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

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Three were added to the European Baseball Federation’s Hall of Fame in 2036 with SP Oscar Dissard the clear headliner at 97.9%. Fellow pitcher Slawomir Boguski also earned a first ballot nod, although his 72.0% breached the 66% requirement by a thinner margin. The third inductee was LF Emilson Patino receiving 69.9% in his tenth and final shot. Patino became the sixth EBF player to make it on the tenth try.

Five other players were above 50%, but short of the 66% threshold. 2B Oliver Bjerkli led that group with 60.8% on his fifth ballot. Next was RF Zeljko Siladjdzic debuting at 57.2%. LF Marco Solis got 56.6% on his eight try, CL Emanuel Koch saw 51.9% for his fifth go, and SS Nicolo Giotto had 51.3% with his fifth ballot.



RF Ufuk Turan was the lone player removed from the ballot after ten failed tries, peaking at 42.5% in 2030 and ending with 15.3%. In 14 years between Cologne and Amsterdam, Turan had two Silver Sluggers, 1962 games, 2160 hits, 1156 runs, 270 doubles, 457 home runs, 1213 RBI, 436 walks, .300/.339/.543 slash, 147 wRC+, and 73.4 WAR.

He was conference finals MVP in the Copperheads’ 2012 championship season. However, Turan suffered a bad meniscus tear in 2020 at age 35 and was out of the league a year later. He wasn’t overwhelmingly dominant and needed a few more years of accumulations to make up for that. Turan goes down as a Hall of Pretty Good level guy.



Oscar Dissard – Starting Pitcher – Brussels Beavers – 97.9% First Ballot

Oscar Dissard was a 6’4’’, 190 pound left-handed pitcher from Six-Fours-les-Pagues, France; a commune of about 37,000 on the southeastern coast. Dissard was known for outstanding stuff and stellar movement along with very good control. He regularly hit the 99-101 mph range and had a three-pitch arsenal of fastball, slider, and forkball. Each were equally potent and led to an extreme groundball tendency.

Dissard especially dominated left-handed bats with a career 146 ERA+ and 49 FIP-, although he was plenty strong facing righties with a 131 ERA+ and 68 FIP-. He had excellent stamina in his prime and avoided major injuries until his mid 30s. Dissard was better than most at holding runners, but otherwise forgettable defensively. He became absolutely beloved both by fans and teammates for his play and high character. Dissard was a team captain known for his work ethic, leadership, and loyalty; you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who would speak ill of him as a man.

His potential was evident even as a teen growing up in a small town in southern France. Dissard moved to Belgium in March 2007 on a developmental deal with Brussels and spent five full years in their academy. He debuted in 2012 as a full-time starter at age 21 with immediate success, earning Rookie of the Year with a 2.97 ERA and 5.3 WAR season. He did struggle in his first playoff start allowing six runs over 5.2 innings as the Beavers lost in the second round.

For the rest of his Brussels run, each of Dissard’s seasons were worth at least 7.5 WAR with 215+ innings and 250+ strikeouts. He took third in 2014’s Pitcher of the Year voting, then won the award for the first time in 2015. That year was his first ERA title, a career-best 2.21; and his first time leading in strikeouts (299) and WAR (9.0). At 18-8, Dissard was one win short of a Triple Crown season. The Beavers won 98 games in both 2013 and 2014, but just fell short in stacked playoff fields. They would miss with 85 and 87 wins in 2015 and 2016.

After the 2016 season, Brussels gave Dissard a seven-year, $86,140,000 extension. Everything came together for the Beavers in 2017 as they dominated the Northern Conference at 105-57. They swept Cologne for the conference crown, then defeated Thessaloniki 4-1 for the franchise’s third European Championship, joining their 1961 and 1978 wins. It was one of the more impressive playoff runs in EBF history, going 11-1 in the postseason.

In Dissard’s 28 playoff innings, he was 2-0 with a 3.21 ERA, 34 strikeouts, 124 ERA+, and 0.9 WAR. He would finish third in Best Pitcher voting in the Baseball Grand Championship with a 1.83 ERA over 34.1 innings, 2-0 record, 58 strikeouts, 214 ERA+, and 2.0 WAR. It was a tight field with the top three teams at 12-7, then Brussels and four other squads at 11-8. After the tiebreakers were sorted out, the Beavers were awarded fifth place.

It ended up as a one-off for Brussels, who spent the next three years above .500 but outside the playoffs below 90 wins. Dissard thrived with back-to-back Pitcher of the Year awards in 2018-19. In 2019, he had the 14^th pitching Triple Crown in EBF history with a 24-4 record, 2.33 ERA, and career-best 325 strikeouts. He also led in WAR at 10.5, the best of his EBF tenure. In Europe, Dissard thrice led in WAR and seven times had the best FIP-.

In 2021, Brussels fell to 70-92 and had the misfortune of that being the conference’s worst record, leading to relegation to the European Second League. Dissard used the relegation opt-out clause to leave for free agency at age 31. Beavers fans didn’t hold his departure against him and Dissard’s #25 uniform would eventually be retired. With Brussels, Dissard had a 171-76 record, 49 saves, 2.69 ERA, 2365.2 innings, 2776 strikeouts, 427 walks, 190/271 quality starts, 130 complete games, 25 shutouts, 142 ERA+, 58 FIP-, and 84.0 WAR.

Dissard quickly got offers from around the globe and ended up in Major League Baseball on a four-year, $85,600,000 deal with Denver. The Dragons were on a 12-year playoff streak at that point, having won both the World Series and Baseball Grand Championship in 2020. They hoped to continue their success and Dissard immediately delivered.

In 2022, Dissard was second in Pitcher of the Year voting with American Association bests for wins (24-6), and WAR (12.3). His WAR was only the fifth-time in MLB history that a pitcher got 12+. Denver finished 106-56, but lost the top seed by a tiebreaker to Los Angeles. Still, the Dragons ultimately defeated San Francisco 4-1 to win the AACS, then defeated Cincinnati 4-0 for the fourth World Series win of their playoff streak.

Dissard was AACS MVP by posting two shutouts in the series. He had an all-time postseason run, going 4-0 in five starts with a 1.47 ERA over 43 innings, 43 strikeouts, 4 complete games, 268 ERA+, and 1.9 WAR. By WAR, it was the fourth-best playoff run by an MLB pitcher. Denver went 10-9 in the middle of the standings in the BGC, but Dissard continued to dominate with a 2.41 ERA in four starts, 3-0 record, 33.2 innings, 56 strikeouts, and 2.6 WAR. It ranks as the sxith-best WAR by a pitcher in BGC history.

This marked the end of Denver’s dynasty run, as they’d miss the playoffs at 85-77 and 88-74 in the next two years, followed by a fall to 78-84 in 2025. Dissard held up his end, leading again in WAR with 10.4 in 2023 and 11.3 in 2024. He also won an ERA title in 2024 at 2.35, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. Dissard had a strong pace for 2025 as well, but lost more than a month in the summer to an elbow sprain.

In four seasons with Denver, Dissard had a 71-34 record, 2.92 ERA, 1041.2 innings, 1050 strikeouts, 170 walks, 79/125 quality starts, 69 complete games, 13 shutouts, 136 ERA+, 55 FIP-, and 41.1 WAR. Few if any international free agent contracts provided more value than Dissard. Back to free agency for 2026 at age 35, he made the decision to return to Europe on a three-year, $97,500,000 deal with Munich. The Mavericks were in the middle of their own streak of dominance, having won four conference titles since 2018 and EBF titles in 2020-21.

Dissard had a good 2026 with a 2.84 ERA and 5.6 WAR in 199.1 innings, but he suffered a ruptured tricep tendon in mid-August. Munich won the Southern Conference title and lost the European Championship to Rotterdam with Dissard watching in a sling. In April 2027, a partially torn labrum knocked him out to entire first half. The Mavericks lost the conference finals to Zagreb with Dissard struggling in three playoff starts with a 4.98 ERA over 21.2 innings.

He didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the third year with Munich and was back to free agency at age 37. When healthy, he was still effective with a 2.66 ERA over 281.1 innings, 17-12 record, 264 strikeouts, 144 ERA+, 69 FIP-, and 8.4 WAR. Dissard’s velocity was now peaking in the mid 90s, but he still had strong enough movement and control to have value despite diminishing stuff. He ended up back in MLB for 2028 on a two-year, $26,200,000 deal with San Francisco.

Dissard was healthy in 2028 and still was big league worthy with 4.1 WAR, 241 innings, 4.18 ERA, and 104 ERA+. He started 2029 with a 2.31 ERA in 66.1 innings for the Gold Rush, but he was surprisingly cut on May 11. For San Francisco, Dissard had an 18-12 record, 3.78 ERA, 307.1 innings, 132 strikeouts, 115 ERA+, 94 FIP-, and 5.0 WAR.

He was unemployed only five days as he finished the season with Chicago, posting a 4.23 ERA in 149 innings, 66 Ks, 97 ERA+, and 2.4 WAR. Dissard’s future became very uncertain though with a partially torn labrum suffered in late September. For his combined MLB career, he had a 98-56 record, 3.23 ERA, 1498 innings, 1248 strikeouts, 288 walks, 84 complete games, 16 shutouts, 127 ERA+, 67 FIP-, and 48.6 WAR. Those were incredibly impressive numbers for only six seasons and Dissard even earned 4.0% of the vote for MLB’s 2035 HOF voting. Dissard returned to Europe on a two-year, $18,400,000 deal with Kyiv. Unfortunately it was clear that he was cooked and he only saw 37.1 innings mostly in relief with a 6.03 ERA. He retired that winter at age 40.

In EBF, Dissard had a 189-89 record, 50 saves, 2.73 ERA, 2684.1 innings, 3047 strikeouts, 484 walks, 216/309 quality starts, 139 complete games, 27 shutouts, 140 ERA+, 60 FIP-, and 92.4 WAR. He does lose a little bit for accumulations with the six-year MLB gap. Dissard still ranks 69^th in wins, 22^nd in complete games, 39^th in shutouts, 62^nd in strikeouts, and 14^th in WAR among pitchers.

Amongst EBF pitchers with 1000+ innings, Dissard ranks 66^th in ERA and 71^st in opponent’s OPS (.615). He’s also 72^nd in opponent’s slugging (.343) and 63^rd in K/9 (10.22). For his combined pro career, Dissard had a 287-145 record, 2.91 ERA, 4182.1 innings, 4295 strikeouts, 772 walks, 223 complete games, 43 shutouts, 135 ERA+, 62 FIP-, and 140.9 WAR. On the all-time leaderboard for all of baseball history, Dissard is 26^th in WAR among pitchers and 73^rd among all players ever. He has the second-best WAR of any Frenchman behind only legendary ace Jean-Luc Roch.

Dissard certainly is one of baseball’s immortals, although his brief MLB departure does sometimes keep him from being rated higher specifically on the European Baseball Federation’s all-time lists. He’s certainly on the shortlist though for the best aces to ever come from the continent and was a big part in league titles for both Brussels and Denver. At 97.9%, Dissard headlined EBF’s three-player 2036 Hall of Fame class.

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Slawomir Boguski – Starting Pitcher – Hanover Hitmen – 72.0% First Ballot

Slawomir Boguski was a 5’10’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Szczecin, Poland; a northwestern city of about 395,000 people near the German border. The stocky lefty had overpowering stuff along with very good control and above average movement. Boguski’s velocity peaked in the 98-100 mph range with a five-pitch arsenal of slider, screwball, changeup, splitter, and cutter. He was impressive at switching between the options and making them look the same out of his hand.

Compared to other EBF aces, Boguski’s stamina was average, but his durability was excellent over 16 seasons as a starter. He was better than most at holding runners but graded as below average defensively. Boguski was pretty ordinary from a personality standpoint, but he became popular and well known across his career.

He was well liked back home in Poland despite leaving the country as a teenager and playing for pro teams in other countries. Boguski was a key figure for the Polish team in the World Baseball Championship from 2016-30, which included a world championship in 2018 and runner-up finishes in 2022 and 2028. Boguski tossed 226 innings with a 17-6 record, 2.03 ERA, 319 strikeouts, and 8.6 WAR.

In the 2018 title run, Boguski had a 1.43 ERA over 37.2 innings with 55 strikeouts, five quality starts, and 1.6 WAR. In 2028, he was also very strong with a 1.56 ERA over 40.1 innings with 8 Ks and 1.5 WAR. Boguski has the most pitching WAR of any Pole in the WBC and ranks second in pitching wins, strikeouts, and innings.

Boguski’s pro career started in Italy though, signed in August 2009 to a teenage amateur deal with Milan. He debuted in 2014 at age 21, but struggled in three starts. Boguski got a full-time gig the next year with respectable numbers and then posted 6+ WAR each year from 2016-18 with the Maulers. He won his only ERA title in 2018 at 1.87, but a lower inning count kept him from being a Pitcher of the Year finalist.

Milan was mostly mid-tier in his tenure with one playoff berth, a second round exit in 2015. For the Maulers, Boguski had a 51-35 record, 3.04 ERA, 823.2 innings, 926 strikeouts, 214 walks, 126 ERA+, 73 FIP-, and 21.9 WAR. In January 2019, Milan traded Boguski to Manchester for four prospects. He was entering the last year under team control and the Maulers weren’t convinced that a long-term deal was in their best interests.

The Crushers had just gotten promoted back up to the EBF Elite after six years in the European Second League. Boguski had a mixed debut with the Crushers with a 4.25 ERA, the worst full-season of his career. Still, Manchester kept him in their plans with a four-year, $38,360,000 extension that winter. Boguski fared much better in the next few years, including career best 8.6 WAR efforts in both 2020 and 2022.

In 2022, Boguski was third in Pitcher of the Year voting, his only time as a finalist. He was the WARlord and leader in WHIP (0.86), K/BB (14.2), quality starts (27), and FIP- (58); each career highs. His ERA went up in 2023, but he was the Northern Conference leader for the only time with 311. Boguski’s career best was 320 Ks in 2020. Manchester was mostly mid-tier while he was there with one wild card in 2020. They lost in the first round and Boguski wasn’t used in the brief series.

In five seasons for Manchester, Boguski had a 60-56 record, 3.33 ERA, 1189.1 innings, 1449 strikeouts, 171 walks, 118 ERA+ 71 FIP-, and 33.8 WAR. A free agent for 2024 heading towards his age 31 season, Boguski signed a hefty seven-year, $155,800,000 deal with Hanover. This would be his most famous tenure as the Hitmen became a regular contender for the first time. The year before his arrival, Hanover started what would end up as an 11-year playoff streak.

From 2023-27 though, the Hitmen couldn’t get beyond the second round and only were a wild card. Boguski provided consistent innings, although he never reached his peak stats from the prior runs. Hanover broke through in 2028 with their first division title at 104-58. They ultimately ousted Nantes for their first pennant, then outlasted Munich in the European Championship.

Boguski had a strong playoff run with a 1.61 ERA in 28 innings with 25 Ks and a shutout in the finals against the Mavericks. He struggled though to a 5.10 ERA over 30 innings with 38 Ks in the Baseball Grand Championship. Hanover finished as one of four teams second at 13-6 and officially had the #2 spot via tiebreakers. In any event, Boguski was established as a big-game pitcher, especially via his WBC exploits with Poland. For Hanover, he had a 1.75 ERA over 56.2 playoff innings with 48 Ks and 0.9 WAR.

In 2029, he saw reduced innings with more of a starting/bullpen split. Hanover got the top seed at 108-54, but fell in a second round upset to Manchester. Boguski didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the seventh year of the contract and was sent to free agency for 2030.

With the Hitmen, Boguski had a 78-52 record, 3.27 ERA, 1242 innings, 1453 strikeouts, 189 walks, 120 ERA+, 79 FIP-, and 28.4 WAR. He was the first player to be inducted wearing the Hanover H on his hat and remains popular for his role in establishing the Hitmen as a contender. Boguski stayed in Germany on a three-year, $36,800,000 deal with Hamburg. He was merely okay in 2030 with a 3.92 ERA, 4-16 record, 206.2 innings, 139 strikeouts, 96 ERA+, and 2.0 WAR. Boguski opted to retire that winter at age 37.

