5 doubles, 4 home runs, 15 RBI, .236/.278/.396 slash, 85 wRC+, and 0.3 WAR. He certainly delivered though in the regular season for the most part over the Angels deal. Bae did start to regress in his last two years with 2.1 WAR in 2019 and 4.9 WAR in 2020. In total for LA, Bae had 1250 games, 1276 hits, 855 runs, 164 doubles, 379 home runs, 873 RBI, 505 walks, .276/.347/.573 slash, 149 wRC+, and 49.8 WAR.

Now 36-years old, Bae was back to free agency for 2021. He ended up signing with expansion Halifax at $51 million over three years. Bae had an impressive debut season at 7.0 WAR and .922 OPS, leading the Hound Dogs to a winning record at 83-79 in their inaugural season. Bae had a good 2022, but fell off quite a bit in 2023. For Halifax, Bae played 475 games with 407 hits, 242 runs, 43 doubles, 103 home runs, 246 RBI, .250/.333/.479 slash, 144 wRC+, and 13.2 WAR.

Bae thought he could still contribute and signed with Orlando in 2024, but he struggled in 78 games with -0.6 WAR. He went unsigned in 2025 and finally retired that winter at age 41. For his MLB career, Bae played 1803 games, 1732 hits, 1119 runs, 213 doubles, 488 home runs, 1151 RBI, 723 walks, 105 stolen bases, .267/.341/.540 slash, 145 wRC+, and 62.4 WAR.

It was quite the run for a guy who started his MLB tenure at only age 28. Once you’re inducted into any world Hall of Fame, you’re off other ballots and in the “global” HOF. Bae’s resume probably had a legitimate shot to also make MLB’s HOF had he gotten a chance. He was one of a very short list whose career in two different leagues was good enough to be worthy of dual induction consideration.

For his combined pro career, Bae played 2897 games with 3096 hits, 1939 runs, 407 doubles, 131 triples, 814 home runs, 1959 RBI, 1124 walks, 1799 strikeouts, 376 steals, .297/.365/.592 slash, 163 wRC+, and 128.5 WAR. As of 2037, Bae is 46^th on the world list in home runs and he cracks the top 100 in RBI, runs, and WAR. Bae is definitely on the short-list for the best-ever batters to come out of South Korea.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2026 BSA Hall of Fame (Part 1)

Three players received first ballot Hall of Fame selections for Beisbol Sudamerica in 2026. RF Manuel Marquez was the clear headliner at 97.9% with 1B Rodrigo Aguilar joining him at a rock solid 89.4%. DH/LF Homer Torres joined them at 68.7%, scraping by the 66% requirement. SP Oliverio Garza barely missed joining them with 64.4% on his second ballot. Two other returners were above 50% with SP Ulisses Natividad getting 59.3% on his second try and 3B Artemio Reyes at 56.5% for his tenth and final shot.



For Reyes, he won three Silver Sluggers over 17 years and won Copa Sudamerica twice with Asuncion. He played 2196 games with 2589 hits, 1253 runs, 302 doubles, 234 triples, 172 home runs, 816 RBI, 273 walks, 515 strikeouts, 1189 stolen bases, .327/.352/.489 slash, 141 wRC+, and 76.2 WAR. As of 2037, Reyes ranks 9^th in stolen bases. However, it was tough for leadoff guys without big power numbers to get traction with a lot of voters. Reyes came closest in 2024 at 61.1% and ended at 56.5%, ranking him as one of the best guys to miss the cut.

SP Hernan Mendez lasted ten ballots, although he peaked only at 25.2% with a finish at 13.7%. He won Pitcher of the Year and an ERA title in 2008 at age 35 for Buenos Aires. Mendez finished with a 170-146 record, 3.12 ERA, 3032.2 innings, 3651 strikeouts, 897 walks, 114 ERA+, and 63.3 WAR. He didn’t quite have the dominance or tenure to make the cut and was mostly stuck on forgettable teams.

LF Henrique Valada also made it ten years, ending at only 8.8% with a peak at 41.9% for his debut. Valada was a playoff hero for Salvador, winning LCS MVP thrice and Copa Sudamerica MVP in the Storm’s 2007 and 2009 title wins. In 83 playoff games, Valada had a .369/.407/.624 slash, 1.032 OPS, 194 wRC+, and 4.0 WAR.

In the regular season, he won two Silver Sluggers with 2017 games, 2295 hits, 1058 runs, 228 double, 250 triples, 193 home runs, 914 RBI, 593 walks, 612 steals, .350/.403/.559 slash, 174 wRC+, and 56.9 WAR. Valada won three batting titles and ranks 16^th in batting average in 2027 among those with 3000+ plate appearances. Despite his playoff heroics, Valada also didn’t have the power numbers most voters required and didn’t have the longevity to rack up accumulations. Valada’s #33 is retired though by Salvador and he remains one of the team’s great heroes even if didn’t crack the Hall of Fame.



Manuel Marquez – Right Field – Medellin Mutiny – 97.9% First Ballot

Manuel Marquez was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed right fielder from the capital of Colombia, Bogota. Marquez was a great contact hitter with reliably strong power, posting 44 home runs, 32 doubles, and 5 triples per his 162 game average. His ability to draw walks and avoid strikeouts was merely decent. Marquez fared notably better against right-handed pitching (1.002 career OPS, 162 wRC+). but was rock solid facing lefties (.868 OPS, 131 wRC+). His baserunning speed and instincts were subpar.

Marquez played right field almost exclusively and was a terrible defender. Still, Medellin kept him there generally with his Hall of Fame classmate Homer Torres occupying the designated hitter slot. His durability was respectable over a 17-year career. Marquez was appreciated by fans and teammates for his loyalty, sticking with the Mutiny for his entire run. His #1 jersey could be found in great numbers in the crowd long after his playing career ended.

He emerged as arguably Colombia’s top prospect entered into the 2002 BSA Draft and was picked third overall by Medellin as a teenager. The Mutiny kept him in developmental almost exclusively in his first two years with only 16 games in 2004. Marquez was rostered most of 2005 with 112 games, but only started 25 games. The Mutiny moved him into a full-time starting role in 2006 and he remained a fixture for 15 years.

Marquez won his first Silver Slugger in 2007 and was third in MVP voting, leading the Bolivar League in OPS (1.033), slugging (.652), and wRC+ (169). He won the MVP and another Slugger in 2008 with a league-best 121 runs, 48 homers, and 397 total bases. 2011 would be his strongest effort, earning his second MVP and third Slugger. That year had career bests in runs (137), hits (221), homers (60), RBI (158), total bases (447), triple slash (.363/.403/.734), OPS (1.137), wRC+ (197), and WAR (9.0). He fell only two homers short of a Triple Crown.

2011 also ended a 12-year stretch of losing seasons for Medellin, beginning what would be a nine-year playoff streak with eight Colombia-Ecuador Division titles. They lost in the divisional series that year, but knew they had something cooking. The Mutiny signed the 28-year old Marquez to an eight-year, $87,700,000 to lead the way. 2012 would have his first injury setbacks with a knee sprain and fractured hand costing him about half of the season. The Mutiny would be ousted in the BLCS by Callao.

Marquez was healthy the next few years, leading in runs in 2013 and posting 6+ WAR in 2013, 2015, and 2016. He earned Sluggers in 2013 and 2015, taking second in 2013’s MVP voting. Medellin repeated as Bolivar League champs in 2013-14. They faced Fortaleza in Copa Sudamerica in both years, losing in 2013 but winning in 2014. Marquez etched his spot into immortality with an all-time playoff run in 2014, winning MVP of all three rounds.

In 17 playoff starts in 2014, Marquez had 34 hits, 18 runs, 7 doubles, 2 triples, 11 home runs, 28 RBI, .472/.480/1.083 slash, 1.563 OPS, 324 wRC+, and 2.4 WAR. Marquez set BSA playoff records for runs, hits, total bases (78), homers, and RBI; all marks that still stand as of 2037. Marquez opted out of his Mutiny deal that winter in order to sign a new six-year, $74,400,000 deal with Medellin.

He had an outstanding run in the 2013 Baseball Grand Championship with 1.307 OPS and 1.9 WAR, but was unremarkable in 2014 with .760 OPS and 0.3 WAR. The Mutiny finished 9-10 in both events. Marquez was also a regular for Colombia in the World Baseball Championship. From 2007-20, he played 122 games with 96 hits, 62 runs, 18 doubles, 28 home runs, 62 RBI, .233/.334/.485 slash, and 4.1 WAR.

Marquez played a huge role in Colombia’s runner-up finish to the United States in the 2010 WBC. He finished second in MVP voting, starting 25 games with 30 hits, 22 runs, 4 doubles, 12 homers, 20 RBI, 1.206 OPS, and 2.3 WAR. Colombia also made it to the elite eight in 2015.

Medellin fell in the BLCS in 2015 and 2016. They remained a playoff team the next three years, but couldn’t get beyond the divisional series. For his playoff career, Marquez started 54 games with 76 hits, 41 runs, 14 doubles, 20 homers, 55 RBI, .350/.386/.719 slash, 195 wRC+, and 3.8 WAR. He dealt with forearm injuries to lose bits of the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Marquez won his sixth and final Silver Slugger with a healthy 2019.

In 2020, Marquez reached the 2500 hit, 600 home run, and 1500 run milestones. He still hit 33 home runs with .882 OPS and 2.7 WAR that year, but this was his weakest full season of his career. Medellin just missed the playoffs and didn’t re-sign Marquez as they tried to re-tool. Marquez went unsigned for 2021 and retired that winter at age 38. The Mutiny quickly retired Marquez’s #1 uniform upon that announcement.

Marquez finished with 2290 games, 2652 hits, 1502 runs, 458 doubles, 74 triples, 625 home runs, 1650 RBI, 513 walks, 1685 strikeouts, .318/.361/.616 slash, 156 wRC+, and 80.5 WAR. As of 2037, Marquez ranks 60^th in hits, 27^th in runs, 37^th in doubles, 21^st home runs, 17^th in RBI, 30^th in total bases (5133), and 88^th in WAR among position players. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Marquez’s .977 OPS ranks 35^th and he ranks 23^rd in slugging.

The tallies on their own get Marquez across the line and his playoff heroics make him a headliner. He’s not quite to the “inner circle” level of players, but he’s a legend in Medellin for very justified reasons. Marquez received 97.9% to headline the three-player 2026 Hall of Fame class for Beisbol Sudamerica.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2026 BSA Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Rodrigo Aguilar – First Base – Guayaquil Golds – 89.4% First Ballot

Rodrigo Aguilar was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting first baseman from Cuenca, Ecuador; the country’s third-most populous city with around 596,000 inhabitants. Aguilar was famous for prolific home run power, hitting 40+ in all but one of his full seasons. He socked 50+ dingers six times and 60+ four times. Aguilar was also a good contact hitter with an average strikeout rate for the league, but he drew a shockingly small amount of walks despite his power.

