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MrNFL_FanIQ · 01-20-2025, 07:44 PM

Two players were added into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame from the 2024 voting, led by first ballot SP Seth Southworth at 78.3%. Another pitcher narrowly crossed the 66% requirement to join him as Rinat Khan got 68.0% on his third attempt. SP Victor Burke was also in the hunt, but fell short at 62.3% on his sixth ballot.

Six other players were above 50%, but below 60%. CL Sebastian Gomez was the lone debut in that group at 59.8%. 3B Jeanpaul Vick on his fifth try and C Sebastian Van Velzen on his eighth both received 59.4%. 3B Kieran Wilson earned 58.7% for his fifth ballot. 2B Adrian Vega had 56.6% in his fourth try and CL Jeremy Dau saw 52.3% on his third attempt.

Reliever Emery Gulbranson was the lone player dropped after ten failed ballots, peaking at 33.5% in 2016 and ending at 10.0%. He had a 17-year journeyman career between nine different teams, finishing with a 100-87 record, 283 saves, 398 shutdowns, 2.68 ERA, 1004.1 innings, 1142 strikeouts, 301 walks, 130 ERA+, and 26.3 WAR. Gulbranson’s 813 games pitched are the 38^th most as of 2037, but he had no accolades or notables beyond longevity.

Seth “Acrobat” Southworth – Starting Pitcher – Hartford Huskies – 78.3% First Ballot

Seth Southworth was a 6’2’’, 195 pound left-handed starting pitcher from Smithfield, Rhode Island; a town of 22,000 people. Southworth was known for having incredible stuff along with excellent control and good movement. He had a three-pitch arsenal with each being equally potent with a 98-100 mph fastball, curveball, and changeup. All three were top shelf pitches and looked the same out of his hand, making Southworth unhittable when he was on his game. The nickname “Acrobat,” came from his unusual windup motion.

His stamina when he was healthy was pretty good. Southworth was a solid defender and knew how to hold runners respectably. He had impressive power and an extreme groundball tendency. Unfortunately, numerous major injuries shortened and limited Southworth’s career. In the clubhouse, he was very well respected as an impressive team captain leader. Southworth’s character and his dominance made him one of MLB’s most popular ever pitchers.

Southworth attended the University of Minnesota and was dominant in his first two seasons. His first injury issue came in the third start of his junior year with a partially torn UCL, knocking him out seven months. For the Golden Gophers, Southworth had a 19-6 record, 1.93 ERA, 228 innings, 29 starts, 305 strikeouts, 41 walks, 169 ERA+, and 12.6 WAR. The injury scared a few teams for the 2008 MLB Draft, but others knew his ceiling was quite high if he stayed healthy.

With the 39^th pick, Southworth was selected by Hartford. He started about 2/3s of 2009 was solid results, posting 4.0 WAR, a 2.47 ERA, and a second place in Rookie of the Year voting. Southworth had an impressive 7.0 WAR in 2010 over 167.1 innings, but missed the final two months to a torn back muscle. In 2011, he also missed around six weeks to a strained hamstring.

Still, Southworth’s 2011 was impressive enough in only 27 starts to win Pitcher of the Year. He led the National Association in wins at 22-3 and posted a 2.16 ERA, 253 strikeouts, and 6.0 WAR. Hartford ended a five-year playoff drought and got the #1 seed at 103-59, falling to Brooklyn in the AACS. In three playoff starts, Southworth had a 2-1 record, 2.53 ERA, and 22 strikeouts over 21.1 innings. The Huskies would miss the postseason in the next two seasons.

Southworth stated healthy from 2012-14, leading the NA in both WAR and strikeouts in both 2012 and 2014. He surprisingly finished third in POTY voting both years Southworth’s 352 strikeouts in 2014 were the third-most in an MLB season to that point and still ranks seventh-best as of 2037. Hartford knew they had their ace and gave Southworth a six-year, $104,600,000 extension after the 2013 season.

Hartford would get four wild cards from 2014-18, but never got further than the second round of the playoffs. For his playoff career, Southworth had a 4-2 record in seven starts, 2.38 ERA, 53 innings, 58 strikeouts, 7 walks, 146 ERA+, and 2.2 WAR. In June 2015, the now 27-year old Southworth suffered a full UCL tear, costing him 14 months with a return in summer 2016.

Southworth was healthy in 2017 for his first ERA title at 2.01 along with 7.7 WAR and an association-best 0.87 WHIP, placing second in Pitcher of the Year voting. 2018 would then be his finest season with an incredible 1.34 ERA, setting a new MLB single-season record that still holds as of 2037. Southworth also had a career best 10.7 WAR, 15 complete games, and 9 shutouts along with an NA-best 291 strikeouts. At 19-8, he missed the Triple Crown by two wins. It was also only the eighth time in MLB history that an ace posted 9+ shutouts.

That effort obviously won his second Pitcher of the Year and had fans excited for what was still to come for the now 31-year old Southworth. No one knew watching that 2018 campaign though that those would be the final innings of his professional career. 2018 was his first time in the World Baseball Championship with a 3.27 ERA over 11 innings. In 2019, Southworth allowed only one run over 16 WBC innings, setting expectations high for the upcoming MLB campaign.

In spring training, Southworth suffered severe shoulder inflammation that was expected to keep him out for the first half. He had a major setback though in June and required surgery, knocking him out another eight months. That coincided with the end of his Hartford deal, making Southworth a free agent at age 32. Many teams were leery of his medical reports and didn’t want to commit the big money that his 2018 season would still command.

Southworth was determined to come back and opened up his search internationally. He found a buyer in Scotland, inking a five-year, $101 million deal with Edinburgh. Sadly in spring training, Southworth suffered the third torn UCL of his career. Doctors told him he had to retire, ending his career shortly after turning 33. Southworth returned home to the United States and Hartford immediately retired his #12 uniform.

In total, Southworth had a 142-63 record, 2.24 ERA, 1994.1 innings, 2280 strikeouts, 386 walks, 196/251 quality starts, 100 complete games, 30 shutouts, 152 ERA+, and 65.1 WAR. The shortened career greatly lowered his accumulations, missing the top 100 in all counting stats. However, Southworth’s efficiency and rate stats certainly showed his dominance.

Among all MLB arms with 1000+ innings as of 2037, Southworth’s ERA ranks 11^th, but all ten in front of him were relievers. His 0.92 WHIP ranks 5^th, his opponent’s OPS of .566 is 9^th, while his .203/.247/.319 slash line ranks 9^th/3^rd/23^rd. Amongst all of the world’s Hall of Fame starters, Southworth’s 152 ERA+ ranks 25^th best. It’s a shame he broke down physically, as he might have ended up as an inner-circle level pitcher all-time.

There were still some voters who couldn’t look past the low totals and Southworth only received 78.3% on his debut. That was plenty though to earn a first ballot slot to headline Major League Baseball’s 2024 Hall of Fame class. Even if his peak was brief, prime Southworth was as good as any pitcher MLB ever had. On top of that, his high character made him an excellent ambassador for the game and beloved superstar into his retirement.

Rinat Khan – Starting Pitcher – Pittsburgh Pirates – 68.0% Third Ballot

Rinat Khan was a 5’9’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Shchuchinsk, a small city of 45,000 people in north central Kazakhstan. He unsurprisingly was the first-ever Kazakh Hall of Famer for MLB and only the sixth Asian-born HOFer to that point for MLB. The stout Khan had great stuff and movement along with outstanding control. He had a three-pitch arsenal with a 99-101 mph fastball, changeup, and curveball. Khan could certainly overpower you, but his change was often considered his most dangerous offering.

Khan’s stamina was considered above average relative to most MLB aces, but nothing incredible. However, his ironman durability meant you’d still get plenty of innings, tossing 200+ in all but his rookie season. Khan was okay at holding runners and did struggle defensively. He was a team captain known for his leadership, loyalty, and work ethic. Khan became one of the more respected guys of his era in the clubhouse, even if he was perhaps under-rated in his career by many fans and media.

As a teenager, Khan’s family moved from Kazakhstan to the United States. He quickly got on the radar of college teams and committed to Arizona State from 1998-2000, posting a 2.86 ERA over 245.2 innings, 17-12 record, 249 strikeouts, 63 walks, 122 ERA+, and 8.4 WAR. With the regional restrictions still in place at that time in the MLB Draft, players born outside of the US or Canada weren’t eligible until round four. With the fourth pick of the fourth round, 177^th overall, Khan was picked in the 2000 MLB Draft by Pittsburgh.

Khan had a part-time starting role in 2001 with decent results, then took over a full-time spot in the Pirates rotation for the next eight years. His production was steady, then emerged as elite in 2004 with a National Association best 8.2 WAR. With a 14-13 record on a sub-.500 team, Khan didn’t get any awards looks. He stayed above 7+ WAR from 2004-09 with the Pirates, leading again in 2008 at 7.9. Khan’s career best was 9.6 in 2006, a year that also saw a 18-6 record, 2.24 ERA, and 239 strikeouts. That year had a second place in Pitcher of the Year voting while 2008 had a third place finish.

Because he didn’t lead in the traditional counting stats, Khan didn’t get a ton of attention in the media. Pittsburgh was plenty happy though and gave him a six-year, $61,500,000 extension after the 2006 season. They were mostly middling during Khan’s run, suffering first round exits in their lone playoff berths in 2003 and 2006. In his two Pirates playoff starts, Khan allowed only 3 runs over 15 innings.

Khan did get to play on the World Baseball Championship stage as he regularly returned home to represent his native Kazakhstan. From 1999-2016, he tossed 207 innings with a 2.61 ERA, 14-11 record, 282 strikeouts, 32 walks, and 7.0 WAR. As of 2037, Khan leads all Kazakhs in strikeouts and pitching WAR while ranking second in wins and third in innings pitched.

Pittsburgh completely collapsed by the end of the 2000s, falling to 58-104 in 2008 despite Khan leading all pitchers in WAR that year. They were only marginally better in 2009 and Khan decided to out of his deal that winter. For the Pirates, Khan had a 116-111 record, 2.75 ERA, 2167.2 innings, 1986 strikeouts, 423 walks, 123 ERA+, and 61.0 WAR. While there were some feelings of abandonment by some in the organization, those feelings faded and Khan’s #4 uniform would later be retired.

Now 30-years old, Khan stayed in Pennsylvania and signed a six-year, $106,200,000 deal with Philadelphia. The Phillies had been a playoff regular during his career, winning the National Association pennant in 2001 and 2005. They did it again in 2010, but fell to San Diego in the World Series. Khan won his lone ERA title that year with a career-best 2.19, but still only finished third in Pitcher of the Year voting. He was a stud in the playoff run with a 1.62 ERA over 39 innings and five starts, 3-0 record, and 29 strikeouts.

2010 was the first-ever Baseball Grand Championship and the only one that had a split division format and a best-of-seven for the winners. Philadelphia and San Diego had a rematch and the Phillies came out on top this time to become the first-ever Grand Champion. Khan had a 3.86 ERA and 2-0 record in his three BGC starts, striking out 29 over 23.1 innings.

Khan led in quality starts and shutouts in 2011 and posted his eighth straight 7+ WAR season, but Philadelphia narrowly missed the playoffs. He had a 6.2 WAR effort in 2012, although his ERA increased to 3.05. The Phillies got the last wild card and went on a tear, eventually upsetting Phoenix in the World Series. Khan struggled in that playoff run with a 4.68 ERA over 25 innings. He did better in the BGC with a 2.23 ERA over 32.1 innings. Philly finished at 12-7 in a five-way tie for first, officially placing third after the tiebreakers were sorted out.

Many were surprised as Khan opted out of his deal after only three years, returning to free agency at age 33. For Philadelphia, he had a 54-31 record, 2.57 ERA, 774.2 innings, 738 strikeouts, 118 walks, 132 ERA+, and 23.0 WAR. Khan moved on to Houston with a five-year, $130,800,000 deal. The Hornets had seen some early playoff exits in recent memory and hoped Khan could get them across the line. Unfortunately, they were below .500 for his entire tenure.

Khan was done as an elite pitcher by this point, but he was an ironman and could still reliably eat innings. He had four seasons for Houston with a 48-61 record, 3.78 ERA, 1023.1 innings, 760 strikeouts, 164 walks, 103 ERA+, and 20.3 WAR. After a career-worst 4.29 ERA in 2016, Khan decided to retire just after his 37^th birthday instead of playing the final year of his deal.

In total, Khan had a 218-203 record, 2.98 ERA, 3965.2 innings, 3484 strikeouts, 705 walks, 358/502 quality starts, 190 complete games, 45 shutouts, 119 ERA+, 75 FIP-, and 104.3 WAR. As of 2037, Khan is 18^th in pitching WAR, 35^th in strikeouts, 99^th in innings pitched, and 45^th in shutouts. His .628 opponent’s OPS is 84^th among all with 1000+ career innings and his 1.04 WHIP ranks 34th.

Many traditionalists though were held up by the win-loss record, which was underwhelming compared to other inductees. Khan also never won Pitcher of the Year and had limited traditional black ink apart from the one ERA title. It didn’t help that his final seasons with Houston were aggressively mid, hurting him via recency bias. The majority of his career also came on some forgettable Pirates squads.

More advanced metrics like WAR and FIP- though argued that Khan was definitely among the elite of his time. As of 2037, he’s one of only 26 pitchers through MLB’s lengthy history with 100+ WAR. Khan also had generally good playoff numbers, helping win two NA pennants, a World Series ring, and the inaugural Grand Championship with Philadelphia.

Still, the hard-liners kept Khan out in his first two ballots at 62.4% and 64.2%, narrowly missing the 66% requirement. He didn’t win over very many new voters in 2024, but got just enough for 68.0%. With that, Khan received a third ballot selection to cap off a two-pitcher 2024 Hall of Fame class for Major League Baseball.

MrNFL_FanIQ · 01-21-2025, 06:04 AM

Two players were added into the Central American Baseball Association in their debuts for 2024, headlined by 1B/DH Juan Castro with a nearly unanimous 99.4%. Closer Vinicius Garcia joined him with his own rock solid 78.2%. The only other player above 50% was SP Secretario Sanz, who got 51.4% in his seventh try.

LF/DH Liobel De Urquijo fell off the ballot after ten failed tries, peaking at 33.9% in 2016 and ending at 14.5%. He won three Silver Sluggers over a 15-year career with three teams, getting 2215 hits, 1197 runs, 352 doubles, 490 home runs, 1342 RBI, .307/.359/.569 slash, 151 wRC+, and 60.3 WAR. De Urquio was hurt by being a DH for half his starts and by being on some forgettable Bahamas and Trinidad teams, although he did get a Mexican League title with Juarez. He didn’t have the accolades or huge numbers needed to escape beyond the Hall of Pretty Good.

RP Jacky Coutant also fell off after ten ballots, debuting at 22.4% and ending at 8.9%. He won Reliever of the Year once and finished in CABA with 254 saves, 2.55 ERA, 754.1 innings, 970 strikeouts, 233 walks, 154 ERA+, and 15.9 WAR. Coutant had neither the longevity nor the raw dominance needed to reach the standards CABA voters had for closers.

Juan Castro – First Base/Designated Hitter – Costa Rica Rays – 99.4% First Ballot

Juan Castro was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed slugger from Panama City, Panama. Castro was a well-rounded batter with good-to-great power and contact ability, along with an above average eye for walks and strikeouts. He had excellent pop in his bat, getting 42 home runs, 27 doubles, and 5 triples for his 162 game average. Castro was also a very smart and crafty baserunner, providing positive value on the basepaths despite subpar running speed.

All of Castro’s defensive starts came at first base, where he was consistently below average. Around 55% of his starts were as a designated hitter, where he spent most of his first six seasons and some time in his mid-to-late 30s. Castro’s durability was impressive, starting 150+ games each year from 2003-2017. That reliability and a charming personality made Castro a fan favorite throughout a 17-year career.

By the 2000 CABA Draft, Castro was one of the higher-ranked hitting prospects from the Central American region. He was picked 16^th overall by Costa Rica, where he spent the first 15 years of his career. Castro saw limited use initially with only three at-bats in 2001, followed by 91 games and 20 starts in 2002. The Rays moved him to a starting slot in 2003, which was his first of 11 seasons worth 5+ WAR for CR. It was also his first of ten seasons with 40+ homers and first of 14 with 100+ RBI.

Castro’s steady power earned him Silver Sluggers in 2004, 2005, and 2007 as a DH and in 2012 at first base. 2005 was his breakthrough, winning Caribbean League MVP with league bests in home runs (60), RBI (139), total bases (422), slugging (.686), OPS (1.091), and wRC+ (184). Castro’s career highs for homers, OPS, and wRC+ came in 2005. Prior to that season, he had signed an eight-year, $43,320,000 extension to stay with the Rays.

In 2007, Castro was third in MVP voting with league and career-bests in hits (224), doubles (42), RBI (147), and total bases (435). 2007 also had a 33-game hitting streak, only five behind the then-CABA record. He led in hits and runs in 2008 and led in runs again in 201. Despite his efforts, Costa Rica was stuck in the middle tier for his entire tenure. They never made the playoffs, but were rarely outright bad, averaging 79.8 wins per season. Castro stayed loyal to the Rays, signing a new five-year, $61,100,000 deal in 2011.

He did at least get experience on the World Baseball Championship stage with his native Panama from 2002-13. Castro played 109 games for his country with 94 hits, 67 runs, 19 doubles, 34 home runs, 82 RBI, 49 walks, .237/.348/.557 slash, 158 wRC+, and 5.1 WAR. In 2009, Panama earned its second division title and first since 1997.

Castro’s second MVP win came in 2012 at age 33 for Costa Rica, leading in OPS (1.034) and wRC (171). It was also his third 50+ home run season. In his later Rays years, Castro reached the 500 home run, 1500 RBI, and 2500 hit milestones. For Costa Rica, Castro had 2606 hits, 1442 runs, 371 doubles, 591 home runs, 1591 RBI, .318/.372/.597 slash, 156 wRC+, and 81.4 WAR.

His deal expired for 2016, making Castro a free agent for the first time heading towards age 37. He remained very popular in Costa Rica and maintained a strong relationship with the franchise, getting his #1 uniform retired only a few years later. Castro was still playing at a high level and wanted to chase a ring, signing a three-year, $29,200,000 deal with reigning CABA champion Haiti.

Castro’s power dropped notably into his late 30s, although he was still a decent starter in his first two years for the Herons. He was relegated to a part-time role in his third year. Haiti made it to the CLCS in both 2016 and 2018, but was ousted in the former by Havana and the latter by Guyana. In 15 playoff games, Castro had 16 hits, 10 runs, 3 homers, 8 RBI, a .291/.350/.509 slash, 138 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR.

With Haiti, Castro finished with 434 hits, 215 runs, 55 doubles, 78 home runs, 241 RBI, .269/.319/.465 slash, 113 wRC+, and 6.0 WAR. While there, he became the 17^th member of the 600 home run club and the 12^th to 3000 hits. Castro retired after the 2018 campaign at age 39.

Castro finished with 2602 games, 3040 hits, 1657 runs, 426 doubles, 84 triples, 669 home runs, 1832 RBI, 727 walks, 216 stolen bases, .310/.364/.575 slash, 149 wRC+, and 87.4 WAR. As of 2037, Castro ranks 16^th in hits, 15^th in runs, 55^th in doubles, 16^th in home runs, 12^th in RBI, 69^th in walks, 12^th in total bases (5641), and 35^th in games played. Largely due to his time as a DH, he does rank only 62^nd in WAR among position players. Among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances, his .939 OPS is 81^st.

He also is one of only eight in CABA to reach both 650+ home runs and 3000+ career hits. Castro may not fall into the inner-circle or GOAT-level conversations, but his Hall of Fame candidacy was a slam dunk. At a near unanimous 99.4%, Castro headlined the two-player 2024 class for the Central American Baseball Association.

Vinicius Garcia – Closer – Mexicali Maroons – 78.2% First Ballot

Vinicius Garcia was a 6’2’’, 195 pound left-handed relief pitcher from Havana, the capital of Cuba. Garcia had solid stuff, excellent control, and very good movement. His two-pitch combo was sinker and slider with a peak velocity around 96-98 mph. Garcia had an extreme groundball tendency, so he was often at the mercy of the defense behind him.

Garcia had notable splits as he fared far better against right-handed bats (2.31 ERA, 163 ERA+) compared to against lefties (3.67 ERA, 103 ERA+). As relievers go, his stamina was respectable and he had solid durability. Garcia was decent at holding runners, but weak defensively. He wasn’t overwhelmingly dominant like many other great closers, but Garcia’s steady reliability helped him to a 14-year career.

For the 2003 CABA Draft, Garcia wasn’t on the radar of many teams. He was picked in the fourth round, 111^th overall, by Mexicali. Garcia would be the second-latest draft pick to make CABA’s Hall of Fame behind Class of 2002 Ramon Herrera, a fellow closer who was picked 115^th. The Maroons put Garcia into the closer role right away, although his production was underwhelming initially.

