And just as the final game of spring training wraps up in preparation for the 2027 regular season, the WBH has released its award winners for the 2026 season. Twenty-seven GMs voted this year, which is a bit of a record for the most recent ballots. Thanks to the voting owners, and congratulations to the winners!

Score is calculated as follows:

• Every 1st place vote counts 5 points, 2nd place as 4 points, 3rd place as 3 points, and so on.
• Ties are broken in favor of the one with the most 1st place votes. If one or more teams are still tied after that, ties will be broken in favor of the most 2nd place votes, 3rd place votes, etc.

Pitcher of the Year

		Akikisa Morashita, Hong Kong Golden Dragons (124) (23 #1 votes)
		Otilio “Slu” Valudez, Erie Sea Wolves (98) (2 #1 votes)
		Huo-tu Bian, Wuhan Blackhawks (88) (one #1 votes)
		Toshikuni Baba, Toa Baja Coquis (48) (zero #1 votes)
		Jesus Villareal, Hukuoka Hawks (47) (one #1 votes)

Hitter of the Year

		Masaki Kamuta, Akashi Fordians (113) (13 #1 votes)
		Qi-chao Huang, Philadelphia Stars (101) (13 #1 votes)
		Jorge “The Dominator” Mongome, Erie Sea Wolves (89) (one #1 votes)
		Stephane Lamontagne, Panama City Bull Moose (51) (zero #1 votes, 2 #2 votes)
		Ignacio Pimpapel, Sapporo Brewers (51) (zero #1 votes, 1 #2 votes)

Fireman of the Year

		Crespin “Barrel” Moreno, Nagasaki Blues (101) (10 #1 votes)
		Hyeok Su, Taegu Black Bears (101) (5 #1 votes)
		Bento Canas, Rizao Rally Cats (81) (8 #1 votes)
		Feng Xiang-sha, Vancouver Ventures (65) (2 #1 votes)
		Ramon “Dr” Hurtado, Cancun Mojitos (57) (2 #1 votes)

Reliever of the Year

		Ren-qing Chow, Taegu Black Bears (116) (14 #1 votes)
		Denton Hartford, Santurce de Cangrejeros (86) (2 #1 votes)
		Arial Rivera, Cancun Mojitos (79) (3#1 votes)
		Bing-zhang Sen, Hamilton Steelers (69) (5 #1 votes)
		Julio Faria, Taegu Black Bears (55) (3 #1 votes)

Rookie of the Year

<no photo>		SP Martin Bertrand, Jeonju Jays (102) (9 #1 votes)
		1B Shan-bo Zhou, Erie Sea Wolves (89) (8 #1 votes)
		CF Rafael Vallarta, Pacora Jaguars  (76) (3 #1 votes)
		SP Il-Young Kim, Roswell Invasion (70) (one #1 votes)
		C Paolo “Bingo” Perez, Sapporo Brewers (68) (6 #1 votes)

GM of the Year

		Marc Vose, Hong Kong Golden Dragons (115) (15 #1 votes)
		Jim Lee, Azua Tortugas (95) (9 #1 votes)
		Eric Hencley, Santurce de Cangrejeros (79) (one #1 votes)
		Stephen Thompson, Mao Dadaistas (62) (one #1 votes)
		Nic Rios, Chihuahua Chihuahuas (54) (one #1 votes)

Most Improved GM of the Year

		David MacKenzie, Busan Burning Dragons (99) (9 #1 votes)
		Rick Baldwin, Vancouver Ventures (91) (7 #1 votes)
		Joe Woodring, Erie Sea Wolves (77) (6 #1 votes)
		Ed Kunderman, Tijuana Grasshoppers (71) (2 #1 votes)
		Ben Whitley, Taegu Black Bears (67) (3 #1 votes)

Voting is closed on the 2025 WBH award winners. Well, technically it was closed a while ago, and due to the distraction of the recent WBH GM steroid abuse scandal, the PR department is just now unveiling the list of winners. So here they are. Congratulations to the winners!

