Wins leaders generally coincide with Box-Toppers points leaders—except for overall wins leader Porcello, who ranks 91st

While wins leaders generally coincided with Box-Toppers points leaders, overall leader Red Sox pitcher Rick Porcello (22 wins) lagged far behind in Box-Toppers points with only 8.0, 91st among all players.

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Box-Toppers leader Max Scherzer wins NL Cy Young Award; wins leader Porcello wins AL Cy Young despite low Box-Toppers ranking

Box-Toppers points leader Max Scherzer of the Nationals wins the NL Cy Young Award. But Rick Porcello of the Red Sox, who ranked just 31st among AL pitchers in Box-Toppers points, win the AL Cy Young.

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Box-Toppers rookie, pitching leaders among finalists for top postseason awards, but batting leaders excluded from MVP finalists

Rookie of the Year finlists Fulmer, Maeda lead newcomers in Box-Toppers points. Cy Young finalists Scherzer, Kluber lead pitchers in points. But Box-Toppers batting leaders Arenado, Machado not among MVP finalists.

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A look at Box-Toppers' top 100 players for 2016

Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer leads the list of the top 100 players for 2016 with 25.7 Box-Toppers points, the 20th-highest single-season point total since 1995, when Box-Toppers tracking began.

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David Ross tops players in World Series Game 7 as Cubs defeat Indians to secure 1st championship in 108 years

David Ross is Box-Toppers Player of the Game in World Series Game 7 as the Chicago Cubs win their first championship in 108 years.

The Cubs defeated the Cleveland Indians 8-7 Wednesday in 10 innings, winning the best-of-seven-game series, 4-3.

Ross hit a sixth-inning solo home run, going 1-for-1 with a walk, and earning a Box-Toppers game score of +2.0, the highest among all Cubs players Wednesday.

During the regular season, Ross had 2.5 Box-Toppers points, 91st among National League batters and ninth among NL catchers. Ross has said he will retire after the 2016 season.

It is the first time this World Series and only the fifth time in 35 postseason games this year that a batter has earned Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors.

Mike Montgomery, who earned the save, had the highest Box-Toppers game score (+0.1) among Cubs pitchers (0.1IP 0H 0R 0BB 0K), getting the game’s final out with two pitches in the bottom of the 10th inning.

Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks had a Box-Toppers game score of −1.8 (4.2IP 4H 2R BB 2K ND). Hendricks had 13.4 Box-Toppers points during the regular season, ranked 17th among all players, 10th among NL pitchers.

Cubs pitcher Jon Lester, who pitched three innings of relief, had a Box-Toppers game score of 0.0 (3IP 3H 2R BB 4K ND). Lester had the highest regular season Box-Toppers point total of any player in the World Series, 22.1, ranked fourth among all players, third among NL pitchers.

Indians starting pitcher Corey Kluber had a Box-Toppers game score of −10.0 (4IP 6H 4R 0BB 0K ND). Kluber had 21.2 regular season Box-Toppers points, fifth among all players, first among American League pitchers. He earned Box-ToppersPlayer of the Game honors four times during the postseason, most of any player, including twice in the World Series. Pitching on short rest for the second time in the World Series, Kluber got off to a rocky start, giving up a lead-off solo home run to Dexter Fowler.

Cubs left fielder Ben Zobrist was named World Series Most Valuable Player, though he never had a Box-Toppers game score of more than 0.0 in any of the Cubs’ four wins. Box-Toppers would have chosen pitcher Jake Arrieta as MVP; he was Box-Toppers Player of the Game in the Cubs’ Game 2 and Game 6 wins.

Box-Toppers 2016 final team rankings

Box-Toppers 2016 final top 10 player rankings

Box-Toppers point totals of all Cubs players active at season’s end

Box-Toppers point totals of all Indians players active at season’s end

Box-Toppers ALCS Preview

Box-Toppers NLCS Preview

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.

Box-Toppers strives for accuracy. See a mistake in a post? A wrong name, wrong team, grammar error, spelling goof, etc.? Thanks for pointing it out! Contact Box-Toppers here. Let's fix it and make it right.

Top Cubs in World Series Game 7: Cubs 8, Indians 7 (10 innings)

Here are the Box-Toppers game scores of all Cubs who played in World Series Game 7 listed from highest-to-lowest Box-Toppers game score.

BTG Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
2.0 * David Ross, C 1 1 1 1 1 0 - - - - - -
1.0 Miguel Montero, C 1 0 1 1 0 0 - - - - - -
1.0 Albert Almora Jr., PR-DH 0 1 0 0 0 0 - - - - - -
0.1 Mike Montgomery (S,1) - - - - - - 0.1 0 0 0 0 0
0.0 Dexter Fowler, CF 5 1 3 1 0 0 - - - - - -
0.0 Anthony Rizzo, 1B 3 1 1 1 1 1 - - - - - -
0.0 Willson Contreras, C 2 0 1 1 0 0 - - - - - -
0.0 Jon Lester - - - - - - 3.0 3 2 1 1 4
0.0 Chris Coghlan, PR - - - - - - - - - - - -
-1.0 Kris Bryant, 3B 4 2 1 0 1 1 - - - - - -
-1.8 Kyle Hendricks - - - - - - 4.2 4 2 1 1 2
-2.0 Kyle Schwarber, DH 5 0 3 0 0 0 - - - - - -
-2.0 Ben Zobrist, LF 5 1 1 1 0 0 - - - - - -
-2.0 Javier Baez, 2B 5 1 1 1 0 2 - - - - - -
-2.0 Addison Russell, SS 3 0 0 1 1 0 - - - - - -
-2.8 Carl Edwards Jr. (H,4) - - - - - - 0.2 1 1 1 1 1
-3.9 Aroldis Chapman (W,2-0; BS,3) - - - - - - 1.1 3 2 2 0 2
-5.0 Jason Heyward, RF 5 0 0 0 0 1 - - - - - -
* Player of the Game
BTG: Box-Toppers game score

Game 7 narrative via Box-Toppers Twitter feed

Here are real-time tweets from Box-Toppers Wednesday as World Series Game 7 progressed:

Jake Arrieta tops players in World Series Game 6 as Cubs tie series with Indians, 3-3

Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta is Box-Toppers Player of the Game in World Series Game 6 Tuesday.

The Chicago Cubs win 9-3 and even the best-of-seven game series with the Cleveland Indians at three games apiece, setting up a decisive Game 7 Wednesday.

Arrieta struck out nine over 5 2/3 innings, allowing two runs, three hits and three walks, earning the win. Arrieta had the highest Box-Toppers game score of all Cubs players, +4.2.

This is the second time this postseason (and second time in the World Series) Arrieta has been Box-Toppers Player of the Game. He was also top player in the Game 2 win against the Indians.

Arrieta had 15.7 Box-Toppers points during the regular season, ninth among all players, sixth among NL pitchers. In 2015, he led all players in Box-Toppers points with 29.1.

Shortstop Addison Russell had the highest Box-Toppers game score (+4.0) among Cubs batters (GS 2B 2-5 R 6BI). Russell was the leading candidate for Box-Toppers Player of the Game during much of Game 6 after his third-inning grand slam homer, but his game score fell just below Arrieta’s after hitless at-bats later in the game.

Indians starting pitcher Josh Tomlin had a Box-Toppers game score Tuesday of −10.9 (2.1IP 6H 6R BB 0K L).

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.

Box-Toppers strives for accuracy. See a mistake in a post? A wrong name, wrong team, grammar error, spelling goof, etc.? Thanks for pointing it out! Contact Box-Toppers here. Let's fix it and make it right.

Top Cubs in World Series Game 6: Cubs 9, Indians 3

Here are the Box-Toppers game scores of all Cubs who played in World Series Game 6 listed from highest-to-lowest Box-Toppers game score.

