Best MLB Players of 1943, Ranked by NUT
1943 seasonStan Musial (STL) was the most productive hitter in MLB in 1943 by NUT at +7.0, and Spud Chandler (NYY) the most productive pitcher at +3.0.
4 of 224 qualified hitters and 1 of 159 qualified pitchers graded S for the season.
St. Louis Cardinals (105-49) had both the best record and the highest team NUT at +18.7.
New York Yankees beat St. Louis Cardinals 4–1 in the World Series, as the lower team-NUT club (+14.1 to +18.7).
Live-ball era. Clean baseballs and the spitball ban; Ruth turns the home run into the game.
World Series by team NUT
Season team NUT, regular season. The lower-NUT club won. Every World Series by NUT
Awards vs NUT
NUT's MVP pick is the league's best player by season NUT, hitters and pitchers compared by grade; its Cy Young pick is the best pitcher. Voters also weigh defense, which NUT leaves out. Rookie of the Year shows where the winner ranked among all qualified players.
Best by league
League by the player's final club. By NUT, not award voting.
Top 10 hitters and pitchers
| # | Player | NUT | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stan MusialSTL · RF | +7.0 | |
| 2 | Bill NicholsonCHC · RF | +5.6 | |
| 3 | Charlie KellerNYY · LF | +5.1 | |
| 4 | Rudy YorkDET · 1B | +4.6 | |
| 5 | Luke ApplingCWS · SS | +3.9 | |
| 6 | Augie GalanBRO · CF | +3.3 | |
| 7 | Dick WakefieldDET · LF | +3.3 | |
| 8 | Bob ElliottPIT · 3B | +3.1 | |
| 9 | Billy HermanBRO · 2B | +3.1 | |
| 10 | Vern StephensSLB · SS | +3.0 |
| # | Player | NUT | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spud ChandlerNYY · P | +3.0 | |
| 2 | Mort CooperSTL · P | +2.4 | |
| 3 | Max LanierSTL · P | +1.9 | |
| 4 | Whit WyattBRO · P | +1.5 | |
| 5 | Tommy BridgesDET · P | +1.4 | |
| 6 | Virgil TrucksDET · P | +1.3 | |
| 7 | Charles WensloffNYY · P | +1.2 | |
| 8 | Howie PolletSTL · P | +1.2 | |
| 9 | Denny GalehouseSLB · P | +1.1 | |
| 10 | Paul DerringerCHC · P | +1.1 |
All 16 teams by NUT
| # | Team | W-L | Hit | Pitch | NUT | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | STL | 105-49 | +11.7 | +7.0 | +18.7 | S |
| 2 | NYY | 98-56 | +11.3 | +2.8 | +14.1 | A |
| 3 | CHC | 74-79 | +7.2 | +4.3 | +11.5 | A |
| 4 | PIT | 80-74 | +6.3 | +1.2 | +7.4 | B |
| 5 | BRO | 81-72 | +11.3 | -4.2 | +7.0 | B |
| 6 | DET | 78-76 | +3.4 | +3.5 | +6.9 | C |
| 7 | SLB | 72-80 | +5.8 | -1.7 | +4.1 | C |
| 8 | WSH | 84-69 | +4.6 | -1.3 | +3.3 | C |
| 9 | CLE | 82-71 | +3.1 | -1.6 | +1.5 | C |
| 10 | PHI | 64-90 | -0.1 | -0.4 | -0.5 | D |
| 11 | CWS | 82-72 | -2.5 | -1.9 | -4.4 | F |
| 12 | CIN | 87-67 | -3.8 | -0.8 | -4.5 | F |
| 13 | NYG | 55-98 | -0.8 | -7.8 | -8.5 | F |
| 14 | BOS | 68-84 | -6.1 | -4.6 | -10.6 | F |
| 15 | BSN | 68-85 | -12.1 | -1.2 | -13.3 | F |
| 16 | PHA | 49-105 | -13.5 | -4.1 | -17.5 | F |
Negro Leagues, 1943
MLB counts the Negro Leagues as major leagues. Each league is ranked on its own, against its own averages, so a +2.0 here means what +2.0 means in the AL or NL. Seasons ran 60 to 90 games, so values run lower.
Negro American League
| # | Player | NUT | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Willard BrownKCM · CF | +1.9 | |
| 2 | Piper DavisBBB · SS | +1.2 | |
| 3 | Bonnie SerrellKCM · 2B | +0.9 | |
| 4 | Alex RadcliffCAG · 3B | +0.9 | |
| 5 | Felix McLaurinBBB · CF | +0.8 |
| # | Player | NUT | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Satchel PaigeKCM · P | +1.1 | |
| 2 | Booker McDanielKCM | +0.9 | |
| 3 | Alvin GipsonBBB | +0.8 | |
| 4 | Roosevelt DavisCC | +0.5 | |
| 5 | Hilton SmithKCM · P | +0.5 |
| # | Club | W-L | NUT | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kansas City Monarchs | 30-19 | +4.8 | C |
| 2 | Birmingham Black Barons | 37-24 | +2.2 | C |
| 3 | Memphis Red Sox | 28-46 | +1.3 | C |
| 4 | Cleveland Buckeyes | 38-26 | +0.4 | C |
| 5 | Atlanta Black Crackers | 1-6 | +0.0 | C |
| 6 | Toledo Crawfords | — | +0.0 | C |
| 7 | Chicago American Giants | 32-29 | -0.6 | D |
| 8 | Cincinnati Clowns | 25-46 | -1.7 | D |
Negro National League (II)
| # | Player | NUT | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Josh GibsonHOM · C | +5.1 | |
| 2 | Buck LeonardHOM · 1B | +1.7 | |
| 3 | Tetelo VargasNYC · CF | +1.5 | |
| 4 | Jerry BenjaminHOM · CF | +1.3 | |
| 5 | Cool Papa BellHOM · LF | +1.1 |
| # | Player | NUT | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johnny WrightHOM | +1.6 | |
| 2 | Bill ByrdBEG | +1.1 | |
| 3 | Dave BarnhillNYC | +0.9 | |
| 4 | Tom GloverBEG | +0.5 | |
| 5 | Lefty BooneHSL | +0.4 |
| # | Club | W-L | NUT | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Homestead Grays | 26-7 | +12.2 | A |
| 2 | Philadelphia Stars | 19-25 | +1.9 | C |
| 3 | New York Cubans | 17-9 | +1.3 | C |
| 4 | Harrisburgh-St. Louis Stars | 5-4 | +0.7 | C |
| 5 | Newark Eagles | 18-14 | -0.7 | D |
| 6 | Baltimore Elite Giants | 14-21 | -1.1 | D |
| 7 | New York Black Yankees | 2-21 | -2.2 | D |
MLB's Negro Leagues records are incomplete, and a few games and clubs are missing. A dash means no record on file.
How the 1943 season is ranked
Season NUT is one number for production against that season's league average. 0.0 is league average; defense is left out. Players need 100 plate appearances or 25 innings to qualify. Team NUT is the sum of its qualified players. Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB counts as major league, are ranked in their own section, each league against its own averages.