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 top five players with the most points, in descending order: 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 throw 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.
• As such, expect it to take time to see Pitchers on this list, or high-average hitters with limited power.

Here are the final standings (and note that we will be adding more of the results over the next few weeks):

1. Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers, Designated Hitter & Pitcher:  220 Cup Points in 158 Games, 1.39 Cup Points per Game.   7.7 bWAR, 146 Runs Scored, 164 Hits, 55 Home Runs, 102 Runs Batted In, 20 Stolen Bases, .282/.392/.622 Slash Line, 1.014 OPS & 179 OPS+.  14 Games, 1-1 Record, 2.87 ERA, 47.0 IP, 62 SO, 145 ERA+, 1.043 WHIP, 6.89 SO/BB.

Who other than a superstar who can accrue points with his bat and on the mound, win the Notinhalloffame Cup?

This is a trophy built for Shohei Ohtani, the only active player in the Majors who plays both ways. Although he threw for only 47 Innings, that is what put him over New York’s Aaron Judge.  Ohtani led the National League in Runs (146), Slugging (.622), OPS (1.014), OPS+ (1.014), and broke his single-season Home Run record with 55 dingers. 

The final week in the standings was a battle between Ohtani and Judge, and while his work as a hurler put him over the top, what Ohtani has done this year and since 2021 has been nothing short of immaculate.

Congratulations to Shohei Ohtani for winning the notinhalloffame.com MLB Cup. 

By the way, the title needs to be accepted in person here at our current home base in Seattle.

2. Aaron Judge, New York Yankees, Outfield:  217 Cup Points in 152 Games, 1.43 Cup Points per Game.  9.7 bWAR, 137 Runs Scored, 179 Hits, 53 Home Runs, 114 Runs Batted In, 12 Stolen Bases, .331/.457/.668 Slash Line, 1.114 OPS & 215 OPS+.

Aaron Judge had the Notinhalloffame Cup locked up, but after bouncing back and forth with Shohei Ohtani, Judge fell in the last two games. However, it is hard to beat a player (for this Cup) when you don’t pitch.  Wait, does that mean Judge is the de facto winner here?   Sadly, no.

Judge had a phenomenal year, where he maintained his power (53 Home Runs) while winning his first Batting Title (.331).  He did not just lead the AL in that stat; he swept the Slash Line, OPS, and OPS+ while also finishing first in Runs (137) and Walks (124).   

The Yankees made it to the playoffs, but could they have done so without Judge?  We doubt it.

3. Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners, Catcher:  183 Cup Points in 159 Games, 1.15 Cup Points per Game.  7.3 bWAR, 110 Runs Scored, 147 Hits, 60 Home Runs, 125 Runs Batted In, 14 Stolen Bases, .247/.359/.589 Slash Line, .948 OPS & 169 OPS+.

Is this the best year by a Catcher?  Offensively, yes, it looks like!

Raleigh shattered the Home Run record for a Catcher with 60 taters, and led the AL in that stat and RBIs (125).  “The Big Dumper” was an All-Star for the first time in 2025, and his output propelled the Mariners to a top seed in the 2025 playoffs. 

4. Pete Alonso, New York Mets, First Base: 179 Cup Points in 162 Games, 1.11 Cup Points per Game.  3.4 bWAR, 87 Runs Scored, 170 Hits, 38 Home Runs, 126 Runs Batted In, 1 Stolen Base, .272/.347/.524 Slash Line, .871 OPS & 144 OPS+.

Would you believe that Alonso was at the top of the standings (by far) when we first published our ranking in early May? 

This is arguably the first surprise on this list, as, with all due respect to Alonso, he does not seem like he should be this high, but again, we remind you that this is a point system based on individual games! 

Alonso had a great year, blasting away like always, but this time with a respectable Batting Average of .272 (his best), and a National League leading 41 Doubles. 

Regardless, the biggest news for Alonso is that he opted out of his contract and will likely not be a Met next year.

5. Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Guardians, Third Base:  166 Cup Points in 158 Games.  1.05 Cup Points per Game.  5.8 bWAR, 103 Runs Scored, 168 Hits, 30 Home Runs, 85 Runs Batted In, 44 Stolen Bases, .283/.360/.503 Slash Line, .863 OPS & 137 OPS+.

The story of the improbable Guardians' run to the postseason can not happen without their top gun, and potential Hall of Famer, Jose Ramirez, who added his seventh All-Star and fifth straight.  He was fourth in OPS+, sixth in OPS, and eighth in Slugging.

