American League | National League | ||||||||
2016 | Player | Pos | Team | BTP | Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
1 | Kluber, Corey 3200 | pi sp | cle al | 21.2 | Scherzer, Max 2588 | pi sp | dc nl | 25.7 | |
2 | Hamels, Cole 2135 | pi sp | tex al | 17.8 | Kershaw, Clayton 2494 | pi sp | lad nl | 24.4 | |
3 | Happ, J.A. 2536 | pi sp | tor al | 14.7 | Lester, Jon 2173 | pi sp | chi nl | 22.1 | |
4 | Verlander, Justin 2112 | pi sp | det al | 14.7 | Syndergaard, Noah 3472 | pi sp | nym nl | 16.7 | |
5 | Tanaka, Masahiro 3305 | pi sp | nyy al | 14.1 | Cueto, Johnny 2400 | pi sp | sf nl | 16.4 | |
6 | Sale, Chris 2806 | pi sp | chi al | 13.4 | Arrieta, Jake 2738 | pi sp | chi nl | 15.7 | |
7 | Fulmer, Michael 3640 | pi sp | det al | 12.7 | Strasburg, Stephen 2736 | pi sp | dc nl | 15.1 | |
8 | Salazar, Danny 3223 | pi sp | cle al | 12.5 | Hill, Rich 2215 | pi sp | lad nl | 14.4 | |
9 | Price, David 2593 | pi sp | bos al | 12.4 | Lackey, John 1640 | pi sp | chi nl | 13.4 | |
10 | Carrasco, Carlos 2885 | pi sp | cle al | 12.4 | Hendricks, Kyle 3386 | pi sp | chi nl | 13.4 | |
American League | National League | ||||||||
2015-16 | Player | Pos | Team | BTP | Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
1 | Kluber, Corey 3200 | pi sp | cle al | 34.6 | Kershaw, Clayton 2494 | pi sp | lad nl | 50.1 | |
2 | Price, David 2593 | pi sp | bos al | 33.5 | Scherzer, Max 2588 | pi sp | dc nl | 46.7 | |
3 | Hamels, Cole 2135 | pi sp | tex al | 33.2 | Arrieta, Jake 2738 | pi sp | chi nl | 44.8 | |
4 | Sale, Chris 2806 | pi sp | chi al | 32.2 | Lester, Jon 2173 | pi sp | chi nl | 34.1 | |
5 | Carrasco, Carlos 2885 | pi sp | cle al | 30.4 | deGrom, Jacob 3343 | pi sp | nym nl | 32.1 | |
6 | Keuchel, Dallas 3050 | pi sp | hou al | 28.4 | Greinke, Zack 1871 | pi sp | ari nl | 30.4 | |
7 | Happ, J.A. 2536 | pi sp | tor al | 27.8 | Bumgarner, Madison 2753 | pi sp | sf nl | 30.0 | |
8 | Salazar, Danny 3223 | pi sp | cle al | 25.9 | Cueto, Johnny 2400 | pi sp | sf nl | 29.2 | |
9 | Hernandez, Felix 2064 | pi sp | sea al | 25.4 | Strasburg, Stephen 2736 | pi sp | dc nl | 29.1 | |
10 | Archer, Chris 3194 | pi sp | tb al | 25.0 | Syndergaard, Noah 3472 | pi sp | nym nl | 27.1 | |
American League | National League | ||||||||
2011-16 | Player | Pos | Team | BTP | Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
1 | Hernandez, Felix 2064 | pi sp | sea al | 91.4 | Kershaw, Clayton 2494 | pi sp | lad nl | 150.2 | |
2 | Price, David 2593 | pi sp | bos al | 89.5 | Scherzer, Max 2588 | pi sp | dc nl | 111.3 | |
3 | Hamels, Cole 2135 | pi sp | tex al | 84.8 | Bumgarner, Madison 2753 | pi sp | sf nl | 100.0 | |
4 | Sale, Chris 2806 | pi sp | chi al | 84.4 | Greinke, Zack 1871 | pi sp | ari nl | 95.5 | |
5 | Verlander, Justin 2112 | pi sp | det al | 84.3 | Cueto, Johnny 2400 | pi sp | sf nl | 80.4 | |
6 | Shields, James 2157 | pi sp | chi al | 68.6 | Lester, Jon 2173 | pi sp | chi nl | 80.3 | |
7 | Weaver, Jered 2178 | pi sp | ana al | 67.0 | Strasburg, Stephen 2736 | pi sp | dc nl | 75.2 | |
8 | Kluber, Corey 3200 | pi sp | cle al | 65.4 | Gonzalez, Gio 2626 | pi sp | dc nl | 72.8 | |
9 | Liriano, Francisco 2104 | pi sp | tor al | 63.4 | Arrieta, Jake 2738 | pi sp | chi nl | 72.5 | |
10 | Kennedy, Ian 2723 | pi sp | kc al | 60.5 | Wainwright, Adam 2150 | pi sp | stl nl | 61.3 | |
All players (including retired) | All active players | ||||||||
’95-’16 | Player | Pos | Team | BTP | Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
1 | Johnson, randy | pi sp | Retired | 278.8 | Sabathia, C.C. 1492 | pi sp | nyy al | 185.0 | |
2 | Martinez, Pedro J. | pi sp | Retired | 244.8 | Kershaw, Clayton 2494 | pi sp | lad nl | 183.7 | |
3 | schilling, curt | pi sp | Retired | 194.1 | Hernandez, Felix 2064 | pi sp | sea al | 168.7 | |
4 | Sabathia, C.C. 1492 | pi sp | nyy al | 185.0 | Santana, Johan 1448 | pi sp | free agent | 166.6 | |
