Only four of this year’s 18 Silver Slugger-award winners announced this week would receive the honor if it were measured by Box-Toppers points.
Read MoreALCS Preview: Royals may have edge not because their pitching is strong, but because Orioles' pitching is weak
The Kansas City Royals may have an edge over the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Championship Series not because their pitching is so strong but because the Orioles pitching staff is comparatively weaker.
However, the Orioles have the overall higher Box-Toppers team ranking and have two outfielders on Box-Toppers end-of-season 2014 All-Star team. The best-of-seven game ALCS begins Friday in Baltimore.
Below are position-by-position match-ups of each player likely in the starting line-up for both teams, along with the highest-rated starting pitchers in Box-Toppers points, the top closing pitcher and an extra pitcher. Also listed are each player’s Box-Toppers points earned in 2014, along with their overall rank among all players.
The top pitcher for both teams, James Shields of the Royals, had 13.7 Box-Toppers points during the regular season, ranking 22nd among all players. The Orioles top pitcher is Bud Norris, with 10.7, ranked 51st among all players. Only three other teams in baseball had their top pitcher earn fewer Box-Toppers points than Norris:
• Padres, Ross Tyson, 9.7.
• Red Sox, Koji Uehara, 9.0.
• Rockies, Tyler Matzek, 4.7.
In fact, the Orioles are one of only two teams in baseball whose leader in Box-Toppers points was a batter—Adam Jones, with 11.5 points, ranked 40th among all players. (The other team was the Rockies—Troy Tulowitzki had 11.6 points.)
Matching up the four top starting pitchers from highest to lowest Box-Toppers points from both teams, the Royals have the edge each time (see the chart below). The Royals also have the edge in closers (Greg Holland with 7.0 over Zachary Britton with 6.0). The Royals also have the edge when matching up the next-highest rated pitcher (Jeremy Guthrie, 7.0 over Ubaldo Jimenez, 3.7). And one more thing, not included in the chart below—the Royals also have the AL’s top middle relief pitcher, Wade Davis, who has 7.0 Box-Toppers points.
The Orioles have the edge in overall Box-Toppers team rankings from 2014. They rank sixth among all teams with 113.4 Box-Toppers points, while the Royals are ranked 10th with 101.1 points—the Royals were the lowest ranked team that qualified for any of the four league division series. However, the Orioles will play the ALCS without suspended first baseman, Chris Davis, who earned 6.2 Box-Toppers points during the regular season.
The Orioles also have two players who will be on Box-Toppers end-of-season AL All-Star team. Adam Jones had the most Box-Toppers points among AL outfielders with 11.5. Nelson Cruz was second with 8.5. The Orioles also have the most notable batter (not included in the prospective starting line-up below) coming off the bench—Delmon Young with 5.5 Box-Toppers points.
However, looking at the prospective starting line-ups below, Royals batters have higher Box-Toppers point totals at five positions, while the Orioles are better in four. Also, adding up Box-Toppers points for the nine batters and six pitchers listed below, the Royals have the point total advantage—83.1 Box-Toppers points vs. 81.5.
Both teams were able to get a lot of bang for their buck this season, spending comparatively little and making it all the way to the ALCS. The Orioles had an opening day payroll of $107 million, ranking 15th among all teams. The Royals’ payroll of $92 million, ranked 19th.
ALCS Game 1, Royals at Orioles
The pitching matchup Friday:
Royals: James Shields, 13.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 22nd among all players, 11th among AL pitchers.
Orioles: Chris Tillman, 6.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 152nd among all players, 53rd among AL pitchers.
Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.
