Mets' David Wright (HR 2-5 4BI) tops players in World Series Game 3, Friday, Oct. 30

David Wright hit a two-run homer and drove in four total runs as the New York Mets won Game 3 of the World Series Friday, beating the Kansas City Royals, 9-3.

Wright, who also had two hits, is Friday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Game as the Royals now lead the Mets 2-1 in the best-of-seven games series.

Wright had a Box-Toppers game score Friday of +2.0, tied for the highest among Mets players with two other batters, Curtis Granderson (HR 2-3 3R 2BI) and Juan Uribe (1-1 R BI). But Wright beat both his teammates on tiebreakers—Wright beat Granderson because he had more runs batted in (4 vs. 2) and he beat Uribe because he had more at bats (5 vs. 1).

Pitcher Jeurys Familia also had a Box-Toppers game score of +2.0. But in cases of Box-Toppers game score ties, batters hold the tiebreaker over pitchers under Box-Toppers rules. Also, Familia did not qualify to earn Player of the Game because he did not have at least three innings pitched and did not earn the win or save.

Wright, during the regular season had 0.0 Box-Toppers points, playing in only 38 games due to injury. It is the first time this postseason he has earned Player of the Game honors. In fact, it is the first time he has earned Player of the Game honors since July 11, 2014. That was the only time during the 2014 season that Wright earned Player of the Game honors, giving him 1.5 Box-Toppers points for 2014. Wright does have 74.1 career Box-Toppers points, second among active National League third basemen, and had regular season Box-Toppers points for 11 straight seasons from 2004 to 2014.

Mets starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard picked up the win but had the second-lowest Box-Toppers game score Friday of all Mets players of −3.0 (6IP 7H 3R 2BB 6K). However, Syndergaard had a higher Box-Toppers game score for batting of 0.0 (1-2 R).

Royals starting pitcher Yordano Ventura picked up the loss and had the lowest Box-Toppers game score among all players Friday of −12.9 (3.1IP 7H 5R BB 2K). Alex Rios had the highest Box-Toppers game score among Royals players eligible to earn Player of the Game honors of 0.0 (1-3 R BI).

About Box-Toppers—Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.

Top Mets in World Series Game 3

Here are the Box-Toppers game score of all Mets who played in World Series Game 3 listed from highest-to-lowest Box-Toppers game score (pitchers are listed twice—once for batting and once for pitching). David Wright is Player of the Game (POG).

10/30	Score	Team	Players	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
POG	2.0	Mets	David Wright, 3B	5	1	2	4	0	2		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Mets	Curtis Granderson, RF	5	3	2	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Mets	Juan Uribe, PH	1	1	1	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Mets	Jeurys Familia	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	1.0	Mets	Addison Reed	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Mets	Tyler Clippard	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	0
	0.0	Mets	Michael Conforto, LF	2	0	1	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	0.0	Mets	Juan Lagares, PH-CF	2	1	1	0	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	0.0	Mets	Noah Syndergaard, P	2	1	1	0	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	0.0	Mets	Addison Reed, P	0	0	0	0	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	0.0	Mets	Tyler Clippard, P	0	0	0	0	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	0.0	Mets	Jeurys Familia, P	0	0	0	0	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	0
	-1.0	Mets	Yoenis Cespedes, CF-LF	3	0	1	1	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	-1.0	Mets	Kirk Nieuwenhuis, PH	1	0	0	0	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	-2.0	Mets	Travis d'Arnaud, C	4	0	2	0	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	-2.0	Mets	Lucas Duda, 1B	4	1	1	0	0	2		-	-	-	-	-	-
	-2.0	Mets	Wilmer Flores, SS	3	1	0	0	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	-3.0	Mets	Noah Syndergaard (W,2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	7	3	3	2	6
	-4.0	Mets	Daniel Murphy, 2B	4	0	0	0	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-

Coming Saturday in New York:

World Series Game 4, Royals lead Mets, 2-1

The pitching match-up Saturday:

Royals—Chris Young, 8.0 Box-Toppers points, 78th among all players, 29th among AL pitchers. Young was Player of the Game in World Series Game 1.

Mets—Steven Matz, 3.5 Box-Toppers points, 298th among all players, 76th among NL pitchers.

World Series preview (Corrected 10/31: Previously, David Wright’s 2015 Box-Toppers point total was listed as 1.5, which was his total during 2014. Wright actually had 0.0 Box-Toppers points in 2015)

Box-Toppers season-end player rankings report

Box-Toppers point totals of all Royals players active at season's end

Box-Toppers point totals of all Mets players active at season's end

Royals' Johnny Cueto (2-hit complete game) tops players in World Series Game 2, Wednesday, Oct. 28

Johnny Cueto pitched a complete-game two-hitter to lead the Royals to a Game 2 World Series win over the Mets Wednesday, picking up Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors.

Cueto allowed one run, struck out four and walked three in the 7-1 win, giving the Kansas City Royals a 2-0 lead over the New York Mets in the best-of-seven series.

Cueto had a Box-Toppers game score of +6.0, the highest of all Royals players Wednesday. During the regular season, Cueto had 12.8 Box-Toppers points, 25th among all players and 13th among AL pitchers. However, Cueto earned nearly all of his points while pitching with the Cincinnati Reds before he was traded in late July to the Royals. He had 10.8 points with the Reds and 2.0 with the Royals, earning Player of the Day honors on Aug. 10. 

This was the second time Cueto earned Player of the Game honors this postseason. He was also Player of the Game in the American League Division Series Game 5 against the Astros on Oct. 14.

Alex Gordon (2B 1-2 2R BI) had the highest Box-Toppers game score among Royals batters of +2.0.

Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom ranked third in Box-Toppers points during the regular season (22.4), but had the lowest Box-Toppers game score of any player in Game 2. deGrom (5IP 6H 4R 3BB 2K) had a Box-Toppers game score of −10.0.

