Players on the First and Second teams shown in bold were chosen for Box-Toppers’ All-MLB team.
| Pos | First team | Team | BTP | Rank | Pos | Second team | Team | BTP | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | Vladimir Guerrero Jr. | Blue Jays | 3.7 | 264 | 1B | Freddie Freeman | Braves | 4.5 | 210 | |
| 2B | Marcus Semien | Blue Jays | 6.2 | 130 | 2B | Ozzie Albies | Braves | 7.0 | 103 | |
| SS | Fernando Tatis Jr. | Padres | 10.2 | 45 | SS | Trea Turner | Dodgers | 2.5 | 365 | |
| 3B | Austin Riley | Braves | 8.5 | 72 | 3B | Rafael Devers | Red Sox | 7.5 | 84 | |
| CA | Salvador Perez | Royals | 4.5 | 222 | CA | Buster Posey | Giants | 6.5 | 125 | |
| OF | Juan Soto | Nationals | 6.0 | 134 | OF | Nick Castellanos | Reds | 11.5 | 35 | |
| OF | Bryce Harper | Phillies | 5.5 | 165 | OF | Kyle Tucker | Astros | 7.2 | 93 | |
| OF | Aaron Judge | Yankees | 9.0 | 60 | OF | Teoscar Hernandez | Blue Jays | 4.5 | 214 | |
| DH | Shohei Ohtani* | Angels | 16.1 | 12 | DH | Yordan Alvarez | Astros | 7.0 | 104 | |
| SP | Max Scherzer | Dodgers | 25.1 | 1 | SP | Shohei Ohtani | Angels | 16.1 | 12 | |
| SP | Corbin Burnes | Brewers | 18.1 | 5 | SP | Julio Urias | Dodgers | 19.1 | 4 | |
| SP | Walker Buehler | Dodgers | 16.7 | 10 | SP | Kevin Gausman | Giants | 13.7 | 18 | |
| SP | Robbie Ray | Blue Jays | 17.7 | 6 | SP | Max Fried | Braves | 11.8 | 30 | |
| SP | Gerrit Cole | Yankees | 22.4 | 2 | SP | Zack Wheeler | Phillies | 21.1 | 3 | |
| RP | Josh Hader | Brewers | 4.0 | 244 | RP | Raisel Iglesias | Angels | 6.0 | 145 | |
| RP | Liam Hendriks | White Sox | 7.0 | 96 | RP | Kenley Jansen | Dodgers | 6.0 | 141 |
* Ohtani did not qualify to rank among AL batters and AL designated hitters because he earned such an overwhelming majority of his Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors as a starting pitcher. He earned three of his 12 Player of the Game honors as a batter (25 percent), compared to nine as a pitcher (75 percent).
Six Box-Toppers points leaders are among players selected for 2021’s 16-member “All-MLB” team announced Tuesday.
Another three Box-Toppers leaders were chosen for the “All-MLB” Second Team.
Box-Toppers All-MLB team choices
Here are Box-Toppers’ choices for the All-MLB team. Players chosen are the Box-Toppers points leader at each position regardless of league. Shown here are the Box-Toppers points leader at each position, their point total and their rank among all players in Box-Toppers points for 2021.| Pos | Player | Team | BTP | Rank |
| 1B | Joey Votto | Reds | 9.7 | 53 |
| 2B | Brandon Lowe | Rays | 10.5 | 42 |
| SS | Fernando Tatis Jr. | Padres | 10.2 | 45 |
| 3B | Jose Ramirez | Indians | 13.0 | 21 |
| CA | J.T. Realmuto | Phillies | 7.2 | 94 |
| OF | Nick Castellanos | Reds | 11.5 | 35 |
| OF | Aaron Judge | Yankees | 9.0 | 60 |
| OF | Adam Duvall | Braves | 8.0 | 76 |
| DH | J.D. Martinez | Red Sox | 10.7 | 40 |
| SP | Max Scherzer | Dodgers | 25.1 | 1 |
| SP | Gerrit Cole | Yankees | 22.4 | 2 |
| SP | Zack Wheeler | Phillies | 21.1 | 3 |
| SP | Julio Uras | Dodgers | 19.1 | 4 |
| SP | Corbin Burnes | Brewers | 18.1 | 5 |
| RP | Ian Kennedy* | Phillies | 8.7 | 70 |
| RP | Liam Hendriks | White Sox | 7.0 | 96 |
| RP | Craig Kimbrel* | White Sox | 6.7 | 116 |
* Ian Kennedy of the Phillies led all relievers with 8.7 Box-Toppers points, but was not among the candidates for the All-MLB team. Since the ballot required picking two releivers, we chose Liam Hendriks of the White Sox, ranked second among relievers with 7.0 Box-Toppers points and Craig Kimbrel of the White Sox, ranked third among relievers with 6.7 points.
