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Angels pitcher José Soriano is Sunday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day, rising to first place in season player rankings.
Other Player of the Game winners Sunday include Padres pitcher Nick Pivetta, Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom, Willson Contreras of the Red Sox and Dansby Swanson of the Cubs.
Read MoreAngels pitcher José Soriano is Monday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day, rising to second place in season player rankings.
Other Player of the Game winners Monday include Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom, Reds pitcher Brandon Williamson, Dalton Rushing of the Dodgers, Bryce Harper of the Phillies and Jonathan India of the Royals.
Read MoreOn April 25, 1995, the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Florida Marlins, 8-7, to open the 1995 regular season.
That game 30 years ago today marked the beginning of Box-Toppers. Now in its 31st season, Box-Toppers has analyzed box scores from more than 70,000 regular season games and determining a top player in each game.
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The most notable change in Box-Toppers “all-time” career points top 10 lists at the end of 2024 is an almost complete lack of change.
No players changed position, and only three—Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander—earned any Box-Toppers points in 2024, each adding just 2.0. The lack of movement contrasts with 2023 when four players combined for 40.9 points and when Scherzer and Verlander both rose one spot in the rankings.
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During the 2023 season, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander each rose one spot on Box-Toppers “all-time” career points top 10 list.
They were the only player movements among Box-Toppers “all-time” career points top 10 players overall, among the top 10 pitchers and among the top 10 batters. Pitcher Randy Johnson, who retired in 2009, still leads all players in career Box-Toppers points with 282.5 (tracking began in 1995).
Read MoreAaron Judge of the Yankees is Friday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Friday, Blue Jays pitcher Chris Bassitt rises to fourth place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors.
Read MoreTigers pitcher Tarik Skubal is Thursday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Thursday, Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole rises to 10th place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors.
Read MoreWhite Sox pitcher Mike Clevinger is Monday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Monday, Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler rises to 10th place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors.
Read MoreYankees pitcher Gerrit Cole is Sunday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day, rising to 10th in season player rankings.
Cole struck out nine over seven scoreless innings, allowing three hits and no walks, in the 4-3, 13-inning win over the Brewers. Cole did not earn the win, picking up a no-decision, because the game was in a scoreless tie when he exited.
Read MoreMitch Garver of the Rangers is Sunday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Garver hit two home runs, including a three-run shot, in the 6-5 win over the Twins. Garver went 4-for-4, scoring twice and driving in four runs.
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Could 2023 be the season Clayton Kershaw passes Randy Johnson for the “all-time” lead in career Box-Toppers points?
Or could this coming season be the year when Kershaw loses the lead among active players in career Box-Toppers points to either Max Scherzer or Justin Verlander?
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During the 2022 season, Justin Verlander rose from sixth to fifth place on Box-Toppers “all-time” career points top 10 list.
It was the only player movement among Box-Toppers “all-time” career points top 10 players overall, among the top 10 pitchers and among the top 10 batters. Retired pitcher Randy Johnson still leads all players in career Box-Toppers points with 282.5 (tracking began in 1995).
Read MoreDiamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen is Thursday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day, rising to 10th place in season player rankings.
Also Thursday, Braves pitcher Max Fried rises to seventh place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors.
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Randy Johnson leads all players in career Box-Toppers points and the two active players most likely to pass his total won’t likely do it until 2023 at the very earliest.
Johnson earned 282.5 Box-Toppers points from the time Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995 until he retired in 2009.
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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.
Read MoreBox-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.
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The Braves who won the 2021 World Series seem very different from the last Braves team that won the World Series in 1995. Comparing how each team fared in Box-Toppers points and rankings in their respective seasons.
Read MoreDodgers 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.
Read MoreAnalyzing 26 years of Box-Toppers points leaders among American League and National League pitchers and batters each season.
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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.
Read MoreBox-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.