Dodgers flip script, strong batting in 2024 to top pitching in 2025, but win titles both years

Pitchers vs. batters breakdown of teams’ 2025 Box-Toppers point totals

The Los Angeles Dodgers spent the last two seasons proving there is more than one way to win a World Series.

In 2024, they won the title with batters who ranked third in team Box-Toppers points and pitchers who ranked 11th. A year later, the script flipped: pitchers surged to third while batters fell to 12th.

It was a total inversion of identity, yet it resulted in the exact same hardware.

While conventional wisdom says pitching wins championships, the Box-Toppers data reveals a more fluid reality where teams can successfully pivot their entire competitive identity from one season to the next. By examining the balance of points earned by batters versus pitchers across all 30 clubs, we can see which teams are built to rake, which are built to shut down, and how those factors affected their success.

Story continues below the chart

2025 team rankings with batting vs. pitching breakdown

Here are Box-Toppers 2025 final team rankings with a breakdown of Box-Toppers points won by batters vs. pitchers.
• Columns at left show the overall ranking of teams by total Box-Toppers points accumulated by players during the season.
• The next two columns show each team’s Box-Toppers points earned by batters and their ranking among all teams.
• The next two columns show each team’s Box-Toppers points earned by pitchers and their ranking among all teams.
• The next two columns show the percentage of Box-Toppers points that were won by batters and pitchers on each team.
• The final two columns show each team’s total wins for the season, followed by an indicator of whether the team made the playoffs (Y=Yes).
▶︎The Philadelphia Phillies led all teams in 2025 Box-Toppers points (131.4).
▶︎The Chicago Cubs had the most points won by batters (55.1).
▶︎The Phillies had the most points won by pitchers (94.4).
▶︎The San Francisco Giants had the highest percentage of its points won by batters (57.4).
▶︎The Pittsburgh Pirates had the highest percentage of its points won by pitchers (74.9).

Team	Overall Rank	Total BTP	Batter rank	Batter BTP	Pitcher rank	Pitcher BTP	Batter %	Pitcher %	Wins	Playoffs
Phillies	1	131.4	15	37.0	1	94.4	28.2%	71.8%	96	Y
Yankees	2	127.1	2	53.5	7	73.6	42.1%	57.9%	94	Y
Rangers	3	123.6	16	36.7	2	86.9	29.7%	70.3%	81
Padres	4	118.6	11	40.0	4	78.6	33.7%	66.3%	90	Y
Dodgers	5	117.9	12	39.1	3	78.8	33.2%	66.8%	93	Y
Mariners	6	117.6	10	41.7	5	75.9	35.5%	64.5%	90	Y
Cubs	7	117.6	1	55.1	13	62.5	46.9%	53.1%	92	Y
Red Sox	8	112.7	4	49.7	12	63.0	44.1%	55.9%	89	Y
Brewers	9	112.6	3	52.2	15	60.4	46.4%	53.6%	97	Y
Blue Jays	10	111.7	7	42.9	10	68.8	38.4%	61.6%	94	Y
Tigers	11	109.3	17	34.0	6	75.3	31.1%	68.9%	87	Y
Royals	12	107.4	14	38.2	8	69.2	35.6%	64.4%	82
Braves	13	106.0	6	46.2	16	59.8	43.6%	56.4%	76
Mets	14	104.5	8	42.7	14	61.8	40.9%	59.1%	83
Reds	15	102.7	18	33.5	9	69.2	32.6%	67.4%	83	Y
Astros	16	101.9	9	42.7	17	59.2	41.9%	58.1%	87
Guardians	17	96.3	22	31.5	11	64.8	32.7%	67.3%	88	Y
Marlins	18	84.9	19	33.5	20	51.4	39.5%	60.5%	79
Giants	19	84.8	5	48.7	28	36.1	57.4%	42.6%	81
Angels	20	84.6	13	38.5	24	46.1	45.5%	54.5%	72
Cardinals	21	80.4	21	31.7	22	48.7	39.4%	60.6%	78
Rays	22	80.0	27	26.5	18	53.5	33.1%	66.9%	77
Athletics	23	77.4	23	31.2	23	46.2	40.3%	59.7%	76
Orioles	24	76.5	26	27.7	21	48.8	36.2%	63.8%	75
Twins	25	75.4	24	30.7	25	44.7	40.7%	59.3%	70
D‑backs	26	74.9	25	30.7	26	44.2	41.0%	59.0%	80
Pirates	27	69.7	30	17.5	19	52.2	25.1%	74.9%	71
White Sox	28	64.4	20	33.0	29	31.4	51.2%	48.8%	60
Nationals	29	60.1	29	23.7	27	36.4	39.4%	60.6%	66
Rockies	30	47.0	28	24.9	30	22.1	53.0%	47.0%	43

When viewing on the Box-Toppers.com website, this chart is sortable. Click or tap the column header to re-sort the chart by the values in that column. Refresh page to restore chart to default view.

The Dodgers shift from 2024 to 2025

The Dodgers shifted their focus from a more batting-heavy team in 2024 to a more pitching-dominated squad in 2025. However, their focus on batting in 2024 was largely driven by necessity.

In fact, before the 2024 season, the Dodgers stocked up on star pitchers and planned on having shut-down hurlers for the season. But injuries limited their frontline starters, forcing Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to piece together pitching rotations with relievers serving as short-term starters in bullpen games and nursing along starters in short-inning stints as they returned from the injured list.

Still, it worked. They won the World Series over the Yankees in five games.

