2023 Pre-Season #121. Peak Period: 2020-23*

Jalen Hurts was the runner-up for the 2019 Heisman, and there were a few questions that surrounded him in the following draft. There should not have been. Already a Super Bowl participant and an MVP runner-up (he did win the 2022 Bert Bell Award), Hurts has an AV/G well over the MPA in his brief career, which a Quarterback will have to own over a long period of time to get into the Hall of Fame.  We are also impressed by his Rushing Touchdowns numbers, and could we see the first QB to ever rush for 100 TDs?

*His Peak Period is only four years.

2022: Pre-Season Rank: Unranked

Orlando Brown begins 2023 with his third team, Cincinnati, and let’s see if he goes three-for-three in productive campaigns for NFL teams. Twice a Pro Bowler with Baltimore and Kansas City, Brown won a Super Bowl Ring last year and boasts a four-year streak of Pro Bowls and Approimate Value of at least 12.

Regular visitors of Notinhalloffame.com know that we are slowly working on the top 50 of every major team in the NHL, NBA, NFL and MLB. Once that is done, we intend to look at how each team honor their past players, coaches and executives. As such, it is important to us that the

New York Mets have announced that next season that they will retire the numbers of Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry.

In the 1980s, the Mets had the two most exciting players in the sport in Gooden and Strawberry, and they would lead the team to victory in the 1986 World Series.

Drafted fifth overall in 1982, Gooden shot up from High-A to the Majors in 1984 while still a teenager, winning the Rookie of the Year (17-9), the Strikeouts (268), FIP (1.69) and WHIP (1.073) Titles and was second in Cy Young voting. “Doc” won the Cy Young in 1985, leading the league in Wins (24), ERA (1.53), Strikeouts (268) and FIP (2.13). This was his peak, as he dealt with injuries and substance abuse, which culminated in his suspension for the entirety of the 1995 Season. The four-time All-Star never played for the Mets after, leaving behind a 157-85 record and 1,875 Strikeouts.

Strawberry was the dynamic power hitter of the squad, using his tall and lanky frame to go deep and his gifted athleticism to become one of the most popular players of his day. The first overall pick of the 1980 Draft, Strawberry joined the Mets in 1983, winning the National League Rookie of the Year. The Outfielder then embarked on an eight-year streak of All-Star Games (the last was as a Dodger) with his peak period coming from 1987 to 1990. Strawberry joined the 30-30 club in 1987, and in 1988 was the runner-up for the MVP, winning the Home Run (39), Slugging (.545) and OPS Titles (.911). In 1990, his last year with the Mets, he was third in MVP voting. With the Mets, Strawberry belted 252 Home Runs, with a .520 Slugging Percentage, while also collecting two Silver Sluggers.

Gooden and Strawberry were not without controversy, as both had dealt with off-field issues that hampered their overall performance and arguably cost themselves a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden for earning this impending honor.

It is with great pleasure that we continue the third annual Notinhalloffame MLB Regular Season Cup, and let us explain how this works:

With every single regular season game, we anointed the best five players in the game with descending points, 5-4-3-2-1.

We knew the following:

-       The top players for the MLB NIHOF Cup are not always the best in the league, as injuries keep players out of games, and a premium on staying healthy can help pile up points. It also does not hurt to be a top player on an average or mediocre team, as they can amass Cup points easier that elite players on loaded squads.

-       In Baseball, it is more common than in Basketball and Hockey for a player to accrue points with a single Home Run in a game, and overall favors position players. Starting Pitchers have a hard time with approximately 30-35 Starts and throwing less innings than in previous generations. This also is true for closers, which is not made for this process.

-       Please remember, that this is NOT necessarily who we think were the best players this year, and does not reflect overall consistency. Treat this the way did, as a fun process and more of a compilation of temporary statistical domination.

At present 1,036 (up from 1,009 last week) players have generated at least one Cup Point.

So, MLB players! Get your agents to work winning this into your contracts!

This is the fourteenth update, with standings as of the afternoon of August 29.

1. Shohei Ohtani: Los Angeles Angels, Designated Hitter & Pitcher: (Ranked #1 Last Week)

199 Cup Points, 130 Games, 1.53 Cup Points per Game, 44 Home Runs, 92 Runs Batted In, 19 SB, .304/.409/.663, 9.9 bWAR & 10-5, 3.14 ERA, 167 SO, 1.061 WHIP.

The Notinhalloffame Cup is built for Ohtani, who can compile points in two different avenues; the only one who can do so, although he has been shut down on the mound for the rest of the year. Ohtani continues to grow the gap between himself and his nearest competition, and we can’t see him losing the Cup. He won’t be able to compile any more stats pitching wise, but his numbers are pretty solid in that avenue. With his bat, Ohtani is the current AL leader in bWAR (9.9), Runs Scored (100), Home Runs (44), Triples (8), Walks (84), OBP (.409), Slugging (.663), OPS (1.071), OPS+ (183) and Total Bases (318), while also being third in RBIs (92), and forth in Batting (.304). The AL MVP is his to lose, and we don’t think he will.

