How did baseball’s statistical leaders do in Box-Toppers points?
The leaders in pitching statistical categories in general did better than leaders in batting statistical categories.
Read MoreRBI leaders for 2014 tend to be Box-Toppers points leaders—but not always (such as NL RBI leader Adrian Gonzalez)
Leaders in runs batted in generally did well in Box-Toppers points, especially RBI leaders in the American League.
However, the overall leader in RBIs, Adrian Gonzalez of the Dodgers, who drove in 116 runs, had one of the lower Box-Toppers point totals among RBI leaders.
Read MoreHome run leaders for 2014 also generally fare well in Box-Toppers player rankings
Nelson Cruz of the Orioles led all players in home runs and was among American League batting leaders in Box-Toppers points. In general, home run hitters did very well in Box-Toppers points in 2014.
Read MorePostseason awards wrap-up: Box-Toppers leaders won 5 of 6 major honors
In baseball’s major 2014 postseason awards, the winners chosen by baseball writers were the same as leaders in Box-Toppers points in five of six cases—the only exception was American League Most Valuable Player. Writers unanimously chose Mike Trout of the Angels, while Box-Toppers points leader among AL batters was Jose Abreu of the White Sox.
Read MoreBox-Toppers' top player Clayton Kershaw wins NL MVP; top-ranked AL batter Jose Abreu finishes behind Mike Trout for AL MVP
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who led all players in Box-Toppers points in 2014, was voted National League Most Valuable Player Thursday.
Center fielder Mike Trout of the Angels was the unanimous choice for American League Most Valuable Player, though Trout ranked seventh among AL batters in Box-Toppers points in 2014.
Read MoreBox-Toppers' top batters—Jose Abreu, Troy Tulowitzki—missing from MVP finalists; pitcher Kershaw likely to win NL MVP
Baseball’s Most Valuable Player Awards generally go to the top batter in each league.
But this year, Box-Toppers’ top-ranked batters—Jose Abreu of the White Sox and Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies—won’t win the awards; they weren’t even named as finalists. And in the National League, the award will likely go to a pitcher.
Read MoreBox-Toppers' top rookies—Jose Abreu, Jacob deGrom—easily win 2014 Rookie of the Year Awards
Box-Toppers’ leading rookies easily won each league’s Rookie of the Year Award Monday.
First baseman Jose Abreu of the White Sox won the American League award unanimously and Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom won the National League award with 26 out of 30 first place votes.
Read MoreIf Box-Toppers points measured Silver Sluggers, most winners would be different
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 MoreBox-Toppers' top-ranked rookies among finalists for Rookie of the Year Award
The rookies with the most Box-Toppers points in each league—Jose Abreu of the White Sox and Jacob deGrom of the Mets—are among the finalists for baseball’s Rookie of the Year honors.
Read MoreBatting average leaders did not make big impact in Box-Toppers points or team wins in 2014
Batters with the most Box-Toppers points tend to hit for power and play on teams that win a lot of games. The 2014 batting average leaders in both the American and National leagues did neither. Both batting average leaders were largely singles hitters and played on teams that finished well below .500. And as a consequence, neither batting average leader scored many Box-Toppers points in 2014.
Read MoreBox-Toppers 2014 All-Star teams led by Kershaw, Kluber, Abreu, Tulowitzki
The Box-Toppers All-Star teams for the 2014 regular season are led by overall top player for the second straight season, Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw.
Nine teams each have two different players on the teams and a total of 20 teams are represented on the American League and National League teams.
The All-Star teams are comprised of the players with the highest Box-Toppers point totals by position in each league. In addition to the batters—eight in the NL and nine (including the designated hitter) in the AL—are the top four starting pitchers in each league, the top player who was predominately a middle-reliever and the top closing pitcher.
Kershaw was Box-Toppers Player of the Season, the top overall player, with 31.5 Box-Toppers points. Indians pitcher Corey Kluber is the top AL player with 25.8 Box-Toppers points, ranked second overall.
The top AL batter is White Sox rookie first baseman Jose Abreu with 15.5 points, ranked 14th overall. The top NL batter is Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki with 11.6 points, ranked 39th overall. (Tulowitzki was out with injuries nearly half the season, but still surpassed all other NL batters in Box-Toppers points—second among NL batters is Giants catcher Buster Posey with 8.5 points.)
Nine teams each had two players make the teams. In the AL, the Mariners, Angels, Orioles, Indians and Tigers each had two players. In the NL, the Giants, Braves, Marlins and Cardinals each had two players.
Three players from the All-Star teams are still active in the World Series:
• Wade Davis of the Royals, who led AL middle relief pitchers with 7.0 Box-Toppers points.
• Madison Bumgarner of the Giants, who ranked second among NL pitchers with 22.6 points.
• Buster Posey of the Giants, who led NL catchers with 8.5 points.
Six players were on Box-Toppers’ 2013 All-Star teams and returned to the 2014 teams:
• AL 2B: Robinson Cano, last year with the Yankees, this year with the Mariners (12.5 points in 2013, 6.5 in 2014).
• AL OF: Adam Jones, Orioles (8.0 points in 2013, 11.5 in 2014).
• AL Starting pitcher: Max Scherzer, Tigers (18.1 points in 2013, 22.1 in 2014).
• NL Starting pitcher: Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers (21.7 points in 2013, 31.5 in 2014).
