Yankees top Box-Toppers 2020 preseason team rankings; champion Nationals rank 2nd

Shawn Plank March 9, 2020

The New York Yankees are the top-ranked team in Box-Toppers’ 2020 preseason rankings, rising from fifth place at the end of the 2019 season.

The 2019 World Series-champion Washington Nationals, ranked second at the end of 2019, maintain second place in the 2020 preseason rankings.

Meanwhile, the Toronto Blue Jays made the biggest offseason improvement in players’ accumulated Box-Toppers points, while the Houston Astros—2019’s top-ranked team and American League champion—had the biggest decline.

A look at Box-Toppers season-by-season AL & NL pitching & batting leaders, 1995-2019

Shawn Plank March 4, 2020

Analyzing 25 years of Box-Toppers points leaders among American League and National League pitchers and batters each season.

Max Scherzer leads players in Box-Toppers points since start of 2014

Shawn Plank February 22, 2020

Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer leads players in Box-Toppers points since the start of 2014.

Scherzer has 134.3 Box-Toppers points over the period 2014-2019, 8.9 points ahead of Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who has 125.4 points over that span.

Justin Verlander leads players in Box-Toppers points over past 2 seasons (2018-19)

Shawn Plank February 20, 2020

Astros pitcher Justin Verlander has more Box-Toppers points over the past two seasons than any other player.

Verlander has earned 51.6 Box-Toppers points over 2018 and 2019. He ranked third in 2018 with 24.1 points and second in 2019 with 27.5.

A look at Box-Toppers’ top 100 players for 2019

Shawn Plank January 13, 2020

Astros pitcher Gerrit Cole tops Box-Toppers list of the top 100 players in 2019.

Cole had 32.2 Box-Toppers points during the regular season, which is the fourth-highest single-season point total in the 25 seasons of Box-Toppers tracking, which began in 1995. It was 1.5 points short of the record, 33.7, set by Randy Johnson of the Diamondbacks in both 2000 and 2002.

Box-Toppers 2019 year-end All-Star teams

Shawn Plank November 27, 2019

The Box-Toppers All-Star teams for the 2019 regular season are led by overall Box-Toppers points leader, Astros pitcher Gerrit Cole.

The American League and National League All-Star teams are composed of the players with the highest Box-Toppers point totals by position in each league. In addition to the batters—eight in the NL and nine (including the designated hitter) in the AL—are the top four starting pitchers in each league and the top closing pitcher.

A look at players who made biggest gains in Box-Toppers points from 2018 to 2019

Shawn Plank November 24, 2019

Padres rookie pitcher Chris Paddack had the biggest gain in Box-Toppers point totals from 2018 to 2019.

Paddack earned 15.8 Box-Toppers points in his first season in 2019 after obviously earning no points in 2018, making his 15.8-point gain the largest among all players this season.

Astros pitcher Gerrit Cole had the biggest gain in Box-Toppers points among returning players and among American League pitchers. His 14.2-point gain from 2018 to 2019 was the second-biggest of the season.

Players ranking highest in Box-Toppers points in 2019 fail to win any postseason awards

Shawn Plank November 21, 2019

No Box-Toppers points leaders were among the winners in six major postseason awards for 2019.

In fact, looking at Box-Toppers’ ballot in the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America, none of the 10 candidates we chose for awards based on Box-Toppers points won an award.

Bellinger, Trout win MVP Awards ahead of Box-Toppers’ decidedly outlier picks—Cole, Ozuna

Shawn Plank November 15, 2019

Cody Bellinger of the Dodgers, who ranked third among National League batters in Box-Toppers points in 2019 with 11.2, was voted NL Most Valuable Player Thursday.

And Mike Trout of the Angels, who ranked ninth among American League batters in Box-Toppers points in 2019 with 8.7, was voted AL Most Valuable Player.

A look at 2019 baseball awards finalists and how they fared in Box-Toppers rankings

Shawn Plank November 11, 2019

The players who played the most key roles in helping their teams win the most games in 2019, for the most part, are not among the finalists for baseball’s postseason awards.

