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.

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 August 28.

1. Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers:  174 Cup Points in 131 Games.  (#1 Last Week).  5.6 bWAR, 123 Runs, 141 Hits, 45 Home Runs, 85 Runs Batted In, .278/.387/.608 Slash Line, .995 OPS & 173 OPS+.

2. Aaron Judge, New York Yankees: 165 Cup Points in 124 Games. (#2 Last Week).  7.1 bWAR, 106 Runs, 145 Hits, 41 Home Runs, 95 Runs Batted In, .323/.440/.666 Slash Line, 1.106 OPS & 202 OPS+.

3. Pete Alonso, New York Mets: 157 Cup Points in 134 Games. (#4 Last Week).   3.1 bWAR, 72 Runs, 136 Hits, 30 Home Runs, 108 Runs Batted In, .267/.348/.514 Slash Line, .861 OPS & 144 OPS+.

4. Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners: 151 Cup Points in 125 Games. (#3 Last Week).   5.6 bWAR, 87 Runs, 120 Hits, 50 Home Runs, 107 Runs Batted In, .244/.351/.587 Slash Line, .939 OPS & 165 OPS+.

5. Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies: 145 Cup Points in 134 Games.  (#5 Last Week).  4.4 bWAR, 94 Runs, 124 Hits, 49 Home Runs, 119 Runs Batted In, .248/.370/.586 Slash Line, .956 OPS & 156 OPS+.

6 (TIE). Francisco Lindor, New York Mets: 137 Cup Points in 132 Games. (#7 Last Week).   4.2 bWAR, 91 Runs, 145 Hits, 25 Home Runs, 73 Runs Batted In, .269/.336/.457 Slash Line, .794 OPS & 126 OPS+.

6 (TIE). Manny Machado, San Diego Padres: 137 Cup Points in 134 Games. (#6 Last Week).   3.6 bWAR, 77 Runs, 149 Hits, 21 Home Runs, 78 Runs Batted In, .288/.348/.471 Slash Line, .819 OPS & 124 OPS+.

8. Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Guardians:  136 Cup Points in 128 Games.  (#8 Last Week).  4.7 bWAR, 81 Runs, 137 Hits, 26 Home Runs, 68 Runs Batted In, .284/.358/.504 Slash Line, .862 OPS & 136 OPS+.

9. Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals: 134 Cup Points in 132 Games. (#9 Last Week).  6.0 bWAR, 86 Runs, 155 Hits, 19 Home Runs, 74 Runs Batted In, .298/.354/.501 Slash Line, .855 OPS & 136 OPS+.

10. Riley Greene, Detroit Tigers:  133 Cup Points in 131 Games.  (#10 Last Week).  2.5 bWAR, 72 Runs, 133 Hits, 32 Home Runs, 99 Runs Batted In, .266/.321/.514 Slash Line, .835 OPS & 126 OPS+.

The Los Angeles Dodgers’  Freddie Freeman fell out of the Top Ten.

Notably, 1,085 baseball players have earned at least 1 point, up from 1,067 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 August 21.

1. Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers:  168 Cup Points in 125 Games.  (#1 Last Week).  5.7 bWAR, 120 Runs, 138 Hits, 44 Home Runs, 83 Runs Batted In, .285/.393/.625 Slash Line, 1.018 OPS & 181 OPS+.

2. Aaron Judge, New York Yankees: 163 Cup Points in 116 Games. (#2 Last Week).  6.9 bWAR, 99 Runs, 139 Hits, 40 Home Runs, 92 Runs Batted In, .330/.445/.684 Slash Line, 1.129 OPS & 209 OPS+.

3. Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners: 151 Cup Points in 125 Games. (#4 Last Week).   5.6 bWAR, 83 Runs, 116 Hits, 47 Home Runs, 102 Runs Batted In, .247/.355/.588 Slash Line, .944 OPS & 167 OPS+.

