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 664 (up from 619 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 second update, with standings as of May 8.

1. Rafael Devers: Boston Red Sox, Third Base: (Ranked #1 Last Week)

49 Cup Points, 35 Games, 1.40 Cup Points per Game, 11 Home Runs, 34 Runs Batted In, 0 SB, .250/.301/.550, 1.1 bWAR.

Devers remains a slight surprise at the top of the heap, batting only .250 with an OBP barely over three, but he has been collecting runs when it matters. Currently the American League leader in Home Runs (11), Devers is second in RBIs (34), fifth in OPS (.879) and eighth in Slugging (.550).

2. Shohei Ohtani: Los Angeles Angels, Designated Hitter & Pitcher: (Ranked #2 last week)

45 Cup Points, 33 Games, 1.36 Cup Points per Game, 7 Home Runs, 20 Runs Batted In, 5 SB, .295/.366/.512, 2.2 bWAR & 4-0, 2.54 ERA, 59 SO, 0.872 WHIP.

The Notinhalloffame Cup is built for Ohtani, who can compile points in two different avenues; the only one who can do so. The Japanese superstar led his nation to a World Cup, and right now his Angels have a winning record. Ohtani is off to his best pitching start, leading the AL in Strikeouts (59), and he is his usual self with the bat. We can’t imagine Ohtani not leading this by June.

3 (TIE). Ronald Acuna: Atlanta Braves, Outfield: (Ranked #6 Last Week)

40 Cup Points, 35 Games, 1.14 Cup Points per Game, 6 Home Runs, 21 Runs Batted In, 15 SB, .338/.431/.551, 2.0 bWAR.

Acuna leads all NL batters in bWAR (2.0), Runs Scored (30), Stolen Bases (15) and Power-Speed # (8.6), and is in the top five in Batting Average and On Base Percentage.

3 (TIE). Ozzie Albies: Atlanta Braves, Second Base: (Not in the Top Ten Last Week)

40 Cup Points, 35 Games, 1.24 Cup Points per Game, 9 Home Runs, 26 Runs Batted In, 1 SB, .283/.320/.543, 1.3 bWAR.

Albies is tied for third with teammate, Acuna, making Atlanta the first team with two ranked players (last week it was the Angels). While the Second Baseman is not in the top ten in any major category, he is close, and has been money when it matters.

5 (TIE). Max Muncy: Los Angeles Dodgers, First Base: (Ranked #3, Last Week)

39 Cup Points, 31 Games, 1.26 Cup Points per Game, 12 Home Runs, 28 Runs Batted In, 1 SB, .218/.385/.584, 1.4 bWAR.

Muncy is only batting .218, but he is also at the top of the leaderboard in Home Runs (12) and is third in Slugging (.584).

5 (TIE). Marcus Semien: Texas Rangers, Shortstop: (Ranked #9, Last Week)

39 Cup Points, 33 Games, 1.18 Cup Points per Game, 5 Home Runs, 28 Runs Batted In, 4 SB, .286/.377/.466, 2.0 bWAR.

Semien is currently second in Runs Scored (28), and fifths in RBIs in the AL (28). He is also seventh in Hits (38).

7. Ian Happ: Chicago Cubs, Outfield: (Not in the Top Ten Last Week)

38 Cup Points, 33 Games, 1.15 Cup Points per Game, 4 Home Runs, 15 Runs Batted In, 4 SB, .300/.418/.475, 0.7 bWAR.

Happ had a great week, placing him in the top ten here and he is also now in the top ten in OBP, Win Probability Added and Championship Win Probability Added.

8. Mike Trout: Los Angeles Angels, Outfield: (Ranked #3, Last Week)

37 Cup Points, 27 Games, 1.16 Cup Points per Game, 8 Home Runs, 20 Runs Batted In, 0 SB, .308/.395/.589, 1.2 bWAR.

Trout remains the baseball player we all know and love and the future first-ballot Hall of Famer is currently is in the top ten in Hits, Home Runs, OBP, Slugging and OPS.

9 (TIE). Cody Bellinger: Chicago Cubs, Outfield:

36 Cup Points, 31 Games, 1.16 Cup Points per Game, 7 Home Runs, 19 Runs Batted In, 9 SB, .300/.368/.567, 1.9 bWAR.

Is Cody back? The 2019 MVP faltered in his last three seasons as a Dodger, but he playing excellent baseball at the moment and emerging from the grave that many pundits dug for him. In the NL. Bellinger is second in bWAR for NL Position Players (1.9), and seventh in Slugging (.567).

6 (TIE). Yordan Alvarez: Houston Astros, Designated Hitter & Outfield:

36 Cup Points, 28 Games, 1.29 Cup Points per Game, 7 Home Runs, 31 Runs Batted In, 0 SB, .275/.385/.539, 0.8 bWAR.

Alvarez has cooled off a bit after a blistering start, but is still third in RBIs (31), and is leading the NL in both Win Probability Added (2.6) and Championship Win Probability Added (1.5).

9 (TIE). Yandy Diaz: Tampa Bay Rays, Third Base:

36 Cup Points, 32 Games, 1.22 Cup Points per Game, 9 Home Runs, 19 Runs Batted In, 0 SB, .325/.435/.605, 1.5 bWAR.

Diaz has been excellent lately, and took over the American League lead in Runs Scored (29), OBP (.435), and has rocketed into second in Slugging (.605) and OPS (1.040).

Chicago’s (NL) Patrick Wisdom, Houston’s Yordan Alvarez, New York’s (NL) Pete Alonso and Tampa Bay’s Randy Arozarena have fallen out of the top ten.

Our next update will be the morning of May 15.