Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists and consistently look to update them when necessary and based on necessity. As such, we are delighted to present our post-2024 revision of our top 50 Houston Astros.

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 that are not reflected in a stat sheet.

Please note that our algorithm has changed, which yielded minor changes throughout the baseball lists.

Last year, the Astros expectedly returned to the postseason but were dismissed in two games in the Wildcard by the Houston Astros.  There was one new entry and three significant elevations.

As always, we present our top five, which saw no changes.

1. Jeff Bagwell

2. Craig Biggio

3. Jose Altuve

4. Lance Berkman

5. Cesar Cedeno 

You can find the entire list here. 

Of note, Jose Altuve remained at #3, and as good as he has been still has some work to do to surpass Hall of Fame inductee, Craig Biggio for #2.

The elevations were Alex Bregman (#11 to #8), Yordan Alvarez (#27 to #19) and Kyle Tucker (#33 to #23). 

The new entrant is Framber Valdez, who debuts at #31.

We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.

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 2022/23 revision of our top 50 Houston Astros.

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 Major League Baseball.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

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

Last year, the Astros again were World Series contenders, and made the playoffs.  There were no new entrants, but four Astros climbed the list.

As always, we present our top five, which did not change.

1. Jeff Bagwell

2. Craig Biggio

3. Jose Altuve

4. Lance Berkman

5. Cesar Cedeno

You can find the entire list here.

Notably, Altuve remains at number three, and still has a way to go to overtake Biggio at #2, but he has it in him to not only do that, but snatch #1 from Bagwell.

Future first ballot Hall of Fame Pitcher, Justin Verlander, was traded back to the Astros during the season and did enough to climb from #11 to #9.

Infielder, Alex Bregman, went up three spots from #14 to #11.

Offensive stud, Yordan Alvarez shot up from #37 to #27.

The final change is Kyle Tucker, who climbed to #33 from #45.

As always, we thank you for your support, and look for more revisions in the future. 

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 1,052 (up from 1,036 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 fifteenth update, with standings as of the afternoon of September 4.

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, 9.9 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. It will be hard for him to lose the cup (though Mookie Betts is 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 bWAR (9.9), Runs Scored (102), 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. Mookie Betts: Los Angeles Dodgers, Outfield: (Ranked #2, Last Week)

184 Cup Points, 130 Games, 1.42 Cup Points per Game, 38 Home Runs, 99 Runs Batted In, 10 SB, .316/.410/.615, 7.9 bWAR.

Betts has been on fire over the last month, propelling himself to second over Acuna, and causing pause to think if Ohtani can be caught. In the National League, he took over the top spot in Slugging (.615), OPS (1.025), OPS+ (172) and bWAR (7.9) this past week and has moved up to fifth in Batting (.316) and third in OBP (.410). Betts has also climbed to third in RBIs (99) and fourth in Home Runs (38).

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

167 Cup Points, 136 Games, 1.23 Cup Points per Game, 32 Home Runs, 85 Runs Batted In, 63 SB, .335/.416/.578, 6.8 bWAR.

Acuna leads all National League batters in Stolen Bases (63), Hits (184), Runs Scored (123), OBP (.416) and Total Bases (318). He is also second in bWAR (6.8) and OPS (.994), and third in Batting (.335), Slugging (.578) and OPS+ (163). Acuna is also the runaway leader in Power-Speed # (42.4).

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

155 Cup Points, 136 Games, 1.14 Cup Points per Game, 25 Home Runs, 89 Runs Batted In, 17 SB, .335/.411/.576, 6.0 bWAR.

Freeman has the NL lead in Doubles (51), while also currently placing second in Batting (.335), OBP (.411), and OBP+ (163) third in OPS (.987) and fourth in Slugging (.576). He is also third in Runs (111) and Hits (181).

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

150 Cup Points, 136 Games, 1.10 Cup Points per Game, 44 Home Runs, 113 Runs Batted In, 1 SB, .266/.373/.581, 4.8 bWAR.

Olson has the National League lead in both Home Runs (44) and RBIs (113), and is second in Slugging (.581), fourth in OPS (.953) and eighth in OBP (.373). He is enjoying the best year of his career.

