Athletics' Scott Kazmir (8IP 0R H 6K) tops players for Thursday, June 11

Athletics pitcher Scott Kazmir is Thursday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.

Kazmir pitched eight scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out six, in the 7-0 win over the Rangers.

Top 10 players

Here are the top 10 players in Box-Toppers points (BTP) for the 2015 season as of June 11.  


 Player Pos Team BTP
1 Hernandez, Felix 2064 pi sp sea al 12.4
2 Archer, Chris 3194 pi sp tb al 11.0
3 Cole, Gerrit 3232 pi sp pit nl 11.0
4 Sale, Chris 2806 pi sp chi al 10.4
5 deGrom, Jacob 3343 pi sp nym nl 9.7
6 Martinez, Carlos 3371 pi sp stl nl 9.7
7 Scherzer, Max 2588 pi sp dc nl 9.0
8 Heston, Chris 3437 pi sp sf nl 8.7
9 Price, David 2593 pi sp det al 8.1
10 Keuchel, Dallas 3050 pi sp hou al 7.7
What are those numbers after players' names?

Kazmir is the top-ranked player among the nine who earned Player of the Game honors Thursday. He earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 5.7 for the season and ranks 23rd among all players, eighth among American League pitchers.

National League Player of the Day—Marlins pitcher David Phelps pitched eight scoreless innings, allowing four hits and striking out six, in the 6-0 win over the Rockies.

National League Batter of the Day—Miguel Montero of the Cubs hit a three-run homer and went 2-for-3 in the 6-3 win over the Reds.

American League Batter of the Day—Adam Jones of the Orioles homered, doubled and scored twice in the 6-5 win over the Red Sox.

Scoring—Kazmir earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Phelps earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day. Montero and Jones each earn 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being their league’s Batter of the Day. All of Thursday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

About Box-Toppers—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

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

6/11 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 11.0 Athletics Scott Kazmir (W, 3-4) - - - - - - 8.0 1 0 0 2 6
10.0 Indians Shaun Marcum (W, 3-1) - - - - - - 7.0 2 0 0 0 5
NL 9.0 Marlins David Phelps (W, 3-3) - - - - - - 8.0 4 0 0 1 6
5.0 Angels Garrett Richards (W, 6-4) - - - - - - 7.0 4 2 2 1 7
BAT 3.0 Cubs Miguel Montero C 3 1 2 3 1 1 - - - - - -
3.0 Padres Craig Kimbrel (S, 15) - - - - - - 1.0 0 0 0 0 2
BAT 2.0 Orioles Adam Jones CF 3 2 2 1 1 0 - - - - - -
1.0 Brewers Gerardo Parra CF 4 2 2 1 0 0 - - - - - -
1.0 Mets Curtis Granderson RF 4 2 2 1 0 2 - - - - - -

Pirates' Cole tops players for Friday, May 22, rises to 2nd in player rankings; Hernandez extends player rankings lead

Pirates pitcher Gerrit Cole is Friday’s Player of the Day and rises to second place in Box-Toppers player rankings.

Also Friday, Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez extended his overall player rankings lead and Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer rose to third place in player rankings.

Top 10 players

Here are the top 10 players in Box-Toppers points (BTP) for the 2015 season as of May 22.  


 Player Pos Team BTP
1 Hernandez, Felix 2064 pi sp sea al 9.7
2 Cole, Gerrit 3232 pi sp pit nl 8.0
3 Scherzer, Max 2588 pi sp dc nl 7.0
4 Archer, Chris 3194 pi sp tb al 7.0
5 Miller, Shelby 3134 pi sp atl nl 7.0
6 Harvey, Matt 3075 pi sp nym nl 6.7
7 Harper, Bryce 3011 lf rf dc nl 6.5
8 deGrom, Jacob 3343 pi sp nym nl 5.7
9 Keuchel, Dallas 3050 pi sp hou al 5.7
10 Lincecum, Tim 2288 pi sp sf nl 5.7
What are those numbers after players' names?

Player of the Day—Cole struck out 10 over 8 1/3 innings and allowed one run in the 4-1 win over the Mets. Cole earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 8.0 for the season, rising to second in Box-Toppers player rankings. He passes Braves pitcher Shelby Miller (7.0 Box-Toppers points) to lead National League pitchers on the season.

American League Player of the Day—White Sox pitcher Jeff Samardzija struck out nine over eight innings and allowed two runs in the 3-2 win over the Twins.

American League Batter of the Day—Kendrys Morales of the Royals homered twice and drove in five runs, going 3-for-4, in the 5-0 win over the Cardinals.

National League Batter of the Day—Ryan Braun of the Brewers homered, hit two doubles and drove in four runs, going 3-for-3 and scoring twice, in the 11-0 win over the Braves.

Leader—Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez maintained his top spot in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Friday.

Hernandez (7IP R 8K W in the 4-3 win over the Blue Jays) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 9.7 for the season. He has led player rankings all but six days this season (Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals led April 5, Scott Kazmir of the Athletics led from April 13 to 17).

Hernandez now has 153.0 career Box-Toppers points, 15th among all players since 1995 when Box-Toppers record keeping began. He is just behind Barry Bonds (153.2) and Tim Hudson (154.0). Hernandez’s 153.0 career points ranks third among active pitchers currently in the AL, behind CC Sabathia of the Yankees (174.3) and Johan Santana of the Blue Jays (166.6).

Rankings—Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer rose to third place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Friday. Scherzer (8IP R 6K W in the 2-1 win over the Phillies) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 7.0 for the season. While Scherzer and two other players have 7.0 points this season, Scherzer holds the tiebreaker because he had more points in 2014—Scherzer (22.1), Chris Archer (12.4), Shelby Miller (9.0).

Notable—Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke rises to 27th place in Box-Toppers points since 1995, when record keeping began, after earning Player of the Game honors Friday.

Grienke (7.2IP R 5K ND in the 2-1 win over the Padres) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 5.0 for the season and 130.7 for his career. With his point Friday, he passes Trevor Hoffman (129.4) in Box-Toppers points earned since 1995. Greinke now trails Jake Peavy (131.8) on that list.