Aguilar’s power was fully concentrated on homers with only 19 doubles per his 162 game average. He was hilariously slow on the basepaths, although his instincts were decent. Aguilar played exclusively at first base apart from occasional starts as a designated hitter, posting consistently mediocre defense. His durability was tremendous with 149+ games each year from 2008-20. Aguilar was definitely a fan favorite between his towering home runs, work ethic, and loyalty.

In the 2004 BSA Draft, Aguilar was picked 23^rd overall by Guayaquil, where he spent his entire career. He hadn’t put his power stroke together right away with limited use initially. Aguilar didn’t play in 2005, played only 25 games in 2006, then had 108 games and 16 starts in 2007. He took over a full-time starting job in 2008 and emerged as an elite slugger, starting a decade-long streak of 40+ homer seasons.

Aguilar led the Bolivar League in homers from 2008-11 and in RBI from 2008-10. He won his first Silver Slugger in 2008 as a DH with his later wins at 1B from 09-13 and 2016. Aguilar emerged as truly elite with his first MVP in 2009 with league bests in runs (129), homers (71), RBI (17), total bases (463), slugging (.726), OPS (1.111), wRC+ (190), and WAR (9.8).

He was only the second player in BSA history with a 70+ homer season to that point behind Valor Melo, who did it thrice. The 170 RBI also shattered the BSA record of 151. Aguilar’s career high triple slash (.356/.386/.726), homers, hits (227), OPS, and WAR all came in 2009.

Aguilar put up similar dominance and repeated as MVP in 2010, breaking his RBI record with 173. As of 2037, Aguilar is the only BSA slugger to breach 170+ RBI. He added 68 homers, 8.9 WAR, and a career best 132 runs in 2010. Aguilar was second in MVP voting in 2011 as he led in homers again with 62. In August 2012, the Golds signed him to an eight-year, $64,100,000 extension.

Guayaquil ended a five-year playoff drought and took the top seed at 104-58 in 2008, but was upset in the first round by Callao. The Golds repeated as the top seed in 2009 and 2010, but fell both years to Santa Cruz’s dynasty in the BLCS. Aguilar was excellent in the 2009 playoff run with 15 hits, 10 runs, 8 homers, 15 RBI, and 1.416 OPS over nine games. However, he was unremarkable in his later playoff trips.

The Golds remained a contender, but couldn’t get over the hump. Guayaquil had divisional series losses as a wild card in 2011, 2013, and 2014. They kept a streak of winning seasons, but missed the playoffs in 2012, 2015, and 2016. Aguilar led in homers, RBI, and total bases again in 2016 with 6.1 WAR. His overall hitting production dropped though in the following seasons as he never topped 3+ WAR again.

Guayaquil’s last gasp was 2017 at 101-61, getting upset by Ciudad Guayana in the BLCS. For his playoff career, Aguilar started 52 games with 57 hits, 26 runs, 5 doubles, 17 home runs, 43 RBI, .278/.315/.551 slash, 113 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR. He fared better for Ecuador in the World Baseball Championship from 2008-18. Aguilar played 85 games and started 79 with 79 hits, 41 runs, 11 doubles, 25 homers, 66 RBI, .268/.309/.559 slash, 144 wRC+, and 2.9 WAR.

Aguilar’s deal expired after the 2020 season after a 37 home run, but .771 OPS and 1.4 WAR effort. He wanted to keep playing to chase the 700 home run and 2500 hit milestones, but couldn’t find a suitor for 2021. Aguilar retired that winter at age 36 and saw his #48 uniform immediately retired by Guayaquil.

The final stats for Aguilar had 2186 games, 2461 hits, 1300 runs, 254 doubles, 20 triples, 683 home runs, 1695 RBI, 371 walks, 1556 strikeouts, .303/.339/.592 slash, 138 wRC+, and 60.4 WAR. As of 2037, Aguilar is 12^th in home runs, 14^th in RBI, 51^st in total bases (4804), 99^th in hits, and 71^st in runs. He misses the top 100 in WAR among position players. Aguilar does rank 56^th in slugging and 95^th in OPS (.931) among those with 3000+ plate appearances.

Aguilar wasn’t a well-rounded player, but few had better raw slugging power. He led the league five times in homers, earned two MVPs, and had the single-season RBI record. Those accolades quickly cover up any of his resume weaknesses. Aguilar received 89.4% for a first ballot selection with Beisbol Sudamerica’s 2026 Hall of Fame class.



Homer Torres – Designated Hitter/Left Field – Medellin Mutiny – 68.7% First Ballot

Homer Torres was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting left fielder from the capital of Colombia, Bogota. Torres was one of the better power hitters of his era with 40 home runs, 35 doubles, and 5 triples per his 162 game average. He was stronger facing right-handed pitching (.921 OPS, 140 wRC+) compared to lefties (.810 OPS, 116 wRC+).

Torres was merely an above average contact hitter overall who struggled with strikeouts. He was mid-grade in terms of drawing walks despite his power profile. Torres wasn’t the worst baserunner ever, but his speed was lousy. His overall athleticism was poor and he was a truly putrid defender. Torres made around ¼ of his career starts in left field with the rest of his time as a designated hitter.

Strong durability made him worthwhile along with his power, playing 140+ games each year from 2007-20. Some coaches were frustrated by Torres’ weak work ethic and self-centered attitude. But if you sock a lot of dingers, you’ll find a spot somewhere.

Torres’ power potential pushed him up the ranks for the 2004 BSA Draft, getting picked fifth overall by Medellin. He was mostly a pinch hitter and struggled initially with 11 starts and 167 games in his first two years. Torres was a full-time roster member and started much of 2007, then became a full-time starter after that. He was considered solid, but not elite until around 2011 at age 29.

In 2011, Torres had his first of four straight seasons of 5+ WAR and led the Bolivar League with a career-best 46 doubles. He also led in strikeouts and would again in 2014. 2011 started Medellin’s nine-year playoff streak with a divisional series defeat. They would lose in the 2012 BLCS to Callao.

Torres started a three-year streak as the league’s home run leader from 2012-14 with 57, 53, and 67 dingers. He also led in RBI and total bases in 2012 and 2013, as well as runs in 2012 and 2014. Torres was a Silver Slugger winner in 2012 and 2013, winning his lone MVP in 2013. 2013 had career bests in hits (213), RBI (149), total bases (432), triple slash (.326/.377/.661), OPS (1.038), wRC+ (168), and WAR (7.1). In July 2013, this earned Torres a five-year, $63,100,000 extension.

Medellin won back-to-back Bolivar League titles in 2013 and 2014. They fell to Fortaleza in the 2013 Copa Sudamerica, but got revenge on the Foxes in 2014. Torres’ career playoff numbers were respectable for the Mutiny with 67 games, 76 hits, 42 runs, 13 double, 19 home runs, 41 RBI, .278/.305/.549 slash, 125 wRC+, and 2.2 WAR.

The Munity finished 9-10 in both editions of the Baseball Grand Championship with Torres posting 13 home runs, 29 RBI, and 1.0 WAR over 36 starts. Torres also was a regular for Colombia in the World Baseball Championship. From 2008-20, he played 79 games with 61 hits, 34 runs, 12 doubles, 19 homers, 42 RBI, .271/.349/.578 slash, and 2.8 WAR.

Medellin lost in the BLCS in 2015 and 2016. Their playoff streak continued three more seasons, but they couldn’t get beyond the divisional series. Torres still had solid power numbers in these later years, but his production never again reached his early 30s peak. In total for the Mutiny, Torres played 2036 games with 2119 hits, 1174 runs, 442 doubles, 504 home runs, 1344 RBI, .292/.337/.577 slash, 139 wRC+, and 49.0 WAR.

Torres was a free agent for the first time in 2019 at age 37, finding a home with Santa Cruz on a two-year, $14,200,000 deal. He had two respectable seasons, although 2020 had a career and league worst 201 strikeouts. The Crawfish had a surprise Bolivar League title win in 2020 after a five-year playoff drought, falling in Copa Sudamerica to Santiago. Torres struggled in the playoff run with -0.1 WAR and .607 OPS in 13 games. Santa Cruz was 9-10 in the Baseball Grand Championship with Torres struggling to .524 OPS in 17 starts.

In total for the Crawfish, Torres played 304 games with 310 hits, 184 runs, 58 doubles, 70 home runs, 170 RBI, .267/.312/.509 slash, 116 wRC+, and 4.9 WAR. He wanted to come back for 2021 to chase 600 homers and 2500 hits, but went unsigned as younger and cheaper options were available. Torres retired that winter at age 40 and Medellin brought him in to retire his #8 uniform.

Torres finished with 2340 games, 2429 hits, 1358 runs, 500 doubles, 65 triples, 574 home runs, 1514 RBI, 491 walks, 2227 strikeouts, .288/.334/.567 slash, 136 wRC+, and 53.9 WAR. As of 2037, Torres ranks 37^th in homers, 39^th in RBI, 56^th in runs, 17^th in doubles, 56^th in total bases (4781), and 37^th in strikeouts. He didn’t crack the top 100 in WAR among position players.

The resume was a tricky one for Torres, especially since he debuted on the Hall of Fame ballot alongside his longtime teammate Manuel Marquez. They had similar profiles with Torres looking somewhat like the “Great Value” version by comparison. Torres also lost points with certain voters as someone who spent his career primarily as a DH.

On the positive side, Torres had an MVP, led in homers thrice, had breached the 550 HR and 1500 RBI thresholds, and played an important part in two pennants and a Cup win for Medellin. A few voters liked the symmetry of adding Torres and Marquez together. Torres barely crossed the 66% requirement at 68.7%, but he made it in as a first ballot selection to cap off Beisbol Sudamerica’s three-player class for 2026.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2026 EBF Hall of Fame (Part 1)

The European Baseball Federation’s 2026 Hall of Fame class was an all-timer with four slam dunk inductees on their debut. While it wasn’t the first-ever class in EBF with 4+ inductees, it was the first to have all of them above 90%. 3B Ben Springer was nearly unanimous as the headliner at 99.3%. Close behind was LF/1B Murray Neilson at 96.4%, 1B Blazej Swierczewski at 96.1%, and SP Gustav Rosengren at 94.3%.



3B Kyle Evrard barely missed the 66% requirement on his eighth ballot at 65.7%. Another eighth ballot guy was above 50% with SP Johannes Jol with 57.5%. No one else was above 50% and no players were dropped from the ballot after ten failed tries.



