[Nick Soulis]

Season 8
May Review



As the dust settles on the second month of play in Season 8 of the Excellence Project, contenders are beginning to emerge while others are scrambling to stay afloat. May was a month defined by pitching dominance, explosive offense, and some major separation in the standings. Let’s dive into the league-wide storylines, monthly award winners, and a team-by-team analysis across both the American League and National League brackets.

⭐️ Monthly Award Winners

�� AL Pitcher of the Month: Eddie Plank, 1910 Philadelphia A’s

Record: 6-2 | ERA: 3.74 | K: 40 in 57.1 IP
The veteran lefty rebounded from an up-and-down April with a stellar May, leading the A’s rotation with consistency and command.

�� NL Pitcher of the Month: Andy Pettitte, 2005 Houston Astros

Record: 5-1 | ERA: 1.70 | K: 38 in 58.1 IP
Pettitte continues to be a rock, delivering quality start after quality start to keep Houston in the thick of the race.

�� NL Batter of the Month: Rogers Hornsby, 1926 St. Louis Cardinals

AVG: .337 | HR: 10 | RBI: 26
The Rajah was relentless, adding to his MVP case with a scorching May that helped St. Louis claim first in the East.

�� AL Batter of the Month: Willie Stargell, 1972 Pittsburgh Pirates

HR: 20 | AVG: .365 | RBI: 48
“Pops” is absolutely obliterating the ball and leads all of baseball in home runs and RBIs, providing the thunder for Pittsburgh’s rise.

�� League Leaders (As of May 31)

�� Batting Average (Top 5):

Eddie Collins – PHA – .368

Willie Stargell – PIT – .365

Stuffy McInnis – PHA – .353

Rennie Stennett – PIT – .351

Jack Barry – PHA – .346

�� Home Runs:

Willie Stargell – PIT – 20

Richie Hebner – PIT – 17

Jay Buhner – SEA – 16

Jeff Heath – SLA – 15

Willie McCovey – SFN – 15

�� RBIs:

Danny Murphy – PHA – 48

Willie Stargell – PIT – 48

Vern Stephens – SLA – 47

�� Wins (8-way tie):

Plank (PHA), Haines (SLN), Perry (SFN), Pettitte (HOU) – 8 each

�� ERA:

Luke Walker – PIT – 1.75

Hank Robinson – PIT – 2.00

Andy Pettitte – HOU – 2.21

�� Team-by-Team Analysis

AMERICAN LEAGUE

�� East Division

�� Philadelphia 1910 Athletics (33-17)
The A’s are a powerhouse. Eddie Collins is batting .368, Danny Murphy is tied for the league lead in RBIs, and Plank leads the rotation. With the league's best offense and two top-five pitchers (Plank, Krause), they’re the team to beat.

�� Detroit 1994 Tigers (22-28)
Despite some flashes of offense, their pitching depth continues to hurt them. The gap between them and Philadelphia may already be insurmountable.

�� Boston 1953 Red Sox (18-32)
Frank Sullivan has been solid with 78 Ks, but the offense is sluggish and the bullpen unreliable. They’re in a spiral.

�� St. Louis 1947 Browns (18-32)
Jack Kramer has been inconsistent, and the bats aren’t supporting him. A tough, grinding team, but outclassed so far.

�� West Division

�� Pittsburgh 1972 Pirates (33-18)
Absolutely lethal. Stargell, Hebner, and Stennett are all top-5 in major categories. The rotation is dominating with Luke Walker, Hank Robinson, and Babe Adams all posting ERAs under 2.60. A true juggernaut.

�� Seattle 1990 Mariners (23-26)
Jay Buhner’s power is carrying the offense, but the rest of the lineup is too streaky. Pitching has been average. Still in reach but slipping.

�� Minnesota 1998 Twins (23-27)
Solid contact hitters but no major standouts. Their depth keeps them in games, but no one has emerged as a clear difference-maker.

�� St. Louis 1945 Browns (23-28)
Better than expected, with Vern Stephens raking (47 RBIs), but their pitching is porous. They're scrappy but unlikely to climb far.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

�� East Division

�� St. Louis 1926 Cardinals (30-20)
Rogers Hornsby is an MVP frontrunner, and Jesse Haines is 8-2. Balanced attack with timely hitting. They’ve separated from the pack.

�� Pittsburgh 1913 Pirates (27-23)
Babe Adams is leading a quietly good staff. The offense is hit-or-miss, but they hang around. Need a spark to catch St. Louis.

�� Washington 1965 Senators (21-28)
Pitching has been competent, but the bats are flat. They’re in games but rarely win them. A few tweaks could yield better results.

�� Chicago 1983 Cubs (19-32)
Mark Grace and Ryne Sandberg haven’t lived up to expectations yet. They’re struggling to get consistency in the rotation.

�� West Division

�� San Francisco 1969 Giants (31-20)
Juan Marichal and Gaylord Perry have been outstanding. McCovey leads the offense. Classic formula: elite pitching + middle-of-order punch.

�� San Diego 2013 Padres (31-20)
One of the league’s biggest surprises. Quietly efficient with a top-10 staff. Very little star power but a lot of cohesion.

�� Houston 2005 Astros (28-24)
Andy Pettitte and Roy Oswalt form a nasty 1-2 punch (both top-5 in ERA). If Berkman or Ensberg heats up, they’ll surge forward.

�� Cincinnati 2015 Reds (23-28)
Offense is middle-tier, and the rotation lacks bite. They hang tough but haven’t capitalized in close games.

�� Looking Ahead to June…

Will Stargell break the home run record for the project?

Can San Diego keep up with the Giants in the West?

Is there anyone who can slow down Philadelphia or Pittsburgh in the AL?

Are the Astros a dark horse with Pettitte and Oswalt on fire?

Expect continued fireworks, a tightening of the playoff picture, and more historic performances in June.