Overall, Boguski had a 193-159 record, 3.27 ERA, 3461.2 innings, 3967 strikeouts, 614 walks, 285/451 quality starts, 61 complete games, 18 shutouts, 119 ERA+, 76 FIP-, and 86.1 WAR. Boguski ranks 60^th in wins, 30^th in innings, 13^th in strikeouts, and 22^nd in WAR among pitchers. His 10.31 K/9 is 55^th among EBF pitchers with 1000+ innings.

Boguski’s resume was tough for some Hall of Fame voters since he was rarely a Pitcher of the Year candidate. He was steady and reliable though and quietly worked his way up the leaderboards. Boguski’s high strikeout total was a big plus as was a higher-than-expected WAR total. Most, but not all, of the pitchers that had reached 3500 Ks in EBF had made it in eventually once eligible. Boguski’s 72.0% only narrowly breached the 66% requirement, but he secured a first ballot spot with the 2036 class for the European Baseball Federation.



Emilson Patino – Left Field – Barcelona Bengals – 69.9% Tenth Ballot

Emilson Patino was a 6’3’’, 195 pound left-handed left fielder from Vigo, Spain; a city of around 295,000 people in the northwest located just north of the border with Portugal. At his peak, Patino was a well-rounded batter overall although he got the highest marks for home run power and his eye. He fared especially well against right-handed pitching with a career .972 OPS and 162 wRC+. Facing lefties, Patino had a .773 OPS and 112 wRC+.

On the whole, he graded as an above average-to-good contact hitter with a decent strikeout rate. Patino’s 162 game average got you 29 home runs, 24 doubles, and 9 triples for a nice slate of extra base hits. He was also a reliably good-to-great baserunner with solid speed. Unfortunately, that didn’t help him much as a career left fielder with abysmal defensive grades. Patino did see some injuries woes especially late in his career, but he managed to persevere for a 22-year pro career.

Patino emerged as one of the top Spanish prospects for the 2003 EBF Draft and caught the eye of Barcelona, who picked him 16^th overall. He was a bench player as a rookie with only six starts over 107 games. Patino was used in a platoon role with good results in 2005 with 105 games, 96 starts, .907 OPS, and 2.7 WAR. The Bengals ended a six-year run of losing seasons and won their division at 94-68, but lost in the first round.

From 2006 onward, Patino had a full-time starting job with Barcelona. The Bengals exploded for a 111-51 season in 2006 and beat Munich for the Southern Conference Championship, although they fell to Kyiv in the European Championship. In 16 playoff starts, Patino had 21 hits, 10 runs, 7 extra base hits, 14 RBI, .953 OPS, and 0.7 WAR.

Patino was second in 2007’s MVP voting and was a conference leader for the first time with 125 runs. He also posted career highs for doubles (40), triples (17), and WAR (8.8). Barcelona finished 96-66 and repeated as conference champs, this time winning the EBF title in a rematch with Kyiv. Patino had another solid showing in the playoffs with 21 hits, 12 runs, 6 homers, 15 RBI, 2 walks, 1.009 OPS, and 0.8 WAR.

Around this time, Patino developed a reputation as a big-game performer. He also became a regular in the World Baseball Championship from 2006-17 with Spain, playing 90 games with 74 starts. Patino had 66 hits, 50 runs, 8 doubles, 3 triples, 23 homers, 57 RBI, .240/.350/.542 slash, and 3.1 WAR. Spain’s deepest run was a third place in 2015, although he was notably a reserve on that roster.

Barcelona couldn’t immediately maintain a dynasty, missing the playoffs in 2008 with 85 wins and in 2009 with 90 wins. Hurting them in 2008 was a sore shoulder that kept Patino out almost two months. Still, he signed a five-year, $34 million extension that winter.

2009 was Patino’s lone Silver Slugger win and another second place in MVP voting. He was the leader with career highs for RBI (137), total bases (416), and slugging (.702). This year also had Patino’s bests for hits (211), homers (50), and batting average (.356).

Patino was second in MVP voting again in 2010 with the lead in runs (122) and total bases (405). He had his highest OPS (1.114), OBP (.415), and wRC+ (204) as well as his third season with 8+ WAR. Barcelona got the top seed at 100-62, but fell in the Southern Conference Championship 4-2 to Zurich. In the defeat, this was Patino’s strongest playoff run with a 1.419 OPS, 282 wRC+, and 1.1 WAR in nine starts.

After 2010, Patino was never able to reach the previous high marks, especially for power. He wouldn’t get 30+ homers or 100+ runs for the rest of his run, but was still a solid starter for Barcelona. The Bengals again had the top seed in 2011 at 108-54 and reclaimed the pennant 4-1 over Athens. Barcelona was denied in the European Championship 4-1 by Dublin.

Patino’s playoff run was decent in 13 starts with 12 hits, 10 runs, .822 OPS, 119 wRC+, and 0.4 WAR. 2011 was the second-ever Baseball Grand Championship and Patino started 12 games with .730 OPS, 126 wRC+, and 0.1 WAR. Barcelona finished at 6-13. These were his final playoff games for the Bengals, but he had excellent stats over 57 starts with 69 hits, 43 runs, 9 doubles, 3 triples, 15 homers, 47 RBI, .324/.382/.606 slash, 172 wRC+, and 2.9 WAR.

Barcelona spent the rest of Patino’s run around .500 and let him leave for free agency after the 2013 campaign at age 32. For the Bengals, Patino played 1391 games with 1509 hits, 879 runs, 247 doubles, 105 triples, 287 home runs, 907 RBI, 528 walks, 373 steals, .319/.388/.598 slash, 169 wRC+, and 52.5 WAR. Marseille was convinced Patino still had big potential value and gave him a five-year, $52,500,000 deal.

Patino spent four years ultimately with the Musketeers as a respectable, if unremarkable starter. Marseille had a 2014 conference finals loss to Valencia and a second round exit in 2016. They were just outside of the playoffs his other years there. For Marseille, Patino played 555 games with 453 hits, 280 runs, 85 doubles, 29 triples, 86 home runs, 250 RBI, 255 walks, 131 steals, .261/.359/.491 slash, 135 wRC+, and 11.3 WAR. “

From 2018-20, Patino was with Brussels on a slate of one-year deals. He was primarily a pinch hitter with only 70 starts in 355 games. He had strong metrics in 2018, but was subpar after. Notably on July 28, 2018, Patino had a four home run game against Oslo. For the Beavers, Patino had 130 hits, 83 runs, 18 doubles, 6 triples, 30 home runs, 76 RBI, 79 walks, .253/.355.487 slash, 126 wRC+, and 3.3 WAR.

This marked the end of his time playing in Europe, although he continued on for another five years in Arab League Baseball. In 2021, Patino played 99 games with 2.8 WAR and .928 for Abu Dhabi. He joined Doha for 2022, but only made it three games before suffering a ruptured MCL that knocked him out eight months. Patino was determined to make it back though and was a full-time starter in 2023 for Bahrain.

With the Blitz, he had 141 games, .787 OPS, 105 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR. Patino joined Sulaymaniyah in 2024 with 156 games, 33 homers, .879 OPS, 124 wRC+, and 2.7 WAR; solid metrics for a guy aged 42. Dubai brought him in for 2025 with 121 games, 68 starts, .838 OPS, 112 wRC+, and 1.1 WAR. Patino was unsigned in 2026 and eventually filed his retirement papers that winter at age 45.

In his five ALB seasons, Patino played 520 games with 440 starts, 401 hits, 272 runs, 72 doubles, 12 triples, 105 home runs, 244 RBI, 120 steals, .249/.354/.504 slash, 121 wRC+, and 8.2 WAR. For his combined pro career, Patino had 2821 games, 2493 hits, 1514 runs, 422 doubles, 152 triples, 508 home runs, 1477 RBI, 1104 walks, 1455 strikeouts, 640 steals, .290/.374/.552 slash, 150 wRC+, and 75.3 WAR.

Just in the European Baseball Federation though, Patino played 2301 games with 2092 hits, 1242 runs, 350 doubles, 140 triples, 403 home runs, 1233 RBI, 862 walks, 1089 strikeouts, 520 steals, .300/.378/.563 slash, 157 wRC+, and 67.1 WAR. He ranked 66^th in games, 89^th in runs, 92^nd in RBI, and 41^st in walks. However, he’s outside the top 100 in any other counting stats.

Patino’s resume was borderline even if you gave him credit for the ALB years. There was a brief four-year run where he was a legit MVP candidate, but Patino was mostly above average-to-good for the rest of the run. He didn’t have crazy accumulations despite playing into his mid 40s. Accolades were limited too outside of that brief run early in his career, making many think Patino was a Hall of Pretty Good type.

He was quite impressive though in his Barcelona peak and was excellent in the playoffs, playing a key role for three conference titles and a European title for the Bengals. That was something that really bolstered Patino’s case, but there remained many skeptics. Only once was he below 50%, but Patino was stuck mostly in the 50s range in his initial ballots.

Patino got as close as 62.7% in 2029, 64.4% in 2034, and 62.2% in 2035. 2036 was his tenth and final shot at the EBF Hall of Fame, just barely getting the bump across the 66% requirement at 69.9%. After the long wait, Patino secured his spot as the third member of the 2036 class and the sixth EBF inductee to make it on the tenth ballot.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2036 had an unremarkable Hall of Fame ballot for Eurasian Professional Baseball. 1B/DH Zygmunt Socha found his way in as the lone inductee at 71.5% on his fourth ballot. CL Vitali Kolyayev was next at 64.6% on his second try, barely missing the 66% requirement. Five others were above 50% led by SP Yaroslav Alalykin at 56.5% on his fourth attempt.

2B Gleb Korelin was the only debut above 50% with 55.8%. 3B Vladyslav Chychykov got 52.7% in his ninth and penultimate chance, C Jo Josefsson saw 52.3% for his second ballot, and CL Oleh Khemlovskyi saw 50.4% with his third attempt.



Two players fell off the ballot after both getting 4.6% in their tenth and final chance. 1B Gaspar Osvath peaked at 28.1% in 2028 and won six Silver Sluggers and one Gold Glove over an 18-year career. He also won two titles with Omsk, finishing with 2467 games, 2082 hits, 1117 runs, 402 doubles, 506 home runs, 1369 RBI, .248/.301/.488 slash, 133 wRC+, and 59.6 WAR. Osvath is one of only 29 with 500 homers in EPB, but he was only a league leader once and never managed to get much traction with the voters.

SP Koyla Portnov peaked at 26.4% in his debut and had a 13-year career, winning Pitcher of the Year in 2014 with Ufa. He helped them to a title in 2015 and finished with a 140-110 record, 2.77 ERA, 2353 innings, 2480 strikeouts, 427 walks, 118 ERA+, 80 FIP-, and 53.1 WAR. Portnov was a reliever in his first four years and was after his age 35 season, so he didn’t have enough innings to have a chance at the key accumulations voters wanted.



Zygmunt Socha – First Base/Designated Hitter – Voronezh Zephyrs – 71.5% Fourth Ballot

Zygmunt Socha was a 6’4’’, 195 pound left-handed first baseman from Kholm, Poland; an eastern city with about 60,000 inhabitants near the border with Ukraine. Socha was one of EPB’s most powerful hitters in his prime with a 162 game average of 40 home runs, 28 doubles, and 3 triples. He was a good-to-great contact hitter against both sides with a decent eye for walks. However, Socha struggled with strikeouts, especially late in his career.

Socha was terrible at stealing bases, but his overall speed and baserunning were merely below average as opposed to atrocious. His career starts had a 75/25 split between first base and designated hitter. Socha actually graded as a reliably average defender at first. He had stellar durability, starting 148+ games each year from 2014-31.

On top of his natural talent, Socha was a true leader of men. He was a renowned team captain with an impressive work ethic and loyalty, becoming very well-liked and respected wherever he went. By the time Socha was coming of age, Polish players were now in the European Baseball Federation’s sphere. He had representatives from EBF and EPB teams trying to lock him up to a developmental deal.

Socha didn’t sign to an academy, but did declare himself for EPB’s 2009 Draft as a high schooler. Voronezh picked him #1 overall and he made the move to Russia, spending most of the next three years in training. The Zephyrs were in the second wave of expansion teams, having started play in 2008. Socha did debut in 2011 at age 19 with 25 games and 1 start. He had 15 games and 3 starts the next year, then saw a steadier role in 2013 with 110 games and 49 starts. The Zephyrs made Socha a full-time starter in 2014 and he was a starter somewhere for the next 18 years.

He struggled in his first full season, but figured things out in 2015 with his first Silver Slugger as a DH, leading the European League with 345 total bases. Socha won additional Sluggers in 2016 (1B), 2017 (DH), 2019 (1B), 2020 (1B), and 2021 (1B). After the 2016 season, Voronezh gave Socha an eight-year, $55,460,000 extension. From 2017-21, Socha led the league in total bases and slugging four times. He also thrice led in runs, homers, and RBI.

2017 had Socha’s career high 59 home runs, earning his first MVP. He was second in 2019 and 2020’s MVP voting, then won it for the second time in 2021. Although Socha missed the 2020 MVP, that year he got only the 11^th batting Triple Crown in EPB history with 49 homers, 137 RBI, and a .334 average. This would be his only batting title and only time leading in hits with 199.

2021 was statistically his finest season with league bests for homers (58), doubles (41), runs (114), RBI (129), total bases (419), slugging (.709), OPS (1.097), wRC+ (211), and WAR (10.8). Socha’s doubles, total bases, slugging, OPS, wRC+, and WAR would be career bests and it was his only season as the WARlord. The OPS ranks as the seventh-best qualifying season in EPB history, the slugging is sixth, and the total bases were fifth.

With Socha’s leadership, Voronezh became a contender for the first time. They took first in the EL standings in 2017, 2019, and 2020; but each year were defeated in the ELCS. They fell to Krasnodar, Moscow, and Volgograd, respectively. The latter two especially hurt with 108 and 107 win seasons. The Zephyrs also got a wild card with the expanded playoffs in 2021 but lost in the first round.

Socha’s playoff stats weren’t bad, but they weren’t exceptional with 22 games, 21 hits, 13 runs, 4 doubles, 5 homers, 11 RBI, .250/.301/.500 slash, 116 wRC+, and 0.7 WAR. He had earned a big game reputation though from the World Baseball Championship with Poland from 2015-28. In 165 games, Socha had 151 hits, 94 runs, 18 doubles, 55 homers, 98 RBI, .258/.330/.570 slash, 153 wRC+, and 6.8 WAR.

In 2018, Socha was especially critical for Poland’s first-ever World Championship, defeating Iran in the final. In 24 games, he had 23 hits, 16 runs, 5 doubles, 11 homers, 24 RBI, 1.043 OPS, and 1.3 WAR. Socha also played an important role as the Poles were the 2022 runner-up to Nigeria and the 2028 runner-up to England. Poland had emerged as one of the better European contenders in that era of the WBC.

Voronezh fans loved him for his efforts, but he surprised and disappointed many by exercising his contract opt out after the 2021 season, leaving for free agency at age 30. This also marked the end of his EPB career, finishing with 1431 games, 1502 hits, 810 runs, 247 doubles, 38 triples, 348 home runs, 906 RBI, 373 walks, .295/.351/.564 slash, 164 wRC+, and 55.4 WAR. His #31 uniform would later be retired and Socha was the first EPB Hall of Famer for the Zephyrs.

However, he was only a starter full-time for eight seasons with Voronezh, which kept him from all of the top 100 lists for accumulations. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Socha’s .915 OPS is 12^th and his triple slash ranks 58^th/44^th/11^th. Still, there were many voters who felt the short career made Socha’s candidacy a non-starter. Supporters noted he was clearly elite in his brief time and helped establish one of EPB’s newer franchises as a success.

Socha did get some credit for his post Eurasian Professional Baseball career, especially since he fared well in Major League Baseball. Some think he could’ve contended for some of EPB’s records had he stayed. The short run kept him short of the 66% requirement in his first three ballots, although barely at 62.7%, 63.4%, and 63.3%. With a weak 2036 group, Socha got the bump up to 71.5% with his brief excellence earning the lone induction for the year.

