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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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Three were added into Chinese League Baseball’s Hall of Fame for 2033, headlined by OF/DH Cheng Kang at 98.8%. Kang’s former teammate SP Len Goh was also a firm first ballot pick at 89.9%. 1B/DH also Xugang Zheng also narrowly made the 66% cut on his sixth ballot at a nice 69.0%. No one else was above 50% and no players were dropped after ten failed ballots.



Cheng “Sly” Kang – Left/Right Field/Designated Hitter – Shijiazhuang Serpents – 98.8% First Ballot

Cheng Kang was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed corner outfielder from the capital of China, Beijing. Kang was nicknamed “Sly” for his love of Sylvester Stallone movies. At his prime, Kang was one of the most dominant all-around hitters in the world. He put up numbers that were eye-popping in any league, but especially in the incredibly low-scoring environment of Chinese baseball.

Kang was a great contact hitter with excellent power. He especially mashed facing right-handed pitching with a career 223 wRC+ and 1.022 OPS, but he was also good for a 161 wRC+ and .795 OPS against lefties. Kang was also among the best in CLB at drawing walks, although his strikeout rate was merely decent. His 162 game average got you 42 home runs, 28 doubles, and 3 triples. Kang’s baserunning instincts were also pretty good, but he was quite limited by lousy speed.

That poor athleticism did lead to terrible defensive metrics in the outfield. Around 60% of his starts came in left field with the rest split between RF and designated hitter. The DH wasn’t an option in China, but became his regular spot after leaving CLB. Kang had some sporadic injuries, but mostly avoided the big ones over a 20-year career. He was absolutely beloved throughout China for his ability to mash and is considered by many as the nation’s best-ever slugger.

Kang was a menace throughout his college career in Beijing. Because he dominated in the capital, he was considered a surefire #1 overall pick ahead of the 2010 CLB Draft. Shijiazhuang had the #1 overall pick, one of six expansion franchises that had begun play in 2009. They took Kang, but they couldn’t come to terms and he returned for another year of college. The Serpents again had the #1 pick in 2011 and again took Kang. This time he agreed, starting off with a four-year, $16,160,000 deal. Rookies rarely got to start with such deals, but Kang certainly was worth it and then some.

For the first nine seasons of his career, Kang led the Northern League in OPS. In his first six seasons, he led in the triple slash and wRC+. Kang was also the WARlord six times in his first seven years and had nine straight seasons of 9.5+ WAR to open his career. Kang won MVP, Rookie of the Year, and a Silver Slugger in LF in 2012, also leading in runs and total bases.

From 2013-16, Kang was also the NL’s leader in home runs while thrice leading in runs, hits, RBI, and total bases. He got his first Triple Crown in 2014 with 45 homers, 102 RBI, and a .336 average. He repeated the honor in 2015 at 43 homers, 102 RBI, and .306 average. Kang was MVP in 2014, but took second in both 2013 and 2015 behind legendary two-way star Chuchuan Cao. In those seasons, Cao had combined WAR totals of 21.6 and 17.9, which were the first and third-best seasons in world history for WAR.

2016 was Kang’s finest season with career bests for runs (118), hits (199), homers (68), RBI (135), total bases (433), average (.349), slugging (.758), OPS (1.180), wRC+ (297), and WAR (14.9). He won his third MVP and set CLB single-season records for OPS, slugging, and total bases. Kang was two homers and three runs short of those single-season records.

The WAR mark was the third-best by a CLB position player. Kang’s 2016 remains the record for total bases with the OPS and slugging both only getting passed by Jinhao Lin in 2034. It was his third straight Triple Crown, while there have only been five others total by a CLB batter. That winter, Shijiazhuang signed Kang to an eight-year, $114,400,000 extension.

The expansion Serpents earned their first wild card in 2016. They also made the field in 2018, 19, and 21; finishing first in the 2019 standings at 97-65. However, Shijiazhuang never got beyond the round robin during Kang’s tenure. He did notably miss the 2019 playoffs because of shoulder tendinitis. You couldn’t blame him for the other failures though. In 18 playoff starts for the Serpents, Kang had 21 hits, 13 runs, 3 doubles, 10 homers, 16 RBI, .344/.438/.885 slash, 329 wRC+, and 2.1 WAR.

Kang had also come to dominate on the World Baseball Championship stage for China, playing from 2012-24 and in 2030. His historic 2016 began with a second in Tournament MVP honors and a world title for the Chinese, defeating Venezuela in the final. In 23 starts, Kang had 27 hits, 21 runs, 8 doubles, 15 homers, 26 RBI, 1.346 OPS, 270 wRC+, and 2.4 WAR.

Over 143 WBC games, Kang had 125 hits, 88 runs, 24 doubles, 45 homers, 91 RBI, .258/.352/.591 slash, and 6.9 WAR. He was also third in 2019’s Tournament MVP voting. China had division titles in 2014 and 2022, but never made it back to the final four with Kang.

Kang continued to roll and just missed Triple Crowns in 2018 (.003 average away) and 2019 (11 homers behind Kenny Sang, but dominated in AVG and RBI). Because of Sang and Cao, Kang didn’t win MVP even with his stats. He took third in 2017’s voting, second in 2018, and second in 2019. Kang had nine consecutive Silver Sluggers from 2012-20 in LF (except for 2014 and 17 in RF). He also got one in LF in 2022, making him one of six in CLB history to win 10+ Sluggers.

His 2020 had a similar pace to the epic 2016 season, but Kang lost six weeks in the summer to a torn quad. His final time as a league leader in China was 2021 in OBP at .384. Kang’s power stats started to drop and he had only 27 homers in 2023. However, he was still good for 8.0 WAR and had that or better in all 12 of his seasons for Shijiazhuang.

Kang was quickly soaring up the leaderboards as well with far less gaudy tallies in the low-scoring CLB compared to other world leagues. He ended 2022 with 497 home runs, tying Tao Yang for the former all-time CLB record. That same year, Boyu Long got to 498 to become the new king. Kang quickly passed him and was the first to 500, although Long joined him in that club four days later. Kang ultimately finished ahead of Long and Kenny Sang and held the #1 spot at retirement.

In addition to homers, Kang and Long battled for CLB’s RBI title. Both passed the old mark of 1157 by Xinze Yan. Kang finished ahead of Long 1272-1238 and also held that top spot upon his departure. In 2023, Shijiazhuang fell to 74-88, their first losing season since 2017. Kang had one year left on his deal and the Serpents looked towards a rebuild. They shocked many by trading the 35-year old Kang in February 2024 to Guangzhou along with $38,690,000 for two pitching prospects.

With Shijiazhuang, Kang had 1814 games, 2077 hits, 1071 runs, 280 doubles, 35 triples, 524 home runs, 1199 RBI, 848 walks, 1198 strikeouts, .324/.404/.624 slash, 245 wRC+, and 131.1 WAR. Kang was a megastar and his #17 uniform would be retired by the Serpents. For the Gamecocks, they were the China Series runner-up the prior year and hoped Kang could get them to the Promised Land.

Guangzhou made the playoffs that year at 94-68, but fell in the Round Robin. Kang was shockingly poor in the playoffs, going 3-23 with a .361 OPS. It would prove his final postseason at-bats of his career. Kang was still strong that season by mortal standards, but he had CLB lows in most stats. In 145 games, Kang had 133 hits, 69 runs, 28 doubles, 28 homers, 73 RBI, .254/.328/.475 slash, 163 wRC+, and 6.0 WAR.

Kang was now a 36-year old first time free agent, as well as China’s home run and RBI king. Even with age slowing him down, many thought he would had a chance to completely re-write CLB’s record books. However, Kang left for the Oceania Baseball Association on a three-year, $43,200,000 deal with Samoa.

In CLB, Kang finished with 1959 games, 2210 hits, 1140 runs, 308 doubles, 37 triples, 552 home runs, 1272 RBI, 900 walks, 1311 strikeouts, 54 steals, .319/.398/.613 slash, 1.011 OPS, 239 wRC+, and 137.1 WAR. Kang held the HR and RBI titles until passed for both by Tao Cai, but remains #2 as of 2037. He’s also 3^rd in WAR for position players, 7^th in runs, 11^th in hits, 3^rd in total bases (4248), 29^th in doubles, and 5^th in walks.

Among CLB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Kang was the OPS leader upon leaving, although two active players as of 2037 are above him. His triple slash ranks 10^th/4^th/4^th with most of the few players above him being guys active in the 2030s, which saw a boost in offense league-wide.

For many, Kang is the greatest hitter in Chinese League Baseball history. You could make that case and make the case for the best position player, although he has some fierce competition. Most agree that two-way legend Chuchuan Cao is China’s best-ever player overall, but Kang definitely is in the conversation and rarely outside of the top five. He headlined the 2033 Hall of Fame class with 98.8%.

Kang’s career continued eight more years away from China. He won a Silver Slugger in his 2025 debut with Samoa despite losing nearly two months to a fractured finger. Kang fell off a bit in 2026, but still gave the Sun Sox two strong seasons with 250 games, 273 hits, 146 runs, 46 doubles, 53 home runs, 138 RBI, .297/.365/.535 slash, 154 wRC+, and 8.6 WAR. Samoa was competitive in 2025, taking third at 90-72. They plummeted to 64-98 in 2026 and Kang didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the third year of his deal.

He stayed in OBA on a three-year, $27,500,000 deal with Adelaide. The Aardvarks were above .500, but not quite in title range during Kang’s tenure. He notably led the Australasia League twice in walks. In three seasons, Kang played 420 games with 407 hits, 264 runs, 78 doubles, 78 homers, 237 RBI, .276/.375/.499 slash, 140 wRC+, and 11.9 WAR. He was now a free agent again at age 41 and stayed in Australia on a one-year, $19,600,000 deal with Brisbane.

Kang kept a similar pace with the Black Bears with 3.0 WAR over 137 games, 130 hits, 73 runs, 25 homers, 80 RBI, .803 OPS, and 124 wRC+. He did cross the 700 home run mark for his combined career in Brisbane, who won the AL pennant at 92-71 with a tiebreaker game win over Adelaide. The Black Bears won the Oceania Championship against New Caledonia, although Kang missed the series to strained back muscle in mid-September.

He did make it back for his lone Baseball Grand Championship appearance and performed well at age 42. In 21 games, Kang had 19 hits, 17 runs, 7 doubles, 6 home runs, 11 RBI, .264/.369/.611 slash, 174 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR. Brisbane finished 11-10 in a four-way tie for seventh, but it served as a last hurrah for one of the great sluggers.

Across six OBA seasons, Kang had 807 games, 810 hits, 483 runs, 138 doubles, 156 home runs, 455 RBI, 377 walks, .281/.368/.503 slash, 142 wRC+, and 23.4 WAR. Those were quite solid tallies, especially coming in his late 30s and early 40s. Kang wasn’t ready to call it quits, but the market was limited for an aging slugger. He ended up moving to Equatorial Guinea on a one-year, $4,320,000 deal with Bata of West African Baseball.

The Black Aces were one of six expansion teams beginning play that year and hoped that a world famous name like Kang could boost ticket sales. Back and knee troubles bothered him and he was mediocre when healthy. Kang played 60 games with 61 hits, 31 runs, 12 doubles, 7 homers, 31 RBI, .284/.362/.437 slash, 101 wRC+, and 0.2 WAR. He still wanted to play after that, but was unsigned for 2032. That winter, Kang finally retired at age 44.

For his combined pro career, Kang had 2826 games, 3081 hits, 1654 runs, 458 doubles, 55 triples, 715 home runs, 1758 RBI, 1302 walks, 2014 strikeouts, .307/.389/.577 slash, .966 OPS, 208 wRC+, and 160.8 WAR. Because of CLB’s extremely low-scoring environment, Kang doesn’t make the top 50 on the world leaderboards for the counting stats. But with era/league adjusted stats, he stands out as a true immortal.

Kang’s WAR mark puts him 26^th all-time among all players ever as of 2037 and 18^th among position players. The only Chinese players ahead of him are Cao (188.7) and Zhang (161.8). Kang’s 208 wRC+ also ties for third-best among all world Hall of Famers. He’s behind only ABF legend Nizami Aghazade (214) and SAB legend V.J. Williams (209) while even with CABA great Kiko Velazquez. Kang is certainly on the short list for the world’s best-ever sluggers and has his headlining Hall of Fame spot accordingly.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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Len Goh – Starting Pitcher – Shijiazhuang Serpents – 89.9% First Ballot

Len Goh was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong; a market town of about 289,000 people. Goh became the first Hongkogner inducted into CLB’s HOF. He was famous for outstanding pinpoint control that enabled a lengthy career despite only above average-to-good stuff. He did notably have very good movement as well leading to an extreme groundball tendency.

Goh’s velocity peaked at 94-96 mph with an arsenal of fastball, screwball, forkball, splitter, and changeup. The forkball was usually considered his best offering. He wasn’t going to overpower many guys, but Goh was very efficient. Goh’s stamina was quite good especially in his early years, but he did lose time to some major injuries. Unusually for a pitcher, most of his bigger aliments weren’t specifically arm related. For defense and holding runners, Goh graded as below average.

He became very popular and well respected amongst fans and peers alike. Goh was appreciated for his leadership, adaptability, and work ethic. Like his Hall of Fame classmate Cheng Kang, Goh started his career with Shijiazhuang. The Serpents picked him second in the 2011 CLB Draft and kept him on the reserve roster for 2012. Goh was a part-timer with iffy results in 2013, then had a full-time roster spot after that.

Goh showed promise in 2014, then regressed somewhat in 2015 thanks to a torn meniscus in his knee. He bounced back and stayed largely healthy for the remaining seven years he spent with Shijiazhuang. Goh signed a five-year, $60,300,000 extension after the 2019 season. In 2020, he was a Pitcher of the Year finalist for the first time, taking third as he led the Northern League in complete games (21) and shutouts (6). This season also had his career bests for strikeouts (312), and innings (272).

2021 was Goh’s first Pitcher of the Year win and ERA title at 1.40. He also led in WHIP (0.77) and had his career best WAR at 8.4. Shijiazhuang was a playoff contender by this point, but had only round robin exits in 2016, 18, 19, and 21. Goh’s playoff stats were notably mediocre with a 4.63 ERA over 35 innings, 0-3 record, 33 Ks, 59 ERA+, and 0.2 WAR.

Shijiazhuang fell to 74-88 in 2023 and had a full fire sale that winter. In addition to trading Cheng Kang, they sent Goh to Dalian in February 2024 along with $47,030,000 for two prospects. One of them was 1B Francis Tai, who had a rock solid tenure with the Serpents with two Silver Sluggers. Goh’s totals with Shijiazhuang had a 144-97 record, 2.28 ERA, 2445 innings, 2650 strikeouts, 295 walks, 114 ERA+, 71 FIP-, and 63.8 WAR. The Serpents would later retire his 23 uniform.

Goh won his second Pitcher of the Year and ERA title (1.64) in 2024 for Dalian. He also had his career and league-best 0.68 WHIP along with 242 Ks over 219 innings and 7.9 WAR. The Gold Dragons finished atop the Northern League at 100-62, but fell in the round robin. Goh again struggled in the playoffs with a 4.82 ERA over 9.1 innings.

He was now a free agent for 2025 at age 33 and left Chinese League Baseball like Kang, although Goh ended up in Major League Baseball instead. For his CLB run, he had a 157-106 record, 2.23 ERA, 2664 innings, 2892 strikeouts, 309 walks, 238/308 quality starts, 146 complete games, 37 shutouts, 117 ERA+, 69 FIP-, and 71.7 WAR. The disparity between ERA+ and FIP- suggested his traditional stats may have been hampered by defensive woes.

As of 2037, Goh ranks 24^th in wins, 22^nd in innings, 14^th in complete games, 22^nd in shutouts, 23^rd in strikeouts, and 22^nd in WAR among pitchers. Among those with 1000+ innings, Goh’s 1.04 BB/9 ranks 16^th, although he misses the top 100 for other rate stats. Even with only a 12-year run in China, he put together a pretty solid resume. Goh doesn’t reach the inner circle of Hall of Famers, but he was a firm first ballot nod in 2033 at 89.9%.

