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.

Braves' Miller tops players for Tuesday, May 5; Pujols earns Box-Toppers points for 15th straight season

Braves pitcher Shelby Miller is Tuesday’s Player of the Day.

Miller pitched a complete game, three-hit shutout, striking out eight, in the 9-0 win over the Phillies.

American League Player of the Day—Rangers pitcher Wandy Rodriguez struck out eight over eight innings, allowing one run on three hits, in the 7-1 win over the Astros.

American League Batter of the Day—Eric Hosmer of the Royals hit a three-run homer, a triple and drove in four runs, in the 5-3 win over the Indians.

Top 10 players

Here are the top 10 players in Box-Toppers points (BTP) for the 2015 season as of May 5.  

	Player	Pos	Team	BTP
1	Hernandez, Felix 2064	pi sp	sea al	7.7
2	Cole, Gerrit 3232	pi sp	pit nl	6.0
3	Archer, Chris 3194	pi sp	tb al	5.0
4	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	1b	det al	4.7
5	Keuchel, Dallas 3050	pi sp	hou al	4.7
6	Gray, Sonny 3259	pi sp	oak al	4.7
7	Harvey, Matt 3075	pi sp	nym nl	4.7
8	Stanton, Giancarlo 2737	rf	fla nl	4.5
9	Cueto, Johnny 2400	pi sp	cin nl	4.4
10	Bumgarner, Madison 2753	pi sp	sf nl	4.0

What are those numbers after players' names?

National League Batter of the Day—Matt Carpenter of the Cardinals hit a game-tying three-run homer and drove in four total runs, in the 7-4 win over the Cubs.

Streak—Albert Pujols of the Angels has now earned at least 1.0 Box-Toppers point for 15 straight seasons. He was Player of the Game Tuesday in the 5-4 win over the Mariners (HR 2-3 2R 2BI) and earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, his first of the season.

Pujols earned his first Box-Toppers points in 2001 with the Cardinals. He led all NL batters in Box-Toppers points in five different seasons, the most times a batter has led his league in Box-Toppers points (since record keeping began in 1995). Here are the seasons he led NL batters, all with the Cardinals:

• 2003—16.5 Box-Toppers points
• 2004—15.9
• 2008—15.2
• 2009—16.7 (his best overall season)
• 2010—15.4

In 2014, Pujols had 7.5 Box-Toppers points with the Angels, fourth among AL designated hitters.

Pujols has 168.3 career Box-Toppers points, seventh among all players since Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995. He trails Roy Halladay (170.7) for sixth place. Pujols ranks second among all batters on that list (behind only Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees with 182.8).

Notables—Two other players with more than 100 career Box-Toppers points also earned Player of the Game honors Tuesday:

• Mets pitcher Bartolo Colon now has 136.4 career Box-Toppers points and ranks 21st among all players since 1995 (trailing Andy Pettitte with 138.5). Colon ranks 15th among pitchers on that list and second among active pitchers currently in the NL (behind Tim Hudson of the Giants with 153.0).

Colon was Player of the Game Tuesday in the Mets 3-2 win over the Orioles (7.2IP R 9K W) and earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 3.0 for the season.

• Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke now has 129.7 career Box-Toppers points and ranks 27th among all players since 1995. With Tuesday’s point, he passes Trevor Hoffman (129.4) on that list. Greinke ranks 18th among pitchers on that list and is fifth among active pitchers currently in the NL.

Greinke was Player of the Game Tuesday in the Dodgers 8-2 win over the Brewers (7.2IP 2H R 7K W) and earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 4.0 for the season, putting him in 11th place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season.

Scoring—Miller earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Rodriguez earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day. Hosmer and Carpenter each earn 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being their league’s Batter of the Day. All of Sunday’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

5/5	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	13.0	Braves	Shelby Miller (W, 4-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	3	0	0	1	8
AL	10.0	Rangers	Wandy Rodriguez (W, 1-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	3	1	1	1	8
	9.2	Dodgers	Zack Greinke (W, 5-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.2	2	1	0	2	7
	8.2	Mets	Bartolo Colon (W, 5-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.2	6	1	1	0	9
	8.1	Athletics	Jesse Chavez (W, 1-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.1	4	1	0	1	7
	8.0	Yankees	Michael Pineda (W, 4-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	5	0	0	1	6
	6.0	Giants	Ryan Vogelsong (W, 1-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	0	0	2	4
	5.0	Red Sox	Rick Porcello (W, 3-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	8	0	0	0	6
	3.1	Marlins	Mat Latos (W, 1-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.1	2	1	1	5	6
BAT	3.0	Royals	Eric Hosmer 1B	4	1	2	4	0	2		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Angels	Albert Pujols 1B	3	2	2	2	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
BAT	3.0	Cardinals	Matt Carpenter 3B	3	1	1	4	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Reds	Marlon Byrd LF	5	1	2	4	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	White Sox	Jeff Samardzija (W, 2-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	7	2	2	1	7

Dodgers' Zack Greinke (7IP 0R 7K) tops players for Sunday, April 12

Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke is Sunday’s Player of the Day.

Greinke pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out seven in the 7-4 win over the Diamondbacks.

Top 10 players

Here are the top 10 players in Box-Toppers points (BTP) for the 2015 season as of April 12.  

	Player	Pos	Team	BTP
1	Hernandez, Felix 2064	pi sp	sea al	2.0
2	Wainwright, Adam 2150	pi sp	stl nl	2.0
3	Greinke, Zack 1871	pi sp	lad nl	2.0
4	Kazmir, Scott 1947	pi sp	oak al	2.0
5	Wilson, C.J. 2074	pi sp	ana al	2.0
6	Bauer, Trevor 3065	pi sp	cle al	2.0
7	Pomeranz, Drew 3061	pi sp	oak al	2.0
8	Jimenez, Ubaldo 2349	pi sp	bal al	2.0
9	Cueto, Johnny 2400	pi sp	cin nl	1.7
10	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	1b	det al	1.7

What are those numbers after players' names?

Greinke earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 127.7 for his career, moving to 29th place among all players since 1995, when Box-Toppers record keeping began. He passes Mariano Rivera (126.4) and Roy Oswalt (127.2) on the “all-time” list.

American League Player of the Day—Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers hit two home runs and a double and went 4-for-4 with three runs and four RBIs in the 8-5 win over the Indians.

Cabrera earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day, giving him 129.9 for his career, moving to 26th place among all players since 1995, when Box-Toppers record keeping began. He passes Vladimir Guerrero (128.3) and Trevor Hoffman (129.4) on the “all-time” list.

