A look at Box-Toppers season-by-season AL & NL pitching & batting leaders, 1995-2024

Shawn Plank February 14, 2025

A look at Box-Toppers season-by-season leaders chart for each of the past 30 seasons, including the leaders in Box-Toppers points each season among four main categories—American League and National League pitchers and batters.

Also, a look at how often Box-Toppers leaders win major postseason awards (Cy Young and Most Valuable Player), what players have led a Box-Toppers season category most often since tracking began in 1995 and what teams have had the most category leaders in 30 seasons. Also, a look at the lowest point totals to lead a season category, which includes 2024 leaders.

Box-Toppers selects 4 players for 2025 Hall of Fame induction in internet writers' ballot

Shawn Plank December 8, 2024

Box-Toppers is voting for four players to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in the 2025 Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) ballot.

Box-Toppers is voting for these players: Felix Hernandez, Torii Hunter, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner.

Notably, Box-Toppers is not voting for Ichiro Suzuki, who is on the Hall ballot for the first time for 2025. While Suzuki is expected to be a shoo-in for the Hall and to possibly be only the second player inducted on a unanimous vote, I devoted a previous post to why Box-Toppers doesn’t view him as a Hall of Famer. In addition, this post which will show how unfavorably he compares in Box-Toppers rankings to even this year’s Hall candidates, may even make a more stark case why I don’t see Suzuki as a Hall of Famer.

A look at Box-Toppers season-by-season AL & NL pitching & batting leaders, 1995-2023

Shawn Plank January 29, 2024

Analyzing 29 years of Box-Toppers points leaders in pitching and batting in both leagues.

In 2023, Shohei Ohtani of the Angels, American League Most Valuable Player, was the only player who won a major postseason award and also led his Box-Toppers category (leading AL batters with 19.4). Also, Pete Alonso of the Mets became the ninth batter since 1995 to lead his league’s batters in Box-Toppers points more than once, leading NL batters for the second straight season.

**Box-Toppers is voting for six players for 2024 Hall of Fame induction on the internet writers’ ballot—Adrián Beltré, Todd Helton, Matt Holliday, Torii Hunter, Joe Mauer and Billy Wagner.**

Box-Toppers selects 6 players for 2024 Hall of Fame in internet writers’ ballot

Shawn Plank November 27, 2023

Box-Toppers is voting for six players to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in the 2024 Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) ballot.

Box-Toppers is voting for these players, listed alphabetically by last name: Adrian Beltre, Todd Helton, Matt Holliday, Torii Hunter, Joe Mauer and Billy Wagner.

A look at Box-Toppers season-by-season AL & NL pitching & batting leaders, 1995-2022

Shawn Plank January 16, 2023

In 2022, Justin Verlander led American League pitchers in season Box-Toppers points for the third time in his career, tied for the seventh-most times a player has led a season points category.

Also in 2022, the New York Mets and Miami Marlins each had their first Box-Toppers points category leader—Pete Alonso and Sandy Alcantara— leaving the Pittsburgh Pirates as the only team to never have a player lead a category since tracking began in 1995.

**Box-Toppers is voting for four players for 2023 Hall of Fame induction on the internet writers’ ballot—Todd Helton, Torii Hunter, Jeff Kent and Billy Wagner.**

Box-Toppers selects 4 players for 2023 Hall of Fame induction in internet writers’ ballot

Shawn Plank November 29, 2022

Box-Toppers is voting for four players to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in the 2023 Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) ballot.

Box-Toppers is voting for these players: Todd Helton, Torii Hunter, Jeff Kent and Billy Wagner.

An overview of Box-Toppers category leaders over several time frames after 2021

Shawn Plank February 9, 2022

Dodgers pitcher Max Scherzer holds the lead in five of Box-Toppers’ main leaderboards at the end of 2021, most of any player.

Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole leads four Box-Toppers leaderboards, second most of any player.

A look at Box-Toppers season-by-season AL & NL pitching & batting leaders, 1995-2021

Shawn Plank January 4, 2022

Analyzing 27 years of Box-Toppers points leaders among American League and National League pitchers and batters each season.

Box-Toppers selects 9 players for 2022 Hall of Fame induction in internet writers’ ballot

Shawn Plank December 1, 2021

Box-Toppers is voting for nine players to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in the 2022 Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) ballot.

