Orioles' Norris, Royals' Aoki top players as both teams sweep their ALDS, Sunday, Oct. 5

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

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

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

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

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

ALDS Game 3: Royals 8, Angels 3

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

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

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

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

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

Coming Monday:

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

The pitching matchup Monday:

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

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

NLDS Game 3, Giants lead Nationals, 2-0

The pitching matchup Monday:

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

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

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

Top player from each game

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

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

Indians' Kluber tops players for Saturday, Sept. 6, ranks 4th in Box-Toppers player rankings

Indians pitcher Corey Kluber, Saturday’s Player of the Day, ranks fourth in Box-Toppers season player rankings.

Kluber pitched a complete game, allowing one run and five hits and striking out eight, in the 3-1 win over the White Sox. Kluber earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points, giving him 19.4 for the season. He maintains his fourth place spot in Box-Toppers player rankings. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) He ranks second among American League pitchers, behind Max Scherzer of the Tigers (21.1 Box-Toppers points).

Pirates pitcher Francisco Liriano is National League Player of the Day. Liriano pitched six scoreless innings and struck out nine in the 5-0 win over the Cubs.

Albert Pujols of the Angels is AL Batter of the Day. Pujols homered and doubled, going 3-for-5, scoring three times and driving in three runs, in the 8-5 win over the Twins.

Buster Posey of the Giants is NL Batter of the Day. Posey homered and went 3-for-3, scoring twice, in the 5-4 win over the Tigers.

Notables: Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto maintained his fifth-place spot in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Saturday. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) Cueto (7IP R 8K W in the 2-1 win over the Mets) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 18.4 for the season. He ranks third among NL pitchers.

Rays pitcher Drew Smyly rises to 17th place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Saturday. Smyly (6IP R 8K ND in the 3-2 win over the Orioles) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 13.4 for the season. He ranks ninth among AL pitchers.

Dodgers pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu rises to 29th place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Saturday. Ryu (6.2IP 9K ND in the 5-2 win over the Diamondbacks) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 11.4 for the season. He ranks 11th among NL pitchers.

Kluber receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Liriano receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Pujols and Posey each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

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

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

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

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

906	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	11.0	Indians	Corey Kluber (W, 14-9)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	5	1	0	0	8
NL	10.0	Pirates	Francisco Liriano (W, 4-10)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	3	0	0	2	9
	6.0	`Rays	Drew Smyly	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	4	1	1	2	8
	5.0	Reds	Johnny Cueto (W, 17-8)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	6	1	1	2	8
BAT	4.0	Angels	Albert Pujols 1B	5	3	3	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	Pirates	Mark Melancon (W, 3-4)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	1	0	0	0	3
	3.2	`Dodgers	Hyun-Jin Ryu	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.2	7	2	2	1	9
BAT	3.0	Giants	Buster Posey 1B	3	2	3	1	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.1	Braves	David Carpenter (W, 6-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.1	0	0	0	0	1
	2.0	Mariners	Kyle Seager 3B	5	2	3	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Rockies	Michael McKenry C	4	2	2	2	2	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.1	Red Sox	Clay Buchholz (W, 7-8)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.1	4	2	2	2	5
	1.0	Yankees	Martin Prado 2B	4	2	3	0	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Athletics	Josh Reddick RF	4	1	2	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Cardinals	Oscar Taveras RF	3	1	1	2	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Phillies	A.J. Burnett (W, 8-15)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	6	1	1	2	4

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

Braves' Wood, Red Sox' Buchholz top players for Sunday, Aug. 31

Braves pitcher Alex Wood is Sunday’s Player of the Day. Wood pitched eight scoreless innings and struck out 12 in the 1-0 win over the Marlins.

Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz is American League Player of the Day. Buchholz pitched a complete game, three-hit shutout, striking out six, in the 3-0 win over the Rays.

