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Rays pitcher Jake Odorizzi is Saturday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day and is one of three players Saturday to reach 10 Box-Toppers points for the season.
Odorizzi struck out nine over six innings, allowing one run (none earned), three hits and two walks, in the 9-6 win over the Orioles.
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Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw is Monday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day and rises to become the active leader in career Box-Toppers points.
Kershaw struck out eight over seven innings, allowing two runs (one earned) and two hits, in the 14-3 win over the Padres.
| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
| 1 | Randy Johnson | pi sp | retired | 278.8 |
| 2 | Pedro Martinez | pi sp | retired | 244.8 |
| 3 | Curt Schilling | pi sp | retired | 194.1 |
| 4 | Alex Rodriguez | dh | released | 187.0 |
| 5 | Clayton Kershaw | pi sp | lad nl | 185.7 |
| 6 | CC Sabathia | pi sp | nyy al | 185.0 |
| 7 | Albert Pujols | 1b dh | ana al | 182.3 |
| 8 | Roy Halladay | pi sp | retired | 170.7 |
| 9 | Felix Hernandez | pi sp | sea al | 168.7 |
| 10 | Manny Ramirez | lf dh | retired | 167.2 |
| 11 | Johan Santana | pi sp | free agent | 166.6 |
| 12 | Roger Clemens | pi sp | retired | 164.8 |
| 13 | John Smoltz | pi sp | retired | 160.9 |
| 14 | Tim Hudson | pi sp | retired | 157.0 |
| 15 | Zack Greinke | pi sp | ari nl | 156.1 |
| 16 | Mike Mussina | pi sp | retired | 155.6 |
| 17 | Barry Bonds | lf | retired | 153.2 |
| 18 | Greg Maddux | pi sp | retired | 151.7 |
| 19 | Chipper Jones | 3b | retired | 149.0 |
| 20 | Bartolo Colon | pi sp | atl nl | 148.5 |
Kershaw earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 185.7 for his career, passing Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia (185.0 points) to lead all active players in career Box-Toppers points. Kershaw now ranks fifth among all players in Box-Toppers points since 1995, when tracking began, trailing fourth place player Alex Rodriguez (187.0 points) by just 1.3.
Sabathia became the active leader in career Box-Toppers points on Aug. 13, 2016, when Alex Rodriguez, the then-active leader, was released by the Yankees. Kershaw’s rise past Sabathia is the first time a player has passed another player for the career points lead among active players (without a release or retirement) since April 2, 2011, when Rodriguez (168.6 points) passed then-active leader Manny Ramirez (167.2)—though Ramirez retired several days later.
Kershaw also assumes first place in 2017 season player rankings after two days of the season with his 2.0 Box-Toppers points. While he is tied with Sunday’s Player of the Day, Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez (2.0 points), Kershaw holds the tiebreaker because he had more 2016 points—24.4 vs. 12.4. Kershaw led players three times in 2016, including from May 7 to Aug. 24. He has been Box-Toppers Player of the Year, leading all players in Box-Toppers points, three times—in 2011 (26.1 points), 2013 (21.7) and 2014 (31.5).
Kershaw has now also earned Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors for 10 straight seasons. Kershaw earned his first Box-Toppers points in 2008 with the Dodgers. His best season was 2014 with 31.5 points, when he led all players. He has six straight seasons (through 2016) with 20.0 or more points and eight straight seasons (through 2016) with 10.0 or more points.
American League Player of the Day—Astros pitcher Dallas Keuchel pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing two hits, two walks and striking out four, in the 3-0 win over the Mariners.
National League Batter of the Day—Mark Reynolds of the Rockies homered and went 2-for-3, scoring twice and driving in three runs, in the 7-5 win over the Brewers.
Reynolds has now earned Box-Toppers points for 11 straight seasons. He earned his first Box-Toppers points 2007 with the Diamondbacks and has 52.9 career points, fifth among active NL first basemen. His best year was 2011 with the Orioles, when he had 9.5 points, fifth among AL batters.
American League Batter of the Day—Khris Davis of the Athletics homered twice and went 3-for-4, in the 4-2 win over the Angels.
