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Film Access | ⚾Baseball Guide

TPL - WEEK 3 pt 2 - Wednesday, May 1, 1946 through Sunday May 5, 1946

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AL Player of the Week

Charlie Keller is respected by most Boston Red Sox fans for his no-frills style of play. The 29-year-old left fielder went about his business with vigor last week to grab the AL Player of the Week honors.

He compiled a .444 average (12-for-27) with 2 home runs, 7 RBIs and 5 runs scored.

So far this season, Keller has hit .284 with 2 home runs, 8 RBIs and scored 10 times.



NL Player of the Week

Not every ball that came off Johnny Wyrostek's bat last week was a line drive or a towering shot -- it just seemed that way to the teams that played the Pittsburgh Pirates. For his exploits, Wyrostek was named this week's NL Player of the Week award.

The Pittsburgh center fielder put up 14 hits in 29 at-bats and 1 home run while hitting .483 with 11 RBIs and 8 runs scored.

For the year, Wyrostek is batting .368 with 1 home run, 15 RBIs and 19 runs scored.


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The Players League Standings Snapshot – As of May 6, 1946

American League (AL)

- Detroit Tigers (13-6) lead the AL with a .684 win percentage and are ranked #2 in power rankings (124.1 points, holding steady). Their +1 Pythagorean differential and 5-2 record in one-run games show consistency and clutch performance.
- St. Louis Browns (11-9) are surging, winning 3 straight and going 7-3 in their last 10. They jumped to #4 in power rankings (106.0, ++), the biggest gain in the AL.
- The Yankees (10-9) and Athletics (11-10) are dead even in the standings, but diverging in trajectory: Yankees rank #6 (95.7, falling), while the A’s are close behind at #7 (95.3, dropping sharply).
- Washington Senators (9-9) sit mid-pack in both standings and rankings (#9, 89.0, rising), still figuring things out.
- The Guardians (8-9) and White Sox (8-9) are tied and both trending up in power (#11 and #10 respectively), but still searching for consistency.
- Boston Red Sox (6-15) remain last in both standings and power rankings (#16, 41.5, declining), now losers of 4 straight and 8 of their last 10.

National League (NL)

- Pittsburgh Pirates (15-6) lead the NL and hold the top spot in power rankings (#1, 131.5, steady). Balanced home and away performance continues to impress.
- New York Giants (13-7) are in pursuit with a strong 10-2 road record. They climb to #3 in the rankings (120.0, +).
- Chicago Cubs (10-9) are trending upward both in record and rankings, now #5 (95.7, +) thanks to a strong 6-4 stretch and 5-2 in one-run games.
- Brooklyn Dodgers (10-10) are middling in standings but improving in power (#8, 89.0, +).
- Philadelphia Phillies (9-11) and Cincinnati Reds (9-13) are trending in opposite directions: the Phillies are falling (#12, 80.0, --) while the Reds are on the rise (#13, 78.6, ++).
- Cardinals (8-12) and Braves (7-13) have stalled out. The Cardinals dropped to #14 (67.0, --) and the Braves to #15 (58.0, -).


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League Batting Analysis (as of May 6, 1946)

American League (AL)

- The Washington Senators lead the AL in runs per game (5.1) and batting average (.291), showcasing the most effective offense so far.
- Philadelphia Athletics rank 2nd in runs scored (101), thanks to a strong .281 AVG and league-high 213 hits.
- Despite leading the standings, the Detroit Tigers rank middle-of-the-pack offensively (.266 AVG, 4.6 R/G), relying more on pitching.
- New York Yankees rank last in team batting average (.230) and second to last in runs per game (3.4), showing offense is a weak spot despite their position in the standings.
- Boston Red Sox continue to struggle, with the league’s lowest slugging (.331) and 3.2 R/G, matching their last-place standings position.


National League (NL)

- Pittsburgh Pirates are the offensive powerhouse, leading in R/G (5.2), OPS (.753), and total runs (109).
- New York Giants and Boston Braves also post strong OBPs (.334), though Boston’s 3 HR total caps their slugging potential.
- St. Louis Cardinals rank dead last in R/G (3.0), SLG (.315), and OPS (.622), which correlates with their standings struggles.
- Chicago Cubs are next-to-last in R/G (3.7) and OBP (.308), despite remaining competitive in standings—this points to strong pitching.



League Pitching Analysis (as of May 6, 1946)

American League (AL)

- New York Yankees dominate AL pitching with a league-best 2.48 ERA, lowest WHIP (1.19), and opponent average (.243).
- Detroit Tigers combine strong pitching (3.20 ERA) with solid WHIP (1.47), helping offset an average offense.
- Boston Red Sox are by far the weakest pitching staff—worst ERA (4.59), highest opponent AVG (.286), and no shutouts or saves.
- Cleveland and Philadelphia allow the most HRs (16 and 10 respectively), despite average ERAs.


National League (NL)

- Pittsburgh and New York Giants are nearly tied in pitching dominance: both under 3.00 ERA and WHIP near 1.15.
- Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals also perform well with ERAs under 3.00 and respectable strikeout totals.
- Boston Braves are in dire shape with an NL-worst 5.86 ERA, 1.77 WHIP, and opponent batting average of .326—explaining their last-place position.
- St. Louis Cardinals have allowed the most walks (80), while Cincinnati Reds remain average across categories.

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