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Alex 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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Rays pitcher Chris Archer is Sunday’s Player of the Day and rises to second place in Box-Toppers player rankings.
Archer pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing two hits and struck out seven, in the 5-1 win over the Blue Jays. Archer earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 5.0 for the season. He trails only Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez (6.0 Box-Toppers points) in player rankings.
| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
| 1 | Hernandez, Felix 2064 | pi sp | sea al | 6.0 |
| 2 | Archer, Chris 3194 | pi sp | tb al | 5.0 |
| 3 | Stanton, Giancarlo 2737 | rf | fla nl | 4.5 |
| 4 | Cole, Gerrit 3232 | pi sp | pit nl | 4.0 |
| 5 | Kazmir, Scott 1947 | pi sp | oak al | 3.7 |
| 6 | Harvey, Matt 3075 | pi sp | nym nl | 3.7 |
| 7 | DeSclafani, Anthony 3441 | pi sp | cin nl | 3.7 |
| 8 | Hechavarria, Adeiny 3445 | ss | fla nl | 3.5 |
| 9 | Cueto, Johnny 2400 | pi sp | cin nl | 3.4 |
| 10 | Harang, Aaron 1599 | pi sp | phi nl | 3.4 |
National League Player of the Day—Pirates pitcher Francisco Liriano struck out seven over 6 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits, in the 8-0 win over the Diamondbacks.
American League Batter of the Day—Delmon Young of the Orioles drove in five and went 3-for-6 with three runs in the 18-7 win over the Red Sox.
National League Batter of the Day—Miguel Montero of the Cubs homered and went 2-for-4, scoring twice and driving in two runs, in the 5-2 win over the Reds.
Rankings—Adeiny Hechavarria of the Marlins rose to eighth place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Sunday (3B 2-4 3BI in the 6-2 win over the Nationals). Hechavarria earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 3.5 for the season.
Scoring—Archer earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Liriano earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day. Young and Montero 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
| 4/26 | Score | Team | Player | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
| MLB | 11.0 | Rays | Chris Archer (W, 3-2) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | |
| NL | 5.1 | Pirates | Francisco Liriano (W, 1-1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 7 | |
| BAT | 5.0 | Orioles | Delmon Young RF | 6 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 4.0 | Tigers | Miguel Cabrera 1B | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 4.0 | White Sox | David Robertson (W, 2-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 3.0 | Astros | Jake Marisnick CF | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 3.0 | Padres | Brandon Morrow (W, 1-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 3.0 | Twins | Casey Fien (W, 1-1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| BAT | 2.0 | Cubs | Miguel Montero C | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 2.0 | Phillies | Freddy Galvis SS | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | White Sox | John Danks (W, 1-2) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 2.0 | Yankees | Andrew Miller (S, 7) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 1.0 | Marlins | Adeiny Hechavarria SS | 4 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1.0 | Brewers | Gerardo Parra RF | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1.0 | Rangers | Adam Rosales PR, 3B | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
The Kansas City Royals may have an edge over the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Championship Series not because their pitching is so strong but because the Orioles pitching staff is comparatively weaker.
However, the Orioles have the overall higher Box-Toppers team ranking and have two outfielders on Box-Toppers end-of-season 2014 All-Star team. The best-of-seven game ALCS begins Friday in Baltimore.
Below are position-by-position match-ups of each player likely in the starting line-up for both teams, along with the highest-rated starting pitchers in Box-Toppers points, the top closing pitcher and an extra pitcher. Also listed are each player’s Box-Toppers points earned in 2014, along with their overall rank among all players.
The top pitcher for both teams, James Shields of the Royals, had 13.7 Box-Toppers points during the regular season, ranking 22nd among all players. The Orioles top pitcher is Bud Norris, with 10.7, ranked 51st among all players. Only three other teams in baseball had their top pitcher earn fewer Box-Toppers points than Norris:
• Padres, Ross Tyson, 9.7.
• Red Sox, Koji Uehara, 9.0.
• Rockies, Tyler Matzek, 4.7.
In fact, the Orioles are one of only two teams in baseball whose leader in Box-Toppers points was a batter—Adam Jones, with 11.5 points, ranked 40th among all players. (The other team was the Rockies—Troy Tulowitzki had 11.6 points.)
