How 2022 Hall of Fame candidates fared in Box-Toppers

Shawn Plank January 26, 2022

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.

Internet writers vote David Ortiz for Hall of Fame; none of Box-Toppers’ 9 choices made the cut

Shawn Plank January 24, 2022

David Ortiz is the only player inducted into internet baseball writers’ Hall of Fame for 2022.

None of the nine candidates Box-Toppers voted for Hall induction received the necessary 75 percent support. And Box-Toppers also did not vote for Ortiz.

A look at Box-Toppers season-by-season AL & NL pitching & batting leaders, 1995-2021

Shawn Plank January 4, 2022

Analyzing 27 years of Box-Toppers points leaders among American League and National League pitchers and batters each season.

Kershaw, Scherzer rise in Box-Toppers’ ‘all-time’ top 10 list during 2021

Shawn Plank December 31, 2021

During the 2021 season, Clayton Kershaw rose to second place and Max Scherzer rose to fourth place on Box-Toppers’ “all-time” career points top 10 list.

Kershaw was ranked third overall and among all pitchers at the end of 2020 with 235.2 career Box-Toppers points. The Dodgers pitcher rose to second place on June 27, 2021, with 246.6 points, passing Pedro Martinez, who had continuously held the second-place spot for 22 years. Kershaw finished 2021 with 13.4 points for the season and 248.6 career points.

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

Shawn Plank December 1, 2021

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.

Awards wrap-up: Box-Toppers points leaders win none of 6 major postseason awards in 2021

Shawn Plank November 22, 2021

Box-Toppers points leaders won none of the six major postseason awards for 2021.

Baseball writers have awarded Most Valuable Player, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year awards in both leagues and Box-Toppers leaders failed to win any of them.

Cardinals’ Woodford tops players for Tuesday, Sept. 21; Yankees’ Montgomery tops AL players

Shawn Plank September 22, 2021

Cardinals pitcher Jake Woodford is Tuesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.

Woodford struck out five over five scoreless innings, allowing two hits and one walk, in the 2-1 win over the Brewers.

Brewers’ Burnes tops players for Monday, Aug. 30; Burnes, Urias rise in player rankings top 10

Shawn Plank August 31, 2021

Brewers pitcher Corbin Burnes is Monday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day, rising to seventh place in season player rankings.

Also Monday, Dodgers pitcher Julio Urias rises to 10th place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors.

Braves’ Swanson tops players for Saturday, July 31; Marquez rises, Pujols extends record streak

Shawn Plank August 1, 2021

Dansby Swanson of the Braves is Saturday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.

Also Saturday, Rockies pitcher German Marquez rises to fifth place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors. Plus, Albert Pujols of the Dodgers extends his record streak of earning Box-Toppers points in consecutive seasons to 21 after earning his first Player of the Game honor of 2021 Saturday.

Nationals’ Lester tops players for Monday, July 19, earning Box-Toppers points for 16th straight season

Shawn Plank July 20, 2021

Nationals pitcher Jon Lester is Monday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.

Lester struck out seven over seven scoreless innings, allowing six hits and no walks, in the 18-1 win over the Marlins.

A look at Clayton Kershaw’s rise to 2nd place on Box-Toppers ‘all-time’ career points list

Shawn Plank June 28, 2021

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw now has the second-most career Box-Toppers points since player tracking began in 1995.

Kershaw rose into second place on the “all-time” career points list Sunday with 246.6 points, passing Pedro Martinez (244.8), who held the second-place spot for more than 22 years.

Lindor, Tatis have lowest career Box-Toppers point totals among top 10 big money contracts

Shawn Plank May 3, 2021

Francisco Lindor and Fernando Tatis Jr. had the lowest career Box-Toppers point totals among the 10 players with baseball’s biggest money contracts at the time of their signing.

The two players signed the biggest offseason contracts prior to the 2021 season. Lindor signed a 10-year, $341 million contract with the Mets, the third-largest contract in baseball history and Tatis signed a 14-year, $340 million contract with the Padres, baseball’s fourth-largest.

A look at Box-Toppers season-by-season AL & NL pitching & batting leaders, 1995-2020

Shawn Plank January 22, 2021

Analyzing 26 years of Box-Toppers points leaders among American League and National League pitchers and batters each season.

A look at Box-Toppers' ‘all-time' top 10 lists—top overall players, top pitchers, top batters—since tracking began in 1995

Shawn Plank January 14, 2021

After massive reshuffling during the 2019 season, Box-Toppers’ “all-time” career points top 10 list remained unchanged during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

There were also few changes among the top 10 pitchers and top 10 batters in career Box-Toppers points. Cubs pitcher Jon Lester rises to ninth place among all pitchers in career points since 1995, when Box-Toppers tracking began, with 176.3. Lester had ranked 11th among pitchers at the end of 2019 with 172.6.

Reds’ Luis Castillo tops players for Monday, Sept. 21; Mariners’ Gonzales tops AL players

Shawn Plank September 22, 2020

Reds pitcher Luis Castillo is Monday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.

Castillo struck out nine over 6 2/3 innings, allowing one run, four hits and three walks, in the 6-3 win over the Brewers.

Cubs’ Kyle Hendricks tops players for Friday, Sept. 18; Rays’ Glasnow rises to 10th in player rankings

Shawn Plank September 19, 2020

Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks is Friday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.

Also Friday, Rays pitcher Tyler Glasnow rises to 10th place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors.

Reds’ Suarez tops players for Saturday, Sept. 5; Pujols breaks record for most consecutive seasons earning Box-Toppers points (20)

Shawn Plank September 6, 2020

Eugenio Suarez of the Reds is Saturday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.

Also Saturday, Albert Pujols of the Angels breaks the record for most consecutive seasons earning Box-Toppers points, earning Player of the Game honors in his 20th consecutive season.

Plus, two players rise in Box-Toppers season player rankings top 10 list after both earned Player of the Game honors Saturday: White Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito rises to third place and Twins pitcher Kenta Maeda rises to sixth place.

Athletics’ Montas tops players for Saturday, Aug. 8, Judge rises in player rankings, Cabrera extends long streak

Shawn Plank August 9, 2020

Athletics pitcher Frankie Montas is Saturday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day, rising to third place in season player rankings.

Also Saturday, Aaron Judge of the Yankees rises to fifth place in Box-Toppers season player rankings and Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly rises to 10th after both earned Player of the Game honors.

Plus, Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers has now earned Box-Toppers points for 18 straight seasons—tied for the fifth-longest streak since 1995—after earning Player of the Game honors Saturday.

Reds’ Bauer tops players for Sunday, Aug. 2; Yankees’ Judge rises to 3rd in player rankings

Shawn Plank August 3, 2020

Reds pitcher Trevor Bauer is Sunday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day, rising to ninth in Box-Toppers season player rankings.

Meanwhile, three other players rose into Box-Toppers season player rankings top 10 after earning Player of the Game honors Sunday—Aaron Judge of the Yankees rises to third place, Cubs pitcher Jon Lester rises to sixth and Athletics pitcher Chris Bassitt rises to seventh.

What would a 60-game schedule look like? Here's a Box-Toppers look at 2019 after 60 games on June 4

Shawn Plank July 3, 2020

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.