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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

---

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]

---

Three outfielders earned first ballot inductions for 2030 into the Central American Baseball Association Hall of Fame. LF Clayton Morgan and RF Americo Negron were co-headliners at 92.8% and 89.8%, respectively. RF Lucas Martinez debuted at 73.4% to narrowly breach the 66% induction requirement. The best returner was 1B Hasan Alvizo with 57.5% for his sixth ballot. No one else was above 50% and no players were dropped after ten failed ballots.



Clayton Morgan – Left Field – Bahamas Buccaneers – 92.8% First Ballot

Clayton Morgan was a 6’2’’, 195 pound left-handed left fielder from the capital of Jamaica, Kingston. Morgan was a well-rounded batter with good-to-great contact and power along with a respectable eye for walks. While he was never a league-leader, Morgan’s power was remarkably consistent with 10 seasons with 40+ home runs. He had a 162 game average of 45 dingers, 24 doubles, and 9 triples.

Morgan was notably stronger facing right-handed pitchers (1.022 OPS, 169 wRC+) but was by no means bad against lefties (.839 OPS, 127 wRC+). His speed was merely above average, but Morgan was a skilled baserunner. He was a career left fielder and graded as a below average defender, but he was plenty passable with his bat. Morgan’s durability was fairly good and he was known for an incredible work ethic, loyalty, and selflessness. He was a huge fan favorite and became a beloved megastar throughout the region.

In the 2008 CABA Draft, Morgan was picked 10^th overall by Bahamas. He played 120 games and started 104 as a rookie with promising results, taking second in 2009’s Rookie of the Year voting. 2010 would start of a stretch of six straight seasons with 6+ WAR, 40+ home runs, and 1.000+ OPS for the Buccaneers. Each of Morgan’s Silver Sluggers came with Bahamas (2011, 13, 14, 15).

Morgan’s sophomore season saw him hit for the cycle twice, a feat only achieved four other times in the same CABA season as of 2037. His lone MVP win came in 2013, leading the Caribbean League in total bases (429), OBP (.432), wRC+ (209), and WAR (10.0). Those were career highs, as was Morgan’s 219 hits, 56 home runs, 50 stolen bases, .372 average, .728 slugging, and 1.160 OPS.

Despite his individual successes, Bahamas remained a bottom-tier franchise in his tenure and averaged only 69.8 wins per season. They also weren’t in a position to be big spenders, sending Morgan to free agency when he was eligible for 2016 at age 29. With the Buccaneers, Morgan had 1074 games, 1321 hits, 716 runs, 165 doubles, 67 triples, 308 home runs, 715 RBI, 377 walks, 259 steals, .334/.393/.643 slash, 170 wRC+, and 50.2 WAR.

Morgan joined Puebla on a seven-year, $97,900,000 deal. He had an immediate setback with a ruptured finger tendon costing him most of the first half in 2016. Morgan missed small bits of 2017 and 2018, but delivered consistent production with the Pumas. He had three seasons with 6+ WAR, 1.000+ OPS, and 40+ homers.

Puebla was in the middle tier when Morgan arrived and stayed there his first few years. The Pumas had a sharp drop to 67-95 in 2018, but had an unexpected bounce back in 2019 at 92-70. They won the South Division and earned their first Mexican League pennant since 1949. Puebla would be thwarted in the CABA Championship by Havana.

This was Morgan’s only career postseason trip with unremarkable stats, posting 11 hits, 5 runs, 1 homer, 4 RBI, .675 OPS, 88 wRC+, and 0.1 WAR in 11 starts. However, he was excellent in the Baseball Grand Championship in 19 games with 17 hits, 13 home runs, 20 RBI, 15 runs, 1.219 OPS, 221 wRC+, and 1.5 WAR. The Pumas finished 11-8 in a tie for fifth place.

In five seasons for Puebla, Morgan had 636 games, 763 hits, 452 runs, 104 doubles, 186 home runs, 489 RBI, 100 steals, .318/.363/.629 slash, 171 wRC+, and 29.1 WAR. He opted out of the remaining two years of the deal, becoming a free agent again for 2021 at age 34. Morgan ended up joining Costa Rica on a five-year, $57 million deal.

Later in his career, Morgan played for his native Jamaica in the World Baseball Championship. The island hadn’t qualified for the event from 2006-20, but made it back with the expanded field from 2021 onward. From 2021-25, Morgan played 46 games with 38 hits, 26 runs, 8 doubles, 13 home runs, 20 RBI, .229/.301/.524 slash, and 1.4 WAR.

When he joined Costa Rica, the Rays were fresh off a defeat in the Caribbean League Championship Series. They peaked there, dropping to just below .500 in 2021 and to rock bottom after that. Morgan had a solid debut season in 2021, but also began his own sharp decline. With Costa Rica, he was able to cross the 600 home run, 2500 hit, 1500 RBI, and 1500 run thresholds.

For the Rays in four seasons, Morgan had 594 games, 544 hits, 333 runs, 71 doubles, 21 triples, 142 home runs, 308 RBI, .263/.327/.523 slash, 124 wRC+, and 10.2 WAR. He was let go for 2025 and wanted to play somewhere, but an aging veteran who was close to replacement level didn’t attract any suitors. Morgan played in that year’s WBC and retired in the winter shortly after his 39^th birthday.

Morgan’s final totals saw 2304 games, 2628 hits, 1501 runs, 340 doubles, 129 triples, 636 home runs, 1512 RBI, 736 walks, 1551 strikeouts, 440 steals, .312/.368/.610 slash, 159 wRC+, and 89.5 WAR. As of 2037, Morgan ranks 95^th in games, 52^nd in hits, 28^th in runs, 28^th in total bases (5134), 21^st in home runs, 43^rd in RBI, 64^th in walks, and 53^rd in WAR among position players.

Among CABA batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Morgan’s .978 OPS ranks 33^rd. He ranks 35^th in slugging and 87^th in OBP. He wasn’t overwhelmingly dominant enough to be an inner-circle level Hall of Famer, but Morgan’s career was plenty great to make him a first ballot lock at 92.8%. He often is cited as a top five player to come out of Jamaica and co-headlined the 2030 class for the Central American Baseball Association.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

Americo Negron – Right Field – Panama Parrots – 89.8% First Ballot

Americo Negron is a 6’5’’, 200 pound right-handed right fielder from Almolonga, Guatemala; a town of 17,000 people known as the “Vegetable Basket of the Americas.” Negron had rock solid contract and power against both sides and regularly got you extra base hits with a 162 game average of 37 home runs, 35 doubles, and 12 triples.

He was better than most at drawing walks, but below average at avoiding strikeouts. Negron also had delightfully average speed and baserunning chops. His biggest flaw was abysmal defense as a career right fielder. About ¼ of his career starts were as a designated hitter. The steady bat was worth putting up with bad glove work in many cases. Negron had mostly good durability in a 19-year career and was considered one of the smarter guys in the clubhouse.

Negron went sixth overall in the 2006 CABA Draft to Panama. He wasn’t quite ready and spent much of 2007-09 in the developmental system. Negron started 44 games between 2008-09 specifically, but struggled in his limited use. He became a full-timer in 2010 with respectable results. Negron then put things together in 2001, leading the Caribbean League with 140 RBI to earn his first Silver Slugger. That was his career best for RBI and home runs with 46.

After the 2011 campaign, the Parrots inked Negron to an eight-year, $69,300,000 extension. He became a reliable force in the lineup, winning additional Sluggers from 2012-15 and from 2017-18, all in right field. Negron never won MVP, but was third in 2014 and second in 2018. He led with 208 hits in 2014, a season that had his career bests in OPS (1.068) and WAR (7.9). In 2018, Negron led in runs (123), slugging (.655), OPS (1.044), and wRC+ (186).

Panama historically was a bottom rung team amongst a tough Continental Division. Negron did help them become competitive in the 2010s, averaging 86.7 wins per season in his starting seasons. The Parrots’ best run was a division title and CLCS defeat in 2013 to Santo Domingo. Their other playoff berths were wild cards and first round exits in 2012 and 2015. Negron was strong in 2013 specifically and had a .988 OPS over 14 playoff starts with the Parrots.

For Panama, Negron had 1463 games, 1727 hits, 961 runs, 276 doubles, 103 triples, 340 home runs, 982 RBI, 167 steals, .318/.363/.595 slash, 158 wRC+, and 49.0 WAR. He declined the contract option and left for free agency after the 2018 campaign at age 32. Negron remained popular with Parrots fans and his #9 uniform would eventually be retired.

He was also popular in his native Guatemala, although he only played in the 2011, 2013, and 2014 editions of the World Baseball Championship. Negron did have an important role in the Guatemalans’ fourth place finish in 2013, picking up 23 hits, 17 runs, 7 doubles, 2 triples, 5 homers, 16 RBI, and 1.059 OPS in 2013 games. Negron stayed in the Caribbean League but moved to the islands for his second squad on a six-year, $81,600,000 deal with Puerto Rico.

Negron was solid in his first three years with the Pelicans, although lost significant time in 2019 between a strained biceps and torn back muscle. His best effort was 2021, which earned a Silver Slugger as a DH for the eighth total of his career. Puerto Rico broke through that year to end a seven-year playoff drought, winning their first Caribbean League pennant since 1956. They were denied the CABA Championship by Tijuana.

Stunningly, Negron was terrible in the postseason run with a .153/.190/.186 slash and -0.8 WAR over 16 starts. He did redeem himself with a respectable Baseball Grand Championship for a .257/.312/.600 slash, 18 hits, 10 runs, 6 homers, 15 RBI, and 0.6 WAR over 18 starts. Puerto Rico was near the middle of the standings at 9-10. They hovered around .500 for the rest of Negron’s tenure.

Negron missed two months in 2022 to a broken hand. He was unremarkable in 2023, but bounced back with a respectable final season in 2024. For the Pelicans, Negron had 831 games, 939 hits, 522 runs, 160 doubles, 69 triples, 181 home runs, 560 RBI, .298/.350/.565 slash, 142 wRC+, and 22.4 WAR. While there, he crossed the 500 home run, 2500, and 1500 RBI milestones.

CABA teams were no longer interested in the now 38-year old Negron by 2025. He opened up an international job search and landed in the Ivory Coast on a two-year, $11,400,000 deal with Bouake of West African Baseball. Negron was an okay starter in 2025, but struggled and was benched in 2026. Over 231 games for the Blood Hawks, Negron had a .253/.322/.450 slash, 96 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR. He retired from professional baseball after the 2026 season just after his 40^th birthday.

In CABA, Negron played 2294 games with 2666 hits, 1483 runs, 436 doubles, 172 triples, 521 home runs, 1542 RBI, 653 walks, 1804 strikeouts, 275 steals, .311/.359/.584 slash, 152 wRC+, and 71.4 WAR. As of 2037, Negron ranks 98^th in games, 44^th in hits, 31^st in runs, 44^th in doubles, 61^st in home runs, 38^th in RBI, and 33^rd in total bases (5009). His .942 OPS is 72^nd among CABA batters with 3000+ plate appearances and he ranks 66^th in slugging. However, he was outside of the top 100 for WAR.

Like his Hall of Fame classmates, Negron wouldn’t slot into the inner circle. But when your league has a century of history and you’re top 50 in hits, runs, and RBI; you’re hard to deny. Negron was the top hitting right fielder for around a decade in the Caribbean League and as such earned a first ballot nod at 89.8% to co-headline for 2030’s class for the Central American Baseball Association.



Lucas Martinez – Right Field – San Luis Potosi Potros – 73.4% First Ballot

Lucas Martinez was a 6’2’’, 190 pound outfielder from Puga, Mexico; a town of around 8,000 in the west-central coastal state of Nayarit. Martinez’s biggest strengths were reliable home run power and a strong eye for walks. He was above average at best for contact and subpar at avoiding strikeouts. Martinez made his hit counts though with ten seasons of 40+ home runs. His 162 game average got you 42 homers, 23 doubles, and 3 triples.

Martinez was better against right-handed pitching, but was solid against both sides. His baserunning instincts were good, but he was cartoonishly slow. This also meant his range was putrid in the outfield. Martinez made about 80% of his starts in right field with most of the rest in left. He graded as a terrible defender despite having an absolute cannon arm due to poor range and glove work.

He had a couple big injuries in his 20s, but stayed mostly healthy in his 30s and put together a 17-year career. Martinez was appreciated by teammates and fans for fierce loyalty, but he was criticized for a lackluster work ethic. Still, Martinez became the first star player and Hall of Famer for San Luis Potosi, who joined the Mexican League in the 2003 expansion.

The Potros picked Martinez third in the 2007 CABA Draft and made him a full-time starter right away, although he lost three weeks of his rookie year to a sprained ankle. In his third year, Martinez led the league with a career high 74 walks and had his first of four seasons above 6+ WAR. 2011 was a big setback with a broken hand in late April. Not only did he lose much of the season, but he struggled upon returning.

Martinez bounced back in 2012 with 47 home runs, .978 OPS, and 7.5 WAR. In 2013, a fractured ankle in spring training kept him out most of the first half. Upon returning, Martinez was on pace for an MVP 2013 season with 1.113 OPS, 5.5 WAR, and 37 home runs. San Luis Potosi also earned their first-ever playoff berth or winning season in 2013, but lost in the first round. The Potros were cautious with Martinez’s injury history and extended him in the offseason for only three years and $41,700,000.

He stayed generally healthy over the next decade and hit 40+ home runs with 100+ RBI in all but one season from 2014-22. SLP gave him the big extension in January 2016 at $98,600,000 over six years. Martinez wasn’t in awards conversations though apart from his lone Silver Slugger in 2018. Still, he was a reliable slugger in the middle of the Potros lineup.

San Luis Potosi was above .500 from 2013-19 and had wild cards in 2013, 15, and 18. However, they never got beyond the first round. In his eight playoff starts, Martinez had .935 OPS and 0.4 WAR. He did play for Mexico in nine editions of the World Baseball Championship from 2013-24. In 87 games and 65 starts, Martinez had 49 hits, 39 runs, 10 doubles, 19 home runs, 36 RBI, .208/.331/.492 slash, and 2.5 WAR. Martinez was notably a starter for Mexico’s 2015 runner-up finish to the Philippines.

He remained steady into his mid 30s, but San Luis Potosi regressed hard as the 2020s began, bottoming out with an abysmal 52-110 in 2022. This was Martinez’s final season and they mutually agreed to part ways, making Martinez a free agent for the first time at age 38. For the Potros, he had 2148 games, 2231 hits, 126 runs, 309 doubles, 593 home runs, 1441 RBI, .290/.356/.572 slash, 157 wRC+, and 73.1 WAR. Martinez’s #14 uniform would be the first number retired by SLP.

Martinez had posted 5.6 WAR, .945 OPS, and 46 homers in his final season, meaning he had plenty of interest. Even Major League Baseball teams took notice and Martinez took his talents to Texas on a two-year, $34 million deal with Dallas. He only played one year for the Dalmatians with okay production, posting 127 games, 18 homers, .740 OPS, 106 wRC+, and 1.1 WAR.

In 2024, Martinez returned to CABA and signed a two-year, $12,200,000 deal with Costa Rica. The run allowed him to reach 600 CABA home runs, the 22^nd to do so. Unfortunately, 2024 was a disaster otherwise with -1.6 WAR and .629 OPS over 149 games. Martinez retired that winter at age 40.

Martinez in CABA finished with 2297 games, 2343 hits, 1306 runs, 325 doubles, 38 triples, 606 home runs, 1483 RBI, 801 walks, 2025 strikeouts, .287/.351/.558 slash, 152 wRC+, and 71.5 WAR. As of 2037, Martinez is 97^th in games, 99^th in hits, 74^th in runs, 26^th in home runs, 51^st in RBI, and 65^th in total bases (4564). He doesn’t crack the top 100 for WAR or OPS.