AL Championship Series player comparisons
Likely starting players for the Royals and Orioles listed by position with their Box-Toppers point total (BTP) for the 2014 regular season and their overall player rank among all players
| Pos | Royals | BTP | Rank | Orioles | BTP | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | Eric Hosmer | 2.5 | 368 | Steve Pearce | 7.0 | 121 | |
| 2B | Omar Infante | 4.0 | 243 | Jonathan Schoop | 2.5 | 395 | |
| SS | Alicides Escboar | 5.0 | 190 | J.J. Hardy | 4.2 | 236 | |
| 3B | Mike Moustakas | 4.0 | 251 | Ryan Flaherty | 0 | 761 | |
| CA | Salvador Perez | 4.7 | 210 | Caleb Joseph | 2.0 | 470 | |
| CF | Lorenzo Cain | 2.0 | 421 | Adam Jones | 11.5 | 40 | |
| LF | Alex Gordon | 3.0 | 203 | Alejandro De Aza | 1.0 | 537 | |
| RF | Norichika Aoki | 2.0 | 443 | Nick Markakis | 3.0 | 320 | |
| DH | Billy Butler | 2.5 | 365 | Nelson Cruz | 8.5 | 77 | |
| SP | James Shields | 13.7 | 22 | Bud Norris | 10.7 | 51 | |
| SP | Danny Duffy | 10.0 | 58 | Miguel Gonzalez | 8.7 | 70 | |
| SP | Yordano Ventura | 8.7 | 75 | Wei-Yin Chen | 6.7 | 131 | |
| SP | Jason Vargas | 7.0 | 107 | Chris Tillman | 6.0 | 152 | |
| CP | Greg Holland | 7.0 | 106 | Zachary Britton | 6.0 | 161 | |
| PI | Jeremy Guthrie | 7.0 | 113 | Ubaldo Jimenez | 3.7 | 270 |
Orioles' Cruz, Royals' Holland top players in pair of opening ALDS games for Thursday, Oct. 2
Nelson Cruz led the Orioles offense to a Game 1 win in the American League Division Series win over the Tigers and is Thursday’s Player of the Day.
Cruz homered and went 2-for-3, scoring twice and driving in three runs, in the 12-3 win over the Tigers to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series. Cruz had the Orioles’ high Box-Toppers game score of +3.
During the regular season, Cruz earned 8.5 Box-Toppers points, 77th among all players and sixth among AL batters.
Max Scherzer, Box-Toppers' fifth-ranked player this season, started the game for the Tigers and picked up the loss. Scherzer (7.1 IP 7H 5R 6K) had a Box-Toppers game score of -4.9. He has 22.1 Box-Toppers points on the season, ranked second among AL pitchers.
Royals pitcher Greg Holland is Player of the Game in the other AL Division Series Game 1. Holland closed out the Angels in the bottom of the 11th, pitching one scoreless inning, striking out two and earning the save, in the 3-2 win over the Angels. The Royals take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series.
Holland had the Royals’ high Box-Toppers game score of +3. While both of Thursday’s Players of the Game had Box-Toppers game scores of +3, Cruz edged out Holland as overall Player of the Day because in a tie-breaker, batters beat pitchers when Box-Toppers game scores are tied.
Holland earned 7.0 Box-Toppers points during the regular season, 106th among all players, 37th among all AL pitchers and fourth among AL closing pitchers.
Coming Friday:
American League Division Series Game 2, Orioles lead Tigers, 1-0
The pitching matchup Friday:
Tigers: Justin Verlander, 4.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 237th among all players, 68th among AL pitchers.
Orioles: Wei-Yen Chen, 6.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 131st among all players, 50th among AL pitchers.
National League Division Series Game 1, Giants at Nationals
The Nationals have an edge in Box-Toppers team rankings. Nationals players have accumulated 115.5 Box-Toppers points this season, ranking fourth among all teams. The Giants rank eighth with 110.8 points. The Nationals also had the hottest final 10 days of the season of any team, picking up 11.5 Box-Toppers points over that period. The Giants picked up 4.5 during the same period.
The pitching matchup Friday:
Giants: Jake Peavy, 5.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 165th among all players, 58th among NL pitchers.
Nationals: Stephen Strasburg, 16.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 10th among all players, fifth among NL pitchers.
National League Division Series Game 1, Cardinals at Dodgers
The Dodgers have the edge in Box-Toppers team rankings. Dodgers players have accumulated 123.2 Box-Toppers points this season, second among all teams and first among NL teams. The Cardinals have 114.8 Box-Toppers points, ranked fifth among all teams
The pitching match up Friday:
Cardinals: Adam Wainwright, 18.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked eighth among all players, fourth among NL pitchers.
Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw, 31.5 Box-Toppers points, ranked first among all players.
American League Division Series Game 2, Royals lead the Angels, 1-0
The pitching match up Friday:
Royals: Yordano Ventura, 8.7 Box-Toppers points, rank 75th among all players, 33rd among AL pitchers.
