Miguel Cabrera, Carlos Gonzalez among best in Box-Toppers All-Star teams

Still struggling with your All-Star vote?

Are you someone who truly wants to field a great team—voting for the best players—and not someone who is just willing to vote that .125 hitter in simply because he is on your favorite team?

Well, even if you aren't, Box-Toppers is going to take a look at the top players by position in each league. And as in past all-star updates, we'll look at the all-star teams in a couple of different ways: We'll look at who is leading in Box-Toppers points by position so far through the 2013 season. And we'll also look at players over the longer run, seeing who is leading in Box-Toppers points for the combined 2012 and 2013 seasons.

So, for example, Stephen Drew of the Red Sox is leading among American League shortstops so far in 2013 with 4.5 Box-Toppers points. But J.J. Hardy of the Orioles is leading among AL shortstops if you combine his 2012 and 2013 Box-Toppers points. Hardy has 9.2 (7.2 in 2012 and 2.0 in 2013).

Box-Toppers also includes starting, middle relief and closing pitchers in its all-star line-ups, even though fans don't get to vote for them.

Several players appear on both the 2013 and the combined 2012-13 list, indicating they may be especially worthy of your attention as you fill out your ballot. They include:

• AL 1B: Chris Davis of the Orioles.​
• AL 2B: Robinson Cano of the Yankees.​
• AL 3B: Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers, who also leads all AL batters in Box-Toppers for 2013 (9.7) and combined 2012-13 seasons (21.4).
• AL pitchers: Yu Darvish of the Rangers and Chris Sale of the White Sox (but, again, fans don't vote on pitchers). 
• NL 2B: Brandon Phillips of the Reds.​
• NL CA: Brian McCann of the Braves.
• NL OF: Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies.
• NL pitcher: Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers.
• NL middle reliever: Santiago Casilla of the Giants.

Voting for the All-Star game is open until July 4.

Here is how the Box-Toppers All-Star teams stand as of today:

	2013 SEASON				2012-13 SEASONS
AL	PLAYER	TEAM	BTP		PLAYER	TEAM	BTP
First base	Davis, Chris 2478	bal al	4.5		Davis, Chris 2478	bal al	16.5
Second base	Cano, Robinson 2092	nyy al	4.5		Cano, Robinson 2092	nyy al	8.5
Shortstop	Drew, Stephen 2210	bos al	4.5		Hardy, J.J. 2071	bal al	9.2
Third base	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	det al	9.7		Cabrera, Miguel 1776	det al	21.4
Catcher	Arencibia, J.P. 2781	tor al	5.5		Mauer, Joe 1869	min al	13
Outfield 1	Johnson, Kelly 2018	tb al	4.5		Trout, Mike 2949	ana al	13.5
Outfield 2	Raburn, Ryan 2340	cle al	4.5		Hamilton, Josh 2332	ana al	11.5
Outfield 3	Joyce, Matt 2480	tb al	3		Rios, Alex 1989	chi al	9.9
Designated hitter	Ortiz, David	bos al	3.7		Butler, Billy 2330	kc al	12.7
Starting pitcher 1	Masterson, Justin 2462	cle al	10.7		Verlander, Justin 2112	det al	30.8
Starting pitcher 2	Buchholz, Clay 2363	bos al	9.1		Hernandez, Felix 2064	sea al	25.4
Starting pitcher 3	Sale, Chris 2806	chi al	8.7		Darvish, Yu 3003	tex al	24.8
Starting pitcher 4	Darvish, Yu 3003	tex al	8		Sale, Chris 2806	chi al	24.4
Middle reliever	Scheppers, Tanner 3136	tex al	3		Chen, Bruce 1170	kc al	8
Closing pitcher	Perkins, Glen 2506	min al	5		Rodney, Fernando 1803	tb al	10
NL
First base	Goldschmidt, Paul 2935	ari nl	5.2		LaRoche, Adam 1910	dc nl	11.5
Second base	Phillips, Brandon 1691	cin nl	3.5		Phillips, Brandon 1691	cin nl	13
Shortstop	Crawford, Brandon 2878	sf nl	3		Tulowitzki, Troy 2308	col nl	7
Third base	Zimmerman, Ryan 2180	dc nl	3.7		Freese, David 2710	stl nl	11.7
Catcher	McCann, Brian 2179	atl nl	5		McCann, Brian 2179	atl nl	11
Outfield 1	Harper, Bryce 3011	dc nl	5.9		Braun, Ryan J. 2300	mil nl	16
Outfield 2	Gonzalez, Carlos 2460	col nl	5		Holliday, Matt 1836	stl nl	14.7
Outfield 3	Pollock, A.J. 3142	ari nl	4.7		Gonzalez, Carlos 2460	col nl	14.2
Starting pitcher 1	Harvey, Matt 3075	nym nl	9		Kershaw, Clayton 2494	lad nl	28.8
Starting pitcher 2	Corbin, Patrick 3027	ari nl	8.4		Lynn, Lance 2992	stl nl	25.1
Starting pitcher 3	Kershaw, Clayton 2494	lad nl	8		Strasburg, Stephen 2736	dc nl	23.4
Starting pitcher 4	Miller, Shelby 3134	stl nl	7.7		Gonzalez, Gio 2626	dc nl	22.7
Middle reliever	Casilla, Santiago 2301	sf nl	2		Casilla, Santiago 2301	sf nl	6
Closing pitcher	Grilli, Jason 2209	pit nl	4.7		Chapman, Aroldis 2826	cin nl	18
AL top player	Masterson, Justin 2462	cle al	10.7		Verlander, Justin 2112	det al	30.8
AL top batter	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	det al	9.7		Cabrera, Miguel 1776	det al	21.4
NL top player	Harvey, Matt 3075	nym nl	9		Kershaw, Clayton 2494	lad nl	28.8
NL top batter	Harper, Bryce 3011	dc nl	5.9		Braun, Ryan J. 2300	mil nl	16

BTP: Box-Toppers points

What are those numbers after players' names?

St. Louis Cardinals continue to dominate Box-Toppers team rankings

The St. Louis Cardinals are still atop Box-Toppers team power rankings for the fourth straight week.

Cardinals players have accumulated the most Box-Toppers points for the season (48.3). The Cardinals also have the best win-loss record in baseball at 35-18.