The All-MLB team was selected with half the vote coming from fans and half coming from an expert panel. Unlike the selections for baseball’s All-Star Game, players are not selected based on their affiliation with American League or National League. Rather, all players are chosen regardless of league as “First Team” or “Second Team” players.
Here is a Box-Toppers position-by-position look at the All-MLB teams, how players chosen for the teams fared in Box-Toppers points and who Box-Toppers would have chosen for those spots based on their season Box-Toppers point total.
First base
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Blue Jays was chosen as the First Team selection. His 3.7 Box-Toppers points ranked 294th among all players, 59th among AL batters and 23rd among MLB first basemen. While Guerrero had an outstanding statistical season, he rarely was the key player in a Blue Jays win, earning only three Player of the Game honors in 2021.
Second Team selection is Freddie Freeman of the Braves, who had 4.5 Box-Toppers points, 210th among all players and 15th among MLB first basemen.
Box-Toppers chose Joey Votto of the Reds, whose 9.7 Box-Toppers points ranked 53rd among all players, third among NL batters and first among all MLB first basemen.
Second base
Marcus Semien of the Blue Jays was chosen as First Team selection. His 6.2 Box-Toppers points ranked 130th among all players and fifth among MLB second basemen.
Second Team selection is Ozzie Albies of the Braves, who had 7.0 Box-Toppers points, 103rd among all players, second among MLB second basemen.
Box-Toppers selection, Brandon Lowe of the Rays led at the position with 10.5 Box-Toppers points, 42nd among all players and third among AL batters.
Shortstop
Fernando Tatis Jr. of the Padres was chosen as First Team selection. He was also Box-Toppers’ choice, leading at the position with 10.2 Box-Toppers points, 45th among all players and second among AL batters.
Second Team selection is Trea Turner of the Dodgers, whose 2.5 Box-Toppers points ranked 365th among all players and 20th among MLB shortstops.
Third base
Austin Riley of the Braves was chosen as First Team selection. His 8.5 Box-Toppers points ranked 72nd among all players, third among MLB third basemen.
Second Team selection is Rafael Devers of the Red Sox, whose 7.5 Box-Toppers points ranked 84th among all players and fourth among MLB third basemen.
Box-Toppers selection, Jose Ramirez of the Indians led at the position with 13.0 Box-Toppers points, 21st among all players and first among AL batters.
Catcher
Salvador Perez of the Royals was chosen as First Team selection. His 4.5 Box-Toppers points ranked 222nd among all players and sixth among MLB catchers.
Second Team selection is Buster Posey of the Giants, whose 6.5 Box-Toppers points is 125th among all players and second among MLB catchers.
Box-Toppers selection, J.T. Realmuto of the Phillies led at the position with 7.2 Box-Toppers points, 94th among all players and 12th among NL batters.
Outfield
Juan Soto of the Nationals, Bryce Harper of the Phillies and Aaron Judge of the Yankees are First Team selections. Since they aren’t listed in alphabetical order, I have to assume they are ranked in order of their listing.
Of the three, Judge was Box-Toppers’ only selection to its All-MLB team. He ranked second at the position with 9.0 Box-Toppers points, 60th among all players and fourth among AL batters.
Soto with 6.0 points ranked 134th overall and 10th among MLB outfielders. Harper with 5.5 points ranked 165th overall and 16th among MLB outfielders.
Second Team selections were Nick Castellanos of the Reds, Kyle Tucker of the Astros and Teoscar Hernandez of the Blue Jays.
Of those three, Castellanos was Box-Toppers’ only selection to its All-MLB team. He led at the position with 11.5 Box-Toppers points, 35th among all players and first among NL batters.
Tucker with 7.2 points ranked 93rd overall and eighth among MLB outfielders. Hernandez with 4.5 points ranked 214th overall and 27th among MLB outfielders.
Box-Toppers three choices for outfielders include the previously mentioned Castellanos and Judge, plus Adam Duvall of the Braves, who ranked third at the position with 8.0 Box-Toppers points, 76th among all players and seventh among NL batters.
