Top 10 players

Here are the top 10 in Box-Toppers season player rankings for 2022. Players are ranked by Box-Toppers points (BTP) earned this season through Wednesday, Oct. 5. FINAL STANDINGS.

Player Pos Team BTP
1 Verlander, Justin 2112 pi sp hou al 26.0
2 Ohtani, Shohei 3933 pi sp ana al 24.7
3 Alcantara, Sandy 4061 pi sp fla nl 21.1
4 Woodruff, Brandon 3868 pi sp mil nl 20.8
5 Cease, Dylan 4231 pi sp chi al 20.4
6 Rodon, Carlos 3494 pi sp sf nl 19.8
7 Urias, Julio 3652 pi sp lad nl 19.4
8 Gallen, Zac 4171 pi sp ari nl 18.7
9 Musgrove, Joe 3705 pi sp sd nl 17.4
10 Darvish, Yu 3003 pi sp sd nl 16.8
What are those numbers after players' names?
About Box-Toppers’ team abbreviations
Back to top

Who are the best players in baseball? How do you even measure such a thing? One way is to determine which players most help their teams win the most games. That's what Box-Toppers does.

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.

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.

All-time leaders

Here are Box-Toppers top 20 players since record keeping began in 1995:

Player Pos Team BTP
1 Randy Johnson pi sp retired 282.5
2 Clayton Kershaw pi sp lad nl 259.3
3 Pedro Martinez pi sp retired 244.8
4 Max Scherzer pi sp nym nl 236.3
5 Justin Verlander pi sp hou al 232.6
6 Zack Greinke pi sp kc al 222.5
7 Albert Pujols 1b dh stl nl 207.8
8 CC Sabathia pi sp retired 203.4
9 Curt Schilling pi sp retired 194.1
10 Alex Rodriguez dh retired 187.0
11 Jon Lester pi sp retired 179.3
12 Felix Hernandez pi sp released 175.1
13 Cole Hamels pi sp free agent 174.2
14 Roy Halladay pi sp retired 170.7
15 Johan Santana pi sp retired 166.6
16 Manny Ramirez lf dh retired 166.2
17 Roger Clemens pi sp retired 164.8
18 John Smoltz pi sp retired 160.9
19 Miguel Cabrera 1b det al 159.4
20 Tim Hudson pi sp retired 157.0
Dip: Decline in Box-Toppers point total from 2021 to 2022.
BTP: Box-Toppers points
Note: We are in the process of auditing results for the 1995 season, which has resulted in minor changes in career Box-Toppers point totals for a few players. For example, Randy Johnson has gained 3.7 points and Manny Ramirez has lost 1.0 point.
About Box-Toppers’ team abbreviations

Box-Toppers Players of the Year

Here are Box-Toppers Player of the Year winners in each season of Box-Toppers tracking since 1995. Player of the Year is the player with the season’s highest Box-Toppers point total:

Year Player Pos Team BTP
1995 Randy Johnson pi sp Mariners 23.7
1996 John Smoltz pi sp Braves 26.1
1997 Roger Clemens pi sp Blue Jays 27.4
1998 Randy Johnson pi sp Astros† 26.4
1999 Randy Johnson pi sp Dbacks 31.5
2000 Randy Johnson pi sp Dbacks 33.7
2001 Randy Johnson pi sp Dbacks 29.4
2002 Randy Johnson pi sp Dbacks 33.7
2003 Jason Schmidt pi sp Giants 24.7
2004 Johan Santana pi sp Twins 26.8
2005 Johan Santana pi sp Twins 24.1
2006 Johan Santana pi sp Twins 25.7
2007 Jake Peavy pi sp Padres 23.4
2008 CC Sabathia pi sp Brewers* 26.7
2009 Zack Greinke pi sp Royals 21.5
2010 Jon Lester pi sp Red Sox 23.4
2011 Clayton Kershaw pi sp Dodgers 26.1
2012 Justin Verlander pi sp Tigers 24.8
2013 Clayton Kershaw pi sp Dodgers 21.7
2014 Clayton Kershaw pi sp Dodgers 31.5
2015 Jake Arrieta pi sp Cubs 29.1
2016 Max Scherzer pi sp Nationals 25.7
2017 Chris Sale pi sp Red Sox 25.1
2018 Blake Snell pi sp Rays 27.2
2019 Gerrit Cole pi sp Astros 32.2
2020 Shane Bieber pi sp Indians 11.4§
2021 Max Scherzer pi sp Dodgers** 25.1
2022 Justin Verlander pi sp Astros 26.0
Dip: Decline in Box-Toppers point total from 2021 to 2022.
† Played for Mariners before trade to Astros.
* Played for the Indians before trade to the Brewers.
** Played for the Nationals before trade to the Dodgers.
§ Season shortened from 162 to 60 games due to the coronavirus pandemic.

2022 leaders

Who had the most Box-Toppers points in the 2022 season? Here is a breakdown of the overall leaders, plus the leaders by league in both pitching and batting.
 
