Kershaw wins Box-Toppers Player of the Year for 3rd time in 4 years

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw is Box-Toppers Player of the Year for 2014, winning the title for the third time in four seasons.

Meanwhile, the winners in other Box-Toppers categories:

Top players 2014

Through Sunday, Sept. 28
End of season

	OVERALL LEADERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Kershaw, Clayton 2494	pi sp	lad nl	31.5
2	Kluber, Corey 3200	pi sp	cle al	25.8
3	Bumgarner, Madison 2753	pi sp	sf nl	22.6
4	Cueto, Johnny 2400	pi sp	cin nl	22.4
5	Scherzer, Max 2588	pi sp	det al	22.1
6	Hernandez, Felix 2064	pi sp	sea al	20.8
7	Price, David 2593	pi sp	det al	19.1
8	Wainwright, Adam 2150	pi sp	stl nl	18.7
9	Sale, Chris 2806	pi sp	chi al	17.4
10	Strasburg, Stephen 2736	pi sp	dc nl	16.7
	AL PITCHERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Kluber, Corey 3200	pi sp	cle al	25.8
2	Scherzer, Max 2588	pi sp	det al	22.1
3	Hernandez, Felix 2064	pi sp	sea al	20.8
4	Price, David 2593	pi sp	det al	19.1
5	Sale, Chris 2806	pi sp	chi al	17.4
6	Lester, Jon 2173	pi sp	oak al	16.4
7	Richards, Garrett 3042	pi sp	ana al	15.7
8	Kazmir, Scott 1947	pi sp	oak al	15.1
9	Hughes, Phil 2272	pi sp	min al	14.1
10	Hutchison, Drew 3038	pi sp	tor al	14.0
	AL BATTERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Abreu, Jose 3308	1b	chi al	15.5
2	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	1b	det al	12.5
3	Jones, Adam 2347	cf	bal al	11.5
4	Donaldson, Josh 3144	3b	oak al	10.5
5	Encarnacion, Edwin 2098	1b dh lf	tor al	9.5
6	Cruz, Nelson Ramon 2224	dh lf	bal al	8.5
7	Trout, Mike 2949	cf	ana al	8.5
8	Carter, Chris 2828	dh	hou al	8.0
9	Cespedes, Yoenis 3008	lf	bos al	8.0
10	Seager, Kyle 3031	3b	sea al	8.0
	NL PITCHERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Kershaw, Clayton 2494	pi sp	lad nl	31.5
2	Bumgarner, Madison 2753	pi sp	sf nl	22.6
3	Cueto, Johnny 2400	pi sp	cin nl	22.4
4	Wainwright, Adam 2150	pi sp	stl nl	18.7
5	Strasburg, Stephen 2736	pi sp	dc nl	16.7
6	Greinke, Zack 1871	pi sp	lad nl	16.5
7	Zimmermann, Jordan 2612	pi sp	dc nl	15.0
8	Arrieta, Jake 2738	pi sp	chi nl	14.7
9	Teheran, Julio 3176	pi sp	atl nl	14.4
10	Fister, Doug 2688	pi sp	dc nl	14.4
	NL BATTERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Tulowitzki, Troy 2308	ss	col nl	11.6
2	Posey, Buster 2745	ca	sf nl	8.5
3	Duda, Lucas 2818	1b	nym nl	8.5
4	Upton, Justin 2411	lf	atl nl	8.2
5	LaRoche, Adam 1910	1b	dc nl	8.2
6	Ozuna, Marcell 3190	cf	fla nl	8.0
7	Freeman, Freddie 2887	1b	atl nl	7.7
8	Holliday, Matt 1836	lf	stl nl	7.5
9	Yelich, Christian 3334	lf	fla nl	7.5
10	Gonzalez, Adrian 2193	1b	lad nl	7.2

BTP: Box-Toppers points

American League Player of the Year: Indians pitcher Corey Kluber.

American League Batter of the Year: Jose Abreu of the White Sox.

National League Batter of the Year: Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies.

Kershaw finishes with 31.5 Box-Toppers points in 2014, the highest single-season point total in 12 years, tied for the fourth-most Box-Toppers points in a single season (since record keeping began in 1995) and his own personal best for a season. It was only the sixth time in 20 seasons that a player had reached 30 Box-Toppers points.

Kershaw also led all players two of the previous three seasons:

• In 2011, he led all players with 26.1 points.

• In 2013, he led all players with 21.7 points.

In addition, Kershaw has now led all National League players in Box-Toppers points for four straight years (from 2011 to 2014)—in 2012, he had 20.8 Box-Toppers points, the most among NL players and second among all players.

Kershaw began the season with 102.1 career Box-Toppers points, ranking 54th among all players and 34th among all pitchers (since Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995). He ends the season with 133.6 career Box-Toppers points, ranking 21st among all players and 15th among all pitchers.

Kluber wins AL Player of the Year, coming on strong late in the season to overcome longtime category leader, Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer, who was top AL player in 2013. Kluber finished with 25.8 Box-Toppers points, which is the 17th-highest single-season point total since record keeping began in 1995. Only 10 other players have scored more in a single season (several have done it more than once). Kluber finished second among all players in 2014 Box-Toppers points.

Rookie Jose Abreu wins AL Batter of the Year honors with 15.5 Box-Toppers points. He finished 14th among all players. Abreu beat the 2013 AL Batter of the Year Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers, who finished second with 12.5 Box-Toppers points. Mike Trout of the Angels, a favorite for AL Most Valuable Player, had 8.5 Box-Toppers points in 2014, seventh place among AL batters.

Tulowitzki wins NL Batter of the Year, even though he was out injured and recovering from hip surgery most of the season. While he only played just over half the season (91 games), he earned more Box-Toppers points than any other NL batter—11.6. In fact, he finished more than 3.0 points ahead of the second-place finisher, Buster Posey of the Giants (8.5). Andrew McCutchen of the Pirates, a favorite for NL Most Valuable Player, had 6.5 Box-Toppers points in 2014, 18th place among NL 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?