BTG Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
4.2 * Jake Arrieta (W,2-1) - - - - - - 5.2 3 2 2 3 9
4.0 Addison Russell, SS 5 1 2 6 0 1 - - - - - -
3.0 Anthony Rizzo, 1B 5 3 3 2 0 0 - - - - - -
2.0 Kris Bryant, 3B 5 2 4 1 0 0 - - - - - -
0.1 Travis Wood - - - - - - 0.1 0 0 0 0 0
0.0 Ben Zobrist, LF 4 2 2 0 1 1 - - - - - -
-1.0 Mike Montgomery - - - - - - 1.0 1 0 0 1 0
-1.8 Pedro Strop - - - - - - 0.2 1 0 0 1 0
-1.9 Aroldis Chapman - - - - - - 1.1 1 1 1 1 1
-2.0 Kyle Schwarber, DH 4 1 1 0 1 0 - - - - - -
-3.0 Javier Baez, 2B 4 0 1 0 0 2 - - - - - -
-3.0 Willson Contreras, C 3 0 0 0 1 1 - - - - - -
-4.0 Jason Heyward, RF 4 0 0 0 0 0 - - - - - -
-5.0 Dexter Fowler, CF 5 0 0 0 0 1 - - - - - -
* Player of the Game
BTG: Box-Toppers game score

Coming Wednesday in Cleveland:

World Series Game 7, Cubs at Indians, series tied, 3-3

The pitching matchup Wednesday:

Cubs—Kyle Hendricks, 13.4 Box-Toppers points, ranked 17th among all players, 10th among National League pitchers. Hendricks was Player of the Game in the National League Championship Series Game 6 vs. the Dodgers.

Indians—Corey Kluber, 21.2 Box-Toppers points, fifth among all players, first among American League pitchers. Kluber was Player of the Game in AL Division Series Game 2 vs. the Red Sox, in AL Championship Series Game 1 vs. the Blue Jays, in World Series Game 1 vs. the Cubs and World Series Game 4 vs. the Cubs.

Kluber has been Box-Toppers Player of the Game four times during the postseason, more than any other player and twice during the World Series, tied with Arrieta of the Cubs.

Kluber is Box-Toppers’ highest-ranked AL pitcher in 2016 with 21.2 Box-Toppers points.

Given that, the Indians should be favored in Game 7. But Kluber is pitching on short rest. But again, he’s done that before in Game 4 and earned Player of the Game honors.

Hendricks has only been Player of the Game once this postseason. In his previous World Series start in Game 3, which the Cubs lost, he didn’t do badly. He had a positive Box-Toppers game score, +2.1 (4.1IP 6H 0R 2BB 6K ND). Unlike Kluber, he is pitching on full rest and making just his second appearance in the World Series. And though he has fewer regular season Box-Toppers points than Kluber, Hendricks is among the top 10 NL pitchers in 2016.

Given how both managers have put starters on a short leash and relied on middle relievers and closers to carry the load, it would be odd to see both pitchers go deep in a Jack Morris-John Smoltz style Game 7 1991 World Series pitching duel.

It would be far more likely to see the bullpens handle the load, as has happened most of the series. That would give the Indians the edge with strong relievers Cody Allen (7.0 Box-Toppers points) and Andrew Miller (8.0 Box-Toppers points), neither of whom pitched Tuesday. The Cubs counter with their closer Aroldis Chapman (7.4 Box-Toppers points), but Chapman pitched Tuesday and had a long 2 2/3-inning outing to secure Game 5 on Sunday.

But on the other hand, the Cubs have the best starting pitching line-up in baseball and have the luxury of bringing in two of their starting aces in relief in Game 7. Both Jon Lester (22.1 Box-Toppers points, ranked fourth, third among NL pitchers) and John Lackey (13.4 Box-Toppers points, ranked 16th, ninth among NL pitchers) would be available as relievers for the season’s final game. 

Box-Toppers 2016 final team rankings

Box-Toppers 2016 final top 10 player rankings

Box-Toppers point totals of all Cubs players active at season’s end

Box-Toppers point totals of all Indians players active at season’s end

Box-Toppers ALCS Preview

Box-Toppers NLCS Preview

Game 6 narrative via Box-Toppers Twitter feed

Here are real-time tweets from Box-Toppers Wednesday as World Series Game 6 progressed:

Cubs' Aroldis Chapman tops players in World Series Game 5; Indians lead series, 3-2

Cubs closing pitcher Aroldis Chapman is Box-Toppers Player of the Game in World Series Game 5 Sunday.

The Chicago Cubs win 3-2 as the Cleveland Indians maintain a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Chapman pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing one hit, no walks, striking out four and earning the save. Chapman had the highest Box-Toppers game score of all Cubs players, +5.2.

This is the second time this postseason Chapman has been Box-Toppers Player of the Game. He was also top player in the National League Division Series Game 4 win vs. the Giants.

Chapman had 7.4 Box-Toppers points during the regular season, 104th among all players, 33rd among NL pitchers and second among NL closers, behind Jeurys Familia of the Mets (8.0).

Starting pitcher Jon Lester had the second-highest Box-Toppers game score among Cubs players, +3.0 (6IP 4H 2R 0BB 5K W). Lester has the highest regular season Box-Toppers point total of any player remaining in the postseason 22.1, ranked fourth among all players, third among NL pitchers.

Kris Bryant had the highest Box-Toppers game score among Cubs batters Sunday, 0.0 (HR 1-3 R BI).

Indians starting pitcher Trevor Bauer had a Box-Toppers game score of −1.0 (4IP 6H 3R 0BB 7K L).

Monday is a travel day in the World Series. Game 6 is Tuesday in Cleveland.

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.

Box-Toppers strives for accuracy. See a mistake in a post? A wrong name, wrong team, grammar error, spelling goof, etc.? Thanks for pointing it out! Contact Box-Toppers here. Let's fix it and make it right.

Top Cubs in World Series Game 5: Cubs 3, Indians 2

Here are the Box-Toppers game scores of all Cubs who played in World Series Game 5 listed from highest-to-lowest Box-Toppers game score.

BTG Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
5.2 * Aroldis Chapman (S,4) - - - - - - 2.2 1 0 0 0 4
3.0 Jon Lester (W,3-1) - - - - - - 6.0 4 2 2 0 5
0.0 Kris Bryant, 3B 3 1 1 1 1 2 - - - - - -
0.0 David Ross, C 1 0 0 1 0 0 - - - - - -
0.0 Carl Edwards Jr., P 0 0 0 0 0 0 - - - - - -
-0.9 Carl Edwards Jr. (H,3) - - - - - - 0.1 1 0 0 0 0
-1.0 Addison Russell, SS 4 0 2 1 0 1 - - - - - -
-1.0 Anthony Rizzo, 1B 3 1 1 0 1 0 - - - - - -
-1.0 Ben Zobrist, LF 3 1 1 0 1 0 - - - - - -
-1.0 a-Miguel Montero, PH 1 0 0 0 0 1 - - - - - -
-1.0 Aroldis Chapman, P 1 0 0 0 0 1 - - - - - -
-1.0 Willson Contreras, C 1 0 0 0 0 0 - - - - - -
-2.0 Jon Lester, P 2 0 0 0 0 2 - - - - - -
-3.0 Jason Heyward, RF 4 0 1 0 0 3 - - - - - -
-3.0 Javier Baez, 2B 4 0 1 0 0 3 - - - - - -
-3.0 Dexter Fowler, CF 3 0 0 0 0 1 - - - - - -
* Player of the Game
BTG: Box-Toppers game score

Coming Tuesday in Cleveland:

World Series Game 6, Indians lead Cubs in series, 3-2

The pitching matchup Tuesday:

Cubs—Jake Arrieta, 15.7 Box-Toppers points, ninth among all players, sixth among NL pitchers. Arrieta was Player of the Game in World Series Game 2.

Indians—Josh Tomlin, 5.0 Box-Toppers points, 202nd among all players, 63rd among American League pitchers. Tomlin was Player of the Game in the American League Championship Series Game 2 vs. the Blue Jays.

On paper, the 2015 NL Cy Young Award winner Arrieta outmatches Tomlin. In addition, Arrieta is pitching on five days rest having last pitched and won in Game 2. Tomlin is pitching on short rest, just three days, after having 58 pitches over 4 2/3 innings in Game 3 Friday.

