How baseball stars are trending: Kershaw remains strong over past half decade—who is rising & who is declining

Here are Box-Toppers top players over the period 2011-2016 compared with Box-Toppers top players over the period 2012-2016. Players are shown with their team and their accumulated Box-Toppers point (BTP) total over each period. Players who have risen in standings from 2011-2016 to 2012-2016 are indicated with an up arrow (⬆), players who have fallen are indicated with a down arrow (⬇), players who have remained steady (⬌) and players who have changed leagues in the offseason (✱). Players who have fallen out of their top 10 category since 2011-2016 are listed in italics below the top 10 of 2012-2016, indicating their current status.  


 2011-2016 2012-2016
Top players overall Pos Team BTP Top players overall Pos Team BTP
1 Kershaw, Clayton 2494 pi sp lad nl 150.2 ⬌Kershaw, Clayton 2494 pi sp lad nl 124.1
2 Scherzer, Max 2588 pi sp dc nl 111.3 ⬌Scherzer, Max 2588 pi sp dc nl 103.9
3 Bumgarner, Madison 2753 pi sp sf nl 100.0 ⬌Bumgarner, Madison 2753 pi sp sf nl 86.0
4 Greinke, Zack 1871 pi sp ari nl 95.5 ⬆Sale, Chris 2806 pi sp bos al 81.4
5 Hernandez, Felix 2064 pi sp sea al 91.4 ⬌Hernandez, Felix 2064 pi sp sea al 79.7
6 Price, David 2593 pi sp bos al 89.5 ⬇Greinke, Zack 1871 pi sp ari nl 79.0
7 Hamels, Cole 2135 pi sp tex al 84.8 ⬇Price, David 2593 pi sp bos al 74.4
8 Sale, Chris 2806 pi sp chi al 84.4 ⬆Strasburg, Stephen 2736 pi sp dc nl 74.2
9 Verlander, Justin 2112 pi sp det al 84.3 ⬆Arrieta, Jake 2738 pi sp chi nl 70.5
10 Cueto, Johnny 2400 pi sp sf nl 80.4 ⬌Cueto, Johnny 2400 pi sp sf nl 70.0
• Hamels falls to 11th (69.0 BTP).
• Verlander falls to 15th (59.9).
What are those numbers after players' names?

Clayton Kershaw, Box-Toppers' top player from 2011-2016, remains top player over 2012-2016

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, Box-Toppers’ dominant player over the period 2011-2016, remains Box-Toppers’ dominant player over the period 2012-2016.

Leader comparisons

Here are players leading each main Box-Toppers category over the period 2011-2016 compared with the period 2012-2016. Two main categories have new leaders: AL pitchers and NL batters. Chris Sale is the new AL pitching leader over 2012-16, displacing Felix Hernandez, the leader over 2011-16. Yoenis Cespedes is the new NL batting leader over 2012-16, displacing Andrew McCutchen, the leader of 2011-16.  


 Overall Pos Team BTP
2011-16 Kershaw, Clayton 2494 pi sp lad nl 150.2
2012-16 Kershaw, Clayton 2494 pi sp lad nl 124.1
AL pitchers Pos Team BTP
2011-16 Hernandez, Felix 2064 pi sp sea al 91.4
2012-16 Sale, Chris 2806 pi sp bos al 81.4
AL batters Pos Team BTP
2011-16 Cabrera, Miguel 1776 1b det al 65.3
2012-16 Cabrera, Miguel 1776 1b det al 57.8
NL pitchers Pos Team BTP
2011-16 Kershaw, Clayton 2494 pi sp lad nl 150.2
2012-16 Kershaw, Clayton 2494 pi sp lad nl 124.1
NL batters Pos Team BTP
2011-16 McCutchen, Andrew 2637 cf pit nl 48.2
2012-16 Cespedes, Yoenis 3008 cf lf nym nl 39.9
What are those numbers after players' names?

Kershaw accumulated 150.2 Box-Toppers points from 2011-2016, leading second-place player Max Scherzer of the Nationals (111.3), by 38.9 points. Kershaw has 124.1 Box-Toppers points since the start of 2012, leading second-place Scherzer (103.9) by a narrower, 20.2-point gap over that period.