Angels: Matt Shoemaker, 11.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 38th among all players, 22nd among AL pitchers.
Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.
Top player from each game
Players of the Game (POG) listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score
| 1002 | Score | Team | Player of the Game | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POG | 3.0 | Orioles | Nelson Cruz DH | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| POG | 3.0 | Royals | Greg Holland (S, 1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Indians' Carlos Carrasco (8.2IP 0R 4H 8K) tops players for Sunday, Sept. 7
Indians pitcher Carlos Carrasco is Sunday’s Player of the Day. Carrasco pitched 8 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing four hits and striking out eight, in the 2-0 win over the White Sox.
Adrian Gonzalez of the Dodgers is National League Player of the Day. Gonzalez hit two three-run homers in the 7-2 win over the Diamondbacks.
Nelson Cruz of the Orioles is AL Batter of the Day. Cruz hit two home runs and tripled, going 4-for-5, driving in seven runs, in the 7-5, 11-inning win over the Rays.
Notable: Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers rises to 31st place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Sunday. Cabrera (HR 2-4 2R 3BI in the 6-1 win over the Giants) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 11.0 for the season. He ranks second among AL batters, behind Jose Abreu of the White Sox (15.5 Box-Toppers points).
Carrasco receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Gonzalez receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Cruz receives 1.5 for being AL Batter of the Day.
All of Sunday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.
Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. Players earn Box-Toppers points for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.
Top player from each game
Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score
| 907 | Score | Team | Player | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | 12.2 | Indians | Carlos Carrasco (W, 7-4) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | |
| BAT | 8.0 | Orioles | Nelson Cruz DH | 5 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| NL | 6.0 | Dodgers | Adrian Gonzalez 1B | 4 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 6.0 | Rangers | Derek Holland (W, 1-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | ||
| 6.0 | Rockies | Franklin Morales (W, 6-7) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | ||
| 5.0 | Angels | Howie Kendrick 2B | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 4.0 | Marlins | Brad Hand (W, 3-6) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 3.0 | Pirates | Neil Walker 2B | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 3.0 | Tigers | Miguel Cabrera 1B | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 3.0 | Mets | Curtis Granderson RF | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 3.0 | Blue Jays | R.A. Dickey (W, 12-12) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 3.0 | Nationals | Drew Storen (S, 2) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2.1 | Astros | Jose Veras (W, 4-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 2.0 | Cardinals | Jhonny Peralta SS | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | Royals | Wade Davis (S, 2) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 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.
Rays' Smyly tops players for Monday, Aug. 11; Mariners' Hernandez rises to 5th in Box-Toppers rankings
Rays pitcher Drew Smyly is Monday’s Player of the Day, while Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez rises to fifth place in Box-Toppers player rankings.
Smyly pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings and struck out nine in the 7-0 win over the Rangers.
Hernandez rose from eighth to fifth place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Monday. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) Hernandez (7IP R 8K W in the 11-1 win over the Blue Jays) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 15.8 for the season. He ranks second among American League pitchers, behind only Max Scherzer of the Tigers (18.1 Box-Toppers points).
Travis Snider of the Pirates is National League Player of the Day. Snider hit two home runs and doubled, going 3-for-5, scoring three times and driving in four runs, in the 11-6 win over the Tigers.
Nelson Cruz of the Orioles is AL Batter of the Day. Cruz homered and went 2-for-2, driving in three runs, in the 11-3 win over the Yankees.
Smyly receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Snider receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Cruz receives 1.5 for being AL Batter of the Day.
All of Monday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.
Box-Toppers watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed Monday, 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
| 811 | Score | Team | Player | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | 10.2 | Rays | Drew Smyly (W, 7-10) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 | |
| 10.0 | Mariners | Felix Hernandez (W, 13-3) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | ||
| NL | 5.0 | Pirates | Travis Snider LF | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 5.0 | Brewers | Yovani Gallardo (W, 7-6) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 5.0 | Padres | Nick Vincent (W, 1-2) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 4.0 | Marlins | Giancarlo Stanton RF | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| BAT | 4.0 | Orioles | Nelson Cruz LF | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 4.0 | Dodgers | Kevin Correia (W, 1-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | ||
| 3.0 | Royals | Kelvin Herrera (W, 3-2) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2.1 | `Twins | Ryan Pressly | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 1.0 | Mets | Anthony Recker C | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Oakland Athletics have most players on Box-Toppers Top 100 list
The Oakland Athletics, baseball’s best team at the All-Star break, has seven players on Box-Toppers Top 100 players list, the most of any team.
