Blog
Trade deadline deals helped both the Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres rise closer to the top of Box-Toppers team rankings this week.
But the top two spots in Box-Toppers team rankings remain the same with the New York Yankees in first place and the top National League team, the Los Angeles Dodgers in second.
Read MoreJorge Soler of the Braves is Box-Toppers Player of the Game in Saturday’s World Series Game 4.
The Atlanta Braves win 3-2 to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven game series over the Houston Astros.
Read MoreAstros pitcher Framber Valdez and Eddie Rosario of the Braves are Box-Toppers Player of the Game winners in Wednesday’s two league championship series games.
Read MoreNationals pitcher Max Scherzer is Tuesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day, rising to fifth place in season player rankings.
Scherzer struck out 10 over eight innings, allowing one run, five hits and no walks, in the 6-1 win over the Marlins.
Read MoreBlue Jays projected to win it all after beating Indians in ALCS. Cubs picked to win NLCS over the Dodgers.
Read More
(Other duties have put us behind updating Box-Toppers. Playing catch up …)
Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg is Box-Toppers Player of the Day for Wednesday, Aug. 19.
| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
| 1 | deGrom, Jacob 3343 | pi sp | nym nl | 19.4 |
| 2 | Kershaw, Clayton 2494 | pi sp | lad nl | 16.7 |
| 3 | Price, David 2593 | pi sp | tor al | 16.1 |
| 4 | Sale, Chris 2806 | pi sp | chi al | 16.1 |
| 5 | Scherzer, Max 2588 | pi sp | dc nl | 16.0 |
| 6 | Greinke, Zack 1871 | pi sp | lad nl | 16.0 |
| 7 | Gray, Sonny 3259 | pi sp | oak al | 15.8 |
| 8 | Hernandez, Felix 2064 | pi sp | sea al | 15.4 |
| 9 | Harvey, Matt 3075 | pi sp | nym nl | 15.4 |
| 10 | Keuchel, Dallas 3050 | pi sp | hou al | 14.7 |
Also Wednesday, Angels pitcher Jered Weaver earned Player of the Game honors, giving him 122.1 career Box-Toppers points, 34th-most among all players since 1995.
Player of the Day—Strasburg allowed one run and two hits over seven innings, striking out five, in the 4-1 win over the Rockies.
American League Player of the Day—Angels pitcher Jered Weaver pitched six scoreless innings, allowing five hits and striking out five, in the 1-0 win over the White Sox.
Weaver earned 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day, giving him 122.1 career points, rising to 34th among all players since 1995, when Box-Toppers record keeping began. With his points Wednesday, Weaver passes two players on the “all-time” list—Cole Hamels (120.8 Box-Toppers points) and Justin Verlander (120.9 points). Weaver trails 33rd-ranked player Gary Sheffield (122.1).
Weaver ranks third among active AL pitchers in career Box-Toppers points, trailing CC Sabathia of the Yankees (178.0 Box-Toppers points) and Felix Hernandez of the Mariners (158.7 points). Weaver has 6.7 Box-Toppers points this season, ranking 31st among AL pitchers.
American League Batter of the Day—Nick Castellanos of the Tigers hit two homers, including a grand slam, and two doubles in the 15-8 win over the Cubs. Castellanos went 4-for-5 and drove in five runs.
National League Batter of the Day—Khris Davis of the Brewers hit two home runs and went 2-for-4, driving in five runs, in the 8-7 win over the Marlins.
Notable—Athletics pitcher Jesse Chavez had the highest Box-Toppers player ranking of any of the 15 who earned Player of the Game honors Wednesday. Chavez (8IP 2H 2R 6K W in the 5-2 win over the Dodgers) earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 8.4 for the season. He ranks 40th among all players and 20th among AL pitchers.
Debuts—Two players made their Box-Toppers debut Wednesday, the first time in their career they earned Player of the Game honors:
Scoring—Strasburg earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Weaver earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day. Castellanos and Davis 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.
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
| 8/19 | Score | Team | Player | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
| MLB | 9.0 | Nationals | Stephen Strasburg (W,7-6) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| AL | 6.1 | Angels | Jered Weaver (W,5-9) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| BAT | 6.0 | Tigers | Nick Castellanos, 3B | 5 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 6.0 | Athletics | Jesse Chavez (W,7-12) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | ||
| BAT | 5.0 | Brewers | Khris Davis, LF | 4 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 5.0 | Pirates | J.A. Happ (W,5-7) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | ||
| 4.0 | Yankees | Greg Bird, 1B | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 3.2 | Royals | Luke Hochevar (MR) (W,1-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 3.0 | Padres | Yangervis Solarte, 3B | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 3.0 | Phillies | Aaron Altherr, LF | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||
| 3.0 | `Astros | Chad Qualls (MR) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 3.0 | Cardinals | Trevor Rosenthal (S,38) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2.0 | Rangers | Mitch Moreland, DH | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | Orioles | Adam Jones, CF | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | Red Sox | Jackie Bradley Jr., CF | 3 | 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. | ||||||||||||||||
Astros pitcher Dallas Keuchel is Sunday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day and rises to sixth place in season player rankings.
| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
| 1 | Scherzer, Max 2588 | pi sp | dc nl | 15.0 |
| 2 | Hernandez, Felix 2064 | pi sp | sea al | 14.4 |
| 3 | Sale, Chris 2806 | pi sp | chi al | 13.4 |
| 4 | deGrom, Jacob 3343 | pi sp | nym nl | 13.4 |
| 5 | Price, David 2593 | pi sp | det al | 13.1 |
| 6 | Keuchel, Dallas 3050 | pi sp | hou al | 12.7 |
| 7 | Greinke, Zack 1871 | pi sp | lad nl | 12.0 |
| 8 | Archer, Chris 3194 | pi sp | tb al | 12.0 |
| 9 | Cole, Gerrit 3232 | pi sp | pit nl | 12.0 |
| 10 | Martinez, Carlos 3371 | pi sp | stl nl | 11.7 |
Also Sunday, Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke rose to seventh place in Box-Toppers season player rankings and now has 137.7 career Box-Toppers points. Plus, CC Sabathia of the Yankees, who leads active pitchers in career Box-Toppers points, earned Player of the Game honors.