5 | Kershaw, Clayton 2494 | pi sp | lad nl | 183.7 | Greinke, Zack 1871 | pi sp | ari nl | 156.1 | |
6 | Halladay, Roy 1178 | pi sp | Retired | 170.7 | Colon, Bartolo | pi sp | nym nl | 148.5 | |
7 | Hernandez, Felix 2064 | pi sp | sea al | 168.7 | Hamels, Cole 2135 | pi sp | tex al | 144.0 | |
8 | Santana, Johan 1448 | pi sp | free agent | 166.6 | Lester, Jon 2173 | pi sp | chi nl | 143.2 | |
9 | clemens, roger | pi sp | Retired | 164.8 | Peavy, Jake 1635 | pi sp | sf nl | 141.8 | |
10 | smoltz, john | pi sp | Retired | 160.9 | Verlander, Justin 2112 | pi sp | det al | 139.3 |
Active players are shown on the team with whom they finished the 2016 season.
Randy Johnson leads pitchers in career Box-Toppers points; Sabathia, Kershaw lead active pitchers in points
Randy Johnson has the most Box-Toppers points of any pitcher since tracking began in 1995.
Johnson, who played from 1988 to 2009 for the Mariners, Diamondbacks, Yankees, Giants, Expos and Astros, earned 278.8 Box-Toppers points from 1995 until he retired in 2009. He also leads all players in Box-Toppers points since 1995, ahead of the second-place player and second-place pitcher Pedro Martinez (244.8 Box-Toppers points).
Meanwhile, Max Scherzer of the Nationals led all pitchers in Box-Toppers points in 2016, Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers led all pitchers in points over both the past two and past six seasons and CC Sabathia holds a narrow lead over Kershaw among active pitchers in career points.
The chart above shows the top 10 pitchers 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 10 pitchers in each league are shown. For the “all-time” rankings, the top 10 overall pitchers (including retired players) are shown at left and the top 10 active pitchers in career Box-Toppers points are shown at right.
Johnson holds the overall Box-Toppers points lead even though seven of his seasons were not tracked by Box-Toppers. If they had been, rough projections put his career Box-Toppers point total at about 380—more than 100 more than his 278.8 from 1995 to 2009.
In fact, Johnson’s lead in Box-Toppers points among pitchers would be even more dominating if other pitchers had their pre-1995 Box-Toppers point totals projected over their entire career. Benefitting most from the projection is Roger Clemens, who had 164.8 Box-Toppers points from 1995 to 2007. But if his entire career from 1984 were tracked, rough projections put his career total at 320. That would put him in second behind Johnson’s 380, still 60 points behind.
Here are the top 10 pitchers with their projected career Box-Toppers point totals. To make this list, a pitcher needed to have at least 100 Box-Toppers points since 1995. So, for example, all-time greats like Walter Johnson or Nolan Ryan (who retired in 1993), are not included. Players with projected point totals are designated with an asterisk (*). Players without an asterisk have had their entire career tracked by Box-Toppers:
- Randy Johnson 380*
- Roger Clemens 320*
- Pedro Martinez 270*
- John Smoltz 255*
- Greg Maddux 250*
- Curt Schilling 232*
- Mike Mussina 193*
- CC Sabathia 185.0
- Clayton Kershaw 183.7
- Kevin Brown 180*
Players such as Martinez and Schilling dip in the overall rankings based on entire career projections, but players like Clemens, Smoltz, Maddux, Mussina and Brown rise in the overall rankings.
CC Sabathia
Sabathia of the Yankees leads all active pitchers in career Box-Toppers points with 185.0. But that is a very slim, 1.3-point lead over second-place active pitcher, Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers (183.7). It is likely Kershaw, who has earned 20 or more points each of the past six seasons, will pass Sabathia, who these days earns points sparingly, for the active lead in career points early in the 2017 season.
