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The leaders in three specific pitching categories—earned run average, wins and strikeouts—were among the overall top 10 players in Box-Toppers points.
However, the leaders in three specific batting categories—batting average, home runs and runs batted in—did not fare well in Box-Toppers points. All three ranked outside the top 200 overall players in Box-Toppers points and also ranked outside the top 10 players among their league’s batters.
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Looking at the top 10 players in the Wins Above Replacement (WAR) statistic for each of the past 25 seasons, gives the impression batters are holding steady as the dominant force in baseball.
Yet, in recent years, batters are striking out more and hitting for lower batting averages against pitchers who are holding batters down and stealing their lunch money. Looking at the top 10 players in Box-Toppers points for each of the past 25 seasons provides a more accurate reflection of the game—one in which batters performed well and even dominated through about 2009, until pitchers’ announced their presence with authority from 2010 on.
Read MoreSix of the 10 top strikeout leaders in 2021 were also among the top 10 players in Box-Toppers points for the season.
Blue Jays pitcher Robbie Ray led all players with 248 strikeouts. He ranked sixth overall in Box-Toppers points with 17.7, second among American League pitchers. Ray won the AL Cy Young Award.
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Julio Urias of the Dodgers, who led all pitchers in wins in 2021 with 20, also ranked fourth among all players in Box-Toppers points with 19.1.
Among the 13 pitchers with 14 or more wins in 2021, Urias is one of five who were among the top 10 in Box-Toppers points for the season. Meanwhile, Max Scherzer of the Dodgers, who led all players in Box-Toppers points in 2021, also had Box-Toppers’ highest Sincere Win Differential (SWD) of +10.1.
Read MoreSeven of the top 10 players in Box-Toppers points in 2021 also recorded among the 10 lowest earned run averages for the season.
Brewers pitcher Corbin Burnes, who had the lowest ERA (2.43), ranked fifth in Box-Toppers points for 2021 (18.1), fourth among National League pitchers. Dodgers pitcher Max Scherzer, who led all players with 25.1 Box-Toppers points, had the second-lowest ERA (2.46).
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The Milwaukee Brewers are the top-ranked team going into 2022, leading Box-Toppers offseason team rankings as of mid-December.
Players currently signed to the Brewers 40-man roster accumulated 111.1 Box-Toppers points during the 2021 season, most of any team. The Chicago White Sox rank second overall with 109.2 Box-Toppers points, leading all American League teams.
Read MoreBraves pitcher Max Fried and Dodgers pitcher Julio Urias are Box-Toppers Player of the Game winners in Saturday’s pair of National League Division Series games.
Read MoreIn four league division series playoff games Friday, these are Box-Toppers Player of the Game winners: Giants pitcher Logan Webb, Brewers pitcher Corbin Burnes, Red Sox pitcher Tanner Houck and Kyle Tucker of the Astros.
Read MoreBoth National League Division Series begin Friday.
The NL East champion Atlanta Braves face the NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers in one best-of-five game series and the NL Wild Card champion Los Angeles Dodgers take on the San Francisco Giants, champions of the NL West in the other series.
Read MoreBrewers pitcher Corbin Burnes is Saturday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day, rising to sixth place in season player rankings.
Also Saturday, Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler maintains his third-place spot in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors.
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Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole leads in Box-Toppers season player rankings for the third straight week.
Meanwhile, Nick Castellanos of the Reds rises to lead National League batters in Box-Toppers rankings. Two other category leaders remain the same: Max Scherzer of the Dodgers continues to lead NL pitchers and Shohei Ohtani of the Angels continues to lead American League batters.
Read MoreYankees pitcher Gerrit Cole is Wednesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day, extending his lead in season player rankings.
Also Wednesday, Dodgers pitcher Max Scherzer extended his lead among National League pitchers in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning NL Player of the Day honors. Plus, Nick Castellanos of the Reds rises to first place among NL batters in 2021 Box-Toppers points after earning NL Batter of the Day honors.
Read MorePadres pitcher Blake Snell is Tuesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Tuesday, Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff rises to third place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors.
Read MoreBlue Jays pitcher Robbie Ray is Wednesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Wednesday, two players rise in Box-Toppers season player rankings top 10 list after earning Player of the Game honors—Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff rises to fifth place and Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler rises to ninth place.
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Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom maintains his lead in Box-Toppers player rankings, despite not playing in more than two weeks.
All other category leaders remain the same as in the last Box-Toppers player rankings report July 11, prior to the All-Star break—Gerrit Cole of the Yankees leads American League pitchers, J.D. Martinez of the Red Sox leads AL batters and Nick Castellanos of the Reds leads National League batters.
Read MoreWhite Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito is Saturday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Saturday, Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole maintains his second-place spot in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors. Plus, Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff rises to third place after he also earns Player of the Game honors.
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The Milwaukee Brewers continue to lead Box-Toppers team rankings at the All-Star break.
Meanwhile, the Chicago White Sox continue to lead American League teams and the Philadelphia Phillies are the hottest team since July 1.
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Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom maintains his lead in Box-Toppers weekly player rankings for the second straight week.
Meanwhile, J.D. Martinez of the Red Sox regains the season Box-Toppers points lead among American League batters. Plus, Gerrit Cole of the Yankees maintains his lead among AL pitchers and Adam Duvall of the Marlins maintains his lead among National League batters.
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The Milwaukee Brewers, the week’s hottest team, rise to lead this week’s Box-Toppers team rankings report.
The Brewers pass the Chicago White Sox, leaders for the past four weeks, but the White Sox maintain their lead among American League teams for the fifth straight week.
Read MoreRockies pitcher German Marquez is Tuesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day, rising to eighth place in season player rankings.
Also Tuesday, Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff rises to third place in Box-Toppers season player rankings and J.D. Martinez of the Red Sox rises to lead American League batters in season player rankings. Both were among Tuesday’s 14 Player of the Game winners.
Read MoreBox-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. Players earn Box-Toppers points 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.