SJL:
After a slow start, the two years running reigning WPK champs, the Columbus Whalers, are starting to heat up and finish the first week of May in 2nd place in the SJL at 16-7, two games behind the 19-6 Washington Night Train. Like the Denver Brewers, they went 6-0 this past week, with the narrowest victory being their 2-1 win over San Antonio on Tuesday. The great Jake Harris worked 7 strong innings for his 1st win of 1977 in this one and fan favorite Kazuhiro Miyamoto pitched the final 2 innings for his 4th save. Like Cheol-han Lee, the future HOF'er Harris now has to rely on his guile and great movement with very little stuff left to his pitches but unlike Cheol-han he is still mostly managing to get it done at age 38.
MJL:
It is worth noting that the MGL thus far in 1977 has seen an average of 5.2 runs per game while the SJL a slightly lower 4.7 per game. And Saturday's 20-11 Charlotte win over Phoenix was pretty indicative of how things have gone in the MGL this season. Oh, and the team ERA for the Phoenix Speed Devils? 8.93. Yes, that isn't a typo. The Speed Devils are allowing nearly 9 earned runs per 9 innings as a team. (MGL league ERA is 4.42, so even in a high offensive year, this Phoenix team is crazy bad at keeping the other club from scoring.)
On the other hand, Charlotte's 25-year old center fielder Jose Gutierrez is enjoying the offensive surge in the MGL and is off to a great start, projected to have a 9 WAR season. Not many years ago it looked like Gutierrez, a great leader at a young age, was on the path to challenge Joe McPhillips for best center fielder in the game for some time but after winning the Rookie of the Year award in 1974 with a 6.2 WAR season he has been somewhat disappointing since. While he doesn't possess the range that McPhillips has in center (not to mention having a much weaker arm), he is in the midst of a bounce-back season at the plate in 1977 (while McPhillips underachieves offensively.)