The American League East division is once again proving to be a compelling battleground as the season progresses. 

While the New York Yankees have established a significant early lead, enjoying a formidable start to their campaign, their position is far from unchallenged. 

Unexpectedly, the Toronto Blue Jays have emerged as their closest competitor, defying initial predictions that favored the Orioles and Red Sox as major contenders. 

Trailing just behind, the Tampa Bay Rays, a perennial dark horse, continue to defy expectations and maintain a strong presence in the divisional race, setting the stage for a dynamic and competitive season ahead.

The Yankees' Commanding Early Stance

The New York Yankees have made a habit of starting strong in recent years, a pattern evident in both the 2022 and 2024 seasons when they quickly built sizable division leads. This year, their impressive performance has translated into a 5.5-game lead in the AL East, solidifying their position over a third of the way through the season. 

The primary objective for the Bronx Bombers will be to sustain this high level of play throughout the entire year, avoiding any significant cooling-off period that might compromise their comfortable advantage. Despite their current dominance, the division is filled with capable rivals eager to close the gap.

Blue Jays Emerge as the Primary Challenger

In a surprising turn of events, the Toronto Blue Jays currently hold pole position among the Yankees' division rivals. While the Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox were initially anticipated to pose the greatest threats in the American League East, Toronto has positioned itself as the Yankees' closest competitor. 

The Blue Jays boast the best record among the teams not currently leading the division, showcasing their unexpected strength and resilience in the early stages of the season. 

Their consistent play has allowed them to gain a crucial advantage over other hopeful contenders in the division.

As a result, FanDuel MLB odds have begun to reflect a shift in perception, with Toronto now listed among the top potential threats to unseat the Yankees.

The Resilient Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays, often characterized as a mini-market juggernaut, are consistently hard to discount, typically finding creative ways to remain competitive in the hunt, whatever their circumstances. 

After a low point that saw them sink to a 16-21 record following a series against the Phillies, the Rays have mounted a strong recovery, now sitting in second place in the East, just a game behind Toronto. Their ability to bounce back from adversity underscores their scrappy nature and their persistent drive to succeed.

Simpson's Impactful Stint

A significant factor in the Rays' recent resurgence was the out-of-control speed of rookie Chandler Simpson, who objectively helped key their rise during his time in the big leagues. His presence propelled the Rays to an impressive 21-14 record during his tenure with the team. 

Simpson's performance included a .285 batting average and 19 successful steals, showcasing his game-changing speed and base-running prowess. His dynamic play greatly altered the Yankees' tactical calculus whenever he was at bat or on the bases.

The Demotion Surprise

Despite his meaningful contributions, Chandler Simpson was inexplicably sent down by the Rays, a move described as a "weird one" that might have led to the team having "shot themselves in the foot" and potentially aided the Yankees. This decision is theorized to be part of the "service time game," a strategy often employed to manage a player's contractual control. 

Simpson had accumulated 133 plate appearances but only 123 at-bats, falling just short of the 130 at-bat threshold that officially designates a player as a "rookie" for service time purposes. This shift is difficult to justify purely for baseball reasons and has left observers questioning the team's motivation.

Other Contenders: Red Sox and Orioles

Beyond the immediate top three, the American League East also features the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles, both of whom possess the potential to make a run. 

The Red Sox currently trail the Rays in terms of games, and on paper, they appear to be the most talented team, boasting a roster of stars and a loaded farm system capable of supplementing a theoretical playoff push. 

Meanwhile, the Orioles, who won 103 games in 2023, possess a strong core that could recapture that formidable form and return to respectability, if not outright contention. Early season expectations had indeed pegged both the Orioles and Red Sox as significant American League contenders.

Navigating the Unpredictable Path

The AL East division remains highly dynamic, where positions can shift rapidly. While the Yankees have built a substantial 5.5-game lead, they must maintain their current level of play and consistency to secure the division comfortably. 

The Blue Jays and Rays are legitimate threats, with the Rays' recent inexplicable decision regarding Chandler Simpson potentially influencing their trajectory. However, it should be noted that no crystal ball gazing is easy when it comes to the Rays, as they consistently find a way to compete.

It is with great pleasure that we have brought back the Notinhalloffame MLB Regular Cup, and let us explain how this works:

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

We know 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 more easily than 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, which favors position players. Starting Pitchers have a hard time with approximately 30-35 Starts and throwing fewer innings than previous generations. This is also true for closers 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 we did: as a fun process and more of a compilation of temporary statistical domination.

Here is the current top ten after games concluded on June 9.

1. Aaron Judge, New York Yankees: 109 Cup Points in 54 Games. (#1 Last Week).  5.2 bWAR, 62 Runs, 95 Hits, 23 Home Runs, 55 Runs Batted In, .396/.493/.771 Slash Line, 1.264 OPS & 250 OPS+.

2. Pete Alonso, New York Mets: 105 Cup Points in 60 Games. (#2 Last Week).   2.9 bWAR, 41 Runs, 75 Hits, 17 Home Runs, 61 Runs Batted In, .301/.396/.594 Slash Line, .990 OPS & 182 OPS+.

