Marlins' Tom Koehler (8IP 0R ND) tops players for Wednesday, May 7

Marlins pitcher Tom Koehler is Wednesday’s Player of the Day. Koehler pitched eight shutout innings in the 1-0 win over the Mets. Koehler did not pick up the win, earning the no-decision, because he left the game in a scoreless tie.

Blue Jays pitcher Mark Buehrle is American League Player of the Day. Buehrle pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out six in the 10-0 win over the Phillies.

Eric Hosmer of the Royals is AL Batter of the Day. Hosmer went 3-for-4 and drove in four runs in the 8-0 win over the Padres.

DJ LeMahieu of the Rockies is National League Batter of the Day. LeMahieu went 3-for-3 with a triple in the 9-2 win over the Rangers.

Notable: Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright rises to second place in Box-Toppers player standings and now leads NL pitchers after earning Player of the Game honors Wednesday. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) Wainwright (8IP 1R 6K W in the 7-1 win vs. the Braves) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 7.0 for the season. He passes previous NL pitching leader Jose Fernandez of the Marlins (7.0). (Both Wainwright and Fernandez have 7.0 Box-Toppers points for 2014, but Wainwright wins the tie-breaker because he has more total points over 2013-14—27.2 vs. 26.0.)

Koehler receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Buehrle receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Hosmer and LeMahieu 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 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.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

507	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	10.0	`Marlins	Tom Koehler	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	2	0	0	1	5
AL	8.0	Blue Jays	Mark Buehrle (W, 6-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	0	0	2	6
	8.0	Athletics	Drew Pomeranz (W, 2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.0	2	0	0	0	5
	5.0	Cardinals	Adam Wainwright (W, 6-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	6	1	1	1	6
	4.1	`Tigers	Joba Chamberlain (H, 6)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.1	0	0	0	0	3
BAT	4.0	Royals	Eric Hosmer 1B	4	1	3	4	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	Red Sox	Koji Uehara (S, 8)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	3
	3.1	Dbacks	Bronson Arroyo (W, 3-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.1	5	1	0	2	4
BAT	3.0	Rockies	DJ LeMahieu 2B	3	2	3	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	White Sox	Paul Konerko DH	3	1	2	3	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Nationals	Rafael Soriano (S, 7)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.2	`Mariners	Danny Farquhar	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.2	0	0	0	1	2
	2.1	Yankees	Vidal Nuno (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.1	4	1	1	1	3
	2.0	Orioles	Adam Jones CF	4	2	2	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Pirates	Travis Snider RF	3	1	2	2	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Indians	Mike Aviles 2B	4	1	3	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Mets' Henderson Alvarez (CG 0R 7K) tops players for Tuesday, May 6

Mets pitcher Henderson Alvarez is Tuesday’s Player of the Day. Alvarez pitched a complete-game shutout and struck out seven in the 3-0 win over the Mets.

Yankees pitcher Hiroki Kuroda is American League Player of the Day. Kuroda struck out eight over 7 2/3 innings in the 4-3 win over the Angels. Kuroda had a no-decision and did not pick up the win because the Angels tied the game 3-3 after he left the game.

Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies is National League Batter of the Day. Gonzalez went 5-for-5 and drove in three runs in the 12-1 win over the Rangers.

Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers is AL Batter of the Day. Cabrera homered, went 4-for-5 and drove in four runs in the 11-4 win over the Astros.

Alvarez receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Kuroda receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Gonzalez and Cabrera each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Tuesday’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.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

506	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	10.0	Marlins	Henderson Alvarez (W, 2-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	6	0	0	0	7
	7.0	Dodgers	Clayton Kershaw (W, 2-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	9	0	0	0	9
AL	6.2	`Yankees	Hiroki Kuroda	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.2	5	3	1	0	8
	6.0	`Red Sox	Andrew Miller	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	0	0	0	0	4
BAT	5.0	Rockies	Carlos Gonzalez LF	5	2	5	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
BAT	5.0	Tigers	Miguel Cabrera 1B	5	2	4	4	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	5.0	`Pirates	Charlie Morton	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	3	1	0	2	3
	5.0	Royals	Wade Davis (W, 2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	1	0	0	0	4
	4.0	`White Sox	Hector Noesi	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.0	4	1	1	1	6
	3.2	Indians	Josh Tomlin (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.2	4	1	1	1	4
	3.1	Dbacks	Evan Marshall (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.1	0	0	0	0	2
	3.0	Braves	David Carpenter (W, 2-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Mariners	Justin Smoak 1B	5	2	2	3	0	2		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.1	Blue Jays	Marcus Stroman (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.1	1	0	0	0	1
	1.0	Orioles	Darren O`Day (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	0

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Tigers' Scherzer, top player for Monday, May 5, takes AL Box-Toppers points lead; Tulowitzki increases overall lead among players

Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer, Monday’s Player of the Day, rises to third place in Box-Toppers player rankings, while Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies increased his lead among players in Box-Toppers points.

Scherzer pitched eight scoreless innings and struck out nine in the 2-0 win over the Astros. Earning 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, Scherzer now has 6.7 Box-Toppers points and is in third place among all players for the season. (See updated top 10 list on the home page.)

Scherzer now leads among all American League players in Box-Toppers points. He passes previous AL leader Chris Colabello of the Twins (5.2) and previous AL pitching leader Martin Perez of the Rangers (5.0). In 2013, Scherzer led all AL players with 18.1 Box-Toppers points.

