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.

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.

Yankees’ Cole tops players for Friday, Aug. 25; Strider rises to lead player rankings

Shawn Plank August 26, 2023

Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole is Friday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.

Also Friday, Braves pitcher Spencer Strider rises to first place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning National League Player of the Day honors, passing Angels pitcher Shohei Ohtani, who had led since June 13.

Marlins’ Garrett tops players for Saturday, May 20; Yankees’ Judge rises to 9th place

Shawn Plank May 21, 2023

Marlins pitcher Braxton Garrett is Saturday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.

Also Saturday, Aaron Judge of the Yankees rises to ninth place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning American League Batter of the Day honors. Plus, Nolan Gorman of the Cardinals rises to first place among National League batters in 2023 Box-Toppers points after earning NL Batter of the Day honors.

D-backs’ Kelly tops players for Friday, May 5; Rays’ Arozarena rises to lead AL batters

Shawn Plank May 6, 2023

Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly is Friday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.

Also Friday, Randy Arozarena of the Rays rises to first place among American League batters in 2023 Box-Toppers points after earning Player of the Game honors.

Rays’ Rasmussen tops players for Sunday, April 9, rising to 1st in player rankings

Shawn Plank April 10, 2023

Rays pitcher Drew Rasmussen is Sunday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day, rising to first place in season player rankings.

Also Sunday, Giants pitcher Anthony DeSclafani rises to ninth place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning National League Player of the Day honors.

A look at Box-Toppers top 100 players of ‘all-time’ after the 2022 season

Shawn Plank February 17, 2023

Could 2023 be the season Clayton Kershaw passes Randy Johnson for the “all-time” lead in career Box-Toppers points?

Or could this coming season be the year when Kershaw loses the lead among active players in career Box-Toppers points to either Max Scherzer or Justin Verlander?

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.

Cardinals’ Wainwright tops players for Wednesday, July 27; Angels’ Junk tops AL players

Shawn Plank July 28, 2022

Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright is Wednesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.

Wainwright struck out eight over seven innings, allowing one run, five hits and no walks, in the 6-1 win over the Blue Jays.

Rockies’ Kuhl tops players for Monday, June 27; Blue Jays’ Gausman tops AL players

Shawn Plank June 28, 2022

Rockies pitcher Chad Kuhl is Monday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.

Kuhl pitched a complete-game, three-hit shutout, striking out five and walking none, in the 4-0 win over the Dodgers.

A look at Box-Toppers top 100 players of ‘all-time’ after the 2021 season

Shawn Plank February 8, 2022

Randy Johnson leads all players in career Box-Toppers points and the two active players most likely to pass his total won’t likely do it until 2023 at the very earliest.

Johnson earned 282.5 Box-Toppers points from the time Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995 until he retired in 2009.

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.

A Box-Toppers comparison of Braves title teams from 1995 and 2021

Shawn Plank November 5, 2021

The Braves who won the 2021 World Series seem very different from the last Braves team that won the World Series in 1995. Comparing how each team fared in Box-Toppers points and rankings in their respective seasons.

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.

A look at Box-Toppers top 100 players of ‘all-time’ after the 2020 season

Shawn Plank December 31, 2020

Randy Johnson leads all players in career Box-Toppers points and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

Johnson earned 282.5 Box-Toppers points from the time Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995 until he retired in 2009. The most likely rival to Johnson’s throne at the moment is Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw who has 235.2 career Box-Toppers points, third among all players since 1995 and most among active players.

Athletics’ Montas tops players for Saturday, Aug. 8, Judge rises in player rankings, Cabrera extends long streak

Shawn Plank August 9, 2020

Athletics pitcher Frankie Montas is Saturday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day, rising to third place in season player rankings.

Also Saturday, Aaron Judge of the Yankees rises to fifth place in Box-Toppers season player rankings and Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly rises to 10th after both earned Player of the Game honors.

Plus, Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers has now earned Box-Toppers points for 18 straight seasons—tied for the fifth-longest streak since 1995—after earning Player of the Game honors Saturday.

Box-Toppers top third basemen by time frame (after 2019 season)

Shawn Plank June 25, 2020

Alex Rodriguez has the most Box-Toppers points of any third baseman since tracking began in 1995.

Rodriguez, who played from 1994 to 2016 for the Yankees, Mariners and Rangers, earned 187.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 10th among all players since 1995 and second among all batters. Rodriguez is 38.0 Box-Toppers points ahead of Chipper Jones, who ranks second among third basemen on the “all-time” career Box-Toppers points list with 149.0.

A look at how top draft picks fared in career Box-Toppers points and rankings

Shawn Plank June 16, 2020

Alex Rodriguez has the most career Box-Toppers points of all Major League Baseball number-one draft picks since 1990.

Rodriguez, who was the first pick in the 1993 draft, earned 187.0 Box-Toppers points during his career from 1994 to 2016, which is 10th overall since 1995 and second among all batters (behind Albert Pujols of the Angels with 201.8).

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.

A look at Box-Toppers' ‘all-time' top 10 lists—top overall players, top pitchers, top batters—since tracking began in 1995

Shawn Plank February 27, 2020

The Box-Toppers career points top 10 list had no new members during the 2019 season but saw a massive reshuffling among players ranked fourth through 10th.

Meanwhile, there was one new player rising into the top 10 list among pitchers in “all-time” career Box-Toppers points in 2019 (Cole Hamels of the Cubs). Plus, the top 10 “all-time” points list for batters was largely dormant during 2019 and included just two active players—Albert Pujols of the Angels and Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers. However, Cabrera actually rose from sixth to fifth place, while earning just 3.0 Box-Toppers points in 2019.