By 2006, Garcia led the Mexican League with a career-high 41 saves and took second in Reliever of the Year voting. He took third in 2007 and had six seasons with 30+ saves for Mexicali. 2009 saw Garcia’s career best in strikeouts with 116, which was a low peak compared to most HOF relievers. After being mostly hot garbage in the 1990s and early 2000s, the Maroons turned into a contender in 2006, ending a 21-year playoff drought.

Mexicali had first round playoff exits in 2006 and 2009. They broke through in 2007 at the top seed at 101-61, winning the ML pennant but losing in the CABA Championship to Haiti. Garcia struggled in his ten playoff appearances for the Maroons with a 7.36 ERA over 181.1 innings. The postseason woes lingered in the memories of some Mexicali fans.

Garcia fared a bit better on the World Baseball Championship stage for his native Cuba, but he was still below average there. He had some starts in the WBC along with relief appearances from 2005-18, posting an 8-6 record over 92 innings, 4.11 ERA, 126 strikeouts, 21 walks, and 2.8 WAR. Garcia’s 90 ERA+ was subpar, but he had a 68 FIP- that suggested that he might have had some bad luck and bounces.

For Mexicali, Garcia had 201 saves and 208 shutdowns, 2.59 ERA, 486.1 innings, 546 strikeouts, 92 walks, 142 ERA+, and 9.6 WAR. He left for free agency after the 2009 season at age 29 and signed a three-year, $15 million deal with defending ML champ Monterrey. Garcia ended up extending his deal and spent four years total with the Matadors. His role was mixed with full-time closing in 2012, part-time in 2010, and mid relief in 2011 and 2013.

2012 was Garcia’s strongest year for Monterrey with 3.6 WAR, 38 saves, 1.53 ERA, and 101 strikeouts in 88 innings; finishing second in Reliever of the Year voting. The Matadors had first round wild card losses in 2011 and 2012, then a MLCS defeat to Torreon in 2013. Garcia only had 2.1 playoff innings in his tenure, but they were perfect with no baserunners allowed and five strikeouts.

For Monterrey, Garcia had 62 saves and 107 shutdowns, 329.2 innings, 2.27 ERA, 363 strikeouts, 40 walks, 163 ERA+, and 9.0 WAR. He had one year left on his deal for 2014, but was traded just before spring training to Panama with another pitcher in exchange for 2011 MVP 1B Hasan Alvizo. Garcia would sign a two-year, $11,600,000 extension after the 2014 season with the Parrots, then added another two years and $11,600,000 the next winter.

2015 was Garcia’s line Reliever of the Year win, leading in saves at 39 and posting a career-best 3.9 WAR along with a 1.61 ERA. He led in saves again in 2016, but his ERA was an unremarkable 3.54. Panama’s lone playoff berth with Garcia was a first round loss in 2015 with Garcia getting wrecked in two appearances. He did notably reach the 300 and 350 career save milestones while in Panama.

The Parrots bought out his final year of his deal after the 2017 season. In four seasons, Garcia had 119 saves and 122 shutdowns, 2.86 ERA, 305 innings, 302 strikeouts, 57 walks, 140 ERA+, and 11.5 WAR. Salvador signed Garcia for two years in 2018, but he was unremarkable in camp and only saw one appearance the entire season. He retired after the 2018 campaign shortly after his 38^th birthday.

Garcia had 1122.2 innings, 905 games, 382 saves, 437 shutdowns, 75-95 record, 1212 strikeouts, 189 walks, 147 ERA+, 70 FIP-, and 30.2 WAR. As of 2037, he is tied for 7^th in saves and is 4^th in games. Among all pitchers with 1000+ innings, Garcia’s ERA is 54^th. His raw numbers are less dominant than many of the other relievers that got the nod in CABA, but not the worst.

For many CABA Hall of Fame voters, 350 saves was the magic number for closers as everyone who hit that mark before Garcia earned induction. He wouldn’t be an exception, although many scholars would argue Garcia is a weaker pick even by the lower standards often assigned to relievers. He got in easily at 78.2% for a first ballot pick with the 2024 class.

MrNFL_FanIQ · 01-21-2025, 01:00 PM

East Asia Baseball’s 2024 Hall of Fame class had three inductees, although home run king Soo-Geun Yim was the only no-doubter with the DH/RF nearly unanimous at 99.4%. Two returners made it in by barely breaching the 66% requirement as LF Sang-Min Hwang got 67.6% in his second ballot and SP Sora Miyoshi saw 67.2% for his third attempt. The only other player above 50% was SP Jong-Hyeon Chung at 51.3% in his fifth ballot. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots.

Soo-Geun “Jinx” Yim – Designated Hitter/Right Field - Jeonju Jethawks – 99.4% First Ballot

Soo-Geun Yim was a 6’2’’, 190 pound left-handed slugger from Ilsan, South Korea; a city of 294,000 people in the northwestern Seoul National Capital Area. Yim simply socked dingers with some scouts rating his home run power as a 10/10 at his peak. From 2001-2016, he smacked 40+ homers in all but one season and topped 50+ seven times in that stretch. Yim’s gap power was good too with 30 doubles and 3 triples per his 162 game average.

Yim was a rock solid contact hitter as well, although he was merely average at drawing walks with a subpar strikeout rate. He was especially potent against right-handed pitching with a career .989 OPS and 164 wRC+. Yim could still do damage to lefties with a .867 OPS and 136 wRC+. He wasn’t a bad baserunner from a skill standpoint, but he was almost laughably slow.

Around 55% of Yim’s career starts came as a designated hitter. Most of his defensive starts came in the Ulsan run and mostly at right field, although they tried him at first base briefly. Yim was an abysmal defender at either spot and definitely was best kept as a DH. He was a true ironman that never missed time to injury, playing 150+ games in 19 consecutive seasons. Yim was intelligent and hard working with a fan favorite personality. Combine his character, durability, and dingers, and you have one of the most universally beloved players to come from Korea.

Yim’s power potential was obvious even as a teenager, making him a rare draft pick coming out of Woosung High School. He was picked 6^th overall by Jeonju in the 1997 EAB Draft, but was used in only three pinch-hit at-bats in 1998. The Jethawks made Yim a full-time starter in 1999 at age 20, but he wasn’t quite fully formed yet. He was a merely okay starter in his first two years and even took second in 1999’s Rookie of the Year. Yim emerged as a truly elite slugger by his third season.

From 2001-05, Yim led the Korea League each year in home runs and total bases, hitting 59+ homers with 400+ total bases each season. He also led four times in runs scored and hits in that stretch, while leading thrice in RBI, thrice in WAR, twice in slugging, twice in wRC+, and once in both OBP and OPS. Yim won MVP in 2001, 2003, 2004, and 2005 and finished second in 2002. He won Silver Sluggers as a DH each year. All five seasons had OPS above 1.000 and a batting average above .300.

In 2002, Yim scored 137 runs, which ranks as the 8^th-best single season as of 2037 in EAB. He would join Young-Hwan Sha as the only players to score 120+ runs in five different seasons. 2003 had Yim’s best career WAR at 11.2 and his most hits with 237, which ranks as the 7^th-most hits in a season. His 478 total bases also broke the then-EAB record of 456. The 2005 season would make Yim a legend already in his mid 20s, becoming EAB’s new single-season home run king.

Yim socked 73 dingers in 2005, passing the previous mark of 72 reached twice by Tsukasa Kato. Kunihiko Ishiguro passed him with 79 in 2014, but no one else in EAB has as of 2037. Yim broke his own total bases record with 485 and holds the #3 and #4 spots in EAB as of 2037. The 485 total bases also ranks as the 17^th-most in world baseball history. Yim also had 158 RBI, which ranks as the 6^th-best effort. His 1.187 OPS was a career best and ranks 9^th as of 2037.

He became a beloved superstar in Jeonju and throughout all of South Korea for these exploits. Despite his efforts, the Jethawks were stuck in the middle of the standings. They did lose in the KLCS in his rookie year 1999, but didn’t make the playoffs for the rest of his run. Yim dominated though on the World Baseball Championship stage, especially in 2003 and 2004. South Korea fell to the United States in the 2003 World Championship and finished fourth in 2004.

Yim was third in 2004’s MVP voting with 22 hits, 17 runs, 10 homers, and 14 RBI in 19 games. The prior year, he had 21 runs, 23 hits, 11 homers, and 21 RBI in 25 games. From 2001-2013 in the World Baseball Championship, Yim played 122 games and started 104 with 103 hits, 79 runs, 16 doubles, 42 home runs, 79 RBI, .261/.329/.627 slash, 169 wRC+, and 5.4 WAR.

Yim still gets associated most with Jeonju as it was his most dominant tenure. He would be inducted in Jethawks blue and gold and his #25 uniform would be later retired. However, Yim opted to leave for free agency once eligible after the 2006 season. For Jeonju, he had 1436 hits, 795 runs, 232 doubles, 364 home runs, 868 RBI, 317 walks, .329/.375/.642 slash, 168 wRC+, and 49.7 WAR.

Since he was soon to be only 27-years old, Yim was one of the most prized free agents in EAB history. Ulsan would win the sweepstakes at eight years and $82,400,000. The Swallows had just missed the playoffs in 2005 to end a five-year streak, although they never got beyond the KLCS in that run. They hoped Yim could get them back to the top spot.

Yim was by no means bad during his Swallows run, but he never replicated his peak Jeonju numbers. He won a Silver Slugger in 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012 in right field and got one at first base in 2007; earning 11 total for his career. Ulsan took the top seed at 103-59 in 2007, but was upset by Yongin in the first round. The Swallows would be outside the playoffs for most of the rest of Yim’s tenure and were stuck in the middle tier.

Ulsan finally got back to the playoffs in 2012, but had another first round defeat. Yim led in home runs (56), RBI (131), and total bases (367) to win his fifth MVP. As of 2037, he’s one of six in EAB history to win the award 5+ times. He also led in homers in 2011 and topped 45+ dingers in six of his Swallows seasons. Yim was second in 2007’s MVP voting, which was his best Ulsan season by WAR (8.6), runs (121), and OPS (1.111).

Yim declined the contract option eighth year of his deal after the 2012 campaign, putting him back to free agency heading into his age 34 season. With Ulsan, he had 1252 hits, 689 runs, 208 doubles, 331 home runs, 807 RBI, 287 walks, .309/.356/.617 slash, 162 wRC+, and 39.9 WAR. Coming off an MVP, Yim’s stock was once again sky high. He inked a four-year, $60,000,000 deal with Incheon.

He never won awards with the Inferno, but remained a very steady power bat with 40+ homers and 110+ RBI in each of his first four years. Yim signed a two-year, $22,200,000 extension after the 2016 season. Incheon won the division in 2014 but had a first round playoff loss. They would be mid-tier the rest of his run, keeping Yim from ever having a meaningful playoff run. His career postseason stats were solid in a small sample size with 22 games, 25 hits, 14 runs, 5 doubles, 9 home runs, 21 RBI, and 1.008 OPS.

The excitement around Yim came back late in the Incheon run as his longevity meant he could challenge some big milestones. In 2015, he became the 4^th member of the 800 home run club and the 4^th to reach 2000 RBI. Seemingly within reach was Lei Meng’s home run record of 897, Hyeog-Jun Wi’s 2097 RBI record, and Byung-Oh Tan’s runs scored (2010) and hits mark (3871).

In 2016, Yim passed Wi to become EAB’s RBI king. Then in 2017, he passed Meng to become the home run king. That year Yim was also the 4^th to 3500 hits, but he would fall short of Tan’s hits and runs marks. Yim declined sharply in 2018 and was benched after posting -1.6 WAR in 80 games, retiring that winter at age 39. For Incheon, he had 855 hits, 464 runs, 139 doubles, 226 home runs, 604 RBI, 191 walks, .270/.314/.539 slash, 135 wRC+, and 19.9 WAR.

Yim finished with 3084 games, 3543 hits, 1948 runs, 579 doubles, 65 triples, 921 home runs, 2279 RBI, 795 walks, .306/.352/.605 slash, 157 wRC+, and 109.5 WAR. As of 2037, Yim remains EAB’s RBI leader and ranks 19^th in RBI among all players in world history. He finally surrendered EAB’s home run crown in the early 2030s, but still ranks 2^nd in EAB and is 21^st in world history. Yim is one of only 23 pros across all leagues with 900 homers.

In EAB as of 2037, Yim still ranks 3^rd in hits, 5^th in runs, 7^th in games played, 7^th in doubles, 83^rd in walks, 10^th in strikeouts, and 21^st in WAR among position players. He just misses the top 50 for runs scored and hits among all players ever. Among EAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Yim’s .957 OPS ranks 33^rd. He also ranks 21^st in slugging.

Any conversation about the best-ever sluggers in East Asia Baseball history certainly feature Yim prominently. Still, he gets left out of some top five and top ten lists when discussing EAB’s best-ever position players due either to being a DH/poor defender and/or because of a lack of playoff/team success. Some recency bias hurts him too with less dominance in his 30s

There were other guys who had more complete resumes, but Yim’s power was captivating for anyone who ever saw him play. Few players in all of baseball history were more universally beloved and very few ever had a power run as impressive as Yim’s 2001-05 peak with Jeonju. Yim’s iron man status and reliability made him a sure thing for two decades. He was a no-doubt Hall of Fame headliner at 99.4% to lead a three-player group in 2024.

MrNFL_FanIQ · 01-21-2025, 06:53 PM

Sang-Min Hwang – Left Field – Changwon Crabs – 67.6% Second Ballot

Sang-Min Hwang was a 6’3’’, 200 pound switch-hitting left fielder from Seoul, the capital of South Korea. Hwang was a well-rounded batter with good-to-great contact, power, and eye skills. He was quite good at drawing walks, although his strikeout rate was average. Hwang wasn’t a prolific home run hitter, but he had a very reliable pop in his bat with 33 home runs, 22 doubles, and 13 triples per his 162 game average. He also was known for being an extreme pull hitter.

Hwang had impressive speed, but he was often too aggressive on the basepaths and got caught stealing far more than he succeeded. The speed served him well as a career left fielder whose excellent defense earned him six Gold Gloves. Hwang’s talent and work ethic made him a successful and popular player over a 20-year run. He did run into sporadic injury issues, but you could usually get a pretty full load out of Hwang.

He attended Gangneung Yeongdong University and rose up the prospect rankings for the 1997 EAB Draft. Hwang was picked fifth by Changwon and was a full-time starter right away, although he struggled in his first two years. He led the Korea League in strikeouts in his first two years, but did also lead in 1999 with 82 walks. Hwang still managed to take third in Rookie of the Year voting despite a -0.1 WAR effort.

Hwang greatly lowered his Ks and improved his contact ability after a few more seasons. He wasn’t typically one to lead the league statistically, but he was worth 4+ WAR seven times with Changwon. Hwang signed an eight-year, $67,400,000 extension after the 2003 campaign. All six of Hwang’s Gold Glove wins came with the Crabs from 2002-07. His first Silver Sluggers came in 2006 and 2009. Hwang was on a stellar pace in 2006 with 1.110 OPS and 6.8 WAR in 121 games, but lost a month to a torn quadriceps.

2006 saw Changwon get the second wild card and make a surprise run to the KLCS, falling there to Seoul. They were generally lousy for the rest of Hwang’s tenure, only posting one other winning season and averaging only 75.6 wins per season. He thrived in his one playoff chance for the Crabs with 1.514 OPS, 17 hits, 12 runs, 5 homers, and 11 RBI in 10 starts.

Hwang missed notable parts of 2007 and 2008 to injury, but was healthy in 2009 for arguably his best season. He led the KL in WAR (8.6), OPS (1.036), and wRC+ (178). The WAR was a career best, as were his 42 home runs and 115 RBI. Hwang was third in MVP voting, his first time as a finalist. This was also his final season with Changwon, opting out of the rest of his deal. Hwang’s stock was at a new high at age 32, setting him up for a big payday.

For Changwon, Hwang had 1652 hits, 939 runs, 226 doubles, 149 triples, 326 home runs, 914 RBI, 759 walks, 372 stolen bases, .279/.360/.533 slash, 141 wRC+, and 53.8 WAR. Many fans still remembered him fondly for being a bright light in a generally weak era, although the organization had some saltiness for him leaving. Hwang’s #26 uniform ultimately wasn’t retired by the Crabs despite his efforts.

Hwang signed a five-year, $55 million deal to join Gwangju as he wanted to join a winner. The Grays had just posted back-to-back first round exits and hoped to get over the hump. Hwang held up his end and even took third in 2012’s MVP voting, leading the KL that year in OBP, slugging, OPS, and wRC+. Gwangju made the KLCS in both 2010 and 2011, but fell both years. They narrowly missed the 2012 playoffs, then lost in the first round of 2013. Hwang in 18 playoff games was great with 1.119 OPS, but he ultimately never got to play in the finals in his career.

For Gwangju in four seasons, Hwang had 588 hits, 326 runs, 81 doubles, 37 triples, 122 home runs, 326 RBI, .312/.401/.589 slash, 168 wRC+, and 22.5 WAR. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the fifth year of the deal, becoming a free agent at age 36. He still had plenty of suitors and signed with Busan at $50,400,000 over three years.

Hwang was on a stellar pace in 2014 when healthy with 5.4 WAR and 1.107 OPS in 87 games, but a rash of injuries kept him out. The Blue Jays struggled to 66-96 and began a rebuild in the offseason, sending Hwang to Daegu in a seven-player offseason swap. Hwang had a nice pace with 4.1 WAR and .925 OPS with the Diamondbacks in 2015, but lost nearly two months to a strained abdominal muscle.
He returned to free agency at age 38 and inked a three-year, $40,300,000 deal with Goyang. Hwang was mostly healthy for a solid 2016 with 3.2 WAR. Unfortunately in late April 2017, Hwang suffered a torn ACL that ended his season after 25 games. Instead of hoping to rehab back from such a major injury, Hwang retired that winter at age 40.

Hwang finished with 2586 games, 2628 hits, 1488 runs, 350 doubles, 212 triples, 530 home runs, 1445 RBI, 1227 walks, 596 stolen bases, .289/.372/.548 slash, 149 wRC+, and 89.2 WAR. As of 2037, Hwang ranks 74^th in hits, 40^th in runs, 76^th in triples, 64^th in home runs, 67^th in RBI, 9^th in walks, and 77^th in WAR among position players. His .920 OPS is 75^th among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances and his OBP ranks 54^th.

His finally tallies were rock solid and hit some of the milestones that voters like such as 2500+ hits and 500 homers. However, Hwang was borderline for some as he had limited accolades or black ink. He was steady and reliable over 20 years with primarily weaker teams, which doesn’t draw you nearly as much attention as someone on a winner or someone with a big peak. Hwang’s value also was boosted by great defense and walks, which wasn’t weighed highly by some traditionalists.

Hwang’s debut ballot in 2023 got 62.8%; solid but short of the 66% requirement. He didn’t win over too many in 2024, but got just enough to cross the line with 67.6%. Hwang secured a second ballot selection as the second of three in East Asia Baseball’s 2024 Hall of Fame class.

Sora Miyoshi – Starting Pitcher – Nagoya Nightowls – 67.3% Third Ballot

Sora Miyoshi was a 6’3’’, 190 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Chiryu, Japan; a city with about 72,000 inhabitants in Honshu’s Aichi Prefecture. Miyoshi wasn’t outstanding at any one thing, but was considered above average to good across the board. His fastball was his best pitch and peaked in the 94-96 mph range. Miyoshi also had a changeup and curveball in the arsenal.

Miyoshi’s stamina was considered pretty good, but smaller injuries did limit him in a few seasons. He was strong at holding runners but was below average defensively. Miyoshi wasn’t one to cause any problems, but he also wasn’t someone you would look to in a leadership role. He was steady and reliable, which allowed him to pitch for 18 seasons.

He was considered a top prospect coming out of Chukyodai Chukyo High School in Nagoya. Some figured Miyoshi would go to college, but Sendai decided to pick him sixth overall in the 1996 EAB Draft. He signed with the Samurai and spent two full years in their developmental system. Miyoshi debuted in 1999 at age 21 with 67.2 innings. Sendai moved him into the rotation full-time after that.

For the Samurai over six seasons in the rotation, Miyoshi was largely average to above average in production with reliable innings. They were a mid-tier team in his run, averaging 76 wins per season with a best of 83-79. Miyoshi had a 91-77 record, 3.27 ERA, 1561.2 innings, 1346 strikeouts, 384 walks, 102 ERA+, and 25.4 WAR. While he wasn’t bad, he wasn’t nearly as dominant as you’d want or expect having been picked sixth overall.

