Angels' Skaggs tops players for Thursday, July 31; Kershaw, Cueto improve standing in Box-Toppers player rankings

Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs is Thursday’s Player of the Day, while Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw extends his lead in Box-Toppers player rankings and Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto rises to fourth place in rankings.

Skaggs pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings and struck out seven in the 1-0, 13-inning win over the Orioles. Skaggs left in the fifth inning with a left forearm strain and picked up a no-decision.

Kershaw extended his lead in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Thursday. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) Kershaw (CG R 9K W in the 2-1 win over the Braves) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 21.1 for the season. Last season, he led all players with 21.7 Box-Toppers points.

Cueto, National League Player of the Day, rises from eighth to fourth place in Box-Toppers player rankings. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) Cueto struck out nine over seven innings, allowing one run, in the 3-1 win over the Marlins. He earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points, giving him 15.4 for the season. He ranks third among NL pitchers. This is his highest Box-Toppers point total for any season, beating his previous high, 14.4 in 2012.

Andy Marte of the Diamondbacks is NL Batter of the Day. Marte hit a pinch-hit two-run homer in the 7-4 win over the Pirates. This was Marte’s first Major League at bat since 2010. He last earned Box-Toppers points when he was AL Batter of the Day on Aug. 4, 2010, with the Indians.

Adam Eaton of the White Sox is AL Batter of the Day. Eaton went 3-for-5, scoring twice and driving in two runs, in the 7-4 win over the Tigers.

Skaggs receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Cueto receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Marte and Eaton 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 watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed Thursday, click here.

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

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

731	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	9.2	`Angels	Tyler Skaggs	-	-	-	-	-	-		4.2	0	0	0	2	7
NL	9.0	Reds	Johnny Cueto (W, 12-6)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	1	1	1	9
	7.0	Dodgers	Clayton Kershaw (W, 13-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	9	1	1	0	9
	7.0	Cubs	Jake Arrieta (W, 6-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	1	1	2	7
	4.0	Cardinals	Shelby Miller (W, 8-8)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	3	2	2	0	5
BAT	3.0	Diamondbacks	Andy Marte PH	1	1	1	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Royals	Yordano Ventura (W, 8-8)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	5	2	1	3	7
	3.0	Blue Jays	Aaron Sanchez (W, 2-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	0	0	0	0	1
	2.0	Phillies	Grady Sizemore LF	5	1	3	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
BAT	2.0	White Sox	Adam Eaton CF	5	2	3	2	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Mariners	Fernando Rodney (S, 30)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	1	0	0	0	2

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

Dodgers' Kershaw tops players for Saturday, July 26, becomes first to 20.0 Box-Toppers points this season

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, Saturday’s Player of the Day, extends his lead in Box-Toppers player rankings, becoming the first this season to 20.0 Box-Toppers points, the fourth straight season he has reached that milestone.

Kershaw pitched a complete game shutout, allowing two hits and one walk and striking out seven, in the 5-0 win over the Giants. He earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 20.1 for the season and remains No. 1 in Box-Toppers player rankings. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.)

Last year, Kershaw led all players with 21.7 Box-Toppers points—he is only 1.6 points behind that with more than two months to go in the season. Here are his Box-Toppers point totals for the past four seasons:

• 2011: 26.1.

• 2012: 20.8

• 2013: 21.7

• 2014: 20.1 (so far)

Simply projecting his point total out to rest of the season based on what he’s done already, Kershaw would have at least 30.0 Box-Toppers points by the end of the season. But Kershaw was out with injury for about a month early in the season and so has achieved his impressive point total in an already shortened season.

White Sox pitcher Chris Sale, American League Player of the Day, rises to ninth place in Box-Toppers player rankings. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) Sale pitched eight shutout innings and struck out 12 in the 7-0 win over the Twins. Sale earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day, giving him 12.7 for the season. He ranks fifth among AL pitchers.