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

145 Cup Points, 138 Games, 1.05 Cup Points per Game, 28 Home Runs, 84 Runs Batted In, 6 SB, .261/.400/.493, 4.4 bWAR.

Soto is the National League leader in Walks (113) and is fourth in OBP (.400), and sixth in OPS (.893).

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

139 Cup Points, 134 Games, 1.04 Cup Points per Game, 26 Home Runs, 99 Runs Batted In, 26 SB, .289/.371/.511, 4.0 bWAR.

In regards to the Slash Line, Tucker is seventh in Batting (.289), sixth in OBP (.371) and fourth in Slugging (.511), while holding strong at fifth in OPS (.992). He is also in the top ten in Hits, Home Runs, Stolen Bases and Extra Base Hits.

8. Corbin Carroll: Arizona Diamondbacks, Outfield: (#9, Last Week)

132 Cup Points, 132 Games, 1.00 Cup Points per Game, 22 Home Runs, 64 Runs Batted In, 40 SB, .279/.361/.515, 5.0 bWAR.

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

9. (TIE) Rafael Devers: Boston Red Sox, Third Base: (Ranked #8 Last Week)

131 Cup Points, 129 Games, 1.02 Cup Points per Game, 29 Home Runs, 91 Runs Batted In, 2 SB, .270/.342/.508, 2.9 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 (88) and fifth in Home Runs (29), and sixth in Slugging (.508).

9. (TIE) Alex Bregman: Houston Astros, Third Base: (Ranked #10, Last Week)

131 Cup Points, 137 Games, 0.96 Cup Points per Game, 22 Home Runs, 90 Runs Batted In, 3 SB, .266/.365/.445, 4.6 bWAR.

Bregman remains in the top ten, giving Houston two to join the Dodgers and Braves in the top ten. He is in the top five in Walks (77), RBIs (90) and Runs (88).

Nobody fell out of the top ten.

Our next update will be the afternoon of September 11.

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 1,036 (up from 1,009 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 fourteenth update, with standings as of the afternoon of August 29.

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

199 Cup Points, 130 Games, 1.53 Cup Points per Game, 44 Home Runs, 92 Runs Batted In, 19 SB, .304/.409/.663, 9.9 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. Ohtani continues to grow the gap between himself and his nearest competition, and we can’t see him losing the Cup. He won’t be able to compile any more stats pitching wise, but his numbers are pretty solid in that avenue. With his bat, Ohtani is the current AL leader in bWAR (9.9), Runs Scored (100), Home Runs (44), Triples (8), Walks (84), OBP (.409), Slugging (.663), OPS (1.071), OPS+ (183) and Total Bases (318), while also being third in RBIs (92), and forth in Batting (.304). The AL MVP is his to lose, and we don’t think he will.

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

171 Cup Points, 124 Games, 1.38 Cup Points per Game, 35 Home Runs, 93 Runs Batted In, 10 SB, .312/.406/.606, 7.2 bWAR.

Betts has been on fire over the last two weeks, propelling himself to second over Acuna, and causing pause to think if Ohtani can be caught. In the National League, he took over the top spot in Slugging (.606), OPS (1.011) and bWAR (7.2) this past week and has moved up to fifth in Batting (.312) and third in OBP (.406). Betts has also climbed to third in RBIs (93) and fourth in Home Runs (35).

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

156 Cup Points, 130 Games, 1.20 Cup Points per Game, 29 Home Runs, 79 Runs Batted In, 61 SB, .335/.418/.572, 6.6 bWAR.

Acuna leads all National League batters in Stolen Bases (61), Runs Scored (119), and OBP (.418). He is also second in bWAR (6.6) and Hits (175), third in OPS (.989), third in Batting (.335) and fourth in Slugging (.572). Acuna is also the runaway leader in Power-Speed # (39.3).

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

151 Cup Points, 130 Games, 1.14 Cup Points per Game, 24 Home Runs, 87 Runs Batted In, 17 SB, .340/.415/.583, 5.9 bWAR.

Freeman has the NL lead in Hits (176), Doubles (50), and Total Bases (302) while also currently placing second in Batting (.333), OBP (.415) and OPS (.998) and third in Slugging (.583). He is also second in Runs (109), and fifth in Runs Batted In (87).

