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

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 04-22-2025, 07:12 AM

2029 in EPB

The European League had repeat division winners with Gomel atop the North and Volgograd atop the South, both finishing 97-65. The defending EL champ Voyagers officially were the #1 seed by tiebreaker, although they only won the division by two games over 95-67 Samara. The Griffins’ division title came by only three games over 94-68 Moscow. The Steelers and Mules got the wild cards with Kazan (90-72) and Tel Aviv (87-75) the first teams out.

Volgograd led the EL in scoring with 657 runs and Gomel allowed the fewest at 483. For the Voyagers, they’ve made the playoffs nine out of ten seasons in the 2020s. Samara was a wild card for the third straight year and Moscow ended a three-year drought. Minsk, who had a three year playoff streak, plummeted to 68-94. St. Petersburg also notably dropped to 66-86 for their first losing campaign since 2019.

Krasnodar was a non-factor at 76-86, but they had the European League MVP with DH Anar Arzhanov. In his second year starting, the 25-year old Uzbek lefty led in WAR (8.2), runs (98), and total bases (368). Arzhanov had 191 hits, 32 doubles, 45 home runs, 94 RBI, and a .307/.364/.591 slash. He was living up to the billing for the Steamers, who got him with the #1 overall pick in the 2026 Eurasian Professional Baseball Draft.

Moscow’s Tagir Jumayev picked up Pitcher of the Year in his 11^th season on roster for the Mules. The 32-year old Azeri righty led in wins (19-4) and WHIP (0.82). Jumayev had a 1.82 ERA over 217 innings, 256 strikeouts, 172 ERA+, and 7.9 WAR. He missed the playoffs though to a ruptured disc in early September. Jamayev’s effort was strong enough to earn a five-year, $74,800,000 extension in May 2030 with Moscow.

Volgograd survived 3-2 over Moscow in the first round to keep their repeat hope intact. Samara upset Gomel 3-2 in a classic, giving the Steelers their second European League Championship Series trip in three years. Both Samara and Volgograd had come into EPB with the 2000 season, but the Steelers were still searching for their first pennant. The Voyagers denied Samara in a seven-game thriller, earning an impressive fifth title of the decade (2020, 22, 23, 28, 29).

The Asian League’s four playoff teams were separated by only two wins. Both division champs finished 92-70 with Nur-Sultan again atop the West and defending EPB champ Vladivostok atop the East. The Setters had the #1 seed by the tiebreaker and earned a third straight division title. Although the Shibas won it all last year, this was their first-ever division title.

Vladivostok had fierce competition in the East Division with Khabarovsk at 91-71 and Novosibirsk at 90-72, both securing wild cards. The Nitros ended the longest-active playoff drought in EPB at 32 seasons going back to 1996. The 2020 expansion Rockets picked up their first-ever playoff berth. Ufa at 85-77 was the first team out, followed by 82-80 Perm. The Shibas allowed the fewest runs in the AL at 487. Krasnoyarsk scored the most at 650, but also allowed the most at 658. The Cossacks struggled to 77-85, ending an 11-year playoff streak.

Nur-Sultan CF Khazbulat Dukhu won Asian League MVP in a rare win by a leadoff man. The 30-year old Russian nicknamed “Claw” led in hits (187), OBP (.395), and WAR (8.5). Dukhu had 72 runs, 31 doubles, 9 triples, 8 homers, 76 RBI, 66 stolen bases, .325 average, .846 OPS, and 155 wRC+. Dukhu is only the second non-pitcher to win MVP in EPB with fewer than 10 home runs, joining 2004 Hall of Famer Nikolay Denisov. The Setters had given Dukhu an eight-year, $72,400,000 extension back in November 2027.

In his Vladivostok debut, Nehor Pomerantz became a three-time Pitcher of the Year. It was his first in the Asian League, having won previously in the EL for Minsk in 2022 and 2027. Pomerantz had also won MVP with his 2022 effort. The 31-year old Israeli lefty was traded to the Shibas in the offseason for three prospects. Pomerantz led in strikeouts (331), shutouts (5), and FIP- (65). He had a 20-9 record, 2.40 ERA, 247.2 innings, 132 ERA+, and 7.7 WAR. Vladivostok would sign Pomerantz to a five-year, $105 million extension in September 2030.

Nur-Sultan outlasted Novosibirsk 3-2 and Vladivostok topped Khabarovsk 3-1 in the first round of the playoffs. This pitted the 2028 Asian League Championship Series winning Shibas against the 2027 winning Setters. The battle of the dogs went to Vladivostok 4-2 for the repeat.

The 75^th Eurasian Professional Baseball Championship was the first finals rematch since Moscow versus Yekaterinburg in 2006-07. Vladivostok won 4-2 over Volgograd in 2028, but the Voyagers got revenge 4-1 in 2029. It was Volgograd’s second EPB title, having also won in 2023. 2B Jan Cieslak was finals MVP in his second season, posting 22 hits, 12 runs,6 doubles, 1 homer, and 6 RBI over 17 playoff starts.

Other notes: Ivan Nikolin became the 15^th pitcher to 4500 career strikeouts. He pitched two more years and ended with 4962, retiring 8^th on the leaderboard. Nikolin also became the 61^st to 200 wins in 2029. Vitali Kolyayev became the 20^th closer to 300 saves. CF Robert Albrecht won his 8^th consecutive Gold Glove.

Timofei Averkin became the 31^st batter to 2500 hits. He won his 11^th Silver Slugger and 10^th in right field, becoming only the sixth at any position with 11+ Sluggers in EPB. Averkin, Timofei Kalinin, and Marat Kazimov also reached 400 home runs, making that club 76 players strong.

Eurasian Professional Baseball was one of the only world leagues to see scoring dip from the 2010s to the 2020s. The drop was slight, going from a 3.26 league ERA in the 2010s to around 3.15 in 2020s. The batting average went from around .245 to around .242. This put EPB into below average to low scoring on the historical scale and had them among the lower scoring leagues in the 2020s.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 04-23-2025, 09:17 AM

2029 in EBF

2029 marked the beginning of an expanded European Baseball Federation Elite Tier with the conferences shifted into two 13-team divisions. Three teams were within two games of the top seed for the Northern Conference. Defending European Champion Hanover took the top spot at 108-54 to win the new East Division. Rotterdam at 106-56 was the West Division champ. Both extended lengthy playoff streaks with the Ravens mark growing to nine seasons and the Hitmen to seven.

Hanover needed historic offensive output to fend off 106-56 Kharkiv for the division crown. The Hitmen set new EBF team records for slugging percentage (.529), on-base percentage (.351). and triples (143). Hanover’s 955 runs scored were a Northern Conference best and behind only 1951 Madrid’s 958 runs for the EBF overall record. Their .306 batting average was second-best in EBF history behind Amsterdam’s .308 from 1986. Hanover also had 1715 hits, which ranked fourth in EBF’s annals.

As the first wild card, Kharkiv grew their playoff streak to six seasons. Antwerp was four behind Rotterdam in the West at 102-60, earning their first wild card since 2021. The Airedales allowed the NC’s fewest runs at 590. The remaining two wild cards came from the West with Manchester at 98-64 and Nantes at 96-66. The Crushers earned repeat playoff trips and the Trappers got their third straight.

The first teams out in the wild card race were Berlin (93-69), London (91-71), and Frankfurt (88-74). Other notables included Dublin at 73-89, posting back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 2002-03. They were still plenty safe from relegation, which would now go to the worst team in each division. Helsinki was the clear last place in the East at 58-104, getting sent right back down after escaping the European Second League the prior year.

In the West, Amsterdam had the bottom slot at 55-107, finishing one worse than 56-106 Luxembourg. This was the first-ever demotion for the Anacondas, who had historically been one of EBF’s strongest franchises. They hadn’t lost 100+ games in a season since 1976 and had been a playoff regular earlier in the decade. One other note from the NC, Hamburg set a conference attendance record at 2,781,931 despite struggling to 67-95. The Hammers would’ve been relegated the prior year had the expansion not saved them.

Northern Conference MVP went to Hanover 1B Jacinto Calvillo, the 2026 Rookie of the Year. The 24-year old Spanish lefty led in the triple slash (.379/.446/.721), OPS (1.168), wRC+ (206), WAR (10.9), and RBI (151). Cavillo added 222 hits, 134 runs, 32 doubles, and 52 home runs. He finished only seven homers shy of a Triple Crown. The following winter, the Hitmen signed Calvillo to an eight-year, $216 million extension.

Manchester’s David Ruiz repeated as Pitcher of the Year, leading in both ERA (2.31) and FIP- (59). The 28-year old Spanish lefty had an 18-6 record, 225.2 innings, 257 strikeouts, 172 ERA+, and 7.9 WAR. Prior to the 2029 campaign, the Crushers gave Ruiz a four-year, $62 million extension.

Both wild card round matchups saw 2-0 sweeps with Manchester over Antwerp and Kharkiv over Nantes. The Killer Bees upset Rotterdam 3-2 in round two, while the Crushers shocked reigning champ Hanover 3-1. Kharkiv earned its second Northern Conference Championship trip in four years, while it was the first ever for Manchester.

In a seven game classic, Kharkiv outlasted Manchester to earn their third EBF pennant (2000, 2002, 2029). The Killer Bees had six overall when including their Eurasian Professional Baseball successes. Kharkiv also became the first Ukrainian team to make it to the European Championship since Kyiv’s 2006-08 run.

Defending Southern Conference champ Munich took the top seed at 103-59 to win the new West Division, giving the Mavericks their ninth consecutive division title. It was their tenth straight playoff berth as they led the SC with 794 runs scored. Munich had to fend of 100-62 Barcelona for first place, who allowed the fewest runs at 587. The Bengals earned their third straight playoff trip and had their first 100+ win season since 2011.

In 2028, Zagreb missed the playoffs for the only time in the decade. The Gulls were back in 2029 atop the East Division at 98-64. Next were Odesa (95-67) and Ljubljana (93-69), who both picked up wild cards for repeat playoff berths. The final wild card went to Zurich (89-73), who held off Madrid (87-75), Seville (86-76), Milan (85-77), Chisinau (84-78), Tirana (84-78), and Marseille (83-79). The Mountaineers got their 11^th playoff berth since 2016.

Vienna had the worst record in the conference at 59-103 and was relegated out of the East Division. Yerevan had been close at 62-100, but survived another year. Zaragoza meanwhile was the clear worst in the West at 60-102. It was the second demotion for the Vultures, who had made it back to the EBF Elite in 2027. The Valiants had only been back two years after their last E2L stint.

Munich veteran 1B Vince Corapi won Southern Conference MVP. The 34-year old Italian was in his sixth season for the Mavericks and led in hits (211) and RBI (127). Corapi had 110 runs, 35 doubles, 15 triples, 35 home runs, .350/.392/.633 slash, 189 wRC+, and 8.5 WAR. He inked a new three-year, $85,200,000 extension with Munich the following autumn.

Mavericks ace Nejc Novak repeated as Pitcher of the Year and became a four-time winner (2022, 24, 28, 29). He was only the eighth in EBF to win POTY 4+ times. The 33-year old Slovene righty led in wins (21-5) and WHIP (0.99). Novak posted a 2.80 ERA over 228.1 innings with 211 strikeouts, 138 ERA+, and 7.0 WAR. He had a late August shutout against Seville to become EBF’s 41^st pitcher with 200 wins. In the offseason, Novak committed further to Munich with a four-year, $106,400,000 extension.

Ljubljana swept Odesa and Barcelona edged Zurich 2-1 in the wild card round. Both division champs held in round two with Munich defeating the Juggernauts 3-1 and Zagreb besting Barcelona 3-1. This continued the Southern Conference Championship rivalry between the Gulls and Mavericks. Munich had beaten Zagreb in 2021, 2023, and 2026 en route to pennants.

The Gulls got the edge in 2027, their lone pennant of the decade to that point despite five conference finals trip. Zagreb not only got one back in 2029, but they surprisingly swept the defending Southern Conference champ. It was the fourth pennant for the Gulls (1960, 1975, 2027, 2029).

The 80^th European Championship featured two teams from Eastern Europe for the first time since Kyiv versus Bucharest in 2008. In a seven game classic, Kharkiv claimed the gold over Zagreb. It was the Killer Bees’ third EBF title (2000, 2002, 2029) and sixth overall crown when adding their 1980, 1998, and 1999 EPB wins.

Gulls LF Luka Muller was finals MVP in defeat, posting 25 hits, 11 runs, 2 doubles, 3 triples, 5 homers, 16 RBI, 8 steals, and 1.3 WAR over 15 playoff starts. That earned the 29-year old Frenchman a big payday in a contract year, as he left for Major League Baseball and signed a five-year, $151,300,000 deal with Charlotte.

Other notes: EBF’s 41^st perfect game came on March 30 from Veinna’s Thorleifur Gunnarsson with 8 strikeouts against Brno. The 42^nd perfect came on August 10 as Odesa’s Sid James fanned seven facing Yerevan. Notably, Tirana’s Jan Mulder also had a no hitter on 8/10, making it the third day in EBF history with multiple no-hitters along with 9/14/1971 and 5/1/1956. Despite their 71-91 finish, Skopje set a new EBF season attendance record with 2,964,553 tickets sold.

In milestones, Theofilos Psarras became the 14^th member of the 3000 hit club. Psarras won his 13^th Silver Slugger split between RF/LF, joining the legendary Harvey Coyle and Jacob Ronnberg as EBF’s only 13+ Slugger winners. 3B Stefanos Emmanoulidis won his 8^th Silver Slugger. Aleksandr Parts became the 27^th to reach 1500 runs scored and also won his 7^th Gold Glove at first base. Andrea Tonetti won his 8^th Gold Glove, splitting them evenly between 2B/SS. Edoardo Manni was the 60^th pitcher to get 3000 strikeouts.

Kharkiv’s Danut Alecsandrescu had a four home run game facing Madrid on July 26, the 19^th such game in EBF history. Alecsandrescu also did it the prior year, becoming only the fourth in all of pro baseball history to achieve multiple four home run games. Prior to 2029, only SAB legend Tirtha Upadhyaya (1997, 1998, 2005) and AAB’s Timeo Kahudi (1997, 2000) had done it. Earlier in 2029, MLB’s Khalaf bin Abdullah remarkably did it twice in the same season.

