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

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 03-08-2025, 06:41 PM

2027 ALB Hall of Fame

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 03-09-2025, 05:50 AM

2027 AAB Hall of Fame

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 03-09-2025, 12:28 PM

2027 World Baseball Championship

The 2027 World Baseball Championship was the 81^st edition of the event and was hosted in Valencia, Spain. This was the first time the event was in Europe since 2005’s event in Naples, Italy. In Division 1, Kazakhstan claimed the top spot at 9-2, fending off 8-3 Australia. This was the fifth division title for the Kazakhs, who hadn’t done it since 2003.

Division 2 had a tie for the top spot at 9-2 between the United States and Malaysia, while England (8-3) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (7-4) were in the mix. The Americans advanced on the tiebreaker, ending a two-year division title drought. The US now has gone to the elite eight or deeper in 61 editions of the WBC.

D3 was remarkably competitive with Spain (7-4) surviving for their second division win in three years and their 11^th overall. Six nations were one back at 6-5 (Denmark, Ireland, Niger, Scotland, Slovakia, Tanzania) with three others at 5-6 (Canada, China, Philippines).

Japan and Ukraine were even atop Division 4 at 9-2 with the head-to-head tiebreaker favoring the Japanese. Japan advanced for the 21^st time and ended their second-longest ever drought at seven years. Defending world champion Austria missed the cut at 6-5.

Last year’s runner-up and 2024’s world champion France claimed Division 5 at 9-2 with their nearest foes being 7-4 Afghanistan and Iran. The French now have 16 division titles overall. In D6, Bulgaria became a first-time division winner at 9-2, edging out 8-3 Venezuela. The Bulgarians became the 84^th unique nation to advance to the elite eight at some point. After a surprise fourth place the prior year, Hungary struggled to 3-8.

Vietnam and Pakistan tied for first in Division 7 at 9-2. The Vietnamese had the tiebreaker to earn back-to-back division titles and only their fourth overall. Vietnam and France would be the only teams from the 2026 elite eight to make it back in 2027. Argentina, Brazil, and Thailand were each next at 7-4. Lastly, Egypt (9-2) won D8 over Germany (8-3), Colombia (7-4), Peru (7-4), Russia (7-4), and Tajikistan (7-4). It was the fifth division title for the Egyptians, who last did it in 2014.

France led Round Robin Group A at 4-2, becoming the first team to earn three semifinal trips in four years since the US’s five straight from 2007-11. The Americans and Spain were both 3-3 and Japan was 2-4. The tiebreaker sent the Spanish forward for their fifth trip to the final four and second in three years.

Newcomer Bulgaria led the way in Group B at 5-1, advancing along with 4-2 Vietnam. Kazakhstan was close at 3-3 and Egypt struggled to 0-6. The Vietnamese and Bulgarians were both first time semifinalists, making it 52 different countries that have made it into the final four.

Both semifinal series went 3-2 with one newcomer and one familiar advancing. France outlasted Vietnam for a third finals trip in four years, a feat only previously done by the US, China, Brazil, Mexico, and Canada. Bulgaria prevailed over Spain to become the 34^th nation to make it to the finals.

The 81^st World Championship was an all-time classic that needed all seven games for only the second time in 12 years. For only the third time in event history, game seven required extra innings. The previous ones were the 1995 final (Canada over China 1-0 in 11) and 2023 (Canada over the US 4-3 in 10). Not only did the 2027 final go extras, but it needed another game’s worth of innings plus one.

Game seven was the ultimate pitching duel and entered the bottom of the 19^th inning tied at 1-1. There, Bulgarian LF Dimitar Ivanov smacked a three-run home run to give Bulgaria the 4-1 win and a shocking upset over France. The 24-year old Ivanov was a second-year player in the European Second League with Cluj-Napoca, having taken third in Rookie of the Year voting the prior year.

Ivanov forever cemented his status as a national hero with one swing of the bat. He was perhaps an unlikely hero, since he set a bad all-time tournament record with 68 strikeouts over his 28 games. Despite his whiffs, he did lead all players for the event in hits (37), total bases (81), and RBI (28) while adding 11 home runs.

Although Ivanov had the decisive blow, it was LF Stanislav Iliev won Tournament MVP. He was another E2L player, although the 26-year old had won conference MVP honors the prior year with Stuttgart. In 29 starts, Iliev had 34 hits, 28 runs, 8 doubles, 2 triples, 9 homers, 16 RBI, 26 walks, 1.100 OPS, and 2.4 WAR. Iliev’s 26 walks were tied for the second-most in WBC history, behind only Jaxson Bradley’s 28 from 1952.

For the fourth straight year (and the fifth time in six years), there was a first-time World Champion. There were also now ten different champions in ten years. Apart from the first-ever WBC, there had never been a nation that had earned both their first-ever playoff trip and first world title in the same year. Bulgaria became the 21^st country to win the championship and the 10^th from Europe. It was also four consecutive years with a European champ.

Best Pitcher went to Norway’s Inge Sverdup, a former E2L and EBF closer who was signed with MLB’s Hartford for 2027. The 30-year old righty had 13 no-hit innings over three appearances, striking out 22 with only one walk allowed. Sverdup had a no-hitter against neighboring Sweden on January 14, where had had 15 Ks and the one walk. His .025 opponent’s OPS was a new tournament record among qualifiers (13 IP minimum). Sverdup also became only the 13^th in event history to toss 13+ innings without a hit allowed.

Other notes: France’s Henri L’Ecuyer had 12 doubles, tying the WBC record set by Monty Mood (1994) and Jae-Min Hwang (2003). Australia’s Charlie Redfern had a no-hitter with 19 strikeouts and one walk against Mexico on January 18. He became the 11^th in event history to record a no-no with 19+ Ks. El Salvador’s Yassel Cortez hit for the cycle against Romania, becoming the 20^th player to achieve the feat.

Below is the all-time updated tournament standings:

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 03-09-2025, 07:45 PM

2027 in A2L

The African Second League’s Southern Conference had a tight battle with Comoros (91-71) outlasting Windhoek (89-73), Blantyre (88-7), and Maseru (86-76) for the top spot. The Chimps earned their first-ever promotion to the African Association of Baseball’s top tier.

The Central Conference was even tighter with six teams within two games of the top spot. Djibouti escaped the winner at 86-76 for their first-ever promotion. Asmara, Bahir Dar, and Pointe-Noire were all one back at 85-77. Juba and Mombasa were two away at 84-78.

The 10^th Second League Championship needed all nine games with Djibouti prevailing 5-4 over Comoros.

Other notes: Windhoek’s Simon Walusimbi set a new A2L single-season WAR record at 9.37. Walusimbi also won his fourth consecutive MVP, the first to win four in A2L’s short history. Pointe-Noire’s Musa Jabu won his second MVP and Asmara’s Uche Nweke won his second Pitcher of the Year. LF Kali Bailey became the first A2L player with seven Silver Sluggers.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 03-10-2025, 06:43 AM

2027 in E2L

Brussels finished atop the European Second League’s Western Conference at 104-58, earning back-to-back playoff trips. Stuttgart was second at 98-64, followed by Liverpool at 96-66. It was the fourth straight playoff trip for the Silver Sabres, who were one of the few teams still to never be promoted at least once. Stuttgart set a new E2L record during the season with their offense drawing 693 walks. The Phantoms ended a three-year playoff drought and were also shooting for their first-ever promotion.

There was a tie for the final playoff spot at 93-69 between Turin and Malta. The Tanks won the tiebreaker game to end a nine-year playoff drought, while the Marvels had only just been demoted. Turin, another team yet to be promoted, posted the second-best team OBP in conference history at .329. Toulouse was also in the playoff mix at 91-71, but fell just short.

Brussels bombarded the field in the Round Robin at 6-0 to advance to the Western Conference Championship for the first time. Turin and Stuttgart both were 3-3, while Liverpool went 0-6. The Tanks advanced to their third-ever conference final (2005, 2017) but promptly got swept 4-0 by the Beavers. Brussels guaranteed promotion back to the European Baseball Federation Elite after a six-year stay in E2L.

Bratislava led the way at 107-55 in the Eastern Conference for back-to-back playoff berths. Krakow was a very strong second at 100-62 with Lviv a powerful third at 97-65. The Canines had just gotten relegated the prior year and hoped for an immediate escape. The Lunkers only previous promotion was in 2018, followed by a demotion back the next year. In 2027, Lviv set a new E2L team record with 255 home runs.

Yerevan claimed the fourth and final spot at 89-73, fending off last year’s conference runner-up Helsinki by one game. It was the Valiants’ first playoff spot since getting relegated to E2L for 2020. A notable collapse was last year’s first place finisher Dnipro, dropping to 15^th at 68-94. Last place Varna (59-103) was another notable plummet as they had been at or above 80 wins for the prior five years.

The #1 and #4 seeds advanced out of the Round Robin with Bratislava and Yerevan both at 4-2. Krakow was 3-3 and Lviv finished 1-5. In the Eastern Conference Championship, the Blue Falcons defeated the Valiants 4-2. Bratislava secured its second promotion, having been stuck in E2L since 2013 apart from the 2020 campaign. In the 23^rd Second League Championship, Bratislava defeated Brussels 4-1. It was notably the first time since 2019 that both #1 seeds made it to the finale.

Over in the EBF Elite, five teams finished with 100+ losses, opening up five promotion slots out of E2L. This meant conference finalists Turin and Yerevan were also promoted. The fifth slot went to Krakow as the winningest playoff team that didn’t make the final four. For the Canines, this E2L stint ended up being a one-and-done. The Valiants earned their first promotion since getting relegated to E2L starting in 2020. The Tanks earned their first-ever promotion, leaving Liverpool, Stuttgart, and Lodz as the only E2L originals to never move up at least once.