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

146 Cup Points, 130 Games, 1.15 Cup Points per Game, 43 Home Runs, 112 Runs Batted In, 1 SB, .272/.381/.597, 5.2 bWAR.

Olson has the National League lead in both Home Runs (43) and RBIs (112), and is in the top ten in all three Slash Line components. He is enjoying the best year of his career.

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

139 Cup Points, 129 Games, 1.09 Cup Points per Game, 26 Home Runs, 97 Runs Batted In, 26 SB, .293/.374/.521, 4.2 bWAR.

Tucker is now the American League leader in RBIs (97) and in regards to the Slash Line, Tucker is sixth in Batting (.293), fifth in OBP (.374) and fourth in Slugging (.521), while holding strong at fourth in OPS (.901). 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 #7, Last Week)

138 Cup Points, 132 Games, 1.05 Cup Points per Game, 25 Home Runs, 78 Runs Batted In, 6 SB, .260/.400/.483, 4.1 bWAR.

Soto is the National League leader in Walks (110) and is fourth in OBP (.400), and seventh in OPS (.883).

8. (TIE) Corbin Carroll: Arizona Diamondbacks, Outfield: (Not in the Top Ten, Last Week)

128 Cup Points, 127 Games, 1.01 Cup Points per Game, 22 Home Runs, 64 Runs Batted In, 40 SB, .279/.361/.515, 4.8 bWAR.

Christian Walker out. Corbin Carroll back in. The Diamondbacks have the likely National League Rookie of the Year in Carroll who is in the top ten in bWAR, Runs and Stolen Bases and is first in Triples (8).

8. (TIE) Rafael Devers: Boston Red Sox, Third Base: (Ranked #8 Last Week)

128 Cup Points, 124 Games, 1.02 Cup Points per Game, 29 Home Runs, 88 Runs Batted In, 2 SB, .269/.345/.512, 2.9 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 Home Runs (29) and RBIs (88), and fifth in Slugging (.512).

10. Alex Bregman: Houston Astros, Third Base: (Ranked #10, Last Week)

127 Cup Points, 132 Games, 0.96 Cup Points per Game, 21 Home Runs, 87 Runs Batted In, 3 SB, .261/.363/.440, 4.0 bWAR.

Bregman remains in the top ten, giving Houston two to join the Dodgers and Braves in the top ten. He is in the top five in Walks (76), RBIs (87) and Runs (83).

Arizona’s Christian Walker fell out of the top ten.

Our next update will be the afternoon of September 4.

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 1,009 (up from 994 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 fourteenth update, with standings as of the morning of August 21.

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

188 Cup Points, 123 Games, 1.53 Cup Points per Game, 43 Home Runs, 89 Runs Batted In, 17 SB, .306/.407/.654, 9.4 bWAR & 10-5, 3.17 ERA, 165 SO, 1.064 WHIP.

The Notinhalloffame Cup is built for Ohtani, who can compile points in two different avenues; the only one who can do so. Ohtani continues to grow the gap between himself and his nearest competition, and we can’t see him losing the Cup. After cooling off on the mound, Ohtani is still the American League leader in H/9 (5.9) and ERA+ (142), is third in ERA (3.17) and fifth in Strikeouts (165). With his bat, Ohtani is the current AL leader in bWAR (9.4), Home Runs (43), Triples (7), Walks (77), OBP (.407), Slugging (.664), OPS (1.070), OPS+ (184) and Total Bases (304), while also being second in Runs (95), third in RBIs (89), and forth in Batting (.306). The AL MVP is his to lose, and we don’t think he will.

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

151 Cup Points, 123 Games, 1.23 Cup Points per Game, 28 Home Runs, 71 Runs Batted In, 56 SB, .331/.417/.569, 6.2 bWAR.

Acuna leads all National League batters in Stolen Bases (56), Runs Scored (112), OBP (.417) and Total Bases (280). He is second in bWAR (6.2) and OPS (.995), third in Batting (.331) and fourth in Slugging (.569). Acuna also holds the eighth-place spot in Home Runs (28).