In 2024, the Dodgers ranked eighth among all teams in total Box-Toppers points (113.7), but were one of eight teams in which batters earned more than 40 percent of the team’s points. Batters earned 47.5 points (41.8 percent of the team’s total), third-most among all teams, while pitchers earned 66.2 points (58.2 percent), 11th-most among all teams.

But in 2025, the script flipped as Dodgers pitching rebounded. The team earned 117.9 total Box-Toppers points, fifth among all teams. Pitchers earned 78.8 of those points (66.8 percent of the team’s total), third among all teams, while batters earned 39.1 points (33.2 percent), 12th among all teams.

Box-Toppers 2025 World Series preview: Dodgers hold Box-Toppers points advantages over Blue Jays in 2025 World Series

Box-Toppers 2025 postseason postmortem: As Dodgers celebrate 2nd straight title, a Box-Toppers look back at 2025 postseason

And despite the different approach in 2025, the Dodgers won the World Series again, this time in seven games against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Dodgers pitchers’ gain of 12.6 Box-Toppers points from 2024 to 2025 was fueled by team leader Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s 17.7 Box-Toppers points, seventh overall and fourth among National League pitchers. In 2024, he earned just 6.4 points as he battled injury. Other notable Dodgers pitchers in 2025:

• Clayton Kershaw, who in his final year before retirement earned 8.4 Box-Toppers points, a boost from the 2.0 he earned in his injury-shortened 2024 season.

• Offseason pickup Blake Snell also bolstered the Dodgers’ pitching numbers in 2025, adding 7.0 points—even though it was less than the 15.7 he earned in 2024 with the Giants.

• Andrew Heaney also oddly augmented the Dodgers’ pitching numbers, although his actual contributions to the team were minimal. Heaney earned 8.7 Box-Toppers points in 2025, all with the Pirates before being released Aug. 29. The Dodgers signed him Sept. 1, and though he only pitched one game for them, his 8.7 points are included in the Dodgers’ total since he was signed to the team at season’s end. His 8.7 points rank second among all Dodgers, behind only Yamamoto, despite his lack of contributions. Heaney, 34, announced his retirement in December.

While the Dodgers saw an increase in Box-Toppers points from pitchers from 2024 to 2025, team batters’ points decreased from 47.5 in 2024 to 39.1 in 2025. Shohei Ohtani led all Dodgers batters in 2024 with 11.0 Box-Toppers points in an explosive season in which he hit 54 home runs, stole 59 bases and scored 134 runs. But while he was arguably as productive offensively in 2025 (55 homers and 146 runs) he only earned 5.5 total Box-Toppers points in 2025 and only 3.5 as a batter—the other 2.0 were earned as a pitcher.

That means Ohtani’s points earned as a batter declined 7.5 points from 2024 to 2025 (from 11.0 to 3.5), which constitutes most of the 8.4-point drop in points earned by Dodgers’ batters in 2025.

Despite his elite offensive performance, Ohtani did not win Box-Toppers points as Player of the Game in team wins as often in 2025. There were five team wins in which Ohtani recorded a Box-Toppers game score of +3.0 or better, usually high enough for a batter to earn Player of the Game honors. But teammates with higher game scores—often the Dodgers’ resurgent pitchers of 2025—won the honor instead.

Top 5 teams in Box-Toppers points by pitchers

Teams with the most success in 2025, like the Dodgers, generally were more reliant on strong pitching. The top five overall teams in pitching points in 2025 were also among the top six teams in overall Box-Toppers points. Four of the five teams with the most pitching points made the postseason.

Box-Toppers’ five top pitching teams:

1. Philadelphia Phillies 94.4 (1st overall).

2. Texas Rangers 86.9 (3rd overall).

3. Los Angeles Dodgers 78.8 (5th overall).

4. San Diego Padres 78.6 (4th overall).

5. Seattle Mariners 75.9 (6th overall).

1. Philadelphia Phillies, most points among pitchers—94.4

The Philadelphia Phillies led all teams in 2025 with their players accumulating 131.4 Box-Toppers points. Their pitchers accounted for 94.4 points, the most of any team, led by four pitchers who were among the top 10 NL pitchers in Box-Toppers points:

• Zack Wheeler (20.1 points, 3rd overall, 2nd among NL pitchers).

• Jesús Luzardo (17.4 points, 8th overall, 5th among NL pitchers).

• Ranger Suárez (15.8 points, 10th overall, 6th among NL pitchers).

• Cristopher Sánchez (15.4 points, 11th overall, 7th among NL pitchers).

A look at how teams finished in Box-Toppers rankings for 2025.

Meanwhile, Phillies batters earned 37.0 of the team’s points in 2025, 15th-most among all teams. That means pitchers won 71.8 percent of the team’s points while batters won 28.2 percent. Only the Pittsburgh Pirates had a higher percentage of their Box-Toppers points generated by pitchers (74.9 percent).

Still, while the Phillies’ percentage of points earned by batters was second-lowest, the team’s Kyle Schwarber led NL batters with 12.0 Box-Toppers points, constituting nearly a third of the 37.0 points earned by Phillies batters in 2025.

2. Texas Rangers—86.9 points

How could a team with seemingly such strong pitching end up not making the postseason and finish with a .500 record?

It’s because the Rangers acquired three pitchers who earned most of their points elsewhere earlier in the season:

• Merrill Kelly earned 12.7 Box-Toppers points, but earned 9.7 with the Diamondbacks before his July 31 trade to the Rangers.

• Cal Quantrill earned 6.7 points, but earned all of them with the Marlins before signing with the Rangers as a free agent on Sept. 7.

• Phil Maton earned 4.0 points, but earned 2.0 with the Cardinals before his July 31 trade to the Rangers.

Subtracting the 18.4 points earned by the pitchers elsewhere would give Rangers pitchers 68.5 total points, dropping them from second to 10th place among teams.

These “phantom” pitching points boosted the Rangers beyond their team standing. They accumulated 123.6 Box-Toppers points, third overall and highest of any non-playoff team. They finished with 81 wins, tied for 16th among all teams. Subtracting the 18.4 points their pitchers earned for other teams would give them 105.2 points, putting them in a more fitting 13th place among all teams.

Still, despite the “phantom” points, the Rangers boasted two other pitchers with more than 10.0 Box-Toppers points in 2025:

• Nathan Eovaldi (14.4 points, 14th overall, 6th among AL pitchers).

• Jacob deGrom (11.0 points, 35th overall, 20th among AL pitchers).

The Rangers also had the third-highest share of their team points earned by pitchers (70.3 percent), behind the Pirates (74.9) and the Phillies (71.8).

3. Los Angeles Dodgers—78.8 points

The Dodgers had the third-most points earned by pitchers in 2025, 78.8 of their 117.9 total points. They ranked fifth overall and their 66.8 percent of points earned by pitchers was the eighth-most among all teams.

Five of the Dodgers’ top six players are full-time pitchers, led by Yoshinobu Yamamoto (17.7 points, first among Dodgers players, fourth among NL pitchers, and seventh overall). Other key Dodgers pitchers include:

• Andrew Heaney (8.7 points, 2nd among Dodgers, 62nd overall), who earned all of his points with the Pirates before his release and joined the Dodgers late in the season and only pitched in one game. So while his points “officially” belong to the Dodgers since he was a member of the team, his contribution to the team was, in reality, insignificant.

• Clayton Kershaw (8.4 points, 3rd among Dodgers, 72nd overall).

• Blake Snell (7.0 points, 5th among Dodgers, 98th overall).

Shohei Ohtani earned 5.5 Box-Toppers points in 2025, 171st overall. He earned 2.0 of his points as a pitcher and 3.5 as a batter.

4. San Diego Padres—78.6 points

The Padres had the fourth-most points earned by pitchers, 78.6 of their 118.6 points. They ranked fourth overall and their 66.3 percent of points earned by pitchers was the ninth-most among all teams. Three of the Padres’ top-four players in 2025 were pitchers, led by:

• Nick Pivetta (17.7 points, 6th overall).

• Dylan Cease (8.7 points, 61st overall).

• Mason Miller (7.0 points, 108th overall).

Manny Machado with 9.5 Box-Toppers points, ranked second among Padres players (and third among NL batters). Padres batters earned 40.0 points, 11th-most among all teams.

5. Seattle Mariners—75.9 points

The Mariners had the fifth-most points earned by pitchers, 75.9 of their 117.6 points. They ranked sixth overall and their 64.5 percent of points earned by pitchers was the 10th-highest share among all teams.

Four Mariners pitchers, each with more than 10.0 Box-Toppers points, led the team in points in 2025. Three of them were among the top 10 AL pitchers in points in 2025:

• Bryan Woo (18.0 points, 5th overall, 3rd among AL pitchers).

• Luis Castillo (16.1 points, 9th overall, 4th among AL pitchers).

• Logan Gilbert (13.1 points, 20th overall, 10th among AL pitchers).

• George Kirby (11.0 points, 34th overall, 19th among AL pitchers).

Top 5 teams in Box-Toppers points by batters

While elite hitting is often a ticket to October—four of the top five batting teams made the postseason—it doesn't carry the same weight as elite pitching. The “quality gap” is clear when looking at overall team rankings: The top five pitching teams have a combined rank sum of just 19 (an average rank of 3.8). Meanwhile, the top five batting teams more than double that total with a sum of 45 (an average rank of 9.0). In short: the best pitching staffs anchor the very top of the leaderboard, while the best hitting teams sit further back in the pack.

Box-Toppers’ five top batting teams:

1. Chicago Cubs 55.1 (7th overall).

2. New York Yankees 53.5 (2nd overall).

3. Milwaukee Brewers 52.2 (9th overall).

4. Boston Red Sox 49.7 (8th overall).

5. San Francisco Giants 48.7 (19th overall).

1. Chicago Cubs, most points among batters—55.1

The Cubs had the most points earned by batters in 2025, 55.1 of their 117.6 total points. They ranked seventh overall and their 46.9 percent of points earned by batters was fourth-most among all teams.

Four of the Cubs’ top eight players are batters, including two top 10 NL batters. They are led by Seiya Suzuki, whose 9.5 points is fourth-most on the team, behind pitchers Matthew Boyd (10.7), Jameson Taillon (10.1) and Cade Horton (9.7). Suzuki ranks fourth among NL batters, 52nd overall. Other key Cubs batters include:

• Pete Crow-Armstrong (9.5 points, 5th among Cubs, 5th among NL batters, 54th overall).

• Ian Happ (6.0 points, 7th among Cubs, 138th overall).

• Carson Kelly (6.0 points, 8th among Cubs, 151st overall).

2. New York Yankees—53.5 points

The Yankees had the second-most points earned by batters in 2025, most among American League teams, 53.5 of their 127.1 total points. They ranked second overall and their 42.1 percent of points earned by batters was the ninth-most among all teams.

