Ullamaliztli (A different ball game)
 

https://mexiconewsdaily.com/wp-conte...les-de-Aro.jpg

The prehispanic ball game, known in Nahuatl as Ullamaliztli, has been played in what is modern-day Mexico since at least 1,200 BCE. This hip-ball game was prevalent throughout mesoamerican cultures, as courts have been found from Arizona to El Salvador. What probably began as a ritual tradition later became a political tradition, and in some cases an alternative to wars, before ultimately becoming a sport played solely for recreation (although in some areas and cultures, natives still kept the ritual aspect of it).


Although the hip-ball game was the most popular variant across all eras and cultures, there is evidence of other variations of the game existing, including a stick-ball game.


In this alternate timeline, this stick-ball game has transformed over hundreds of years. Nowadays, Tlaquicheros (throwers) lob a small rubber ball to Tlapalleros (strikers) who attempt to hit the ball in the air. The rules are the same as for our timeline's baseball (3 strikes for an out, 4 balls for a walk, etc.), but the terminology used is in Nahuatl and represents the historically ritualistic nature of the game, which was meant to encompass the duality of the universe (day and night, life and death, etc.)


In our timeline, the conquering Spanish banned the traditional ballgame due to its ritualistic nature. In this alternate timeline, this never happened, allowing the game to thrive and even partaking in it and infusing some influence from European games. (We won't go into the social, political or whatever other details of alternate timelines in this simulation. I just thought this would be an interesting backstory to begin a fictional OOTP league in Mexico and use it as an excuse to learn more about my own culture and history.)


Some amateur Ullamaliztli clubs formally began their activities during the peace of the 2nd Mexican Empire between 1864 and 1867. It was said that Maximilian I, who was known for promoting and preserving native culture, took up the game himself.


This period was immediately followed by Benito Juárez' presidency and then Porfirio Díaz' dictatorship from 1876 to 1911. Although the dictatorship proved to be an economically stable time, this came at the expense of the working class. The higher class preferred to practice European sports, such as football, as they were considered more prestigious. Díaz was overthrown in a bloody Revolution war that lasted 10 years.


https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b...a26134~mv2.png

The year is now 1935, following the Reconstruction period. Ullamaliztli remains a popular game amongst the working class, many of whom have mastered their craft. Exhibition games between the amateur clubs are watched by hundreds of visitors. Mexican entrepeneurs discuss the possibility of the creation of a professional league. This will enable them to charge visitors to watch the game, as well as paying the best players who would be able to focus solely on playing the game.

I have finished painstakingly editing of my world to include all of Mexico's 2,469 municipalities with the correct names and populations as of the 2020 census. My original plan was to set it to the 1930 census and update it every 10 years or so but then figured it would take longer to edit than to even sim 10 years.

Anyway, we're ready to get started. The concept of preseason doesn't exist in this league yet, so we're all set for Opening Day! In the following posts, we'll delve into team profiles, going over their best players and seeing what the media predicts them to do this season! As a note, this is my first time ever doing my own logos (and drawing in general) so please don't judge me too harshly.

Firstly, it's the Tunas de San Luis.

https://i.imgur.com/vtA67oH.pnghttps://i.imgur.com/bs0zQxk.png

https://live.staticflickr.com/4902/4...85f35df8_b.jpg

As San Luis Potosí (located in the state of the same name) is a land-locked city, the team is not named after the fish but rather after the fruit of several cacti species (I believe they call it prickly pear in the USA). This fruit also gives the team their trademark color of bright pink.

https://www.jornada.com.mx/2015/09/2...031n1est-1.jpg

They are owned by Ricardo Martínez, a San Luis native who comes from a wealthy family with Spanish roots who ultimately make their money from a handful of the many silver mines in the region. This will allow him to pump a good amount of money into the club and let the ballgame people do their thing. However, he is also known as a somewhat ruthless owner who's not afraid of changing managers. As he is a fan of the sport, he balances priorities between profit and winning.

They are managed by Jesús Grana, also a San Luis native. He's a controlling manager who plays the ballgame in a conventional way. He has a good track record at handling both developing and aging players.

Predicted record: 4th place, 45-39 (4 GB) - .278 AVG (4th) - 2.46 ERA (2nd)

Now let's take a look at their playing staff:

LHP Francisco Camacho - 31 y/o from Irapuato, Guanajuato
The captain of the team, Camacho is expected to be San Luis' ace this year. He's not the hardest thrower, reaching up to 91 mph, but a good blend of a curveball, changeup and sinker make his stuff good enough to avoid hard contact. Camacho is one of the best pitchers in the league but might be limited by injury concerns at his age.

RHP César Plascencia - 28 y/o from León, Guanajuato
Below average overall, his good curveball makes him suitable enough to start games for San Luis. Not the best player, but always a hard worker, Plascencia will play second fiddle to Camacho.

RHP Luis García - 33 y/o from Mexquitic, San Luis
Born just 20 km away from San Luis city, García might just be at the tail-end of his career. His ball placement is good enough for a starting spot and his changeup will shoulder the majority of the load as he looks to have a successful season.

RHP Juan Rocha - 33 y/o from San Diego, Guanajuato
Despite being one of the most talented relievers in the league, he has been called "clubhouse cancer" by fellow teammates in the amateur ranks. The sidearm action of his fastball-slider combo will make for a lot of easy ground balls.

C José López - 25 y/o from Teapa, Tabasco
López is an above average defender, albeit with one of the best arms in the league. He possesses good discipline and power when making contact with the ball.

1B Daniel Aguirre - 26 y/o from San Luis, San Luis
A durable bat, Aguirre will rarely strike out and will make good enough contact with the ball. Altough on the slower side and not too good in defense, the hometown kid should be a positive contributor to the team.

2B Max Braud - 29 y/o from Salamanca, Guanajuato
One of the best at his position, Braud excels both on the field and in the hitter's box, although he won't hit many home runs. His french ancestry and name have earned him the nickname "El Emperador" (The Emperor) after Maximilian the I, Mexico's 2nd emperor.

3B Eduardo Arreola - 24 y/o from Soyaniquilpan, Estado de México
Average with the glove, Arreola's good contact, power and ability to avoid striking out will keep him in the lineup. His work ethic and durability should also ensure he stays in the league for a while.

SS Marcos Martínez - 25 y/o from Villa de Cos, Zacatecas
Not the strongest batter, although he has a good enough grip on the strike zone, Martínez truly excels at fielding with his great arm being the highlight of his skill set.

LF Jesús Guajardo - 35 y/o from San Luis, San Luis
Mainly a 3rd baseman, his bat is too good to keep on the bench. He should be able to hit a good number of home runs.

CF Guillermo Aceves - 33 y/o from Guadalupe, Zacatecas
Blazing speed on the basepaths and on the field, Aceves has become unmotivated at his age. Injury concerns could also play a role in what could be one of his final seasons.

RF Roberto Hernández - 26 y/o from Rincón de Romos, Aguascalientes
Overall a solid player, he's only slightly limited by his ability to make contact with the ball although he should improve once he matures as a ballplayer.

Bench (OVR/POT)
C Daniel Figueras - 27 y/o from Juventino Rosas, Guanajuato (40/40)
2B Francisco Escamilla - 28 y/o from León, Guanajuato (50/50)
2B Oziel Rojas - 17 y/o from Guadalajara, Jalisco (20/65)
LF David López - 26 y/o from Morelia, Michoacán (40/40)
LF Pedro Santos - 28 y/o from Asientos, Aguascalientes (35/35)
CF Ángel Morales - 33 y/o from Guadalupe, Zacatecas (40/40)

Reserve
C Juan Cortez - 38 y/o from Matehuala, San Luis (35/35)
1B Mario Hernández - 27 y/o from Soledad, San Luis (35/35)
1B Félix Saldívar - 26 y/o from Corregidora, Querétaro (35/35)
2B Alejandro López - 18 y/o from Los Cabos, Baja California Sur (20/45)
CF Alberto Campana - 19 y/o from Huimanguillo, Tabasco (20/45)
RF Rubén Escobar - 28 y/o from Soledad, San Luis (35/35)

https://i.imgur.com/zaDwwQk.png

You, sir, have my utmost attention.

Thanks a lot for the comment, really means a lot coming from you! Can't say I haven't been inspired by your thread on this forum haha :rolleyes:

Next up, it's the Jaguares de México.

https://i.imgur.com/tHYCEEW.pnghttps://i.imgur.com/CKQi14V.png

Based in Mexico City's Parque General Lázaro Cárdenas, the team is of course named after the Mexica Empire's jaguar warriors, or Ocelopilli. (Fun fact: the ocelot is named after the Nahuatl word ocelotl which is actually what they called jaguars).

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EXnsrnaWoAMil-7.jpg

Jaguar warriors belonged to the Mexica lower class, and so this team is considered the "popular" team of Mexico's capital and with far fewer resources than their local rivals. The Eagle and the Jaguar were chosen as symbols for day and night respectively (as they are diurnal and nocturnal hunters), just another example of the duality that was present in everyday life during prehispanic times. These warriors used to wear jaguar skins to battle as they believed they would gain the jaguar's powers. A whole jaguar skin is probably overkill when standing in the batter's box so our ballgame warriors will be wearing pinstripes instead.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...ar_warrior.jpg

Owned by Mexico City's agriculture institution*, 64 year-old Alejandro Carrillo has been designated to look over the team. Very hands-off and patient, Carrillo will attempt to use a small amount of the institution's budget to see how they can profit.

*It wasn't rare for early Mexican sports teams to be owned by public institutions. Examples include baseball teams Agrario, Agricultura, Tránsito and even footballing greats Atlante were at one point owned by Mexico's Social Security institution.

The Jaguars are managed by Julio Reyes. Hailing from Tlaquepaque, Jalisco, Reyes is known for being easygoing. His past as a legendary infielder might shape his future as a manager in the league.

Predicted Record: 41-43 (8 GB) - .276 AVG (5th) - 2.78 ERA (7th)

Here's their pitching staff and starting lineup:

LHP Andrés Amaya - 21 y/o from Mexico City
Amaya seems to never get tired of throwing. His low velocity stuff won't get him a lot of strikeouts, but the ability to place his fastballs, sliders and sinkers wherever he wants make him the #1 starter of this Mexico team.

LHP Luis Helguera - 39 y/o from Mexico City
Your ordinary Ullamaliztli thrower, Helguera can "move his changeup at will" according to batters who faced him in the amateur ranks. This season will show wether he has anything left in the tank.

RHP David Garza - 32 y/o from Mexico City
Known more for livening up the dressing room than for his pitching ability. Garza can throw 5 different pitches but none of them are really outstanding.

RHP Melvin Ramírez - 27 y/o from Mexico City
Average overall, he has been called "lazy" by his coaches which means he won't ever throw more than one or two innings.

C Alfredo Hernández - 23 y/o from Irapuato, Guanajuato
Leading by example, "Bala" (The Bullet) is known for his great defense and hitting power.

1B David Arroyo - 23 y/o from Coacalco, Estado de México
A slow learner and a slow runner, Arroyo is mostly known for his hitting ability.

2B Antonio Sánchez - 24 y/o from Monterrey, Nuevo León
"El Regio" is not one to draw attention to himself. Even so, he catches the eye on the field as he seems to be somewhat of a 5-tool player.

3B Rico Santistevan - 29 y/o from Atoyac, Jalisco
Good on both sides of the ball, he makes the Jaguares fans proud.

SS Omar Morales - 22 y/o from Tlayacapan, Morelos
Morales has good contact skills, is good at avoiding strikeouts and a great runner. However, his greatest ability is with the glove as he doesn't let any ball through.

LF José Palmerín - 23 y/o from Gómez Palacio, Durango
A versatile fielder, Palmerín excels at putting the ball in play.

CF Rubén González - 32 y/o from Tlalnepantla, Estado de México
Great fielding and speed make up for his lack of hitting skill.

RF Salvador Velázquez - 25 y/o from Mexico City
It is said that Salvador knows whether it's a ball or a strike even before the ball is thrown. He'll be frequently on base and will compete for the stolen bases title. He's also pretty good on defense, making him one of the favorites for the first Tlatoani Award.

Bench
C Miguel Maltos - 29 y/o from Tlalnepantla, Estado de México (45/45)
1B Joaquín González - 22 y/o from Temascalcingo, Estado de México (40/45)
1B Héctor Muñoz - 32 y/o from Ecatepec, Estado de México (35/35)
SS José Chávez - 35 y/o from Mexico City (35/35)
SS José Colindres - 22 y/o from Amecameca, Estado de México (50/50)
RF Alejandro Partida - 27 y/o from Cuautitlán, Estado de México (40/40)

Reserve
C Jesús Serrano - 22 y/o from Zinacantepec, Estado de México (40/40)
2B David Sabedra - 37 y/o from Ixtapaluca, Estado de México (30/30)
3B Ignacio Gutiérrez - 33 y/o from Mexico City (30/30)
3B David Pizarro - 18 y/o from Mexico City (20/65)
RF Francisco Arias - 30 y/o from Tlaquiltenango, Morelos (35/35)

https://i.imgur.com/1wlk5Zo.png

Interesting concept.

Our 3rd team is the Serpientes de Puebla.

https://i.imgur.com/wFeNF2w.pnghttps://i.imgur.com/k6pLiCW.png

The team from the Angelópolis, nicknamed so due to the abundance of churches around the city, will use the mote of the Snakes. I don't exactly remember why I landed on this nickname but I decided to turn a capital P into a snake for their logo. I'm not 100% on the result and might end up going with just the P without the snake eye and tongue at some point but whatever.

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/d7/f3/02/d...674b7b810b.jpg

The team colors are blue and white and you might notice a pattern within the P. These are characteristics of the very typical Talavera pottery which is only made in the region.

https://www.gob.mx/cms/uploads/artic...l-Talavera.jpg

Having acquired his wealth in the textile industry, Roberto Covarrubias (now 53), will run the Puebla club. Even if he won't be too involved with the club's running, he will be very demanding of the people who are, expecting profits from what looks to be a very generous fund set apart for the team.

The team will be run by Francisco Herrera, who hails from Zinacantepec, Estado de México. He's an average, easygoing coach who will prefer for the veterans to do the heavy lifting.

Let's take a look at their roster:

RHP Rafael Sianez - 34 y/o from Córdoba, Veracruz
Speaking of veterans, Sianez and his pinpoint control will headline the Snakes' rotation.

Martín Pérez - 26 y/o from Atlixco, Puebla
Overall below average, Pérez is a hustler and will throw all 5 of his pitches for maximum effort.

RHP Cuauhtémoc Espinoza - 30 y/o from Huejotzingo, Puebla
Scouts have called him a "borderline starter", his skillset is very limited.

RHP Iván Moctezuma - 36 y/o from Tezontepec, Hidalgo
Despite having average control and stuff, his pitches will move all over the plate, leading to a lot of weak contact. Moctezuma only throws an above average slider and below average changeup and lacks the stamina to pitch long outings.

C Guillermo Mendez - 32 y/o from Ocoyucan, Puebla
A highly intelligent leader, Mendez makes up for a lack of arm behind the plate with great defensive and framing abilities. He has excellent discipline from both sides of the plate.

1B Omar de Jesús - 33 y/o from Los Reyes, Puebla
A below average 3B being moved to first, de Jesús will put the ball in play most of the time.

2B Fernando del Toro - 27 y/o from Coatepec, Puebla
del Toro is highly disciplined and has good hitting skills. His defense at 2B is above average.

3B Andrés Martínez - 30 y/o from Atzitzihuacán, Puebla
Martínez is a very versatile fielder and his hitting skills are just good enough to keep in the lineup.

SS Manuel Portillo - 28 y/o from Xalapa, Veracruz
With the ability to get to any ball without making mistakes, Portillo is a favorite for the Temanahui Award. His bat is not great but he will battle in every at bat.

LF Antonio Tapia - 30 y/o from Pueblo Viejo, Veracruz
A good corner OF, Tapia has the ability to frequently put the ball in the gaps.

CF Jorge Ramírez - 26 y/o from Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco
Jorge will be standing on the next base before the ball gets to the catcher. He has great range and just about average batting skills.

RF Daniel Rivera - 32 y/o from Sombrerete, Zacatecas
Either from his bat or his eye, Rivera will find himself on the basepaths frequently.

Bench
C Alejandro Pérez - 28 y/o from San Matías, Puebla (40/40)
1B León San Juan - 32 y/o from Hueyapan, Veracruz (40/40)
3B Roberto Hernández - 30 y/o from Cholula, Puebla (30/30)
LF Héctor Ramírez - 24 y/o from Zihuatanejo, Guerrero (50/50)
CF Mario Lemus - 27 y/o from Venustiano Carranza, Puebla (45/45)
RF Pedro Landaverde - 30 y/o from Tuxpan, Veracruz (35/35)

Reserve
C Miguel de León - 16 y/o from Chihuahua, Chihuahua (20/45)
1B Enrique Pérez - 21 y/o from San Quintín, Baja California (20/55)
2B José Beas - 17 y/o from Concordia, Sinaloa (20/45)
2B Miguel Martínez - 26 y/o from Veracruz, Veracruz (30/30)
SS Roberto León - 19 y/o from Benito Juárez, Quintana Roo (20/45)
LF Miguel Arellano - 22 y/o from Mexico City (40/40)
LF Israel Cabrera - 26 y/o from Nogales, Veracruz (25/25)
LF Miguel Díaz - 23 y/o from Tuxtla, Veracruz (35/35)

https://i.imgur.com/GBR6dyG.png

This is an amazing concept - I'm also fascinated by this game, and I did a logo for Yucatán that night be useful to you. I liked the idea of having a team representing this ancient sport... but to make a whole league out of it is a fabulous idea :)

I also love the prickly pear and the snake pattern S!

Thanks for the comment!




Thanks for the comment and the logo offer, I appreciate it, but I do have a concept for a team based in Mérida which I'll show off in a future post.


A note on the Mesoamerican ballgame concept: OOTP is of course a baseball simulation which is why I set the backstory that this game "evolved" into baseball for the simulation. There is actually evidence of ball and stick games being played and some of them have survived, although they are more similar to hockey than baseball.



All 8 cities I picked for the initial season have one or more prehispanic sites with ballgame courts in their vicinity. However, I am planning for this league to expand and eventually include other major cities.

Fun stuff! I tried to move the White Sox to Mexico City in an online league of mine ... Mexico is way overdue for MLB inclusion

I moved the Diamondbacks to Mexico City (took on the Diablos mantle) in one of my online leagues. Tbh I don't think Mexico will get much MLB baseball soon, aside from an increase in Mexico Series games and perhaps another shot at hosting the WBC. Our leagues are growing though, the winter league in particular is very popular as a lot of the players come from MiLB (quite a few with MLB experience) so it makes for good viewing.

Busy week, but we're back with our next team: Flechas de León!

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/6b/11/e9/6...d684325cde.jpg

Guanajuato is known for being one of the country's cultural hubs. The state is home to the mummies, old architecture, mines, legends of all kind and a very rich history, especially during the Independence period. Its most populated city is León although the capital is Guanajuato, Guanajuato.

The city is known for its colonial tradition, especially in its architecture and cultural events such as the Festival Cervantino which celebrates colonial arts and music. It is also known as a city of leatherworkers, especially in shoemaking and, more recently, for the hot air balloon festival. As I wanted to keep the league more prehispanic themed, I just named the club after the arrows which were commonly used by native peoples for hunting and in war.

Team colors are green and white, as green is the color of the city flag.

https://i.imgur.com/NgiXCIG.pnghttps://i.imgur.com/PXdaEl2.png

The team will be ran by local leather businessman Catarino García. The 49 year-old doesn't have too much money, but he is lenient and hands-off. He is hoping to turn the team into a winner.

The manager is a Miguel Alemán, Tamaulipas native by the name of Julio Padilla. He's a poor manager and coach, but at only 30 years old there's enough room to grow.

Let's take a look at their players:

LHP Alejandro Carranza - 25 y/o from San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato
Carranza throws great breaking stuff, but his movement is way below par. His control is good enough to play professionally.

RHP Luis Cruz - 26 y/o from San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora
Cruz is above average in all rubrics but lacks the ability to pitch long stints.

RHP Antonio Aguilar - 29 y/o from León, Guanajuato
His stuff is far from good but he can put the ball wherever he wants. His sidearm action and great movement will fetch lots of groundballs.

RHP Joaquín Cuestas - 25 y/o from Querétaro, Querétaro
An above average and hard-working reliever, his stuff might be good enough to pitch longer relief stints.

C Victor Albornoz - 22 y/o from Ecatepec, Estado de México
Very disciplined hitter with good power and a cannon for an arm.

1B Julio Pera - 25 y/o from Trancoso, Zacatecas
Above average hitter, below average everything else.

2B Agustín Castrillo - 28 y/o from Cd. Fernández, San Luis
Castrillo is a versatile fielder with a good eye but is generally unmotivated.

3B Gustavo Ruiz - 27 y/o from La Paz, Baja California Sur
An aggressive hitter but a good hitter. Ruiz' arm is one of the best in the league though he might have difficulties getting to balls.

SS Francisco Pérez - 30 y/o from Irapuato, Guanajuato
An excellent fielder, his bat doesn't really play at this level but he might draw a decent number of walks.

LF Andrés Suárez - 28 y/o from Tepic, Nayarit
He's aggressive power hitter who will only swing at strikes. Suárez is an above average fielder.

CF Valentín Trejo - 27 y/o from Soledad, San Luis
Very speedy, Trejo will battle at the plate every time.

RF Carlos Moya - 40 y/o from Villa de Cos, Zacatecas
Very experienced at the plate, he will put the ball in play most of the time. His lack of hustle might become an issue when fielding.

Bench
C Ignacio Montoya - 28 y/o from Villa de Ramos, San Luis (40/40)
1B Roberto Torres - 25 y/o from Fresnillo, Zacatecas (40/40)
2B Pedro Hernández - 31 y/o from Querétaro, Querétaro (40/40)
LF Francisco Carrera - 32 y/o from Villa de la Paz, San Luis (40/40)
CF Alejandro Fregoso - 25 y/o from Soledad, San Luis (30/30)
RF Xavier Nieves - 37 y/o from Celaya, Guanajuato (35/35)

Reserves
LHP Adalberto Dondiego - 23 y/o from Manuel Doblado, Guanjuato (45/45)
C Guillermo Meraz - 16 y/o from Ciudad Valles, San Luis (20/50)
C Jorge Quirino - 36 y/o from Tepezala, Aguascalientes (30/30)
2B Baldomero Ceballos - 21 y/o from Puebla, Puebla (20/45)
3B Victor Alcantar - 37 y/o from León, Guanajuato (35/35)
SS Jorge Cabrera - 16 y/o from Ciudad Valles, San Luis (20/45)
LF Carlos Carrillo - 17 y/o from Corregidora, Querétaro (20/60)
LF Leocadio Guajardo - 40 y/o from Zaragoza, San Luis (35/35)

https://i.imgur.com/SuLWdkA.png

Up next we're travelling to the coastal city of Mérida, capital of the state of Yucatán. This state is known for its rich Mayan history, with many of its
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/85/98...18d568ad9d.jpg

The "white city", named so due to the calcium-rich materials that were used to build the city in colonial times, will host the Aulladores baseball team.

https://i.imgur.com/7NflZPw.pnghttps://i.imgur.com/qfUzERO.png

The team gets its nickname from the howler monkeys (monos aulladores in spanish) that inhabit the peninsula's lush jungles.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...ra%29_Cayo.jpg

Owned by 52 year-old Luis Galicia, the team will be trying to compete with a relatively small budget. Galicia, a descendant of a colonial family, is the owner of a big piece of land which is used to grow henequen. He's a fan of the sport and wishes for the team to be a winner, but will only treat it as a side project and won't invest huge amounts of money.

The team is managed by Iván Egas, who was born in Kanasín, Yucatán. The 45 year old has a reputation as a run of the mill manager and coach. However, the players Mérida has managed to collect before the start of the season are anything but:

LHP Roberto García - 24 y/o from Toluca, Estado de México
A league-average pitcher, Roberto has great control and the movement on his curve and sinker will fetch lots of ground balls.

RHP Omar Xiu - 41 y/o from Mérida, Yucatán
Below average overall, his experience will give him a plus. He gets along with everyone in the dugout.

RHP Eulalio Sánchez - 36 y/o from Acajete, Puebla
Another below average pitcher with a wide repertoire, he would be able to throw lots of innings but injuries might be a concern at this stage of his career.

RHP Remigio Rodríguez - 26 y/o from Oztolotepec, Estado de México
Remigio is a durable curve-fastball thrower who will get strikeouts as a relief pitcher.

C José Trujillo - 24 y/o from Solidaridad, Quintana Roo
As a native of the peninsula, Trujillo loves the team and is looking forward to captaining it to glory. He'll be leading by example as his great ability as a catcher and at the plate make him one of the best at his position.

1B Santiago Salas - 35 y/o from Emiliano Zapata, Tabasco
Arguably one of the best hitters in the league, Salas' bat truly makes up for his lack of defensive skill. He's as loyal and hard working as any.

2B Quirino Ek - 32 y/o from Río Lagartos, Yucatán
Ek works hard to overcome his faults, making him a very good defender at every position he has tried. His bat is definitely below average though, but he will battle out each turn.

3B Enrique Canul - 27 y/o from Uayma, Yucatán
El Caimán, as he is known, has a cannon for an arm and the ability to reach most balls when defending. At the plate, he's disciplined and will put power behind the ball in every turn.

SS Antonio Monterrosa - 26 y/o from Oztolotepec
His swing and glove have potential to be one of the best in history. Not the fastest but knows when and how to run to get that extra base.

LF Héctor Pérez - 25 y/o from Mexico City
Durable and just above average at everything he does, Pérez would be a solid if unspectacular contributor on any team.

CF Celestino de la Rosa - 35 y/o from Cunduacán, Tabasco
One of the best amateur players in the country, perhaps the professional league came along too late for him to truly cement his legacy. His bat skills are top tier, with him being able to wait for the perfect throw to hit into the gaps. His speed is also an asset that will come into play both on the basepaths and with the glove.

RF Tomás Durán - 24 y/o from Nacajuca, Tabasco
Durán is only good with the bat and will hit for power but the team will wish someone else would go out and field instead.

