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Box-Toppers is voting for six players for 2024 Hall of Fame induction on the internet writers’ ballot—Adrián Beltré, Todd Helton, Matt Holliday, Torii Hunter, Joe Mauer and Billy Wagner.
Box-Toppers is voting for six players to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in the 2024 Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) ballot.
Box-Toppers is voting for these players, listed alphabetically by last name: Adrian Beltre, Todd Helton, Matt Holliday, Torii Hunter, Joe Mauer and Billy Wagner.
Read MoreAlex Rodriguez has the most career Box-Toppers points of all Major League Baseball number-one draft picks since 1990.
Rodriguez, who was the first pick in the 1993 draft, earned 187.0 Box-Toppers points during his career from 1994 to 2016, which is 10th overall since 1995 and second among all batters (behind Albert Pujols of the Angels with 201.8).
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The Houston Astros regain top spot in Box-Toppers team rankings, passing the New York Yankees, the top team last week.
Meanwhile, the Washington Nationals maintain their lead among National League teams and the Arizona Diamondbacks are the week’s hottest team.
Read MorePirates pitcher Nick Kingham is Sunday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day in his Major League debut.
Also Sunday, Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia passes Curt Schilling, rising to fourth place in career Box-Toppers points among all players since 1995 (when Box-Toppers tracking began) after earning Player of the Game honors.
In addition, Astros pitcher Gerrit Cole rises to third place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Sunday.
Read MoreDodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw leads players in Box-Toppers points since the start of 2012.
Kershaw has 147.2 Box-Toppers points over the period 2012-2017, 18.3 points ahead of second-place player in that span, Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer (128.9). However, Kershaw’s lead in the six-year rolling Box-Toppers point total is down from last year and is his narrowest lead since 2013.
Read MoreClayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer hold dominant lead among players in Box-Toppers points over last several years. Using longer term measure, Chris Sale rises to lead AL pitchers, Yoenis Cespedes rises to lead NL batters.
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Los Angeles Dodgers edge out Washington Nationals as Box-Toppers' top preseason team. Champion Cubs slip to 5th after key player losses. Indians rank 1st among AL teams.
Read MoreC.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.
Read MoreTigers' Michael Fulmer wins AL Rookie of the Year and is Box-Toppers' top-ranked rookie. Corey Seager of the Dodgers is unanimous NL Rookie of the Year, but isn't among Box-Toppers' top five NL rookies.
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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:
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 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 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.
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:
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 closer Aroldis Chapman and Dodgers reliever Joe Blanton are Box-Toppers’ top players in Tuesday’s two National League Division Series games.
Chapman is Box-Toppers Player of the Game as the Cubs eliminate the Giants in the best-of-five game series, 3-1, with a four-run, ninth-inning comeback.
Chapman pitched a scoreless ninth inning, striking out the side and allowing no hits and no walks. He earned the save.
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).
Chapman led all Cubs players with a Box-Toppers game score of +4.0. Willson Contreras led all Cubs batters with a Box-Toppers game score of +2.0 (1-1 2BI). Cubs starting pitcher John Lackey had a Box-Toppers game score of −7.0 (4IP 7H 3R 2BB 4K ND).
Meanwhile, Giants starting pitcher Matt Moore held a commanding lead as Box-Toppers Player of the Game going into the ninth inning. Moore had the highest Box-Toppers game score of any player on either team, +11.0 (8IP 2H 2R 2BB 10K ND). But Moore lost his Player of the Game lead when the Cubs went ahead in the ninth and won the game.
The Cubs eliminate the Giants in four games, 3-1. The Cubs were the runaway leader in Box-Toppers team rankings, leading nearly all the season with 139.5 Box-Toppers points. The Giants were the lowest-ranking team to qualify for the postseason, ranked 10th with 112.7.
This also ends the Giants’ streak of winning the World Series in even-numbered years after winning in 2010, 2012 and 2014.
The Cubs now advance to the best-of-seven game National League Championship Series beginning Saturday in Chicago against either the Dodgers or the Nationals.
Dodgers middle reliever Joe Blanton is Box-Toppers Player of the Game Tuesday as the Dodgers even the best-of-five game NL Division Series against the Nationals at two games apiece.
Blanton pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing no hits, no walks, striking out two and earning the win.