The list is led by Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw who has earned 18.1 Box-Toppers points this season and Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer with 16.1. Kershaw led all players in 2013 with 21.7 Box-Toppers points and Scherzer led all American League players in 2013 with 18.1.
Top 100 list 2014
Here is Box-Toppers Top 100, listing players with the highest Box-Toppers points totals at the All-Star break.| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kershaw, Clayton 2494 | pi sp | lad nl | 18.1 |
| 2 | Scherzer, Max 2588 | pi sp | det al | 16.1 |
| 3 | Wainwright, Adam 2150 | pi sp | stl nl | 14.0 |
| 4 | Bumgarner, Madison 2753 | pi sp | sf nl | 13.5 |
| 5 | Kazmir, Scott 1947 | pi sp | oak al | 13.1 |
| 6 | Hernandez, Felix 2064 | pi sp | sea al | 12.8 |
| 7 | Richards, Garrett 3042 | pi sp | ana al | 12.7 |
| 8 | Cueto, Johnny 2400 | pi sp | cin nl | 12.7 |
| 9 | Tanaka, Masahiro 3305 | pi sp | nyy al | 12.7 |
| 10 | Tulowitzki, Troy 2308 | ss | col nl | 11.6 |
| 11 | Teheran, Julio 3176 | pi sp | atl nl | 11.4 |
| 12 | Lincecum, Tim 2288 | pi sp | sf nl | 10.4 |
| 13 | Price, David 2593 | pi sp | tb al | 10.4 |
| 14 | Kluber, Corey 3200 | pi sp | cle al | 10.4 |
| 15 | Greinke, Zack 1871 | pi sp | lad nl | 10.1 |
| 16 | Sale, Chris 2806 | pi sp | chi al | 10.0 |
| 17 | Abreu, Jose 3308 | 1b | chi al | 9.5 |
| 18 | Darvish, Yu 3003 | pi sp | tex al | 9.4 |
| 19 | Strasburg, Stephen 2736 | pi sp | dc nl | 9.0 |
| 20 | Hutchison, Drew 3038 | pi sp | tor al | 9.0 |
| 21 | Colon, Bartolo | pi sp | nym nl | 8.7 |
| 22 | Alvarez, Henderson 2951 | pi sp | fla nl | 8.7 |
| 23 | Simon, Alfredo 2718 | pi sp | cin nl | 8.7 |
| 24 | Hammel, Jason 2235 | pi sp | oak al | 8.7 |
| 25 | Keuchel, Dallas 3050 | pi sp | hou al | 8.7 |
| 26 | Lohse, Kyle 1487 | pi sp | mil nl | 8.4 |
| 27 | Ryu, Hyun-Jin 3139 | pi sp | lad nl | 8.4 |
| 28 | Hughes, Phil 2272 | pi sp | min al | 8.4 |
| 29 | Young, Chris 1933 | pi sp | sea al | 8.4 |
| 30 | Kimbrel, Craig 2825 | pi cp | atl nl | 8.0 |
| 31 | Lester, Jon 2173 | pi sp | bos al | 8.0 |
| 32 | Encarnacion, Edwin 2098 | 1b dh lf | tor al | 8.0 |
| 33 | Freeman, Freddie 2887 | 1b | atl nl | 7.7 |
| 34 | Hudson, Tim 1231 | pi sp | sf nl | 7.7 |
| 35 | Lackey, John 1640 | pi sp | bos al | 7.7 |
| 36 | Arrieta, Jake 2738 | pi sp | chi nl | 7.7 |
| 37 | Chavez, Jesse 2780 | pi sp | oak al | 7.7 |
| 38 | Beckett, Josh 1544 | pi sp | lad nl | 7.7 |
| 39 | Cabrera, Miguel 1776 | 1b | det al | 7.5 |
| 40 | Fernandez, Jose 3147 | pi sp | fla nl | 7.0 |
| 41 | Lynn, Lance 2992 | pi sp | stl nl | 7.0 |
| 42 | Iwakuma, Hisashi 3048 | pi sp | sea al | 7.0 |
| 43 | Zimmermann, Jordan 2612 | pi sp | dc nl | 7.0 |
| 44 | Gonzalez, Gio 2626 | pi sp | dc nl | 7.0 |
| 45 | Santana, Ervin 2005 | pi sp | atl nl | 7.0 |
| 46 | Uehara, Koji 2802 | pi cp | bos al | 7.0 |
| 47 | Gray, Sonny 3259 | pi sp | oak al | 7.0 |
| 48 | Shields, James 2157 | pi sp | kc al | 6.7 |
| 49 | Kennedy, Ian 2723 | pi sp | sd nl | 6.7 |