Bench
C Fernando Padrón - 35 y/o from Teapa, Tabasco (30/30)
1B Efraín Cuxum - 29 y/o from Mérida, Yucatán (45/45)
SS Melquiades Espinoza - 22 y/o from Veracruz, Veracruz (45/45)
LF Carlos Córdova - 22 y/o from Tizimín, Yucatán (35/35)
LF Fermín Rivera - 29 y/o from Cárdenas, Tabasco (30/30)

Reserves
LHP Ángel Chacón - 29 y/o from Benito Juárez, Quintana Roo (20/20)
RHP Nazario Román - 40 y/o from Ahualulco, San Luis (25/25)
RHP Alfonso Simental - 16 y/o from Culiacán, Sinaloa (20/55)
RHP David Venegas - 28 y/o from Solidaridad, Quintana Roo (20/20)
RHP Carlos Monterrosa - 30 y/o from Centro, Tabasco (45/45)
RHP Felipe Martínez - 31 y/o from Mexico City (40/40)
C Jorge Velez - 16 y/o from Poncitlán, Jalisco (20/35)
2B Evaristo González - 35 y/o from Campeche, Campeche (30/30)
2B José Guzmán - 33 y/o from Benito Juárez, Quintana Roo (40/40)
2B Orlando Rosas - 16 y/o from León, Guanajuato (20/55)
2B Héctor Solís - 35 y/o from Campeche, Campeche (35/35)
CF José Contreras - 19 y/o from Tamazunchale, San Luis (20/60)

https://i.imgur.com/j7IwJNv.png

We stay on the Atlantic/Gulf coast but this time more north, to Tampico in the state of Tamaulipas.

https://www.mexicoenfotos.com/MX12486388739871.jpg

Tampico means "place of the water-dogs" in the native tének dialect. It is neither the capital of Tamaulipas (that honor belongs to Ciudad Victoria) nor the most populated city (it is currently Reynosa), but it used to be the latter when the 1930 census was completed and so it will host the Jaibas (crabs) in its Estadio del Golfo.

https://i.imgur.com/QsSUNCh.png

While the city is named after the otters that inhabit the Tamesí river and several of the lagoons in the zone (or perhaps it was actual domestic dogs, it's still up for debate), I have chosen to name the team after the blue crab which is the main fishing product of the zone. Full disclaimer: this logo I didn't draw myself, it's instead just a recolored version of the Tampico-Madero football team, whose colors I absolutely love and are what I had in mind when creating this team's identity.

https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.ama...7381/large.jpg

The team is owned by who else but the owner of several important fisheries in the zone, with many of the crabs ending up north of the border. This man is 53 year-old Alfonso Montalvo, he'll be a charitable owner who wishes for the team to be successful on the field.

In charge of the team is a 33 year-old hailing from Sahuayo, Michoacán. Aurelio Valenzuela is a former infielder who is a fan of "smallball" tactics. He'll need to prove himself with one of the poorest playing squads in the league.

Speaking of the squad, let's see who's on the roster:

RHP Francisco Barajas - 26 y/o from Saltillo, Coahuila
A great pitcher with great intangibles, Barajas is no doubt the best player on the team. He'll contend for the Atlatl Award, that is if the defenders behind him are up to par...

RHP Zenón Sandoval - 32 y/o from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas
Sandoval is fragile at his age and has way below average stuff and movement.

RHP Eulogio Martínez - 38 y/o from Victoria, Tamaulipas
Another very experienced, very below average, fragile pitcher fills out the Crabs' rotation.

LHP Humberto Nieto - 28 y/o from Victoria, Tamaulipas
He's very hard to hit off due to his submarine style from the left hand side, though he's not used to throwing long stints and his injury proneness will also factor into how many innings he throws.

C Jonathan González - 26 y/o from Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit
González is a good catcher with a cannon for an arm. His bat is not the best but he'll make the opponent throw as many balls as possible.

1B Efraín Armenta - 32 y/o from Altamira, Tamaulipas
Formerly a catcher, his defense is not good enough to keep at that position anymore. However, his bat is really good with elite eye and great pop making up for below average bat-to-ball skills.

2B Nelson Barrientos - 32 y/o from Monclova, Coahuila
A very speedy and versatile fielder, Barrientos is not expected to wow anyone with the bat.

3B Gabriel Rivas - 35 y/o from González, Tamaulipas
Another great fielder with elite arm, his specialty is making contact with the ball though he's not the strongest hitter.

SS David García - 33 y/o from Guadalupe, Nuevo León
Despite being more than good enough with the bat and with the glove, he's a very selfish player who tends to put in less effort than his teammates.

LF Rogelio Cabrera - 33 y/o from Cadereyta, Nuevo León
His bat is just good enough but he's very slow and it also shows when fielding.

CF Abelardo Rivera - 27 y/o from Torreón, Coahuila
While not the greatest at making contact with the ball, his hits somehow frequently find the gaps and Rivera is not afraid of using his blistering speed at all times. His defense is also great but lapses in concentration mean an above average amount of errors.

RF Ulises Dueñas - 25 y/o from Apodaca, Nuevo León
Dueñas is defensively great, though his slow speed allows him to get to less balls, which is why he's moved to right field. He won't make contact often but his hits are more likely to go over the fence.

Bench
1B Artemio Chavez - 35 y/o from Guadalupe, Nuevo León (40/40)
1B Filiberto López - 26 y/o from Guadalupe, Nuevo León (45/45)
2B Roberto Soto - 34 y/o from Jaumave, Tamaulipas (40/40)
3B Andrés Torres - 23 y/o from Apodaca, Nuevo León (50/50)
LF Victor Espinosa - 33 y/o from Torreón, Coahuila (40/40)
RF David Casillas - 31 y/o from Matamoros, Tamaulipas (30/30)

Reserves
RHP Rogelio Hernández - 16 y/o from Tepatitlán, Jalisco (20/80)
RHP Pedro León - 16 y/o from Tizayuca, Hidalgo (20/50)
LHP Miguel Zúñiga - 20 y/o from Tamazula, Durango (20/55)
RHP Mario Quesada - 34 y/o from Villa de Álvarez, Colima (40/40)
C Jorge Ramos - 31 y/o from Acuña, Coahuila (35/35)
2B Mario Vicente - 19 y/o from Xichu, Guanajuato (20/45)

https://i.imgur.com/IZ0bRy9.png

Second to last, we have the other Mexico City team: Águilas de México.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DsAXPK-U...pg&name=medium

https://i.imgur.com/i2U6JFC.pnghttps://i.imgur.com/WFBddfN.png

This is another logo I didn't do, just a recolored version of the "Made in Mexico" logo. The nickname is of course based on Mexico's national bird, which can be found on the flag. The reason the Golden Eagle can be found on the flag is due to the myth of the founding of Tenochtitlán; after Huitzilopochtli told the then-enslaved Mexica people to leave Aztlán in order to reach promised lands, they were told to build the new city on the site where they found an eagle perched on a cactus while eating a snake. (There is debate as to wether the bird was truly supposed to be an eagle, a crested caracara or another bird). To go along with the foundation myth, the team will play in Parque Huitzilopochtli, the main mythological figure of Mexica culture and founder of Tenochtitlán.

https://images.reporteindigo.com/wp-...nochtitlan.jpg

The team is owned by entrepeneur Israel López. He'll pour all of his wealth into the team, but at the end of the day, López also demands a profit on his investments.

Running the day-to-day is Zapopan, Jalisco native Alejandro Elías. He used to be a legendary outfielder and is considered one of the best coaches in the country.

Will the playing squad be up to scratch? Let's take a look:

RHP Ezequiel Anguiano - 28 y/o from Ecatepec, Estado de México
Anguiano doesn't throw any breaking balls, but his mix of fastballs is good enough to get outs effectively.

LHP Leo Álvarez - 26 y/o from La Paz, Estado de México
His sidearm action and knuckle curve will fetch lots of strikeouts, but "Padre" will have trouble with the longball and location.

RHP Antonio Castañeda - 26 y/o from Ecatepec, Estado de México
His stuff isn't too good but he's a durable pitcher with good enough control to pitch a complete game.

LHP Mario Rodríguez - 33 y/o from Atenco, Estado de México
The veteran lefty throws a great slider and is good at attacking the zone, however the way he throws has him tired after a couple of innings.

C Octavio Nieves - 33 y/o from Cholula, Puebla
A known dressing room prankster, Nieves is great behind the plate. His bat is average at best but has raw power ability.

1B Miguel González - 25 y/o from Zapopan, Jalisco
Miguel is good at making strong contact, as well as an above average defender.

2B Octavio Torres - 31 y/o from Huehuetoca, Estado de México
His bat is pretty solid and he'll rarely strikeout. Octavio's glove is also great but he lacks throwing strength.

3B Ramón Martínez - 29 y/o from Mexico City
Formerly great at the hot corner, his bat is still serviceable but might be best as a 1B.

SS Carlos Castro - 32 y/o from Atizapan, Estado de México
Castro's a below average SS with a below average bat.

LF Edwin Acosta - 27 y/o from Kanasín, Yucatán
Solid on all fronts, batting cleanup will give him ample opportunity to show his talent.

CF Reynaldo Caratachea - 25 y/o from Ecatepec, Estado de México
His Spanish heritage has earned him the nickname "El Vasco". Caratachea is a very speedy outfielder with a disciplined bat, he won't hit it out the park but is fast enough to get extra bases frequently.

RF Luis García - 25 y/o from Mexico City
García has great bat-to-ball skills and a cannon for an arm.

Bench
C José Canto - 22 y/o from Nicolás Romero, Estado de México (45/45)
2B Carlos Ramírez - 25 y/o from Melchor Ocampo, Estado de México (40/40)
3B Daniel Sierra - 26 y/o from Mexico City (40/40)
LF Aureliano Guajardo - 30 y/o from Mexico City (40/40)
LF Isaac Mendez - 25 y/o from Huehuetoca, Estado de México (40/40)
RF César Porras - 23 y/o from Cuernavaca, Morelos (35/35)

Reserve
RHP Raúl Romero - 17 y/o from Mérida, Yucatán (20/60)
RHP Jonathan Tirado - 33 y/o from Mexico City (30/30)
RHP Severino de León - 33 y/o from Tlalnelhuayocan, Veracruz (45/40)
RHP Antonio Plata - 20 y/o from Rioverde, San Luis (20/55)
C Francisco Carreto - 29 y/o from Ecatepec, Estado de México (30/30)
C Luis García - 22 y/o from Toluca, Estado de México (40/40)
1B César Castellanos - 24 y/o from Mexico City (35/35)
SS Rubén Rivera - 16 y/o from Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco (20/45)
RF Carlos Garduño - 26 y/o from Tianguistenco, Estado de México (30/30)

https://i.imgur.com/yk9UWMN.png

Nitpicky question I know, but even though this version of baseball is based on the Mesoamerican "Ball Game" I presume you will not "retire" all of the players from the teams that don't win the championship as representations of human sacrifices :p:p:p:p:p

:D I'll look at other ways to enshrine our all time greats, perhaps copying what you do north of the border with this "Hall of Fame" thing.

Finally, to top off our team previews we visit my hometown of Guadalajara, Jalisco.

https://iphonegr.mural.com.mx/libre/...agencompleta=1

The second biggest city in the country (in modern times), Guadalajara was at one point the capital of New Galicia. It was and still is one of the most important economic and cultural hubs in Mexico. Of course I could name the team after the lions that appear in its flag, or maybe "the Pearls" after one of the city's nicknames. Instead I turned to the volcanic activity in the zone. The Tequila (which means place of jagged rocks) and Colima volcanoes are nearby, both being sources of the sacred rock: obsidian.

https://i.imgur.com/zbFcqkN.png

The team is owned by local entrepreneur José González, who made his fortune selling newspapers. A bit short on patience, González is not afraid of spending money to help the team win.

57 years old, Roberto Rodríguez has been appointed as team manager. The former infielder has been hailed as an excellent coach and manager, often using unorthodox tactics to get an edge.

Here are the players at his disposal:

RHP Faustino Campos - 27 y/o from El Salto, Jalisco
A great pitcher who'll throw a lot of innings, he's also a very respected figure in the clubhouse.

LHP Carlos Casillas - 21 y/o from Zapopan, Jalisco
Carlos' all around excellence at such a young age make him a candidate for both the newcomer and pitcher awards.

RHP Jacinto Santos - 27 y/o from Hidalgo, Michoacán
A great option to round out the rotation, his talent makes up for a lack of work ethic.

LHP Raúl González - 29 y/o from Sta. Bárbara, Chihuahua
Your run-of-the-mill pitcher, Raúl lacks the stamina to pitch long outings.

C Eliseo Rodríguez - 28 y/o from Tlajomulco, Jalisco
Rodríguez is one of the best behind the plate, though his arm and bat are lacking.

1B Alberto Ávila - 25 y/o from Tlaquepaque, Jalisco
He's talented with the bat but not strong enough to put the ball in the seats.

2B César Loaiza - 23 y/o from Pto. Vallarta, Jalisco
Loaiza is another favorite for the newcomer award and one of the most talanted hitters in the league.

3B David Tovar - 31 y/o from Ameca, Jalisco
The veteran still has one of the best arms in the league, though his contact skills have declined he is still a very disciplined hitter. Overall a positive influence in the clubhouse.

SS Jonás Alegría - 35 y/o from Tepic, Nayarit
A great fielder at his age, his ample experience prevents him from making any sort of mistakes. Not the best hitter but has a good grasp on the strike zone and will at least put the ball in play more often than not.

LF Javier Álvarez - 27 y/o from Jiutepec, Morelos
A below average bat but he's one of the fastest players out there and has perfected the art of the bunt.

CF Raúl Pérez - 23 y/o from Zapopan, Jalisco
Already one of the best young players in the game, Pérez strives for perfection.

RF Guillermo Villanueva - 27 y/o from Tenancingo, Estado de México
Memo is great with the bat, but he never really learned how to properly field and his slowness doesn't help him either.

Bench
C José Ángeles - 25 y/o from Tizayuca, Hidalgo (40/40)
1B Ismael Acuña - 36 y/o from Arandas, Jalisco (40/40)
1B Carlos Rodríguez - 26 y/o from Tlahuelilpan, Hidalgo (45/45)
2B Amador Gallegos - 26 y/o from Morelia, Michoacán (45/45)
3B Ángel Ziranda - 21 y/o from Nahuatzén, Michoacán (50/50)
LF José Contreras - 29 y/o from Morelia, Michoacán (40/40)

Reserve
RHP Hermenegildo Lomas - 26 y/o from Saltillo, Coahuila (30/30)
RHP Roberto Olmos - 33 y/o from Atlixco, Puebla (30/30)
LHP Iván Solano - 41 y/o from Acuña, Coahuila (25/25)
RHP Mario Jiménez - 25 y/o from Churintzio, Michoacán (35/35)
C Luis Saldivar - 27 y/o from Acuitzio, Michoacán (35/35)
2B José Pérez - 16 y/o from Pto. Vallarta, Jalisco (20/45)
2B Gerardo Román - 31 y/o from Venustiano Carranza, Michoacán (35/35)
3B Ángel Vargas - 32 y/o from Xalisco, Nayarit (40/40)
SS Javier Zayas - 18 y/o from Escobedo, Nuevo León (20/45)
LF Oscar Valladolid - 25 y/o from Chietla, Puebla (50/50)
RF Luis Alonso - 28 y/o from Etzatlán, Jalisco (35/35)
RF Tezcatlipoca de León - 30 y/o from Morelia, Michoacán (25/25)

https://i.imgur.com/itGQTSz.png

Before we dive into Opening Day, let's take a look at the experts' consensus predicted standings:

https://i.imgur.com/1439DgH.png

The league is set to be a close one, with all teams but Tampico predicted to be within 10 games of each other.

It's easy to see why Puebla and Guadalajara are predicted to finish 1st and 2nd. The Snakes have what's probably the best lineup in the league while the Obsidians have the best rotation in the league.

The rest of the teams in the top 7 have balanced rosters with 1-2 strong players surrounded by an average squad. Meanwhile, Tampico's best players form a battery only once every 3 games, with the rest of the team being solidly below average.

Will the season play out like this? What kind of surprises will spring up as the 84 games are played? Only time will tell, but for now, it's time for Opening Day!

Here are the matchups:

Puebla @ Mérida
RHP Rafael Sianez vs LHP Roberto García

Águilas @ Tampico
RHP Ezequiel Anguiano vs RHP Francisco Barajas

León @ San Luis
LHP Alejandro Carranza vs LHP Francisco Camacho

Guadalajara @ Jaguares
LHP Carlos Casillas vs LHP Andrés Amaya

The first season of a new league is always fun because of how close it tends to be.

With that in mind: c'mon Jaibas what the hell did you all do to prep for the season?

This is an awesome concept. We spend a month in Merida last Winter, and even toured an old henequen plantation still in operation. One evening we went to the Old City and watched a simulated Mayan ball game at the Cathedral. It was intense, and very difficult with the original hip rules. I will be rooting for the Aulladores.

Ullamaliztli Namiqui's 1936 Opening Day is here!

https://i0.wp.com/newspack-yucatan.s...00%2C325&ssl=1

Let's take a look at the first matchups taking place in Mérida, Tampico, San Luis and Mexico City.

Serpientes de Puebla @ Aulladores de Mérida

Puebla's veteran ace Rafael Sianez faced Mérida's young lefty Roberto García in the first ever professional ball game.

It was a cool, windy day at Parque Kukulcán, where almost 6,400 people gathered to watch their Howling Monkeys play for the first time. And what a game it was! It took 12 innings and 11 hits but the Aulladores came away with the victory when the game finally ended around 5 pm.

The league's first run was scored in the bottom of the 1st inning, following a funny bit of trivia: the first stolen base came before the first hit. Mérida's Celestino de la Rosa took a leadoff walk and, one out later, stole second base on a first pitch strike. Antonio Monterrosa then drove him all the way home with a single for the league's first hit and first run scored.

Puebla responded in the 3rd, with pitcher Rafael Sianez collecting their own first ever hit. In the following at bat, Jorge Ramírez hit the league's first ever double, driving in Sianez but getting called out after trying to get an extra base. The game was now 1-1. Unfortunately, Sianez had to come off with a dead arm after pitching just 2 and a third innings.

Mérida got one back immediately, with Monterrosa driving in de la Rosa once more, this time with a ground out. The lead would last all of one out, as Puebla catcher Guillermo Méndez hit a sacrifice fly that allowed Antonio Tapia to score. It seemed like the pitchers had figured something out at that point, with neither team getting a run for the next 7 innings.

The game came to a climax in the bottom of the 12th. Reliever Iván Moctezuma had been pitching effectively since the 10th, but this time he allowed Quirino Ek to reach on a single to right field. It seemed like he recovered when Enrique Canul flew out to center, but it was Apolonio Castañeda who was destined to be the hero. Coming in as a pinch hitter, Castañeda tried to bunt Ek over but his attempt was foul. However, he would take the next pitch all the way to the center field wall, deep enough for the slow-running Ek to score all the way from the first base and win the league's first ever game for Mérida.

Final: Puebla 2-3 Mérida (12 innings)

WP: Remigio Rodríguez - 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
LP: Iván Moctezuma - 2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Player of the Game: Roberto García (MER) - 10 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K


Águilas de México @ Jaibas de Tampico

The Eagles' Ezequiel Anguiano's excellent fastballs would go head-to-head with the Crab's Francisco "Brinquitos" Barajas' curve-change combination.

Rain was on the menu at the Estadio del Golfo, with players along with the almost 6 thousand attendees looking for shelter as the game entered a delay in the 6th inning. In the end, the clouds cleared and the game could be finished with the team from the capital getting the victory.

It only took 3 batters for México to get their first run. Reynaldo Caratachea led it off with an infield single. Luis García flew out. El Vasco managed to steal second during Miguel González' turn, before a single from the first baseman allowed the speedy Caratachea to reach home. Barajas reacted well and got the next two outs, but it seemed like Jaibas manager Aurelio Valenzuela had seen enough, as he decided to take his ace out of the game after just this one inning.

Eulogio Martínez came in to pitch for Tampico, and it looked like the decision had paid off as the Crabs tied the game with a single from Efraín Armenta in the 6th and then took the lead after Martínez himself singled in the 7th.

With just 5 more outs to go, Martínez allowed Miguel González to drive in another run to tie the game before giving up the lead with 2 outs. Octavio Torres hit a double, Luis García and Miguel González both scored and now the Eagles had a two run lead. México held on the 4-2 lead, bringing in Mario Rodríguez to close out the game and get his first save of the season.

Final: México Á. 4-2 Tampico

WP: Ezequiel Anguiano - 8 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
LP: Eulogio Martínez - 7 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 4 BB

Player of the Game: Ezequiel Anguiano

Flechas de León @ Tunas de San Luis

It's a battle of southpaws as León's Alejandro Carranza and San Luis' Francisco Camacho take the mound for the first time this season.

Both pitchers went the distance in front of almost 7,500 people at Estadio de la Plata, with Carranza taking the win this time.

San Luis center-fielder Guillermo Aceves hit the league's first ever home run in the bottom of the 1st. Aceves would drive in another run the following inning with a single. It seemed like everything was going well for the Tunas, but the emerald team would score 6 runs as 12 batters came up to the plate in the 3rd:
- Francisco Pérez led off with a single
- Alejandro Carranza reaches on an error by the pitcher
- Andrés Suárez singles to load the bases
- Valentín Trejo drives one in with a walk (1-2)
- Victor Albornoz flips the score with a 2 RBI single (3-2)
- Gustavo Ruiz flies out for the 1st out
- Carlos Moya singles, loading the bases once more
- Julio Pera drives in 2 more runs (5-2)
- Agustín Castrillo singles to fill the bases for the 3rd time this inning
- Francisco Pérez singles, Carlos Moya scores (6-2)
- Alejandro Carranza strikes out for out number 2
- Andrés Suárez grounds out to end the inning

Max Braud brought another run for San Luis with a ground out in the bottom of the 7th but it was too little, too late.

Final: León 6-3 San Luis

WP: Alejandro Carranza - 9 IP, 10 H, 3 ER, 1 BB
LP: Francisco Camacho - 9 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

Player of the Game: CF Guillermo Aceves (SNL) - 3-5, HR, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI

Obsidianas de Guadalajara @ Jaguares de México

In the final game of the afternoon, it's a battle between two hometown lefty pitchers: Guadalajara's Carlos Casillas faces the Jaguars' Andrés Amaya.

It was a small attendance at Parque General Lázaro Cárdenas in Mexico City, with about 5,500 turning up to watch 12 innings of baseball as the Tapatíos take the win in another low-scoring affair.

The Obsidians took the lead in the 4th, following a double from Alberto Ávila and tacked on another run in the 7th with a sacrifice fly from David Tovar. It seemed like Guadalajara was about to win, with Casillas pitching the complete game but the Jaguars managed 2 runs on 4 singles in the bottom of the 9th to tie the game.

After 2 scoreless innings, Guadalajara's Ángel Ziranda drove in a pair of runs with a single and México couldn't respond, ending the game.

Final: Guadalajara 4-2 México J.

WP: Carlos Casillas - 11 IP, 13 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
LP: Melvin Ramírez - 3 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB

Player of the Game: Carlos Casillas

What an exciting set of first games! With 83 more to go, anything can happen this season and we'll see who takes the first ever Ullamaliztli Namiqui title and which players win the awards!

So, how'd the rest of April go?

https://i.imgur.com/fYi5qTs.png

In total 8 series (24 games) were played this month and the standings are pretty close, with all teams within 10 games of each other. Though it is clear which teams have played better to start off the season, perhaps the gaps will shorten.

Let's dive into the first month of professional baseball!

Aulladores de Mérida (1st, 17-7, L10: 6-4)

The Yucatán team had an excellent start, sweeping their first 3 series against Puebla, Jaguares and Tampico before San Luis handed them their first loss (4-2) and their first series loss (2-1). They'd lose two more series this month, against León and Puebla but also won their series against the Águilas and swept Guadalajara.

The team got even better this month, as they agreed terms with power-hitting catcher Roberto Cruz (32 y/o from Mexico City, 55 OVR), RHP Jesús Pérez (31 y/o from Miahuatlán, Puebla, 55 OVR) and LF Guillermo Cigarroa (26 y/o from Comalapa, Chiapas, 60 OVR) within the first two weeks. They've also just signed young RF Edwin Esparza (22 y/o from León, Guanajuato, 80 OVR) and rounded out their pitching staff with LHP José García (32 y/o from Villahermosa, Tabasco, 50 OVR).

Best batters:

2B Quirino Ek: 24 G, .325/.364/.386, 2 2B, 1 HR, 13 RBI
3B Enrique Canul: 23 G, .260/.313/.364, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI
SS Antonio Monterrosa: 24 G, .287/.305/.386, 6 2B, 2 3B, 10 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Jesús Pérez: 5 GS, 1.40 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 6.3 K%
LHP Roberto García: 8 GS, 3.85 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 5.2 K%
LHP José García: 2 GS, 1.02 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 4.2 K%

Tunas de San Luis (2nd, 16-8, L10: 6-4)

San Luis also had an excellent start though their longest streak was only 4 games. Their highlights came when winning the series against Mérida and when they swept the Águilas. Overall, they won all series they played in until the last one of the month against León.

The Prickly Pears also made several signings from the free player pool, beginning with LHP Roberto Bañuelos (27 y/o from Tenango, Oaxaca, 55 OVR). They then went on to sign one of the best available players in the versatile SS Rogelio Herrán who is a smart and hard working leader. Halfway through the month they got LF Antonio Quevedo (24 y/o from Juárez, Chihuahua, 45 OVR). In the last week they signed two great players in RHP Roberto Mestre (23 y/o from Escuintla, Chiapas, 60 OVR) and LF Miguel Muñoz (27 y/o from Gral. Escobedo, Nuevo León, 60 OVR).

Best batters:
CF Guillermo Aceves: 24 G, .340/.379/.468, 6 2B, 2 HR, 11 RBI
2B Max Braud: 24 G, .318/.410/.398, 5 2B, 1 3B, 12 RBI
SS Rogelio Herrán: 17 G, .294/.304/.324, 2 2B, 4 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Roberto Mestre: 4 G, 2 GS, 1 SV, 1.50 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 6.4 K%
LHP Francisco Camacho: 9 GS, 3.19 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 4.4 K%
RHP César Plascencia: 8 GS, 2.34 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 5.2 K% (Thrower of the Month)

Serpientes de Puebla (3rd, 14-10, L10: 6-4)

Puebla's off to a good start which included a 6 game winning streak. Highlights include sweeps of León and Águilas, despite being swept by Mérida. Overall series record this month: 5-3.

The Snakes made only one signing in veteran LHP Miguel Cazares (38 y/o from Chihuahua, Chihuahua, 50 OVR).

Best batters:
C Guillermo Mendez: 20 G, .278/.318/.329, 1 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI
2B Fernando del Toro: 24 G, .237/.321/.299, 3 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI
CF Jorge Ramírez: 24 G, .210/.233/.290, 1 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 7 RBI

Rotation:
LHP Miguel Cazares: 4 G, 3 GS, 2.01 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 4.8 K%
RHP Martín Pérez: 10 G, 3 GS, 1.57 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 4.0 K%
RHP Cuauhtémoc Espinoza: 13 G, 7 GS, 2.96 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 4.1 K%

Flechas de León (4th, 13-11, L10: 8-2)

The emerald outfit was off to a 2-8 start before turning it around winning their last 5 series of the month, including a sweep of Guadalajara at home.

They were very active in making signings from the pool, also having to replace star RF Carlos Moya (19 G, .291/309/.316) who fractured his ankle and will probably miss the rest of the season. Overall, they made 7 signings including 1B José González (36 y/o from Jilotepec, Edo. Méx., 60 OVR), CF Juan Negrete (25 y/o from Zacapoaxtla, Puebla, 80 OVR) and RF Manuel Gil (28 y/o from Huixquilucan, Edo. Méx., 55 OVR).

Best batters:
SS Francisco Pérez: 24 G, .365/.402/.529, 4 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 17 RBI (Hitter of the Month)
2B Agustín Castrillo: 23 G, .360/.378/.372, 1 2B, 6 RBI
1B José González: 18 G, .333/.405/.409, 2 2B, 1 HR, 9 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Luis Cruz: 8 GS, 2.01 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 7.7 K%
RHP Antonio Aguilar: 9 G, 8 GS, 3.69 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 4.5 K%
LHP Alejandro Carranza: 8 GS, 5.29 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 5.9 K%

Águilas de México (5th, 10-14, L10: 2-8)

The Eagles won 3 of their first 4 series before falling off. They just recently snapped a 7 game losing streak which included series losses to Mérida, Puebla and Tampico.