Player of the Day—Keuchel pitched seven scoreless innings, striking out 13 and allowing two hits, in the 10-0 win over the Rangers.
Keuchel earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points, giving him 12.7 for the season and rises to sixth place in player rankings. He ranks fourth among American League pitchers.
American League Player of the Day—Athletics pitcher Jesse Chavez pitched six scoreless innings, striking out nine and allowing three hits, in the 14-1 win over the Twins.
National League Batter of the Day—Jeff Francoeur of the Phillies hit a walk-off, two-run homer in the 8-7 win over the Marlins. Francoeur went 2-for-2 and scored twice.
American League Batter of the Day—Jonathan Schoop of the Orioles hit a three-run homer and went 2-for-4 in the 9-3 win over the Tigers.
Rankings—Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke rose to seventh place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Sunday.
Greinke (8IP 3H 0R 11K W in the 5-0 win over the Nationals) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 12.0 for the season. He ranks third among NL pitchers, behind Max Scherzer of the Nationals (15.0) and Jacob deGrom of the Mets (13.4).
Greinke now has 137.7 career Box-Toppers points and ranks 22nd among all players since 1995, when Box-Toppers record keeping began. He trails 21st-place player Andy Pettitte (138.5 Box-Toppers points). Greinke ranks fifth among active pitchers in career Box-Toppers points.
Notable—Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia, the Box-Toppers career points leader among active pitchers, earned Player of the Game honors Sunday.
Sabathia (6IP 6H R 7K ND in the 2-1 win over the Mariners) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 176.3 for his career. Sabathia ranks fifth among all players since 1995, when Box-Toppers record keeping began. He trails fourth-place player Alex Rodriguez (185.3 Box-Toppers points). Sabathia has 3.0 Box-Toppers points for the season.
Scoring—Keuchel earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Chavez earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day. Francoeur and Schoop 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
| 7/19 | Score | Team | Player | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
| MLB | 18.0 | Astros | Dallas Keuchel (W,12-4) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | |
| 15.0 | Dodgers | Zack Greinke (W,9-2) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11 | ||
| 11.0 | Cubs | Jake Arrieta (W,11-5) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | ||
| AL | 11.0 | Athletics | Jesse Chavez (W,5-9) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | |
| 10.0 | Blue Jays | Marco Estrada (W,7-5) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | ||
| 5.0 | `Indians | Carlos Carrasco | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 4.2 | `Mets | Jonathon Niese | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | ||
| BAT | 4.0 | Phillies | Jeff Francoeur, LF | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 4.0 | `Yankees | CC Sabathia | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | ||
| 3.0 | Royals | Danny Duffy (W,4-4) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| BAT | 2.0 | Orioles | Jonathan Schoop, 2B | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 2.0 | Brewers | Taylor Jungmann (W,5-1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | ||
| 1.0 | Giants | Madison Bumgarner (W,10-5) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ||
| `Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save. | ||||||||||||||||
Athletics pitcher Jesse Chavez is Wednesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Wednesday, Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez extended his lead in season Box-Toppers player rankings and Prince Fielder of the Rangers extended his lead in Box-Toppers points among American League batters.
| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
| 1 | Hernandez, Felix 2064 | pi sp | sea al | 13.4 |
| 2 | Cole, Gerrit 3232 | pi sp | pit nl | 12.0 |
| 3 | Scherzer, Max 2588 | pi sp | dc nl | 11.0 |
| 4 | Archer, Chris 3194 | pi sp | tb al | 11.0 |
| 5 | Sale, Chris 2806 | pi sp | chi al | 10.4 |
| 6 | Price, David 2593 | pi sp | det al | 10.1 |
| 7 | deGrom, Jacob 3343 | pi sp | nym nl | 9.7 |
| 8 | Martinez, Carlos 3371 | pi sp | stl nl | 9.7 |
| 9 | Harvey, Matt 3075 | pi sp | nym nl | 9.7 |
| 10 | Gray, Sonny 3259 | pi sp | oak al | 9.4 |
Player of the Day—Chavez struck out 11 over seven innings, allowing one run and three hits, in the 16-2 win over the Padres.
National League Player of the Day—Cubs pitcher Tsuyoshi Wada pitched seven scoreless innings, striking out six, in the 17-0 win over the Indians.
National League Batter of the Day—Todd Frazier of the Reds hit two home runs, including a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 13th inning, in the 8-4 win over the Tigers.
American League Batter of the Day—Carlos Correa of the Astros homered and doubled, going 3-for-5, scoring once and driving in three runs, in the 8-4 win over the Rockies. This was Correa’s Box-Toppers debut, the first time in his career he earned Player of the Game honors. Correa made his Major League debut June 8 and was playing in his ninth career game. He is the 3,506th player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995.
Rankings—Two Box-Toppers category leaders earned Player of the Game honors Wednesday:
Notable—Tigers pitcher David Price, sixth in season player rankings, started on Wednesday but did not earn Player of the Game honors. Price (5IP 4H 2R 6K ND in the 8-4 loss to the Reds) had a Box-Toppers game score of 2. Todd Frazier of the Reds was Player of the Game (and NL Batter of the Day) with a Box-Toppers game score of 3. Price has 10.1 Box-Toppers points this season.
Debut—Rays pitcher Matt Andriese also made his Box-Toppers debut Wednesday, the first time in his career he earned Player of the Game honors. Andriese (4IP 0R 2H W in the 5-0 win over the Nationals) made his Major League debut April 10 and was playing in his ninth career game. He is the 3,505th player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995.
Scoring—Chavez earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Wada earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day. Frazier and Correa 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.
