Michaels soon emerged as one of the top second basemen in the American League. Through 1948, he had a .250 career batting average, eleven home runs and 171 RBIs. At the 1949 All-Star break, however, Michaels was batting .298 with five home runs and 42 RBIs, good enough to be elected the starting American League second baseman. In the first inning, he reached on an error by National League shortstop Pee Wee Reese that scored Eddie Joost with the third run of the inning without an RBI. He also drew a walk to lead off the fifth, but went hitless.