It was hard to turn down the big money MLB offered and the allure of playing in the most prestigious league. His best year in Voronezh made him just over $10 million and he’d make more than double that upon his arrival in the United States. For 2022, Socha signed a five-year, $123 million deal with Houston. He had a strong debut with 6.8 WAR, 160 games, 193 hits, 124 runs, 25 doubles, 43 home runs, 132 RBI, .315/.388/.577 slash, and 162 wRC+. The Hornets won the division at 102-60, but lost in the second round.

Surprisingly, Houston gave Socha a contact opt-out option after only one year in his deal and he took it. The payday for his next stop with Brooklyn was five years and $187,500,000, putting Socha at $38 million annually in his peak seasons. While not award winning, Socha was a solid starter from 2023-25 with the Dodgers with 4.5+ WAR each year. He even smacked 50 homers in 2025, although he did have the most strikeouts in the National Association at 174. Brooklyn lost in the second round as a wild card in 2023 and were otherwise middling during his tenure.

Socha had a slower start to 2026 and the Dodgers traded him in late May to Chicago in a four-player swap. For Brooklyn, Socha played 534 games with 526 hits, 303 runs, 72 doubles, 144 home runs, 337 RBI, .266/.333/.525 slash, 147 wRC+, and 16.2 WAR. He had a decent second half for the Cubs, who lost in the first round of the playoffs. In 98 games, Socha had 95 hits, 52 runs, 16 doubles, 14 homers, 48 RBI, .264/.346/.436 slash, 117 wRC+, and 1.6 WAR. Chicago voided the team option fifth year of his original contract.

In five MLB seasons, Socha played 792 games with 814 hits, 479 runs, 113 doubles, 201 home runs, 517 RBI, 245 walks, .276/.346/.525 slash, 146 wRC+, and 24.6 WAR. While he was never the MVP contender of his EPB prime, Socha was a very successful starter, especially for a guy making his American debut in his 30s. He was back to free agency for 2027 at age 35 and put out feelers worldwide, eventually getting a bite in the African Association of Baseball. Socha moved to Chad on a three-year, $46,200,000 deal with Ndjamena.

Socha was a respectable starter in his first two years and still had good power with 47 and 44 homers, but he was closer to league average in 2029. For the Magic, Socha had 477 games, 433 hits, 297 runs, 95 doubles, 122 home runs, 308 RBI, .263/.366/.547 slash, 124 wRC+, and 8.8 WAR. Ndjamena hovered in the 70s for wins during his tenure.

He stayed in AAB for 2030 on a two-year, $10,400,000 deal with Pointe-Noire. However, Socha struggled to -0.6 WAR, 82 wRC+, and a conference-worst 201 strikeouts. The Pride finished 58-104 and were relegated down to the African Second League for 2031. Socha stayed with them and fared better against the subpar competition of A2L with 2.5 WAR in 155 games. He hoped that might earn him another big league gig somewhere in 2032, but Socha went unsigned and eventually retired that winter at age 41.

For his combined pro career (not counting A2L), Socha played 2855 games with 2883 hits, 1658 runs, 488 doubles, 52 triples, 697 home runs, 1802 RBI, 880 walks, 2761 strikeouts, and 88.3 WAR. While not an inner-circle level guy for his full resume, Socha was one of the most reliable home run hitters of the 2010s and 2020s. He was a legit MVP candidate regularly in his 20s in Voronezh and that was enough to secure the spot into EPB’s 2036 Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

For much of their careers, closers Jayden Owens and Aidan Wray raced each other towards becoming the saves leader for the Oceania Baseball Association. In 2036, both earned first ballot Hall of Fame inductions with Owens at 99.2% and Wray at 98.5%. SP Supa Malata was the best returner at 61.8% on his fourth try, falling just short of the 66% induction threshold. SP Lekinala Desire was the other guy above 50% at 56.8% for his third try. No players fell off the ballot after ten failed attempts in 2036.



Jayden “Tank” Owens – Closer – Perth Penguins – 99.2% First Ballot

Jayden Owens was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Napier, New Zealand; a small city with about 67,000 people in the Hawke’s Bay region of the North Island. Owens got the nickname “Tank” from his impressive work ethic, but he was a quiet humble man who mostly kept to himself. He had overpowering stuff with great control, although his movement was average at best.

Owens’ one-two punch was a 98-100 mph fastball and a filthy curveball. His stamina was excellent especially for a reliever and he had great durability, meaning he was almost always ready to go. He ended up with one of the highest inning counts you’ll find for a guy who never started a game. Owens also had good grades for both holding runners and defense.

In June 2009, Owens left for a Guam on a developmental deal and spent about two years in their system. Many don’t realize he started with the Golden Eagles, since he never actually pitched a game for them. In June 2011, Owens was one of four players traded to Perth for veteran pitcher George Hudson. After a year-and-a-half in the Penguins’ academy, Owens debuted in 2013 at age 22.

Owens was a part-time closer initially for Perth, then a full-timer for the next five years. He took second in 2013’s Rookie of the Year voting, then won Reliever of the Year in 2014 by leading the Australasia League with 70 games and a career high 45 saves. Owens was third in 2017 and 2018’s ROTY voting for Perth. In 2018, Owens had his best full season ERA at 1.47 and one of three seasons above 5 WAR.

The Penguins were competitive averaging 90.5 wins per season in his run, but they were perennially third or fourth place and never won a pennant. With Perth, Owens had 225 saves, 49-34 record, 2.18 ERA, 519.2 innings, 766 strikeouts, 116 walks, 175 ERA+, 55 FIP-, and 20.6 WAR. It was his longest tenure with any team and thus the one he got inducted with. He’d become well-traveled as his career progressed.

Owens was a free agent for 2019 at age 28 and signed at $18,600,000 over four years with Honolulu. He pitched three seasons with the Honu and won Reliever of the Year in 2021 with a third place finish in both 2019 and 2020. Owens led in saves with 41 in 2019 and had a 1.65 ERA and career-best 5.5 WAR in 2021.

In his 2019 debut, Honolulu ended a 22-year drought to win the Pacific League title. Owens got two saves and four scoreless innings in the Oceania Championship, although the Honu fell to Sydney. They stayed above .500 the next two years but were out of the pennant chase. With Honolulu, Owens had 111 saves, 19-24 record, 2.45 ERA, 268 innings, 391 strikeouts, 49 walks, 147 ERA+, 57 FIP-, and 10.1 WAR.

Owens around this time did also see use in the World Baseball Championship for New Zealand, often getting used as a starter. He had 19 games and 12 starts with appearances in 2014-15, 19, and 2021-24. Owens posted a 326 ERA over 99.1 innings, 5-6 record, 4 saves, 172 strikeouts, 28 walks, and 1.5 WAR. He notably had a 21 strikeout performance in 2022 facing Myanmar.

With one year left on his Honolulu deal for 2022, the Honu traded him to Christchurch for three prospects and a draft pick. The Chinooks had won back-to-back AL titles, but they dropped to 85-77 in 2022. Owens held up his end, taking second in Reliever of the Year voting with 35 saves and a 2.49 ERA. In June, Christchurch gave Owens a three-year, $18,900,000 extension.

Owens was third in ROTY voting for both 2023 and 2024, leading in games pitched both years. He was the saves leader in 2023 and 2024 had his career highs for games (78), innings (110), and strikeouts (170). In 2023, Christchurch returned to the Australasia League title, but lost to the fledgling Port Moresby dynasty for the OBA title. Owens had one successful save and one loss in his two appearances. The Chinooks fell one win short of the title in 2024, then dropped to fourth in 2025.

For Christchurch, Owens had 146 saves, 33-31 record, 2.70 ERA, 372.2 innings, 573 strikeouts, 84 walks, 145 ERA+, 57 FIP-, and 14.3 WAR. In 2023, Owens became the second OBA closer to 400 career saves, quickly passing Scott Kyle’s former record of 402. Aidan Wray and Nathan Bouye both reached 400 saves in the next two years with Boyue retiring at 421 in 2026.

Now 35-years old, Owens signed a two-year, $9,760,000 deal with Gold Coast. Despite pitching well previously, Owens saw a very reduced role with the Kangaroos. He only made 29 appearances with 38 innings despite being healthy and was still solid with a 2.13 ERA, 1 save, 51 Ks, 145 ERA+, 57 FIP-, and 14.3 WAR. Owens was at 483 saves now and two years out of the closer role allowed Wray to pass him for first. Wray finished 2027 at 486 saves, but he would depart for MLB in the next two seasons.

Owens joined Sydney in 2028 and returned to the closer role, although his stuff and strikeout rate were starting to drop. He still finished second in Reliever of the Year voting and recorded 31 saves, a 15-4 record, 2.85 ERA, 104.1 innings, 115 Ks, and 1.6 WAR. Owens passed Wray and was the OBA saves leader again, becoming the only one with 500+ saves in OBA. Wray had already gotten to 500, but that included MLB seasons. They are among only 13 relievers in world history with 500+ professional saves.

Sydney won the AL title in 2028 at 105-57 and defeated 110-win Honolulu for the Oceania Championship. Owens had only one playoff appearance with a scoreless inning and a win. In the Baseball Grand Championship, Owens had 9 saves in 10 appearances with a 2.19 ERA over 12.1 innings, 15 strikeouts, and 0.3 WAR. The Snakes would be one of four teams finishing second at 13-6; officially placing third after tiebreakers.

By now, Owens’s velocity was now peaking in the low-mid 90 mph range and his movement had weakened, but he still had good enough control to be passable. In 2029, he had a 3.58 ERA over 27.2 innings with 29 strikeouts for Adelaide. Owens signed with Port Moresby in 2030 but only had two appearances, albeit with four scoreless innings. Owens retired after the 2030 season at age 39.

Owens finished with a 122-100 record, 514 saves, 564 shutdowns, 2.46 ERA, 1027 games, 1334.1 innings, 1930 strikeouts, 276 walks, 154 ERA+, 59 FIP-, and 48.0 WAR. He is the OBA leader for saves and games pitched and ranks 78^th in WAR among all pitchers. Among those with 1000+ innings, Owens is the OBA leader in K/9 at 13.02. Owens also ranks 24^th in ERA, 23^rd in H/9 (6.60), 23^rd in WHIP (0.94), 44^th in opponent’s OPS (.594) and his .203/.249/.345 slash line ranks 18^th/23^rd/84^th.

On the world leaderboards, Owens is 11^th in saves, 20^th in shutdowns, and 25^th in games pitched. He ranks 28^th in strikeouts among career relievers and just misses the top 50 for WAR. Owens was never quite as overwhelmingly dominant as some of the other great Hall of Fame closers and generally ranks below Wray in terms of rate stats. Wray does also have him just beat for games and saves when counting Wray’s MLB totals.

Still, Owens can say he’s the Oceania Baseball Association’s saves leader and the only one with 500+ saves in OBA. That puts him equal or just above Wray for some scholars, along with his good playoff success and humble personality. Although Wray is objectively better statistically, Wray’s obnoxious personality made a lot of people prefer Owens as a player. Both were slam dunk Hall of Famers for 2036 with Owens just getting the voting edge at 99.2%.



Aidan “Trey” Wray – Closer – Guam Golden Eagles – 98.5% First Ballot

Aidan Wray was a 6’2’’, 190 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Adelaide, Australia. Nicknamed “Trey” as the third in his family with the name, Wray had fantastic stuff along with excellent movement and very good control. He had a 97-99 mph fastball along with a top shelf curveball. His stamina graded as good for a reliever and he had excellent durability, avoiding major injuries in his career.

Wray was respectable at holding runners and was a rock solid defensive pitcher. The main knock on him was his personality with detractors criticizing his work ethic, intelligence, and adaptability. Still, Wray’s raw talent made him elite, even if his personality and role meant he didn’t stay in one place very long.

Relievers weren’t often high draft picks, but Wray was an exception as he went seventh to Gold Coast in the 2013 OBA Draft. He was their closer right away and took second in Rookie of the Year voting. Wray was elite by his third year and his fourth year was his first time as a Reliever of the Year finalist, taking second in 2017. He didn’t get a ton of immediate publicity though as the Kangaroos were a bottom-rung franchise in his brief tenure.

In four seasons for Gold Coast, Wray had 127 saves, 23-30 record, 2.48 ERA, 315.1 innings, 435 strikeouts, 46 walks, 153 ERA+, 66 FIP-, and 9.8 WAR. With a year remaining before free agency, the Kangaroos traded him in January 2018 to Brisbane for four prospects. The Black Bears were the defending Australasia League champ and wanted to start a dynasty. They finished 92-70 though in 2018, tied for third.

However, Wray was second in Reliever of the Year voting and led in saves for the first time with 41. He had a career best 0.67 ERA with141 strikeouts and 6.8 WAR, but lost the top honor to Sydney’s Calvin Wu who had 6.1 WAR. This certainly boosted Wray’s stock for free agency at age 28 and he signed a four-year, $18,680,000 deal with Guam. The Golden Eagles had won back-to-back OBA titles in 2016-17 and the Baseball Grand Championship in 2016, but had fallen to 82-80 in 2018.

Wray repeated as Reliever of the Year in 2019-20 and was third in 2019’s Pitcher of the Year voting. He won ROTY again in 2022, giving him three for his career to that point. 2020 was his high for strikeouts (160) with only eight walks in 93.1 innings as well as 6.7 WAR. All four of his Guam seasons saw an ERA below two and was worth at least 4 WAR with 39+ saves. The Golden Eagles remained competitive in Wray’s tenure and broke through once, winning the 2020 Oceania Championship over Christchurch.

In the series, Wray had three appearances with two saves and one loss, allowing four runs in 5.2 innings. He made up for it with a dominant Baseball Grand Championship outing with seven saves in nine appearances, 10.2 scoreless innings, and 23 strikeouts. Guam finished 12-7 for fourth place outright. Overall for the Golden Eagles, Wray had 161 saves, 31-16 record, 1.50 ERA, 342 innings, 552 strikeouts, 46 walks, 239 ERA+, 29 FIP-, and 20.6 WAR.

For 2023, Wray signed a two-year, $11 million deal with Auckland. He won his fourth Reliever of the Year that season and had 33 saves, 2.20 ERA, 98 innings, 133 Ks, and 4.1 WAR. The Avengers fell off a cliff that year despite Wray’s efforts. They had won 101 in 2022 and fell a win short of the pennant, but Auckland collapsed to 67-95 in 2023.

The Avengers had a fire sale and got four prospects for Wray in an offseason deal with Melbourne. He was second in both 2024’s Reliever and Pitcher of the Year voting with 41 saves, 1.16 ERA, 85.2 innings, 111 Ks, and 4.4 WAR. Wray finished the year at 403 saves, passing Scott Kyle’s old record by one. His chase with Jayden Owens for the #1 spot took a sabbatical though as Wray moved to Major League Baseball in 2025 on a two-year, $29,800,000 deal with Ottawa.

In 65 innings for the Elks, Wray had 22 saves, 2.22 ERA, 65 Ks, and 2.1 WAR. Ottawa voided the second-year option for 2026 and the now 35-year old Wray came back to OBA on a two-year, $11,800,000 deal with Christchurch. He had his worst ERA in 2026 at 3.76 despite leading with 74 games. The Chinooks won the AL pennant at 109-53, falling to Port Moresby’s dynasty in the OBA Championship. In the series, Wray gave up two runs over 4.1 innings.

Wray was again scoreless in the Baseball Grand Championship, getting four saves and a win in seven innings with 9 strikeouts. Christchurch finished 6-13 for the event. Wray bounced back in 2027 with 40 saves and a 1.60 ERA. He won his fifth Reliever of the Year, joining Kyle as the only five-time winners in OBA history. Christchurch fell to fourth place at 90-72. In two years there, Wray had 83 saves, 2.64 ERA, 163.1 innings, 206 strikeouts, 29 walks, 145 ERA+, 69 FIP-, and 4.8 WAR.

In 2027, Wray reached two notable milestones. He finished with 486 OBA saves, which passed Jayden Owens at 483. Counting the Ottawa tenure in MLB, he also reached 500 professional saves. Wray gave MLB another shot in 2028 on a two-year deal with Columbus worth $17,700,000. He was merely a decent mid relief guy with the Chargers with 6 saves, 3.79 ERA, 74 games, 92.2 innings, 78 strikeouts, 108 ERA+, and 1.0 WAR.