Only three Mets players had Box-Toppers game scores of 0.0 or more in Wednesday’s Game 2 as most pitchers gave up multiple hits or runs and most batters were shut down by Cueto and did not earn hits, runs or RBIs. The top three Mets were:

• Middle reliever Hansel Robles (1IP 0R 0H 0K), Box-Toppers game score of +1.0.
• Middle reliever Sean Gilmartin (0.2IP 0R 0H 0K), Box-Toppers game score of +0.2.
• First baseman Lucas Duda (2-3 BI), Box-Toppers game score of 0.0. Duda had both of the Mets’ hits off Cueto.

Thursday is a travel day. The World Series resumes with Game 3 Friday in New York.

About Box-Toppers—Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.

Top Royals in World Series Game 2

Here are the Box-Toppers game score of all Royals who played in World Series Game 2 listed from highest-to-lowest Box-Toppers game score. Johnny Cueto is Player of the Game (POG).

10/28	Score	Team	Players	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
POG	6.0	Royals	Johnny Cueto (W,2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	2	1	1	3	4
	2.0	Royals	Alex Gordon, LF	2	2	1	1	2	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Royals	Eric Hosmer, 1B	4	1	2	2	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Royals	Mike Moustakas, 3B	3	1	2	1	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Royals	Paulo Orlando, RF	0	0	0	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	0.0	Royals	Alcides Escobar, SS	5	1	2	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	-1.0	Royals	Alex Rios, RF	3	1	1	0	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	-2.0	Royals	Salvador Perez, C	4	1	1	0	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	-3.0	Royals	Kendrys Morales, DH	4	0	1	0	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	-4.0	Royals	Lorenzo Cain, CF	4	0	0	0	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	-5.0	Royals	Ben Zobrist, 2B	5	0	0	0	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

Coming Friday in New York:

World Series Game 3, Royals lead Mets, 2-0

The pitching match-up Friday:

Royals—Yordano Ventura, 11.7 Box-Toppers points, 30th among all players, 15th among AL pitchers.

Mets—Noah Syndergaard, 10.4 Box-Toppers points, 41st among all players, 16th among NL pitchers.

World Series preview

Box-Toppers season-end player rankings report

Box-Toppers point totals of all Royals players active at season's end

Box-Toppers point totals of all Mets players active at season's end

Royals' Chris Young pitches extra-innings relief to top players in World Series Game 1, Tuesday, Oct. 27

Chris Young pitched three innings of extra-innings relief to earn Player of the Game honors Tuesday in World Series Game 1, as the Royals came from behind to win 5-4 in 14 innings.

Young, slated to be the Game 4 starter, came on in relief in the 12th inning and finished out the game, allowing no hits or runs, striking out four and allowing one walk, giving him a Box-Toppers game score of +6.0, the highest among Royals players.

The Royals take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven World Series.

The Royals trailed 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth inning, when Alex Gordon hit a one-out home run to tie the game, forcing extra innings. Eric Hosmer hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to score the winning run in the bottom of the 14th. While no Royals batter had a positive Box-Toppers game score, Hosmer had the highest score among Kansas City batters of −1.0 (2SF 0-3 2BI).

Chris Young, during the regular season, had 8.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 78th among all players and 29th among American League pitchers.

Royals Game 1 starting pitcher Edinson Volquez had the lowest Box-Toppers game score among Kansas City players of −4.0 (6IP 6H 3R BB 3K ND).

Mets starting pitcher Matt Harvey had a Box-Toppers game score of −5.0 (6H 5K 3R 2BB 2K ND). Harvey had 15.4 Box-Toppers points during the regular season, ranked 16th among all players, eighth among National League pitchers.

About Box-Toppers—Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.

Top Royals in World Series Game 1

Here are the Box-Toppers game score of all Royals who played in World Series Game 1 listed from highest-to-lowest Box-Toppers game score. Chris Young is Player of the Game (POG).

10/27	Score	Team	Players	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
POG	6.0	Royals	Chris Young (W,1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		3.0	0	0	0	1	4
	4.0	Royals	Wade Davis	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	3
	1.2	Royals	Danny Duffy	-	-	-	-	-	-		0.2	0	0	0	0	1
	1.0	Royals	Ryan Madson	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	1	0	0	1	2
	0.0	Royals	Luke Hochevar	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	1	0	0	0	0
	-0.9	Royals	Kelvin Herrera	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.1	3	1	0	0	2
	-1.0	Royals	Eric Hosmer, 1B	3	0	0	2	2	2		-	-	-	-	-	-
	-2.0	Royals	Ben Zobrist, 2B	6	1	3	0	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	-2.0	Royals	Alcides Escobar, SS	6	2	1	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	-2.0	Royals	Alex Gordon, LF	5	1	1	1	1	2		-	-	-	-	-	-
	-2.0	Royals	Paulo Orlando, RF	3	0	1	0	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	-2.0	Royals	Jarrod Dyson, PR-DH	2	0	0	0	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	-3.0	Royals	Mike Moustakas, 3B	6	0	2	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	-3.0	Royals	Kendrys Morales, DH	3	0	0	0	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	-3.0	Royals	Alex Rios, RF	3	0	0	0	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	-4.0	Royals	Salvador Perez, C	6	0	2	0	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	-4.0	Royals	Lorenzo Cain, CF	6	1	1	0	1	2		-	-	-	-	-	-
	-4.0	Royals	Edinson Volquez	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	6	3	3	1	3

Coming Wednesday in Kansas City:

World Series Game 2, Royals lead Mets, 1-0

The pitching match-up Wednesday:

Mets—Jacob deGrom, 22.4 Box-Toppers points, third among all players, third among NL pitchers.

Royals—Johnny Cueto, 12.8 Box-Toppers points, 25th among all players, 13th among AL pitchers.

Box-Toppers World Series preview

Box-Toppers season-end player rankings report

Box-Toppers point totals of all Royals players active at season's end

Box-Toppers point totals of all Mets players active at season's end

Kelvin Herrera tops players in ALCS Game 6, as Royals eliminate Blue Jays

Kelvin Herrera struck out two in 1 2/3 innings of scoreless middle relief as the Kansas City Royals won Game 6 of the American League Championship Series, eliminating the Toronto Blue Jays.

Herrera earns Player of the Day honors in the 4-3 win, as the Royals win the best-of-seven game series, 4-2.