Blanton had no Box-Toppers points during the regular season. He had 3.0 points in 2015 with the Royals and the Pirates. His best year was 2012 with the Phillies and Dodgers when he had 9.4.
Blanton had the highest Box-Toppers game score among Dodgers players (+3.0). He qualified to be Player of the Game because, though he pitched fewer than the required three innings, he did earn the win. Top Dodgers batter was Adrian Gonzalez, who had a Box-Toppers game score of +1.0 (HR 1-3 R 2BI). Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw seemed on track to earn Player of the Game honors until the seventh inning when the Nationals scored three runs and tied the game. Kershaw ended with a Box-Toppers game score of −1.8 (6.2IP 7H 5R 2BB 11K ND). Nationals top player was Daniel Murphy, who had a Box-Toppers game score of +3.0 (2-3 4BI).
The Dodgers and Nationals face off in the deciding Game 5 of the NLDS Thursday in Washington.
There are no games Wednesday.
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.
Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score
| BTG | Game | Player of Game | AB | R | H | BI | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
| 4.0 | CHC 6, SF 5 | Aroldis Chapman (S,3) | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| 3.1 | LAD 6, WSH 5 | Joe Blanton (W,1-0) | - | - | - | - | 1.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| BTG: Box-Toppers game score | |||||||||||||
Indians pitcher Carlos Carrasco is Monday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
| 1 | Kershaw, Clayton 2494 | pi sp | lad nl | 20.0 |
| 2 | Scherzer, Max 2588 | pi sp | dc nl | 18.7 |
| 3 | Kluber, Corey 3200 | pi sp | cle al | 17.2 |
| 4 | Fernandez, Jose 3147 | pi sp | fla nl | 16.4 |
| 5 | Lester, Jon 2173 | pi sp | chi nl | 15.4 |
| 6 | Hamels, Cole 2135 | pi sp | tex al | 15.1 |
| 7 | Cueto, Johnny 2400 | pi sp | sf nl | 14.4 |
| 8 | Strasburg, Stephen 2736 | pi sp | dc nl | 14.1 |
| 9 | Syndergaard, Noah 3472 | pi sp | nym nl | 13.0 |
| 10 | Happ, J.A. 2536 | pi sp | tor al | 12.7 |
Also Monday, Cubs pitcher Jon Lester rises to fifth place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors.
Player of the Day—Carrasco pitched eight scoreless innings, striking out nine and allowing four hits and no walks, in the 1-0 win over the Athletics.
Carrasco earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 10.4 for the season. He becomes the 27th player this season with 10 or more Box-Toppers points and ranks 24th among all players, 10th among American League pitchers. It is his third straight season with 10 or more points (10.7 in 2014, 18.0 in 2015).
National League Player of the Day—Adrian Gonzalez of the Dodgers hit three home runs and went 3-for-6, driving in eight runs, in the 18-9 win over the Reds.
American League Batter of the Day—Kyle Seager of the Mariners hit a three-run homer and went 2-for-3, scoring twice, in the 7-5 win over the Yankees.
Seager earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being AL Batter of the Day, giving him 8.5 points for the season, rising to fourth among AL batters.
National League Batter of the Day—There is no separate NL Batter of the Day for Monday because the overall NL Player of the Day is batter Adrian Gonzalez.
Rankings—Cubs pitcher Jon Lester rises to fifth place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Monday.
Lester (6IP 5H R 2BB 8K W in the 5-1 win over the Padres) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 15.4 for the season, rising from seventh to fifth among all players. He ranks fourth among NL pitchers.
With Lester’s rise to 15.4 points, it marks the first time this season that all players in Box-Toppers season top 10 list have different Box-Toppers point totals—on Monday, Lester and Giants pitcher Johnny Cueto both had 14.4 points.
Lester now also has 136.5 career Box-Toppers points, 28th-most among all players since 1995, when Box-Toppers tracking began. He trails 27th-ranked player Andy Pettitte (138.5).
Notable—Red Sox pitcher David Price rises to 64th place among all players in career Box-Toppers points since 1995, when Box-Toppers tracking began, after he earned Player of the Game honors Monday.