• NL Starting pitcher: Adam Wainwright, Cardinals (20.2 points in 2013, 18.7 in 2014).
• NL Closing pitcher: Craig Kimbrel, Braves (12.7 points in 2013, 11.0 in 2014).
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.
End-of-season 2014 Box-Toppers All-Star teams
Here are the Box-Toppers All-Stars by position for both leagues. It includes players with the highest Box-Toppers points (BTP) by position in each league. Also included is the players' overall rank among all players.
| Pos | American League | Team | BTP | Rank | National League | Team | BTP | Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | Jose Abreu | White Sox | 15.5 | 14 | Lucas Duda | Mets | 8.5 | 79 | ||
| 2B | Robinson Cano | Mariners | 6.5 | 135 | Jedd Gyorko | Padres | 7.2 | 103 | ||
| SS | Erick Aybar | Angels | 6.0 | 155 | Troy Tulowitzki | Rockies | 11.6 | 39 | ||
| 3B | Josh Donaldson | Athletics | 10.5 | 40 | Aramis Ramirez | Brewers | 5.0 | 194 | ||
| CA | Brian McCann | Yankees | 6.5 | 136 | Buster Posey | Giants | 8.5 | 76 | ||
| OF | Adam Jones | Orioles | 11.5 | 40 | Justin Upton | Braves | 8.2 | 80 | ||
| OF | Nelson Cruz | Orioles | 8.5 | 77 | Marcell Ozuna | Marlins | 8.0 | 88 | ||
| OF | Mike Trout | Angels | 8.5 | 78 | Matt Holliday | Cardinals | 7.5 | 97 | ||
| DH | Edwin Encarnacion | Blue Jays | 9.5 | 63 | ||||||
| SP | Corey Kluber | Indians | 25.8 | 2 | Clayton Kershaw | Dodgers | 31.5 | 1 | ||
| SP | Max Scherzer | Tigers | 22.1 | 5 | Madison Bumgarner | Giants | 22.6 | 3 | ||
| SP | Felix Hernandez | Mariners | 20.8 | 6 | Johnny Cueto | Reds | 22.4 | 4 | ||
| SP | David Price | Tigers | 19.1 | 7 | Adam Wainwright | Cardinals | 18.7 | 8 | ||
| MR | Wade Davis | Royals | 7.0 | 117 | Michael Dunn | Marlins | 6.0 | 159 | ||
| CP | Carlos Carrasco | Indians | 10.7 | 52 | Craig Kimbrel | Braves | 11.0 | 45 |
A look back at how Box-Toppers watched players did in 2014
BOX-TOPPERS EXTRA
Andrew McCutchen may be selected as National League’s Most Valuable Player, but only ranks 18th among NL batters in Box-Toppers points. Mike Trout may be voted American League MVP but ranks seventh among AL batters in Box-Toppers points.
Box-Toppers watched players
Here are Box-Toppers' eight watched players at the close of the 2014 season. The column BTP shows the number of Box-Toppers points players accumulated this season, followed by their overall rank among all players for 2014. Honors shows the four players who led Box-Toppers major player categories—AL and NL batting and pitching.| Player | Team | BTP | Rank | Honors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Derek Jeter | Yankees | 0.0 | 996 | |
| Yasiel Puig | Dodgers | 1.0 | 593 | |
| Andrew McCutchen | Pirates | 6.5 | 137 | |
| Mike Trout | Angels | 8.5 | 78 | |
| Troy Tulowitzki | Rockies | 11.6 | 39 | 1st NL batter |
| Jose Abreu | White Sox | 15.5 | 14 | 1st AL batter |
| Corey Kluber | Indians | 25.8 | 2 | 1st AL pitcher |
| Clayton Kershaw | Dodgers | 31.5 | 1 | 1st NL pitcher |
Meanwhile, unexpected players—Jose Abreu and Troy Tulowitzki—who may have no chance at even being considered for postseason honors, are among Box-Toppers points leaders.
Why?
Why do some unexpected players excel in Box-Toppers points? And why do some star players seem to lag behind with fewer Box-Toppers points?
This season, Box-Toppers set to demonstrate why by focusing on a limited number of players and their daily performances. These watched players—featured in Box-Toppers Facebook posts and specially hashtagged Box-Toppers Twitter posts—showed when a player was deserving of earning Box-Toppers points or showed how other players in their game beat them out for points.
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 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.
At the end of the season, Box-Toppers was watching eight players—four of them lead key Box-Toppers categories (NL and AL pitching and batting) and four others are players who often do not score well in Box-Toppers points but who are frequently highly touted, considered for postseason honors and are considered to be stars.
Here is a look at the eight players (including the Twitter hashtag (#) used in daily “watched” posts):
Derek Jeter, Yankees #jeterwatch
2014 Box-Toppers point total: 0.0
Jeter, 40, is surely a future Hall-of-Famer, but in 145 games, he did not earn Player of the Game honors in any of the Yankees wins in his retirement season.
Box-Toppers watched him this season because he announced his retirement prior to the season and we thought it would be interesting to see how he fared in his last year. But Box-Toppers also watched him because he tended not to score as highly in Box-Toppers as his reputation as a star would indicate.
In his career, he scored 76.4 career Box-Toppers points and ranks 127th among all players. To give some perspective, he trails DH Travis Hafner (in 123rd place with 76.9 points), who is not exactly on the glidepath to Cooperstown that Jeter is.