6. Juan Soto, New York Mets, Outfield: 164 Cup Points in 160 Games, 1.03 Cup Points per Game.  6.2 bWAR, 120 Runs Scored, 152 Hits, 43 Home Runs, 105 Runs Batted In, 38 Stolen Bases, .263/.396/.525 Slash Line, .921 OPS & 160 OPS+.

It is the New York Mets that are the first team to post two players, and it comes in the form of a player who had a slow start after signing a monster contract.

Juan Soto did not make the All-Star Game (making him the highest-ranked player on this list not to), but he finished the season as the National League leader in OBP (.396), Walks (127), and Stolen Bases (38), the last of which was a huge surprise considering his previous high was 12.  Soto also had a career-high 43 Home Runs.  The Mets may not have made the playoffs, but in year one, New York got value from the superstar.

7. Francisco Lindor, New York Mets, Shortstop: 163 Cup Points in 160 Games, 1.02 Cup Points per Game.   5.8 bWAR, 117 Runs Scored, 172 Hits, 31 Home Runs, 86 Runs Batted In, 31 Stolen Bases, .267/.346/.466 Slash Line, .811 OPS & 129 OPS+.

Yes.  The New York Mets, the team with the most epic choke job in the last twenty years, have three ranked players before any other squad has two.  How is this possible?  The short answer is to see how long it takes for the Mets to have five players here, and when a Pitcher finally shows up.

Lindor had his first All-Star since 2019 (fifth overall), and was the NL leader in Plate Appearances (732) and At Bats (644).  He also had his second 30-30 year, and was third in Runs Scored (117), fifth in Hits (172), and was eighth in Home Runs (31).

8. Manny Machado, San Diego Padres, Third Base: 162 Cup Points in 159 Games, 1.02 Cup Points per Game.   4.1 bWAR, 91 Runs Scored, 169 Hits, 27 Home Runs, 95 Runs Batted In, 14 Stolen Bases, .275/.335/.460 Slash Line, .795 OPS & 118 OPS+.

Machado continues his amazing career by adding a seventh All-Star and continuing to be the Padres' top offensive weapon.  Machado, who was ninth in Hits in the NL, also turned a National League-leading 34 Double Plays at Third Base. 

9 (TIE). Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies, Designated Hitter: 161 Cup Points in 162 Games, 0.9938 Cup Points per Game.  4.7 bWAR, 111 Runs Scored, 145 Hits, 56 Home Runs, 132 Runs Batted In, 10 Stolen Bases, .240/.365/.928 Slash Line, .928 OPS & 150 OPS+.

This year’s All-Star Game MVP led the NL with 56 Home Runs and 132 RBIs, both of which were career highs.  He also had a career best in Hits (145), and was second in both Slugging and OPS, but his 197 Strikeouts cost him Cup Points. 

9 (TIE). Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay Rays: 155 Cup Points in 146 Games. (#6 Last Week).  4.2 bWAR, 89 Runs, 149 Hits, 44 Home Runs, 108 Runs Batted In, .259/.302/.537 Slash Line, .839 OPS & 128 OPS+.

This was the (expected) breakout year for the 22-year-old Dominican Third Baseman, who exploded with 45 Home Runs, a .846 OPS, and the best bat on a promising Rays roster.  We can’t wait to see what “La Maxima” has next!

Soon, we will release updates that will show the complete list.

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 top five players with the most points, in descending order: 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 September 18.

1. Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers:  200 Cup Points in 150 Games.  (#1 Last Week).  7.0 bWAR, 138 Runs, 164 Hits, 51 Home Runs, 95 Runs Batted In, .283/.395/.617 Slash Line, 1.011 OPS & 179 OPS+.

2. Aaron Judge, New York Yankees: 197 Cup Points in 143 Games. (#2 Last Week).  8.7 bWAR, 127 Runs, 167 Hits, 48 Home Runs, 104 Runs Batted In, .328/.453/.676 Slash Line, 1.129 OPS & 210 OPS+.

3. Pete Alonso, New York Mets: 178 Cup Points in 153 Games. (#3 Last Week).   3.4 bWAR, 82 Runs, 159 Hits, 37 Home Runs, 121 Runs Batted In, .270/.345/.526 Slash Line, .871 OPS & 144 OPS+.

4. Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners: 171 Cup Points in 150 Games. (#4 Last Week).   6.7 bWAR, 104 Runs, 139 Hits, 56 Home Runs, 118 Runs Batted In, .247/.359/.585 Slash Line, .945 OPS & 168 OPS+.