Matt Holliday of the Cardinals is National League Batter of the Day. Holliday homered, doubled and went 3-for-4, scoring twice and driving in four runs, in the 9-6 win over the Cubs. This is the second day in a row Holliday has earned NL Batter of the Day, so he has picked up 3.0 Box-Toppers points in the past two days. He now has 7.5 Box-Toppers points for the season and ranks third among NL batters, behind overall leader Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies (11.6 Box-Toppers points) and Freddie Freeman of the Braves (7.7 Box-Toppers points).

Dustin Ackley of the Mariners is AL Batter of the Day. Ackley homered and went 2-for-4, scoring twice and driving in four runs, in the 5-3 win over the Nationals.

Notables: Two pitchers who earned Player of the Game honors Sunday became the 38th and 39th player this season with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points.

Angels pitcher Matt Shoemaker, top player in the 8-1 win over the Athletics (7IP 0R 7K W) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 10.7 for the season. He ranks 35th among all players and 17th among AL pitchers.

Dodgers pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu, top player in the 7-1 win over the Padres (7IP R 7K W) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 10.4 for the season. He ranks 37th among all players and 17th among NL pitchers.

Wood receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Buchholz receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Holliday and Ackley each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

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

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

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

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

831	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	15.0	Braves	Alex Wood (W, 10-10)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	5	0	0	0	12
AL	12.0	Red Sox	Clay Buchholz (W, 6-8)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	3	0	0	0	6
	9.0	Angels	Matt Shoemaker (W, 14-4)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	5	0	0	0	7
	8.0	Dodgers	Hyun-Jin Ryu (W, 14-6)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	1	1	0	7
	7.0	Dbacks	Chase Anderson (W, 8-6)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	5	1	1	0	8
BAT	5.0	Cardinals	Matt Holliday LF	4	2	3	4	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	5.0	Giants	Pablo Sandoval 3B	4	3	3	3	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
BAT	3.0	Mariners	Dustin Ackley LF	4	1	2	4	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Reds	Chris Heisey RF, LF	4	2	2	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Orioles	J.J. Hardy SS	4	2	1	4	1	2		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Astros	Chad Qualls (S, 16)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	1.0	White Sox	Avisail Garcia RF	4	1	2	2	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Mets	Anthony Recker C	4	1	1	3	0	2		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Blue Jays	Steve Tolleson PR, 2B	0	1	0	0	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

Red Sox' Buchholz tops players for Sunday, July 13, Giants' Bumgarner (with bat) rises to 4th in Box-Toppers rankings

Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz is Sunday’s Player of the Day. Buchholz pitched a complete-game, three-hit shutout, striking out 12 and allowing no walks, in the 11-0 win over the Astros.

Dodgers pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu is National League Player of the Day. Ryu pitched six scoreless innings and struck out 10 in the 1-0 win over the Padres.

Chris Johnson of the Braves is NL Batter of the Day. Johnson homered and went 3-for-4, scoring three times and driving in three runs, in the 10-7 win over the Cubs.

Brian Dozier of the Twins is American League Batter of the Day. Dozier homered twice and doubled in six at-bats, driving in four runs, in the 13-5 win over the Rockies.

Notables: Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner rose to fourth place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Sunday—and for the second time this season earning the honor for batting. (See the updated top 10 player ranking list on the home page.)

Bumgarner hit a grand slam (his second of the season) and went 2-for-3 with two runs, in the 8-4 win over the Diamondbacks. (He also pitched 6 1/3 innings and picked up the win.) He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 13.5 for the season, moving from ninth to fourth place. He ranks third among NL pitchers.

This is the sixth time this season a pitcher has won Player of the Game honors for batting. It is the second time Bumgarner has done it. He previously did it April 11, earning NL Batter of the Day.

Rays pitcher David Price became the 16th player this season to earn at least 10.0 Box-Toppers points after earning Player of the Game honors Sunday. Price (8IP 0R 5K W in the 3-0 win over the Blue Jays) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 10.4 for the season, moving him to 13th place in Box-Toppers player rankings. He ranks sixth among AL pitchers.