He would pitch anther nine years in the United States. He came back to China for the 2029 World Baseball Championship as well and pitched on the 2016 and 2019-23 teams. His WBC stats were delightfully average with a 3.47 ERA over 98.2 innings, 6-4 record, 103 strikeouts, 23 walks, 102 ERA+, 99 FIP-, and 1.5 WAR. Goh did earn a world champion ring as part of China’s 2016 squad.

Goh joined MLB on a four-year, $73,200,000 deal with Oakland. He had respectable results in his first two years with the Owls and even did well in two playoff starts with a 1.80 ERA over 15 innings. Both years, Oakland was a wild card that went one-and-done. Goh’s third season would be ended in the summer by a hamstring strain. Then in 2028, he missed about two months in the spring to a sprained ankle. Oakland traded him in July 2028 to Denver for prospect SP Austin Pyo and a second round draft pick.

For the Owls, Goh had a 49-30 record, 3.47 ERA, 724 innings, 419 strikeouts, 109 walks, 126 ERA+, 87 FIP-, and 14.5 WAR. He was iffy in the second half with the Dragons, posting a 4.60 ERA over 103.2 innings and 2.7 WAR. He did also give up one run in three playoff innings as Denver lost in the first round. That was the final playoff appearance of his career.

Now 37, Goh got a three-year, $52,600,000 deal with Raleigh. Unfortunately in June 2029, he suffered a torn rotator cuff that kept him out about a calendar year. Goh still looked good returning in late 2030, but regressed significantly in a healthy 2031. For the Raptors, he had a 23-31 record, 3.97 ERA, 489.2 innings, 247 strikeouts, 126 walks, 100 ERA+, 97 FIP-, and 7.3 WAR.

Goh wasn’t done yet and Kansas City gave him a minor league deal for 2032. He made the big league club despite a later elbow strain, tossing 118.1 innings with a 3.50 ERA, 8-4 record, 28 strikeouts, 113 ERA+, and 0.3 WAR. His control was still excellent, but his velocity was now peaking in the 86-88 mph range. KC released Goh in August and Seattle grabbed him, but he only saw one start in minor league Spokane. Goh retired that winter just after his 41^st birthday.

For the MLB career in his 30s, Goh had an 85-70 record, 3.72 ERA, 1435.2 innings, 762 strikeouts, 286 walks, 113 ERA+, 93 FIP- and 24.8 WAR. For his entire pro career, Goh finished with a 242-176 record, 2.75 ERA, 4099.2 innings, 3654 strikeouts, 595 walks, 217 complete games, 44 shutouts, 115 ERA+, 77 FIP-, and 96.5 WAR. It was an impressive 20 year run certainly worthy of acknowledgement, culminating in a 2033 Hall of Fame induction for Chinese League Baseball at 89.9%.



Xugang “Stud” Zheng – First Base/Designated Hitter – Shantou Scorpions – 69.0% Sixth Ballot

Xugang Zheng was a 6’2’’, 205 pound left-handed first baseman from Qingdao, China; a city on the Yellow Sea with more than 10 million people. He had the nickname “Stud” both for his batting prowess and for his skills as a ladies’ man. Zheng at his peak was elite in terms of both contact and home run power. He had 40 home runs, 25 doubles, and 2 triples per his 162 game average.

Zheng was below average for drawing walks and around average for strikeout rate. He was a bit better against right-handed pitching (.934 OPS, 171 wRC+) compared to facing lefties (.858 OPS, 159 wRC+). Zheng’s biggest woe offensively was being a comically slow and sluggish baserunner. As bad as he was running, Zheng was even worse somehow defensively.

With no designated hitter in CLB, Zheng made most of his starts at first base with some in left field. He was absolutely putrid in both spots and was a full-time designated hitter once he left for West African Baseball in his later years. Zheng’s durability was respectable and he had a ferocious work ethic Some did critique him for a perceived greediness, but Zheng was generally liked and respected by fans and peers.

The 2008 CLB Draft was the very first one for the six expansion teams set to begin play in 2009. Shantou had the #4 pick and used it on Zheng, who was still a raw teenage prospect. He stayed in the academy in 2009 and saw only pinch hitting from 2010-12. Zheng had 24 starts and 116 games in 2013 with strong power numbers, earning a full-time starting gig after that.

Zheng won the batting title in 2014 with a .303 average and his first Silver Slugger in LF. In their sixth season, Shantou became the first expansion team to make the playoffs as the final wild card at 89-73. The Scorpions shocked the field, going all the way to a China Series win over Xi’an. Zheng was a beast in the playoff run and got MVP honors in the semifinal victory against Chongqing.

In 20 playoff starts, Zheng had 23 hits, 11 runs, 4 doubles, 7 homers, 13 RBI, .967 OPS, 217 wRC+, and 1.6 WAR. He had mixed results in the Baseball Grand Championship as Shantou took last at 3-16. Zheng had 14 hits, 18 runs, 2 doubles, 9 homers, 12 RBI, .811 OPS, and 0.7 WAR.

In 2015, Zheng won a Silver Slugger at 1B and led the Southern League in hits (169), homers (47), RBI (108), total bases (336), slugging (.583), OPS (.906), and wRC+ (225). Shantou missed the playoffs, but they began a five-year streak after that as Zheng emerged as an MVP candidate. He was third in 2016’s voting and won another Slugger, leading in homers (48), and hits (180).

Zheng took MVP and a Slugger (1B) in 2017 with a Triple Crown season, leading in runs (97), homers (52), RBI (124), total bases (404), triple slash (.345/.395/.679), OPS (1.068), wRC+ (243), and WAR (11.3). This would be his career highs for hits (207), average, OBP, and wRC+. Shantou got to the semifinal but fell to Kunming. For the next four years, the Scorpions fell each time in the Round Robin.

Even if they never had another big run, Zheng’s playoff stats were fantastic. In 54 starts, he had 64 hits, 32 runs, 10 doubles, 20 home runs, 40 RBI, .294/.336/.624 slash, 218 wRC+, and 4.2 WAR. As of 2037, he’s one of only five in CLB with 20+ playoff dingers. Zheng also played for China from 2014-20 in the World Baseball Championship with respectable results with 62 games, 54 hits, 32 runs, 7 doubles, 14 homers, 34 RBI, .277/.352/.538 slash, and 2.0 WAR. He was a solid starter for 2016’s World Championship win.

In 2019, Zheng joined Hall of Fame classmate Cheng Keng as the only players with multiple hitting Triple Crowns in CLB. He won MVP again with league bests in runs (114), hits (201), homers (61), RBI (134), total bases (419), triple slash (.336/.381/.699), OPS (1.080), wRC+ (233), and WAR (10.8). The 419 total bases was second-most in CLB at that point behind Kang’s 433 from 2016. Zheng had his career highs for runs, homers, RBI, slugging, and OPS.

Zheng’s pace dropped significantly in 2020 and he lost some time to a strained back. In a contact year, he had only 30 homers, 78 RBI, .799 OPS, and 3.1 WAR. Shantou was appreciative, but leery of a long-term deal after that drop. Zheng ended up in free agency at age 32, but his #15 uniform would later be retired by the Scorpions for his efforts.

Many Chinese teams shared the same concerns about Zheng’s value, especially since CLB didn’t have the designated hitter. West Africa Baseball did and Port Harcourt thought Zheng’s bat was still worth getting, giving him a six-year, $65,400,000 deal. Initially, Zheng was middling at best and lost some time in 2022 to a sprained ankle.

He fared better in 2023 and Port Harcourt took first in the Eastern League at 104-58, although they lost the ELCS to Kano. Zheng looked like a strong slugger again in 2024 at age 35 with a surprising 61 home runs, 154 RBI, 115 runs, 1.037 OPS, 148 wRC+, and 4.8 WAR. The Hillcats took first again at 101-61 and this time went the distance, defeating Freetown in the West African Championship.

Zheng’s playoff stats in Nigeria were merely okay with 14 games, 17 hits, 8 runs, 4 doubles, 2 homers, 12 RBI, .309/.345/.527 slash, and 0.3 WAR. In the 2024 BGC, he had 13 hits, 7 runs, 1 double, 5 homers, 7 RBI, .206/.301/.460 slash, 111 wRC+, and 0.3 WAR. Port Harcourt finished 10-9 in the event. They were a wild card in 2025 but suffered a second round exit.

He had 41 homers and 3.2 WAR in 2025, but then regressed hard in 2026 with 13 homers, .724 OPS, 77 wRC+, and -0.5 WAR in 95 games and 50 starts. In six seasons for Port Harcourt, Zheng had 832 games, 861 hits, 493 runs, 172 doubles, 224 home runs, 595 RBI, .284/.331/.568 slash, 117 wRC+, and 11.2 WAR. He went unsigned in 2027 and retired that winter at age 38.

For his combined pro career, Zheng had 2218 games, 2184 hits, 1145 runs, 344 doubles, 28 triples, 552 home runs, 1386 RBI, 430 walks, 1326 strikeouts, .295/.340/.573 slash, 168 wRC+, and 67.3 WAR. That on its own is borderline, but Zheng’s CLB candidacy was focused just on the Shantou run. That had 1386 games, 1323 hits, 652 runs, 172 doubles, 328 home runs, 791 RBI, 253 walks, 689 strikeouts, .303/.347/.577 slash, 204 wRC+, and 56.1 WAR.

As of 2037, Zheng is 53^rd in homers and 88^th in RBI, but misses the top 100 for WAR and other counting stats. The rate stats are impressive though as among those with 3000+ plate appearances, Zheng’s triple slash ranks 26^th/49^th/14^th. His .924 OPS ranks 15^th. For a lot of voters though, the grand totals are just far too low.

Zheng’s accomplishments were impressive though with two MVPs, two Triple Crowns, five Silver Sluggers, and a key role in the first championship win by an expansion team. It wasn’t enough to cross the 66% induction requirement initially with a debut at 57.2%. Zheng went to 56.2%, 60.2%, 63.7%, and 59.4% in subsequent ballots. In 2033, he finally got the bump across the line at 69.0% for a sixth ballot induction to cap off a three-player Hall of Fame class for Chinese League Baseball.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

Left fielder Ibrahim Sani stood alone for induction into the West African Baseball Hall of Fame in 2033 with a near unanimous 99.1%. SP Joseph Masuta was the next closest to the 66% requirement, but missed on his second ballot at 63.9%. Also above 50% was a 56.4% debut for closer Nwaneri Victor and a 51.7% second try for SP Minusu Ekong.



Dropped after ten ballots was 1B Akuneto Adeyemo, who peaked at 42.4% in his penultimate ballot but ended at a low of 10.7%. In 17 seasons between Monrovia and Accra, Adeyemo had two Gold Gloves, one Silver Slugger, 2937 hits, 1259 runs, 649 doubles, 152 triples, 201 home runs, 1262 RBI, 518 steals, .331/.362/.506 slash, 135 wRC+, and 63.2 WAR.

As of 2037, Adeyemo is 11^th in doubles and 13^th in hits, but only 44^th in WAR. He was hurt by the lack of black ink and by voters expecting big home run power from first basemen in particular. Still, he was an important part of Monrovia’s 2008 championship. However, Adeyemo didn’t have the flashy numbers to get beyond the Hall of Pretty Good.

Also worth mention was teammate Abiodun Inyang, who fell below 5% on his seventh ballot and peaked at only 12.7%. He won six Gold Gloves at shortstop, three Silver Sluggers, and was finals and LCS MVP for Monrovia’s 2008 championship. He was also a key starter for their 2006 title as well. Inyang did lose four years of tallies to a run in MLB with Washington.

In WAB, he had 1795 games, 1919 hits, 1112 runs, 389 doubles, 128 triples, 195 home runs, 819 RBI, 501 steals, .278/.342/.457 slash, 116 wRC+, and 65.4 WAR. As of 2037, Inyang is 36^th in WAR, mostly coming from his great defense. Advanced stats suggested he was merely a decent batter though and voters were quite underwhelmed despite his accomplishments.



Ibrahim Sani – Left Field – Conakry Coyotes – 99.1% First Ballot

Ibrahim Sani was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed left fielder from Maine-Soroa, Niger; a town of 78,000 people by the country’s southeast border. He’s the third Nigerien Hall of Famer and is generally regarded as the country’s best-ever hitter. Sani had remarkably steady power with a 162 game average of 40 home runs, 36 doubles, and 9 triples.

Sani was an excellent contact hitter facing right-handed pitching with a career 1.088 OPS and 174 wRC+. He graded as below average against lefties with a .744 OPS and 93 wRC+. On the whole, he was above average at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Sani was an incredibly skilled and crafty baserunner and was a constant threat even with merely good speed.

Defensively, Sani played almost exclusively in left field with subpar fielding metrics. You could definitely do worse though. Around 20% of his starts came as a designated hitter. Sani’s durability was quite good, starting 125+ games in all but his final season in an 18-year career. He was a strong leader with a great work ethic, becoming one of the most universally loved and praised players across the region.

By the 2009 WAB Draft, most scouts saw Sani as the top prospect. Cape Verde agreed and chose him with the #1 overall pick. Sani was a full-timer right away and took 2010 Rookie of the Year honors. The Vulcans had a stunning turnaround that year, going from 57-105 in 2009 to first place and 96-66 in 2010. They lost to defending WAB champ Abidjan in the Western League Championship Series. A young Sani struggled in the series, going 2-15.

It would be his only playoff trip with Cape Verde, who hovered in the mid 70 wins range mostly for the rest of his time. Sani won his first Silver Slugger in 2012 and won again for the Vulcans in 2013, 14, and 15. He led the WL in home runs for the first time with 43 in 2013, a mark he’d top nine times despite only being the HR leader once more in his career.

Sani’s first MVP came in 2014, leading in batting average (.378), total bases (416), and RBI (158). He fell two homers shy of the Triple Crown. Sani was second in 2015’s MVP voting, which saw career and league bests for total bases (446), triple slash (.380/.434/.724), OPS (1.158), wRC+ (199), WAR (9.4) and hits (234). Sani also had his highs for doubles (48) and stolen bases (53). He was second in homers with 48 and third in RBI with 135.

For Cape Verde, Sani had 1080 games, 1327 hits, 767 runs, 234 doubles, 44 triples, 319 home runs, 853 RBI, 349 walks, 208 steals, .329/.385/.646 slash, 159 wRC+, and 44.9 WAR. He left for free agency after the 2016 season at age 29. You could argue the Vulcans run was marginally his best offensively, but his second run with Conakry would be comparable. The Coyotes tenure was his signature run for the dynasty that came with it.

Sani’s deal with Conakry was for $102,200,000 over seven years. The Coyotes had been mostly mediocre to start the decade, but they’d begin a five-year playoff streak in 2018. Sani won Silver Sluggers in 2017, 18, 19, and 21 for Conakry. In 2018, he earned his second MVP, leading in total bases (417), slugging (.695), OPS (1.086), and wRC+ (169). It was also his first 50+ homer season with 52 dingers, 145 RBI, and 123 runs.

In 2019, Sani repeated and won his third MVP with a league-best 56 homers and .710 slugging. He also posted his career high for runs scored with 125 and hit for the cycle in September against Monrovia. Sani dropped off surprisingly to 3.4 WAR and .883 OPS in 2020, but bounced back to his more normal production after that. Sani led the league with 123 runs in 2021.

Conakry had a second round playoff exit in 2018 and WLCS loss in 2019 to Bamako. In 2020, the Coyotes finished first in the standings at 107-55 and won it all, beating Nouakchott in the WLCS and Yaounde in the West African Championship. Conakry then took second in the Baseball Grand Championship at 14-5, one win behind Denver. In the BGC, Sani had 13 hits, 11 runs, 6 homers, 12 RBI, .766 OPS, and 0.7 WAR over 18 games.

In 2021, Conakry was ousted by Bamako in the WLCS. Then in 2022 at 98-64, the Coyotes upset top-seed Abidjan in the WLCS and defeated Niamey to claim their second WAB title in three years. Conakry finished 10-9 in the BGC in a four-way tie for ninth. Because of a knee sprain in the WAB playoffs, Sani only was available four games in the BGC.