Score is calculated as follows:

• Every 1st place vote counts 5 points, 2nd place as 4 points, 3rd place as 3 points, and so on.
• Ties are broken in favor of the one with the most 1st place votes. If one or more teams are still tied after that, ties will be broken in favor of the most 2nd place votes, 3rd place votes, etc.

Pitcher of the Year

		Rafael Martinez, Baracoa (92) (13 #1 votes)
		Marque Lendra, Nagasaki (71) (2 #1 votes)
		Sergio Gomez, Santiago de Cuba (67) (6 #1 votes)
		Benedicto Moleroy, Toa Baja (51) (zero #1 votes)
		Sancho Tevada, Toronto (49) (one #1 votes)

Hitter of the Year

		Henry Strong, Moca (98) (13 #1 votes)
		Foox Xie, Philadelphia (88) (6 #1 votes)
		Javier Chumil, Maracaibl (64) (3 #1 votes)
		Masaki Kamuta, Akashi (44) (zero #1 votes)
		Pablo de Aragon, Nagasaki (36) (zero #1 votes)

Fireman of the Year

		Claudio Abarcus, Erie (92) (14 #1 votes)
		Barthelemy Toccafundo, Xi’an (71) (7 #1 votes)
		Querubim Baiano, Mexico City(66) (0 #1 votes)
		Ha-ro Sun, Azua (58) (one #1 votes)
		Javier Ruiz, Tokyo (43) (zero #1 votes)

Reliever of the Year

<no photo>		Cristobal Laiben, Santiago de Cuba (97) (14 #1 votes)
		Qui-li Xiang, Tocumen (89) (6 #1 votes)
		Tavio Soravilla, Azua (64) (one #1 votes)
		Quilvio Florez, Chihuahua (53) (one #1 votes)
		Ju-hyung Kim, Tocumen (27) (zero #1 votes)

Rookie of the Year

<no photo>		Fernando Rodriguez, Toa Baja (89) (10 #1 votes)
		Octavio Verios, Bonao (83) (9 #1 votes)
		Jorge Mongome, Erie (62) (2 #1 votes)
		Raul Vidas, Quebec (48) (zero #1 votes)
		Mario Velazquez, Tokyo (47) (one #1 votes)

GM of the Year

		Jim Lee, Azua (100) (13 #1 votes)
		David Griffes, Toa Baja (73) (2 #1 votes)
		Eric Hencley, Santurce de (68) (3 #1 votes)
		Nic Rios, Chihuahua (50) (3 #1 votes)
		Scott Tobias, Bani (39) (one #1 votes)

Most Improved GM of the Year

		Brad Cameron, Xi’an (93) (11 #1 votes)
		Brian Nickerson, Rizao (83) (9 #1 votes)
		Nicholas Genova, Cancun (70) (2 #1 votes)
		Dominic Carmona, La Habana (44) (zero #1 votes)
		Ken Lonc, Cheju (18) (zero #1 votes)

For more than a year now, the news has been abuzz with the meteorite known as the Prognosteroid, discovered in Asia and found to have been inscribed with near-microscopic alien writing that scientists & astrologists were convinced was a message sent to us from an advanced civilization far off in the galaxy. The top linguists all over the globe spent months analyzing and translating the cryptic writing, concluding just this week that the writing was not in fact an alien code, but a game-by-game prediction of how the WBH season will end in 2026, written in plain English. Apparently none of the linguists had ever seen a box score before.

Anyhow, now that the mystery is solved, just as spring training ends, we can now take a look at what the Prognosteroid says will be the results of all seven league battles in this year’s season. Are they an unassailable documentation of the future that has already been seen by our deep-space benefactors? Perhaps a primitive attempt at intergalactic sports blogging? Or cruder still a manipulation of Earth sports betting markets by an alien bookie?

