Our second MLB Monday miniseries on the Daily McPlay analyzes World Series MVPs and Managers of the Year in both leagues. We have annual context from our first miniseries, and we will continue moving forward here—eventually adding some Gold Glove analysis in due time—going forward … so, enjoy this reading while you enjoy the upcoming League Championship Series playoffs for 2022!

1918 World Series MVP: Carl Mays, SP, Boston (AL)

The Boston Red Sox won their fifth World Series in 16 seasons with a six-game triumph over the Chicago Cubs, and it was all about pitching. Only 19 runs total were scored in six games, and the Cubs actually scored more (10) than the Red Sox did (9). Weird! Anyway, no Boston regular posted an OPS higher than .698, so the MVP here will have to be a pitcher.

And there are two options: Babe Ruth (2-0, 1.06 ERA in 17 IP) and Carl Mays (2-0, 1.00 ERA in 18 IP), both of whom would go on to glory with the New York Yankees in the 1920s. Sound familiar? On the surface, Mays has the slight advantage—and in digging deeper, he has huge advantages in WHIP (0.722 to 1.176) and K:BB ratio (5:3 to 4:7). He is the clear-cut MVP here for Boston.

1918 AL MOTY: Lee Fohl, Cleveland

For the second season in a row, Cleveland Indians Manager Lee Fohl takes home this hardware, thanks to a second-place finish and a league-best PPP mark (plus-3). Cleveland finished just 2.5 games behind Boston in the standings, and the Red Sox were managed to a negative PPP mark by their field leader, Ed Barrow. Fohl made things very interesting for the pennant race, when perhaps it should not have been.

1918 NL MOTY: Fred Mitchell, Chicago (NL)

Winning the pennant by 10.5 games and posting a positive PPP mark (plus-1) is all you need to secure this award, and Cubs Manager Fred Mitchell did just that. Maybe this is a case of a guy not screwing it up, but it is what it is. The best managerial effort in the league (plus-8 PPP) came from Brooklyn Robins Manager Wilbert Robinson, but with a 57-69 finish, it didn’t matter. Mitchell wins our trophy.