Scoring—Cole earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Samardzija earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day. Morales and Braun each earn 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being their league’s Batter of the Day. All of Friday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

About Box-Toppers—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

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

5/22 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 10.1 Pirates Gerrit Cole (W, 6-2) - - - - - - 8.1 6 1 0 1 10
AL 9.0 White Sox Jeff Samardzija (W, 4-2) - - - - - - 8.0 3 2 2 1 9
7.0 Nationals Max Scherzer (W, 5-3) - - - - - - 8.0 4 1 1 1 6
7.0 Mariners Felix Hernandez (W, 7-1) - - - - - - 7.0 4 1 1 2 8
BAT 6.0 Royals Kendrys Morales DH 4 2 3 5 0 0 - - - - - -
BAT 6.0 Brewers Ryan Braun RF 3 2 3 4 1 0 - - - - - -
6.0 Giants Ryan Vogelsong (W, 3-2) - - - - - - 6.0 2 0 0 3 5
5.0 Tigers Alfredo Simon (W, 5-2) - - - - - - 7.0 4 2 0 1 5
3.2 `Dodgers Zack Greinke - - - - - - 7.2 6 1 1 1 5
3.0 Rangers Prince Fielder DH 5 2 2 4 0 0 - - - - - -
3.0 Orioles Caleb Joseph C 4 2 3 2 1 0 - - - - - -
3.0 Indians Jason Kipnis 2B 4 2 3 2 1 0 - - - - - -
3.0 Rays Evan Longoria 3B 3 1 2 3 1 0 - - - - - -
2.0 Dbacks Paul Goldschmidt 1B 5 1 3 3 1 2 - - - - - -
2.0 Angels Chris Iannetta C 3 1 1 3 2 2 - - - - - -
`Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Mariners' Felix Hernandez, top player for Saturday, April 18, rises to top of Box-Toppers player rankings

Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez is Saturday’s Player of the Day and rises to the top of Box-Toppers player rankings.

Hernandez struck out 12 over seven innings, allowing one run and two hits, in the 3-1 win over the Rangers. Hernandez earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 4.0 for the season, passing previous points leader, Athletics pitcher Scott Kazmir, who has 3.7.

Top 10 players

Here are the top 10 players in Box-Toppers points (BTP) for the 2015 season as of April 18.  


 Player Pos Team BTP
1 Hernandez, Felix 2064 pi sp sea al 4.0
2 Kazmir, Scott 1947 pi sp oak al 3.7
3 Scherzer, Max 2588 pi sp dc nl 3.0
4 Archer, Chris 3194 pi sp tb al 3.0
5 Bauer, Trevor 3065 pi sp cle al 3.0
6 Price, David 2593 pi sp det al 2.7
7 deGrom, Jacob 3343 pi sp nym nl 2.7
8 Harvey, Matt 3075 pi sp nym nl 2.7
9 Donaldson, Josh 3144 3b dh tor al 2.5
10 Stanton, Giancarlo 2737 rf fla nl 2.5
What are those numbers after players' names?

Hernandez had a Box-Toppers game score of +12, tied with Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, who was Player of the Game in the 9-0 win over the Rays. However, Hernandez won Player of the Day honors on a tie-breaker—he had more strikeouts than Tanaka Saturday (12 vs. 8).

National League Player of the Day—Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out eight in the 5-4 win over the Marlins. deGrom earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day, giving him 3.7 for the season. He rises to seventh place in Box-Toppers player rankings.

American League Batter of the Day—Adam LaRoche of the White Sox homered, doubled and went 3-for-5 with two runs and four RBIs in the 12-3 win over the Tigers.

National League Batter of the Day—Odubel Herrera of the Phillies went 3-for-4 with a double, two runs and an RBI, in the 5-3 win over the Nationals. This was Herrera’s Box-Toppers debut, the first time he has earned Player of the Game honors. He made his Major League debut April 6 and was playing in his 12th career game. He is the 3,449th player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995.

Notables—Josh Donaldson of the Blue Jays rose to ninth place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Saturday. Donaldson (HR 3-4 2R BI in the 6-5 win over the Braves) earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 2.5 for the season.

Yasiel Puig of the Dodgers earned just his third Player of the Game honor Saturday in his third season in baseball. While Puig is considered one of the game’s rising stars and an All-Star, he has so far only rarely earned Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors and now has 3.5 Box-Toppers points since his Box-Toppers debut on June 4, 2013. On Saturday, Puig went 2-for-3 with a double, a run and an RBI in the 6-3 win over the Rockies. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point and has that 1.0 point for the season. That equals his 2014 total of 1.0 Box-Toppers point—he was Player of the Game once in 2014, on May 12.

Scoring—Hernandez earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and deGrom earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day. LaRoche and Herrera each earn 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being their league’s Batter of the Day. All of Friday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

About Box-Toppers—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

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

4/18 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 13.0 Mariners Felix Hernandez (W, 2-0) - - - - - - 7.0 2 1 1 2 12
13.0 Yankees Masahiro Tanaka (W, 2-1) - - - - - - 7.0 2 0 0 0 8
NL 9.0 Mets Jacob deGrom (W, 2-1) - - - - - - 7.0 6 0 0 0 8
8.0 Pirates Jeff Locke (W, 2-0) - - - - - - 8.0 4 1 1 0 6
8.0 Astros Dallas Keuchel (W, 2-0) - - - - - - 6.0 2 0 0 3 7
7.0 `Cubs Kyle Hendricks - - - - - - 6.0 3 2 2 0 8
5.2 Giants Chris Heston (W, 2-1) - - - - - - 7.2 5 1 1 1 6
4.2 Athletics Jesse Chavez (S, 1) - - - - - - 3.2 4 0 0 1 6
BAT 4.0 White Sox Adam LaRoche 1B 5 2 3 4 0 2 - - - - - -
4.0 Indians Danny Salazar (W, 1-0) - - - - - - 6.0 6 2 2 2 10
3.0 Cardinals Carlos Martinez (W, 1-0) - - - - - - 6.0 3 1 1 2 4
3.0 Orioles Zach Britton (S, 4) - - - - - - 1.0 0 0 0 0 2
BAT 2.0 Phillies Odubel Herrera CF 4 2 3 1 1 0 - - - - - -
2.0 Blue Jays Josh Donaldson DH 4 2 3 1 1 0 - - - - - -
1.0 Dodgers Yasiel Puig RF 3 1 2 1 1 0 - - - - - -
`Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Rays' Chris Archer tops players for Thursday, April 16, rises to 2nd in Box-Toppers player rankings

Rays pitcher Chris Archer is Thursday’s Player of the Day.

Archer pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out 11 in the 4-2 win over the Blue Jays.

Archer rose to second place in Box-Toppers player rankings. He earned 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 3.0 for the season. Overall leader, Athletics pitcher Scott Kazmir, has 3.7 Box-Toppers points.

Top 10 players

Here are the top 10 players in Box-Toppers points (BTP) for the 2015 season as of April 16.  


 Player Pos Team BTP
1 Kazmir, Scott 1947 pi sp oak al 3.7
2 Archer, Chris 3194 pi sp tb al 3.0
3 Bauer, Trevor 3065 pi sp cle al 3.0
4 Harvey, Matt 3075 pi sp nym nl 2.7
5 Stanton, Giancarlo 2737 rf fla nl 2.5
6 Hernandez, Felix 2064 pi sp sea al 2.0
7 Wainwright, Adam 2150 pi sp stl nl 2.0
8 Greinke, Zack 1871 pi sp lad nl 2.0
9 Odorizzi, Jake 3291 pi sp tb al 2.0
10 Gonzalez, Miguel 3062 pi sp bal al 2.0
What are those numbers after players' names?

National League Player of the Day—Cardinals pitcher John Lackey pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out eight in the 4-0 win over the Brewers.

National League Batter of the Day—Paul Goldschmidt of the Diamondbacks hit a three-run homer and scored two runs in the 7-6 win over the Giants.

American League Batter of the Day—Kurt Suzuki of the Twins hit a two-run homer and went 2-for-4 in the 8-5 win over the Royals.

Debuts—Two players made their Box-Toppers debut Thursday, the first time in their career they earned Player of the Game honors:

  • Mets pitcher Jeurys Familia (1IP 0R K Sv in the 7-5 win over the Marlins) made his Major League debut Sept. 4, 2012, and was playing in his 99th career game. He is the 3,446th player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995.
  • Michael Taylor of the Nationals (1-2 HR in the 5-2 win over the Phillies) made his Major League debut Aug. 12, 2014, and was playing in his 27th career game. He is the 3,447th player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995.

Scoring—Archer earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Lackey earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day. Goldschmidt and Suzuki each earn 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being their league’s Batter of the Day. All of Thursday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

About Box-Toppers—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

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

4/16 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 14.0 Rays Chris Archer (W, 2-1) - - - - - - 7.0 2 0 0 2 11
NL 9.0 Cardinals John Lackey (W, 1-0) - - - - - - 7.0 5 0 0 1 8
2.0 Mets Jeurys Familia (S, 4) - - - - - - 1.0 0 0 0 0 1
BAT 1.0 Dbacks Paul Goldschmidt 1B 5 2 1 3 1 0 - - - - - -
BAT 1.0 Twins Kurt Suzuki C 4 1 2 2 0 0 - - - - - -
1.0 Nationals Michael Taylor CF 2 1 1 1 1 0 - - - - - -

Pirates' Cole tops players for Monday, April 13; Athletics' Kazmir takes Box-Toppers points lead

Pirates pitcher Gerrit Cole is Monday’s Player of the Day, while Athletics pitcher Scott Kazmir took the season lead in Box-Toppers points.

Cole struck out eight over six innings, allowing one run and three hits, in the 5-4 win over the Tigers to earn Player of the Day honors.

Top 10 players

Here are the top 10 players in Box-Toppers points (BTP) for the 2015 season as of April 13.  


 Player Pos Team BTP
1 Kazmir, Scott 1947 pi sp oak al 3.7
2 Hernandez, Felix 2064 pi sp sea al 2.0
3 Wainwright, Adam 2150 pi sp stl nl 2.0
4 Greinke, Zack 1871 pi sp lad nl 2.0
5 Odorizzi, Jake 3291 pi sp tb al 2.0
6 Wilson, C.J. 2074 pi sp ana al 2.0
7 Cole, Gerrit 3232 pi sp pit nl 2.0
8 Bauer, Trevor 3065 pi sp cle al 2.0
9 Street, Huston 1979 pi cp ana al 2.0
10 Pomeranz, Drew 3061 pi sp oak al 2.0
What are those numbers after players' names?

American League Player of the Day—Kazmir earned 1.7 Box-Toppers points as AL Player of the Day, giving him 3.7 for the season, the most of any player this season. Kazmir struck out eight over six innings, allowing one run and three hits, in the 8-1 win over the Astros. Kazmir was one of three players Monday who were the first this season to earn Player of the Game honors for the second time. The others were Rays pitcher Jake Odorizzi (8IP R 3K W in the 2-1 win over the Blue Jays) and Huston Street (1IP 0R 2K Sv in the 6-3 win over the Rangers). Both Odorizzi and Street have 2.0 Box-Toppers points for the season.

National League Batter of the Day—Jorge Soler of the Cubs hit two two-run homers and went 3-for-5 with three runs in the 7-6 win over the Reds.

American League Batter of the Day—Stephen Drew of the Yankees hit a pinch-hit, go-ahead grand slam in the 6-5 win over the Orioles.

Streak—Nick Markakis of the Braves has now earned at least 1.0 Box-Toppers point for 10 straight seasons. Markakis (1-2 BI) was Player of the Game in the 3-2 win over the Marlins to earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point. He began his 10-season streak in 2006, when he earned his first Box-Toppers point with the Orioles. His best year was 2009 with the Orioles when he earned 7.7 Box-Toppers points, ranking fifth among AL outfielders. In 2014, he had 3.0 points with the Orioles. Markakis has 38.6 career Box-Toppers points, which ranks him 14th among active outfielders currently in the NL.

Debut—Dodgers pitcher Yimi Garcia made his Box-Toppers debut Monday, the first time in his career he earned Player of the Game honors. Garcia (1IP 0R 2K W in the 6-5 win over the Mariners) made his Major League debut Sept. 1, 2014, and was playing in his 12th career game. He is the 3,440th player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995. He is the only player in the Box-Toppers database named "Yimi."