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
| 6/17 | Score | Team | Player | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
| MLB | 12.0 | Athletics | Jesse Chavez (W, 3-6) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11 | |
| 10.2 | Yankees | Michael Pineda (W, 8-3) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 9 | ||
| 7.0 | Mariners | Felix Hernandez (W, 10-3) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | ||
| NL | 7.0 | Cubs | Tsuyoshi Wada (W, 1-1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | |
| 5.2 | Blue Jays | Drew Hutchison (W, 6-1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5.2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | ||
| 5.0 | Twins | Tommy Milone (W, 3-1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | ||
| 5.0 | Pirates | Jeff Locke (W, 4-3) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | ||
| BAT | 3.0 | Reds | Todd Frazier 3B | 6 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 3.0 | `Braves | Alex Wood | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | ||
| 3.0 | Rays | Matt Andriese (W, 2-1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 4.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| BAT | 2.0 | Astros | Carlos Correa SS | 5 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 2.0 | Royals | Alcides Escobar SS | 5 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1.0 | Rangers | Prince Fielder 1B | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1.0 | Orioles | Chris Parmelee RF | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 0.0 | Dbacks | Yasmany Tomas RF | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| `Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save. | ||||||||||||||||
Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez is Sunday’s Player of the Day and rises to fifth in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season.
Martinez pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out eight, in the 3-1 win over the Dodgers. Martinez earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 7.7 for the season. He ranks third among NL pitchers.
| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
| 1 | Hernandez, Felix 2064 | pi sp | sea al | 11.4 |
| 2 | Scherzer, Max 2588 | pi sp | dc nl | 9.0 |
| 3 | Cole, Gerrit 3232 | pi sp | pit nl | 9.0 |
| 4 | Keuchel, Dallas 3050 | pi sp | hou al | 7.7 |
| 5 | Martinez, Carlos 3371 | pi sp | stl nl | 7.7 |
| 6 | Archer, Chris 3194 | pi sp | tb al | 7.0 |
| 7 | Miller, Shelby 3134 | pi sp | atl nl | 7.0 |
| 8 | deGrom, Jacob 3343 | pi sp | nym nl | 6.7 |
| 9 | Gray, Sonny 3259 | pi sp | oak al | 6.7 |
| 10 | Harvey, Matt 3075 | pi sp | nym nl | 6.7 |
American League Player of the Day—Athletics pitcher Jesse Chavez pitched eight scoreless innings and struck out six in the 3-0 win over the Yankees.
National League Batter of the Day—Martin Maldonado of the Brewers hit a walk-off homer in the bottom of the 17th inning in the 7-6 win over the Diamondbacks. Maldonado also hit two doubles, went 4-for-6, scored three times and drove in two runs.
American League Batter of the Day—Steven Souza Jr. of the Rays homered and hit two doubles, going 3-for-5, scoring twice and driving in three runs, in the 9-5 win over the Orioles.
Notable—Josh Hamilton of the Rangers earned Player of the Game honors for the second time in three days Sunday. Hamilton hit a pinch-hit, two-run, walk-off double in the 4-3 win over the Red Sox. Hamilton also earned AL Batter of the Day honors on May 29. Hamilton has 2.5 Box-Toppers points this season.
Scoring—Martinez earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Chavez earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day. Maldonado and Souza 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
| 5/31 | Score | Team | Player | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
| MLB | 11.0 | Cardinals | Carlos Martinez (W, 5-2) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | |
| AL | 7.0 | Athletics | Jesse Chavez (W, 2-5) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | |
| 5.0 | `Indians | Bryan Shaw | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 4.0 | White Sox | John Danks (W, 3-4) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 9.0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 3.2 | `Cubs | Tsuyoshi Wada | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5.2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||
| BAT | 3.0 | Brewers | Martin Maldonado C | 6 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| BAT | 3.0 | Rays | Steven Souza Jr. RF | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 3.0 | Reds | Todd Frazier 3B | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 3.0 | Rockies | DJ LeMahieu 2B | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | Twins | Brian Dozier 2B | 4 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | Rangers | Josh Hamilton PH | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | Braves | Freddie Freeman 1B | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | Padres | Odrisamer Despaigne (W, 3-3) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 2.0 | Angels | Joe Smith (W, 2-2) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 1.2 | Mets | Jeurys Familia (S, 15) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| `Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save. | ||||||||||||||||
Athletics pitcher Jesse Chavez is Wednesday’s spring training Player of the Day.
Chavez allowed one run over six innings, striking out six, in the 4-1 win over the Angels.
Diamondbacks pitcher Archie Bradley is National League Player of the Day. Bradley pitched six scoreless innings, allowing one hit, in the 3-0 win over the Reds.
Dexter Fowler of the Cubs is NL Batter of the Day. Fowler homered, tripled, went 3-for-3, scored four runs and drove in two in the 11-7 win over the Brewers.
Jeremy Farrell of the White Sox is American League Batter of the Day. Farrell homered, doubled, went 4-for-5, scored three runs and drove in two in the 12-4 win over the Mariners.
Box-Toppers points aren’t awarded for spring training games, but if this were the regular season, Chavez would earn 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Bradley would earn 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day. Fowler and Farrell would 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) would earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point.
Sixteen spring training games were scheduled Wednesday. Three games which ended in a tie (Red Sox-Twins, Dodgers-Royals and Pirates-Orioles) are not included in Box-Toppers results.
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
| 401 | Score | Team | BATTERS | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
| MLB | 7.0 | Athletics | Jesse Chavez (W, 3-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | |
| NL | 7.0 | Dbacks | Archie Bradley (W, 3-2) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| BAT | 6.0 | Cubs | Dexter Fowler CF | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 6.0 | `Marlins | Jarred Cosart | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 5.0 | Phillies | Chase Utley 2B | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| BAT | 4.0 | White Sox | Jeremy Farrell DH | 5 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 4.0 | Rockies | Troy Tulowitzki SS | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 4.0 | Cardinals | Carlos Martinez (W, 2-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 3.0 | Padres | Yangervis Solarte 3B | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 3.0 | Astros | Pat Neshek (S,1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 2.1 | Blue Jays | Colt Hynes (W, 1-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2.0 | Rays | James Loney 1B | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1.0 | Giants | Matt Duffy 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. | ||||||||||||||||
The Oakland Athletics, baseball’s best team at the All-Star break, has seven players on Box-Toppers Top 100 players list, the most of any team.
