Blog
Braves pitcher Spencer Strider had the biggest decline in Box-Toppers points from 2023 to 2024.
Strider led all players in 2023 with 21.1 Box-Toppers points but earned just 1.0 point in 2024, a 20.1-point decline, which is also the fifth-largest decline (in regular-length seasons) since Box-Toppers tracking began in 1995.
Read More
The Los Angeles Dodgers are the top-ranked team in Box-Toppers’ 2024 preseason rankings.
Meanwhile, the New York Mets made the biggest offseason improvement in players’ accumulated Box-Toppers points, while the San Diego Padres saw the biggest decline.
Read More
The Atlanta Braves are Box-Toppers’ top-ranked team going into 2024, with a roster mostly intact from 2023 when they had baseball’s best record.
Meanwhile, the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners are Box-Toppers’ top two American League teams, with the Mariners having one of the best offseason improvements of any team so far. And also, while the Los Angeles Dodgers have made big offseason splashes adding Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow and Teoscar Hernandez, their offseason ranking has actually fallen from third place last season to fourth place now.
Read MoreOnly two of Box-Toppers category leaders also won Players Choice Awards for 2023 as voted by the players’ union: Shohei Ohtani of the Angels, who was voted American League Outstanding Player and Gunnar Henderson of the Orioles was voted AL Outstanding Rookie.
Read MoreWhile Marlins pitcher Jesus Luzardo is Box-Toppers’ most improved player in 2023, our choices for Comeback Players of the Year are Eduardo Rodriguez of the Tigers and Jason Heyward of the Dodgers.
Meanwhile, the consensus choices for Comeback Players of the Year—Cody Bellinger and Liam Hendriks—did not rank very highly among Box-Toppers most improved players in 2023.
Read MoreMariners pitcher George Kirby is Sunday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day, the final day of the regular season.
Kirby struck out seven over six scoreless innings, allowing three hits and no walks, in the 1-0 win over the Rangers.
Read MorePhillies pitcher Cristopher Sanchez is Sunday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Sunday, Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen rises to seventh place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors.
Read MoreBraves pitcher Max Fried is Friday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Friday, Brewers pitcher Freddy Peralta rises to third place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors.
Read MoreOrioles pitcher Kyle Bradish is Sunday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Bradish struck out eight over six scoreless innings, allowing two hits and one walk, in the 12-1 win over the Athletics.
Read MoreMets pitcher Justin Verlander is Wednesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Wednesday, Nolan Gorman of the Cardinals extends his lead among National League batters in 2023 Box-Toppers points after earning Player of the Game honors.
Read MoreTigers pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez is Wednesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day, rising to seventh place in season player rankings.
Also Wednesday, Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw rises to fifth place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning National League Player of the Day honors. Plus, Jarren Duran of the Red Sox rises to first place among American League batters in 2023 Box-Toppers points after earning Player of the Game honors Wednesday.
Read MoreTigers pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez is Thursday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Rodriguez struck out nine over eight scoreless innings, allowing two hits and one walk, in the 2-0 win over the Mets.
Read MoreTigers pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez is Tuesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Tuesday, Cubs pitcher Marcus Stroman rises to eighth place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors. Plus, Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw has now earned Box-Toppers points in 16 straight seasons—tied for the third-longest active streak—after earning National League Player of the Day honors Tuesday.
Read More
The Los Angeles Dodgers are the top-ranked team in Box-Toppers’ 2022 preseason rankings. They also ended 2021 as Box-Toppers’ top-ranked team.
Meanwhile, the New York Mets made the biggest offseason improvement in players’ accumulated Box-Toppers points, while the Oakland Athletics saw the biggest decline.
Read More
The Milwaukee Brewers are the top-ranked team going into 2022, leading Box-Toppers offseason team rankings as of mid-December.
Players currently signed to the Brewers 40-man roster accumulated 111.1 Box-Toppers points during the 2021 season, most of any team. The Chicago White Sox rank second overall with 109.2 Box-Toppers points, leading all American League teams.
Read MoreJ.D. Martinez of the Red Sox is Box-Toppers Player of the Game in Monday’s American League Championship Series Game 3.
Martinez homered, doubled and went 2-for-3, scoring twice and driving in two runs, in the 12-3 win over the Astros. The Red Sox take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven game series.
Read MoreBraves closing pitcher Will Smith is Box-Toppers Player of the Game in Sunday’s National League Championship Series Game 2.
Smith struck out two over one scoreless inning, allowing no hits, no walks and picking up the win, in the 5-4 win over the Dodgers. The Braves take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven game series.
Read MoreThe Boston Red Sox hold a slight Box-Toppers points advantage over the Houston Astros in the upcoming American League Championship Series.
But the Astros have already eliminated Box-Toppers’ top-ranked AL team, the Chicago White Sox, in the league division series.
Read MoreIn three league division series playoff games Monday, these are Box-Toppers Player of the Game winners: Braves pitcher Ian Anderson, Giants pitcher Alex Wood and Red Sox pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez.
Read MoreRed Sox pitcher Nick Pivetta and Leury Garcia of the White Sox are Box-Toppers Player of the Game winners in Sunday’s pair of American League Division Series games.
Read MoreBox-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. Players earn Box-Toppers points for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.