Ben “Dump Truck” Springer – Third Base – Vienna Vultures – 99.3% First Ballot

Ben Springer was a 6’2’’, 205 pound right-handed third baseman from Eberndorf, Austria; a market town of around 5,800. At his peak, Springer was an exceptional contact hitter with reliably solid power. He was also better than most at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Springer’s power wasn’t prolific, but his 162 game average got you 36 home runs, 36 doubles, and 4 triples. His one real offensive flaw was terrible speed and lackluster baserunning.

Nicknamed “Dump Truck,” Springer exclusively played third base thanks to an impressively strong throwing arm. He never won a Gold Glove, but he was viewed as a consistently good-to-great defender. Few players were scrappier than Springer, who was renowned for his work ethic and adaptability. He persevered for a 21-year career despite a number of significant injuries throughout his run. Between his talent and grit, Springer became a beloved European star and the face of Austrian baseball.

Springer quickly emerged as the best prospect out of Austria in years with plenty of eyes watching his college career from the capital. Vienna was delighted he was still available for the 12^th overall pick in the 1999 EBF Draft. Springer wasn’t fully formed right away, playing only 74 games and starting 14 as a rookie. He looked quite strong in a part-time role for 2001 with 3.8 WAR over 103 games and 87 starts. Springer officially secured the starting job outright in 2002.

2002 started a four year streak as the Southern Conference’s WARlord with each season above 9+ WAR. All of his full seasons for the Vultures were above 5+ WAR and he’d top 9+ in seven years. The 2002-05 run was especially elite with 100+ runs, 100+ RBI, 30+ doubles, 30+ homers, .350+ average, and 1.000+ OPS marks throughout. Springer won MVP and Silver Slugger honors in 2002, 03, and 05 while taking third in MVP voting for 2004.

In 2003, Springer had the first Triple Crown hitting season in a decade and only the fifth-ever in EBF. He had his career best triple slash (.384/.429/.755), OPS (1.184), and wRC+ (221). Springer socked a career-best 52 homers along with 143 RBI and 10.8 WAR. He posted those tallies despite losing four weeks to a sprained ankle. 2003 also had a six-hit game against Yerevan and two different games with three home runs.

This season also marked a return to prominence for Vienna. The Vultures had been a regular contender with five pennants in the late 1960s and early 1970s, but had been largely irrelevant since. They were rarely terrible, but Vienna had only one playoff berth and 79.4 wins per season from 1975-2002. Not only did the Vultures end a two decade playoff drought in 2003, but they went on a tear at 108-54.

Vienna won their sixth Southern Conference Championship and became European Champion for the first time ever, beating Warsaw in the finale. Springer’s excellent carried into the playoffs with 21 hits, 8 runs, 3 doubles, 3 homers, 12 RBI, and .995 OPS over 16 starts. Bringing them their first-ever title immediately made Springer an Austrian baseball legend before his 26^th birthday.

Springer won a batting title in 2004, although he lost a month to a separated shoulder. 2005 was his second MVP and his career bests in WAR (11.0), hits (227), runs (115), and hits (227). Vienna won 100+ games each year from 2003-07 with four division titles. They had disappointing round two exits in 2004, 2006, and 2007. But in 2005, they earned another conference title, upsetting 110-52 Munich for the pennant.

Vienna would be denied the European Championship as Copenhagen pulled off the repeat. After the 2005 campaign, Springer inked an eight-year, $68 million extension to remain the Vultures’ superstar. 2007 had a setback with a strained groin muscle keeping him out almost two months. In 2008, Vienna’s playoff streak ended with a surprising 78-84 season. You couldn’t blame Springer for the down year, as he won a Silver Slugger and was third in MVP voting with a 9.6 WAR effort.

Springer was the WARlord for the fifth time in 2009 at 9.9 and led with 222 hits, winning his fourth MVP and fifth Slugger. Vienna bounced back for a wild card, but lost in the second round. They missed the playoffs the next two seasons as Springer lost some time to injury. He won a Silver Slugger in 2010 despite missing two months to a sprained ankle. Springer won the award again in 2011 even with two months lost between an oblique strain and torn hamstring. He posted OPS’s above one from 2009-12.

In 2012, Springer had a mostly full load with 9.5 WAR, 1.115 OPS, and 40 home runs, taking third in MVP voting. Vienna made it back to the playoffs and beat Zurich for the Southern Conference Championship with Springer earning series MVP. The Vultures were denied in the European Championship as they were swept by Cologne.

Springer was an absolute beast in the 2012 playoffs over 17 games with 30 hits, 19 runs, 5 doubles, 10 home runs, 20 RBI, 1.485 OPS, 313 wRC+, and 2.3 WAR. He was only one homer and one run shy of the EBF postseason records while also posting top ten RBI and hit marks. He couldn’t carry it over into the Baseball Grand Championship with .788 OPS, 118 wRC+, and 0.4 WAR in 19 games. The Vultures still finished in the top half at 11-8, officially ninth. The top five all went 12-7 and four teams were 11-8 in an incredibly tight field.

Vienna won one more division title in 2013 before falling on hard times. For his playoff career, Springer started 66 games with 89 hits, 42 runs, 14 doubles, 19 home runs, 59 RBI, 26 walks, .356/.413/.664 slash, 195 wRC+, and 4.3 WAR. Springer’s run ended poorly as he missed the final months of 2013 to a concussion. Heading towards age 36, the Vultures couldn’t come to terms with their long-time superstar, sending Springer to free agency.

For the Vultures, Springer finished with 1793 games, 2322 hits, 1209 runs, 418 doubles, 427 home runs, 1327 RBI, 509 walks, .351/.398/.624 slash, 181 wRC+, and 106.5 WAR. He’d remain the franchise’s biggest icon with his #45 uniform getting retired soon after his career was over. Springer brought on the second great run of success for Vienna and their first-ever EBF title. They’d be longing for better days soon enough as the Vultures were relegated to the European Second League after an abysmal 59-103 in 2016.

Springer remained proud of his Austrian roots even after leaving Vienna and represented his country steadfastly in the World Baseball Championship. He started every year from 2000-20 with 198 games, 183 hits, 105 runs, 33 doubles, 48 home runs, 115 RBI, .256/.339/.509 slash, and 7.4 WAR. Austria earned its first-ever finals four appearance with Springer in 2017. As of 2037 among Austrians, Springer has the second-most starts and ranks 1^st in hits, 1^st in doubles, 4^th in homers, 2^nd in RBI, 3^rd in runs, and 3^rd in WAR among position players.

The next phase of Springer’s pro career was in Hungary, signing for 2014 to a three-year, $42,900,000 deal with Budapest. He missed the first half of his debut season to a torn back muscle. Various other injuries cost him some bits of 2015 and 2016, although he was still quite good when healthy. The Bombers had a first round playoff exit in 2014 and missed the field the next two years.

For Budapest, Springer played 325 games with 398 hits, 197 runs, 67 doubles, 55 home runs, 214 RBI, .328/.378/.533 slash, 149 wRC+, and 14.4 WAR. A free agent again heading towards age, Springer joined Bucharest at $28,200,000 over two years. While his power wasn’t as impressive, Springer still was a stellar contact hitter and maintained good defense. He posted 7.4 WAR in 2017 and 6.0 WAR in 2018 for the Broncos, helping them to a playoff appearance in 2018.

Over 283 games for Bucharest, Springer had 352 hits, 161 runs, 58 doubles, 51 home runs, 212 RBI, .338/.383/.550 slash, 164 wRC+, and 13.4 WAR. While there, he also reached the 3000 hit and 1500 run milestones. Springer’s stock was still quite high even in his 40s, signing next for 2019 to a two-year, $30,400,000 deal with Rotterdam.

Injuries popped up again as Springer lost about two months to a sprained elbow, but still managed 5.2 WAR and .915 OPS in 104 games for the Ravens. Rotterdam just missed the playoffs and opted to trade Springer in spring training 2020 to Hamburg for three prospects. Even at age 42, Springer still could go with 4.9 WAR and .872 OPS over 120 games. Unfortunately in August 2020, he suffered a ruptured MCL with an expected 10 month recovery time.

The scrappy Springer was determined to make it back from that injury. In December 2020, he even inked a one-year, $19 million deal with MLB’s Washington Admirals with the goal of playing by the summer. Sadly, Springer suffered a major setback in April 2021 in that right knee and his doctors told him to call it quits officially at age 43 before he could make it back.

Springer played 2625 total games with 3330 hits, 1696 runs, 580 doubles, 70 triples, 579 home runs, 1882 RBI, 744 walks, .343/.391/.597 slash, 172 wRC+, and 144.4 WAR. As of 2037, Springer ranks 9^th in hits, 16^th in runs, 3^rd in doubles, 30^th in home runs, 12^th in RBI, 12^th in total bases (5787), and 4^th in WAR among position players. He managed to reach those numbers even gutting through the injuries.

Among EBF batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Springer’s .988 OPS ranks 36^th. His triple slash ranks 15^th/36^th/67^th. Specifically at third base, Springer is EBF’s leader in WAR, games, runs, hits, bases, singles, doubles, and RBI. He is widely considered EBF’s best-ever third baseman with only 2010-20s star Stefanos Emmanoulidis coming close in career WAR, but Emmanoulidis notably would make 1/3 of his starts at shortstop.

Among all players in baseball history as of 2037, Springer is 63^rd in WAR. His batting average also ranks 14^th best among the world’s Hall of Famers, showing the incredible contact skills he had. Springer ranks 3^rd in baseball history in WAR at third base behind only South Asia Baseball hits king Manju Abbas and Beisbol Sudamerica legend Niccolo Coelho. When discussing the greatest third basemen ever in baseball history, Springer makes many of the top five lists.

It’s harder to rank his exact spot in the EBF pantheon of immortals considering the legends that came before and after. When you count pitchers and two-way guys, Springer ranks 7^th in WAR as of 2037. Just about any all-time EBF team has him starting at third base and you could credibly argue he’s a top-five player in EBF history full stop.

Springer is certainly Austria’s best-ever and is in the conversation when discussing the top ten players from any league born in Europe. His career had it all; four MVPs, a Triple Crown, three finals trips, and an EBF title. Even in a loaded 2026 European Baseball Federation Hall of Fame class with four slam dunks, Springer still stood out as the clear headliner at a near unanimous 99.3%.



Murray “Crow” Neilson – Left Field/First Base – Dublin Dinos – 96.4% First Ballot

Murray Neilson was a 6’2’’, 195 pound switch-hitting left fielder and first baseman from Guildford, a town of around 77,000 people in South East England. Neilson had dual English-Scottish heritage and would play with both nations in the World Baseball Championship. Neilson’s skillset was incredibly well rounded as there really wasn’t any facet of the game he wasn’t at least above average at.

Neilson’s contact ability excellent with reliably strong home run and gap power. His 162 game average got you 44 homers, 29 doubles, and 29 triples. Neilson was also solid at drawing walks and better than most at avoiding strikeouts. His hitting was stellar against right-handed pitching with a career 1.089 OPS and 205 wRC+. Against lefties, he was still rock solid with .898 OPS and 159 wRC+. Neilson also had good speed and was one of the more efficient base stealers of his era.

