Here's the report after
May 1941!
A couple surprises have sprung early in the season, with the Jaguars finding themselves in the middle of the table despite having the best pitching staff in the league. Salvadoran ace Juan González is proving to be one of the best in the league as he is yet to lose a game, with the rest of the rotation dealing quality behind him. The capital club has the lowest rotation ERA in the league with a 2.54. There is certainly room for improvement in the hitting side, given they're 1st in OBP (.353) but only 6th in runs scored.
Offense has proven to be the key to success this year, with León leading in runs scored, OPS, WAR, wOBA and home runs. Andrés Suárez (.296/.444/.533, 41 RBI), Ángel Ziranda (.263/.333/.439, 41 RBI) and Francisco Escamilla (.327/.400/.497, 24 RBI) are all early Tlatoani candidates. While their pitching hasn't been stellar (they're 6th in runs allowed), lefties Esteban Ramírez and Urbano Sepúlveda are doing stellar jobs at the front of the Flechas' rotation.
Other teams, such as Mérida with Francisco Barajas (2.28 ERA, 1.25 WHIP), Guadalajara with Antonio Tapia (.303/.380/.449, 33 RBI) and Javier Fernández (3.15 ERA, 1.25 WHIP), or San Luis with Carlos Renderos (.283/.353/.429, 21 RBI) are making it a close race, where who knows who'll come out on top.
The biggest surprise so far is Jaibas de Tampico. After being predicted for last place, the Crabs are battling in the middle of the table. Raúl Pérez (.301/.339/.525, 32 RBI), Mario Morales (.303/.417/.448, 29 RBI) and Ehécatl Cocom (.328/.381/.409, 19 RBI) have proven to be excellent signings. Finding more consistency in their pitching will be key going forward, but it looks like they're getting their best result ever.
Best hitters:
As mentioned, LF Andrés Suárez is one of the best hitters so far. He's tied for first in RBI, 2nd in BB% and is leading the league in homers (10), OPS (.976) and WAR (3.0). The León outfielder is looking for his 2nd Tlatoani award after winning his first last year.
Jaguares offseason discovery CF Manuel Vargas is also having a great season so far, slashing .321/.477/.470, which makes him 4th in average, 1st in OBP, 6th in slugging and 2nd in OPS. His 22.4 walk percentage is the best and his 3.4 strikeout percentage is 8th best amongst qualified hitters. However, he's also been the worst center fielder of the league, which might hurt his chances at the Tlatoani award this year.
1B Francisco Escamilla is having a good one in his 4th season with the emerald squad, hitting .327/.400/.497 so far. This makes him 3rd in average, 5th in OBP, 3rd in slugging and 3rd in OPS. His defense is also hurting him, as he's been forced to play 35 games at 2nd base, making 7 errors and failing to make several routine plays. If he remains in his best position (1B), Escamilla could compete for the Tlatoani award.
Best pitchers:
Also mentioned above, righty Juan González is leading the league in ERA (1.41) WAR (2.8) and walk percentage (5.6). His 1.03 WHIP is the 2nd lowest in the league. He's on pace for his best season yet, but perhaps leaving León for Mexico City wasn't the best decision given the way the table currently goes.
Águilas 22 year old Raúl Romero is having a breakout season, with a 2.48 ERA (9th), 1.28 WHIP (14th), striking out 10.9% of the batters he's faced while walking only 7.7%. It's his second season as a full-time starter, having been used as a reliever since his debut at 18 in 1937. There's still room for improvement for the young righty but it probably won't be long until he's competing for awards.
Esteban Ramírez is also amongst the best pitchers so far, pitching to a 2.38 ERA (6th), 0.97 WHIP (1st), striking out 9.1% of the batters he's faced while walking 6.2% of them. The newcomer from Querétaro is one of the reasons why León remain at the top, winning player of the game honors in 8 of his starts, while also winning 9 straight. The 24 year-old lefty is proving to be not only one of the best rookies, but one of the best pitchers in 1941.
Thanks for reading! Next time we'll cover June, July and the final 6 games in August as the 1941 champion is decided!