3. Francisco Lindor, New York Mets: 83 Cup Points in 64 Games. (#3 Last Week).   2.4 bWAR, 42 Runs, 73 Hits, 14 Home Runs, 38 Runs Batted In, .283/.354/.488 Slash Line, .842 OPS & 141 OPS+

4. (TIE) Rafael Devers, Boston Red Sox: 79 Cup Points in 68 Games.  (#5 Last Week).  2.4 bWAR, 45 Runs, 71 Hits, 14 Home Runs, 57 Runs Batted In, .280/.409/.516 Slash Line, .925 OPS & 157 OPS+.

4. (TIE) Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers:  79 Cup Points in 65 Games.  (#4 Last Week).  3.1 bWAR, 67 Runs, 76 Hits, 23 Home Runs, 39 Runs Batted In, .291/.387/.628 Slash Line, 1.015 OPS & 184 OPS+.

6. Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners: 77 Cup Points in 64 Games. (#6 Last Week).   3.4 bWAR, 44 Runs, 63 Hits, 26 Home Runs, 53 Runs Batted In, .266/.373/.641 Slash Line, 1.014 OPS & 192 OPS+.

7. (TIE) Jacob Wilson, The Athletics: 73 Cup Points in 64 Games. (Not in the Top Ten Last Week).   2.7 bWAR, 36 Runs, 93 Hits, 8 Home Runs, 38 Runs Batted In, .366/.402/.520 Slash Line, .922 OPS & 159 OPS+.

7. (TIE) Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals:  73 Cup Points in 66 Games.  (#6 Last Week).  3.4 bWAR, 35 Runs, 75 Hits, 8 Home Runs, 37 Runs Batted In, .291/.349/.492 Slash Line, .842 OPS & 135 OPS+.

7. (TIE) Manny Machado, San Diego Padres: 73 Cup Points in 65 Games. (Not in the Top Ten Last Week).  2.6 bWAR, 45 Runs, 78 Hits, 10 Home Runs, 34 Runs Batted In, .320/.382/.516 Slash Line, .899 OPS & 150 OPS+.

10. Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles Dodgers: 72 Cup Points in 56 Games.  (#9 Last Week).  2.3 bWAR, 36 Runs, 73 Hits, 9 Home Runs, 41 Runs Batted In, .351/.418/.591 Slash Line, 1.009 OPS & 185 OPS+.

Detroit’s Spencer Torkelson and Washington’s James Wood fell out of the Top Ten.

Notably, 888 baseball players have earned at least 1 point, up from 857 last week.

This past weekend, the UFC announced that Mark Kerr will be entering the UFC Hall of Fame as part of the UFC HOF Class of 2025.  He will be inducted as part of the Pioneer Wing.

The ceremony will take place on June 26 as part of International Fight Week.

A Division I Champion from Syracuse at 190 pounds, Kerr made his MMA debut in 1997 and would win two tournaments in UFC, at UFC 14 and UFC 15, respectively.  He never competed in the UFC after that, but instead mainly competed in Pride over the next few years.  “The Smashing Machine” had a lifetime record of 15-11 and was considered one of the most influential fighters of his day.

A movie about his life starring Dwayne Johnson will be released this October.

We here at notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Mark Kerr on his impending induction.

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 will examine how each team honors its past players, coaches, and executives. As such, it is important to us that UCLA has announced the nine-person Class of 2025.

The incoming members are:

Tracey Milburn Bailey, Women’s Soccer, 1998-2000.  A three-time All-Pac-10 selection, Milburn Bailey had a phenomenal 2000 Season, where she scored 13 Goals, was named the Pac-10 Player of the Year, led her school to the first-ever College Cup, and the first National Championship Game.  She later played professionally for the Washington Freedom of the Women’s United Soccer Association.

Mike Franks, Men’s Tennis, 1956-58.  Franks was a two-time All-American who led UCLA to a team championship in 1956.  In all three of his seasons with the Bruins, UCLA won at least a share of the conference championship.  He later competed at Wimbledon three times.

Cyndi Gallagher, Women’s Swimming and Diving Coach, 1988-2019.  A student-athlete herself at UCLA, Gallagher had a stellar career with a 202-107-2 record in dual meets.  She led the Bruins to two Pac-10 Titles (2001 & 2003), was a two-time Pac-10 Coach of the Year, and 11 of her athletes competed in the Olympics. 

Jason Kapono, Men’s Basketball, 2000-03.  Kapono scored 2,095 Points at UCLA (third all-time) and was an All-Pac-10 Selection in all four of his years with the Bruins.  He later played over 500 Games in the NBA, and won a Championship with the Miami Heat in 2006.

Brittani McCullogh, Women’s Gymnastics, 2008-11.  McCullough earned four All-America honors (one in vault and three on the floor) and in 2010, she won the Pac-10, Regionals, and National Titles on the floor exercise.

Kimberly Po, Women’s Tennis, 1990-91.  Po won the 1991 Pac-10 Doubles Title with Stella Sampras, and the pair were the runner-up for the National Championships.  Professionally, she won Mixed Doubles at the 1999 U.S. Open with Donald Johnson.

Sheena Johnson Tosta, Women’s Track and Field, 2001-04.  A ten-time All-American, Johnson Tosta won six Pac-10 Titles and was a two-time NCAA 400m Hurdle Champion.  She later competed in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, winning a Silver Medal in the latter.

Lisa Willis, Women’s Basketball, 2003-06.  Willis compiled 1,677 Points and 368 Steals for the Bruins and was also a two-time All-Pac-10 Selection and the MVP of the 2006 Pac-10 Tournament.  She later played four seasons in the WNBA.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the incoming members of the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame.