Blue Jays' Hutchison tops players for Saturday, Aug. 30; White Sox' Sale rises to 8th in Box-Toppers rankings

Blue Jays pitcher Drew Hutchison is Saturday’s Player of the Day, while White Sox pitcher Chris Sale rises to eighth place in Box-Toppers player rankings.

Hutchison pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out nine, in the 2-0 win over the Yankees. Hutchison earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 13.0 for the season. He ranks 18th among all players and 10th among American League pitchers.

Sale rose to eighth place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Saturday. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) Sale (7IP 13K W in the 6-3 win over the Tigers) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 15.7 for the season. He ranks fifth among AL pitchers.

Giants pitcher Jake Peavy is National League Player of the Day. Peavy took a no-hitter into the eighth inning before giving up a one-out single. He pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing just the one hit and striking out eight, in the 3-1 win over the Brewers.

Matt Holliday of the Cardinals is NL Batter of the Day. Holliday hit two home runs and drove in five runs in the 13-2 win over the Cubs.

Ian Kinsler of the Tigers is AL Batter of the Day. Kinsler went 3-for-5, scoring once and driving in three runs, in the 8-4 win over the White Sox.

Notable: Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg rose to 15th place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Saturday. Strasburg (7.2IP R 8K W in the 3-1 win over the Mariners) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 13.7 for the season. He ranks sixth among NL pitchers.

Hutchison receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Peavy receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Holliday and Kinsler 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 watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed, click here.

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

830 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 13.0 Blue Jays Drew Hutchison (W, 9-11) - - - - - - 7.0 1 0 0 2 9
NL 11.2 Giants Jake Peavy (W, 3-4) - - - - - - 7.2 1 0 0 3 8
10.0 Astros Scott Feldman (W, 8-10) - - - - - - 9.0 3 0 0 1 5
10.0 Rays Jake Odorizzi (W, 10-11) - - - - - - 7.0 1 0 0 3 7
8.0 `Angels Cory Rasmus - - - - - - 3.0 1 0 0 0 6
7.2 Nationals Stephen Strasburg (W, 11-10) - - - - - - 7.2 6 1 1 0 8
BAT 6.0 Cardinals Matt Holliday LF 3 2 2 5 1 0 - - - - - -
6.0 White Sox Chris Sale (W, 11-3) - - - - - - 7.0 6 3 3 2 13
6.0 `Padres Ian Kennedy - - - - - - 7.0 4 1 1 3 8
5.0 Rockies Tyler Matzek (W, 4-9) - - - - - - 7.0 3 0 0 3 4
4.0 Marlins Jarred Cosart (W, 3-1) - - - - - - 7.0 7 0 0 1 5
3.0 Orioles Zach Britton (S, 30) - - - - - - 1.0 0 0 0 0 2
2.2 `Indians Trevor Bauer - - - - - - 5.2 4 0 0 5 6
2.1 `Pirates Vance Worley (W, 6-4) - - - - - - 6.1 3 2 1 2 4
BAT 2.0 Tigers Ian Kinsler 2B 5 1 3 3 0 0 - - - - - -
2.0 Cubs Logan Watkins RF 3 2 2 1 0 1 - - - - - -
1.0 Phillies Ryan Howard 1B 4 1 1 3 0 1 - - - - - -

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

 

D-backs' Josh Collmenter tops players for Friday, Aug. 29

Diamondbacks pitcher Josh Collmenter, Friday’s Player of the Day, becomes the 36th player this season with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points.

Collmenter allowed one run and two hits over 6 1/3 innings in the 5-2 win over the Rockies. Collmenter left the mound with the game tied and so did not pick up the win. Collmenter earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 11.0 for the season. He ranks 29th among all players and 13th among National League pitchers.

Orioles pitcher Miguel Gonzalez is American League Player of the Day. Gonzalez struck out six over seven innings, allowing one run, in the 9-1 win over the Twins.

Buster Posey of the Giants is NL Batter of the Day. Posey tripled and went 5-for-5, scoring three times and driving in three runs, in the 13-2 win over the Brewers.

Michael Choice of the Rangers is AL Batter of the Day. Choice hit a three-run homer and went 3-for-4, scoring twice, in the 13-6 win over the Astros.

Notable: Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom becomes the 37th player with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points this season after earning Player of the Game honors Friday. deGrom (7IP R 5K W in the 4-1 win over the Phillies) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 10.0 for the season. He ranks 37th among all players and 18th among NL pitchers.

Collmenter receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Gonzalez receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Posey and Choice 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 watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed, click here.

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

829 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 7.1 `Dbacks Josh Collmenter 0 0 0 0 0 0 6.1 2 1 1 0 5
BAT 6.0 Giants Buster Posey C 5 3 5 3 0 0 - - - - - -
AL 6.0 Orioles Miguel Gonzalez (W, 7-7) 0 0 0 0 0 0 7.0 4 1 1 1 6
6.0 `Padres Andrew Cashner 0 0 0 0 0 0 6.0 6 1 1 0 8
5.2 `Pirates Edinson Volquez 0 0 0 0 0 0 7.2 3 1 1 3 6
5.0 Cubs Jorge Soler RF 3 2 3 3 1 0 - - - - - -
5.0 Mets Jacob deGrom (W, 7-6) 0 0 0 0 0 0 7.0 4 1 0 2 5
BAT 4.0 Rangers Michael Choice LF 4 2 3 3 0 1 - - - - - -
4.0 Angels Jered Weaver (W, 15-7) 0 0 0 0 0 0 7.0 3 0 0 3 3
3.0 Nationals Anthony Rendon 3B 4 2 4 1 1 0 - - - - - -
2.1 Yankees David Robertson (S, 35) 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.1 0 0 0 0 1
2.0 Red Sox Mookie Betts CF 5 1 2 4 0 0 - - - - - -
2.0 Indians Carlos Santana 1B 4 1 2 3 1 1 - - - - - -
2.0 Braves Justin Upton LF 4 1 2 3 0 0 - - - - - -
2.0 Tigers Justin Verlander (W, 12-11) 0 0 0 0 0 0 7.0 9 1 1 2 8

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

 

Kershaw, yet again atop Box-Toppers player rankings weekly report, achieves 2nd 25-point season

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw added to his lead in Box-Toppers player rankings this week and for the second time in his career passed 25.0 Box-Toppers points in a season.

Top players

Through Thursday, Aug. 28


 OVERALL LEADERS POS TEAM BTP
1 Kershaw, Clayton 2494 pi sp lad nl 25.8
2 Scherzer, Max 2588 pi sp det al 21.1
3 Bumgarner, Madison 2753 pi sp sf nl 20.9
4 Kluber, Corey 3200 pi sp cle al 17.4
5 Cueto, Johnny 2400 pi sp cin nl 17.4
6 Price, David 2593 pi sp det al 16.1
7 Hernandez, Felix 2064 pi sp sea al 15.8
8 Richards, Garrett 3042 pi sp ana al 15.7
9 Abreu, Jose 3308 1b chi al 15.5
10 Wainwright, Adam 2150 pi sp stl nl 15.0
AL PITCHERS POS TEAM BTP
1 Scherzer, Max 2588 pi sp det al 21.1
2 Kluber, Corey 3200 pi sp cle al 17.4
3 Price, David 2593 pi sp det al 16.1
4 Hernandez, Felix 2064 pi sp sea al 15.8
5 Richards, Garrett 3042 pi sp ana al 15.7
6 Sale, Chris 2806 pi sp chi al 14.7
7 Kazmir, Scott 1947 pi sp oak al 14.1
8 Lester, Jon 2173 pi sp oak al 13.7
9 Hughes, Phil 2272 pi sp min al 13.1
10 Tanaka, Masahiro 3305 pi sp nyy al 12.7
AL BATTERS POS TEAM BTP
1 Abreu, Jose 3308 1b chi al 15.5
2 Jones, Adam 2347 cf bal al 9.5
3 Donaldson, Josh 3144 3b oak al 9.0
4 Cabrera, Miguel 1776 1b det al 8.5
5 Encarnacion, Edwin 2098 1b dh lf tor al 8.0
6 Carter, Chris 2828 dh hou al 8.0
7 Cespedes, Yoenis 3008 lf bos al 8.0
8 Trout, Mike 2949 cf ana al 7.5
9 Seager, Kyle 3031 3b sea al 7.0
10 Murphy, David 2348 rf cle al 6.5
NL PITCHERS POS TEAM BTP
1 Kershaw, Clayton 2494 pi sp lad nl 25.8
2 Bumgarner, Madison 2753 pi sp sf nl 20.9
3 Cueto, Johnny 2400 pi sp cin nl 17.4
4 Wainwright, Adam 2150 pi sp stl nl 15.0
5 Greinke, Zack 1871 pi sp lad nl 13.8
6 Teheran, Julio 3176 pi sp atl nl 13.4
7 Strasburg, Stephen 2736 pi sp dc nl 12.7
8 Arrieta, Jake 2738 pi sp chi nl 11.7
9 Fister, Doug 2688 pi sp dc nl 11.4
10 Zimmermann, Jordan 2612 pi sp dc nl 11.0
NL BATTERS POS TEAM BTP
1 Tulowitzki, Troy 2308 ss col nl 11.6
2 Freeman, Freddie 2887 1b atl nl 7.7
3 Duda, Lucas 2818 1b nym nl 7.5
4 Yelich, Christian 3334 lf fla nl 7.5
5 Murphy, Daniel 2589 2b nym nl 7.0
6 Stanton, Giancarlo 2737 rf fla nl 6.7
7 Lucroy, Jonathan 2744 ca mil nl 6.7
8 McCutchen, Andrew 2637 cf pit nl 6.5
9 Morse, Michael 2020 lf 1b sf nl 6.5
10 Upton, Justin 2411 lf atl nl 6.2
BTP: Box-Toppers points

Kershaw has 25.8 points this season and has a chance of breaking the single-season record of 33.7 Box-Toppers points in a single season, done twice by pitcher Randy Johnson in 2000 and 2002 (Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995). Kershaw had 26.1 Box-Toppers points in 2011, his career high.

Max Scherzer of the Tigers still leads American League pitchers in Box-Toppers points with 21.1.

Jose Abreu of the White Sox still leads AL batters in Box-Toppers points with 15.5. (This week Abreu rose into the top 10 list among all players, rising to ninth. He is currently the only batter in the top 10 list.)

Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies still leads National League batters in Box-Toppers points with 11.6. Tulowitzki will have played in just over half the season’s games (91) and is out for the season recovering from hip surgery.

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?

Oakland Athletics remain atop Box-Toppers team rankings

The Oakland Athletics maintained their spot atop Box-Toppers team rankings this week.

Athletics players have accumulated 105.2 Box-Toppers points, slightly ahead of the second-place Los Angeles Angels (103.7 Box-Toppers points) and the third-place (and National League-leading) Los Angeles Dodgers (101.1 Box-Toppers points).

Top 10 teams

Here are Box-Toppers' Top 10 teams, through the games of Thursday, Aug. 28. 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 in the past week.

828 Teams BTP BTP
/wk		 Last
wk
rank
1 Athletics 105.2 5.7 1
2 Angels 103.7 5.2 2
3 Dodgers 101.1 5.5 3
4 Cardinals 94.1 2.0 4
5 Tigers 93.4 4.0 5
6 Giants 90.4 6.0 7
7 Nationals 89.3 2.0 6
8 Orioles 85.0 3.5 9
9 Royals 84.6 4.0 10
10 Brewers 84.0 2.5 8
BTP: Box-Toppers points

The Athletics are led by pitchers Scott Kazmir (14.1 Box-Toppers points, ranked seventh among American League pitchers) and Jon Lester (13.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked eighth among AL pitchers).

The Athletics have the second-best winning percentage in baseball (.586), behind the Angels (.602), second place in Box-Toppers team rankings.

The Dodgers remain the top National League team. They are led by pitchers Clayton Kershaw (25.8 Box-Toppers points, overall leader) and Zack Greinke (13.8 Box-Toppers points, ranked fifth among NL pitchers).

The Dodgers have the second-best winning percentage among NL teams (.567), behind the Washington Nationals (.568). The Nationals have 89.3 Box-Toppers points and rank seventh among all teams, fourth among NL teams.

The Philadelphia Phillies had the best week of any team, picking up 6.5 Box-Toppers points. They rose from 24th to 20th place in Box-Toppers team rankings, with 71.5 Box-Toppers points.

The Boston Red Sox remain the lowest-ranked team with 52.5 Box-Toppers points.

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.

Giants' Yusmeiro Petit (6IP R 9K) tops players for Thursday, Aug. 28

Giants pitcher Yusmeiro Petit is Thursday’s Player of the Day. Petit struck out nine over six innings, allowing one run, in the 4-1 win over the Rockies.

Indians pitcher Carlos Carrasco is American League Player of the Day. Carrasco struck out seven over 6 2/3 innings, allowing one run, in the 3-2 win over the White Sox. Carrasco has the highest Box-Toppers point total of all nine players who earned Player of the Game honors Thursday. Earning 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day, Carrasco has 6.7 points for the season, ranking 89th among all players and 34th among AL pitchers.

Jordan Schafer of the Twins is AL Batter of the Day. Schafer doubled and went 3-for-5, scoring twice and driving in four runs, in the 11-5, 10-inning win over the Royals.

No player earned National League Batter of the Day because no NL batter earned Player of the Game honors.

Petit receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Carrasco receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Schafer 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.

Box-Toppers watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed, click here.

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

828 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 9.0 Giants Yusmeiro Petit (W, 4-3) - - - - - - 6.0 4 1 1 0 9
8.0 Reds Dylan Axelrod (W, 1-0) - - - - - - 5.0 2 0 0 3 8
AL 6.2 Indians Carlos Carrasco (W, 6-4) - - - - - - 6.2 4 1 1 1 7
6.0 Braves Mike Minor (W, 6-8) - - - - - - 7.0 4 1 1 0 5
BAT 4.0 Twins Jordan Schafer LF 5 2 3 4 0 1 - - - - - -
4.0 Astros Jason Castro C 3 1 2 4 1 0 - - - - - -
2.2 Orioles Andrew Miller (W, 4-5) - - - - - - 1.2 0 0 0 0 1
2.0 Angels Fernando Salas (W, 5-0) - - - - - - 1.0 0 0 0 0 1
1.0 Tigers Bryan Holaday PR, DH 0 1 0 0 0 0 - - - - - -

Clayton Kershaw has chance to pass Randy Johnson's record for most Box-Toppers points in a season

SPECIAL REPORT

SPECIAL REPORT

Most BTP single season

Randy Johnson is the all-time leader in Box-Toppers points in a single season—he scored 33.7 twice, in 2000 and 2002. In 20 seasons of Box-Toppers record keeping, players have scored 25.0 or more points in a season only 19 times. They are listed below. Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers reached the 25.0 point threshold in 2014 on Wednesday (he now has 25.8), the second time in his career he has had 25.0 or more points. And with a month to go in the season, he has a chance to break Randy Johnson's record for most Box-Toppers points in a season.

