Blog
Alex Rodriguez has the most career Box-Toppers points of all Major League Baseball number-one draft picks since 1990.
Rodriguez, who was the first pick in the 1993 draft, earned 187.0 Box-Toppers points during his career from 1994 to 2016, which is 10th overall since 1995 and second among all batters (behind Albert Pujols of the Angels with 201.8).
Read More
Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer is Tuesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day and maintains his second-place spot in Box-Toppers season player rankings.
| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
| 1 | Kershaw, Clayton 2494 | pi sp | lad nl | 12.7 |
| 2 | Scherzer, Max 2588 | pi sp | dc nl | 12.0 |
| 3 | Santana, Ervin 2005 | pi sp | min al | 9.4 |
| 4 | Sale, Chris 2806 | pi sp | bos al | 8.4 |
| 5 | Ray, Robbie 3502 | pi sp | ari nl | 8.0 |
| 6 | Greinke, Zack 1871 | pi sp | ari nl | 7.7 |
| 7 | Strasburg, Stephen 2736 | pi sp | dc nl | 7.4 |
| 8 | Keuchel, Dallas 3050 | pi sp | hou al | 7.4 |
| 9 | Wood, Alex 3246 | pi sp | lad nl | 7.0 |
| 10 | Vargas, Jason 2055 | pi sp | kc al | 7.0 |
Also Tuesday, Diamondbacks pitcher Robbie Ray rises to fifth place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors.
Plus, Scooter Gennett of the Reds on Tuesday became the 17th player in Major League history to hit four home runs in a game and earned what seems to the be the second-highest Box-Toppers game score for a batter since player tracking began in 1995. However, that game score was not high enough to be the highest of Tuesday’s Players of the Game. And it also was not high enough to be the highest game score by a batter this season.
Player of the Day—Scherzer struck out 14 over seven innings, allowing one run, three hits and two walks, in the 2-1 win over the Dodgers.
Scherzer earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 12.0 for the season, maintaining his second-place spot in Box-Toppers season player rankings, behind Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw (12.7). Scherzer also ranks second among NL pitchers behind Kershaw.
Scherzer also rises to 27th place in career Box-Toppers points among all players since 1995, when Box-Toppers tracking began. With his points Tuesday, he now has 143.7 career points and passes two players on the “all-time” list—Jake Peavy (141.8) and Tigers pitcher and former teammate Justin Verlander (142.0). Scherzer now trails 26th-ranked player, Rangers pitcher Cole Hamels (144.0).
Scherzer rises to 10th in career points among active players, eighth among active pitchers.
It took Scherzer three fewer seasons than Verlander to rack up a comparable career Box-Toppers point total. Verlander was the 2,112nd player to debut in Box-Toppers, earning his first Player of the Game honor April 8, 2006. Scherzer was the 2,588th player to debut on May 26, 2009. Both Scherzer and Verlander have led their league’s pitchers in Box-Toppers points in past seasons. Verlander led American League pitchers in 2011 (24.4) and 2012 (24.8). Scherzer led AL pitchers in 2013 with the Tigers (18.1) and National League pitchers in 2016 (25.7).
American League Player of the Day—Red Sox closing pitcher Craig Kimbrel struck out five over 1 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing one walk, in the 5-4 win over the Yankees.
National League Batter of the Day—Scooter Gennett of the Reds hit four home runs—only the 17th time in history that feat has been accomplished—in the 13-1 win over the Cardinals. Gennett went 5-for-5 and drove in 10 runs.
Gennett had a Box-Toppers game score Tuesday of +14.0, which appears to be the second-highest game score for a batter in the 23 seasons of Box-Toppers record keeping. The only batter to have a higher score happened earlier this season—Anthony Rendon of the Nationals on April 30 had a Box-Toppers game score of +15.0 (3HR 2B 6-6 5R 10BI in the 23-5 win over the Mets).