Other notes: Stuttgart’s Alexander Hamann became the first in league history to win Pitcher of the Year four times. Edinburgh’s Yuriy Sapay had the fifth hitting Triple Crown in E2L history with a .336 average, 38 homers, and 108 RBI. Edinburgh’s Mattia Dallapiccola became the third to have a four home run game. Nottingham’s Leonid Bostan became the first E2L player with 2000 career hits.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 03-10-2025, 02:25 PM

2027 in AAB

Six teams ended up within eight games of the top spot in the African Association of Baseball’s Southern Conference. Dar es Salaam took first at 92-70 for both their first playoff trip and winning season since 2020. It was also the first time since their 2004 Africa Series win that the Sabercats finished first in the standings. Defending conference champ Cape Town was second as they finished 90-72. The Cowboys allowed the fewest runs in AAB at 665.

Missing out on the wild card by three games were both Harare and last year’s first place squad Lusaka at 87-75. The Lake Monsters were the top scoring team in AAB at 904. Antananarivo (85-77) and Johannesburg (84-78) were both in the mix as well. Maputo at 66-96 ended up relegated, finishing just behind 68-94 Gaborone in the battle at the bottom. This was the second demotion for the Piranhas, although they had bounced right back as African Second League champ in 2023.

Repeating as Southern Conference MVP was Lusaka CF Noel Malama. The 25-year old Zambian lefty led in home runs (58), and WAR (8.8). Malama added 131 RBI, 106 runs, 50 stolen bases, a .372/.473/.870 slash, 1.344 OPS, and 224 wRC+. He didn’t qualify barely for first in the rate stats as his 492 plate appearances fell short of the 502 requirement.

Had he qualified, Malama would’ve had the second-best OPS and third-best single-season slugging in world history. He missed more than two months between a torn abdominal muscle and strained back. Malama was in the ballpark of Mwarami Tale’s world record .885 slugging and 1.375 OPS from the 2009 AAB season. Malama would finally sign a mammoth eight-year, $245,100,000 extension with the Lake Monsters in March 2029.

Gaborone’s Simon Kayongo became the sixth in AAB history to win Pitcher of the Year three times and the second to do it consecutively. The 26-year old Ugandan righty led in WAR (8.0), quality starts (22), and FIP- (65). Kayongo had a 3.45 ERA over 240.1 innings, 13-12 record, 240 strikeouts, and 137 ERA+. This was his final full season with the Golden Bears, as he’d be traded at the deadline in 2028 to Cape Town for five prospects.

Defending Africa Series champ Bujumbura took first in the Central Conference at 93-69. Despite being the reigning champ, this was only the second time the Bighorns had finished first in the standings (1997). Bujumbura allowed the fewest runs in the conference (696) and scored the second most (819).

After getting promoted out of the African Second League the prior year, Mogadishu took the wild card at 90-72. The Mighty Mice earned their first AAB playoff appearance since their lone Africa Series crown in 2017. Close behind were Brazzaville (88-74) and Kinshasa (86-76). Last year’s first place finisher Nairobi was tied for sixth at 78-84.

The stunning fall came from Kampala, who had posted a dynasty run to start the decade. The Peacocks had been just below .500 the prior two years, but a drop to 69-93 put them in last for 2027 behind 72-90 Ndjamena. This was another example of how quickly fortune can shift. Kampala had taken second in the Baseball Grand Championship in both 2021 and 2022. Only five years later, the Peacocks were now to be relegated down to A2L.

Addis Ababa was fifth at 80-82, but led the conference in scoring with 821 runs. Leading that charge was Central Conference MVP Dagne Mersha, who took the top spot in runs (146), homers (71), RBI (163), total bases (449), slugging (.734), OPS (1.139), wRC+ (183), and WAR (8.2). The 28-year old Ethiopian DH’s efforts were the second-most runs, tenth-most homers, sixth-most total bases, and fifth-most RBI in an AAB single-season to that point.

Pitcher of the Year was Bujumbura’s Fetra Rakotonarivo in his fifth season. The 25-year old Malagasy righty repeated as ERA champ (2.38) and led in wins (21-4), WHIP (0.94), shutouts (7), FIP- (61), and WAR (8.7). Rakotonarivo’s seven shutouts were an AAB single-season record with two of them being one-hitters. He had 268 strikeouts in 246 innings and 192 ERA+. The Bighorns would sign him to a six-year, $92,200,000 extension in September 2028.

For the first time since 2015, both conference championships needed all seven games. Both defending champs came out on the losing end in 2027. In the Southern Conference Championship, Dar es Salaam outlasted Cape Town, while Mogadishu bested Bujumbura for the Central Conference title. It was the second pennant for both the Sabercats (2004) and the Mighty Mice (2017). Both teams also won the Africa Series those years.

Mogadishu capped off their impressive rebound from relegation by winning the 33^rd Africa Series 5-2 against Dar es Salaam. The Mighty Mice became the sixth different AAB champ in as many years. Hometown hero Hassan Salaad was the star of the postseason, winning MVP of both rounds. The 26-year old Somali 2B had 24 hits, 13 runs, 9 doubles, 5 home runs, 14 RBI, 1.470 OPS, and 1.4 WAR in 13 playoff starts. The nine doubles set an AAB playoff record.

Other notes: Johannesburg’s Stewart Khumalo had a 41-game hitting streak, destroying the previous AAB record of 30. He’s only the 16^th player in world baseball history with a hitting streak of 40+ and the first to do it since CABA’s Sandile Nyambi set the world record of 54 in 2018. 2027 joined 2008 as the only AAB seasons with zero no-hitters.

In milestones, Rio Manuel became the 7^th AAB pitcher with 3000 strikeouts. Regis Mugabo and Warren Biloa became the 21^st and 22^nd batters to 2000 hits. Catcher Destin Kette won his 11^th Gold Glove, the most by any AAB player. Despite his outstanding defense, Kette finished with only 6.4 career WAR thanks to a putrid bat (.583 OPS, 55 wRC+). P Noel Kembo won his 7^th Gold Glove. Djibrilla Ousseini won his 9^th Silver Slugger and his first at second base, as the previous eight came at shortstop.

Promotion/Relegation: Maputo and Kampala were the two teams relegated in 2027. Comoros replaced the Piranhas in the Southern Conference and Djibouti took the Peacocks’ spot in the Central Conference.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 03-11-2025, 04:35 AM

2027 in ALB

The race for the Mediterranean Division was an all-timer between defending Arab League Baseball champ Algiers and Tripoli. Both set franchise records in pursuit of both the division title and the top seed in the Western Conference. The Privateers ultimately won the race at 113-49, edging out the 112-50 Arsenal by one game. Fortunately for Algiers, it was the fourth year of the playoff expansion as previously in ALB, only division winners had advanced to the postseason. 113-49 was the second-best record in conference history behind Amman’s 116-46 from 2010.

A wild card last year, Tripoli earned their first division title since 2020. The Privateers had a historic offense, setting new ALB single-season records for runs (1001), hits (1773), triple slash (.307/.359/.534), and doubles (392). The Privateers were the first-ever 1000 run team in ALB, a mark that has very rarely been met in any league. Tripoli’s runs and triple slash are still ALB records as of 2037.

Algiers allowed the fewest runs in ALB at 621, but they weren’t bad offensively themselves. The Arsenal scored a second place 908 runs and had their own .297 batting average and 1703 hits, both of which would’ve been conference records if not for Tripoli’s explosion. Algiers’ playoff streak grew to five years, but they were stuck as one of the highest record wild cards in baseball history. The Arsenal also set a new conference attendance record at 2,079,597.

Alexandria quietly had their own excellent season at 100-62 to repeat as Nile Division champs and earn a third straight playoff trip. Cairo was second at 93-69, good enough for the second wild card. The Pharaohs were back in the postseason after having a nine-year streak snapped in 2026.

Jerusalem’s playoff streak grew to four as they repeated as Levant Division champ at 94-68. Amman (89-73) and Damascus (87-75) were the first teams out in both the division race and the wild card race. Tunis, a 94-win wild card last year, fell to 70-92 in the loaded Mediterranean.

The battle for Western Conference MVP was also intense as Alexandria 1B Gilon Bassman and Algiers LF Wissam Magdy both had record breaking seasons. The top award went to Bassman for repeat wins. The 24-year old Israeli righty led in runs (141), hits (267), doubles (70), total bases (534), triple slash (.414/.438/.828), OPS (1.266), wRC+ (219), and WAR (11.8). Bassman also had 59 home runs and 164 RBI.

Bassman became the new ALB single-season record holder in average, OPS, hits, total bases, and doubles. His 534 total bases tied for the second-most in world baseball history and only was behind Majed Darwish’s 546 in the 2010 South Asia Baseball season. Bassman’s’ batting average was the fourth-best qualifying season in world history to that point. His hit total was fifth-best, only behind four seasons by West Africa Baseball’s Fares Belaid. Bassman also had only the fifth-ever 70 double season, missing the world record by two. As of 2037, he remains ALB’s leader in OPS, hits, and total bases.

Magdy had matched ALB’s home run record of 82 the prior year, which was one of only five 80+ dinger seasons in world history to that point. He bested it in 2027 with an absurd 89 homers, coming close to Darwish’s world record 91 from the 2009 SAB season. Many felt Darwish’s mark was a truly impossible feat, but Magdy came remarkably close to it. Magdy also had 183 RBI, breaking Nordine Soule’s ALB record of 172 from 2008. This was the seventh-best in world history and was one of only eight seasons in any league at or above 180 RBI.

