The Detroit Tigers lead in Box-Toppers team rankings for the fifth straight week.
Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Phillies regain the lead among National League teams and the Texas Rangers are the week’s hottest team.
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Tigers regain Box-Toppers team rankings lead; Padres’ rocket to NL lead with trades
The Detroit Tigers regain the lead in Box-Toppers team rankings this week, boosted by trade deadline deals adding pitching depth.
Meanwhile, the San Diego Padres rocket to the lead among National League teams with the biggest collective trade deadline splash, making them the week’s hottest team.
Read MoreHigh by team: Pitchers lead 27 of 30 clubs in 2025 Box-Toppers points at All-Star break
On 27 of the 30 Major League clubs, pitchers are the team’s leader in 2025 Box-Toppers points. Batters lead the other three teams.
Pitchers are dominating much the way they are winning the overwhelming majority of Box-Toppers points this season compared to batters. Pitchers are winning 61 percent of all points this season compared to 39 percent for batters. The all-time record-low share of points earned by batters is 37.2 percent set in 2024. (Box-Toppers tracking began in 1995.)
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Logo source: Chris Creamer’s SportsLogos.Net
Box-Toppers picks Dodgers over Orioles in 2025 World Series, plus our awards forecasts
Box-Toppers picks the Los Angeles Dodgers to win the 2025 World Series, beating the predicted American League champion Baltimore Orioles.
Box-Toppers projects the Dodgers will have the most wins among all teams—108—and that National League teams will be among the most dominant. Eight of the 15 NL teams are projected to have as many or more wins as the best American League teams (89).
Read MoreA look at Box-Toppers season-by-season AL & NL pitching & batting leaders, 1995-2024
A look at Box-Toppers season-by-season leaders chart for each of the past 30 seasons, including the leaders in Box-Toppers points each season among four main categories—American League and National League pitchers and batters.
Also, a look at how often Box-Toppers leaders win major postseason awards (Cy Young and Most Valuable Player), what players have led a Box-Toppers season category most often since tracking began in 1995 and what teams have had the most category leaders in 30 seasons. Also, a look at the lowest point totals to lead a season category, which includes 2024 leaders.
Read MoreA pitchers vs. batters breakdown of each team’s Box-Toppers point total for 2024
In 2024, teams with the most Box-Toppers points earned by pitchers generally ranked higher in overall Box-Toppers team rankings.
For example, the Philadephia Phillies led all teams with 124.9 Box-Toppers points. Pitchers earned 78.0 of those points, fifth-most among all teams. Box-Toppers’ seven top-ranked teams were all among the top 10 in points earned by pitchers.
However, the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers were a notable anomaly. While the team finished eighth overall in Box-Toppers points (113.7), they finished 11th in points earned by pitchers (66.2) and third in points earned by batters (47.5).
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Phillies finish atop Box-Toppers team rankings after leading nearly all season
The Philadelphia Phillies finish 2024 atop Box-Toppers team rankings, leading for the 22nd straight week.
Meanwhile, the New York Yankees maintain their lead among American League teams in final Box-Toppers team rankings, while the non-playoff-bound Seattle Mariners are the hottest team over the final days of the season.
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Phillies lead Box-Toppers team rankings for 15th week; Orioles regain AL lead
The Philadelphia Phillies lead Box-Toppers team rankings for the 15th straight week.
Meanwhile, the Baltimore Orioles rise past the New York Yankees to lead American League teams and the San Francisco Giants are the week’s hottest team.
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Kansas City Royals rise to lead Box-Toppers team rankings, passing Dodgers
The Kansas City Royals rise to lead Box-Toppers team rankings, passing last week’s leader, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers continue to lead National League teams (in second place overall) and the Philadelphia Phillies are the week’s hottest team (rising to third place overall).
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Box-Toppers picks Dodgers over Astros in 2024 World Series, plus our awards forecasts
Box-Toppers picks the Los Angeles Dodgers to win the 2024 World Series, beating the predicted American League champion Houston Astros.