But Tomlin was also outmatched in his Game 3 start vs. Kyle Hendricks of the Cubs (13.4 Box-Toppers points, ranked 17th) and the Indians still prevailed, 1-0, thanks to the Indians bullpen aces Andrew Miller and Cody Allen.

Box-Toppers World Series preview

Box-Toppers 2016 final team rankings

Box-Toppers 2016 final top 10 player rankings

Box-Toppers point totals of all Cubs players active at season’s end

Box-Toppers point totals of all Indians players active at season’s end

Box-Toppers ALCS Preview

Box-Toppers NLCS Preview

Game 5 narrative via Box-Toppers Twitter feed

Here are real-time tweets from Box-Toppers Wednesday as World Series Game 5 progressed:

Reliever Andrew Miller tops players in World Series Game 3 as Indians take 2-1 series lead

Indians pitcher Andrew Miller is Box-Toppers Player of the Game in World Series Game 3 Friday.

The Cleveland Indians win 1-0 to take a 2-1 lead over the Chicago Cubs in the best-of-seven-games series.

Miller struck out three in 1 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing no hits, no walks and picking up the win. Miller had a Box-Toppers game score of +4.1, highest among Indians players. 

Miller relieved starter Josh Tomlin in the fifth inning with two outs and also pitched the sixth inning.

Miller was pulled for pinch hitter Coco Crisp in the seventh inning, who drove in the game’s only run. That made Miller the pitcher of record, earning him the win, since he was the last Indians pitcher on the mound before the Indians took the lead.

Miller had 8.0 Box-Toppers points during the regular season, ranked 92nd among all players, 32nd among American League pitchers and first among AL middle relievers. He earned 4.0 of his points with the Yankees before being traded to the Indians.

This is the third time this postseason Miller has been Box-Toppers Player of the Game, tied for the most such honors with teammate Corey Kluber (who starts for the Indians Saturday). Previously, Miller was Player of the Game in the AL Division Series Game 1 win vs. the Red Sox on Oct. 6 and in the AL Championship Series Game 3 win vs. the Blue Jays on Oct. 17.

Closer Cody Allen had the second-highest Box-Toppers game score (+3.1) among Indians (1.1IP H 0R 0BB 3K). Starter Josh Tomlin had the third-highest score (+2.2) among Indians (4.2IP 2H 0R BB K). Pinch hitter Coco Crisp had the highest Box-Toppers game score (+1.0) among Indians batters, driving in the game’s only run with a single in the seventh inning (1-1 BI).

Opposing starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks of the Cubs had a Box-Toppers game score of +2.1 (4.1IP 6H 0R 2BB 6K ND). Hendricks had 13.4 Box-Toppers points during the regular season, ranked 17th among all players, 10th among National League pitchers.

The World Series resumes Saturday in Chicago with Game 4.

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.

Box-Toppers strives for accuracy. See a mistake in a post? A wrong name, wrong team, grammar error, spelling goof, etc.? Thanks for pointing it out! Contact Box-Toppers here. Let's fix it and make it right.

Top Indians in World Series Game 3: Indians 1, Cubs 0

Here are the Box-Toppers game scores of all Indians who played in World Series Game 3 listed from highest-to-lowest Box-Toppers game score.

BTG Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
4.1 Andrew Miller (W,2-0) - - - - - - 1.1 0 0 0 0 3
3.1 Cody Allen (S,6) - - - - - - 1.1 1 0 0 0 3
2.2 Josh Tomlin - - - - - - 4.2 2 0 0 1 1
1.0 a-Coco Crisp, PH 1 0 1 1 0 0 - - - - - -
0.2 Bryan Shaw (H,4) - - - - - - 1.2 2 0 0 0 1
0.0 Michael Martinez, PR-CF-3B 1 1 0 0 0 1 - - - - - -
0.0 Andrew Miller, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 - - - - - -
0.0 Bryan Shaw, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 - - - - - -
0.0 Brandon Guyer, LF 0 0 0 0 0 0 - - - - - -
0.0 Cody Allen, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 - - - - - -
0.0 Rajai Davis, LF-CF 0 0 0 0 1 0 - - - - - -
-1.0 Tyler Naquin, CF 2 0 1 0 0 0 - - - - - -
-1.0 Carlos Santana, LF 1 0 0 0 2 1 - - - - - -
-1.0 Yan Gomes, C 1 0 0 0 0 0 - - - - - -
-1.0 Josh Tomlin, P 1 0 0 0 0 1 - - - - - -
-2.0 Francisco Lindor, SS 4 0 2 0 0 0 - - - - - -
-2.0 Jose Ramirez, 3B 4 0 2 0 0 0 - - - - - -
-2.0 Jason Kipnis, 2B 3 0 1 0 0 1 - - - - - -
-2.0 Roberto Perez, C 3 0 1 0 0 1 - - - - - -
-4.0 Mike Napoli, 1B 4 0 0 0 0 3 - - - - - -
-4.0 Lonnie Chisenhall, RF 4 0 0 0 0 2 - - - - - -
BTG: Box-Toppers game score

Coming Saturday in Chicago:

World Series Game 4, Indians lead Cubs in series, 2-1

The pitching matchup Saturday:

Indians—Corey Kluber, 21.2 Box-Toppers points, fifth among all players, first among AL pitchers. Kluber was Player of the Game in AL Division Series Game 2 vs. the Red Sox, in AL Championship Series Game 1 vs. the Blue Jays and in World Series Game 1 vs. the Cubs.

Cubs—John Lackey, 13.4 Box-Toppers points, ranked 16th, ninth among NL pitchers.

Kluber is pitching on short rest, having pitched and won World Series Game 1 on Oct. 25. He has earned Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors three times this postseason, tied for the most of any player with Indians middle reliever Andrew Miller (Friday’s Player of the Game). Lackey comes in on full rest, having not pitched since Oct. 19 and is among the top 10 NL pitchers in Box-Toppers player rankings. However, Lackey has not earned Player of the Game honors in his two postseason appearances (combined 8IP 10H 5R 5BB 7K) and last earned regular season Player of the Game honors on Sept. 4.

Box-Toppers World Series preview

Box-Toppers 2016 final team rankings

Box-Toppers 2016 final top 10 player rankings

Box-Toppers point totals of all Cubs players active at season’s end

Box-Toppers point totals of all Indians players active at season’s end

Box-Toppers ALCS Preview

 

Game 3 narrative via Box-Toppers Twitter feed

Here are real-time tweets from Box-Toppers Wednesday as World Series Game 3 progressed:

Jake Arrieta tops players in World Series Game 2 as Cubs even series with Indians, 1-1

Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta is Box-Toppers Player of the Game in World Series Game 2 Wednesday.

The Chicago Cubs win 5-1 to even the best-of-seven series with the Cleveland Indians, 1-1.

Arrieta allowed one run over 5 2/3 innings, allowing two hits, three walks and striking out six. He had a Box-Toppers game score of +4.2, most of any Cubs player Wednesday. It is the first time this postseason he has earned Player of the Game honors.

Arrieta has 15.7 Box-Toppers points during the regular season, ninth among all players, sixth among NL pitchers. He led all players in Box-Toppers points in 2015 with 29.1.

Kyle Schwarber had the highest Box-Toppers game score (+1.0) among Cubs batters Wednesday (2-4 R 2BI). Opposing starting pitcher Trevor Bauer of the Indians had a Box-Toppers game score of −6.8 (3.2IP 6H 2R 2BB 2K L).

Thursday is a travel day and the World Series resumes Friday in Chicago with Game 3.

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.

Box-Toppers strives for accuracy. See a mistake in a post? A wrong name, wrong team, grammar error, spelling goof, etc.? Thanks for pointing it out! Contact Box-Toppers here. Let's fix it and make it right.

Top Cubs in World Series Game 2: Cubs 5, Indians 1

Here are the Box-Toppers game scores of all Cubs who played in World Series Game 2 listed from highest-to-lowest Box-Toppers game score.

