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

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2028 APB Hall of Fame

First baseman Iqbal Safari was the lone addition for Austronesia Professional Baseball’s Hall of Fame for 2028. He made it in on his debut, but his 72.2% only narrowly breached the 66% requirement. Five others were above 50%, led by CL Kyle Oliveira on his fifth ballot and 3B Nicky Abizar on his second, both at 57.7%. 3B Yu-Ting Tsai received 56.5% on his fourth go, CL Meng-Hsien Wu debuted at 56.2%, and SP Bagus Ranga saw 52.9% for his seventh try.



SP Dwi Aditya Supandi was dropped after ten ballots, ending at 48.9% and peaking at 60.8% in his fifth ballot. He had nice longevity over 17 years and was part of two championship teams later in his career with Davao. Supandi had a 212-147 record, 2.35 ERA, 3465 innings, 3197 strikeouts, 801 walks, 112 ERA+, and 57.4 WAR. Supandi was steady, but he had no black ink and very limited accolades. He didn’t quite have the dominance needed to make it across the line. Supandi would see his #17 uniform retired by Medan, where he spent 12 seasons.

LF Beau Cabral also fell off at 36.3% on his tenth ballot, peaking at 54.7% on his second go. He was a leadoff man who got hurt by the lack of home run numbers, although he still won six Silver Sluggers. In 17 years between Taichung and Manila, Cabral had 2802 hits, 1188 runs, 379 doubles, 358 triples, 107 homers, 918 RBI, 521 walks, 1373 steals, .293/.328/.441 slash, 141 wRC+, and 75.2 WAR. APB voters are notoriously stingy though for batters

As of 2037, Cabral ranks 6^th in hits, 14^th in runs, 23^rd in doubles, 3^rd in triples, 2^nd in steals, and 23^rd in batting average. Cabral also ranks 32^nd on the world leaderboard in steals and 35^th in triples. Despite that, he’s only 61^st in WAR among position players in APB and was hurt by being on mostly weak teams. Cabral usually is one of the first names to come up when discussing APB’s biggest snubs.

SP Chin-Lung Ko also was removed after ten failed ballots, ending at a measly 6.3% after debuting at 46.5%. He had a 175-178 record, 2.39 ERA, 3511 innings, 3098 strikeouts, 622 walks, 115 ERA+, and 65.8 WAR. Ko was probably better than some realize, but he didn’t have much black ink or the accolades. He also had a terrible 5.36 ERA in 40.1 playoff innings with Tainan, which tarnished his reputation as an elite pitcher.



Iqbal Safari – First Base – Batam Blue Raiders – 72.2% First Ballot

Iqbal Safari was a 6’3’’, 195 pound left-handed first baseman Cikampek, Indonesia; a subdistrict in the West Java province. Safari was a well-balanced hitter with good to sometimes great contact and power skills. He was also above average at drawing walks and decent at avoiding strikeouts. Safari didn’t have prolific power, but his 162 game average got you 30 home runs and 32 doubles. His baserunning ability was decent, but poor speed kept him from securing many extra bags.

Safari was especially potent facing left-handing pitching with .856 OPS and 192 wRC+ for his career. Against lefties, he had .667 OPS and 131 wRC+ in the extremely low scoring world of APB. Safari exclusively played first base and was a reliably average defender. His durability was mostly good over a 21-year career, playing 135+ games in all but three seasons.

Coming out of high school, Safari was already touted as a can’t miss prospect. He was picked second by Palembang in the 1999 APB Draft, but opted not to sign. After three years in the college ranks, Safari was picked third by Batam in 2002 and joined the Blue Raiders. He won 2003’s Rookie of the Year with 6.3 WAR over 138 games and 105 starts.

Safari led the Sundaland Association in OBP and total bases in 2005, then led in OBP and OPS in 2007. He wasn’t one to lead in the counting stats too often, but did post six straight 6+ WAR seasons to begin his career. Safari’s lone Silver Slugger came in 2007 along with a third place in MVP voting. He won his lone Gold Glove in 2008 and had career highs that year in homers (39), runs (84), and WAR (9.7).

Batam fans absolutely adored Safari, but he couldn’t turn them into a winner. The Blue Raiders averaged 75.7 wins per season during his tenure and only finished with a winning record in 2008 at 88-74. Safari did miss close to two months in 2009 with hamstring issues, then posted only 3.1 WAR in 2010, which would be his full season career low. With a weaker performance in a contract year, Batam decided not to give Safari a long-term extension. This sent him to free agency for 2011 at age 31.

With Batam, Safari had 1214 games, 1265 hits, 538 runs, 204 doubles, 199 home runs, 566 RBI, .286/.339/.474 slash, 183 wRC+, and 51.1 WAR. It was his best stint by WAR narrowly, although he played slightly more games for Medan. You could’ve put Safari in representing either squad, but he decided to honor his first team. The Blue Raiders did retire Safari’s #25 uniform at the end of his run.

Safari inked a six-year, $30,600,000 deal to join Medan and later signed for another three years at $16,800,000. His production stayed remarkably steady with the Marlins, finishing at or above 4.5 WAR in six of his eight seasons. He won a batting title and led in hits in 2011, although it was 2012 with his career best batting average (.311) and OPS (.899). Safari also led in doubles in 2016, but didn’t pick up any hardware with Medan.

When Medan signed Safari, they were fresh off a Sundaland Association pennant. The Marlins missed the playoffs in 2011, then fell in the 2012 and 2013 association finals. Safari stunk in his limited playoff games, going 4-34 with -0.3 WAR in 9 starts. Medan was in the 80-89 win range for most of the rest of his tenure, apart from rebuilding years in 2016 and 2017.

Safari played 1241 games for Medan with 1226 hits, 540 runs, 219 doubles, 206 home runs, 620 RBI, .276/.333/.471 slash, 173 wRC+, and 47.6 WAR. The 39-year old Safari had one year left on his deal for 2019, but was traded in the offseason to Zamboanga for three prospects. This would be his first time on a team outside of his native Indonesia.

He had been a regular for Indonesia in the World Baseball Championship, playing from 2004-10, 2012-13, 2015, and 2020. In 89 games and 69 starts, Safari had 72 hits, 46 runs, 13 doubles, 21 home runs, 52 RBI, 39 walks, .259/.362/.532 slash, 153 wRC+, and 3.2 WAR. The Indonesians’ deepest run with Safari was a third place finish in 2008.

Despite his age, Safari had an impressive 2019 for the Zebras, leading the Taiwan-Philippine Association in OBP (.370), slugging (.519), OPS (.889), and wRC+ (179). He took second in MVP voting and the defending APB champs finished 107-55. They would be denied a third straight pennant with another battle with Taipei. Safari was unremarkable in the seven-game series, going 4-20 with one homer.

Although now 40-years old, the Zamboanga season showed Safari could still go at a high level. He joined Bandung at $41,500,000 over three years and maintained his usual rock solid production each year. Over 460 games, Safari had 413 hits, 204 runs, 74 doubles, 87 home runs, 236 RBI, .252/.313/.463 slash, 167 wRC+, and 16.2 WAR. The Blackhawks lost in the 2022 Sundaland Association final and just missed in 2021. Safari was again forgettable in the playoffs, going 5-23.

Safari’s last year with Bandung did allow him to cross numerous statistical milestones. He became only the second in APB to 3000 hits, the ninth to 500 home runs, the first to 500 doubles, and the first to 3000 games played. He also just passed Junior Sanchez for the most total bases at 5188. Safari fell just short of 1500 RBI, which got reached for the first time that year by Wil Tabaldo.

He was a free agent again for 2023 and hadn’t shown any signs of decline despite being 43. However, Safari couldn’t find an appropriate deal in APB and expanded his search elsewhere. He ended up in Kazakhstan with the Asian Baseball Federation’s Shymkent at $16,800,000 over three years. Safari fell off a cliff and quickly was benched, playing only 26 games with 0.1 WAR for the Squirrels. He retired after one season there at age 44.

Safari’s APB totals had 3053 games, 3045 hits, 1351 runs, 525 doubles, 32 triples, 518 home runs, 1494 RBI, 900 walks, 2126 strikeouts, .278/.334/.473 slash, 177 wRC+, and 121.5 WAR. As of 2037, Safari remains the games played leader and remained the doubles and total bases leader until passed in the mid 2030s by Binh Tang for both.

He ranks 4^th in hits, 6^th in runs, 2^nd in doubles, 2^nd in total bases, 12^th in home runs, 3^rd in RBI, 7^th in walks, and 3^rd in WAR among position players. Safari’s .807 OPS ranks 52^nd among all APB batters with 3000+ plate appearances and his triple slash ranks 59^th/42^nd/70^th. It goes to show how tough APB’s Hall of Fame voters are that Safari only received 72.2% despite those totals.

Detractors did point out his lack of big awards and playoff success. His longevity played a huge part in his totals, but often guys with huge short peaks get more attention versus someone with sustained production. Until Tang starting rewriting the record books, Safari had a spot in the conversation for APB’s most impressive position player statistically. Granted, that race is a crowded mess these days apart from the #1 spot. Regardless, Safari was a deserved first ballot selection for the Austronesia Professional Baseball HOF in 2028.

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2028 WAB Hall of Fame

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Two players joined West African Baseball’s Hall of Fame upon their debut in 2028. 2B/DH Bright Abubakar was a slam dunk at 97.9%, while his former teammate SP Kadir Omyeali just made it in at 69.6%. SP Zeb Onyedika was the top returner with 60.2%, missing the 66% requirement on his third ballot. Also above 50% was 2B Kevin Ge at 57.8% for his third try and 1B Ikechukwu Onyia with 52.7% on his eighth go. No players fell off the ballot after ten failed tries.



Bright Abubakar – Second Base/Designated Hitter – Douala Dingos – 97.9% First Ballot

Bright Abubakar was a 6’4’’, 200 pound switch-hitting second baseman from Sango Ota, Nigeria; a city of around 164,000 people in the country’s southwest. Abubakar had consistently good-to-great contact and power along with a rock solid eye for walks, although his strikeout rate was average. Abubakar’s 162 game average got you 31 doubles, 21 triples, and 33 home runs with just under 44% of his career hits going for extra bases.

On top of his excellent gap power, Abubakar had good speed and got extra bags with his legs and respectable baserunning skills. He was better against right-handed pitching with a 1.030 OPS and 165 wRC+, but was still plenty good against lefties with .888 OPS and 133 wRC+. In terms of all around efficiency, Abubakar was among the top bats of his era.

His defensive starts were almost exclusively at second base. Abubakar was a lousy defender, but his bat was so much stronger than typical 2Bs so you’d put up with it. From 2014-17, Abubakar was a full-time designated hitter. Knee and back troubles would cost Abubakar games throughout his run, although he still lasted 17 seasons. He powered through those injuries with an incredible work ethic and adaptability. Abubakar’s scrappy attitude made him popular at each of his stops.

Abubakar was the #1 overall pick in the 2005 WAB Draft by Douala and was a full-time starter immediately. He was merely okay as a rookie, but quickly emerged as elite with 6+ WAR seasons from 2008-11 for the Dingos, winning Silver Sluggers at 2B each year. Abubakar led in triples in 2007 in OBP at .433 in 2009; both of which were career highs.

2010 was Abubakar’s finest effort and his lone MVP win, leading the Eastern League in runs (128), homers (49), RBI (132), total bases (445), slugging (.749), OPS (1.173), wRC+ (206), and WAR (10.7). Abubakar’s slugging, OPS, wRC+, and WAR were all career highs as was his .365 average, falling nine points of a Triple Crown. Despite Abubakar’s efforts, Douala remained a perennial loser. They got to 80-82 in his MVP season, their first time with 80+ wins since 1983.

The struggling Dingos knew they weren’t likely to afford the contract due to an MVP-level talent. With one year left on his original deal, Abubakar was traded for 2012 to Ouagadougou for three prospects. For Douala, Abubakar had 1036 games, 1213 hits, 679 runs, 198 doubles, 138 triples, 172 home runs, 581 RBI, 444 walks, 236 steals, .313/.387/.568 slash, 152 wRC+, and 38.5 WAR. It was his longest tenure narrowly and thus Abubakar was inducted in Dingos colors. Fans certainly didn’t blame him for the franchise’s continued incompetence.

Abubakar won a Silver Slugger in his lone year with the Osprey despite missing six weeks to a knee sprain. Ouagadougou took the #1 seed at 100-62, but was upset in the ELCS by Lome with Abubakar going 1-9 in the series. It was his fourth season with an OPS above one, which made him a hot free agent for 2013 at age 30. Abubakar ended up in Gambia on a seven-year, $86,700,000 deal with Banjul. The Bucks at that point had completed four seasons since joining in the 2009 expansion.

With Abubakar’s help, Banjul emerged as a contender for the first time. Knee sprains cost him almost half of 2013, but he stayed mostly healthy for following few seasons. In 2016, Abubakar had league bests in runs (147), hits (225), triples (24), homers (51), RBI (145), total bases (456), slugging (.696), and OPS (1.106). The runs, hits, homers, and RBI were all career highs, earning second in MVP voting as a DH. Abubakar won Silver Sluggers in 2014, 2018, and 2019 at 2B and as a DH in 2015 and 2016. That gave him ten Sluggers total, joining the GOAT Darwin Morris as the only WAB batters with 10+ to that point.

Banjul earned wild cards in 2014, 2016, and 2018; making it to the Western League Championship Series each year. The Bucks upset Dakar for the 2014 pennant and upset Abidjan in 2018, giving them two pennants in their first decade. Banjul fell short of the WAB Championship, losing to Lome in 2014 and Yaounde in 2018. In 26 playoff starts, Abubakar had 29 hits, 18 runs, 4 doubles, 5 triples, 6 homers, 17 RBI, 11 walks, .988 OPS, 148 wRC+, and 1.1 WAR. He earned WLCS MVP in 2018.

Abubakar with Banjul had 911 games, 1111 hits, 688 runs, 171 doubles, 122 triples, 220 home runs, 679 RBI, 384 walks, 210 steals, .320/.395/.630 slash, 157 wRC+, and 32.6 WAR. He was a big reason the Bucks were a contender so early in their existence and is remembered fondly in Banjul. Abubakar was back to free agency for 2020 at age 37 and inked a three-year, $27,900,000 deal with Ibadan.

That brought Abubakar back to his native Nigeria, although he had been a regular in the World Baseball Championship. From 2008-21, Abubakar played 99 games and started 70 with 79 hits, 54 runs, 10 doubles, 4 triples, 19 home runs, 46 RBI, 35 walks, .283/.383/.552 slash, 170 wRC+, and 3.8 WAR. The Nigerians would take third in 2009 and fourth in 2011 with Abubakar as a starter.