2. Mookie Betts: Los Angeles Dodgers, Outfield: (Ranked #3, Last Week)

171 Cup Points, 124 Games, 1.38 Cup Points per Game, 35 Home Runs, 93 Runs Batted In, 10 SB, .312/.406/.606, 7.2 bWAR.

Betts has been on fire over the last two weeks, propelling himself to second over Acuna, and causing pause to think if Ohtani can be caught. In the National League, he took over the top spot in Slugging (.606), OPS (1.011) and bWAR (7.2) this past week and has moved up to fifth in Batting (.312) and third in OBP (.406). Betts has also climbed to third in RBIs (93) and fourth in Home Runs (35).

3. Ronald Acuna: Atlanta Braves, Outfield: (Ranked #2 Last Week)

156 Cup Points, 130 Games, 1.20 Cup Points per Game, 29 Home Runs, 79 Runs Batted In, 61 SB, .335/.418/.572, 6.6 bWAR.

Acuna leads all National League batters in Stolen Bases (61), Runs Scored (119), and OBP (.418). He is also second in bWAR (6.6) and Hits (175), third in OPS (.989), third in Batting (.335) and fourth in Slugging (.572). Acuna is also the runaway leader in Power-Speed # (39.3).

4. Freddie Freeman: Los Angeles Dodgers, First Base: (Ranked #4, Last Week)

151 Cup Points, 130 Games, 1.14 Cup Points per Game, 24 Home Runs, 87 Runs Batted In, 17 SB, .340/.415/.583, 5.9 bWAR.

Freeman has the NL lead in Hits (176), Doubles (50), and Total Bases (302) while also currently placing second in Batting (.333), OBP (.415) and OPS (.998) and third in Slugging (.583). He is also second in Runs (109), and fifth in Runs Batted In (87).

5. Matt Olson: Atlanta Braves, First Base: (Ranked #5 Last Week)

146 Cup Points, 130 Games, 1.15 Cup Points per Game, 43 Home Runs, 112 Runs Batted In, 1 SB, .272/.381/.597, 5.2 bWAR.

Olson has the National League lead in both Home Runs (43) and RBIs (112), and is in the top ten in all three Slash Line components. He is enjoying the best year of his career.

6. Kyle Tucker: Houston Astros, Outfield: (#7, Last Week)

139 Cup Points, 129 Games, 1.09 Cup Points per Game, 26 Home Runs, 97 Runs Batted In, 26 SB, .293/.374/.521, 4.2 bWAR.

Tucker is now the American League leader in RBIs (97) and in regards to the Slash Line, Tucker is sixth in Batting (.293), fifth in OBP (.374) and fourth in Slugging (.521), while holding strong at fourth in OPS (.901). He is also in the top ten in Hits, Home Runs, Stolen Bases and Extra Base Hits.

7. Juan Soto: San Diego Padres, Outfield: (Ranked #7, Last Week)

138 Cup Points, 132 Games, 1.05 Cup Points per Game, 25 Home Runs, 78 Runs Batted In, 6 SB, .260/.400/.483, 4.1 bWAR.

Soto is the National League leader in Walks (110) and is fourth in OBP (.400), and seventh in OPS (.883).

8. (TIE) Corbin Carroll: Arizona Diamondbacks, Outfield: (Not in the Top Ten, Last Week)

128 Cup Points, 127 Games, 1.01 Cup Points per Game, 22 Home Runs, 64 Runs Batted In, 40 SB, .279/.361/.515, 4.8 bWAR.

Christian Walker out. Corbin Carroll back in. The Diamondbacks have the likely National League Rookie of the Year in Carroll who is in the top ten in bWAR, Runs and Stolen Bases and is first in Triples (8).

8. (TIE) Rafael Devers: Boston Red Sox, Third Base: (Ranked #8 Last Week)

128 Cup Points, 124 Games, 1.02 Cup Points per Game, 29 Home Runs, 88 Runs Batted In, 2 SB, .269/.345/.512, 2.9 bWAR.

Devers remains a surprise being so high as he was not in the All-Star Game, nor was considered a significant snub. He and is currently fourth in the AL in Home Runs (29) and RBIs (88), and fifth in Slugging (.512).

10. Alex Bregman: Houston Astros, Third Base: (Ranked #10, Last Week)

127 Cup Points, 132 Games, 0.96 Cup Points per Game, 21 Home Runs, 87 Runs Batted In, 3 SB, .261/.363/.440, 4.0 bWAR.

Bregman remains in the top ten, giving Houston two to join the Dodgers and Braves in the top ten. He is in the top five in Walks (76), RBIs (87) and Runs (83).

Arizona’s Christian Walker fell out of the top ten.

Our next update will be the afternoon of September 4.