BTG Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
4.2 * Jake Arrieta (W,1-1) - - - - - - 5.2 2 1 1 3 6
3.0 Mike Montgomery - - - - - - 2.0 2 0 0 1 4
2.1 Aroldis Chapman - - - - - - 1.1 0 0 0 1 2
1.0 Kyle Schwarber, DH 4 1 2 2 1 2 - - - - - -
1.0 Anthony Rizzo, 1B 3 2 1 1 2 0 - - - - - -
0.0 Ben Zobrist, LF 4 1 2 1 1 0 - - - - - -
-2.0 Addison Russell, SS 4 0 1 1 0 0 - - - - - -
-2.0 Jorge Soler, RF 2 0 0 0 1 0 - - - - - -
-2.0 Jason Heyward, PR-RF 2 0 0 0 0 1 - - - - - -
-3.0 Kris Bryant, 3B 5 1 1 0 0 1 - - - - - -
-3.0 Willson Contreras, C 3 0 0 0 2 0 - - - - - -
-4.0 Dexter Fowler, CF 5 0 1 0 0 2 - - - - - -
-4.0 Javier Baez, 2B 5 0 1 0 0 2 - - - - - -
* Player of the Game
BTG: Box-Toppers game score

Coming Friday in Chicago:

World Series Game 3, Indians at Cubs, series tied, 1-1

The pitching matchup Friday:

Indians—Josh Tomlin, 5.0 Box-Toppers points, 202nd among all players, 63rd among American League pitchers. Tomlin was Player of the Game in the American League Championship Series Game 2 vs. the Blue Jays.

Cubs—Kyle Hendricks, 13.4 Box-Toppers points, ranked 17th among all players, 10th among National League pitchers. Hendricks was Player of the Game in the National League Championship Game 6 vs. the Dodgers.

Box-Toppers World Series preview

Box-Toppers 2016 final team rankings

Box-Toppers 2016 final top 10 player rankings

Box-Toppers point totals of all Cubs players active at season’s end

Box-Toppers point totals of all Indians players active at season’s end

Box-Toppers ALCS Preview

Box-Toppers NLCS Preview

Game 2 narrative via Box-Toppers Twitter feed

Here are real-time tweets from Box-Toppers Wednesday as World Series Game 2 progressed:

Kyle Hendricks tops players in NLCS Game 6 as Cubs advance to first World Series in 71 years

Kyle Hendricks is Box-Toppers Player of the Game Saturday as the Cubs win their first pennant in 71 years, defeating the Dodgers in the National League Championship Series Game 6.

National League Championship Series Game 6: Cubs 5, Dodgers 0

Hendricks pitched 7 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits, no walks and striking out six.

The Chicago Cubs win the best-of-seven game series over the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-2, becoming National League champions and advancing to the World Series for the first time since 1945.

Hendricks had a Box-Toppers game score Saturday of +11.1, most of all Cubs players. Anthony Rizzo had the highest Box-Toppers game score (0.0) among Cubs batters (HR 2B 2-4 R BI).

Opposing starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers had a Box-Toppers game score of −7.0 (5IP 7H 5R 0BB 4K L). Kershaw ranked second among all players in Box-Toppers points in 2016 with 24.4.

Hendricks had 13.4 Box-Toppers points during the regular season, ranked 17th among all players, 10th among NL pitchers.

The Cubs rank first in Box-Toppers team rankings with players accumulating 139.5 Box-Toppers points in 2016. They ranked first nearly the entire season—in 24 Box-Toppers weekly team rankings reports, they were ranked first in 22 of them, missing only April 14 and July 21.

The Dodgers ranked third among all teams in Box-Toppers points with 125.2, second among NL teams, behind the Cubs.

The Cubs now face the Indians in the World Series beginning Tuesday in Cleveland. The Indians have not won the World Series since 1948. The Cubs have not won since 1908.

See Box-Toppers NLCS series preview with player-by-player matchups.

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.

Box-Toppers strives for accuracy. See a mistake in a post? A wrong name, wrong team, grammar error, spelling goof, etc.? Thanks for pointing it out! Contact Box-Toppers here. Let's fix it and make it right.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

BTG Game Player of Game AB R H BI IP H R ER BB K
11.1 CHC 5, LAD 0 Kyle Hendricks (W,1-1) - - - - 7.1 2 0 0 0 6
BTG: Box-Toppers game score

Cubs could reach World Series for 1st time in 71 years with win Saturday in NL Championship Series Game 6 vs. Dodgers

The Chicago Cubs could reach the World Series for the first time since 1945 (that’s 71 years if you’re counting) with a win Saturday over the Los Angeles Dodgers:

National League Championship Series Game 6: Cubs lead Dodgers, 3-2

The pitching matchup Saturday is a rematch of Game 2 of the series, won by the Dodgers, 1-0:

Dodgers—Clayton Kershaw, 24.4 Box-Toppers points, second among all players, second among NL pitchers.

Cubs—Kyle Hendricks, 13.4 Box-Toppers points, ranked 17th among all players, 10th among NL pitchers.

In Game 2, both pitchers did well, with Kershaw pitching seven scoreless innings and Hendricks allowing one run over 5 1/3 innings—a solo home run by Adrian Gonzalez, the only scoring in the game.

If the Dodgers win Game 6, they tie the series, 3-3, and Game 7 happens Sunday in Chicago. If the Cubs win, they win the series and face the Cleveland Indians in the World Series beginning Tuesday in Cleveland.

See Box-Toppers NLCS series preview with player-by-player matchups.

Factoid—The Cubs hold the record for the longest streak between World Series championships. It is 108 years and counting since their 1908 win.

In 1945, the last time the Cubs made the World Series, they had the longest streak of any team since winning their last World Series. At the time, they had not won a World Series in the 37 years since they won in 1908. However, in 1945, three franchises had yet to earn their first World Series title:

  • The St. Louis Browns, franchise begun in 1901, won their first title in 1966 as the Baltimore Orioles.
  • The Philadelphia Phillies, franchise begun in 1883, won their first title in 1980.
  • The Brooklyn Dodgers, franchise begun in 1884, won their first title in 1955. They are now the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Cubs have been the longest-suffering team between World Series championships since 1922. That year, the New York Giants won the World Series for the first time since 1905, ending the then longest drought between championships of 17 years. The Cubs’ 14-year drought then became the longest and has grown each year for the past 94 years.

The Cubs franchise began in 1876 and has won two World Series titles in 1907 and 1908. They made it to seven World Series between 1910 and 1945—including four from 1929 to 1939—losing all of them.

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.

Box-Toppers strives for accuracy. See a mistake in a post? A wrong name, wrong team, grammar error, spelling goof, etc.? Thanks for pointing it out! Contact Box-Toppers here. Let's fix it and make it right.

Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw tops players in NLCS Game 2 win to even series with Cubs, 1-1

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw is Box-Toppers Player of the Game in the National League Championship series Game 2 win Sunday over the Cubs.

Kershaw pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing two hits, one walk and striking out six, in the 1-0 win over the Cubs. The Dodgers have tied the best-of-seven series, 1-1.

Kershaw had 24.4 Box-Toppers points during the regular season, ranked second among all players. This was the second time this postseason he’s earned Player of the Game honors—he was Player of the Game Thursday in the NL Division Series Game 5 against the Nationals, when he picked up the save.

Kershaw had a Box-Toppers game score of +10.0, best of any Dodgers player. First baseman Adrian Gonzalez had the highest Box-Toppers game score (0.0) among Dodgers batters, providing the game’s only scoring with a solo home run (1-3 R BI).

Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks (13.4 Box-Toppers points, ranked 17th) had a Box-Toppers game score of +1.1 (5.1IP 3H R 4BB 5K L).

The series resumes Tuesday in Los Angeles.

See Box-Toppers NLCS series preview with player-by-player matchups.

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.

Box-Toppers strives for accuracy. See a mistake in a post? A wrong name, wrong team, grammar error, spelling goof, etc.? Thanks for pointing it out! Contact Box-Toppers here. Let's fix it and make it right.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

BTG Game Player of Game AB R H BI IP H R ER BB K
10.0 LAD 1, CHC 0 Clayton Kershaw (W,2-0) - - - - 7.0 2 0 0 1 6
BTG: Box-Toppers game score

Coming Monday:

American League Championship Series Game 3: Indians lead Blue Jays, 2-0

The pitching matchup Monday:

Indians—Trevor Bauer, 11.4 Box-Toppers points, 34th among all players, 12th among AL pitchers.

