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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Rangers’ Bradford tops players for Friday, April 5; Royals’ Singer rises to 1st in rankings

Rangers pitcher Cody Bradford is Friday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.

Also Friday, Royals pitcher Brady Singer rises to first place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors. Plus, two players extend significant streaks of consecutive seasons earning Box-Toppers points after earning Player of the Game honors Friday—Orioles closer Craig Kimbrel (15 seasons) and Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola (10 seasons).

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Mets’ Verlander tops players for Wednesday, July 19; Gorman extends NL batting lead

Mets 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.

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Blue Jays’ Bassitt tops players for Friday, May 12; Brewers’ Burnes tops NL players

Blue Jays pitcher Chris Bassitt is Friday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.

Bassitt pitched a complete-game, two-hit shutout, striking out eight and walking two, in the 3-0 win over the Braves.

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Mets’ deGrom tops players for Wednesday, Aug. 31; Padres’ Musgrove rises to 6th

Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom is Wednesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.

Also Wednesday, Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove rises to sixth place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors.

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

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.

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Diamondbacks’ Bumgarner tops players for Sunday, April 25, pitching 7-inning no-hitter

Diamondbacks pitcher Madison Bumgarner is Sunday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day, pitching a seven-inning no-hitter.

Also Sunday, Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff rises to fourth in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors.

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How 2021 Hall of Fame candidates fared in Box-Toppers

No players were voted for induction to the National Baseball Hall of Fame Tuesday.

None of the 25 players eligible received the necessary 75 percent of the vote from members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Pitcher Curt Schilling came the closest to reaching 75 percent—he received 71.1 percent of the vote, falling 16 votes short.

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Box-Toppers selects seven players for 2021 Hall of Fame induction in internet writers’ ballot

Box-Toppers is voting for seven players to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) ballot—Todd Helton, Tim Hudson, Torii Hunter, Jeff Kent, Aramis Ramirez, Curt Schilling and Billy Wagner.

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White Sox’ Dane Dunning tops players for Sunday, Aug. 30; Cardinals’ Wainwright tops NL players

White Sox pitcher Dane Dunning is Sunday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.

Dunning struck out seven over five scoreless and hitless innings, allowing one walk, in the 5-2, 10-inning win over the Royals. Dunning did not earn the win, picking up a no-decision, because the Royals tied the game after he exited.

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Box-Toppers All-time All-Star teams, 1995-2019

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw leads the list of Box-Toppers Active Career All-Stars and is one of four active players included on Box-Toppers All-Time All-Star team.

The Box-Toppers All-Time All-Star team consists of the best players by position since Box-Toppers tracking began in 1995 and includes 10 players who have retired and four who are still active—Kershaw, along with Albert Pujols of the Angels, Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers and Astros pitcher Zack Greinke, who joined the All-Time All-Star team in 2019.

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How 2020 Hall of Fame candidates fared in Box-Toppers

Derek Jeter and Larry Walker were elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame Tuesday.

Both received the necessary 75 percent of the vote from members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America and will be inducted in the Hall in Cooperstown, N.Y., in July.

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

Box-Toppers votes Todd Helton, Derek Jeter, Jeff Kent,, Curt Schilling, Billy Wagner and Larry Walker into the Hall of Fame on Internet Baseball Writers of America ballot.

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Strasburg tops players for Saturday, Aug. 31, extends B-T lead among NL pitchers; Pujols reaches 200 career points

Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg is Saturday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day, extending his lead among National League pitchers in season player rankings.

Also Saturday, Albert Pujols of the Angels becomes the sixth player—and first batter—to reach 200 career Box-Toppers points since player tracking began in 1995. Pujols rises to sixth place on Box-Toppers’ “all-time” career points, passing Astros pitcher Justin Verlander.

In addition Saturday, Brewers pitcher Josh Hader rises to fourth place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning his first Player of the Game honor in more than a month.

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White Sox’ Lopez tops players for Sunday, Aug. 25; Nationals’ Strasburg rises to lead NL pitcher rankings

White Sox pitcher Reynaldo Lopez is Sunday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.

Also Sunday, Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg becomes the first new leader in Box-Toppers points among National League pitchers in more than three months after earning Player of the Game honors. Strasburg also rises to third place in overall Box-Toppers season player rankings.

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