Herrera entered the game in the sixth inning as the Royals led 2-1 and held the lead through the seventh inning, giving up no hits and no walks. He did not pick up a win or a save. Herrera had a Box-Toppers game score of +3.2, highest among all Royals players.

Previously, I incorrectly tweeted that closing pitcher Wade Davis was Box-Toppers Player of the Game. Davis (1.2IP H 0R BB 3K W) had a Box-Toppers game score of +2.2. But in the heat of the moment following the game, I overlooked Herrera, who had a higher Box-Toppers game score than the pitcher who won or saved the game and had the same (or more) innings pitched. 

To earn Player of the Game honors, Box-Toppers rules say a pitcher must have at least three innings pitched or pick up the win or the save and if they do none of those, they must have a higher Box-Toppers game score as the pitcher who otherwise earned Player of the Game honors and have the same or more innings pitched. That’s how Herrera beat out Davis Friday.

Had Herrera pitched only 1 1/3 innings, he would have had a Box-Toppers game score of +3.1, still higher than Davis’s +2.2. But in that case, Davis would have been Player of the Game because he picked up the win and because Herrera, while having a higher Box-Toppers game score, would not have had as many or more innings pitched than Davis.

During the regular season, Herrera had no Box-Toppers points—he did not earn Player of the Game honors once during the regular season. He earned 2.0 points each in both 2013 and 2014 with the Royals.

Mike Moustakas had the highest Box-Toppers game score among Royals batters, +1.0. Moustakas homered and went 2-for-4, scoring twice and driving in a run.

Royals starting pitcher Yordano Ventura, who exited the game with the lead, had a Box-Toppers game score of +2.1 (5.1IP 4H R 5K). He picked up a no decision because the Blue Jays tied the game in the eighth inning after he exited.

Blue Jays starting pitcher David Price, ranked fifth among all players in Box-Toppers points during the regular season with 21.1, had a Box-Toppers game score of +2.2 (6.2IP 5H 3K 8K ND).

The Royals and the Blue Jays were the top two AL teams in Box-Toppers team rankings. With 127.5 Box-Toppers points in 2015, the Royals ranked second among all teams (behind only the Pittsburgh Pirates) and first among AL teams. The Blue Jays ranked fifth among all teams, second among AL teams, with 124.1.

The Royals return to the World Series for the second straight year and will face the National League champion New York Mets beginning Tuesday in Kansas City.

See Box-Toppers ALCS series preview with player-by-player match ups.

About Box-Toppers—Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.

Top player in ALCS Game 6

10/23	Score	Team	Players	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
POG	3.2	Royals	Kelvin Herrera (H,3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.2	0	0	0	0	2

AL Championship Series Blue Jays vs. Royals resumes Friday with Game 6 in Kansas City

After a day off Thursday, postseason baseball resumes Friday as the American League Championship Series continues with Game 6 in Kansas City. Here are details:

ALCS Game 6, Royals lead Blue Jays, 3-2

The pitching match-up Friday:

Blue Jays—David Price, 21.1 Box-Toppers points, fifth among all players, second among AL pitchers.

Royals—Yordano Ventura, 11.7 Box-Toppers points, 30th among all players, 15th among AL pitchers.

It is a rematch of the starters from Game 2, won by the Royals 6-3. Neither Price nor Ventura did particularly well in that game. Price had a Box-Toppers game score of −1.8 (6.2IP 6H 5R 8K L) and Ventura had a Box-Toppers game score of −4.9 (5.1IP 8H 3R 6K ND).

Neither Price nor Ventura has earned Player of the Game honors so far this postseason. Both Price and Ventura have appeared in three 2015 playoff games.

See Box-Toppers ALCS series preview with player-by-player match ups.

About Box-Toppers—Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.

Blue Jays' Estrada, Mets' Duda top players in Wednesday, Oct. 21's league championship series games

Marco Estrada kept the Blue Jays alive in the American League Championship Series Wednesday, while Lucas Duda led the Mets to a sweep over the Cubs in the National League Championship Series.

Estrada is Wednesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day while Duda is Player of the Game in the deciding NLCS Game 4.

American League Championship Series Game 5: Blue Jays 7, Royals 1

Estrada gave up one run over 7 2/3 innings, allowing three hits and striking out five, to earn overall Player of the Day honors.

The Blue Jays now trail the Royals in the best-of-seven game series, 3-2.

Estrada had a Box-Toppers game score Wednesday of +6.2, highest among Blue Jays players. Troy Tulowitzki had the highest Box-Toppers game score among Blue Jays batters of +3.0 (2B 2-4 R 3BI).

Estrada, during the regular season had 8.0 Box-Toppers points, 85th among all players and 34th among AL pitchers.

The series resumes Friday with Game 6 in Kansas City.

See Box-Toppers ALCS series preview with player-by-player match ups.

National League Championship Series, Game 4: Mets 8, Cubs 3

Lucas Duda hit a first-inning, three-run homer, plus two doubles and drove in five total runs, as the Mets swept the Cubs 4-0 in the best-of-seven game series.

Duda had a Box-Toppers game score of +5.0, highest among all Mets players. Second-highest among Mets players: +3.0 Box-Toppers game score by Daniel Murphy (HR 2B 4-5 2R 2BI).

During the regular season, Duda had 2.5 Box-Toppers points, ranked 377th among all players, 89th among NL batters and 17th among NL first basemen. In 2014, he had 8.5 Box-Toppers points, ranked 79th among all players, third among NL batters and first among NL first basemen.

The Mets were the lowest-ranked of all five NL playoff teams in Box-Toppers team rankings. The Mets ranked seventh among all teams with 122.0 Box-Toppers points, while the Cubs ranked third with 127.4. 

See Box-Toppers NLCS series preview with player-by-player match ups.

The Mets now face the winner of the ALCS in the World Series beginning Tuesday in either Kansas City or Toronto.