The team from the capital hopes to get better and have picked up two more players from the free player pool in 3B David Herrera (24 y/o from Irapuato, Guanajuato, 70 OVR) and RF Victor Barrios (29 y/o from Huaquechula, Puebla, 55 OVR).

Best batters:
1B Miguel González: 20 G, .377/.415/.442, 2 2B, 1 HR, 11 RBI
CF Reynaldo Caratachea: 24 G, .314/.345/.410, 8 2B, 1 3B, 8 RBI
2B Octavio Torres: 24 G, .365/.402/.417, 5 2B, 10 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Ezequiel Anguiano: 9 G, 8 GS, 1 SV, 4.43 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 7.0 K%
LHP Leo Álvarez: 9 G, 8 GS, 3.20 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 6.7 K%
RHP Antonio Castañeda: 8 GS, 4.69 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 5.3 K%

Jaguares de México (6th, 9-15, L10: 4-6)

The Jaguars had a bad month, winning only 2 series, against Guadalajara and Puebla. Losing their two best players didn't help the poor month they had, with RF Salvador Velázquez (3 weeks with a sprained elbow) and new signing CF Armando Rodríguez (5 weeks with a sprained ankle) both coming down.

Speaking of new signings, the Jaguars made 4 of them this month. The aforementioned Armando Rodríguez (30 y/o from Torreón, Coahuila, 70 OVR) was the best of the crop. The other signings were LF Gregorio Pérez (26 y/o from Cerralvo, Nuevo León, 55 OVR), 2B Mario Abeyta (27 y/o from Juárez, Chihuahua, 55 OVR) and LHP Iván Solano (just 5 days after being released by Guadalajara).

Best batters:
CF Rubén González: 22 G, .308/.325/.321, 1 2B, 9 RBI
C Alfredo Hernández: 22 G, .247/.293/.325, 4 2B, 1 3B, 2 RBI
3B Rico Santistevan: 24 G, .269/.292/.312, 1 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI

Rotation:
LHP Andrés Amaya: 9 G, 8 GS, 2.85 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 4.7 K%
LHP Luis Helguera: 8 GS, 3.61 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 5.8 K%
RHP David Garza: 8 GS, 3.03 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 4.7 K%

Obsidianas de Guadalajara (7th, 9-15, L10: 3-7)

Despite being predicted to be one of the best, Guadalajara is struggling to find form early in the season, winning series against Águilas and Tampico and being swept by Mérida and León.

Although they have made 4 signings, none is really an improvement, with experienced LF José Mancilla (36 y/o from Puebla, Puebla, 55 OVR) being the highlight of the bunch.

Best batters:
2B César Loaiza: 24 G, .330/.373/.436, 8 2B, 1 3B, 9 RBI
RF Guillermo Villanueva: 22 G, .315/.333/.382, 6 2B, 9 RBI
CF Raúl Pérez: 24 G, .296/.303/.380, 5 2B, 2 3B, 3 RBI

Rotation:
LHP Carlos Casillas: 9 G, 8 GS, 3.52 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 8.2 K%
RHP Jacinto Santos: 11 G, 9 GS, 2.42 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 4.7 K%
RHP Faustino Campos: 10 G, 7 GS, 3.61 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 4.3 K%

Jaibas de Tampico (8th, 8-16, L10: 5-5)

After starting the year 3-12, the northeastern club has improved, winning series against both Mexico City clubs.

After CF Abelardo Rivera injured his knee (out 8 months), Tampico have greatly improved their squad, making a grand total of 9 signings this month. Highlights include: 2B Julio Ortiz (34 y/o from Mexico City, 55 OVR), CF Jesús Rodríguez (30 y/o from Campeche, Campeche, 70 OVR), SS Andrés Martínez (24 y/o from Jalapa, Oaxaca, 75 OVR), RHP Israel Pastrana (22 y/o from Comitán, Chiapas, 60 OVR) and LF Ricardo Palacios (27 y/o from Mexico City, 75 OVR). With some great talents in these signings, Tampico fans will be hoping for a marked improvement the rest of the season.

Best batters:
SS David García: 22 G, .325/.352/.410, 4 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBI
3B Andrés Torres: 23 G, .237/.274/.362, 6 2B, 2 3B, 7 RBI
RF Ulises Dueñas: 24 G, .218/.253/.321, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 7 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Francisco Barajas: 14 G, 12 GS, 1.72 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 5.6 K%
RHP Israel Pastrana: 3 GS, 2.16 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 5.1 K%
RHP Omar Xiu: 2 GS, 3.18 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 4.4 K% (one start with Tampico after being released by Mérida)



A very interesting first month, it may be too early to start picking favorites and with the teams at the bottom of the standings making moves from the free player pool we might see some big changes in the standings come June. Only 2 full months remain in the season, we'll see how things pan out!

Is the altitude in Mexico City having a major impact on offense? Or are you just playing with all the stadium factors at 1.000?

Stadium sizes are random, though I might make them more akin to IRL ballparks in the future. I have adjusted the weather and altitude for every city with a park and then hit the auto-calc button so, to answer your question, it is probable Mexico City's ~2,000 m and Guadalajara's ~1,500 are having an impact on the production at those parks.


If you know how I could check this just to be sure, I'd greatly appreciate it!

It is now June 1st, 1936 which means let's check out the standings:

https://i.imgur.com/YV885hf.png

The standings look almost identical to how they did one month ago, with Mérida leading a pretty tight pack. San Luis, Puebla and León are closely behind with Guadalajara getting into a good run and closing the gap. Both Mexico City clubs remain within 10 games of the lead, but are most likely considered outsiders at this point. As predicted, Tampico are in last place, although they had a better month of May.

Having been 1st all season long, Mérida are the clear favorites for the title but they'll have to fend off the best defensive teams in San Luis and Puebla as well as the best offense in León.

Let's take a closer look at how the teams did this month:

Aulladores de Mérida - 1st (No change) - 14-13 in May, 31-20 overall

Mérida didn't have the best of months, dropping series against San Luis, León, Guadalajara and Jaguares. They were only swept once, against Jaguares, and managed to win their other 4 series including a sweep of Jaguares to start off the month. Their continued winning meant they remain in 1st place, with only León and Guadalajara having better records this month.

Their star outfielder Edwin Esparza strained his left triceps early in the month and still has one more week left until he fully recovers.

Best batters:
CF Celestino de la Rosa - .277/.382/.372, 3 2B, 3 3B, 7 SB, 8 RBI in May - .259/.366/.335, 4 2B, 5 3B, 13 SB, 15 RBI overall
C José Trujillo - .318/.366/.376, 2 2B, 1 HR, 12 RBI - .307/.339/.337, 2 2B, 1 HR, 19 RBI
1B Santiago Salas - .266/.349/.319, 2 2B, 1 HR, 12 RBI - .258/.343/.313, 4 2B, 2 HR, 1 SB, 21 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Jesús Pérez - 9 GS, 2.13 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 5.2 K% in May - 14 GS, 1.86 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 5.6 K% overall
LHP Roberto García - 9 GS, 2.95 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 5.4 K% in May - 17 GS, 3.38 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 5.3 K% overall
LHP José García - 10 G, 9 GS, 4.11 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 3.3 K% in May - 12 G, 11 GS, 3.50 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 3.5 K% overall

Tunas de San Luis - 2nd (No change) - 13-14 in May, 29-22 overall

After a losing month, the Prickly Pears' hot start keeps them in the hunt. They won 5 series and were only swept once by Guadalajara at the beginning of the month, but dropped games in every series, losing the ones against Guadalajara (twice), Tampico and Jaguares. It is worth noting that 7 of their losses were one-run games. The team should continue trending upwards as they have one of the best offenses and defenses of the league.

Best batters:
CF Guillermo Aceves - .353/.365/.382, 3 2B, 11 SB, 4 RBI - .347/.372/.423, 9 2B, 2 HR, 21 SB, 15 RBI
SS Rogelio Herrán - .301/.327/.350, 5 2B, 9 RBI - .298/.318/.339, 7 2B, 1 SB, 13 RBI
RF Roberto Hernández - .237/.276/.338, 2 2B, 2 HR, 3 SB, 10 RBI - .229/.271/.297, 4 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 6 SB, 17 RBI

Rotation:
LHP Francisco Camacho - Pitcher of the Month, 9 GS, 0.89 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 5.2 K% - 18 GS, 2.02 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 4.8 K%
RHP Roberto Mestre - 10 G, 9 GS, 4.35 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 6.2 K% - 14 G, 11 GS, 3.70 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 6.3 K%
RHP César Plascencia - 11 G, 9 GS, 2.78 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 6.6 K% - 19 G, 17 GS, 2.58 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 6.0 K%

Serpientes de Puebla - 3rd (No change) - 13-14 in May, 27-24 overall

Puebla had a good month, all things considered, as their series losses came against contending teams in Guadalajara, San Luis, Mérida, León as well as a small hiccup against Águilas (both losses were 1-run games). They also made a pitching addition, veteran Rafael Sianez was activated after tearing the thumb ligament on his glove hand in April and he responded in great manner.

Best batters:
2B Fernando del Toro - .320/.391/.408, 7 2B, 1 3B, 2 SB, 10 RBI - .280/.357/.355, 10 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 SB, 14 RBI
RF Antonio Tapia - .333/.345/.441, 9 2B, 1 HR, 1 SB, 7 RBI - .298/.308/.376, 13 2B, 1 HR, 3 SB, 11 RBI
1B Daniel Rivera - .304/.388/.373, 4 2B, 1 HR, 2 SB, 13 RBI - .307/.402/.360, 7 2B, 1 HR, 3 SB, 18 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Rafael Sianez - 8 GS, 1.92 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 3.7 K% - 12 G, 11 GS, 1.57 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 4.6 K%
LHP Miguel Cazares - 10 G, 9 GS, 2.58 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 8.8 K% - 14 G, 12 GS, 2.42 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 7.6 K%
RHP Martín Pérez - 10 G, 4 GS, 2 SV, 2.44 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 2.7 K% - 20 G, 7 GS, 2 SV, 2.02 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 3.3 K%

Flechas de León - 4th (No change) - 14-13 in May, 27-24 overall

The emerald team had a positive month, sweeping both Tampico and Jaguares and getting series wins against Mérida and Puebla. Improving their pitching and defense will bey key for them, as they are the best offensive team by runs, average, OPS, home runs and stolen bases. Star outfielder Carlos Moya is still out with a fractured ankle but it seems like León won't be missing him this season.

Best batters:
C Victor Albornoz - .388/.495/.450, 5 2B, 7 RBI - .327/.423/.426, 8 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 1 SB, 22 RBI
LF Andrés Suárez - .356/.419/.433, 5 2B, 1 HR, 3 SB, 11 RBI - .310/.391/.420, 8 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 6 SB, 21 RBI
2B Agustín Castrillo - .300/.340/.410, 6 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 1 SB, 3 RBI - .328/.357/.392, 7 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 3 SB, 9 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Luis Cruz - 9 GS, 1.64 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 6.6 K% - 17 GS, 1.81 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 7.1 K%
LHP Jonathan Estrada - Replaces LHP Alejandro Carranza (9 GS, 1.94 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 7.0 K% - 17 GS, 3.42 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 6.5 K%)
RHP Antonio Aguilar - 9 GS, 2.71 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 3.4 K% - 18 G, 17 GS, 3.15 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 3.9 K%

Obsidianas de Guadalajara - 5th (+2) - 17-10 in May - 26-25 overall

The Tapatíos had a great month, winning all but 2 of their series and sweeping San Luis and León in the process. They've become a pitching and offensive force, even if their ace missed all month due to personal reasons. If they bring their May form to the end of the season, they should be considered contenders.

Best batters:
2B César Loaiza - .369/.404/.447, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 4 SB, 6 RBI - .350/.389/.442, 11 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 6 SB, 15 RBI
LF Oscar Valladolid - .330/.369/.381, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 SB, 10 RBI - .287/.329/.344, 7 2B, 1 3B, 2 SB, 15 RBI
SS Ricky Solorio - .327/.333/.356, 1 2B, 1 3B, 6 SB, 7 RBI - .338/.353/.391, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 9 SB, 13 RBI

Rotation:
LHP Carlos Casillas - 3 GS, 2.39 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 3.8 K% - 12 G, 11 GS, 3.21 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 7.1 K%
RHP Jacinto Santos - 11 G, 10 GS, 2.13 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 6.3 K% - 22 G, 19 GS, 1 SV, 2.27 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 5.5 K%
RHP Faustino Campos - 10 G, 9 GS, 1 SV, 2.02 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 6.5 K% - 20 G, 16 GS, 2.69 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 5.6 K%

Águilas de México - 6th (-1) - 14-12 in May, 24-26 overall

The Eagles had an alright month, never really getting into a rhythm but they also didn't lose many straight games either. They did manage to win their last 4 series, keeping them close to the fight for the top. The capital city team will need a strong finish if they want to fulfill their preseason predictions of a top 3 finish.

Best batters:
RF Victor Barrios - Hitter of the Month, .348/.434/.467, 5 2B, 2 HR, 1 SB, 10 RBI - .307/.374/.399, 5 2B, 3 HR, 1 SB, 17 RBI
3B David Herrera - .270/.343/.371, 3 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI - .262/.333/.369, 9 2B, 3 HR, 17 RBI
CF Reynaldo Caratachea - .284/.340/.337, 3 2B, 1 3B, 6 SB, 3 RBI - .300/.343/.375, 11 2B, 2 3B, 18 SB, 11 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Ezequiel Anguiano - 9 GS, 3.00 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 8.1 K% - 18 G, 17 GS, 1 SV, 3.67 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 7.6 K%
RHP Antonio Castañeda - 10 G, 8 GS, 1.16 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 4.6 K% - 18 G, 16 GS, 2.75 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 4.9 K%
LHP Leo Álvarez - 9 GS, 4.03 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 5.8 K% - 18 G, 17 GS, 3.60 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 6.2 K%

Jaguares de México - 7th (-1) - 12-14 in May, 21-29 overall

The Jaguar's poor month means they're pretty much out of contention. They did win 8 out of their last 10 games, so a late resurgence might be on the cards. They lost RF Salvador Velázquez (3-4 weeks with bone chips) and SS Omar Morales (3 weeks with a separated shoulder) right at the end of the month.

Best batters:
LF Gregorio Pérez - .354/.361/.479, 6 2B, 2 HR, 1 SB, 9 RBI - .315/.325/.423, 10 2B, 2 HR, 1 SB, 12 RBI
1B David Arroyo - .333/.348/.367, 3 2B, 10 RBI - .287/.312/.311, 4 2B, 1 SB, 13 RBI
3B Rico Santistevan - .289/.317/.371, 5 2B, 1 HR, 1 SB, 8 RBI - .279/.305/.342, 6 2B, 2 HR, 4 SB, 14 RBI

Rotation:
LHP Andrés Amaya - 9 GS, 2.87 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 4.3 K% - 18 G, 17 GS, 2.86 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 4.5 K%
LHP Luis Helguera - 10 G, 9 GS, 2.55 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 4.3 K% - 18 G, 17 GS, 3.06 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 5.1 K%
RHP David Garza - 4 G, 3 GS, 2.77 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 5.7 K% - 12 G, 11 GS, 2.96 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 4.9 K%

Jaibas de Tampico - 8th (No change) - 10-17 in May, 18-33 overall

While the Blue Crabs managed to win 2 more games this month, their poor form continues and they remain last in almost every statistical category in offense, pitching and defense. Although they're only 13 games out, they'll need a miracle to contend this year.

Best batters:
LF Ricardo Palacios - .321/.374/.396, 4 2B, 2 3B, 6 SB, 3 RBI - .308/.371/.375, 4 2B, 2 3B, 7 SB, 4 RBI
SS Andrés Martínez - .298/.348/.423, 4 2B, 3 HR, 8 RBI - .303/.348/.409, 5 2B, 3 HR, 16 RBI
CF Jesús Rodríguez - .324/.360/.400, 4 2B, 2 3B, 5 SB, 8 RBI - .301/.340/.360, 4 2B, 2 3B, 11 SB, 9 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Francisco Barajas - 9 GS, 2.71 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 5.0 K% - 23 G, 21 GS, 2.38 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 5.2 K%
RHP Israel Pastrana - 9 GS, 4.26 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, 7.1 K% - 12 GS, 3.73 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 6.6 K%
RHP Eulogio Martínez - 1 GS, 4.50 ERA, 2.12 WHIP, 0 K% - 11 G, 2 GS, 4.18 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 2.6 K%

------------------------------------------------------
There's just one full month (and 8 games) to go in the first ever professional ball game season!

The 1936 Ullamaliztli Namiqui season has come to an end! Let's see who took the first championship home.

And the 1936 Champions are...

https://elregionalcoatepec.com/wp-co...4122710870.jpg

Aulladores de Mérida!

https://i.imgur.com/67o03Av.png

A very stong finish allowed the peninsula team to fend off runs by Puebla, Guadalajara and León and secure the title for the club. Let's take a look at how the Monkeys and the rest of the league did in June:

Aulladores de Mérida - 1st (NC) - 55-29 (17-8 June, 7-1 July)

The Howlers only lost series against the Eagles and Arrows, completing 4 sweeps in the last month (and 9 days) en route to their first championship! It was truly a dominant season for the Mérida club, as they had a winning record against all teams but León (5-7).

Best batters:
CF Celestino de la Rosa - .304/.383/.415, 9 2B, 10 3B, 2 HR, 22 SB, 31 RBI
SS Antonio Monterrosa - .339/.356/.439, 119 H, 14 2B, 6 3B, 3 HR, 10 SB, 41 RBI
C José Trujillo - .341/.381/.393, 9 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 39 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Jesús Pérez - 17-7, 25 GS, 1.76 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 6.2 K%
LHP Roberto García - 16-11, 28 GS, 2.89 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 4.7 K%
LHP José García - 11-7, 22 GS, 2.98 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 4.0 K%

Serpientes de Puebla - 2nd (+1) - 47-37 (13-12 June, 7-1 July)

The Snakes had a good try at the championship this year, but losing series against Mérida, Guadalajara and Águilas in the last month hurt their chances and they ultimately came 2nd. They were 1st in pitching and defense so they have a good base to build upon for next season.

Best batters:
1B Daniel Rivera - .299/.394/.363, 14 2B, 2 HR, 3 SB, 30 RBI
LF Hector Ramírez - .306/.336/.384, 11 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 1 SB, 29 RBI
RF Antonio Tapia - .297/.326/.386, 17 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 5 SB, 20 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Rafael Sianez - 13-7, 22 GS, 1.83 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 4.2 K%
LHP Miguel Cazares - 13-10, 23 GS, 2.30 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 6.9 K%
RHP Martín Pérez - 9-11, 10 GS, 3.00 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 4.2 K%

Obsidianas de Guadalajara - 3rd (+2) - 45-39 (16-9 June, 3-5 July)

The Obsidians were one of the hottest teams in the last two months, going 36-24 since May, though it wasn't good enough to claim the top spot. Their fans have a lot to look forward to, as their best players are on the younger side and with a budget in the league's top 3 the team can only get better.

Best batters:
2B César Loaiza - .347/.383/.435, .818 OPS, 15 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 10 SB, 30 RBI
SS Ricky Solorio - .328/.349/.391, 8 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 10 SB, 28 RBI
LF Oscar Valladolid - .316/.346/.368, 8 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 3 SB, 24 RBI

Rotation:
LHP Carlos Casillas - 10-12, 22 GS, 2.46 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 6.3 K%
RHP Faustino Campos - 11-13, 26 GS, 2.71 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 5.2 K%
RHP Jacinto Santos - 19-11, 31 GS, 2.45 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 5.7 K%

Flechas de León - 4th (NC) - 43-41 (14-11 June, 2-6 July)

The Arrows had an alright month, sweeping Guadalajara and San Luis. They were in the conversation for title contenders but ultimately didn't move up or down, ending up in the mid-table spot. They have some top players but might need to get top reinforcements before seriously contending.

Best batters:
C Victor Albornoz - .317/.403/.404, 12 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 2 SB, 29 RBI
LF Andrés Suárez - .292/.364/.391, 15 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 10 SB, 34 RBI
SS Francisco Pérez - .285/.316/.379, 9 2B, 5 3B, 3 HR, 4 SB, 31 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Luis Cruz - 12-10, 28 GS, 1.81 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 7.5 K%
RHP Antonio Aguilar - 12-14, 28 GS, 2.68 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 4.6 K%
LHP Alejandro Carranza - 9-10, 20 GS, 3.33 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 5.3 K%

Jaguares de México - 5th (+2) - 41-43 (14-12 June, 6-2 July)

The Jaguars finished strongly, thanks in large part to their excellent defense. Overall the team isn't all that good, with only a couple standouts and their budget isn't the biggest, so it might take a while before they compete.

Best batters:
3B Rico Santistevan - .311/.342/.387, 13 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 7 SB, 30 RBI
LF Gregorio Pérez - .299/.322/.388, 17 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 5 SB, 17 RBI
C Alfredo Hernández - .260/.287/.345, 11 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 1 SB, 13 RBI

Rotation:
LHP Andrés Amaya - 13-14, 29 GS, 2.66 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 4.8 K%
LHP Luis Helguera - 14-15, 28 GS, 2.57 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 5.2 K%
RHP David Garza - 5-8, 13 GS, 3.06 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 5.1 K%

Tunas de San Luis - 6th (-4) - 40-44 (7-18 June, 4-4 July)

The Tunas completely dropped off, having been closely in second place at the end of May. They only scored 62 runs in the last month, allowing 99 of them as they tumbled down the standings. A return to form next season could see them compete again as they definitely have the talent to do so.

Best batters:
CF Guillermo Aceves - .303/.328/.398, 16 2B, 5 HR, 30 SB, 22 RBI
1B Daniel Aguirre - .303/.316/.358, 4 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 32 RBI
2B Max Braud - .275/.333/.339, 11 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 4 SB, 24 RBI

Rotation:
LHP Francisco Camacho - 15-14, 29 GS, 2.25 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 5.9 K%
RHP Roberto Mestre - 9-15, 22 GS, 3.41 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 6.5 K%
RHP César Plascencia - 12-9, 28 GS, 2.45 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 5.8 K%

Águilas de México - 7th (-1) - 36-48 (11-15 June, 1-7 July)

The Eagles ended the season going 4-18, cementing their second-to-last finish. The Capital club will be looking to improve at pretty much every position next season.

Best batters:
CF Reynaldo Caratachea - .324/.363/.419, 18 2B, 7 3B, 23 SB, 20 RBI
RF Victor Barrios - .317/.374/.388, 9 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 1 SB, 25 RBI
1B Miguel González - .329/.351/.404, 13 2B, 3 HR, 1 SB, 26 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Ezequiel Anguiano - 10-18, 28 GS, 3.89 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 6.8 K%
LHP Leo Álvarez - 12-14, 28 GS, 3.30 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 6.8 K%
RHP Antonio Castañeda - 12-15, 2.84 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 4.5 K%

Jaibas de Tampico - 8th (NC) - 29-55 (9-16 June, 2-6 July)

Despite finishing last, Tampico managed to surpass their preseason prediction by 4 wins. Their new signings fit well into the club, and having them for a full year next time out will be a positive spot for fans.

Best batters:
CF Jesús Rodríguez - .318/.343/.405, 10 2B, 5 3B, 1 HR, 23 SB, 26 RBI
3B Gabriel Rivas - .302/.327/.342, 5 2B, 1 HR, 3 SB, 10 RBI
RF Ricardo Palacios - .274/.335/.321, 8 2B, 2 3B, 13 SB, 8 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Francisco Barajas - 9-11, 32 GS, 2.40 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 5.5 K%
RHP Israel Pastrana - 7-15, 23 GS, 2.85 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 6.2 K%
RHP Omar Xiu - 6-4, 10 GS, 2.16 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 4.8 K%
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overall a very fun, competitive first season. Statistically, things turned out pretty much how I wanted it to, though I noticed a couple of thigs I want to tweak for next year. In the next post we'll go over the award winners!

With the season over, let's take a look at who won the first set of Ullamaliztli Awards:

As is the theme with the league and the teams, the award names are in Nahuatl, so I will provide an explanation as to what each of the award names mean.

Tlatoani Award

Tlatoani typically means "the one who speaks", though it was also the name typically given to a ruler in many of the Nahuatl-speaking kingdoms of Mesoamerica. For this reason, some people have mistranslated the word to mean "ruler", though it comes from the root word tlahtoa, which itself is composed of tla- (something) and ihtoa (to say), literally to say something. So, I will also give the title of Tlatoani to the best player of a given season in the Ullamaliztli Namiqui.

As for the winner of the 1936 Tlatoani Award, look no further than this man:

https://i.imgur.com/36OMhiu.png

I mentioned Monterrosa as one of Mérida's top hitters this season and his season fully warranted an award. There were several interesting players in the running (I'll talk about them shortly) but here's why I ultimately gave the prize to Antonio:

Led the league in Hits (119), Total Bases (154), Slugging (.439) and Runs Created (48.43). 2nd place in RBI (41), Extra Base Hits (23), ISO (.100), wOBA (.381) and wRC+ (156.7) and 3rd place in AVG (.339). He played most of his innings at short (79 games) but also played 2B, 3B, CF and RF, having the highest Fielding Percentage of all qualified shortstops, as he made only 7 errors this season.

Overall, his offense was top of the line, and his defense might not have been the best according to Zone Rating but was still good enough. Both of these factors were key in Mérida's title-winning season, making SS Antonio Monterrosa the 1936 Ullamaliztli Tlatoani.

Other players I considered for the award were Guadalajara's 2B César Loaiza (more about him later) and Mérida's CF Celestino de la Rosa, who was the league's best offensive CF, leading the league in 3B (10), Runs Scored (50) and ISO (.111). Jaguares' 3B Rico Santistevan led the league in WAR, though his offense wasn't Tlatoani-level (9th in RBI, 13th in OPS) so I ultimately didn't consider him for MVP.

Atlatl Award

Átlatl means "extended arm" and is associated with Mexica spear-throwing instruments. With this short explanation, I hope the award name makes sense. I mean, surely this motion seems familiar:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...%C3%B3lica.jpg

So, who won the award?

https://i.imgur.com/6j7560e.png

Pérez was another player who was key as the Howlers won the title. Here are his credentials:
Led the league in winning percentage (70.8%) and tied 1st in shutouts (7). 2nd in wins (17) and ERA (1.76). 3rd in K/BB (1.77) and Quality Start % (84%). He was also 5th in WAR, 6th in strikeouts, 6th in FIP and was 1st in RA9-WAR.

His great pitching was fundamental for the championship so he earns the 1936 Atlatl Award.

Of course, there were other throwers who could have been considered for the award. Firstly, let's talk about the elephant in the room, the guy who was 1st in both ERA and WHIP: Puebla's Iván Moctezuma. The only reason why I didn't consider Moctezuma is of course because he is a reliever. He had a 7-3 record, pitched 109 innings in 35 games, making him qualified and with a 1.57 ERA and 0.96 WHIP could be considered the best pitcher in the league. Here's the thing, Pérez threw 215 innings, every pitcher who finished above Pérez in WAR threw at least 230 innings except for Tampico's Israel Pastrana who threw 192. The only other pitcher who I could have considered to take the award from Pérez is his teammate Roberto García who led the league with 4.8 WAR, but his ERA was more than 1 run higher despite starting just 3 more games than Pérez.