Rank Player Team Pos Year BTP
1 Randy Johnson Dbacks pi sp 2000 33.7
1 Randy Johnson Dbacks pi sp 2002 33.7
3 Pedro Martinez Red Sox pi sp 2000 33.5
4 Randy Johnson Dbacks pi sp 1999 31.5
5 Pedro Martinez Red Sox pi sp 1999 31.4
6 Randy Johnson Dbacks pi sp 2001 29.4
7 Pedro Martinez Red Sox pi sp 2002 28.8
8 Curt Schilling Dbacks pi sp 2002 28.4
9 Roger Clemens Blue Jays pi sp 1997 27.4
10 Johan Santana Twins pi sp 2004 26.8
11 Pedro Martinez Expos pi sp 1997 26.7
11 CC Sabathia Indians/Brewers pi sp 2008 26.7
13 Randy Johnson Mariners/Astros pi sp 1998 26.4
14 John Smoltz Braves pi sp 1996 26.1
14 Clayton Kershaw Dodgers pi sp 2011 26.1
16 Roger Clemens Blue Jays pi sp 1998 25.8
16 *Clayton Kershaw Dodgers pi sp 2014 25.8
18 Johan Santana Twins pi sp 2006 25.7
19 Cliff Lee Phillies pi sp 2011 25.4

* Current season
BTP: Box-Toppers points

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw has a chance to become the “all-time” leader in Box-Toppers points in a single season.

Kershaw, Wednesday’s Player of the Day, now has 25.8 Box-Toppers points this season and has an outside chance of catching the “all-time” single season leader, Randy Johnson, who scored 33.7 points in a season twice when he was pitching for the Diamondbacks—in 2000 and 2002.

Kershaw's 2014 starts

Here are Clayton Kershaw's starts for 2014. BTP/gm indicates how many Box-Toppers points he earned in each game (2.0 for overall Player of the Day, 1.7 for NL Player of the Day, 1.0 for top Player of the Game and 0.0 if he did not earn Player of the Game honors.


 Start BTP
/gm		 Result
1 Mar 22, 2014 2.0 W
2 May 6, 2014 1.0 W
3 May 11, 2014 0.0 ND
4 May 17, 2014 0.0 L
5 May 23, 2014 2.0 W
6 May 28, 2014 0.0 L
7 Jun 2, 2014 1.7 W
8 Jun 8, 2014 1.0 W
9 Jun 13, 2014 1.0 W
10 Jun 18, 2014 2.0 W*
11 Jun 24, 2014 2.0 W
12 Jun 29, 2014 1.7 W
13 Jul 4, 2014 1.7 W
14 Jul 10, 2014 2.0 W
15 Jul 20, 2014 0.0 ND
16 Jul 26, 2014 2.0 W
17 Jul 31, 2014 1.0 W
18 Aug 5, 2014 0.0 ND
19 Aug 10, 2014 1.0 W
20 Aug 16, 2014 0.0 L
21 Aug 21, 2014 1.7 W
22 Aug 27, 2014 2.0 W
* No-hitter
BTP: Box-Toppers points

With a month to go in the season, Kershaw likely has four or five more starts remaining. He would need to earn 8.0 Box-Toppers points—equivalent to earning Player of the Day honors four times—to pass Johnson’s 33.7. While that seems unlikely, he did have a stretch of five starts this season (from his June 18 no-hitter through July 10) in which he scored 9.4 Box-Toppers points, earning Player of the Day three times (2.0 Box-Toppers points each) and NL Player of the Day twice (1.7 Box-Toppers points each).

Kershaw’s accomplishment this season is all the more remarkable because he missed six weeks on the disabled list from late March through early May. In his 22 starts this season, he has been Player of the Day seven times (earning 2.0 Box-Toppers points each time), NL Player of the Day four times (earning 1.7 points each time) and Player of the Game five times (earning 1.0 each time). In only six of his 22 starts has he failed to earn at least Player of the Game honors.

Johnson has the most Box-Toppers points in a single season, however, record keeping began in 1995, so his “all-time” record covers only the past 20 seasons. Only 19 times in the past 20 seasons has a player earned more than 25.0 Box-Toppers points in a season. And this season is the second time Kershaw has achieved that. In 2011, Kershaw had his best season when he earned 26.1 Box-Toppers points.

While Kershaw’s current 25.8 Box-Toppers points is currently tied for 16th place in Box-Toppers highest points for a season, it is only one of five times in the past 10 seasons that a player has reached 25.0 points. The other four times:

• In 2008, CC Sabathia, pitching for the Indians and Brewers, had 26.7 Box-Toppers points.

• In 2011, Kershaw had 26.1.

• In 2006, Johan Santana of the Twins had 25.7 Box-Toppers points.

• In 2011, Cliff Lee of the Phillies had 25.4 Box-Toppers points.

All 14 other instances in which a player had 25.0 or more Box-Toppers points happened from 1995 to 2004. The top eight times happened from 1999 to 2002. Johnson earned four of those top eight top spots in four consecutive seasons, leading all players in Box-Toppers points in each of those seasons. All 19 players on the list are starting pitchers.

Kershaw tops players for Wednesday, Aug. 27, extending his Box-Toppers point lead; Abreu extends lead among AL batters

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, Wednesday’s Player of the Day, extended his overall lead in Box-Toppers player rankings, while Jose Abreu of the White Sox extended his Box-Toppers points lead among American League batters.

Kershaw struck out 10 over eight innings, allowing one run, in the 3-1 win over the Diamondbacks. Kershaw earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 25.8 for the season. He maintains his top spot in Box-Toppers player rankings. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) With about a month to go in the season, Kershaw is only 0.3 Box-Toppers points away from having his best season ever—in 2011, he had 26.1 Box-Toppers points.

Abreu rose to ninth place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Wednesday. Abreu (3-4 R 2BI in the 3-2 win over the Indians) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 15.5 for the season. He becomes the only batter currently among Box-Toppers’ top 10 players for the season. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) He also extends his wide lead among AL batters—second-place Adam Jones of the Orioles is 6.0 points behind with 9.5 Box-Toppers points.

Rays pitcher Drew Smyly is American League Player of the Day. Smyly allowed one run and two hits over seven innings in the 3-1 win over the Orioles. Smyly earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day, giving him 11.4 for the season. He is in 24th place among all players and 13th among AL pitchers. He is the 34th player this season with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points.

Leonys Martin of the Rangers is AL Batter of the Day. Martin homered and went 3-for-5, scoring twice and driving in three runs, in the 12-4 win over the Mariners.

Grady Sizemore of the Phillies is National League Batter of the Day. Sizemore hit a pinch-hit, two-run home run, in the 8-4 win over the Nationals.

Notables: Braves pitcher Julio Teheran rose to 15th place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors. Teheran (6.1IP R W in the 3-2 win over the Mets) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 13.4 for the season. He ranks sixth among NL pitchers.

Blue Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman becomes the 35th player with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points this season after earning Player of the Game honors. Stroman (7.2IP 8K W in the 5-2 win over the Red Sox) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 10.7 for the season. He ranks 34th among all players and 17th among AL pitchers.

Kershaw receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Smyly receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Martin and Sizemore 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 watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed, click here.

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

827 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 9.0 Dodgers Clayton Kershaw (W, 16-3) - - - - - - 8.0 6 1 0 2 10
9.0 `Giants Tim Hudson - - - - - - 8.0 4 1 1 1 8
AL 8.0 Rays Drew Smyly (W, 9-10) - - - - - - 7.0 2 1 1 1 6
7.1 `Athletics Drew Pomeranz - - - - - - 5.1 3 1 0 1 7
6.0 `Padres Odrisamer Despaigne - - - - - - 7.0 6 2 1 1 9
6.0 `Royals Liam Hendriks - - - - - - 7.0 4 1 1 0 5
5.0 Yankees Shane Greene (W, 4-1) - - - - - - 7.0 5 2 2 1 8
4.2 Blue Jays Marcus Stroman (W, 8-5) - - - - - - 7.2 5 2 1 1 6
4.2 Angels Hector Santiago (W, 4-7) - - - - - - 5.2 3 1 1 2 6
3.1 Braves Julio Teheran (W, 13-9) - - - - - - 6.1 3 1 1 2 4
BAT 3.0 Rangers Leonys Martin CF 5 2 3 3 0 1 - - - - - -
BAT 3.0 Phillies Grady Sizemore PH 1 1 1 2 0 0 - - - - - -
2.0 White Sox Jose Abreu 1B 4 1 3 2 0 1 - - - - - -
2.0 Reds Devin Mesoraco C 2 1 2 1 1 0 - - - - - -
1.0 Pirates Ike Davis 1B 3 1 1 2 1 0 - - - - - -

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

 

Giants' Madison Bumgarner tops players for Tuesday, Aug. 26, becomes 3rd player with 20 Box-Toppers points in '14

Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner, Tuesday’s Player of the Day, becomes the third player this season with 20.0 or more Box-Toppers points.

