Astros' Dallas Keuchel faces Yankees' Masahiro Tanaka in AL Wild Card Game

The Houston Astros visit the New York Yankees Tuesday in the American League one-game Wild Card playoff game.

Starting pitchers are:

Astros—Dallas Keuchel, 21.4 Box-Toppers points, ranked first among AL pitchers, fourth overall.

Yankees—Masahiro Tanaka, 8.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 28th among AL pitchers, 77th overall.

The Yankees hold home-field advantage because they have one more win on the season than the Astros (87-75 vs. 86-76). But the Astros players have accumulated more Box-Toppers points—118.4 vs. 99.8. The Astros rank eighth in team Box-Toppers rankings, third among AL teams, while the Yankees rank 13th, sixth among AL teams. The Yankees are Box-Toppers’ lowest-ranked playoff team and finished behind three teams that did not qualify for the postseason—the San Francisco Giants, the Washington Nationals and the Los Angeles Angels.

The winner of the AL Wild Card game will face the Kansas City Royals in the best-of-five AL Division Series beginning Thursday in Kansas City. The Royals have the AL’s best record and also have the most Box-Toppers points among AL teams, 127.5, ranked second overall, behind the Pittsburgh Pirates (129.6).

Notable—Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia will not be available for the postseason after it was announced Monday that he will enter alcohol rehabilitation. In 2015, Sabathia had 5.7 Box-Toppers points, his best season since 2012, when he had 15.1. Sabathia is Box-Toppers active leader among pitchers in career points with 179.0. He ranks fifth among all players since 1995, when Box-Toppers record keeping began. Sabathia, 35, had eight straight seasons with more than 13.0 Box-Toppers points per season from 2005 to 2012. In 2013, he had 4.7 points. In 2014, he had 1.0 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.

Astros vs. Yankees

Here are players for both teams in the AL Wild Card Game Tuesday. Players are listed for both teams ranked by Box-Toppers points earned in 2015. All players listed were on active Major or Minor League rosters at the end of the season—not necessarily all of them will be included on postseason rosters. Players who earned no Box-Toppers points in 2015 are not included.  

Houston Astros				New York Yankees
Player	Pos	BTP		Player	Pos	BTP
Keuchel, Dallas 3050	pi sp	21.4		Pineda, Michael 2841	pi sp	10.7
Kazmir, Scott 1947	pi sp	12.7		Tanaka, Masahiro 3305	pi sp	8.0
McHugh, Collin 3316	pi sp	9.7		Drew, Stephen 2210	2b	8.0
Correa, Carlos 3506	ss	7.2		Rodriguez, Alex	dh	7.7
Fiers, Michael 3029	pi sp	7.0		Teixeira, Mark 1738	1b	7.5
Altuve, Jose 3007	2b	7.0		McCann, Brian 2179	ca	6.5
McCullers, Lance 3488	pi sp	6.7		Sabathia, C.C. 1492	pi sp	5.7
Gomez, Carlos 2397	cf	6.0		Young, Chris B. 2270	rf cf lf	4.5
Rasmus, Colby 2608	lf rf cf	6.0		Betances, Dellin 3333	pi cp mr	4.0
Gregerson, Luke 2563	pi cp	6.0		Miller, Andrew 2436	pi cp	4.0
Valbuena, Luis 2600	3b	4.5		Warren, Adam 3169	pi sp mr	3.7
Gattis, Evan 3179	dh	4.0		Beltran, Carlos 1194	rf ph	3.5
Harris, Will 3093	pi mr cp	3.7		Gardner, Brett 2486	lf cf	3.5
Qualls, Chad 1958	pi mr cp	3.0		Ellsbury, Jacoby 2365	cf	3.0
Lowrie, Jed 2437	ss dh	2.5		Bird, Greg 3562	1b	3.0
Feldman, Scott 2632	pi sp cp	2.0		Severino, Luis 3567	pi sp	3.0
Marisnick, Jake 3428	cf	2.0		Gregorius, Didi 3184	ss	2.5
Tucker, Preston 3525	rf lf	2.0		Eovaldi, Nathan 2928	pi sp	2.0
Carter, Chris 2828	dh	1.0		Headley, Chase 2552	3b	2.0
Springer, George 3337	rf	1.0		Shreve, Chasen 3482	pi mr	2.0
Fields, Josh 3247	pi mr	1.0		Ackley, Dustin 2921	lf ph	1.0
Conger, Hank 2843	ca	1.0		Wilson, Justin 3140	pi mr	1.0
Oberholtzer, Brett 3244	pi sp	1.0		Nova, Ivan 2796	pi sp	1.0
				Petit, Gregorio 2562	2b	1.0
				Moreno, Diego 3540	pi mr	1.0
Totals		118.4		Totals		99.8

What are those numbers after players' names?

