San Francisco Giants, hottest team of the week, rise to top Box-Toppers team rankings

The San Francisco Giants, the hottest team of the past week, have risen to the top of Box-Toppers team power rankings.

Giants players have accumulated 31.0 Box-Toppers points this season, including 7.0 this past week—more than any other team. They rise from fifth place to first, edging past last week’s top team, the Colorado Rockies (30.8 Box-Toppers points).

Top 10 teams

Here are Box-Toppers' Top 10 teams, through the games of Thursday, May 15. The column BTP shows the number of Box-Toppers points players on the team have accumulated so far this season. The column BTP/wk shows have many points teams have accumulated during the past week.

515	Team	BTP	BTP /wk	Last  week  rank
1	Giants	31.0	7.0	5
2	Rockies	30.8	1.5	1
3	Athletics	30.4	5.7	3
4	Marlins	29.9	1.0	2
5	Brewers	28.2	4.0	4
6	Angels	27.4	6.5	15
7	Dodgers	26.9	3.0	6
8	Tigers	26.7	4.0	7
9	Braves	26.1	6.4	16
10	Yankees	26.0	4.7	12

BTP: Box-Toppers points

The Giants are led by pitcher Madison Bumgarner (5.5 Box-Toppers points—ranked 6th among NL pitchers) and left fielder Michael Morse (4.0 Box-Toppers points—ranked 6th among NL batters).

The Giants also have the best winning percentage of any NL team (.643).

The Rockies fell to second overall after a lackluster week in which they picked up only 1.5 Box-Toppers points.

The top American League team for the fifth straight week is the Oakland Athletics. With 30.4 Box-Toppers points, they are ranked third overall, the same spot as last week.

The Athletics are led by pitchers Scott Kazmir and Jesse Chavez, both of whom have 5.7 Box-Toppers points each. Kazmir is ranked fourth and Chavez fifth among AL pitchers in Box-Toppers points.

The Detroit Tigers have the overall best winning percentage in baseball, .667. They rank eighth in Box-Toppers points with 26.7, down from seventh place a week ago.

Last week’s hottest team, the Miami Marlins, was this week’s coldest team. Last week, they picked up 8.5 Box-Toppers points but this week they picked up the fewest points of any team—1.0. With 29.9 Box-Toppers points for the season, they fell from second to fourth overall. Their bad week was compounded by the news that pitcher Jose Fernandez would be lost for the season, recovering from Tommy John surgery. Fernandez has more Box-Toppers points than any Marlins player, 7.0—nearly one-fourth of the team’s total—and ranks fifth among all players this season.

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

Reds' Johnny Cueto tops players for Thursday, May 15 with shutout, rises to 2nd in Box-Toppers player rankings

Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto, Thursday’s Player of the Day, rises to second place in Box-Toppers season player rankings and is now the top-ranked National League pitcher.

Cueto pitched a complete game shutout, allowing three hits and striking out eight, in the 5-0 win over the Padres. He earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 7.7 for the season. He passes Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals (7.0 Box-Toppers points) to lead NL pitchers in player rankings. He trails only Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies (9.1 Box-Toppers points), the overall leader. (See the updated top 10 player rankings for the season on the home page.)

(Cueto and Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka both have 7.7 Box-Toppers points but Cueto is ranked higher because of the tie-breaker: He has more points than Tanaka over 2013-2014—11.7 vs. 7.7.)

Yankees pitcher Dellin Betances is American League Player of the Day. Betances pitched 2 1/3 innings of scoreless middle relief, striking out six, in the 1-0 win over the Mets. This was Betances’ Box-Toppers debut, the first time he has earned Player of the Game honors. He is the 3,333rd player to debut in Box-Toppers since record-keeping began in 1995. He made his Major League debut on Sept. 22, 2011, and was pitching in his 23rd game.

Edwin Encarnacion of the Blue Jays is AL Batter of the Day. Encarnacion homered twice and doubled, going 3-for-4 and driving in three runs, in the 4-2 win over the Indians.

Michael Morse of the Giants is National League Batter of the Day. Morse homered, went 3-for-4 and drove in three runs, in the 6-4 win over the Marlins.

Notables: Cardinals pitcher Michael Wacha earned Player of the Game honors for batting. He had a two-run RBI in the 5-3 win over the Cubs. He is the third pitcher this season to earn Player of the Game honors for batting.

Mike Trout of the Angels, currently ranked seventh among all players in Wins Above Replacement at 2.4, according to Baseball-Reference.com, earned his first Box-Toppers point of the season Thursday. Trout hit a walk-off, three-run home run—his only hit in four at-bats—in the 6-5 win over the Rays. With 1.0 Box-Toppers point this season, Trout currently ranks 257th in Box-Toppers player rankings.

Cueto receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Betances receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Encarnacion and Morse each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

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

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

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

515	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	12.0	Reds	Johnny Cueto (W, 4-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	3	0	0	2	8
AL	8.1	Yankees	Dellin Betances (W, 2-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.1	0	0	0	0	6
	7.0	Twins	Phil Hughes	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	5	1	1	0	8
	5.0	Padres	Tyson Ross (W, 5-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	1	1	5	8
BAT	4.0	Blue Jays	Edwin Encarnacion DH	4	2	3	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
BAT	3.0	Giants	Michael Morse 1B	4	1	3	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.2	`Orioles	Darren O`Day (H, 5)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.2	0	0	0	0	1
	2.0	Cardinals	Michael Wacha P	2	1	1	2	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Brewers	Rickie Weeks 2B	4	1	3	1	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Angels	Mike Trout CF	4	1	1	3	0	2		-	-	-	-	-	-

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

Yankees' Masahiro Tanaka (CG 0R 8K) tops players for Wednesday, May 14, rises to 2nd in Box-Toppers player rankings

Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, Wednesday’s Player of the Day, rises to second place in Box-Toppers season player rankings and is now the top-ranked American League pitcher.

Tanaka pitched a complete game shutout, allowing four hits and striking out eight, in the 4-0 win over the Mets. He earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 7.7 for the season. He passes Max Scherzer of the Tigers (6.7 Box-Toppers points) to lead AL pitchers in player rankings. He trails only Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies (9.1 Box-Toppers points), the overall leader. (See the updated top 10 player rankings for the season on the home page.)

