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

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.

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

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.

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Yankees’ Cole tops players Thursday, Sept. 26, rising to 18th on B-T career points list

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

Cole struck out five over 6 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and one walk, in the 10-1 win over the Orioles.

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Reds’ Martinez tops players Friday, Sept. 20; Ohtani earns 3rd top player honor in 6 days

Reds pitcher Nick Martinez is Friday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.

Also Friday, Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers earns Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors for the second straight day and third time in the past week, rising to fifth place among National League batters in Box-Toppers season player rankings.

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Orioles’ Kremer tops players for Wednesday, July 3; Braves’ Sale rises to 2nd place

Orioles pitcher Dean Kremer is Wednesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.

Also Wednesday, Braves pitcher Chris Sale rises to second place in Box-Toppers season player rankings, first among National League pitchers, after earning NL Player of the Day honors.

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Mets’ Quintana tops players for Friday, June 21; Braves’ Sale rises to 2nd in rankings

Mets pitcher Jose Quintana is Friday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.

Also Friday, Braves pitcher Chris Sale rises to second place in Box-Toppers season player rankings and first place among National League pitchers after earning Player of the Game honors.

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Orioles’ Bradish tops players for Sunday, May 26; Braves’ Sale regains rankings lead

Orioles pitcher Kyle Bradish is Sunday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.

Also Sunday, Braves pitcher Chris Sale regains the lead in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors.

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Braves’ Sale tops players for Monday, May 20, rising to 1st in player rankings

Braves pitcher Chris Sale is Monday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day, rising to first place in season player rankings.

Also Monday, Red Sox pitcher Tanner Houck rises to first place among American League pitchers in 2024 Box-Toppers points, sixth overall, after earning AL Player of the Day honors.

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

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.

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

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.

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Angels’ Ohtani tops players for Wednesday, July 6, extending his player rankings lead

Angels pitcher Shohei Ohtani is Wednesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day, extending his lead in season player rankings.

Also Wednesday, Braves pitcher Max Fried rises to fifth place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors. He also rises to first place among National League pitchers.

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How 2022 Hall of Fame candidates fared in Box-Toppers

Though Box-Toppers would not have voted David Ortiz as a first-ballot Hall of Famer, it’s hard to argue that his performance on the field was not worthy.

Yet, several other candidates with Hall-of-Fame worthy careers were not voted for induction Tuesday because of their ties to the steroid era. In fact, it can be argued that righteous baseball writers did a noble thing Tuesday by blocking three such candidates—Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa—for their 10th and final time on the ballot.

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Internet writers vote David Ortiz for Hall of Fame; none of Box-Toppers’ 9 choices made the cut

David Ortiz is the only player inducted into internet baseball writers’ Hall of Fame for 2022.

None of the nine candidates Box-Toppers voted for Hall induction received the necessary 75 percent support. And Box-Toppers also did not vote for Ortiz.

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