Sendai didn’t re-sign Miyoshi when his contract expired after the 2005 campaign, becoming a free agent heading towards age 28. He signed a five-year, $25,600,000 deal with Nagoya to begin his signature run. Miyoshi’s production got better as he consistently kept his ERA below three for his first seven seasons with the Nightowls, posting 4+ WAR each year.

His only time leading a major stat was in wins at 24-5 in 2009. This season also had his career best WAR at 6.0, which earned his lone Pitcher of the Year finalist season with a third place. Nagoya ended a seven-year playoff drought in 2008 with a first round loss. The Nightowls then shocked the world with a 117-45 campaign in 2009, rolling to the East Asian Championship over Busan. Nagoya’s 2009 squad is often on the short list of the greatest-ever EAB squads.

Miyoshi was actually mediocre in the playoff run with a 4.84 ERA over 22.1 innings. His great regular season though got him paid with a six-year, $59 million extension that winter. Nagoya was a one-and-done, missing the playoffs the next two years. They had a first round exit in 2012, then fell to the bottom of the standings after that. Miyoshi’s playoff stats for his career were a lackluster 4.71 ERA over 36.1 innings. He fared even worse in his limited World Baseball Championship outings for Japan from 2002-09. Miyoshi had 77 innings with a 2-4 record, 5.73 ERA, 93 strikeouts, 20 walks, 62 ERA+, and 0.1 WAR.

His regular season production stayed steady through 2012. In 2013, Miyoshi missed half of the season to shoulder inflammation. Miyoshi stayed mostly healthy the two years after that, but was firmly mediocre at that point. With one year left on his deal, the struggling Nightowls traded Miyoshi in the offseason to Fukuoka.

For Nagoya, Miyoshi had a 136-86 record, 3.11 ERA, 2107 innings, 1708 strikeouts, 393 walks, 110 ERA+, and 38.3 WAR. Miyoshi had a bit of a resurgence for the Frogs with a 3.00 ERA and 2.1 WAR over 218.2 innings in 2016. He decided to retire that winter instead of overstaying his welcome at age 38. Nagoya quickly brought him back to retire his #47 uniform for his decade of service and role in their 2009 championship.

Miyoshi finished with a 242-173 record, 3.17 ERA, 3887.1 innings, 3161 strikeouts, 830 walks, 312/502 quality starts, 86 complete games, 24 shutouts, 107 ERA+, 90 FIP-, and 65.8 WAR. As of 2037, Miyoshi ranks 21^st in wins, 24^th in innings, 92^nd in strikeouts, and 98^th in WAR among pitchers. Advanced stats definitely had Miyoshi as someone who was just above average for a long time. He lacked accolades and black ink, leading many voters to dismiss him as a compiler. Weak playoff stats also didn’t help his cause.

Many voters cared about counting stats and traditionalists pointed at Miyoshi’s win total. Every EAB starter who got to 240+ wins before him made it in, although there had been a few in the 230s that missed the cut. Miyoshi was also helped by having his best season with Nagoya’s historic 2009 title and was undoubtedly an important part of one of EAB’s best-ever teams.

Miyoshi missed the cut at 59.7% with his 2022 debut and dropped slightly in 2023 to 55.6%. For 2024, he got a sizeable boost up to 67.3% to sneak across the 66% requirement. Most scholars rank Miyoshi among the weaker starters in the East Asia Baseball Hall of Fame, but he secured his slot on the third ballot regardless as part of a three-player 2024 class.

MrNFL_FanIQ · 01-22-2025, 07:59 AM

Beisbol Sudamerica’s 2024 Hall of Fame class was loaded with three players each finishing above 94% of the vote. SP Fernan Murillo (99.2%), OF Marco Del Cid (96.0%), and SP Samuel Alves (94.8%) were each slam dunk picks. The best returner was 3B Artemio Reyes at 61.1% on his eighth ballot, falling just shy of the 66% requirement. No other players cracked 50% and only two others were above 40%.

3B Emilio Aruquipa was dropped after ten ballots, peaking with 42.3% in his debut and ending at 9.5%. He had a 21-year career between Santa Cruz and Buenos Aires with 2744 hits, 1269 runs, 417 doubles, 183 triples, 79 home runs, 821 RBI, 904 walks, 1409 stolen bases, .316/.382/.434 slash, 129 wRC+, and 69.0 WAR. Aruquipa was a great leadoff man and ranks second in stolen bases in BSA history and 27^th among all world players as of 2037. He never led in any other stats though and lacked accolades and power, keeping him in the Hall of Good.

Another guy dropped was 1B Theo Rijo, who peaked with his 36.9% debut and ended at 7.1% on his tenth try. He had 15 years primarily with Belo Horizonte with 2118 hits, 1085 runs, 322 doubles, 440 home runs, 1210 RBI, .311/.379/.565 slash, 166 wRC+, and 74.4 WAR. Rijo was quietly a very efficient hitter, but had no black ink or awards. He would’ve needed a few more years to get the tallies high enough to earn more attention.

Fernan Murillo – Starting Pitcher – Buenos Aires Atlantics – 99.2% First Ballot

Fernan Murillo was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed starting pitcher from Barrancabermea, a city of 203,000 people in north central Colombia known as the nation’s oil capital. Murillo had excellent stuff and control along with above average movement. His velocity peaked in the 99-101 mph range with a cutter as his most powerful pitch. Murillo’s deadliest offering was his curveball, although his slider and knuckle curve were both good. He also had a rarely used changeup as the fifth option. His diverse arsenal helped Murillo become one of the elite strikeout pitchers of his generation.

Murillo’s stamina was merely average compared to most aces of his era. He held up remarkably well over a 21-year career and avoided the major arm injuries that ruin many pitchers, but he did miss sporadic starts mostly to back issues. Murillo was great at holding runners and was quite good defensively. He ended up as one of the continent’s most popular and successful pitchers of all time.

In September 1994, a scout from Buenos Aires convinced Murillo to sign a developmental deal to leave Colombia for Argentina. He spent three years in their academy before debuting in 1998 at age 20. Murillo was respectable over 153 innings that year, taking third in Rookie of the Year voting. He would become Buenos Aires’ ace for the next 14 years, posting 5+ WAR in each of those seasons.

From 2001-04, Murillo led the league each year in wins, peaking with a 24-7 mark in 2003. He also had his career best of 376 strikeouts in 2003 and also led in Ks for 2003 and 2006. Murillo couldn’t quite snag the top award at this point, finishing second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2006 with a third in 2005. He struck out 300+ batters each year during this run. 2006 was Murillo’s first time as the WARlord with a career-best 11.1.

The Atlantics were a regular contender in this era, earning five consecutive playoff berths from 1999-03. They also made it into the postseason in 2005 and 2007, but could never get over the hump. Buenos Aires lost in the Southern Cone League championship in 2000, 2002, and 2003. Their other berths all saw divisional series defeats. Murillo was surprisingly average in the postseason for BA with a 3.66 ERA over 76.1 innings, 3-5 record, 85 strikeouts, 99 ERA+, and 1.2 WAR.

Murillo did step up on the World Baseball Championship stage as a regular for his native Colombia from 1999-2016. He tossed 261.2 innings with a 22-8 record, 2.58 ERA, 376 strikeouts, 62 walks, 140 ERA+, and 9.1 WAR. Murillo led all pitchers with 60 strikeouts as Colombia lost to the United States in the 2010 World Championship. They also had a third place finish in 2006. As of 2037, Murillo leads all Colombians in the WBC in pitching WAR, wins, innings, and strikeouts. Among all nations, he ranks 19^th in wins, 34^th in strikeouts, and 25^th in pitching WAR.

In July 2007, Murillo signed a six-year, $61,500,000 extension with Buenos Aires. The Atlantics started a decade-long playoff drought in 2008, hovering generally just below .500. Murillo continued to thrive though and won Pitcher of the Year thrice (2009, 2011, 2012). He led in strikeouts from 2009-11 and was the WARlord in both 2009 and 2011. 2012 saw Murillo’s low ERA title at 2.31, a career-best that he also hit the prior season. Towards the end of his BA run, Murillo reached the 250+ win and 4000+ strikeout thresholds.

The Atlantics weren’t competitive at this point and had one year left with Murillo under contract. With his 2012 ERA title, the 35-year old was still a hot property, so Buenos Aires traded him in the offseason to Brasilia in a four-player deal. They did get 3B Spinoza Arajo in the deal, who would be a 15-year starter, MVP winner, and Copa Sudamerica MVP winner for the Atlantics. Although BA made the right move, many were sad to see their long-time ace go.

For Buenos Aires, Murillo had a 253-124 record, 2.58 ERA, 3557.2 innings, 4388 strikeouts, 464 walks, 139 ERA+, and 107.8 WAR. His #13 uniform would be retired as soon as his pro career ended. Murillo led in strikeouts in his lone season for Brasilia, but saw a career worst 4.02 ERA. The Bearcats had been the LCS runner-up in 2012, but failed to get back to the playoffs in 2013.

Murillo was now a free agent for the first time and signed a three-year, $32,100,000 deal with Fortaleza, the defending Copa Sudamerica champ. He was done as an ace by this point and had seen his velocity drop from triple digits to the mid 90s. Recurring back injuries cost him starts each year for the Foxes, but he still provided positive value.

Fortaleza won the Southern Cone League in 2014, but couldn’t repeat as Copa Sudamerica winners in a rematch with Medellin. A herniated disc kept Murillo out for the playoffs. The Foxes lost in the first round of 2015 with Murillo allowing five runs in seven innings in his lone start. Fortaleza fell to below .500 in 2016, but Murillo that year became the seventh BSA pitcher to reach 5000 career strikeouts. In total for the Foxes, Murillo had a 28-25 record, 3.18 EREA, 467.2 innings, 387 strikeouts, 120 ERA+, and 10.4 WAR.

Now 39-years old, Murillo came home to Colombia on a three-year, $18,400,000 deal with Medellin. He kept up similar production with the Mutiny in two years as he had with Fortaleza. Murillo allowed four runs in 2017 in one playoff start as Medellin lost in the first round. They fell in the divisional series in 2018 with Murillo not getting used.

With the Mutiny, Murillo was able to reach 300 career wins, becoming only the fifth in BSA history to do so. He had a 26-20 record, 3.50 ERA, 396 innings, 299 strikeouts, 115 ERA+, and 9.2 WAR for Medellin. Murillo retired after the 2018 campaign at age 41.

Murillo finished with a 316-181 record, 2.79 ERA, 4658.2 innings, 5344 strikeouts, 605 walks, 439/610 quality starts, 117 complete games, 38 shutouts, 131 ERA+, 71 FIP-, and 132.3 WAR. As of 2037, Murillo ranks 4^th in wins, 7^th in strikeouts, 4^th in innings pitched, 98^th in complete games, 37^th in shutouts, and 6^th in pitching WAR. Among all BSA pitchers with 1000+ innings, his 0.97 WHIP is 66^th.

By basically any measure, Murillo was considered the best pitcher of his era in Beisbol Sudamerica. Most rank him among BSA’s top ten pitchers, although he misses some top five lists as he wasn’t quite as otherworldly dominant as some of those just ahead of him on the leaderboards. Plus, Murillo’s playoff stats were underwhelming and he never had that defining postseason moment.

However, Murillo’s longevity helped earn him spot even on the world leaderboards. As of 2037 among all pitchers in baseball history, Murillo ranks 25^th in wins, 23^rd in strikeouts, 45^th in innings, and 40^th in pitching WAR. By WAR, Murillo is the best-ever player to come from Colombia and certainly has a case for being his country’s best-ever baseball product. Murillo was an easy headliner even in a loaded 2024 Hall of Fame class with a nearly unanimous 99.2%.

MrNFL_FanIQ · 01-22-2025, 02:00 PM

Marco Del Cid – Center Field – Cali Cyclones – 96.0% First Ballot

Marco Del Cid was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed outfielder from Cartagena, Colombia; a major northern coastal city with around one million people in the metro area. Del Cid was an incredible contact hitter and a master at putting the ball in play and avoiding strikeouts. He also had a good eye for drawing walks and was a very dangerous baserunner with solid speed.

Del Cid’s gap power was fantastic with 33 doubles and 15 triples per his 162 game average. He also got you 26 home runs per 162, making him one of the more effective batters of his even without overwhelming power. Del Cid was especially potent against right-handed pitching with a career 1.017 OPS and 163 wRC+. Versus lefties, he had a 120 wRC+ and .832 OPS, which was still solid but nothing incredible.

Defensively, Del Cid primarily played left field and was considered a great gloveman there, winning four Gold Gloves. He played some center at the start of his career and struggled there without the required range. Del Cid had nice durability with 125+ games played in all 17 years of his career. He was also considered one of the true good guys of the game and was a team captain. Del Cid was renowned for his intelligence, leadership, and work ethic. He became very popular with fans and was one of the most universally respected men in clubhouses across the continent.

In the 2001 BSA Draft, Del Cid was picked 11^th overall by Cali, where he’d spend almost his entire pro career. He was a full-timer immediately and won 2002 Rookie of the Year with an impressive 6.7 WAR debut campaign with a career-best 32 home runs. For the next decade, he was consistently good for 4+ WAR and a batting average above .325. Del Cid would post an OPS above one in six different seasons.

In 2005, Del Cid won his first batting title with a .376 average and led in hits for the only time with 218. He also had his first of four seasons with the top on-base percentage. Without big home run power, Del Cid wasn’t typically in MVP conversations. He did win Silver Sluggers in 2003, 2005, and 2006 in center field, followed by left field wins in 2008, 2009, and 2010. Del Cid’s four Gold Glove wins came from 2007-10 upon moving to LF.

Cali saw some success early in Del Cid’s run, getting wild cards from 2002-04 and in 2007. Their deepest runs would be Bolivar League Championship Series defeats in 2004 and 2007. The Cyclones were generally mediocre for the next decade after that with their lone playoff appearance being a first round loss in 2015. Despite his popularity, Del Cid did get some blame as his playoff numbers were mediocre. He accepted the responsibility, posting 26 playoff starts for Cali with a .245/.264/.368 slash, 69 wRC+, and -0.1 WAR.

Del Cid fared better as a captain for Colombia in the World Baseball Championship from 2002-17. In 163 games and 153 starts, Del Cid had 155 hits, 77 runs, 24 doubles, 5 triples, 17 home runs, 64 RBI, 81 walks, 79 stolen bases, .278/.373/.430 slash, 130 wRC+, and 4.1 WAR. He had 20 steals in their 2010 runner-up finish against the United States, which is one of only 27 times in WBC history that a player stole 20+ bags in the event. Colombia also notably took third in 2006.

Cali signed Del Cid to an eight-year, $42,520,000 extension after the 2006 season. He led with 48 doubles in 2008 and had the best OBP in 2010, 2011, and 2013. 2010 was his finest season with league and career bests in batting average (.393), OBP (.453), OPS (1.131), wRC+ (190), and WAR (9.7). At the time, it was the 5^th-best average and 8^th-best OBP in a BSA season. Del Cid also had career bests in runs (111), hits (226), and steals (71) and he saw his lone cycle in a game against Bogota. Del Cid was third in MVP voting, his only time as a finalist.

Del Cid carried on leading the Cyclones even if they were underwhelming in the 2010s. Cali gave him a three-year, $33,300,000 extension after the 2014 season. He production dipped slightly, but he was still a solid starter even in his final years for Cali. In 2017, Del Cid became the 12^th member of the 3000 hit club and the 16^th to 1500 runs scored.

His Cali run had an unfortunate ending with a broken kneecap suffered in September 2017. The Cyclones didn’t re-sign him after that, but Del Cid still wanted to play. Santiago gave him a shot at two years and $14,600,000, but Del Cid struggled and was reduced to a part-time role with -0.6 WAR over 126 games and 52 starts in 2018. He retired that winter at age 39 and immediately had his #40 uniform retired by Cali.

Del Cid had 2515 games, 3072 hits, 1544 runs, 516 doubles, 233 triples, 402 home runs, 1491 RBI, 815 walks, 867 stolen bases, .341/.394/.584 slash, 154 wRC+, and 89.6 WAR. As of 2037, Del Cid ranks 62^nd in games, 20^th in runs, 17^th in hits, 13^th in doubles, 39^th in triples, 21^st in total bases (5260), 51^st in walks, and 59^th in WAR among position players.

Among BSA batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Del Cid ranks 34^th in batting average, 20^th in on-base percentage, 71^st in slugging, and his .978 OPS ranks 34^th. Among all world Hall of Famers as of 2037, Del Cid ranks 21^st in batting average and 49^th in OBP.

Few players were as reliably consistent at the plate, but Del Cid does fall outside of the true inner circle between the lack of home run power and his poor playoff stats. As a person though, Del Cid’s character is above reproach. He’s a Hall of Fame lock anyway you look at it and would headline most classes. With Beisbol Sudamerica’s loaded 2024 group, he had the second highest percentage with 96.0%.

Samuel Alves – Starting Pitcher – Recife Retrievers – 94.8% First Ballot

Samuel Alves was a 6’1’’, 190 pound right-handed pitcher from Anapolis, a city of around 400,000 people in central Brazil. Alves had good-to-great stuff and movement along with excellent control. He had a 97-99 mph fastball and a strong slider as his main two offerings, along with a curveball and changeup. Alves’ stamina was below average relative to most BSA aces with decent durability. He was good at holding runners and was below average defensively.

Alves was picked fourth overall by Recife in the 2004 BSA Draft and spent his entire 14-year pro career with the Retrievers. He was a full-timer right away and took second in Rookie of the Year voting in 2005. Alves had impressive efficiency right away despite not having as many innings as some contemporaries. 2006-14 had nine straight seasons above 4.5 WAR with four seasons above 6+.

Recife became a regular contender in 2009, ending an eight-year playoff drought. They had three straight berths from 2009-11, then had a nine year postseason streak from 2013-21. Alves helped the Retrievers become a winner and started to get his first awards consideration. In 2010, Alves would toss a no-hitter on April 7 with 12 strikeouts and two walks against Belo Horizonte. He led the Southern Cone League with 7.3 WAR, finishing third in Pitcher of the Year voting.

The Retrievers fell in the 2009 LCS to Salvador, but earned back-to-back Southern Cone pennants in 2010 over Fortaleza and in 2011 over Cordoba. Recife would fall in both Copa Sudamerica trips as Santa Cruz completed a three-peat in 2010, followed by a 2011 title for Valencia. Alves’ playoff stats were merely okay these years, but his overall production earned him a five-year, $46,800,000 extension after the 2011 campaign. He had a 3.95 ERA in the 2010 Baseball Grand Championship and a 2.57 ERA run in 2011 with the Retrievers in the middle of the standings both tries.

Alves had the ERA title at 2.31 in 2011, but did lose awards consideration as he missed six weeks to shoulder tendinitis. He took third in 2012 and 2013’s Pitcher of the Year voting, despite leading with 6.6 WAR in 2013. In 2014, Alves took the top honor with a league and career-best 1.88 ERA. Recife fell in both 2013 and 2014 in the LCS to Fortaleza, although Alves had a fairly solid showing both years.

A hamstring strain cost Alves more than half of the 2015 season, but he was back for the autumn. Recife finally won Copa Sudamerica, upsetting top seed Montevideo in the LCS and beating Callao for the overall title. Alves had a 3.60 ERA over 25 playoff innings and 16 strikeouts. He had an excellent 1.50 ERA over 36 innings with 47 strikeouts though in the Baseball Grand Championship. Recife would go 10-9 in a three-way tie for sixth.

His career playoff numbers were fairly average with 162.1 innings, 3.44 ERA, 8-6 record, 140 strikeouts, 28 walks, 106 ERA+, and 2.5 WAR. Recife’s playoff streak continued, but the deepest they got in the following three years was an LCS loss in 2017. Alves did have good BGC numbers with a 2.32 ERA over 77.2 innings, 97 strikeouts, and 2.6 WAR.

Alves did see very strong numbers as a regular for Brazil in the World Baseball Championship. From 2005-17, he had 180 innings with a 12-5 record, 2.80 ERA, 192 strikeouts, 24 walks, and 6.0 WAR. He ranks fifth in pitching WAR among Brazilians in the event. Their best finish with Alves was a third place in 2016, which had a 1.78 ERA over 25.1 innings. Brazil also won division titles in 2006 and 2014. These efforts helped Alves’ notoriety and popularity with Brazilian fans.

After the 2015 season heading towards age 34, Alves signed a five-year, $53,700,000 extension with Recife. He had a good 2016 and a decent 2017, although his velocity notably began to dip. Alves’ strong control kept him effective, but he had a further drop down to the 91-93 mph range by 2018. He posted below average results and retired that winter at age 36. The Retrievers quickly honored Alves and retired his #26 uniform.

