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Though the Washington Nationals are the Wild Card team, they seem to hold most of the advantages over the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Championship Series.
The Nationals have more wins and rank higher in Box-Toppers team rankings than the NL Central champion Cardinals. Still, the Cardinals have a Box-Toppers point advantage in starting batting lineups, as the teams begin the best-of-seven games series Friday in St. Louis.
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The Houston Astros rocketed to a huge lead in Box-Toppers team rankings this week, mainly due to acquiring Zack Greinke and other players at the July 31 trade deadline.
The Astros lead for the second week, but last week’s narrow lead has exploded to an enormous lead this week, as they gained the most Box-Toppers points of any team in the past week.
Read MoreDodgers pitcher Rich Hill is Sunday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day, the final day of the regular season.
Also Sunday, Indians pitcher Carlos Carrasco maintains his seventh-place spot in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors.
Plus, J.D. Martinez of the Red Sox extended his lead in 2018 Box-Toppers points among American League batters after earning Player of the Game honors.
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Nationals pitcher Joe Ross is Friday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Friday, Albert Pujols rose to sixth place in Box-Toppers points among all players since 1995 after earning Player of the Game honors.
Player of the Day—Ross struck out 11 over 7 1/3 innings, allowing one run, in the 4-1 win over the Pirates.
| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
| 1 | Hernandez, Felix 2064 | pi sp | sea al | 13.4 |
| 2 | Cole, Gerrit 3232 | pi sp | pit nl | 12.0 |
| 3 | Scherzer, Max 2588 | pi sp | dc nl | 11.0 |
| 4 | Archer, Chris 3194 | pi sp | tb al | 11.0 |
| 5 | Sale, Chris 2806 | pi sp | chi al | 10.4 |
| 6 | Price, David 2593 | pi sp | det al | 10.1 |
| 7 | deGrom, Jacob 3343 | pi sp | nym nl | 9.7 |
| 8 | Martinez, Carlos 3371 | pi sp | stl nl | 9.7 |
| 9 | Harvey, Matt 3075 | pi sp | nym nl | 9.7 |
| 10 | Gray, Sonny 3259 | pi sp | oak al | 9.4 |
American League Player of the Day—Mariners pitcher Roenis Elias struck out 10 over seven innings, allowing two runs, in the 5-2 win over the Astros.
American League Batter of the Day—Albert Pujols of the Angels hit a grand slam and doubled, going 2-for-5, scoring three times and driving in five runs, in the 12-7 win over the Athletics.
Pujols earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being AL Batter of the Day, giving him 171.3 career points. Pujols rises to sixth place among all players since 1995, when Box-Toppers record keeping began, passing Roy Halladay (170.7). Pujols trails fifth-place player CC Sabathia (175.3). Pujols is the second-ranked batter on Box-Toppers “all-time” list, trailing Alex Rodriguez (183.8 Box-Toppers points).
Pujols has 4.0 Box-Toppers points on the season, ranked 13th among AL batters.
National League Batter of the Day—Buster Posey of the Giants his a grand slam and went 3-for-4, scoring twice and driving in four runs, in the 9-5 win over the Dodgers.
Notable—Tyler Lyons of the Cardinals became the third pitcher this season to earn Player of the Game honors for batting (2-2 3R BI in the 12-4 win over the Phillies).
Debut—Shane Peterson of the Brewers made his Box-Toppers debut Friday, the first time in his career he earned Player of the Game honors. Peterson (3-4 2R 2BI in the 9-5 win over the Rockies) made his Major League debut April 16, 2013, and was playing in his 17th career game. He is the 3,508th player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995.
Scoring—Ross earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Elias earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day. Pujols and Posey each earn 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being their league’s 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
| 6/19 | Score | Team | Player | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
| MLB | 9.1 | Nationals | Joe Ross (W, 2-1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11 | |
| AL | 9.0 | Mariners | Roenis Elias (W, 4-4) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 10 | |
| 9.0 | Reds | Mike Leake (W, 4-4) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | ||
| 8.0 | Twins | Phil Hughes (W, 5-6) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 6.0 | Blue Jays | Marco Estrada (W, 5-3) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | ||
| BAT | 5.0 | Angels | Albert Pujols 1B | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| BAT | 5.0 | Giants | Buster Posey C | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 4.0 | Yankees | Brett Gardner LF | 5 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 4.0 | Cardinals | Tyler Lyons P | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 4.0 | Rangers | Colby Lewis (W, 7-3) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | ||
| 3.0 | Brewers | Shane Peterson LF | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 3.0 | Braves | Jason Grilli (S, 19) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2.1 | Red Sox | Eduardo Rodriguez (W, 3-1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | ||
| 2.0 | Dbacks | Rubby De La Rosa (W, 6-3) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | ||
| 1.0 | Rays | Steven Souza Jr. RF | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Angels pitcher Matt Shoemaker is Tuesday’s Player of the Day, while Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka takes the overall Box-Toppers points lead.
