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

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Two starting pitchers were first ballot inductees into the East Asia Baseball Hall of Fame for 2034. Il-Hwan Lee was the headliner at 94.8% and was joined by Jun-Hwi Jung with a rock solid 77.4%. The next closest to the 66% requirement was SP Takeo Kobayashi at 55.1% on his second ballot. Also above 50% was 1B Kyu-Seong Lee with 51.9% on his ninth try, LF Jae-A Choi at 51.2% for his fourth go, and C Ha-Jun Au at 50.9% on his eighth ballot.



The one player dropped after ten ballots was closer Hyun-Woo Park, who peaked with a 43.3% debut and ended at 13.9%. He notably led the league five straight years in saves, but only won Reliever of the Year once in a 13-year career with six teams. Park had 345 saves and 366 shutdowns, 3.77 ERA, 943 innings, 1047 strikeouts, 209 walks, 134 ERA+, 69 FIP-, and 27.3 WAR. He ranks 16^th in saves as of 2037, but had nowhere near the raw dominance of the other HOF closers, thus a banishment to the Hall of Pretty Good.



Il-Hwan Lee – Starting Pitcher – Incheon Inferno – 94.8% First Ballot

Il-Hwan Lee was a 5’11’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from the capital of South Korea, Seoul. Lee’s biggest strength was very good movement, rarely giving up home runs with an extreme groundball tendency. This did mean he was sometimes at the mercy of his defense more than others. Lee did have above average-to-good stuff, but his control was subpar.

Lee’s velocity peaked in the 94-96 mph range, but he had a six pitch arsenal with all options equally viable. He had a curveball, forkball, changeup, splitter, cutter, and circle change. Lee’s stamina was average at best relative to other EAB aces, but his ironman durability gave him plenty of innings. Apart from 2014, he tossed 215+ innings in all of his 17 seasons. Lee did have an excellent pickoff move, but had trouble defensively otherwise.

Perhaps Lee’s biggest strength was his leadership. A team captain, Lee was renowned by teammates for his leadership, loyalty, and work ethic. Those traits allowed him to overachieve even without the jaw-dropping stuff many great pitchers needed to thrive. After a strong showing at Hanlyo University, Lee was picked 27^th overall by Daegu n the 2010 EAB Draft.

Lee was kept in the academy for all of 2011, then was a starter from 2012-14 for the Diamondbacks. He had solid results in his first two years, helping Daegu to a surprise 109-53 campaign in 2013. Lee was lackluster in his four playoff starts with a 2-2 record, but a 4.88 ERA over 27.2 innings and 27 Ks. Still, the Diamondbacks defeated Hiroshima to win the EAB Championship. In the Baseball Grand Championship, they were tied at for seventh at 10-9. Lee had 1.0 WAR over 34 innings, but an 0-3 record and 4.24 ERA.

It proved a one-off for Daegu, who plummeted to 67-95 in 2014. Lee also struggled to a career-worst 4.51 ERA over 175.2 and was taken out of the rotation full-time. The Diamondbacks were now looking at a rebuild and they weren’t confident in Lee’s long-term value. In the offseason, he and SS/3B Han-Gyeol Moon were traded to Incheon for 1B/RF Chae-Un Park. For Daegu, Lee had a 34-23 record, 3.50 ERA, 612.2 innings, 595 strikeouts, 148 walks, 109 ERA+, 89 FIP-, and 11.4 WAR.

Lee became far more known for his run with the Inferno, spending the next 14 years there with a reliable 225+ innings per year. He didn’t have award winning numbers in those early years, but he was a solid starter for a team that was largely mid-grade for his tenure. Lee signed a four-year, $31,100,000 extension in April 2018. Then in May 22, he inked another five-year, $34,500,000 extension.

In 2022, Lee was a league leader for the first time with seven shutouts. In 2023 at age 34, Lee surprised many by winning the ERA title at 2.26, posting career bests for WAR (7.8) and FIP- (63). This got him a second place in Pitcher of the Year voting, his first time as a finalist. Lee won the top honor in 2024 as the leader in wins at 22-8. He was also third in 2025’s voting, really strengthening his movement in his 30s.

Lee was also helped by good defense as Incheon became a contender in the 2020s. In 2022, they ended a seven-year playoff drought at 94-68, but lost the Korea League Championship Series to Daegu. The Inferno were just above .500 in 2023-24, then dropped to 70-92 in 2025. However, they bounced back in 2026 and started a four-year playoff streak.

They won a weak division in 2026 at 88-74 and had the worst record of the KL playoff teams, but Incheon shocked the field and won the pennant. They ultimately lost to Sapporo in the EAB Championship. Incheon was a 97-65 wild card in 2027, but successfully defended their Korea League title. The EAB title still eluded them, this time downed by Niigata.

Although Lee’s regular season ERAs were reliably below three from 2023-27, his playoff numbers were lackluster. In 88 innings, he had a 4.60 ERA, 3-6 record, 58 strikeouts, 23 walks, 81 ERA+, 116 FIP-, and 0.5 WAR. Lee had a 3.60 ERA over 30 innings in the 2026 Baseball Grand Championship and a 4.35 ERA in 20.2 innings in 2027. The Inferno were last in 2026 at 4-15, then mid-tier in 2027 at 9-10.

After the 2026 season, Lee signed a two-year, $44,400,000 extension with Incheon. His velocity did start to drop and he was peaking in the 88-90 mph range by his last year. Lee’s last year had a 3.27 ERA and 2.9 WAR, still providing decent innings. The Inferno were unable to repeat in 2028, losing in the divisional series as a wild card.

In those later years, Lee was able to join the 250 win and 3500 strikeout clubs. He opted to retire after the 2028 campaign at age 39. With Incheon, Lee had a 225-161 record, 3.02 ERA, 3428.2 innings, 3097 strikeouts, 846 walks, 98 complete games, 30 shutouts, 124 ERA+, 83 FIP-, and 72.9 WAR. For his 14-years of service and role in two titles, Lee’s #6 uniform was retired by the Inferno.

Lee finished with a 259-184 record, 3.10 ERA, 4041.1 innings, 3692 strikeouts, 994 walks, 336/527 quality starts, 106 complete games, 33 shutouts, 121 ERA+, 84 FIP-, and 84.4 WAR. As of 2037, Lee ranks 12^th in wins, 16^th in innings, 22^nd in shutouts, 33^rd in strikeouts, and 35^th in pitching WAR. It was rare that a guy had his best years in his mid-to-late 30s, but that run turned Lee from someone with merely nice longevity to a legit Hall of Fame option.

He wasn’t dominant enough to be considered an “inner-circle” level guy by many, but 250+ wins, 3500+ Ks, a Pitcher of the Year award, three Korea League titles, and one EAB title made Lee a slam dunk for East Asia Baseball’s voters in 2034. Lee received 94.8% for the headliner slot in a two-pitcher 2034 class.



Jun-Hwi “Frisky” Jung – Starting Pitcher – Suwon Snappers – 77.4% First Ballot

Jun-Hwi Jung was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Daegu, the fourth-largest metropolitan city in South Korea. He got the nickname “Frisky” initially as an insult by some coaches who felt Jung was more worried about late night affairs than baseball. He would be criticized throughout his career for selfishness, a poor work ethic, and general poor intelligence. Jung’s natural talent was strong enough to thrive despite that.

Jung had very good stuff along with above average-to-good movement and control. His velocity peaked in the 98-100 mph range with an impressive three pitch arsenal of cutter, changeup, and curveball. Each option was equally potent and often looked the same out of his hand. Jung also had excellent stamina and led the Korea League thrice in complete games. His durability was respectable as he tossed 200+ innings in all but one of his 14 seasons. Jung graded as good at defense and holding runners.

Being a large, strong-throwing lefty quickly shoots you up the prospect ranks. After an impressive run at Dongguk University in Seoul, Jung was picked fourth overall by Suwon in the 2014 EAB Draft. He spent his entire career with the Snappers and was a full-time starter immediately. Jung was iffy as a rookie, but settled into the ace role by his second season.

Jung’s third season had his career bests for WAR (9.7), strikeouts (352), ERA (1.95), and innings (263.0) along with a Korea League-best 21-8 record. Despite that, he was second in Pitcher of the Year voting because of Do-Kyun Lee’s fourth win with a 1.93 ERA, 9.9 WAR, 21-8 record, and 404 Ks. If Lee didn’t exist, Jung’s season would’ve been a Triple Crown winner. Jung did throw his lone no-hitter on May 6 with nine strikeouts and three walks against Gwangju.

After a 3.96 ERA in 2018, Jung was worth 6+ WAR each of the next eight years for Suwon. He had a sub-three ERA six times and four times had 300+ strikeouts. After the 2020 season, Jung signed a four-year, $79 million extension with Suwon. He was second in 2021’s Pitcher of the Year voting as the Snappers ended a nine-year playoff drought.

They suffered a first round exit for 2021 in what would be Jung’s only playoff starts. He had a 4.58 ERA over 17.2 innings, losing his two starts. Suwon averaged 77.9 wins during Jung’s career and did hover in 80-87 wins territory from 2021-25. Jung did have a chance from 2017-23 and in 2026 to pitch in the World Baseball Championship for South Korea. Over 84.1 innings, he had a 5-3 record, 3 saves, 4.16 ERA, 126 strikeouts, 27 walks, 85 ERA+, 91 FIP-, and 1.8 WAR.

Jung’s lone Pitcher of the Year win came in 2022, leading the league in wins (22-6), complete games (19), and WAR (7.4) with a 2.39 ERA and 272 strikeouts. He took third in 2023 despite an arguably better year, leading in WAR (8.3), strikeouts (307), and complete games (17). Jung had his fifth season of 300+ Ks with 304 in 2024. That spring, Suwon locked him up on a big six-year, $158,400,000 extension.

Trouble began in September 2024 as his season ended due to bone chips in his elbow. In August 2025, Jung missed the final chunk of the season to a herniated disc. Then in May 2026, he suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament with a nine month recovery time. While Jung managed to maintain his velocity, his overall stuff became less effective after that.

Jung still had a respectable 3.15 ERA in 2027, but struggled to a career worst 4.23 ERA, 6-16 record, and 170 Ks over 221.1 innings in 2028. Suwon finally made it back to the playoffs as a wild card and lost to Busan in the KLCS, but Jung wasn’t used in the postseason. Realizing he was likely done, Jung retired that winter at age 35. For his tenure and efforts, the Snappers retired his #29 uniform.

The final stats for Jung had a 179-159 record, 3.07 ERA, 3127 innings, 3577 strikeouts, 691 walks, 237/368 quality starts, 173 complete games, 23 shutouts, 122 ERA+, 75 FIP-, and 79.8 WAR. As of 2037, Jung ranks 45^th in strikeouts, 48^th in WAR for pitchers, 10^th in complete games, and 88^th in shutouts. He got those marks despite missing the top 100 for wins and innings.

Strikeouts are sexy and went a long way towards boosting Jung’s resume even if some of the other accumulations are low relative to other Hall of Famers. Staying with one team your whole career scores points as well and sympathetic voters gave him some grace for having injury issues in his later years. Jung earned 77.4% upon his debut for a first ballot selection as part of East Asia Baseball’s two-pitcher class in 2034.

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Two players made it into Beisbol Sudamerica’s Hall of Fame in 2034, captained by SP Julio Arias with a near unanimous 98.5%. CF Ronaldo Gonzalez joined him with 70.3% on his second ballot, passing the 66% threshold for induction. LF Francisco Serrata was a near miss at 61.5% on his second try. Also above 50% was LF Sam Rubio at 53.3% for his fourth ballot and 2B Franklin Chapman with 52.7% on his sixth attempt. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots.



Julio Arias – Starting Pitcher – Caracas Colts – 98.5% First Ballot

Julio Arias was a 6’2’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from the Bogota, the capital of Colombia. Arias was known for fantastic movement along with great stuff and control. Many called his fastball the best they ever saw with a peak of 98-100 mph and filthy movement. Arias also had a strong slider and a weak curveball, but the fastball was so impressive that it was often all he needed.

He was especially dominant against right-handed batting with a career 2.52 ERA, 160 ERA+, and 64 FIP-. Arias certainly wasn’t a scrub against lefties with a 3.01 ERA, 133 ERA+, and 83 FIP-. His biggest downside was very low stamina compared to most BSA aces. While the vast majority of BSA Hall of Famers have 100+ complete games, Arias had only 32. He did at least have good durability until suffering the big injury in 2028.

Arias had an excellent pickoff move and graded as a good defensive pitcher. He also was a true fan favorite known for his work ethic and selflessness. Arias had the talent to be a two-way star, but he wasn’t used that way and didn’t pick a fight over it. He played his whole career in a DH-league and thus only had 67 plate appearances in his career as a pinch hitter, but he had a .349/.373/.635 slash and 163 wRC+ in that small sample. Arias did also play four innings at first base and two at shortstop in his career as a sub.

Despite his possible two-way talent, Arias was somewhat overlooked as a prospect and was a late bloomer. In the 2012 BSA Draft, he wasn’t picked until midway through the fourth round, going 136^th overall to Caracas. Arias spent most of three years in the Colts’ academy, debuting in 2015 at age 22 with 12.2 relief innings. He really started to hone that fastball around this point, but officials were worried that he’d never make it out of the bullpen with only a three-pitch arsenal and weak stamina.

Arias split between starting and relief in 2016 with promising results. Caracas moved him to the rotation full-time in 2017 and were immediately rewarded as he led the Bolivar League in wins (22-6), WHIP (0.90), and quality starts (30). The WHIP and quality starts would be career bests as would his 250.1 innings, 266 strikeouts, and 8.1 WAR. With that and a 2.16 ERA, Arias earned Pitcher of the Year honors.

His ascension also started Caracas’ reign of dominance in the Venezuela Division. 2017 was the first of seven consecutive seasons with a division title and 100+ wins. Initially, the Colts had playoff frustrations though. They lost in the divisional round in 2017, then had back-to-back BLCS defeats in 2018-19. The 2019 season was especially frustrating after the league’s third-best win total ever at 117-45. They then won 110 in 2020, but lost in the divisional round that year and in 2021.

Arias was thriving all the while, winning Pitcher of the Year again in 2019 and 2020. He had ERA titles both years with 2.49 in 2019 and a career-best 2.06 in 2020. His playoff stats were generally good despite the team’s inability to seal the deal. After the 2021 season, Arias signed a very team-friendly five-year extension at $42,500,000.

In 2022, Arias won his fourth Pitcher of the Year and third ERA title at 2.08. Caracas finally broke though, although he had a surprisingly poor postseason with a 5.32 ERA in 23.2 innings. Regardless, the Colts finished 114-48 and defeated Fortaleza for Copa Sudamerica. Arias fared better in the Baseball Grand Championship with a 2.49 ERA over 25.1 innings and 26 Ks. Caracas finished 13-6 and had the tiebreaker over Kampala, becoming the first South American team to win baseball’s top team prize.

Caracas went 100-62 in 2023 and repeated with a Copa Sudamerica win over Concepcion. Arias had an excellent playoff run this time with a 2.44 ERA over 44.1 innings, 4-0 record, and 36 strikeouts. He was more mixed in the BGC with a 3.38 ERA and 1-3 record over 26.2 innings. The Colts were unable to repeat as Grand Champion, but had a strong showing in fourth place at 12-7.

The dynasty was thwarted as they lost the division on a tiebreaker game in 2024 to Valencia and missed the playoffs. Caracas returned to the division title from 2025-28, but never got out of the divisional round those years. Arias continued to thrive, taking third in Pitcher of the Year voting for 2025 and 2026, then second in 2027. After the 2025 season, he got a new heftier extension at $92,800,000 over five years.

For his playoff career, Arias had a 3.15 ERA over 160 innings, 10-5 record, 148 strikeouts, 16 walks, 128 ERA+, 70 FIP-, and 4.8 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks fifth in pitching playoff WAR. Arias was also a regular in the World Baseball Championship from 2017-28 with Colombia. He had a 2.34 ERA over 127 innings with a 9-6 record, 144 strikeouts, and 3.6 WAR.

In 2027, Arias reached 200 career wins and 2500 strikeouts. He led in wins for the fifth time that year and didn’t seem to be slowing down at age 35. Unfortunately, disaster struck in his fifth appearance in 2028 with a damaged elbow ligament and a 12 month recovery time. While Arias wasn’t told outright that he had to retire by doctors, he decided to call it a career that winter shortly after his 36^th birthday. Caracas immediately retired his 8 uniform for his stellar career.

Arias finished with a 222-72 record, 2.73 ERA, 2651.2 innings, 2603 strikeouts, 357 walks, 270/341 quality starts, 32 complete games, 9 shutouts, 148 ERA+, 72 FIP-, and 74.4 WAR. His .755 career winning percentage is the best of any Hall of Fame pitcher in world history. Arias is 38^th in wins and 68^th in pitching WAR, but the low inning count keeps him from the top 100 of any other counting stats.

He misses out on rate stats as well, but basically any 21^st Century pitcher misses that since Beisbol Sudamerica’s scoring was far lower in the 1900s. Among world Hall of Famer starting pitchers and retired locks, Arias ranks tied for 34^th in ERA+. Few starters were more efficient, but the lack of innings does keep him lower on the all-time rankings against the many stellar aces in BSA history.

Whether or not he’s “inner-circle” depends on how one values accolades and peak compared to longevity and totals. Certainly Arias was a lock though with four Pitcher of the Year awards and a starring role in 11 division titles, two Copa Sudamerica wins, and a Grand Championship for Caracas. He received 98.5% to headline the 2034 ballot for BSA.



Ronaldo Gonzalez – Center Field – Salta Silver Hawks – 70.3% Second Ballot

Ronaldo Gonzalez was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed center fielder from Tandil, Argentina; a city of 117,000 people in the Buenos Aires province. Gonzalez was known for his incredible gap power and led the Southern Cone League four times in triples. His 162 game average got you 32 doubles and 26 triples, but only nine home runs. Gonzalez’s very good speed and baserunning also helped him leg out those extra bags.

Gonzalez was an excellent contact hitter with a lower strikeout rate, but he very rarely drew walks. His gap power was also far more pronounced facing right-handed pitching with a career .914 OPS and 158 wRC+ compared to his .778 OPS and 119 wRC+ against lefties. While Gonzalez had a 16-year career, he did miss chunks a few times to various injuries.