Algiers also saw Muhammad Nour win his fifth Pitcher of the Year, becoming only the fourth in ALB history to do so. He had won four straight from 2021-24 and still was only 29-years old in 2027. The Algerian lefty led in ERA (2.68), WHIP (0.99), WAR (8.0), quality starts (26), and FIP- (62). Nour added 276 strikeouts over 225.1 innings with a 20-6 record. In spring training, the Arsenal locked him up on a six-year, $108 million extension.

Despite their 112-50 record, Algiers was shocked 2-1 by Cairo in the wild card round. The Pharaohs couldn’t keep the magic going in round two as they were swept by top seed Tripoli, who earned their first Western Conference Final trip since 2020. Jerusalem earned repeat WCF appearances by surviving 2-1 against Alexandria. The Privateers were the massive favorite, but the Jets earned a shocking 3-1 upset for only their second-ever pennant (2007).

The Eastern Conference saw significant turnover as only one of the five playoff teams from 2026 made it back in 2027. That was Medina, who earned the top seed at 110-52. They repeated as Arabia Division champs and grew their playoff streak to three. Both wild cards came out of the division with Mecca at 89-73 and Riyadh at 85-77. They both got their second playoff trips in four years. The Rats were the top scoring team in the conference at 918 runs.

The top seed wasn’t a lock for Medina, as they had to fend off 105-57 Sulaymaniyah. The Sultans dominated the Mesopotamia Division, ending the nine-year reign of Basra. Sulaymaniyah did it by allowing the conference’s fewest runs at 665. The Bulldogs fell to 76-86, their first losing season since 2015. Baghdad was a very distant second in the division at 82-80, but only three short of the second wild card. Kuwait’s three-year playoff streak ended as they dropped to 75-87.

The Gulf Division went to Muscat for the second time in three years with a 98-64 finish. No one else in the division was above .500 with Abu Dhabi best at 80-82. Defending conference champ Bahrain regressed to 78-84. Leading the way for the Threshers was RF Ahmed Yasser Basha, who won Eastern Conference MVP.

Basha led in stolen bases (99) and won his fifth Gold Glove. The 26-year old Egyptian had 236 hits, 130 runs, 45 doubles, 40 home runs, 132 RBI, .384/.418/.681 slash, and 8.0 WAR. There was tough competition, including Sulaymaniyah’s Mokhtar Bouziane, who set a new ALB single-season record with 149 runs scored. Mecca’s Iqbal Matharu also notably had a .407 batting average, which ranked as the third-best in ALB history.

Medina’s Bakr Mahdi won his second Pitcher of the Year, having also done it back in 2024. The 29-year old Omani righty in 2027 led in ERA (2.73), wins (22-5), WHIP (0.92), and quality starts (24). Mahdi added 7.8 WAR over 198 innings, 169 ERA+, and 260 strikeouts; four Ks shy of a Triple Crown. Mahdi inked a new six-year, $184,900,000 extension with the Mastodons in June 2028.

Mecca topped Riyadh 2-0 in the wild card round and took Medina to the limit in round two. The Mastodons survived 2-1 to get their second Eastern Conference Final trip in three years. Sulaymaniyah swept Muscat on the other side for their first ECF appearance since 2015. Top seed Medina held 3-1 over the Sultans for their first pennant in 20 years. The Mastodons now had seven, tied with Basra for the most in the Eastern Conference.

The 38^th Arab League Championship was a rematch the 2007 final. Medina defeated Jerusalem that year, which was the Mastodons’ most recent title and the Jets’ only finals berth. The end result was the same in 2027 with Medina winning over Jerusalem in an excellent 4-3 affair.

Finals MVP was Medina SP Hussein Hussain in his ninth season. In four playoff starts, the 30-year old Yemeni had a 3.27 ERA, 2-1 record, 22 innings, and 20 strikeouts. Worth a mention on the losing side was Jerusalem RF Misbah Salah, who set a new ALB playoff record with 21 RBI.

The Mastodons became five-time ALB champs (1992, 1993, 2005, 2007), tying them with Basra for the second-most. Casablanca holds the top spot with six. At 110-52, the 2027 Mastodons had the fourth-best record by an ALB champion. The only teams better was 1993 Medina (116-46), 2010 Amman (116-46), and 1994 Casablanca (111-51).

Other notes: With the record-setting top teams in the Western Conference came with record-setting bottom teams. Khartoum and Suez set new pitching worsts in the WC for ERA and runs with the Cottonmouths at 5.57 and 949, while the Sabres were at 5.54 and 946. Those marks narrowly avoided being ALB all-time worsts. Khartoum did set a new ALB worsts with only 1038 strikeouts, a 6.50 K/9, and 1.511 team WHIP.

Jerusalem’s Sayaf Mesmari threw ALB’s 8^th Perfect Game on September 13, striking out 11 against Cairo. In other pitching milestones, Khamis Sheik was the 5^th to reach 4000 strikeouts and Aaron Buber was the 9^th to 300 saves. Jeddah’s Amar Rasmi had a 36-game hitting streak, tying the ALB record set by Alaa Dinari in 2024. Rasmi also became the 5^th member of the 3000 hit club.

Earlier in the year, Mohamed Hassan became the 4^th to 3000 hits and the 3^rd to 2000 career RBI. Omar Azim and Osama Ahmed became the 13^th and 14^th members of the 600 home run club. Tzidkiel Monnish was the 30^th to 500 home runs and the 17^th to 1500 RBI. 3B Malik Zouaoui won his 8^th Silver Slugger and LF Walid Bennani won his 7^th.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 03-11-2025, 03:16 PM

2027 in ABF

Asian Baseball Federation players scored a major labor win for 2027 with the minimum service time requirement for free agency dropping from seven to six years. ABF had formed with a seven-year standard, dropped it to six for 1993, then raised it back to seven in 2014. This put ABF among the least restrictive of the world leagues with the only ones lower being East Asia Baseball and the Oceania Baseball Association at five years.

Reigning ABF champ Hyderabad narrowly earned the East League’s top seed at 102-60 atop the South Division. North Division champ Almaty was one game back at 101-61. The Horned Frogs grew their playoff streak to four seasons and the Assassins run grew to eight years. Almaty was the EL’s top scoring team with 715 runs while Hyderabad allowed the fewest at 508.

Peshawar (98-64) was three back on the Assassins in the North Division and Bishkek (95-67) was six away. They took the two wild card spots with only South Division runner up Lahore (93-69) also in the hunt. The Predators ended a 33-year playoff drought, which had been the longest in ABF history. The Black Sox snapped a three-year skid. Karachi, who had seen back-to-back ELCS trips, fell to 81-81. Dushanbe set an EL team record with 366 doubles, although they were only 78-84 regardless.

East League MVP went to Almaty LF Youssouf Raza in his fifth season as a full-time starter. The 26-year old Pakistani led in runs (115), and home runs (54). Raza added 182 hits, 35 doubles, 125 RBI, .317/.386/.673 slash, 1.059 OPS, 216 wRC+, and 10.6 WAR. Prior to the season, the Assassins locked Raza up on an eight-year, $105,500,000 extension.

Fourth-year righty Sharafat Butti was Pitcher of the Year for Hyderabad. The 24-year old Pakistani led in wins (18-5), K/BB (11.7), and shutouts (6). Butti had a 2.14 ERA over 205.2 innings, 281 strikeouts, 162 ERA+, and 6.6 WAR. He also earned his second Gold Glove. Butti would pitch a good 2028, but a series of major injuries meant he only pitched 46.2 total innings after turning 27.

Hyderabad outlasted Bishkek 3-2 in the first round and Peshawar upset Almaty with a surprising road sweep. The Horned Frogs had a chance to repeat, while the Predators hadn’t been in the East League Championship Series since their lone ABF title back in 1992. In an intense seven-game battle, Hyderabad survived Peshawar’s fierce challenge. The repeat made the Horned Frogs eight-time pennant winners, leading all ABF teams.

Mashhad took the top seed in the West League for the third straight year and grew their playoff streak to seven seasons. The two-time defending WL champs were 106-56 atop the Central Division and led in scoring with 867 runs. Baku won the West Division at 99-63 for their fifth playoff trip in six years, although it was their first division title since 2022. The Blackbirds allowed the fewest runs at 607.

Adana was second in the West at 94-68, earning repeat wild cards. The Central Division’s runner-up Tehran narrowly secured the second wild card at 91-71, edging Istanbul by one game. The Tarpons snapped a seven-year playoff drought. After repeat WLCS trips, Gaziantep struggled to 73-89. Shiraz notably went from a 96-win wild card in 2026 to .500 in 2027. Also significant was Bursa’s plummet to 66-96, their first losing record since 2019.

West League MVP was Adana’s Vugar Sodikov, who also won his sixth consecutive Gold Glove at shortstop. The 27-year old Azeri was the WARlord at 10.7 and posted 177 hits, 106 runs, 34 doubles, 14 triples, 36 home runs, 113 RBI, 47 stolen bases, .295/.353/.577 slash, and 151 wRC+. He had the rare MVP/Silver Slugger/Gold Glove sweep and hit for the cycle in May against Isfahan. The Axeman gave Sodikov an eight-year, $108,200,000 extension before the 2026 season.

