Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman is Thursday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Thursday, Rockies pitcher Kyle Freeland rises to fourth place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning National League Player of the Day honors.
Read MoreAstros’ McCullers tops players in Sunday, March 14’s spring training games
Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. is Box-Toppers Player of the Day in Sunday’s spring training games.
McCullers struck out six over four scoreless innings, allowing three hits and no walks, in the 5-0 win over the Nationals.
Read MoreFive of top 10 batting average leaders in 2020 among overall top 100 in Box-Toppers points
Five of the top 10 players in batting average for 2020 are among Box-Toppers’ top 100 players.
DJ LeMahieu of the Yankees led all players with a .364 batting average in the pandemic-shortened, 60-game 2020 season. He had 3.5 Box-Toppers points, 75th among all players and 13th among American League batters.
Read MorePlayers named to ‘All-MLB’ teams rarely coincided with 2020 Box-Toppers points leaders
Selections for Major League Baseball’s 2020 “All-MLB” teams announced this past week rarely coincided with the season’s Box-Toppers points leaders.
Only one All-MLB First Team batter was among the Box-Toppers points leaders at his position—Marcell Ozuna of the Braves led all designated hitters with 4.5 Box-Toppers points. However, three of the four All-MLB First Team starting pitchers were also among the top three players in Box-Toppers points for 2020—Shane Bieber of the Indians (11.4), Trevor Bauer of the Reds (10.0) and Yu Darvish of the Cubs (9.7).
Read MoreBox-Toppers picks Astros’ Gerrit Cole for AL Cy Young & MVP: A look at our postseason awards ballot
Box-Toppers is casting a vote for the American League Cy Young Award to Astros pitcher Gerrit Cole.
We are also casting our vote for AL Most Valuable Player to … Astros pitcher Gerrit Cole.
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Astros’ Gerrit Cole is 2019 Box-Toppers Player of the Year
Astros pitcher Gerrit Cole is Box-Toppers Player of the Year for 2019, earning the fourth-most Box-Toppers points in a single season since tracking began in 1995.
Meanwhile, Stephen Strasburg of the Nationals leads among National League pitchers, Nelson Cruz of the Twins leads among AL batters and Marcell Ozuna of the Cardinals leads among NL batters.
Read More
Astros’ Gerrit Cole, top player for Tuesday, Sept. 24, becomes 4th to reach 30 Box-Toppers points in a season
Astros pitcher Gerrit Cole is Tuesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day, increasing his lead in season player rankings and becoming just the fourth player to reach 30 Box-Toppers points in a season.
Cole struck out 14 over seven scoreless innings, allowing two hits and no walks, in the 3-0 win over the Mariners.
Read More
Astros’ Justin Verlander maintains lead in Box-Toppers player rankings for 13th straight week
Astros pitcher Justin Verlander maintains the lead in Box-Toppers weekly team rankings report for the 13th straight week.
Meanwhile, all category leaders remain the same as last week: Verlander leads American League pitchers, Josh Hader of the Brewers leads National League pitchers, Cody Bellinger of the Dodgers leads NL batters and Nelson Cruz of the Twins leads AL batters.
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Astros’ Justin Verlander leads Box-Toppers season player rankings report for 12th straight week
Astros pitcher Justin Verlander maintains the lead in Box-Toppers weekly team rankings report for the 12th straight week.
Meanwhile, Nelson Cruz of the Twins rises to lead American League batters in Box-Toppers season player rankings, passing last week’s leader, Alex Bregman of the Astros.
Read More
Astros’ Justin Verlander leads Box-Toppers season player rankings report for sixth straight week
Astros pitcher Justin Verlander maintains the lead in Box-Toppers weekly team rankings report for the sixth straight week.
Also this week, there is a new leader in Box-Toppers points among American League batters as Eloy Jimenez of the White Sox passes previous leader Joey Gallo of the Rangers.
Read More
Astros’ Justin Verlander maintains lead in Box-Toppers weekly team rankings report
Astros pitcher Justin Verlander maintains the lead in Box-Toppers weekly team rankings report.