Nationals pitcher Doug Fister is National League Player of the Day. Fister struck out six over seven innings, allowing only one run, in the 5-1 win over the Diamondbacks.

Hunter Pence of the Giants is NL Batter of the Day. Pence homered and went 4-for-5, driving in three runs, in the 10-4 win over the Braves.

David Ortiz of the Red Sox is American League Batter of the Day. Ortiz homered twice and went 3-for-5 in the 9-4 win over the Twins.

Tanaka receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Fister receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Pence and Ortiz each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

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

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

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

514	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	13.0	Yankees	Masahiro Tanaka (W, 6-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	4	0	0	0	8
	10.0	Angels	Garrett Richards (W, 4-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	5	0	0	0	8
	10.0	Rays	Jake Odorizzi (W, 2-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	1	0	0	2	7
	7.0	Indians	Corey Kluber (W, 4-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	2	2	1	9
NL	6.0	`Nationals	Doug Fister	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	5	1	1	0	6
	6.0	`Pirates	Francisco Liriano	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	4	1	1	1	7
	4.2	Royals	Jason Vargas (W, 4-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.2	5	2	2	1	8
BAT	4.0	Giants	Hunter Pence RF	5	2	4	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
BAT	3.0	Red Sox	David Ortiz DH	5	3	3	2	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Marlins	Jeff Mathis C	4	2	2	3	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.1	White Sox	Ronald Belisario (W, 2-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.1	0	0	0	0	1
	2.0	Astros	Dexter Fowler CF	3	2	3	0	2	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Tigers	Bryan Holaday C	4	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.

Rays' David Price (CG 1R 12K) tops players for Tuesday, May 13

Rays pitcher David Price is Tuesday’s Player of the Day. Price pitched a complete game, giving up one run and striking out 12, in the 2-1 win over the Mariners.

Price earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 5.0 points for the season and is in 16th place in Box-Toppers player rankings for 2014.

Braves pitcher Mike Minor is National League Player of the Day. Minor pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings and struck out six in the 5-0 win over the Giants.

Curtis Granderson of the Mets is National League Batter of the Day. Granderson hit a three-run homer and went 2-for-3 in the 12-7 win over the Yankees.

Chris Parmelee of the Twins is AL Batter of the Day. Parmelee hit a walk-off, two-run homer in the 8-6 win over the Red Sox. Parmelee went 3-for-4 in the game.

Notable: Greg Garcia of the Cardinals earned Player of the Game honors with an extra-inning, walk-off, pinch-hit hit-by-pitch in his only plate appearance. The Cardinals beat the Cubs 4-3 in 12 innings. Garcia was hit on a 1-2 pitch with the bases loaded to drive in the winning run, giving him a Box-Toppers game score of +1.0, enough to be the top player on the winning team.

Price receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Minor receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Granderson and Parmelee 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

513	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	13.0	Rays	David Price (W, 4-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	6	1	1	0	12
	9.0	Astros	Dallas Keuchel (W, 4-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	7	0	0	0	7
	8.0	Royals	James Shields (W, 5-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	5	1	1	0	8
	8.0	Athletics	Drew Pomeranz (W, 3-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.0	3	0	0	2	8
NL	7.2	Braves	Mike Minor (W, 1-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.2	3	0	0	2	6
	6.0	Dbacks	Bronson Arroyo (W, 4-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	7	1	1	1	7
	4.1	Dodgers	Josh Beckett (W, 1-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.1	4	1	0	3	6
BAT	4.0	Mets	Curtis Granderson RF	3	2	2	3	2	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	Brewers	Marco Estrada (W, 3-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	6	1	1	2	8
	4.0	`Tigers	Drew Smyly	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	5	1	1	2	7
BAT	3.0	Twins	Chris Parmelee RF	4	2	3	2	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Padres	Huston Street (S, 12)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Blue Jays	Juan Francisco 3B	3	1	2	2	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	`Angels	Joe Smith (H, 5)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	1.0	Cardinals	Greg Garcia PH	0	0	0	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

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

Giants' Tim Lincecum (7.2IP 11K) tops players for Monday, May 12

Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum is Monday’s Player of the Day. Lincecum gave up one run and two hits over 7 2/3 innings, striking out 11, in the 4-2 win over the Braves.

Rangers pitcher Colby Lewis is American League Player of the Day. Lewis struck out eight over 5 2/3 scoreless innings in the 4-0 win over the Astros.

Junior Lake of the Cubs is National League Batter of the Day. Lake  homered, drove in six runs and went 3-for-6 in the 17-5 win over the Cardinals.

Stefen Romero of the Mariners is AL Batter of the Day. Romero doubled, homered and drove in three runs in the 12-5 win over the Rays. This was Romero’s Box-Toppers debut, the first time he has earned Player of the Game honors. He is the 3,330th player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995.

Notables: Athletics pitcher Jesse Chavez rose to 10th place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Monday. Chavez (8IP 7K W in 5-4 win over the White Sox) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 5.7 for the season. (See the updated Box-Toppers top 10 player rankings on the home page.)

Yasiel Puig of the Dodgers earned Player of the Game honors for the first time this season Monday and only the second time in his career (he was NL Batter of the Day on June 4, 2013). Puig went 1-for-3, hit a three-run homer and drove in four runs in the 6-5 win over the Marlins. He has 1.0 Box-Toppers point this season and 2.5 for his career.

Lincecum receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Lewis receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Lake and Romero each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

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

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

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

512	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	10.2	Giants	Tim Lincecum (W, 3-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.2	2	1	1	4	11
BAT	5.0	Cubs	Junior Lake LF	6	2	3	6	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
AL	4.2	Rangers	Colby Lewis (W, 3-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.2	7	0	0	2	8
BAT	4.0	Mariners	Stefen Romero RF	5	3	3	3	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	Athletics	Jesse Chavez (W, 3-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	5	2	2	2	7
	3.0	Blue Jays	Jose Bautista RF, CF	4	1	3	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Tigers	Ian Kinsler 2B	3	2	2	2	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Dodgers	Yasiel Puig RF	3	1	1	4	2	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Nationals	Tyler Clippard (W, 3-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Mets	Eric Young LF	5	2	3	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

Padres' Robbie Erlin (6.1IP 0R 7K) tops players for Sunday, May 11

Padres pitcher Robbie Erlin is Sunday’s Player of the Day. Erlin pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings and struck out seven in the 5-4 win over the Marlins.