Owens had reclaimed the OBA saves lead and Wray returned to try to get it back in 2030 with Honolulu. His stuff was diminishing though and he was used more in long relief with a 3.00 ERA over 60 innings, 2 saves, and 0.4 WAR. Wray retired that winter at age 39, behind Owens for OBA saves but ahead by two when adding his MLB years.

In OBA, Wray had 488 saves and 549 shutdowns, 94-83 record, 1.99 ERA, 922 games, 1145.1 innings, 1630 strikeouts, 230 walks, 189 ERA+, 50 FIP-, and 50.9 WAR. Wray is 2^nd in saves and games to Owens in OBA while ranking 69^th in WAR among all pitchers. For OBA pitchers with 1000+ innings, Wray is behind only Flynn Rodden (1.79) for ERA.

Wray is also 15^th in H/9 (6.41), 2^nd in K/9 (12.81), 13^th in WHIP (0.91), 5^th in opponent’s OPS (.547), and his triple slash of .197/.241/.306 ranks 9^th/10^th/8^th. For Wray’s combined pro career, he had 516 saves and 597 shutdowns, 106-93 record, 2.13 ERA, 1057 games, 1303 innings, 1773 strikeouts, 268 walks, 179 ERA+, 53 FIP-, and 54.0 WAR. On the world leaderboards for relievers, Wray ranks 19^th in games, 9^th in saves, 9^th in shutdowns, 38^th in strikeouts, and 31^st in WAR. He also ranks 44^th in ERA+.

He’s got Owens beat on rate stats and barely edged him for saves and games when counting the MLB stats. Wray might not have being overwhelmingly dominant enough to be a true top 10 closer all-time, but ranking 9^th in saves certainly gets you in the conversation. It also makes Wray a Hall of Fame lock at 98.5%, standing alongside Owens as the 2036 inductees for the Oceania Baseball Association.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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Closer Normeezan Hasrin was the headliner for the Austronesia Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 2036 at 95.5%. P Favian Frias joined him with 68.3% on his fourth ballot, just crossing the 66% induction threshold. Two longstanding returners were above 50% with 1B Ali Yusuf with 54.0% on his eighth try and CL Meng-Hsien Wu at 51.3% on his ninth ballot. No one else was above 50% and no one was removed after ten failed ballots.



Normeezan Hasrin – Closer – Bandung Blackhawks – 95.5% First Ballot

Normeezan Hasrin was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Johor Bahru, Malaysia’s second-largest city. Hasrin had absolutely filthy stuff along with great movement, although his control was average at best. His one-two punch was an outstanding 99-101 fastball along with a slider. Hasrin’s stamina was very good for a reliever and he mostly avoided injuries in his prime years. Hasrin was above average at holding runners, but weak defensively.

His biggest flaw was that he was a complete jerk. You would be hard pressed to find anyone who would complement Hasrin’s personality with words like selfish, lazy, and dumb often coming to mind. His talent was undeniable though and kept him around 17 seasons in pro baseball. Hasrin left Malaysia in November 2013 on a teenage amateur deal with Bandung, spending most of five years in their academy. He debuted in 2018 at age 21 with nine appearances.

Hasrin earned the starting closer job in 2019 and held it through 2025 with the Blackhawks, leading the Sundaland Association in games pitched in 2019 as a rookie. He was second in Reliever of the Year voting in 2020 and 2021, then won it for the first time in 2022. Hasrin then finished second in 2023, 2024, and 2025’s voting. His longest career saves streak was 54 opportunities from 6/9/20 to 9/23/21.

Bandung was mid-tier for much of Hasrin’s run, but earned playoff trips in 2022 and 2024. They lost the 2022 association finals to Medan, but got the win in 2024 against Pekanbaru. The Blackhawks then defeated Kaohsiung for the 2024 Austronesia Championship. In 12.2 playoff innings for Bandung, Hasrin had six saves, 1.42 ERA, 26 strikeouts, and 0.4 WAR.

In the Baseball Grand Championship, Bandung was one win short of the top spot at 12-7, taking fourth with a tiebreaker over Houston. Hasrin was outstanding in the BGC with 14.1 scoreless innings, six saves, 27 strikeouts, and 1.2 WAR. He had been successful as well previously pitching for Malaysia in the World Baseball Championship. There, he was often a starter with 177.2 innings from 2019-33 with a 13-9 record, 2.08 ERA, 310 strikeouts, 55 walks, and 7.7 WAR. Although they never made the playoffs in his tenure, Hasrin is the leader for Malaysians in the WBC for pitching WAR, strikeouts, and wins.

With Bandung, Hasrin had 230 saves and 304 shutdowns, a 53-46 record, 1.72 ERA, 499 games, 640 innings, 1099 strikeouts, 144 walks, 146 ERA+, 38 FIP-, and 30.0 WAR. He had one year left on his deal for 2026 and his personality was starting to clash more with management. The Blackhawks traded him in December 2025 to Hsinchu for three prospects. One of them was SP Fred Pasaya, who would become a six-time league leader in strikeouts for Bandung and key part of their 2030s titles.

Hasrin won his second Reliever of the Year in his lone season with the Sweathogs with 37 saves, 77 games, 1.24 ERA, 101.1 innings, 168 Ks, and 5.6 WAR. Now a free agent for the first time at age 30, Hasrin returned to his home city Johor Bahru on a four-year, $19,520,000 deal. This run saw his greatest dominance, winning ROTY again in 2027 and 2028.

The 2028 season was second in Pitcher of the Year voting with a 0.50 ERA over 109 innings and 82 games, 52 saves, 193 strikeouts, and 8.1 WAR. These were career bests across the board and by WAR, this was the second-best season ever by a reliever in any world league. Only Maksym Badlo had him beat with 8.3 WAR in the 1983 Eurasian Professional Baseball season.

Hasrin’s 52 saves fell one short of Metta Adam’s APB single-season record and is one of only 29 seasons in world history of 52+ saves. He had an FIP- of zero and ERA+ of 485. From June 19 to September 2, Hasrin had a streak of 44 consecutive scoreless innings over 34 games.

Johor Bahru earned playoff trips in both 2027-28 and won the Sundaland Association in 2028, although they lost to Cebu in the APB Championship. In his nine playoff appearances for the Blue Wings, Hasrin had five saves, 0.53 ERA, 17 innings, 30 Ks, and 0.9 WAR. While in his home city, Hasrin became the fourth APB closer to 400 career saves. In four years with Johor Bahru, Hasrin had 164 saves, 24-13 record, 1.00 ERA, 286 games, 379 innings, 657 strikeouts, 247 ERA+, 17 FIP-, and 23.5 WAR.

Hasrin was a free agent again for 2031 at age 34 and was only six saves from passing Metta Adam’s 437 to become APB’s career leader. He wouldn’t get there though as he left APB for Major League Baseball on a two-year, $19,400,000 deal with Houston. Hasrin ran into trouble right away unfortunately. His last APB season had a sore shoulder that cost him a month. In 2031, that manifested as severe inflammation that kept him out most of the year.

Houston only used him for eight appearances with a 3.71 ERA in 17 innings, but they did go onto win the 2031 World Series. The Hornets were 14-7 in the Baseball Grand Championship, placing second on a tiebreaker to Hyderabad. Hasrin did get back for one BGC appearance, tossing 1.2 no-hit innings. He was healthy in 2032, but only was used for 20 innings. In total for Houston, Hasrin had 37 innings in 20 games, 3.16 ERA, 42 Ks, and 0.9 WAR.

Hasrin stayed in MLB for 2033 with Kansas City in mid relief with a 1.97 ERA over 32 innings. The Cougars traded him in July to Washington where he posted a 1.50 ERA over 18 innings. The Admirals lost in the World Series to Albuquerque, but won the BGC at 18-3. Hasrin didn’t pitch in the MLB postseason and only tossed one scoreless inning in the BGC run, although the ring fits on Hasrin’s finger all the same.

Columbus signed Hasrin for 2034, but cut him in July after he had a 6.20 ERA in 20.1 innings. Hasrin finished the year in Arab League Baseball with Casablanca with a 4.28 ERA over 27.1 innings. He gave up two runs in four playoff innings as the Bruins lost in the conference final. Hasrin thought he could still go and was signed into Los Angeles’ system in 2035, spending the whole year in minor league Bakersfield. He finally retired that winter at age 38.

In APB, Hasrin had 431 saves and 545 shutdowns, 89-71 record, 1.43 ERA, 1120.1 innings, 862 games, 1924 strikeouts, 235 walks, 177 ERA+, 30 FIP-, and 59.1 WAR. He ranks 3^rd in saves and 6^th in games and is 84^th in WAR among all APB pitchers. Among those with 1000+ innings, Hasrin is the APB leader in H/9 (4.60), K/9 (15.46), and opponent’s batting average (.149). He also ranks 3^rd in ERA, 3^rd in WHIP (0.72), 2^nd in OBP (.199), 2^nd in slugging (.239), and 2^nd in OPS (.439).

His combined pro career had a 99-81 record, 434 saves, 566 shutdowns, 1.64 ERA, 952 games, 1255 innings, 2040 strikeouts, 279 walks, 169 ERA+, 36 FIP-, and 60.6 WAR. Among career relievers on the world leaderboards, Hasrin is 48^th in games, 18^th in shutdowns, 20^th in WAR, 41^st in saves, and 15^th in strikeouts. He’s also 24^th in ERA, although just out of the top 50 in ERA+. Hasrin does sit 19^th in FIP- and 13^th in opponent’s OPS among the great relievers.

Certainly in his peak, few closers were ever more dominant than Hasrin, even when adjusting for the ultra-low scoring numbers of Austronesia Professional Baseball. Among APB’s Hall of Fame relievers, Hasrin leads in WAR and is 2^nd in Ks and 5^th in ERA. His 2028 season also remains a candidate for the best-ever single-season effort by a closer in any league.

You could certainly make the case that he’s APB’s best-ever closer and he might have gotten that title outright had he not left and declined like he did in his mid 30s. Even if he was an unlikeable jerk, he was an obvious HOF pick, headlining APB’s 2036 ballot at 95.5%.



Favian “Trigger” Frias – Pitcher – Cebu Crows – 68.3% Fourth Ballot

Favian Frias was a 6’3’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Candoni, Philippines; a small municipality of about 24,000 people in the Negros Occidental province. Frias earned the nickname “Trigger” due to his remarkable raw stuff, which earned the rare 10/10 grade even as a starter. He also had excellent control and very good movement in his prime. Frias’ velocity peaked in the 97-99 mph range with a three-pitch arsenal of cutter, changeup, and knuckle curve. The latter two pitches graded as all-timers as he was a master at changing speeds. He graded around average for defense and holding runners.

Unfortunately, Frias’ style came with drawbacks as he dealt with multiple major injuries. It also tanked his stamina especially in later years, as he’d spend most of his 30s as a reliever. Still, Frias remained very effective when healthy over a 19-year run. His sparkplug personality meant he’d always leave it all out of the field with an incredible work ethic and adaptability. Frias was also one of the smarter pitchers in the game and made the most of what his body would allow.

Frias quickly emerged as arguably the best overall prospect for the 2006 APB Draft and was picked second overall by Cebu. He wasn’t immediately big league ready though out of high school and only saw one relief appearance between 2007-08. The Crows made him a part-time starter with mixed results in 2009, but they had faith and gave him the full-time job in 2010. They were rewarded that year as he led the Taiwan-Philippine Association with 347 strikeouts.

In 2011, Frias won Pitcher of the Year and the ERA title at 1.44 while also leading in strikeouts (373), WHIP (0.65), and WAR (11.1). He also tossed his first no-hitter on August 20 with 11 strikeouts and two walks facing Manila. Cebu had been second in the Philippine League now in five straight years, but couldn’t dethrone Davao’s dynasty. However, the Crows felt they had their ace who could help them do it, giving Frias a seven-year, $51,120,000 extension that winter.

Frias’ first huge injury setback came on May 30, 2012 with a torn ulnar collateral ligament that knocked him out a calendar year. Cebu did notably go 106-56 and won the pennant, falling to Semarang in the APB Championship. Sadly, this denied Frias from ever pitching in the APB postseason, although he had a ring. The Crows remained competitive from 2013-15, but Zamboanga took control of the Filipino scene. From 2016-22, Cebu only had losing seasons.

He was decent in his 2013 return, then was a monster in 2014 for his second Pitcher of the Year. Frias led with career bests in strikeouts (388) and WAR (14.4) along with his career best for ERA at 1.07. The WAR ranks as the 13^th-best single-season by an APB pitcher. Frias had insane competition that year with the legendary Zebras ace Ching-Chen Yao, who set the APB ERA record that year at 0.73. Yao had only 172 innings to Frias’ 253.1, which gave the edge to the latter in the voting.

Frias and Yao both had a 0.54 WHIP, which was the single-season world record for a qualified starter and would only get passed once. Frias had a 3.91 H/9, .129/.158/.200 slash, and .358 opponent’s OPS. Each of Frias’ marks would’ve been APB records if not for Yao beating them in the same season. Frias’ H/9/, average, OBP, and OPS all rank as the third-best qualifying season in world history. Capping off the effort was APB’s 37^th perfect game as Frias struck out 12 against Taichung on June 2.

Both 2015 and 2016 had third place finishes in Pitcher of the Year voting. 2015 was Frias’ only time leading in wins at 23-5. On August 2, 2016; Frias had his third no-hitter in a 15 strikeout performance against Tainan. His pace was a bit less dominant in 2017, although he was still good for 6.3 WAR over 175 innings. That August, Frias suffered a partially torn UCL that ended his season.

Frias was slow to return in 2018 and Cebu experimented with him in the bullpen. That was short-lived though as in his ninth appearance in May, a ruptured disc in his back ended his season. This also ended Frias’ time with Cebu as he was due free agency at age 31. They were worried he was too damaged of goods and let him go. Frias remained popular and his #3 uniform would later get retired. With Cebu, he had a 113-65 record, 1.81 ERA, 1744.1 innings, 2479 strikeouts, 264 walks, 150 ERA+, 48 FIP-, and 70.1 WAR.

Many teams were leery of giving him the big ace contract considering the injury history. Frias made the move to Major League Baseball on a two-year, $15,300,000 deal with New Orleans with expectations to be a reliever. He would still return home to the Philippines for the World Baseball Championship. From 2011-27, Frias had 151.2 innings, 12-4 record, 2.67 ERA, 230 strikeouts, and 5.7 WAR. He had world champion on his resume as part of the Philippines’ 2015 triumph over Mexico.

New Orleans only used him in 23 relief innings in 2019, then gave him a few starts with 80.1 innings in 2020. For the Mudcats, he had a 2.61 ERA, 11-6 record, 103.1 innings, 124 strikeouts, 147 ERA+, 52 FIP-, and 3.6 WAR. Frias wasn’t elite anymore, but still clearly had value. Phoenix took the chance on giving him a big deal in 2021 at $102 million over five years.

The Firebirds ultimately used him in middle relief over four years, although he was effective in that role. In 141.2 innings, Frias had a 2.10 ERA, 36 saves, 16-16 record, 183 strikeouts, 185 ERA+, 38 FIP-, and 7.7 WAR. Teams were reluctant to push him harder, but he had stayed mostly healthy in that time. Now 37-years old and hoping for a bigger role, Frias ended up in Australia on a two-year, $10,800,000 deal with OBA’s Adelaide Aardvarks.

Frias was the closer for them in 2025 with 37 saves, a 2.46 ERA, 84 innings, 111 strikeouts, and 2.7 WAR. Adelaide opted to trade him in March 2026 to Port Moresby for four prospects. The Mud Hens were amidst a dynasty run at this point with three straight Pacific League titles and two OBA rings. PM also gave Frias something he really wanted, a chance to be a starter again.

In 173.2 innings, Frias won the ERA title at 2.02 and had 5.8 WAR. However, a sore shoulder kept him out much of the summer. Port Moresby had the best record of their dynasty at 119-43 and beat Christchurch in the OBA Championship, staking a case for OBA’s best-ever team. Frias did struggle in the series with a 9.39 ERA in his two starts and only 7.2 innings. He fared much better in the Baseball Grand Championship with a 1.65 ERA in 27.1 innings with 26 Ks. The Mud Hens were one of six teams to finish at 12-7 and were officially eighth after tiebreakers.