Blue Jays—Marcus Stroman, 6.7 Box-Toppers points, 132nd among all players, 43rd among AL pitchers.

See Box-Toppers ALCS series preview with player-by-player matchups.

Cubs' Montero, Indians' Tomlin top players in Saturday's league championship series games

Miguel Montero of the Cubs is Box-Toppers Player of the Game Saturday in the National League Championship Series Game 1 win over the Dodgers.

And Indians pitcher Josh Tomlin is Box-Toppers Player of the Game Saturday in the American League Championship Series Game 2 win over the Blue Jays.

National League Championship Series Game 1: Cubs 8, Dodgers 4

Montero hit an eighth-inning, pinch-hit, grand slam homer to earn Player of the Game honors as the Cubs take a 1-0 lead over the Dodgers in the best-of-seven game series.

Montero had 2.0 Box-Toppers points during the regular season.

He had a Box-Toppers game score Saturday of +5.0, highest among all Cubs players. Starting pitcher Jon Lester (22.1 Box-Toppers points in 2016, ranked fourth) had a Box-Toppers game score of +2.0 (6IP 4H R BB 3K ND).

The series resumes Sunday with Game 2 in Chicago.

American League Championship Series Game 2: Indians 2, Blue Jays 1

Tomlin allowed one run over 5 2/3 innings, allowing three hits, two walks, striking out six and earning the win, as the Indians take a 2-0 lead over the Blue Jays in the best-of-seven game series.

Tomlin had 5.0 Box-Toppers points on the season, 202nd among all players and 63rd among AL pitchers.

Tomlin had a Box-Toppers game score Saturday of +4.2. Middle reliever Andrew Miller had a higher Box-Toppers game score (+7.0) but did not qualify to earn Player of the Game because he did not earn the win or save and did not pitch the requisite three innings to earn the honor. However, he struck out five over two perfect innings. Designated hitter Carlos Santana had the highest Box-Toppers game score (+1.0) among Indians batters (HR 1-2 R BI).

Blue Jays starting pitcher J.A. Happ (14.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 11th, third among AL pitchers) had a Box-Toppers game score of 0.0 in the loss (5IP 4H 2R BB 4K L).

The series resumes Monday with Game 3 in Toronto.

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.

Box-Toppers strives for accuracy. See a mistake in a post? A wrong name, wrong team, grammar error, spelling goof, etc.? Thanks for pointing it out! Contact Box-Toppers here. Let's fix it and make it right.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

BTG Game Player of Game AB R H BI IP H R ER BB K
5.0 CHC 8, LAD 4 Miguel Montero, PH 1 1 1 4 - - - - - -
4.2 CLE 2, TOR 1 Josh Tomlin (W,2-0) - - - - 5.2 3 1 1 2 6
BTG: Box-Toppers game score

Coming Sunday:

National League Championship Series Game 2, Cubs lead Dodgers, 1-0

The pitching matchup Sunday:

Dodgers—Clayton Kershaw, 24.4 Box-Toppers points, second among all players, second among NL pitchers.

Cubs—Kyle Hendricks, 13.4 Box-Toppers points, ranked 17th among all players, 10th among NL pitchers.

See Box-Toppers NLCS series preview with player-by-player matchups.

NLCS Preview: Cubs seem to have the advantages over the Dodgers—but these are the Cubs

Cubs rank higher in Box-Toppers team rankings, its four starters rank among the top 10 NL pitchers, they have Kris Bryant. Dodgers have Kershaw who they needed for each NLDS win. 

Read More

Travis Wood tops players in Cubs' NLDS Game 2 win over Giants

Cubs pitcher Travis Wood is Box-Toppers Player of the Day in Saturday’s National League Division Series Game 2 win over the Giants.

Wood pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings of middle relief, allowing no hits, no walks and striking out two, in the 5-2 win. 

During the regular season, Wood had just 1.0 Box-Toppers point (earned May 30), which ranks him 563rd among all players, 144th among NL pitchers and 33rd among NL middle relievers. Wood had 8.0 Box-Toppers points in both 2013 and 2014 when he was a starter for the Cubs, his two best seasons.

Wood had a Box-Toppers game score of +3.1. Cubs’ top batter in the game was pitcher Kyle Hendricks, who had a Box-Toppers game score of +2.0 for batting. Hendricks (1-1 2BI) hit a second-inning single, driving in two runs. Hendricks had a Box-Toppers game score of −4.8 as starting pitcher (3.2IP 4H 2R 0BB 0K ND).

Wood had the second-highest Box-Toppers game score among Cubs’ batters. His score was also +2.0, tied with Hendricks, but Hendricks ranked ahead because he had more runs batted in (2 vs. 1). Wood (1-1 R BI) hit a solo home run in the fourth inning.

The Cubs now lead the best-of-five game series 2-0. The series resumes Monday in San Francisco.

NLDS Game 2 between the Dodgers and Nationals was rained out Saturday and rescheduled for Sunday. More details below.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

BTG Game Player of Game AB R H BI IP H R ER BB K
3.1 CHC 5, SF 2 Travis Wood (W,1-0) - - - - 1.1 0 0 0 0 2
BTG: Box-Toppers game score

Coming Sunday: Three division series playoff games:

NL Division Series Game 2, Dodgers lead Nationals, 1-0

NLDS Game 2 between the Dodgers and Nationals was rained out Saturday and rescheduled for Sunday.

The pitching matchup Sunday:

Dodgers—Rich Hill, 14.4 Box-Toppers points, 13th among all players, eighth among NL pitchers.

Nationals—Tanner Roark, 12.7 Box-Toppers points, 22nd among all players, 14th among NL pitchers.

See the season Box-Toppers point totals of all Dodgers and Nationals players who earned Player of the Game honors in 2016.

AL Division Series Game 3, Indians lead Red Sox, 2-0

The pitching matchup Sunday:

Indians—Josh Tomlin, 5.0 Box-Toppers points, 202nd among all players, 63rd among AL pitchers.

Red Sox—Clay Buchholz, 5.0 Box-Toppers points, 200th among all players, 62nd among AL pitchers.

See the season Box-Toppers point totals of all Red Sox and Indians players who earned Player of the Game honors in 2016.

AL Division Series Game 3, Blue Jays lead Rangers, 2-0

The pitching matchup Sunday:

Rangers—Colby Lewis, 7.7 Box-Toppers points, 96th among all players, 34th among AL pitchers.

Blue Jays—Aaron Sanchez, 10.7 Box-Toppers points, 45th among all players, 19th among AL pitchers.

See the season Box-Toppers point totals of all Blue Jays and Rangers players who earned Player of the Game honors in 2016.

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.

Box-Toppers strives for accuracy. See a mistake in a post? A wrong name, wrong team, grammar error, spelling goof, etc.? Thanks for pointing it out! Contact Box-Toppers here. Let's fix it and make it right.

Cubs' Lester tops players in 4 league division playoff games, Friday, Oct. 7

Cubs pitcher Jon Lester is Box-Toppers top player in Friday’s four league division series playoff games.

The other three Players of the Game Friday:

  • Indians pitcher Corey Kluber.
  • Dodgers closing pitcher Kenley Jansen.
  • Blue Jays closing pitcher Roberto Osuna.

NLDS Game 1: Cubs 1, Giants 0

Cubs pitcher Jon Lester pitched eight scoreless innings, allowing five hits, no walks and striking out five.

During the regular season, Lester had 22.1 Box-Toppers points, ranked fourth among all players, third among National League pitchers.

He outdueled fellow Box-Toppers top 10 pitcher, Johnny Cueto of the Giants (8IP 3H R 0BB 10K L). In the loss, Cueto had a higher Box-Toppers game score than Lester (+13.0 vs. +8.0) but Lester still wins Player of the Game since he had the highest score on the winning team. Cueto, during the regular season, had 16.4 Box-Toppers points, eighth among all players and fifth among NL pitchers.

Second baseman Javier Baez had the highest Box-Toppers game score (+2.0) among Cubs batters, hitting the eighth-inning home run that was the only scoring of the game (2-3 R BI).