The European Baseball Federation’s scoring numbers remained mostly consistent overall with what they had been since the 1990s. The Northern Conference did see its highest-ever league ERA, going from 3.76 in the 2010s to 3.92 in the 2020s. However, the Southern Conference dropped from 3.82 to 3.80. Both graded as above average on the historical scale relative to other leagues. The conferences had a batting average around .261 for the 2020s to stay in essentially the same range.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 04-25-2025, 01:10 PM

2029 Beisbol Sudamerica Expansion

Baseball’s popularity in South America continued to go up at a seemingly exponential rate, leading Beisbol Sudamerica officials to plan the fourth expansion by the end of the 2020s. BSA’s previous expansions had come in 1974, 1987, and 2009. The 2029 plan kept the format of three divisions per league, but added a new team to each division. Thus, both leagues would have three divisions of seven teams for 42 total squads in South America.

The Bolivar League added the Maracay Misfits to the Venezuela Division. The Colombia-Ecuador Division finally got a second Ecuadoran team with the Bucaramanga Battalion. Meanwhile, the Peru-Bolivia Division welcomed its third Bolivian team with the Cochabamba Bashers.

Two new Brazilian teams entered the Southern Cone League with the Belem Blue Crabs for the North Division and the Curitiba Carnivores for the Southeast Division. The South Central Division introduced the Valparaiso Voodoo for a third Chilean team. BSA now had 11 Brazilian teams, five from Argentina, three from Chile, four from Peru, three from Bolivia, seven from Venezuela, five from Colombia, two from Ecuador, one from Uruguay, and one from Paraguay.

The playoff structure was unchanged with the three division champs and two wild cards advancing from each league. Seeding remained based on record and not based on position, meaning wild cards could be ranked higher than weaker division champs.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 04-26-2025, 06:55 AM

2029 in BSA

Barranquilla’s playoff streak grew to eight years with their sixth Colombia-Ecuador Division title of the run. The Blues had the Bolivar League’s best record at 104-58, their sixth time above 100 wins in the decade. Barranquilla led the BL with 883 runs scored. The #2 seed was defending BL champ Lima at 95-67, atop the Peru-Bolivia Division for the third straight year.

Arequipa (92-70) and La Paz (90-72) both gave the Lobos chase, earning the two wild card spots. The Pump Jacks ended a 23-year playoff drought, while the Arrows ended a two-year skid. The first teams out came from Colombia with Medellin at 89-73 and Bogota at 87-75. The Bats allowed the Bolivar League’s fewest runs at 627.

Maracaibo claimed the last spot by winning the Venezuela Division at 88-74, ending a 12-year postseason drought. Caracas was second at 85-77, followed by Barquisimeto at 83-79. The Colts have posted 14 straight winning seasons, although this was only the third time in that run without a division crown. The Black Cats notably had their first winning season since 2016. Also of note was Bolivia’s Santa Cruz at 79-83, ending their five year playoff streak. It was the first losing season for the Crawfish since 2018.

Lima RF Marc Melgar repeated as Bolivar League MVP with one of the all-time great seasons. He had the first hitting Triple Crown in Beisbol Sudamerica since 2009 and only the 12^th ever. Melgar also set new BSA single-season records for slugging percentage (.811) and OPS (1.281). His .419 batting average nearly set the world record, behind only Francisco Magellan’s .420 from the 2010 BSA season. As of 2037, Melgar’s average remains the second-best qualifying single-season in world history while his OPS ranks 15^th, slugging is 23^rd, and OBP (.470) is 21^st. The OBP was the sixth-best within BSA.

On top of Melgar’s .420/.470/.811 slash, he led with 253 hits, 61 home runs, 143 RBI, 489 total bases, 219 wRC+, and 11.1 WAR. The 27-year old hometown hero’s hits were third-most in BSA history and his total bases were four short of Juan Suarez’s 493 from 2022. This also ranked as the 15^th-most total bases and 28^th most hits in world history as of 2037. Melgar also scored 131 runs with 29 doubles, 12 triples, and 75 stolen bases. The former #1 overall draft pick inked an eight-year, $160,500,000 extension with the Lobos prior to the 2029 campaign.

Barquisimeto’s Jorge Fred won Pitcher of the Year, leading in ERA (1.61) and FIP- (67). The 27-year old Venezuelan lefty had a 12-9 record, 196 innings, 177 strikeouts, 245 ERA+, and 6.1 WAR. Fred also was a two-way player who had an impressive 66 games in the outfield worth 3.7 WAR with a 1.008 OPS, 14 home runs, 87 hits, and 39 runs. He posted those stats despite being out from August 4 onward with a ruptured finger tendon. The Black Cats gave Fred a five-year, $58,100,000 extension after the 2030 season.

Maracaibo swept La Paz in the first round, then was ousted 3-1 by Barranquilla in the divisional series. The Blues earned their fifth trip to the Bolivar League Championship Series in six years. Arequipa upset Lima 3-1 on the other side to earn their first-ever BLCS trip. The upstart Arrows then shocked Barranquilla 4-1 in the BLCS to earn their first pennant. With that, every Bolivar League team had now won at least one pennant apart from the brand new expansion teams. Arequipa had entered BSA in 1987 along with Mendoza.

https://i.imgur.com/9h10BOf.jpeg

Brasilia repeated as the Southern Cone League’s top seed and the North Division champ at 107-55. The Bearcats set a new league record with a team .495 slugging percentage and led with 813 runs scored. It was an eight game drop to the #2 seed Santiago, who claimed the South Central Division at 99-63. The Saints allowed the fewest runs at 528 and grew their playoff streak to 10 seasons. Since 2015, Santiago has missed the playoffs only once and has 11 division titles.

The closest division was the Southeast with Sao Paulo (94-68) edging out Rosario (93-69), and defending Copa Sudamerica champ Buenos Aires (92-70). The Padres extended their playoff streak to six years. The North Division meanwhile had Belo Horizonte at 93-69 and Manaus at 92-70. With that, the Robins and Hogs earned wild cards while the Atlantics and Magpies missed the cut. Rosario earned its second trip in three years and BH ended a four-year drought. Also notably was Concepcion at 82-80, only their third playoff miss since 2011.

Salta finished 84-78 and had the Southern Cone League MVP Antonio Coria. The 27-year old Argentinian LF led in hits (251), doubles (41), RBI (120), total bases (427), triple slash (.405/.430/.690), OPS (1.120), wRC+ (222), and WAR (9.8). With Coria and Melgar’s efforts, BSA has seen nine seasons with a qualifying hitter at or above .400. Coria added 109 runs, 15 triples, 35 homers and hit for the cycle in August. This was already the third cycle of his career, becoming the sixth in BSA history to achieve the feat thrice.

Although Concepcion missed the playoffs, they had reason for optimism with Luis Enrique De La Cruz winning both Pitcher of the Year and Rookie of the Year. He was picked 14^th overall in the 2026 BSA Draft and earned a full-time slot for 2029. De La Cruz led in ERA (2.12), innings (280), quality starts (29), and complete games (19). The 23-year old Chilean righty had a 17-10 record, 249 strikeouts, and 8.1 WAR.

Also notable was Buenos Aires’ Igor Vigil winning his fourth Reliever of the Year. He became the ninth in BSA history to win the award 4+ times with wins from 2024-26 with Porto Alegre. Vigil had been with Buenos Aires since a 2027 trade and in 2029 had 33 saves, 1.54 ERA, 133 strikeouts, 82 innings, and 4.0 WAR. He would try his hand at MLB in 2030 with Washington.

Belo Horizonte edged Rosario 2-1 in the first round, then upset Brasilia 3-1 in the divisional series. It was back-to-back one-and-dones for the Bearcats, while the Hogs secured their first trip to the Southern Cone Championship since 2001. Sao Paulo outlasted Santiago 3-2 on the other side, giving the Padres their fifth LCS trip in six years.

For the fourth straight appearance, Sao Paulo was ousted in the Southern Cone Championship. Belo Horizonte got the firm 4-1 victory to end a 37-year pennant drought for the Hogs. Belo Horizonte became six-time league champs (1939, 1948, 1950, 1952, 1991, 2029). The Hogs had lost their first Copa Sudamerica, but had won four straight since.

The 99^th Copa Sudamerica was an all-timer that wasn’t decided until the final pitch of game seven. The finale was an all-time pitcher’s duel with no score entering the ninth inning. On top of that, Belo Horizonte hadn’t even gotten a hit off Arequipa through eight innings. The Hogs only got one hit for the entire game, but it proved to be decisive and from an unlikely source.

35-year old catcher Junior Perdomo had joined Belo Horizonte in 2029 after 13 years with Caracas. He was known as a defense-first catcher and definitely wasn’t known as a home run hitter. For his entire 15-year career, Perdomo would hit only 51 dingers. However, in game seven of the 99^th Copa Sudamerica, Perdomo sent a solo shot over the fence for the 1-0 walk-off victory. It was one of only three career playoff homers for Perdomo.

With that, Belo Horizonte became five-time cup winners. Despite Brazilian teams making up a plurality in Beisbol Sudamerica, the Hogs were the only Brazilian team to claim the Cup in the 2020s. Two-time league MVP Paco Amorim had a big postseason for Arequipa, winning finals MVP in defeat and BLCS MVP. In 16 playoff starts, the 29-year old Brazilian 1B had 29 hits, 15 runs, 5 doubles, 7 home runs, 19 RBI, 1.478 OPS, and 2.0 WAR.

Other notes: BSA’s 51^st perfect game came on August 16 from Fortaleza’s Alex Pederneiras with six strikeouts against Montevideo. Expansion Curitiba had a rough debut at 52-110, setting new Southern Cone League all-time pitching worsts for team ERA (5.01), hits (1774), runs (871), earned runs (794), H/9 (11.19), and WHIP (1.517).

In milestones, Pablo Amor became the 26^th batter to 1500 career runs scored. Amor and Michael Escalante became the 37^th and 38^th to reach 1500 RBI. Benjamim Pinheiro and Jeffry Lucero were the 82^nd and 83^rd to 2500 hits. Pinheiro joined the 500 home run club along with Eddy Corunha, Emmanuel Angel, and Juan Rizo. This made the club 62 players strong. Corunha also won his 8^th Silver Slugger at shortstop. Agostino Cortez was the 69^th pitcher to 200 wins and Antonio Kercado became the 39^th to 300 saves. LF Feliz Zaldivar won his 7^th Gold Glove.

Beisbol Sudamerica’s scoring was similar in the 2020s to the prior three decades since instituting rule changes. BSA had been a low scoring league when it founded in the 1930s, but had been considered an above average scoring league since the 2000s.

With the DH, the Bolivar League had a 4.08 ERA for the 2020s while the Southern Cone League was at 3.67. However, the BL had a .278 batting average, the highest of any world league in the 2020s. The Southern Cone was at .266 for the decade. Although BSA had among the most hits of any league, the scoring wasn’t nearly as inflated as the African leagues were in the 2020s.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 04-26-2025, 05:28 PM

2029 in EAB

The Japan League’s Central Division was incredibly top heavy with Kobe (109-53) outlasting Kyoto (101-61) for first place and the top seed. The Blaze allowed the league’s fewest runs (516) while the Kamikaze scored the most (729). Both wild cards came from the Central with defending JL champ Nagoya next at 94-68. Kobe’s playoff streak grew to seven years. Kyoto had their second berth in three years and the Nightowls had their third in four.

Niigata dominated the North Division at 97-65 for the #2 seed, growing their playoff streak to three. Tokyo (93-69) took the Capital Division over Saitama (88-74) to end a five-year playoff drought. Hiroshima was the only team above .500 in the West Division at 90-72 to grow their division title streak to four. Okayama was notably second at 81-81, becoming the first of the 2025 expansion teams to get to .500. Fukuoka was notable at 79-83, their first losing campaign since 2017.

Niigata RF Masanori Fukuoka won his third Japan League MVP in four years, although he didn’t replicate his record-setting 2028. Still, the 27-year old lefty led in runs (117), triples (23), home runs (53), RBI (129), total bases (404), slugging (.682), OPS (1.039), and wRC+ (194). Fukuoka added 182 hits, .307 average, and 9.2 WAR.

The Green Dragons also had Takehiro Nakajima repeat as Pitcher of the Year. The 30-year old lefty led in WAR (11.5), and quality starts (28). Nakajima had a 1.98 ERA over 268.2 innings, 17-6 record, 301 strikeouts, and 177 ERA+.

In the wild card round, Kyoto edged Hiroshima 2-1 and Tokyo topped Nagoya 2-0. The top seeds prevailed in the divisional series with Kobe outlasting the Kamikaze 3-2 and Niigata downing Tokyo 3-1. The Blaze got their second Japan League Championship Series berth in five years, while the Green Dragons made it three straight. Kobe was the favorite at 109-55, but Niigata crushed them with a road sweep. The Green Dragons won their second pennant in three years and their eighth overall (1990, 1991, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2027, 2029).

Busan was again the Korea League’s top seed with their sixth straight South Division title at 105-57. The Blue Jays playoff streak grew to ten seasons, standing alone as the longest streak in East Asia Baseball history. Busan allowed the fewest runs in the KL at 530. Over in the North Division, reigning EAB champ Goyang made it a division title three-peat at 98-64.

Next behind the Green Sox in the North were Suwon (95-67) and Incheon (91-71), taking the first two wild cards. The Snappers ended a seven-year playoff drought and the Inferno grew their streak to four. The third wild card narrowly went to Yongin (86-76) for their second berth in three years. Changwon (85-77), Pyongyang (83-79), and Seongnam (83-79) missed the cut. Ulsan notably fell to 75-87 to prevent a fourth straight playoff trip.

Hamhung led the KL with 800 runs, but struggled to 76-86 by allowing the most at 837. 1B Toichi Kimura again powered the Heat’s offense and repeated as Korea League MVP. The 24-year old lefty led in runs scored (121), home runs (66), total bases (440), slugging (.710), OPS (1.069), and wRC+ (190). Kimura added 201 hits, 39 doubles, 145 RBI, and 9.1 WAR. He was already living up to the eight-year, $167,600,000 extension he got the prior November.

Ulsan’s Jin-Yu Jun won his third Pitcher of the Year in four seasons. In only his fifth year with the Swallows, Jun led in strikeouts (326), K/BB (13.6), FIP- (42), and WAR (11.1). He had a 2.55 ERA, 11-13 record, and 150 ERA+ over 240 innings.

In March, Jun signed a world record seven-year, $385 million extension with Ulsan. The later years of the deal were set to pay Jun $58 million annually. The Swallows appreciated Jun, but quickly realized they couldn’t afford that monster deal. Ulsan traded Jun in the offseason to Kobe for two prospects.

Yongin swept Incheon in the wild card round and gave top seed Busan a challenge, although the Blue Jays escaped with a 3-2 divisional series win. Suwon swept Goyang on the other side, giving the Snappers their first Korea League Championship Series trip since 2009. It was the fifth of the decade for Busan, who earned their third title of the 2020s with a 4-2 win over Suwon. The Blue Jays now had 14 KL pennants, second only to Daegu’s 16.