OVERALL LEADERS POS TEAM BTP
1 Verlander, Justin 2112 pi sp hou al 26.0
2 Ohtani, Shohei 3933 pi sp ana al 24.7
3 Alcantara, Sandy 4061 pi sp fla nl 21.1
4 Woodruff, Brandon 3868 pi sp mil nl 20.8
5 Cease, Dylan 4231 pi sp chi al 20.4
6 Rodon, Carlos 3494 pi sp sf nl 19.8
7 Urias, Julio 3652 pi sp lad nl 19.4
8 Gallen, Zac 4171 pi sp ari nl 18.7
9 Musgrove, Joe 3705 pi sp sd nl 17.4
10 Darvish, Yu 3003 pi sp sd nl 16.8
AL PITCHERS POS TEAM BTP
1 Verlander, Justin 2112 pi sp hou al 26.0
2 Ohtani, Shohei 3933 pi sp ana al 24.7
3 Cease, Dylan 4231 pi sp chi al 20.4
4 McClanahan, Shane 4399 pi sp tb al 16.4
5 Valdez, Framber 4048 pi sp hou al 16.0
6 McKenzie, Triston 4303 pi sp cle al 15.7
7 Javier, Cristian 4290 pi sp hou al 15.7
8 Cole, Gerrit 3232 pi sp nyy al 15.4
9 Cortes, Nestor 4160 pi sp nyy al 15.4
10 Ryan, Joe 4539 pi sp min al 14.7
AL BATTERS POS TEAM BTP
1 Judge, Aaron 3767 rf cf nyy al 13.2
2 Ramirez, Jose 3436 3b cle al 11.7
3 Alvarez, Yordan 4209 dh hou al 8.7
4 Bregman, Alex 3721 3b hou al 8.7
5 Springer, George 3337 cf rf tor al 8.0
6 Suarez, Eugenio 3355 3b sea al 8.0
7 Raleigh, Cal 4481 ca ph sea al 7.5
8 Rodriguez, Julio 4590 cf sea al 7.5
9 Bogaerts, Xander 3383 ss bos al 7.0
10 France, Ty 4243 1b sea al 7.0
NL PITCHERS POS TEAM BTP
1 Alcantara, Sandy 4061 pi sp fla nl 21.1
2 Woodruff, Brandon 3868 pi sp mil nl 20.8
3 Rodon, Carlos 3494 pi sp sf nl 19.8
4 Urias, Julio 3652 pi sp lad nl 19.4
5 Gallen, Zac 4171 pi sp ari nl 18.7
6 Musgrove, Joe 3705 pi sp sd nl 17.4
7 Darvish, Yu 3003 pi sp sd nl 16.8
8 Fried, Max 4011 pi sp atl nl 16.0
9 Nola, Aaron 3569 pi sp phi nl 16.0
10 Burnes, Corbin 4029 pi sp mil nl 15.4
NL BATTERS POS TEAM BTP
1 Alonso, Pete 4118 1b nym nl 14.9
2 Betts, Mookie 3404 rf lad nl 11.7
3 Canha, Mark 3454 lf nym nl 8.7
4 Freeman, Freddie 2887 1b lad nl 8.5
5 Tellez, Rowdy 4078 1b mil nl 8.2
6 Riley, Austin 4144 3b atl nl 8.0
7 Goldschmidt, Paul 2935 1b stl nl 7.5
8 Muncy, Max 3969 3b lad nl 7.2
9 Arenado, Nolan 3306 3b stl nl 7.0
10 Cron, C.J. 3338 1b col nl 7.0
BTP—Box-Toppers points
What are those numbers after players' names?
About Box-Toppers’ team abbreviations

Most improved players

Here are the players who had the biggest gains in Box-Toppers points (BTP) from 2021 to 2022, ranked by their rise in points this season. Astros pitcher Justin Verlander had the biggest gain of 26.0 points, earning 0.0 points in 2021 and 26.0 in 2022. Braves pitcher Spencer Strider had the biggest gain among rookie players, earning 13.4 Box-Toppers points in his first season. That 13.4-point gain is the fourth-biggest among all players.
Complete story, details
 