Moyaomamachtiani Award

Wow that's a long word. Well, according to the UNAM Nahuatl dictionary, it's the word for someone who's new in war so what better concept than that to use for the rookies of the league?

Now, it's the first season so who can be called a rookie anyways? Technically, everyone. For this reason, I limited the award to players 24 and under and he was the best one:

https://i.imgur.com/7tVG04f.png

There were only 13 U24 players who qualified (9 hitters and 4 pitchers). Out of these, Loaiza led in average (.347), slugging (.435), OPS (.818) and came second in stolen bases (10), RBI (30) and OBP (.383). Leaguewide, he of course won the batting title, leading in RC/27 (5.6), wOBA (.384), OPS and wRC+ (161.5). He was a contender for the Tlatoani award and it made sense to hand him the Moyaomamachtiani Award.

Other players who could come close were León's catcher Victor Albornoz and Mérida's catcher José Trujillo (their stats are in the last post).

Teyaotlani Award

Teyaotlani means warrior, battler or soldier, so here are the best offensive players by position:

P Miguel Cazares (Puebla) - .324/.343/.353, 2 2B, 10 RBI
C José Trujillo (Mérida) - .341/.381/.393, 9 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 39 RBI
1B Daniel Rivera (Puebla) - .299/.394/.363, 14 2B, 2 HR, 30 RBI
2B César Loaiza (Guadalajara) - .347/.383/.435, 15 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 30 RBI
3B Rico Santistevan (Jaguares) - .311/.342/.387, 13 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 30 RBI
SS Antonio Monterrosa (Mérida) - .339/.356/.439, 14 2B, 6 3B, 3 HR, 41 RBI
LF Andrés Suárez (León) - .292/.364/.391, 15 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 34 RBI
CF Celestino de la Rosa (Mérida) - .304/.383/.415, 9 2B, 10 3B, 2 HR, 31 RBI
RF Victor Barrios (Águilas) - .317/.374/.388, 9 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 25 RBI

Temanahui Award

Temanahui is the Nahuatl word for defender, so here are the best ones by position:

P Francisco Camacho (San Luis)
C Alfredo Hernández (Jaguares) - 72.7% of runners thrown out!
1B Miguel González (Águilas)
2B Antonio Sánchez (Jaguares)
3B Enrique Canul (Mérida)
SS Manuel Portillo (Puebla)
LF Andrés Suárez (León)
CF Jorge Ramírez (Puebla)
RF Antonio Tapia (Puebla)

So that's it for these year's awards! Next post will go over any offseason moves and rule/stats changes I make.

1937 Offseason

There were some important changes taking place over this last half-year.

Firstly, on the financial side. Every team made a boat load of money last year, with even Tampico bringing in profits of almost $140,000 for their owner, meanwhile players were only making $100 each. This of course angered players, who managed to negotiate $500 a year for the next 3 years. Following this period, players are free to negotiate with any club for any salary they want.

In exchange, players agreed they can be freely moved by their team to other teams in trade deals. The owners have set a trade "deadline" at the end of March.

The owners have also reached an agreement to expand roster sizes, going from 18 to 20. This will allow managers one more pitcher in the rotation as well as one more reliever. This will benefit pitchers, as their load will be reduced and they can go harder whenever it's their turn in the rotation or out of the bullpen. This will also prevent the likelihood of another "Iván Moctezuma for the Atlatl Award" situation happening.

With the amount of money floating around, businessmen have began to inquire about joining the league. People in large cities like Monterrey, Aguascalientes, Veracruz and Torreón might be wondering if they can get a team in the league.

An agent known as Diego Velázquez has been touting several Central American players to teams in the league, and a couple have already signed:

RHP Andrés Villalta - 23 y/o from San Salvador, El Salvador signed with Tampico
Andrés is a hard-working, hard-throwing pitcher who can be effective out of the bullpen.

C José Medina - 23 y/o from San Martín, El Salvador signed with San Luis
Medina is mostly known for his catching ability. He's unproven at this level and won't get a high average but makes hard contact whenever he manages to hit the ball.

LHP Arthur Barclay - 24 y/o from Belize City, Belize signed with Tampico
Tampico bolsters their bullpen even more with a lefty from the British Empire. Barclay is a solid pitcher and might be able to start games if he adds another pitch to his nasty fastball-curve combo.

There's another handful of them still available:

2B Esteban Xicay - 30 y/o from Coban, Guatemala
A veteran with a solid glove, his bat might not play at this level but he could be a solid contributor in a couple of teams.

2B Francisco Pineda - 28 y/o from Copan, Honduras
Pancho could become one of the best defensive second basemen in the league, though his bat is nothing to write home about.

C Ismael Zelaya - 30 y/o from Sonaguera, Honduras
A humble player, he's great behind the plate though there are questions about his strength. Another unproven bat from Central America, might not be good enough to play at this level.

3B Carlos Renderos - 26 y/o from Acajutla, El Salvador
The best of the whole bunch, Renderos got tired of dominating in the Salvadoran amateur circuit. His ability to see the ball and make good contact with it makes everyone wonder why he hasn't been signed yet. His defense at both third base and shortstop is remarkable to boot, highlighted by his ability to make a throw from anywhere on the field.

Next time up we'll see if any of them have signed and go over the preseason predictions. Thanks for reading!

It's April 2, 1937, which means it's time for the Season Preview!

Let's see what the experts think the standings will look like come July:

https://i.imgur.com/BQ77Thpl.png

They predict a 5-team race for first place, with León coming top of the group as their rotation powers them to their first championship. The Arrows should improve by around 7 games even if their offense is the 2nd worst in the league. Lefty Jonathan Estrada (proj. 1.89 ERA, 3.83 K/9) and righty Antonio Aguilar (1.98 ERA, 3.14 K/9) are set to be in the running for the Atlatl Award. Young reliever Pedro Ávila (2.00 ERA, 4.85 K/9) is thought to be the best relief thrower this year.

Mérida will give up the throne according to the experts, losing 8 more games than they did last season. They're still a very dangerous team, with CF Celestino de la Rosa (.315/.427/.425), SS Antonio Monterrosa (.307/.353/.398), RF Edwin Esparza (.288/.359/.391), RHP Jesús Pérez (2.08 ERA, 3.80 K/9) and LHP José García (2.00 ERA, 2.72 K/9) coming up in the top players list). Despite expert's predictions, Mérida are amongst many fans' favorites to repeat.

The Obsidians are another strong team on both sides of the ball, but their record is expect to remain largely the same. This is surprising as they also lay claim to several of the top players: 2B César Loaiza (.294/.349/.396), SS Ricardo Solorio (.307/.338/.394), RF José Mancilla (.280/.330/.369), RHP Faustino Campos (2.14 ERA, 3.96 K/9), RHP Jacinto Santos (2.40 ERA, 4.03 K/9) and LHP Carlos Casillas (2.43 ERA, 4.28 K/9).

Puebla and San Luis round out the group of contenders, with the Snakes losing one more game and the Tunas winning 6 more relative to last year. Top players for Puebla include 2B Fernando del Toro (.304/.374/.367) and RHP Rafael Sianez (2.07 ERA, 2.56 K/9) while San Luis only have LHP Francisco Camacho (1.77 ERA, 3.90 K/9).

Tampico should be the most improved team, winning around 9 more games than last year but still not enough to compete. Having LF Ricardo Palacios (.308/.373/.405) all season will be key for the team.

At the bottom of the table come both Mexico City teams, with the Jaguars and the Eagles getting worse by 5 and 7 games respectively. Jaguares still have 2B Antonio Sánchez (.295/.335/.361) but they still should be the 3rd worst offense as well as 2nd worst defense. Overall the worst team, the Eagles have their work cut out for them in order to avoid being last.

Let's see how the teams are doing after April 1937:

https://i.imgur.com/259lDWa.png

It's pretty tight all around, with Guadalajara leading the race early in the season. The Howlers are suffering from championship hangover and find themselves in 6th place. Let's break it down:

Obsidianas de Guadalajara

It's been a fantastic start for the Tapatíos, as they completed 3 sweeps this month. The team is 1st in both runs scored and runs allowed so they hope this run can continue for at least two more months.

Best batters:
2B César Loaiza - .398/.444/.548, 5 2B, 3 HR, 22 RBI, 2 SB, Hitter of the Month
SS Ricardo Solorio - .326/.388/.416, 1 3B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 2 SB
CF Raúl Pérez - .298/.348/.433, 5 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 11 SB

Rotation:
LHP Carlos Casillas - 7 GS, 1.75 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 10.5 K%, Pitcher of the Month
RHP Jacinto Santos - 6 GS, 1.86 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 11.4 K%
RHP Faustino Campos - 6 GS, 3.06 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 12.4 K%
RHP Roberto Olmos - 6 GS, 1.94 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 11.3 K%

Flechas de León

A great start has the Arrows as a close second to begin the season. This includes a series win against Guadalajara, though losing series against Puebla and San Luis keep them away from the top spot. If they continue or even improve this pace, it'll make for a very interesting title race.

Best batters:
C Victor Albornoz - .346/.407/.385, 3 2B, 6 RBI, 1 SB
1B Carlos Moya - .353/.389/.382, 1 2B, 3 RBI
3B Gustavo Ruiz - .267/.324/.396, 4 2B, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 5 SB

Rotation:
RHP Antonio Aguilar - 7 GS, 3.02 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 9.2 K%
RHP Luis Cruz - 6 GS, 1.93 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 9.0 K%
LHP Alejandro Carranza - 6 GS, 2.66 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 11.9 K%
LHP Jonathan Estrada - 6 GS, 3.59 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 9.5 K%

Tunas de San Luis

San Luis have started off great by winning 5 series, including two sweeps. Losing both series against Tampico means San Luis is in third place. They are the 2nd best offensive team and own the best rotation so this team has the potential to make it a 3 team race for the title.

Best batters:
LF Miguel Muñoz - .359/.393/.487, 4 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 2 SB
2B Francisco Escamilla - .286/.342/.514, 2 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI
C José López - .329/.382/.400, 2 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBI

Rotation:
LHP Francisco Camacho - 7 GS, 1.49 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 11.7 K%
RHP Roberto Mestre - 6 GS, 2.16 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 8.0 K%
RHP César Plascencia - 6 GS, 1.80 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 15.7 K%
RHP Luis García - 6 GS, 1.67 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 7.3 K%

Jaibas de Tampico

To the surprise of a few, the Northeast club is 4th and close to the top. They still have a ways to go on both sides of the ball if they want to truly compete, but don't count them out as dark horses this season.

Best batters:
LF Ricardo Palacios - .356/.456/.471, 5 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 7 SB
LF Abelardo Rivera - .382/.400/.471, 3 2B, 4 RBI
C Jonathan González - .289/.349/.395, 2 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Francisco Barajas - 13 GS, 1.19 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 12.0 K%
RHP Israel Pastrana - 6 GS, 2.03 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 11.9 K%
RHP Eulogio Martínez - 10 G, 3.34 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 12.9 K%
RHP Zenón Sandoval - 6 GS, 4.84 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, 10.2 K%

Jaguares de México

An uneffective offense has the Jaguars in midtable, though their pitching has been adequate. Their output must improve in order to improve on last season.

Best batters:
CF Armando Rodríguez - .323/.359/.458, 5 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 5 SB
2B Antonio Sánchez - .269/.321/.356, 2 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 6 SB
2B Mario Abeyta - .237/.318/.356, 1 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 2 SB

Rotation:
LHP Andrés Amaya - 7 GS, 2.98 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 9.4 K%
LHP Luis Helguera - 6 GS, 2.71 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 9.6 K%
RHP Nazario Román - 7 GS, 2.16 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 4.5 K%
LHP Iván Solano - 6 G, 2.23 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 7.5 K%

Aulladores de Mérida

The reigning champions went 8-4 to start the season, but then the wheels fell off. They're still a very capable team, perhaps victims of bad luck or bad timing (they've lost 9 games by 2 or less runs) so they'll be hoping for a May breakout.

Best batters:
LF Guillermo Cigarroa - .382/.400/.500, 6 2B, 1 3B, 7 RBI
SS Antonio Monterrosa - .382/.393/.409, 3 2B, 4 RBI, 5 SB
1B Santiago Salas - .287/.396/.362, 2 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 2 SB

Rotation:
RHP Jesús Pérez - 7 GS, 2.10 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 8.1 K%
LHP Roberto García - 6 GS, 3.94 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 7.3 K%
LHP José García - 6 GS, 3.75 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 8.9 K%
RHP Eulalio Sánchez - 6 GS, 2.30 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 7.7 K%

Serpientes de Puebla

It's been a rough start for the Snakes since they managed to win only 3 series this month. Their rotation has been the worst in the league and they've managed to score runs despite also being bottom in several offensive categories. Can they improve? Unlikely, but we'll see.

Best batters:
C Guillermo Mendez - .291/.356/.354, 2 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI
RF Antonio Tapia - .272/.310/.380, 4 2B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 1 SB
2B Fernando del Toro - .255/.330/.357, 1 2B, 3 HR, 11 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Rafael Sianez - 7 GS, 1.34 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 7.0 K%
LHP Miguel Cazares - 6 GS, 3.33 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 8.0 K%
RHP Martín Pérez - 1 GS, 2.49 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 11.9 K%
RHP Victor Villarroel - 6 GS, 6.35 ERA, 1.74 WHIP, 8.1 K%

Águilas de México

Tied at the bottom, the Eagles have collected lots of hits but not enough runs while having an ineffective throwing staff. Perhaps if they capitalize on the hits they've been getting, they can climb up the table.

Best batters:
LF Edwin Acosta - .366/.430/.394, 2 2B, 8 RBI, 1 SB
3B Luis García - .312/.377/.354, 2 2B, 7 RBI
RF Victor Barrios - .318/.355/.375, 5 2B, 6 RBI, 1 SB

Rotation:
RHP Ezequiel Anguiano - 6 GS, 3.74 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 11.9 K%
RHP Antonio Castañeda - 7 GS, 2.84 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 9.4 K%
LHP Leo Álvarez - 6 GS, 3.12 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 15.3 K%
RHP Jonathan Tirado - 6 GS, 3.60 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 8.0 K%
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Another interesting season start and another close race is starting to shape up. Let's see how the league pans out in two month's time!

With just one month left in the season, let's take a look at the standings after May 1937.

https://i.imgur.com/PyCJ97y.png

The competition is tighter than ever, with all teams within 10 games of first place. Mérida an Puebla have recovered tremendously, while San Luis and León had disappointing months. Tampico and both Mexico City clubs battle it out at the bottom but remain close to the fight.

I thought it might be fun to incorporate AI generated images into the fictional universe, so here are our players of the month:

https://i.imgur.com/hSPl7uV.jpeg

San Luis' Roberto Mestre wins pitcher of the month for the first time after a great May which saw his ERA go from 2.16 to 1.69.

https://i.imgur.com/eYUqjf9.jpeg

Despite being bottom of the league, Águilas have Victor Barrios who is now a 2x Hitter of the Month. His OPS went from .730 to .779 this month and he's 2nd in the race for the batting title.

Anyway, let's dive into the teams' performances this month:

Obsidianas de Guadalajara - 1st (NC), 14-12 in May
The team slowed down, though they still managed a winning month to remain 1st. Their offense has been average at best so far, but their pitching might be enough to carry them to a championship as they are 11-6 in one-run games.

Best hitters (Stats in May/Overall stats):
2B César Loaiza - .308/.339/.423, 4 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 1 SB - .350/.392/.482, 9 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 37 RBI, 3 SB
LF Oscar Valladolid - .303/.340/.360, 2 2B, 1 HR, 8 RBI - .255/.293/.321, 5 2B, 2 HR, 15 RBI
RF José Mancilla - .265/.299/.382, 7 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 8 RBI - .264/.308/.353, 9 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 18 RBI, 2 SB

Rotation:
RHP Jacinto Santos - 50.1 IP, 1.79 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 11.6 K% - 108.1 IP, 1.83 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 11.5 K%
LHP Carlos Casillas - 59.2 IP, 2.72 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 10.7 K% - 126.2 IP, 2.20 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 10.6 K%
RHP Faustino Campos - 56.1 IP, 2.88 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 10.6 K% - 106.1 IP, 2.96 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 11.4 K%
RHP Roberto Olmos - 42.2 IP, 2.32 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 14.0 K% - 93.2 IP, 2.11 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 12.6 K%

Aulladores de Mérida - 2nd (+4), 17-9 in May
A fantastic month has them in the middle of the race to defend their title. Seems like they've been cured of their Championitis and have also made a pair of trades to bolster the squad for the run. On the 17th they traded LF Carlos Cordova, who had only played 3 games for the Monkeys last season, in a move that got them RHP Jonathan Tirado and C Luis García from the Águilas. 3 days before the deadline, Mérida also sent the Eagles several prospects in SS Melquiades Espinoza (.429/.467/.536 in 19 games last year), C Jorge Velez and RHP Alfonso Simental to reinforce their second base with Octavio Torres (.272/.312/.340 in 132 games with the capital club).

Best hitters:
CF Celestino de la Rosa - .275/.448/.412, 3 2B, 4 3B, 12 RBI, 5 SB - .256/.399/.401, 10 2B, 6 3B, 1 HR, 25 RBI, 10 SB
C José Trujillo - .338/.349/.400, 2 2B, 1 HR, 13 RBI - .317/.345/.391, 3 2B, 3 HR, 27 RBI
1B Santiago Salas - .270/.333/.380, 5 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI - .278/.365/.371, 5 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 2 SB

Rotation:
RHP Jesús Pérez - 46 IP, 1.57 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 9.8 K% - 106 IP, 1.87 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 8.9 K%
LHP José García - 55.1 IP, 2.60 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 4.2 K% - 103.1 IP, 3.14 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 6.5 K%
LHP Roberto García - 56.1 IP, 2.56 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 9.8 K% - 102 IP, 3.18 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 8.6 K%
RHP Eulalio Sánchez - 44.1 IP, 1.62 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 8.4 K% - 99 IP, 2.00 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 8.0 K%

Serpientes de Puebla - 3rd (+4), 16-10 in May
Another team who had a great month of May, the Snakes went straight up the table as a result. They've become the 2nd best offense in the league and also made a couple of moves to aid their pitching situation. Puebla sent LF Miguel Arellano (.265/.306/.294 in 26 games last year) to Tampico, getting veteran RHP Eulogio Martínez (253.2 IP, 3.62 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 7.7 K% in 37 games with Tampico). One day later, they swapped LF Miguel Díaz, who made just 4 appearances with Puebla, for the Águilas' reliever Severino de León (26 IP, 2.42 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 11.7 K% this season).

Best hitters:
LF Héctor Ramírez - .295/.330/.453, 7 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 12 RBI - .277/.310/.398, 9 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 20 RBI
CF Jorge Ramírez - .324/.357/.426, 6 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 12 SB - .300/.329/.392, 10 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 18 RBI, 25 SB
1B Daniel Rivera - .286/.419/.345, 2 2B, 1 HR, 9 RBI - .253/.360/.303, 6 2B, 1 HR, 19 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Rafael Sianez - 51.1 IP, 1.05 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 7.2 K% - 111.2 IP, 1.21 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 7.1 K%
LHP Miguel Cazares - 44.2 IP, 2.22 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 9.1 K% - 93.1 IP, 2.80 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 8.5 K%
RHP Martín Pérez - 49.1 IP, 4.20 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 9.2 K% - 92.2 IP, 3.40 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 10.4 K%
RHP Victor Villarroel - 47.2 IP, 2.45 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 11.2 K% - 93 IP, 4.35 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 9.6 K%

Tunas de San Luis - 4th (-1), 11-15 in May
San Luis dropped off this month, only winning series against Guadalajara and Tampico. They're still 3rd in both runs allowed and scored though, with a 3-11 record in one-run games. They're still a good squad and will need to be consistent in order to compete.

Best hitters:
2B Max Braud - .330/.388/.330, 6 RBI, 1 SB - .305/.350/.342, 4 2B, 1 HR, 17 RBI, 2 SB
3B Carlos Renderos - .302/.362/.354, 3 2B, 1 3B, 7 RBI, 2 SB - .291/.341/.342, 6 2B, 2 3B, 13 RBI, 3 SB
1B Francisco Escamilla - .289/.312/.356, 1 HR, 6 RBI - .287/.326/.425, 2 2B, 3 HR, 10 RBI

Rotation:
LHP Francisco Camacho - 44.2 IP, 4.23 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 10.9 K% - 105 IP, 2.66 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 11.4 K%
RHP Roberto Mestre - 56.2 IP, 1.27 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 14.0 K% - 106.2 IP, 1.69 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 11.2 K%
RHP César Plascencia - 57 IP, 2.84 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 13.9 K% - 107 IP, 2.36 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 14.7 K%
RHP Luis García - 45.2 IP, 5.12 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 7.4 K% - 88.2 IP, 3.45 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 7.3 K%

Flechas de León - 5th (-3), 10-16 in May
A terrible 6 loss run towards the end of the month, with the resurgence of several teams, helped León drop to the middle of the pack. With one month left and in their current form, it might take a miracle for them to get close to the top again.

Best hitters:
1B Julio Pera - .316/.355/.439, 3 2B, 2 3B, 8 RBI, 1 SB - .333/.361/.396, 3 2B, 2 3B, 11 RBI, 2 SB
LF Andrés Suárez - .302/.364/.375, 4 2B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 2 SB - .283/.348/.380, 6 2B, 4 HR, 17 RBI, 2 SB
RF Manuel Gil - .296/.327/.398, 1 2B, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 5 SB - .293/.325/.370, 2 2B, 4 HR, 24 RBI, 7 SB

Rotation:
RHP Antonio Aguilar - 43.2 IP, 3.30 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 8.2 K% - 97.1 IP, 3.14 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 8.7 K%
LHP Alejandro Carranza - 42.2 IP, 3.16 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 10.6 K% - 90 IP, 2.90 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 11.3 K%
LHP Jonathan Estrada - 51.1 IP, 1.58 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 11.7 K% - 94 IP, 2.49 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 10.7 K%
RHP Luis Cruz - 42.1 IP, 4.04 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 10.4 K% - 89 IP, 2.93 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 9.6 K%

Jaguares de México - 6th (-1), 13-13 in May
The Jaguars had a good month, all things considered, winning 4 of their series this month. They might have 1st place in Batting WAR but are last in Runs Scored and will have to transform their talent into runs to help their decent pitching.

Best hitters:
RF Salvador Velázquez - .320/.387/.430, 3 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 4 SB - .244/.324/.305, 4 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 9 SB
C Alfredo Hernández - .320/.354/.440, 3 2B, 2 HR, 10 RBI - .281/.317/.366, 4 2B, 3 HR, 15 RBI
3B Rico Santistevan - .292/.351/.404, 4 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI - .275/.326/.371, 5 2B, 4 HR, 17 RBI

Rotation:
LHP Andrés Amaya - 50.2 IP, 2.49 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 7.3 K% - 111 IP, 2.76 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 8.5 K%
LHP Luis Helguera - 49.2 IP, 1.45 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 9.3 K% - 112.2 IP, 2.16 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 9.5 K%
RHP David Garza - 12 IP, 4.50 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 1.9 K% - 52.2 IP, 4.61 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 2.7 K%
RHP Nazario Román - 40 IP, 2.92 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 5.3 K% - 56.2 IP, 2.70 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 5.1 K%

Jaibas de Tampico - 7th (-3), 12-14 in May
Tampico won 12 games for the 2nd month in a row and are now 5 wins away from last year's tally. Despite the marked improvement, they're still the 2nd worst team in the league.

Best hitters:
LF Ricardo Palacios - .309/.393/.394, 5 2B, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 3 SB - .331/.424/.431, 10 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 16 RBI, 10 SB
3B Gabriel Rivas - .291/.322/.349, 2 2B, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 2 SB - .260/.297/.324, 2 2B, 3 HR, 18 RBI, 2 SB
CF Jesús Rodríguez - .284/.313/.347, 3 2B, 1 HR, 17 RBI, 6 SB - .249/.286/.312, 9 2B, 1 HR, 25 RBI, 12 SB

Rotation:
RHP Israel Pastrana - 46 IP, 2.15 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 10.9 K% - 103.2 IP, 2.08 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 11.4 K%
RHP Francisco Barajas - 55.1 IP, 2.11 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 10 K% - 78 IP, 1.85 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 10.5 K%
RHP Zenón Sandoval - 55 IP, 5.07 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, 9.9 K% - 103.1 IP, 4.96 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, 10 K%
RHP Eluogio Martínez - 47 IP, 1.91 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 9.5 K% - 109 IP, 2.72 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 11.5 K% (Has since been traded to Puebla)

Águilas de México - 8th (NC), 11-15 in May
The batting average leaders are struggling to win games and the team is set to be worst going into the near future as they traded away two decent pitchers and one of their best players. Long term, however, they might be great if they play their cards right as they currently have 5 prospects considered as Top 100 players for the future.

Best hitters:
3B David Herrera - .347/.392/.495, 5 2B, 3 HR, 12 RBI - .310/.368/.391, 6 2B, 3 HR, 18 RBI
2B Octacio Torres - .333/.408/.460, 6 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 8 RBI - .262/.305/.356, 10 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 16 RBI (Traded to Mérida)
RF Victor Barrios - .350/.420/.400, 5 2B, 10 RBI - .335/.390/.388, 10 2B, 16 RBI, 1 SB

Rotation:
RHP Ezequiel Anguiano - 53 IP, 2.89 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 11.6 K% - 98.2 IP, 3.28 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 11.8 K%
LHP Leo Álvarez - 45.2 IP, 2.96 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 11.9 K% - 97.2 IP, 3.04 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 13.7 K%
RHP Antonio Castañeda - 53.2 IP, 4.02 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, 8 K% - 110.2 IP, 3.42 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 8.7 K%
RHP Jonathan Tirado - 41.1 IP, 3.27 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 8.5 K% - 86.1 IP, 3.44 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 8.2 K% (Traded to Mérida)
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Another successful month and it's a tight race for the title. Will it remain this way or is Guadalajara (or perhaps another team) going to run away with it? Who'll be the award winners this year? All of that and more in the next update. Thanks for reading! Any comments appreciated!

The 1937 Ullamaliztli Namiqui season has come to an end, but who turned out on top?

3 different teams held the lead in this last month: León, Guadalajara and of course, San Luis. However, this was Guadalajara's title to lose, all season long. Coming into the last 2 series it was the club from Jalisco who held the lead. They lost the first game against Tampico, but bounced back to win the other 2 while San Luis piled on the pressure by sweeping Mérida. Now, San Luis has a game in hand due to rain on the 13th of June forcing a doubleheader to start the final series against León (44-36). Guadalajara faced Puebla (40-41) which were thought to be a weaker opponent than León, making them clear favorites to win it all. Of course, León could also win the series against San Luis and win it all.