Frias was a free agent again at age 39 and wanted to return to his home country, signing a three-year, $31,500,000 deal with Manila. The Manatees let him start, but he was unremarkable with a 2.85 ERA and 1.5 WAR in 98 innings. A forearm strain in early June kept him out six weeks. Then in early August, Frias suffered another torn UCL with a 14 month expected recovery time. Realizing that was it, he retired that winter at age 40.

In APB, Frias had a 119-71 record, 1.86 ERA, 1842.1 innings, 2584 strikeouts, 279 walks, 193/238 quality starts, 50 complete games, 14 shutouts, 146 ERA+, 51 FIP-, and 71.6 WAR. For his combined pro career, Frias had a 163-109 record, 95 saves, 1.94 ERA, 2345 innings, 3182 strikeouts, 373 walks, 151 ERA+, 51 FIP-, and 91.3 WAR.

Since he didn’t even get to 2000 APB innings, Frias unsurprisingly doesn’t rate high for the counting stats. Still, he ranks 43^rd in WAR among APB pitchers despite that. Among those with 1000+ innings, Frias is 19^th in ERA, 12^th in H/9 (5.58), 19^th in K/9 (12.62), and 8^th in WHIP (0.77). His opponent’s triple slash of .178/.231/.280 ranks 12^th/9^th/20^th and his .493 OPS is 12^th.

Frias’ resume was a really tough one for the Hall of Fame voters in Austronesia Professional Baseball. His rate stats and peak dominance were obviously top flight, but he only had about eight full seasons’ worth of innings in APB. Even if they were exceptional, that just wasn’t enough tenure for a lot of voters. Frias also had the misfortune of sharing a league with Ching-Chen Yao, who was arguably the best pitcher in the entire world in the 2010s. Yao’s dominance and Cebu’s above averageness as a team lowered Frias’ profile.

For the voters that favored big peaks, Frias was an easy choice. Among all world HOF starters, he ranks 22^nd in ERA. Even when you factor in APB’s incredibly low scoring environment, Frias also is notably 29^th in ERA+ and 13^th in FIP- among all of the world’s Hall of Fame starters and retired locks. When he was healthy, few pitchers in all of history were more dominant than Frias. But maintaining that level of stuff absolutely wrecked his body.

For his first three ballots, Frias missed the cut at 51.5%, 59.3%, and 52.5%. In 2036 with limited standouts, a few of the skeptics were swayed towards a yay vote. Frias got 68.3%, just barely crossing the 66% threshold for induction. Injuries may have denied him the inner-circle and pushed him to the fourth ballot, but Frias’ dominance still earned him a spot among APB’s enshrined greats.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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For the second time in three years, Chinese League Baseball didn’t add anyone into the Hall of Fame. The closest to the 66% requirement in 2036 was SP Xiaole Li with 63.6% on his fifth try. SP Yingfa Luo was the top debut at 58.4%. Four other returners were above 50% with SP Dalong Li at 56.9% on his second ballot, SP Likong Zhong at 54.5% for his eighth go, RF Boyu Long at 53.0% with his seventh attempt, and SP Zhiyun Yue at 50.9% on his eighth ballot. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots.

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1B Kerim Werzeg was the lone Hall of Famer for West African Baseball in 2036 with a first ballot nod at 86.1%. Seven returners were above 50%, but short of the 66% requirement. SP Joseph Masuta and CL Nwaneri Victor led that group at 55.6% each with Masuta on his fifth ballot and Victor his fourth. LF Lovemore James had 52.5% on his third try, SP Minusu Ekong got 51.7% with his fifth ballot, SP Mokhtar Abdoulaye had 51.4% on his fourth go, and SP Sabado Balde saw 51.4% for his second attempt.



Falling off the ballot after ten tries was LF Julius Ayuba, who peaked at 45.4% in 2032 and ended at 28.6%. He was a 13-time Gold Glove winner and four time Silver Slugger winner and was notably finals and LCS MVP in Monrovia’s 2006 championship season. In 18 seasons, Ayuba had 2433 games, 2331 hits, 1486 runs, 354 doubles, 100 triples, 445 home runs, 1347 RBI, 1272 walks, 521 steals, .280/.379/.507 slash, 134 wRC+, and 64.0 WAR. Ayuba also had a career 1.030 OPS, 173 wRC+, and 3.2 WAR in 61 playoff starts.

Ayuba is notably the only 13-time Gold Glove winner at any position in WAB and ranks 4^th in walks, 23^rd in runs, 39^th in WAR for position players, 61^st in hits, 44^th in homers, and 57^th in RBI. However, he had a middling batting average and didn’t generally lead in stats outside of walks or OBP. Defense and walks didn’t value too highly with many voters, leaving Ayuba in the Hall of Pretty Good despite a solid resume.

DH Abdoulaye Sissako also was dropped after ten ballots, peaking at 32.5% in 2028 and ending with 8.1%. He was hurt both by being a career DH and because parts of his 18 year career were spent in MLB, OBA, AAB, and BSA. Sissako is on a short list of guys to compete in five of the world’s major leagues. He won MVP in 2010 with Cape Verde and in WAB had 1959 games, 2137 hits, 1065 runs, 483 doubles, 425 home runs, 1407 RBI, .283/.326/.531 slash, 124 wRC+, and 30.0 WAR.

Sissako’s combined career had 2393 games, 2567 hits, 1307 runs, 575 doubles, 523 home runs, 1670 RBI, 539 walks, 2274 strikeouts, .281/.323/.531 slash, 125 wRC+, and 39.1 WAR. He was a very nice hitter, but you need to be truly exceptional to get the nod both as a career DH and in a high scoring league like WAB.



Kerim Werzeg – First Base – Bamako Bullfrogs – 86.1% First Ballot

Kerim Werzeg was a 6’6’’, 215 pound left-handed first baseman from Zuwarat, Mauritania; the largest town in the country’s north with about 62,000 people. Werzeg was the third Mauritanian inductee into WAB’s HOF. Especially against right-handed pitching, Werzeg graded as good-to-great across the board in terms of contact, power, and eye. He had a career 1.041 OPS and 162 wRC+ facing RHP compared to merely decent .809 OPS and 109 wRC+ facing lefties.

Werzeg’s power wasn’t exceptional, but it was very steady and reliable with a 162 game average of 37 home runs, 41 doubles, 3 triples, and 113 RBI. His baserunning instincts were respectable, but his speed was abysmal. Werzeg’s big frame made him a career first baseman with occasional stints as a designated hitter. He graded as a below average defender, but he wasn’t a total liability by any means. Werzeg’s durability was mostly good with 134+ starts each year from 2018-29. Fans and teammates appreciated Werzeg’s likeable demeanor, known for his loyalty, intelligence, and team-first attitude.

In the 2013 WAB Draft, Werzeg was picked fifth overall by Bamako, where he spent the vast majority of his career. He saw limited use initially with only seven games in 2014, followed by 94 games and 49 starts in 2015. The Bullfrogs had emerged as a contender in 2015, winning the Western League pennant. Werzeg started 11 playoff games with 9 hits, 5 runs, 4 homers, and 10 RBI. Bamako would be denied in the WAB Championship by Port Harcourt.

The Bullfrogs started a seven-year playoff streak in 2015. Werzeg was a full-time starter for the first time in 2016 with good results, then got reduced to a platoon role in 2017. Bamako lost in the second round as a wild card in 2016, but bounced back in 2017 with a franchise-record 109-53. They won their second WL title in three years, but fell to Kano for the WAB title. The Bullfrogs got the at-large into the Baseball Grand Championship and surprised many by finishing in a three-way tie for the #1 spot at 12-7. The tiebreaker put them behind both Juarez and Concepcion for third place.

Werzeg returned to the full-time starting spot in 2018 and held onto that job through 2029. He also emerged as an award winner with Silver Sluggers in 2018, 19, and 21. His best effort came in 2019 as the WL leader in batting average (.374), OBP (.433), OPS (1.114), and wRC+ (187). Those were all career bests as was his 8.0 WAR and 224 hits, although he wasn’t an MVP finalist. Werzeg also led in OBP in 2018, his only other time as a league leader.

Bamako had a one-and-done in 2018 at 91-71, then roared back to 109-53 in 2019 for their third pennant in five years. Yet again, they couldn’t claim the top prize and were foiled in a rematch with Kano. The Bullfrogs qualified as the at-large again for the BGC and finished 8-11. In his 35 BGC games, Werzeg had 29 hits, 25 runs, 4 doubles, 10 homers, 27 RBI, .238/.329/.516 slash, 133 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR. After the 2019 season, Bamako signed Werzeg to an eight-year, $74,200,000 extension.

2020 had a second round exit at 96-66, followed by a first place finish in 2021 at 98-64. Like their prior #1 seeds, Bamako won the WLCS. However, they were now 0-4 in the West African Championship, falling in 2021 to Yaounde. To the surprise of many, Werzeg opted out of his big contact after the 2021 campaign, heading to free agency at age 28. He ended up signing a four-year, $47,100,000 deal with Abidjan.

The Athletes took first in the standings at 104-58, but was upset in the 2022 WLCS by Conakry. Werzeg maintained his normal pace that year with 41 homers, 140 RBI, 211 hits, 116 runs, .341/.395/.609 slash, 159 wRC+, and 6.6 WAR. The experience wasn’t what Werzeg wanted though and he opted out of that deal after only one year. He returned to Bamako on a new four-year, $76,800,000 deal.

Werzeg won Silver Sluggers in both 2023 and 2024 and was third in 2023’s MVP voting, his only time as a finalist. 2023 had his career high for homers (49) and runs (122). He again opted out of his deal after only one year in 2023, but stayed with Bamako on a new six-year, $128,400,000 deal. That contract Werzeg finally saw through to the end. His production dipped somewhat from 2026 onward from his prior peaks, but he still was a solid starter through 2028.

Bamako’s time as a regular contender came to a close. They got a wild card in 2023 with a second round exit, then spent the rest of the decade below .500. For his playoff career with the Bullfrogs, Werzeg had 56 games, 59 hits, 23 runs, 17 doubles, 10 homers, 32 RBI, .299/.367/.538 slash, 128 wRC+, and 1.6 WAR. For Bamako overall, Werzeg had 2071 games, 2439 hits, 1279 runs, 535 doubles, 475 home runs, 1437 RBI, 681 walks, .325/.386/.595 slash, 148 wRC+, and 65.0 WAR.

In September 2028, Werzeg crossed the 500 home run, 1500 RBI, and 2500 hit milestones. In 2029, he fell off to career lows to that point with an .842 OPS, 109 wRC+, and 1.3 WAR. Werzeg wasn’t re-signed and became a free agent at age 36. He remained popular though for his lengthy run with Bamako and his 24 uniform would be retired shortly.

Werzeg thought he had gas left in the tank and so did Dakar, who gave him a three-year, $14,780,000 deal. The Dukes were the defending WAB champ and Werzeg thought this was his last chance to get that elusive WAB ring. He struggled in a limited role in 2030 with 88 games, 52 starts, .751 OPS, 88 wRC+, and -0.1 WAR. Dakar repeated as Western League champs at 104-58, but fell in a finals rematch with Cotonou. Werzeg had only four plate appearances in the playoffs, although he did have a solo homer. He retired that winter at age 37.

In total, Werzeg had 2316 games, 2706 hits, 1421 runs, 583 doubles, 36 triples, 526 homers, 1611 RBI, 750 walks, 1818 strikeouts, .324/.385/.592 slash, .977 OPS, 148 wRC+, and 71.5 WAR. Werzeg ranks 31^st in games, 31^st in runs, 26^th in hits, 25^th in total bases (4939), 18^th in doubles, 30^th in homers, 21^st in RBI, 25^th in walks, and 23^rd in WAR among position players. His OPS is 30^th among WAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances and his triple slash ranks 75^th/35^th/44^th.

Werzeg was never viewed as the top guy in the league, but he was a remarkably consistent and reliable bat for 15 years and earned some solid accumulations. He also was a notable part of Bamako’s four pennants and run of success in the 2010s and early 2020s. Werzeg wasn’t an inner-circle type Hall of Famer, but his 86.1% put him in on his first ballot as West African Baseball’s lone inductee for 2036.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

Two players were first ballot additions for the South Asia Baseball Hall of Fame in 2036. OF Rahul Gonzales was the clear headliner at 93.1%, while IF Hamidul Rahman sneaked past the 66% requirement at 70.1%. SP Siddhant Shakya narrowly missed out on his ninth try at 62.5%. LF Ganga Wong was also close with a debut at 62.2%. Also above 50% was 1B Rochana Sanson at 53.1% on his fifth attempt.



Dropped after ten ballots was SP Shafiq Khaimi, who peaked at 42.0% in 2028 and ended at 13.2%. In 16 seasons, he had a 161-147 record, 3.47 ERA, 2932.2 innings, 3593 strikeouts, 649 walks, 92 complete games, 14 shutouts, 112 ERA+, 89 FIP-, and 52.5 WAR. Khaimi got a championship ring in 2017 with Yangon, although he missed the playoff run to injury. He also led twice in strikeouts and ranks 19^th in Ks.

Despite the strikeout totals, Khaimi was never a Pitcher of the Year finalist. His WAR was comparable to some of the lower-end starters that had gotten inducted, but his ERA was higher than almost all of them. The few exceptions had gotten to 200+ wins and 4000 Ks unlike Khaimi as well, limiting him to the Hall of Pretty Good.



Rahul Gonzales – Right/Left Field – Hyderabad Hippos – 93.1% First Ballot

Rahul Gonzales was a 6’4’’, 200 pound switch-hitting corner outfielder from Hajipur, India; a city of about 147,000 people in the state of Bihar. Gonzales was a very good contact hitter with an above average eye for walks and avoiding strikeouts. His best results came facing right-handed pitching (.942 OPS, 164 wRC+) but he wasn’t bad by any means against lefties (.770 OPS, 124 wRC+). Gonzales’ power was mostly towards the gaps with a 162 game average of 33 doubles, 8 triples, and 24 home runs.

Few players were better at baserunning than Gonzales and he had good-to-great speed. He split his career between the corner outfield spots with about a 60/40 lean towards right field. Gonzales graded as a reliably solid glove man in RF with below average metrics in LF. His durability was generally strong, playing 150+ games in all but two of his 16 pro seasons.

Gonzales was the fifth overall pick in the 2014 SAB Draft by Hyderabad, who made him a full-time starter right away. He took third in 2015’s Rookie of the Year voting, then won his only Silver Slugger in 2017 in RF. Gonzales was second in 2017’s MVP voting, leading the league with career highs for hits (228), doubles (47), average (.388), OBP (.449), OPS (1.077), and wRC+ (209). He also had his top WAR at 10.1, helping the usually mediocre Hippos become a contender.

Hyderabad ended a seven-year playoff drought in 2016, but lost in the divisional round. They went 100-62 in 2017 and got to the Indian League Championship Series, but were thwarted by 101-win Kanpur. Gonzales struggled in the playoffs with .496 OPS and -0.2 WAR in eight games. Still, the Hippos felt they had a chance to contend with Gonzales at the helm, giving him an eight-year, $55,360,000 extension that fall.

Gonzales was second in 2018’s MVP voting and hit for the cycle in September against Kanpur. He led again in hits that year and fared better in the playoffs with a .989 OPS and 0.5 WAR in eight games. Hyderabad got back to the ILCS at 99-63 and this time had the top seed, but they were thwarted in a rematch with the Poison. The Hippos hovered around .500 for the next few years, ceding the South Division’s thrown to Nagpur.

After strong efforts in 2019-20, Gonzales disappointed Hyderabad fans by opting out of his contact and leaving for free agency at age 28. It was his longest and most successful tenure with 946 games in six years, 1168 hits, 595 runs, 200 doubles, 54 triples, 139 home runs, 548 RBI, 317 steals, .332/.393/.539 slash, 167 wRC+, and 41.1 WAR. Gonzales stayed very popular with fans, but some in Hippos management felt betrayed by his exit, thus his #18 uniform wasn’t retired.