Nationals' Zimmermann (no-hitter) tops players for Sunday, Sept. 28; trio of players in Box-Toppers top 10 earn points in season finale

Nationals pitcher Jordan Zimmermann, pitching a no-hitter in the final game of the season, is Sunday’s Player of the Day.

Meanwhile, three other pitchers in Box-Toppers top 10 player rankings earned Player of the Game honors in their final start—Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto rose to fourth place, Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez maintained his sixth place spot and Tigers pitcher David Price rose to seventh place.

Also Sunday, Buster Posey of the Giants rose to second place among National League batters in Box-Toppers points after earning Player of the Game honors. Plus, Lucas Duda of the Mets rose to third place among NL batters.

Zimmermann struck out 10 and allowed only one baserunner on a walk, as he no-hit the Marlins, 1-0. Zimmermann earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 15.0 for the season. He rises to 16th in Box-Toppers player rankings and ranks seventh among NL pitchers.

Cueto rose from fifth to fourth place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Sunday. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) Cueto (8IP R 7K W in the 4-1 win over the Pirates) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 22.4 for the season. He ranks third among NL pitchers.

Hernandez became the sixth player this season with 20 or more Box-Toppers points after earning Player of the Game honors Sunday. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) Hernandez (5.1IP 0R 7K W in the 4-1 win over the Angels) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 20.8 for the season. He ranks third among AL pitchers.

Price rose from eighth to seventh in Box-Toppers player rankings afte earning Player of the Game honors Sunday. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) Price (7.1IP 0R 8K in the 3-0 win over the Twins) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 19.1 for the season. He ranks fourth among American League pitchers.

Posey rises to second place among NL batters after earning Player of the Game honors Sunday. Posey (HR 1-2 R 2BI in the 9-3 win over the Padres) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 8.5 for the season. He trails NL batting leader Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies (11.6 Box-Toppers points). He ranks 76th among all players.

Duda rises to third place among NL batters after earning Player of the Game honors Sunday. Duda (HR 2-4, R 4BI in the 8-3 win over the Astros) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 8.5 for the season. (Though both Duda and Posey have 8.5 points on the season, Posey has the edge in the tie-breaker, having more points over the past two seasons—15.5 vs. 8.5.) Duda ranks 79th among all players.

Also Sunday:

Yankees pitcher Michael Pineda is AL Player of the Day. Pineda struck out 10 over 6 1/3 innings, allowing one run, in the 9-5 win over the Red Sox.

Roger Bernadina of the Dodgers is NL Batter of the Day. Bernadina homered and went 2-for-2, scoring once and driving in four runs, in the 10-5 win over the Rockies.

Christian Colon of the Royals is AL Batter of the Day. Colon doubled and went 2-for-2, scoring once and driving in two runs, in the 6-4 win over the White Sox.

Notables: Athletics pitcher Sonny Gray becomes the 58th player this season with 10 or more Box-Toppers points after earning Player of the Game honors Sunday. Gray (CG 0R 5K W in the 4-0 win over the Rangers) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 10.0 for the season. He ranks 57th among all players and 26th among AL pitchers. In 2013, there were 54 players who had 10 or more Box-Toppers points.

Two players made their Box-Toppers debut on the final day of the season. Players make their debut the first time they earn Player of the Game honors:

• Braves pitcher James Russell (4IP 0R ND in the 2-1 win over the Phillies) is the 3,435th player to debut since Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995.

• Jose Ramirez of the Indians (2B 3-4 R BI in the 7-2 win over the Rays) is the 3,436th player to debut since Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995.

There were 135 players who debuted in Box-Toppers during the 2014 season. In 2013, 168 players debuted in Box-Toppers.

Zimmermann receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Pineda receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Rizzo and Colon each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

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

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

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

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

928	Score	Team	Player of the Game	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	18.0	Nationals	Jordan Zimmermann (W, 14-5)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	0	0	0	1	10
AL	11.1	Yankees	Michael Pineda (W, 5-5)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.1	3	1	1	0	10
	11.1	Mariners	Felix Hernandez (W, 15-6)	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.1	1	0	0	0	7
	9.1	Tigers	David Price (W, 15-12)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.1	4	0	0	2	8
	8.0	Athletics	Sonny Gray (W, 14-10)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	6	0	0	0	5
	7.0	Reds	Johnny Cueto (W, 20-9)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	6	1	1	0	7
BAT	5.0	Dodgers	Roger Bernadina RF	2	1	2	4	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-
	5.0	`Braves	James Russell	-	-	-	-	-	-		4.0	2	0	0	1	4
	4.0	`Cardinals	Marco Gonzales (H, 1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		3.0	0	0	0	1	2
	3.0	Cubs	Anthony Rizzo 1B	4	2	3	2	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Mets	Lucas Duda 1B	4	1	2	4	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
BAT	3.0	Royals	Christian Colon 3B	2	1	2	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Giants	Buster Posey C	2	1	1	2	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Orioles	Miguel Gonzalez (W, 10-9)	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.0	5	0	0	0	2
	1.0	Indians	Jose Ramirez SS	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.

Indians' Kluber tops players for Saturday, Sept. 6, ranks 4th in Box-Toppers player rankings

Indians pitcher Corey Kluber, Saturday’s Player of the Day, ranks fourth in Box-Toppers season player rankings.

Kluber pitched a complete game, allowing one run and five hits and striking out eight, in the 3-1 win over the White Sox. Kluber earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points, giving him 19.4 for the season. He maintains his fourth place spot in Box-Toppers player rankings. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) He ranks second among American League pitchers, behind Max Scherzer of the Tigers (21.1 Box-Toppers points).

Pirates pitcher Francisco Liriano is National League Player of the Day. Liriano pitched six scoreless innings and struck out nine in the 5-0 win over the Cubs.

Albert Pujols of the Angels is AL Batter of the Day. Pujols homered and doubled, going 3-for-5, scoring three times and driving in three runs, in the 8-5 win over the Twins.