But to be fair, Jeter ranks second among all shortstops all-time, trailing Miguel Tejada (102.3 Box-Toppers points). The shortstop position is generally not called upon for the offensive numbers required to win Player of the Game honors and earn Box-Toppers points.
Jeter’s Box-Toppers points total have also likely been impacted over the years because of the caliber of the talent on his own team—players like Roger Clemens, CC Sabathia, Jason Giambi, who have been his teammates, have more career Box-Toppers points than Jeter and likely beat him out on occasion for Player of the Game honors.
For example, Jeter did not even earn Player of the Game honors in his final game at Yankee Stadium Sept. 25. While Jeter drove in the winning run on a dramatic, walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth (and was 2-for-5 with a run and three RBIs), he was beat out for Player of the Game by pitcher Hiroki Kuroda, who struck out nine over eight innings in the win over the Orioles.
Also, Jeter’s star power does not come from putting together performances that frequently make him Player of the Game. It often comes from anecdotal (but real) flashes of brilliance that make the highlight reel, that do contribute to the win, that wows the fans to the point of deserved admiration, but do not translate well to the scorecard, the box score—or to Box-Toppers points.
Yasiel Puig, Dodgers #puigwatch
2014 Box-Toppers point total: 1.0
145th among NL batters
593rd among all players
Box-Toppers watched Puig this year because of the buzz he created. True, he led the NL in on-base percentage and had the NL’s eighth-best batting average—but he only once was Dodger’s top player in a win, on May 12. He has only earned Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors twice in his career and has only 2.5 career Box-Toppers points in two seasons.
Is Puig overrated and not living up to the hype, at least in terms of helping the Dodgers win games? Or is Puig perhaps overshadowed by other players on his team who contributed more to Dodgers wins, especially pitcher Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, who were among the overall Box-Toppers points leaders?
Andrew McCutchen, Pirates #cutchwatch
2014 Box-Toppers point total: 6.5
18th among NL batters
137th among all players
A leader in new-fangled baseball statistics, such as Wins Above Replacement and on-base plus slugging, the 2013 NL MVP is touted by many to repeat the feat in 2014.
But in 2013, he finished 22nd among NL batters in Box-Toppers points with 6.0. This year, he is slightly improved, with 6.5 points—18th among NL batters. According to Box-Toppers, he is not the NL batter who most helped his team win the most games. In fact, he is not even the top Pirates batter, an honor that goes to Neil Walker (7.0 Box-Toppers points).
Mike Trout, Angels #troutwatch
2014 Box-Toppers point total: 8.5
7th among AL batters
78th among all players
Another sabermetrician favorite and leader in wins above replacement, Trout actually had a decent season Box-Toppers-wise—just not among the top five of AL batters.
Trout was watched this season because he has been touted as an MVP candidate for two seasons, finishing behind Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers both times. With Cabrera ostensibly out of the limelight since he is not having another Triple Crown season, the door has been opened for Trout to finally claim MVP this year. However, it should be noted that Cabrera has 12.5 Box-Toppers points this season, in second among AL batters and ahead of Trout.
But ahead of both Trout and Cabrera in Box-Toppers points is rookie Jose Abreu of the White Sox with 15.5 points.
In 2013, Trout had only 3.5 Box-Toppers points and yet finished second in AL MVP voting. This year is his second-best ever (he had 11.0 points in 2012) and he is the leading batter among Angels players in Box-Toppers points, third-best among all Angels players.
Jose Abreu, White Sox #abreuwatch
2014 Box-Toppers point total: 15.5
1st among AL batters
14th among all players
Rookie Jose Abreu has been a Box-Toppers watched player since he assumed the lead among AL batters in June. He hit 36 home runs and led the AL in slugging percentage (.581) and handily won Box-Toppers AL Batter of the Year honors—Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers finished second with 12.5 Box-Toppers points.
Abreu should win AL Rookie of the Year honors. But despite his performance, it is unclear whether he is even being taken seriously as a candidate for AL MVP.
Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies #tulowatch
2014 Box-Toppers point total: 11.6
1st among NL batters
39th among all players
Tulowitzki played only 91 games this season—he last played July 19 and was out with injury and hip surgery after that. No one in their right mind would consider that anyone who missed nearly half the season should be considered as NL MVP.
And yet, according to Box-Toppers, no other NL batter playing an entire season even came close the the 11.6 Box-Toppers points Tulowitzki earned in his short time. Second-place Buster Posey of the Giants had 8.5.
Early in the season, Tulowitzki was the rare batter among Box-Toppers top 10 overall players. But even as he fell down to 39th among all players, he never fell from first among NL batters in Box-Toppers points.
It could be argued that NL batters were so lackluster and so overshadowed by NL pitchers in 2014 that no batter should win MVP and the honor should go instead to Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw. More on him in a second.
Corey Kluber, Indians #kluberwatch
2014 Box-Toppers point total: 25.8
1st among AL pitchers
2nd among all players
Kluber came on late to take the AL pitching lead from Max Scherzer of the Tigers (22.1 Box-Toppers points, second among AL pitchers).
Kluber became one of only 11 players in Box-Toppers’ 20 years of record keeping to reach 25 Box-Toppers points in a season.
Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers #clawwatch
2014 Box-Toppers point total: 31.5
1st among NL pitchers
1st among all players
Kershaw’s season was dominant. Despite missing six weeks with injury at the start of the season, Kershaw racked up the fourth-best single-season Box-Toppers point total in 20 years.