Player Pos Team BTP Rise
1 Verlander, Justin 2112 pi sp hou al 26.0 +26.0
2 Gallen, Zac 4171 pi sp ari nl 18.7 +14.7
3 Wright, Kyle 4349 pi sp atl nl 14.4 +14.4
4 Strider, Spencer 4626† pi sp atl nl 13.4 +13.4
5 Mikolas, Miles 3034 pi sp stl nl 12.1 +12.1
6 Ryan, Joe 4539† pi sp min al 14.7 +12.0
7 Alonso, Pete 4118 1b nym nl 14.9 +11.9
8 McClanahan, Shane 4399 pi sp tb al 16.4 +11.7
9 Alcantara, Sandy 4061 pi sp fla nl 21.1 +11.4
10 Kirby, George 4595† pi sp sea al 11.4 +11.4
11 Valdez, Framber 4048 pi sp hou al 16.0 +11.0
12 Cortes, Nestor 4160 pi sp nyy al 15.4 +10.4
13 Quintana, Jose 3040 pi sp stl nl 11.4 +10.4
14 Javier, Cristian 4290 pi sp hou al 15.7 +9.7
15 Carrasco, Carlos 2885 pi sp nym nl 9.7 +9.7
16 Rasmussen, Drew 4547 pi sp tb al 11.1 +9.1
17 Thompson, Keegan 4579† pi sp chi nl 9.0 +9.0
18 Singer, Brady 4337 pi sp kc al 11.7 +8.7
19 Betts, Mookie 3404 rf lad nl 11.7 +8.7
20 Ohtani, Shohei 3933 pi sp ana al 24.7 +8.6
21 Rodon, Carlos 3494 pi sp sf nl 19.8 +8.1
22 Perez, Martin 3213 pi sp tex al 9.1 +8.1
23 Kelly, Merrill 4143 pi sp ari nl 11.0 +8.0
24 Springs, Jeffrey 4372 pi sp tb al 10.7 +7.7
25 Rodriguez, Julio 4590† cf sea al 7.5 +7.5
169 Acuna, Ronald Jr. 3947 rf atl nl 3.5 +2.5
What are those numbers after players' names?
BTP—Box-Toppers points
† Rookie status in 2022

Big dippers

Here are players whose Box-Toppers point total declined most from 2021 to 2022. Players are listed in order of their Box-Toppers point decline. Their Box-Toppers points (BTP) for 2022, if any, are also shown.
Complete story, details
 
Player Pos Team Dip BTP
1 Scherzer, Max 2588 pi sp nym nl -15.1 10.0
2 DeSclafani, Anthony 3441 pi sp sf nl -12.7
3 Glasnow, Tyler 3948 pi sp tb al -12.7
4 Buehler, Walker 3943 pi sp lad nl -12.7 4.0
5 Marquez, German 3788 pi sp col nl -12.7 4.7
6 Castellanos, Nicholas 3349 rf phi nl -11.5
7 Tatis, Fernando Jr. 4101 ss sd nl -10.2
8 Rodriguez, Eduardo 3480 pi sp det al -10.0
9 Miley, Wade 3006 pi sp chi nl -9.7 1.0
10 Flexen, Chris 4368 pi sp sea al -9.7 2.0
11 Manaea, Sean 3637 pi sp sd nl -9.7 6.0
12 Bauer, Trevor 3065 pi sp lad nl -9.4
13 Means, John 4115 pi sp bal al -9.0
13 Eovaldi, Nathan 2928 pi sp bos al -8.1 6.0
13 Ryu, Hyun Jin 3139 pi sp tor al -8.0 1.0
16 Mize, Casey 4377 pi sp det al -7.7
17 Kennedy, Ian 2723 pi cp ari nl -7.7 1.0
18 Votto, Joey 2366 1b dh cin nl -7.7 2.0
19 Yarbrough, Ryan 3962 pi mr sp tb al -7.7 2.0
20 Montas, Frankie 3803 pi sp nyy al -7.7 4.7
21 Crawford, Brandon 2878 ss sf nl -7.5
22 Giolito, Lucas 3900 pi sp chi al -7.4 4.0
23 deGrom, Jacob 3343 pi sp nym nl -7.3 9.4
24 Ross, Joe 3499 pi sp dc nl -7.0
25 Fedde, Erick 4065 pi sp dc nl -7.0 3.4
Dip: Decline in Box-Toppers point total from 2021 to 2022.
BTP: Box-Toppers points
What are those numbers after players' names?
About Box-Toppers’ team abbreviations

Best seasons

Randy Johnson holds the record for most Box-Toppers points in a single season with 33.7, which he achieved twice—in 2000 and 2002. Here are all players who have earned 25 or more Box-Toppers points in a single season since 1995, ranked by their single-season Box-Toppers point total.
 
Player Team Pos Year BTP
1 Randy Johnson Diamondbacks pi sp 2000 33.7
1 Randy Johnson Diamondbacks pi sp 2002 33.7
3 Pedro Martinez Red Sox pi sp 2000 33.5
4 Gerrit Cole Astros pi sp 2019 32.2
5 Randy Johnson Diamondbacks pi sp 1999 31.5
5 Clayton Kershaw Dodgers pi sp 2014 31.5
7 Pedro Martinez Red Sox pi sp 1999 31.4
8 Randy Johnson Diamondbacks pi sp 2001 29.4
9 Jake Arrieta Cubs pi sp 2015 29.1
10 Pedro Martinez Red Sox pi sp 2002 28.8
11 Curt Schilling Diamondbacks pi sp 2002 28.4
12 Justin Verlander Astros pi sp 2019 27.5
13 Roger Clemens Blue Jays pi sp 1997 27.4
14 Blake Snell Rays pi sp 2018 27.2
15 Johan Santana Twins pi sp 2004 26.8
16 Pedro Martinez Expos pi sp 1997 26.7
16 CC Sabathia Indians/Brewers pi sp 2008 26.7
18 Randy Johnson Mariners/Astros pi sp 1998 26.4
19 John Smoltz Braves pi sp 1996 26.1
19 Clayton Kershaw Dodgers pi sp 2011 26.1
21 Justin Verlander Astros pi sp 2022 26.0
22 Roger Clemens Blue Jays pi sp 1998 25.8
22 Corey Kluber Indians pi sp 2014 25.8
24 Johan Santana Twins pi sp 2006 25.7
24 Clayton Kershaw Dodgers pi sp 2015 25.7
24 Max Scherzer Nationals pi sp 2016 25.7
27 Cliff Lee Phillies pi sp 2011 25.4
28 Chris Sale Red Sox pi sp 2017 25.1
28 Max Scherzer Nationals pi sp 2018 25.1
28 Max Scherzer Nationals/Dodgers pi sp 2021 25.1
31 Max Scherzer Nationals pi sp 2017 25.0