Price (8IP 2H 0R 2BB 8K W in the 6-2 win over the Rays) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 103.2 career points. He passes two players on the “all-time” list—Miguel Tejada (102.3) and Carlos Beltran of the Rangers (102.9). He trails 63rd-ranked player Jamie Moyer (104.0). Price has 9.4 Box-Toppers points on the season, 13th among AL pitchers.
Scoring—Carrasco earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Gonzalez earns 1.7 points for being NL Player of the Day. Seager earns 1.5 points for being AL 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.
Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score
| 8/22 | Score | Game | Player of Game | AB | R | H | BI | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
| MLB | 13.0 | CLE 1, OAK 0 | Carlos Carrasco (W,9-6) | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | |
| 12.0 | BOS 6, TB 2 | David Price (W,12-8) | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | ||
| 9.0 | HOU 3, PIT 1 | Doug Fister (W,12-8) | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | ||
| NL | 8.0 | LAD 18, CIN 9 | Adrian Gonzalez, 1B | 6 | 3 | 3 | 8 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 5.0 | CHC 5, SD 1 | Jon Lester (W,14-4) | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | ||
| BAT | 4.0 | SEA 7, NYY 5 | Kyle Seager, 3B | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 3.0 | ARI 9, ATL 8 | Paul Goldschmidt, 1B | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 3.0 | BAL 4, WSH 3 | Zach Britton (S,38) | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 3.0 | MIL 4, COL 2 | Tyler Thornburg (S,5) | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Player of Game | Pos | Team | 16 | 15-16 | 11-16 | Career | +/- |
| Lester, Jon 2173 | pi sp | chi nl | 15.4 | 27.4 | 73.6 | 136.5 | 3.4 |
| Carrasco, Carlos 2885 | pi sp | cle al | 10.4 | 28.4 | 44.5 | 44.5 | -7.6 |
| Price, David 2593 | pi sp | bos al | 9.4 | 30.5 | 86.5 | 103.2 | -11.7 |
| Seager, Kyle 3031 | 3b | sea al | 8.5 | 13.5 | 27.5 | 27.5 | 3.5 |
| Gonzalez, Adrian 2193 | 1b | lad nl | 5.7 | 9.7 | 36.4 | 72.3 | 1.7 |
| Britton, Zach 2835 | pi cp | bal al | 5.0 | 13.7 | 33.1 | 33.1 | -3.7 |
| Thornburg, Tyler 3195 | pi cp | mil nl | 5.0 | 5.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 5.0 |
| Fister, Doug 2688 | pi sp | hou al | 4.0 | 6.0 | 51.5 | 55.2 | 2.0 |
| Goldschmidt, Paul 2935 | 1b | ari nl | 3.5 | 13.7 | 38.9 | 38.9 | -6.7 |
Blue Jays pitcher J.A. Happ is Sunday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
| 1 | Kershaw, Clayton 2494 | pi sp | lad nl | 20.0 |
| 2 | Fernandez, Jose 3147 | pi sp | fla nl | 16.4 |
| 3 | Scherzer, Max 2588 | pi sp | dc nl | 16.0 |
| 4 | Cueto, Johnny 2400 | pi sp | sf nl | 14.4 |
| 5 | Kluber, Corey 3200 | pi sp | cle al | 12.5 |
| 6 | Hamels, Cole 2135 | pi sp | tex al | 12.1 |
| 7 | Strasburg, Stephen 2736 | pi sp | dc nl | 11.4 |
| 8 | Bumgarner, Madison 2753 | pi sp | sf nl | 11.0 |
| 9 | Syndergaard, Noah 3472 | pi sp | nym nl | 11.0 |
| 10 | Arrieta, Jake 2738 | pi sp | chi nl | 10.7 |
Also Sunday, Jose Altuve of the Astros rises to lead American League batters in Box-Toppers points after earning AL Batter of the Day honors.
Player of the Day—Happ pitched six scoreless innings, allowing one hit and four walks, striking out six, in the 2-0 win over the Mariners.
National League Player of the Day—Mets pitcher Steven Matz pitched six scoreless innings, allowing four hits and two walks, striking out six, in the 3-0 win over the Marlins.
Matz earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day, giving him 10.4 for the season, the most among the 16 who earned Player of the Game honors Sunday. Matz becomes the 17th player this season with 10 or more Box-Toppers points and now ranks 15th among all players, 10th among NL pitchers.