Still, it would require a stellar year from Scherzer and an almost complete collapse by Kershaw for the Dodgers pitcher to lose his top spot in Box-Toppers’ six-year rolling total (2012-17) during the upcoming season. Scherzer would need at least 20.2 Box-Toppers points in 2017 with Kershaw earning no points to take the lead among players over 2012-17. Last season, Scherzer led all players with 25.7 Box-Toppers points; Kershaw was second with 24.4.

Both Kershaw and Scherzer have separated themselves atop all players in Box-Toppers points over 2012-16. Third-place player Madison Bumgarner of the Giants has 86.0 Box-Toppers points over 2012-16, which is 38.1 points behind Kershaw and 17.9 behind Scherzer. This makes it unlikely that either Kershaw or Scherzer will be moved from their top two spots in the six-year rolling total among players over 2012-17 by the end of the season.

The 2012-2016 Box-Toppers point total for all players comes from dropping the points they earned in the 2011 season from their 2011-2016 totals. Box-Toppers uses this longer-term total to gauge a players’ staying power over the recent past. If they are a flash in the pan, they don’t appear in the six-year rolling total top 10 standings. But they do show up if they are a player with proven, sustained longevity over several seasons.

And at the beginning of a season, when the rolling six-year total drops the earliest year of that timeframe, a player’s change in position in the rankings can give a clue to whether that player is improving, holding steady or declining.

Oddly, the player most affected by dropping the Box-Toppers point totals for 2011 is Kershaw himself, who led all players in 2011 with 26.1 Box-Toppers points. But despite losing that stellar year, Kershaw maintains his spot atop players over 2012-2016, as he finished among the top two players in each of those five seasons:

  • 2012: 20.8 Box-Toppers points, second.
  • 2013: 21.7 points, first.
  • 2014: 31.5, first.
  • 2015: 25.7, second.
  • 2016: 24.4, second.

While Kershaw maintains his lead among all players and among all National League pitchers in Box-Toppers points over 2012-16, two of the three other main categories have new leaders in 2012-16 compared to 2011-16:

  • Chris Sale of the Red Sox is the new leader among American League pitchers over 2012-16 with 81.4 Box-Toppers points during the period. He displaces the AL pitching leader over 2011-16, Felix Hernandez of the Mariners (91.4 Box-Toppers points). Hernandez, who had a lackluster 2016 (6.0 Box-Toppers points), falls to second among AL pitchers over 2012-16, just 1.7 points behind Sale (79.7). Sale rises from fourth over 2011-16 (84.4) after putting together five straight seasons of at least 13.4 Box-Toppers points with the White Sox (including 13.4 in 2016). Sale was traded to the Red Sox in the offseason and has the highest 2016 Box-Toppers point total of any player to change teams in 2017.
  • Yoenis Cespedes of the Mets is the new leader among NL batters over 2012-16 with 39.9 Box-Toppers points during the period. He displaces the NL batting leader over 2011-16, Andrew McCutchen of the Pirates (48.2 Box-Toppers points). However, McCutchen falls to third among NL batters over 2012-16, just 1.4 points behind Cespedes (38.5). Cespedes rises from fourth over 2011-16 (39.9) to first over 2012-16, with the top five NL batters within a slim 4.0 points of his lead.

In the other two categories, the leader remains the same:

  • AL batters—Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers continues to lead over second-place AL batter Chris Davis of the Orioles, but that lead has narrowed. Cabrera led Davis by 15.9 Box-Toppers points over 2011-16 (65.3 vs. 49.4) but leads by only 8.4 over 2012-16 (57.8 vs. 49.4).
  • NL pitchers—Kershaw still leads over Scherzer as he does in the overall rankings.

Examples of falling and rising players

Rising: Chris Sale

Sale rises from eighth among all players from 2011-16 (84.4 Box-Toppers points) to fourth among all players from 2012-16 (81.4 points). In 2011, Sale had only 3.0 Box-Toppers points as a closer and middle reliever for the White Sox. Those 3.0 points were deducted from his 2012-16 total; and since 2012, he has finished in the top six among AL pitchers each time—finishing fourth (twice), fifth (twice) and sixth (once).