Cabrera has now also scored at least 1.0 Box-Toppers point for 13 straight seasons. He scored his first points in 2003 with the Marlins. His best season was 2013 with the Tigers, when he led all AL batters with 16.9. He had 12.5 Box-Toppers points in 2014, second among AL batters.

National League Batter of the Day—Andrew McCutchen of the Pirates hit a three-run homer and went 2-for-5, scoring twice and driving in four, in the 10-2 win over the Brewers.

A-Rod—Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees earned Player of the Game honors for the first time since his season long suspension and his first since Sept. 20, 2013. Rodriguez hit a three-run double and drove in four total runs in the 14-4 win over the Red Sox. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 180.3 for his career. He leads all batters in Box-Toppers points since 1995, when record keeping began—second place is Albert Pujols (167.3).

Debut—Cubs pitcher Neil Ramirez made his Box-Toppers debut Sunday, the first time in his career he earned Player of the Game honors. This was Ramirez’ 54th career game—he made his Major League debut April 25, 2014. Ramirez (0.2IP 0R 2K W in the 6-5 win over the Rockies) is the 3,439th player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995.

Scoring—Greinke  earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Cabrera earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day. McCutchen earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being NL Batter of the Day. All of Sunday’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

4/12	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	9.0	Dodgers	Zack Greinke (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	5	0	0	0	7
AL	7.0	Tigers	Miguel Cabrera 1B	4	3	4	4	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	6.0	Rays	Nathan Karns (W, 1-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	2	2	1	2	6
	6.0	White Sox	Chris Sale (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	5	1	1	1	8
	5.0	Astros	Will Harris (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	0	0	0	0	3
	4.0	Yankees	Alex Rodriguez DH	2	1	1	4	2	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	`Cardinals	Carlos Martinez	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	4	2	2	2	8
	4.0	`Nationals	Max Scherzer	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	6	1	1	2	8
BAT	3.0	Pirates	Andrew McCutchen CF	5	2	2	4	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Mariners	Rickie Weeks PH, DH	2	1	1	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	`Mets	Jerry Blevins (H, 2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.2	Royals	Yordano Ventura (W, 2-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.2	4	2	2	2	7
	2.2	Blue Jays	Aaron Loup (W, 1-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.2	0	0	0	0	1
	2.2	Cubs	Neil Ramirez (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		0.2	0	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Padres	Wil Nieves C	4	1	1	4	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
		` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Mets' Colon, Mariners' Fernandez top players for Wednesday, May 28

Mets pitcher Bartolo Colon is Wednesday’s Player of the Day. Colon pitched 7 1/3 scoreless innings and struck out nine in the 5-0 win over the Pirates.

Colon earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 128.4 for his career, moving him into 24th place on Box-Toppers “all-time” list (record keeping began in 1995). He is just ahead of Vladimir Guerrero (128.3 Box-Toppers points).

Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez is American League Player of the Day. Hernandez gave up one run over 8 2/3 innings and struck out nine in the 3-1 win over the Angels.

Hernandez earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day, giving him 7.1 for the season, moving into eighth place on Box-Toppers season player rankings (see the updated top 10 list on the home page). He is in third place among AL pitchers.

Hernandez also has 129.6 Box-Toppers points for his career, in 21st place on the “all-time” list (record keeping began in 1995), moving past Trevor Hoffman (129.4) and David Ortiz (128.9).

A.J. Pollock of the Diamondbacks is National League Batter of the Day. Pollock doubled twice, went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs in the 12-6 win over the Padres.

Chris Carter of the Astros is AL Batter of the Day. Carter hit two homers and drove in four runs in the 9-3 win over the Royals.

Notable: Athletics pitcher Scott Kazmir rose to 10th place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Wednesday (see the updated top 10 list on the home page). Kazmir (CG 1R 8K W in the 3-1 win over the Tigers) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 6.7 for the season. He is in fourth place among AL pitchers.

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

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

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

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

528	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	10.1	Mets	Bartolo Colon (W, 4-5)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.1	5	0	0	1	9
AL	9.2	Mariners	Felix Hernandez (W, 7-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.2	4	1	1	2	9
	9.0	Athletics	Scott Kazmir (W, 6-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	6	1	1	0	8
	7.1	Red Sox	John Lackey (W, 6-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.1	8	0	0	0	9
	6.0	`Giants	Tim Lincecum	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.0	0	0	0	4	5
	5.1	`White Sox	Hector Noesi	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.1	5	1	1	0	5
BAT	4.0	Dbacks	A.J. Pollock CF	4	3	3	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
BAT	4.0	Astros	Chris Carter DH	4	2	2	4	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	Brewers	Khris Davis LF	3	2	2	3	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	`Blue Jays	Liam Hendriks	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	3	2	2	0	5
	4.0	`Rangers	Joe Saunders	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.0	5	0	0	2	6
	3.0	Yankees	Jacoby Ellsbury CF	5	2	3	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Phillies	Ryan Howard 1B	4	1	2	4	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Reds	Homer Bailey (W, 5-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	5	2	2	1	6
	2.0	Marlins	Casey McGehee 3B	5	2	4	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

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

Fourteen players whose careers are done (or may be done) — plus eight honorable mention retirees

Series summary and conclusion

Box-Toppers’ Stick-A-Fork-In-Them series has looked at 14 players whose careers are done or may be done. Included is a look at how they have fared in Box-Toppers points over their careers, reflecting their impact on the game over time. This is a summary of the 14 players featured with links to more detailed posts on each. Also included are eight honorable mention players who have announced their retirements:

It is rare for a baseball player to have the luxury of a formal news conference to announce his retirement. It is rare if they even issue a press release.

Most players who are skillful and lucky enough to make it even to the big leagues toil in relative obscurity. Their career fades, they are released, they are designated for assignment, no other team signs them—and the fact that their career is over is an almost personal, private matter that an overwhelming majority of the time goes unregistered even on baseball’s copious and comprehensive transactions wires.

Many players active in 2013 will not play in 2014. Some notable players have been given the grand treatment of a formal retirement, with ceremonies, gifts, retrospectives and news conferences—namely Mariano Rivera, Todd Helton and Roy Halladay. But other players may not be back in 2014. Some players may be limited by injury (Johan Santana). Some who still want to play another year may be limited by age (Jim Thome and Manny Ramirez, both of whom did not play in 2013). And some may be limited by drug suspension (Alex Rodriguez and maybe Manny Ramirez, come to think of it).

