Astros pitcher Justin Verlander had the biggest decline in Box-Toppers points from 2019 to 2020.
Big dippers
Here are players whose Box-Toppers point total declined most from 2019 to 2020. Players are listed in order of their Box-Toppers point decline. Their Box-Toppers points (BTP) for 2020, if any, are also shown.| Player | Pos | Team | Dip | BTP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Verlander, Justin 2112 | pi sp | hou al | -26.5 | 1.0 |
| 2 | Cole, Gerrit 3232 | pi sp | nyy al | -24.8 | 7.4 |
| 3 | Strasburg, Stephen 2736 | pi sp | dc nl | -20.7 | |
| 4 | Hader, Josh 3881 | pi cp | mil nl | -17.7 | |
| 5 | Morton, Charlie 2503 | pi sp | tb al | -16.8 | 2.0 |
| 6 | Corbin, Patrick 3027 | pi sp | dc nl | -16.4 | |
| 7 | Greinke, Zack 1871 | pi sp | hou al | -15.9 | 2.0 |
| 8 | Clevinger, Mike 3707 | pi sp | sd nl | -15.4 | 2.0 |
| 9 | Paxton, James 3280 | pi sp | nyy al | -14.1 | |
| 10 | Lopez, Reynaldo 3712 | pi sp | chi al | -13.1 | |
| 11 | Paddack, Chris 4093 | pi sp | sd nl | -12.8 | 3.0 |
| 12 | Odorizzi, Jake 3291 | pi sp | min al | -12.4 | |
| 13 | Torres, Gleyber 3972 | ss 2b | nyy al | -12.0 | |
| 14 | Flaherty, Jack 3971 | pi sp | stl nl | -11.8 | 4.7 |
| 15 | Soroka, Mike 3956 | pi sp | atl nl | -11.4 | |
| 16 | Syndergaard, Noah 3472 | pi sp | nym nl | -11.4 | |
| 17 | Rodriguez, Eduardo 3480 | pi sp | bos al | -11.4 | |
| 18 | Scherzer, Max 2588 | pi sp | dc nl | -11.4 | 4.0 |
| 19 | Ryu, Hyun Jin 3139 | pi sp | tor al | -11.4 | 6.0 |
| 20 | Sale, Chris 2806 | pi sp | bos al | -11.0 | |
| 21 | Minor, Mike 2894 | pi sp | oak al | -11.0 | 2.7 |
| 22 | German, Domingo 3957 | pi sp | nyy al | -10.7 | |
| 23 | Buehler, Walker 3943 | pi sp | lad nl | -10.7 | 5.7 |
| 24 | Bailey, Homer 2324 | pi sp | released by twins | -10.4 | |
| 25 | Quintana, Jose 3040 | pi sp | chi nl | -10.4 |
BTP: Box-Toppers points
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Verlander, who earned 27.5 Box-Toppers points in 2019 (second among all players), earned 1.0 point in 2020. His decline of 26.5 points was ahead of Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole, whose 7.4 points in 2020 represented a 24.8-point drop from the 32.2 points he earned to lead all players in 2019.
Verlander, 37, was limited to one start in 2020 on July 24, in which he earned Player of the Game honors and 1.0 Box-Toppers point. After that, he was sidelined by injury requiring Tommy John surgery. Verlander missed the remainder of the 2020 season and is likely to miss all of the 2021 season.
Verlander’s 27.5 Box-Toppers points in 2019 was the 12th-highest single-season total by a player since tracking began in 1995. It was his best season and his fourth with 20.0 or more points. The others:
2011 with the Tigers, 24.4 Box-Toppers points, third overall, first among American League pitchers.
2012 with the Tigers, 24.8 points, first overall.
2018 with the Astros, 24.1 points, third overall, second among AL pitchers.
This is the second season in which Verlander had the biggest decline in Box-Toppers points from one season to the next. He also led dippers in 2013 when he declined 14.8 points from 24.8 in 2012 to 10.0 in 2013, both with the Tigers. He is now one of four players to lead the dippers list in two separate seasons since 1995 (when Box-Toppers tracking began). The others:
Randy Johnson in 1996 (-17.7) and 2003 (-28.7).
Pedro Martinez in 2001 (-22.5) and 2006 (-14.4).