Alves finished with a 193-110 record, 2.61 ERA, 2806.2 innings, 2745 strikeouts, 348 walks, 268/357 quality starts, 46 complete games, 14 shutouts, 138 ERA+, and 70.9 WAR. Because of a relatively low inning tally, Alves ranks fairly low in counting stats. As of 2037, he is 88^th in wins and misses the top 100 in innings or strikeouts. Alves does sit 75^th in WAR among position players and among all pitchers with 1000+ innings, Alves’ 0.97 WHIP is 66^th and his 1.12 BB/9 is 41st

Advanced stats like ERA+ (138) and FIP- (75) firmly place him as elite, even if the accumulations didn’t. Most voters gave him some credit for Recife’s sustained success and for his WBC efforts with Brazil. Add in two ERA titles and a Pitcher of the Year award, and Alves’s resume was plenty strong. At 94.8%, he capped off an impressive three-player Hall of Fame class in 2024 for Beisbol Sudamerica.

MrNFL_FanIQ · 01-22-2025, 06:40 PM

The European Baseball Federation elected three players into the Hall of Fame for 2024, headlined by SP Mitja Kovacic at 96.3%. LF Robert Patrikyan also made it on the first ballot, but he narrowly reached the 66% requirement with 70.7%. Meanwhile SP Martin Kukoc finally crossed the line at 68.8% in his tenth and final chance. He became the fourth player to make EBF’s HOF on their tenth try. Kovacic and Kukoc were both also notable as the first-ever Slovenian inductees.

Two others were above 50% with 3B Kyle Evrard at 62.3% and SP Johannes Jol with 58.9%; both on their sixth ballot. No one else was above 50%, although LE Richmond Diagne was close at 48.3% in his tenth and final try. Diagne’s peak was 49.4% in 2017 and he was never lower than 38.9% in 2022, but just couldn’t get any movement.

For Diagne, he won two Gold Gloves and one Silver Slugger, finishing with 2079 hits, 1302 runs, 289 doubles, 132 triples, 513 home runs, 1393 RBI, .282/.331/.566 slash, 149 wRC+, and 71.5 WAR. He also notably won four European Championship rings between three teams, getting one with Paris, two with Copenhagen, and one with Marseille. In 99 playoff games, Diagne had 109 hits, 58 runs, 15 doubles, 22 home runs, 69 RBI, .288/.323/.544 slash, 139 wRC+, and 3.0 WAR. He was reliably solid, but had no ink and was never an MVP finalist, thus he was banished to the Hall of Pretty Good.

RF Kristijan Acevski was dropped after ten ballots, peaking with a 31.1% debut and ending at 9.7%. He was hurt by his first five seasons with Budapest being in Eurasian Professional Baseball, although his final tallies combined still were likely too low with 2338 hits, 1019 runs, 398 doubles, 176 triples, 286 home runs, 1182 RBI, .307/.340/.519 slash, 146 wRC+, and 53.2 WAR. Acevski had one batting title and a nice career, but unsurprisingly missed the cut.

SP Mehmet Azemi also lasted ten ballots, debuting at 34.5% and ending with 4.4%. The Kosovar had a 16-year career with eight teams for a 195-189 record, 3.77 ERA, 3470 innings, 3538 strikeouts, 694 walks, 102 ERA+, and 51.1 WAR. He was a solid journeyman, but was never in the Pitcher of the Year conversations.

Two others fell below 5% and were dropped, but were still worthy of noting. RF Ari Hartnell had three Silver Sluggers, one Gold Glove, and led in WAR once. He had 2293 hits, 1105 runs, 247 doubles, 229 triples, 393 homers, 1195 RBI, .304/.337/.554 slash, 150 wRC+, and 74.4 WAR. Hartnell peaked with a 28.0% debut and fell to 4.7% on his eighth try.

Lastly, C Geir Valla fell off on his seventh ballot, peaking in his second try at 23.3%. He had 1640 hits, 748 runs, 277 doubles, 262 home runs, 833 RBI, .253/.306/.430 slash, 106 wRC+, and 46.9 WAR. Valla won two championships with Copenhagen and was an important piece for 16 years for the Corsairs. It is tough in the best cases though for catchers and even most pro-catcher voters would agree that Valla didn’t have the dominance or longevity.

Mitja Kovacic – Starting Pitcher – Marseille Musketeers – 96.3% First Ballot

Mitja Kovacic was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Ilirska Bistrica, a town of 4,500 people in southwestern Slovenia. Kovacic had great stuff, excellent control, and very good movement. His fastball topped out in the 96-98 mph range, but his slider, curveball, and changeup were each equally viable options.

Kovacic’s stamina was above average relative to other European aces. While he did have some injury issues, he mostly avoided major setbacks over a 17-year run. Kovacic was good at holding runners, but struggled defensively otherwise. He wasn’t a genius by any stretch, but his natural ability was usually plenty to succeed. Kovacic became one of the more popular pitchers of his era and the first Slovenian baseball superstar.

He came from humble beginnings, but managed to catch the eye of a scout from Warsaw. The Wildcats just joined EBF in 2000 as part of the great exodus of teams from EPB. In March 2000, Kovacic joined Warsaw’s academy and spent four years in Poland. He never pitched for the Wildcats though, as he was traded in January 2004. Kovacic and prospect C Guntars Ozols were sent to Marseille for HOF Class of 2016 pitcher Enrico Gini.

Gini gave Warsaw one solid season as a rental, although they didn’t win it all as they hoped. The Musketeers certainly won the deal as Kovacic would give them 14 years of production. He debuted in 2005 at age 22 and struggled initially in a part-time role. Kovacic was a full-time starter after that, but he posted merely okay numbers over his first three full seasons in the rotation.

Kovacic broke out in 2009 as the Southern Conference’s WARlord at 8.1. He would also lead in WAR with 8+ efforts in 2010, 2013, and 2015. It also started a streak of nine consecutive seasons of at least 5+ WAR. Kovacic was second in 2009’s Pitcher of the Year voting and Marseille ended a 19-year playoff drought by going 97-65.

The Musketeers went all the way, defeating Luxembourg for the European Championship. Kovacic earned MVP of the conference finals win over Athens, posting a 2.52 ERA and 3-1 record over five playoff starts with 39.1 innings, 40 strikeouts, and 3 walks. He tossed a three-hit shutout against both the Anchors and the Lancers in the run, forever earning a spot in the hearts of Marseille fans.

Kovacic led in wins (21-8), strikeouts (290), WHIP (0.96), and WAR (8.3) in 2010, but again was second in Pitcher of the Year voting. His WAR and Ks were down in 2011, but a conference-best 21-2 record led him to his first POTY win. Kovacic was second again in 2012 and finally got his big payday that winter with a seven-year, $92,400,000 extension.

Marseille remained competitive, but never matched their 2009 title run. They earned playoff berths in 2010, 11, 12, 14, and 16, narrowly missing in the off years. However, they only got to the conference finals once with a 2014 loss to Barcelona. Kovacic held his own in the playoffs with 86 innings, a 5-4 record, 2.41 ERA, 82 strikeouts, 160 ERA+, and 2.9 WAR over his Musketeers tenure.

Kovacic won his second Pitcher of the Year in 2013 with his lone ERA title at 1.85, while also leading in wins (20-6) and WAR (8.1). He took third in 2014, then won for the third time in 2015 as the leader in WAR and strikeouts. 2015 saw his career best WAR (8.8) and FIP- (55). 2014 would see Kovacic‘s lone no-hitter on May 23 with 7 strikeouts against Chisinau. Kovacic was done with awards consideration after that, but remained solid in 2016 and 2017.

2017 was an absolute disaster on all fronts for Marseille. Kovacic got shoulder inflammation after his third start, missing the rest of the season. The Musketeers had fallen to 78-84 the prior year to end a decade run of winning seasons. In 2017, they plummeted to 56-106 and were relegated to the European Second League. Kovacic had one year left on his deal, but used the relegation opt-out to leave for free agency at age 35.

This ended Kovacic’s time in Europe, finishing with a 193-97 record, 2.88 ERA, 2848 innings, 2864 strikeouts, 422 walks, 247/351 quality starts, 104 complete games, 26 shutouts, 133 ERA+, and 71.5 WAR. Most fans in southern France remember Kovacic fondly, but the organization seemingly held a grudge for the way it ended and never retired his #10 uniform. As of 2037, Kovacic ranks 60^th in wins, 77^th in strikeouts, and 47^th in pitching WAR.

His EBF tallies aren’t overwhelming as he didn’t crack the top 100 in innings. But the accolades made Kovacic a no-brainer. He won Pitcher of the Year thrice, led in wins thrice, strikeouts twice, and had an ERA title. Kovacic also was a solid playoff performer who helped Marseille return to relevance with their 2009 title. Some voters also gave him some credit for his post-EBF accumulations. Thus, Kovacic was an easy headliner for EBF’s 2024 Hall of Fame class at 96.3%.

Kovacic still had four more years post EBF though. Some were worried that after a season-ending injury that he might be cooked, but MLB’s Kansas City gave him a shot with a three-year, $61,200,000 deal. The Cougars were the reigning World Series champ and hoped to start a dynasty run. Kovacic was a reliably strong veteran starter for KC with a 44-19 record, 2.82 ERA, 685 innings, 526 strikeouts, 99 walks, 122 ERA+, and 13.8 WAR.

Kansas City won their third National Association pennant in four years, but lost the 2019 World Series to Houston. The Cougars fell in the 2020 NACS to Cincinnati, then missed the 2021 playoffs. Kovacic was merely okay in the playoffs with a 3-3 record over eight starts, 3.66 ERA, 51.2 innings, 32 strikeouts, and 95 ERA+. He was solid though in the 2019 Baseball Grand Championship with 2.73 ERA in five starts, 33 innings, 3-1 record, 34 strikeouts, and 141 ERA+. Kansas City finished third in the BGC at 12-7.

Heading towards age 39, he signed for 2022 with New York. Kovacic was respectable in a half-season for the Yankees with a 3.12 ERA over 124 innings, 111 ERA+, and 2.0 WAR. However, they cut him in late July. Baltimore employed Kovacic two days, but didn’t use him before cutting him in August. He finished the year for Montreal’s minor league Sherbrooke team and retired that winter. In MLB, Kovacic had a 50-22 record, 2.87 ERA, 809 innings, 566 strikeouts, 121 walks, 120 ERA+, and 15.9 WAR.

For his combined pro career, Kovacic had a 243-119 record, 2.87 ERA, 3657 innings, 3430 strikeouts, 543 walks, 130 ERA+, and 87.4 WAR. He’s not inner-circle level, but his resume was ironclad. Kovacic widely is considered Slovenia’s best-ever baseball player and he joined classmate Martin Kukoc as the first Slovenes to earn the top honor.

MrNFL_FanIQ · 01-23-2025, 06:02 AM

Robert Patrikyan – Left Field – Yerevan Valiants – 70.7% First Ballot

Robert Patrikyan was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed outfielder from Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. Patrikyan was a very good contact hitter with reliable power, especially for the gap. He led in doubles thrice and had a 162 game average of 36 doubles, 6 triples, and 34 home runs. Patrikyan was average to above average at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. He was a skilled baserunner, but was limited by below average speed.

Patrikyan did most of his damage versus right-handed pitching with a career .992 OPS and 170 wRC+. He was merely above average against lefties with a 113 wRC+ and .770 OPS. Patrikyan played almost exclusively in left field, but was a lousy defender. Still, he was one of the hardest working and scrappiest guys on the field, which made Patrikyan a popular player in his era. He also maintained good durability and rarely missed time to injury over a 15-year career.

As Patrikyan was growing up, Armenia was in the Eurasian Professional Baseball sphere of influence. Three of his countrymen were inducted into EPB’s Hall of Fame prior to Patrikyan becoming the first Armenian in EBF’s HOF. The capital Yerevan was among the teams that defected to EBF in the 2000 exodus. The Valiants kept a close eye on Patrikyan as he entered college in the early 2000s. In the 2003 EBF Draft, Yerevan picked Patrikyan with the fifth overall pick.

Not only was it an obvious pick purely from a talent standpoint, but selecting a hometown hero made tons of business sense. In EPB, the Valiants had been one of the consistently worst teams, going from 1978-2003 without a single winning season. Patrikyan was solid as a part-time starter as a rookie in 2004, helping Yerevan finally get back above .500, even if it was 82-80. The Valiants didn’t become a powerhouse, but they had winning seasons from 2004-09. Yerevan would win division titles in 2006 and 2007, although they didn’t get beyond the second round.

Patrikyan led the Southern Conference thrice in doubles for Yerevan and had four seasons above 6+ WAR. He won Silver Sluggers in both 2006 and 2008, taking third in 2006’s MVP voting and second in 2008. 2008 was his best season by WAR (8.2), OPS (1.077), wRC+ (191), hits (217), RBI (127), and triple slash (.371/.451/.662). Patrikyan’s doubles best was 51 in 2009 , his runs best was 119 in 2011, and his homers best was 41 in 2006.

After the 2009 season, Patrikyan signed a four-year, $53,400,000 extension with Yerevan. To their disappointment, he would opt out after the 2011 season and become a free agent at age 30. With Yerevan, Patrikyan had 1365 hits, 753 runs, 296 doubles, 277 home runs, 776 RBI, 338 walks, .320/.371/.607 slash, 166 wRC+, and 47.3 WAR. He would remain a hometown favorite even after leaving Armenia and his #26 uniform would eventually be retired.

Patrikyan moved to Switzerland and signed for seven years and $73,400,000 with Zurich. He wasn’t an awards winner or conference leader with the Mountaineers, but was a very solid starter in his first two years. Patrikyan dipped a bit after that, but was still a positive contributor with his bat. Zurich was in regular contention with playoff berths in 2012-13, then from 2016-21.

Zurich lost in the 2012 Southern Conference Championship to Vienna, then had a second round loss in 2013. In 2016, the Mountaineers won it all, beating Amsterdam for the European Championship. Patrikyan was solid in that title run with 19 starts, 23 hits, 10 runs, 6 doubles, 2 homers, 12 RBI, 9 walks, and .902 OPS. In the Baseball Grand Championship, he was more inconsistent with a .182/.250/.500 slash, although 7 of his 12 hits were solo homers. Zurich finished 12-7 in a three-way tie for second, officially taking fourth after the tiebreakers.

The Mountaineers had first round exits in Patrikyan’s final two seasons. In 42 playoff games total for Zurich, he had 51 hits, 26 runs, 13 doubles, 8 home runs, 26 RBI, .340/.396/.587 slash, 170 wRC+, and 2.2 WAR. Patrikyan was moved to a backup role in his last season of 2018. He finished for Zurich with 994 hits, 529 runs, 201 doubles, 186 home runs, 555 RBI, .297/.344/.547 slash, 146 wRC+, and 28.1 WAR. After going unsigned for 2019, Patrikyan retired that winter at age 38.

Patrikyan’s final stats had 2359 hits, 1282 runs, 497 doubles, 86 triples, 463 home runs, 1331 RBI, 576 walks, 127 stolen bases, .310/.359/.580 slash, 157 wRC+, and 75.4 WAR. As of 2037, Patrikyan ranks 79^th in hits, 79^th in runs, 10^th in doubles, 74^th in homers, and 67^th in RBI. He does miss the top 100 for WAR, but his slugging ranks 96^th among those with 3000+ plate appearances.

His resume was a bit borderline as the totals were good, but not incredible. Patrikyan didn’t have a ton of accolades or black ink, but his work ethic earned him a lot of respect. He played an important role in a championship for Zurich and was a major ambassador to bridge the gap for Yerevan and Armenia into the EBF sphere. At 70.7%, Patrikyan narrowly made the cut for a first ballot selection with the three-player 2024 EBF Hall of Fame class.

Martin Kukoc – Starting Pitcher – Belfast Brewers – 68.8% Tenth Ballot

Martin Kukoc was a 6’0’’, 170 pound left-handed pitcher from Kranj, Slovenia’s third-largest city with around 38,000 inhabitants. Kukoc was a fireballer with rock solid stuff and good-to-great movement and control. His 99-101 mph fastball was his strongest pitch, but he had a unique six-pitch arsenal. Kukoc’s slider, curveball, and forkball were each good along with a decent splitter and a lousy changeup.

Kukoc’s stamina was generally average compared to other EBF aces. He was a strong defensive pitcher and had an elite pickoff move. Kukoc’s durability was great, avoiding major injuries for 200+ innings in all but his rookie campaign. He was one of the hardest working and adaptable pitchers of his era. Some had more pure talent, but very few matched Kukoc’s sparkplug character.

In June 1989, a teenaged Kukoc was noticed and signed to a developmental contract with Belfast, making the move from what was then Yugoslavia to Northern Ireland. He spent parts of six years in their academy before debuting in 1995 with 149 innings at age 22. He was okay in that part-time role and moved into the rotation full-time for the next seven seasons with Belfast.

Kukoc was never a Pitcher of the Year finalist and rarely was a conference leader. He did lead with 28 quality starts in 1999 and had the most wins (19-15), starts (37), and innings (290.2) in 2002. Kukoc had six seasons above 4+ WAR for the Brewers, peaking with 6.5 in both 1999 and 2002. He had his career-best 253 strikeouts in 1999 and his best ERA in 2002 with 2.57

It was hard to get attention even in his best years though as Belfast had been a historically inept franchise. The Brewers averaged 71.5 wins per season during Kukoc’s run and only once got above .500 with an 82-80 mark in 2002. That was the final year of his time in Northern Ireland, as he left for free agency at age 30. With Belfast, Kukoc had a 95-105 record, 3.27 ERA, 1904 innings, 1726 strikeouts, 435 walks, 113 ERA+, and 36.0 WAR.

Kukoc stayed in the United Kingdom, moving to England on a six-year, $27,600,000 deal with Birmingham. The Bees had been a dynasty in the 1990s, but this was a rebuilding era for them as they peaked at 81-81 in Kukoc’s tenure. He was steady with three of his four seasons being above 5+ WAR. For Birmingham, Kukoc had a 57-40 record, 3.10 ERA, 973 innings, 892 strikeouts, 167 walks, 119 ERA+, and 19.1 WAR.

After the 2006 season, Kukoc was traded to Barcelona for two prospects. The Bengals were fresh off a 111-51 season and a runner-up finish and hoped Kukoc could shore up the rotation. They dropped to 96-66 in 2007, but repeated as Southern Conference champ. Barcelona then defeated Kyiv in an European Championship rematch. Kukoc had a great 2.25 ERA over 24 playoff innings and had a solid 5.0 WAR effort in the regular season.

Kukoc had a 5.8 WAR effort in 2008, although Barcelona missed the playoffs. For the Bengals, he had a 26-22 record, 3.26 ERA, 433.1 innings, 432 strikeouts, 86 walks, 121 ERA+, and 10.8 WAR. Kukoc still seemed to be pitching at a high level and at age 36 singed a three-year, $15,640,000 deal with Thessaloniki. His production dropped a bit with 2.9 WAR over 211.2 innings in 2009. Kukoc decided to retire that winter shortly after his 37^th birthday.

In total, Kukoc had a 197-177 record, 3.24 ERA, 3522 innings, 3250 strikeouts, 724 walks, 294/446 quality starts, 91 complete games, 22 shutouts, 115 ERA+, 86 FIP-, and 68.8 WAR. As of 2037, Kukoc ranks 50^th in wins, 24^th in innings, 42^nd in strikeouts, and 57^th in WAR among pitchers. His resume was a tricky one for many voters for the European Baseball Federation’s Hall of Fame.

Detractors pointed out his lack of black ink and that he was never a Pitcher of the Year finalist. Kukoc didn’t have big totals and had the stink of being on mostly bad teams hurting him. Supporters pointed that his advanced stats were better than the traditional stats might suggest. While his tallies were on the lower end, they wouldn’t be out of place compared to some other inductees. Supporters also argued that if not for being on bad teams, he probably satiates the traditionalists and gets to 225+ wins. Kukoc also did pitch well and was an important piece in Barcelona’s 2007 title run.

Kukoc debuted at 44.6% and didn’t budge much from there on his first five ballots. He got a nice jump to 56.4% in 2020, then dropped back to 51.5% in 2012. Kukoc got some more support in 2022 and 2023 with 59.6% and 60.4% respectively, but was still a few checks away from the 66% requirement. 2024 would be his tenth and final opportunity.

His fellow Slovene Mitja Kovacic was considered a lock by voters upon his 2024 debut. While Kovacic was certainly more dominant, Kukoc backers pointed out that he hit similar benchmarks. Some also liked the idea of having two guys being their country’s first HOFers together. Those efforts got Kukoc to 68.8%, just crossing the line on his tenth ballot to cap off the 2024 EBF Hall of Fame class. As of 2037, Kukoc and Kovacic remain the only Slovene inductees.