Box-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

Giants' Vogelsong, Cardinals' Adams top players for Tuesday, Oct. 7, leading their teams into the NLCS

Ryan Vogelsong allowed one run over 5 2/3 innings and led the San Francisco Giants to a National League Division Series Game 4 win, eliminating the Washington Nationals. He is Box-Toppers.com Player of the Day for Tuesday.

Vogelsong also allowed two hits, two walks and struck out four, earning a Box-Toppers game score of +3.2, the highest of any Giants player, in the 3-2 win. Vogelsong did not earn the win because after he exited the game, the Nationals tied the score, 2-2 in the top of the seventh, before the Giants took the lead, 3-2, in the bottom of the seventh.

During the regular season Vogelsong had 8.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 74th among all players, 36th among NL pitchers.

The Giants eliminate the Nationals in the best-of-five game series, 3-1, and will face the Cardinals in the NL Championship series beginning Saturday in St. Louis.

The Giants were ranked eighth in Box-Toppers team rankings with their players accumulating 110.8 Box-Toppers points during the regular season. The Nationals were ranked fourth with 115.5 Box-Toppers points.

NLDS Game 4: Cardinals 3, Dodgers 2

Matt Adams hit a three-run homer and led the St. Louis Cardinals to a National League Division Series Game 4 win, eliminating the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is Player of the Game in the 3-2 win.

Adams hit his go-ahead homer in the seventh inning off Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw (who led all players in Box-Toppers points for 2014). Adams had a Box-Toppers game score of 2.0. The Cardinals win the best-of-five game series, 3-1.

Kershaw uncharacteristically lost two consecutive starts (he also lost Game 1 of the NLDS). The last time he did that was last October in the NL Championship Series, also against the Cardinals. Kershaw had 31.5 Box-Toppers points in 2014, tied for the fourth-most Box-Toppers points in a single season in the past 20 years.

Kershaw allowed only one hit through six innings. In the end, he gave up three runs, four hits and two walks over six innings, striking out nine. He had a Box-Toppers game score of +3—which was actually the highest of any player in the game. 

Adams, meanwhile, had 1.0 Box-Toppers point during the regular season, ranked 530th among all players and 127th among NL batters.

The Cardinals were ranked fifth in Box-Toppers team rankings with 114.8 Box-Toppers points. The Dodgers were the highest-rated NL team, ranked second with 123.2 Box-Toppers points.

The Cardinals face the Giants in the NL Championship Series beginning Saturday.

•

With the elimination of the Angels, Dodgers, Athletics and Nationals, the Cardinals now have the highest Box-Toppers ranking of remaining playoff teams. They are ranked fifth with 114.8 Box-Toppers points. 

No playoff games are scheduled Wednesday or Thursday. Baseball resumes Friday with Game 1 of the American League Championship Series between the Royals and Orioles in Baltimore.

Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.

Top player from each game

Players of the Game (POG) listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

1007	Score	Team	Player of the Game	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
POG	3.2	`Giants	Ryan Vogelsong	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.2	2	1	1	2	4
POG	2.0	Cardinals	Matt Adams 1B	3	1	1	3	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, Royals' Aoki top players as both teams sweep their ALDS, Sunday, Oct. 5

Orioles pitcher Bud Norris, who pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings to eliminate the Tigers in Game 3 of the American League Division Series, is Sunday’s Player of the Day.

Norris also allowed two hits and struck out six in the 2-1 win. The Orioles win the series 3-0 and will face the Royals in the AL Championship Series beginning Friday.

Norris had the highest Box-Toppers game score of any Orioles player of +8.1. 

During the regular season, Norris had 10.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 51st among all players and 23rd among AL pitchers.

The Orioles are ranked just ahead of the Tigers in Box-Toppers team rankings, in sixth place with 113.4 Box-Toppers points. The Tigers are in seventh with 112.9 Box-Toppers points. (See final team rankings.)

ALDS Game 3: Royals 8, Angels 3

Norichika Aoki, who went 3-for-3, scoring twice and driving in a run, as his Royals swept the Angels, is Player of the Game in Game 3 of the American League Division Series.

The Royals, with their 3-0 series victory, upset the Angels, the team in first place in Box-Toppers team rankings with 124.2 Box-Toppers points. The Royals have the lowest Box-Toppers team ranking of remaining teams in the playoffs—10th place with 101.1 Box-Toppers points. (See final team rankings.)

The Royals will now face the Orioles in the AL Championship Series beginning Friday.

Aoki had the highest Box-Toppers game score of any Royals player of +3.

During the regular season, Aoki had 2.0 Box-Toppers points, ranking 443rd among all players, 111th among AL batters.

Coming Monday:

NLDS Game 3, Dodgers at Cardinals, series tied 1-1

The pitching matchup Monday:

Dodgers: Hyun-Jin Ryu, 11.4 Box-Toppers points, ranked 41st among all players, 15th among NL pitchers.

