April 1946 in The Ballgame!
Tampico are off to a hot start as the best performing team in the league! John Nestle (1.57 ERA), Rich Faircloth (0.90 ERA) and surprisingly Roy McAllister (1.80 ERA) have combined for a near perfect 10-0 record in 14 starts. Meanwhile, new signings Edwin Esparza and José Contreras have made an immediate impact, contributing 39 RBI this month from 2-3 in the lineup. The Crabs are looking like a totally new team and are early favorites for the title.
San Luis are hot on their tails though, leading the league in average and scoring 90 runs this month. Celestino Valadez (.356/.404/.471, 15 RBI), Ángel Ziranda (.339/.364/.629, 14 RBI), Alberto Campana (.261/.278/.500, 14 RBI) and Harold Montgomery (.333/.463/.455, 12 RBI) have been the main contributors. Pitching-wise, Roberto Mestre (1.83 ERA) is running it back and leading the 4th best rotation. Questions remain about the quality of their pitching, but they certainly do have enough to compete.
Aguascalientes is looking like a contender, though they're the opposite of San Luis. The 2nd best rotation includes Felipe Osorio (1.77 ERA), Jacinto Santos (1.34 ERA) and Alfonso Simental (2.39 ERA). Meanwhile, they're 8th in runs scored with only Antonio Monterrosa (.226/.258/.398, 13 RBI) cracking double digits for runs produced. This should improve once their young hitters adapt to the highest level of pitching, but will they do it in time to keep on competing?
The mid-table looks to be tight, with the predict bottom dwellers of Águilas and Guadalajara the only ones not in on the race.
Hitter of the Month
As mentioned above, RF Edwin Esparza has made a huge impact on the Tampico lineup. He's hitting .376/.427/.645, with 7 doubles, 3 triples, and 4 homers for 24 runs driven in. The 32 year old is an early favorite to earn his 3rd consecutive Tlatoani Award.
Pitcher of the Month
The Blue Crabs take home both awards with lefty Rich Faircloth being named the best pitcher in April. Faircloth has a 4-0 record, 0.90 ERA, 0.80 WHIP with 25 strikeouts and only 7 walks this month. This includes 2 shutouts so far, while the Californian has yet to allow a home run. Will he earn the Atlatl award ahead of teammate John Nestle?
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(Showing off some fresh new logos by
20_range, the rest were taken from the cephasjames
pack.)
El Paso are running things in the East, mostly due to some nice pitching. Bill Pergola (0.00 ERA), Steve Ziegler (1.41 ERA) and Mike Castillo (2.23 ERA) make up the core of the 3rd best rotation so far. Offensively they are lacking consistency, with only a +8 run differential. 2B Mike Rickel (.289/.341/.368, 13 RBI) and C Robert Delgado (.306/.403/.419, 10 RBI) have been the standouts.
Houston are also fighting for a spot in the Desert Series, just 3 games back despite a better performance on paper. They have the best rotation in the league, with Colby Orman (1.06 ERA), Joel Coleman (1.24 ERA) and Trey Pfeiffer (2.70 ERA) leading the way. The Longhorns also lead the league in OPS, and are 4th in runs scored. Jon Durbin (.288/.354/.479, 12 RBI), Ryan Daubenspeck (.353/.439/.485, 11 RBI) and Chris McReynolds (.274/.295/.393, 10 RBI) have been the biggest contributors.
The West is ruled by the Condors, who own the 2nd best offense in the league. Aaron Gannon (.265/.341/.338, 13 RBI), Bobby Taylor (.262/.387/.410, 13 RBI) and Jason White (.302/.318/.397, 10 RBI) have been positive surprises in their lineup. Their rotation is just about average, but having Salvatore Rossi (2.17 ERA) would make any team better.
The Roadrunners are in the opposite situation. They're the 2nd best rotation thanks to performances by Mark Ummel (1.04 ERA) and Josh Borek (1.59 ERA), making up for an average lineup. Rich Maxwell (.264/.321/.333, 12 RBI) is the only player with double digit RBIs.
Hitter of the Month
Dallas LF Bill Soffa was the best hitter in April, slashing .343/.412/.571 with 11 doubles, 1 triple, 1 homer and 11 RBI. The young outfielder has shown great defense as well, and is now leading the way for the PotS award.
Pitcher of the month
El Paso's Ziegler is 3-0 after 4 starts, including a shutout. The Californian has compiled a 1.41 ERA, 1.28 WHIP with 13 strikeouts to 10 walks. Competition for the Pitcher of the Season award is tough, but Ziegler's name is definitely in the hat.
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Tight races, old stars and rising stars showing they have what it takes, it's been an exciting month and a nice debut for the Desert League! We'll have two champions in August, but let's enjoy the ride as well. Thanks for reading!