Athletics pitcher Scott Kazmir is American League Player of the Day. Kazmir pitched seven scoreless innings in the 9-1 win over the Nationals. Kazmir rises to eighth place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season. (See the top 10 players for the season on the home page.) He earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day, giving him 5.7 points for the season.

Hank Conger of the Angels is AL Batter of the Day. Conger homered, doubled and drove in five runs in the 9-3 win over the Blue Jays.

Daniel Murphy of the Mets is National League Batter of the Day. Murphy homered, double and drove in two runs in the 5-4, 11-inning win over the Phillies.

Erlin receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Kazmir receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Conger and Murphy 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 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

511	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	8.1	Padres	Robbie Erlin (W, 2-4)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.1	5	0	0	0	7
AL	7.0	Athletics	Scott Kazmir (W, 5-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	0	0	0	4
	6.1	Dbacks	Chase Anderson (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.1	2	1	1	1	6
	5.1	Reds	Homer Bailey (W, 3-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.1	4	1	1	2	6
BAT	5.0	Angels	Hank Conger C	4	1	3	5	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	5.0	Red Sox	John Lackey (W, 5-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	7	2	2	0	9
	4.0	Indians	Nyjer Morgan LF	4	3	3	2	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Royals	Alcides Escobar SS	4	1	2	4	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Braves	Aaron Harang (W, 4-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	6	2	2	2	9
BAT	2.0	Mets	Daniel Murphy 2B	4	1	3	2	2	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Giants	Angel Pagan CF	3	3	2	0	2	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Brewers	Jonathan Lucroy PH	1	1	1	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Twins	Jared Burton (W, 1-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	1.0	Astros	Marc Krauss 1B	4	1	2	2	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Cardinals	Peter Bourjos CF	1	0	1	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

Braves' Ervin Santana (7IP 7K) tops players for Saturday, May 10, rises to 5th place in Box-Toppers player rankings

Braves pitcher Ervin Santana, Saturday’s Player of the Day, rises to fifth place in Box-Toppers season player rankings.

Santana pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out seven in the 2-0 win over the Cubs. He earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 6.0 for the season, moving him up to fifth place in season rankings. (See the top 10 players in Box-Toppers points for the season on the home page.)

Mariners pitcher Chris Young is American League Player of the Day. Young gave up one run over eight innings in the 3-1 win over the Royals.

Corey Dickerson of the Rockies is National League Batter of the Day. Dickerson homered twice, doubled twice and drove in four runs in the 11-2 win over the Reds.

Shane Victorino of the Red Sox is AL Batter of the Day. Victorino went 3-for-4 and drove in four runs in the 8-3 win over the Rangers.

Santana receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Young receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Dickerson and Victorino each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

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

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

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

510	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	8.0	Braves	Ervin Santana (W, 4-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	5	0	0	1	7
BAT	6.0	Rockies	Corey Dickerson CF, LF	5	3	4	4	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
AL	6.0	Mariners	Chris Young (W, 3-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	3	1	1	0	3
	6.0	Rays	Erik Bedard (W, 2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	1	0	0	3	4
	5.0	Padres	Seth Smith LF	4	2	3	4	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	5.0	Dbacks	Wade Miley (W, 3-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	2	2	0	6
	5.0	Athletics	Sean Doolittle (W, 1-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	0	0	0	0	3
BAT	4.0	Red Sox	Shane Victorino RF	4	1	3	4	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	Phillies	Jimmy Rollins SS	4	4	3	1	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Tigers	Miguel Cabrera 1B	3	2	1	3	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Angels	Tyler Skaggs (W, 3-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	4	3	2	0	4
	2.0	Brewers	Jonathan Lucroy C	4	2	2	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Dodgers	Dee Gordon 2B	3	2	2	1	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Orioles	Ryan Webb (W, 2-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	1	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Pirates	Mark Melancon (S, 4)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	1	0	0	0	2

Rangers' Yu Darvish, with a near no-hitter, tops players for Friday, May 9

Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish is Friday’s Player of the Day. Darvish gave up his only hit in the ninth inning, pitching 8 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out 12, in the 8-0 win over the Red Sox.

Darvish rises to fifth place in Box-Toppers player standings. He earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 5.7 for the season. (See the updated top 10 list on the home page.)

Braves pitcher Julio Teheran is National League Player of the Day. Teheran gave up one run and one hit over eight innings, striking out nine, in the 3-2, 10-inning win over the Cubs. Teheran did not earn a win, picking up a no-decision, because he left the game with the score tied 2-2.

Teheran rises to sixth place in Box-Toppers player standings. He earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day, giving him 5.7 for the season. (See the updated top 10 list on the home page.)

Jedd Gyorko of the Reds is NL Batter of the Day. Gyorko hit two home runs and went 3-for-6 and drove in six runs in the 4-3 win over the Rockies.

Jose Abreu of the White Sox is American League Batter of the Day. Abreu homered and went 3-for-4, driving in two runs, in the 9-3 win over the Diamondbacks.

Notables: Three others who earned Player of the Game honors Friday are in the top 10 of Box-Toppers season player rankings:

• Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto rose to seventh place. Cueto (8IP 2R 8K ND in the 4-3 win over the Rockies) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 5.7 for the season.

• Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka rose to eighth place. Tanaka (6.1IP 2R 7K W in 5-3 win over the Brewers) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 5.7 for the season.

• Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner rose to ninth place. Bumgarner (8IP 1R 8K W in 3-1 win over the Dodgers) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Day, giving him 5.5 for the season.

Four players each reached 5.7 Box-Toppers points Friday. The tie among them was broken based on their total Box-Toppers points over 2013-14. (Darvish 21.7, Teheran 19.4, Cueto 9.7 and Tanaka 5.7.)