American League Batter of the Day—Jose Altuve of the Astros hit two home runs and went 3-for-5, driving in six runs, in the 13-3 win over the Angels.
Altuve earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being AL Batter of the Day, giving him 10.0 for the season. He becomes the 16th player and first batter this season with 10 or more Box-Toppers points. He also takes the lead in season Box-Toppers points among AL batters, passing Manny Machado of the Orioles (8.7). Altuve ranks 17th among all players.
National League Batter of the Day—Adrian Gonzalez of the Dodgers hit a grand slam and went 3-for-5, scoring twice and driving in four runs, in the 9-6 win over the Cardinals.
Notable—Carlos Beltran of the Yankees rises to 64th place in career Box-Toppers points since 1995 (when Box-Toppers tracking began) after earning Player of the Game honors Sunday.
Beltran (HR 2-4 2R BI in the 5-2 win over the Giants) now has 102.9 career Box-Toppers points and passes three players on the “all-time” list—Ken Griffey Jr. (102.2, who was inducted Sunday into the Baseball Hall of Fame and now ranks 67th), Red Sox pitcher David Price (102.2) and Miguel Tejada (102.3). Beltran now trails 63rd-ranked player, Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner (103.7). Beltran now ranks 21st in career Box-Toppers points among all batters since 1995.
Beltran has 4.0 Box-Toppers points on the season, 34th among AL batters.
Scoring—Happ earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Matz earns 1.7 points for being NL Player of the Day. Altuve and Gonzalez each earn 1.5 points for being their league’s Batter of the Day. All of Sunday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point.
About Box-Toppers—Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.
Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score
| 7/24 | Score | Game | Player of Game | AB | R | H | BI | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
| MLB | 7.0 | TOR 2, SEA 0 | J.A. Happ (W,13-3) | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | |
| 6.2 | `CHW 5, DET 4 | Jose Quintana | - | - | - | - | 6.2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | ||
| BAT | 6.0 | HOU 13, LAA 3 | Jose Altuve, 2B | 5 | 2 | 3 | 6 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| NL | 6.0 | NYM 3, MIA 0 | Steven Matz (W,8-6) | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | |
| 5.2 | `OAK 3, TB 2 | Jesse Hahn | - | - | - | - | 7.2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | ||
| BAT | 4.0 | LAD 9, STL 6 | Adrian Gonzalez, 1B | 5 | 2 | 3 | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 4.0 | ARI 9, CIN 8 | Yasmany Tomas, RF | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 4.0 | PIT 5, PHI 4 | Matt Joyce, RF | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 4.0 | BAL 5, CLE 3 | Darren O'Day (W,3-1) | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 3.1 | CHW 4, DET 3 | David Robertson (W,1-2) | - | - | - | - | 1.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 3.0 | BOS 8, MIN 7 | Hanley Ramirez, DH | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 3.0 | `SD 10, WSH 6 | Carlos Villanueva | - | - | - | - | 3.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 2.0 | COL 7, ATL 2 | Nolan Arenado, 3B | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | CHC 6, MIL 5 | Tommy La Stella, 2B | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1.0 | NYY 5, SF 2 | Carlos Beltran, DH | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1.0 | TEX 2, KC 1 | Delino DeShields, LF | 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. | ||||||||||||||
| Player of Game | Pos | Team | 16 | 15-16 | 11-16 | Career | +/- |
| Matz, Steven 3516 | pi sp | nym nl | 10.4 | 13.9 | 13.9 | 13.9 | 6.9 |
| Altuve, Jose 3007 | 2b | hou al | 10.0 | 17.0 | 26.5 | 26.5 | 3.0 |
| Happ, J.A. 2536 | pi sp | tor al | 9.0 | 22.1 | 37.5 | 45.5 | -4.1 |
| Quintana, Jose 3040 | pi sp | chi al | 7.7 | 13.7 | 32.5 | 32.5 | 1.7 |
