Jake Lamb of the Diamondbacks is Box-Toppers Player of the Day in Wednesday’s National League Wild Card game.
Lamb went 4-for-5, scoring three times, in the Arizona Diamondbacks 11-8 win over the Colorado Rockies.
Lamb had a Box-Toppers game score of +2.0, highest of any Diamondbacks players. During the regular season, Lamb had 6.9 Box-Toppers points, 20th among NL batters and 109th among all players.
The Diamondbacks eighth-ranked in Box-Toppers team rankings with 118.3 Box-Toppers points, beat the Rockies, ranked 11th with 103.1 points.
Two players ranked in Box-Toppers top 10 season player rankings appeared in Wednesday’s NL Wild Card Game and both were Diamondbacks pitchers:
- Zack Greinke (20.1 Box-Toppers points, ranked eighth among all players) started the game and had a Box-Toppers game score of -10.8 (3.2IP 6H 4R BB K ND).
- Robbie Ray (16.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 10th among all players) appeared in relief and had a Box-Toppers game score of +1.1 (2.1IP 2H R 0BB 3K ND).
The Diamondbacks will face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the best-of-five NL Divisional Series beginning Friday in Los Angeles. The Dodgers have baseball’s best record and second-best accumulated Box-Toppers point total among all teams, 138.9.
Top player from NL Wild Card Game
| BTG | Game | Player of the Game | AB | R | H | BI | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
| 2.0 | ARI 11, COL 8 | Jake Lamb 3B | 5 | 3 | 4 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Coming Thursday: The American League begins both division playoff series:
AL Division Series, Game 1: Red Sox at Astros
The Boston Red Sox rank seventh in Box-Toppers team rankings (118.8 Box-Toppers points) while the Houston Astros rank fourth (131.7). In the final 10 days of the season, the Astros picked up 9.2 Box-Toppers points while the Red Sox picked up 5.5.
The pitching matchup Thursday:
Red Sox—Chris Sale, 25.1 Box-Toppers points, ranked first among all players.
Astros—Justin Verlander, 14.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 16th among all players, sixth among AL pitchers.
Sale and Verlander are the only players on either team who are ranked among the top 10 in their Box-Toppers category.
Red Sox’ top batter is Andrew Benintendi (7.2 Box-Toppers points, 17th among AL batters). Astros’ top batter is Josh Reddick (8.0 Box-Toppers points, 11th among AL batters).
Red Sox vs. Astros
Here are players for both teams in the AL Division Series beginning Thursday. Players are listed for both teams ranked by Box-Toppers points earned in 2017. All players listed were on active Major or Minor League rosters at the end of the season—not necessarily all of them will be included on postseason rosters.| Boston Red Sox | Houston Astros | |||||
| Player | Pos | BTP | Player | Pos | BTP | |
| Sale, Chris 2806 | pi sp | 25.1 | Verlander, Justin 2112 | pi sp | 14.7 | |
| Kimbrel, Craig 2825 | pi cp | 8.7 | Keuchel, Dallas 3050 | pi sp | 9.4 | |
| Rodriguez, Eduardo 3480 | pi sp | 8.7 | McCullers, Lance 3488 | pi sp | 9.4 | |
| Pomeranz, Drew 3061 | pi sp | 8.4 | Reddick, Josh 2936 | rf lf cf | 8.0 | |
| Benintendi, Andrew 3815 | lf | 7.2 | Morton, Charlie 2503 | pi sp | 7.7 | |