Adam Wainwright in 2011 (-19.7) and 2015 (-15.7).
Though the pandemic-affected 2020 season was the shortest baseball season since 1878, Verlander’s decline of 26.5 points was only the second-biggest decline since Box-Toppers tracking began. The biggest decline is still Randy Johnson’s 28.7-drop from 2002 (33.7) to 2003 (5.0), both with the Diamondbacks. Johnson led all players in 2002 with the highest single-season point total since 1995 (tied with his own 2000 total of 33.7).
Cole ranked second among decliners (-24.8) but still ranked 12th overall in 2020 points with 7.4, fifth among AL pitchers. Cole had 32.2 Box-Toppers points in 2019 with the Astros to lead all players, the fourth-highest single season total since tracking began in 1995. Cole’s decline in points had more to do with the shortened season than with any dip in performance.
Of the 25 players on the big dippers list, 11 earned points in 2020 (Cole’s 7.4 being the most) and 14 earned no points.
Some players on the list were out much or all of the season with injury. For example, Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg, whose point-total decline of 20.7 points ranked third (20.7 points in 2019 and 0.0 in 2020), started the season on the injured list. He made just two starts in 2020 and went back on the injured list with a nerve issue in his pitching hand.
Some players on the list played consistently through the season but did not perform as well as they did in 2019. For example, Brewers reliever Josh Hader, whose point-total decline of 17.7 points ranked fourth (17.7 points in 2019 and 0.0 in 2020), appeared in 21 games and led NL pitchers with 13 saves. But Hader never earned Player of the Game honors in any of his appearances and so had 0.0 Box-Toppers points. Interestingly, his 17.7 points in 2019 was the third-highest single-season point total for a closing pitcher since Box-Toppers tracking began in 1995. (He earned 37 saves in 2019, second among NL pitchers.)
The batter whose Box-Toppers point total declined most was Gleyber Torres of the Yankees, who ranked 13th overall with a 12.0-point decline (he had 12.0 points in 2019 and 0.0 in 2020). He is the only batter among the top 25 big dippers. Torres appeared in 42 of the Yankees 60 games in 2020 but never earned Player of the Game honors. He appeared in 144 games in 2019.
The next biggest decliner in Box-Toppers points among batters was Cody Bellinger of the Dodgers, whose 10.2-point decline ranked 28th among all players. (Bellinger had 11.2 points in 2019 and 1.0 point in 2020.)
One player on the list was released just prior to the end of the 2020 season—pitcher Homer Bailey. He made two starts for the Twins before being released Sept. 26. He ranked 24th among dippers, with a 10.4-point decline from 2019 (10.4) to 2020 (0.0).
There are five players on the list who were also among 2019’s top 25 most improved players in Box-Toppers points:
Padres pitcher Chris Paddack had the biggest increase in Box-Toppers points (+15.8) from 2018 (0.0) to 2019 (15.8). He had the 11th-biggest decline in points (-12.8) from 2019 to 2020 (3.0).
Cole had the second-biggest increase in points (+14.2) from 2018 (18.0) to 2019 (32.2). He had the second-biggest decline in points (-24.8) from 2019 to 2020 (7.4).
Strasburg had the third-biggest increase in points (+14.0) from 2018 (6.7) to 2019 (20.7). He had the third-biggest decline in points (20.7) from 2019 to 2020 (0.0).
Torres had the seventh-biggest increase in points (+10.5) from 2018 (1.5) to 2019 (12.0). He had the 13th-biggest decline in points (-12.0) from 2019 to 2020 (0.0).
Bailey had the eighth-biggest increase in points (+10.4) from 2018 (0.0) to 2019 (10.4). He had the 24th-biggest decline in points (-10.4) from 2019 to 2020 (0.0).
About Box-Toppers—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. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point 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.
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Related
Past Box-Toppers top 25 big dippers lists: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015
To see lists of Box-Toppers top 10 big dippers season-by-season from 1995 onward, see the Details leaders page. Scroll down near the bottom of the charts to find the top 10 “dippers” per season, just above the top 10 “risers” per season.
Box-Toppers
Tracking who most helps their teams win the most games, based on box score stats. A method to measure & compare baseball's top players.
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.