Baku lefty Agshin Jumayev won his second Pitcher of the Year in three years. The 26-year old Tajik led in strikeouts (404), FIP- (55), and WAR (9.6). Jumayev posted a 2.54 ERA over 251.2 innings, 15-9 record, and 156 ERA+. He joined Hasan Afshin and Yazeed Anwari as the only ABF pitchers with multiple 400+ K seasons. In August, the Blackbirds secured their ace with a seven-year, $95,600,000 extension.

Both wild cards pulled off surprising first round upsets with Adana sweeping Baku and Tehran ousting defending champ Mashhad 3-1. The Tarpons hadn’t been in the West League Championship Series since their back-to-back titles in 2016-17. The Axemen’s last WLCS was a 2016 defeat against Tehran. The Tarpons took the series handily 4-1 to earn their fifth pennant.

The 43^rd ABF Championship was the first finals battle between Hyderabad and Tehran despite both being generally successful. The matchup was a dud with the Horned Frogs sweeping the Tarpons, becoming ABF’s first repeat champ since Tehran did it in 2016-17. Hyderabad earned their second repeat and lead all ABF teams with six titles (1986, 1987, 1999, 2013, 2026, 2027).

2B Ammar Sanjrani was finals MVP, recording 18 hits, 9 runs, 4 doubles, 4 homers, and 10 RBI over 16 playoff starts. Closer Talib Abdul Qadir was also notable for posting nine saves, tying the ABF playoff record set by Muhayr Jibal in 2024. Abdul Qadir had a 1.96 ERA over 10 appearances and 18.1 innings with 20 strikeouts.

Other notes: 2027 was the final ABF season for the legendary Nizami Aghazade. The 39-year old Kazakh SS/2B wasn’t done completely, as he’d still have another five years in MLB and one in EPB. Aghazade was the undisputed GOAT in ABF after an absurd 16-year run with Dushanbe that saw nine MVPs, 13 Silver Sluggers, and three Gold Gloves.

In total, Aghazade had 183.1 WAR, 2747 hits, 1464 runs, 467 doubles, 596 home runs, 1563 RBI, 827 walks, .358/.432/.665 slash, 1.097 OPS, and 237 wRC+. He left as ABF’s leader in WAR, triple slash, and OPS; plus was in the top ten of most of the big counting stats.

Aghazade has 60+ more WAR than the next best ABF legend, leading the league and recording 10+ WAR in 12 different seasons. The four seasons he didn’t reach that mark were all injury shortened, including 7.1 WAR over 98 games in his final Dynamo season at age 39. As of 2037, Aghazade has seven of ABF’s top ten WAR seasons. Following the 2027 campaign, Aghazade was 8^th in the all-time WAR chart for all players in baseball history.

In batting milestones, Aghazade became the 6^th to 1500 RBI. ABF hits king Mehmet Fatih Canaydin became the first to 3500 hits. Hakan Mocuk became the 16^th member of the 500 home run club. Mocuk also won his ninth Silver Slugger and his first at 1B, having previously won eight at 3B. Sijad Khaleel became the fifth pitcher to 4500 strikeouts and Mustafa Jumah was the 11^th to 4000 Ks. Arshia Hushyar was the 15^th pitcher to 200 wins and Ibragim Nazarow was the 4^th to 300 saves.

RF Hana Zuhair won his 15^th consecutive and final Gold Glove. Zuhair became only the 9^th player in all of baseball history to win 15+ Gold Gloves and the only one to do it as a right fielder. C Ali Mahdian and CF Campolat Necdet both won their 8^th Gold Gloves.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 03-12-2025, 08:04 AM

2027 in SAB

After winning three straight South Asia Baseball titles from 2023-25, Visakhapatnam lost in the Indian League Championship in 2026 despite a franchise-best 115-47 record. Looking to rebound from the playoff letdown, the Volts improved to 119-43 for a fifth straight South Division title. That was the best record by an IL team since Ahmedabad’s historic dynasty run. Visakhapatnam allowed the fewest runs in SAB by a healthy margin at 459. The Volts also had a 2,258,719 season attendance, second-best in SAB history behind their own 2,268,493 from the prior year.

The league was generally top-heavy as Jaipur took the #2 seed and Central Division at 106-56. The Jokers got their second berth in four years, finishing 13 games ahead of Delhi in the division. The Drillers at 93-69 ended up four short in the wild card race. Delhi now has eight consecutive 90+ win seasons, yet they’re on a four-year playoff drought. Defending Indian League champ Kolkata dropped to 81-81, ending their six-year playoff streak.

In a tight West Division race, Ahmedabad (100-62) edged out Pune (97-65). The Animals got repeat division titles and the Purple Knights snagged a third straight wild card. Pune also earned its seventh playoff trip in nine years. Ahmedabad led the league in scoring with 822 runs. Apart from Delhi, the next closest teams in the wild card race were far away with Hyderabad at 87-75 and Chennai at 85-77.

Expansion squad Vadodara was a lousy 60-102 in their third season, but they had the Indian League’s MVP in two-way rookie Deep Rajagopal. He finally made his highly anticipated debut after a wild start to his career. He was picked first in the 2023 SAB Draft by Surat and in the 2024 Draft by Vadodara, but didn’t sign either time. The RedHawks picked him #2 in 2026 and finally got him, but Rajagopal missed all of 2026 to a torn labrum.

He officially wasn’t eligible for Rookie of the Year for 2027 despite it being his first action due to his roster status while injured in 2026. On the mound, Rajagopal had a 3.29 ERA in 221.2 innings, 13-11 record, 293 strikeouts, 109 ERA+, and 6.0 WAR. As an outfielder, he had 133 games with 155 hits, 62 runs, 46 doubles, 16 home runs, 64 RBI, .355/.409/.593 slash, 196 wRC+, and 6.4 WAR. Rajagopal’s combined 12.4 WAR was the third-best two-way WAR total in SAB history.

E.J. Dhananjay won his second Pitcher of the Year in three years. His first came in 2025 with Hyderabad, but he left and signed a seven-year, $114,100,000 deal with his hometown Visakhapatnam in 2026. For 2027, the 28-year old righty led in wins (23-4), ERA (1.87), and WHIP (0.81). Dhananjay had 8.1 WAR and 192 ERA+ over 212 innings with 325 strikeouts, falling 18 Ks short of a Triple Crown. He also tossed his second no-hitter, striking out 16 with one walk facing Nagpur on March 27.

Despite the 22-win difference, Pune shocked top seed Visakhapatnam 3-1 in the first round, giving the Volts back-to-back letdowns despite monster regular seasons. The Purple Knights secured their second Indian League Championship Series trip in three years. They would meet division rival Ahmedabad, who got their own first round upset with a sweep of Jaipur.

The Animals were making their second ILCS appearance in four years and their 24^th across SAB’s 48-year history. However, Ahmedabad hadn’t broken through since the epic dynasty run with a drought back to 2002 and a 0-5 mark in their last five ILCS trips. Pune pushed that drought onward as the Purple Knights prevailed 4-2 over the Animals. It was the fifth pennant for Pune (1981, 1983, 1984, 2019, 2027).

Both division champs in the Southeast Asia League finished 102-60 with Mandalay atop the North and Yangon atop the South. The tiebreaker gave the Green Dragons the #1 seed, ultimately setting up round one matchups between the #1 and #2 teams of both divisions. The Mammoths allowed the fewest runs at 564. Despite being the reigning SAB champ, this was Mandalay’s first division title since 2019. Yangon’s playoff streak grew to three and was their 32^nd berth in 33 years.

Wild cards went to Dhaka (96-66) and Bangkok (91-71) with Khulna (89-73) the first team out. The Dobermans led in scoring at 839 runs and extended their playoff streak to seven seasons. The Bobcats secured their third trip in four years, while the Claws’ bid for a third straight berth was thwarted. Hanoi was the next closest at 84-78, notably setting an SAB team record with 101 triples.

Dhaka DH Hamidul Islam earned Southeast Asia League MVL honors in his second year as a full-time starter. The 24-year old Bangladeshi lefty led in hits (210), runs (130), RBI (135), total bases (429), batting average (.370), slugging (.757), OPS (1.156), and wRC+ (205). Islam added 54 homers, 43 doubles, 54 stolen bases, and 9.9 WAR. He missed the Triple Crown by only five homers behind Mandalay’s Dong Vinh Lam. This effort earned Islam an eight-year, $107,420,000 extension with the Dobermans after the season.

Kathmandu was 76-86, an improvement after eight straight seasons below 70 wins. Third-year pitcher Tha Song played a big role and earned Pitcher of the Year, leading in ERA (2.22), strikeouts (331), WHIP (0.88), FIP- (54), and WAR (9.2). The 25-year old Cambodian righty had a 178 ERA+ and 17-10 record over 239.1 innings. The Chaparrals signed Song to a five-year, $47,240,000 extension after the season.

Mandalay downed Dhaka 3-1 in the first round and Bangkok upset Yangon 3-1. The Bobcats earned their third Southeast Asia League Championship trip in four years, but they’d once again be denied their first-ever pennant. The Mammoths clobbered Bangkok with a sweep to become three-time SEAL champs (2018, 2026, 2027). Mandalay is the first to repeat as SEAL champion since Yangon in 2014-15.

The Mammoths were ultimately thwarted in their SAB Championship repeat bid. The 48^th finale saw a 4-2 victory for Pune, making them four-time champs (1983, 1984, 2019, 2027). Finals MVP was 3B V.J. Bahuprada, who set a new SAB playoff record with 19 runs scored. The previous best was 17 by home run king Majed Darwish in 2008. The 28-year old Bahuprada added 24 hits, 6 doubles, 4 triples, 3 homers, 7 RBI, 10 steals, and 1.5 WAR over 16 starts.