Around the WBH has the scoop on the Prognosteroid’s predictions and submits them for your approval, after the jump.

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While fun & sometimes entertaining to watch, skiing does not count as a sport because the Swiss are good at it.

The NBA is a short-season yawner. College football is over and the NFL is full of boring crybabies. There might be hockey on or something, but on one of those channels you’re too lazy to flip past 100 infomercials on your satellite receiver. What is a sports fan to do? Fear not…this week Around the WBH concludes the two-part series of the top 10 stories in the World Baseball Hierarchy that rocked our socks in the 2025 season. That ought to tide you over, no?

Last week, we spent a good portion of time in the USA and Japan leagues looking at the big stories near the top of the hierarchy, but without a doubt the real drama this year was happening in Cuba and in some of the tier 3 leagues like Canada and South Korea. The long-awaited advancement of Chihuahua and Santurce, the roaring back to life of the La Habana Los Leones, and a class-A donnybrook for the Cuban LAD championship. Aaah, the memories. It’s going to be a long winter…

Jump with me, and let’s stroll back through stories #6 through #10.

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Two things I've had to learn the hard way: you can't operate zonkies or riding lawn mowers while under the influence of Cuervo Gold.

Due to an unexpected hiatus, Around the WBH went dark for a while and unfortunately missed the playoffs entirely – but thankfully all is well again and AtWBH is back in the saddle. Special thanks to all the incredibly helpful people at the U.S embassy in Mexico, and Juan “El Salvator” Dominguez, Tijuana’s most trusted DUI defense attorney.

So…what did we miss? Looks like in a nutshell, what we missed was the dramatic end to an incredible season. This week AtWBH looks back at the ten most newsmaking developments in the WBH for the 2025 season, with a look ahead to 2026′s Hot Stove league. Numbers 1 through 5 are available for your reading pleasure, after what the Mexicans call el jumpo.

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WBH Factoid: In 2008, a poorly conceived cross promotion between the WBH and the producers of Let's Make A Deal resulted in the Deadwood Aces and Eights trading utility infielder Ernesto Estevez for a donkey wearing a wig.

Sixty-six games into the books, fifty-four more to go until championship time, and that perennially exciting trade deadline looms ever nearer. Already the triggers have been pulled on several big names – Nobuharu Matsuyama and Jae-chun Yu to name a couple – which might be an indicator of a super-active trade deadline period this year.

Of course, half the fun is speculating who will be buying and who will be selling, and what better way to start that conversation than taking a look at who’s contending. Here’s the story so far:

• San Lorenzo’s grip on 1st is slowly eroding; Azua however is sixteen games ahead
• Erie back in contention in Japan’s LAD; practically EVERYONE is in contention in the LOD
• Toa Baja and Maracaibo shrug off Wuhan in Cuba, while Santiago de Cuba still holds the LOD
• Tokyo beginning to break out in the hapless Dominican LOD
• Jeonju three games out of upsetting Santurce; Rizao and Cheju just four games behind Quebec
• Cancun is now 11 games ahead in VEN’s LAD; Chihuahua still has to worry about Mexico City, only 5 games behind
• Seoul and Brooklyn surge ahead to challenge Hamilton at the top spot in the Canada LAD; Xi’an slowly pulling away from Hong Kong.

All that and whatever’s behind curtain #2 after the jump

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Week 8 is in the books, and we’re almost to the halfway point in the season. Time enough for this year’s contenders to emerge, the pretenders to start planning for 2026, and the screw-you-I’m-winning-this-years to begin their sudden improbable lurches toward the top spot. As usual, Around the WBH is here to divide them all up into their respective bins for your analytical enjoyment.