01-20-2025, 07:44 PM	#1977
MrNFL_FanIQ MVP OVR: 18 Join Date: Oct 2008	2024 MLB Hall of Fame Two players were added into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame from the 2024 voting, led by first ballot SP Seth Southworth at 78.3%. Another pitcher narrowly crossed the 66% requirement to join him as Rinat Khan got 68.0% on his third attempt. SP Victor Burke was also in the hunt, but fell short at 62.3% on his sixth ballot. Six other players were above 50%, but below 60%. CL Sebastian Gomez was the lone debut in that group at 59.8%. 3B Jeanpaul Vick on his fifth try and C Sebastian Van Velzen on his eighth both received 59.4%. 3B Kieran Wilson earned 58.7% for his fifth ballot. 2B Adrian Vega had 56.6% in his fourth try and CL Jeremy Dau saw 52.3% on his third attempt. Reliever Emery Gulbranson was the lone player dropped after ten failed ballots, peaking at 33.5% in 2016 and ending at 10.0%. He had a 17-year journeyman career between nine different teams, finishing with a 100-87 record, 283 saves, 398 shutdowns, 2.68 ERA, 1004.1 innings, 1142 strikeouts, 301 walks, 130 ERA+, and 26.3 WAR. Gulbranson’s 813 games pitched are the 38^th most as of 2037, but he had no accolades or notables beyond longevity. Seth “Acrobat” Southworth – Starting Pitcher – Hartford Huskies – 78.3% First Ballot Seth Southworth was a 6’2’’, 195 pound left-handed starting pitcher from Smithfield, Rhode Island; a town of 22,000 people. Southworth was known for having incredible stuff along with excellent control and good movement. He had a three-pitch arsenal with each being equally potent with a 98-100 mph fastball, curveball, and changeup. All three were top shelf pitches and looked the same out of his hand, making Southworth unhittable when he was on his game. The nickname “Acrobat,” came from his unusual windup motion. His stamina when he was healthy was pretty good. Southworth was a solid defender and knew how to hold runners respectably. He had impressive power and an extreme groundball tendency. Unfortunately, numerous major injuries shortened and limited Southworth’s career. In the clubhouse, he was very well respected as an impressive team captain leader. Southworth’s character and his dominance made him one of MLB’s most popular ever pitchers. Southworth attended the University of Minnesota and was dominant in his first two seasons. His first injury issue came in the third start of his junior year with a partially torn UCL, knocking him out seven months. For the Golden Gophers, Southworth had a 19-6 record, 1.93 ERA, 228 innings, 29 starts, 305 strikeouts, 41 walks, 169 ERA+, and 12.6 WAR. The injury scared a few teams for the 2008 MLB Draft, but others knew his ceiling was quite high if he stayed healthy. With the 39^th pick, Southworth was selected by Hartford. He started about 2/3s of 2009 was solid results, posting 4.0 WAR, a 2.47 ERA, and a second place in Rookie of the Year voting. Southworth had an impressive 7.0 WAR in 2010 over 167.1 innings, but missed the final two months to a torn back muscle. In 2011, he also missed around six weeks to a strained hamstring. Still, Southworth’s 2011 was impressive enough in only 27 starts to win Pitcher of the Year. He led the National Association in wins at 22-3 and posted a 2.16 ERA, 253 strikeouts, and 6.0 WAR. Hartford ended a five-year playoff drought and got the #1 seed at 103-59, falling to Brooklyn in the AACS. In three playoff starts, Southworth had a 2-1 record, 2.53 ERA, and 22 strikeouts over 21.1 innings. The Huskies would miss the postseason in the next two seasons. Southworth stated healthy from 2012-14, leading the NA in both WAR and strikeouts in both 2012 and 2014. He surprisingly finished third in POTY voting both years Southworth’s 352 strikeouts in 2014 were the third-most in an MLB season to that point and still ranks seventh-best as of 2037. Hartford knew they had their ace and gave Southworth a six-year, $104,600,000 extension after the 2013 season. Hartford would get four wild cards from 2014-18, but never got further than the second round of the playoffs. For his playoff career, Southworth had a 4-2 record in seven starts, 2.38 ERA, 53 innings, 58 strikeouts, 7 walks, 146 ERA+, and 2.2 WAR. In June 2015, the now 27-year old Southworth suffered a full UCL tear, costing him 14 months with a return in summer 2016. Southworth was healthy in 2017 for his first ERA title at 2.01 along with 7.7 WAR and an association-best 0.87 WHIP, placing second in Pitcher of the Year voting. 2018 would then be his finest season with an incredible 1.34 ERA, setting a new MLB single-season record that still holds as of 2037. Southworth also had a career best 10.7 WAR, 15 complete games, and 9 shutouts along with an NA-best 291 strikeouts. At 19-8, he missed the Triple Crown by two wins. It was also only the eighth time in MLB history that an ace posted 9+ shutouts. That effort obviously won his second Pitcher of the Year and had fans excited for what was still to come for the now 31-year old Southworth. No one knew watching that 2018 campaign though that those would be the final innings of his professional career. 2018 was his first time in the World Baseball Championship with a 3.27 ERA over 11 innings. In 2019, Southworth allowed only one run over 16 WBC innings, setting expectations high for the upcoming MLB campaign. In spring training, Southworth suffered severe shoulder inflammation that was expected to keep him out for the first half. He had a major setback though in June and required surgery, knocking him out another eight months. That coincided with the end of his Hartford deal, making Southworth a free agent at age 32. Many teams were leery of his medical reports and didn’t want to commit the big money that his 2018 season would still command. Southworth was determined to come back and opened up his search internationally. He found a buyer in Scotland, inking a five-year, $101 million deal with Edinburgh. Sadly in spring training, Southworth suffered the third torn UCL of his career. Doctors told him he had to retire, ending his career shortly after turning 33. Southworth returned home to the United States and Hartford immediately retired his #12 uniform. In total, Southworth had a 142-63 record, 2.24 ERA, 1994.1 innings, 2280 strikeouts, 386 walks, 196/251 quality starts, 100 complete games, 30 shutouts, 152 ERA+, and 65.1 WAR. The shortened career greatly lowered his accumulations, missing the top 100 in all counting stats. However, Southworth’s efficiency and rate stats certainly showed his dominance. Among all MLB arms with 1000+ innings as of 2037, Southworth’s ERA ranks 11^th, but all ten in front of him were relievers. His 0.92 WHIP ranks 5^th, his opponent’s OPS of .566 is 9^th, while his .203/.247/.319 slash line ranks 9^th/3^rd/23^rd. Amongst all of the world’s Hall of Fame starters, Southworth’s 152 ERA+ ranks 25^th best. It’s a shame he broke down physically, as he might have ended up as an inner-circle level pitcher all-time. There were still some voters who couldn’t look past the low totals and Southworth only received 78.3% on his debut. That was plenty though to earn a first ballot slot to headline Major League Baseball’s 2024 Hall of Fame class. Even if his peak was brief, prime Southworth was as good as any pitcher MLB ever had. On top of that, his high character made him an excellent ambassador for the game and beloved superstar into his retirement. Rinat Khan – Starting Pitcher – Pittsburgh Pirates – 68.0% Third Ballot Rinat Khan was a 5’9’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Shchuchinsk, a small city of 45,000 people in north central Kazakhstan. He unsurprisingly was the first-ever Kazakh Hall of Famer for MLB and only the sixth Asian-born HOFer to that point for MLB. The stout Khan had great stuff and movement along with outstanding control. He had a three-pitch arsenal with a 99-101 mph fastball, changeup, and curveball. Khan could certainly overpower you, but his change was often considered his most dangerous offering. Khan’s stamina was considered above average relative to most MLB aces, but nothing incredible. However, his ironman durability meant you’d still get plenty of innings, tossing 200+ in all but his rookie season. Khan was okay at holding runners and did struggle defensively. He was a team captain known for his leadership, loyalty, and work ethic. Khan became one of the more respected guys of his era in the clubhouse, even if he was perhaps under-rated in his career by many fans and media. As a teenager, Khan’s family moved from Kazakhstan to the United States. He quickly got on the radar of college teams and committed to Arizona State from 1998-2000, posting a 2.86 ERA over 245.2 innings, 17-12 record, 249 strikeouts, 63 walks, 122 ERA+, and 8.4 WAR. With the regional restrictions still in place at that time in the MLB Draft, players born outside of the US or Canada weren’t eligible until round four. With the fourth pick of the fourth round, 177^th overall, Khan was picked in the 2000 MLB Draft by Pittsburgh. Khan had a part-time starting role in 2001 with decent results, then took over a full-time spot in the Pirates rotation for the next eight years. His production was steady, then emerged as elite in 2004 with a National Association best 8.2 WAR. With a 14-13 record on a sub-.500 team, Khan didn’t get any awards looks. He stayed above 7+ WAR from 2004-09 with the Pirates, leading again in 2008 at 7.9. Khan’s career best was 9.6 in 2006, a year that also saw a 18-6 record, 2.24 ERA, and 239 strikeouts. That year had a second place in Pitcher of the Year voting while 2008 had a third place finish. Because he didn’t lead in the traditional counting stats, Khan didn’t get a ton of attention in the media. Pittsburgh was plenty happy though and gave him a six-year, $61,500,000 extension after the 2006 season. They were mostly middling during Khan’s run, suffering first round exits in their lone playoff berths in 2003 and 2006. In his two Pirates playoff starts, Khan allowed only 3 runs over 15 innings. Khan did get to play on the World Baseball Championship stage as he regularly returned home to represent his native Kazakhstan. From 1999-2016, he tossed 207 innings with a 2.61 ERA, 14-11 record, 282 strikeouts, 32 walks, and 7.0 WAR. As of 2037, Khan leads all Kazakhs in strikeouts and pitching WAR while ranking second in wins and third in innings pitched. Pittsburgh completely collapsed by the end of the 2000s, falling to 58-104 in 2008 despite Khan leading all pitchers in WAR that year. They were only marginally better in 2009 and Khan decided to out of his deal that winter. For the Pirates, Khan had a 116-111 record, 2.75 ERA, 2167.2 innings, 1986 strikeouts, 423 walks, 123 ERA+, and 61.0 WAR. While there were some feelings of abandonment by some in the organization, those feelings faded and Khan’s #4 uniform would later be retired. Now 30-years old, Khan stayed in Pennsylvania and signed a six-year, $106,200,000 deal with Philadelphia. The Phillies had been a playoff regular during his career, winning the National Association pennant in 2001 and 2005. They did it again in 2010, but fell to San Diego in the World Series. Khan won his lone ERA title that year with a career-best 2.19, but still only finished third in Pitcher of the Year voting. He was a stud in the playoff run with a 1.62 ERA over 39 innings and five starts, 3-0 record, and 29 strikeouts. 2010 was the first-ever Baseball Grand Championship and the only one that had a split division format and a best-of-seven for the winners. Philadelphia and San Diego had a rematch and the Phillies came out on top this time to become the first-ever Grand Champion. Khan had a 3.86 ERA and 2-0 record in his three BGC starts, striking out 29 over 23.1 innings. Khan led in quality starts and shutouts in 2011 and posted his eighth straight 7+ WAR season, but Philadelphia narrowly missed the playoffs. He had a 6.2 WAR effort in 2012, although his ERA increased to 3.05. The Phillies got the last wild card and went on a tear, eventually upsetting Phoenix in the World Series. Khan struggled in that playoff run with a 4.68 ERA over 25 innings. He did better in the BGC with a 2.23 ERA over 32.1 innings. Philly finished at 12-7 in a five-way tie for first, officially placing third after the tiebreakers were sorted out. Many were surprised as Khan opted out of his deal after only three years, returning to free agency at age 33. For Philadelphia, he had a 54-31 record, 2.57 ERA, 774.2 innings, 738 strikeouts, 118 walks, 132 ERA+, and 23.0 WAR. Khan moved on to Houston with a five-year, $130,800,000 deal. The Hornets had seen some early playoff exits in recent memory and hoped Khan could get them across the line. Unfortunately, they were below .500 for his entire tenure. Khan was done as an elite pitcher by this point, but he was an ironman and could still reliably eat innings. He had four seasons for Houston with a 48-61 record, 3.78 ERA, 1023.1 innings, 760 strikeouts, 164 walks, 103 ERA+, and 20.3 WAR. After a career-worst 4.29 ERA in 2016, Khan decided to retire just after his 37^th birthday instead of playing the final year of his deal. In total, Khan had a 218-203 record, 2.98 ERA, 3965.2 innings, 3484 strikeouts, 705 walks, 358/502 quality starts, 190 complete games, 45 shutouts, 119 ERA+, 75 FIP-, and 104.3 WAR. As of 2037, Khan is 18^th in pitching WAR, 35^th in strikeouts, 99^th in innings pitched, and 45^th in shutouts. His .628 opponent’s OPS is 84^th among all with 1000+ career innings and his 1.04 WHIP ranks 34th. Many traditionalists though were held up by the win-loss record, which was underwhelming compared to other inductees. Khan also never won Pitcher of the Year and had limited traditional black ink apart from the one ERA title. It didn’t help that his final seasons with Houston were aggressively mid, hurting him via recency bias. The majority of his career also came on some forgettable Pirates squads. More advanced metrics like WAR and FIP- though argued that Khan was definitely among the elite of his time. As of 2037, he’s one of only 26 pitchers through MLB’s lengthy history with 100+ WAR. Khan also had generally good playoff numbers, helping win two NA pennants, a World Series ring, and the inaugural Grand Championship with Philadelphia. Still, the hard-liners kept Khan out in his first two ballots at 62.4% and 64.2%, narrowly missing the 66% requirement. He didn’t win over very many new voters in 2024, but got just enough for 68.0%. With that, Khan received a third ballot selection to cap off a two-pitcher 2024 Hall of Fame class for Major League Baseball. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game OOTP 22 Fictional World Stories

01-21-2025, 06:04 AM	#1978
MrNFL_FanIQ MVP OVR: 18 Join Date: Oct 2008	2024 CABA Hall of Fame Two players were added into the Central American Baseball Association in their debuts for 2024, headlined by 1B/DH Juan Castro with a nearly unanimous 99.4%. Closer Vinicius Garcia joined him with his own rock solid 78.2%. The only other player above 50% was SP Secretario Sanz, who got 51.4% in his seventh try. LF/DH Liobel De Urquijo fell off the ballot after ten failed tries, peaking at 33.9% in 2016 and ending at 14.5%. He won three Silver Sluggers over a 15-year career with three teams, getting 2215 hits, 1197 runs, 352 doubles, 490 home runs, 1342 RBI, .307/.359/.569 slash, 151 wRC+, and 60.3 WAR. De Urquio was hurt by being a DH for half his starts and by being on some forgettable Bahamas and Trinidad teams, although he did get a Mexican League title with Juarez. He didn’t have the accolades or huge numbers needed to escape beyond the Hall of Pretty Good. RP Jacky Coutant also fell off after ten ballots, debuting at 22.4% and ending at 8.9%. He won Reliever of the Year once and finished in CABA with 254 saves, 2.55 ERA, 754.1 innings, 970 strikeouts, 233 walks, 154 ERA+, and 15.9 WAR. Coutant had neither the longevity nor the raw dominance needed to reach the standards CABA voters had for closers. Juan Castro – First Base/Designated Hitter – Costa Rica Rays – 99.4% First Ballot Juan Castro was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed slugger from Panama City, Panama. Castro was a well-rounded batter with good-to-great power and contact ability, along with an above average eye for walks and strikeouts. He had excellent pop in his bat, getting 42 home runs, 27 doubles, and 5 triples for his 162 game average. Castro was also a very smart and crafty baserunner, providing positive value on the basepaths despite subpar running speed. All of Castro’s defensive starts came at first base, where he was consistently below average. Around 55% of his starts were as a designated hitter, where he spent most of his first six seasons and some time in his mid-to-late 30s. Castro’s durability was impressive, starting 150+ games each year from 2003-2017. That reliability and a charming personality made Castro a fan favorite throughout a 17-year career. By the 2000 CABA Draft, Castro was one of the higher-ranked hitting prospects from the Central American region. He was picked 16^th overall by Costa Rica, where he spent the first 15 years of his career. Castro saw limited use initially with only three at-bats in 2001, followed by 91 games and 20 starts in 2002. The Rays moved him to a starting slot in 2003, which was his first of 11 seasons worth 5+ WAR for CR. It was also his first of ten seasons with 40+ homers and first of 14 with 100+ RBI. Castro’s steady power earned him Silver Sluggers in 2004, 2005, and 2007 as a DH and in 2012 at first base. 2005 was his breakthrough, winning Caribbean League MVP with league bests in home runs (60), RBI (139), total bases (422), slugging (.686), OPS (1.091), and wRC+ (184). Castro’s career highs for homers, OPS, and wRC+ came in 2005. Prior to that season, he had signed an eight-year, $43,320,000 extension to stay with the Rays. In 2007, Castro was third in MVP voting with league and career-bests in hits (224), doubles (42), RBI (147), and total bases (435). 2007 also had a 33-game hitting streak, only five behind the then-CABA record. He led in hits and runs in 2008 and led in runs again in 201. Despite his efforts, Costa Rica was stuck in the middle tier for his entire tenure. They never made the playoffs, but were rarely outright bad, averaging 79.8 wins per season. Castro stayed loyal to the Rays, signing a new five-year, $61,100,000 deal in 2011. He did at least get experience on the World Baseball Championship stage with his native Panama from 2002-13. Castro played 109 games for his country with 94 hits, 67 runs, 19 doubles, 34 home runs, 82 RBI, 49 walks, .237/.348/.557 slash, 158 wRC+, and 5.1 WAR. In 2009, Panama earned its second division title and first since 1997. Castro’s second MVP win came in 2012 at age 33 for Costa Rica, leading in OPS (1.034) and wRC (171). It was also his third 50+ home run season. In his later Rays years, Castro reached the 500 home run, 1500 RBI, and 2500 hit milestones. For Costa Rica, Castro had 2606 hits, 1442 runs, 371 doubles, 591 home runs, 1591 RBI, .318/.372/.597 slash, 156 wRC+, and 81.4 WAR. His deal expired for 2016, making Castro a free agent for the first time heading towards age 37. He remained very popular in Costa Rica and maintained a strong relationship with the franchise, getting his #1 uniform retired only a few years later. Castro was still playing at a high level and wanted to chase a ring, signing a three-year, $29,200,000 deal with reigning CABA champion Haiti. Castro’s power dropped notably into his late 30s, although he was still a decent starter in his first two years for the Herons. He was relegated to a part-time role in his third year. Haiti made it to the CLCS in both 2016 and 2018, but was ousted in the former by Havana and the latter by Guyana. In 15 playoff games, Castro had 16 hits, 10 runs, 3 homers, 8 RBI, a .291/.350/.509 slash, 138 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR. With Haiti, Castro finished with 434 hits, 215 runs, 55 doubles, 78 home runs, 241 RBI, .269/.319/.465 slash, 113 wRC+, and 6.0 WAR. While there, he became the 17^th member of the 600 home run club and the 12^th to 3000 hits. Castro retired after the 2018 campaign at age 39. Castro finished with 2602 games, 3040 hits, 1657 runs, 426 doubles, 84 triples, 669 home runs, 1832 RBI, 727 walks, 216 stolen bases, .310/.364/.575 slash, 149 wRC+, and 87.4 WAR. As of 2037, Castro ranks 16^th in hits, 15^th in runs, 55^th in doubles, 16^th in home runs, 12^th in RBI, 69^th in walks, 12^th in total bases (5641), and 35^th in games played. Largely due to his time as a DH, he does rank only 62^nd in WAR among position players. Among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances, his .939 OPS is 81^st. He also is one of only eight in CABA to reach both 650+ home runs and 3000+ career hits. Castro may not fall into the inner-circle or GOAT-level conversations, but his Hall of Fame candidacy was a slam dunk. At a near unanimous 99.4%, Castro headlined the two-player 2024 class for the Central American Baseball Association. Vinicius Garcia – Closer – Mexicali Maroons – 78.2% First Ballot Vinicius Garcia was a 6’2’’, 195 pound left-handed relief pitcher from Havana, the capital of Cuba. Garcia had solid stuff, excellent control, and very good movement. His two-pitch combo was sinker and slider with a peak velocity around 96-98 mph. Garcia had an extreme groundball tendency, so he was often at the mercy of the defense behind him. Garcia had notable splits as he fared far better against right-handed bats (2.31 ERA, 163 ERA+) compared to against lefties (3.67 ERA, 103 ERA+). As relievers go, his stamina was respectable and he had solid durability. Garcia was decent at holding runners, but weak defensively. He wasn’t overwhelmingly dominant like many other great closers, but Garcia’s steady reliability helped him to a 14-year career. For the 2003 CABA Draft, Garcia wasn’t on the radar of many teams. He was picked in the fourth round, 111^th overall, by Mexicali. Garcia would be the second-latest draft pick to make CABA’s Hall of Fame behind Class of 2002 Ramon Herrera, a fellow closer who was picked 115^th. The Maroons put Garcia into the closer role right away, although his production was underwhelming initially. By 2006, Garcia led the Mexican League with a career-high 41 saves and took second in Reliever of the Year voting. He took third in 2007 and had six seasons with 30+ saves for Mexicali. 2009 saw Garcia’s career best in strikeouts with 116, which was a low peak compared to most HOF relievers. After being mostly hot garbage in the 1990s and early 2000s, the Maroons turned into a contender in 2006, ending a 21-year playoff drought. Mexicali had first round playoff exits in 2006 and 2009. They broke through in 2007 at the top seed at 101-61, winning the ML pennant but losing in the CABA Championship to Haiti. Garcia struggled in his ten playoff appearances for the Maroons with a 7.36 ERA over 181.1 innings. The postseason woes lingered in the memories of some Mexicali fans. Garcia fared a bit better on the World Baseball Championship stage for his native Cuba, but he was still below average there. He had some starts in the WBC along with relief appearances from 2005-18, posting an 8-6 record over 92 innings, 4.11 ERA, 126 strikeouts, 21 walks, and 2.8 WAR. Garcia’s 90 ERA+ was subpar, but he had a 68 FIP- that suggested that he might have had some bad luck and bounces. For Mexicali, Garcia had 201 saves and 208 shutdowns, 2.59 ERA, 486.1 innings, 546 strikeouts, 92 walks, 142 ERA+, and 9.6 WAR. He left for free agency after the 2009 season at age 29 and signed a three-year, $15 million deal with defending ML champ Monterrey. Garcia ended up extending his deal and spent four years total with the Matadors. His role was mixed with full-time closing in 2012, part-time in 2010, and mid relief in 2011 and 2013. 2012 was Garcia’s strongest year for Monterrey with 3.6 WAR, 38 saves, 1.53 ERA, and 101 strikeouts in 88 innings; finishing second in Reliever of the Year voting. The Matadors had first round wild card losses in 2011 and 2012, then a MLCS defeat to Torreon in 2013. Garcia only had 2.1 playoff innings in his tenure, but they were perfect with no baserunners allowed and five strikeouts. For Monterrey, Garcia had 62 saves and 107 shutdowns, 329.2 innings, 2.27 ERA, 363 strikeouts, 40 walks, 163 ERA+, and 9.0 WAR. He had one year left on his deal for 2014, but was traded just before spring training to Panama with another pitcher in exchange for 2011 MVP 1B Hasan Alvizo. Garcia would sign a two-year, $11,600,000 extension after the 2014 season with the Parrots, then added another two years and $11,600,000 the next winter. 2015 was Garcia’s line Reliever of the Year win, leading in saves at 39 and posting a career-best 3.9 WAR along with a 1.61 ERA. He led in saves again in 2016, but his ERA was an unremarkable 3.54. Panama’s lone playoff berth with Garcia was a first round loss in 2015 with Garcia getting wrecked in two appearances. He did notably reach the 300 and 350 career save milestones while in Panama. The Parrots bought out his final year of his deal after the 2017 season. In four seasons, Garcia had 119 saves and 122 shutdowns, 2.86 ERA, 305 innings, 302 strikeouts, 57 walks, 140 ERA+, and 11.5 WAR. Salvador signed Garcia for two years in 2018, but he was unremarkable in camp and only saw one appearance the entire season. He retired after the 2018 campaign shortly after his 38^th birthday. Garcia had 1122.2 innings, 905 games, 382 saves, 437 shutdowns, 75-95 record, 1212 strikeouts, 189 walks, 147 ERA+, 70 FIP-, and 30.2 WAR. As of 2037, he is tied for 7^th in saves and is 4^th in games. Among all pitchers with 1000+ innings, Garcia’s ERA is 54^th. His raw numbers are less dominant than many of the other relievers that got the nod in CABA, but not the worst. For many CABA Hall of Fame voters, 350 saves was the magic number for closers as everyone who hit that mark before Garcia earned induction. He wouldn’t be an exception, although many scholars would argue Garcia is a weaker pick even by the lower standards often assigned to relievers. He got in easily at 78.2% for a first ballot pick with the 2024 class. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game OOTP 22 Fictional World Stories