It was a year so dominant in a year in an overall down year for NL batters, Kershaw is being touted for the NL MVP.
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. 28End 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 |
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.
Kershaw leads players in Box-Toppers points; Indians' Kluber takes AL pitching lead
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw still leads all players in Box-Toppers points. Meanwhile, there is a new leader this week among American League pitchers—Corey Kluber of the Indians.
Top players
Through Thursday, Sept. 18| OVERALL LEADERS | POS | TEAM | BTP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kershaw, Clayton 2494 | pi sp | lad nl | 30.5 |
| 2 | Bumgarner, Madison 2753 | pi sp | sf nl | 22.6 |
| 3 | Kluber, Corey 3200 | pi sp | cle al | 22.1 |
| 4 | Scherzer, Max 2588 | pi sp | det al | 21.1 |
| 5 | Hernandez, Felix 2064 | pi sp | sea al | 19.8 |
| 6 | Cueto, Johnny 2400 | pi sp | cin nl | 19.4 |
| 7 | Sale, Chris 2806 | pi sp | chi al | 17.4 |
| 8 | Price, David 2593 | pi sp | det al | 17.1 |
| 9 | Wainwright, Adam 2150 | pi sp | stl nl | 17.0 |
| 10 | Richards, Garrett 3042 | pi sp | ana al | 15.7 |
| AL PITCHERS | POS | TEAM | BTP | |
| 1 | Kluber, Corey 3200 | pi sp | cle al | 22.1 |
| 2 | Scherzer, Max 2588 | pi sp | det al | 21.1 |
| 3 | Hernandez, Felix 2064 | pi sp | sea al | 19.8 |
| 4 | Sale, Chris 2806 | pi sp | chi al | 17.4 |
| 5 | Price, David 2593 | pi sp | det al | 17.1 |
| 6 | Richards, Garrett 3042 | pi sp | ana al | 15.7 |
| 7 | Lester, Jon 2173 | pi sp | oak al | 14.7 |
| 8 | Kazmir, Scott 1947 | pi sp | oak al | 14.1 |
| 9 | Hutchison, Drew 3038 | pi sp | tor al | 14.0 |
| 10 | Shields, James 2157 | pi sp | kc al | 13.7 |
| AL BATTERS | POS | TEAM | BTP | |
| 1 | Abreu, Jose 3308 | 1b | chi al | 15.5 |
| 2 | Cabrera, Miguel 1776 | 1b | det al | 12.5 |
| 3 | Donaldson, Josh 3144 | 3b | oak al | 10.5 |
| 4 | Jones, Adam 2347 | cf | bal al | 10.5 |
| 5 | Cruz, Nelson 2224 | dh lf | bal al | 8.5 |
| 6 | Encarnacion, Edwin 2098 | 1b dh lf | tor al | 8.0 |
| 7 | Carter, Chris 2828 | dh | hou al | 8.0 |
| 8 | Cespedes, Yoenis 3008 | lf | bos al | 8.0 |
| 9 | Seager, Kyle 3031 | 3b | sea al | 8.0 |
| 10 | Pujols, Albert 1438 | dh 1b | ana al | 7.5 |
| NL PITCHERS | POS | TEAM | BTP | |
| 1 | Kershaw, Clayton 2494 | pi sp | lad nl | 30.5 |
| 2 | Bumgarner, Madison 2753 | pi sp | sf nl | 22.6 |
| 3 | Cueto, Johnny 2400 | pi sp | cin nl | 19.4 |
| 4 | Wainwright, Adam 2150 | pi sp | stl nl | 17.0 |
| 5 | Greinke, Zack 1871 | pi sp | lad nl | 15.5 |
| 6 | Strasburg, Stephen 2736 | pi sp | dc nl | 14.7 |
| 7 | Arrieta, Jake 2738 | pi sp | chi nl | 13.7 |
| 8 | Teheran, Julio 3176 | pi sp | atl nl | 13.4 |
| 9 | Hamels, Cole 2135 | pi sp | phi nl | 12.4 |
| 10 | Fister, Doug 2688 | pi sp | dc nl | 12.4 |
| NL BATTERS | POS | TEAM | BTP | |
| 1 | Tulowitzki, Troy 2308 | ss | col nl | 11.6 |
| 2 | Ozuna, Marcell 3190 | cf | fla nl | 8.0 |
| 3 | Freeman, Freddie 2887 | 1b | atl nl | 7.7 |
| 4 | Posey, Buster 2745 | ca | sf nl | 7.5 |
| 5 | Holliday, Matt 1836 | lf | stl nl | 7.5 |
| 6 | Duda, Lucas 2818 | 1b | nym nl | 7.5 |
| 7 | Yelich, Christian 3334 | lf | fla nl | 7.5 |
| 8 | Gonzalez, Adrian 2193 | 1b | lad nl | 7.2 |
| 9 | Upton, Justin 2411 | lf | atl nl | 7.2 |
| 10 | Howard, Ryan 2040 | 1b | phi nl | 7.2 |
Kershaw now has 30.5 Box-Toppers points to lead all players and still has a chance to break the single-season record of 33.7 Box-Toppers points, recorded twice by Randy Johnson of the Diamondbacks in 2000 and 2002. With perhaps two starts remaining—including one Friday against the Cubs—Kershaw would need to earn at least National League Player of the Day for both games (worth 1.7 points each) to pass Johnson.