Darvish receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Teheran receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Gyorko and Abreu each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

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

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

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

509	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	17.2	Rangers	Yu Darvish (W, 3-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.2	1	0	0	2	12
NL	12.0	`Braves	Julio Teheran	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	1	1	1	2	9
	10.0	Athletics	Tommy Milone (W, 1-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	2	0	0	3	7
	10.0	Royals	Jason Vargas (W, 3-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	0	0	0	6
	9.0	Giants	Madison Bumgarner (W, 4-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	4	1	1	1	8
BAT	7.0	Padres	Jedd Gyorko 2B	4	2	3	6	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	6.0	`Reds	Johnny Cueto	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	5	2	2	1	8
	5.0	Pirates	Neil Walker 2B	4	2	3	4	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
BAT	3.0	White Sox	Jose Abreu DH	4	2	3	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Angels	Ernesto Frieri (S, 4)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.2	Indians	Corey Kluber (W, 3-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.2	9	2	2	0	9
	2.0	Twins	Phil Hughes (W, 4-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	8	0	0	0	3
	2.0	Phillies	Jonathan Papelbon (S, 10)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	1.1	Yankees	Masahiro Tanaka (W, 5-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.1	7	2	2	1	7
	1.0	Orioles	Wei-Yin Chen (W, 4-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	5	2	2	1	4

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

Rockies' Troy Tulowitzki leads players in season Box-Toppers points

Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki is on top of Box-Toppers player rankings this week.

Tulowitzki has 9.1 Box-Toppers points, rising from third to first place, picking up 3.2 points in the past week.

Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright, in second place with 7.0 Box-Toppers points, is the leader among National League pitchers. 

Top players

Through Thursday, May 8

	OVERALL LEADERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Tulowitzki, Troy 2308	ss	col nl	9.1
2	Wainwright, Adam 2150	pi sp	stl nl	7.0
3	Fernandez, Jose 3147	pi sp	fla nl	7.0
4	Scherzer, Max 2588	pi sp	det al	6.7
5	Greinke, Zack 1871	pi sp	lad nl	5.4
6	Colabello, Chris 3235	1b dh rf	min al	5.2
7	Strasburg, Stephen 2736	pi sp	dc nl	5.0
8	Perez, Martin 3213	pi sp	tex al	5.0
9	Hammel, Jason 2235	pi sp	chi nl	5.0
10	Freeman, Freddie 2887	1b	atl nl	4.7
	AL PITCHERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Scherzer, Max 2588	pi sp	det al	6.7
2	Perez, Martin 3213	pi sp	tex al	5.0
3	Buehrle, Mark 1407	pi sp	tor al	4.7
4	Chavez, Jesse 2780	pi sp	oak al	4.7
5	Tanaka, Masahiro 3305	pi sp	nyy al	4.7
6	Hernandez, Felix 2064	pi sp	sea al	4.4
7	Kazmir, Scott 1947	pi sp	oak al	4.0
8	Lackey, John 1640	pi sp	bos al	4.0
9	Darvish, Yu 3003	pi sp	tex al	3.7
10	Ventura, Yordano 3294	pi sp	kc al	3.7
	AL BATTERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Colabello, Chris 3235	1b dh rf	min al	5.2
2	Donaldson, Josh 3144	3b	oak al	3.5
3	Hunter, Torii 1190	rf	det al	3.5
4	Rodriguez, Sean 2729	lf 1b 2b ph	tb al	3.5
5	Abreu, Jose 3308	1b dh	chi al	3.5
6	Rasmus, Colby 2608	cf	tor al	3.2
7	Murphy, David 2348	rf	cle al	3.0
8	Ramirez, Alexei 2537	ss	chi al	3.0
9	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	3b	det al	2.5
10	Aybar, Erick 2416	ss	ana al	2.5
	NL PITCHERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Wainwright, Adam 2150	pi sp	stl nl	7.0
2	Fernandez, Jose 3147	pi sp	fla nl	7.0
3	Greinke, Zack 1871	pi sp	lad nl	5.4
4	Strasburg, Stephen 2736	pi sp	dc nl	5.0
5	Hammel, Jason 2235	pi sp	chi nl	5.0
6	Cueto, Johnny 2400	pi sp	cin nl	4.7
7	Bumgarner, Madison 2753	pi sp	sf nl	4.5
8	Teheran, Julio 3176	pi sp	atl nl	4.0
9	Gonzalez, Gio 2626	pi sp	dc nl	4.0
10	Burnett, A.J. 1300	pi sp	phi nl	4.0
	NL BATTERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Tulowitzki, Troy 2308	ss	col nl	9.1
2	Freeman, Freddie 2887	1b	atl nl	4.7
3	Stanton, Giancarlo	rf	fla nl	4.7
4	Braun, Ryan J. 2300	rf	mil nl	4.5
5	Rizzo, Anthony 3063	1b	chi nl	4.0
6	Duda, Lucas 2818	1b lf	nym nl	3.5
7	Ruiz, Carlos 2282	ca	phi nl	3.0
8	LeMahieu, DJ 3091	2b	col nl	3.0
9	Alvarez, Pedro 2817	3b	pit nl	2.5
10	Morse, Mike 2020	lf	sf nl	2.5

BTP: Box-Toppers points

Last week’s overall leader, Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez, with 7.0 Box-Toppers points, is now in third place overall. (Both Wainwright and Fernandez have 7.0 Box-Toppers points for 2014, but Wainwright wins the tie-breaker because he has more total points over 2013-14—27.2 vs. 26.0.)

Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer, in fourth place with 6.7 Box-Toppers points, leads all American League pitchers.

And Chris Colabello of the Twins, in eighth place with 5.2 Box-Toppers points, leads all AL batters.

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

What are those numbers after players' names?

Colorado Rockies climb to top of Box-Toppers team power rankings

The Colorado Rockies have moved to the top of Box-Toppers team power rankings this week.

Rockies players have accumulated 29.3 Box-Toppers points this season, picking up 7.2 points in the past week to rise from third place a week ago.