Abubakar ended only playing 24 games for the Iguanas, suffering a torn PCL in late April 2020. In the offseason, Ibadan traded him and $58.790,000 back to Douala for a five-player haul. He was never the same after the injury and struggled to 0.5 WAR in his 2021 return to the Dingos. Abubakar didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the third year of the deal and was back to free agency for 2022.

Now 39-years old, Port Harcourt hoped Abubakar could turn it around with a three-year, $11,720,000 deal. More PCL injuries kept him out most of 2022, although he did manage to cross 2500 career hits with 58 games. Abubakar opted to retire after the season shortly after his 40^th birthday.

Abubakar finished with 2142 games, 2544 hits, 1477 runs, 414 doubles, 272 triples, 433 home runs, 1374 RBI, 907 walks, 1508 strikeouts, 481 steals, .317/.392/.599 slash, 156 wRC+, and 78.3 WAR. As of 2037, Abubakar ranks 38^th in hits, 25^th in runs, 19^th in doubles, 7^th in triples, 53^rd in RBI, 30^th in total bases (4801), 13^th in walks, and 13^th in WAR among position players.

Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Abubakar’s .991 OPS ranks 23^rd, his OBP is 24^th, and his slugging is 36^th. He may be on the borderline for the inner circle, but Abubakar’s Hall of Fame candidacy was a lock. At 97.9%, he headlined the 2028 Hall of Fame class for West African Baseball.



Kadir Onyeali – Starting Pitcher – Douala Dingos – 69.6% First Ballot

Kadir Onyeali was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Warri, Nigeria; located in the south with around 312,000 inhabitants. Onyeali had outstanding stuff with solid control, although his movement had a below average grade. His velocity peaked at 97-99 mph with a three-pitch arsenal of curveball, changeup, and cutter. Onyeali’s ability to change speeds made him one of the top strikeout pitchers of his era.

Onyeali’s stamina was quite good compared to other WAB aces and he had respectable durability. He was subpar in terms of holding runners and defense. Few pitchers were going to outwork Onyeali over his 14-year run. His potential was noticed as a teenager and he signed a developmental deal in July 2003 with Kano. Few realize that he started his career with the Condors, since he ultimately pitched exclusively with Douala.

In July 2008, Onyeali was one of three prospects sent from Kano to Douala for veteran SP Daniel Mendy. Onyeali debuted in 2009 at age 22 and struggled initially, posting ERAs above four in his first four seasons. By 2013, he had perfected his craft with his first of five seasons with 300+ strikeouts and his first of six seasons with 6+ WAR. Onyeali signed a four-year, $26,100,000 extension with Douala after the 2013 season.

Onyeali stayed loyal to the Dingos, although they remained a bottom-tier franchise for almost his entire run. In 2014, Onyeali led the Eastern League for the first time in both strikeouts and WAR. In 2016, he earned his lone Pitcher of the Year award with a career and league-best 2.51 ERA. In September 2017, Onyeali signed a new six-year, $69,600,000 extension with Douala.

Although his pro career was exclusively in Cameroon, Onyeali did represent his native Nigeria from 2011-22 in the World Baseball Championship. He tossed 160.1 innings with a 11-6 record, 3.54 ERA, 246 strikeouts, 46 walks, 99 ERA+, and 3.6 WAR. Onyeali’s last WBC was 2022, which saw the Nigerians win their first World Championship.

Onyeali was third in 2018 and 2020’s Pitcher of the Year voting, leading both years and in 2017 in strikeouts and WAR. 2018 had his career high 347 Ks with highs of 7.5 WAR in both 2017 and 2018. Onyeali did notable miss about two months in 2019 to a strained hamstring.

Although Onyeali fell off to a 4.39 ERA in 2021, the season was notable as Douala made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. They went one-and-done with Onyeali giving up four runs over five runs in his one start. Douala averaged 72.6 wins per season during Onyeali’s run. His #5 uniform would get retired though for his efforts with the Dingos for more than a decade.

In May 2022, Onyeali became the 7^th WAB pitcher to 3500 career strikeouts. Only a few weeks later, he suffered bone chips in his elbow that ended his season. It ultimately ended his career as Onyeali opted to retire at age 35 instead of trying to rehab back from that.

Onyeali finished with a 160-136 record, 3.87 ERA, 2712 innings, 3513 strikeouts, 642 walks, 172/342 quality starts, 69 complete games, 11 shutouts, 116 ERA+, 78 FIP-, and 64.9 WAR. As of 2037, Onyeali ranks 44^th in wins, 28^th in innings, 17^th in complete games, 40^th in shutouts, 10^th in strikeouts, and 18^th in WAR among pitchers. His 11.66 K/9 ranks 36^th among those with 1000+ career innings.

His ERA and some metrics took damage due to Douala being such a poor franchise. Onyeali’s ERA was worse than all previous WAB Hall of Famers and only one later pitcher would get in with a higher one. He also lost out on some notoriety due to the Dingos’ general irrelevance.

However, Onyeali led in strikeouts and WAR four times each, had an ERA title, and a Pitcher of the Year. Those factors were enough for the majority of voters with Onyeali debuting at 69.6% in 2028. He only barely crossed the 66% requirement, but Onyeali made it for a first ballot selection into the West African Baseball HOF.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2028 SAB Hall of Fame

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LF Lwin Swe Ko stood alone for induction into South Asia Baseball’s Hall of Fame for 2028 with a near unanimous 99.2%. SP Siddhant Shakya just missed the 66% threshold on his debut at 63.8%. CF Chris Saandeep was the best returner at 57.2% on his third ballot. CL Khon Aye Ko was also above 50% with a fifth try of 56.4%. No one else was above 50% and no players were dropped after ten failed ballots.



Lwin Swe “Bleeder” Ko – Left Field – Kolkata Cosmos – 99.2% First Ballot

Lwin Swe Ko was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed left fielder from Yangon, the largest city in Myanmar. Ko was one of the great sluggers of his era, hitting 40+ homers in 14 seasons and 50+ five times. His gap power was nice with 23 doubles and 13 triples per his 162 game average. Unlike many power guys, Ko was an excellent baserunner with solid speed as well.

Ko’s main downside was being an above average at best contact hitter with a terrible strikeout rate, although he had a decent eye for walks. He made his hits count though and was one of SAB’s most dangerous bats. Ko was strong against both sides, but was especially great facing left-handed pitching (1.028 OPS, 198 wRC+) compared to righties (.893 OPS, 162 wRC+).

Defensively, Ko played nearly exclusively in left field and was a firmly mediocre glove man. His durability was generally great, playing 140+ games in 17 of his 18 seasons. Ko was a prankster in the clubhouse and was generally fun to be around. His amiable personality and powerful bat made him one of the more popular players of his era both at home in Myanmar and in the Indian League.

Ko’s entire career was in the IL, joining Kolkata as a teenage amateur in November 1999. He did regularly go home though for the World Baseball Championship from 2007-22. Ko played 154 games for Myanmar with 129 hits, 98 runs, 12 doubles, 58 home runs, 97 RBI, 34 steals, .225/.290/.563 slash, and 5.9 WAR. In 2013, Ko helped Myanmar to only its second-ever division title.

He spent most of five years in Kolkata’s academy, officially debuting in 2004 at age 20 with three at-bats. The Cosmos brought him up as a full-time starter in 2005 with unremarkable results as a rookie. Ko found his power stroke the next year and started a run of 16 straight seasons worth 4+ WAR. 2007 began a streak of eight years with 40+ homers. That winter, Kolkata gave Ko a five-year, $12,080,000 extension.

Ko really arrived in 2008 as he won MVP and his first Silver Slugger, leading the IL in home runs (59), RBI (128), total bases (411), slugging (.719), OPS (1.092), and wRC+ (228). This year had Ko’s career bests in homers, runs (126), and wRC+. This ended a seven-year playoff drought for Kolkata, who lost in the first round despite earning the top seed at 100-62. This started a run of contention though as the Cosmos would have an eight-year playoff streak from 2008-15.

Kolkata lost in the 2009 ILCS to Jaipur, then won back-to-back pennants in 2010 and 2011. The Cosmos won the South Asia Baseball Championship in 2010 over 121-win Hanoi, but fell to Dhaka in 2011. 2011 had also set a franchise best at 111-51. Ko was a stud in the playoffs, winning ILCS MVP in 2010. He was also MVP of the first round thrice and of the 2014 ILCS.

The 2010 run was his finest with 20 hits, 16 runs, 11 homers, 15 RBI, 1.252 OPS, and 1.5 WAR over 17 starts. The 11 homers set a playoff record that would only be topped once and the 16 runs fell one short of the then record. In the inaugural Baseball Grand Championship, Ko had 10 hits, 8 runs, 5 homers, and 6 RBI over 9 starts with 0.8 WAR. The Cosmos finished 4-5 with the first event being a divisional format.

Kolkata won 104 and 111 games in 2012-13, but had first round exits both years. They barely took the Central Division in 2014 at 89-73, but got hot and won their second SAB Championship over Yangon. Ko had 19 hits, 9 runs, 10 extra base hits, and 12 RBI in the playoff run. The Cosmos went 8-11 in the BGC with Ko posting 15 hits, 13 runs, 8 homers, and 11 RBI over 19 games.

Ko won additional Silver Sluggers in 2010-14 and 2016. He was second in MVP voting in 2011, 2013, and 2016. Ko won the award for the second time in 2012 with league and career bests in homers (59), RBI (142), total bases (412), slugging (.732), and WAR (9.9). This season had his best triple slash of .314/.377/.732 for 1.109 OPS. That spring training, Ko inked a seven-year, $33,680,000 extension with the Cosmos. Ko led in homers again in 2013 with 50.

Kolkata had first round exit in 2015, then found themselves out of the playoffs and in the middle tier from 2016-20. Ko did lose part of 2015 to a sprained ankle, but remained steady well into his 30s. He led in runs and total bases in 2016 and had his final 50+ homer season. He had another five seasons with 40+ dingers after that.

Ko’s contact expired after the 2019 season at age 36. He explored free agency for about two months, but ultimately returned to Kolkata at three years and $28,500,000. The Cosmos ended their playoff drought in 2021 with the top seed at 102-60, but lost in the first round. They were one-and-done as a wild card in 2022, Ko’s last season.

For his playoff career, Ko played 82 games with 87 hits, 55 runs, 8 doubles, 7 triples, 34 home runs, 61 RBI, 22 steals, .283/.336/.687 slash, 193 wRC+, and 4.2 WAR. As of 2037, Ko ranks 7^th in playoff homers, 20^th in RBI, 45^th in hits, and 23^rd in runs. His 1.024 playoff OPS also ranks 24^th among all batters with 40+ plate appearances; maintaining that high mark over 333 PAs.

He also started reaching some big regular season milestones, although Ko was overshadowed by the absurd power stats of contemporaries like Majed Darwish, Ratan Canduri, and Devavesman Toppo. Ko reached 700 homers, 1500+ RBI, 1500+ runs, and 2500+ hits. Some thought he might end up with comparable tallies to some of the above mentioned, as Ko hadn’t shown much decline into his mid 30s.

However, age finally caught Ko in 2022 as he had 1.2 WAR, 30 home runs, and .761 OPS; all career lows apart from his rookie year. Ko retired that winter shortly after his 39^th birthday. Kolkata immediately retired his #7 uniform for his important efforts over 18 seasons.

Ko played 2741 games with 2782 hits, 1704 runs, 397 doubles, 213 triples, 749 home runs, 1873 RBI, 766 walks, 3004 strikeouts, 713 steals, .281/.336/.590 slash, 171 wRC+, and 106.8 WAR. As of 2037, Ko ranks 11^th in games, 18^th in hits, 9^th in runs, 7^th in total bases (5852), 7^th in triples, 6^th in homers, 7^th in RBI, 43^rd in walks, and 17^th in WAR among position players.

Among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Ko ‘s .926 OPS ranks 54^th. He also ranks 36^th in slugging. On the bad side, Ko has the most strikeouts in SAB history and is one of only 29 in all of pro baseball history with 3000+ whiffs. Still, Ko was an absolute inner-circle level slugger who managed to be almost overlooked due to some exceptional peers.

He certainly wasn’t overlooked in Kolkata and remains a legend for his role in a near decade of dominance. Ko was one of the all-time best playoff performers and delivered three IL pennants and two South Asia Baseball titles to Kolkata. He deserved to stand alone for the 2028 Hall of Fame class with a nearly unanimous 99.2%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2028 ABF Hall of Fame (Part 1)

For the third time in its history, the Asian Baseball Federation had a four-player Hall of Fame class for 2028. Pitcher Khalid Osmonov was the clear headliner on the first ballot at 93.0%. CF Ziad Tarkhan was next with a rock solid 78.3% for his debut. The other two inductees were returning relievers who barely crossed the 66% requirement. Sadri Delkashi got 69.8% on his third ballot and Gafar Aliev got 68.0% in his second try.



Three others were above 50% with SP Amgad al-Jal debuting at 54.5%, SP Ozgur Ermalci debuting with 53.4%, and 1B Aayushi Pereira at 51.9% on his third go. Three ended up dropped after missing induction in ten consecutive ballots. Leading this group was 3B Khuzaimah Hoqar, who peaked at 47.8% in 2020 and ended at 29.0%.

Hoqar won four Silver Sluggers in 16-year career and won the 2006 ABF title with Lahore. He played 2303 games with 1965 hits, 1066 runs, 428 doubles, 478 home runs, 1190 RBI, 718 walks, 2465 strikeouts, .243/.317/.482 slash, 151 wRC+, and 91.3 WAR. Hoqar wasn’t a league leader though and wasn’t quite dominant enough to impress many voters. Still, Hoqar is one of the biggest snubs since he ranks 26^th in WAR among position players and 4^th among third basemen as of 2037.

SP Shaheed Qureshi finished at 8.2% after peaking at 37.9% in 2022. He won 2004 Pitcher of the Year for Ankara, but never replicated that dominance in later seasons. Qureshi had a 161-178 record, 3.44 ERA, 3152.1 innings, 3701 strikeouts, 101 ERA+, and 44.4 WAR. He ranks 25^th in strikeouts as of 2037, but also has the 5^th most walks allowed and 8^th most homers. Qureshi’s boom or bust outings gave him enough bad starts to overshadow his impressive ones.

C Faris Saifullah also fell off the ballot, peaking at 41.1% in 2020 with a finish at only 6.2%. He won seven Silver Sluggers in his 13 year career, but was hurt by the low totals that come with catching. Saifullah had 1614 hits, 797 runs, 342 doubles, 287 home runs, 909 RBI, .260/.329/.459 slash, 147 wRC+, and 71.4 WAR. Saifullah is second in WAR among catchers and 61^st among all position players as of 2037, but yet again HOF voters held catchers to standards nearly impossible to reach with the demands of the position.



Khalid Osmonov – Starting Pitcher – Tehran Tarpons – 93.0% First Ballot

Khalid Osmonov was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. Osmonov had excellent movement on his pitches along with good-to-great stuff and control. His fastball only peaked in the 93-95 mph range, but he countered it with a stellar changeup. Osmonov also had a curveball as a third option and had an extreme groundball tendency.