Just over ¾ of his career starts came in left field, where he graded as a reliably positive value defender. Neilson did mix in starts at first base and was subpar in that spot. He durability was generally good and few players had more grit and toughness. Neilson’s work ethic was outstanding and he was renowned as one of the smartest and most loyal men in the game. Few would have a bad word to say about Neilson, who unsurprisingly emerged as one of the biggest baseball stars to come out of the United Kingdom.

Neilson played his college ball at Loughborough University and rose up the UK prospect ranks. He was picked 8^th overall in the 2006 EBF Draft by Edinburgh, who was a charter European Second League franchise. Neilson was one of the first elite players who had to start out in E2L just by circumstance. He was well beyond the skills of most E2L players, posting three straight 10+ WAR seasons to start off. Neilson won Silver Sluggers all three E2L years and took both MVP and Rookie of the Year in 2007. He finished third in 2008’s MVP voting.

Edinburgh earned their first playoff berth in 2008, but was eliminated in the Round Robin phase. In 2009, the Enforcers finished first in the Western Conference and took the pennant, falling in the E2L Championship to Leipzig. Neilson was MVP of the conference finals win over Lyon, helping Edinburgh earn its first promotion to the EBF Elite tier.

Neilson adjusted well to the top flight, posting 9+ WAR, 1.000 OPS, 100+ run efforts in his first two years. He picked up a Silver Slugger in 2011 playing first base. Edinburgh didn’t post a winning season in EBF until 2017, but they were good enough to avoid relegation for more than a decade. Between the leagues with the Enforcers, Neilson had 941 games, 1072 hits, 658 runs, 185 doubles, 242 home runs, 648 RBI, 466 walks, 274 stolen bases, .318/.401/.614 slash, 200 wRC+, and 60.1 WAR. He is remembered fondly in Edinburgh for introducing the city to big league baseball.

A player of Neilson’s caliber though was expected to soon get a big payday with free agency scheduled for after the 2013 season. The still young Edinburgh franchise didn’t have deep enough pockets for that and began shopping Neilson. Prior to 2013, they moved him across the division to Dublin for three prospects. The Dinos weren’t interested in a rental and shortly after the season started signed Neilson to a seven-year, $91,000,000.

2013 was a huge year for Neilson for many reasons. It started out with an excellent performance for England in the World Baseball Championship, helping them defeat Ukraine in the final for their first-ever world title. In 25 games, Neilson had 29 hits, 20 runs, 4 doubles, 12 home runs, 21 RBI, .290/.343/.690 slash, and 1.7 WAR.

With his duel heritage, Neilson bounced back and forth between England and Scotland in the WBC from 2007-20. He played ten events with the English team and four with the Scots. Neilson was also a starter for England in 2019 as they won their second world title with a finals win against Uzbekistan. In total, Neilson played 172 games with 167 hits, 100 runs, 27 doubles, 45 home runs, 114 RBI, .267/.364/.533 slash, and 8.1 WAR.

Neilson joined a Dublin squad that was already a top contender, having won the European Championship in 2010 and 2011. The Dinos had won their seventh division title in eight years in 2012, but were upset in the second round. Neilson’s arrival helped Dublin have its best team of the early 2010s dynasty. The Dinos finished 115-47 and eventually beat Zaragoza in the European Championship.

His 2013 debut season was worth 8.5 WAR, but Neilson shined most in the playoffs as he won finals MVP. In 18 playoff starts, Neilson had 28 hits, 15 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 7 homers, 15 RBI, 5 steals, 1.159 OPS, and 1.7 WAR. Dublin was a surprising 7-12 in the fourth Baseball Grand Championship with Neilson posting 0.7 WAR and .840 OPS over 19 starts.

Neilson’s 2014 saw conference and career bests in home runs (58), and RBI (130), taking third in MVP voting and a Silver Slugger in LF. He won additional Sluggers from 2015-18 and earned a Gold Glove in 2019. Neilson placed third in MVP voting in both 2018 and 2019. He led with a career high 1.084 OPS in 2015 and 10.1 WAR in 2018. All eight of his Dublin seasons had an OPS above one, 7+ WAR, 35+ home runs, and a batting average above .320. Neilson was also one of a select few to hit for the cycle twice in his career.

This Dublin run peaked with the 2013 title. The Dinos lost the 2014 conference final to Valencia and had a second round exit in 2015. From 2016-19, they were mostly stuck around .500 with one first round wild card exit in 2018. Neilson never replicated his 2013 playoff magic, but that run was strong enough to carry his overall stats to .890 OPS and 1.8 WAR over 36 starts, 45 hits, 28 runs, 5 doubles, 2 triples, 9 home runs, 21 RBI, and 164 wRC+.

Neilson signed a three-year, $51,800,000 extension in January 2020 at age 36 as Dublin geared up for what would become another dynasty run to start the decade. The Dinos went 109-53 in 2020, falling in the European Championship to Munich. Neilson missed the playoff run with a fractured elbow suffered on September 26. This injury was expected just to be a season-ender with a 4-5 month recovery time.

Tragically in December, Neilson had a significant catastrophic setback in the elbow recovery, forcing an abrupt and sudden retirement. Dublin immediately retired his #16 uniform and would give him honorary championship rings for their later 2022 and 2023 titles. For the Dinos, Neilson had 1203 games, 1442 hits, 859 runs, 193 doubles, 82 triples, 344 home runs, 946 RBI, 491 walks, 354 stolen bases, .334/.401/.656 slash, 188 wRC+, and 71.8 WAR.

Within the EBF Elite Tier play, Neilson finished with 1681 games, 2020 hits, 1189 runs, 283 doubles, 115 triples, 460 home runs, 1283 RBI, 669 walks, 551 stolen bases, .334/.399/.647 slash, 1.046 OPS, 188 wRC+, and 99.0 WAR. Neilson’s final accumulations ended up on the lower end between his abrupt retirement and his first three years being in E2L. Still as of 2037, he ranks 32^nd in WAR among position players, 81^st in home runs, and 79^th in RBI.

Among EBF batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Neilson’s 1.046 OPS ranks 7^th with his triple slash ranking 47^th/19^th/8^th. Among all world Hall of Famers as of 2037, Neilson is tied for 47^th in batting average, 39^th in OBP, 14^th in slugging, 15^th in OPS, and tied for 16^th in wRC+.

Even over just 11 years in the top tier, Neilson’s effectiveness made him a Hall of Fame lock at 96.4% within the four-player 2026 Hall of Fame class for the European Baseball Federation. Still, he goes down as a “what if?” type player as his diversified skillset probably would’ve aged quite well without the elbow injury. Dublin’s early 2020s dynasty might have been even more dominant and Neilson may have landed among the inner circle of inductees.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2026 EBF Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Blazej “Rags” Swierczewski – First Base – Riga Roosters – 96.1% First Ballot

Blazej Swierczewski was a 6’1’’, 195 pound right-handed first baseman from Lodz, Poland’s fourth largest city with around 655,000 people. Nicknamed “Rags,” Swierczewski was a well-rounded bat with good-to-great contact and power skills. He was quite solid especially in his later years at drawing walks, although his strikeout rate was subpar. Swierczewski’s power wasn’t prolific, but it was incredibly steady and reliable with 35 home runs and 23 doubles per his 162 game average.

Swierczewski was one of the smartest and craftiest baserunners you’d find, stealing at an impressive efficiency despite never having better than below average running speed. He fared slightly better facing left-handed pitching, but was generally equally effective against both. Swierczewski made almost all of his 3000+ starts at first base and was a reliably solid defender.

He was most renowned throughout Europe as one of the game’s great ironmen. Swierczewski played across four separate decades and 24 seasons, playing 150+ games in all but his first two and final two campaigns. He was a true fan favorite and one of the game’s great people. Swierczewski had a stellar work ethic along with fierce loyalty, strong intelligence, and impressive adaptability.

When Swierczewski was growing up in Poland in the 1980s and early 1990s, the country was still part of the Eurasian Professional Baseball sphere. His pro career started in Latvia as he signed a developmental contract in July 1992 with Riga. Swierczewski debuted in EPB for the Roosters in 1996 at age 20, but he only played 16 games. He remained a reserve in 1997, then saw 68 games and 10 starts in 1998. Riga moved Swierczewski into the lineup full time from 1999 and he’d be a full-timer somewhere through 2018.

Swierczewski’s 1999 was his only full season in EPB, as Riga was among the teams that defected to the European Baseball Federation for 2000. He adjusted swimmingly and posted five straight seasons of 40+ homers and 5.9+ WAR for Riga. Swierczewski led the Northern Conference in WAR in both 2002 (10.1) and 2003 (8.7).

2002 was his best season by many metrics, taking third in MVP voting. Swierczewski saw his career bests in WAR (10.1), OPS (1.055), OBP (.412), slugging (.643), and wRC+ (194). It was hard to get awards attention though as Riga was a newer and smaller market, as well as a team that was mid-tier in their first EBF seasons. For the Roosters, Swierczewski had 1039 games, 1093 hits, 572 runs, 137 doubles, 246 home runs, 634 RBI, .301/.363/.555 slash, 162 wRC+, and 42.1 WAR.

Although Swierczewski’s last season with Riga was his weakest since his rookie year, he was still worth 5.9 WAR and had plenty of suitors. Riga couldn’t compete financially with some of the bigger markets and had to let Swierczewski leave for free agency in 2005 at age 29. He made the move to Austria, signing a seven-year, $48,600,000 deal with Vienna.

Swierczewski never played for one of the Polish pro teams, but he did regularly represent his country in the World Baseball Championship with solid results. From 2000-15, he played 143 games with 127 hits, 79 runs, 17 doubles, 53 home runs, 109 RBI, 66 walks, .250/.349/.602 slash, 172 wRC+, and 6.9 WAR. Poland’s deepest run would be an elite eight trip in 2013.

With the help of Hall of Fame 2026 classmate Ben Springer, Vienna was in contention in the 2000s. Swierczewski was worth 7+ WAR in each of his first five seasons for the Vultures, winning Silver Sluggers in 2005 and 2008. In 2005, Swierczewski was third in MVP voting with his career highs in hits (218), doubles (34), and batting average (.357).

Vienna was the Southern Conference champ in 2005, falling to Copenhagen in the European Championship. The Vultures won 104 and 105 the next two seasons, but lost in the second round both years. Vienna missed the 2008 playoffs, then had a round two exit in 2009 as a wild card. Swierczewski’s playoff numbers were surprisingly underwhelming over 31 starts with 34 hits, 18 runs, 6 doubles, 4 home runs, 13 RBI, .283/.333/.433 slash, 113 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR.