Also this week, all four main category leaders maintain their leads from last week: Verlander, Brewers pitcher Josh Hader, Cody Bellinger of the Dodgers and Joey Gallo of the Rangers.
Read MoreAstros' Justin Verlander tops players for Friday, May 10, rises to 1st in season player rankings
Astros pitcher Justin Verlander is Friday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day and rises to first place in season player rankings.
Also Friday, Reds pitcher Luis Castillo rises to fifth place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning National League Player of the Day honors.
Read More
Seattle Mariners top Box-Toppers 1st weekly team rankings report of 2019
The Seattle Mariners lead Box-Toppers first weekly team rankings report of the 2019 season.
Meanwhile, the New York Mets are the top-ranked National League team and the Tampa Bay Rays are the hottest team of the past week.
Read MoreRays’ Tyler Glasnow tops players for Wednesday, April 10, rises to 6th in season player rankings
Rays pitcher Tyler Glasnow is Wednesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day and rises to sixth place in season player rankings.
Glasnow struck out 11 over six scoreless innings, allowing two hits and one walk, in the 9-1 win over the White Sox.
Read MoreBlue Jays’ Ryan Borucki tops players for Monday, Sept. 17; Cubs’ Hendricks tops NL players
Blue Jays pitcher Ryan Borucki is Monday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Borucki struck out seven over eight scoreless innings, allowing three hits and one walk, in the 5-0 win over the Orioles.
Read MoreA late June look at Box-Toppers All-Star teams, led by Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw
Eight AL players and five NL players occupy All-Star spots at their position in both the 2016 season and the combined 2015-16 seasons.
Read MoreMariners' Miley tops players for Saturday, April 30; Rockies' Rusin tops NL players
Mariners pitcher Wade Miley is Saturday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Top 10 players
Here are the top 10 players in Box-Toppers points (BTP) for the 2016 season as of April 30:| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
| 1 | Arrieta, Jake 2738 | pi sp | chi nl | 5.0 |
| 2 | Cespedes, Yoenis 3008 | cf lf dh ph | nym nl | 4.5 |
| 3 | Volquez, Edinson 2220 | pi sp | kc al | 4.4 |
| 4 | Hill, Rich 2215 | pi sp | oak al | 4.4 |
| 5 | Machado, Manny 3087 | 3b ss | bal al | 4.2 |
| 6 | Kershaw, Clayton 2494 | pi sp | lad nl | 4.0 |
| 7 | Sale, Chris 2806 | pi sp | chi al | 4.0 |
| 8 | Cueto, Johnny 2400 | pi sp | sf nl | 4.0 |
| 9 | De La Rosa, Rubby 3342 | pi sp mr | ari nl | 4.0 |
| 10 | Nicasio, Juan 2888 | pi sp | pit nl | 4.0 |
Miley pitched a complete game shutout, allowing five hits and striking out four, in the 6-0 win over the Royals.
National League Player of the Day—Rockies pitcher Chris Rusin struck out six over five scoreless innings, allowing one hit, in the 5-2 win over the Diamondbacks. Rusin did not earn the win, picking up a no-decision, because the Diamondbacks tied the game after he exited.
National League Batter of the Day—Michael Conforto of the Mets homered, doubled and went 3-for-4, scoring twice and driving in three runs, in the 6-5 win over the Giants. Conforto earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being NL Batter of the Day, giving him 4.0 for the season, the most of any of Saturday’s 14 Players of the Games. Conforto now ranks 11th in Box-Toppers season player rankings, second among NL batters, behind teammate Yoenis Cespedes (4.5).
American League Batter of the Day—Logan Forsythe of the Rays homered and went 3-for-3, driving two runs, in the 4-3 win over the Blue Jays.
Streak—Jason Werth of the Nationals has now earned Box-Toppers points in 10 consecutive seasons after earning Player of the Game honors Saturday.