This summary features the 14 players featured in the Box-Toppers’ Stick-A-Fork-In-Them series in recent weeks. It includes players whose careers are done or may be done. Not every player in this series has announced his retirement. In fact, some are continuing to try to play—even if they haven’t been on active rosters for more than a year.

1. Alex Rodriguez

The New York Yankees third baseman is suspended for the 2014 season under baseball’s drug policy. The earliest he could come back to the game is 2015, when he will be 39. But will he come back? Will he be too old? Will any team give him the chance given the baggage he brings?

If it is the end for A-Rod, baseball loses the player who has helped his team to more wins than any other active player, according to Box-Toppers statistics. Rodriguez is the active leader in Box-Toppers points with 179.3, ahead of Yankees teammate and starting pitcher CC Sabathia, with 172.3. Since Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995, Rodriguez is also the leading batter in points, ahead of Manny Ramirez with 167.2. Rodriguez ranks fourth on the “all-time” Box-Toppers points list among all players (from 1995 to 2013).

He is a three-time American League Most Valuable Player (2003 with the Rangers and 2005 and 2007 with the Yankees). However, only once did he lead the league in Box-Toppers points—in 2007, he led AL players with 18.9.

More on Alex Rodriguez

2. Roy Halladay

Halladay, 36, announced his retirement in December after injuries cut short his 2013 season. He won the Cy Young in both the American and National Leagues. He was Box-Toppers’ top NL pitcher in 2010 and among the top five pitchers in his league in Box-Toppers points in six different seasons.

He had 170.7 career Box-Toppers  points, fifth among all pitchers and sixth among all players (Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995). He was the second-ranked active pitcher in Box-Toppers points until his retirement (CC Sabathia, with 172.3 is No. 1).

He won the AL Cy Young in 2003 with the Blue Jays and NL Cy Young in 2010 with the Phillies. In 2010, he also had the most Box-Toppers points of any NL player with 23.4.

More on Roy Halladay

3. Manny Ramirez

Manny Ramirez, 41, has not played in the Major Leagues since 2011 but he’s attempted comebacks in 2012 and 2013 and reports say he is not ruling out another try in 2014.

He is the second-ranked batter in career Box-Toppers points with 167.2, behind only Alex Rodriguez with 179.3 (Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995). Ramirez is ranked seventh among all players since 1995.

Ramirez had the most Box-Toppers points of any AL batter in 1999 (19.9 with the Indians). He’s been among the top 10 batters in his league in Box-Toppers season points eight times.

Ramirez’ glory years were with the Indians from 1993 to 2000, the Red Sox from 2001 to 2008 and the Dodgers from 2008 to 2010. In 2010 and 2011, he also played with the White Sox and Rays and late in his career was twice suspended under baseball’s drug policy.

More on Manny Ramirez

4. Johan Santana

Johan Santana, Box-Toppers’ most dominant player of the mid-2000s, is attempting a comeback after a second shoulder injury that wiped out his 2011 and 2013 seasons.

Santana, 34, recently signed with the Orioles, though reports for the past year have questioned whether he will be able to continue pitching.

While with the Twins, Santana led all players in Box-Toppers points in 2004, 2005 and 2006 and led all American League pitchers in 2007. He won two Cy Young Awards during this period (2004 and 2006).

He has 166.6 career Box-Toppers points, sixth among pitchers and eighth among all players (Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995). He is ranked second among currently active pitchers, behind CC Sabathia with 172.3 Box-Toppers points.

Santana’s biggest year was in 2004 (26.8 Box-Toppers points). He was with the Twins from 2000-2007 and with the Mets from 2008 to 2013, where he has largely missed two of the last three seasons.

More on Johan Santana

5. Jim Thome

Jim Thome, 43, last played in the Major Leagues in 2012 for the Orioles and in 2014, the Indians will erect a statue in his honor. But in December, he said he would not rule out a comeback. He is currently unsigned.

Thome has 146.7 Box-Toppers points, sixth among all batters and 17th among all players. He was among the season’s overall top 10 players in Box-Toppers points twice and among his league’s top 10 batters in five different seasons. (His career began in 1991, so his first four seasons are unrecorded by Box-Toppers, which didn’t begin record keeping until 1995).

Thome never led his league’s batters in Box-Toppers points, but finished as high as second among American League batters in 2002 with the Indians. He had 16.0 Box-Toppers points, just behind Jason Giambi of the Yankees with 17.0.

More on Jim Thome

6. Derek Jeter

Derek Jeter will retire at the end of the 2014 season at the age of 40, ending a 20-year career, all with the Yankees.

He has 76.4 career Box-Toppers points, second among all shortstops, behind only Miguel Tejada with 102.3 (Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995). Jeter’s 76.4 Box-Toppers points ranks 60th among batters and 121st among all players on the career list.

Jeter is a five-time World Series champion, 2000 World Series Most Valuable Player, 1996 Rookie of the Year, a member of the 3,000-hit club (3,316 at the start of 2014) and Yankees team captain since 2003.

Jeter had one season with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points—he had exactly 10.0 in 1998, ninth among American League batters that year.

More on Derek Jeter

7. Mariano Rivera

Mariano Rivera retired at the end of the 2013 season at the age of 43 and ranks second among closing pitchers in career Box-Toppers points.

The all-time saves king has 126.4 career Box-Toppers points, just behind closing pitcher Trevor Hoffman with 129.4. Rivera, who spent his entire 19-season career with the Yankees, ranks 25th among all players and 16th among all pitchers in Box-Toppers points.

Rivera, with a reputation for postseason dominance, helped the Yankees to five World Series championships and earned World Series Most Valuable Player in 1999 and American League Championship Series MVP in 2003.

Rivera finished in the top 10 in Box-Toppers points among American League pitchers three times, he had four seasons with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points and scored at least 1.0 Box-Toppers point in 17 straight seasons. His best year was 2008 when he had 14.0 Box-Toppers points, eighth among AL pitchers that year.

More on Mariano Rivera

8. Roy Oswalt

Roy Oswalt, 36, has retired after finishing five times among the top 10 National League pitchers in Box-Toppers points.

He had 127.2 career Box-Toppers points, 23rd among all players and 15th among pitchers (Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995). He played for the Astros from 2001 to 2010 and moved to the Phillies in 2010. He struggled with injuries from 2011 forward, spending 2012 with the Rangers and 2013 with the Rockies.

His best year was his rookie season, 2001, when he had 17.1 Box-Toppers points, fourth among NL pitchers and seventh among all players.