Kluber takes the lead in Box-Toppers points among AL pitchers—he now has 22.1 and passes Max Scherzer of the Tigers (21.1), who had led the category since early July. Scherzer was Box-Toppers AL pitcher of the year in 2013 with 18.1 points. Kluber currently ranks third among all players in Box-Toppers points.
Jose Abreu of the White Sox still leads AL batters in Box-Toppers points with 15.5. He had been the only batter in the overall top 10 until this week, when he fell to 12th place.
Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies still leads National League batters in Box-Toppers points with 11.6. Tulowitzki will have played in just over half the season’s games (91) and is out for the season recovering from hip surgery. None of the top 10 NL batters scored Box-Toppers points this week.
Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. Players earn Box-Toppers points for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.
Note: This is the next-to-last (and also penultimate) Box-Toppers player ranking report of the season. Rather than the regular Friday player ranking report next week, the final player ranking report will come after the season’s final games Sunday, Sept. 28, probably on Monday, Sept. 29. Or thereabouts.
Padres' Andrew Cashner (2-hit shutout) tops players for Monday, Sept. 15
Padres pitcher Andrew Cashner, who pitched a two-hit shutout, is Monday’s Player of the Day. Cashner also walked one and struck out seven in the 1-0 win over the Phillies.
Astros pitcher Collin McHugh is American League Player of the Day. McHugh struck out seven over 6 2/3 innings, allowing one run, in the 3-1 win over the Indians. McHugh earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day, giving him 11.8 for the season. He ranks 30th among all players and 17th among AL pitchers.
Mark Trumbo of the Diamondbacks is National League Batter of the Day. Trumbo hit a grand slam and went 2-for-4, driving in five runs, in the 6-2 win over the Giants.
Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers is AL Batter of the Day. Cabrera homered and doubled, going 3-for-5 with three runs in the 8-6 win over the Twins. Cabrera earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being AL Batter of the Day, giving him 12.5 for the season. He ranks 23rd among all players and second among AL batters, behind Jose Abreu of the White Sox (15.5 Box-Toppers points).
Notables: Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg rose to 14th place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Monday. Strasburg (7IP 0R 7K W in the 4-2 win over the Braves) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 14.7 for the season. He ranks sixth among NL pitchers.
Angels pitcher Matt Shoemaker rose to 33rd place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Monday. Shoemaker (7.2IP R 5K W in the 8-1 win over the Mariners) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 11.7 for the season. He ranks 19th among AL pitchers.
Adam Jones of the Orioles becomes the 49th player (and only the fifth batter) with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points this season after earning Player of the Game honors Monday. Jones (3-4 R BI in the 5-2 win over the Blue Jays) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 10.5 for the season. He ranks 46th among all players and fourth among AL batters.
Cashner receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. McHugh receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Trumbo and Cabrera 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 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
| 915 | Score | Team | Player | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | 13.0 | Padres | Andrew Cashner (W, 4-7) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 9.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | |
| 9.0 | Nationals | Stephen Strasburg (W, 12-11) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | ||
| AL | 7.2 | Astros | Collin McHugh (W, 10-9) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | |
| 5.2 | Angels | Matt Shoemaker (W, 16-4) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | ||
| BAT | 4.0 | Dbacks | Mark Trumbo 1B | 4 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 4.0 | `Cubs | Travis Wood | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 3.2 | `Rays | Alex Colome | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 3.0 | Dodgers | Justin Turner PH | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 3.0 | `Marlins | Chris Hatcher (H, 5) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| BAT | 2.0 | Tigers | Miguel Cabrera 1B | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 1.0 | Royals | Norichika Aoki RF | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1.0 | Orioles | Adam Jones CF | 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.
Orioles' Norris tops players for Friday, Sept. 12; Giants' Bumgarner rises to 2nd in Box-Toppers rankings
Orioles pitcher Bud Norris is Friday’s Player of the Day, while Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner rises to second place in Box-Toppers player rankings.
Norris pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out 10 in the 5-0 win over the Yankees.
Bumgarner rose from third to second place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning National League Player of the Day honors Friday. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) Bumgarner pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out nine in the 9-0 win over the Dodgers. Bumgarner earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day, giving him 22.6 for the season. He is also second place among NL pitchers, trailing overall Box-Toppers points leader Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers (28.8 Box-Toppers points). Bumgarner passes American League leader Max Scherzer of the Tigers (21.1 Box-Toppers points) on the player rankings list.
Kole Calhoun of the Angels is AL Batter of the Day. Calhoun went 3-for-4, scoring three times and driving in two runs, in the 11-3 win over the Astros.
Jordy Mercer of the Pirates is NL Batter of the Day. Mercer went 3-for-5 and drove in three runs in the 7-3 win over the Cubs.
Notables: Tigers pitcher David Price maintained his eighth-place spot in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Friday. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) Price (7.2IP R 7K W in the 7-2 win over the Indians) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 17.1 for the season. He ranks fifth among AL pitchers.
Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright rose to ninth 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.) Wainwright (8IP R 8K W in the 5-1 win over the Rockies) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 16.0 for the season. He ranks fourth among NL pitchers.