Cardinals: John Lackey, 10.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 50th among all players, 24th among NL pitchers.

NLDS Game 3, Giants lead Nationals, 2-0

The pitching matchup Monday:

Nationals: Doug Fister, 14.4 Box-Toppers points, ranked 19th among all players, 10th among NL pitchers.

Giants: Madison Bumgarner, 22.6 Box-Toppers points, ranked third among all players, second among NL pitchers.

Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.

Top player from each game

Players of the Game (POG) listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

1005	Score	Team	Player of the Game	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
POG	8.1	Orioles	Bud Norris (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.1	2	0	0	2	6
POG	3.0	Royals	Norichika Aoki RF	3	2	3	1	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

Dodgers' Greinke, Giants' Petit top players in tight NLDS games Saturday, Oct. 4

Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke, who pitched seven scoreless innings in the National League Division Series Game 2 win over the Cardinals, is Saturday’s Player of the Day.

Greinke also allowed only two hits and two walks and struck out seven in the 3-2 win. He did not earn a win in the game—though he exited the mound with a 2-0 lead, the Cardinals tied the game in the eighth before the Dodgers went ahead in the bottom of the ninth.

Greinke had the highest Box-Toppers game score of any Dodgers player of +10.

During the regular season, Greinke had 16.5 Box-Toppers points, ranked 11th among all players, sixth among NL pitchers.

The Dodgers have tied the best-of-five game series with the Cardinals, 1-1. Game 3 is Monday in St. Louis.

NLDS Game 2: Giants 2, Nationals 1

Giants pitcher Yusmeiro Petit, pitching six innings of extra-inning relief is Player of the Game in a marathon 18-inning National League Division Series Game 2.

Petit, who took the ball in the bottom of the 12th inning, allowed no runs, one hit, three walks, struck out seven and earned the win in the 2-1 win that was finally decided on Brandon Belt’s home run in the top of the 18th.

Petit had the highest Box-Toppers game score of any Giants player of +9. 

During the regular season, Petit, normally a starting pitcher, had 4.0 Box-Toppers points, ranking 247th among all players, 78th among NL pitchers.

The Giants now lead the best-of-five game series with the Nationals, 2-0. Game 3 is Monday in San Francisco.

Coming Sunday:

ALDS Game 3, Orioles lead Tigers, 2-0

The pitching matchup Sunday:

Orioles: Bud Norris, 10.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 51st among all players, 23rd among AL pitchers.

Tigers: David Price, 19.1 Box-Toppers points, ranked seventh among all players, fourth among AL pitchers.

ALDS Game 3, Royals lead Angels, 2-0

The pitching matchup Sunday:

Angels: C.J. Wilson, 6.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 127th among all players, 48th among AL pitchers.

Royals: James Shields, 13.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 22nd among all players, 11th among AL pitchers.

Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.

Top player from each game

Players of the Game (POG) listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

1004	Score	Team	Player of the Game	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
POG	10.0	`Dodgers	Zack Greinke	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	2	0	0	2	7
POG	9.0	Giants	Yusmeiro Petit (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	1	0	0	3	7

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

Royals' Yordano Ventura tops players in day of 4 playoff games, Friday, Oct. 3

Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura, who allowed one run in seven innings in the American League Division Series Game 2 win over the Angels, is Friday’s Player of the Day.

Ventura, who also struck out five and walked one, did not earn the win in the 4-1, 11-inning win, because he exited the game with the score tied, 1-1. Ventura had the highest Box-Toppers game score of any Royals player of +4, which was also enough to earn Player of the Day honors in a day of four league division series playoff games.

During the regular season, Ventura had 8.7 Box-Toppers points, ranking 75th among all players, 33rd among AL pitchers.

The Royals now lead the Angels in the best-of-five series, 2-0. The Angels are first in Box-Toppers team rankings with 124.2 Box-Toppers points. The Royals are 10th with 101.1. The Royals can sweep the series in Game 3 Sunday in Kansas City.

In Friday’s other games:

NLDS Game 1: Giants 3, Nationals 2

Giants pitcher Jake Peavy, who pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings in the win over the Nationals is Player of the Game in the National League Division Series Game 1.

Peavy, who led the Giants to a 3-2 win, had a Box-Toppers game score of +3.2.

During the regular season, Peavy had 5.7 Box-Toppers points, ranking 165th among all players and 58th among NL pitchers.

Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg, who was 10th among all players in Box-Toppers player rankings during the regular season, picked up the loss. Strasburg gave up eight hits and two runs over five innings, striking out two. His Box-Toppers game score was -5. Strasburg had 16.7 Box-Toppers points during the regular season.

The Giants now lead the Nationals in the best-of-five series, 1-0.

NLDS Game 1: Cardinals 10, Dodgers 9

Matt Carpenter of the Cardinals, who homered, doubled and drove in four runs, is Player of the Game in the Cardinals 10-9 NL Division Series Game 1 win over the Dodgers.

Carpenter also went 2-for-5 and scored twice and had the Cardinals’ high Box-Toppers game score of +3.

During the regular season, Carpenter had 2.0 Box-Toppers points, ranking 407th among all players, 96th among NL batters.

In a game that was billed as a matchup of two pitching aces—Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals and Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers—both pitchers had to make early, ignominious exits:

• Wainwright (18.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked eighth) gave up 11 hits and six runs over 4 1/3 innings, striking out five and had a Box-Toppers game score of −14.9. Wainwright earned no decision because the Cardinals later came back to take the lead and win.

• Kershaw (31.5 Box-Toppers points, ranked first) gave up eight runs on eight hits over 6 2/3 innings, striking out 10 and picking up the loss. He had a Box-Toppers game score of −7.8. 

The Cardinals now lead the Dodgers in the best-of-five series, 1-0.

ALDS Game 2: Orioles 7, Tigers 6

Delmon Young of the Orioles, who hit a pinch-hit, go-ahead three-run double is Player of the Game in the AL Division Series Game 2.

Young’s eighth-inning hit put the Orioles ahead in the game they won 7-6. He had a Box-Toppers game score of +3.

During the regular season, Young had 5.5 Box-Toppers points, ranking 178th among all players and 31st among AL batters.

The Orioles now lead the Tigers in the best-of-five series, 2-0. The series resumes Sunday in Detroit.

Coming Saturday:

National League Division Series Game 2, Giants lead Nationals, 1-0

The pitching matchup Saturday:

Giants: Tim Hudson, 8.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 71st among all players, 34th among NL pitchers.

Nationals: Jordan Zimmermann, 15.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 16th among all players, seventh among NL pitchers.

National League Division Series Game 2, Cardinals lead Dodgers, 1-0

The pitching matchup Saturday:

Cardinals: Lance Lynn, 10.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 48th among all players, 22nd among NL pitchers.

Dodgers: Zack Greinke, 16.5 Box-Toppers points, ranked 11th among all players, sixth among NL pitchers.

Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.

Top player from each game

Players of the Game (POG) listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

1003	Score	Team	Player of the Game	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
POG	4.0	`Royals	Yordano Ventura	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	5	1	1	1	5
POG	3.2	Giants	Jake Peavy (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.2	2	0	0	3	3
POG	3.0	Cardinals	Matt Carpenter 3B	5	2	2	4	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
POG	3.0	Orioles	Delmon Young PH	1	0	1	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

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

Orioles' Cruz, Royals' Holland top players in pair of opening ALDS games for Thursday, Oct. 2

Nelson Cruz led the Orioles offense to a Game 1 win in the American League Division Series win over the Tigers and is Thursday’s Player of the Day.

Cruz homered and went 2-for-3, scoring twice and driving in three runs, in the 12-3 win over the Tigers to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series. Cruz had the Orioles’ high Box-Toppers game score of +3.

During the regular season, Cruz earned 8.5 Box-Toppers points, 77th among all players and sixth among AL batters.

Max Scherzer, Box-Toppers' fifth-ranked player this season, started the game for the Tigers and picked up the loss. Scherzer (7.1 IP 7H 5R 6K) had a Box-Toppers game score of -4.9. He has 22.1 Box-Toppers points on the season, ranked second among AL pitchers.

Royals pitcher Greg Holland is Player of the Game in the other AL Division Series Game 1. Holland closed out the Angels in the bottom of the 11th, pitching one scoreless inning, striking out two and earning the save, in the 3-2 win over the Angels. The Royals take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series.

Holland had the Royals’ high Box-Toppers game score of +3. While both of Thursday’s Players of the Game had Box-Toppers game scores of +3, Cruz edged out Holland as overall Player of the Day because in a tie-breaker, batters beat pitchers when Box-Toppers game scores are tied.

Holland earned 7.0 Box-Toppers points during the regular season, 106th among all players, 37th among all AL pitchers and fourth among AL closing pitchers.

Coming Friday:

American League Division Series Game 2, Orioles lead Tigers, 1-0

The pitching matchup Friday:

Tigers: Justin Verlander, 4.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 237th among all players, 68th among AL pitchers.

Orioles: Wei-Yen Chen, 6.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 131st among all players, 50th among AL pitchers.

National League Division Series Game 1, Giants at Nationals

The Nationals have an edge in Box-Toppers team rankings. Nationals players have accumulated 115.5 Box-Toppers points this season, ranking fourth among all teams. The Giants rank eighth with 110.8 points. The Nationals also had the hottest final 10 days of the season of any team, picking up 11.5 Box-Toppers points over that period. The Giants picked up 4.5 during the same period.

The pitching matchup Friday:

Giants: Jake Peavy, 5.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 165th among all players, 58th among NL pitchers.

Nationals: Stephen Strasburg, 16.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 10th among all players, fifth among NL pitchers.