Kershaw and Sale had identical Box-Toppers game scores of 13.0, but Kershaw won overall Player of the Day on a tie-breaker—he had more innings pitched than Sale, nine vs. eight.

Martin Prado of the Diamondbacks is National League Batter of the Day. Prado homered, went 3-for-4 and drove in five runs, in the 10-6 win over the Phillies.

Dan Johnson of the Blue Jays is AL Batter of the Day. Johnson homered and went 2-for-5, driving in four runs, in the 6-4 win over the Yankees. This was the first time Johnson has earned Player of the Game honors and earned Box-Toppers points in nearly four years. He last earned Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors Sept. 15, 2010.

Notables: Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto rose to seventh place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Saturday. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) Cueto (7IP 0R 9K W in the 1-0 win over the Nationals) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 13.7 for the season. He ranks fourth among NL pitchers.

Braves closing pitcher Craig Kimbrel becomes the 20th player this season with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points after earning Player of the Game honors Saturday. Kimbrel (1IP 0R 3K Sv in the 5-3 win over the Padres) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 10.0 for the season. He is in 19th place among all players and ranks eighth among NL pitchers.

Kershaw receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Sale receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Prado and Johnson each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

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

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

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

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

726	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	13.0	Dodgers	Clayton Kershaw (W, 12-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	2	0	0	1	7
AL	13.0	White Sox	Chris Sale (W, 10-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	5	0	0	2	12
	10.0	Mariners	Chris Young (W, 9-6)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	2	0	0	3	8
	9.0	Reds	Johnny Cueto (W, 11-6)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	0	0	3	9
	9.0	Angels	Matt Shoemaker (W, 8-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	0	0	0	5
BAT	5.0	Dbacks	Martin Prado 3B	4	1	3	5	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	5.0	Rockies	Tyler Matzek (W, 2-4)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	0	0	2	3
	4.0	Braves	Craig Kimbrel (S, 31)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	3
	3.0	`Brewers	Zach Duke (H, 11)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	1	3
	3.0	Rays	Jake McGee (S, 11)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	3.0	Royals	Greg Holland (S, 27)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	2
BAT	2.0	Blue Jays	Dan Johnson DH	5	1	2	4	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Cardinals	Matt Adams 1B	5	1	2	4	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Marlins	Christian Yelich LF	4	2	2	1	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	0.0	Athletics	John Jaso C	4	1	1	2	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-

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

Rangers' Tepesch tops players for Friday, June 27; three players rise in Box-Toppers top 10 player rankings

Rangers pitcher Nick Tepesch is Friday’s Player of the Day. Tepesch pitched 7 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing only three hits, in the 5-4 win over the Twins.

Braves pitcher Julio Teheran is National League Player of the Day. Teheran struck out nine over seven innings in the 4-2 win over the Phillies. Teheran earned 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day, giving him 10.4 for the season and rising to eight place in Box-Toppers player rankings. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.)

John Baker of the Cubs is NL Batter of the Day. Baker went 3-for-3 and drove in four runs in the 7-2 win over the Nationals.

Brandon Guyer of the Rays is American League Batter of the Day. Guyer went 3-for-3, scored twice and drove in a run in the 5-2 win over the Orioles. This was Guyer’s Box-Toppers debut, the first time he has earned Player of the Game honors. He is the 3,363rd player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995. Guyer made his Major League debut May 6, 2011, and was playing in his 55th game.

Notables: Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto rose to third place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Friday. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) Cueto (8.1IP 2R W in the 6-2 win over the Giants) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 12.7 for the season. He is also the third-ranked NL pitcher.

Jose Abreu of the White Sox rose to 10th place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Friday. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) Abreu (2HR 2-3 in the 5-2 win over the Blue Jays) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 9.5 for the season. Abreu, already the leader in Box-Toppers points among AL batters, is now only the second batter in Box-Toppers overall top 10 player rankings—the other is Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies (10.6 Box-Toppers points, seventh place).