| 50 | Donaldson, Josh 3144 | 3b | oak al | 6.5 |
| 51 | Cespedes, Yoenis 3008 | lf | oak al | 6.5 |
| 52 | McCutchen, Andrew 2637 | cf | pit nl | 6.5 |
| 53 | Archer, Chris 3194 | pi sp | tb al | 6.4 |
| 54 | McHugh, Collin 3316 | pi sp | hou al | 6.4 |
| 55 | Colabello, Chris 3235 | 1b dh rf | min al | 6.2 |
| 56 | Gallardo, Yovani 2333 | pi sp | mil nl | 6.0 |
| 57 | Collmenter, Josh 2863 | pi sp | ari nl | 6.0 |
| 58 | Aybar, Erick 2416 | ss | ana al | 6.0 |
| 59 | Duffy, Danny 2915 | pi sp mr | kc al | 6.0 |
| 60 | Doolittle, Sean 3052 | pi cp | oak al | 6.0 |
| 61 | Elias, Roenis 3309 | pi sp | sea al | 6.0 |
| 62 | Buehrle, Mark 1407 | pi sp | tor al | 5.7 |
| 63 | Wilson, C.J. 2074 | pi sp | ana al | 5.7 |
| 64 | Fister, Doug 2688 | pi sp | dc nl | 5.7 |
| 65 | Ross, Tyson 2840 | pi sp | sd nl | 5.7 |
| 66 | Vogelsong, Ryan 1820 | pi sp | sf nl | 5.7 |
| 67 | Hahn, Jesse 3354 | pi sp | sd nl | 5.7 |
| 68 | Hunter, Torii 1190 | rf | det al | 5.5 |
| 69 | Rizzo, Anthony 3063 | 1b | chi nl | 5.5 |
| 70 | Ramirez, Alexei 2537 | ss | chi al | 5.5 |
| 71 | Morse, Michael 2020 | lf | sf nl | 5.5 |
| 72 | Upton, Justin 2411 | lf | atl nl | 5.2 |
| 73 | Masterson, Justin 2462 | pi sp | cle al | 5.0 |
| 74 | Miller, Shelby 3134 | pi sp | stl nl | 5.0 |
| 75 | Bailey, Homer 2324 | pi sp | cin nl | 5.0 |
| 76 | Holland, Greg 2906 | pi cp | kc al | 5.0 |
| 77 | Hamels, Cole 2135 | pi sp | phi nl | 5.0 |
| 78 | Burnett, A.J. 1300 | pi sp | phi nl | 5.0 |
| 79 | Vargas, Jason 2055 | pi sp | kc al | 5.0 |
| 80 | Cashner, Andrew 2807 | pi sp | sd nl | 5.0 |
| 81 | Wood, Travis 2777 | pi sp | chi nl | 5.0 |
| 82 | Chapman, Aroldis 2826 | pi cp | cin nl | 5.0 |
| 83 | Leake, Mike 2709 | pi sp | cin nl | 5.0 |
| 84 | Porcello, Rick 2573 | pi sp | det al | 5.0 |
| 85 | Smyly, Drew 3009 | pi sp mr | det al | 5.0 |
| 86 | Cishek, Steve 2997 | pi cp | fla nl | 5.0 |
| 87 | Perez, Martin 3213 | pi sp | tex al | 5.0 |
| 88 | Roark, Tanner 3261 | pi sp | dc nl | 5.0 |
| 89 | Volquez, Edinson 2220 | pi sp | pit nl | 5.0 |
| 90 | Wacha, Michael 3276 | pi sp | stl nl | 5.0 |
| 91 | Suzuki, Kurt 2344 | ca | min al | 5.0 |
| 92 | Seager, Kyle 3031 | 3b | sea al | 5.0 |
| 93 | Koehler, Tom 3159 | pi sp | fla nl | 5.0 |
| 94 | Dozier, Brian 3219 | 2b | min al | 5.0 |
| 95 | Robertson, David 2774 | pi cp | nyy al | 5.0 |
| 96 | Tomlin, Josh 2771 | pi sp cp | cle al | 5.0 |
| 97 | Rodriguez, Sean 2729 | lf 1b 2b dh ph | tb al | 5.0 |
| 98 | Duda, Lucas 2818 | 1b | nym nl | 5.0 |
| 99 | deGrom, Jacob 3343 | pi sp | nym nl | 5.0 |
| 100 | Cobb, Alex 2916 | pi sp | tb al | 4.7 |
Pitcher Scott Kazmir leads the seven Athletics on the top 100 list, he has 13.1 Box-Toppers points and is in fifth place overall (second among AL pitchers). The other Athletics players are:
• Jason Hammel, starting pitcher, in 24th place with 8.7. (Hammel earned all 8.7 Box-Toppers points with the Cubs, prior to being traded to the Athletics.)
• Jesse Chavez, starting pitcher, in 37th place with 7.7.
• Sonny Gray, starting pitcher, in 47th place with 7.0.