The Boston Red Sox have moved up to second place from sixth place last week, with 40.5 points.

Last week's number-two team, the Texas Rangers, have slid to third with 40.1 points. The Rangers, however, still have the best win-loss record in the American League at 33-20.

The Tampa Bay Rays picked up the most points in the past week (7.4), moving up to ninth place on the list. The Rays have 35.6 for the season.

530	Top 10 Teams	Pts	Last week rank
1	Cardinals	48.3	1
2	Red Sox	40.5	6
3	Rangers	40.1	2
4	Reds	38.7	4
5	Tigers	38.6	5
6	Indians	38.1	3
7	Pirates	37.6	7
8	Diamondbacks	36.3	9
9	Rays	35.6	Not ranked
10	Braves	35.4	8

Mets' Dillon Gee, Orioles' Freddy Garcia top players for Thursday, May 30

Mets pitcher Dillon Gee is Thursday's Player of the Day. Gee struck out 12 over 7 1/3 innings in the 3-1 win over the Yankees.

Orioles pitcher Freddy Garcia is American League Player of the Day. Garcia gave up no runs over eight innings and struck out six in the 2-0 win over the Nationals.​

Ramiro Pena of the Braves is National League Batter of the Day. Pena went 3-for-4 with four RBIs in the 11-3 win over the Blue Jays.​

Chris Carter of the Astros is AL Batter of the Day. Carter homered and drove in three runs in the 7-5 win over the Rockies.​

Note: Cubs pitcher Travis Wood is Player of the Game in the team's 8-3 win over the White Sox. However, Wood was given the honor for his batting performance. He went 2-for-4 and hit a grand slam. (He also pitched six innings, struck out six and gave up only two runs.)

Gee receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Garcia receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Pena and Carter 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:​

530	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	13.1	Mets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Dillon Gee (W, 3-6)	7.1	4	1	1	0	12
AL	11.0	Orioles	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Freddy Garcia (W, 2-2)	8.0	3	0	0	0	6
	6.0	Mariners	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Felix Hernandez (W, 6-4)	8.0	3	1	1	3	6
	4.2	Rays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Alex Colome (W, 1-0)	5.2	5	1	0	2	7
BAT	4.0	Braves	Ramiro Pena 2B	4	1	3	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Cubs	Travis Wood P	3	1	2	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	2.0	Astros	Chris Carter LF	3	1	1	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Red Sox	David Ortiz 1B	2	2	1	1	2	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Indians	Ryan Raburn RF	1	1	1	1	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Royals	Jeff Francoeur RF	1	1	1	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Angels	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jason Vargas (W, 5-3)	7.0	5	2	2	2	6
	2.0	`Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Mark Melancon	1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	2.0	Twins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jared Burton (S, 2)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	1.0	Giants	Pablo Sandoval 3B	4	1	2	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Rangers	Nelson Cruz RF	4	2	2	1	1	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

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

Masterson retakes Box-Toppers points lead; Stults (12K), Navarro (3HR) top players for Wednesday, May 29

Indians pitcher Justin Masterson retakes the Box-Toppers season points lead on the day a Padres pitcher struck out 12 and a Cubs catcher hit three homers to top all players for Wednesday.

Masterson rises to the top in Box-Toppers for 2013 with 10.7, moving him ahead of previous leader Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers, who has 9.7 points. (See current standings update on the home page.) Masterson (6IP 7K) was Player of the Game in the 5-2 win over the Reds, earning 1.0 ​Box-Toppers point Wednesday.

Eric Stults of the Padres is Wednesday's Player of the Day. Stults struck out 12 over eight innings in the 3-2 win over the Mariners. Stults left the game with the score tied 1-1 and so was not eligible for the win.​

Rays pitcher Roberto Hernandez is American League Player of the Day. Hernandez pitched 8 2/3 innings and gave up only one run (no earned runs) in the 3-1 win over the Marlins.​

Dioner Navarro of the Cubs is National League Batter of the Day. Navarro homered three times, drove in six runs and went 3-for-3 in the 9-3 win over the White Sox.

​Chris Davis of the Orioles is AL Batter of the Day. Davis homered twice and went 4-for-4 in the 9-6 win over the Nationals.

Stults receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Hernandez receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Navarro and Davis 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:​

529	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	15.0	`Padres	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Eric Stults	8.0	3	1	1	0	12
BAT	10.0	Cubs	Dioner Navarro C	3	4	3	6	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
AL	9.2	Rays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Roberto Hernandez (W, 3-5)	8.2	3	1	0	0	5
	6.2	Blue Jays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Juan Perez (W, 1-0)	2.2	0	0	0	0	4
BAT	6.0	Orioles	Chris Davis 1B	4	3	4	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	6.0	Angels	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jered Weaver (W, 1-1)	6.0	5	1	1	0	7
	3.0	Indians	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Justin Masterson (W, 8-3)	6.0	4	1	1	4	7
	2.0	Phillies	Domonic Brown LF	4	2	2	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Athletics	Nate Freiman PH, 1B	3	0	2	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Cardinals	Daniel Descalso PH, 2B	1	0	1	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Astros	Marwin Gonzalez SS	1	1	1	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Twins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Glen Perkins (S, 11)	1.0	1	0	0	0	2
	1.0	Pirates	Pedro Alvarez 3B	3	1	1	2	0	2			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	0.0	Mets	Marlon Byrd RF	5	1	2	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

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

Dodgers' Hyun-Jin Ryu pitches shutout, tops players for Tuesday, May 28

Dodgers pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu is Tuesday's Player of the Day. Ryu pitched a two-hit, complete game shutout in the 3-0 win over the Angels.