| Arenado, Nolan 3306 | 3b | col nl | 5.5 | 14.0 | 15.5 | 15.5 | -3.0 |
| Robertson, David 2774 | pi cp | chi al | 5.0 | 13.0 | 25.0 | 26.0 | -3.0 |
| Beltran, Carlos 1194 | rf dh | nyy al | 4.0 | 7.5 | 24.9 | 102.9 | 0.5 |
| Tomas, Yasmany 3489 | lf rf | ari nl | 3.5 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 0.0 |
| Gonzalez, Adrian 2193 | 1b | lad nl | 3.0 | 7.0 | 33.7 | 69.6 | -1.0 |
| Ramirez, Hanley 2119 | 1b dh ss | bos al | 4.0 | 4.0 | 26.7 | 54.6 | 4.0 |
| O’Day, Darren 2577 | pi mr cp | bal al | 3.0 | 4.7 | 12.7 | 13.7 | 1.3 |
| Joyce, Matt 2480 | rf dh | pit nl | 3.0 | 3.0 | 19.2 | 28.7 | 3.0 |
| DeShields, Delino 3557 | cf lf | tex al | 2.0 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | -2.5 |
| Hahn, Jesse 3354 | pi sp | oak al | 2.0 | 6.0 | 12.7 | 12.7 | -2.0 |
| Villanueva, Carlos 2241 | pi mr | sd nl | 2.0 | 5.7 | 16.7 | 30.4 | -1.7 |
| LaStella, Tommy 3367 | 3b 2b | chi nl | 2.0 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 2.0 |
Twins pitcher Kyle Gibson is Tuesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
| 1 | Kershaw, Clayton 2494 | pi sp | lad nl | 20.0 |
| 2 | Fernandez, Jose 3147 | pi sp | fla nl | 13.4 |
| 3 | Cueto, Johnny 2400 | pi sp | sf nl | 11.7 |
| 4 | Kluber, Corey 3200 | pi sp | cle al | 10.8 |
| 5 | Arrieta, Jake 2738 | pi sp | chi nl | 10.7 |
| 6 | Sale, Chris 2806 | pi sp | chi al | 10.7 |
| 7 | Hamels, Cole 2135 | pi sp | tex al | 10.4 |
| 8 | Scherzer, Max 2588 | pi sp | dc nl | 10.0 |
| 9 | Syndergaard, Noah 3472 | pi sp | nym nl | 10.0 |
| 10 | Greinke, Zack 1871 | pi sp | ari nl | 9.7 |
Also Tuesday, Indians pitcher Corey Kluber rises to fourth place in Box-Toppers season player rankings (first among American League pitchers) and Rangers pitcher Cole Hamels rises to seventh place. Plus, Matt Carpenter took the lead Tuesday in season Box-Toppers points among National League batters.
Player of the Day—Gibson pitched seven scoreless innings, striking out seven and allowing five hits and one walk, in the 4-0 win over the White Sox.
National League Player of the Day—Cubs pitcher Jon Lester allowed one run over 7 2/3 innings, allowing three hits and one walk, striking out four, in the 7-2, 15-inning win over the Reds. Lester did not earn the win, picking up a no-decision, because even though the Cubs led when he exited, the Indians later tied the game before the Cubs went ahead with the winning runs in the 15th inning.
Lester earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day, giving him 130.8 for his career, rising to 29th place among all players since 1995, when Box-Toppers tracking began. With his points Tuesday, he passes Trevor Hoffman (129.4) on the “all-time” list. He now trails 28th-ranked player Jason Giambi (133.4). Lester has 9.7 Box-Toppers points for the season, 11th among all players and eighth among NL pitchers.
American League Batter of the Day—Carlos Correa of the Astros hit a three-run homer and a double and went 3-for-4, scoring twice and driving in five total runs, in the 7-1 win over the Angels.
National League Batter of the Day—Adrian Gonzalez doubled and went 3-for-3, scoring twice and driving in a run, in the 6-5 win over the Brewers.
Gonzalez has now earned Box-Toppers points in 11 straight seasons after earning his first Player of the Game honor of the 2016 season Tuesday. He earned his first points in 2006 with the Padres and has 67.6 career points, third among active NL first basemen (behind Matt Holliday of the Cardinals, 97.8 and Ryan Howard of the Phillies, 96.7). Gonzalez’s best season was 2010 with the Padres when he had 8.0 Box-Toppers points, ninth among NL batters. He had 4.0 Box-Toppers points in 2015 with the Dodgers.
Rankings—Two players rise in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Tuesday, becoming the eighth and ninth players this season with 10 or more Box-Toppers points:
Notable—Matt Carpenter of the Cardinals took the season lead in Box-Toppers points among NL batters after earning Player of the Game honors Tuesday.