• Josh Donaldson, third base, in 50th place with 6.5.
• Yoenis Cespedes, left field, in 51st place with 6.5.
• Sean Doolittle, closing pitcher, in 60th place with 6.0.
Athletics players have accumulated 79.0 Box-Toppers points this season, the most of any team. The Los Angeles Dodgers, in second place, have 69.7.
While the addition of Hammel gives the Athletics seven players in the top 100, they would still have the most players on the list without him, with six. No other team has more than five players on the list. There are five teams with five players each—the Atlanta Braves, the Cincinnati Reds, the Washington Nationals, the Detroit Tigers and the Seattle Mariners.
All but one team is represented on the top 100 list. The only team without a member is the Baltimore Orioles. That team’s leader in Box-Toppers points, Nelson Cruz, designated hitter and left fielder, has 4.5 points, in 109th place. The Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies both have one player on the top 100 list.
Pitchers dominate the top 100 list, with 80 members—73 of them starting pitchers. Box-Toppers tends to favor pitchers over batters, especially in the short-term. Star pitchers tend to rack up points in quick batches while batters tend to pick up points steadily over long periods of time. For example, the Box-Toppers “all-time” top 100 list has 45 batters and 55 pitchers (the “all-time” list tracks players since 1995, when Box-Toppers record keeping began).
Here is a breakdown of the top 100 list by position:
• Starting pitchers 73
• Closing pitchers 7
• First base 7
• Outfield 6 (4 LF, 1 CF, 1 RF)
• Shortstop 3
• Third base 2
• Second base 1
• Catcher 1
Here are some notable players’ statuses in the top 100.
• Last year’s Cy Young Award winners are ranked No. 1 and 2. Kershaw, the reigning National League winner, is in first place with 18.1 Box-Toppers points and Scherzer, the reigning AL winner, is in second place with 16.1.
• Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies leads all NL batters and is in 10th place overall, with 11.6 Box-Toppers points.
• Jose Abreu of the White Sox leads all AL batters and is in 17th place overall, with 9.5 Box-Toppers points.
• Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers, 2013’s AL Most Valuable Player is in 39th place overall with 7.5 Box-Toppers points. He ranks third among AL batters.
• Pitcher Jose Fernandez of the Marlins, 2013’s NL Rookie of the Year is in 40th place overall with 7.0 Box-Toppers points. However, Fernandez is injured and now out for the rest of the season.
• Andrew McCutchen of the Pirates, 2013’s NL MVP, is in 52nd place overall with 6.5 Box-Toppers points (already more than the 6.0 he earned last season, when he ranked 22nd among NL batters). McCutchen currently ranks third among NL batters.
• Pitcher Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals, who started the All-Star Game for the NL, is ranked third overall with 14.0 Box-Toppers points. He ranks second among NL pitchers.