While Rendon earned 2.0 Box-Toppers points on April 30 for having the highest Box-Toppers game score of the day and earning overall Player of the Day honors, Gennett only earned 1.5 Box-Toppers points for his high game score on Tuesday. Gennett’s +14.0 game score was second-best of Tuesday, behind Scherzer’s +15.0. That meant Gennett could not earn overall Player of the Day nor could he earn overall NL Player of the Day (worth 1.7). Tuesday’s AL Player of the Day Craig Kimbrel of the Red Sox earned 1.7 Box-Toppers points even though his Box-Toppers game score was far lower than Gennett’s (+5.1). Gennett easily beat out the next-highest NL batter who earned Player of the Game honors Tuesday, Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies, who had a game score of +6.0.
Batters have hit four home runs in a game 17 times in Major League history, including five times during the Box-Toppers era (since 1995). Gennett’s Box-Toppers game of +14.0 is the highest of all four-home-run hitters in the Box-Toppers era. The other four-home run games during the Box-Toppers era:
Gennett became the 14th player in Major League history to have a game with 10 runs batted in. That’s a club that’s even rarer than the four-home run club. During the Box-Toppers era (since 1995), there have been four other games in which a player has had 10 RBIs:
While Gennett’s Box-Toppers game score is the second-highest for a batter this season, it is only the 14th-highest for a player this season. The highest score of +18.0 was by Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg on May 27 (7IP 3H 0R BB 15K W in the 3-0 win over the Padres). Scherzer’s +15.0 game score Tuesday is the 11th-highest of the season. Scherzer also has the 12th-highest score of the season (+14.2 on May 26).
National League Batter of the Day—Robinson Cano of the Mariners hit a three-run homer and went 2-for-3, scoring three times and driving in three runs, in the 12-3 win over the Twins.
Rankings—Diamondbacks pitcher Robbie Ray rises from eighth to fifth in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors.
Ray (6.2IP 3H R 2BB 11K W in the 10-2 win over the Padres) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 8.0 for the season. He ranks third among NL pitchers, behind Kershaw (12.7) and Scherzer (12.0).
Streak—Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies has now earned Box-Toppers points in 10 straight seasons after earning his first Player of the Game honor of the season Tuesday.
Gonzalez (HR 2-2 4R 2BI in the 11-3 win over the Indians) earned his first Box-Toppers point in 2008 with the Athletics and has 59.7 career points, 12th among active NL batters, fifth among active NL outfielders. He has three seasons with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points. His best season was 2015 with the Rockies when he had 11.5 points, first among NL batters. In 2016, he had 5.5 points.
Scoring—Scherzer earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Kimbrel earns 1.7 points for being AL Player of the Day. Gennett and Cano each earn 1.5 points for being their league’s Batter of the Day. All of Tuesday’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.
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.
| 6/6 | Score | Game | Player of the Game | AB | R | H | BI | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
| MLB | 15.0 | WSH 2, LAD 1 | Max Scherzer (W,7-3) | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 14 | |
| BAT | 14.0 | CIN 13, STL 1 | Scooter Gennett, LF | 5 | 4 | 5 | 10 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 10.2 | ARI 10, SD 2 | Robbie Ray (W,6-3) | - | - | - | - | 6.2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 11 | ||
| 6.0 | COL 11, CLE 3 | Carlos Gonzalez, RF | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 6.0 | PHI 3, ATL 1 | Aaron Nola (W,3-3) | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||
| AL | 5.1 | BOS 5, NYY 4 | Craig Kimbrel (S,17) | - | - | - | - | 1.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | |
| BAT | 5.0 | SEA 12, MIN 3 | Robinson Cano, 2B | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 4.2 | MIL 5, SF 2 | Chase Anderson (W,5-1) | - | - | - | - | 7.2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 4.0 | KC 9, HOU 7 | Mike Moustakas, DH | 5 | 2 | 4 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 3.0 | CHC 10, MIA 2 | Anthony Rizzo, 1B | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 3.0 | BAL 6, PIT 5 (F/10) | Jonathan Schoop, 2B | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 3.0 | LAA 5, DET 3 | Kole Calhoun, RF | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.1 | `CHW 4, TB 2 | Jose Quintana | - | - | - | - | 5.1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | ||
| 2.1 | `OAK 4, TOR 1 | Ryan Madson (H,9) | - | - | - | - | 1.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2.0 | TEX 10, NYM 8 | Nomar Mazara, RF | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Player of the Game | Pos | Team | ’17 | ’16-17 | ’12-17 | Career | +/- |
| Scherzer, Max 2588 | pi sp | dc nl | 12.0 | 37.7 | 115.9 | 143.7 | -13.7 |
| Ray, Robbie 3502 | pi sp | ari nl | 8.0 | 14.7 | 18.7 | 18.7 | 1.3 |
| Kimbrel, Craig 2825 | pi cp | bos al | 6.7 | 14.7 | 59.4 | 65.4 | -1.3 |
| Quintana, Jose 3040 | pi sp | chi al | 5.0 | 15.4 | 40.2 | 40.2 | -5.4 |
| Anderson, Chase 3328 | pi sp | mil nl | 4.7 | 11.7 | 20.7 | 20.7 | -2.3 |
| Rizzo, Anthony 3063 | 1b | chi nl | 3.5 | 6.5 | 30.5 | 30.5 | 0.5 |
| Cano, Robinson 2092 | 2b | sea al | 3.0 | 11.0 | 40.5 | 78.4 | -5.0 |
| Mazara, Nomar 3614 | rf | tex al | 3.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | -4.0 |
| Schoop, Jonathan 3307 | 2b | bal al | 3.0 | 7.5 | 12.5 | 12.5 | -1.5 |
| Gennett, Scooter 3254 | 2b lf | cin nl | 2.5 | 5.0 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 0.0 |
| Madson, Ryan 1841 | pi cp mr | oak al | 2.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 25.7 | -1.0 |
| Nola, Aaron 3569 | pi sp | phi nl | 1.0 | 7.7 | 9.7 | 9.7 | -5.7 |
| Gonzalez, Carlos 2460 | rf | col nl | 1.0 | 6.5 | 39.7 | 59.7 | -4.5 |
| Calhoun, Kole 3279 | rf | ana al | 1.0 | 6.0 | 16.7 | 16.7 | -4.0 |
| Moustakas, Mike 2967 | dh 3b | kc al | 1.0 | 2.0 | 21.2 | 23.2 | 0.0 |
Anthony Rendon of the Nationals is Sunday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day, recording what is possibly the highest Box-Toppers game score by a batter in Box-Toppers’ 23-season history.
| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
| 1 | Kershaw, Clayton 2494 | pi sp | lad nl | 6.0 |
| 2 | Santana, Ervin 2005 | pi sp | min al | 5.7 |
| 3 | Nova, Ivan 2796 | pi sp | pit nl | 5.0 |
| 4 | Vargas, Jason 2055 | pi sp | kc al | 5.0 |
| 5 | Holland, Greg 2906 | pi cp | col nl | 5.0 |
| 6 | Sale, Chris 2806 | pi sp | bos al | 4.7 |
| 7 | Keuchel, Dallas 3050 | pi sp | hou al | 4.4 |
| 8 | Triggs, Andrew 3723 | pi sp | oak al | 4.4 |
| 9 | Scherzer, Max 2588 | pi sp | dc nl | 4.0 |
| 10 | Kimbrel, Craig 2825 | pi cp | bos al | 4.0 |
Also Sunday, Astros pitcher Dallas Keuchel rises to seventh place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors.
Player of the Day—Rendon hit three home runs, doubled, went 6-for-6, scored five times and drove in 10 runs, in the 23-5 win over the Mets.
Rendon had a Box-Toppers game score of +15.0, which appears to be the highest score by a batter since Box-Toppers tracking began in 1995.
While Box-Toppers has records for each Player of the Game since the start of 1995, the data from actual game score records from box scores only goes back to the start of 2011. The previous high game score for a batter since 2011 was +12.0, done twice:
However, looking back at some of the most likely games to produce high Box-Toppers game scores for batters from 1995 to 2010, it appears no batter had a higher game score than Rendon had Sunday.
Rendon became the 13th player in Major League history to have a game with 10 runs batted in. That’s a club that’s even rarer than the four-home run club, which has been done 16 times in Major League history.
