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.