The list is led by Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw who has earned 18.1 Box-Toppers points this season and Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer with 16.1. Kershaw led all players in 2013 with 21.7 Box-Toppers points and Scherzer led all American League players in 2013 with 18.1.
| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kershaw, Clayton 2494 | pi sp | lad nl | 18.1 |
| 2 | Scherzer, Max 2588 | pi sp | det al | 16.1 |
| 3 | Wainwright, Adam 2150 | pi sp | stl nl | 14.0 |
| 4 | Bumgarner, Madison 2753 | pi sp | sf nl | 13.5 |
| 5 | Kazmir, Scott 1947 | pi sp | oak al | 13.1 |
| 6 | Hernandez, Felix 2064 | pi sp | sea al | 12.8 |
| 7 | Richards, Garrett 3042 | pi sp | ana al | 12.7 |
| 8 | Cueto, Johnny 2400 | pi sp | cin nl | 12.7 |
| 9 | Tanaka, Masahiro 3305 | pi sp | nyy al | 12.7 |
| 10 | Tulowitzki, Troy 2308 | ss | col nl | 11.6 |
| 11 | Teheran, Julio 3176 | pi sp | atl nl | 11.4 |
| 12 | Lincecum, Tim 2288 | pi sp | sf nl | 10.4 |
| 13 | Price, David 2593 | pi sp | tb al | 10.4 |
| 14 | Kluber, Corey 3200 | pi sp | cle al | 10.4 |
| 15 | Greinke, Zack 1871 | pi sp | lad nl | 10.1 |
| 16 | Sale, Chris 2806 | pi sp | chi al | 10.0 |
| 17 | Abreu, Jose 3308 | 1b | chi al | 9.5 |
| 18 | Darvish, Yu 3003 | pi sp | tex al | 9.4 |
| 19 | Strasburg, Stephen 2736 | pi sp | dc nl | 9.0 |
| 20 | Hutchison, Drew 3038 | pi sp | tor al | 9.0 |
| 21 | Colon, Bartolo | pi sp | nym nl | 8.7 |
| 22 | Alvarez, Henderson 2951 | pi sp | fla nl | 8.7 |
| 23 | Simon, Alfredo 2718 | pi sp | cin nl | 8.7 |
| 24 | Hammel, Jason 2235 | pi sp | oak al | 8.7 |
| 25 | Keuchel, Dallas 3050 | pi sp | hou al | 8.7 |
| 26 | Lohse, Kyle 1487 | pi sp | mil nl | 8.4 |
| 27 | Ryu, Hyun-Jin 3139 | pi sp | lad nl | 8.4 |
| 28 | Hughes, Phil 2272 | pi sp | min al | 8.4 |
| 29 | Young, Chris 1933 | pi sp | sea al | 8.4 |
| 30 | Kimbrel, Craig 2825 | pi cp | atl nl | 8.0 |
| 31 | Lester, Jon 2173 | pi sp | bos al | 8.0 |
| 32 | Encarnacion, Edwin 2098 | 1b dh lf | tor al | 8.0 |
| 33 | Freeman, Freddie 2887 | 1b | atl nl | 7.7 |
| 34 | Hudson, Tim 1231 | pi sp | sf nl | 7.7 |
| 35 | Lackey, John 1640 | pi sp | bos al | 7.7 |
| 36 | Arrieta, Jake 2738 | pi sp | chi nl | 7.7 |
| 37 | Chavez, Jesse 2780 | pi sp | oak al | 7.7 |
| 38 | Beckett, Josh 1544 | pi sp | lad nl | 7.7 |
| 39 | Cabrera, Miguel 1776 | 1b | det al | 7.5 |
| 40 | Fernandez, Jose 3147 | pi sp | fla nl | 7.0 |
| 41 | Lynn, Lance 2992 | pi sp | stl nl | 7.0 |
| 42 | Iwakuma, Hisashi 3048 | pi sp | sea al | 7.0 |
| 43 | Zimmermann, Jordan 2612 | pi sp | dc nl | 7.0 |
| 44 | Gonzalez, Gio 2626 | pi sp | dc nl | 7.0 |
| 45 | Santana, Ervin 2005 | pi sp | atl nl | 7.0 |
| 46 | Uehara, Koji 2802 | pi cp | bos al | 7.0 |
| 47 | Gray, Sonny 3259 | pi sp | oak al | 7.0 |
| 48 | Shields, James 2157 | pi sp | kc al | 6.7 |
| 49 | Kennedy, Ian 2723 | pi sp | sd nl | 6.7 |
| 50 | Donaldson, Josh 3144 | 3b | oak al | 6.5 |
| 51 | Cespedes, Yoenis 3008 | lf | oak al | 6.5 |
| 52 | McCutchen, Andrew 2637 | cf | pit nl | 6.5 |
| 53 | Archer, Chris 3194 | pi sp | tb al | 6.4 |
| 54 | McHugh, Collin 3316 | pi sp | hou al | 6.4 |
| 55 | Colabello, Chris 3235 | 1b dh rf | min al | 6.2 |
| 56 | Gallardo, Yovani 2333 | pi sp | mil nl | 6.0 |
| 57 | Collmenter, Josh 2863 | pi sp | ari nl | 6.0 |
| 58 | Aybar, Erick 2416 | ss | ana al | 6.0 |
| 59 | Duffy, Danny 2915 | pi sp mr | kc al | 6.0 |
| 60 | Doolittle, Sean 3052 | pi cp | oak al | 6.0 |
| 61 | Elias, Roenis 3309 | pi sp | sea al | 6.0 |
| 62 | Buehrle, Mark 1407 | pi sp | tor al | 5.7 |
| 63 | Wilson, C.J. 2074 | pi sp | ana al | 5.7 |
| 64 | Fister, Doug 2688 | pi sp | dc nl | 5.7 |
| 65 | Ross, Tyson 2840 | pi sp | sd nl | 5.7 |
| 66 | Vogelsong, Ryan 1820 | pi sp | sf nl | 5.7 |
| 67 | Hahn, Jesse 3354 | pi sp | sd nl | 5.7 |
| 68 | Hunter, Torii 1190 | rf | det al | 5.5 |
| 69 | Rizzo, Anthony 3063 | 1b | chi nl | 5.5 |
| 70 | Ramirez, Alexei 2537 | ss | chi al | 5.5 |
| 71 | Morse, Michael 2020 | lf | sf nl | 5.5 |
| 72 | Upton, Justin 2411 | lf | atl nl | 5.2 |
| 73 | Masterson, Justin 2462 | pi sp | cle al | 5.0 |
| 74 | Miller, Shelby 3134 | pi sp | stl nl | 5.0 |
| 75 | Bailey, Homer 2324 | pi sp | cin nl | 5.0 |
| 76 | Holland, Greg 2906 | pi cp | kc al | 5.0 |
| 77 | Hamels, Cole 2135 | pi sp | phi nl | 5.0 |
| 78 | Burnett, A.J. 1300 | pi sp | phi nl | 5.0 |
| 79 | Vargas, Jason 2055 | pi sp | kc al | 5.0 |
| 80 | Cashner, Andrew 2807 | pi sp | sd nl | 5.0 |
| 81 | Wood, Travis 2777 | pi sp | chi nl | 5.0 |
| 82 | Chapman, Aroldis 2826 | pi cp | cin nl | 5.0 |
| 83 | Leake, Mike 2709 | pi sp | cin nl | 5.0 |
| 84 | Porcello, Rick 2573 | pi sp | det al | 5.0 |
| 85 | Smyly, Drew 3009 | pi sp mr | det al | 5.0 |