Falling: Zack Greinke

Diamondbacks pitcher Zack Greinke falls from fourth among all players from 2011-16 (95.5 Box-Toppers points) to sixth among all players from 2012-16 (79.0). The 16.5 Box-Toppers points Greinke earned in 2011 with the Brewers is dropped from his 2012-16 total. Though in four of Greinke’s past five seasons he’s had at least 10.0 Box-Toppers points (including 19.4 in 2013 and 20.7 in 2015), he had just 9.7 in 2016, his first year with the Diamondbacks—far below his 17.1-point-per-season average from 2011 to 2015.

Rising: Stephen Strasburg and Jake Arrieta

Two players—Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg and Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta—joined the rolling six-year top 10 list to start the season. Strasburg rose to eighth place among players from 2012-16 with 74.2 Box-Toppers points and Arrieta rose to ninth with 70.5 points over that span. Both players did not start earning significant Box-Toppers point totals until after 2011—Strasburg had his first big year in 2012 with 20.4 points (second among NL pitchers) and Arrieta had his breakthrough year in 2014 with 14.7 points (eighth among NL pitchers). Additionally, Arrieta led all players in Box-Toppers points in 2015 with 29.1.

Falling: Cole Hamels and Justin Verlander

Additionally, two players who were in the top 10 among all players for 2011-16, fell out of the top 10 among players for 2012-16—Cole Hamels of the Rangers and Justin Verlander of the Tigers. The 15.8 points Hamels earned in 2011 for the Phillies was dropped from his 2012-16 total, causing him to decline from seventh among all players from 2011-16 (84.8 points) to 11th among players from 2012-16 (69.0). The 24.4 points Verlander earned in 2011 for the Tigers was dropped from his 2012-16 total, causing him to decline from ninth among all players from 2011-16 (84.3 points) to 15th among players from 2012-16 (59.9).

Top AL pitchers

Here are Box-Toppers top AL pitchers over the period 2011-2016 compared with Box-Toppers top players over the period 2011-2016. Players are shown with their team and their accumulated Box-Toppers point (BTP) total over each period. Players who have risen in standings from 2010-2015 to 2011-2016 are indicated with an up arrow (⬆), players who have fallen are indicated with a down arrow (⬇), players who have remained steady (⬌) and players who have changed leagues in the offseason (✱). Players who have fallen out of their top 10 category since 2011-2016 are listed in italics below the top 10 of 2012-2016, indicating their current status.  


 2011-2016 2012-2016
Top AL pitchers Pos Team BTP Top AL pitchers Pos Team BTP
1 Hernandez, Felix 2064 pi sp sea al 91.4 ⬆Sale, Chris 2806 pi sp bos al 81.4
2 Price, David 2593 pi sp bos al 89.5 ⬇Hernandez, Felix 2064 pi sp sea al 79.7
3 Hamels, Cole 2135 pi sp tex al 84.8 ⬇Price, David 2593 pi sp bos al 74.4
4 Sale, Chris 2806 pi sp chi al 84.4 ⬇Hamels, Cole 2135 pi sp tex al 69.0
5 Verlander, Justin 2112 pi sp det al 84.3 ⬆Kluber, Corey 3200 pi sp cle al 65.4
6 Shields, Jamie (James) 2157 pi sp chi al 68.6 ⬇Verlander, Justin 2112 pi sp det al 59.9
7 Weaver, Jered 2178 pi sp ana al 67.0 ⬆Liriano, Francisco 2104 pi sp tor al 57.7
8 Kluber, Corey 3200 pi sp cle al 65.4 ⬆Darvish, Yu 3003 pi sp tex al 55.6
9 Liriano, Francisco 2104 pi sp tor al 63.4 ⬆Iwakuma, Hisashi 3048 pi sp sea al 54.2
10 Kennedy, Ian 2723 pi sp kc al 60.5 ⬆Zimmermann, Jordan 2612 pi sp det al 53.4
• Shields falls to 13th (48.5 BTP).
• Weaver moves to NL (Padres).
• Kennedy falls to 18th (41.1).
What are those numbers after players' names?

Chris Sale rises to lead AL pitchers

Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale rises from fourth over 2011-16 to first over 2012-16, displacing Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez.

Sale has 81.4 Box-Toppers points over 2012-16, just 1.7 points ahead of second-place Hernandez (79.7 over that span).