Streaks—In addition to Kershaw and Reynolds, two other players Monday extended streaks of 10 or more straight seasons earning Box-Toppers points:
Scoring—Kershaw earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Keuchel earns 1.7 points for being AL Player of the Day. Reynolds and Davis 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.
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Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score
| 4/3 | Score | Game | Player | AB | R | H | BI | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
| MLB | 10.0 | LAD 14, SD 3 | Clayton Kershaw (W,1-0) | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | |
| 8.0 | `NYM 6, ATL 0 | Noah Syndergaard | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | ||
| AL | 7.0 | HOU 3, SEA 0 | Dallas Keuchel (W,1-0) | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | |
| BAT | 4.0 | COL 7, MIL 5 | Mark Reynolds, 1B | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 4.0 | MIN 7, KC 1 | Ervin Santana (W,1-0) | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||
| BAT | 3.0 | OAK 4, LAA 2 | Khris Davis, LF | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 3.0 | WSH 4, MIA 2 | Adam Lind, PH | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 3.0 | CLE 8, TEX 5 | Andrew Miller (W,1-0) | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2.0 | BOS 5, PIT 3 | Craig Kimbrel (S,1) | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1.2 | `BAL 3, TOR 2 (F/11) | Mychal Givens (BS,1) | - | - | - | - | 1.2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1.0 | PHI 4, CIN 3 | Freddy Galvis, SS | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| `Pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save. | ||||||||||||||
| Player of Game | Pos | Team | ’17 | ’16-17 | ’12-17 | Career | +/- |
| Kershaw, Clayton 2494 | pi sp | lad nl | 2.0 | 26.4 | 126.1 | 185.7 | -22.4 |
| Keuchel, Dallas 3050 | pi sp | hou al | 1.7 | 8.7 | 44.5 | 44.5 | -5.3 |
| Davis, Khris 3242 | lf | oak al | 1.5 | 8.2 | 18.2 | 18.2 | -5.2 |
| Reynolds, Mark 2297 | 1b | col nl | 1.5 | 5.5 | 20.2 | 52.9 | -2.5 |
| Syndergaard, Noah 3472 | pi sp | nym nl | 1.0 | 17.7 | 28.1 | 28.1 | -15.7 |
| Kimbrel, Craig 2825 | pi cp | bos al | 1.0 | 9.0 | 53.7 | 59.7 | -7.0 |
| Miller, Andrew 2436 | pi mr cp | cle al | 1.0 | 9.0 | 16.0 | 24.0 | -7.0 |
| Lind, Adam 2238 | 1b ph | dc nl | 1.0 | 6.4 | 25.4 | 60.5 | -4.4 |
| Santana, Ervin 2005 | pi sp | min al | 1.0 | 5.0 | 37.8 | 98.3 | -3.0 |
| Galvis, Freddy 3202 | ss | phi nl | 1.0 | 5.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | -3.0 |
| Givens, Mychal 3599 | pi mr | bal al | 1.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | -1.0 |
C.J. Cron of the Angels had highest Box-Toppers game score among batters in 2016, which is only 149th-best game score among 2,428 games played.
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Marlins pitcher Andrew Cashner is Wednesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
| 1 | Scherzer, Max 2588 | pi sp | dc nl | 22.7 |
| 2 | Kershaw, Clayton 2494 | pi sp | lad nl | 20.0 |
| 3 | Fernandez, Jose 3147 | pi sp | fla nl | 18.4 |
| 4 | Kluber, Corey 3200 | pi sp | cle al | 18.2 |
| 5 | Lester, Jon 2173 | pi sp | chi nl | 17.1 |
| 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 | Syndergaard, Noah 3472 | pi sp | nym nl | 14.0 |
| 10 | Arrieta, Jake 2738 | pi sp | chi nl | 13.7 |
Also Wednesday, Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg rises to seventh place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors.
Player of the Day—Cashner pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out nine and allowing four hits and two walks, in the 6-0 win over the Phillies.
American League Player of the Day—Adam Lind of the Mariners hit two home runs, including a grand slam, in the 8-3 win over the Rangers. Lind went 2-for-3, driving in five runs.