4. Pete Alonso, New York Mets: 147 Cup Points in 121 Games. (#3 Last Week).   2.9 bWAR, 65 Runs, 126 Hits, 28 Home Runs, 101 Runs Batted In, .264/.347/.510 Slash Line, .858 OPS & 143 OPS+.

5. Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies: 140 Cup Points in 127 Games.  (#5 Last Week).  4.2 bWAR, 89 Runs, 120 Hits, 45 Home Runs, 109 Runs Batted In, .253/.373/.584 Slash Line, .957 OPS & 157 OPS+.

6. Manny Machado, San Diego Padres: 136 Cup Points in 128 Games. (#6 Last Week).   4.0 bWAR, 74 Runs, 145 Hits, 21 Home Runs, 77 Runs Batted In, .294/.354/.486 Slash Line, .840 OPS & 130 OPS+.

7. Francisco Lindor, New York Mets: 134 Cup Points in 125 Games. (#10 Last Week).   3.7 bWAR, 85 Runs, 133 Hits, 25 Home Runs, 72 Runs Batted In, .262/.329/.461 Slash Line, .790 OPS & 124 OPS+.

8. Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Guardians:  133 Cup Points in 123 Games.  (#7 Last Week).  5.1 bWAR, 81 Runs, 135 Hits, 26 Home Runs, 66 Runs Batted In, .291/.366/.517 Slash Line, .883 OPS & 141 OPS+.

9. Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals: 129 Cup Points in 126 Games. (#8 Last Week).  5.5 bWAR, 81 Runs, 146 Hits, 18 Home Runs, 69 Runs Batted In, .295/.353/.501 Slash Line, .854 OPS & 135 OPS+.

10 (TIE). Riley Greene, Detroit Tigers:  127 Cup Points in 125 Games.  (#8 Last Week).  2.4 bWAR, 66 Runs, 126 Hits, 29 Home Runs, 92 Runs Batted In, .263/.317/.503 Slash Line, .820 OPS & 119 OPS+.

10 (TIE). Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles Dodgers: 127 Cup Points in 120 Games. (Not in the Top Ten Last Week).   4.5 bWAR, 81 Runs, 136 Hits, 20 Home Runs, 67 Runs Batted In, .300/.397/.496 Slash Line, .893 OPS & 147 OPS+.

Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. fell out of the Top Ten.

Notably, 1,067 baseball players have earned at least 1 point, up from 1,051 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 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.

Here is the current top ten after games concluded on August 14.

1. Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers:  163 Cup Points in 119 Games.  (#1 Last Week).  5.8 bWAR, 115 Runs, 132 Hits, 43 Home Runs, 79 Runs Batted In, .284/.391/.630 Slash Line, 1.021 OPS & 181 OPS+.

2. Aaron Judge, New York Yankees: 158 Cup Points in 111 Games. (#1 Last Week).  6.7 bWAR, 94 Runs, 134 Hits, 38 Home Runs, 88 Runs Batted In, .333/.444/.687 Slash Line, 1.131 OPS & 209 OPS+.

3. Pete Alonso, New York Mets: 147 Cup Points in 121 Games. (#3 Last Week).   3.0 bWAR, 63 Runs, 123 Hits, 28 Home Runs, 99 Runs Batted In, .272/.356/.528 Slash Line, .883 OPS & 150 OPS+.

4. Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners: 141 Cup Points in 119 Games. (#4 Last Week).   5.3 bWAR, 78 Runs, 108 Hits, 45 Home Runs, 98 Runs Batted In, .243/.350/.582 Slash Line, .932 OPS & 164 OPS+.

5. Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies: 129 Cup Points in 121 Games.  (#6 Last Week).  3.9 bWAR, 81 Runs, 112 Hits, 42 Home Runs, 98 Runs Batted In, .249/.371/.577 Slash Line, .948 OPS & 155 OPS+.