National League Division Series Game 1, Cardinals at Dodgers

The Dodgers have the edge in Box-Toppers team rankings. Dodgers players have accumulated 123.2 Box-Toppers points this season, second among all teams and first among NL teams. The Cardinals have 114.8 Box-Toppers points, ranked fifth among all teams

The pitching match up Friday:

Cardinals: Adam Wainwright, 18.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked eighth among all players, fourth among NL pitchers.

Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw, 31.5 Box-Toppers points, ranked first among all players.

American League Division Series Game 2, Royals lead the Angels, 1-0

The pitching match up Friday:

Royals: Yordano Ventura, 8.7 Box-Toppers points, rank 75th among all players, 33rd among AL pitchers.

Angels: Matt Shoemaker, 11.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 38th among all players, 22nd among AL pitchers.

Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.

Top player from each game

Players of the Game (POG) listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

1002	Score	Team	Player of the Game	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
POG	3.0	Orioles	Nelson Cruz DH	4	2	2	3	0	2		-	-	-	-	-	-
POG	3.0	Royals	Greg Holland (S, 1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	2

Giants' Madison Bumgarner shuts out Pirates in NL Wild Card Game, tops players for Wednesday, Oct. 1

Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner, who pitched a complete game shutout in the National League Wild Card Game win over the Pirates, is Wednesday’s Player of the Day.

Bumgarner allowed four hits and one walk and struck out 10 in the 8-0 win. He had the Giants’ high Box-Toppers game score of +14. Brandon Belt, who went 2-for-3 with a run and three RBIs, had the second-highest Box-Toppers game score among Giants players of +3.

During the regular season, Bumgarner earned 22.6 Box-Toppers points, ranking third among all players and second among NL pitchers.

The Giants now advance to face the Nationals in the best-of-five NL Division Series beginning Friday in Washington.

The Giants are ranked eighth in regular season Box-Toppers team rankings with 110.8 Box-Toppers points. They eliminate the Pirates, the 11th-ranked team with 99.9 Box-Toppers points. The team the Giants will face, the Nationals, rank fourth in Box-Toppers team rankings with 115.5 Box-Toppers points.

Coming Thursday:

American League Division Series Game 1, Tigers at Orioles

The Orioles have a slight edge in Box-Toppers team rankings. They have 113.4 Box-Toppers points, ranking sixth among all teams. The Tigers have 112.9 points, ranking seventh. During the final 10 days of the regular season, Orioles players earned 4.0 Box-Toppers points and Tigers players earned 6.0.

The pitching matchup Thursday:

Tigers: Max Scherzer, 22.1 Box-Toppers points, ranked fifth among all players, second among AL pitchers.

Orioles: Chris Tillman, 6.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 152nd among all players, 53rd among AL pitchers.

American League Division Series Game 1, Royals at Angels

The Angels are Box-Toppers’ top-ranked team with 124.2 Box-Toppers points. The Royals rank 10th with 101.1 points. However, in the final 10 days of the regular season, the Angels had the fewest Box-Toppers points of any AL team (3.0), while the Royals had 6.5.

The pitching matchup Thursday:

Royals: Jason Vargas, 7.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 107th among all players, 38th among AL pitchers.

Angels: Jered Weaver, 6.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 126th among all players, 47th among AL pitchers.

Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.

Top player in NL Wild Card Game

Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner was Player of the Game (POG) in the 8-0 win over the Pirates

1001	Score	Team	Player of the Game	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
POG	14.0	Giants	Madison Bumgarner (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	4	0	0	1	10

Royals' Eric Hosmer tops players in AL Wild Card win over Athletics, Tuesday, Sept. 30

Eric Hosmer of the Royals, who tripled in the bottom of the 12th inning, then scored the run to tie the American League Wild Card Playoff Game, is Tuesday’s Player of the Day.

Hosmer went 3-for-4, scoring twice and driving in a run, in the 9-8, 12-inning win over the Athletics. He had the Royals’ high Box-Toppers game score of +2.

During the regular season, Hosmer earned 2.5 Box-Toppers points, ranking 368th among all players and 83rd among AL batters.

The Royals now advance to face the Angels in the best-of-five AL Division Series beginning Thursday in Los Angeles.

The Royals are tenth in Box-Toppers team rankings, the lowest-rated AL playoff team, with 101.1 Box-Toppers points. They eliminate the Athletics, the third-ranked team with 117.6 Box-Toppers points. The Athletics had led all teams in Box-Toppers points much of the season but slumped toward the end of the season and were the final team to qualify for a playoff spot, winning the AL’s second wild card spot on Sunday, the final game of the season.

The Royals will face the Angels, the overall top team in Box-Toppers team rankings, with 124.2 Box-Toppers points. However, in the final 10 days of the season, the Angels earned the fewest Box-Toppers points of any AL team, 3.0.

