Marlins' Jose Fernandez (8IP 0R 8K) tops players for Tuesday, April 29, rises to top of Box-Toppers standings; Tulowitzki takes NL batting lead

Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez is Tuesday’s Player of the Day and rises to the top of Box-Toppers season player rankings.

Meanwhile, Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies takes the Box-Toppers points lead among National League batters.

Fernandez pitched eight shutout innings, striking out eight and giving up only two hits, in the 9-0 win over the Braves. Fernandez receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 7.0 for the season, passing previous Box-Toppers points leader, Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals (6.0). (See the updated top 10 list on the home page.)

Tulowitzki rises to third place in Box-Toppers player rankings and first among NL batters after earning NL Batter of the Day honors Tuesday. Tulowitzki homered and went 2-for-3 in the 5-4 win over the Diamondbacks. Tulowitzki received 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being NL Batter of the Day, giving him 5.9 for the season. He passes Freddie Freeman of the Braves (4.7) to lead NL batters in Box-Toppers points. It is the second straight day Tulowitzki has earned Player of the Game honors—he was NL Player of the Day on Monday. (See the updated top 10 list on the home page.)

Salvador Perez of the Royals is American League Player of the Day. Perez homered, doubled and drove in four runs in the 10-7 win over the Blue Jays.

Fernandez receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Perez receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Tulowitzki receives 1.5 for being NL Batter of the Day.

All of Tuesday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

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.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

429	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	12.0	Marlins	Jose Fernandez (W, 4-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	2	0	0	2	8
	7.0	Giants	Yusmeiro Petit (W, 2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	3	0	0	0	4
	5.0	Mets	Jon Niese (W, 2-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	1	1	1	5
	5.0	Brewers	Tyler Thornburg (W, 3-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	0	0	0	1	4
AL	4.0	Royals	Salvador Perez C	4	2	2	4	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
BAT	3.0	Rockies	Troy Tulowitzki SS	3	2	2	2	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Athletics	Yoenis Cespedes DH	1	3	1	0	2	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Red Sox	Shane Victorino RF	4	0	4	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Reds	Billy Hamilton CF	4	2	3	1	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Mariners	Dustin Ackley PH, LF	2	1	2	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Tigers	Joe Nathan (S, 5)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	2.0	`Nationals	Gio Gonzalez	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	5	3	3	2	9
	1.0	Angels	Erick Aybar SS	5	1	4	1	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Athletics' Sonny Gray (CG 0R 6K) tops players for Monday, April 28

Athletics pitcher Sonny Gray is Monday’s Player of the Day. Gray pitched a complete game shutout, striking out six, in the 4-0 win over the Rangers.

Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies is National League Player of the Day. Tulowitzki homered, hit two doubles and drove in three runs in the 8-5 win over the Diamondbacks.

Alexei Ramirez of the White Sox is American League Batter of the Day. Ramirez went 2-for-3 with a triple and an RBI in the 7-3 win over the Rays.

Gray receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Tulowitzki receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Ramirez receives 1.5 for being AL Batter of the Day.

All of Monday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

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.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

428	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	11.0	Athletics	Sonny Gray (W, 4-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	3	0	0	1	6
NL	5.0	Rockies	Troy Tulowitzki SS	3	2	3	3	2	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Padres	Rene Rivera C	5	1	2	5	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Brewers	Lyle Overbay PH	1	1	1	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	`Angels	Tyler Skaggs	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	3	3	1	6
BAT	1.0	White Sox	Alexei Ramirez SS	3	1	2	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Phillies' A.J. Burnett (8IP 0R 8K) tops players for Sunday, April 27; Cards' Wainwright takes Box-Toppers points lead

Phillies pitcher A.J. Burnett is Sunday’s Player of the Day, while Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright takes the season lead among players in Box-Toppers points.

Burnett pitched eight scoreless innings and struck out eight in the 2-0 win over the Diamondbacks.

Wainwright pitched eight scoreless innings and struck out seven in the 7-0 win over the Pirates. He earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 6.0 for the season and rising to the top of Box-Toppers player rankings, passing previous leader Chris Colabello of the Twins (5.2 points). (See updated top 10 rankings on Box-Toppers’ home page.)

Astros pitcher Collin McHugh is American League Player of the Day. McHugh pitched 8 2/3 innings, allowing only one run and striking out seven in the 5-1 win over the Athletics.

Omar Infante of the Royals is AL Batter of the Day. Infante hit a two-run homer and drove in six runs in the 9-3 win over the Orioles.

There is no National League Batter of the Day because no NL batter earned Player of the Game honors Sunday.

Notables: Cubs pitcher Jason Hammel rises to sixth place in Box-Toppers player rankings. Hammel (7IP 0R 7K in 4-0 win vs. Brewers) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 5.0 for the season. (See updated top 10 rankings on Box-Toppers’ home page.)

Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka rises to eighth place in Box-Toppers player rankings. Tanaka (6.1IP 11K ND in 3-2 win vs. Angels) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 4.7 for the season. (See updated top 10 rankings on Box-Toppers’ home page.)

Burnett receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. McHugh receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Infante receives 1.5 for being AL Batter of the Day.

All of Sunday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

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.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

427	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	11.0	Phillies	A.J. Burnett (W, 1-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	5	0	0	0	8
	11.0	Padres	Ian Kennedy (W, 2-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	1	1	0	9
	10.0	Cardinals	Adam Wainwright (W, 5-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	3	0	0	2	7
	9.0	Cubs	Jason Hammel (W, 4-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	0	0	2	7
	9.0	`Giants	Ryan Vogelsong	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	2	0	0	2	6
AL	8.2	Astros	Collin McHugh (W, 2-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.2	2	1	1	3	7
	8.0	`Braves	Julio Teheran	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	3	0	0	2	5
	7.0	Mets	Dillon Gee (W, 2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	3	0	0	4	6
BAT	6.0	Royals	Omar Infante 2B	3	1	2	6	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	5.1	Blue Jays	R.A. Dickey (W, 2-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.1	5	1	1	0	6
	4.1	`Yankees	Masahiro Tanaka	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.1	5	2	2	4	11
	4.0	White Sox	Jose Abreu DH	4	2	2	4	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	Mariners	Kyle Seager 3B	4	2	2	4	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Rockies	Jorge De La Rosa (W, 2-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	1	1	2	3

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Nationals' Tanner Roark (CG 0R 8K) tops players for Saturday, April 26

Nationals pitcher Tanner Roark is Saturday’s Player of the Day. Roark pitched a complete game shutout and struck out eight in the 4-0 win over the Padres.