During the Box-Toppers era (since 1995), there have been three games in which a player has had 10 RBIs and no player had a Box-Toppers game score of more than +12.0:
Rendon also had a six-hit game, something that’s been done 101 times in Major League history (30 of those games happened in the 1800s). There have been 22 six-hit games in the Box-Toppers era (since 1995). The highest Box-Toppers game score of those games and what appears to be the previous high Box-Toppers game score for a batter (since 1995) was +13.0, achieved by Shawn Green of the Dodgers on May 23, 2002 (4HR 2B 6-6 6R 7BI in the 16-3 win over the Brewers).
Batters have hit four home runs in a game 16 times in Major League history, including four times during the Box-Toppers era (since 1995), however Green’s +13.0 score is the highest for those games. The other four-home run games during the Box-Toppers era:
While Rendon seems to have broken the “all-time” (since 1995) record for Box-Toppers game score for a batter, it is still only the second-best game score of 2017. On April 20, Chris Sale of the Red Sox had a Box-Toppers game score of +16.0 (8IP 4H 0R BB 13K ND in the 4-3, 10-inning win over the Blue Jays). Pitchers generally have more opportunity to earn high game scores than batters. In 2016, the highest overall game score was +22.0, earned by Vince Velasquez of the Phillies on April 14 (CG 3H 0R 0BB 16K W in the 3-0 win over the Padres).
(Related: Highest Box-Toppers game scores by batters in the 2016 season and 2015 season.)
American League Player of the Day—Blue Jays pitcher Ryan Tepera pitched 3 1/3 innings of scoreless middle relief, allowing one hit and striking out five, in the 3-1 win over the Rays. Tepera picked up a no decision and did not earn the win because the game was in a scoreless tie when he exited.
American League Batter of the Day—Miguel Sano of the Twins homered and went 3-for-5, driving in five runs, in the 7-5 win over the Royals.
National League Batter of the Day—There is no separate NL Batter of the Day for Sunday because the overall Player of the Day was NL batter Anthony Rendon.
Rankings—Astros pitcher Dallas Keuchel rises to seventh in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Sunday.
Keuchel (7.2IP 3H R 2BB 9K W in the 7-2 win over the Athletics) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 4.4 for the season. He ranks fourth among AL pitchers.
Streak—Justin Upton of the Tigers has now earned Box-Toppers points in 10 straight seasons after earning Player of the Game honors Sunday.
Upton (HR 2-3 2R BI in the 7-3 win over the White Sox) earned his first Box-Toppers point in 2008 with the Diamondbacks and has 52.1 career points, fourth among active AL outfielders. His best season was 2011 with the Diamondbacks, when he had 9.7 points, 10th among NL batters. In 2016, he had 6.7 points with the Tigers, fourth among AL outfielders.
Debut—Reds pitcher Wandy Peralta made his Box-Toppers debut Sunday, the first time in his career he earned Player of the Game honors.
Peralta (1IP 0H 0R 0BB 2K W in the 5-4 win over the Cardinals) made his Major League debut Sept. 4, 2016, and was playing in his 22nd career game. He is the 3,782nd player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995.
Scoring—Rendon earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Tepera earns 1.7 points for being AL Player of the Day. Sano earns 1.5 points for being AL 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.
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.