Coming Wednesday: The National League Wild Card Game in Pittsburgh, with the Giants facing the Pirates. Here is the pitching match-up:

Giants: Madison Bumgarner, 22.6 Box-Toppers points, ranked 3rd overall, 2nd among NL pitchers.

Pirates: Edinson Volquez, 8.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 87th overall, 40th among NL pitchers.

The Giants are ranked eighth in Box-Toppers team rankings with 110.8 Box-Toppers points. The Pirates are ranked 11th—the lowest of any playoff team—with 99.9. However, in the final 10 days of the season, the Pirates were one of the NL’s hottest teams, picking up 6.7 Box-Toppers points and rising from 16th to 11th in team rankings. The Giants, during the same period, picked up 4.5 points and fell from seventh to eighth.

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 in AL Wild Card Game

Eric Hosmer of the Royals was Player of the Game (POG) in the 9-8 win over the Athletics

930	Score	Team	Player of the Game	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
POG	2.0	Royals	Eric Hosmer 1B	4	2	3	1	2	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

Athletics' Jon Lester faces Royals' James Shields in AL Wild Card Game

The Oakland Athletics visit the Kansas City Royals Tuesday in the American League one-game Wild Card playoff game.

Starting pitchers are:

Athletics: Jon Lester, 16.4 Box-Toppers points, ranked sixth among AL pitchers, 12th overall.

Royals: James Shields, 13.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 11th among AL pitchers, 22nd overall.

While the Royals have one more win on the season than the Athletics (89 vs. 88), the Athletics have a wide lead in team Box-Toppers points—117.6 vs. 101.1. The Athletics rank third overall and second among AL teams while the Royals rank 10th overall, sixth among AL teams.

The Athletics led Box-Toppers team rankings much of the season and were bolstered by mid-season trades that brought in Lester from the Red Sox and Jason Hammel and Jeff Samardzija from the Cubs. However, the Athletics slumped after those trades, fell out of Box-Toppers team rankings top spot and were in danger of not making the postseason. In fact, the Athletics were the final team to qualify for a postseason spot with their win Sunday.

The winner of Tuesday’s AL Wild Card game will face the Los Angeles Angels in the best-of-five AL Division Series beginning Thursday in Los Angeles. The Angels are the top-ranked team in Box-Toppers rankings with 124.2 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. 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.

Los Angeles Angels finish season atop Box-Toppers team rankings despite slumping finish

The Los Angeles Angels finish the season atop Box-Toppers team rankings—but they had the fewest Box-Toppers points of any American League team in the past 10 days.

Final team rankings

Here are Box-Toppers' final team rankings for the 2014 season, which ended Sunday, Sept. 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 since Sept. 18.

928	Teams	BTP	BTP /wk	Last wk rank
1	*Angels	124.2	3.0	1
2	*Dodgers	123.2	8.0	2
3	*Athletics	117.6	5.7	3
4	*Nationals	115.5	11.5	8
5	*Cardinals	114.8	5.7	5
6	*Orioles	113.4	4.0	4
7	*Tigers	112.9	6.0	6
8	*Giants	110.8	4.5	7
9	Blue Jays	106.5	8.5	9
10	*Royals	101.1	6.5	11
11	*Pirates	99.9	6.7	16
12	Mariners	99.9	5.0	10
13	Indians	99.6	7.7	15
14	Yankees	96.4	8.9	17
15	Marlins	95.6	3.5	13
16	Brewers	94.7	4.7	14
17	Braves	92.1	3.0	16
18	Reds	90.5	6.5	19
19	Mets	89.9	6.0	21
21	Rays	88.2	3.7	18
20	Padres	88.0	7.5	22
22	White Sox	86.6	4.0	20
24	Phillies	82.0	3.0	24
23	Twins	81.3	6.0	25
25	Astros	79.9	3.7	23
26	Rockies	78.6	4.5	26
27	Cubs	75.2	6.0	27
28	Rangers	73.7	7.7	29
29	Dbacks	70.7	2.0	28
30	Red Sox	68.7	6.5	30

* Playoff team
BTP: Box-Toppers points

The Los Angeles Dodgers meanwhile remained atop National League teams in Box-Toppers rankings—a spot they’ve held since July 3— and moved to within one point of the Angels.

Angels players have accumulated 124.2 Box-Toppers points (only 3.0 since the last ranking report on Sept. 18) and the Dodgers have 123.2. (The Dodgers picked up 8.0 points since Sept. 18, second-best among NL teams.)

The Angels are led by pitcher Garrett Richards, who has 15.7 Box-Toppers points and is out for the season with a torn knee tendon. Richards ranks 13th among all players and seventh among AL pitchers. Pitcher Matt Shoemaker has the most Box-Toppers points among active Angels players, with 11.7. He ranks 22nd among AL pitchers. Their top batter, Mike Trout, has 8.5 Box-Toppers points and ranks seventh among AL batters.