Gonzales signed a five-year, $44,500,000 deal with Da Nang and generally maintained the same production levels in 2021-22 with 313 games, 383 hits, 201 runs, 70 doubles, 43 homers, 200 RBI, 101 steals, .326/.382/.518 slash, 140 wRC+, and 11.0 WAR. He hit for the cycle for the second time in July 2022 against Mandalay.

Da Nang got a division title in 2021 at 96-66 and made it to the Southeast Asia League Championship, but got upset by wild card Dhaka. This was Gonzales’ best playoff effort with 20 hits, 8 runs, 1.070 OPS, 182 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR. The Drillers had the same record in 2022, but fell two wins short of the playoffs. After only two seasons, Gonzales opted out of that deal and returned to free agency at age 30. He went back to India on a five-year, $60,700,000 deal with Delhi.

The Drillers were the 2021 SAB champ and finished 102-60 in Gonzales’ 2023 debut, but lost in the divisional round. That year, Gonzales won his lone MVP, leading in hits (213), and OBP (.422) while adding 1.011 OPS, 187 wRC+, and 8.7 WAR. He was still good in 2024, but down to .842 OPS and 4.3 WAR. Delhi lost a tiebreaker game to Kolkata that year to miss the playoffs at 90-63.

Gonzales yet again took advantage of his opt-out clause, leaving the Indian capital after only two seasons. For the Drillers, Gonzales had 315 games, 393 hits, 201 runs, 75 doubles, 46 home runs, 197 RBI, .330/.394/.533 slash, 167 wRC+, and 13.1 WAR. Now 32-years old, Gonzales signed a five-year, $70 million deal with Patna, who was debuting as an expansion team for 2025. Many assumed he’d opt out again eventually given his history, but Gonzales actually spent six seasons total with the Pointers.

His first two years in Patna had some injuries, most notably hamstring woes in 2026. Gonzales was back to all-star levels the next two years and solid in 2029, although expansion Patna was awful in their first decade. Gonzales’ deal ran out for 2030 and he went back to free agency, but signed a new two-year, $12 million deal to stay with the Pointers.

2030 finally saw the sharp decline with age, posting .692 OPS, 85 wRC+, and 0.1 WAR over 158 games. Gonzales retired that winter at age 38 and finished his Patna tenure with 854 games, 906 hits, 453 runs, 148 doubles, 126 home runs, 445 RBI, 215 steals, .299/.362/.493 slash, 141 wRC+, and 23.3 WAR.

Gonzales played 2428 games with 2850 hits, 1450 runs, 493 doubles, 113 triples, 354 home runs, 1390 RBI, 800 walks, 1619 strikeouts, 725 steals, .320/.381/.520 slash, 155 wRC+, and 88.5 WAR. Gonzales ranks 40^th in games, 30^th in runs, 14^th in hits, 34^th in total bases (4631), 45^th in doubles, 72^nd in triples, 46^th in RBI, 38^th in walks, and 33^rd in WAR for position players. His .901 OPS is 84^th among those with 3000+ plate appearances and he ranks 30^th in batting average and 25^th in OBP.

You probably wouldn’t call Gonzales an inner-circle Hall of Famer since he didn’t have a ton of big accolades or jaw-dropping seasons. However, few bats were more reliably and consistently solid in the 2010s and 2020s for South Asia Baseball. Almost all voters felt Gonzales hit the totals needed to make the cut, earning a strong 93.1% to headline the two-man class for 2036.



Hamidul “Turbo” Rahman – Second/First Base – Hai Phong Prowlers – 70.1% First Ballot

Hamidul Rahman was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed infielder from Dhaka, the capital and largest city of Bangladesh. The nickname “Turbo” came from Rahman’s energy and work ethic, although he was never a fan of the attention. He was incredibly humble and quiet, but also fiercely loyal, selfless, and intelligent. Rahman was a good to occasionally great contact and power hitter against both sides. His 162 game average got you 34 home runs, 34 doubles, and 3 triples.

Rahman was above average at drawing walks, but was middling at avoiding strikeouts. He was an incredibly crafty base stealer with an impressive success rate considering his speed was subpar at best. Roughly half of his career starts came at second base with the rest split between first and designated hitter. Rahman was a lousy defensive 2B, but a perfectly average 1B. His durability was largely good with 134+ starts each year from 2016-28.

After an excellent amateur career, Rahman was the #1 overall pick in the 2014 SAB Draft by Hai Phong. The Prowlers were an expansion team from 2008 and still hadn’t posted a winning season to that point. After playing only 98 games and starting 33 in 2015, Rahman got the full-time gig from 2016-onward. He led the Southeast Asia League with 50 doubles in 2016, a career best. Rahman won his first Silver Slugger at 2B in 2017 with a career high 7.8 WAR season.

Rahman won another Slugger and was second in 2018’s MVP voting with a 7.7 WAR, .944 campaign, prompting Hai Phong to extend him that winter for eight years at $60,420,000. He won another Slugger in 2019 and the Prowlers finished 84-78, their first-ever winning season. The next three years would see their first division titles with 97, 101, and 102 wins; earning the top seed in 2021 and 2022. Rahman led in OBP in 2020 at .393 and was second in 2022’s MVP voting. On August 31, 2020; Rahman also notably hit four homers against Mandalay, one of only 11 such games in SAB history.

Hai Phong was unable to claim the pennant though in their brief run. They lost the SEAL Championship in both 2020 and 2022 to Yangon, while suffering a divisional series defeat in 2021 to Dhaka. Rahman missed the 2022 playoffs because of an elbow sprain. In his 12 playoff games for the Prowlers, he had a .734 OPS, 98 wRC+, and 0.3 WAR.

Rahman did also have some big game experience as a regular in the World Baseball Championship with Bangladesh. From 2017-29, he played 97 games with 84 starts and posted 70 hits, 38 runs, 17 doubles, 18 home runs, 51 RBI, .232/.312/.480 slash, 129 wRC+, and 2.4 WAR.

In 2023-24, Rahman dropped off noticeably with only 4.3 WAR between the two seasons, although he bounced back to 6.3 and 4.9 WAR the next two years. His lone Silver Slugger at 1B came in 2025 with a career-best 45 home runs. Hai Phong hovered in the mid-tier for the rest of his run with Rahman’s contract expiring after the 2026 season, becoming a free agent for the first time at age 35.

For Hai Phong, Rahman played 1810 games with 1943 hits, 1073 runs, 396 doubles, 35 triples, 406 home runs, 1236 RBI, 536 walks, 186 steals, .294/.346/.548 slash, 145 wRC+, and 62.2 WAR. He would be the franchise’s first Hall of Famer and his #28 uniform was the first to be retired by the club. Rahman signed a four-year, $43,100,000 deal next with regular contender Yangon.

Rahman was a decent starter in 2027-28 and had strong playoff numbers for the Green Dragons with a 1.078 OPS and 0.9 WAR in 14 starts. Yangon had a division title in 2027, but suffered a divisional round defeat. They won a weak division in 2028 at 85-77, falling to 124-win Mandalay in the SEAL Championship. Rahman started to struggle and had a reduced role with only 65 games in 2029 and 41 in 2030.

Yangon missed the 2029 playoffs, but won the SEAL title in 2030 with an SAB Championship loss to Ahmedabad. Rahman was cooked by that point and wasn’t on the postseason roster, retiring that winter at age 38. With the Green Dragons, he had 399 games, 354 hits, 182 runs, 70 doubles, 56 home runs, 206 RBI, 103 walks, .277/.330/.468 slash, 116 wRC+, and 4.8 WAR.

Rahman played 2209 games with 2297 hits, 1255 runs, 466 doubles, 38 triples, 462 homers, 1442 RBI, 639 walks, 1768 strikeouts, 213 steals, .291/.344/.535 slash, 140 wRC+, and 67.0 WAR. Rahman ranks 72^nd in games, 51^st in runs, 62^nd in hits, 57^th in total bases (4225), 55^th in doubles, 55^th in homers, 38^th in RBI, 80^th in walks, and 91^st in WAR among position players.

His totals were definitely borderline compared to other South Asia Baseball Hall of Famers and Rahman very rarely was a league leader. Still, he got a lot of praise for being Hai Phong’s first star player, helping the young franchise to contention for the first time. Rahman debuted on the 2036 ballot at 70.1%, narrowly crossing the 66% induction threshold for a first ballot selection.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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The Asian Baseball Federation added two pitchers as slam dunk inductees for the 2036 Hall of Fame ballot with Hafez Farzani at 97.4% and Temuri Omarov at 96.5%. 3B Quraishi Lalak was the best returner at 59.2% on his third ballot. Two others were above 50% with CL Raghid Yazdani at 57.9% for his sixth ballot and LF Ramin Abilov at 56.3% on his fourth try. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots in 2036.



Hafez Farzani – Starting Pitcher- Tabriz Tiger Sharks – 97.4% First Ballot

Hafez Farzani was a 5’9’’, 175 pound right-handed pitcher from Andimeshk, Iran; a city with roughly 135,000 people in the country’s west. Farzani had incredible stuff in his prime that many scouts called a 10/10. He also had very good control and respectable movement. Farzani’s 99-101 mph fastball was world class and he had a strong slider and changeup along with a decent curveball. It was shocking for many to see such a powerful fastball come from a guy of his smaller stature.

Farzani had solid stamina, but he’d be cursed with injury issues over a 15-year career, only having six seasons with 200+ innings. He was decent at holding runners, but subpar defensively. Farzani was a sparkplug type who had a remarkable work ethic, allowing him to still thrive even when his smaller frame was beginning to break down.

In the 2015 ABF Draft, Farzani was picked 13^th overall by Tabriz and he spent his entire career with the Tiger Sharks. He was a full-time starter right away and an immediate success, winning 2016’s Rookie of the Year with 305 strikeouts, 2.52 ERA, and 5.4 WAR. The injury trouble started in his second season though, missing most of the regular season to a torn back muscle. His first two seasons started what would be a nine-year playoff streak for Tabriz, although they were a one-and-done wild card in 2016-17.

From 2018-22, the Tiger Sharks were the West League’s top seed and won 103+ games each year. Farzani’s emergence as an elite ace played a huge part in this, leading the league in WHIP from 2018-21. He would three-peat as Pitcher of the Year from 2019-21 and won the Triple Crown each season. There have only been six total pitching Triple Crown wins in ABF history. Farzani joined EAB’s Do-Kyun Lee as the only pitchers in all of pro baseball history to earn three successive Triple Crowns.

2019 had Farzani’z career bests for ERA (1.72) and strikeouts (412), ranking as the tenth-best single-season by Ks in ABF history. 2020 was his best WAR at 10.9 and his 23-1 record gave him a league-record .958 winning percentage. Farzani’s highest win total was the next year at 24-6. After the 2019 campaign, the Tiger Sharks locked Farzani up to a seven-year, $46,180,000 extension.

Tabriz had mixed results in the playoffs, falling in the WLCS in 2018, 2020, and 2022. Their best records were 109-53 in both 2020 and 2021, the latter having a disappointing first round exit. The Tiger Sharks did break through in 2019 at 107-55, winning the West League pennant over Izmir. Tabriz then bested Dushanbe for their first-ever ABF Championship.

Farzani had an all-timer playoff run in 2019, winning all five of his starts with a 1.10 ERA over 41 innings, 59 strikeouts, 2 walks, 305 ERA+, and 1.7 WAR. That tied the ABF playoff record for both wins and Ks in the playoffs to that point. He kept rolling in the Baseball Grand Championship with a 3-1 record, 2.27 ERA, 31.2 innings, 51 Ks, 166 ERA+, and 1.4 WAR. The Tiger Sharks finished 15-4 and became the first ABF team to earn the Grand Championship.

His overall playoff stats were good, although Farzani never quite had a run like that again. Over 140.1 career innings, he had a 2.82 ERA, 8-2 record, 193 strikeouts, 31 walks, 130 ERA+, 67 FIP-, and 4.4 WAR. Farzani was also a regular from 2017-30 in the World Baseball Championship for Iran, although his numbers there weren’t remarkable with a 3.94 ERA in 160 innings, 9-5 record, 266 strikeouts, and 3.1 WAR. He was important for the Iranians’ second place finish in 2018 and third in 2023.

Farzani had his worst injury in July 2022, a torn rotator cuff that knocked him out more than a calendar year. He was back by the 2023 playoffs, which saw a 92-win wild card Tabriz with a surprise playoff run. The Tiger Sharks upset Baku in the WLCS, then upset defending champ Bishkek in the ABF Championship. Farzani had a middling 3.96 ERA in 25 playoff innings, then surprisingly was terrible in the 2023 BGC with a 7.14 ERA over 29 innings. Tabriz finished 8-11 for the event.

Tabriz had one more division title in 2024 at 94-68, but suffered a first round playoff defeat to Baku. The Tiger Sharks missed the playoffs on a tiebreaker in 2025, then spent the next four seasons at or below .500. Farzani had smaller injuries from 2024-26 and was no longer as dominant as his peak, but he was still good for 4+ WAR those three years. The Tiger Sharks gave him a five-year, $84 million extension in March 2026.

Although his innings were limited in 2027, Farzani won his fourth ERA title at 2.13. He had a good pace in 2028, but missed two months to a strained abdominal muscle. Another strained ab and elbow inflammation kept him out most of 2029. His stuff and control were both starting to decline as Farzani tried to work through the injuries.

Various injuries kept Farzani to only 110.2 innings in 2030 with middling production. Tabriz ended their playoff drought and got to the WLCS as a wild card, although they fell to Baku’s dynasty. Farzani struggled in 13 playoff innings to a 7.62 ERA and suffered a torn flexor tendon during the run. His contract was also up and between the injury and his decline, Farzani retired that winter at age 37. Tabriz quickly retired his #40 uniform for his excellent 15 years of service.

Farzani finished with a 179-88 record, 2.65 ERA, 2467.1 innings, 3680 strikeouts, 464 walks, 213/328 quality starts, 83 complete games, 21 shutouts, 142 ERA+, 71 FIP-, and 69.8 WAR. Farzani ranks 33^rd in wins, 56^th in innings, 52^nd in complete games, 42^nd in shutouts, 27^th in strikeouts, and 18^th in WAR among pitchers. Among those with 1000+ innings, his ERA is 54^th and his 0.90 WHIP is 9^th. Farzani is also 19^th in H/9 (6.42), 2^nd in K/9 (13.42), and 51^st in opponent’s OPS (.590) with .199 average ranking 18^th and .242 OBP 15^th.

At his peak, Farzani was among the most dominant pitchers ever in the Asian Baseball Federation. The injuries limited his innings and success in his later years, preventing what could’ve been a top five ace level career. Still, Farzani’s brief prime and role in Tabriz’s 2019 title and Grand Championship win made him a Hall of Fame lock at 97.4%, co-headlining ABF’s 2036 class.



Temuri Omarov – Starting Pitcher – Istanbul Ironmen – 96.5% First Ballot

Temuri Omarov was a 6’6’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Tbilisi, the capital and largest city in Georgia. Omarov was the first Georgian added into ABF’s HOF, although there had been two who made it in Eurasian Professional Baseball. Omarov had tremendous stuff with good-to-great movement and control. He had a three-pitch arsenal with a 97-99 mph fastball, excellent changeup, and a good curveball.

Omarov’s ability to change speeds brought him his greatest successes. His stamina was respectable relative to other ABF aces and he lasted 17 seasons, although he did run into a few big injuries along the way. Omarov was average at holding runners and weak defensively. He didn’t have a big personality, but his big size certainly drew plenty of attention from scouts.

The Tbilisi Trains franchise and Georgia generally was in the European Baseball Federation sphere as Omarov was a teenager, but ABF and EPB teams still kept an eye on the capital. He ended up leaving in December 2010 for Turkey on a developmental deal with Istanbul. Omarov spent his entire career with the Ironmen, debuting in 2014 as a part-time starter at age 22.

Omarov had mixed results in his first three years, but emerged as a true ace by 2017 as the West League leader in WAR (9.2) and wins (21-7); taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. In May 2018, he signed a six-year, $42,900,000 extension to stay with Istanbul. Omarov was second in POTY voting for both 2019 and 2020. The Ironmen got a wild card in 2019, but lost in the first round.

It was a down period for Istanbul, as this would be their only playoff trip from 2010-28. Omarov’s lone playoff start was quality, allowing two runs in 7.2 innings. They weren’t usually atrocious but were often aggressively mid, averaging 80.1 wins during that stretch. Still, Omarov kept his head down and continued pitching at a high level.