Best seasons for batters

Lance Berkman holds the record for most Box-Toppers points (BTP) in a single season by a batter with 20.8 in 2006. Here are all batters who have earned 16.0 or more Box-Toppers points in a single season since 1995, ranked by their single-season Box-Toppers point total.
NOTE: All 36 instances of batters earning 16.0 or more points happened in 2013 or earlier. In fact, there has only been one such instance since 2009 (Miguel Cabrera with 16.9 in 2013).
◼︎ A look at how batters with high single-season Box-Toppers point totals fared in voting for Most Valuable Player awards
 ◼︎ A look at how and why batters’ share of Box-Toppers points plummeted in the decade of the 2010s
 
Player Team Pos Year BTP
1 Lance Berkman Astros 1b 2006 20.8
2 Barry Bonds Giants lf 2002 20.7
3 Albert Belle Indians lf dh 1996 20.4
4 Manny Ramirez Indians rf dh 1999 19.9
5 Alex Rodriguez Yankees 3b 2007 18.9
6 Mo Vaughn Red Sox 1b 1996 18.6
7 Larry Walker Rockies rf 1997 18.5
8 Ellis Burks Rockies lf cf 1996 18.4
9 Barry Bonds Giants lf 1996 18.2
10 Frank Thomas White Sox dh 1b 2000 17.9
11 Carlos Delgado Blue Jays 1b 2003 17.7
12 Bernie Williams Yankees cf 1999 17.2
12 Magglio Ordonez White Sox rf 2007 17.2
14 Todd Helton Rockies 1b 2001 17.0
14 Jason Giambi Yankees 1b dh 2002 17.0
14 Alex Rodriguez Mariners ss 2000 17.0
14 Jason Giambi Athletics 1b 2000 17.0
18 Miguel Cabrera Tigers 3b 2013 16.9
19 Chipper Jones Braves 3b 2001 16.7
19 David Ortiz Red Sox dh 2006 16.7
19 Albert Pujols Cardinals 1b 2009 16.7
22 Albert Pujols Cardinals lf 1b 2003 16.5
22 Miguel Cabrera Tigers 1b 2009 16.5
24 Albert Belle White Sox lf 1998 16.4
24 Adam Lind Blue Jays dh lf ph 2009 16.4
26 Juan Gonzalez Rangers dh rf 1997 16.3
26 Juan Gonzalez Rangers rf dh 1998 16.3
28 Jim Thome Indians 3b 1996 16.2
28 Manny Ramirez Indians rf 1998 16.2
28 Albert Belle Orioles rf 1999 16.2
28 Gary Sheffield Yankees rf 2004 16.2
28 Matt Holliday Rockies lf 2007 16.2
33 Jeff Bagwell Astros 1b 1997 16.0
33 Sammy Sosa Cubs rf 2001 16.0
33 Jim Thome Indians 1b 2002 16.0
33 Albert Pujols Cardinals 1b 2006 16.0

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Who are the best players in baseball? How do you even measure such a thing? One way is to determine which players most help their teams win the most games. That's what Box-Toppers does.

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.

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.

All-time leaders

Here are Box-Toppers top 20 players since record keeping began in 1995:

Player Pos Team BTP
1 Randy Johnson pi sp retired 282.5
2 Clayton Kershaw pi sp lad nl 259.3
3 Pedro Martinez pi sp retired 244.8
4 Max Scherzer pi sp nym nl 236.3
5 Justin Verlander pi sp hou al 232.6
6 Zack Greinke pi sp kc al 222.5
7 Albert Pujols 1b dh stl nl 207.8
8 CC Sabathia pi sp retired 203.4
9 Curt Schilling pi sp retired 194.1
10 Alex Rodriguez dh retired 187.0
11 Jon Lester pi sp retired 179.3
12 Felix Hernandez pi sp released 175.1
13 Cole Hamels pi sp free agent 174.2
14 Roy Halladay pi sp retired 170.7
15 Johan Santana pi sp retired 166.6
16 Manny Ramirez lf dh retired 166.2
17 Roger Clemens pi sp retired 164.8
18 John Smoltz pi sp retired 160.9
19 Miguel Cabrera 1b det al 159.4
20 Tim Hudson pi sp retired 157.0
Dip: Decline in Box-Toppers point total from 2021 to 2022.
BTP: Box-Toppers points
Note: We are in the process of auditing results for the 1995 season, which has resulted in minor changes in career Box-Toppers point totals for a few players. For example, Randy Johnson has gained 3.7 points and Manny Ramirez has lost 1.0 point.
About Box-Toppers’ team abbreviations