The Rockies are led by overall top-ranked player, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (9.1 Box-Toppers points) and second baseman DJ LeMahieu (3.0 points).

Top 10 teams

Here are Box-Toppers' Top 10 teams, through the games of Thursday, May 8. The column BTP shows the number of Box-Toppers points players on the team have accumulated so far this season. The column BTP/wk shows have many points teams have accumulated during the past week.

508	Teams	BTP	BTP/ wk	Last  week  rank
1	Rockies	29.3	7.2	3
2	Marlins	28.9	8.5	5
3	Athletics	24.7	2.0	1
4	Brewers	24.2	2.0	2
5	Giants	24.0	6.0	9
6	Dodgers	23.9	2.5	4
7	Tigers	22.7	7.5	21
8	White Sox	22.5	4.0	8
9	Nationals	22.5	3.0	7
10	Mariners	21.9	7.0	24

BTP: Box-Toppers points

The Rockies are in second place in the National League West, a game behind the San Francisco Giants, with a .595 winning percentage. The Giants are ranked fifth in Box-Toppers rankings, with 24.0 Box-Toppers points.

Last week’s top team, the Oakland Athletics, fall to third place with 24.7 Box-Toppers points after picking up only 2.0 points during the past week. However, the Athletics remain the top American League team in Box-Toppers rankings for the fourth straight week.

The Athletics are led by pitchers Jesse Chavez (4.7 Box-Toppers points) and Scott Kazmir (4.0 points).

The Miami Marlins were the hottest team in the past week, picking up 8.5 Box-Toppers points. They rose to second place overall, from fifth a week ago, with 28.9 Box-Toppers points. 

Last week’s top National League team, the Milwaukee Brewers, fell to fourth place overall, picking up only 2.0 Box-Toppers points during the week. The Brewers have 24.2 Box-Toppers points.

The Detroit Tigers have the best record in baseball with a .667 winning percentage. Tigers players have 22.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked seventh among all teams.

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.

Mariners' Hisashi Iwakuma (8IP 0R 7K) tops players for Thursday, May 8

Mariners pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma is Thursday’s Player of the Day. Iwakuma pitched eight shutout innings and struck out seven in the 1-0 win over the Royals.

Marlins pitcher A.J. Ramos is National League Player of the Day. Ramos pitched two innings of middle relief, striking out three and picking up the win, in the 3-1, 11-inning win over the Padres.

Asdrubal Cabrera of the Indians is American League Batter of the Day. Cabrera homered, went 4-for-5 and drove in three runs in the 9-4 win over the Twins.

Anthony Rizzo of the Cubs is NL Batter of the Day. Rizzo doubled, homered and went 3-for-5 in the 12-5 win over the White Sox.

Iwakuma receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Ramos receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Cabrera and Rizzo each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

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

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

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

508	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	11.0	Mariners	Hisashi Iwakuma (W, 2-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	4	0	0	0	7
	4.2	Astros	Dallas Keuchel (W, 3-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.2	6	2	2	0	7
BAT	4.0	Indians	Asdrubal Cabrera SS	5	2	4	3	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	Blue Jays	Edwin Encarnacion 1B	4	2	3	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
NL	4.0	Marlins	A.J. Ramos (W, 3-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	0	0	0	1	3
	3.1	Giants	Santiago Casilla (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.1	0	0	0	0	2
BAT	3.0	Cubs	Anthony Rizzo 1B	5	3	3	2	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Orioles	Steve Pearce 1B	4	1	2	2	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Rangers	Alex Rios RF	2	1	2	0	2	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

Marlins' Tom Koehler (8IP 0R ND) tops players for Wednesday, May 7

Marlins pitcher Tom Koehler is Wednesday’s Player of the Day. Koehler pitched eight shutout innings in the 1-0 win over the Mets. Koehler did not pick up the win, earning the no-decision, because he left the game in a scoreless tie.

Blue Jays pitcher Mark Buehrle is American League Player of the Day. Buehrle pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out six in the 10-0 win over the Phillies.

Eric Hosmer of the Royals is AL Batter of the Day. Hosmer went 3-for-4 and drove in four runs in the 8-0 win over the Padres.

DJ LeMahieu of the Rockies is National League Batter of the Day. LeMahieu went 3-for-3 with a triple in the 9-2 win over the Rangers.

Notable: Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright rises to second place in Box-Toppers player standings and now leads NL pitchers after earning Player of the Game honors Wednesday. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) Wainwright (8IP 1R 6K W in the 7-1 win vs. the Braves) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 7.0 for the season. He passes previous NL pitching leader Jose Fernandez of the Marlins (7.0). (Both Wainwright and Fernandez have 7.0 Box-Toppers points for 2014, but Wainwright wins the tie-breaker because he has more total points over 2013-14—27.2 vs. 26.0.)

Koehler receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Buehrle receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Hosmer and LeMahieu each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

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

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

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

507	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	10.0	`Marlins	Tom Koehler	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	2	0	0	1	5
AL	8.0	Blue Jays	Mark Buehrle (W, 6-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	0	0	2	6
	8.0	Athletics	Drew Pomeranz (W, 2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.0	2	0	0	0	5
	5.0	Cardinals	Adam Wainwright (W, 6-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	6	1	1	1	6
	4.1	`Tigers	Joba Chamberlain (H, 6)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.1	0	0	0	0	3
BAT	4.0	Royals	Eric Hosmer 1B	4	1	3	4	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	Red Sox	Koji Uehara (S, 8)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	3
	3.1	Dbacks	Bronson Arroyo (W, 3-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.1	5	1	0	2	4
BAT	3.0	Rockies	DJ LeMahieu 2B	3	2	3	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	White Sox	Paul Konerko DH	3	1	2	3	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Nationals	Rafael Soriano (S, 7)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.2	`Mariners	Danny Farquhar	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.2	0	0	0	1	2
	2.1	Yankees	Vidal Nuno (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.1	4	1	1	1	3
	2.0	Orioles	Adam Jones CF	4	2	2	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Pirates	Travis Snider RF	3	1	2	2	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Indians	Mike Aviles 2B	4	1	3	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

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

Mets' Henderson Alvarez (CG 0R 7K) tops players for Tuesday, May 6

Mets pitcher Henderson Alvarez is Tuesday’s Player of the Day. Alvarez pitched a complete-game shutout and struck out seven in the 3-0 win over the Mets.