Part of that came down to the tough physical demands of playing center field. Gonzalez played his first two seasons mostly in right, but was in CF the rest of his run. He was a reliably strong defender most of his career and won three Gold Gloves, although he did struggle with range in his final seasons. Gonzalez was also one of the hardest working guys in the clubhouse, but he wasn’t one to take on a leadership role. Still, that scrappiness and an exciting play style made him a very popular player.

By the 2011 BSA Draft, Gonzalez was universally considered a top five prospect. He went third overall to Salta, who was still struggling since joining the league in the 2009 expansion. Gonzalez was a full-time starter and had a decent rookie year in 2012. Then from 2013-15, he led the Southern Cone League each season in triples. Gonzalez hit for the cycle for the first time in 2013 against Belo Horizonte.

2015 was his best season by several metrics, leading the league with career highs for hits (231) and triples (35). This also had his best WAR (7.9), OPS (.970), and slugging (.588). Salta made the playoffs for the first time as an 86-76 wild card, falling in the divisional series. The Silver Hawks hoped they were ready to contend regularly, but sadly they’d only have one more winning season over the next ten years. They did get another wild card in 2020, but lost in the first round.

Gonzalez lost part of 2017 to a rotator cuff strain, but otherwise carried on reliably. He won his Gold Gloves in 2019, 2020, and 2022. After the 2020 season, Gonzalez signed a five-year, $63,500,000 extension to stick with Salta. 2021 was on pace to be his best year, but he missed nearly half the season between rotator cuff and knee issues.

His first Silver Slugger came in 2022, which wasn’t remarkable compared to his other seasons. It did feature his second cycle in a game against Asuncion. For a decade plus, you could generally count on 5-6 WAR with a batting average easily above .300 and great defense.

While Gonzalez didn’t get many chances at the playoffs, he was a regular from 2014-28 in the World Baseball Championship. He had dual Argentine-Spanish heritage and oscillated between the two countries in the event. Overall, Gonzalez’s numbers were merely okay with 124 games, 125 hits, 57 runs, 19 doubles, 6 triples, 9 homers, 36 RBI, 44 steals, .274/.320/.400 slash, 108 wRC+, and 1.5 WAR. He was notably part of Spain’s third place finish in 2015, although he was lousy with a .466 OPS over 19 starts.

In 2025, Gonzalez won his second Silver Slugger at age 36. This would be his final season for Salta and he’d enter free agency. Gonzalez remained beloved by Silver Hawks fans and would be their first Hall of Famer. His #69 uniform was also the first jersey retired by the franchise…nice. In 1977 games, Gonzalez had 2572 hits, 1068 runs, 389 doubles, 328 triples, 109 home runs, 796 RBI, 349 walks, 756 stolen bases, .341/.369/.524 slash, 151 wRC+, and 74.6 WAR.

Fortaleza was the defending league champ and hoped Gonzalez could solidify the lineup further, giving him a two-year, $24 million deal. He would miss six weeks in 2026 to a knee sprain and his production was down from prior years, although he was still a decent starter. The Foxes won the North Division, but lost in the divisional series.

Gonzalez had better numbers in 2027 with 3.8 WAR and .843 OPS over a full load, but Fortaleza fell below .500. He notably had 18 triples that year, passing D.J. Del Valle’s 348 to become Beisbol Sudamerica’s all-time triples leader. As of 2037, he’s one of only 38 players in pro baseball history with 350+ career triples. Gonzalez was also on the cusp of the vaunted 3000 hit club.

With the Foxes, Gonzalez played 279 games with 344 hits, 142 runs, 52 doubles, 28 triples, 15 home runs, 110 RBI, 83 steals, .328/.352/.474 slash, 133 wRC+, and 5.1 WAR. He seemed to still have juice left offensively, but his defensive value had dipped considerably. Gonzalez hoped to play in 2028, but was unsigned and eventually retired that winter at age 40.

Gonzalez finished with 2256 games, 2916 hits, 1210 runs, 441 doubles, 356 triples, 124 home runs, 906 RBI, 388 walks, 1058 strikeouts, 839 steals, .340/.367/.517 slash, 149 wRC+, and 79.6 WAR. He remains BSA’s triples king as of 2037 and ranks 36^th in world history. Gonzalez is also ranked 27^th in hits, 90^th in total bases, 50^th in doubles, 44^th in steals, and 93^rd in WAR among position players.

Among BSA batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Gonzalez’s batting average is ranked 37^th. He also ranks 28^th in batting average among all world Hall of Famers and retired locks. That said, Hall of Fame voters often put high priority on home run power and RBI in particular, two things Gonzalez lacked. Despite his popularity, he was also hurt by playing on mostly terrible teams in his career.

On his debut ballot for 2033, Gonzalez missed the cut with 55.5%. With a quieter 2034 group, he got a sizeable bump across the 66% threshold with 70.3%. This put Beisbol Sudamerica’s triples leader into the HOF on the second ballot as part of a two-player 2034 class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

The European Baseball Federation’s 2034 Hall of Fame ballot didn’t have any notable debuts with all newcomers below 20%. This did allow two returners to just make it across the 66% threshold for induction. 1B Sisto Contreras got to 72.8% on his fourth ballot and SP Rory Moriarty snuck in at 66.5% on his second go. LF Emilson Patino barely missed the cut at 64.4% on his eighth ballot. That was Patino’s best showing yet and his second time above 60%.

Five other players were above 50%. 2B Oliver Bjerkli received 60.7% for his third ballot and SP Stan Nyagin had 59.5% on his ninth try. LF Marco Solis saw 54.7% for his sixth go, 3B Aaron Romero got 53.2% with his ninth ballot, and CL Emanuel Koch received 52.3% with his third attempt.



SP Gino Corstjens was the lone player dropped after ten ballots, finishing at only 5.1% after debuting at 38.0%. In 14 seasons between Luxembourg and Thessaloniki, Corstjens had a 186-113 record, 2.96 ERA, 2887.2 innings, 2813 strikeouts, 125 ERA+, 86 FIP-, and 57.6 WAR. He also won three Silver Sluggers and had a .722 career OPS. The pace seemed to be there, but Corstjens didn’t quite get the tallies to overcome the lack of awards and black ink. He also struggled to a 4.67 ERA in 86.2 playoff innings, condemning him to the Hall of Pretty Good.



Sisto Contreras – First Base - Lisbon Clippers – 72.8% Fourth Ballot

Sisto Contreras was a 6’2’’, 195 pound left-handed hitting first baseman from Samturtzi, Spain; a port town of about 46,000 people in the Basque Country. Contreras was best known for a reliable pop in his bat with a 162 game average of 37 home runs, 23 doubles, and 10 triples. He was especially potent against right-handed pitching with a career .942 OPS and 155 wRC+. Contreras was merely average against lefties with a .735 OPS and 104 wRC+.

On the whole, Contreras graded as an above average-to-good contact hitter. He was subpar at avoiding strikeouts and merely decent at drawing walks. Contreras was an outstanding baserunner with very good speed, becoming one of the era’s more potent run scorers. He also had ironman durability and played 150+ games each year once he became a full-timer. Contreras played first base defensively and was a reliably average glove man. He was also considered a leader in the clubhouse.

In the 2008 EBF Draft, Contreras was picked late in the first round, 65^th overall, by Lisbon. The Clippers took their time with him, keeping him in the academy for all of 2009. Contreras only saw 24 pinch hit at-bats in 2010, then had a part-time role in 2011 with 109 games and 43 starts. He also had seven plate appearances in the playoffs as Lisbon made the second round as a wild card. After solid stats in 2011, Contreras became a full-time starter from 2012 onward.

2013 was Contreras’ finest year, winning his lone MVP and a Silver Slugger. He led the Southern Conference in runs (123), home runs (56), and total bases (394). The runs, homers, slugging (.669), OPS (1.037) and WAR (9.1) would each be career highs. Lisbon earned another wild card, but fell in the first round. They hovered around .500 for the next four seasons outside of the postseason.

Contreras won his second Silver Slugger in 2014 and again led in runs with 120. That would be his final time as a conference leader. That year also had his bests for hits (202), triples (17), RBI (121), total bases (397), average (.332), OBP (.382), and wRC+ (178). Contreras fell off noticeably in 2015 to an .808 OPS and 2.9 WAR, but he bounced back with repeat 6+ WAR seasons for Lisbon.

In total, Contreras had 1084 games, 1145 hits, 709 runs, 176 doubles, 72 triples, 266 home runs, 659 RBI, 320 walks, 435 steals, .300/.354/.593 slash, 159 wRC+, and 42.4 WAR. Contreras was popular enough in his relatively short time in Portugal that his #4 uniform was eventually retired by Lisbon. However, he left after the 2017 season for free agency at age 29.

Contreras ended up in Ukraine on a four-year, $49,600,000 deal with Kyiv. The Kings were struggling at this point, but were still just good enough to avoid relegation. Contreras didn’t reach his Lisbon peaks, but he was a respectable four-year starter. In 629 games, he had 624 hits, 366 runs, 90 doubles, 31 triples, 141 home runs, 345 RBI, 269 steals, .269/.312/.517 slash, 126 wRC+, and 14.6 WAR.

A free agent again for 2022 at age 33, Contreras inked a four-year, $30,800,000 deal with Berlin. He maintained similar numbers, but did have a bit of a boost in 2023 and 2024. The Barons got wild cards in 2023 and 2025, but lost in the second round both times. Contreras’s limited playoff stats were underwhelming with 23 games, 13 hits, 5 runs, 2 doubles, 3 homers, 10 RBI, .206/.271/.413 slash, 64 wRC+, and -0.3 WAR.

With Berlin, Contreras had 620 games, 589 hits, 378 runs, 72 doubles, 48 triples, 132 home runs, 323 RBI, 154 walks, 306 steals, .269/.316/.526/ slash, 128 wRC+, and 16.1 WAR. He reached the 2000 hits, 500 homers, and 1000 steals milestones and was close to 1500 runs. Contreras was a free agent again for 2026 and hoped to catch on somewhere, but no one in Europe was interested. He retired that winter at age 37.

Contreras ended with 2333 games, 2358 hits, 1453 runs, 338 doubles, 151 triples, 539 home runs, 1327 RBI, 629 walks, 1880 strikeouts, 1010 steals, .283/.332/.554 slash, 142 wRC+, and 73.1 WAR. As of 2037, Contreras ranks 61^st in games, 36^th in runs, 81^st in hits, 53^rd in total bases, 37^th in home runs, 69^th in RBI, 37^th in strikeouts, and 17^th in steals. However, he does miss the top 100 for WAR among position players despite those totals.

Some voters who favored metrics like WAR though Contreras was a Hall of Pretty Good level guy. His totals were good, but not overwhelming, plus he struggled in his limited playoff appearances. Supporters noted the MVP win and 500 homers, although a few guys just above 500 dingers had missed out on the Hall of Fame. Notably, there weren’t any EBF inductees with 500+ homers and also 1000 stolen bases.

Contreras debuted in 2031 at 58.4% and hovered around that mark with 61.6% and 60.9% in the next two years. With no relevant debuts in 2034, Contreras’s resume stood out a bit more comparatively. That got him the bump across the 66% requirement to 72.8% for a fourth ballot nod into the European Baseball Federation’s HOF in 2034.



Rory Moriarty – Starting Pitcher – Warsaw Wildcats – 66.5% Second Ballot

Rory Moriarty was a 6’6’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Doncaster, England; a city with about 87,500 people in the South Yorkshire country. Moriarty was known for absolutely stellar stuff that graded as an 11/10 at his peak. He also had very good control and above average movement. Moriarty’s 99-101 mph fastball was great, but his changeup was world class. He also had a strong splitter along with a curveball and slider in the arsenal.

Moriarty’s stamina was good when healthy, but major injuries limited his career significantly. His defense and ability to hold runners both graded around average. In addition to having fantastic stuff, Moriarty was one of the smarter pitchers in the game. Those traits and his big frame made him immediately noticed by scouts as a teenager. In July 2009, Moriarty signed a developmental deal with Warsaw.

He spent around five years in their academy in Poland, officially debuting with one poor relief appearance in 2013 at age 19. Moriarty had 89.1 innings in 2014 with some promising results and saw an increased role in 2015 with 169.1 innings. Warsaw made him a full-time starter for 2016, which was his finest season by several metrics.

Moriarty won 2016 Pitcher of the Year with his lone ERA title (2.40) and his lone time as the WARlord (9.4). He also led in strikeouts (367), WHIP (0.91), K/BB (11.1), and shutouts (4). The WAR and innings (255.1) would be career bests and he missed the Triple Crown by two wins at 17-8. Warsaw was perpetually average at this point and wouldn’t make the playoffs from 2009-18. They never were worse than 78-84 in that stretch, but never won 90+ games either.

In 2017, Moriarty took third in POTY voting. He took second in 2018 with conference and career bests for strikeouts (375) and WHIP (0.86). 2019 was his first notable season with some big injuries, including a sore elbow and forearm inflammation. The latter kept Moriarty out of the playoffs, as Warsaw ended the drought and got to the Northern Conference Championship, where they fell to Hamburg. The Wildcats weren’t deterred by the injuries and that winter gave Moriarty a big seven-year, $92,200,000 extension.

Warsaw was immediately rewarded as Moriarty won his second Pitcher of the Year in 2020, leading in Ks (328) and WHIP (0.90) each for the third time. His 2.43 ERA was two short of the conference lead. Moriarty made his only playoff start, allowing two runs over six innings in a first round defeat. The Wildcats went one-and-done as a wild card in both 2020 and 2011 before returning to perpetual mid-ness.

Moriarty did get to experience the World Baseball Championship stage at least from 2015-22 and in 2025. He had dual English-Irish heritage and split his appearances between the countries. In 156 innings, Moriarty had a 9-8 record, 3.63 ERA, 235 strikeouts, 63 walks, 99 ERA+, and 2.8 WAR. He did notably have a 2.63 ERA over 41 innings and 58 Ks, helping England win the World Championship over Uzbekistan.

In June 2021, Moriarty suffered a torn labrum that knocked him out the rest of the season. Still, he bounced back well and led in strikeouts for the fourth time in 2022 with 305. Moriarty’s raw stuff stayed strong after that, but his control completely fell off a cliff from 2023 onward. His production became incredibly erratic for the rest of his Warsaw tenure which included negative WAR efforts in 2023 and 2026. In July 2026, he suffered radial nerve compression. It was an abrupt decline for a guy who had been one of baseball’s most dominant arms.

He was still only 33 years-old as he became a free agent for the first time. Glasgow gave him a one-year, $5,400,000 deal, but only used him for 16.1 relief innings in 2027 with a lousy 5.51 ERA. Moriarty hoped to still re-invent his career and Caracas gave him a shot for 2028 at one year and $5,900,000. He fared little better in Venezuela with a 4.93 ERA over 127.2 innings. Moriarty’s run there ended with a torn labrum in mid-August. He was unsigned for 2029 and eventually retired that winter at age 36.

In EBF, Moriarty finished with a 151-107 record, 3.12 ERA, 2451.2 innings, 3123 strikeouts, 597 walks, 201/310 quality starts, 92 complete games, 22 shutouts, 123 ERA+, 82 FIP-, and 55.7 WAR. As of 2037, Moriarty ranks 55^th in strikeouts and 76^th in shutouts, but he’s outside the top 100 for all other counting stats. Still, he does rank 13^th in K/9 (11.46) among pitchers with 1000+ innings.

His overall rate stats still compared decently to other Hall of Fame pitchers even with his abysmal last few years weighing him down. Some voters were sympathetic to the injury issues, but others felt he wasn’t good for long enough to belong. Moriarty’s case was definitely one that pitted those who value impressive peaks versus those who care more about longevity.

In Moriarty’s favor, he led in strikeouts four times, had an ERA title, multiple seasons with an ERA below 2.50, and two Pitcher of the Year awards. Those were impressive accolades and the few guys who could match that were usually inductees. Also, strikeouts were sexy and Moriarty was one of the best-ever to get whiffs in European baseball. However, Moriarty’s run was essentially seven or eight great seasons plus a couple terrible ones.

He debuted on the 2033 ballot with 53.1%. To Moriarty’s benefit, 2034 had a wide open field with no debuts of substance. He got a nice bump up to 66.5%, narrowly crossing the 66% requirement. Moriarty got the second ballot nod and was one of two added into the European Baseball Federation’s HOF for 2034.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

DH/RF Afzal Koveshnikov stood alone for induction into the Eurasian Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 2034 at 90.6% on his debut. 1B Zygmunt Socha barely missed out on his second ballot at 63.4%, less than three points away from the 66% requirement. Two others were above 50% with CL Oleh Khmelovskyi at 53.8% on his debut and SP Yaroslav Alalykin at 53.4% in his second try. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots.



Closer Dato Aschepkov deserves a quick mention falling below 5% on his eighth try. He only had an eight-year EPB run before leaving for MLB, but he won three Reliever of the Year awards. Aschepkov also helped Krasnodar win the 2017 EPB title and was ELCS MVP in 2018. He had a 1.80 ERA, 192 saves, 505 innings, 738 strikeouts, 181 ERA+, 56 FIP-, and 20.0 WAR. Aschepkov had the pace if he stayed in EPB, but alas.



Afzal Koveshnikov – Designated Hitter/Right Field – Ulaanbaatar Boars – 90.6% First Ballot

Afzal Koveshnikov was a 6’5’’, 190 pound left-handed right fielder and designated hitter from Ivanovskaya, Russia; a town of just over 9,000 people in the Krasnodar Krai. Koveshnikov was a good-to-great contact and power hitter fairly equally against both sides. He was better than most at avoiding strikeouts, but below average at drawing walks. Koveshnikov’s 162 game average got you 32 home runs, 26 doubles, and 5 triples.

Koveshnikov was a below average baserunner, but wasn’t a complete oaf unlike most guys with his build that are designated hitters. Just over half of his starts came as a DH with most of his defensive starts in right field. Koveshnikov was a subpar defender, but he wasn’t completely abysmal like you’d expect from a career DH. He had very high character and was a respected team captain known for his leadership and work ethic. His durability was also excellent, starting 140+ games in all but one season rom 2014-28. Unsurprisingly, Koveshnikov became a very popular player of his era.

While he was well liked back home in Russia, his main popularity came in Mongolia since his entire career was with Ulaanbaatar. Koveshnikov did come home from 2016-22 for the World Baseball Championship, but his numbers were unremarkable with 31 games, 14 starts, .754 OPS, and 0.3 WAR. In August 2007 as a teenager, Koveshnikov signed a developmental deal with the Boars.

Koveshnikov debuted with 13 games and two starts in 2012 at age 21. He saw 98 games and 42 starts in 2013, but still wasn’t ready as he struggled to -0.3 WAR. Spots weren’t immediately available as Ulaanbaatar had some success. They were the Asian League runner-up in 2012 and won the pennant in 2013, falling to Rostov in the EPB Championship. Koveshnikov did notably go 4-10 with a solo homer in the 2013 playoff run.

He earned the starting gig in 2014 and was the MVP and a Silver Slugger winner in 2015. Koveshnikov posted only the tenth Triple Crown hitting season in EPB history, leading in runs (105), hits (220), home runs (45), RBI (108), total bases (400), average (.351), slugging (.638), OPS (1.034), wRC+ (204), and WAR (9.7). The hits, homers, total bases, average, OBP (.396), slugging, wRC+, and WAR would all be career highs. Ulaanbaatar remained above .500, but they spent 2014-16 just short of the playoffs.

In August 2017, the Boars signed Koveshnikov to an eight-year, $57,340,000 extension. He was third in MVP voting that year and Ulaanbaatar got the wild card at 95-67. They beat Omsk in the ALCS, but lost the EPB Championship to Krasnodar. Koveshnikov had a nice playoff run with 11 hits, 5 runs, 4 doubles, 2 homers, and 7 RBI. His overall playoff career stats would be merely decent with 38 games, 25 starts, 30 hits, 14 runs, 8 doubles, 6 home runs, 18 RB, .265/.294/.496 slash, 127 wRC+, and 1.0 WAR.

Ulaanbaatar wouldn’t win any more pennants with Koveshnikov, although they were rarely outright bad. They got wild cards in 2020, 21, 25, and 26; but lost in the first round each year. Otherwise, they generally hovered right around .500. Koveshnikov remained steady through it all and won his second MVP in 2020, leading in RBI (126), total bases (373), triple slash (.338/.378/.621), OPS (.999), wRC+ (188), and WAR (9.1).

He won a Silver Slugger in 2020 and 2011 in right field. Koveshnikov was third in 2021’s MVP voting, leading again in total bases. His production dipped a bit in 2022-23, but he was back to more solid numbers in 2024-25. Now 34-years old, Ulaanbaatar gave Koveshnikov a four-year, $67,200,000 extension after the 2025 season.

Koveshnikov had two more respectable seasons, then age fully caught him in 2028. That year, he had -0.2 WAR, .609 OPS, and only 20 home runs. He had hoped to get to the 500 homer and 1500 RBI milestones, but it was clear his time as a starter was ending. Koveshnikov retired after the 2028 campaign at age 37 and immediately had his #4 uniform retired for his 17 seasons with the Boars.

In total, Koveshnikov had 2430 games, 2631 hits, 1196 runs, 386 doubles, 69 triples, 478 home runs, 1463 RBI, 562 walks, 1627 strikeouts, .291/.332/.507 slash, 147 wRC+, and 74.8 WAR. As of 2037, Koveshnikov ranks 59^th in games, 50^th in runs, 23^rd in hits, 21^st in total bases (4589), 57^th in doubles, 36^th in home runs and 16^th in RBI. In part because he was a DH, Koveshnikov does miss the top 100 for WAR among position players.

You certainly wouldn’t rank Koveshnikov as an inner-circle level Hall of Famer. However, his tallies and longevity with Ulaanbaatar was plenty for most voters. Two MVPs and a Triple Crown silenced most other doubters. Koveshnikov received 90.6% to stand alone for induction in 2034 for Eurasian Professional Baseball.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2034 was a strong three-player Hall of Fame class for the Oceania Baseball Association. All three were first ballot guys co-headlined by pitchers Colton Stark (99.4%) and Stef Page (96.7%). OF Stanley Yeo also made it firmly with 82.7%. Two returners came close to the 66% requirement with 3B Dale Harper at 61.8% on his sixth ballot and 1B R.W. Putnam at 60.9% for his fifth try. LF Samson Gould was also above 50%, specifically at 50.9% on his ninth attempt.



SP George Hudson fell off the ballot after ten tries, getting as close at 64.1% in 2027 before falling to a mere 17.3% at the end. He had a 15-year career with Guam and Perth and won the Oceania Championship in 2016-17 for the Golden Eagles. Hudson had a 189-204 record, 3.61 ERA, 3631.1 innings, 3362 strikeouts, 820 walks, 104 ERA+, 86 FIP-, and 71.9 WAR.

Hudson wasn’t a league leader or award winner generally and many traditionalist voters couldn’t get past the losing record. The ERA+ versus FIP- suggests he might have gotten some bad fielding luck, especially with some terrible Penguins teams early in his career. However, the numbers just weren’t impressive enough to keep Hudson from the Hall of Pretty Good.

CF Ashton Hughes lasted ten ballots, ending at only 4.5% and peaking at 25.7% in his debut. Hughes was a stellar defender who was one of only four players in world history with 13+ Gold Gloves in center field. He also ranks second in steals in OBA history (1346) and ranks 36^th in the world list as of 2037. Those skills made Hughes beloved in an 18-year career with Tahiti, who he helped win four OBA titles.

That said, Hughes simply wasn’t a very good batter. In 2620 games, he had a .249/.288/.365 slash, 86 wRC+, 61.2 WAR, 2566 hits, 1373 runs, 332 doubles, 178 triples, 166 home runs, 791 RBI, 512 walks, and 2167 strikeouts. Hughes also had an abysmal .463 OPS, 25 wRC+, and -0.8 WAR in his 51 playoff games. Exceptional defense and baserunning weren’t enough to cover up those flaws to the voters, but he was a fun and unique star of his era.

Two other guys fell off the ballot with under 5% on their ninth ballots. SP Ethan Juuderbiddil got to 32.5% and had a 208-182 record, 3.28 ERA, 3666 innings, 3148 strikeouts, 110 ERA+, 90 FIP-, and 67.0 WAR. He had good tenure, but wasn’t overwhelmingly dominant and was overlooked on mostly bad teams. P Adrian Haukena split between starting/relief and also had some years in MLB. In OBA, he had a 105-77 record, 118 saves, 3.02 ERA, 1349.2 innings, 1474 strikeouts, 120 ERA+, and 24.6 WAR. It was a respectable run, but definitely not Hall worthy although he debuted at 40.3%.



Colton Stark – Starting Pitcher – Port Moresby Mud Hens – 99.4% First Ballot

Colton Stark was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Adelaide, Australia. Stark had stellar control along with great stuff and movement in his prime. His fastball regularly his 99-101 mph, but his money pitch was a fantastic splitter. He had an extreme groundball tendency and regularly got harmless groundouts with the splitter. Stark also had a nice changeup and sinker, plus an okay curveball in the arsenal.

Stark’s main downside was low stamina compared to other OBA aces. Recurring back troubles also kept him from full loads a few times in the four-man rotation world of OBA. Stark had an excellent pickoff move and was great at holding runners, but his overall defense was weak. He was a true fan favorite with impressive loyalty and a stellar work ethic. Stark became absolutely beloved as one of the key figures of Port Moresby’s eventual dynasty run.

He left Australia for the Papuan capital on a developmental deal in January 2009. Stark took a long while to put it together, spending seven full years in their academy. He debuted in 2016 at age 23 with 40 okay innings. Stark saw 143.1 innings in 2017 with a bit more success, but he wasn’t an ace. He started to look like one as a full-timer in 2018, but bone chips in his elbow and a strained shoulder kept him out most of the second half.

Stark finally arrived as an ace in 2019 and was a Pitcher of the Year finalist for the first time in 2020, taking third. He signed a three-year, $20,680,000 extension in April 2020. At this point, Port Moresby had been mostly mediocre with a title drought back to 1985. They got back above .500 in 2022 as Stark won his first Pitcher of the Year, leading the Pacific League in wins (23-11), ERA (2.25), WHIP (0.93), FIP- (56), and WAR (10.9). That earned Stark the big extension the following March at $152 million over six years.

In 2023, Stark repeated as Pitcher of the Year by leading in wins (27-9), ERA (2.16), WHIP (0.91), K/BB (10.4), quality starts (34), FIP- (52), and WAR (12.3). This was his career best for WAR, quality starts, innings (304.2), and strikeouts. This also marked the start of the dynasty run for Port Moresby, who finished 102-60 to win the Pacific League title. They defeated Christchurch in the Oceania Championship with Stark winning both his starts with a 1.72 ERA and 15 Ks in 15.2 innings.

Stark continued to pitch great in the Baseball Grand Championship, although the Mud Hens finished 8-11. He had a 1.69 ERA over 37.1 innings with 49 Ks, 3-1 record, and 2.2 WAR. Stark won his third straight Pitcher of the Year in 2024 despite missing close to two months with a herniated disc and a bone spur in his elbow. He had another ERA title with a career best 1.94.

Port Moresby was 103-59 and beat Sydney to repeat as OBA champs. Stark was surprisingly poor in the series, going 1-2 with a 7.32 ERA over 19.2 innings. He was back to himself in the BGC with a 1.97 ERA over 32 innings with 47 strikeouts as the Mud Hens tied for eighth at 10-9.

Stark made it four straight Pitcher of the Year awards and ERA titles in 2025. He had a career best 27-3 record and led in ERA (2.29), WHIP (0.89), quality starts (29), FIP- (54), and WAR (10.6). Port Moresby again won the Pacific League but were denied the OBA title three-peat in a rematch with Sydney. Stark had a 2.57 ERA in his two starts over 14 innings.

Port Moresby had an all-time great team in 2026 at 119-43, returning to the top spot with a finals win over Christchurch. They were one of six teams at 12-7 in the BGC and were officially eighth once the tiebreakers were sorted. Stark was merely very good in the regular season, but was excellent in the finals with a 1.29 ERA over two wins and 14 innings. In the BGC, he had a 3.21 ERA over 33.2 innings with 42 strikeouts.

For his OBA playoff career, the poor 2024 hurt Stark’s final stats. He had a 3.55 ERA over 63.1 innings, 5-2 record, 67 strikeouts, 7 walks, 105 ERA+, 73 FIP-, and 1.8 WAR. In the Baseball Grand Championship, Stark had a 9-7 record, 3.02 ERA, 128 innings, 163 strikeouts, 29 walks, and 4.5 WAR. He also pitched from 2019-28 in the World Baseball Championship for Australia with a 2.41 ERA over 149.2 innings, 8-7 record, 196 strikeouts, and 5.6 WAR. Stark certainly earned a reputation as a big game pitcher.

Stark’s 2027 was looking more like his award-winning seasons, although he missed two months in the spring to a herniated disc and the final weeks to a strained oblique. Notably on August 17 against New Caledonia, Stark tossed OBA’s 17^th perfect game with 13 strikeouts. Port Moresby finished 106-56 for a fifth straight Pacific League title and beat Canberra to win their fourth OBA title in five years. Due to injury, Stark was out for the series. He was back by the BGC but struggled to a 6.12 ERA in 25 innings as the Mud Hens finished 6-13.

In 2028, Stark still looked effective with his stellar control, but his stuff was declining and his velocity had gone to regular triple-digits to a 96-98 mph peak. Port Moresby went 94-68, tying for third in the standings to end their title streak. Stark missed nearly two months in the summer to a herniated disc. Then in the final week of the season, he suffered a partially torn labrum.

Initially, the recovery time was 3-4 months and Stark was expected to be back for 2029. It wasn’t going to be with Port Moresby, who voided the team option year of his contract. In December, Stark suffered a setback in recovery and his doctors advised him to retire. He didn’t officially file the papers until winter 2029 at age 37. Port Moresby soon retired his #16 uniform for his critical role in the dynasty.

Stark finished with a 205-103 record, 2.56 ERA, 2855 innings, 3107 strikeouts, 405 walks, 283/391 quality starts, 49 complete games, 10 shutouts, 141 ERA+, 64 FIP-, and 92.2 WAR. As of 2037, Stark is 32^nd in wins, 62^nd in innings, 45^th in strikeouts, and 12^th in WAR among pitchers. His ERA is 42^nd among OBA pitchers with 1000+ innings. Stark’s 1.28 BB/9 ranks 31^st, his 9.79 K/9 is 79^th, and his .594 opponent’s OPS ranks 45^th. He’s also 46^th for opponent’s OBP (.258) and 52^nd for slugging (.336).

He didn’t quite have the longevity to reach the all-time best pitcher conversation with the likes of Akira Brady, Tarzan Rao, or Timothy Manglona. Stark is definitely right on the cusp of the inner-circle and probably clinches it when you consider accolades. Stark had four ERA titles, four Pitcher of the Year awards, and a starring role in a dynasty that won five pennants and four OBA titles. This got him a near unanimous 99.4% to lead a three-player 2034 Hall of Fame class for the Oceania Baseball Association.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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Stef Page – Starting Pitcher – Vanuatu Wizards – 96.7% First Ballot

Stef Page was a 6’0’’, 190 pound right-handed pitcher from Sydney, Australia. Page had impressive stuff along with above average control and decent movement. His fastball was outstanding and regularly hit the 99-101 mph range. Page also had an excellent forkball along with a good changeup and slider. His best results came from simply overpowering batters.

Page’s stamina was relatively average compared to most OBA aces. His durability was rock solid though so he didn’t miss many starts even in the four-man rotation format. Page did struggle with holding runners and was a weaker defensive pitcher. His character was top notch and was considered one of the better people in the game. Page’s selflessness, loyalty, work ethic, intelligence, and adaptability all scored as great.

He left Australia as a teenager and signed a developmental deal in March 2009 with Vanuatu. The Wizards were still a new franchise having joined with the 2006 expansion. Page spent the better part of seven years in their academy, although he did make three relief appearances between 2014-15. He made his proper debut as a full-time starter in 2016 and held that job for 13 years with Vanuatu. From 2016-25, he was good each year for 5+ WAR and 300+ strikeouts.

After a few years as a reliably good starter, Vanuatu gave Page a two-year, $19,500,000 extension in March 2020. The Wizards were getting close to that first pennant, going 94-68 in 2019 and 93-69 in 2020. Page wouldn’t be a Pitcher of the Year finalist in 2020 despite it being his career best for WAR (10.8) and strikeouts (400).

2021 was the breakthrough at 102-60, winning the Pacific League as the first expansion team with a title. Vanuatu would defeat Christchurch as well in the Oceania Championship. This was also Page’s breakthrough year and his lone Pitcher of the Year win, getting his only ERA title at 2.41. He had 9.5 WAR and 378 Ks over 299 innings.

In the championship win, Page had a 2.74 ERA and 1-1 record in three starts with 20 strikeouts in 23 innings. He also had an impressive showing in the Baseball Grand Championship with a 2.78 ERA over 45.1 innings, 54 strikeouts, and 1.3 WAR. Page had a 2-2 record in six starts and the Wizards were one of five teams at 11-8, officially eighth after tiebreakers. Page also pitched in the World Baseball Championship from 2017-28 for Australia with some bad run support. He had a 1-7 record despite a 2.68 ERA over 90.2 innings 145 strikeouts, 34 walks, and 2.8 WAR.

Those efforts got him a six-year, $89,400,000 extension with Vanuatu in March 2022. Page was out of the Pitcher of the Year conversation for the next few years, but was still reliable and solid. Vanuatu repeated as Pacific League champs in 2022 at 99-63, but lost to Sydney for the OBA title. Page gave up five runs over 14.2 innings in his two playoff starts. The Wizards remained above .500 for the next six seasons, but the PL was firmly controlled those years by Port Moresby’s dynasty.

Page had a bit of a resurgence in 2027 at age 34, leading the league in wins (28-12), innings (341.1), strikeouts (376), and WAR (9.8). He also had the fourth-best ERA at 2.77 and took third in Pitcher of the Year voting. However, Page fell off a bit in 2028 with career worsts for ERA (4.07) and WAR (3.2). He did cross the 4500 strikeout and 250 win thresholds; the ninth and tenth to reach those marks respectively. Page retired that winter at age 35 and quickly had his #36 uniform retired by Vanuatu. It was the second jersey retired by the squad, as HOF slugger Roe Kaupa’s #21 had gotten the honor the prior year.

The final stats saw a 250-169 record, 3.14 ERA, 3882.1 innings, 4543 strikeouts, 762 walks, 342/518 quality starts, 107 complete games, 24 shutouts, 112 ERA+, 83 FIP-, and 84.5 WAR. As of 2037, Page is 10^th in wins, 10^th in innings, 50^th in complete games, 9^th in strikeouts, and 18^th in WAR among pitchers. His 10.53 K/9 is 32^nd among pitchers with 1000+ innings.

Page is probably not quite an inner-circle Hall of Famer and most have his fellow 2034 classmate Colton Stark ahead of him based on accolades. Still, Page was widely viewed as a lock for his impressive totals and role in Vanuatu’s first titles. Page got 96.7% as the second of three additions into the Oceania Baseball Association’s HOF in 2034.



Stanley Yeo – Center/Left Field – Port Moresby Mud Hens – 82.7% First Ballot

Stanley Yeo was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting outfielder from the capital of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby. He was one of the more all-around efficient hitters of his era in OBA with good-to-great power and contact grades facing right-handed pitching. Yeo had a .946 OPS and 165 wRC+ in OBA against RHP, although he was a more middling .693 OPS and 97 wRC+ facing lefties. He was merely decent at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts.

Yeo’s 162 game average got you 36 home runs, 25 doubles, and 9 triples. His stellar baserunning and impressive speed greatly upped his value, successfully stealing on 74% of attempts. Yeo also was an impressive and versatile defender who started at six different positions. About 2/3 of the career starts came in center field with another ¼ in left. His OBA run was almost entirely in CF with most of the LF starts in his later years in MLB. Yeo graded as a reliably good defensive CF and an excellent LF. His durability was respectable in a 14-year career and he was considered quite adaptable.

Like many Papuans, Yeo was introduced to baseball watching Port Moresby games. He was delighted to get picked third overall by his hometown Mud Hens in the 2018 OBA Draft. They were equally chuffed to have a potential local star. Yeo would become extremely popular and played a critical role in their dynasty run along with his Hall of Fame classmate Colton Stark.

Yeo was a full-time starter right away, although he had offensive woes as a rookie. He was still worth 1.7 WAR from defense and baserunning despite a .599 OPS and a league worst 186 strikeouts. Yeo was better offensively in 2020, prompting Port Moresby to give him an eight-year, $60,360,000 extension in April 2021. In 2021, Yeo led the Pacific League in total bases (351), stolen bases (86), and WAR (10.9), winning MVP and a Silver Slugger.

After a down year relatively in 2022 with 5.3 WAR, Yeo would lead the PL five consecutive years in WAR from 203-27. Thrice in that run he led in OPS, runs scored, and stolen bases. He also twice led in wRC+ and slugging. Yeo had 45+ homers and 100+ RBI from 2023-25 and was the league leader for both in 2025. He scored 134 runs in 2024, the fourth-highest single-season in OBA history.

Yeo was PL MVP in 2023, 2025, 2026, and 2027; and finished third in 2024. Each year had a Silver Slugger as well in center field. Yeo was the eighth in OBA history to win five or more MVPs. 2023 had his career best triple slash (.345/.395/.673), OPS (1.068), wRC+ (200), and WAR (11.7). That WAR ranks as the ninth-best single-season by an OBA position player. Yeo stole 101 bases in 2026, one of only 30 seasons in OBA history of 100+ swipes.

With this excellence came Port Moresby’s dynasty run, ending a 37-year title drought in 2023 with five consecutive Pacific League titles. The Mud Hens won the 2023 Oceania Championship over Christchurch, then repeated in 2024 over Sydney. The Snakes got revenge in a 2025 rematch, then Port Moresby won twice more beating the Chinooks again in 2026 and Canberra in 2027. PM’s 2026 was the crown jewel at 119-43, which tied Guam’s 1999 for the best record by an OBA champ. Christchurch had the wins record at 126-36 in 2016, but failed to win the title.

Yeo’s excellence carried into the postseason and especially in 2023, winning finals MVP going 10-23 with 7 runs, 2 triples, 3 homers, and 4 RBI. Over 32 playoff starts, Yeo had 35 hits, 24 runs, 4 doubles, 2 triples, 11 homers, 26 RBI, 13 steals, .278/.308/.603 slash, 153 wRC+, and 1.6 WAR.

He also did very well in the Baseball Grand Championship with 76 games, 77 hits, 50 runs, 18 doubles, 26 homers, 56 RBI, 22 steals, .284/.352/.646 slash, 183 wRC+, and 4.4 WAR. Port Moresby was 8-11 in the 2023 event, 10-9 in 2024, 12-7 in 2026, and 6-13 in 2027. Tiebreakers officially put them eighth in 2026, although they were one of six teams tied for the third-best record.

Yeo’s run of excellence was disrupted in 2028 with recurring shoulder inflammation that kept him out more than half the season. This also ended Port Moresby’s dynasty, as their 94-68 record tied them for third in the standings. Yeo had one year left on his contract, but he surprised many by declining his player option. Many figured he’d stay with his hometown team until the end, but he left for free agency at age 33. He remained one of Port Moresby’s favorite sons and his #4 uniform would be retired at the end of his career.

Teams from across the globe had noticed Yeo and he cashed in on a four-year, $132 million Major League Baseball deal with Detroit. During his tenure, the Tigers would be stuck in the middle of the standings. Yeo won his lone Gold Glove in 2032 in left field. His first two years weren’t award winning, but were still quite good with both seeing 5+ WAR and 35+ homers.

Yeo was still valuable for baserunning and defense, but his bat graded as average in his second two seasons for Detroit. In 629 games, Yeo had 603 hits, 352 runs, 98 doubles, 21 triples, 129 home runs, 351 RBI, 177 steals, .268/.319/.502 slash, 121 wRC+, and 16.9 WAR. Yeo wanted to play somewhere in 2033, but no one took a chance on him. After going unsigned all year, he retired shortly after his 38^th birthday.

For his combined pro career, Yeo had 2087 games, 2180 hits, 1312 runs, 318 doubles, 115 triples, 462 home runs, 1217 RBI, 525 walks, 1733 strikeouts, 921 steals, .283/.333/.534 slash, 141 wRC+, and 94.1 WAR. His candidacy for the Oceania Baseball Association Hall of Fame though was centered on the decade with Port Moresby. For the Mud Hens, Yeo had 1458 games, 1577 hits, 960 runs, 220 doubles, 94 triples, 333 home runs, 866 RBI, 374 walks, 744 steals, .290/.338/.548 slash, 149 wRC+, and 77.1 WAR.

The shorter run hurts his counting stats, but as of 2037 Yeo is still 27^th in WAR for position players and 26^th in steals. He’s also 97^th in runs and 92^nd in homers, but outside of the top 100 in anything else. Yeo’s .886 OPS is 33^rd among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances and he ranks 91^st/87^th/30^th in the triple slash.

Still, there were a few sticklers for accumulations that felt Yeo wasn’t tenured enough to deserve the nod. Most voters though thought he had plenty with five MVPs and a starring role in Port Moresby’s dynasty with five Pacific League titles and four OBA rings. Yeo received 82.7% of the vote, more than enough for a first ballot nod to cap off an impressive three-player class in 2034 for OBA.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

The Austronesia Professional Baseball Hall of Fame added two first ballot inductees in 2034. LF Liu Hu was the headliner at 82.9% while SP Benjamin Kiyoshi just breached the 66% threshold at 69.4%. SP Favian Frias was the next closest with 59.3% on his second ballot. 3B Yu-Ting Tsai got 54.1% on his tenth and final chance. Also above 50% at 50.5% was 1B Ali Yusuf for his sixth go.



For Tsai, he peaked at 56.5% in 2028 and had a low of 38.9% in 2033. He had a 17-year career mostly with Kaohsiung with one MVP, four Silver Sluggers, 2508 games, 2319 hits, 1127 runs, 304 doubles, 290 triples, 445 home runs, 1243 RBI, 875 walks, .256/.320/.501 slash, 158 wRC+, and 83.9 WAR. As of 2037, Tsai is 39^th in WAR among position players, 19^th in runs, 26^th in hits, 11^th in total bases (4538), 5^th in triples, 23^rd in homers, and 14^th in RBI.

Despite that resume, Tsai never got the traction you might expect. He was hurt by playing on a lot of forgettable teams and posting a lackluster .510 OPS in his limited 25 playoff games. His black ink was also limited, but it goes to show how harsh APB voters could be towards batters in the hyper low-scoring league. Tsai did at least get his #97 uniform retired by the Steelheads, but he ended up stuck in the Hall of Pretty Good.

CL Tedi Sudaryono was also dropped after ten failed ballots, peaking with his final ballot at 45.6% after a low of 8.4% the prior year. He won Reliever of the Year once and had 339 saves, a 1.83 ERA, 137 ERA+, 74 FIP-, 960 innings, 1193 strikeouts, 227 walks, and 22.3 WAR. Sudaryono ranks 10^th in saves as of 2037 and has the most of anyone who fell off the ballot, but he didn’t have the big dominance of the other closers.

SP Hendrawan Aririsana also made it ten ballots, ending with only 4.6% after a peak of 27.0% in 2026. He had a 17-year career with a 201-181 record, 2.39 ERA, 3779 innings, 2841 strikeouts, 602 walks, 104 ERA+, 102 FIP-, and 45.8 WAR. Aririsana is one of 31 guys with 200+ wins, but was viewed as a compiler who stuck around with reliable averageness. Aririsana was only a league leader once (for innings) and a Pitcher of the Year finalist once, thus he ended up on the outside despite his tenure.



Liu Hu – Left Field – Hsinchu Sweathogs – 82.9% First Ballot

Liu Hu was a 6’1’’, 185 pound right-handed outfielder from the capital of Taiwan, Taipei. Hu was known for reliable home run power and a solid eye for drawing walks against both sides. His 162 game average got you 33 home runs, 18 doubles, and 8 triples; very good totals in the very low-scoring APB. Hu had ten seasons with 30+ home runs and smacked 40+ twice. Hu’s contact ability graded as merely decent and he did have some trouble with strikeouts.

Unlike most power guys, Hu was an excellent baserunner with pretty good speed. He played primarily in left field and was a rock solid defender there, winning two Gold Gloves. Hu did play some center field sporadically, but his range wasn’t nearly good enough and he struggled in that spot. While he had a few injuries here and there, Hu held up very well over a 20-year career. He was a highly intelligent leader with a strong work ethic, becoming one of the most beloved players ever in Taiwanese baseball history.

After a strong career at the University of Kang Ning, many viewed Hu as one of the top prospects to come from the island in some time. He went second overall in the 2008 APB Draft to Hsinchu, who had only begun play with the 2007 expansion. Hu became the team’s first real superstar and was a full-time starter right away. He won his two Gold Gloves in his first two seasons.

Hu became good for at least 5 WAR all but one year from 2010-22. He won his lone MVP and first Silver Slugger (LF) in 2014, leading the Taiwan-Philippine Association in runs (93), homers (48), OBP (.362), slugging (.594), OPS (.956), and wRC+ (204). That would be his career bests for runs, hits (157), homers, total bases (328), OBP, OPS, and wRC+. That August, he signed an eight-year, $160,600,000 to stay long-term with the Sweathogs.

Hsinchu was decent in the mid to late 2010s, but Taipei was dominating the Taiwan League at this point. The Sweathogs came the closest they’d been to the playoffs in 2019 at 94-68, but were three behind the Tigercats. Hu carried on with Silver Sluggers in 2015, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, and 22. The 2015 and 2017 wins were both in center field. Hu was third in 2019’s MVP voting, second in 2021, and third in 2022. He led in RBI in both 2021 and 2022. Hu also had league bests in 2022 for homers (44), steals (77), and WAR (10.3); the latter two being career bests.

2018 marked the arrival of Binh Tang to Hsinchu, who quickly started dominating the league with 12 MVP wins from 2020-32. This took some pressure off Hu to be the guy, although he was still playing at a very high level in his mid 30s. In 2021, the Sweathogs made the playoffs for the first time at 93-69 and won the pennant over Cagayan de Oro. They were denied the Austronesia Championship by Palembang. Unfortunately for Hu, he missed the entire postseason run to a strained back.

Still, he was second in MVP voting that year to Tang and inked a new four-year, $67,200,000 extension that winter. Hsinchu remained above 90 wins from 2022-25, but only made the playoffs in 2023 and 2025. In 2023, they had the top seed at 106-56. However, the Sweathogs were denied both years in the association finals. Hu’s limited playoff numbers were unremarkable with 9 games, 7 hits, 2 runs, 3 doubles, 1 homer, and .651 OPS.

Hu did get to play on the World Baseball Championship stage from 2017-26 with Taiwan with nice results. In 112 games, he had 94 hits, 75 runs, 17 doubles, 3 triples, 32 home runs, 76 RBI, 48 walks, 37 steals, .236/.338/.535 slash, 150 wRC+, and 4.6 WAR. Hu’s first appearance in 2017 saw the Taiwanese make it to the World Championship, falling 4-1 in the finale to the United States.

He had a noticeable decline in 2025-26, but was still a decent starter in those years. Mostly out of respect, Hsinchu signed him to a two-year, $7,600,000 extension after the 2026 season. Hu missed almost all of 2027 to a broken bone in his elbow. He became a free agent in 2028, eventually returning on a one-year, $3,840,000 deal with the Sweathogs. Hu missed part of the year to a torn groin and struggled when healthy with -1.0 WAR and .503 OPS in 65 games. He retired that winter at age 41 and immediately had his #18 uniform as the first retired by Hsinchu. Hu was the first Hall of Famer for one of the expansion teams.

Hu played 2694 games with 2301 hits, 1307 runs, 303 doubles, 128 triples, 556 home runs, 1349 RBI, 868 walks, 2639 strikeouts, 814 steals, .241/.310/.473 slash, 148 wRC+, and 102.3 WAR. As of 2037, Hu ranks 11^th in games, 8^th in runs, 31^st in hits, 12^th in total bases (4528), 92^nd in doubles, 9^th in homers, 8^th in RBI 30^th in steals, 15^th in walks, 12^th in strikeouts, and 18^th in WAR among position players.

Few guys in Hu’s era were more steady and reliable. Scholars argue on if he’d be considered an “inner-circle” Hall of Famer, but Hu was a key figure in establishing the new Hsinchu franchise. The tough voters for Austronesia Professional Baseball gave him only 82.9%, but that was enough for a first ballot nod to headline the 2034 class.



Benjamin Kiyoshi – Starting Pitcher – Palembang Panthers – 69.4% First Ballot

Benjamin Kiyoshi was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Yigo, Guam; a village of around 19,000 people and the home of Andersen Air Force Base. Kiyoshi had great stuff with very good control and average movement. His velocity peaked in the 97-99 mph with a sinker and cutter as his top pitches. Kiyoshi also had a good fastball along with a changeup and curveball.

Relative to other APB aces, Kiyoshi’s stamina was mediocre and he rarely had complete games. He did avoid the major injuries that ruin many pitchers in his 15-year career, but did miss some starts here and there with smaller ailments. Kiyoshi graded as just below average for holding runners and defense.

The few players that come from Guam almost always end up in the Oceania Baseball Association. APB teams usually had no shortage of players to look at in their large countries, but Kiyoshi caught the eye of a scout from Palembang. They brought him to Indonesia in June 2009 on a developmental deal. Kiyoshi debuted in 2013 at age 20 with eight scoreless relief innings. He saw 137.2 innings the next year, although his results were subpar.

Still, Kiyoshi earned a full-time rotation spot from 2015 onward. His career best WAR was 8.1 in 2018 along with an association-best 50 FIP-, his only time as a league leader. Kiyoshi’s only time as a Pitcher of the Year finalist was a second place in 2019, which had his career bests for ERA (1.67) and strikeouts (307). Around this time, Palembang emerged as a reliable contender, winning four straight Java Sea League titles from 2018-21.

The Panthers won the Sundaland Association crown thrice from 2019-21. Palembang beat Taipei to win the 2019 Austronesia Championship; their first overall title. They lost in a 2020 rematch with the Tigercats, but were back on top beating Hsinchu in the 2021 final. Kiyoshi had great playoff stats splitting between starting and relief. He had 4 starts and 10 relief appearances with a 1.45 ERA, 2-2 record, 5 saves, 43.1 innings, 64 strikeouts, 7 walks, 182 ERA+, and 1.6 WAR.

In the 2019 Baseball Grand Championship, Kiyoshi had a 3.38 ERA and 1-3 record in four starts with 34 strikeouts and 0.7 WAR over 29.1 innings. He tossed 7.2 innings of relief in 2021 with no earned runs allowed, striking out 11 with five saves in six appearances. Palembang was last place in 2019 at 6-13, but earned a third place 13-6 in 2021.

In May 2020, Kiyoshi signed a four-year, $52,100,000 extension with Palembang. They fell three games short of the playoffs in 2022, then fell to 75-87 in 2023. With a rebuild expected, the Panthers sent Kiyoshi to Zamboanga in a four-player offseason trade. He finished with a 128-79 record, 2.17 ERA, 1880.1 innings, 2337 strikeouts, 344 walks, 116 ERA+, 77 FIP-, and 43.1 WAR. For his role in the dynasty, Palembang later retired Kiyoshi’s #29 uniform.

The Zebras were the defending Taiwan-Philippine Association champ and hoped to build their own dynasty. They finished 110-52 in 2024, but got upset in the association finals by Kaohsiung. Kiyoshi kept up similar production with Zamboanga and had 4.1 scoreless playoff innings in relief. He signed a five-year, $72,500,000 extension with the Zebras after the 2024 season.

Kiyoshi was steady, but Zamboanga fell to the middle tier for the next three seasons then fell towards the bottom to close the decade. He had a 54-48 record, 2.20 ERA, 963.1 innings, 1066 strikeouts, 147 walks, 128 ERA+, 77 FIP-, and 22.9 WAR. His production did dip in 2028 with a career-worst 3.18 ERA. Kiyoshi opted to retire that winter at age 35.

The final tallies had a 182-127 record, 2.18 ERA, 2843.2 innings, 3403 strikeouts, 491 walks, 302/398 quality starts, 24 complete games, 8 shutouts, 120 ERA+, 77 FIP-, and 66.0 WAR. As of 2037, Kiyoshi ranks 51^st in wins, 82^nd in innings, 43^rd in strikeouts, and 56^th in WAR among pitchers. Against pitchers with 1000+ innings, Kiyoshi’s opponent’s OPS (.537) is 49^th and his ERA is 85^th. Kiyoshi also is 38^th in WHIP (0.85), 53^rd in H/9 (6.09), 73^rd in K/9 (10.77) and his .193/.233/.303 triple slash is 57^th/41^st/71^st.

Kiyoshi’s rate stats certainly compare well to other Hall of Famers, but his totals and inning count were on the lower end. Even the pitcher-friendly voters for the Austronesia Professional Baseball HOF acknowledged his totals were a bit borderline. Kiyoshi also wasn’t overly dominant and was limited for black ink and awards.

The biggest thing in his favor was the playoff results, making a big contribution for Palembang’s dynasty. The Panthers won their first two titles and Kiyoshi’s role sealed his candidacy for several voters. He only barely crossed the 66% requirement, but Kiyoshi earned 69.4% for a first ballot nod as part of the 2034 class for APB.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

For the second time in five years, Chinese League Baseball didn’t add anyone into the Hall of Fame. The closest to the 66% requirement in 2034 was SP Likong Zhong with 59.5% on his sixth ballot. Also above 50% was RF Boyu Long with 57.3% for his fifth try, SP Xiaole Li at 55.0% on his third go, and SP Zhiyun Yue with 50.5% on his sixth ballot. CL Xiaohan Yin was the top debut at 49.8%.



The one guy dropped after ten failed ballots was 3B Xin Yang, who peaked at 34.0% in his debut and ended with only 8.4%. He was hurt by spending his final six seasons in MLB with Baltimore, limiting his CLB run to only nine years with Changchun. Yang was a huge part of their dynasty though with titles in 2016-17. He won six Silver Sluggers with the Camels.

Yang had 1426 games, 1348 hits, 636 runs, 201 doubles, 25 triples, 259 home runs, 700 RBI, 581 walks, .269/.347/.474 slash, 181 wRC+, and 81.1 WAR. Just in nine seasons, Yang ranks 53^rd in WAR among position players. He was certainly on his way and finished with 101.9 career WAR counting his MLB seasons. However, CLB voters gave him little to no credit for those later years and condemned him for leaving.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

West African Baseball’s Hall of Fame ballot was blank for the second time in three years. The closest to breaching the 66% needed for induction was SP Joseph Masuta at 59.6% on his third ballot. Also above 50% was CL Nwaneri Victor at 58.4% on his second try, LF Lovemore James debuting at 56.2%, SP Minusu Ekong at 51.7% for his third ballot, and SP Mokhtar Abdoulaye at 51.3% with his second attempt.



SP Isaac Appiah was dropped after ten failed ballots, getting as high as 56.1% on his debut before ending at only 17.6%. He was one of the best-ever defensive pitchers, winning nine Gold Gloves. Appiah also won two championships with Cotonou and one with Kano. He had a 3.31 ERA over 89.2 career playoff innings with 93 strikeouts.

His overall totals saw a 171-105 record, 3.38 ERA, 2499 innings, 2524 strikeouts, 580 walks, 127 ERA+, 86 FIP-, and 48.3 WAR. As of 2037, Appiah is 37^th in wins, 61^st in strikeouts, and 54^th in pitching WAR. However, he had no black ink and fell off abruptly in his early 30s. Appiah did have a Reliever of the Year win from his third season, but never won Pitcher of the Year. He just wasn’t dominant enough for voters to make it in with the tallies he ended with.

Two third baseman notably dropped below 5% close to their tenth ballot with Dieudonne Naba ousted on his ninth try and Zahir Allama on his eighth. Naba had 2460 hits, 1199 runs, 485 doubles, 463 homers, 1534 RBI, 128 wRC+, and 43.0 WAR. Allama won five Silver Sluggers with 2397 hits, 1167 runs, 655 doubles, 364 homers, 1354 RBI, 125 wRC+, and 48.7 WAR. Allama is notably 10^th on the WAB doubles list, but both guys were correctly assigned as “Hall of Pretty Good” level talents.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

Three pitchers were added into the South Asia Baseball Hall of Fame for 2034, headlined by starter Ravi Cittabhoga at 98.2%. Closer Akram Ponnuru had his own solid first ballot nod with 87.7%. SP Harpal Kumaragupta was the third addition at 72.9% on his third ballot, narrowly crossing the 66% requirement. Two others were above 50% with CF Chris Saandeep at 54.9% on his ninth try and SP Siddhant Shakaya at 51.8% for his seventh attempt.



Dropped after ten ballots was LF Kasi Kumar, who peaked at 45.8% in 2026 and ended at 35.2%. He won one Silver Slugger in a 16-year career and notably was LCS and finals MVP in Kanpur’s 2018 title run. Most of his career was with Visakhapatnam with 2062 games, 2509 hits, 1086 runs, 520 doubles, 143 triples, 126 homers, 864 RBI, 606 steals, .336/.400/.494 slash, 172 wRC+, and 76.1 WAR.

Kumar was an impressive leadoff man and ranks 8^th in OBP and 10^th in batting average among all SAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances as of 2037. He’s also 41^st in hits, 31^st in doubles, and 62^nd in WAR for position players. However, voters love home runs and RBI, two things Kumar lacked. He does go down as an all-time playoff performer with a 1.135 OPS, 234 wRC+, and 5.3 WAR in 68 starts.

CF Satishkuma Nayak also notably fell below 5% on his eighth ballot and was dropped. Another leadoff guy, he ranks 3^rd in stolen bases in SAB with 1399 and 26^th in WAR for position players. Nayak had one Silver Slugger and one Gold Glove, helping Kolkata win two championships. In 2564 games, he had 2419 hits, 1457 runs, 504 doubles, 160 triples, 234 home runs, 926 RBI, 618 walks, 2730 strikeouts, .251/.300/.409 slash, and 108 wRC+.

Nayak was one of the most efficient base stealers ever with a remarkable 86% success rate. As of 2037, he’s 29^th in world history for stolen bases. Along with the lack of power though, he also struck out a lot and had a lower average than you’d want. Great defense and baserunning still gave Nayak a great WAR total, but that wasn’t enough to get voters to get him beyond his 36.5% debut ballot.



Ravi Cittabhoga – Starting Pitcher – Lucknow Larks – 98.2% First Ballot

Ravi Cittabhoga was a 5’9’’, 170 pound right-handed pitcher from Siduli, India; a town of about 9,000 people in the West Bengal region. Cittabhoga was known for stellar movement on his pitches and was one of the best at avoiding home runs. He also had good-to-great stuff and control. Cittabhoga’s velocity peaked in the 97-99 mph range with a fastball, curveball, forkball, changeup arsenal. The curveball was usually regarded as his best pitch.

Cittabhoga’s stamina was below average compared to most SAB aces, but he had good durability for most of his career and gave you very efficient innings. He graded as subpar at holding runners and at defense. Cittabhoga was adaptable and well-liked by fans, but some teammates felt his leadership, loyalty, and work ethic were lacking.

In the 2012 SAB Draft, Cittabhoga went sixth overall to Lucknow. The Larks were still a fairly new franchise having joined in the 2004 expansion and had yet to earn a winning season. Cittabhoga was a full-time starter right away and was 2013’s Rookie of the Year. He took second in 2014’s Pitcher of the Year voting as Lucknow finished 88-74 for their first winning campaign. Cittabhoga was the Indian Leauge leader that year in WAR (6.3) and FIP- (62) with a career best 20-6 record. It would be one of three seasons with an ERA below two.

After the 2015 season, Cittabhoga signed a five-year, $22,100,000 extension with the Larks. He led in FIP- four more times with Lucknow, posting big stats there with the few home runs he allowed. Cittabhoga didn’t have the big strikeout numbers though to get awards consideration much in his 20s. Lucknow hovered around .500 before finally getting their first playoff berth in 2019, winning the Central Division at 89-73.

The Larks got to the ILCS, but fell to Pune. These would be Cittabhoga’s only playoff starts for Lucknow with a 3.86 ERA over 9.1 innings with 16 Ks. Hoping for long-term success, Cittabhoga was signed to a seven-year, $52,300,000 extension in March 2020. The Larks were 82-80 in 2020, then would be below .500 for the rest of the 2020s.

You couldn’t blame Cittabhoga for the team failings though. He was second in 2020’s Pitcher of the Year voting, then won the award for the first time in 2021. Both years had ERA titles with 2.27 in 2020 and a career-best 1.76 in 2021. Cittabhoga was also the WARlord in 2021 with a career high 9.5 and a 43 FIP-, plus a league-best four shutouts.

Cittabhoga was third in 2022’s POTY voting, second in 2023, and third in 2024. Still, Lucknow was going nowhere and bottomed out at 63-99 in 2024. Wanting to win before his career was done, the 34-year old opted out of his deal for free agency. With the Larks, Cittabhoga had a 152-86 record, 107 saves, 2.35 ERA, 2291 innings, 3007 strikeouts, 489 walks, 155 ERA+, 58 FIP-, and 77.1 WAR. He remained very popular in Lucknow and his #1 uniform would eventually be retired.

He went to the Southeast Asia League on a four-year, $66,400,000 deal with Dhaka. The Dobermans had won the pennant in 2021 and 2023 and were on a four-year playoff streak. Their postseason streak continued to 2031, but they didn’t get beyond the divisional round during Cittabhoga’s tenure. His three playoff starts had a subpar 4.42 ERA over 18.1 innings.

Cittabhoga did get to pitch in the World Baseball Championship stage with good results for India from 2016-26. In 142.2 innings, he had a 9-4 record, 2.90 ERA, 174 strikeouts, 41 walks, 123 ERA+, 69 FIP-, and 4.2 WAR. India’s deepest run with Cittabhoga was a fourth place in 2025, he had a strong showing with a 1.80 ERA over 25 innings.

Cittabhoga was great in his debut, winning 2025 Pitcher of the Year with an ERA title (2.80) and the top WAR at 8.8. He was iffy in 2026 and ran into his first injury troubles. Bone chips in his elbow kept him out much of the spring. Then in September, Cittabhoga suffered a ruptured ulnar collateral ligament with a 14 month expected recovery time. He didn’t make it back until the very end of the 2027 season with one regular season start and one in the playoffs. Cittabhoga failed to meet the vesting criteria for the fourth year and was a free agent for 2028.

With Dhaka, Cittabhoga had a 27-17 record, 3.19 ERA, 375.2 innings, 444 strikeouts, 58 walks, 128 ERA+, 56 FIP-, and 14.1 WAR. Coming up on age 38, Mumbai hoped Cittabhoga could regain some of that old form. He signed a one-year, $4,480,000 deal but pitched only 33.2 poor innings while suffering a herniated disc. At the deadline, he was traded to Visakhapatnam in a four-player deal. Cittabhoga gave up 8 runs in 11 relief innings for the Volts and was clearly cooked. He retired that winter at age 38.

Cittabhoga finished with a 179-107 record, 109 saves, 2.54 ERA, 2711.1 innings, 3482 strikeouts, 554 walks, 235/367 quality starts, 27 complete games, 13 shutouts, 145 ERA+, 59 FIP-, and 90.5 WAR. As of 2037, Cittabhoga ranks 36^th in wins, 48^th in innings, 24^th in strikeouts, and 6^th in pitching WAR. Among pitchers with 1000+ innings, Cittabhoga is 21^st in ERA, 33^rd in WHIP (1.00), and 17^th in opponent’s OPS (.580). His .217/.262/.317 triple slash ranks 55^th/34^th/17^th. Cittabhoga is also 53^rd in H/9 (7.13) and 60^th in K/9 (11.56).

Among all Hall of Fame starters and retired locks in world history, Cittabhoga ranks 40^th in FIP-. Sabermetrics really rate him as far more efficient than many of the traditional metrics might. More traditionalists would say he doesn’t have the totals to be an inner-circle Hall of Famer, but that may be more a longevity issue than anything else. Cittabhoga’s resume made him a lock though to all class of voters, headlining South Asia Baseball’s three-player crew in 2034 at 98.2%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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Akram Ponnuru – Relief Pitcher – Dhaka Dobermans – 87.7% First Ballot

Akram Ponnuru was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Mulavukad, India; a town of 23,000 people near the country’s southern tip. Ponnuru had excellent stuff along with very good control and average movement. He had the one-two punch of fastball/splitter with 97-99 mph velocity.

Ponnuru’s stamina was average for relievers, but he had ironman durability and was almost always available, becoming one of the few relievers in world history with more than 1000 games pitched. Ponnuru was a good defensive pitcher, but his ability to hold runners was subpar. You wouldn’t ask him to lead the team, but he wasn’t going to ever cause any trouble.

In May 2006, Ponnuru left India for Bangladesh on a developmental contract with Dhaka. He debuted in 2011 at age 21 with 58.1 innings of respectable middle relief as Dhaka had SAB’s best record at 113-49. Ponnuru had three relief appearances in the playoffs, but stepped up big with seven scoreless innings and nine strikeouts. The Dobermans won the SAB Championship over Kolkata, their second overall title along with the 1981 win. Ponnuru gave up four runs in nine innings for the Baseball Grand Championship as Dhaka finished 10-9.

The Dobermans gave him the closer job from 2012-16 and he led the Southeast Asia League thrice in games pitched. He was also the saves leader in 2013 with 35. Ponnuru was third in 2012’s Reliever of the Year voting and second in 2013. He then won the honor for the first time in 2014, posting his Dhaka bests with a 1.75 ERA and 4.4 WAR.

Dhaka followed up the 2011 title with wild cards in 2012-13, but couldn’t get out of the first round. They were 85-77 in 2014, then spent the following three years below .500. With a rebuild expected, the Dobermans traded Ponnuru in November 2016 to Hyderabad for three prospects.

Ponnuru’s one year with the Horned Frogs was the best of his career, winning his second Reliever of the Year with a league and career-best 44 saves. He also had his best ERA at 0.99 with 164 strikeouts in 90.2 innings and 4.8 WAR. Ponnuru had a streak of 38 consecutive scoreless innings over 34 games from April 6 to July 1. The Hippos won the South Division at 100-62, but lost the Indian League Championship Series to Kanpur. Ponnuru’s stock was high as he entered free agency for the first time at age 28. He stayed in his native India on a two-year, $7,160,000 deal with Mumbai.

From 2013-18 and in 2022 and 2025, Ponnuru pitched for India in the World Baseball Championship. He had a 2.75 ERA over 52.1 innings with a 4-1 record, 52.1 innings, 67 strikeouts, and 1.0 WAR. Ponnuru was also part of India’s fourth place finishing 2025 squad.

Ponnuru was surprisingly used in middle relief by Mumbai in 2018, then reclaimed the closer job with alright results in 2019. He was still effective, but was used in middle or long relief for the next few years. Ponnuru signed with Vientiane in 2020, Kolkata in 2021, back to Mumbai in 2022, then another stint with the Vampires in 2023. Ponnuru did win an Indian League title with the Meteors in 2022, but they lost the SAB title to Yangon. For his playoff career, Ponnuru had reliably good stats. He had 29.2 innings over 18 appearances with a 1.82 ERA, 2-2 record, 3 saves, 40 strikeouts, 6 walks, 307 ERA+, 50 FIP-, and 1.1 WAR.

In 2024, Ponnuru returned to the closer role and to Dhaka. He led the league with 38 saves in 2024 for his third Reliever of the Year win with a 2.71 ERA and 76.1 innings. Ponnuru had more saves with a league-best 41 in 2025, but his ERA jumped to 3.59. Between runs with the Dobermans, he had 255 saves and 281 shutdowns, a 51-46 record, 2.84 ERA, 667.2 innings, 1031 strikeouts, 148 walks, 137 ERA+, and 21.0 WAR. Dhaka would later retire his #7 uniform.

Ponnuru joined Ahmedabad for 2026 at age 36 and had 40 saves, 78 games, a 2.06 ERA, and 91.2 innings. He was second in Reliever of the Year voting, his final time as a finalist. Ponnuru fell off in 2027 and had 3.48 ERA over 42 appearances and 54.1 innings for the Animals, but his three saves got him to exactly 400, becoming the eighth in SAB to reach the mark. He had one final year with Delhi in 2028 with a 3.69 ERA over 53.2 innings. Ponnuru retired that winter just after his 39^th birthday.

The final stats saw 1054 games, 403 saves, 531 shutdowns, 1392 innings, a 100-83 record, 2.57 ERA, 2047 strikeouts, 297 walks, 147 ERA+, 71 FIP-, and 35.8 WAR. As of 2037, Ponnuru is 8^th in saves and 2^nd in games pitched in SAB. Among pitchers with 1000+ innings, he is 24^th in ERA, 28^th in opponent’s OPS (.591), and 14^th in WHIP (0.95). Ponnuru is also 19^th in H/9 (6.63), 11^th in K/9 (13.23), and his .203/.252/.339 triple slash ranks 14^th/13^th/56^th.

Ponnuru’s longevity also lands him on the world leaderboards. As of 2037, he is 20^th in games pitched, 41^st in shutdowns, and 14^th in strikeouts among relievers. Ponnuru misses the top 50 for saves narrowly and didn’t have the raw dominance to rank for rate stats. Despite his accolades, Ponnuru doesn’t usually factor into the conversations for the inner-circle of closers in world history.

However, he was easily a top five reliever for most of his career in South Asia Baseball and reliable at each of his stops. Ponnuru’s WAR does fall just out of the top five for SAB’s relievers all-time, but most Hall of Fame voters still felt he did plenty to earn a spot alongside those guys. Ponnuru got 87.7% for a first ballot selection as part of a three-player 2034 class for SAB.



Harpal Kumaragupta – Starting Pitcher – Bengaluru Blazers – 72.9% Third Ballot

Harpal Kumaragupta was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Agra, India; the country’s 23^rd most populous city with around 1.6 million people. Kumaragupta had good-to-great stuff and control along with solid movement. His 97-99 mph fastball was his best pitch, but he was a rare ace with a six-pitch arsenal. Kumaragupta also had a forkball, slider, curveball, standard changeup, and circle change as options.

Kumaragupta had very good stamina and solid durability for most of his career, tossing 210+ innings each year from 2011-24. He had a fantastic pickoff move and was excellent at holding runners. Kumaragupta also graded as a pretty reliable defensive pitcher. He was one of the smartest arms in the league, but you couldn’t expect him to take on a leadership role.

By the 2009 SAB Draft, Kumaragupta was one of the highest rated prospects from India. He went third overall to Bengaluru and was a part-time starter as a rookie, but struggled to a 5.19 ERA in 2010. Kumaragupta got a full-time job in 2011, but didn’t really emerge as an ace until 2013. That year, he won the Indian League’s ERA title at 2.44. However, he wasn’t a Pitcher of the Year candidate with the Blazers.

Part of that was due to Bengaluru being forgettable during this era. They had won pennants in 2003 and 2004, but had a playoff drought begin in 2006 that carried into the 2030s. The Blazers did at least get back around .500 for most of Kumaragupta’s tenure, but they were on the bad side of it. Still, he signed a four-year, $21,120,000 extension after the 2014 season.

Kumaragupta’s Bengaluru tenure ended after the 2016 season as he was involved in a six-player trade with Hyderabad. For the Blazers, he had a 76-77 record, 3.21 ERA, 1441.2 innings, 1671 strikeouts, 311 walks, 109 ERA+, 98 FIP-, and 19.0 WAR. It was marginally his longest tenure with any team, although he was arguably more impactful with Visakhapatnam later. Kumaragupta would be inducted in Blazers colors, but he isn’t thought of as a franchise legend.

Hyderabad had just ended a seven-year playoff drought and hoped Kumaragupta could help them across the line. The Hippos won the South Division and made it to the Indian League Championship Series in both of his seasons there. However, they were defeated in both the 2017 and 2018 ILCS by Kanpur. Kumaragupta in two 2017 playoff starts, but was solid in 2018. He had a 4.11 ERA over 30.2 innings with 37 Ks and 1.0 WAR in the playoffs.

Overall for the Hippos, Kumaragupta had a 33-18 record, 3.25 ERA, 504 innings, 585 strikeouts, 96 walks, 111 ERA+, 89 FIP-, and 9.4 WAR. He notably had his highest career strikeout tally with 311 in 2018 for Hyderabad. He was a free agent for the first time at age 31 and got a six-year, $52,200,000 deal with Visakhapatnam. This kept him in the South Division with the Volts, who were amidst a rebuild. They had won pennants in 2012-13, but had been on a playoff drought since 2015.

Kumaragupta led in complete games and shutouts in 2019, but was otherwise just above average in his first few seasons for Visakhapatnam. His results stepped up as the Volts began a dynasty run, winning three straight SAB Championships from 2023-25. Kumaragupta was there for the first two as Visakhapatnam defeated Dhaka in the 2023 final and Ho Chi Minh City in 2024.

In 2023, Kumaragupta was third in Pitcher of the Year voting, his only time as a finalist. In the playoffs, Kumaragupta had a 2-2 record, 3.55 ERA, 50.2 innings, 52 strikeouts, 7 walks, 103 ERA+, 114 FIP-, and 0.5 WAR. He missed the 2023 Baseball Grand Championship to a sprained AC joint in his shoulder. In 2024, he had a 3.75 ERA over 12 innings. The Volts finished 7-12 in the 2023 event and 8-11 in 2024.

In six seasons for Visakhapatnam, Kumaragupta had an 81-68 record, 3.38 ERA, 1407.1 innings, 1556 strikeouts, 241 walks, 108 ERA+, 90 FIP-, and 24.4 WAR. He was back to free agency for 2025 at age 37 and joined Indore on a two-year, $19 million deal. This was to be the Razorbacks debut season as one of four expansion teams in the Indian League. In 2025, Kumaragupta had a 6-8 record, 3.04 ERA, 139.1 innings, 114 Ks, and 1.5 WAR. The run was cut short by a torn rotator cuff in late July.

Kumaragupta was let go with the injury, but was determined to make it back. Bangkok gave him a two-year, $4,880,000 deal and he was terrible in 2026 with a 5.49 ERA over 155.2 innings and -0.8 WAR. With the Bobcats though, he became the fifth in SAB history to reach 4000 strikeouts and the 11^th to 200 wins. Kumaragupta retired that winter at age 39.

In total, Kumaragupta had a 206-177 record, 3.37 ERA, 3648 innings, 4028 strikeouts, 717 walks, 275/467 quality starts, 108 complete games, 24 shutouts, 107 ERA+, 95 FIP-, and 53.5 WAR. As of 2037, Kumaragupta ranks 14^th in wins, 3^rd in innings, 5^th in starts, 2^nd in complete games, 8^th in strikeouts, and 46^th in WAR among pitchers. He’s also 2^nd in hits allowed (3293)

For supporters, 200+ wins and 4000+ strikeouts was plenty for Kumaragupta. However, critics who valued big peaks and accolades dismissed him as a compiler. To that point, the highest ERA of a Hall of Famer for South Asia Baseball was Tamin Hasan at 3.14. Despite Kumaragupta’s inning tally, his WAR was among the lowest of any starting pitcher in SAB’s HOF. The few guys below him had pitched fewer than 2500 innings compared to Kumaragupta’s 3648.

Kumaragupta missed the 66% induction threshold in his first two ballots, albeit barely at 64.5% and 65.4%. His accumulations proved high enough to make it in even if the rate stats suggested sustained above averageness. Kumaragupta got to 72.9% in 2034 for the third ballot nod to cap off a three-player class for SAB.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

The Asian Baseball Federation had two Hall of Famers above 90% for the 2034 class. The clear star was SS/2B Nizami Aghazade, widely viewed as ABF’s best-ever player, somehow at only 98.4%. SP Arshia Hushyar joined him at 91.3% and would’ve been a headliner in many other years.

Four others were above 50%, but short of the 66% requirement for induction. 3B Quaraishi Lalak led that group with a 57.3% debut. The top returners were 3B Timur Tyan at 53.4% on his third ballot, CL Raghid Yazdani at 53.1% on his fourth try, and LF Ramin Abilov with 53.1% for his second go.




SP Wepa Khan was the lone player dropped after ten ballots, peaking at 48.4% in 2026 before ending at only 6.5%. He had a 15-year career with Rawalpindi and helped them win the 2010 ABF title. Khan had a 153-127 record, 2.47 ERA, 2616 innings, 2779 strikeouts, 400 walks, 124 ERA+, 90 FIP-, and 42.1 WAR. He was never a Pitcher of the Year finalist and lacked black ink. Khan would’ve needed a few more years of tallies to make it across the line. He was also overshadowed by 2034 inductee Hushyar, who was a more impressive ace during part of Khan’s run with the Red Wings.




Nizami “Dingus” Aghazade – Shortstop/Second Base – Dushanbe Dynamo – 98.4% First Ballot

Nizami Aghazade was a 6’1’’, 205 pound right-handed middle infielder from the largest city of Kazakhstan, Almaty. In terms of pure hitting ability, some argue Aghazade may be the best in baseball history. At his peak, many scouts gave him an absurd 12/10 rating for contact and a 10/10 for power. Aghazade was also quite solid at drawing walks and his strikeout rate was lower than most in ABF. His 162 game average got you 43 home runs, 33 doubles, and 3 triples.

Aghazade was an absolute beast against lefties and righties. He was stronger facing left-handed pitching (1.095 OPS, 233 wRC+) compared to righties (1.023 OPS, 207 wRC+) but all pitchers had reason to fear him. Aghazade’s baserunning skills were above average, but his speed was merely okay at his peak.

Around 2/3 of his starts came at shortstop with most of the rest at second base, although Aghazade did occasionally start at third or first. He graded as a reliably great defender at SS, but he was Gold Glove tier at 2B. Aghazade had below average grades for his few starts in the corners. His biggest weakness was durability, missing notable chunks in about 1/3 of his seasons. However, raw ability and grit still powered Aghazade to a 22-year career even as his body broke down, starting games into his mid 40s.

On top of being one of the most gifted players ever, Aghazade was an absolute gem of a human. He was a team captain with excellent grades for loyalty, leadership, work ethic, adaptability, selflessness, and intelligence. Even the pitchers who hated facing Aghazade have nothing but glowing things to say about him as a man. It should be no surprise that Aghazade became one of the globe’s biggest-ever baseball superstars with a case for being the sport’s all-time GOAT.

Quickly in college, Aghazade emerged as one of the best prospects available. In the 2010 ABF Draft, Dushanbe picked him second overall. However, they couldn’t come to terms and Aghazade played an additional collegiate season. The Dynamo knew he was something special and picked him again third overall in the 2011 ABF Draft. This time, they were able to reach terms, including a three-year rookie contract of $8,580,000.

Aghazade immediately was worth that and more as he debuted with arguably the greatest rookie season in baseball history. He was Batter of the Month four times in 2012 en route to the East League MVP, Rookie of the Year, Triple Crown, and a Silver Slugger. Aghazade led in runs (103), hits (208), home runs (47), RBI (110), total bases (392), triple slash (.364/.433/.685), OPS (1.118), wRC+ (247), and WAR (13.9).

The WAR mark was the second-best single season ABF history to that point behind only Gokhan Karatas’ 14.9 from 1993. It was also the best-ever by a rookie in all of baseball history. The previous best and main contender for the best-ever rookie season was West African Baseball’s Kouadio Diao. Diao had 13.7 WAR with a 1.92 ERA over 257.2 innings in 1977 for Abidjan, which still stands as the best-ever pitching single-season WAR in WAB history. Dushanbe’s playoff drought still grew to eight seasons, but it was their first winning campaign of that stretch at 83-79.

Aghazade matched the WAR total in 2013 but was on an even more insane pace. He missed almost all of June to an oblique strain, but still led in WAR (13.9), runs (105), homers (47), RBI (107), and total bases (352). Aghazade’s 490 plate appearances fell just short of the 502 needed to qualify as the league leader, but he had an absurd .399/.471/.830 slash line with 1.302 OPS and 313 wRC+. Those all would’ve been ABF records and it would rank as the 7^th-best single-season OPS in any world league as of 2037 if it counted.

Aghazade also became the tenth ABF batter with a six-hit game (4/26 vs Karachi) and had a 30-game hitting streak, one of only nine to do it in ABF as of 2037. Unsurprisingly, he repeated as MVP and as a Silver Slugger winner. This started a ten-year playoff streak for Dushanbe, taking a wild card at 91-71. They got to the ELCS, but were defeated by Hyderabad.

The Dynamo won a division title in 2014 at 90-72, but had a first round exit. Aghazade again led in runs, homers, total bases, triple slash, OPS, wRC+, and WAR and was two RBI short of another Triple Crown. He won his third straight MVP and Slugger and hit for the cycle on August 19 against Faisalabad.

Aghazade made it a four-peat in 2015 with arguably his best-ever season, breaking the ABF single-season record for WAR (15.99) which still holds as of 2037. It ranks as the 5^th-best WAR by any position player ever in a season and the 28^th-best when adding in pitchers and two-way guys. It was his first Silver Slugger at second base instead of shortstop and his first Gold Glove. Aghazade’s effort also is a world record for the most WAR in a single-season accrued by a second baseman.

He joined Humayun Kahil as the only multiple-time Triple Crown winners in ABF, leading in runs (107), hits (211), homers (46), RBI (125), total bases (381), triple slash (.372/.452/.672), OPS (1.124), and wRC+ (248). The hit total would be his career best. Despite that, Dushanbe was a mere 83-79, but that got them the second wild card in a season with no standouts.

The Dynamo got hot and won their second ABF Championship, defeating Shiraz in the final. Aghazade was exceptional as expected, winning MVP of each playoff round. In 14 starts, he had 22 hits, 16 runs, 3 doubles, 8 homers, 14 RBI, .423/.492/.942 slash, 1.434 OPS, 335 wRC+, and 1.9 WAR. He was one run short of the ABF playoff record.

Aghazade wasn’t insane in the Baseball Grand Championship, but he had a nice showing as Dushanbe went 9-10. He had 17 hits, 15 runs, 2 doubles, 10 homers, 19 RBI, .233/.317/.671 slash, 150 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR. Aghazade had quickly become a megastar though, especially in Tajikistan with the Dynamo and throughout the Central Asian countries.

He was maybe Kazakhstan’s most famous actual citizen and regularly represented his country in the World Baseball Championship. From 2011-32, Aghazade played 219 games with 210 hits, 129 runs, 36 doubles, 62 home runs, 133 RBI, .275/.384/.569 slash, and 11.5 WAR.

As of 2037, Aghazade ranks 28^th in games played, 21^st for WAR among position players, 26^th in total bases (434), 42^nd in runs, 26^th in hits, 46^th in homers, 35^th in doubles, 41^st in RBI, and 39^th in walks. He dutifully performed even if the Kazakhs weren’t particularly competitive. Their lone division title with Aghazade came in 2027.

After the 2015 season, Dushanbe locked Aghazade up to an eight-year, $74,200,000 extension. He won his fifth consecutive MVP along with a Slugger and Gold Glove at 2B in 2016. Aghazade was the first five-time MVP in ABF history and the first in world history to win five MVPs in their first five seasons. The closest to that feat was Mexican League legend Kiko Velazquez, who missed in his sophomore season but won eight MVPs in his first nine years.

Aghazade’s pace was possibly better than the prior year, but he lost a few weeks to injury. However, he broke ABF’s single-season records for batting average (.389) and on-base percentage (.473). Both marks would only get passed once in the next 20 years.

He also led in runs (118), hits (201), homers (39), RBI (102), total bases (363), slugging (.702), OPS (1.175), wRC+ (254), and WAR (14.5). The triple slash, OPS, and wRC+ would each be career highs for a qualifying season. Dushanbe went 91-71 and successfully defended the East League title, but was denied an ABF Championship repeat by Tehran. Aghazade had a 1.223 OPS and 1.2 WAR in the playoffs.

His bid for an unprecedented sixth straight MVP to start a career was thwarted by a fractured finger in early June 2017. It was originally expected to be a three month injury, but a setback required surgery and kept him out the rest of the season, playing only 60 games total. Dushanbe’s playoff streak continued without him as a 96-66 wild card, but they were denied the ELCS three-peat by Asgabat.

Aghazade was back to his usual self in 2018 with his sixth MVP and Silver Slugger, plus his third Gold Glove at 2B. He earned his fourth Triple Crown and is one of only five batters in world history with 4+ TCs. Aghazade led in runs (112), hits (205), homers (48), RBI (122), walks (73), total bases (382), triple slash (.365/.444/.680), OPS (1.124), wRC+ (244), and WAR (15.2). It was his career best for homers and he joined world WARlord Harvey Coyle as the only position players to record multiple 15+ WAR seasons.

Dushanbe had their best record of the playoff streak at 103-59 and had the top seed for the first time, but they were upset in the first round 3-2 by Asgabat. A big reason they lost was game four as Aghazade suffered a torn ACL. This had an eight month recovery time and kept him out most of 2019, only playing 59 games that year.

The Dynamo got the top seed again in 2019 at 96-66 and with Aghazade back, won their third EL pennant in five years. They were denied a second ABF Championship win by Tabriz. Aghazade was ELCS MVP and had another stellar playoff run with 25 hits, 9 runs, 2 doubles, 5 homers, 11 RBI, and 1.5 WAR in 18 starts.

Aghazade stayed healthy for 2020 and won his seventh MVP and Silver Slugger, now back at shortstop. He led in the triple slash (.356/.428/.661), OPS (1.090), wRC+ (253), WAR (13.4), and runs (119). The runs were a career high, as was his 127 RBI. He was one RBI short of the league lead, but his 47 homers were 12 short of Multan’s Imail Akbar. Dushanbe had their best record of the eight-year playoff streak at 110-52, but suffered a stunning first round upset loss to Almaty. This was Aghazade’s really one bad playoff run, going 1-15 in the series.

For his playoff career with Dushanbe, Aghazade had 72 starts, 94 hits, 45 runs, 14 doubles, 22 home runs, 50 RBI, 25 walks, .356/.428/.667 slash, 236 wRC+, and 6.1 WAR. The Dynamo had a first round exit as a wild card in 2021, then got upset in the first round of 2022 despite the top seed at 109-53. Aghazade still got a Silver Slugger both years, including 2021 despite losing 2-3 months to a fractured hand.

2022 was Aghazade’s eighth MVP win, leading yet again in runs (109), total bases (361), OBP (.413), OPS (1.049), and WAR (12.5). This marked the end of Dushanbe’s playoff streak, going 79-83 in both 2023-24. After the 2023 season, Aghazade signed a new three-year, $66,600,000 to stick with the Dynamo. They got back as a division champ in 2025, but had a first round exit. After missing the playoffs by a tiebreaker in 2026, the Dynamo spent the rest of the 2020s below .500.

From 2023-26, Aghazade stayed largely healthy and led the EL all four yaers in WAR. He also thrice led in OPS, wRC, slugging, average, and OBP; and led in hits and total bases for 2024. Aghazade won Silver Sluggers all four years and was second in MVP voting from 2023-25. In 2026, he won his ninth and final MVP, one of only nine players in world history to accomplish that as of 2037. Aghazade is also the only ABF player to win 13 Silver Sluggers.

Aghazade was now 39-years old heading into the 2027 season and had shown no sign of decline. Dushanbe signed him to another two-year, $40 million extension. However, 2027 would be his final year for the Dynamo. Aghazade missed significant time to chronic back soreness and plantar fasciitis, but still was good for 7.1 WAR and a 1.065 OPS over 98 games. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the second year of the deal and was allowed to go to free agency for the first time at age 40.

With Dushanbe, Aghazade had 2126 games, 2747 hits, 1464 runs, 467 doubles, 50 triples, 596 home runs, 1563 RBI, 827 walks, 1204 strikeouts, 210 steals, .358/.432/.665 slash, 237 wRC+, and 183.1 WAR. He absolutely obliterated the next closest ABF player for career WAR (117.4 by Rafkat Kudaybergenov). At departure, Aghazade was also the all-time ABF leader for triple slash and OPS. He’s still the batting average leader as of 2037, but is 2^nd in OBP and OPS and 3^rd in slugging behind active guys.

Aghazade ranks 9^th in runs, 8^th in hits, 8^th in total bases (5102), 42^nd in doubles, 10^th in homers, 10^th in RBI, and 20^th in walks. He has those tallies despite being 59^th in games played. Aghazade’s #28 uniform would unsurprisingly be retired a few years later. Very few argue against Aghazade as being the greatest player even in the history of the Asian Baseball Federation. Seven of the top ten seasons by WAR in ABF history, including #1-2 and #4-7 came from Aghazade.

But he still had six more seasons of baseball left to potentially bolster his case as the all-time GOAT. Aghazade’s play hadn’t diminished when healthy and he had worldwide suitors. He decided to give Major League Baseball a shot at age 40 on a three-year, $97,500,000 deal with Montreal, the defending National Association champ. Unfortunately, the injury woes continued in his 2028 debut, only playing 53 games due to a torn abdominal muscle and plantar fasciitis, among other things. The Maples finished 85-77, ending a four-year playoff streak.

Aghazade stayed healthy for 2029 and showed he was still world class even at age 41 with 7.2 WAR, .973 OPS, 169 wRC+, 35 home runs, and 120 RBI. He won a Silver Slugger and is one of only 21 in world history to win the honor 14+ times. Montreal got back into the playoffs as a wild card, but went one-and-done. They missed with 85 wins again in 2030.

A hip strain cost Aghazade some games in 2030, but he still posted a remarkable 6.8 WAR, .988 OPS, and 172 wRC+ over 117 games. With Montreal, Aghazade played 316 games with 376 hits, 219 runs, 56 doubles, 78 home runs, 228 RBI, 116 walks, .316/.389/.570 slash, 165 wRC+, and 15.8 WAR. He had shown that when healthy, he was still elite even in his 40s.

Aghazade wanted to keep playing and MLB teams saw he could go. Houston signed him at three years and $132,500,000. The Hornets had gotten the top seed in 2030 at 111-51, but had lost in the second round. He lost much of 2031 between a knee sprain and plantar fasciitis. Aghazade also finally looked somewhat pedestrian for the first time with 1.7 WAR, .778 OPS, and 1.7 WAR over 80 starts.

In the playoffs, Aghazade was unremarkable with 13 games, .651 OPS, 67 wRC+, and 0 WAR. However, his leadership helped as Houston won it all, defeating Washington in the World Series. In the Baseball Grand Championship, Houston finished even for first at 14-7 with Hyderabad, but the Horned Frogs had them on the head-to-head tiebreaker. Aghazade had one last strong run in him, posting 0.9 WAR, 174 wRC+, .934 OP, 13 hits, 11 runs, 7 homers, and 16 RBI in the event.

The 2031 season also moved Aghazade into the vaunted 200 WAR club for his combined career. He joined SS Harvey Coyle (234.9), SS/2B Jimmy Caliw (214.0), and SP Mohamed Ramos (205.1) as the only players to reach the mark. In 2032, Aghazade had 2.3 WAR and .974 OPS over 54 games, but a knee sprain and torn back muscle cost him most of the season. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the third year of the Houston contract. With the Hornets, Aghazade had 134 games, 153 hits, 80 runs, 19 doubles, 27 home runs, 80 RBI, .294/.359/.494 slash, 124 wRC+, and 3.9 WAR.

In five MLB seasons, Aghazade played 450 games with 529 hits, 299 runs, 75 doubles, 105 homers, 308 RBI, 151 walks, .310/.380/.547 slash, 152 wRC+, and 19.8 WAR. That would be a very respectable five years for any MLB player, but was especially remarkable since all of it came after Aghazade’s 40^th birthday. Very few guys in world history had even made it into their mid-40s and fewer had remained so efficient.

Aghazade’s body was breaking down, but he was determined to keep going. Most teams thought he physically wouldn’t be able to go anymore, but he eventually found a buyer in Russia. Nizhny Novgorod of Eurasian Professional Baseball gave him a three-year, $22,100,000 deal. Aghazade even stayed healthy in 2033 for the Ninjas, but sadly he was terrible with -0.9 WAR, .597 OPS, and 72 wRC+ in 153 games. Aghazade finally retired from professional baseball that winter a few weeks shy of his 46^th birthday.

For his combined pro career, Aghazade played 2729 games with 3393 hits, 1807 runs, 555 doubles, 58 triples, 718 home runs, 1937 RBI, 993 walks, 1586 strikeouts, 218 steals, .342/.414/.628 slash, 1.042 OPS, 214 wRC+, and 202.0 WAR. Aghazade is still 4^th on the all-time WARboard, but the injuries helped keep him out of the world top 50 for the counting stats.

For rate stats among world Hall of Famers and retired locks as of 2037, Aghazade ranks 18^th in batting average, 10^th in on-base percentage, 44^th in slugging, and 18^th in OPS. Keep in mind, his prime came in the ABF East League, which grades as a low scoring league on the historical scale.

By career weighted runs created plus (wRC+), which tries to normalize for leagues and eras, Aghazade is the all-time leader at a staggering 214. The previous best was 209 by SAB legend V.J. Williams. Only ten world HOFers have finished above 200. At least relative to his peers in his era and league, Aghazade was the most efficient hitter by a solid margin.

Few argue against Aghazade as the Asian Baseball Federation’s GOAT, but is he the best in world history? The WARlord Harvey Coyle is usually the first name that comes up, considering he won 9 MVPs, 14 Silver Sluggers, and 14 Gold Gloves at shortstop along with 1092 home runs. Aghazade supports note that Coyle got his marks in 3430 games compared to only 2729 for Aghazade. Jimmy Caliw notably had 3303 game to get his 12 MVPs, 17 Silver Sluggers, and 17 Gold Gloves between SS/2B and OBA/MLB.

Coyle had by far the most defensive value of any player ever and bigger power totals than the other two, but his era of the European Baseball Federation was notably higher scoring than Caliw’s 1970s-80s OBA/MLB or Aghazade’s ABF. The main knock on Coyle was lackluster playoff results and Caliw’s stats were merely decent despite having multiple rings. Aghazade had a career 1.017 OPS and 208 wRC+ in the playoffs, carrying over his remarkable efficiency without any disruption to the big stage.

Again for efficiency, Aghazade couldn’t be topped, but you could certainly argue the other two were more valuable since they played more games. Those are the candidates among middle infielders along with 11-time WAB MVP Darwin Morris, which WAR specifically loves for the defensive value. They occupy four of the top five spots with strikeout king Mohamed Ramos ranked fourth, then wins leader Ulices Montero. Those who argue a pitcher could be the best player ever generally list either of those guys first.

Scholars who favor raw power and batting stats might point to a guy like home run king Majed Darwish for their GOAT, or maybe CABA legend Prometheo Garcia. For pure value, others cite two-way Chinese star Chuchuan Cao, whose career was cut short to injury. Had Aghazade played the same amount of years but with a fraction of the injuries, he might have ended up in that top WAR spot.

Regardless, Aghazade is easily one of baseball’s true immortals and most scholars agree that he’s a top ten player in the history of the game. He’s also universally beloved as one of the highest character men to wear a captain’s C. Somehow, Aghazade got 98.4% and not 100% despite generally being viewed as the Asian Baseball Federation’s GOAT. Either way, he captained the two-man 2034 Hall of Fame class.



Arshia Hushyar – Starting Pitcher – Rawalpindi Red Wings – 91.3% First Ballot

Arshia Hushyar was a 6’3’’, 195 pound left-handed pitcher from Rafsanjan, Iran; a city in the central part of the country with just under 162,000 inhabitants. Hushyar had great control, good stuff, and average movement for his arsenal. His velocity only peaked in the 93-95 mph range, but he had a solid four-pitch combo of slider, forkball, changeup, and cutter. The forkball was typically considered his most dangerous offering.

Hushyar had above average stamina relative to most ABF aces, but his ironman durability meant he always gave you plenty of innings. He had an excellent pickoff move, but graded as a weaker defender. Hushyar was a real sparkplug personality known for his scrappiness, work ethic, and adaptability. He got the absolute most out of his skillset.

In February 2008, Hushyar left Iran for Pakistan on a developmental deal with Rawalpindi. He spent five full years in their academy before debuting in 2013 at age 21, although he was still subpar with only 1.1 WAR in 203.2 innings. Hushyar was healthy for 2014, but limited to only six starts as he refined his craft. He was back to a full-time spot in 2015 and held that for the next seven years with the Red Wings.

2017 was his only time as a Pitcher of the Year finalist for Rawalpindi, taking second with a 2.00 ERA over 247 innings and 6.6 WAR. The next year had his career bests for WAR (6.7), innings (265.2), and strikeouts (326). Rawalpindi was generally stuck around .500 for Hushyar’s tenure with their lone playoff berth in 2017. They won the division title at 90-72, but had a first round exit. Hushyar’s only playoff start was good, giving up one run in seven innings.

Rawalpindi gave Hushyar a three-year, $32 million extension in April 2019 and he continued on with steady results. On April 20, 2021, Hushyar tossed his lone no-hitter with 16 strikeouts and one walk against Karachi. The Red Wings got back to 90-72, but they missed the playoffs on a tiebreaker. Even with the no-hitter, Hushyar had just posted his weakest year since his rookie campaign and was entering the final year of his deal. They traded the 30-year old in the offseason to Multan for two prospects.

For the Red Wings, Hushyar had a 112-91 record, 2.58 ERA, 1999.1 innings, 2353 strikeouts, 319 walks, 58 complete games, 17 shutouts, 120 ERA+, 85 FIP-, and 40.3 WAR. Multan was just above .500 the last few years and hoped to make a push, although they missed the playoffs in Hushyar’s lone season at 88-74. He had a nice showing with a 2.91 ERA over 241.1 innings, 16-11 record, 290 Ks, and 5.2 WAR. He also was the East League leader in K/BB at 18.1, only walking 16 guys all season.

A free agent for the first time at age 31, Hushyar signed a five-year, $31,660,000 deal with Hyderabad. He ultimately spent his entire pro career in Pakistan, but did return to Iran for a few appearances from 2015-23 in the World Baseball Championship. Hushyar had 38.1 innings with a 2.82 ERA, 4-0 record, 50 Ks, 9 walks, and 1.0 WAR. He was on roster for the Iranians’ third place finish in 2023.

Hyderabad was on a seven-year playoff drought when Hushyar arrived, but he helped start a decade-plus playoff streak. The Horned Frogs had a wild card in 2024 and then the top seed in 2025 at 105-57, but fell both years in the first round of the playoffs. In 2025, Hushyar won his lone Pitcher of the Year with his only ERA title, a career-best 1.96.

The Horned Frogs missed the division and top seed in 2026 by one game at 98-64, but got the last laugh. They ousted top-seed Karachi in the ELCS and defeated Mashhad in the ABF Championship. Hyderabad got the #1 seed in 2027 at 102-60 and repeated as ABF champs, that team defeating Tehran in the final. Hushyar’s starts were surprisingly underwhelming with a 6.55 ERA in 11 innings for 2026 and a 5.40 ERA in 26.2 innings for 2027.

Hushyar fared better in five relief appearances in the 2026 Baseball Grand Championship, allowing one run in 12.1 innings. However, he stunk in the 2027 BGC with a 7.16 ERA over 16.1 innings. Hyderabad finished 6-13 in 2026 and was tied for fifth in 2027 at 12-7. They were happy enough with Hushyar’s performance to give him a two-year, $16,800,000 extension after the 2027 season. That year, he become the 15^th ABF pitcher to 200 wins.

In 2028, Hushyar was the 12^th to reach 4000 strikeouts and had similar rate stats to his other Hyderabad years, although he was limited to 176.2 innings. The Horned Frogs again had the top seed at 105-57 and earned the ELCS three-peat, but were denied the ABF Championship three-peat in a rematch with Tehran. Hushyar had a 4.15 ERA over 13 playoff innings and for his career had a lackluster 4.45 playoff ERA over 64.2 innings, 3-5 record, 71 strikeouts, and 0.9 WAR.

Hushyar’s ability hadn’t dipped much and he was still in good health, but he decided to retire after the 2028 season at age 37. For Hyderabad, he had an 86-56 record, 2.73 ERA, 1306.2 innings, 1486 strikeouts, 178 walks, 126 ERA+, 87 FIP-, and 25.1 WAR.

In total, Hushyar had a 214-158 record, 2.66 ERA, 3547.1 innings, 4129 strikeouts, 513 walks, 352/461 quality starts, 86 complete games, 26 shutouts, 122 ERA+, 86 FIP-, and 70.6 WAR. As of 2037, Hushyar ranks 9^th in wins, 9^th in innings, 46^th in complete games, 11^th in strikeouts, and 16^th in pitching WAR. Among those with 1000+ innings, his opponent’s OPS (.596) is 63^rd, ERA 57^th, and WHIP is 18^th (0.92). Hushyar is also 24^th in BB/9 (1.30) and 76^th in H/9 (6.94).

Hushyar was rarely overwhelmingly dominant or viewed as the top guy, but he was remarkably consistent and effective. He doesn’t factor into the inner-circle conversations for Hall of Famers, but 4000+ Ks and 200+ wins usually lock it up for any pitcher, even in lower-scoring leagues. Hushyar received 91.3% for a first ballot nod for the Asian Baseball Federation’s 2034 class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

Two outfielders were slam dunk inductees for the Arab League Baseball Hall of Fame in 2034 with Mohamed Hassan at 98.3% and Amar Rasmi at 95.7%. 1B Faqi Al-Thakur was close to the 66% requirement, but missed at 60.9% on his sixth ballot. Also on his sixth go was 1B Lance Vogel at 53.3%. SP Muhammed Fadel also breached 50% with a 52.5% debut.



Dropped after ten failed ballots was closer Ibrahim Mourad, who peaked at 38.2% in 2026 and ended at 13.0%. In 13 seasons, he had 335 saves, 3.08 ERA, 852.2 innings, 1262 strikeouts, 126 ERA+, 73 FIP-, and 21.5 WAR. Mourad led in saves twice and ranks 5^th in ALB as of 2037. However, he never won Reliever of the Year, taking second place twice. Mourad was an important part of Abu Dhabi’s pennants in 2016-17 as well. He just didn’t have the overwhelming dominance that voters wanted from relievers. The other inductees either had ERAs below 2.50 or more longevity.



Mohamed Hassan – Left Field – Basra Bulldogs – 98.3% First Ballot

Mohamed Hassan was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed left fielder from El Mansura, Egypt, a city of around 622,000 on the northern bank of the Nile. Hassan was one of the all-time great home run hitters and an absolute menace facing right-handed pitching. He had a career 1.079 OPS and 177 wRC+ facing RHP, compared to a merely decent .778 OPS and 107 wRC+ against righties. Hassan was an excellent contact hitter against righties, but average-at-best against lefties.

For power, Hassan had an outstanding 52 homers, 41 doubles, and 3 triples per his 162 game average. More than half of his career hits went for extra bases based almost purely on power. Hassan was a smart baserunner, but his speed was terrible. He also drew surprisingly few walks for a power guy and did struggle with strikeouts. But his hits were almost always high value as he never had a full season without at least 35 home runs.

Hassan was a career left fielder and a lousy defender. About ¼ of his career starts came as a designated hitter. Hassan’s durability was mostly great, starting 145+ games in all but two seasons from 2011-28. He had a strong work ethic and was very loyal, becoming a beloved superstar of the loaded outfields of the great Basra dynasties.

In May 2007, Hassan left for Iraq on a developmental deal with Basra. It didn’t take long for him to come up as a rare 18-year old debut in 2009 with nine games. Hassan played 108 games and started 54 in 2010 with promising results at age 19. That earned him a full-time job in 2011, a role he kept for the next 18 years with the Bulldogs.

Basra was already amidst their first dynasty when Hassan arrived, led by ALB home run king Nordine Soule. They had a division title streak back to 2003 with Eastern Conference pennants in 2004, 06, 08, 10, and 11; along with ALB titles in 2006, 2008, and 2011. Hassan won his first Silver Slugger in 2011 as a DH, leading in doubles with 52.

Hassan immediately became a big-time playoff performer, winning conference finals MVP in 2011 against Abu Dhabi. It was Basra’s weakest record of the streak at 86-76, but they went on to beat Alexandria for the ALB title. Hassan had 14 hits, 10 runs, 5 doubles, 5 homers, 8 RBI, and 0.7 WAR in 13 playoff starts. He then had a strong showing in the Baseball Grand Championship with 20 hits, 12 runs, 4 doubles, 7 homers, 16 RBI, 1.032 OPS, and 1.1 WAR over 18 starts. The Bulldogs finished 10-0, one of four teams tied for eighth.

The outfielder group Hassan came to join early in his career is viewed as possibly the strongest OF unit in baseball history. In left was the legendary Nordine Soule, ALB’s leader in homers, WAR, RBI, hits, and runs. Center had Hassan El Zamek and right had Farouk Adam, both of which were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2025. From 2007-10, those three swept the Silver Sluggers in the outfield and even had the top three spots in MVP voting for 2008.

2012 was the last hurrah for this group, taking the top seed at 101-61 but falling to Abu Dhabi in the conference final. It was also the star-making season for Hassan, who won MVP and another Silver Slugger at DH. He had a 6-6 game with three home runs on August 2 against Medina. Hassan led the conference with career bests for home runs (61) and RBI (146) and led with 439 total bases.

It was Soule’s final year in Basra, as he’d play two final seasons with Casablanca before retiring. El Zamek also left for free agency and apart from a one-off in 2015 spent the rest of his career elsewhere. Adam stayed through 2017, but it was now Hassan’s turn to be the leader for the Bulldogs. While he personally played great, it was a transition period for Basra. They had losing seasons from 2013-15 and got back above .500 in 2016-17, although they were still outside of the playoffs.

Hassan moved away from DH during that five-year stretch and won Silver Sluggers four times in LF. He also had a one-off in 2014 at first base, earning his second MVP. Hassan was third in 2015 and 2016’s MVP voting. 2014 was his career bests for WAR (9.7), OPS (1.104), wRC+ (194), triple slash (.340/.381/.722) and total bases (440). Hassan led in homers in both 2013-14, led in RBI in 2014, doubles in 2015, and runs in both 2014-15. 2015 had his bests for both runs (126) and doubles (53).

In September 2016, Hassan signed a girthy eight-year, $139,400,000 extension. Basra started a new nine-year playoff streak in 2018, although they had a first round exit initially. The rest of the streak, the Bulldogs got to the Eastern Conference Final each year, finishing with a 2-6 record for their tries. Hassan had a surprisingly done 2018, but returned closer to form after that. In 2021, he was a conference leader for the final time with 140 RBI and 405 total bases. 2020 was his last Silver Slugger and last time as an MVP finalist, taking third. Hassan finished with ten Sluggers in total.

From 2019-22, Basra met Jeddah in the conference final. The Jackals got the better of them thrice, but the Bulldogs broke through in 2020. They went onto defeat Cairo for the Arab League title with Hassan getting series MVP. In that playoff run, he had 20 hits, 12 runs, 8 doubles, 4 home runs, 10 RBI, and 1.187 OPS. The Bulldogs took third at 13-6 in the Baseball Grand Championship as Hassan posted 20 hits, 12 runs, 2 doubles, 7 homers, and 16 RBI.

Hassan had become a superstar in Iraq, but he was also beloved back home in Egypt. He was a regular in the World Baseball Championship from 2011-27 with 140 games, 103 hits, 68 runs, 18 doubles, 43 home runs, 92 RBI, .246/.318/.601 slash, and 5.0 WAR. The Egyptians notably had their deepest-ever run in 2014, taking fourth place.

Basra won 112 games in 2023 and 100 in 2024, but lost to Abu Dhabi and Kuwait respectively in the conference final. Hassan was still a very effective power hitter at this point, but he was done with the MVP conversation. In July 2024, he signed a five-year, $104,400,000 to remain with the Bulldogs. That year also saw Hassan breach 700 home runs, 1500 runs, and 2500 hits.

In 2025 at 99-63, Hassan got his third ring as the Bulldogs denied 110-win Amman a three-peat in the ALB Championship. This was Hassan’s finest moment, winning MVP in the championship and conference finals. In 14 playoff starts, he had 26 hits, 19 runs, 7 doubles, 6 homers, 19 RBI, 1.451 OPS, 261 wRC+, and 1.5 WAR. Hassan set the ALB playoff record for total bases (51), tied the runs record, and was one short of the hits record also set that year by Dei Barrie (27). They went 8-11 in the BGC with Hassan posting 15 hits, 14 runs, 8 homers, 16 RBI, and .932 OPS.

While he was weak in a few of the early exits, Hassan’s career playoff numbers were quite impressive. In 85 games, he had 103 hits, 59 runs, 32 doubles, 22 homers, 205 total bases, 57 RBI, .318/.354/.633 slash, 154 wRC+, and 3.5 WAR. As of 2037, Hassan is the ALB playoff leader for total bases and doubles. He ranks 3^rd in runs, 2^nd in hits, 7^th in homers, and 5^th in RBI.

Basra had one last conference finals trip in 2026, but lost to Bahrain. The Bulldogs would spend the rest of the decade below .500. By this point, Hassan seemed to have a real shot at catching some of Soule’s all-time records. In 2027 at age 36, he smacked 60 home runs with 145 RBI. Hassan would be the third to 900 home runs, third to 2000 RBI, fourth to 700 doubles, and fourth to 3000 hits.

Hassan still had 43 homers and 100 RBI in 2028, but it was overall his worst full season with 0.3 WAR in 162 games with 94 wRC+ and .810 OPS. He was only 43 hits away from passing Soule, but the other marks would’ve needed a few more decent years. In part out of respect to his former teammate and in part due to worries he’d be benched, Hassan retired that winter at age 38. Basra immediately retired his #4 uniform for a stellar two decades.

The final totals saw 2885 games, 3296 hits, 1919 runs, 722 doubles, 53 triples, 928 home runs, 2234 RBI, 568 walks, 2718 strikeouts, .307/.353/.644 slash, 158 wRC+, and 105.0 WAR. As of 2037, Hassan is 2^nd in games, 3^rd in runs, 2^nd in hits, 2^nd in total bases (6908), 4^th in doubles, 3^rd in homers, 2^nd in RBI, 76^th in walks, 5^th in strikeouts, and 7^th in WAR for position players. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Hassan’s .997 OPS is 21^st and he’s 14^th in slugging.

Hassan’s power also cracks the world leaderboards as of 2037, ranking 19^th in homers, 12^th in doubles, and 22^nd in RBI. Among world Hall of Famers and retired locks, Hassan is 19^th in slugging and 49^th in OPS. He’s undoubtedly an inner-circle Hall of Famer and has a case for being a top ten or even top five hitter in all of Arab League Baseball history. Hassan’s high strikeout tally, low walk tally, and poor defense and speed might keep him just shy of immortal status. Some scholars argue while an excellent power hitter, he was helped by a higher-scoring league and homer-friendly ballpark in Basra.

On just about any other franchise, Hassan would be that team’s best-ever. But he briefly overlapped with the league GOAT Nordine Soule and another top ten level guy Farouk Adam with the Bulldogs. Hassan led the transition from those guys’ dynasty to a new one, keeping Basra as a league powerhouse. He was a deserved headliner atop the 2034 class at 98.3%.



Amar “Shoeless” Rasmi – Right Field – Khartoum Cottonmouths – 95.7% First Ballot

Amar Rasmi was a 6’1’’, 195 pound switch-hitting right fielder from Port Said, Egypt; a city with around 797,000 people by the Suez Canal. Rasmi was a very different batter from his Hall of Fame classmate Mohamed Hassan, who made his name with raw power. Rasmi was one of the great leadoff guys ever with excellent contact ability and gap power, plus world class speed and baserunning. The nickname “Shoeless” came from how even barefoot, he could beat anyone in the league in a footrace.

Rasmi’s 162 game average was good for 38 doubles and 20 triples, but only 5 home runs. That average also had an absurd 112 stolen bases, swiping 100+ bags in each year from 2015-25. He also was successful on around 73% of his steal attempts. Rasmi was better than most in ALB at avoiding strikeouts, but was below average at drawing walks.

Despite his speed, Rasmi graded poorly defensively as an outfielder, making the vast majority of his starts in right. His durability was generally great, playing 145+ games each year from 2013-26. Rasmi’s personality made him a bit of an enigma, as teammates appreciated his work ethic, intelligence, and adaptability. However, he was also viewed as being very selfish and unconcerned by team results.

Rasmi left Egypt for Sudan in April 2008 on a developmental deal with Khartoum. He debuted in 2012 at age 20 with 73 games and 30 starts with okay results. Rasmi earned a full-time gig after that and spent the next nine seasons starting for the Cottonmouths. He brought excitement to a team stick in perpetual mid-ness. They never made the playoffs during his tenure, but averaged 84.5 wins per season and only twice had a losing record.

From 2013-19, Rasmi led the Western Conference each season in triples. He won Silver Sluggers in 2018 and 2021, but wasn’t an MVP finalist due to lacking home run power. 2016 started a ten-year streak leading in stolen bases. For Khartoum, Rasmi led thrice in runs scored, four times in hits, twice in doubles, and won two batting titles.

2018 was his strongest by WAR (9.0) as well as doubles (62) and steals (143). That broke the ALB steals record and was the third-best single-season in world history to that point. As of 2037, it ranks 10^th in world history and fifth in ALB. The 62+ doubles have also only happened 47 other times in world history. Rasmi had 27 triples in 2016, one short of the ALB record. He had his best for hits (242) and batting average (.376) in 2019 and his highest run total in 2021 at 133.

Khartoum gave Rasmi a four-year, $3,840,000 extension after the 2014 season, then a bigger four-year, $31 million extension after the 2018 campaign. In May 2021, he had a six-hit game against Amman. Rasmi would decline his contract option that winter, becoming a free agent at age 30. For the Cottonmouths, he had 1466 games, 1929 hits, 995 runs, 369 doubles, 186 triples, 54 homers, 496 RBI, 312 walks, 1014 steals, .335/.372/.491 slash, 135 wRC+ and 46.8 WAR. Khartoum would later retire his #30 uniform.

Rasmi joined Jeddah on a six-year, $58,800,000 deal. The Jackals were amidst an 11-year playoff streak and were the defending ALB champs. During that run, they had four ALB titles and five Eastern Conference wins. Jeddah won another conference title in Rasmi’s debut year at 97-65, but lost the ALB Championship to Casablanca. The Jackals playoff streak ran another two years, but both ended in one-and-dones.

A fair criticism of Rasmi was poor playoff results, albeit with a small sample size. In 17 games, he had 17 hits, 6 runs, 5 doubles, 1 triple, 8 steals, .635 OPS, 58 wRC+, and -0.1 WAR. Rasmi did well otherwise, winning his third Silver Slugger in 2023 with conference bests in hits, triples, and steals. He had 139 swipes, good for the 19^th-best in world history. Rasmi has seven of the top 50 steals efforts in ALB history, although Hassan Shanshol and Zakaria Badwan would both start to top Rasmi’s efforts. Shanshol stole 157 bases in 2024 to break Rasmi’s ALB single-season record and the world record. He then stole 159 in 2030.

With Jeddah, Rasmi passed Farouk Adam’s 1386 career steals to become ALB’s all-time leader. He also blew by Ahmad Abbas’ 218 to become ALB’s triples king by a healthy margin. Rasmi would be the first in ALB to 300+ triples, while no one else has eclipsed 250 yet. In fall 2027, Rasmi had a 36-game hitting streak, tying Alaa Dinari’s 2024 effort for the longest in ALB history. Abdul Jalil Dahir passed them the next year with a 37-game run, but Rasmi still has the #2 spot.

The Jackals’ playoff streak ended in 2025 at 83-79, followed by losing seasons for the rest of the decade. Despite the hitting streak, Rasmi’s overall hitting effectiveness started to decline by this point. For Jeddah in six seasons, he had 900 games, 1125 hits, 589 runs, 201 doubles, 109 triples, 20 homers, 322 RBI, 238 walks, 250 steals, .332/.379/.474 slash, 122 wRC+, and 21.4 WAR.

The last year with Jeddah did get him to 3000 hits, the fourth in ALB to do so. Nordine Soule’s record 3339 seemed possibly reachable and he wanted to chase the world record for steals, held by Europe’s Carsten Dal at 1995. Doha gave him a one-year, $1,420,000 deal for 2028. Unfortunately, Rasmi was subpar over 140 games with 148 hits, 70 runs, 58 steals, .724 OPS, 87 wRC+, and 0.0 WAR. He did move into #2 on the world steals leaderboard, passing Ishmael Perla’s 1721.

The big blow came on September 13, suffering a torn PCL in his left knee with an 8-9 month recovery time. Rasmi wanted to come back and chase the records, but he had become a below average bat before the injury. Teams figured the PCL tear ruined any possible value he might still have. Rasmi spent all of 2029 unsigned and retired that winter at age 38.

Rasmi finished with 2506 games, 3202 hits, 1654 runs, 592 doubles, 312 triples, 76 home runs, 853 RBI, 587 walks, 1533 strikeouts, 1730 steals, 634 caught stealing, .331/.372/.480 slash, 127 wRC+, and 68.2 WAR. As of 2037, Rasmi is still ALB’s triples leader and has the most singles at 2222. Hassan Shanshol eventually passed him as the steals leader in the mid 2030s, but Rasmi is still #2 in ALB and 4^th in world history entering 2037.

He also ranks 23^rd in games, 9^th in runs, 5^th in hits, 40^th in total bases (4646), 25^th in doubles, 2^nd in caught stealing, 70^th in walks, and 46^th in WAR among position players. Although the ALB triples king, he does narrowly miss the world’s top 50. Rasmi is also 22^nd in batting average among ALB batters with 3000+ plate appearances and 35^th in on-base percentage.

Rasmi is certainly notable as one of the absolute best base stealers in the game’s history. Even with the comparatively high swipe rate in ALB relative to other leagues, it’s hard not to place him as a top ten or top five thief of all-time. The low WAR total though goes to show how little things like steals and batting average matter towards Sabermetrics. As such, Rasmi misses out generally on being viewed as an “inner-circle” Hall of Famer by many due to lack of power and poor defense, plus the lack of team/playoff success.

That said, if you retire as the steals and triples leader and came close to being the hit king, you’ll find your way easily in to the Hall of Fame. Even Sabermetrics-minded voters won’t poo-poo those totals and Rasmi’s unique talents in Arab League Baseball history. He received a firm 95.7% as the second member of the 2034 class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

For the second time in five years and the third time in a decade, the African Association of Baseball didn’t add any players into the Hall of Fame. 1B Lifa Moyo came the closest to the 66% requirement, barely missing on his eighth ballot at 63.9%. Two others were above 50% with 1B Herve Otepa at 58.5% on his fifth ballot and SP Teo Tokala with 53.3% on his second try. Two pitchers had 50% exactly with Valentine Hategekimana on his tenth ballot and SP Anton Berger on his eighth. The best debuting player got only 13.0%.



For Hategekimana,he got as close at 63.9% in 2033 and 62.3% in 2029, although he was as low as 31.3%. He had a 16-year career between Maputo and Johannesburg with a Pitcher of the Year and ERA title in 2007. Hategekimana also led thrice in WAR, finishing with a 173-139 record, 3.77 ERA, 2749.1 innings, 3081 strikeouts, 999 walks, 109 ERA+, 83 FIP-, and 59.7 WAR.

Hategekimana was hurt by a couple of major injuries and poor playoff stats with a 4.58 ERA over 76.2 postseason innings. As of 2037, he is 19^th in pitching WAR, 15^th in wins, 15^th in innings, and 9^th in strikeouts. Pitchers don’t go as deep in AAB as other world leagues, but his tallies were among the best in the younger major league. However, just enough voters felt Hategekimana lacked the overwhelming dominance needed to make the cut.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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The 2034 World Baseball Championship is the 88^th edition of the event and was hosted in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. In Division 1, South Africa grabbed the top spot at 12-1, advancing along with 10-3 Guatemala. Taiwan (9-4) and El Salvador (8-5) were the nearest foes, while last year’s world runner-up England was 7-6. The South Africans advanced for the second time in three years and third time overall. It was the sixth time the Guatemalans advanced, having last done it in 2013.

The United States took the top spot in a top-heavy Division 2 at 12-1. Iran and Malawi were both 11-2 with the tiebreaker sending the Iranians forward over the Malawians. France was the next closet team at 9-4. The Americans have advanced 65 times in event history and earned a fifth consecutive trip out of the divisional stage. It was only the fifth time for Iran, who last did it in 2023.

D3 was also hyper competitive with Poland on top at 11-2, followed by Canada, China, and Denmark at 10-3. Italy and Pakistan were both right in the mix as well at 9-4. After tiebreakers were sorted, the Chinese were the second place finisher for their 30^th playoff berth and third in four years. The Poles secured their 12^th playoff spot and second in four years.

Ecuador was unexpectedly dominant at 11-2 in Division 4, while Japan, Nigeria, and Azerbaijan all went 9-4. The Japanese got the tiebreaker to advance for the 26^th time and the fourth consecutive year. This was only the fourth division title for the Ecuadorans and ended a drought back to 1988.

The Philippines claimed Division 5 at 12-1, followed by India (11-2) and Scotland (10-3). This was the 17^th division title for the Filipinos, who last did it in 2028. The Indians picked up their 14^th playoff berth, although four have come in the last five years and eight have come since 2024. Ethiopia and Vietnam were third and fourth overall last year, but both finished 6-7 in D5.

Mexico was the best team in Division 6 at 9-4, but eight countries were within two wins of them. Germany, Haiti, and Peru each went 8-5 while five others were 7-6. The tiebreaker sent the Peruvians forward for only the fifth time to end an eight-year gap. The Mexicans made back-to-back berths and their 36^th overall, fourth most of all nations.

Egypt rolled the Division 7 field at 11-2, advancing alongside 9-4 Russia. Ivory Coast and South Korea were the next closest at 8-5. The Egyptians have advanced three consecutive seasons and eight times overall. The Russians also picked up a third straight trip to the playoffs with 19 overall.

Lastly in Division 8, defending world champ Brazil and Indonesia finished even at the top at 11-2. Ukraine was the only real competitor at 9-4. The Indonesians had the tiebreaker for the #1 spot, advancing for the 30^th time and the fifth time in seven years. The Brazilians picked up their 38^th playoff trip, third among all countries behind only the US and Canada (42).

Double Round Robin Group A had South Africa on top at 4-2. Iran and Ecuador were both 3-3, while defending champ Brazil was ousted at 2-4. By the tiebreaker, the Iranians advanced instead of the Ecuadorans. In Group B, the Philippines finished first at 4-2. Poland and Peru were 3-3 and Russia was 2-4 with the tiebreaker favoring the Poles.

Group C had Mexico first at 5-1, moving forward along with 3-3 Egypt. Both China and India finished 2-4. And in Group D, Japan took the pole position at 5-1. The United States and Indonesia were each 3-3 and Guatemala was 1-5. The Americans moved forward on the tiebreaker.

All four quarterfinals were 2-0 sweeps. The Americans took out the Mexicans, the Japanese bested the Egyptians, the Filipinos downed the Iranians, and the South Africans topped the Poles. This was the first-ever semifinal trip for South Africa. The US earned a 57^th final four appearance, while Japan got its 15^th and the Philippines’ its tenth. The Japanese were in the semis for the fourth time in six years, while the Americans got their fourth in five years. The Filipinos hadn’t gotten that far since their lone world title in 2015.

The United States defeated Japan 3-1 a rematch of the 2032 championship, earning their fourth finals trip in five years. The Philippines outlasted South Africa 3-2 to earn their third-ever finals berth, having also been the runner-up to the US in 1977. Officially, South Africa was third and Japan was fourth. This was the fourth time that the Japanese got the #4 spot.



The Americans returned to the throne in the 88^th World Championship, defeating the Philippines 4-2 for their third title in four years. The US was now 44-9 all-time in the finals, making up for lost time after their 2021-30 title drought. Leading the way was Washington 2B Jude Hoffer, earning Tournament MVP. Only three months prior, Hoffer had won MVP of the Baseball Grand Championship, leading the Admirals to the top team prize. He joined Rico Ortega, Mathis Vezina, Wei-Yin Wang, and Ernst Scheuermann as having won MVP in both events. Wang notably did it both in 2029.

The 36-year old native of Gibbstown, New Jersey in 31 starts had 31 hits, 23 runs, 4 doubles, 13 homers, 31 RBI, 13 walks, 8 steals, .279/.362/.667 slash, 193 wRC+, and 2.2 WAR. Two American pitchers, Bo Jackson and Weston Pascal, tied the event wins record with six apiece. 12 pitchers now have recorded six wins in the event. They were the strikeout leaders for the event at 82 for Jackson and 68 for Pascal.



Best Pitcher went to Japan’s Manabu Miyazaki, a Reliever of the Year winner back in 2024 with Tokyo. He had bounced around MLB teams in recent years and was signed for 2034 with Washington. The 35-year old righty had one start and 10 relief appearances, recording 22 scoreless innings with 37 strikeouts, 3 walks, 13 hits, 6 saves, and 1.4 WAR.

Other notes: The Philippines had 16 saves in the event, tying with 2021 Brazil for the most in WBC history. South Africa’s Khuliso Zulu had a four home run game against Taiwan, the 15^th four homer game in WBC history. Peru’s Ignacio Landin had the 23^rd cycle in event history, doing it against the Filipinos.

There were three no-hitters in 2034, the first on January 11 by Poland’s Lukasz Heneski with 17 strikeouts and no walks. Two days later, Ireland’s Johnny McGill did it with 11 Ks and 3 BBs facing Niger. Two more days later, it was Colombia’s Jender Garcia with 9 Ks and 1 BB versus Costa Rica.

Below are the updated all-time event statistics. With South Africa getting to the final four, there have now been 54 unique nations to make it to the semifinals at least once.