Swierczewski was still good in his last year with Vienna, but had the low WAR of his run at 5.4 as the Vultures just missed the playoffs. For Vienna, Swierczewski played 950 games with 1141 hits, 640 runs, 172 doubles, 229 home runs, 683 RBI, .323/.389/.576 slash, 164 wRC+, and 43.2 WAR. Like with his other stops, Swierczewski remained very popular for years to come with Vultures fans. However, they voided the team option final year of his deal, making Swierczewski a free agent for 2011 at age 35.

The next stop was Greece on a three-year, $30,600,000 deal with Thessaloniki. Swierczewski was steady over the run with the Tritons, who were just looking to hang around the top tier. He played 478 games with 495 hits, 274 runs, 76 doubles, 96 homers, 287 RBI, .293/.363/.518 slash, 140 wRC+, and 15.9 WAR. Next up was a trip to Spain on a three-year, $36,900,000 deal with Madrid for 2014.

Swierczewski’s production dipped a bit in his first two years, although he was still a decent starter. He had a surprise resurgence in 2016 at age 40 with 6.4 WAR and a career-best 129 RBI. Swierczewski also hit 43 home runs, a mark he hadn’t met since the Vienna run. The Conquistadors were pleased and gave him a two-year, $12 million extension. Madrid made the playoffs each year from 2016-19, but never got beyond the second round. Swierczewski had .766 OPS, 119 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR over 16 playoff games.

He didn’t match the 2016 peak, but was still a quality starter for two more seasons. Madrid kept him around as a backup for 2019 and 2020, finishing with 947 games, 786 hits, 472 runs, 107 doubles, 154 home runs, 489 RBI, .261/.337/.465 slash, 124 wRC+, and 19.0 WAR. With the Conquistadors, Swierczewski reached the 3000 hit, 2000 RBI, 700 home run, and 3000 game milestones. He retired after the 2020 season at age 45, joining a very select few in baseball history to make it that long.

Swierczewski’s final tallies in EBF saw 3180 games, 3367 hits, 1899 runs, 459 doubles, 69 triples, 702 home runs, 2025 RBI, 1194 walks, 2234 strikeouts, 355 steals, .300/.368/.541 slash, 151 wRC+, and 116.6 WAR. As of 2037, Swierczewski ranks 2^nd in games played, 7^th in runs, 8^th in hits, 10^th in total bases (6070), 7^th in singles (2137), 23^rd in doubles, 9^th in home runs, 6^th in RBI, 8^th in walks, and 18^th in WAR among position players.

Despite rarely being in MVP conversations, Swierczewski’s remarkable consistency and ironman durability gave him remarkable tallies. Despite being ranks top 10 in many stats, many top 10 lists of EBF’s best-ever position players do leave Swierczewski off between the lack of accolades or big playoff success. No one doubted that he was an inner circle Hall of Famer though and a stellar guy, getting 96.1% to join the impressive four-player 2026 class.

When you add in his early EPB stats, Swierczewski’s final pro baseball stats had 3414 games, 3515 hits, 1958 runs, 492 doubles, 725 home runs, 2093 RBI, 1238 walks, 368 steals, .296/.364/.533 slash, 150 wRC+, and 120.2 WAR. On the world leaderboards as of 2037, Swierczewski ranks 15^th in games played, 47^th in runs, and 44^th in RBI while just missing the top 50 in hits.

He’s one of the all-time ironmen and in the conversation when discussing the best-ever to come out of Poland. Swierczewski has the most career WAR of any Polish position player and is #2 among all players just behind four-time Pitcher of the Year winner Igor Kuchkowski.



Gustav Rosengren – Starting Pitcher – Brussels Beavers – 94.3% First Ballot

Gustav Rosengren was a 6’6’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Umea, a city with around 130,000 inhabitants in northeastern Sweden. Rosengren had great stuff and movement along with solid control. He had an excellent 99-101 mph fastball along with a dangerous forkball, very good changeup, and iffy curveball.

Rosengren’s stamina was above average relative to other EBF aces, but his ironman durability meant you’d get plenty of reliable innings. His pickoff move was great and he was one of the better defensive pitchers. Rosengren was a leader of men, a team captain with an impressive work ethic. He emerged as one of the most universally respected and popular pitchers among peers and fans alike of his era.

A scout from Brussels managed to learn of Rosengren’s potential and signed him in December 2001 a developmental deal. His entire pro career came in Belgium, but Rosengren did still return home to represent Sweden in the World Baseball Championship regularly. From 2007-20, he pitched 197.1 innings with a 2.28 ERA, 14-6 record, 261 strikeouts, and 5.6 WAR. The Swedes earned division titles in 2007, 2008, and 2018 with Rosengren.

Rosengren officially debuted in 2005 at age 21 with one successful relief appearance. He made four starts with 25 relief appearances in 2006 with promising results, earning a rotation stat from 2007 onward. 2007 would be the first of nine straight seasons worth 6+ WAR and with 200+ strikeouts. Rosengren’s first full season starting landed him third in Pitcher of the Year voting.

He would win the top award in 2008 with a conference leading 8.7 WAR and 24 complete games. Rosengren also had his career best ERA of 2.41 and added 280 strikeouts. Brussels returned to relevance and ended a 13-year playoff drought, although they were ousted in the first round. They were a win short of a wild card in 2009, but knew they were on the right track.

The Beavers went 112-50 in 2010, but were upset by Dublin in the Northern Conference Championship. Brussels won two more division titles in 2011 and 2012, but lost in the second round both years. Rosengren’s results were mixed looking good in 2010, poor in 2011, and great in 2012. The Beavers remained above .500 for the next four years but were just outside of the playoffs.

Rosengren thrived though, leading in WAR in 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2014. He won his second Pitcher of the Year in 2011 and finished third in 2010. Rosengren’s career high WAR (9.9) and strikeouts (284) came in 2014, although a higher ERA kept him out of awards talks. He remained loyal to Brussels throughout, signing a six-year, $63,100,000 extension in October 2011 shortly before his 28^th birthday. With Rosengren’s production staying strong through that, he inked another five-year, $64,700,000 extension in December 2016.

Brussels broke through with a 105-57 record in 2017, going all the way to a European Championship win over Thessaloniki. Rosengren posted 2.96 ERA over 24.1 playoff innings with 30 strikeouts. He then had a 2.77 ERA in 26 innings with 23 strikeouts in the Baseball Grand Championship. The Beavers finished at 11-8 with four other teams, only one short of three teams at 12-7. Officially after tiebreakers, Brussels finished fifth. For his playoff career, Rosengren had a 3.28 ERA over 79.2 innings, 90 strikeouts, 116 ERA+, and 2.2 WAR.

The success was a one-off for Brussels, who stayed above .500 but missed the playoffs from 2018-20. Rosengren was less dominant than his 20s, but still was a reliably solid starter through this. From a talent standpoint, he likely could’ve pitched a few more years, but Rosengren decided to retire after the 2020 season just after his 37^th birthday. He was one of the few greats to retire on his own accord and not because he couldn’t hack it anymore or due to injury. The Beavers immediately retired Rosengren’s #55 uniform.

Rosengren finished with a 223-128 record, 2.95 ERA, 3380 innings, 3408 strikeouts, 599 walks, 290/411 quality starts, 120 complete games, 36 shutouts, 129 ERA+, 68 FIP-, and 99.5 WAR. As of 2037, Rosengren ranks 26^th in wins, 37^th in innings, 37^th in strikeouts, 43^rd in complete games, 13^th in shutouts, and 12^th in WAR among pitchers.

Because he didn’t stick around to pad his stats, Rosengren sometimes is overlooked based on his spots on the leaderboards. Based on advanced stats, he’s a dark horse candidate when discussing EBF’s top ten pitchers. In his time, Rosengren was recognized though as a stellar man and a top flight pitcher. He received 94.3% and would headline a Hall of Fame class in many years. Rosengren capped off an incredible four-player group for the European Baseball Federation in 2026.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2026 EPB Hall of Fame

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SP Nijat Statsky was the lone selection for the Eurasian Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 2026. On his seventh ballot, Statsky saw a significant bump up to 77.0%. SP Roman Khilkevich barely missed joining him with a 64.3% debut, just shy of the 66% requirement. Three others were above 50% with CL Povilas Zdancius at 61.0% for his second try, 1B Benjamin Bodnar with 59.0% in his seventh go, and SP Artur Woloshyn at 52.3% on his third ballot.

LF/1B Vadim Papendik notably fell off the ballot as he dropped below 5% on his ninth try. Hurting his candidacy was nine of his 20 years coming in CABA. For his combined pro career, Papendik played 3015 games with five Silver Sluggers, 3394 hits, 1594 runs, 575 doubles, 594 home runs, 1761 RBI, 968 walks, .301/.356/.520 slash, 157 wRC+, and 103.3 WAR.

That combined line gets him into any HOF, but the stats were split about 60/40 between EPB and CABA. The resulting 308 homers, 1896 hits, and 59.9 WAR in EPB weren’t enough to get Papendik much ballot traction. Still, he was a Russian slugger worthy of a brief acknowledgement.



Nijat Statsky – Starting Pitcher – Samara Steelers – 77.0% Seventh Ballot

Nijat Statsky was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Hazorasp, Uzbekistan; a town of 18,000 near the former Aral Sea. Statsky succeeded with overpowering stuff along with solid control and above average movement. His fastball was a good one and peaked in the 99-101 mph range, but his sinker, splitter, and screwball were potent as well.

Statsky’s stamina was average relative to other EPB aces. His biggest flaw perhaps was a terrible pickoff move and inability to hold runners once they got on base. Statsky’s defense otherwise was fine. His durability was solid prior to suffering two major injuries in his mid 30s. Teammates tried to tolerate Statsky because of his talents, but he was an unlikeable jerk. He was outspoken and selfish with a work ethic that would lapse if he didn’t see a specific benefit to himself.

The talent was undeniable though as Statsky came up through the amateur ranks. Most Central Asian prospects adjusted their prospect plans towards the Asian Baseball Federation after the 2000 exodus of teams, but Statsky stayed declared for EPB’s 2000 draft. He knew he was due a prominent spot and was taken #1 overall by Samara, an expansion team in its second season. Statsky negotiated a six-year, $10,800,000 deal beyond the standard rookie compenstation.

Statsky was used as a closer in his rookie season with 27 saves and 3.9 WAR in 96 innings. He was moved to the rotation after that and did his best for some terrible early Steelers teams. Samara averaged 69.4 wins per season during Statsky’s tenure and he led the European League thrice in losses. Advanced stats showed his lack of help behind him with a below average 96 ERA+ pared with a rock solid 84 FIP-.

