Welcome to the second countdown post in our series of MLB team rankings for the 1940s. As a reminder, the teams are ranked from #20 through #1 based on aggregate WAR162. For the 1940s (1940-1949), a total of 160 teams were eligible (16 teams x 10 seasons), so the top 20 teams are a fairly exclusive group. We’ll summarize each team, including portions of their team dashboard, and explain how they attained their ranking. So, without further ado, here are the teams ranked #15 through #11.
Here’s the interactive dashboard at Tableau Public: 1940s Top 20 MLB Teams Dashboard
#15: 1943 New York Yankees, 51.0 WAR162
The Yankees continued a dominant era where they typically wound up on top of the AL standings. In 1943, they coasted to a 13.5 game margin over the Nationals, and then defeated the Cardinals in a five-game World Series.
This was not an offensive powerhouse compared to the Yankees teams of just a few years earlier, in part due to the impact of the Second World War and its effect on MLB rosters. Without Joe DiMaggio and Phil Rizzuto on the field, the Yankees’ 669 runs were just three ahead of the Nationals. The New Yorkers did lead the AL in triples, homers, OBP, and OPS, all at lower levels than in the pre-war years. Their pitching was dominant in 1943, easily leading the league in ERA, WHIP, and strikeout-to-walk rate.
In the absence of DiMaggio and Rizzuto, other Yankees stepped to the fore, led by outfielder Charlie Keller, who thumped 31 homers and led the league with a .922 OPS. Joe Gordon batted just .249 but earned 98 walks while playing a strong second base defensively, and 36-year-old catcher Bill Dickey batted .351 in part-time duty. Spud Chandler was the pitching star, posting a 20-4 mark with a 1.64 ERA and 0.992 WHIP, all topping the league. Tiny Bonham posted a 15-8 mark, and Hank Borowy (14) and Charles Wensloff (13) combined for 27 wins.
#14: 1949 St. Louis Cardinals, 51.7 WAR162
The Cardinals lost the 1949 NL pennant by a single game to the Dodgers, although the Pythagorean projection had them at 92 rather than 96 wins. So they were a bit lucky and came so close to capturing a pennant.
The Cardinals came very close due to their pitching. The offense was good, not great, totaling 766 runs, far behind the Dodgers’ 879. They did lead the league in doubles, and were second in triples, but far back in home runs and last in stolen bases. The Cards led the league in BA, and placed second to the Dodgers in OBP and OPS. On the pitching side, the Cards staff easily topped the NL in ERA and WHIP, and ranked near the top in other categories.
Stan Musial was the offensive leader for the Cards once again, leading the NL in hits, doubles, triples, and OBP, drawing 107 walks (to just 38 strikeouts). Enos Slaughter was the second big contributor, batting .336 (to Musial’s .338) and driving in 96 runs. Second baseman Red Schoendienst scored 102 runs while batting .297 as the third wheel in the offense. Howie Pollet topped the pitchers with a 20-9 mark and 2.77 ERA, and led the NL with 5 shutouts. Harry Brecheen won 14 games, and Gerry Staley won 10 as a hybrid starter/reliever.
#13: 1941 New York Yankees, 52.4 WAR162
The 1941 Yankees powered and pitched their way to a 17-game edge over the Red Sox, although win projections suggest the Yankees were on the lucky side to the tune of 5 games. In any case, they were clearly the top team in the AL and went on to defeat the crosstown Dodgers in a five-game World Series.
The Yankees were outscored by the Red Sox by 35 runs on the season, but managed to bash the most homers (151) by a wide margin. They ranked third in BA and OBP, and second in OPS, trailing the Boston club each time. Pitching is where they outperformed their closest pursuers. Their team ERA was a whisker behind the White Sox (3.53 vs. 3.52), and they also ranked second in WHIP, but first in the fewest hits per 9 innings.
Joe DiMaggio had a big season in 1941, the year of his famous 56-game hitting streak. DiMaggio batted .357 with 30 homers and 125 RBI (AL-best) while scoring 122 runs. His principal support came from Charlie Keller (33 HR, 122 RBI), Joe Gordon (24 HR, 104 runs scored), and Tommy Henrich (31 HR, 106 runs scored). Shortstop Phil Rizzuto batted .307 and swiped 14 bases. The pitching was led by Marius Russo, who won 14 games with a 3.09 ERA, and the veteran Red Ruffing, who won 15 in his age-36 season.
#12: 1942 Brooklyn Dodgers, 52.4 WAR162
The 1942 Dodgers won 104 games and finished second to the Cardinals. While it was a tough pill to swallow in Brooklyn, the Cardinals’ edge on the mound brought them the NL pennant.
The Dodgers finished close behind the Cardinals in run production, trailing 755 to 742. They were not a power-hitting team, finishing in the lower half of the NL in triples and homers, and second in doubles. The Dodgers led the league in stolen bases with a rather modest total of 81, and ranked second behind the Cardinals in BA, OBP, and OPS. Pitching was a strength, except when compared to the Cardinals. The Dodgers ranked third in ERA, second in shutouts, second in WHIP, and second in strikeouts.
Shortstop Pee Wee Reese compiled the highest WAR numbers, largely due to his defensive prowess, although he did earn 82 walks on the season. Pete Reiser batted .310 with an NL-best 20 steals in just 125 games, and Dolph Camilli slugged 26 homers with 109 RBI. Larry French fashioned a fine 15-4 record with a 1.83 ERA in combined starter and relief pitcher duty, while Curt Davis also won 15 games and posted a 2.36 ERA. Starter Whit Wyatt went 19-7 with a 2.73 ERA as the third effective hurler for the Dodgers.
#11: 1949 Boston Red Sox, 53.4 WAR
The 1949 Red Sox were another 1940s team to lose out in a close pennant race; in this case, their projection was two games better than the Yankees, but the Sox wound up a game back in the standings.
The Red Sox had a high-powered offense that led the AL in runs, home runs, doubles, BA, OBP, and OPS. Unfortunately, the pitching couldn’t keep pace with the offense, winding up fourth in ERA, third in WHIP, and fourth in strikeouts. The Yankees’ pitching was just effective enough to make a difference in the standings.
Ted Williams again led the Sox, as he batted .343 with 150 runs scored, 39 doubles, 43 homers, 159 RBI, 162 walks, a .490 OBP, and a 1.141 OPS. Except for BA, he led the league in each category. Shortstop Vern Stephens tied Williams with 159 RBI and belted 39 homers of his own, and second baseman Bobby Doerr batted .309 with 109 RBI. Johnny Pesky (.306, 111 runs) and Dom DiMaggio (.307, 126 runs) provided additional support. On the mound, left-hander Mel Parnell had a career year with a 25-7 mark and a 2.77 ERA across 295 innings, leading the AL in wins, ERA, and innings pitched. Ellis Kinder had a fine 23-6 season behind Parnell, and Joe Dobson won 14 games.
Summary
That’s it for the second entry in our MLB Team Rankings for the 1940s decade! Stay tuned for the countdown from #10 to #6, arriving in a few days. As always, thanks for reading!