Of the nine players, three are in their first year on the ballot—Tim Lincecum, Jake Peavy and Mark Teixeira. The other six all return after not receiving the necessary votes to make the hall last year, including Curt Schilling, who is on the ballot for his 10th and final year.

A look at Box-Toppers season-by-season AL & NL pitching & batting leaders, 1995-2020

Shawn Plank January 22, 2021

Analyzing 26 years of Box-Toppers points leaders among American League and National League pitchers and batters each season.

What would a 60-game schedule look like? Here's a Box-Toppers look at 2019 after 60 games on June 4

Shawn Plank July 3, 2020

Imagine a Major League Baseball season beginning normally in the spring and ending on June 4.

That’s what the proposed pandemic-shortened 60-game schedule for 2020 will seem like.

In 2019, most clubs had played at least 60 games by June 4. That was barely more than a third of the regular season’s 162 games (37 percent). But for 2020, if all goes according to plan and the coronavirus doesn’t intervene to cut it even shorter, 60 games will be the complete, entire season.

A look at Box-Toppers season-by-season AL & NL pitching & batting leaders, 1995-2019

Shawn Plank March 4, 2020

Analyzing 25 years of Box-Toppers points leaders among American League and National League pitchers and batters each season.

Comparing Box-Toppers All-Decade All-Star teams—2010s vs. 2000s

Shawn Plank January 10, 2020

Comparing Box-Toppers’ All-Decade All-Star teams from the 2000s and the 2010s, a couple of interesting things stand out:

Albert Pujols was the leading batter in Box-Toppers points in both decades.
Batters overall earned precipitously fewer Box-Toppers points in the 2010s compared to the 2000s.

A look at Box-Toppers season-by-season AL & NL pitching & batting leaders, 1995-2018

Shawn Plank January 15, 2019

Analyzing 24 years of Box-Toppers points leaders in pitching & batting in both leagues

One reason that league-leading batters have had low Box-Toppers point totals in recent seasons is that batters’ overall share of Box-Toppers points earned is declining. Prior to 2010, batters earned about half or more of all Box-Toppers points awarded. Since 2010, batters’ share of points has been below 50 percent each season—and as low as 39.14 percent. (More detailed data used for this graph can be found in the chart at the bottom of his page.)

Batters leading leagues in Box-Toppers points poised to have record-low point totals

Shawn Plank September 11, 2018

It seems increasingly likely that Box-Toppers’ league-leading batters will set dubious records in 2018.

Both the American League and National League leaders among batters in Box-Toppers points currently have point totals that would be the lowest to lead their league’s batters for a season since Box-Toppers tracking began in 1995.

A look at Box-Toppers season-by-season AL & NL pitching & batting leaders, 1995-2017

Shawn Plank December 12, 2017

An analysis of 23 years of Box-Toppers points leaders in pitching & batting in both leagues.

Kershaw breaks record for most consecutive seasons with 20 or more Box-Toppers points

Shawn Plank December 4, 2017

In 2017, Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw broke the record for most consecutive seasons with 20 or more Box-Toppers points.

Kershaw earned 23.1 points in 2017, his seventh straight season with at least 20 points. Previously, pitcher Randy Johnson held the record, earning 20 points or more for six straight seasons, from 1997 to 2002. (Box-Toppers tracking began in 1995.)

For nearly 16 years, Curt Schilling held 3rd-place spot in Box-Toppers career points rankings, until Clayton Kershaw passed him this week

Shawn Plank May 27, 2017

Curt Schilling rose into third place in Box-Toppers career points on July 21, 2001, and held that spot continuously for nearly 16 years until just this week, when Clayton Kershaw, in his 10th season, passed him.

A look at Box-Toppers season-by-season AL & NL pitching & batting leaders, 1995-2016

Shawn Plank December 9, 2016

An analysis of 22 years of Box-Toppers points leaders in pitching & batting in both leagues.

A look at Box-Toppers top 100 players of 'all-time'

Shawn Plank November 29, 2016

Randy Johnson holds commanding lead in career Box-Toppers points since 1995. Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw jumped from 13th to 6th on career list and at current pace could catch Johnson in 2020.