Scoring—Cole earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Kazmir earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day. Soler and Drew each earn 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being their league’s Batter of the Day. All of Monday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

About Box-Toppers—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

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

4/13 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 7.0 Pirates Gerrit Cole (W, 1-0) - - - - - - 6.0 3 1 1 2 8
AL 6.0 Athletics Scott Kazmir (W, 2-0) - - - - - - 6.0 3 1 1 3 8
BAT 5.0 Cubs Jorge Soler RF 5 3 3 4 0 0 - - - - - -
BAT 5.0 Yankees Stephen Drew PH, 2B 1 1 1 4 0 0 - - - - - -
4.0 Dbacks Ender Inciarte CF, RF 5 2 3 4 0 1 - - - - - -
4.0 Red Sox Mookie Betts CF 4 2 2 4 1 1 - - - - - -
4.0 Rays Jake Odorizzi (W, 2-0) - - - - - - 8.0 2 1 1 3 3
3.0 Angels Huston Street (S, 3) - - - - - - 1.0 0 0 0 0 2
3.0 Rockies Rafael Betancourt (S, 1) - - - - - - 1.0 0 0 0 0 2
3.0 Dodgers Yimi Garcia (W, 1-0) - - - - - - 1.0 0 0 0 0 2
2.0 Royals Eric Hosmer 1B 4 2 2 2 0 0 - - - - - -
1.1 Mets Jacob deGrom (W, 1-1) - - - - - - 6.1 7 0 0 1 3
1.0 Brewers Carlos Gomez CF 4 2 2 1 0 0 - - - - - -
0.0 Braves Nick Markakis RF 2 0 1 1 2 0 - - - - - -

Athletics' Scott Kazmir (7IP H 0R 10K) tops players for Wednesday, April 8

Athletics pitcher Scott Kazmir is Wednesday’s Player of the Day.

Kazmir pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out 10, in the 10-0 win over the Rangers.

National League Player of the Day—Phillies pitcher Aaron Harang pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out eight, in the 4-2 win over the Red Sox.

National League Batter of the Day—Adrian Gonzalez of the Dodgers hit three home runs and drove in four in the 7-4 win over the Padres.

American League Batter of the Day—Lorenzo Cain of the Royals hit a two-run homer and went 3-for-4 in the 7-5 win over the White Sox.

Debut—Giants pitcher Chris Heston made his Box-Toppers debut Wednesday, marking the first time he earned Player of the Game honors. Heston struck out five over six innings in the 5-2 win over the Diamondbacks. Heston is the 3,437th player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995.

Streak—Angels closing pitcher Huston Street has now earned at least 1.0 Box-Toppers point for 11 straight seasons. Street was Player of the Game in the 5-3 win over the Mariners after allowing no runs and no hits and striking out one in the ninth inning. Street began his 11-year streak in 2005, scoring 4.0 Box-Toppers points that season with the Athletics. His best years were 2006 and 2008, also both with the A’s, when he scored 8.0. The fewest points he earned in a season prior to this year was 1.0 in 2013 with the Padres. He had 5.0 points in 2014 with both the Padres and the Angels. He has 47.0 career Box-Toppers points, ranking 22nd among closing pitchers since 1995.

Kazmir earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Harang earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day. Gonzalez and Cain each earn 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being their league’s Batter of the Day. All of Wednesday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) earn 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. 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

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

408 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 14.0 Athletics Scott Kazmir (W, 1-0) - - - - - - 7.0 1 0 0 2 10
12.1 Indians Carlos Carrasco (W, 1-0) - - - - - - 6.1 3 0 0 1 10
11.2 Rays Jake Odorizzi (W, 1-0) - - - - - - 6.2 2 0 0 0 7
NL 11.1 Phillies Aaron Harang (W, 1-0) - - - - - - 6.1 2 0 0 1 8
8.0 Cubs Jake Arrieta (W, 1-0) - - - - - - 7.0 3 0 0 3 7
7.2 Tigers Anibal Sanchez (W, 1-0) - - - - - - 6.2 3 0 0 2 6
BAT 7.0 Dodgers Adrian Gonzalez 1B 4 3 4 4 0 0 - - - - - -
4.0 Giants Chris Heston (W, 1-0) - - - - - - 6.0 3 2 0 2 5
BAT 3.0 Royals Lorenzo Cain CF 4 2 3 2 0 0 - - - - - -
3.0 Nationals Jordan Zimmermann (W, 1-0) - - - - - - 6.0 5 1 1 0 4
3.0 `Braves Shelby Miller - - - - - - 5.0 4 0 0 2 4
2.0 Yankees Jacoby Ellsbury CF 2 2 2 0 2 0 - - - - - -
2.0 Rockies Wilin Rosario PH 1 1 1 1 0 0 - - - - - -
2.0 Reds J.J. Hoover (W, 1-0) - - - - - - 2.0 1 0 0 0 1
2.0 Angels Huston Street (S, 2) - - - - - - 1.0 0 0 0 0 1
`Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Padres' Tyson Ross tops players in Saturday, March 28's spring games

Padres pitcher Tyson Ross, who struck out 12 batters over six innings, is Saturday’s spring training Player of the Day.

Ross also allowed six hits, two runs and two walks in the 3-2 win over the Rangers.

Athletics pitcher Scott Kazmir is American League Player of the Day for Saturday’s spring training games. Kazmir pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings in the 10-4 win over the White Sox. He did not pick up the win because the White Sox took the lead after his exit.

Todd Frazier of the Reds is National League Batter of the Day. Frazier homered, drove in four runs and scored twice in the 9-5 win over the Cubs.

Alex Liddi of the Royals is AL Batter of the Day. Liddi doubled, scored twice and drove in two runs in the 10-5 win over the Diamondbacks.

Box-Toppers points aren’t awarded for spring training games, but if this were the regular season, Ross would earn 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Kazmir would earn 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day. Frazier and Liddi would each earn 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being top batter in their league for the day. All of Saturday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) would have received 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

One spring training game Saturday ended in a tie (Astros and Marlins) and the Giants played a split-squad game with its prospects. Box-Toppers Players of the Game were not named for either of those two games.