Shoemaker struck out 10 over eight innings in the 9-3 win over the Indians. Shoemaker and Mariners pitcher Roenis Elias, Player of the Game in his team’s win over the Padres, had identical Box-Toppers game scores of 8.0, but Shoemaker earned Player of the Day on a tie-breaker—he had more innings pitched (eight vs. seven).
Tanaka rises from second to first in Box-Toppers season player rankings for the first time after earning Player of the Game honors Tuesday (see the updated top 10 player list on the home page). Tanaka struck out 10 over six innings in the 3-1 win over the Blue Jays. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 12.7 for the season. He passes previous Box-Toppers points leader, Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals (12.0), who had held the lead since May 25. Tanaka maintains his Box-Toppers points lead among American League pitchers.
Jonathan Lucroy of the Brewers is National League Player of the Day. Lucroy hit two homers, including a grand slam and went 3-for-5 in the 7-5 win over the Diamondbacks.
Derek Norris of the Athletics is AL Batter of the Day. Norris homered, went 2-for-2 and drove in five runs in the 10-6 win over the Rangers.
Shoemaker receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Lucroy receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Norris receives 1.5 for being AL Batter of the Day.
All of Tuesday’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 Tuesday, 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
| 617 | Score | Team | Player | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | 8.0 | Angels | Matt Shoemaker (W, 4-1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 10 | |
| 8.0 | Mariners | Roenis Elias (W, 6-5) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 7.0 | Yankees | Masahiro Tanaka (W, 11-1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 | ||
| BAT | 6.0 | Athletics | Derek Norris PH, C | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 5.1 | Red Sox | Jon Lester (W, 8-7) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||
| NL | 5.0 | Brewers | Jonathan Lucroy C | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 4.0 | Cardinals | Michael Wacha (W, 5-5) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | ||
| 3.0 | Orioles | Steve Pearce DH | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | Nationals | Anthony Rendon 3B | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | White Sox | Dayan Viciedo RF | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | Dodgers | Carlos Triunfel SS | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2.0 | Phillies | Kyle Kendrick (W, 3-6) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 1.0 | Royals | Alcides Escobar SS | 5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1.0 | Reds | Billy Hamilton CF | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1.0 | Marlins | Garrett Jones 1B | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Mariners pitcher Roenis Elias is Thursday’s Player of the Day. Elias struck out 10 over seven innings in the 4-2 win over the Yankees.
Rockies pitcher Juan Nicasio is National League Player of the Day. Nicasio pitched seven scoreless innings in the 7-4 win over the Mets.
Sean Rodriguez of the Rays is American League Batter of the Day. Rodriguez homered, doubled and went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs in the 6-5 win over the Red Sox.
Bryan Pena of the Reds is NL Batter of the Day. Pena hit a pinch-hit two-run homer in the 8-3 win over the Brewers.
Elias receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Nicasio receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Rodriguez and Pena each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.
All of Thursday’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
| 501 | Score | Team | Player | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | 6.0 | Mariners | Roenis Elias (W, 2-2) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 10 | |
| NL | 5.0 | Rockies | Juan Nicasio (W, 3-1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| BAT | 4.0 | Rays | Sean Rodriguez LF, 2B | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 3.2 | Dodgers | Chris Perez (S, 1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 3.1 | Blue Jays | Aaron Loup (S, 1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| BAT | 3.0 | Reds | Brayan Pena PH | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 3.0 | Dodgers | Jamey Wright (W, 2-1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 3.0 | Marlins | Mike Dunn (W, 3-3) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2.2 | `Orioles | Darren O`Day | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2.0 | Rays | David DeJesus DH | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1.1 | Orioles | Tommy Hunter (S, 7) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.1 | 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.
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.