June 1946 Report
Tampico barely hold on to first place after their worst month to date. Their pitching was great, and the Jaibas remain as the best rotation in the league. John Nestle pitched his way to a 1.22 ERA in 6 starts this month, striking out 28 while walking only 12. He's still competing with fellow US-born pitcher Rich Faircloth for the 1946 Atlatl Award. Their offense led them down, particularly with getting on base, leading to 7 of their 12 losses this month being by 2 runs or less. RF Edwin Esparza was their most productive player, driving in 19 runs despite slashing just .232/.295/.368. They'll be hoping for a nice recovery in July and finally get their first title.
On the other hand, León picked up the pace with 15 wins in June and are now just two and a half games back. A 37 year old Leovigildo Esparza is looking like a dark horse for the Atlatl, with a 2.06 ERA and 0.96 WHIP this month. Young LF Marcos Olivares had a productive month with a .327/.380/.449 line, driving in 18 runs on 9 doubles and a homer. 1B Mario Morales was also a top producer, slashing .316/.417/.443, with 4 doubles and 2 homers for 12 RBI. If they're able to keep the pace and with Tampico slipping, they have a serious shot at a second title.
Quietly, the Jaguars have also become a contender. They were the hottest team in June, finishing with an 18-8 record, including an 8-game winning streak in the middle of the month and a sweep of Tampico. All their pitchers held an ERA below 2.4, with 4 of them having 2 or less. Lefty Pablo Hinojosa had the lowest of the bunch with a 1.43, striking out 15 and walking just 6 in 5 starts. They've quietly become the best offense in Mexico, and LF Antonio Cervantes played a big part this month. He hit .281/.320/.385, but more importantly drove in 20 runs after 7 doubles and a homer. 1B "Tablazo" Barrón was great out of the 3 spot, with a .311/.379/.359 line, doubling twice and homering once for 12 RBI. It was a fantastic month for the capital club, and their momentum could power them to a third title.
Pitcher of the Month
Salvadoran Juan González is having his best season since he won the 1941 Atlatl. This month he was the league's best starter, with a 3-0 record, 1.55 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 24 K to 13 walks and a 1.6 WPA. It might be too late for Mérida to get in the fight, but at least a handful of their players will be in the awards conversations come the end of the season.
Hitter of the Month
León wouldn't find themselves in 2nd place if they didn't have 1B Mario Morales hitting this month. In his return to León, 6 years later, he's looking like a favorite to collect his 6th Teyaotlani award and perhaps his first Tlatoani. Morales hit .316/.417/.443 with 4 doubles, 2 homers and 12 RBI for a 0.91 WPA. Another hot month from Morales in July will definitely increase the Arrows' chances at winning it all.
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Things are warming up in the east with 5 series remaining and all teams but San Antonio still in the race. The Coyotes' past form allows them to remain in first for now, but a terrible 8-12 month allowed their rivals to creep closer. Their bats have cooled off, and El Paso is now the 2nd worst offense in the league, being carried by the 2nd best defense. Their rotation was helped by the players behind them, also dropping off into 4th place. Former Aguascalientes pitcher Amadeo Velázquez was their best starter in June, with a 2-2 record and a complete game shutout against Phoenix this month. The 32 year old Mexican had a 3.13 ERA and 0.95 WHIP, he struck out 10 and walked 8 through 31.2 innings. While their lineup might have struggled to produce, 2B Mike Rickel held his own, slashing .293/.346/.427. The 26 year old from Sacramento doubled 7 times and homered once, producing 11 runs. The Coyotes need to get howling again, before the Longhorns steal their spot in the Desert Series.
Speaking of the Longhorns, they're the 3rd best rotation and 2nd best offense so far. If they had a bit more luck, perhaps their record in one-run games wouldn't be 11-11 and they'd be safely in 1st place. But that isn't the case, and a very talented squad will have to treat every game remaining as if it were the playoffs if they want to reach the actual Desert Series. Young Colby Orman is certainly pulling his weight; despite a 2-2 record, the pitcher from San Diego owns a 1.50 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 21 strikeouts and 14 walks after 42 innings in June. Orman and co. are getting run support from the likes of LF Mike Mullally, who's hitting .273/.390/.364 and drove in 15 runs on a double, two triples and a homer. If a couple of those games go their way, Houston could find themselves playing Los Angeles for the first championship.
Dallas are also amongst the top teams in the league, with the best rotation and 3rd best offensive production. The "Great Dane" had a 5-0 record after 6 starts this month, pitching 2 complete game shutouts and allowing 3 runs or less in all of his other starts. Sorensen was a workhorse, with a 1.58 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 23 strikeouts and 11 walks in 51.1 innings this month. Meanwhile, players like 1B Franklin Reyes make the Mustangs lineup a very solid one. Reyes hit .333/.476/.457 this month, doubling four times and going yard twice for 11 runs driven in. Despite a slow start, the Mustangs are now in a full gallop and will try to make it a photo finish come the end of the regular season.
Finally, the Horned Frogs are the third hottest team in the league, behind Dallas and Los Angeles. Performances from the likes of Jason Batchelder (3-1, 1.29 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 18 K, 16 BB this month) and 3B Jose Garcia (.398/.456/.645, 8 2B, 5 HR, 24 RBI this month) saw them rise from a .463 to a .540 winning percentage in just a month. Tough series against Albuquerque, El Paso, Los Angeles and Dallas remain as the East Division regular season reaches its conclusion.
The dust has settled in the West, and it is as clear as ever that the Los Angeles Condors will participate in the 1946 Desert Series. The're even looking like favorites to win it all, with the best rotation and the best offense in the league. Italian-USA pitcher Salvatore Rossi had a 4-1 record in June, including a complete game shutout, three one-run games and one two-run game. His 1.09 ERA and 0.99 WHIP, with 12 Ks and just 6 walks make him one of the best pitchers in the league this month, and he's in serious contention for the season pitching award. On the other side of the ball, SS Jack O'Reilly added a whole 1.09 Win Probability to his team, hitting .299/.413/.460 with 9 doubles, a triple, a homer and 12 runs driven in. At this point, the Los Angeles Condors are looking at ending up with a Desert Series and awards sweep.
Pitcher of the Month
If there's anyone keeping Albuquerque from being mathematically eliminated, it's Mark Ummel. The native Texan won all 5 of his starts this month, shutting out Phoenix and San Antonio on the road. Ummel allowed 2 runs or less in all of his starts this month, leaving him with a 1.09 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in June. Despite walking 13 batters, Mark also struck out 15 and remained effective, putting up a 1.7 WPA this month.
Hitter of the Month
The Horned Frogs' hot month coincided with 3B Jose Garcia's hot month. After 37 hits in 93 tries, 8 of them doubles and 5 of them going over the wall, Garcia's line for June is an outstanding .398/.456/.645 with 24 RBI. The McAllen native is leading the league in RBI with 44 but still has a ways to go to be in the MVP conversation.