01-21-2025, 01:00 PM	#1979
MrNFL_FanIQ MVP OVR: 18 Join Date: Oct 2008	2024 EAB Hall of Fame (Part 1) East Asia Baseball’s 2024 Hall of Fame class had three inductees, although home run king Soo-Geun Yim was the only no-doubter with the DH/RF nearly unanimous at 99.4%. Two returners made it in by barely breaching the 66% requirement as LF Sang-Min Hwang got 67.6% in his second ballot and SP Sora Miyoshi saw 67.2% for his third attempt. The only other player above 50% was SP Jong-Hyeon Chung at 51.3% in his fifth ballot. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots. Soo-Geun “Jinx” Yim – Designated Hitter/Right Field - Jeonju Jethawks – 99.4% First Ballot Soo-Geun Yim was a 6’2’’, 190 pound left-handed slugger from Ilsan, South Korea; a city of 294,000 people in the northwestern Seoul National Capital Area. Yim simply socked dingers with some scouts rating his home run power as a 10/10 at his peak. From 2001-2016, he smacked 40+ homers in all but one season and topped 50+ seven times in that stretch. Yim’s gap power was good too with 30 doubles and 3 triples per his 162 game average. Yim was a rock solid contact hitter as well, although he was merely average at drawing walks with a subpar strikeout rate. He was especially potent against right-handed pitching with a career .989 OPS and 164 wRC+. Yim could still do damage to lefties with a .867 OPS and 136 wRC+. He wasn’t a bad baserunner from a skill standpoint, but he was almost laughably slow. Around 55% of Yim’s career starts came as a designated hitter. Most of his defensive starts came in the Ulsan run and mostly at right field, although they tried him at first base briefly. Yim was an abysmal defender at either spot and definitely was best kept as a DH. He was a true ironman that never missed time to injury, playing 150+ games in 19 consecutive seasons. Yim was intelligent and hard working with a fan favorite personality. Combine his character, durability, and dingers, and you have one of the most universally beloved players to come from Korea. Yim’s power potential was obvious even as a teenager, making him a rare draft pick coming out of Woosung High School. He was picked 6^th overall by Jeonju in the 1997 EAB Draft, but was used in only three pinch-hit at-bats in 1998. The Jethawks made Yim a full-time starter in 1999 at age 20, but he wasn’t quite fully formed yet. He was a merely okay starter in his first two years and even took second in 1999’s Rookie of the Year. Yim emerged as a truly elite slugger by his third season. From 2001-05, Yim led the Korea League each year in home runs and total bases, hitting 59+ homers with 400+ total bases each season. He also led four times in runs scored and hits in that stretch, while leading thrice in RBI, thrice in WAR, twice in slugging, twice in wRC+, and once in both OBP and OPS. Yim won MVP in 2001, 2003, 2004, and 2005 and finished second in 2002. He won Silver Sluggers as a DH each year. All five seasons had OPS above 1.000 and a batting average above .300. In 2002, Yim scored 137 runs, which ranks as the 8^th-best single season as of 2037 in EAB. He would join Young-Hwan Sha as the only players to score 120+ runs in five different seasons. 2003 had Yim’s best career WAR at 11.2 and his most hits with 237, which ranks as the 7^th-most hits in a season. His 478 total bases also broke the then-EAB record of 456. The 2005 season would make Yim a legend already in his mid 20s, becoming EAB’s new single-season home run king. Yim socked 73 dingers in 2005, passing the previous mark of 72 reached twice by Tsukasa Kato. Kunihiko Ishiguro passed him with 79 in 2014, but no one else in EAB has as of 2037. Yim broke his own total bases record with 485 and holds the #3 and #4 spots in EAB as of 2037. The 485 total bases also ranks as the 17^th-most in world baseball history. Yim also had 158 RBI, which ranks as the 6^th-best effort. His 1.187 OPS was a career best and ranks 9^th as of 2037. He became a beloved superstar in Jeonju and throughout all of South Korea for these exploits. Despite his efforts, the Jethawks were stuck in the middle of the standings. They did lose in the KLCS in his rookie year 1999, but didn’t make the playoffs for the rest of his run. Yim dominated though on the World Baseball Championship stage, especially in 2003 and 2004. South Korea fell to the United States in the 2003 World Championship and finished fourth in 2004. Yim was third in 2004’s MVP voting with 22 hits, 17 runs, 10 homers, and 14 RBI in 19 games. The prior year, he had 21 runs, 23 hits, 11 homers, and 21 RBI in 25 games. From 2001-2013 in the World Baseball Championship, Yim played 122 games and started 104 with 103 hits, 79 runs, 16 doubles, 42 home runs, 79 RBI, .261/.329/.627 slash, 169 wRC+, and 5.4 WAR. Yim still gets associated most with Jeonju as it was his most dominant tenure. He would be inducted in Jethawks blue and gold and his #25 uniform would be later retired. However, Yim opted to leave for free agency once eligible after the 2006 season. For Jeonju, he had 1436 hits, 795 runs, 232 doubles, 364 home runs, 868 RBI, 317 walks, .329/.375/.642 slash, 168 wRC+, and 49.7 WAR. Since he was soon to be only 27-years old, Yim was one of the most prized free agents in EAB history. Ulsan would win the sweepstakes at eight years and $82,400,000. The Swallows had just missed the playoffs in 2005 to end a five-year streak, although they never got beyond the KLCS in that run. They hoped Yim could get them back to the top spot. Yim was by no means bad during his Swallows run, but he never replicated his peak Jeonju numbers. He won a Silver Slugger in 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012 in right field and got one at first base in 2007; earning 11 total for his career. Ulsan took the top seed at 103-59 in 2007, but was upset by Yongin in the first round. The Swallows would be outside the playoffs for most of the rest of Yim’s tenure and were stuck in the middle tier. Ulsan finally got back to the playoffs in 2012, but had another first round defeat. Yim led in home runs (56), RBI (131), and total bases (367) to win his fifth MVP. As of 2037, he’s one of six in EAB history to win the award 5+ times. He also led in homers in 2011 and topped 45+ dingers in six of his Swallows seasons. Yim was second in 2007’s MVP voting, which was his best Ulsan season by WAR (8.6), runs (121), and OPS (1.111). Yim declined the contract option eighth year of his deal after the 2012 campaign, putting him back to free agency heading into his age 34 season. With Ulsan, he had 1252 hits, 689 runs, 208 doubles, 331 home runs, 807 RBI, 287 walks, .309/.356/.617 slash, 162 wRC+, and 39.9 WAR. Coming off an MVP, Yim’s stock was once again sky high. He inked a four-year, $60,000,000 deal with Incheon. He never won awards with the Inferno, but remained a very steady power bat with 40+ homers and 110+ RBI in each of his first four years. Yim signed a two-year, $22,200,000 extension after the 2016 season. Incheon won the division in 2014 but had a first round playoff loss. They would be mid-tier the rest of his run, keeping Yim from ever having a meaningful playoff run. His career postseason stats were solid in a small sample size with 22 games, 25 hits, 14 runs, 5 doubles, 9 home runs, 21 RBI, and 1.008 OPS. The excitement around Yim came back late in the Incheon run as his longevity meant he could challenge some big milestones. In 2015, he became the 4^th member of the 800 home run club and the 4^th to reach 2000 RBI. Seemingly within reach was Lei Meng’s home run record of 897, Hyeog-Jun Wi’s 2097 RBI record, and Byung-Oh Tan’s runs scored (2010) and hits mark (3871). In 2016, Yim passed Wi to become EAB’s RBI king. Then in 2017, he passed Meng to become the home run king. That year Yim was also the 4^th to 3500 hits, but he would fall short of Tan’s hits and runs marks. Yim declined sharply in 2018 and was benched after posting -1.6 WAR in 80 games, retiring that winter at age 39. For Incheon, he had 855 hits, 464 runs, 139 doubles, 226 home runs, 604 RBI, 191 walks, .270/.314/.539 slash, 135 wRC+, and 19.9 WAR. Yim finished with 3084 games, 3543 hits, 1948 runs, 579 doubles, 65 triples, 921 home runs, 2279 RBI, 795 walks, .306/.352/.605 slash, 157 wRC+, and 109.5 WAR. As of 2037, Yim remains EAB’s RBI leader and ranks 19^th in RBI among all players in world history. He finally surrendered EAB’s home run crown in the early 2030s, but still ranks 2^nd in EAB and is 21^st in world history. Yim is one of only 23 pros across all leagues with 900 homers. In EAB as of 2037, Yim still ranks 3^rd in hits, 5^th in runs, 7^th in games played, 7^th in doubles, 83^rd in walks, 10^th in strikeouts, and 21^st in WAR among position players. He just misses the top 50 for runs scored and hits among all players ever. Among EAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Yim’s .957 OPS ranks 33^rd. He also ranks 21^st in slugging. Any conversation about the best-ever sluggers in East Asia Baseball history certainly feature Yim prominently. Still, he gets left out of some top five and top ten lists when discussing EAB’s best-ever position players due either to being a DH/poor defender and/or because of a lack of playoff/team success. Some recency bias hurts him too with less dominance in his 30s There were other guys who had more complete resumes, but Yim’s power was captivating for anyone who ever saw him play. Few players in all of baseball history were more universally beloved and very few ever had a power run as impressive as Yim’s 2001-05 peak with Jeonju. Yim’s iron man status and reliability made him a sure thing for two decades. He was a no-doubt Hall of Fame headliner at 99.4% to lead a three-player group in 2024. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game OOTP 22 Fictional World Stories

01-21-2025, 06:53 PM	#1980
MrNFL_FanIQ MVP OVR: 18 Join Date: Oct 2008	2024 EAB Hall of Fame (Part 2) Sang-Min Hwang – Left Field – Changwon Crabs – 67.6% Second Ballot Sang-Min Hwang was a 6’3’’, 200 pound switch-hitting left fielder from Seoul, the capital of South Korea. Hwang was a well-rounded batter with good-to-great contact, power, and eye skills. He was quite good at drawing walks, although his strikeout rate was average. Hwang wasn’t a prolific home run hitter, but he had a very reliable pop in his bat with 33 home runs, 22 doubles, and 13 triples per his 162 game average. He also was known for being an extreme pull hitter. Hwang had impressive speed, but he was often too aggressive on the basepaths and got caught stealing far more than he succeeded. The speed served him well as a career left fielder whose excellent defense earned him six Gold Gloves. Hwang’s talent and work ethic made him a successful and popular player over a 20-year run. He did run into sporadic injury issues, but you could usually get a pretty full load out of Hwang. He attended Gangneung Yeongdong University and rose up the prospect rankings for the 1997 EAB Draft. Hwang was picked fifth by Changwon and was a full-time starter right away, although he struggled in his first two years. He led the Korea League in strikeouts in his first two years, but did also lead in 1999 with 82 walks. Hwang still managed to take third in Rookie of the Year voting despite a -0.1 WAR effort. Hwang greatly lowered his Ks and improved his contact ability after a few more seasons. He wasn’t typically one to lead the league statistically, but he was worth 4+ WAR seven times with Changwon. Hwang signed an eight-year, $67,400,000 extension after the 2003 campaign. All six of Hwang’s Gold Glove wins came with the Crabs from 2002-07. His first Silver Sluggers came in 2006 and 2009. Hwang was on a stellar pace in 2006 with 1.110 OPS and 6.8 WAR in 121 games, but lost a month to a torn quadriceps. 2006 saw Changwon get the second wild card and make a surprise run to the KLCS, falling there to Seoul. They were generally lousy for the rest of Hwang’s tenure, only posting one other winning season and averaging only 75.6 wins per season. He thrived in his one playoff chance for the Crabs with 1.514 OPS, 17 hits, 12 runs, 5 homers, and 11 RBI in 10 starts. Hwang missed notable parts of 2007 and 2008 to injury, but was healthy in 2009 for arguably his best season. He led the KL in WAR (8.6), OPS (1.036), and wRC+ (178). The WAR was a career best, as were his 42 home runs and 115 RBI. Hwang was third in MVP voting, his first time as a finalist. This was also his final season with Changwon, opting out of the rest of his deal. Hwang’s stock was at a new high at age 32, setting him up for a big payday. For Changwon, Hwang had 1652 hits, 939 runs, 226 doubles, 149 triples, 326 home runs, 914 RBI, 759 walks, 372 stolen bases, .279/.360/.533 slash, 141 wRC+, and 53.8 WAR. Many fans still remembered him fondly for being a bright light in a generally weak era, although the organization had some saltiness for him leaving. Hwang’s #26 uniform ultimately wasn’t retired by the Crabs despite his efforts. Hwang signed a five-year, $55 million deal to join Gwangju as he wanted to join a winner. The Grays had just posted back-to-back first round exits and hoped to get over the hump. Hwang held up his end and even took third in 2012’s MVP voting, leading the KL that year in OBP, slugging, OPS, and wRC+. Gwangju made the KLCS in both 2010 and 2011, but fell both years. They narrowly missed the 2012 playoffs, then lost in the first round of 2013. Hwang in 18 playoff games was great with 1.119 OPS, but he ultimately never got to play in the finals in his career. For Gwangju in four seasons, Hwang had 588 hits, 326 runs, 81 doubles, 37 triples, 122 home runs, 326 RBI, .312/.401/.589 slash, 168 wRC+, and 22.5 WAR. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the fifth year of the deal, becoming a free agent at age 36. He still had plenty of suitors and signed with Busan at $50,400,000 over three years. Hwang was on a stellar pace in 2014 when healthy with 5.4 WAR and 1.107 OPS in 87 games, but a rash of injuries kept him out. The Blue Jays struggled to 66-96 and began a rebuild in the offseason, sending Hwang to Daegu in a seven-player offseason swap. Hwang had a nice pace with 4.1 WAR and .925 OPS with the Diamondbacks in 2015, but lost nearly two months to a strained abdominal muscle. He returned to free agency at age 38 and inked a three-year, $40,300,000 deal with Goyang. Hwang was mostly healthy for a solid 2016 with 3.2 WAR. Unfortunately in late April 2017, Hwang suffered a torn ACL that ended his season after 25 games. Instead of hoping to rehab back from such a major injury, Hwang retired that winter at age 40. Hwang finished with 2586 games, 2628 hits, 1488 runs, 350 doubles, 212 triples, 530 home runs, 1445 RBI, 1227 walks, 596 stolen bases, .289/.372/.548 slash, 149 wRC+, and 89.2 WAR. As of 2037, Hwang ranks 74^th in hits, 40^th in runs, 76^th in triples, 64^th in home runs, 67^th in RBI, 9^th in walks, and 77^th in WAR among position players. His .920 OPS is 75^th among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances and his OBP ranks 54^th. His finally tallies were rock solid and hit some of the milestones that voters like such as 2500+ hits and 500 homers. However, Hwang was borderline for some as he had limited accolades or black ink. He was steady and reliable over 20 years with primarily weaker teams, which doesn’t draw you nearly as much attention as someone on a winner or someone with a big peak. Hwang’s value also was boosted by great defense and walks, which wasn’t weighed highly by some traditionalists. Hwang’s debut ballot in 2023 got 62.8%; solid but short of the 66% requirement. He didn’t win over too many in 2024, but got just enough to cross the line with 67.6%. Hwang secured a second ballot selection as the second of three in East Asia Baseball’s 2024 Hall of Fame class. Sora Miyoshi – Starting Pitcher – Nagoya Nightowls – 67.3% Third Ballot Sora Miyoshi was a 6’3’’, 190 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Chiryu, Japan; a city with about 72,000 inhabitants in Honshu’s Aichi Prefecture. Miyoshi wasn’t outstanding at any one thing, but was considered above average to good across the board. His fastball was his best pitch and peaked in the 94-96 mph range. Miyoshi also had a changeup and curveball in the arsenal. Miyoshi’s stamina was considered pretty good, but smaller injuries did limit him in a few seasons. He was strong at holding runners but was below average defensively. Miyoshi wasn’t one to cause any problems, but he also wasn’t someone you would look to in a leadership role. He was steady and reliable, which allowed him to pitch for 18 seasons. He was considered a top prospect coming out of Chukyodai Chukyo High School in Nagoya. Some figured Miyoshi would go to college, but Sendai decided to pick him sixth overall in the 1996 EAB Draft. He signed with the Samurai and spent two full years in their developmental system. Miyoshi debuted in 1999 at age 21 with 67.2 innings. Sendai moved him into the rotation full-time after that. For the Samurai over six seasons in the rotation, Miyoshi was largely average to above average in production with reliable innings. They were a mid-tier team in his run, averaging 76 wins per season with a best of 83-79. Miyoshi had a 91-77 record, 3.27 ERA, 1561.2 innings, 1346 strikeouts, 384 walks, 102 ERA+, and 25.4 WAR. While he wasn’t bad, he wasn’t nearly as dominant as you’d want or expect having been picked sixth overall. Sendai didn’t re-sign Miyoshi when his contract expired after the 2005 campaign, becoming a free agent heading towards age 28. He signed a five-year, $25,600,000 deal with Nagoya to begin his signature run. Miyoshi’s production got better as he consistently kept his ERA below three for his first seven seasons with the Nightowls, posting 4+ WAR each year. His only time leading a major stat was in wins at 24-5 in 2009. This season also had his career best WAR at 6.0, which earned his lone Pitcher of the Year finalist season with a third place. Nagoya ended a seven-year playoff drought in 2008 with a first round loss. The Nightowls then shocked the world with a 117-45 campaign in 2009, rolling to the East Asian Championship over Busan. Nagoya’s 2009 squad is often on the short list of the greatest-ever EAB squads. Miyoshi was actually mediocre in the playoff run with a 4.84 ERA over 22.1 innings. His great regular season though got him paid with a six-year, $59 million extension that winter. Nagoya was a one-and-done, missing the playoffs the next two years. They had a first round exit in 2012, then fell to the bottom of the standings after that. Miyoshi’s playoff stats for his career were a lackluster 4.71 ERA over 36.1 innings. He fared even worse in his limited World Baseball Championship outings for Japan from 2002-09. Miyoshi had 77 innings with a 2-4 record, 5.73 ERA, 93 strikeouts, 20 walks, 62 ERA+, and 0.1 WAR. His regular season production stayed steady through 2012. In 2013, Miyoshi missed half of the season to shoulder inflammation. Miyoshi stayed mostly healthy the two years after that, but was firmly mediocre at that point. With one year left on his deal, the struggling Nightowls traded Miyoshi in the offseason to Fukuoka. For Nagoya, Miyoshi had a 136-86 record, 3.11 ERA, 2107 innings, 1708 strikeouts, 393 walks, 110 ERA+, and 38.3 WAR. Miyoshi had a bit of a resurgence for the Frogs with a 3.00 ERA and 2.1 WAR over 218.2 innings in 2016. He decided to retire that winter instead of overstaying his welcome at age 38. Nagoya quickly brought him back to retire his #47 uniform for his decade of service and role in their 2009 championship. Miyoshi finished with a 242-173 record, 3.17 ERA, 3887.1 innings, 3161 strikeouts, 830 walks, 312/502 quality starts, 86 complete games, 24 shutouts, 107 ERA+, 90 FIP-, and 65.8 WAR. As of 2037, Miyoshi ranks 21^st in wins, 24^th in innings, 92^nd in strikeouts, and 98^th in WAR among pitchers. Advanced stats definitely had Miyoshi as someone who was just above average for a long time. He lacked accolades and black ink, leading many voters to dismiss him as a compiler. Weak playoff stats also didn’t help his cause. Many voters cared about counting stats and traditionalists pointed at Miyoshi’s win total. Every EAB starter who got to 240+ wins before him made it in, although there had been a few in the 230s that missed the cut. Miyoshi was also helped by having his best season with Nagoya’s historic 2009 title and was undoubtedly an important part of one of EAB’s best-ever teams. Miyoshi missed the cut at 59.7% with his 2022 debut and dropped slightly in 2023 to 55.6%. For 2024, he got a sizeable boost up to 67.3% to sneak across the 66% requirement. Most scholars rank Miyoshi among the weaker starters in the East Asia Baseball Hall of Fame, but he secured his slot on the third ballot regardless as part of a three-player 2024 class. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game OOTP 22 Fictional World Stories