National League Batter of the Day—Jung Ho Kang of the Pirates homered and went 3-for-4, driving in two runs, in the 4-3 win over the Cardinals.
American League Batter of the Day—There is no separate AL Batter of the Day for Wednesday because the overall AL Player of the Day is batter Adam Lind.
Rankings—Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg rises to seventh place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Wednesday, despite leaving the game early with an injury.
Strasburg (2.1IP 2H R 0BB 4K ND in the 5-4, 11-inning win over the Braves) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 15.1 for the season. He ranks fifth among NL pitchers.
Strasburg left the game in the third inning after experiencing elbow pain. He had been on the disabled list prior to his start Wednesday. He will undergo further testing today (Thursday).
It is rare for starting pitchers to earn Player of the Game honors pitching fewer than three innings, but Wednesday’s game presented those rare circumstances, helped by the fact that the Nationals used nine pitchers and the highest Box-Toppers game score achieved by a batter was +1.0. Strasburg won Player of the Game honors because he had a higher Box-Toppers game score and more innings pitched than the pitcher who otherwise would have won. Mat Latos, who served as closer, had a Box-Toppers game score of +1.1 (0.1IP 0H 0R 0BB K W) and would have been Player of the Game, but Strasburg had a higher Box-Toppers game score (+2.1) and more innings pitched (2.1).
Notable—Red Sox pitcher David Price becomes the 35th player in 2016 with 10 or more season Box-Toppers points after earning Player of the Game honors Wednesday.
Price (7IP 6H 2R 0BB 8K W in the 7-2 win over the Padres) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 10.4 for the season. He ranks 33rd among all players and 13th among AL pitchers. This is his sixth 10-point season in the past seven years.
Price now has 104.2 career Box-Toppers points, 64th-most since Box-Toppers tracking began in 1995. He passes Jamie Moyer (104.0) on the “all-time” list and now trails 63rd-ranked player Carlos Beltran of the Rangers (104.9).
Debut—Two players made their Box-Toppers debut Wednesday, the first time in their careers they earned Player of the Game honors:
Scoring—Cashner earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Lind earns 1.7 points for being AL Player of the Day. Kang earns 1.5 points for being NL Batter of the Day. All of Wednesday’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.
Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score
| 9/7 | Score | Game | Player of Game | AB | R | H | BI | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
| MLB | 8.1 | MIA 6, PHI 0 | Andrew Cashner (W,5-11) | - | - | - | - | 5.1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | |
| AL | 6.0 | SEA 8, TEX 3 | Adam Lind, 1B | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 5.0 | BOS 7, SD 2 | David Price (W,15-8) | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 | ||
| 4.0 | `MIL 2, CHC 1 | Matt Garza | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | ||
| 4.0 | `NYY 2, TOR 0 | Luis Severino (H,1) | - | - | - | - | 3.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | ||
| 3.1 | OAK 4, LAA 1 | Jharel Cotton (W,1-0) | - | - | - | - | 6.1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||
| 3.0 | TB 7, BAL 6 | Kevin Kiermaier, CF | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 3.0 | CLE 6, HOU 5 | Cody Allen (S,25) | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 2.1 | `WSH 5, ATL 4 (11) | Stephen Strasburg | - | - | - | - | 2.1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | ||
| BAT | 2.0 | PIT 4, STL 3 | Jung Ho Kang, 3B | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 2.0 | MIN 6, KC 5 | Robbie Grossman, LF | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | NYM 6, CIN 3 | Wilmer Flores, PH-2B-1B | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | LAD 3, ARI 1 | Yasiel Puig, RF | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | COL 6, SF 5 | Cristhian Adames, PH | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1.1 | CHW 7, DET 4 | Chris Beck (W,2-1) | - | - | - | - | 1.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| `Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save. | ||||||||||||||