Compared to most ABF aces, Osmonov had weak stamina and rarely went the distance. His durability was generally solid in his 20s at least. Osmonov had a good pickoff move and was an elite defensive pitcher, winning eight Gold Gloves. He was a fan favorite known for his loyalty and work ethic, showing impressive dedication to both the game and his fans.

Osmonov left Azerbaijan for the Iranian capital in November 2002 as he singed a developmental contract with Tehran. He spent most of five years in the Tarpons academy, officially debuting with 11.1 innings in 2007 at age 20. Osmonov was rostered most of 2008 in the bullpen and earned a rotation spot in 2009. 2010 started the eight-year streak of Gold Glove wins. Osmonov holds the ABF record by Gold Gloves at the position.

In May 2011, Osmonov signed a four-year, $15,360,000 extension with Tehran. The Tarpons had been largely terrible for the prior decade, but they were soon to become a top contender. In 2011, they ended a 17-year playoff drought as a wild card and made a surprise run to the West League pennant. Tehran ultimately fell to Faisalabad in the ABF Championship with Osmonov posting a 2.53 ERA over 21.1 playoff innings.

This was the start of a nine-year playoff streak for the Tarpons, although they didn’t immediately find playoff success. Tehran lost in the first round in 2012, 14, and 15; while losing in the 2013 WLCS. In 2015, they were upset by Shiraz despite being the top seed at 115-47, setting a new ABF wins record. Osmonov was doing his job all the while, taking second in 2012’s Pitcher of the Year voting with an ERA title at 1.65. He followed it up with a third place in 2013.

Osmonov inked another six year, $54 million extension in May 2015 at age 28. That year, he delivered his first Pitcher of the Year win, leading in wins (24-2) and WAR (9.0). Osmonov took second in 2016 as the WARlord again with a career best 9.2. Tehran was the #1 seed again, this time at 102-60. The Tarpons got over the hump, winning their first ABF Championship over Dushanbe.

In the playoff run, Osmonov had a 2.13 ERA over 25.1 innings with 38 strikeouts. He boasted similar stats in the Baseball Grand Championship with a 2.15 ERA and 41 Ks in 29.1 innings. Tehran finished 11-8, one of five teams tied for the fifth place spot. The Tarpons and Osmonov were both determined to do even better in 2017 and delivered.

Osmonov won his second Pitcher of the Year with a 1.25 ERA, which ranked behind only Dhofar Ghaffar’s 1.22 from 1989 for the best qualifying season in ABF history. He also posted 0.66 WHIP, which ranks as the third-best in ABF as of 2037. Osmonov had his third straight 9+ WAR season and back-to-back 300+ efforts. He also had his lone no-hitter on August 11 with 17 Ks and one walk facing Ankara. This helped push Tehran to 116-46, breaking their own ABF wins record.

The 2017 Tarpons staked their claim for ABF’s best-ever team by winning it all, defeating Asgabat for the title. Osmonov was surprisingly weak in the playoff run with a 4.91 ERA over 18.1 innings. He made up for it with an impressive 1.42 ERA over 25.1 innings with 35 Ks in the Baseball Grand Championship. Tehran again finished 11-8, this time in a five-way tie for fourth and one game from the top prize.

Osmonov had a good 2018, but Tehran fell to a wild card and lost in the first round. For his playoff career, it was a mixed bag with a 3.17 ERA over 122 innings, 6-6 record, 146 strikeouts, 19 walks, 104 ERA+, 84 FIP-, and 2.6 WAR. In any event, Osmonov is remembered fondly as a huge part of Tehran’s dynasty run. The Tarpons retired his #23 uniform at the end of his career.

His Tehran run ended abruptly with a torn rotator cuff in May 2019. Osmonov was originally diagnosed to be out only 4-5 months, but a setback tacked on another 15 months. He missed all of 2020 and it was uncertain he’d ever return to form or even make it back at all. In his absence, Tehran’s run ended and they plummeted to 68-94 in 2020. Osmonov was still under contract for 2021, but the full rebuild was now on. The Tarpons traded him in the offseason to Dushanbe for two prospects and a second round draft pick.

Osmonov made his return to the field in 2021 with okay production, but he missed the final two months to a torn meniscus. His one year with the Dyano saw a 3.66 ERA over 118 innings and 2.7 WAR. A free agent for the first time at age 35, Osmonov signed a one-year, $4,440,000 deal with Hyderabad. He looked mid with the Horned Frogs as well with a 3.66 ERA over 130.1 innings and 1.5 WAR. Osmonov also missed time between a herniated disc and shoulder inflammation. He opted to retire after the 2022 campaign at age 36.

In total, Osmonov had a 164-97 record, 2.38 ERA, 2388.2 innings, 2878 strikeouts, 472 walks, 235/328 quality starts, 20 complete games, 7 shutouts, 142 ERA+, 69 FIP-, and 68.3 WAR. As of 2037, Osmonov ranks 43^rd in wins, 65^th in innings, 52^nd in strikeouts, and 20^th in pitching WAR. He didn’t have the longevity or innings to really soar up the accumulation leaderboards. But Osmonov’s efficiency was quite impressive.

Among all pitchers with 1000+ innings, his ERA ranks 19^th, his .572 opponent’s OPS is 30^th, and his 0.93 WHIP is 25^th. Osmonov also ranks 34^th in H/9 (6.63) and his .205/.252/.320 triple slash ranks 33^rd for each slot. He was certainly one of the most impressive arms of his era and was a key piece for Tehran’s dynasty run. At 93.0%, Osmonov earned a first ballot headline spot for the four-player 2028 Hall of Fame class for the Asian Baseball Federation.



Ziad Tarkhan – Center Field – Karachi Carp – 78.3% First Ballot

Ziad Tarkhan was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed center fielder from Mardan, Pakistan; a city of around 368,000 people. Tarkhan was a solid contact hitter with a decent eye for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. His gap power was especially potent with 40 doubles and 10 triples per his 162 game average. Tarkhan didn’t have prolific home run power, but he was also good for 22 dingers per 162.

Tarkhan was a menace on the basepaths with great speed and outstanding baserunning and base stealing skills. He spent the vast majority of his career in center field with above average defensive production on the whole. In his later years, Tarkhan spent more time in right field or as a designated hitter. He had some injuries, but held up pretty well over a 19-year career.

Coming out of high school for the 2000 ABF Draft, Tarkhan was already one of the top ranked prospects. He was picked fourth overall by Karachi, who kept him in their developmental system almost exclusively for his first three pro seasons. The Carp though he was ready to start in 2004 and they were right. Tarkhan earned Rookie of the Year and started a streak of 12 consecutive seasons worth 6+ WAR. His lone Gold Glove came in his sophomore campaign in 2005.

2004 started a six-year playoff streak for Karachi, although they had first round exits in the first three years. 2006 was a big disappointment as they had earned the East League’s top seed at 111-51. Still, Tarkhan posted 1.349 OPS and 0.8 WAR in their first round loss in 2006. The Carp had the top seed again in 2007 and made to the ELCS, but were thwarted by Bishkek.

In 2008, Tarkhan won his first Silver Slugger and was third in MVP voting. Karachi broke through and won the ELCS, but lost the ABF Championship to a 112-win Istanbul. The following May, the Carp signed Tarkhan to an eight-year, $60,100,000 extension. Karachi made it back in 2009 and that time claimed their first ABF title, defeating Ankara in the final.

It was a banner year for Tarkhan, who won his lone MVP and another Silver Slugger. He led the league in RBI (108), total bases (346), average (.320), slugging (.595), OPS (.969), wRC+ (204), and WAR (12.2). The average, slugging, OPS, WAR, and RBI were all career bests. His WAR mark ranks as the 20^th best season by an ABF position player as of 2037.

Tarkhan led in WAR again in 2010 at 9.9 and had his bests in runs (110), hits (195), doubles (52), and total bases (352). He won another Slugger and was third in MVP voting, but Karachi missed the playoffs on a tiebreaker. They got back in 2011 but went one-and-done as a wild card. Tarkhan was second in MVP voting and won another Slugger with a 10.0 WAR campaign.

That marked the end of Karachi’s contention, as they only finished above .500 once in the next decade. Tarkhan was a huge part of the playoff success, making 35 starts for the Carp with 43 hits, 23 runs, 10 doubles, 6 triples, 4 homers, 8 RBI, 19 steals, .316/.347/.566 slash, 194 wRC+, and 2.3 WAR. He would remain a popular player and later got his #37 uniform retired for his efforts.

Tarkhan was out of the MVP conversations, but he won more Silver Sluggers in 2012, 13, 14, and 16. In 2016, he lost the final part of the season to a torn back muscle. Karachi gave him a five-year, $38,500,000 extension in March 2017 shortly before his 34^th birthday. It came as a surprise to many to see Tarkhan traded at the 2017 deadline to Dushanbe for three prospects. With the Carp, Tarkhan finished with 1925 games, 2068 hits, 1090 runs, 504 doubles, 120 triples, 280 home runs, 915 RBI, 492 walks, 1394 strikeouts, 867 steals, .285/.332/.503 slash, 164 wRC+, and 105.5 WAR.

Dushanbe had won back-to-back EL pennant and were in the midst of a four-year playoff streak when they acquired Tarkhan. That streak continued for another six seasons. Tarkhan won his ninth and final Silver Slugger in 2017 and held the ABF position record until passed in 2036. Despite his strong playoff stats with Karachi, Tarkhan ended up with lousy marks for Dushanbe. His regular season stats would still be overall positive, but he was definitely down from his prime with age slowing him down.

The Dynamo lost the 2017 ELCS to Asgabat. They had a first round exit in 2018 despite the top seed. Dushanbe avoided that fate again in 2019 and won the pennant, although they were defeated by Tabriz in the ABF Championship. The Dynamo had the top seed twice more in the next three years, but went one-and-done each time. Tarkhan’s playoff stats in Dushanbe had 30 games, 13 starts, 8 hits, 3 runs, 2 doubles, .133/.200/.217 slash, 27 wRC+, and -0.2 WAR.

Although Tarkhan’s later years came in Tajikistan, he still returned home to represent Pakistan in the World Baseball Championship. From 2005-20, Tarkhan played 100 games and started 81 with 81 hits, 40 runs, 18 doubles, 8 homers, 24 RBI, 48 steals, .266/.340/.403 slash, 115 wRC+, and 2.9 WAR. Tarkhan was an important starter in 2007’s fourth place finish by the Pakistanis.

Tarkhan lost two months in 2021 to a sprained ankle and two months in 2022 to a strained hamstring. He was out of the full-time lineup by this point as his numbers had diminished. For Dushanbe, Tarkhan had 521 games, 456 hits, 230 runs, 106 doubles, 27 triples, 49 homers, 214 RBI, 132 steals, .275/.319/.460 slash, 140 wRC+, and 11.6 WAR. He retired after the 2022 campaign at age 39.

The final tallies had 2446 games, 2524 hits, 1320 runs, 610 doubles, 147 triples, 329 home runs, 1129 RBI, 596 walks, 1799 strikeouts, 999 steals, .283/.329/.495 slash, 159 wRC+, and 117.1 WAR. As of 2037, Tarkhan ranks 20^th in games, 19^th in hits, 23^rd in runs, 25^th in total bases (4415), 7^th in doubles, 27^th in triples, 75^th in homers, 51^st in RBI, 7^th in steals, and 4^th in WAR among position players.

Tarkhan also ranks as the leader in hits, doubles, and WAR by ABF center fielders. By many metrics, he’s ABF’s best CF thus far. Voters were surprisingly harsh on him though for not having big power numbers. 78.3% seems way too low considering the numbers cited above. Regardless, that earned Tarkhan a first ballot induction as part of the 2028 Hall of Fame class for the Asian Baseball Federation.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2028 ABF Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Sadri “Hangover” Delkashi – Relief Pitcher – Faisalabad Fire – 69.8% Third Ballot

Sadri Delkashi was a 5’10’’, 190 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Mahabad, a city of roughly 168,000 in northwestern Iran. Delkashi was a fireballer with excellent stuff, but his movement and control were both above average to good as well. His fastball was an all-timer and regularly peaked in the 99-101 mph range. Delkashi also had a decent slider, but his fastball was strong enough to overpower many batters by itself.

Delkashi’s durability was excellent and he avoided injuries throughout his run. However, his stamina was poor and you couldn’t expect him to go more than an inning too often. Delkashi’s defense and pickoff move were both above average. He was also a great team captain with strong leadership skills and an impressive work ethic.

In the 2007 ABF Draft, Delkashi was picked 32^nd overall by Faisalabad; the fourth pick of round two. The Fire kept him in developmental in 2008 and debuted him as middle relief for 2009 and 2010. Delkashi took the closer role in 2011 and delivered with his career highs in ERA (0.75), strikeouts (146), and WAR (4.6). Surprisingly, this was good for only second in Reliever of the Year voting.

More importantly, Faisalabad won their first ABF Championship, defeating Tehran in the final. Delkashi had a stellar postseason, giving up one run over 15 innings and 10 appearances with 7 saves and 28 strikeouts. He struggled though in the Baseball Grand Championship with six runs allowed in 7.2 innings. The Fire finished 8-11 in the event.

Faisalabad made the playoffs the next four years with an ABF Championship over Mashhad in 2014 and first round exits the other years. Delkashi was a beast consistently in the postseason for the Fire, posting a 1.19 ERA over 37.2 innings with 27 games, 14 saves, 4-0 record, 61 strikeouts, 264 ERA+, and 2.2 WAR. He fared much better in the 2014 BGC with five scoreless innings, four saves, and 10 Ks. Faisalabad would again finish at 8-11.

Delkashi won Reliever of the Year in both 2013 and 2014, while taking second in 2012. He had a league and career best 48 saves and 76 games in 2013, which tied the then ABF saves record. Three closers would later top it in the 2030s. Delkashi had a 36 save streak during the 2013 campaign and had 37 scoreless appearances between July 2010 and May 2011.

Faisalabad’s success came to an abrupt end in 2016, as they fell hard to 66-96. They quickly became sellers and Delkashi was due for free agency in the winter. Thus, the Fire traded him in mid-June to Tabriz for three prospects. With Faisalabad, Delkashi had 178 saves and 254 shutdowns, 1.30 ERA, 504.1 innings, 827 strikeouts, 130 walks, 246 ERA+, and 22.1 WAR. For his role in two championship wins, Delkashi’s #11 uniform was retired at the end of his career.

This brought Delkashi back home to Iran after starting his career in Pakistan. He had seen use by his country in the World Baseball Championship from 2011-18. Delkashi struggled on that stage to a 4.98 ERA over 21.2 innings with 34 strikeouts, 10 walks, and 4.6 WAR.