01-22-2025, 07:59 AM	#1981
MrNFL_FanIQ MVP OVR: 18 Join Date: Oct 2008	2024 BSA Hall of Fame (Part 1) Beisbol Sudamerica’s 2024 Hall of Fame class was loaded with three players each finishing above 94% of the vote. SP Fernan Murillo (99.2%), OF Marco Del Cid (96.0%), and SP Samuel Alves (94.8%) were each slam dunk picks. The best returner was 3B Artemio Reyes at 61.1% on his eighth ballot, falling just shy of the 66% requirement. No other players cracked 50% and only two others were above 40%. 3B Emilio Aruquipa was dropped after ten ballots, peaking with 42.3% in his debut and ending at 9.5%. He had a 21-year career between Santa Cruz and Buenos Aires with 2744 hits, 1269 runs, 417 doubles, 183 triples, 79 home runs, 821 RBI, 904 walks, 1409 stolen bases, .316/.382/.434 slash, 129 wRC+, and 69.0 WAR. Aruquipa was a great leadoff man and ranks second in stolen bases in BSA history and 27^th among all world players as of 2037. He never led in any other stats though and lacked accolades and power, keeping him in the Hall of Good. Another guy dropped was 1B Theo Rijo, who peaked with his 36.9% debut and ended at 7.1% on his tenth try. He had 15 years primarily with Belo Horizonte with 2118 hits, 1085 runs, 322 doubles, 440 home runs, 1210 RBI, .311/.379/.565 slash, 166 wRC+, and 74.4 WAR. Rijo was quietly a very efficient hitter, but had no black ink or awards. He would’ve needed a few more years to get the tallies high enough to earn more attention. Fernan Murillo – Starting Pitcher – Buenos Aires Atlantics – 99.2% First Ballot Fernan Murillo was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed starting pitcher from Barrancabermea, a city of 203,000 people in north central Colombia known as the nation’s oil capital. Murillo had excellent stuff and control along with above average movement. His velocity peaked in the 99-101 mph range with a cutter as his most powerful pitch. Murillo’s deadliest offering was his curveball, although his slider and knuckle curve were both good. He also had a rarely used changeup as the fifth option. His diverse arsenal helped Murillo become one of the elite strikeout pitchers of his generation. Murillo’s stamina was merely average compared to most aces of his era. He held up remarkably well over a 21-year career and avoided the major arm injuries that ruin many pitchers, but he did miss sporadic starts mostly to back issues. Murillo was great at holding runners and was quite good defensively. He ended up as one of the continent’s most popular and successful pitchers of all time. In September 1994, a scout from Buenos Aires convinced Murillo to sign a developmental deal to leave Colombia for Argentina. He spent three years in their academy before debuting in 1998 at age 20. Murillo was respectable over 153 innings that year, taking third in Rookie of the Year voting. He would become Buenos Aires’ ace for the next 14 years, posting 5+ WAR in each of those seasons. From 2001-04, Murillo led the league each year in wins, peaking with a 24-7 mark in 2003. He also had his career best of 376 strikeouts in 2003 and also led in Ks for 2003 and 2006. Murillo couldn’t quite snag the top award at this point, finishing second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2006 with a third in 2005. He struck out 300+ batters each year during this run. 2006 was Murillo’s first time as the WARlord with a career-best 11.1. The Atlantics were a regular contender in this era, earning five consecutive playoff berths from 1999-03. They also made it into the postseason in 2005 and 2007, but could never get over the hump. Buenos Aires lost in the Southern Cone League championship in 2000, 2002, and 2003. Their other berths all saw divisional series defeats. Murillo was surprisingly average in the postseason for BA with a 3.66 ERA over 76.1 innings, 3-5 record, 85 strikeouts, 99 ERA+, and 1.2 WAR. Murillo did step up on the World Baseball Championship stage as a regular for his native Colombia from 1999-2016. He tossed 261.2 innings with a 22-8 record, 2.58 ERA, 376 strikeouts, 62 walks, 140 ERA+, and 9.1 WAR. Murillo led all pitchers with 60 strikeouts as Colombia lost to the United States in the 2010 World Championship. They also had a third place finish in 2006. As of 2037, Murillo leads all Colombians in the WBC in pitching WAR, wins, innings, and strikeouts. Among all nations, he ranks 19^th in wins, 34^th in strikeouts, and 25^th in pitching WAR. In July 2007, Murillo signed a six-year, $61,500,000 extension with Buenos Aires. The Atlantics started a decade-long playoff drought in 2008, hovering generally just below .500. Murillo continued to thrive though and won Pitcher of the Year thrice (2009, 2011, 2012). He led in strikeouts from 2009-11 and was the WARlord in both 2009 and 2011. 2012 saw Murillo’s low ERA title at 2.31, a career-best that he also hit the prior season. Towards the end of his BA run, Murillo reached the 250+ win and 4000+ strikeout thresholds. The Atlantics weren’t competitive at this point and had one year left with Murillo under contract. With his 2012 ERA title, the 35-year old was still a hot property, so Buenos Aires traded him in the offseason to Brasilia in a four-player deal. They did get 3B Spinoza Arajo in the deal, who would be a 15-year starter, MVP winner, and Copa Sudamerica MVP winner for the Atlantics. Although BA made the right move, many were sad to see their long-time ace go. For Buenos Aires, Murillo had a 253-124 record, 2.58 ERA, 3557.2 innings, 4388 strikeouts, 464 walks, 139 ERA+, and 107.8 WAR. His #13 uniform would be retired as soon as his pro career ended. Murillo led in strikeouts in his lone season for Brasilia, but saw a career worst 4.02 ERA. The Bearcats had been the LCS runner-up in 2012, but failed to get back to the playoffs in 2013. Murillo was now a free agent for the first time and signed a three-year, $32,100,000 deal with Fortaleza, the defending Copa Sudamerica champ. He was done as an ace by this point and had seen his velocity drop from triple digits to the mid 90s. Recurring back injuries cost him starts each year for the Foxes, but he still provided positive value. Fortaleza won the Southern Cone League in 2014, but couldn’t repeat as Copa Sudamerica winners in a rematch with Medellin. A herniated disc kept Murillo out for the playoffs. The Foxes lost in the first round of 2015 with Murillo allowing five runs in seven innings in his lone start. Fortaleza fell to below .500 in 2016, but Murillo that year became the seventh BSA pitcher to reach 5000 career strikeouts. In total for the Foxes, Murillo had a 28-25 record, 3.18 EREA, 467.2 innings, 387 strikeouts, 120 ERA+, and 10.4 WAR. Now 39-years old, Murillo came home to Colombia on a three-year, $18,400,000 deal with Medellin. He kept up similar production with the Mutiny in two years as he had with Fortaleza. Murillo allowed four runs in 2017 in one playoff start as Medellin lost in the first round. They fell in the divisional series in 2018 with Murillo not getting used. With the Mutiny, Murillo was able to reach 300 career wins, becoming only the fifth in BSA history to do so. He had a 26-20 record, 3.50 ERA, 396 innings, 299 strikeouts, 115 ERA+, and 9.2 WAR for Medellin. Murillo retired after the 2018 campaign at age 41. Murillo finished with a 316-181 record, 2.79 ERA, 4658.2 innings, 5344 strikeouts, 605 walks, 439/610 quality starts, 117 complete games, 38 shutouts, 131 ERA+, 71 FIP-, and 132.3 WAR. As of 2037, Murillo ranks 4^th in wins, 7^th in strikeouts, 4^th in innings pitched, 98^th in complete games, 37^th in shutouts, and 6^th in pitching WAR. Among all BSA pitchers with 1000+ innings, his 0.97 WHIP is 66^th. By basically any measure, Murillo was considered the best pitcher of his era in Beisbol Sudamerica. Most rank him among BSA’s top ten pitchers, although he misses some top five lists as he wasn’t quite as otherworldly dominant as some of those just ahead of him on the leaderboards. Plus, Murillo’s playoff stats were underwhelming and he never had that defining postseason moment. However, Murillo’s longevity helped earn him spot even on the world leaderboards. As of 2037 among all pitchers in baseball history, Murillo ranks 25^th in wins, 23^rd in strikeouts, 45^th in innings, and 40^th in pitching WAR. By WAR, Murillo is the best-ever player to come from Colombia and certainly has a case for being his country’s best-ever baseball product. Murillo was an easy headliner even in a loaded 2024 Hall of Fame class with a nearly unanimous 99.2%. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game OOTP 22 Fictional World Stories

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01-22-2025, 02:00 PM	#1982
MrNFL_FanIQ MVP OVR: 18 Join Date: Oct 2008	2024 BSA Hall of Fame (Part 2) *Marco Del Cid – Center Field – Cali Cyclones – 96.0% First Ballot* Marco Del Cid was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed outfielder from Cartagena, Colombia; a major northern coastal city with around one million people in the metro area. Del Cid was an incredible contact hitter and a master at putting the ball in play and avoiding strikeouts. He also had a good eye for drawing walks and was a very dangerous baserunner with solid speed. Del Cid’s gap power was fantastic with 33 doubles and 15 triples per his 162 game average. He also got you 26 home runs per 162, making him one of the more effective batters of his even without overwhelming power. Del Cid was especially potent against right-handed pitching with a career 1.017 OPS and 163 wRC+. Versus lefties, he had a 120 wRC+ and .832 OPS, which was still solid but nothing incredible. Defensively, Del Cid primarily played left field and was considered a great gloveman there, winning four Gold Gloves. He played some center at the start of his career and struggled there without the required range. Del Cid had nice durability with 125+ games played in all 17 years of his career. He was also considered one of the true good guys of the game and was a team captain. Del Cid was renowned for his intelligence, leadership, and work ethic. He became very popular with fans and was one of the most universally respected men in clubhouses across the continent. In the 2001 BSA Draft, Del Cid was picked 11^th overall by Cali, where he’d spend almost his entire pro career. He was a full-timer immediately and won 2002 Rookie of the Year with an impressive 6.7 WAR debut campaign with a career-best 32 home runs. For the next decade, he was consistently good for 4+ WAR and a batting average above .325. Del Cid would post an OPS above one in six different seasons. In 2005, Del Cid won his first batting title with a .376 average and led in hits for the only time with 218. He also had his first of four seasons with the top on-base percentage. Without big home run power, Del Cid wasn’t typically in MVP conversations. He did win Silver Sluggers in 2003, 2005, and 2006 in center field, followed by left field wins in 2008, 2009, and 2010. Del Cid’s four Gold Glove wins came from 2007-10 upon moving to LF. Cali saw some success early in Del Cid’s run, getting wild cards from 2002-04 and in 2007. Their deepest runs would be Bolivar League Championship Series defeats in 2004 and 2007. The Cyclones were generally mediocre for the next decade after that with their lone playoff appearance being a first round loss in 2015. Despite his popularity, Del Cid did get some blame as his playoff numbers were mediocre. He accepted the responsibility, posting 26 playoff starts for Cali with a .245/.264/.368 slash, 69 wRC+, and -0.1 WAR. Del Cid fared better as a captain for Colombia in the World Baseball Championship from 2002-17. In 163 games and 153 starts, Del Cid had 155 hits, 77 runs, 24 doubles, 5 triples, 17 home runs, 64 RBI, 81 walks, 79 stolen bases, .278/.373/.430 slash, 130 wRC+, and 4.1 WAR. He had 20 steals in their 2010 runner-up finish against the United States, which is one of only 27 times in WBC history that a player stole 20+ bags in the event. Colombia also notably took third in 2006. Cali signed Del Cid to an eight-year, $42,520,000 extension after the 2006 season. He led with 48 doubles in 2008 and had the best OBP in 2010, 2011, and 2013. 2010 was his finest season with league and career bests in batting average (.393), OBP (.453), OPS (1.131), wRC+ (190), and WAR (9.7). At the time, it was the 5^th-best average and 8^th-best OBP in a BSA season. Del Cid also had career bests in runs (111), hits (226), and steals (71) and he saw his lone cycle in a game against Bogota. Del Cid was third in MVP voting, his only time as a finalist. Del Cid carried on leading the Cyclones even if they were underwhelming in the 2010s. Cali gave him a three-year, $33,300,000 extension after the 2014 season. He production dipped slightly, but he was still a solid starter even in his final years for Cali. In 2017, Del Cid became the 12^th member of the 3000 hit club and the 16^th to 1500 runs scored. His Cali run had an unfortunate ending with a broken kneecap suffered in September 2017. The Cyclones didn’t re-sign him after that, but Del Cid still wanted to play. Santiago gave him a shot at two years and $14,600,000, but Del Cid struggled and was reduced to a part-time role with -0.6 WAR over 126 games and 52 starts in 2018. He retired that winter at age 39 and immediately had his #40 uniform retired by Cali. Del Cid had 2515 games, 3072 hits, 1544 runs, 516 doubles, 233 triples, 402 home runs, 1491 RBI, 815 walks, 867 stolen bases, .341/.394/.584 slash, 154 wRC+, and 89.6 WAR. As of 2037, Del Cid ranks 62^nd in games, 20^th in runs, 17^th in hits, 13^th in doubles, 39^th in triples, 21^st in total bases (5260), 51^st in walks, and 59^th in WAR among position players. Among BSA batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Del Cid ranks 34^th in batting average, 20^th in on-base percentage, 71^st in slugging, and his .978 OPS ranks 34^th. Among all world Hall of Famers as of 2037, Del Cid ranks 21^st in batting average and 49^th in OBP. Few players were as reliably consistent at the plate, but Del Cid does fall outside of the true inner circle between the lack of home run power and his poor playoff stats. As a person though, Del Cid’s character is above reproach. He’s a Hall of Fame lock anyway you look at it and would headline most classes. With Beisbol Sudamerica’s loaded 2024 group, he had the second highest percentage with 96.0%. Samuel Alves – Starting Pitcher – Recife Retrievers – 94.8% First Ballot Samuel Alves was a 6’1’’, 190 pound right-handed pitcher from Anapolis, a city of around 400,000 people in central Brazil. Alves had good-to-great stuff and movement along with excellent control. He had a 97-99 mph fastball and a strong slider as his main two offerings, along with a curveball and changeup. Alves’ stamina was below average relative to most BSA aces with decent durability. He was good at holding runners and was below average defensively. Alves was picked fourth overall by Recife in the 2004 BSA Draft and spent his entire 14-year pro career with the Retrievers. He was a full-timer right away and took second in Rookie of the Year voting in 2005. Alves had impressive efficiency right away despite not having as many innings as some contemporaries. 2006-14 had nine straight seasons above 4.5 WAR with four seasons above 6+. Recife became a regular contender in 2009, ending an eight-year playoff drought. They had three straight berths from 2009-11, then had a nine year postseason streak from 2013-21. Alves helped the Retrievers become a winner and started to get his first awards consideration. In 2010, Alves would toss a no-hitter on April 7 with 12 strikeouts and two walks against Belo Horizonte. He led the Southern Cone League with 7.3 WAR, finishing third in Pitcher of the Year voting. The Retrievers fell in the 2009 LCS to Salvador, but earned back-to-back Southern Cone pennants in 2010 over Fortaleza and in 2011 over Cordoba. Recife would fall in both Copa Sudamerica trips as Santa Cruz completed a three-peat in 2010, followed by a 2011 title for Valencia. Alves’ playoff stats were merely okay these years, but his overall production earned him a five-year, $46,800,000 extension after the 2011 campaign. He had a 3.95 ERA in the 2010 Baseball Grand Championship and a 2.57 ERA run in 2011 with the Retrievers in the middle of the standings both tries. Alves had the ERA title at 2.31 in 2011, but did lose awards consideration as he missed six weeks to shoulder tendinitis. He took third in 2012 and 2013’s Pitcher of the Year voting, despite leading with 6.6 WAR in 2013. In 2014, Alves took the top honor with a league and career-best 1.88 ERA. Recife fell in both 2013 and 2014 in the LCS to Fortaleza, although Alves had a fairly solid showing both years. A hamstring strain cost Alves more than half of the 2015 season, but he was back for the autumn. Recife finally won Copa Sudamerica, upsetting top seed Montevideo in the LCS and beating Callao for the overall title. Alves had a 3.60 ERA over 25 playoff innings and 16 strikeouts. He had an excellent 1.50 ERA over 36 innings with 47 strikeouts though in the Baseball Grand Championship. Recife would go 10-9 in a three-way tie for sixth. His career playoff numbers were fairly average with 162.1 innings, 3.44 ERA, 8-6 record, 140 strikeouts, 28 walks, 106 ERA+, and 2.5 WAR. Recife’s playoff streak continued, but the deepest they got in the following three years was an LCS loss in 2017. Alves did have good BGC numbers with a 2.32 ERA over 77.2 innings, 97 strikeouts, and 2.6 WAR. Alves did see very strong numbers as a regular for Brazil in the World Baseball Championship. From 2005-17, he had 180 innings with a 12-5 record, 2.80 ERA, 192 strikeouts, 24 walks, and 6.0 WAR. He ranks fifth in pitching WAR among Brazilians in the event. Their best finish with Alves was a third place in 2016, which had a 1.78 ERA over 25.1 innings. Brazil also won division titles in 2006 and 2014. These efforts helped Alves’ notoriety and popularity with Brazilian fans. After the 2015 season heading towards age 34, Alves signed a five-year, $53,700,000 extension with Recife. He had a good 2016 and a decent 2017, although his velocity notably began to dip. Alves’ strong control kept him effective, but he had a further drop down to the 91-93 mph range by 2018. He posted below average results and retired that winter at age 36. The Retrievers quickly honored Alves and retired his #26 uniform. Alves finished with a 193-110 record, 2.61 ERA, 2806.2 innings, 2745 strikeouts, 348 walks, 268/357 quality starts, 46 complete games, 14 shutouts, 138 ERA+, and 70.9 WAR. Because of a relatively low inning tally, Alves ranks fairly low in counting stats. As of 2037, he is 88^th in wins and misses the top 100 in innings or strikeouts. Alves does sit 75^th in WAR among position players and among all pitchers with 1000+ innings, Alves’ 0.97 WHIP is 66^th and his 1.12 BB/9 is 41st Advanced stats like ERA+ (138) and FIP- (75) firmly place him as elite, even if the accumulations didn’t. Most voters gave him some credit for Recife’s sustained success and for his WBC efforts with Brazil. Add in two ERA titles and a Pitcher of the Year award, and Alves’s resume was plenty strong. At 94.8%, he capped off an impressive three-player Hall of Fame class in 2024 for Beisbol Sudamerica. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game OOTP 22 Fictional World Stories