Despite their record playoff streak, the EAB title had eluded Busan with a drought going back to 1971. The losing streak continued as Niigata won the 109^th East Asian Championship 4-1 over the Blue Jays. The Green Dragons won their second title in three years and fifth overall (1991, 2006, 2008, 2027, 2029). 1B Ichiro Kojo was finals MVP, posting 22 hits, 8 runs, 6 doubles, 1 triple, 1 homer, and 9 RBI over 13 playoff starts.

Other notes: Hiroshima’s offense struck out 976 times all season, a new Japan League team best. Ga-On Kwan became the 8^th reliever to earn 400 career saves. Shin-Nin Ikegami was the 48^th pitcher to 3500 career strikeouts and the 70^th to 200 wins. Both SS Jae-Won Park and RF Chae-Yun Choi won their 10^th consecutive Gold Glove. They are among 13 players in EAB history with 10+ Gold Glove wins.

East Asia Baseball’s scoring environment remained remarkably steady with similar totals in the 2020s as they’ve had since the 1950s. The Japan League (sans DH) had a 3.37 ERA and .246 average for the decade, while the Korea League (with DH) had a 3.76 ERA and .257 average. The JL graded as below average for scoring on the historical scale while the KL was merely average. While EAB’s scoring was a bit lower in its first few decades, it hadn’t seen the major jumps that some of the other world leagues had seen.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 04-27-2025, 02:30 PM

2029 in CABA

The Central American Baseball Association surprised many by lowering their active roster size to only 22 players beginning with 2029. CABA had begun with 25, but lowered to 24 in 1973 and 23 in 1998. While teams had their reserve roster to keep inactive players, a 22-man active roster made every spot precious. While a few leagues had gone as low as 23, CABA was the only world league to try out a 22-man roster.

Defending Mexican League champ Leon took the South Division and the top seed at 104-58. It was the third consecutive division title for the Lions and grew their playoff streak to five seasons. Leon allowed the ML’s fewest runs at 484. The division was top heavy with Ecatepec (100-62) and Puebla (99-63) close behind. The rest of the division finished below .500, including Cancun who went from back-to-back playoff berths down to a last place 65-97.

As wild cards, the Explosion ended a six-year playoff drought and the Pumas snapped a three-year skid. Ecatepec was the top scoring team with 711 runs and since division champs didn’t get seeding preference, they the Explosion had the #2 seed and a bye. Tijuana won their third North Division title in four years at 95-67, but was the #4 seed.

The remaining two wild cards went to Culiacan (91-71) and Monterrey (87-75). The Cocks were the first of the 2025 expansion teams to make the playoffs. The Matadors earned their second berth in four years. San Luis Potosi (85-77) and Juarez (83-79) were the first teams out. Last year’s MLCS runner-up Mexicali notably dropped to 75-89 and 2027 league champ Guadalajara fell to 71-91. Leon was the only Mexican League team to make it back from the 2028 playoff field.

Monterrey LF Julio Ortega won Mexican League MVP in his first full-time season as a starter. The 22-year old lefty led in doubles (41), triple slash (.367/.425/.686), OPS (1.112), and wRC+ (231). Ortega had 8.7 WAR, 179 hits, 85 runs, 37 home runs, and 94 RBI. The Matadors had picked Ortega #6 in the 2025 CABA Draft. He suffered a fractured knee in 2030 and would be plagued with major injuries for much of his 20s.

Tijuana’s Richard Wright joined the legendary Junior Vergara as the only nine-time Pitcher of the Year winners in CABA history. Only three other pitchers in all of pro baseball history had won the honor 9+ times. All of Wrights wins came in the 2020s with his lone miss in 2023, despite still leading in ERA that year. In 2029, the 31-year old posted a 1.44 ERA for an unprecedented ninth ERA title.

Wright also led in strikeouts (376) and WAR (12.4) for the eighth time. The Jamaican lefty also led again in K/BB (12.1), shutouts (8), FIP- (34), and WHIP (0.74). Wright had a 19-4 record and 10 saves over 243 innings, missing a Triple Crown by two wins. His strikeout tally, WHIP, and WAR were career bests to that point, placing Wright second in MVP voting as well. In 2029, Wright became CABA’s 56^th pitcher with 200 wins, the 30^th with 3500 strikeouts, and the 9^th with 100+ WAR.

In the first round of the playoffs, Tijuana ousted Culiacan and Puebla topped Monterrey, both 2-0. Leon rolled Tijuana 3-0 to keep their repeat hope alive, while Ecatepec outlasted Puebla 3-2. The Explosion made the Mexican League Championship Series in 2022, but their most recent pennant was back in 2010. Ecatepec ended that 18-year drought and upset the defending champ Lions in a seven-game thriller. The Explosion became 15-time Mexican League champions, third most behind Monterrey and Juarez at 18 apiece.

Reigning CABA champ Honduras took the Caribbean League’s top seed at 107-55 atop the Central Division. It was their seventh consecutive playoff berth and third division title. Bahamas won the West Division and the #2 seed at 100-62 to grow the Buccaneers’ playoff streak to five. Trinidad took the East Division at 96-66, which was their first postseason berth or winning season since 2020. The Trail Blazers allowed the fewest runs at 524.

Salvador was 12 back in the Central at 95-67, but got the first wild card to end an 11-year playoff drought. Haiti was seven back in the West at 93-69 and got the second wild card and their third in-a-row. Guatemala at 89-73 got the final spot to extend their streak to nine years. Missing the cut were Puerto Rico (88-74), Curacao (87-75), Santiago (84-78), and Santo Domingo (84-78).

It was only the second playoff miss in eight years for the Dolphins, but they did post a winning season each year of the 2020s. The Sailfish led in scoring with 862 runs, but also allowed the most at 829. The Chaos were the first of the 2025 expansion teams in the Caribbean League with a winning season.

Salvador 1B Fernando Silva won his second MVP in three years. The 26-year old Guatemalan lefty led in runs (119), hits (223), home runs (55), RBI (147), and total bases (431). Silva had a .359/.384/.694 slash, falling only two points short of a Triple Crown. He also had 8.6 WAR and 188 wRC+. The Stallions eventually signed Silva to a seven-year, $244,100,000 extension in July 2031.

Bahamas ace Carlos Montes won his second Pitcher of the Year, having also taken it in 2026. The 28-year old Puerto Rican righty led in wins (20-8), ERA (2.20), FIP- (50), and WAR (10.0). Montes struck out 324 over 245.1 innings with 181 ERA+. He was 26 Ks shy of a Triple Crown behind Israel Montague’s 350 strikeouts. Prior to the 2029 campaign, the Buccaneers gave Montes a seven-year, $186,700,000 extension.

The first round saw Salvador over Haiti 2-0 and Guatemala over Trinidad 2-1. The Stallions stunned Bahamas 3-2 in the second round for their first Caribbean League Championship Series trip since their 2017 pennant. Reigning champ Honduras survived a five-game war with the Ghosts. The Horsemen successfully repeated with a 4-2 CLCS victory over Salvador, leading all teams as 19-time Caribbean champs.

The 119^th CABA Championship was the third time that Honduras and Ecatepec met in the finals. The Horsemen got a sweep in the first meeting in 2003, followed by a 4-3 Explosion win the following year. The rubber match was a 4-1 Ecatepec win in 2029, denying Honduras’ repeat hope. It was the seventh different champ in as many years for CABA.

Ecatepec ended an 18-year title drought and became nine-time CABA champs (1929, 31, 32, 43, 99, 2000, 04, 10, 29), tying with the Horsemen for the second-most. Only Mexico City has more with 11 rings. Finals MVP was RF Alfredo Escobedo, who only played 38 games in the regular season and started 16. The 25-year old started 17 playoff games with 15 hits, 8 runs, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 3 homers, and 9 RBI.

Other notes: Guadeloupe’s Cristiano Rizo had 37 triples, tying the CABA single-season record set by Iwan Valen in 2001 and Altificio Hernandez in 2029. Barbados struck out 1586 times as a team, setting a new Caribbean League worst. Voodoo Leyva was the 63^rd batter to 2500 hits. Ruben Cabrera became the 65^th member of the 500 home run club,

Quirino Brito became the 13^th pitcher to reach 4000 strikeouts and Angel Brea was the 31^st to 3500 Ks. Brea and Rodney Louis both got to 200 wins, making 56 pitchers to reach the mark in CABA through 2029. SS Ferdinand Varela won his 8^th Silver Slugger.

The Central American Baseball Association’s scoring environment stayed roughly in the same range in the 2020s as it has been since the 1990s. The Mexican League’s ERA went down slightly from 3.83 in the 2010s to 3.67 in the 2020s. The Caribbean League was higher as usual with the DH and actually went up from 3.96 to 4.01.

For batting averages, the ML dropped from .262 to .259, while the CL went up from .265 to .267. The Caribbean League graded as above average scoring on the historical scale and relative to other leagues in the 2020s, while the ML was in the average range.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 04-28-2025, 06:35 AM

2029 in MLB

The reigning Baseball Grand Champion and National Association champ Ottawa repeated as the NA’s top seed at 104-58 atop the Northeast Division. The Elks allowed the fewest runs in Major League Baseball at 626 and grew their playoff streak to three seasons. Ottawa had a season attendance of 3,390,390, second-best in NA history behind their 3,431,240 from the prior year. Montreal was a strong second in the Northeast at 98-64 to earn the first wild card. The Maples picked up their fifth playoff trip in six years.

Tulsa took the #2 seed at 99-63, winning the Lower Midwest Division in the first-ever playoff berth for the 2021 expansion squad. The Tornado had a team .484 slugging percentage, setting a new National Association record. Indianapolis was a close second at 96-66 to earn the second wild card. The Racers grew their playoff streak to three seasons and led the NA with 860 runs.

The other division winners were Chicago (95-67) in the Upper Midwest and Washington (93-69) in the East. The Cubs picked up their ninth playoff berth of the 2020s and fourth straight, while the Admirals got their seventh berth of the decade. At 92-70, Omaha was just behind Chicago and Baltimore was just behind Washington. The Orioles won plenty of close games, setting a new MLB team record with 53 saves.

The Hawks, Orioles, and Kansas City each tied for the final wild card at 92-70, requiring a pair of tiebreaker games. Omaha defeated Baltimore, but was ousted by the Cougars to give the spot to KC. Kansas City ended an eight-year playoff drought. The next closest teams were both Cincinnati and Columbus at 88-74. Philadelphia, Halifax, and Cleveland were 2028 playoff teams that were just below .500 in 2029.

Chicago RF Milton Ramirez won National Association MVP with a record breaking campaign. The 28-year old Filipino lefty led in batting average, on-base percentage, and hits for the seventh time each. Ramirez’s .410 average broke the MLB record set two years prior of .405 by Hunter Morissey. He became the third in MLB history to bat above .400 and was one of only 10 across all of pro baseball history with a qualifying season above .410.

Ramirez also broke MLB’s hits record with 249, passing Sebastian Lunde’s 242 which had held since 1949. It was the fifth season in MLB history at or above 240 hits. Ramirez’s .460 OBP was the fourth-best in MLB to that point. He also led in stolen bases (63) and WAR (10.3) while adding 118 runs, 35 doubles, 19 triples, 16 home runs, 93 RBI, 1.069 OPS, and 195 wRC+. Ramirez also breached the 2000 hit and 1000 run career milestones in 2029, marks almost never reached by someone still in their 20s. He had debuted at age 19 in 2020 for the Cubs.

Wichita was a non-factor at 73-89, but they had the Pitcher of the Year John Ziocha in only his second season. The 22-year old Zimbabwean lefty led in ERA (1.86), WHIP (0.98), and quality starts (27). His ERA was the 22^nd-best qualifying season in MLB to that point. Ziocha also had 6.3 WAR over 242 innings, 185 strikeouts, 15-7 record, and 204 ERA+.

Also worth noting, Vic McCallister became only the fourth in MLB history to win Reliever of the Year four times. He won it in 2029 with Washington, having previously won in 2020, 2024, and 2025 with Memphis. McCallister was traded to DC in the summer of 2027. For 2029, he had a 1.76 ERA over 81.2 innings, 27 saves, 106 strikeouts, and 3.1 WAR. The 31-year old Louisianan would sign with Houston for 2030.

Indianapolis was the lone wild card to advance out of the first round, edging Chicago 3-2. Tulsa outlasted Kansas City 3-2 and Washington topped Montreal 3-1. The Racers took top seed Ottawa to the limit, but the Elks survived 3-2 in the second round. Ottawa advanced to the National Association Championship Series for the 18^th time in franchise history, second only to Philadelphia’s 22 trips.

The Tornado swept the Admirals 3-0 on the other side, becoming the first of the 2021 expansion teams to earn an association championship appearance. Tulsa gave the reigning Grand Champion a valiant fight, but Ottawa earned the repeat with a 4-2 victory. Canada’s capital won its 13^th National Association pennant (1924-25, 29, 38, 40, 56, 65, 75, 83, 86, 2003, 28-29)., also second only to the Phillies’ 14.

Three-time defending World Series champ San Diego was the American Association’s top seed for the third year in a row. It didn’t come easy with the AA’s seven playoff teams separated by only seven wins. Still, 99-63 earned the Seals another Southwest Division title and their sixth playoff trip in seven seasons. San Diego’s 638 runs allowed were the fewest in the AA. Oakland was second in the Southwest at 94-68, giving the Owls their third wild card in five years.

At 98-64, Nashville was the #2 seed atop the Southeast Division. The Knights earned their third division title in five years and fifth of the decade. Last year’s division champ Charlotte was a close second at 96-66, nabbing the first wild card. The Canaries grabbed their third playoff appearance in four years.

Seattle secured the Northwest Division for the seventh year running with a 95-67 finish. Anchorage was next at 92-70 to get the final wild card. It was the third wild card berth for the Avalanche since joining in the 2021 expansion. The weakest division winner was Houston at 94-68 atop the South Central. The Hornets picked up their sixth playoff trip in eight years. Houston by far led MLB in scoring with 967 runs.

Last year’s AACS runner-up Dallas was second to the Hornets at 89-73. The Dalmatians and San Francisco were also the first teams out in the wild card race at three games back on Anchorage. The next closest were Sacramento (88-74), San Antonio (86-76), Los Angeles (84-78), and Salt Lake City (84-78).

Although Oklahoma City was 77-85, their RF Neil Hollinger won his third American Association MVP. The 27-year old Canadian had also won in 2025 and 2027. Hollinger led in homers (62), total bases (418), slugging (.736), OPS (1.142), and wRC+ (192). He also had 195 hits, 125 runs, 33 doubles, 132 RBI, .343 average, and 8.4 WAR. Hollinger had one year left with OKC, then signed a seven-year, $248 million deal with Columbus.