Delkashi had a nice second half for the Tiger Sharks, who ended a five-year playoff drought in 2016. However, they lost in the first round and Delkashi wasn’t used in the postseason. Now a 31-year old free agent, Delkashi signed a three-year, $14,840,000 deal with Tehran. The Tarpons were the defending ABF Champion and were on a six-year playoff streak.

In 2017, Tehran set the league wins record at 116-46 and repeated as ABF champ with a finals win over Asgabat. Delkashi led in saves with 41 and games with 72, but surprisingly wasn’t in the awards conversations. In the playoffs, he allowed two runs in ten innings with 19 strikeouts. Delkashi had five saves in eight appearances in the Baseball Grand Championship, but still had a 6.00 ERA. Tehran finished 11-8 in a five-way tie for fourth, one win short of the top spot.

The Tarpons had first round exits the next two seasons. Delkashi led in saves again in 2018, but saw his production drop significantly in 2019 with a 3.59 ERA; his worst to that point. For Tehran, Delkashi had 96 saves and 108 shutdowns, 2.33 ERA, 216.1 innings, 306 strikeouts, 143 ERA+, and 5.1 WAR. While his fastball was still strong, Delkashi’s slider had started to fade which weakened his stuff and movement.

Samarkand joined ABF in the 2020 expansion and signed Delkashi to a one-year deal. He was unremarkable in limited action as middle relief and was traded to Dushanbe in July. Delkashi had only 12 innings with the Dynamo, who lost in the first round despite having the top seed. He retired that winter at age 35.

Delkashi finished with a 60-46 record, 293 saves, 386 shutdowns, 1.72 ERA, 807.2 innings, 1257 strikeouts, 202 walks, 189 ERA+, 57 FIP-, and 28.6 WAR. As of 2037, Delkashi ranks 8^th in saves. There hadn’t been any inducted closers into the Asian Baseball Federation’s Hall of Fame to that point. Other leagues had often used 300 or 350 saves as a key milestone, which Delkashi missed. His 2028 classmate Gafar Aliev was the first to 300 saves, but 350 wasn’t hit by anyone until the 2030s.

Working in Delkashi’s favor were playoff stats. He had 15 saves and an 8-0 record in 52.1 innings and 36 games with a 1.38 ERA, 90 strikeouts, 6 walks, 232 ERA+, and 3.0 WAR. As of 2037, Delkashi is 5^th in playoff saves and 14^th in WAR among all pitchers. He was an especially critical part of both of Faisalabad’s title wins.

Still, ABF voters weren’t quite sure how to handle relievers and didn’t value them quite as much as other leagues. Delkashi just missed the 66% requirement in his 2026 debut at 64.7%. He dropped to 56.4% in 2027, then rebounded to 69.8% in 2028. That got him just across the line for a third ballot induction, joining Aliev as ABF’s first HOF closers.



Gafar Aliev – Relief Pitcher – Baku Blackbirds – 68.0% Second Ballot

Gafar Aliev was a 6’6’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Ganja, Azerbaijan’s third-largest city with around 335,000 people. Aliev had fantastic stuff with solid control and movement. He had a 98-100 mph fastball along with a nice splitter. Aliev’s durability was mostly good, but his stamina was on the lower end. He was a strong defensive pitcher, but had a poor pickoff move. Aliev was also appreciated as a good leader in the clubhouse who you could count on in the big games.

Aliev was picked 57^th overall late in the second round of the 2011 ABF Draft by Baku. This was perfect for him, as the Blackbirds were his home country team and his favorite growing up. Aliev was the full-time closer immediately and took third in Reliever of the Year voting as a rookie. This also helped Baku go 108-54, winning their first ABF Championship over Lahore.

In the playoffs, Aliev had five saves and two wins in nine appearances with a 1.12 ERA and 22 Ks over 16 innings. In the Baseball Grand Championship, he gave up four runs over nine innings with 16 strikeouts as the Blackbirds finished 8-11. Baku got back to the ABF Championship in 2013 but lost to Hyderabad. Aliev was third in Reliever of the Year voting, but had a 3.09 ERA over 11.2 playoff innings.

Aliev led in saves the next two years to claim back-to-back Reliever of the Year awards. 2015 had his career bests in saves (46), ERA (0.92), innings (87.2), strikeouts (154), and WAR (5.1). Aliev also finished third in 2017’s ROTY voting. Baku had first round playoff exits in both 2014 and 2015. The Blackbirds missed narrowly in 2016, then had an LCS loss in 2017 to Tehran.

In ABF, Aliev‘s playoff stats overall were strong with a 1.74 ERA, 16 saves, 51.2 innings, 31 games, 82 strikeouts, 7 walks, 188 ERA+, and 1.8 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 4^th in playoff saves and 59^th in WAR among all pitchers. With Baku, Aliev also notably had a 44 save streak over a calendar year from 4/18/15 to 4/17/16. He also tossed 28 consecutive scoreless innings in spring 2014.

Overall for Baku, Aliev had 257 saves and 287 shutdowns, 1.65 ERA, 466 games, 540.2 innings, 959 strikeouts, 107 walks, 196 ERA+, and 30.5 WAR. He was a free agent after the 2018 season at age 30 and signed a two-year, $10,900,000 deal with Bishkek. Aliev had his third 40+ save season in 2019 and led in games pitched, becoming the first ABF closer to 300 career saves. He took third in 2020’s Reliever of the Year voting.

Bishkek was a 97-65 wild card in 2020, but went on a run and ultimately won their first ABF Championship over Bursa. Aliev had 3.2 scoreless innings in the playoffs and gave up two runs (one earned) over 3.1 innings in the Baseball Grand Championship as the Black Sox finished 6-13. Bone chips in his elbow limited his use in both events.

In two years for the Black Sox, Aliev had 76 saves and 87 shutdowns, 1.84 ERA, 144 games, 161.1 innings, 283 strikeouts, 196 ERA+, and 30.5 WAR. He was a free agent again at age 32 and as ABF’s saves leader had earned some international attention. Aliev left for the United States and Major League Baseball on a three-year, $24,300,000 deal with Kansas City.

Although gone from home, Aliev did return to Azerbaijan for the World Baseball Championship. The Azeris had just small enough to miss the event prior to the expansion to 96 teams in 2021. From 2021-26, Aliev had a 4.31 ERA over 31.1 innings with 13 saves, 43 strikeouts, and 0.6 WAR.

Aliev never secured a closer role in MLB and bounced around with okay results mostly in mid relief. He had a year-and-a-half with the Cougars before being traded in July 2022 to Nashville. Aliev joined Winnipeg in 2024, then spent 2025 in Oakland. Los Angeles signed him for 2026, but cut him after one bad outing. He finished the season with Anchorage and retired in the winter at age 38. In MLB, Aliev had a 4.06 ERA, 199.1 innings, 3 saves, 25 shutdowns, 192 strikeouts, 94 ERA+, and 2.0 WAR.

For his ABF career, Aliev had a 51-38 record, 333 saves, 374 shutdowns, 1.69 ERA, 702 innings, 1242 strikeouts, 142 walks, 189 ERA+, and 37.1 WAR. He was ABF’s saves leader until the early 2030s and still ranks third as of 2037. Like with Hall of Fame classmate Sadri Delkashi though, ABF voters weren’t quite sure how to handle closers.

Like with Delkashi, Aliev also had strong playoff stats and had an important role in two championship wins. He didn’t have the longevity though that had earned closers inductions in other leagues. Aliev debuted in 2027 at 62.7%, then made it across the 66% line in 2028 at 68.0%. Aliev and Delkashi together were the first relievers into the Asian Baseball Federation’s HOF, capping off a four-player 2028 class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2028 ALB Hall of Fame (Part 1)

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For the second time, Arab League Baseball had a four-player Hall of Fame class. The 2028 group was loaded with four inductees above 85% on their first ballot. Starting pitchers Fawaz Hussein and Herdi Wahib were co-headliners with both at 98.9%. CL Nour Al-Haj got 89.3% and OF Raed Falahen had 86.8%. The top returner and only other player above 50% was LF Abduwali Suleiman, getting 54.6% on his eighth ballot. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots.



Fawaz Hussein – Starting Pitcher – Casablanca Bruins – 98.9% First Ballot

Fawaz Hussein was a 5’10’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Damar, Yemen; a city of 146,000 in the country’s southwest. Hussein had great stuff and control along with solid movement. His fastball regularly hit 99-101 mph, but his knuckle curve and splitter were just as dangerous. Hussein also had a changeup as a fourth option.

Hussein’s stamina was solid relative to other ALB aces and he had ironman durability, making 32+ starts with 200+ innings each year from 2009-22. He had an excellent pickoff move and was a Gold Glove winner in 2019. Some thought he could be thick-headed, but Hussein’s talent and reliability made him a popular player over a 16-year run with Casablanca.

His entire pro career came with the Bruins, who signed him to a developmental deal in October 2003. Hussein debuted with 11 starts in 2007 at age 2007 with okay results. He also had 0.2 scoreless innings of relief in the playoffs as Casablanca lost the Western Conference Final to Jerusalem. Hussein saw more use in 2008, but wasn’t quite ready with -0.4 WAR over 134.2 innings. He gave up three runs in six innings of relief in the playoffs as the Bruins won the conference title, ultimately losing to Basra in the Arab League Championship.

Hussein became a full-time starter in 2009 and was a bonafide ace by 2010 who started up a 11-year streak of 6+ WAR seasons. He was third in 2010’s Pitcher of the Year voting and signed a seven-year, $17,280,000 extension that winter. Casablanca had conference final losses from 2009-11, then suffered a three-year stretch of losing seasons. Prior to that, the Bruins had never seen back-to-back losing campaigns.

You couldn’t blame Hussein though, as he was second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 2012 and 2013. In 2015, he won the award for the first time with conference bests in WAR (9.5) and strikeouts (305). Casablanca returned to the playoffs and beat Sulaymaniyah for the ALB title. Hussein had a 0.77 ERA and 24 strikeouts over 23.1 playoff innings. The Bruins were last in the Baseball Grand Championship at 5-14 with Hussein posting a 3.41 ERA over 31.2 innings with 37 strikeouts.

Hussein was the WARlord from 2015-18. He took second in 2016’s Pitcher of the Year voting, then won back-to-back in 2017-18. 2018 saw career bests in wins (22-7), strikeouts (339), WHIP (0.92), and WAR (10.5). Casablanca lost in the first round in 2016, but won another ALB title in 2017 over Abu Dhabi. Hussein had another great playoff run with a 1.50 ERA and 40 Ks over 30 innings. He did better in the BGC with a 2.64 ERA over 30.2 innings with 35 strikeouts. The Bruins finished 9-10.

In June 2017, Hussein signed a new six-year, $87,200,000 extension with Casablanca at age 30 to stay in Morocco for the long haul. He would regularly represent his native Yemen in the World Baseball Championship from 2008-22 with a 3.30 ERA, 6-13 record, 158.1 innings, 177 strikeouts, and 2.4 WAR.

Casablanca remained at 89+ wins from 2018-21, but fell just short of the playoffs each year in part due to a strong run by Tripoli in the Mediterranean Division. Hussein became less dominant during this point with fewer strikeouts, but he was still a rock solid starter. Age finally caught him in 2022 with dipping velocity leading to a terrible 5.64 ERA over 204.1 innings. Still, he became the third ALB pitcher to 4000 career strikeouts and fell only 13 Ks short of the then top spot.

The Bruins got back to the playoffs and Hussein had one last decent postseason run in him. He only struck out two over 22 innings, but he had a 2.86 ERA to help Casablanca win the ALB title over Jeddah. The day after the series ended, Hussein opted to retire at age 35 and was a spectator for the Baseball Grand Championship.
For his playoff career, Hussein had a 6-3 record, 122.1 innings, 2.72 ERA, 124 strikeouts, 25 walks, 141 ERA+, and 3.7 WAR. As of 2037, Hussein ranks 7^th in pitching WAR and 12^th in strikeouts.

Casablanca immediately retired Hussein’s #53 uniform for his 16 years of service and role in three championship seasons. He finished with a 241-139 record, 3.19 ERA, 3537.1 innings, 4022 strikeouts, 665 walks, 328/485 quality starts, 61 complete games, 24 shutouts, 123 ERA+, 76 FIP-, and 93.3 WAR.

As of 2037, Hussein ranks 5^th in wins, 5^th in innings, 18^th in complete games, 5^th in shutouts, 6^th in strikeouts, and 9^th in pitching WAR. Among pitchers with 1000+ innings, Hussein’s ERA is 59^th. His .671 opponent’s OPS is 72^nd and his 1.09 WHIP is 69^th.

While he isn’t usually in the discussion for Arab League Baseball’s GOAT pitcher, Hussein makes almost all top ten lists and many top five lists. He was a reliable force who kept Casablanca as a consistent contender and multiple time champion. At 98.9%, Hussein was a slam dunk co-headliner in the loaded 2028 Hall of Fame class.



Herdi Wahib – Starting Pitcher – Jeddah Jackals – 98.9% First Ballot

Herdi Wahib was a 6’5’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Al-Magazi, Palestine; a refugee camp of around 33,000 in the Gaza Strip. Wahib had impressive overpowering stuff that compensated for having merely above average movement and control. He had a strong 98-100 mph fastball and an almost equally fast splitter as his main offerings. Wahib also had a slider and curveball in the arsenal for balance.

Wahib’s stamina was elite, leading the conference four times in both innings and complete games. His durability was also excellent through his 20s, but major injuries derailed his career in his mid 30s. Wahib had an excellent pickoff move with generally average glove work. Wahib became beloved by fans and peers alike as his character was beyond reproach. He was a team captain known for leadership, loyalty, selflessness, and hard work. You couldn’t find anyone with a bad word about Wahib.

Despite coming from humble beginnings, Wahib’s talent was unmistakable. Jeddah spotted him and signed him in October 2004 to a developmental deal. His entire pro career came in Saudi Arabia, debuting in 2009 at age 22 with 78.1 innings in relief. Wahib earned a full-time rotation spot in 2010 and held it uninterrupted for a decade.

In 2011, Wahib earned his first Pitcher of the Year in 2011, leading the Eastern Conference in wins (19-10), ERA (2.11), innings (268.2), quality starts (28), complete games (14), shutouts (3), FIP- (60), and WAR (9.7). This would be Wahib’s career bests for ERA, innings, quality starts, and complete games. It was his first of eight seasons with 300+ strikeouts. Jeddah also ended a nine-year playoff drought, although they fell in the first round. That would mark the beginning of an ALB-record 14 year playoff streak for the Jackals.

In 2013, Wahib was second in Pitcher of the Year voting with his second ERA title at 2.45. Jeddah earned their first ALB title, defeating Alexandria in the finale. Wahib had a great playoff run with a 1.21 ERA over 22.1 innings with 29 strikeouts. In the Baseball Grand Championship, he went 0-4 with a 4.75 ERA over 30.1 innings and 48 strikeouts, although his 52 FIP- suggested some bad luck. The Jackals finished 8-11 in the event.