Buster Posey of the Giants is NL Batter of the Day. Posey homered and went 3-for-3, scoring twice, in the 5-4 win over the Tigers.

Notables: Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto maintained his fifth-place spot 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 R 8K W in the 2-1 win over the Mets) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 18.4 for the season. He ranks third among NL pitchers.

Rays pitcher Drew Smyly rises to 17th place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Saturday. Smyly (6IP R 8K ND in the 3-2 win over the Orioles) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 13.4 for the season. He ranks ninth among AL pitchers.

Dodgers pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu rises to 29th place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Saturday. Ryu (6.2IP 9K ND in the 5-2 win over the Diamondbacks) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 11.4 for the season. He ranks 11th among NL pitchers.

Kluber receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Liriano receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Pujols and Posey each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

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

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

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

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

906	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	11.0	Indians	Corey Kluber (W, 14-9)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	5	1	0	0	8
NL	10.0	Pirates	Francisco Liriano (W, 4-10)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	3	0	0	2	9
	6.0	`Rays	Drew Smyly	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	4	1	1	2	8
	5.0	Reds	Johnny Cueto (W, 17-8)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	6	1	1	2	8
BAT	4.0	Angels	Albert Pujols 1B	5	3	3	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	Pirates	Mark Melancon (W, 3-4)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	1	0	0	0	3
	3.2	`Dodgers	Hyun-Jin Ryu	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.2	7	2	2	1	9
BAT	3.0	Giants	Buster Posey 1B	3	2	3	1	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.1	Braves	David Carpenter (W, 6-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.1	0	0	0	0	1
	2.0	Mariners	Kyle Seager 3B	5	2	3	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Rockies	Michael McKenry C	4	2	2	2	2	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.1	Red Sox	Clay Buchholz (W, 7-8)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.1	4	2	2	2	5
	1.0	Yankees	Martin Prado 2B	4	2	3	0	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Athletics	Josh Reddick RF	4	1	2	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Cardinals	Oscar Taveras RF	3	1	1	2	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Phillies	A.J. Burnett (W, 8-15)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	6	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.

Clayton Kershaw, top player for Tuesday, Sept. 2, stays on track to break Randy Johnson's single season Box-Toppers points record

Box-Toppers points leader Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers, Tuesday’s Player of the Day, stays on track to break Randy Johnson’s record for most Box-Toppers points in a single season.

Kershaw struck out eight over eight innings, allowing one run and three hits, in the 4-1 win over the Nationals. He earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 27.8 for the season. He ranks first among all players this season. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.)

Most BTP single season

Randy Johnson is the all-time leader in Box-Toppers points in a single season—he scored 33.7 twice, in 2000 and 2002. Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers rose into the top 10 list for 2014 on Tuesday, he now has 27.8.

Rank	Player	Team	Pos	Year	BTP
1	Randy Johnson	Dbacks	pi sp	2000	33.7
1	Randy Johnson	Dbacks	pi sp	2002	33.7
3	Pedro Martinez	Red Sox	pi sp	2000	33.5
4	Randy Johnson	Dbacks	pi sp	1999	31.5
5	Pedro Martinez	Red Sox	pi sp	1999	31.4
6	Randy Johnson	Dbacks	pi sp	2001	29.4
7	Pedro Martinez	Red Sox	pi sp	2002	28.8
8	Curt Schilling	Dbacks	pi sp	2002	28.4
9	*Clayton Kershaw	Dodgers	pi sp	2014	27.8
10	Roger Clemens	Blue Jays	pi sp	1997	27.4
11	Johan Santana	Twins	pi sp	2004	26.8
12	Pedro Martinez	Expos	pi sp	1997	26.7
12	CC Sabathia	Indians/Brewers	pi sp	2008	26.7
14	Randy Johnson	Mariners/Astros	pi sp	1998	26.4
15	John Smoltz	Braves	pi sp	1996	26.1
15	Clayton Kershaw	Dodgers	pi sp	2011	26.1
17	Roger Clemens	Blue Jays	pi sp	1998	25.8
18	Johan Santana	Twins	pi sp	2006	25.7
19	Cliff Lee	Phillies	pi sp	2011	25.4

* Current season
BTP: Box-Toppers points

Kershaw is now within 5.9 Box-Toppers points of Johnson’s record of 33.7 he set with the Diamondbacks in both 2000 and 2002. Kershaw likely has three or four starts remaining. If he is Player of the Day in three upcoming starts, he would score 6.0 Box-Toppers points and pass Johnson with 33.8.

Kershaw’s 27.8 Box-Toppers points is now the ninth-highest single season total since record keeping began in 1995. He has the most points in a single season since 2002, when Johnson tied his record of 33.7 set in 2000. Also in 2002, Pedro Martinez of the Red Sox had 28.8 Box-Toppers points and Curt Schilling of the Diamondbacks had 28.4.

Kershaw also passed his career high for most Box-Toppers points in a season Tuesday—his previous high was 26.1, set in 2011. Kershaw has 129.9 career Box-Toppers points and ranks 24th on the “all-time” list, 16th among pitchers (record keeping began in 1995).

Previous post about Kershaw's chances for breaking Johnson's single-season record.

Orioles pitcher Bud Norris is American League Player of the Day. Norris pitched six scoreless innings and struck out seven in the 5-4 win over the Reds.

Buster Posey of the Giants is National League Batter of the Day. Posey homered, doubled twice and went 3-for-5, scoring three times and driving in four runs, in the 12-7 win over the Rockies.

Daniel Nava of the Red Sox is AL Batter of the Day. Nava homered and went 2-for-3, scoring twice and driving in three runs, in the 9-4 win over the Yankees.

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

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

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

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

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

902	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	9.0	Dodgers	Clayton Kershaw (W, 17-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	3	1	1	2	8
AL	8.0	Orioles	Bud Norris (W, 12-8)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	4	0	0	1	7
	6.0	Phillies	Kyle Kendrick (W, 8-11)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	0	0	2	4
BAT	5.0	Giants	Buster Posey 1B	5	3	3	4	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	5.0	Mets	Juan Lagares CF	4	3	4	2	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	5.0	`Padres	Odrisamer Despaigne	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	1	1	0	4
BAT	4.0	Red Sox	Daniel Nava RF	3	2	2	3	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	Blue Jays	R.A. Dickey (W, 11-12)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	2	2	2	3	6
	3.1	`Tigers	Kyle Lobstein	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.1	5	2	2	3	10
	3.0	Astros	Jose Altuve 2B	5	2	4	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	White Sox	Tyler Flowers C	5	2	2	4	0	2		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Mariners	Endy Chavez RF	1	1	1	2	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Cubs	Luis Valbuena 3B	4	2	2	1	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Cardinals	Peter Bourjos CF	4	2	2	1	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Royals	Aaron Crow (S, 3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	1	0	0	0	1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Collmenter receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Gonzalez receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Posey and Choice each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

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

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

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

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

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

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

A look at top 100 players in Box-Toppers points in 2013

With the baseball season in the middle of the All-Star break, let's also pause and look at Box-Toppers top 100 players for the season so far.

Diamondbacks pitcher Patrick Corbin leads the list with 14.4 Box-Toppers points. And Indians pitcher Justin Masterson leads among American League players with 13.7. 

Other notable players on the list: 

• Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers, 2012 AL MVP and Triple Crown winner, in third place overall with 13.4 Box-Toppers points.
• Matt Harvey of the Mets, starting pitcher for the National League in the All-Star Game, eighth place, 11.0 points. 
• Chris Davis of the Orioles, 37 home runs at the All-Star break, 15th place, 10.2 points. 
• Max Scherzer of the Tigers, starting pitcher for the AL in the All-Star Game, 18th place, 9.7 points. 
• Bryce Harper of the Nationals, 2012 NL Rookie of the Year, 37th place, 6.9 points. 
• R.A. Dickey of the Blue Jays, 2012 NL Cy Young Award winner, 38th place, 6.7 points.
• Buster Posey of the Giants, 2012 NL MVP, 56th place, 6.0 points.

Two teams each have seven players on the Top 100 list—the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds. The Detroit Tigers have five players on the list, the most of any AL team. 

All 30 teams are represented on the list. However, one team, the Houston Astros, has only one player on the list, closing pitcher Jose Veras (6.0 points, in 61st place). The Astros have the fewest wins in baseball and the lowest team Box-Toppers points total.

Box-Toppers tends to favor pitchers over batters. And because of this, a vast majority of players (74) on the top 100 list are pitchers. Here is the breakdown of players on the list by their primary position:

• Starting pitchers: 65
• Closing pitchers: 8
• Third basemen: 6
• Outfielders: 6
• First basemen: 4
• Second basemen: 4
• Catchers: 4
• Designated hitters: 2
• Middle relief pitchers: 1
• Shortstops: 0

While pitchers dominate Box-Toppers points, their domination diminishes slightly over time. On the top 100 player list of all-time (since 1995), there are 53 pitchers, far fewer than the 74 on the top 100 list for this season. We will take a look at the top 100 Box-Toppers players of all-time (since 1995) in a future Box-Toppers post. 

Box-Toppers points reward players who most help their team win the most games. Top players from the winning team of each game are determined by a formula using standard box score statistics. These top players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game. Among each day's top players, bonus points are awarded for the top players and batters of the day in each league. Players accumulate points through the season to provide a data point for comparison, such as determining which players are most worthy as All-Stars or for postseason awards. 

What are those numbers after players' names?

How does Box-Toppers scoring work?