• Pitcher Felix Hernandez of the Mariners, who started the All-Star Game for the AL, is ranked sixth overall with 12.8 Box-Toppers points. He ranks third among AL pitchers.
• Wil Myers of the Rays, 2013’s AL Rookie of the Year has 1.0 Box-Toppers point and is not on this year’s top 100. (He had 3.5 Box-Toppers points in 2013.)
• Pitcher Chris Archer of the Rays, who led AL Rookies in Box-Toppers points in 2013, is in 53rd place with 6.4 Box-Toppers points. (Last season, he had 11.7 Box-Toppers points.)
So far this season, 578 players have earned Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors and so have at least 1.0 Box-Toppers point. Eighty new players have earned Player of the Game honors for the first time this season, making their Box-Toppers debut.
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.
Brewers' Matt Garza (CG 2H 0R 9K) tops players for Saturday, July 5
Brewers pitcher Matt Garza is Saturday’s Player of the Day. Garza pitched a complete game, two-hit shutout, striking out nine, in the 1-0 win over the Reds.
Athletics pitcher Scott Kazmir is American League Player of the Day. Kazmir struck out eight over seven innings, allowing one run, in the 5-1 win over the Blue Jays. Kazmir rises to ninth place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) He has 11.4 points for the season and moves up to ninth place among all players. He is in fourth place among AL pitchers. He becomes the 12th player this season with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points.
Kazmir had a Box-Toppers game score of 8.0, the same as two other AL players (Felix Hernandez of the Mariners and Jon Lester of the Red Sox), but Kazmir won AL Player of the Day on a tie-breaker—he earned the win in his game, while the other two pitchers had no-decisions.
Nelson Cruz of the Orioles is AL Batter of the Day. Cruz homered and went 5-for-5 with two RBIs in the 7-4 win over the Red Sox.
Justin Upton of the Braves is National League Batter of the Day. Upton homered and tripled, going 2-for-3 with three RBIs, in the 10-4 win over the Diamondbacks.
Notable: Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez rises 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.) Hernandez (8IP 2R 8K ND in the 3-2 win over the White Sox) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 11.8 for the season. He ranks third among AL pitchers in Box-Toppers points.
Garza receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Kazmir receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Cruz and Upton 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
| 705 | Score | Team | Player | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | 14.0 | Brewers | Matt Garza (W, 6-5) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 9.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | |
| 10.0 | Nationals | Gio Gonzalez (W, 6-4) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | ||
| AL | 8.0 | Athletics | Scott Kazmir (W, 10-3) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | |
| 8.0 | `Mariners | Felix Hernandez | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 8.0 | `Red Sox | Jon Lester | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | ||
| 5.0 | `Giants | Tim Hudson | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 4.0 | Angels | Michael Roth (W, 1-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| BAT | 3.0 | Orioles | Nelson Cruz LF | 5 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 3.0 | Rays | Kevin Kiermaier RF | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| BAT | 3.0 | Braves | Justin Upton LF | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 2.0 | Marlins | Christian Yelich LF | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | Rangers | Robinson Chirinos C | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | Rockies | Drew Stubbs CF | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | Pirates | Edinson Volquez (W, 7-6) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 2.0 | `Twins | Yohan Pino | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||
| 1.0 | Indians | Jason Kipnis 2B | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.
Cards' Wainwright (7IP 0R 9K) tops players on opening day, Monday, March 31
Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright is Monday’s Player of the Day in baseball’s stateside daytime opening day.
Wainwright pitched seven shutout innings and struck out nine in the 1-0 win over the Reds. In 2013, Wainwright was the second-ranked National League pitcher in Box-Toppers points with 20.2.
Wainwright had a Box-Toppers game score of 9.0 Monday, the same as Pirates pitcher Francisco Liriano, who was Player of the Game in his team's 1-0 win vs. the Cubs. However, Wainwright won Player of the Day over Liriano because he earned the win in his game, while Liriano had a no-decision.
Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez is American League Player of the Day. Hernandez struck out 11 over six innings in the 10-3 win over the Angels. In 2013, Hernandez was the eighth-ranked AL pitcher in Box-Toppers points with 14.8.
Hernandez and Indians pitcher Justin Masterson had identical Box-Toppers game scores of 7.0 Monday, but Hernandez broke the tie and got the nod as AL Player of the Day because he received the win in his game and Masterson received a no-decision.