Some voters weren’t entirely sold on Martinez’s all-around resume, especially with the lack of big awards and black ink. For many others, 600 home runs alone were enough, although recently David Jack had become the first CABA slugger to get dropped from the ballot despite 600 dingers. Being the first star to help a new franchise grow also worked well in Martinez’s favor. He crossed the 66% requirement at 73.4% for a first ballot selection to cap off a solid three-player 2030 Hall of Fame class for the Central American Baseball Association.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2B/3B Ryuichi Sawa was East Asia Baseball’s lone Hall of Famer for 2030, crossing the 66% requirement on his second ballot at 72.8%. The best debut was CL Sadaharu Chiba who just missed at 64.4%. Three other returners were above 50% with 1B Kyu-Seong Lee at 56.7% on his fifth ballot, C Ha-Jun Au at 55.4% on his fourth go, and CL Geon-U Kang with 53.9% with his fifth ballot.



The one player dropped after ten ballots was CL Kyung-Bok Jung, who had a 19-year career between both EAB and WAB with nine teams. He had one Reliever of the Year with Sendai in 2003 and was the closer for Seoul’s 2005 championship team. In EAB, Jung had 291 saves, 2.62 ERA, 1135.1 innings, 1329 strikeouts, 296 walks, 137 ERA+, and 30.3 WAR. Jung had more innings than a lot of eligible choices, but lacked the overwhelming dominance of the previous HOF picks. He got as high as 49.1% on his second ballot before ending with a mere 7.7%.



Ryuichi “Bulldog” Sawa – Second/Third Base – Hiroshima Hammerheads – 72.8% Second Ballot

Ryuichi Sawa was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting second and third baseman from Ebina, Japan; a city of 141,000 in the Kanagawa Prefecture. Sawa was a great contact hitter with a steady pop in his bat. He wasn’t one to produce prolific stats, but his 162 game average still got you a nice 29 home runs, 28 doubles, and 6 triples. Sawa was solid at avoiding strikeouts, but rarely drew walks.

His strength was most noticeable against right-handed pitching (.910 OPS, 174 wRC+) compared to against lefties (.791 OPS, 138 wRC+). Sawa’s baserunning ability was excellent and made him a threat even with below average speed. Defensively, he went back and forth between second and third base with around 70% of his starts at second. Sawa graded as a poor defender at either spot, although his metrics were stronger at third base.

Still, Sawa’s bat definitely deserved a spot in the lineup and you rarely found someone that strong offensively who could play a somewhat passable 2B. His durability held up fairly well over a 19 season run. Sawa was also an absolute gem of a human being and a phenomenal captain. His character was above reproach and he became one of the most universally respected figures of Japanese baseball. Sawa’s grit led to the affectionate nickname “Bulldog.”

In June 2001, Sawa signed a developmental deal with Kumamoto. He made his debut in 2005 at age 20 and looked solid with 2.9 WAR and .931 OPS over 107 games and 42 starts. Sawa earned a full-time starting gig after that. With the Monsters, he won Silver Sluggers in 2007 and 2009 at second base and 2010 at third.

2007 was Sawa’s first of four seasons worth 7+ WAR and saw him hit for the cycle. He won a batting title with a career-best .339 average in 2009 and also set career highs in WAR (8.0), OBP (.381), slugging (.600), and OPS (.981). Sawa led the Japan League with 123 RBI, also a career best. Kumamoto was generally competitive during his tenure with playoff trips in 2010 and 2011.

In 2010, the Monsters lost in the JLCS to Kyoto with Sawa posting 0.2 WAR over six playoff starts. He missed part of that post season to a sprained ankle. He surprisingly didn’t play in 2011 as Kumamoto took the top seed at 100-62, but was upset in the first round by Sapporo. Sawa ultimately decided not to re-sign after that, leaving for free agency at age 27.

With Kumamoto, Sawa had 962 games, 1062 hits, 459 runs, 183 doubles, 48 triples, 156 home runs, 529 RBI, 177 steals, .321/.352/.547 slash, 168 wRC+, and 40.9 WAR. His next stop was his signature run, signing an eight-year, $124,200,000 deal with Hiroshima. Sawa helped lead the Hammerheads to a seven-year streak of West Division titles from 2012-18. He won Silver Sluggers (all at 2B) in 2013, 16, 17, and 18).

Hiroshima repeated as Japan League in 2012-13, but couldn’t get by Goyang in 2012 or Daegu in 2013 for the EAB Championship. The Hammerheads finished 9-10 in the 2012 Baseball Grand Championship and 6-13 in 2013. Sawa was particularly strong in the 2012 playoff run and won MVP of the JLCS. 2013 was his lone season as a league MVP finalist, taking second.

In August 2014, Sawa suffered a torn PCL that knocked him out nine months. He bounced back impressively from that, but Hiroshima ran into a playoff roadblock. From 2014-17, their season ended each time in the JLCS. 2018 had their best record of the streak at 102-60, but they were upset in the first round. While there was some frustration from fans for the failure to get over that final hump, you certainly couldn’t blame Sawa.

In 46 playoff starts for the Hammerheads, Sawa had a .328/.357/.644 slash, 213 wRC+, 3.2 WAR, 58 hits, 37 runs, 10 doubles, 14 home runs, and 27 RBI. He was also 2017 JLCS MVP even in defeat. Sawa had been middling in the 2012 BGC with a .702 OPS and 0.1 WAR in 19 games, but fared better in 2013 with .847 OPS and 0.7 WAR. Sawa’s overall contributions and leadership in eight years with Hiroshima led to his 8 uniform eventually getting retired.

Sawa’s run with Hiroshima had an ugly end with early season struggles followed by a broken kneecap in the autumn. His future was now in doubt heading back to gree agency at age 35. For the Hammerheads, Sawa played 1068 games with 1239 hits, 611 runs, 172 doubles, 228 home runs, 650 RBI, 128 steals, .309/.336/.540 slash, 167 wRC+, and 44.0 WAR.

Kyoto gave Sawa a shot for three years and $18,900,000, a hefty pay cut from his peak. He was a bench piece in 2020 with merely okay results. Sawa had a resurgence though in 2021 despite losing six weeks to a strained PCL. In 113 games and 108 starts, Sawa posted 6.6 WAR, .972 OPS, and 196 wRC+. This high level of play allowed Kyoto to end a six-year playoff drought and take the top seed at 105-57.

The Kamikaze went all the way, winning the EAB Championship over Changwon. Sawa had another strong playoff performance in 18 starts with 23 hits, 10 runs, 5 home runs, 10 RBI, .853 OPS, and 0.8 WAR. His performance was lackluster in the Baseball Grand Championship with .635 OPS and 0.1 WAR in 18 starts as Kyoto finished 10-9.

Unfortunately, Sawa missed almost all of 2022 between a torn calf muscle and torn meniscus. Still, the signing was a success since he helped Kyoto to their 2021 title. In 234 games and 138 starts, Sawa had 204 hits, 93 runs, 44 doubles, 12 triples, 28 homers, 105 RBI, .311/.339/.543 slash, 165 wRC+, and 7.2 WAR.

His body was starting to break down, but Sawa wasn’t ready to call it quits yet. Tokyo gave him a one-year deal for 2023 which saw only 95 games and 39 starts with more injuries. Sawa was unimpressive with .681 OPS, 97 wRC+, and 0.6 WAR for the Tides. He opted to retire that winter at age 39.

Sawa ended with 2359 games, 2554 hits, 1183 runs, 408 doubles, 94 triples, 419 home runs, 1309 RBI, 283 walks, 1099 strikeouts, 311 steals, .313/.341/.540 slash, 166 wRC+, and 92.6 WAR. As of 2037, Sawa ranks 92^nd in hits and 61^st in WAR among position players, but he doesn’t crack the top 100 in any other counting stat.

Some voters felt his tallies simply weren’t high enough. That and a lack of black ink placed him in the “Hall of Pretty Good” for some voters. But Sawa certainly had supporters, especially for his big time playoff numbers and role in pennants for both
Hiroshima and Kyoto. Not many guys had seven Silver Sluggers and he ranked 7^th in WAR specifically accrued at second base (70.46).

Perhaps most important were Sawa’s leadership and high character; intangibles that were hard to quantify. He missed the cut in his 2029 ballot debut at 62.5%. With no locks debuting in 2030, Sawa got the bump across the 66% line with 72.8%. He earned his spot as a second ballot selection as East Asia Baseball’s lone Hall of Famer for the 2030 class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

---

Beisbol Sudamerica had an impressive 2030 Hall of Fame class with four men making it on their first ballot. SP Sebastian Marquez was the headliner at 98.9% and was joined by SP Benicio Palacio (91.4%), 2B Oscar Valdivia (87.4%), and LF Rico Ortega (78.4%). Two other debuts were above 50%, but short of the 66% induction line with closers Bobby Santos (58.6%) and Luciano Lozano (51.7%). 2B Franklin Chapman was the top returner with 47.4% for his second ballot. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots.



Sebastian “Crab” Marquez – Starting Pitcher – Barquisimeto Black Cats – 98.9% First Ballot

Sebastian Marquez was a 6’8’’, 200 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Santa Teresa, a city of around 261,000 in north-central Venezuela. He had the nickname “Crab” as his long arms and unique delivery reminded some of a crab walk. Marquez was well rounded with good-to-great stuff, control, and movement. His control especially was consistently strong, making him one of the toughest arms to face of his era.

Marquez’s strongest pitch was an impressive 97-99 mph fastball, but he also had a slider, forkball, changeup, and knuckle curve in the arsenal. He was especially strong facing right-handed batters with a career 2.50 ERA and 59 FIP- compared to a 3.10 ERA and 92 FIP- against lefties. Marquez had strong stamina and durability in his 20s, but ran into some injury woes in his 30s. His defense and ability to hold runners both graded as subpar.

He quickly emerged as one of Venezuela’s most promising young pitchers and signed a developmental deal in March 2004 with Barquisimeto. Marquez debuted in 2007 at age 21 but struggled in 24.2 relief innings. He was used in 128.1 innings the next year and had a quality start in the playoffs. The Black Cats lost in the first round of the playoffs, but started a seven-year playoff streak.

Marquez was a full-time starter in 2009 and delivered with the Bolivar League’s best ERA (2.60) and WAR (7.8), earning Pitcher of the Year. It was the first of nine straight seasons with 7+ WAR and an ERA below three. Marquez repeated as POTY with another ERA title (2.31) in 2010. Both of these years, Barquisimeto was eliminated in the first round.

The Black Cats took the top seed in 2011 at 107-55, but fell to Valencia in the BLCS. They made the playoffs again from 2012-14 and in 2016, but never got beyond the divisional series. You couldn’t blame Marquez for their playoff failings as he had a 2.03 ERA over 12 starts, 5-4 record, 88.2 innings, 104 strikeouts, 196 ERA+, and 3.5 WAR.

Marquez’s strikeout numbers grew in his late 20s and early 30s, leading the league with 300+ Ks in 2012, 14, 15, and 17. He won additional ERA titles in 2015 and 2016 and was the WARlord in 2013 and 2017. Marquez’s best ERA in BSA was 2.19 in 2015, while his top WAR was 9.1 in 2017 and his highest strikeout total was 313 in 2014.

He continued to rack up Pitcher of the Year honors, winning five straight from 2012-16 and finishing second in 2017. Marquez became the fourth in Beisbol Sudamerica history to win the award seven times, joining the legendary likes of Mohamed Ramos, Laurenco Cedillo, and Lazaro Rodriguez. Rodriguez was the only other one to win five consecutively in his career.

Marquez signed a six-year, $68,200,000 extension with Barquisimeto in April 2014. The Black Cats started a streak of sub .500 seasons in 2017 though with rebuild becoming a possibility. In June 2018, Marquez had his first major injury setback with biceps tendinitis costing him three months. That winter, he opted out of the remainder of his contract, entering free agency at age 32.

With Barquisimeto, Marquez had a 193-79 record, 2.57 ERA, 2519.1 innings, 2746 strikeouts, 356 walks, 110 complete games, 34 shutouts, 155 ERA+, and 78.2 WAR. It was an easy decision for the Black Cats to retire Marquez’s #26 uniform at the end of his career. His dominance had drown international attention and he had suitors from multiple leagues.

On top of his BSA dominance, Marquez had been impressive on the World Baseball Championship stage for Venezuela. From 2009-23, he had a 2.27 ERA over 230.1 innings, 10-12 record, 292 strikeouts, 51 walks, 162 ERA+, and 7.6 WAR. In 2016, the Venezuelans were runner-up to China with Marquez posting a 2.21 ERA over 36.2 innings and 43 strikeouts in the event.

Marquez signed a five-year, $105 million deal with Major League Baseball’s St. Louis. He looked rock solid in his initial MLB starts, but saw a big setback with a fractured coracoid bone in his shoulder knocking him out from early June onward. Marquez had a few smaller injuries in 2020, but led the National Association with 0.77 WHIP and posted a 2.01 ERA and 6.1 WAR. Marquez’s lone playoff start for the Cardinals was a quality one, but they lost in the first round. They were stuck in the middle tier for the rest of his run.

2021 was respectable, but 2022 was a slog with a bone spur in his elbow knocking him out much of the year. Marquez was mostly healthy in 2023, but his production was below average at this point. For the Cardinals, Marquez had a 38-36 record, 2.88 ERA, 770.2 innings, 623 strikeouts, 118 ERA+, and 15.2 WAR. He was mostly effective when healthy for St. Louis, but didn’t quite live up to the hype that seven Pitcher of the Year awards create.

Now 38-years old, Marquez felt he still had something to offer and returned to the Bolivar League on a one-year, $5,800,000 deal with Santa Cruz. He was terrible over 93 innings with a 6.68 ERA, but did get to exactly 200 career BSA wins. Marquez did toss 3.1 scoreless innings in a playoff relief appearance with the Crawfish losing in the divisional series. Marquez retired that winter at age 38.

In Beisbol Sudamerica, Marquez had a 200-85 record, 2.71 ERA, 2612.1 innings, 2804 strikeouts, 371 walks, 221/316 quality starts, 110 complete games, 34 shutouts, 147 ERA+, 68 FIP-, and 78.8 WAR. As of 2037, Marquez ranks 71^st in wins, 48^th in shutouts, and 55^th in pitching WAR. For his combined pro career, Marquez had a 238-121 record, 2.75 ERA, 3383 innings, 3427 strikeouts, 503 walks, 139 ERA+, 73 FIP-, and 94.0 WAR.

The injuries kept Marquez from putting up the big accumulations reached by the top five level great aces. However, seven POTY wins and 200 wins would make any pitcher a deserved Hall of Fame lock. At 98.9%, Marquez headlined an impressive four-player 2030 class for Beisbol Sudamerica.



Benicio Palacio – Starting Pitcher – Callao Cats – 91.4% First Ballot

Benicio Palacio was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed starting pitcher from San Miguel, Costa Rica; a small district of just under 5,000 people. Palacio had incredible control that graded as a 10/10 at his absolute peak. He also rock solid stuff and movement led by a fantastic 99-101 mph fastball. Palacio also had a strong splitter with an okay slider as a third option.

Palacio’s stamina was terrific and he had mostly good durability throughout an 18-year career. He had a good pickoff move, but graded as a weak defensive pitcher. Palacio was known as a team captain and strong leader in the clubhouse. That and a fierce fastball made Palacio one of the more popular pitchers of his era in Beisbol Sudamerica.

Costa Ricans and other Central American prospects were typically in CABA’s domain, although occasionally a few went south. Despite coming from humble beginnings, Palacio managed to catch the eye of a Peruvian scout for Callao, who signed him in November 2001 to a developmental deal. He officially debuted with one relief inning in 2006 at age 21.