Other notes: SAB’s 14^th Perfect Game came on September 26 by Chittaogng’s Giau Lam with four strikeouts against Hanoi. Abhiji Srivas became the 27^th member of the 500 home run club and Avilasa Ponnuru was the 27^th to 2500 hits. Akram Ponnuru was the 8^th reliever to 400 saves while Avabodha Gautama became the 17^th to 300 saves. Hong Thanh Chung was the 18^th pitcher to 3500 strikeouts. RF Murugan Abdul won his 7^th Gold Glove. 2B Agnisika Dhavita won his 9^th Silver Slugger.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 03-12-2025, 05:19 PM

2027 in WAB

Dakar and Kumasi ended up even atop the Western League standings at 96-66, although the Dukes earned the #1 seed via tiebreaker. It was the fourth straight playoff trip for Dakar and back-to-back for the Monkeys. Kumasi notably allowed the fewest runs in the WL at 699. Freetown was third at 91-71, returning to the postseason after their four-year streak was narrowly thwarted in 2026.

Defending WL champ Abidjan grabbed the fourth and final playoff spot at 88-74, growing their playoff streak to seven. The Athletes notably secured their ninth postseason trip in a decade. Last year’s WLCS runner-up Banjul was tied with Accra for fifth at 83-79. The Bucks were the league’s top scoring squad at 886 runs.

Dakar 3B Junior Jose won his second Western League MVP, having previously done it back in 2024. The fifth-year starter from Mozambique led in home runs (61), OBP (.423), slugging (.737), OPS (1.160), wRC+ (184), and WAR (9.8). Jose added 124 runs, 196 hits, 41 doubles, 145 RBI, and a .339 average. The Dukes signed the former #1 overall pick to an eight-year, $142,700,000 extension in the offseason.

The impressive start to Chidozie Iyakson’s career continued as the Dakar ace won his fourth straight Pitcher of the Year. He became the sixth WAB pitcher to win the award four times, the third to do it consecutively, and the first to do it across the first four years of his career. Hall of Famer Kouadio Diao came close, winning four POTYs in his first five years. Iyakson joined Diao in earning a Triple Crown season, the 12^th by a WAB pitcher.

Iyakson had a 20-4 record, 2.19 ERA, and 318 strikeouts; all new career bests. Over 218 innings, the 26-year old Nigerian lefty also led in WHIP (0.99), quality starts (22), and WAR (8.6). Iyakson had a 213 ERA+ and 54 FIP-. Another former #1 overall pick by the Dukes, Iyakson also signed an extension after the 2027 campaign at $74,700,000 over six years.

Freetown swept defending WL champ Abidjan 2-0 in the first round, then upset Kumasi 2-0 in round two. This gave the Foresters their third Western League Championship Series trip in four years, setting up a 2025 rematch with Dakar. The 2027 result ended the same, a 3-2 victory for the Dukes. The win gave Dakar six Western League pennants (1988, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2025, 2027).

The Eastern League was very top heavy with Ibadan outracing reigning West African Baseball champ Cotonou for the top spot. The 2025 EL champion Iguanas at 107-55 returned to the playoffs after having a four-year playoff streak snapped in 2026. The Copperheads were a close second at 103-59 for repeat berths. Ibadan allowed the fewest runs at 590.

Niamey was third at 95-67 and led in scoring at 955 runs, growing their playoff streak to four years. The Atomics had a team .362 on-base percentage, the second-highest in WAB history. Lagos (87-75) took the fourth and final spot to earn repeat wild cards. Benin City, Port Harcourt, and Lome were each next at 83-79.

Kano notably went from 88 wins in 2026 to an abysmal 61-101 in 2027. Despite that, the Condors had the Eastern League MVP in 1B Hadj Sagna, who led in RBI (154), total bases (407), slugging (.667), and WAR (7.4). He added 211 hits, 106 runs, 53 doubles, 47 homers, and 1.060 OPS. Kano would give Sagna a seven-year, $241,500,000 extension the following summer.

Ibadan’s Alejandra Caceres won Pitcher of the Year and his third Gold Glove. It was his second year with the Iguanas, getting traded by Conakry before the 2026 season. Caceres won the ERA title at 2.25 and posted a 15-5 record, 9 saves, 209 strikeouts, 5.1 WAR, and 198 ERA+ over 188 innings. In May, Caceres signed a four-year, $32,800,000 extension.

Lagos upset Niamey 2-1 in the first round, but got swept in round two by Cotonou. This set up the defending EL champ and the 2025 EL champ Ibadan in the Eastern League Championship Series. The Copperheads prevailed on the road 3-2 over the Iguanas, becoming five-time pennant winners (2010, 11, 13, 26, 27).

The 53^rd West African Championship was a rematch of the 2013 event, which Cotonou won over Dakar in a sweep. This time it went all seven games, but the Copperheads prevailed again over the Dukes. Cotonou moved to 5-0 in their finals appearances while Dakar dropped to 2-4.

LF Damien Sauzee was finals MVP, a French journeyman who came to WAB in 2024 with Kano. He missed all of 2026 to a broken bone in his elbow, then got traded to Cotonou in June 2027. The 37-year old stepped in when it counted, getting 18 hits, 12 runs, 7 doubles, 1 triple, 4 homers, and 6 RBI over 14 playoff starts.

The Copperheads also had notable playoff pitching with Chinedu Michael setting a new playoff record for K/9 (16.80) and Jose Balde hitting the complete games record at three. Balde had a 2.78 ERA and 29 Ks over 32.1 innings, while Michael fanned 28 and had a 3.00 ERA in 15 innings.

Other notes: WAB hits king Fares Belaid signed with Lagos for 2027 and had his weakest year of since his rookie year at age 38. He only had 0.6 WAR in 71 games, but his notably had six doubles. That got Belaid to 819 career doubles, passing South Asia Baseball’s Manju Abbas (816) to baseball’s all-time world doubles leader.

Clarence Cole joined Belaid and Darwin Morris as the only WAB batters with 2000 runs scored. Cole also won his 8^th Silver Slugger in RF. Shafiu Hassan and Desmond Jaiyeola became the 5^th and 6^th members of the 600 home run club and Kingsley Gideon became the 17^th to 500 homers. Gideon, Jonah Moiseiwitsch, and Hassan Amara each got to 1500 RBI, making 15 WAB sluggers to do so. Ahmed Kone was the 28^th to 2500 hits. LF Didier Loubaki won his 7^th Gold Glove.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 03-13-2025, 05:57 AM

2027 in CLB

Jinan finished atop the Northern League standings at 98-64, finishing in the top spot for only the second time in franchise history (2000). The Jumbos allowed the NL’s fewest runs (464) and earned their second playoff berth in three years. Defending Chinese League Baseball champion Tianjin was a close second at 96-66 with Zhenghou third at 95-67. The Jackrabbits secured their fifth playoff trip in six years and set a new NL team record with 352 stolen bases. The Zips led all of CLB with 651 runs scored.

The fourth and final playoff spot was Xi’an at 90-72. The Attack ended a six-year playoff drought, finishing ahead of Harbin (85-77), Beijing (83-77), and Nanjing (82-80). Last year’s first place finisher Dalian dropped to 81-81 and last year’s semifinalist Hangzhou plummeted to 72-90.

Leading Jinan to first place was an all-time season from Northern League MVP Syamsul Azzahari. The 25-year old Malaysian first baseman led in runs (119), hits (207), home runs (59), total bases (414), triple slash (.356/.421/.711), OPS (1.133), wRC+ (249), and WAR (14.3).

Azzahari’s OPS was the second-best qualifying season in CLB history to that point. His 119 runs also were second-best, two short of Libo Li’s 121 from 1980. Azzahari also posted the second-best qualifying slugging percentage and the fifth-best WAR total by a CLB position player. His total bases ranked as the third-best CLB season.

The Jumbos also had the Pitcher of the Year in veteran Yingfa Luo. The 31-year old righty led in wins (20-6), shutouts (6), and WAR (8.0). Luo had a 2.20 ERA over 258 innings, 312 strikeouts, and 131 ERA+. It was Luo’s ninth and final year with Jinan, as he’d leave for free agency and move to Russia on a four-year, $96,800,000 deal with EPB’s Omsk.

Zhengzhou fared the best in the Round Robin at 5-1, advancing to the semifinal along with defending champ Tianjin at 4-2. Jinan at 2-4 and Xi’an at 1-5 were both ousted. The Zips hadn’t made it to the semifinal since 2009, one of two China Series trips for them along with 1995. Zhengzhou earned their third finals trip by dethroning the Jackrabbits in the semifinal 4-2.

Xiamen had China’s best overall record atop the Southern League standings at 100-62. The Mutts picked up their fourth playoff trip in five years. Reigning SL champ Kunming and Wuhan were both next at 95-67. The Muscle secured a third straight playoff trip and the Wolverines got their second in three years. Wuhan allowed the SL’s fewest runs at 424.

The fourth spot went to Chongqing at 93-69, also getting their third straight wild card. Macau was the only close foe at 91-71 and led with 586 runs scored. Guangzhou was a distant sixth at 83-79, followed by 2026 semifinalist Nanning and Wenzhou both at 82-80. Shantou, the first place finisher last year, was at 79-83.

Macau’s Yongxin Li was Southern League MVP in his eighth year with the Magicians. The 29-year old left fielder led in runs (92), walks (70), OBP (.391), OPS (.929), wRC+ (211), and WAR (9.2). Li added 179 hits, 32 home runs, 65 RBI, and a .315 average. In the offseason, Macau signed Li to a seven-year, $188,800,000 extension.