Wainwright had led all players in Box-Toppers points several times this season, as late as June 28. However, he only scored 2.0 Box-Toppers points in July and none in August and on Aug. 30, fell out of Box-Toppers top 10 list. With this Player of the Game honor Friday, he rejoins the top 10 list, pushing out Jose Abreu of the White Sox (15.5 Box-Toppers points), who had been the only batter on the list.
Norris receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Bumgarner receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Calhoun and Mercer 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
| 912 | Score | Team | Player | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | 12.0 | Orioles | Bud Norris (W, 13-8) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10 | |
| NL | 11.0 | Giants | Madison Bumgarner (W, 18-9) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | |
| 11.0 | Rays | Nate Karns (W, 1-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | ||
| 8.0 | Cardinals | Adam Wainwright (W, 18-9) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | ||
| 5.0 | `Orioles | Kevin Gausman | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | ||
| 4.2 | Tigers | David Price (W, 14-11) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.2 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | ||
| BAT | 4.0 | Angels | Kole Calhoun RF | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 4.0 | Mariners | James Paxton (W, 6-2) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | ||
| 3.0 | `Rangers | Derek Holland | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 3.0 | `Phillies | Ken Giles | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1.2 | `Brewers | Kyle Lohse | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | ||
| BAT | 1.0 | Pirates | Jordy Mercer SS | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 1.0 | Mets | Juan Lagares CF | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1.0 | Red Sox | Jemile Weeks 2B | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 0.0 | Padres | Yasmani Grandal 1B | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.
Kershaw maintains overall Box-Toppers points lead, race for top AL pitcher tightens
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw maintains his dominant lead among all players in Box-Toppers points, but the race for most points among American League pitchers is tightening up.
Top players
Through Thursday, Sept. 11| OVERALL LEADERS | POS | TEAM | BTP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kershaw, Clayton 2494 | pi sp | lad nl | 28.8 |
| 2 | Scherzer, Max 2588 | pi sp | det al | 21.1 |
| 3 | Bumgarner, Madison 2753 | pi sp | sf nl | 20.9 |
| 4 | Kluber, Corey 3200 | pi sp | cle al | 20.4 |
| 5 | Cueto, Johnny 2400 | pi sp | cin nl | 19.4 |
| 6 | Hernandez, Felix 2064 | pi sp | sea al | 17.8 |
| 7 | Sale, Chris 2806 | pi sp | chi al | 17.4 |
| 8 | Price, David 2593 | pi sp | det al | 16.1 |
| 9 | Richards, Garrett 3042 | pi sp | ana al | 15.7 |
| 10 | Abreu, Jose 3308 | 1b | chi al | 15.5 |
| AL PITCHERS | POS | TEAM | BTP | |
| 1 | Scherzer, Max 2588 | pi sp | det al | 21.1 |
| 2 | Kluber, Corey 3200 | pi sp | cle al | 20.4 |
| 3 | Hernandez, Felix 2064 | pi sp | sea al | 17.8 |
| 4 | Sale, Chris 2806 | pi sp | chi al | 17.4 |
| 5 | Price, David 2593 | pi sp | det al | 16.1 |
| 6 | Richards, Garrett 3042 | pi sp | ana al | 15.7 |
| 7 | Kazmir, Scott 1947 | pi sp | oak al | 14.1 |
| 8 | Hutchison, Drew 3038 | pi sp | tor al | 14.0 |
| 9 | Lester, Jon 2173 | pi sp | oak al | 13.7 |
| 10 | Shields, Jamie (James) 2157 | pi sp | kc al | 13.7 |
| AL BATTERS | POS | TEAM | BTP | |
| 1 | Abreu, Jose 3308 | 1b | chi al | 15.5 |
| 2 | Cabrera, Miguel 1776 | 1b | det al | 11.0 |
| 3 | Donaldson, Josh 3144 | 3b | oak al | 10.5 |
| 4 | Jones, Adam 2347 | cf | bal al | 9.5 |
| 5 | Cruz, Nelson Ramon 2224 | dh lf | bal al | 8.5 |
| 6 | Encarnacion, Edwin 2098 | 1b dh lf | tor al | 8.0 |
| 7 | Carter, Chris 2828 | dh | hou al | 8.0 |
| 8 | Cespedes, Yoenis 3008 | lf | bos al | 8.0 |
| 9 | Seager, Kyle 3031 | 3b | sea al | 8.0 |
| 10 | Pujols, Albert 1438 | dh 1b | ana al | 7.5 |
| NL PITCHERS | POS | TEAM | BTP | |
| 1 | Kershaw, Clayton 2494 | pi sp | lad nl | 28.8 |
| 2 | Bumgarner, Madison 2753 | pi sp | sf nl | 20.9 |
| 3 | Cueto, Johnny 2400 | pi sp | cin nl | 19.4 |
| 4 | Wainwright, Adam 2150 | pi sp | stl nl | 15.0 |
| 5 | Greinke, Zack 1871 | pi sp | lad nl | 13.8 |
| 6 | Strasburg, Stephen 2736 | pi sp | dc nl | 13.7 |
| 7 | Teheran, Julio 3176 | pi sp | atl nl | 13.4 |
| 8 | Fister, Doug 2688 | pi sp | dc nl | 12.4 |
| 9 | Collmenter, Josh 2863 | pi sp | ari nl | 12.0 |
| 10 | deGrom, Jacob 3343 | pi sp | nym nl | 12.0 |
| NL BATTERS | POS | TEAM | BTP | |
| 1 | Tulowitzki, Troy 2308 | ss | col nl | 11.6 |
| 2 | Ozuna, Marcell 3190 | cf | fla nl | 8.0 |
| 3 | Freeman, Freddie 2887 | 1b | atl nl | 7.7 |
| 4 | Posey, Buster 2745 | ca | sf nl | 7.5 |
| 5 | Holliday, Matt 1836 | lf | stl nl | 7.5 |
| 6 | Duda, Lucas 2818 | 1b | nym nl | 7.5 |
| 7 | Yelich, Christian 3334 | lf | fla nl | 7.5 |
| 8 | Gonzalez, Adrian 2193 | 1b | lad nl | 7.2 |
| 9 | Upton, Justin 2411 | lf | atl nl | 7.2 |
| 10 | Howard, Ryan 2040 | 1b | phi nl | 7.2 |
Kershaw picked up 1.0 Box-Toppers point over the past week and now has 28.8, the seventh-highest single-season total since Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995. With possibly three starts left in the season, Kershaw has a chance of breaking the “all-time” single season record of 33.7 set by Diamondbacks pitcher Randy Johnson in 2000 and 2002.