About Box-Toppers—Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

10/21	Score	Team	Players	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
POG	6.2	Blue Jays	Marco Estrada (W,2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.2	3	1	1	1	5
POG	5.0	Mets	Lucas Duda, 1B	4	1	3	5	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

Mets' deGrom, Royals' Escobar top players in Tuesday, Oct. 20's league championship games

Jacob deGrom struck out seven over seven innings, allowing two runs and four hits to lead the Mets to a win Tuesday in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series.

deGrom is Box-Toppers Player of the Day for Tuesday, while Alcides Escobar was Player of the Game in the Royals Game 4 win over the Blue Jays in the American League Championship Series.

National League Championship Series Game 3: Mets 5, Cubs 2

deGrom had a Box-Toppers game score of +5.0 to lead all Mets players, as the Mets took a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Yoenis Cespedes had the highest Box-Toppers game score among Mets batters of +1.0 (2B 3-5 R 2BI).

During the regular season, deGrom had 22.4 Box-Toppers points, third among all players and third among NL pitchers.

It is the second time this postseason deGrom has earned Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors. He was also Player of the Game in the NL Division Series Game 1 win over the Dodgers.

The series resumes Wednesday with Game 4 in Chicago (more details below).

American League Championship Series Game 4: Royals 14, Blue Jays 2

Alcides Escobar went 2-for-3, scoring once and driving in four runs, as the Royals took a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven game series.

Escobar had a Box-Toppers game score of +4.0, highest among Royals players. Lorenzo Cain had the second-highest score of +3.0 (2-3 R 3BI).

During the regular season, Escobar had 3.5 Box-Toppers points, ranked 283rd among all players, 60th among AL batters and fifth among AL shortstops.

The series resumes Wednesday with Game 5 in Toronto (more details below).

About Box-Toppers—Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

10/20	Score	Team	Players	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
POG	5.0	Mets	Jacob deGrom (W,3-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	2	2	1	7
POG	4.0	Royals	Alcides Escobar, SS	3	1	2	4	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

Coming Wednesday:

ALCS Game 5, Royals lead Blue Jays, 3-1

The pitching match-up Wednesday:

Royals—Edinson Volquez, 7.0 Box-Toppers points, 105th among all players, 39th among AL pitchers. Volquez was Player of the Game in the ALCS Game 1 win over the Blue Jays.

Blue Jays—Marco Estrada, 8.0 Box-Toppers points, 85th among all players, 34th among AL pitchers.

See Box-Toppers ALCS series preview with player-by-player match ups.

NLCS Game 4, Mets lead Cubs, 3-0

The pitching match-up Wednesday:

Mets—Steven Matz, 3.5 Box-Toppers points, 298th among all players, 76th among NL pitchers.

Cubs—Jason Hammel, 9.7 Box-Toppers points, 52nd among all players, 22nd among NL pitchers.

Oct. 21, 2015 is the day in the “Back to the Future” movies in which the Cubs are predicted to win the World Series in a sweep over Miami, a city without a Major League team in the 1980s when the movies were made. It could actually be the day in which the Cubs are swept in the NLCS.

See Box-Toppers NLCS series preview with player-by-player match ups.

Blue Jays' Ryan Goins tops players in ALCS Game 3 win, Monday, Oct. 19

Ryan Goins homered and went 2-for-4, scoring twice and driving in three runs, as the Blue Jays beat the Royals Monday in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series.

Goins is Box-Toppers Player of the Day for Monday in the 11-8 win, the Blue Jays’ first in the best-of-seven series, which the Royals now lead 2-1.

Goins, who started at second base and moved to shortstop, had a Box-Toppers game score of +3.0, tied for highest among all Blue Jays players with second baseman Troy Tulowitzki, who had an identical line (HR 2-4 2R 3BI). But Goins won Player of the Game on a tiebreaker because he had fewer strikeouts—one vs. two. After Tulowitzki’s second strikeout in the seventh inning, he was ejected for arguing and Goins replaced him defensively at shortstop.

During the regular season, Goins had 4.5 Box-Toppers points, ranked 221st among all players, 52nd among AL batters, fourth among AL shortstops and sixth among AL second basemen (Goins was Player of the Game four times in 2015—twice at shortstop and twice at second base).

In a game dominated by offense, neither starting pitcher fared well in Box-Toppers game score. Blue Jays starting pitcher Marcus Stroman picked up the win, but had a Box-Toppers game score of −12.9 (6.1IP 11H 4R K). Royals starter Johnny Cueto, who picked up the loss, had a Box-Toppers game score of −22.0 (2IP 6H 8R 2K).

The series resumes Tuesday with Game 4 in Toronto (more details below).

See Box-Toppers ALCS series preview with player-by-player match ups.

About Box-Toppers—Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

10/19	Score	Team	Players	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
POG	3.0	Blue Jays	Ryan Goins, 2B-SS	4	2	2	3	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-

Coming Tuesday:

ALCS Game 4, Royals lead Blue Jays, 2-1

The pitching match-up Tuesday:

Royals—Chris Young, 8.0 Box-Toppers points, 78th among all players, 29th among AL pitchers.

Blue Jays—R.A. Dickey, 5.0 Box-Toppers points, 180th among all players, 64th among AL pitchers.

See Box-Toppers ALCS series preview with player-by-player match ups.

NLCS Game 3, Mets lead Cubs, 2-0

The pitching match-up Tuesday:

Mets—Jacob deGrom, 22.4 Box-Toppers points, third among all players, third among NL pitchers.

Cubs—Kyle Hendricks, 9.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 54th among all players, 24th among NL pitchers.

See Box-Toppers NLCS series preview with player-by-player match ups.

Mets' Noah Syndergaard tops players in NLCS Game 2 win Sunday, Oct. 18

Noah Syndergaard struck out nine over 5 2/3 innings, allowing one run and three hits, to lead the Mets to a Game 2 win Sunday over the Cubs in the National League League Championship Series.

Syndergaard was Box-Toppers Player of the Day as the Mets beat the Cubs 4-1 to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven game series.

Syndergaard had a Box-Toppers game score of +8.2 to lead all Mets players. Second baseman Daniel Murphy had the highest Box-Toppers game score among Mets batters of +2.0 (HR 2B 2-3 R 2BI).

Syndergaard, during the regular season, had 10.4 Box-Toppers points, ranked 41st among all players, 16th among NL pitchers.