In only his second season, Kunming’s Zhongjie Lu won Pitcher of the Year. The 25-year old lefty led in wins (21-6), ERA (1.48), and WHIP (0.78). In 254.2 innings, Lu struck out 316 batters with a 177 ERA+ and 6.0 WAR. Lu was 20 strikeouts short of a Triple Crown.

Kunming (5-1) and Xiamen (3-3) advanced out of the round robin while Wuhan (2-4) and Chongqing (2-4) were eliminated. The Muscle had a chance to repeat, while the Mutts were in their fourth semifinal in five years. Xiamen lost from 2023-25, but got over the hump in 2027. The Mutts dethroned Kunming 4-1 for their first China Series trip in 18 years and their fourth overall (1981, 2006, 2009, 2027).

The 58^th China Series was the second finals meeting between Xiamen and Zhengzhou with the Mutts winning in their 2009 encounter. The 2027 rematch was a lopsided Zips sweep for Zhengzhou’s first CLB title. With the Zips title, 22 of CLB’s 32 teams have a ring.

Other notes: Kenny Sang became the 3^rd to 500 home runs and the 13^th to 1000 RBI. He also won his 11^th straight Silver Slugger at second base, becoming the third CLB player to win 11+ Sluggers. Sang played two more years and got to 528 home runs, retiring third behind Cheng Kang (552) and Boyu Long (537).

Chongqing’s Rui Santiago set a playoff record with a .571 batting average in 21 plate appearances (20 needed to qualify). Houzhi Ding became the 13^th to 400 homers. Chunhua Wang became the 16^th member of the 2000 hit club. Xiaohan Yin was the 9^th closer to 300 saves. CF Zuhairi Arif won his 8^th Gold Glove.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 03-13-2025, 04:33 PM

2027 in APB

Defending Austronesia Professional Baseball champion and two-time defending Taiwan-Philippine Association champ Cebu again took the top spot in the Philippine League. The 100-62 Crows allowed the fewest runs in the TPA at 439 and set new all-time APB pitching records for strikeouts (1890) and K/9 (11.37). They also posted the second fewest walks (203) and second best BB/9 (1.22). Zamboanga was a distant second at 83-79, but that did mark their 15^th straight non-losing season.

Hsinchu took the Taiwan League at 92-70, beating Taipei by nine and both defending TL champ Kaohsiung and Tainan by ten. The Sweathogs have taken first only in the odd numbered years in the 2020s thus far. Taoyuan scored the most runs at 590, but allowed 588 for an 81-81 finish.

“The King” Binh Tang returned to the Taiwan-Philippine Association MVP spot in 2027. He became the first seven-time winner in APB history, having won from 2020-25 for Hsinchu. The Vietnamese first baseman was still only 27-years old, leading in OPS for the seventh time, WAR for the fifth time, batting average for the sixth time, and runs for the seventh time.

Tang led with 101 runs, 177 hits, 35 doubles, a .315/.386/.568 slash, .954 OPS, 189 wRC+, and 9.7 WAR. He also had 35 home runs, 94 RBI, and 34 stolen bases. The effort earned Tang his seventh Silver Slugger and fourth at first base, as his first three came as a designated hitter.

Pitcher of the Year was Tainan’s Kuan-Yang Kang, who won the ERA title at 1.56. The 26-year old Taiwanese lefty struck out 365 in 225 innings with a 14-9 record, 182 ERA+, and 9.1 WAR. Kang also won his fourth Gold Glove and threw a no-hitter on May 21 against Cagayan de Oro with 19 strikeouts and two walks. He had to fend off Cebu’s Hakimi Aziz, who led in Ks (392) and WAR (11.5). Aziz’s weaker 1.89 ERA and 149 ERA+ was the clincher for enough voters for Kang.

For the third straight year, Jakarta and Johor Bahru punched tickets to the Sundaland Association Championship. The 2025 APB champ Jaguars had the best record at 95-67 atop the Java Sea League, finishing nine games ahead of Palembang. The reigning SA champ Blue Wings won the Malacca League at 93-69, besting Kuala Lumpur and Pekanbaru both by seven games. JB led in scoring at 572 runs while Jakarta had the second most runs (520) and second fewest allowed (446).

Jakarta 1B Shen Chang repeated as Sundaland Association MVP, leading with an .887 OPS. The 27-year old Taiwanese lefty had 152 hits, 77 runs, 39 home runs, 89 RBI, 197 wRC+, and 7.8 WAR.

Semarang was forgettable at 76-86, but they had the Pitcher of the Year Moch Kopriyana. The 27-year old Indonesian lefty had the best ERA (1.39) and WHIP (0.72). Kopriyana had 281 strikeouts over 251.2 innings, a 13-11 record, 183 ERA+, and 7.6 WAR. In April, he inked a four-year, $59,900,000 extension with the Sliders. Also of note, Normeezan Hasrin won his third Reliever of the Year. He was now with Johor Bahru after winning the award with Hsinchu in 2026 and Bandung in 2022. The 30-year old Malaysian righty had 41 saves, 5.4 WAR, 1.18 ERA, and 160 Ks.

In a rematch of the 2025 Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship, Cebu was again victorious over Hsinchu, this time 4-2. The Crows earned their second three-peat and eighth pennant (1980, 90-92, 2012, 25-27). The Sundaland Association was round three between Jakarta and Johor Bahru with the Jaguars winning in 2025 and the Blue Wings taking it in 2026. Jakarta won the rubber match 4-2 for their 11^th pennant, which leads all APB teams.

The 63^rd Austronesia Championship was the third finals battle between Jakarta and Cebu. Two years prior, the Jaguars prevailed in a seven-game classic. Jakarta was also a 4-1 winner back in 1992, which denied a repeat bid by the Crows. In 2027, the Jaguars again denied Cebu’s hopes to repeat as APB champ. Just like in 2025, the series had a 4-3 finish.

Jakarta became the first APB franchise with eight championship rings (1969, 1970, 1985, 1992, 1993, 2004, 2025, 2027). C Fandi Makatindu won finals MVP in his tenth year for Jakarta. In 13 starts, the 31-year old Indonesian had 14 hits, 3 doubles, 1 run, and 2 RBI. Closer Tran Chinh Han also set an APB playoff record with 10 appearances, although he was a mixed bag with a 3.24 ERA over 16.2 innings, 25 strikeouts, 6 saves, and 0-2 record.

Other notes: In his final of 19 years with Bandung, Gosner Rahmawati passed Hadi Ningsih (277) to become APB’s winningest pitcher at 283-195. The three-time Pitcher of the Year winner he retired as APB’s leader in starts (561), innings (4736), and shutouts (83). Rahmawati also retired 10^th in strikeouts at 4718, 2^nd in complete games (254), and 9^th in pitching WAR (111.77).

In other pitching notables, Aru Haj became the 22^nd to 4000 strikeouts and the 28^th to 200 wins. Normeezan Hasrin was the 16^th to 300 saves. Chi-Che Lin was the 27^th batter to 1000 runs scored. C Yi-Hsiang Chang won his 10^th straight Silver Slugger, adding to his position record. Chang is the 9^th player at any position in APB with 10+ Slugger wins.

Jakarta had a season attendance of 2,265,631, breaking their own Sundaland Association record of 2,248,768 set the prior year. Bandung’s offense hit only 65 homers all season, the second-worst in APB history behind only Batam’s 63 from 1986.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 03-14-2025, 06:00 AM

2027 in OBA

Since joining the Oceania Baseball Association in the 2006 expansion, Canberra had won 90+ games in nine different seasons, including from 2022-26. However, none of those seasons ended with an Australasia League title. Canberra finally broke through for their first pennant in 2027, taking the top spot at 108-54. The Centurions led in scoring (762) and allowed the second fewest runs (535).

Last year’s runner-up Sydney was second again, this time at 97-65. Adelaide was third at 91-71 and defending AL champ Christchurch was fourth at 90-72. The Chinooks allowed the fewest runs at 529. Notably, Christchurch had its 17^th consecutive winning season and the Snakes had their 13^th in a row. For the second place Aardvarks, this was their first winning season since 2004. The 22 season stretch without a winning campaign was the longest such run in OBA history.

Perth struggled to 73-89, but they had the Australasia League MVP in third-year first baseman Marika Wati. The 26-year old Fijian had been picked fourth in the 2023 OBA Draft by Auckland, but was traded to the Penguins for 2026. In 2027, Wati led in hits (208), RBI (119), total bases (375), triple slash (.337/.368/.607), OPS (.975), and wRC+ (167). He added 6.3 WAR, 99 runs, 35 doubles, and 38 home runs. Wati also had a six-hit game on September 12 against Christchurch; which was the 17^th six-hit game in OBA history.

Christchurch righty Quinn Burry repeated as Pitcher of the Year, leading in ERA (2.05), strikeouts (423), WHIP (0.94), FIP- (50), and WAR (12.4). The 27-year old Australian righty had a 22-9 record and 186 ERA+ over 294.2 innings, missing a Triple Crown by four wins.

His Chinooks teammate Aidan Wray joined Scott Kyle as OBA’s only five-time Reliever of the Year winners. The 36-year old Australian was in his second year for Christchurch with 40 saves, 1.60 ERA, 84.1 innings, 98 strikeouts, and 3.1 WAR. Wray crossed 500 saves for his combined pro career, becoming only the 10^th in world history to reach the mark. Wray had 486 OBA saves, just passing Jayden Owen’s 483 to take the #1 spot.