3. Mookie Betts: Los Angeles Dodgers, Outfield: (Ranked #5, Last Week)

150 Cup Points, 99 Games, 1.12 Cup Points per Game, 34 Home Runs, 86 Runs Batted In, 8 SB, .298/.394/.595, 6.4 bWAR.

Betts has had a great summer, where he made his seventh All-Star Game. In the National League, he took over the top spot in OPS (.989) and bWAR (6.4) this past week and has moved up to second in Slugging (.595) and fifth and Batting (.298) and OBP (.394). Betts has also climbed to third in Home Runs (34) and fourth in RBIs (86).

4. Freddie Freeman: Los Angeles Dodgers, First Base: (Ranked #3, Last Week)

142 Cup Points, 123 Games, 1.14 Cup Points per Game, 23 Home Runs, 83 Runs Batted In, 16 SB, .333/.411/.575, 5.4 bWAR.

Freeman has the NL lead in Doubles (45), OPS+ (163) and Total Bases (280) while also currently placing second in Batting (.333), and third in both OPS and Slugging (.411/.585). He is also second in Runs (102), third in Hits (152) and is seventh in Runs Batted In (83).

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

141 Cup Points, 123 Games, 1.15 Cup Points per Game, 43 Home Runs, 108 Runs Batted In, 1 SB, .269/.379/.601, 4.9 bWAR.

Olson has the National League lead in both Home Runs (43), RBIs (108) and Slugging (.691). He is also fourth in OPS (.981), ninth in On Base Percentage (.379), and is enjoying the best year of his career.

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

136 Cup Points, 121 Games, 1.12 Cup Points per Game, 24 Home Runs, 92 Runs Batted In, 24 SB, .296/.376/.525, 3.7 bWAR.

Tucker has been on fire lately and is now the American League leader in RBIs (92). In regards to the Slash Line, Tucker is eighth in Batting (.296), fifth in OBP (.376) and Slugging (.525), while holding strong at fourth in OPS (.901). 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)

133 Cup Points, 125 Games, 1.06 Cup Points per Game, 24 Home Runs, 75 Runs Batted In, 6 SB, .261/.404/.491, 4.0 bWAR.

Soto is the National League leader in Walks (106) and is third in OBP (.404), fifth in OPS+ (150), and sixth in OPS (.895).

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

126 Cup Points, 111 Games, 1.03 Cup Points per Game, 29 Home Runs, 85 Runs Batted In, 2 SB, .274/.347/.530, 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 fourth in the AL in Home Runs (29), RBIs (85), and Slugging (.530).

9. Christian Walker: Arizona Diamondbacks, First Base: (Not in the Top Ten, Last Week)

122 Cup Points, 121 Games, 1.01 Cup Points per Game, 28 Home Runs, 84 Runs Batted In, 8 SB, .274/.351/.535, 3.8 bWAR.

Corbin Carroll out. Christian Walker in. The Diamondbacks remain represented in the top group with a man who at 32 has never been an All-Star. Walker is at present sixth in RBIs (84) and eighth in Home Runs (28) and Slugging (.535).

10. Alex Bregman: Houston Astros, Third Base: (Ranked #10, Last Week)

119 Cup Points, 124 Games, 0.96 Cup Points per Game, 20 Home Runs, 81 Runs Batted In, 3 SB, .252/.350/.428, 3.6 bWAR.

Bregman remains in the top ten, giving Houston two to join the Dodgers and Braves in the top ten. He moved into fifth in RBIs this week (85).

Arizona’s Corbin Carroll and Miami’s Luis Arraez fell out of the top ten.

Our next update will be the afternoon of August 28.

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 994 (up from 974 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 thirteenth update, with standings as of the morning of August 14.

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

179 Cup Points, 117 Games, 1.53 Cup Points per Game, 41 Home Runs, 84 Runs Batted In, 17 SB, .305/.408/.665, 9.2 bWAR & 10-5, 3.17 ERA, 165 SO, 1.064 WHIP.