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

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

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

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

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

627	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	7.1	Rangers	Nick Tepesch (W, 3-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.1	3	0	0	2	5
NL	7.0	Braves	Julio Teheran (W, 7-5)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	6	2	1	0	9
	6.2	Yankees	Vidal Nuno (W, 2-4)	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.2	2	0	0	2	5
	6.0	Dbacks	Brandon McCarthy (W, 2-10)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	6	1	1	0	7
BAT	5.0	Cubs	John Baker C	3	1	3	4	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.2	`Royals	Kelvin Herrera (H, 6)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.2	0	0	0	0	3
	4.0	Pirates	Jared Hughes (W, 4-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	1	0	0	0	3
	3.1	Cardinals	Seth Maness (W, 3-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.1	1	0	0	0	2
BAT	3.0	Rays	Brandon Guyer LF	3	2	3	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	White Sox	Jose Abreu 1B	3	2	2	2	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Orioles	Chris Tillman (W, 7-4)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	4	1	1	1	2
	2.1	Reds	Johnny Cueto (W, 8-5)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.1	3	2	2	2	3
	2.0	Astros	Jose Altuve 2B	5	2	4	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Athletics	Yoenis Cespedes LF	4	3	2	1	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Mariners	Chris Young (W, 7-4)	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.0	4	1	1	1	4
	0.0	`Brewers	Kyle Lohse	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	7	1	1	2	4

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

Giants' Madison Bumgarner tops players for Sunday, June 22, rises to 3rd in Box-Toppers points

Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner, Sunday’s Player of the Day, rises to third place in Box-Toppers season player rankings.

Bumgarner struck out seven over eight innings in the 4-1 win over the Diamondbacks. He earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 12.5 for the season. He rises from sixth to third in season player rankings (see the updated top 10 list on the home page) and is second place among National League pitchers to overall leader Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals (13.0 Box-Toppers points).

Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer is American League Player of the Day. Scherzer struck out eight over six innings in the 10-4 win over the Indians. Scherzer earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day, giving him 11.4 for the season, rising to fifth place in Box-Toppers season player rankings (see the updated top 10 list on the home page).

J.J. Hardy of the Orioles is AL Batter of the Day. Hardy doubled and went 2-for-4, scored twice and drove in three runs in the 8-0 win over the Yankees.

Daniel Murphy of the Mets is NL Batter of the Day. Murphy hit a three-run homer and doubled in the 11-5 win over the Marlins.

Notable: Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto rose to fourth place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Sunday (see the updated top 10 list on the home page). Cueto (8IP 8K W in the 4-3 win over the Blue Jays) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 11.7 for the season.

Bumgarner receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Scherzer receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Hardy 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 watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed Sunday, click here.

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

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

622	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	10.0	Giants	Madison Bumgarner (W, 9-4)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	2	1	0	2	7
	7.0	Pirates	Brandon Cumpton (W, 3-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	2	0	0	2	4
	4.0	Reds	Johnny Cueto (W, 7-5)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	7	3	1	1	8
AL	4.0	Tigers	Max Scherzer (W, 9-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	6	1	1	2	8
	4.0	Dodgers	Kenley Jansen (S, 22)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	3
	4.0	Nationals	Rafael Soriano (S, 17)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	3
BAT	3.0	Orioles	J.J. Hardy SS	4	2	2	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Rays	Joel Peralta (S, 1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	3.0	Twins	Jared Burton (S, 1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.2	Mariners	Roenis Elias (W, 7-5)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.2	5	1	1	2	5
BAT	2.0	Mets	Daniel Murphy 2B	5	2	2	3	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Angels	Kole Calhoun RF	3	2	1	2	1	2		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Brewers	Lyle Overbay PH	1	1	1	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Red Sox	Jonny Gomes LF	5	1	3	2	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Cardinals	Jhonny Peralta SS	3	0	2	2	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

Reds' Cueto tops players for Wednesday, June 11, Abreu takes AL batting Box-Toppers points lead, Tanaka extends lead among AL pitchers

Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto is Wednesday’s Player of the Day, while Jose Abreu of the White Sox took over the Box-Toppers points lead among American League batters and Masahiro Tanaka of the Yankees extended his points lead among AL pitchers.