Twins pitcher Ryan Pressly is American League Player of the Day. Pressly pitched two innings of middle relief in the 12th and 13th innings, striking out three and picking up the win in the 14-inning, 6-5 win over the Brewers. This was Pressly's Box-Toppers debut, the first time he has been Player of the Game. Pressly is the 3,186th player to debut since Box-Toppers' inception in 1995.​

Adam LaRoche of the Nationals is National League Batter of the Day. LaRoche homered twice and went 2-for-3 in the 9-3 win over the Orioles.​

Yunel Escobar of the Rays is AL Batter of the Day. Escobar went 3-for-4 in the 7-6 win over the Marlins.​

Standings update: Mets pitcher Matt Harvey rises to fourth place in player standings (see updated standings on the home page) for the 2013 season. Harvey (8IP 10K ND) was Player of the Game in the 2-1 win over the Yankees. Harvey earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point Tuesday, giving him 9.0 for the season, trailing season leader Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers (9.7).​

Ryu receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Pressly receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. LaRoche and Escobar each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

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

528	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	14.0	Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Hyun-Jin Ryu (W, 6-2)	9.0	2	0	0	0	7
	10.0	`Mets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Matt Harvey	8.0	6	1	1	0	10
	10.0	Phillies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Cliff Lee (W, 6-2)	8.0	4	1	1	0	8
	7.0	Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Tyler Lyons (W, 2-0)	7.0	2	1	1	1	5
BAT	6.0	Nationals	Adam LaRoche 1B	3	3	2	4	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	5.0	`Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jeanmar Gomez	7.0	3	0	0	1	2
AL	5.0	Twins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Ryan Pressly (W, 2-0)	2.0	0	0	0	0	3
	3.2	Padres	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Edinson Volquez (W, 4-5)	7.2	4	1	1	3	5
	3.0	Rockies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Rafael Betancourt (S, 11)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.1	Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Mat Latos (W, 5-0)	6.1	5	1	1	4	7
BAT	2.0	Rays	Yunel Escobar SS	4	1	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Braves	Brian McCann DH	5	2	2	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Athletics	Jed Lowrie 2B	3	1	2	1	1	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

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

Pair of shutout pitchers, Jeff Samardzija and Aaron Harang, top players for Monday, May 27

Cubs pitcher Jeff Samardzija is Monday's Player of the Day. Samardzija pitched a complete game shutout, giving up only two hits and striking out eight in the 7-0 win over the White Sox.

Mariners pitcher Aaron Harang is American League Player of the Day. Harang also pitched a complete game shutout, giving up only four hits and striking out eight in the 9-0 win over the Padres.

Kelly Johnson of the Rays is AL Batter of the Day. Johnson hit two three-run home runs and went 4-for-5 in the 10-6 win over the Marlins.​

Yadier Molina of the Cardinals is National League Batter of the Day. Molina homered, drove in four runs and went 2-for-2 in the 6-3 win over the Royals.​

Samardzija receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being named Player of the Day. Harang receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Johnson and Molina 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:

527	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	13.0	Cubs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jeff Samardzija (W, 3-6)	9.0	2	0	0	2	8
AL	11.0	Mariners	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Aaron Harang (W, 2-5)	9.0	4	0	0	2	8
	9.0	Diamondbacks	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Tyler Skaggs (W, 1-0)	6.0	3	0	0	3	9
BAT	7.0	Rays	Kelly Johnson LF	5	2	4	6	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	6.1	`Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Mike Leake	7.1	5	2	1	0	7
BAT	6.0	Cardinals	Yadier Molina C	2	2	2	4	2	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	5.0	Dodgers	Adrian Gonzalez 1B	4	4	4	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	5.0	Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Justin Verlander (W, 6-4)	7.0	7	3	3	2	13
	4.0	Orioles	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jason Hammel (W, 7-2)	8.0	8	2	2	0	8
	4.0	`Athletics	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Sean Doolittle (H, 9)	2.0	0	0	0	0	2
	3.0	Blue Jays	Edwin Encarnacion DH	5	1	2	5	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Diamondbacks	Didi Gregorius SS	4	2	2	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Red Sox	Stephen Drew SS	3	2	2	2	2	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Twins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Glen Perkins (S, 10)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Astros	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Paul Clemens (W, 2-2)	1.0	1	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Mets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Bobby Parnell (S, 8)	1.0	0	0	0	1	2

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

Shaun Marcum (7IP 12K) tops players for Sunday, May 26

Mets pitcher Shaun Marcum is Sunday's Player of the Day. Marcum struck out 12 over seven innings in the 4-2 win over the Braves.

Marcum left the game on the hook for the loss after giving up two runs to put the Braves ahead, but the Mets came back to win the game, giving Marcum a no-decision (and Box-Toppers Player of the Game and Player of the Day honors).​

Rays pitcher Alex Cobb is American League Player of the Day. Cobb struck out eight over 8 1/3 innings in the 8-3 win over the Yankees.

Pete Kozma of the Cardinals is National League Batter of the Day. Kozma hit a three-run double and went 4-for-4 in the 5-3 win over the Dodgers.

J.P. Arencibia of the Blue Jays is AL Batter of the Day. Arencibia went 3-for-4 in the 6-5 win over the Orioles.

Marcum receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being named Player of the Day. Cobb receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Kozma and Arencibia each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

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

526	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	11.0	`Mets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Shaun Marcum	7.0	4	2	2	0	12
	10.0	Nationals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Stephen Strasburg (W, 3-5)	8.0	5	1	1	0	9
AL	7.1	Rays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Alex Cobb (W, 6-2)	8.1	5	2	2	0	8
	7.0	`Mariners	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Hisashi Iwakuma	8.0	5	2	2	0	8
	7.0	Athletics	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Bartolo Colon (W, 5-2)	7.0	9	0	0	0	9
BAT	5.0	Cardinals	Pete Kozma SS	4	2	4	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Max Scherzer (W, 7-0)	6.0	3	1	1	3	6
	4.0	`White Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jesse Crain (H, 15)	1.0	0	0	0	0	3
	3.0	Giants	Brandon Belt 1B	2	2	1	2	2	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Diamondbacks	Martin Prado 2B	4	1	4	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	2.0	Blue Jays	J.P. Arencibia C	4	2	3	1	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Red Sox	Stephen Drew SS	4	3	3	0	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Cubs	Alfonso Soriano LF	4	2	2	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Angels	J.B. Shuck LF	4	0	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Pirates	Michael McKenry C	3	2	2	0	1	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

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

Braves' Mike Minor, Rangers' Derek Holland top players for Saturday, May 25

Braves pitcher Mike Minor is Saturday's Player of the Day. Minor struck out 10 over 7 1/3 innings in the 6-0 win over the Mets.

Rangers pitcher Derek Holland is American League Player of the Day. Holland struck out 10 over 6 2/3 innings in the 5-2 win over the Mariners.