Bumgarner pitched a complete game, one-hit shutout and struck out 13 in the 3-0 win over the Rockies. Bumgarner allowed only one baserunner the entire game, giving up a double in the eighth inning.

Bumgarner earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 20.9 for the season. He maintains his spot in third place in Box-Toppers player rankings and second place among National League pitchers. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) He trails Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw (23.8 Box-Toppers points) and Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer (21.1 Box-Toppers points).

Angels pitcher Matt Shoemaker is American League Player of the Day. Shoemaker pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out six, in the 8-2 win over the Marlins.

Dustin Pedroia of the Red Sox is AL Batter of the Day. Pedroia homered and went 2-for-5, scoring twice and driving in four runs, in the 11-7, 11-inning win over the Blue Jays.

Matt Kemp of the Dodgers is NL Batter of the Day. Kemp homered and went 2-for-4, scoring twice and driving in two runs, in the 9-5 win over the Diamondbacks.

Bumgarner receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Shoemaker receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Pedroia and Kemp 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.

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

826 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 21.0 Giants Madison Bumgarner (W, 15-9) - - - - - - 9.0 1 0 0 0 13
AL 9.0 Angels Matt Shoemaker (W, 13-4) - - - - - - 7.0 2 0 0 2 6
8.0 Cubs Travis Wood (W, 8-11) - - - - - - 6.0 2 0 0 1 5
7.0 `Pirates Gerrit Cole - - - - - - 6.0 3 2 2 1 9
5.1 Indians Bryan Shaw (W, 5-3) - - - - - - 2.1 0 0 0 0 3
4.1 Padres Tyson Ross (W, 12-12) - - - - - - 6.1 4 1 1 2 6
4.0 Phillies Ken Giles (W, 3-1) - - - - - - 1.0 0 0 0 0 3
3.2 Mariners James Paxton (W, 4-1) - - - - - - 6.2 4 0 0 3 4
BAT 3.0 Red Sox Dustin Pedroia 2B 5 2 2 4 1 0 - - - - - -
2.2 `Royals Danny Duffy - - - - - - 6.2 4 1 1 2 4
2.0 Tigers J.D. Martinez LF 4 2 3 1 0 0 - - - - - -
BAT 2.0 Dodgers Matt Kemp RF 4 2 2 2 1 0 - - - - - -
2.0 Mets Juan Lagares CF 3 1 2 2 0 0 - - - - - -
2.0 Orioles Zach Britton (S, 28) - - - - - - 1.0 0 0 0 0 1
2.0 Astros Chad Qualls (S, 15) - - - - - - 1.0 0 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.

 

Phillies' A.J. Burnett (7IP R 12K) tops players for Monday, Aug. 25

Phillies pitcher A.J. Burnett is Monday’s Player of the Day. Burnett struck out 12 over seven innings, allowing one run, in the 3-2 win over the Nationals.

Rangers pitcher Miles Mikolas is American League Player of the Day. Mikolas pitched eight scoreless innings and struck out five in the 2-0 win over the Mariners.

Delmon Young of the Orioles is AL Batter of the Day. Young homered and doubled and went 3-for-3, driving in three runs, in the 9-1 win over the Rays.

Aramis Ramirez of the Brewers is National League Batter of the Day. Ramirez homered and doubled and went 3-for-5, scoring twice and driving in three runs, in the 10-1 win over the Padres.

Notable: Christian Yelich of the Marlins has the highest Box-Toppers season point total of all 10 players who earned Player of the Game honors Monday. Yelich (3-5 2R 2BI in the 7-1 win over the Angels) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 7.5 for the season. He ranks 72nd among all players and fourth among NL batters.

Burnett receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Mikolas receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Young and Ramirez 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 watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed, click here.

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

825 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 13.0 Phillies A.J. Burnett (W, 7-14) - - - - - - 7.0 3 1 1 1 12
AL 9.0 Rangers Miles Mikolas (W, 2-5) - - - - - - 8.0 3 0 0 1 5
7.0 Athletics Jeff Samardzija (W, 4-3) - - - - - - 8.0 6 2 2 1 10
4.1 Yankees Michael Pineda (W, 3-2) - - - - - - 6.1 5 1 1 0 5
BAT 4.0 Orioles Delmon Young LF 3 1 3 3 1 0 - - - - - -
BAT 3.0 Brewers Aramis Ramirez 3B 5 2 3 3 0 1 - - - - - -
2.0 Marlins Christian Yelich LF 5 2 3 2 0 0 - - - - - -
2.0 Cardinals Jon Jay PH, CF 1 1 1 1 0 0 - - - - - -
2.0 Rockies LaTroy Hawkins (S, 21) - - - - - - 1.0 0 0 0 1 2
0.1 `Red Sox Clay Buchholz - - - - - - 8.1 4 3 3 2 4

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

 

Cubs' Tsuyoshi Wada (6.1IP H R 8K) tops players for Sunday, Aug. 24

Cubs pitcher Tsuyoshi Wada is Sunday’s Player of the Day. Wada allowed one hit and one run in 6 1/3 innings, striking out eight, in the 2-1 win over the Orioles.

Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer is American League Player of the Day. Bauer pitched six scoreless innings and struck out nine in the 3-1 win over the Astros.

Lucas Duda of the Mets is National League Batter of the Day. Duda homered twice and went 3-for-5, scoring twice and driving in five runs, in the 11-3 win over the Dodgers.

Josh Hamilton of the Angels is AL Batter of the Day. Hamilton homered and went 2-for-3, scoring twice and driving in three runs, in the 9-4 win over the Athletics.

Notable: Reds pitcher Alfredo Simon has the highest Box-Toppers point total of all 15 players who earned Player of the Game honors Sunday. Simon (7IP R 6K W in the 5-3 win over the Braves) earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 9.7 for the season. He ranks 37th among all players and 18th among NL pitchers.

Wada receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Bauer receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Duda and Hamilton 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.

Box-Toppers watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed, click here.

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

824 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 10.1 Cubs Tsuyoshi Wada (W, 4-1) - - - - - - 6.1 1 1 1 1 8
AL 8.0 Indians Trevor Bauer (W, 5-7) - - - - - - 6.0 4 0 0 3 9
7.0 Brewers Mike Fiers (W, 4-1) - - - - - - 7.0 2 2 2 1 7
BAT 5.0 Mets Lucas Duda 1B 5 2 3 5 0 1 - - - - - -
5.0 Reds Alfredo Simon (W, 13-8) - - - - - - 7.0 5 1 1 1 6
BAT 4.0 Angels Josh Hamilton LF 3 2 2 3 0 1 - - - - - -
4.0 Yankees Brian McCann PH 1 1 1 3 0 0 - - - - - -
4.0 Rays Jake McGee (W, 4-1) - - - - - - 2.0 0 0 0 0 2
4.0 `Rangers Shawn Tolleson (H, 6) - - - - - - 2.0 0 0 0 0 2
3.0 Nationals Jose Lobaton C 4 3 3 1 1 0 - - - - - -
3.0 Mariners Kyle Seager 3B 3 2 2 2 1 0 - - - - - -
3.0 Padres Yasmani Grandal 1B 3 1 1 4 1 2 - - - - - -
3.0 Phillies Jerome Williams (W, 2-0) - - - - - - 8.0 5 1 1 3 5
2.0 Tigers Victor Martinez DH 6 1 3 4 0 0 - - - - - -
2.0 Rockies LaTroy Hawkins (S, 20) - - - - - - 1.0 0 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.