| Betts, Mookie 3404 | rf | 6.0 | Peacock, Brad 2968 | pi sp | 7.4 | |
| Bogaerts, Xander 3383 | ss | 5.5 | Correa, Carlos 3506 | ss | 7.0 | |
| Fister, Doug 2688 | pi sp | 5.0 | Gonzalez, Marwin 3078 | lf | 6.7 | |
| Moreland, Mitch 2799 | 1b dh ph | 5.0 | Fiers, Michael 3029 | pi sp | 6.4 | |
| Vazquez, Christian 3380 | ca | 5.0 | Springer, George 3337 | rf cf | 5.0 | |
| Price, David 2593 | pi sp | 4.7 | Devenski, Chris 3702 | pi mr | 5.0 | |
| Leon, Sandy 3676 | ca | 3.5 | Giles, Ken 3402 | pi cp | 5.0 | |
| Porcello, Rick 2573 | pi sp | 3.0 | Maybin, Cameron 2672 | cf lf | 5.0 | |
| Nunez, Eduardo 2795 | lf 3b 2b | 3.0 | McCann, Brian 2179 | ca | 4.0 | |
| Barnes, Matt 3466 | pi mr cp | 3.0 | McHugh, Collin 3316 | pi sp | 3.7 | |
| Ramirez, Hanley 2119 | dh 1b | 2.0 | Beltran, Carlos 1194 | dh | 3.7 | |
| Bradley, Jackie Jr. 3293 | cf | 2.0 | Bregman, Alex 3721 | 3b | 3.0 | |
| Pedroia, Dustin 2320 | 2b | 2.0 | Martes, Francis 3822 | pi sp cp mr | 3.0 | |
| Reed, Addison 3023 | pi cp mr | 2.0 | Marisnick, Jake 3428 | cf | 2.7 | |
| Holt, Brock 3340 | 2b ph | 1.5 | Gurriel, Yuli 3796 | 1b | 2.7 | |
| Davis, Rajai 2430 | rf | 1.5 | Altuve, Jose 3007 | 2b | 2.5 | |
| Abad, Fernando 3653 | pi mr | 1.0 | Liriano, Francisco 2104 | pi sp | 2.0 | |
| Hembree, Heath 3620 | pi cp | 1.0 | Musgrove, Joe 3705 | pi sp mr | 2.0 | |
| Young, Chris B. 2270 | rf | 1.0 | White, Tyler 3638 | 1b | 1.7 | |
| Johnson, Brian 3810 | pi sp | 1.0 | Gattis, Evan 3179 | ca ph | 1.0 | |
| Marrero, Deven 3842 | 3b | 1.0 | Feliz, Michael 3632 | pi mr cp | 1.0 | |
| Velazquez, Hector 3853 | pi cp | 1.0 | Harris, Will 3093 | pi mr cp | 1.0 | |
| Paulino, David 3828 | pi sp | 1.0 | ||||
| Totals | 118.8 | Totals | 131.7 | |||
AL Division Series, Game 1: Yankees at Indians
The New York Yankees rank fifth in Box-Toppers team rankings (121.7 Box-Toppers points) while the Cleveland Indians rank first (140.9). In the final 10 days of the season, the Indians picked up 8.2 Box-Toppers points while the Yankees picked up 7.7.
The pitching matchup Thursday:
Yankees—Sonny Gray, 8.4 Box-Toppers points, 68th among all players, 23rd among AL pitchers.
Indians—Trevor Bauer, 9.7 Box-Toppers points, 39th among all players, 13th among AL pitchers.
The Yankees have three players ranked in the top 10 in a Box-Toppers category:
- Pitcher Luis Severino, 21.1 Box-Toppers points, ranked seventh overall and fourth among AL pitchers. Severino started the AL Wild Card Game, but didn’t fare well, lasting only 1/3 of an inning. Severino is tentatively slated to pitch if Game 4 of the series is necessary next Monday.
- Pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, 11.4 Box-Toppers points, ranked eighth among AL pitchers. Tanaka is slated to pitch in Game 3 on Sunday.
- Right fielder Aaron Judge, 11.2 Box-Toppers points, ranked second among AL batters.
The Indians have six players ranked in the top 10 in a Box-Toppers category:
- Pitcher Corey Kluber, 22.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked fifth among all players and second among AL pitchers. Kluber is slated to start Game 2 of the series on Friday.
- Pitcher Carlos Carrasco, 21.8 Box-Toppers points, ranked sixth among all players and third among AL pitchers. Carrasco is slated to start Game 3 of the series on Sunday.