Top 100 players for 2013

RANK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Corbin, Patrick 3027	pi sp	ari nl	14.4
2	Masterson, Justin 2462	pi sp	cle al	13.7
3	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	3b	det al	13.4
4	Moore, Matt 2975	pi sp	tb al	13.1
5	Kershaw, Clayton 2494	pi sp	lad nl	12.7
6	Bumgarner, Madison 2753	pi sp	sf nl	11.7
7	Wainwright, Adam 2150	pi sp	stl nl	11.7
8	Miller, Shelby 3134	pi sp	stl nl	11.4
9	Harvey, Matt 3075	pi sp	nym nl	11.0
10	Sale, Chris 2806	pi sp	chi al	10.7
11	Zimmermann, Jordan 2612	pi sp	dc nl	10.7
12	Greinke, Zack 1871	pi sp	lad nl	10.7
13	Hernandez, Felix 2064	pi sp	sea al	10.4
14	Lynn, Lance 2992	pi sp	stl nl	10.4
15	Davis, Chris 2478	1b	bal al	10.2
16	Buchholz, Clay 2363	pi sp	bos al	10.1
17	Darvish, Yu 3003	pi sp	tex al	10.0
18	Scherzer, Max 2588	pi sp	det al	9.7
19	Iwakuma, Hisashi 30488	pi sp	sea al	9.7
20	Goldschmidt, Paul 2935	1b	ari nl	9.7
21	Gonzalez, Carlos 2460	lf	col nl	9.5
22	Lee, Cliff 1798	pi sp	phi nl	9.4
23	Gonzalez, Gio 2626	pi sp	dc nl	8.7
24	Latos, Mat 2644	pi sp	cin nl	8.7
25	Ortiz, David	dh	bos al	8.2
26	Verlander, Justin 2112	pi sp	det al	8.0
27	Liriano, Francisco 2104	pi sp	pit nl	8.0
28	Sanchez, Anibal 2187	pi sp	det al	8.0
29	Fernandez, Jose 3147	pi sp	fla nl	8.0
30	Holland, Derek 2634	pi sp	tex al	7.7
31	Saunders, Joe 2214	pi sp	sea al	7.7
32	Minor, Mike 2894	pi sp	atl nl	7.0
33	McCann, Brian 2179	ca	atl nl	7.0
34	Kipnis, Jason 2933	2b	cle al	7.0
35	Cano, Robinson 2092	2b	nyy al	7.0
36	Stults, Eric 2352	pi sp	sd nl	7.0
37	Harper, Bryce 3011	lf	dc nl	6.9
38	Dickey, R.A. 1734	pi sp	tor al	6.7
39	Kuroda, Hiroki 2401	pi sp	nyy al	6.7
40	Colon, Bartolo	pi sp	oak al	6.7
41	Cobb, Alex 2916	pi sp	tb al	6.7
42	Zimmerman, Ryan 2180	3b	dc nl	6.7
43	Freeman, Freddie 2887	1b	atl nl	6.5
44	Cuddyer, Michael 1826	rf	col nl	6.5
45	Donaldson, Josh 3144	3b	oak al	6.5
46	Slowey, Kevin 2377	pi sp	fla nl	6.4
47	Alvarez, Pedro 2817	3b	pit nl	6.2
48	Wilson, C.J. 2074	pi sp	ana al	6.1
49	Chapman, Aroldis 2826	pi cp	cin nl	6.0
50	Samardzija, Jeff 2495	pi sp	chi nl	6.0
51	Bailey, Homer 2324	pi sp	cin nl	6.0
52	Hellickson, Jeremy 2778	pi sp	tb al	6.0
53	Peavy, Jake 1635	pi sp	chi al	6.0
54	Gee, Dillon 2808	pi sp	nym nl	6.0
55	Arroyo, Bronson 1375	pi sp	cin nl	6.0
56	Posey, Buster 2745	ca	sf nl	6.0
57	Carpenter, Matt 2987	2b	stl nl	6.0
58	Holland, Greg 2906	pi cp	kc al	6.0
59	Perkins, Glen 2506	pi cp	min al	6.0
60	Johnson, Jim 2417	pi cp	bal al	6.0
61	Veras, Jose 2464	pi cp	hou al	6.0
62	Ryu, Hyun-Jin 3139	pi sp	lad nl	6.0
63	Teheran, Julio 3176	pi sp	atl nl	6.0
64	Hamels, Cole 2135	pi sp	phi nl	5.7
65	Beltre, Adrian 1141	3b	tex al	5.7
66	Lincecum, Tim 2288	pi sp	sf nl	5.7
67	Encarnacion, Edwin 2098	1b dh	tor al	5.7
68	Hudson, Tim 1231	pi sp	atl nl	5.7
69	Leake, Mike 2709	pi sp	cin nl	5.7
70	Lester, Jon 2173	pi sp	bos al	5.7
71	Feldman, Scott 2632	pi cp	bal al	5.7
72	Smyly, Drew 3009	pi cp mr	det al	5.7
73	Grilli, Jason 2209	pi cp	pit nl	5.7
74	Butler, Billy 2330	dh	kc al	5.5
75	Arencibia, J.P. 2781	ca	tor al	5.5
76	Jimenez, Ubaldo 2349	pi sp	cle al	5.4
77	Strasburg, Stephen 2736	pi sp	dc nl	5.0
78	Medlen, Kris 2596	pi sp	atl nl	5.0
79	Phillips, Brandon 1691	2b	cin nl	5.0
80	Mauer, Joe 1869	ca	min al	5.0
81	Vargas, Jason 2055	pi sp	ana al	5.0
82	Jackson, Edwin 1812	pi sp	chi nl	5.0
83	Wood, Travis 2777	pi sp	chi nl	5.0
84	Santana, Ervin 2005	pi sp	kc al	5.0
85	Griffin, A.J. 3074	pi sp	oak al	5.0
86	Soriano, Alfonso 1445	lf	chi nl	5.0
87	Venable, Will 2621	rf	sd nl	5.0
88	Frazier, Todd 2929	3b	cin nl	5.0
89	Collmenter, Josh 2863	pi mr sp	ari nl	5.0
90	Peralta, Wily 3123	pi sp	mil nl	5.0
91	Straily, Dan 3080	pi sp	oak al	5.0
92	Locke, Jeff 3133	pi sp	pit nl	5.0
93	Kluber, Corey 3200	pi sp	cle al	5.0
94	Sabathia, C.C. 1492	pi sp	nyy al	4.7
95	Gallardo, Yovani 2333	pi sp	mil nl	4.7
96	Maholm, Paul 2078	pi sp	atl nl	4.7
97	Garza, Matt 2343	pi sp	chi nl	4.7
98	Nolasco, Ricky 2125	pi sp	lad nl	4.7
99	De La Rosa, Jorge 1970	pi sp	col nl	4.7
100	Pollock, A.J. 3142	cf	ari nl	4.7

BTP: Box-Toppers points for 2013

D-Backs' Patrick Corbin takes top spot in Box-Toppers points; Indians' Corey Kluber tops players for Friday, July 12

Diamondbacks pitcher Patrick Corbin takes over the top spot among players in Box-Toppers points, while Indians pitcher Corey Kluber is Friday's Player of the Day.

Corbin (6.2IP 1R 10K) was top player in the 2-1 win over the Brewers, earning 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 14.4 for the season. He moves from third to first place in Box-Toppers player standings (see the updated top 10 list on the home page), passing both Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers (13.4) and Justin Masterson of the Indians (14.4). It is the first time Corbin has led in Box-Toppers points this season and the first time since May 18 that someone other than Cabrera or Masterson has led in Box-Toppers points. It is also the first time a National League player has led since April 23 (Matt Harvey of the Mets).

Kluber, Friday's Player of the Day, pitched 7 2/3 shutout innings, striking out eight, in the 3-0 win over the Royals. 

Rockies pitcher Juan Nicasio is National League Player of the Day. Nicasio threw seven scoreless innings in the 3-0 win over the Dodgers. 

Adam Jones of the Orioles is American League Batter of the Day. Jones homered, drove in three runs and went 3-for-4 in the 8-5 win over the Blue Jays. 

Buster Posey of the Giants is NL Batter of the Day. Posey drove in five runs in the 10-1 win over the Padres. Earning 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being NL Batter of the Day, Posey now has 6.0 Box-Toppers points for the season, surpassing the 5.5 he scored in 2012. 