 

Reds' Mike Leake (6.2IP 0R 2H 6K) tops players for Saturday, Aug. 23

Reds pitcher Mike Leake is Saturday’s Player of the Day. Leake pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out six, in the 1-0 win over the Braves.

Athletics pitcher Jon Lester is American League Player of the Day and rises to 14th place in Box-Toppers player rankings. Lester struck out seven over seven innings, allowing one run, in the 2-1 win over the Angels. Lester left the mound with the game tied, 1-1, so did not pick up the win, but earned a no-decision. Lester earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day, giving him 13.7 for the season. He ranks eighth among AL pitchers.

Adrian Gonzalez of the Dodgers is National League Batter of the Day. Gonzalez homered and went 2-for-3, scoring twice and driving in five runs, in the 7-4 win over the Mets.

Joe Mauer of the Twins is AL Batter of the Day. Mauer doubled and went 2-for-3, scoring twice and driving in three runs, in the 12-4 win over the Tigers.

Notable: Nationals pitcher Jordan Zimmermann rose to 25th place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Saturday. Zimmermann (8IP 8K W in the 6-2 win over the Giants) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 11.0 for the season. He ranks 10th among NL pitchers.

Leake receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Lester receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Gonzalez and Mauer 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 watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed, click here.

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

823 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 7.2 Reds Mike Leake (W, 10-11) - - - - - - 6.2 2 0 0 3 6
BAT 6.0 Dodgers Adrian Gonzalez 1B 3 2 2 5 0 1 - - - - - -
AL 6.0 `Athletics Jon Lester - - - - - - 7.0 5 1 1 1 7
6.0 `Mariners Yoervis Medina - - - - - - 2.0 1 0 0 0 5
5.1 Cubs Justin Grimm (W, 4-2) - - - - - - 3.1 0 0 0 1 3
5.0 Pirates Pedro Alvarez 1B 3 2 2 4 1 0 - - - - - -
5.0 Nationals Jordan Zimmermann (W, 9-5) - - - - - - 8.0 7 2 2 0 8
5.0 `Indians Danny Salazar - - - - - - 6.0 3 2 1 2 7
BAT 4.0 Twins Joe Mauer DH 3 2 2 3 2 0 - - - - - -
3.1 `Dbacks Vidal Nuno - - - - - - 7.1 2 2 2 2 4
3.0 `Rockies Nick Masset - - - - - - 2.0 1 0 0 0 2
2.0 Yankees Martin Prado 2B 4 1 3 2 0 0 - - - - - -
2.0 Royals Jeremy Guthrie (W, 10-10) - - - - - - 8.0 5 1 1 1 2
2.0 Cardinals Seth Maness (W, 5-2) - - - - - - 2.0 1 0 0 0 1
1.0 Tigers Eugenio Suarez SS 4 1 2 2 0 2 - - - - - -
0.0 Blue Jays Jose Reyes SS 5 1 2 2 0 2 - - - - - -

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

 

Diamondbacks' Josh Collmenter, Rays' Drew Smyly top players for Friday, Aug. 22

Diamondbacks pitcher Josh Collmenter is Friday’s Player of the Day. Collmenter struck out eight over 8 1/3 innings, allowing one run, in the 5-1 win over the Padres.

Rays pitcher Drew Smyly is American League Player of the Day. Smyly pitched a complete game shutout, allowing two hits, in the 8-0 win over the Blue Jays.

Marcell Ozuna of the Marlins is National League Batter of the Day. Ozuna hit a grand slam and went 3-for-5, scoring twice and driving in five total runs, in the 13-5 win over the Rockies.

Eduardo Escobar of the Twins is AL Batter of the Day. Escobar homered and tripled, going 5-for-6, scoring three times and driving in two runs, in the 20-6 win over the Tigers.

Notable: Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta rose to 21st place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Friday. Arrieta (7IP R 5K W in the 4-1 win over the Orioles) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 11.7 for the season. He ranks eighth among NL pitchers.

Collmenter receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Smyly receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Ozuna and Escobar 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 watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed, click here.

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

822 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 11.1 Dbacks Josh Collmenter (W, 9-7) - - - - - - 8.1 4 1 0 0 8
AL 11.0 Rays Drew Smyly (W, 8-10) - - - - - - 9.0 2 0 0 0 4
8.0 Dodgers Dan Haren (W, 11-10) - - - - - - 7.0 3 1 1 0 6
5.2 `Braves Mike Minor - - - - - - 7.2 1 1 1 4 5
BAT 5.0 Marlins Marcell Ozuna CF 5 2 3 5 0 0 - - - - - -
5.0 Cubs Jake Arrieta (W, 7-4) - - - - - - 7.0 4 1 1 1 5
5.0 `Astros Brad Peacock - - - - - - 5.0 2 1 1 0 4
BAT 4.0 Twins Eduardo Escobar SS 6 3 5 2 0 1 - - - - - -
4.0 Giants Joe Panik 2B 5 2 4 3 0 0 - - - - - -
4.0 Pirates Josh Harrison 3B 5 1 3 5 0 1 - - - - - -
3.0 Royals Yordano Ventura (W, 10-9) - - - - - - 6.0 4 1 1 3 6
3.0 Yankees David Robertson (W, 2-4) - - - - - - 1.0 0 0 0 0 2
1.0 Phillies Ben Revere CF 4 2 3 0 0 0 - - - - - -
1.0 Athletics Coco Crisp CF 4 2 2 1 0 1 - - - - - -
1.0 Mariners Endy Chavez RF 1 1 1 0 3 0 - - - - - -

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

 

Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw adds to lead in overall Box-Toppers player rankings

Three of the four leaders in Box-Toppers player categories added to their point totals during the past week. 

The only one who didn’t (Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies) had a good reason—he underwent surgery and is out for the season.

Top players

Through Thursday, Aug. 21


 OVERALL LEADERS POS TEAM BTP
1 Kershaw, Clayton 2494 pi sp lad nl 23.8
2 Scherzer, Max 2588 pi sp det al 21.1
3 Bumgarner, Madison 2753 pi sp sf nl 18.9
4 Kluber, Corey 3200 pi sp cle al 17.4
5 Cueto, Johnny 2400 pi sp cin nl 17.4
6 Price, David 2593 pi sp det al 16.1
7 Hernandez, Felix 2064 pi sp sea al 15.8
8 Richards, Garrett 3042 pi sp ana al 15.7
9 Wainwright, Adam 2150 pi sp stl nl 15.0
10 Sale, Chris 2806 pi sp chi al 14.7
AL PITCHERS POS TEAM BTP
1 Scherzer, Max 2588 pi sp det al 21.1
2 Kluber, Corey 3200 pi sp cle al 17.4
3 Price, David 2593 pi sp det al 16.1
4 Hernandez, Felix 2064 pi sp sea al 15.8
5 Richards, Garrett 3042 pi sp ana al 15.7
6 Sale, Chris 2806 pi sp chi al 14.7
7 Kazmir, Scott 1947 pi sp oak al 14.1
8 Hughes, Phil 2272 pi sp min al 13.1
9 Tanaka, Masahiro 3305 pi sp nyy al 12.7
10 Darvish, Yu 3003 pi sp tex al 12.4
AL BATTERS POS TEAM BTP
1 Abreu, Jose 3308 1b chi al 14.5
2 Jones, Adam 2347 cf bal al 9.5
3 Donaldson, Josh 3144 3b oak al 9.0
4 Cabrera, Miguel 1776 1b det al 8.5
5 Encarnacion, Edwin 2098 1b dh lf tor al 8.0
6 Carter, Chris 2828 dh hou al 8.0
7 Cespedes, Yoenis 3008 lf bos al 8.0
8 Trout, Mike 2949 cf ana al 7.5
9 Murphy, David 2348 rf cle al 6.5
10 Colabello, Chris 3235 1b dh rf min al 6.2
NL PITCHERS POS TEAM BTP
1 Kershaw, Clayton 2494 pi sp lad nl 23.8
2 Bumgarner, Madison 2753 pi sp sf nl 18.9
3 Cueto, Johnny 2400 pi sp cin nl 17.4
4 Wainwright, Adam 2150 pi sp stl nl 15.0
5 Greinke, Zack 1871 pi sp lad nl 13.8
6 Strasburg, Stephen 2736 pi sp dc nl 12.7
7 Teheran, Julio 3176 pi sp atl nl 12.4
8 Fister, Doug 2688 pi sp dc nl 11.4
9 Kimbrel, Craig 2825 pi cp atl nl 11.0
10 Santana, Ervin 2005 pi sp atl nl 11.0
NL BATTERS POS TEAM BTP
1 Tulowitzki, Troy 2308 ss col nl 11.6
2 Freeman, Freddie 2887 1b atl nl 7.7
3 Murphy, Daniel 2589 2b nym nl 7.0
4 Stanton, Giancarlo 2737 rf fla nl 6.7
5 Lucroy, Jonathan 2744 ca mil nl 6.7
6 McCutchen, Andrew 2637 cf pit nl 6.5
7 Morse, Michael 2020 lf 1b sf nl 6.5
8 Yelich, Christian 3334 lf fla nl 6.5
9 Upton, Justin 2411 lf atl nl 6.2
10 Howard, Ryan 2040 1b phi nl 6.2
BTP: Box-Toppers points

