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Here’s an overview of Box-Toppers point leaders for 2024. The chart shows:
• Overall top 10 leaders and top 10 pitchers and batters in the American and National leagues.
• Top batters by position—top 10 for outfielders and top five for other positions.
• The top 10 players with the biggest declines ("dippers") and increases ("risers") in points from 2023.
• Top relief pitchers, featuring the top five closing (CP) and middle relief (MR) pitchers in both leagues.
Read MoreHere is a detailed look at Box-Toppers point leaders for 2022.
The chart accompanying this post shows points leaders for the season by several different categories and classifications.
Read MoreHere is a detailed look at Box-Toppers point leaders for 2021.
The chart accompanying this post shows points leaders for the season by several different categories and classifications,
Read MoreA detailed look at Box-Toppers points leaders for 2020, including overall top 10 leaders and the top 10 in both the American League and National League. Also includes the top 10 overall batters, plus top 10 in both AL and NL, plus top batters by position in each league. Also includes top 10 biggest dippers and risers—players whose Box-Toppers point increased and decreased most from 2019.
Read MoreHere is a detailed look at Box-Toppers point leaders for 2019.
The chart accompanying this post shows points leaders for the season by several different categories and classifications.
Read MoreHere is a detailed look at Box-Toppers point leaders for 2018.
The chart accompanying this post shows points leaders for the season by several different categories and classifications.
Read MoreIn 2006, Lance Berkman of the Astros earned 20.8 Box-Toppers points, the most in a single season by a batter. But he did not win MVP that year. How did Box-Toppers' other 17-highest scoring batters do?
Read More
One in a series
Box-Toppers’ Stick-A-Fork-In-Them series looks at 14 players whose careers are done or may be done. Included is a look at how they have fared in Box-Toppers points over their careers, reflecting their impact on the game over time. This is the fifth of the series:
| Year | Team | BTP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | cle al | * | |
| 1992 | cle al | * | |
| 1993 | cle al | * | |
| 1994 | cle al | * | |
| 1995 | cle al | 5.0 | |
| 1996 | cle al | 16.2 | BTP-6, BTP-AL bat-3, MVP-15 |
| 1997 | cle al | 8.5 | AS, BTP-65, BTP-AL bat-18, MVP-6 |
| 1998 | cle al | 8.5 | AS, BTP-82, BTP-AL bat-19, MVP-21 |
| 1999 | cle al | 8.0 | AS |
| 2000 | cle al | 11.5 | BTP-27, BTP-AL bat-8 |
| 2001 | cle al | 9.2 | BTP-78, BTP-AL bat-16, MVP-7 |
| 2002 | cle al | 16.0 | BTP-7, BTP-AL bat-2, MVP-7 |
| 2003 | phi nl | 10.5 | BTP-40, BTP-NL bat-8, MVP-4 |
| 2004 | phi nl | 6.5 | AS, BTP-127, BAT-NL bat-33, MVP-19 |
| 2005 | phi nl | 1.0 | |
| 2006 | chi al | 7.7 | AS, BTP-104, BTP-AL bat-24, MVP-12 |
| 2007 | chi al | 7.0 | |
| 2008 | chi al | 7.5 | |
| 2009 | chi al/lad nl | 10.4 | BTP-45, BTP-NL bat-7 |
| 2010 | min al | 5.2 | BTP-190, BTP-AL bat-41, MVP-18 |
| 2011 | min al/cle al | 5.5 | |
| 2012 | phi nl/bal al | 2.5 | |
| 2013 | did not play | 0.0 | |
| Total | 146.7 | BTP-17, BTP-bat-6 |
* Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995. Thome played 27 games in 1991, 40 games in 1992, 47 in 1993 and 98 in 1994.
AS All-star selection
BTP Finish among all players in Box-Toppers points
BTP-AL bat Finish among all AL batters in BTP
BTP-NL bat Finish among all NL batters in BTP
MVP Finish in league Most Valuable Player Award voting
Source: Information for player awards comes from Baseball-Reference.com
Jim Thome, who ranks sixth among all batters in career Box-Toppers points (since 1995), was among the season’s overall top 10 players twice and among his league’s top 10 batters in five different seasons.
Thome, 43, last played in the Major Leagues in 2012 for the Baltimore Orioles, worked in the front office for the Chicago White Sox in 2013 and in 2014, the Cleveland Indians will erect a statue in his honor. He seems retired. But during 2013, he was listed as a free agent all season. And in December, he said he would not rule out a comeback in 2014.
So if he is done, he leaves among the top 10 of all batters in Box-Toppers points. He has 146.7 points, ranking sixth among all batters and 17th among all players. (Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995, so Thome’s first four seasons in the big leagues are unrecorded by Box-Toppers—he played 27 games in 1991, 40 games in 1992, 47 in 1993 and 98 in 1994.)
Thome never won a league Most Valuable Player honor (his highest finish in voting was 2003, when he finished fourth in National League voting with the Philadelphia Phillies). Thome also never ranked first among batters in his league in Box-Toppers points (his best finish was ranking second among American League batters in 2002 with the Cleveland Indians).
Among Thome’s best seasons:
• 1996 with the Indians: He had 16.2 Box-Toppers points, a career-high for a season. He ranked sixth among all players and third among AL batters—finishing behind then-teammate Albert Belle (20.4) and Mo Vaughn of the Boston Red Sox (18.6). Thome finished in 15th place in AL MVP voting.
• 2000 with the Indians: He had 11.5 Box-Toppers points, finishing eighth among all AL batters and 27th overall. (Frank Thomas of the White Sox was first among AL batters with 17.9 points.)
• 2002 with the Indians: He had 16.0 Box-Toppers points, ranking seventh among all players and second among AL batters. (Jason Giambi of the New York Yankees finished ahead of him with 17.0 Box-Toppers points.) Thome finished seventh in AL MVP voting that year.
• 2003 with the Phillies: He had 10.5 Box-Toppers points, ranking eighth among NL batters and 40th among all players. He finished fourth in NL MVP voting.
• 2009 with the White Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers: He had 10.4 Box-Toppers points, ranking seventh among NL batters and 45th among all players.
Thome had 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points in a season five different times. He scored more than 15.0 in a season twice.
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. 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.
Previously in the series: Alex Rodriguez, Roy Halladay, Manny Ramirez, Johan Santana
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. 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.