Kluber receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Nicasio receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Jones and Posey 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: 

712	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	9.2	Indians	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Corey Kluber (W, 7-5)	7.2	3	0	0	3	8
NL	6.0	Rockies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Juan Nicasio (W, 5-4)	7.0	3	0	0	1	3
	5.2	Diamondbacks	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Patrick Corbin (W, 11-1)	6.2	7	1	1	2	10
BAT	5.0	Orioles	Adam Jones CF	4	3	3	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	5.0	Astros	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jarred Cosart (W, 1-0)	8.0	2	0	0	3	2
	5.0	Mariners	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Joe Saunders (W, 8-8)	7.0	5	0	0	2	5
	4.0	Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Bronson Arroyo (W, 8-7)	7.0	3	1	1	1	3
	4.0	Red Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Koji Uehara (S, 8)	1.0	0	0	0	0	3
BAT	3.0	Giants	Buster Posey C	4	0	2	5	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Vin Mazzaro (W, 5-2)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.1	Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Joe Kelly (W, 1-3)	5.1	3	1	1	2	4
	2.0	Yankees	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Hiroki Kuroda (W, 8-6)	5.0	6	0	0	2	5
	1.0	Tigers	Torii Hunter RF	4	2	2	1	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Marlins	Derek Dietrich 2B	4	2	2	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

Tigers' Miguel Cabrera, Reds' Brandon Phillips among leaders in All-Star voting and Box-Toppers standings

Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers and Brandon Phillips of the Reds are among players who are leaders both in fan All-Star voting and Box-Toppers standings.

In fact, Box-Toppers standings roughly coincide with about half of the players currently leading in All-Star voting.

Major League Baseball released All-Star vote standings for the National League on June 9 and released American League standings on June 3. The current leaders by league and by position are listed in the far right columns in the chart below. Note that five of the players currently leading in All-Star voting also rank first in their position in the league in Box-Toppers points. Three others rank second.

Overall, it's either a very good showing by fans or a decent affirmation of Box-Toppers' worth as a measure of player performance. Or it could be that we're all wrong.

Fans and Box-Toppers generally agree on these players: 

• AL 1B: Chris Davis of the Orioles.
• AL 2B: Robinson Cano of the Yankees. 
• AL 3B: Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers. 
• AL CA: Joe Mauer of the Twins. (Mauer ranks second among AL catchers in Box-Toppers points for the 2013 season, but leads among AL catchers when both the 2012 and 2013 seasons are combined.)  
• AL OF: Mike Trout of the Angels. (Trout ranks seventh among AL outfielders in Box-Toppers points for the 2013 season, but leads among AL outfielders over the combined 2012 and 2013 seasons.) 
• AL DH: David Oritz of the Red Sox. 
• NL 1B: Brandon Phillips of the Reds. 
• NL CA: Buster Posey of the Giants. (Posey is second to Brian McCann of the Braves in Box-Toppers points for the 2013 season and the combined 2012 and 2013 seasons, but it is a pretty close race.) 
• NL OF: Bryce Harper of the Nationals. (Harper is second among NL outfielders in Box-Toppers points for the 2013 season.) 

There are a few instances in which Box-Toppers ranked a player lower than fans: 

• AL SS: Elvis Andrus of the Rangers ranks ninth in Box-Toppers points among AL shortstops for the 2013 season. He has 1.0 point this season and only 2.0 the past two seasons. 
• AL OF: Adam Jones of the Orioles ranks 13th in Box-Toppers points among AL outfielders.
• AL OF: Torii Hunter of the Angels ranks 55th in Box-Toppers among AL outfielders. Though Hunter has scored no Box-Toppers points this season, he ranks second among AL outfielders in Box-Toppers points over the period of 2008-2013.
• NL 1B: Joey Votto of the Reds ranks 10th in Box-Toppers points among NL first basemen. 
• NL SS: Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies ranks fifth among NL shortstops. 
• NL 3B: Pablo Sandoval of the Giants ranks seventh among NL third basemen. 
• NL OF: Justin Upton of the Braves ranks 20th among NL outfielders. 
• NL OF: Carlos Beltran of the Cardinals ranks 28th among NL outfielders.

There are only a few obvious snubs by Box-Toppers measures, but there are still a couple of weeks before All-Star voting closes to fix the problems:

• NL 1B: Should be Paul Goldschmidt of the Diamondbacks. Goldschmidt leads all NL batters in Box-Toppers points for the 2013 season with 8.7. He leads NL first basemen in Box-Toppers points for 2013 and over the combined 2012 and 2013 seasons. He is second among NL first basemen in All-Star voting with over 900,000 votes, more than 600,000 behind Votto.
• NL SS: Should be Everth Cabrera of the Padres. Cabrera leads NL shortstops in Box-Toppers points for 2013 and over the combined 2012 and 2013 seasons. He's not in the top five among NL shortstops in All-Star voting.
• NL OF: Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies should be among the top three. He is currently seventh in All-Star voting with 955,000—Carlos Beltran of the Cardinals, currently third in voting among NL outfielders, has 1,550,000. Gonzalez leads all NL outfielders in Box-Toppers points for both the 2013 season and the combined 2012 and 2013 seasons.
• NL CA: Buster Posey leads in fan voting, but Brian McCann of the Braves has very narrow Box-Toppers points leads over Posey. But it hardly matters since Posey has nearly 2 million fan votes and McCann has barely 500,000.

The chart below shows Box-Toppers points leaders by position so far through the 2013 season. The middle columns look at players over the longer run, seeing who is leading in Box-Toppers points for the combined 2012 and 2013 seasons. And the far right columns show the current All-Star fan vote leaders, with their rank by position in Box-Toppers points in the 2013 season.

The chart also includes Box-Toppers points leaders among starting, middle and relief closing pitchers, even though fans don't get to vote on those.

