Blog
A Box-Toppers preview of the 2021 baseball season.
First, a commentary on baseball and COVID-19. Though case rates are declining and vaccines are slowly arriving, coronavirus cases are higher now than during most of the shortened 2020 baseball season. Yet baseball is on the fast track to return to normalcy.
Second, an introduction to the Box-Toppers metric, used to track and compare players since 1995.
Read MoreRockies pitcher Austin Gomber is Box-Toppers Player of the Day in Tuesday’s final spring training games.
Gomber struck out four over three scoreless innings, allowing two hits and no walks, in the 2-1, seven-inning win over the White Sox. Gomber did not earn the win, picking up a no-decision, because the White Sox tied the game after he exited.
Read MoreBrewers pitcher Adrian Houser is Box-Toppers Player of the Day in Monday’s spring training games.
Houser struck out six over 5 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and one walk, in the 4-0 win over the Rangers.
Read MoreBrewers pitcher Corbin Burnes is Box-Toppers Player of the Day in Sunday’s spring training games.
Burnes struck out nine over five innings, allowing one run, three hits and two walks, in the 7-1, seven-inning win over the Reds.
Read MoreRays pitcher Tyler Glasnow is Box-Toppers Player of the Day in Saturday’s spring training games.
Glasnow struck out 10 over five scoreless innings, allowing three hits and two walks, in the 2-0 win over the Twins.
Read MoreAthletics pitcher Cole Irvin is Box-Toppers Player of the Day in Friday’s spring training games.
Irvin struck out 10 over six scoreless innings, allowing one hit and two walks, in the 11-0, eight-inning win over the Dodgers.
Read MoreRoyals pitcher Ervin Santana is Box-Toppers Player of the Day in Thursday’s spring training games.
Santana struck out seven over three scoreless innings, allowing no hits and no walks, closing the game and picking up the save, in the 10-1 win over the Diamondbacks.
Read MoreGiants pitcher Logan Webb is Box-Toppers Player of the Day in Tuesday’s spring training games.
Webb struck out seven over five scoreless innings, allowing one hit and no walks, in the 7-0 win over the Indians.
Read MorePhillies pitcher Aaron Nola is Box-Toppers Player of the Day in Monday’s spring training games.
Nola struck out nine over six scoreless innings, allowing one hit and no walks, in the 4-0 win over the Yankees.
Read MoreMariners pitcher James Paxton is Box-Toppers Player of the Day in Sunday’s spring training games.
Paxton struck out eight over 4 1/3 innings, allowing one run, two hits and two walks, in the 3-1 win over the Brewers. Paxton did not earn the win, picking up a no-decision, because the score was tied, 1-1, when he exited.
Read MoreTwins pitcher Brandon Waddell is Box-Toppers Player of the Day in Saturday’s spring training games.
Waddell struck out five over two scoreless and hitless innings, allowing no walks, in the 2-1 win over the Rays, picking up the save.
Read MoreRed Sox pitcher Garrett Whitlock is Box-Toppers Player of the Day in Friday’s spring training games.
Whitlock struck out five over three scoreless innings, allowing one hit and no walks, in the 11-7 win over the Rays.
Read MoreAngels pitcher Andrew Heaney is Box-Toppers Player of the Day in Thursday’s spring training games.
Heaney struck out eight over five scoreless innings, allowing one hit and two walks, in the 3-2 win over the Brewers. Heaney did not earn the win, picking up a no-decision, because the Brewers tied the game after he exited.
Read MoreMarlins pitcher Sandy Alcantara is Box-Toppers Player of the Day in Wednesday’s spring training games.
Alcantara struck out nine over five scoreless innings, allowing three hits and no walks, in the 3-2 win over the Mets. Alcantara did not earn the win, picking up a no-decision, because the Mets took the lead after he exited.
Read MoreConnor Joe of the Rockies is Box-Toppers Player of the Day in Tuesday’s spring training games.
Joe hit a three-run homer, doubled and went 2-for-2, scoring three times and driving in three runs, in the 11-7 win over the Reds.
Read MoreBlue Jays pitcher Hyun Jin Ryu is Box-Toppers Player of the Day in Monday’s spring training games.
Ryu struck out four over four scoreless innings, allowing two hits and no walks, in the 4-0 win over the Tigers.
Read MoreAstros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. is Box-Toppers Player of the Day in Sunday’s spring training games.
McCullers struck out six over four scoreless innings, allowing three hits and no walks, in the 5-0 win over the Nationals.
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Box-Toppers picks the Los Angeles Dodgers to repeat as World Series champions in 2021, beating the predicted American League champion team, the Chicago White Sox.
Box-Toppers projects the Dodgers will have the most wins among all teams—108—and will be the only team with more than 100 wins this season.
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The Los Angeles Dodgers are the top-ranked team in Box-Toppers’ 2021 preseason rankings. They also ended 2020 as Box-Toppers’ top-ranked team and World Series champions.
Meanwhile, the New York Mets made the biggest offseason improvement in players’ accumulated Box-Toppers points, while the Chicago Cubs saw the biggest decline.
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.