Wahib secured his second Pitcher of the Year in 2014 with a career and league-best 389 strikeouts. As of 2037, that is the 7^th-best single-season in ALB history. He also posted his career best for WAR at 10.1, helping Jeddah repeat as ALB champs with a finals victory over Damascus. Wahib had an okay 3.63 ERA over 22.1 playoff innings, but posted a strong 2.41 ERA with 45 Ks over 33.2 innings in the BGC. The Jackals finished 11-8, standing alone in 7th place.

He took second in 2015’s POTY voting, leading again in both strikeouts and WAR. Wahib had the Ks lead again in 2016 and the WARlord crown in 2017. Jeddah lost in the first round 2015. They had a historic 117-45 record in 2016, but were ousted in a conference finals showdown with 114-win Abu Dhabi. Prior to the 2016 season, Jeddah extended Wahib at seven years and $104 million, one of the richest contracts to date in the Arab League.

Jeddah lost in the first round of 2017, then returned to the top spot in 2018 with an ALB Championship win over Tripoli. Wahib was second in Pitcher of the Year voting and tossed his lone no-hitter on July 7 with 12 strikeouts and one walk against Bahrain. He had his third ring, but he was surprisingly terrible in the playoffs with a 11.88 ERA and only 8.1 innings in two starts.

Wahib looked more like himself in the Baseball Grand Championship with a 2.61 ERA and 41 Ks over 31 innings. The Jackals shocked the world by going 14-5 and claiming the Grand Championship. They were the first Arab League team to win the world’s top honor and are the only one as of 2037.

In 2019, Wahib became a three-time Pitcher of the Year, leading in wins (21-4), Ks (312), and WAR (8.3). He led in strikeouts for the fourth time and WAR for the fifth time. Jeddah won another conference title, but lost the ALB Championship against Tripoli. Wahib had a good playoff showing with a 2.00 ERA over 27 innings.

For his playoff career, Wahib had a 7-5 record in 17 starts, 3.07 ERA, 117.1 innings, 138 strikeouts, 23 walks, 128 ERA+, and 3.2 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 7^th in playoff wins, 7^th in strikeouts, and 9^th in pitching WAR. Little did he know that the 2019 postseason would be his final ALB playoff innings despite Jeddah’s streak continuing.

Wahib was second in 2020’s Pitcher of the Year voting and won his third ERA title. However in mid-September, Wahib suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament that threatened his career. Jeddah lost in the conference final as Wahib watched on in a sling. The recovery time ended up being 14-15 months, keeping him out for the entire 2021 season.

That year, Jeddah won it all for the fourth time, defeating Cairo in the final. Although Wahib wasn’t cleared during the ALB season, he got the thumbs up in November and made his first start back in the Baseball Grand Championship. He looked alright with two runs allowed over 4.2 innings. The Jackals were tied for the last place spot at 6-13.

In 2022, Wahib looked much like his old dominant self and took second in Pitcher of the Year voting. He had adjusted his delivery a bit post UCL tear, which led to a torn rotator cuff in late August. Wahib was originally told nine months and looked to be back in the summer of 2023. Unfortunately, he suffered a setback in March 2023 that forced his retirement shortly before his 36^th birthday. Jeddah immediately retired his #1 uniform and it was a heartbreaking end for one of the game’s good guys.

Wahib finished with a 200-108 record, 2.70 ERA, 2922 innings, 3817 strikeouts, 608 walks, 283/380 quality starts, 91 complete games, 31 shutouts, 148 ERA+, 67 FIP-, and 92.7 WAR. As of 2037, Wahib ranks 18^th in wins, 21^st in innings, 4^th in complete games, 2^nd in shutouts, 11^th in strikeouts, and 10^th in pitching WAR. Among those with 1000+ innings, Wahib’s ERA ranks 13^th and his .614 opponent’s OPS is 16^th.

Additionally, Wahib ranks 15^th in WHIP (1.00), 14^th in K/9 (11.76), and 19^th in H/9 (7.16). His triple slash of .218/.264/.349 ranks 19^th in all three. Among all Hall of Fame starting pitchers in the world, Wahib’s 148 ERA+ is 32^nd. If not for the injuries, many think Wahib could’ve ended up in the running as Arab League Baseball’s greatest-ever pitcher.

Although the injury costs him the GOAT spot, Wahib makes many top 10 lists for good reason. He was dominant, won three Pitcher of the Years, three ERA titles, and helped turn Jeddah into a multi-time champ and perennial contender. Wahib was an inner-circle level talent and at 98.9% co-headlined the four-player 2028 Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2028 ALB Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Nour “Trigger” Al-Haj – Relief Pitcher – Jeddah Jackals – 89.3% First Ballot

Nour Al-Haj was a 6’6’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Beirut, the capital and largest city of Lebanon. He earned the nickname “Trigger” from his quick release delivery. Al-Haj had rock solid stuff and control with good movement. He had a one-two punch of a 98-100 mph fastball and a curveball, both of which were equally dangerous for batters.

Al-Haj had both good stamina and durability for a reliever. He was excellent at fielding the position, but was subpar at holding runners. Al-Haj was well respected amongst his peers for his leadership, adaptability, and work ethic. He was selfless and accepted graciously whatever role his team assigned him.

In March 2002, Al-Haj left Lebanon for Saudi Arabia on a developmental deal with Jeddah. He debuted in 2006 at age 20 with 5.1 innings of relief. Al-Haj earned a full-time spot in 2007 and held down the closer role from 2008-14 for the Jackals. Al-Haj took third in 2007’s Rookie of the Year voting and second in Reliever of the Year voting.

Al-Haj won his first Reliever of the Year in 2011 with 36 saves, 2.06 ERA, 87.1 innings, and 121 strikeouts. This also marked the start of Jeddah’s historic 14-year playoff streak, although they lost in the first round in the first two seasons. Al-Haj repeated as ROTY in 2012 and won his third in 2014. He caught the start of the dynasty run as the Jackals won the ALB Championship in both 2013 and 2014.

Over 17 playoff games for Jeddah, Al-Haj had 12 saves, a 2-2 record, 1.47 ERA, 30.2 innings, 32 strikeouts, and 1.0 WAR. In 14 games in the Baseball Grand Championship, Al-Haj had 10 saves over 13.2 innings, 1-3 record, 25 strikeouts, 205 ERA+, and 0.5 WAR. His efforts getting the Jackals their first titles earned the retiring of his #10 uniform at the end of his career.

For Jeddah, Al-Haj had 249 saves and 267 shutdowns, 2.98 ERA, 524 games, 637.1 innings, 802 strikeouts, 132 ERA+, and 14.3 WAR. Despite that, the Jackals let him go into free agency after the 2014 season at age 29. Al-Haj took over the closer role for Baghdad at $17,100,000 over three years. He took third in 2015’s Reliever of the Year voting.

The Brown Bears had earned their first-ever playoff trip in 2014 and hoped Al-Haj could help keep that going. They missed in 2015 but still were solid at 88-74. However, Baghdad was back to the bottom of the standings after that. For the Brown Bears, Al-Haj had 93 saves, 3.22 ERA, 220.2 innings, 317 strikeouts, 123 ERA+, and 6.2 WAR. He was traded in July 2017 to Kuwait straight up for prospect catcher Hamza Qasim.

In his short time with Kuwait, Al-Haj got to 356 career saves, one short of the ALB record 357 by Khadr Seif. After looking okay with Kuwait, Al-Haj signed for 2018 with Mosul on a three-year, $14,640,000 deal. He quickly became the ALB saves leader and soon after was the first to 400 career saves.

He was second in 2019’s ROTY voting and third in 2020. Al-Haj’s stats were never overwhelmingly dominant compared to many other great closers, but he was very steady and reliable. The Muskies were mid in his first two years, then just missed the playoffs in 2020 despite winning 100 games. For Mosul, Al-Haj had 104 saves, 3.76 ERA, 222 games, 268.1 innings, 360 strikeouts, 108 ERA+, and 7.0 WAR.

Al-Haj joined Abu Dhabi in 2021 on a two-year deal and was moved to a middle relief role, posting five saves and a 3.49 ERA over 159.2 innings with 164 strikeouts and 2.7 WAR. His final ALB game was a poor playoff outing with three runs allowed over 1.1 innings. Al-Haj wanted to still pitch at age 37, but back-end relievers were a dime-a-dozen.

He opened his search worldwide and eventually found a buyer in the European Baseball Federation. Al-Haj moved to Scotland with Edinburgh on a one-year, $5,700,000 deal. He got the first two batters he faced out, but this was his only EBF game as he suffered a torn labrum. Al-Haj called it a career that winter at age 38.

In ALB, Al-Haj finished with a 112-130 record, 465 saves, 519 shutdowns, 3.27 ERA, 1047 games, 1330.1 innings, 1692 strikeouts, 357 walks, 123 ERA+, 75 FIP-, and 31.3 WAR. He still ranks second in saves in ALB as of 2037, eventually getting passed in the 2030s by Aaron Buber. Al-Haj is still ALB’s leader in games pitched and ranks 20^th among all pitchers in world history in games.

Al-Haj’s longevity got him to 25^th on the world saves list as of 2037. He’s also 50^th in shutdowns and 46^th in strikeouts among relievers, but he’s nowhere close to the top 50 in WAR. Compared to the other world great closers, Al-Haj’s rate stats are downright pedestrian. But longevity and consistency were two things Al-Haj had in spades.

Even if he wasn’t the most dominant closer ever, Al-Haj was a three-time Reliever of the Year winner and regularly in the conversation to win more. He was also an important piece to help start up Jeddah’s decade-plus run of dominance in the Arabia Division. This made Al-Haj a Hall of Fame lock for Arab League Baseball’s four-player 2028 class, joining the group on his debut ballot at 89.3%. He also joined Class of 2009 1B Bilal Hamdan as the only Lebanese inductees thus far.



Raed Falahen – Right/Left Field – Tripoli Privateers – 86.8% First Ballot

Raed Falahen was a 6’5’’, 205 pound left-handed outfielder from Jabaliya, Palestine; a city of 172,000 in the Gaza Strip. Falahen was known for having an outstanding eye for drawing walks and great home run power. His 162 game average got you 44 home runs and 89 walks. Despite that, Falahen was merely okay as a contact hitter and struck out a ton. His power was also fully concentrated on homers with only 19 doubles and 2 triples per his 162 game average.

Falahen fared much better against right-handed pitching (.955 OPS, 158 wRC+) compared to lefties (.767 OPS, 114 wRC+). His baserunning and speed were both mediocre, but not atrocious. You could describe his defense similarly with just over half of his career starts in right field. Falahen also had about ¼ of his starts in left field with most of the rest as a designated hitter. His durability was decent over an 18-year run.

In September 2000, Falahen left Palestine for Libya on a developmental deal with Tripoli. He spent nearly his entire career with the Privateers, officially debuting with 50 games and four starts in 2005 at age 21. Falahen was rostered all of 2006 and started much of the season. He earned a full-time starting job the next year and held it through 2021.

2007 was the first of eight straight seasons with 40+ homers for Falahen. In 2008, Tripoli gave him an eight-year, $14,350,000 contract extension. Falahen won his first Silver Slugger in LF in 2009 despite losing seven weeks to a sore shoulder. He won a Slugger in RF for and was third in MVP voting, leading the Western Conference in walks (105) and on-base percentage (.411). The 105 walks fell one short of the then-ALB single-season record and still ranks third as of 2037. He would lead the conference in walks six more times, although this was his peak.

Falahen won additional Sluggers in RF for 2011 and 2012. In 2012, he was second in MVP voting by leading in OBP (.387) and posting his first 50+ homer season with 52. Tripoli ended a seven-year playoff streak with the top seed at 97-65 and won their second-ever Western Conference title. The Privateers were denied by Abu Dhabi in the ALB Championship. Falahen was merely okay in the playoffs going 8-34 with 5 runs, 3 solo homers, and 1 double.

Tripoli made the playoffs again in 2013 and 2014, but couldn’t claim the pennant. In 2014, Falahen won his fifth Silver Slugger and his lone one at DH with career highs for homers (59), and RBI (116). Soon to be 31-years old, Falahen opted out of his existing deal to sign a new one with the Privateers at $102,800,000 over seven years. Tripoli fell to just below .500 the next two years, then missed the playoffs in 2017 at 94-68.

Injuries kept Falahen out for chunks of 2016 and 2017. The Privateers returned to the playoffs and won the pennant in 2018, but Falahen missed the playoffs with a torn meniscus in late September. Falahen stayed healthy and looked like his old self in 2019 with 50 home runs and a career best 120 runs scored. Tripoli had a franchise best 107-55 and won it all, defeating Jeddah in the ALB Championship.

Falahen’s playoff stats were alright, although his career numbers were underwhelming with 32 starts, 28 hits, 21 runs, 9 homers, 2 doubles, 12 RBI, 15 walks, .209/.289/.440 slash, 93 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR. Falahen did show his power in the 2019 Baseball Grand Championship with 12 hits, 8 homers, 12 runs, 12 RBI, 18 walks, .194/.375/.581 slash, 160 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR. Tripoli ended up finishing 8-11.

Tripoli won more in 2020 at 108-54, but was upset by Cairo in the conference final. They fell towards the middle tier the following year. Falahen production had dropped at this point with his hit totals diminishing. Tripoli let him leave for free agency in 2022 at age 38. Falahen remained popular though and soon would have his #5 uniform retired for his 17 years of service with the Privateers. Falahen felt he could still go and signed with Jerusalem in 2022 on a one-year deal. He struggled in a part-time role with 95 games, 41 starts, 13 homers, .761 OPS, and 0.0 WAR. He retired after the season at age 38.

Falahen finished with 2398 games, 2061 hits, 1413 runs, 280 doubles, 36 triples, 646 home runs, 1410 RBI, 1313 RBI, 2528 strikeouts, 110 steals, .258/.363/.544 slash, 147 wRC+, and 67.6 WAR. As of 2037, Falahen ranks 26^th in games, 88^th in hits, 33^rd in runs, 20^th in homers, 42^nd in RBI, 50^th in total bases (4351), 2^nd in walks, 16^th in strikeouts, and 47^th in WAR among position players.

His skillset wasn’t diverse enough to be an inner-circle guy, but Falahen had a lengthy career with a lot of homers, runs, and walks. Those tallies, plus a long tenure and championship ring with Tripoli clinched it with most Hall of Fame voters. Falahen got 86.8% for a first ballot induction to round off an impressive four-player 2028 class for Arab League Baseball. With Falahen and Herdi Wahib’s additions, the ALB HOF now had four Palestinian inductees.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2028 AAB Hall of Fame

RF Kaunda Kalinga stood alone for Hall of Fame induction in 2028 for the African Association of Baseball at a near unanimous 99.7%. SP Natnael Seyoum was next at 57.7% in his second try, a solid effort that was short of the 66% requirement. CL Deon Westerveld was the only other player above 50%, getting 54.8% for his third ballot.