The Cubs now lead the best-of-five game series, 1-0, which resumes Saturday in Chicago.

ALDS Game 2: Indians 6, Red Sox 0

Indians pitcher Corey Kluber pitched seven scoreless innings, striking out seven and allowing three hits and three walks.

During the regular season, Kluber led all American League pitchers with 21.2 Box-Toppers points and ranked fifth among all players.

Kluber had a Box-Toppers game score of +8.0, same as Lester had for the Cubs in they NLDS win, but Lester’s game score ranks higher because he had more innings pitched (8 vs. 7).

Left fielder Brandon Guyer had the highest Box-Toppers game score (+2.0) among Indians batters (3-4 2R BI).

The Indians now lead the best-of-five game series, 2-0, which resumes Sunday in Boston.

NLDS Game 1, Dodgers 4, Nationals 3

Dodgers closing pitcher Kenley Jansen pitched a five-out save, going 1 2/3 innings, allowing one hit, no runs, no walks and striking out two.

During the regular season, Jansen had 6.0 Box-Toppers points, ranking 163rd among all players, 46th among NL pitchers and third among NL closing pitchers.

Jansen had a Box-Toppers game score of +3.2, most of any Dodgers player in the win. Third baseman Justin Turner had the highest Box-Toppers game score (+2.0) among Dodgers batters (HR 2-3 R 2BI).

The game pitted Box-Toppers two top-ranked players against each other as starting pitchers, but neither had positive Box-Toppers game scores:

  • Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers (24.4 Box-Toppers points, ranked second) had a Box-Toppers game score of −3.0 (5IP 8H 3R BB 7K W).
  • Max Scherzer of the Nationals (25.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked first) had a Box-Toppers game score of −2.0 (6IP 5H 4R 0BB 5K L).

The Dodgers now lead the best-of-five game series, 1-0, which resumes Saturday in Washington.

ALDS Game 2: Blue Jays 5, Rangers 3

Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna pitched a five-out save, going 1 2/3 innings, allowing one hit, no runs, no walks and striking out two.

During the regular season, Osuna had 3.0 Box-Toppers points (all in April) and ranked 319th among all players, 87th among AL pitchers and 15th among AL closers.

Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki had the highest Box-Toppers game score (+1.0) among Blue Jays batters (HR 2-4 R 2BI).

The Blue Jays now lead the best-of-five game series, 2-0, which resumes Sunday in Toronto.

BTG Game Player of Game AB R H BI IP H R ER BB K
8.0 CHC 1, SF 0 Jon Lester (W,1-0) - - - - 8.0 5 0 0 0 5
8.0 CLE 6, BOS 0 Corey Kluber (W,1-0) - - - - 7.0 3 0 0 3 7
3.2 LAD 4, WSH 3 Kenley Jansen (S,1) - - - - 1.2 1 0 0 0 3
2.2 TOR 5, TEX 3 Roberto Osuna (S,1) - - - - 1.2 1 0 0 0 2
BTG: Box-Toppers game score

Coming Saturday: The National League Division Series playoffs resume with two Game 2s:

NL Division Series Game 2, Dodgers lead Nationals, 1-0

The pitching matchup Saturday:

Dodgers—Rich Hill, 14.4 Box-Toppers points, 13th among all players, eighth among NL pitchers.

Nationals—Tanner Roark, 12.7 Box-Toppers points, 22nd among all players, 14th among NL pitchers.

See the season Box-Toppers point totals of all Dodgers and Nationals players who earned Player of the Game honors in 2016.

NL Division Series Game 2, Cubs lead Giants, 1-0

The pitching matchup Saturday:

Giants—Jeff Samardzija, 10.7 Box-Toppers points, 41st among all players, 18th among NL pitchers.

Cubs—Kyle Hendricks, 13.4 Box-Toppers points, 17th among all players, 10th among NL pitchers.

See the season Box-Toppers point totals of all Giants and Cubs players who earned Player of the Game honors in 2016.

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.

Box-Toppers strives for accuracy. See a mistake in a post? A wrong name, wrong team, grammar error, spelling goof, etc.? Thanks for pointing it out! Contact Box-Toppers here. Let's fix it and make it right.

Blue Jays' Estrada, Indians' Miller top players in pair of opening ALDS games for Thursday, Oct. 6

Marco Estrada of the Blue Jays and Andrew Miller of the Indians are Box-Toppers Players of the Game in Thursday’s pair of American League Division Series openers.

Estrada allowed one run over 8 1/3 innings, allowing four hits, no walks and striking out six, in the 10-1 win over the Rangers. The Blue Jays now lead the Rangers 1-0 in the best-of-five series.

Estrada had 11.0 Box-Toppers points during the regular season, 37th among all players and 15th among AL pitchers.

Estrada had a Box-Toppers game score Thursday of +8.1. Blue Jays’ top batter in the game was third baseman Josh Donaldson (two doubles, 4-4 2R 2BI) with a Box-Toppers game score of +4.0. Rangers starting pitcher Cole Hamels had a bad day (3.1IP 6H 7R 3BB K L), earning a Box-Toppers game score of −17.9. During the regular year, Hamels had 15.4 Box-Toppers points, sixth among all players and second among AL pitchers.

Indians 5, Red Sox 4—In the other ALDS Game 1, Indians pitcher Andrew Miller earned Player of the Game, allowing no runs over two innings of middle relief. He allowed one hit, one walk and struck out four.

During the regular season, Miller had 8.0 Box-Toppers points as a closer and middle reliever. He earned 4.0 points for the Yankees before his midseason trade to the Indians. He ranks 92nd among all players in Box-Toppers points, 32nd among AL pitchers, third among AL closing pitchers and first among AL middle relievers.

Indians’ top batter Thursday was second baseman Jason Kipnis (HR 3-4 R 2BI) with a Box-Toppers game score of +2.0.

Neither starting pitcher fared particularly well. Red Sox pitcher Rick Porcello (4.1IP 6H 5R 0BB 6K L) had a Box-Toppers game score of −5.9. Indians starter Trevor Bauer (4.2IP 6H 3R 0BB 6K ND) had a game score of −1.8.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

BTG Game Player of Game AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
8.1 TOR 10, TEX 1 Marco Estrada (W,1-0) - - - - - - 8.1 4 1 1 0 6
4.0 CLE 5, BOS 4 Andrew Miller (W,1-0) - - - - - - 2.0 1 0 0 1 4
BTG: Box-Toppers game score

AL Division Series Game 2, Blue Jays lead Rangers, 1-0

The pitching matchup Friday:

Blue Jays—J.A. Happ, 14.7 Box-Toppers points, 11th among all players, third among AL pitchers.

Rangers—Yu Darvish, 10.4 Box-Toppers points, 51st among all players, 21st among AL pitchers.

See the season Box-Toppers point totals of all Blue Jays and Rangers players who earned Player of the Game honors in 2016.

AL Division Series Game 2, Indians lead Red Sox, 1-0

The pitching matchup Friday:

Red Sox—David Price, 12.4 Box-Toppers points, 27th among all players, ninth among AL pitchers.

Indians—Corey Kluber, 21.2 Box-Toppers points, fifth among all players, first among AL pitchers.

Price and Kluber are the top two AL pitchers over the past two seasons. Over 2015 and 2016, Kluber ranks first among AL pitchers with 34.6 Box-Toppers points; Price ranks second with 33.5.

See the season Box-Toppers point totals of all Red Sox and Indians players who earned Player of the Game honors in 2016.

NL Division Series Game 1, Dodgers at Nationals

Though the Washington Nationals have the better winning percentage (.586 vs. .562), the Los Angeles Dodgers rank higher in Box-Toppers team rankings. Dodgers players have accumulated 125.2 Box-Toppers points, third-most among all teams, while the Nationals have 116.1, ranked eighth.

The pitching matchup Friday features the season’s top two players in Box-Toppers player rankings:

Dodgers—Clayton Kershaw, 24.4 Box-Toppers points, ranked second among all players, ranked second among NL pitchers. 

Nationals—Max Scherzer, 25.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked first among all players, ranked first among NL pitchers.