| 86 | Cishek, Steve 2997 | pi cp | fla nl | 5.0 |
| 87 | Perez, Martin 3213 | pi sp | tex al | 5.0 |
| 88 | Roark, Tanner 3261 | pi sp | dc nl | 5.0 |
| 89 | Volquez, Edinson 2220 | pi sp | pit nl | 5.0 |
| 90 | Wacha, Michael 3276 | pi sp | stl nl | 5.0 |
| 91 | Suzuki, Kurt 2344 | ca | min al | 5.0 |
| 92 | Seager, Kyle 3031 | 3b | sea al | 5.0 |
| 93 | Koehler, Tom 3159 | pi sp | fla nl | 5.0 |
| 94 | Dozier, Brian 3219 | 2b | min al | 5.0 |
| 95 | Robertson, David 2774 | pi cp | nyy al | 5.0 |
| 96 | Tomlin, Josh 2771 | pi sp cp | cle al | 5.0 |
| 97 | Rodriguez, Sean 2729 | lf 1b 2b dh ph | tb al | 5.0 |
| 98 | Duda, Lucas 2818 | 1b | nym nl | 5.0 |
| 99 | deGrom, Jacob 3343 | pi sp | nym nl | 5.0 |
| 100 | Cobb, Alex 2916 | pi sp | tb al | 4.7 |
Pitcher Scott Kazmir leads the seven Athletics on the top 100 list, he has 13.1 Box-Toppers points and is in fifth place overall (second among AL pitchers). The other Athletics players are:
• Jason Hammel, starting pitcher, in 24th place with 8.7. (Hammel earned all 8.7 Box-Toppers points with the Cubs, prior to being traded to the Athletics.)
• Jesse Chavez, starting pitcher, in 37th place with 7.7.
• Sonny Gray, starting pitcher, in 47th place with 7.0.
• Josh Donaldson, third base, in 50th place with 6.5.
• Yoenis Cespedes, left field, in 51st place with 6.5.
• Sean Doolittle, closing pitcher, in 60th place with 6.0.
Athletics players have accumulated 79.0 Box-Toppers points this season, the most of any team. The Los Angeles Dodgers, in second place, have 69.7.
While the addition of Hammel gives the Athletics seven players in the top 100, they would still have the most players on the list without him, with six. No other team has more than five players on the list. There are five teams with five players each—the Atlanta Braves, the Cincinnati Reds, the Washington Nationals, the Detroit Tigers and the Seattle Mariners.
All but one team is represented on the top 100 list. The only team without a member is the Baltimore Orioles. That team’s leader in Box-Toppers points, Nelson Cruz, designated hitter and left fielder, has 4.5 points, in 109th place. The Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies both have one player on the top 100 list.
Pitchers dominate the top 100 list, with 80 members—73 of them starting pitchers. Box-Toppers tends to favor pitchers over batters, especially in the short-term. Star pitchers tend to rack up points in quick batches while batters tend to pick up points steadily over long periods of time. For example, the Box-Toppers “all-time” top 100 list has 45 batters and 55 pitchers (the “all-time” list tracks players since 1995, when Box-Toppers record keeping began).
Here is a breakdown of the top 100 list by position:
• Starting pitchers 73
• Closing pitchers 7
• First base 7
• Outfield 6 (4 LF, 1 CF, 1 RF)
• Shortstop 3
• Third base 2
• Second base 1
• Catcher 1
Here are some notable players’ statuses in the top 100.
• Last year’s Cy Young Award winners are ranked No. 1 and 2. Kershaw, the reigning National League winner, is in first place with 18.1 Box-Toppers points and Scherzer, the reigning AL winner, is in second place with 16.1.
• Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies leads all NL batters and is in 10th place overall, with 11.6 Box-Toppers points.
• Jose Abreu of the White Sox leads all AL batters and is in 17th place overall, with 9.5 Box-Toppers points.
• Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers, 2013’s AL Most Valuable Player is in 39th place overall with 7.5 Box-Toppers points. He ranks third among AL batters.
• Pitcher Jose Fernandez of the Marlins, 2013’s NL Rookie of the Year is in 40th place overall with 7.0 Box-Toppers points. However, Fernandez is injured and now out for the rest of the season.
• Andrew McCutchen of the Pirates, 2013’s NL MVP, is in 52nd place overall with 6.5 Box-Toppers points (already more than the 6.0 he earned last season, when he ranked 22nd among NL batters). McCutchen currently ranks third among NL batters.
• Pitcher Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals, who started the All-Star Game for the NL, is ranked third overall with 14.0 Box-Toppers points. He ranks second among NL pitchers.
• Pitcher Felix Hernandez of the Mariners, who started the All-Star Game for the AL, is ranked sixth overall with 12.8 Box-Toppers points. He ranks third among AL pitchers.
• Wil Myers of the Rays, 2013’s AL Rookie of the Year has 1.0 Box-Toppers point and is not on this year’s top 100. (He had 3.5 Box-Toppers points in 2013.)
• Pitcher Chris Archer of the Rays, who led AL Rookies in Box-Toppers points in 2013, is in 53rd place with 6.4 Box-Toppers points. (Last season, he had 11.7 Box-Toppers points.)