Everth Cabrera of the Padres is National League Batter of the Day. Cabrera homered and went 3-for-5 in the 10-4 win over the Diamondbacks.

Josh Donaldson of the Athletics is AL Batter of the Day. Donaldson homered and went 4-for-4 in the 11-5 win over the Astros.

Minor receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being named Player of the Day. Holland receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Cabrera and Donaldson 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:

525	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	12.1	Braves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Mike Minor (W, 6-2)	7.1	3	0	0	2	10
AL	7.2	Rangers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Derek Holland (W, 4-2)	6.2	4	2	0	3	10
	7.0	Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jeff Locke (W, 5-1)	6.0	3	0	0	3	7
BAT	4.0	Padres	Everth Cabrera SS	5	2	3	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	4.0	Athletics	Josh Donaldson 3B	4	2	4	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Dodgers	Adrian Gonzalez 1B	3	1	3	3	2	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	White Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jake Peavy (W, 6-2)	9.0	6	1	1	2	5
	4.0	`Yankees	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Preston Claiborne	2.0	0	0	0	0	2
	3.0	Braves	Freddie Freeman 1B	4	3	2	2	1	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Phillies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jonathan Papelbon (S, 9)	1.0	1	0	0	0	3
	3.0	Red Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Junichi Tazawa (W, 4-2)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	3.0	Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Aroldis Chapman (S, 12)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Angels	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Billy Buckner (W, 1-0)	5.0	2	0	0	3	2
	2.0	Orioles	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jim Johnson (S, 15)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	1.0	Twins	Joe Mauer C	4	1	3	1	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Giants	Brandon Crawford SS	3	1	2	1	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

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

Tigers' Miguel Cabrera regains lead in Box-Toppers points for 2013 season

Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers leads all players in Box-Toppers points so far in the 2013 season.

The Detroit third baseman has 9.7 points. He is the only non-pitcher among the top 10 overall players.

Indians pitcher Justin Masterson also has 9.7 points, but Cabrera beats him in a tie-breaker because he has more points in the 2012 and 2013 seasons combined. Masterson ranks second among all players and first among American League pitchers.

Pitcher Patrick Corbin of the Diamondbacks leads among all National League players with 8.4 points.

Bryce Harper of the Nationals leads among NL batters with 5.9 points.

Individual player standings for the 2013 season were last posted on Box-Toppers on May 10. Cabrera also led all players then, but lost the lead and fell to as far as 10th place in the standings before earning back the top spot on May 23 by being Player of the Game for two straight days. On May 11, Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish took over the top spot with 8.0 Box-Toppers points, on May 17, White Sox pitcher Chris Sale topped the chart with 8.7 and on May 19, Indians pitcher Justin Masterson became top player with 9.7.

What are those numbers after players' names?

	2013 LEADERS
	OVERALL LEADERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	3b	det al	9.7
2	Masterson, Justin 2462	pi sp	cle al	9.7
3	Buchholz, Clay 2363	pi sp	bos al	9.1
4	Sale, Chris 2806	pi sp	chi al	8.7
5	Corbin, Patrick 3027	pi sp	ari nl	8.4
6	Kershaw, Clayton 2494	pi sp	lad nl	8.0
7	Darvish, Yu 3003	pi sp	tex al	8.0
8	Harvey, Matt 3075	pi sp	nym nl	8.0
9	Moore, Matt 2975	pi sp	tb al	7.7
10	Miller, Shelby 3134	pi sp	stl nl	7.7
	AL PITCHERS
1	Masterson, Justin 2462	pi sp	cle al	9.7
2	Buchholz, Clay 2363	pi sp	bos al	9.1
3	Sale, Chris 2806	pi sp	chi al	8.7
4	Darvish, Yu 3003	pi sp	tex al	8.0
5	Moore, Matt 2975	pi sp	tb al	7.7
6	Hernandez, Felix 2064	pi sp	sea al	5.7
7	Iwakuma, Hisashi 3048	pi sp	sea al	5.7
8	Verlander, Justin 2112	pi sp	det al	5.0
9	Peavy, Jake 1635	pi sp	chi al	5.0
10	Scherzer, Max 2588	pi sp	det al	4.7
	AL BATTERS
1	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	3b	det al	9.7
2	Cano, Robinson 2092	2b	nyy al	4.5
3	Arencibia, J.P. 2781	ca	tor al	4.0
4	Raburn, Ryan 2340	rf	cle al	3.5
5	Hafner, Travis 1650	dh ph	nyy al	3.5
6	Moreland, Mitch 2799	1b	tex al	3.5
7	Davis, Chris 2478	1b	bal al	3.0
8	Butler, Billy 2330	1b dh	kc al	3.0
9	Mauer, Joe 1869	ca dh	min al	3.0
10	Moss, Brandon 2520	1b	oak al	3.0
	NL PITCHERS
1	Corbin, Patrick 3027	pi sp	ari nl	8.4
2	Kershaw, Clayton 2494	pi sp	lad nl	8.0
3	Harvey, Matt 3075	pi sp	nym nl	8.0
4	Miller, Shelby 3134	pi sp	stl nl	7.7
5	Wainwright, Adam 2150	pi sp	stl nl	6.0
6	Lynn, Lance 2992	pi sp	stl nl	5.7
7	Latos, Mat 2644	pi sp	cin nl	5.7
8	Gonzalez, Gio 2626	pi sp	dc nl	5.0
9	Bumgarner, Madison 2753	pi sp	sf nl	4.7
10	Zimmermann, Jordan 2612	pi sp	dc nl	4.7
	NL BATTERS
1	Harper, Bryce 3011	lf	dc nl	5.9
2	Goldschmidt, Paul 2935	1b	ari nl	5.2
3	Gonzalez, Carlos 2460	lf	col nl	5.0
4	McCann, Brian 2179	ca	atl nl	4.0
5	Zimmerman, Ryan 2180	3b	dc nl	3.7
6	Braun, Ryan J. 2300	lf	mil nl	3.5
7	Carpenter, Matt 2987	2b 3b	stl nl	3.5
8	Frazier, Todd 2929	3b	cin nl	3.5
9	Pollock, A.J. 3142	cf	ari nl	3.2
10	Holliday, Matt 1836	lf	stl nl	3.0

St. Louis Cardinals perched atop Box-Toppers team rankings for third straight week

The St. Louis Cardinals remain atop Box-Toppers team power rankings for the third straight week.