Carpenter (HR 2-3 2R 2BI n the 8-4 win over the Royals) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 7.5 for the season. He passes Eugenio Suarez of the Reds (7.0) for the lead among NL batters. Carpenter ranks 23rd among all players.
Debut—Hyun Soo Kim of the Orioles made his Box-Toppers debut Tuesday, the first time in his career he earned Player of the Game honors.
Kim (HR 2B 2-3 2R 3BI in the 11-7 win over the Padres) made his Major League debut April 10 and was playing in his 37th career game. He is the 3,671st player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995.
Scoring—Gibson earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Lester earns 1.7 points for being NL Player of the Day. Correa and Gonzalez each earn 1.5 points for being their league’s Batter of the Day. All of Tuesday’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
| 6/28 | Score | Game | Player of Game | AB | R | H | BI | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
| MLB | 8.0 | MIN 4/CHW 0 | Kyle Gibson (W,1-5) | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | |
| 7.0 | CLE 5/ATL 3 | Corey Kluber (W,8-7) | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | ||
| 7.0 | TEX 7/NYY 1 | Cole Hamels (W,9-1) | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | ||
| NL | 5.2 | `CHC 7/CIN 2 | Jon Lester | - | - | - | - | 7.2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| BAT | 5.0 | HOU 7/LAA 1 | Carlos Correa, SS | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 4.0 | BOS 8/TB 2 | Travis Shaw, 3B | 5 | 1 | 3 | 5 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 4.0 | BAL 11/SD 7 | Hyun Soo Kim, LF | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 4.0 | OAK 13/SF 11 | Stephen Vogt, C-1B | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| BAT | 3.0 | LAD 6/MIL 5 | Adrian Gonzalez, 1B | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 3.0 | STL 8/KC 4 | Matt Carpenter, 2B | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | TOR 14/COL 9 | Russell Martin, C | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | DET 7/MIA 5 | Nick Castellanos, 3B | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | SEA 5/PIT 2 | Robinson Cano, 2B | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | DC 5/NYM 0 | Bryce Harper, RF | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1.0 | PHI 4/ARI 3 | Andres Blanco, 2B | 2 | 1 | 1 | 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 | +/- |
| Kluber, Corey 3200 | pi sp | cle al | 10.8 | 24.2 | 55.0 | 55.0 | -2.6 |
| Hamels, Cole 2135 | pi sp | tex al | 10.4 | 25.8 | 77.4 | 136.6 | -5.0 |
| Lester, Jon 2173 | pi sp | chi nl | 9.7 | 21.7 | 67.9 | 130.8 | -2.3 |
| Carpenter, Matt 2987 | 3b 1b 2b | stl nl | 7.5 | 13.0 | 27.5 | 27.5 | 2.0 |
| Martin, Russell 2202 | ca | tor al | 7.0 | 12.0 | 28.5 | 49.5 | 2.0 |
| Correa, Carlos 3506 | ss | hou al | 6.7 | 13.9 | 13.9 | 13.9 | -0.5 |
| Cano, Robinson 2092 | 2b | sea al | 5.5 | 12.0 | 41.0 | 72.9 | -1.0 |
| Castellanos, Nick 3349 | 3b | det al | 4.0 | 10.2 | 12.2 | 12.2 | -2.2 |
| Shaw, Travis 3544 | 1b 3b | bos al | 3.5 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 7.7 | -0.7 |
| Harper, Bryce 3011 | rf | dc nl | 3.0 | 12.0 | 27.4 | 27.4 | -6.0 |
| Blanco, Andres 2980 | ss 3b 2b | phi nl | 3.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 2.0 |
| Gibson, Kyle 3312 | pi sp | min al | 2.0 | 10.0 | 16.0 | 16.0 | -6.0 |
| Gonzalez, Adrian 2193 | 1b | lad nl | 1.5 | 5.5 | 32.2 | 68.1 | -2.5 |
| Vogt, Stephen 3503 | ca 1b | oak al | 1.0 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | -1.5 |
| Kim, Hyun Soo 3671 | lf | bal al | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
Andrew McCutchen replaces Ryan Braun as leader among NL batters in six-year rolling Box-Toppers totals (2011-2016 vs. 2010-2015).