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

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

	2013 SEASON				2012-13 SEASONS				ALL-STAR VOTE LEADERS
AL	PLAYER	TEAM	BTP		PLAYER	TEAM	BTP		PLAYER	TEAM	RANK BY POS.
First base	Davis, Chris 2478	bal al	4.5		Davis, Chris 2478	bal al	16.5		Chris Davis	bal al	1
Second base	Cano, Robinson 2092	nyy al	4.5		Kipnis, Jason 2933	cle al	9.5		Robinson Cano	nyy al	1
Shortstop	Drew, Stephen 2210	bos al	4.5		Escobar, Yunel 2331	tb al	10		Elvis Andrus	tex al	9
Third base	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	det al	10.7		Cabrera, Miguel 1776	det al	22.4		Miguel Cabrera	det al	1
Catcher	Arencibia, J.P. 2781	tor al	5.5		Mauer, Joe 1869	min al	13		Joe Mauer	min al	2
Outfield 1	Johnson, Kelly 2018	tb al	4.5		Trout, Mike 2949	ana al	13.5		Mike Trout	ana al	7
Outfield 2	Nava, Daniel 2740	bos al	4.5		Hamilton, Josh 2332	ana al	11.5		Adam Jones	bal al	13
Outfield 3	Raburn, Ryan 2340	cle al	4.5		Rios, Alex 1989	chi al	9.9		Torii Hunter	det al	55
Designated hitter	Ortiz, David	bos al	5.2		Butler, Billy 2330	kc al	13.7		David Ortiz	bos al	1
Starting pitcher 1	Masterson, Justin 2462	cle al	10.7		Verlander, Justin 2112	det al	30.8
Starting pitcher 2	Buchholz, Clay 2363	bos al	10.1		Darvish, Yu 3003	tex al	25.8
Starting pitcher 3	Iwakuma, Hisashi 3048	sea al	9.7		Scherzer, Max 2588	det al	25.7
Starting pitcher 4	Darvish, Yu 3003	tex al	9		Hernandez, Felix 2064	sea al	25.4
Middle reliever	Tazawa, Junichi 3151	bos al	4		Chen, Bruce 1170	kc al	8
Closing pitcher	Perkins, Glen 2506	min al	5		Rodney, Fernando 1803	tb al	10
NL
First base	Goldschmidt, Paul 2935	ari nl	8.7		Goldschmidt, Paul 2935	ari nl	13.2		Joey Votto	cin nl	10
Second base	Phillips, Brandon 1691	cin nl	5		Phillips, Brandon 1691	cin nl	14.5		Brandon Phillips	cin nl	1
Shortstop	Cabrera, Everth 2625	sd nl	4.5		Cabrera, Everth 2625	sd nl	7.5		Troy Tulowitzki	col nl	5
Third base	Zimmerman, Ryan 2180	dc nl	5.2		Freese, David 2710	stl nl	12.7		Pablo Sandoval	sf nl	7
Catcher	McCann, Brian 2179	atl nl	5		McCann, Brian 2179	atl nl	11		Buster Posey	sf nl	2
Outfield 1	Gonzalez, Carlos 2460	col nl	8		Gonzalez, Carlos 2460	col nl	17.2		Justin Upton	atl nl	20
Outfield 2	Harper, Bryce 3011	dc nl	5.9		Braun, Ryan J. 2300	mil nl	16		Bryce Harper	dc nl	2
Outfield 3	Pollock, A.J. 3142	ari nl	4.7		Holliday, Matt 1836	stl nl	15.7		Carlos Beltran	stl nl	28
Starting pitcher 1	Miller, Shelby 3134	stl nl	9.7		Kershaw, Clayton 2494	lad nl	28.8
Starting pitcher 2	Corbin, Patrick 3027	ari nl	9.4		Lynn, Lance 2992	stl nl	26.1
Starting pitcher 3	Harvey, Matt 3075	nym nl	9		Strasburg, Stephen 2736	dc nl	23.4
Starting pitcher 4	Wainwright, Adam 2150	stl nl	8.7		Gonzalez, Gio 2626	dc nl	22.7
Middle reliever	Collmenter, Josh 2863	ari nl	3		Casilla, Santiago 2301	sf nl	6
Closing pitcher	Grilli, Jason 2209	pit nl	4.7		Chapman, Aroldis 2826	cin nl	18
AL top player	Masterson, Justin 2462	cle al	10.7		Verlander, Justin 2112	det al	30.8
AL top batter	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	det al	10.7		Cabrera, Miguel 1776	det al	22.4
NL top player	Miller, Shelby 3134	stl nl	9.7		Kershaw, Clayton 2494	lad nl	28.8
NL top batter	Goldschmidt, Paul 2935	ari nl	8.7		Gonzalez, Carlos 2460	col nl	17.2

BTP: Box-Toppers points

RANK BY POS: Where the player ranks by fielding position in Box-Toppers points for the 2013 season. 

What are those numbers after players' names?

Yankees' Andy Pettitte, Marlins' Kevin Slowey top players for Saturday, June 8

Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte is Saturday's Player of the Day. Pettitte struck out six and gave up just three hits and one run over 7 1/3 innings in the 3-1 win over the Mariners, his 250th career win.

Marlins pitcher Kevin Slowey is National League Player of the Day. Slowey, usually a starting pitcher, pitched seven innings of "middle relief" from the 13th to 19th innings in the 20-inning, 2-1 win over the Mets. Slowey struck out eight over seven innings and allowed no runs. 

Buster Posey of the Giants is NL Batter of the Day. Posey hit a two-run homer and went 2-for-4 in the 10-5 win over the Diamondbacks. 

David Ortiz of the Red Sox is American League Batter of the Day. Ortiz homered and went 2-for-5 in the 7-2 win over the Angels. 