Cueto pitched six scoreless innings and struck out 12 in the 5-0 win over the Dodgers. Cueto rose to third place in Box-Toppers season player rankings (see the updated top 10 player list on the home page), earning 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 10.7 for the season. He is the second-ranked National League pitcher, behind overall Box-Toppers points leader Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals (12.0).

Jose Abreu of the White Sox took over the Box-Toppers points lead among AL batters after earning AL Batter of the Day honors. Abreu homered and went 3-for-4 in the 8-2 win over the Tigers. Abreu earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points, giving him 8.5 for the season, passing previous AL batting leader Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers (7.5). Abreu rises to 11th place among all players in Box-Toppers points.

Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka extended his Box-Toppers points lead among AL pitchers after earning Player of the Game honors Wednesday. Tanaka pitched a complete game and struck out 11 in the 4-2 win over the Mariners. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 11.7 for the season. He is in second place among all players, behind only Wainwright (12.0) (see the updated top 10 player list on the home page).

Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish is American League Player of the Day. Darvish pitched a complete game shutout and struck out 10 in the 6-0 win over the Marlins.

Jayson Werth of the Nationals is NL Batter of the Day. Werth homered, went 2-for-4 and drove in three runs in the 6-2 win over the Giants.

Notable: Astros pitcher Dallas Keuchel rises to 10th place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Wednesday (see the updated top 10 player list on the home page). Keuchel (8IP 1R 5K W in the 5-1 win over the Diamondbacks) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 8.7 for the season. He is in fourth place among AL pitchers.

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

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

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

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

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

611	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	15.0	Reds	Johnny Cueto (W, 6-5)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	3	0	0	0	12
	13.0	`Phillies	Cole Hamels	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	5	0	0	1	11
AL	10.0	Rangers	Yu Darvish (W, 7-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	6	0	0	3	10
	10.0	Orioles	Wei-Yin Chen (W, 7-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	0	0	0	7
	9.0	Yankees	Masahiro Tanaka (W, 10-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	6	2	2	1	11
	9.0	Twins	Phil Hughes (W, 7-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	7	0	0	0	9
	6.0	Astros	Dallas Keuchel (W, 8-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	4	1	1	1	5
	5.0	Rockies	Tyler Matzek (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	5	2	2	0	7
	3.1	Rays	Grant Balfour (S, 10)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.1	0	0	0	0	1
BAT	3.0	Nationals	Jayson Werth RF	4	2	2	3	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Pirates	Andrew McCutchen CF	2	1	2	2	2	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.1	Brewers	Wily Peralta (W, 6-5)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.1	4	1	1	1	3
BAT	2.0	White Sox	Jose Abreu 1B	4	2	3	1	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Royals	Alcides Escobar SS	3	1	3	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Athletics	Yoenis Cespedes LF	5	1	3	2	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-

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

Red Sox' De La Rosa, Cubs' Hammel top players for Saturday, May 31; Yankees' Tanaka rises to 2nd in Box-Toppers points

Red Sox pitcher Rubby De La Rosa is Saturday’s Player of the Day. De La Rosa pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out eight in the 7-1 win over the Rays.

This was De La Rosa’s Box-Toppers debut, the first time he has earned Player of the Game honors. He is the 3,342nd player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995. De La Rosa made his Major League debut May 24, 2011 and was playing in the 26th game of his career and his first of the season.

Cubs pitcher Jason Hammel is National League Player of the Day. Hammel pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out eight in the 8-0 win over the Brewers. Hammel earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day, giving him 7.7 for the season, moving him up to eighth place in Box-Toppers season player rankings (see the top 10 list on the home page). He ranks fifth in Box-Toppers points among NL pitchers.