Twins pitcher Phil Hughes is American League Player of the Day. Hughes allowed two runs over seven innings and struck out six in the 5-3 win over the Tigers.

John Ryan Murphy of the Yankees is AL Batter of the Day. Murphy went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs in the 4-3 win over the Angels. This was Murphy’s Box-Toppers debut, the first time he has earned Player of the Game honors. He is the 3,321st player to debut on Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995.

Carlos Ruiz of the Phillies is National League Batter of the Day. Ruiz went 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI in the 6-5 win over the Diamondbacks. It is the second time in three days that Ruiz has been NL Batter of the Day—he also earned that honor Thursday.

Roark receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Hughes receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Murphy and Ruiz each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Saturday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

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.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

426	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	13.0	Nationals	Tanner Roark (W, 2-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	3	0	0	1	8
	6.2	Brewers	Marco Estrada (W, 2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.2	4	3	3	0	9
	6.0	Braves	David Hale (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	2	1	1	2	4
AL	6.0	Twins	Phil Hughes (W, 2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	2	1	0	6
	6.0	Marlins	Mike Dunn (W, 2-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	0	0	0	0	4
	4.0	`Rays	Brandon Gomes	-	-	-	-	-	-		3.0	0	0	0	0	1
BAT	3.0	Yankees	John Ryan Murphy C	3	1	2	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Red Sox	A.J. Pierzynski C	3	1	1	4	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.2	Astros	Raul Valdes (S, 1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		0.2	0	0	0	0	2
BAT	2.0	Phillies	Carlos Ruiz C	4	2	3	1	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Dodgers	Adrian Gonzalez 1B	3	1	2	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Giants	Gregor Blanco PH	1	1	1	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Rangers	Aaron Poreda (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	1	0	0	1	2
	1.1	Orioles	Zach Britton (W, 3-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		0.1	0	0	0	0	1
	1.0	Pirates	Jose Tabata RF	4	1	3	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Nationals' Stephen Strasburg (7IP 0R 11K) tops players for Friday, April 25, rises to 4th in Box-Toppers player rankings

Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg is Friday’s Player of the Day. Strasburg pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out 11 in the 11-1 win over the Padres.

Strasburg rises to fourth place among players in Box-Toppers points this season. He earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 5.0 for the season. (See updated Top 10 Box-Toppers player rankings for 2014 on the home page.)

Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura is American League Player of the Day. Ventura pitched eight shutout innings and struck out eight in the 5-0 win over the Orioles.

Erick Aybar of the Angels is AL Batter of the Day. Aybar homered, doubled, went 4-for-5, scored four runs and drove in three in the 13-1 win over the Yankees.

Freddie Freeman of the Braves is National League Batter of the Day. Freeman went 3-for-4 and scored twice in the 5-4 win over the Reds.

Freeman rises to sixth place among players in Box-Toppers points for the season. He earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being NL Batter of the Day, giving him 4.7 for the season. (See updated Top 10 Box-Toppers player rankings for 2014 on the home page.) Freeman moves past Ryan Braun of the Brewers (4.5 Box-Toppers points) to take the lead in points this season among NL batters.

Strasburg receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Ventura receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Aybard and Freeman each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Friday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

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.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

425	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	9.0	Nationals	Stephen Strasburg (W, 2-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	7	0	0	2	11
AL	7.0	Royals	Yordano Ventura (W, 2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	7	0	0	2	8
	7.0	Dbacks	Josh Collmenter (W, 1-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	4	0	0	0	5
	7.0	`Mets	Zack Wheeler	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	4	1	1	3	10
BAT	6.0	Angels	Erick Aybar SS	5	4	4	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	6.0	White Sox	Jose Abreu 1B	5	2	3	6	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	5.0	Red Sox	Jake Peavy (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	5	1	1	2	7
	5.0	Brewers	Matt Garza (W, 1-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	2	2	1	7
	4.0	Giants	Tim Hudson (W, 3-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	1	1	2	5
	4.0	Cardinals	Trevor Rosenthal (S, 7)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	3
	2.0	Tigers	Torii Hunter RF	5	2	3	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Athletics	Derek Norris PH, C	2	1	2	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
BAT	1.0	Braves	Freddie Freeman 1B	4	2	3	0	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Mariners	Robinson Cano 2B	4	1	2	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Rockies	Brandon Barnes PH, RF	1	1	1	0	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Twins' Chris Colabello remains atop Box-Toppers player rankings for second week

Chris Colabello of the Twins remains in first place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the second straight week.

Colabello has 5.2 Box-Toppers points for the season, the same total as last week. He has played first base, designated hitter and right field for the Twins.