Pettitte receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Slowey receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Posey and Ortiz 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:

608	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	8.1	Yankees	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Andy Pettitte (W, 5-3)	7.1	3	1	1	0	6
	8.0	White Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			John Danks (W, 1-2)	8.0	3	1	1	1	6
NL	7.0	Marlins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Kevin Slowey (W, 2-5)	7.0	8	0	0	0	8
	7.0	Rays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jeremy Hellickson (W, 4-2)	6.0	4	0	0	0	5
	6.2	Braves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Kris Medlen (W, 3-6)	6.2	5	0	0	1	6
	5.0	Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Rick Porcello (W, 3-3)	6.0	3	2	1	2	7
	5.0	`Blue Jays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Brad Lincoln	4.0	1	0	0	1	3
	4.0	Royals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Ervin Santana (W, 4-5)	7.0	5	2	2	0	6
	2.1	Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			A.J. Burnett (W, 4-6)	8.1	4	2	2	3	5
BAT	2.0	Giants	Buster Posey C	4	1	2	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Brewers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Tyler Thornburg (W, 1-0)	2.0	2	0	0	0	2
	1.1	Angels	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Ernesto Frieri (S, 14)	0.1	0	0	0	0	1
BAT	1.0	Red Sox	David Ortiz DH	5	1	2	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Padres	Everth Cabrera SS	4	1	3	1	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Reds	Devin Mesoraco C	4	1	2	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Twins	Chris Herrmann PH, LF	0	1	0	0	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

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

Box-Toppers takes early crack at picking All-Star teams

Is it too early to be voting on All-Stars for the midsummer classic?

Yes.

That said, voting is open at mlb.com and fans have already started to vote even though there is not enough evidence yet to reveal who the season's all-stars really are.​

Since it is not stopping fans, we won't let it stop us at Box-Toppers, either. We will take a look at who is leading in Box-Toppers points by position and in each league. We'll also choose pitchers, even though voters don't get to pick those.

And because the season is only a little more than a month old and there hasn't yet been enough baseball played to clearly determine top players, we'll look at our all-star teams in two different ways. We'll look at Box-Toppers point leaders so far through the young 2013 season. And we'll look at who is leading in Box-Toppers points for the combined 2012 and 2013 seasons.​

The lists for both teams are below.​

	2013 SEASON				2012-13 SEASONS
AL	PLAYER	TEAM	BTP		PLAYER	TEAM	BTP
First base	Moss, Brandon 2520	oak al	3		Napoli, Mike 2161	bos al	10.7
Second base	Kendrick, Howie 2191	ana al	2.5		Cano, Robinson 2092	nyy al	6
Shortstop	Lowrie, Jed 2437	oak al	2.5		Hardy, J.J. 2071	bal al	8.2
Third base	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	det al	5.7		Cabrera, Miguel 1776	det al	17.4
Catcher	Wieters, Matt 2643	bal al	3		Mauer, Joe 1869	min al	10.5
Outfield 1	Raburn, Ryan 2340	cle al	3.5		Davis, Chris 2478	bal al	14
Outfield 2	Davis, Chris 2478	bal al	2		Hamilton, Josh 2332	ana al	11.5
Outfield 3	Willingham, Josh 2205	min al	2		Trout, Mike 2949	ana al	11
Designated hitter	Hafner, Travis 1650	nyy al	3.5		Butler, Billy 2330	kc al	11.2
Starting pitcher 1	Buchholz, Clay 2363	bos al	7.1		Verlander, Justin 2112	det al	27.8
Starting pitcher 2	Moore, Matt 2975	tb al	6.7		Darvish, Yu 3003	tex al	22.8
Starting pitcher 3	Darvish, Yu 3003	tex al	6		Hernandez, Felix 2064	sea al	22.4
Starting pitcher 4	Masterson, Justin 2462	cle al	4.7		Dickey, R.A. 1734	tor al	22.1
Middle reliever	Chen, Bruce 1170	kc al	2		Chen, Bruce 1170	kc al	8
Closing pitcher	Perkins, Glen 2506	min al	3		Rodney, Fernando 1803	tb al	8
NL
First base	Carpenter, Matt 2987	stl nl	2.5		LaRoche, Adam 1910	dc nl	9
Second base	Ellis, Mark 1614	lad nl	2.5		Phillips, Brandon 1691	cin nl	11
Shortstop	Tulowitzki, Troy 2308	col nl	1		Tulowitzki, Troy 2308	col nl	6
Third base	Frazier, Todd 2929	cin nl	2.5		Freese, David 2710	stl nl	10.7
Catcher	Posey, Buster 2745	sf nl	2		Posey, Buster 2745	sf nl	7.5
Outfield 1	Harper, Bryce 3011	dc nl	4.9		Braun, Ryan J. 2300	mil nl	15
Outfield 2	Gonzalez, Carlos 2460	col nl	4		Gonzalez, Carlos 2460	col nl	13.2
Outfield 3	Bruce, Jay 2453	cin nl	3		Holliday, Matt 1836	stl nl	11.7
Starting pitcher 1	Lynn, Lance 2992	stl nl	5.7		Kershaw, Clayton 2494	lad nl	25.8
Starting pitcher 2	Kershaw, Clayton 2494	lad nl	5		Lynn, Lance 2992	stl nl	23.4
Starting pitcher 3	Harvey, Matt 3075	nym nl	5		Gonzalez, Gio 2626	dc nl	21.7
Starting pitcher 4	Maholm, Paul 2078	atl nl	4.7		Bumgarner, Madison 2753	sf nl	21.4
Middle reliever	Casilla, Santiago 2301	sf nl	2		Casilla, Santiago 2301	sf nl	6
Closing pitcher	Chapman, Aroldis 2826	cin nl	2		Chapman, Aroldis 2826	cin nl	16
AL top player	Buchholz, Clay 2363	bos al	7.1		Verlander, Justin 2112	det al	27.8
AL top batter	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	det al	5.7		Cabrera, Miguel 1776	det al	17.4
NL top player	Lynn, Lance 2992	stl nl	5.7		Kershaw, Clayton 2494	lad nl	25.8
NL top batter	Harper, Bryce 3011	dc nl	4.9		Braun, Ryan J. 2300	mil nl	15

BTP: Box-Toppers points

What are those numbers after players' names?