Box-Toppers Players of the Year

Here are Box-Toppers Player of the Year winners in each season of Box-Toppers tracking since 1995. Player of the Year is the player with the season’s highest Box-Toppers point total:

Year Player Pos Team BTP
1995 Randy Johnson pi sp Mariners 23.7
1996 John Smoltz pi sp Braves 26.1
1997 Roger Clemens pi sp Blue Jays 27.4
1998 Randy Johnson pi sp Astros† 26.4
1999 Randy Johnson pi sp Dbacks 31.5
2000 Randy Johnson pi sp Dbacks 33.7
2001 Randy Johnson pi sp Dbacks 29.4
2002 Randy Johnson pi sp Dbacks 33.7
2003 Jason Schmidt pi sp Giants 24.7
2004 Johan Santana pi sp Twins 26.8
2005 Johan Santana pi sp Twins 24.1
2006 Johan Santana pi sp Twins 25.7
2007 Jake Peavy pi sp Padres 23.4
2008 CC Sabathia pi sp Brewers* 26.7
2009 Zack Greinke pi sp Royals 21.5
2010 Jon Lester pi sp Red Sox 23.4
2011 Clayton Kershaw pi sp Dodgers 26.1
2012 Justin Verlander pi sp Tigers 24.8
2013 Clayton Kershaw pi sp Dodgers 21.7
2014 Clayton Kershaw pi sp Dodgers 31.5
2015 Jake Arrieta pi sp Cubs 29.1
2016 Max Scherzer pi sp Nationals 25.7
2017 Chris Sale pi sp Red Sox 25.1
2018 Blake Snell pi sp Rays 27.2
2019 Gerrit Cole pi sp Astros 32.2
2020 Shane Bieber pi sp Indians 11.4§
2021 Max Scherzer pi sp Dodgers** 25.1
2022 Justin Verlander pi sp Astros 26.0
Dip: Decline in Box-Toppers point total from 2021 to 2022.
† Played for Mariners before trade to Astros.
* Played for the Indians before trade to the Brewers.
** Played for the Nationals before trade to the Dodgers.
§ Season shortened from 162 to 60 games due to the coronavirus pandemic.

2022 leaders

Who had the most Box-Toppers points in the 2022 season? Here is a breakdown of the overall leaders, plus the leaders by league in both pitching and batting.
 
OVERALL LEADERS POS TEAM BTP
1 Verlander, Justin 2112 pi sp hou al 26.0
2 Ohtani, Shohei 3933 pi sp ana al 24.7
3 Alcantara, Sandy 4061 pi sp fla nl 21.1
4 Woodruff, Brandon 3868 pi sp mil nl 20.8
5 Cease, Dylan 4231 pi sp chi al 20.4
6 Rodon, Carlos 3494 pi sp sf nl 19.8
7 Urias, Julio 3652 pi sp lad nl 19.4
8 Gallen, Zac 4171 pi sp ari nl 18.7
9 Musgrove, Joe 3705 pi sp sd nl 17.4
10 Darvish, Yu 3003 pi sp sd nl 16.8
AL PITCHERS POS TEAM BTP
1 Verlander, Justin 2112 pi sp hou al 26.0
2 Ohtani, Shohei 3933 pi sp ana al 24.7
3 Cease, Dylan 4231 pi sp chi al 20.4
4 McClanahan, Shane 4399 pi sp tb al 16.4
5 Valdez, Framber 4048 pi sp hou al 16.0
6 McKenzie, Triston 4303 pi sp cle al 15.7
7 Javier, Cristian 4290 pi sp hou al 15.7
8 Cole, Gerrit 3232 pi sp nyy al 15.4
9 Cortes, Nestor 4160 pi sp nyy al 15.4
10 Ryan, Joe 4539 pi sp min al 14.7
AL BATTERS POS TEAM BTP
1 Judge, Aaron 3767 rf cf nyy al 13.2
2 Ramirez, Jose 3436 3b cle al 11.7
3 Alvarez, Yordan 4209 dh hou al 8.7
4 Bregman, Alex 3721 3b hou al 8.7
5 Springer, George 3337 cf rf tor al 8.0
6 Suarez, Eugenio 3355 3b sea al 8.0
7 Raleigh, Cal 4481 ca ph sea al 7.5
8 Rodriguez, Julio 4590 cf sea al 7.5
9 Bogaerts, Xander 3383 ss bos al 7.0
10 France, Ty 4243 1b sea al 7.0
NL PITCHERS POS TEAM BTP
1 Alcantara, Sandy 4061 pi sp fla nl 21.1
2 Woodruff, Brandon 3868 pi sp mil nl 20.8
3 Rodon, Carlos 3494 pi sp sf nl 19.8
4 Urias, Julio 3652 pi sp lad nl 19.4
5 Gallen, Zac 4171 pi sp ari nl 18.7
6 Musgrove, Joe 3705 pi sp sd nl 17.4
7 Darvish, Yu 3003 pi sp sd nl 16.8
8 Fried, Max 4011 pi sp atl nl 16.0
9 Nola, Aaron 3569 pi sp phi nl 16.0
10 Burnes, Corbin 4029 pi sp mil nl 15.4
NL BATTERS POS TEAM BTP
1 Alonso, Pete 4118 1b nym nl 14.9
2 Betts, Mookie 3404 rf lad nl 11.7
3 Canha, Mark 3454 lf nym nl 8.7
4 Freeman, Freddie 2887 1b lad nl 8.5
5 Tellez, Rowdy 4078 1b mil nl 8.2
6 Riley, Austin 4144 3b atl nl 8.0
7 Goldschmidt, Paul 2935 1b stl nl 7.5
8 Muncy, Max 3969 3b lad nl 7.2
9 Arenado, Nolan 3306 3b stl nl 7.0
10 Cron, C.J. 3338 1b col nl 7.0
BTP—Box-Toppers points
What are those numbers after players' names?
About Box-Toppers’ team abbreviations