Cardinals players have accumulated the most Box-Toppers points for the season (41.6).

The Texas Rangers remain at the number-two spot with 36.4 points.

The Cleveland Indians picked up the most points in the past week (7.7) and made the biggest jump in Top 10 rankings, moving from seventh place to third. The Indians have 36.1 for the season.

​The Pittsburgh Pirates picked up the most points in the past week among National League teams (6.7), moving them onto the Top 10 at seventh place with 32.6 points.

523	Top 10 Teams	Pts	Last week rank
1	Cardinals	41.6	1
2	Rangers	36.4	2
3	Indians	36.1	7
4	Reds	34.7	3
5	Tigers	34.6	6
6	Red Sox	34.5	4
7	Pirates	32.6	Not ranked
8	Braves	31.9	10
9	Diamondbacks	31.8	9
10	Nationals	31.5	5

Anibal Sanchez, 1 hit from no-hitter, is top player for Friday, May 24

Tigers pitcher Anibal Sanchez, who was two outs short of a no-hitter, is Friday's Player of the Day.

Sanchez gave up only one hit—with one out in the ninth—and struck out 12 in the complete game 6-0 shutout of the Twins.

Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn is National League Player of the Day. Lynn pitched six shutout innings and struck out nine in the 7-0 win over the Dodgers.​

Chris Young of the Athletics is American League Batter of the Day. Young hit a three-run homer and went 3-for-5 in the 6-5 win over the Astros.​

A.J. Pollock of the Diamondbacks is National League Batter of the Day. Pollock went 3-for-4 in the 5-2 win over the Padres.​

Sanchez receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being named Player of the Day. Lynn receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Young and Pollock receive 1.5 each 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:

524	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	17.0	Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Anibal Sanchez (W, 5-4)	9.0	1	0	0	3	12
NL	12.0	Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Lance Lynn (W, 7-1)	6.0	2	0	0	1	9
	9.0	Red Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			John Lackey (W, 3-4)	7.0	2	1	0	3	8
	9.0	Brewers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Marco Estrada (W, 4-2)	7.0	4	1	1	0	8
	5.0	Rockies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Tyler Chatwood (W, 3-0)	6.0	4	0	0	1	4
BAT	3.0	Athletics	Chris Young RF	5	2	3	3	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Rangers	Jeff Baker LF	2	1	2	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.2	Angels	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Garrett Richards (S, 1)	1.2	1	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Orioles	Nick Markakis RF	5	1	3	3	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Reds	Brandon Phillips 2B	4	2	2	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Nationals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Rafael Soriano (S, 14)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	1.2	White Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Nate Jones (W, 1-4)	0.2	0	0	0	0	1
	1.0	Yankees	Lyle Overbay 1B	5	2	2	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	1.0	Diamondbacks	A.J. Pollock CF	4	1	3	1	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

Miguel Cabrera takes Box-Toppers points lead, while Indians' Scott Barnes is top player for Thursday, May 23

Indians pitcher Scott Barnes is Thursday's Player of the Day. Meanwhile, Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers takes the top spot in Box-Toppers points for the season after being Player of the Game two days in a row.

Barnes struck out four over three innings and earned the save in the 12-3 win over the Red Sox.

Cabrera is American League Batter of the Day. Cabrera homered and went 2-for-3 in the 7-6 win over the Twins. It is the second straight day Cabrera has been Player of the Game. Cabrera earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being AL Batter of the Day, giving him 9.7 for the season, putting him atop the player leader list (see updated list on the home page).

Pirates pitcher Jason Grilli is National League Player of the Day. Grilli earned the save in the 4-2 win over the Cubs.

Barnes receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being named Player of the Day. Grilli receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Cabrera receives 1.5 for being AL Batter of the Day.

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

523	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	5.0	Indians	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Scott Barnes (S, 1)	3.0	2	0	0	0	4
BAT	4.0	Tigers	Miguel Cabrera 3B	3	2	2	3	2	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Blue Jays	J.P. Arencibia C	5	2	2	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
NL	3.0	Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jason Grilli (S, 19)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	1.0	Angels	Mark Trumbo 1B	4	1	2	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

Pirates' Francisco Liriano (7IP 2R 9K) tops players for Wednesday, May 22

Pirates pitcher Francisco Liriano is Wednesday's Player of the Day. Liriano threw seven scoreless innings, allowing only two hits and striking out nine in the 1-0 win over the Cubs.

Angels pitcher C.J. Wilson is American League Player of the Day. Wilson allowed only one run and struck out 10 over eight innings in the 7-1 win over the Mariners.​

Jose Bautista of the Blue Jays is American League Batter of the Day. Bautista homered twice, hit a walk-off single in the 10th inning, drove in all of Toronto's four runs and went 4-for-4 in the 4-3 win over the Rays.​

Joey Votto of the Reds is National League Batter of the Day. Votto homered and went 2-for-3 in the 7-4 win over the Mets.​

Standings update: Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz rises to second place in player standings (see updated standings on the home page) for the 2013 season and Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers rises to fifth. Buchholz (7IP 1R) was Player of the Game in the 6-2 win over the White Sox. Cabrera (HR 2-for-4) was Player of the Game in the 11-7 win over the Indians. Both players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point Wednesday. Buchholz now has 9.1 and Cabrera has 8.2, trailing season leader Justin Masterson of the Indians (9.7).

Liriano receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being named Player of the Day. Wilson receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Bautista and Votto receive 1.5 each 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:

522	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	13.0	Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Francisco Liriano (W, 3-0)	7.0	2	0	0	1	9
	9.0	Phillies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Cliff Lee (W, 5-2)	9.0	3	0	0	2	5
AL	8.0	Angels	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			C.J. Wilson (W, 4-3)	8.0	6	1	1	2	10
BAT	6.0	Blue Jays	Jose Bautista RF	4	2	4	4	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.1	`Nationals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Gio Gonzalez	7.1	4	1	1	2	5
	4.0	Orioles	Chris Davis 1B	4	2	4	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	4.0	Reds	Joey Votto 1B	3	3	2	2	2	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Tyler Lyons (W, 1-0)	7.0	4	1	1	1	4
	4.0	`Rangers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Neal Cotts (H, 1)	2.0	1	0	0	0	3
	3.0	Tigers	Miguel Cabrera 3B	4	2	2	3	1	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Braves	Evan Gattis C	3	1	1	4	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Dodgers	Carl Crawford LF	4	2	2	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Rockies	Carlos Gonzalez LF	4	2	2	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Astros	Jason Castro C	4	1	3	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Red Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Clay Buchholz (W, 7-0)	7.0	5	1	1	3	4

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

Tigers' Max Scherzer, Cards' Daniel Descalso top players for Tuesday, May 21

Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer is Tuesday's Player of the Day. Scherzer gave up only two hits and one run over eight innings in the 5-1 win over the Indians.