Buchholz receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Ryu receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Johnson and Dozier each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

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

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

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

713	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	18.0	Red Sox	Clay Buchholz (W, 4-5)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	3	0	0	0	12
NL	14.0	Dodgers	Hyun-Jin Ryu (W, 10-5)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	2	0	0	0	10
	8.0	Brewers	Wily Peralta (W, 10-6)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	1	0	0	5
	7.0	Rays	David Price (W, 9-7)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	5	0	0	1	5
	7.0	Nationals	Tanner Roark (W, 8-6)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	1	1	0	6
	6.0	Mets	Jacob deGrom (W, 3-5)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	5	1	1	2	8
	5.2	`Indians	Trevor Bauer	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.2	8	0	0	3	10
BAT	5.0	Braves	Chris Johnson 3B	4	3	3	3	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	5.0	Giants	Madison Bumgarner P	3	2	2	4	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	Reds	Aroldis Chapman (S, 21)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	3
	3.2	Athletics	Sonny Gray (W, 10-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.2	6	1	0	2	5
	3.2	Royals	Yordano Ventura (W, 7-7)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.2	1	0	0	0	3
BAT	3.0	Twins	Brian Dozier 2B	6	2	3	4	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Angels	Mike Trout CF	4	1	2	4	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Orioles	Chris Davis 1B	2	1	1	2	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-

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

Mariners' Young, Dodgers' Ryu top players for Monday, June 16

Mariners pitcher Chris Young is Monday’s Player of the Day. Young pitched six scoreless innings and struck out six in the 5-1 win over the Padres.

Dodgers pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu is National League Player of the Day. Ryu allowed one run over six innings and struck out six in the 6-1 win over the Rockies. Ryu earned 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day, giving him 6.7 for the season. He is in 25th place among all players in Box-Toppers points and 12th among NL pitchers.

Ryu and Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels (Player of the Game in the win against the Braves) had identical Box-Toppers game scores of 6.0, but Ryu earned NL Player of the Day because he earned the win and Hamels picked up a no-decision.

Robinson Chirinos of the Rangers is American League Batter of the Day. Chirinos homered and went 3-for-5 with two runs and three RBIs in the 14-8 win over the Athletics.

Aramis Ramirez of the Brewers is NL Batter of the Day. Ramirez doubled and went 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs in the 9-3 win over the Diamondbacks.

Young receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Ryu receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Chirinos and Ramirez each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

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

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

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

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

616	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	7.0	Mariners	Chris Young (W, 6-4)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	4	0	0	1	6
	6.0	Red Sox	Rubby De La Rosa (W, 2-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	1	0	0	3	3
NL	6.0	Dodgers	Hyun-Jin Ryu (W, 8-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	3	1	1	1	6
	6.0	`Phillies	Cole Hamels	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	5	0	0	2	6
	4.1	Indians	Carlos Carrasco (S, 1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.1	1	0	0	1	4
BAT	3.0	Rangers	Robinson Chirinos C	5	2	3	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Royals	Omar Infante 2B	5	2	2	4	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
BAT	3.0	Brewers	Aramis Ramirez 3B	4	2	3	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Rays	Jerry Sands PH	1	1	1	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Cardinals	Allen Craig RF	4	1	3	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Cubs	Starlin Castro SS	6	1	3	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

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

Astros' George Springer (HR 4-4 5R 3RBI) tops players for Monday, May 26

George Springer of the Astros is Monday’s Player of the Day. Springer homered, went 4-for-4, scored five times and drove in three runs in the 9-2 win over the Royals.

Ryan Howard of the Phillies is National League Player of the Day. Howard homered, went 3-for-4, scored twice and drove in five runs in the 9-0 win over the Rockies.

Notable: Dodgers pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu rose to 23rd place in Box-Toppers player rankings (10th among NL pitchers) after earning Player of the Game honors Monday. Ryu (7.1IP 3H 3R 7K W in the 4-3 win over the Reds) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 5.0 for the season. Ryu was perfect through seven innings before giving up a double in the eighth, a day after teammate Josh Beckett pitched a no-hitter.

Springer receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Howard receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day.