Top players

Through Thursday, April 24

	OVERALL LEADERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Colabello, Chris 3235	1b dh rf	min al	5.2
2	Wainwright, Adam 2150	pi sp	stl nl	5.0
3	Fernandez, Jose 3147	pi sp	fla nl	5.0
4	Perez, Martin 3213	pi sp	tex al	5.0
5	Braun, Ryan J. 2300	rf	mil nl	4.5
6	Greinke, Zack 1871	pi sp	lad nl	4.4
7	Hernandez, Felix 2064	pi sp	sea al	4.4
8	Kazmir, Scott 1947	pi sp	oak al	4.0
9	Santana, Ervin 2005	pi sp	atl nl	4.0
10	Ryu, Hyun-Jin 3139	pi sp	lad nl	4.0
	AL PITCHERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Perez, Martin 3213	pi sp	tex al	5.0
2	Hernandez, Felix 2064	pi sp	sea al	4.4
3	Kazmir, Scott 1947	pi sp	oak al	4.0
4	Lackey, John 1640	pi sp	bos al	4.0
5	Scherzer, Max 2588	pi sp	det al	3.7
6	Darvish, Yu 3003	pi sp	tex al	3.7
7	Tanaka, Masahiro 3305	pi sp	nyy al	3.7
8	Sale, Chris 2806	pi sp	chi al	3.0
9	Buehrle, Mark 1407	pi sp	tor al	3.0
10	Soria, Joakim 2258	pi cp	tex al	3.0
	AL BATTERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Colabello, Chris 3235	1b dh rf	min al	5.2
2	Murphy, David 2348	rf	cle al	3.0
3	Donaldson, Josh 3144	3b	oak al	2.5
4	Semien, Marcus 3302	2b	chi al	2.5
5	Lawrie, Brett 2934	3b	tor al	2.5
6	Schoop, Jonathan 3307	3b	bal al	2.5
7	Lowrie, Jed 2437	ss	oak al	2.0
8	Cruz, Nelson Ramon 2224	lf dh	bal al	2.0
9	Plouffe, Trevor 2869	3b	min al	2.0
10	Rodriguez, Sean 2729	1b lf ph	tb al	2.0
	NL PITCHERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Wainwright, Adam 2150	pi sp	stl nl	5.0
2	Fernandez, Jose 3147	pi sp	fla nl	5.0
3	Greinke, Zack 1871	pi sp	lad nl	4.4
4	Santana, Ervin 2005	pi sp	atl nl	4.0
5	Ryu, Hyun-Jin 3139	pi sp	lad nl	4.0
6	Cashner, Andrew 2807	pi sp	sd nl	4.0
7	Hammel, Jason 2235	pi sp	chi nl	4.0
8	Teheran, Julio 3176	pi sp	atl nl	3.0
9	Gonzalez, Gio 2626	pi sp	dc nl	3.0
10	Gallardo, Yovani 2333	pi sp	mil nl	3.0
	NL BATTERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Braun, Ryan J. 2300	rf	mil nl	4.5
2	Duda, Lucas 2818	1b lf	nym nl	3.5
3	Freeman, Freddie 2887	1b	atl nl	3.2
4	Stanton, Giancarlo 2737	rf	fla nl	3.2
5	Tulowitzki, Troy 2308	ss	col nl	2.7
6	Alvarez, Pedro 2817	3b	pit nl	2.5
7	Davis, Ike 2715	1b ph	pit nl	2.5
8	Upton, Justin 2411	lf	atl nl	2.0
9	Utley, Chase 1861	2b	phi nl	2.0
10	Blackmon, Charlie 2891	cf lf	col nl	2.0

BTP: Box-Toppers points

Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright remains the top overall National League player with 5.0 Box-Toppers points. He rises from third place overall last week to second place this week.

Martin Perez of the Rangers is top overall American League pitcher in Box-Toppers points with 5.0. He was not among the AL’s top 10 pitchers last week, but picked up 3.0 points over the past seven days, to shoot to No. 1. He is in fourth place among all players.

Perez passes previous AL pitching leader, Felix Hernandez of the Mariners. Hernandez, with 4.4 Box-Toppers points, fell to second among AL pitchers and is in seventh among all players.

Ryan Braun of the Brewers is the top NL batter with 4.5 Box-Toppers points, in fifth place among all players. Braun passed previous NL batting leader Freddie Freeman of the Braves. Freeman, with 3.2 points, fell to third among NL batters.

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.

What are those numbers after players' names?

Milwaukee Brewers rise from 2nd to 1st in Box-Toppers team rankings

The Milwaukee Brewers, rising to the top of Box-Toppers team power rankings this week, also have the best record of any team in baseball.

Brewers players have accumulated 18.2 Box-Toppers points this season, including 5.5 during the past week, rising from second place to first in the power rankings. At 16-6, the Brewers also have baseball’s best win-loss record.

Top 10 teams

Here are Box-Toppers' Top 10 teams, through the games of Thursday, April 24. The column BTP shows the number of Box-Toppers points players on the team have accumulated so far this season. The column BTP/wk shows have many points teams have accumulated during the past week.

424	Teams	BTP	BTP/wk	Last week rank
1	Brewers	18.2	5.5	2
2	Dodgers	17.4	4.7	3
3	Athletics	16.7	4.5	4
4	Rangers	16.2	6.0	11
5	Braves	16.2	4.0	5
6	Rockies	15.2	4.0	8
7	Yankees	15.1	3.7	7
8	White Sox	15.0	3.5	6
9	Cardinals	15.0	2.0	1
10	Marlins	14.7	6.5	22

BTP: Box-Toppers points

The Brewers are led by right fielder Ryan Braun, who has 4.5 Box-Toppers points (fifth among all players this season) and starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo (3.0 points).

The Oakland Athletics remain the top American League team in Box-Toppers power rankings with 16.7 points. The Athletics are in third place overall, rising from No. 4 last week. The Athletics are led by starting pitchers Scott Kazmir (4.0 Box-Toppers points) and Jesse Chavez (2.7).

The Miami Marlins are the hottest team of the week, picking up 6.5 Box-Toppers points over the past seven days, more than any other team. They rose from 22nd place to 10th with 14.7 Box-Toppers points.

Last week’s No. 1 team, the St. Louis Cardinals, fell to ninth place after picking up the fewest points of any NL team during the past week. Cardinals players earned only 2.0 Box-Toppers points during the week, giving them 15.0 for the season.

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.

Indians' Corey Kluber (CG 1R 11K) tops players for Thursday, April 24

Indians pitcher Corey Kluber is Thursday’s Player of the Day. Kluber pitched a complete game, striking out 11 and allowing only one run in the 5-1 win over the Royals.

Mets pitcher Bartolo Colon is National League Player of the Day. Colon struck out eight over seven innings, allowing only one run, in the 4-1 win over the Cardinals.

Josh Donaldson of the Athletics is American League Batter of the Day. Donaldson homered twice, went 3-for-4 and drove in four runs in the 10-1 win over the Astros.

Carlos Ruiz of the Phillies is NL Batter of the Day. Ruiz went 3-for-3 with two doubles and drove in two runs in the 7-3 win over the Dodgers.

Notable: Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia, in fifth place on Box-Toppers all-time player rankings (record keeping began in 1995) received his first Player of the Game honor since May 31, 2013. Sabathia (6IP 8K W in 14-5 win vs. Red Sox) received 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 173.3 for his career. He is just behind Alex Rodriguez (fourth place, 179.3) on the all-time list and just ahead of Roy Halladay (sixth place, 170.7). Albert Pujols (10th place, 161.3) joined the all-time top 10 earlier this week.