Hernandez had led AL pitchers over 2011-16 with 91.4 points with Sale in fourth with 84.4. Hernandez had 11.7 points in 2011, which was dropped from the 2012-16 total; plus he had a career low 6.0 Box-Toppers points in 2016. Sale on the other hand, had only 3.0 Box-Toppers points in 2011 and so lost very little when that season’s total was dropped from the 2012-16 total. In addition, Sale has had at least 13.4 Box-Toppers points each season since 2012 (including 2016 when he had 13.4).

Other pitchers who did well prior to 2012 dropped in rankings among AL pitchers, including David Price of the Red Sox, Cole Hamels of the Rangers and Justin Verlander of the Tigers.

AL pitchers on the rise include Corey Kluber of the Indians, who rose from eighth place over 2011-16 to fifth place over 2012-16. Kluber led AL pitchers in Box-Toppers points in both 2014 (25.8) and 2016 (21.2) and in fact, had no points prior to 2013. Also rising was Francisco Liriano of the Blue Jays, rising from ninth over 2011-16 (63.4) to seventh over 2012-16 (57.7).

Three rose onto the top 10 AL pitchers list for 2012-2016 who were not among the top 10 AL pitchers for 2011-16—Yu Darvish of the Rangers (eighth with 55.6 points), Hishashi Iwakuma of the Mariners (ninth with 54.2) and Jordan Zimmermann of the Tigers (10th with 53.4). Both Darvish and Iwakuma had no Box-Toppers points prior to 2012; Zimmermann had only 7.0 prior to 2012.

Three players on the top 10 AL pitchers list over 2011-16 are not among the top 10 AL pitchers over 2012-16—James Shields, Jered Weaver and Ian Kennedy. Shields of the White Sox falls to 13th place (48.5 Box-Toppers points), Weaver moves to the NL and the Padres (and has just 44.2 points over 2012-16) and Kennedy of the Royals falls to 18th place (41.1 points).

Top AL batters

Here are Box-Toppers top AL batters over the period 2011-2016 compared with Box-Toppers top players over the period 2012-2016. Players are shown with their team and their accumulated Box-Toppers point (BTP) total over each period. Players who have risen in standings from 2011-2016 to 2012-2016 are indicated with an up arrow (⬆), players who have fallen are indicated with a down arrow (⬇), players who have remained steady (⬌) and players who have changed leagues in the offseason (✱). Players who have fallen out of their top 10 category since 2011-2016 are listed in italics below the top 10 of 2012-2016, indicating their current status.  


 2011-2016 2012-2016
Top AL batters Pos Team BTP Top AL batters Pos Team BTP
1 Cabrera, Miguel 1776 1b det al 65.3 ⬌Cabrera, Miguel 1776 1b det al 57.8
2 Davis, Chris 2478 1b bal al 49.4 ⬌Davis, Chris 2478 1b bal al 49.4
3 Trout, Mike 2949 cf ana al 49.0 ⬌Trout, Mike 2949 cf ana al 47.5
4 Beltre, Adrian 1141 3b tex al 47.9 ⬌Beltre, Adrian 1141 3b tex al 43.4
5 Encarnacion, Edwin 2098 dh 1b tor al 46.6 ⬌Encarnacion, Edwin 2098 dh 1b cle al 43.1
6 Pujols, Albert 1438 dh 1b ana al 45.0 ⬆Donaldson, Josh 3144 3b tor al 39.6
7 Ortiz, David dh bos al 43.9 ⬆Cano, Robinson 2092 2b sea al 37.5
8 Cano, Robinson 2092 2b sea al 43.5 ✱Holliday, Matt 1836 1b lf dh nyy al 33.2
9 Upton, Justin 2411 lf det al 42.6 ⬌Upton, Justin 2411 lf det al 32.9
10 Donaldson, Josh 3144 3b tor al 39.6 ⬇Pujols, Albert 1438 dh 1b ana al 32.5
• Ortiz retired.
What are those numbers after players' names?

Miguel Cabrera extends rolling six-year lead among AL batters

Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers who topped AL batters over 2011-16, remains on top over 2012-16.

In addition, the overall five top spots remain the same.