Werth (HR 2-3 R 4BI in the 6-1 win over the Cardinals) earned his first Box-Toppers points in 2002 with the Blue Jays, but his current 10-year streak began in 2007 with the Phillies. He has 45.2 career Box-Toppers points, which ranks 13th among active NL outfielders. His best year was 2010 with the Phillies when he had 9.0 Box-Toppers points, seventh among NL batters. He had 3.0 Box-Toppers points in 2015 with the Nationals.
Scoring—Miley earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Rusin earns 1.7 points for being NL Player of the Day. Conforto and Forsythe each earn 1.5 points for being their league’s Batter of the Day. All of Saturday’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.
Top player from each game
Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score
| 4/30 | Score | Team | Player | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
| MLB | 8.0 | Mariners | Wade Miley (W,2-2) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 9.0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 7.0 | Red Sox | Rick Porcello (W,5-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | ||
| NL | 7.0 | `Rockies | Chris Rusin | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | |
| 6.0 | Tigers | Jordan Zimmermann (W,5-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | ||
| 5.2 | Pirates | Francisco Liriano (W,2-1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 5.2 | Athletics | Jesse Hahn (W,1-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | ||
| BAT | 4.0 | Mets | Michael Conforto, LF | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 4.0 | Nationals | Jayson Werth, LF | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| BAT | 3.0 | Rays | Logan Forsythe, 2B | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 3.0 | Rangers | Derek Holland (W,3-1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 2.1 | White Sox | Nate Jones (W,2-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 2.0 | Phillies | Freddy Galvis, SS | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | Padres | Wil Myers, 1B | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1.0 | Marlins | Adeiny Hechavarria, SS | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| `Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save. | ||||||||||||||||
Box-Toppers point totals of the day’s top players
Here are Box-Toppers point totals of each of the Players of the Game. Players are ranked by their Box-Toppers point total for the current season (16). Also shown are each players’ Box-Toppers point total for this season and last (15-16), the period 2011-2016 (11-16) and each players’ career point total. Also shown is how their 2016 Box-Toppers point total compares with their 2015 total (+/-).| Player | Pos | Team | 16 | 15-16 | 11-16 | Career | +/- |
| Conforto, Michael 3622 | lf | nym nl | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Liriano, Francisco 2104 | pi sp | pit nl | 3.0 | 17.9 | 58.4 | 98.2 | -11.9 |
| Zimmermann, Jordan 2612 | pi sp | det al | 3.0 | 10.0 | 59.4 | 60.4 | -4.0 |
| Porcello, Rick 2573 | pi sp | bos al | 3.0 | 7.0 | 28.7 | 37.7 | -1.0 |
| Forsythe, Logan 3364 | 2b | tb al | 2.5 | 4.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 1.0 |
| Miley, Wade 3006 | pi sp | sea al | 2.0 | 9.0 | 32.4 | 32.4 | -5.0 |
| Myers, Wil 3228 | 1b cf | sd nl | 2.0 | 5.0 | 10.5 | 10.5 | -1.0 |
| Holland, Derek 2634 | pi sp | tex al | 2.0 | 4.7 | 36.8 | 43.8 | -0.7 |
| Rusin, Chris 3236 | pi sp | col nl | 1.7 | 2.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 0.7 |
| Hechavarria, Adeiny 3445 | ss | fla nl | 1.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | -3.5 |
| Hahn, Jesse 3354 | pi sp | oak al | 1.0 | 5.0 | 11.7 | 11.7 | -3.0 |
| Galvis, Freddy 3202 | ss | phi nl | 1.0 | 5.0 | 9.0 | 9.0 | -3.0 |
| Werth, Jayson 1664 | lf | dc nl | 1.0 | 4.0 | 18.0 | 45.2 | -2.0 |
| Jones, Nate 3125 | pi cp | chi al | 1.0 | 2.0 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 0.0 |
Rays' Archer tops players for Monday, April 25; Cabrera, Pujols extend Box-Toppers season streaks
Rays pitcher Chris Archer is Monday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Top 10 players
Here are the top 10 players in Box-Toppers points (BTP) for the 2016 season as of April 25:| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
| 1 | Arrieta, Jake 2738 | pi sp | chi nl | 5.0 |
| 2 | Volquez, Edinson 2220 | pi sp | kc al | 4.4 |
| 3 | Kershaw, Clayton 2494 | pi sp | lad nl | 4.0 |
| 4 | Velasquez, Vince 3611 | pi sp | phi nl | 4.0 |
| 5 | Santiago, Hector 3109 | pi sp | ana al | 3.7 |
| 6 | Latos, Mat 2644 | pi sp | chi al | 3.7 |
| 7 | Davis, Chris 2478 | 1b | bal al | 3.5 |
| 8 | Cano, Robinson 2092 | 2b | sea al | 3.5 |
| 9 | Suarez, Eugenio 3355 | 3b | cin nl | 3.5 |
| 10 | Salazar, Danny 3223 | pi sp | cle al | 3.4 |
Archer struck out 10 over 6 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing five hits, in the 2-0 win over the Orioles.