The Angels also have baseball’s best winning percentage (.605).

The Dodgers are led by overall Box-Toppers points leader, pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who has 31.5 points. Pitcher Zack Greinke has the second-most Box-Toppers points among Dodgers players—16.5, ranking sixth among NL pitchers. Their top batter, Adrian Gonzalez, has 7.2 Box-Toppers points and ranks 10th among NL batters.

The Dodgers have the second-best winning percentage in the NL (.580), behind the Washington Nationals (.593). The Nationals had the hottest past 10 days of any team, picking up 11.5 Box-Toppers points, giving them 115.5 for the season and moving from eighth to fourth place overall, second among NL teams.

All 10 teams bound for the playoffs finished in the top 11 spots in Box-Toppers team rankings. The only non-playoff team to finish in the top 10 is the Toronto Blue Jays, who finish ninth with 106.5 points, ahead of two playoff-bound teams—the Kansas City Royals and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Oakland Athletics, who led Box-Toppers team rankings much of the season, were the last team to secure a playoff berth Sunday. They finish in third place overall with 117.6 Box-Toppers points, second among AL teams. They nearly lost their wild card spot to the Seattle Mariners, who with 99.9 Box-Toppers points, finished 12th among all teams.

Last year’s World Series champions, the Boston Red Sox, finish the 2014 season at the bottom of Box-Toppers team rankings, in 30th place with 68.7 points.

How did Box-Toppers preseason picks fare during the 2014 season? Only five of the 10 teams picked to make the playoff actually earned postseason berths (The good: Tigers, Orioles, Nationals, Cardinals and Dodgers. The bad: Red Sox, Rangers, Rays, Reds and Braves. The missed: Royals, Angels, Athletics, Pirates and Giants.) Four of six division winners were predicted correctly (Tigers, Nationals, Cardinals and Dodgers). But our preseason World Series pick of Dodgers over Tigers is still a possibility.

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.

Both Los Angeles teams hold top two spots in Box-Toppers team rankings

Both Los Angeles teams are in the top two spots in Box-Toppers team rankings this week.

The Angels continue to lead all teams with 121.2 Box-Toppers points and the Dodgers move from third to second with 115.2 points.

Top 10 teams

Here are Box-Toppers' Top 10 teams, through the games of Thursday, Sept. 18. 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.

918	Teams	BTP	BTP /wk	Last wk rank
1	Angels	121.2	4.5	1
2	Dodgers	115.2	5.4	3
3	Athletics	111.9	2.0	2
4	Orioles	109.4	9.5	7
5	Cardinals	109.1	5.0	4
6	Tigers	106.9	4.5	6
7	Giants	106.3	3.7	5
8	Nationals	104.0	5.5	8
9	Blue Jays	98.0	1.0	9
10	Mariners	94.9	3.0	10

BTP: Box-Toppers points

The Angels are led by pitcher Garrett Richards, who has 15.7 Box-Toppers points and is out for the season with a torn knee tendon. Richards still ranks 10th among all players and sixth among AL pitchers. Pitcher Matt Shoemaker has the most Box-Toppers points among active Angels players, with 11.7. He ranks 19th among AL pitchers.

The Angels also have baseball’s best winning percentage (.621).

The Dodgers remain the top National League team and pass the slumping Oakland Athletics, who move from second to third with 111.9 Box-Toppers points. The Dodgers are led by overall Box-Toppers points leader, pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who has 30.5 points. Pitcher Zack Greinke has the second-most Box-Toppers points among Dodgers players—15.5, ranking fifth among NL pitchers.

The Dodgers have the second-best winning percentage in the NL (.569), behind the Washington Nationals (.579). The Nationals have 104.0 Box-Toppers points and rank eighth among all teams, fourth among NL teams.

The Baltimore Orioles are the hottest team of the past week, picking up 9.5 Box-Toppers points, giving them 109.4 for the season and rising from seventh to fourth place in team rankings.

Last week’s lowest-ranked team, the Texas Rangers, rose one spot in team rankings to 29th, moving the Boston Red Sox back down to the 30th and final spot. The Red Sox have 62.2 Box-Toppers points. The Rangers have 66.0.

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 team ranking report of the season. Rather than our regular Friday team ranking report next week, we'll hold off a couple of days for the end of the season and have the final team ranking report coming Monday, Sept. 29. Or thereabouts.

Los Angeles Angels, hottest team of week, extend lead in Box-Toppers team rankings

The Los Angeles Angels have extended their lead atop Box-Toppers team rankings and were the hottest team of the past week.

Angels players have accumulated 116.7 Box-Toppers points this season, including 9.0 during the past week, more than any other team.

Top 10 teams

Here are Box-Toppers' Top 10 teams, through the games of Thursday, Sept. 11. 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.