Most improved players

Here are the players who had the biggest gains in Box-Toppers points (BTP) from 2021 to 2022, ranked by their rise in points this season. Astros pitcher Justin Verlander had the biggest gain of 26.0 points, earning 0.0 points in 2021 and 26.0 in 2022. Braves pitcher Spencer Strider had the biggest gain among rookie players, earning 13.4 Box-Toppers points in his first season. That 13.4-point gain is the fourth-biggest among all players.
Complete story, details
 
Player Pos Team BTP Rise
1 Verlander, Justin 2112 pi sp hou al 26.0 +26.0
2 Gallen, Zac 4171 pi sp ari nl 18.7 +14.7
3 Wright, Kyle 4349 pi sp atl nl 14.4 +14.4
4 Strider, Spencer 4626† pi sp atl nl 13.4 +13.4
5 Mikolas, Miles 3034 pi sp stl nl 12.1 +12.1
6 Ryan, Joe 4539† pi sp min al 14.7 +12.0
7 Alonso, Pete 4118 1b nym nl 14.9 +11.9
8 McClanahan, Shane 4399 pi sp tb al 16.4 +11.7
9 Alcantara, Sandy 4061 pi sp fla nl 21.1 +11.4
10 Kirby, George 4595† pi sp sea al 11.4 +11.4
11 Valdez, Framber 4048 pi sp hou al 16.0 +11.0
12 Cortes, Nestor 4160 pi sp nyy al 15.4 +10.4
13 Quintana, Jose 3040 pi sp stl nl 11.4 +10.4
14 Javier, Cristian 4290 pi sp hou al 15.7 +9.7
15 Carrasco, Carlos 2885 pi sp nym nl 9.7 +9.7
16 Rasmussen, Drew 4547 pi sp tb al 11.1 +9.1
17 Thompson, Keegan 4579† pi sp chi nl 9.0 +9.0
18 Singer, Brady 4337 pi sp kc al 11.7 +8.7
19 Betts, Mookie 3404 rf lad nl 11.7 +8.7
20 Ohtani, Shohei 3933 pi sp ana al 24.7 +8.6
21 Rodon, Carlos 3494 pi sp sf nl 19.8 +8.1
22 Perez, Martin 3213 pi sp tex al 9.1 +8.1
23 Kelly, Merrill 4143 pi sp ari nl 11.0 +8.0
24 Springs, Jeffrey 4372 pi sp tb al 10.7 +7.7
25 Rodriguez, Julio 4590† cf sea al 7.5 +7.5
169 Acuna, Ronald Jr. 3947 rf atl nl 3.5 +2.5
What are those numbers after players' names?
BTP—Box-Toppers points
† Rookie status in 2022

Big dippers

Here are players whose Box-Toppers point total declined most from 2021 to 2022. Players are listed in order of their Box-Toppers point decline. Their Box-Toppers points (BTP) for 2022, if any, are also shown.
Complete story, details
 
Player Pos Team Dip BTP
1 Scherzer, Max 2588 pi sp nym nl -15.1 10.0
2 DeSclafani, Anthony 3441 pi sp sf nl -12.7
3 Glasnow, Tyler 3948 pi sp tb al -12.7
4 Buehler, Walker 3943 pi sp lad nl -12.7 4.0
5 Marquez, German 3788 pi sp col nl -12.7 4.7
6 Castellanos, Nicholas 3349 rf phi nl -11.5
7 Tatis, Fernando Jr. 4101 ss sd nl -10.2
8 Rodriguez, Eduardo 3480 pi sp det al -10.0
9 Miley, Wade 3006 pi sp chi nl -9.7 1.0
10 Flexen, Chris 4368 pi sp sea al -9.7 2.0
11 Manaea, Sean 3637 pi sp sd nl -9.7 6.0
12 Bauer, Trevor 3065 pi sp lad nl -9.4
13 Means, John 4115 pi sp bal al -9.0
13 Eovaldi, Nathan 2928 pi sp bos al -8.1 6.0
13 Ryu, Hyun Jin 3139 pi sp tor al -8.0 1.0
16 Mize, Casey 4377 pi sp det al -7.7
17 Kennedy, Ian 2723 pi cp ari nl -7.7 1.0
18 Votto, Joey 2366 1b dh cin nl -7.7 2.0
19 Yarbrough, Ryan 3962 pi mr sp tb al -7.7 2.0
20 Montas, Frankie 3803 pi sp nyy al -7.7 4.7
21 Crawford, Brandon 2878 ss sf nl -7.5
22 Giolito, Lucas 3900 pi sp chi al -7.4 4.0
23 deGrom, Jacob 3343 pi sp nym nl -7.3 9.4
24 Ross, Joe 3499 pi sp dc nl -7.0
25 Fedde, Erick 4065 pi sp dc nl -7.0 3.4
Dip: Decline in Box-Toppers point total from 2021 to 2022.
BTP: Box-Toppers points
What are those numbers after players' names?
About Box-Toppers’ team abbreviations