Yankees pitcher Hiroki Kuroda is American League Player of the Day. Kuroda struck out eight over 7 2/3 innings in the 4-3 win over the Angels. Kuroda had a no-decision and did not pick up the win because the Angels tied the game 3-3 after he left the game.

Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies is National League Batter of the Day. Gonzalez went 5-for-5 and drove in three runs in the 12-1 win over the Rangers.

Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers is AL Batter of the Day. Cabrera homered, went 4-for-5 and drove in four runs in the 11-4 win over the Astros.

Alvarez receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Kuroda receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Gonzalez and Cabrera 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

506	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	10.0	Marlins	Henderson Alvarez (W, 2-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	6	0	0	0	7
	7.0	Dodgers	Clayton Kershaw (W, 2-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	9	0	0	0	9
AL	6.2	`Yankees	Hiroki Kuroda	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.2	5	3	1	0	8
	6.0	`Red Sox	Andrew Miller	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	0	0	0	0	4
BAT	5.0	Rockies	Carlos Gonzalez LF	5	2	5	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
BAT	5.0	Tigers	Miguel Cabrera 1B	5	2	4	4	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	5.0	`Pirates	Charlie Morton	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	3	1	0	2	3
	5.0	Royals	Wade Davis (W, 2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	1	0	0	0	4
	4.0	`White Sox	Hector Noesi	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.0	4	1	1	1	6
	3.2	Indians	Josh Tomlin (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.2	4	1	1	1	4
	3.1	Dbacks	Evan Marshall (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.1	0	0	0	0	2
	3.0	Braves	David Carpenter (W, 2-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Mariners	Justin Smoak 1B	5	2	2	3	0	2		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.1	Blue Jays	Marcus Stroman (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.1	1	0	0	0	1
	1.0	Orioles	Darren O`Day (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	0

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

Tigers' Scherzer, top player for Monday, May 5, takes AL Box-Toppers points lead; Tulowitzki increases overall lead among players

Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer, Monday’s Player of the Day, rises to third place in Box-Toppers player rankings, while Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies increased his lead among players in Box-Toppers points.

Scherzer pitched eight scoreless innings and struck out nine in the 2-0 win over the Astros. Earning 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, Scherzer now has 6.7 Box-Toppers points and is in third place among all players for the season. (See updated top 10 list on the home page.)

Scherzer now leads among all American League players in Box-Toppers points. He passes previous AL leader Chris Colabello of the Twins (5.2) and previous AL pitching leader Martin Perez of the Rangers (5.0). In 2013, Scherzer led all AL players with 18.1 Box-Toppers points.

Tulowitzki increased his season lead in Box-Toppers points after earning National League Player of the Day honors Monday. Tulowitzki  homered twice and went 2-for-3 and drove in four runs in the 8-2 win over the Rangers.

Tulowitzki earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day, giving him 9.1 for the season. In a little over a week, Tulowitzki has earned Player of the Game honors four times, each time earning bonus points for either being NL Player or Batter of the Day. (See updated top 10 list on the home page.)

Tulowitzki has already more than doubled his Box-Toppers points total for 2013 (4.0). Just over a month into the season, he already has his second-highest Box-Toppers point total for a season—his highest point total was 11.5 in 2011.

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

Scherzer receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Tulowitzki receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. 

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

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

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

505	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	13.0	Tigers	Max Scherzer (W, 4-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	3	0	0	1	9
	6.0	Angels	Jered Weaver (W, 3-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	6	1	1	1	7
NL	5.0	Rockies	Troy Tulowitzki SS	3	2	2	4	2	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	5.0	Brewers	Carlos Gomez CF	2	2	2	3	3	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	5.0	`Marlins	Nathan Eovaldi	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	5	3	3	1	10
	4.0	Giants	Buster Posey 1B	4	3	3	2	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	`White Sox	Jose Quintana	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	1	1	1	3	3
	3.0	`Twins	Kyle Gibson	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	2	0	0	3	1
	3.0	`Blue Jays	Aaron Loup (H, 4)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	1	0	0	0	3
	3.0	Nationals	Aaron Barrett (W, 2-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Mariners	Fernando Rodney (S, 8)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	1.0	Cardinals	Matt Carpenter 3B	4	1	2	2	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Padres	Yasmani Grandal C	4	1	1	3	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-

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

Giants' Madison Bumgarner (6IP 9K) tops players for Sunday, May 4

Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner is Sunday’s Player of the Day. Bumgarner struck out nine over six innings, allowing only one unearned run in the 4-1 win over the Braves.

Colby Rasmus of the Blue Jays is American League Player of the Day. Rasmus hit a grand slam and went 3-for-4 in the 7-2 win over the Pirates.

Giancarlo Stanton of the Marlins is National League Batter of the Day. Stanton homered twice and drove in three runs in the 5-4 win over the Dodgers.

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

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

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

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

504	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	10.0	Giants	Madison Bumgarner (W, 3-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	3	1	0	1	9
AL	5.0	Blue Jays	Colby Rasmus CF	4	2	3	4	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	Rangers	Prince Fielder 1B	4	3	3	2	2	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
BAT	4.0	Marlins	Giancarlo Stanton RF	3	2	2	3	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	Mets	Dillon Gee (W, 3-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	6	0	0	1	5
	4.0	Cardinals	Kevin Siegrist (W, 1-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1	0	0	0	0	3
	3.1	Phillies	Roberto Hernandez (W, 2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.1	4	0	0	3	3
	3.0	Twins	Kurt Suzuki C	3	0	3	3	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Rays	Wil Myers RF	5	1	2	4	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Mariners	John Buck C	4	2	3	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	White Sox	Dayan Viciedo RF	4	1	2	3	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Tigers	Torii Hunter RF	5	0	3	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Reds	Brandon Phillips 2B	4	2	2	1	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Athletics	Josh Donaldson 3B	2	2	1	0	3	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	0.0	Padres	Rene Rivera C	4	0	2	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

Red Sox' Jon Lester (8IP 1H 0R 15K) tops players for Saturday, May 3

Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester is Saturday’s Player of the Day. Lester pitched eight scoreless innings, giving up just one hit and striking out 15 in the 6-3 win over the Athletics.

Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto is National League Player of the Day. Cueto struck out 10 over eight innings in the 6-2 win over the Brewers.

Joe Mauer of the Twins is American League Batter of the Day. Mauer hit a three-run homer and went 3-for-4, driving in four, in the 6-1 win over the Orioles.

Dee Gordon of the Dodgers is NL Batter of the Day. Gordon went 5-for-6 and drove in two runs in the 9-7, 11-inning win over the Marlins.

Lester receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Cueto receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Mauer and Gordon each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

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

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

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

503	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	20.0	Red Sox	Jon Lester (W, 3-4)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	1	0	0	2	15
NL	10.0	Reds	Johnny Cueto (W, 3-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	3	2	2	1	10
	9.0	Tigers	Drew Smyly (W, 2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	2	0	0	2	6
	9.0	Dbacks	Brandon McCarthy (W, 1-5)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	0	0	1	6
	8.1	Indians	Justin Masterson (W, 1-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.1	4	0	0	1	6
	6.1	`Cubs	Jake Arrieta	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.1	4	0	0	2	7
	6.0	Phillies	A.J. Burnett (W, 2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	3	1	1	2	7
BAT	5.0	Twins	Joe Mauer 1B	4	2	3	4	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.1	Mariners	Fernando Rodney (S, 7)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.1	0	0	0	0	2
BAT	3.0	Dodgers	Dee Gordon 2B	6	2	5	2	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Rockies	Charlie Culberson PH	1	1	1	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Angels	Howie Kendrick 2B	5	2	4	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Yankees	Jacoby Ellsbury CF	4	2	3	1	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Pirates	Jordy Mercer PH	1	0	1	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Giants	Sergio Romo (S, 9)	-	-	-	-	-	-		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.

Orioles' Jimenez tops players for Friday, May 2; Tulowitzki takes lead in Box-Toppers player rankings

Orioles pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez is Friday’s Player of the Day, while Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies takes the lead in season Box-Toppers player rankings.

Jimenez pitched 7 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out 10 in the 3-0 win over the Twins.

Tulowitzki now has more Box-Toppers points than any other player this season after earning National League Batter of the Day honors Friday. Tulowitzki went 3-for-4 and drove in three runs in the 10-3 win over the Mets. He earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being NL Batter of the Day, giving him 7.4 for the season. He rises from third to first place in Box-Toppers season player rankings, passing previous leader Jose Fernandez of the Marlins (7.0). (See the updated top 10 list on the home page.)

Diamondbacks pitcher Bronson Arroyo is NL Player of the Day. Arroyo pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out six in the 2-0 win over the Padres.

Dustin Pedroia of the Red Sox is American League Batter of the Day. Pedroia hit a grand slam and went 2-for-3 in the 7-1 win over the Athletics.

Jimenez receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Arroyo receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Pedroia and Tulowitzki each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

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

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

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

502	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	13.1	Orioles	Ubaldo Jimenez (W, 1-4)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.1	3	0	0	1	10
	10.0	Brewers	Wily Peralta (W, 4-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	3	0	0	2	7
NL	9.0	Dbacks	Bronson Arroyo (W, 2-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	0	0	1	6
	6.0	Marlins	Tom Koehler (W, 3-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	0	0	2	4
BAT	5.0	Red Sox	Dustin Pedroia 2B	3	2	2	4	2	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	5.0	Tigers	Rick Porcello (W, 4-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	2	2	0	6
BAT	4.0	Rockies	Troy Tulowitzki SS	4	2	3	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	Cubs	Anthony Rizzo 1B	3	2	2	3	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Indians	Michael Brantley LF	5	2	3	3	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Astros	Anthony Bass (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	0	0	0	0	1
	3.0	`Rays	David Price	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	8	2	2	0	8
	2.0	Rangers	Shin-Soo Choo LF	4	1	3	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Pirates	Neil Walker 2B	4	3	3	0	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Nationals	Tyler Moore LF, 1B	4	2	2	1	0	2		-	-	-	-	-	-
	0.0	Giants	Michael Morse LF	4	1	2	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

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

Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez rises to top of Box-Toppers player rankings

Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez rose to the top of Box-Toppers player rankings this week.

Fernandez has 7.0 Box-Toppers points for the season and has risen from third place last week. Fernandez, who also tops National League pitchers in Box-Toppers points, passed last week’s NL pitching leader, Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals (6.0, second place overall).

