White Sox' Chris Sale (6IP 1H 10K) tops players for Thursday, May 22

White Sox pitcher Chris Sale is Thursday’s Player of the Day. Sale struck out 10 and allowed just one hit over six innings in the 3-2 win over the Yankees.

Sale earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 5.0 for the season. He rises to 17th place in Box-Toppers player rankings and ranks sixth among American League pitchers.

Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta is National League Player of the Day. Arrieta allowed one run and struck out seven over six innings in the 5-1 win over the Padres.

Jose Bautista of the Blue Jays is AL Batter of the Day. Bautista homered and went 3-for-5 in the 7-2 win over the Red Sox.

There is no NL Batter of the Day Thursday because no NL batter earned Player of the Game honors.

Notable: Cardinals middle relief pitcher Pat Neshek earned Player of the Game honors Thursday for the first time in more than six years. Neshek (2IP 0R 2K W in the 4-2 win over the Diamondbacks) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game. He last earned Player of the Game honors on April 4, 2008, when he was with the Twins. Neshek has 9.0 career Box-Toppers points.

Sale receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Arrieta receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Bautista receives 1.5 for being AL Batter of the Day.

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

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

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

522ScoreTeamPlayerABRHBIBBKIPHRERBBK
MLB15.0White SoxChris Sale (W, 4-0)------6.0100010
7.2`RaysAlex Cobb------6.230026
NL6.0CubsJake Arrieta (W, 1-0)------6.041117
4.0`MarlinsHenderson Alvarez------7.040023
4.0BravesCraig Kimbrel (S, 12)------1.000003
3.0PiratesEdinson Volquez (W, 2-4)------6.031124
3.0CardinalsPat Neshek (W, 1-0)------2.010002
2.2MarinersDominic Leone (W, 1-0)------1.210002
BAT2.0Blue JaysJose Bautista RF523201------
2.0IndiansLonnie Chisenhall PH, DH322100------
2.0RangersShin-Soo Choo LF321221------
2.0MetsJenrry Mejia (S, 2)------1.000001

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