01-22-2025, 06:40 PM	#1983
MrNFL_FanIQ MVP OVR: 18 Join Date: Oct 2008	2024 EBF Hall of Fame (Part 1) The European Baseball Federation elected three players into the Hall of Fame for 2024, headlined by SP Mitja Kovacic at 96.3%. LF Robert Patrikyan also made it on the first ballot, but he narrowly reached the 66% requirement with 70.7%. Meanwhile SP Martin Kukoc finally crossed the line at 68.8% in his tenth and final chance. He became the fourth player to make EBF’s HOF on their tenth try. Kovacic and Kukoc were both also notable as the first-ever Slovenian inductees. Two others were above 50% with 3B Kyle Evrard at 62.3% and SP Johannes Jol with 58.9%; both on their sixth ballot. No one else was above 50%, although LE Richmond Diagne was close at 48.3% in his tenth and final try. Diagne’s peak was 49.4% in 2017 and he was never lower than 38.9% in 2022, but just couldn’t get any movement. For Diagne, he won two Gold Gloves and one Silver Slugger, finishing with 2079 hits, 1302 runs, 289 doubles, 132 triples, 513 home runs, 1393 RBI, .282/.331/.566 slash, 149 wRC+, and 71.5 WAR. He also notably won four European Championship rings between three teams, getting one with Paris, two with Copenhagen, and one with Marseille. In 99 playoff games, Diagne had 109 hits, 58 runs, 15 doubles, 22 home runs, 69 RBI, .288/.323/.544 slash, 139 wRC+, and 3.0 WAR. He was reliably solid, but had no ink and was never an MVP finalist, thus he was banished to the Hall of Pretty Good. RF Kristijan Acevski was dropped after ten ballots, peaking with a 31.1% debut and ending at 9.7%. He was hurt by his first five seasons with Budapest being in Eurasian Professional Baseball, although his final tallies combined still were likely too low with 2338 hits, 1019 runs, 398 doubles, 176 triples, 286 home runs, 1182 RBI, .307/.340/.519 slash, 146 wRC+, and 53.2 WAR. Acevski had one batting title and a nice career, but unsurprisingly missed the cut. SP Mehmet Azemi also lasted ten ballots, debuting at 34.5% and ending with 4.4%. The Kosovar had a 16-year career with eight teams for a 195-189 record, 3.77 ERA, 3470 innings, 3538 strikeouts, 694 walks, 102 ERA+, and 51.1 WAR. He was a solid journeyman, but was never in the Pitcher of the Year conversations. Two others fell below 5% and were dropped, but were still worthy of noting. RF Ari Hartnell had three Silver Sluggers, one Gold Glove, and led in WAR once. He had 2293 hits, 1105 runs, 247 doubles, 229 triples, 393 homers, 1195 RBI, .304/.337/.554 slash, 150 wRC+, and 74.4 WAR. Hartnell peaked with a 28.0% debut and fell to 4.7% on his eighth try. Lastly, C Geir Valla fell off on his seventh ballot, peaking in his second try at 23.3%. He had 1640 hits, 748 runs, 277 doubles, 262 home runs, 833 RBI, .253/.306/.430 slash, 106 wRC+, and 46.9 WAR. Valla won two championships with Copenhagen and was an important piece for 16 years for the Corsairs. It is tough in the best cases though for catchers and even most pro-catcher voters would agree that Valla didn’t have the dominance or longevity. Mitja Kovacic – Starting Pitcher – Marseille Musketeers – 96.3% First Ballot Mitja Kovacic was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Ilirska Bistrica, a town of 4,500 people in southwestern Slovenia. Kovacic had great stuff, excellent control, and very good movement. His fastball topped out in the 96-98 mph range, but his slider, curveball, and changeup were each equally viable options. Kovacic’s stamina was above average relative to other European aces. While he did have some injury issues, he mostly avoided major setbacks over a 17-year run. Kovacic was good at holding runners, but struggled defensively otherwise. He wasn’t a genius by any stretch, but his natural ability was usually plenty to succeed. Kovacic became one of the more popular pitchers of his era and the first Slovenian baseball superstar. He came from humble beginnings, but managed to catch the eye of a scout from Warsaw. The Wildcats just joined EBF in 2000 as part of the great exodus of teams from EPB. In March 2000, Kovacic joined Warsaw’s academy and spent four years in Poland. He never pitched for the Wildcats though, as he was traded in January 2004. Kovacic and prospect C Guntars Ozols were sent to Marseille for HOF Class of 2016 pitcher Enrico Gini. Gini gave Warsaw one solid season as a rental, although they didn’t win it all as they hoped. The Musketeers certainly won the deal as Kovacic would give them 14 years of production. He debuted in 2005 at age 22 and struggled initially in a part-time role. Kovacic was a full-time starter after that, but he posted merely okay numbers over his first three full seasons in the rotation. Kovacic broke out in 2009 as the Southern Conference’s WARlord at 8.1. He would also lead in WAR with 8+ efforts in 2010, 2013, and 2015. It also started a streak of nine consecutive seasons of at least 5+ WAR. Kovacic was second in 2009’s Pitcher of the Year voting and Marseille ended a 19-year playoff drought by going 97-65. The Musketeers went all the way, defeating Luxembourg for the European Championship. Kovacic earned MVP of the conference finals win over Athens, posting a 2.52 ERA and 3-1 record over five playoff starts with 39.1 innings, 40 strikeouts, and 3 walks. He tossed a three-hit shutout against both the Anchors and the Lancers in the run, forever earning a spot in the hearts of Marseille fans. Kovacic led in wins (21-8), strikeouts (290), WHIP (0.96), and WAR (8.3) in 2010, but again was second in Pitcher of the Year voting. His WAR and Ks were down in 2011, but a conference-best 21-2 record led him to his first POTY win. Kovacic was second again in 2012 and finally got his big payday that winter with a seven-year, $92,400,000 extension. Marseille remained competitive, but never matched their 2009 title run. They earned playoff berths in 2010, 11, 12, 14, and 16, narrowly missing in the off years. However, they only got to the conference finals once with a 2014 loss to Barcelona. Kovacic held his own in the playoffs with 86 innings, a 5-4 record, 2.41 ERA, 82 strikeouts, 160 ERA+, and 2.9 WAR over his Musketeers tenure. Kovacic won his second Pitcher of the Year in 2013 with his lone ERA title at 1.85, while also leading in wins (20-6) and WAR (8.1). He took third in 2014, then won for the third time in 2015 as the leader in WAR and strikeouts. 2015 saw his career best WAR (8.8) and FIP- (55). 2014 would see Kovacic‘s lone no-hitter on May 23 with 7 strikeouts against Chisinau. Kovacic was done with awards consideration after that, but remained solid in 2016 and 2017. 2017 was an absolute disaster on all fronts for Marseille. Kovacic got shoulder inflammation after his third start, missing the rest of the season. The Musketeers had fallen to 78-84 the prior year to end a decade run of winning seasons. In 2017, they plummeted to 56-106 and were relegated to the European Second League. Kovacic had one year left on his deal, but used the relegation opt-out to leave for free agency at age 35. This ended Kovacic’s time in Europe, finishing with a 193-97 record, 2.88 ERA, 2848 innings, 2864 strikeouts, 422 walks, 247/351 quality starts, 104 complete games, 26 shutouts, 133 ERA+, and 71.5 WAR. Most fans in southern France remember Kovacic fondly, but the organization seemingly held a grudge for the way it ended and never retired his #10 uniform. As of 2037, Kovacic ranks 60^th in wins, 77^th in strikeouts, and 47^th in pitching WAR. His EBF tallies aren’t overwhelming as he didn’t crack the top 100 in innings. But the accolades made Kovacic a no-brainer. He won Pitcher of the Year thrice, led in wins thrice, strikeouts twice, and had an ERA title. Kovacic also was a solid playoff performer who helped Marseille return to relevance with their 2009 title. Some voters also gave him some credit for his post-EBF accumulations. Thus, Kovacic was an easy headliner for EBF’s 2024 Hall of Fame class at 96.3%. Kovacic still had four more years post EBF though. Some were worried that after a season-ending injury that he might be cooked, but MLB’s Kansas City gave him a shot with a three-year, $61,200,000 deal. The Cougars were the reigning World Series champ and hoped to start a dynasty run. Kovacic was a reliably strong veteran starter for KC with a 44-19 record, 2.82 ERA, 685 innings, 526 strikeouts, 99 walks, 122 ERA+, and 13.8 WAR. Kansas City won their third National Association pennant in four years, but lost the 2019 World Series to Houston. The Cougars fell in the 2020 NACS to Cincinnati, then missed the 2021 playoffs. Kovacic was merely okay in the playoffs with a 3-3 record over eight starts, 3.66 ERA, 51.2 innings, 32 strikeouts, and 95 ERA+. He was solid though in the 2019 Baseball Grand Championship with 2.73 ERA in five starts, 33 innings, 3-1 record, 34 strikeouts, and 141 ERA+. Kansas City finished third in the BGC at 12-7. Heading towards age 39, he signed for 2022 with New York. Kovacic was respectable in a half-season for the Yankees with a 3.12 ERA over 124 innings, 111 ERA+, and 2.0 WAR. However, they cut him in late July. Baltimore employed Kovacic two days, but didn’t use him before cutting him in August. He finished the year for Montreal’s minor league Sherbrooke team and retired that winter. In MLB, Kovacic had a 50-22 record, 2.87 ERA, 809 innings, 566 strikeouts, 121 walks, 120 ERA+, and 15.9 WAR. For his combined pro career, Kovacic had a 243-119 record, 2.87 ERA, 3657 innings, 3430 strikeouts, 543 walks, 130 ERA+, and 87.4 WAR. He’s not inner-circle level, but his resume was ironclad. Kovacic widely is considered Slovenia’s best-ever baseball player and he joined classmate Martin Kukoc as the first Slovenes to earn the top honor. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game OOTP 22 Fictional World Stories

01-23-2025, 06:02 AM	#1984
MrNFL_FanIQ MVP OVR: 18 Join Date: Oct 2008	2024 EBF Hall of Fame (Part 2) Robert Patrikyan – Left Field – Yerevan Valiants – 70.7% First Ballot Robert Patrikyan was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed outfielder from Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. Patrikyan was a very good contact hitter with reliable power, especially for the gap. He led in doubles thrice and had a 162 game average of 36 doubles, 6 triples, and 34 home runs. Patrikyan was average to above average at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. He was a skilled baserunner, but was limited by below average speed. Patrikyan did most of his damage versus right-handed pitching with a career .992 OPS and 170 wRC+. He was merely above average against lefties with a 113 wRC+ and .770 OPS. Patrikyan played almost exclusively in left field, but was a lousy defender. Still, he was one of the hardest working and scrappiest guys on the field, which made Patrikyan a popular player in his era. He also maintained good durability and rarely missed time to injury over a 15-year career. As Patrikyan was growing up, Armenia was in the Eurasian Professional Baseball sphere of influence. Three of his countrymen were inducted into EPB’s Hall of Fame prior to Patrikyan becoming the first Armenian in EBF’s HOF. The capital Yerevan was among the teams that defected to EBF in the 2000 exodus. The Valiants kept a close eye on Patrikyan as he entered college in the early 2000s. In the 2003 EBF Draft, Yerevan picked Patrikyan with the fifth overall pick. Not only was it an obvious pick purely from a talent standpoint, but selecting a hometown hero made tons of business sense. In EPB, the Valiants had been one of the consistently worst teams, going from 1978-2003 without a single winning season. Patrikyan was solid as a part-time starter as a rookie in 2004, helping Yerevan finally get back above .500, even if it was 82-80. The Valiants didn’t become a powerhouse, but they had winning seasons from 2004-09. Yerevan would win division titles in 2006 and 2007, although they didn’t get beyond the second round. Patrikyan led the Southern Conference thrice in doubles for Yerevan and had four seasons above 6+ WAR. He won Silver Sluggers in both 2006 and 2008, taking third in 2006’s MVP voting and second in 2008. 2008 was his best season by WAR (8.2), OPS (1.077), wRC+ (191), hits (217), RBI (127), and triple slash (.371/.451/.662). Patrikyan’s doubles best was 51 in 2009 , his runs best was 119 in 2011, and his homers best was 41 in 2006. After the 2009 season, Patrikyan signed a four-year, $53,400,000 extension with Yerevan. To their disappointment, he would opt out after the 2011 season and become a free agent at age 30. With Yerevan, Patrikyan had 1365 hits, 753 runs, 296 doubles, 277 home runs, 776 RBI, 338 walks, .320/.371/.607 slash, 166 wRC+, and 47.3 WAR. He would remain a hometown favorite even after leaving Armenia and his #26 uniform would eventually be retired. Patrikyan moved to Switzerland and signed for seven years and $73,400,000 with Zurich. He wasn’t an awards winner or conference leader with the Mountaineers, but was a very solid starter in his first two years. Patrikyan dipped a bit after that, but was still a positive contributor with his bat. Zurich was in regular contention with playoff berths in 2012-13, then from 2016-21. Zurich lost in the 2012 Southern Conference Championship to Vienna, then had a second round loss in 2013. In 2016, the Mountaineers won it all, beating Amsterdam for the European Championship. Patrikyan was solid in that title run with 19 starts, 23 hits, 10 runs, 6 doubles, 2 homers, 12 RBI, 9 walks, and .902 OPS. In the Baseball Grand Championship, he was more inconsistent with a .182/.250/.500 slash, although 7 of his 12 hits were solo homers. Zurich finished 12-7 in a three-way tie for second, officially taking fourth after the tiebreakers. The Mountaineers had first round exits in Patrikyan’s final two seasons. In 42 playoff games total for Zurich, he had 51 hits, 26 runs, 13 doubles, 8 home runs, 26 RBI, .340/.396/.587 slash, 170 wRC+, and 2.2 WAR. Patrikyan was moved to a backup role in his last season of 2018. He finished for Zurich with 994 hits, 529 runs, 201 doubles, 186 home runs, 555 RBI, .297/.344/.547 slash, 146 wRC+, and 28.1 WAR. After going unsigned for 2019, Patrikyan retired that winter at age 38. Patrikyan’s final stats had 2359 hits, 1282 runs, 497 doubles, 86 triples, 463 home runs, 1331 RBI, 576 walks, 127 stolen bases, .310/.359/.580 slash, 157 wRC+, and 75.4 WAR. As of 2037, Patrikyan ranks 79^th in hits, 79^th in runs, 10^th in doubles, 74^th in homers, and 67^th in RBI. He does miss the top 100 for WAR, but his slugging ranks 96^th among those with 3000+ plate appearances. His resume was a bit borderline as the totals were good, but not incredible. Patrikyan didn’t have a ton of accolades or black ink, but his work ethic earned him a lot of respect. He played an important role in a championship for Zurich and was a major ambassador to bridge the gap for Yerevan and Armenia into the EBF sphere. At 70.7%, Patrikyan narrowly made the cut for a first ballot selection with the three-player 2024 EBF Hall of Fame class. Martin Kukoc – Starting Pitcher – Belfast Brewers – 68.8% Tenth Ballot Martin Kukoc was a 6’0’’, 170 pound left-handed pitcher from Kranj, Slovenia’s third-largest city with around 38,000 inhabitants. Kukoc was a fireballer with rock solid stuff and good-to-great movement and control. His 99-101 mph fastball was his strongest pitch, but he had a unique six-pitch arsenal. Kukoc’s slider, curveball, and forkball were each good along with a decent splitter and a lousy changeup. Kukoc’s stamina was generally average compared to other EBF aces. He was a strong defensive pitcher and had an elite pickoff move. Kukoc’s durability was great, avoiding major injuries for 200+ innings in all but his rookie campaign. He was one of the hardest working and adaptable pitchers of his era. Some had more pure talent, but very few matched Kukoc’s sparkplug character. In June 1989, a teenaged Kukoc was noticed and signed to a developmental contract with Belfast, making the move from what was then Yugoslavia to Northern Ireland. He spent parts of six years in their academy before debuting in 1995 with 149 innings at age 22. He was okay in that part-time role and moved into the rotation full-time for the next seven seasons with Belfast. Kukoc was never a Pitcher of the Year finalist and rarely was a conference leader. He did lead with 28 quality starts in 1999 and had the most wins (19-15), starts (37), and innings (290.2) in 2002. Kukoc had six seasons above 4+ WAR for the Brewers, peaking with 6.5 in both 1999 and 2002. He had his career-best 253 strikeouts in 1999 and his best ERA in 2002 with 2.57 It was hard to get attention even in his best years though as Belfast had been a historically inept franchise. The Brewers averaged 71.5 wins per season during Kukoc’s run and only once got above .500 with an 82-80 mark in 2002. That was the final year of his time in Northern Ireland, as he left for free agency at age 30. With Belfast, Kukoc had a 95-105 record, 3.27 ERA, 1904 innings, 1726 strikeouts, 435 walks, 113 ERA+, and 36.0 WAR. Kukoc stayed in the United Kingdom, moving to England on a six-year, $27,600,000 deal with Birmingham. The Bees had been a dynasty in the 1990s, but this was a rebuilding era for them as they peaked at 81-81 in Kukoc’s tenure. He was steady with three of his four seasons being above 5+ WAR. For Birmingham, Kukoc had a 57-40 record, 3.10 ERA, 973 innings, 892 strikeouts, 167 walks, 119 ERA+, and 19.1 WAR. After the 2006 season, Kukoc was traded to Barcelona for two prospects. The Bengals were fresh off a 111-51 season and a runner-up finish and hoped Kukoc could shore up the rotation. They dropped to 96-66 in 2007, but repeated as Southern Conference champ. Barcelona then defeated Kyiv in an European Championship rematch. Kukoc had a great 2.25 ERA over 24 playoff innings and had a solid 5.0 WAR effort in the regular season. Kukoc had a 5.8 WAR effort in 2008, although Barcelona missed the playoffs. For the Bengals, he had a 26-22 record, 3.26 ERA, 433.1 innings, 432 strikeouts, 86 walks, 121 ERA+, and 10.8 WAR. Kukoc still seemed to be pitching at a high level and at age 36 singed a three-year, $15,640,000 deal with Thessaloniki. His production dropped a bit with 2.9 WAR over 211.2 innings in 2009. Kukoc decided to retire that winter shortly after his 37^th birthday. In total, Kukoc had a 197-177 record, 3.24 ERA, 3522 innings, 3250 strikeouts, 724 walks, 294/446 quality starts, 91 complete games, 22 shutouts, 115 ERA+, 86 FIP-, and 68.8 WAR. As of 2037, Kukoc ranks 50^th in wins, 24^th in innings, 42^nd in strikeouts, and 57^th in WAR among pitchers. His resume was a tricky one for many voters for the European Baseball Federation’s Hall of Fame. Detractors pointed out his lack of black ink and that he was never a Pitcher of the Year finalist. Kukoc didn’t have big totals and had the stink of being on mostly bad teams hurting him. Supporters pointed that his advanced stats were better than the traditional stats might suggest. While his tallies were on the lower end, they wouldn’t be out of place compared to some other inductees. Supporters also argued that if not for being on bad teams, he probably satiates the traditionalists and gets to 225+ wins. Kukoc also did pitch well and was an important piece in Barcelona’s 2007 title run. Kukoc debuted at 44.6% and didn’t budge much from there on his first five ballots. He got a nice jump to 56.4% in 2020, then dropped back to 51.5% in 2012. Kukoc got some more support in 2022 and 2023 with 59.6% and 60.4% respectively, but was still a few checks away from the 66% requirement. 2024 would be his tenth and final opportunity. His fellow Slovene Mitja Kovacic was considered a lock by voters upon his 2024 debut. While Kovacic was certainly more dominant, Kukoc backers pointed out that he hit similar benchmarks. Some also liked the idea of having two guys being their country’s first HOFers together. Those efforts got Kukoc to 68.8%, just crossing the line on his tenth ballot to cap off the 2024 EBF Hall of Fame class. As of 2037, Kukoc and Kovacic remain the only Slovene inductees. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game OOTP 22 Fictional World Stories

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