Designated hitter
Shohei Ohtani of the Angels is the First Team selection. Ohtani earned 16.1 Box-Toppers points in 2021, 12th among all players and third among AL pitchers.
However, because he earned such an overwhelming majority of his Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors as a pitcher, he did not qualify to be ranked among batters.
Ohtani played 155 games in 2021, serving as designated hitter in 126 and starting 23 games as a pitcher. He earned Player of the Game honors 12 times—nine times as a starting pitcher and three times as a designated hitter. In order for players to be listed at a certain position, they need to have more than 25 percent of their Player of the Game honors at that position. Ohtani earned exactly 25 percent of his Player of the Game honors as a designated hitter and so was not ranked as a batter.
Second Team selection is Yordan Alvarez of the Astros, whose 7.0 points ranked 104th among all players, second among MLB designated hitters.
Box-Toppers selection, J.D. Martinez of the Red Sox led at the position with 10.7 Box-Toppers points, 40th among all players and second among AL batters.
Starting pitchers
All five of Box-Toppers’ top-ranked starting pitchers are among players selected to either the All-MLB First or Second Teams.
Three of the five starting pitchers selected for the All-MLB First Team were also among Box-Toppers’ top five pitchers in 2021. Two of the five starting pitchers selected for the All-MLB Second Team include the rest of Box-Toppers’ top five pitchers.
Max Scherzer of the Dodgers, Corbin Burnes of the Brewers, Walker Buehler of the Dodgers, Robbie Ray of the Blue Jays and Gerrit Cole of the Yankees are First Team selections. Since they aren’t listed in alphabetical order, I have to assume they are ranked in order of their listing.
Scherzer, Burnes and Cole are also Box-Toppers’ All-MLB team selections:
Scherzer had 25.1 Box-Toppers points, first among all players and first among NL pitchers.
Burnes had 18.1 points, fifth among all players and fourth among NL pitchers.
Cole had 22.4 points, second among all players and first among AL pitchers.
The other two All-MLB First Team selections: Buehler, with 16.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 10th among MLB pitchers and Ray, with 17.7 points, ranked sixth among MLB pitchers.
Second Team selections for starting pitchers are Shohei Ohtani of the Angels, Julio Urias of the Dodgers, Kevin Gausman of the Giants, Max Fried of the Braves and Zack Wheeler of the Phillies.
Urias and Wheeler are also Box-Toppers’ All-MLB team selections:
Urias had 19.1 Box-Toppers points, fourth among all players and third among NL pitchers.
Wheeler had 21.1 points, third among all players and second among NL pitchers.
The other three All-MLB Second Team selections: Ohtani, with 16.1 points, ranked 12th among MLB pitchers, Gausman, with 13.7 points, ranked 18th among MLB pitchers and Fried, with 11.8 points ranked 29th among MLB pitchers, 30th overall.
Relief pitchers
Josh Hader of the Brewers and Liam Hendriks of the White Sox are MLB All-Star First Team selections. Hendriks, chosen as a relief pitcher on Box-Toppers’ All-MLB team, was also the second-ranked closing pitcher with 7.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 96th overall. Hader had 4.0 Box-Toppers points, 15th among closing pitchers.
Second Team relief pitchers are Raisel Iglesias of the Angels and Kenley Jansen of the Dodgers. Iglesias had 6.0 Box-Toppers points, sixth among MLB closing pitchers and Jansen had 6.0 points, fifth among MLB closers.
Box-Toppers’ top-ranked relief pitcher, Ian Kennedy of the Phillies, was not among the 16 candidates on the All-MLB Team ballot.
Kennedy led all relievers with 8.7 Box-Toppers points, 70th among all players and 35th among NL pitchers.
Since Kennedy did not appear on the ballot and since the ballot requires choosing two relievers, we chose Box-Toppers’ second- and third-ranked players at the position:
Hendriks, as previously mentioned, whose 7.0 Box-Toppers points was first among AL closing pitchers.
Craig Kimbrel of the White Sox ranked third at the position with 6.7 Box-Toppers points, 116th among all players, 41st among AL pitchers and second among AL closing pitchers. It should be noted that Kimbrel earned all of his 2021 Box-Toppers points during the first half of the season when he was with the National League Cubs and did not earn any additional points after his midseason trade to the White Sox. But since he ended his season with the White Sox, his points are ranked among AL players.
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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