| Player of Game | Pos | Team | 16 | 15-16 | 11-16 | Career | +/- |
| Strasburg, Stephen 2736 | pi sp | dc nl | 15.1 | 29.1 | 75.2 | 82.9 | 1.1 |
| Price, David 2593 | pi sp | bos al | 10.4 | 31.5 | 87.5 | 104.2 | -10.7 |
| Allen, Cody 3265 | pi mr cp | cle al | 6.0 | 10.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 | 2.0 |
| Lind, Adam 2238 | 1b ph | sea al | 5.4 | 11.9 | 31.9 | 59.5 | -1.1 |
| Cashner, Andrew 2807 | pi sp | fla nl | 4.7 | 7.7 | 27.4 | 30.4 | 1.7 |
| Flores, Wilmer 3345 | 3b 1b 2b ph | nym nl | 4.5 | 7.0 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 2.0 |
| Garza, Matt 2343 | pi sp | mil nl | 3.7 | 5.4 | 35.1 | 71.8 | 2.0 |
| Puig, Yasiel 3193 | rf | lad nl | 3.5 | 7.0 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 0.0 |
| Kang, Jung-Ho 3464 | ss 3b | pit nl | 2.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | -0.5 |
| Severino, Luis 3567 | pi mr sp | nyy al | 2.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | -1.0 |
| Kiermaier, Kevin 3373 | cf | tb al | 2.0 | 3.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 1.0 |
| Grossman, Robbie 3267 | lf | min al | 2.0 | 2.0 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 2.0 |
| Beck, Chris 3708 | pi mr | chi al | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| Adames, Cristhian 3734 | ph | col nl | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Cotton, Jharel 3733 | pi sp | oak al | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
Mets pitcher Steven Matz is Wednesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day and rises to fifth place in season player rankings.
| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
| 1 | Kershaw, Clayton 2494 | pi sp | lad nl | 12.0 |
| 2 | Cueto, Johnny 2400 | pi sp | sf nl | 9.0 |
| 3 | Arrieta, Jake 2738 | pi sp | chi nl | 8.7 |
| 4 | Sale, Chris 2806 | pi sp | chi al | 8.7 |
| 5 | Matz, Steven 3516 | pi sp | nym nl | 8.7 |
| 6 | Machado, Manny 3087 | ss 3b | bal al | 7.7 |
| 7 | Hill, Rich 2215 | pi sp | oak al | 7.4 |
| 8 | Syndergaard, Noah 3472 | pi sp | nym nl | 7.0 |
| 9 | Fernandez, Jose 3147 | pi sp | fla nl | 6.7 |
| 10 | Hamels, Cole 2135 | pi sp | tex al | 6.4 |
Matz pitched eight scoreless innings, striking out seven and allowing four hits, in the 2-0 win over the Nationals.
Matz earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 8.7 for the season, rising to fifth in player rankings, fourth among National League pitchers.
American League Player of the Day—Adam Lind of the Mariners hit two homers and a double, going 4-for-4, scoring three times and driving in six runs, in the 13-3 win over the Athletics.
Lind has now earned Box-Toppers points in 11 straight seasons. He earned his first points in 2006 with the Blue Jays and has 55.8 career points, seventh among active AL first basemen. His best season was 2009 with the Blue Jays when he had 16.4 Box-Toppers points, second among AL batters. He had 6.5 points in 2015 with the Brewers.
National League Batter of the Day—Kris Bryant of the Cubs hit a three-run homer and went 2-for-3, scoring twice and driving in three runs, in the 9-8 win over the Cardinals.
American League Batter of the Day—There is no separate AL Batter of the Day for Wednesday because the overall AL Player of the Day was a batter, Adam Lind.
Streak—Russell Martin of the Blue Jays has now earned Box-Toppers points in 11 straight seasons after earning Player of the Game honors Wednesday.
Martin (2HR 2-5 2R 3BI in the 8-4 win over the Yankees) earned his first points in 2006 with the Dodgers and has 43.5 career points, second among active AL catchers, behind Brian McCann of the Yankees (55.2). His best season was 2007 with the Dodgers when he had 8.5 points, first among NL catchers. He had 5.0 points in 2015 with the Blue Jays.
Scoring—Matz earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Lind earns 1.7 points for being AL Player of the Day. Bryant earns 1.5 points for being NL Batter of the Day. All of Wednesday’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.
Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score
| 5/25 | Score | Game | Player of Game | AB | R | H | BI | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
| MLB | 10.0 | NYM 2/DC 0 | Steven Matz (W,7-1) | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | |
| 10.0 | LAD 3/CIN 1 | Scott Kazmir (W,4-3) | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 12 | ||
| AL | 9.0 | SEA 13/OAK 3 | Adam Lind, 1B | 4 | 3 | 4 | 6 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 5.1 | CLE 4/CHW 3 | Corey Kluber (W,4-5) | - | - | - | - | 7.1 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | ||
| 4.0 | TEX 15/LAA 9 | Ryan Rua, LF | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| BAT | 4.0 | CHC 9/STL 8 | Kris Bryant, LF | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 3.0 | `MIL 3/ATL 2 | Junior Guerra | - | - | - | - | 5.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | ||
| 3.0 | `MIA 4/TB 3 | David Phelps (H,11) | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 3.0 | `HOU 4/BAL 3 | Ken Giles (H,9) | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | ||
| 2.0 | TOR 8/NYY 4 | Russell Martin, C | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | BOS 10/COL 3 | Travis Shaw, 3B | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | PHI 8/DET 5 | Andres Blanco, 3B | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | MIN 7/KC 5 | Miguel Sano, RF | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1.2 | SF 4/SD 3 | George Kontos (W,1-1) | - | - | - | - | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 1.0 | PIT 5/ARI 4 | Gregory Polanco, RF | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| `Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save. | ||||||||||||||
| Player of Game | Pos | Team | 16 | 15-16 | 11-16 | Career | +/- |
| Matz, Steven 3516 | pi sp | nym nl | 8.7 | 12.2 | 12.2 | 12.2 | 5.2 |
| Kluber, Corey 3200 | pi sp | cle al | 4.4 | 17.8 | 48.6 | 48.6 | -9.0 |
| Bryant, Kris 3465 | lf 3b | chi nl | 3.5 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | -5.0 |
| Polanco, Gregory 3361 | rf lf | pit nl | 3.5 | 6.5 | 10.5 | 10.5 | 0.5 |
| Kazmir, Scott 1947 | pi sp | lad nl | 3.0 | 15.7 | 43.6 | 99.4 | -9.7 |
| Phelps, David 2994 | pi mr | fla nl | 3.0 | 6.4 | 19.8 | 19.8 | -0.4 |
| Guerra, Junior 3633 | pi sp | mil nl | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| Shaw, Travis 3544 | 1b | bos al | 2.5 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.7 | -1.7 |
| Blanco, Andres 2980 | ss 3b | phi nl | 2.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 1.0 |
| Rua, Ryan 3631 | lf 1b | tex al | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| Lind, Adam 2238 | 1b | sea al | 1.7 | 8.2 | 28.2 | 55.8 | -4.8 |
| Sano, Miguel 3527 | rf dh | min al | 1.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | -5.0 |
| Martin, Russell 2202 | ca | tor al | 1.0 | 6.0 | 22.5 | 43.5 | -4.0 |
| Giles, Ken 3402 | pi mr | hou nl | 1.0 | 4.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | -2.0 |
| Kontos, George 3106 | pi cp | sf nl | 1.0 | 3.0 | 5.7 | 5.7 | -1.0 |
Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez is Friday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day and rises to third place in player rankings.
| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
| 1 | Hernandez, Felix 2064 | pi sp | sea al | 11.4 |
| 2 | Cole, Gerrit 3232 | pi sp | pit nl | 10.0 |
| 3 | Martinez, Carlos 3371 | pi sp | stl nl | 9.7 |
| 4 | Scherzer, Max 2588 | pi sp | dc nl | 9.0 |
| 5 | Archer, Chris 3194 | pi sp | tb al | 9.0 |
| 6 | deGrom, Jacob 3343 | pi sp | nym nl | 8.7 |
| 7 | Sale, Chris 2806 | pi sp | chi al | 8.4 |
| 8 | Keuchel, Dallas 3050 | pi sp | hou al | 7.7 |
| 9 | Gray, Sonny 3259 | pi sp | oak al | 7.7 |
| 10 | Harvey, Matt 3075 | pi sp | nym nl | 7.7 |
Martinez struck out 11 over seven innings, allowing one run and three hits, in the 2-1 win over the Dodgers. Martinez earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 9.7 for the season, rising from ninth to third in Box-Toppers player rankings. He ranks second among NL pitchers, behind Gerrit Cole of the Pirates (10.0).