Palacio earned a full-time rotation spot in 2007 and maintained that role through 2020 for Callao. His production was a mixed bag in the first two years, but Palacio emerged as a true face by 2009. He led the Bolivar League in innings pitched in both 2007 and 2009, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting in the latter with a career-best 23-5 record.

In 2008, Callao ended a 40-year playoff drought, falling in the BLCS to Santa Cruz. The Cats emerged as a consistent contender with only winning seasons from 2008-18, earning nine playoff trips and five Peru-Bolivia division titles. Their playoff luck and Palacio’s stats were iffy initially with first round exits in 2010 and 2011, followed by a playoff miss in 2011. Palacio had a league and career best 8.7 WAR in 2010 with his top strikeout tally (269), taking third in Pitcher of the Year voting.

The Cats broke through in 2012, taking the top seed at 103-59 en route to a Copa Sudamerica win over Concepcion. Palacio had a 3.21 ERA and 30 Ks over 28 playoff innings. He then had a strong showing in the Baseball Grand Championship with a 1.84 ERA over 29.1 innings with 39 strikeouts and 1.3 WAR. Callao finished 8-11 for the event with Palacio getting third in BGC Best Pitcher voting.

Palacio was third in 2013’s Pitcher of the Year voting, although Callao missed the playoffs. They made it each year from 2014-18 and four times got to the divisional series at best. 2016 was the exception with another Copa Sudamerica run at 98-64, beating Rio de Janeiro in the final. Palacio had a 3.41 ERA over 37 innings in the playoffs and a 3.08 ERA over 38 innings in the BGC as the Cats again finished 8-11.

In March 2016, Callao inked Palacio to a five-year, $82,600,000 extension. He was third in 2016 and 2017’s Pitcher of the Year voting. In 2018, Palacio won the top honor finally at age 33 with his lone ERA title at 2.55. He had a sub-three ERA from 2016-18, but notably posted a subpar 3.99 ERA in both 2019 and 2020. Callao’s run came to a close in 2019 with their first losing season since 2007.

The Cats had won 109 games in 2017 and 102 in 2018, but lost both years in the divisional series. Palacio’s overall playoff starts with Callao weren’t bad, but weren’t amazing either. He had a 3.50 ERA over 128.2 innings, 5-8 record, 117 strikeouts, 115 ERA+, 95 FIP-, and 1.9 WAR. Still, Palacio was a popular player and an important part of two Cup wins and a decade of competitiveness. Callao retired Palacio’s #15 uniform at the end of his career.

Palacio executed his contract option for 2021, but the Cats were in rebuild mode at that point. In the offseason, Palacio was traded at age 36 to defending Copa Sudamerica winner Santiago for five prospects. With the Cats, Palacio had a 208-147 record, 3.32 ERA, 3304 innings, 3080 strikeouts, 379 walks, 121 ERA+, and 77.7 WAR.

His pro career now took him outside of Peru for the first time, although Palacio had still regularly gone home to Costa Rica for the World Baseball Championship. However, he struggled on that stage from 2007-24 with a 4.68 ERA over 223 innings, 5-20 record, 245 strikeouts, and 2.1 WAR.

Palacio’s one year in Chile was respectable with a 3.74 ERA, 228.2 innings, 193 strikeouts, and 4.5 WAR for Santiago. The Saints lost in the Southern Cone League Championship with Palacio posting a 3.50 ERA over 18 playoff innings. He was now a free agent for the first time at age 37 and opened up a worldwide job search. There was Major League Baseball interest and Palacio ended up with Las Vegas on a three-year, $30,100,000 deal.

A strained hamstring kept Palacio out for a good chunk of 2022. He was mediocre overall for the Vipers from 2022-23 with a 4.27 ERA over 272 innings, 178 strikeouts, 18-10 record, 91 ERA+, and 1.7 WAR. Las Vegas was a wild card in 2023, but Palacio wasn’t used in the postseason run. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the third year of the deal and was back to free agency for 2024 at age 39.

Palacio returned to BSA and found a one-year, $5,900,000 deal with Belo Horizonte. He had a rough spring with a terrible 5.88 ERA over 52 innings and eight starts. In early May, Palacio suffered a torn rotator cuff that ended his season. Even if he healed up, Palacio likely was cooked at this point anyway so he retired shortly after his 40^th birthday.

In Beisbol Sudamerica, Palacio had a 222-163 record, 3.38 ERA, 3584.2 innings, 3305 strikeouts, 419 walks, 255/431 quality starts, 164 complete games, 32 shutouts, 118 ERA+, 80 FIP-, and 82.3 WAR. As of 2037, Palacio is 38^th in wins, 43^rd in innings, 76^th in strikeouts, 40^th in complete games, 52^nd in shutouts, and 44^th in pitching WAR.

While his 2030 Hall of Fame classmate Sebastian Marquez was more dominant, Palacio did have him beat in accumulations and longevity. Most still place Marquez ahead of Palacio, but Palacio’s candidacy was very firm. He played a major role in two Copa Sudamerica wins and made Callao a regular contender for a decade. Palacio secured his first ballot slot at 91.4% as part of an impressive four-player class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

Oscar Valdivia – Second Base – Quito Thunderbolts – 87.4% First Ballot

Oscar Valdivia was a 6’4’’, 195 pound right-handed second baseman from Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city. Valdivia was a well-rounded batter with good-to-great contract, eye, and power skills. He wasn’t going to lead the league in slugging, but his 162 game average gave you plenty of extra base hits with 29 home runs, 32 doubles, and 11 triples. Valdivia hit for average effectively against both sides and was rock solid at drawing walks, although his strikeout rate was merely okay.

In his prime, Valdivia had good speed along with excellent baserunning and base stealing abilities. He was a career second baseman and consistently provided good-to-great defense. Valdivia’s durability was mostly good over an 18-year career at a demanding position. He was also a team captain with excellent leadership, loyalty, and work ethic. Valdivia was one of the most respected players of his era and a favorite of Ecuadoran fans.

Valdivia wasn’t incredible at any one thing, but he was good at basically everything. It was also rare to find second basemen who could hit that well and still be a net positive defender. Valdivia grew up a Golds fans in Guayaquil, but he’d spend his entire career in the capital Quito. The Thunderbolts grabbed him 30^th overall in the 2006 BSA Draft. He started half of 2007 and took third in Rookie of the Year voting with his efforts.

He was a full-time starter from 2008 onwards, although he missed part of that year from a fractured finger. Valdivia also had a torn abdominal muscle in fall 2009, but he’d avoid big injuries for about a decade after that. Still, each year from 2008-19 was worth 5+ WAR. Valdivia had an OPS above one in eight seasons and had 7+ WAR from 2011-18. He won Silver Sluggers in 2010, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 21.

Valdivia never won MVP, but he was third in 2013 and 2014’s voting. He led the Bolivar League with 8.1 WAR in 2014 and with 8.3 in 2017. His career best was 9.3 in 2015, a year that also had his most runs scored (115). Valdivia led in walks in 2015-16 and led with a .419 OBP in 2017. Eight times he had an OBP above four and he hit above .300 from his rookie year through 2021. In March 2017, Quito gave Valdivia a five-year, $73,500,000 extension.

Despite his efforts, the 2010s were unremarkable for Quito. They were never outright bad and won 80+ games in all but two of Valdivia’s seasons. However, they were stuck in the middle tier and missed the playoffs from 2007-18. Valdivia stayed steadfast as they finally broke the drought in 2019 as a wild card, although they lost in the divisional round. 2020 saw a first round exit, followed by playoff misses from 2021-23.

Valdivia missed a chunk of 2020 to a strained rib cage muscle and parts of 2021 with knee and elbow issues. He was healthy in 2022 but struggled to .774 OPS and 2.3 WAR. Quito stayed loyal to their longtime captain and gave him a three-year, $47,800,000 extension that winter. Although he had very limited playoff opportunities, Valdivia did regularly play on the World Baseball Championship stage for his native Ecuador.

The Ecuadorans didn’t win a division title from 2008-24 with Valdivia, but he gave it his all. He played 152 games with 129 hits, 101 runs, 16 doubles, 6 triples, 39 home runs, 67 RBI, 80 walks, 43 steals, .240/.356/.509 slash, 150 wRC+, and 6.7 WAR. Valdivia was certainly one of the country’s most well respected figures in baseball.

Valdivia was merely passable in 2023 and was benched in 2024 after struggles, playing only 60 games with 37 starts. His leadership was still important from the bench as Quito almost out of nowhere had a franchise record 112-50 campaign. The Thunderbolts won Copa Sudamerica over Sao Paulo and Valdivia finally got Quito a ring after 18 years, even if he was 0-3 with three strikeouts as a playoff pinch hitter. Valdivia retired the day after the championship celebration and shortly after had his #14 uniform retired.

In total, Valdivia played 2424 games with 2834 hits, 1465 runs, 483 doubles, 164 triples, 434 home runs, 1414 RBI, 965 walks 1606 strikeouts, 845 steals, .324/.391/.566 slash, 148 wRC+, and 105.9 WAR. As of 2037, Valdivia is 84^th in games, 32^nd in hits, 34^th in runs, 39^th in total bases (4947), 22^nd in doubles, 58^th in RBI, 42^nd in steals, 22^nd in walks, and 26^th in WAR among position players. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Valdivia is 23^rd in OBP and his .957 OPS is 64^th.

Despite those tallies, Valdivia is surprisingly under-rated and overlooked for being consistently good without any massive single year tallies. He ranks 5^th in WAR at second base, but often is rated below his contemporaries Antonio Arceo and Daniel Schafer, who both won Southern Cone League MVPs.

Valdivia also sometimes gets forgotten since Quito was aggressively mid during his prime years. Real ones know that Valdivia was legit and is on the short list for Beisbol Sudamerica’s top five at second base. He received 87.4% to take the third of four slots with the impressive 2030 Hall of Fame class.



Rico “Lippy” Ortega – Left Field – Trujillo Thoroughbreds – 78.4% First Ballot

Rico Ortega was a 6’0’’, 200 pound switch-hitting left fielder from Trujillo, Peru’s third most populous city. Ortega was a stellar contact hitter who was graded as a 10/10 at his peak by some scouts. He also had impressive power with a 162 game average of 44 home runs, 22 doubles, and 15 triples. Ortega was above average at drawing walks and had a decent strikeout rate relative to his peers.

Ortega was especially powerful facing right-handed arms with a career 1.092 OPS and 178 wRC+. His power was less pronounced against lefties, but he was still quite effective with a .895 OPS and 137 wRC+. Ortega’s baserunning skills and speed were average, but he was far from a liability. He primarily played left field and was a great defender, winning Gold Gloves in 2011 and 2012.

Additionally, Ortega was considered a good leader and he wasn’t selfish, making him a five-star recruit. On top of that, he could throw a great sinker, although he lacked a worthy second pitch with only a bad changeup on offer. That kept Ortega from being a true two-way guy, but he was quite good in limited relief use. The one downfall with Ortega would be durability issues with numerous injuries limiting him throughout a 16-year career.

When Ortega was growing up, his hometown Trujillo didn’t have a franchise. The city was angling for one and finally got their wish as part of the 2009 expansion. It couldn’t have been a more perfect fit that a hometown kid was a top prospect for their first-ever draft in 2008. The Thoroughbreds picked Ortega fourth overall and immediately made him the face of the new franchise.

Ortega delivered right away as 2009 Rookie of the Year. He was second in 2010’s MVP voting and third in 2011, while winning his first Silver Slugger and Gold Glove in 2011. 2010 had his career high for hits (202), and WAR (9.2), while 2011 saw his bests for home runs (51).

In 2012, Ortega got the awards sweep and won Bolivar League MVP by leading in the triple slash (.382/.436/.747), OPS (1.183), wRC+ (200), and WAR (8.7). This came despite missing April to a knee sprain, which would be the first of his injury issues. Ortega was third in 2013’s MVP voting and won another Slugger, leading again in slugging, OPS, wRC+, and WAR. 2014 would be a rough go, missing most of the season between a fractured ankle and knee sprain.

Like many expansion teams before them, Trujillo was terrible in their early years. Still, they were plenty satisfied with Ortega and gave him an eight-year, $82,860,000 extension after the 2014 season. He was popular in his home town and throughout Peru as he was a regular for his country in the World Baseball Championship.

From 2008-23, Ortega played 131 WBC games with 131 hits, 94 runs, 21 doubles, 8 triples, 43 home runs, 90 RBI, 43 steals, .289/.394/.656 slash, and 8.4 WAR. He had a 1.050 OPS in the WBC, one of only 62 guys to hit that effectively with at least 250 plate appearances. Ortega was an effective pitcher in the WBC with a 2.87 ERA over 37.2 innings, 41 strikeouts, and 1.0 WAR.

In 2012, Ortega won WBC Tournament MVP despite only playing seven games, posting an absurd triple slash of .556/.636/1.185 with a 1.822 OPS, 405 wRC+, and 1.4 WAR. That run included one of the few four home run games in WBC history in an encounter with the Czech Republic. Ortega also was third in 2013’s WBC MVP voting, although Peru never picked up a division title in his tenure.

Ortega remained very effective when healthy from 2015-18 with 5+ WAR and 1.000+ OPS each year. The trouble was each of those years he fell short of 110 starts due to various injuries, most commonly with his knee. Ortega lost almost all of 2019 with a fractured coracoid bone in his shoulder. But by then, Trujillo had finally put the pieces together to be a contender.

In 2018, the Thoroughbreds had their first playoff berth at 101-61, although they lost in the first round. Trujillo was 102-60 in 2019 and upset 117-win Caracas to win the Bolivar League title with Ortega winning BLCS MVP. Ortega had made it back for the playoffs with 17 hits, 10 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers, .808 OPS, and 0.5 WAR over 14 starts. Trujillo would be denied by Recife in Copa Sudamerica, but they had impressively won their first pennant in only their 11^th season.

In the Baseball Grand Championship, the Thoroughbreds finished 9-10 with Ortega looking strong over 18 starts, posting 17 hits, 16 runs, 11 homers, 21 RBI, 12 walks, 1.274 OPS, and 1.6 WAR. That stat line earned Ortega Tournament MVP honors. This made Ortega the first player to own MVP honors in both the Baseball Grand Championship and the World Baseball Championship.

Trujillo won two more division titles in 2020-21, but were unable to win a playoff series. Ortega was fully healthy both years and won his second MVP in 2020, leading the league in slugging (.699), OPS (1.090), and wRC+ (187). He was good in 2021, but down from his usual production. Ortega had a sub .900 OPS for the first time in 2022 and lost a month to a fractured wrist. The Thoroughbreds just missed the playoffs, but still extended their longtime star for another two years and $20 million at age 37.

Ortega stayed healthy the next two years, but declined sharply and was relegated to only 94 games and 32 starts with subpar production. Trujillo also fell hard off a cliff and started a six-year run of 100+ loss seasons in 2024. Ortega was unsigned in 2025 and officially retired that winter shortly after turning 40. The Thoroughbreds quickly retired his #7 uniform to honor their first superstar and a hometown hero.

In total, Ortega had 1810 games, 2143 hits, 1160 runs, 241 doubles, 169 triples, 495 home runs, 1217 RBI, 572 walks, 1135 strikeouts, 453 steals, .336/.393/.659 slash, 171 wRC+, and 84.5 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 74^th in home runs and 77^th in WAR among position players. The injuries greatly limited his final tallies and kept him out of the top 100 for most counting stats.

Ortega’s efficiency was stellar though and his 1.053 OPS and .659 slugging were first among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances at retirement. He still ranks 3^rd in OPS as of 2037 and his triple slash ranks 51^st/21^st/4^th. Among all of the world’s Hall of Famers as of 2037, Ortega is 8^th in OPS, 7^th in slugging, and 41^st in batting average.