Overall in the WAB playoffs, Sani’s stats were rock solid with Conakry. In 31 starts, he had 42 hits, 25 runs, 9 doubles, 7 home runs, 25 RBI, .353/.386/.622 slash, 164 wRC+, and 1.8 WAR. The streak ended with an 85-77 playoff miss in 2023, Sani’s final year under contact. In seven seasons with the Coyotes, Sani had 1080 games, 1327 hits, 767 runs, 234 doubles, 44 triples, 319 home runs, 853 RBI, .329/.385/.646 slash, 159 wRC+, and 44.9 WAR.

Now 36-years old, Sani returned to his home country on a three-year, $52,200,000 deal with Niamey. He did notably play for Niger in the World Baseball Championship from 2021-27 with 73 games, 58 hits, 35 runs, 10 doubles, 4 triples, 12 home runs, 41 RBI, .244/.338/.471 slash, and 2.6 WAR.

Sani’s home run power dipped considerably in the Niamey seasons, but he was still an effective batter and even led the Eastern League with a .412 OBP in 2026. In 438 games, Sani had 535 hits, 314 runs, 121 doubles, 34 triples, 69 home runs, 262 RBI, 120 steals, .331/.392/.576 slash, 144 wRC+, and 13.6 WAR. His arrival started a six-year playoff streak for the Atomics, who had won the pennant in 2022.

Niamey finished first in 2025 at 105-57 and set a franchise wins record, but they got upset by Ibadan in the ELCS. The Atomics lost in the first round of 2024 and second round in 2026. In 11 playoff starts, Sani had 11 hits, 7 runs, 4 doubles, 3 homers, 7 RBI, .297/.350/.649 slash, 150 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR.

Sani reached some impressive milestones in the Niamey years. In 2024, he became 4^th to reach 600 home runs and the 8^th to 1500 runs scored. In April 2025, he earned his second cycle against Douala. Then in 2026, Sani became the 4^th member of the 3000 hit club. He was a free agent again after the 2026 campaign at age 39 and inked a two-year, $10,800,000 deal with Dakar. Unfortunately, he fell off hard with -0.3 WAR and .670 OPS over 100 games and 76 starts with the Dukes in 2027. Sani retired from the game that winter at age 39.

The final tallies had 2702 games, 3253 hits, 1852 runs, 596 doubles, 153 triples, 661 home runs, 1946 RBI, 904 walks, 1705 strikeouts, 639 stolen bases, 6138 total bases, .325/.383/.612 slash, 153 wRC+, and 102.1 WAR. As of 2037, Sani is 10^th in games, 8^th in runs, 9^th in hits, 9^th in total bases, 14^th in doubles, 10^th in homers, 9^th in RBI, 14^th in walks, 44^th in steals, and 7^th in WAR among position players.

Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Sani’s .996 OPS ranks 21^st. He also ranks 73^rd/38^th/25^th in the triple slash. Sani’s definitely an inner-circle Hall of Famer for West African Baseball and has a strong case for being a top ten player in league history. He stood alone for induction in 2033 with a near unanimous 99.1%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

South Asia Baseball didn’t add anyone into the Hall of Fame in 2033, the first empty class since 2013. SP Harpal Kumaragupta came painfully close to the 66% requirement on his second ballot, but missed at 65.4%. CF Chris Saandeep was also close with 62.5% for his eighth try. The other guy above 50% was SP Siddhant Shakya with 54.8% for his sixth go. The best debut was LF Rahul Anand at a measly 23.9%.



Among those dropped after ten failed ballots was closer Khon Aye Ko, who got as close at 59.8% in his debut and ended with 42.6%. He won two Reliever of the Year awards, but was perhaps overlooked since he bounced around so much in his later years. Ko had 339 saves and 414 shutdowns, 2.06 ERA, 958.2 innings, 1645 strikeouts, 221 walks, 173 ERA+, 56 FIP-, and 36.6 WAR. He ranks 13^th in saves as of 2037, but didn’t quite have the same dominance as the other inducted closers.

SP Tilan Ghai also got dropped after debuting at 44.9% and ending with only 18.8%. Ghai seemed well on his way after his first six seasons with two Pitcher of the Year awards and two ERA titles, while also leading four times in WAR and thrice in strikeouts. He never made it a full season after that due to numerous major injuries. Ghai finished with a 127-66 record, 2.91 ERA, 1822.1 innings, 2508 strikeouts, 132 ERA+, 71 FIP-, and 50.7 WAR. He certainly goes down as one of SAB’s great “what if?” guys.

SAP Zahid Islam debuted at 42.2%, but ended with only 10.3%. He was a pretty firm “Hall of Pretty Good” level pitcher with some nice longevity, but little for awards. Islam had a 198-144 record, 3.25 ERA, 3080.2 innings, 3342 strikeouts, 549 walks, 110 ERA+, 92 FIP-, and 48.9 WAR.

It was a similar story for D.J. Govindarajulu, peaking at 30.8% in his debut and ending with only 6.6%. He did notably lead in strikeouts thrice, but bounced around between eight teams. Govindarajulu had a 160-141 record, 3.45 ERA, 2757.1 innings, 3817 strikeouts, 638 walks, 106 ERA+, 90 FIP-, and 47.7 WAR. He ranks 14^th in Ks as of 2037, but he allowed a lot of home runs and hurt his overall value.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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Four made it into the Asian Baseball Federation Hall of Fame in 2033. Co-headlining as first ballot picks were OF Emmanouil Karakostas (84.6%) and SP Mustafa Jumah (80.6%). Two others squeaked by the 66% requirement to join them. SP Qabir Sabiha got 68.5% on his second try and SP Ahour Sabbari saw 67.7% with his third ballot. Four others were above 50% with 3B Timur Tyan at 55.2% on his second go, LF Ramin Abilov at a 51.3% debut, 3B Eser Haspolatli with 51.35 for his fourth ballot, and CL Raghid Yazdani with 50.2% on the third try. No one was dropped after ten failed ballots.



Emmanouil “Oz” Karakostas – Outfield – Tashkent Tomcats – 84.6% First Ballot

Emmanouil Karakostas was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed outfielder from Ayios Ioannis Rentis, Greece; an Athens suburb with 15,000 people. He had the nickname “Oz,” mostly because teammates didn’t want to say his long name. Karakostas was known for solid contact skills against both sides along with great gap power and fantastic baserunning skills. He also was one of the best at avoiding strikeouts and drew walks at a decent clip. Karakostas wasn’t the worst home run hitter, but he only hit 20+ in three seasons.

Karakostas 162 game average got you 28 doubles, 14 triples, and 13 home runs. He was almost equal facing right-handed pitching (.823 OPS, 155 wRC+) compared to versus lefties (.833 OPS, 156 wRC+). Few players stole bases as efficiently as Karakostas, who was considered one of the most dangerous baserunners of his era. He managed to maintain very good speed even into his 40s.

A strong work ethic and intelligence helped Karakostas to a 22-year career, although he wasn’t going to take a leadership role. Stellar durability certainly helped, playing 145+ games each year from 2009-26. Karakostas bounced around the outfield in his career with around 40% of his starts in left, 35% in right, and the rest in center. He graded as a good defender in LF, below average in RF, and lousy in CF.

Greek players rarely ventured outside of the European Baseball Federation sphere, but a scout from Bishkek took an early liking to Karakostas. They convinced him as a teenager to leave for Kyrgyzstan, signing a developmental deal in January 2001. Karakostas spent the better part of seven years in their academy, although he did officially debut in 2004 at age 19. From 2004-07, Karakostas played only 107 games with 10 starts.

Bishkek was a playoff contender at this point, so finding an open slot for a young player was difficult. The Black Sox notably won the East League pennant in 2007, but lost in the ABF Championship to Istanbul. Karakostas only saw a few pinch hit at-bats in these early years. Karakostas saw more time in 2008 with 89 games and eight starts, then took the full-time job from 2009 onward. In July 2009, he signed a five-year, $12,420,000 extension.

Karakostas was soon considered elite, winning Silver Sluggers in LF for 2011-12. He led in hits (197) and triples (16) in 2010. Karakostas led in triples twice more for the Black Sox and led with 93 steals in 2011. He had a 27-game hit streak in 2009 and hit for the cycle in 2011 against Kabul. Bishkek got the top seed in 2010 at 104-58, but fell in the ELCS to Rawalpindi. Karakostas had a nice postseason effort with a .910 OPS in 2010 games. For the next three years, Bishkek was just above .500, but outside of the playoff race.

2014 was Karakostas’ final year under contract. Bishkek surprised many in February by trading him straight up for SP Taleh Butayev to Faisalabad. For the Black Sox, Karakostas finished with 967 games, 987 hits, 476 runs, 161 doubles, 82 triples, 61 homers, 346 RBI, 411 steals, .315/.365/.477 slash, 164 wRC+, and 37.2 WAR.

The Fire had won the ABF title in 2011 and had the top seed in 2013, but they got upset in the first round. They hoped Karakostas would solidify the lineup and it worked. Faisalabad again got the top seed at 99-63 and went all the way, defeating Mashhad in the ABF Championship. Karakostas won MVP of the ELCS win over Asgabat, posting 17 hits, 10 runs, 4 doubles, 3 homers, 8 RBI, 13 steals, and 1.1 WAR in 15 playoff starts. Faisalabad went 8-11 in the Baseball Grand Championship with Karakostas posting 18 hits, 13 runs, 5 doubles, 3 homers, 7 RBI, and 11 steals.

Karakostas’ one year with Faisalabad was a big success with 8.0 WAR, 178 hits, 85 runs, 34 doubles, .846 OPS, and 170 wRC+. They didn’t reach an agreement, so he ended up as a rental. Karakostas was a top free agent at age 30 and signed a seven-year, $83,200,000 deal with Tashkent. This started his signature run with Silver Sluggers in 2015 (RF) and 2021 (LF).

2020 was Karakostas’ strongest effort with career highs for hits (203), doubles (39), OBP (.384), and WAR (8.7). He also led in triples thrice with the Tomcats and steals once. Karakostas was a redeeming quality in a down period for Tashkent, providing 5+ WAR in all seven seasons. Unfortunately, they had no playoff trips with only two winning seasons and 71.6 wins per season during his tenure. In 1092 games, Karakostas had 1244 hits, 584 runs, 203 doubles, 98 triples, 90 home runs, 452 RBI, 550 steals, .311/.362/.478 slash, 166 wRC+, and 48.6 WAR.

Karakostas was a free agent again for 2022 and still playing at a high level even at age 37. Almaty gave him a two-year, $19,400,000 deal. Karakostas’ production dipped a little in 2022, but he was strong for his sixth Silver Slugger in 2023 (RF). That year saw a league and career-best 116 runs. The Assassins got wild cards both years, but couldn’t get out of the first round. Karakostas had 306 games, 353 hits, 200 runs, 50 doubles, 26 triples, 42 homers, 163 RBI, 132 steals, .302/.351/.497 slash, 162 wRC+, and 11.9 WAR.

With his longevity and consistency, Karakostas was climbing the leaderboards. He crossed the 1000 stolen bases, 1000 RBI, and 2500 hit milestones with Almaty. The 39-year old Karakostas signed a two-year, $22,200,000 deal with Baku and was a decent starter, but his production dropped to career lows by far. Still, Karakostas got 5.6 WAR in 301 games with 305 hits, 185 runs, 48 doubles, 25 triples, 28 homers, 159 steals, and a .275/.330/.439 slash.

In 2024, Baku win the ABF Championship over Almaty as a 94-68 wild card. Karakostas had a strong postseason and won finals MVP, getting 18 hits, 5 runs, 6 extra base hits, and 0.5 WAR in 13 total starts. In the Baseball Grand Championship, the Blackbirds finished 7-12 with Karakostas getting 16 hits, 10 runs, 2 doubles, 3 homers, and 7 steals. Baku won 100 games in 2025, but lost in the first round with Karakostas struggling going 1-18 in the series.

On the whole, Karakostas had good playoff numbers in his career. Over 66 games and 52 starts, he had 61 hits, 27 runs, 8 doubles, 10 triples, 5 homers, 18 RBI, 29 steals, .289/.343/.493 slash, 150 wRC+, and 2.6 WAR. With Baku, he notably became the second to reach 1500 runs scored and the third to 3000 career hits. Mehmet Fatih Canaydin had been the first to both marks the prior year and stayed ahead of Karakostas for those stats and career stolen bases on the leaderboards.

For 2026, Karakostas returned to Faisalabad with a respectable effort with 3.5 WAR, 131 wRC+, and .773 OPS in 146 games. He also had 19 triples, passing Wafiq Rasool’s 248 to become the ABF career leader. Rawalpindi grabbed him for 2027, but he fell off and was reduced to a part-time role with .640 OPS and 0.8 WAR over 130 games and 75 starts. That did get him to 3000 career games, a mark only met by Canaydin in ABF. Karakostas retired that winter at age 43.

Karakostas finished with 3093 games, 3273 hits, 1638 runs, 534 doubles, 266 triples, 252 home runs, 1229 RBI, 820 walks, 1203 strikeouts, 1416 stolen bases, .303/.354/.471 slash, 156 wRC+, and 115.6 WAR. As of 2037, Karakostas remains ABF’s all-time leader for triples. He also ranks 2nd in games, 3^rd in runs, 9^th in total bases (5095), 19^th in doubles, 3^rd in singles (2221), 38^th in RBI, 2^nd in steals, 22^nd in walks, and 5^th in WAR among position players. Karakostas is also 58^th in batting average and 66^th in on-base percentage among batters with 3000+ plate appearances.

Canaydin overshadowed Karakostas a bit for grand tallies, but they are among seven position players between 112-118 WAR as of 2037. None hold a candle to Nizami Aghazade, but Karakostas makes some of the top ten and even top five lists. He often loses some points for the lack of home run power, but his role in titles for both Faisalabad and Baku work in his favor. On the world leaderboard as of 2037, Karakostas notably ranks 26^th in steals.

Hall of Fame voters for the Asian Baseball Federation though can be notably stingy though. Despite Karakostas’s impressive resume, he only received 84.6% of the vote. That was plenty though for the first ballot nod and the top billing for the four-player 2033 class.



Mustafa “Lion” Jumah – Starting Pitcher – Faisalabad Fire – 80.6% First Ballot

Mustafa Jumah was a 6’3’’, 205 pound right-handed pitcher from Kotri, Pakistan; a city of around 106,000 people. When he was younger, people often confused his name Mustafa with Mufasa of Lion King fame, thus the eventual nickname of The Lion. Many also felt Jumah had the heart of a lion as a team captain. He was one of the highest character guys in the game, renowned for his leadership, loyalty, work ethic, and adaptability.

As for his skillset, Jumah had good-to-great stuff and movement, although his control was average at best. A strong 97-99 mph fastball led the way, but his slider and splitter were both potent as well. Jumah also had a rarely seen changeup for a fourth option. He notably fared better facing right-handed bats (3.00 ERA, 78 FIP-) compared to lefties (3.49 ERA, 104 FIP-).

Jumah’s stamina was quite good and he led the league twice in innings pitched. He stayed mostly durable as well over a 15-year career and avoided major injuries. Jumah’s defense and ability to hold runners both graded as subpar. In March 2008, a teenaged Jumah left Pakistan for Turkey on a developmental deal with Adana. He spent close to five full seasons in their academy, debuting with six relief appearances in 2012 at age 20.

In 2013, Jumah had a full-time roster spot primarily as long relief to follow an opener. He managed an impressive 16-2 record with a 2.12 ERA over 144.2 innings. The Axemen moved him to the full-time rotation after that and gave him a five-year, $25,920,000 extension after the 2016 season.

2018 was his finest season, leading the West League in wins (21-9), innings (276.2), quality starts (28), and WAR (7.2). Those were all career bests for Jumah, as was his 340 strikeouts. The 2.18 ERA was also his best full-rotation effort, but he finished second in Pitcher of the Year voting. Jumah wouldn’t be a finalist ever again.

Adana ended a 12-year playoff drought in 2014 and had three straight division titles and ELCS appearances. Unfortunately for the Axemen, they were denied each time in the ELCS, losing to Mashhad, Shiraz, and Tehran respectively. Jumah was good in the 2016 playoffs, but struggled the prior years with a 4.64 ERA over six starts with a 1-4 record, 42.2 innings, 57 strikeouts, and 0.6 WAR.