911	Teams	BTP	BTP /wk	Last wk rank
1	Angels	116.7	9.0	1
2	Athletics	109.9	2.5	2
3	Dodgers	109.8	5.7	3
4	Cardinals	104.1	3.0	4
5	Giants	102.6	5.5	6
6	Tigers	102.4	3.0	5
7	Orioles	99.9	4.5	7
8	Nationals	98.5	4.5	8
9	Blue Jays	97.0	5.0	9
10	Mariners	91.9	3.5	10

BTP: Box-Toppers points

The Oakland Athletics remain the second place overall team with 109.9 Box-Toppers points and the Los Angeles Dodgers, third in team rankings, remain the top National League team, with 109.8 Box-Toppers points.

The Angels leading player, pitcher Garrett Richards, who has 15.7 Box-Toppers points, is out for the season with a torn knee tendon. Richards still ranks ninth among all players and sixth among AL pitchers. The next-highest rated Angels player is pitcher Matt Shoemaker, with 10.7 Box-Toppers points. He ranks 19th among AL pitchers.

The Angels also have baseball’s best winning percentage (.623).

The Dodgers, the top NL team, are led by overall Box-Toppers points leader, pitcher Clayton Kershaw (28.8) and pitcher Zack Greinke (13.8 Box-Toppers points, who ranks fifth among NL pitchers).

The Dodgers have the second-best winning percentage in the NL (.568), behind the Washington Nationals (.572). The Nationals have 98.5 Box-Toppers points and rank eighth among all teams, fourth among NL teams.

Last week’s lowest-ranked team, the Boston Red Sox, rose one spot from 30th to 29th place, with 59.7 Box-Toppers points. The Texas Rangers are now the lowest-ranked team with 59.5 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.

Los Angeles Angels dethrone Athletics to top Box-Toppers team rankings

The Los Angeles Angels have dethroned the Oakland Athletics from the top of Box-Toppers team rankings, a spot they held since July 13.

In this week’s report, the Angels have 107.7 Box-Toppers points, passing the Athletics, with 107.4 points.

Top 10 teams

Here are Box-Toppers' Top 10 teams, through the games of Thursday, Sept. 4. 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.

904	Teams	BTP	BTP /wk	Last wk rank
1	Angels	107.7	4.0	2
2	Athletics	107.4	2.2	1
3	Dodgers	104.1	3.0	3
4	Cardinals	101.1	7.0	4
5	Tigers	99.4	6.0	5
6	Giants	97.1	6.7	6
7	Orioles	95.4	10.4	8
8	Nationals	94.0	4.7	7
9	Blue Jays	92.0	10.0	13
10	Mariners	88.4	5.0	11

BTP: Box-Toppers points

The Angels have the best winning percentage in baseball (.604). And they’ve had the best winning percentage the past two weeks, but until now, were never able to overtake the Athletics in Box-Toppers points. The Athletics were able to boost their Box-Toppers points total through July trades, especially an early July trade with the Cubs, bringing them pitchers Jason Hammel and Jeff Samardzija.

But the Angels swept the Athletics in a four-game series last weekend, helping them move to the top in Box-Toppers rankings. The Athletics, now in second place in Box-Toppers rankings, have a winning percentage of .568, third-best in the American League and fourth best among all teams.

The Angels leading player, pitcher Garrett Richards, who has 15.7 Box-Toppers points, is out for the season with a torn knee tendon. Richards still ranks ninth among all players and sixth among AL pitchers. The next-highest rated Angels player is pitcher Matt Shoemaker, with 10.7 Box-Toppers points. He ranks 17th among AL pitchers.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are still the top National League team in Box-Toppers points. Dodgers players have accumulated 104.1 Box-Toppers points and remain in third place among all teams. They’ve been the top NL team since the July 3 team rankings report.

The Dodgers are led by overall Box-Toppers points leader, pitcher Clayton Kershaw (27.8) and pitcher Zack Greinke (13.8 Box-Toppers points, who ranks fifth among NL pitchers).

The Dodgers have the second-best winning percentage in the NL (.557), behind the Washington Nationals (.572). The Nationals have 94.0 Box-Toppers points and rank eighth among all teams, fourth among NL teams..

The Baltimore Orioles had the best week of any team, scoring 10.4 Box-Toppers points, rising from eighth to seventh place with 95.4.

The Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners both rose into the top 10 list this week. The Blue Jays picked up 10.0 Box-Toppers points to rise from 13th to ninth place with 92.0 Box-Toppers points. And the Mariners picked up 5.0 Box-Toppers points to rise from 11th to 10th place, with 88.4.

The Kansas City Royals and Milwaukee Brewers both fell out of the top 10. The Royals fell from ninth to 11th place, with 86.6 Box-Toppers points, picking up only 2.0 points during the week. The Brewers fell from 10th to 13th place, with 84.0 Box-Toppers points, after they picked up 0.0 points during the week.

The Boston Red Sox remain the lowest-ranked team with 56.7 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.