The suspense wouldn't last long. San Luis swept the doubleheader while Guadalajara lost the first game to relinquish the lead. A 6-4 win against León the following day clinched the championship for San Luis, together with Guadalajara's 9-2 loss to Puebla.

https://i.imgur.com/6ft0Q7f.png

https://i.imgur.com/yxBmCCDm.jpeg

Your 1937 Champions: Tunas de San Luis!
Let's break it down:

Tunas de San Luis - 1st (+3), 23-10 to end the season
A wonderful resurgence in the last stretch allows San Luis to lift their first ever title! Only being outscored by Mérida and with the best pitching staff in the game, it's a deserved win for a team who came 6th last year.

Best hitters:
LF Miguel Muñoz - .307/.361/.406, 11 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 39 RBI, 5 SB
2B Max Braud - .315/.363/.360, 11 2B, 1 HR, 25 RBI, 4 SB
RF Roberto Hernández - .289/.323/.399, 11 2B, 3 3B, 4 HR, 36 RBI, 4 SB

Rotation:
RHP Roberto Mestre - 173.2 IP, 1.50 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 11 K%
LHP Francisco Camacho - 168.1 IP, 2.46 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 11.5 K%
RHP César Plascencia - 175.2 IP, 2.36 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 13.5 K%
RHP Luis García - 159.1 IP, 2.65 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 8.2 K%

Obsidianas de Guadalajara - 2nd (-1), 15-18 to end the season
The Jalisco press is already calling for Roberto Rodríguez to be fired after that finish. On top of that, the team only won one more game than last season. The second best defensive team was also the second worst offensive team at the end and they'll be hoping for better hitting and a championship next season.

Best hitters:
2B César Loaiza - .311/.346/.409, 12 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 49 RBI, 3 SB
SS Ricardo Solorio - .287/.335/.360, 11 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 22 RBI, 3 SB
CF Raúl Pérez - .275/.308/.386, 17 2B, 6 3B, 3 HR, 24 RBI, 28 SB

Rotation:
LHP Carlos Casillas - 189.1 IP, 2.14 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 12.3 K%
RHP Jacinto Santos - 169 IP, 1.97 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 12.6 K%
RHP Faustino Campos - 167.2 IP, 3.11 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 11 K%
RHP Hermenegildo Lomas - 29.1 IP, 3.38 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 12.8 K%

Flechas de León - 3rd (+2), 20-13 to end the season
A suitable finish considering their statistical output, though some fans might be expecting more after holding the lead at several points over this last month. They have a good team and should be right back in the fight for the title next year.

Best hitters:
LF Andrés Suárez - .280/.359/.390, 11 2B, 2 3B, 6 HR, 36 RBI, 2 SB
1B Julio Pera - .308/.353/.364, 5 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 18 RBI, 2 SB
CF Juan Negrete - .286/.340/.361, 20 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 16 RBI, 36 SB

Rotation:
RHP Antonio Aguilar - 155.1 IP, 3.19 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 7.4 K%
RHP Luis Cruz - 148.2 IP, 2.78 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 9.7 K%
LHP Jonathan Estrada - 146.1 IP, 2.21 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 11.6 K%
LHP Alejandro Carranza - 146.1 IP, 2.52 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 10 K%

Serpientes de Puebla 4th (-1), 17-16 to end the season
Despite losing 4 more games, Puebla was 3 games closer to the title this year. They were 3rd in runs scored but their pitching let them down big time. With veteran Miguel Cazares calling it quits, expect more changes to the rotation for next year.

Best hitters:
2B Fernando del Toro - .282/.355/.380, 9 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 35 RBI, 4 SB
CF Jorge Ramírez - .287/.307/.384, 15 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 25 RBI, 36 SB
LF Héctor Ramírez - .288/.327/.365, 11 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 30 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Rafael Sianez - 184.1 IP, 1.37 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 8.2 K%
RHP Eulogio Martínez - 164.2 IP, 3.22 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 11.1 K%
RHP Victor Villarroel - 111 IP, 3.89 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 10.8 K%
LHP Miguel Cazares - 163.2 IP, 3.13 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 8.7 K% (Retired at the end of the season)

Jaguares de México - 5th (+1), 19-14 to end the season
Another 5th place finish for them, this time winning 2 more games. All around improvement is needed though their stars are still relatively young.

Best hitters:
3B Rico Santistevan - .302/.353/.399, 10 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 32 RBI, 1 SB
RF Salvador Velazquez - .260/.345/.339, 9 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 34 RBI, 12 SB
CF Armando Rodríguez - .275/.305/.359, 17 2B, 2 2B, 2 HR, 24 RBI, 12 SB

Rotation:
LHP Andrés Amaya - 187 IP, 2.60 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 7.9 K%
LHP Luis Helguera - 178.1 IP, 2.02 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 8.7 K%
RHP David Garza - 115 IP, 4.23 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 5.2 K%
LHP Iván Solano - 106.2 IP, 2.62 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 7.8 K%

Aulladores de Mérida - 6th (-4), 12-21 to end the season
It was a disappointing end for the former defending champions, with them being the best offensive team and still having a decent rotation. Next year they're prime candidates for a bounce back into the title fight.

Best hitters:
CF Celestino de la Rosa - .299/.425/450, 19 2B, 11 3B, 1 HR, 42 RBI, 18 SB
1B Santiago Salas - .274/.363/.369, 9 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 25 RBI, 3 SB
SS Antonio Monterrosa - .318/.338/.375, 15 2B, 2 HR, 20 RBI, 11 SB

Rotation:
RHP Jesús Pérez - 163.2 IP, 2.31 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 9.7 K%
LHP Roberto García - 161 IP, 3.02 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 9.3 K%
LHP José García - 163 IP, 3.04 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 6.6 K%
RHP Jonathan Tirado - 155 IP, 3.25 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 7.8 K%

Jaibas de Tampico - 7th (NC), 12-21 to end the season
The club will be very happy to be out of the bottom of the table and with a 7 win improvement. Even so, there's still a long way to go before they can compete.

Best hitters:
LF Ricardo Palacios - .315/.387/.408, 13 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 30 RBI, 21 SB
2B Julio Ortiz - .294/.338/.338, 9 2B, 18 RBI, 2 SB
3B Gabriel Rivas - .277/.308/.323, 4 2B, 3 HR, 26 RBI, 5 SB

Rotation:
RHP Israel Pastrana - 176.2 IP, 2.14 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 10.8 K%
RHP Francisco Barajas - 142 IP, 2.03 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 12.7 K%
RHP Zenón Sandoval - 158 IP, 4.90 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 9.9 K%
LHP Miguel Zuñiga - 68 IP, 3.71 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 6.5 K%

Águilas de México - 8th (NC), 14-19 to end the season
The Eagles lost one more game and dropped into last place this season. Owner Israel López might grow impatient soon if things don't improve for the club.

Best hitters:
RF Victor Barrios - .332/.394/.401, 15 2B, 2 HR, 26 RBI, 1 SB
3B David Herrera - .317/.376/.395, 12 2B, 4 HR, 29 RBI
C José Canto - .331/.377/.392, 8 2B, 1 3B, 19 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Ezequiel Anguiano - 173.1 IP, 3.06 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 12 K%
RHP Antonio Castañeda - 168.1 IP, 3.42 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 9.4 K%
LHP Leo Álvarez - 156.1 IP, 3.57 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 11.5 K%
RHP Raúl Romero - 48.1 IP, 5.96 ERA, 2.21 WHIP, 4.5 K%
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The second season was a success, attendances and profits increased across the board. As a result, the league is set to expand in 2 years, when the first wave of Free Agents is released. More info to come. In the next post we'll go over the 1937 Award Winners!

Time for the 1937 Ullamaliztli Award Show!

Tatloani Award
https://i.imgur.com/gKYmmbym.jpeg

Mérida's CF Celestino de la Rosa wins his first Tlatoani Award! Here's his stats:

.299/.425/.450, leading the league in OBP, SLG and OPS.
19 doubles - 2nd
11 triples - 1st
18 stolen bases - 6th
42 RBI - 2nd

Last year a Mérida player won the award and this year another one takes it home. While Monterrosa was outstanding, leading the league in hits, there were other players with better outputs this year. Celestino drove in 16% of Mérida's runs this year, helping them to be the #1 run scoring team this year.

Runners up were the Águilas' RF Victor Barrios (.332/.394/.401) and Tampico's LF Ricardo Palacios (.315/.387/.408).

Atlatl Award
https://i.imgur.com/h1ZWFnWm.jpeg

Guadalajara's righty Jacinto Santos wins his first Atlatl Award! Here's the breakdown:
1.97 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 12.6 K%, being 4th in ERA and 5th in WHIP
Led the league in winning % (.800) with his 12 wins (3rd).
85 strikeouts - 4th
5 shutouts - 3rd
4.7 WAR - 1st

The Obsidians were at the top all season, coming in 2nd in Runs Allowed, with Jacinto allowing only 37 of the 215 runs the club allowed all season. He wasn't the best in any category, but he was the most consistent performer all season long leading to his 1st award.

Runners up were Puebla's Rafael Sianez (1.37 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 8.2 K%) and fellow Obsidian Carlos Casillas (2.14 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 12.3 K%).

Moyaomamachtiani Award
https://i.imgur.com/XPHzipQm.jpeg

There was not a lot of new guys to choose from this year, but San Luis' foreign import certainly stood out. Salvadoran 3B Carlos Renderos wins the 1937 Moyaomamachtiani Award! Here's his stats:

.280/.332/.337
93 hits - 10th
3 triples - 4th

As the only qualified rookie hitter, there was no clear competition for the award. Either way, his performance was pretty good and San Luis will be happy they took the chance on him.

Runners up were Mérida's Jonathan Tirado (9 GS, 2.71 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 8 K%) and Puebla's Victor Villarroel (14 GS, 3.89 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 10.8 K%).

Teyaotlani Award
https://i.imgur.com/wzhdeLwm.jpeg

P Iván Solano (JAG) - 1st, .333/.368/.333, 2 RBI
C Victor Albornoz (LEO) - 1st, .263/.340/.343, 8 2B, 4 HR, 28 RBI
1B Santiago Salas (MER) - 1st, .274/.363/.369, 9 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 25 RBI
2B César Loaiza (GDL) - 2nd, .311/.346/.409, 12 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 49 RBI
3B David Herrera (AGU) - 1st, .317/.376/.395, 12 2B, 4 HR, 29 RBI
SS Antonio Monterrosa (MER) - 2nd, .318/.338/.375, 15 2B, 2 HR, 20 RBI
LF Ricardo Palacios (TAM) - 1st, .315/.387/.408, 13 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 30 RBI
CF Celestino de la Rosa (MER) - 2nd, .299/.425/.450, 19 2B, 11 3B, 1 HR, 42 RBI
RF Victor Barrios (AGU) - 2nd, .332/.394/.401, 15 2B, 2 HR, 26 RBI

Temanahui Award
https://i.imgur.com/BqWM71Um.jpeg

P José García (MER) - 1st
C José Trujillo (MER) - 1st
1B Miguel González (MEX) - 2nd
2B Quirino Ek (MER) - 1st
3B Enrique Canul (MER) - 2nd
SS Rogelio Herran (SNL) - 1st
LF Edwin Acosta (AGU) - 1st
CF Armando Rodríguez (JAG) - 1st
RF Manuel Gil (LEO) - 1st

A great crop of players have been honored this year, next time up we'll look at the new crop of international free agents and whatever else goes on in the offseason.

1937 Offseason Recap

https://i.imgur.com/qyMbJeDl.jpg
Let's go over this offseason's moves, chronologically. I'll include commentary when relevant and, of course, little tidbits on the new players entering the league.

Tampico trades 3B Gabriel Rivas (.277/.308/.323 last year) to Guadalajara, in exchange of SS Javier Zayas (20/50, yet to debut). In the end, Guadalajara managed to keep Zayas as these teams made another trade just 3 months later which saw Zayas return to Jalisco alongside 30 year-old LHP Gabriel Rojo (50/50 RP, yet to bedut) for another prospect in 2B José Pérez (20/50).

Jaguares sign Belizean 2B Joe Hercules: 22 y/o, speedy and with an above average glove though his bat is average at best at this level. He won't make his debut with Jaguares though, with them trading him for Tampico RHP Ángel Urquidi (50/50 RP, yet to debut) in January.

Tampico trade 36 y/o RHP Mario Quesada (45/45 RP, yet to debut) for Jaguares 1B Joaquín González (.275/.292/.312 in 81 career games).

Jaguares trade LF José Palmerín (.269/.304/.316 in 96 career games) for Puebla's veteran RHP Iván Moctezuma (45 IP, 2.00 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 6.9 K% last year). With Palmerín still young and only getting better and Moctezuma in decline, this could be a lopsided trade for Puebla.

Guadalajara trade young 3B Ángel Ziranda (.249/.309/.302 in 99 career games) to Mérida, getting veteran 1B Efraín Cuxum (.189/.250/.297 in 40 career games) and young C Luis García (.160/.192/.160 in 9 career games) in return.

Tampico sign Guatemalan RHP Leopoldo Chavarría: the 24 year old thrower has a mean curveball that will make him effective if he can get it under control, his fastball doesn't move much and he'll get hit hard if he throws it in bad spots.

In what was probably the biggest move of the offseason, the 3rd place Flechas de León acquired the 1937 batting champion and two-times Teyaotlani Award winner, RF Victor Barrios (.332/.394/.401 last year) from the Águilas, giving up #7 prospect LF Carlos Carrillo (20/65, yet to debut). This move just might push León from title contenders to title favorites, with them coming a close 3rd last year.

Mérida sign RHP Fernando Pérez: the Michoacán native comes out of the amateur leagues with a great fastball-slider combo with average movement and control. His weird throwing technique, bending himself at an awkward angle so he releases the ball near the ground, has only been seen once before, in lefty Humberto Nieto (who we'll talk about in a bit). Pérez should be a solid but unspectacular pitcher in the league.

The champions had been quiet so far, but then went and got a great center fielder to replace an aging Guillermo Aceves (now in LF, .233/.278/.297 last year). Coming from Tampico is Jesús Rodríguez (.247/.285/.323 last year) while another CF in Alberto Campana (40/55, yet to debut) went the other way.

The capital clubs made a move sending C Jesús Serrano (.227/.250/.227 in 7 games) to the Águilas and LHP Mario Rodríguez (2.74 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 8.2 K%, 8 SV last year) to the Jaguares.

Tampico trade LHP Humberto Nieto (3 SV, 5.95 ERA, 1.70 ERA, 5.4 K% last year) to San Luis, getting speedy 2B prospect Alejandro López (20/45, yet to debut) in return.

León continue to bolster their championship chances, first by signing Salvadoran youngster RHP Juan González: the 23 year-old dominated the Salvadoran circuit with his curveball-changeup-cutter trifecta which he uses effectively to prevent home runs and walks. If he reaches full potential, he'll be a very effective pitcher for a handful of years in the league. He signs for the 2nd most expensive contract per year ($680), only behind fellow Salvadoran Carlos Renderos.

The Arrows made another splash by trading for San Luis' 2B Francisco Escamilla (.253/.277/.346 in 78 career games), but they had to give up effective reliever RHP Mariano Avelar (no runs allowed in 4 appearances, 1 SV) and young C Guillermo Meraz (20/60, yet to debut). Both León and San Luis continue to beef up their roster and will now be expected to compete for the top spot.

Guadalajara sign 3B Oscar Torres out of the Yucatán amateur league: A solid defender with a good arm, effective on the basepaths, a disciplined hitter who doesn't have the best technique but will hit it far whenever he makes contact. With the Obsidians trading for Gabriel Rivas earlier in the offseason, Torres will be given time to adapt to the league before being handed the starting role.

With lefty Miguel Cazares (2.67 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 7.7 K% in 44 career starts) retiring, Puebla had to reinforce their rotation and they got someone with championship experience by trading for LHP José García (3.04 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 6.6 K% in 21 starts last year). In exchange they sent prospects C Miguel de León (20/50, yet to debut) and 1B Enrique Pérez (35/60, yet to debut) to Mérida.

The Eagles were the worst pitching team last year. In a bid to change that, they signed RHP Eulalio Garza, fresh out of university in Nuevo León: the 23 year-old is an average pitcher, with a great changeup the highlight of his repertoire. If he's not careful Garza will give up a lot of homers.

Rogelio Herrán has been the starting SS in San Luis for 2 years now, is probably the best defender in the league, and is still only 26. That didn't stop the Tunas from signing a backup in Zacatecas' Almado Almaraz. Almaraz is a very athletic player, which will lead to above average defense and baserunning. His bat is average, but that's not a bad thing as he would be a starter on a couple other teams in the league.

With that, the 1938 season is almost ready to begin! Next time we'll go over the experts' predictions for how the teams will do.

Let's see what the experts predict for the 1938 Ullamaliztli Namiqui season!

https://i.imgur.com/xXIu4Zs.png

Mérida (40-44 last year) are favorites to reclaim their title, behind the likes of 1B Santiago Salas (.274/.363/.369, Teyaotlani last year), LF Celestino de la Rosa (.299/.425/.450, Tlatoani and Teyaotlani), SS Antonio Monterrosa (.318/.338/.375, Teyaotlani) and RHP Jesús Pérez (2.31 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 9.7 K%). You may have noticed the club has decided to move Celestino de la Rosa to left, having been the starting CF since the league began 2 years ago. He was never the best defender, but age is starting to catch up to him and his arm. The league's #4 prospect, 21 year old José Contreras, is expected to take on the starting role at center. Otherwise, their lineup is the same as the 1936 title winning lineup.

San Luis (48-36 last year) are expected to fight hard to keep their title, with new signing CF Jesús Rodríguez (.247/.285/.323) as well as title winning pitchers LHP Francisco Camacho (2.46 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 11.5 K%) and RHP Roberto Mestre (1.50 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 11 K%) as early contenders for awards. Miguel Muñoz (.307/.361/.406) is expect to make the move from LF to 1B after Francisco Escamilla was traded to León, while Guillermo Aceves (.233/.278/.297) will move from center to left to make space for Rodríguez.

Puebla (43-41 last year) will provide competition for the top spots, with a star-studded roster that includes players like 1B Mario Morales (.172/.274/.188 in 47 games last year) who's expected to break out in a big way, 3B Daniel Rivera (.264/.371/.306) and pitchers Rafael Sianez (1.37 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 8.2 K%), Martín Pérez (3.23 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 10.7 K%) and former Howler José García (3.04 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 6.6 K%).

After the top 3 contenders, competition is expected to drop off, with Jaguares de México (43-41 last year) the only other team above .500. RF Salvador Velázquez (.260/.345/.339 last year) and LHP Andrés Amaya (2.60 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 7.9 K%) are expected to carry the biggest loads this year. Their lineup remains almost identical, with 1B Efraín Armenta (.187/.275/.227) coming over from Tampico.

Guadalajara (46-38 last year) and León (45-39 last year) are not expected to compete, despite the talent on their rosters and their strong results last year. The Obsidians' 2B César Loaiza (.311/.346/.409, Teyaotlani) is the favorite for this year's Tlatoani award, with LHP Carlos Casillas (2.14 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 12.3 K%) and RHP Jacinto Santos (1.97 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 12.6 K%, Atlatl) in the running for the Atlatl Award. Oscar Valladolid (.261/.296/.322) is set to move from LF to 1B, taking over from "Memo" Villanueva (.243/.265/.319) who himself replaces RF José Mancilla (.261/.321/.343) who is being moved to LF. New signing Gabriel Rivas (.277/.308/.323) is expected to be the starting 3B.

Experts consider RF Andrés Suárez (.280/.359/.390) as the Arrows' only top player, despite them acquiring Victor Barrios (.332/.394/.401) this offseason. The Barrios signing makes Suárez move from LF to RF, with Manuel Gil (.275/.314/.350) moved to the bench. The aforementioned Francisco Escamilla (.266/.290/.357) takes the starting 1B spot from Julio Pera (.308/.353/.364).

After doing away with several of their top players, Águilas de México (35-49 last year) are expected to end up second to last. José Canto (.331/.377/.392 in 54 games) replaces an aging Octavio Nieves (.256/.320/.287 in 53 games) as starting backstop. Carlos Ramírez (.327/.335/.386 in 54 career games) takes over second base after the Octavio Torres trade. Melquiades Espinoza (.247/.274/.342 in 54 career games) replaces a 34 year old Carlos Castro (.221/.264/.258 in 49 games last year) in shortstop. Luis García (.291/.323/.347 in 87 career games) takes over in right from Victor Barrios.

Finally, Tampico (36-48 last year) is expected to be at the bottom once again, with only RHP Israel Pastrana (2.14 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 10.8 K%) expected to compete for awards. New signing Mario Abeyta (.239/.295/.352 in 49 career games) moves David García (.225/.274/.286 last year) over to short and Andrés Martínez (.259/.297/.316) over to the hot corner. Abelardo Rivera (.286/.312/.351) is expected to be the starting center fielder after the departure of Jesús Rodríguez.

That's the experts' take on the upcoming 1938 season, but I'm sure we'll see some surprises along the way. In the next update we'll look at April's results. Thanks for reading!

The opening month has come and gone, let's see how the teams did in April 1938:

https://i.imgur.com/a1iTZPI.png

The reigning champions are off to a hot start, but Puebla's right up against them. The competition is very tight, with all teams within 10 games after the first month and Tampico is probably the only non-competitor. 5 out of the 8 teams are above .500, with favorites Mérida just outside the top 5.

Let's break it down team by team:

Tunas de San Luis
https://i.imgur.com/s7pZGHcl.jpeg
San Luis are off to a good if somewhat inconsistent start, going 9-6 against teams over .500. Their pitching has been as usual, with only César Plascencia's ERA up by 2 whole runs compared to last year. Offensively, they are first in batting average, on base percentage and on base plus slugging.

Best hitters:
C José López - .355/.378/.395, 3 2B, 4 RBI
RF Roberto Hernández - .288/.368/.394, 5 2B, 1 3B, 10 RBI, 1 SB
LF Guillermo Aceves - .307/.311/.398, 2 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 3 SB

Rotation:
RHP Roberto Mestre - 4-2, 1.53 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 9.3 K%
LHP Francisco Camacho - 7-1, 1.46 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 11.8 K%, Pitcher of the Month (2x)
RHP César Plascencia - 2-3, 4.71 ERA, 1.74 WHIP, 8.7 K%
RHP Luis García - 3-2, 2.64 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 10.0 K%

Serpientes de Puebla
Puebla are tied in 1st place, but maybe are set to tumble down the order next month, considering they're 5-9 against teams over .500. Their underlying statistics are not the best but they're managing to be the #1 offense and #2 defense in the league, keeping this up despite their bad record against the better teams will surely keep them in contention.

Best hitters:
1B Mario Morales - .282/.388/.408, 4 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 8 RBI
2B Fernando del Toro - .305/.376/.390, 6 2B, 1 HR, 16 RBI
SS Manuel Portillo - .290/.347/.387, 3 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 2 SB

Rotation:
LHP José García - 3-3, 1.61 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 8.5 K%
RHP Rafael Sianez - 5-2, 2.45 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 10.1 K%
RHP Victor Villarroel - 3-1, 1.50 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 14.1 K%
RHP Martín Pérez - 3-2, 2.14 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 8.0 K%

Águilas de México
Not much was expected of this team, but they've managed to have a surprising month on the back of their pitching becoming great, going from a 3.43 last year to a 2.19 ERA so far this year. Their offensive numbers are bottom half and their defensive numbers are, too so perhaps they're set to regress next month.

Best hitters:
3B David Herrera - .358/.425/.368, 1 2B, 6 RBI, 1 SB
RF Luis García - .340/.370/.408, 3 2B, 2 3B, 6 RBI
2B Carlos Ramírez - .322/.351/.400, 3 2B, 2 3B, 7 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Ezequiel Anguiano - 5-3, 1.77 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 12.2 K%
RHP Eulalio Garza - 3-0, 1.43 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 8.1 K%
RHP Antonio Castañeda - 2-3, 2.72 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 11.4 K%
LHP Leo Álvarez - 2-1, 2.51 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 11.1 K%

Obsidianas de Guadalajara
The league's 3rd best offense find themselves at exactly .500 after a very inconsistent start. Their underlying numbers are top 3 for most categories, so be on the lookout for a May resurgence.

Best hitters:
1B Guillermo Villanueva - .352/.379/.462, 5 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 3 SB
LF Oscar Valladolid - .380/.400/.437, 4 2B, 8 RBI
2B César Loaiza - .308/.336/.421, 4 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 17 RBI, 1 SB

Rotation:
LHP Carlos Casillas - 5-2, 2.04 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 11.0 K%
RHP Jacinto Santos - 2-4, 2.80 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 12.2 K%
RHP Faustino Campos - 1-3, 3.77 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 10.7 K%
RHP Roberto Olmos - 4-2, 2.27 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 9.7 K%

Flechas de León
There was a lot of expectation on this team, considering the offseason deals they pulled off but now find themselves in the middle of the pack. They are the 5th best team at preventing runs and so are in 5th place, though their offense is struggling big time, with none other than new star Victor Barrios being the perfect example of the hitting going wrong so far this year. Barrios is hitting .179/.247/.231 and has been involved in all but 5 of the 26 games played so far. If their hitters can find their mojo again, we can expect this team to compete for the title.

Best hitters:
2B Francisco Escamilla - .360/.382/.535, 2 2B, 4 HR, 12 RBI, 1 SB
LF Andrés Suárez - .290/.377/.420, 4 2B, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 1 SB
C Victor Albornoz - .321/.418/.345, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 1 SB

Rotation:
RHP Antonio Aguilar - 2-2, 2.09 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 7.4 K%
LHP Jonathan Estrada - 2-3, 2.40 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 15.4 K%
RHP Juan González - 3-1, 1.83 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 10.9 K%
RHP Luis Cruz - 1-4, 3.05 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 11.3 K% (Replaced by LHP Alejandro Carranza: 2.52 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 10 K% last year)

Aulladores de Mérida
This team was expected to be competing for the championship, at least that was the experts' consensus before the season began. Their offense is living up to expectations as they are 2nd in runs scored but they have been let down by a pitching staff and defense that allows over 3 runs per game. Tightening up this side of their game should allow them to climb up the table.

Best hitters:
RF Edwin Esparza - .365/.411/.481, 7 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 16 RBI, 2 SB, Player of the Month
LF Celestino de la Rosa - .313/.414/.404, 5 2B, 2 3B, 8 RBI, 5 SB
1B Santiago Salas - .280/.368/.419, 4 2B, 3 HR, 15 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Jesús Pérez - 2-4, 3.32 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 9.5 K%
LHP Roberto García - 3-4, 2.11 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 8.5 K%
RHP Jonathan Tirado - 1-2, 5.71 ERA, 1.78 WHIP, 9.4 K% (Replaced by RHP Eulalio Sánchez: 2.30 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 8.7 K% last year)
RHP David Venegas - 4-1, 3.50 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 11.0 K% (Replaced by RHP Felipe Martínez: 1.62 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 10.1 K% in 16 IP last year)

Jaguares de México
They are fulfilling their expectations, are 7th in runs scored and 6th in runs allowed with their 0.89 bullpen ERA the only bright spot this year. The Jaguars remain only 4.5 games back but will probably stay in 7th all season long.