All of Monday’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

526	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	8.0	Astros	George Springer RF	4	5	4	3	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	6.2	Athletics	Tommy Milone (W, 3-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.2	4	0	0	2	6
NL	6.0	Phillies	Ryan Howard 1B	4	2	3	5	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	5.1	Dodgers	Hyun-Jin Ryu (W, 5-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.1	3	3	3	0	7
	4.1	Mariners	Chris Young (W, 4-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.1	2	1	1	3	5
	4.0	Blue Jays	Melky Cabrera LF	3	1	3	3	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	Pirates	Gaby Sanchez PH, 1B	2	2	2	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	Cubs	Jeff Samardzija (W, 1-4)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	6	4	3	0	10
	3.1	Marlins	Nathan Eovaldi (W, 4-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.1	3	2	2	1	5
	3.0	White Sox	Conor Gillaspie 3B	4	2	4	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Red Sox	David Ortiz 1B	3	1	1	4	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Ddbacks	Brad Ziegler (W, 1-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	2	0	0	0	3
	2.0	Orioles	Jonathan Schoop 2B	5	2	3	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Rangers	Chris Gimenez C	4	2	2	2	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Yankees	Alfonso Soriano PH	0	0	0	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

Cardinals' Wainwright tops players for Thursday, April 17; Twins' Colabello takes Box-Toppers points lead

Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright is Thursday’s Player of the Day, while Chris Colabello of the Twins takes the lead in Box-Toppers season player standings.

Wainwright pitched a complete-game, two-hit shutout, striking out eight, in the 8-0 win over the Nationals. He earned 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 4.0 for the season, rising to third place in Box-Toppers player rankings. (See updated Top 10 Box-Toppers player rankings for 2014 on the home page.)

Colabello rose from second to first place among players in Box-Toppers points for the season after earning Player of the Game honors in the Twins 9-5 win over the Blue Jays. Colabello (3-4 3RBI) earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 5.2 this season. (See updated Top 10 Box-Toppers player rankings for 2014 on the home page.)

Royals pitcher James Shields is American League Player of the Day. Shields allowed one run over eight innings and struck out 12 in the 5-1 win over the Astros. Shields and Wainwright were tied with Box-Toppers game scores of 12.0, but Wainwright was given the nod as Player of the Day because he had more innings pitched (nine vs. eight).

Mitch Moreland of the Rangers is AL Batter of the Day. Moreland went 2-for-3 and drove in three runs in the 8-6 win over the Mariners.

Pedro Alvarez of the Pirates is National League Batter of the Day. Alvarez hit a three-run homer and went 2-for-3 in the 11-2 win over the Brewers.

Notable: Hyun-Jin Ryu rose to fourth place among players in Box-Toppers points for the season after earning Player of the Game honors. Ryu (7IP 0R W in the 2-1 win over the Giants) earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 4.0 for the season. (See updated Top 10 Box-Toppers player rankings for 2014 on the home page.)

Wainwright receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Shields receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Moreland and Alvarez each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

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

Box-Toppers 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

417	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	12.0	Cardinals	Adam Wainwright (W, 3-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	2	0	0	3	8
AL	12.0	Royals	James Shields (W, 1-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	4	1	1	2	12
	8.0	Red Sox	Jon Lester (W, 2-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	7	1	1	0	9
	7.0	Twins	Kyle Gibson (W, 3-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	4	0	0	1	4
	7.0	`Phillies	A.J. Burnett	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	0	0	2	5
	5.0	Dodgers	Hyun-Jin Ryu (W, 3-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	0	0	1	3
BAT	4.0	Rangers	Mitch Moreland DH	3	2	2	3	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	Rockies	Franklin Morales (W, 1-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	4	1	1	1	5
BAT	3.0	Pirates	Pedro Alvarez 3B	3	1	2	3	2	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Yankees	Brian Roberts 2B	5	2	3	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Tigers	Ian Kinsler 2B	5	1	2	4	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Twins	Chris Colabello 1B	4	0	3	3	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

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

Dodgers' Hyun-Jin Ryu tops players in second game of opening series, Sunday, March 23

Dodgers pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu, who pitched five scoreless innings in the 7-5 win over the Diamondbacks, is Sunday's Player of the Day.