Although his whole pro career was in Russia, Statsky did represent his native Uzbekistan in the World Baseball Championship from 2001-13. He tossed 149.2 innings with a 9-12 record, 4.15 ERA, 173 strikeouts, 38 walks, 87 ERA+, and 1.6 WAR. The Uzbeks would earn an elite eight trip in the 2010 event.

Statsky wasn’t shy about his intentions to leave Samara once eligible for free agency after the 2009 campaign. The Steelers traded him prior to that year to Moscow for two prospects and a second round draft pick. With Samara, Statsky posted a 99-130 record, 2.89 ERA, 1991.1 innings, 2167 strikeouts, 460 walks, and 40.8 WAR. He would be the first Hall of Famer in the black and gold and the Steelers later honored him by retiring his #24 uniform.

Moscow wanted the now 31-year old in their long-term plans and prior to his debut gave Statsky a six-year, $35,800,000 extension. The Mules had been a top contender in the decade with EL pennants in 2005, 2006, and 2007 and an EPB title in 2006. Moscow had won their pennants as the wild card and lost the ELCS in 2008 as the first place team.

In 2009, the Mules at 92-70 were a distant second to 106-56 win Minsk, but upset the Miners in the ELCS. Moscow carried the momentum into an EPB Championship win over Krasnoyarsk. Statsky was impactful in the playoffs with a 1.99 ERA and 33 strikeouts over 22.2 innings. However, he was awful in his 2010 and 2011 playoff starts, finishing with a career 5.30 ERA over 54.1 playoff innings. Moscow lost to Omsk in the 2010 EPB Championship and fell to Minsk in the 2011 ELCS.

Statsky led the league in strikeouts (293) and WHIP (0.81) in 2010 to take third in Pitcher of the Year voting. 2010 also featured his lone no-hitter, a 12 strikeout, one walk effort against Voronezh on May 4. He then won the top honor with his finest effort in 2011 with career highs in ERA (2.03), strikeouts (299), WAR (8.1), and wins (17-7).

Moscow’s playoff streak ended at seven seasons with an 85-77 finish in 2012. Statsky’s production dipped to 4.0 WAR, his worst full season with the Mules. Catastrophe occurred in May 2013 with a partially torn UCL putting Statsky on the shelf 10 months. He rehabbed back and started six games in 2014, but he ended up with a torn flexor tendon in May 2014.

The Mules voided the team option year remaining in Statsky’s contract figuring he was cooked. He wanted to play somewhere in 2015, but scouts were unimpressed by what he could do post injury. After going unsigned, Statsky retired at age 37. For the Moscow run, Statsky had a 68-47 record, 2.60 ERA, 1079.2 innings, 1226 strikeouts, 181 walks, 125 ERA+, 78 FIP-, and 26.3 WAR.

Statsky finished with a 167-177 record, 2.79 ERA, 3071 innings, 3393 strikeouts, 641 walks, 245/362 quality starts, 163 complete games, 19 shutouts, 105 ERA+, 82 FIP-, and 67.1 WAR. As of 2037, Statsky ranks 93^rd in pitching WAR, 70^th in strikeouts, and 68^th in complete games.

His case was definitely a borderline one, but some of his marks were comparable to some of the lower-end inductees selected by the pitcher-friendly EPB voters. Some traditionalists dismissed him out of hand for having a losing record. Supporters pointed out how much his traditional metrics were dented by playing on some terrible Samara teams.

Having won a Pitcher of the Year and his role in Moscow’s 2009 title run went a long way. But even by more sabermetric measures, his resume was far from a lock. The fact Statsky was also generally obnoxious didn’t endear himself to many in the game. He was the type of guy that was generally championed by those who started fights in bars with people over bad hot takes.

Statsky debuted at 48.1% in 2020 and stayed between 40-60% for his first couple ballots. He got a sizeable boost to 64.5% in 2024, just missing the 66% requirement. Statsky won over a few more to get to 65.3% in 2025, the highest percentage in a year without inductees. 2026 wasn’t much better for debuts and many voters were loathe to have back-to-back blank ballots. Statsky saw a strong boost up to 77.0% for a seventh ballot addition as the lone 2026 Hall of Famer in Eurasian Professional Baseball.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2026 OBA Hall of Fame

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Pitcher Isaac Tague stood alone for induction into the Oceania Baseball Association’s Hall of Fame in 2026 with a slam dunk 97.5%. LF Samson Gould (58.2%) and SP Raj Marple (55.7%) were the next closest in their debuts, missing the 66% requirement for induction. Two returners were above 50% with SP Joel Wilson at 55.7% for his second ballot and CL Nolan Gilmoon at 51.3% on his eighth try. No players were removed from the ballot after ten failed tries.



Isaac Tague – Starting Pitcher – Guadalcanal Green Jackets – 97.5% First Ballot

Isaac Tague was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Perth, the largest city of Western Australia. Tague’s raw stuff was exceptional and was graded as a 10/10 by some scouts at his peak. His control and movement were merely average, but his ability to change speeds and fool hitters made up for that. Tague’s 99-101 mph fastball was excellent, but it was a stellar circle change that drew the most whiffs. He also had a good regular changeup and occasional sinker in the arsenal.

Tague’s biggest drawback was poor stamina, throwing only nine complete games in his entire career even with OBA’s four-man rotation. His durability was strong so he rarely missed starts, but he didn’t have the 300+ inning seasons one expected out of OBA aces. Tague had a solid pickoff move, but was a subpar defensive pitcher otherwise. Some peers also thought he could be selfish and that his work ethic was unimpressive.

His raw stuff stood out even as a teenager in Australia, earning attention from several OBA clubs. Guadalcanal had the winning pitch, signing Tague to a developmental deal in April 2000. He spent most of five years in their academy in the Solomon Islands, debuting in 2005 at age 21 with 31 innings mostly in relief. Tague was a full-time starter the next year, his first of six seasons worth 8+ WAR. Each of his full seasons were worth at least 5.9 WAR and all but one had 300+ strikeouts.

Tague’s highest strikeout total came with 408 in 2008. His ERAs started to go down and Guadalcanal began primed for a legit run. They had been more bad than good over the prior 30 years with their most recent Pacific League title back in 1977. Tague helped end that drought as the Green Jackets went 113-49 in 2010. They fell to Melbourne’s dynasty in the Oceania Championship with Tague struggling to a 5.06 ERA in his two starts.

He was a big reason they got there though and the Green Jackets gave him a five-year, $33,900,000 extension in May 2011. Guadalcanal finished second in 2011, then won back-to-back PL titles in 2012-13. The Green Jackets got revenge over the Mets in the Oceania Championship in 2012, but were defeated by Christchurch in 2013 despite a franchise-best 115-47 season.

Tague fared better in the later playoff runs, finishing with a 2.94 ERA over 33.2 innings with 45 strikeouts. He also was excellent in the 2012 Baseball Grand Championship with a 1.34 ERA over 33.2 innings, 53 strikeouts, and 2.1 WAR. Guadalcanal finished 12-7 as part of a five-way tie for the top spot, officially taking second via tiebreakers.

Tague was solid in the 2013 event as well with a 2.52 ERA and 39 Ks in 25 innings. The Green Jackets were again 12-7, this time officially taking fifth. From 2007-20, Tague was also a regular in the World Baseball Championship pitching for Australia. He tossed 162.2 innings with a 13-4 record, 3.10 ERA, 261 strikeouts, and 3.7 WAR. Australia’s deepest run with Tague was a fourth place in 2012.

2012 also saw Tague’s first ERA title in the PL at 2.22 along with a league-best 0.90 WHIP, placing third in Pitcher of the Year voting. He was second in 2013 with his finest season by ERA (2.05) and FIP- (47) as well as his second-best WAR of 10.6. Guadalcanal remained solid for the rest of the 2010s and didn’t post a losing season until 2023. However, they didn’t reclaim the throne, typically hovering around third or fourth in the ten-team standings.

Tague signed a four-year, $33,600,000 extension before the 2016 season. That June, he threw a no-hitter against Tahiti with 11 strikeouts and two walks. It was one of only three shutouts he had his entire career. In 2017 at age 33, Tague posted his career best WAR at 10.8 and won his second ERA title at 2.35. He finished second in Pitcher of the Year voting, ultimately never taking the top honor.

He had two more years for Guadalcanal with a bit of a decline in velocity in late 2019. The Green Jackets decided to decline the team option, sending Tague to free agency for the first time at age 36. The franchise was still grateful overall for his 15 years of service and role in their titles, retiring his #5 uniform shortly after his playing career ended.

Tague still thought he had plenty left and signed for three years and $31,100,000 with Honolulu. He was shockingly bad though with a 5.24 ERA in 99.2 innings for the Honu, also missing eight weeks to a strained hamstring. Tague opted to retire that winter shortly after his 37^th birthday.

The final stats saw a 234-146 record, 2.75 ERA, 3661.1 innings, 4866 strikeouts, 775 walks, 349/554 quality starts, 9 complete games 132 ERA+, 66 FIP-, and 113.0 WAR. As of 2037, Tague ranks 17^th in wins, 20^th in innings, 7^th in strikeouts, and 6^th in pitching WAR. His .603 opponent’s OPS ranks 58^th among those with 1000+ career innings and his ERA ranks 70^th.

Tague’s K/9 of 11.96 ranks 4^th among qualifiers, showing he was one of the most efficient strikeout starters of his era. His 6.89 H/9 ranked 40^th. Some argue he was the best OBA ace to never win Pitcher of the Year, although sharing a league with the likes of Timothy Manglona, Akira Brady, and Austin Jong didn’t help his cause.

He won’t crack many top five pitcher lists among OBA scholars, but he rarely misses a top ten list. Tague was somewhat under-rated in his time and a big reason Guadalcanal had their success in the early 2010s. At 97.5%, Tague stood alone for induction into the Oceania Baseball Association Hall of Fame in 2026.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2026 APB Hall of Fame



Two players were added into Austronesia Professional Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 2026 upon their ballot debuts. SP Rahmat Hasjim was a nearly unanimous 99.4% and IF Buwono Gunawan only just breached the 66% requirement at 70.8%. Two returners cracked 50% with 3B Yu-Ting Tsai at 54.0% on his second ballot and CL Kyle Oliveira with 53.4% for his third go. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots in 2026.



Rahmat Hasjim – Starting Pitcher – Surabaya Sunbirds – 99.4% First Ballot

Rahmat Hasjim was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Padang, Indonesia; the capital of the West Sumatra province with around 942,000 people. Excellent pinpoint control propelled Hasjim to success along with above average-to-good stuff and movement. His fastball peaked in the 96-98 mph range with an excellent changeup as his second best pitch. Hasjim also featured a nice slider and forkball to complete his arsenal.

Hasjim’s stamina and control meant he was one of APB’s best at going deep into games. His durability was also excellent and he avoided major injuries for his entire 16 year run. Hasjim had a solid pickoff move, but was below average defensively. He was a very driven player with a top level work ethic, pushing Hasjim to one of the better pitching runs of his era in APB.