Kershaw leads second-place National League pitcher Madison Bumgarner of the Giants by 7.9 Box-Toppers points. Bumgarner has 20.9 for the season.
The race for top American League pitcher is getting tighter. Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer still leads with 21.1 Box-Toppers points, but Indians pitcher Corey Kluber, who has picked up 3.0 points in the past week, now has 20.4, only 0.7 points behind. Scherzer has led AL pitchers since the July 3 player rankings report, but in the past four weeks has only earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point, while Kluber has picked up 5.0 in that time.
Jose Abreu of the White Sox still leads AL batters in Box-Toppers points with 15.5. He ranks 10th among all players and is the only batter among the top 10.
Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies still leads National League batters in Box-Toppers points with 11.6. Tulowitzki will have played in just over half the season’s games (91) and is out for the season recovering from hip surgery.
There is a new number two NL batter: Marcell Ozuna of the Marlins has 8.0 Box-Toppers points, passing Freddie Freeman of the Braves (7.7). Freeman has been in second place among NL batters since the May 1 player rankings report and has not earned any Box-Toppers points since June 28.
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.
Mets' deGrom tops players for Tuesday, Sept. 9; Athletics' Donaldson is 3rd-ranked AL batter, Marlins' Ozuna is 2nd-ranked NL batter
Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom is Tuesday’s Player of the Day and rises to 26th place in Box-Toppers season player rankings.
deGrom pitched eight scoreless innings and struck out nine in the 2-0 win over the Rockies . He earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 12.0 for the season. He ranks 10th among National League pitchers.
Astros pitcher Collin McHugh is American League Player of the Day. McHugh allowed two hits and one run over eight innings in the 2-1 win over the Mariners. He earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day, giving him 10.1 for the season. He is the 44th player this season with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points. He ranks 45th among all players and 21st among AL pitchers.
Josh Donaldson of the Athletics is AL Batter of the Day. Donaldson doubled and went 5-for-6, scoring twice and driving in four runs, in the 11-2 win over the White Sox. Donaldson earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being AL Batter of the Day, giving him 10.5 for the season. He is the 45th player this season with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points. He ranks 42nd among all players and third among all AL batters, behind Jose Abreu of the White Sox (15.5 Box-Toppers points) and Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers (11.0 Box-Toppers points).
Devin Mesoraco of the Reds is NL Batter of the Day. Mesoraco homered and went 2-for-3, scoring three times and driving in three runs, in the 9-5 win over the Cardinals.
Notable: Marcell Ozuna of the Marlins rose to second place among National League batters after earning Player of the Game honors Tuesday. Ozuna (HR 3-3 2R 2BI in the 6-3 win over the Brewers) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 8.0 for the season. He ranks 73rd among all players and is second to NL batting leader Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies (11.6 Box-Toppers points).
deGrom receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. McHugh receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Donaldson and Mesoraco 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
| 909 | Score | Team | Player | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | 14.0 | Mets | Jacob deGrom (W, 8-6) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | |
| 12.0 | Giants | Yusmeiro Petit (W, 5-3) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 9.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9 | ||
| AL | 8.0 | Astros | Collin McHugh (W, 9-9) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | |
| BAT | 5.0 | Athletics | Josh Donaldson 3B | 6 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| BAT | 5.0 | Reds | Devin Mesoraco C | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 4.0 | Orioles | Alejandro De Aza LF | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 4.0 | Marlins | Marcell Ozuna CF | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 4.0 | Phillies | Freddy Galvis SS | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 4.0 | Blue Jays | Munenori Kawasaki PH, 2B | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | Rays | James Loney 1B | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | Angels | Collin Cowgill LF | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | Nationals | Adam LaRoche 1B | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1.0 | Twins | Oswaldo Arcia RF | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1.0 | Padres | Jedd Gyorko 2B | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1.0 | Tigers | J.D. Martinez LF | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
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.
Kershaw, still tops in latest Box-Toppers player rankings report, has chance to break single-season record
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, the overall leader in Box-Toppers points, has a chance to break the “all-time” single season record for points.
Meanwhile, all four Box-Toppers point category leaders maintained their dominant leads this week.