Top players

Through Thursday, May 1

	OVERALL LEADERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Fernandez, Jose 3147	pi sp	fla nl	7.0
2	Wainwright, Adam 2150	pi sp	stl nl	6.0
3	Tulowitzki, Troy 2308	ss	col nl	5.9
4	Greinke, Zack 1871	pi sp	lad nl	5.4
5	Colabello, Chris 3235	1b dh rf	min al	5.2
6	Strasburg, Stephen 2736	pi sp	dc nl	5.0
7	Perez, Martin 3213	pi sp	tex al	5.0
8	Hammel, Jason 2235	pi sp	chi nl	5.0
9	Scherzer, Max 2588	pi sp	det al	4.7
10	Freeman, Freddie 2887	1b	atl nl	4.7
	AL PITCHERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Perez, Martin 3213	pi sp	tex al	5.0
2	Scherzer, Max 2588	pi sp	det al	4.7
3	Chavez, Jesse 2780	pi sp	oak al	4.7
4	Tanaka, Masahiro 3305	pi sp	nyy al	4.7
5	Hernandez, Felix 2064	pi sp	sea al	4.4
6	Kazmir, Scott 1947	pi sp	oak al	4.0
7	Lackey, John 1640	pi sp	bos al	4.0
8	Darvish, Yu 3003	pi sp	tex al	3.7
9	Ventura, Yordano 3294	pi sp	kc al	3.7
10	McHugh, Collin 3316	pi sp	hou al	3.4
	AL BATTERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Colabello, Chris 3235	1b dh rf	min al	5.2
2	Rodriguez, Sean 2729	lf 1b 2b ph	tb al	3.5
3	Abreu, Jose 3308	1b dh	chi al	3.5
4	Murphy, David 2348	rf	cle al	3.0
5	Ramirez, Alexei 2537	ss	chi al	3.0
6	Donaldson, Josh 3144	3b	oak al	2.5
7	Aybar, Erick 2416	ss	ana al	2.5
8	Hunter, Torii 1190	rf	det al	2.5
9	Seager, Kyle 3031	3b	sea al	2.5
10	Semien, Marcus 3302	2b	chi al	2.5
	NL PITCHERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Fernandez, Jose 3147	pi sp	fla nl	7.0
2	Wainwright, Adam 2150	pi sp	stl nl	6.0
3	Greinke, Zack 1871	pi sp	lad nl	5.4
4	Strasburg, Stephen 2736	pi sp	dc nl	5.0
5	Hammel, Jason 2235	pi sp	chi nl	5.0
6	Teheran, Julio 3176	pi sp	atl nl	4.0
7	Gonzalez, Gio 2626	pi sp	dc nl	4.0
8	Santana, Ervin 2005	pi sp	atl nl	4.0
9	Ryu, Hyun-Jin 3139	pi sp	lad nl	4.0
10	Cashner, Andrew 2807	pi sp	sd nl	4.0
	NL BATTERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Tulowitzki, Troy 2308	ss	col nl	5.9
2	Freeman, Freddie 2887	1b	atl nl	4.7
3	Braun, Ryan J. 2300	rf	mil nl	4.5
4	Duda, Lucas 2818	1b lf	nym nl	3.5
5	Stanton, Giancarlo 2737	rf	fla nl	3.2
6	Ruiz, Carlos 2282	ca	phi nl	3.0
7	Alvarez, Pedro 2817	3b	pit nl	2.5
8	Davis, Ike 2715	1b ph	pit nl	2.5
9	Gonzalez, Adrian 2193	1b	lad nl	2.0
10	Upton, Justin 2411	lf	atl nl	2.0

BTP: Box-Toppers points

Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies is the top National League batter in Box-Toppers points with 5.9—he is in third place overall. Tulowitzki passed last week’s NL batting leader, Ryan Braun of the Brewers (4.5).

Chris Colabello of the Twins is top American League batter in Box-Toppers points with 5.2. Last week’s overall leader, Colabello fell to fifth place overall this week.

Rangers pitcher Martin Perez remains top AL pitcher with 5.0 Box-Toppers points. He fell from fourth place overall last week to seventh place this week.

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 supplant Milwaukee Brewers atop Box-Toppers weekly team power rankings

The Oakland Athletics have risen to top Box-Toppers team power rankings for the week.

Athletics players have accumulated 22.7 Box-Toppers points this season, including an American League-high 6.0 points during the past week, to rise from third place last week. This is the third straight week the Athletics have been the top AL team but the first week they have taken the overall points lead.

Top 10 teams

Here are Box-Toppers' Top 10 teams, through the games of Thursday, May 1. The column BTP shows the number of Box-Toppers points players on the team have accumulated so far this season. The column BTP/wk shows have many points teams have accumulated during the past week.

501	Teams	BTP	BTP/ wk	Last week  rank
1	Athletics	22.7	6.0	3
2	Brewers	22.2	4.0	1
3	Rockies	22.1	6.9	6
4	Dodgers	21.4	4.0	2
5	Marlins	20.4	5.7	10
6	Braves	19.7	3.5	5
7	Nationals	19.5	6.0	15
8	White Sox	18.5	3.5	8
9	Giants	18.0	5.0	18
10	Cardinals	18.0	3.0	9

BTP: Box-Toppers points

The Athletics, who have the best record in the AL (.643), are led by pitchers Jesse Chavez (4.7 Box-Toppers points) and Scott Kazmir (4.0).

Last week’s top team, the Milwaukee Brewers, fall to second place overall, but still lead all National League teams, with 22.2 Box-Toppers points. The Brewers, who have the best record in all of baseball (.690) are led by right fielder Ryan Braun (4.5 Box-Toppers points) and pitcher Yovani Gallardo (3.0).

The Colorado Rockies are the hottest team of the past week, picking up 6.9 Box-Toppers points. They have 22.1 overall points, rising from sixth place last week to third place this week, only 0.1 behind the Brewers.

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.

Mariners' Roenis Elias (7IP 10K) tops players for Thursday, May 1

Mariners pitcher Roenis Elias is Thursday’s Player of the Day. Elias struck out 10 over seven innings in the 4-2 win over the Yankees.

Rockies pitcher Juan Nicasio is National League Player of the Day. Nicasio pitched seven scoreless innings in the 7-4 win over the Mets.

Sean Rodriguez of the Rays is American League Batter of the Day. Rodriguez homered, doubled and went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs in the 6-5 win over the Red Sox.

Bryan Pena of the Reds is NL Batter of the Day. Pena hit a pinch-hit two-run homer in the 8-3 win over the Brewers.

Elias receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Nicasio receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Rodriguez and Pena each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

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

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

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

501	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	6.0	Mariners	Roenis Elias (W, 2-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	6	2	1	2	10
NL	5.0	Rockies	Juan Nicasio (W, 3-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	0	0	1	2
BAT	4.0	Rays	Sean Rodriguez LF, 2B	4	3	3	2	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.2	Dodgers	Chris Perez (S, 1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.2	0	0	0	0	2
	3.1	Blue Jays	Aaron Loup (S, 1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.1	0	0	0	0	1
BAT	3.0	Reds	Brayan Pena PH	1	1	1	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Dodgers	Jamey Wright (W, 2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		3.0	1	0	0	1	2
	3.0	Marlins	Mike Dunn (W, 3-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.2	`Orioles	Darren O`Day	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.2	0	0	0	1	2
	2.0	Rays	David DeJesus DH	2	1	1	2	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.1	Orioles	Tommy Hunter (S, 7)	-	-	-	-	-	-		0.1	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.