Veteran righty Riley Morales won his second Pitcher of the Year in his third season with San Diego. The Shorewood, Minnesota native won his first way back in 2020 for Cincinnati. The 32-year old righty led in ERA (2.95), and quality starts (24). Morales also had a 19-10 record, 278 innings, 218 strikeouts, 147 ERA+, and 5.8 WAR. He had signed a six-year deal with the Seals and gave them three excellent seasons, but he would surprise many by opting out in the winter. Morales inked a new five-year, $195 million deal with Houston in the offseason.

Charlotte upset Houston in the first round 3-2 and was the only wild card to advance to round two. Seattle swept Oakland and Nashville swept Anchorage on the other side. The Canaries almost dethroned San Diego, but the Seals survived 3-2 to earn a fourth straight trip to the American Association Championship Series. On the other side, the Grizzlies edged the Knights 3-2.

It was yet another AACS battle between Seattle and San Diego. The Grizzlies had seen terrible luck with AACS losses from 2023-27. The 2023, 2026, and 2027 defeats had come to the Seals. San Diego also had a 2007 AACS victory against Seattle. The trends didn’t change in 2029 with the Seals winning 4-2 for the first four-peat in American Association history. The only other four-peat in MLB was Philadelphia’s epic seven-year reign atop the National Association from 1941-47.

San Diego won their fifth pennant in seven years, a feat only matched in AA history by Houston more than a century prior (six from 1905-12). The Seals now had an AA-best 14 pennants (1936, 55, 56, 58, 66, 67, 2007, 08, 10, 23, 26-29). As for Seattle, they were now 2-12 all-time in their AACS trips.
The 129^th World Series would be only the third-ever rematch from the prior year. Both previous ones came during Philadelphia’s seven straight trips in the 1940s, meeting Dallas in 1942-43 and Los Angeles in 1945-46. The Phillies had the only World Series four-peat ever from 1941-44; a feat San Diego was hoping to replicate. The 2028 battle had been a classic with the Seals surviving 4-3 over Ottawa. The Elks had arguably gotten the last laugh by winning the Baseball Grand Championship, which ended SD’s bid for a historic third straight BGC win.

Despite the anticipation for the rematch, the series was a dud as San Diego rolled to a sweep over Ottawa. Veteran 3B Artem Huseinov was finals MVP in his 17^th pro season and third with the Seals. He had made his biggest mark in Europe with Warsaw in the 2010s. The 37-year old Ukrainian in 15 playoff starts had 16 hits, 7 runs, 5 doubles, 1 triple, 2 home runs, and 6 RBI.

The Seals were the first 11-time World Series winner (1936, 55, 56, 58, 66, 2007, 10, 26, 27, 28, 29). The only teams in world history with 11+ overall titles in their league were Minsk (14 in EPB), Kano (12 in WAB), Ahmedabad (12 in SAB), and Mexico City (11 in CABA). Getting four straight is tough in any league, but doing it in the hypercompetitive world of 2020s MLB (and winning two Grand Championships) certainly has to place San Diego’s effort in the conversation for the best dynasty in pro baseball history.

This was also the capper for manager Dian Gesang, who retired with the win at age 71. The Indonesian had played only 77 total games in Austronesia Professional Baseball in the 1990s. Gesang’s managing career began with San Diego in 2022, but was an all-timer going 782-514 for a .603 win percentage, six playoff trips, five pennants, four World Series rings, and two Grand Championships. Gesang became the second MLB manager with four WS titles along with Eric Stockman, who led Houston from 1901-15.

Other notes: 2029 was the final year for MLB home run and RBI king Isaac Cox, struggling at age 42 to -0.3 WAR over 111 games with El Paso. Cox was able to finish with 7156 total bases, passing Stan Provost’s 6989 which had held since 1956. Cox retired with 929 homers and 2333 RBI, which as of 2037 ranks 17^th and 14^th among all players in pro baseball history.

Cox’s 2251 runs fell second on the MLB list to Provost’s 2348, but ranks 7^th on the world ranks as of 2037. Cox also got to 3607 hits, 7^th in MLB history and 36^th in the world. His 137.9 WAR sits 3rd among MLB position players and 9th among everybody. On the WAR board for all players ever in baseball history, Cox is 87^th as of 2037 and 6^th among American-born players.

One of those Americans ahead of him was pitcher Vincent Lepp, who also wrapped his career in 2029. He pitched one year for Calgary at age 40 with 3.8 WAR and a 4.64 ERA over 254 innings. Lepp retired with a 334-194 record, 2.87 ERA, 5085 innings, 4652 strikeouts, and 144.4 WAR.

On the MLB leaderboard, Lepp finished 4^th in wins, 11^th in innings, 4^th in strikeouts, and 1^st with 73 shutouts. He was 3^rd in WAR among MLB pitchers and 5^th among everyone. On the world leaderboard as of 2037, Lepp is 62^nd in WAR among all players ever, 17^th in wins, 23^rd in innings, and 11^th in shutouts.

Baseball’s all-time WARlord Harvey Coyle remained timeless in his third MLB season with Ottawa. The 42-year old English shortstop posted 6.4 WAR over 130 games to grow his world record WAR total to 233.5. Combined with his European Baseball Federation stats, Coyle now had 3615 hits, 2137 runs, 1083 home runs, and 2461 RBI. He had 32 homers in 2029, passing Nordine Soule (1073) for second on the world leaderboard.

Philadelphia’s Khalaf bin Abdullah twice hit four home runs in a game in 2029, doing it on May 13 against New York and June 17 against Brooklyn. To that point, only SAB legend Tirtha Upadhyaya (1997, 1998, 2005) and AAB’s Timeo Kahudi (1997, 2000) had done it multiple times in a career. EBF’s Danut Alecsandrescu joined this group with his second four homer game in July 2029. As of 2037, bin Abdullah is still the only player ever to smack four homers twice in the same season.

El Paso’s Harry Marx went 7-7 on July 12 against Houston, becoming the fifth in MLB history with a seven-hit game. Through the 2029 season, a seven-hit game has happened only 18 times in all of pro baseball history. El Paso finished 63-99 and had an all-time awful pitching staff. The Prairie Dogs set MLB all-time worsts in team ERA (5.98) and earned runs allowed (950). Their 1026 runs given up ranked second worst behind 1921 San Antonio at 1033. El Paso also had a 10.98 H/9, ranking third worst in MLB’s 129 year history.

MLB’s 34^th Perfect Game came on August 31 from Oakland’s Ronaldo Zellweger with six strikeouts against Las Vegas. In other pitching milestones, Adrian Coe, Austin Bradley, and Rowney Simpson all reached 3000 career strikeouts. 99 MLB aces have reached the mark.

Mike Rojas became the 39^th member of the 600 home run club. Mathis Vezina, Jan Rychtr, and Ben Conlee made the 500 home run club grow to 114 members. Rojas, Ric Ransom, Sam Harpster, and Fred Hynes reached 1500 career RBI, a mark met by 129 MLB sluggers. Peter Schon became the 119^th to 1500 runs scored. C Gavin Jacobs won his 7^th Silver Slugger.

Major League Baseball’s scoring was up in the 2020s from the prior three decades, but was more in-line to what it had been for most of its history prior. The National Association (sans DH) had its league ERA grow from 3.41 in the 2010s to 3.74 in the 2020s. The batting average went up from .240 to .251 for the decade. The American Association (with DH) had the ERA increase from 3.84 to 4.15 and batting average from .251 to .259.

Worth noting that the rule changes to increase scoring came mid-decade. Both set single-season highs for ERA with the AA at 4.46 in 2027 and NA at 4.07 in 2029. For the decade, the National Association graded as an average scoring league on the historical scale and the American Association was above average to high.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 04-29-2025, 07:38 AM

2029 Baseball Grand Championship

The 2029 Baseball Grand Championship was the 20^th edition of the event and was hosted in Marseille, France. The defending Grand Champion Ottawa and the 2026-27 champ San Diego returned to the field representing MLB. The 2029 BGC also saw an expansion from 20 teams to 22 teams, meaning each squad would play 21 games.

Previously, the leagues with two auto-bids were MLB, CABA, EAB, BSA, and EBF. The other leagues would get one auto-bid, leaving one at-large spot going to the best runner-up from the one-bid leagues. The expansion made it so there were now three at-large spots.

For 2029, the auto-bids had CABA’s Ecatepec and Honduras, EAB’s Busan and Niigata, BSA’s Belo Horizonte and Arequipa, EBF’s Kharkiv and Zagreb, EPB’s Volgograd, OBA’s Sydney, APB’s Taoyuan, CLB’s Shenyang, WAB’s Dakar, SAB’s Delhi, ABF’s Baku, ALB’s Damascus, and AAB’s Brazzaville. Getting the at-large spots were AAB’s Cape Town, ALB’s Muscat, and SAB’s Mandalay.

The 2029 event was one of the most competitive to date with three teams tied for first at 14-7. Three others were only one back at 13-8 and another three teams went 12-9. At the top was reigning champ Ottawa, Kharkiv, and Cape Town. The Cowboys had defeated Ottawa 4-3 on November 7 and topped Kharkiv 9-2 on November 16, giving Cape Town the tiebreaker for the #1 spot.

Cape Town was the second African Association of Baseball team to win, joining Johannesburg from 2015. Like the Jackalopes, the Cowboys did it as an at-large team. This also made South Africa the second country to have multiple Grand Champions along with the United States. Cape Town only had a +12 run differential, but got by on winning low scoring games. Their pitching staff set an event record with 5.26 hits per nine innings. Cowboys ace Bekele Ayalew led the staff with 1.9 WAR, posting a 1.43 ERA and 47 Ks over 37.2 innings.

Kharkiv had defeated Ottawa 5-4 on 11/5, giving the Killer Bees second place and the Elks third. For back-to-back seasons, an EBF team took second place. Kharkiv was the top scoring team with 115 runs, although Ottawa narrowly had a better run differential (+39 versus +38). The Killer Bees’ mark was the second-most runs in BGC history behind Lusaka’s 116 from 2025. The Elks allowed the fewest runs in the event at 62.

Arequipa, Muscat, and Sydney were each at 13-8 with the tiebreakers placing the Snakes fourth, Arrows fifth, and Threshers sixth. Sydney earned repeat top four finishes, having gotten third in 2028. Of the 12-9 teams, the tiebreakers placed Baku seventh, Honduras eighth, and San Diego ninth. Rounding off the teams with winning records were Damascus and Niigata at 11-10.

Five teams finished 10-11; Belo Horizonte, Mandalay, Shenyang, Taoyuan, and Volgograd. Ecatepec was alone in 17^th at 9-12 and Delhi was 18^th at 8-13. Busan and Zagreb both were 7-14, Dakar was 6-15, and Brazzaville brought up the rear at 5-16.

Taking Tournament MVP was Taoyuan’s Wei-Yin Wang, the 2026 Taiwan-Philippine Association MVP. The 29-year old Taiwanese first baseman had 18 hits, 16 runs, 4 doubles, 8 home runs, 16 RBI, and 0.9 WAR. He was a somewhat odd choice considering there were others with seemingly more impressive statistics.

Among them was Kharkiv’s Yevgeni Gromov, who tied the BGC record for runs scored with 22. He also tied the record for WAR by a position player with 2.31, previously hit by Mike Rojas in 2020. Gromov and Baku’s Artyom Masharipov both had 15 home runs, a mark only hit previously by five others. Masharipov also had 29 RBI, tied for the second-most in BGC history.

Best Pitcher went to Ottawa’s Mbongeni Smith, a 31-year old South African who came to the Elks in 2029 after eight years with AAB’s Kinshasa. Smith was 3-0 in four starts with a 0.76 ERA over 23.2 innings, 29 strikeouts, and 1.2 WAR. The two extra games allowed Sydney’s Max Forrester to set a record for innings with 51.1. Muscat’s Younis Nouri struck out 64 batters, tying the mark set by Israel Montague in 2025. Relievers Ju-Hwan Kang and Jong-Hwan Park set the record with 14 appearances each.

Other notes: BGC’s 11^th no-hitter came from Mandalay’s Zahir Saleem on November 19 with 14 strikeouts and three walks against Busan. Shenyang’s pitching set a record with 1.65 BB/9.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 04-30-2025, 05:29 AM

2030 MLB Hall of Fame (Part 1)

Major League Baseball’s 2030 Hall of Fame class had three first ballot selections, co-headlined by former Omaha stars IF Graham Gregor (98.8%) and LF/DH Killian Fruechte (98.4%). SP Sunny Williams joined them at a rock solid 77.8%. CL Tyler Sattler was the best returner at 63.0% on his second ballot, just missing the 66% requirement. Fellow CL Etzel Urban got 60.7% for his third try. Also above 50% was C Dominick Hennessy with 57.2% for his second ballot, LF Lorenzen Campbell at 54.1% in his second attempt, and CL Stevie Ray Thornton debuting at 52.5%.

Dropped after ten failed ballots was OF Errol Jordan, who had a 16-year career between Cincinnati and San Diego. He peaked at 39.2% in his penultimate ballot before ending at a low of 13.2%. Jordan was a master at drawing walks, leading the league seven times and eight times in OBP. He had 2443 hits, 1410 runs, 343 doubles, 183 triples, 128 home runs, 841 RBI, 1574 walks, 717 strikeouts, 719 steals, .305/.419/.442 slash, 150 wRC+, and 66.6 WAR.

As of 2037, Jordan ranks 11^th in walks and 4^th in OBP among qualifying players, but it was always tough for leadoff guys to get noticed with voters loving power stats. Jordan was also a terrible fielder and didn’t have any Silver Sluggers. Still, he was one of MLB’s better leadoff guys and a big part of San Diego’s playoff success, including winning World Series MVP in 2007.

SP Archer Calloway fell off the ballot, debuting at 21.9% and ending with only 5.1%. He had a 14-year career almost exclusively with Austin and won Pitcher of the Year in both 2006 and 2011. Big injuries ultimately limited his longevity, finishing with a 169-118 record, 3.23 ERA, 2637 innings, 2439 strikeouts, 608 walks, 118 ERA+, and 59.1 WAR. Calloway needed a few more years to get the accumulations up and was perhaps overlooked being on some weaker Amigos teams. Still, few guys can say they won POTY twice.

Graham “Handyman” Gregor – Infield – Omaha Hawks – 98.8% First Ballot

Graham Gregor was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed infielder from Grand Forks, North Dakota; the state’s third-largest city with around 59,000 inhabitants. Gregor became best known for his remarkable longevity, playing 25 seasons and remaining a strong contributor into his 40s. He played for seven teams in his lengthy run and became beloved by the fans at each stop. The nickname “Handyman” came from his steady contributions.

Gregor was a five-star rated player in his prime and was a fantastic contact hitter against both sides. He also had a rock solid eye for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Gregor had reliable power in his bat with 35 home runs, 25 doubles, and 8 triples across his 162 game average. His power was never league leading, but he still smacked 40+ home runs in four seasons. Gregor also graded as a reliably average baserunner.

Defensively, Gregor bounced around the infield throughout his career and could go wherever needed. About half of his starts came at third base, where he graded as below average but passable. Gregor started around 30% of his games at first and was excellent there, winning two Gold Gloves. He also played some second base, but struggled in that spot. That versatility though helped prolong Gregor’s career despite dealing with recurring back and knee troubles.

Gregor attended Arizona State, playing 146 games in three years with 168 hits, 102 runs, 24 doubles, 41 home runs, 99 RBI, 64 walks, .302/.381/.577 slash, and 8.1 WAR. He won a Silver Slugger as a sophomore and was third in NCAA MVP voting. Gregor was a hot prospect for the 1999 MLB Draft and was picked #3 overall by Omaha. He was a full-time starter and a stud right away, winning 2000 Rookie of the Year.

In 2011, Gregor won his first Silver Slugger and Gold Glove at first base and took second in MVP voting, leading the National Association with 213 hits. He also had 9.6 WAR, 106 runs, 43 home runs, and 1.018 OPS. It was one of four seasons with an OPS above one and one of three with 100+ runs scored. Gregor won his second Slugger in 2003 at third base and his second Gold Glove at 1B in 2007.

Gregor’s stats were impressive, but not jaw dropping. It was also hard to earn attention as Omaha was a bottom-tier franchise during his tenure, averaging 73.3 wins per season. Gregor committed after the 2004 season to the Hawks with an eight-year, $79 million extension. 2005 would be his lone setback in Omaha as a torn meniscus knocked him out nearly the entire season.

In January 2005, Gregor had one of his career highlights as MVP of the World Baseball Championship for the United States, who swept Italy in the finale. For the event, Gregor had 22 starts, 28 hits, 19 runs, 6 doubles, 10 home runs, 27 RBI, 1.158 OPS, and 1.8 WAR. His run with the American squad helped make Gregor a beloved superstar nationwide despite starting in the small market of Omaha.

Gregor was also second in 2007’s WBC MVP voting and helped lead the US to world titles in 2003, 05, 07, 08, 10, 11, and 14. He played 229 WBC games from 2002-14 and posted 252 hits, 159 runs, 32 doubles, 6 triples, 67 home runs, 179 RBI, 100 walks, .283/.370/.558 slash, and 9.8 WAR. As of 2037, Gregor ranks 14^th in hits, 17^th in runs, 32^nd in homers, 12^th in RBI, and 43^rd in WAR among position players in the WBC.

With the arrival of Gregor’s Hall of Fame classmate Killian Fruechte, Omaha seemed to possibly be on the way up. In 2008, the Hawks were 82-80, their first winning season since 1992. To their disappointment though, Gregor opted out of his contract that winter, becoming a free agent for the first time at age 29. Certainly fans were sad to see him go, but he remained a beloved figure for years to come across Nebraska.

For Omaha, Gregor had 1280 games, 1480 hits, 735 runs, 206 doubles, 58 triples, 260 home runs, 737 RBI, 481 walks, 141 steals, .314/.383/.547 slash, 182 wRC+, and 60.4 WAR. It was his longest tenure by a good margin and he would be inducted in Hawks red. Omaha also eventually retired his #11 uniform for his efforts over nine years.

Gregor signed an eight-year, $144,800,000 deal with Las Vegas. His Vipers debut was his finest season, winning his lone MVP and third Silver Slugger. Gregor led the American Association in the triple slash (.361/.416/.707), OPS (1.123), wRC+ (204), WAR (10.2), total bases (429), and hits (219). His hits, average, wRC+, total bases, and WAR would be career bests as would his 119 runs, 50 homers, 128 RBI, 30 doubles, and 15 triples. Las Vegas ended an eight-year playoff drought and won the Southwest Division, but was ousted in the second round of the playoffs.

The Vipers had another round two exit in 2010, then spent the next few years above .500 but just outside of the playoffs. Gregor missed the 2010 playoff run and much of the season with strained abdominal muscles. A strained oblique kept him out much of 2011. Gregor was healthy in 2012 and won his fourth Silver Slugger, his only one as a second baseman.

With Las Vegas, Gregor played 526 games with 612 hits, 318 runs, 83 doubles, 128 homers, 352 RBI, .309/.370/.581 slash, 162 wRC+, and 23.6 WAR. He opted out of his deal after the fourth season, heading back to free agency for 2013 at age 33. Gregor inked a five-year, $128 million deal with San Francisco. After a respectable 2013, Gregor returned to the national conversation with a strong 2014.

Despite missing part of the spring to a fractured fibula, Gregor posted 47 home runs, 110 RBI, and 9.9 WAR. He led in the triple slash (.345/.424/.728) with career bests in OBP, slugging, OPS (1.154), and wRC+ (200). Gregor again led in slugging, OPS, and wRC+ in 2015. The Gold Rush were still just outside of the playoffs at this point, missing out by one win in 2015 at 96-66. That gave them a 16-year drought, one of the longer ones in franchise history.

San Francisco broke through at 100-62 in 2016, but lost in the second round. In 2017, the Gold Rush took the top seed at 107-55 and won their first pennant since 1994, falling in the World Series to Boston. Elbow issues kept Gregor out much of the regular season. In the playoff run, he was unremarkable with 15 hits, 7 runs, .749 OPS, and 0.3 WAR over 14 starts.

However, the 38-year old Gregor had one of his finest efforts in the Baseball Grand Championship. In 19 starts, he had 23 hits, 19 runs, 15 home runs, 23 RBI, .329/.427/.986 slash, 1.413 OPS, 281 wRC+, and 2.2 WAR. San Francisco finished 11-8, one of five teams tied for fourth and one game off the first place slot. As of 2037, Gregor is one of only 10 to hit 15+ homers in the event and one of 16 qualifiers with an OPS above 1.400.

That also capped his five year run in San Francisco on a positive note. Over 646 games, Gregor had 715 hits, 387 runs, 105 doubles, 34 triples, 168 home runs, 439 RBI, .306/.386/.595 slash, 163 wRC+, and 32.3 WAR. The next stop was a two-year deal at $43,200,000 with Detroit. He had just one year with the Tigers, who lost in the second round of the playoffs. In 128 games, Gregor at age 39 still posted 6.5 WAR and .905 OPS.

Gregor signed for two years and $41,200,000 with Austin and won a Silver Slugger in 2020 at third base. In 258 games, Gregor had 272 hits, 184 runs, 42 doubles, 65 homers, 174 RBI, 120 walks, .306/.396/.594 slash, 169 wRC+, and 13.8 WAR. The Amigos remained in the middle tier during his tenure. Those were strong numbers for anyone though and were especially impressive from a guy now in his 40s.

The longevity also placed Gregor into the 3000 hit and 600 home run clubs with Austin. For 2021, he signed a one-year, $20,400,000 deal with Chicago and won his seventh Silver Slugger, an award rarely given to a 42-year old. Gregor had 36 homers, 119 RBI, .949 OPS, and 7.3 WAR. The Cubs were a wild card, but lost in the first round.

For 2022, Gregor inked a one-year, $22 million deal with St. Louis. Numerous injuries limited him to only 67 games and 2.1 WAR. The final stop was Atlanta with a three-year, $60,000,000 deal. Gregor stayed largely healthy in two seasons with the Aces, but his production was merely average by this point. In 276 games, he had 236 hits, 136 runs, 28 homers, 105 RBI, .245/.333/.385 slash, 100 wRC+, and 1.8 WAR.

2023 was his last playoff trip, going 0-5 as a pinch hitter as Atlanta lost in the second round. Gregor’s playoff numbers were underwhelming but over a limited sample size with 33 games, 30 hits, 16 runs, 6 doubles, 4 home runs, 11 RBI, .270/.357/.450 slash, 126 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR. Any critic who tries to downplay Gregor for playoff results usually gets shouted down with his Baseball Grand Championship and World Baseball Championship stats.

Gregor in his final years became the 12^th MLB batter to 3500 hits, the 9^th to 700 home runs, and the 6^th to 2000 RBI. Some thought he might chase all-time marks, but age had finally caught up to him by his Atlanta run. Gregor retired after the 2024 season as one of the very few to play in MLB at age 45.

The final tallies had 3328 games, 3666 hits, 1956 runs, 507 doubles, 159 triples, 718 home runs, 2007 RBI, 1310 walks, 1660 strikeouts, 297 steals, .304/.378/.551 slash, 166 wRC+, and 148.0 WAR. As of 2037, Gregor is 3^rd in games played, 7^th in runs, 4^th in hits, 4^th in total bases (6645), 29^th in singles (2282), 33^rd in doubles, 12^th in home runs, 10^th in RBI, 36^th in walks, and 2^nd in WAR among position players. Among all MLB players, Gregor is third in WAR behind CF Morgan Short (170.5) and SP Ned Giles (151.7). His .929 OPS is 71^st among MLB batters with 3000+ plate appearances.

On the world leaderboards, Gregor is 22^nd in games, 48^th in runs, 30^th in hits, and 55^th in WAR among all players ever. He has the second-most WAR of any American behind only Short. Gregor certainly is an inner-circle level Hall of Famer and one of the true beloved immortals of the game.

However, it is a fierce debate as to how high you’d rank Gregor among MLB’s top position players. His tallies are outstanding with stellar longevity, but he didn’t have the huge dominance or playoff runs of some of the other legends. It comes down to how much one values peak and accolades compared to longevity and consistency. Many would place Gregor in the top five, but some slide him out of the top ten. In any event, Gregor co-headlined the three-player 2030 class for Major League Baseball at 98.8%.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 05-01-2025, 06:26 AM

2030 MLB Hall of Fame (Part 2)

Killian Fruechte – Left Field/Designated Hitter – Omaha Hawks – 98.4% First Ballot

Killian Fruechte was a 6’6’’, 200 pound left-handed left fielder from Rowland Heights, California; a city of 48,000 people in Los Angeles County. At his peak, many scouts graded Fruechte as a perfect 10/10 for contact, power and eye. He was absolutely obscene facing right-handed pitching with a career 1.084 OPS and 213wRC+. Facing lefties, Fruechte still had a quite good .781 OPS and 132 wRC+. Few players ever in any world league could mash righties quite like Fruechte.

Fruechte’s power was heavily concentrated on homers with 48 per his 162 game average compared to only 16 doubles and 5 triples. He only had 20+ doubles in three seasons, but had 40+ homers 10 times and 50+ dingers thrice. Unlike many power hitters, Fruechte was excellent at avoiding strikeouts with a career 7.2% K rate. He’s one of only five Hall of Famers in baseball history to have 700+ career homers with fewer than 1000 career strikeouts.

Despite Fruechte’s long frame, he was very quick on the basepaths, although his baserunning instincts were subpar. In the front end of his career, Fruechte played left field and was a below average but serviceable defender. He was primarily a designated hitter and occasional outfielder once he moved to the American Association. Fruechte had about 2/3 of his career starts in left. His durability was decent over a 19-year career, but he did miss games here and there to smaller injuries.

Certainly with that impressive bat, Fruechte quickly became one of baseball’s biggest superstars. However, he wasn’t a five-star prospect in his early days. Fruechte played collegiately at East Carolina and was very underwhelming. As a three-year starter, he had 144 games, 119 hits, 63 runs, 12 doubles, 5 triples, 15 home runs, 63 RBI, .228/.300/.357 slash, 105 wRC+, and 2.8 WAR. At that point, most scouts pegged Fruechte as a fringe major leaguer.

In the 2004 MLB Draft, Fruechte was a fifth round selection by Omaha, 245^th overall. Only three players in MLB history were drafted later and made MLB’s HOF. In minor league Lincoln, Fruechte had a decent showing as a part-time starter in 2005. He made his Hawks debut in 2006 with 77 games, .827 OPS, and 1.5 WAR.

That winter, he got eye surgery to improve his vision. That along with focused training and an improved diet and workout routine, Fruechte seemingly transformed overnight into a stud. He went from a guy scouts rated a two-star prospect out of college to a five-star talent. Fruechte was a full-time starter in 2007 and won his first Silver Slugger with his first of eight straight seasons worth 8+ WAR. 2008 would start a ten-year streak of seasons with an OPS above one.

In 2009, Fruechte won his first MVP and second Slugger, leading the National Association in hits (213), runs (125), home runs (53), total bases (400), triple slash (.356/.430/.668), OPS (1.098), wRC+ (226), and WAR (10.7). This year had his career best in average and hits. Fruechte won another Slugger in 2010 and was third in MVP voting, leading again in OBP. That winter, Omaha signed him to an eight-year, $121,400,000 contract extension. He seemed like the hope for the Hawks to end a playoff drought dating back to 1986.

Fruechte won another Slugger and was third again in 2011’s MVP voting. Then in 2012, he won his second MVP and a Slugger with one of the all-time great seasons. Fruechte became the new single-season home run king in MLB with 67, a mark that wouldn’t be passed until 2028. He also had only the seventh-ever Triple Crown season by an MLB batter.

He had league bests in runs (133), homers (67), RBI (138), total bases (426), triple slash (.340/.432/.747), OPS (1.179), wRC+ (268), and WAR (13.0). The WAR mark set a MLB record and Fruechte remains the only MLB player as of 2037 to have 13+ WAR in a season. The effort was the third-best qualifying OPS in MLB at the time and ranks seventhas of 2037. Still, Omaha was a mere 82-80 for the season.

Fruechte was second in 2013’s MVP voting and won his sixth Slugger, leading again in OBP, slugging, OPS, wRC+, and WAR. The tallies were slightly lower having missed a month to back spasms in the spring. Omaha finally broke through this year for a division title at 94-68. The Hawks made the NACS, but was defeated by Philadelphia. Fruechte held up his end in his only playoff trip with Omaha, posting 0.9 WAR and 1.070 OPS over 13 starts.

Although he rarely got the chance to play the big games in MLB, Fruechte delivered plenty in the World Baseball Championship for the United States. He won MVP in 2010 with 32 hits, 23 runs, 11 homers, 29 RBI, and 2.1 WAR over 23 starts. Fruechte was second in MVP voting in 2017 and was part of world title winning American teams in 2007, 08, 10, 11, 14, 17, and 20.