Had he been able to stay healthy, Ortega might have been an inner-circle level inductee. Most voters felt his accomplishments even with the injuries were worthy with efficient hitting, two MVPs, and five Silver Sluggers. Ortega spent his whole career with his hometown team as they joined the league and helped them win their first pennant. At 78.4%, he was a first ballot selection to cap off an impressive four-player 2030 class for Beisbol Sudamerica.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

---

2030 saw two Hall of Fame additions for the European Baseball Federation, led by a slam dunk 98.7% debut for pitcher Luther Bowness. OF/1B Dylan Fitzpatrick joined him at 69.2% on his fourth ballot, scraping by the 66% requirement for induction. SP Lorenzo Rotella just missed at 64.5% on his fourth go.

Five other returners were above 50%. CF Joris Kostic got 56.3% on his seventh ballot, CL Stefan Sedlak had 53.8% on his ninth try, LF Marco Solis saw 53.1% in his second go, SP Stan Nyagin received 51.3% with his fifth ballot, and LF Emilson Patino had 50.3% on his fourth go. Apart from Bowness, no debuting players were above 25%. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots.



Luther “Tiger” Bowness – Starting Pitcher – Amsterdam Anacondas - 98.7% First Ballot

Luther Bowness was a 6’1’’, 175 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Worthing, England; a town of around 113,000 on the southern coast. Bowness had split English-Northern Irish heritage. His stuff was incredible and overpowering, graded as a 10/10 by many scouts at his peak. Bowness overwhelmed batters with pure stuff and he had solid movement. His control was above average at best, but he could usually work out of trouble.

Bowness had 99-101 mph peak velocity, but it was his exceptional changeup that got the most whiffs. He also had a sinker, curveball, and cutter with an extreme groundball tendency. Bowness’ stamina was quite good and he avoided injuries in the front end of his career. He had a good pickoff move but weak defense otherwise. Bowness was a hard worker and a fan favorite over a 17-year career with Amsterdam.

The Anacondas scouted and signed Bowness as a teenage amateur in February 2004. He spent most of eight years in their academy and debuted in 2008 at age 20, although he struggled over 48.1 innings. Bowness was a full-time starter with decent results in 2009, then settled into an ace role after that. He led the Northern Conference in WHIP for 2011 with a career best 0.92. Bowness led in both strikeouts and complete games in 2012-13.

2013 was his career best in Ks at 316, taking third in Pitcher of the Year voting. Amsterdam had been competitive from 2008-12, but had fallen just outside of the playoffs. 2013 started a five-year playoff streak with a 109-53 record, although they were second in the division to 115-win Dublin. The Anacondas won 105 in 2014 but again were a wild card. They lost in the first round both years and fell in the second round in 2015.

Bowness had emerged as the ace by this point and signed a five-year, $56,600,000 extension in September 2014. He took third in 2015’s Pitcher of the Year voting. In 2016, Amsterdam won the Northern Conference as a 96-66 wild card, falling to Zurich in the European Championship. Bowness had a strong postseason with a 4-1 record and 2.64 ERA over six starts, 44.1 innings, 56 strikeouts, and 1.1 WAR. He was merely okay with a 4.09 ERA over 33 innings with 53 Ks in the Baseball Grand Championship. The Anacondas finished at 10-9 in a tie for tenth.

Amsterdam remained in the playoff mix, but never made another deep run. They were a conference finalist to Dublin in 2020 and early exits in 2017, 19, 22, and 24. Bowness had strong playoff numbers overall with a 2.38 ERA over 98.1 innings, 7-3 record, 114 strikeouts, 26 walks, 160 ERA+, and 2.1 WAR.

Bowness also pitched for England in the World Baseball Championship from 2020-22 and in 2024 with a 2.07 ERA over 69.2 innings, 7-3 record, 111 strikeouts, and 2.8 WAR. England notably had a fourth place in 2022 with Bowness posting a 2.25 ERA over 28 innings with 46 strikeouts.

In May 2019, Bowness signed a five-year, $74,600,000 extension to stick with Amsterdam. 2020 would be his first major injury with a torn triceps costing him most of the first half. Bowness bounced back and won his lone Pitcher of the Year award in 2021 with conference bests in strikeouts (308) and WAR (8.2). He won his lone ERA title in 2022 with a career best 2.19, taking second in voting.

Bowness was certainly on pace in 2022 to win again, but a torn labrum in late August cost him the final weeks of the season. He opted out of his deal and tested free agency for a month, but the 35-year old ultimately returned to the Dutch capital on a three-year, $69,800,000 deal. Bowness was less dominant but still respectable in 2023, but a torn biceps kept him out roughly half of the year.

In 2024, Bowness’s production had dipped and he had a full-season career worst 4.09 ERA, although he was still worth 4.4 WAR. He became only the 11^th in EBF history to reach 4000 career strikeouts. He had plans to keep pitching until a second torn labrum in September 2024. Doctors made the decision for him and Bowness had to retire shortly after his 37^th birthday. Amsterdam quickly honored him by retiring his #2 uniform.

Bowness finished with a 223-142 record, 3.13 ERA, 3519.2 innings, 4041 strikeouts, 852 walks, 271/431 quality starts, 165 complete games, 25 shutouts, 122 ERA+, 76 FIP-, and 87.9 WAR. As of 2037, Bowness ranks 26^th in wins, 25^th in innings, 9^th in complete games, 51^st in shutouts, 12^th in strikeouts, and 18^th in WAR among pitchers. He also has a 10.33 K/9, ranking 53^rd among those with 1000+ career innings.

He probably falls just short of the “inner circle” level of Hall of Famers for the European Baseball Federation depending on how strict one’s definition is. But it was almost universally agreed that Bowness was well deserving of a spot. He received 98.7% to headline the two-player 2030 class for the European Baseball Federation.



Dylan Fitzpatrick – Outfield/First Base – Belfast Brewers – 69.2% Fourth Ballot

Dylan Fitzpatrick was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed corner outfielder and first baseman from Galway, Ireland’s fourth most populous city with around 86,000 inhabitants. Fitzpatrick was best known for having steady home run power and a great eye for drawing walks. He was better than most at avoiding strikeouts and was a solid contact hitter against right-handed pitching.

Facing RHP, Fitzpatrick had a career 1.001 OPS and 175 wRC+ compared to a middling .716 OPS and 103 wRC+ against lefties. His power was more focused on dingers than the gap with a 162 game average of 36 homers, 22 doubles, and 9 triples. He could leg out extra bags here and there as Fitzpatrick was an excellent baserunner with good speed.

Fitzpatrick bounced around defensively in his career with half of his starts in right field, around 30% at first base, and most of the rest in left. He graded as a mediocre glove man at each, but you could do worse. Fitzpatrick’s durability was mostly good over a 15-year career. While he wasn’t disruptive, Fitzpatrick was viewed by teammates and coaches as a bit of a selfish loner.

He made the move to Northern Ireland after getting drafted 21^st in 2006 by Belfast. Fitzpatrick started much of 2007 with good results and became a full-time starter after that. In 2009, Fitzpatrick won a Silver Slugger (1B) and was second in MVP voting, leading the Northern Conference in walks (88), OBP (.432), slugging (.692), and OPS (1.124). Those would all be career bests as was his 121 runs, 193 hits, 49 home runs, 127 RBI, .344 average, and 10.6 WAR.

Fitzpatrick never replicated that season again, but he remained a quality starter with four more 5+ WAR seasons for Belfast. The Brewers were just above .500 to start the decade, but had fallen into relegation danger by 2013 at 64-98. Hoping to rebuild without getting demoted, Fitzpatrick was traded in the offseason to Leipzig for two relievers. Belfast didn’t expect Fitzpatrick to stay once he was eligible for free agency by 2016.

With Belfast, Fitzpatrick played 1042 games, 1084 hits, 655 runs, 154 doubles, 53 triples, 264 home runs, 676 RBI, 488 walks, 369 steals, .298/.381/.587 slash, 171 wRC+, and 43.6 WAR. He was generally popular with Brewers fans, but wasn’t impactful or tenured enough to really be considered a team legend. Still, it was his longest and most productive tenure by a healthy margin and Fitzpatrick was inducted in the tan and gold.

Although his most prominent pro tenure was in Northern Ireland, Fitzpatrick did regularly return home to the Republic of Ireland for the World Baseball Championship. From 2007-17, Fitzpatrick played 109 games with 91 hits, 69 runs, 17 doubles, 25 home runs, 37 RBI, 77 walks, 48 steals, .259/.399/.538 slash, and 5.4 WAR. In 2011, Ireland had their best-ever finish of third place with Fitzpatrick posting .942 OPS and 0.8 WAR in 19 starts.

Fitzpatrick had two good years for Leipzig and won his second Silver Slugger (RF) in 2015, leading that year with 86 walks. He also had 43 homers and a 1.007 OPS. The Lumberjacks stayed just below .500 as they acclimated to the top tier. Fitzpatrick made himself a hot property entering free agency at age 32 and earned a five-year, $86 million deal with Amsterdam.

His debut season was his best with 7.3 WAR and .979 OPS, helping Amsterdam win the Northern Conference pennant before falling to Zurich in the European Championship. In the playoffs, Fitzpatrick was decent in 17 starts with 13 hits, 10 runs, 2 triples, 3 home runs, 7 RBI, 15 walks, .819 OPS, and 0.4 WAWR. He was stronger in the Baseball Grand Championship as the Anacondas finished 10-9. In 18 starts, Fitzpatrick had 13 hits, 15 runs, 3 doubles, 7 homers, 10 RBI, 11 walks, .921 OPS, and 0.9 WAR.

Fitzpatrick remained a respectable starter from 2017-20 and led in walks for the third time in 2017. Amsterdam had a conference finals loss in 2020 along with a first round exit in 2017 and second round defeat in 2019. For his playoff career, Fitzpatrick had 33 games with 32 hits, 18 runs, 5 doubles, 4 triples, 5 home runs, 12 RBI, 17 walks, .256/.350/.480 slash, 123 wRC+, and 1.0 WAR.

In the 2020 playoffs, Fitzpatrick suffered a torn PCL with an expected 8-9 month recovery time. His contract was up, but Amsterdam gave him a qualifying offer for 2021. Fitzpatrick made it back for 80 games and 32 starts, but was unremarkable with .677 OPS and 0.2 WAR. Fitzpatrick wanted to still play for 2022, but no teams were interested, leading to his retirement that winter at age 39. For Amsterdam, Fitzpatrick played 836 games with 791 hits, 512 runs, 106 doubles, 53 tirples, 150 home runs, 411 RBI, 373 walks, 313 steals, .279/.363/.513 slash, 139 wRC+, and 23.5 WAR.

In total, Fitzpatrick played 2194 games with 2207 hits, 1375 runs, 295 doubles, 122 triples, 493 home runs, 1285 RBI, 1010 walks, 1127 strikeouts, 808 steals, .292/.375/.558 slash, 158 wRC+, and 80.7 WAR. As of 2037, Fitzpatrick ranks 89^th in games, 53^rd in runs, 73^rd in total bases (4225), 57^th in home runs, 78^th in RBI, 18^th in walks, 46^th in steals, and 80^th in WAR among position players.

Fitzpatrick’s resume was definitely borderline compared to other Hall of Famers. His accumulations were good, but not otherworldly. His black ink and awards were both limited and his best years came on forgettable Belfast teams. Fitzpatrick wasn’t viewed as a top five guy, but he was rock steady and helped Amsterdam win a pennant.

He missed the 66% requirement in his debut with 56.1% in 2027. Fitzpatrick stayed about the same at 55.6% in 2028, then got a slight bump to 61.5% in 2029. In 2030, Fitzpatrick had the benefit of no impactful debuts outside of his former teammate Luther Bowness. He got another slight bump just across the line at 69.2%. With that, Fitzpatrick was a fourth ballot selection to cap off the 2030 class for the European Baseball Federation.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

It was an unimpressive slate of debuts for the 2030 Hall of Fame ballot for Eurasian Professional Baseball as the best newcomer had a measly 16.7%. That opened up the field for SP Artur Woloshyn to barely cross the 66% requirement line at 68.1% on his seventh ballot. 3B Vladyslav Chychykov narrowly missed with 64.4% on his third try. SP Yuri Sabitov had a good showing at 61.5% on his fifth ballot, as did 1B Roman Stanchinsky at 58.1% on his third go. No one else was above 50%.



Dropped after ten failed ballots was SP Nihat Akhatov, who pitched 14 years between Minsk and Krasnodar. He had a 166-121 record, 2.79 ERA, 2732.1 innings, 3071 strikeouts, 866 walks, 111 ERA+, 87 FIP-, and 52.7 WAR. Akhatov did lead in strikeouts twice, but never won Pitcher of the Year. He did notably have a 2.09 ERA in 103.1 playoff innings and won the 2002 EPB title with the Miners.

Still, Akhatov didn’t have the dominance or longevity to stand out amongst the many great pitching candidates. He peaked at 48.2% in 2024 and stayed above 40% for his first six ballots. However, Akhatov ended with only 14.8% and got banished to the Hall of Pretty Good.



Artur Woloshyn – Starting Pitcher – Yekaterinburg Yaks – 68.1% Seventh Ballot

Artur Woloshyn was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Bratsk, Russia; a city of 224,000 people in the Irkutsk Oblast. Woloshyn boasted very good control along with above average stuff and okay movement. His velocity peaked in the 97-99 mph range with an arsenal of cutter, screwball, splitter, curveball, and changeup. The cutter was generally Woloshyn’s best pitch, although none of the five were *********.

Woloshyn’s stamina was pretty good and his durability was excellent. He had an excellent pickoff move, but graded as weak defensively. Woloshyn was a likeable guy in the clubhouse, but was considered a bit thick. In February 1997, his professional career began with a developmental contract with Yekaterinburg. Woloshyn spent five full year in the Yaks academy before making his debut in 2002 at age 22.

He struggled in 87.2 innings in 2002, but put it together once moved into the full-time rotation for 2003. This was a dynasty era for Yekaterinburg, who had a 10-year playoff streak from 2003-12. The Yaks won the EPB Championship in 2003, 04, 07, and 08 while taking runner-up in 2006. Woloshyn was a steady contributor for Yekaterinburg’s decade of dominance.

Woloshyn led in wins twice, but otherwise wasn’t a league leader or overly dominant. He was second in 2005’s Pitcher of the Year voting, his only time as a finalist. That had Woloshyn’s career bests for ERA (1.83), strikeouts (280), ERA+ (159), and WAR (6.4).

In the postseason, Woloshyn’s stats were merely decent for the Yaks. Over 127.2 innings, he had a 3.17 ERA, 8-7 record, 112 strikeouts, 26 walks, 98 ERA+, and 1.1 WAR. Still, you knew generally what you were going to get. In total for Yekaterinburg, Woloshyn had a 155-95 record, 2.93 ERA, 2252.1 innings, 2224 strikeouts, 341 walks, 107 ERA+, and 37.7 WAR. His 24 uniform would later get retired for his role in the dynasty.

Woloshyn became a free agent at age 31 for 2012 and opened up his search worldwide, eventually coming to the Central American Baseball Association on a two-year, $9,740,000 deal with Nicaragua. Although healthy, Woloshyn remained on the reserve roster for all of 2012. He had part-time use in 2013 for the Navigators with a 3.07 ERA over 161 innings, 133 strikeouts, and 1.4 WAR.

He stayed in CABA and moved to Mexico with Monterrey in 2014 and Torreon in 2015. Woloshyn was merely decent in both stops with a 3.06 ERA over 114.2 innings and 1.7 WAR for the Matadors, followed by a 3.88 ERA over 218 innings and 2.6 WAR with the Tomahawks. In CABA, Woloshyn had a 32-19 record, 3.43 ERA, 493.2 innings, 408 strikeouts, 113 ERA+, and 5.7 WAR.