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

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

328 Score Team Player AB R H RBI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 7.0 Padres Tyson Ross (W, 3-0) - - - - - - 6.0 6 2 2 1 12
6.0 Cubs Jake Arrieta (W, 3-1) - - - - - - 4.0 3 0 0 0 5
AL 5.1 `Athletics Scott Kazmir - - - - - - 5.1 2 0 0 2 4
5.0 Orioles Tyler Wilson (W, 1-0) - - - - - - 4.0 1 0 0 0 2
BAT 4.0 Reds Todd Frazier 3B 4 2 2 4 0 1 - - - - - -
BAT 4.0 Royals Alex Liddi PR, 1B 2 2 2 2 0 0 - - - - - -
4.0 `Indians Zach McAllister - - - - - - 5.0 6 2 2 0 9
3.0 Giants Justin Maxwell RF 4 2 2 3 0 1 - - - - - -
3.0 Mets Curtis Granderson RF 2 1 1 3 1 1 - - - - - -
3.0 `Tigers Shane Greene - - - - - - 5.0 3 3 1 3 8
3.0 Braves Craig Kimbrel (W, 1-0) - - - - - - 1.0 0 0 0 0 2
2.0 Twins Joe Mauer 1B 3 1 2 2 0 0 - - - - - -
2.0 Red Sox Jeff Bianchi 3B 1 1 1 1 0 0 - - - - - -
2.0 Pirates Reese McGuire PH 1 1 1 1 0 0 - - - - - -
1.0 Dodgers Joc Pederson CF 3 1 1 2 0 0 - - - - - -
`Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Wins leaders Kershaw, Kluber also lead in Box-Toppers points and in 'sincere, deserved' wins

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw led the Majors in wins in 2014 and also led all players in Box-Toppers points.

Indians pitcher Corey Kluber was co-leader in wins in the American League and also led all AL players in Box-Toppers points.

Read More

Nationals' Fister tops players for Friday, Sept. 26; Indians' Kluber passes 25 Box-Toppers points, extends lead among AL pitchers

Nationals pitcher Doug Fister is Friday’s Player of the Day, while Indians pitcher Corey Kluber has now earned more than 25 Box-Toppers points, only the 20th time in 20 seasons a player has reached that threshold.

Most BTP single season

Corey Kluber of the Indians is now tied for the 17th-best single season in Box-Toppers history (dating back to 1995), with 25.8 Box-Toppers points. It is the 20th time in 20 seasons a player has passed 25 Box-Toppers points and the second time this season—Clayton Kershaw has 31.5.

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

* Current season
BTP: Box-Toppers points

Fister pitched a complete game, three-hit shutout, striking out nine and walking none, in the 4-0 win over the Marlins. Fister earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 14.4 for the season. He ranks 18th among all players and ninth among National League pitchers.

Kluber extended his lead among American League pitchers and maintained his overall No. 2-ranking in Box-Toppers points after earning AL Player of the Day honors Friday. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) Kluber pitched eight scoreless innings and struck out 11 in the 1-0 win over the Rays. He earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day, giving him 25.8 for the season.

Kluber is now all but assured to be Box-Toppers’ AL Player of the Year and top AL pitcher. With two days left in the season, he leads second-place AL player, Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer (22.1 Box-Toppers points) by 3.7 points.

Kluber now also has the 17th most Box-Toppers points earned in a single season since Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995. His 25.8 points is tied for 17th place on the “all-time” list with Roger Clemens, who also had 25.8 points with the Blue Jays in 1998. Kluber’s 25.8 points marks the 20th time in 20 seasons a player has earned 25 or more Box-Toppers points. It is the second time this season—Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw has 31.5.

Justin Bour of the Marlins is NL Batter of the Day. Bour went 3-for-4, scored four times and drove in two runs, in the 15-7 win over the Nationals. This was Bour’s Box-Toppers debut, the first time he has earned Player of the Game honors. He is the 3,433rd player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995. Bour made his Major League debut June 5 and was playing in his 37th game.

Brian Dozier of the Twins is AL Batter of the Day. Dozier homered and went 3-for-5, scoring three times and driving in three runs, in the 11-4 win over the Tigers.

Notables: Athletics pitcher Scott Kazmir ranks 15th in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Friday. Kazmir (7IP 5K W in the 6-2 win over the Rangers) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 15.1 for the season. He ranks eighth among AL pitchers.

Blue Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman ranks 22nd in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Friday. Stroman (4IP 0R 4K Sv in the 4-2 win over the Orioles) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 13.7 for the season. He ranks ninth among AL pitchers.

Mariners pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma ranks 34th in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Friday. Iwakuma (6.1IP W in the 4-3 win over the Angels) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 12.0 for the season. He ranks 19th among AL pitchers.

Fister receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Kluber receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Bour and Dozier 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

926 Score Team Player of the Game AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 15.0 Nationals Doug Fister (W, 16-6) - - - - - - 9.0 3 0 0 0 9
AL 12.0 Indians Corey Kluber (W, 18-9) - - - - - - 8.0 5 0 0 2 11
8.0 Royals Jeremy Guthrie (W, 13-11) - - - - - - 7.0 4 0 0 1 6
7.0 Blue Jays Marcus Stroman (S, 1) - - - - - - 4.0 1 0 0 0 4
6.2 Yankees Chris Capuano (W, 3-4) - - - - - - 6.2 4 1 0 0 5
6.0 Padres Ian Kennedy (W, 13-13) - - - - - - 7.0 4 1 0 2 6
BAT 5.0 Marlins Justin Bour 1B 4 4 3 2 1 0 - - - - - -
5.0 Athletics Scott Kazmir (W, 15-9) - - - - - - 7.0 4 2 1 0 5
BAT 4.0 Twins Brian Dozier 2B 5 3 3 3 0 0 - - - - - -
3.2 `Astros Brad Peacock - - - - - - 4.2 4 1 1 2 7
2.1 Mariners Hisashi Iwakuma (W, 15-9) - - - - - - 6.1 4 2 2 0 4
2.0 Cubs Javier Baez SS 5 2 3 2 0 1 - - - - - -
2.0 Dodgers Darwin Barney PH 1 1 1 1 0 0 - - - - - -
2.0 Pirates Mark Melancon (S, 33) - - - - - - 1.0 0 0 0 0 1
1.0 Cardinals Jhonny Peralta SS 5 0 3 3 0 0 - - - - - -
1.0 Phillies Cody Asche 3B 4 2 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.

 

Oakland Athletics remain atop Box-Toppers team rankings

The Oakland Athletics maintained their spot atop Box-Toppers team rankings this week.

Athletics players have accumulated 105.2 Box-Toppers points, slightly ahead of the second-place Los Angeles Angels (103.7 Box-Toppers points) and the third-place (and National League-leading) Los Angeles Dodgers (101.1 Box-Toppers points).

Top 10 teams

Here are Box-Toppers' Top 10 teams, through the games of Thursday, Aug. 28. The column BTP shows the number of Box-Toppers points players on the team have accumulated so far this season. The column BTP/wk shows have many points teams have accumulated in the past week.