American League Player of the Day—Rangers pitcher Chi Chi Gonzalez pitched a complete game, three-hit shutout in the 4-0 win over the Royals. This was Gonzalez’ Box-Toppers debut, the first time in his career he earned Player of the Game honors. He made his Major League debut May 30 and was playing in his second career game. He is the 3,490th player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995.
National League Batter of the Day—Adam Lind of the Brewers hit a three-run homer and drove in six total runs in the 10-5 win over the Twins. Lind also doubled and went 3-for-5, scoring twice.
American League Batter of the Day—Stephen Drew of the Yankees hit two home runs and went 2-for-4, driving in three runs, in the 8-7 win over the Angels.
Debut—J.T. Realmuto of the Marlins made his Box-Toppers debut Friday, the first time in his career he earned Player of the Game honors. Realmuto (3B 4-4 R BI in the 6-2 win over the Rockies) made his Major League debut June 5, 2014, and was playing in his 53rd career game. He is the 3,491st player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995.
Scoring—Martinez earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Gonzalez earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day. Lind and Drew each earn 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being their league’s Batter of the Day. All of Friday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point.
About Box-Toppers—Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.
Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score
| 6/5 | Score | Team | Player | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
| MLB | 9.0 | Cardinals | Carlos Martinez (W, 6-2) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 11 | |
| BAT | 6.0 | Brewers | Adam Lind DH | 5 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| AL | 6.0 | Rangers | Chi Chi Gonzalez (W, 2-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 9.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| 5.0 | Pirates | Starling Marte LF | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 5.0 | `White Sox | David Robertson | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 3.1 | `Rays | Jake Odorizzi | - | - | - | - | - | - | 4.1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 3.0 | Dbacks | A.J. Pollock CF | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| BAT | 3.0 | Yankees | Stephen Drew 2B, 3B | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 3.0 | Nationals | Danny Espinosa 2B | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.1 | Red Sox | Wade Miley (W, 5-5) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 2.0 | Marlins | J.T. Realmuto C | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | Orioles | Adam Jones CF | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | Blue Jays | Aaron Sanchez (W, 5-4) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 2.0 | Giants | Santiago Casilla (S, 16) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 1.0 | Padres | Will Middlebrooks 3B | 3 | 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. | ||||||||||||||||
Bryce Harper of the Nationals is Wednesday’s Player of the Day.
Harper hit three home runs and drove in five runs in the 7-5 win over the Marlins.
| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
| 1 | Hernandez, Felix 2064 | pi sp | sea al | 7.7 |
| 2 | Cole, Gerrit 3232 | pi sp | pit nl | 6.0 |
| 3 | Archer, Chris 3194 | pi sp | tb al | 5.0 |
| 4 | Cabrera, Miguel 1776 | 1b | det al | 4.7 |
| 5 | Keuchel, Dallas 3050 | pi sp | hou al | 4.7 |
| 6 | Gray, Sonny 3259 | pi sp | oak al | 4.7 |
| 7 | Harvey, Matt 3075 | pi sp | nym nl | 4.7 |
| 8 | Stanton, Giancarlo 2737 | rf | fla nl | 4.5 |
| 9 | Cueto, Johnny 2400 | pi sp | cin nl | 4.4 |
| 10 | Bumgarner, Madison 2753 | pi sp | sf nl | 4.0 |
Harper had a Box-Toppers game score of +7, the same as Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom, who was Player of the Game in the 5-1 win over the Mets. But Harper earned overall Player of the Day honors because in cases of Box-Toppers game score ties, batters beat pitchers.
American League Player of the Day—Eduardo Escobar of the Twins homered, doubled and went 3-for-4, driving in five runs, in the 13-0 win over the Athletics.