Woloshyn returned to Russia at the veteran minimum for 2016 with St. Petersburg. He was terrible with a 4.47 ERA over 108.2 innings with -0.9 WAR for the Polar Bears. Woloshyn was a roster filler from 2017-18 for Omsk with a 2.88 ERA over 34.1 innings. He retired after the 2018 campaign at age 38.

In Eurasian Professional Baseball, Woloshyn had a 167-102 record, 3.00 ERA, 2395.1 innings, 2343 strikeouts, 369 walks, 180/271 quality starts, 104 complete games, 22 shutouts, 105 ERA+, 93 FIP-, and 36.9 WAR. Woloshyn doesn’t crack the top 100 in any stat and his WAR was well below any other Hall of Fame starters that had made it in EPB.

Even giving Woloshyn some credit for the CABA years, his resume was extremely borderline. He didn’t have the big awards, league leading stats, or big accumulations from longevity. However, Woloshyn had four championship rings and a good winning percentage. For many hardline traditionalists, these were major points in Woloshyn’s favor. Those voters put that above those who felt that the advanced metrics were underwhelming.

Woloshyn debuted at 49.3% in 2024 and hovered around 40-55% for six ballots. His opportunity came in 2030 with no debuts of note and a wide open field. Those reminiscing about the Yekaterinburg dynasty perhaps gave Woloshyn an overstated role. Still, he had an important role and that got him just across the line at 68.1% for a seventh ballot induction. Some scholars argue Woloshyn is the weakest member of EPB’s HOF, but regardless he was the lone man to make it in for 2030.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

---

Two players earned inductions upon their debut ballot into the Oceania Baseball Association Hall of Fame for 2030. SP Jarrod Hutchinson was nearly unanimous at 99.6% while OF Aston Abavu squeaked by the 66% threshold at 68.4%. 3B Dale Harper just missed at 62.1% on his second go, as did 1B R.W. Putnam debuting at 61.8%. Two fifth ballot guys cracked 50% with LF Samson Gould at 58.2% and SP Raj Marple at 57.5%. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots.



Jarrod Hutchinson – Starting Pitcher – Christchurch Chinooks – 99.6% First Ballot

Jarrod Hutchinson was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Brisbane, Australia. Hutchinson had excellent stuff with impressive control, although his movement was average at best. His fastball sat in the 96-98 mph range and he had a great changeup to compliment it perfectly. Hutchinson also had a nice slider as a third offering.

Compared to other OBA aces, Hutchinson was merely average in terms of going deep into games. His durability in his first decade was fantastic though, so you always got plenty of innings in his prime. Hutchinson had a respectable pickoff move and was above average defender. Despite his talent, Hutchinson did frustrate many coaches and teammates over the years. He was very outspoken and often wrong, but being loud and dumb can serve you well as a pundit or politician in retirement.

While Hutchinson did get noticed by Australian scouts, he never played for one of the Australian franchises. He would still represent his country in the World Baseball Championship from 2013-23, posting a 2.73 ERA over 99 innings with a 7-7 record, 148 strikeouts, and 2.3 WAR. Australia had one division title in 2017 during Hutchinson’s tenure.

His pro career began in Fiji with a developmental deal signed as a teenager in July 2006. After around six seasons, Hutchinson debuted in 2011 at age 22 with iffy results over 146 innings. He was a mixed bag initially as he’d get a lot of strikeouts, but also allow a lot of home runs. Hutchinson gave up the most homers in the Pacific League in 2012-13 and had the most losses in 2013 at 16-23. At this point, the Freedom were fully integrated in the middle of the standings.

Hutchinson put things together in 2014, leading in wins and posting his first of eight straight seasons worth 6+ WAR. It was also his career high for strikeouts with 389, although it was not one of his eventual six seasons as a league leader. Hutchinson was third in Pitcher of the Year voting and had arrived as an ace. However, he wasn’t shy about his annoyance at Fiji’s perpetual mid-ness. The Freedom had reason to believe that Hutchinson would be leaving with free agency coming up quickly.

In February 2015, Hutchinson was traded to two-time defending Oceania Champion Christchurch for three pitching prospects, none of which amounted to much. In four seasons for Fiji, Hutchinson had a 63-55 record, 3.68 ERA, 1084.1 innings, 1191 strikeouts, 245 walks, 98 ERA+, and 16.9 WAR. He would become much more known for his run in New Zealand with the Chinooks during their Australasia League dynasty run.

Christchurch won their third straight pennant in 2015, but were denied an OBA title three-peat in a rematch with Tahiti. Hutchinson had a great regular season and led in strikeouts, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. His 2.59 ERA would be a career best. However, he earned some ire with the loudmouth struggling to a 5.49 ERA over 19.2 playoff innings. Still, Hutchinson was strong enough to get a six-year, $75,600,000 extension that winter.

Hutchinson was again second in POTY voting for 2016 and led in wins, Ks, and WHIP. His 2.83 was just behind Raj Marple’s 2.69 to deny a Triple Crown, although it was teammate Lyle Summer who took Pitcher of the Year as their closer. Christchurch tied the world record for wins in a season at 126-36 and won a fourth straight AL title.

However, the Chinooks were denied in the Oceania Championship by Guam in a seven game classic. Hutchinson was again underwhelming with a 4.50 ERA over 24 innings and three playoff starts. Christchurch earned the at-large into the Baseball Grand Championship and Hutchinson looked strong there with a 2.02 ERA over 40 innings with 58 strikeouts and 1.5 WAR. The Chinooks would finish 11-8 in a five-way tie for fifth. The Golden Eagles meanwhile took the top spot at 13-6.

Christchurch fell one game short of Brisbane in the 2017 Australasia League standings, then spent the next two years just above .500. Hutchinson did his job and was second in POTY voting for 2017. In 2020, he finally won the top honor with league bests in wins (29-7), strikeouts (363), WHIP (0.94), and WAR (9.4). Hutchinson again just missed the Triple Crown with his 2.87 ERA only three points behind Fook Mesa. Hutchinson was only the sixth in OBA history to record 29+ wins.

The Chinooks returned to the AL perch at 106-56, but lost again to Guam in the Oceania Championship. Hutchinson again stunk in the finals with a 5.74 ERA over 15.2 innings and two starts. He was second in 2021’s POTY voting and posted his career best WAR of 9.6. Christchurch repeated as Australasia League champ, but this time were thwarted by Vanuatu in the final.

Hutchinson finally had an impressive postseason in 2021 with a 1.50 ERA and 33 strikeouts over 24 innings. Still, his playoff stats certainly lower him in the all-time pitcher rankings for OBA. Hutchinson started 11 games with the Chinooks and posted a 4.10 ERA, 2-7 record, 83.1 innings, 85 strikeouts, 14 walks, 95 ERA+, and 2.3 WAR. His 79 FIP- did suggest that bad luck might have contributed to a weak ERA.

Pleased with his continued results, Christchurch gave Hutchinson a five-year, $66,500,000 extension after the 2021 season. He was set to turn 33-years old the following April and was expected to still have some more strong years. Hutchinson lost a month in 2022 to a strained hamstring. He was still a good starter, but his strikeouts were well down, falling well short of 300 Ks for the first time in a full season. Christchurch was 85-77 that year and fifth in the standings.

In late April 2023, Hutchinson suffered a ruptured disc that kept him on the shelf for a calendar year. Christchurch won another AL pennant without him, but he was still denied an OBA ring as they lost to the fledgling Port Moresby dynasty. Shoulder inflammation plagued Hutchinson for much of his 2024 return and he was lousy in his limited action with a 5.09 ERA over 63.2 innings.

The lone highlight of the season was becoming the 12^th OBA ace to reach 4000 career strikeouts on July 30. Realizing his goose was cooked, Hutchinson retired that winter at age 35. Christchurch quickly retired his #71 uniform for his decade of steady service. With the Chinooks, Hutchinson had a 179-91 record, 2.98 ERA, 2343.2 innings, 2856 Ks, 346 walks, 46 complete games, 17 shutouts, 132 ERA+, 72 FIP-, and 66.4 WAR.

Hutchinson finished with a 242-146 record, 3.20 ERA, 3428 innings, 4047 strikeouts, 591 walks, 409 home runs allowed, 299/456 quality starts, 93 complete games, 23 shutouts, 119 ERA+, 79 FIP-, and 83.2 WAR. As of 2037, Hutchinson ranks 12^th in wins, 29^th in innings, 13^th in homers allowed, 15^th in strikeouts, and 20^th in pitching WAR. His 10.63 K/9 ranks 27^th among pitchers with 1000+ innings.

Most would rank Hutchinson just outside of the “inner-circle” tier of Hall of Fame pitchers in OBA. That said, he was a top five pitcher for most of his career and an important part of Christchurch’s decade of success. Hutchinson was a nearly unanimous inductee at 99.6% to headline the 2030 class for the Oceania Baseball Association.



Aston “Jaws” Abavu – Left/Center Field – Guadalcanal Green Jackets – 68.4% First Ballot

Aston Abavu was a 6’5’’, 200 pound left-handed outfielder from Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands located on Guadalcanal with around 92,000 inhabitants. Abavu was famous for gap power and straight line speed, notably leading the Pacific League in triples in ten different seasons. He had an overall nice pop in his bat with a 162 game average of 29 doubles, 24 triples, and 27 home runs. Despite his speed, Abavu could be reckless on the basepaths and got caught stealing more than he succeeded.

Nearly half of Abavu’s hits were extra base hits. Although he made his hits count, Abavu was above average at best in terms of contact ability. He was decent at drawing walks but subpar at avoiding strikeouts. Abavu was far more potent facing right-handed pitching with a career .911 OPS and 156 wRC+ compared to only .723 OPS and 104 wRC+ facing lefties.

Abavu oscillated between left and center field, making about 2/3 of his starts in LF and the rest in CF. He graded as a great glove man in left and even won a Gold Glove in 2023. However, Abavu didn’t have the range for center and posted mediocre metrics there. His durability was mostly solid over a 19-year career. Because of a childhood fascination with sharks, Abavu ended up with the nickname “Jaws” throughout his career.

He quickly emerged as the top prospect to come from the Solomon Islands in some time as a teenager. Abavu grew up as a Guadalcanal fan and the Green Jackets certainly saw his potential. In the 2004 OBA Draft, Abavu was picked sixth overall by Guadalcanal out of high school. He spent 2005 in developmental and debuted in 2006 at age 19, albeit with only 21 games and 6 starts. Abavu earned the full-time job in 2007 and held it largely uninterrupted until the summer of 2024.

Abavu’s first full season was the first of seven straight years leading in triples. He had his struggles as a rookie, but was a solid starter by year two with a career and league-best 37 doubles. After the 2009 season, Guadalcanal locked up the hometown country favorite to a five-year, $18,920,000 extension. In 2010, Abavu won his first Silver Slugger in CF and was third in MVP voting. He had his career best in home runs (39), RBI (116), and runs (106).

Guadalcanal had been mostly mediocre since the 1980s. In 2010, they had a stunning franchise record season at 113-49, their first-ever 100+ win season and first Pacific League title since 1977 before Abavu was born. He had a respectable postseason going 7-24 with a .958 OPS, but the Green Jackets couldn’t dethrone Melbourne’s dynasty. The Mets also won 113 games and earned their sixth Oceania Championship in seven years.

Abavu won another Silver Slugger in 2011 despite missing a month to a strained MCL. Guadalcanal was second in the PL at 93-69. In 2012, Abavu had his finest season with his lone MVP win and his third Slugger. He led the PL and had career bests in hits (193), total bases (402), slugging (.690), OPS (1.065), wRC+ (209), and WAR (9.4).

Guadalcanal won it all in 2012, getting revenge on Melbourne in the final finals trip of their decade-long dynasty. Abavu was finals MVP in a seven-game classic with 16 hits, 5 runs, 4 doubles, 1 triple, 3 homers, 10 RBI, 1.516 OPS, 361 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR. The 12 hits set a finals record which still stands as of 2037.

In the Baseball Grand Championship, Guadalcanal was one of five teams to finish 12-7 atop the standings. After the tiebreakers were sorted, the Green Jackets officially placed second. In 19 starts, Abavu had 20 hits, 13 runs, 4 doubles, 2 triples, 4 home runs, 9 RBI, .824 OPS, 126 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR.

Abavu led in triples and total bases in 2013 for another Slugger and a third place in MVP voting. Guadalcanal broke their franchise record from three years prior at 115-47, but was defeated by Christchurch in the Oceania Championship. Abavu was merely okay in five starts with a .728 OPS and 0.1 WAR. The Green Jackets earned the at-large for the 2013 BGC and again finished 12-7, officially taking fifth after tiebreakers. Abavu had 18 hits, 14 runs, 6 homers, 13 RBI, and .843 OPS in his 19 starts.

This would be Abavu’s final playoff appearances. In the Oceania Championship he excelled in 18 starts with 27 hits, 10 runs, 5 doubles, 2 triples, 6 homers, 15 RBI, .375/.392/.750 slash, 234 wRC+, and 1.3 WAR. In 38 Baseball Grand Championship Games, he was respectable with 38 hits, 27 runs, 6 doubles, 2 triples, 10 homers, 22 RBI, .252/.317/.517 slash, 134 wRC+, and 1.0 WAR.

Abavu won his fifth and final Silver Slugger in 2014. That June, the Green Jackets locked him up to an eight-year, $106,900,000 deal. His first major injury setback came in May 2015 with a fractured ankle costing him the second half. Guadalcanal remained competitive and averaged 89.7 wins per season from 2014-22. However, they wouldn’t return to the top spot in the standings. Through it all, Abavu was reliably good for 4+ WAR per season.

After the 2021 season, the now 35-year old Abavu signed a three-year, $32,200,000 extension with Guadalcanal. This was the closest they came to another pennant with Abavu with a second place 100-62 in 2021 and 97-65 in 2022. Both years, they finished two games behind Vanuatu for the top spot. In 2023, Abavu joined the 400 home run and 2500 hit clubs.

2023 would be Guadalcanal’s first losing season since 2008. Abavu’s production dropped noticeably in 2024 and the rebuilding Green Jackets traded their long-time star at the deadline to Tahiti straight up for C prospect Eleei Maietoa. After 56 games and .714 OPS for the Tropics, Abavu retired in the winter at age 38. Guadalcanal quickly brought their home country kid home to retire his #33 uniform for his 18 years of service.

Abavu would retire as OBA’s all-time triples leader at 394, and ranks 13^th in all of pro baseball history as of 2037. He finished with 2626 games, 2703 hits, 1412 runs, 474 doubles, 394 triples, 440 home runs, 1463 RBI, 679 walks, 2318 strikeouts, 335 steals, .276/.325/.540 slash, 144 wRC+, and 76.4 WAR.

As of 2037 in OBA, Abavu ranks 12^th in games, 14^th in runs, 16^th in hits, 9^th in total bases (5285), 7^th in doubles, 37^th in homers, 18^th in RBI, 39^th in walks, 16^th in strikeouts, and 30^th in WAR for position players. Despite that resume, Abavu surprisingly only got 68.4% on his debut ballot. However, that got him across the 66% threshold for a first ballot spot to cap off the 2030 Hall of Fame class for the Oceania Baseball Association.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

---

After a rare empty 2029 class, Austronesia Professional Baseball had an impressive four-player Hall of Fame class for 2030. SP Rob Bruja and home run king Wil Tabaldo were the co-headliners at 97.1% and 96.8%, respectively. CL Achmad Albaar (68.6%) and SP Patrick Castillo (67.6%) both barely crossed the 66% threshold, but secured first ballot slots regardless. The best returner was CL Kyle Oliveira at exactly 50% on his seventh try. No one else was above 50% and no players were dropped after ten failed ballots.