Kluber receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Colon receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Donaldson and Ruiz each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Thursday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

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.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

424	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	15.0	Indians	Corey Kluber (W, 2-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	4	1	0	0	11
NL	9.0	Mets	Bartolo Colon (W, 2-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	1	1	0	8
	6.2	Dbacks	Mike Bolsinger (W, 1-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.2	4	1	0	2	7
BAT	6.0	Athletics	Josh Donaldson 3B	4	3	3	4	2	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
BAT	4.0	Phillies	Carlos Ruiz C	3	2	3	2	2	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	Tigers	Max Scherzer (W, 2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	7	2	2	1	10
	4.0	Yankees	CC Sabathia (W, 3-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	3	2	2	3	8
	3.0	Twins	Kurt Suzuki C	4	1	3	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Reds	Tony Cingrani (W, 2-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	6	1	1	2	7
	2.0	Orioles	David Lough LF	4	3	3	0	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	`Padres	Joaquin Benoit	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	1	0	0	0	2

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Red Sox' John Lackey (8IP 1R 11K) tops players for Wednesday, April 23

Red Sox pitcher John Lackey is Wednesday’s Player of the Day. Lackey gave up one run over eight innings and struck out 11 in the 5-1 win over the Yankees.

Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke is National League Player of the Day. Greinke struck out 11 over seven innings in the 5-2 win over the Phillies. Greinke rises to sixth place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season. He earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points, giving him 4.4 for the season. (See updated Top 10 Box-Toppers player rankings for 2014 on the home page.)

Kyle Seager of the Mariners is American League Batter of the Day. Seager hit a two-run homer and then hit a walk-off three-run home run in the 5-3 win over the Astros.

Michael Morse of the Giants is NL Batter of the Day. Morse hit two home runs and drove in four runs in the 12-10, 11-inning win over the Rockies.

Notable: Rangers pitcher Martin Perez rises to fourth place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season. Perez (CG 0R W in 3-0 win vs. Athletics) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 5.0 for the season. (See updated Top 10 Box-Toppers player rankings for 2014 on the home page.)

Lackey receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Greinke receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Seager and Morse each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Wednesday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

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.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

423	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	10.0	Red Sox	John Lackey (W, 3-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	7	1	1	0	11
NL	8.0	Dodgers	Zack Greinke (W, 4-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	5	2	2	1	11
	8.0	`Braves	Aaron Harang	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	6	1	1	1	11
	7.0	Rangers	Martin Perez (W, 4-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	3	0	0	2	3
BAT	6.0	Mariners	Kyle Seager 3B	3	2	2	5	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	5.0	Orioles	Nelson Cruz DH	4	2	2	5	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.1	Twins	Casey Fien (W, 3-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.1	0	0	0	0	2
BAT	4.0	Giants	Michael Morse LF	4	2	2	4	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	Brewers	Kyle Lohse (W, 4-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	5	2	1	0	5
	4.0	Dbacks	Trevor Cahill (W, 1-4)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	1	0	0	0	3
	2.0	White Sox	Marcus Semien 3B	4	1	1	4	0	2		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Mets	Lucas Duda 1B	3	2	1	1	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Indians	Lonnie Chisenhall PH, 3B	1	0	1	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	0.0	Reds	Jay Bruce RF	4	1	2	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	0.0	Nationals	Danny Espinosa 2B	3	1	2	0	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Marlins' Jose Fernandez (8IP 0R 14K) tops players for Tuesday, April 22; Pujols hits 500th HR, moves into Box-Toppers all-time top 10 list

Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez is Tuesday’s Player of the Day, while Albert Pujols of the Angels—who hit his 500th career homer—cracked the all-time Box-Toppers Top 10 player rankings.

Fernandez pitched eight scoreless innings, striking out 14, in the 1-0 win over the Braves. He moves up to third place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season. He earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 5.0 for the season. (See updated Top 10 Box-Toppers player rankings for 2014 on the home page.)

Pujols meanwhile earned American League Batter of the Day honors, hitting two home runs—his career 499th and 500th—and drove in five runs in the 7-2 win over the Nationals. 

Pujols earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being AL Batter of the Day, giving him 161.3 for his career. He moves into 10th place on Box-Toppers all-time player rankings (record keeping began in 1995), passing John Smoltz (160.9). This was Pujols’ first Box-Toppers points of the season and the first time he has earned Player of the Game honors since July 25, 2013.

Astros pitcher Collin McHugh is AL Player of the Day. McHugh struck out 12 over 6 2/3 scoreless innings in the 5-2 win over the Mariners. This was McHugh’s Box-Toppers debut, the first time he has earned Player of the Game honors. He is the 3,316th player to debut on Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995.

No National League batter earned Player of the Game honors Tuesday, so there is no NL Batter of the Day.

Notable: Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright moves into second place on Box-Toppers player rankings for the season. Wainwright (7IP 0R W in 3-0 win vs. Mets) earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 5.0 for the season. (See updated Top 10 Box-Toppers player rankings for 2014 on the home page.)

Fernandez receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. McHugh receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Pujols receives 1.5 for being AL Batter of the Day.

All of Tuesday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

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.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

422	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	19.0	Marlins	Jose Fernandez (W, 3-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	3	0	0	0	14
AL	15.2	Astros	Collin McHugh (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.2	3	0	0	0	12
	8.0	Rays	David Price (W, 3-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	6	3	3	1	12
	6.0	Cardinals	Adam Wainwright (W, 4-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	0	0	0	3
BAT	5.0	Angels	Albert Pujols 1B	4	2	2	5	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	5.0	Reds	Johnny Cueto (W, 2-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	3	1	1	3	4
	5.0	Rockies	Franklin Morales (W, 2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	5	1	1	2	7
	5.0	Cubs	Jason Hammel (W, 3-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	1	1	0	4
	5.0	Royals	James Shields (W, 2-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	6	2	1	1	9
	3.1	Yankees	Masahiro Tanaka (W, 3-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.1	7	2	2	0	7
	2.0	Tigers	Miguel Cabrera 1B	5	1	3	3	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Blue Jays	Brett Lawrie 3B	3	1	1	3	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Padres	Donn Roach (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	1	0	0	1	2
	2.0	Phillies	Antonio Bastardo (W, 3-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	1	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Rangers	Joakim Soria (S, 5)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	1

Phillies' Cliff Lee (8IP 0R 10K) tops players for Monday, April 21

Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee is Monday’s Player of the Day. Lee pitched eight scoreless innings, striking out 10 and allowing only four hits, in the 7-0 win over the Dodgers.