The Notinhalloffame Cup is built for Ohtani, who can compile points in two different avenues; the only one who can do so. Ohtani continues to grow the gap between himself and his nearest competition, and we can’t see him losing the Cup. After cooling off on the mound, Ohtani is still the American League leader in H/9 (5.9), and is third in Strikeouts (165). With his bat, Ohtani is the current AL leader in bWAR (9.2), Home Runs (41), Triples (8), Walks (75), OBP (.408), Slugging (.665), OPS (1.073), OPS+ (186) and Total Bases (290), while also being second in Runs (91), third in RBIs (84), and fifth in Batting (.305). The AL MVP is his to lose, and we don’t think he will.

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

147 Cup Points, 117 Games, 1.26 Cup Points per Game, 26 Home Runs, 71 Runs Batted In, 55 SB, .337/.421/.574, 5.9 bWAR.

Acuna leads all National League batters in Stolen Bases (59), Runs Scored (107) and OBP (.425) and is second in bWAR (5.9). In the other Slash Line components, he ranks third in Batting (.337), Slugging (.574) and OPS (.995). Acuna also holds the ninth-place spot in Home Runs (26).

3. Freddie Freeman: Los Angeles Dodgers, First Base: (Ranked #3, Last Week)

142 Cup Points, 117 Games, 1.23 Cup Points per Game, 23 Home Runs, 83 Runs Batted In, 16 SB, .339/.417/.588, 5.2 bWAR.

Freeman has the NL lead in Doubles (43), OPS (1.005) and OPS+ (167) while also currently placing second in all three Slash Line stats (.339/.417/.588). He is also second in Runs (101), Hits (158) and is fifth in Runs Batted In (83).

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

138 Cup Points, 117 Games, 1.18 Cup Points per Game, 43 Home Runs, 107 Runs Batted In, 1 SB, .273/.382/.621, 5.0 bWAR.

Olson has the National League lead in both Home Runs (43), RBIs (108), Slugging (.621) and Total Bases (276). He has also moved to second in OPS (1.003), and is enjoying the best year of his career.

5. Mookie Betts: Los Angeles Dodgers, Outfield: (Ranked #6, Last Week)

120 Cup Points, 99 Games, 1.12 Cup Points per Game, 31 Home Runs, 80 Runs Batted In, 8 SB, .287/.388/.579, 5.6 bWAR.

Betts has had a great summer, where he made his seventh All-Star Game. In the National League, he is currently third in bWAR (5.6) and Slugging (.579), fourth in OPS (.968), sixth in OBP (.388) and ninth in Batting Average (.287). Betts has also moved into third in Home Runs (31) and sixth in RBIs (75).

6. Juan Soto: San Diego Padres, Outfield: (Ranked #4, Last Week)

133 Cup Points, 118 Games, 1.13 Cup Points per Game, 24 Home Runs, 75 Runs Batted In, 6 SB, .268/.407/.507, 4.4 bWAR.

Soto is the National League leader in Walks (98) and is fourth in OBP (.407), and sixth in OPS (.915). He is also ninth in RBIs (75).

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

127 Cup Points, 117 Games, 1.09 Cup Points per Game, 22 Home Runs, 88 Runs Batted In, 24 SB, .297/.378/.519, 3.5 bWAR.

Tucker has been on fire lately and had moved up to fourth in OBP (.378), Slugging (.378) and OPS (.896), and eighth in Batting (.297). He is also in the top ten in RBIs, Hits and Extra Base Hits.

8. Luis Arraez: Miami Marlins, Second Base: (Ranked #10, Last Week)

118 Cup Points, 113 Games, 1.04 Cup Points per Game, 4 Home Runs, 57 Runs Batted In, 1 SB, .367/.411/.467, 4.6 bWAR.

Arraez is the runaway leader in Batting Average (.367) and is also the National League leader in Hits (162), while recently slipping to third in On Base Percentage (.411). He also has a very impressive Slugging Percentage (.467) for a player with only four Home Runs.

9. Rafael Devers: Boston Red Sox, Third Base: (Ranked #8 Last Week)

114 Cup Points, 111 Games, 1.03 Cup Points per Game, 26 Home Runs, 79 Runs Batted In, 2 SB, .265/.335/.512, 2.6 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 third in the AL in RBIs (76), fourth in Home Runs (26) and sixth in Slugging (.512).