Rob Bruja – Starting Pitcher – Singapore Sharks – 97.1% First Ballot

Rob Bruja was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed starting pitcher from Digos, Philippines; a city of around 188,000 in the Davao del Sur province. Bruja wasn’t overpowering, but he had reliably solid stuff and control along with good movement. His velocity peaked in the 93-95 mph range, but that was led by an impressive slider. Bruja also had a respectable cutter and curveball, plus a rarely used changeup.

Bruja’s stamina was outstanding, leading the league thrice in both innings pitched and complete games. He also had strong durability for most of his run, tossing 240+ innings each year from 2011-23. Bruja was excellent at holding runners, but graded as a weak defender otherwise. He was a quiet and simple man who kept his head down and did his job well.

In July 2005, a teenaged Bruja was signed to a developmental deal by Singapore. He spent part of six years in their developmental system before debuting in 2010 at age 21 with six respectable starts. The Sharks made Bruja a full-time member of the rotation from 2011 onward with strong results. All eight of his full seasons for Singapore had at least 5.9 WAR, 23 quality starts, and 270 strikeouts.

Bruja led the Sundaland Association and had a career best 281 innings in 2011 to earn Rookie of the Year honors. In 2012, he tossed a no-hitter with 10 strikeouts and one walk against Johor Bahru. Bruja was third in 2013’s Pitcher of the Year voting and second in 2015. He led the SA in strikeouts from 2012-14, peaking with 355 in 2013. Bruja was also the WARlord in 2014-15 and posted a career high 9.6 in 2015.

Perhaps his greatest moment with Singapore came on June 18, 2016 with APB’s 40^th perfect game with 10 strikeouts facing Johor Bahru. The Sharks had been very competitive to start the 2010s with 90+ win seasons from 2010-13, but they fell just short of the Malacca League crown those years. Singapore fell closer to .500 for the remainder of Bruja’s run.

Bruja was appreciated as Singapore’s ace, but they couldn’t come to terms after the 2018 season, sending him to free agency at age 30. For the Sharks, Bruja had a 143-71 record, 2.07 ERA, 2127 innings, 2502 strikeouts, 245 walks, 103 complete games, 42 shutouts, 121 ERA+, 66 FIP-, and 61.2 WAR. Bruja’s #9 uniform would later be retired by Singapore for his strong service.

He had plenty of suitors and ultimately returned home to the Philippines, signing a seven-year, $84,800,000 deal with Quezon. Bruja been a regular for his country since 2013 in the World Baseball Championship and continued through 2024. He had great WBC stats with a 2.28 ERA over 118.1 innings, 8-1 record, 146 strikeouts, and 3.0 WAR. In 2015, the Philippines became World Champion for the first time, surviving a seven-game classic with Mexico in the final. Bruja was used as a reliever in the run, but tossed 9.1 scoreless innings over six appearances with 13 Ks.

His signing with Quezon surprised many as the Zombies had been a perennial loser for around two decades. They hoped to make a push and got to .500 in 2020, their first non-losing season since 2001. Quezon was then 83-79 in 2021 with Bruja taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. He ultimately never earned the top honor.

Bruja had less strikeout dominance with Quezon, but led the Taiwan-Philippine Association twice in innings and five times in shutouts. 2021 had his career best ERA at 1.75. 2022 was actually Bruja’s worst full season with a 3.18 ERA and 3.8 WAR. However, the Zombies broke through with their first TPA pennant since 1998.

Quezon went on to defeat Medan to win their second-ever Austronesia Championship. In Bruja’s only playoff starts, he was merely decent with a 2.89 ERA and 96 ERA+ over 18.2 innings with 16 Ks and 0.2 WAR. He pitched well in the Baseball Grand Championship with a 1.52 ERA over 23.2 innings with 22 strikeouts. Despite his efforts, Quezon finished 19^th out of 20 in the event at 5-14.

The Zombies collapsed hard the next year at 64-98 and returned to the bottom of the standings until 2029. Bruja had a strong 2023 regardless, then ran into his first major injury with a torn triceps in April 2024. He looked merely okay upon his return and didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the final year of his Quezon deal. Bruja opted to retire that winter at age 36.

While he was never quite as dominant with Quezon as he was with Singapore, the signing was certainly important for their title run. With the Zombies, Bruja finished with a 76-73 record, 2.36 ERA, 1473.2 innings, 1438 strikeouts, 182 walks, 83 complete games, 118 ERA+, and 31.6 WAR.

The final stats saw a 219-144 record, 2.19 ERA, 3600.2 innings, 3940 strikeouts, 427 walks, 341/430 quality starts, 186 complete games, 66 shutouts, 120 ERA+, 73 FIP-, and 92.8 WAR. As of 2037, Bruja ranks 18^th in wins, 23^rd in innings, 12^th in complete games, 3^rd in shutouts, 26^th in strikeouts, and 21^st in pitching WAR. Among pitchers with 1000+ innings, his .556 opponent’s OPS is 94^th and his ERA is 88^th.

Bruja didn’t quite have the raw dominance or longevity to reach the inner-circle with so many stellar pitchers in the ultra-low scoring environment of Austronesia Professional Baseball. His Hall of Fame credentials though were certainly firm with a 97.1% first ballot selection. With that, Bruja co-headlined a strong four-player 2030 class with his former teammate Wil Tabaldo.



Wil “Sly” Tabaldo – First Base – Singapore Sharks – 96.8% First Ballot

Wil Tabaldo was a 6’6’’, 195 pound left-handed first baseman from Mandaue, Philippines; a city of 364,000 within the Cebu metropolitan area. He earned the nickname “Sly” because his voice reminded teammates of Sylvester Stallone. Tabaldo became one of the most beloved superstars in APB history because he socked dingers when that was far less common in the incredibly low scoring league.

Tabaldo’s power against both sides were impressive and many scouts rated him a 10/10 in his prime for home run power. He hit 40+ homers each year from 2008-22 and was the Sundaland Association leader from 2011-21. Tabaldo’s power was fully focused on mashing though and only gave you 14 doubles and 2 triples per his 162 game average.

He graded as a very good contact hitter overall and was above average at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts relative to his APB peers. Tabaldo’s speed and baserunning skills were below average, but he wasn’t a total liability like many other sluggers.

Tabaldo was a career first baseman and provided positive value glove work on a steady and consistent basis. Tabaldo was also one of the game’s great ironmen and played 149+ games in all 17 of his full seasons. It is no surprise he emerged as one of the true legends of his era with universal acclaim.

In January 2003, a young Tabaldo was brought to Singapore on a developmental deal. He spent five years in their academy and debuted in 2007 at age 20, although he only played two games that year. Tabaldo became a full-time starter in 2008 and held that role for the next 17 seasons for the Sharks. From 2008-22, Tabaldo was worth at least 5.5+ WAR every year with 40+ homers.

Tabaldo was 2008’s Rookie of the Year and his arrival helped Singapore become a winner. The Sharks repeated as Sundaland Association champs in 2008-09, although they were denied their first-ever Austronesia Championship by Taoyuan in 2008 and Davao in 2009. Tabaldo was an absolute beast in the 2009 run with 18 hits, 7 runs, 5 doubles, 4 homers, 9 RBI, 1.118 OPS, 303 wRC+, and 1.4 WAR over 13 starts.

His production only got better, although Singapore was unable to reach the finals after that. The Sharks just missed the playoffs from 2010-13 with 91, 91, 93, and 92 win seasons. Singapore spent most of the remainder of the 2010s just above .500. They made one more playoff trip with Tabaldo in 2019, but lost to Palembang in the Association Championship. In 31 playoff starts, Tabaldo had 31 hits, 16 runs, 6 doubles, 9 homers, 17 RBI, .265/.317/.547 slash, 203 wRC+, and 2.0 WAR.

Although he became a legend in Singapore, Tabaldo was also beloved as a regular for his native Philippines in the World Baseball Championship. From 2009-23, Tabaldo played 153 games and started 136 with 131 hits, 83 runs, 14 doubles, 42 homers, 84 RBI, 53 walks, .259/.330/.545 slash, 149 wRC+, and 5.6 WAR.

Tabaldo was a huge part of 2015 World Championship win by the Filipinos, defeating Mexico 4-3 in the finale. He finished third in Tournament MVP voting and led all players for the event with 18 runs, 10 homers, 20 RBI, and 63 total bases. In 27 games, Tabaldo had 28 hits, .292/.370/.656 slash, 191 wRC+, and 1.6 WAR.

He stayed committed in his pro career to Singapore, signing an eight-year, $135,500,000 extension in April 2012. In 2010, Tabaldo was third in MVP voting with his lone batting title at .314. It was also his first of ten straight years as the Sundaland Association’s RBI leader. Tabaldo started an 11-year run as the homer leader in 2011 and hit 50+ four times from 2011-16. As of 2037, Tabaldo is the only slugger in APB history with four seasons of 50+ dingers.

Tabaldo won back-to-back MVPs in 2011-12, leading both years in runs, homers, RBI, total bases, slugging, OPS, wRC+, and WAR. 2012 had career bests in runs (105), homers (61), total bases (363), slugging (.640), OPS (1.008), wRC+ (235), and WAR (10.8). The 61 homers fell one short of Po-Yu Shao’s record 62 from 1969, which remains APB’s only other 60+ HR season. Tabaldo’s 2012 is also one of only 28 qualifying seasons with an OPS above one in APB history as of 2037.

With the competition at first base, Tabaldo only won five Silver Sluggers (2011, 12, 15, 16, 21). He won his third MVP in 2015, which was his third season as the leader in OPS and wRC+. Tabaldo was second in MVP voting in 2013, 14, 16, and 21 with a third place in 2019. In January 2020, a now 33-year old Tabaldo signed a five-year, $77 million extension to stick with Singapore.

Tabaldo’s consistent power meant he quickly rose up the leaderboards. In 2020, he became the third member of APB’s 600 home run club. By the end of the year, he had passed Chun-Chia Lan (619) and Abracham Gumelar (604) to become Tabaldo’s career home run king. By 2022, Tabaldo had taken the top spot for RBI and was the first to breach 1500. It was his last 40+ homer season as well, becoming the first 700 club member in APB history.

Singapore began to slip towards the bottom of the standings as age caught up with Tabaldo. In 2023, he had career lows of 30 homers, 61 RBI, .668 OPS, and 3.0 WAR. Tabaldo fared worse in 2024 with 30 homers, .597 OPS, and 0.6 WAR. He retired that winter at age 37, falling just shy of becoming the APB leader in runs scored and total bases. Singapore immediately retired his #2 uniform for his 17 years of mashing.

Tabaldo finished with 2704 games, 2524 hits, 1388 runs, 230 doubles, 28 triples, 766 home runs, 1658 RBI, 892 walks, 1862 strikeouts, 178 steals, .259/.321/.525 slash, 189 wRC+, and 121.4 WAR. Tabaldo remains APB’s home run king entering the 2037 season, although Binh Tang is within striking distance at 735. Tang would usurp Tabaldo as the RBI leader in the mid 2030s, but he still holds the #2 spot.

As of 2037, Tabaldo also ranks 8^th in games, 4^th in runs, 11^th in hits, 4^th in total bases, 9^th in walks, and 4^th in WAR for position players. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Tabaldo’s .846 OPS is 22^nd. He also ranks 17^th in slugging and 85^th in OBP. Until Tang ripped up the record books, Tabaldo was viewed by many as APB’s best-ever slugger and had a case for the best-ever position player.

He was a regular MVP candidate and certainly belongs in the inner-circle for Hall of Famers with a spot on many top ten and top five lists. Tabaldo also makes those lists when discussing the many great Filipino players of all-time. His 96.8% frankly seems too low, but regardless he co-headlines Austronesia Professional Baseball’s four-player 2030 class along with former teammate Rob Bruja.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

---

Achmad Albaar – Closer – Manila Manatees – 68.6% First Ballot

Achmad Albaar was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed relief pitcher from Balikpapan, Indonesia; a city with 738,000 people and the financial center of Kalimantan. Albaar was known for having absolutely filthy stuff along with reliably solid control and decent movement. He had an impressive one-two punch of a 99-101 mph fastball and a curveball.

Albaar also had a rarely used changeup for a third option, but it wasn’t a strong enough third pitch to keep him out of the bullpen. His stamina was good and he showed great durability, avoiding the major injuries that have ruined many arms. Albaar also had a strong pickoff move and was an okay defender.

The main knock on Albaar was that he was a frankly terrible person. He was loud, obnoxious, selfish, and lazy. Albaar had no shortage of awful takes that he went out of his way to share with disinterested teammates. It did give him an audience of the worst kind of sports fans for a large Twitter following. However, it also meant Albaar didn’t stay in one place very long later in his career despite his undeniable talent.

That talent and potential caught the eye of scouts from Manila, who brought Albaar from Indonesia to the Philippines as a prospect in April 2004. He had one appearance in 2009 at age 21, then saw 42.1 innings with okay results in 2010. The Manatees moved Albaar into the closer role in 2011, which he held through 2016 for the squad with 30+ saves each year.

Albaar’s dominance picked up by the middle of the decade, taking third in 2014’s Reliever of the Year voting. He won for the first time in 2015 and was third in 2016. He had a 35 save streak from July 2014 until July 2015. In 2015, Albaar had his career best ERA at 0.86. He was never the saves leader though, in part because Manila was stuck in the middle tier during the 2010s. He wasn’t shy about his annoyance of that fact, which made Manatees management leery of giving Albaar a long term extension.

In December 2016, Albaar was traded to Taipei for three prospects heading towards his age 29 season. With Manila, Albaar had 205 saves and 250 shutdowns, 1.72 ERA, 413 games, 544.1 innings, 861 strikeouts, 111 walks, 159 ERA+, and 19.6 WAR. Despite his issues, Albaar did have his supporters for Manila and eventually got his 24 uniform retired by the squad.

Albaar won his second Reliever of the Year in his lone season for Taipei with 39 saves, 1.21 ERA, 172 strikeouts, 96.2 innings, and 6.9 WAR. The Tigercats were amidst their streak of dominance in the Taiwan League, although they were again denied in the Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship by Zamboanga. In his only playoff appearances of his career, Albaar tossed 4.1 scoreless innings with six strikeouts.

He was now a free agent for the first time heading towards age 30 and signed a three-year, $17,300,000 deal for 2018 with Jakarta. Although Albaar was now back in his native Indonesia, he had been a World Baseball Championship regular since 2013. Albaar was often a starter in the WBC with impressive results from 2013-23, posting a 16-2 record, 2.38 ERA, 147.1 innings, 256 strikeouts, 42 walks, 152 ERA+, and 4.9 WAR.

Indonesia’s deepest run with Albaar was a runner-up finish to the United States in 2014. They also picked up division titles in 2017, 2022, and 2023. Albaar’s most impressive outing was a 20 strikeout, 2 walk outing over 9.1 innings in 2022 facing Ghana.

In his one year with Jakarta, the Jaguars were historically inept at 48-114. Albaar managed 5.4 WAR despite only 23 saves and a 115 ERA+, posting an 18 FIP-. Jakarta had a fire sale in the offseason and sent Albaar to Tainan for three prospects.

Albaar was back to form in 2019 for the Titans, leading the TPA in games (75) and posting his career bests in saves (41), innings (99.2), and WAR (7.0). He was second in Reliever of the Year voting. Albaar won the honor for the third time in 2020 with 33 saves, 1.24 ERA, 6.4 WAR, 94.2 innings, and a career best 182 Ks. Tainan was a third place 91-71 in 2019, then fell to 80-82 in 2020.