Four of the Yankees’ top nine players are batters, led by Jazz Chisholm Jr., whose 7.2 points was fifth among all Yankees behind pitchers Max Fried (14.4), Carlos Rodón (13.7), Will Warren (9.4) and Cam Schlittler (7.4). Chisholm’s 7.2 points ranked 12th among AL batters and 95th overall. The other three batters among the Yankees’ top nine players:

• Trent Grisham (7.2 points, 6th among Yankees, 96th overall).

• Aaron Judge (6.5 points, 8th among Yankees, 127th overall). While Judge put up impressive offensive numbers and was voted AL Most Valuable Player, he was often beaten by teammates with higher Box-Toppers game scores for Player of the Game honors.

• Cody Bellinger (5.9 points, 9th among Yankees, 158th overall).

3. Milwaukee Brewers—52.2 points

The Brewers had the third-most points earned by batters in 2025, 52.2 of their 112.6 total points. They ranked ninth overall and their 46.4 percent of points earned by batters was fifth-most among all teams.

Six of the Brewers’ top 10 players are batters, led by Christian Yelich (11.2 points, second among Brewers players, second among NL batters and 33rd overall). Other key Brewers batters include:

• Isaac Collins (5.5 points, 6th among Brewers, 179th overall).

• Jackson Chourio (5.0 points, 7th among Brewers, 189th overall).

• Rhys Hoskins (4.5 points, 8th among Brewers, 225th overall).

• William Contreras (4.0 points, 9th among Brewers, 248th overall).

• Jake Bauers (4.0 points, 10th among Brewers, 253rd overall).

4. Boston Red Sox—49.7 points

The Red Sox had the fourth-most points earned by batters in 2025, 49.7 of their 112.7 total points. They rank eighth overall and their 44.1 percent of points earned by batters was seventh among all teams. Five of the Red Sox’s top nine players are batters, led by:

• Wilyer Abreu (8.5 points, 3rd among Red Sox, 6th among AL batters, 67th overall).

• Trevor Story (8.0 points, 4th among Red Sox, 10th among AL batters, 77th overall).

• Nathaniel Lowe (7.0 points, 6th among Red Sox, 111th overall).

• Ceddanne Rafaela (6.5 points, 7th among Red Sox, 131st overall).

• Jarren Duran (6.0 points, 9th among Red Sox, 145th overall).

5. San Francisco Giants—48.7 points

The Giants had the fifth-most points earned by batters in 2025, 48.7 of their 84.8 total points. They rank 19th overall and their 57.4 percent of points earned by batters was first among all teams.

The Giants are one of only three teams in which the majority of the Box-Toppers point total came from batters, usually the sign of a team that wins fewer games. The others:

• The Colorado Rockies, whose 53.0 percent ranked 2nd (24.9 of their 47.0 total points came from batters).

• The Chicago White Sox, whose 51.2 percent ranked 3rd (33.0 of their 64.4 total points came from batters).

Notably, the Rockies and White Sox won the fewest games among all teams—the Rockies 43 and the White Sox 60. But the Giants won 81 games, finishing with a .500 record, and were tied with the 16th-best win total among all teams.

Five of the Giants’ top seven players are batters. Behind the top two, pitchers Robbie Ray (9.4 points) and Logan Webb (9.0 points), they are:

• Willy Adames (8.5 points, 3rd among Giants, 6th among NL batters, 66th overall).

• Rafael Devers (7.7 points, 4th among Giants, 7th among NL batters, 84th overall).

• Jung Hoo Lee (6.5 points, 5th among Giants, 134th overall).

• Matt Chapman (5.0 points, 6th among Giants, 186th overall).

• Wilmer Flores (5.0 points, 7th among Giants, 202nd overall).

“One-dimensional” teams did not fare as well

In 2025, teams that were over-reliant on a single facet of their roster often found themselves stuck in the middle of the pack—or worse.

The “imbalance penalty” was particularly harsh for teams dependent on their batters; the five clubs with the highest percentage of points from batters stumbled to a dismal average overall rank of 18.6, weighed down by bottom-tier finishes from the Rockies and White Sox.

Pitching-heavy teams fared better—and some, like the Phillies, still rode their high pitching share to the top of the league. But even for this group, over-reliance carried a risk: the five clubs most dependent on their arms averaged an overall rank of 11.4, dragged down by the 27th-ranked Pirates.

Ultimately, the data suggests that while you can occasionally win with just pitching, it is almost impossible to “slug” your way around a deficient rotation.

Teams Most Reliant on Pitching (Highest % of Team Points)

• Pittsburgh Pirates: 74.9% (52.2 of 69.7 pts). Overall rank: 27th. (The Pirates were led by Paul Skenes, whose 21.1 Box-Toppers points led NL pitchers and represented 40.4% of the team’s pitching points and 30.3% of the team’s overall points.)

• Philadelphia Phillies: 71.8% (94.4 of 131.4 pts). Overall rank: 1st.

• Texas Rangers: 70.3% (86.9 of 123.6 pts). Overall rank: 3rd.

• Detroit Tigers: 68.9% (75.3 of 109.3 pts). Overall rank: 11th.

• Cincinnati Reds: 67.4% (69.2 of 102.7 pts). Overall rank: 15th.

Teams Most Reliant on Batting (Highest % of Team Points)

• San Francisco Giants: 57.4% (48.7 of 84.8 pts). Overall rank: 19th.

• Colorado Rockies: 53.0% (24.9 of 47.0 pts). Overall rank: 30th.

• Chicago White Sox: 51.2% (33.0 of 64.4 pts). Overall rank: 28th.

• Chicago Cubs: 46.9% (55.1 of 117.6 pts). Overall rank: 7th.

• Milwaukee Brewers: 46.4% (52.2 of 112.6 pts). Overall rank: 9th.

Biggest variance in batting and pitching ranking

The San Francisco Giants had the biggest variance in ranking between batters (fifth with 48.7 points) and pitchers (28th with 36.1). That 23-spot variance was nine places more than the next-highest:

• Philadelphia Phillies—14 spots: 15th among batters (37.0), first among pitchers (94.4).

• Texas Rangers—14 spots: 16th among batters (36.7), second among pitchers (86.9).

• Chicago Cubs—12 spots: first among batters (55.1), 13th among pitchers (62.5).

• Milwaukee Brewers—12 spots: third among batters (52.2), 15th among pitchers (60.4).

Teams among top 10 in pitching points fared better than teams among top 10 in batting points

Teams with strong pitching were more likely to make the postseason in 2025 than teams that relied more heavily on batters.

Among the teams that ranked in the top 10 in Box-Toppers points earned by pitchers, eight made the postseason. However, among teams that ranked in the top in points earned by batters, only six made the postseason.

Among the top 10 teams in pitching, only two did not make the postseason:

• The Texas Rangers, second in pitching points (86.9). However, as previously noted, many of those were “phantom” points, earned by players when they were on other teams who finished the season with the Rangers.

• The Kansas City Royals, eighth in pitching points (69.2). The Royals were 12th overall in team points (107.4) and their 82 wins ranked 15th overall.

Among the top 10 in batting, four did not make the postseason:

• The San Francisco Giants, fifth in batting points (48.7).

• The Atlanta Braves, sixth in batting points (46.2). The Braves were 13th overall in team points (106.0) and their 76 wins ranked tied for 22nd overall.

• The New York Mets, eighth in batting points (42.7). The Mets were 14th overall in team points (104.5) and their 83 wins ranked tied for 13th overall.

• The Houston Astros, ninth in batting points (42.7). The Astros were 16th overall in team points (101.9) and their 87 wins ranked tied for 11th overall.

Top 10 teams overall, in pitching and in batting

Only three teams rank in the overall top 10 teams in Box-Toppers points, the top 10 among batters and the top 10 among pitchers. All three made the postseason:

• Seattle Mariners: Sixth overall (117.6 points), 10th among batters (41.7) and fifth among pitchers (75.9). (The Mariners lost to the Blue Jays in the AL Championship Series.)

• New York Yankees: Second overall (127.1 points), second among batters (53.5) and seventh among pitchers (73.6). (The Yankees lost to the Blue Jays in the AL Division Series.)

• Toronto Blue Jays: 10th overall (111.7 points), seventh among batters (42.9) and 10th among pitchers (68.8). (The Blue Jays lost to the Dodgers in the World Series.)

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. (No Box-Toppers points are awarded in postseason games.)

Box-Toppers strives for accuracy. See a mistake in a post? A wrong name, wrong team, grammar error, spelling goof, etc.? Thanks for pointing it out! Contact Box-Toppers here. Let's fix it and make it right.

For additional updates, follow Box-Toppers on Bluesky or Twitter (X).

Related

• Box-Toppers 2025 player rankings leaders.

• Box-Toppers 2025 final team rankings

• A pitchers vs. batters breakdown of each team’s Box-Toppers point total: 2024, 2023

Ranger Suárez, Kyle Schwarber among free agents with most 2025 Box-Toppers points

Ranger Suárez has the most 2025 Box-Toppers points among this offseason’s free agents.

Meanwhile, Suárez’s Phillies teammate last season, Kyle Schwarber, has the most 2025 Box-Toppers points among free agent batters.

In addition, two free agent pitchers who were among Box-Toppers points leaders in 2025 have already agreed to new contracts for 2026—Brandon Woodruff and Dylan Cease.

Suárez leads the free agent class, earning 15.8 Box-Toppers points in 2025 with the Phillies, 10th among all players and sixth among National League pitchers.

Schwarber has the most 2025 Box-Toppers points among all free-agent batters, earning 12.0 with the Phillies, fourth among all free agents, 24th among all players in 2025, leading all batters.

Suárez ranked third among all Phillies players in 2025 and Schwarber ranked fifth. Their combined 27.8 Box-Toppers points in 2025 was 21 percent of the team’s 131.4 accumulated point total for the season. The Phillies ranked first among all teams in players’ accumulated Box-Toppers points in 2025.

Two free agents among leaders in Box-Toppers points have already made agreements to join new teams in 2026:

• Brandon Woodruff, whose 9.7 Box-Toppers points ranked sixth among all free agents at the end of 2025, re-signed with the Brewers for 2026, accepting the team’s one-year, $22 million qualifying offer, as he continues to build on his comeback after 2023 shoulder surgery. Woodruff’s 9.7 points ranked 20th among NL pitchers in 2025.

• Dylan Cease, whose 8.7 Box-Toppers points ranked eighth among all free agents at the end of 2025, agreed to join the Blue Jays on a seven-year, $210 million deal. Cease’s 8.7 points with the Padres ranked 24th among NL pitchers.

Here is a look at other top free-agent players based on their 2025 Box-Toppers point total. The top 25 players with the most 2025 Box-Toppers points are listed in the chart:

• Zac Gallen earned 12.7 points in 2025 with the Diamondbacks, second among all free agents, 21st among all players and 11th among NL pitchers.