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

111 Cup Points, 113 Games, 0.98 Cup Points per Game, 21 Home Runs, 59 Runs Batted In, 36 SB, .271/.351/.512, 4.1 bWAR.

Carroll is running away with the National League Rookie of the Year Award, despite some solid competition. At present, the young Outfielder is tenth in OPS (.862), eighth in OPS+ (135), and is second in Stolen Bases (36).

10. (TIE) Alex Bregman: Houston Astros, Third Base: (Not in the Top Ten, Last Week)

111 Cup Points, 118 Games, 0.94 Cup Points per Game, 18 Home Runs, 75 Runs Batted In, 3 SB, .254/.353/.417, 3.5 bWAR.

Bregman makes his first top ten appearance, giving Houston two to join the Dodgers and Braves in the top ten.

Nobody fell out of the top ten.

Our next update will be the afternoon of August 21.

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 865 (up from 847 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 eighth update, with standings as of the morning of June 26.

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

126 Cup Points, 77 Games, 1.64 Cup Points per Game, 25 Home Runs, 61 Runs Batted In, 10 SB, .297/.377/.623, 5.4 bWAR & 6-3, 3.13 ERA, 117 SO, 1.045 WHIP.

The Notinhalloffame Cup is built for Ohtani, who can compile points in two different avenues; the only one who can do so. Ohtani has been brilliant this week, and the chasm between the top spot and second spot has never been higher. He is off to a good pitching start, leading the AL in H/9 (5.7), SO/9 (11.8) and is third in Strikeouts (117). With his bat, Ohtani is the current American League leader in Home Runs (25), Runs Batted In (61), Slugging (.623), OPS (1.001) and OPS+ (170) and Total Bases (187). The AL MVP is his to lose.

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

94 Cup Points, 77 Games, 1.22 Cup Points per Game, 16 Home Runs, 47 Runs Batted In, 35 SB, .328/.402/.561, 4.2 bWAR.

Acuna leads all National League batters in Stolen Bases (30), Runs Scored (67), Slugging (.561), OPS (.962) Total Bases (176) and bWAR (4.2). He is also second in Batting (.328), and fifth in OBP (.402).

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

89 Cup Points, 79 Games, 1.13 Cup Points per Game, 14 Home Runs, 41 Runs Batted In, 6 SB, .273/.425/.502, 3.4 bWAR.

Soto is still the National League leader in Walks (71) and is second in OBP (.425). He is also fourth in OPS (.927).

4. Luis Arraez: Miami Marlins, Second Base: (#8, Last Week)

85 Cup Points, 73 Games, 1.16 Cup Points per Game, 3 Home Runs, 33 Runs Batted In, 1 SB, .388/.451/.493, 3.5 bWAR.

Arraez is flirting with a .400 Batting Average and he is currently the National League leader in Hits (111), Batting Average (.399) and On Base Percentage (.451). He also has a very impressive Slugging Percentage (.493) for a player with only three Home Runs.

5. Jorge Soler: Miami Marlins, Outfield & Designated Hitter: (#3, Last Week)

84 Cup Points, 75 Games, 1.12 Cup Points per Game, 21 Home Runs, 45 Runs Batted In, 1 SB, .247/.345/.524, 1.2 bWAR.

Soler is playing more and more at DH this year, but he is providing the Marlins incredible offense. He is third in NL Home Runs (21), and ninth in Slugging (.524).

6. Rafael Devers: Boston Red Sox, Third Base: (Ranked #6 Last Week)

83 Cup Points, 75 Games, 1.07 Cup Points per Game, 18 Home Runs, 60 Runs Batted In, 0 SB, .241/.312/.486, 1.3 bWAR.

Devers holds strong on at #6 and is currently second in the AL in RBIs (60) and fourth in Home Runs (18).

7. Corbin Carroll: Arizona Diamondbacks, Outfield: (Ranked #4, Last Week)

81 Cup Points, 62 Games, 1.16 Cup Points per Game, 16 Home Runs, 41 Runs Batted In, 23 SB, .290/.369/.558, 3.7 bWAR.

Carroll is running away with the National League Rookie of the Year Award, and it is only June! At present, the young Outfielder is third in the National League in bWAR (3.7), and is in the top ten in Batting Average (.290), OBP (.369), Slugging (.558), Runs (59), Home Runs (18) and Stolen Bases (23).