6. Manny Machado, San Diego Padres: 128 Cup Points in 115 Games. (#5 Last Week).   3.7 bWAR, 68 Runs, 133 Hits, 20 Home Runs, 72 Runs Batted In, .300/.359/.500 Slash Line, .859 OPS & 136 OPS+.

7. Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Guardians:  128 Cup Points in 117 Games.  (#8 Last Week).  5.3 bWAR, 79 Runs, 132 Hits, 25 Home Runs, 64 Runs Batted In, .298/.371/.528 Slash Line, .899 OPS & 146 OPS+.

8. Riley Greene, Detroit Tigers:  126 Cup Points in 119 Games.  (#8 Last Week).  2.3 bWAR, 64 Runs, 124 Hits, 28 Home Runs, 89 Runs Batted In, .269/.317/.512 Slash Line, .828 OPS & 124 OPS+.

9. Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals: 124 Cup Points in 119 Games. (#7 Last Week).  5.1 bWAR, 75 Runs, 135 Hits, 17 Home Runs, 67 Runs Batted In, .288/.346/.494 Slash Line, .840 OPS & 132 OPS+.

10 (TIE). Francisco Lindor, New York Mets: 121 Cup Points in 119 Games. (#10 Last Week).   3.1 bWAR, 80 Runs, 120 Hits, 22 Home Runs, 65 Runs Batted In, .249/.320/.435 Slash Line, .755 OPS & 115 OPS+.

10 (TIE). Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays: 121 Cup Points in 120 Games. (Not in the Top Ten Last Week).   4.5 bWAR, 81 Runs, 136 Hits, 20 Home Runs, 67 Runs Batted In, .300/.397/.496 Slash Line, .893 OPS & 147 OPS+.

Nobody fell out of the Top Ten.

Notably, 1,051 baseball players have earned at least 1 point, up from 1,037 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 August 7.

1. Aaron Judge, New York Yankees: 156 Cup Points in 105 Games. (#1 Last Week).  6.5 bWAR, 90 Runs, 130 Hits, 37 Home Runs, 85 Runs Batted In, .339/.446/.702 Slash Line, 1.149 OPS & 212 OPS+.

2. Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers:  146 Cup Points in 113 Games.  (#2 Last Week).  5.2 bWAR, 106 Runs, 122 Hits, 39 Home Runs, 75 Runs Batted In, .276/.381/.605 Slash Line, .987 OPS & 172 OPS+.

3. Pete Alonso, New York Mets: 142 Cup Points in 115 Games. (#3 Last Week).   2.7 bWAR, 58 Runs, 113 Hits, 25 Home Runs, 91 Runs Batted In, .264/.352/.507 Slash Line, .859 OPS & 144 OPS+.

4. Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners: 129 Cup Points in 112 Games. (#4 Last Week).   5.3 bWAR, 75 Runs, 105 Hits, 42 Home Runs, 90 Runs Batted In, .249/.357/.587 Slash Line, .944 OPS & 168 OPS+.

5. Manny Machado, San Diego Padres: 128 Cup Points in 115 Games. (#5 Last Week).   3.7 bWAR, 68 Runs, 133 Hits, 20 Home Runs, 72 Runs Batted In, .300/.359/.500 Slash Line, .859 OPS & 136 OPS+.

6. Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies: 124 Cup Points in 115 Games.  (#7 Last Week).  3.9 bWAR, 79 Runs, 108 Hits, 40 Home Runs, 94 Runs Batted In, .256/.379/.585 Slash Line, .965 OPS & 160 OPS+.

7. Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals: 121 Cup Points in 114 Games. (#7 Last Week).  4.7 bWAR, 70 Runs, 129 Hits, 16 Home Runs, 64 Runs Batted In, .287/.344/.494 Slash Line, .838 OPS & 131 OPS+.