In 226 WBC games, Fruechte had 219 hits, 171 runs, 29 doubles, 6 triples, 65 home runs, 153 RBI, 149 walks, 92 steals, .289/.409/.600 slash, 186 wRC+, and 11.9 WAR. As of 2037, Fruechte ranks 13^th in runs, 18^th in hits, 36^th in homers, 19^th in RBI, 8^th in walks, and 15^th in WAR among position players. Fruechte’s efforts here helped make him a beloved American baseball superstar despite rarely seeing the national stage with Omaha or beyond.

After their 2013 NACS defeat, Omaha fell one game short of the wild card in 2014 at 91-71. Fruechte again won a Slugger and was second in MVP voting, posting his third 10+ WAR season. He was halfway through his Hawks deal, but decided to opt out and leave for free agency at age 30. It was dejecting in Nebraska, as Omaha fans realized that almost certainly meant the end of any competitive hopes.

Still, Fruechte remained a beloved figure in Omaha for many years to come. He played 1283 games for the Hawks with 1476 hits, 878 runs, 147 doubles, 381 home runs, 892 RBI, 693 walks, 226 steals, .328/.418/.634 slash, 222 wRC+, and 77.6 WAR. Fruechte’s #14 uniform would be retired at the end of his career. His departure certainly paid off financially with a seven-year, $179,400,000 deal with San Diego.

Fruechte ran into some trouble initially with a torn labrum costing him the second half of 2015. He bounced back in 2016 with his third MVP, leading the American Association with 55 homers, .621 OPS, and a career-best 138 runs. This was also his lone Silver Slugger as a DH. Fruechte picked up one more in LF in 2019 to have nine for his career.

He led in OBP and wRC+ in 2017 and remained strong, but Fruechte never reached his Omaha peaks again. Various injuries played a role in this, especially with his back. Although San Diego would have an all-time dynasty run in the 2020s, Fruechte’s tenure was during a downturn for the franchise. Although rarely outright terrible, the Seals missed the playoffs from 2011-22, averaging 80 wins per season.

With San Diego in seven seasons, Fruechte played 822 games with 945 hits, 653 runs, 72 doubles, 275 home runs, 590 RBI, .307/.395/.618 slash, 176 wRC+, and 40.2 WAR. The deal expired heading towards his age 38 season of 2022. Fruechte still had buyers and signed a three-year, $69 million deal with New Orleans. The Mudcats had won the 2021 World Series with an all-time team at 112-50. New Orleans wanted some depth and Fruechte hoped he could finally get some playoff appearances.

Fruechte stayed healthy with the Mudcats, but was merely a good starter in his first two years. They missed the playoffs in 2022 and 2024 and suffered a second round exit in 2023. Despite Fruechte’s brilliance, he played 16 career playoff games in two seasons. In 2023, Fruechte became the 7^th member of the 700 home run club. He and Isaac Cox joined the club about a month apart with many wondering if they both would pass the all-time top mark of 758 owned by Cody Lim.

Cox blew by that mark, but Fruechte fell off sharply in 2024. He was reduced to a part-time role with only 9 homers, 0.3 WAR, and .671 OPS in 71 games. Fruechte retired that winter at age 40 and finished in New Orleans with 376 games, 315 hits, 213 runs, 29 doubles, 83 home runs, 185 RBI, .245/.349/.471 slash, 129 wRC+, and 6.7 WAR.

Fruechte finished with 2481 games, 2736 hits, 1744 runs, 248 doubles, 82 triples, 739 home runs, 1667 RBI, 1340 walks, 739 strikeouts, 419 steals, .309/.400/.605 slash, 1.005 OPS, 192 wRC+, and 124.5 WAR. As of 2037, Fruechte ranks 10^th in homers, 38^th in runs, 48^th in total bases (5365), 68^th in RBI, 31^st in walks, and 14^th in WAR among position players.

His OPS ranks 10^th among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances in MLB as of 2037, although Fruechte is the only retired player to be above 1.000. He also ranks 12^th in OBP and 18^th in slugging. Fruechte didn’t have the longevity to make the world leaderboards in the counting stats, but he’s among the most efficient bats ever.

Fruechte’s 192 wRC+ is 21^st among all world Hall of Famers as of 2037. He also ranks 38^th in OPS and 38^th in OBP among that group. It is a short list of those with a career OPS above 1.000 and OBP above .400. Fruechte’s stats against RHP specifically are nearly unfathomable and he has to be in the conversation for best batters ever against righties.

He was an obvious inner-circle Hall of Famer and co-headliner for Major League Baseball’s 2030 class at 98.4%. Fruechte’s exact spot in the all-time rankings is tough to sort out though for MLB scholars. His hitting efficiency was certainly upper-echelon, but Fruechte didn’t have team successes. Spending notable time as a DH and subpar fielding keeps him out of some top 10 lists even if he was a top ten bat. Fruechte is certainly one of MLB’s immortals and beloved stars in any event.

Sunny Williams – Starting Pitcher – Orlando Orcas – 77.8% First Ballot

Sunny Williams was a 6’2’’, 195 pound left-handed pitcher from Wake Forest, North Carolina; a town of 47,000 people best known as the original home of the eponymous university. Williams had very strong stuff and control along with average movement. His velocity peaked in the 97-99 mph range with a three-pitch arsenal of curveball, cutter, and splitter. Williams’ ability to change speeds made him one of the better strikeout pitchers of his era.

For most of his career, Williams had rock solid stamina and durability. He tossed 260+ innings each year from 2009-19. Williams was good at holding runners, but graded as weak defensively otherwise. He provided very steady production and was perhaps one of the more overlooked aces of his era in MLB.

Williams thrived in three years of college for Vanderbilt with a 21-14 record, 2.30 ERA, 300.2 innings, 314 strikeouts, 73 walks, 139 ERA+, and 10.7 WAR. In the 2007 MLB Draft, Williams went 17^th overall to Orlando. He was a full-timer immediately and had 5+ WAR in each of his first eight seasons. Williams wasn’t overwhelmingly dominant though and never was a Pitcher of the Year finalist. Being on mostly mid Orcas teams didn’t get him attention either, as they never made the playoffs during his tenure.

The biggest highlights included leading the American Association with 259 strikeouts in 2012, a career high. 2013 was Williams’ best by WAR (7.8) and saw him lead in innings with 283.2. His best ERA was 2.95 in his second season of 2009. Williams had signed a six-year, $68 million extension with Orlando after the 2011 season.

In total for Orlando, Williams had a 152-128 record, 3.11 ERA, 2595.1 innings, 2198 strikeouts, 608 walks, 121 ERA+, and 59.9 WAR. He was there close to a full decade and got his #27 uniform retired by the Orcas at the end of his career. Williams’ deal was coming due in 2017 with Orlando being stuck around .500. In mid July 2017, the Orcas traded Williams to Salt Lake City for prospects LF Pat Heisey and C Kevin Vargas. Both did start for a few years for the Orcas with Hesiey putting up passable stats over a decade.

The Loons wanted Williams long-term and only nine days after the trade gave him a seven-year, $108,600,000 extension. SLC was trying to dethrone Seattle in the Northwest Division and just missed the cut in 2017. The Loons couldn’t get a division title, but did earn wild cards from 2018-20. They never got further than the second round. In his 35.1 career playoff innings, Williams had a solid 2.80 ERA, 2-1 record, 43 strikeouts, and 1.9 WAR.

Williams’ overall production with SLC wasn’t as strong as his Orlando peaks, but he still was a solid part of the rotation and thrice had 5+ WAR seasons. 2021 had Williams’ first injury issues as a herniated disc kept him out for the first half of the year. Additional back spasms kept Williams out for about two months in 2023. Still, that year Williams became the 28^th pitcher in MLB history to reach 3500 career strikeouts.

In 2024, Williams became the 46^th MLB pitcher to reach 250 wins. By this point, Salt Lake City had settled into the middle of the standings. Williams was still a reliable innings eater in the last year of his contract, but disaster struck with a torn rotator cuff in the final week of the season. Doctors gave him a 13 month recovery time, meaning he’d miss all of 2025 in a best case scenario.

With the Loons, Williams had a 101-81 record, 3.67 ERA, 1666.1 innings, 1501 strikeouts, 302 walks, 106 ERA+, and 35.9 WAR. Williams wanted to pick again and rehabbed throughout 2025. Winnipeg signed him to a deal in August 2025, but he never saw the field. Williams opted to retire that winter at age 38.

Williams ended with a 253-209 record, 3.33 ERA, 4261.2 innings, 3699 strikeouts, 910 walks, 331/524 quality starts, 271 complete games, 42 shutouts, 114 ERA+, 83 FIP-, and 95.8 WAR. As of 2037, Williams ranks 43^rd in wins, 50^th in innings, 15^th in complete games, 62^nd in shutouts, 20^th in strikeouts, and 36^th in WAR among pitchers.

He was never viewed as a top three pitcher in his career, but Williams quietly had remarkably steady innings and production. Many Hall of Fame voters were somewhat surprised to find Williams accumulations were so high. He hit plenty of benchmarks even without the big awards or playoff success. Williams received 77.8% for a first ballot nod to cap off a three-player 2030 class for Major League Baseball.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 05-13-2025, 07:32 AM

Programming note, I will eventually go back to posting here but I'm waiting to see that (hopefully) the missing posts from April eventually migrate over from the old board.

I have been still keeping up these stories over on the OOTP boards if you're looking to keep back up.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 05-23-2025, 01:55 PM

The 2029 Hall of Fame ballot for Eurasian Professional Baseball was a weaker one with the best debut at a measly 32.8%. Pitcher Povilas Zdancius was the lone inductee by just crossing the 66% requirement at 67.2% in his fifth ballot. Three others were above 50% with 3B Bladyslav Chychykov (59.9%) and 1B Roman Stanchinsky (55.8%) both on their second ballot. 1B Benjamin Bodnar got 51.4% for his tenth and final chance.

For Bodnar, he had an 18-year career almost exclusively with Yekaterinburg, helping them win four EPB titles. The Hungarian got as close at 59.0% in 2026 and was never below 44%. Bodnar won MVP honors in 2004 and had four Gold Gloves and five Silver Sluggers. His totals saw 2066 games, 2031 hits, 1023 runs, 292 doubles, 98 triples, 413 home runs, 1138 RBI, .276/.334/.510 slash, 155 wRC+, and 69.7 WAR. Injuries in his 30s greatly limited his tallies and left him in “Hall of Pretty Good” territory in the minds of many voters.

Povilas Zdancius – Pitcher – St. Petersburg Polar Bears – 67.2% Fifth Ballot

Povilas Zdancius was a 5’10’’, 180 pound right-handed pitcher from Vitebsk in northern Belarus, the country’s fourth-largest city with roughly 358,000 inhabitants. Zdancius had excellent control and great movement along with good stuff. His fastball peaked in the 95-97 mph range and was actually probably his weakest pitch. Zdancius’ changeup and sinker were his best offerings and he had a splitter.

Guys with four credible pitches are almost always starters, but Zdancius’ poor stamina led to most of his career coming from the bullpen. Despite the stamina issues, Zdancius‘ durability was great and he avoided the big injuries that often plague pitchers. He was subpar at holding runners and below average defensively. However, Zdancius had an excellent work ethic and was one of the smartest guys in the game. He was also appreciated in the clubhouse as a strong leader.

Zdancius was picked out of high school by St. Petersburg in the 1997 EPB Draft, going 108^th overall in the early fourth round. He would be the second-latest picked player to earn induction for EPB’s Hall of Fame with only Class of 2011 SP Temuujin Munkhuu going later at 127. Zdancius spent his first two years in the Polar Bears’ academy before seeing part-time relief use in 2000-01.

From 2002-04, Zdancius was a starter with strong results, leading the European League twice in quality starts. He had 6.5+ WAR each year as St. Petersburg continued a rebuild, falling just short of the playoffs in 2003 and 2004. Zdancius was third in 2003’s Pitcher of the Year voting with career bests in WAR (8.0), and strikeouts (299).

Despite that momentum, Zdancius was surprisingly relegated to only 18 relief appearances in 2005 despite being seemingly healthy. The Polar Bears moved him to the closer role for the four following years, where he twice led in games pitched and once in saves. Zdancius was Reliever of the Year in 2006 with 1.22 ERA over 81.1 innings, 35 saves, and 113 strikeouts. He took third in ROTY in 2007, 08, and 09.

St. Petersburg led the standings and got to the ELCS in 2005 and 2006, but lost both times against Moscow. The Polar Bears fell towards third place for the next few years. Zdancius’ limited playoff use saw two runs allowed in five innings and four appearances. He also saw brief World Baseball Championship use from 2001-03 for his native Belarus, but struggled to a 5.22 ERA over 29.1 innings.

Zdancius became a free agent after the 2009 season at age 32. For St. Petersburg, he had an 84-52 record, 140 saves, 1.91 ERA, 1182 innings, 1342 strikeouts, 194 walks, 143 ERA+, and 39.4 WAR. The Polar Bears organization liked Zdancius enough to eventually retire his #28 uniform. He’d spend the next nine years in South America, starting with a three-year, $9,360,000 deal with Bogota.

He was middle relief in 2010 for the Bats with a 2.45 ERA over 44 innings. Bogota traded Zdancius in the offseason to Cordoba, who put him back into a closer role for 2011. Zdancius was second in Reliever of the Year voting and led in games with 78 for 2011, posting a 2.45 ERA and 36 saves. The Chanticleers lost in the Southern Cone Championship with Zdancius posting a 5.23 ERA over 10.1 playoff innings.

Zdancius was demoted to middle relief for his second year with Cordoba. After that, he signed for two years and $11,600,000 with Rosario, where he had 74.1 innings, 3.39 ERA, and 1.0 WAR. Zdancius played for Callao in 2015 with a 2.89 ERA, 11 saves, 67 strikeouts, and 0.8 WAR in 74.2 innings. He had 2.38 ERA, 56.2 innings, 1.7 WAR, and 64 Ks in 2016 with Santiago. Zdancius then struggled to a 5.02 ERA over 14.1 innings in 2017 with Sao Paulo.

In 2018, Cordoba gave him a second shot and he had a 2.43 ERA in 33.1 innings. Zdancius had a 2.82 ERA over 165.2 innings, 162 Ks, and 2.6 WAR between the stints with the Chanticleers. For his Beisbol Sudamerica career, Zdancius had a 43-30 record, 65 saves, 2.91 ERA, 349 games, 429.2 innings, 427 strikeouts, 97 walks, 129 ERA+, and 5.9 WAR.

Zdancius came back to EPB in 2019 with Vladivostok where he posted a 3.41 ERA over 34.1 innings. The Shibas cut him in July, but Minsk grabbed him and he finished strong with 16.2 scoreless innings over five appearances. Zdancius decided to retire that winter shortly after his 42^nd birthday.