5. Manny Machado, San Diego Padres: 158 Cup Points in 152 Games. (#9 Last Week).   3.9 bWAR, 86 Runs, 164 Hits, 26 Home Runs, 92 Runs Batted In, .279/.339/.468 Slash Line, .807 OPS & 121 OPS+.

6 (TIE). Juan Soto, New York Mets: 155 Cup Points in 151 Games. #6 Last Week).   6.1 bWAR, 115 Runs, 143 Hits, 41 Home Runs, 100 Runs Batted In, .263/.394/.528 Slash Line, .922 OPS & 160 OPS+.

6 (TIE). Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies: 155 Cup Points in 153 Games.  (#5 Last Week).  4.8 bWAR, 106 Runs, 138 Hits, 53 Home Runs, 128 Runs Batted In, .243/.370/.567 Slash Line, .937 OPS & 152 OPS+.

6 (TIE). Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay Rays: 155 Cup Points in 146 Games. (#6 Last Week).  4.2 bWAR, 89 Runs, 149 Hits, 44 Home Runs, 108 Runs Batted In, .259/.302/.537 Slash Line, .839 OPS & 128 OPS+.

9. Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Guardians:  153 Cup Points in 148 Games.  (#8 Last Week).  5.4 bWAR, 96 Runs, 157 Hits, 29 Home Runs, 80 Runs Batted In, .282/.357/.503 Slash Line, .860 OPS & 135 OPS+.

10. Francisco Lindor, New York Mets: 149 Cup Points in 151 Games. (#10 Last Week).   4.7 bWAR, 107 Runs, 161 Hits, 27 Home Runs, 78 Runs Batted In, .265/.341/.452 Slash Line, .793 OPS & 124 OPS+.

Kansas City’s Bobby Witt Jr. fell out of the Top Ten.

Notably, 1,128 baseball players have earned at least 1 point, up from 1,115 last week.

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 top five players with the most points, in descending order: 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 September 11.

1. Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers:  188 Cup Points in 137 Games.  (#1 Last Week).  6.5 bWAR, 131 Runs, 154 Hits, 48 Home Runs, 92 Runs Batted In, .280/.391/.609 Slash Line, 1.001 OPS & 143 OPS+.

2. Aaron Judge, New York Yankees: 182 Cup Points in 136 Games. (#2 Last Week).  7.8 bWAR, 118 Runs, 158 Hits, 46 Home Runs, 100 Runs Batted In, .322/.443/.669 Slash Line, 1.112 OPS & 205 OPS+.

3. Pete Alonso, New York Mets: 164 Cup Points in 147 Games. (#3 Last Week).   3.0 bWAR, 76 Runs, 151 Hits, 33 Home Runs, 113 Runs Batted In, .267/.344/.511 Slash Line, .854 OPS & 141 OPS+.

4. Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners: 162 Cup Points in 144 Games. (#4 Last Week).   5.8 bWAR, 95 Runs, 129 Hits, 53 Home Runs, 113 Runs Batted In, .239/.354/.570 Slash Line, .923 OPS & 161 OPS+.

5. Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies: 151 Cup Points in 147 Games.  (#5 Last Week).  4.4 bWAR, 100 Runs, 132 Hits, 50 Home Runs, 123 Runs Batted In, .242/.368/.560 Slash Line, .929 OPS & 150 OPS+.

6. Juan Soto, New York Mets: 140 Cup Points in 138 Games. #8 Last Week).   6.0 bWAR, 112 Runs, 137 Hits, 39 Home Runs, 95 Runs Batted In, .264/.400/.528 Slash Line, .928 OPS & 163 OPS+.

7. Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay Rays: 147 Cup Points in 140 Games. (#6 Last Week).  3.8 bWAR, 87 Runs, 144 Hits, 42 Home Runs, 106 Runs Batted In, .261/.300/.538 Slash Line, .838 OPS & 127 OPS+.

8. Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Guardians:  146 Cup Points in 142 Games.  (#10 Last Week).  5.3 bWAR, 91 Runs, 152 Hits, 28 Home Runs, 77 Runs Batted In, .285/.358/.507 Slash Line, .866 OPS & 136 OPS+.

9. Manny Machado, San Diego Padres: 145 Cup Points in 147 Games. (#8 Last Week).   3.4 bWAR, 81 Runs, 155 Hits, 23 Home Runs, 84 Runs Batted In, .272/.333/.452 Slash Line, .784 OPS & 115 OPS+.