Angels pitcher Garrett Richards is American League Player of the Day. Richards gave up one hit and one run over six innings in the 4-2 win over the Nationals. Richards picked up a no-decision and did not earn the win because he left the game with the Angels trailing 1-0.

Ike Davis of the Pirates (recently traded from the Mets) is National League Batter of the Day. Davis hit a grand slam and went 2-for-4 in the 6-5 win over the Reds.

Matt Dominguez of the Astros is AL Batter of the Day. Dominguez hit a two-run homer, drove in three and went 2-for-3 in the 7-2 win over the Mariners.

Lee receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Richards receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Davis and Dominguez each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

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.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

421	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	14.0	Phillies	Cliff Lee (W, 3-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	4	0	0	0	10
	8.0	Cubs	Travis Wood (W, 1-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	6	1	1	0	9
	7.0	`Braves	Julio Teheran	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	5	1	1	1	8
	6.2	Mets	Jenrry Mejia (W, 3-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.2	4	0	0	3	7
AL	5.0	`Angels	Garrett Richards	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	1	1	1	4	6
BAT	3.0	Pirates	Ike Davis 1B	4	1	2	4	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Rockies	Wilin Rosario C	4	2	2	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
BAT	3.0	Astros	Matt Dominguez DH	3	1	2	3	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Indians	Jason Kipnis 2B	4	2	2	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Rangers	Joakim Soria (S, 4)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	1.0	Brewers	Scooter Gennett 2B	3	1	2	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	0.2	`White Sox	Ronald Belisario (H, 3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.2	2	0	0	0	1
	0.0	Orioles	Steve Clevenger C	4	2	1	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Dodgers' Josh Beckett (5IP 0R 7K ND) tops players for Sunday, April 20

Dodgers pitcher Josh Beckett is Sunday’s Player of the Day. Beckett pitched five scoreless innings, giving up one hit and striking out seven in the 4-1 win over the Diamondbacks.

Beckett picked up a no-decision and did not pick up the win. He left with the game in a scoreless tie.

Yankees pitcher Vidal Nuno is American League Player of the Day. Nuno pitched five scoreless innings and struck out six in the 5-1, 12-inning win over the Rays. Nuno picked up a no-decision and did not earn the win. He left with the Yankees leading, but the Rays tied the game in the seventh. This was Nuno’s Box-Toppers debut, the first time he has earned Player of the Game honors. He is the 3,314th player to debut on Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995.

Ryan Howard of the Phillies is National League Batter of the Day. Howard homered, tripled, went 4-for-5, scored three times and drove in three in the 10-9 win over the Rockies.

Marcus Semien of the White Sox is AL Batter of the Day. Semien went 4-for-6 with a triple and drove in four runs in the 16-2 win over the Rangers.

Beckett receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Nuno receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Howard and Semien each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

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.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

420	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	9.0	`Dodgers	Josh Beckett	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.0	1	0	0	2	7
	7.0	`Mets	Daisuke Matsuzaka	-	-	-	-	-	-		3.0	0	0	0	1	5
AL	6.0	`Yankees	Vidal Nuno	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.0	3	0	0	2	6
BAT	5.0	Phillies	Ryan Howard 1B	5	3	4	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	5.0	`Nationals	Stephen Strasburg	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	5	2	2	1	9
	5.0	Reds	Homer Bailey (W, 1-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	6	0	0	3	8
BAT	4.0	White Sox	Marcus Semien 2B	6	2	4	4	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Athletics	Josh Donaldson 3B	4	1	3	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Twins	Trevor Plouffe 3B	4	2	3	2	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Indians	Michael Brantley LF	3	2	2	2	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Tigers	Rick Porcello (W, 2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	5	1	1	1	4
	2.0	Red Sox	Jonny Gomes LF	4	1	2	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Brewers	Zach Duke (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	2	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Marlins	Mike Dunn (W, 1-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	0.0	Giants	Buster Posey C	4	1	1	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Marlins' Henderson Alvarez (CG 0R 2H) tops players for Saturday, April 19; Braun rises to 2nd in Box-Toppers points

Marlins pitcher Henderson Alvarez is Saturday’s Player of the Day. Alvarez pitched a complete game, two-hit shutout in the 7-0 win over the Mariners.

Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer is American League Player of the Day. Scherzer struck out nine over seven innings, allowing only one run, in the 5-2 win over the Angels.

Ryan Hanigan of the Rays is AL Batter of the Day. Hanigan hit two homers while going 3-for-4 and driving in six in the 16-1 win over the Yankees.

Ryan Braun of the Brewers is National League Batter of the Day. Braun hit two home runs—including a go-ahead, ninth-inning, two-run homer—and went 3-for-5 in the 8-7 win over the Pirates. Braun rises to second place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season. He earned 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being NL Batter of the Day, giving him 4.5 for the season. (See updated Top 10 Box-Toppers player rankings for 2014 on the home page.)

Notables: Athletics pitcher Scott Kazmir rises to fifth place on Box-Toppers player rankings and Braves pitcher Ervin Santana rises to sixth place after both were Players of the Game Saturday.  (See updated Top 10 Box-Toppers player rankings for 2014 on the home page.)

Kazmir (8IP 5K ND in 4-3 win vs. Astros) earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 4.0 for the season.

Santana (7IP 7K W in 7-5 win vs. Mets) earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 4.0 for the season.