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw added 1.7 Box-Toppers points during the past week and now has 23.8 to lead all players and all National League pitchers.

Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer added 1.0 Box-Toppers point during the past week and now has 21.1 to lead all American League pitchers.

Jose Abreu of the White Sox added 1.5 Box-Toppers points during the past week and now has 14.5 to lead all AL batters.

Tulowitzki, on the disabled list and out for the season, was unable to add to point total—he leads NL batters with 11.6 Box-Toppers points.

These four players have led these categories since the July 3 player rankings report. In that week, Kershaw (then with 14.4 Box-Toppers points) passed Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwight, who had 14.0 Box-Toppers points. Wainwright now has 15.0 points and ranks ninth among all players and fourth among NL pitchers. Scherzer (then with 14.4 Box-Toppers points) passed Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, who had 12.7 Box-Toppers points. Tanaka, who went on the disabled list in early July, still has 12.7 points and ranks ninth among AL pitchers.

Notable: Angels pitcher Garrett Richards, ranked eighth overall with 15.7 Box-Toppers points, tore his knee tendon this week and is out for the season. He ranks fifth among AL pitchers and has the most Box-Toppers points among all Angels players.

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?

Oakland Athletics have bad week, still top Box-Toppers team rankings, but lead narrows

The Oakland Athletics remain the top team in Box-Toppers team rankings even though no team had fewer Box-Toppers points during the past week.

Athletics players have accumulated  99.5 Box-Toppers points this season, but picked up only 1.0 point during the past week—tied with three other teams for the least points scored during the week.

Top 10 teams

Here are Box-Toppers' Top 10 teams, through the games of Thursday, Aug. 21. 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 in the past week.

821 Teams BTP BTP
/wk		 Last
wk
rank
1 Athletics 99.5 1.0 1
2 Angels 98.5 7.5 3
3 Dodgers 95.6 3.2 2
4 Cardinals 92.1 5.7 4
5 Tigers 89.4 4.0 5
6 Nationals 87.3 8.0 7
7 Giants 84.4 4.0 6
8 Brewers 81.5 5.2 10
9 Orioles 81.5 5.0 9
10 Royals 80.6 5.0 11
BTP: Box-Toppers points

While the Athletics have led Box-Toppers team rankings since the July 13 report, their lead has never been so narrow. The second-place Los Angeles Angels are only 1.0 Box-Toppers point behind with 98.5. And the National League-leading Los Angeles Dodgers are now just 3.9 points behind, with 95.6.

The Athletics are led by pitchers Scott Kazmir (14.1 Box-Toppers points, ranked seventh among American League pitchers) and Jon Lester (12.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 12th among AL pitchers). Kazmir scored the Athletics’ lone Box-Toppers point this week.

The Athletics have the second-best record in baseball and the second-best in the American League, behind the Angels. The Athletics have a .587 winning percentage, two games behind the Angels, with .603.

The Angels are led by pitcher Garrett Richards (15.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked eighth among all players). However, Richards suffered a season-ending injury this week (torn knee tendon). Pitcher Matt Shoemaker now has the most points among active Angels players (8.0, ranked 27th among AL pitchers).

The Dodgers continue to lead all NL teams, as they have since the July 3 team rankings report. The Dodgers, who fell from second to third in overall rankings, are led by pitchers Clayton Kershaw (23.8 Box-Toppers points, overall leader) and Zack Greinke (13.8 Box-Toppers points, ranked fifth among NL pitchers).

The Dodgers have the third-best winning percentage in the NL (.558), behind the Washington Nationals (.579) and the Milwaukee Brewers (.559). The Nationals have 87.3 Box-Toppers points, in sixth place overall—they had the best week of all teams, picking up 8.0 Box-Toppers points and rising from seventh to sixth place in team rankings. The Brewers have 81.5 Box-Toppers points and are in eighth place in team rankings.

The Kansas City Royals rose into the top 10 team rankings list, picking up 5.0 Box-Toppers points in the past week, giving him 80.6 for the season, rising from 11th to 10th place. The Toronto Blue Jays fell out of the top 10, falling from eighth to 11th place, picking up only 2.0 Box-Toppers points in the past week, giving them 80.0 for the season.

The Boston Red Sox remain the lowest-ranked team with 50.0 Box-Toppers points.

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.

Angels' Shoemaker tops players for Thursday, Aug. 21; Kershaw, Bumgarner bolster spots among Box-Toppers top 3 players

Angels pitcher Matt Shoemaker is Thursday’s Player of the Day, while Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw and Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner bolstered their spots in the top three in Box-Toppers player rankings.

Shoemaker pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out nine, in the 2-0 win over the Red Sox.

Kershaw, Thursday’s National League Player of the Day, extends his lead among all players in Box-Toppers player rankings. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) Kershaw struck out 10 over eight innings, allowing one run, in the 2-1 win over the Padres. Kershaw earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day, giving him 23.8 for the season. He is now only 2.3 points behind his season high of 26.1 Box-Toppers points he scored in 2010.

Bumgarner maintained his third-place spot in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Thursday. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) Bumgarner (7IP 12K W in the 5-3 win over the Cubs) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 18.9 for the season. He ranks second among NL pitchers, behind Kershaw.

No batters earned Box-Toppers points Thursday because no batters earned Player of the Game honors—in all nine games, pitchers beat batters as top player of the game.

Notables: Twins pitcher Phil Hughes rose to 14th place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Thursday. Hughes (7IP R 8K W in the 4-1 win over the Indians) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 13.1 for the season. He ranks eighth among American League pitchers.

Braves pitcher Julio Teheran rose to 18th place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Thursday. Teheran (6IP 0R W in the 8-0 win over the Reds) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 12.4 for the season. He ranks seventh among NL pitchers.

Rays pitcher Alex Cobb becomes the 33rd player with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points this season after earning Player of the Game honors Thursday. Cobb (7IP 0R 6K W in the 1-0 win over the Tigers) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 10.7 for the season. He ranks 29th among all players and 15th among AL pitchers.

Cubs pitcher Tsuyoshi Wada is Player of the Game in the completion Thursday of a rain-shortened game against the Giants started Tuesday. Wada (5IP 0R 3K W in the 2-1 win) actually did all his work Tuesday, though earns the Box-Toppers point for Thursday. Initially, the game was ruled a rain-shortened, 4 1/2-inning final and a Cubs win Tuesday. At the time, Anthony Rizzo was deemed Player of the Game. He went 2-for-2 with a run and two RBIs, giving him a Box-Toppers game score of 3.0. However, after the Giants protested and baseball ordered the game be resumed Thursday, the Cubs win was taken away, as was Rizzo’s Box-Toppers point for Player of the Game. After the game resumed, Rizzo went 0-for-2, reducing his Box-Toppers game score to 1.0. Wada’s Box-Toppers game score of 2.0 was enough to beat out Rizzo for Player of the Game.