Cody Asche of the Phillies is NL Batter of the Day. Asche went 3-4, doubled and homered and drove in two runs in the 14-10 win over the Rangers.
Matt Joyce of the Rays is AL Batter of the Day. Joyce went 2-2 and drove in three runs in the 9-2 win over the Blue Jays.
Notable: Nelson Cruz of the Orioles is the first player suspended in the Biogenesis investigation to return to earn Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors. Cruz, playing left field in his Orioles debut, went 1-2 and homered in the 2-1 win over the Red Sox. In 2013, he had 4.5 Box-Toppers points for the Rangers before he was suspended under baseball's drug policy for the final 50 games of the season.
Wainwright receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Hernandez receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Asche and Joyce each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.
All of Monday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.
Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. Players earn Box-Toppers points for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.
Top player from each game
Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score
| 331 | Score | Team | BATTERS | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | - | - | PITCHERS | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | 9.0 | Cardinals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Adam Wainwright (W, 1-0) | 7.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 9 |
| 9.0 | `Pirates | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Francisco Liriano | 6.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | |
| 8.0 | Marlins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Jose Fernandez (W, 1-0) | 6.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9 | |
| AL | 7.0 | Mariners | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Felix Hernandez (W, 1-0) | 6.0 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 11 |
| 7.0 | `Indians | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Justin Masterson | 7.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | |
| BAT | 5.0 | Phillies | Cody Asche 3B | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| BAT | 4.0 | Rays | Matt Joyce DH | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4.0 | Brewers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Yovani Gallardo (W, 1-0) | 6.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | |
| 3.2 | Giants | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Jean Machi (W, 1-0) | 1.2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| 3.1 | White Sox | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Chris Sale (W, 1-0) | 7.1 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 8 | |
| 3.0 | Nationals | Adam LaRoche 1B | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2.0 | Orioles | Nelson Cruz LF | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1.0 | Tigers | Tyler Collins PR | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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.
Blue Jays' Josh Johnson tops players for Monday, June 17; Cardinals' Shelby Miller rises to 2nd in Box-Toppers points
Blue Jays pitcher Josh Johnson is Monday's Player of the Day. Johnson struck out 10 over 7 1/3 scoreless innings in the 2-0 win over the Rockies. Johnson, however, exited with the game tied, so earned no decision.
Cardinals pitcher Shelby Miller is National League Player of the Day and rises to second place among players in Box-Toppers points for the 2013 season (see updated player standings on the home page). Miller pitched five shutout innings in the 5-2 win over the Cubs. Miller, already leader in Box-Toppers points among NL pitchers, earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day, giving him 11.4 for the season. He trails only points leader Justin Masterson of the Indians, who has 11.7 points.
Nelson Cruz of the Rangers is American League Batter of the Day. Cruz hit two home runs, drove in four and went 3-for-4 in the 8-7 win over the Athletics.
Giancarlo Stanton of the Marlins is NL Batter of the Day. Stanton hit two home runs and drove in all three of his team's runs in the 3-2 win over the Diamondbacks.
Johnson receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Miller receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Cruz and Stanton each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.
All of Monday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point:
| 617 | Score | Team | BATTERS | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | - | - | PITCHERS | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | 10.1 | `Blue Jays | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Josh Johnson | 7.1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10 | ||
| 7.0 | Angels | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Jason Vargas (W, 6-4) | 7.0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 9 | |||
| NL | 6.0 | Cardinals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Shelby Miller (W, 8-4) | 5.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | ||
| 6.0 | Tigers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Drew Smyly (S, 2) | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |||
| BAT | 5.0 | Rangers | Nelson Cruz RF | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 4.2 | `White Sox | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Jesse Crain (H, 18) | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |||
| BAT | 3.0 | Marlins | Giancarlo Stanton RF | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 3.0 | Phillies | Ryan Howard 1B | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 3.0 | Padres | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Nick Vincent (W, 1-0) | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |||
| 2.0 | Braves | Freddie Freeman 1B | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2.0 | Reds | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Aroldis Chapman (S, 18) | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |||
| 1.2 | Royals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Aaron Crow (W, 3-2) | 0.2 | 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.