8 (TIE). Riley Greene, Detroit Tigers:  118 Cup Points in 107 Games.  (#6 Last Week).  2.0 bWAR, 59 Runs, 116 Hits, 26 Home Runs, 84 Runs Batted In, .266/.312/.502 Slash Line, .814 OPS & 121 OPS+.

8 (TIE). Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Guardians:  118 Cup Points in 111 Games.  (#10 Last Week).  4.8 bWAR, 73 Runs, 124 Hits, 23 Home Runs, 61 Runs Batted In, .296/.371/.520 Slash Line, .891 OPS & 143 OPS+.

10. Francisco Lindor, New York Mets: 117 Cup Points in 113 Games. (#10 Last Week).   2.9 bWAR, 74 Runs, 114 Hits, 21 Home Runs, 64 Runs Batted In, .249/.316/.434 Slash Line, .751 OPS & 114 OPS+.

The New York Mets’ Juan Soto fell out of the Top Ten.

Notably, 1,037 baseball players have earned at least 1 point, up from 1,011 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 July 31.

1. Aaron Judge, New York Yankees: 156 Cup Points in 103 Games. (#1 Last Week).  6.6 bWAR, 90 Runs, 129 Hits, 37 Home Runs, 85 Runs Batted In, .342/.449/.711 Slash Line, 1.160 OPS & 216 OPS+.

2. Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers:  136 Cup Points in 107 Games.  (#2 Last Week).  4.7 bWAR, 100 Runs, 113 Hits, 38 Home Runs, 73 Runs Batted In, .269/.373/.605 Slash Line, .978 OPS & 171 OPS+.

3. Pete Alonso, New York Mets: 130 Cup Points in 109 Games. (#2 Last Week).   2.4 bWAR, 54 Runs, 105 Hits, 22 Home Runs, 81 Runs Batted In, .259/.351/.491 Slash Line, .842 OPS & 142 OPS+.

4. Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners: 128 Cup Points in 107 Games. (#5 Last Week).   5.3 bWAR, 72 Runs, 103 Hits, 42 Home Runs, 88 Runs Batted In, .257/.364/.611 Slash Line, .975 OPS & 177 OPS+.

5. Manny Machado, San Diego Padres: 127 Cup Points in 109 Games. (#4 Last Week).   3.6 bWAR, 64 Runs, 127 Hits, 20 Home Runs, 71 Runs Batted In, .302/.362/.510 Slash Line, .871 OPS & 140 OPS+.

6. Riley Greene, Detroit Tigers:  112 Cup Points in 107 Games.  (#7 Last Week).  2.5 bWAR, 59 Runs, 115 Hits, 26 Home Runs, 84 Runs Batted In, .277/.324/.525 Slash Line, .850 OPS & 132 OPS+.

7 (TIE). Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies: 114 Cup Points in 108 Games.  (#10 Last Week).  3.7 bWAR, 76 Runs, 101 Hits, 37 Home Runs, 86 Runs Batted In, .253/.380/.576 Slash Line, .957 OPS & 159 OPS+.

7. (TIE). Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals: 115 Cup Points in 108 Games. (#5 Last Week).  4.3 bWAR, 66 Runs, 123 Hits, 15 Home Runs, 60 Runs Batted In, .288/.339/.492 Slash Line, .831 OPS & 128 OPS+.

9. Francisco Lindor, New York Mets: 112 Cup Points in 107 Games. (#9 Last Week).   2.8 bWAR, 68 Runs, 107 Hits, 20 Home Runs, 59 Runs Batted In, .246/.311/.430 Slash Line, .741 OPS & 113 OPS+.

10 (TIE). Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Guardians:  108 Cup Points in 105 Games.  (#8 Last Week).  4.6 bWAR, 68 Runs, 118 Hits, 21 Home Runs, 56 Runs Batted In, .298/.371/.520 Slash Line, .891 OPS & 143 OPS+.