Best hitters:
SS Omar Morales - .410/.456/.506, 2 2B, 3 3B, 7 RBI, 1 SB
RF Salvador Velázquez - .282/.404/.353, 4 2B, 1 3B, 7 RBI, 5 SB
CF Armando Rodríguez - .275/.315/.382, 11 2B, 6 RBI, 4 SB

Rotation:
LHP Andrés Amaya - 3-4, 2.97 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 8.8 K%
RHP David Garza - 2-4, 2.86 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 9.2 K%
RHP Angel Urquidi - 2-3, 2.72 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 8.4 K%
LHP Luis Helguera - 2-3, 4.53 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 4.6 K% (Replaced by RHP Mario Quesada: 36 y/o rookie, acquired last August from Tampico)

Jaibas de Tampico
Their mediocre offense (5th) can't keep up with a pitching staff and defense that allow almost 4 runs per game, despite being 2nd in strikeouts. Their Zone Rating and Defensive Efficiency are very low despite being the team that makes the least errors. Expect another bottom 2 finish from this team.

Best hitters:
1B Julio Ortiz - .427/.447/.490, 6 2B, 13 RBI, 1 SB
RF Ulises Dueñas - .343/.387/.471, 3 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 4 SB
SS Andrés Martínez - .368/.392/.453, 2 2B, 2 HR, 13 RBI, 1 SB

Rotation:
RHP Francisco Barajas - 3-1, 2.17 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 10.4 K%
RHP Israel Pastrana - 1-4, 3.82 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 12.5 K%
RHP Zenón Sandoval - 0-3, 5.21 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 10.9 K%
LHP Miguel Zúñiga - 1-4, 5.18 ERA, 2.02 WHIP, 6 K%
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It's been exciting, as usual in this league. The offensive and pitching numbers are at the level I want them at, with teams rarely scoring double digits (even upwards of 6 runs in a single game is a feat), making for what I think is exciting baseball with close games and tight races throughout the year. I'm figuring out how to get younger players into the league, and will probably add an "academy" league and a reserve league in the near future, along with other cool plans I have so stay tuned!

Here are the results from May 1938:
https://i.imgur.com/DcK4GjF.png

San Luis grow strong with an even better May, turning a tight start into what is essentially now a one-horse race. Puebla and Guadalajara have what it takes to keep it close but the Prickly Pears' consistency will make it very hard to catch up.

Here's the breakdown (player stats are May only):

Tunas de San Luis - 1st (NC), 19-6 in May, 13-2 vs teams above .500 at the beginning of the month
What a month it was for the Potosí team, sweeping the Eagles twice and both Guadalajara and León once. Their strong pitching makes them the 2nd best at preventing runs while a well rounded lineup makes them 3rd in runs scored. Once again, the title is within eyesight except this year it is not them who are doing the chasing.

Best hitters:
1B Carlos Mendoza - .342/.415/.384, 1 2B, 1 3B, 7 RBI, 1 SB
SS Rogelio Herrán - .322/.365/.422, 6 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 3 SB
LF Guillermo Aceves - .311/.347/.411, 3 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 10 SB

Rotation:
RHP Roberto Mestre - 5-0, 1.35 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 9.1 K%, Pitcher of the Month
RHP César Plascencia - 3-2, 1.67 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 13.7 K%
LHP Francisco Camacho - 3-1, 1.66 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 14.7 K% (strained his left rotator cuff in his last start, replaced by LHP Roberto Bañuelos: 1.15 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 8.7 K%, 2 SV this year)
RHP Luis García - 2-2, 2.70 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 6.5 K% (Replaced by RHP Juan Rocha: 1.71 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 9.5 K%, 11 SV last year)

Serpientes de Puebla - 2nd (NC), 14-11 in May, 6-10 vs teams above .500 at the beginning of the month
Overall an alright month for Puebla, at least keeping them in the chase, but they didn't win the games that matter the most and now have their work cut out for them. The Snakes remain as the best offensive team in the league but are 3rd at preventing runs. To address this, they acquired RHP Antonio Aguilar from León in exchange of 2B prospect José Beas a couple days before the deadline. The 31 year-old pitcher was reportedly unhappy with the move as he is now forced to move out of his hometown of León, but has publicly stated he's ready to win the title with Puebla.

Best hitters:
LF Héctor Ramírez - .367/.398/.506, 8 2B, 1 HR, 8 RBI
3B Daniel Rivera - .322/.408/.467, 5 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 1 SB
2B Fernando del Toro - .295/.398/.443, 7 2B, 2 HR, 10 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Victor Villarroel - 2-4, 2.15 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 18.9 K%
LHP José García - 2-2, 2.78 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 12.6 K%
RHP Rafael Sianez - 3-2, 2.76 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 8.7 K%
RHP Eulogio Martínez - 3-2, 1.64 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 10.1 K% (Also appared in 9 games outside of his 6 starts, was moved to the bullpen once more following the trade for Aguilar)

Obsidianas de Guadalajara - 3rd (+1), 15-10 in May, 9-4 vs teams above .500 at the beginning of the month
Guadalajara's top pitching and defense continue to impress as the move up a spot and could be considered as "dark horse" contenders. Their offense seems to be just middle of the road despite having several top players. It seems like an Obsidians player is set to win the batting title for the 2nd time in 3 years (Oscar Valladolid: .413).

Best hitters:
LF Oscar Valladolid - .436/.452/.505, 4 2B, 1 HR, 11 RBI, Player of the Month
RF Guillermo Villanueva - .278/.305/.354, 4 2B, 1 3B, 3 RBI, 1 SB
C Eliseo Rodríguez - .260/.308/.342, 3 2B, 1 HR, 8 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Jacinto Santos - 2-1, 1.51 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 11.5 K%
LHP Carlos Casillas - 3-1, 2.02 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 12.4 K%
RHP Faustino Campos - 4-2, 1.68 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 11.8 K%
RHP Roberto Olmos - 2-2, 0.93 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 12,6 K%

Flechas de León 4th (+1), 12-14 in May, 5-10 vs teams above .500 at the beginning of the month
The Arrows didn't have a good month and managed to climb a spot, though this is more due to the Eagles having a worse month. The team is 6th in runs scored, with only Francisco Escamilla delivering star-level performances, and 5th in runs allowed, but trading away Antonio Aguilar could hurt them in this regard. At 10 games back, don't expect to compete this coming month.

Best hitters:
RF Victor Barrios - .317/.391/.341, 1 2B, 7 RBI
RF Manuel Gil - .293/.310/.402, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 3 SB
2B Francisco Escamilla - .314/.339/.371, 3 2B, 1 HR, 14 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Juan González - 4-0, 2.34 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 8.2 K%
LHP Jonathan Estrada - 1-3, 3.48 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 10.4 K%
LHP Alejandro Carranza - 1-1, 1.15 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 13.8 K%
RHP Antonio Aguilar - 1-4, 4.31 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 9.5 K% (Traded to Puebla, replaced by RHP Luis Cruz: 3.38 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 10.2 K% in 14 G, 10 GS)

Jaguares de México - 5th (+2), 12-14 in May, 7-12 vs teams above .500 at the beginning of the month
Average pitching and below average offense mean Jaguares are set for a 3rd consecutive 5th place finish. They have several interesting players and are 4th in Batting WAR, but for some reason that talent hasn't translated into runs.

Best hitters:
CF Armando Rodríguez - .327/.336/.491, 5 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 18 RBI, 1 SB
RF Salvador Velázquez - .282/.336/.369, 7 2B, 1 3B, 9 RBI, 3 SB
C Alfredo Hernández - .288/.342/.315, 2 2B, 6 RBI

Rotation:
LHP Andrés Amaya - 5-2, 1.89 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 9.8 K%
RHP David Garza - 1-5, 2.44 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 5.6 K%
RHP Ángel Urquidi - 3-1, 1.88 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 8 K%
RHP Mario Quesada - 1-4, 2.28 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 5.6 K%

Águilas de México - 6th (-3), 9-18 in May, 4-11 vs teams above .500 at the beginning of the month
As predicted last month, the Eagles regressed hard with them being the worst team at allowing runs and an offense that's just below average. They're far from contenders at this point and should focus on building up for next season.

Best hitters:
RF Luis García - .347/.379/.388, 4 2B, 6 RBI, 2 SB
LF Edwin Acosta - .247/.344/.358, 6 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 1 SB
C José Canto - .231/.294/.282, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Eulalio Garza - 2-2, 2.49 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 11.2 K%
RHP Ezequiel Anguiano - 1-3, 4.01 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 13.3 K%
LHP Leo Álvarez - 2-4, 3.35 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, 5.7 K%
RHP Antonio Castañeda - 3-2, 3.13 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 10.3 K%

Aulladores de Mérida - 7th (-1), 11-15 in May, 8-9 vs teams above .500 at the beginning of the month
The league's first champions have fallen hard and it seems like another bottom half finish is on the cards. They're still the 2nd best offense but are 6th in allowing runs, so I wouldn't expect them to compete unless their pitching improves next year.

Best hitters:
LF Celestino de la Rosa - .291/.351/.388, 10 2B, 13 RBI, 3 SB
3B Enrique Canul - .239/.280/.432, 3 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 11 RBI
CF José Contreras - .292/.315/.358, 6 2B, 1 3B, 7 RBI, 8 SB

Rotation:
RHP Jesús Pérez - 2-3, 2.96 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 7.8 K%
LHP Roberto García - 1-6, 2.01 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 10.9 K%
RHP Felipe Martínez - 3-3, 2.45 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 4 K% (Replaced by RHP Jonathan Tirado: 5.71 ERA, 1.78 WHIP, 9.4 K% in 6 starts)
RHP Eulalio Sánchez - 3-2, 3.52 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 10.9 K% (Replaced by RHP David Venegas: 3.50 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 11 K% in 6 starts)

Jaibas de Tampico 8th (NC), 11-15 in May, 6-11 vs teams above .500 at the beginning of the month
What is there left to say about this team? They're 8th in runs scored and 6th in runs allowed, perhaps the soon-to-come debut of #1 prospect RHP Rogelio Hernández can turn this team around in the near future.

Best hitters:
1B Julio Ortiz - .308/.351/.363, 5 2B, 10 RBI, 1 SB
SS Andrés Martínez - .258/.271/.323, 3 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 1 SB
C Jonathan González - .232/.274/.319, 2 2B, 2 3B, 4 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Francisco Barajas - 1-5, 2.91 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 10.8 K%
RHP Israel Pastrana - 3-2, 1.31 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, 11.3 K%
RHP Zenón Sandoval - 2-4, 5.44 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 5.8 K%
LHP Miguel Zúñiga - 3-2, 2.12 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 11 K%
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There's a month and 6 games left in the season. San Luis are clear favorites for the title, with a pair of teams that might be able to surprise. Next time we'll go over the end of season results. Thanks for reading!

The 1938 Season has come to an end, and before we see how the teams did, there's some exciting news I missed last month:

Rookie tosses league's first no-hitter!
https://i.imgur.com/OCQWwsZl.png
May 14th, 1938 - Mexico City

It was a cloudy afternoon at Parque Huitzilopochtli, as the Águilas faced the Aulladores de Mérida. On the mound for the home team was Eulalio Garza, a 23 year-old who joined the team this offseason after playing for his university team in Nuevo León. The rookie was pitching to an ERA of 2.44, but was coming off a terrible game against León where he allowed 10 runs on 14 hits. That evening though, 4,780 people would witness history.

Facing one the best lineups in the league, Garza retired 13 Howlers in a row before losing the perfect game after 4 and a third, by hitting Guillermo Cigarroa. The Mérida left-fielder stole second with 2 outs and Quirino Ek hit it hard and deep to center but César Porras managed to get to the ball. One inning later, Garza allowed the second baserunner of the game after giving up a 7-pitch walk to Enrique Canul. A foul-bunt strikeout and a double play got Garza out of the sixth without giving up a hit. Antonio Monterrosa led off the 7th with Garza's second walk of the game, but he was caught stealing and the defense got two more outs. The last three outs were easy flyballs, with Garza hugging catcher José Canto after his 97th pitch ended up in Isaac Mendez' glove for the final out.

It was a great achievement for Garza and the Águilas, and he publicly thanked the other 7 players behind him and specially the one in front. With only 5 strikeouts, 8 ground outs (1 double play), 12 flyouts and 1 caught stealing, the defense had a lot do with Garza becoming the first pitcher to allow no hits over a complete game.*

*Extra-temporal side note: San Luis pitcher Juan Rocha allowed no hits, no walks and struck one batter out in a called game on June 10th, 1938. San Luis were winning 2-0 in the 6th when the game became unplayable due to the rain, making it an official game. Since he didn't even pitch long enough for it to be considered a Quality Start, much less a complete game, this will just be one of those "did you know" type factoids in the league's history.

Now, let's see who won the 1938 Ullamaliztli Title:

https://i.imgur.com/2KM3wyP.png
To nobody's surprise, the Tunas de San Luis managed to hold on to their lead, clinching the title on July 1st, after defeating Puebla 2-1 in a game where Carlos Renderos' line drive to left-center with players on first and third meant the title for San Luis. Puebla kept it as close as possible but never really threatened San Luis and they were 5 games apart going into that all-important San Luis vs Puebla series. Other than that, no other team really challenged for the title and the Tunas win their 2nd one in a row!

Here's the breakdown for every team (stats are for the entire season):

Tunas de San Luis - 1st (NC), Last year: 1st (48-36), 19-14 in the final stretch
https://i.imgur.com/fKy5NbEl.jpg

There wasn't a more consistent team on all sides of the ball than San Luis this year, and it shows given their 6 win improvement relative to last year. They ended up being the 2nd best offense, despite none of their players hitting at a Tlatoani level. Their all around talent showed however, with only 3 of their players being below average (OPS+) and 1B Daniel Aguirre being the most involved out of the bunch (45 games, 7 starts, 68 at bats: .227/.235/.227). It was their pitching that shone the brightest, allowing 2.3 runs per game (1st in the league). Both Roberto Mestre and Francisco Camacho are top candidates for the Atlatl Award.

In a very surprising move, Ricardo Martínez has decided to move on from the club, following a half-million dollar offer from businessman Oscar Juárez. The Salamanca, Guanajuato native has made his money from the booming agriculture industry in his native state of Guanajuato. He's expected to keep the budgets where they are, while keeping a balanced, patient, hands-off approach to running the two-time Champions.

Best hitters:
OF Guillermo Aceves - .283/.305/.379, 9 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 27 RBI, 19 SB
LF Miguel Muñoz - .277/.318/.356, 13 2B, 3 HR, 31 RBI
RF Roberto Hernández - .259/.322/.349, 8 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 26 RBI, 4 SB

Rotation:
RHP Roberto Mestre - 13-4, 1.31 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 10.5 K%
LHP Francisco Camacho - 10-2, 1.53 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 12.9 K%
RHP César Plascencia - 10-8, 2.60 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 12 K%
LHP Roberto Bañuelos - 21 G, 8 GS, 5-4, 2.76 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 9.7 K%, 2 SV

Serpientes de Puebla - 2nd (NC), Last year: 4th (43-41), 17-16 in the final stretch
After last year's finish, Puebla will be happy to be back in 2nd place though perhaps disappointed as they race could have been closer. This team was the best offensive team in the league, as well as leaders in OBP, OPS, WAR, wOBA and HR. Their pitching was great, allowing the 2nd least runs in the league and was helped by a defense that made the least mistakes. There's a lot of talent in this squad, and with 1939 being the last year of the league as we know it, they might be all in for next year.

Best hitters:
2B Fernando del Toro - .318/.394/.447, 20 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 45 RBI
1B Mario Morales - .284/.376/.427, 10 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 29 RBI, 2 SB
LF Héctor Ramírez - .285/.338/.402, 15 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 33 RBI, 1 SB

Rotation:
RHP Victor Villarroel - 9-8, 1.85 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 17.6 K%
RHP Antonio Aguilar - 6-8, 2.80 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 7 K%
RHP Rafael Sianez - 10-8, 2.43 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 9.7 K%
LHP José García - 10-9, 2.77 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 9.4 K%

Obsidianas de Guadalajara - 3rd (NC), Last year: 2nd (46-38), 18-15 in the final stretch
Not a bad season for Guadalajara as they finish with the same record as last year. Their pitching and offense continues to be good, the only issue here is that there's better in the league. The talent is there, so it might be a question of finding consistency throughout the season before a Championship comes to Guadalajara.

Best hitters:
LF Oscar Valladolid - .395/.419/.452, 14 2B, 1 HR, 31 RBI, 118 H
1B Guillermo Villanueva - .305/.328/.397, 13 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 15 RBI, 5 SB
CF Raúl Pérez - .244/.281/.320, 11 2B, 5 3B, 2 HR, 20 RBI, 33 SB

Rotation:
RHP Jacinto Santos - 9-6, 2.13 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 13 K%
LHP Carlos Casillas - 10-9, 2.32 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 11.7 K%
RHP Faustino Campos - 10-8, 2.71 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 9.9 K%
RHP Roberto Olmos - 10-5, 1.87 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 10.5 K%

Jaguares de México - 4th (+1), Last year: 5th (43-41), 21-12 in the final stretch
It was only a handful of batters that carried Jaguares to a 4th place finish, as the team came in 3rd for batting WAR and 1st in Zone Rating, but 5th overall in runs scored and 4th in runs against. Their rotation was alright, with Andrés Amaya leading the league in innings pitched, but there are definitely areas for improvement ahead of next season.

Best hitters:
RF Salvador Velázquez - .298/.372/.371, 15 2B, 4 3B, 25 RBI, 10 SB
CF Armando Rodríguez - .297/.317/.407, 17 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 41 RBI, 7 SB
SS Omar Morales - .306/.342/.375, 8 2B, 6 3B, 20 RBI, 13 SB

Rotation:
LHP Andrés Amaya - 14-8, 2.14 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 8.9 K%
RHP David Garza - 8-11, 2.63 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 8.2 K%
RHP Ángel Urquidi - 10-6, 2.20 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 7.8 K%
LHP Mario Rodríguez - 3-6, 36 G, 2 GS, 10 SV, 1.83 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 11.3 K%

Flechas de León - 5th (-1), Last year: 3rd (45-39), 16-16 in the final stretch
This can be called a disappointing season for León, given the big moves made in the offseason. They led the league at a couple points early in the season, but fell hard at the end of april and never recovered. Their stars had bad years, with only new signing Francisco Escamilla and star catcher Victor Albornoz getting OPS's higher than last season. Perhaps this season was a fluke and we'll see León's true talent shine through next season.

Best hitters:
1B Francisco Escamilla - .307/.336/.406, 12 2B, 6 HR, 39 RBI, 2 SB
C Victor Albornoz - .282/.362/.369, 7 2B, 5 HR, 21 RBI, 3 SB
CF Juan Negrete - .276/.306/.383, 15 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 30 SB

Rotation:
LHP Alejandro Carranza - 6-5, 1.67 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 14.1 K%
LHP Jonathan Estrada - 7-7, 2.73 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 13.4 K%
RHP Juan González - 9-4, 3.14 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 10.2 K%
RHP Luis Cruz - 6-10, 3.47 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 9.9 K%

Águilas de México - 6th (NC), Last year: 8th (35-49), 14-18 in the final stretch
The team's manager Alejandro Elías retired after slightly improving on last year's record, his final record was 108-144 and this year's 6th place finish was his best ever. The club's directors while now be looking for a new man to run this bare-bones squad.

Best hitters:
LF Edwin Acosta - .280/.346/.366, 9 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 24 RBI, 3 SB
RF Luis García - .308/.340/.357, 12 2B, 2 3B, 23 RBI, 3 SB
CF Reynaldo Caratachea - .243/.279/.336, 12 2B, 5 3B, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 7 SB

Rotation:
RHP Eulalio Garza - 6-8, 2.62 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 10.2 K%
RHP Ezequiel Anguiano - 8-10, 3.11 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 11.7 K%
LHP Leo Álvarez - 8-7, 2.87 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 10.4 K%
RHP Antonio Castañeda - 10-7, 3.06 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 11.2 K%

Aulladores de Mérida - 7th (NC), Last year: 6th (40-44), 14-18 in the final stretch
It's impressive how a team this talented can go from Champions, winning 55 games, to almost last place with 18 less wins in just two years. Considering this team was 3rd in runs scored, as well as top 2 in several other offensive categories, they really only have their pitching and defense to blame. This team came 6th in runs against and starters ERA, 7th in defensive efficiency, 5th in Zone Rating and errors, overall not their best year on the defensive side of the game. Perhaps it's time they sacrifice some offensive power for defensive stability?

Best hitters:
RF Edwin Esparza - .311/.353/.394, 12 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 30 RBI, 3 SB
LF Celestino de la Rosa - .287/.353/.372, 19 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 29 RBI, 10 SB
SS Antonio Monterrosa - .324/.349/.374, 13 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 24 RBI, 2 SB

Rotation:
RHP Jesús Pérez - 7-9, 2.82 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 9.9 K%
LHP Roberto García - 7-12, 2.18 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 9.1 K%
RHP Jonathan Tirado - 3-6, 4.47 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 8.4 K%
RHP Felipe Martínez - 3-4, 2.77 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 5 K%

Jaibas de Tampico - 8th (NC), Last year: 7th (36-48), 11-21 in the final stretch
It seems GM Sergio Mora has gotten tired of the way the club is going, considering the decision not to renew any of the coaching staff's contracts for next year. Perhaps Tampico isn't the most talented squad, but overall they seem to have more talent than what they've shown in the league's 3 years. Hopefully the new manager and his staff can drag the team out of the bottom 2.

Best hitters:
1B Julio Ortiz - .310/.350/.350, 12 2B, 30 RBI, 2 SB
RF Ulises Dueñas - .266/.317/.336, 8 2B, 3 HR, 18 RBI, 9 SB
CF Nicolás Zúñiga - .280/.315/.325, 13 2B, 1 3B, 11 RBI, 38 SB

Rotation:
RHP Francisco Barajas - 6-10, 2.62 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 10.7 K%
RHP Israel Pastrana - 7-9, 2.60 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 11 K%
RHP Zenón Sandoval - 4-14, 4-35 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 9.4 K%
LHP Miguel Zúñiga - 5-11, 3.94 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, 7 K%
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Maybe the race wasn't as exciting this year, but it still was a very interesting year of ball game. There seem to be some teams trending up, some down but it all might change next year when The Big Free Agency happens. As a reminder, 2 years ago players made barely over $100 per season while teams made profits of well over $100k, so they negotiated for $500 contracts and freedom to negotiate after the 1939 season. There's also some big personnel moves for the first time, so next year will be a very interesting one to watch!

I'll also take this space to highlight the best retiree of the season:

RHP Iván "Tatán" Moctezuma
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...c_%2813%29.jpg
Born in the small town of Tezontepec, Hidalgo (pop. just over 6k), Iván found a way onto the Serpientes de Puebla roster which at the time had collected the best talents the east of Mexico had to offer. At 36 years old, he was a part of the rotation which back then also appeared in relief. The following year, Moctezuma was moved to relief duties, but also started a handful of games. At 38 years old, he was traded to Jaguares for LF José Palmerín, but didn't pitch in a single game and retired. Moctezuma was convinced by former manager Francisco Herrera to stay in the game, and he now hopes to fill one of the two open management spots.

Some say he was robbed of the 1936 Atlatl Award, considering he was dominant on the mound and led the league in ERA and WHIP that year. The counter-point is that while Jesús Pérez had slightly worst numbers (1.76 ERA, 1.16 WHIP), he got those numbers pitching in almost double the innings that Moctezuma threw.

1936 - 35 G, 21 GS, 2 SV, 109 IP, 1.57 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 6.3 K%, 3.9 BB%, 2.39 FIP, 5.54 SIERA, 1.7 WAR
1937 - 31 G, 7 GS, 7 SV, 45 IP, 2.00 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 6.9 K%, 10.6 BB%, 3.09 FIP, 6.16 SIERA, 0 WAR
Career - 66 G, 28 GS, 9 SV, 154 IP, 1.69 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 6.5 K%, 6 BB%, 2.60 FIP, 5.73 SIERA, 1.7 WAR

In his short pro career, "Tatán" left a mark on the game, as it was the 1936 Atlatl Award debacle that led to the expansion of the rotation and bullpen the year after. Puebla fans will remember him as one of the best players of the league's first season and he'll hope to forge a new career as a manager now.

Time for the 1938 Ullamaliztli Award Show!

Tlatoani Award
https://i.imgur.com/gKYmmbym.jpeg

Puebla's 2B Fernando del Toro wins his first Tlatoani Award! Here's his stats:

.318/.394/.447, making him 3rd for AVG, as well as 2nd for OBP and SLG
20 doubles - 1st
1 triple
6 homers - 2nd
45 RBI - 1st
5 WAR - 1st

Nobody this year contributed more on both sides of the ball than del Toro, with the only comparable offensive performance being that of Guadalajara LF Oscar Valladolid. However, del Toro was also solid defensively, making him the best candidate for the award this year.

Runners up were Guadalajara's LF Oscar Valladolid (.395/.419/.452) and San Luis' RHP Roberto Mestre (1.31 ERA, 0.90 WHIP).

Atlatl Award
https://i.imgur.com/h1ZWFnWm.jpeg

To go along with his second ring, San Luis' Roberto Mestre won his first Atlatl Award:
1.31 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 10.5 K%, being 1st in ERA and WHIP
13 wins for a .765% - both 2nd
7 shutouts - 1st
3.4 WAR - 6th

Mestre contributed hugely to his team's winning season, and his excellent numbers make it so that no other candidate comes close. There were a handful of players with more WAR, but their overall numbers don't compare to Mestre's.

Runners up were Puebla's Victor Villarroel (1.85 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 17.6 K%) and Obsidian Jacinto Santos (2.13 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 13 K%).

Moyaomamachtiani Award
https://i.imgur.com/XPHzipQm.jpeg

Once again, not a lot of newcomers, but a couple of young guys truly stood out. In the end, it was Águilas de México pitcher Eulalio Garza who took the award:

2.62 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 10.2 K%, 10th in the league for WHIP
6 wins
2 shutouts, including the league's 1st no-hitter!
1.6 WAR - 2nd amongst rookies under 24 y/o

Salvadoran pitcher Juan González collected the most WAR amongst rookies this year (2.1), but his overall stats are worse than Garza's. Other rookie pitchers are either way older, didn't pitch enough or are reliever Arthur Barclay who didn't do too well with Tampico. On the hitting side, only two rookies played a full season, with Tampico's Nicolás Zúñiga being 30 years old. Mérida youngster José Contreras had an alright season but overall, Garza's contribution was bigger so he gets the award.

Runners up were León's Juan González (3.14 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 10.2 K%) and Mérida's José Contreras (.262/.280/.327, 33 SB).

