American League | National League | ||||||||
2016 | Player | Pos | Team | BTP | Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
1 | Wieters, Matt 2643 | ca | bal al | 11.0 | Grandal, Yasmani 3058 | ca | lad nl | 7.2 | |
2 | Martin, Russell 2202 | ca | tor al | 10.5 | Rupp, Cameron 3556 | ca | phi nl | 6.5 | |
3 | Lucroy, Jonathan 2744 | ca | tex al | 5.7 | Realmuto, J.T. 3491 | ca | fla nl | 5.5 | |
4 | Gattis, Evan 3179 | ca | hou al | 5.0 | Castillo, Wellington 3251 | ca | ari nl | 5.0 | |
5 | Sanchez, Gary 3701 | ca dh | nyy al | 4.5 | Molina, Yadier 1967 | ca ph | stl nl | 4.0 | |
American League | National League | ||||||||
2015-16 | Player | Pos | Team | BTP | Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
1 | Martin, Russell 2202 | ca | tor al | 15.5 | Realmuto, J.T. 3491 | ca | fla nl | 10.5 | |
2 | Wieters, Matt 2643 | ca | bal al | 12.0 | Grandal, Yasmani 3058 | ca | lad nl | 9.2 | |
3 | McCann, Brian 2179 | ca | nyy al | 9.7 | Castillo, Wellington 3251 | ca | ari nl | 8.5 | |
4 | Gattis, Evan 3179 | ca | hou al | 9.0 | Rupp, Cameron 3556 | ca | phi nl | 7.5 | |
5 | Perez, Salvador 2972 | ca | kc al | 8.5 | Posey, Buster 2745 | ca 1b | sf nl | 7.5 | |
American League | National League | ||||||||
2011-16 | Player | Pos | Team | BTP | Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
1 | McCann, Brian 2179 | ca | nyy al | 35.4 | Posey, Buster 2745 | ca 1b | sf nl | 28.5 | |
2 | Martin, Russell 2202 | ca | tor al | 32.0 | Montero, Miguel 2304 | ca ph | chi nl | 21.7 | |
3 | Wieters, Matt 2643 | ca | bal al | 30.0 | Molina, Yadier 1967 | ca ph | stl nl | 17.7 | |
4 | Lucroy, Jonathan 2744 | ca | tex al | 26.3 | Grandal, Yasmani 3058 | ca | lad nl | 17.2 | |
5 | Perez, Salvador 2972 | ca | kc al | 21.7 | Hundley, Nick 2497 | ca | col nl | 17.0 | |
All players (including retired) | All active players | ||||||||
’95-’16 | Player | Pos | Team | BTP | Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
1 | piazza, mike | ca | Retired | 95.7 | McCann, Brian 2179 | ca | nyy al | 58.4 | |
2 | Posada, Jorge | ca | Retired | 79.5 | Martin, Russell 2202 | ca | tor al | 53.0 | |
3 | rodriguez, ivan | ca | Retired | 79.0 | Pierzynski, A.J. 1446 | ca | atl nl | 47.2 | |
4 | lopez, javy | ca | Retired | 62.0 | Wieters, Matt 2643 | ca | bal al | 35.7 | |
5 | McCann, Brian 2179 | ca | nyy al | 58.4 | Molina, Yadier 1967 | ca ph | stl nl | 34.7 |
Active players are shown on the team with whom they finished the 2016 season.
Mike Piazza leads catchers in career Box-Toppers points; Brian McCann leads active catchers in career points
Mike Piazza has the most Box-Toppers points of any catcher since tracking began in 1995.
Piazza, who played from 1992 to 2007 primarily for the Mets and Dodgers, but also for the Padres, Athletics and Marlins, earned 95.7 Box-Toppers points from 1995 to the end of his career. That is 16.2 more points than the second-place catcher since 1995, Jorge Posada (79.5).
The chart above shows the top five catchers over several time frames—over the past season (2016), the past two seasons (2015-16), the past six seasons (2011-16) and “all-time”—the past 22 seasons (since 1995, when Box-Toppers tracking began). For the most recent seasons, the top five catchers in each league are shown. For the “all-time” rankings, the top five overall catchers (including retired players) are shown at left and the top five active catchers in career Box-Toppers points are shown at right.
Piazza’s 95.7 Box-Toppers points ranks 85th among all players since 1995 and 33rd among all batters. Piazza was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2016.
Piazza’s lead among catchers would likely be larger if his entire career from 1992 were tracked. Rough projections put his overall career Box-Toppers point total at about 111.
Four of the five top catchers in career Box-Toppers points since 1995 are retired and three of them played prior to the advent of Box-Toppers in 1995. If their point totals for their entire careers are roughly projected, the career standings among those five looks like this:
- 1. Piazza—111.0 Box-Toppers points.
- 2. Ivan Rodriguez—90.0 (who was elected to the Hall of Fame in January).