Port Moresby’s Pacific League dynasty continued as the reigning OBA champ Mud Hens won their fifth consecutive pennant and seventh overall. It wasn’t even close as PM’s 106-56 record was 18 games ahead of second place Vanuatu. Port Moresby led in runs scored (737) and fewest allowed (473). Five wins separated second from sixth with Vanuatu at 88-74, Timor at 87-75, Tahiti at 86-76, Guadalcanal at 85-77, and Honolulu at 83-79.

For the fourth time in five years, both Pacific League MVP and Pitcher of the Year went to Mud Hens. CF Stanley Yeo became the eighth in OBA history to win five MVPs (2021, 23, 25, 26, 27). The 31-year old hometown hero led in WAR (9.5), runs (105), OPS (.915), and stolen bases (88). Yeo added 172 hits, 27 doubles, 34 home runs, 103 RBI, and 159 wRC+. This was Yeo’s final full season for Port Moresby, as he’d miss much of 2028 to shoulder inflammation. He’d then leave for Major League Baseball on a four-year, $132 million deal with Detroit.

Daniel Laurinavicius repeated as Pitcher of the Year, winning an ERA title (2.16) and leading in K/BB (10.7). The 34-year old Lithuanian righty joined Port Moresby last year after more than a decade of decent production in Europe. Laurinavicius added a 26-4 record, 320.2 innings, 333 strikeouts, 170 ERA+, and 8.1 WAR.

The 68^th Oceania Championship was a seven game classic with Port Moresby narrowly retaining the throne against finals newcomer Canberra. The Mud Hens repeated again for their fifth overall title (1985, 2023-24, 26-27). Port Moresby became the third OBA franchise to win four rings in a five year stretch, joining Honolulu (seven from 1982-90) and Melbourne (six from 2004-10). Mud Hens manager Izdiham Sharif also became the fourth OBA manager with four titles, joining Pablo Salcedo (seven with Honolulu), Chih-Sheng Chao (six with Melbourne), and Jackson Rickert (four with Guam).

Finals MVP was Gold Glove 3B Andreas Wolf in his fifth year with the Mud Hens. The 36-year old German went 11-25 with 4 runs, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 3 homers, and 5 RBI. Pitcher of the Year Daniel Laurinavicius also notably set playoff records for innings (26) and complete games (3). He had a 2.08 ERA and 2-1 record with 24 Ks.

Other notes: 2027 was the final season for Roe Kaupa, who retired as OBA’s all-time leader in home runs (930), RBI (2127), runs (1963), and total bases (6822). The five-time MVP struggled in his last year with Vanuatu at age 40, falling short of Adrian Kali’s hits record of 3467. Kaupa got to 3200, retiring in the #3 spot. His 127.87 WAR was 2^nd among OBA position players behind Jimmy Caliw’s 138.03. Kaupa’s .639 slugging and 1.011 OPS both finished 2^nd in OBA history behind only Merlin Megson’s .678 and 1.044.

Port Moresby’s Colton Stark had OBA’s 17^th Perfect Game on August 17 with 13 strikeouts facing New Caledonia. In pitching milestones, Stef Page became the 14^th to 4000 strikeouts and Sigfred Vela was the 24^th to 3500 Ks. Supa Malata was the 32^nd pitcher to 200 wins. 2B Trey Cruz won his 11^th Silver Slugger and C Dan Bais won his 7^th. Cruz had the position record and was the 5^th in OBA history at any position with 11+ Sluggers.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 03-14-2025, 04:36 PM

2027 in EPB

There ended up being a tie for both the European League’s top seed and the North Division title. Defending Eurasian Professional Baseball champ St. Petersburg and Minsk were even at 94-68, but the Miners took first in the tiebreaker game. Minsk earned repeat playoff berths, but their first division title since 2023. The Polar Bears had won the division each year since then, but easily took the first wild card. St. Petersburg allowed the fewest runs in the EL with 454.

The second wild card race was also centered in the North Division with Kazan (85-77) edging out both Gomel and Moscow at 82-80. The Crusaders ended a 13-year playoff drought and led in scoring with 598 runs. Last year’s ELCS runner-up Nizhny Novgorod collapsed to 61-101. For the 2020 expansion Griffins, this was their first winning season.

There was no contest in the South Division with 91-71 Samara as the only team above .500. Rostov and Voronezh were distant second placers at 79-83. The Steelers earned their second-ever playoff trip (2024) and first division title. This ended Volgograd’s reign atop the division with the Voyagers finishing 75-89. They had won the last six division titles and had a seven-year playoff streak. It was also Volgograd’s first sub-80 win season since 2015.

Even with the drop off, Voyagers LF Seriozhenka Gusarov won European League MVP. The 27-year old Russian led in runs (92), total bases (362), triple slash (.341/.379/.646), OPS (1.025), wRC+ (223), and WAR (9.3). Gusarov added 191 hits, 42 home runs, and 94 RBI. He committed to Volgograd long-term in September with an eight-year, $101,300,000 extension.

Minsk’s Nehor Pomerantz won Pitcher of the Year by winning the ERA title (1.48) and leading in quality starts (30). It was the second POTY for the 29-year old Israeli lefty, who also won it in 2022. Pomerantz had a 19-6 record over 260.2 innings, 348 strikeouts, 200 ERA+, and 8.9 WAR. He signed a four-year, $16,280,000 extension before the season with the Miners, but Pomerantz would be traded to Vladivostok after the 2028 campaign.

Both division winners won 3-1 in round one with Minsk over Kazan and Samara over defending champ St. Petersburg. The Steelers earned their second-ever European League Championship Series trip (2024) while it was Minsk’s first since 2023. The Miners hadn’t won the pennant in 15 years, the longest-ever drought for the historical powerhouse. The ELCS went all seven games for the first time since 2022. Minsk ended their drought and outlasted Samara 4-3, becoming 21-time European League champs.

The Asian League’s power was concentrated in the West Division. Nur-Sultan took first at 100-62, becoming the first of the 2020 expansion teams to earn a division title or a #1 seed. The Setters allowed the fewest runs in the AL at 490. Defending AL champ Yekaterinburg was second at 95-67 and Omsk was third at 92-70. Both earned wild card spots with the Yaks getting their fourth playoff berth in five years. The Otters bounced back from a 64-98 mark in 2026, ending a two-year playoff skid.

The East Division was weaker, but still competitive with Krasnoyarsk (88-74) outlasting Novosibirsk (86-76) and Vladivostok (85-77). The Cossacks’ playoff streak grew to ten years with their ninth straight division title. The Shibas had the top offense at 658 runs.

Vladivostok first baseman Erik Farkas won Asian League MVP, leading in runs (104), home runs (53), RBI (132), total bases (388), slugging (.634), OPS (.989), wRC+ (191), and WAR (8.6). His season was only the 12^th in EPB history to that point of 130+ RBI. The 28-year old Hungarian lefty also had 194 hits and was second in batting average at .317, although he was 31 points from the Triple Crown. After the season, the Shibas extended Farkas at $96,500,000 over eight years.

In his fourth season, Nur-Sultan’s Sergei Zarubaev won Pitcher of the Year. The 26-year old Russian lefty led in ERA (1.95), wins (23-6), and WHIP (0.85). Zarubaev had 272 innings with 251 strikeouts, 158 ERA+, and 7.0 WAR. Also of note was the fourth Reliever of the Year win for Omsk’s Vitali Kolyayev. The 31-year old had a 0.78 ERA and 37 saves over 81 innings with 134 strikeouts and 6.0 WAR. Kolyayev became the seventh in EPB history with 4+ ROTY wins.

Nur-Sultan outlasted Omsk 3-2 in the first round and Yekaterinburg held on 3-2 on the road over Krasnoyarsk. That marked only the second time in a decade that the Cossacks didn’t advance to the Asian League Championship Series. The Yaks had a shot at their third pennant in four years, but the defending champ was denied 4-1 by the Setters. Nur-Sultan became the first of the 2020 expansion teams to earn a pennant, an impressive feat in only their eighth season.

In the 73^rd EPB Championship, it was the league’s winningest team Minsk and newcomer Nur-Sultan. The series went the distance with the Miners returning to the throne 4-3 over the Setters. It ended the 15-year drought for the Belarusian capital and made them 14-time EPB champs (1956, 62, 66, 69, 85, 88, 90, 91, 96, 2000, 01, 02, 11, 27). Minsk was the first franchise in all of baseball history to win their league’s top prize 14 times.

The result notably crowned an eighth different champ in eight years. 12 different EPB teams have won it all in the last 13 years with only Chelyabinsk repeating, remarkable parity for the top spot. LF Erik Rode was finals MVP in his fourth season as primarily a backup for the Miners. The 26-year old German had nine playoff games with 18 hits, 9 runs, 1 double, 3 triples, 3 homers, and 10 RBI. Rode’s 1.589 OPS and .545 batting average were both the second-best in EPB playoff history (20 plate appearances required).

Other notes: Gomel’s Araz Aliev broke the EPB single-game strikeout record, fanning 24 over 11 innings against Moscow on July 20. Three EPB pitchers had previously gotten 22 Ks. Aliev was only the third in all of baseball history to strike out 24+ in a game. East Asia Baseball’s Do-Kyun Lee had the record 26 over 11.2 innings back in 2016. The Asian Baseball Federation’s Rami Naqvi had 24 in 1999 and is the only one to do it without extra innings.