Gerrit Cole of the Astros, who led American League pitchers in Box-Toppers points with 32.2, is one of three finalists for the AL Cy Young Award. He is the only Box-Toppers point leader in any of the six categories to even be named as a finalist.

How 2019 Silver Sluggers winners fared in Box-Toppers rankings

Shawn Plank November 9, 2019

Ten of the 17 batters winning Silver Slugger Awards this week also were among the leaders at their positions in 2019 Box-Toppers point totals.

ALCS Preview: Rocketing Astros face the rising, resilient, rehabilitating Yankees

Shawn Plank October 12, 2019

Do the New York Yankees even stand a chance facing the rocketing Houston Astros in the American League Championship Series?

Astros players accumulated by far the most Box-Toppers points of any team (158.1). The Yankees had 123.4 points, ranked fifth overall. The Astros top three pitchers are among Box-Toppers’ top-10 ranked players in 2019. Meanwhile, the Yankees top player, James Paxton (14.1 Box-Toppers points), ranks 19th overall.

Morton, Scherzer, Torres, Goldschmidt top players in Monday's four league division series games

Shawn Plank October 8, 2019

In four league division series playoff games Monday these are Box-Toppers Players of the Game:

Rays pitcher Charlie Morton, Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer, Gleyber Torres of the Yankees and Paul Goldschmidt of the Cardinals.

Box-Toppers’ AL Division Series previews: Rays vs. Astros, Twins vs. Yankees

Shawn Plank October 4, 2019

Both American League Division Series begin Friday.

The AL Wild Card champion Tampa Bay Rays face the AL West champion Houston Astros in one best-of-five game series and the AL Central champion Minnesota Twins take on the New York Yankees, champions of the AL East, in the other series.

Box-Toppers picks Astros’ Gerrit Cole for AL Cy Young & MVP: A look at our postseason awards ballot

Shawn Plank September 30, 2019

Box-Toppers is casting a vote for the American League Cy Young Award to Astros pitcher Gerrit Cole.

We are also casting our vote for AL Most Valuable Player to … Astros pitcher Gerrit Cole.

Astros’ Gerrit Cole is 2019 Box-Toppers Player of the Year

Shawn Plank September 30, 2019

Astros pitcher Gerrit Cole is Box-Toppers Player of the Year for 2019, earning the fourth-most Box-Toppers points in a single season since tracking began in 1995.

Meanwhile, Stephen Strasburg of the Nationals leads among National League pitchers, Nelson Cruz of the Twins leads among AL batters and Marcell Ozuna of the Cardinals leads among NL batters.

Astros’ Gerrit Cole leads Box-Toppers season player rankings for fourth straight week

Shawn Plank September 20, 2019

Astros pitcher Gerrit Cole leads Box-Toppers weekly player rankings report for the fourth straight week.

Meanwhile, Nelson Cruz of the Twins regains the Box-Toppers points lead among American League batters and Marcell Ozuna of the Cardinals rises to lead National League batters in 2019 points. Plus, Stephen Strasburg of the Nationals continues to lead NL pitchers in Box-Toppers points.

Red Sox’ Rodriguez tops players for Thursday, Sept. 19; Twins’ Cruz regains AL batter rankings lead

Shawn Plank September 20, 2019

Red Sox pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez is Thursday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.

Also Thursday, Indians pitcher Mike Clevinger rises to eighth place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors. Plus, Nelson Cruz of the Twins regains the Box-Toppers points lead among American League batters after earning AL Batter of the Day honors.

Astros’ Gerrit Cole leads Box-Toppers season player rankings for third straight week

Shawn Plank September 13, 2019

Astros pitcher Gerrit Cole leads Box-Toppers weekly player rankings report for the third straight week.

Gleyber Torres of the Yankees rises this week to lead American League batters in 2019 Box-Toppers points, passing previous leader Nelson Cruz of the Twins.

Blue Jays’ Trent Thornton tops players for Wednesday, Sept. 11; Padres’ Paddack rises to 8th in player rankings

Shawn Plank September 12, 2019

Blue Jays pitcher Trent Thornton is Wednesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.

Also Wednesday, Padres pitcher Chris Paddack rises to eighth in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning National League Player of the Day honors.