| 4/30 | Score | Game | Player of the Game | AB | R | H | BI | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
| MLB | 15.0 | WSH 23, NYM 5 | Anthony Rendon, 3B | 6 | 5 | 6 | 10 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 9.2 | HOU 7, OAK 2 | Dallas Keuchel (W,5-0) | - | - | - | - | 7.2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 9 | ||
| 8.1 | `ARI 2, COL 0 (F/13) | Patrick Corbin | - | - | - | - | 6.1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | ||
| AL | 7.1 | `TOR 3, TB 1 | Ryan Tepera | - | - | - | - | 3.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| 6.1 | LAD 5, PHI 3 | Hyun-Jin Ryu (W,1-4) | - | - | - | - | 5.1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 9 | ||
| 6.0 | MIA 10, PIT 3 | Justin Bour, 1B | 5 | 1 | 4 | 6 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 6.0 | `BOS 6, CHC 2 | Eduardo Rodriguez | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 9 | ||
| 5.0 | MIL 4, ATL 3 | Domingo Santana, RF | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 4.1 | LAA 5, TEX 2 | JC Ramirez (W,3-2) | - | - | - | - | 5.1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | ||
| BAT | 4.0 | MIN 7, KC 5 | Miguel Sano, 3B | 5 | 1 | 3 | 5 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 4.0 | SD 5, SF 2 (F/12) | Ryan Buchter (W,2-1) | - | - | - | - | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 3.0 | CLE 12, SEA 4 | Abraham Almonte, RF | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 3.0 | BAL 7, NYY 4 | Logan Verrett (W,1-0) | - | - | - | - | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 3.0 | CIN 5, STL 4 | Wandy Peralta (W,1-0) | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2.0 | DET 7, CHW 3 | Justin Upton, LF | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Player of the Game | Pos | Team | ’17 | ’16-17 | ’12-17 | Career | +/- |
| Keuchel, Dallas 3050 | pi sp | hou al | 4.4 | 11.4 | 47.2 | 47.2 | -2.6 |
| Sano, Miguel 3527 | 3b | min al | 4.0 | 7.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 1.0 |
| Rodriguez, Eduardo 3480 | pi sp | bos al | 3.7 | 8.4 | 14.4 | 14.4 | -1.0 |
| Ramirez, JC 3778 | pi sp | ana al | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| Rendon, Anthony 3258 | 3b | dc nl | 2.0 | 7.5 | 14.0 | 14.0 | -3.5 |
| Corbin, Patrick 3027 | pi sp cp | ari nl | 2.0 | 5.7 | 34.5 | 34.5 | -1.7 |
| Tepera, Ryan 3774 | pi mr | tor al | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| Upton, Justin 2411 | lf | det al | 1.0 | 7.7 | 33.9 | 52.1 | -5.7 |
| Bour, Justin 3433 | 1b | fla nl | 1.0 | 3.5 | 13.5 | 13.5 | -1.5 |
| Almonte, Abraham 3554 | rf | cle al | 1.0 | 3.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 | -1.0 |
| Verrett, Logan 3518 | pi cp | bal al | 1.0 | 2.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 0.0 |
| Buchter, Ryan 3626 | pi mr | sd nl | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 |
| Santana, Domingo 3507 | rf | mil nl | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 1.0 |
| Ryu, Hyun-Jin 3139 | pi sp | lad nl | 1.0 | 1.0 | 22.1 | 22.1 | 1.0 |
| Peralta, Wandy 3782 | pi mr | cin nl | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
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. | ||||||||||||||||
Mariners pitcher Taijuan Walker is Friday’s Player of the Day.
Also Friday, Athletics pitcher Sonny Gray rose to seventh place in Box-Toppers player rankings. Plus, three pitchers with more than 100 career Box-Toppers points earned Player of the Game honors Friday—Tim Hudson of the Giants, Dan Haren of the Marlins and John Lackey of the Cardinals.
| 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 | Archer, Chris 3194 | pi sp | tb al | 7.0 |
| 5 | Miller, Shelby 3134 | pi sp | atl nl | 7.0 |
| 6 | deGrom, Jacob 3343 | pi sp | nym nl | 6.7 |
| 7 | Gray, Sonny 3259 | pi sp | oak al | 6.7 |
| 8 | Harvey, Matt 3075 | pi sp | nym nl | 6.7 |
| 9 | Heston, Chris 3437 | pi sp | sf nl | 6.7 |
| 10 | Fielder, Prince 2029 | dh | tex al | 6.5 |
Player of the Day—Walker pitched eight scoreless innings, striking out eight and allowing two hits, in the 2-1 win over the Indians.
National League Player of the Day—Rockies pitcher Chad Bettis pitched eight scoreless innings, striking out seven and allowing two hits, in the 4-1 win over the Phillies. Bettis had a perfect game into the seventh inning and a no-hitter into the eighth inning, before giving up a one-out single.