In the 2004 APB Draft, Hasjim was picked fourth overall by Surabaya. He was split between starting and relief in his first two years and was merely decent initially. The Sunbirds emerged as a contender in 2006, which started a run of six straight Java Sea League titles. Surabaya was the Sundaland Association champ in 2006, but lost the Austronesia Championship to Davao. Hasjim tossed five perfect innings of relief in the run with 8 strikeouts.

In 2007, Hasjim became an ace with an association-best 7.2 WAR along with 301 strikeouts. Surabaya won the pennant again and this time beat Kaohsiung for the APB title. Hasjim posted a 1.52 ERA over 23.2 playoff innings with 21 strikeouts. After the season, Surabaya signed him to a five-year, $20,060,000 extension. The Sunbirds would fall in the Sundaland Association Championship in the next four seasons with unremarkable playoff starts from Hasjim. For his career, he had a 4-8 record, 2.31 ERA, 108 ERA+, 89.2 innings, 93 strikeouts, 13 walks, and 2.1 WAR.

Hasjim regressed hard in 2008, but bounced back with a career and SA best 8.5 WAR and 0.75 WHIP in 2009. He won his first ERA title at 1.65 in 2010 and led in WHIP (0.75), shutouts (8), and wins (19-4) to earn his first Pitcher of the Year. 2010 also saw Hasjim throw APB’s 33^rd perfect game in an eight strikeout effort on July 30 against Batam.

2011 featured career bests in wins (23-7) and ERA (1.59) for back-to-back Pitcher of the Year wins. Hasjim made it a three-peat in 2012 with his fourth 7+ WAR season along with 1.80 ERA and 7 shutouts. In total for Surabaya, Hasjim had a 121-63 record, 1.99 ERA, 1797 innings, 1984 strikeouts, 207 walks, 172/208 quality starts, 77 complete games, 33 shutouts, 124 ERA+, 76 FIP-, and 41.9 WAR.

Hasjim’s deal expired after the 2012 campaign at age 30. Surabaya had fallen to 80-82 that year and felt they couldn’t match the money due to a three-time defending Pitcher of the Year. Hasjim remained popular with Sunbirds fans and his #28 uniform would later be retired. He would ink a six-year, $90,200,000 deal with Jakarta.

He took a break from the World Baseball Championship for much of the Jakarta tenure. Hasjim represented Indonesia from 2007-08, 10-11, and then 17-19. He struggled mostly with a 5.22 ERA over 60.1 innings, 54 strikeouts, 13 walks, 70 ERA+, and 0.4 WAR.

Jakarta was decisively mid during Hasjim’s run with no playoff berths and an average of 82.6 wins per season. Hasjim was consistently solid in the run, but wasn’t in any awards conversations. The main highlight was his second perfect game on May 3, 2015 with seven strikeouts against Semarang. Hasjim became the fourth APB pitcher with multiple perfect games, joining Vhon Lasam, Wisnu Mahmudiana, and Yu-Ren Yang.

For the Jaguars, Hasjim had a 65-60 record, 2.21 ERA, 1285 innings, 1356 strikeouts, 168 walks, 124/153 quality starts, 64 complete games, 12 shutouts, 114 ERA+, and 25.8 WAR. Jakarta bought out the team option sixth year of Hasjim’s deal, sending him to free agency for 2018 at age 35. He still had plenty of value and Bandung gave him a three-year, $34,900,000 deal.

Hasjim had a career resurgence as he won his fourth Pitcher of the Year in 2018 with a career high 18 complete games, 284 innings, and 313 strikeouts. He became only the eighth in APB history to win the award 4+ times. Hasjim had a solid 2019 as well, but fell off noticeably in 2020 with only 1.4 WAR despite leading the SA in complete games. The Blackhawks were in the mid-tier during this effort.

With Bandung, Hasjim had a 46-37 record, 2.09 ERA, 785.1 innings 784 strikeouts, 80 walks, 76/98 quality starts, 43 complete games, 12 shutouts, 123 ERA+, and 13.5 WAR. While there, he reached the 200 win and 4000 strikeout milestones. With his deal wrapping after the 2020 season, Hasjim decided to retire at age 38.

Hasjim posted a 232-160 record, 2.09 ERA, 3867.1 innings, 4124 strikeouts, 455 walks, 372/459 quality starts, 184 complete games, 57 shutouts, 120 ERA+, 81 FIP-, and 81.2 WAR. As of 2037, Hasjim ranks 12^th in wins, 13^th in innings, 15^th in complete games, 10^th in shutouts, 21^st in strikeouts, and 30^th in pitching WAR. Hasjim’s ERA ranks 57^th among APB pitchers with 1000+ innings. His 1.06 BB/9 ranks 15^th and his 0.85 WHIP is 38^th.

He didn’t have the overwhelming dominance of some of the other APB greats and was perhaps overlooked later in his career pitching with average teams. Advanced stats probably keep Hasjim just outside of the inner circle level. However, four Pitcher of the Years, two perfect games, 200+ wins, 4k strikeouts, and a championship win make you a Hall of Fame lock easily. Hasjim was nearly unanimous at 99.4% to headline the 2026 class for Austronesia Professional Baseball.



Buwono Gunawan – Infielder – Taichung Toucans – 70.8% First Ballot

Buwono Gunawan was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting infielder from Tarakan, Indonesia; an island city of around 242,000 people off Borneo. Gunawan was a fantastic contact hitter with impressive gap power, posting 31 doubles and 14 triples per his 162 game average. He also had steady home run power with 28 dingers per 162. Gunawan was decent at drawing walks and great at avoiding strikeouts.

Gunawan was a phenomenal athlete with great speed and baserunning chops even at his size. He was also remarkably versatile and adaptable defensively, making starts at each infield and outfield position. Gunawan’s most frequent spot was first base with about 2/5 of his starts. He graded as a great defender at 1B and was fairly solid at second base and in left field. Gunawan did struggle at the other spots, but he still gave you flexibility rarely seen with such a strong hitter.

Few guys had such a diverse skillset and with his exceptional bat, Gunawan was primed to be a true legend. Gunawan wasn’t going to take an active leadership role, but undeniable talent made him beloved by the fans. His durability was respectable early on, but injury caused a shocking abrupt end to his career.

Gunawan was spotted as a teenager and brought to Taiwan on a developmental deal with Taichung in January 2007. He spent three years in the Toucans academy, then was a rare 19-year old debut in 2010. Gunawan started 119 games that year with okay results, as he wasn’t quite fully formed. He showed a bit more potential in 2011, but missed half of the season to a fractured rib. Gunawan stayed mostly healthy for the nine years after that.

In 2012, Gunawan had arrived as an elite talent. From 2012-17 with Taichung, he had five 8+ WAR seasons, leading the Taiwan-Philippine Association four times. Gunawan won Silver Sluggers in 2012 (at 1B), 2013 (3B), 2014, (1B), 2016 (2B), and 2017 (2B) for the Toucans. He led the TPA twice in hits, RBI, total bases, batting average, OBP, slugging, OPS, and wRC+.

Gunawan won his first MVP in 2013, leading in OPS (.928), wRC+ (199), and WAR (8.0). He also hit for the cycle in 2013 against Hsinchu. Gunawan fared better in 2014 with 10.3 WAR and .952 OPS, but finished second in MVP voting. Gunawan won MVP again in both 2016 and 2017 as the WARlord both years. 2016 had his career bests in WAR (11.0), and hits (189).

Despite his efforts, Taichung was stuck in the middle tier with no one coming close to Taipei’s historic run atop the Taiwan League. Toucans fans loved Gunawan, but weren’t surprise that he left for free agency after the 2017 season. With Taichung, Gunawan had 1151 games, 1207 hits, 568 runs, 222 doubles, 92 triples, 183 home runs, 589 RBI, 299 walks, 460 stolen bases, .289/.337/.517 slash, 170 wRC+, and 55.5 WAR. The Toucans would later retire his #24 uniform.

It was uncommon for such a high-level player to reach free agency only at age 27. Medan won the sweepstakes at $141,600,000 over eight years. This brought Gunawan home to Indonesia, although he had been playing for his country in the World Baseball Championship. From 2013-19, Gunawan had 83 starts, 80 hits, 50 runs, 13 doubles, 5 triples, 20 home runs, 59 RBI, 39 steals, .257/.325/.524 slash, 140 wRC+, and 3.3 WAR. Indonesia was runner-up in 2014 to the United States and was a division champ in 2017.

Gunawan won a Silver Slugger (2B) and his fourth MVP in his Marlins debut, becoming only the seventh in APB history with 4+ MVPs. He led that year in OPS, wRC+, OBP, slugging, and total bases for the third time and posted a career-best 93 stolen bases. Gunawan’s pace was even better in 2019, but he lost a month to a strained groin and barely missed the plate appearance requirements to quality for rate stats. He had his best triple slash (.346/.382/.651), OPS (1.033), and wRC+ (260) in 126 games for 10.2 WAR. Gunawan won a Slugger at 1B and was second in MVP voting.

Medan was 86-76 and 81-81 in his first two years. In 2020, the Marlins ended a six-year playoff drought but lost 4-3 in the Sundaland Association Championship to Palembang. Tragically, this was Gunawan’s only playoff appearances in his career. He had a career high 100 runs and 35 home runs in 2020, again taking second in MVP voting. Gunawan had already reached all of these accolades before turning 30, leading some to think he had a shot to be APB’s greatest-ever position player.

In spring training 2021, those dreams were ended suddenly after a torn ACL in his right knee. The original diagnosis was seven months, which would end Gunawan’s 2021 with a full return in 2022. However, he had a horrible setback in July and never recovered to a level where he could play again. Gunawan officially had to announce his retirement in winter 2021 shortly after only his 31^st birthday. For Medan, Gunawan had 445 games, 499 hits, 266 runs, 88 doubles, 43 triples, 89 home runs, 244 RBI, 227 stolen bases, .304/.341/.574 slash, 209 wRC+, and 29.7 WAR.

Gunawan finished with 1596 games, 1706 hits, 834 runs, 310 doubles, 135 triples, 272 home runs, 833 RBI, 396 walks, 687 steals, .293/.338/.533 slash, 181 wRC+, and 85.2 WAR. The abrupt end kept him from significant counting stats, ranking as of 2037 outside of the top 100s except for his 78^th in doubles, 78^th in triples, and 65^th in stolen bases. In WAR, Gunawan does sit 34^th among position players. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, his .871 OPS ranks 13^th and his triple slash ranks 22^nd/38^th/14^th.

Until Binh Tang’s later dominance, APB never had any position player with a more impressive run in their 20s. It’s hard to guess where Gunawan ends up if he has a healthy 30s, but one would think he would’ve been an inner circle Hall of Famer at worst and possibly a top five level guy at best. Gunawan is one of the largest “what if?” players of his era.