828 Teams BTP BTP
/wk		 Last
wk
rank
1 Athletics 105.2 5.7 1
2 Angels 103.7 5.2 2
3 Dodgers 101.1 5.5 3
4 Cardinals 94.1 2.0 4
5 Tigers 93.4 4.0 5
6 Giants 90.4 6.0 7
7 Nationals 89.3 2.0 6
8 Orioles 85.0 3.5 9
9 Royals 84.6 4.0 10
10 Brewers 84.0 2.5 8
BTP: Box-Toppers points

The Athletics are led by pitchers Scott Kazmir (14.1 Box-Toppers points, ranked seventh among American League pitchers) and Jon Lester (13.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked eighth among AL pitchers).

The Athletics have the second-best winning percentage in baseball (.586), behind the Angels (.602), second place in Box-Toppers team rankings.

The Dodgers remain the top National League team. They are led by pitchers Clayton Kershaw (25.8 Box-Toppers points, overall leader) and Zack Greinke (13.8 Box-Toppers points, ranked fifth among NL pitchers).

The Dodgers have the second-best winning percentage among NL teams (.567), behind the Washington Nationals (.568). The Nationals have 89.3 Box-Toppers points and rank seventh among all teams, fourth among NL teams.

The Philadelphia Phillies had the best week of any team, picking up 6.5 Box-Toppers points. They rose from 24th to 20th place in Box-Toppers team rankings, with 71.5 Box-Toppers points.

The Boston Red Sox remain the lowest-ranked team with 52.5 Box-Toppers 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 Box-Toppers points for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.

Mariners' Iwakuma tops players for Tuesday, Aug. 19; Tigers' Scherzer extends Box-Toppers points lead among AL pitchers

Mariners pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma is Tuesday’s Player of the Day, while Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer extends his Box-Toppers points lead among American League pitchers.

Iwakuma pitched eight scoreless innings and struck out 11 in the 5-2 win over the Phillies. He earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 11.0 for the season. He is the 31st player this season with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points. He ranks 23rd among all players and 13th among AL pitchers.

Scherzer bolstered his top spot among AL pitchers after earning Player of the Game honors Tuesday. Scherzer (7IP 9K ND in the 8-6 win over the Rays) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 21.1 for the season. He ranks second among all players, behind Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who has 22.1 Box-Toppers points. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) Scherzer ranks first among AL pitchers, ahead of the current second-place AL pitcher, Corey Kluber of the Indians (17.4 Box-Toppers points).

Brewers pitcher Mike Fiers is National League Player of the Day. Fiers struck out six over seven innings, allowing one run, in the 6-1 win over the Blue Jays.

Carl Crawford of the Dodgers is NL Batter of the Day. Crawford homered and went 3-for-3, scoring three times and driving in three runs, in the 8-6 win over the Padres.

Omar Infante of the Royals is AL Batter of the Day. Infante hit three doubles, going 4-for-5, scoring a run and driving in four more, in the 7-4 win over the Rockies.

Notables: Athletics pitcher Scott Kazmir rose to 12th place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Tuesday. Kazmir (6IP R 6K W in the 6-2 win over the Mets) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 14.1 for the season. He ranks seventh among AL pitchers.

Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg rose to 14th place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Tuesday. Strasburg (8IP R W in the 8-1 win over the Diamondbacks) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 12.7 for the season. He ranks sixth among NL pitchers.

Iwakuma receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Fiers receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Crawford and Infante 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

819 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 15.0 Mariners Hisashi Iwakuma (W, 12-6) - - - - - - 8.0 4 0 0 0 11
11.0 Orioles Chris Tillman (W, 10-5) - - - - - - 8.0 3 1 1 1 9
NL 8.0 Brewers Mike Fiers (W, 3-1) - - - - - - 7.0 2 1 1 1 6
BAT 6.0 Dodgers Carl Crawford LF 3 3 3 3 1 0 - - - - - -
6.0 Nationals Stephen Strasburg (W, 10-10) - - - - - - 8.0 3 1 1 1 4
BAT 4.0 Royals Omar Infante 2B 5 1 4 4 0 0 - - - - - -
4.0 Braves Justin Upton LF 4 1 2 5 1 0 - - - - - -
4.0 Marlins Sam Dyson (W, 2-0) - - - - - - 1.0 0 0 0 0 3
3.0 Indians Yan Gomes C 4 3 3 1 0 1 - - - - - -
3.0 *Cubs Anthony Rizzo 1B 2 1 2 2 0 0 - - - - - -
3.0 Athletics Scott Kazmir (W, 14-5) - - - - - - 6.0 4 1 1 3 6
2.2 `Astros Tony Sipp - - - - - - 1.2 0 0 0 0 1
2.0 Cardinals Jon Jay CF 3 2 2 1 1 0 - - - - - -
1.0 Angels Chris Iannetta C 3 1 2 1 1 0 - - - - - -
1.0 `Tigers Max Scherzer - - - - - - 7.0 4 4 4 3 9

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

* UPDATE: Thursday, August 21, 2014: Rizzo was named Player of the Game in the game that was initially ruled a final, rain-shortened game. However, the Giants protested the game and Major League Baseball upheld the protest. The now-suspended game is to resume in the bottom of the fifth inning on Aug. 21. Rizzo's 1.0 Box-Toppers point earned Aug. 19 will be removed and the game's top player will now be included among Aug. 21's games. Rizzo has 5.5 Box-Toppers points for the season and ranks 15th among NL batters. Before the point was removed, his 6.5 Box-Toppers points put him at seventh place among NL batters. 

 

Oakland Athletics, Los Angeles Dodgers continue to lead Box-Toppers team rankings

The Oakland Athletics continue to lead Box-Toppers team rankings, while the Los Angeles Dodgers remain the top National League team.

Top 10 teams

Here are Box-Toppers' Top 10 teams, through the games of Thursday, Aug. 14. The column BTP shows the number of Box-Toppers points players on the team have accumulated so far this season. The column BTP/wk shows have many points teams have accumulated during the past week.

814 Teams BTP BTP
/wk		 Last
wk
rank
1 Athletics 98.5 4.0 1
2 Dodgers 92.4 4.5 3
3 Angels 91.0 3.0 2
4 Cardinals 86.4 3.7 4
5 Tigers 85.4 4.5 5
6 Giants 80.4 1.0 6
7 Nationals 79.3 4.7 8
8 Blue Jays 78.0 2.0 7
9 Orioles 76.5 5.2 9
10 Brewers 76.3 5.2 10
BTP: Box-Toppers points

Athletics players have accumulated 98.5 points this season. They are led by pitchers Scott Kazmir (13.1 Box-Toppers points, ranked seventh among American League pitchers) and Jon Lester (12.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 10th among AL pitchers).