Best seasons

Randy Johnson holds the record for most Box-Toppers points in a single season with 33.7, which he achieved twice—in 2000 and 2002. Here are all players who have earned 25 or more Box-Toppers points in a single season since 1995, ranked by their single-season Box-Toppers point total.
 
Player Team Pos Year BTP
1 Randy Johnson Diamondbacks pi sp 2000 33.7
1 Randy Johnson Diamondbacks pi sp 2002 33.7
3 Pedro Martinez Red Sox pi sp 2000 33.5
4 Gerrit Cole Astros pi sp 2019 32.2
5 Randy Johnson Diamondbacks pi sp 1999 31.5
5 Clayton Kershaw Dodgers pi sp 2014 31.5
7 Pedro Martinez Red Sox pi sp 1999 31.4
8 Randy Johnson Diamondbacks pi sp 2001 29.4
9 Jake Arrieta Cubs pi sp 2015 29.1
10 Pedro Martinez Red Sox pi sp 2002 28.8
11 Curt Schilling Diamondbacks pi sp 2002 28.4
12 Justin Verlander Astros pi sp 2019 27.5
13 Roger Clemens Blue Jays pi sp 1997 27.4
14 Blake Snell Rays pi sp 2018 27.2
15 Johan Santana Twins pi sp 2004 26.8
16 Pedro Martinez Expos pi sp 1997 26.7
16 CC Sabathia Indians/Brewers pi sp 2008 26.7
18 Randy Johnson Mariners/Astros pi sp 1998 26.4
19 John Smoltz Braves pi sp 1996 26.1
19 Clayton Kershaw Dodgers pi sp 2011 26.1
21 Justin Verlander Astros pi sp 2022 26.0
22 Roger Clemens Blue Jays pi sp 1998 25.8
22 Corey Kluber Indians pi sp 2014 25.8
24 Johan Santana Twins pi sp 2006 25.7
24 Clayton Kershaw Dodgers pi sp 2015 25.7
24 Max Scherzer Nationals pi sp 2016 25.7
27 Cliff Lee Phillies pi sp 2011 25.4
28 Chris Sale Red Sox pi sp 2017 25.1
28 Max Scherzer Nationals pi sp 2018 25.1
28 Max Scherzer Nationals/Dodgers pi sp 2021 25.1
31 Max Scherzer Nationals pi sp 2017 25.0

Best seasons for batters

Lance Berkman holds the record for most Box-Toppers points (BTP) in a single season by a batter with 20.8 in 2006. Here are all batters who have earned 16.0 or more Box-Toppers points in a single season since 1995, ranked by their single-season Box-Toppers point total.
NOTE: All 36 instances of batters earning 16.0 or more points happened in 2013 or earlier. In fact, there has only been one such instance since 2009 (Miguel Cabrera with 16.9 in 2013).
◼︎ A look at how batters with high single-season Box-Toppers point totals fared in voting for Most Valuable Player awards
 ◼︎ A look at how and why batters’ share of Box-Toppers points plummeted in the decade of the 2010s
 