National League Player of the Day—Pirates pitcher Jeff Locke struck out eight over six scoreless innings, allowing five hits, in the 6-1 win over the Rockies.
American League Batter of the Day—Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers hit two homers (including a three-run shot), a double and went 4-for-4, driving in four runs, in the 7-3 win over the Athletics.
Cabrera earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being AL Batter of the Day and now has 134.4 career points, rising to 26th among all players since 1995, when Box-Toppers tracking began. He passes Jason Giambi (133.4) on the “all-time” list and trails 25th-place player, Giants pitcher Jake Peavy (136.8). Passing Giambi, Cabrera rises to eighth among all batters in Box-Toppers points since 1995 and ranks fourth among active batters, behind Alex Rodriguez (187.0), Albert Pujols (175.3) and David Ortiz (137.9).
Cabrera also has now earned Box-Toppers points in 14 straight seasons. He earned his first points in 2003 with the Marlins. His best year was 2013 with the Tigers when he had 16.9 points, leading AL batters. He also led AL batters in 2009 with the Tigers, when he had 16.5. In 2015, he had 4.7 points with the Tigers, his lowest point total since his 2003 rookie year when he had 3.0.
National League Batter of the Day—Michael Conforto of the Mets homered, doubled and went 3-for-3, scoring three times and driving in a run, in the 5-3 win over the Reds.
This is the second straight day Conforto earned Player of the Game honors. He made his Box-Toppers debut Sunday, April 24, earning Player of the Game honors in the Mets win over the Braves.
Box-Toppers season streaks
Here are the players who have earned Box-Toppers points in the most consecutive seasons. Jason Giambi earned at least 1.0 Box-Toppers point in 19 straight seasons from 1995 to 2013, more than any other player. (Box-Toppers tracking began in 1995.) Players are listed by duration of their streak. Also shown is the duration of their streak and their career Box-Toppers point (BTP) total.| Streak | Player | Pos | Duration | Career BTP |
|
| 1 | 19 | Jason Giambi | 1b | 1995-2013 | 133.4 |
| 2 | 18 | Jim Thome | 1b dh | 1995-2012 | 146.7 |
| 2 | 18 | Chipper Jones | 3b | 1995-2012 | 149.0 |
| 2 | 18 | Johnny Damon | lf | 1995-2012 | 63.0 |
| 2 | 18 | Alex Rodriguez | dh | 1996-2013 | 187.0 |
| 2 | 18 | Carlos Beltran* | rf | 1999-2016 | 99.9 |
| 7 | 17 | Mariano Rivera | pi cp | 1995-2011 | 126.4 |
| 7 | 17 | Derek Jeter | ss | 1996-2012 | 76.4 |
| 7 | 17 | Paul Konerko | 1b | 1998-2014 | 100.7 |
| 7 | 17 | Tim Hudson | pi sp | 1999-2015 | 157.0 |
| 7 | 17 | Torii Hunter | cf | 1999-2015 | 115.9 |
| 12 | 16 | Manny Ramirez | lf | 1995-2010 | 167.2 |
| 12 | 16 | Andy Pettitte | pi sp | 1995-2010 | 138.5 |
| 12 | 16 | Jamie Moyer | pi sp | 1995-2010 | 104.0 |
| 12 | 16 | Scott Rolen | 3b | 1996-2011 | 97.6 |
| 12 | 16 | Kevin Millwood | pi sp | 1997-2012 | 108.3 |
| 12 | 16 | Derek Lowe | pi sp | 1998-2013 | 91.5 |
| 12 | 16 | David Ortiz* | dh | 2000-2015 | 137.9 |
| 12 | 16 | Aramis Ramirez | 3b | 2000-2015 | 105.8 |
| 12 | 16 | Mark Buehrle* | pi sp | 2000-2015 | 116.7 |
| 12 | 16 | Albert Pujols* | dh 1b | 2001-2016 | 175.3 |
* Active streak
Streak—Albert Pujols of the Angels has now earned Box-Toppers points in 16 straight seasons after earning Player of the Game honors Monday.