He had seven seasons with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points and three seasons with 15.0 or more.

More on Roy Oswalt

9. Andy Pettitte

Andy Pettitte, 41, who retired at the end of the 2013 season, was among his league’s top 10 pitchers in Box-Toppers points five different seasons.

He had 138.4 career Box-Toppers points, 19th among all players and 13th among all pitchers (Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995). Pettitte pitched for the Yankees from 1995 to 2003 before moving to the Astros from 2004 to 2006. He rejoined the Yankees from 2007 to 2010 and was retired for the 2011 season before returning to the Yankees for 2012 and 2013.

His best season was 2005 when he had 12.7 Box-Toppers points with the Astros, eighth among National League pitchers and 21st among all players. He had three seasons with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points and 16 straight seasons with at least 1.0 point.

More on Andy Pettitte

10. Todd Helton

Todd Helton, who retired at the end of the 2013 season at the age of 40, led National League batters in Box-Toppers points in two seasons and was among the league’s top three batters four seasons in a row.

Despite the impressive numbers, Helton never won an NL Most Valuable Player Award.

Helton, who played his entire 17-year career with the Rockies, had 116.4 career Box-Toppers points, the third-most among first basemen on Box-Toppers “all-time” list (record keeping began in 1995). He ranks 12th among all batters and 33rd among all players.

Helton’s most impressive period of his career was a four-season stretch from 1999 to 2002, when he was among the top three NL batters in Box-Toppers points and was the top batter two straight years, 2000 and 2001.

In 2000, he led NL batters with 15.2 Box-Toppers points and in 2001, he again led NL batters with 17.0 points (his best season).

More on Todd Helton

11. Barry Zito

Barry Zito, 35, is taking a year off from pitching but says he is not retired.

Zito won the 2002 American League Cy Young Award and was the No. 2 AL pitcher in Box-Toppers points in both 2001 and 2002.

He has 117.4 career Box-Toppers points from 2000 to 2013, ranking 21st among all pitchers and 31st among all players (Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995). He pitched for the Athletics from 2000 to 2006 and for the Giants from 2007 to 2013, where he was on the 2010 and 2012 World Series-winning teams.

In 2001, he had 18.1 Box-Toppers points, second among AL pitchers. In 2002, he had 20.1 points (his best season), and again ranked second among AL pitchers (though he won the Cy Young).

Zito had four seasons with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points, two seasons with 15.0 or more and one season with more than 20.0. He has scored at least 1.0 Box-Toppers point in each of the 14 seasons he’s played.

More on Barry Zito

12. Chris Carpenter

Chris Carpenter, 38, who retired at the end of the 2013 season, led National League pitchers in Box-Toppers points in 2005, the same year he won the NL Cy Young Award.

Carpenter had 113.3 career Box-Toppers points, 24th among all pitchers and 37th among all players (Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995). He began his career in 1997 with the Blue Jays, moving to the Cardinals in 2004. He was NL Comeback Player of the Year in 2009 with the Cardinals and a two-time World Series champion with the Cardinals in 2006 and 2011.

Carpenter was among the top 10 NL pitchers in Box-Toppers points four times.

His best year was 2005, when he had 21.0 Box-Toppers points, first among NL pitchers and second among all players. He won the NL Cy Young Award that year. Carpenter had six seasons with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points, three seasons with 15.0 or more and one season with 20.0 or more.

More on Chris Carpenter

13. Lance Berkman

Lance Berkman led all National League batters in Box-Toppers points in 2006 and finished among the top five NL batters three times, but never won the NL Most Valuable Player Award.

Berkman, who retired in January and is now 38, has 108.1 career Box-Toppers points, ranking 16th among batters and 46th among all players (Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995). Berkman played most of his career with the Astros (1999-2010). He moved to the Yankees to end the 2010 season. He played 2011 and 2012 with the Cardinals (where in 2011, he won a World Series title and NL Comeback Player of the Year). He finished his career in 2013 with the Rangers.

His best season was 2006 with the Astros, when he had 20.8 Box-Toppers points, first among NL batters and second among all players. (He finished third in NL Most Valuable Player voting.)

Berkman had four seasons with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points and one season with more than 20.0.

More on Lance Berkman

14. Ryan Dempster

Ryan Dempster, 36, says he will not pitch in 2014 but did not announce his formal retirement.

He has 95.2 career Box-Toppers points, 42nd among pitchers and 70th among all players (Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995). He began his career in 1998 with the Marlins, moved to the Reds in midseason 2002, played for the Cubs from 2004 to 2012 and finished 2012 with the Rangers before playing for the Red Sox in 2013. He won a World Series title in 2013 with the Red Sox.

His career best season was 2008 with the Cubs, when he had 12.7 Box-Toppers points, ninth among National League pitchers and 22nd among all players. Dempster had two seasons with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points.

More on Ryan Dempster

Honorable mention

Derek Lowe

Derek Lowe, 40, retired during the 2013 season.

Lowe, who spent most of his career as a starting pitcher, had 91.5 Box-Toppers points over 16 seasons, scoring at least 1.0 point in each season he was active. He ranks 82nd among players and 47th among pitchers (Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995).

He pitched for the Red Sox (1998-2004), the Dodgers (2005-2008), the Braves (2009-2011), the Indians (2012), the Yankees (2012) and the Rangers (2013). His best season was 2002, when he had 14.4 Box-Toppers points with the Red Sox, ranking fourth among AL pitchers.

Mark Prior

Mark Prior had not made a Major League appearance since 2006, yet he made several efforts in subsequent years to come back. However, in December, he made it official and retired at the age of 33.

Prior played for the Cubs from 2002 to 2006. In 2003, he had 20.1 Box-Toppers points, second among National League pitchers. He had 44.2 career Box-Toppers points, ranking 315th among all players (Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995). He scored his last Box-Toppers point on Aug. 19, 2005.

Prior helped lead the Cubs to the NL Championship Series in 2003 (which they lost to the Marlins). Injuries hampered his career from 2004 on, though he attempted a comeback as recently as 2013 with the Reds—he was released in June 2013.

Ted Lilly

Ted Lilly, 38, retired at the end of the 2013 season after a 14-year career as a starting pitcher.

He had 93.3 career Box-Toppers points, 76th among all players and 44th among all pitchers (Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995).

His best season was 2010, when he had 13.7 Box-Toppers points. He recorded 6.7 points with the Cubs before being traded in midseason to the Dodgers, where he recorded 7.0 more points. He ranked 12th among National League pitchers and 22nd among all players that season.