Ryu, with a Box-Toppers game score of 7.0, led the Dodgers to the win in the season's second game of the opening series played in Sydney, Australia.

Ryu receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day in the only regular season game on the schedule.

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

323	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	7.0	Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Hyun-Jin Ryu (W, 1-0)	5.0	2	0	0	1	5

Box-Toppers top rookie Jose Fernandez wins NL newcomer award

Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez led the way in voting and in Box-Toppers points on the way to earning National League Rookie of the Year Monday.

But the player voted American League Rookie of the Year ranked fourth among AL rookies in Box-Toppers points, behind a teammate. Wil Myers of the Rays, who served as designated hitter and right fielder, was voted top AL rookie, though his teammate, pitcher Chris Archer, had the most Box-Toppers points among AL rookie vote-getters.

Fernandez, who ranked fourth among all players, briefly led in Box-Toppers overall player rankings in September. He finished with 19.0 Box-Toppers points, in fourth place among all NL players and more than any other AL player.

Dodgers rightfielder Yasiel Puig finished second in voting, though he only earned 1.5 Box-Toppers points during the season.

The National League featured strong rookie pitchers among the top vote-getters. Shelby Miller of the Cardinals (third in voting) had the second-most Box-Toppers points among rookies with 15.4. Julio Teheran of the Braves (fifth in voting) had the third-most Box-Toppers points among rookies with 13.7. Hyun-Jin Ryu of the Dodgers (fourth in voting) had 9.7 Box-Toppers points.

Archer far outdistanced all other AL rookies in Box-Toppers points, though he was only voted in third place. Archer had 11.7 Box-Toppers points. Myers, who finished first, had 3.5 Box-Toppers points, tied for the most among AL batters in rookie voting.

Tigers shortstop Jose Iglesias (who earlier in the season played for the Red Sox) finished in second in voting, though he earned no Box-Toppers points. In fact, two rookie vote-getters, Iglesias and Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado, have yet to earn Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors and so neither have any Box-Toppers points.

One other notable rookie, Athletics pitcher Dan Straily finished fourth in AL rookie voting. He had 7.7 Box-Toppers points, the second-most among AL rookie vote-getters.

Box-Toppers tracks who most helps 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. The player on the winning team with the highest Box-Toppers game score is Player of the Game and receives 1.0 Box-Toppers point. The Player of the Game with the highest overall Box-Toppers game score for all the games played that day is Player of the Day and earns a total of 2.0 Box-Toppers points. The top player in the opposite league receives a total of 1.7 Box-Toppers points. If both the day’s top overall player and top player in the opposite league are pitchers, then the top American League and top National League batter of the day receive a total of 1.5 Box-Toppers points each.

Jose Fernandez

Here is how Fernandez scored his 19.0 Box-Toppers points this season:

April 13: Player of the Game, 1.0 Box-Toppers point

May 4: Player of the Day, 2.0 BTP.

June 1: Player of the Day, 2.0 BTP.

June 14: Player of the Game, 1.0 BTP.

July 1: Player of the Day, 2.0 BTP.

July 23: Player of the Game, 1.0 BTP.

July 28: Player of the Day, 2.0 BTP.

Aug. 2: Player of the Day, 2.0 BTP.

Aug. 13: Player of the Day, 2.0 BTP.

Aug. 19: Player of the Game, 1.0 BTP.

Aug. 24: Player of the Day, 2.0 BTP.

Sept. 6: Player of the Game, 1.0 BTP.

Chris Archer

Here is how Archer scored his 11.7 Box-Toppers points:

June 7: Player of the Game, 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

July 9: Player of the Game, 1.0 BTP.

July 14: Player of the Day, 2.0 BTP.

July 27: Player of the Day, 2.0 BTP.

Aug. 18: American League Player of the Day, 1.7 BTP.

Aug. 28: Player of the Day, 1.0 BTP.