Matching up the four top starting pitchers from highest to lowest Box-Toppers points from both teams, the Royals have the edge each time (see the chart below). The Royals also have the edge in closers (Greg Holland with 7.0 over Zachary Britton with 6.0). The Royals also have the edge when matching up the next-highest rated pitcher (Jeremy Guthrie, 7.0 over Ubaldo Jimenez, 3.7). And one more thing, not included in the chart below—the Royals also have the AL’s top middle relief pitcher, Wade Davis, who has 7.0 Box-Toppers points.
The Orioles have the edge in overall Box-Toppers team rankings from 2014. They rank sixth among all teams with 113.4 Box-Toppers points, while the Royals are ranked 10th with 101.1 points—the Royals were the lowest ranked team that qualified for any of the four league division series. However, the Orioles will play the ALCS without suspended first baseman, Chris Davis, who earned 6.2 Box-Toppers points during the regular season.
The Orioles also have two players who will be on Box-Toppers end-of-season AL All-Star team. Adam Jones had the most Box-Toppers points among AL outfielders with 11.5. Nelson Cruz was second with 8.5. The Orioles also have the most notable batter (not included in the prospective starting line-up below) coming off the bench—Delmon Young with 5.5 Box-Toppers points.
However, looking at the prospective starting line-ups below, Royals batters have higher Box-Toppers point totals at five positions, while the Orioles are better in four. Also, adding up Box-Toppers points for the nine batters and six pitchers listed below, the Royals have the point total advantage—83.1 Box-Toppers points vs. 81.5.
Both teams were able to get a lot of bang for their buck this season, spending comparatively little and making it all the way to the ALCS. The Orioles had an opening day payroll of $107 million, ranking 15th among all teams. The Royals’ payroll of $92 million, ranked 19th.
The pitching matchup Friday:
Royals: James Shields, 13.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 22nd among all players, 11th among AL pitchers.
Orioles: Chris Tillman, 6.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 152nd among all players, 53rd among AL 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.
Likely starting players for the Royals and Orioles listed by position with their Box-Toppers point total (BTP) for the 2014 regular season and their overall player rank among all players
| Pos | Royals | BTP | Rank | Orioles | BTP | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | Eric Hosmer | 2.5 | 368 | Steve Pearce | 7.0 | 121 | |
| 2B | Omar Infante | 4.0 | 243 | Jonathan Schoop | 2.5 | 395 | |
| SS | Alicides Escboar | 5.0 | 190 | J.J. Hardy | 4.2 | 236 | |
| 3B | Mike Moustakas | 4.0 | 251 | Ryan Flaherty | 0 | 761 | |
| CA | Salvador Perez | 4.7 | 210 | Caleb Joseph | 2.0 | 470 | |
| CF | Lorenzo Cain | 2.0 | 421 | Adam Jones | 11.5 | 40 | |
| LF | Alex Gordon | 3.0 | 203 | Alejandro De Aza | 1.0 | 537 | |
| RF | Norichika Aoki | 2.0 | 443 | Nick Markakis | 3.0 | 320 | |
| DH | Billy Butler | 2.5 | 365 | Nelson Cruz | 8.5 | 77 | |
| SP | James Shields | 13.7 | 22 | Bud Norris | 10.7 | 51 | |
| SP | Danny Duffy | 10.0 | 58 | Miguel Gonzalez | 8.7 | 70 | |
| SP | Yordano Ventura | 8.7 | 75 | Wei-Yin Chen | 6.7 | 131 | |
| SP | Jason Vargas | 7.0 | 107 | Chris Tillman | 6.0 | 152 | |
| CP | Greg Holland | 7.0 | 106 | Zachary Britton | 6.0 | 161 | |
| PI | Jeremy Guthrie | 7.0 | 113 | Ubaldo Jimenez | 3.7 | 270 |
Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura, who allowed one run in seven innings in the American League Division Series Game 2 win over the Angels, is Friday’s Player of the Day.
Ventura, who also struck out five and walked one, did not earn the win in the 4-1, 11-inning win, because he exited the game with the score tied, 1-1. Ventura had the highest Box-Toppers game score of any Royals player of +4, which was also enough to earn Player of the Day honors in a day of four league division series playoff games.
During the regular season, Ventura had 8.7 Box-Toppers points, ranking 75th among all players, 33rd among AL pitchers.
The Royals now lead the Angels in the best-of-five series, 2-0. The Angels are first in Box-Toppers team rankings with 124.2 Box-Toppers points. The Royals are 10th with 101.1. The Royals can sweep the series in Game 3 Sunday in Kansas City.