Here’s a look at this week’s notable stories:

• Azua is already printing playoff shirts, while San Lorenzo holds a slim lead on the USA LOD competition
• Erie makes an eerie free-fall to the bottom of the Japan LAD
• Wuhan steps on the gas and makes the Cuba LAD a three-team scrum
• Three teams separate first and last place in the Dominican LOD. Sounds exciting, but it’s not
• Unlike Quebec, Santurce can’t quite drive a stake in the heart of their Korean LAD rivals
• Cancun overtakes Chihuahua as the team to watch in Venezuela
• Hong Kong still the second best team in Canada, still 4 games behind Xi’an in the LOD.

All this, plus we answer mail we didn’t even receive, after the jump.

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RECALL NOTICE – SANCHO SAVOURY’S JALAPENO POTATO CRISPS (TM)

Regrettably, this week’s Around the WBH starts off with a court-ordered notice of recall of all 144 million bags of Sancho Savoury’s Jalapeno Potato Crisps. Apparently the chips were not approved for sale in the U.S. or any other industrialized nation, due in large part to significant amounts of mercury, chromium, lead, human growth hormone, Olestra and crystal methamphetamine. The authorities recommend you contact your local HAZMAT authorities for instructions on proper disposal of any uneaten potato chips.

Sadly, this also sinks our sponsorship deal with Sancho Savoury’s Jalapeno Potato Crisps. But on the bright side – there’s exciting baseball going on in the WBH leagues. This week’s highlights:

• Azua back on top the USA – with a vengeance!
• Bani & Erie jockeying for top billing in the LAD, while Tocumen roars past once-perfect Toluca
• Toa Baja & Santiago de Cuba still the teams to beat, but looking more beatable
• Is that really Bonao that’s just two games out of 1st in the Dominican LOD?
•  Around the WBH’s secret, never-before-revealed pick to win the South Korean league is dangerously close to 1st place…dare we reveal them now? Yes, we do.
• Cancun still finding VEN to their liking; Chihuahua still destroying all competition.
• Hamilton jumps ahead in Canada; Hong Kong struggling to stay in striking distance with the Kylin.

All that, and chelation to remove blood toxins and heavy metals from overconsumption of tainted potato chips, after the jump.

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They're Not Savory...Unless They're Sancho Savory! (tm)

A hearty welcome to all WBH fans to another exciting season of world baseball! We’ve got 12 in the books already and brand new exciting stories emerging in all seven of the big leagues this year. And with the exciting new year comes an exciting new sponsor for Around the WBH: Sancho Savoury’s Jalapeno Potato Crisps! The injured Baracoa second baseman is busying himself in his DL time putting his face on some of the most delicious and spicy potato chips this reporter has tasted in a long while.

So go out and buy a bag! You’ll be somewhat glad you did. And so will Around the WBH, who with the sponsorship money has already been able to move offices from the back room milk crate next to the Ethernet jack at Regency Liquors to the bathroom of an abandoned Linens ‘n Things just down the street.

Click ye below for the answers to this week’s burning questions:

• Has the USA picked up where they left off last year?
• Toluca’s 10-2 record: for real, or for show?
• Should Santiago de Cuba and Toa Baja start selling playoff tickets?
• Will anything other than Moca be able to stop Moca?
• Who in Korea is for real vs. having a temporarily good record because of Rizao’s 2-10 start?
• Is this Venezuela’s Ano de Chihuahua?
• Will Xi’an’s return to Canada steal Hong Kong’s birthright to the Canadian LOD?
• Does anything complement a sandwich better than Sancho Savoury’s Jalapeno Potato Crisps?

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The Moca Machine spring training camp, nicknamed "The Gearbox," two days before players are scheduled to report.

Baseball time is fast approaching. They’re lining the fields now at the spring training camp fields. Soon there’ll be all sorts of new stuff to talk about:  rookie readiness, team-crippling injuries, who looks like they hit the ‘roids in the offseason. Before all that comes to a head, it’s time to walk through the batters and starting pitchers who’ll be on the 2024 Awards Ballot.

Words, numbers, after jump.

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