Potter found a home in his new environment and went 10-5 in 1943. As the U.S. was involved in the Second World War, the competition was not as strong, but that was not his fault. In 1944, Potter went 19-7, finished ninth in MVP voting, and was fourth in bWAR for Pitchers (5.7). Potter and the Browns won the American League Pennant for the first and only time, and while he was 0-1 in the World Series, Potter had a 0.93 ERA over 9.2 Innings. In 1945, Potter had a record of 15-11 but was better in other stats with an ERA of 2.47, a WHIP of 1.097, and a bWAR for Pitchers of 7.2. The latter two were good enough for second overall in the AL.
His fortunes changed for the worse in 1946, as many players came back to the Majors, and he was also in his mid-30s. He would be sold to the Athletics during the 1948 season.
Nels Potter enters this list with a bit of an asterisk, as his best days were during WWII, but he still had them, and we don’t penalize for that era. The Browns also don’t win their first Pennant without him, and that matters.
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