Kershaw led in Box-Toppers points much of the season and had earned 20.0 Box-Toppers points before the end of June, on pace to shatter the single-season Box-Toppers point record of 33.7. But then in late June, he went on the disabled list for two months. Despite his time away, Kershaw did not slip much down Box-Toppers rankings and was only passed by Scherzer in late August.

Kershaw and Scherzer are also the top two NL pitchers over the past two seasons. Over 2015 and 2016, Kershaw ranks first with 50.1 Box-Toppers points and Scherzer ranks second with 46.7. They are also the top two NL pitchers over the past six seasons. From 2011 to the present, Kershaw ranks first with 150.2 points and Scherzer ranks second with 111.3.

In addition to Kershaw, the Dodgers have one other player in a season’s top 10 Box-Toppers category list: Rich Hill with 14.4 Box-Toppers points ranks eighth among NL pitchers.

In addition to Scherzer, the Nationals have one other player a season’s top 10 Box-Toppers category list: Stephen Strasburg with 15.1 Box-Toppers points ranks 10th among all players and seventh among NL pitchers.

Dodgers vs. Nationals

Here are players for both teams in the NL Divisional Series beginning Friday. Players are listed for both teams ranked by Box-Toppers points earned in 2016. 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.  

Los Angeles Dodgers Washington Nationals
Player Pos BTP Player Pos BTP
Kershaw, Clayton 2494 pi sp 24.4 Scherzer, Max 2588 pi sp 25.7
Hill, Rich 2215 pi sp 14.4 Strasburg, Stephen 2736 pi sp 15.1
Maeda, Kenta 3609 pi sp 10.0 Roark, Tanner 3261 pi sp 12.7
Kazmir, Scott 1947 pi sp 8.7 Murphy, Daniel 2589 2b 7.5
Grandal, Yasmani 3058 ca 7.2 Gonzalez, Gio 2626 pi sp 6.0
Jansen, Kenley 2871 pi cp 6.0 Werth, Jayson 1664 lf 6.0
Gonzalez, Adrian 2193 1b 5.7 Ross, Joe 3499 pi sp 5.7
Urias, Julio 3652 pi sp 5.7 Rendon, Anthony 3258 3b 5.5
Stripling, Ross 3629 pi sp 4.7 Latos, Mat 2644 pi sp 3.7
Kendrick, Howie 2191 2b lf 1b 4.0 Espinosa, Danny 2804 ss 2b 3.2
Seager, Corey 3587 ss 4.0 Harper, Bryce 3011 rf 3.0
Pederson, Joc 3621 cf 4.0 Melancon, Mark 2792 pi cp 3.0
Toles, Andrew 3692 rf lf cf ph 4.0 Turner, Trea 3730 2b cf 2.5
Reddick, Josh 2936 rf 3.5 Petit, Yusmeiro 2337 pi mr sp 2.0
Puig, Yasiel 3193 rf 3.5 Lopez, Reynaldo 3712 pi sp mr 2.0
McCarthy, Brandon 2082 pi sp 2.7 Solis, Sammy 3651 pi mr 2.0
Turner, Justin 2865 3b 2b 2.5 Zimmerman, Ryan 2180 1b 3b 1.5
Howell, J.P. 2016 pi mr 2.0 Ramos, Wilson 2904 ca 1.5
Stewart, Brock 3722 pi sp 1.7 den Dekker, Matt 3534 lf ph 1.5
Taylor, Chris 3684 2b 1.5 Taylor, Michael 3447 cf 1.0
Wood, Alex 3246 pi sp 1.0 Robinson, Clint 3475 1b 1.0
Hatcher, Chris 3420 pi mr 1.0 Kelley, Shawn 2630 pi cp mr 1.0
Hernandez, Enrique 3541 lf 1.0 Revere, Ben 2886 cf 1.0
Utley, Chase 1861 2b 1.0 Lobaton, Jose 3216 ca 1.0
Baez, Pedro 3678 pi mr 1.0 Cole, A.J. 3727 pi sp 1.0
Totals 125.2 Totals 116.1
What are those numbers after players' names?

NL Division Series Game 1, Giants at Cubs

The Cubs are the runaway leader in Box-Toppers team rankings, leading nearly all the season with 139.5 Box-Toppers points. The Giants are the lowest-ranking team to qualify for the postseason, ranked 10th with 112.7. 

But the Giants have won the World Series each of the past three even-numbered years (2010, 2012 and 2014)—2016 is an even-numbered year. The Cubs last won the World Series in an even-numbered year, but that year was 1908, 106 years ago.

The pitching matchup Friday:

Giants—Johnny Cueto, 16.4 Box-Toppers points, ranked eighth among all players, fifth among NL pitchers.

Cubs—Jon Lester, 22.1 Box-Toppers points, ranked fourth among all players, third among NL pitchers.

Cueto is the only Giants players in the top 10 in a Box-Toppers category.

The Cubs have four other players in season top 10 lists:

  • Jake Arrieta, 15.7 Box-Toppers points, ranks ninth among all players and sixth among NL pitchers. (Arrieta led all players in 2015 with 29.1 Box-Toppers points).
  • John Lackey, 13.4 Box-Toppers points, ranks ninth among NL pitchers.
  • Kyle Hendricks, 13.4 Box-Toppers points, ranks 10th among NL pitchers.
  • Kris Bryant, 10.5 Box-Toppers points, ranks second among NL batters.

Giants vs. Cubs

Here are players for both teams in the NL Divisional Series beginning Friday. Players are listed for both teams ranked by Box-Toppers points earned in 2016. 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.  

San Francisco Giants Chicago Cubs
Player Pos BTP Player Pos BTP
Cueto, Johnny 2400 pi sp 16.4 Lester, Jon 2173 pi sp 22.1
Bumgarner, Madison 2753 pi sp 13.0 Arrieta, Jake 2738 pi sp 15.7
Moore, Matt 2975 pi sp 12.4 Lackey, John 1640 pi sp 13.4
Samardzija, Jeff 2495 pi sp 10.7 Hendricks, Kyle 3386 pi sp 13.4
Belt, Brandon 2943 1b 7.0 Hammel, Jason 2235 pi sp 13.0
Panik, Joe 3401 2b 5.5 Bryant, Kris 3465 lf 3b rf 10.5
Nunez, Eduardo 2795 3b 2b ss 5.5 Chapman, Aroldis 2826 pi cp 7.4
Peavy, Jake 1635 pi sp 5.0 Montgomery, Mike 3513 pi cp mr sp 5.0
Posey, Buster 2745 ca 1b 3.5 Rondon, Hector 3201 pi cp 5.0
Pence, Hunter 2287 rf 3.5 Zobrist, Ben 2216 2b rf lf 4.0
Casilla, Santiago 2301 pi cp 3.0 Russell, Addison 3559 ss 3.5
Kontos, George 3106 pi cp mr 3.0 Rizzo, Anthony 3063 1b 3.0
Span, Denard 2502 cf 3.0 Cahill, Trevor 2658 pi mr sp 3.0
Tomlinson, Kelby 3619 2b ph 3.0 Soler, Jorge 3403 lf 2.5
Cain, Matt 2081 pi sp 2.7 Coghlan, Chris 2610 3b rf ph 2.5
Brown, Trevor 3610 ca 2.5 Ross, David 1729 ca 2.5
Crawford, Brandon 2878 ss 2.0 Montero, Miguel 2304 ca ph 2.0
Gillaspie, Conor 3218 3b ph 2.0 Smith, Joe 2388 pi cp mr 2.0
Blach, Ty 3754 pi sp 2.0 Baez, Javier 3395 2b ss 2.0
Law, Derek 3657 pi sp mr 2.0 LaStella, Tommy 3367 3b 2b 2.0
Pagan, Angel 2184 lf 1.0 Fowler, Dexter 2698 cf 1.5
Beckham, Gordon 2620 2b 1.0 Szczur, Matt 3704 cf 1.5
Strickland, Hunter 3546 pi mr 1.0 Wood, Travis 2777 pi mr sp 1.0
Okert, Steven 3745 pi mr 1.0 Heyward, Jason 2695 rf 1.0
Osich, Josh 3677 pi mr 1.0
Totals 112.7 Totals 139.5
What are those numbers after players' names?