De La Rosa and Hammel had virtually identical statistics Saturday and were tied for highest Box-Toppers game score of the day with 11.0. But De La Rosa was given the nod as Player of the Day because he hit no batters and Hammel hit two.

Hanley Ramirez of the Dodgers is NL Batter of the Day. Ramirez hit two home runs, went 4-for-4 and drove in five runs in the 12-2 win over the Pirates.

Yoenis Cespedes of the Athletics is American League Player of the Day. Cespedes hit a three-run homer, a two-run triple and doubled in the 11-3 win over the Angels.

Notables: Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka rose to second place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Saturday. Tanaka (8IP 1R 9K W in the 3-1 win over the Twins) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 9.7 for the season. He remains the top-ranked AL pitcher and trails only Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright (11.0 Box-Toppers points).

Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto rises to fifth place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Saturday. Cueto (7.1IP 0R 7K W in the 5-0 win over the Diamondbacks) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 8.7 for the season. He rises to third place among NL pitchers.

De La Rosa receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Hammel receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Ramirez and Cespedes 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

531	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	11.0	Red Sox	Rubby De La Rosa (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	0	0	0	8
NL	11.0	Cubs	Jason Hammel (W, 6-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	0	0	0	8
	10.0	Yankees	Masahiro Tanaka (W, 8-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	4	1	0	2	9
	10.0	Cardinals	Michael Wacha (W, 4-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	3	0	0	0	7
BAT	9.0	Dodgers	Hanley Ramirez SS	4	4	4	5	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	8.1	Reds	Johnny Cueto (W, 5-4)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.1	5	0	0	1	7
	6.1	`Mets	Jacob deGrom	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.1	3	3	3	2	11
BAT	5.0	Athletics	Yoenis Cespedes LF	5	2	3	5	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	5.0	`Indians	Trevor Bauer	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	4	2	2	1	8
	5.0	Blue Jays	Marcus Stroman (W, 2-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	5	1	1	0	6
	4.0	Orioles	Nelson Cruz DH	2	1	2	3	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Nationals	Anthony Rendon 3B	5	3	4	1	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Padres	Will Venable RF, CF	4	1	4	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Mariners	Chris Young (W, 5-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	3	2	2	2	6
	2.0	Braves	Gerald Laird C	4	3	2	1	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-

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

Rockies' Troy Tulowitzki tops Box-Toppers player rankings, Cards' Wainwright close behind

Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki is still atop Box-Toppers player rankings three weeks in a row, though other players are gaining on him.

Tulowitzki, with 9.1 Box-Toppers points, has held the overall lead since May 2.

Top players

Through Thursday, May 22

	OVERALL LEADERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Tulowitzki, Troy 2308	ss	col nl	9.1
2	Wainwright, Adam 2150	pi sp	stl nl	9.0
3	Scherzer, Max 2588	pi sp	det al	7.7
4	Cueto, Johnny 2400	pi sp	cin nl	7.7
5	Tanaka, Masahiro 3305	pi sp	nyy al	7.7
6	Fernandez, Jose 3147	pi sp	fla nl	7.0
7	Teheran, Julio 3176	pi sp	atl nl	6.7
8	Greinke, Zack 1871	pi sp	lad nl	6.4
9	Freeman, Freddie 2887	1b	atl nl	6.2
10	Santana, Ervin 2005	pi sp	atl nl	6.0
	AL PITCHERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Scherzer, Max 2588	pi sp	det al	7.7
2	Tanaka, Masahiro 3305	pi sp	nyy al	7.7
3	Darvish, Yu 3003	pi sp	tex al	5.7
4	Kazmir, Scott 1947	pi sp	oak al	5.7
5	Chavez, Jesse 2780	pi sp	oak al	5.7
6	Sale, Chris 2806	pi sp	chi al	5.0
7	Price, David 2593	pi sp	tb al	5.0
8	Lackey, John 1640	pi sp	bos al	5.0
9	Perez, Martin 3213	pi sp	tex al	5.0
10	Keuchel, Dallas 3050	pi sp	hou al	5.0
	AL BATTERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Colabello, Chris 3235	1b dh rf	min al	5.2
2	Donaldson, Josh 3144	3b	oak al	5
3	Abreu, Jose 3308	1b dh	chi al	5
4	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	1b	det al	4.5
5	Ramirez, Alexei 2537	ss	chi al	4.5
6	Encarnacion, Edwin 2098	1b dh	tor al	4
7	Choo, Shin-Soo 2267	dh lf	tex al	4
8	Hunter, Torii 1190	rf	det al	3.5
9	Rodriguez, Sean 2729	lf 1b 2b ph	tb al	3.5
10	Rasmus, Colby 2608	cf	tor al	3.2
	NL PITCHERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Wainwright, Adam 2150	pi sp	stl nl	9.0
2	Cueto, Johnny 2400	pi sp	cin nl	7.7
3	Fernandez, Jose 3147	pi sp	fla nl	7.0
4	Teheran, Julio 3176	pi sp	atl nl	6.7
5	Greinke, Zack 1871	pi sp	lad nl	6.4
6	Santana, Ervin 2005	pi sp	atl nl	6.0
7	Hammel, Jason 2235	pi sp	chi nl	6.0
8	Bumgarner, Madison 2753	pi sp	sf nl	5.5
9	Strasburg, Stephen 2736	pi sp	dc nl	5.0
10	Alvarez, Henderson 2951	pi sp	fla nl	5.0
	NL BATTERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Tulowitzki, Troy 2308	ss	col nl	9.1
2	Freeman, Freddie 2887	1b	atl nl	6.2
3	Stanton, Giancarlo 2737	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	Morse, Michael 2020	lf	sf nl	4.0
7	Upton, Justin 2411	lf	atl nl	3.7
8	Rollins, Jimmy 1516	ss	phi nl	3.5
9	Duda, Lucas 2818	1b lf	nym nl	3.5
10	Murphy, Daniel 2589	2b	nym nl	3.0

BTP: Box-Toppers points

Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright has risen to second place in Box-Toppers player rankings with 9.0 Box-Toppers points and now leads all National League pitchers. He passes last week’s leader, Johnny Cueto of the Reds (7.7).

Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer regains the lead among American League pitchers, with 7.7 Box-Toppers points. He is in third place overall and passes last week’s AL pitching leader, Masahiro Tanaka of the Yankees.

(Scherzer, Cueto and Tanaka all have 7.7 Box-Toppers points, but their tie is broken based on their total Box-Toppers points over 2013 and 2014—Scherzer has 25.8, Cueto has 11.7 and Tanaka has 7.7.)

Chris Colabello of the Twins remains the leader among AL batters with 5.2 Box-Toppers points. However, Colabello fell from 14th to 16th among all players.

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

What are those numbers after players' names?

Cards' Adam Wainwright, with a one-hit shutout, tops players for Tuesday, May 20, rises to 2nd in Box-Toppers player rankings

Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright, Tuesday’s Player of the Day, rises to second place among all players in Box-Toppers points this season and takes the lead among National League pitchers.

Wainwright pitched a complete game, one-hit shutout, striking out nine—allowing just the one baserunner in the fourth inning—in the 5-0 win over the Diamondbacks.

Wainwright earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 9.0 for the season. He moves from fifth to second place in Box-Toppers season player rankings (see the updated top 10 list on the home page). He passes previous NL pitching leader, Johnny Cueto of the Reds (7.7). He trails only Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies (9.1) in Box-Toppers points this season.

Chris Davis of the Orioles is American League Player of the Day. Davis hit three homers, went 4-for-5 and drove in five runs in the 9-2 win over the Pirates.

Denard Span of the Nationals is NL Batter of the Day. Span went 5-for-5, scored twice and drove in two runs in the 9-4 win over the Reds.