8. Matt Olson: Atlanta Braves, First Base: (Ranked #10 Last Week)

78 Cup Points, 75 Games, 0.96 Cup Points per Game, 25 Home Runs, 58 Runs Batted In, 1 SB, .238/.350/.541, 1.8 bWAR.

Olson took over the National League lead in both Home Runs (25), RBIs (60) and is sixth in Slugging (.541)

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

75 Cup Points, 77 Games, 0.97 Cup Points per Game, 10 Home Runs, 54 Runs Batted In, 7 SB, .278/.339/.459, 3.3 bWAR.

Semien is having an outstanding 2023, though he has substantially cooled off in the last three weeks. He is the current AL leader in Runs Scored (62) and is fourth in bWAR for Position Players (3.3).

10 (TIE). Alex Bregman: Houston Astros, Third Base: (Not in the Top Ten Last Week)

74 Cup Points, 77 Games, 0.96 Cup Points per Game, 11 Home Runs, 49 Runs Batted In, 3 SB, .248/.342/.408, 1.9 bWAR.

Bregman gives Houston a top-ten entrant, and is currently tenth (49) in American League RBIs.

10 (TIE). Mookie Betts: Los Angeles Dodgers, Outfield: (Not in the Top Ten Last Week)

74 Cup Points, 77 Games, 0.96 Cup Points per Game, 19 Home Runs, 47 Runs Batted In, 6 SB, .258/.354/.512, 2.6 bWAR.

Betts returns to the top ten, and is ninth in RBIs (47).

New York’s (AL) Aaron Judge fell out of the top ten.

Our next update will be the afternoon of July 3.

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 Houston Astros.

As for all of our top 50 players in basketball 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, Houston won their second World Series, and they are blessed with young talent, two of which make their first appearance on this list.

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

1. Jeff Bagwell

2. Craig Biggio                        

3. Jose Altuve

4. Lance Berkman

5. Cesar Cedeno

You can find the entire list here.

Despite his good year, Altuve was unable to pass Biggio for #2.

Justin Verlander, who won the Cy Young, and is now with the New York Mets, jumped from #19 to #11; an impressive feat considering the relative brevity of his Astros career.

Infielder, Alex Bregman, moved up two spots to #14.

Yuli Gurriel also moved up by two, with a new rank of #35.

Designated Hitter, Yordan Alvarez, makes his debut at #37 and Outfielder, Kyle Tucker, comes in at #45.

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.  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 pre-2022 revision of our top 50 Houston Astros.

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 National/American League. 

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

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

The Astros have been one of the best teams in the American League over the last five years, and last year they won the Pennant, only to fall to Atlanta in the World Series.  The strong 2021 has yielded three rank increases and two new entries.

As always, we present the top five, which has one of the changes, with Jose Altuve surpassing Lance Berkman for the #3 spot.

The top five are:

1. Jeff Bagwell

2. Craig Biggio

3. Jose Altuve

4. Lance Berkman

5. Cesar Cedeno

You can find the entire list here.

Alex Bregman, who plays at Third Base and Shortstop, moved up three spots to #16.

Carlos Correa, who went to his second All-Star Game last year, climbed to #24 from #17.

Last year’s Batting Champion, Yuli Gurriel, makes his first appearance on this list at #37.

Michael Brantley, comes in at #50.  He has been an All-Star two of the last three years.

Gurriel and Brantley knock off Luis Gonzalez and Moises Alou from the list.

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.  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 pre-2021 revision of our top 50 Houston Astros of all-time.

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 their League. 

3. Playoff accomplishments.

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

There are no new entries but three rank elevations, none of which were reflected on the top five, which, as always, we present in our news updates. 

They are:

1. Jeff Bagwell                                            

2. Craig Biggio

3. Lance Berkman

4. Jose Altuve

5. Cesar Cedeno

The complete list can be found here. 

Outfielder, George Springer, moved up two spots to #16.  Springer’s ascension ends here, as he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays as a Free Agent.

Infielder, Alex Bregman, also advanced two spots and is now at #19.  

Fellow infielder, Carlos Correa went from #31 to #24.

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