So far this season, 578 players have earned Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors and so have at least 1.0 Box-Toppers point. Eighty new players have earned Player of the Game honors for the first time this season, making their Box-Toppers debut.
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.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have risen to the top of Box-Toppers team rankings this week.
Dodgers players have accumulated 61.6 Box-Toppers points to rise from third place overall and pass last week’s leader, the San Francisco Giants. The Giants, scoring only 1.7 Box-Toppers points this past week, fell to fourth place with 58.6 points.
703 |
Teams |
BTP |
BTP /wk |
Last wk rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dodgers | 61.6 | 5.4 | 3 |
| 2 | Athletics | 59.9 | 4.0 | 4 |
| 3 | Blue Jays | 59.3 | 3.0 | 2 |
| 4 | Giants | 58.6 | 1.7 | 1 |
| 5 | Angels | 58.5 | 4.0 | 6 |
| 6 | Mariners | 57.7 | 6.7 | 8 |
| 7 | Brewers | 57.6 | 2.0 | 5 |
| 8 | Cardinals | 54.5 | 3.0 | 7 |
| 9 | Tigers | 54.4 | 6.5 | 12 |
| 10 | Braves | 54.2 | 8.2 | 15 |
The Dodgers are led by pitchers Clayton Kershaw (14.4 Box-Toppers points, who leads all players in Box-Toppers points) and Zack Greinke (10.1 Box-Toppers points, 10th place among all players, sixth among National League pitchers).
The Giants have the sixth-best winning percentage in baseball (.557), second best in the NL behind the Milwaukee Brewers (.593). The Brewers have 57.6 Box-Toppers points, ranked seventh among all teams.
The Oakland Athletics are the top American League team in Box-Toppers points with 59.9. They are ranked second overall, just behind the Dodgers. They pass last week’s AL leading team, the Toronto Blue Jays (59.3 Box-Toppers points). The Blue Jays fell from second overall to third in Box-Toppers team rankings.
The Athletics are led by pitchers Scott Kazmir (9.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked fourth among AL pitchers) and Jesse Chavez (6.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 15th among AL pitchers).
The Athletics have baseball’s best winning percentage (.612).
The Atlanta Braves are the hottest team of the week, picking up 8.2 points, giving them 54.2 for the season and rising from 15th to 10th in team rankings.
Along with the Braves, the Detroit Tigers rise into the top 10, rising from 12th to ninth place. Two teams fell out of the top 10—the Washington Nationals fell from ninth to 11th and the Cincinnati Reds fell from 10th to 12th.
The Arizona Diamondbacks remain the lowest-ranked team with 41.1 Box-Toppers points, however, they picked up 6.2 points over the past week.
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.
The Oakland Athletics have regained the top spot in Box-Toppers team rankings.
Athletics players have accumulated 35.9 Box-Toppers points this season, including 5.5 points this past week, rising from third place last week. They pass last week’s top team, the San Francisco Giants, which fell to fourth place overall.
522 | Teams | BTP | BTP /wk | Last week rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Athletics | 35.9 | 5.5 | 3 |
| 2 | Marlins | 34.9 | 5.0 | 4 |
| 3 | Rockies | 34.5 | 3.7 | 2 |
| 4 | Giants | 33.7 | 2.7 | 1 |
| 5 | Blue Jays | 32.9 | 8.0 | 15 |
| 6 | Angels | 32.8 | 5.4 | 6 |
| 7 | Braves | 31.3 | 5.2 | 9 |
| 8 | Brewers | 31.2 | 3.0 | 5 |
| 9 | White Sox | 31.0 | 6.0 | 13 |
| 10 | Cardinals | 30.0 | 6.0 | 17 |
The Athletics have led all American League teams for six straight weeks and previously led all teams the week of May 1. They are led by pitchers Scott Kazmir and Jesse Chavez, both of whom have 5.7 Box-Toppers points each. Kazmir is ranked 13th and Chavez 14th among AL pitchers in Box-Toppers points.
The Athletics also have baseball’s best winning percentage (.638).
The Miami Marlins are the top National League team with 34.9 Box-Toppers points. They are in second place overall, rising from fourth place a week ago.
The Marlins top players are pitcher Jose Fernandez (7.0 Box-Toppers points, but out for the season) and pitcher Henderson Alvarez (5.0 Box-Toppers points). Fernandez is ranked third among NL pitchers and Alvarez is 10th.
The Toronto Blue Jays are the hottest team of the past week, picking up 8.0 Box-Toppers points. They rose from 15th to fifth place in team rankings, with 32.9 Box-Toppers points for the season.
The Blue Jays rose into the top 10 teams along with the White Sox and the Cardinals. The Dodgers, Tigers and Yankees all fell out of the top 10 this week.
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.
The San Francisco Giants, the hottest team of the past week, have risen to the top of Box-Toppers team power rankings.
Giants players have accumulated 31.0 Box-Toppers points this season, including 7.0 this past week—more than any other team. They rise from fifth place to first, edging past last week’s top team, the Colorado Rockies (30.8 Box-Toppers points).
515 | Team | BTP | BTP /wk | Last week rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Giants | 31.0 | 7.0 | 5 |
| 2 | Rockies | 30.8 | 1.5 | 1 |
| 3 | Athletics | 30.4 | 5.7 | 3 |
| 4 | Marlins | 29.9 | 1.0 | 2 |
| 5 | Brewers | 28.2 | 4.0 | 4 |
| 6 | Angels | 27.4 | 6.5 | 15 |
| 7 | Dodgers | 26.9 | 3.0 | 6 |
| 8 | Tigers | 26.7 | 4.0 | 7 |
| 9 | Braves | 26.1 | 6.4 | 16 |
| 10 | Yankees | 26.0 | 4.7 | 12 |
The Giants are led by pitcher Madison Bumgarner (5.5 Box-Toppers points—ranked 6th among NL pitchers) and left fielder Michael Morse (4.0 Box-Toppers points—ranked 6th among NL batters).
The Giants also have the best winning percentage of any NL team (.643).
The Rockies fell to second overall after a lackluster week in which they picked up only 1.5 Box-Toppers points.