Lilly had two seasons with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points. He recorded his last point May 18, 2012, with the Dodgers.

Michael Young

Michael Young, 37, retired prior to the 2014 season after a 14-year career mainly with the Rangers, primarily at shortstop and third base.

He had 73.1 career Box-Toppers points, 67th among batters and 132nd among all players (Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995). He ranks fourth among shortstops on Box-Toppers “all-time” list (since 1995), behind Miguel Tejada, Derek Jeter and Nomar Garciaparra.

His best season was 2006 with the Rangers when he had 8.5 Box-Toppers points. He was American League batting champion in 2005.

Aubrey Huff

Aubrey Huff, 37, who led American League batters in Box-Toppers points in 2008, announced his retirement in January after a 13-year career.

Huff had 61.6 Box-Toppers points for his career, 91st among batters and 184th among all players (Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995). 

But his best season was 2008 with the Orioles when he led AL batters with 12.5 Box-Toppers points. (He finished just ahead of Torii Hunter of the Angels with 12.4.) Huff finished 16th in AL Most Valuable Player Award voting, which was won by Dustin Pedroia of the Red Sox. Pedroia had 3.7 Box-Toppers points, 76th among AL batters.

Huff finished seventh in AL MVP voting in 2010, when he had 7.5 Box-Toppers points. He split that year between the Orioles and the Tigers.

Huff played primarily for the Rays, but also had stints with the Orioles, Giants (where he won two World Series titles in 2010 and 2012), Astros and Tigers. He played a variety of positions also, including third base, designated hitter, first base and outfield.

Huff did not play in 2013. He scored his final Box-Toppers point on July 23, 2011 with the Giants.

Mark DeRosa

Mark DeRosa, 39, retired in November after a 16-year career.

DeRosa, who played primarily third base and second base, had 47.1 career Box-Toppers points, 288th among all players since 1995. He played from 1998 to 2013 primarily for the Braves (1998-2004), but also had stints with the Cubs, Rangers, Blue Jays and Giants.

His best season was 2006 with the Rangers when he had 9.7 Box-Toppers points. He had 6.5 points in 2013, his final season, with the Blue Jays.

Carl Pavano

Carl Pavano, 38, the starting pitcher who helped the Marlins to the 2003 World Series title, announced his retirement in February.

Pavano had 55.8 career Box-Toppers points, 221st among all players since 1995.

His best year was the 2003 championship season when he had 12.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 11th among National League pitchers. In 2004, he had his second-best season with 10.7 Box-Toppers points, also with the Marlins, 13th among NL pitchers. He also finished sixth in Cy Young Award voting that year.

Pavano played 14 seasons from 1998-2012 primarily with the Twins, but also had stints with the Marlins, Expos, Yankees and Indians. He did not play in 2013. His final game was June 1, 2012. He scored his last Box-Toppers point on Sept. 28, 2011.

Rick Ankiel

Rick Ankiel, 34, retired this month after an 11-year career begun as a starting pitcher and improbably resurrecting himself in mid-career as an outfielder.

Ankiel had 32.6 career Box-Toppers points, 490th among all players since 1995. But he goes down in history as the first player since Babe Ruth to win 10 games and hit 50 home runs.

He was a starting pitcher from 1999 to 2004. His best season was 2000 with the Cardinals when he had 13.4 Box-Toppers points, sixth among National League pitchers. He finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting. However, in the 2000 postseason, Ankiel began to pitch wildly and ineffectively. After being sent down to the minors and after injuries, he took a chance of switching positions to the outfield and gradually worked his way back to the Majors.

He did not play in 2002 with injury and in 2005 and 2006, did not play in the Majors as he developed in his new position.

He debuted as an outfielder for the Cardinals in 2007 and had his best season at the plate that year with 6.5 Box-Toppers points.

During his career, he recorded 14.4 Box-Toppers points as a pitcher and 18.2 as a batter.

He played primarily for the Cardinals, but also had stints with the Nationals, Braves, Royals, Astros and Mets. He played his last game with the Mets on June 8, 2013. He scored his last Box-Toppers point July 4, 2012, with the Nationals.

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.

Retired saves king Mariano Rivera ranks as 2nd-best all-time closer in Box-Toppers points

One in a series

Box-Toppers’ Stick-A-Fork-In-Them series looks at 14 players whose careers are done or may be done. Included is a look at how they have fared in Box-Toppers points over their careers, reflecting their impact on the game over time. This is the seventh of the series:

7. Mariano Rivera

Mariano Rivera, considered the greatest closing pitcher of all time, is only the second-best closer in career Box-Toppers points.

Mariano Rivera

Here are Mariano Rivera's Box-Toppers statistics. The third column shows his Box-Toppers points (BTP) per season. The final column shows his All-Star Selections, his Box-Toppers key season rankings and his standing in key postseason awards voting.

Year	Team	BTP	Notes
1995	nyy al	3.0
1996	nyy al	8.4	BTP-77, BTP-AL pi-11, CYA-3, MVP-12
1997	nyy al	5.0	AS, MVP-25
1998	nyy al	4.0
1999	nyy al	8.0	AS, BTP-82, BTP-AL pi-13, CYA-3, MVP-14
2000	nyy al	4.0	AS
2001	nyy al	12.0	AS, BTP-30, BTP-AL pi-8, MVP-11
2002	nyy al	4.0	AS
2003	nyy al	6.0	MVP-27
2004	nyy al	5.0	AS, BTP-189, BTP-AL pi-37, CYA-3, MVP-9
2005	nyy al	11.0	AS, BTP-37, BTP-AL pi-9, CYA-2, MVP-9
2006	nyy al	4.0	AS, MVP-26
2007	nyy al	12.0	BTP-27, BTP-AL pi-11
2008	nyy al	14.0	AS, BTP-17, BTP-AL pi-8, CYA-5
2009	nyy al	8.0	AS, BTP-84, BTP-AL pi-18, MVP-14
2010	nyy al	7.0	AS
2011	nyy al	6.0	AS, CYA-8
2012	nyy al	0.0
2013	nyy al	5.0	AS
Total		126.4	BTP-25, BTP-pi-16

AS All-star selection
BTP Finish among all players in Box-Toppers points
BTP-AL pi Finish among all AL pitchers in BTP
CYA Finish in league Cy Young Award voting
MVP Finish in league Most Valuable Player Award voting

Source: Information for player awards comes from Baseball-Reference.com

Rivera retired amid great fanfare at the end of the 2013 season at the age of 43. He recorded more saves than any other pitcher with 652. He helped the New York Yankees, the team with which he spent his entire 19-season career, win five World Series championships, earning World Series Most Valuable Player once (in 1999) and American League Championship Series MVP once (in 2003).