Many voters for the Austronesia Professional Baseball Hall of Fame were very stringy towards hitters in the low-offense league. Because of the lower counting stats, Gunawan debuted on the ballot with a shockingly low 70.8% despite his accolades. That was still just enough to cross the 66% requirement to earn a first ballot selection in APB’s 2026 class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2026 CLB Hall of Fame (Part 1)

After three straight years with no Hall of Fame inductees, Chinese League Baseball added three pitchers in 2026 upon their debuts. Yuandong Yang was the headliner at 93.0% and was joined by Wei Huang at 80.1% and Linagyi Shi at 79.4%. Fellow SP Liqiang Yang was the best returner at 55.7% on his fourth ballot. No one else was above 50% with the best position player being SS Jiyu Liu with a 48.4% debut.



Dropped after ten failed ballots was SP Hongtao Chen, who peaked at 40.0% in 2020 and ended with 32.9%. His tallies were somewhat weakened by his final five seasons coming in MLB. Chen pitched 11 years with Harbin and helped them win the China Series in 2003, posting a 136-136 record, 2.28 ERA, 2537.1 innings, 3058 strikeouts, 334 walks, 109 ERA+, 77 FIP-, and 59.4 WAR. Chen had a nice run, but he wasn’t overly dominant and had totals more appropriate for the Hall of Pretty Good.



Yuandong Wang – Starting Pitcher – Zhengzhou Zips – 93.0% First Ballot

Yuandong Wang was a 6’4’’, 195 pound left-handed pitcher from Zhengzhou, China, a prefecture-level city of more than 12.6 million people. Wang had a rare six-pitch arsenal, leading to very effective stuff. He also had rock solid control along with average-to-above average movement. Wang’s fastball peaked in the 96-98 mph range, although his curveball was generally viewed as his most dangerous pitch. He also had reliably nice results from his splitter, forkball, and slider while also having a changeup as a sixth option.

Wang’s stamina was good and his durability was outstanding throughout an 18-year career. His ability to hold runners was rock solid, although his general defense was lackluster. Not many could outwork Wang, whose sparkplug work ethic and adaptability were both top notch. He became one of the most popular pitchers of his era on two different continents.

By the 2007 CLB Draft, Wang was right at the top of the boards for many teams. He’d be picked fifth overall by his hometown Zhengzhou, which is where his entire nine-year run in China took place. Wang was a part-time starter as a rookie with mixed results in the regular season. He did notably throw a two-hit shutout in his one playoff start as the Zips ultimately fell in the semifinal. That effort though earned Wang a full-time spot in the rotation for 2009.

Wang delivered with his first Pitcher of the Year win, leading the Northern League in wins at 21-6. It was his first of seven seasons above 6.5 WAR for Zhengzhou, pushing them to a China Series trip where they lost to Xiamen. Wang tossed 37.1 playoff innings with a 2.17 ERA, 3-2 record, 39 strikeouts, and 115 ERA+. He had similar playoff stats the next year as the Zips took first in the standings but fell in the round robin. Zhengzhou fell off after that and stayed below .500 for the rest of Wang’s tenure.

It certainly wasn’t his fault they couldn’t win, as Wang took Pitcher of the Year again in 2010, 2011, 2014, and 2016. He became the third to win the award 5+ times in CLB history and is one of only four to do so as of 2037. Wang also finished third in 2013’s voting. He had five seasons with 300+ strikeouts and led the league four times. He was the WARlord in both 2011 (9.3) and 2014 (9.6).

The 2014 effort was his best by many metrics with his highest WAR, lone CLB ERA title and lowest ERA (1.25), highest strikeout tally (366), and best WHIP (0.72). In 2010, Wang had a no-hitter on May 16 with 15 strikeouts and four walks versus Shijiazhuang. On September 15, he had a 20 strikeout performance versus Xi’an. Wang tossed his second no-hitter on April 13, 2011 with 14 Ks and one walk facing Jinan.

Wang also got some world attention in the World Baseball Championship, representing China from 2013-18 and in 2020. Over 101 innings, Wang had a 7-5 record, 2.85 ERA, 142 strikeouts, 35 walks, and 2.0 WAR. In 2020, he tossed a n-hitter in an 11 strikeout, four walk effort facing Malaysia.

His best showing was in China’s 2016 world championship win with a 2.20 ERA over 28.2 innings, 40 strikeouts, and 4 quality starts. He notably had a big shutout in their semifinal sweep of Brazil, which put Wang on the radar specifically there. It was known that Wang was entering a contract year and wasn’t likely to return to a struggling Zhengzhou.

After the 2016 season, the now 30-year old Wang left for free agency and declared his willingness to entertain all offers. This ended an impressive CLB career after nine seasons with a 128-71 record, 1.62 ERA, 2100 innings, 2632 strikeouts, 397 walks, 88 complete games, 33 shutouts, 149 ERA+, 64 FIP-, and 62.4 WAR. While Wang was sad to leave his hometown team, everyone understood and cheered him on from afar. Once he returned home after his playing days were done, Zhengzhou quickly retired his #12 uniform and honored him as one of the city’s favorite sons.

The brief CLB career keeps him away from top spots on the accumulation leaderboards, although he is 35^th in pitching WAR, 41^st in strikeouts, and 90^th in wins as of 2037. Among all CLB pitchers with 1000+ innings, Wang ranks 8^th in ERA, 24^th in WHIP (0.81), and 16^th in opponent’s OPS (.493). His triple slash of .180/.223/.271 ranks 18^th/27^th/18^th. Wang also is 37^th in K/9 (11.28) and 17^th in H/9 (5.64).

Very few voters dinged Wang for only pitching nine years in China since his dominance was so absolute. Most also gave him at least some credit for his Beisbol Sudamerica run, although many wonders if he might have made a run as CLB’s greatest-ever pitcher had he stayed. Five Pitcher of the Year awards in nine years might not make you the GOAT, but it makes you a Hall of Fame lock, headlining the 2026 class for Chinese League Baseball at 93.0%.

Wang made the move to Brazil and signed a six-year, $64,800,000 deal with Recife. Skeptics thought he might underwhelm in BSA having to adjust to a much-higher scoring league and a league perceived to have more talent. Wang quickly silenced any skeptics when he debuted with BSA’s first pitching Triple Crown since 2002 and only the 12^th in league history.

With a 20-9 record, 2.26 ERA, 311 strikeouts, and league-best 8.4 WAR, Wang won Southern Cone League Pitcher of the Year. Recife was already a contender at this point, having made seven playoff trips from 2009-16 with three pennants and one Copa Sudamerica win. They got back to the LCS in 2017, but were ousted by Concepcion. Wang did struggle in his first BSA postseason with a 5.06 ERA over 26.2 innings. He also allowed eight runs in only 8.1 innings in the 2018 playoffs as the Retrievers lost in the divisional series.

Wang’s regular season dominance continued, leading again in Ks from 2018-20. In that stretch, he also led twice more in WAR and wins. He was second in 2018’s Pitcher of the Year voting, then won the honor in 2019 and 2020. As of 2037, Wang is one of only nine in all of baseball history to win Pitcher of the Year 8+ times. He and fellow Chinese legend Chuchuan Cao are the only pitchers to win the award thrice in multiple leagues, as Cao had done it in CLB and the Oceania Baseball Association.

In 2019, Wang made up for his initial postseason failings for Recife. He was 3-0 in five starts with a 2.50 ERA over 39.2 innings, 41 strikeouts, and 1.7 WAR, helping the Retrievers to a Copa Sudamerica win over Trujillo. He even had a two-hit shutout in the LCS against Buenos Aires. Wang kept rolling into the Baseball Grand Championship with a 1.82 ERA in 34.2 innings, 3-2 record, 36 strikeouts, 205 ERA+, and 1.3 WAR. Recife finished 14-5 in the BGC, second only to Tabriz’s 15-4.

Wang was respectable in his later playoff trips, although Recife had divisional series losses in both 2020 and 2021. In total, he had a 3.80 ERA over 97 innings, 6-3 record, 107 strikeouts, 93 ERA+, and 2.4 WAR for the Retrievers. His fifth year with Recife did see a noticeable drop in production, going from ERAs in the low twos prior to a 3.22 in 2011. The Retrievers opted to void the team option final year of the deal, sending Wang back to free agency at age 35.

For Recife, Wang posted a 95-33 record, 2.46 ERA, 1290 innings, 1482 strikeouts, 119 walks, 125/162 quality starts, 146 ERA+, and 36.6 WAR. He certainly delivered on that big contract and was remembered fondly by Retrievers fans. Wang stayed in Beisbol Sudamerica and ended up with Maturin on a three-year, $32,700,000 deal.

Wang’s velocity dropped significantly by the end of the Recife run and he peaked in the 89-91 mph range for the Makos. His control was still rock solid and he was passable in two seasons with a 26-18 record, 3.96 ERA, 425 innings, 309 strikeouts, 107 ERA+, and 6.1 WAR. Wang didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the third year of the deal, returning to free agency for 2024 at age 37.

In 2024, Wang signed with Barranquilla and posted a 4.76 ERA over 204 innings and 1.9 WAR. He allowed three runs (two earned) in 4.2 playoff innings as the Blues lost in the Bolivar League Championship Series. Wang joined Barquisimeto in 2025 with similar results on a 4.30 ERA over 142.1 innings and 1.7 WAR. The Black Cats released Wang in the summer and he finished out the 2025 season unemployed. He decided to retire that winter at age 39.

Wang’s BSA tenure had a 141-71 record, 3.12 ERA, 2061.1 innings, 2038 strikeouts, 275 walks, 175/262 quality starts, 73 complete game, 20 shutouts, 124 ERA+, and 46.3 WAR. Once you’re inducted into any league’s Hall of Fame, you’re placed into a “global” hall and removed from ballots of any other leagues you’re eligible for.

Wang probably wouldn’t have made BSA’s between only pitching nine years and being subpar in the back-end. Still, he’s one of the few in world history worthy of genuine consideration for two separate Halls of Fame. Wang had three Pitcher of the Year awards, a Triple Crown, and a Cup win, which was certainly quite the haul.

For his combined pro career, Wang had a 269-142 record, 2.36 ERA, 4161.1 innings, 4670 strikeouts, 654 walks, 395/524 quality starts, 161 complete games, 53 shutouts, 135 ERA+, 73 FIP-, and 108.7 WAR. Despite his accolades, Wang wasn’t quite dominant and/or tenured enough to crack any of the world top 50 leaderboards. That just goes to show how stiff the competition can be though for all of baseball history. With eight POTYs across two leagues, Wang certainly earns a mention among the absolute best aces in the world in the 2010s and early 2020s.