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The Los Angeles Dodgers are the top-ranked team in Box-Toppers’ 2022 preseason rankings. They also ended 2021 as Box-Toppers’ top-ranked team.
Meanwhile, the New York Mets made the biggest offseason improvement in players’ accumulated Box-Toppers points, while the Oakland Athletics saw the biggest decline.
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Dodgers pitcher Max Scherzer tops Box-Toppers list of the top 100 players of 2021.
Scherzer had 25.1 Box-Toppers points during the regular season. It is his fourth season with 25.0 or more Box-Toppers points. Only two other players have as many or more seasons with 25.0 or more points.
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Three teams each have six players among the top 100 in Box-Toppers’ 2021 player rankings at the All-Star break.
The Chicago White Sox, Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays each have six players on the top 100 list, tied for the most of any team. All teams have at least one player among the top 100. The Milwaukee Brewers, currently Box-Toppers’ top-ranked team with 67.2 accumulated Box-Toppers points in 2021 have three players on the list. The defending World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers have four players on the list.
Read MorePhillies pitcher Zack Wheeler is Thursday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day, rising to fourth place in season player rankings.
Also Thursday, two other players rise into Box-Toppers season player rankings top 10 list after both earned Player of the Game honors—Brewers pitcher Freddy Peralta rises to sixth place and Marlins pitcher Trevor Rogers rises to eighth place.
Read MoreDodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer is Saturday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day, rising to 10th place in season player rankings.
Bauer struck out 10 over seven scoreless innings, allowing two hits and no walks, in the 7-0 win over the Marlins.
Read MorePadres pitcher Dinelson Lamet is Monday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day, rising to eighth place in Box-Toppers season player rankings.
Also Monday, Reds pitcher Trevor Bauer rises to fifth place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors.
Read MoreThose who figure Wins Above Replacement and those who figure Box-Toppers points (me) often don’t seem to be looking at the same game.
But we are. We are looking at the exact same Major League Baseball game. In recent years, Box-Toppers has seen pitchers come to so overwhelmingly dominate the game that they’ve pushed batters’ relative achievements into the background. But WAR seems to persist in the notion that it is batters who are primarily the stars of the game, contributing more to help their teams win than pitchers.
Read MoreGerrit Cole of the Astros, who led all players in 2019 Box-Toppers points and had the fourth-highest single-season point total in Box-Toppers’ 25-year tracking history, fell short of winning baseball’s top pitching prize Wednesday.
Teammate Justin Verlander, who ranked second overall in Box-Toppers points, edged Cole to win the 2019 American League Cy Young Award. Cole finished second in voting. In the National League, Jacob deGrom of the Mets won the Cy Young Award for the second straight year. He finished second among NL pitchers in Box-Toppers points behind leader Stephen Strasburg of the Nationals.
Read MoreMets pitcher Noah Syndergaard is Monday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Monday, Astros pitcher Gerrit Cole regains the lead in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning American League Player of the Day honors. Cole regained the lead one day after losing it to teammate Justin Verlander.
Read MoreRangers pitcher Mike Minor is Sunday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Sunday, Dodgers pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu rises to seventh place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning National League Player of the Day honors.
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Astros pitcher Justin Verlander maintains the lead in Box-Toppers weekly team rankings report for the 12th straight week.
Meanwhile, Nelson Cruz of the Twins rises to lead American League batters in Box-Toppers season player rankings, passing last week’s leader, Alex Bregman of the Astros.
Read MoreReds pitcher Luis Castillo is Monday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day, rising to 10th place in season player rankings.
Castillo struck out 13 over seven innings, allowing two runs, three hits and one walk, in the 7-4 win over the Angels.
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Astros pitcher Justin Verlander maintains the lead in Box-Toppers weekly team rankings report for the 11th straight week.
Meanwhile, Cody Bellinger of the Dodgers regains the lead among National League batters and Alex Bregman of the Astros regains the lead among American League batters in Box-Toppers season player rankings this week.
Read MoreIndians pitcher Shane Bieber is the most deserving player not selected to the 2019 Major League Baseball All-Star teams.
Bieber has 11.1 Box-Toppers points in 2019, eighth among all players and fourth among American League pitchers. Other key players not chosen for the All-Star Game who rank among Box-Toppers top players this season include Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg, Marcell Ozuna of the Cardinals and Eloy Jimenez of the White Sox.
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Astros pitcher Justin Verlander maintains the lead in Box-Toppers weekly team rankings report for the fourth straight week.
Also this week, all four main category leaders maintain their leads from last week: Verlander continues to lead American League pitchers, Brewers pitcher Josh Hader continues to lead National League pitchers, Cody Bellinger of the Dodgers continues to lead NL batters and Joey Gallo of the Rangers continues to lead AL batters.