The top American League team for the fifth straight week is the Oakland Athletics. With 30.4 Box-Toppers points, they are ranked third overall, the same spot as last week.
The Athletics are led by pitchers Scott Kazmir and Jesse Chavez, both of whom have 5.7 Box-Toppers points each. Kazmir is ranked fourth and Chavez fifth among AL pitchers in Box-Toppers points.
The Detroit Tigers have the overall best winning percentage in baseball, .667. They rank eighth in Box-Toppers points with 26.7, down from seventh place a week ago.
Last week’s hottest team, the Miami Marlins, was this week’s coldest team. Last week, they picked up 8.5 Box-Toppers points but this week they picked up the fewest points of any team—1.0. With 29.9 Box-Toppers points for the season, they fell from second to fourth overall. Their bad week was compounded by the news that pitcher Jose Fernandez would be lost for the season, recovering from Tommy John surgery. Fernandez has more Box-Toppers points than any Marlins player, 7.0—nearly one-fourth of the team’s total—and ranks fifth among all players this season.
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.
Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum is Monday’s Player of the Day. Lincecum gave up one run and two hits over 7 2/3 innings, striking out 11, in the 4-2 win over the Braves.
Rangers pitcher Colby Lewis is American League Player of the Day. Lewis struck out eight over 5 2/3 scoreless innings in the 4-0 win over the Astros.
Junior Lake of the Cubs is National League Batter of the Day. Lake homered, drove in six runs and went 3-for-6 in the 17-5 win over the Cardinals.
Stefen Romero of the Mariners is AL Batter of the Day. Romero doubled, homered and drove in three runs in the 12-5 win over the Rays. This was Romero’s Box-Toppers debut, the first time he has earned Player of the Game honors. He is the 3,330th player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995.
Notables: Athletics pitcher Jesse Chavez rose to 10th place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Monday. Chavez (8IP 7K W in 5-4 win over the White Sox) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 5.7 for the season. (See the updated Box-Toppers top 10 player rankings on the home page.)
Yasiel Puig of the Dodgers earned Player of the Game honors for the first time this season Monday and only the second time in his career (he was NL Batter of the Day on June 4, 2013). Puig went 1-for-3, hit a three-run homer and drove in four runs in the 6-5 win over the Marlins. He has 1.0 Box-Toppers point this season and 2.5 for his career.
Lincecum receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Lewis receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Lake and Romero 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 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
| 512 | Score | Team | Player | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | 10.2 | Giants | Tim Lincecum (W, 3-2) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 11 | |
| BAT | 5.0 | Cubs | Junior Lake LF | 6 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| AL | 4.2 | Rangers | Colby Lewis (W, 3-2) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5.2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | |
| BAT | 4.0 | Mariners | Stefen Romero RF | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 4.0 | Athletics | Jesse Chavez (W, 3-1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | ||
| 3.0 | Blue Jays | Jose Bautista RF, CF | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 3.0 | Tigers | Ian Kinsler 2B | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 3.0 | Dodgers | Yasiel Puig RF | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 3.0 | Nationals | Tyler Clippard (W, 3-2) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2.0 | Mets | Eric Young LF | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
The Colorado Rockies have moved to the top of Box-Toppers team power rankings this week.
Rockies players have accumulated 29.3 Box-Toppers points this season, picking up 7.2 points in the past week to rise from third place a week ago.
The Rockies are led by overall top-ranked player, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (9.1 Box-Toppers points) and second baseman DJ LeMahieu (3.0 points).
508 | Teams | BTP | BTP/ wk | Last week rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rockies | 29.3 | 7.2 | 3 |
| 2 | Marlins | 28.9 | 8.5 | 5 |
| 3 | Athletics | 24.7 | 2.0 | 1 |
| 4 | Brewers | 24.2 | 2.0 | 2 |
| 5 | Giants | 24.0 | 6.0 | 9 |
| 6 | Dodgers | 23.9 | 2.5 | 4 |
| 7 | Tigers | 22.7 | 7.5 | 21 |
| 8 | White Sox | 22.5 | 4.0 | 8 |
| 9 | Nationals | 22.5 | 3.0 | 7 |
| 10 | Mariners | 21.9 | 7.0 | 24 |
The Rockies are in second place in the National League West, a game behind the San Francisco Giants, with a .595 winning percentage. The Giants are ranked fifth in Box-Toppers rankings, with 24.0 Box-Toppers points.
Last week’s top team, the Oakland Athletics, fall to third place with 24.7 Box-Toppers points after picking up only 2.0 points during the past week. However, the Athletics remain the top American League team in Box-Toppers rankings for the fourth straight week.
The Athletics are led by pitchers Jesse Chavez (4.7 Box-Toppers points) and Scott Kazmir (4.0 points).
The Miami Marlins were the hottest team in the past week, picking up 8.5 Box-Toppers points. They rose to second place overall, from fifth a week ago, with 28.9 Box-Toppers points.
Last week’s top National League team, the Milwaukee Brewers, fell to fourth place overall, picking up only 2.0 Box-Toppers points during the week. The Brewers have 24.2 Box-Toppers points.
The Detroit Tigers have the best record in baseball with a .667 winning percentage. Tigers players have 22.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked seventh among all teams.
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.
The Oakland Athletics have risen to top Box-Toppers team power rankings for the week.
Athletics players have accumulated 22.7 Box-Toppers points this season, including an American League-high 6.0 points during the past week, to rise from third place last week. This is the third straight week the Athletics have been the top AL team but the first week they have taken the overall points lead.
501 | Teams | BTP | BTP/ wk | Last week rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Athletics | 22.7 | 6.0 | 3 |
| 2 | Brewers | 22.2 | 4.0 | 1 |
| 3 | Rockies | 22.1 | 6.9 | 6 |
| 4 | Dodgers | 21.4 | 4.0 | 2 |
| 5 | Marlins | 20.4 | 5.7 | 10 |
| 6 | Braves | 19.7 | 3.5 | 5 |
| 7 | Nationals | 19.5 | 6.0 | 15 |
| 8 | White Sox | 18.5 | 3.5 | 8 |
| 9 | Giants | 18.0 | 5.0 | 18 |
| 10 | Cardinals | 18.0 | 3.0 | 9 |
The Athletics, who have the best record in the AL (.643), are led by pitchers Jesse Chavez (4.7 Box-Toppers points) and Scott Kazmir (4.0).