Cubs starting pitcher Jake Arrieta, Box-Toppers points leader in 2015 (29.1), had a Box-Toppers game score of −1.0, as he picked up the loss (5IP 4H 4R 8K).

The series resumes Tuesday with Game 3 in Chicago.

See Box-Toppers NLCS series preview with player-by-player match ups.

About Box-Toppers—Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

10/18	Score	Team	Players	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
POG	8.2	Mets	Noah Syndergaard (W,1-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.2	3	1	1	1	9

Coming Monday:

ALCS Game 3, Royals lead Blue Jays, 2-0

The pitching match-up Monday:

Royals—Johnny Cueto, 12.8 Box-Toppers points, 25th among all players, 13th among AL pitchers.

Blue Jays—Marcus Stroman, 2.7 Box-Toppers points, 368th among all players, 105th among AL pitchers. (Stroman was out recovering from injurymuch of 2015. In 2014, he had 13.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 12th among AL pitchers.)

See Box-Toppers ALCS series preview with player-by-player match ups.

Mets' Harvey, Royals' Duffy top players in Saturday, Oct. 17's league championship series games

Pitcher Matt Harvey struck out nine over 7 2/3 innings, allowing two runs and four hits, to lead the Mets to a National League Championship Series Game 1 win over the Cubs Saturday.

Harvey is Box-Toppers Player of the Day in Saturday’s two league championship series games. Royals middle reliever Danny Duffy is Player of the Game in the American League Championship Series Game 2 win over the Blue Jays.

National League Championship Series Game 1: Mets 4, Cubs 2

Harvey had a Box-Toppers game score of +6.2, highest among all Mets players, as the Mets took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven game series.

Center fielder Juan Lagares had the highest Box-Toppers game score among Mets batters of +1.0 (2-3 2R).

Harvey, during the regular season had 15.4 Box-Toppers points, ranked 16th among all players, eighth among NL pitchers.

The series resumes Sunday with Game 2 in New York (more details below).

American League Championship Series Game 2: Royals 6, Blue Jays 3

Danny Duffy pitched a scoreless sixth inning, picking up the win, and earning Player of the Game.

The Royals now lead the best-of-seven game series, 2-0.

Duffy (1IP 0H 0R 1K W) had a Box-Toppers game score of +2.0, highest among all Royals players. Third baseman Mike Moustakas (2-4 R 2BI) had the highest Box-Toppers game score among Royals batters, +1.0.

Duffy, during the regular season, had 4.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 228th among all players and 72nd among AL pitchers. He earned 3.0 of his points as a starting pitcher during the season.

The series resumes Monday with Game 3 in Toronto.

See Box-Toppers ALCS series preview with player-by-player match ups.

About Box-Toppers—Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

10/17	Score	Team	Players	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
POG	6.2	Mets	Matt Harvey (W,2-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.2	4	2	2	2	9
POG	2.0	Royals	Danny Duffy (W,1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	1

Coming Sunday:

National League League Championship Series Game 2, Mets lead Cubs, 1-0

The pitching match-up Sunday:

Cubs—Jake Arrieta, 29.1 Box-Toppers points, first among all players, first among NL pitchers.

Mets—Noah Syndergaard, 10.4 Box-Toppers points, 41st among all players, 16th among NL pitchers.

See Box-Toppers NLCS series preview with player-by-player match ups.

Royals' Edinson Volquez tops players in ALCS Game 1, Friday, Oct. 16

Royals pitcher Edinson Volquez pitched six scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out five, to win Game 1 of the American League Championship Series and earn Box-Toppers Player of the Day honors.

The Kansas City Royals beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-0 to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven game series.

Volquez had a Box-Toppers game score of +5.0. Alcides Escobar, who hit two doubles and went 2-for-3, scoring twice and driving in a run, had the highest Box-Toppers game score among Royals batters, +2.0.

Volquez, during the regular season had 7.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 105th among all players, 39th among AL pitchers.

About Box-Toppers—Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

10/16	Score	Team	Players	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
POG	5.0	Royals	Edinson Volquez (W,1-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	2	0	0	4	5

Coming Saturday:

ALCS Game 2, Royals lead Blue Jays, 1-0

The pitching match-up Saturday:

Blue Jays—David Price, 21.1 Box-Toppers points, fifth among all players, second among AL pitchers.

Royals—Yordano Ventura, 11.7 Box-Toppers points, 30th among all players, 15th among AL pitchers.

NLCS Game 1, Cubs at Mets

The pitching match-up Saturday:

Cubs—Jon Lester, 12.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 28th among all players, 13th among NL pitchers.

Mets—Matt Harvey, 15.4 Box-Toppers points, ranked 16th among all players, eighth among NL pitchers.

Jeurys Familia tops players in NLDS Game 5 as Mets eliminate Dodgers, Thursday, Oct. 15

Jeurys Familia pitched two scoreless innings, picking up the save, as the New York Mets eliminated the Los Angeles Dodgers Thursday in Game 5 of the National League Division Series.

National League Division Series Game 5: Mets 3, Dodgers 2

Familia, Box-Toppers Player of the Game, allowed no hits and struck out two, earning a Box-Toppers game score of +4.0, highest among all Mets players, as the Mets beat the Dodgers in the best-of-five game series, 3-2.

During the regular season, Familia had 8.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 88th among all players, 28th among NL pitchers and second among NL closing pitchers, behind Aroldis Chapman of the Reds. (Chapman also had 8.0 Box-Toppers points this season, but ranked higher because he had more Box-Toppers points than Familia in 2014—seven vs. zero.)

Both starting pitchers in the game were ranked in the top 10 of Box-Toppers player rankings, but neither earned Player of the Game:

• Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom, 22.4 Box-Toppers points, third among all players, third among NL pitchers. deGrom (6IP 6H 2R 7K W) had a Box-Toppers game score of 0.
• Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke, 20.7 Box-Toppers points, seventh among all players, fifth among NL pitchers. Greinke (6.2 IP 6H 3R 9K L) had a Box-Toppers game score of +2.2.