Read MoreRangers pitcher Mike Minor is Saturday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Saturday, two players rise in Box-Toppers season player rankings top 10 after earning Player of the Game honors—Brewers pitcher Josh Hader rises to fourth place and Marcell Ozuna of the Cardinals rises to 10th place.
Read MoreCardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty is Wednesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Flaherty struck out 10 over six innings, allowing one run and two walks, in the 3-1 win over the Dodgers. Flaherty did not earn the win, picking up a no-decision, because when he exited, the Cardinals trailed, 1-0.
Read MoreRangers pitcher Mike Minor is Wednesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Wednesday, J.D. Martinez of the Red Sox rises to lead American League batters in 2018 Box-Toppers points after earning AL Batter of the Day honors.
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Edwin Encarnacion of the Blue Jays is Friday’s Player of the Day. Encarnacion hit two three-run homers in the 14-9 win over the Reds.
Braves pitcher Mike Minor is National League Player of the Day. Minor struck out 11 over seven innings in the 13-inning, 6-4 win over the Nationals. Minor did not pick up the win because the Nationals tied the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the ninth inning, after he left the game.
Seth Smith of the Padres is NL Batter of the Day. Smith homered twice and went 3-for-3 in the 6-5 win over the Dodgers.
Encarnacion receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Minor receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Smith receives 1.5 for being NL Batter of the Day.
All of Friday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.
Box-Toppers watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed Thursday, click here.
Box-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.
Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score
| 620 | Score | Team | Player | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | 6.0 | Blue Jays | Edwin Encarnacion 1B | 5 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| NL | 5.0 | `Braves | Mike Minor | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 11 | |
| 5.0 | `Athletics | Ryan Cook | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 4.1 | Marlins | Henderson Alvarez (W, 4-3) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | ||
| BAT | 4.0 | Padres | Seth Smith LF | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 4.0 | Angels | Garrett Richards (W, 7-2) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | ||
| 4.0 | Dbacks | Addison Reed (S, 17) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 3.0 | Brewers | Aramis Ramirez 3B | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 3.0 | Tigers | J.D. Martinez LF, RF | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 3.0 | Astros | Jarred Cosart (W, 7-5) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 3.0 | `Yankees | Hiroki Kuroda | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 3.0 | Cubs | Hector Rondon (S, 8) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2.0 | Mariners | Robinson Cano 2B | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | Phillies | A.J. Burnett (W, 5-6) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 9.0 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ||
| 1.0 | Twins | Kurt Suzuki C | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.
Rays pitcher David Price is Tuesday’s Player of the Day. Price pitched a complete game, giving up one run and striking out 12, in the 2-1 win over the Mariners.
Price earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 5.0 points for the season and is in 16th place in Box-Toppers player rankings for 2014.
Braves pitcher Mike Minor is National League Player of the Day. Minor pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings and struck out six in the 5-0 win over the Giants.
Curtis Granderson of the Mets is National League Batter of the Day. Granderson hit a three-run homer and went 2-for-3 in the 12-7 win over the Yankees.
Chris Parmelee of the Twins is AL Batter of the Day. Parmelee hit a walk-off, two-run homer in the 8-6 win over the Red Sox. Parmelee went 3-for-4 in the game.
Notable: Greg Garcia of the Cardinals earned Player of the Game honors with an extra-inning, walk-off, pinch-hit hit-by-pitch in his only plate appearance. The Cardinals beat the Cubs 4-3 in 12 innings. Garcia was hit on a 1-2 pitch with the bases loaded to drive in the winning run, giving him a Box-Toppers game score of +1.0, enough to be the top player on the winning team.
Price receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Minor receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Granderson and Parmelee each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.
All of Tuesday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.
Box-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.
Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score
| 513 | Score | Team | Player | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | 13.0 | Rays | David Price (W, 4-3) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 9.0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 12 | |
| 9.0 | Astros | Dallas Keuchel (W, 4-2) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 9.0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | ||
| 8.0 | Royals | James Shields (W, 5-3) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | ||
| 8.0 | Athletics | Drew Pomeranz (W, 3-1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | ||
| NL | 7.2 | Braves | Mike Minor (W, 1-2) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | |
| 6.0 | Dbacks | Bronson Arroyo (W, 4-2) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 9.0 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | ||
| 4.1 | Dodgers | Josh Beckett (W, 1-1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | ||
| BAT | 4.0 | Mets | Curtis Granderson RF | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 4.0 | Brewers | Marco Estrada (W, 3-1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | ||
| 4.0 | `Tigers | Drew Smyly | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | ||
| BAT | 3.0 | Twins | Chris Parmelee RF | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 3.0 | Padres | Huston Street (S, 12) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2.0 | Blue Jays | Juan Francisco 3B | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | `Angels | Joe Smith (H, 5) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 1.0 | Cardinals | Greg Garcia PH | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.
Box-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.