In Friday’s other games:
Giants pitcher Jake Peavy, who pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings in the win over the Nationals is Player of the Game in the National League Division Series Game 1.
Peavy, who led the Giants to a 3-2 win, had a Box-Toppers game score of +3.2.
During the regular season, Peavy had 5.7 Box-Toppers points, ranking 165th among all players and 58th among NL pitchers.
Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg, who was 10th among all players in Box-Toppers player rankings during the regular season, picked up the loss. Strasburg gave up eight hits and two runs over five innings, striking out two. His Box-Toppers game score was -5. Strasburg had 16.7 Box-Toppers points during the regular season.
The Giants now lead the Nationals in the best-of-five series, 1-0.
Matt Carpenter of the Cardinals, who homered, doubled and drove in four runs, is Player of the Game in the Cardinals 10-9 NL Division Series Game 1 win over the Dodgers.
Carpenter also went 2-for-5 and scored twice and had the Cardinals’ high Box-Toppers game score of +3.
During the regular season, Carpenter had 2.0 Box-Toppers points, ranking 407th among all players, 96th among NL batters.
In a game that was billed as a matchup of two pitching aces—Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals and Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers—both pitchers had to make early, ignominious exits:
• Wainwright (18.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked eighth) gave up 11 hits and six runs over 4 1/3 innings, striking out five and had a Box-Toppers game score of −14.9. Wainwright earned no decision because the Cardinals later came back to take the lead and win.
• Kershaw (31.5 Box-Toppers points, ranked first) gave up eight runs on eight hits over 6 2/3 innings, striking out 10 and picking up the loss. He had a Box-Toppers game score of −7.8.
The Cardinals now lead the Dodgers in the best-of-five series, 1-0.
Delmon Young of the Orioles, who hit a pinch-hit, go-ahead three-run double is Player of the Game in the AL Division Series Game 2.
Young’s eighth-inning hit put the Orioles ahead in the game they won 7-6. He had a Box-Toppers game score of +3.
During the regular season, Young had 5.5 Box-Toppers points, ranking 178th among all players and 31st among AL batters.
The Orioles now lead the Tigers in the best-of-five series, 2-0. The series resumes Sunday in Detroit.
Coming Saturday:
The pitching matchup Saturday:
Giants: Tim Hudson, 8.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 71st among all players, 34th among NL pitchers.
Nationals: Jordan Zimmermann, 15.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 16th among all players, seventh among NL pitchers.
The pitching matchup Saturday:
Cardinals: Lance Lynn, 10.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 48th among all players, 22nd among NL pitchers.
Dodgers: Zack Greinke, 16.5 Box-Toppers points, ranked 11th among all players, sixth 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.
Players of the Game (POG) listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score
| 1003 | Score | Team | Player of the Game | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POG | 4.0 | `Royals | Yordano Ventura | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |
| POG | 3.2 | Giants | Jake Peavy (W, 1-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5.2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | |
| POG | 3.0 | Cardinals | Matt Carpenter 3B | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| POG | 3.0 | Orioles | Delmon Young PH | 1 | 0 | 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.
Phillies pitcher A.J. Burnett is Monday’s Player of the Day. Burnett struck out 12 over seven innings, allowing one run, in the 3-2 win over the Nationals.
Rangers pitcher Miles Mikolas is American League Player of the Day. Mikolas pitched eight scoreless innings and struck out five in the 2-0 win over the Mariners.
Delmon Young of the Orioles is AL Batter of the Day. Young homered and doubled and went 3-for-3, driving in three runs, in the 9-1 win over the Rays.
Aramis Ramirez of the Brewers is National League Batter of the Day. Ramirez homered and doubled and went 3-for-5, scoring twice and driving in three runs, in the 10-1 win over the Padres.
Notable: Christian Yelich of the Marlins has the highest Box-Toppers season point total of all 10 players who earned Player of the Game honors Monday. Yelich (3-5 2R 2BI in the 7-1 win over the Angels) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 7.5 for the season. He ranks 72nd among all players and fourth among NL batters.
Burnett receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Mikolas receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Young 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, 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.
Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score
| 825 | Score | Team | Player | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | 13.0 | Phillies | A.J. Burnett (W, 7-14) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12 | |
| AL | 9.0 | Rangers | Miles Mikolas (W, 2-5) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | |
| 7.0 | Athletics | Jeff Samardzija (W, 4-3) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 10 | ||
| 4.1 | Yankees | Michael Pineda (W, 3-2) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | ||
| BAT | 4.0 | Orioles | Delmon Young LF | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| BAT | 3.0 | Brewers | Aramis Ramirez 3B | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 2.0 | Marlins | Christian Yelich LF | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | Cardinals | Jon Jay PH, CF | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | Rockies | LaTroy Hawkins (S, 21) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 0.1 | `Red Sox | Clay Buchholz | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.
Rangers pitcher Colby Lewis is Tuesday’s Player of the Day, while three other pitchers improve their standing in Box-Toppers player rankings after each earns Player of the Game honors.
Lewis pitched a complete game shutout and struck out seven in the 16-0 win over the White Sox.
Three pitchers in Box-Toppers top 10 player rankings also earned Player of the Game honors Tuesday: Johnny Cueto of the Reds, David Price of the Tigers and Felix Hernandez of the Mariners (see the updated top 10 player list on the home page):
• Cueto maintained his fourth place spot in player rankings. Cueto (CG 2R 6K W in the 9-2 win over the Indians) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 16.4 for the season. He ranks third among National League pitchers.
• Price, pitching in his first game since being traded from the Rays, rose from eighth to fifth place in player rankings. Price (8.2IP 3R 10K ND in the 4-3, 12-inning win over the Yankees) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 15.1 for the season. He ranks second among American League pitchers. Price also matches his previous season-high total for Box-Toppers points—he also earned 15.1 in 2011.
• Hernandez rises from 10th to seventh in player rankings. Hernandez (8IP R 8K W in the 4-2 win over the Braves) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 14.8 for the season. He is in third place among AL pitchers. Hernandez had a Box-Toppers game score of 9.0, the same as Colby Lewis. However, Lewis won overall Player of the Day honors because he had more innings pitched than Hernandez—nine vs. eight.
Phillies pitcher Antonio Bastardo is NL Player of the Day. Bastardo pitched two innings of middle relief, allowing no runs and striking out six (earning no decision), in the 2-1 win over the Astros.
Daniel Murphy of the Mets is NL Batter of the Day. Murphy tripled and went 3-for-4, scoring a run and driving in two more, in the 6-1 win over the Nationals.
Delmon Young of the Orioles is AL Batter of the Day. Young went 2-for-3, scoring twice and driving in a run, in the 9-3 win over the Blue Jays.
Lewis receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Bastardo receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Murphy and Young 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 watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed Tuesday, 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.
Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score
| 805 | Score | Team | Player | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | 9.0 | Rangers | Colby Lewis (W, 8-8) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 9.0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | |
| 9.0 | Mariners | Felix Hernandez (W, 12-3) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | ||
| NL | 7.0 | `Phillies | Antonio Bastardo | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | |
| 6.0 | Royals | Danny Duffy (W, 6-10) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | ||
| 5.0 | Twins | Phil Hughes (W, 11-8) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | ||
| 4.2 | `Tigers | David Price | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.2 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 10 | ||
| 4.0 | Reds | Johnny Cueto (W, 13-6) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 9.0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | ||
| 4.0 | Cardinals | Pat Neshek (W, 5-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 4.0 | Dodgers | Kenley Jansen (W, 2-3) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| BAT | 2.0 | Mets | Daniel Murphy 2B | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 2.0 | Brewers | Carlos Gomez CF | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| BAT | 2.0 | Orioles | Delmon Young DH | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 2.0 | Cubs | Carlos Villanueva (S, 2) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2.0 | Athletics | Sean Doolittle (S, 17) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 1.0 | Marlins | Garrett Jones 1B | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.
Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer is Thursday’s Player of the Day and rises to fifth place in Box-Toppers season player rankings.
Scherzer pitched a complete game shutout and struck out eight in the 4-0 win over the White Sox. Scherzer earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 9.7 for the season. He rises to fifth place among all players in Box-Toppers points this season (see the updated top 10 player list on the home page) and second place among American League pitchers, behind only Masahiro Tanaka of the Yankees (11.7).
Rockies pitcher Jhoulys Chacin is National League Player of the Day. Chacin pitched seven scoreless innings, giving up only two hits, in the 10-3 win over the Braves.
John Mayberry of the Phillies is NL Batter of the Day. Mayberry hit a three-run homer, doubled and went 3-for-4 in the 7-3 win over the Padres.
Delmon Young of the Orioles is AL Batter of the Day. Young hit a two-run homer and went 2-for-4 in the 4-2 win over the Blue Jays.
Scherzer receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Chacin receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Mayberry and Young 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 watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed Thursday, 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.
Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score
| 612 | Score | Team | Player | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | 11.0 | Tigers | Max Scherzer (W, 8-2) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 9.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | |
| NL | 8.0 | Rockies | Jhoulys Chacin (W, 1-4) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | |
| 6.0 | `Brewers | Kyle Lohse | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 4.2 | Yankees | Chase Whitley (W, 2-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 4.0 | Reds | Alfredo Simon (W, 9-3) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | ||
| 3.1 | `Astros | Scott Feldman | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.1 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 | ||
| BAT | 3.0 | Phillies | John Mayberry 1B | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 3.0 | Giants | Tim Hudson (W, 7-2) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | ||
| 3.0 | Pirates | Edinson Volquez (W, 4-5) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | ||
| 2.0 | Red Sox | Koji Uehara (S, 14) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| BAT | 1.0 | Orioles | Delmon Young DH | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.
Note: Box-Toppers is playing catch-up after time away. These are Box-Toppers weekly team standings as of Thursday, Aug. 22:
The Detroit Tigers continue to hold the top spot in Box-Toppers team rankings for the third week in a row, while the Tampa Bay Rays make a big jump to second place.
Tigers players have accumulated 99.3 Box-Toppers points this season, the most of any team.
The Rays were the hottest team of the week, picking up 10.2 Box-Toppers points giving them 95.9 for the season and moving them from seventh to second place overall. The Rays picked up some of their points by acquiring players. They got 3.0 Box-Toppers points by signing free agent Delmon Young (who earned his points with the Phillies) and 2.5 points by claiming David DeJesus off waivers from the Nationals. (DeJesus earned his points earlier in the season with the Cubs.)
Last week's hot team, the Texas Rangers, fell to third place with 95.0 Box-Toppers points.
The St. Louis Cardinals, in fourth overall, remain the top National League team in Box-Toppers points with 94.4. But the Los Angeles Dodgers continue to inch closer—with 94.0 points, they trail by only 0.4.
The Cincinnati Reds are the hottest National League team for the second straight week, picking up 6.5 Box-Toppers points, giving them 92.2 points. However, the Reds still fall in the overall rankings from sixth to seventh place.
Through Thursday, Aug. 22
| 822 | Top 10 Teams | BTP | BTP/wk | Last week rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tigers | 99.3 | 3.7 | 1 |
| 2 | Rays | 95.9 | 10.2 | 7 |
| 3 | Rangers | 95.0 | 4.5 | 2 |
| 4 | Cardinals | 94.4 | 5.0 | 4 |
| 5 | Dodgers | 94.0 | 6.0 | 5 |
| 6 | Red Sox | 93.5 | 3.0 | 3 |
| 7 | Reds | 92.2 | 6.5 | 6 |
| 8 | Orioles | 88.0 | 3.5 | 8 |
| 9 | Indians | 87.2 | 5.4 | 10 |
| 10 | Braves | 86.8 | 4.0 | 9 |
BTP: Box-Toppers points total. Accumulated points of all players on team in 2013 season.
BTP/wk: Box-Toppers points for the team for the past week, through games on Thursday.
Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers takes over the top spot among players in Box-Toppers points for the season after being American League Player of the Day Friday. (See updated top 10 player standings on the home page.)
Meanwhile, Braves pitcher Julio Teheran is Friday's overall Player of the Day. Teheran struck out 10 and gave up no runs over six innings in the 3-0 win over the Diamondbacks.
Cabrera is Friday's AL Player of the Day after hitting two homers, driving in three runs and going 4-for-4 in the 6-3 win over the Rays. Cabrera earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day, giving him 12.4 for the season. Cabrera rises from eighth place to first, passing previous leader Justin Masterson of the Indians, who has 11.7 points.
This is the fourth time this season that Cabrera has taken the Box-Toppers points lead. Most recently, he took the lead from Masterson on June 1, only to lose it again on June 14. Cabrera has passed his Box-Toppers points total for 2012, when he had 11.7. Though he was voted AL most valuable player in 2012, he finished third among AL batters in Box-Toppers points, behind leader Adrian Beltre of the Rangers, with 13.5. In addition, the 12.4 Box-Toppers points Cabrera has scored only halfway through 2013 is already the fourth-most points he has scored in any of his 11 seasons. In 2009, he scored 16.5 points with the Tigers, in 2007, he scored 15.0 with the Marlins and in 2006, he scored 13.0 with the Marlins.
Delmon Young is Friday's National League Batter of the Day. Young drove in six runs, homered and went 3-for-6 in the 16-1 win over the Dodgers.
Teheran receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Cabrera receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Young receives 1.5 for being NL Batter of the Day.
All of Friday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point:
| 628 | Score | Team | BATTERS | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | - | - | PITCHERS | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | 11.0 | Braves | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Julio Teheran (W, 6-4) | 6.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | ||
| AL | 6.0 | Tigers | Miguel Cabrera 3B | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 5.1 | Orioles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Kevin Gausman (W, 1-3) | 4.1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |||
| 5.0 | Royals | Eric Hosmer 1B | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 5.0 | Indians | Jason Kipnis 2B | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 5.0 | Rockies | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Jhoulys Chacin (W, 7-3) | 8.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | |||
| BAT | 4.0 | Phillies | Delmon Young RF | 6 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 4.0 | Athletics | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Bartolo Colon (W, 11-2) | 8.0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |||
| 4.0 | Pirates | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Ryan Reid (S, 1) | 3.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | |||
| 3.0 | Mariners | Jason Bay LF | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 3.0 | Indians | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Vinnie Pestano (S, 6) | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | |||
| 3.0 | Red Sox | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Koji Uehara (S, 4) | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |||
| 2.2 | Rangers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Martin Perez (W, 2-1) | 6.2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | |||
| 2.0 | Padres | Will Venable RF | 5 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2.0 | Nationals | Ian Desmond SS | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2.0 | Angels | Erick Aybar SS | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Athletics pitcher A.J. Griffin is Wednesday's Player of the Day. Griffin pitched a complete game, two-hit shutout in the 5-0 win over the Reds.
Griffin and Blue Jays pitcher R.A. Dickey (top player in the 3-0 win over the Rays) had identical Box-Toppers game scores of 12.0. Both pitched complete game, two-hit shutouts. But Griffin won Player of the Day honors by virtue of the fact that he struck out more batters than Dickey—Griffin struck out seven and Dickey struck out six. Despite the small difference in strikeouts, Griffin earns twice as many Box-Toppers points as Dickey—Griffin earns 2.0 for being Player of the Day, while Dickey gets 1.0 for being Player of the Game.
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw is National League Player of the Day. Kershaw struck out seven over eight innings in the 4-2 win over the Giants. Kershaw rises to fourth place among players in Box-Toppers points for the 2013 season (see top 10 standings on the home page). Kershaw picks up 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day, giving him 10.7 for the season.
Adrian Beltre of the Rangers is American League Batter of the Day. Beltre went 3-for-5 with two doubles in the 8-5 win over the Yankees.
Delmon Young of the Phillies is NL Batter of the Day. Young hit a two-run home run and went 2-for-4 in the 7-5 win over the Padres.
Standings update: Nationals pitcher Jordan Zimmermann rises to sixth place among players in Box-Toppers points for the 2013 season (see top 10 standings on the home page). Zimmermann (7IP 2R) was Player of the Game in the 3-2 win over the Diamondbacks. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 10.7 for the season.
Griffin receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Kershaw receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Beltre and Young each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.
All of Wednesday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point:
| 626 | Score | Team | BATTERS | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | - | - | PITCHERS | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | 12.0 | Athletics | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | A.J. Griffin (W, 6-6) | 9.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | ||
| 12.0 | Blue Jays | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | R.A. Dickey (W, 7-8) | 9.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | |||
| 8.0 | `Indians | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Scott Kazmir | 7.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | |||
| 7.0 | Red Sox | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | John Lackey (W, 5-5) | 7.0 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 12 | |||
| NL | 6.0 | Dodgers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Clayton Kershaw (W, 6-5) | 8.0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | ||
| 4.0 | Mets | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Shaun Marcum (W, 1-9) | 8.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |||
| 4.0 | `Pirates | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Jeanmar Gomez | 5.0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | |||
| 2.2 | `Royals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Luis Mendoza | 6.2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | |||
| BAT | 2.0 | Rangers | Adrian Beltre 3B | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2.0 | Angels | Mike Trout CF, LF | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| BAT | 2.0 | Phillies | Delmon Young RF | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2.0 | Marlins | Placido Polanco 3B | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2.0 | Nationals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Jordan Zimmermann (W, 11-3) | 7.0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |||
| 2.0 | `Astros | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Jose Cisnero (H, 4) | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |||
| 0.0 | Cubs | Anthony Rizzo 1B | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 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.
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.