• Merrill Kelly earned 12.7 points in 2025 with the Diamondbacks and Rangers, third among all free agents, 23rd among all players and finishing the season 12th among American League pitchers.

• Framber Valdez earned 11.7 points in 2025 with the Astros, fifth among all free agents, 25th among all players and 13th among AL pitchers.

• Lucas Giolito earned 9.4 points in 2025 with the Red Sox, sixth among unsigned free agents, 56th among all players and 26th among AL pitchers.

• Andrew Heaney earned 8.7 points in 2025 with the Pirates. He was released by the Pirates Aug. 29 and signed by the Dodgers, where he finished the season, but earned no Box-Toppers points for the team, making just one regular-season appearance. Heaney’s 8.7 points ranks seventh among unsigned free agents, 62nd among all players and 25th among NL pitchers.

• Edwin Díaz earned 8.0 points in 2025 with the Mets, eighth among unsigned free agents, 75th among all players, 29th among NL pitchers and first among NL closing pitchers.

• Adrian Houser earned 7.7 points in 2025 with the White Sox and Rays, ninth among unsigned free agents, 86th among all players and 35th among AL pitchers. (Houser began the 2025 season signed with the Rangers, but did not appear in a game with the team.)

• Eugenio Suárez earned 7.5 points in 2025 with the Diamondbacks and Mariners, 10th among unsigned free agents and second among free agent batters. Suárez earned 6.5 of his points with the Diamondbacks before being traded to the Mariners on July 31, after which he earned just 1.0 more point. Suárez’s 7.5 points ranks 89th among all players and 11th among AL batters.

Free agents with most 2025 Box-Toppers points

Here are 25 free agent players with the most 2025 Box-Toppers points. Players are ranked by their Box-Toppers point total in 2025 (’25). Also shown is their point total for the period 2021-2025 (’21-25) and each players’ career point total.
Back to top

Player	Position	2025 team	2025	2021-25	Career
Suarez, Ranger 4228	pi sp	Phillies	15.8	43.9	44.9
Gallen, Zac 4171	pi sp	D-backs	12.7	64.5	76.2
Kelly, Merrill 4143	pi sp	Rangers	12.7	41.7	53.7
Schwarber, Kyle 3536	dh	Phillies	12.0	32.5	52.5
Valdez, Framber 4048	pi sp	Astros	11.7	58.1	68.5
Giolito, Lucas 3900	pi sp	Red Sox	9.4	29.8	57.5
Heaney, Andrew 3515	pi sp	Dodgers	8.7	42.1	65.2
Diaz, Edwin 3690	pi cp	Mets	8.0	24.7	53.7
Houser, Adrian 4162	pi sp	Rays	7.7	21.1	24.1
Suarez, Eugenio 3355	3b	Mariners	7.5	27.5	60.5
Alonso, Pete 4118	1b	Mets	7.2	42.1	50.6
Bassitt, Chris 3413	pi sp	Blue Jays	7.0	59.5	78.6
Corbin, Patrick 3027	pi sp	Rangers	7.0	29.8	104.4
Mikolas, Miles 3034	pi sp	Cardinals	7.0	29.8	47.2
Bell, Josh E. 3682	1b dh	Nationals	7.0	23.0	40.7
Lowe, Nathaniel 4340	1b	Red Sox	7.0	20.0	21.0
Martinez, Nick 3430	pi sp	Reds	6.7	28.8	35.5
Littell, Zack 4533	pi sp	Reds	6.7	21.1	21.1
Sugano, Tomoyuki 5163	pi sp	Orioles	6.7	6.7	6.7
Buehler, Walker 3943	pi sp	Phillies	6.0	28.4	65.6
Suarez, Robert 4750	pi cp	Padres	6.0	14.0	14.0
Bellinger, Cody 3781	lf	Yankees	5.9	17.6	38.5
Mahle, Tyler 3929	pi sp	Rangers	5.7	26.1	38.1
Ozuna, Marcell 3190	dh	Braves	5.7	23.2	69.9
May, Dustin 4214	pi sp	Red Sox	5.7	13.4	17.4

What are those numbers after players' names?
NOTE: Players become free agents upon reaching six years of Major League service time or when they are released from their organization prior to reaching six years of service time.
Chart is sortable. Click a column header to re-sort the chart by the values in that column. Refresh page to restore chart to default view.
Back to top

Top free-agent batters

Here is a look at the top free-agent batters based on their 2025 Box-Toppers point total. The top 10 batters with the most 2025 Box-Toppers points are listed in the chart:

• Schwarber leads all free-agent batters with 12.0 Box-Toppers points in 2025, first among NL batters.

• Suárez is second among free-agent batters with 7.5 points, finishing the season with the Mariners, 11th among AL batters.

• Pete Alonso earned 7.2 points in 2025 with the Mets, third among free-agent batters and 11th among NL batters. (Alonso was also among Box-Toppers’ top 10 free agent batters at the end of 2024.)

• Josh Bell earned 7.0 points in 2025 with the Nationals, fourth among free-agent batters and 13th among NL batters. (Bell was also among Box-Toppers’ top 10 free agent batters at the end of 2024.)

• Nathaniel Lowe earned 7.0 points in 2025 with the Nationals and Red Sox, fifth among free-agent batters and finishing the season 15th among AL batters.

