Blog
The Box-Toppers All-Star teams for 2017-18 consist of the best players at each position in each league over those previous two seasons.
Among the 27 players included on the American and National League teams are 15 who are also on Box-Toppers 2018 All-Star teams (those players are denoted in the chart above with an asterisk).
Read MoreAmerican League pitchers occupied eight of the top 10 spots in Box-Toppers’ 2018 season player rankings. But there were no AL pitchers among the top 10 in baseball’s Wins Above Replacement statistic.
AL teams dominated baseball in 2018 with three of its teams winning 100 or more games (Red Sox, Astros and Yankees), the Red Sox cruised to a relatively easy World Series win and it was AL pitchers who most helped those teams win all those games.
Read MoreNationals pitcher Max Scherzer, who led National League players in Box-Toppers points in 2018, led all pitchers in strikeouts in 2018.
In fact, seven of the overall top 10-ranked players in 2018 Box-Toppers points are among the top 10 season strikeout leaders. And all 10 strikeout leaders rank among the top 17 players in 2018 Box-Toppers points.
Read More
The New York Yankees are the top-ranked team in Box-Toppers’ 2019 preseason rankings, rising from second place at the end of the 2018 season.
The 2018 World Series-champion Boston Red Sox fall from first at the end of last season to second place in the 2019 preseason rankings.
Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Reds made the biggest offseason improvement in players’ accumulated Box-Toppers points, while the Arizona Diamondbacks had the biggest decline.
Read MoreBlake Snell of the Rays, who led all pitchers in wins in 2018 with 21, also led all players in Box-Toppers points during the season with 27.2.
Six of the overall top 11 players in Box-Toppers points in 2018 are also among the top 11 pitchers in wins for the season. Plus, all 11 pitchers leading in wins are among the overall top 40 players in Box-Toppers points for the season.
Read MoreBlake Snell tops Box-Toppers list of the top 100 players in 2018.
The Rays pitcher had 27.2 Box-Toppers points during the regular season, which is the 12th-highest single-season point total since 1995, when Box-Toppers tracking began.
Read MoreBrock Holt of the Red Sox was one of three Box-Toppers Player of the Game honorees in Monday’s three league Division Series games.
Holt hit for the cycle, going 4-for-5, scoring three times and driving in five runs, as the Red Sox beat the Yankees in Game 3 of the American League Division Series.
Read MoreBrewers pitcher Corbin Burnes and Ronald Acuna Jr. of the Braves are Sunday’s Box-Toppers top players in a pair of National League Division Series games.
Read MoreFour of the top five teams in Box-Toppers team rankings square off in two American League Division Series beginning Friday.
One series includes the top two teams in Box-Toppers team rankings—the top-ranked Boston Red Sox and the second-ranked New York Yankees. If all teams qualifying for the postseason were seeded, these two would be in separate brackets in a hoped-for World Series best-of-seven game matchup. Instead, the two AL East teams meet in a best-of-five game semi-final to another semi-final.
Read MoreYankees pitcher Dellin Betances is Wednesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day in the American League Wild Card Game.
Betances struck out three over two scoreless innings, allowing no hits and no walks, picking up the win, in the 7-2 win over the Athletics.
Read MoreThe Oakland Athletics visit the New York Yankees in the American League one-game Wild Card playoff game Wednesday.
Read More
Rays pitcher Blake Snell is Box-Toppers 2018 Player of the Year.
Snell, with 27.2 Box-Toppers points in 2018, finishes first in Box-Toppers season player rankings, ahead of second-place player, Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer (25.1).
Meanwhile, Christian Yelich of the Brewers rises to first place among National League batters in Box-Toppers points this week, as the regular season comes to a close.
Read MoreMets pitcher Jason Vargas is Thursday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Meanwhile, Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia becomes the fourth player to reach 200 career Box-Toppers points (since Box-Toppers tracking began in 1995) after earning American League Player of the Day honors Thursday.
Read MoreMets pitcher Jacob deGrom is Wednesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day and rises to 10th place in season player rankings.
deGrom struck out 10 over eight scoreless innings, allowing two hits and no walks, in the 3-0 win over the Braves.
Read MoreMarlins pitcher Wei-Yin Chen is Friday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Chen struck out eight over seven scoreless innings, allowing three hits and no walks, in the 1-0, 10-inning win over the Reds. Chen did not earn the win, picking up a no-decision, because the game was in a scoreless tie when he exited.
Read MoreRays pitcher Blake Snell took the lead this week in Box-Toppers season player rankings, passing previous leader, Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer.
Meanwhile, Ronald Acuna Jr. of the Braves rises to lead National League batters in Box-Toppers points this week.
Read MoreDodgers pitcher Walker Buehler is Wednesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Wednesday, Indians pitcher Carlos Carrasco rises to seventh place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning American League Player of the Day honors.
Read MorePirates pitcher Jameson Taillon is Tuesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Tuesday, Rays pitcher Blake Snell rises to lead Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning AL Player of the Day honors, passing previous leader, Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer. In addition, Indians pitcher Corey Kluber maintains his sixth-place spot in Box-Toppers season player rankings after he earns Player of the Game honors Tuesday.
Read MoreNationals pitcher Max Scherzer maintains top spot in Box-Toppers season player rankings this week.
However, Rays pitcher Blake Snell, in second overall, has closed in to within 1.0 point of Scherzer. Snell leads American League players in Box-Toppers points.
Read MoreNationals pitcher Max Scherzer maintains top spot in Box-Toppers season player rankings this week.
Meanwhile, Anthony Rizzo of the Cubs is this week’s new leader among National League batters in 2018 Box-Toppers points. Rizzo also led NL batters in 2017.
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.