Two players rise in the charts:

  • Josh Donaldson of the Blue Jays ranks sixth among AL batters over 2012-16 (39.6 Box-Toppers points), rising from 10th over 2011-16 (39.6). 
  • Robinson Cano of the Mariners ranks seventh among AL batters over 2012-16 (37.5 points), rising from eighth over 2011-16 (43.5).

Only one active player falls in the charts—Albert Pujols ranks 10th among AL batters over 2012-16 (32.5 points), down from sixth over 2011-16 (45.0).

One player who moves from the NL, debuts on the chart—Matt Holliday, who was with the Cardinals, is now on the Yankees for 2017. Holliday ranks eighth among AL batters over 2012-16 (33.2 Box-Toppers points). He had ranked seventh among NL batters over 2011-16 (37.7).

One other player dropped from the list due to retirement—David Ortiz of the Red Sox had ranked seventh among AL batters over 2011-16 (43.9 points). Had he been active in 2017, his 36.9 points over 2012-16 would have ranked eighth among AL batters.

Top NL pitchers

Here are Box-Toppers top NL pitchers over the period 2011-2016 compared with Box-Toppers top players over the period 2012-2016. Players are shown with their team and their accumulated Box-Toppers point (BTP) total over each period. Players who have risen in standings from 2011-2016 to 2012-2016 are indicated with an up arrow (⬆), players who have fallen are indicated with a down arrow (⬇), players who have remained steady (⬌) and players who have changed leagues in the offseason (✱). Players who have fallen out of their top 10 category since 2011-2016 are listed in italics below the top 10 of 2012-2016, indicating their current status.  


 2011-2016 2012-2016
Top NL pitchers Pos Team BTP Top NL pitchers Pos Team BTP
1 Kershaw, Clayton 2494 pi sp lad nl 150.2 ⬌Kershaw, Clayton 2494 pi sp lad nl 124.1
2 Scherzer, Max 2588 pi sp dc nl 111.3 ⬌Scherzer, Max 2588 pi sp dc nl 103.9
3 Bumgarner, Madison 2753 pi sp sf nl 100.0 ⬌Bumgarner, Madison 2753 pi sp sf nl 86.0
4 Greinke, Zack 1871 pi sp ari nl 95.5 ⬌Greinke, Zack 1871 pi sp ari nl 79.0
5 Cueto, Johnny 2400 pi sp sf nl 80.4 ⬆Strasburg, Stephen 2736 pi sp dc nl 74.2
6 Lester, Jon 2173 pi sp chi nl 80.3 ⬆Arrieta, Jake 2738 pi sp chi nl 70.5
7 Strasburg, Stephen 2736 pi sp dc nl 75.2 ⬇Cueto, Johnny 2400 pi sp sf nl 70.0
8 Gonzalez, Gio 2626 pi sp dc nl 72.8 ⬇Lester, Jon 2173 pi sp chi nl 67.6
9 Arrieta, Jake 2738 pi sp chi nl 72.5 ⬆Wainwright, Adam 2150 pi sp stl nl 61.3
10 Wainwright, Adam 2150 pi sp stl nl 61.3 ⬇Gonzalez, Gio 2626 pi sp dc nl 57.1
What are those numbers after players' names?

Kershaw maintains his long-term point lead among NL pitchers

Kershaw remains first among NL pitchers and the top four spots also remain unchanged.

Strasburg and Arrieta are among NL pitchers who rose up the chart, just as they rose up the overall top 10 player chart as described previously. Among NL pitchers, Strasburg rose from seventh place over 2011-16 to fifth over 2012-16. Arrieta rose from ninth place over 2011-16 to sixth over 2012-16.

In addition, Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals also rose to ninth place among NL pitchers over 2012-16 (61.3 Box-Toppers points). He had been in 10th place over 2011-16 (61.3). Wainwright’s total was unchanged because he earned 0.0 Box-Toppers points in 2011 (the year that was dropped in the 2012-16 total) when he was out for the season recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Three NL pitchers declined on the 2012-16 list from 2011-16—Johnny Cueto of the Giants, Jon Lester of the Cubs and Gio Gonzalez of the Nationals. Most notable of the three is Lester, who is in eighth place among NL pitchers over 2012-16 (67.6 Box-Toppers points), down from sixth place over 2011-16 (80.3). Despite stellar recent seasons, including finishing fourth among all players in 2016 with 22.1 Box-Toppers points and four straight seasons with 12.0 or more points, Lester declines on the chart, partly because his 2012-16 total loses the 12.7 points he earned in 2011 and partly because he only earned 4.4 points in 2012, both seasons with the Red Sox.