The 16-year streak is tied for the 12th-longest streak in Box-Toppers history (since 1995) with nine other players.
Pujols (2HR 2-4 3R 2BI in the 6-1 win over the Royals) earned his first Box-Toppers point in 2001 with the Cardnals. His best year was 2009 with the Cardinals, when he had 16.7 Box-Toppers points to lead NL batters. Pujols led NL batters five times, the most a batter has led his league in Box-Toppers points since 1995:
- 2003—16.5
- 2004—15.9
- 2008—15.2
- 2009—16.7
- 2010—15.4
In 2015, Pujols had 7.0 Box-Toppers points with the Angels, ranked 20th among AL batters.
Pujols, earning 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game Monday, now has 175.3 career Box-Toppers points, maintaining his rank of sixth place among all players since Box-Toppers tracking began in 1995. He trails fifth-place player, Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia (179.0). Pujols ranks second among all batters, behind Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees (187.0).
Scoring—Archer earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Locke earns 1.7 points for being NL Player of the Day. Cabrera and Conforto each earn 1.5 points for being their league’s Batter of the Day. All of Monday’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.
Top player from each game
Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score
| 4/25 | Score | Team | Player | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
| MLB | 11.2 | Rays | Chris Archer (W,1-4) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| 9.0 | Mariners | Taijuan Walker (W,2-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11 | ||
| 9.0 | Yankees | Nathan Eovaldi (W,1-2) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | ||
| NL | 7.0 | Pirates | Jeff Locke (W,1-2) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | |
| 6.1 | Red Sox | Rick Porcello (W,4-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | ||
| BAT | 6.0 | Tigers | Miguel Cabrera, 1B | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| BAT | 4.0 | Mets | Michael Conforto, LF | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 3.2 | Giants | Madison Bumgarner (W,2-2) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.2 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | ||
| 3.1 | White Sox | Zach Putnam (W,1-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 3.0 | Dbacks | Chris Owings, CF | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 3.0 | Angels | Albert Pujols, 1B | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.1 | `Twins | Trevor May | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2.0 | Marlins | Giancarlo Stanton, RF | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| `Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save. | ||||||||||||||||
Box-Toppers point totals of the day’s top players
Here are Box-Toppers point totals of each of the Players of the Game. Players are ranked by their Box-Toppers point total for the current season (16). Also shown are each players’ Box-Toppers point total for this season and last (15-16), the period 2011-2016 (11-16) and each players’ career point total. Also shown is how their 2016 Box-Toppers point total compares with their 2015 total (+/-).| Player | Pos | Team | 16 | 15-16 | 11-16 | Career | +/- |
| Walker, Taijuan 3453 | pi sp | sea al | 2.7 | 16.4 | 16.4 | 16.4 | -11.0 |
