Orioles pitcher Miguel Castro is Sunday’s Box-Toppers spring training Player of the Day.
2018 preseason team rankings
(Indians rise back to first in preseason rankings Sunday after re-signing Mike Napoli to a minor league contract. Meanwhile, the formerly top-ranked Nationals fall to second after releasing Jeremy Hellickson. Napoli had 3.0 Box-Toppers points in 2017, Hellickson 4.0. That resulted in a 7.0-point swing between the two teams. Previously, the Nationals led by 0.9 points. Now, the Indians lead by 6.1. Updated with current roster information on March 26.)The Cleveland Indians are the top-ranked preseason team in Box-Toppers rankings. Players on their preseason roster accumulated 142.4 Box-Toppers points in the 2017 season. Shown below in the 2018 column is the accumulated 2017 Box-Toppers point total for each player on that team’s current roster. Also shown in the 2017 column is each team’s Box-Toppers point total at the end of last season. The final column (+/-) shows the change in team rosters’ Box-Toppers points from the end of last season until now.
| Teams | 2017 | 2018 | +/- | |
| 1 | Indians | 140.0 | 142.4 | 1.5 |
| 2 | Nationals | 135.3 | 136.3 | 1.0 |
| 3 | Dodgers | 138.9 | 132.9 | -6.0 |
| 4 | Twins | 99.2 | 128.5 | 29.3 |
| 5 | Brewers | 106.0 | 126.6 | 20.6 |
| 6 | Yankees | 121.7 | 122.9 | 1.2 |
| 7 | Cubs | 120.5 | 120.7 | 0.2 |
| 8 | Astros | 131.7 | 118.6 | -13.1 |
| 9 | Red Sox | 118.8 | 113.8 | -5.0 |
| 10 | Mariners | 101.3 | 107.3 | 6.0 |
| 11 | Diamondbacks | 118.3 | 107.1 | -11.2 |
| 12 | Mets | 75.0 | 106.5 | 31.5 |
| 13 | Blue Jays | 81.1 | 93.0 | 11.9 |
| 14 | Rangers | 90.1 | 87.8 | -2.3 |
| 15 | Rockies | 103.1 | 85.9 | -17.2 |
| 16 | Orioles | 91.9 | 84.3 | -7.6 |
| 17 | Giants | 73.6 | 83.4 | 9.8 |
| 18 | Cardinals | 92.4 | 81.4 | -11.0 |
| 19 | Athletics | 74.1 | 78.8 | 4.7 |
| 20 | Phillies | 68.4 | 76.8 | 8.4 |
| 21 | Angels | 92.2 | 72.5 | -19.7 |
| 22 | Pirates | 87.5 | 69.5 | -18.0 |
| 23 | Padres | 74.0 | 69.3 | -4.7 |
| 24 | Reds | 82.2 | 68.4 | -13.8 |
| 25 | Braves | 74.7 | 66.0 | -8.7 |
| 26 | Royals | 104.5 | 63.4 | -41.1 |
| 27 | Marlins | 85.7 | 56.9 | -28.8 |
| 28 | Tigers | 48.4 | 51.8 | 3.4 |
| 29 | Rays | 93.0 | 51.6 | -41.4 |
| 30 | White Sox | 40.1 | 48.7 | 8.6 |
Box-Toppers is tracking several days of the 2018 spring training season to demonstrate the Box-Toppers player tracking metric and to prepare for the upcoming 2,430-game season.
Castro struck out six over three scoreless middle relief innings, allowing one hit and no walks, in the 6-5 win over the Phillies. Castro picked up a no-decision and did not earn the win because even though the Orioles led 2-1 when he exited, the Phillies later took the lead in the seventh inning before the Orioles regained the lead in the eighth. The winning pitcher for the Orioles, Brad Brach (1IP 2H 2R 0BB K W, Box-Toppers game score -4.0) exited after the Orioles took the lead for good. Castro had the day’s highest Box-Toppers game score among Sunday’s Player of the Game honorees, +8.0.
Castro had 1.0 Box-Toppers point in 2017 as a closer, his only career regular season Player of the Game honor.
National League Player of the Day—Diamondbacks pitcher Taylor Clarke pitched five scoreless innings, striking out four and allowing two hits and one walk, in the 6-3 win over the Rockies.
Clarke has yet to make his regular season Major League debut and so has no Box-Toppers points.
American League Batter of the Day—Mookie Betts of the Red Sox hit two homers and went 2-for-2, driving in three runs, in the 6-1 win over the Twins.
Betts had 6.0 Box-Toppers points in 2017, 29th among AL batters.
National League Batter of the Day—Francisco Cervelli of the Pirates homered and went 2-for-3, scoring twice and driving in three runs, in the 7-4 win over the Blue Jays.
Cervelli had 3.0 Box-Toppers points in 2017.
Scoring—No Box-Toppers points are awarded in spring training games, but if it were the regular season, Castro would earn 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Clarke would earn 1.7 points for being NL Player of the Day. Betts and Cervelli would earn 1.5 points for being their league’s Batter of the Day. All of Sunday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) would 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.
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Top player from each game
Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score (BTG)| 3/25 | BTG | Game | Player of the Game | AB | R | H | BI | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
| MLB | 8.0 | `BAL 6, PHI 5 | Miguel Castro | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 3.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | |
| 7.0 | DET 10, ATL 3 | Michael Fulmer (W, 1‑1) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 7.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | ||
| BAT | 6.0 | BOS 6, MIN 1 | Mookie Betts (RF) | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | |
| NL | 6.0 | ARI 8, COL 3 | Taylor Clarke (W, 1‑0) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 5.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | |
| 5.2 | CLE 6, CIN 4 | Josh Tomlin (W, 2‑1) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 5.2 | `WSH 4, STL 2 | Stephen Strasburg | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 5.2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 10 | ||
| 5.0 | `NYM 4, MIA 3 | Steven Matz | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 4.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 4.2 | TB 11, NYY 1 | Andrew Kittredge (W, 3‑1) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 2.2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 4.0 | CHW 16, MIL 1 | Eddy Alvarez (PH‑SS) | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| BAT | 4.0 | PIT 7, TOR 4 | Francisco Cervelli (C) | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | |
| 3.2 | SF 5, OAK 1 | Johnny Cueto (W, 2‑1) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 5.2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 3.0 | CHC 5, KC 3 | Ian Rice (PH) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| 3.0 | SEA 11, SD 7 | Beau Amaral (PR‑RF) | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| 2.0 | LAD 4, LAA 2 | Chris Taylor (CF) | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| 2.0 | HOU 6, MIA 2 | Brian McCann (C) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ |
AL—Overall American League Player of the Day, worth 1.7 total Box-Toppers points.
NL—Overall National League Player of the Day, worth 1.7 total Box-Toppers points.
BAT—Top AL or NL Batter of the Day, worth 1.5 total Box-Toppers points.
All other players listed here earn Player of the Game honors, worth 1.0 Box-Toppers point.
` Pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.
Box-Toppers
Tracking who most helps their teams win the most games, based on box score stats. A method to measure & compare baseball's top players.
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.