Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer, 2016’s leader in Box-Toppers points, also was the season’s leader in strikeouts.

Seven of the 10 leaders in strikeouts in 2016 were among the top 10 pitchers in their league in Box-Toppers points. Nine of the 10 strikeout leaders were among the overall top 100 players in Box-Toppers points.

Strikeout leaders’ Box-Toppers points
Here is how 2016 strikeout (K) leaders fared in Box-Toppers points. Players are ranked by strikeouts. Also shown are their 2016 Box-Toppers points (BTP) and their rank in Box-Toppers points among all players.







  
    
    
    
    
    
    
  

    

    Player
    Team
    K
    BTP
    Rank
  

    1
    Max Scherzer
    Nationals
    284
    25.7
    1
  

    2
    Justin Verlander
    Tigers
    254
    14.7
    12
  

    3
    Jose Fernandez
    Marlins*
    253
    22.4
    3
  

    4
    Madison Bumgarner
    Giants
    251
    13.0
    19
  

    5
    Chris Archer
    Rays
    233
    9.0
    65
  

    5
    Chris Sale
    White Sox
    233
    13.4
    15
  

    7
    David Price
    Blue Jays
    228
    12.4
    27
  

    8
    Corey Kluber
    Indians
    227
    21.2
    5
  

    9
    Noah Syndergaard
    Mets
    218
    16.7
    7
  

    9
    Robbie Ray
    Dbacks
    218
    6.7
    129
  

BTP: Box-Toppers points

* Jose Fernandez died Sept. 25 in a boating accident.

Scherzer led all players with 25.7 Box-Toppers points and led all pitchers with 284 strikeouts.

Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander led all American League pitchers with 254 strikeouts, ranked second overall behind Scherzer. Verlander had 14.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 12th among all players and fourth among AL pitchers.

Indians pitcher Corey Kluber, who led AL players in Box-Toppers points with 21.2 (ranked fifth overall) had 227 strikeouts, eighth among all players.

The only player among the top 10 in strikeouts in 2016 who is not among the overall top 100 players in Box-Toppers points is Diamondbacks pitcher Robbie Ray. He had 218 strikeouts, tied for ninth, but only 6.7 Box-Toppers points, 129th among all players and 40th among NL pitchers.

In addition to Ray, two other players among the top 10 in strikeouts are not among their league’s top 10 pitchers in Box-Toppers points. They are:

Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner, ranked fourth in strikeouts (251), but ranked 12th among NL pitchers in Box-Toppers points (13.0). Bumgarner ranks 19th among all players in Box-Toppers points.
Rays pitcher Chris Archer, ranked fifth in strikeouts (233), but ranked 24th among AL pitchers in Box-Toppers points (9.0). Archer ranks 65th among all players in Box-Toppers points.

Four pitchers in Box-Toppers overall top 10 in rankings are among the top 10 strikeout leaders. In addition to Scherzer and Kluber, mentioned previously, they are:

The late Jose Fernandez, who ranks third in strikeouts (253) and third among all players in Box-Toppers points (22.4). Fernandez, who pitched for the Miami Marlins, was killed in a boating accident Sept. 25, prior to the final week of the season.
Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard, who is tied for ninth in strikeouts (218) and ranks seventh among all players in Box-Toppers points (16.7), fourth among NL pitchers.

Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers is Box-Toppers’ highest-ranked pitcher who is not among the top 10 in strikeouts. Kershaw ranked second in Box-Toppers points in 2016 with 24.4. Kershaw struck out 172 batters in 2016, tied for 29th among all pitchers. Kershaw was on the disabled list and did not pitch for about one-third of the season from late June to late August.

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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Strikeout leaders for 2015

Strikeout leaders for 2014