And yet, despite all this, Rivera trails one other closing pitcher in all-time Box-Toppers points. Rivera recorded 126.4 Box-Toppers points, ranking 25th among all players and 16th among all pitchers. But ahead of him, with 129.4 Box-Toppers points, ranking 21st among all players and 14th among all pitchers is Trevor Hoffman.

Hoffman, who pitched primarily for the San Diego Padres and the Milwaukee Brewers from 1993 to 2010, has 601 career saves—he was passed by Rivera in 2011. And even though Rivera was only 3.0 Box-Toppers points from tying him, Hoffman would likely have a higher point total since his career began before Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995—Hoffman picked up 25 of his career saves in 1993 and 1994.

More about the comparison of Rivera and Hoffman ahead, but first a look back at the career of Rivera, who finished among the top 10 in AL pitchers in Box-Toppers points for a season three times during his career. Here are some career highlights:

• In 1996, he had 8.4 Box-Toppers points and finished third in AL Cy Young Award voting. (Pat Hentgen of the Blue Jays won the award—he had 10.0 Box-Toppers points that season, fifth among AL pitchers.)

• In 1999, he had 9.0 Box-Toppers points and finished third in AL Cy Young voting. (Pedro Martinez of the Red Sox won the award—he had 31.4 Box-Toppers points, the most of any AL pitcher.)

• In 2001, he had 12.0 Box-Toppers points, ranking eighth among AL pitchers. (He received no Cy Young votes.)

• In 2004, he had 5.0 Box-Toppers points and finished third in AL Cy Young voting. (Johan Santana of the Minnesota Twins won the award—he had 26.8 Box-Toppers points, the most of any player that season.)

• In 2005, he had 11.0 Box-Toppers points, ranking ninth among AL pitchers and finishing second in Cy Young voting, his highest finish ever. (Bartolo Colon of the Angels won the award—he had 9.4 Box-Toppers points that year, ranking 13th among AL pitchers.)

• In 2007, he had 12.0 Box-Toppers points, ranking 11th among AL pitchers. (He received no Cy Young votes.)

• In 2008, he had a career-high-for-a-season 14.0 Box-Toppers points, ranking eighth among AL pitchers and finishing fifth in Cy Young voting. (Cliff Lee of the Indians won the award —he had 15.0 Box-Toppers points, ranking sixth among AL pitchers.)

• In 2011, he had 6.0 Box-Toppers points and finished eighth in Cy Young voting. (Justin Verlander of the Tigers won the award—he had 24.4 Box-Toppers points, first among AL pitchers.)

Rivera had four seasons with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points. He had 17 straight seasons in which he earned at least one Box-Toppers point. That streak was cut short in 2012, when he was injured for the season in May and earned no Box-Toppers points that year. He came back from that injury in 2013 to earn 5.0 Box-Toppers points in his final season.

Rivera vs. Hoffman

Trevor Hoffman

Here are Trevor Hoffman's Box-Toppers statistics. The third column shows his Box-Toppers points (BTP) per season. The final column shows his All-Star Selections, his Box-Toppers key season rankings and his standing in key postseason awards voting.

Year	Team	BTP	Notes
1993	fla nl/sd nl	*
1994	sd nl	*
1995	sd nl	9.0	BTP-42, BTP-NL pi-8
1996	sd nl	14.7	BTP-12, BTP-NL pi-5, CYA-5, MVP-22
1997	sd nl	14.0	BTP-17, BTP-Nl pi-7
1998	sd nl	11.0	AS, BTP-31, BTP-NL pi-12, CYA-2, MVP-7
1999	sd nl	7.0	AS, BTP-111, BTP-NL pi-27, CYA-6, MVP-28
2000	sd nl	11.0	AS, BTP-30, BTP-NL pi-8
2001	sd nl	12.0	BTP-29, BTP-NL pi-13
2002	sd nl	8.0	AS, BTP-88, BTP-NL pi-30
2003	sd nl	0.0
2004	sd nl	8.7	BTP-65, BTP-NL pi-22
2005	sd nl	7.0	MVP-17
2006	sd nl	7.0	AS, BTP-115, BTP-NL pi-33, CYA-2, MVP-10
2007	sd nl	3.0	AS
2008	sd nl	9.0	BTP-69, BTP-NL pi-27
2009	mil nl	7.0	AS
2010	mil nl	1.0
Total		129.4	BTP-21, BTP-pi-14

* Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995. Hoffman appeared in 67 games in 1993 and 47 games in 1994, recording 25 of his 601 career saves.

AS All-star selection
BTP Finish among all players in Box-Toppers points
BTP-NL pi Finish among all NL pitchers in BTP
CYA Finish in league Cy Young Award voting
MVP Finish in league Most Valuable Player Award voting

Source: Information for player awards comes from Baseball-Reference.com

So why does Rivera have fewer Box-Toppers points than Hoffman?

First: Box-Toppers measures which player most contributes to a team’s win. While Rivera was with the Yankees, there was a cavalcade of stars who made contributions who regularly edged out Rivera to earn Player of the Game honors (and thus, Box-Toppers points)—Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez, Andy Pettitte, CC Sabathia, Jason Giambi … the names roll off the tongue and are among all-time career leaders in Box-Toppers points. But Hoffman did not have as many stars around him (his San Diego teammate Jake Peavy is the only one that comes to mind at present) and so the competition among team members to earn Box-Toppers points was less, allowing Hoffman to, perhaps, put up bigger numbers.

In addition, it’s simply harder for a closer to accumulate a lot of Box-Toppers points. When they pitch only one inning, it is hard for them to amass a large enough Box-Toppers game score in comparison with their teammates. For a closer to earn Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors, they almost have to dominate their inning, striking out the side and allowing no hits, while their teammates either completely fail or make only minor contributions to the win. The closer may only win Player of the Game honors because the starting pitcher got shelled and no batter had a decent hitting line.

Box-Toppers doesn’t give credence to the so-called “clutch” or late-inning situation in which most closers find themselves. In the view of the Box-Toppers statistic, the first inning is as important as the ninth and the first game is as important as the 162nd. So, a closer who pitches one inning and faces just three batters may do it well and may give his team an emotional boost, but it is hard for him to compete statistically with the pitcher who goes seven innings or the batter who makes four plate appearances and gets three hits.

