[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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The Central American Baseball Association’s 2020 Hall of Fame voting lacked impactful debuts with only one newcomer getting above 20%. However, this opened things up for three returners to cross the 66% requirement for induction. 1B Yonder Aguirre led the way with 83.3% in his third ballot. SP Julio Sandoval made it on his seventh attempt at 73.3% and fellow pitcher Ian Paniagua got 69.3% for his third ballot. No one else was above 50% and no players were dropped after ten failed ballots.



Yonder Aguirre – First Base – Havana Hurricanes – 83.3% Third Ballot

Yonder Aguirre was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. Aguirre was a solid contract hitter with a great pop in his bat, getting 38 home runs and 32 doubles per his 162 game average. He wasn’t a league leader, but Aguirre was steady and consistent. However, Aguirre was mediocre both at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. He was also very slow and sluggish on the basepaths.

Aguirre made around 80% of his starts at first base with most of the rest as a designated hitter. He was a reliably good defender at first, winning Gold Gloves from 2007-09. Aguirre had outstanding durability and basically never missed time to injury. He was quite intelligent, but was viewed by most teammates as a distant loner.

His power potential was quickly noticed as a teenager growing in in the Dominican capital. A visiting scout from Havana was able to convince Aguirre to come to Cuba on a developmental deal in March 1994. He spent most of six years in their academy, but Aguirre did debut in 1997 at age 19. From 1997-99, he played 80 games and started 37, struggling in his limited play. Aguirre earned a full-time starting gig in 2000 and held it exclusively for the next decade.

From 2000-07, Aguirre posted 4.9+ WAR, 30+ home runs, 110+ RBI, and a .300+ batting average each year. He topped 40 home runs six times in that stretch, winning a Silver Slugger at DH in 2000 and 1B in 2005. Aguirre signed a two-year, $11,600,000 extension in April 2003, then inked a seven-year, $50,300,000 extension in May 2005.

Aguirre was third in MVP voting in 2005, his only time as a finalist. This was his lone time leading in a major stat with 219 hits. That was a career high, as was his 116 runs, 137 RBI, .342/.372/.618 slash, .989 OPS, 165 wRC+, and 8.2 WAR. Aguirre’s 45 homers were his second most, as he smacked 46 in 2003.

Havana was regularly above .500 in this era, but fell behind the dynasty runs of Haiti and Honduras. The Hurricanes lost in the Caribbean League Championship Series in both 2002 and 2004, then lost in the first round in 2005. They missed the playoffs from 2006-08. Aguirre also played 80 games with 62 starts for the Dominican Republic from 2000-13 in the World Baseball Championship, posting 62 hits, 36 runs, 14 doubles, 19 home runs, 33 RBI, a .247/.297/.538 slash, 143 wRC+, and 2.4 WAR

Aguirre’s production dropped sharply after the 2007 season, going from a regular 5+ WAR guy to the 2-3 WAR range. He still hit 43 home runs in the 2009 season, then stepped up in the playoffs as Havana won the CABA Championship over Monterrey. In 16 playoff starts, Aguirre posted 19 hits, 12 runs, 7 homers, 14 RBI, and a .985 OPS. For his playoff career, he started 36 games with 40 hits, 22 runs, 8 doubles, 12 homers, 27 RBI, a .274/.287/.589 slash, 132 wRC+, and 1.3 WAR. The Hurricanes would fall off after this surprise title win, finishing below .500 the next four years.

In 2010, Aguirre was reduced to a backup role with only 89 games and 47 starts. He was back to starting two more seasons with Havana, reaching 500 career home runs. After the 2012 season, Aguirre became a free agent for the first time at age 35. The Hurricanes would later retire his #28 uniform for his efforts and role in their first title since 1975.

Aguirre couldn’t find another CABA job and moved to West African Baseball in 2013 on a three-year, $16,500,000 deal with Ouagadougou. He was an okay starter in 2013 with 1.3 WAR and 108 wRC+ in 147 games and 126 starts. Aguirre struggled in only 49 games in 2014 with -0.8 WAR and a .512 OPS. He retired that winter at age 37.

With Havana, Aguirre had 2408 hits, 1194 runs, 410 doubles, 505 home runs, 1456 RBI, 266 walks, 1744 strikeouts, a .306/.330/.563 slash, 137 wRC+, and 59.5 WAR. As of 2037, Aguirre ranks 86^th in hits, 69^th in home runs, and 55^th in RBI. He does fit outside of the top 100 in WAR among position players. He had some nice home run tallies, but advanced stats put him a bit on the borderline. Aguirre also lacked black ink, but he was often in the top ten in big stats during his prime.

Aguirre just missed the cut in his first two ballots at 64.7% and 62.9%. A lack of impactful debuts helped make his resume jump out a bit more come the 2020 CABA Hall of Fame ballot. Aguirre’s home run power, a sustained run with one team, and helping Havana win the title in 2009 helped get him the nod, even if he wasn’t THE top first baseman of his era. Aguirre bumped up to a rock solid 83.3% for a third ballot induction and the headline spot in 2020.