Dropped after ten failed ballots was 2B Gedeon Bukasa, who ended at 42.6%. He got incredibly close multiple times, including 64.2% the prior year, 62.1% in 2024, and 61.6% in 2025. Nicknamed “Ice Cold,” Bukasa had nine Silver Sluggers over 12 seasons with Kigali with 1721 hits, 981 runs, 446 doubles, 433 home runs, 1187 RBI, .273/.327/.558 slash, 135 wRC+, and 50.4 WAR. He wasn’t one to lead the league though and didn’t stick around quite long enough to get the totals some voters required.

SP Lucas Wachira also fell off, notably the Pitcher of the Year in 2022 with Antananarivo. He peaked at 28.3% in 2022 and ended at 12.8%. Wachira wasn’t dominant apart from the one season, but got to a 173-128 record, 3.83 ERA, 2784.1 innings, 2571 strikeouts, 968 walks, 108 ERA+, 93 FIP-, and 45.7 WAR. He was another who needed either a bit more dominance or longevity to gain traction. Although he did win a title with the Eagles, Wachira’s 4.37 playoff ERA and 3-9 record didn’t help.

His former Antananarivo teammate Joao Baptista also made it ten ballots, peaking at 19.5% in his debut and ending at 5.4%. The Angolan RF had one Silver Slugger, but was otherwise steady and never outstanding. Baptista had 1882 hits, 1214 runs, 271 doubles, 437 home runs, 1128 RBI, 855 walks, 1488 strikeouts, 589 steals .272/.356/.527 slash, 138 wRC+, and 57.0 WAR. Especially considering the competition in the outfield, Baptista’s numbers looked firmly to be Hall of Pretty Good level.



Kaunda “Topper” Kalinga – Right Field – Lusaka Lake Monsters – 99.7% First Ballot

Kaunda Kalinga was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting right fielder from Nkololo, Tanzania; a town of around 35,000 people in the country’s north. Kalinga was one of the game’s all-time great home run hitters with an incredible 162 game average of 56 dingers, smacking 60+ in six seasons. He could find the gap too with 31 doubles and 5 triples per 162. Kalinga was stronger facing right-handed pitching (1.034 OPS, 170 wRC+) compared to lefties (.849 OPS, 128 wRC+).

Kalinga was merely an above average contact hitter with a decent eye for walks, although he did have a high strikeout rate. His speed and baserunning skills were below average, but not abysmal. Kalinga had a very strong arm which served him well as a career right fielder. He graded as consistently above average to good, even winning a Gold Glove in 2015. While he did have some injury issues, Kalinga still put together an 18-year career. He was a team captain and a great leader, which combined with prolific home run power made Kalinga one of Africa’s biggest baseball superstars.

His elite potential was obvious right away and in the 2004 AAB Draft, Kalinga was picked #2 overall by Lusaka. Despite missing a month to a fractured rib, Kalinga earned 2005 Rookie of the Year honors. He was a solid starter in his first three years, then became truly elite by year four. In 2008, Kalinga won his first Silver Slugger and was second in MVP voting, leading the Southern Conference in runs (116), and RBI (135). It was also his first season with 60 homers.

Kalinga dropped off slightly in 2009, then rattled off three straight MVPs and Silver Sluggers from 2010-12. Each year, Kalinga led in WAR, homers, and OPS; while twice leading in RBI, total bases, slugging, and wRC+. In 2012, he crushed 77 home runs, tying the AAB single-season record set in 2006 by Mwarami Tale. Kalinga also had his career bests in runs (136), total bases (437), and WAR (10.3).

His MVP runs turned Lusaka into a regular contender for the first time, making four straight Southern Conference finals trips from 2010-13. They were defeated in the first two years, then earned repeat pennants on the back end. The Lake Monsters were denied their first Africa Series rings though due to Addis Ababa’s dynasty, which capped off a six-peat against Lusaka. Kalinga’s playoff stats were surprisingly poor over 29 starts with the Lake Monsters, posting a .167/.246/.333 slash and -0.1 WAR.

Just before the 2013 season, Kalinga signed a five-year, $63 million extension. He ultimately missed the 2013 playoff run from a fractured thumb in August. Despite missing two months, Kalinga still was second in MVP voting and won his fifth Silver Slugger. He also lost some time to injury in 2014 and Lusaka dropped to 73-89.

They bounced back for one more playoff berth in 2015, but lost the conference final to Johannesburg. Kalinga won his fourth MVP and had the rare clean sweep of MVP, Silver Slugger, and Gold Glove. He had his second 70+ homer season and led in runs (128), homers (72), RBI (146), total bases (418), slugging (.799), OPS (1.177), wRC+ (205), and WAR (9.8). In 2015, Kalinga also had the rare feat of pulling off a four home run game and hitting for the cycle in the same season. He’s the only AAB player to achieve both in a career.

Lusaka fell to near .500 in 2016 and towards the bottom for the rest of the decade. Kalinga was second in 2016’s MVP voting with 73 homers and 8.5 WAR, his fifth time leading in both stats. As of 2037, Kalinga is one of only nine in all of pro baseball history with 3+ seasons of 70+ homers. He was the first to do it in AAB, although two others would join him in the high scoring league.

Kalinga still his 43 homers the next year, but his overall production dropped to 3.8 WAR, his lowest since his rookie year. In 2017, Kalinga became the fifth AAB slugger to 700 home runs and the sixth to 1500 RBI. Lusaka was in rebuild mode though and voided the team option year of Kalinga’s contract, sending him to free agency for the first time at age 36.

With Lusaka, Kalinga had 1795 hits, 1328 runs, 372 doubles, 55 triples, 702 home runs, 1524 RBI, 890 walks, 1853 strikeouts, .271/.364/.662 slash, 170 wRC+, and 83.5 WAR. The parting was amicable and he remained a beloved superstar for many years to come in Zambia. The Lake Monsters retired his #43 uniform at the end of his career.

Throughout the run, Kalinga had been a regular for his native Tanzania as well in the World Baseball Championship. From 2005-21, Kalinga played 117 games with 66 hits, 41 runs, 16 doubles, 23 home runs, 51 RBI, .165/.265/.378 slash, and 0.6 WAR. Despite his regular season dominance, Kalinga’s playoff and tournament numbers often were lacking.

Kalinga made the move to Uganda for 2018 on a two-year, $20,200,000 deal with Kampala. The Peacocks hadn’t made the playoffs once to that point, but they were on the cusp of an all-time dynasty run. In 2018, Kampala went 111-51 en route to an Africa Series win over Johannesburg. Kalinga had a decent playoff run with 9 hits, 9 runs, 4 homers, and 7 RBI in 12 starts. The Peacocks went 10-9 in the Baseball Grand Championship and Kalinga had a nice showing there with 15 hits, 11 runs, 7 homers, 14 RBI, 1.042 OPS, and 1.0 WAR.

Kampala was impressed enough to extend Kalinga for another two years and $14,800,000. His MVP days were over, but he was still a good leader and had some power when healthy. Kalinga missed big chunks of the next three years, dealing with a severely strained hip muscle in 2019, a hip strain in 2020, and various maladies in 2021.

The Peacocks missed the 2019 playoffs narrowly, but three-peated from 2020-22. Kalinga was there for 2020-21, but struggled in those playoff runs for a .651 OPS over 35 total starts with Kampala. Kalinga’s playoff career had 64 starts, 44 hits, 29 runs, 6 doubles, 11 home runs, 24 RBI, .186/.251/.367 slash, 68 wRC+, and 0.0 WAR. Kalinga had -0.1 WAR in the 2020 BGC, but bounced back with 0.6 WAR and .977 OPS in 2021. Kampala was 10-9 again in 2020, then had a second place at 14-5 in the 2021 Baseball Grand Championship, one game behind New Orleans.

For Kampala, Kalinga had 451 games, 378 hits, 247 runs, 83 doubles, 113 homers, 284 RBI, .242/.355/.529 slash, 128 wRC+, and 9.8 WAR. He had become the fourth in AAB to 800 home runs, but catching Tale’s 968 was unattainable. The 40-year old still wanted to play and took a vet minimum deal in 2022 for Maputo. Kalinga struggled to -0.6 WAR and .619 OPS over 54 games and dealt with a PCL strain in the spring. He retired after the 2022 season shortly after turning 41.

Kalinga finished with 2383 games, 2201 hits, 1589 runs, 462 doubles, 68 triples, 821 home runs, 1825 RBI, 1107 walks, 2338 strikeouts, 148 steals, .264/.357/.631 slash, .988 OPS, 160 wRC+, and 92.6 WAR. As of 2037, Kalinga ranks 15^th in games, 29^th in hits, 12^th in runs, 37^th in doubles, 7^th in homers, 7^th in total bases (5262), 7^th in RBI, 17^th in walks, 5^th in strikeouts, and 6^th in WAR among position players.

Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Kalinga ranks 13^th in slugging and 20^th in OPS. Among all world Hall of Famers as of 2037, Kalinga ranks 37^th in slugging. He also sits 45^th on the world home run chart, cementing his status as an all-time home run hitter. Kalinga’s accolades made him an obvious HOF lock and an inner-circle one.

However, his weaker playoff stats do keep him just below the Mount Rushmore level of guys like Mwarami Tale, Felix Chaula, and Mohau Sibiya. He’s firmly considered AAB’s second-best right fielder behind Chaula. At 99.7%, Kalinga stood alone for induction with the 2028 HOF class for the African Association of Baseball.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2028 World Baseball Championship

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The 2028 Baseball Grand Championship was the 82^nd edition of the event and was hosted in Conakry, Guinea. In Division 1, Mexico (9-2) fended off 8-3 efforts by Italy and Zimbabwe and 7-4 runs for Australia and South Africa. The Mexicans advanced to the elite eight for the 34^th time, fourth most behind only the United States, Canada, and Brazil. This did end a six-year drought for Mexico.

D2 saw England prevail at 9-2 over 8-3 Canada and 7-4 tries by the Dominican Republic and Taiwan. The English got their 11^th division title and first since 2022. The US was fifth at 6-5, marking only the 21^st time that the Americans didn’t advance. The Philippines dominated Division 3 at 10-1 with only 8-3 China close by. The Filipinos earned their 16^th division title and first since 2021. Spain, last year’s fourth place finisher, was at 7-4.

Ukraine claimed Division 4 at 9-2, two games better than both Algeria and Japan. It was their second division win in four years and 14^th overall. After taking runner-up in back-to-back years, France missed the cut at 6-5. D5 had a three-way tie at 7-4 between India, Belgium, and Nigeria while four others were at 6-5. The tiebreaker sent the Indians ahead for the tenth time and the second time in four years. Bulgaria, who was a surprise world champ in 2027, finished at 5-6.

Poland prevailed in D6 at 9-2 over 8-3 Romania and 7-4 Pakistan, Haiti, and Vietnam. The Poles picked up their tenth division title and first since taking runner-up in 2022. D7 had a tie at 9-2 between Indonesia and Bolivia with the tiebreaker going to the former. The Indonesians advanced for the 26^th time and for the first time since 2024. Lastly, Portugal took D8 at 9-2 ahead of Egypt, Germany, Myanmar, and Uganda at 7-4. The only previous division title for the Portuguese was back in 1998.

The 2028 elite eight was completely different from the prior two years. Round Robin Group A had Mexico and India advance at 4-2, while both Ukraine and the Philippines were 2-4. It was the fifth semifinal trip for the Indians (first since 2025) and the 20^th for the Mexicans (first since 2020). Group B had Poland on top at 4-2 for their seventh trip to the semis and first since 2022. England and Indonesia tied at 3-3 and Portugal was 2-4. The tiebreaker favored the English for their seventh final four appearance and first since 2022.

In the semifinals, England eliminated India 3-1 and Poland topped Mexico 3-1. Officially, the Mexicans were third for the seventh time and the Indians were fourth for the third time. The English earned their fourth championship appearance, having won in 2013 and 2019 and lost in 2011. The Poles earned their fifth finals try, having won in 2018 and lost in 1959, 1964, and 2022. This also guaranteed a European world champ for the fifth straight year and was the third consecutive final between European teams.



From 2018-27, each year had a different champ. The 82^nd World Championship was guaranteed to break that streak. England routed Poland with the first sweep since 2020 to become three-time world champs. The English joined the USA, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, and China as the only nations with three titles. 11 countries have now been to the finale at least four times.



Tournament MVP was Canada’s Neil Hollinger despite only playing 11 games. The 26-year old LF was the defending American Association MVP with Oklahoma City. The Lloydminster, Alberta native had 17 hits, 18 runs, 4 doubles, 9 homers, 17 RBI, a .447/.560/1.316 slash, 1.876 OPS, and 2.1 WAR. Carrying on from the prior year, Hollinger also had a 20-game hitting streak, only the tenth player to have a 20+ streak in WBC history.

Best Pitcher was Romania’s Rafail Istrate, a 12-year EBF veteran starter signed with Brno for 2028. The 32-year old righty had four scoreless relief appearances with 13.1 innings, 3 saves, 27 strikeouts, 7 hits, and 1 walk.

Other notes: There were two no-hitters in the 2028 WBC, the first coming from Turkey’s Yuksel Yalcin on January 13 with 15 Ks and 1 walk against Belgium. Three days later, Russia’s Aleksey Faustus did it with 8 Ks and 1 BB facing Sudan. Below are the updated all-time tournament stats.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2028 in A2L

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Three teams were close together for the top spot in the African Second League’s Southern Conference. Windhoek and Maseru ended up tied at 93-69 with Lilongwe a close third at 91-71. A one-game tiebreaker went to the White Sox to earn their first-ever promotion to the African Association of Baseball’s First League.



In a competitive Central Conference, Bukavu (89-73) edged out Pointe-Noire (88-74) for the top spot. Bangui and Mombasa were close thirds at 84-78 while Bahir Dar and Kampala were 82-80. The Bluefins also earned their first-ever promotion.



In the 11^th Second League Championship, Windhoek defeated Bukavu 5-3. However, the African Association announced expansion plans for 2029. Therefore both second place teams Maseru and Pointe-Noire also would be promoted for the first time. No teams from the top tier would be relegated from 2028 and expansion teams would add to the A2L.



Other notes: Lilongwe’s Daniel Tarekegn set a single-season record for pitching WAR at 7.3. Juba CF Kasao Nhantumbo became the first seven-time Gold Glove winner in A2L. Maseru LF Kali Bailey became the first to eight Silver Sluggers.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2028 in E2L

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Three games separated the top four teams in the European Second League’s Western Conference. Belfast and Sheffield were even in first at 96-66 with the tiebreaker officially favoring the Steelhounds. Lyon was one back in third at 95-67 and fourth was Paris at 93-69. Just missing the playoff cut were Liverpool (8874), Toulouse (87-75), Valencia (85-77), Cardiff (84-78), and Copenhagen (84-78).