Sept. 13: Player of the Day, 2.0 BTP.

Sept. 18: Player of the Game, 1.0 BTP

Wil Myers

Here is how Myers scored his 3.5 Box-Toppers points:

July 19: Player of the Game, 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

Aug. 15: American League Batter of the Day, 1.5 BTP.

Sept. 4: Player of the Game, 1.0 BTP

How top rookies fared in Box-Toppers points 

Here are the results of Rookie of the Year voting in both leagues. Players are listed in order of their vote total. The far right column shows how many Box-Toppers points (BTP) they earned during the 2013 season. For more: MLB.com’s coverage of the vote.

Top rookies
AL
Player	Pos	Club	1st	2nd	3rd	Points	BTP
Wil Myers	dh rf	Rays	23	5	1	131	3.5
Jose Iglesias	ss	Tigers*	5	17	4	80	0
Chris Archer	pi sp	Rays	1	5	15	35	11.7
Dan Straily	pi sp	Athletics	1	2	4	15	7.7
J.B. Shuck	lf	Angels		1	1	4	3.0
Cody Allen	pi mr	Indians			2	2	1.0
Martin Perez	pi sp	Rangers			2	2	5.0
David Lough	rf	Royals			1	1	3.5
NL
Player		Club	1st	2nd	3rd	Points	BTP
Jose Fernandez	pi sp	Marlins	26	4		142	19.0
Yasiel Puig	rf	Dodgers	4	25		95	1.5
Shelby Miller	pi sp	Cardinals		1	9	12	15.4
Hyun-Jin Ryu	pi sp	Dodgers			10	10	9.7
Julio Teheran	pi sp	Braves			7	7	13.7
Jedd Gyorko	2b	Padres			2	2	2.0
Nolan Arenado	3b	Rockies			1	1	0.0
Evan Gattis	ca	Braves			1	1	1.0

* Jose Iglesias began the season playing for the Red Sox. 

Dodgers' Hyun-Jin Ryu tops players in NLCS Game 3 win, Monday, Oct. 14

Hyun-Jin Ryu, who threw seven shutout innings and gave up only three hits to lead the Dodgers to a Game 3 National League Championship Series win over the Cardinals, is Monday's Box-Toppers Player of the Day.

The Dodgers won the game 3-0 and now trail the best-of-seven NLCS against the Cardinals two games to one. 

Ryu had 9.7 Box-Toppers points during the regular season, ranked 61st overall.

So far in the series, the top three players in Box-Toppers points player rankings have started games, but each time, his team has lost the game: 

• In Game 1, Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke started, but the Cardinals won 3-2 in 13 innings. Greinke, who picked up a no-decision in the game, had 19.4 Box-Toppers points for the season, ranked third overall.
• In Game 2, Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw started, but the Cardinals won 1-0. Kershaw picked up the loss. Kershaw had 21.7 Box-Toppers points for the season, ranked first.
• In Game 3, Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright started, but the Dodgers won 3-0. Wainwright, who also picked up the loss, had 20.2 Box-Toppers points for the season, ranked second. 

Coming Tuesday: Both League Championship Series continue Tuesday. Here are the pitching match-ups:

ALCS Game 3, Red Sox at Tigers, series tied 1-1

Red Sox: John Lackey, 6.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 148th overall

Tigers: Justin Verlander, 10.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 53rd overall

NLCS Game 4, Cardinals lead Dodgers 2-1

Cardinals: Lance Lynn, 16.1 Box-Toppers points, ranked 11th overall

Dodgers: Ricky Nolasco, 9.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 60th overall

In regular season games, 2.0 Box-Toppers points are awarded for Player of the Day, 1.7 for top player in the opposite league, 1.5 for top batter in each league and 1.0 for the top player in each of the other games. However, no Box-Toppers points are awarded during the postseason. 

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

1014	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	7.0	Dodgers		0	0	0	0	0	0			Hyun-Jin Ryu (W, 1-0)	7.0	3	0	0	1	4

David Ortiz' grand slam leads Red Sox to tie ALCS 1-1, tops players for Sunday, Oct. 13

David Ortiz of the Red Sox, who hit a game-tying grand slam in the American League Championship Game 2, is Sunday's Box-Toppers Player of the Day.