10 (TIE). Juan Soto, New York Mets: 108 Cup Points in 107 Games.  (Not in the Top Ten Last Week).  4.2 bWAR, 75 Runs, 94 Hits, 25 Home Runs, 62 Runs Batted In, .248/.382/.488 Slash Line, .871 OPS & 151 OPS+.

Nobody fell out of the Top Ten.

Notably, 1,011 baseball players have earned at least 1 point, up from 992 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 July 24.

1. Aaron Judge, New York Yankees: 156 Cup Points in 102 Games. (#1 Last Week).  6.9 bWAR, 90 Runs, 129 Hits, 37 Home Runs, 84 Runs Batted In, .345/.453/.717 Slash Line, 1.169 OPS & 221 OPS+.

2. Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers:  132 Cup Points in 101 Games.  (#2 Last Week).  4.7 bWAR, 97 Runs, 108 Hits, 37 Home Runs, 70 Runs Batted In, .273/.377/.620 Slash Line, .997 OPS & 176 OPS+.

3. Pete Alonso, New York Mets: 130 Cup Points in 103 Games. (#2 Last Week).   2.8 bWAR, 54 Runs, 104 Hits, 22 Home Runs, 80 Runs Batted In, .272/.366/.512 Slash Line, .885 OPS & 153 OPS+.

4. Manny Machado, San Diego Padres: 118 Cup Points in 103 Games. (#7 Last Week).   2.9 bWAR, 61 Runs, 114 Hits, 19 Home Runs, 63 Runs Batted In, .289/.349/.494 Slash Line, .842 OPS & 133 OPS+.

5. Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners: 117 Cup Points in 100 Games. (#4 Last Week).   5.3 bWAR, 69 Runs, 95 Hits, 39 Home Runs, 84 Runs Batted In, .256/.370/.615 Slash Line, .985 OPS & 183 OPS+.

6. Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals: 113 Cup Points in 102 Games. (#5 Last Week).  4.3 bWAR, 60 Runs, 116 Hits, 14 Home Runs, 56 Runs Batted In, .288/.339/.489 Slash Line, .827 OPS & 131 OPS+.

7. Riley Greene, Detroit Tigers:  112 Cup Points in 101 Games.  (#6 Last Week).  2.6 bWAR, 55 Runs, 109 Hits, 25 Home Runs, 79 Runs Batted In, .279/.327/.529 Slash Line, .856 OPS & 134 OPS+.

8. Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Guardians:  108 Cup Points in 99 Games.  (Not in the Top Ten Last Week).  4.3 bWAR, 62 Runs, 110 Hits, 21 Home Runs, 56 Runs Batted In, .297/.372/.530 Slash Line, .902 OPS & 148 OPS+.

9. Francisco Lindor, New York Mets: 107 Cup Points in 101 Games. (#8 Last Week).   2.7 bWAR, 65 Runs, 101 Hits, 19 Home Runs, 57 Runs Batted In, .248/.315/.431 Slash Line, .746 OPS & 114 OPS+.

10. Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies: 105 Cup Points in 102 Games.  (Not in the Top Ten Last Week).  3.3 bWAR, 72 Runs, 94 Hits, 34 Home Runs, 78 Runs Batted In, .250/.376/.564 Slash Line, .940 OPS & 154 OPS+.

Minnesota’s Byron Buxton and the New York Mets’ Juan Soto fell out of the Top Ten.

Notably, 992 baseball players have earned at least 1 point, up from 977 last week.

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 1,089 (up from 1,076 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-to-last update, with standings as of the afternoon of September 25.

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

202 Cup Points, 135 Games, 1.50 Cup Points per Game, 44 Home Runs, 95 Runs Batted In, 20 SB, .304/.412/.654, 10.1 bWAR & 10-5, 3.14 ERA, 167 SO, 1.061 WHIP.