Notable: Braves pitcher Julio Teheran rises to seventh place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Tuesday. Teheran (CG 0R 8K W in the 5-0 win over the Brewers) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 6.7 for the season. He is in seventh among all players in Box-Toppers points and fourth among NL pitchers. (See the updated top 10 player rankings on the home page.)

Wainwright receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Davis receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Span receives 1.5 for being NL Batter of the Day.

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

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

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

520	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	17.0	Cardinals	Adam Wainwright (W, 7-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	1	0	0	0	9
	9.0	Braves	Julio Teheran (W, 3-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	6	0	0	2	8
AL	8.0	Orioles	Chris Davis 1B	5	4	4	5	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	5.0	Angels	Tyler Skaggs (W, 4-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	5	1	1	1	6
	4.2	Cubs	Jason Hammel (W, 5-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.2	4	1	1	1	6
BAT	4.0	Nationals	Denard Span CF	5	2	5	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	Blue Jays	Melky Cabrera LF	5	3	4	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	White Sox	Andre Rienzo (W, 4-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	5	2	2	2	8
	3.0	Athletics	Drew Pomeranz (W, 4-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.0	3	0	0	2	3
	2.0	Dodgers	Adrian Gonzalez 1B	4	1	3	2	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Rockies	Wilin Rosario C	4	1	2	3	0	2		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Phillies	Jimmy Rollins SS	4	2	2	2	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Twins	Glen Perkins (S, 13)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	1.0	Indians	Asdrubal Cabrera SS	3	1	2	1	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Mariners	Nick Franklin DH	3	1	2	1	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-

Rockies' Troy Tulowitzki remains atop Box-Toppers player rankings

Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki remains atop Box-Toppers player rankings for the second straight week.

Tulowitzki, with 9.1 Box-Toppers points, has held the overall lead since May 2.

Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto, in second place with 7.7 Box-Toppers points, is the leader among National League pitchers. He passes Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals (7.0 Box-Toppers points), who was leader among NL pitchers last week.

Top players

Through Thursday, May 15

	OVERALL LEADERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Tulowitzki, Troy 2308	ss	col nl	9.1
2	Cueto, Johnny 2400	pi sp	cin nl	7.7
3	Tanaka, Masahiro 3305	pi sp	nyy al	7.7
4	Wainwright, Adam 2150	pi sp	stl nl	7.0
5	Fernandez, Jose 3147	pi sp	fla nl	7.0
6	Scherzer, Max 2588	pi sp	det al	6.7
7	Santana, Ervin 2005	pi sp	atl nl	6.0
8	Darvish, Yu 3003	pi sp	tex al	5.7
9	Teheran, Julio 3176	pi sp	atl nl	5.7
10	Kazmir, Scott 1947	pi sp	oak al	5.7
	AL PITCHERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Tanaka, Masahiro 3305	pi sp	nyy al	7.7
2	Scherzer, Max 2588	pi sp	det al	6.7
3	Darvish, Yu 3003	pi sp	tex al	5.7
4	Kazmir, Scott 1947	pi sp	oak al	5.7
5	Chavez, Jesse 2780	pi sp	oak al	5.7
6	Price, David 2593	pi sp	tb al	5.0
7	Lackey, John 1640	pi sp	bos al	5.0
8	Perez, Martin 3213	pi sp	tex al	5.0
9	Buehrle, Mark 1407	pi sp	tor al	4.7
10	Hernandez, Felix 2064	pi sp	sea al	4.4
	AL BATTERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Colabello, Chris 3235	1b dh rf	min al	5.2
2	Abreu, Jose 3308	1b dh	chi al	5.0
3	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	1b	det al	3.5
4	Donaldson, Josh 3144	3b	oak al	3.5
5	Hunter, Torii 1190	rf	det al	3.5
6	Rodriguez, Sean 2729	lf 1b 2b ph	tb al	3.5
7	Rasmus, Colby 2608	cf	tor al	3.2
8	Murphy, David 2348	rf	cle al	3.0
9	Ramirez, Alexei 2537	ss	chi al	3.0
10	Encarnacion, Edwin 2098	1b dh	tor al	2.5
	NL PITCHERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Cueto, Johnny 2400	pi sp	cin nl	7.7
2	Wainwright, Adam 2150	pi sp	stl nl	7.0
3	Fernandez, Jose 3147	pi sp	fla nl	7.0
4	Santana, Ervin 2005	pi sp	atl nl	6.0
5	Teheran, Julio 3176	pi sp	atl nl	5.7
6	Bumgarner, Madison 2753	pi sp	sf nl	5.5
7	Greinke, Zack 1871	pi sp	lad nl	5.4
8	Strasburg, Stephen 2736	pi sp	dc nl	5.0
9	Hammel, Jason 2235	pi sp	chi nl	5.0
10	Gonzalez, Gio 2626	pi sp	dc 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 2737	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	Morse, Michael 2020	lf	sf nl	4.0
7	Duda, Lucas 2818	1b lf	nym nl	3.5
8	Murphy, Daniel 2589	2b	nym nl	3.0
9	Ruiz, Carlos 2282	ca	phi nl	3.0
10	LeMahieu, DJ 3091	2b	col nl	3.0