Given all those obstacles, it is really remarkable that Rivera and Hoffman could accumulate so many points over their careers—for comparison here are the next highest-ranked closers on the all-time Box-Toppers points list:

• Billy Wagner (1996-2010), 108.7, ranked 44th overall.

• Troy Percival (1995-2009), 80.7, ranked 102nd overall.

• Rob Nen (1993-2004), 66.0, ranked 157th overall.

Given his status as “saves king” and his reputation for postseason dominance, it may be true to say Rivera is the greatest closer of all time. But it can also be fair to say that Hoffman is actually the closer who contributed most often to his teams’ wins.

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.

Coming next in the series: Roy Oswalt

Previously in the series: Alex Rodriguez, Roy Halladay, Manny Ramirez, Johan Santana, Jim Thome, Derek Jeter

Giants' Sandoval, Red Sox' Ortiz top players for Wednesday, Sept. 4

Pablo Sandoval of the Giants is Wednesday's Player of the Day. Sandoval hit three home runs, drove in six and went 4-for-5 in the 13-5 win over the Padres.

David Ortiz is American League Player of the Day. Ortiz hit two home runs, drove in four and went 3-for-5 in the 20-4 win over the Tigers.

Ortiz rises to 23rd place on the season's Box-Toppers player rankings. He earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day, giving him 12.4 for the season.

Wednesday was a rare occurrence in which batters earned both top player honors over pitchers. 

Notable: Yankees closer Mariano Rivera earned Player of the Game honors for the second straight day. Rivera (1.1IP 0H 0R 1K Sv in 6-5 win vs. White Sox) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 4.0 for the season. 

Rivera now has 125.4 career Box-Toppers points and is in 26th place overall. However, he trails the all-time leader among closing pitchers, Trevor Hoffman, who earned 129.4 points and is in 21st place overall. Rivera, who has announced he is retiring after this season, would need to double his season total in Box-Toppers points over the next few weeks to catch Hoffman in career Box-Toppers points. 

Ortiz, who was AL Player of the Day Wednesday, has 126.4 career Box-Toppers points and is in 24th place. Box-Toppers record-keeping began in 1995.

Sandoval receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Ortiz receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. No pitchers received Box-Toppers bonus points since no pitchers had higher Box-Toppers game scores than the top batters.

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

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

904	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	8.0	Giants	Pablo Sandoval 3B	5	3	4	6	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
AL	5.0	Red Sox	David Ortiz DH	5	3	3	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	5.0	Mets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Dillon Gee (W, 11-9)	7.0	4	1	1	1	5
	4.0	Rays	Wil Myers DH	4	2	3	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Athletics	Coco Crisp CF	4	2	2	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Brewers	Aramis Ramirez 3B	3	3	2	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Rockies	Josh Rutledge 2B	4	3	3	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	`Diamondbacks	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Randall Delgado	7.0	4	3	3	0	6
	2.1	Yankees	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Mariano Rivera (S, 41)	1.1	0	0	0	0	1
	2.0	Cubs	Dioner Navarro C	5	2	2	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Indians	Yan Gomes C	4	1	3	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Mariners	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Lucas Luetge (W, 1-2)	2.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Nationals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Rafael Soriano (S, 38)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	1.0	Cardinals	Matt Adams 1B	5	2	2	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	0.0	Astros	Trevor Crowe LF	5	1	2	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

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

All-Star rosters include most Box-Toppers points leaders, only a few minor snubs

With the 2013 All-Star Game here, it's time for a Box-Toppers examination of the choices for the game by fans and the managers.

Overall, not bad. The players with the highest Box-Toppers points totals in each league were almost always named to the American League and National League teams. 

For example, Box-Toppers points leader and Diamondbacks pitcher Patrick Corbin was named to the NL roster (though Mets pitcher Matt Harvey was named the game's starter). And AL points leader and Indians pitcher Justin Masterson was named to the AL roster (though Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer was named AL starter).

The player with the most Box-Toppers points this season who was not selected as an All-Star is Cardinals pitcher Shelby Miller, who has 11.4 Box-Toppers points, the fifth highest among NL pitchers and more than NL starter Harvey (11.0). 

Other notable snubs (a full list is in the chart below) include:

• Tigers pitcher Anibal Sanchez, the AL player with the most Box-Toppers points (8.0) left off the roster.
• Yunel Escobar of the Rays, who has more Box-Toppers points than any other AL shortstop (4.5). 
• J.P. Arencibia of the Blue Jays, who has more points than any other AL catcher (5.5). 
• Athletics outfielders Yoenis Cespedes and Josh Reddick, who are among the top three AL outfielders in Box-Toppers points. Both have 4.5. 
• Ryan Zimmerman of the Nationals, who has more points than any other NL third basemen (6.7).

The elected starters for the AL are generally stronger than the starters for the NL in terms of Box-Toppers points and player rankings (see the charts at right). Five players are among the top one or two players in Box-Toppers points at their position among AL starters, while only three players in the NL can say the same.

The chart shows the players Box-Toppers points for the season, BTP, and their rank according to their field position in their league. Generally speaking, the the lower the rank by position number, the better. For example, Chris Davis, Miguel Cabrera, David Ortiz and Carlos Gonzalez all rank No. 1 among players in their respective positions. However, elected NL starter Carlos Beltran of the Cardinals, ranks only 39th among NL outfielders in Box-Toppers points for the season.

While the NL starting line-up is not as strong as the AL line-up, the NL reserves include most of the players leading in Box-Toppers points at their position. For example, in the reserves and pitchers chart at the right below the elected starters, you can see that four NL players leading in Box-Toppers points in their position were selected to the team by NL manager Bruce Bochy of the Giants. They include:

• Brian McCann of the Braves, leading among NL catchers with 7.0 Box-Toppers points.
• Paul Goldschmidt of the Diamondbacks, leading among NL first basemen with 9.7 Box-Toppers points. 
• Matt Carpenter of the Cardinals, leading among NL second basemen with 6.0 Box-Toppers points. 
• Everth Cabrera of the Padres, leading among NL shortstops with 4.5 Box-Toppers points. 

Often, players are chosen to the All-Star for sentimental and nostalgic reasons. That might seem to be the case for Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, who has only 1.0 Box-Toppers point this season and ranks 137th among AL pitchers in points. And though he's having a strong year (30 saves in 32 chances and a 1.83 ERA), he hasn't picked up a lot of Box-Toppers points since he hasn't been the player who most contributed to the win in most of the games in which he's appeared. Still, Rivera has a very strong career Box-Toppers total. He has 122.4 career Box-Toppers points, 26th among all players since 1995 and second among closing pitchers only to Trevor Hoffman (129.4).  Even if he weren't having a great year statistically, his career Box-Toppers numbers would cry out for his selection to the All-Star Game in this, the year he is retiring.