Back to free agency for 2021, Albaar signed a three-year, $16,200,000 deal with Medan. He was third in ROTY voting in 2021 with 33 saves, 1.55 ERA, 158 Ks, and 4.5 WAR. The season also saw 28 straight scoreless innings from 7/24 to 9/24 and a 34-game scoreless streak into the following April. The Marlins were subpar though and Albaar was becoming more of a clubhouse cancer, so they traded him in the offseason straight up to Palembang for 2B Muh Sadikin, who gave Medan six solid seasons as a starter.

The Panthers were the defending APB champ and had won three straight Sundaland Association titles. They fell three wins short of the playoffs in 2022 with Albaar taking third again in ROTY voting with a 1.59 ERA, 30 saves, 157 Ks, and 4.8 WAR. Albaar also became the third member of APB’s 400 save club. He seemingly had a shot of the top mark of Metta Adam, who retired after the 2019 season with 437.

However, Albaar’s velocity dropped sharply in 2023 from his previous 99-101 mph peaks to the 95-97 mph range. He put up average results and was moved out of the full-time closing position as Palembang fell below .500. For the Panthers, Albaar had 42 saves, 1.90 ERA, 165.2 innings, 270 strikeouts, and 6.7 WAR.

Albaar still wanted to be the saves king and signed with Pekanbaru for 2024 on a one-year, $3,440,000 deal. However, he barely could hit 90 mph reliably by then and was limited to only 22 innings with two saves. Realizing he was cooked and out of chances, Albaar retired that winter at age 36.

The final stats saw an 88-85 record, 418 saves, 537 shutdowns, 1.61 ERA, 1199 innings, 1975 strikeouts, 201 walks, 165 ERA+, 39 FIP-, and 56.5 WAR. As of 2037, Albaar ranks 4^th in saves and 92^nd in WAR among all APB pitchers. Among APB’s Hall of Fame closers, he is 2^nd in WAR, 1^st in innings, and 1^st in strikeouts.

Among all APB pitchers with 1000+ innings, Albaar sits 9^th in ERA. His 0.74 WHIP is tied for 4^th, while his 14.82 K/9 is 2^nd and 5.16 H/9 is 5^th. Albaar’s career .476 opponent’s OPS is good for 6^th while his .165/.209/.267 triple slash is 4^th/5^th/9^th. Amongst all HOF relievers in world history, Albaar’s ERA is 23^rd. He’s also 24^th in strikeouts, 24^th in WAR, 33^rd in shutdowns, 26^th in FIP-, 17^th in opponent’s OPS, and just outside of the top 50 in saves.

No doubt, Albaar could ball. Still, he was such a colossal jerk that several voters said no despite his numbers. They argued that the lack of team successes in Albaar’s run was partly attributed to his toxicity. Still, Albaar’s stats got him just across the 66% threshold for a first ballot induction at 68.6%, joining the four-member 2030 class for Austronesia Professional Baseball.



Patrick Castillo – Starting Pitcher – Jakarta Jaguars – 67.6% First Ballot

Patrick Castillo was a 6’3’’, 205 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Cavite, Philippines; a city with around 100,000 people in the province of the same name. Castillo was known for excellent movement on his pitches and very good control, although his stuff was viewed as merely above average. His fastball peaked in the 98-100 mph range and he had a fantastic circle change. Castillo also had an okay slider and poor changeup in the arsenal.

Castillo’s stamina was respectable for an APB ace, but not stellar. His durability was fantastic though, so you’d always get a full slate of starts from him. Castillo was great at holding runners, but weak defensively otherwise. He also had a good bat by pitcher standards with a career .196 average, winning a Silver Slugger in 2013. Castillo didn’t draw attention to himself, but he would give you reliable outings.

In May 2005, Castillo signed a developmental deal with Jakarta and spent around five years in their academy. He debuted with poor results in 2010 at age 21 with a 4.42 ERA over 75.1 innings. Castillo was split between relief and starting in 2011 with okay results. He got more regular use after that with 200+ innings each year until the end of his career, although Jakarta often had Castillo in a split role.

The Jaguars spent Castillo’s tenure in the middle of the standings. In 2015, he had his career best ERA at 1.56 and posted 8.1 WAR. Castillo was good for 5+ WAR each year from 2014-22, but he wasn’t dominant enough to regularly factor into awards conversation. He also almost never was a league leader in any of the big stats.

Castillo was set to be free agency eligible after the 2017 season and Jakarta wasn’t inclined to give him a long-term deal. They were also planning a full rebuild after being stuck in mediocrity. Castillo had a slower start to 2017, but still had plenty of suitors as a trade rental. On July 3, Castillo and $6,820,000 were sent to Pekanbaru for five prospects, none of which ended up having any major successes.

For the Jaguars, Castillo had an 89-75 record, 2.31 ERA, 1545.2 innings, 1567 strikeouts, 457 walks, 40 complete games, 109 ERA+, and 28.8 WAR. He was still liked enough that despite a relatively short tenure, his #16 uniform would get retired in Jakarta.

As for the Palms, they hoped to make a late playoff push and ultimately fell three games short of the Malacca League title to Johor Bahru. Castillo held up his end with a 1.35 ERA over 127 innings in the second half. He finished third in Pitcher of the Year voting with a career best 9.5 WAR split between the teams. Castillo and Pekanbaru couldn’t come to terms on an extension, sending him to free agency at age 28.

Castillo returned to the Philippines with a six-year, $88,300,000 deal with Davao. He had seen limited use for his country in the World Baseball Championship, but was notably part of the 2015 championship squad. From 2014-24, Castillo had a 3.39 ERA over 63.2 innings, 2-2 record, 67 strikeouts, and 0.4 WAR. He made only three starts over his 23 games pitched in the WBC.

He ultimately spent four productive years with Davao, although the Devil Rays were mostly lousy during his run. Castillo led the Taiwan-Philippine Association in wins (21-6) in 2019, his only time leading a major stat. That was his top season there by WAR at 8.1. For Davao, Castillo had a 56-41 record, 2.23 ERA, 983.2 innings, 916 strikeouts, 126 ERA+, and 26.8 WAR.

Davao was going nowhere fast though and traded the soon-to-be 33-year old Castillo in March 2022 to Quezon for CF Rich Lacandile and SS/2B Naresh Nihar. Nihar notably was a respectable starter for a decade with the Devil Rays, winning a Silver Slugger in 2025. The Zombies were making a push at this point to end their longstanding mediocrity and Castillo played an important role.

In 2022, Castillo took second in Pitcher of the Year voting, the closest he came to the top honor, posting a 1.84 ERA, 8.1 WAR, and 258 Ks in 255 innings. Quezon went all the way, defeating Medan in the Austronesia Championship. Castillo was merely okay in the playoff run with a 3.09 ERA in 32 innings, 90 ERA+, 30 Ks, 2-2 record, and 0.2 WAR. Still, his addition to the rotation helped get them over the hump. Although Quezon was a lackluster 5-14 in the Baseball Grand Championship, Castillo had a 2.36 ERA over 34.1 innings with 24 Ks, 145 ERA+, and 1.3 WAR.

Castillo fell off in 2023 with a 3.47 ERA, the worst full season of his career. Quezon also fell off hard down to 64-98 and stayed near the bottom for the next few years. Castillo played his role with a 29-25 record, 2.64 ERA, 504.1 innings, 478 strikeouts, and 11.1 WAR with the Zombies. He was now back to free agency for 2024 at age 34.

Manila gave Castillo a look on a two-year, $11,100,000 deal. He was an innings eater for a below average Manatees squad in 2024 with a 3.09 ERA over 235.2 innings, 195 Ks, 90 ERA+, and 2.7 WAR. Manila voided the team option second year of his deal and Castillo opted for retirement at age 35.

Castillo finished with a 197-160 record, 2.35 ERA, 3396.1 innings, 3296 strikeouts, 710 walks, 317/406 quality starts, 113 ERA+, 80 FIP-, and 74.1 WAR. As of 2037, Castillo ranks 34^th in wins, 39^th in innings, 68^th in complete games, 41^st in shutouts, 50^th in strikeouts, and 37^th in WAR among pitchers. He misses the top 100 in rate stats, but still hit some nice career bench marks.

His resume was a tough one since he was never overwhelmingly dominant. Castillo wasn’t often looked at as a top five pitcher in his peak and he was on a lot of forgettable teams. Still, his numbers impressed a lot of Hall of Fame voters even with the stiff competition for pitchers in Austronesia Professional Baseball. Castillo debuted at 67.6%, sneaking across the 66% requirement line for a first ballot nod. He wrapped up a rock solid four-player class for 2030 in APB.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

Chinese League Baseball didn’t add any Hall of Famers in 2030. It was the first blank class since 2025, but was the fifth time in a decade with no additions. The closest to the 66% requirement was 1B Xugang Zheng at 60.2% on his third ballot. SP Rouzi Dilyar was next at 59.6% for his second go. The best debuts were 1B Bozhao Zhu at 58.7% and RF Boyu Long with 57.5%. SP Likong Zhong notably had 50.0% even on his second attempt. Everyone else was below the 50% mark.





CF Sheng-Yu Pei was dropped after ten failed ballots. He won eight Silver Sluggers in nine years with Hangzhou, but the Taiwanese switch hitter left for MLB after as a respectable starter for Winnipeg. With the Hens, Pei played 1358 games with 1544 hits, 583 runs, 229 doubles, 194 triples, 45 home runs, 449 RBI, 599 steals, .297/.322/.442 slash, 158 wRC+, and 77.8 WAR. Pei led the league thrice in hits and triples, four times in stolen bases, and once in batting average.

Pei had a combined 91.5 WAR adding his MLB results and still ranks 59^th among CLB’s position players. It’s hard for any player to make it on just nine seasons in your league and was even tougher for a leadoff guy considering the value placed on sluggers. Pei peaked at 43.1% in 2022 on his second ballot and ended at 19.9% in 2030. Had he stayed in CLB, he may have gotten the ultimate nod. Hangzhou did retire his #1 uniform for his efforts, helping them to a runner-up finish in 2013.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

West African Baseball nearly had a blank Hall of Fame class for 2030, but SP Zeb Onyedika slid across the 66% line with 68.0% on his fifth ballot. 3B Joey Agboola was the next closest at 59.6% on his second go. Two guys were above 50% on their tenth and final chance with 1B Ikechukwu Onyia at 54.5% and CL Francis Koomson at 50.5%. SP Dawud bin Rahman was the top debut at 49.5%.



For Onyia, he got as close as 62.5% in 2024 and was above 50% in eight years. He had a 13-year career primarily with Freetown, notably winning a Silver Slugger and a batting title in 2005 with a 1.114 OPS and 8.8 WAR. In total, Onyia had 1731 games, 2129 hits, 898 runs, 572 doubles, 256 home runs, 1134 RBI, .325/.358/.543 slash, 142 wRC+, and 46.1 WAR.

Onyia is 21^st in the WAB doubles list as of 2037, but didn’t quite have the power or longevity needed to stand out more. He also struggled in the playoffs with a .674 OPS over 25 starts, but did help Freetown to a runner-up finish in 2011. The Foresters did later retire Onyia’s #7 uniform for his efforts, but he ended up a Hall of Pretty Good guy.

Koomson was hurt by splitting his career between WAB and MLB. He was a stud closer in his prime, winning Pitcher of the Year twice and Reliever of the Year thrice with Lagos. Koomson had the rare feat in 2007 of being the top pitcher in WAR for the entire league out of the bullpen. The Lizards run was only seven years, followed by six decent years in MLB. He came back for two iffy final WAB seasons with Lome.

The final WAB numbers for Koomson saw 260 saves, 2.05 ERA, 509 games, 681 innings, 942 strikeouts, 196 ERA+, and 27.6 WAR. The combined stats had 334 saves, 2.04 ERA, 977 innings, 1271 Ks, and 37.4 WAR. Koomson’s tenure was just too short for many voters despite being a stud at his peak. He still barely missed the cut with a peak at 64.6% in 2023 and nine ballots above 50%. Although not a Hall of Famer, Koomson has the very rare distinction in all of pro baseball history of multiple Pitcher of the Year awards as a closer.



Zeb Onyedika – Starting Pitcher – Ouagadougou Osprey – 68.0% Fifth Ballot

Zeb Onyedika was a 6’2’’, 190 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Port Harcourt, the fifth-most populous city in Nigeria with more than 3.6 million in the metro area. Onyedika was a well-rounded pitcher with good-to-great stuff, movement, and control. His velocity peaked in the 97-99 mph range with a three-pitch arsenal of slider, changeup, and cutter. Each were equally potent and led to an extreme groundball tendency.

The movement was particularly pronounced facing right-handed batters with Onyedika posting a career 3.34 ERA and 68 FIP-. Against lefties, he had a 4.36 ERA and 100 FIP-. Onyedika’s stamina was respectable compared to other WAB aces, although he didn’t go the distance in games too often. His durability was rock solid and he avoided major injuries.

Onyedika did struggle holding runners and was a poor defensive pitcher. Some teammates also viewed Onyedika as a bit of a selfish loner. Even if he was more worried about his paycheck than team success, Onyedika’s talent was undeniable. He was spotted in December 2000 as a teenage amateur and signed by Ouagadougou.

He debuted in 2005 at age 20 with 26.1 innings, showing good results in a small sample size. Onyedika struggled a bit in 45.1 relief innings the next year, but still earned a full-time rotation slot for 2007. He became a nice starter from 2007-09 as Ouagadougou entered a competitive window. The Osprey had wild card round losses in 2007-08.

In 2009, Ouagadougou took first in the Eastern League with a franchise record 111-51 season. Onyedika earned Pitcher of the Year honors with a league and career best 6.5 WAR. However, the Osprey were shocked by 84-78 Ibadan in the ELCS. Onyedika’s playoff starts were lackluster these years with 10 earned runs allowed over 18.2 innings and 20 strikeouts.

2010 was Onyedika’s lone ERA title at 2.12 and he led in wins at 18-6. However, Nana Villars’ 360 strikeout effort just edged him out for Pitcher of the Year. Ouagadougou also fell off to 81-81 that year. They would get back to the ELCS as a wild card in 2011, falling to a 114-win Cotonou. Onyedika’s one playoff start was strong with one run allowed over seven innings. However, he struggled that season at points with a 4.59 ERA.

Worried that he had peaked, Ouagadougou let the 27-year old Onyedika leave for free agency after the 2011 campaign. For the Osprey, he had a 69-38 record, 3.39 ERA, 1043 innings, 1246 strikeouts, 191 walks, 119 ERA+, and 25.7 WAR. He would actually pitch more innings with a slightly higher WAR in his next stop, but Onyedika would be inducted in the Osprey blue and red.

Onyedika moved to Guinea on a seven-year, $43,200,000 deal with Conakry. He ultimately spent five years with the Coyotes, leading in wins, innings, and complete games in 2014. Onyedika wasn’t a Pitcher of the Year finalist for Conakry, but he had 4.5+ WAR each season. The Coyotes were a bottom-tier team for most of his run, averaging 71.8 wins per season.

With Conakry, Onyedika had a 66-64 record, 3.66 ERA, 1102.1 innings, 1310 strikeouts, 209 walks, 120 ERA+, and 27.9 WAR. Now 32-years old after the 2016 season, Onyedika was traded to Dakar for veteran infielder Simon David and prospect Yasir Umar. The Dukes were the defending WAB champ having gone 112-50 in 2016 and hoped Onyedika would give them some solid depth to keep the run going.

Dakar was a wild card with a second round loss in 2017, then just missed the playoffs in 2018. In two seasons, Onyedika had a 4.18 ERA, 19-22 record, 407.1 innings, 483 strikeouts, 110 ERA+, and 5.8 WAR. His one playoff start was poor, allowing three runs in three innings.