Free agent batters with most 2025 Box-Toppers points

Here are 10 free agent batters with the most 2025 Box-Toppers points. Players are ranked by their Box-Toppers point total in 2025 (’25). Also shown is their point total for the period 2021-2025 (’21-25) and each players’ career point total.
Back to top

Player	Position	2025 team	2025	2021-25	Career
Schwarber, Kyle 3536	dh	Phillies	12.0	32.5	52.5
Suarez, Eugenio 3355	3b	Mariners	7.5	27.5	60.5
Alonso, Pete 4118	1b	Mets	7.2	42.1	50.6
Bell, Josh E. 3682	1b dh	Nationals	7.0	23.0	40.7
Lowe, Nathaniel 4340	1b	Red Sox	7.0	20.0	21.0
Bellinger, Cody 3781	lf	Yankees	5.9	17.6	38.5
Ozuna, Marcell 3190	dh	Braves	5.7	23.2	69.9
Flores, Wilmer 3345	dh	Giants	5.0	18.2	35.2
Tucker, Kyle 4277	rf	Cubs	4.7	34.9	39.9
Hoskins, Rhys 3909	1b	Brewers	4.5	20.5	27.5

What are those numbers after players' names?
NOTE: Players become free agents upon reaching six years of Major League service time or when they are released from their organization prior to reaching six years of service time.
Chart is sortable. Click a column header to re-sort the chart by the values in that column. Refresh page to restore chart to default view.
Back to top

Top free agents based on 5-season point totals

Zac Gallen has the most Box-Toppers points over the previous five seasons among free agents. He earned 64.5 points from 2001-2025, eighth among all players over that span.

Here is a look at other top free-agent players based on their 2021-2025 Box-Toppers point total. The top 25 players with the most 2021-2025 Box-Toppers points are listed in the chart:

• Chris Bassitt earned 59.5 points over 2021-2025, second among free agents and 14th among all players.

• Framber Valdez earned 58.1 points over 2021-2025, third among free agents over that span, 16th among all players.

• Max Scherzer earned 55.5 points over 2021-2025, fourth among free agents over that span and 20th among all players.

• Ranger Suárez earned 43.9 points over 2021-2025, fifth among free agents over that span and 40th among all players.

Free agents with most 2021-25 Box-Toppers points

Here are 25 free agent players with the most Box-Toppers points from 2021 to 2025. Players are ranked by their Box-Toppers point total for the period 2021-2025 (’21-25) shaded in gray. Also shown is their 2025 point total (’25) and each players’ career point total.
Back to top

Player	Position	2025 team	2025	2021-25	Career
Gallen, Zac 4171	pi sp	D-backs	12.7	64.5	76.2
Bassitt, Chris 3413	pi sp	Blue Jays	7.0	59.5	78.6
Valdez, Framber 4048	pi sp	Astros	11.7	58.1	68.5
Scherzer, Max 2588	pi sp	Blue Jays	3.0	55.5	256.7
Suarez, Ranger 4228	pi sp	Phillies	15.8	43.9	44.9
Verlander, Justin 2112	pi sp	Giants	3.0	43.4	250.0
Heaney, Andrew 3515	pi sp	Dodgers	8.7	42.1	65.2
Alonso, Pete 4118	1b	Mets	7.2	42.1	50.6
Kelly, Merrill 4143	pi sp	Rangers	12.7	41.7	53.7
Cortes, Nestor 4160	pi sp	Padres	3.0	40.8	42.8
Tucker, Kyle 4277	rf	Cubs	4.7	34.9	39.9
Civale, Aaron 4173	pi sp mr	Cubs	5.0	34.8	40.5
Anderson, Tyler 3656	pi sp	Angels	4.0	33.7	49.4
Schwarber, Kyle 3536	dh	Phillies	12.0	32.5	52.5
McKenzie, Triston 4303	pi sp	Guardians	0.0	32.1	36.1
King, Michael 4549	pi sp	Padres	4.4	31.8	31.8
Montgomery, Jordan 3814	pi sp	Brewers	0.0	30.5	37.5
Eflin, Zach 3679	pi sp	Orioles	3.0	30.1	54.2
Giolito, Lucas 3900	pi sp	Red Sox	9.4	29.8	57.5
Corbin, Patrick 3027	pi sp	Rangers	7.0	29.8	104.4
Mikolas, Miles 3034	pi sp	Cardinals	7.0	29.8	47.2
Martinez, Nick 3430	pi sp	Reds	6.7	28.8	35.5
Rodriguez, Eduardo 3480	pi sp	D-backs	4.7	28.7	72.9
Buehler, Walker 3943	pi sp	Phillies	6.0	28.4	65.6
Suarez, Eugenio 3355	3b	Mariners	7.5	27.5	60.5

What are those numbers after players' names?
NOTE: Players become free agents upon reaching six years of Major League service time or when they are released from their organization before reaching six years of service time.
Chart is sortable. Click a column header to re-sort the chart by the values in that column. Refresh page to restore chart to default view.
Back to top

Most career points among free agents

The two players with the most career Box-Toppers points among active players lead the list of free agents with the most career Box-Toppers points.

Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander are both free agents for the second straight season. Last year, Scherzer went from the Rangers in 2024 to sign a free-agent deal with the Blue Jays. Verlander went from the Astros in 2024 to sign a free-agent deal with the Giants.

Scherzer, 41, has 256.7 career Box-Toppers points, first among active players and third among all players since 1995, when Box-Toppers tracking began. He trails Randy Johnson (282.5) and Clayton Kershaw (280.8). (It should be noted that Johnson would have a projected 380 career Box-Toppers points if his entire career from 1988 were tracked.) Kershaw was previously the active leader in Box-Toppers points until he retired at the end of the 2025 season.