It was Sheffield’s first playoff berth since their lone promotion back in 2015. The Steelhounds had gotten relegated back to E2L in 2024. For the Brewers, this was their first playoff trip since 2020. It was the Lords’ first playoff berth since 2021. The Poodles rebounded after being terrible since suffering demotion three years prior. Notably Stuttgart finished 77-85, ending a four-year playoff streak for them. The Silver Sabres remained one of the few original E2L teams to never get promoted at least once.

In the Round Robin, Lyon (5-1) and Sheffield (4-2) advanced while Belfast (2-4) and Paris (1-5) were eliminated. The Western Conference Championship went the distance with the Lords outlasting the Steelhounds 4-3. Lyon guaranteed its second-ever promotion (2009), although they only lasted two years in the European Baseball Federation’s Elite Tier.



Lviv took the Eastern Conference’s top spot at 100-62, giving the Lunkers back-to-back playoff trips. Lodz was a close second at 98-64 for their first playoff trip since 2022. Helsinki set a new E2L record for runs scored at 771 and finished third at 95-67. It was the second playoff chance in three seasons for the Honkers, who had gotten relegated for 2024.

The final playoff spot had a tie at 92-70 between Cluj-Napoca and Malta with the Paladins winning the tiebreaker game. It was C-N’s first playoff trip since 2024, when they had gotten relegated back after a three-year EBF run. Just short were Kyiv and Tallinn both at 90-72 with Thessaloniki also in the mix at 86-76. The Kings had just gotten relegated the prior year. The Twisters notably tied the E2L team record for hits (1435) and set the conference record for batting average at .256.

Lodz and Helsinki prevailed at 4-2 in the round robin while Cluj-Napoca and Lviv were both ousted at 2-4. The Legion then rolled to an Eastern Conference Championship sweep of the Honkers to earn their first-ever promotion. This result left Liverpool and Stuttgart as the only E2L originals to never be promoted at least once to that point. Lodz capped it off by winning 4-3 over Lyon in a classic Second League Championship.





A realignment and expansion of the EBF Elite tier for 2029 meant there would be four promotion spots. This gave the semifinalists Sheffield and Helsinki promotions as well. Both teams had been in the E2L since 2024. It was the second promotion for the Steelhounds and the third by the Honkers. The EBF Elite would see each conference increase by two teams so no teams were relegated based on 2028 results.

Other notes: Nottingham’s offense had 63 home runs all season, setting a new E2L low.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2028 in AAB

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For the third time in four years, Lusaka finished atop the Southern Conference standings. The Lake Monsters at 103-59 had the top record in the African Association of Baseball, leading all teams in fewest runs allowed (717) and leading the conference in runs scored (927). Cape Town earned its third straight playoff trip, grabbing second at 95-67. Durban was the next closest at 90-72, followed by both Harare and Johannesburg at 87-75. Defending conference champ Dar es Salaam shockingly plummeted to 64-98.

Southern Conference MVP went to Cape Town DH Johny Kibamba in his first year as a full-time starter. The 24-year old Congolese switch hitter came to the Cowboys in July 2027 after bouncing around as a trade piece. He was drafted in 2024 by Asmara, who sent him to Mogadishu in 2025, who then traded him to Nairobi in 2026 who then sent him to Cape Town. Kibamba had played sparingly before 2028, but stepped up by leading in runs (135), RBI (137), total bases (419), and wRC+ (171). He had 208 hits, 49 doubles, 50 homers, 89 steals, 1.085 OPS, and 7.2 WAR.

Harare’s Ghebrezgiabhier Alemayehu won Pitcher of the Year with arguably AAB’s best-ever pitching season to date. He earned the fourth pitching Triple Crown and set the league pitching WAR record of 11.96, breezing by Mobutu Kandol’s 10.17 from 2001. Alemayehu’s WAR mark remained #1 until passed twice in the mid 2030s by Abdullahi Aii.

The 24-year old Ethiopian righty had a 23-7 record, 3.14 ERA, and 338 strikeouts. He was also the leader in innings pitched (264), WHIP (1.08), K/BB (6.6), quality starts (21), and FIP- (48). Alemayehu had greatly exceeded the Hustlers’ hopes, since he was picked late in the third round of the 2022 AAB Draft.



It was a three-team race for the two playoff spots in the Central Conference. 2026’s first place finisher Nairobi bounced back from a losing 2027, grabbing first at 93-69 in 2028. The Night Hawks allowed the fewest runs in the CC at 723. Addis Ababa narrowly took second at 91-71 to end a two-year playoff drought. Kinshasa was third at 89-73.

Reigning Africa Series champ Mogadishu fell to fourth at 83-79 despite historic offensive stats. The Mighty Mice set new conference records for batting average (.295), OBP (.358), runs (962), and hits (1676). Unfortunately for them, they also allowed 907 runs. Their 1648 hits allowed would’ve been an all-time conference worst if not for Kigali giving up 1660. The 65-97 Guardians also set new CC worsts for earned runs allowed (892), H/9 (10.47), and team WHIP (1.577).

Addis Ababa DH Dagne Mersha repeated as Central Conference MVP and posted unfathomable power stats, even in a high scoring league like AAB. The 29-year old Ethiopian lefty set new AAB records for homers (90), RBI (189), runs (156), and total bases (510). The previous league high marks had been 77 homers, 184 RBI, 471 total bases, and 153 runs. Mersha’s marks remain AAB records as of 2037.

90 home runs was one short of the seemingly unreachable 91 crushed in the 2009 South Asia Baseball season by world homer king Majed Darwish. The Arab League’s Wissam Magdy had smacked 89 in 2027, the closest anyone had come to Darwish. Mersha’s 189 RBI was the best-ever by anyone not named Majed Darwish, as he had posted an absurd 220, 209, and 200 from 2008-10.

Mersha’s 510 total bases were the seventh-best in any world league and his 156 runs were fifth. He also led the conference in slugging (.810), OPS (1.220), wRC+ (190), and WAR (9.5). Mersha’s slugging was the fourth-best in AAB history and his OPS was seventh.

For the second time in three years, Kinshasa’s Aziz “Hot Stuff” Mussa won Pitcher of the Year. The 27-year old Djiboutian righty led in strikeouts (317), WHIP (1.09), FIP- (56), and WAR (8.8). Mussa had a 2.89 ERA over 221 innings, 167 ERA+, and 16-8 record. He also had a 20 strikeout game against Lubumbashi, one short of Paul Lambote’s AAB single-game record from 2009. Sadly, the former #1 overall pick tore his labrum in September and was never the same. Mussa would get a stretched elbow ligament in June 2029 and only pitched 244.1 total innings after that.

The Southern Conference Championship was a rematch from two years prior. Just like in 2026, #2 seed Cape Town upset top seed Lusaka. With a 4-1 win, the Cowboys earned their third pennant. The Central Conference Championship needed all seven games with Addis Ababa outlasting Nairobi. The Brahmas were now ten-time pennant winners (2006-13, 25, 28).



In the 34^th Africa Series, Cape Town was dominant 5-1 over Addis Ababa to earn their second AAB title (1996). The Cowboys are the first South African champ since Durban’s 2006-07 repeat. Conference MVP Johny Kibamba was also finals MVP with 17 hits, 9 runs, 2 doubles, 3 homers, 8 RBI, 1.064 OPS, and 0.7 WAR over 10 playoff starts.



Other notes: Lusaka’s Destin Mpika stole 153 bases, breaking the AAB record previously set in 2019 by West Germano at 143. Mpika’s mark was the second-best in any pro league ever behind Hassan Shanshol’s 157 in the 2024 Arab League Baseball season. Mpika became only the third in any league to top 150+ steals.

Patrick Babila became the 5^th member of AAB’s 800 home run club and the 9^th to 2500 hits. Maninho Magaia and Warren Biloa became the 9^th and 10^th to 600 dingers. Biloa also became the 9^th to 1500 RBI. SP Noel Kembo won his 8^th consecutive Gold Glove. SS Djibrilla Ousseini won his 10^th Silver Slugger

Promotion/Relegation: Expansion was announced for 2029 and thus the last place teams Comoros and Kigali were spared from relegation. The top two from the African Second League’s Southern Conference (Windhoek and Maseru) and the top two from the Central Conference (Bakavu and Pointe-Noire) would each be added. Both AAB conferences would have 12 teams going forward instead of the previous 10. The playoffs and other formatting would remain the same while eight total new franchises would be added to A2L.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2028 in ALB

Arab League Baseball surprised many by lowering the service time requirement for free agency from seven years to six. ALB had been one of the more restrictive leagues at nine years when it had formed, but had lowered to eight for 2003 and seven for 2014. ALB was now among the least restrictive with only East Asia Baseball and the Oceania Baseball Association lower at five years.



The Western Conference was again top heavy with defending WC champ Jerusalem taking the top seed at 113-49 atop the Levant Division. Algiers ended up as the #2 seed at 111-51, having been relegated to a wild card the prior year behind 113-win Tripoli in the Mediterranean Division. The Privateers grew their playoff streak to three years, getting the wild card this time at 102-60. Algiers’ streak grew to six and the Jets’ grew to five.

Jerusalem led the conference in both runs scored (919) and fewest allowed (643). They also set a new ALB season attendance record at 2,141,275 tickets sold. Algiers sold the second-most in league history at 2,097,891. Damascus was a distant second in the Levant at 98-64, but it earned them the second wild card by eight games over Amman. The closest division ended up being the Nile with Cairo (94-68) edging out Alexandria (89-73). The Pharaohs earned their 11^th playoff berth and 10^th division title in 12 years, while the Astronauts had their playoff streak snapped at three.

Although they missed the playoffs, the Aviators tied the ALB record for home runs with 312. Amman also had the second-best team slugging in conference history at .528, while Damascus had the third-best OBP at .348. Tripoli also hit notable marks, setting a conference record for doubles (394) and getting the third-most hits at 1679.

Alexandria 1B Gilon Bassman won his third consecutive Western Conference MVP. The 25-year old Israeli righty led in runs (135), OPS (1.083), wRC+ (169), and WAR (7.8). Bassman added 238 hits, 53 doubles, 41 homers, 149 RBI, 66 stolen bases, and a .381/.407/.676 slash. The Astronauts would make Bassman one of the richest players ever the following July on an eight-year, $321,200,000 extension.

Jerusalem’s Hilal Mohsen won Pitcher of the Year, leading in wins (21-4), ERA (3.12), K/BB (24.2), complete games (10), and shutouts (4). Mohsen set a new ALB record with 0.30 BB/9. The 27-year old Syrian struck out 19 over 239.1 innings with 147 ERA+ and 6.7 WAR.

Also of note, Casablanca’s Aaron Buber became the first five-time Reliever of the Year winner in ALB. It was his first with the Bruins, having previously won with Jerusalem in 2022, 23, 25, and 26. Buber had 37 saves and a 2.68 ERA over 90.2 innings with 122 strikeouts and 3.3 WAR.

Tripoli edged Damascus 2-1 in the wild card round, then pulled off the 2-0 second round upset of top seed Jerusalem. The Privateers earned repeat trips to the Eastern Conference Final. Their divisional rival Algiers joined them by surviving Cairo 2-1, sending the Arsenal to their fifth ECF in six years. Algiers then outlasted Tripoli 3-2 to take their second pennant in three years.



Muscat was 18 wins ahead of the next closest team in the Eastern Conference at 105-57. The Threshers repeated as Gulf Division champs with historic offensive numbers. Muscat scored 1000 runs, one short of Tripoli’s record from the prior year. The Threshers did set new league records for team hits (1777) and triple slash (.311/.359/.542).

The #2 seed was Mesopotamia Division champ Mosul at 87-75, who ended a 10-year playoff drought. Last year’s conference finalist Sulaymaniyah at 83-79 was four back, but took the second wild card. The Gulf Division’s Abu Dhabi had the first wild card at 84-78 for their fifth playoff berth in seven years. Baghdad allowed the fewest runs in the conference at 712, but was four wins from the last wild card at 79-83.

The Arabia Division had been strong, boasting three playoff teams and the league champ in 2027. In 2028, all five teams shockingly had a losing record. Riyadh at 79-89 ended up taking the division title, followed by reigning ALB champ Medina (75-87), Mecca (74-88), and Sanaa (73-89). The Mastodons had their three-year playoff streak snapped.

Muscat had numerous options for the Eastern Conference MVP. RF Ahmed Yasser Basha posted a .403 batting average (the fifth .400+ season in ALB history), won a Gold Glove, and led in WAR at 10.0. LF Walid Bennani meanwhile had 71 home runs and 140 RBI. But it would be DH Abdul Jalil Dahir who was given the top honor.

The 29-year old Lebanese lefty led in runs (146), RBI (171), total bases (464), OBP (.448), slugging (.780), OPS (1.228), and wRC+ (206). 146 runs set the new ALB single-season record, while the RBI mark was the third-most in ALB history. Dahir also had 234 hits, 42 doubles, 60 home runs, a .393 average, and 9.5 WAR.

Dahir also had a 37-game hitting streak, breaking the ALB record of 36 set the prior year by Amar Rasmi. It’s no surprise the Threshers had record-setting offense with all of that firepower. Dahir would ink a six-year, $207 million contract extension in March 2030.

Although Basra was a non-factor in 2028, their ace Ahmed Hussain joined Rashid Tariq as ALB’s only six-time Pitcher of the Year winners. The 36-year old Qatari lefty had previously won in 2018 and from 2022-25. In 2028, Hussain led in ERA (2.68), WHIP (0.94), and FIP- (64). He had a 12-6 record over 195 innings with 218 strikeouts and 6.7 WAR. ALB’s strikeout king became the first to reach 4500 career Ks in 2028. Hussain’s season did end in early September with bone chips in his elbow.

Abu Dhabi swept Sulaymaniyah in the first round, then promptly was swept in round two by Muscat. Riyadh swept Mosul on the other side, giving the Rats their second-ever Eastern Conference Final appearance (2002). It was the first for the 2016 expansion Threshers, guaranteeing a first-time pennant winner. 79-win Riyadh gave an impressive effort, but Muscat escaped with the 3-2 series win.



Muscat’s offense had a ton of hype entering the 39^th Arab League Championship, but Algiers abruptly snuffed that out with a sweep to earn their second title in three years. LF Mohammad Al-Imad, the 2026 ALB Championship MVP, won it again in 2028. The 29-year old Jordanian in 12 playoff starts had 16 hits, 6 runs, 5 doubles, and 5 RBI.



Other notes: Damascus’ Kerlos Sharaf set a new world single-season record for doubles at 73, passing the 72 hit by Gokhan Karatas in the 1990 Asian Baseball Federation season. Gilon Bassman had just set the ALB record at 70 the prior season. Muscat’s Ahmad Nasif tied the playoff stolen bases record at 15.

Algiers’ LF Wissam Magdy hit 74 home runs, giving him six straight years with 67+ as the Western Conference leader. He joined the African Association of Baseball’s Maninho Magaia as the only players in all of baseball history to smack 70+ homers in four seasons. Baghdad’s Brent Field made history with the first seven hit game in ALB history. To this point, it has only happened 17 times across all of pro baseball history.

2028 was the last year of LF Mohammed Hassan’s 20-year career with Basra. His overall value had diminished as a DH with 0.3 WAR at age 37, but he still smacked 43 home runs. Hassan became the third ALB member of the 900 home run club and was one of 19 to reach the mark through the 2028 season. He also got to 2234 RBI, second in ALB history only behind former teammate Nordine Soule’s 2518. As of 2037, Hassan is 19^th in homers and 22^nd in RBI among all of pro baseball history.

Hassan also ended with 3296 hits, 1919 runs, 722 doubles, .997 OPS, and 105.0 WAR. He retired just behind Soule for ALB hits and behind only Soule and Yahya bin Hakam in runs. Hassan retired second in doubles and ranks 4^th in ALB and 12^th in the world as of 2037. He is one of only 20 players with 700+ career doubles. The only other player to have both 700+ doubles and 900+ homers is world home run king Majed Darwish.

In other milestones, Osama Ahmed became the 14^th to 600 home runs and the 18^th to 1500 RBI. Four players joined the 500 home run club, bringing that group to 34 strong. Omar Azim became the 21^st to 2500 hits. Diyar Abbas became the 14^th pitcher to 200 wins and Ahmed Essa became the 10^th to 3500 strikeouts. 3B Malik Zouaoui won his 10^th Silver Slugger and LF Walid Bennani won his 8^th.

Khartoum didn’t have the worst record in the league at 69-93, but their pitching was historically inept. The Cottonmouths set new ALB worsts in runs allowed (975), earned runs (927), ERA (5.78), hits allowed (1758), H/9 (10.97), and team WHIP (1.551). Meanwhile Tunis posted the second-worst strikeouts (1106) and K/9 (6.86) in conference history.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2028 in ABF

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Two-time defending Asian Baseball Federation champ Hyderabad again took the East League’s top seed at 105-57 atop the South Division. The Horned Frogs allowed the fewest runs in ABF at 472 and set a new ABF attendance record at 2,107,368. Lahore was second in the division at 98-64 to easily take the first wild card, earning their second playoff trip in three years.

Peshawar won the North Division at 94-68 and led the EL in runs scored (763). The Predators set new East League team records for hits (1533), doubles (376), and triples (80). Although Peshawar got repeat playoff trip, it was their first division title since 1992. Almaty (90-72) edged out Shymkent (89-73), Bishkek (87-75), and Karachi (86-76) for the second wild card. The Assassins grew their playoff streak to nine seasons, tying the ABF record.

Almaty LF Youssouf Raza repeated as East League MVP, leading in total bases (385), slugging (.677), OPS (1.050), and wRC+ (218). The 27-year old Paistani had 98 runs, 183 hits, 33 doubles, 55 homers, 114 RBI, .322 average, and 8.7 WAR.

In his second season with Karachi, Karim Damadian won Pitcher of the Year. The 33-year old Iranian lefty had spent his first nine seasons with Mashhad before signing with the Carp. Damadian had a 15-8 record, 2.14 ERA, and 302 strikeouts over 235.2 innings for 7.8 WAR. He would fall off significantly and deal with shoulder inflammation the next year, retiring that winter.

Hyderabad swept Almaty in the first round and Peshawar topped Lahore 3-1 to set up a rematch in the East League Championship Series. The series went all seven games, but the Horned Frogs again prevailed for their third straight pennant. It is only the second time in ABF history that a team earned three straight finals berth, a feat Hyderabad previously hit from 1997-99.



The West League’s division champs Mashhad and Gaziantep both finished at 102-60 with the top seed going to the Mercury via tiebreaker. Mashhad’s playoff streak grew to eight years with their fourth consecutive season as both Central Division champ and the top seed. For the Gorillas, it was their third West Division title in four years. Gaziantep was the WL’s top scoring team at 849 runs.

Ankara was a close second in the West at 99-63 to earn the first wild card. The Alouettes allowed the fewest runs (571) in the WL and ended a nine-year playoff drought. Defending West League champ Tehran at 94-68 got the second wild card over Adana (92-7) and Istanbul (92-70). Baku, a division champ last year, notably fell to 82-80.

Leading Gaziantep’s offense was West League MVP Majed Mahadeen, who shattered the ABF single-season runs scored record with 152. The previous best was 139 by Emre Fez in 2022. Mahadeen’s effort was only the tenth 150+ run season in all of pro baseball history to that point. As of 2037, his mark is tied for the ninth-best in world history and still is the ABF record.

The 24-year old Palestinian RF was already in his sixth year as a starter and also led in hits (218), total bases (379), stolen bases (113), triple slash (.371/.427/.645), OPS (1.072), wRC+ (183), and WAR (11.0). The 113 steals ranked as the sixth-best single season in ABF history. Mahadeen also had 41 doubles, 21 triples, 26 homers, 90 RBI, and hit for the cycle in May. The Gorillas locked him up in July 2026 to an eight-year, $108,140,000 extension.

Ankara’s Hasan Yousefi won Pitcher of the Year in his eighth season. The 28-year old Iranian lefty had the best ERA (2.15), WHIP (0.72), K/BB (15.1), shutouts (4), and WAR (8.8). On June 13 against Istanbul, Yousefi tossed ABF’s 20^th perfect game with 15 strikeouts. It was his second career no-hitter, having done it in 2026 against Tabriz. Yousefi added a 20-3 record over 251.1 innings with 348 strikeouts and 184 ERA+.

Tehran upset Mashhad 3-0 in the first round while Gaziantep knocked off Ankara 3-1. The Gorillas earned their third West League Championship Series appearance in four years. Yet again, they fell short as the Tarpons won back-to-back pennants from the #2 wild card slot. Tehran took the series 4-1 for their sixth pennant.



The 44^th ABF Championship was a rematch with Hyderabad looking for the first-ever three-peat. They were the heavy favorite, especially having swept Tehran the prior year. The Tarpons shocked the Horned Frogs by reversing the script with their own sweep. Tehran became three-time ABF champs (2016, 17, 28). SP Maryali Ahmadi was finals MVP with the 24-year old Afghani posting a 2.08 ERA and 3-0 record over four playoff starts, starting out 28 in 30.1 innings.



Other notes: Pitcher of the Year Hasan Yousefi’s perfect game was the first of three in the 2028 season. The second was August 28 by Almaty’s Hajiagha Redzhepov with five Ks versus Faisalabad. The third came on September 1 by Karachi’s Kasim Abdullaev with 15 Ks facing Rawalpindi. This made 22 total perfect games in ABF history. Incidentally, the 1996 season also featured three perfectos.

Carrying over from the prior year, Y.J. Sherzad had a 37-game hitting streak ended on April 5. This tied the ABF record set by Alaeddin Simsek in 1986. Arshia Hushyar became the 12^th pitcher to 4000 career strikeouts and Elnur Hasanov became the 20^th to 3500 Ks. Ismail Akbar became the 17^th member of the 500 home run club. Hakan Mocuk became the 7^th to 1500 RBI and Quraishi Lalak was the 12^th to 2500 hits. C Ali Mahdian won his 9^th Gold Glove, tying the ABF position record. CF Anatoly Memmedov won his 7^th Gold Glove.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2028 in SAB

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For the fifth straight season, Visakhapatnam took the Indian League’s top seed and won their sixth straight South Division title. It was the third straight 110+ win season for the Volts, but they actually needed a tiebreaker for the top seed despite going 110-52. Ahmedabad had the same record for their third straight West Division crown. Visakhapatnam had the most runs scored (761) and fewest allowed (481). The Animals notably outperformed their expected win/loss by ten games.

The second place teams in those divisions fought for the wild card with reigning South Asia Baseball champ Pune (93-69) edging out Bengaluru (91-71). The Purple Knights secured a fourth consecutive wild card. Worth mentioning that the West Division’s Surat at 85-77 got their first winning season since 2018, but were eight short in the wild card race.

The 2028 playoff field ended up the same as the 2027 one with Jaipur also repeating in the Central Division. The 92-70 Jokers were three ahead of 89-73 Delhi. The Drillers also fell four games short of the wild card, missing the playoffs for the fifth straight year despite winning 89+ each of those years. Delhi has the longest active streak of winning seasons in SAB at ten.

Indian League MVP went to Visakhapatnam 1B Dik**** Dariyanani. The 27-year old led in home runs (43), and total bases (360). Dariyanani had 192 hits, 110 runs, 106 RBI, .328/.381/.615 slash, 192 wRC+, and 8.1 WAR. Prior to the season, the Volts gave Dariyanani an eight-year, $54,640,000 extension.

Visakhapatnam’s E.J. Dhananjay notably won his third Pitcher of the Year in four years. The 29-year old hometown hero led in strikeouts (361), quality starts (29), and WAR (9.9). Dhananjay had a 17-8 record, 1.79 ERA, 247 innings, and 201 ERA+. He narrowly beat out Delhi’s Amir Kapur, who won the ERA title (1.48) along with 337 Ks and 8.8 WAR. Kapur’s ERA was the fourth-best qualifying single-season in SAB history.

Jaipur shocked Visakhapatnam 3-2 in the first round, giving the Volts back-to-back first round exits. The Volts have averaged 114.6 wins in the last three seasons, but have only two first round exits and one Indian League Championship Series loss to show for it. The Jokers earned their first ILCS trip since winning the pennant back in 2009.

Ahmedabad ousted defending champ and divisional foe Pune 3-1 on the other side to earn a repeat ILCS trip. After their incredible dynasty run from 1986-2002, the Animals had lost in six straight ILCS appearances. Ahmedabad ended that drought, ousting Jaipur in a 4-3 classic. The Animals became 16-time Indian League champs with their first pennant in 26 years.



Two-time defending Southeast Asia League Mandalay mauled the competition at 124-38 atop the North Division. It is only the tenth time in all of pro baseball history that a team in any league won 124+ games. Half of those had occurred in SAB with 1993 Ho Chi Minh City at 126-36, 2001 Ahmedabad at 125-37, and 124-38 seasons by both HCMC and the Animals in 1995. The 1995 Ahmedabad team was the only of those to actually win the SAB Championship, with two losing in the finale and the 1993 Hedgehogs falling in the first round.

Mandalay led all of SAB with 874 runs scored and led SEAL with 501 runs, more than 100 fewer than second place. The Mammoths won their share of close games with the 62 team saves setting a SEAL record. It was the second-most in SAB history behind 2012 Kolkata (67).

There was a big drop to the next best record with Dhaka at 99-63, who was the first wild card from the North. The Dobermans grew their playoff streak to eight seasons and their pitching staff set new SEAL records for fewest walks allowed (248) and best BB/9 (1.53). There was another significant drop to the third best record in SEAL.

That went to South Division champ Yangon at 85-77, who squeaked by Vientiane (84-78) and Bangkok (82-80). The Green Dragons’ playoff streak grew to four with only one playoff miss since 1995. The Vampires were the second wild card to end a five-year postseason skid.

Southeast Asia League MVP went to Mandalay 1B Dong Vinh Lam, who led in homers (71), RBI (139), runs (128), total bases (424), and slugging (.715). The Vietnamese 27-year old added a .298 average, 1.071 OPS, 188 wRC+, and 8.6 WAR. Lam was the first SAB slugger with a 70+ homer season since Majed Darwish’s tear from 2008-10. His mark ranked as the fifth-best single-season to that point and was one of only seven seasons of 70+ dingers. That effort earned Lam an eight-year, $143,900,000 extension in the offseason.

The Mammoths also had the Pitcher of the Year Junichi Koku, who led in wins (22-4), ERA (2.07), WHIP (0.89), quality starts (27), and shutouts (4). The 27-year old Japanese lefty had 270 strikeouts over 226.1 innings and 6.6 WAR. Injuries had stunted Koku’s career to that point and would plague him after with only 229.1 total innings over the next decade. Koku beat out Hanoi’s Rajpal Kusumakara, who notably recorded 385 strikeouts. That tied for the fifth-best single season in SAB history, 11 short of Zainal bin Aziz’s 396 from 1992.

In the first round, Yangon survived 3-2 over Dhaka and Mandalay topped Vientiane 3-1. This set up a rematch of the 2026 Southeast Asia League Championship. The Mammoths were a mammoth favorite with the 39-win difference between the two. Mandalay delivered as expected and took the series 4-1 to complete a SEAL three-peat. The Mammoths are the first to three-peat in SEAL since Ho Chi Minh City’s dynasty.



In the 49^th SAB Championship, Mandalay rolled Ahmedabad 4-1 for their second overall title in three years. The 2028 Mammoths staked their claim as SAB’s best-ever team and arguably the best in the world. RF Alexander Thongsuk was the finals MVP, posting 13 hits, 8 runs, 4 doubles, 2 homers, 8 RBI, 1.022 OPS, and 0.6 WAR over 10 playoff starts.



The 1995 Animals were the only other team ever to win 124+ games and a league title. The forthcoming Baseball Grand Championship would give Mandalay a chance to prove the wins weren’t simply inflated by SAB’s relative lack of parity. Seven other teams had won 120+ games and a league title, although all but one played prior to the BGC. The top team to win a league title and the Grand Championship was 2027 San Diego, who won the World Series at 119-43.

Other notes: Mumbai’s Alam Kala became the first in SAB history with a seven hit game, going 7-8 on August 6 against Surat. Through 2028, the mark has been reached only 17 times in all of pro baseball history. Dhaka’s Nurul Sultana stole 121 bases, the 5^th-best single season in SAB history. Both finalists set new league attendance records. Mandalay sold 2,330,609 tickets and Ahmedabad had 2,315,595. Both remain the top tallies as of 2037.

In pitching milestones, Franklin Tung became the new career wins leader and the third to reach 250. He finished the year at 14-9 to get to 263-146, passing Arvind Lal’s 259 for the top spot. Tung would struggle in 2029 and only get one more, retiring as the leader at 264. Quang Thinh Phan became the 7^th to 4000 career strikeouts

Amu Singh became the new SAB saves leader as passed Saroth Bora’s 499. Through 2028, only 12 closers in world history had 500+ career pro saves. Singh had 41 saves in 2028 for Pune, leading the league for the seventh time. In hitting milestones, Yasir Malkawi became the 16^th to 1500 runs scored. Binh Su Bac and Rahul Gonzales became the 28^th and 29^th to 2500 career hits. RF Murugan Abdul won his 8^th Gold Glove.