Read MoreLooking at Box-Toppers points leaders over three time spans (2015, 2014-15 and 2010-15) and selecting AL & NL All-Star teams.
Read More
Yankees pitcher Michael Pineda is Sunday’s Player of the Day.
Meanwhile, Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez extended his lead in Box-Toppers player rankings and moved into 15th place on Box-Toppers “all-time” player rankings, passing Greg Maddux.
| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
| 1 | Hernandez, Felix 2064 | pi sp | sea al | 8.7 |
| 2 | Cole, Gerrit 3232 | pi sp | pit nl | 6.0 |
| 3 | Archer, Chris 3194 | pi sp | tb al | 5.0 |
| 4 | Harper, Bryce 3011 | lf rf | dc nl | 5.0 |
| 5 | Cabrera, Miguel 1776 | 1b | det al | 4.7 |
| 6 | Keuchel, Dallas 3050 | pi sp | hou al | 4.7 |
| 7 | Gray, Sonny 3259 | pi sp | oak al | 4.7 |
| 8 | Harvey, Matt 3075 | pi sp | nym nl | 4.7 |
| 9 | Stanton, Giancarlo 2737 | rf | fla nl | 4.5 |
| 10 | Rodriguez, Alex | dh | nyy al | 4.5 |
Player of the Day—Pineda struck out 16 batters over seven innings, allowing one run, in the 6-2 win over the Orioles.
Pineda had a Box-Toppers game score of 15, the highest recorded so far this season. However, another player also had a Box-Toppers game score of 15 Sunday—Indians pitcher Danny Salazar, Player of the Game in the 8-2 win over the Twins (7IP H R 11K). However, Pineda won the tiebreaker to earn overall Player of the Day because he had more strikeouts than Salazar—16 vs. 11. And though Salazar had one of the two highest Box-Toppers game scores of the season, he earns only 1.0 Box-Toppers point as Player of the Game, while Pineda earns 2.0 for being Player of the Day.
National League Player of the Day—Brewers pitcher Matt Garza struck out nine over seven innings, allowing one run, in the 3-2, 11-inning win over the Cubs. After Garza exited the game, the Cubs tied the score 2-2 in the top of the eighth inning, so Garza did not earn the win, but picked up a no-decision.
National League Batter of the Day—Adrian Gonzalez of the Dodgers hit two doubles and drove in four runs in the 9-5 win over the Rockies.
American League Batter of the Day—Mike Napoli of the Red Sox hit a three-run home run in the 6-3 win over the Blue Jays.
Napoli has now earned at least 1.0 Box-Toppers point for 10 straight seasons. He earned his first points in 2006 with the Angels. His best year was 2011 with the Rangers when he had 9.0, ninth among AL batters. In 2014, he had 5.5 Box-Toppers points with the Red Sox.
Napoli has 48.2 career Box-Toppers points, ranking 23rd among active batters currently in the AL.
Rankings—Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez extended his lead in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Sunday.
Hernandez (7IP 2R 6K W in the 4-3 win over the Athletics) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 8.7 for the season. He is 2.7 Box-Toppers points ahead of the second place player, Gerrit Cole of the Pirates (6.0).
With the Box-Toppers point earned Sunday, Hernandez now has 152.0 for his career, which moves him up to 15th place among all players since 1995, when Box-Toppers record keeping began. He passes Greg Maddux (151.7) on the list. It should be noted that Maddux pitched nine seasons, many of them stellar, before Box-Toppers record keeping began, so his actual Box-Toppers career total would likely be much higher. Hernandez now trails Tim Hudson of the Giants (153.0) and Barry Bonds (153.2).
Streak—Ryan Zimmerman of the Nationals has now earned at least 1.0 Box-Toppers point for 10 straight seasons.
Zimmerman was Player of the Game in Sunday’s 5-4 win over the Braves (2B 2-4 2R 2BI) and earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point, his first of the season.
Zimmerman earned his first Box-Toppers point in 2006 with the Nationals. His best year was 2013 with the Nationals when he had 9.2, sixth among NL batters. In 2014, he had 3.5 Box-Toppers points with the Nationals.
Zimmerman has 52.8 career Box-Toppers points and ranks 13th among active batters currently in the NL.