Daniel Descalso of the Cardinals is National League Player of the Day. Descalso hit a grand slam homer and went 3-for-3 in the 10-2 win over the Padres.​

Mike Trout of the Angels is American League Batter of the Day. Trout ​hit for the cycle (single, double, triple, home run) in the 12-0 win over the Mariners.

Scherzer receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being named Player of the Day. Descalso receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Trout 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:

521	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	10.0	Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Max Scherzer (W, 6-0)	8.0	2	1	1	1	7
	10.0	Athletics	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Dan Straily (W, 2-2)	7.0	2	0	0	0	5
NL	8.0	Cardinals	Daniel Descalso 2B	3	3	3	5	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	6.1	White Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jose Quintana (W, 3-1)	6.1	3	0	0	2	5
BAT	6.0	Angels	Mike Trout CF	5	2	4	5	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	6.0	Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Mike Leake (W, 4-2)	7.0	3	0	0	2	4
	4.0	Pirates	Travis Snider PH, RF	2	1	1	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	`Giants	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Matt Cain	7.0	4	2	2	2	7
	3.0	Phillies	Ryan Howard 1B	5	2	3	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Orioles	Chris Dickerson CF	4	2	3	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	`Brewers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Michael Gonzalez (H, 3)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Braves	Brian McCann C	4	1	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.1	Rays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Alex Cobb (W, 5-2)	6.1	3	1	1	2	2
	1.0	Rockies	DJ LeMahieu 2B	4	0	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Royals	Alcides Escobar PH, SS	2	0	1	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

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

Patrick Corbin (CG 10K) tops players for Monday, May 20

Diamondbacks pitcher Patrick Corbin is Monday's Player of the Day. Corbin pitched a complete game and struck out 10 in the 5-1 win over the Rockies.

Corbin rises to third place among player standings for the season  (see the updated standings on the home page). He earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for Player of the Day, giving him 8.4 for the season.​

Yan Gomes of the Indians is American League Player of the Day. Gomes hit a three-run walk-off homer in the 10th inning to beat the Mariners 10-8. He also hit another homer and went 3-for-5. This was Gomes' Box-Toppers debut, the first time he has been named Player of the Game and is the 3,177th player to debut since 1995, when Box-Toppers stats were first kept.​

Brandon Belt of the Giants is National League Batter of the Day. Belt homered and went 4-for-5 in the 8-0 win over the Nationals.​

​Standings update: Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw rises to fifth place in player standings for the 2013 season. Kershaw (9IP 3H 1R) was Player of the Game in the 3-1 win over the Brewers. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point Monday, giving him 8.0 for the season.

Corbin receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being named Player of the Day. Gomes receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Belt receives 1.5  for being NL Batter of the Day.

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

520	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	13.0	Diamondbacks	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Patrick Corbin (W, 7-0)	9.0	3	1	1	1	10
	8.0	Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Clayton Kershaw (W, 5-2)	9.0	3	1	1	1	5
	4.1	Braves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Julio Teheran (W, 3-1)	8.1	5	1	1	1	4
BAT	4.0	Giants	Brandon Belt 1B	5	4	4	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
AL	4.0	Indians	Yan Gomes C	5	2	3	4	0	2			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Athletics	Seth Smith DH	4	3	2	2	2	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	`Yankees	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Shawn Kelley	1.0	0	0	0	1	3
	3.0	Astros	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jose Veras (S, 7)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	3.0	Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Aroldis Chapman (S, 9)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Blue Jays	Edwin Encarnacion 1B	4	1	2	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	White Sox	Adam Dunn DH	3	1	1	3	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Marlins	Justin Ruggiano CF	4	1	2	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Padres	Jesus Guzman PH	0	0	0	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

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

Justin Masterson strikes out 11, tops players for Sunday, May 19, takes Box-Toppers points lead

Indians pitcher Justin Masterson is Sunday's Player of the Day and takes over top spot among players in Box-Toppers points for the 2013 season.

Masterson struck out 11 over seven innings and gave up no runs in the 6-0 win over the Mariners. He earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for Player of the Day, giving him 9.7 for the season, putting him atop the player standings for 2013 (see the updated standings on the home page).

Marlins pitcher Ricky Nolasco is National League Player of the Day. Nolasco struck out 11 and gave up only one run over eight innings in the 2-1 win over the Diamondbacks.

David Murphy of the Rangers is American League Batter of the Day. Murphy hit a three-run homer and went 2-for-3 in the 11-8 win over the Tigers. (Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers hit three homers, went 4-for-4, drove in five runs and had a Box-Toppers game score of 9.0—Murphy had 5.0—but since Cabrera's team lost to the Rangers, he receives no Box-Toppers points.)

Yonder Alonso is NL Batter of the Day. Alonso homered and went 3-for-4 in the 13-4 win over the Nationals.

Standings update: Rays pitcher Matt Moore rises to sixth place in player standings for the 2013 season. Moore (7IP 1R) was Player of the Game in the 3-1 win over the Orioles. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point Sunday, giving him 7.7 for the season.