Player Team Pos Year BTP
1 Lance Berkman Astros 1b 2006 20.8
2 Barry Bonds Giants lf 2002 20.7
3 Albert Belle Indians lf dh 1996 20.4
4 Manny Ramirez Indians rf dh 1999 19.9
5 Alex Rodriguez Yankees 3b 2007 18.9
6 Mo Vaughn Red Sox 1b 1996 18.6
7 Larry Walker Rockies rf 1997 18.5
8 Ellis Burks Rockies lf cf 1996 18.4
9 Barry Bonds Giants lf 1996 18.2
10 Frank Thomas White Sox dh 1b 2000 17.9
11 Carlos Delgado Blue Jays 1b 2003 17.7
12 Bernie Williams Yankees cf 1999 17.2
12 Magglio Ordonez White Sox rf 2007 17.2
14 Todd Helton Rockies 1b 2001 17.0
14 Jason Giambi Yankees 1b dh 2002 17.0
14 Alex Rodriguez Mariners ss 2000 17.0
14 Jason Giambi Athletics 1b 2000 17.0
18 Miguel Cabrera Tigers 3b 2013 16.9
19 Chipper Jones Braves 3b 2001 16.7
19 David Ortiz Red Sox dh 2006 16.7
19 Albert Pujols Cardinals 1b 2009 16.7
22 Albert Pujols Cardinals lf 1b 2003 16.5
22 Miguel Cabrera Tigers 1b 2009 16.5
24 Albert Belle White Sox lf 1998 16.4
24 Adam Lind Blue Jays dh lf ph 2009 16.4
26 Juan Gonzalez Rangers dh rf 1997 16.3
26 Juan Gonzalez Rangers rf dh 1998 16.3
28 Jim Thome Indians 3b 1996 16.2
28 Manny Ramirez Indians rf 1998 16.2
28 Albert Belle Orioles rf 1999 16.2
28 Gary Sheffield Yankees rf 2004 16.2
28 Matt Holliday Rockies lf 2007 16.2
33 Jeff Bagwell Astros 1b 1997 16.0
33 Sammy Sosa Cubs rf 2001 16.0
33 Jim Thome Indians 1b 2002 16.0
33 Albert Pujols Cardinals 1b 2006 16.0

Box-Toppers season streaks

Here are the players who have earned Box-Toppers points in the most consecutive seasons. Albert Pujols holds the record for the longest such streak at 22 seasons. Players are listed by length of their streak. Also shown is the duration of their streak and their career Box-Toppers point (BTP) total. (Box-Toppers tracking began in 1995.)
 
Streak Player Pos Duration Career
BTP
1 22 Albert Pujols 1b 2001‑2022 207.8
2 20 Miguel Cabrera* dh 1b 2003‑2022 159.4
3 19 Jason Giambi 1b 1995‑2013 133.4
3 19 Carlos Beltran rf 1999‑2017 108.6
3 19 CC Sabathia pi sp 2001‑2019 203.4
6 18 Jim Thome 1b dh 1995‑2012 146.7
6 18 Chipper Jones 3b 1995‑2012 149.0
6 18 Johnny Damon lf 1995‑2012 63.0
6 18 Alex Rodriguez 3b 1996‑2013 187.0
10 17 Mariano Rivera pi cp 1995‑2011 126.4
10 17 Derek Jeter ss 1996‑2012 76.4
10 17 Paul Konerko 1b 1998‑2014 100.7
10 17 Tim Hudson pi sp 1999‑2015 157.0
10 17 Torii Hunter cf 1999‑2015 115.9
10 17 David Ortiz dh 2000‑2016 145.9
10 17 Nelson Cruz* dh 2006‑2022 88.4
17 16 Manny Ramirez lf 1995‑2010 166.2
17 16 Andy Pettitte pi sp 1995‑2010 138.5
17 16 Jamie Moyer pi sp 1995‑2010 104.0
17 16 Scott Rolen 3b 1996‑2011 97.6
17 16 Kevin Millwood pi sp 1997‑2012 108.3
17 16 Derek Lowe pi sp 1998‑2013 91.5
17 16 Aramis Ramirez 3b 2000‑2015 105.8
17 16 Mark Buehrle pi sp 2000‑2015 116.7
17 16 Ichiro Suzuki rf 2001‑2016 53.7
17 16 Edwin Encarnacion dh 2005‑2020 88.2
17 16 Jon Lester pi sp 2006‑2021 179.3
17 16 Zack Greinke* pi sp 2007‑2022 222.5
17 16 Kurt Suzuki ca 2007‑2022 47.5
30 15 Randy Johnson pi sp 1995‑2009 282.5
30 15 Garret Anderson lf 1995‑2009 86.5
30 15 Ivan Rodriguez ca 1995‑2009 79.0
30 15 Tony Clark 1b 1995‑2009 63.8
30 15 Gary Sheffield lf 1995‑2009 124.1
30 15 Jason Kendall ca 1996‑2010 40.9
30 15 Vladimir Guerrero rf 1997‑2011 128.3
30 15 Bobby Abreu rf 1997‑2011 95.5
30 15 Mike Cameron cf 1997‑2011 70.3
30 15 Miguel Tejada ss 1997‑2011 102.3
30 15 Jorge Posada ca 1997‑2011 79.5
30 15 Livan Hernandez pi sp 1997‑2011 76.7
30 15 Kyle Lohse pi sp 2001‑2015 89.0
30 15 Jake Peavy pi sp 2002‑2016 141.8
30 15 Joe Mauer 1b 2004‑2018 82.6
30 15 Felix Hernandez pi sp 2005‑2019 175.1
30 15 Robinson Cano 2b 2005‑2019 85.4
30 15 Justin Verlander pi sp 2006‑2020 232.6
30 15 Asdrubal Cabrera* 3b 1b 2007‑2021 63.7
30 15 Clayton Kershaw* pi sp 2008‑2022 259.3
30 15 Johnny Cueto* pi sp 2008‑2022 118.2
30 15 Evan Longoria* 3b 2008‑2022 60.0
BTP: Box-Toppers points
* Active streak.
(Chart updated Jan. 18, 2023)

 

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