Box-Toppers projects the Dodgers will have the most wins among all teams—103—and will be one of three teams with 99 or more wins, along with the Astros and the Atlanta Braves.
Read MoreA look at Box-Toppers season-by-season AL & NL pitching & batting leaders, 1995-2023
Analyzing 29 years of Box-Toppers points leaders in pitching and batting in both leagues.
In 2023, Shohei Ohtani of the Angels, American League Most Valuable Player, was the only player who won a major postseason award and also led his Box-Toppers category (leading AL batters with 19.4). Also, Pete Alonso of the Mets became the ninth batter since 1995 to lead his league’s batters in Box-Toppers points more than once, leading NL batters for the second straight season.
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Rangers, boosted by trade deadline deals, rise to lead Box-Toppers team rankings
The Texas Rangers, largely on the strength of their trade deadline pitcher acquisitions, rise to lead this week’s Box-Toppers season team rankings.
The Rangers gained the most Box-Toppers points by far of any team in the past week (21.1) thanks mostly to acquiring Max Scherzer (10.4 points) from the Mets and Jordan Montgomery (6.7 points) from the Cardinals.
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Tampa Bay Rays lead Box-Toppers team rankings for 12th straight week
The Tampa Bay Rays maintain their lead in Box-Toppers team rankings for the 12th straight week.
Meanwhile, the Arizona Diamondbacks maintain their lead among National League teams and the San Francisco Giants are the week’s hottest team.
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Rays top Box-Toppers rankings for 6th straight week; Rangers are week’s hottest team
The Tampa Bay Rays maintain their lead in Box-Toppers team rankings for the sixth straight week.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Dodgers maintain their lead among National League teams and the Texas Rangers are the week’s hottest team.
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Rays lead Box-Toppers team rankings for 5th week; Dodgers rise to lead NL teams
The Tampa Bay Rays maintain their lead in Box-Toppers team rankings for the fifth straight week.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the week’s hottest team, rise to lead National League teams.
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Rays lead Box-Toppers team rankings for 4th week; Pirates rise to lead NL teams
The Tampa Bay Rays maintain their lead in Box-Toppers team rankings for the fourth straight week.
Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Pirates rise to lead National League teams and the Toronto Blue Jays are the week’s hottest team.
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Rays maintain Box-Toppers team rankings lead for 3rd week, Brewers top NL teams
The Tampa Bay Rays maintain their lead in Box-Toppers team rankings for the third straight week.
Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Brewers continue to lead National League teams and the Texas Rangers and New York Mets are the week’s hottest teams.
Read MoreBox-Toppers picks Mets over Yankees in 2023 World Series
Box-Toppers picks the New York Mets to win the 2023 World Series, beating the predicted American League champion New York Yankees.
Box-Toppers projects the Mets will have the most wins among all teams—104—and will be one of three teams with more than 100 wins, along with the Yankees and the San Diego Padres.
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A look at Box-Toppers’ top 100 players for 2022
Astros pitcher Justin Verlander tops Box-Toppers list of the top 100 players of 2022.
Verlander had 26.0 Box-Toppers points during the regular season. Verlander came back after sitting out most of the previous two seasons, recovering from Tommy John surgery. He earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point in 2020 and none in 2021. His 26.0 point gain from 0.0 in 2021 to 26.0 in 2022 is the largest single-season point gain for any player since Box-Toppers tracking began in 1995.
Read MoreA look at Box-Toppers season-by-season AL & NL pitching & batting leaders, 1995-2022
In 2022, Justin Verlander led American League pitchers in season Box-Toppers points for the third time in his career, tied for the seventh-most times a player has led a season points category.
Also in 2022, the New York Mets and Miami Marlins each had their first Box-Toppers points category leader—Pete Alonso and Sandy Alcantara— leaving the Pittsburgh Pirates as the only team to never have a player lead a category since tracking began in 1995.
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