The Athletics also have baseball’s best win-loss percentage, .603.

The Dodgers moved from third place in team rankings to second place this week, passing the Los Angeles Angels. Dodgers players have accumulated 92.4 Box-Toppers points. They are led by pitchers Clayton Kershaw (22.1 Box-Toppers points, overall leader) and Zack Greinke (13.8 Box-Toppers points, ranked fifth among NL pitchers).

The Dodgers also have the NL’s best win-loss percentage, .569.

The Tampa Bay Rays were the hottest team of the week, picking up 8.0 Box-Toppers points. They now have 68.1 and move from 22nd to 19th in team rankings. 

The Boston Red Sox remain the lowest-ranked team with 48.5 Box-Toppers 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 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.

Oakland Athletics remain atop Box-Toppers team rankings; Angels, Tigers, Rays among hottest teams

The Oakland Athletics remain atop Box-Toppers team rankings in the most recent report, through the games of Thursday, July 24.

Athletics players have accumulated 83.5 Box-Toppers points this season. They rose to the top spot for the report ending July 13, at the All-Star break.

Top 10 teams

Here are Box-Toppers' Top 10 teams, through the games of Thursday, July 24. The column BTP shows the number of Box-Toppers points players on the team have accumulated so far this season. The column BTP/wk shows have many points teams have accumulated since the last team rankings report through July 13.

724 Teams BTP BTP
/wk		 Last 
wk 
rank
1 Athletics 83.5 4.5 1
2 Angels 76.5 7.0 3
3 Dodgers 71.7 2.0 2
4 Giants 70.0 5.7 4
5 Blue Jays 67.3 6.0 5
6 Tigers 67.1 7.0 11
7 Brewers 66.1 5.5 8
8 Nationals 63.9 4.7 12
9 Braves 63.9 3.7 10
10 Mariners 62.7 2.0 6
BTP: Box-Toppers points

The Athletics are led by pitchers Scott Kazmir (13.1 Box-Toppers points, ranked seventh among all players) and Jason Hammel (8.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 13th among American League pitchers). (Hammel earned all his points with the Cubs before being traded to the Athletics.)

The Los Angeles Dodgers remain the top National League team for the third straight week, but fall from second to third place overall, falling behind the Los Angeles Angels. The Dodgers have 71.7 Box-Toppers points. The Angels have 76.5.

The Dodgers are led by starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (18.1 Box-Toppers points, overall player rankings leader) and Zack Greinke (who had 10.1 Box-Toppers points after Thursday, but has since scored another 2.0, giving him 12.1).

The Los Angeles Angels, the Detroit Tigers and the Tampa Bay Rays all tied for the hottest team since the last team rankings report on July 13. All three teams accumulated 7.0 Box-Toppers points over that period.

The Angels rose from third to second place in team rankings with 76.5 Box-Toppers points. The Tigers rose from 11th to sixth place in team rankings with 67.1 Box-Toppers points. And the Rays rose from 16th to 12th place with 62.2 points.

Two teams rose into the top 10: The Tigers, as previously mentioned, from 11th to sixth, and the Washington Nationals, from 12th to eighth, with 63.9 Box-Toppers points. Two teams fell out of the top 10: The St. Louis Cardinals fell from ninth to 11th, with 62.5 Box-Toppers points, and the Cincinnati Reds fell from seventh to 16th place, with 60.6 Box-Toppers points. The Reds scored 0.0 Box-Toppers points since July 13.

The Chicago Cubs remain the lowest-ranked team. Gaining 1.0 Box-Toppers point since July 13, the Cubs have 39.7 points, 5.1 points behind the 29th-place Texas Rangers.

 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.

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
BTP: Box-Toppers points

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.

What are those numbers after players' names?

Trade boosts Oakland Athletics to top of Box-Toppers team rankings at All-Star break

The Oakland Athletics, largely on the strength of their trade to acquire two starting pitchers from the Chicago Cubs, have risen to the top of Box-Toppers team rankings at the All-Star break.

Top 10 teams

Here are Box-Toppers' Top 10 teams, through the games of Sunday, July 13. The column BTP shows the number of Box-Toppers points players on the team have accumulated so far this season. The column BTP/wk shows have many points teams have accumulated since the last team rankings report July 3.



713

Teams

BTP
BTP
/wk		 Last 
wk 
rank
1 Athletics 79.0 19.1 2
2 Dodgers 69.7 8.1 1
3 Angels 69.5 11.0 5
4 Giants 64.3 5.7 4
5 Blue Jays 61.3 2.0 3
6 Mariners 60.7 3.0 6
7 Reds 60.6 9.5 12
8 Brewers 60.6 3.0 7
9 Cardinals 60.5 6.0 8
10 Braves 60.2 6.0 10
BTP: Box-Toppers points

Athletics players have accumulated 79.0 Box-Toppers points, rising from second place at the time of the last team rankings report July 3 to regain the top spot. They pass the Los Angeles Dodgers, the leader at the July 3 report. The Dodgers have 69.7 Box-Toppers points, dipping to second place, still leading among all National League teams.

The Athletics jumped in total Box-Toppers points when on July 5, they acquired starting pitchers Jason Hammel and Jeff Samardzija from the Cubs. Hammel has 8.7 Box-Toppers points and Samardzija has 4.0. At the time, the trade gave the Athletics a net gain of 10.7 Box-Toppers points, boosting them to the top of team rankings and pushing the Cubs to the bottom—30th place.

The trade helped make the Athletics the hottest team since the last team rankings report on July 3. They picked up 19.1 Box-Toppers points over that period.

The Athletics are led by pitchers Scott Kazmir (13.1 Box-Toppers points, fifth place among all players) and newly-acquired Hammel (his 8.7 Box-Toppers points puts him at 11th place among AL pitchers, even though all his points were earned while pitching in the NL for the Cubs).

The Athletics also have baseball’s best winning percentage (.621). The Athletics previously led in Box-Toppers team rankings at the weekly June 19 report.

The Dodgers remain the top NL team for the second week with 69.7 Box-Toppers points. They fall from first to second place overall.

The Dodgers are led by starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (18.1 Box-Toppers points, overall player rankings leader) and Zack Greinke (10.1 Box-Toppers points, seventh place among NL pitchers).

