Mark Trumbo of the Orioles led all players in home runs in 2016 and ranked among the top 15 American League batters in Box-Toppers points.
Home run leaders’ Box-Toppers points
Here is how 2016 home run (HR) leaders fared in Box-Toppers points. Players are listed by most home runs. Also shown are their 2016 Box-Toppers points (BTP) and their rank in Box-Toppers points among all players.| Player | Team | HR | BTP | Rank | |
| 1 | Mark Trumbo | Orioles | 47 | 8.2 | 77 |
| 2 | Nelson Cruz | Mariners | 43 | 6.5 | 142 |
| 3 | Edwin Encarnacion | Blue Jays | 42 | 8.0 | 80 |
| 3 | Chris Davis | Orioles | 42 | 7.5 | 100 |
| 3 | Brian Dozier | Twins | 42 | 2.0 | 411 |
| 5 | Nolan Arenado | Rockies | 41 | 10.7 | 42 |
| 5 | Chris Carter | Brewers | 41 | 9.5 | 62 |
| 8 | Todd Frazier | White Sox | 40 | 6.2 | 150 |
| 9 | Kris Bryant | Cubs | 39 | 10.5 | 46 |
| 9 | Robinson Cano | Mariners | 39 | 8.0 | 86 |
Trumbo hit 47 home runs in 2016 and earned 8.2 Box-Toppers points, ranking 14th among AL batters and 77th among all players. Trumbo is Box-Toppers’ highest-ranked AL player among the top 10 in home runs.
Players with the most home runs are often also the players with the most Box-Toppers points. But this season, only three of the overall top 10 in home runs were among their league’s top 10 batters in Box-Toppers points. (Last year, 8 of 10 were among their league’s top 10 batters in Box-Toppers points.) Also, just seven of the 10 home run leaders for 2016 are among Box-Toppers’ overall top 100 players.
The National League leaders in home runs for 2016 are Nolan Arenado of the Rockies and Chris Carter of the Brewers, who both had 41 (and both rank fifth in home runs among all players). Arenado led NL batters in Box-Toppers points (10.7, 42nd overall) while Carter ranked seventh among NL batters (9.5, 62nd overall).
The only other player among the top 10 home run leaders to rank among their league batters’ top 10 in Box-Toppers points is Kris Bryant of the Cubs. Bryant hit 39 home runs, tied for ninth, and earned 10.5 Box-Toppers points, second among NL batters and 46th among all players. Bryant also won the NL Most Valuable Player award.
Three of the top 10 in home runs ranked outside Box-Toppers’ overall top 100 players:
- 2. Nelson Cruz of the Mariners hit 43 home runs and had 6.5 Box-Toppers points, 142nd among all players, 33rd among AL batters.
- 3. Brian Dozier of the Twins hit 42 home runs and had just 2.0 Box-Toppers points, 411th among all players, 96th among AL batters.
- 8. Todd Frazier of the White Sox hit 40 home runs and had 6.2 Box-Toppers points, 150th among all players, 36th among AL batters.
Why did some players in the top 10 in home runs lag behind others in Box-Toppers points? In Dozier’s case, it could be because the Twins only won 59 games in 2016. In order for a player to earn Box-Toppers points they must earn Player of the Game honors and to do that, their team must win the game. There simply were fewer opportunities for Twins players to rack up a lot of points. (Pitcher Hector Santiago led all Twins players with 11.4 Box-Toppers points, but earned 10.4 of them before being traded from the Angels. Pitcher Tyler Duffey had the most Box-Toppers points among players who played the entire season for the Twins—7.0, 116th among all players.)
Also, winning Player of the Game means competing with teammates for the honor. Cruz, who ranked second in home runs but 142nd in Box-Toppers player rankings, may have ranked higher were he not competing with teammate Robinson Cano, who tied for ninth in home runs with 39 and had 8.0 Box-Toppers points, 86th among all players and 17th among AL batters.
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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