Following that run, Adana fell to the bottom of the standings for the rest of Jumah’s tenure. He also really stunk to start 2020 with a 5.31 ERA over 120.1 innings. That July, the Axemen traded Jumah to Faisalabad for three players. For Adana, Jumah had a 117-90 record, 3.22 ERA, 1849 innings, 2174 strikeouts, 507 walks, 103 ERA+, 88 FIP-, and 32.9 WAR. He had more innings there than later with the Fire, but Jumah would be more prominently associated with Faisalabad.

Upon his arrival, Jumah was barely used with only 22.2 innings of mostly relief. He also gave up a homer in his one relief inning in the playoffs as the Fire had a first round exit. Still, they saw something in Jumah and gave him a six-year, $59 million extension in March 2021. He was happy to be back home in Pakistan, although he only saw five total appearances for his country in the World Baseball Championship.

Jumah worked his way back into the starting rotation and had three strong seasons with 5.5+ WAR and ERAs below three. Faisalabad took the East League’s top seed in 2021 and went all the way, dethroning reigning champ Bishkek in the ELCS and Izmir in the ABF Championship. In 29 playoff innings, Jumah had a 3.41 ERA with 38 strikeouts. He had a 3.67 ERA over 34.1 innings with 33 Ks in the Baseball Grand Championship as the Fire tied for last at 6-13.

Faisalabad won three more division titles and made the ELCS from 2022-24, but they couldn’t claim another pennant. The Fire fell to Bishkek the first two years, then lost to Almaty in 2024. Jumah’s playoff results were underwhelming with a 4.56 ERA over 53.1 innings, and 69 strikeouts. He had a 76 ERA+, but his 75 FIP- and 1.5 WAR did suggest he caught some bad breaks.

Jumah’s production fell closer to league average in his final few seasons. Faisalabad fell to 78-84 in 2025 to end their six-year playoff streak, then plummeted to the bottom with four consecutive 100+ loss seasons after that. In his later years, he was able to become the 12^th pitcher to 200 career wins and the 11^th to 4000 strikeouts.

In total for Faisalabad, Jumah had a 104-76 record, 3.19 ERA, 1674 innings, 1907 strikeouts, 435 walks, 110 ERA+, 90 FIP-, and 29.6 WAR. He was well respected enough by the organization that his #36 uniform would be retired. Jumah announced his retirement after the 2027 campaign at age 36.

Jumah finished with a 221-166 record, 3.21 ERA, 3523 innings, 4081 strikeouts, 942 walks, 268/418 quality starts, 127 complete games, 29 shutouts, 106 ERA+, 89 FIP-, and 62.5 WAR. As of 2037, Jumah ranks 6^th in wins, 11^th in losses, 12^th in innings, 21^st in complete games, 18^th in shutouts, 13^th in strikeouts, and 29^th in pitching WAR.

He does also have the unfortunate distinction of having more walks than anyone else in ABF. Additionally, Jumah misses the top 100 for rate stats. He wasn’t overly dominant and was rarely considered a top three pitcher, but longevity and a championship ring go a long way. Plus, Jumah was as well respected as a captain as you’d find. His character, 200+ wins, and 4000+ Ks got him to 80.6% for a first ballot selection in the 2033 Hall of Fame class for the Asian Baseball Federation.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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Qabir Sabiha – Starting Pitcher – Karachi Carp – 68.5% Second Ballot

Qabir Sabiha was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city. Sabiha was known for excellent stuff, very good control, and above average movement. His fastball only peaked in the 93-95 mph range, but Sabiha was impressive at switching between it, a changeup, and splitter. All three were equally potent and looked the same from his sidearm release often until it was too late for hitters.

Sabiha’s stamina was good, but poor durability kept him short of 200 innings in half of his seasons. He avoided the big catastrophic arm injuries that ruin many pitchers, but had lots of trouble with his upper body and back. Sabiha’s defense and pickoff move graded as rock solid. He wasn’t a troublemaker by any means, but Sabiha lacked leadership skills and wasn’t the smartest guy you’d find.

He quickly emerged as one of the top collegiate prospects coming from Pakistan and was taken second overall by his hometown Karachi in the 2014 ABF Draft. Sabiha grew up as a Carp fan and was delighted to ultimately spend his entire pro career in his hometown. He was a full-time starter immediately, although he was lackluster as a rookie.

Sabiha’s second season had his career best ERA of 1.82, finishing third in Pitcher of the Year voting. He also tossed a 15 strikeout no-hitter on August 11 against Multan. He had a similar 1.89 ERA and a career best 8.2 WAR in 2016, finishing second in POTY voting. Sabiha tossed his second no-hitter on 6/22/2017 with 10 Ks and two walks against Ankara. That winter, he signed a six-year, $34,300,000 extension with Karachi.

The Carp had been a top contender in the 2000s, but they were aggressively mid for much of Sabiha’s tenure. They had a playoff drought from 2012-24 with an average of 77.2 wins per season. Sabiha did see his first big injury setback in 2017 with a strained abdominal costing him two months. In 2018, it was a torn meniscus in early April that kept him out the vast majority of the year.

Sabiha was back healthy for 2019 and was third in Pitcher of the Year voting. He had a good 2020, then lost half of 2021 to a forearm strain. In 2022, Sabiha was second again in POTY voting and led the East League in strikeouts (354) and WAR (7.0). That would be his career best for Ks and included a 23 strikeout game on August 9 against Gujranwala. This was one short of the ABF record 24 set by Rami Naqvi in 1999 and is one of only 11 games in world history of 23+ Ks.

In June 2023, the 31-year old Sabiha signed a five-year, $100 million extension with Karachi. That year, he finally won Pitcher of the Year with a league-best 352 strikeouts, along with a career-high 21-7 record. It was his last full 100% load with some injury issues in the next years. In 2024, Sabiha dealt with biceps tedinitis and a sore elbow. In 2025, he lost some time to an oblique strain.

Karachi finally ended their playoff drought at 100-62 in 2025 and won the East League pennant over Almaty. They would be denied the ABF Championship to 108-win Mashhad. In what would be his only three playoff starts, Sabiha was 2-1 over 20 innings, but had a 4.95 ERA, 16 Ks, and 0.1 WAR.

He had gotten some big game experience for Pakistan in the World Baseball Championship previously. From 2016-25, Sabiha had a 3.32 ERA in 160 innings, 9-8 record, 219 strikeouts, 38 walks, 106 ERA+, and 1.7 WAR. Pakistan notably made it to the World Championship for the first time in 2021, falling 4-2 in the finale to Brazil.

Sabiha’s velocity was already on the lower end and took a big dip in 2026 down to an 87-89 mph peak. He was eventually moved to a part-time role with a 3.47 ERA over 124.1 innings. Karachi got the top seed, but fell to Hyderabad in the ELCS with Sabiha not seeing the field in the postseason. He retired that winter at age 35 and his hometown team quickly retired his #14 uniform.

The final stats saw a 153-103 record, 2.62 ERA, 2412 innings, 3161 strikeouts, 495 walks, 207/294 quality starts, 103 complete games, 34 shutouts, 126 ERA+, 72 FIP-, and 63.7 WAR. As of 2037, Sabiha ranks 56^th in wins, 61^st in innings, 28^th in complete games, 10^th in shutouts, 41^st in strikeouts, and 27^th in pitching WAR.
Among those with 1000+ innings, Sabiha ranks 52^nd in ERA, 36^th in K/9 (11.79), 70^th in WHIP (0.99), and 69^th in opponent’s OPS (.602).

Sabiha’s resume was the opposite story to Hall of Fame classmate Mustafa Jumah. For Jumah, he had the accumulations and longevity, but not raw dominance. Sabiha’s dominance certainly looked the part, but his totals were lower. Many of the Asian Baseball Federation’s voters valued the longevity more and Sabiha missed the 66% requirement in his 2032 debut.

In Sabiha’s favor was a Pitcher of the Year award, multiple years as a finalist, and twice being the leader in strikeouts. He only got a slight bump in 2033, but 68.5% got him across the line. Sabiha earned a second ballot induction and was the third of four in ABF’s 2033 class.



Ahour Sabbari – Pitcher/Outfielder – Mashhad Mercury – 67.7% Third Ballot

Ahour Sabbari was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher and outfielder from Zabol, Iran; a city with around 135,000 people near the border with Afghanistan. Sabbari was one of the first notable two-way players in ABF history. On the mound, he had rock solid stuff along with above average-to-good movement and control. Sabbari’s velocity peaked at 95-97 mph and was part of a five-pitch arsenal including a circle change, splitter, regular changeup, and curveball.

None of the five were outstanding pitches, but they were all reliable options. His stamina was above average relative to most ABF aces. Sabbari also graded as a good defensive pitcher with a strong pickoff move. When he wasn’t pitching, Sabbari played the outfield split fairly evenly between the three spots. He graded as a pretty good gloveman in the corners and was serviceable in center.

Sabbari’s overall athleticism was quite impressive, boasting great speed and excellent baserunning chops. He was close to average in terms of contact and eye and did struggle with strikeouts. However, Sabbari had an impressive pop in his bat with a 162 game average of 32 home runs, 29 doubles, and 9 triples. He was a noticeably better hitter facing righties (.924 OPS, 159 wRC+) compared to lefties (.708 OPS, 112 wRC+). Sabbari was also one of the smarter guys in the clubhouse. His durability was a mixed bag as he managed a 15-year career, but had a lot of ailments related to the toll of two-way play.

With his unique skillset, teams weren’t exactly sure what to make of Sabbari. Some wanted to make him commit to one side or the other, but he was determined to be a two-way player. In the 2009 ABF Draft, Sabbari went seventh overall to Mashhad and ultimately played his entire career with the Mercury. They left him in the academy for 2010, then debuted him in 2011 at age 21. Sabbari had 85 games with average results offensively as a rookie and 63 innings as a pitcher.

Sabbari took over a full-time two-way gig from 2012 onward. He took second in 2012’s MVP voting with 9.1 WAR combined. His 2.47 ERA from 2012 would be his career high. Sabbari’s 2013 had some injury woes with ulnar nerve entrapment suffered in the World Baseball Championship, followed by a forearm strain in the summer. Mashhad ended a four-year playoff drought and would be a wild card team from 2013-15. They had first round exits in both 2013 and 2014.

2014 was Sabbari’s finest season and his lone MVP win. He had career highs across the board offensively with 6.8 WAR, 183 wRC+, 26 homers, 107 hits, 66 runs, 76 RBI and 46 stolen bases in 102 games. He was also good for a 2.68 ERA over 252 innings, 270 strikeouts, and 4.9 WAR. The combined 11.7 WAR would be a career high and the best-ever by a two-way player in ABF.

That year was also a breakthrough for Mashhad, who pulled off a surprise West League pennant win. They would be denied the ABF Championship by an upstart 83-win Dushanbe. Sabbari had an excellent postseason pitching with a 0.53 ERA over 17 innings with 15 strikeouts. However, he was an abysmal 2-32 at the plate with 12 Ks.

For his playoff career, Sabbari’s stats were underwhelming. On the mound, he had a 5-2 record in nine starts, but a 3.92 ERA over 59.2 innings, 50 Ks, 100 ERA+, and 0.2 WAR. At the plate in 23 games, he had a .147/.217/.373 slash, 74 wRC+, and 0.2 WAR.

The results were somewhat similar in seven editions of the WBC for Iran from 2013-23. Pitching, Sabbari had a 4.21 ERA in 126 innings, 8-6 record, 155 Ks, 86 ERA+, and 0.9 WAR. Batting, he had 39 games, 22 hits, 22 runs, 2 doubles, 8 homers, 12 RBI, 14 steals, .179/.331/.407 slash, 106 wRC+, and 0.6 WAR. Sabbari was notably part of Iran’s 2018 runner-up squad and their third place from 2023.

Sabbari took second in 2015’s MVP voting with his career best 284 strikeouts on the mound with a 2.75 ERA over 251.2 innings and 5.2 WAR. Offensively, he had a .956 OPS, 5.9 WAR, 20 homers, and 44 steals. Mashhad locked him up to an eight-year, $61,400,000 extension that winter. The Mercury missed the playoffs in 2015 at 86-76, then spent the next five years below .500.

In these years, Sabbari still played well when healthy generally, but he started to miss more noticeable chunks. 2022 was notable for his 5.4 WAR on the mound, a career best. The big highlight came on August 29, 2023 as Sabbari tossed ABF’s 16^th perfect game, striking out 10 against Ankara. He had signed a four-year, $68,300,000 extension with Mashhad that spring.

The Mercury would begin an ABF-record playoff streak in 2021, falling to Izmir in that season’s WLCS. They would see first round exits for the next three years. Sabbari’s body began to fall apart completely with the 2024 season, missing most of that year between a partially torn labrum and shoulder inflammation.

In 2025, he partially tore his labrum again in March, then suffered a damaged elbow ligament in late July. Between the two seasons, Sabbari had only 77.2 innings and 58 at-bats. Sabbari earned a championship ring as Mashhad won it all in 2025, but he could only watch in a sling. Realizing he was cooked, he retired that winter at age 36. The Mercury quickly retired Sabbari’s #45 uniform for his 15 years of work.

On the mound, Sabbari had a 162-111 record, 2.95 ERA, 2502.2 innings, 2654 strikeouts, 533 walks, 80 complete games, 16 shutouts, 119 ERA+, 87 FIP-, and 48.3 WAR. As of 2037, Sabbari ranks 44^th in wins, 56^th in complete games, 53^rd in innings, 67^th in strikeouts, and 53^rd in pitching WAR. The pace was comparable to some other Hall of Fame pitchers, but the totals were on the lower end and likely wouldn’t have been enough on their own.

Offensively, Sabbari had 1032 games, 893 hits, 546 runs, 182 doubles, 59 triples, 205 home runs, 530 RBI, 390 walks, 1146 strikeouts, 319 steals, .261/.342/.528 slash, 148 wRC+, and 45.2 WAR. His baserunning and defensive value really upped his WAR, giving him 93.5 combined. Still, some voters felt Sabbari’s overall totals weren’t quite impressive enough to belong in the Hall. Many also found it difficult to properly assess the value of a two-way guy.

Sabbari debuted on the 2031 ballot and barely missed the 66% cutoff with 64.5%. He dropped slightly to 61.6% in 2032, then got the bump just across the line at 67.7% in 2033 for a third ballot selection. Sabbari capped off a solid four-player class for the Asian Baseball Federation. In a league with limited two-way guys, it is usually him or Safdar Kahlwan (still active as of 2037) cited as ABF’s best in that role.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

SP Khamis Sheik and LF Tzidkiel Monnish were both slam dunk inductees for the Arab League Baseball Hall of Fame in 2033, receiving 96.4% and 93.1% of the vote respectively. 1B Faqi Al-Thakur was the only other player above 50% with 55.4% for his fifth ballot.



Dropped after ten failed ballots was 1B/DH Moahmed Grisha, who peaked at 36.4% in 2026 and ended with 8.0%. He was a six-time all-star with a 19-year career between four teams and led in on-base percentage twice. Grisha had 2662 games, 2856 hits, 1372 runs, 609 doubles, 370 home runs, 1380 RBI, 999 walks, .298/.366/.485 slash, 134 wRC+, and 62.3 WAR.
From his longevity, Grisha ranks 16^th in hits, 41^st in runs, 22^nd in doubles, 45th in RBI, 12^th in walks, and 11^th in games played. However, he only clocks in for 54^th in WAR among position players. Grisha lost some value as a DH and also never won a Silver Slugger. He was also primarily on bad teams and never played a playoff game. Those factors and the lack of home run power voters like out of first basemen doomed Grisha to the Hall of Pretty Good despite his tallies.



Khamis Sheik – Starting Pitcher – Jeddah Jackals – 96.4% First Ballot

Khamis Sheik was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Kismayo, Somalia; a southern port city with around 235,000 people. He was the second Somali added into ALB’s Hall of Fame along with Class of 2010 pitcher Ilwad Maxamed. Sheik is generally viewed as the country’s best-ever in ALB, although 2022 MLB Hall of Famer Abdul Karim Hussein challenges him for the best-ever from Somalia altogether.

Sheik had incredibly overpowering stuff along with above average movement and control. His 98-100 mph fastball was solid, but it was his terrific changeup and a great forkball which foiled most batters. Sheik also had a nice slider and curveball in the arsenal. Few guys were better at disguising his pitches and changing speeds.

His biggest weakness was below average stamina. Even though ALB pitchers generally throw far fewer complete games than other world leagues, Sheik only had six in his career. However, Sheik’s durability was impressive and he only twice started fewer than 30 games in a season. His pickoff move was outstanding, effectively holding the few runners he allowed. Sheik graded as below average defensively otherwise.

Sheik left Somalia as a teenage amateur in October 2006 for Saudi Arabia on a developmental deal with Jeddah. After five years training in their academy, Sheik was called up as a full-timer in 2012 at age 22 and took third in Rookie of the Year voting. His overall production was mixed in his first two years, but he established himself big-time in the 2013 postseason.

Jeddah finished 93-69 and upset 106-win Sulaymaniyah in the Eastern Conference Final with Sheik earning series MVP. The Jackals then won their first Arab League title upsetting 107-win Alexandria. Sheik won his four playoff appearances with a 1.21 ERA over 22.1 innings, 24 strikeouts, and 5 walks. Jeddah finished 8-11 in the Baseball Grand Championship with Sheik tossing 31 innings for a 3.19 ERA, 42 strikeouts, and 1.3 WAR.

Sheik emerged as an ace after that, taking second in 2014 Pitcher of the Year voting with his first ERA title at 2.45. Jeddah took the top record this time at 103-59 and repeated as ALB champs, beating Damascus in the finale. He had another solid playoff performance with a 2.21 ERA in 20.1 innings and 31 Ks. Sheik did struggle to a 4.91 ERA in his 29.1 BGC innings, but the Jackals notably finished eighth at 11-8.

Jeddah ultimately maintained a playoff streak through 2024 and Sheik played a huge role in that. The team did see setbacks with first round exits in 2015 and 2017. In 2016, the Jackals had a historic 117-45 season, but lost in the conference final to an also historic 114-win Abu Dhabi. However, these seasons were Sheik’s personal best. He signed a four-year, $37,400,000 extension in May 2016.

2016 saw Sheik’s lone Pitcher of the Year win with a blistering 1.56 ERA. This stands as the second-best ever in ALB by a qualified starter, behind only Hossam Bouaziz’s 1.45 from 1993. Sheik also led in wins at 26-3, one short of the league record. He led in WHIP (0.82), K/BB (11.7), quality starts (26), FIP- (46), and WAR (10.4); all career highs. Sheik’s 338 strikeouts also were a career best, but he missed out on the Triple Crown by 12 Ks behind teammate Herdi Wahib.

Sheik was third in 2017’s POTY voting with his final ERA title at 2.14. He would lead in WHIP in both 2017 and 2018 and had a 2.20 ERA in 2018. Sheik wasn’t a POTY finalist after that and only once more had a sub-three ERA, but he remained a consistently strong performer. In May 2020, he signed a five-year, $55,500,000 extension sticking with Jeddah.

It was playoff performances that became Sheik’s defining trait in his later years as the Jackals put together a dynasty run. They made the conference finals each year from 2018-22 and won the pennant in all but 2020. Jeddah won the 2018 ALB Championship against Tripoli, getting a 1.35 ERA over 20 playoff innings from Sheik. Then in the Baseball Grand Championship, Sheik posted an impressive 1.64 ERA over 33 innings with 41 strikeouts, a 3-0 record, and 1.2 WAR. That pushed the Jackals to 14-5, becoming the first Arab League team to claim Grand Champion honors.

Jeddah dropped the 2019 ALB Championship in a rematch against Tripoli. After losing to Basra in the 2020 conference finals, the Jackals at 92-70 upset the 102-win Bulldogs for the pennant in 2021. Jeddah claimed their fourth ALB title of the decade by defeating Cairo. This was actually Sheik’s one bad postseason by ERA at 4.44, although the 0.9 WAR and 63 FIP- suggested he was better than he looked with 40 Ks over 26.1 innings.

In the 2021 BGC, Sheik had a 2.37 ERA over 30.1 innings with 43 strikeouts, but Jeddah couldn’t replicate former glory and finished tied for last at 6-13. For his BGC career, Sheik had an 8-4 record, 2.98 ERA, 123.2 innings, 167 strikeouts, 37 walks, and 3.9 WAR. He just misses the innings needed (125) to qualify for the rate stat leaderboard, but his ERA would rank 11^th best as of 2037.

2021 also marked Sheik’s World Baseball Championship debut. The field expanded that year, allowing Somalia to regularly qualify for the first time. Sheik was surprisingly mediocre in those appearances with a 4.55 ERA over 97 innings, 3-5 record, 132 strikeouts, 35 walks, and zero WAR.

The final pennant of Jeddah’s run came in 2022, again earning a road upset over Basra. The Jackals were denied a fifth ALB title by Amman. Jeddah made the playoffs again the next two seasons, but fell both times in the first round. By the time their 14-year streak ended, Sheik had emerged as one of the most decorated postseason pitchers you’d find.

In 29 games, Sheik tossed 177.2 playoff innings with a 2.38 ERA, 11-6 record, 227 strikeouts, 38 walks, 21/26 quality starts, 176 ERA+, 68 FIP-, and 5.5 WAR. As of 2037, Sheik is the ALB playoff leader in starts, innings, strikeouts, walks (38), and WAR (5.49). He also ranks second in wins.

Sheik’s late career also had an important milestone on April 22, 2024; his lone no-hitter with 15 strikeouts and one walk against Sulaymaniyah. His longevity also made him the seventh to reach 3500 strikeouts in 2025. He did lose close to two months to elbow inflammation in the summer and Jeddah finished 83-79, ending their playoff streak. Sheik’s contract was up and with a rebuild likely coming, they let him leave for free agency at age 36.

For Jeddah, Sheik had a 197-109 record, 3.02 ERA, 2723.1 innings, 3613 strikeouts, 552 walks, 137 ERA+, 68 FIP-, and 84.1 WAR. Unsurprisingly, the Jackals retired his #9 uniform shortly after his career ended. Apart from the injuries in 2025, Sheik’s production had remained steady in his 30s. Casablanca signed him that winter at two years and $22,600,000. Although historically strong, the Bruins had fallen out of contention by this point.

With the Bruins, Sheik became the 12^th ALB pitcher to 200 wins and the fifth to 4000 strikeouts. His production was steady as expected in 2026, but he started to slip noticeably in 2027. His 3.75 ERA wasn’t out of range with his weaker Jeddah years, but his walks spiked to 82; the previous worst was 52. Sheik also had career worsts for hits, runs, earned runs, and home runs along with his lowest WAR at 1.9.

His velocity had also dropped to a 95-97 mph peak, although his stuff was still pretty good. However, weakening control and pending free agency made Sheik opt for retirement after the 2027 campaign at age 38. For Casablanca in two seasons, Sheik had a 24-21 record, 3.52 ERA, 414.2 innings, 442 strikeouts, 127 walks, 129 ERA+, 93 FIP-, and 7.0 WAR.

Sheik’s final tallies had a 221-130 record, 3.09 ERA, 3138 innings, 4055 strikeouts, 679 walks, 293/505 quality starts, 6 complete games, 4 shutouts, 136 ERA+, 71 FIP-, and 91.1 WAR. As of 2037, Sheik ranks 10^th in wins, 30^th in losses, 13^th in innings, 4^th in strikeouts, and 11^th in pitching WAR. Among those with 1000+ innings, Sheik ranks 38^th in ERA. His 1.02 WHIP is 24^th, 7.27 H/9 in 27^th, 11.63 K/9 is 19^th, and his .632 opponent’s OPS is 27^th. Sheik’s triple slash of .221/.269/.363 ranks 25^th/29^th/34^th.

Depending on whom you ask, Sheik could rank as a top ten pitcher all-time in Arab League Baseball. Most don’t put him in the top five, but his playoff stats and role in Jeddah’s dynasty pushes him towards the inner-circle. At 96.4%, Sheik was one of two added into the Hall of Fame for 2033.



Tzidkiel Monnish – Left Field – Damascus Dusters – 93.1% First Ballot

Tzidkiel Monnish was a 6’1’’, 200 pound switch-hitting left fielder from Bet Shemesh, Israel; a city of around 171,000 located just west of Jerusalem. Monnish was a great contact hitter that reliably produced extra-base hits. His 162 game average got you an impressive 45 doubles, 8 triples, and 36 home runs. Monnish’s power was far more noticeable facing right-handed pitching with a career .975 OPS and 157 wRC+. Facing lefties, he had a decent .807 OPS and 115 wRC+.

Monnish’s strikeout rate was average for ALB, but he was below average at drawing walks. His speed and baserunning graded as good to occasionally great. Monnish made the vast majority of his starts in left field and graded as a just below average defender. His durability was fantastic as he played 150+ games in all 15 of his professional seasons. Monnish was also appreciated for a strong work ethic and his loyalty, becoming popular with peers and fans alike.

In the 2012 ALB Draft, Monnish was picked sixth overall by Damascus. He was a full-time starter immediately with strong results, earning 2013 Rookie of the Year honors. Monnish spent his full career in Syria, but did return home to represent Israel in the World Baseball Championship from 2018-27. In 91 WBC games, he had 76 hits, 39 runs, 16 doubles, 16 homers, 32 RBI, .244/.353/.462 slash, and 2.8 WAR.

To that point, Damascus had been historically a terrible team. They had never made the playoffs and their only two winning seasons came back in the early 1990s. Monnish helped them reverse that trend, beginning a six-year streak as Levant Division champs in 2014. Although his playoff numbers were weak, the Dusters won their first Western Conference pennant in 2014. They would be denied their first Arab League title as Jeddah earned a repeat. That winter, Damascus signed Monnish to a five-year, $15,560,000 extension.

In 2015, Monnish won his first Silver Slugger and was second in MVP voting, leading with career bests for batting average (.348), and OBP (.398). He also had his best for hits (208) and stolen bases (46). 2015 was Monnish’s strongest postseason with a 1.420 OPS and 0.8 WAR in seven games, although Damascus lost in the conference finals to Casablanca.

Monnish earned his lone MVP win in 2016, leading the conference in runs (121), doubles (46), OPS (1.033), wRC+ (189), and WAR (8.3). The runs, OPS, wRC+, and WAR would be career bests, as would his 44 home runs and 124 RBI. Monnish was okay in the playoffs with 12 hits, 8 runs, 2 doubles, 2 homers, 7 RBI, and 0.2 WAR in 12 games. Damascus upset top-seed Giza to win their second conference title, then stunned 114-win Abu Dhabi to win their first-ever ALB title. Although the overall stats were underwhelming, Monnish stepped up especially in the finale and was named ALB Championship MVP.

Damascus finished 7-12 in the Baseball Grand Championship with Monnish getting 12 hits, 11 runs, 3 doubles, 4 homers, 8 RBI, 93 wRC+, and 0.4 WAR. The Dusters won three more consecutive division titles, but couldn’t get out of the first round. Monnish’s career playoff stats were good, although heavily helped by the 2015 run in particular. Over 37 starts, he had 44 hits, 19 runs, 13 doubles, 6 homers, 20 RBI, .312/.349/.546 slash, 143 wRC+, and 1.4 WAR.

Monnish continued to play well with Silver Sluggers in 2017 and 2019. He was second in MVP voting in the former and third for the latter. Monnish won another batting title (.340) and led in hits (207) in 2017. In 2019, he matched his career high for WAR at 8.3 and runs at 121. Monnish’s high for doubles came with 53 in 2018. In May 2019, he signed an eight-year, $136,400,000 extension to commit to Damascus.

The Dusters hovered around .500 to begin the 2020s. Monnish’s time as an awards winner was done, but he was still a positive value starter. In 2021, he joined the short list of guys with a six-hit game, doing it against Alexandria with a homer, two doubles, and four RBI. Monnish did match his career highs for homers (44) and RBI (124) in 2023.

Damascus fell to 63-99 in 2024 and bottomed out at 61-101 in 2025. Monnish stayed loyal as the Dusters looked to rebuild. They made it back to above .500 in 2027, but that year saw a sharp decline for Monnish with career lows for OPS (.798), wRC+ (97), and WAR (0.7). He retired that winter at age 37 and quickly had his 12 uniform retired by Damascus for his 15 years of steady service.

Monnish finished with 2340 games, 2713 hits, 1488 runs, 645 doubles, 122 triples, 514 home runs, 1553 RBI, 539 walks, 1634 strikeouts, 437 steals, .304/.355/.577 slash, 146 wRC+, and 75.3 WAR. As of 2037, Monnish is 34^th in games, 25^th in runs, 23^rd in hits, 24^th in total bases (5144), 14^th in doubles, 41^st in triples, 41^st in homers, 27^th in RBI, 88^th in walks, and 28^th in WAR among position players. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, his .932 OPS is 67^th and his slugging is 72^nd.

While Monnish falls just short of the inner-circle for the Hall of Fame, his tallies were plenty good for induction. He played an important role in Damascus’ first-ever successes and titles and was a reliable performer for 15 years. Monnish received 93.1% for the firm induction as part of the two-player 2033 class for Arab League Baseball.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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1B/3B Ermeyas Chekol stood alone for the African Association of Baseball’s 2033 Hall of Fame class, easily making it in at 95.3%. SP Valentine Hategekimana came painfully close to the 66% requirement on his ninth ballot, but just missed with a new high of 63.9%. 1B Lifa Moyo was the other guy above 50%, earning 55.7% with his seventh try. No one was dropped after ten failed ballots.



Ermeyas “Chicken” Chekol – First/Third Base – Johannesburg Jackalopes – 95.3% First Ballot

Ermeyas Chekol was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting corner infielder from the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa. As a kid, Chekol’s surname was often mispronounced (sometimes intentionally) as “Chicken,” which stuck as a career nickname. It became a term of endearment later on as Chekol was a very popular player. He had the respect of peers and fans alike with his talent, work ethic, and intelligence.

Chekol was an excellent contact hitter and was known for his fantastic speed and base stealing skills. He did grade as average at best in terms of drawing walks, but was better than most at avoiding strikeouts in AAB. Chekol’s gap power was good and his home run power was okay. His 162 game average got you 42 doubles, 13 triples, and 17 home runs. Once on base though, he was an absolute menace for pitchers, successfully stealing on about 77% of his tries. Chekol’s batting was basically equal against righties and lefties.

Defensively, Chekol made roughly 2/3 of his starts at first base and the rest over at third. He graded as a reliably good defender at 1B, but was subpar at 3B. Chekol held up pretty well physically over a 19-year career, although he did run into some notable injuries especially in his 30s. He drew attention from scouts early on as a teenager, including from as far away as South Africa. One of these scouts from Johannesburg signed Chekol to a developmental deal in January 2005.

Chekol spent the better part of five years in the Jackalopes academy, although he was a rare teenage debut in 2008 with 21 games and 1 start at age 19. He had 61 games and 13 starts in 2009, but was lousy and not ready yet. Chekol got the full-time gig in 2010 with merely decent results, but he was a solid starter from 2011 onward. Chekol won his first batting title with a .342 average in 2011 and led that year and the next in triples.

From 2011-15, Chekol won five consecutive Silver Sluggers. The first two came at 1B, while the next three were at 3B. Johannesburg was rebuilding to start the decade, but returned as a top Southern Conference power by 2013, which started a ten-year streak of winning seasons. The Jackalopes made it back to the playoffs and first in the standings in 2014, but got upset in the conference final by Harare.

In 2015, Chekol led the conference with 190 hits as Johannesburg tied their franchise best at 110-52. He finished third in MVP voting, his first time as a finalist. They rolled Lusaka for the conference pennant, but fell in the Africa Series to Brazzaville. Chekol was conference finals MVP and had easily his best playoff run with 21 hits, 14 runs, 7 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, 14 RBI, and 13 steals in 15 games.

Johannesburg qualified for the Baseball Grand Championship as the at-large and had the last laugh. The Jackalopes finished tied for first at 15-4 with Denver and earned the title via tiebreaker having beaten the Dragons 13-7 in their meeting. Johannesburg was the first African team to claim the top honor. Chekol was surprisingly poor in the event with -0.3 WAR and .574 OPS.

Apart from his 2015 run, Chekol’s career AAB playoff stats were underwhelming. In 59 games, he had 68 hits, 41 runs, 19 doubles, 5 triples, 9 homers, 44 RBI, 28 steals, .278/.313/.506 slash, 114 wRC+, and 1.4 WAR. Chekol also played from 2011-17 for Ethiopia in the World Baseball Championship with 72 games, 65 hits, 36 runs, 13 doubles, 10 homers, 27 RBI, 39 steals, .248/.312/.420 slash, and 1.8 WAR. He did have a solid run in 2013 as the Ethiopians finished third, their best-ever finish to that point.

Chekol surprisingly didn’t win awards in 2016 despite it being his finest season statistically by several measures. He led with a career best 131 runs and 122 steals while also leading in hits (202) and average (.331). This also saw his best WAR total of 8.0. Johannesburg repeated as Southern Conference champs at 106-56, but again lost the Africa Series to Brazzaville.

The Jackalopes fell one win short of the playoffs in 2017, but did notably give Chekol a seven-year, $79,600,000 extension in the winter. From 2016-19, he was the leader each year in runs scored. Chekol was third in 2018’s MVP voting, then got second in 2019 along with his sixth Silver Slugger. In 2019, Chekol led with career highs in batting average (.354) and OBP (.421). He had his bests for slugging (.598), OPS (1.020), wRC+ (187), and homers (27).

Johannesburg was back atop the Southern Conference standings from 2018-20. They beat Luanda for the 2018 pennant, but lost the Africa Series to 111-win Kampala. In 2019, the Landsharks got revenge in a conference finals rematch. The Jackalopes won their fourth pennant in six years with a 2020 victory over Dar es Salaam. However yet again, Johannesburg was unable to win the AAB title thanks to the Peacocks. They remained above .500 in 2021-22, but the playoff streak was done.

Chekol dealt with a high ankle sprain for part of 2020 and regressed significantly with .741 OPS and 103 wRC+, career worsts to that point. In the first game of 2021, he suffered a catastrophic torn PCL that knocked him out ten months. Chekol also lost close to two months in 2022 with a fractured hand. By this point, his production was merely decent when healthy.

Johannesburg went 74-88 in 2023, their first losing season since 2012. They then had a franchise-worst 54-108 mark in 2024, shockingly getting relegated after winning multiple pennants within the last decade. The Jackalopes escaped the African Second League after only one season by winning the 2025 pennant and taking runner-up in the A2L Championship.

That one year in A2L was Chekol’s final season with Johannesburg, playing 2253 games with 2573 hits, 1498 runs, 485 doubles, 137 triples, 314 home runs, 1145 RBI, 1312 steals, .305/.369/.507 slash, 131 wRC+, and 70.9 WAR. He remained very popular with Jackalopes fans for his role in winning four pennants in six years and saw his #10 uniform retired soon after.

Chekol joined Maputo in 2026 and was decent over 151 games with 172 hits, 108 runs, 41 doubles, 17 homers, 82 RBI, 77 steals, .298/.353/.485 slash, 107 wRC+, and 2.7 WAR. With the Piranhas, Chekol became the eighth AAB batter to 2500 career hits and the tenth to 1500 runs scored. He went to Mogadishu in 2027 with similar stats with 165 hits, 89 runs, 37 doubles, 16 homers, 72 RBI, 80 steals, .274/.333/.434 slash, 96 wRC+, and 1.7 WAR. He became the third in AAB to reach 1400+ stolen bases and ranks 28^th in world history for steals as of 2037.

Mogadishu had gotten promoted back to AAB’s First League in 2027 after two years in A2L. The Mighty Mice shocked the field in their return by winning the Africa Series over Dar es Salaam. Chekol finally got his AAB ring, although he stunk in the playoffs with .506 OPS, 21 wRC+, and -0.5 WAR. He fared little better in the BGC with .551 OPS, 59 wRC+, and -0.1 WAR as Mogadishu went 8-11. Chekol wanted to still play in 2028, but teams had little interest in an aged first baseman with little power. He retired that winter shortly after his 40^th birthday.

For his AAB career, Chekol had 2442 games, 2754 hits, 1591 runs, 521 doubles, 138 triples, 330 home runs, 1203 RBI, 808 walks, 1397 strikeouts, 1405 steals, .302/.365/.497 slash, 128 wRC+, and 73.0 WAR. As of 2037, Chekol ranks 13^th in games, 11^th in runs, 6^th in hits, 18^th in total bases (4541), 20^th in doubles (521), 4^th in triples, 37^th in RBI, 88^th in homers, 4^th in steals, 41^st in walks, and 17^th in WAR among position players. He is 41^st in batting average and 68^th in OBP among those with 3000+ plate appearances.

Chekol probably didn’t have enough awards or power to be considered an “inner-circle” level of Hall of Famer, especially with big bats expected at first base. But almost everyone agreed he earned a spot among the African Association of Baseball’s all-time greats. Chekol received 95.3% upon his debut ballot and was the lone inductee for AAB in 2033.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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The 2033 World Baseball Championship was the 87^th edition of the event and was hosted in Bangkok, Thailand. Notable for 13-0 finishes was England in Division 1 and Mexico in Division 6. They were the first countries to go unbeaten since divisional play expanded to 14 teams starting with 2031. For the English, it was their 10^th playoff berth and first since winning the world title in 2028. The Mexicans advanced for the 35^th time and the first since 2029.

Tying for second in D1 were Angola and South Africa at 9-4 with Australia close behind at 8-5. The head-to-head tiebreaker went to the Angolans for their first-ever playoff berth. Somalia also grabbed their first playoff trip by taking second in Division 6 at 9-4. Their closest foes were Haiti and the Philippines both at 7-6.

The two-time reigning world champ United States won Division 2 at 11-2, advancing for the 65^th time. Taiwan moved forward as a close second at 10-3, fending off Greece (9-4), Belgium (8-5), and France (8-5). The Taiwanese picked up their 11^th playoff trip and first since 2029.

Coming out of Division 3 were China (11-2) and Italy (10-3), while the next closest at 8-5 were Moldova and Tajikistan. The Chinese picked up a 29^th playoff berth all-time and their second in three years. The Italians earned back-to-back trips and their 22^nd overall, the most for a European nation. China is tied with Indonesia for the most for an Asian country.

Ethiopia had top billing in Division 4 at 11-2, advancing alongside last year’s runner-up Japan at 10-3. Canada and Spain were both competitive at 9-4 and Scotland went 8-5. The Ethiopians secured repeat postseason berths and their sixth overall. The Japanese made it three consecutive years and for the fifth time in seven years. Overall, Japan has moved forward in 25 events.

Russia controlled Division 5 at 10-3 to also secure repeat division titles and their 18^th overall. Thailand and Vietnam tied for second at 8-5 with Cambodia, India, and Serbia each 7-6 and five teams at 6-7. The tiebreaker sent the Vietnamese forward for the second time in three years and sixth time overall. The Indians notably had been in the semifinal five times since 2025 and had three consecutive third place finishes.

Egypt took Division 7 at 10-3 for repeat playoff trips and their seventh all-time. Last year’s fourth place team Germany tied at 9-4 with Austria, while Peru was 8-5. The Austrians had the tiebreaker over their neighbors, getting their first playoff trip since winning it all in 2026. Austria has moved forward six times in event history.

Lastly for D8, Brazil was best at 10-3 for their second trip in three years. The Brazilians advanced for the 37^th time, third-best among all teams and only behind the USA (65) and Canada (42). Israeli and Indonesia both finished 9-4 with the tiebreaker going to the Israelis for their first-ever playoff trip.

Double Round Robin Group A saw Ethiopia on top at 5-1, advancing along with 3-3 England. Taiwan and Israel both were ousted at 2-4. Russia and Austria tied atop Group B at 4-2 with China (3-3) and Somalia (1-5) eliminated. Coming from Group C were Egypt (5-1) and Vietnam (3-3) with eliminations for Mexico (2-4) and Italy (2-4). Out of group D at 4-2 came the United States and Brazil with both Angola (3-3) and last year’s runner-up Japan (1-5) getting the boot.

Ethiopia swept Russia 2-0, earning their fourth trip to the semifinal and first since 2024. England outlasted Austria 2-1 for their eighth final four berth and first since their 2028 title. Brazil swept Egypt 2-0 for their 23^rd final four appearance and second in three years. Lastly, Vietnam shocked the two-time defending champion United States with a sweep. The Vietnamese had only gotten to the semis once before with a third place in 2027. It was the first time since 2030 that the final four each came from a different continent. That had happened 13 times prior, but never before without a team from North America.

England ousted Ethiopia 3-1 and Brazil swept Vietnam 3-0 in the semifinals. The English secured their fifth finals berth and the Brazilians got their 11^th, although they had never met in the finale. Officially, the Ethiopians were third and Vietnamese were fourth. Ethiopia matched its highest finish from 2013.



In the 87^th World Championship, Brazil bested England 4-1 to become five-time champs (1987, 89, 90, 2021, 33). The Brazilians have the fourth-most titles of all countries and remain the only South American team to win it all, although Colombia, Venezuela, and Chile each have runner-up finishes. The only nations with more cups are the United States (43), Canada (8), and China (6).

Brazil’s top performer was LF Simon Veronese with 29 hits, 27 runs, 16 homers, 29 RBI, 1.080 OPS, and 2.1 WAR. 2B Ken Cantu had 41 hits and 27 runs while SS Ddy Corunha had 28 hits, 26 runs, and 14 RBI. Pitcher Otavio Furtado notably went 6-0, becoming the tenth pitcher in event history with six wins, although run support played a big role with a 3.38 ERA and 0.4 WAR only over his 50.2 innings.



Tournament MVP went to England LF Bertrand Waldron, a 28-year old entering his seventh season with EBF’s Sheffield. In 31 games, Waldron led with 17 homers and 88 total bases. He had 32 hits, 25 runs, 5 doubles, 24 RBI, .283/.367/.779 slash, 212 wRC+, and 2.1 WAR.

Best Pitcher went to Israel’s Nehor Pomerantz, the three-time Eurasian Professional Baseball Pitcher of the Year. The 35-year old lefty is set to return for 2033 with Vladivostok. He had a zero ERA over 17.1 innings, allowing only one unearned run and three hits. Pomerantz had 29 strikeouts and nine walks.

Other notes: With more games overall in the event now, a new WBC record for at-bats was set by England’s Gary Winfer with 130. English pitcher Todd McBride became the seventh in event history with eight starts on the mound. In bad records, Brazil’s Kaique Moura set a new high mark for home runs allowed with 25. Ethiopia’s Tesfaye Mehari had 11 saves, tying the WBC record reached thrice prior. Russia’s Dmitri Khodakovsky hit for the cycle against Uzbekistan, becoming only the 22^nd player in event history to achieve the feat.

There were three no-hitters in the 2033 WBC. Two came on January 5 with Egypt’s Mohamed Fayad getting 12 Ks and one walk against Austria, while Honduras’ Aitor Menchaca had 12 Ks and two walks against Argentina. On January 23, Angola’s Bernaldo de Almeida did it with three strikeouts and three walks against Brazil. That was the fewest strikeouts for a no-hitter in WBC history and was the first time that a no-hitter happened against the team that won the world title that same year.

Below are the all-time event stats. With Israel, Somalia, and Angola all securing their first playoff appearances in 2033, 91 unique nations now have made it beyond the divisional stage at least once.

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Dar es Salaam had gotten relegated to the African Second League for the first time for the 2033 campaign. The Sabercats looked for an immediate escape, setting a Southern Conference record at 106-56. For the cartoonishly high-scoring A2L, Dar set new records for runs (1328), hits (2012), and doubles (505). Their 317 homers were the second most in league history.

It was a steep drop down for the #2 spot, but six teams were within four wins of each other after 162 games. Antananarivo and Blantyre finished tied at 87-75, followed by Nampula (85-77), Maputo (84-78), Lilongwe (83-79) and Lubango (83-79). The Eagles defeated the Black Wolves in the tiebreaker game to earn the playoff spot, their first since getting dropped to A2L in 2031.



A competitive Central Conference had Kampala on top at 97-65, advancing along with 95-67 Pointe-Noire. Ndjamena was a close third at 93-69. This was the Peacocks’ first playoff trip since getting relegated for 2028. The Pride had never gotten to the playoffs before, although they did get promoted once previously for 2029 thanks to league expansions.



Dar es Salaam rolled 4-1 over Antananarivo in the Southern Conference Championship to guarantee a one-and-done in A2L. Kampala outlasted Pointe-Noire 4-3 in the Central Conference to earn a promotion back to the African Association of Baseball’s first league after a six-year absence. The A2L Championship was a classic that needed all nine games with the Sabercats coming out on top of the Peacocks.



Other notes: Several league records were set in the ultra-high scoring league, although A2L doesn’t count on world leaderboards. Dar es Salaam’s Edzai Jeke scored 185 runs, Lubango’s Husain Ferdous had 216 RBI, and Dar’s Ferdinand Rajerison had 565 total bases and 277 hits. Jeke also set a playoff record by drawing 14 walks. Ferdous became the first player with 500 A2L homers and the first to both 1500 RBI and 1500 runs scored. He also won his eighth Silver Slugger and first as a DH.

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For the third consecutive season, Zaragoza finished first in the Western Conference standings. They had won 107 and 120 in the prior two years, but had failed to earn a promotion out of the European Second League regardless. In 2033, the Gold Hawks only narrowly took the #1 spot at 97-65. Naples (93-69) and Hamburg (92-70) were close behind and earned playoff spots. It was the Nobles’ first berth since returning to E2L in 2031. The Hammers hoped for a one-and-done escape, having been relegated out of the European Baseball Federation’s Elite Tier the prior season.

The fourth and final postseason spot went to Amsterdam at 89-73. The Anacondas fended off 87-75 Luxembourg and 84-78 efforts by Belfast and Stuttgart. This was Amsterdam’s first playoff trip and winning season since getting relegated for 2030. With their near miss, the Silver Sabres remain the only original E2L team yet to be promoted at least once.

Palermo had been in the EBF Elite from 2017-31, but got relegated for 2032. The Priests continued to fall, suffering a further demotion to European Tier Three. They had the last place spot at 62-100 with only Toulouse close by at 65-97.

In the Round Robin, the top two advanced to the Western Conference Championship and earned promotions with Zaragoza at 5-1 and Naples at 4-2. Hamburg was ousted at 2-4 and Amsterdam finished 1-5. The Gold Hawks finally made it back up after a four year E2L run while the Nobles’ tenure went three years. In the conference final, Zaragoza defeated Naples 4-2.



The Eastern Conference was top-heavy with Bucharest (107-55) and Vienna (105-57) lapping the field. Both bullpens recorded 68 saves, tied for the second-most in E2L history. The Broncos got their first playoff trip since joining E2L in 2026, while it was the second in three years for the Vultures.

Lviv and Malta tied for third at 92-70 to take the remaining playoff spots ahead of Riga (90-72), Leipzig (88-74), and Skopje (87-75). The Marvels hadn’t made the playoffs since getting relegated for 2027. The Lunkers got their fifth playoff appearance in seven years, hoping this one finally got them the promotion.

Last place by a considerable margin was Athens at 42-120, continuing their rollercoaster ride. The Anchors had gotten demoted to ET3 for 2031, but climbed back to E2L after two years. Athens in 2033 set new E2L all-time worsts for wins, runs scored (348) and stolen bases (20). Montenegro was a terrible 57-105 in their E2L debut, but the Anchors’ abysmal effort saved them from immediate relegation.



The Eastern Conference also had their top two advance from the Round Robin and secure promotions with Vienna at 5-1 and Bucharest at 4-2. Lviv finished 2-4 and Malta went 1-5. The Vultures escaped after a four-year E2L tenure, while the Broncos had to wait eight years. Vienna won a seven-game classic over Bucharest to claim the conference championship. The Vultures then outlasted Zaragoza in seven to win the Second League Championship.



Other notes: Vienna’s Achim Vetter set E2L pitching records among qualifiers (162+ innings) for BB/9 (0.78), WHIP (0.63), opponent’s OBP (.180), and opponent’s OPS (.411). Vetter also had a 12 strikeout no-hitter on June 24 against Varna. Despite that, he lost Pitcher of the Year to Skopje’s Apostolos Anaximenes, whose 1.26 ERA was the second-best in E2L history.



In their first year in European Tier Three, Vilnius quickly escaped with a dominant first place at 106-56. For the other promotion spot, eight teams finished the regular season within five games. Leeds and Ostrava were tied for second at 89-73, followed by 88-74 efforts by Kosovo, The Hague, and Venice. Newcastle (86-76), Florence (84-78), Nuremberg (84-78), and Bordeaux (83-79) were all right in the mix. In a tiebreaker game, Leeds defeated Ostrava to earn their first-ever promotion. The Lagers would then upset top-seed Vilnius 4-1 to win the ET3 championship.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

For the 2033 season, the African Association of Baseball lowered the active roster from 25 players to 24. AAB had maintained a 25-man roster since the inaugural 1995 season. At this point in history, there are leagues with active rosters as large as 26 and as small as 22 players.



The Southern Conference was extremely competitive as five teams finished within four games of first place. 2031 conference champ Port Elizabeth picked up the first place spot at 95-67, growing their playoff streak to four seasons. Harare at 93-69 scored the most in the conference (896 runs) and took the second place slot at 93-69. Although the Hustlers haven’t had a losing season since 2021, this was their first playoff berth since 2023.

Just missing the cut were Comoros at 92-70, defending conference champ Johannesburg at 91-71, and Windhoek also at 91-71. This was the first-ever winning season in the top tier for the Chimps, who got promoted as the 2032 African Second League champs. Bulawayo was sixth at 83-79 and allowed the fewest runs in AAB at 676. Also notable was Cape Town at 79-83, ending an eight-year run of winning seasons.

At the bottom by a large margin was Maseru at 58-104, ten games worse than the next closest team Gaborone. The Mad Dogs were relegated back to A2L after a five-year run in the First League. Maseru had posted their first winning season the year prior at 84-78, but fell hard off a cliff in 2033.

Southern Conference MVP went to Harare LF Zenzele Mnisi in his third season for the Hustlers. The 31-year old Swazi righty led in on-base percentage (.435) and WAR (7.6). Mnisi had 188 hits, 109 runs, 31 doubles, 41 home runs, 108 RBI, 1.070 OPS, and 175 wRC+.

Mnisi had signed a big five-year, $158 million deal with Harare after playing his first eight years for Brazzaville. To the Hustlers disappointment, he opted out of the remaining two years after the 2033 season. Mnisi signed a new five-year, $127,200,000 deal with Asmara, but left there after one year due to relegation. He joined Johannesburg in 2035 at five years and $136 million.

In his Port Elizabeth debut, Chiro Mukubu won Pitcher of the Year. The 30-year old Congolese righty signed for 2033 as a free agent at $71,500,000 over five years. Mukubu had been merely decent prior with 2024-31 for Lusaka and in 2032 with Durban. He led in wins for 2033 at 23-5 and had a 2.88 ERA, 231.1 innings, 215 strikeouts, 154 ERA+, and 6.7 WAR.



The Central Conference was also competitive with half of the teams still having a playoff shot entering September. Shockingly not among those was Nairobi, the reigning African Series winner and Baseball Grand Champion. The Night Hawks struggled to 73-89, only their second time below 80 wins since 2021. Kinshasa pulled away late to take first at 97-65. The Sun Cats had been competitive since returning to AAB in 2026, but this was their first playoff trip since 2016. Kinshasa allowed the fewest runs in the conference with 678.

There was a tie for the second place playoff spot at 91-71 between Djibouti and Brazzaville. Just missing the cut was 90-72 Addis Ababa, 88-74 Bangui, and 86-76 Kigali. The Berserkers beat the Blowfish to earn their second playoff berth in three years, while denying Brazzaville a fourth trip in five years.
In last place suffering relegation was Bujumbura at 60-102, nine behind the next closest team Bukavu. The Bighorns had been the AAB champ as recently as 2026, but had been below .500 regularly since 2030. This was their first time being relegated, which leaves eight AAB original teams that have avoided demotions still.

Mogadishu was a non-factor at 75-87, their first losing season since returning to AAB in 2027. Regardless, 2B Abel Teklemariam won his second Central Conference MVP, having previously won in 2029. The 28-year old Ethiopian righty led in total bases (446), slugging (.762), OPS (1.183), and wRC+ (183). Nicknamed “Cyclone,” he had 211 hits, 126 runs, 42 doubles, 59 homers, 158 RBI, .361 average, and 8.0 WAR.

Teklemariam came close to a Triple Crown effort. His average was only four points behind Djibouti’s Bernard Kenei; he was four homers behind Nairobi’s Lazarus Abraham and Asmara’s Mustafa Moussa; and only five RBI behind Moussa. Mogadishu had given Teklemariam an eight-year, $149,700,000 extension after the 2030 season.

Kinshasa’s Lawal Deffallah meanwhile earned repeat pitching Triple Crowns and won his third consecutive Pitcher of the Year. The 26-year old Chadian lefty had a 20-3 record, 2.32 ERA, and 314 strikeouts. It was Deffallah’s fifth straight season as the strikeouts leader. He also led in WHIP (0.84), K/BB (7.5), FIP- (50), and WAR (9.3). It was his fourth year running as the WARlord. It was the sixth pitching Triple Crown in AAB history with Deffallah becoming the first to do it twice. Prior to the 2033 season, the Sun Cats had extended him at seven years and $111,400,000.

Port Elizabeth defeated Harare 4-2 in the Southern Conference Championship for their second pennant in three years. Kinshasa routed Djibouti with a sweep in the Central Conference Championship. This tied the Sun Cats with Johannesburg and Addis Ababa for the most pennants at ten apiece. However, this ended a 27-year drought for Kinshasa, who hadn’t won the conference since their epic 1995-2005 dynasty run.



In the 39^th Africa Series, Kinshasa returned to the throne for the first time in 30 years. The Sun Cats denied Port Elizabeth its first title with a 5-2 result, becoming the first AAB franchise with seven overall titles (1997-2000, 02-03, 2033). RF Malleh Dibba was finals MVP in his second season. The 24-year old Gambian in 10 playoff starts had 15 hits, 8 runs, 5 doubles, 1 triple, 5 homers, and 11 RBI.



Other notes: Harare’s Namir Jamal stole 139 bases, which was seventh-best in AAB history to that point. As of 2037, that is tied for the 19^th-best single season in world history. Kigali’s Vadim Makosso had 67 doubles, which was second in AAB history to that point behind Stefan Cejka’s 71 from 1996. As of 2037, this is one of only 14 seasons in world history with 67+ doubles. Bangui reliever Faruk Hamad set the AAB for games pitched with 81. Maseru’s Andre Ekeng set a bad single-season record by allowing 61 home runs.

Windhoe’s Shadrack Jordan had a 32-game hitting streak, tied for the second-best in AAB history. Stewart Khumalo holds the record at 41 games from 2027. In milestones, Ibukun da Costa became the 13^th member of the 600 home run club and Sadik Barakamfitiye became the 19^th to reach 500 dingers. Trevor Zhou and Dijbrilla Ousseini became the 14^th and 15^th to score 1500 career runs. Dagne Mersha was the 14^th to 1500 RBI. Zhou also became only the 15^th member of the 2500 hit club.

Ousseini, the only guy with 3000+ hits, won his 13^th Silver Slugger at shortstop. He joined Mwarami Tale (CF) and Felix Chaula (RF/LF) as the only 13+ Slugger winners in AAB. Ousseini is one of only 28 in world history to reach the mark. 1B Jimmy Bruner won his 7^th consecutive Gold Glove. Lovemore Chisora became the 7^th closer to 300 saves.

Promotion/Relegation: Maseru was relegated to the African Second League with Dar es Salaam returning to take their Southern Conference slot. Bujumbura was demoted from the Central Conference while Kampala was promoted back up.

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Algiers repeated as the Western Conference’s top seed at 100-62 and grew their impressive playoff streak to 11 seasons. This was the second-longest streak in Arab League Baseball history behind Jeddah’s 14-year run from 2011-24. The Arsenal also won the Mediterranean Division for the tenth time in that streak with no one else above .500 in the division for 2033. Algiers led all of ALB with 914 runs scored.

Nile Division champ Khartoum was close to the top seed at 97-65 with Beirut atop the Levant Division at 95-67. The Cottonmouths got their third playoff berth in four years, but their only prior division titles came from 1997-99. The Bluebirds also notably ended an eight-year postseason drought and got their first division crown since 2013. Suez got the first wild card at 90-72 for their first-ever playoff berth and allowed the fewest runs in ALB at 636. The 2016 expansion Sabres had only had one prior winning season since their 2016 debut.

Right behind Suez was Damascus and Aleppo tied for the second spot at 89-73, while Cairo missed at 88-74. The defending conference champ Dusters won the one-game playoff over the Alliance, whom they defeated in the prior year’s conference final. Damascus grew their playoff streak to six seasons. Notably falling to 80-82 was Alexandria, their first losing season since 2024.

Suez swept the Western Conference’s top awards with 1B Hamdi Bahri taking MVP. The 24-year old Syrian lefty was in his fourth season and second as a full-time starter. Bahri led in runs (127), total bases (426), OBP (.421), slugging (.716), OPS (1.137), wRC+ (179), and WAR (7.9). He added 205 hits, 43 doubles, 58 homers, 141 RBI, and a .345 average. The Sabres signed Bahri that winter to a team-friendly five-year, $67,800,000 extension.

Mostafa El-Awady earned Pitcher of the Year in his sixth season for Suez. The 26-year old Egyptian lefty won the ERA title at 2.59 and led in innings (256.2), quality starts (25), complete games (10), and shutouts (3). El-Awady had a 16-7 record, 264 strikeouts, 169 ERA+, and 6.1 WAR. The 5’9’’, 195 pound El-Awady stayed one more year with the Sabres before cashing in for a $220,200,000, seven-year free agent deal with Alexandria.

Suez ousted the defending conference champ Damascus 2-1 in the wild card round, but was promptly swept 2-0 by top seed Algiers. Khartoum outlasted Beirut 2-1 in their second round matchup, earning a second Western Conference Final trip in four years. The Arsenal was making their second trip in three years and their seventh of the playoff streak. Algiers prevailed 3-1 over Khartoum to secure their fourth pennant (2026, 28, 31, 33).



Doha won the ALB title in 2032 as a wild card. In 2033, the Dash took the Eastern Conference’s top seed for the first time at 103-59. Doha’s playoff streak grew to four years, but this was their first Gulf Division crown since 2019. They were the conference leader for both runs scored (905) and fewest allowed (686). The Dash also had 296 home runs as a team, the second-best in conference history behind Dubai’s 308 from 2029.

Mesopotamia Division champ Basra (102-60) finished only one behind Doha for the top seed. The Bulldogs hadn’t been in the playoffs since their 2018-26 streak. Those two teams lapped the field as the next best record in the conference was a mere 84-78 by Arabia Division winner Medina. The Mastodons got their seventh division title of the decade, finishing three games ahead of last year’s division champ and conference runner-up Jeddah.

Both wild cards had 83-79 records with Dubai and Muscat advancing. The Jackals and Baghdad both were the first teams out at 81-81. The Threshers’ narrowly extended their playoff streak to seven seasons, while the Diamonds got back-to-back spots. Notably last year’s Mesopotamia Division champ Sulaymaniyah fell off a cliff at 65-97.

Medina 3B Fekri Al-Baada earned Eastern Conference MVP, leading in hits (213) and WAR (7.2). The 29-year old Saudi lefty had 124 runs, 30 doubles, 18 triples, 23 homers, 71 RBI, 96 stolen bases, .937 OPS, and 142 wRC+. Al-Baada was in his third year with the Mastodons, having signed a big eight-year, $195,600,000 deal starting in 2031. Before that, he played for Tunis and Damascus.

Although Mecca had a losing record, their ace Pete Doca won his second Pitcher of the Year, having done it in 2030 as well. The 29-year old Italian lefty was in his seventh year for the Marksmen and won his second ERA title at 2.19. He also led in WHIP (0.94) and posted a 12-7 record in 193 innings with 257 strikeouts, 206 ERA+, and 7.1 WAR.

Muscat beat Dubai 2-0 in the wild card round and narrowly lost 2-1 to Doha in round two. On the other side, Basra bested Medina 2-1. The Bulldogs earned their first Eastern Conference Final appearance since making eight consecutive trips from 2019-26. They went the distance with defending champ Doha with the game five finale needing extra innings. The pitcher’s duel game five went 11 innings. In the bottom half, Doha third baseman Rachid Zaidi had the walk-off RBI single for a 2-1 Dash victory. With the repeat, Doha became three-time conference champs having also won in 1997.



Doha’s repeat bid in the 44^th Arab League Championship was ultimately denied by Algiers. The Arsenal took the series 4-1 to become three-time champs (2026, 2028, 2033). 22-year old 3B Zakaria Badwan was finals MVP in only his second full-time season. The Palestinian lefty in 11 playoff starts had 16 hits, 10 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 4 RBI, and 13 stolen bases.



Other notes: World history was made by Beirut’s Ahmed bin Nu’aim on October 6 with a ten strikeout perfect game in the second round of the playoffs against Khartoum. This was ALB’s ninth perfect game and only the second in all of pro baseball history to occur in a playoff series. The only previous playoff perfecto was back on October 3, 1938 as Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Ned Giles did it for Denver in a first round series clincher over Houston. There was also notably a perfect game in the 2012 Baseball Grand Championship thrown by Santo Domingo’s Omer Zkan with 16 strikeouts against Callao.

Six-time Reliever of the Year winner Aaron Buber became ALB’s all-time saves leader. The 35-year old Israeli righty returned to Casablanca in 2033 and finished with 476 saves, passing Nour Al-Haj’s 465. Buber became only the 20^th in all of pro baseball history with 475+ career saves. In other pitching notables, Diyar Abbas became the second ALB ace with 4500 career strikeouts. The top mark is Ahmed Hussain at 5295. Mourad Atia became the 14^th ALB pitcher with 3500 Ks and Bakr Mahdi was the 17^th to 200 wins.

Walid Bennani became the 7^th member of the 800 home run club while Malik Zouaoui became the 11^th to 700 dingers. Zouaoui, Lyles Adel, and Abdulhalim Talukder all reached 1500 runs scored, marking 18 players to reach the milestone. Emad Tarek became the 25^th to 1500 RBI. Adel, Walid Zaoui, and Khali Allawi joined the 500 homer club, a group 41 men strong. Tarek, Zouaoui, Ahmed Yasser Basha, and Samah Fathy all got to 2500 hits with 29 batters reaching the mark in ALB.

Cairo’s Wandy Martadinata had a 34-game hitting streak, tied for the fifth-longest in ALB history. This was only three games short of Abdul Jalil Dahir’s record 37 from 2028. Aleppo’s Ric Cabrera had 169 RBI, tied for the fourth-most in ALB history. Through 2037, this is tied for the 34^th-best single season in world history.

RF Nathan Nasreddine won his 11^th consecutive Gold Glove, becoming only the second in ALB history to win the award 11 times. SS Amr Khatab also did it consecutively from 12 from 2000-11. LF Karrar Mazloum won his 7^th Gold Glove. Wissam Magdy won his eighth Silver Slugger and second as a designated hitter, previously winning six in LF.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

For 2033, the Asian Baseball Federation opted to expand its active roster size up to 26 players. This joined ALB, CLB, and SAB as the world leagues at 26, the highest number used. ABF had used a 25-man active roster since the inaugural season back in 1985.



The East League’s four playoff teams were separated by only three victories. The division champs were both 103-59 with Rawalpindi first in the Pakistan Division and Tashkent atop the North Division. By tiebreaker, the Tomcats took the #1 seed. It was Tashkent’s second division title in three years and back-to-back for the Red Wings. Rawalpindi’s playoff streak also grew to three games.

Neither came easy with Almaty one back in the North at 102-60 and defending ABF champ Hyderabad three back of Rawalpindi at 100-62. Lahore was also in the wild card hunt, but fell short at 94-68 with their ninth straight winning season. The Horned Frogs extended their playoff streak to a decade. The Assassins got their second trip in three years and have only missed twice since 2020. Almaty also recorded 62 saves, the second-most in ABF history.

Last year’s ELCS runner-up Bishkek fell to 77-85, their first time below 80 wins since 2014. Hyderabad was the top scoring team with 757 runs and allowed the fewest at 506. Namangan was 83-79, but notably had a .276 batting average and 1526 hits. Those ranked as the second and third-best marks in East League history, respectively.

Osh was a wild card in their third-ever season in 2032, but dropped to 83-79 in 2033. They’ve got a future megastar though with 1B Dzhurakhon Asadullayev taking the MVP in his third season. The 25-year old Kazakh lefty led in home runs (58), walks (106), OBP (.466), slugging (.772), OPS (1.238), wRC+ (255), and WAR (11.0). Asadullayev also had 175 hits, 112 runs, 34 doubles, 127 RBI, and a .353 average. He was five points and 11 RBI short of a Triple Crown season.

Asadullayev came close to several single-season records. His .466 OBP was second to Nizami Aghazade’s .473 from 2016 and his 1.238 OPS was only behind Gokhan Karatas’ 1.285 from 1993. Asadullayev also posted the fifth-best slugging mark in ABF history. As of 2037, his OBP ranks as the 31^st-best in world history and the OPS is 43^rd. In his first three seasons, he has led each year in OBP, OPS, and wRC+. The Oxen had taken Asadullayev second overall in the 2030 ABF Draft.

In his Rawalpindi debut, veteran pitcher Salah El Abidine broke out for Pitcher of the Year. The 31-year old Moroccan lefty had been respectable in his first seven years in the Arab League. El Abidine came to ABF in 2031 with Antalya, who traded him before the 2033 campaign to the Red Wings. With Rawalpindi, El Abidine won the ERA title (1.96) and led in WHIP (0.82). He had a 14-4 record, 216 innings, 261 strikeouts, 177 ERA+, and 6.7 WAR. From that performance, the Red Wings gave him a four-year, $31,800,000 extension. Unfortunately, he only gave them 156 total innings over the next three years due to numerous injuries.

In the first round, Hyderabad swept Tashkent 2-0 and Almaty topped Rawalpindi 2-0. The Assassins then bested the Horned Frogs 2-0 in round two. Despite being a playoff regular in the last 25 years, this was Almaty’s first East League Championship Series trip since 2025. In the loser’s bracket, the Red Wings edged the Tomcats 2-1, setting up a rematch with Hyderabad.

The Horned Frogs again prevailed over their divisional foe Rawalpindi, this time by a 2-1 margin. Hyderabad got another shot at Almaty and earned their seventh ELCS trip in eight years. The Horned Frogs got their revenge in a 4-3 classic against the Assassins for the three-peat.

Hyderabad leads all ABF teams with 12 pennants (1986, 87, 97, 98, 99, 2013, 26, 27, 28, 31, 32, 33) and became the first in league history to earn six pennants in an eight year span. Almaty’s awful luck in the playoffs continues despite earning 19 postseason trips in a 25-year span. In that run, they have only one pennant and seven appearances in the ELCS.



Baku’s dominance of the West League continued in 2033 as they looked for a fifth consecutive pennant. The Blackbirds had won the ABF title from 2029-31, but were thwarted in 2032 by Hyderabad despite their ABF-record 118-44 season. Baku matched the 118 wins in 2033 and scored 922 runs, second only to their 962 from the prior year. They also allowed the fewest runs with 552.

The WL’s second-best record was Istanbul at 105-57, although they were far from a West Division title thanks to Baku. Gaziantep was also strong in the division at 98-64 and joined the Ironmen as wild cards. Istanbul ended a three-year playoff drought and the Gorillas snapped a four-year skid. Ankara, winners of 101 games last year, dropped to 86-76.

ABF’s longest-ever playoff streak grew to 13 seasons as Mashhad won the Central Division at 104-58. The Mercury picked up their ninth division title of the run, finishing 14 games ahead of Tabriz and 16 better than Isfahan. The Tiger Sharks were denied a fourth straight wild card.

Baku’s Arytom Masharipov was denied a fourth consecutive West League MVP despite leading in home runs (63) and RBI (153). His Blackbirds teammate Ular Esenov swiped the honor with a league-best 134 runs scored. The 26-year old Uzbek first baseman had 219 hits, 39 doubles, 50 home runs, 136 RBI, 1.069 OPS, and 8.8 WAR. Both Baku baddies were even in WAR, although the top mark went to Ahvaz’s Ahmad Minoo at 10.7. In July, Esenov signed an eight-year, $153,600,000 extension with the Blackbirds.

Agshin Jumayev joined the legendary Yazeed Anwari as ABF’s only aces to win six or more Pitcher of the Year awards. The 32-year old Tajik lefty had won it in 2025, 27, 29, 30, and 31 for Baku. In 2033, Jumayev was the leader in WAR (11.0), strikeouts (42), WHIP (0.91), complete games (21), and FIP- (52). There have only been 21 seasons in ABF of 400+ Ks, Jumayev now had four. His blazing 420 strikeouts ranked as the league’s fifth-best single season. It was also only the 13^th time in ABF that a pitcher had 11+ WAR.

Jumayev also had a 22-7 record, 2.22 ERA, 268 innings, and 175 ERA+. He was only five ERA points and one win short of achieving his third Triple Crown. On April 27, he threw his third no-hitter in a 15 K, one walk game versus Isfahan, joining Ibrahim Bulak as the only ABF pitchers with three no-hitters. In 2033, Jumayev also became the 18^th pitcher to 200 career wins and the 15^th to 4000 strikeouts.

Round of the playoffs had Baku over Gaziantep 2-0 and Mashhad over Istanbul 2-1. The Mercury then upset the Blackbirds 2-0 to earn a repeat bid in the West League Championship Series. Mashhad has made it six times in their 13-year playoff streak. To begin the loser’s bracket, the Ironmen ousted the Gorillas 2-1. Baku then outlasted Istanbul 2-1 to earn a rematch with the Mercury.

The double-elimination format had also saved Baku’s dynasty twice before. In 2032, Mashhad got the 2-0 round two win, but lost 4-2 in the WLCS rematch. 2033 had a similar result, although this time the Blackbirds needed all seven games for their revenge over the Mercury. Baku became the first in ABF history to five consecutive pennants and earned their tenth overall (2010, 12, 13, 22, 24, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33).



The 49^th ABF Championship was the fourth finals battle overall and now part of a trilogy between Baku and Hyderabad. The first meet was a 4-3 Horned Frogs win in 2013 that had the road team win all seven games. In 2031, the Blackbirds got revenge 4-2 for their third consecutive ABF title. Hyderabad had the last laugh that year though by winning the Baseball Grand Championship at 14-7, while the Blackbirds at 13-8 were officially fourth. The Horned Frogs then denied Baku’s four-peat with a sweep in 2032.

Baku evened the series in ABF in 2033 with a 4-2 victory over Hyderabad, becoming six-time federation champs (2012, 24, 29, 30, 31, 33). They’re the first in ABF history to win four rings in five years; the closest was Istanbul who won three from 1985-89. On top of likely being ABF’s best-ever dynasty, the 2033 Blackbirds staked their claim as the best team in ABF history. The matched their 2032 wins record at 118-46, but this time came home with the hardware.

Veteran 3B Izidiham Khalifa won finals MVP, having signed with Baku for 2033 on a seven-year, $83,300,000 free agent deal. In 20 playoff starts, the 29-year old Afghan lefty had 27 hits, 9 runs, 3 doubles, 2 homers, 9 RBI, 12 walks, and 1.031 OPS. 22 of his hits were singles, which set an ABF playoff record. Teammate Dean Miller set a playoff record with five triples and Hyderabad’s Emir Han set a new high-mark with 86 at-bats.



Other notes: Adana’s Ibrahim Rabee had 230 hits, tying his own ABF single-season record set in 2030. Mashhad’s Ishtaq Shahzad also made a run at the record with 227 hits and had 27 triples. Shahzad was four triples short of the ABF record of 31 that he set in 2031. Almaty reliever Sabri Erdelhun set a single-season record for games pitched with 86.

In bad records, Izmir pitching staff had a 5.12 ERA and 812 earned runs, second-worst in ABF history behind only 2030 Shiraz. The Ice Cats also had a 6.64 K/9 and 10.16 H/9, both the third-worst. In good pitching notables, Hasan Yousefi was the 18^th to 200 wins. Four pitchers reached 3000 career strikeouts, bringing it to 42 aces to hit the mark in ABF.

Sultan Han became the 8^th to 600 home runs and Youssouf Raza became the 21^st to reach 500. H.A. Rahman became only the 4^th to 3000 hits and Hakan Mocuk became the 4^th to 1500 runs scored. Two-way player Safdar Kahlwan won his 11^th Silver Slugger and 10^th specifically as a pitcher. SS Vugar Sodikov won his 9^th Slugger, 3B Mahtab Malik won his 8^th and OF Khalaf bin Abdullah won his 7^th. Catcher Ali Mahdian won his 14^th Gold Glove, a world record for catchers. He’s only the third at any position in ABF with 14+ Gold Gloves, joining RF Hana Zuhair and 3B Eser Haspolatli.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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Three teams were within two games of taking the Indian League’s top seed. The best two records both came from the Central Division with Kolkata first at 100-62 and Lucknow second at 99-63. The Cosmos hadn’t been a playoff team since their 2026 pennant, while the Larks got back-to-back berths as the first wild card. Delhi, who had a four-year playoff streak out of the Central, struggled to 76-86 for their first losing season since 2018.

Reigning South Asia Baseball champ and two-time defending IL champ Visakhapatnam only narrowly missed the top seed, winning a fourth consecutive South Division at 98-64. The Volts now have ten division titles over the last 11 years. Hyderabad was second in the division at 92-70 and got the second wild card, giving the Hippos three years in-a-row as a wild card. Visakhapatnam was the IL’s top scoring team with 815 runs, followed by Hyderabad at 806.

The West Division was the weakest with Ahmedabad on top for the eighth year running. At 86-76, the Animals outlasted Mumbai (85-77) and Vadodara (82-80). Although the Meteors missed the cut, this was notably their first winning season since their 2022 title. The RedHawks allowed the league’s fewest runs with 593.

Visakhapatnam swept the top awards with Indian League MVP going to CF Aryan Rai. It was a surprise breakout season for the 29-year old, who had played sparingly in his previous seven seasons for the Volts. He had won SAB Championship MVP the prior fall to earn a full-time starting gig for 2033. Rai led in runs (110) and WAR (8.2). He added 208 hits, 32 doubles, 9 triples, 26 home runs, 72 RBI, 96 stolen bases, and a .340/.363/.550 slash.

In May, Rai signed a team-friendly six-year, $65,000,000 extension with Visakhapatnam. He notably hit for the cycle in April against Nagpur and then again in July facing Surat. Rai became the third player in SAB history to hit for the cycle twice in the same season.

The Volts also had the Pitcher of the Year with veteran Pranthep Chumpornong also having a career year. The 34-year old Thai lefty led in wins (20-6) and WAR (6.8). Chumpornpong had a 2.89 ERA over 246.1 innings with 259 strikeouts and 139 ERA+. It proved to be a one-off for Chumpornpong, who had an ERA above four in the next two seasons and then retired.

Hyderabad beat Lucknow in the wild card round 2-0, then promptly was swept 3-0 by Kolkata in the divisional series. Visakhapatnam swept Ahmedabad 3-0 for a fourth consecutive trip to the Indian League Championship Series. The Volts had been there eight times since 2023. For the Cosmos, they last made it in 2026 when they upset the 115-win Volts to deny a four-peat bid. Visakhapatnam wouldn’t be denied another three-peat in 2033 despite not having home field advantage. The Volts rolled to a 4-1 win over Kolkata for their eighth Indian League pennant (2012, 13, 23, 24, 25, 31, 32, 33).



Defending Southeast Asia League champ Mandalay and Ho Chi Minh City lapped the field and fought for 2033’s #1 seed. The Mammoths took it at 108-54 atop the West Division, growing their playoff streak to eight seasons with their sixth division title of the run. The Hedgehogs were close behind at 106-56 and for the fifth year running won the South Division and won 100+ games. HCMC was the highest scoring team in SAB with 920 runs.

The next best two records were the second place teams in those divisions with Bangkok at 95-67 in the South and Dhaka at 94-68 in the West. The Bobcats earned a third straight wild card, while the Dobermans returned to the playoffs after their 11-year streak was snapped in 2032. There was a six game drop to the next closest wild card competitor from Dhaka.

Last year’s #1 seed Yangon grew their Central Division title streak to four years at 92-70, fending off Nay Pyi Taw (88-74) and Korat (86-76). The Green Dragons now have 37 playoff berths over the last four decades. It was the first winning season for both the Capitals and Renegades, an impressive feat for two teams that began play with the 2030 expansion. Nay Pyi Taw allowed the fewest runs in SEAL at 633.

Dhaka RF Kap Mitanu won his second Southeast Asia League MVP in three years and earned his first Gold Glove. The 29-year old Indian righty bounced back after missing most of 2032 to a torn back muscle. In 2033, Mitanu led in total bases (398), OPS (1.047), wRC+ (177), and WAR (9.0). He added 213 hits, 121 runs, 41 doubles, 42 homers, and 133 RBI. The Dobermans had given Mitanu an eight-year, $191,800,000 extension after his 2031 MVP win.

His Dhaka teammate Jeffrey Sharma won Pitcher of the Year with a blistering 384 strikeouts, the seventh-best single season in SAB history. This was only 12 Ks from Zainal bin Aziz’s record 396 from 1992. The 26-year old Indian righty also led in quality starts (23), complete games (13), and innings (261.2). Sharma had a 3.30 ERA, 18-7 record, 130 ERA+, and 6.2 WAR. He signed a four-year, $36,160,000 extension in September, but would quickly be derailed in the next two years by major injuries.

Bangkok bested Dhaka 2-0 in the wild card round, but was promptly routed 3-0 in the divisional series by Mandalay. Yangon upset their old rival Ho Chi Minh City in a 3-2 classic on the other side. Despite five consecutive seasons with 100+ wins, the Hedgehogs have no pennants and have gone one-and-done in four straight years. This set up another Southeast Asia League Championship between the Mammoths and Green Dragons, who had claimed every SEAL pennant since 2026. The SEAL champ yet again was going to be from Myanmar.

Mandalay beat Yangon to win their 2026 and 2028 titles, while the Green Dragons won in 2030. The Mammoths were the heavy favorite to repeat with home field and 16 more wins, but Yangon scored the upset 4-2 to win their 15^th SEAL title (1980, 82, 83, 96, 2001, 06, 12, 14, 15, 17, 20, 22, 30, 31, 33). The Green Dragons were now tied with Ho Chi Minh City for the most SEAL pennants and were behind only Ahmedabad’s 17 for the most in SAB.



The 54^th South Asia Baseball Championship was a rematch of two years prior, which saw a 4-2 Yangon victory over Visakhapatnam. They had also met back in 2012, which was also a 4-2 Green Dragons win. The Volts took one back with their own 4-2 result in 2033 to score repeat SAB titles. Visakhapatnam now had five SAB titles (2023, 24, 25, 32, 33). In a losing effort, Yangon DH Khan Nishar was finals MVP. The 33-year old in 17 playoff starts had 22 hits, 15 runs, 7 doubles, 6 homers, and 19 RBI.



Other notes: Ho Chi Minh City’s Jakree Siriket had 59 doubles, falling one short of the SAB single-season record 60 hit twice previously. Kanpur’s pitching staff had only 1168 strikeouts with a 7.35 K/9, which was the lowest totals in Indian League history.

Gunavati Candrajita became the 7^th member of the 3000 hit club. Quoc Thang Lu and Jay Prasad were the 38^th and 39^th to earn 2500 hits. Arav Walif became the 16^th in SAB with 600 home runs. Cong Bui and Dong Vinh Lam became the 33^rd and 34^th members of the 500 home run club. Randall Batin became the 24^th to 1500 RBI and Agnisika Dhavita became the 21^st to 1500 runs scored. Hamidul Islam won his 7^th Silver Slugger and his first at second base. He had a previous win at SS and five as a DH.