All 10 NL pitchers from the 2011-16 list also made the 2012-16 list.

Top NL batters

Here are Box-Toppers top NL batters over the period 2011-2016 compared with Box-Toppers top players over the period 2012-2016. Players are shown with their team and their accumulated Box-Toppers point (BTP) total over each period. Players who have risen in standings from 2011-2016 to 2012-2016 are indicated with an up arrow (⬆), players who have fallen are indicated with a down arrow (⬇), players who have remained steady (⬌) and players who have changed leagues in the offseason (✱). Players who have fallen out of their top 10 category since 2011-2016 are listed in italics below the top 10 of 2012-2016, indicating their current status.  


 2011-2016 2012-2016
Top NL batters Pos Team BTP Top NL batters Pos Team BTP
1 McCutchen, Andrew 2637 cf pit nl 48.2 ⬆Cespedes, Yoenis 3008 cf lf nym nl 39.9
2 Braun, Ryan J. 2300 lf mil nl 46.5 ⬆Gonzalez, Carlos 2460 rf col nl 38.7
3 Gonzalez, Carlos 2460 rf col nl 45.7 ⬆McCutchen, Andrew 2637 cf pit nl 38.5
4 Cespedes, Yoenis 3008 cf lf nym nl 39.9 ⬇Braun, Ryan J. 2300 lf mil nl 36.0
5 Goldschmidt, Paul 2935 1b ari nl 39.9 ⬌Goldschmidt, Paul 2935 1b ari nl 35.9
6 Freeman, Freddie 2887 1b atl nl 38.7 ⬌Freeman, Freddie 2887 1b atl nl 33.2
7 Holliday, Matt 1836 1b lf dh stl nl 37.7 ⬆Stanton, Giancarlo 2737 rf fla nl 30.7
8 Kemp, Matt 2151 rf lf atl nl 37.5 ⬌Kemp, Matt 2151 rf lf atl nl 30.5
9 Gonzalez, Adrian 2193 1b lad nl 36.4 ⬆Carpenter, Matt 2987 3b 1b 2b stl nl 29.5
10 Stanton, Giancarlo 2737 rf fla nl 33.7 ⬆Murphy, Daniel 2589 2b dc nl 28.5
• Holliday moves to AL (Yankees).
• A. Gonzalez falls to 12th (28.4 BTP).
What are those numbers after players' names?

Cespedes takes narrow lead among NL batters over 2012-16

Yoenis Cespesdes narrowly leads NL batters over 2012-16 with 39.9 Box-Toppers points, just 1.2 points ahead of second-place Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies (38.7).

Cespedes rises from fourth place among NL batters over 2011-16 (39.9). Since Cespedes didn’t earn his first Box-Toppers points until 2012, he did not lose any 2011 points between his 2011-16 and 2012-16 totals.

The NL batting leader over the 2011-16 time frame, Andrew McCutchen of the Pirates (48.2), falls to third place among NL batters over 2011-16 (38.5), just 1.4 points behind Cespedes.

Gonzalez, now in second place among NL batters over 2012-16 (38.7), rises from third over 2011-16 (45.7).

One other player rising up the chart is Giancarlo Stanton of the Marlins. Stanton ranks seventh among NL batters over 2012-16 (30.7) and was 10th over 2011-16 (33.7).

One other player fell on the chart—Ryan Braun of the Brewers ranks fourth among NL batters over 2012-16 (36.0). He was second over 2011-16 (46.5).

Two other players rise onto the top 10 NL batting chart—Matt Carpenter of the Cardinals (ninth, 29.5 points) and Daniel Murphy of the Nationals (10th, 28.5).

Two players fell out of the top 10—Matt Holliday and Adrian Gonzalez. Holliday, who had been in seventh place among NL batters over 2011-16 (37.7) moved from the Cardinals to the AL Yankees for 2017 and is now ranked in that league’s top 10 batters for 2012-16. Gonzalez, who had been ninth among NL batters over 2011-16 (36.4), falls to 12th over 2012-16 (28.4).

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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