Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw is Box-Toppers Player of the Game in Tuesday’s World Series Game 1.
The Los Angeles Dodgers win 8-3 to take a 1-0 lead over the Tampa Bay Rays in the best-of-seven game series.
Read MoreAstros’ Valdez, Dodgers’ Seager top players in Friday's league championship series games
Astros pitcher Framber Valdez and Corey Seager of the Dodgers are Box-Toppers Player of the Game winners in Friday’s two league championship series games.
Read MoreBraves’ Wilson, Astros’ Pressly top players in Thursday's league championship series games
Braves pitcher Bryse Wilson and Astros pitcher Ryan Pressly are Box-Toppers Player of the Game winners in Thursday’s two league championship series games.
Read MoreRays’ Diego Castillo tops players in Sunday's AL Championship Series Game 1
Rays closing pitcher Diego Castillo is Box-Toppers Player of the Game in Sunday’s American League Championship Series Game 1.
Castillo picked up the final five outs for the Rays, striking out one over 1 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing one hit, no walks and picking up the save, in the 2-1 win over the Astros.
Read MoreRays hold Box-Toppers advantages in AL Championship Series, but Astros have proven surprising
The Houston Astros, Box-Toppers’ lowest-ranked team in the 2020 postseason, face the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Championship Series.
The Astros ranked 17th among all teams in Box-Toppers regular season rankings. The Rays meanwhile ranked ninth among all teams, though they had the best record in the AL and were the top-seeded AL team in the playoffs.
Read MoreBox-Toppers’ AL Division Series previews: Astros vs. Athletics, Yankees vs. Rays
Both American League Division Series begin Monday.
The Houston Astros face the Oakland Athletics in one best-of-five game series and the New York Yankees take on the Tampa Bay Rays in the other series.
Read MoreSnell, Cole, Giolito, Valdez top players in Tuesday's four AL Wild Card games
Rays pitcher Blake Snell topped players Tuesday in the four American League Wild Card games to open the 2020 postseason.
Snell was Player of the Game in the 3-1 win over the Blue Jays. In addition, Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole, White Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito and Astros pitcher Framber Valdez were Player of the Game winners Tuesday in their AL Wild Card Game 1 wins.
Read MorePirates’ Steven Brault tops players for Thursday, Sept. 17; Astros’ Valdez tops AL players
Pirates pitcher Steven Brault is Thursday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Brault pitched a complete game two-hitter, allowing one run, two walks and striking out eight, in the 5-1 win over the Cardinals.
Read MoreWhat would 2019 have looked like if only the final 60 games of season were played?
What would the 2019 baseball season have looked like if only the final 60 games were played?
In many ways, it would have looked exactly like the entire, overall 2019 season: From about July 25 on in 2019, the Houston Astros were Box-Toppers’ top-ranked team and Astros pitcher Gerrit Cole was Box-Toppers’ top-ranked player. Both also led for the overall 2019 season.
Read MoreDodgers’ Gonsolin tops players for Wednesday, Aug. 12; Cubs’ Heyward rises to 9th in player rankings
Dodgers pitcher Tony Gonsolin is Wednesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Wednesday, Jason Heyward of the Cubs earns Player of the Game honors for the second straight day, rising to ninth in season player rankings.
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What would a 60-game schedule look like? Here's a Box-Toppers look at 2019 after 60 games on June 4
Imagine a Major League Baseball season beginning normally in the spring and ending on June 4.
That’s what the proposed pandemic-shortened 60-game schedule for 2020 will seem like.
In 2019, most clubs had played at least 60 games by June 4. That was barely more than a third of the regular season’s 162 games (37 percent). But for 2020, if all goes according to plan and the coronavirus doesn’t intervene to cut it even shorter, 60 games will be the complete, entire season.
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Yankees top Box-Toppers 2020 preseason team rankings; champion Nationals rank 2nd
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.
Read MoreA look at Box-Toppers season-by-season AL & NL pitching & batting leaders, 1995-2019
Analyzing 25 years of Box-Toppers points leaders among American League and National League pitchers and batters each season.
Read MoreJustin Verlander leads players in Box-Toppers points over past 2 seasons (2018-19)
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.
Read MoreBox-Toppers’ big dippers—players whose 2019 point total declined most from 2018: Corey Kluber leads list
Indians pitcher Corey Kluber had the biggest decline in Box-Toppers points from 2018 to 2019.
Kluber, who earned 21.7 Box-Toppers points in 2018 (fourth among all players), earned no points in 2019. His decline of 21.7 points was ahead of Rays pitcher Blake Snell, whose 10.0 points in 2019 represented a 17.2-point drop from the 27.2 points he earned to lead all players in 2018.
Read MoreA look at Box-Toppers’ top 100 players for 2019
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.
Read MoreRays’ Nick Anderson tops players in Tuesday's ALDS Game 4 win over Astros
Rays pitcher Nick Anderson is Box-Toppers Player of the Game in Tuesday’s American League Division Series Game 4 win over the Astros.
Anderson struck out two over 2 1/3 scoreless middle relief innings, allowing one hit and no walks, in the 4-1 win, the day’s only game.
Read MoreAstros’ Gerrit Cole, Yankees’ Masahiro Tanaka top players in Saturday's pair of ALDS games
Astros pitcher Gerrit Cole and Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka are Saturday’s Box-Toppers top players in a pair of American League Division Series games.
Read MoreVerlander, Strasburg among top players in Friday's four league division series games
In four league division series playoff games Friday these are Box-Toppers Players of the Game: Astros pitcher Justin Verlander, Braves pitcher Mike Foltynewicz, Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg, and DJ LeMahieu of the Yankees.
Read MoreBox-Toppers’ AL Division Series previews: Rays vs. Astros, Twins vs. Yankees
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.
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