Sabathia also ranks fourth among all pitchers in Box-Toppers points since 1995.
Clayton Kershaw
Kershaw leads all pitchers in Box-Toppers points over the past two seasons (50.1 over 2015-16) and past six seasons (150.2 over 2011-16). He is a close second in career points among active pitchers (183.7, only 1.3 behind Sabathia) and was a close second this past season (with 24.4, behind Scherzer’s 25.7). Kershaw also ranks fifth in career points among all pitchers since 1995 (183.7). Kershaw appears in the most top 10 pitcher lists shown here, five.
Max Scherzer
Scherzer led all pitchers in Box-Toppers points in 2016 with 25.7. He also ranked second in points in both the past two seasons (46.7 over 2015-16) and past six seasons (111.3 over 2015-16). Scherzer ranks 11th among active pitchers in career points (131.7).
Corey Kluber
Kluber of the Indians led American League pitchers in Box-Toppers points in 2016 (21.2) and also led AL pitchers over the past two seasons (34.6 over 2015-16). Kluber ranked eighth among AL pitchers over the past six seasons (65.4 over 2011-16).
Felix Hernandez
Hernandez of the Mariners led AL pitchers over the past six seasons (91.4 Box-Toppers points over 2011-16). Hernandez also ranked ninth among AL pitchers over the past two seasons (25.4 over 2015-16), third among active pitchers in career points (168.7) and seventh among all pitchers in career points since 1995 (168.7).
Other notable pitchers:
- Cole Hamels of the Rangers appears in four top 10 pitcher lists: He is second among AL pitchers over the past season (17.8 in 2016), third among AL pitchers over the past two seasons (33.2 over 2015-16), third among AL pitchers over the past six seasons (84.8 over 2011-16) and seventh among active pitchers in career points (144.0).
- Jon Lester of the Cubs appears in four top 10 pitcher lists: He is third among NL pitchers over the past season (22.1 in 2016), fourth among NL pitchers over the past two seasons (34.1 over 2015-16), sixth among NL pitchers over the past six seasons (80.3 over 2011-16) and eighth among active pitchers in career points (143.2).
- Justin Verlander of the Tigers appears in three top 10 pitcher lists: He is fourth among AL pitchers over the past season (14.7 in 2016), fifth among AL pitchers over the past six seasons (84.3 over 2011-16) and 10th among active pitchers in career points (139.3).
- Chris Sale of the White Sox (who has since signed with the Red Sox for 2017) appears in three top 10 pitcher lists: He is sixth among AL pitchers over the past season (13.4 in 2016), fourth among AL pitchers over the past two seasons (32.2 over 2015-16) and fourth among AL pitchers over the past six seasons (84.4 over 2011-16).
- David Price of the Red Sox appears in three top 10 pitcher lists: He is ninth among AL pitchers over the past season (12.4 in 2016), second among AL pitchers over the past two seasons (33.5 over 2015-16) and second among AL pitchers over the past six seasons (89.5 over 2011-16).
- Johnny Cueto of the Giants appears in three top 10 pitcher lists: He is fifth among NL pitchers over the past season (16.4 in 2016), eighth among NL pitchers over the past two seasons (29.2 over 2015-16) and fifth among NL pitchers over the past six seasons (80.4 over 2011-16).
- Jake Arrieta of the Cubs appears in three top 10 pitcher lists: He is sixth among NL pitchers over the past season (15.7 in 2016), third among NL pitchers over the past two seasons (44.8 over 2015-16) and ninth among NL pitchers over the past six seasons (72.5 over 2011-16).
- Stephen Strasburg of the Nationals appears in three top 10 pitcher lists: He is seventh among NL pitchers over the past season (15.1 in 2016), ninth among NL pitchers over the past two seasons (29.1 over 2015-16) and seventh among NL pitchers over the past six seasons (75.2 over 2011-16).
- Zack Greinke of the Diamondbacks appears in three top 10 pitcher lists: He is sixth among NL pitchers over the past two seasons (30.4 over 2015-16), fourth among NL pitchers over the past six seasons (95.5 over 2011-16) and fifth among active pitchers in career points (156.1).
- Johan Santana, who last pitched in the Majors in 2012 for the Mets, is listed as a free agent still attempting a comeback and so is listed as an active player. So Santana’s 166.6 career Box-Toppers points ranks fourth among active pitchers and eighth among all pitchers since 1995. If Santana were excluded from the active pitchers’ list, the 11th-place active pitcher in career points, Max Scherzer (131.7), would rank 10th.
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.