The Dodgers have NL’s best winning percentage (.557).

The Cincinnati Reds rise into the top 10 at the All-Star break. They picked up a NL-high 9.5 Box-Toppers points since the last report July 3, giving them 60.6 for the season, rising from 12th to seventh in team rankings. The Detroit Tigers fell from the top 10 list—with 60.1 Box-Toppers points, they fell from ninth to 11th.

As previously mentioned, the Chicago Cubs dropped to the bottom of Box-Toppers team rankings, with a net loss of points in the trade with the Athletics. They lost 7.2 Box-Toppers points since the last report July 3, giving them 38.7 for the season. The previous report’s 30th-ranked team, the Arizona Diamondbacks, rose to 28th place, picking up 6.4 Box-Toppers points, giving them 47.5 for the season.

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

Dodgers' Kershaw, top player for Thursday, July 10, adds to Box-Toppers points lead

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, Thursday’s Player of the Day, added to his lead in Box-Toppers player rankings, while Athletics pitcher Scott Kazmir rose to fourth place overall.

Kershaw pitched a complete game three-hitter, allowing one run and striking out 11, in the 2-1 win over the Padres. Kershaw earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 18.1 for the season, to maintain his top spot in Box-Toppers player rankings. Kershaw, who led all players in Box-Toppers points in 2013, is only 3.6 points behind his overall total from last season, 21.7.

Kazmir, American League Player of the Day, rises from 10th to fourth place in player rankings. Kazmir pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out nine in the 6-1 win over the Giants. He earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day, giving him 13.1 for the season. He ranks second among AL pitchers in Box-Toppers points, behind Max Scherzer of the Tigers (16.1).

Mike Trout of the Angels is AL Batter of the Day. Trout homered and went 4-for-5, scoring three times and driving in four runs, in the 15-6 win over the Rangers. Trout earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being AL Batter of the Day, giving him 3.5 for the season, matching his Box-Toppers points total for 2013. While he currently ranks second among all players in the Wins Above Replacement stat, he ranks 29th among AL batters in Box-Toppers points this season.

Arismendy Alcantara of the Cubs is National League Batter of the Day. Alcantara tripled, doubled, went 4-for-5, scored twice and drove in three runs, in the 6-4 win over the Reds. This was Alcantara’s Box-Toppers debut, the first time he has earned Player of the Game honors. He is the 3,378th player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995. He made his Major League debut July 9 and was playing in his second game. His fifth inning double Thursday was his first Major League hit.

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

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

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

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

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

710 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 14.0 Dodgers Clayton Kershaw (W, 11-2) - - - - - - 9.0 3 1 1 1 11
AL 12.0 Athletics Scott Kazmir (W, 11-3) - - - - - - 7.0 3 0 0 1 9
10.0 `Red Sox Jon Lester - - - - - - 7.0 7 1 1 0 12
BAT 6.0 Angels Mike Trout CF 5 3 4 4 0 1 - - - - - -
5.0 Phillies David Buchanan (W, 5-5) - - - - - - 7.0 4 1 1 1 5
BAT 4.0 Cubs Arismendy Alcantara 2B 5 2 4 3 0 1 0 0
4.0 Tigers J.D. Martinez LF, RF 3 2 2 3 1 1 - - - - - -
4.0 Pirates Edinson Volquez (W, 8-6) - - - - - - 9.0 6 1 1 2 5
3.0 Indians Roberto Perez C 3 2 2 2 1 0 - - - - - -
2.1 Braves Craig Kimbrel (S, 28) - - - - - - 1.1 0 0 0 0 1
1.0 Orioles Steve Pearce LF 4 2 2 1 0 0 - - - - - -
1.0 Twins Kurt Suzuki C 3 1 2 1 1 0 - - - - - -

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

 

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.

 

Los Angeles Dodgers rise to top of Box-Toppers team rankings

The Los Angeles Dodgers have risen to the top of Box-Toppers team rankings this week.

Dodgers players have accumulated 61.6 Box-Toppers points to rise from third place overall and pass last week’s leader, the San Francisco Giants. The Giants, scoring only 1.7 Box-Toppers points this past week, fell to fourth place with 58.6 points.

Top 10 teams

Here are Box-Toppers' Top 10 teams, through the games of Thursday, July 3. The column BTP shows the number of Box-Toppers points players on the team have accumulated so far this season. The column BTP/wk shows have many points teams have accumulated during the past week.



703

Teams

BTP
BTP
/wk		 Last 
wk 
rank
1 Dodgers 61.6 5.4 3
2 Athletics 59.9 4.0 4
3 Blue Jays 59.3 3.0 2
4 Giants 58.6 1.7 1
5 Angels 58.5 4.0 6
6 Mariners 57.7 6.7 8
7 Brewers 57.6 2.0 5
8 Cardinals 54.5 3.0 7
9 Tigers 54.4 6.5 12
10 Braves 54.2 8.2 15
BTP: Box-Toppers points

The Dodgers are led by pitchers Clayton Kershaw (14.4 Box-Toppers points, who leads all players in Box-Toppers points) and Zack Greinke (10.1 Box-Toppers points, 10th place among all players, sixth among National League pitchers).

The Giants have the sixth-best winning percentage in baseball (.557), second best in the NL behind the Milwaukee Brewers (.593). The Brewers have 57.6 Box-Toppers points, ranked seventh among all teams.

The Oakland Athletics are the top American League team in Box-Toppers points with 59.9. They are ranked second overall, just behind the Dodgers. They pass last week’s AL leading team, the Toronto Blue Jays (59.3 Box-Toppers points). The Blue Jays fell from second overall to third in Box-Toppers team rankings.

The Athletics are led by pitchers Scott Kazmir (9.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked fourth among AL pitchers) and Jesse Chavez (6.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 15th among AL pitchers).

The Athletics have baseball’s best winning percentage (.612).

The Atlanta Braves are the hottest team of the week, picking up 8.2 points, giving them 54.2 for the season and rising from 15th to 10th in team rankings.

Along with the Braves, the Detroit Tigers rise into the top 10, rising from 12th to ninth place. Two teams fell out of the top 10—the Washington Nationals fell from ninth to 11th and the Cincinnati Reds fell from 10th to 12th.

The Arizona Diamondbacks remain the lowest-ranked team with 41.1 Box-Toppers points, however, they picked up 6.2 points over the past 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.