This was Bettis’ Box-Toppers debut, the first time in his career he earned Player of the Game honors. He made his Major League debut Aug. 1, 2013, and was playing in his 41st career game. He is the 3,481st player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995.
American League Batter of the Day—Josh Hamilton of the Rangers hit two home runs and scored three total runs in the 7-4 win over the Red Sox. It was Hamilton’s first Player of the Game honor of the season and the first since his return to the Rangers after two seasons with the Angels.
National League Batter of the Day—There is no NL Batter of the Day for Friday because no NL batters earned Player of the Game honors.
Rankings—Athletics pitcher Sonny Gray rose to seventh place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season after earning Player of the Game honors Friday. Gray (8IP 4H 2R 5K W in the 6-2 win over the Yankees) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 6.7 for the season. He ranks third among AL pitchers.
Notable—Three players with more than 100 career Box-Toppers points earned Player of the Game honors Friday:
Scoring—Walker earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Bettis earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day. Hamilton earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being AL Batter of the Day. All of Friday’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
| 5/29 | Score | Team | Player | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
| MLB | 14.0 | Mariners | Taijuan Walker (W, 2-5) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | |
| NL | 13.0 | Rockies | Chad Bettis (W, 2-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | |
| 10.0 | Cardinals | John Lackey (W, 3-3) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | ||
| 9.0 | `Orioles | Miguel Gonzalez | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 8.1 | Angels | Hector Santiago (W, 4-3) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | ||
| BAT | 4.0 | Rangers | Josh Hamilton LF | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 4.0 | Giants | Tim Hudson (W, 3-4) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 3.0 | White Sox | Geovany Soto C | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 3.0 | Athletics | Sonny Gray (W, 6-2) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | ||
| 3.0 | Padres | Craig Kimbrel (W, 1-1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2.2 | Dbacks | Addison Reed (W, 2-2) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2.0 | Royals | Lorenzo Cain CF | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | Marlins | Dan Haren (W, 5-2) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 2.0 | Reds | Aroldis Chapman (S, 8) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1.0 | Blue Jays | Josh Donaldson 3B | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| `Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save. | ||||||||||||||||
Cubs pitcher Tsuyoshi Wada is Sunday’s Player of the Day. Wada allowed one hit and one run in 6 1/3 innings, striking out eight, in the 2-1 win over the Orioles.
Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer is American League Player of the Day. Bauer pitched six scoreless innings and struck out nine in the 3-1 win over the Astros.
Lucas Duda of the Mets is National League Batter of the Day. Duda homered twice and went 3-for-5, scoring twice and driving in five runs, in the 11-3 win over the Dodgers.
Josh Hamilton of the Angels is AL Batter of the Day. Hamilton homered and went 2-for-3, scoring twice and driving in three runs, in the 9-4 win over the Athletics.
Notable: Reds pitcher Alfredo Simon has the highest Box-Toppers point total of all 15 players who earned Player of the Game honors Sunday. Simon (7IP R 6K W in the 5-3 win over the Braves) earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 9.7 for the season. He ranks 37th among all players and 18th among NL pitchers.
Wada receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Bauer receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Duda and Hamilton each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.
All of Sunday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.
Box-Toppers watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed, click here.
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
| 824 | Score | Team | Player | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | 10.1 | Cubs | Tsuyoshi Wada (W, 4-1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | |
| AL | 8.0 | Indians | Trevor Bauer (W, 5-7) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 | |
| 7.0 | Brewers | Mike Fiers (W, 4-1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | ||
| BAT | 5.0 | Mets | Lucas Duda 1B | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 5.0 | Reds | Alfredo Simon (W, 13-8) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||
| BAT | 4.0 | Angels | Josh Hamilton LF | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 4.0 | Yankees | Brian McCann PH | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 4.0 | Rays | Jake McGee (W, 4-1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 4.0 | `Rangers | Shawn Tolleson (H, 6) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 3.0 | Nationals | Jose Lobaton C | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 3.0 | Mariners | Kyle Seager 3B | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 3.0 | Padres | Yasmani Grandal 1B | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 3.0 | Phillies | Jerome Williams (W, 2-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | ||
| 2.0 | Tigers | Victor Martinez DH | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | Rockies | LaTroy Hawkins (S, 20) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.