Alvarez receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Scherzer receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Hanigan and Braun each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

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.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

419	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	11.0	Marlins	Henderson Alvarez (W, 1-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	2	0	0	0	4
AL	9.0	Tigers	Max Scherzer (W, 1-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	1	1	2	9
BAT	7.0	Rays	Ryan Hanigan C	4	2	3	6	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
BAT	5.0	Brewers	Ryan Braun RF	5	4	3	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	Braves	Ervin Santana (W, 2-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	6	1	1	2	7
	3.0	Blue Jays	Mark Buehrle (W, 4-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	0	0	3	3
	3.0	Padres	Eric Stults (W, 1-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	3	1	1	0	2
	3.0	`Royals	Danny Duffy (H, 1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	0	0	0	1	2
	3.0	Red Sox	Koji Uehara (S, 4)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	1	3
	2.0	Cubs	Welington Castillo C	4	2	2	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Dodgers	Adrian Gonzalez 1B	4	2	2	2	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	`Athletics	Scott Kazmir	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	6	3	2	0	5
	2.0	Rockies	Jordan Lyles (W, 3-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	5	1	0	1	2
	2.0	Rangers	Joakim Soria (S, 3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	1.0	Cardinals	Tony Cruz C	4	1	2	2	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Rangers' Martin Perez (CG 0R 8K) tops players for Friday, April 18

Rangers pitcher Martin Perez is Friday’s Player of the Day. Perez pitched a complete-game, three-hit shutout, striking out eight, in the 12-0 win over the White Sox.

Perez rises to sixth place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season. He earned 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 4.0 for the season. (See updated Top 10 Box-Toppers player rankings for 2014 on the home page.)

Padres pitcher Tyler Ross is National League Player of the Day. Ross pitched eight shutout innings, striking out nine, in the 2-1 win over the Giants.

Giancarlo Stanton of the Marlins is NL Batter of the Day. Stanton hit a walk-off grand slam home run and went 3-for-3 and drove in five in the 8-4 win over the Mariners. Stanton rises to ninth place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season. He earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being NL Batter of the Day, giving him 3.2 for the season. (See updated Top 10 Box-Toppers player rankings for 2014 on the home page.)

Howie Kendrick of the Angels is American League Batter of the Day. Kendrick hit a pair of two-run homers and went 3-for-5 in the 11-6 win over the Tigers.

Perez receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Ross receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Stanton and Kendrick each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

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.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

418	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	13.0	Rangers	Martin Perez (W, 3-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	3	0	0	1	8
NL	12.0	Padres	Tyson Ross (W, 2-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	4	0	0	1	9
	9.0	Rockies	Tyler Chatwood (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	2	1	0	1	6
BAT	7.0	Marlins	Giancarlo Stanton RF	3	2	3	5	2	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	7.0	Nationals	Gio Gonzalez (W, 3-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	1	1	1	7
	6.0	Braves	Aaron Harang (W, 3-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	0	0	0	6	5
	5.0	`DBacks	Wade Miley	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	2	1	1	5	8
BAT	4.0	Angels	Howie Kendrick DH	5	2	3	4	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	Athletics	Yoenis Cespedes LF	4	2	3	3	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Rays	Sean Rodriguez PH, LF	2	2	1	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Royals	Jason Vargas (W, 2-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	7	0	0	1	4
	2.1	`Blue Jays	Drew Hutchison	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.1	8	2	2	0	9
	2.0	Orioles	Jonathan Schoop 3B	5	1	4	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Reds	Alfredo Simon (W, 2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	4	1	0	2	3
	1.0	Brewers	Martin Maldonado C	3	0	3	1	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Twins' Chris Colabello is unlikely leader in Box-Toppers points for 2014

Chris Colabello of the Twins, the 30-year-old in his first full Major League season after seven seasons in independent leagues, is the unlikely leader in Box-Toppers points so far this season.

Colabello, who has 5.2 Box-Toppers points, has played first base, designated hitter and right field. He has been Player of the Game in four of the Twins’ eight wins. He was in second place overall in last week’s player standings.

Top players

Through Thursday, April 17

	OVERALL LEADERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Colabello, Chris 3235	1b dh rf	min al	5.2
2	Hernandez, Felix 2064	pi sp	sea al	4.4
3	Wainwright, Adam 2150	pi sp	stl nl	4.0
4	Ryu, Hyun-Jin 3139	pi sp	lad nl	4.0
5	Cashner, Andrew 2807	pi sp	sd nl	4.0
6	Darvish, Yu 3003	pi sp	tex al	3.7
7	Freeman, Freddie 2887	1b	atl nl	3.2
8	Fernandez, Jose 3147	pi sp	fla nl	3.0
9	Sale, Chris 2806	pi sp	chi al	3.0
10	Kazmir, Scott 1947	pi sp	oak al	3.0
	AL PITCHERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Hernandez, Felix 2064	pi sp	sea al	4.4
2	Darvish, Yu 3003	pi sp	tex al	3.7
3	Sale, Chris 2806	pi sp	chi al	3.0
4	Kazmir, Scott 1947	pi sp	oak al	3.0
5	McAllister, Zach 3088	pi sp	cle al	2.7
6	Chavez, Jesse 2780	pi sp	oak al	2.7
7	Tanaka, Masahiro 3305	pi sp	nyy al	2.7
8	Archer, Chris 3194	pi sp	tb al	2.0
9	Buehrle, Mark 1407	pi sp	tor al	2.0
10	Cobb, Alex 2916	pi sp	tb al	2.0
	AL BATTERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Colabello, Chris 3235	1b dh rf	min al	5.2
2	Murphy, David 2348	rf	cle al	3.0
3	Lowrie, Jed 2437	ss	oak al	2.0
4	Hamilton, Josh 2332	lf	ana al	1.7
5	Moss, Brandon 2520	1b	oak al	1.5
6	Joyce, Matt 2480	dh lf rf	tb al	1.5
7	Wieters, Matt 2643	ca	bal al	1.5
8	Hunter, Torii 1190	rf	det al	1.5
9	Moreland, Mitch 2799	dh 1b	tex al	1.5
10	Gillaspie, Conor 3218	3b	chi al	1.5
	NL PITCHERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Wainwright, Adam 2150	pi sp	stl nl	4.0
2	Ryu, Hyun-Jin 3139	pi sp	lad nl	4.0
3	Cashner, Andrew 2807	pi sp	sd nl	4.0
4	Fernandez, Jose 3147	pi sp	fla nl	3.0
5	Santana, Ervin 2005	pi sp	atl nl	3.0
6	Gallardo, Yovani 2333	pi sp	mil nl	3.0
7	Hammel, Jason 2235	pi sp	chi nl	3.0
8	Greinke, Zack 1871	pi sp	lad nl	2.7
9	Bumgarner, Madison 2753	pi sp	sf nl	2.5
10	Kershaw, Clayton 2494	pi sp	lad nl	2.0
	NL BATTERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Freeman, Freddie 2887	1b	atl nl	3.2
2	Braun, Ryan J. 2300	rf	mil nl	3.0
3	Tulowitzki, Troy 2308	ss	col nl	2.7
4	Alvarez, Pedro 2817	3b	pit nl	2.5
5	Duda, Lucas 2818	1b lf	nym nl	2.5
6	Upton, Justin 2411	lf	atl nl	2.0
7	Utley, Chase 1861	2b	phi nl	2.0
8	Blackmon, Charlie 2891	cf lf	col nl	2.0
9	Stanton, Giancarlo 2737	rf	fla nl	1.7
10	Murphy, Daniel 2589	2b	nym nl	1.5