Onyedika’s stats were decent on the World Baseball Championship stage for Nigeria from 2012-20 with a 3.74 ERA in 55.1 innings, 5-2 record, 60 strikeouts, 20 walks, 96 ERA+, and 0.9 WAR. He ultimately never pitched for his hometown Port Harcourt or any of the other Nigerian WAB teams.

Now 34-years old, Onyedika still commanded a five-year, $44 million deal with Cotonou. They were on a nine-year playoff streak, but the Copperheads hadn’t had any long runs in the last few years. The streak ended with back-to-back 83-79 seasons. For Onyedika, he had a 22-19 record, 4.40 ERA, 411 innings, 411 strikeouts, 106 ERA+, and 6.2 WAR. He was solid in 2019, but struggled to a 5.10 ERA in 2020. Onyedika retired that winter shortly after his 36^th birthday.

Onyedika ended with a 176-143 record, 3.74 ERA, 2963.2 innings, 3450 strikeouts, 608 walks, 204/407 quality starts, 42 complete games, 12 shutouts, 116 ERA+, 81 FIP-, and 65.6 WAR. As of 2037, Onyedika ranks 26^th in wins, 14^th in innings, 56^th in complete games, 29^th in shutouts, 12^th in strikeouts, and 15^th in WAR among pitchers.

However, he didn’t make the top 100 in rate stats and was rarely considered dominant. For some voters, this put Onyedika as a borderline candidate. Weaker playoff starts didn’t help with the doubters and they felt his tallies weren’t quite high enough to outweigh that. Supporters noted the ERA title and Pitcher of the Year win. Every WAB eligible ace with 3500+ strikeouts had made it in as well and Onyedika only just was short of that mark.

Onyedika oscillated early on with a 57.5% debut in 2026, a drop to 46.1% in 2027, bump to 60.2% in 2028, and drop back to 42.3% in 2029. 2030 lacked any slam dunk debuts and was a wide open field, allowing Onyedika’s resume to pop a bit more by comparison. He just made it across the line at 68.0% for a fifth ballot selection. Albeit barely, Onyedika was the lone selection for West African Baseball’s Hall of Fame for 2030.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

---

Pitcher Charan Asoka was South Asia Baseball’s only Hall of Fame addition in 2030, debuting on the ballot at 81.8%. SP Siddhant Shakya was the best returner with 61.8% on his third ballot, falling narrowly short of the 66% threshold. Also above 50% was CF Chris Saandeep at 57.4% on his fifth ballot and CL Khon Aye Ko with 51.0% for his seventh try. No players were removed following ten failed ballots in 2030.



Charan Asoka – Starting Pitcher – Lucknow Larks – 81.8% First Ballot

Charan Asoka was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Jatni, India; a town of around 64,000 people in the southeastern Odisha state. Asoka had impressive stuff and control along with above average movement. His arsenal included a 96-98 mph fastball along with a slider and changeup. Each option was equally potent, although his changeup probably got the most whiffs.

By SAB ace starts, Asoka’s stamina was subpar with his was split between starting and relief. He had excellent durability though, so he wouldn’t miss dates even if you didn’t get as many complete games. Asoka had good glove work on the mound, but he was terrible at holding runners. He wasn’t going to take up the leadership mantle, but Asoka was a reliable teammate.

Asoka was taken fourth overall by Lucknow in the 2011 SAB Draft. The Larks were a 2004 expansion team and had been largely mediocre since their introduction. For most of Asoka’s tenure, they hovered around the middle of the standings. Asoka was lousy in his rookie year with a 4.94 ERA over 89.1 innings. He saw a greater role in 2013 and looked respectable, continuing to improve as his tenure progressed. In April 2016, the Larks signed Asoka to a four-year, $19,560,000 extension.

In 2017, Asoka was second in Pitcher of the Year voting with career best in ERA (1.84) and WAR (8.5) along with his first 300 strikeout season. As of 2037, his is one of only 69 qualifying seasons in SAB with a sub-two ERA. The next two years, Asoka was the Indian League’s leader with 2.10 in 2018 and 2.44 in 2019. He also had the best WHIP both years, earning repeat Pitcher of the Year honors.

In 2019, Lucknow earned their first-ever playoff berth at 89-73 atop the Central Division. They made it to the ILCS, but were denied by Pune. In 16 playoff innings, Asoka had a 2.25 ERA with 26 strikeouts. His stock was at an all-time high and to the disappointment of Larks fans, Asoka declined his contract option. Thus, he became a highly touted free agent at age 31.

For Lucknow, Asoka had an 88-72 record, 66 saves, 2.69 ERA, 1416.1 innings, 1917 strikeouts, 293 walks, 134 ERA+, and 40.1 WAR. His #9 uniform would ultimately be the first number retired by the franchise. Asoka picked up and moved from India to Vietnam on a five-year, $52 million deal with Da Nang. However, he still would return home to India to represent his country in the World Baseball Championship. Asoka was quite efficient in the WBC from 2015-23 with a 1.61 ERA over 72.2 innings, 4-4 record, 4 saves, 112 strikeouts, 16 walks, 222 ERA+, and 2.4 WAR.

Asoka led the Southeast Asia League in K/BB from 2020-23 and had the best WHIP in 2022. He had 7+ WAR efforts in 2021-22 and had his finest strikeout tallies at 314 and 311, respectively. Asoka was third in 2021’s Pitcher of the Year voting, but wasn’t a finalist otherwise. Da Nang was also a 2004 expansion team and like Lucknow, they mostly struggled in their earliest years apart from a stunning LCS trip in the inaugural season. Asoka’s arrival helped the Nailers earn their first sustained success.

Da Nang won division titles in 2020, 21, and 23 and earned a wild card in 2024. The Nailers couldn’t get over the hump with LCS losses in 2021 and 2023 and first round exits otherwise. Asoka was solid in the 2021 playoff run with a 2.86 ERA over 22 innings with 29 strikeouts. He was iffy in 2023 and absolutely got shellacked In 2024, giving him a 5.14 ERA over 35 innings for his playoff career with Da Nang.

Asoka fell off in 2023 and 2024 with only 2.0 and 2.8 WAR despite being healthy. He had declined his contract option after the 2023 season, but Da Nang gave him a new four-year, $31,600,000 deal. After his horrendous playoff start in 2024 with Bangkok with eight runs allowed in 2.2 innings, Asoka opted to retire shortly after his 36^th birthday. With the Nailers, he had a 78-39 record, 3.33 ERA, 1020 innings, 1260 strikeouts, 119 walks, 125 ERA+, and 25.0 WAR.

In total, Asoka had a 166-111 record, 89 saves, 2.96 ERA, 2436.1 innings, 3177 strikeouts, 412 walks, 199/303 quality starts, 36 complete games, 10 shutouts, 130 ERA+, 71 FIP-, and 65.1 WAR. As of 2037, Asoka ranks 45^th in wins, 77^th in innings, 39^th in strikeouts, and 22^nd in pitching WAR. Among those with 1000+ innings, Asoka is 89^th in ERA, 77^th in opponent’s OPS (.625), and 43^rd in WHIP (1.01). He’s also 51^st in K/9 (11.74) and 63^rd in BB/9 (1.52).

Asoka didn’t have the longevity or accumulations to be an inner-circle Hall of Famer. However, he was certainly one of the most efficient arms of his era. Two Pitcher of the Year wins and two ERA titles in 13 seasons sold most voters. At 81.8%, Asoka was a first ballot pick and the lone inductee for South Asia Baseball’s 2030 class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

---

DH Fakhri Rajavi stood alone for induction with a 93.5% debut with the Asian Baseball Federation’s 2030 Hall of Fame ballot. CL Ananthakrishnan Khan nearly joined him on his second try, but his 62.9% just missed the 66% requirement. 3B Eser Haspolatli debuted at 58.4% and SP Yhlas Batyrow got exactly 50% with his second ballot. No one else was above 50% and no players were dropped after ten failed ballots.



Fakhri Rajavi – Designated Hitter – Baku Blackbirds – 93.5% First Ballot

Fakhri Rajavi was a 6’6’’, 195 pound left-handed slugger from Shiraz, Iran’s fifth most populous city with around 1.5 million inhabitants. Rajavi was known for his outstanding home run power, which some scouts graded as a 10/10 at his peak. He was especially dominant facing right-handed pitching with a career 194 wRC+ and 1.033 OPS. Rajavi wasn’t bad against lefties with 124 wRC+, and .751 OPS.

On the whole, Rajavi was considered a good contact hitter with an above average eye for walks and subpar strikeout rate. His 162 game average got you an impressive 51 home runs along with 30 doubles. Rajavi wasn’t going leg out extra bases with truly abysmal baserunning speed and ability. Despite being an all-time slugger, Rajavi’s overall athleticism was hot garbage.

Because of that, he made around 80% of his career starts as a designated hitter. The rest of Rajavi’s starts came at first base with poor defensive grades. He did run into some major injuries, especially to his left knee, but still hung around for 17 seasons. Because of his towering home runs, Rajavi became extremely popular and was one of ABF’s most known stars of his era.

A tall lefty that can mash certainly draws attention and all eyes were on Rajavi entering the 2006 ABF Draft just before his 20^th birthday. Despite his athletic sluggishness, teams knew he had the potential to be a generational slugger. Thus, Baku picked Rajavi #1 overall, hoping he might change their fortunes. The Blackbirds had been a generally terrible team since the late 1980s, having most recently posted a winning season in 1985 while still part of Eurasian Professional Baseball.

Rajavi wasn’t fully formed yet and only played 20 games with two starts from 2007-08. He would play 136 games with 107 starts in 2009 with 34 homers, .828 OPS, and 3.1 WAR. This addition helped Baku’s turnaround with a 92-70 record and division title. Although they lost in the first round of the playoffs, it began what would be a seven-year playoff streak and six-year division title streak for the Blackbirds.

In 2010, Rajavi started the full year with his first of ten seasons with 40+ home runs. Baku earned their first West League pennant, although they were denied by Rawalpindi in the ABF Championship. Rajavi had a strong postseason run with .909 OPS in 17 games. 2011 would see a major setback though with a broken kneecap in late April. This kept Rajavi out 14 months total, not returning until late spring 2012.

Rajavi had a platoon role in 2012 with 117 games and 71 starts, but mashed with 5.4 WAR and 1.082 OPS. He was WLCS MVP and went 8-29 with 6 homers and 11 RBI in the playoff run as Baku defeated Lahore for their first-ever ABF title. The Blackbirds finished 8-11 in the Baseball Grand Championship with Rajavi posting .854 OPS and 0.5 WAR in 18 games.

From 2013-16, Rajavi had a run of good health and led the WL all four seasons in home runs, winning Silver Sluggers at DH each year. Thrice in that stretch he also led in RBI, total bases, slugging, OPS, and wRC+. In 2013, Rajavi posted only the ninth Triple Crown season by an ABF player with his lone batting title at .338, but he missed out on MVP honors to teammate Ali Sungu.

Baku repeated as West League champs in 2013, but lost the ABF Championship to Hyderabad. The Blackbirds won 104 games in both 2014-15, but both times fell in the first round. Rajavi was third in 2014’s MVP voting, then won the top honor in 2015 with career and league bests in homers (67), RBI (158), total bases (415), and WAR (9.7). This set the new ABF single-season RBI record which held until 2024 and still ranks third as of 2037. It also ranks as the eighth most HRs.

In May 2015, Rajavi signed an eight-year, $91,700,000 extension to remain the face of baseball in Baku. Although beloved in Azerbaijan, he was equally adored back home in Iran. Rajavi represented his country from 2010-23 in the World Baseball Championship with 125 games, 110 hits, 84 runs, 20 doubles, 46 home runs, 94 RBI, .256/.348/.625 slash, and 6.7 WAR.

In 2018, Rajavi led Iran to their deepest run, taking runner-up to Poland. In 24 games, he had 23 hits, 13 runs, 6 homers, 15 RBI, .911 OPS, and 1.3 WAR. The Iranians also earned a division title in 2015 with Rajavi getting 9 homers, 17 RBI, and 17 runs in 15 starts. As of 2037, Rajavi leads all Iranians in the WBC in homers and RBI. He also is third in WAR among position players, fourth in hits, and third in runs.

Baku’s playoff streak ended at 86-76 in 2016. They got back for a WLCS defeat to 116-win Tehran as a wild card in 2017. Rajavi still won a Silver Slugger that year despite missing two months in the summer to a broken collarbone. 2017 also saw a four home run game against Tabriz in September, which was only the fourth 4 HR game in ABF history to that point.

From 2018-21, the Blackbirds would be outside the playoffs and around the .500 mark despite Rajavi’s best efforts. Rajavi led in homers and RBI in both 2018-19 for two more Silver Sluggers, finishing with seven total. He won his second MVP in 2018 and had his fourth 9+ WAR season, an especially impressive feat considering the huge penalty in that stat for a DH.

In July 2021, Rajavi suffered a ruptured MCL that put him out until the following spring. He returned to form in 2022 with his sixth and final 50+ homer season. Baku returned to the playoffs at 102-60 and won another WL pennant before losing to Bishkek in the ABF Championship. Rajavi struggled though in the playoffs with a .649 OPS. He made up for it in the Baseball Grand Championship with 1.113 OPS, 1.5 WAR, 10 homers, 20 RBI, and 14 runs in 19 starts. The Blackbirds ended up in a four-way tie for ninth at 10-9.

2022 had also seen Rajavi become the fourth member of the 600 home run club. His former teammate Ali Sungu had retired in 2021 with the top slot at 683, a goal for Rajavi to chase. His power dipped significantly though in 2023 with only 35 dingers and .822 OPS over 146 games. Baku got back to the WLCS but was denied by Tabriz. Rajavi struggled to 4-22 and one homer in eight playoff starts.

For his playoff career with Baku, Rajavi had strong numbers overall. He played 94 games with 83 starts, posting 82 hits, 46 runs, 13 doubles, 25 homers, 56 RBI, .262/.319/.556 slash, 156 wRC+, and 3.7 WAR. Rajavi retired one behind Sungu for playoff homers, although he ranks eighth as of 2037. He also ranks 10^th in RBI.

At this point, Rajavi was at 665 regular season homers and 1523 RBI, not far from Sungu’s 683 dingers and Petri Viskari’s record 1685 RBI. His decline had been noticeable though and Baku didn’t re-sign their long-time star, sending Rajavi to free agency for the first time at age 37. He ended up inking a two-year, $9,120,000 deal with Shymkent, who had joined ABF in the 2020 expansion. They hoped a famous star chasing milestones would sell tickets.

Rajavi was used in a platoon role facing RHP, but he was merely decent with 13 homers, .712 OPS, and 1.2 WAR over 130 games and 61 starts. Shymkent earned their first-ever wild card, but lost in the first round with Rajavi going 1-12 with seven strikeouts in the series. Rajavi was five behind Sungu for the homer crown, but decided to retire that winter shortly after his 38^th birthday. Baku quickly honored him by retiring his #9 uniform.

The final stats saw 2153 games, 2090 hits, 1217 runs, 393 doubles, 678 home runs, 1568 RBI, 630 walks, 1810 strikeouts, .285/.346/.623 slash, 179 wRC+, and 90.1 WAR. As of 2037, Rajavi ranks 6^th in homers, 9^th in RBI, 19^th in total bases (4563), 59^th in hits, 32^nd in runs, 55^th in games, 63^rd in walks, 74^th in strikeouts, and 28^th in WAR among position players. Among ABF batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Rajavi’s .969 OPS ranks 18^th and he is 12^th in slugging.

From a pure power standpoint, few in Asian Baseball Federation history, few compare to Rajavi. Being a DH limits him when discussing the tip top players in league history, but his status as a Hall of Famer was obvious. Rajavi was a huge reason Baku emerged as a regular contender from the 2010s onward. At 93.5%, he was the lone inductee for ABF’s 2030 class.