The Dodgers ranked slightly higher than the Mets in regular season Box-Toppers team rankings. The Dodgers ranked sixth among all teams, with 122.5 Box-Toppers points. But the Mets were only 0.5 points behind, with 122.0, ranking seventh among all teams.

With the Mets win, the team with the higher-ranked starting pitcher has won 15 of 21 postseason games this year—deGrom of the Mets (22.4) ranked ahead of Greinke of the Dodgers (20.7).

The Mets will now face the Chicago Cubs in the best-of-seven National League Championship Series beginning Saturday in New York.

About Box-Toppers—Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

10/15	Score	Team	Players	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
POG	4.0	Mets	Jeurys Familia (S,2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	0	0	0	0	2

Royals' Cueto, Blue Jays' Osuna top players as teams win AL Division Series, Wednesday, Oct. 14

Johnny Cueto struck out eight over eight innings, allowing two runs and two hits, to lead the Kansas City Royals to a Game 5 American League Division Series win Wednesday, eliminating the Houston Astros. Cueto is Wednesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.

Also Wednesday, closer Roberto Osuna pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing no hits and striking out four, to lead the Toronto Blue Jays to a Game 5 AL Division Series win, eliminating the Texas Rangers. Osuna is Box-Toppers Player of the Game.

American League Division Series Game 5: Royals 7, Astros 2

Cueto, who picked up the win, had a Box-Toppers game score of +10.0, highest among all Royals players, as the Royals beat the Astros in the best-of-five game series, 3-2.

During the regular season, Cueto had 12.8 Box-Toppers points, 25th among all players, 13th among AL pitchers.

Astros pitcher Dallas Keuchel, ranked fourth among all players in Box-Toppers points (21.4), first among AL pitchers, appeared in relief, pitching the eighth inning (1IP 2H 3R 0K ND). He had a Box-Toppers game score of −8.0.

The Royals had the most regular season Box-Toppers team points in the AL with 127.5, ranked second overall, behind the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Astros ranked eighth with 118.4.

The Royals face the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Championship Series beginning Friday in Kansas City.

American League Division Series Game 5: Blue Jays 6, Rangers 3

Osuna, who picked up the save, had a Box-Toppers game score of +5.2, highest among all Blue Jays players, as the Blue Jays eliminated the Rangers in the best-of-five game series, 3-2.

During the regular season, Osuna had 4.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 268th among all players, 86th among AL pitchers and 14th among AL closing pitchers. He was born Feb. 7, 1995, a couple of months before Box-Toppers record keeping began at the start of the 1995 season.

The Blue Jays ranked fifth in regular season Box-Toppers team rankings (second among AL teams, behind the Royals) with 124.1 Box-Toppers points. The Rangers ranked 10th with 107.2.

The Blue Jays face the Kansas City Royals in the American League Championship Series beginning Friday in Kansas City.

About Box-Toppers—Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

10/14	Score	Team	Players	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
POG	10.0	Royals	Johnny Cueto (W,1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	2	2	2	0	8
POG	5.2	Blue Jays	Roberto Osuna (S,1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.2	0	0	0	0	4

Coming Thursday, the league division playoff series conclude:

NL Division Series Game 5, Mets at Dodgers, series tied 2-2

The pitching matchup Thursday:

Mets—Jacob deGrom, 22.4 Box-Toppers points, third among all players, third among NL pitchers.

Dodgers—Zack Greinke, 20.7 Box-Toppers points, seventh among all players, fifth among NL pitchers.

The Dodgers hold the slight edge in Box-Toppers team rankings, sixth among all teams, with 122.5 Box-Toppers points. But the Mets are only 0.5 points behind, with 122.0, ranking seventh among all teams. So far this postseason, Box-Toppers’ higher-ranked team has won three of the three concluded league division series. That would give the edge to the Dodgers. But higher-ranked starting pitchers have won 14 of 20 postseason games this season. That would give the edge to deGrom and the Mets

The winner of this game will face the Chicago Cubs in the NL Championship Series beginning Saturday in either New York or Los Angeles.

See series preview and Box-Toppers point totals of all Mets and Dodgers who earned Player of the Game honors in the 2015 regular season.

Baez tops players in Cubs' NLDS series win; Dodgers' Kershaw tops players for Tuesday, Oct. 13

Javier Baez hit a three-run homer and went 2-for-3, earning Box-Toppers Player of the Game as the Chicago Cubs won the National League Division Series in four games, eliminating the St. Louis Cardinals.

Also Tuesday, Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw earned overall Player of the Day honors with his performance in the NL Division Game 4 win over the Mets, which forces a Game 5 in the series Thursday.

National League Division Series Game 4: Cubs 6, Cardinals 4

Baez had a Box-Toppers game score of +3.0, the highest of any Cubs player in the 6-4 win, as the Cubs beat the Cardinals in the best-of-five game series, 3-1.

The Cubs face the winner of the other NL Division Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets, who are now tied at two games apiece in their best-of-five game series.

During the regular season, Baez had no Box-Toppers points—he had 2.5 points in 2014. Baez played in 28 regular season games in 2015.

Though the Cubs were the Wild Card team and had a lesser win-loss record than the NL Central champ Cardinals, they held an edge in Box-Toppers team rankings. The Cubs passed the Cardinals in the final 10 days of the season to rank third in Box-Toppers team points with 127.4. The Cardinals, with baseball’s best record, ranked fourth with 124.3. The Cubs surged at the end of the season, earning 11.0 Box-Toppers points in the final 10 days of the season. The Cardinals, by comparison, picked up only 3.5 points during that period.

The two teams were the highest ranked NL teams remaining in the playoffs after the Cubs knocked off the top-rated Pittsburgh Pirates (129.6) in the NL Wild Card playoff.

National League Division Series Game 4: Dodgers 3, Mets 1

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw struck out eight over seven innings, allowing one run and three hits, to even the series and force Game 5 Thursday in Los Angeles.

Kershaw had a Box-Toppers game score of +9.0, the highest of all Dodgers players, to win Player of the Day honors, beating Tuesday’s other Player of the Game, Javier Baez of the Cubs, who had a Box-Toppers game score of +3.0.

During the regular season, Kershaw had 25.7 Box-Toppers points, second among all players and second among NL pitchers, behind Jake Arrieta of the Cubs (29.1).

Notable—Through 18 postseason games, the team with a starting pitcher ranked higher in Box-Toppers player rankings has won 13 of those games and lost only five, which bodes well Wednesday for the Rangers and Royals (see below).

About Box-Toppers—Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

10/13	Score	Team	Players	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
POG	9.0	Dodgers	Clayton Kershaw (W,1-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	1	1	1	8
POG	3.0	Cubs	Javier Baez, SS	3	1	2	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

Coming Wednesday: AL Division Series playoff games conclude with two Game 5 matchups:

American League Division Series Game 5, Rangers at Blue Jays, series tied, 2-2

The pitching matchup Wednesday:

Rangers—Cole Hamels, 15.4 Box-Toppers points, 15th among all players, eighth among AL pitchers.

Blue Jays—Marcus Stroman, 2.7 Box-Toppers points, 368th among all players, 105th among AL pitchers. (Stroman was out recovering from injurymuch of 2015. In 2014, he had 13.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 12th among AL pitchers.)

See series preview and Box-Toppers point totals of all Blue Jays and Rangers who earned Player of the Game honors in the 2015 regular season.

American League Division Series Game 5, Astros at Royals, series tied, 2-2

The pitching matchup Wednesday:

Astros—Collin McHugh, 9.7 Box-Toppers points, 49th among all players, 19th among AL pitchers.

Royals—Johnny Cueto, 12.8 Box-Toppers points, 25th among all players, 13th among AL pitchers.

See series preview and Box-Toppers point totals of all Royals and Astros who earned Player of the Game honors in the 2015 regular season.

Mets' Travis d'Arnaud tops player in Monday, Oct. 12's divisional playoff games

Travis d’Arnaud of the Mets is Box-Toppers top player in Monday’s four league division series playoff games.

Other Players of the Game Monday:

• Jorge Soler of the Cubs
• Royals closing pitcher Wade Davis
• Kevin Pillar of the Blue Jays

National League Division Series Game 3: Mets 13, Dodgers 7

Travis d’Arnaud of the Mets homered and went 3-for-5, scoring three times and driving in three runs to earn overall Player of the Day honors Monday.

During the regular season, d’Arnaud had 2.5 Box-Toppers points, ranked 381st among all players, 189th among NL batters and ninth among NL catchers.

d’Arnaud had a Box-Toppers game score of +4.0, the same as teammate Yoenis Cespedes, who had a similar batting line (HR 3-5 3R 3BI), but d’Arnaud won Player of the Game honors on a low-level tie-breaker—he left fewer runners on base than Cespedes—zero vs. one.

D’Arnaud’s Box-Toppers game score of +4.0 is also tied with Players of the Game in two other games—Jorge Soler of the Cubs and Royals pitcher Wade Davis. But d’Arnaud beat Soler because he had more at bats (five vs. two) and he beat Davis because in cases of Box-Toppers game score ties, batters beat pitchers.

The Mets now lead the best-of-five game series, 2-1, which resumes Tuesday in New York.

National League Division Series Game 3: Cubs 8, Cardinals 6

Jorge Soler of the Cubs hit a two-run homer and went 2-for-2, to earn Player of the Game honors.

During the regular season, Soler had 3.2 Box-Toppers points, ranked 306th among all players, 70th among NL batters and 33rd among NL outfielders.

Box-Toppers points leader Jake Arrieta (29.1) started the game for the Cubs. Arrieta (5.2IP 5H 4R 9K W) had a Box-Toppers game score of −0.8. It is the first time since Aug. 15 that Arrieta did not earn Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors in a start. He had 10 straight starts in which he earned Player of the Game honors, including in the postseason on Oct. 7, when he was Player of the Game in the NL Wild Card Game. In his final nine starts of the regular season, Arrieta earned 14.7 Box-Toppers points.

The Cubs now lead the best-of-five game series, 2-1, which resumes Tuesday in Chicago.

American League Division Series Game 4: Royals 9, Astros 6

Royals closing pitcher Wade Davis struck out three over two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and picking up the save, to earn Player of the Game honors.

During the regular season, Davis had 4.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 235th among all players, 74th among AL pitchers and ninth among AL closing pitchers.

The best-of-five game series is now tied 2-2 and concludes Wednesday in Kansas City.

American League Division Series Game 4: Blue Jays 8, Rangers 4

Kevin Pillar homered and went 3-for-4, driving in three runs to earn Player of the Game honors.

During the regular season, Pillar had 3.5 Box-Toppers points, ranked 300th among all players, 68th among AL batters and 22nd among AL outfielders.

Blue Jays pitcher David Price, ranked second among AL pitchers in Box-Toppers points (21.1) pitched three innings of middle relief. Price (3IP 6H 3R 2K W) had a Box-Toppers game score of −7.0.

The best-of-five game series is now tied 2-2 and concludes Wednesday in Toronto.

About Box-Toppers—Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

10/12	Score	Team	Players	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
POG	4.0	Mets	Travis d'Arnaud, C	5	3	3	3	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
POG	4.0	Cubs	Jorge Soler, RF	2	2	2	2	2	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
POG	4.0	Royals	Wade Davis (S,2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	1	0	0	0	3
POG	3.0	Blue Jays	Kevin Pillar, CF	4	1	3	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

Coming Tuesday, the NL Division Series playoff games resume:

NL Division Series Game 4, Cubs lead Cardinals, 2-1

The pitching matchup Tuesday:

Cardinals—John Lackey, 9.7 Box-Toppers points, 51st among all players, 21st among NL pitchers.

Cubs—Jason Hammel, 9.7 Box-Toppers points, 52nd among all players, 22nd among NL pitchers. (Though Lackey and Hammel have the same Box-Toppers point totals for 2015, Lackey places higher because he holds the tiebreaker—he had more Box-Toppers points in 2014, 10.7 vs. 10.4.)

See series preview and Box-Toppers point totals of all Cardinals and Cubs who earned Player of the Game honors in the 2015 regular season.

