The Los Angeles Dodgers remain Box-Toppers top-ranked team for the 11th week despite two straight lackluster weeks of earning only 1.0 Box-Toppers point per week.
Team rankings
Here are Box-Toppers' top 10 team rankings, through the games of Thursday, Sept. 7. The column BTP shows the number of Box-Toppers points players on the team have accumulated so far this season. The column BTP/wk shows have many points teams accumulated from Sept. 1 to Sept. 7. The column Wk ago shows the team's rank as of Aug. 31.| 9/7 | Teams | BTP | BTP/wk | Wk ago |
| 1 | Dodgers | 123.2 | 1.0 | 1 |
| 2 | Nationals | 121.2 | 6.2 | 2 |
| 3 | Indians | 118.0 | 11.9 | 4 |
| 4 | Astros | 114.5 | 6.0 | 3 |
| 5 | Dbacks | 104.1 | 7.0 | 7 |
| 6 | Red Sox | 102.3 | 3.0 | 5 |
| 7 | Yankees | 102.0 | 5.0 | 8 |
| 8 | Cubs | 101.3 | 4.0 | 6 |
| 9 | Royals | 92.5 | 4.0 | 10 |
| 10 | Mariners | 90.8 | 1.0 | 9 |
| 11 | Rockies | 89.4 | 3.0 | 11 |
| 12 | Brewers | 89.1 | 3.5 | 12 |
| 13 | Orioles | 87.9 | 3.0 | 13 |
| 14 | Twins | 85.0 | 5.2 | 15 |
| 15 | Angels | 83.5 | 3.0 | 14 |
| 16 | Rangers | 81.6 | 4.0 | 16 |
| 17 | Cardinals | 80.4 | 8.0 | 20 |
| 18 | Rays | 78.5 | 5.5 | 17 |
| 19 | Pirates | 77.0 | 4.0 | 19 |
| 20 | Marlins | 74.5 | 1.5 | 18 |
| 21 | Reds | 74.0 | 4.7 | 21 |
| 22 | Blue Jays | 67.2 | 2.0 | 22 |
| 23 | Mets | 66.0 | 4.7 | 23 |
| 24 | Braves | 64.2 | 3.0 | 24 |
| 25 | Padres | 64.1 | 4.0 | 25 |
| 26 | Giants | 63.6 | 3.5 | 26 |
| 27 | Athletics | 54.7 | 1.0 | 27 |
| 28 | Phillies | 53.9 | 1.7 | 28 |
| 29 | Tigers | 43.4 | 1.5 | 29 |
| 30 | White Sox | 25.9 | -3.0 | 30 |
Meanwhile, the streaking Cleveland Indians regain the Box-Toppers points lead among American League teams and are the week’s hottest team.
Two weeks ago, the Dodgers had an 11.9-point lead over the second-place Washington Nationals that is down to just 2.0 points through the games of Thursday, Sept. 7. Dodgers players have accumulated 123.2 Box-Toppers points so far this season, including just 1.0 point since last week (when Clayton Kershaw was Player of the Game on Saturday, Sept. 2). The Dodgers have only 2.0 points for the past two weeks. Despite losing 12 of their last 13 games, the Dodgers still have baseball’s best winning percentage (.657).
The Dodgers are led by pitcher Clayton Kershaw (23.1 Box-Toppers points), who leads in season player rankings. Dodgers’ top batter is Cody Bellinger (8.7), who ranks fifth among NL batters in Box-Toppers points. Twenty-five different Dodgers players have earned Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors so far this season.
The Nationals rank second with 121.2 Box-Toppers points, now just 2.0 points behind the Dodgers, earning 6.2 points in the past week.
The Indians rise to retake the lead among AL teams in Box-Toppers points with 118.0, earning 11.9 in the past week, most of any team. The Indians also rise from fourth to third place among all teams. The Indians are on a 15-game winning streak and have the AL’s second-best winning percentage (.600), behind the Houston Astros (.619).
The Indians earned 11.9 points this week by winning all eight games they played from Sept. 1 to 7 (including a doubleheader on Sept. 1). In two of the wins, Indians players earned overall Player of the Day honors (worth 2.0 points each), in two other wins, Indians players earned AL Player of the Day honors (worth 1.7 points each), in one win, an Indians player earned AL Batter of the Day honors (worth 1.5 points) and in three other wins, Indians players won Player of the Game honors (worth 1.0 point each).
The Indians are led by pitchers Carlos Carrasco (18.1 Box-Toppers points, ranked fourth among all players) and Corey Kluber (18.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked sixth). Carrasco and Kluber each earned 3.0 Box-Toppers points during the past week. Top batter is Edwin Encarnacion (12.1 Box-Toppers points), who leads AL batters. Twenty-two different Indians players have earned Player of the Game honors so far this season.
Last week’s top-ranked AL team, the Astros, fall to second among AL teams, fourth among all teams, with 114.5 Box-Toppers points, earning 6.0 points in the past week.
The Arizona Diamondbacks, on a 13-game winning streak, picked up 7.0 Box-Toppers points in the past week, most among NL teams, and rise from seventh to fifth place among all teams with 104.1 Box-Toppers points.
The Chicago White Sox remain the lowest-ranked team in 30th place in team rankings with 25.9 Box-Toppers points. The White Sox had a net loss of 3.0 Box-Toppers points this week after trading away starting pitcher Miguel Gonzalez (7.0 Box-Toppers points) to the Texas Rangers. It is the fifth time this season in weekly team rankings reports that the White Sox have had a net loss in points as they continue to trade away players to rebuild for the future.
During those five net-loss weeks, the White Sox have had a combined net loss of 27.7 Box-Toppers points, more than their current total. However, if, in essence, the White Sox brought back all those traded away players, adding that total net loss to their current total, it would only give them 53.6 Box-Toppers points, which would put them only in 29th place.
The White Sox’ 25.9 Box-Toppers points is less than their team total of 27.7 on June 1, when they ranked 25th among all teams. It also is only 2.8 points more than earned by overall Box-Toppers points leader, Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw (23.1).
About Box-Toppers—Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.
Box-Toppers strives for accuracy. See a mistake in a post? A wrong name, wrong team, grammar error, spelling goof, etc.? Thanks for pointing it out! Contact Box-Toppers here. Let's fix it and make it right.