Shoemaker receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Kershaw receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. 

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

Box-Toppers watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed, click here.

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

821 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 14.2 Angels Matt Shoemaker (W, 12-4) - - - - - - 7.2 1 0 0 1 9
13.0 Yankees Brandon McCarthy (W, 5-2) - - - - - - 9.0 4 0 0 0 8
NL 11.0 Dodgers Clayton Kershaw (W, 15-3) - - - - - - 8.0 3 1 1 2 10
9.0 Rays Alex Cobb (W, 9-6) - - - - - - 7.0 2 0 0 2 6
8.0 Twins Phil Hughes (W, 14-8) - - - - - - 7.0 5 1 1 0 8
6.0 `Nationals Gio Gonzalez - - - - - - 7.0 4 0 0 3 6
5.0 Giants Madison Bumgarner (W, 14-9) - - - - - - 7.0 7 3 3 1 12
5.0 Braves Julio Teheran (W, 12-9) - - - - - - 6.0 4 0 0 0 3
2.0 Cubs Tsuyoshi Wada (W, 3-1) - - - - - - 5.0 6 0 0 0 3

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

 

Tigers' Rick Porcello (CG 0R) tops players for Wednesday, Aug. 20

Tigers pitcher Rick Porcello is Wednesday’s Player of the Day. Porcello pitched a complete game shutout, allowing three hits, in the 6-0 win over the Rays.

Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn is National League Player of the Day. Lynn pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out five in the 7-3 win over the Reds. Lynn earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day, giving him 10.7 for the season. He becomes the 32nd player this season with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points. He ranks 27th among all players and 11th among NL pitchers.

Matt McBride of the Rockies is NL Batter of the Day. McBride hit a grand slam and went 2-for-3 in the 5-2 win over the Royals. This was McBride’s Box-Toppers debut, the first time he has earned Player of the Game honors. He is the 3,400th player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995. He made his Major League debut Aug. 4, 2012 and was playing in his 32nd career game.

Josh Hamilton of the Angels is AL Batter of the Day. Hamilton doubled and went 2-for-3, scoring a run and driving in three more, in the 8-3 win over the Red Sox.

Porcello receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Lynn receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. McBride and Hamilton 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 watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed, click here.

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

820 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 10.0 Tigers Rick Porcello (W, 14-8) - - - - - - 9.0 3 0 0 0 4
NL 6.0 Cardinals Lance Lynn (W, 14-8) - - - - - - 7.0 4 0 0 2 5
BAT 4.0 Rockies Matt McBride 1B 3 1 2 4 0 1 - - - - - -
4.0 `Phillies Jake Diekman (H, 14) - - - - - - 2.0 1 0 0 1 4
3.1 Indians T.J. House (W, 2-3) - - - - - - 5.1 4 0 0 3 5
3.0 Mets Lucas Duda 1B 4 2 2 3 1 1 - - - - - -
BAT 3.0 Angels Josh Hamilton CF 3 1 2 3 0 0 - - - - - -
3.0 `Nationals Tanner Roark - - - - - - 7.0 5 0 0 1 2
3.0 Padres Eric Stults (W, 6-13) - - - - - - 5.0 4 1 1 1 5
2.0 Giants Travis Ishikawa 1B, LF 5 1 3 3 0 0 - - - - - -
2.0 Orioles Adam Jones CF 4 2 3 1 0 0 - - - - - -
2.0 Pirates Mark Melancon (W, 2-3) - - - - - - 1.0 0 0 0 0 1
1.0 Blue Jays Jose Reyes SS 5 2 3 1 0 0 - - - - - -
1.0 Rangers Alex Rios RF 4 1 2 2 0 1 - - - - - -
0.0 Astros Robbie Grossman RF 5 1 2 2 0 0 - - - - - -

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

 

Mariners' Iwakuma tops players for Tuesday, Aug. 19; Tigers' Scherzer extends Box-Toppers points lead among AL pitchers

Mariners pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma is Tuesday’s Player of the Day, while Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer extends his Box-Toppers points lead among American League pitchers.

Iwakuma pitched eight scoreless innings and struck out 11 in the 5-2 win over the Phillies. He earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 11.0 for the season. He is the 31st player this season with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points. He ranks 23rd among all players and 13th among AL pitchers.

Scherzer bolstered his top spot among AL pitchers after earning Player of the Game honors Tuesday. Scherzer (7IP 9K ND in the 8-6 win over the Rays) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 21.1 for the season. He ranks second among all players, behind Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who has 22.1 Box-Toppers points. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) Scherzer ranks first among AL pitchers, ahead of the current second-place AL pitcher, Corey Kluber of the Indians (17.4 Box-Toppers points).

Brewers pitcher Mike Fiers is National League Player of the Day. Fiers struck out six over seven innings, allowing one run, in the 6-1 win over the Blue Jays.

Carl Crawford of the Dodgers is NL Batter of the Day. Crawford homered and went 3-for-3, scoring three times and driving in three runs, in the 8-6 win over the Padres.

Omar Infante of the Royals is AL Batter of the Day. Infante hit three doubles, going 4-for-5, scoring a run and driving in four more, in the 7-4 win over the Rockies.

Notables: Athletics pitcher Scott Kazmir rose to 12th place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Tuesday. Kazmir (6IP R 6K W in the 6-2 win over the Mets) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 14.1 for the season. He ranks seventh among AL pitchers.

Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg rose to 14th place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Tuesday. Strasburg (8IP R W in the 8-1 win over the Diamondbacks) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 12.7 for the season. He ranks sixth among NL pitchers.

Iwakuma receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Fiers receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Crawford and Infante 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.

Box-Toppers watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed, click here.

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

819 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 15.0 Mariners Hisashi Iwakuma (W, 12-6) - - - - - - 8.0 4 0 0 0 11
11.0 Orioles Chris Tillman (W, 10-5) - - - - - - 8.0 3 1 1 1 9
NL 8.0 Brewers Mike Fiers (W, 3-1) - - - - - - 7.0 2 1 1 1 6
BAT 6.0 Dodgers Carl Crawford LF 3 3 3 3 1 0 - - - - - -
6.0 Nationals Stephen Strasburg (W, 10-10) - - - - - - 8.0 3 1 1 1 4
BAT 4.0 Royals Omar Infante 2B 5 1 4 4 0 0 - - - - - -
4.0 Braves Justin Upton LF 4 1 2 5 1 0 - - - - - -
4.0 Marlins Sam Dyson (W, 2-0) - - - - - - 1.0 0 0 0 0 3
3.0 Indians Yan Gomes C 4 3 3 1 0 1 - - - - - -
3.0 *Cubs Anthony Rizzo 1B 2 1 2 2 0 0 - - - - - -
3.0 Athletics Scott Kazmir (W, 14-5) - - - - - - 6.0 4 1 1 3 6
2.2 `Astros Tony Sipp - - - - - - 1.2 0 0 0 0 1
2.0 Cardinals Jon Jay CF 3 2 2 1 1 0 - - - - - -
1.0 Angels Chris Iannetta C 3 1 2 1 1 0 - - - - - -
1.0 `Tigers Max Scherzer - - - - - - 7.0 4 4 4 3 9

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

* UPDATE: Thursday, August 21, 2014: Rizzo was named Player of the Game in the game that was initially ruled a final, rain-shortened game. However, the Giants protested the game and Major League Baseball upheld the protest. The now-suspended game is to resume in the bottom of the fifth inning on Aug. 21. Rizzo's 1.0 Box-Toppers point earned Aug. 19 will be removed and the game's top player will now be included among Aug. 21's games. Rizzo has 5.5 Box-Toppers points for the season and ranks 15th among NL batters. Before the point was removed, his 6.5 Box-Toppers points put him at seventh place among NL batters. 