Teyaotlani Award
https://i.imgur.com/wzhdeLwm.jpeg

P Ezequiel Anguiano (AGU) - 1st, .300/.300/.380, 1 2B, 1 HR, 12 RBI
C Victor Albornoz (LEO) - 2nd, .282/.362/.369, 7 2B, 5 HR, 21 RBI
1B Francisco Escamilla (LEO) - 1st, .307/.336/.406, 12 2B, 6 HR, 39 RBI
2B Fernando del Toro (PUE) - 1st, .318/.394/.447, 20 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 45 RBI
3B Carlos Renderos (SNL) - 1st, .266/.324/.327, 7 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 15 RBI
SS Antonio Monterrosa (MER) - 3rd, .324/.349/.374, 13 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 24 RBI
LF Oscar Valladolid (GDL) - 1st, .395/.419/.452, 14 2B, 1 HR, 31 RBI
CF Jorge Ramírez (PUE) - 1st, .278/.316/.413, 10 2B, 4 3B, 10 HR, 28 RBI
RF Edwin Esparza (MER) - 1st, .311/.353/.394, 12 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 30 RBI

Temanahui Award
https://i.imgur.com/BqWM71Um.jpeg

P Jacinto Santos (GDL) - 1st
C José Trujillo (MER) - 2nd
1B Miguel González (AGU) - 3rd
2B Antonio Sánchez (JAG) - 2nd
3B Gustavo Ruiz (LEO) - 1st
SS Rogelio Herran (SNL) - 2nd
LF Héctor Ramírez (PUE) - 1st
CF Raúl Pérez (GDL) - 1st
RF Salvador Velázquez (JAG) - 1st

Another interesting group of players, with a couple of the Teyaotlani and Temanahui winners being repeats. Now I'm left wondering who'll be the first multiple Tlatoani or Atlatl winners.

1938 Offseason Recap

There weren't too many offseason moves this time around, but we did see a couple big moves as Mérida have accepted their fate and got rid of several big players. Meanwhile, San Luis get even stronger as the club gets ready to defend their title.

But before all that, let's go over some rule changes:
- Minimum salaries doubled to $1,000 dollars per season
- The league now allows clubs to charge up to $1.5 dollars per ticket
- Clubs have agreed to one week preparations prior to the beginning of the season to get players warmed up
- Rosters have expanded to 22 players, allowing for two more relief pitchers
- This last move is in preparation of a longer schedule when the league expands next season

Speaking of expansion, the league is happy announce the expansion teams that will be joining the league for the 1940 season:
Cardenales de Monterrey
Monterrey is the largest Mexican city without a club and will be happy to root for the new club, named after the Northern Cardinal bird*. Steel magnate Evaristo Treviño has pledged $300,000 dollars towards running the club.

*This is also a reference to the Mexican music group, Los Cardenales de Nuevo León which were founded in Monterrey in 1982. Of course the group didn't exist in 1939, but the species is a relatively common and striking bird of the region apt for a ball game team name (See: St. Louis Cardinals).

Tuzos de Aguascalientes
Another northern city is set to join the league! Aguascalientes had a population boom thanks to the railway industry before the revolution but has recently slowed down, it's a relatively big city with a very "quiet town" feel. The Tuzos (Gophers) are set to begin play in this city that still is the hub for mining transport coming from San Luis, Zacatecas and other cities. Aguascalients will be one of the richest clubs around, being owned by the National Railways of Mexico.

More information coming in the 1939 offseason!

Now, onto the offseason moves:

Águilas de México filled their vacant management spot by signing 45 year-old José Castro out of the Jalisco amateur leagues. He's been a manager for 5 years and champion for 3 of those, leading the Eagles to believe his winning pedigree can translate to the pro level. Tampico also signed a new manager in Félix Leyva, an inexperienced former pitcher from Veracruz. He's got a bit of an anger issue but will get along with the veterans on the roster and hopefully make Tampico a better team.

In the first signing of the offseason, León signed the Yucatán amateur league MVP Ehécatl Cocom. The 27 year-old is an aggressive hitter with a nice swing and an above average glove at second base. León will be hoping he'll prove to be an MVP type player at this level too.

Tampico traded righty Francisco Barajas (2.62 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 10.7 K% last year) to San Luis, getting prospect Oziel Rojas (35/65, yet to debut) and 3B Eduardo Arreola (36 G, .425/.465/.550 last year).

Mérida begin the clearance by trading 1937 Tlatoani Celestino de la Rosa (.287/.353/.372 last year) to Puebla, getting 3B Omar de Jesús (34 G, .350/.391/.417 last year) and recently-signed RF David Ramos (35/50).

The Howlers follow it up by trading 1B Santiago Salas (.254/.324/.354 last year) for León's 19 year-old SS Jorge Cabrera (20/45).

San Luis get rid of backup SS Amado Almaraz (22 G, .278/.350/.306 last year), in exchange of León RHP Luis Cruz (3.47 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 9.9 K%) and SS José Beas (20/45).

Mérida continue to strengthen San Luis by sending C José Trujillo (2x Defender Award, .293/.338/.330 last year). San Luis gave up veteran CF Guillermo Aceves (.283/.305/.379) and young C Guillermo Meraz (20/50).

Puebla's LF Héctor Ramírez signs the first ever contract extension: $7,680 over 3 years.

San Luis get a new backup shortstop by sending C José López (71 G, .274/.306/.361) to Jaguares for José Colindres (26 G, .266/.373/.281).

Tampico reinforce their bullpen by trading for Jaguares RHP Melvin Ramírez (34.2 IP, 0.52 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 10.8 K%), sending 2B Alejandro López (20/45) and 1B Joaquín González (12 G, .214/.214/.214). González has played for the Jaguars before, but was traded to Tampico before the 1938 season.

The capital city clubs make a trade as the Eagles send the 1938 Moyaomamachtiani Award recipient, Eulalio Garza (2.62 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 10.2 K%) to the Jaguars along with C Jesús Serrano (Career: 9 G, .214/.233/.214) for LHP Andrés Amaya (2.14 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 8.9 K%). Serrano is another player who had already played for Jaguares, also being traded before the 1938 season.

San Luis run into the "problem" of having too many starting pitchers, and choose to do away with RHP César Plascencia (2.60 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 12 K%). The two-time champion will arrive in Tampico, while Belizean 2B Joe Hercules (40/40) and young reliever Joel Rodríguez (45/65) will depart.

Tampico also sign 25 year-old Carlos Torres from the Cajeme, Sonora municipal team. Torres has an above average bat, being able to hit for average and power. Aside from that, he's just plain unathletic and will struggle on the field, which begs the question: will his bat be enough to overcome very lousy defense?

The Obsidians improve on their bullpen with the new roster spots available and get León's Santiago Herrera (55/55), sending prospects 2B Jesús Flores (20/40) and C Luis García (9 G, .160/.192/.160 in 1937).

If you can believe it, San Luis get stronger by getting Jaguares star RF Salvador Velázquez (.298/.372/.371) for prospects 3B Raúl Martínez (20/45) and reliever Joel Rodríguez (mentioned above). The Tunas cement themselves as the best team in the league with dangerous hitters at every spot except perhaps 1B and SS, although Rogelio Herrán has won two Temanahui awards which more than make up for having "just" an average bat.

In the final trade before preseason, Tampico traded RF Ulises Dueñas (.266/.317/.336) and 2B Mario Vicente (20/40) to Jaguares de México for C Alfredo Hernández (1936 Temanahui, .225/.271/.250 last year).

Águilas go for the best available amateur player, 2B Juan Garnica from nearby Naucalpan, Estado de México. He has an elite bat, though at 1.69 m tall it won't surprise anyone if he doesn't hit a lot of home runs. His glove is also one of the best, but a lack of arm strength will limit him to second base. If he performs to expectations, Garnica can become one of the best in the league almost immediately.
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So, with that, the season is almost ready to begin. Next time up, we'll go over the predictions for next season and any impact signings/trades made in March.

I also want to use this space to talk a bit about the internationalization of the game at this point. With several Central American stars, like San Luis' Carlos Renderos, in the league right now, clubs have began investing in sending scouts who sign the best young talent coming out of these countries. To no surprise, 86% of the players right now are Mexican but that leaves an impressive 14% foreigners:
1. Guatemala - 15 players - Best player: Puebla CF Mario Simental (40/40)
1. El Salvador - 15 players - Best player: San Luis 3B Carlos Renderos (1937 RoY, 1938 3B Teyaotlani, Career .273/.328/.332, 5.1 WAR good for 35th all-time)
2. Belize - 6 players - Best player: Tampico RHP Arthur Barclay (Career 30.1 IP, 4.15 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 12.2 K%)
3. Honduras - 4 players - Best player: Unsigned 3B Victor Bravo (45/45)
4. USA - 1 player - San Luis LF Mortimer Caruso (20/40)
4. Argentina - 1 player - Guadalajara RHP Osvaldo Marquez (20/40)

Perhaps some of these countries will institute pro leagues of their own, and with the Panamerican Games being created in 1951, perhaps the ball game will be one of the main events in this universe. Either way, thanks for reading!

After all the moves and before the 1939 Preparation Week, experts have come out with their 1939 Season Predictions, let's take a look:

https://i.imgur.com/4uYi8kN.png

Unsurprisingly and unanimously, Tunas de San Luis are the favorites to win it all for the third time in a row. They have a fearful lineup, but experts have highlighted 2B Max Braud (1938: .266/.352/.316), LF Salvador Velázquez (1938: .298/.372/.371) and Carlos Renderos (1938: .266/.324/.327). Meanwhile, their rotation is once again expected to be the best in the league: Francisco Barajas (1938: 2.62 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 10.7 K%), Luis Cruz (1938: 3.47 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 9.9 K%) and Francisco Camacho (1938: 1.53 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 12.9 K%) are expected to compete for the Atlatl Award.

Puebla are expected to be the closest competitors for the title once again, with reigning Tlatoani 2B Fernando del Toro (1938: .318/.394/.447) and RF Celestino de la Rosa (1938: .287/.353/.372) expected to be top players. Their rotation is also expected to be alright, especially Antonio Aguilar (1938: 2.80 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 7 K%) and Victor Villarroel (1938: 1.85 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 17.6 K%). León are also expected to keep it close, though still a distance away. 1B Francisco Escamilla (1938: .307/.336/.406), RF Andrés Suárez (1938: .252/.336/.310) and LHP Jonathan Estrada (1938: 2.73 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 13.4 K%) are expected to lead the charge.

The rest of the teams are truly far away, according to the experts, and they might be right if we consider last year. However, with The Great Free Agency looming this offseason, the players on these (and all) clubs will have to prove themselves in order to negotiate come July. Here are some other top players from clubs outside the top 3:
Águilas LF Luis García - 1938: .308/.340/.357
Mérida LF Edwin Esparza - 1938: .311/.353/.394
Tampico RF Carlos Torres - Rookie
Guadalajara RHP Faustino Campos - 1938: 2.71 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 9.9 K%
Águilas RHP Ezequiel Anguiano - 1938: 3.11 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 11.7 K%

Next update we'll go over the April results. Thanks for reading!

Opening month has come and gone once again, so let's take a look at the results after April 1939:

https://i.imgur.com/BlorobY.png

Not surprisingly, San Luis is at the top of the table once again. Current Atlatl Award winner and Thrower of the Month for April, Roberto Mestre, has been even better for them so far and is currently on a 14 scoreless inning streak as well as a 19 game quality start streak. Max "El Emperador" Braud, who also plays for San Luis, won the Hitter of the Month. Also without surprise, León and Puebla are chasing San Luis but haven't found consistency to begin the season. The season has only begun, so let's hope for some exciting ball games the rest of the way!

https://i.imgur.com/964eq7Ol.png

In other news, San Luis' Luis Cruz pitched the league's 2nd no-hitter! In what was the first start of his season, as well as his first start with San Luis, Cruz held Jaguares de México to a total of zero hits and zero runs. With an ample arsenal that includes 6 pitches, Cruz kept hitters on their toes all game. Only two Jaguars managed to get on base: Efraín Armenta in the 1st and José López in the 5th, both were walked. Despite only striking out 5 players, it was an easy day for the defense as Cruz got a lot of weak groundballs, the hardest of them coming from Antonio Sánchez, but star shortstop Rogelio Herrán easily disposed of it. Cruz has taken to San Luis and is on pace for a successful first season in the City of the Three Cultures.

As usual, here's the breakdown:

Tunas de San Luis
There's not much that can be said about the best team in the league that hasn't been said before, their rotation has been excellent and is 1st in runs allowed while their reinforced lineup is 2nd in runs scored. Their pitching has been immaculate and their hitting is as solid as usual, I dare to say that if they keep this pace up, it might be their easiest title win to date.

Best hitters:
2B Max Braud - .341/.413/.439, 5 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 1 SB, Hitter of the Month
RF Salvador Velázquez - .310/.376/.452, 5 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 1 SB
3B Carlos Renderos - .333/.378/.405, 2 2B, 2 3B, 4 RBI, 1 SB

Rotation:
RHP Roberto Mestre - 5-1, 0.65 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 11.5 K%, Pitcher of the Month
RHP Francisco Barajas - 4-0, 1.54 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 13.3 K%
LHP Francisco Camacho - 1-2, 2.20 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 10.6 K%
RHP Luis Cruz - 4-1, 2.37 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 10.6 K%

Flechas de León
Pitching is carrying León into second place, as they are also second in runs allowed. Hitting hasn't been good at all and the Arrows are 7th in runs scored. Outfield stars Andrés Suárez and Victor Barrios are having even worse seasons than last year, but lucky for them, players like Ehecatl Cocom, Juan Negrete and Francisco Escamilla are picking up the slack just enough to keep the team in contention.

Best hitters:
1B Francisco Escamilla - .313/.365/.463, 4 2B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 1 SB
CF Juan Negrete - .310/.368/.437, 6 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 7 SB
2B Ehécatl Cocom - .308/.357/.354, 1 HR, 6 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Juan González - 5-1, 1.04 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 17.9 K%
LHP Alejandro Carranza - 4-2, 1.69 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 11.2 K%
LHP Jonathan Estrada - 2-2, 2.21 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 11.7 K%
LHP Adalberto Dondiego - 0-0, 2.70 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 9.2 K%

Serpientes de Puebla
Puebla's offense has been the best in the league by far, leading all categories but stolen bases. Their run prevention is above average overall even if their ERAs are not the best. Finding consistency in pitching will be key if Puebla are to mount a serious title challenge.

Best hitters:
2B Fernando del Toro - .317/.378/.416, 5 2B, 1 HR, 11 RBI
3B Daniel Rivera - .236/.421/.361, 3 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI
CF Jorge Ramírez - .297/.340/.374, 5 2B, 1 3B, 7 RBI, 9 SB

Rotation:
LHP José García - 2-3, 2.14 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 6.4 K%
RHP Antonio Aguilar - 3-3, 2.12 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 9.6 K%
RHP Victor Villarroel - 3-1, 2.14 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 18.9 K%
RHP Rafael Sianez - 1-0, 3.65 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 9.3 K%

Jaguares de México
The Jaguars have been below average on all fronts, with new signing Eulalio Garza the biggest highlight on the team. Their all-new bullpen has been lights out, though improvements to the current rotation will be key for competing.

Best hitters:
3B Rico Santistevan - .296/.387/.358, 2 2B, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 1 SB
RF Ulises Dueñas - .300/.362/.367, 1 2B, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 2 SB
C José López - .281/.329/.375, 2 2B, 2 3B, 5 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Eulalio Garza - 3-1, 1.12 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 19.4 K%
RHP Ángel Urquidi - 3-2, 2.15 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 7 K%
RHP David Garza - 1-3, 4.34 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 8.5 K%
LHP Luis Helguera - 1-3, 4.31 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 6.3 K%

Aulladores de Mérida
Despite early pessimism, the Monkeys find themselves in the middle of the pack. They are slightly above average in several categories, but will need to kick into a higher gear if they want more out of this season.

Best hitters:
SS Antonio Monterrosa - .300/.356/.450, 6 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI
RF Edwin Esparza - .329/.386/.408, 3 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI
C Roberto Cruz - .274/.338/.306, 2 2B, 1 RBI, 1 SB

Rotation:
RHP Jesús Pérez - 2-3, 2.60 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 14.9 K%
LHP Roberto García - 1-4, 4.10 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 8.9 K%
RHP David Venegas - 2-2, 5.16 ERA, 1.72 WHIP, 9.3 K%
RHP Felipe Martínez - 3-1, 3.41 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 10.6 K%

Obsidianas de Guadalajara
Once contenders, Guadalajara now find themselves near the bottom of the table. Their pitching has imploded, and they are last in runs allowed with only Carlos Casillas having a noteworthy season. On the hitting side, they're 3rd in runs scored and Ricardo Solorio seems to be another early candidate for the batting title.

Best hitters:
SS Ricardo Solorio - .361/.376/.470, 7 2B, 1 3B, 7 RBI
LF Oscar Valladolid - .303/.343/.379, 2 2B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 1 SB
3B Oscar Torres - .264/.329/.361, 4 2B, 1 HR, 8 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Jacinto Santos - 2-4, 3.38 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 15.4 K%
LHP Carlos Casillas - 3-0, 1.55 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 10.1 K%
RHP Faustino Campos - 1-3, 3.26 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 14.4 K%
RHP Hermenegildo Lomas - 1-1, 4.70 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 12 K%

Águilas de México
Despite average pitching, the Eagles' offense is the worst in almost every rubric. With free agency coming, it seems like their best strategy is to just play out this season and then invest in the offseason.

Best hitters:
C José Canto - .243/.303/.314, 1 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI
RF Luis García - .257/.297/.300, 1 HR, 5 RBI
3B David Herrera - .239/.280/.307, 3 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Ezequiel Anguiano - 0-3, 2.40 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 11.6 K%
LHP Andrés Amaya - 2-2, 1.53 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 8.8 K%
RHP Antonio Castañeda - 3-3, 1.21 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 9.5 K%
LHP Leo Álvarez - 0-2, 2.59 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 13.5 K%

Jaibas de Tampico
The northeastern club find themselves in the middle of another terrible season. They can dream about getting some big signings this offseason, but with the smallest budget and market that might not be possible and the losing seasons could go on indefinitely.

Best hitters:
LF Ricardo Palacios - .303/.376/.461, 3 3B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 4 SB
2B Mario Abeyta - .246/.329/.308, 1 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 3 SB
RF Carlos Torres - .277/.309/.323, 3 2B, 6 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Israel Pastrana - 2-2, 2.54 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 16.9 K%
RHP César Plascencia - 0-5, 5.01 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 10.7 K%
LHP Miguel Zúñiga - 2-2, 3.00 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 9.7 K%
RHP Zenón Sandoval - 1-2, 3.76 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 8.8 K%

May 1939 Report: The season is more than halfway done and it's a 2.5 horse race at this stage. Let's check it out!

https://i.imgur.com/KHCPtIX.png

León have led the league since May 17th, when they were 26-9 (San Luis were 25-9). Come the end of the month, the race is still tight as both teams have been on fire. Going into the final stretch, León have a slight pitching edge but of course San Luis will fight tooth-and-nail to hold on their title.

Here's the team-by-team (Player stats are from May only):

Flechas de León - 1st (+1), 20-5 in May
It was an excellent month for the Emeralds, who managed to win all but 5 games (2 vs GDL, 2 vs JAG, 1 vs SNL). I do believe they set the record winning streak at 15 games. Over the course of the month, they've become the best pitching team in the league, dropping their starters' ERA to 1.73, while maintaining an above average offense who's now 3rd in the league. They even improved this area on the 30th, trading for Ezequiel Anguiano, giving up 2B Baldomero Ceballos and #4 prospect 3B Pedro Ayala. If they carry their hot streak into June then the championship is pretty much theirs.

Best hitters:
CF Juan Negrete - .346/.409/.413, 3 2B, 2 3B, 11 RBI, 15 SB
2B Ehécatl Cocom - .310/.337/.417, 4 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 8 RBI
3B Gustavo Ruiz - .290/.304/.370, 2 2B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 2 SB

Rotation:
RHP Juan González - 3-1, 1.85 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 9.7 K%
LHP Jonathan Estrada - 6-0, 0.78 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 12.3 K%, Pitcher of the Month
LHP Alejandro Carranza - 3-2, 1.51 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 11.9 K%
RHP Ezequiel Anguiano - 1-3, 2.70 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 12 K% (With Águilas de México)

Tunas de San Luis - 1st (-1), 17-8 in May
San Luis drop into second, though really it's not too much their fault as León was just too hot to handle. However, they did have a 3-6 stretch through the middle of the month against the other teams in the top 4. At the end of the month, the Tunas traded for Guadalajara reliever Roberto Olmos, sending them 1B Ambrosio Conor and RHP Félix García. San Luis is still the 2nd best offense and the 2nd best at preventing runs, so the race for the title is most certainly on!

Best hitters:
C José Trujillo - .356/.385/.437, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 11 RBI
2B Max Braud - .327/.386/.394, 4 2B, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 4 SB
SS Rogelio Herrán - .321/.352/.369, 2 2B, 1 3B, 4 RBI, 3 SB

Rotation:
RHP Roberto Mestre - 1-1, 1.09 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 11.3 K%
RHP Francisco Barajas - 4-2, 2.68 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 9.7 K%
LHP Francisco Camacho - 4-2, 3.94 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 9.7 K%
RHP Luis Cruz - 2-2, 1.72 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 14.6 K%

Serpientes de Puebla - 3rd (NC), 15-11 in May
The most powerful lineup in the league remain as dark horses in the 1939 title race, which paired with a 3rd best pitching staff make for a potential surprise candidate going into June. Becoming more consistent, specially in close games (currently 8-9), can turn this team into real contenders. To help them, they got Faustino Campos from the Obsidians in exchange of #14 prospect 3B Roberto León.

Best hitters:
3B Daniel Rivera - .340/.484/.454, 3 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, Hitter of the Month
1B Mario Morales - .338/.405/.426, 3 2B, 1 HR, 8 RBI
2B Fernando del Toro - .294/.345/.385, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 13 RBI, 1 SB

Rotation:
RHP Faustino Campos - 2-3, 2.01 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 11.7 K% (With Guadalajara)
RHP Antonio Aguilar - 4-1, 2.26 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 7.9 K%
RHP Victor Villarroel - 5-0, 0.92 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 16.4 K%
LHP José García - 1-2, 1.60 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 9.1 K%

Aulladores de Mérida - 4th (+1), 12-12 in May
It's fitting that the team in the middle of the table had a .500 record in May. Mérida are just an average team with a couple of stars at this point, they're 6th in runs scored and 4th in runs against.

Best hitters:
RF Edwin Esparza - .316/.343/.400, 5 2B, 1 HR, 8 RBI
2B Octavio Torres - .289/.333/.371, 5 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI
CF Guillermo Aceves - .271/.314/.344, 5 2B, 1 3B, 9 RBI, 5 SB

Rotation:
RHP Jesús Pérez - 3-2, 1.24 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 13.4 K%
LHP Roberto García - 1-2, 2.60 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 12.2 K%
RHP David Venegas - 3-3, 3.56 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 12.3 K%
RHP Felipe Martínez - 4-2, 2.18 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 10.2 K%

Obsidianas de Guadalajara - 5th (+1), 13-13 in May
Despite being the worst pitching team in the league, now even more so with the Campos trade, Guadalajara are another middle-of-the-road team. They are also 4th in runs scored but it seems like Solorio is no longer competing for the batting title.

Best hitters:
2B César Loaiza - .312/.385/.366, 2 2B, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 1 SB
3B Oscar Torres - .280/.316/.366, 2 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 1 SB
1B Guillermo Villanueva - .267/.349/.320, 2 2B, 1 3B, 7 RBI

Rotation:
LHP Carlos Casillas - 4-2, 2.86 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 12.4 K%
RHP Jacinto Santos - 2-3, 2.47 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 12.4 K%
RHP Hermenegildo Lomas - 3-4, 2.22 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 9.6 K%
RHP Mario Jiménez - Replaces Campos on roster

Jaibas de Tampico - 6th (+2), 11-14 in May
Tampico have slightly improved, which isn't all that surprising given the talent available on the roster. However, pitching seems to still be a concern as they're 7th in runs allowed.

Best hitters:
C Alfredo Hernández - .286/.345/.325, 3 2B, 9 RBI
LF Ricardo Palacios - .272/.352/.293, 2 2B, 7 RBI, 4 SB
CF Nicolás Zúñiga - .245/.298/.311, 1 2B, 3 3B, 6 RBI, 18 SB

Rotation:
RHP Israel Pastrana - 2-1, 1.79 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 11.7 K%
RHP César Plascencia - 1-4, 4.83 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 10.1 K%
LHP Miguel Zúñiga - 3-3, 3.25 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 8.8 K%
RHP Zenón Sandoval - 1-2, 3.70 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 8.8 K%

Jaguares de México - 7th (-3), 7-17 in May
It was a terrible month for the Jaguars who fell all the way to the bottom of the table. They've turned into the 2nd worst offense while their pitching is slightly below average.

Best hitters:
2B Antonio Sánchez - .287/.319/.333, 5 2B, 5 RBI
LF Gregorio Pérez - .274/.324/.305, 3 2B, 5 RBI
C José López - .233/.233/.274, 3 2B, 3 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Eulalio Garza - 2-2, 2.57 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 10.5 K%
RHP Ángel Urquidi - 0-2, 1.48 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, 13.4 K%
LHP Luis Helguera - 1-1, 2.16 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 7.8 K%
RHP Pedro León - 5 G, 0 GS, 0-3, 7.27 ERA, 1.85 WHIP, 4.9 K%

Águilas de México - 8th (-1), 5-20 in May
It's no surprise that a team that struggles to allow runs can't win at home, on the road, extra inning games, close games, versus lefties, versus righties, or just in general. This team has won 3 series this season: 2-1 vs GDL and 2-1 vs TAM in April, and 2-1 vs JAG in May. Only 3 qualified players are hitting above .250, so the team is just hoping for the season to be over.

Best hitters:
LF Edwin Acosta - .289/.359/.337, 4 2B, 5 RBI
RF Luis García - .291/.315/.372, 5 2B, 1 3B, 2 RBI
2B Juan Garnica - .275/.302/.304, 3 2B, 5 RBI

Rotation:
LHP Andrés Amaya - 0-5, 3.38 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 8.9 K%
LHP Leo Álvarez - 1-3, 2.83 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 9.4 K%
RHP Antonio Castañeda - 1-4, 2.96 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 8.5 K%
RHP Raúl Romero - 16 G, 0 GS, 0-3, 4.67 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 9 K%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So I found out something about the "Big Free Agency" I've been talking about. Even though I set the "Minimum years for FA" to 4, players will not become FAs after hitting 4 years but the season after (I think, at least that's what it looks like on all screens where this info might be displayed). If this is the case, we'll wait another year to expand and all that. This will give us an even 5 years of league history before expantion. As always, thanks for reading!

I was poking around the forum and looked into this thread for no apparent reason and the first thing I see is the lead photo and I thought "hey, I just took that picture"...last week in Chichen Itza.

Haha I got mine from Google, hope you enjoyed visiting!

The 1939 Season ends with a bang!

We went into the final day with Tunas de San Luis leading the race with a 57-26 record. Flechas de León are 2nd with a 56-27 record, so León needed a win against San Luis to force a tie at the top of the table. An early single by Carlos Renderos gave San Luis an early lead. However, a Juan Negrete leadoff homer tied the game. Then, Gustavo Ruiz hit a single to center to flip the score early in the game.

The Arrows managed to hang on to their lead until pitcher Luis Cruz came to bat in the 6th with two outs and a runner on second. His double made this a tied game once more, but León wouldn’t give up this easily. Once again with two outs, Ehécatl Cocom drove in Victor Albornoz to give the emerald squad the lead again.

In the 7th, a single from Francisco Escamilla gave the Flechas a run, while Ruiz got another RBI on a sac-fly. Then, Ezequiel Anguiano had no trouble closing out the 9th, meaning both teams finished with a 57-27 record. For the first time in history, the title would be decided by a single game!

León and San Luis put it all on the line at Estadio de la Plata, with star pitchers Roberto Mestre and Juan González taking the mound in what was sure to be a close game. As expected, the game was 0-0 going into the 9th. It was then that an error by León 3B Gustavo Ruiz and two singles in a row gave the title to San Luis.