2021 was Omarov’s first major injury with a partially torn labrum in mid-August. He bounced back impressively and won his lone Pitcher of the Year award in 2022 with an ERA title (2.16) and league bests for WHIP (0.87), FIP- (59), and WAR (7.4). Omarov was the WARlord again the next two years and led with career bests in 2023 of 10.2 WAR and 365 Ks. He also won another ERA title at 2.42, but finished second to Elnur Hasanov in POTY voting.

In July 2024, Omarov signed a new five-year, $98,800,000 extension with Istanbul. He would miss all of the 2026 season from a torn flexor tendon in spring training. Omarov made it back in 2027 and was still quite effective in limited innings with a 1.84 ERA, the best of his career. When healthy in the next few years, Omarov proved to still be effective.

Unfortunately, he was never really healthy again. Back trouble and a hamstring strain cost him part of 2028, although Istanbul gave him a three-year, $44,100,000 extension regardless. Forearm inflammation and a ruptured finger tendon kept him out much of 2029, missing out on only the second playoff berth of his Ironmen run.

Omarov suffered a torn rotator cuff in April 2030, although he did make it back for the very end of the season. He made it back right at the end of the year and still had a 1.98 ERA that season in his 36.1 innings. However, the physical toll was exhausting and Istanbul wasn’t interested in a new extension. Omarov retired that winter at age 38 and immediately had his #4 retired by the Ironmen for his efforts.

In total, Omarov had a 190-137 record, 2.85 ERA, 2941 innings, 3941 strikeouts, 560 walks, 251/391 quality starts, 102 complete games, 28 shutouts, 129 ERA+, 68 FIP-, and 86.8 WAR. Omarov ranks 24^th in wins, 34^th in innings, 31^st in complete games, 20^th in shutouts, 18^th in strikeouts, and 8^th in pitching WAR. Among those with 1000+ innings, Omarov’s 12.06 K/9 ranks 27^th and his .612 opponent’s OPS is 90^th.

Omarov was consistently one of the top pitchers in the Asian Baseball Federation, although he almost was underappreciated since Istanbul was so forgettable in that era. Like his Hall of Fame classmate Hafez Farzani, Omarov might have also had a shot at top five spots in the leaderboards if not for injuries. Still, his career was still plenty good for a no-doubt election at 96.5% to co-headline the 2036 class for ABF.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

Arab League Baseball’s first Hall of Fame inductee came in 2005. No one made it in 2006, but since then there had been someone making it each year. 2036 would buck that trend with the best debut only getting 37.1%. Three returners came very close to the 66% threshold led by 1B Faqi Al-Thakur at 64.2% on his eighth ballot. Next was 1B Lance Vogel at 63.6% also for his eighth try. SP Muhammad Fadel had 61.6% with his third go. 1B Mohamed Ali Mansour got 57.2% for his second ballot and SS Ayoub El Taib received 50% even with his third ballot.



Dropped after ten failed ballots was RF Rauf Salah, who had a 20-year career mostly with Doha. He peaked in his debut at 40.3% and finished at a low of 10.3%. Salah won one Silver Slugger and played 2516 games with 2485 hits, 1503 runs, 356 doubles, 92 triples, 550 home runs, 1301 RBI, 1215 walks, 2703 strikeouts, 816 steals, .273/.364/.517 slash, 137 wRC+, and 56.0 WAR.

Salah only ever led in walks and ranks 6^th for his career, while also ranking 24^th in runs, 41^st in hits, 30^th in homers, and 59^th in RBI. However, Salah was only 70^th in WAR despite being 22^nd in games played, leading many to dismiss him as a compiler. Plus, Doha never made the playoffs in his 15-year prime run there, ultimately banishing Salah to the Hall of Pretty Good.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

3B/1B Warren Biloa stood alone for induction in 2036 for the African Association of Baseball at a near unanimous 98.6%. 1B Lifa Moyo fell painfully short of the 66% threshold with 64.5% on his tenth and final try. Also above 50% was CL Labama Nkurunziza at 57.4% on his second ballot, SP Teo Tokala with 55.1% for his fourth go, and 1B Herve Otepa with 52.0% on his seventh attempt.



For Moyo, he was above 60% four times and had a low of 49.7%. In a 15-year career with four teams, he won one Silver Slugger with 2027 games, 2228 hits, 1082 runs, 543 doubles, 448 home runs, 1301 RBI, 577 walks, .293/.344/.552 slash, 143 wRC+, and 47.3 WAR.

Moyo had three batting titles and ranked 13^th in doubles and 35^th in homers. However, he was stuck mostly on bad teams and had an abrupt decline, out of the game at age 34. Moyo still came painfully close to induction, but needed either a few more years of accumulations or more dominance and accolades to make the cut.

SP Anton Berger also made it ten ballots, peaking at 50.0% in 2034 with a bottom of 15.1% in 2035 and finish of 44.9%. Berger had an unusual path to AAB, as the Dutchman pitched his first five seasons in the European Second League. He was in AAB from 2011-21 between Maputo and Dar es Salaam and led in WAR thrice, although he never claimed Pitcher of the Year.

In AAB, Berger had an ERA title, 141-77 record, 2.71 ERA, 2006.1 innings, 1820 strikeouts, 386 walks, 149 ERA+, 61 FIP-, and 68.7 WAR. His short tenure got him to 6^th in the WAR leaderboard for pitchers, but he lacked the tenure needed for the traditional counting stats. Berger needed either a few more seasons in Africa or more accolades to cross the line.

Also dropped after ten ballots was P Augustine Ugwu, who peaked at 25.6% in 2028 and ended at only 3.4%. He won two Reliever of the Year awards and led in saves thrice in his first three years with Antananarivo. Ugwu was a good starter after that, but multiple torn rotator cuffs quickly derailed his career. Ugwu had a 79-94 record, 187 saves, 3.23 ERA, 1239.2 innings, 1294 strikeouts, 357 walks, 125 ERA+, 73 FIP-, and 34.0 WAR. He was quite good in his brief prime, but it was far too brief to have a real HOF shot.




Warren “Meter Man” Biloa – Third/First Base – Bujumbura Bighorns – 98.6% First Ballot

Warren Biloa was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed corner infielder from Bangui, the capital and largest city of the Central African Republic. Nicknamed “Meter Man,” Biloa was a great contact and power hitter in his prime with equal potency against both right-handed and left-handed pitching. His 162 game average got you 47 home runs, 34 doubles, and 5 triples. Biloa had six different seasons with 50+ home runs. Relative to other AAB batters, he was average to below average at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts.

On the basepaths, Biloa’s skill and speed were above average in his prime. His career starts were split roughly 2/1 between third and first base. Biloa graded as a poor defensive third baseman, but was delightfully average at first. His durability was mostly good over a 19-year career. Biloa was a true fan favorite known for his loyalty, work ethic, and team-first attitude. He emerged as the first real superstar player to come from the Central African Republic and was the nation’s first Hall of Famer.

As he grew up, the CAR didn’t have a pro team and its baseball infrastructure was limited. Biloa’s home city Bangui would earn a major franchise with the 2018 debut of the African Second League. Still, news of Biloa’s potential made its way to Burundi as a scout for Bujumbura signed him to a developmental deal in August 2009. He spent around five years in their academy, debuting with eight at-bats in 2014 at age 22.

The Bighorns named Biloa as a full-time starter from 2015 onward, although he ran into injury issues in his first few seasons. A sprained ankle and sprained MCL kept him out almost half of 2015, but Biloa still earned Rookie of the Year honors. He had similar production in 2016 and lost another chunk to a sprained ankle. A strained MCL cost Biloa six weeks in 2017, but that year was the jump from a good starter to a bonafide stud.

Even in only 120 games, Biloa was second in 2017’s MVP voting and won his first Silver Slugger at 3B, leading the Central Conference in batting average (.332), slugging (.702), OPS (1.095), and wRC+ (203). Bujumbura finished 99-63 to end a nine-year playoff drought, but they fell 4-1 to Mogadishu in the conference final. Biloa was 9-19 in the series with 3 homers, 2 doubles, 4 runs, and 7 RBI.

After running into the initial injury woes, Biloa would be good for 140+ starts each year from 2018-29. 2018 was his first MVP win and his second Slugger, securing a Triple Crown with 56 homers, 134 RBI, and .309 average. Biloa also led in total bases, slugging, OOS, wRC+, and WAR. He would have five consecutive seasons with the best slugging. Biloa’s Triple Crown win is one of only five in AAB history by a batter. Despite that, Bujumbura had a middling 84-78 record.

Biloa repeated as MVP and a Slugger winner with his finest season, posting career and conference bests for runs (126), homers (56), RBI (146), total bases (406), slugging (.710), OPS (1.132), and WAR (10.4). His .348 average and .422 OBP were both career bests as well, but Kigali’s Matheus Mabanza denied him a repeat Triple Crown by five points. Bujumbura tied their franchise record at 104-58, but were second in the standings to 107-win Brazzaville and lost 4-2 to the Blowfish in the conference finals. Biloa was 4-18 in the series with -0.1 WAR.

Bujumbura fell into perpetual mid-ness for the next six seasons. Apart from a poor 69-93 mark in 2022, the Bighorns won between 81-84 games each year from 2020-25. Biloa continued to roll with MVPs and Sluggers in 2020-21, becoming the first in AAB history to win four consecutive MVPs. He led in RBI and slugging in 2020, then led in runs, homers, RBI, total bases, slugging, wRC+, and WAR in 2021. In May 2021, Bujumbura signed Biloa to a seven-year, $61,300,000 extension.

Biloa wouldn’t be a conference leader after the 2021 season. He remained a solid power hitter, but he hovered in the 4-5 WAR range from 2022-26. The Bighorns became a contender again at 101-61 in 2026, second by one game to Nairobi. They upset the Night Hawks 4-2 to win their first-ever conference pennant, then defeated Cape Town 5-3 in the Africa Series.

In the playoffs, Biloa had 15 hits, 7 runs, 4 doubles, 4 homers, 9 RBI, 1.014 OPS, 147 wRC+, and 0.4 WAR. The Bighorns finished 8-11 in the Baseball Grand Championship with Biloa posting 15 hits, 9 runs, 2 doubles, 5 homers, 10 RBI, .740 OPS, 117 wRC+, and 0.6 WAR.

At age 35 in 2027, Biloa looked like his old self with a 1.061 OPS, 7.0 WAR, 54 home runs, and 135 RBI. He won his sixth Silver Slugger (his only one at 1B) and was second in MVP voting. Bujumbura led the conference standings at 93-69, but lost the Central Conference Championship in a seven-game war with Mogadishu. Biloa was below average for the series at .769 OPS and 0.1 WAR. For his playoff career in 28 starts, he had 35 hits, 17 runs, 8 doubles, 9 homers, 23 RBI, .312/.358/.625 slash, 150 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR.

Biloa regressed back to what he had generally done in his 30s in 2028 at 4.2 WAR and the Bighorns extended their longtime superstar for a two-year, $48,400,000 deal. He then had career lows in 2029 with 1.2 WAR, 25 homers, and 98 wRC+. Bujumbura had fallen below .500 in 2028, but just missed the playoffs in 2029 at 90-72. The Bighorns would be a losing team for the next four years and eventually got relegated.

In 2030, Biloa had a decent pace and reached the 2500 hit and 1500 run milestones. However, a fractured foot kept him out most of the summer. He did notably hit for the cycle on August 30 against Mombasa. Bujumbura didn’t re-sign their longtime icon, sending him to free agency for the first time at age 39. He remained beloved though and Biloa’s #27 uniform would soon be retired.

Biloa wanted to still play, but most AAB teams didn’t want to pay a high figure for an aged star. He ended up in the Arab League on a two-year, $9,360,000 deal with Jeddah. Biloa was a part-time starter with the Jackals in 2031 with decent results, getting 20 homers, .863 OPS, 121 wRC+, and 1.9 WAR in 108 games. He was set to play in 2032, but suffered a ruptured MCL in spring training that effectively ended his career. Biloa missed all of 2032 and retired that winter at age 41.

In AAB with Bujumbura, Biloa had 2294 games, 2554 hits, 1525 runs, 481 doubles, 68 triples, 674 home runs, 1738 RBI, 733 walks, 1723 strikeouts, 517 steals, .301/.365/.613 slash, .978 OPS, 154 wRC+, and 83.5 WAR. Biloa ranks 21^st in games, 15^th in runs, 14^th in hits, 9^th in total bases (5193), 30^th in doubles, 11^th in homers, 10^th in RBI, 59^th in walks, 38^th in strikeouts, and 12^th in WAR among position players. Among those with 3000+ plate appearances, Biloa is 25^th in OPS and his triple slash ranks 43^rd/65^th/20^th.

Biloa easily is viewed as a top 20 batter for the African Association of Baseball’s relatively brief history and his biggest fans might even place him in the top 10. He was universally beloved and helped grow the game both in Burundi with the Bighorns and back home in the Central African Republic. Biloa stood alone for induction at 98.6% for AAB’s 2036 Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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The 2036 World Baseball Championship was the 90^th edition of the event and was hosted in Tainan, Taiwan. The top team in the divisional round was South Africa, dominating Division 1 at 13-0. They were only the third team to go unbeaten since the divisions expanded to 14 teams in 2031. The South Africans got their third straight division title, fourth playoff berth in five years, and fifth overall. Behind them were Algeria and Guatemala tied at 9-4, followed by the Czech Republic, England, and Iran at 8-5. The tiebreaker sent the Guatemalans forward for the seventh time overall and second time in three years.

The two-time defending world champ United States clobbered the Division 2 field at 12-1. The Americans advanced for the seventh consecutive season and the 67^th time overall. It was a four-way tie for second at 8-5 between last year’s runner-up Poland, Belgium, Denmark and France. The tiebreaker formula favored the Poles for a third straight postseason trip. Poland has advanced 14 times overall.

China claimed Division 3 at 10-3, advancing along with 9-4 Germany. Cuba, Nicaragua, and Panama were the first teams out at 8-5. The Chinese picked up a fourth playoff trip in six years and 31^st overall. The Germans have 17 playoff trips and three so far in the 2030s.

Somalia won Division 4 at 10-3 with all three of their playoff trips coming in the last four seasons. Tied for second at 9-4 were Haiti, Japan, and Pakistan. The Japanese ended up advancing on the tiebreaker for their fifth playoff try in six years and 27^th overall.

India led Division 5 at 10-3 for a third straight playoff trip and their sixth of the 2030s. The Indians have 16 postseason appearances overall, more than half coming since 2024. Egypt and Venezuela tied at 9-4 followed by Thailand and Zimbabwe at 8-5. The Egyptians had the head-to-head win over the Venezuelans, giving Egypt four playoff spots in five years as well as nine overall.

Advancing from Division 6 was South Korea at 11-2 and Bulgaria at 10-3. Last year’s third place finisher Russia missed at 9-4 with Malawi at 8-5. The Koreans picked up back-to-back berths and their 22^nd overall. It was only the second-time the Bulgarians had moved forward, joining their shocking 2027 world championship run.

Coming from Division 7 was 11-2 Nigeria and 10-3 Ethiopia. Four squads finished 8-5; Mexico, Peru, Romania, and Spain. This ended a drought back to their 2022 world title for the Nigerians, advancing for the tenth time. Ethiopia got its seventh playoff spot and third in five years.

Lastly from Division 8 it was Iraq (11-2) and Indonesia (10-3) prevailing. 2035 fourth place finisher Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo were next at 8-5. The Iraqis had never advanced before, becoming the 91^st unique nation to get a playoff berth at least once. The Indonesians secured a 31^st trip and sixth since 2028.

To the Double Round Robin, Somalia (5-1) and South Africa (4-2) advanced from Group A with Indonesia (2-4) and Poland (1-5) ousted. India (5-1) and China (4-2) won from Group B over Ethiopia (2-4) and Bulgaria (1-5). Both Egypt and Nigeria prevailed at 4-2 in Group C while South Korea and Germany were both 2-4. And in Group D, the United States and Japan succeeded at 4-2 with both Iraq and Guatemala eliminated at 2-4. The quarterfinal group was notable for a few reasons. This was the first time that half of the elite eight were African nations and also the first time since 2010 without a single European country in the quarterfinals.