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

ALL-STAR GAME TOP SNUBS
AL PLAYERS	POS	TEAM	BTP	RANK BY POS.
Anibal Sanchez	PI SP	Tigers	8.0	10
Derek Holland	PI SP	Rangers	7.7	11
Joe Saunders	PI SP	Mariners	7.7	12
R.A. Dickey	PI SP	Blue Jays	6.7	13
Hiroki Kuroda	PI SP	Yankees	6.7	14
Josh Donaldson	3B	Athletics	6.5	2
Yunel Escobar	SS	Rays	4.5	1
J.P. Arencibia	CA	Blue Jays	5.5	1
Yoenis Cespedes	OF	Athletics	4.5	2
Josh Reddick	OF	Athletics	4.5	3
NL PLAYERS	POS	TEAM	BTP	RANK BY POS.
Shelby Miller	PI SP	Cardinals	11.4	5
Zack Greinke	PI SP	Dodgers	10.7	8
Lance Lynn	PI SP	Cardinals	10.4	9
Gio Gonzalez	PI SP	Nationals	8.7	11
Mat Latos	PI SP	Reds	8.7	12
Ryan Zimmerman	3B	Nationals	6.7	1

ALL-STAR GAME ELECTED STARTERS
AL PLAYERS	POS	TEAM	BTP	RANK BY POS.
Chris Davis	1B	Orioles	10.2	1
Robinson Canó	2B	Yankees	7.0	2
J. J. Hardy	SS	Orioles	3.0	4
Miguel Cabrera	3B	Tigers	13.4	1
Joe Mauer	C	Twins	5.0	2
Mike Trout	OF	Angels	3.5	9
Adam Jones	OF	Orioles	3.5	10
José Bautista	OF	Blue Jays	1.5	32
David Ortiz	DH	Red Sox	8.2	1
NL PLAYERS	POS	TEAM	BTP	RANK BY POS.
Joey Votto	1B	Reds	1.5	14
Brandon Phillips	2B	Reds	5.0	2
Troy Tulowitzki	SS	Rockies	2.0	7
David Wright	3B	Mets	1.0	12
Yadier Molina	C	Cardinals	3.0	5
Carlos Beltrán	OF	Cardinals	1.5	39
Carlos González	OF	Rockies	9.5	1
Bryce Harper	OF	Nationals	6.9	2

ALL-STAR GAME RESERVES & PITCHERS
AL PLAYERS	POS	TEAM	BTP	RANK BY POS.
Jason Castro	C	Astros	2.0	7
Salvador Pérez	C	Royals	0.0	18
Prince Fielder	1B	Tigers	3.5	7
Jason Kipnis	2B	Indians	7.0	1
Dustin Pedroia	2B	Red Sox	1.5	9
Ben Zobrist	2B	Rays	2.0	6
Manny Machado	3B	Orioles	1.0	14
Jhonny Peralta	SS	Tigers	1.0	11
Nelson Cruz	OF	Rangers	4.5	1
Alex Gordon	OF	Royals	1.0	42
Torii Hunter	OF	Tigers	1.0	43
Edwin Encarnación	DH	Blue Jays	5.7	2
Justin Masterson	PI SP	Indians	13.7	1
Matt Moore	PI SP	Rays	13.1	2
Chris Sale	PI SP	White Sox	10.7	3
Félix Hernández	PI SP	Mariners	10.4	4
Clay Buchholz	PI SP	Red Sox	10.1	5
Yu Darvish	PI SP	Rangers	10.0	6
Max Scherzer	PI SP	Tigers	9.7	7
Hisashi Iwakuma	PI SP	Mariners	9.7	8
Justin Verlander	PI SP	Tigers	8.0	9
Bartolo Colón	PI SP	Athletics	6.7	15
Greg Holland	PI CP	Royals	6.0	20
Glen Perkins	PI CP	Twins	6.0	21
Chris Tillman	PI SP	Orioles	4.0	35
Joe Nathan	PI CP	Rangers	3.0	59
Grant Balfour	PI CP	Athletics	3.0	60
Brett Cecil	PI MR	Blue Jays	2.0	93
Jesse Crain	PI MR	White Sox	2.0	96
Steve Delabar	PI MR CP	Blue Jays	1.0	112
Mariano Rivera	PI CP	Yankees	1.0	137
NL PLAYERS	POS	TEAM	BTP	RANK BY POS.
Buster Posey	C	Giants	6.0	2
Brian McCann	C	Braves	7.0	1
Paul Goldschmidt	1B	Diamondbacks	9.7	1
Allen Craig	1B	Cardinals	1.0	15
Freddie Freeman	1B	Braves	6.5	2
Matt Carpenter	2B	Cardinals	6.0	1
Marco Scutaro	2B	Giants	0.0	18
Pedro Álvarez	3B	Pirates	6.2	2
Everth Cabrera	SS	Padres	4.5	1
Jean Segura	SS	Brewers	2.5	6
Domonic Brown	OF	Phillies	3.5	15
Michael Cuddyer	OF	Rockies	6.5	3
Carlos Gómez	OF	Brewers	2.0	35
Andrew McCutchen	OF	Pirates	2.0	27
Patrick Corbin	PI SP	Diamondbacks	14.4	1
Clayton Kershaw	PI SP	Dodgers	12.7	2
Madison Bumgarner	PI SP	Giants	11.7	3
Adam Wainwright	PI SP	Cardinals	11.7	4
Matt Harvey	PI SP	Mets	11.0	6
Jordan Zimmermann	PI SP	Nationals	10.7	7
Cliff Lee	PI SP	Phillies	9.4	10
José Fernández	PI SP	Marlins	8.0	14
Aroldis Chapman	PI CP	Reds	6.0	18
Jason Grilli	PI CP	Pirates	5.7	29
Travis Wood	PI CP	Cubs	5.0	33
Jeff Locke	PI SP	Pirates	5.0	36
Craig Kimbrel	PI CP	Braves	3.0	52
Edward Mujica	PI CP	Cardinals	3.0	58
Sergio Romo	PI CP	Giants	2.0	77
Mark Melancon	PI MR	Pirates	1.0	121

BTP: Box-Toppers points for the current season.

RANK BY POS.: A players ranking among players in the same position for the current season.