Ortiz hit the grand slam with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning to tie the game against the Tigers at 5-5. The Red Sox won with a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth by Jarrod Saltalamacchia to win the game 6-5, tying the best-of-seven series at one game each. 

Ortiz earned 12.4 Box-Toppers points during the regular season, ranking 36th among all players, fifth among all AL batters.

Ortiz spoiled the night for Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer, who struck out 13 and gave up only two hits and one run over seven innings and seemed on track to be Player of the Day.

Coming Monday: The National League Championship Series continues with Game 3 in Los Angeles. Here is the pitching match-up:

NLCS Game 3, Cardinals lead Dodgers 2-0

Cardinals: Adam Wainwright, 20.2 Box-Toppers points, ranked second overall (see the Top 10 Player ranking list on the home page)

Dodgers: Hyun-Jin Ryu, 9.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 61st overall

In regular season games, 2.0 Box-Toppers points are awarded for Player of the Day, 1.7 for top player in the opposite league, 1.5 for top batter in each league and 1.0 for the top player in each of the other games. However, no Box-Toppers points are awarded during the postseason. 

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

1013	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	3.0	Red Sox	David Ortiz DH	3	1	1	4	1	2				0.0	0	0	0	0	0

Pirates' Sonny Gray tops players in Saturday, Oct. 5's ALDS games

Athletics pitcher Sonny Gray is Saturday's Player of the Day in the two American League Division Series playoff games. 

Gray pitched eight scoreless innings and struck out nine in the 1-0 win over the Tigers to tie the series at 1-1. Gray picked up a no decision because he left the game in a scoreless tie after eight innings, but the Athletics scored on Stephen Vogt's bases-loaded walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth. 

Gray had 4.0 Box-Toppers points during the regular season, ranked 272nd overall.

Jacob Ellsbury of the Red Sox is Saturday's other Player of the Game. Ellsbury scored three runs and went 3-for-4 in the 7-4 win over the Rays, to lead that series 2-0.  Ellsbury had 5.5 Box-Toppers points during the regular season, ranked 161st overall.

 Coming Sunday: The two NLDS series continue Sunday. Here are the pitching match-ups:

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

Cardinals: Joe Kelly, 4.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 264th overall

Pirates: Francisco Liriano, 16.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked ninth overall (see the top 10 Player Rankings list on the home page)

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

Braves: Julio Teheran, 13.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 23rd overall

Dodgers: Hyun-Jin Ryu, 9.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 61st overall

In regular season games, 2.0 Box-Toppers points are awarded for Player of the Day, 1.7 for top player in the opposite league and 1.5 for top batter in each league. However, no Box-Toppers points are awarded during the postseason. 

Top player from each game 

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

1005	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	11.0	`Athletics	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Sonny Gray	8.0	4	0	0	2	9
BAT	3.0	Red Sox	Jacoby Ellsbury CF	4	3	3	1	0	1	1	0	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.

Rays' Chris Archer tops players for Saturday, July 27; Masterson reaffirms top spot in Box-Toppers points

Note: Box-Toppers is playing catch-up after time away. These are Box-Toppers results for Saturday, July 27:

Rays pitcher Chris Archer is Saturday's Player of the Day, while Indians pitcher Justin Masterson reaffirmed his top spot among players in Box-Toppers points for the season.

Archer pitched a complete game two-hit shutout, striking out six, in the 1-0 win over the Yankees.

Masterson  (7.2IP 0R 8K in 1-0 win vs. Rangers) earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 16.4 points for the season, most among all players.

Dodgers pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu is National League Player of the Day. Ryu struck out nine and gave up two hits over seven innings in the 4-1 win over the Reds.

Stephen Drew of the Red Sox is American League Batter of the Day. Drew hit two home runs, drove in five runs and went 3-for-4 in the 7-3 win over the Orioles. 