San Luis are three time Ullamaliztli Champions!

https://i.imgur.com/VzkTdAR.png

The team managed by Jesús Grana will be happy to take home yet another trophy before The Big Free Agency*. They're set to lose 10 players, but they certainly have the budget and interest to keep a few or even sign better players. What's even better, they'll keep the likes of Roberto Mestre, Carlos Renderos and Jesús Rodríguez to build a squad around.

*So, apparently this is happening: 69 players from all teams are becoming free agents after reaching exactly 4 years service at the end of the season. This includes 9 players rated 70+ which should make for a very interesting offseason. This also means I'm putting the expansion teams in this offseason to give them the chance to sign whoever they can (more info in a following post). There will be no expansion draft, just two new teams with randomly generated teams of players from their region, less market size than the established team but perhaps a bit more financial muscle (at least for Monterrey). Anyway, we'll talk more about this in a later post, for now let's keep talking about the season that just finished.

Here's the breakdown (players stats are season totals):

Tunas de San Luis - 1st (+1), 24-14 in the final stretch
https://i.imgur.com/usv7zCNl.png
It was an epic title win for San Luis! Now they'll be hoping to keep players like Max Braud, José Trujillo and Salvador Velázquez or find suitable replacements. Having increased their attendance by 116 thousand people since 1936 means the team has a nice money reserve to find new players. This was the most dominant season in history so far, leapfrogging Mérida's 1936 55-win season.

Best hitters:
2B Max Braud - .342/.408/.418, 13 2B, 4 HR, 27 RBI, 7 SB, 111 H
C José Trujillo - .286/.351/.361, 6 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 33 RBI
3B Carlos Renderos - .272/.323/.325, 11 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 22 RBI, 5 SB

Rotation:
RHP Roberto Mestre - 12-5, 1.12 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 11.9 K%
RHP Francisco Barajas - 13-4, 1.83 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 11.2 K%
LHP Francisco Camacho - 10-6, 2.53 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 11.5 K%
RHP Luis Cruz - 12-6, 2.41 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 13.3 K%

Flechas de León - 2nd (-1), 23-16 in the final stretch
The club from Guanajuato fought bravely until the end, but it was a single run that decided their fate in the end. The team did improve greatly, winning 16 more games than last season, so we can probably expect them to field a very good team next season as well.

Best hitters:
CF Juan Negrete - .316/.368/.453, 24 2B, 6 3B, 4 HR, 36 RBI, 39 SB
1B Francisco Escamilla - .304/.354/.399, 17 2B, 3 HR, 40 RBI, 2 SB
2B Ehécatl Cocom - .303/.340/.361, 8 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 22 RBI, 5 SB

Rotation:
RHP Juan González - 12-4, 1.76 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 12.7 K%
LHP Jonathan Estrada - 14-3, 1.54 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 14 K%
LHP Alejandro Carranza - 10-9, 2.07 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 14.9 K%
RHP Artemio Holguín - 1-0, 1.08 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 6.6 K%

Serpientes de Puebla - 3rd (NC), 22-15 in the final stretch
Another top half finish for Puebla and their best season to date. Perhaps they should have done better, with the best offense in the league and all, but they need pitching improvements, particularly in the bullpen. They are losing several key players, so perhaps we can expect a down season in 1940.

Best hitters:
3B Daniel Rivera - .289/.419/.408, 13 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 35 RBI
2B Fernando del Toro - .293/.364/.373, 13 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 42 RBI, 1 SB
CF Jorge Ramírez - .293/.339/.397, 12 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 37 RBI, 25 SB

Rotation:
RHP Faustino Campos - 8-8, 2.10 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 13.1 K%
RHP Victor Villarroel - 13-2, 1.56 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 15.7 K%
RHP Antonio Aguilar - 9-7, 2.26 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 8.2 K%
LHP José García - 8-9, 2.32 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 8.6 K%

Obsidianas de Guadalajara - 4th (+1), 18-19 in the final stretch
The Obsidians had never lost more than 40 games, this year they lost 45. Their pitching was terrible and their hitting was mediocre, so unless they manage to keep the likes of Carlos Casillas and César Loaiza to build a squad around, don't expect much improvement for next season.

Best hitters:
2B César Loaiza - .295/.343/.386, 13 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 39 RBI, 2 SB
3B Oscar Torres - .285/.331/.364, 12 2B, 4 HR, 29 RBI, 3 SB
SS Ricardo Solorio - .289/.317/.351, 17 2B, 1 3B, 22 RBI, 3 SB

Rotation:
LHP Carlos Casillas - 10-6, 2.67 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 10 K%
RHP Jacinto Santos - 9-10, 3.01 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 13.4 K%
RHP Hermenegildo Lomas - 7-8, 3.32 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 9.9 K%
RHP Mario Jiménez - 3-5, 3-21 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 8.4 K%

Jaguares de México - 5th (+2), 22-17 in the final stretch
In contrast to their month of May, the Jaguars had a great finish that helped them jump up the table. This didn't stop them from having their worst season to date, losing 2 more games than in 1936, finishing in 5th place for the 3rd time in 4 years.

Best hitters:
LF Gregorio Pérez - .284/.330/.346, 14 2B, 2 HR, 30 RBI
3B Rico Santistevan - .271/.349/.322, 8 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 28 RBI, 1 SB
2B Antonio Sánchez - .275/.312/.350, 18 2B, 3 HR, 24 RBI, 3 SB

Rotation:
RHP Eulalio Garza - 12-4, 2.10 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 14.4 K%
RHP Ángel Urquidi - 8-6, 1.92 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 8.3 K%
RHP David Garza - 1-7, 3.39 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 8.4 K%
RHP Pedro León - 1-6, 4.71 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, 5.6 K%

Aulladores de Mérida - 6th (-2), 12-27 in the final stretch
The first champions get yet another bottom 3 finish, with each season worst than the last. What's even worse is they're set to lose star SS Antonio Monterrosa. Mérida fans might need even more patience next season.

Best hitters:
RF Edwin Esparza - .317/.364/.403, 19 2B, 3 HR, 28 RBI, 4 SB
CF Guillermo Aceves - .246/.276/.329, 16 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 31 RBI, 13 SB
3B Enrique Canul - .245/.293/.300, 4 2B, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 2 SB

Rotation:
RHP Jesús Pérez - 8-9, 2.03 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 12.8 K%
LHP Roberto García - 5-12, 4.14 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 9.4 K%
RHP David Venegas - 8-11, 3.50 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 11.2 K%
RHP Felipe Martínez - 8-10, 3.45 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 10.7 K%

Jaibas de Tampico - 7th (-1), 15-23 in the final stretch
Tampico were a much improved team this time around, but it wasn't enough to get them out of the bottom of the table. Not losing any "important" players should allow them to improve even more in the offseason.

Best hitters:
LF Ricardo Palacios - .305/.363/.399, 8 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 26 RBI, 15 SB
C Alfredo Hernández - .278/.318/.335, 9 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 25 RBI
2B Mario Abeyta - .264/.311/.324, 7 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 28 RBI, 8 SB

Rotation:
RHP Israel Pastrana - 6-7, 2.22 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 13.9 K%
RHP César Plascencia - 4-15, 3.78 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 12.1 K%
LHP Miguel Zúñiga - 7-11, 3.14 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 10.5 K%
RHP Carlos Gomez - 2-1, 4.24 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 6.8 K%

Águilas de México - 8th (NC), 16-22 in the final stretch
Finally, we have a team completing not only their worst ever season but the worst ever season, one loss worst than the 1936 Tampico team. Despite the rotation and a handful other players doing pretty well, nothing seemed to go well for the Eagles this season.

Best hitters:
2B Juan Garnica - .293/.329/.346, 16 2B, 1 3B, 26 RBI, 1 SB
RF Luis García - .275/.306/.313, 6 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 13 RBI
3B David Herrera - .238/.291/.289, 10 2B, 2 HR, 26 RBI, 1 SB

Rotation:
LHP Andrés Amaya - 4-10, 2.26 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 9.1 K%
RHP Antonio Castañeda - 12-9, 1.95 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 8.4 K%
LHP Leo Álvarez - 4-11, 3.62 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 11.1 K%
RHP Raúl Romero - 1-5, 4.46 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 9.3 K%
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Once again, we're showcasing the season's best retiree. This time it's:

RHP Roberto Olmos - Born 7/Feb/1903 in Atlixco, Puebla
https://i.imgur.com/qsn1PZB.png

Olmos pitched four seasons for the Obsidianas de Guadalajara, before being traded to San Luis in 1939. However, Olmos wouldn't pitch at all with a San Luis squad that eventually won it all. He decided to retire at 36 years of age.

1936 - 5 G, 5 GS, 37.2 IP, 1.67 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 4.8 K%, 5.5 BB%, 3.02 FIP, 6.06 SIERA, 0.3 WAR
1937 - 31 G, 14 GS, 2 SV, 128.2 IP, 2.10 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 11.8 K%, 4.8 BB%, 2.37 FIP, 4.82 SIERA, 2.1 WAR
1938 - 21 G, 21 GS, 154 IP, 1.87 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 10.5 K%, 4.6 BB%, 2.41 FIP, 4.94 SIERA, 2.7 WAR
1939 - 6 G, 2 GS, 16.2 IP, 4.86 ERA, 1.74 WHIP, 9.2 K%, 10.5 BB%, 3.19 FIP, 5.93 SIERA, 0 WAR

Career - 63 G, 42 GS, 2 SV, 337 IP, 2.08 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 10.3 K%, 5.1 BB%, 2.50 FIP, 5.06 SIERA, 5.1 WAR

Roberto was never an ace, but he did have 2 good seasons with Guadalajara. He was a top 10 pitcher in 1937-38, probably what earned him the move to San Luis mid-1939. Olmos didn't play long enough to be considered for the Hall of Fame, but he was good enough to earn a mention here.

With the season over, let's see who won the 1939 Awards!

Tlatoani Award
https://i.imgur.com/gKYmmbym.jpeg

No players have won the Tlatoani award more than once, and this year was no different. After a breakout season on a championship winning squad, 2B Max Braud wins his first one. Let's take a look at why "El Emperador" became Tlatoani:

.342/.408/.418 - 1st in batting average, 2nd in OBP, 2nd in SLG
111 hits (tied 1st)
4 HR (6th)
.826 OPS (2nd)
6.3 WAR (2nd)

The batting title and league title weigh heavily in the decision to award the Tlatoani to the french-mexican. Braud had an excellent season, but he had some tough competition for the award.

Runners up were Puebla's 3B Daniel Rivera (.289/.419/.408) and León CF Juan Negrete (.316/.368/.453).

Atlatl Award
https://i.imgur.com/h1ZWFnWm.jpeg

After pitching 6 scoreless innings in the title-winning game, Roberto Mestre becomes the first thrower to win multiple Atlatl Awards (consecutively, nonetheless):
1.12 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 11.9 K% - 1st in ERA and WHIP
12 wins (4th)
21 quality starts (1st)
8 shutouts (1st)
3.4 WAR (5th)

Mestre improves on last year, lowering his ERA by almost .20, his WHIP by .05 and increasing his K% by 1.4%. He adds a 3rd ring to his collection and is ready to go get the 4th with San Luis next year.

Runners up were Puebla's Victor Villarroel (1.56 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 15.7 K%) and Arrow Jonathan Estrada (1.54 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 14 K%).

Moyaomamachtiani Award
https://i.imgur.com/XPHzipQm.jpeg

Out of 73 rookies, only two hitters and one pitcher qualified. But how to rank them? In the end, there was a player who was head and shoulders above the rest. Águilas 2B Juan Garnica is the 1939 newcomer of the year!

.293/.329/.346, making him 9th best in average
99 hits (5th)
16 doubles (6th)

Of course, Garnica led rookies in hits, doubles, RBI, WAR and Zone Rating.

Runners up were two León players: 2B Ehécatl Cocom (.303/.340/.361) and LHP Adalberto Dondiego (7-0, 2.60 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 10.5 K%).

Teyaotlani Award
https://i.imgur.com/wzhdeLwm.jpeg

P Eulalio Garza (JAG) - 1st, .305/.328/.339, 2 2B, 9 RBI
C José Trujillo (SNL) - 2nd, .286/.351/.361, 6 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 33 RBI
1B Mario Morales (PUE) - 1st, .317/.399/.386, 12 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 31 RBI
2B Max Braud (SNL) - 1st, .342/.408/.418, 13 2B, 4 HR, 27 RBI
3B Daniel Rivera (PUE) - 2nd, .289/.419/.408, 13 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 35 RBI
SS Ricardo Solorio (GDL) - 1st, .289/.317/.351, 17 2B, 1 3B, 22 RBI
LF Ricardo Palacios (TAM) - 2nd, .305/.363/.399, 8 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 26 RBI
CF Juan Negrete (LEO) - 1st, .316/.368/.453, 24 2B, 6 3B, 4 HR, 36 RBI
RF Edwin Esparza (MER) - 2nd, .317/.364/.403, 19 2B, 3 HR, 28 RBI

Temanahui Award
https://i.imgur.com/BqWM71Um.jpeg

P José García (PUE) - 2nd
C José Trujillo (SNL) - 3rd
1B Mario Morales (PUE) - 1st
2B Antonio Sánchez (JAG) - 3rd
3B Carlos Renderos (SNL) - 1st
SS Rogelio Herran (SNL) - 3rd
LF Andrés Suárez (LEO) - 2nd
CF Juan Negrete (LEO) - 1st
RF Antonio Tapia (PUE) - 2nd

Next year, the league will have 40 more players in it. Will new stars emerge or will the same players keep hoarding awards?

Finally, let's talk about the expansion teams!

Let's do it alphabetically, so first goes the Tuzos de Aguascalientes:

https://i.imgur.com/lXxiTS0.pnghttps://i.imgur.com/L49EnI0.png

I tried out the AI's capability for this for the first time and it delivered quite nicely. I think it captured my idea of a miner gopher perfectly.

National Railways of Mexico have designated Ricardo Díaz as the bridge between the company and the club. He's been given a conservative budget to begin with, but it could easily turn into bigger bucks if the team does well. Díaz, together with sporting director Gerardo Lara and manager Cristóbal Segui will hope to compete for the title as soon as 1942.

They've brought along several players from the amateur leagues, hailing from Aguascalientes, Zacatecas, Querétaro and Guanajuato. None of them are expected to be good, but of course the offseason is underway and the team is surely going to reinforce. They did, however, bring two players who could be their backbone in their inaugural season.

RHP Primitivo Espinosa - 39 year old from El Marqués, Querétaro
At his age, Espinosa continues to work on his craft. Even though he can't throw hard anymore, he's very smart and knows how to locate all 6 of his pitches. He should adapt easily and be a steady arm in the Gophers' rotation.

CF Armando Vela - 38 year old from Zacatecas, Zacatecas
In line with the railroad theme, he's been known to have "an engine that never quits". And what an engine it is. His bat is merely average, but he has the speed to turn outs into hits and singles into doubles frequently. This speed will also help him in the outfield, were paired with his very safe hands (or glove in this case), he might be one of the best there is at his position.

These two will prove to be players to build around before the Tuzos' inaugural season.

Now let's talk about the Cardenales de Monterrey:

https://i.imgur.com/rYK7ahF.pnghttps://i.imgur.com/mMkzgmW.png

Another beautiful logo with the bird head in front of Monterrey's famous Cerro de la Silla.

The team owned by steel magnate Evaristo Treviño also hopes to compete by 1942. Treviño is willing to pour money into a winning team, but of course will be wary of his investment not being wasted which is why some have called him "demanding". Salvador Martínez and Juan Ramírez will run the game side of the club.

With a core of Nuevo León players, alongside others from Coahuila and Tampico, the club might need only a few new players before they compete. As is Aguascalientes' case, their best players are towards the veteran side of the spectrum although these players are even better.

2B Raúl Alvarado - 34 year old from Acuña, Coahuila
Alvarado is a very versatile fielder who can play both infield and outfield. As he's aged, he puts less balls in play. However, he is an extremely disciplined and strong hitter. He poses a threat to hit it out of the park when he gets a pitch he likes. If he manages to adapt, he should compete for hitting awards.

1B Leocadio Garza - 37 year old from Galeana, Nuevo León
"Primo" Garza is another very disciplined hitter with real power behind his swing. If he performs as expected, he's already the best first baseman in the league.

Overall, the talent on the Monterrey roster is better than the one in Aguascalientes' roster and they could be contenders as soon as this season.

Next time up, we'll go over the offseason moves. Thanks for reading!

It was a very active offseason, with the first time players negotiate with different clubs to sign. We'll break it down team by team, instead of chronologically, to make it easier to list all the big moves.

Spoiler, top 5 highest paid players:
1. RHP Jacinto Santos - Jaguares de México - $4,100 for 2 years
2. 3B Daniel Rivera - Jaguares de México - $3,860 for 2 years (+1 vesting option)
3. RF Salvador Velázquez - Jaguares de México - $3,820 for 6 years (opt out after year 2, +1 team option)
4. CF Jorge Ramírez - Obsidianas de Guadalajara - $3,680 for 4 years (opt out after year 2, +1 player option)
5. SS Antonio Monterrosa - Serpientes de Puebla - $3,560 for 4 years

Now, let's take a look at the big moves each team made.

Tuzos de Aguascalientes - New Team
Lost:
RHP Rodrigo Parra (55/55 RP) - Traded to San Luis

Signed:
LF Roberto Hernández - .283/.324/.399, 1.1 WAR last year - Traded from San Luis

Obsidianas de Guadalajara - 4th (39-45) last year
Lost:
RHP Jacinto Santos - 3.01 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 3.0 WAR last year - Signed by Jaguares
CF Raúl Pérez - .235/.276/.275, 2.8 WAR last year - Free Agent
LHP Carlos Casillas - 2.67 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 2.4 WAR last year - Signed by Jaguares
LF Oscar Valladolid - .275/.310/.312, 1.2 WAR - Traded to San Luis
SS Ricardo Solorio - .289/.317/.351, 1.1 WAR - Traded to Mérida

Signed:
CF Jorge Ramírez - .293/.339/.397, 4.0 WAR last year - FA from Puebla, $17k over 5 years
2B César Loaiza - .295/.343/.386, 2.0 WAR last year - Resigned, $15k over 5 years
RHP Pedro Avilla - 18 SV, 1.67 ERA, 2.9 WAR last year - Traded from León
C Roberto Cruz - .218/.271/.274, 1.4 WAR last year - Traded from Mérida
RHP Joel Rodríguez - 2 SV, 2.75 ERA, -0.2 WAR last year - Traded from Jaguares

Flechas de León - 2nd (57-28) last year
Lost:
1B Santiago Salas - .266/.344/.348, 4.0 WAR career - Retired
3B Gustavo Ruiz - .264/.301/.327, 3.0 WAR last year - Free Agent
C Victor Albornoz - .262/.351/.339, 2.6 WAR last year - Signed by San Luis
RHP Pedro Avilla - 18 SV, 1.67 ERA, 2.9 WAR last year - Traded to Guadalajara
LHP Alejandro Carranza - 2.07 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 2.4 WAR last year - Traded to Monterrey
2B Ehécatl Cocom - .303/.340/.361, 1.3 WAR last year - Traded to Tampico
SS Heraclio Rincón (25/50) - Traded to Mérida

Signed:
RHP Luis Cruz - 2.41 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 3.1 WAR last year - FA from San Luis, $6.9k over 3 years
RF Andrés Suárez - .269/.373/.321, 2.8 WAR last year - Resigned, $8k over 3 years
C José Canto - .246/.296/.325, 2.2 WAR last year - FA from Águilas, $1.6k for a year
1B Mario Morales - .317/.399/.386, 3.3 WAR last year - Traded from Puebla
RF Edwin Esparza - .317/.364/.403, 2.5 WAR last year - Traded from Mérida
RHP Ramón Pérez (55/55 RP) - 27 y/o from Mexico City

Aulladores de Mérida - 6th (34-50) last year
Lost:
RHP Roberto García - 4.14 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 2.6 WAR last year - Signed by Águilas
3B Enrique Canul - .245/.293/.300, 2.5 WAR last year - Free Agent
SS Antonio Monterrosa - .267/.325/.350, 1.5 WAR last year - Signed by Puebla
RF Edwin Esparza - .317/.364/.403, 2.5 WAR last year - Traded to León
C Roberto Cruz - .218/.271/.274, 1.4 WAR last year - Traded to Guadalajara
CF José Contreras - .262/.280/.327, 1.2 WAR last year - Traded to Águilas
LF David Ramos (40/50) - Traded to Monterrey

Signed:
C José Trujillo - .286/.351/.361, 3.6 WAR last year - FA from San Luis, $29.1k over 8 years
RHP Francisco Barajas - 1.83 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 2.8 WAR last year - FA from San Luis, $21.6k over 6 years
LHP Andrés Amaya - 2.26 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 2.2 WAR last year - FA from Águilas, $2k for a year
SS Ricardo Solorio - .289/.317/.351, 1.1 WAR last year - Traded from Guadalajara
3B David Herrera - .238/.291/.289, 0.8 WAR last year - Traded from Águilas
SS Heraclio Rincón (25/50) - Traded from León

Águilas de México - 8th (28-56) last year
Lost:
C José Canto - .246/.296/.325, 2.2 WAR last year - Signed by León
LHP Andrés Amaya - 2.26 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 2.2 WAR last year - Signed by Mérida
RHP Antonio Castañeda - 1.95 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 1.7 WAR last year - Free Agent
LHP Leo Álvarez - 3.62 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 1.1 WAR last year - Free Agent
3B David Herrera - .238/.291/.289, 0.8 WAR last year - Traded to Mérida
SS Rubén Riviera (20/50) - Traded to Guadalajara

Signed:
RHP Roberto García - 4.14 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 2.6 WAR last year - FA from Mérida, Minimum salary
RHP César Plascencia - 3.78 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 1.5 WAR last year - FA from San Luis, Minimum salary
CF José Contreras - .262/.280/.327, 1.2 WAR last year - Traded from Mérida

Jaguares de México - 5th (39-45) last year
Lost:
3B Rico Santistevan - .271/.349/.322, 3.8 WAR last year - Free Agent
SS Omar Morales - .249/.275/.277, 1.7 WAR last year - Free Agent
RF Ulises Dueñas - .252/.303/.322, 1.3 WAR last year - Free Agent
1B Efraín Armenta - .246/.344/.356, 1.2 WAR last year - Free Agent
C José López - .243/.279/.291, 1.0 WAR last year - Free Agent
LF Gregorio Pérez - .284/.330/.346, 1.7 WAR last year - Traded to Tampico
RHP Joel Rodríguez - 2 SV, 2.75 ERA, -0.2 WAR last year - Traded to Guadalajara
RHP Pedro León (25/65 RP) - Traded to Tampico
3B David Pizarro (35/50) - Traded to Guadalajara

Signed:
2B Antonio Sánchez - .275/.312/.350, 5.1 WAR last year - Resigned, $9.3k over 3 years
3B Daniel Rivera - .289/.419/.408, 4.8 WAR last year - FA from Puebla, $11.5k over 3 years
RF Salvador Velázquez - .278/.374/.370, 3.3 WAR last year - FA from San Luis, $25k over 7 years
RHP Jacinto Santos - 3.01 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 3.0 WAR last year - FA from Guadalajara, $8.2k over 2 years
LHP Carlos Casillas - 2.67 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 2.4 WAR last year - FA from Guadalajara, $23.6k over 7 years
LF Ricardo Palacios - .305/.363/.399, 2.1 WAR last year - Traded from Tampico
RHP Ramiro Silva - 11 SV, 2.52 ERA, 2.1 WAR last year - Traded from Tampico
1B Oziel Rojas (45/65) - Traded from Tampico

Cardenales de Monterrey - New Team
Lost: No players with 1.0 WAR or more, or 50+ overall rating

Signed:
LHP Alejandro Carranza - 2.07 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 2.4 WAR last year - Traded from León
LF David Ramos (40/50) - Traded from Mérida

Serpientes de Puebla - 3rd (49-35) last year
Lost:
3B Daniel Rivera - .289/.419/.408, 4.8 WAR last year - Signed by Jaguares
CF Jorge Ramírez - .293/.339/.397, 4.0 WAR last year - Signed by Guadalajara
2B Fernando del Toro - .293/.364/.373, 3.4 WAR last year - Free Agent
LF Celestino de la Rosa - .229/.334/.312, 2.2 WAR last year - Free Agent
SS Manuel Portillo - .233/.276/.295, 1.8 WAR last year - Free Agent
C Guillermo Mendez - .218/.318/.261, 1.2 WAR last year - Free Agent
RF Antonio Tapia - .257/.298/.317, 0.9 WAR last year - Free Agent
1B Mario Morales - .317/.399/.386, 3.3 WAR last year - Traded to León

Signed:
SS Antonio Monterrosa - .267/.325/.350, 1.5 WAR last year - FA from Mérida, $16k over 4 years

Tunas de San Luis - 1st (58-27) last year
Lost:
2B Max Braud - .342/.408/.418, 6.3 WAR last year - Free Agent
C José Trujillo - .286/.351/.361, 3.6 WAR last year - Signed by Mérida
RF Salvador Velázquez - .278/.374/.370, 3.3 WAR last year - Signed by Jaguares
RHP Luis Cruz - 2.41 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 3.1 WAR last year - Signed by León
RHP Francisco Barajas - 1.83 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 2.8 WAR last year - Signed by Mérida
LF Roberto Hernández - .283/.324/.399, 1.1 WAR last year - Traded to Aguascalientes
LHP Roberto Bañuelos - 2.70 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 0.1 WAR last year - Traded to León
RHP Rodrigo Parra (55/55 RP) - Traded to Tampico

Signed:
LHP Francisco Camacho - 2.53 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 2.7 WAR last year - Resigned, $11.9k over 4 years
C Victor Albornoz - .262/.351/.339, 2.6 WAR last year - FA from León, $26.7k over 8 years
LF Oscar Valladolid - .275/.310/.312, 1.2 WAR last year - Traded from Guadalajara
LF Julio Ortiz - .246/.303/.287, 0.4 WAR last year - Traded from Tampico

Jaibas de Tampico
Lost:
C Alfredo Hernández - .278/.318/.335, 2.0 WAR last year - Free Agent
RHP César Plascencia - 3.78 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 1.5 WAR last year - Signed by Águilas
LF Ricardo Palacios - .305/.363/.399, 2.1 WAR last year - Traded to Jaguares
RHP Ramiro Silva - 11 SV, 2.52 ERA, 2.1 WAR last year - Traded to Jaguares
LF Julio Ortiz - .246/.303/.287, 0.4 WAR last year - Traded to San Luis
2B Oziel Rojas (45/65) - Traded to Jaguares

Signed:
LF Gregorio Pérez - .284/.330/.346, 1.7 WAR last year - Traded from Jaguares
2B Ehécatl Cocom - .303/.340/.361, 1.3 WAR last year - Traded from León
RHP Pedro León (25/65 RP) - Traded from Jaguares
RHP Rodrigo Parra (55/55 RP) - Traded from San Luis
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As you can tell, there's been a lot of movement so far but there's still a handful of big free agents available. Next time up we'll go over the preseason predictions and I'll mention any movements that happen over this final preparation week.