 

Orioles' Bud Norris, Phillies' Jerome Williams top players for Monday, Aug. 18

Orioles pitcher Bud Norris is Monday’s Player of the Day. Norris struck out five over seven innings in the 8-2 win over the White Sox.

Of all eight players earning Player of the Game honors Monday, Norris has the highest Box-Toppers points total for the season. He earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 6.0 for the season and ranks 101st among all players.

Phillies pitcher Jerome Williams is National League Player of the Day. Williams gave up one run over seven innings in the 4-1 win over the Mariners.

Erik Kratz of the Royals is American League Batter of the Day. Kratz hit two solo home runs in the 6-4 win over the Twins.

Jason Heyward of the Braves is NL Batter of the Day. Heyward homered and went 3-for-4, driving in two runs, in the 7-3 win over the Pirates.

Norris receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Williams receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Kratz and Heyward 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 watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed, click here.

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

818 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 5.0 Orioles Bud Norris (W, 11-7) - - - - - - 7.0 3 2 2 0 5
BAT 4.0 Royals Erik Kratz PH, C 2 2 2 2 0 0 - - - - - -
NL 3.0 Phillies Jerome Williams (W, 1-0) - - - - - - 7.0 3 1 1 3 4
3.0 Cubs Kyle Hendricks (W, 5-1) - - - - - - 7.0 3 1 1 2 3
BAT 2.0 Braves Jason Heyward RF 4 1 3 2 0 0 - - - - - -
2.0 Angels Kole Calhoun RF 2 2 2 0 2 0 - - - - - -
1.0 Cardinals Jhonny Peralta SS 5 1 3 2 0 1 - - - - - -
1.0 Nationals Wilson Ramos C 4 1 2 2 0 1 - - - - - -

Cubs' Arrieta tops players for Sunday, Aug. 17; Cuddyer earns NL Batter of Day with cycle

Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta, Sunday’s Player of the Day, becomes the 30th player this season with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points.

Arrieta pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out nine in the 2-1 win over the Mets. Arrieta picked up a no-decision because after he left the game with the lead, the Mets tied the game at 1-1, before the Cubs scored the go-ahead run in the ninth. Arrieta earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 10.7 for the season. He ranks 27th among all players and 12th among National League pitchers.

Mariners pitcher Chris Young is American League Player of the Day. Young pitched six scoreless innings in the 8-1 win over the Tigers. He earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day, giving him 12.1 for the season. He ranks 17th among all players and 11th among AL pitchers.

Michael Cuddyer of the Rockies is NL Batter of the Day. Cuddyer hit for the cycle, going 4-for-5, scoring three times and driving in three runs, in the 10-5 win over the Reds.

Jose Altuve of the Astros is AL Batter of the Day. Altuve hit a grand slam and went 4-for-5 in the 8-1 win over the Red Sox.

Notable: Nationals pitcher Doug Fister rose to 22nd place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Sunday. Fister (7IP 5K ND in the 6-5 win over the Pirates) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 11.4 for the season. He ranks eighth among NL pitchers.

Arrieta receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Young receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Cuddyer and Altuve 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.

Box-Toppers watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed, click here.

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

817 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 12.0 `Cubs Jake Arrieta - - - - - - 7.0 2 0 0 2 9
BAT 5.0 Rockies Michael Cuddyer RF, 1B 5 3 4 3 0 1 - - - - - -
AL 5.0 Mariners Chris Young (W, 12-6) - - - - - - 6.0 4 0 0 1 4
BAT 4.0 Astros Jose Altuve 2B 5 1 4 4 0 1 - - - - - -
4.0 Cardinals Matt Carpenter 3B 4 2 3 3 0 0 - - - - - -
4.0 Marlins Giancarlo Stanton RF 4 2 2 4 1 0 - - - - - -
4.0 White Sox Conor Gillaspie 3B 3 2 1 4 1 0 - - - - - -
4.0 Braves Mike Minor (W, 5-8) - - - - - - 7.0 4 2 2 2 7
4.0 `Nationals Doug Fister - - - - - - 7.0 5 2 0 1 5
3.2 `Giants Javier Lopez (H, 8) - - - - - - 1.2 1 0 0 0 3
3.0 Brewers Jonathan Lucroy C 5 1 2 5 0 0 - - - - - -
3.0 Royals Alex Gordon LF 4 3 2 2 0 0 - - - - - -
2.0 Rockies Drew Stubbs CF 6 2 3 3 0 1 - - - - - -
2.0 `Yankees Dellin Betances (H, 18) - - - - - - 1.0 1 0 0 0 2
1.0 Rangers Neftali Feliz (W, 1-1) - - - - - - 1.0 0 0 0 0 0
0.0 Orioles Steve Pearce 1B, LF 5 2 2 1 0 1 - - - - - -

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

 

Indians' Carrasco tops players for Saturday, Aug. 16; Tigers' Price rises to 6th in Box-Toppers rankings

Indians pitcher Carlos Carrasco is Saturday’s Player of the Day, while Tigers pitcher David Price rises to sixth place in Box-Toppers player rankings.

Carrasco pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out five in the 6-0 win over the Orioles.

Price rose from eighth to sixth place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Saturday. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) Price (8IP R 7K W in the 4-2 win over the Mariners) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 16.1 for the season. He ranks third among American League pitchers.

Jedd Gyorko of the Padres is National League Player of the Day. Gyorko hit a grand slam and went 2-for-3, scoring twice and driving in five runs, in the 9-5 win over the Cardinals.

David Ortiz of the Red Sox is American League Batter of the Day. Ortiz hit a pair of two-run homers and went 3-for-5, driving in six runs, in the 10-7 win over the Astros.

Notables: Twins pitcher Phil Hughes rose to 16th place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors. Hughes (7.1IP R 6K W in the 4-1 win over the Royals) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 12.1 for the season. He ranks 10th among AL pitchers.

Marlins pitcher Henderson Alvarez becomes the 29th player this season with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points after he earned Player of the Game honors. Alvarez (7IP R 6K W in the 2-1 win over the Diamondbacks) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 10.7 for the season. He ranks 25th among all players and 11th among NL pitchers.

Carrasco receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Gyorko receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Ortiz receives 1.5 for being AL Batter of the Day.

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

Box-Toppers watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed, click here.

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

816 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 9.0 Indians Carlos Carrasco (W, 5-4) - - - - - - 7.0 3 0 0 0 5
7.0 Tigers David Price (W, 12-8) - - - - - - 8.0 3 1 1 3 7
BAT 6.0 Red Sox David Ortiz DH 5 2 3 6 0 1 - - - - - -
NL 6.0 Padres Jedd Gyorko 2B 3 2 2 5 2 0 - - - - - -
5.0 Marlins Henderson Alvarez (W, 9-5) - - - - - - 7.0 5 1 1 1 6
4.1 Twins Phil Hughes (W, 13-8) - - - - - - 7.1 7 1 1 0 6
4.0 `Yankees Shane Greene - - - - - - 6.0 7 2 2 1 10
4.0 `Nationals Craig Stammen - - - - - - 3.0 1 0 0 0 2
2.2 Angels Matt Shoemaker (W, 11-4) - - - - - - 5.2 4 2 2 1 6
2.0 Giants Michael Morse LF, 1B 3 1 3 1 1 0 - - - - - -
2.0 Brewers Yovani Gallardo (W, 8-6) - - - - - - 8.0 6 1 1 1 3
2.0 Blue Jays Casey Janssen (S, 19) - - - - - - 1.0 0 0 0 0 1
1.0 Braves Chris Johnson 3B 4 0 3 2 0 1 - - - - - -
1.0 Mets Juan Lagares CF 3 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.