Chris Denorfia of the Padres is NL Batter of the Day. Denorfia homered and scored three runs in the 12-3 win over the Diamondbacks. 

Notable: Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer rose to 10th place among players in Box-Toppers points for the season. Scherzer (6IP 0R 7K in 10-0 win vs. Phillies) earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 11.7 for the season.

Archer receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Ryu receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Drew and Denorfia each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

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

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

727	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	13.0	Rays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Chris Archer (W, 6-3)	9.0	2	0	0	0	6
	12.0	Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Max Scherzer (W, 15-1)	6.0	1	0	0	0	7
NL	11.0	Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Hyun-Jin Ryu (W, 9-3)	7.0	2	1	1	1	9
	10.0	`Braves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Julio Teheran	7.0	2	0	0	1	6
	9.2	Indians	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Justin Masterson (W, 12-7)	7.2	5	0	0	1	8
BAT	7.0	Red Sox	Stephen Drew SS	4	3	3	5	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	7.0	Twins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Samuel Deduno (W, 7-4)	7.0	3	0	0	3	6
	7.0	Nationals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Dan Haren (W, 5-11)	7.0	3	1	1	1	6
	5.0	`Cubs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Chris Rusin	7.0	3	0	0	2	3
	4.1	Royals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Wade Davis (W, 5-9)	7.1	4	0	0	3	4
BAT	3.0	Padres	Chris Denorfia CF, RF, LF	3	3	1	2	2	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Athletics	Derek Norris PH, C	1	1	1	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Brewers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jim Henderson (S, 12)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Pirates	Neil Walker 2B	5	2	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Astros	Chris Carter DH	3	1	1	3	1	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.

Dodgers' Hyun-Jin Ryu pitches shutout, tops players for Tuesday, May 28

Dodgers pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu is Tuesday's Player of the Day. Ryu pitched a two-hit, complete game shutout in the 3-0 win over the Angels.

Twins pitcher Ryan Pressly is American League Player of the Day. Pressly pitched two innings of middle relief in the 12th and 13th innings, striking out three and picking up the win in the 14-inning, 6-5 win over the Brewers. This was Pressly's Box-Toppers debut, the first time he has been Player of the Game. Pressly is the 3,186th player to debut since Box-Toppers' inception in 1995.​

Adam LaRoche of the Nationals is National League Batter of the Day. LaRoche homered twice and went 2-for-3 in the 9-3 win over the Orioles.​

Yunel Escobar of the Rays is AL Batter of the Day. Escobar went 3-for-4 in the 7-6 win over the Marlins.​

Standings update: Mets pitcher Matt Harvey rises to fourth place in player standings (see updated standings on the home page) for the 2013 season. Harvey (8IP 10K ND) was Player of the Game in the 2-1 win over the Yankees. Harvey earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point Tuesday, giving him 9.0 for the season, trailing season leader Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers (9.7).​

Ryu receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Pressly receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. LaRoche and Escobar each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

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

528	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	14.0	Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Hyun-Jin Ryu (W, 6-2)	9.0	2	0	0	0	7
	10.0	`Mets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Matt Harvey	8.0	6	1	1	0	10
	10.0	Phillies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Cliff Lee (W, 6-2)	8.0	4	1	1	0	8
	7.0	Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Tyler Lyons (W, 2-0)	7.0	2	1	1	1	5
BAT	6.0	Nationals	Adam LaRoche 1B	3	3	2	4	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	5.0	`Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jeanmar Gomez	7.0	3	0	0	1	2
AL	5.0	Twins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Ryan Pressly (W, 2-0)	2.0	0	0	0	0	3
	3.2	Padres	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Edinson Volquez (W, 4-5)	7.2	4	1	1	3	5
	3.0	Rockies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Rafael Betancourt (S, 11)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.1	Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Mat Latos (W, 5-0)	6.1	5	1	1	4	7
BAT	2.0	Rays	Yunel Escobar SS	4	1	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Braves	Brian McCann DH	5	2	2	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Athletics	Jed Lowrie 2B	3	1	2	1	1	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.