In EPB, Zdancius ended with an 86-53 record, 142 saves, 1.93 ERA, 454 games, 102 starts, 1233 innings, 1373 strikeouts, 198 walks, 83/102 quality starts, 22 complete games, 5 shutouts, 143 ERA+, 63 FIP-, and 40.0 WAR. Among all pitchers with 1000+ career innings, Zdancius’ ERA ranks 11^th. His .532 opoonents’ OPS ranks 17^th while his triple slash of .203/.240/.292 ranks 47^th/28^th/11^th.

His accumulation stats there are obviously incredibly low for either a starter or reliever. Zdancius’ resume was a difficult one to judge as there weren’t even comparisons amongst starters or relievers. The rate stats were obviously strong, but he was also by having half his career on a different continent. Working in his favor was a generally positive reputation and pitcher-friendly voters for the Eurasian Professional Baseball Hall of Fame.

Zdancius debuted at 64.9% in 2025, barely missing the 66% requirement. He was at 61.0%, 63.6%, and 50.4% in the next three ballots. His fifth ballot in 2029 came against a very weak field with no standout debuts. That helped Zdancius get the bump just across the line at 67.2% for a fifth ballot selection as the lone 2029 inductee. Many scholars cite Zdancius as one of the weaker additions you’ll find, but he’s in regardless.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 05-23-2025, 01:56 PM

The Oceania Baseball Association had a loaded four player Hall of Fame class for 2029 with each debuting at above 89%. 1B/DH Adrian Kali (97.5%), OF Suliano Nadruku (97.2%), 1B Naldo Soto (91.2%), and SP August Lantz (89.1%) made up one of the most impressive groups in league history. 3B Dale Harper notably debuted at a solid 56.5%, but was still shy of the 66% requirement. The only returner above 50% was SP George Hudson at 50.2% for his fifth ballot. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots.

Adrian Kali – First Base/Designated Hitter – Port Moresby Mud Hens – 97.5% First Ballot

Adrian Kali was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea. Kali was a great contact hitter with a reliably strong bat, posting 35 home runs, 31 doubles, and 3 triples per his 162 game average. He regularly hit above .300 in the lower-scoring world of OBA and was equally potent against both sides. Kal’s ability to draw walks and avoid strikeouts were both average at best.

Although he got on base a lot, Kali was a terrible baserunner with poor speed. He was a subpar defender at first base, but wasn’t a complete liability. Kali’s first few seasons were primarily as a designated hitter. He made just over 60% of his starts at 1B with basically all of the rest as a DH.

Kali was a true ironman and never missed a start to injury, starting 149+ games each year from 2005-23. He was also a hard worker and incredibly selfless and dedicated. Kali was a true fan favorite who became beloved throughout the region as he later challenged for OBA’s hit king crown. He was especially beloved in his native Papua New Guinea and became one of the country’s favorite sons.

Growing up in Port Moresby, Kali was an avid Mud Hens fan in his youth. As he progressed through the amateur ranks, his hometown team certainly kept tabs on him as a possible future star. That dream came true with the 2003 OBA Draft with Kali going fourth overall to the Mud Hens. He was mostly in their academy in 2004 with only 7 games and 2 starts. Kali was moved to a full-time starting role in 2005 and was an OBA fixture for 19 years.

Kali won Rookie of the Year in 2005 with a 1.6 WAR campaign. From 2006-09, he led the Pacific League thrice in both hits and RBI. Kali also led in RBI again in 2011 and twice socked 40+ dingers for Port Moresby. His lone Silver Slugger came in 2011 at 1B. Kali’s steady but not flashy production didn’t lend itself to many big awards. He also was competing with some of the top sluggers in the game as a DH/1B.

It also didn’t help that Port Moresby to that point had been mostly mediocre since the start of the 1990s. Although they became a 2020s dynasty, the Mud Hens were unremarkable despite Kali’s efforts. They averaged 76 wins per season while he was a starter, peaking with at 89-73 in 2010. In April 2008, Kali signed a five-year, $18,320,000 extension with his hometown team.

Port Moresby was seemingly trending upwards to start the 2010s, but fell off hard with a 65-97 campaign in 2012. The Mud Hens were sellers in the offseason, which included shipping away Kali in the last year of his deal in a five-player trade with Christchurch. For Port Moresby, Kali had 1289 games, 1504 hits, 732 runs, 232 doubles, 284 home runs, 853 RBI, .300/.345/.527 slash, 147 wRC+, and 36.1 WAR.

Although disappointed at the ending, Kali was happy to have gotten to represent his hometown for eight years and was beloved locally. His 12 uniform would later be retired and he’d be inducted in Mud Hens’ red and gold. Kali was excited to join a potential contender as Christchurch was seemingly on the cusp. 2013 started a dynasty run for the Chinooks, who went 110-52 and beat Guadalcanal in the Oceania Championship.

Kali was a one-year rental, but lived up to his role as he won finals MVP, going 10-18 in the series with 5 doubles, 2 runs, 1 homer, and 4 RBI. He remained strong in the World Baseball Championship over 19 starts with 19 hits, 15 runs, 9 homers, 2 doubles, 17 RBI, and 1.1 WAR. The Chinooks finished 8-11 for the event. These ultimately were Kali’s only career postseason appearances. He also had a career best 122 runs in his lone Christchurch season.

Coming up on age 30, Kali was a free agent for the first time heading into 2014. The finals MVP helped earn him a seven-year, $71,400,000 deal with Gold Coast. He ultimately played six years for the Kangaroos as a regular all-star, although they were stuck near the bottom of the standings. Kali led the Australasia League with a career best 40 doubles in 2017. He also had his career best triple slash (.337/.382/.620), OPS (1.003), wRC+ (169), and WAR (6.7) in 2016.

In total, Kali played 938 games for Gold Coast with 1068 hits, 503 runs, 188 doubles, 204 home runs, 607 RBI, .304/.354/.544 slash, 142 wRC+, and 27.9 WAR. With one year left on his contract, the 36-year old Kali was traded in the offseason for prospects to Brisbane. His one year with the Black Bears saw 3.2 WAR, 30 homers, and .859 OPS.

Kali joined Guadalcanal in 2021 on a two-year, $12,400,000 deal and quickly became the third member of the 3000 hit club. He ended the season at 3129 hits, passing Junia Lava for OBA’s top spot. Kali also became the fifth to reach 1500 runs scored and the 11^th to 600 home runs, hitting all three marks in 2021. That year, he also led the PL with 112 RBI and hit 40 home runs. The Green Jackets finished 100-62, two games behind Vanuatu for the top spot.

Guadalcanal again was two games out of first in 2022, although Kali’s power dipped notably. He finished over two seasons with 351 hits, 179 runs, 55 doubles, 65 home runs, 201 RBI, .297/.335/.516 slash, and 8.1 WAR. Kali signed with Melbourne for 2023 on a two-year, $9,520,000 deal. With his longevity, the records for both runs scored and RBI were in reach.

Kali had his weakest year since his rookie campaign with 1.9 WAR, .758 OPS, and 24 homers. He did pass Arjita Gabeja (1683) for the runs scored record, although Roe Kaupa passed Kali the next year. He finished 10 RBI shy of Lava’s top mark of 1989, another mark Kaupa also eclipsed. Kali also got to 574 doubles, 22 away from the top mark held by fellow 2023 retiree Dale Harper of 596. Kali decided to retire after the 2023 campaign at age 39.

The final stats saw 2999 games, 3467 hits, 1704 runs, 574 doubles, 62 triples, 650 home runs, 1979 RBI, 805 walks, 2354 strikeouts, .300/.346/.529 slash, 143 wRC+, and 83.7 WAR. As of 2037, Kali remains OBA’s all-time hit king and is ranked 5^th in games, 3^rd in runs, 2^nd in total bases (6115), 2^nd in doubles (574), 7^th in home runs, 3^rd in RBI, 20^th in walks, 13^th in strikeouts, and 24^th in WAR for position players.

Kali‘s .875 OPS ranks 49^th among batters with 3000+ plate appearances. His triple slash of .300/.346/.529 ranks 46^th/58^th/58^th. Despite inner-circle totals, Kali was never an MVP finalist and generally wasn’t considered a top five player in his prime. Some scholars would leave him off top five or even top ten position player lists for OBA despite being so high in the final leaderboards. Playing on a lot of bad teams also didn’t help his cause there.

That said, Kali was beloved for his role as the consistent ironman and there’s something to be said for that longevity. Retiring as your league’s hit king is a remarkable accomplishment, even if he was overshadowed in his era by fellow Papuan Roe Kaupa. Kali received 97.5%, the highest percentage of the four strong inductees into the 2029 Hall of Fame class for the Oceania Baseball Association.

Suliano “Moby Dick” Nadruku – Left/Center Field – Port Moresby Mud Hens – 97.2% First Ballot

Suliano Nadruku was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed outfielder from Capiata, Fiji; a city of 198,000 people. Nadruku in his prime was an excellent contact hitter with a decent strikeout rate, although he didn’t draw too many walks. His gap power was rock solid and he got you plenty of extra base hits with a 162 game average of 31 doubles, 15 triples, and 28 home runs. Nadruku was better facing right-handed pitching (.918 OPS, 158 wRC+) but was capable facing lefties too (.791 OPS, 124 wRC+).

Nadruku was also one of the faster and more skilled baserunners and base stealers of his era. He played center field at the start of his career, but struggled there as his baserunning speed didn’t translate to range. Left field would prove a perfect fit with Nadruku making 75% of his starts there. He graded as a reliable good-to-great defender and won four Gold Gloves in left.

His durability was generally strong as he started 120+ games in all 16 of his professional seasons. Nadruku was adaptable, worked hard, and was a major fan favorite. His career took him to four different countries, but he endeared himself to fans and peers at every stop. Nadruku would be the third player born in Fiji to earn his way into OBA’s Hall of Fame.

Nadruku’s pro career began in Papua New Guinea as he was selected fifth overall by Port Moresby in the 2007 OBA Draft. He was only there six years, although this would be his longest tenure and possibly his most impressive. As mentioned with his HOF classmate Adrian Kali, the Mud Hens were mostly hot garbage in the 2000s and 2010s. Still, Nadruku made an impact right away, taking third in Rookie of the Year voting. In his second season, he won a Silver Slugger in CF.

In 2010, Nadruku won Pacific League MVP and a LF Silver Sugger with league bests in hits (224), average (.367), OBP (.402), OPS (1.035), wRC+ (184), and WAR (9.5). The hit tally, AVG, OBP, and WAR would be career highs as were his 89 stolen bases. Nadruku was second in 2011’s MVP voting and won another Slugger, leading in hits (212), doubles (40), and WAR (9.5). The doubles were a career high as were his 113 RBI, 1.043 OPS, and 201 wRC+. 2011 also was the first of three consecutive Gold Gloves.

Those years were the closest Port Moresby came to contending in some time with an 89-73 record in 2010 and 83-79 in 2011. They plummeted down to 65-97 in 2012 and stayed there for the next few years. Nadruku had a good 2012, but struggled to meet his previous standards in 2013 with a .770 OPS and 3.7 WAR. Apart from his first and final season, that was Nadruku’s worst OPS. It was bad timing as it was a contract year as well.

Port Moresby was worried Nadruku was going to be expensive and possibly would never return to form, thus they let him leave for free agency after the 2013 season. With the Mud Hens, Nadruku had 919 games, 1088 hits, 541 runs, 166 doubles, 79 triples, 163 home runs, 525 RBI, 384 steals, .310/.343/.541 slash, 149 wRC+, and 36.1 WAR. Coming up on his age 29 season, Nadruku found that Perth still had great interest as they signed him at six years and $60 million.

Nadruku spent five years with the Penguins and was above 7 WAR in three of those seasons. In 2016, he led the Australasia League with 220 hits and posted 8.4 WAR. In 2017, he led in hits (209), WAR (8.1), and led with a career high 121 runs. That effort earned a third place in MVP voting. Perth was in the upper half of the standings of Nadruku’s’ tenure, but ultimately couldn’t compete with the dynasty run of Christchurch. Perth’s best season was second place at 97-65 in 2016, which was paltry compared to the Chinooks world-record 126-36 mark that same year.

For Perth, Nadruku had 754 games, 964 hits, 516 runs, 169 doubles, 75 triples, 124 home runs, 463 RBI, 395 steals, .325/.353/.557 slash, 151 wRC+, and 34.0 WAR. He declined the sixth-year contract option and entered free agency again for the 2019 season at age 33. Nadruku’s next stop was Hawaii on a five-year, $61 million deal with Honolulu.

The investment immediately paid off for the Honu as Nadruku won 2019 MVP honors, leading the Pacific League with 368 total bases. Honolulu won the PL at 99-63 for their first pennant since 1996, although they fell to Sydney in the Oceania Championship in a seven-game classic. In his lone playoff series, Nadruku went 8-27 with 4 runs, 3 homers, 6 RBI, and 2 steals. It was a one-off for the Honu, although they did remain above .500 the next two seasons.

Nadruku won his fourth Gold Glove and fourth Silver Slugger in 2020 and led in hits for the fifth time. He couldn’t maintain that production, but was still a solid starter for two more years with Honolulu. For the Honu, Nadruku had 593 games, 713 hits, 337 runs, 96 doubles, 58 triples, 108 home runs, 358 RBI, 233 steals, .312/.345/.547 slash, 157 wRC+, and 22.5 WAR.

Honolulu fell to 72-88 in 2022 and started a rebuild plan. Nadruku was traded in the offseason to Tahiti for two prospects. Nadruku struggled in his one year with the Tropics, posting -0.1 WAR and .711 OPS over 140 games. He did reach the 400 home run milestone, but came up short of the 3000 hit, 1500 run, and 1500 RBI thresholds that had seemed achievable a few years earlier. Nadruku retired that winter at age 38.

Nadruku finished with 2406 games, 2899 hits, 1461 runs, 457 doubles, 223 triples, 409 home runs, 1391 RBI, 445 walks, 1322 strikeouts, 1054 stolen bases, 625 caught stealing, .312/.345/.541 slash, 149 wRC+, and 92.5 WAR. As of 2037, Nadruku ranks 29^th in games, 9^th in hits, 11^th in runs, 11^th in doubles, 18^th in triples, 51^st in homers, 24^th in RBI, 12^th in total bases (5029), and 13^th in WAR among position players. Among OBA batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Nadruku’s triple slash ranks 27^th/63^rd/38^th. His .885 OPS sits 35^th.