Masterson receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being named Player of the Day. Nolasco receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Murphy and Alonso receive 1.5 each for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

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

519	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	13.0	Indians	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Justin Masterson (W, 7-2)	7.0	3	0	0	2	11
NL	11.0	Marlins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Ricky Nolasco (W, 3-5)	8.0	5	1	1	1	11
	8.0	Red Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			John Lackey (W, 2-4)	6.0	1	1	1	0	5
	7.0	Rockies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Juan Nicasio (W, 4-1)	6.0	3	0	0	1	5
	6.0	Angels	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jason Vargas (W, 3-3)	7.0	4	0	0	3	6
	6.0	Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jeff Locke (W, 4-1)	7.0	3	0	0	2	4
	6.0	`Braves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Mike Minor	6.0	3	2	2	2	9
BAT	5.0	Rangers	David Murphy LF	3	2	2	4	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	4.0	Padres	Yonder Alonso 1B	4	3	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Mets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Scott Rice (W, 2-3)	2.0	0	0	0	0	1
	2.0	Rays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Matt Moore (W, 8-0)	7.0	5	1	1	1	3
	2.0	`Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Trevor Rosenthal (H, 13)	1.0	1	0	0	0	2
	1.0	Athletics	Yoenis Cespedes LF	4	2	2	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Phillies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Antonio Bastardo (W, 2-1)	1.0	1	0	0	0	1

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

Brandon McCarthy (9IP 0R), David Ortiz (2HR 6BI) top players for Saturday, May 18

Diamondbacks pitcher Brandon McCarthy is Saturday's Player of the Day. McCarthy threw a complete game, three-hit shutout in the 1-0 win over the Marlins.

David Ortiz of the Red Sox is American League Player of the Day. Ortiz homered twice, drove in six runs and went 3-for-4 in the 12-5 win over the Twins.​

Dexter Fowler of the Rockies is National League Batter of the Day. Fowler went 3-for-5 in the 10-2 win over the Giants.​

McCarthy receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being named Player of the Day. Ortiz receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Fowler receives 1.5 for being NL Batter of the Day.

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

518	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	9.0	Diamondbacks	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Brandon McCarthy (W, 1-3)	9.0	3	0	0	2	5
AL	8.0	Red Sox	David Ortiz DH	4	3	3	6	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	6.2	Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Bronson Arroyo (W, 4-4)	7.2	5	0	0	2	6
	6.0	Angels	Alberto Callaspo 3B	3	2	2	5	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	6.0	`Braves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Kris Medlen	7.0	2	1	0	3	5
	5.2	Astros	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jose Cisnero (W, 1-0)	3.2	2	0	0	1	5
	5.0	Rangers	Elvis Andrus SS	5	3	5	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	5.0	Rays	Matt Joyce RF	5	2	3	5	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	5.0	Padres	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Eric Stults (W, 4-3)	8.0	4	1	1	2	5
	4.2	Cubs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Scott Feldman (W, 4-3)	6.2	7	0	0	1	6
	4.0	Yankees	Robinson Cano 2B	4	2	2	4	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	3.0	Rockies	Dexter Fowler CF	5	3	3	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Brewers	Jean Segura SS	4	1	3	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Indians	Mark Reynolds 3B, 1B	5	1	2	3	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	0.0	Athletics	Eric Sogard 2B	3	1	2	0	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	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 pitcher Chris Sale strikes out 12, is top player for Friday, May 17, takes season lead in Box-Toppers points

White Sox pitcher Chris Sale is Friday's Player of the Day and takes the season lead among players in Box-Toppers points.

Sale struck out 12 over 7 2/3 innings in the 3-0 win over the Angels. He earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for Player of the Day, giving him 8.7 for the season, putting him atop the player standings for 2013 (see the updated standings on the home page).

Paul Goldschmidt of the Diamondbacks is National League Player of the Day. Goldschmidt hit a pair of two-run homers and went 4-for-5 in ​the 9-2 win over the Marlins.

Kelly Johnson of the Rays is American League Batter of the Day. Johnson homered and went 3-for-5 in the 12-10 win over the Orioles.​

Standings update: ​Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz rises to second place in player standings for the 2013 season and Mets pitcher Matt Harvey moves up to fourth place. Buchholz (7IP 9K) was Player of the Game in the 3-2 win over the Twins (though he did not earn the win). Harvey (7.1IP 6K) was Player of the Game in the 3-2 win over the Cubs. Both players earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point Friday. Buchholz has 8.1 Box-Toppers points and Harvey has 8.0.

Sale receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being named Player of the Day. Goldschmidt receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Johnson receives 1.5 for being AL Batter of the Day.

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

517	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	13.2	White Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Chris Sale (W, 5-2)	7.2	3	0	0	3	12
	10.0	Yankees	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Hiroki Kuroda (W, 6-2)	8.0	2	0	0	1	5
NL	7.0	Diamondbacks	Paul Goldschmidt 1B	5	4	4	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	5.0	`Red Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Clay Buchholz	7.0	4	2	2	3	9
	4.1	Mets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Matt Harvey (W, 5-0)	7.1	5	2	2	0	6
BAT	4.0	Rays	Kelly Johnson LF	5	2	3	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Rockies	Jordan Pacheco 1B	4	1	2	5	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Nationals	Adam LaRoche 1B	4	2	2	4	0	2			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	`Athletics	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jarrod Parker	7.0	4	1	1	2	5
	3.2	Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Rick Porcello (W, 2-2)	5.2	5	1	1	1	6
	3.0	Braves	Justin Upton LF	4	1	1	5	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Indians	Jason Kipnis 2B	4	1	2	3	1	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Cardinals	David Freese 3B	4	1	1	4	0	2			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Phillies	Michael Young 3B	1	1	1	1	3	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Pirates	Andrew McCutchen CF	5	2	3	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

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

Cabrera, Mauer, Braun, McCann among top candidates for Box-Toppers All-Star teams

Who is worthy of your All-Star vote?

Let's take a look at who is leading Box-Toppers points by position and in each league. We'll look at it in a couple of different ways: We'll look at who is leading so far through the 2013 season. And since the sample size of the 1.5-month-old season is still fairly small, we'll also look at who is leading in Box-Toppers points for the combined 2012 and 2013 seasons.​

So, for example, Mitch Moreland of the Rangers is leading among American League first basemen ​so far in 2013 with 3.5 Box-Toppers points. But Mike Napoli of the Red Sox is leading among AL first basemen if you combine his 2012 and 2013 Box-Toppers points. Napoli has 10.7 (8.2 in 2012 and 2.5 in 2013).

Box-Toppers also includes starting, middle relief and closing pitchers in its all-star line-ups, even though fans don't get to vote for them.