Ufa’s Marko Nyrko had two no-hitters, the first on May 6 against Chelyabinsk and the second facing Omsk on June 18. He became the 6^th in EPB to have multiple no-hitters in the same season. In other pitching milestones, Kirill Ibadov was the 18^th to 300 saves and Svyatoslav Tyahnybok was the 59^th to reach 3500 strikeouts. Yekaterinburg had a season attendance of 1,761,467; the second-best in Asian League history behind their own 1,818,253 the prior year.

In hitting milestones, Talgat Nurgaliev became the 22^nd member of the 500 home run club. Nikita Kadeyev was the 28^th to reach 2500 career hits. RF Timofei Averkin won his 9^th Silver Slugger. LF Brandon Chunchignorov won his 12^th Gold Glove and SS Denis Antipov won his 8^th. Chunchignorov became the 5^th at any position in EPB with 12+ Gold Gloves and tied the position record.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 03-15-2025, 05:42 AM

2027 in EBF

The European Baseball Federation’s Elite Tier lowered the service time requirements for free agency for the 2027 season. EBF had been at six initially, then grew to seven for 1991 and eight for 2009. New labor negotiations got the number lowered back to seven, which was the median compared to other world leagues.

Two-time defending European Champion Rotterdam posted the best record yet of their seven-year division title streak. The Ravens crushed the Central Division and Northern Conference at 113-49, leading in both runs scored (922) and fewest allowed (573). It was a new franchise record for Rotterdam and their sixth consecutive 100+ win season.

The next best two records also were in the Central Division in Hanover (99-63) and Cologne (98-64), who easily took the first two wild cards. The Hitmen’s wild card streak grew to five seasons and the Copperheads got their second berth in four years. The #2 seed ended up being Kharkiv at 93-69, the only East Division team with a winning record. The Killer Bees grew their playoff streak to four and won their third division title of that run.

Five times were within five games of the West Division crown. Glasgow took it at 92-70 to end a 22-year playoff drought. Defending European Second League champ Nantes was three back at 89-73, narrowly taking the final wild card in their debut season in the EBF Elite tier. It was a crowded wild card field with London (88-74), Amsterdam (88-74), Dublin (87-75), Manchester (87-75), Frankfurt (87-75) and Antwerp (84-78) all within striking distance.

For the Dinos, their seven-year division title and playoff streak both ended. Since 2005, this is only the fifth time that Dublin has missed the postseason. Also notable was Hamburg’s collapse to 66-96, their first losing season since 2014. The Hammers still escaped relegation as they stayed above 100 losses. Leipzig (66-96), Prague (66-96), and Brno (65-97) were also on the chopping block.

Two Northern Conference teams suffered demotion with Oslo at 58-104 and Kyiv at 59-103. The Octopi had been competitive for a while thanks to nine-time MVP Harvey Coyle, but he was gone and they had declined in his final years. It was Oslo’s first time being relegated. The Kings had gotten promoted back up for 2026 and even made the playoffs at 90-72. Kyiv fell sharply off a cliff though, sending the once dominant franchise to E2L for their third stint.

Rotterdam RF Henri L’Ecuyer won Northern Conference MVP in his fourth season. The 24-year old Frenchman led with 381 total bases and posted 219 hits, 122 runs, 39 doubles, 21 triples, 27 home runs, 96 RBI, 78 stolen bases, .362/.401/.630 slash, 1.031 OPS, 172 wRC+, and 9.9 WAR. After the season, the Ravens extended L’Ecuyer at eight years and $168,100,000.

Cologne’s Vladyslav Zaporoshcenko grabbed Pitcher of the Year in his fourth full season. The 26-year old Ukrainian lefty led in ERA (2.09), WHIP (0.94), shutouts (4), and WAR (7.4). Zaporoshchenko posted a 19-5 record and 227 strikeouts over 241.2 innings with 193 ERA+. He stayed two more years in Germany before leaving for Major League Baseball in 2030.

In the first round, Glasgow edged Nantes 2-0 and Cologne swept Hanover 2-0. The Highlanders then got the 3-1 road upset over Kharkiv, earning their first Northern Conference Championship trip since 2002. Rotterdam topped the Copperheads 3-1 on the other side for a fifth straight conference finals trip. The top-seeded Ravens completed the pennant three-peat, although Glasgow took them to the limit in a seven-game classic. Rotterdam became eight-time Northern Conference champs.

The Southern Conference didn’t have an overwhelming standout like Rotterdam. Barcelona made a triumphant return though after spending the last five years in E2L. The Bengals won the West Division at 99-63 and earned the top seed. It was Barcelona’s first EBF Elite playoff trip since 2015 and their first division title since 2011. Both of those seasons ended with pennants. Zurich was a strong second at 94-68, taking the first wild card. The Mountaineers have made the playoffs ten times in the last twelve years.

The #2 seed was Central Division champ Munich at 95-67, beating Naples by four games, Zagreb by five, and Rome by six. The defending conference champ Mavericks grew their playoff streak to eight years and earned a seventh straight division title. Munich allowed the fewest runs (589) and was tied for the most with Odesa at 766.

93-69 earned Chisinau a fifth straight East Division title, beating Tirana by five, Odesa by six, and Tbilisi by seven. Those teams all fell just short in a crowded wild card race as well. The Nobles (91-71) and Gulls (90-72) advanced, while the Red Wolves (89-73), Trojans (88-74), Drifters (87-75), Zaragoza (87-75), and Trains (86-76) all fell just short. Naples earned their second wild card in three years, while Zagreb’s playoff streak grew to eight seasons.

Such a dense middle led to three teams at the bottom getting relegated. Both Belgrade and Lisbon were abysmal at 51-111, while Valencia just fell below the cut line at 61-101. Every other team in the SC was at or above 70 wins. It was the first relegation for the Bruisers, who had largely been in the lower-mid tier in the 21^st Century. The Clippers also suffered their first demotion after being consistently upper-mid, averaging 83.8 wins since 2000. The Vandals had been in the EBF Elite since being promoted for 2014 and hadn’t been in the playoffs since 2015, although they hadn’t been actively awful until now.

Zaragoza 1B Matt Gomez won Southern Conference MVP, leading in batting average (.358), on-base percentage (.444), OPS (1.114), and WAR (10.3). The 26-year old Spaniard added 202 hits, 114 runs, 34 doubles, 44 homers, 103 RBI, and 90 walks. It was a contract year for Gomez, who secured the bag in the offseason with Marseille at eight years and $204,800,000.

Pitcher of the Year went to Barcelona’s J.R. Pando in his third season and first as a full-time starter. The 22-year old Spaniard won the ERA title (2.32) and led in WHIP (0.90), K/BB (13.8), and FIP- (55). Pando had 7.4 WAR over 201.2 innings, 220 strikeouts, and a 17-4 record.

Round one had Zagreb sweep Chisinau and Zurich over Naples 2-1. The Gulls then upset top seed Barcelona 3-2, while Munich outlasted the Mountaineers 3-2 in round two. This set up the Mavericks versus the Gulls in the Southern Conference Championship for back-to-back years and for the fourth time in eight years. Munich had dominated this playoff rivalry, beating Zagreb in the 2021, 23, and 26 conference finals as well as in the first round of 2020 and second round of 2022.

The Mavericks had home field advantage and were expected to repeat against the Gulls, who had their weakest team of their playoff streak by wins and had only taken the last wild card by one game. However, Zagreb finally got over the hump and upset Munich in a 4-3 thriller. The Gulls won their third pennant (1960, 1975, 2027) and ended a 51-year drought.

The 78^th European Championship was historic as Rotterdam rolled Zagreb 4-1 for the first-ever three-peat atop the EBF. The Ravens were a remarkable 8-0 in their finals trips with wins in 1969, 1972, 1977, 1980, 1992, 2025, 2026, and 2027. 1B Dieter Wilhelms was finals MVP as the 32-year old German in 14 playoff games and five starts had 11 hits, 9 runs, 1 double, 2 homers, and 5 RBI.

Few franchises in any world league had eight rings and all of those that did had taken at least one finals defeat. Rotterdam wasn’t the first to win eight straight appearances though. South Asia Baseball’s Ahmedabad had won their first nine finals trips before losing in their tenth championship trip. West African Baseball’s Lagos had also won eight straight after losing in their first appearance.

Rotterdam certainly staked their claim for EBF’s best-ever dynasty with the only three-peat. The 113-49 mark in 2027 was their best and was their submission for EBF’s best-ever team. Dublin’s dynasties had come close twice in recent memory, winning three in four years (2012-15) and falling just short of the three-peat with their 2022-24 run. The best record by a champion remained 1954 Amsterdam at 118-44. This was the peak for the Ravens, although they would remain a contender for the next few years.

Other notes: Omer Kadri Nesin in his final year finished with 405 career triples, becoming the 9^th in world baseball history to reach 400+. He was third among EBF players behind world leader Carsten Dal (457) and Jacob Ronnberg. Nesin retired 2^nd in stolen bases with 1456 and ranks 25^th in the world as of 2037. Nesin also finished as the 13^th member of EBF’s 3000 hit club, retiring at 3030.

Theofilos Psarras, Aleksandr Parts, and Stefanos Emmanoulidis each reached 2500 hits in 2027, making 45 EBF batters to do so. Psarras also became the 23^rd to reach 1500 runs scored. Oliver Schmitz became the 39^th member of the 500 home run club. Oscar Dissard was the 58^th pitcher to 3000 strikeouts.

Promotion/Relegation: 2027 was another busy year for promotion/relegation with five teams moving up and five down. Oslo, Kyiv, Valencia, Lisbon, and Belgrade were the squads demoted to the European Second League. Moving on up were Brussels, Turin, Bratislava, Krakow, and Yerevan. Below are the realignment details.

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

Recommended Videos

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment