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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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Leon was the Mexican League’s top seed in 2034 at 109-53, growing their playoff streak to a decade. It was their seventh time in eight years as Central Division champ, having to settle for a wild card last year. The Lions allowed the fewest runs in the Central American Baseball Association by a large margin at 495. Aguascalientes and Culiacan had both made it out of the Central in 2033, but just missed the wild card cut in 2034. The Cocks finished 85-77 to end a three-year playoff streak and the Cactus finished 81-81.

Puebla won a third straight South Division title at 97-65 for the second bye and their fourth straight playoff trip. Mexico City was a competitive second at 92-70 and took the first wild card, ending a six-year playoff drought. Ecatepec notably struggled to 67-95, their worst season since 1970. The Explosion won pennants as recently as 2029 and 2031.

Torreon won a third straight North Division title at 91-71 and grew their playoff streak to four years. The Tomahawks were Mexico’s top scoring squad at 777 runs. Defending CABA champ Tijuana and Hermosillo were both four back at 87-75, both advancing as wild cards. This ended a seven-year drought for the Hyenas and was the fifth berth in six years for the Toros. The first teams out were Tuxtla and Culiacan at 85-77, Juarez at 84-78, Cancun at 83-79, and Monterrey at 82-80.

Toluca struggled to 75-87 despite a stellar season from Mexican League MVP Leonardo Santos. The 28-year old Mexican 1B was the ninth pick by the Tortugas in the 2028 CABA Draft. Santos led in runs (132), doubles (46), total bases (452), slugging (.753), OPS (1.198), wRC+ (250), and WAR (12.5). He smacked 58 home runs with 135 RBU, 222 hits, and a .370 average. Santos’ effort was only the 22^nd time in CABA that a position player had a WAR at or above 12.5. Toulca had already given Santos an eight-year, $207,700,000 extension before the 2033 campaign.

The big signing for top-seed Leon was Israel Montague, who had won nine Pitcher of the Year awards with Guatemala. He signed only a two-year, $53,400,000 deal with the Lions, but immediately delivered with his tenth POTY and tenth ERA title. Montague joined fellow CABA legends Richard Wright (11) and Junior Vergara (10) along with EPB’s Matvey Ivanov (11) and APB’s Ching-Chen Yao (10) as the only aces in world history with 10 Pitcher of the Year award wins.

The 37-year old Panamanian lefty led in ERA (1.31), WHIP (0.63), K/BB (23.8), shutouts (7), FIP- (44), and WAR (9.3). This was the fourth-best qualifying ERA in CABA history; Montague held the record himself at 1.22 in 2025. He also tied the single-season WHIP record, which he hit in 2025 as did Vergara in 1979. Montague had a 20-3 record and 8 saves, 212.2 innings, and 309 strikeouts. His .443 opponent’s OPS was the seventh-best qualifying effort in CABA history. Montague was now in striking distance of both 300 career wins and 5000 strikeouts.

Mexico City edged Hermosillo 2-1 and Torreon ousted defending champ Tijuana 2-0 in the first round of the playoffs. The top seeds held in round two with Leon over the Aztecs 3-1 and Puebla over the Tomahawks 3-2. The Pumas earned repeat trips to the Mexican League Championship Series, although their last pennant was 2019.

For Leon, they were shooting for their second title in three years and their third in seven seasons. The series needed all seven games and for only the second time in MLCS history (1976), each game was won by the home team. This favored the Lions over the Pumas, giving Leon 12 Mexican League titles (1927, 39, 41, 42, 59, 60, 64, 86, 2018, 28, 32, 34).



Two-time defending Caribbean League champ Honduras set a new franchise wins record despite their very storied history at 112-50. The Horsemen’s playoff streak grew to 12 seasons with their fourth consecutive Central Division. It was a very high scoring division with the Horsemen and Nicaragua both at 923 runs and Salvador at 922, each among the best in CABA history.

Honduras specifically had a team slugging percentage of .520, the best single-season in CABA history. Salvador meanwhile set a CABA record for team on-base percentage at .350. The Horsemen had a .299 batting average, tied for the best-ever in CABA. Both Nicaragua and Salvador got wild cards at 93-69, which was the third wild card in four years for both squads.

Jamaica got the #2 seed and the West Division title at 102-60. It was their third straight playoff trip, but first division title since 2017. Santo Domingo was second at 94-68 and extended their playoff streak to five years as a wild card. The Dolphins have only missed the playoffs once in the last decade. The Jazz set their own single-season CABA team record with 138 triples. SD notably sold 2,715,830 tickets, the third-best in CL history. Haiti was third in the West at 91-71 and ultimately fell two games short in the wild card race behind Nicaragua and Salvador. This was the first playoff miss since 2026 for the Herons.

Lastly in the East Division, Curacao rolled at 95-67 for their second-ever division title (2030). The Chaos notably had 1705 team hits, the second-best in CABA history. Their .298 batting average was good for the fourth best. Last year’s division champ Suriname was a very distant second at 84-78 despite allowing the league’s fewest runs at 659.

With all the record-setting offense came a new CABA home run king with Caribbean League MVP Amadeo Garcia for Jamaica. In only his second-year as a starter, the 21-year old Guatemalan DH also posted the 23^rd Triple Crown hitting season in CABA history and the first since Franklin Madrid in 2024. Garcia smacked 73 homers, passing the previous mark of 72 which was hit thrice; by Yohnny Galaz in 1988, Darion Gaudi in 2006, and Jose Angel Esqueda in 2031.

Garcia also led in runs (145), RBI (179), total bases (474), triple slash (.372/.437/.781), OPS (1.218), wRC+ (195), and WAR (10.5). The RBI mark was one short of Esqueda’s 180 from 2031 and was tied for the 11^th-best single-season in any world league. The 145 runs were tied for the fourth-best in CABA, six behind Donald Gonzalez’s 151 from 2005. Garcia also had 226 hits, 27 doubles, and 72 walks.

The 474 total bases were third-best in CABA history with Franklin Madrid getting 481 and 480 in 2024-25. He’s also good for the 23^rd most total bases in world history. Garcia’s slugging ranked seventh and OPS sixth among qualifying CABA seasons. 73+ homers have happened 36 times across all of the pro leagues. Before this explosion, Jamaica already knew they had discovered a budding superstar. In September 2033, Garcia signed an eight-year, $174,600,000 extension; believed to be the biggest deal ever signed by someone who was age 20.

Honduras’s Franco Barron won Pitcher of the Year and nearly got his own Triple Crown, leading in wins (22-3), ERA (2.36), WHIP (0.84), K/BB (19.1), FIP- (66), and WAR (6.7). The 29-year old Mexican righty struck out 306 over 221.1 innings, just three Ks behind Trinidad’s Bruno Padilla. Barron was in his ninth season with the Horsemen and signed a seven-year, $204,800,000 extension in May.

Both first round matchups needed all three games with Santo Domingo over Nicaragua and Salvador over Curacao. The Dolphins then not only beat their division rival Jamaica in the second round, but swept them 3-0. Despite SD’s recent success, this was their first trip to the Caribbean League Championship Series since winning it all in 2027.

Top seed Honduras held on the other side, but needed all five games to outlast Salvador. For the seventh time in nine years, the Horsemen were playing for the pennant. Honduras would cruise to a 4-1 win over Santo Domingo for the CLCS three-peat and their fifth pennant in seven years. The Horsemen now had 22 Caribbean League titles to their name. The only other team in all of the world leagues with 22 subleague titles was Minsk of Eurasian Professional Baseball.

With Honduras at 112 wins and Leon at 109, the 124^th CABA Championship was highly anticipated. The Horsemen had defeated the Lions two years prior to claim their tenth CABA crown. Honduras also defeated Leon in 2028 and were the favorite considering their franchise-best record. This was a storied finals rivalry, having also battled in 1959, 1942, and 1939. The Horsemen won in 1942, but the Lions were the 1959 and 1939 victors. Leon’s only other title was in 1941 over Puerto Rico, as they were 3-8 overall in the championship.



Many were surprised that Leon pulled off the 2034 victory over Honduras in only five games, earning their fourth CABA crown. The 74-year title gap was not the longest in CABA history, as Tijuana had a 101-year wait from 1919 to 2021 between rings. 1B Ferdinand Montoya was finals MVP in his fourth year with Leon. The 31-year old Cuban in 16 playoff starts had 18 hits, 7 runs, 4 doubles, 1 triple, 1 homer, and 8 RBI.



Other notes: CABA’s 41^st perfect game came on September 18 as Puerto Rico’s Beatle Oprel struck out nine against Barbados. Ecatepec reliever Adrian Bas pitched in 83 games, tying the CABA single-season record held since 1935 by Tommy Hall. Both Chihuahua’s Jeronimo Moreno and Salvador’s Fernando Silva had four home run games, which has happened 25 times in CABA history. Diego Carrasco of Guyana had a 34-game hitting streak, tied for the 7^th-longest in CABA history.

In milestones, Jamel Forsyth became only the 17^th member of the 3000 hit club. Forsyth and Benedetto Rodriguez became the 27^th and 28^th to 1500 runs scored. Rodriguez also became the 68^th with 2500 hits and the 69^th to 500 home runs. Franklin Madrid became the 41^st with 1500 RBI. Jose Toyos became the 17^th closer to 300 saves. SS Alvaro Valverde won his 7^th Gold Glove.

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The National Association was incredibly competitive in 2034 with only seven wins separating the top seed from the lowest wild card team. Even more, five teams were within two games of the top spot. Cleveland managed to narrowly take it outright at 97-65, repeating as Upper Midwest Division champ. The Cobras last took the #1 seed back in 2005. Grand Rapids was two back in the division at 95-67, earning a second wild card in four years.

The defending Baseball Grand Champion Washington repeated as East Division champ at 96-66, barely holding off both New York (95-67) and Brooklyn (93-69). The Admirals earned their seventh division title in a decade. The Yankees ended a 13-year playoff drought, while the Dodgers earned repeat wild cards. Baltimore, a wild card last year, notably dropped to 76-86.

Cincinnati was also one away from the top seed, taking the Lower Midwest at 96-66 for their second division title in four years. Last year’s division champ Indianapolis was second at 90-72, finishing three behind Brooklyn for the final wild card. Louisville was the association’s top scoring team with 828 runs, but finished 83-79 since they allowed the second-most runs at 833.

Quebec City won an intense Northeast Division at 91-71, two games better than both Buffalo and last year’s NA runner-up Toronto. The Nordiques ended an 11-year playoff drought and got their first division title since 2020. The Timberwolves and Blue Sox were both 89-73, four games short in the wild card race. That ended a three-year playoff streak for Toronto despite allowing the fewest runs in Major League Baseball at 569. Montreal, a wild card the prior two years, notably collapsed to 65-97 for their first losing season since 2023.

National Association MVP went to Grand Rapids RF Melvin Wegner in his fifth season. The Framingham, Massachusetts native led in RBI (148) and total bases (393). Wegner added 54 home runs, 199 hits, 106 runs, 20 doubles, a .326/.366/.644 slash, 185 wRC+, and 8.4 WAR. The 25-year old lefty was picked 20^th by the Growlers in the 2029 MLB Draft and was the 2030 Rookie of the Year.

Cincinnati’s Yoichiro Minami won his second Pitcher of the Year, having also done it in 2031. The 25-year old Japanese lefty led in quality starts with 26 and had a 3.09 ERA over 250.2 innings, 21-8 record, 217 strikeouts, and 4.4 WAR. This was the lowest WAR ever by an MLB POTY winner. It still helped Minami earn a six-year, $121,600,000 extension with the Reds the following August.

The three East Division teams won the first round playoff matchups. Washington swept Grand Rapids, while New York got the 3-1 road win over Quebec City and Brooklyn survived 3-2 at Cincinnati. The Dodgers then got the road upset 3-1 over top seed Cleveland, sending Brooklyn to the National Association Championship Series for the first time since 2017. They had only won the pennant twice, most recently in 2011.

Defending champ Washington swept the Yankees on the other side, giving the Admirals a shot at a third pennant in five years. They succeeded as Washington defeated Brooklyn 4-2 for their eighth National Association title (1912, 14, 30, 66, 2024, 30, 33, 34).



The American Association was also quite competitive and also had a seven win margin between the #1 seed and the lowest wild card. Birmingham surprised many as the top team at 99-63 atop the Southeast Division, the first-ever playoff berth for the 2021 expansion squad. Tampa was second at 92-70, which got them the third and final wild card. Jacksonville and Orlando were both only three way from the Thunderbirds at 89-73. Tampa’s playoff streak grew to three seasons. Birmingham’s berth left Sacramento as the only franchise remaining without a playoff trip yet.

San Diego was one away from the top seed at 98-64 atop the Southwest Division, giving them their ninth playoff trip since 2023. The Seals allowed the fewest runs in the AA at 595, but only held off defending World Series champ Albuquerque by one game for the division. The Isotopes (97-65) and Las Vegas (93-69) were the first two wild card teams with San Francisco (88-74) one of the first teams out. Albuquerque earned a third straight wild card while the Vipers got their third berth in four years.

Seattle returned to the Northwest Division throne at 95-67 after settling for a wild card last year. The Grizzlies now are riding a 12-year playoff streak, outlasting Anchorage (90-72) and Edmonton (89-73). The Avalanche fell two wins short in the wild card race with the Eels three back. Edmonton was MLB’s top scoring team at 888 runs, but their playoff drought grew to 35 years.

The weakest playoff record was Houston atop the South Central Division at 89-73. The Hornets’ playoff streak grew to eight years with their sixth successive division title. It was a departure from Houston’s 116-win 2033, which ended with a one-and-done in the playoffs. Dallas was second at 85-77, followed by San Antonio at 82-80.

It was a rough year for Vancouver, who went from the AACS runner-up in 2033 to a middling 76-86 in 2034. However, their 1B Alair White won his third consecutive American Association MVP, becoming the eighth in MLB history to three-peat. The Clarksdale, Mississippi native led in homers (65), RBI (144), runs (125), total bases (416), slugging (.686), OPS (1.069), and wRC+ (174). It was only the sixth-time in MLB history that a player had 65+ homers. The 24-year old White had 196 hits, 23 doubles, .323 average, and 8.0 WAR.

In his MLB debut with Anchorage, Saleh Naimtullah won Pitcher of the Year. The 35-year old Pakistani had been a successful two-way player with Peshawar of the Asian Baseball Federation from 2021-32. Naimatullah was traded to Ankara for 2033, who used him exclusively at first base. He had been limited to sporadic relief over the last few years to his chagrin following a torn flexor tendon in 2028. Wanting to return to full two-way play and a starting rotation, the Avalanche gave him that shot in MLB on a two-year, $15,600,000 deal for 2034.

Naimatullah won the ERA title at 2.09 and led with 25 quality starts. He had a 21-5 record, 250.1 innings, 219 strikeouts, 202 ERA+, and 7.7 WAR. Naimatullah also played 94 games with 67 starts in the field, getting 28 homers, a .846 OPS, 119 wRC+, and 1.7 WAR. The ERA and hitting earned him the award over Las Vegas’s Bo Jackson, who led in WAR (10.0) and Ks (282) with a 2.67 ERA.

Houston swept defending champ Albuquerque 3-0 in the first round of the playoffs, Las Vegas upset Seattle 3-2 on the road, and San Diego swept Tampa. Birmingham survived 3-2 against the Vipers in the second round, sending the Boomers to the American Association Championship Series for the first time. The Hornets upset the Seals 3-1 on the other side.

It was a chance at redemption for Houston after their playoff failure the prior year despite winning 116 games. The Hornets had a shot at their second pennant in four years. In a seven-game classic, Birmingham held on to become the first of the 2021 expansion teams to win a title.



Washington was the defending Baseball Grand Champion, but they had lost to Albuquerque in the 2033 World Series. The Admirals righted that wrong by defeating Birmingham 4-2 in the 134^th Fall Classic. It was the fourth ring for DC, joining the 2024, 1930, and 1914 campaigns. This also ended an eight-year win streak by American Association clubs, as the last National Association team to win the World Series was Detroit in 2025.

In his second MLB season, LF Harvey McLean was World Series MVP. The 31-year old Englishman signed with Washington in 2033 after nine seasons in Europe with Sheffield. In 17 playoff starts, McLean had 22 hits, 13 runs, 3 doubles, 5 homers, and 17 RBI.



Other notes: MLB’s 37^th perfect game came on March 30 from Ottawa’s Ramon Poulsen with five strikeouts against Raleigh. Despite the rarity of perfectos, this was the eighth time in MLB history that back-to-back seasons featured a perfect game. In other pitching notables, Riley Morales became the 12^th to 300 career wins and the 30^th to 3500 strikeouts. Through the 2036 season, Morales is one of only 46 aces in world history with 300+ wins.

Columbus’s Fabien Muller had a 21 strikeout game against Wichita on May 25. It was the fifth time in MLB that a pitcher had 21+ Ks, but Muller was the first to not need extra innings to do it. It was also his third time with a 20+ strikeout game. It has only happened 13 times total in MLB’s 134 year history. Muller also became the 105^th MLB pitcher with 3000 career strikeouts.

Mike Rojas became only the second MLB slugger to 800 career home runs, although he still had work to do to catch Isaac Cox’s 929. Mark Johnston became the 15^th member of the 700 homer club. Neil Hollinger, Pat Eichelberger, and Steve Castro each got to 600 homers, making that club 50 players strong. Hollinger was the 140^th to 1500 career RBI. A.J. Guy and Andre Small were the 127^th and 128^th to 500 homers.

Johnston, Milton Ramirez, and Jeff Bonner brought the 3000 hit club to 72 MLB members. Washington SS Jude Hoffer won his 10^th Silver Slugger, becoming only the 5^th in MLB history to win the honor 10+ times. CF Silvio Menoud won his 7^th Silver Slugger. Toronto’s Ethan Valentin had a four home run game against Columbus on August 15, this was the 48^th four homer game in MLB. Miami had MLB’s worst record at 57-105, extending their record-setting playoff drought to 62 seasons. LF Fabino Salasar won his 7^th Gold Glove.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

The 2034 Baseball Grand Championship was hosted in Hong Kong and was the 25^th edition of the event. Defending champ Washington was back to defend their title, representing MLB along with Birmingham. The other auto-bids were CABA’s Leon and Honduras, EAB’s Hamamatsu and Suwon, BSA’s Quito and Salta, EBF’s Warsaw and Ljubljana, EPB’s Irkutsk, OBA’s Tahiti, APB’s Tainan, CLB’s Changsha, WAB’s Bamako, SAB’s Delhi, ABF’s Tabriz, ALB’s Medina, and AAB’s Brazzaville. Earning the three at-large spots were SAB’s Ho Chi Minh City, WAB’s Libreville, and ABF’s Rawalpindi.

The Red Wings would surprise many by coming very close, taking second at 15-6. The top spot went to European Champion Warsaw at 16-5, becoming the second European Baseball Federation team to earn Grand Champion honors along with 2030 Berlin. Great pitching won the day for the Wildcats, who allowed the fewest runs at 51. They had a 2.34 team ERA and 5.30 H/9, both ranking as the second-best in event history. Warsaw’s ten saves also tied the event record.



The Wildcats offense was plenty good with 105 runs, second only to Ho Chi Minh City’s 107. They swept the top awards with Tournament MVP going to veteran RF Dominik Pucher. The 33-year old Slovak had 29 hits, 23 runs, 3 doubles, 12 homers, 21 RBI, .382/.478/.895 slash, 275 wRC+, and 2.3 WAR. Pucher tied the event runs scored record, set by Jude Hoffer the prior year, and was two hits from that record. Additionally, Pucher’s WAR was the sixth-best by a position player in BGC history.

Warsaw ace and 2033 EBF Pitcher of the Year winner Takao Watanabe won Best Pitcher honors. The 30-year old Japanese lefty had a 1.14 ERA over 31.2 innings, going 4-0 in five starts with 54 strikeouts and 1.3 WAR. Warsaw’s Anatoliy Gayduchenko also was notable as he stole 16 bases, tying the event record set in 2018 by Tomofumi Shimada.



For second place Rawalpindi, they set a new event team record with 58 home runs. Iqbal Kasuri had 16 of those, one short of the event record. Kasuri also had a four homer game against Honduras, the third such game in BGC history. On the downside, the Red Wings also had 269 strikeouts as a team, a new tournament worst. It was the third-time an Asian Baseball Federation team had finished in the top two, joining 2019 Tabriz and 2031 Hyderabad who both took first.

Birmingham, Libreville, and Ljubljana each finished next at 13-8. The tiebreakers put the Juggernauts third, Boomers fourth, and Lakers fifth. This gave EBF both the #1 and #3 teams. Ho Chi Minh City and Quito were next at 12-9, followed by defending champ Washington at 11-10 along with Tabriz and Hamamatsu.

Six teams finished 10-11; Leon, Medina, Salta, Suwon, Honduras, and Tainan. The Lions notably hit 57 home runs, which would’ve been the event record if not for Rawalpindi’s 58. Bamako and Irkutsk were both 9-12 and Brazzaville and Changsha both finished 8-13. Tied at the bottom at 5-16 were Delhi and Tahiti.

Other notes: Rawalpindi’s Rovshan Sultanov and Libreville’s Ibeh Ferguson both recorded five wins on the mound, tying the record which had been hit twice. Tahiti’s Dirk Murray had 68 strikeouts, second-most in BGC history behind Andrew Pendlebury’s 72 from 2030.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

Major League Baseball’s 2035 Hall of Fame class was an all-timer with four first ballot inductees. It was especially special being co-headlined by two guys in the top ten all-time in WAR. 334-win pitcher Vincent Lepp received 98.8% and home run king Isaac Cox got 98.2%, both frankly too low of percentages. SP Otis Hope quietly had his own firm induction at 91.5%. SP Clinton Edgar joined them at a respectable 77.1% for his own first ballot nod. No one else was above 50% with CL Heihachiro Okasawa as the best returner with 49.4% on his sixth ballot.



The lone player dropped after ten ballots was 3B Rueben Culmer, who had 19 years between Jacksonville, Baltimore, and Louisville. He won three Silver Sluggers and two Gold Gloves and ranks 92^nd in WAR among position players. Culmer had 2771 games, 2729 hits, 1416 runs, 380 doubles, 515 home runs, 1482 RBI, .266/.313/.472 slash, 122 wRC+, and 89.4 WAR.

Culmer is 13^th in WAR among third basemen in MLB, but a good chunk of that came down to defense and longevity. He was never a league leader and rarely had any eye-popping stats, leading voters to dismiss him as a compiler. Culmer was also hurt by playing on mostly terrible and forgettable teams. He peaked at 39.8% in 2027 before ending at 11.3%, but he remains popular with fans.



Vincent “Bronco” Lepp – Starting Pitcher – St. Louis Cardinals – 98.8% First Ballot

Vincent Lepp was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Park Forest, Illinois; a small Chicago suburb with around 22,000 inhabitants. Nicknamed “Bronco,” Lepp had fantastic stuff along with very good movement throughout his career. His control was quite solid in his prime, but became elite in his later years to extend his career a few more years once the stuff started to fade.

Lepp had a four-pitch arsenal with a 97-99 mph fastball, curveball, changeup, and circle change. All four options were equally potent and he was a master at changing speeds. Lepp had great stamina and was one of the true ironman pitchers. All 20 years of his career had 30+ starts and 220+ innings. Lepp also graded as a good defense pitcher with a strong pickoff move. Some thought he coasted on his natural talent sometimes and didn’t have a great work ethic, but Lepp’s natural talent was among the best in the history of the game.

His college career came with Florida State from 2007-09 with a 19-6 record, 1.81 ERA, 302.2 innings, 371 strikeouts, 55 walks, 177 ERA+, and 14.8 WAR. Plenty of teams were excited about Lepp for the 2009 MLB Draft and he went 16^th overall to St. Louis. He was a full-time starter immediately and was third in Rookie of the Year voting in 2010 with a 6.6 WAR and 2.222 ERA .

Lepp’s second season saw his first ERA title at 2.02, along with National Association bests for WHIP (0.88), complete games (17), and FIP- (58). He had 9.5 WAR and 293 strikeouts over 262.1 innings, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. Lepp bested that in 2012 and won the top award with a 1.94 ERA. In MLB’s 136-year history, there have only been 53 seasons by a qualified starter with an earned run average below two.

2013 was even better as Lepp repeated as Pitcher of the Year and posted arguably his finest season. He won the ERA title at 1.75, the ninth-best qualifying season in MLB history. It was also his only time leading in strikeouts with 293, along with career and NA-bests in WHIP (0.83), quality starts (28), shutouts (9), and WAR (10.3). It was a top 20 for WHIP and one of only ten MLB seasons with 9+ shutouts. Lepp’s 20-9 record kept him two wins short of the rare Triple Crown. In addition to POTY, Lepp finished third in MVP voting.

St. Louis had been largely mid-tier for the last few decades and broke a seven-year playoff drought in 2013 as a wild card, although they went one-and-done. Lepp was obviously going to be critical for any sustained success, so the Cardinals gave him a seven-year, $107,700,000 extension that winter. They were immediately rewarded as Lepp became only the fifth pitcher in MLB history to three-peat as Pitcher of the Year.

Lepp’s 2014 had his bests for wins (21-9) and strikeouts (296) along with a 2.18 ERA. Most importantly, St. Louis took the National Association’s top seed at 107-55, the second-best record in franchise history. The Cardinals won their first pennant since 1982, but were defeated in the World Series by Phoenix. This helped establish a reputation as a big game pitcher for Lepp, who had a 1.38 ERA in his four playoff starts with 33 strikeouts over 26 innings. He was merely okay in the Baseball Grand Championship, losing his four starts with a 3.62 ERA as St. Louis finished 7-12.

Earlier in 2014, Lepp had tied the World Baseball Championship event record for wins at 6-0, one of only 12 to win six games in WBC history. That helped the United States to a world title over Indonesia, one of five rings Lepp would earn with the American team along with 2010, 11, 17, and 20.

Lepp became one of the most tenured pitchers in event history pitching from 2010-27 with a 35-8 record, 3.18 ERA, 433.1 innings, 620 strikeouts, 90 walks, and 13.3 WAR. Through 2034, Lepp ranks 3^rd in WBC wins, 3^rd in innings, 5^th in strikeouts, 4^th in complete games (14), and 6^th in pitching WAR. These efforts increased his popularity across the US well beyond St. Louis.

St. Louis was even better in 2015, breaking their franchise record at 112-50. The Cardinals repeated as National Association champs, but were denied the World Series ring by Denver. Lepp’s season wasn’t award winning, but he had another fine run. In the playoffs, he had a 2.65 ERA over 37.1 innings with 42 Ks. He fared better in the BGC with a 2.31 ERA over 35 innings with 61 strikeouts, which is one of only 22 times in event history that a pitcher fanned 60+. St. Louis fared better, tying for sixth at 10-9.

The Cardinals were 99-63 in 2016, but ended up a wild card behind eventual NA champ Kansas City and went one-and-done. The next three years they were above .500, but outside of the playoffs. Lepp won his third ERA title in 2016 at 2.06 and led with 7.4 WAR, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. He was the WARlord for a third time in 2019 with 9.9 and had a career-best 52 FIP-, but the traditional metrics kept him from being a POTY finalist.

That also marked the end of Lepp’s initial run with St. Louis, as he surprised many by declining his contract option. He was a free agent for the first time heading towards his age 31 season in 2020 and had no shortage of options. Lepp ultimately inked a four-year, $96,800,000 deal with Los Angeles. The Angels had been a contender earlier in the decade, but hadn’t been able to get over the hump. They had just missed the playoffs in the last two years and hoped Lepp could get them back in.

Los Angeles just missed the cut in 2020 at 90-72, but won division titles in 2021 at 100-62 and 106-56 in 2022. Both times, they couldn’t get beyond the second round with Lepp struggling to a 5.92 ERA over four starts and 24.1 innings. His regular season production was a solid as ever though, including his fourth Pitcher of the Year award in 2022. Lepp had a 2.57 ERA, 286.2 innings, 254 Ks, 24 complete games, and 9.0 WAR. He was one of only eight pitchers in MLB to win the award four or more times.

Lepp declined the fourth-year option after the 2022 season, finishing the Angels tenure with a 60-27 record, 2.86 ERA, 832 innings, 764 strikeouts, 154 walks, 136 ERA+, 74 FIP-, and 22.8 WAR. Coming up on age 34, Lepp made a return to St. Louis with significant fanfare, signing for $137 million over four years. He never reached his earlier peaks, but he was good for 6+ WAR all four seasons.

The Cardinals were forgettable during this era with one wild card round exit in 2024. Lepp’s playoff numbers all-time for St. Louis saw a 2.18 ERA, 5-4 record, 74.1 innings, 80 strikeouts, 18 walks, 155 ERA+, 82 FIP-, and 1.7 WAR. In this return run, Lepp crossed the 250 career wins and 4000 strikeouts milestones.

Between stints for the Cardinals, Lepp had a 226-134 record, 2.58 ERA, 3499 innings, 3468 strikeouts, 653 walks, 159 complete games, 58 shutouts, 135 ERA+, 68 FIP-, and 106.8 WAR. Unsurprisingly, he remains very popular in St. Louis and later got his #20 uniform retired. Lepp’s stuff was starting to wane into his late 30s, but his control and durability still gave him plenty of value as someone who could eat innings. For 2027, he signed a two-year, $53,200,000 deal with Houston.

With the Hornets, Lepp had a 35-19 record, 3.98 ERA, 500 innings, 307 strikeouts, 65 walks, 112 ERA+, 84 FIP-, and 11.0 WAR. Houston made the playoffs both years but didn’t get beyond the second round. Lepp’s stats were lackluster with a 5.82 ERA over 21.2 innings. His overall career playoff numbers weren’t bad, but were surprisingly underwhelming considering his general success. Lepp had 120.1 innings with a 3.59 ERA, 6-9 record, 120 strikeouts, 25 walks, 106 ERA+, 90 FIP-, and 2.4 WAR.

Lepp hit two more big milestones while in Houston, becoming the 10^th MLB ace with 300 wins and the 6^th to 4500 strikeouts. He signed with Calgary in 2029, but his velocity was now peaking in the lower 90s. Lepp had a 13-14 record, 4.64 ERA, 254 innings, 113 Ks, and 3.8 WAR with the Cheetahs. His control was still excellent, so he might have been able to hang around in the back of the rotation a few more years. However, Lepp called it a career that winter at age 40.

The final stats for Lepp: 334-194 record, 2.87 ERA, 5085 innings, 4652 strikeouts, 919 walks, 434/649 quality starts, 261 complete games, 73 shutouts, 130 ERA+, 72 FIP-, and 144.4 WAR. He is MLB’s all-time leader in shutouts, but surprisingly never threw a no-hitter. Lepp ranks 4^th in wins, 10^th in starts, 11^th in innings, 20^th in complete games, 4^th in strikeouts, and 3^rd in WAR among pitchers. Among all MLB players, Lepp ranks 5^th in WAR.

Among MLB pitchers with 1000+ innings, Lepp is 78^th in ERA and his 1.04 WHIP is 34^th. He also ranks 65^th in opponent’s OPS at .622 with his .269 on-base percentage ranking 31^st. Few argue against Lepp for being MLB’s best pitcher of his era, but is he the best of all-time? He’s certainly in the conversation and makes basically any top ten list. Lepp usually is in the top five and could be as high as #1, although he has tough competition with the likes of Ned Giles, Newton Persaud, Parker Harpaz, T.J. Nakabayashi, and Spenser Emond.

On the world leaderboards, Lepp ranks 17^th in wins, 23^rd in innings, 11^th in shutouts, 35^th in complete games, 25^th in quality starts, and 19^th in pitching WAR. Among all players ever in baseball history, Lepp ranks 62^nd in WAR. He’s also 3^rd in WAR among American-born players and the best of the pitchers. His raw dominance numbers aren’t as high as some of the other aces on that list, but few could match his longevity and reliability as one of only 25 guys with 5000+ career innings.

Regardless of where one might rank him on the all-time lists, Lepp was one of baseball’s true immortals as a legend of Major League Baseball and one of the best-ever from the world’s largest baseball nation. He was critical in two pennants for St. Louis and multiple World Baseball Championship rings for the United States. 98.8% was frankly too low as Lepp co-headlined a four-player MLB Hall of Fame class in 2035.



Isaac “Lefty” Cox – Left/Right Field – Denver Dragons – 98.2% First Ballot

Isaac Cox was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed corner outfielder from Kuna, Idaho; a town with around 24,000 within the Boise metropolitan area. Nicknamed “Lefty” as a kid for his handedness, Cox was known for impressive and steady home run power never before seen in MLB. Cox was especially dominant facing right-handed pitching with a career 1.019 OPS and 174 wRC+. Against lefties, he had a mere .753 OPS and 108 wRC+.

Especially against righties, Cox was a very strong contact hitter. He also had a rock solid eye for drawing walks, although his strikeout rate was unremarkable. His power was largely focused on dingers with a 162 game average of 45 homers, 23 doubles, and 7 triples. Cox had 13 seasons with 40+ home runs and topped 50+ four times on his way to becoming MLB’s career home run king. He also had surprisingly good speed, but Cox’s baserunning instincts were abysmal.

A big part of his success was longevity and consistency. From 2008-26, Cox was good for 139+ games each season. He split his career almost exactly evenly between right and left field and was a reliably above average-to-good defender. Cox was a great leader, but some felt he could be a bit greedy. Still, with his towering home runs and tenure, it is no surprise Cox became a global megastar despite his humble beginnings.

Cox left Idaho for Texas A&M University from 2005-07, playing 145 collegiate games with 143 hits, 106 runs, 18 doubles, 54 home runs, 109 RBI, 73 walks, .284/.386/.654 slash, 210 wRC+, and 10.0 WAR. He was picked sixth overall in the 2007 MLB Draft by Denver and was an immediate success. Cox was 2008 Rookie of the Year and debuted with 47 home runs, 7.4 WAR, and American Association bests for slugging (.668), OPS (1.043), and wRC+ (179).

In his third season, Cox was third in MVP voting and led in runs (113), OPS (1.033), wRC+ (185), and WAR (9.3). Denver ended a 14-year playoff drought in 2010 at 89-73 and got to the AACS, although they were defeated by San Diego. This started what became an MLB-record 13-year playoff streak and Northwest Division title streak for the Dragons. They got back to the AACS in 2011, but were ousted by Tampa despite Cox winning series MVP.

Cox won MVP and his first Silver Slugger (LF) in 2011, leading in runs (123), home runs (53), and slugging (.676). Despite his final tallies, this was Cox’s only season as the leader in homers. 2011 also had his career highs for runs, slugging, OPS (1.065), wRC+ (188) and matched his career best WAR of 9.3. Cox also had great playoff stats in his first two postseasons even if Denver didn’t go the distance. That winter, the Dragons wisely signed Cox to an eight-year, $125,900,000 extension.

Around that time, Cox also became a global star through his exploits in the World Baseball Championship. He played from 2009-16 for the United States team, then again at the end of his run in 2027-28. In 128 WBC games, Cox had 108 hits, 76 runs, 22 doubles, 32 homers, 81 RBI, .280/.401/.606 slash, and 6.0 WAR. He won world titles with the 2010, 11, and 14 American squads.

Cox won another Slugger and was third in 2012’s MVP voting, although Denver fell in the first round of the playoffs. This was his first time leading in total bases with 376. Cox bested that with 388 the next year and a career high 55 home runs, winning his second MVP and third Slugger. Denver was 97-65, but the focus was on 119-win Los Angeles or 106-win Phoenix as favorites in the American Association.

The Firebirds upset the Angels, but the Dragons beat Phoenix to take the pennant. Denver then denied defending champ Washington’s repeat bid to win their sixth World Series ring. Statistically, it was merely a decent run by Cox with .839 OPS, 127 wRC+, and 0.4 WAR. He more than made up for that with an impressive run in the Baseball Grand Championship with 25 hits, 18 runs, 7 homers, 18 RBI, 1.282 OPS, 260 wRC+, and 1.8 WAR. Denver finished 15-4 to be crowned as the fourth Grand Champion, placing Cox atop the professional baseball world.

The next few seasons were down by his standards, although still very solid by normal people standards, as he wasn’t a league leader or awards winner. Denver went 102-60 in 2014 but lost in the second round of the playoffs. The Dragons then were 100-62 in 2015 and again went all the way. They defeated Phoenix again in the AACS, followed by a World Series upset win over 112-win St. Louis.

This was Cox’s weakest playoff run with a .726 OPS, 104 wRC+, and 0.4 WAR. Yet again though, he followed it up with a BGC tear with 13 homers, 27 RBI, 22 hits, 18 runs, 1.425 OPS, 287 wRC+, and 1.9 WAR. Denver and Johannesburg finished tied in the top spot at 15-4, but the Jackalopes had the tiebreaker thanks to a 13-7 head-to-head victory over the Dragons.

Denver had 100+ win seasons from 2017-19, but had limited luck in the playoffs. From 2015-19, their only AACS trip was a 2017 defeat to San Francisco. Cox was racking up milestones quickly, joining the 500 home run club in late 2018. In May 2019, the Dragons gave him a new four-year, $92,800,000 extension. That was his strongest season in some time, taking third in MVP voting with a league-best .399 OPS. He also hit for the cycle in July against Seattle.

Cox was a leader for the last time with 118 runs and 1.058 OPS in 2020, taking second in MVP voting. Denver had their best season of the playoff streak at 114-48 and defeated Las Vegas in the AACS with Cox as series MVP. The Dragons then beat Cincinnati for Cox’s third World Series ring. He had 15 hits, 9 runs, 4 doubles, 4 gomers, and 15 RBI in 13 playoff starts.

Once more, Cox played his finest on the Baseball Grand Championship stage with 21 hits, 16 runs, 11 homers, 20 RBI, 1.192 OPS, 209 wRC+, and 1.5 WAR. Denver finished 15-4 and became the first franchise to earn Grand Champion honors twice. With the BGC win, World Series win, and 114 wins, the 2020 Dragons staked a claim among the absolute best teams in the history of the game.

Denver got back to the AACS in 2021 at 97-65, but a 112-win New Orleans proved too much to handle. The Dragons weren’t done though with a 106-56 record and the top seed in 2022. They beat San Francisco for the AA pennant, then knocked off Cincinnati in a World Series rematch for their fourth MLB title in a decade. Denver had nine MLB titles all-time, which was the most to that point, although they’d later get passed by both San Diego and Houston.

Fans were excited at the prospect of becoming the first franchise with three Baseball Grand Championship rings, but Denver was in the middle of the standings at 10-9. Cox again was strong with 16 hits, 14 runs, 9 home runs, 17 RBI, 1.086 OPS, and 1.2 WAR. Now 36-years old, these would be the final games of his storied run with the Dragons.

In the playoffs for Denver, Cox started 130 games with 142 hits, 87 runs, 26 doubles, 34 home runs, 88 RBI, .289/.361/.578 slash, 156 wRC+, and 6.1 WAR. The Dragons had MLB’s longest-ever postseason streak at 13 seasons, all division titles, with four World Series rings, eight AACS trips, and two Grand Championship wins. If Cox retired there, his legacy would’ve already been cemented as a true legend of the game.

Cox actually wasn’t the one who chose to end things, as Denver voided the team option year of his contract after the 2022 season. In 2333 games, Cox had 2612 hits, 1614 runs, 334 doubles, 113 triples, 685 home runs, 1668 RBI, 971 walks, .299/.373/.599 slash, 163 wRC+, and 106.7 WAR.

It was a cold business decision, one that backfired for the Dragons. On top of missing out on Cox chasing records later in his career, his first year gone marked the start of a five-year playoff drought. Still, he remained beloved in the Mile High City and his #14 uniform would later be retired. Cox’s next step was a three-year, $97,500,000 deal with Detroit.

The Tigers had won the National Association pennant in 2021, but had missed the playoffs in 2022. They had won 80+ games each year back to 1996, but the 2021 title was their only one of that stretch. Detroit had also only one other time gotten to the NACS. The Tigers hoped Cox’s playoff clutchness could prove decisive. There was also some hope that he could break the home run record in the Motor City.

Elijah Cashman’s 750 homers had stood as the record since 1936, but it finally fell in 2021 to Cody Lim. That was Lim’s last season as he finished with 758. If Cox maintained his averages, that was reachable in two seasons. Cox hit 37 dingers in 2023 and became the 8^th to join the 700 home run club. One month earlier, Killian Fruechte joined him in the 700 club and was also gunning for the new record. Fruechte ultimately fell just short, retiring after the 2024 season with 739.

Detroit went 101-61 in 2023, but lost in the NACS to Cincinnati. The Tigers won another division title in 2024 but had a second round exit. Cox was still a very capable starter with 5.4 WAR and .842 OPS, but he had a career low 29 home runs and 66 RBI. He had gotten 35+ homers and 90+ RBI in all of his seasons to that point. This put Cox at 751 career home runs, passing Cashman’s ancient record by one, but he was seven behind Lim.

At age 38 in 2025, Cox had a nice power rebound with 37 homers and 105 RBI, ending Lim’s short reign as MLB’s home run king. Detroit finished 99-63 and got hot, winning only their second-ever World Series by defeating Nashville. Cox joined a very select few in MLB history to have five rings for his career. He had another solid postseason run, finishing his Tigers career with 36 playoff starts, 38 hits, 25 runs, 5 doubles, 11 home runs, 22 RBI, .270/.304/.553 slash, 143 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR.

Cox had one more nice run in the Baseball Grand Championship, helping Detroit to fourth place at 12-7. In 94 career BGC games, Cox had 100 hits, 76 runs, 10 doubles, 43 home runs, 91 RBI, .316/.430/.769 slash 1.199 OPS, and 7.1 WAR. On the BGC leaderboard, Cox is 4^th in WAR for position players, 21^st in games, 4^th in runs, 10^th in hits, 6^th in total bases (243), 5^th in homers, and 2^nd in RBI.

He certainly lived up to the Tigers deal, delivering the record-breaking home run milestone and a World Series ring. In three seasons, Cox had 465 games, 430 hits, 280 runs, 51 doubles, 103 home runs, 269 RBI, .270/.366/.513 slash, 160 wRC+, and 16.4 WAR. Now 39-years old, Cox carried on with a two-year, $28 million deal with El Paso. The Prairie Dogs were a 2021 expansion team still trying to find their footing.

In 2026, Cox became the first in MLB to 800 home runs and the 7^th to 2000 RBI. He also joined the small club of guys to hit for the cycle twice, doing it again in June versus Oklahoma City. El Paso finished 82-80, the first winning season for the young franchise. 2027 saw Cox’s first major injury, a strained abdominal muscle that cost him nearly two months. Still, Cox became only the second to 2000 runs scored and the Prairie Dogs earned their first-ever wild card, although they went one-and-done. Cox surprisingly struggled to -0.3 WAR in the series.

For his playoff career, Cox played 170 games with 181 hits, 114 runs, 32 doubles, 45 home runs, 110 RBI, 61 walks, .280/.345/.563 slash, 149 wRC+, and 7.0 WAR. As of 2037, Cox is MLB’s all-time playoff leader in games, at-bats (646), hits, runs, total bases (364), doubles, home runs, RBI, and strikeouts (128). Certainly longevity plays a huge role; the next most games a player has is 120 compared to his 170. But Cox delivered and was a big reason for those appearances in the first place.

Cox was definitely older, but still effective in his first two years with El Paso, earning a two-year, $54,800,000 extension. He had another solid year in 2028 with 39 homers, 115 RBI, .922 OPS, and 4.1 WAR. On the same day, September 10, 2028, he became the first MLB slugger to 900 home runs and the 13^th player to 3500 career hits.

MLB’s runs and RBI records seemed reachable, both held by Stan Provost since the 1950 with 2348 runs and 2271 RBI. Cox was only 7 RBI away entering 2029, but he needed another 150 runs to catch that mark. Cox was also only 8 away from Provost to become the leader in total bases with the record at 6989. Unfortunately, Father Time caught up to Cox in 2029.

Another strained abdominal cost him significant time, but he was subpar when healthy with .759 OPS, 94 wRC+, and -0.3 WAR over 111 games. Cox still passed Provost as the RBI and total bases king. Overall for El Paso, Cox played 538 games with 565 hits, 357 runs, 87 doubles, 141 home runs, 396 RBI, 231 walks, .290/.370/.572 slash, 138 wRC+, and 14.8 WAR. He retired that winter shortly after his 43^rd birthday.

Cox played 3336 games with 3607 hits, 2251 runs, 472 doubles, 145 triples, 929 home runs, 2333 RBI, 1423 walks, 2209 strikeouts, 316 stolen bases, .294/.372/.584 slash, .955 OPS, 159 wRC+, and 137.9 WAR. Cox stands still as MLB’s leader in home runs, RBI, and total bases. He also ranks 2^nd in games, 3^rd in at-bats (12,259), 2^nd in runs, 7^th in hits, 78^th in doubles, 23^rd in walks, 28^th in strikeouts, and 3^rd in WAR among position players. Cox is 9^th in WAR among everyone when pitchers are included.

He also ranks 35^th in slugging and 34^th in OPS among MLB batters with 3000+ plate appearances. Home runs became more common in MLB in the 2020s and beyond, six other guys would pass Cashman’s old 750 record that had stood nearly 90 years, but Cox still stands far above. Only Mike Rojas challenged him with 872 homers through 2036, but Rojas is out of MLB entering 2037 and not expected to add to his counter.

On the world leaderboards, Cox ranks 21^st in games played, 7^th in runs, 36^th in hits, 18^th in homers, and 15^th in RBI. Cox is 52^nd in WAR among position players and 87^th among all players ever in baseball history. He ranks 6^th in WAR among American-born players.

The question then gets quickly asked, is Isaac Cox the greatest player in MLB history? You certainly could see a very strong case for him, especially if power stats are the most important to you. Only two position players have him beat in WAR; Morgan Short and Graham Gregor. Short is the big leader there at 170.47 with Gregor at 147.95. However, Short has a lot of value from his defense in center field and hitting efficiency with an incredibly low strikeout rate.

Cox’s team and playoff success though blows those guys out of the water. Few players in any world league had more playoff games or accumulations. Very few had won their league’s title five times and even fewer had two Grand Champion rings, along with his tallies in four editions of the event. Cox also had rings in the World Baseball Championship, stepping up on any big stage that came to him. Those accolades put him in rarified air even before remembering that he’s MLB’s home run king and RBI king and a top ten guy in the other big stats.

Of course, it is always impossible to truly evaluate such things and gets more complicated when you throw in pitchers or two-way guys into the GOAT conversations. For example, Cox’s Hall of Fame classmate Vincent Lepp has him beat for career WAR, but it’s hard to argue against Cox being more impactful especially when adding in the postseason stats.

Longevity also went a long way with Cox when comparing him to other all-time greats for all of baseball history. He never had any individual seasons with absurd record-setting numbers and his individual awards case is relatively bare compared to other legends. You wouldn’t think a guy with his tallies would’ve only won two MVPs and three Silver Sluggers. But the consistency over 22 years puts Cox in very unique territory.

In any event, Cox is one of baseball’s true immortals and is regularly cited in any list of top ten players in MLB’s 136-year history, sometimes sitting in the #1 spot. Lepp just beat him for voting share with Cox at 98.2%; again there’s always a few crusty voters preventing unanimous picks. But he co-headlined the four-player 2035 Hall of Fame class as Major League Baseball’s career home run king. Pretty good for a kid from a small town in Idaho.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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Otis Hope – Starting Pitcher – San Francisco Gold Rush – 91.5% First Ballot

Otis Hope was a 6’1’’, 205 pound left-handed pitcher from Coldwater, Ohio; a village with under 5,000 people in the west-central part of the state. Hope had outstanding overpowering stuff while his movement and control were both above average to good. He had an impressive 99-101 mph fastball, but his circle change was his most devastating pitch. Hope also had a nice slider and an okay regular changeup in the arsenal.

Hope’s stamina was strong and he had solid durability for most of his run. He had an excellent pickoff move and was great at holding runners, but his regular defense was below average. Almost quietly, Hope put together a steady and strong 15-year career.

From 2010-12, Hope played collegiately at Wichita State and was used as a reliever in his first two seasons. He was moved to the rotation as a junior and finished his three years with a 9-5 record, 12 saves, 1.79 ERA, 130.2 innings, 136 strikeouts, 183 ERA+, 60 FIP-, and 4.6 WAR. In the 2012 MLB Draft, Hope was taken late in the first round, 54^th overall, by Detroit. Many don’t realize he began with the Tigers, since he never pitched a game for them.

Hope spent early 2013 in minor league Grand Rapids before being one of four prospects traded away in July to San Francisco in exchange for 2022 Hall of Famer SP Abdul Karim Hussein. He pitched the rest of 2013 and all of 2014 in minor league San Jose. The Gold Rush gave Hope the call-up for 2015 as a full-time starter. It was an impressive debut, leading the entire American Association with 285 strikeouts. He was a steady member of SF’s rotation for the following 11 years.

During that stretch, Hope wasn’t a league leader or awards candidate, but he put up remarkably steady production. From 2017-26, he was good for 5.9+ WAR and 200+ strikeouts each year. This was important as San Francisco ended a 16-year playoff drought in 2016, although they had a second round exit. In 2017, the Gold Rush took the top seed at 107-55 and won the AACS over Denver. However, they were defeated by Boston in the World Series.

Hope had a solid playoff run with a 2.76 ERA over 29.1 innings with 20 strikeouts and 0.8 WAR. San Francisco finished 11-8 in the Baseball Grand Championship, one of five teams with that record. This was only one win behind the top three teams all tied at 12-7; SF was officially seventh after tiebreakers. Hope had an excellent BGC run with a 2.02 ERA in his four starts, 35.2 innings, 3-1 record, 55 strikeouts, three complete games, and 2.3 WAR.

His later playoff stats were a mixed bag and he had some bad luck. Over 17 starts for San Francisco, he had a 3.62 ERA over 136.2 innings, 3-11 record, 117 strikeouts, 110 ERA+, 89 FIP-, and 2.6 WAR. After the 2018 season, the Gold Rush signed Hope to a six-year, $80,800,000 extension. SF was regularly in the playoff mix with berths in 2018, 21, 22, 24, 25, and 26. The Gold Rush only got back to the AACS twice, getting defeated in 2018 and 2022. They had the #1 seed in 2026 at 104-58, but were upset in the second round.

In May 2024, Hope signed another five year and $144,200,000 extension with San Francisco. He remained consistent into his mid 30s and started to get his first awards consideration, taking third in Pitcher of the Year voting for both 2025 and 2026. Hope led in Ks (246) and quality start (25) in 2025. His career best for strikeouts was 291 back in 2020. 2024 was Hope’s best WAR at 7.1.

Hope had his awards consideration in 2026 despite losing a month to a hamstring strain, his first notable injury. That year also saw the 200 win and 3000 strikeout career milestones. Hope’s one playoff start went extras, but was a defeat with six runs allowed in 9.1 innings. San Francisco was the top seed, but ended up upset in the second round by San Diego. The Seals went onto win the World Series and Grand Championship, kicking off their epic dynasty run.

It stung for San Francisco fans that Hope opted out of his contract after the 2026 season and hurt even more that he left for San Diego at four years and $118,400,000. That ended the Gold Rush’s run as a regular contender, spending the next few years mostly in the middle of the standings. Still, Hope was popular for his 12-year run and his #31 uniform would later be retired. With San Francisco, Hope had a 214-123 record, 3.04 ERA, 3163.1 innings, 3125 strikeouts, 130 ERA+, 81 FIP-, 193 complete games, 31 shutouts, and 74.6 WAR.

Hope was now 35-years old and had his career best ERA in 2027 at 2.41, taking third in Pitcher of the Year voting. Sadly, on August 12 he suffered a catastrophic stretched elbow ligament with a 10 month recovery time. Hope still earned rings with the 2027 Seals, who made a case for being the best team in MLB history. San Diego won the World Series at 119-43 and became the first team to repeat as Baseball Grand Champion. However, Hope had to watch the proceedings in a sling.

He made it back for summer 2028 and was effective in four starts, but lost another chunk to a strained shoulder. San Diego got the World Series three-peat, but Hope was lackluster in the playoffs with a 5.86 ERA over 27.2 innings. He fared better in the 2028 BGC with a 3.23 ERA over 30.2 innings with 22 strikeouts. The Seals couldn’t win an unprecedented third straight Grand Championship, but still had a nice showing in sixth at 12-7.

Hope stayed healthy in 2029, but his stuff had fallen off and his velocity now peaked in the mid 90s. He had a respectable 3.73 ERA over 234.1 innings, but was abysmal in the playoffs with a 7.37 ERA over three starts and 18.1 innings. Despite that, San Diego snagged the World Series four-peat in a rematch win over Ottawa. Hope decided to retire with that at age 37 and didn’t pitch in the 2029 BGC.

With San Diego, Hope had a 31-17 record, 3.04 ERA, 462 innings, 305 strikeouts, 101 walks, 144 ERA+, 92 FIP-, and 8.1 WAR. He won three World Series rings, but had a 6.46 ERA in his seven playoff starts. Hope’s career playoff numbers were unremarkable with a 4.34 ERA, 182.2 innings, 5-15 record, 139 Ks, 95 ERA+, 100 FIP-, and 2.6 WAR. However, he had a strong 2.58 ERA over eight BGC starts with 77 Ks in 66.1 innings.

Hope’s career numbers saw a 245-140 record, 3.04 ERA, 3625.1 innings, 3430 strikeouts, 930 walks, 293/442 quality starts, 218 complete games, 37 shutouts, 131 ERA+, 82 FIP-, and 82.8 WAR. He ranks 56^th in wins, 60^th in complete games, 42^nd in strikeouts, and 81^st in WAR among pitchers.

He was never considered the top pitcher during his time, but Hope was reliably solid in his run and finished in the top ten in strikeouts ten times. He played an important role in San Francisco being a regular contender and was a small part of San Diego’s historic all-time dynasty. Hope might be overlooked in a loaded four-player Hall of Fame class in 2035 for Major League Baseball, but he still earned the firm first ballot nod at 91.5%.



Clinton Edgar – Starting Pitcher – New Orleans Mudcats - 77.1% First Ballot

Clinton Edgar was a 5’10’’, 190 pound left-handed pitcher from Madolenihmw, Micronesia, a division of the island of Pohnpei with only about 37,000 people on the whole island. Edgar was the first Hall of Famer in any world league from the tiny island federation. He had great movement on his pitches along with very good control and solid stuff.

Edgar’s velocity regularly hit 98-100 mph with his fastball, although his most dangerous pitch was a similarly fast sinker. He also had a changeup as a third offering with an extreme groundball tendency. The sinker was especially devastating facing fellow lefties. Edgar had a career 2.85 ERA and 69 FIP- against left-handed batting compared to a 3.40 ERA and 87 FIP- against righties.

His stamina and durability were both generally good. Edgar was excellent at holding runners, but was an otherwise underwhelming defensive pitcher. He was one of the smartest aces in the game and was appreciated by teammates for his selflessness and team-first attitude.

The few notable prospects from Micronesia generally ended up in the Oceania Baseball Association along with their fellow Pacific Islanders. The country had an association with the United States though, which helped put Edgar on the radar of a few scouts during his impressive teenage years. New Orleans convinced him to move to the Bayou on a developmental deal in May 2010. He debuted in 2014 for minor league Lafayette. Edgar made 22 appearances with the big league club in 2015 with decent results, earning the full-time roster spot after that.

Edgar’s innings were somewhat limited in his first few years, but he became a standard ace as time went on with New Orleans. It was his longest tenure, but Edgar wasn’t an awards candidate or all-star with the Mudcats. In 2019, Edgar notably threw his lone no-hitter on August 13 with seven strikeouts and two walks against Vancouver. Still, he played an important role as New Orleans won five division titles from 2016-23. Prior to that, they had a playoff drought back to 2000.
All but one of those years was a first or second round exit.

2021 was a shocking outlier as one of the strongest single-season efforts in MLB history. New Orleans finished 112-50, dethroned reigning champ Denver for the American Association title, then defeated Detroit in the World Series. Edgar had a fantastic playoff run, going 4-0 in five starts with a 1.55 ERA, 40.2 innings, 28 strikeouts, 257 ERA+, 2 shutouts, and 1.2 WAR.

Edgar kept rolling into the Baseball Grand Championship, helping New Orleans take the top spot at 15-4. He won his four starts with a 2.60 ERA over 27.2 innings, 29 strikeouts, 6 walks, 156 ERA+, and 1.2 WAR. Edgar’s role in that magical championship season earned him a warm spot in the hearts of Mudcats fans despite only pitching just over eight seasons there. His #6 uniform would eventually be retired by New Orleans.

Although the team’s other playoff runs weren’t anything notable, Edgar had a 2.25 ERA, 6-1 record, 64 innings, 46 strikeouts, and 1.4 WAR in the postseason for the Mudcats. NO missed the 2022 playoffs, then had a second round exit in 2023. The Mudcats signed Edgar to a four-year, $76 million extension in January 2023. However, New Orleans found themselves with a payroll that the small market franchise had trouble with.

Surprising many, the Mudcats traded Edgar in July 2023 to San Diego for two prospect pitchers. For New Orleans, Edgar had a 115-68 record, 3.25 ERA, 1778 innings, 1216 strikeouts, 503 walks, 119 ERA+, 84 FIP-, and 37.7 WAR. It was his longest tenure and he was inducted as a Mudcat, but Edgar was more famous and impactful for many with the Seals. He played a critical role in kicking off what many consider to be MLB’s best-ever dynasty.

When he arrived though, San Diego had been stuck in the middle tier with no playoff berths from 2011-22. They snapped that drought in 2023 at 97-65 and upset Seattle for the American Association title. The Seals fell to Cincinnati in the World Series with Edgar posting a 3.49 ERA over 38.2 playoff innings. He was iffy in the 2023 BGC with a 4.23 ERA over four starts, although the Seals finished 11-8, officially sixth.

This wasn’t the dynasty yet though for San Diego. They had a 103-59 season in 2024, but lost in the first round. The Seals then missed the playoffs altogether in 2025 at 83-79. However, these years were Edgar’s first as a Pitcher of the Year finalist, taking third in 2024 and second in 2025. The latter was his first ERA title, a career-best 2.39, and an association-best 8.5 WAR and five shutouts. Edgar’s 9.2 WAR from 2024 would be his career high.

In 2026, Edgar won the top honor at age 32, leading in wins (24-7), ERA (285.1), complete games (22), and WAR (8.2). San Diego was a 94-68 wild card, but upset Seattle in the AACS and beat Cincinnati for the first of their four straight World Series rings. In the playoff run, Edgar had a 3.35 ERA in six starts, winning five with 48.1 innings, 26 strikeouts, and 1.4 WAR. Edgar was solid on the Baseball Grand Championship stage with a 1.42 ERA in four starts, 3-1 record, 34 strikeouts, and 0.9 WAR. The Seals finished 15-4 and took baseball’s top team prize.

The 2027 Seals staked a claim as arguably the best team in baseball history. They finished 119-43, won the World Series over Montreal, and finished 14-5 for the first-ever Baseball Grand Championship repeat. Edgar was second in Pitcher of the Year voting and had a 2.48 ERA over 32.2 playoff innings. This was also his best BGC with a 1.60 ERA over 33.2 innings, 42 strikeouts, 4 walks, and 1.8 WAR.

Edgar had signed a four-year, $118,700,000 extension in March 2027. He had an elbow strain for part of 2028 and saw some regression with only 92 strikeouts in 201 innings, although he still had a 3.36 ERA and 4.0 WAR. Edgar stepped up again in the playoffs as San Diego three-peated at 108-54, beating Ottawa in the World Series. He won his four playoff starts with a 2.06 ERA over 35 innings. His last BGC had a 4.50 ERA over 28 innings though, as the BGC three-peat was denied with a sixth-place 12-7.

With San Diego, Edgar had an outstanding 15-2 playoff record with a 2.97 ERA, 163.2 innings, 99 strikeouts, 25 walks, 141 ERA+, 71 FIP-, and 4.9 WAR. His entire playoff career had a 21-3 record, 2.77 ERA, 227.2 innings, 145 Ks, 50 walks, 149 ERA+, and 6.3 WAR. He was the first MLB pitcher to 20+ playoff wins, although Riley Morales would later pass him. Edgar also ranks second in playoff pitching WAR and has the most shutouts with five, cementing his place as one of the top big game pitchers.

If those numbers didn’t seal it, Edgar’s Baseball Grand Championship numbers were likewise impressive. Over 20 starts, he had an 11-6 record, 2.78 ERA, 148.2 innings, 162 strikeouts, 38 walks, 132 ERA+, 74 FIP-, and 4.3 WAR. Between New Orleans and San Diego, Edgar was in very unique territory with three Grand Champion rings.

He had always been a groundball pitcher and San Diego’s great defenses helped Edgar thrive. However, the team was worried about his quickly weakening stuff. Edgar still was reaching the 96-98 mph range in 2028, but reported to spring training in 2029 with 93-95 mph peaks. His numbers were so underwhelming that San Diego shockingly cut him after spring training, becoming a free agent for the first time at age 35.

With San Diego, Edgar finished with a 103-36 record, 2.79 ERA, 1372 innings, 967 strikeouts, 289 walks, 151 ERA+, 72 FIP-, and 39.6 WAR. Edgar didn’t stay unemployed long and El Paso gave him a chance, but he was lousy in 2029 for the Prairie Dogs. Edgar had a 6.62 ERA over 151 innings with 53 Ks and 0.6 WAR. Clearly cooked, Edgar retired for the game that winter.

Edgar’s final stats saw a 224-114 record, 3.21 ERA, 3301 innings, 2236 strikeouts, 854 walks, 252/426 quality starts, 168 complete games, 37 shutouts, 126 ERA+, 81 FIP-, and 77.9 WAR. Because of his sudden decline and relatively short career, Edgar missed the top 100 for all of the regular season counting stats. There would be some voters held up on accumulations (and low strikeouts in particular) that felt Edgar missed the cut.

Even if the regular season stats were arguably borderline, you couldn’t argue against Edgar being a top-tier postseason pitcher. He was a big reason for three Baseball Grand Championship rings, four World Series rings, and two of the best-ever single-season runs in MLB history with the 2021 Mudcats and 2027 Seals.

Those accolades and two ERA titles got Edgar across the line for most voters. He only got 77.1%, but that was enough to get the first ballot nod to cap off a stacked four-player 2035 Hall of Fame class for Major League Baseball. Edgar also proudly represented the Federated States of Micronesia as the first Hall of Fame ballplayer from the tiny island nation of just over 100,000 people.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

Third baseman Manuel Aquino stood alone for induction into the Central American Baseball Association’s Hall of Fame for 2035 with 96.4% of the vote. SP Amauris Huerta barely missed the 66% cut line in his debut at 65.2%. RF Jose Leal was also close on his third ballot, but fell short at 61.6%. No other players were above 50%.



Dropped after ten failed ballots included LF/DH Marvin Orellana, who had a 17-year career with four teams. He won two Silver Sluggers and an MVP in 2010 with Costa Rica, finishing with 2320 hits, 1336 runs, 301 doubles, 211 triples, 519 home runs, 1408 RBI, .286/.334/.566 slash, 142 wRC+, and 62.2 WAR.

Orellana was one mostly forgettable teams though and lost some points for making the majority of his starts as a designated hitter. The tallies were just low enough to hurt him even with 500+ homers, getting as close at 55.1% in 2034 before ending at 44.2%. He was never below 39%, but ends up as a firm Hall of Pretty Good type.

Three others fell off after ten ballots, including 1B Ivan Moran who had one MVP, one Silver Slugger, and one Gold Glove. He was important for Haiti’s 2006-07 repeat titles, winning MVP in 2007. Moran did lose tallies though playing five seasons later in his career with MLB’s Hartford. In CABA, he had 1674 games, 1787 hits, 1105 runs, 262 doubles, 386 homers, 1091 RBI, .304/.397/.562 slash, 150 wRC+, and 65.9 WAR.

Including the MLB seasons, Moran had 2322 hits, 1454 runs, 330 doubles, 500 homers, 1406 RBI, 1320 walks, .279/.379/.513 slash, 142 wRC+, and 79.6 WAR. He was one of the better walks guys in CABA and ranks 16^th in OBP among those with 3000+ plate appearances. Even with the MLB credit, Moran’s tallies were borderline. He peaked at 51.4% in 2034 before ending at a low of 23.9%.

SP Santiago Gamez made it ten ballots, but he peaked at 30.9% in 2027 before ending at only 7.2%. In 14 years between Jamaica and Torreon, he had one ERA title, a 190-125 record, 3.23 ERA, 3018.2 innings, 2733 strikeouts, 122 ERA+, 87 FIP-, and 57.0 WAR. Gamez retired just past his 35^th birthday despite still putting up decent stats, keeping him from the accumulations needed. His rate stats were comparable to some other HOFers, but lower accumulations and poor playoff stats kept Gamez from gaining traction.

CF Jeronimo Martinez likewise ended at 7.2% after peaking with his debut at 37.4%. He had his entire 16-year run with Hermosillo with six Silver Sluggers, finishing with 1977 games, 2193 hits, 1135 runs, 386 doubles, 296 triples, 289 homers, 1092 RBI, 683 steals, .309/.347/.569 slash, 158 wRC+, and 86.2 WAR.

Sabermetrics like Martinez, ranking him 63^rd in WAR among position players. He’s also 12^th in triples, but nagging injuries kept him from some of the counting stats voters want. He’s notably 12^th in WAR among CABA center fielders as well. Martinez remains very popular with Hyenas fans, but he didn’t have the accumulations or home run power many voters fixate on.



Manuel “Sneezy” Aquino – Second Base – Hermosillo Hyenas – 96.4% First Ballot

Manuel Aquino was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting second baseman from Patarra, Costa Rica; a district on the San Jose province with just under 12,000 inhabitants. Nicknamed “Sneezy,” Aquino was one of the most reliable power hitters of his era with 40 home runs per his 162 game average. He also got you 21 doubles and 8 triples per 162 for a steady diet of extra base hits.

Aquino graded as a rock solid contact hitter with a decent strikeout rate, although he drew much fewer walks than most sluggers. He was better against right-handed pitching with a career .971 OPS and 172 wRC+, but was still plenty potent against lefties with a .852 OPS and 138 wRC+. Unlike typical sluggers, Aquino had impressive speed and was very skilled at stealing bases.

Defensively, Aquino was exclusively a third baseman. He graded as a subpar defender overall, but you could definitely do much worse. Aquino was a scrappy spark plug with an outstanding work ethic and great adaptability, always making the most of his opportunities. His durability was also generally solid over a 16-year career.

Aquino left Costa Rica for Mexico in April 2009 on a developmental deal with Hermosillo, where he’d spend nearly his entire pro career. Aquino spent the better part of six years in their academy, although he did have 38 pinch-hit at-bats between 2013-14. He was rostered full-time in 2015 with 122 games and 36 starts, posting promising results with a .999 OPS and 2.9 WAR. The Hyenas named Aquino the full-time starter at 3B from 2016 onward.

From 2016-22, Aquino was good for 7+ WAR, 40+ homers, and 115+ RBI each year. He won Silver Sluggers from 2016-20, as well as in 2022 and 2027. Aquino was also second in 2017’s MVP voting and third in 2019, although he never won the top award. 2017 was his finest effort, leading the Mexican League with career highs for RBI (141), total bases (411), slugging (.700), and WAR (10.3). Aquino had 56 homers that year and in 2019, posting a career-best 1.079 OPS in 2019. He was the RBI leader again in 2018 and 2021 and the total bases leader in 387.

Hermosillo had been a contender in the late 2000s, then fell into the middle-tier for Aquino’s earlier years. The North Division was also a tough climb with Juarez’s dynasty run in the 2010s and 2020s. The Hyenas earned three wild cards from 2018-20 and got to the MLCS in 2018 and 2020, but couldn’t go deeper. Still, they were delighted by Aquino’s production and gave him an eight-year, $162,400,000 extension in June 2020.

Although they didn’t have the deep runs, Aquino’s playoff stats were outstanding in a small sample size. With 31 starts, he had 40 hits, 30 runs, 8 doubles, 4 triples, 14 homers, 35 RBI, .320/.366/.784 slash, 214 wRC+, and 2.6 WAR. Hermosillo was right back in the middle-tier in the 2020s, never winning fewer than 79 games in a season for the rest of Aquino’s tenure. However, they only made the playoffs once with a wild card and divisional series defeat in 2026.

Aquino was still productive into his mid 30s, but his power stats did begin to dip from his prime years. He did notably hit for the cycle on August 12, 2025 against San Luis Potosi. Aquino lost some time to a concussion in 2026, then saw more of a platoon role in his later years. The big contract finally ended after the 2028 season, sending Aquino to free agency for the first time at age 35.

For Hermosillo, Aquino had 2121 games, 2322 hits, 1345 runs, 295 doubles, 115 triples, 539 home runs, 1450 RBI, 932 steals, .311/.351/.598 slash, 166 wRC, and 96.1 WAR. His last season was still good for 3.8 WAR, .802 OPS, and 28 homers in 132 games and 94 starts. Toluca, a 2025 expansion team, was optimistic that Aquino could help them to their first winning seasons. The Tortugas gave him a three-year, $21 million deal.

Unfortunately, Aquino fell completely off a cliff with Toluca. He played 117 games and started 62, eventually benched after posting -0.8 WAR, a .215/.261/.394 slash, and only 15 home runs. Aquino retired that winter at age 36, but Hermosillo quickly brought him in and honored him by retiring his 23 uniform.

Aquino finished with 2238 games, 2382 hits, 1374 runs, 296 doubles, 117 triples, 554 home runs, 1492 RBI, 438 walks, 1420 strikeouts, 947 steals, .308/.347/.591 slash, 163 wRC+, and 95.3 WAR. Aquino ranks 50^th in runs, 93^rd in hits, 63^rd in total bases (4574), 45^th in homers, 46^th in RBI, 17^th in steals, and 41^st in WAR among position players. He ranks 6^th in WAR among third baseman and is the steals leader for 3Bs.

While he falls just short of the “inner-circle” level of Hall of Famer, Aquino was generally considered the best third baseman of his era in the Mexican League. Most scholars rank him as a top ten 3B in Central American Baseball Association history, making him an easy choice on the 2035 ballot. Aquino received 96.4% and stood alone for induction.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

East Asia Baseball had two players inducted into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot for 2035. SP Akikazu Yoshida was the headliner with a near unanimous 99.0% and was joined by 1B Yeo-San Park at a rock solid 819.9%. SP Hiroshi Yama****a barely missed the 66% requirement with a debut at 63.9%. No other players were above 50%.



The best returner was 1B/DH Kyu-Seong Lee, who fell off the ballot with 48.3% on his tenth and final try. Lee was never below 40% and peaked at 58.0% in his debut. He was hurt by having a split 22 year career between EAB, Major League Baseball, and Arab League Baseball. His peak years in the early 2000s with Incheon had two MVPs, five Silver Sluggers, and a league title.

In just EAB, Lee had 1607 games, 1767 hits, 301 doubles, 39 triples, 401 home runs, 1105 RBI, 598 walks, .308/.372/.584 slash, 158 wRC+, and 59.9 WAR. Many voters thought that was not enough EAB tenure, even though the pace certainly fit in with previous inductees. Lee spent most of his 30s as a solid starter in MLB before playing his final years back between EAB and ALB. His MLB run was good enough to earn 16.0% on MLB’s 2021 Hall of fame ballot.

For his full pro career, Lee had 3069 games, 3222 hits, 1907 runs, 545 doubles, 788 home runs, 2088 RBI, 1205 walks, .295/.366/.571 slash, 158 wRC+, and 111.1 WAR. The combined total places him 50^th on the world leaderboard for RBI and on the top 100 list for homers and runs scored. That stat line in only one league makes anyone a lock, but his split career hurt him with the sticklers. Still, Lee deserves a mention as one of the most reliable sluggers of his era.

Catcher Shintaro Onishi was dropped after ten ballots as well, peaking at 59.0% in his debut and ending with a low of 33.3%. He was hurt by the general anti-catcher bias voters have, although he was never an exceptional batter. Onishi’s durability and longevity were incredible though, playing more games behind the dish than anyone in all of baseball history as one of the only catchers ever to start games at age 45.

Onishi in a 24-year career had one Silver Slugger and two Gold Gloves along with 3161 games, 2640 hits, 1152 runs, 482 doubles, 417 homers, 1375 RBI, 813 walks, 2505 strikeouts, .252/.308/.425 slash, 118 wRC+, and 98.3 WAR. He is EAB’s leader among catchers for games, runs, hits, total bases, singles, doubles, RBI, strikeouts, and WAR. Onishi was also 34^th in WAR among all EAB position players and had the highest total of someone who eventually fell off the HOF ballot.

Despite that remarkable tenure, a lot of voters cared specifically about peak seasons and accolades. Onishi was very steady for a long time, but there are voters who both specifically hate alleged compilers and those who are harsh towards catchers. Onishi also had a lackluster .533 OPS and -0.5WAR across 45 playoff starts. Only two other catchers had previously been inducted in EAB and Onishi stands as a notable snub for those who really know ball.

RF Masato Kaneko also fell off after ten ballots, peaking with a 32.9% debut before ending at only 7.6%. In 17 seasons, Kaneko had 2275 games, 2433 hits, 1315 runs, 386 doubles, 190 triples, 376 home runs, 1149 RBI, 562 walks, 969 steals, .293/.338/.521 slash, 156 wRC+, and 91.0 WAR. Kaneko ranks 68^th in WAR and 28th in stolen bases. He also lacked black ink and big accolades while spending most of his career on weaker teams. Kaneko is another guy that advanced metrics appreciate, but he didn’t have the right counting stats to get beyond the Hall of Pretty Good.




Akikazu Yoshida – Starting Pitcher – Kumamoto Monsters – 99.0% First Ballot

Akikazu Yoshida was a 6’2’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Ishioka, Japan; a city in the Ibaraki Prefecture located 70 kilometers north of Tokyo with 70,000 people. Yoshida had impressive overpowering stuff along with above average-to-good movement and control. His control became quite strong in his later years, giving Yoshida a few more seasons even after his stuff had waned with age.

Yoshida’s 99-101 mph fastball was excellent and was buttressed by a rock solid changeup and slider. Compared to the other great EAB aces, Yoshida’s stamina was merely decent. His pickoff move was the best in the business and few could hold runners more effectively. Yoshida was also a solid defensive pitcher and had a very high work ethic. His durability was outstanding and he avoided the big injuries that ruin many elite pitchers, making him a very popular pitcher in his era.

After a stellar run with Teikyo University in Tokyo, Yoshida was picked 13^th overall by Kumamoto in the 2012 EAB Draft. He had limited use with 40 relief innings as a rookie, but was a full-time starter after that. Yoshida started to get some attention as an ace by his fourth season with a 1.98 ERA over 209 innings. Kumamoto was mid-tier in the mid 2010s, but fell to rock bottom in the standings by the later decade and early 2020s.

Even without much help, Yoshida thrived with third place finishes in Pitcher of the Year voting from 2017-20. The Monsters had given him a five-year, $56,200,000 extension after the 2016 campaign. In 2017, Yoshida led the Japan League in WAR (7.8), WHIP (0.86), and FIP- (59). He led in complete games with 17 in 2018 and in wins at 19-12 in 2019. Yoshida was very popular with Kumamoto fans as one of the only bright spots for a struggling franchise, eventually getting his #10 uniform retired.

For the Monsters, Yoshida had a 112-92 record, 65 saves, 2.55 ERA, 1846 innings, 2043 strikeouts, 323 walks, 157/218 quality starts, 69 complete games, 21 shutouts, 130 ERA+, 74 FIP-, and 46.1 WAR. It was his longest tenure and he had a soft spot for his original club even with the team struggles. Yoshida really solidified his HOF case and played his most impactful baseball in his second run with Fukuoka. He became a free agent after the 2021 season at age 30 and signed a seven-year, $96,700,000 deal with the Frogs.

Fukuoka had gotten back-to-back playoff berths and were hoping to make a deep run with Yoshida’s help. He certainly delivered with a second place in POTY voting and a career-best 1.76 ERA. Despite his talents, Yoshida was Fukuoka’s #2 arm with the record-breaking Toshikuni Naikai as the team’s ace. Naikai was the Pitcher of the Year in 2016 and from 2018-23, including his absurd 0.64 ERA, 18.5 WAR 2020 season.

The Frogs took the top seed at 110-52 and Fukuoka beat Daegu for their first EAB Championship since 1980 as one of the top single-season teams in league history.

In the playoff run, Yoshida was underwhelming with a 4.22 ERA over 32 innings with 39 strikeouts. He fared better in the Baseball Grand Championship in a split starter/relief role with a 0.48 ERA over 18.2 innings with 32 Ks. Fukuoka finished 11-8 in a five-way tie for fourth, officially grabbing the #4 spot after tiebreakers were sorted out.

Yoshida was again second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 2023, posting league and career bests for strikeouts (348), quality starts (26), and shutouts (4). This was his only time leading in Ks. Fukuoka finished 95-67, but repeated as EAB champs with a finals win over Busan. Yoshida had a more impactful playoff run with a 2.40 ERA over 30 innings and 43 strikeouts. He also had an impressive 1.72 ERA over 31.1 innings with 44 Ks in the 2023 BGC, although the Frogs struggled to a 7-12 finish.

In 2024 and 2025, Yoshida again was second in Pitcher of the Year voting, marking four straight years as the runner-up and eight out of nine years in the top three. He was the WARlord both years and Fukuoka continued the playoff streak, including the top seed in 2024 at 104-58. However, the Frogs fell both years in the divisional round, then had a wild card round defeat in 2026. Yoshida’s career playoff stats had a 3.48 ERA over 93 innings, 5-3 record, 129 strikeouts, 96 ERA+, 76 FIP-, and 2.3 WAR.

Yoshida finally broke through as Pitcher of the Year in 2026 at age 34 with career and league bests for WAR (10.5) and FIP- (44). He struck out 345 in 247.2 innings with a 2.00 ERA, 17-8 record, and 10 saves. It ranks as the 44^th-best single-season WAR by an EAB pitcher through the 2036 season.

Fukuoka stayed above .500 in 2027-28, but ceded the West Division throne to Hiroshima. Yoshida’s velocity and stuff dropped off after his career year, now peaking at 96-98 mph velocity. His control was still good enough to provide respectable innings, but his time as an elite ace was done. Still, Yoshida passed the 200 career wins and 4000 strikeouts milestones in these later seasons.

For the Frogs, Yoshida had a 114-50 record, 2.49 ERA, 1612.2 innings, 2051 strikeouts, 206 walks, 136 ERA+, 63 FIP-, and 50.8 WAR. It was certainly an excellent signing that played a big role in Fukuoka’s repeat titles, earning Yoshida an important place in the hearts of Frogs fans. His deal was up after the 2028 season at age 37 and Yoshida felt he still had something to offer.

Utsunomiya agreed, giving him a three-year, $43,300,000 deal. The Undertakers were one of the 2025 expansion teams still trying to find their footing. Unfortunately, Yoshida was unremarkable in 2029 with a 3.72 ERA in 181.2 innings, 125 Ks, and 1.5 WAR. He also suffered his first notable injury, a partially torn labrum which cost him six weeks in the early summer. Yoshida opted to retire that winter at age 38.

Yoshida finished with a 234-153 record, 99 saves, 2.58 ERA, 3640.1 innings, 4219 strikeouts, 557 walks, 314/440 quality starts, 116 complete games, 37 shutouts, 130 ERA+, 71 FIP-, and 98.4 WAR. He ranks 29^th in wins, 41^st in innings, 80^th in complete games, 12^th in shutouts, 13^th in strikeouts, and 14^th in WAR among pitchers. Yoshida ranks 94^th in ERA among all pitchers with 1000+ innings and 78^th in K/9 at 10.43 and 63^rd in WHIP at 0.97.

While Yoshida doesn’t make conversations for the greatest of all time, you could certainly argue he’s an inner-circle Hall of Famer and a top 20 pitcher in East Asia Baseball history. His former Fukuoka teammate Naikai overshadowed him as Japan’s clear best pitcher of the era, but Yoshida was regularly a top three pitcher for much of his run. He secured a nearly unanimous 99.0% to captain EAB’s 2035 HOF class.



Yeo-San “Extreme” Park – First Base – Changwon Crabs – 81.9% First Ballot

Yeo-San Park was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from Pubal, South Korea; a city of around 63,000 located about 35 miles southeast of Seoul. Park had the nickname “Extreme” mostly ironically, since he was a pretty milquetoast personality. His bat certainly wasn’t ordinary though with impressive reliable home run power. Park got plenty of extra base hits with 47 homers, 30 doubles, and 4 triples per his 162 game average. He had 10 seasons of 40+ homers and four with 50+.

On the downside, Park was average-to-below average in terms of contact ability, eye, and strikeout rate. He had better success facing left-handed pitchers (.942 OPS, 155 wRC+) but wasn’t bad at all against righties (.858 OPS, 138 wRC+). When he made contact, he made it count with 48% of his hits going for extra bases. Those bags came almost purely from his bat as Park had very poor speed, although his baserunning ability was okay.

All of Park’s defensive starts came at first base, although he did make around 30% of his career starts as a designated hitter. He was a subpar defender at 1B, but you could definitely do worse. Excellent durability played a big role in Park’s success with 140+ games in all but his first and final seasons. He became well known as Changwon was a top contender during Park’s prime seasons.

Park was one of the many great high school prospects from Woosung HS and had scouts’ eyes even as a teen. He was taken second overall out of high school by Changwon in the 2011 EAB Draft. Park spent all of 2012-13 in the Crabs’ academy, then debuted in 2014 with promising results over 68 games. He took over a starting job in 2015 and held it through 2028 for Changwon. They immediately locked him up long-term with an eight-year, $62,860,000 extension after the 2016 season.

Park had 100+ RBI in each of his starting seasons and was good for 40+ homers most of those years. From the 1970s into the 2010s, Changwon had been mostly mediocre. Park won his first Silver Slugger in 2016 and helped reverse that trend, starting with a 92-70 record to end a nine-year playoff drought. The Crabs got hot and won their first Korea League crown since the 1960s, then upset reigning champ Yokohama to win their third-ever EAB Championship.

In 15 playoff games, Park had a steallar showing with 20 hits, 9 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 5 homers, 10 RBI, 1.073 OPS, and 1.1 WAR. He earned MVP honors of both the KLCS win over Seoul and the finals against the Yellow Jackets. Park had a nice effort in the Baseball Grand Championship with 16 hits, 11 runs, 3 doubles, 6 homers, 15 RBI, .848 OPS, and 0.7 WAR. Despite those efforts, Changwon was near the bottom of the BGC field at 6-13.

Changwon was even better in 2017 at 100-62 and repeated as EAB champs, defeating Osaka in the final. Park’s playoff run was underwhelming with a .635 OPS and 0.1 WAR, but he did fare better in the BGC with a .923 OPS and 0.7 WAR. The Crabs ended up at 8-11 in the BGC try.

Park won All-Star Game MVP in 2018 and started a three-year run of 50+ home runs seasons. He was a league leader for the first time in 2020 with a career-best 138 RBI. Changwon seemed primed for a three-peat with their best record yet in 2018 at 110-52, but they were stunned by Seongnam in the divisional series. The Crabs won a fourth straight divisional title in 2019 at 97-65, but again were one-and-done. The playoff streak ended in 2020 at 92-70, missing the wild card by tiebreaker to Yongin.

The Crabs bounced back in 2021 and started a six-year playoff streak, although they had only two division titles as Busan concurrently started what would be a league-record 17-year postseason run. Although a wild card in 2021 at 100-62, Changwon upset the 109-win Blue Jays to win the KLCS. They were denied the EAB title by Kyoto.

That was Park’s best postseason by many metrics with 24 hits, 13 runs, 6 doubles, 7 homers, 12 RBI, 1.114 OPS, and 1.1 WAR. Changwon again struggled in the Baseball Grand Championship at 6-13, but Park was strong with 23 hits, 12 runs, 5 doubles, 8 homers, 18 RBI, .937 OPS, and 0.9 WAR. In 57 career BGC games, Park had 54 hits, 34 runs, 10 doubles, 23 home runs, 49 RBI, .244/.303/.602 slash, 148 wRC+, and 2.3 WAR.

This was the end of Changwon’s time on top. Although the playoff streak continued through 2026 and they got another berth in 2028, the Crabs couldn’t claim another title. They had the top seed in 2023 at 108-54, but suffered a first round upset to Daegu. Changwon’s lone KLCS trip in that stretch was as a wild card in 2024, losing to Busan. Park’s career playoff numbers were rock solid over 84 starts with 95 hits, 46 runs, 18 doubles, 21 homers, 48 RBI, .290/.330/.555 slash, 144 wRC+, and 3.3 WAR. He cracks the top 20 for playoff homers, runs, RBI, and hits.

Even if the team success wasn’t what they wanted, these were some of Park’s best individual seasons. He won Silver Sluggers in 2020, 23, and 26 and was third in 2026’s MVP voting. That was Park’s only year as a finalist and his only time as the home run leader, socking a career-best 58 along with a career high 7.6 WAR, .998 OPS, and 173 wRC+. He led the KL in RBI in both 2022-23 with 127 both years and led with a career high 112 runs in 2023.

In August 2024, Park signed a five-year, $120 million extension to stick with Changwon. His power was still good into his mid 30s, but his contact skills declined with the hits coming less frequently. Park was moved to a part-time role in 2029 with only 105 games and 93 starts with a .751 OPS and 1.1 WAR.

The Crabs missed the playoffs at 85-77, the last hurrah in Park’s run which had winning seasons in all but one of his years starting. They had 11 playoff berths, two EAB titles, three Korea League pennants, and six division titles with Park. But it was time to retire after the 2029 campaign at age 36. Changwon immediately retired his #34 uniform and would soon long for those glory years, falling to a putrid 43-119 by 2031.

Park played 2354 games with 2451 hits, 1419 runs, 436 doubles, 63 triples, 685 home runs, 1784 RBI, 498 walks, 2271 strikeouts, .274/.315/.567 slash, 143 wRC+, and 71.0 WAR. Park ranks 15^th in homers, 15^th in RBI, 35^th in total bases (5068), 66^th in doubles, and 55^th in runs. Despite that, he misses the top 100 for WAR and hits and is 34^th in strikeouts. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Park is 71^st in slugging.

“Slugger” would truly be the best word to describe Park’s contributions and few did it better. There were a few contrarian voters who down-voted him for his low hit and WAR totals, but they were in the definite minority. Finishing 15^th in homers and RBI, along with multiple titles and regular contention with one franchise made Park a first ballot Hall of Famer. He received 81.9% as the second member of East Asia Baseball’s two-player 2035 class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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Three corner infielders grabbed first ballot Hall of Fame inductions for Beisbol Sudamerica in 2035. 1B Pablo Amor was the clear headliner at 96.8%, but 3B Raul Reis and 1B Jeffry Lucero both made it in firmly at 81.9% and 80.5% respectively. The next closest to the 66% requirement was CL Antonio Kercado with a 52.8% debut. LF Francisco Serrata was the only returner above 50% with 51.9% for his third ballot. No players were dropped after ten failed tries in 2035.



Pablo Amor – First Base – Medellin Mutiny – 96.8% First Ballot

Pablo Amor was a 6’0’’, 205 pound left-handed first baseman from Neiva, Colombia; a city with around 388,000 in the southern part of the country. In his prime, Amor was a strong all-around hitter, although his contact ability waned a bit in his later years. He kept impressive home run power throughout along with a great eye for walks and avoiding strikeouts.

Amor’s power was focused on dingers with 39 per his 162 game average with only 24 doubles and 3 triples per 162. He had 40+ homers in eight seasons and 50+ twice. Amor was notably stronger facing right-handed pitching with a career 151 wRC+ and .977 OPS, although his .854 OPS and 123 wRC+ against lefties was by no means bad. His speed and baserunning were both putrid, so you couldn’t expect any help there.

All of Amor’s defensive starts came at first base with around ¼ of his starts as a designated hitter. He was a lousy defender, but it was the spot where teams would put up with it for the big bat. Amor also provided ironman durability with 158+ games each season from 2015-28. He was a major fan favorite over a 16-year career with Medellin and was known for his work ethic and team-first mindset.

Despite his later successes, Amor was a bit of a late bloomer and not at the top of the draft boards. He was a late second round pick in 2012 by the Mutiny, 80^th overall. Amor spent all of 2013 in their academy and only saw part-time use in 2014 at age 24, although he showed plenty of potential. In 93 games and 38 starts, he had 16 homers, 1.055 OPS, and 2.6 WAR.

Playing time wasn’t easy to find, as Medellin had started what would be a nine-year playoff streak in 2011. They won the Bolivar League title in 2013, then took Copa Sudamerica in Amor’s rookie season with a finals rematch with Fortaleza. Amor actually played prior to his official 2014 BSA debut with two plate appearances in the 2013 Baseball Grand Championship.

Amor’s first postseason in 2014 had 14 games, 4 starts, 10 hits, and .852 OPS. He was a full-time starter for the 2014 BGC with 17 hits, 16 runs, 9 homers, 17 RBI, 1.076 OPS, and 0.9 WAR. Medellin finished 9-10, but that performance earned Amor a starting job in 2015, which he held firmly through 2028. He was a DH initially, but earned the rare feat of a Silver Slugger and MVP from the spot in 2015.

It was well deserved, leading the league in runs (132), homers (56), RBI (134), total bases (429), and OBP (.433). Amor had 221 hits, 9.6 WAR, 1.116 OPS, and a .352 average. He won additional Sluggers in 2016 and 2017 at DH with third and second place finishes in MVP voting. Medellin’s playoff streak continued, but they were denied in the BLCS in both 2015 and 2016 with a first round exit in 2017.

Amor moved to first base in 2018 and won his second MVP and a Silver Slugger. He led with career bests for hits (232), homers (58), total bases (434), triple slash (.377/.436/.706), OPS (1.141), wRC+ (193), and WAR (10.6). His 127 RBI fell only eight shy of a Triple Crown and he hit for the cycle in July against Santa Cruz. Medellin got the top seed at 103-59, but suffered a divisional round upset to Maturin.

The Mutiny had one more division title in 2019 but again went one-and-done. You couldn’t blame Amor for the lack of playoff success, as his numbers were generally strong in the small sample size. In 43 games and 33 starts, he had 43 hits, 26 runs, 9 doubles, 8 homers, 19 RBI, .321/.389/.582 slash, 160 wRC+, and 1.9 WAR. Medellin had an eight-year playoff drought from 2020-27, although they stayed around .500 on the front end before falling towards the bottom.

Amor also had good numbers as a regular in the World Baseball Championship from 2015-29 for Colombia. He played 116 games with 100 hits, 57 runs, 19 doubles, 26 homers, 65 RBI, .267/.424/.532 slash, and 5.7 WAR. Amor’s on-base percentage ranks 14^th in tournament history, minimum 250 plate appearances. The Colombians only had one division title in his tenure in his 2015 WBC debut.

After the 2019 season, Medellin signed Amor to a seven-year, $49,400,000 extension. He didn’t reach his MVP peaks in his 30s and was out of awards conversations, but Amor remained a reliable slugger in the lean years. He declined his contract option after the 2025 campaign, but signed a new three-year, $21,700,000 deal instead to stay with the Mutiny, remaining a big fan favorite.

Amor had career lows across the board in 2027, but had a big bounce-back in 2028 at age 38 with 48 homers, 123 RBI, .962 OPS, and 5.2 WAR. Medellin ended the playoff drought with a division title at 99-63, although they fell in the divisional round. It looked like Amor still had some juice left, so the Mutiny signed him to another two year extension worth $27,400,000.

Sadly, his decline was very steep in 2029 and he quickly got benched. That year, Amor played 115 games and started only 33 with 4 homers, .592 OPS, and -0.7 WAR. He did reach the 1500 runs and 1500 RBI milestones, but fell 12 short of the 600 home run club. Amor retired that winter at age 39 and Medellin quickly thanked him for his 16 years of service, retiring his #7 uniform.

Amor finished with 2448 games, 2693 hits, 1522 runs, 369 doubles, 39 triples, 588 home runs, 1511 RBI, 949 walks, 1298 strikeouts, .313/.386/.570 slash, .956 OPS, 146 wRC+, and 80.1 WAR. Amor ranks 79^th in games, 49^th in hits, 22^nd in runs, 44^th in total bases (4904), 29^th in homers, 41^st in RBI, 25^th in walks, but only 90^th in WAR among position players. He does rank 34^th in OBP, 97^th in slugging, and 65^th in OPS among BSA batters with 3000+ plate appearances.

While Amor falls short of being an inner-circle level Hall of Famer, his resume easily checked the boxes that Beisbol Sudamerica’s voters looked for. He hit a lot of homers and created a lot of runs, he spent his whole career with one team, and he had two MVPs. Amor earned 96.8% of the vote to captain the three-player 2035 class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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Raul “Bloody” Reis – Third Base – Porto Alegre Armadillos – 81.9% First Ballot

Raul Reis was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed third baseman from Caucaia, Brazil; a city with around 382,000 people in the northeast just outside of Fortaleza. Nicknamed “Bloody,” Reis boasted reliably good-to-great contact and power skills. While his power wasn’t prolific, he gave you plenty of extra base hits with a 162 game average of 35 home runs, 32 doubles, and 5 triples.

Reis’s hitting stats were generally equally potent against both sides. On the downside, he was mediocre at drawing walks with a subpar strikeout rate. His speed was also below average, but he did have passable baserunning technique. Durabilty was important for Reis, who played 140+ games in all but one season from 2011-26.

He had a cannon arm, which slotted him perfectly as a career baseman. Reis was a consistently good-to-great defender and was only a notch or two below Gold Glove level. He was also renowned for his high character as a team captain with top marks for loyalty, leadership, selflessness, and work ethic. This pushed Reis into becoming the first star player for Porto Alegre, who joined the Southern Cone League with the 2009 expansion.

The young franchise added Reis with the fourth overall pick in the 2010 BSA Draft, joining the club for its third season. He immediately delivered as 2011 Rookie of the Year and was worth at least 5 WAR each season from 2011-25. Awards weren’t easy to come by for Reis, who shared a league and position with Niccolo Coelho. Coelho won 12 Silver Sluggers from 2009-21, leaving Reis without one during his peak years. Coelho also was BSA’s WARlord for position players and was considered by some as the best third baseman in all of baseball history.

Reis’s best year was 2018, his lone time as an MVP finalist with a third place finish. He led with 140 RBI and had his career bests across the board with 109 runs, 222 hits, 45 homers, .362/.392/.653 slash, 1.045 OPS, 196 wRC+, and 10.3 WAR. It also wasn’t easy to get noticed for an expansion franchise. Porto Alegre had their first winning seasons from 2017-20 with Reis’s help.

The Armadillos got their first division title and playoff berth in 2017 at 89-73, although they lost in the first round. That winter, Reis signed a seven-year, $57,600,000 extension to stick with Porto Alegre. They made it back to the postseason in 2020 again at 89-73. This time, the Armadillos had a surprise run to the LCS, but were thwarted by Santa Cruz.

Fans hoped that was the start of more consistent playoff contention, but it was not to be as they had only one winning season for the rest of Reis’s tenure. Porto Alegre hovered around .500 for the early 2020s, but was firmly at the bottom in the latter half of the decade. Reis had only 16 playoff starts for the Armadillos with a .671 OPS.

Reis did get to play on the World Baseball Championship stage as a regular for Brazil from 2013-29. His stats were merely decent with 166 games, 151 starts, 106 hits, 51 runs, 29 doubles, 25 homers, 63 RBI, .213/.281/.427 slash, 102 wRC+, and 2.5 WAR. Reis was notably part of Brazil’s 2021 championship season and their 2025 runner-up finish. The Brazilians also had a third place in 2016.

He remained remarkably consistent through Porto Alegre’s leaner years and signed another five-year, $60,500,000 extension in 2021. Reis finally got a Silver Slugger in 2025 at age 37, a banner year as the league leader with 8.9 WAR. He also hit for the cycle in September against Mendoza.

Unfortunately, Reis declined sharply the next year with career lows across the board with a .648 OPS, 77 wRC+, and 1.1 WAR. He did reach 500 home runs and 1500 RBI that year, but Porto Alegre opted not to re-sign their longtime star that winter. He remained beloved though and his #1 uniform would be the first retired by the franchise. Reis was also the franchise’s first Hall of Fame inductee.

For the Armadillos, Reis had 2430 games, 2892 hits, 1323 runs, 464 doubles, 80 triples, 523 home runs, 1539 RBI, 394 walks, 1939 strikeouts, 148 steals, .315/.347/.553 slash, 150 wRC+, and 106.1 WAR. Because his last year was such a sharp decline, BSA teams didn’t want the 39-year old Reis for 2027. He was determined to play somewhere and found an unlike home in Egypt, signing for two years and $11 million with Giza of Arab League Baseball.

Reis missed 5-6 weeks to a torn quad in 2027, but he proved he could still go with the Goats. In 117 games, Reis had 142 hits, 67 runs, 34 doubles, 29 homers, .968 OPS, 145 wRC+, and 4.8 WAR. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria for a second year in Giza, but the rest of ALB took notice. Reis’s next deal was a sizeable pay bump at $30,400,000 over two seasons for Jerusalem.

His one year with the Jets was limited by a strained ACL that kept him out close to three months. When healthy, Reis was still playable with 96 games, 25 homers, .948 OPS, 128 wRC+, and 3.0 WAR. In 213 ALB games, he had 248 hits, 119 runs, 61 doubles, 54 home runs, 141 RBI, .312/.358/.602 slash, 137 wRC+, and 7.9 WAR. That was a pretty impressive two years for a guy who turned 41 just after the 2028 season.

Reis didn’t meet the criteria again for the second year and was once more a free agent. He was still a well-liked leader and felt he could contribute back in South America. Valparaiso was one of the expansion teams beginning play for 2029 and a known popular veteran leader is a nice thing to have as you start off.

The Voodoo gave Reis a one-year, $7,300,000 deal, but his results were lackluster. In 121 games and 96 starts, Reis had 87 hits, 15 homers, .648 OPS, 78 wRC+, and 0.4 WAR. He had hoped to join BSA’s 3000 hit club and 550 homer club, but fell 21 and 12 short. Reis still wanted to play, but went unsigned in 2030 and finally retired that winter at age 43.

In Beisbol Sudamerica, Reis had 2551 games, 2979 hits, 1358 runs, 476 doubles, 81 triples, 538 home runs, 1591 RBI, 403 walks, 2055 strikeouts, 149 steals, .312/.343/.547 slash, 147 wRC+, and 106.6 WAR. Reis ranks 54^th in games, 56^th in runs, 23^rd in hits, 25^th in total bases (5231), 26^th in doubles, 54^th in homers, 24^th in RBI, 68^th in strikeouts, and 25^th in WAR among position players. He ranks 5^th in WAR accrued playing third base.

When you add in his ALB seasons, Reis had 2764 games, 3227 hits, 1477 runs, 537 doubles, 85 triples, 592 home runs, 1732 RBI, 450 walks, 2265 strikeouts, 158 steals, .312/.344/.551 slash, 146 wRC+, and 114.4 WAR. Longevity and consistency played a big role in Reis’s final numbers, although Hall of Fame voters often prefer accolades and explosive seasons.

Reis ended up as one of the more underappreciated players of his era relative to the value he had. He wasn’t his league’s best third baseman because he shared an era with the GOAT 3B Coelho. Reis also didn’t get as much national attention since he played on an expansion team that had limited success. Still, he was the team’s first star and a dedicated team captain. Reis’s 81.9% of the vote seems low to many observers, but it was still plenty for a first ballot nod as part of BSA’s 2035 Hall of Fame class.



Jeffry Lucero – First Base – Caracas Colts – 80.5% First Ballot

Jeffry Lucero was a 6’6’’, 200 pound left-handed first baseman from the capital of Venezuela, Caracas. Lucero was specifically strong facing right-handed pitching with a good-to-great rating for contact, power, and eye. Against RHP, he had a career 1.009 OPS and 160 wRC+. Lucero was a subpar hitter facing lefties with a .709 OPS and 89 wRC+.

On the whole though, Lucero provided solid metrics and a lower strikeout rate than many in BSA. His 162 game average got you 40 home runs, 31 doubles, and 5 triples for a steady dose of power. Lucero’s speed was poor and he was an absolutely putrid baserunner.

Impressive durability went a long way as well with Lucero playing 145+ games in all but one of his 14 seasons. Lucero was a career first baseman and used his long frame for nice results. Despite his baserunning clumsiness, Lucero was a reliably good defender and even won a Gold Glove in 2024. He became very popular in his hometown of Caracas where he spent his entire pro career.

Lucero was picked 11^th overall in the 2015 BSA Draft by the Colts and was an immediate success, winning 2016 Rookie of the Year honors. For his first 10 seasons, he was good for at least 5.5 WAR and 30+ homers with an OPS above one in all but his rookie campaign. Lucero rarely was a Bolivar League leader though, although he had the most homers in his sophomore campaign with. He was the WARlord in 2021 with a career high 8.2.

Caracas had been a regular contender with only one playoff miss from 1995-2006, but they suffered a drought from 2007-16. Lucero helped get them back into the top spot in the Venezuela Division, taking first with 100+ win seasons each year from 2017-23. Lucero won Silver Sluggers in 2017, 21, 22, and 23. He never won MVP, but took third in 2019 and second in 2021.

The Colts even pulled off a 117-win season in 2019 and 110 wins in 2020. However, playoff woes plagued them initially in this run with no pennants from 2017-21. They only got to the BLCS in 2018 and 2019, suffering defeats both years. Lucero’s playoff stats these years weren’t bad though, so you couldn’t blame him.

On May 8, 2022, Lucero hit for the cycle against Ciudad Guayana. Two weeks later, he signed a five-year, $42,200,000 extension to stick with Caracas. That year, they finally broke through after their earlier playoff struggles. The Colts were 114-48, beat Cali in the BLCS, then won Copa Sudamerica against Fortaleza. This was Lucero’s finest postseason effort by many measures with a 1.186 OPS, 207 wRC+, and 1.0 WAR in 14 games.

The 2022 Colts established themselves as an all-timer by winning the Baseball Grand Championship as well. They finished 13-6 tied with AAB’s Kampala, but had the tiebreaker with a 4-1 win over the Peacocks. Lucero was a beast in the event with 19 hits, 12 runs, 9 homers, 15 RBI, 1.068 OPS, 216 wRC+, and 1.4 WAR. At age 29, he had lived out the dreams of many young aspiring ballplayers, leading his hometown club to the top of the world.

Caracas narrowly got the #1 seed in 2023 at 100-62, but pulled off the repeat in Copa Sudamerica over Concepcion. In 19 playoff starts, Lucero had 24 hits, 17 runs, 6 homers, 15 RBI, .937 OPS, and 0.8 WAR. The Colts had a chance to be the first-ever repeat Grand Champion and played well, but ended up fourth at 12-7. Lucero was again solid with 16 hits, 9 runs, 5 doubles, 5 homers, 11 RBI, and 0.9 WAR.

That was the peak of the Caracas dynasty run. They missed the 2024 playoffs by a tiebreaker game loss for the division title to Valencia. The Colts bounced back with division titles from 2025-28, but they never got beyond the divisional series. Lucero notably declined in 2025-26 with only 4.0 WAR between the two seasons after previously getting a reliable 6-7 most years. Caracas gave their hometown kid the benefit of the doubt with a three-year, $15 million extension in April 2027, but it was a notable pay cut.

Lucero did bounce back with a 5.2 WAR, .933 OPS effort in 2027, although his power had diminished with only 28 homers in a full season. He was a decent starter the next two years, but was no longer elite. Caracas missed the playoffs in 2029 and voided the team option year, sending Lucero to free agency for the first time at age 36.

For his playoff career, Lucero started 88 games with 102 hits, 61 runs, 16 doubles, 23 homers, 46 RBI, 29 walks, .306/.362/.575 slash, 143 wRC+, and 3.6 WAR. He hoped to still play in 2030 but ultimately went unsigned and retired that winter. The Colts quickly retired his #44 uniform for his 14 years of service and key role in a decade-plus of success.

The final stats saw 2175 games, 2533 hits, 1337 runs, 413 doubles, 69 triples, 533 home runs, 1408 RBI, 714 walks, 1427 strikeouts, .317/.374/.585 slash, 149 wRC+, and 78.6 WAR. Lucero ranks 63^rd in runs, 79^th in hits, 65^th in total bases (4683), 83^rd in doubles, 57^th in homers, 60^th in RBI, 82^nd in walks, and 99^th in WAR among position players. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearance, his .959 OPS ranks 59^th, his OBP is 67^th, and slugging is 70^th.

Lucero didn’t have the mammoth totals or black ink to be an inner-circle type Hall of Famer. His tallies though were quite solid and he had an important role leading his hometown Caracas to repeat Copa Sudamerica wins and a Grand Championship. At 80.5%, Lucero was a first ballot inductee to cap off a three-player class in 2035 for Beisbol Sudamerica.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

The European Baseball Federation added three guys into the Hall of Fame for 2035, each on the first ballot. The top billing was 1B Max Gerlach at 95.2% joined by 3B/1B Christian Brunner at 89.2% and 2B Oliver Schmitz at 81.9%. Two returners barely missed the 66% requirement with 2B Oliver Bjerkli at 63.2% on his fourth ballot and LF Emilson Patino at 62.2% on his ninth try. One other was above 50% as SS Nicolo Giotto saw 56.8% for his fourth ballot.



Multiple players were dropped after ten failed ballots, led by Sokratis Sfriakis who peaked at 46.0% on his last shot. He played mostly in his native Greece with Athens and had a 210-138 record, 3.45 ERA, 3367 innings, 3012 strikeouts, 744 walks, 111 ERA+, 84 FIP-, and 69.1 WAR. Sfirakis also had two Gold Gloves and decent playoff numbers. However, his black ink was limited and he was only a Pitcher of the Year finalist once. 200+ wins and 3000 Ks got many aces in, but voters felt Sfirakis wasn’t dominant enough to deserve more than the Hall of Prettty Good.

3B Aaron Romero had a 13-year career all with Cologne, getting as high as 53.2% in 2034 before ending at a low of 24.8%. He had one Silver Slugger and Gold Glove with 1734 hits, 1111 runs, 169 doubles, 489 home runs, 1165 RBI, 765 walks, 1851 strikeouts, .277/.356/.544 slash, 153 wRC+, and 77.1 WAR. Romero was also important in the Copperheads’ EBF title in 2012. He had the right pace, but declined sharply and was effectively done by age 36. With another couple years of tallies, Romero probably crosses the line, but alas.

SP Stan Nyagin also made it ten ballots and got as close as 59.5% in his penultimate try before plummeting to 15.6% in 2035. His entire EBF run was during Dublin’s dynasty with one Gold Glove, three EBF titles, a 196-97 record, 3.12 ERA, 2622 innings, 2660 strikeouts, 641 walks, 119 ERA+, 85 FIP-, and 52.0 WAR. Nyagin had a 3.45 ERA in 140.2 playoff innings, helping with the Dinos’ big run. But he was only a Pitcher of the Year finalist once and also ended up considered a HOPG level talent by many voters.



Max Gerlach – First Base – Hamburg Hammers – 95.2% First Ballot

Max Gerlach was a 5’11’’, 190 pound left-handed hitting first baseman from Wilnsdorf, Germany; a municipality of about 20,000 inhabitants in the North Rhine-Westphalia state. Gerlach was known for a legendary eye for the zone and was one of the best ever in EBF for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. That said, he was also an outstanding contact hitter in his prime and had a reliable pop in his bat.

Gerlach was especially potent against right-handed pitching with a career .999 OPS and 173 wRC+, but his .838 OPS and 136 wRC+ against lefties was plenty solid. His 162 game average got you 28 home runs, 23 doubles, and 3 triples. Gerlach wasn’t an overwhelmingly powerful slugger, but he got on base so often as to be a regular scoring threat. That came despite being an absolutely putrid baserunner with comically poor speed.

That sluggishness carried over to Gerlach’s defense, spending the vast majority of his time at first base with a brief foray to left field. He was truly dismal with his glove and would’ve been a career designated hitter if EBF had that option. Still, Gerlach’s bat alone gave him plenty of value despite his flaws. On the plus side, he had excellent durability, a strong work ethic, and admirable loyalty.

Gerlach’s batting potential was obvious even as a teenager, quickly drawing the attention of scouts throughout Germany. In February 2007, Hamburg inked him to a developmental deal and he’d spent nearly his full pro career with the Hammers. Gerlach spent the better part of six years in their academy, although he did see sporadic pinch hit appearances in 2011 and 2012. He earned a full-time roster spot as a part-time starter in 2013, then had a full-time starting gig from 2014-onward.

In his first year starting in 2014, Gerlach led the Northern Conference in on-base percentage, his first of seven seasons leading in the stat. After five straight losing seasons, Hamburg surprised many with the top seed at 109-53, although they fell to Antwerp in the conference finals. The Hammers were a win short of the playoffs in 2016, but Gerlach broke through with arguably his best season and first Silver Slugger.

Gerlach won the 2016 batting title at .382 and led in OBP (.455), OPS (1.110), and wRC+ (207). This year had his career bests for wRC+, WAR (9.7), hits (211), and RBI (131). Gerlach’s OBP was to that point the third-best qualifying single-season in EBF history. Hamburg rewarded these efforts that winter on an eight-year, $109,100,000 extension. 2017 would start a seven-year division title streak for the Hammers, although they had first round playoff exits in the first two seasons.

In 2019, Gerlach started a four-year streak as the leader in walks, peaking with a career best 99. Hamburg narrowly got the #1 seed at 99-63 and went all the way, defeating Warsaw for the conference title and Zurich in the European Championship. This was the Hammers’ first-ever EBF title and Gerlach played a key role, winning finals MVP. In 15 playoff starts, he had 18 hits, 14 runs, 9 home runs, 13 RBI, 1.482 OPS, 292 wRC+, and 1.6 WAR.

In the Baseball Grand Championship, Hamburg was mid-tier at 9-10. Gerlach had a respectable showing with 15 hits, 10 runs, 6 homers, 9 RBI, 12 walks, .846 OPS, and 0.7 WAR. He had established himself as a big-game player before that as a regular for Germany in the World Baseball Championship. From 2014-21, Gerlach played 87 WBC games with 85 hits, 54 runs, 17 doubles, 13 homers, 42 RBI, .301/.433/.500 slash, and 4.1 WAR. He was third in 2017’s MVP voting and was a starter for the Germans’ runner-up finish in 2020.

Hamburg followed that with a franchise-record 115-47 mark in 2020, but they had a second round upset loss to Amsterdam. They got the top seed again in 2021 at 108-54 and earned their second conference crown in three years, this time over Dublin with Gerlach as series MVP. The Hammers would be denied the EBF title 4-2 against Munich. It was another solid playoff run for Gerlach with 19 hits, 4 runs, 6 doubles, 6 homers, 11 RBI, and 0.9 WAR over 16 games.

In the 2021 BGC, Hamburg was one of five teams even in fourth at 11-8, officially sixth after tiebreakers. Gerlach was again impressive with 23 hits, 15 runs, 5 doubles, 4 homers, 9 RBI, 1.075 OPS, and 1.4 WAR. Hamburg was 107-55 in 2022, but lost the conference final to 116-win Dublin. They had one more division title in 2023 at 98-64 with a second round exit. In 67 career playoff starts, Gerlach had 70 hits, 32 runs, 10 doubles, 13 homers, 31 RBI, 35 walks, .308/.395/.542 slash, 159 wRC+, and 2.9 WAR.

Gerlach won additional Silver Sluggers in 2020 and 2023. He had a .462 OBP in 2020, tying the EBF single-season record set in 2007 by Sergio Cipolla. 2020 also had his career highs for runs (123), homers (42), slugging (.669), and OPS (1.131). Although his power dropped in 2023, Gerlach won his second batting title in 2023 at .383 and set the OBP record outright at .468. Through 2036, that remains the EBF record and is the 24^th-best qualifying season in world history. Gerlach holds the #1, #3, and #6 OBP seasons in EBF and his 2023 batting average is good for 26^th.

Hamburg stayed above .500 from 2024-26, but wouldn’t be back in the playoffs for the rest of the decade. Gerlach signed a four-year, $96,800,000 extension after the 2024 campaign. His production dipped noticeably in 2026 with only 1.1 WAR, a career worst to that point. Gerlach bounced back with a strong 2027, but was back to merely decent stats in 2028. The Hammers plummeted to 57-105 in 2028 and remained terrible for the next few years, but they managed to escape relegation until 2032.

Gerlach hit the 1500 run and 1500 RBI in his final Hamburg season in 2028, becoming a free agent for the first time that winter at age 39. For the Hammers, he played 2634 games with 2840 hits, 1562 runs, 361 doubles, 53 triples, 462 homers, 1574 RBI, 1268 walks, 739 strikeouts, .333/.418/.550 slash, 167 wRC+, and 90.6 WAR. Gerlach remained very popular in Hamburg and soon saw his 8 uniform retired.

He hoped to still reach a few more notable milestones, chasing 3000 hits, 500 homers, and Nikolai Yeviskov’s walks record of 1446. Gerlach ultimately fell short of each, but did sign for 2029 with Sheffield at $5,200,000. In 136 games for the Steelhounds, he had .725 OPS, 105 wRC+, 12 homers, and 0.9 WAR. Gerlach was unsigned in 2030 and retired that winter at age 40.

Gerlach finished with 2770 games, 2963 hits, 1618 runs, 385 doubles, 55 triples, 474 home runs, 1614 RBI, 1314 walks, 823 strikeouts, .329/.413/.542 slash, .955 OPS, 164 wRC+, and 91.5 WAR. Gerlach ranks 17^th in games, 20^th in runs, 17^th in hits, 34^th in total bases (4880), 63^rd in doubles, 68^th in homers, 25^th in RBI, 5^th in walks, and 49^th in WAR among position players.

Among EBF batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Gerlach is 3^rd behind only Ostoja Milic (.416 from 2017-30) and Gaston Clarke (.414 from 1951-58). He’s also 62^nd in batting average and 74^th in OPS. Among world Hall of Famers, Gerlach has the 11^th-best OBP.

Few batters had a better command of balls and strikes than Gerlach, although his horrendous defense and baserunning might keep him just out of the inner-circle level of Hall of Famers. Still, he was a key reason Hamburg was a regular contender in the late 2010s and early 2020s and an easy choice for a first ballot nod. At 95.2%, Gerlach led the way in a three-player 2035 class for the European Baseball Federation.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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Christian “Cubby” Brunner – Third Base – Frankfurt Falcons – 89.2% First Ballot

Christian Brunner was a 6’4’’, 200 pound switch-hitting third baseman from Schwaz, Austria, a small town of just under 14,000 people. Nicknamed “Cubby,” Brunner was one of Europe’s finest home run hitters, smacking 40+ eight times and 50+ thrice. He was also a very good contact hitter with a good eye for walks and avoiding strikeouts. Brunner was notably equally potent from either side of the plate.

His power was very much focused on homers with 41 per his 162 game average, but only 18 doubles and 2 triples. Brunner was actually an incredibly savvy baserunner, but his utility was still extremely limited by poor speed. He had a cannon arm, but graded as a weak defender overall at third base. Brunner also made a few starts at first base and graded as effective there.

Brunner actually had some pitching potential with a nice fastball/splitter combo, but his control was lacking. In 2016, he made seven appearances on the mound and looked good with only two unearned runs over 13.2 innings and eight strikeouts. These would ultimately be his only pitching innings of his career, focusing instead on his bat. Injuries did cost Brunner some time, but he still managed a 19-year pro career. He was a true fan favorite know for an impressive work ethic and adaptability.

In the 2013 EBF Draft, Brunner went 12^th overall to Frankfurt. The Falcons were one of the first teams promoted out of the European Second League in 2007 and stayed among the EBF Elite ever since, although they only narrowly escaped relegation and didn’t contend notably until the mid 2010s. Brunner generally had strong batting results in his early years, but apart from 2017 spent his first five seasons as a part-time starter.

In 2017, Brunner won his first Silver Slugger and was third in MVP voting, leading the conference with 198 wRC+. He also had his career bests for OPS (1.016), WAR (10.6), runs (117), hits (197), and RBI (126) along with a 53 homer season. It surprised many that Brunner was a part-time starter the next two years before securing the full spot from 2020 onward. After the 2019 season, Brunner signed an eight-year, $114,400,000 extension to stay with the Falcons.

Frankfurt had their first team success in the top tier with division titles from 2018-20. They made the Northern Conference final in 2018 at 93-69, but lost to Birmingham. The Falcons had second round exits in 2019-20, although the latter did see a franchise-best 105-57 season. Frankfurt had a wild card and first round exit in 2022. The Falcons stayed generally above .500 for the rest of the 2020s, but wouldn’t make the playoffs again for the decade. Brunner’s limited playoff experience had 19 games, 7 starts, .923 OPS, 155 wRC+, and 0.4 WAR.

He started to thrive in the 2020s with five straight Silver Sluggers from 2020-25. Brunner was second in 2021’s MVP voting and third in 2022. In 2021, he led in slugging (.703), OPS (1.105), and wRC+ (204) and 9.8 WAR with a career-high 54 homers. Brunner wasn’t a conference leader after that, but he remained one of Europe’s most powerful bats even into his late 30s.

With three years left on an eight-year contact, Brunner opted out after the 2025 campaign. For Frankfurt, he had 1684 games, 1589 hits, 898 runs, 182 doubles, 411 homers, 967 RBI, 475 walks, .330/.392/.630 slash, 176 wRC+, and 72.7 WAR. He was the franchise’s first big star and his #9 uniform would be the first retired by the Falcons. Brunner was also only the second inductee representing a franchise that began in the E2L in 2005, joining Palermo great Jean-Paul Lafontaine of the 2033 class.

Now 35-years old, Brunner signed at $92 million over four years with Marseille. The Musketeers had just gotten promoted back to the big time after seven seasons in E2L. His numbers were strong for the Musketeers with his seventh Silver Slugger in 2028 on a 9.0 WAR effort. Marseille earned a division title upon their 2026 return, but suffered a first round playoff exit. They hovered in the middle-tier for the rest of Brunner’s tenure.

In four seasons, Brunner had 574 games, 669 hits, 403 runs, 72 doubles, 170 home runs, 409 RBI, .319/.380/.606 slash, 177 wRC+, and 29.6 WAR; impressive numbers for a guy in his mid-to-late 30s. Perhaps his biggest accomplishment while in France was playing for his native Austria in the World Baseball Championship. He had represented his country from 2018-20 and would again in 2022 and from 2024-26.

Austria surprised the world in 2026 by earning the world title, defeating France 4-2 in the finale. Brunner led the event in home runs (10) and RBI (25) and had 23 hits, 15 runs, 136 wRC+, and 1.0 WAR. That earned him great popularity with his fellow countrymen. Overall in 82 WBC games, Brunner had 70 hits, 41 runs, 15 doubles, 24 homers, 55 RBI, .231/.304/.518 slash, and 2.7 WAR.

Brunner was a free agent again for 2030 heading towards age 39, but hadn’t shown any notable signs on decline as he had smacked 50 homers in 2029. He couldn’t resist the big Major League Baseball payday as Houston signed him to a hefty three-year deal at $112,500,000. Thus, Brunner’s time playing in Europe came to an end.

Unfortunately, Brunner had a weak debut in 2030 with numerous injuries and -0.1 WAR with a .705 OPS in 54 games. Houston still got the American Association’s top seed at 111-51, but suffered a one-and-done in the playoffs. Brunner was mostly healthy in 2031 and was a passable starter with 28 homers, .801 OPS, 108 wRC+, and 1.3 WAR.

Brunner would be a backup in the playoff run with eight pinch hit appearances, but Houston finished 99-63 and ultimately beat Toronto to win the 2031 World Series. The Hornets finished tied for the top spot in the Baseball Grand Championship at 14-7, but were the runner-up with a 6-4 loss for the tiebreaker against ABF’s Hyderabad. Brunner did start in the BGC with mixed results with 10 hits, 9 runs, 6 homers, 12 RBI, .159/.232/.476 slash, 99 wRC+, and 0.3 WAR.

He didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the third year with Houston, becoming a free agent for 2032. New Orleans signed him, but his limited big league time was abysmal with .370 OPS and -0.6 WAR in 25 games and 9 starts. Brunner’s MLB career had 210 games, 178 hits, 95 runs, 13 doubles, 37 homers, 102 RBI, .247/.320/.424 slash, 95 wRC+, and 0.7 WAR. He retired after the 2032 season at age 41.

Brunner’s EBF stats saw 2258 games, 2258 hits, 1301 runs, 254 doubles, 26 triples, 581 home runs, 1376 RBI, 666 walks, 931 strikeouts, .326/.388/.623 slash, 1.011 OPS, 176 wRC+, and 102.3 WAR. He ranks 75^th in games, 75^th in runs, 68^th in total bases (4307), 28^th in homers, 62^nd in RBI, and 26^th in WAR among position players.

Among EBF batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Brunner’s triple slash ranks 79^th/42^nd/24^th and his 1.011 OPS is 14^th. He’s one of only 22 EBF batters with a career OPS above one. The bad MLB run puts him below that for his combined career with 2468 total pro games, 2436 hits, 1396 runs, 267 doubles, 618 home runs, 1478 RBI, 739 walks, .319/.382/.604 slash, 168 wRC+, and 103.0 WAR.

You don’t expect a guy outside of his league’s top 100 in hits to be 26^th in WAR, but Brunner made the absolute most of his opportunities. Some voters were shocked how strong his advanced metrics were and he almost flew under the radar a bit. Brunner received 89.2% for the vote for the first ballot nod in the 2035 Hall of Fame class for the European Baseball Federation. Many view him as the second-best batter to ever come out of Austria behind Ben Springer, who offten gets cited as EBF’s best-ever third baseman period.



Oliver Schmitz – Second Base – Hamburg Hammers – 81.9% First Ballot

Oliver Schmitz was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed second baseman from Herbertingen, Germany; a tiny town of just under 5,000 people in the country’s south. Schmitz’s biggest asset was a very powerful bat against both sides with a 162 game average of 43 home runs, 23 doubles, and 9 triples. He had eight seasons with 40+ homers and twice hit 50+. Schmitz also had very impressive speed and baserunning skills.

On the downside, he was an average-at-best contact hitter who rarely drew walks and really struggled with strikeouts. You’d put up with the 29.4% strikeout rate though when almost half of Schmitz’s hits were for extra bases and he could fly around the basepaths. He also had very good durability, playing 140+ games in all but one season from 2015-29.

Schmitz also was an impressive defender as a career second baseman who was just a notch below Gold Glove level. Additionally, Schmitz was a team captain with a very high character, renowned for his leadership, loyalty, intelligence, and selflessness. He had a unique set of skills, but it propelled him to a very successful 16 year career.

Not many teenage prospects entered the EBF Draft, but Schmitz was an exception as a highly touted prospect in 2010. Hamburg picked him 24^th overall and gave him four years in their system to develop. He only played 11 games with two starts in that stretch in 2013. The Hammers brought Schmitz up in 2015 and he was a full-time starter for the next eight years.

Schmitz had immediate success as 2015 Rookie of the Year, although it was a few more seasons until he fully developed his home run power. In his rookie year, Hamburg ended a six-year playoff drought as the Northern Conference’s top seed at 109-53, but they were upset in the conference final by Antwerp. After a near miss in 2-16, the Hammers started a seven-year division title streak in 2017.

2019 was the breakout for Hamburg, who finished 99-63 and defeated Zurich to claim the European Championship. Schmitz was quite poor in the playoff run with -0.2 WAR and .548 OPS, but he bounced back with a powerful showing in the Baseball Grand Championship. Although the Hammers were a mere 9-10, Schmitz had 23 hits, 17 runs, 16 homers, 29 RBI, 233 wRC+, and 1.6 WAR. This is one homer and three RBI short of the event record.

Schmitz kept getting better and Hamburg set a franchise record in 2020 at 115-47, although they had a stunning second round playoff upset. The Hammers recovered for a conference title in 2021 at 108-54, but were denied the European Championship by Munich. That was Schmitz’s best playoff run by WAR at 0.7, although he had a .744 OPS and 105 wRC+. Hamburg was 11-8 in the BGC and officially sixth after tiebreakers with Schmitz posting a lackluster .659 OPS and 0.1 WAR.

2021 was his finest regular season and his only time as a conference leader in good stats, leading with career bests for homers (58) and total bases (402). Schmitz had his bests as well for hits (181) and RBI (126) and posted 9.8 WAR. He also hit for the cycle in June facing Kyiv. Schmitz earned MVP honors and his first Silver Slugger. That March, Hamburg had given Schmitz a four-year, $77 million extension.

Schmitz had a strong 2022, but 107-win Hamburg lost the conference final to 116-win Dublin. He had only one playoff start because of a strained oblique. Schmitz’s playoff stats were underwhelming overall for the Hammers with 43 starts, 42 hits, 27 runs, 7 doubles, 3 triples, 9 homers, 26 RBI, 23 steals, .240/.275/.469 slash, 104 wRC+, and 1.1 WAR. His strikeout issues became more pronounced when facing the federation’s best rotations.

Strikeouts also were a problem in the World Baseball Championship, although he was a regular for Germany from 2018-30. In 145 games, Schmitz had 255 Ks and a putrid 50% strikeout rate along with 92 hits, 64 runs, 10 doubles, 39 homers, 84 RBI, .182/.230/.433 slash, and 1.9 WAR. His leadership did still help the Germans to team success, including a runner-up finish in 2020 and third place in 2024.

After the 2022 season, the now 30-year old Schmitz surprised many by opting out of his Hamburg deal and leaving for free agency. With the Hammers, he had 1235 games, 1266 hits, 777 runs, 178 doubles, 81 triples, 308 homers, 759 RBI, 138 walks, 1428 Ks, 461 steals, .271/.296/.541 slash, 129 wRC+, and 50.0 WAR. Schmitz would remain very popular with Hamburg fans and his #49 uniform was eventually retired.

Schmitz moved to Scotland on a hefty six-year, $164,200,000 deal with Edinburgh. The Enforcers would get a wild card in 2023, but lost in the first round with Schmitz missing the series to injury. They dropped to 78-84 in 2024, but Schmitz posted his career highs for WAR (10.1), triple slash (.308/.339/.659), OPS (.999), and wRC+ (167) while hitting 51 homers. This earned his second and final Silver Slugger.

In 2025, Schmitz dropped off to a mere 3.2 WAR and .732 OPS and Edinburgh plummeted to 62-100, suffering relegation to the European Second League. Schmitz opted out of his deal due to the demotion, becoming a free agent again at age 33. In three seasons for Edinburgh, Schmitz had 451 games, 467 hits, 263 runs, 72 doubles, 31 triples, 129 homers, 300 RBI, 479 Ks, 166 steals, .277/.304/.587 slash, 141 wRC+, and 20.6 WAR.

Schmitz went back to his native Germany, this time on a four-year, $79,800,000 deal with Hanover. The Hitmen started what would become a decade-long playoff streak in 2023, although they wouldn’t get beyond the second round until 2028. Schmitz wouldn’t be award-winning with Hanover, but he still provided enough home run power and defensive value to be worth around 3-5 WAR each year.

Hanover won their first-ever European Championship in 2028 at 104-58, defeating Munich in the final. They would be one of four teams tied at 13-6 in the Baseball Grand Championship, officially second after the tiebreakers. Schmitz’s BGC stats were lousy with a .131/.172/.311 slash and -0.2 WAR. His overall playoff stats for Hanover weren’t anything special in 30 starts with 23 hits, 13 runs, 2 doubles, 8 homers, 18 RBI, 36 Ks, .225/.269/.500 slash, 103 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR. In 2029, Hanover improved to 108-54, but were ousted in the second round.

In four seasons with the Hitmen, Schmitz had 594 games, 506 hits, 339 runs, 75 doubles, 28 triples, 157 homers, 384 RBI, 147 steals, .239/.269/.524 slash, 112 wRC+, and 15.9 WAR. Schmitz was a free agent for 2030 and was on the cusp of 600 home runs and 1500 RBI in EBF, but he wouldn’t get the chance to reach those marks.

He did at least get to 600+ homers for his entire pro career, signing a two-year, $19,600,000 deal for 2030 with Honolulu in the Oceania Baseball Association. He only played 69 games for the Honu with 12 homers, .683 OPS, 83 wRC+, and 0.3 WAR. Schmitz retired that winter at age 38 with combined pro stats of 2349 games, 2273 hits, 1404 runs, 329 doubles, 142 triples, 606 homers, 1475 RBI, 275 walks, 2664 strikeouts, 789 steals, .263/.290/.544 slash, 126 wRC+, and 86.8 WAR.

In EBF, Schmitz finished with 2280 games, 2239 hits, 1379 runs, 325 doubles, 140 triples, 594 home runs, 1443 RBI, 267 walks, 2605 strikeouts, 774 steals, .264/.291/.546 slash, 127 wRC+, and 86.5 WAR. Schmitz ranks 72^nd in games, 51^st in runs, 52^nd in total bases (4626), 24^th in homers, 44^th in RBI, 3^rd in strikeouts, and 63^rd in WAR among position players.

Advanced stats weren’t exactly sure what to make of Schmitz. He scored high marks for great home run power, solid baserunner, and excellent defense; but he was a middling contact hitter with a terrible 29.4% strikeout rate and 3.0% walk rate. It is near impossible to have that kind of percentages, but still be an overall positive value offensive player. Schmitz’s intangibles such as his leadership went a long way as well.

In any case, Schmitz ranks 4^th in WAR accrued at second base, cementing a case as one of the best at the position even if he wasn’t overflowing with accolades. Schmitz also helped both Hamburg and Hanover win titles,, winning over many skeptics even with unremarkable playoff stats. Schmitz earned 81.9% for a first ballot nod to cap off a three-player 2035 Hall of Fame class for the European Baseball Federation.

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Eurasian Professional Baseball barely avoided a blank Hall of Fame ballot in 2035 with DH Talgat Nurgaliev just crossing the 66% requirement with a 66.4% debut. 1B Zygmunt Socha only narrowly missed the cut at 63.3% on his third try. Five others were above 50%, led by CL Oleh Khmelovskyi at 57.8% on his second ballot. C Jo Josefsson debuted at 56.6% and CL Vitali Kolyayev debuted at 56.2%. SP Yaroslav Alalykin saw 53.1% with his third go and 3B Tayyar Abdualiyev received 51.2% in his fifth ballot.



Two players were dropped after ten failed ballots, led by SP Yuri Sabitov. He got as close at 61.5% in 2030 before ending at 46.9%. In a 16-year career, Sabitov had a 185-182 record, 2.28 ERA, 3487.1 innings, 3220 strikeouts, 113 ERA+, 81 FIP-, and 76.9 WAR. He had good longevity, but was never a Pitcher of the Year candidate and mostly played on bad teams. Still, Sabitov had enough accumulations to get very close with the pitcher-friendly EPB voters.

CL Shakhban Ramilov also made it ten ballots, peaking with a 45.3% debut before ending at 21.1%. His totals in EPB were only nine seasons, as he left for CABA in his final four years. Ramilov still won two Reliever of the Year awards and led in saves thrice with 294 saves, 737 innings, 1.89 ERA, 847 Ks, 219 walks, 169 ERA+, 67 FIP-, and 22.9 WAR. His pace was similar to what some other HOF relievers had, but he needed more years and/or some playoff accolades to make it across the line.

C Nicat Kazimov was also worth mentioning, falling below 5% on his eighth ballot. He was hurt by the usual anti-catcher bias, although even supporters would note his was borderline. Kazimov had seven Silver Sluggers, two Gold Gloves, and two championships with Omsk, but had only 1781 games, 1438 hits, 704 runs, 241 doubles, 281 home runs, 774 RBI, .232/293/.414 slash, 112 wRC+, and 52.9 WAR. He was also washed by his 35^th birthday, adding a shorter career to the lower totals that come with the position. Kazimov is 8^th in WAR among EPB catchers, but there remains zero backstops inducted in EPB’s HOF.



Talgat “Clang” Nurgaliev – Designated Hitter – Perm Pitbulls – 66.4% First Ballot

Talgat Nurgaliev was a 6’3’’, 210 pound right-handed designated hitter from Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. The nickname “Clang” came from the big sounds of his powerful bat, leading the league six times in home runs. Nurgaliev was a slugger in every sense of the word with his 162 game average getting you 42 homers and 106 RBI. Nurgaliev’s gap power was only good for 23 doubles and 2 triples per 162.

He was merely an above average contact hitter and drew far fewer walks than most big boppers, but his strikeout rate wasn’t awful for the league. Nurgaliev notably had very similar results against both lefties and righties. He was definitely “all bat” though, as his baserunning speed and instincts were comically dismal. Nurgaliev’s defense was equally laughable and he only made eight starts in the field for his entire run.
With that powerful bat, Nurgaliev had plenty of value just as a designated hitter. Despite the fame that often comes with dingers, Nurgaliev was very quiet and humble. He kept to himself and wasn’t one to grab the leadership mantle. Nurgaliev’s durability was impressive as well and he never missed any significant time due to an injury.

By the 21^st Century, most prospects from the central Asian countries were part of the Asian Baseball Federation’s sphere. Russian scouts courted Nurgaliev though and Perm eventually convinced Nurgaliev to sign a developmental deal in February 2010. He spent the better part of six years in their academy, officially debuting in 2015 with 23 games at age 21. Nurgaliev was a full-time starter with nice results in 2016, but was a part-timer the next year. He took the full-time gig back in 2018 and held it from there.

Nurgaliev broke through in 2019 with his first Silver Slugger and a rare MVP win by a DH. He was the Asian League leader in runs (104), homers (55), RBI (140), total bases (386), slugging (.620), OPS (.972), wRC+ (191), and WAR (8.0). Those would all be career highs along with his 190 hits, .305 average, and .352 OBP. Nurgaliev was one RBI short of Dzmitry Kuliev’s record 141 from 1988 and remains tied for the third-best EPB single-season. In July 2020, Perm gave Nurgaliev a five-year, $28,500,000 extension

Perm was a 2008 expansion team and hadn’t posted a winning season until Nurgaliev arrived, just missing the playoffs in 2018 and 2019. The Pitbulls earned four straight West Division titles from 2020-23. They went 106-56 in 2020 but suffered a one-and-done. Perm then took the top seed in 2021 at 104-58 and won it all, dethroning defending champ Chelyabinsk in the ALCS and Moscow for the EPB Championship.

Nurgaliev had been the homer leader again in 2020-21, winning a Silver Slugger in the latter. He had a big role in the playoff run as ALCS MVP, getting 18 hits, 13 runs, 5 homers, 12 RBI, .887 OPS, and 0.9 WAR in 16 playoff starts. Although Perm struggled to 7-12 in the Baseball Grand Championship, Nurgaliev fared well with 22 hits, 14 runs, 9 homers, 15 RBI, 1.077 OPS, and 1.2 WAR. 2021 also was his first appearance with his native Tajikistan in the World Baseball Championship. From 2021-29, Nurgaliev played 94 games with 83 hits, 50 runs, 13 doubles, 26 homers, 51 RBI, .236/.308/.496 slash, and 2.9 WAR.

Perm had first round exits the next two years and Nurgaliev’s production dropped sharply in 2023 with only 1.9 WAR despite having the most at-bats in the league. Nurgaliev had two years left on his deal and the Pitbulls were worried that he was done as a top talent. That winter, he was sent to Ulaanbaatar in a three-player deal.

For the Pitbulls, Nurgaliev had 1264 games, 1271 hits, 646 runs, 175 doubles, 326 homers, 820 RBI, .272/.313/.525 slash, 150 wRC+, and 35.9 WAR. He remained popular for his role in Perm’s first title and would be the franchise’s first Hall of Famer, eventually getting his #14 uniform retired.

The Boars would ultimately be mid-tier in Nurgaliev’s two seasons there. However, Nurgaliev bounced back impressively with Ulaanbaatar, leading the league in homers, RBI, and total bases in 2024 for a Silver Slugger. In 323 games, Nurgaliev had 347 hits, 178 runs, 56 doubles, 90 home runs, 228 RBI, .281/.318/.52 slash, 161 wRC+, and 11.9 WAR. This put him back in demand as he entered free agency for the first time in 2026 at age 32.

St. Petersburg was fresh off an European League Championship Series defeat and wanted to get over the hump. They signed Nurgaliev at $54,500,000 over four years and he immediately delivered. He won his second MVP and another Silver Slugger in 2026, leading in runs (93), homers (53), RBI (117), total bases (360), slugging (.592), OPS (.919), wRC+ (195), and WAR (7.9).

The Polar Bears took the EL’s top seed at 98-64 and won the pennant, then defeated Yekaterinburg for their first EPB title since 1977. Nurgaliev had a solid playoff run with 16 hits, 11 runs, 6 homers, 16 RBI, 200 wRC+, and 1.0 WAR in 16 starts. He was strong in the 2026 BGC as well with 18 hits, 17 runs, 12 homers, 18 RBI, 1.112 OPS, and 1.6 WAR with St. Petersburg finishing at 11-8. That effort earned Nurgaliev the Tournament MVP.

Nurgaliev was the homer leader again in 2027 and RBI leader in 2028. St. Petersburg missed the top seed and division title by one win in 2027 and lost in the first round, then missed the playoffs altogether in 2028 at 83-79. For his playoff career, Nurgaliev started 51 games with 50 hits, 32 runs, 5 doubles, 16 homers, 39 RBI, .265/.308/.545 slash, 159 wRC+, and 2.3 WAR.

Overall, the signing was a success for the Polar Bears with 485 games, 470 hits, 258 runs, 71 doubles, 134 homers, 336 RBI, .259/.299/.529 slash, 162 wRC+, and 15.4 WAR. Although Nurgaliev was the RBI leader in 2028, he did drop to only 2.4 WAR and .735 OPS that year. St. Petersburg was looking at a possible rebuild with one year left on Nurgaliev’s deal. They traded him in the winter to Novosibirsk in a four player swap. Nurgaliev quickly struggled in spring training with the Nitros and barely saw any use in 2029. He played 37 games with only one start, going 4-37 with -0.5 WAR. Clearly cooked, Nurgaliev retired that winter at age 35.

Nurgaliev had 2109 games, 2092 hits, 1085 runs, 303 doubles, 31 triples, 550 home runs, 1384 RBI, 437 walks, 1593 strikeouts, .270/.310/.530 slash, 154 wRC+, and 62.8 WAR. He ranks 84^th in runs, 51^st in total bases (4107), 17^th in homers, and 20^th in RBI. He misses the top 100 in WAR having lost a lot of value as a career DH. Nurgaliev is good for 31^st in slugging and 65^th in OPS (.840) among EPB batters with 3000+ plate appearances.

His Hall of Fame case was an interesting one with several detractors. There were voters who generally were against any pure DH getting in and those types also usually liked more balanced skillsets. With the exception of power, Nurgaliev’s batting stats were pretty unremarkable compared to most candidates. For many other voters, power is the most important thing a batter can have and Nurgaliev had that in spades. Being a top 20 guy in HRs and RBI mattered a lot more to them versus being outside of the top 100 for WAR or hits.

Nurgaliev notably was the homer leader in six seasons and getting two MVPs as a DH was a very tough feat. The playoff success was a clincher for several other voters, as Nurgaliev was key for titles for both Perm and St. Petersburg. With a very weak 2035 ballot, Nurgaliev received 66.4% in his debut, scraping by the 66% requirement as Eurasian Professional Baseball’s lone inductee for the year.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

The Oceania Baseball Association’s 2035 Hall of Fame ballot lacked any notable debuts with the best newcomer at only 30.4%. Two guys on the backlog got the bump across the 66% requirement with 3B Dale Harper at 83.7% in his seventh ballot and 1B R.W. Putnam with 71.1% for his sixth go. Two others were above 50% with SP Lekinala Desire at 55.6% for his second attempt and SP Supa Malata with 52.6% on his third try.



The backlog saw a purge with five players removed after ten failed attempts. SP Raj Marple got the highest share of this group at 45.9% after peaking with 59.8% back in 2027. Marple was a victim of injuries and was never the same after a torn UCL that cost him his age 30 season. In his first four years with Perth, Marple won four ERA titles, led in WAR four times, strikeouts once, and won Pitcher of the Year thrice.

For his career, Marple had a 139-77 record, 2.79 ERA, 2018.1 innings, 2274 strikeouts, 138 ERA+, 69 FIP-, and 60.8 WAR. More injuries persisted after that with his last full season at age 32 and done by age 34. Marple certainly had the stuff to be a legend, but fate dealt him a bad hand. He only had about eight full seasons worth of innings, but his 2012-16 was so dominant that he almost made it into the HOF on that alone.

LF Samson Gould got as close as 61.0% in 2028 before ending at a low of 28.1%. He was a 21-year pro with ten Gold Gloves, one Silver Slugger, and six rings as part of Melbourne’s dynasty. Gould also was the 2007 finals MVP. In 2520 games, Gould had 2590 hits, 1319 runs, 429 doubles, 272 home runs, 1176 RBI, 1319 walks, 304 steals, .299/.390/.462 slash, 137 wRC+, and 91.6 WAR.

Gould ranks 14^th in WAR among position players, but a lot of value came from longevity, defense, walks, and avoiding strikeouts. Many traditionalist voters undervalue those traits, arguing against Gould for the lack of home run power and greater totals considering his lengthy run. In 57 playoff games, Gould was great with .935 OPS, 159 wRC+, and 3.1 WAR; a huge part of the Mets dynasty. He’s looked at as one of the biggest snubs you’ll find, but Gould did at least get his #16 retired in Melbourne.

2B Kevin Aguon peaked at 39.9% in 2027 before ending with only 11.9%. In 13 seasons mostly with New Caledonia, Aguon had five Silver Sluggers, two Gold Gloves, 2015 hits, 679 runs, 330 doubles, 141 triples, 48 homers, 645 RBI, 325 walks, 466 strikeouts, 287 walks, .332/.366/.456 slash, 138 wRC+, and 59.1 WAR. Aguon won five straight batting titles from 2011-15 and ranks second in average among all OBA batters with 3000+ plate appearances. But getting a lot of singles didn’t wow many voters and Aguon was generally stuck on bad teams, thus a Hall of Pretty Good designation.

SP Larry Ponapart got as high as 45.4% in 2027 before finishing at 10.7% in his last ballot. In 14 years between three teams, he had a 197-184 record, 3.36 ERA, 3439 innings, 3320 strikeouts, 899 walks, 110 ERA+, 89 FIP-, and 64.0 WAR. He had a nice tenure, but was never a Pitcher of the Year finalist and almost never a league leader. Ponapart would’ve needed a few more years of raw totals or some playoff accolades to have gotten more of a look in.

Lastly, Christian Valenzuela pitched 15 years mostly with Tahiti, but he only got to 28.2% for a peak and ended at 8.1%. He had a 200-118 record, 3.26 ERA, 2979 innings, 2650 strikeouts, 661 walks, 112 ERA+, 89 FIP-, and 54.9 WAR. Valenzuela had one ERA title in a partial season and won three rings with the Tropics, but he also wasn’t an awards consider or league leader generally. He was another guy who needed either more dominance and/or longevity to have gotten the nod.



Dale Harper – Third Base – Auckland Avengers – 83.7% Seventh Ballot

Dale Harper was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed third baseman from Adelaide, Australia. Harper was an above average-to-good contact hitter with solid gap power against both sides equally. His 162 game average got you 32 doubles and 10 triples, but only 11 home runs. Harper was better than most at avoiding strikeouts, but below average at drawing walks. He was an incredibly crafty baserunner and thief, making the most of having merely good speed in his prime.

Harper was a career third baseman with few in world history making more starts at the hot corner. He was a reliably rock solid defender and even won two Gold Gloves. Harper’s durability wasn’t perfect in his later years, but he persevered for a 23-year career and didn’t draw attention to himself. By the 1999 OBA Draft, he was one of the hottest prospects coming from Australia and went fifth overall to Auckland.

The Avengers kept him in developmental for most of his first three years. He saw 79 games and 31 starts from 2000-02, but struggled in the small sample size. Harper got the full-time job in 2003 with solid results and held the gig somewhere for the next two decades. He led the Australasia League with 72 stolen bases in 2003, the only time in his career Harper led in any stat. For Auckland, Harper hit for the cycle in 2004 against Adelaide and won a Silver Slugger in 2005.

After the 2006 season, Auckland gave Harper a five-year, $20,120,000 extension. Harper was never dominant, but he remained a steady starter with the Avengers. They were regularly above .500 from 2005-10, but Melbourne’s dynasty had a firm hold on the AL. Auckland dropped to 80-82 in 2011 for Harper’s last season and he’d opt for free agency at age 31. For the Avengers, Harper had 1426 games, 1568 hits, 745 runs, 296 doubles, 114 triples, 99 home runs, 561 RBI, 339 walks, 800 Ks, 483 steals, .295/.339/.449 slash, 116 wRC+, and 41.8 WAR.

Harper joined Samoa on a four-year, $25,600,000 deal. He won both of his Gold Gloves with the Sun Sox from 2012-13 and got a Slugger in 2012. The Sun Sox were in the top half of the standings during this tenure, but not strong enough to compete for a title. Harper played 573 games with 631 hits, 282 runs, 116 doubles, 36 triples, 32 homers, 269 RBI, 175 steals, 143 walks, .296/.341/.429 slash, 125 wRC+, and 19.2 WAR.

He had remained steady into his mid 30s and still had plenty of interest as he returned to free agency, joining Canberra at $29,200,000 over three years. Harper struggled in his debut with .617 OPS, 73 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR; all worsts to that point. He bounced back with his third Silver Slugger in 2017 and a respectable 2018. The Centurions were in the 70s win range during Harper’s time there, getting 429 games, 447 hits, 197 runs, 76 doubles, 21 triples, 31 homers, 156 RBI, 107 walks, 90 steals, .281/.328/.414 slash, 107 wRC+, and 10.4 WAR.

Coming up on age 39, Harper signed a three-year, $27,600,000 deal with Guam. He won his fourth Silver Slugger in 2019 with arguably his best season, posting career highs for WAR (7.0), and WRC+ (155). The Golden Eagles fell four wins short of the Pacific League title in 2019, then won it in 2020. Guam beat Christchurch in the Oceania Championship with Harper faring well in his first postseason series, going 8-18 with 4 runs, 1 double, 2 homers, and 4 RBI.

Harper also made his Baseball Grand Championship debut, although his stats were merely decent with 15 hits, 11 runs, 4 doubles, 4 homers, 6 RBI, .774 OPS, 115 wRC+, and 0.4 WAR. Still, this helped Guam to a fourth place finish at 12-7. Harper did drop off in 2020 and didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the third year of the deal. In 254 games for the Golden Eagles, Harper had 254 games, 249 hits, 130 runs, 49 doubles, 10 triples, 26 homers, 110 RBI, 92 steals, .278/.336/.442 slash, 125 wRC+, and 9.2 WAR.

He kept on going into his 40s with a three-year, $26,300,000 deal with Melbourne for 2021. Harper had a nice first year for the Mets and became only the fourth OBA batter with 3000 career hits. He was subpar in 2022 and missed close to half the season to injuries. Melbourne was firmly in rebuild mode at this point. In two seasons, Harper had 221 games, 215 hits, 91 runs, 37 doubles, 10 triples, 10 homers, 79 RBI, 53 walks, 57 steals, .279/.328/.392 slash, 100 wRC+, and 4.3 WAR. He finished the season with 574 career doubles, tied with Adrian Kali for the OBA career record.

Harper signed for 2023 with Perth and still was a serviceable starter with 152 games, 155 hits, 53 runs, 22 doubles, 6 triples, 13 homers, 67 RBI, 49 steals, .280/.323/.412 slash, 108 wRC+, and 3.3 WAR. Harper became only the third OBA player to play 3000+ games and was the doubles leader outright now.

Some thought he could chase Adrian Kali’s hits record of 3467 as he was only 202 away. Harper also was also two away from the 1500 run club. He wanted to play in 2024, but teams weren’t interested in a 44-year old, so he eventually retired that winter.

The final totals saw 3055 games, 3265 hits, 1498 runs, 596 doubles, 197 triples, 211 home runs, 1242 RBI, 752 walks, 1783 strikeouts, 946 steals, .290/.336/.434 slash, 116 wRC+, and 88.2 WAR. Harper remains the OBA doubles king and ranks 3^rd in games, 9^th in runs, 3^rd in hits, 15^th in total bases (4888), 27^th in triples, 40^th in RBI, 14^th in steals, 25^th in walks, and 16^th in WAR among position players.

Harper’s case was obvious for his supporters; he was the doubles leader with 3000+ hits and nearly 1500 runs. But a notable subset of voters strongly were against “compilers” and cared far more about explosive peaks. Harper didn’t have that and was never an exceptional bat. His rate stats suggest sustained above averageness and those same skeptics also usually were iffy on leadoff guys and wanted home run power. Those same skeptics also tended to undervalue defense and baserunning, two of Harper’s stronger skills.

The loud skeptics won the battle for Harper’s first six Hall of Fame ballots. He was never below 55%, but he couldn’t quite get to the 66% requirement. Harper got as close as 63.3% in 2031 and 63.5% in 2033, but was still painfully short. With no notable debuts in 2035, Harper got a huge swell of increased support for 83.7%. Many felt it was long overdue, but he finally got his spot on the seventh ballot to captain the 2035 class for the Oceania Baseball Association.



R.W. “Melody” Putnam – First Base – Guam Golden Eagles – 71.1% Sixth Ballot

R.W. Putnam was a 6’4’’, 190 pound left-handed corner infielder from Ahuimanu, Hawaii; a town of around 9,000 people on the island of Oahu. Putnam was the third Hawaiian inductee for OBA’s HOF. Nicknamed “Melody” for his musical chops in the clubhouse, Putnam was known as an excellent home run hitter. He was thrice a league leader and had a 162 game average of 39 home runs and 97 RBI. Putnam’s gap power wasn’t bad either with 23 doubles and 6 triples per 162.

On the whole, Putnam graded as a good-to-great contact hitter with a very solid eye for drawing walks, although his strikeout rate was middling. He was an extreme pull hitter and noticeably fared better facing right-handed pitching (.935 OPS, 165 wRC+) compared to lefties (.790 OPS, 129 wRC+). Unlike many other power hitters, Putnam was a very good baserunner and had solid speed earlier in his career.

Putnam was initially a third baseman, but was terrible there defensively and quickly switched to first. He graded as quite good at 1B and even won a Gold Glove in 2015. Putnam occasionally filled in at third and ultimately had about an 80/20 career split for starts between 1B/3B. His durability was mostly sturdy in a 21-year career and few players could outwork him. Putnam was relatively simple-minded, but knew how to ball.

Hawaiians do receive some scouting attention in the continental United States, but many end up staying in the Pacific in OBA. Putnam was noticed by Guam and signed to a developmental deal in March 2006. He spent three full years in their academy, then was a rare 19-year old debut in 2009, although he was subpar in 47 games and 12 starts. Guam won the Pacific League that year, but lost the Oceania Championship to Melbourne with Putnam going 0-4 in the series.

Putnam was on the roster full-time in 2010 and a part-time starter. He got the full-time job and a Silver Slugger at 3B in 2011. That winter, the Golden Eagles gave him an eight-year, $49,200,000 extension. Back and shoulder troubles kept Putnam out much of 2012, but he would be good for 155+ games each year for the rest of the Guam tenure.

He won his second Silver Slugger in 2013, then had the breakthrough year in 2014 with his first Slugger at 1B and his lone MVP win. Putnam led the Pacific League in runs (125), homers (57), RBI (131), total bases (392), slugging (.690), OPS (1.074), wRC+ (204), and WAR (10.2). Those would all be full season career bests as was his 183 hits, .322 average, and .383 OBP. It was one of only 14 times in OBA that a player scored 125+ runs in a season. Putnam also had a 31-game hitting streak, only three games short of the then OBA record.

Putnam won his lone Gold Glove in 2015 along with a Slugger and a second place finish in MVP voting; leading in homers (50), total bases (364), slugging (.624), OPS (.969), and wRC+ (185). Despite his efforts, Guam had been merely above average since the 2009 pennant, averaging 88 wins per season with no titles. The Golden Eagles returned to the top of the PL in 2016 at 107-55.

In the Oceania Championship, Guam upset the historically dominant Christchurch, who had tied the world’s single-season wins record at 126-36. Putnam was unremarkable in the seven game classic going 4-24, although he had three homers. He stepped up big in the Baseball Grand Championship as the Golden Eagles were the world’s best at 13-6 in the event. Putnam had 18 hits, 14 runs, 4 doubles, 6 homers, 12 RBI, 9 steals, .295/.405/.656 slash, 193 wRC+, and 1.4 WAR.

Putnam won another Slugger in 2017 and was second in MVP voting, leading in homers (48) and runs (118). Guam finished 100-62 and swept Brisbane to repeat as OBA champs, although Putnam was 3-17 in the series. They couldn’t repeat as Grand Champion at 10-9, although they were one of 12 teams within two wins of first in a crowded field. Putnam had another strong showing with 18 hits, 15 runs, 11 homers, 14 RBI, 1.097 OPS, and 1.3 WAR.

Guam dropped to 82-80 in 2018, then finished four out of first in 2019 at 95-67. Putnam had two more solid seasons, then declined his contract option at age 30 to try free agency. This ultimately was the end of Putnam’s OBA run, although he had another decade of pro baseball ahead. Guam would eventually retire his #7 uniform for his role in the repeat and Grand Championship win.

For the Golden Eagles, Putnam had 1522 games, 1502 hits, 949 runs, 215 doubles, 73 triples, 395 home runs, 914 RBI, 601 walks, 976 strikeouts, 427 steals, .287/.361/.582 slash, 167 wRC+, and 62.0 WAR. This complicated his Hall of Fame case since his OBA run was so short. Putnam is 58^th in homers and 60^th in WAR for position players, but is out of the top 100 in any other counting stat. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, he was 16^th in OBP, 14^th in slugging, and 7^th in OPS at .943.

While his HOF classmate Dale Harper had skeptics for being a compiler, Putnam faced the opposite. There were voters who simply felt he wasn’t around long enough to deserve the nod, even if the brief tenure was excellent. Many of those skeptics also gave little or no credit for any tallies from outside of OBA. Supporters pointed out how strong of a slugger Putnam was and his key role in Guam’s dynasty run.

Also like Harper, Putnam never was below 55% on the ballot, but he had to wait. He debuted at 61.8% in 2030 and hovered mostly around that mark until 2035. With a quiet field and no big debuts, Putnam got the slight bump across the 66% requirement at 71.1%. He earned a sixth ballot induction as the second member of the 2035 class for the Oceania Baseball Association.

Putnam likely did get at least some credit for a very respectable Major League Baseball career beginning at age 30. He signed a six-year, $114 million deal with Winnipeg and eventually signed a three-year, $84 million extension in May 2025 to stay in Manitoba. Putnam never won any awards and the Wolves were firmly stuck in the middle tier in the 2020s with no playoff berths, although they won at least 76 games in each season he was there.

His best effort by far was 2022 with his MLB career highs for WAR (7.6), wRC+ (191), homers (46), RBI (116), runs (103), triple slash (.290/.387/.584) and OPS (.971). Putnam finally declined by 2028 after a severely strained hip muscle and was relegated to the bench by 2029. Still, in a decade in Winnipeg entirely in his 30s, Putnam had 1367 games, 1268 hits, 747 runs, 189 doubles, 37 triples, 292 home runs, 812 RBI, 590 walks, 958 strikeouts, 124 steals, .265/.350/.504 slash, 146 wRC+, and 40.8 WAR.

The combined pro stats for Putnam had 2889 games, 2770 hits, 1696 runs, 404 doubles, 110 triples, 687 home runs, 1726 RBI, 1191 walks, 1934 strikeouts, 551 steals, .276/.356/.544 slash, 157 wRC+, and 102.8 WAR. Certainly that combined resume would be plenty for induction with all but the most stuffy of voters. Putnam’s OBA tenure alone though was impressive enough to secure his spot among the association’s hallowed greats.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

Austronesia Professional Baseball’s 2035 Hall of Fame class had two relief pitchers on their first ballots inducted with Jay Abiad at 82.9% and Marco Yudho at 78.6%. The only other guy above 50% was fellow closer Favian Frias with 52.5% in his third ballot. The best position player was RF Mohd Aqmal Kunanlan debuting at 48.4%.



Another closer, Arcan “Big Cat” Sari fell off after ten ballots, peaking with a debut at 38.8% and ending with 18.0%. He was hurt totals-wise by having a seven year run in the middle of his career in MLB. Sari’s peak with Surabaya had three straight Reliever of the Year wins along with an APB title in 2007. In APB, Sari had 279 saves and 383 shutdowns, 1.72 ERA, 845.1 innings, 1242 strikeouts, 148 ERA+, 49 FIP-, and 32.6 WAR.

There’s just so many impressive closers in the extremely low scoring APB that it isn’t easy to stand out. Sari was mostly mid relief in MLB with a full career of 328 saves, 457 shutdowns, 1.91 ERA, 1082.2 innings, 1530 strikeouts, 194 walks, 145 ERA+, 51 FIP-, and 39.8. The split career though kept him below the accumulation milestones that APB voters wanted. Sari would notably get his #18 uniform retired by the Sunbirds.

RF Yee Ibrahim also dropped from the ballot after ten failed tries, debuting at 42.5% before ending at 6.7%. He was one of the most decorated players of his era, but was a victim to the very tough standards APB voters have towards hitters. They often use other league’s benchmarks despite APB batters having lower stats just from the nature of the league. Ibrahim also did lose four seasons of totals with his final years in Beisbol Sudamerica and the African Association of Baseball.

In 15 years with Semarang, Ibrahim won two APB titles and was finals MVP in 2012. He had seven Gold Gloves and eight Silver Sluggers with 2024 games, 1764 hits, 913 runs, 204 doubles, 94 triples, 406 home runs, 920 RBI, 718 walks, 1764 strikeouts, 623 steals, .247/.316/.472 slash, 173 wRC+, and 100.5 WAR. Ibrahim is 19^th in WAR among position players, but he couldn’t get voting traction despite that resume. For many scholars, Ibrahim is one of the notable snubs for any league’s HOF.



Jay Abiad – Relief Pitcher – Zamboanga Zebras – 82.9% First Ballot

Jay Abiad was a 6’4’’, 185 pound left-handed relief pitcher from San Vicente, Philippines; a municipality of around 12,500 people in the Bicol Region. Abiad was known for very good stuff and movement, but his control was subpar and he sometimes had to be “effectively wild.” His one-two punch was a 97-99 mph cutter and a changeup.

Abiad’s stamina was good as far as relievers go and he had ironman durability, never missing any significant time to injury in an 18-year run. He had a fantastic pickoff move, but was a weak defender otherwise. Abiad was very outspoken and not afraid to share his (usually wrong) hot takes on various topics. He was good enough though and his team strong enough for that not to be too disruptive.

Zamboanga picked Abiad with the sixth pick in the second round of the 2010 APB Drat, 33^rd overall. He was mainly a setup man and occasional closer throughout his 20s as the Zebras had their dynasty run. Zamboanga from 2013-18 won five Taiwan-Philippine Association Championships and won the Austronesia Championship in 2013 and 2018.

Abiad’s playoff numbers were impressive over 34 career appearances and 46.2 innings with 15 saves and 20 shutdowns, 0.96 ERA, 63 strikeouts, 3 walks, 290 ERA+, 44 FIP-, and 1.7 WAR. He allowed only one run over 11 innings in the 2013 Baseball Grand Championship as the Zebras took second at 13-6. Zamboanga was one of four teams tied for third at 11-8 in 2018 with Abiad allowing two runs in 9.1 innings.

The first awards consideration for Abiad came in 2018, taking third in Reliever of the Year voting. He signed a two-year, $8,240,000 extension that September and would take on the full-time closer role from 2019-24. Abiad won the top honor in 2019 with an impressive 0.70 ERA in 102.1 innings, 36 saves, 152 Ks, and 6.0 WAR. 2019 also featured a 39-inning scoreless streak from June 3 to August 9. He had a 39 save streak from 5/8/19 through 5/11/20.

Abiad won Reliever of the Year again in 2021 and 2023. He took third in 2020 and 2022, then got second place in both 2024 and 2027. Abiad kept signing two years extensions to stick with Zamboanga, who missed the playoffs from 2020-22 while still competitive. The Zebras won the TPA pennant again in 2023, but lost the APB Championship against Medan. They set a franchise record in 2024 at 110-52, but were upset in the TPA finals by Kaohsiung.

2024 was Abiad’s first time leading in saves with 40 and his second sub-one ERA. He was surprisingly limited to only 40 innings in 2025 and was merely decent in 2026. Abiad bounced back with a career high 41 saves in 2027 at age 38. That would be the end of the Zamboanga run though with a possible rebuild coming after three straight playoff misses. The Zebras traded Abiad in the winter to Pekanbaru straight up for prospect 3B Rais Salim, who only ever played 14 big league games.

For Zamboanga, Abiad had 384 saves and 524 shutdowns, 95-102 record, 1.59 ERA, 930 games, 1299.1 innings, 1735 strikeouts, 301 walks, 173 ERA+, 54 FIP-, and 48.8 WAR. He had hopes of chasing the 400 save milestone, which had only been reached thrice to that point. Metta Adam’s record of 437 seemed reachable if Abiad could keep up his Zebras pace.

Abiad’s stuff had started to decline noticeably by that point and his velocity was now peaking in the low 90s. Pekanbaru only used him 30 innings in 2028 with no saves, although he had a 1.50 ERA. Abiad signed with Cagayan de Oro in 2029, but only saw 3.2 innings with three runs allowed (two earned). Abiad retired that winter at age 41. Zamboanga quickly honored him for his role in the dynasty run by retiring his #16 uniform.

In total, Abiad had a 98-103 record, 384 saves, 526 shutdowns, 1.60 ERA, 1333 innings, 949 games, 1761 strikeouts, 312 walks, 172 ERA+, 55 FIP-, and 48.8 WAR. Abiad is APB’s all-time leader in games pitched and ranks 6^th in saves and among APB’s HOF closers has the 5^th-best WAR and 3^rd-most strikeouts.

Among those with 1000+ innings, Abiad ranks 7^th in ERA, 17^th in opponent’s OBP (.508), 64^th in WHIP (0.88), 33^rd in K/9 (11.89), and 23^rd in H/9 (5.78). His .183/.235/.273 triple slash ranks 22^nd/49^th/11^th. Abiad’s longevity also gets him on the world leaderboard, just missing the top 50 for games pitched but 45^th in shutdowns, 45^th in WAR among relievers, and 40^th in strikeouts. He also is 22^nd in ERA among qualified world relievers, although APB’s extremely low scoring environment helps that as he misses the top 50 in ERA+.

Abiad isn’t quite at the absolute tip-top of relievers all-time, but his longevity and consistency were impressive. At his peak, he was firmly a perennial Reliever of the Year candidate and he played a strong role in multiple titles for Zamboanga. This got Abiad to 82.9% for a first ballot induction for 2035 into the Austronesia Professional Baseball Hall of Fame.



Marco Yudho – Relief Pitcher – Manila Manatees – 78.6% First Ballot

Marco Yudho was a 6’2’’, 190 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Loa Janan, Indonesia; a district with 56,000 in the East Kalimantan province. Yudho led the way with very strong stuff, making up for merely above average-to-good movement and control. He had a 98-100 mph fastball combined with a splitter for an extreme groundball tendency.

Yudho’s stamina was outstanding for a closer and had excellent durability, avoiding major injuries in his career. He was the leader in games pitched four times in his run. Yudho was effective at holding runners with below average defensive marks. He did receive criticism for over-relying on his natural ability with some peers calling him lazy and dumb. Being able to throw hard though can make up for that though and did in Yudho’s case.

His pro career began with a developmental deal in October 2006 with Bandung, although he never pitched for the Blackhawks. After four years in their academy, he was part of a four-player trade in late 2010 to Manila. Yudho debuted for the Manatees in 2012 and had mixed results in his first five years in middle relief. He was a part-time closer in 2017, then took the full-time gig in 2018.

2018 was Yudho’s lone Reliever of the Year win with 35 saves, 1.55 ERA, 143 Ks, 98.2 innings, and a career best 4.7 WAR. He was the saves leader again in 2019, 21, and 22. His bests were 44 saves in both 2022 and 2023. Yudho also had 104.1 innings, 81 games, and 154 strikeouts in 2023 for career highs. He was third in 2019’s ROTY voting and third in 2026.

Manila was above 90+ wins from 2019-23, but only had one playoff berth in 2020 with an association finals loss to Taipei. Yudho’s lone playoff appearances saw four scoreless innings. He did also have nice numbers pitching from 2020-26 in the World Baseball Championship for Indonesia with 9 saves, 1.98 ERA, 33 games, 41 innings, 61 strikeouts, 183 ERA+, 74 FIP-, and 1.0 WAR.

Yudho continued to sign extensions with Manila, who fell below .500 in his later years there. He lost the closer job in 2025, then got it back in 2026. He was back to limited use in 2027 and left for free agency that winter at age 37. With the Manatees, Yudho had 352 saves and 483 shutdowns, 106-90 record, 2.05 ERA, 1100.2 innings, 1465 strikeouts, 136 ERA+, 63 FIP-, and 34.2 WAR.

Major League Baseball gave Yudho a look as he signed for two years and $14,200,000 with El Paso. He was lackluster with a 5.23 ERA over 43 innings and 0.5 WAR, getting released in May 2029. Yudho returned later that year to APB with Depok, posting a 2.15 ERA over 37.2 innings with 38 Ks.

Yudho got another MLB shot in 2030 with Albuquerque, but struggled in only five innings and spent most of his time on the reserve list. He was cut in July and finished the year in the European Second League with Gothenburg. El Paso brought Yudho back into the system in 2031, where he spent the entire season in minor league Las Cruces. He retired that winter at age 41 and Manila honored him by retiring his #29 uniform.

In APB, Yudho had a 108-92 record, 361 saves, 497 shutdowns, 2.06 ERA, 895 games, 1138.1 innings, 1503 strikeouts, 301 walks, 135 ERA+, 63 FIP-, and 34.8 WAR. Yudho ranks 8^th in saves and 5^th in games, although he has the worst ERA amongst APB’s HOF closers. Among APB pitchers with 1000+ innings, Yudho is 49^th in ERA and 62^nd in opponent’s OPS (.542).

Yudho was certainly less dominant than his Hall of Fame classmate Jay Abiad, but he had good longevity and consistency. 350+ saves had been a magic number to that point for the pitcher-friendly Austronesia Professional Baseball voters and Yudho wouldn’t be an exception. He received a solid 78.6% for a first ballot selection with the 2035 class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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Two former Nanjing infielders made up the 2035 Hall of Fame class for Chinese League Baseball. 2B Kenny Sang was the clear headliner at 96.6%, while 1B Houzhi Ding also got a first ballot nod at 74.0%. SP Dalong Li debuted at 59.8%, only narrowly missing the 66% threshold. SP Xioale Li was the best returner and only other guy above 50%, earning 51.4% on his fourth try. No one was dropped after ten failed ballots in 2035.



Kenny Sang – Second Base – Nanjing Nuggets – 96.6% First Ballot

Kenny Sang was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting second baseman from the Sha Tin neighborhood in Hong Kong. He joined Class of 2033 SP Len Goh as the only Hongkongers in the CLB HOF. Sang had elite home run power and led the league five times in dingers. His 162 game average had 44 homers, 22 doubles, and 8 triples; very high marks especially in the extremely low scoring CLB.

Sang was also a very solid contact hitter against both sides, but he was subpar at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Unlike a lot of big sluggers, Sang had good speed and was a highly skilled baserunner, becoming of the most effective offensive players in league history. His durability was alright, but he had some bad luck with a few big injuries.

The biggest downside was defense with Sang playing entirely at second base. He was an absolutely putrid defender, but CLB didn’t have the designated hitter so you had to stick him somewhere. The bat was so generationally good though that it made up for his comically bad glove work. It was clear as Sang progressed through the amateur ranks that he had next-level potential offensively. With the #1 pick in the 2016 CLB Draft, he was picked by Nanjing, where he’d spend his entire career.

Sang won 2017 Rookie of the Year with 33 homers and 4.6 WAR and won his first Silver Slugger. In 2018, he got his first MVP and another Slugger, leading the Northern League in runs (105), hits (182), triples (16), homers (54), total bases (401), slugging (.677), and wRC+ (243). Sang also had 12.2 WAR, 1.031 OPS, 111 RBI, and a .307 average, falling eight average points and five RBI shy of a Triple Crown.

Most importantly, this led Nanjing to a stunning turnaround. The Nuggets had bottomed out at 58-104 in 2016, then were 68-94 in Sang’s rookie year. In 2018, Nanjing took the Northern League’s top seed at 96-66 and went all the way, defeating Chengdu in the China Series for their second-ever title (1996). Sang had a monster postseason, winning finals MVP and semis MVP against Shenyang. In 16 playoff starts, he had 21 hits, 14 runs, 3 doubles, 3 triples, 7 homers, 13 RBI, 1.174 OPS, 283 wRC+, and 1.8 WAR.

Nanjing took last in the Baseball Grand Championship at 5-14, but you couldn’t blame Sang. He had 25 hits, 14 runs, 4 doubles, 9 homers, 16 RBI, 1.167 OPS, 234 wRC+, and 1.5 WAR for the event. 2018 was also his debut in the World Baseball Championship playing for China, which Hong Kong natives were eligible to do. From 2018-27, Sang had 91 games, 77 hits, 45 runs, 14 doubles, 24 homers, 53 RBI, .253/.522/.536 slash, and 3.2 WAR. This was a down period for the previously strong Chinese team with a lone division title in 2022.

Sang repeated as MVP with another Slugger in 2019, leading with 101 runs, 60 homers .698 slugging, and 13.2 WAR. The WAR, homers, slugging, and OPS (1.041) would be career highs. It was one of only 11 seasons of 60+ homers in CLB history and ranks as the 13^th-best WAR by a position player. Nanjing couldn’t follow up on their title, missing the playoffs by one win at 87-75.

In 2020, Sang was second in MVP voting but got another Slugger. He led with 44 homers and had 10.0 WAR and 207 wRC+. Nanjing got a wild card at 91-71 but lost in the round robin. They were the #3 seed in 2021 at 89-73 as Sang won another Slugger and was again second in MVP voting, leading in slugging (.593), OPS (.950), total bases (349), and wRC+ (220). He had fierce MVP competition in his prime from legendary two-way star Chuchuan Cao and slugger Cheng Kang. From 2012-22, every NL MVP was claimed by either Sang, Kang, or Cao.

Nanjing got hot and made another deep playoff run, upsetting Cao and his defending champ Shenyang Swans in the semifinal with Sang as series MVP. The Nuggets then took the China Series over Sang’s hometown Hong Kong. In 16 playoff starts, Sang had 24 hits, 11 runs, 5 homers, 12 RBI, 1.143 OPS, 298 wRC+, and 1.7 WAR. He was merely good in the 2021 BGC with 19 hits, 10 runs, 4 doubles, 6 homers, 11 RBI, .838 OPS, 127 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR. The Nuggets would finish 7-12.

After the 2021 campaign, Nanjing locked up Sang on an eight-year, $60,100,000 extension. He won his third MVP in 2022 and continued the Slugger streak with league bests in runs (108), hits (191), homers (58), RBI (115), total bases (404), slugging (.667), wRC+ (256), and WAR (12.8). This would be his career best for runs, hits, RBI, total bases, and wRC+. His .315 average was also a new best, although Beijing’s Ziqi Sun kept him a long way from the Triple Crown at .377. There have been 53 seasons by a CLB position player of 12+ WAR, Sang has three of them.

Sang had another strong postseason and Nanjing got the top seed at 100-62, but got upset by Urumqi in the semifinal. He had another Slugger in 2023, but the Nuggets fell one win shy of the playoffs. They made it back in 2024 at 93-69 with a semifinal defeat in a rematch with the Unicorns. Sang was MVP in the semis loss and second in league MVP voting.

In 2025, Sang was the fifth CLB star to win four MVPs and got another Slugger. It was his final time as a league leader with 103 runs, 52 homers, 366 total bases, and .616 slugging. Nanjing was second in the standings at 92-70 and yet again ousted Shenyang in the semifinal. The Nuggets knocked off Chongqing for their third China Series win in an eight year span. Yet again, Sang was a playoff stud in 18 games with 22 hits, 18 runs, 8 homers, 14 RBI, 10 steals, .974 OPS, 224 wRC+, and 1.8 WAR. The 18 runs set a CLB playoff record that has been matched twice since but not passed. His last Baseball Grand Championship was lackluster though with a .687 OPS, 88 wRC+, and 0.3 WAR as Nanking was an awful 3-16.

This was Sang’s final playoff run, finishing his career with stellar stats. In 79 games, he had 105 hits, 60 runs, 13 doubles, 5 triples, 31 homers, 58 RBI, 31 steals, .334/.364/.704 slash, 261 wRC+, and 7.9 WAR. Sang is the all-time playoff leader in CLB for runs, hits, total bases (221), homers, and RBI. Those stats would be terrific in any league, but are especially remarkable coming both in the playoffs and in the extremely low scoring CLB.

Nanjing would fall to around .500 for the next three seasons. Sang won two more Silver Sluggers in 2026-27 as he had 5.2 WAR and 6.2 WAR efforts; great for any normal player but well down from his peak. Sang is one of only three CLB players with 11+ Silver Slugger wins. 2027 was on pace to be closer to his peak seasons, but catastrophe struck on August 12 with a broken kneecap. This knocked him out eight months and he was never the same player afterward.

Sang struggled in 2028 and was reduced to a bench role with 126 games, 40 starts, 15 homers, 127 wRC+, and 1.5 WAR. Then in 2029, he was actively bad in 141 games and 84 starts with .568 OPS, 70 wRC+, and -1.2 WAR. Many expected Sang to re-write the record books, but his collapse was abrupt after the broken kneecap. He retired after the 2029 season at age 36 and quickly had his #11 retired by Nanjing for his role in three titles.

The final stats for Sang: 1939 games, 1967 hits, 1060 runs, 267 doubles, 92 triples, 528 home runs, 1118 RBI, 359 walks, 1601 strikeouts, 566 steals, .286/.326/.582 slash, .907 OPS, 202 wRC+, and 102.6 WAR. Sang ranks 63^rd in games, 15^th in runs, 28^th in hits, 7^th in total bases (4002), 71^st in doubles, 5^th in homers, 10^th in RBI, and 13^th in WAR among position players.

His .907 OPS is 17^th among CLB batters with 3000+ plate appearances and he’s 82^nd in batting average and 10^th in slugging. Among CLB second baseman, Sang is the leader for slugging, OPS, runs, hits, total bases, homers, and RBI. He is just behind Duguan Cai for WAR at the position (107.6) and just above Liang Shang Guan (100.5).

Sang’s totals don’t come close on the world leaderboards because of how low scoring Chinese League Baseball is. But by wRC+, which tries to normalize stats relative to time and era, Sang ranks 9^th of all world Hall of Famers. He’s one of only 10 to have 200+, showing how far beyond most of his peers he was. Only his contemporary Cheng Kang is above him among CLB greats at 208.

What sets Sang apart though are the playoff stats, as a 261 wRC+, 1.067 OPS, and 7.9 WAR in 79 games makes him one of the best postseason performers in all of baseball history. You could easily rank him as CLB’s playoff GOAT as he led Nanjing to three championships. That pushes Sang into the inner-circle level as one of the best pure bats that China has ever produced. At 96.6%, Sang headlined the 2035 HOF class along with his teammate Houzhi Ding.



Houzhi Ding – First Base – Nanjing Nuggets – 74.0% First Ballot

Houzhi Ding was a 6’9’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting first baseman from Liuzhou, a prefecture-level city of 4.1 million people in southern China. Like his former teammate Kenny Sang, Ding had fantastic home run power and was a league leader four times. He was much better than Sang at drawing walks, but struck out a lot more and was only an above average-to-good contact hitter for most of his run. Ding’s 162 game average got you 43 homers, 22 doubles, and 3 triples.

Ding was notably stronger facing right-handed pitching with a .913 OPS and 177 wRC+ compared to a still solid .792 OPS and 141 wRC+ against lefties. His speed and baserunning ability was lousy. Ding was a career first baseman with serviceable metrics, grading as just below average with the glove. His durability was outstanding and he never missed significant time because of an injury.

Nanjing hit back-to-back home runs in the CLB Draft to set up their dynasty run. After getting Sang #1 overall in 2016, they grabbed Ding with the fourth pick in 2017. He didn’t immediately see much action with only nine games in 2018 and 88 games with 13 starts in 2019. Ding wasn’t used in the postseason for the Nuggets’ 2018 championship, but he did go 1-8 as a pinch hitter in the Baseball Grand Championship.

In 2020, Ding played 148 games and started 116 with excellent marks with 43 homers and 7.0 WAR, earning a full-time starting job from then on. Nanjing had a round robin playoff exit that year, then won their second title of the dynasty in 2021. Ding saw his first Silver Slugger and had 16 hits, 11 runs, 6 doubles, 5 homers, 9 RBI, and 0.9 WAR in the postseason. The Nuggets went 7-12 in the BGC with Ding getting 14 hits, 5 runs, 4 doubles, 5 homers, 15 RBI, 89 wRC+, and 0.0 WAR.

Ding was a league leader for the first time with 32 doubles in 2022 and added 52 homers, 1.011 OPS, 240 wRC+, and 10.3 WAR. He got his second Silver Slugger and was behind only Sang for MVP voting. Ding had a strong playoffs with 1.031 OPS and 0.9 WAR in 11 games, but top-seeded Nanjing fell in the semifinal against Urumqi.

In 2023, Ding won another Slugger and was third in MVP voting, leading the Northern League in homers (50), RBI (117), and total bases (341), but Nanjing fell one win shy of the playoffs. They got back in 2024 with another semifinal defeat to Urumqi despite another good playoff showing by Ding. This was by far his best regular season with his lone MVP win and another Slugger.

Ding posted only the eighth Triple Crown hitting season in CLB history, leading in runs (104), hits (184), homers (63), RBI (119), total bases (405), triple slash (.319/.388/.702), OPS (1.092), wRC+ (255), and WAR (12.8); all career highs. The 63 homers rank as the fifth-best single-season in CLB and the total bases rank 12^th.

In 2025, his regular season stats were down from that peak, although he still led with 105 RBI and had 185 wRC+ and 7.4 WAR. It was Ding’s turn for the epic playoff run, winning semifinal and finals MVP en route to Nanjing’s China Series win over Chongqing. In 18 starts, he had 24 hits, 12 runs, 3 doubles, 8 home runs, 16 RBI, 10 walks, 1.234 OPS, 266 wRC+, and 1.8 WAR. The Nuggets were a terrible 3-16 in the BGC, but Ding fared well with .992 OPS and 0.8 WAR over 19 starts.

While no one can match Sang’s career playoff numbers, Ding was quite critical also for Nanjing’s dynasty. In 63 starts, he had 70 hits, 39 runs, 14 doubles, 21 homers, 39 RBI, .297/.355/.631 slash, 218 wRC+, and 4.7 WAR. He ranks 6^th in total bases (149) and 4^th in homers while also making the top 20 for playoff runs, hits, doubles, and RBI.

Ding led in homers twice more with 44 in 2026 and 52 in 2028. He also led with 119 RBI in 2028 for a third place in MVP voting as Nanjing hovered around .500 for his final three years. With Sang’s decline after his knee injury and Ding’s departure, Nanjing would plummet to the bottom to end the decade. They were unable to ever work out a long-term extension with Ding, who left China after the 2028 campaign at age 31. The Nuggets later retired his #7 uniform for his efforts.

With Nanjing, Ding had 1532 games, 1424 hits, 793 runs, 212 doubles, 30 triples, 454 home runs, 979 RBI, 594 walks, 1460 strikeouts, .274/.348/.589 slash, 202 wRC+, and 78.7 WAR. He’s another guy who observers though would re-write the record books, but he was gone from CLB after only a decade. Ding ranks 80^th in runs, 58^th in total bases (3058), 10^th in homers, 24^th in RBI, 52^nd in walks, and 57^th in WAR among position players. Ding’s .937 OPS is also 11^th among those with 3000+ plate appearances and he ranks 39^th in OBP and 9^th in slugging.

It’s hard to say what his final totals might have been had he stayed and if he would’ve pushed into that inner-circle level. There were Hall of Fame voters who felt Ding didn’t belong simply because he wasn’t around long enough. However, his exceptional power in that short burst and role in Nanjing’s dynasty was enough for the majority. At 74.0%, Ding crossed the 66% requirement in 2035 for the first ballot induction into Chinese League Baseball’s HOF along with his long-time teammate Kenny Sang.

Ding would still have six more pro seasons left post-Nanjing, signing a healthy six-year, $174 million deal with Major League Baseball’s San Francisco. He never lived up to the elite billing with the Gold Rush, who were generally mid-tier in his time. Ding debuted with 37 homers, 116 wRC+, and 3.0 WAR in 2029, but led the American Association with 182 strikeouts.

He was a part-timer in 2030, but regaining a starting job for the following three years with passable results. Ding was back to a part-time platoon role in 2034 and retired that winter shortly after his 37^th birthday. In six years in San Francisco, Ding had 787 games, 663 hits, 380 runs, 105 doubles, 164 homers, 426 RBI, 287 walks, 796 Ks, .244/.317/.470 slash, 105 wRC+, and 7.4 WAR. He wasn’t bad with the Gold Rush, but at $29 million per year you’d call him a bust with those stats.

Ding’s pro totals had 2319 games, 2087 hits, 1173 runs, 317 doubles, 39 triples, 618 home runs, 1405 RBI, 881 walks, 2256 strikeouts, .264/.338/.548 slash, 169 wRC+, and 86.1 WAR. In his 20s, Ding was undoubtedly elite and a key piece for Nanjing’s prolonged success. The powerful stroke of the lanky lefty certainly secured him a deserved spot among China’s all-time best.