10 (TIE). Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals: 144 Cup Points in 142 Games. (#6 Last Week).  6.2 bWAR, 91 Runs, 163 Hits, 21 Home Runs, 77 Runs Batted In, .293/.350/.497 Slash Line, .847 OPS & 134 OPS+.

10 (TIE). Francisco Lindor, New York Mets: 144 Cup Points in 145 Games. (#10 Last Week).   4.4 bWAR, 100 Runs, 154 Hits, 26 Home Runs, 77 Runs Batted In, .263/.337/.451 Slash Line, .787 OPS & 123 OPS+.

Detroit’s Riley Greene fell out of the Top Ten.

Notably, 1,115 baseball players have earned at least 1 point, up from 1,102 last week.

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 top five players with the most points, in descending order: 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 September 4.

1. Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers:  179 Cup Points in 137 Games.  (#1 Last Week).  5.9 bWAR, 125 Runs, 148 Hits, 46 Home Runs, 87 Runs Batted In, .279/.387/.606 Slash Line, .993 OPS & 173 OPS+.

2. Aaron Judge, New York Yankees: 173 Cup Points in 130 Games. (#2 Last Week).  7.4 bWAR, 112 Runs, 152 Hits, 43 Home Runs, 97 Runs Batted In, .322/.442/.663 Slash Line, 1.105 OPS & 203 OPS+.

3. Pete Alonso, New York Mets: 163 Cup Points in 140 Games. (#3 Last Week).   3.2 bWAR, 76 Runs, 146 Hits, 33 Home Rns, 113 Runs Batted In, .271/.349/.524 Slash Line, .873 OPS & 145 OPS+.

4. Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners: 156 Cup Points in 137 Games. (#4 Last Week).   5.7 bWAR, 90 Runs, 124 Hits, 51 Home Runs, 109 Runs Batted In, .242/.352/.578 Slash Line, .930 OPS & 163 OPS+.

5. Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies: 146 Cup Points in 140 Games.  (#5 Last Week).  4.3 bWAR, 96 Runs, 126 Hits, 49 Home Runs, 119 Runs Batted In, .242/.365/.570 Slash Line, .935 OPS & 151 OPS+.

6 (TIE). Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals: 141 Cup Points in 138 Games. (#9 Last Week).  5.9 bWAR, 90 Runs, 160 Hits, 21 Home Runs, 77 Runs Batted In, .295/.354/.506 Slash Line, .859 OPS & 137 OPS+.

6 (TIE). Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay Rays: 141 Cup Points in 134 Games. (Not in the Top Ten Last Week).  3.8 bWAR, 84 Runs, 139 Hits, 40 Home Runs, 102 Runs Batted In, .263/.304/.538 Slash Line, .842 OPS & 126 OPS+.

8 (TIE). Juan Soto, New York Mets: 140 Cup Points in 138 Games. (Not in the Top Ten Last Week).   5.6 bWAR, 107 Runs, 127 Hits, 37 Home Runs, 91 Runs Batted In, .259/.399/.521 Slash Line, .920 OPS & 161 OPS+.

8 (TIE). Manny Machado, San Diego Padres: 140 Cup Points in 140 Games. (#9 Last Week).   3.7 bWAR, 80 Runs, 153 Hits, 22 Home Runs, 81 Runs Batted In, .283/.344/.465 Slash Line, .809 OPS & 121 OPS+.

10 (TIE). Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Guardians:  138 Cup Points in 135 Games.  (#8 Last Week).  4.6 bWAR, 86 Runs, 142 Hits, 27 Home Runs, 71 Runs Batted In, .280/.354/.497 Slash Line, .851 OPS & 132 OPS+.

10 (TIE). Riley Greene, Detroit Tigers:  183 Cup Points in 137 Games.  (#10 Last Week).  2.6 bWAR, 75 Runs, 141 Hits, 32 Home Runs, 103 Runs Batted In, .269/.324/.511 Slash Line, .835 OPS & 125 OPS+.

10 (TIE). Francisco Lindor, New York Mets: 138 Cup Points in 138 Games. (#6 Last Week).   4.3 bWAR, 96 Runs, 149 Hits, 26 Home Runs, 77 Runs Batted In, .265/.335/.456 Slash Line, .791 OPS & 123 OPS+.

Nobody fell out of the Top Ten.

Notably, 1,102 baseball players have earned at least 1 point, up from 1,085 last week.