Last week’s top team, the Milwaukee Brewers, fall to second place overall, but still lead all National League teams, with 22.2 Box-Toppers points. The Brewers, who have the best record in all of baseball (.690) are led by right fielder Ryan Braun (4.5 Box-Toppers points) and pitcher Yovani Gallardo (3.0).
The Colorado Rockies are the hottest team of the past week, picking up 6.9 Box-Toppers points. They have 22.1 overall points, rising from sixth place last week to third place this week, only 0.1 behind the Brewers.
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.
Athletics pitcher Jesse Chavez is Wednesday’s Player of the Day. Chavez pitched seven scoreless innings, giving up only one hit and striking out eight in the 12-1 win over the Rangers.
Marlins pitcher Nathan Eovaldi is National League Player of the Day. Eovaldi allowed one run over seven innings in the 9-3 win over the Braves.
Anthony Rizzo of the Cubs is NL Batter of the Day. Rizzo hit a two-run homer and scored three runs in the 9-4 win over the Reds.
There is no American League Batter of the Day for Wednesday because no AL batter earned Player of the Game honors.
Notables: Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke rises to fourth place among players in Box-Toppers points for the season. Greinke (6IP 1R 6K W in 6-4 win vs. Twins) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 5.4 for the season. (See the updated top 10 list on the home page.)
Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer rises to ninth place among players in Box-Toppers points for the season. Scherzer (6IP 0R 7K W in 5-1 win vs. White Sox) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 4.7 for the season. (See the updated top 10 list on the home page.)
Chavez receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Eovaldi receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Rizzo receives 1.5 for being NL Batter of the Day.
All of Wednesday’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
| 430 | Score | Team | Player | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | 13.0 | Athletics | Jesse Chavez (W, 2-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | |
| 11.0 | Angels | C.J. Wilson (W, 4-2) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | ||
| NL | 6.0 | Marlins | Nathan Eovaldi (W, 2-1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |
| 6.0 | Tigers | Max Scherzer (W, 3-1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | ||
| 5.2 | Giants | Tim Hudson (W, 4-1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 5.1 | Nationals | Jordan Zimmermann (W, 2-1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | ||
| BAT | 5.0 | Cubs | Anthony Rizzo 1B | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 5.0 | `Royals | Yordano Ventura | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 3.0 | Cardinals | Allen Craig RF | 5 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 3.0 | Dodgers | Zack Greinke (W, 5-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 2.0 | Dbacks | Martin Prado 3B | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.
The Milwaukee Brewers, rising to the top of Box-Toppers team power rankings this week, also have the best record of any team in baseball.
Brewers players have accumulated 18.2 Box-Toppers points this season, including 5.5 during the past week, rising from second place to first in the power rankings. At 16-6, the Brewers also have baseball’s best win-loss record.
| 424 | Teams | BTP | BTP/wk | Last week rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brewers | 18.2 | 5.5 | 2 |
| 2 | Dodgers | 17.4 | 4.7 | 3 |
| 3 | Athletics | 16.7 | 4.5 | 4 |
| 4 | Rangers | 16.2 | 6.0 | 11 |
| 5 | Braves | 16.2 | 4.0 | 5 |
| 6 | Rockies | 15.2 | 4.0 | 8 |
| 7 | Yankees | 15.1 | 3.7 | 7 |
| 8 | White Sox | 15.0 | 3.5 | 6 |
| 9 | Cardinals | 15.0 | 2.0 | 1 |
| 10 | Marlins | 14.7 | 6.5 | 22 |
The Brewers are led by right fielder Ryan Braun, who has 4.5 Box-Toppers points (fifth among all players this season) and starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo (3.0 points).
The Oakland Athletics remain the top American League team in Box-Toppers power rankings with 16.7 points. The Athletics are in third place overall, rising from No. 4 last week. The Athletics are led by starting pitchers Scott Kazmir (4.0 Box-Toppers points) and Jesse Chavez (2.7).
The Miami Marlins are the hottest team of the week, picking up 6.5 Box-Toppers points over the past seven days, more than any other team. They rose from 22nd place to 10th with 14.7 Box-Toppers points.
Last week’s No. 1 team, the St. Louis Cardinals, fell to ninth place after picking up the fewest points of any NL team during the past week. Cardinals players earned only 2.0 Box-Toppers points during the week, giving them 15.0 for the season.
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.
The St. Louis Cardinals put up more Box-Toppers points than any other team during the past week and are now on top of Box-Toppers team power rankings.
Cardinals players accumulated 7.0 points for the week ending Thursday, April 17, giving them 13.0 for the season. They rose from 13th place in last week’s standings.
| 417 | Teams | BTP | BTP/wk | Last week rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardinals | 13.0 | 7.0 | 13 |
| 2 | Brewers | 12.7 | 4.7 | 3 |
| 3 | Dodgers | 12.7 | 4.7 | 4 |
| 4 | Athletics | 12.2 | 5.7 | 7 |
| 5 | Braves | 12.2 | 5.5 | 6 |
| 6 | White Sox | 11.5 | 4.5 | 5 |
| 7 | Yankees | 11.4 | 5.7 | 15 |
| 8 | Rockies | 11.2 | 3.0 | 1 |
| 9 | Giants | 10.5 | 4.5 | 14 |
| 10 | Nationals | 10.5 | 2.5 | 2 |
The Cardinals are one game behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central division with a 10-6 record. The Brewers, at 11-5 with the best record in baseball, are in second place on Box-Toppers power rankings with 12.7 points, rising from third place last week.
The Cardinals are led by pitchers Adam Wainwright (4.0 Box-Toppers points) and Lance Lynn (2.0).
The Oakland Athletics are the top American League team, in fourth place overall with 12.2 Box-Toppers points. The Athletics are led by pitchers Scott Kazmir (3.0) and Jesse Chavez (2.7).
Last week’s leading team, the Colorado Rockies, fell to eighth place, scoring 3.0 Box-Toppers points during the week, giving them 11.2 for the season.
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.
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.