Escobar had a Box-Toppers game score of +5, tied with Carlos Peguero of the Rangers, who was Player of the Game in the 11-3 win over the Astros. Escobar won the tie-breaker to earn AL Player of the Day because he had more runs batted in—five vs. three.
American League and National League Batters of the Day—There are no separate AL and NL Batters of the Day since the top players in both leagues Wednesday were batters. It is the only time this season that batters have had the top overall player in both leagues. Wednesday was also unusual because 12 of the 15 Players of the Game were batters—only three were pitchers.
Streak—Adam Lind of the Brewers has now earned at least 1.0 Box-Toppers point in 10 straight seasons. Lind was Player of the Game in Wednesday’s 6-3 win over the Dodgers (HR 2B 2-4 2R 2BI) and earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point, his first of the season.
Lind earned his first Box-Toppers points in 2006 with the Blue Jays. His best season was 2009 with the Blue Jays, when he had 16.4 Box-Toppers points, second among AL batters (behind Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers with 16.5). In 2014, he had 2.5 Box-Toppers points with the Blue Jays.
Lind has 48.6 career Box-Toppers points and ranks 19th among active batters currently in the NL.
Debut—Carlos Peguero of the Rangers made his Box-Toppers debut Wednesday, the first time in his career he earned Player of the Game honors. Peguero (2HR 3-4 2R 2BI in the 11-3 win over the Astros) made his Major League debut April 19, 2011, and was playing in his 89th career game. He is the 3,458th player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995.
Scoring—Harper earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Escobar earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day. All of Wednesday’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.
Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score
| 5/6 | Score | Team | Player | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
| MLB | 7.0 | Nationals | Bryce Harper RF | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 7.0 | Mets | Jacob deGrom (W, 3-3) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | ||
| AL | 5.0 | Twins | Eduardo Escobar LF | 4 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 5.0 | Rangers | Carlos Peguero LF | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 4.0 | Dbacks | Aaron Hill 2B | 5 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 4.0 | Rays | Evan Longoria 3B | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 4.0 | Reds | Mike Leake (W, 2-1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 4.0 | Padres | Ian Kennedy (W, 2-1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | ||
| 3.0 | Blue Jays | Chris Colabello LF | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 3.0 | Braves | Andrelton Simmons SS | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 3.0 | White Sox | Melky Cabrera LF | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | Indians | Brandon Moss RF | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | Cubs | Anthony Rizzo 1B | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | Brewers | Adam Lind 1B | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 0.0 | Angels | Mike Trout CF | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Nationals' offseason net gain in Box-Toppers points pushes them to top of preseason team rankings. Meanwhile, the Yankees and Athletics plummet in rankings and the Cubs and Red Sox make big leaps upward.
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Astros pitcher Collin McHugh is Tuesday’s Player of the Day. McHugh pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out nine in the 3-0 win over the Royals.
Giants pitcher Tim Hudson is National League Player of the Day. Hudson pitched seven scoreless innings in the 4-0 win over the Cubs.
Hudson earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day, giving him 4.7 for the season and 149.0 for his career (1999-present). He moves into 15th place on the all-time list (Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995), passing Chipper Jones (149.0) and Javier Vazquez (148.3) and just behind Greg Maddux (151.7).
Hudson is in fifth place among active players, behind CC Sabathia (179.3), Manny Ramirez (167.2), Johan Santana (166.6) and Albert Pujols (161.3).
Matt Holliday of the Cardinals is NL Batter of the Day. Holliday homered and went 3-for-3 in the 6-0 win over the Yankees. Holliday beat out teammate and pitcher Lance Lynn, who pitched a complete game shutout, for Player of the Game. Both Holliday and Lynn had Box-Toppers game scores of +3.0, but in case of game score ties, batters beat pitchers, giving Holliday the edge.
Adam Lind of the Blue Jays is American League Batter of the Day. Lind homered, went 3-for-5 and drove in two runs in the 9-6 win over the Rays.
Notables: Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke rises to seventh place in Box-Toppers season player rankings. Greinke (7.2IP 3R 11K W in the 6-3 win over the Reds) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 7.4 for the season. He is in fourth place among NL pitchers in Box-Toppers points. (See the updated top 10 list on the home page.)
Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers rises to first place among AL batters in Box-Toppers points. Cabrera (HR 2-4 2R 2RBI in the 6-5 win over the Athletics) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 5.5 for the season. He passes previous AL batting leader Alexei Ramirez of the White Sox—both Ramirez and Cabrera have 5.5 Box-Toppers points but Cabrera has the edge because he has more combined points over 2013-14 (22.4 vs. 6.5). Cabrera now ranks 19th among all players in Box-Toppers points. Cabrera led AL batters in Box-Toppers points in 2013 with 16.9.
McHugh receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Hudson receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Holliday and Lind each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.
All of Tuesday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.
Box-Toppers 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.
Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score
| 527 | Score | Team | Player | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | 11.0 | Astros | Collin McHugh (W, 3-3) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | |
| NL | 6.0 | Giants | Tim Hudson (W, 5-2) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| 6.0 | `White Sox | Chris Sale | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 4.2 | Dodgers | Zack Greinke (W, 8-1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.2 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 11 | ||
| BAT | 3.0 | Cardinals | Matt Holliday LF | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 3.0 | Red Sox | Koji Uehara (S, 11) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| BAT | 2.0 | Blue Jays | Adam Lind 1B | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 2.0 | Padres | Tommy Medica 1B | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | Tigers | Miguel Cabrera 1B | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | Angels | C.J. Cron DH | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | Mets | Ruben Tejada SS | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1.0 | Twins | Oswaldo Arcia RF | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1.0 | Brewers | Mark Reynolds 3B, 1B | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1.0 | Rockies | Wilin Rosario C | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.
Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright is Saturday's Player of the Day and rises to sixth place on Box-Toppers player standings for the season.
Wainwright pitched seven shutout innings, giving up only two hits and striking out eight, in the 5-0 win over the Pirates. He earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 16.7 for the season, rising to sixth in Box-Toppers player rankings (see the updated top 10 list on the home page).
Athletics pitcher Dan Straily is American League Player of the Day. Straily pitched seven shutout innings, giving up two hits and striking out seven, in the 2-1 win over the Astros.
Wainwright and Straily had identical 11.0 Box-Toppers game scores, but Wainwright earned overall Player of the Day honors because he had one more strikeout than Straily (eight vs. seven).
Adam Lind of the Blue Jays is AL Batter of the Day. Lind hit two three-run homers in the 11-2 win over the Twins.
Freddy Galvis of the Phillies is National League Batter of the Day. Galvis hit a walk-off homer and went 4-for-5 in the 6-5 win over the Braves.
Notable: Royals closing pitcher Greg Holland rises to 31st place on Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Saturday. Holland (1IP 0H 0R 2K Sv in 4-3 win vs. Tigers) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 11.0 for the season.
Wainwright receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Straily receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Lind and Galvis 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.
Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score
| 907 | Score | Team | BATTERS | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | - | - | PITCHERS | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | 11.0 | Cardinals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Adam Wainwright (W, 16-9) | 7.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | ||
| AL | 11.0 | Athletics | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Dan Straily (W, 9-7) | 7.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | ||
| 7.0 | `Padres | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Tyson Ross | 7.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | |||
| 6.0 | Nationals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Tanner Roark (W, 5-0) | 6.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |||
| BAT | 5.0 | Blue Jays | Adam Lind 1B | 5 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 5.0 | Red Sox | Jonny Gomes LF | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 5.0 | Diamondbacks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Brandon McCarthy (W, 4-9) | 8.0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |||
| 4.0 | `Orioles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Wei-Yin Chen | 6.0 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 | |||
| 3.0 | Royals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Greg Holland (S, 39) | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |||
| BAT | 2.0 | Phillies | Freddy Galvis SS | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2.0 | Mariners | Kendrys Morales DH | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2.0 | Indians | Nick Swisher 1B | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2.0 | Angels | Grant Green 2B | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2.0 | Brewers | Logan Schafer CF | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 1.0 | Reds | Joey Votto 1B | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 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.
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.