- Pitcher Mike Clevinger, 11.4 Box-Toppers points, ranked ninth among AL pitchers. Usually a starter, Clevinger is expected to be used as a reliever during the series.
- Designated hitter/first baseman Edwin Encarnacion, 12.1 Box-Toppers points, ranked first among AL batters.
- Right fielder Jay Bruce, 10.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked fourth among AL batters.
- Infielder Jose Ramirez, 10.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked fifth among AL batters.
Yankees vs. Indians
Here are players for both teams in the AL Division Series beginning Thursday. Players are listed for both teams ranked by Box-Toppers points earned in 2017. All players listed were on active Major or Minor League rosters at the end of the season—not necessarily all of them will be included on postseason rosters.| New York Yankees | Cleveland Indians | |||||
| Player | Pos | BTP | Player | Pos | BTP | |
| Severino, Luis 3567 | pi sp | 21.1 | Kluber, Corey 3200 | pi sp | 22.0 | |
| Tanaka, Masahiro 3305 | pi sp | 11.4 | Carrasco, Carlos 2885 | pi sp | 21.8 | |
| Judge, Aaron 3767 | rf | 11.2 | Encarnacion, Edwin 2098 | dh 1b | 12.1 | |
| Gray, Sonny 3259 | pi sp | 8.4 | Clevinger, Mike 3707 | pi sp | 11.4 | |
| Sabathia, C.C. 1492 | pi sp | 7.7 | Bruce, Jay 2453 | rf | 10.0 | |
| Robertson, David 2774 | pi cp | 6.0 | Ramirez, Jose 3436 | 3b 2b | 10.0 | |
| Montgomery, Jordan 3814 | pi sp | 6.0 | Bauer, Trevor 3065 | pi sp | 9.7 | |
| Castro, Starlin 2767 | 2b | 5.0 | Salazar, Danny 3223 | pi sp | 6.7 | |
| Betances, Dellin 3333 | pi cp mr | 5.0 | Gomes, Yan 3177 | ca | 5.5 | |
| Garcia, Jaime 2508 | pi sp | 4.0 | Allen, Cody 3265 | pi cp | 5.0 | |
| Pineda, Michael 2841 | pi sp | 4.0 | Miller, Andrew 2436 | pi mr | 4.0 | |
| Green, Chad 3675 | pi mr | 4.0 | Lindor, Francisco 3586 | ss | 3.5 | |
| Sanchez, Gary 3701 | ca dh | 3.5 | Chisenhall, Lonnie 2959 | rf cf | 3.5 | |
| Bird, Greg 3562 | 1b | 3.5 | Tomlin, Josh 2771 | pi sp | 3.0 | |
| Holliday, Matt 1836 | dh 1b lf | 3.0 | Kipnis, Jason 2933 | 2b | 2.5 | |
| Hicks, Aaron 3170 | cf | 3.0 | Zimmer, Bradley 3858 | cf | 2.5 | |
| Headley, Chase 2552 | 3b ph | 2.0 | Diaz, Yandy 3896 | dh | 1.7 | |
| Warren, Adam 3169 | pi mr | 2.0 | Shaw, Bryan 2995 | pi cp | 1.0 | |
| Gregorius, Didi 3184 | ss | 2.0 | Santana, Carlos 2757 | 1b dh | 1.0 | |
| Chapman, Aroldis 2826 | pi cp | 1.7 | Almonte, Abraham 3554 | rf | 1.0 | |
| Gardner, Brett 2486 | lf | 1.7 | Jackson, Austin 2694 | cf lf | 1.0 | |
| Frazier, Todd 2929 | 3b | 1.5 | Perez, Roberto 3379 | ca | 1.0 | |
| Shreve, Chasen 3482 | pi mr | 1.0 | Merritt, Ryan 3898 | pi sp | 1.0 | |
| Andujar, Miguel 3839 | dh | 1.0 | ||||
| Frazier, Clint 3847 | lf | 1.0 | ||||
| Romine, Austin 3832 | ca | 1.0 | ||||
| Totals | 121.7 | Totals | 140.9 | |||
About Box-Toppers—Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.
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