| Conforto, Michael 3622 | lf | nym nl | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| Archer, Chris 3194 | pi sp | tb al | 2.0 | 18.0 | 42.1 | 42.1 | -14.0 |
| Porcello, Rick 2573 | pi sp | bos al | 2.0 | 6.0 | 27.7 | 36.7 | -2.0 |
| Locke, Jeff 3133 | pi sp | pit nl | 1.7 | 7.7 | 19.1 | 19.1 | -4.3 |
| Cabrera, Miguel 1776 | 1b | det al | 1.5 | 6.2 | 54.8 | 134.4 | -3.2 |
| Bumgarner, Madison 2753 | pi sp | sf nl | 1.0 | 18.0 | 88.0 | 93.7 | -16.0 |
| Pujols, Albert 1438 | 1b dh | ana al | 1.0 | 8.0 | 38.0 | 175.3 | -6.0 |
| Stanton, Giancarlo 2737 | rf | fla nl | 1.0 | 6.5 | 28.2 | 33.7 | -4.5 |
| May, Trevor 3417 | pi mr sp cp | min al | 1.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | -2.0 |
| Eovaldi, Nathan 2928 | pi sp | nyy al | 1.0 | 3.0 | 20.1 | 20.1 | -1.0 |
| Owings, Chris 3347 | cf | ari nl | 1.0 | 2.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 0.0 |
| Putnam, Zach 3426 | pi mr | chi al | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 0.0 |
Cubs' Hammel tops players for Sunday, April 24; Red Sox' Hembree tops AL players
Cubs pitcher Jason Hammel is Sunday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Hammel struck out seven over six scoreless innings, allowing three hits, in the 9-0 win over the Reds. Hammel earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 3.0 for the season, the most of any of Sunday’s Players of the Game. He ranks 14th in season player rankings.
Top 10 players
Here are the top 10 players in Box-Toppers points (BTP) for the 2016 season as of April 24:| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
| 1 | Arrieta, Jake 2738 | pi sp | chi nl | 5.0 |
| 2 | Volquez, Edinson 2220 | pi sp | kc al | 4.4 |
| 3 | Kershaw, Clayton 2494 | pi sp | lad nl | 4.0 |
| 4 | Velasquez, Vince 3611 | pi sp | phi nl | 4.0 |
| 5 | Santiago, Hector 3109 | pi sp | ana al | 3.7 |
| 6 | Latos, Mat 2644 | pi sp | chi al | 3.7 |
| 7 | Davis, Chris 2478 | 1b | bal al | 3.5 |
| 8 | Cano, Robinson 2092 | 2b | sea al | 3.5 |
| 9 | Suarez, Eugenio 3355 | 3b | cin nl | 3.5 |
| 10 | Salazar, Danny 3223 | pi sp | cle al | 3.4 |
American League Player of the Day—Red Sox closing pitcher Heath Hembree pitched three scoreless innings of extra-inning relief, allowing two hits and striking out four, in the 7-5, 12-inning win over the Astros.
This was Hembree’s Box-Toppers debut, the first time in his career he earned Player of the Game honors. Hembree made his Major League debut Sept. 3, 2013, and was playing in his 40th career game. He is the 3,620th player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995.
National League Batter of the Day—Alex Presley of the Brewers hit a two-run, pinch-hit homer in the 8-5 win over the Phillies.
Presley had a Box-Toppers game score of +3, tied with Jason Rogers of the Pirates, who was Player of the Game in the 12-10, 13-inning win over the Diamondbacks (1-1 R 2BI), but Presley won NL Batter of the Day on a tiebreaker—he hit a home run, while Rogers hit a triple.
American League Batter of the Day—Marlon Byrd of the Indians went 2-for-3, scoring once and driving in two runs, in the 6-3 win over the Tigers.
Debuts—In addition to Hembree, two other players made their Box-Toppers debut Sunday, the first time in their career they earned Player of the Game honors:
- Joc Pederson of the Dodgers (HR 1-1 2R BI in the 12-10 win over the Rockies) made his Major League debut Sept. 1, 2014, and was playing in his 187th career game. He is the 3,621st player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995.