Debut—Two players made their Box-Toppers debut Sunday, the first time in their career they earned Player of the Game honors:
Scoring—Pineda earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Garza earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day. Gonzalez and Napoli each earn 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being their league’s Batter of the Day. All of Sunday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point.
About Box-Toppers—Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.
Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score
| 5/10 | Score | Team | Player | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
| MLB | 15.0 | Yankees | Michael Pineda (W, 5-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 16 | |
| 15.0 | Indians | Danny Salazar (W, 4-1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 11 | ||
| 9.2 | Angels | Garrett Richards (W, 3-1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 10 | ||
| NL | 8.0 | `Brewers | Matt Garza | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 9 | |
| 7.0 | `Rangers | Wandy Rodriguez | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 6.0 | `Giants | Ryan Vogelsong | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | ||
| 5.0 | `Royals | Chris Young | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 4.1 | `Dbacks | Daniel Hudson | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3.1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | ||
| BAT | 3.0 | Dodgers | Adrian Gonzalez 1B | 4 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| BAT | 3.0 | Red Sox | Mike Napoli 1B | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 3.0 | Mariners | Felix Hernandez (W, 6-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 2.0 | Nationals | Ryan Zimmerman 1B | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | Mets | Johnny Monell PH | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1.0 | Pirates | Jung-Ho Kang 3B | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1.0 | White Sox | Tyler Flowers C | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| `Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save. | ||||||||||||||||
Athletics pitcher Scott Kazmir is Wednesday’s Player of the Day.
Kazmir pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out 10, in the 10-0 win over the Rangers.
National League Player of the Day—Phillies pitcher Aaron Harang pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out eight, in the 4-2 win over the Red Sox.
National League Batter of the Day—Adrian Gonzalez of the Dodgers hit three home runs and drove in four in the 7-4 win over the Padres.
American League Batter of the Day—Lorenzo Cain of the Royals hit a two-run homer and went 3-for-4 in the 7-5 win over the White Sox.
Debut—Giants pitcher Chris Heston made his Box-Toppers debut Wednesday, marking the first time he earned Player of the Game honors. Heston struck out five over six innings in the 5-2 win over the Diamondbacks. Heston is the 3,437th player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995.
Streak—Angels closing pitcher Huston Street has now earned at least 1.0 Box-Toppers point for 11 straight seasons. Street was Player of the Game in the 5-3 win over the Mariners after allowing no runs and no hits and striking out one in the ninth inning. Street began his 11-year streak in 2005, scoring 4.0 Box-Toppers points that season with the Athletics. His best years were 2006 and 2008, also both with the A’s, when he scored 8.0. The fewest points he earned in a season prior to this year was 1.0 in 2013 with the Padres. He had 5.0 points in 2014 with both the Padres and the Angels. He has 47.0 career Box-Toppers points, ranking 22nd among closing pitchers since 1995.
Kazmir earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Harang earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day. Gonzalez and Cain each earn 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being their league’s Batter of the Day. All of Wednesday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) earn 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. 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
| 408 | Score | Team | Player | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
| MLB | 14.0 | Athletics | Scott Kazmir (W, 1-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10 | |
| 12.1 | Indians | Carlos Carrasco (W, 1-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | ||
| 11.2 | Rays | Jake Odorizzi (W, 1-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | ||
| NL | 11.1 | Phillies | Aaron Harang (W, 1-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | |
| 8.0 | Cubs | Jake Arrieta (W, 1-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | ||
| 7.2 | Tigers | Anibal Sanchez (W, 1-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | ||
| BAT | 7.0 | Dodgers | Adrian Gonzalez 1B | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 4.0 | Giants | Chris Heston (W, 1-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | ||
| BAT | 3.0 | Royals | Lorenzo Cain CF | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 3.0 | Nationals | Jordan Zimmermann (W, 1-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 3.0 | `Braves | Shelby Miller | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 2.0 | Yankees | Jacoby Ellsbury CF | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | Rockies | Wilin Rosario PH | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | Reds | J.J. Hoover (W, 1-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 2.0 | Angels | Huston Street (S, 2) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 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. | ||||||||||||||||
How did baseball’s statistical leaders do in Box-Toppers points?
The leaders in pitching statistical categories in general did better than leaders in batting statistical categories.
Read MoreBox-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.