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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.
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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.
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Source: MLB.com
Both National League Division Series begin Saturday.
The Philadelphia Phillies face the Atlanta Braves in one best-of-five game series and the Arizona Diamondbacks face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the other. The top two NL seeds, the Braves (first) and the Dodgers (second) received byes from the first round of playoffs and face the winners of the best-of-three Wild Card series played this week.
Read MoreMariners pitcher George Kirby is Tuesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Tuesday, Shohei Ohtani of the Angels regains the lead in Box-Toppers season player rankings, winning Player of the Game honors for the second straight day, both times for batting. Plus, Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler rises to seventh place in Box-Toppers season player rankings.
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The New York Mets are the top-ranked team in Box-Toppers’ 2023 preseason rankings.
Meanwhile, the Texas Rangers made the biggest offseason improvement in players’ accumulated Box-Toppers points, while the World Series champion Houston Astros saw the biggest decline.
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The New York Yankees and New York Mets lead Box-Toppers offseason rankings after landing the winter’s two biggest free agents.
The Yankees rank first after Carlos Rodon Thursday agreed to a free agent deal. Rodon earned 19.8 Box-Toppers points in 2022 with the Giants, sixth overall and third among National League pitchers. He ranked second among all free agents going into the 2023 season.
Read MorePhillies pitcher Aaron Nola tops players in Friday’s three league division series playoff games.
Other Player of the Game winners in Friday’s league division series games: Padres closing pitcher Josh Hader and Guardians closing pitcher Emmanuel Clase.
Read MoreAstros pitcher Framber Valdez is Box-Toppers Player of the Game in Thursday’s National League Division Series playoff game.
Valdez struck out six over 5 2/3 innings, allowing two runs (one earned), four hits and three walks. Valdez did not earn the win, picking up a no-decision, because the Astros were trailing when he exited.
Read MoreBoth National League Division Series begin Tuesday.
The Los Angeles Dodgers face the San Diego Padres in one best-of-five game series and the Atlanta Braves face the Philadelphia Phillies in the other. The top two NL seeds, the Dodgers (first) and the Braves (second) received byes from the first round of playoffs and face the winners of the best-of-three Wild Card series played over the weekend.
Read MoreBlue Jays pitcher Ross Stripling is Wednesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Stripling struck out seven over 6 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and no walks, in the 6-1 win over the Orioles. Stripling did not earn the win, picking up a no-decision, because the game was in a scoreless tie when he exited.
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Three teams each have seven players among the top 100 in Box-Toppers’ 2022 player rankings at the All-Star break.
The New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers each have seven players on the top 100 list, tied for the most of any team.
Read MoreEmmanuel Clase of the Guardians is Box-Toppers 2022 All-Star Game Player of the Game.
Clase struck out three in a scoreless ninth inning, allowing no hits or walks, earning the save, in the American League’s 3-2 win Tuesday over the National League.
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The New York Yankees lead Box-Toppers weekly team rankings report for the fifth straight week.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the week’s hottest team, rise to lead National League teams.
Read MoreAstros pitcher Cristian Javier is Friday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Friday, Braves pitcher Max Fried rises to sixth place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors.
Read MoreAngels pitcher Patrick Sandoval is Saturday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Sandoval struck out 13 over 8 2/3 innings, allowing one run, one hit and one walk, in the 2-1 win over the Twins.
Read MoreIndians pitcher Shane Bieber tops Box-Toppers list of the top 100 players of 2020.
Bieber had 11.4 Box-Toppers points during the pandemic-shortened regular season. And because it was such a short season—reduced from 162 games to 60—it is the lowest total to lead all players since Box-Toppers tracking began in 1995, beating the previous low set by Royals pitcher Zack Greinke, who led all players with 21.5 points in 2009.
Read MoreKyle Lewis of the Mariners and Devin Williams of the Brewers were voted 2020 Rookies of the Year by baseball writers.
Neither were among Box-Toppers’ top-ranked rookies in 2020. Plus, none of Box-Toppers’ top-ranked rookies even received votes from baseball writers for top rookie.
Read MoreDodgers pitcher Julio Urias is Box-Toppers Player of the Game in Tuesday’s World Series Game 6.
The Los Angeles Dodgers win 3-1 to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2 in the best-of-seven game series, winning their first World Series since 1988.
Read MoreDodgers pitcher Dustin May is Box-Toppers Player of the Game in Sunday’s World Series Game 5.
The Los Angeles Dodgers win 4-2 to take a 3-2 lead over the Tampa Bay Rays in the best-of-seven game series.
Read MoreRays pitcher Blake Snell is Box-Toppers Player of the Game in Wednesday’s World Series Game 2.
The Tampa Bay Rays win 6-4 to tie the Los Angeles Dodgers 1-1 in the best-of-seven game series.
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.