- Michael Conforto of the Mets (2B 1-3 2BI in the 3-2 win over the Braves) made his Major League debut July 24, 2015, and was playing in his 72nd career game. He is the 3,622nd player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995.
Scoring—Hammel earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Hembree earns 1.7 points for being AL Player of the Day. Presley and Byrd each 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) 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.
Top player from each game
Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score
| 4/24 | Score | Team | Player | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
| MLB | 8.0 | Cubs | Jason Hammel (W,3-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | |
| AL | 5.0 | Red Sox | Heath Hembree (W,1-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 4.0 | Rays | Drew Smyly (W,1-2) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 4.0 | Royals | Yordano Ventura (W,2-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 4.0 | White Sox | David Robertson (S,7) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 3.2 | `Nationals | Yusmeiro Petit | - | - | - | - | - | - | 4.2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | ||
| 3.2 | Mariners | Nick Vincent (S,1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| BAT | 3.0 | Brewers | Alex Presley, PH-CF | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 3.0 | Pirates | Jason Rogers, 1B | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 3.0 | Dodgers | Joc Pederson, CF | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 3.0 | Cardinals | Kevin Siegrist (W,3-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2.0 | Marlins | J.T. Realmuto, C | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| BAT | 2.0 | Indians | Marlon Byrd, RF | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 2.0 | Blue Jays | Roberto Osuna (S,6) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 0.0 | Mets | Michael Conforto, LF | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| `Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save. | ||||||||||||||||
Box-Toppers point totals of the day’s top players
Here are Box-Toppers point totals of each of the Players of the Game. Players are ranked by their Box-Toppers point total for the current season (16). Also shown are each players’ Box-Toppers point total for this season and last (15-16), the period 2011-2016 (11-16) and each players’ career point total. Also shown is how their 2016 Box-Toppers point total compares with their 2015 total (+/-).| Player | Pos | Team | 16 | 15-16 | 11-16 | Career | +/- |
| Hammel, Jason 2235 | pi sp | chi nl | 3.0 | 12.7 | 36.1 | 49.2 | -6.7 |
| Smyly, Drew 3009 | pi sp | tb al | 3.0 | 9.0 | 31.1 | 31.1 | -3.0 |
| Osuna, Roberto 3512 | pi cp | tor al | 3.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | -1.0 |
| Ventura, Yordano 3294 | pi sp | kc al | 2.0 | 13.7 | 23.4 | 23.4 | -9.7 |
| Robertson, David 2774 | pi cp | chi al | 2.0 | 10.0 | 22.0 | 23.0 | -6.0 |
| Siegrist, Kevin 3260 | pi mr | stl nl | 2.0 | 6.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | -2.0 |
| Petit, Yusmeiro 2337 | pi mr sp | dc nl | 2.0 | 2.0 | 9.0 | 18.7 | 2.0 |
| Hembree, Heath 3620 | pi cp | bos al | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 |
| Byrd, Marlon 1751 | rf | cle al | 1.5 | 6.5 | 15.5 | 40.0 | -3.5 |
| Presley, Alex 2900 | cf ph | mil nl | 1.5 | 1.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 1.5 |
| Realmuto, J.T. 3491 | ca | fla nl | 1.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | -4.0 |
| Rogers, Jason 3602 | 3b | pit nl | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 |
| Vincent, Nick 3203 | pi cp | sea al | 1.0 | 1.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 1.0 |
| Conforto, Michael 3622 | lf | nym nl | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Pederson, Joc 3621 | cf | lad nl | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
Royals' Ryan Madson, with perfect 7th inning, tops players in World Series Game 4, Saturday, Oct. 31
Royals pitcher Ryan Madson pitched a perfect seventh inning, striking out two and picking up the win, to earn Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors Saturday in World Series Game 4.
The Kansas City Royals came from behind, scoring three runs in the eighth inning, to beat the New York Mets, 5-3. The Royals take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven game series.