Verlander, 42, has 250.0 career Box-Toppers points, second among active players and fourth among all players since 1995.

Both Scherzer and Verlander earned 3.0 points each in 2025 and 2.0 points each in 2024. Both pitchers earned far fewer points than usual in both seasons. In his 17 seasons, Scherzer has 12 seasons with 10 or more Box-Toppers points and six seasons with 20 or more points, including five straight from 2014 to 2018. In his 20 seasons, Verlander has 13 seasons with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points and five seasons with 20 or more points.

Both Scherzer and Verlander rank among the top six free agents with the most Box-Toppers points over 2021-25.

Here is a look at other top free-agent players based on their career Box-Toppers point total. The top 25 players with the most career Box-Toppers points are listed in the chart.

2025 free agents with most career Box-Toppers points

Here are 25 free agent players for 2025 with the most career Box-Toppers points. Players are ranked by their career Box-Toppers point total (Career) shaded in gray. Also shown are each player’s 2025 Box-Toppers point total and their point total for the period 2021-2025 (’21-25).
Back to top

Player	Position	2025 team	2025	2021-25	Career
Scherzer, Max 2588	pi sp	Blue Jays	3.0	55.5	256.7
Verlander, Justin 2112	pi sp	Giants	3.0	43.4	250.0
Corbin, Patrick 3027	pi sp	Rangers	7.0	29.8	104.4
Quintana, Jose 3040	pi sp	Brewers	2.0	24.4	95.1
Kimbrel, Craig 2825	pi cp	Astros	0.0	17.7	94.1
McCutchen, Andrew 2637	dh	Pirates	1.0	11.0	82.9
Bassitt, Chris 3413	pi sp	Blue Jays	7.0	59.5	78.6
Gallen, Zac 4171	pi sp	D-backs	12.7	64.5	76.2
Rodriguez, Eduardo 3480	pi sp	D-backs	4.7	28.7	72.9
Jansen, Kenley 2871	pi cp	Angels	3.0	21.0	72.4
Ozuna, Marcell 3190	dh	Braves	5.7	23.2	69.9
Cobb, Alex 2916	pi sp	Tigers	0.0	25.1	68.9
Valdez, Framber 4048	pi sp	Astros	11.7	58.1	68.5
Miley, Wade 3006	pi sp	Reds	0.0	16.4	68.2
Buehler, Walker 3943	pi sp	Phillies	6.0	28.4	65.6
Clevinger, Mike 3707	pi sp	Cubs	0.0	17.8	65.3
Heaney, Andrew 3515	pi sp	Dodgers	8.7	42.1	65.2
Suarez, Eugenio 3355	3b	Mariners	7.5	27.5	60.5
Gray, Jon 3634	pi sp	Rangers	0.0	24.4	59.8
Giolito, Lucas 3900	pi sp	Red Sox	9.4	29.8	57.5
Eflin, Zach 3679	pi sp	Orioles	3.0	30.1	54.2
Marquez, German 3788	pi sp	Rockies	1.7	23.8	53.9
Kelly, Merrill 4143	pi sp	Rangers	12.7	41.7	53.7
Diaz, Edwin 3690	pi cp	Mets	8.0	24.7	53.7
Realmuto, J.T. 3491	ca	Phillies	1.5	23.2	53.7

What are those numbers after players' names?
NOTE: Players become free agents upon reaching six years of Major League service time or when they are released from their organization prior to reaching six years of service time.
Chart is sortable. Click a column header to re-sort the chart by the values in that column. Refresh page to restore chart to default view.
Back to top

Free agents who have announced retirements

Three players currently listed as free agents have announced their retirements at the end of 2025 and are excluded from these lists, though they would all rank among the top 25 players with the most 2025 Box-Toppers points:

• Clayton Kershaw, 37, earned 280.8 career Box-Toppers points, second among all players since 1995, behind Randy Johnson (282.5). He earned 8.4 Box-Toppers points in 2025 with the Dodgers, 28th among NL pitchers. He earned 45.6 points over 2021-25, which would rank fifth among all listed free agents over that span.

• Kyle Hendricks, 35, earned 7.7 Box-Toppers points in 2025 with the Angels, 34th among AL pitchers. His 87.0 career Box-Toppers points is 136th among all players since 1995.

• Charlie Morton, 42, earned 7.0 Box-Toppers points in 2025 with the Orioles, Tigers and Braves, finishing the season 37th among NL pitchers (even though he earned all his Box-Toppers points with AL teams). His 49.5 points over 2021-25 would rank among the top 25 free agents over that span. He earned 120.5 career points, 53rd among all players since 1995, a total that would rank among the top 25 free agent players going into 2026.

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. (No Box-Toppers points are awarded in postseason games.)

Box-Toppers strives for accuracy. See a mistake in a post? A wrong name, wrong team, grammar error, spelling goof, etc.? Thanks for pointing it out! Contact Box-Toppers here. Let's fix it and make it right.

For additional updates, follow Box-Toppers on Bluesky or Twitter (X).

Related

• Final 2025 Box-Toppers player rankings: Tigers’ Skubal is 2025 Box-Toppers Player of the Year; Skenes rises to lead NL pitchers

• A Box-Toppers look at the top free agents at the end of the 2024 season.

• A look at the top 16 players changing teams for 2025 as ranked by their 2024 Box-Toppers point totals, plus a look at the top unsigned free agents going into the 2025 season (as of Feb. 3, ranked by their 2024 Box-Toppers point totals).