Oh boy.  We have said from the start that this is an award built for Ohtani who can compile points in two different avenues, but September saw hm shut down in both of them.  Weeks ago, we thought that he built up enough a gap to gold Acuna and Betts at bay, but that no longer seems to be the case.  As of this writing, Ohtani is still the American League leader in bWAR (10.1), Triples (8), Home Runs (44), Walks (91), OBP (.412), OPS (1.066), OPS+ (182) and Total Bases (325).  Is this enough with a week left to still win the AL MVP?  We think so, but not for the NIHOF Cup where two National League stars are likely to overtake him.  Oh, the drama!

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

200 Cup Points, 153 Games, 1.31 Cup Points per Game, 40 Home Runs, 101 Runs Batted In, 66 SB, .336/.415/.595, 8.0 bWAR.

Acuna leads all National League batters in Stolen Bases (68), Hits (210), Runs Scored (143), OBP (.415), OPS+ (167) and Total Bases (372), and he recently joined the 40-40 Club.  He is also second in bWAR (8.0), Batting (.336), and (.595).  Acuna is also the runaway leader in Power-Speed # (50.4), and it looks like he will overtake Ohtani for #1 in Cup Points before season’s end

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

192 Cup Points, 146 Games, 1.32 Cup Points per Game, 39 Home Runs, 105 Runs Batted In, 13 SB, .309/.410/.590, 8.1 bWAR.

Betts has been on fire over the last month, propelling himself to second in Cup Standings before relinquishing it back to Acuna.  In the National League, he took over the top spot in bWAR (8.1) and is in the top four in Batting, OBP, Slugging, OPS, OPS+, Runs, Doubles, Hits and RBIs.  Betts is also fifth in Home Runs (39).

4. Matt Olson: Atlanta Braves, First Base: (Ranked #4 Last Week)

175 Cup Points, 156 Games, 1.12 Cup Points per Game, 53 Home Runs, 133 Runs Batted In, 1 SB, .281/.388/.606, 6.9 bWAR. 

Olson has the National League lead in both Home Runs (53), RBIs (1333), and Slugging (.606), and is third in bWAR (6.9) and OPS (.994).  He is enjoying the best year of his career.

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

172 Cup Points, 138 Games, 1.05 Cup Points per Game, 33 Home Runs, 105 Runs Batted In, 11 SB, .273/.408/.514, 5.1 bWAR.

Soto is the National League leader in Walks (137) and is third in OBP (.408), fifth in OPS (.922), and tenth in Slugging (.514).  He has also moved up to fourth in RBIs (105) and tenth in Home Runs (33). 

6. Freddie Freeman: Los Angeles Dodgers, First Base: (Ranked #6, Last Week)

163 Cup Points, 154 Games, 1.06 Cup Points per Game, 26 Home Runs, 96 Runs Batted In, 22 SB, .332/.408/.560, 6.2 bWAR.

Freeman has the NL lead in Doubles (57), while also currently placing third in Batting (.332) and fourth in OBP (.408), OPS (.968) and Slugging (.560).  He is also second in Hits (203) and Runs (125).

7. Corbin Carroll: Arizona Diamondbacks, Outfield: (#8, Last Week)

153 Cup Points, 149 Games, 1.03 Cup Points per Game, 25 Home Runs, 73 Runs Batted In, 50 SB, .285/.361/.508, 5.3 bWAR.

The Diamondbacks have the likely National League Rookie of the Year in Carroll who is in the top ten in bWAR, Runs, Stolen Bases, Batting, OBP and Slugging and is first in Triples (9).

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

151 Cup Points, 151 Games, 1.00 Cup Points per Game, 28 Home Runs, 109 Runs Batted In, 29 SB, .281/.367/.509, 4.9 bWAR.

Tucker took over the American League in RBIs (109), and in regards to the Slash Line, Tucker is seventh in OBP (.367), eighth in Slugging (.509) and sixth in OPS (.876).  He is also in the top ten in Hits, Home Runs, Stolen Bases and Extra Base Hits.