NL Division Series Game 4, Mets lead Dodgers, 2-1

The pitching matchup Tuesday:

Dodgers—Clayton Kershaw, 25.7 Box-Toppers points, second among all players, second among NL pitchers.

Mets—Steven Matz, 3.5 Box-Toppers points, 298th among all players, 76th among NL pitchers.

See series preview and Box-Toppers point totals of all Mets and Dodgers who earned Player of the Game honors in the 2015 regular season.

Blue Jays' Tulowitzki tops players in Sunday, Oct. 11's ALDS playoff games

Troy Tulowitzki of the Blue Jays is Box-Toppers Player of the Day in Sunday’s two American League Division Series playoff games.

Astros pitcher Dallas Keuchel is top player in the other ALDS game.

ALDS Game 3: Blue Jays 5, Rangers 1

Troy Tulowitzki of the Blue Jays hit a three-run homer and went 2-for-3, driving in four total runs.

During the regular season, Tulowitzki had 6.0 Box-Toppers points, 133rd among all players, 28th among AL batters and third among AL shortstops, behind Eduardo Escobar of the Twins (7.7) and Carlos Correa of the Astros (7.2). Tulowitzkiled all National League batters in Box-Toppers points in 2014 (11.6).

The Rangers lead the best-of-five game series 2-1 and it resumes Monday in Texas.

ALDS Game 3: Astros 4, Royals 2

Astros pitcher Dallas Keuchel struck out seven over seven innings, allowing one run and five hits to earn Player of the Game honors.

During the regular season, Keuchel had 21.4 Box-Toppers points, fourth among all players, first among AL pitchers. It is the second time this postseason Keuchel has earned Player of the Game honors—he was also top player in the Astros’ Oct. 6 NL Wild Card playoff game win against the Yankees.

The Astros lead the best-of-five game series 2-1 and it resumes Monday in Houston.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

10/11	Score	Team	Players	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
POG	4.0	Blue Jays	Troy Tulowitzki, SS	3	1	2	4	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
POG	4.0	Astros	Dallas Keuchel (W,1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	5	1	1	3	7

Coming Monday: League Division Series playoff games resume:

AL Division Series Game 4, Astros lead Royals, 2-1

The pitching matchup Monday:

Royals—Yordano Ventura, 11.7 Box-Toppers points, 30th among all players, 15th among AL pitchers.

Astros—Lance McCullers, 6.7 Box-Toppers points, 120th among all players, 46th among AL pitchers.

See series preview and Box-Toppers point totals of all Royals and Astros who earned Player of the Game honors in the 2015 regular season.

AL Division Series Game 4, Rangers lead Blue Jays, 2-1

The pitching matchup Monday:

Blue Jays—R.A. Dickey, 5.0 Box-Toppers points, 180th among all players, 64th among AL pitchers.

Rangers—Derek Holland, 2.7 Box-Toppers points, 369th among all players, 106th among AL pitchers.

See series preview and Box-Toppers point totals of all Blue Jays and Rangers who earned Player of the Game honors in the 2015 regular season.

NL Division Series Game 3, Cardinals at Cubs, series tied, 1-1

The pitching matchup Monday:

Cardinals—Michael Wacha, 9.7 Box-Toppers points, 53rd among all players, 23rd among NL pitchers.

Cubs—Jake Arrieta, 29.1 Box-Toppers points, first among all players, first among NL pitchers.

See series preview and Box-Toppers point totals of all Cardinals and Cubs who earned Player of the Game honors in the 2015 regular season.

NL Division Series Game 3, Dodgers at Mets, series tied, 1-1

The pitching matchup Monday:

Dodgers—Brett Anderson, 6.0 Box-Toppers points, 147th among all players, 46th among NL pitchers.

Mets—Matt Harvey, 15.4 Box-Toppers points, 16th among all players, eighth among NL pitchers.

See series preview and Box-Toppers point totals of all Mets and Dodgers who earned Player of the Game honors in the 2015 regular season.

About Box-Toppers—Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.

Dodgers' Greinke tops players in Saturday, Oct. 10's NLDS games

Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke is Box-Toppers top player in Saturday’s two National League Division Series playoff games.

Cubs pitcher Travis Wood is top player in the other NLDS game.

NLDS Game 2: Dodgers 5, Mets 2

Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke struck out eight over seven innings, allowing two runs and five hits.

During the regular season, Greinke had 20.7 Box-Toppers points, seventh among all players, fifth among NL pitchers.

The best-of-five game series is now tied 1-1 and resumes Monday in New York.

NLDS Game 2: Cubs 6, Cardinals 3

Cubs pitcher Travis Wood pitched 2 1/3 innings of scoreless middle relief, allowing one hit and striking out two, picking up the win.

During the regular season, Wood had 3.0 Box-Toppers points, ranking 313th among all players and 82nd among NL pitchers.

The best-of-five game series is now tied 1-1 and resumes Monday in Chicago.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

10/10	Score	Team	Players	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
POG	6.0	Dodgers	Zack Greinke (W,1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	5	2	2	0	8
POG	3.1	Cubs	Travis Wood (W,1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.1	1	0	0	0	2

Coming Sunday: The American League Division Series playoffs resume with two Game 3s:

AL Division Series Game 3, Royals vs. Astros, tied 1-1

The pitching matchup Saturday:

Royals—Edinson Volquez, 7.0 Box-Toppers points, 105th among all players, 39th among AL pitchers.

Astros—Dallas Keuchel, 21.4 Box-Toppers points, fourth among all players, first among AL pitchers.

See series preview and Box-Toppers point totals of all Royals and Astros who earned Player of the Game honors in the 2015 regular season.

AL Division Series Game 3, Rangers lead Blue Jays, 2-0

The pitching matchup Saturday:

Blue Jays—Marco Estrada, 8.0 Box-Toppers points, 85th among all players, 34th among AL pitchers.

Rangers—Martin Perez, 1.0 Box-Toppers point, 550th among all players, 127th among AL pitchers.

See series preview and Box-Toppers point totals of all Blue Jays and Rangers who earned Player of the Game honors in the 2015 regular season.

About Box-Toppers—Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.