Three of the quarterfinals were 2-0 sweeps with Somalia over China, India over South Africa, and Nigeria over Japan. The one needed all three games was the USA surviving a fierce challenge from Egypt. The Americans made it to the semifinal for the 59^th time and the sixth time in seven years. It was the ninth time in the final four by India, who finished third overall three straight years from 2030-32. The Nigerians had made it six times to the semis, most recently with their 2022 title. The Somalis had never gotten this far, becoming the 55^th unique nation with a final four run.

It was also the first time that two African nations had gotten to the semifinal. Somalia stunned India 3-2 to become the 34^th country to earn a championship berth. They were the third African squad to do it along with Nigeria and Algeria. The United States outlasted the Nigerians 3-2 to keep the three-peat bid alive. The Indians were officially third place for the fourth time in the 2030s and Nigeria was fourth.



Somalia couldn’t keep up their stunning run against the American juggernaut, as the United States won the 90^th World Championship 4-1. It was the fifth title in six years for the US, moving to 46-9 in their finals trips. The Americans had 218 runs scored over the event, a new WBC record. Their 103 team home runs were the second-most and the pitching staff’s 434 strikeouts was third-best.

Tournament MVP was 1B Alair White, who had won four consecutive American Association MVPs for Vancouver. The 26-year old from Clarksdale, Mississippi led all players with 39 hits, 32 runs, 22 homers, 43 RBI, 107 total bases, and 3.05 WAR. White had a 1.228 OPS and 245 wRC+. His WAR was the 5th-best by a position player in WBC history and the 9th-best among everyone.

White’s homers were second in WBC history behind only Thomas Rich’s 26 from 2031. His RBI fell three short of the event record and his total bases ranked 3rd-best. White was also only the 9^th to score 30+ runs. Also notable for the Americans was CF Brandon McElveen with 2.4 WAR, 27 hits, 29 runs, 18 homers, and 26 RBI. Leading the pitching both with 2.3 WAR efforts were Noah Skeen and Lendon McIntosh.



Somalia’s top star was SP Abdullahi Ali, who somehow wasn’t Best Pitcher winner. The 24-year old lefty with AAB’s Kampala struck out 107 over 53 innings with 2.8 WAR, a 2.21 ERA, and 4-1 record. Only once prior had a pitcher fanned 100+ in the WBC; Nick Hedrick’s record 109 from 1957. Ali’s WAR mark was also the 5^th-best by a pitcher in event history. Leading the Somali offensive effort was Omar Adan with 28 hits, 24 runs, 15 homers, 32 RBI, and 2.0 WAR.

Best Pitcher was given to India’s Rahul Katti, the 2034 Indian League Pitcher of the Year with Lucknow. He had a 0.77 ERA over 23.1 innings with an 0.77 ERA, 43 Ks, and 1.0 WAR. There were two no-hitters in 2036, the first coming from Somalia’s Ismail Cabdi with 12 Ks and 4 BB on January 15 against Moldova. The next day, Zambia’s Ian Kanyanta did it with 10 Ks and 1 BB facing Uruguay.

Other notes: Bulgaria’s Angel Gospodinov became the 16^th in WBC history with a four home run game, doing it January 24 against Ethiopia. Below are the updated all-time team stats:

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Antananarivo finished first in the Southern Conference at 95-67, trying to escape the African Second League in their sixth season there. The Eagles had one prior playoff berth in 2033. Mauritius at 88-74 narrowly got the second playoff spot, fending off Pretoria (87-75), Nampula (86-76), Bulawayo (85-77), and Maseru (83-79). This was the first playoff trip for the Monsoon since getting sent back to A2L for 2032.



Juba (99-63) and Asmara (97-65) dominated the Central Conference field with only Mwanza really coming close at 90-72. The Jungle Cats had never been a playoff team in their 19-year history despite averaging 83.4 wins per season. Juba was the only remaining original A2L team that had never gotten to the playoffs. The Anteaters earned back-to-back second place finishes and were hoping for their second promotion.



In the Southern Conference Championship, Antananarivo defeated Mauritius 4-2 to earn a promotion back to the African Association of Baseball’s First League after six years in A2L. Asmara upset Juba 4-1 in the Central Conference final for their second promotion. The Anteaters had moved up in 2033, but only stayed two years. In the Second League Championship, Asmara cruised to a 5-1 win over Antananarivo.



Other notes: Juba’s Timothy Tefera joined Simon Walusimbi as the only four-time MVPs in A2L history. 1B Dhabita Bubhutsu won his 8^th Gold Glove, the second in A2L to win 8+ GGs. 3B Husain Ferdous became the first with 10 Silver Sluggers.

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Six teams were within six games of the top spot in the European Second League’s Western Conference. The #1 spot was Valencia at 95-67 for their third straight playoff berth. The Vandals had been back in E2L since 2028. The other three playoff spots had a three-way tie at 93-69 between Belfast, Lisbon, and Rome. The first teams out were Brussels (91-71), Paris (89-73), and Manchester (87-75).

For the Brewers, it was their first playoff berth since 2030 as they tried to end a 17-year stay in E2L. Both the Red Wolves and Clippers had their first playoff berth since entering their current E2L stints. That started in 2033 for Rome and 2028 for Lisbon. Suffering relegation to European Tier Three was Ruhr at 55-107, eight games worse than the nearest foe Bordeaux. The Railhawks were the 2035 ET3 runner-up, only lasting one season in E2L.

In the Double-Round Robin, top seed Valencia fared best at 4-2 to secure a promotion, returning to the European Baseball Federation’s Elite Tier for the first time since 2027. Belfast and Lisbon tied at 3-3 with Rome at 2-4. The Brewers and Clippers had split their meetings, but Belfast had the tiebreaker to make it back to EBF for the first time since 2019. Since 2016, Belfast had been in E2L all but in 2018-19. The Brewers then rolled to 4-0 sweep of Valencia in the Western Conference Championship.



Leipzig dominated the Eastern Conference field at 102-60 for their third straight playoff berth. The Lumberjacks had been back in E2L since 2032. Second was Copenhagen at 95-67, their first playoff berth since returning to E2L two years prior. The remaining playoff spots were Varna at 90-72 and Naples at 88-74 with Sofia (85-77) as the first team out. The Vigilantes got only their second playoff trip of their current 16-year E2L stint. The Nobles had only just gotten relegated the prior season.

Firmly in last place was Lviv at 58-104, a rough bottoming out for the Lunkers. They had been a regular E2L playoff team in the last decade and had gotten promoted to the Elite Tier for 2035. Lviv had gotten immediately relegated back to E2L, then fell even further down to European Tier Three.

#4 seed Naples was the top team in the Double Round Robin at 5-1, getting promoted back up for the second time in four years. Copenhagen and Varna were both 3-3 and top seed Leipzig struggled to 1-5. The Vigilantes had the tiebreaker over the Corsairs for Varna’s second-ever promotion. Their only prior EBF stint was from 2016-20.



The Nobles outlasted the Vigilantes 4-3 in the Eastern Conference Championship. Naples then bested Belfast 4-1 to secure the Second League Championship.



Other notes: Skopje’s Apostolos Anazimenes became the third in E2L history to win Pitcher of the Year thrice.



The Hague dominated European Tier Three at 109-53 for their first-ever promotion up. Nottingham at 97-65 got the #2 spot, holding off Newcastle (93-69). The North Stars escaped after only one year in ET3, having gotten demoted after a ten-year run in E2L. The Hackers flattened Nottingham with a 4-0 sweep for the Third League Championship.

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Defending Africa Series champ Dar es Salaam repeated as the Southern Conference’s top team at 105-57, finishing the season on an eight-game winning streak. That allowed them to pass Cape Town for first in the final week, as they were even with three games to go. The Cowboys still firmly took second at 102-60 for their second playoff berth in three years. Durban (95-67), Johannesburg (94-68), and Windhoek (94-68) were in the mix, but ultimately came up short.

The Sabercats were the top scoring team for the entire African Association of Baseball at 951 runs, followed by Cape Town at 924. The Cowboys allowed 695 runs, the fewest in the conference. Dar es Salaam smacked 326 home runs for a new conference record with a .516 slugging percentage; the third-best in conference history. The Sabercats also had a 2,065,851 season attendance, the second-best in conference history.

The fall was quick for Port Elizabeth, who had won pennants in 2031 and 2033. The Elephants fell to 55-107 and suffered relegation, ending their tenure in the AAB First League after a decade. Comoros was the only team in range of PE, but survived at 61-101.

Much of Dar es Salaam’s historic power came from Southern Conference MVP Ferdinand Rajerison in his fourth year starting at first base. It was his third straight year as the homers leader, this time with a blistering 80 home runs. It is one of only 10 seasons in all of world history in any league of 80+ homers (with another coming in the adjacent conference). It was still ten away from Dagne Mersha’s 90 from 2028, which is second in world history.

Rajerison also had 178 RBI, which ranks as the sixth-best in AAB history and 15^th best in any world league. He was actually second in the conference to Sabercats teammate Ketema Gudeta’s 186. Gudeta’s mark was tied for the fifth-best in world history and just short of Mersha’s 189 RBI from the before-mentioned 2028 campaign.

As for Rajerison, the 26-year old Malagasy lefty led in total bases (486), slugging (.805), OPS (1.176), wRC+ (185), and WAR (8.2). His total bases were second in AAB history to Mersha’s 510 in 2028 and ranked 16^th in world history. Rajerison also had 201 hits, 41 doubles, 125 runs, and a .333 average. His slugging was seventh-best in AAB history and one of only 41 qualifying seasons in world history above .800. Dar es Salaam had picked him ninth in the 2031 AAB Draft and he helped them to a 2033 promotion back to the big league.

Harare was a non-factor at 74-88, but they had the Pitcher of the Year in Ghebrezgiabhier Alemayehu. It was his second time with the top honor, having also won in 2028. The 32-year old Ethiopian righty led in ERA (3.02), innings (265.2), WHIP (0.97), K/BB (6.4), quality starts (24), complete games (17), shutouts (5), FIP- (58), and WAR (10.3). Alemayehu had a 21-10 record and 305 strikeouts. The Hustlers’ long-time ace still had two years left on a $129,800,000 deal signed back in 2031.



Four teams finished within five wins of the top spot in the Central Conference. Mombasa went 9-1 in their final ten games to surge ahead for first place at 96-66. Prior to this, the Bisons had never even had a winning season in the top league, having been back up since 2030. For the #2 spot, Lubumbashi and Kampala finished tied at 93-69 while Kinshasa was 91-71.

In a one-game tiebreaker, the Loggerheads defeated the Peacocks for their first playoff trip since 2025. Lubumbashi had only gotten promoted back up the prior year. It was a brutal collapse late for Kampala, who lost their last seven games. Last year’s conference champ Nairobi fell to fifth at 85-77. The Loggerheads allowed the fewest runs in the CC at 640. Kigali scored the most at 933, but allowed 926 and limped to 72-90.

Bahir Dar ended up relegated at 64-98, finishing seven games from both Bangui and Brazzaville for the bottom spot. The Baboons were the 2035 African Second League champ, lasting only one season in the top tier. Bahir Dar set conference worsts for team ERA (5.75) and earned runs (919). Their 963 runs allowed were the 2^nd worst in CC history.

AAB’s other huge power season came from Kinshasa’s Martin Kulatilaka, who repeated as Central Conference MVP. The 28-year old 1B from Seychelles led in HRs, RBI, and total bases for the third straight year with 81, 172, and 484. Kulatilaka’s homers were the ninth-best single season in all of world history, the RBI ranked 24^th, and total bases were 18^th.

Nicknamed “Big Train,” Kulatilaka also led in runs (139), hits (205), slugging (.792), OPS (1.192), wRC+ (189), and WAR (8.5). He added 36 doubles and was second in batting average at .336, although he was still far from a Triple Crown due to Kigali’s Rivomanatsoa Vombola at .355. Kulatilaka had only been starting for five-and-a-half years with the Sun Cats and already had 347 home runs and 798 RBI.

There was also historic pitching as Kampala’s Abdullahi Ali repeated as Pitcher of the Year. His 13.0 WAR the prior year had set the league record for pitchers and was arguably the best pitching season in AAB to that point. At only age 24, the Somali lefty managed to best that in 2036 with back-to-back Triple Crowns and his third straight 400+ strikeout season. Before Ali, the AAB Ks record was 388.

Ali tied the wins record at 27-3 and had 437 strikeouts, breaking his record 430 from the prior year. He also led in ERA (1.63), innings (259), WHIP (0.78), K/BB (10.2), quality starts (25), complete games (12), shutouts (3), FIP- (28), ERA+ (293), and WAR (15.3). Ali’s WAR was the AAB record for all players and one of only 48 seasons by any player in world history of 15+ WAR.

His ERA was the second-best qualifying season (162+ innings required) in AAB history, behind only Yves Munyaneza’s 1.59 from 1996. Ali’s WHIP was also second only to Michael Wakachu’s 0.76 in 2010. 27+ wins has only happened 54 total times in world history. Ali’s 15.19 K/9 and .503 opponent’s OPS both were AAB’s third-best season and his .222 OBP ranked second. He also finished second in MVP voting, joining Lawal Deffallah (2032-33) as the only AAB players with multiple and/or repeat Triple Crowns.

The Southern Conference Championship went the distance with Dar es Saalam taking the series 4-3 after winning the finale 6-2. The Sabercats secured repeat pennants and their fifth overall (1997, 2004, 2027, 2035, 2036). Mombasa meanwhile rolled 4-1 over Lubumbashi for their first-ever Central Conference Championship win.



In the 42^nd Africa Series, Mombasa dethroned the defending champ Dar es Salaam 5-2, capping off their first-ever winning season in the top league with the title. The Bisons joined Djibouti (2031) as the only teams created in 2018 with the A2L to win the AAB’s top prize.

The series had drama right away in game one, with the Sabercats scoring two in the bottom of the ninth to force extras at 3-3. Mombasa scored four in the 12^th, allowing them to hold on ultimately 7-5. RF Yaya Kyomukama was finals MVP, going 9-26 in the series with 4 homers and 5 RBI. The 27-year old Ugandan closed the series with a walkoff solo homer to give Mombasa a 2-1 win in game seven.



Other notes: AAB’s 5^th perfect game and first since 2021 came on August 22 by Gaborone’s Mert Seyoum, who struck out nine facing Luanda. Gaborone’s Brandon Tsolope scored 145 runs, tied for the 7^th-best single season in AAB history. Bahir Dar’s Tshepo Masino on July 31 had AAB’s 19^th four home run game against Addis Ababa.



Lilongwe at 66-96 avoided relegation despite having historically bad pitching. The Lightning’s 5.96 team ERA and 957 earned runs allowed were both the worst in AAB history. Their 998 runs allowed were the 2^nd worst. Port Elizabeth, who did get relegated from the Southern Conference, had a 5.87 ERA for the 3^rd worst mark and their 10.32 H/9 was the 4^th worst.

Dagne Mersha became AAB’s 7^th member of the 800 home run club. Asa Ngoie was the 14^th to 600 homers and Panya Hailemariam the 23^rd to 500 dingers. Ngoie also won his 9^th Silver Slugger in LF. Zenzele Mnisi, Noah Njuguna, and Tariku Desta grew AAB’s 2000 hit club to 39 batters. Ghebrezgiabhier Alemayehu and Lawal Deffalah were the 25^th and 26^th AAB pitchers to 2500 strikeouts.

Longtime American star Jason Perazzo made his AAB debut in 2036 at age 41 for Nairobi with 36 homers and 113 RBI. He had been in the ABF the prior three years, but had gotten famous with San Diego’s dynasty in MLB. In 2036, Perazzo got to 2506 combined RBI for his career, becoming only the 6^th player in world history at 2500+ RBI.

Perazzo was also up to 13^th on the world homer list at 946 and 22^nd in runs with 2110. He also breached 3500 pro hits in 2036 with 3516 and was just outside of the top 50. Perazzo also crossed 600+ total doubles and was close to cracking that top 50 as well. The Los Angeles native had signed a three-year, $33,300,000 deal with the Night Hawks.