BTP: Box-Toppers points

Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, in third place with 7.7 Box-Toppers points, is the leader among American League pitchers. He passes Max Scherzer of the Tigers (6.7 points), who was the leader among AL pitcher last week.

Chris Colabello of the Twins remains the leader among AL batters with 5.2 Box-Toppers points. However, Colabello fell from eighth to 14th among all players.

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

What are those numbers after players' names?

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

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

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

Reds' Johnny Cueto, Yankees' CC Sabathia top players for Friday, May 31

Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto is Friday's Player of the Day. Cueto allowed only one hit over eight innings in the 6-0 win over the Pirates.

Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia is American League Player of the Day. Sabathia struck out 10 and gave up only one run over 7 1/3 innings in the 4-1 win over the Red Sox.​

Jonathan Lucroy of the Brewers is National League Batter of the Day. Lucroy homered twice and went 5-for-5 in the 8-5 win over the Phillies.​

Adrian Beltre of the Rangers is AL Batter of the Day. Beltre homered and went 4-for-4 in the 7-2 win over the Royals.​

Standings update: Mariners pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma rises to 10th place in player standings (see updated standings on the home page) for the 2013 season. Iwakuma (7.2IP 0R) was Player of the Game in the 3-0 win over the Twins. Iwakuma earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point Friday, giving him 7.7 for the season.

Cueto receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Sabathia receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Lucroy and Beltre 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:

531	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	12.0	Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Johnny Cueto (W, 3-0)	8.0	1	0	0	1	6
AL	9.1	Yankees	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			CC Sabathia (W, 5-4)	7.1	6	1	1	0	10
BAT	7.0	Brewers	Jonathan Lucroy C	5	3	5	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	7.0	Athletics	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Bartolo Colon (W, 6-2)	9.0	5	0	0	0	3
	7.0	Nationals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Craig Stammen (W, 3-1)	4.0	0	0	0	0	3
BAT	4.0	Rangers	Adrian Beltre 3B	4	2	4	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Orioles	Adam Jones CF	4	3	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Marlins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jacob Turner (W, 1-0)	7.0	5	0	0	1	3
	4.0	Rays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jamey Wright (W, 1-1)	3.0	0	2	0	1	4
	4.0	`Padres	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Luke Gregerson	2.0	0	0	0	0	2
	3.2	Mariners	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Hisashi Iwakuma (W, 6-1)	7.2	7	0	0	2	5
	3.0	Cubs	Scott Hairston RF	3	1	1	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Astros	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jose Veras (S, 9)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Dodgers	Juan Uribe 3B	4	2	2	2	1	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

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