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.

Box-Toppers strives for accuracy. See a mistake in a post? A wrong name, wrong team, grammar error, spelling goof, etc.? Thanks for pointing it out! Contact Box-Toppers here. Let's fix it and make it right.

Red Sox' David Price tops players for Monday, Sept. 12; Cubs' Hendricks tops NL players

Red Sox pitcher David Price is Monday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.

Price struck out nine over eight innings, allowing two runs, two hits and no walks, in the 12-2 win over the Orioles.

Top 10 players

Here are the top 10 players in Box-Toppers points (BTP) for the 2016 season as of Sept. 12:  


 Player Pos Team BTP
1 Scherzer, Max 2588 pi sp dc nl 23.7
2 Fernandez, Jose 3147 pi sp fla nl 20.4
3 Kluber, Corey 3200 pi sp cle al 20.2
4 Kershaw, Clayton 2494 pi sp lad nl 20.0
5 Lester, Jon 2173 pi sp chi nl 18.1
6 Hamels, Cole 2135 pi sp tex al 16.8
7 Strasburg, Stephen 2736 pi sp dc nl 15.1
8 Cueto, Johnny 2400 pi sp sf nl 14.4
9 Hill, Rich 2215 pi sp lad nl 14.4
10 Tanaka, Masahiro 3305 pi sp nyy al 14.1
What are those numbers after players' names?

Price earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Game, giving him 12.4 for the season. He ranks 20th among all players and sixth among American League pitchers.

Price also now has 106.2 career Box-Toppers points, rising to 59th among all players since 1995, when Box-Toppers tracking began. With his points Monday, he passes five players on the “all-time” list—Carlos Beltran of the Rangers (104.9), Dodgers pitcher Scott Kazmir (105.1), Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner (105.7), Aramis Ramirez (105.8) and Frank Thomas (106.2). He now trails 58th-ranked player Lance Berkman (108.1).

National League Player of the Day—Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks allowed one hit and one run over eight innings, striking out seven and walking two, in the 4-1 win over the Cardinals.

Hendricks earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day, giving him 13.4 for the season, most among the 15 who earned Player of the Game honors Monday. Hendricks ranks 15th among all players and 11th among NL pitchers.

National League Batter of the Day—Yasmany Tomas of the Diamondbacks hit a grand slam and doubled, going 4-for-5, scoring three times and driving in five runs, in the 12-9 win over the Rockies.

American League Batter of the Day—Avisail Garcia of the White Sox homered and went 4-for-5, scoring three times and driving in one run, in the 11-4 win over the Indians.

Notable—Phillies pitcher Jeremy Hellickson now has 12.1 Box-Toppers points on the season after earning Player of the Game honors Monday.

Hellickson (6.1IP 3H R 3BB 6K in the 6-2 win over the Pirates) now ranks 23rd among all players and 13th among NL pitchers.

Also notable—Blue Jays pitcher Francisco Liriano now has 102.2 career Box-Toppers points after earning Player of the Game honors Monday.

Liriano (6.1IP 3H 2R BB 6K ND in the 3-2 win over the Rays) now ranks 67th among all players since 1995, when Box-Toppers tracking began. He passes two players on the “all-time” list—Tim Wakefield (101.4) and Ken Griffey Jr. (102.2) and now trails 66th-ranked player Miguel Tejada (102.3). Liriano has 7.0 Box-Toppers points on the season, 30th among AL pitchers.

Debut—Two players made their Box-Toppers debut Monday, the first time in their careers they earned Player of the Game honors:

  • Reds pitcher Keyvius Sampson (4.2IP 4H 0R 2BB 7K ND in the 3-0 win over the Brewers) made his Major League debut July 30, 2015, and was playing in his 29th career game. He is the 3,737th player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995.
  • Mariners pitcher Ariel Miranda (6IP 3H 0R BB 3K W in the 8-1 win over the Angels) made his Major League debut July 3 and was playing in his ninth career game. He is the 3,738th player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995.

Scoring—Price earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Hendricks earns 1.7 points for being NL Player of the Day. Tomas and Garcia each earn 1.5 points for being their league’s Batter of the Day. All of Monday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

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

Box-Toppers strives for accuracy. See a mistake in a post? A wrong name, wrong team, grammar error, spelling goof, etc.? Thanks for pointing it out! Contact Box-Toppers here. Let's fix it and make it right.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

9/12 Score Game Player of Game AB R H BI IP H R ER BB K
MLB 11.0 BOS 12, BAL 2 David Price (W,16-8) - - - - 8.0 2 2 2 0 9
NL 10.0 CHC 4, STL 1 Kyle Hendricks (W,15-7) - - - - 8.0 1 1 1 2 7
BAT 7.0 ARI 12, COL 9 Yasmany Tomas, RF 5 3 4 5 - - - - - -
7.0 OAK 16, KC 3 Daniel Coulombe (W,3-1) - - - - 2.0 0 0 0 0 5
6.1 `DET 4, MIN 2 Daniel Norris - - - - 6.1 5 2 2 2 11
5.2 `CIN 3, MIL 0 Keyvius Sampson - - - - 4.2 4 0 0 2 7
5.1 PHI 6, PIT 2 Jeremy Hellickson (W,11-9) - - - - 6.1 3 1 0 3 6
5.0 SEA 8, LAA 1 Ariel Miranda (W,4-1) - - - - 6.0 3 0 0 1 3
4.1 `TOR 3, TB 2 Francisco Liriano - - - - 6.1 3 2 2 1 6
4.0 ATL 12, MIA 7 Nick Markakis, RF 3 3 2 2 - - - - - -
BAT 3.0 CHW 11, CLE 4 Avisail Garcia, RF 5 3 4 1 - - - - - -
3.0 TEX 4, HOU 3 (12) Rougned Odor, 2B 4 1 3 3 - - - - - -
3.0 SD 4, SF 0 Paul Clemens (W,3-5) - - - - 5.0 3 0 0 1 2
1.0 WSH 8, NYM 1 Anthony Rendon, 3B 4 1 1 3 - - - - - -
1.0 LAD 8, NYY 2 Howie Kendrick, 1B 3 1 2 1 - - - - - -
`Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Box-Toppers point totals of the day’s top players

Here are Box-Toppers point totals of each of the Players of the Game. Players are ranked by their Box-Toppers point total for the current season (16). Also shown are each players’ Box-Toppers point total for this season and last (15-16), the period 2011-2016 (11-16) and each players’ career point total. Also shown is how their 2016 Box-Toppers point total compares with their 2015 total (+/-).  

Player of Game Pos Team 16 15-16 11-16 Career +/-
Hendricks, Kyle 3386 pi sp chi nl 13.4 23.1 28.1 28.1 3.7
Price, David 2593 pi sp bos al 12.4 33.5 89.5 106.2 -8.7
Hellickson, Jeremy 2778 pi sp phi nl 12.1 17.1 40.8 43.8 7.1
Tomas, Yasmany 3489 rf lf ari nl 7.7 11.2 11.2 11.2 4.2
Liriano, Francisco 2104 pi sp tor al 7.0 21.9 62.4 102.2 -7.9
Odor, Rougned 3336 2b tex al 6.5 9.5 11.0 11.0 3.5
Rendon, Anthony 3258 3b dc nl 5.5 6.5 12.0 12.0 4.5
Markakis, Nick 2116 rf atl nl 5.0 9.5 20.5 47.1 0.5
Kendrick, Howie 2191 2b lf 1b lad nl 4.0 8.0 20.0 34.0 0.0
Garcia, Avisail 3256 dh rf chi al 2.5 5.5 11.0 11.0 -0.5
Coulombe, Daniel 3720 pi mr oak al 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0
Norris, Daniel 3548 pi sp det al 1.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 -3.0
Clemens, Paul 3185 pi sp sd nl 1.0 1.0 2.0 2.0 1.0
Miranda, Ariel 3738 pi sp sea al 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0
Sampson, Keyvius 3737 pi sp cin nl 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0
What are those numbers after players' names?