- 3. Jorge Posada—79.5.
- 4. Javy Lopez—65.0
- 5. Brian McCann—58.4.
McCann, who played for the Yankees in 2016, but who has signed with the Astros for 2017, is the active leader in career Box-Toppers points among catchers with 58.4. That is 5.4 points ahead of the second-place active catcher, Russell Martin of the Blue Jays (53.0 Box-Toppers points). McCann also leads all catchers in Box-Toppers points over the past six seasons (35.4 points over 2011-16), which is 3.4 points ahead of second-place Martin (32.0 points). McCann also ranks third among American League catchers over the past two seasons (9.7 points over 2015-16).
Matt Wieters of the Orioles had the most Box-Toppers points of any catcher in 2016 with 11.0, 0.5 points ahead of Martin (10.5). Wieters also ranks second among AL catchers over the past two seasons (12.0 over 2015-16), third among AL catchers over the past six seasons (30.0 over 2011-16) and fourth among all active catchers in career points (35.7).
Martin has the most Box-Toppers points of any catcher over the past two seasons (15.5 over 2015-16). In addition, as previously mentioned, he ranks second among AL catchers over the past season (10.5 points in 2016), second among AL catchers over the past six seasons (32.0 over 2011-16) and second among all active catchers in career points (53.0).
Yasmani Grandal of the Dodgers leads National League catchers in Box-Toppers points over the past season (7.2 points in 2016). He also ranks second among NL catchers over the past two seasons (9.2 over 2015-16) and fourth among NL catchers over the past six seasons (17.2 over 2011-16).
J.T. Realmuto of the Marlins leads NL catchers in Box-Toppers points over the past two seasons (10.5 over 2015-16). Realmuto also ranks third among NL catchers over the past season (5.5 in 2016).
Buster Posey of the Giants leads NL catchers in Box-Toppers poitns over the past six seasons (28.5 over 2011-16). Posey also ranks fifth among NL catchers over the past two seasons (7.5 over 2015-16).
Other catchers of note:
A.J. Pierzynski of the Braves ranks third among active catchers in career Box-Toppers points with 47.2. Pierzynski, 40, is currently a free agent.
Yadier Molina of the Cardinals, a seven-time All-Star and eight-time Gold Glove winner, only ranks fifth among active catchers in career Box-Toppers points with 34.7. Molina, 34, known for his defense and pitch calling, has never had more than 4.5 Box-Toppers points in any season—a relatively low total—and he did that twice: In 2010 and 2012, the year he finished fourth in NL Most Valuable Player voting.
Box-Toppers points for batters are usually the result of higher home run and runs-batted-in totals and while Molina has hit for above average power for a catcher, his overall Box-Toppers point total might be diminished because of his success with his own team’s pitchers. Ironically, Molina might have lost out on Player of the Game honors to his Cardinals teammates for whom he called pitches, such as Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, Kyle Lohse, Lance Lynn, Shelby Miller and Carlos Martinez.
Molina had 4.0 Box-Toppers points in 2016, which only this year made him the best of the three catching Molina brothers in Box-Toppers points. Older brother Bengie Molina, 42, who played from 1998 to 2010, had 34.4 career Box-Toppers points. Jose Molina, 41, who played from 1999 to 2014, had 9.5 career points.
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:
- Top 100 players “all-time” (since 1995), past six seasons (2011-2016), past two seasons (2015-16) and past season (2016).
- Top 10 overall players, plus top 10 batters and pitchers “all-time” (since 1995).
- Top 10 overall players, plus top 10 batters and pitchers by league past six seasons (2011-2016), past two seasons (2015-16) and past season (2016).
Related Box-Toppers High by Position posts showing Box-Toppers points leaders by position over several time frames—past season (2016), past two seasons (2015-16), past six seasons (2011-16) and “all-time” (since 1995, when Box-Toppers tracking began):
- First base: Albert Pujols leads all-time, Miguel Cabrera leads past season and past six seasons.
- Second base: Jeff Kent leads all-time, Jose Altuve leads past season.
- Shortstop: Miguel Tejada leads all-time over Derek Jeter.
- Third base: Alex Rodriguez leads all-time, Manny Machado and Adrian Beltre lead in recent seasons.
- Catcher: Mike Piazza leads all-time, Brian McCann leads active catchers in career points.
- Outfield: Manny Ramirez leads all-time, Carlos Beltran leads active outfielders in career points, Mike Trout leads in recent seasons.
- Designated hitter: Albert Pujols leads all-time, Kendrys Morales and Edwin Encarnacion lead in recent seasons.
- Pitcher: Randy Johnson leads all-time, CC Sabathia and Clayton Kershaw lead active pitchers in career points.
- Closing pitcher: Trevor Hoffman leads all-time over all-time saves leader Mariano Rivera.