Madson entered the game with the Royals trailing 3-2 and retired the side on 16 pitches, striking out Travis d’Arnaud of Michael Conforto, who had homered in his previous two at bats. After Madson exited, the Royals scored three runs in the eighth, making Madson the pitcher of record and allowing him to pick up the win.
Madson had a Box-Toppers game score of +3.0, highest among Royals players. Closer Wade Davis, who pitched two innings to earn the save, was leading Madson in the ninth inning in Box-Toppers game score until he gave up two hits. Davis had the second-highest Box-Toppers game score among Royals of +2.0.
Catcher Salvador Perez had the highest Box-Toppers game score among Royals batters of +1.0 (2B 3-4 R BI).
Madson, during the regular season, had 0.0 Box-Toppers points. In fact, Madson has not earned Box-Toppers points since the last time he was Player of the Game more than four years ago—May 30, 2011, when he was with the Phillies. Madson has 20.7 career Box-Toppers points from 2004 to 2011, all with the Phillies.
Royals starting pitcher Chris Young had a Box-Toppers game score of 0.0 (4IP 2H 2R BB 3K ND). Mets starting pitcher Steven Matz had a Box-Toppers game score of −1.0. (5IP 7H 2R 5K ND).
Left fielder Michael Conforto had the highest Box-Toppers game score among Mets players of +3.0 (2HR 2-3 2R 2BI). Mets middle reliever Tyler Clippard, who picked up the loss pitching in the eighth inning, had the lowest Box-Toppers game score of the night of −5.9 (0.1IP 0H 2R 2BB 0K L).
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.
Top Royals in World Series Game 4
Here are the Box-Toppers game score of all Royals who played in World Series Game 4 listed from highest-to-lowest Box-Toppers game score (pitchers are listed twice—once for batting and once for pitching). Ryan Madson is Player of the Game (POG).
| 10/31 | Score | Team | Players | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
| POG | 3.0 | Royals | Ryan Madson (W,2-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2.0 | Royals | Wade Davis (S,4) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1.0 | Royals | Salvador Perez, C | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1.0 | Royals | Luke Hochevar | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 0.0 | Royals | Lorenzo Cain, CF | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 0.0 | Royals | Ben Zobrist, 2B | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 0.0 | Royals | Kendrys Morales, PH | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 0.0 | Royals | Chris Young | - | - | - | - | - | - | 4.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||
| 0.0 | Royals | Danny Duffy, P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 0.0 | Royals | Luke Hochevar, P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 0.0 | Royals | Ryan Madson, P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| -1.0 | Royals | Paulo Orlando, RF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| -1.0 | Royals | Chris Young, P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| -1.0 | Royals | Jarrod Dyson, PH | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| -1.0 | Royals | Wade Davis, P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| -2.0 | Royals | Mike Moustakas, 3B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| -2.0 | Royals | Alex Gordon, LF | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| -2.0 | Royals | Danny Duffy | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| -3.0 | Royals | Eric Hosmer, 1B | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| -3.0 | Royals | Alex Rios, RF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| -4.0 | Royals | Alcides Escobar, SS | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Coming Sunday in New York:
World Series Game 5, Royals lead Mets, 3-1
The pitching match-up Sunday:
Royals—Edinson Volquez, 7.0 Box-Toppers points, 105th among all players, 39th among AL pitchers. Volquez has been Player of the Game once during the postseason—on Oct. 16, he was top player in the American League Championship Series Game 1.
Mets—Matt Harvey, 15.4 Box-Toppers points, ranked 16th among all players, eighth among NL pitchers. Harvey has been Player of the Game once during the postseason—on Oct. 17, he was top player in the National League Championship Series Game 1.
This is a rematch of World Series Game 1, which the Royals won 5-4 in 14 innings. Neither starting pitcher was particularly effective. Volquez had a Box-Toppers game score of −4.0 and Harvey had a Box-Toppers game score of −5.0.
Box-Toppers season-end player rankings report
Box-Toppers point totals of all Royals players active at season's end
Box-Toppers point totals of all Mets players active at season's end