Tigers pitcher Rick Porcello is Wednesday’s Player of the Day. Porcello pitched a complete game shutout, allowing three hits, in the 6-0 win over the Rays.
Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn is National League Player of the Day. Lynn pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out five in the 7-3 win over the Reds. Lynn earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day, giving him 10.7 for the season. He becomes the 32nd player this season with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points. He ranks 27th among all players and 11th among NL pitchers.
Matt McBride of the Rockies is NL Batter of the Day. McBride hit a grand slam and went 2-for-3 in the 5-2 win over the Royals. This was McBride’s Box-Toppers debut, the first time he has earned Player of the Game honors. He is the 3,400th player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995. He made his Major League debut Aug. 4, 2012 and was playing in his 32nd career game.
Josh Hamilton of the Angels is AL Batter of the Day. Hamilton doubled and went 2-for-3, scoring a run and driving in three more, in the 8-3 win over the Red Sox.
Porcello receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Lynn receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. McBride and Hamilton each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.
All of Wednesday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.
Box-Toppers watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed, click here.
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
| 820 | Score | Team | Player | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | 10.0 | Tigers | Rick Porcello (W, 14-8) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 9.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| NL | 6.0 | Cardinals | Lance Lynn (W, 14-8) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | |
| BAT | 4.0 | Rockies | Matt McBride 1B | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 4.0 | `Phillies | Jake Diekman (H, 14) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 3.1 | Indians | T.J. House (W, 2-3) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5.1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | ||
| 3.0 | Mets | Lucas Duda 1B | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| BAT | 3.0 | Angels | Josh Hamilton CF | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 3.0 | `Nationals | Tanner Roark | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 3.0 | Padres | Eric Stults (W, 6-13) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | ||
| 2.0 | Giants | Travis Ishikawa 1B, LF | 5 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | Orioles | Adam Jones CF | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | Pirates | Mark Melancon (W, 2-3) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 1.0 | Blue Jays | Jose Reyes SS | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1.0 | Rangers | Alex Rios RF | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 0.0 | Astros | Robbie Grossman RF | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.
Charlie Blackmon of the Rockies is Friday’s Player of the Day. Blackmon went 6-6, homered, hit three doubles, drove in five runs and scored four times in the 12–2 win over the Diamondbacks.
Josh Hamilton of the Angels is American League Player of the Day. Hamilton homered, went 3-3, and drove in three runs in the 11–1 win over the Astros.
No pitchers scored Box-Toppers bonus points Friday because batters had higher Box-Toppers game scores in both leagues. The pitcher with the highest Box-Toppers game score Friday was Masahiro Tanaka of the Yankees with a game score of 4.0. Tanaka, the Japanese superstar pitcher who signed with the Yankees in the off-season, made his Box-Toppers debut by being Player of the Game in the 7–3 win over the Blue Jays.
Blackmon receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Hamilton receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day.
All of Friday’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
| 404 | Score | Team | BATTERS | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | - | - | PITCHERS | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | 9.0 | Rockies | Charlie Blackmon CF, LF | 6 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AL | 5.0 | Angels | Josh Hamilton LF | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5.0 | Mets | Lucas Duda 1B | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4.0 | Rays | Sean Rodriguez 1B | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4.0 | Pirates | Pedro Alvarez 3B | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4.0 | Yankees | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Masahiro Tanaka (W, 1-0) | 7.0 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 8 | |
| 4.0 | Tigers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Drew Smyly (W, 1-0) | 3.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | |
| 3.1 | `Giants | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Juan Gutierrez | 1.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| 3.0 | Phillies | John Mayberry PH | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3.0 | Royals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Greg Holland (S, 1) | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 3.0 | Braves | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Craig Kimbrel (S, 3) | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2.0 | Indians | Nick Swisher 1B | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2.0 | Marlins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Brad Hand (S, 1) | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | |
| 1.2 | `Brewers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Marco Estrada | 5.2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.
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.