Top players
Through Thursday, Sept. 4| OVERALL LEADERS | POS | TEAM | BTP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kershaw, Clayton 2494 | pi sp | lad nl | 27.8 |
| 2 | Scherzer, Max 2588 | pi sp | det al | 21.1 |
| 3 | Bumgarner, Madison 2753 | pi sp | sf nl | 20.9 |
| 4 | Kluber, Corey 3200 | pi sp | cle al | 17.4 |
| 5 | Cueto, Johnny 2400 | pi sp | cin nl | 17.4 |
| 6 | Hernandez, Felix 2064 | pi sp | sea al | 16.8 |
| 7 | Price, David 2593 | pi sp | det al | 16.1 |
| 8 | Sale, Chris 2806 | pi sp | chi al | 15.7 |
| 9 | Richards, Garrett 3042 | pi sp | ana al | 15.7 |
| 10 | Abreu, Jose 3308 | 1b | chi al | 15.5 |
| AL PITCHERS | POS | TEAM | BTP | |
| 1 | Scherzer, Max 2588 | pi sp | det al | 21.1 |
| 2 | Kluber, Corey 3200 | pi sp | cle al | 17.4 |
| 3 | Hernandez, Felix 2064 | pi sp | sea al | 16.8 |
| 4 | Price, David 2593 | pi sp | det al | 16.1 |
| 5 | Sale, Chris 2806 | pi sp | chi al | 15.7 |
| 6 | Richards, Garrett 3042 | pi sp | ana al | 15.7 |
| 7 | Kazmir, Scott 1947 | pi sp | oak al | 14.1 |
| 8 | Lester, Jon 2173 | pi sp | oak al | 13.7 |
| 9 | Hughes, Phil 2272 | pi sp | min al | 13.1 |
| 10 | Hutchison, Drew 3038 | pi sp | tor al | 13.0 |
| AL BATTERS | POS | TEAM | BTP | |
| 1 | Abreu, Jose 3308 | 1b | chi al | 15.5 |
| 2 | Cabrera, Miguel 1776 | 1b | det al | 10.0 |
| 3 | Jones, Adam 2347 | cf | bal al | 9.5 |
| 4 | Donaldson, Josh 3144 | 3b | oak al | 9.0 |
| 5 | Encarnacion, Edwin 2098 | 1b dh lf | tor al | 8.0 |
| 6 | Carter, Chris 2828 | dh | hou al | 8.0 |
| 7 | Cespedes, Yoenis 3008 | lf | bos al | 8.0 |
| 8 | Trout, Mike 2949 | cf | ana al | 7.5 |
| 9 | Cruz, Nelson Ramon 2224 | lf dh | bal al | 7.0 |
| 10 | Seager, Kyle 3031 | 3b | sea al | 7.0 |
| NL PITCHERS | POS | TEAM | BTP | |
| 1 | Kershaw, Clayton 2494 | pi sp | lad nl | 27.8 |
| 2 | Bumgarner, Madison 2753 | pi sp | sf nl | 20.9 |
| 3 | Cueto, Johnny 2400 | pi sp | cin nl | 17.4 |
| 4 | Wainwright, Adam 2150 | pi sp | stl nl | 15.0 |
| 5 | Greinke, Zack 1871 | pi sp | lad nl | 13.8 |
| 6 | Strasburg, Stephen 2736 | pi sp | dc nl | 13.7 |
| 7 | Teheran, Julio 3176 | pi sp | atl nl | 13.4 |
| 8 | Collmenter, Josh 2863 | pi sp | ari nl | 12.0 |
| 9 | Arrieta, Jake 2738 | pi sp | chi nl | 11.7 |
| 10 | Hamels, Cole 2135 | pi sp | phi nl | 11.4 |
| NL BATTERS | POS | TEAM | BTP | |
| 1 | Tulowitzki, Troy 2308 | ss | col nl | 11.6 |
| 2 | Freeman, Freddie 2887 | 1b | atl nl | 7.7 |
| 3 | Holliday, Matt 1836 | lf | stl nl | 7.5 |
| 4 | Duda, Lucas 2818 | 1b | nym nl | 7.5 |
| 5 | Yelich, Christian 3334 | lf | fla nl | 7.5 |
| 6 | Upton, Justin 2411 | lf | atl nl | 7.2 |
| 7 | Howard, Ryan 2040 | 1b | phi nl | 7.2 |
| 8 | Murphy, Daniel 2589 | 2b | nym nl | 7.0 |
| 9 | Stanton, Giancarlo 2737 | rf | fla nl | 6.7 |
| 10 | Lucroy, Jonathan 2744 | ca | mil nl | 6.7 |
Kershaw has 27.8 Box-Toppers points to lead all players. With a little over three weeks left in the season—and three or four starts remaining—he has a shot of breaking the record of 33.7 Box-Toppers points in a single season, done twice by Randy Johnson of the Diamondbacks—in 2000 and 2002.
Box-Toppers “all-time” records go back to 1995, when Box-Toppers record keeping began.
Max Scherzer of the Tigers still leads American League pitchers in Box-Toppers points with 21.1. He ranks second among all players, behind Kershaw.
Jose Abreu of the White Sox still leads AL batters in Box-Toppers points with 15.5. He ranks 10th among all players and is the only batter among the top 10.
Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies still leads National League batters in Box-Toppers points with 11.6. Tulowitzki will have played in just over half the season’s games (91) and is out for the season recovering from hip surgery.
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.