BTP: Box-Toppers points

Last week’s top player, Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez, falls to second place overall with 4.4 Box-Toppers points. He still leads all American League pitchers.

Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright, in third place overall with 4.0 Box-Toppers points, is top National League pitcher.

Freddie Freeman of the Braves, in seventh place overall with 3.2 Box-Toppers points, leads all NL batters.

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.

What are those numbers after players' names?

St. Louis Cardinals' hot week puts them atop Box-Toppers team rankings

The St. Louis Cardinals put up more Box-Toppers points than any other team during the past week and are now on top of Box-Toppers team power rankings.

Cardinals players accumulated 7.0 points for the week ending Thursday, April 17, giving them 13.0 for the season. They rose from 13th place in last week’s standings.

Top 10 teams

Here are Box-Toppers' Top 10 teams, through the games of Thursday, April 17. The column BTP shows the number of Box-Toppers points players on the team have accumulated so far this season. The column BTP/wk shows have many points teams have accumulated during the past week.

417	Teams	BTP	BTP/wk	Last week rank
1	Cardinals	13.0	7.0	13
2	Brewers	12.7	4.7	3
3	Dodgers	12.7	4.7	4
4	Athletics	12.2	5.7	7
5	Braves	12.2	5.5	6
6	White Sox	11.5	4.5	5
7	Yankees	11.4	5.7	15
8	Rockies	11.2	3.0	1
9	Giants	10.5	4.5	14
10	Nationals	10.5	2.5	2

The Cardinals are one game behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central division with a 10-6 record. The Brewers, at 11-5 with the best record in baseball, are in second place on Box-Toppers power rankings with 12.7 points, rising from third place last week.

The Cardinals are led by pitchers Adam Wainwright (4.0 Box-Toppers points) and Lance Lynn (2.0).

The Oakland Athletics are the top American League team, in fourth place overall with 12.2 Box-Toppers points. The Athletics are led by pitchers Scott Kazmir (3.0) and Jesse Chavez (2.7).

Last week’s leading team, the Colorado Rockies, fell to eighth place, scoring 3.0 Box-Toppers points during the week, giving them 11.2 for the season.

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.

Cardinals' Wainwright tops players for Thursday, April 17; Twins' Colabello takes Box-Toppers points lead

Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright is Thursday’s Player of the Day, while Chris Colabello of the Twins takes the lead in Box-Toppers season player standings.

Wainwright pitched a complete-game, two-hit shutout, striking out eight, in the 8-0 win over the Nationals. He earned 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 4.0 for the season, rising to third place in Box-Toppers player rankings. (See updated Top 10 Box-Toppers player rankings for 2014 on the home page.)

Colabello rose from second to first place among players in Box-Toppers points for the season after earning Player of the Game honors in the Twins 9-5 win over the Blue Jays. Colabello (3-4 3RBI) earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 5.2 this season. (See updated Top 10 Box-Toppers player rankings for 2014 on the home page.)

Royals pitcher James Shields is American League Player of the Day. Shields allowed one run over eight innings and struck out 12 in the 5-1 win over the Astros. Shields and Wainwright were tied with Box-Toppers game scores of 12.0, but Wainwright was given the nod as Player of the Day because he had more innings pitched (nine vs. eight).

Mitch Moreland of the Rangers is AL Batter of the Day. Moreland went 2-for-3 and drove in three runs in the 8-6 win over the Mariners.

Pedro Alvarez of the Pirates is National League Batter of the Day. Alvarez hit a three-run homer and went 2-for-3 in the 11-2 win over the Brewers.

Notable: Hyun-Jin Ryu rose to fourth place among players in Box-Toppers points for the season after earning Player of the Game honors. Ryu (7IP 0R W in the 2-1 win over the Giants) earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 4.0 for the season. (See updated Top 10 Box-Toppers player rankings for 2014 on the home page.)

Wainwright receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Shields receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Moreland and Alvarez each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Thursday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

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.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

417	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	12.0	Cardinals	Adam Wainwright (W, 3-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	2	0	0	3	8
AL	12.0	Royals	James Shields (W, 1-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	4	1	1	2	12
	8.0	Red Sox	Jon Lester (W, 2-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	7	1	1	0	9
	7.0	Twins	Kyle Gibson (W, 3-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	4	0	0	1	4
	7.0	`Phillies	A.J. Burnett	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	0	0	2	5
	5.0	Dodgers	Hyun-Jin Ryu (W, 3-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	0	0	1	3
BAT	4.0	Rangers	Mitch Moreland DH	3	2	2	3	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	Rockies	Franklin Morales (W, 1-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	4	1	1	1	5
BAT	3.0	Pirates	Pedro Alvarez 3B	3	1	2	3	2	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Yankees	Brian Roberts 2B	5	2	3	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Tigers	Ian Kinsler 2B	5	1	2	4	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Twins	Chris Colabello 1B	4	0	3	3	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Reds' Johnny Cueto (CG 0R 3H 12K) tops players for Wednesday, April 16

Reds pitchers Johnny Cueto is Wednesday’s Player of the Day. Cueto pitched a complete-game shutout, struck out 12 and gave up just three hits in the 4-0 win over the Pirates.

Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka is American League Player of the Day. Tanaka pitched eight shutout innings, struck out 10 and gave up just two hits in the 3-0 win over the Cubs.

Zach Walters of the Nationals is National League Batter of the Day. Walters hit a pinch-hit, go-ahead home run in the 6-3 win over the Marlins. This was Walter's Box-Toppers debut, the first time he has earned Player of the Game honors. He is the 3,311th player to debut since Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995.

There is no AL Batter of the Day for Wednesday because no AL batter earned Player of the Game honors.

Notable: Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish rises to fourth place in Box-Toppers player rankings. Darvish (7IP 8K ND in 3-2 win vs. Mariners) earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 3.7 for the season. (See updated Box-Toppers Player Rankings for the season.)

Cueto receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Tanaka receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Walters receives 1.5 for being NL Batter of the Day.

All of Wednesday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

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.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

416	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	18.0	Reds	Johnny Cueto (W, 1-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	3	0	0	0	12
AL	15.0	Yankees	Masahiro Tanaka (W, 2-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	2	0	0	1	10
	10.0	Braves	Julio Teheran (W, 2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	3	0	0	0	4
	7.0	Mets	Dillon Gee (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	0	0	0	3
	5.0	Orioles	Miguel Gonzalez (W, 1-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.0	3	0	0	3	6
	4.2	Red Sox	Chris Capuano (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.2	1	0	0	0	3
	4.0	Yankees	Michael Pineda (W, 2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	4	0	0	1	3
	4.0	`Angels	Fernando Salas	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	0	0	0	0	2
	3.0	Giants	Sergio Romo (S, 4)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	2
BAT	2.0	Nationals	Zach Walters PH	1	1	1	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	`Rangers	Yu Darvish	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	7	2	2	2	8
	2.0	Indians	Zach McAllister (W, 2-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	4	1	1	2	4
	2.0	Royals	Danny Duffy (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	3	0	0	1	4
	2.0	Padres	Huston Street (S, 5)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	1	0	0	0	2
	1.0	Brewers	Aramis Ramirez 3B	4	1	3	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

White Sox' Erik Johnson (6.2IP 9K ND) tops players for Tuesday, April 15

White Sox pitcher Erik Johnson is Tuesday’s Player of the Day. Johnson struck out nine over 6 2/3 innings in the 2-1 win over the Red Sox.

Johnson picked up a no-decision and did not earn the win because he left the mound with the game tied 1-1.

Giancarlo Stanton of the Marlins is National League Player of the Day. Stanton hit a three-run homer, drove in five runs, scored three times and went 2-for-4 in the 11-2 win over the Nationals.

Brett Lawrie of the Blue Jays is American League Batter of the Day. Lawrie hit a grand slam and drove in five runs in the 9-3 win over the Twins.

Notable: Reds pitcher Mike Leake was Player of the Game for batting in the 7-5 win over the Pirates. Leake hit a two-run homer and doubled, scored two runs and went 2-for-3 at the plate, giving him a Box-Toppers game score of +3.0. He narrowly beat out Mike Leake (himself) the pitcher for top player in the game. Leake struck out eight over 6 2/3 innings and had a Box-Toppers game score of +2.2 as a pitcher. Leake is the second pitcher this season to earn Player of the Game honors as a batter (Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner did it on April 11.) In 2013, six pitchers won Player of the Game honors for batting.

Johnson receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Stanton receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Lawrie receives 1.5 for being AL Batter of the Day.

All of Tuesday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

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.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

415	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	8.2	`White Sox	Erik Johnson	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.2	3	1	1	2	9
NL	6.0	Marlins	Giancarlo Stanton RF	4	3	2	5	1	2		-	-	-	-	-	-
	5.0	Cardinals	Shelby Miller (W, 1-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	3	1	1	3	7
	4.2	Rangers	Robbie Ross Jr. (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.2	5	0	0	0	2
	4.0	Royals	Yordano Ventura (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	2	1	3	7
	4.0	Mets	Jenrry Mejia (W, 2-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.0	2	0	0	2	3
BAT	3.0	Blue Jays	Brett Lawrie 3B	4	1	1	5	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Reds	Mike Leake P	3	2	2	2	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	`Giants	Tim Lincecum	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.0	5	1	1	0	5
	3.0	Pirates	Jason Grilli (S, 4)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	1.0	Athletics	Jed Lowrie SS	5	2	3	1	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Rockies	Troy Tulowitzki SS	3	2	2	0	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Cardinals' Lance Lynn (7IP 0R 11K) tops players for Monday, April 14

Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn is Monday’s Player of the Day. Lynn pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out 11 in the 4-0 win over the Brewers.

Athletics pitcher Jesse Chavez is American League Player of the Day. Chavez struck out nine over seven innings in the 3-2 win over the Angels. Chavez earned a no-decision in the game and did not pick up the win because he left the game with the Athletics trailing, 2-1.

Lucas Duda of the Mets is National League Batter of the Day. Duda went 4-for-5 and drove in two runs in the 7-3 win over the Diamondbacks.

Matt Wieters of the Orioles is AL Batter of the Day. Wieters went 3-for-4, drove in one run and scored twice in the 7-1 win over the Rays.

Notable: Braves pitcher Ervin Santana rises to eighth place on Box-Toppers player rankings for the season. Santana (6IP 11K ND) was Player of the Game in the 9-6 win over the Phillies, earning 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 3.0 for the season. (See updated top 10 player rankings for the season.)

Lynn receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Chavez receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Duda and Wieters each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Monday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

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.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

414	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	12.0	Cardinals	Lance Lynn (W, 3-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	0	0	3	11
AL	9.0	`Athletics	Jesse Chavez	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	2	1	0	9
	9.0	`Braves	Ervin Santana	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	4	1	1	2	11
	3.0	Nationals	Jordan Zimmermann (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	6	2	2	1	7
	2.2	Mariners	Roenis Elias (W, 1-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.2	5	1	1	2	5
BAT	2.0	Mets	Lucas Duda 1B, LF	5	1	4	2	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
BAT	2.0	Orioles	Matt Wieters C	4	2	3	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Padres	Tommy Medica PH	1	1	1	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.