9. Rafael Devers: Boston Red Sox, Third Base: (Ranked #7 Last Week)

150 Cup Points, 135 Games, 1.00 Cup Points per Game, 33 Home Runs, 98 Runs Batted In, 4 SB, .274/.354/.511, 3.6 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 RBIs (98), fifth in Home Runs (33) and seventh in Slugging (.511) and OPS (.864). 

10. Kyle Schwarber: Philadelphia Phillies, Outfield: (Ranked #9, Last Week)

146 Cup Points, 155 Games, 0.94 Cup Points per Game, 45 Home Runs, 100 Runs Batted In, 0 SB, .197/.345/.472, 0.6 bWAR.

Despite the very low bWAR (0.6) and Batting Average (.197), Schwarber gets on base, has power, and when it matters, he is often clutch.  This is his first foray into the top ten, and Schwarber has always been a player that Managers love, providing there is only one of him on the team.  He is second in Walks (124) and Home Runs (45) and ninth in RBIs (100).  What a strange player to be ranked this high!

Nobody fell out of the top ten.

Our next update will be the final result

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 1,067 (up from 1,052 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 sixteenth update, with standings as of the morning of September 11.

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

202 Cup Points, 135 Games, 1.50 Cup Points per Game, 44 Home Runs, 95 Runs Batted In, 20 SB, .304/.412/.654, 10.1 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, and has missed the last six games. It will be hard for him to lose the cup (though Mookie Betts and Ronald Abuna are making us ponder that), but he won’t be able to compile any more stats pitching wise, as he was shut down on the mound. With his bat, Ohtani is the current AL leader in Offensive bWAR (5.9), Home Runs (44), Triples (8), Walks (91), OBP (.412), Slugging (.654), OPS (1.066), OPS+ (182) and Total Bases (325), while also placing third in RBIs (95), and fourth in Batting (.304). The AL MVP is his to lose, and we don’t think he will.

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

185 Cup Points, 141 Games, 1.31 Cup Points per Game, 35 Home Runs, 91 Runs Batted In, 64 SB, .336/.417/.586, 7.1 bWAR.

Acuna leads all National League batters in Stolen Bases (64), Hits (192), Runs Scored (128), OBP (.417) and Total Bases (335). He is also second in bWAR (6.8), Batting (.336) and OPS (1.002) and is third in Slugging (.586) and OPS+ (164). Acuna is also the runaway leader in Power-Speed # (45.3).

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

184 Cup Points, 133 Games, 1.38 Cup Points per Game, 38 Home Runs, 99 Runs Batted In, 11 SB, .314/.411/.609, 8.0 bWAR.

Betts has been on fire over the last month, propelling himself to second before relinquishing it back to Acuna. In the National League, he took over the top spot in Slugging (.609), OPS (1.020), OPS+ (172) and bWAR (8.0) and has moved up to fifth in Batting (.314) and third in OBP (.411). Betts has also climbed to second in Runs (118), third in RBIs (99) and fourth in Home Runs (38).

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

164 Cup Points, 142 Games, 1.16 Cup Points per Game, 48 Home Runs, 121 Runs Batted In, 1 SB, .277/.384/.603, 5.9 bWAR.

Olson has the National League lead in both Home Runs (48) and RBIs (121), and is second in Slugging (.603), fourth in OPS (.987) and OPS+ (158) and seventh in OBP (.384). He is enjoying the best year of his career.

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

155 Cup Points, 142 Games, 1.11 Cup Points per Game, 25 Home Runs, 91 Runs Batted In, 18 SB, .336/.415/.573, 6.2 bWAR.

Freeman has the NL lead in Doubles (54), while also currently placing second in Batting (.336), OBP (.415), and OBP+ (165) third in OPS (.988) and fourth in Slugging (.574). He is also second in Hits (189) third in Runs (115) and eighth in RBIs (91).

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

146 Cup Points, 134 Games, 1.04 Cup Points per Game, 26 Home Runs, 103 Runs Batted In, 28 SB, .290/.375/.513, 4.5 bWAR.

Tucker took over the American League in RBIs (103), and in regards to the Slash Line, Tucker is fifth in Slugging (.511) and sixth in Batting (.290), and OBP (.375). 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 #6, Last Week)

145 Cup Points, 138 Games, 1.05 Cup Points per Game, 28 Home Runs, 85 Runs Batted In, 8 SB, .256/.398/.481, 4.3 bWAR.

Soto is the National League leader in Walks (119) and is fourth in OBP (.398), and sixth in OPS (.879).

8 (TIE). Corbin Carroll: Arizona Diamondbacks, Outfield: (#8, Last Week)

141 Cup Points, 139 Games, 1.01 Cup Points per Game, 24 Home Runs, 69 Runs Batted In, 49 SB, .284/.365/.518, 5.2 bWAR.

The Diamondbacks have the likely National League Rookie of the Year in Carroll who is in the top ten in bWAR, Runs, Stolen Bases, Batting, OBP and Slugging and is first in Triples (8).

8 (TIE). Kyle Schwarber: Philadelphia Phillies, Outfield: (Not in the Top Ten, Last Week)

141 Cup Points, 137 Games, 0.96 Cup Points per Game, 43 Home Runs, 94 Runs Batted In, 3 SB, .198/.347/.483, 0.8 bWAR.

Despite the very low bWAR and Batting Average (.198), Schwarber gets on base, has power, and when it matters, he is often clutch. This is his first foray into the top ten, and Schwarber has always been a player that Managers love, providing there is only one of him on the team. He is second in the NL in Home Runs (43) and fifth in RBIs (94).

10. Rafael Devers: Boston Red Sox, Third Base: (Ranked #9 Last Week)

135 Cup Points, 135 Games, 1.00 Cup Points per Game, 29 Home Runs, 93 Runs Batted In, 3 SB, .272/.344/.503, 3.0 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 sixth in the AL in RBIs (93) and Home Runs (29), and seventh in Slugging (.503).

Houston’s Alex Bregman fell out of the top ten.

Our next update will be the afternoon of September 18.

The process continues.

We here are Notinhalloffame.com have plans to create our own set of post-season awards, which we will look back and retroactively present from 1901 on.  That will take a while, but it has never stopped us before!

Our awards are not league specific.

Now it is time for our 2021 positional awards.

We will be awarding a positional player of the year, but not only that, offer up the runner-up and second runner-up, meaning that we will have First, Second, and Third All-MLB players.

Let’s work our way around the diamond and award the best of the best in Baseball!

*Please note that to qualify, a player must appear in that position at least 50% of the time.

Leftfielder of the Year (First Team All-MLB):  Tyler O’Neill, St. Louis Cardinals.  6.3 bWAR, 5.4 fWAR, 138 H, 34 HR, 89 R, 80 RBI, 15 SB, .286/.352/.560/.912.

We are saying this a lot, but O’Neill is another player who had a breakout campaign in 2021, especially offensively as his previous high in Home Runs in a season was only nine.  

Second Team All-MLB: Leftfield:  Randy Arozarena, Tampa Bay Rays.  4.2 bWAR, 3.3 fWAR, 145 H, 20 HR, 94 R, 69 RBI, 20 SB, .274/.356/.459/.815.

Arozarena is the likely American League Rookie of the Year, and Rays fans have to be thrilled with the expected future of the 24-year-old.

Third Team All-MLB: Leftfield:  Kyle Schwarber, Boston Red Sox and Washington Nationals.  3.2 bWAR, 3.1 fWAR, 106 H, 32 HR, 76 R, 71 RBI, 1 SB, .266/.374/.554/.928.

A hamstring injury cost Schwarber a myriad of games this year, but in his first tear away from the Cubs, he split his time between Boston and Washington, raised his Batting Average, reduced his Strikeouts, and put up his best OPS to date.