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 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.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity.  As such, we are very happy to present our post 2022 revision of our top 50 Los Angeles Angels.

As for all of our top 50 players in baseball we look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the American League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, Los Angeles again failed to make the playoffs, despite having the two best players of this generation, one who is ranked number one on this list, and another who jumped 20 spots.

As always, we present our top five, which was not affected by the last season:

1. Mike Trout

2. Nolan Ryan

3. Chuck Finley

4. Frank Tanana

5. Jered Weaver

You can find the entire list here.

2021 MVP and dual-threat superstar, Shohei Ohtani, rocketed from #31 to #12.

We welcome your input and comments and as always, we thank you for your support.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  We have a new one to unveil today, that of the Los Angeles Angels. 

The Los Angeles Angels came into existence in 1961 as an expansion team, and while they were (and are) still secondary to the Dodgers, the constant name changes didn't help.  They went from the Los Angeles Angels (1961-65) to the California Angels (1965-96), Anaheim Angels (1997-2004), Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2005-15), and back to the Los Angeles Angels.

The team did not go to their first postseason until 1979, and in 2002, they won their first Pennant, which is, to date, the only one they have captured.  They made the most of their lone World Series appearance, winning it all.

Our Top 50 lists in Baseball look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the American League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Remember, this is ONLY based on what a player does on that particular team and not what he accomplished elsewhere and also note that we have placed an increased importance on the first two categories.

This list is updated up until the end of the 2021 Season.

The complete list can be found here, but as always, we announce our top five in this article.  They are:

1. Mike Trout

2. Nolan Ryan

3. Chuck Finley

4. Frank Tanana

5. Jared Weaver

We will continue our adjustments on our existing lists and will continue developing our new lists.  

Look for our more material coming soon!

As always, we thank you for your support.