Depending on how strict your definition of “inner-circle” is, Nadruku might make the cut. He was universally liked, but does slide down some of the all-time rankings due to lack of team success and/or big home run numbers. Nadruku’s status as a Hall of Fame lock though was undisputed. At 97.2%, he ranked second of four in the loaded 2029 class for the Oceania Baseball Association.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 05-23-2025, 01:56 PM

Naldo “Train” Soto – First Base – Christchurch Chinooks – 91.2% First Ballot

Naldo Soto was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Nicknamed “the Train,” Soto was a great contact hitter against both sides with a rock solid pop in his bat. His gap power was especially impressive, leading the league seven times in doubles. Soto gave you 38 doubles and 4 triples per his 162 game average. His home run power was respectable too with 28 per 162 and three seasons with 40+ homers.

Soto was better than most in OBA at avoiding strikeouts, but below average at drawing walks. His speed and baserunning skills were both poor. Despite that, Soto was a reliably above average to good defender at first base. He briefly played right field in the middle of his career and was terrible there. Soto’s durability was generally strong as he played 125+ games in all 16 of his pro seasons.

Most Filipino players play in Austronesia Professional Baseball, but Soto declared his intentions for the Oceania Baseball Association after an impressive amateur career. The Philippines was outside of the regional requirements for the OBA Draft’s first three rounds, meaning Soto wasn’t eligible until round four. In 2007, Soto was the fourth pick of the fourth round, 67^th overall, by Vanuatu. The Wizards were still a new expansion franchise that had started play in only 2006.

Soto was a full-time starter right away, but was terrible as a rookie with .581 OPS and -1.4 WAR. He looked decent in his sophomore campaign, then was solid by year three as he led in doubles for the first time. Soto’s lone Gold Glove came in 2012. In 2013, he flashed home run power for the first time with 40 dingers and a Pacific League best 114 RBI. That was also his best Vanuatu season by WAR at 6.3.

The Wizards still had little luck contending in those early years, finally getting their first winning campaign in 2014. Soto was gone for free agency though after the 2013 season at age 28. With Vanuatu, he had 939 games, 1049 hits, 394 runs, 180 doubles, 122 home runs, 487 RBI, 222 walks, .296/.340/.457 slash, 129 wRC+, and 20.8 WAR. Soto was generally popular though for a solid effort in the Wizards’ formative years.

Soto’s most famous tenure began in 2014 on a five-year, $58,900,000 deal with Christchurch. Although his biggest successes came in New Zealand, around this time Soto also represented his native Philippines in the World Baseball Championship. From 2013-23, he played 72 games with 41 hits, 20 runs, 9 doubles, 11 homers, 26 RBI, .220/.319/.446 slash, and 1.0 WAR. Soto struggled in a backup role in 2015, but was part of the Filipino World Champion team that year.

Christchurch was the reigning Oceania Champion when they signed Soto and he helped them establish an Australasia League dynasty. He led in doubles from 2014-16, although his first year saw a big dip in homers down to 17. Soto rebounded with a career best 48 homers and 129 RBI by 2016. That year also saw a second place in MVP voting and Soto’s career bests in runs (117), OPS (1.070), wRC+ (189), and WAR (8.4). Soto was third in 2015’s MVP voting and second in 2016, winning Silver Sluggers both years at 1B.

The Chinooks went 105-57 and repeated as OBA champs in 2014, besting Tahiti in the finale. Christchurch repeated as AL champs in 2015, but lost their finals rematch to the Tropics. Soto’s playoff numbers were unremarkable these two years going 8-36 with 5 runs, 2 homers, 6 RBI, and 0 WAR. He fared better in the 2014 World Baseball Championship but only played 14 games and started 6 with 0.3 WAR and 1.003 OPS. The Chinooks took third in the event at 13-6.

2016 was a historic 126-36 season for Christchurch, tying the world record for wins in a season. However, they suffered a shocking 4-3 defeat in the Oceania Championship to Guam. This was Soto’s best postseason effort going 11-28 with 4 runs, 4 doubles, 2 homers, 6 RBI, 1.164 OPS, and 0.5 WAR. The Chinooks qualified for the 2016 BGC and finished 11-8 in a five-way tie for fifth. Incidentally, the same Golden Eagles that took the OBA title from Christchurch went on to win the Grand Championship. Soto in the event had 18 hits, 13 runs, 4 doubles, 3 homers, 11 RBI, .829 OPS, and 0.5 WAR.

Christchurch was one win behind Brisbane for the 2017 pennant. They stayed above .500 but out of the hunt for 2018 and 2019. Soto remained strong and took second in MVP voting for both 2017 and 2018. He won a Silver Slugger in 2017 at RF with league bests in batting average (.350), OBP (.397), OPS (1.030), and wRC+ (175). He won another batting title in 2018 at .359. Soto’s home run power dipped in 2019, but he made up for it by setting the OBA single-season doubles record with 56. This remains OBA’s top doubles mark as of 2037.

Certainly Soto had lived up to his original deal and signed a five-year, $73,500,000 extension with Christchurch in May 2018. He led in doubles twice more and in 2022 led the AL in OPS (1.040) and wRC+ (180). That year at age 36, Soto had his career bests in hits (213), average (.369), and OBP (.408).

Christchurch returned to the Australasia League perch to start the new decade, taking the pennant in 2020, 2021, and 2023. They were unable to add another OBA title to the mantle, falling to Guam, Vanuatu, and Port Moresby chronologically. Soto’s career playoff numbers weren’t bad, but they weren’t outstanding. In 35 games, he had 39 hits, 13 runs, 6 doubles, 5 homers, 21 RBI, .300/.324/.477 slash, 124 wRC+, and 0.6 WAR.

As his career progressed, Soto battled with his Hall of Fame classmate Adrian Kali and Dale Harper for the OBA career doubles record. The group each passed the old high of 510 by Henry Bell, who had been the only one to reach 500 over OBA’s first 50 seasons. All three finished their careers in 2023 but Soto would be third at 570 behind Harper’s 596 and Kali’s 574. Soto was also hoping to join both in the 3000 hit club, although he failed to reach that mark.

Soto wasn’t quite ready to retire when he did though. 2023 was the last year of the Christchurch deal and he still posted 2.9 WAR, although his .473 slugging was his lowest power output in more than a decade. Soto was a free agent for 2024 with no one signing him all year. He eventually retired that winter at age 39 and the Chinooks quickly honored him and retired his #2 uniform. With Christchurch, Soto had 1486 games, 1872 hits, 918 runs, 390 doubles, 297 home runs, 996 RBI, .333/.370/.577 slash, 158 wRC+, and 56.1 WAR.

The final stats had 2425 games, 2921 hits, 1312 runs, 570 doubles, 58 triples, 419 home runs, 1483 RBI, 524 walks, .319/.358/.531 slash 147 wRC+, and 76.9 WAR. As of 2037, Soto is 27^th in games, 8^th in hits, 23^rd in runs, 17^th in total bases (4864), 3^rd in doubles, 47^th in home runs, 15^th in runs, and 29^th in WAR for position players. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Soto’s triple slash ranks 14^th/25^th/56^th and his .889 OPS is 28^th.

Soto probably falls just short of the “inner-circle” level of Hall of Fame inductees. Still, his tallies were plenty impressive and he was in the MVP conversation at his peak. Soto was also a big part of six Australasia League pennants, two OBA titles, and a 126-win season for Christchurch. He received 91.2% for a firm first ballot selection, making Soto the third of four inductees in the loaded 2029 class for the Oceania Baseball Association.

August Lantz – Starting Pitcher – Guadalcanal Green Jackets – 89.1% First Ballot

August Lantz was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Perth, the largest city in Western Australia. Lantz was known for pinpoint control, although his stuff was solid despite not being overpowering. His movement did grade as below average, leading to occasional issues allowing home runs and an extreme flyball tendency.

Lantz’s fastball peaked in the 93-95 mph range, but he had a deadly changeup that garnered many whiffs. He had a five-pitch arsenal that also included a knuckle curve, splitter, and forkball. Each option was respectable and Lantz knew how to alternative between his options. His stamina was very good, but he’d lose a few starts to injuries in multiple seasons. His defense and pickoff move were both subpar.

Few players were more respected and admired amongst their peers. Lantz was a team captain and known for his leadership, work ethic, and loyalty. He was considered one of the highest character men of the Pacific League. Lantz spent his entire career in the PL despite growing up in Australia. In July 1999, a teenaged Lantz signed a developmental deal with Guadalcanal. He spent just over six years in the academy on the Solomon Islands before debuting in 2005 at age 21.

Lantz was passable as a part-time starter as a rookie, earning a full-time rotation spot after that. His production was average in his first two full seasons, followed by struggles in 2008 that were exasperated by a sprained ankle and shoulder bursitis. Lantz bounced back with a good 2009, followed by his finest season in 2010. He took second in Pitcher of the Year voting with a league and career best 27-4 record. Lantz also posted his career high WAR (9.4), FIP- (58), and posted his first of four straight 300+ strikeout seasons.

This helped Guadalcanal emerge as a contender after being generally mediocre since the 1980s. The Green Jackets ended a 32-year pennant drought and set a franchise record at 113-49. They would be defeated in the Oceania Championship by Melbourne’s dynasty, who also won 113 games in 2010. Lantz posted a 4.76 over 11.1 innings and two starts. The season performance though earned him a seven-year, $33,880,000 extension with Guadalcanal signed in April 2011.

Lantz was never a Pitcher of the Year finalist again, but he posted 6+ WAR in each of the next four seasons. Guadalcanal was second in the Pacific League in 2011, then won back-to-back pennants in 2012-13. The Green Jackets were 103-59 in 2012 and got revenge over the Mets for the OBA title. Guadalcanal broke their franchise record in 2013 at 115-47, but fell in the finale to Christchurch.

Overall, Lantz had good playoff numbers in those runs and finished with a career 3.07 ERA over 44 innings, 2-1 record, 48 strikeouts, and 1.2 WAR. Guadalcanal made the Baseball Grand Championship both years and finished 12-7 both times. In 2012, that put them in a five-way tie for the top spot, officially taking second after the tiebreakers were sorted. In 2013, the Green Jackets were one of three tied for third, officially placing fourth. Lantz had an iffy 4.60 ERA and 48 Ks over 31.1 innings in 2012. He fared better in 2013 with a 3.48 ERA over 31 innings and 45 strikeouts.

Lantz was also a regular for his native Australia in the World Baseball Championship, although his stats were underwhelming. He had 36 appearances from 2008-21 with an 11-9 record, 4.22 ERA, 213.1 innings, 235 strikeouts, 56 walks, and 1.6 WAR. The Australians notably took fourth in 2012 and also earned a division title in 2017.

Guadalcanal remained in the top half of the standings for the rest of the decade, but weren’t able to take the top spot again. Lantz remained largely steady, although he lost some time in 2015 to a strained hamstring and a strained oblique in 2017. Now 35-years old, Lantz signed a two-year, $5,920,000 extension in October 2018. After the 2019 campaign though, Lantz was traded to Honolulu for three prospects and a draft pick.

For the Green Jackets, Lantz had a 233-164 record, 3.37 ERA, 3698 innings, 3805 strikeouts, 503 walks, 108 ERA+, and 80.1 WAR. For his 15 years of service and important role in three titles, Lantz’s #27 uniform would later be retired. Honolulu was the defending Pacific League champ and hoped Lantz could give them some pitching depth. They ultimately dropped to 83-79 in 2020, although Lantz gave them his standard production with a 3.56 ERA over 272.2 innings and 5.4 WAR. With the Honu, he became the 11^th in OBA history to reach 4000 strikeouts.

A free agent for the first time at age 37, Lantz signed a three-year, $24,300,000 deal with Guam, who had replaced Honolulu atop the PL in 2020. He was decent with a 3.27 ERA over 55 innings, but missed most of the 2021 campaign to shoulder inflammation. Lantz then lost the entire 2022 season with a damaged elbow ligament at the end of spring training. He was let go by the Golden Eagles for 2023.

Lantz still wanted to play and Tahiti gave him a shot for 2023 on a one-year, $4,400,000 deal. He suffered a partially torn labrum in late March, keeping him out until the summer. Lantz made it back for two starts, allowing one run over six innings. However, elbow inflammation kept him out for the rest of the season. Lantz opted to retire that winter at age 40.

The final stats for Lantz had a 252-183 record, 3.38 ERA, 4031.2 innings, 4126 strikeouts, 541 walks, 316/539 quality starts, 141 complete games, 18 shutouts, 107 ERA+, 84 FIP-, and 86.1 WAR. As of 2037, Lantz ranks 7^th in wins, 8^th in innings, 14^th in strikeouts, and 17^th in pitching WAR. His 1.21 BB/9 is 26^th among all pitchers with 1000+ career innings. However, Lantz falls outside of the top 100 for the other rate stats.

Lantz was never overwhelmingly dominant and wasn’t generally viewed as a top three pitcher in his prime. He was incredibly consistent though and racked up accumulations that certainly placed him among the greats. Lantz’s leadership couldn’t be overstated either, playing a big role in three Pacific League pennants and one OBA title for Guadalcanal. Lantz received 89.1% for the first ballot induction, the fourth member of a loaded 2029 Hall of Fame class for the Oceania Baseball Association.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 05-23-2025, 01:57 PM

Austronesia Professional Baseball didn’t add anyone into the Hall of Fame in 2029, the first empty class since 2014. Two returners were above 60%, but short of the 66% induction requirement. 3B Nicky Abizar led all players with 61.7% on his third ballot, closely followed by SP Bagus Ranga at 61.1% in his eighth try. SP Anto Astuti was the best debut at 51.9%. CL Meng-Hsien Wu on his second ballot got to 50.1%.

SP I Komang Ainaga was dropped after ten failed ballots, peaking at 52.4% in 2023 and ending at 24.2%. In 12 seasons,, he had a 166-108 record, 2.15 ERA, 2635 innings, 2571 strikeouts, 268 walks, 126 ERA+, and 58.1 WAR. The rate stats were strong for Ainaga, but he didn’t have the awards, black ink, or longevity to stand out amongst the many great pitchers in APB.

LF Hector Constanza also fell off with a peak of 36.1% in his debut and finish at only 7.5%. He had a 17-year career and won six Silver Sluggers, posting 2230 hits, 1273 runs, 331 doubles, 152 triples, 305 home runs, 886 RBI, 892 walks, 1292 stolen bases, .235/.304/.399 slash, 127 wRC+, and 84.6 WAR. Hitters had a tough time generally with voters in the low-scoring APB, but it was even tougher as a guy without bigger power numbers.

Constanza notably led the league four times in runs scored and thrice in steals. As of 2037, he ranks 10^th in runs scored, 36^th in hits, 3^rd in steals, and 37^th in WAR among position players. Constanza was even a part of Zamboanga’s pennants in the early 2000s. For whatever reason, that resume didn’t resonate with voters and he was banished to the Hall of Pretty Good.

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

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