Only three of the top 10 players in batting average for 2015 are among Box-Toppers’ top 100 players.
Having a high batting average does not often translate into a high Box-Toppers point total.
Batting average leaders’ Box-Toppers points
Here is how 2015 batting average leaders fared in Box-Toppers points. Players are listed from highest batting average. Also shown are their 2015 Box-Toppers points (BTP) and their rank in Box-Toppers tops among all players.| Player | Team | Avg. | BTP | Rank | |
| 1 | Miguel Cabrera | Tigers | .338 | 4.7 | 201 |
| 2 | Dee Gordon | Marlins | .333 | 1.5 | 507 |
| 3 | Bryce Harper | Nationals | .330 | 9.0 | 63 |
| 4 | Paul Goldschmidt | Dbacks | .321 | 10.2 | 42 |
| 5 | Xander Bogaerts | Red Sox | .320 | 1.5 | 509 |
| 6 | Buster Posey | Giants | .318 | 4.0 | 231 |
| 7 | A.J. Pollock | Dbacks | .315 | 7.5 | 98 |
| 8 | Yunel Escobar | Nationals | .314 | 4.0 | 260 |
| 9 | Joey Votto | Reds | .314 | 5.0 | 195 |
| 10 | Jose Altuve | Astros | .313 | 7.0 | 110 |
This year’s overall leader in batting average, Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers, hit .338. But he slumped in Box-Toppers points in 2015, with only 4.7, down from 12.5 in 2014. Though he had a high batting average, Cabrera did not play in as many games (119), did not hit for his usual power (18 homers and 76 RBIs), plus the Tigers did not win as many games (74). His 4.7 Box-Toppers points for 2015 ranks 201st among all players and 40th among AL batters.
Compare that to 2014, when Cabrera finished 10th in batting average with .313. Though he had a lower batting average, he had far more Box-Toppers points—12.5. Why? In 2014, Cabrera played in 159 games, hit 25 homers and drove in 109. Plus, the Tigers won 90 games. Cabrera’s 12.5 Box-Toppers points in 2014 ranked 28th among all players and seventh among AL batters.
The National League batting average leader, Dee Gordon (.333), had only 1.5 Box-Toppers points in 2015, ranking 507th among all players, 123rd among NL batters. Gordon led the NL in hits (205), but did not hit for much power (four home runs, 46 RBIs) and the Marlins won only 71 games. Gordon earned Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors only once in 2015, on Sept. 15 when he was NL Batter of the Day.
There are three players who finished in the top 10 in batting average who also finished among the top 100 in Box-Toppers points for 2015:
- Paul Goldschmidt of the Diamondbacks finished fourth in batting average (.321) and 42nd among all players in Box-Toppers points (10.2). Goldschmidt also hit 33 homers and drove in 110 runs. Goldschmidt’s 10.2 Box-Toppers points for 2015 ranks fourth among NL batters.
- Bryce Harper of the Nationals finished third in batting average (.330) and 63rd among all players in Box-Toppers points (9.0). Harper led the NL in home runs (42) and runs (118) and also hit 99 RBIs. His 9.0 Box-Toppers points for 2015 ranks seventh among NL batters.
- A.J. Pollock of the Diamondbacks finished seventh in batting average (.315) and 98th among all players in Box-Toppers points (7.5). Pollock hit 20 homers and drove in 76 runs. His 7.5 Box-Toppers points for 2015 ranks 13th among NL batters.
Another example of how high batting average doesn’t necessarily translate into a high Box-Toppers point total came in 2014, when Adrian Beltre of the Rangers finished fourth in batting average (.324) but had 0.0 Box-Toppers points. However, this season, Beltre had a lower batting average (.287) and roughly similar power numbers as 2014 (18 HR, 83 RBI vs. 19 HR, 77 RBI in 2014), but led AL batters in Box-Toppers points with 12.5. The major difference is that the Rangers won more games in 2015 (88 vs. 67). There is more on Beltre’s Box-Toppers point swing from 2014 to 2015 in this post.
Also, Jose Altuve of the Astros led players in batting average in 2014 with .341, but only had 3.5 Box-Toppers points, 291st among all players. This year, Altuve had a lower average (.313, finishing 10th) but doubled his Box-Toppers point total (7.0, ranking 110th among all players).
About Box-Toppers—Box-Toppers points are a measure of how much a player provides key contributions to his team’s wins. Specifically, 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.