Several players appear on both the 2013 and the combined 2012-13 list, indicating they may be especially worthy of your attention as you fill out your ballot. They include:​

• ​AL 3B: Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers, who also leads all AL batters in Box-Toppers for 2013 (7.2) and combined 2012-13 seasons (18.9).
• AL CA: Joe Mauer of the Twins.
• AL OF: Chris Davis of the Orioles.​
• AL pitcher: Yu Darvish of the Rangers (but, again, fans don't vote on pitchers). Darvish leads all players in Box-Toppers points for the 2013 season with 8.0.​
• NL CA: Brian McCann of the Braves.​
• NL OF: Ryan Braun of the Brewers. Braun leads NL batters for the combined 2012-13 seasons with 16.0.​
• NL OF: Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies.​
• NL pitcher: Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers. Kershaw leads NL players in points for the combined 2012-13 seasons with 27.8.​
• NL middle reliever: Santiago Casilla of the Giants.​

Here is how the Box-Toppers All-Star teams stood as of May 3.​

Voting for the All-Star game is open until July 4.

Here is how the Box-Toppers All-Star teams stand as of today:​

	2013 SEASON				2012-13 SEASONS
AL	PLAYER	TEAM	BTP		PLAYER	TEAM	BTP
First base	Moreland, Mitch 2799	tex al	3.5		Napoli, Mike 2161	bos al	10.7
Second base	Cano, Robinson 2092	nyy al	3.5		Cano, Robinson 2092	nyy al	7.5
Shortstop	Drew, Stephen 2210	bos al	2.5		Hardy, J.J. 2071	bal al	9.2
Third base	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	det al	7.2		Cabrera, Miguel 1776	det al	18.9
Catcher	Mauer, Joe 1869	min al	3		Mauer, Joe 1869	min al	12
Outfield 1	Raburn, Ryan 2340	cle al	3.5		Davis, Chris 2478	bal al	14
Outfield 2	Wells, Vernon 1548	nyy al	3		Trout, Mike 2949	ana al	12
Outfield 3	Davis, Chris 2478	bal al	2		Hamilton, Josh 2332	ana al	11.5
Designated hitter	Hafner, Travis 1650	nyy al	3.5		Butler, Billy 2330	kc al	12.7
Starting pitcher 1	Darvish, Yu 3003	tex al	8		Verlander, Justin 2112	det al	29.8
Starting pitcher 2	Masterson, Justin 2462	cle al	7.7		Darvish, Yu 3003	tex al	24.8
Starting pitcher 3	Buchholz, Clay 2363	bos al	7.1		Hernandez, Felix 2064	sea al	24.4
Starting pitcher 4	Sale, Chris 2806	chi al	6.7		Dickey, R.A. 1734	tor al	23.1
Middle reliever	Scheppers, Tanner 3136	tex al	3		Chen, Bruce 1170	kc al	8
Closing pitcher	Balfour, Grant 1880	oak al	3		Rodney, Fernando 1803	tb al	10
NL
First base	Goldschmidt, Paul 2935	ari nl	3.5		Jones, Garrett 2655	pit nl	9.5
Second base	Carpenter, Matt 2987	stl nl	3.5		Phillips, Brandon 1691	cin nl	12
Shortstop	Desmond, Ian 2673	dc nl	2.5		Tulowitzki, Troy 2308	col nl	7
Third base	Zimmerman, Ryan 2180	dc nl	3.7		Freese, David 2710	stl nl	10.7
Catcher	McCann, Brian 2179	atl nl	3		McCann, Brian 2179	atl nl	9
Outfield 1	Harper, Bryce 3011	dc nl	5.9		Braun, Ryan J. 2300	mil nl	16
Outfield 2	Gonzalez, Carlos 2460	col nl	4		Holliday, Matt 1836	stl nl	14.7
Outfield 3	Braun, Ryan J. 2300	mil nl	3.5		Gonzalez, Carlos 2460	col nl	13.2
Starting pitcher 1	Miller, Shelby 3134	stl nl	7.7		Kershaw, Clayton 2494	lad nl	27.8
Starting pitcher 2	Kershaw, Clayton 2494	lad nl	7		Lynn, Lance 2992	stl nl	23.4
Starting pitcher 3	Harvey, Matt 3075	nym nl	7		Bumgarner, Madison 2753	sf nl	22.4
Starting pitcher 4	Corbin, Patrick 3027	ari nl	6.4		Strasburg, Stephen 2736	dc nl	22.4
Middle reliever	Casilla, Santiago 2301	sf nl	2		Casilla, Santiago 2301	sf nl	6
Closing pitcher	Feldman, Scott 2632	chi nl	3		Chapman, Aroldis 2826	cin nl	16
AL top player	Darvish, Yu 3003	tex al	8		Verlander, Justin 2112	det al	29.8
AL top batter	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	det al	7.2		Cabrera, Miguel 1776	det al	18.9
NL top player	Miller, Shelby 3134	stl nl	7.7		Kershaw, Clayton 2494	lad nl	27.8
NL top batter	Harper, Bryce 3011	dc nl	5.9		Braun, Ryan J. 2300	mil nl	16

BTP: Box-Toppers points

What are those numbers after players' names?

St. Louis Cardinals remain atop Box-Toppers team rankings

The St. Louis Cardinals remain atop Box-Toppers team power rankings for the second straight week.

Cardinals players have accumulated the most Box-Toppers points for the season (36.9) and strengthened their dominant position by picking up more points than any other team in the past week (8.5).

The Texas Rangers remain at the number-two spot with 33.9 points and also picked up more points than any other American League team in the past week (6.5).​

The Cincinnati Reds made the biggest jump in the rankings from 10th place to third, picking up 7.5 points in the past week, giving them 30.2 for the season.​

The Cardinals have the best win-loss record in the National League at 26-14, but the Box-Toppers second-ranked Rangers have the best record in baseball at 27-14.

​The Cardinals are led by pitchers Shelby Miller, who has 7.7 Box-Toppers points and Adam Wainwright, with 6.0. The Rangers are led by pitchers Yu Darvish (8.0) and Derek Holland (4.0). Darvish is also overall leader in Box-Toppers points for the 2013 season.

516	Top 10 Teams	Pts	Last week rank
1	Cardinals	36.9	1
2	Rangers	33.9	2
3	Reds	30.2	10
4	Red Sox	29.8	3
5	Nationals	29.5	4
6	Tigers	29.1	5
7	Indians	28.4	9
8	Yankees	27.9	Not ranked
9	Diamondbacks	26.1	8
10	Braves	25.9	6