Series One of All-Star Cup Concludes, Klingler Emerges as Points Leader
After the first series of the All-Star Cup, Baylee Klingler emerges as the No. 1 point scorer. Here's everything else you may have missed.
The All-Star Cup kicked off this weekend in Chicago with the league’s best players competing to win games, tally hits, and earn strikeouts. With each offensive or defensive play correlating with a point value, players have begun to run the numbers up.
The majority of points, regardless of rank, are coming from win points. That is 10 points for each inning won (innings one through six, for a total of 60 points) and 70 points for winning the game.
Unsurprisingly, mixing up the league’s best players makes for highly competitive games without clear advantages or favorites. This unique makeup meant that each team went 1-1 in the first series, with 3-1, 4-3, and 4-1 games.
Every player earned 70 points from winning a game. So, a major source of point differential came from inning wins. With the distribution of runs, players either left Series One with 100 inning points or 40 inning points.
Obviously, the most exciting parts of the All-Star Cup are the statistical and MVP point leaders. Though stats bring in far fewer points than MVPs, they truly award the best pitchers and hitters. MVPs, both offensive and defensive, earn far more points for the nod.
After Series One, Blaze infielder Baylee Klingler emerged as the top point scorer and captain of a Series Two team. Joining her is Series One captain Keilani Ricketts and rookie pitcher Kenzie Brown.
Baylee Klingler Scores 260
Klingler was a quiet but impactful member of the Carolina Blaze during their regular season run. She posted a .281 batting average with just three extra-base hits, but collected eight RBIs.
She’s hit the ground running in Chicago and is making a play for the top. In her first two games on Team Ricketts, she earned 170 win points, but was one of 22 players to do so.
She added 30 stat points from two hits and three RBIs. Her hit against Team Garcia, a two-RBI double, handed her 200 points from a single game. Broken down, this included the double, win points, and an MVP 1 nod for 70 points.
With enough of a cushion to secure the No. 1 spot, Klingler was named a captain for Series Two and can draft her own team for the upcoming games.
Top MVPs
In the first three games, no player received more than one MVP point bonus. The 60 points for number one went to Klingler, Megan Grant, and Sami Williams.
Grant blasted her only hit thus far for a grand slam for Team Corrick in their second game. Her shot scored all four runs of the game and secured the win.
Williams hit the go-ahead double for Team Garcia against Team Corrick, scoring two and setting the team up for the win.
All three 40-point awards for number two went to pitchers Kenzie Brown, Megan Faraimo, and Karlyn Pickens. Though pitchers can’t hit go-ahead home runs or doubles off the wall, it seems like they make solid choices for a second MVP.
The third MVP awards were given to Keilani Ricketts, Amber Fiser, and Sharlize Palacios, who each added 20 points to their stat and win points.
Finally, if voted on by the majority, a defensive MVP can be named in each game to award 20 points for a star play or consistent solid defense. These were awarded in all three games to Sydney Sherrill, Kenleigh Cahalan, and Rylie Boone.
Statistical Leaders
Megan Faraimo’s electric performance gave her the top spot in statistical points. Through two appearances and 6.1 innings pitched, the UCLA graduate let up just three hits and one run while striking out six.
She recorded 19 total outs at four points an out, bringing her to 76 points. She lost ten for the one run scored against her, and she left Series One with 66 points, the most of any player.
Rachel Garcia and Sharlize Palacios were close behind with 62 and 60 points, respectively. However, none of these top hitters and pitchers had enough juice to slate a top-three spot.
In fact, the top three players who will captain the next series were fourth, eighth, and 14th in statistical points.
Win points and MVP points really set some players apart from others. While statistical points could provide some cushion, the real weight seems to lie in the other categories.
Welcome to Series Two
Klingler, Brown, and Ricketts will captain the three teams in Series Two, and they’ve already been drafted.
Play picks up this Friday with Team Klingler vs. Team Ricketts. The teams are all different from Series One, making for some new and exciting competition.
Become a Member of Just Baseball
Subscribe and upgrade to go ad-free!
* Save 25% by subscribing annually.
Written by
Roxie Freifeld is an intern for Just Baseball, leading coverage of Athletes Unlimited Softball. A student-athlete at Oberlin College studying psychology and sports management, she is…