Tulowitzki increased his season lead in Box-Toppers points after earning National League Player of the Day honors Monday. Tulowitzki  homered twice and went 2-for-3 and drove in four runs in the 8-2 win over the Rangers.

Tulowitzki earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day, giving him 9.1 for the season. In a little over a week, Tulowitzki has earned Player of the Game honors four times, each time earning bonus points for either being NL Player or Batter of the Day. (See updated top 10 list on the home page.)

Tulowitzki has already more than doubled his Box-Toppers points total for 2013 (4.0). Just over a month into the season, he already has his second-highest Box-Toppers point total for a season—his highest point total was 11.5 in 2011.

There is no American League Batter of the Day for Monday because no AL batter earned Player of the Game honors.

Scherzer receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Tulowitzki receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. 

All of Monday’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.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

505	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	13.0	Tigers	Max Scherzer (W, 4-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	3	0	0	1	9
	6.0	Angels	Jered Weaver (W, 3-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	6	1	1	1	7
NL	5.0	Rockies	Troy Tulowitzki SS	3	2	2	4	2	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	5.0	Brewers	Carlos Gomez CF	2	2	2	3	3	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	5.0	`Marlins	Nathan Eovaldi	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	5	3	3	1	10
	4.0	Giants	Buster Posey 1B	4	3	3	2	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	`White Sox	Jose Quintana	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	1	1	1	3	3
	3.0	`Twins	Kyle Gibson	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	2	0	0	3	1
	3.0	`Blue Jays	Aaron Loup (H, 4)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	1	0	0	0	3
	3.0	Nationals	Aaron Barrett (W, 2-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Mariners	Fernando Rodney (S, 8)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	1.0	Cardinals	Matt Carpenter 3B	4	1	2	2	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Padres	Yasmani Grandal C	4	1	1	3	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Giants' Madison Bumgarner (6IP 9K) tops players for Sunday, May 4

Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner is Sunday’s Player of the Day. Bumgarner struck out nine over six innings, allowing only one unearned run in the 4-1 win over the Braves.

Colby Rasmus of the Blue Jays is American League Player of the Day. Rasmus hit a grand slam and went 3-for-4 in the 7-2 win over the Pirates.

Giancarlo Stanton of the Marlins is National League Batter of the Day. Stanton homered twice and drove in three runs in the 5-4 win over the Dodgers.

Bumgarner receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Rasmus receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Stanton receives 1.5 for being NL Batter of the Day.

All of Sunday’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.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

504	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	10.0	Giants	Madison Bumgarner (W, 3-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	3	1	0	1	9
AL	5.0	Blue Jays	Colby Rasmus CF	4	2	3	4	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	Rangers	Prince Fielder 1B	4	3	3	2	2	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
BAT	4.0	Marlins	Giancarlo Stanton RF	3	2	2	3	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	Mets	Dillon Gee (W, 3-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	6	0	0	1	5
	4.0	Cardinals	Kevin Siegrist (W, 1-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1	0	0	0	0	3
	3.1	Phillies	Roberto Hernandez (W, 2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.1	4	0	0	3	3
	3.0	Twins	Kurt Suzuki C	3	0	3	3	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Rays	Wil Myers RF	5	1	2	4	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Mariners	John Buck C	4	2	3	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	White Sox	Dayan Viciedo RF	4	1	2	3	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Tigers	Torii Hunter RF	5	0	3	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Reds	Brandon Phillips 2B	4	2	2	1	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Athletics	Josh Donaldson 3B	2	2	1	0	3	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	0.0	Padres	Rene Rivera C	4	0	2	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

Red Sox' Jon Lester (8IP 1H 0R 15K) tops players for Saturday, May 3

Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester is Saturday’s Player of the Day. Lester pitched eight scoreless innings, giving up just one hit and striking out 15 in the 6-3 win over the Athletics.

Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto is National League Player of the Day. Cueto struck out 10 over eight innings in the 6-2 win over the Brewers.

Joe Mauer of the Twins is American League Batter of the Day. Mauer hit a three-run homer and went 3-for-4, driving in four, in the 6-1 win over the Orioles.

Dee Gordon of the Dodgers is NL Batter of the Day. Gordon went 5-for-6 and drove in two runs in the 9-7, 11-inning win over the Marlins.

Lester receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Cueto receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Mauer and Gordon each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Saturday’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.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

503	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	20.0	Red Sox	Jon Lester (W, 3-4)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	1	0	0	2	15
NL	10.0	Reds	Johnny Cueto (W, 3-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	3	2	2	1	10
	9.0	Tigers	Drew Smyly (W, 2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	2	0	0	2	6
	9.0	Dbacks	Brandon McCarthy (W, 1-5)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	0	0	1	6
	8.1	Indians	Justin Masterson (W, 1-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.1	4	0	0	1	6
	6.1	`Cubs	Jake Arrieta	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.1	4	0	0	2	7
	6.0	Phillies	A.J. Burnett (W, 2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	3	1	1	2	7
BAT	5.0	Twins	Joe Mauer 1B	4	2	3	4	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.1	Mariners	Fernando Rodney (S, 7)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.1	0	0	0	0	2
BAT	3.0	Dodgers	Dee Gordon 2B	6	2	5	2	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Rockies	Charlie Culberson PH	1	1	1	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Angels	Howie Kendrick 2B	5	2	4	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Yankees	Jacoby Ellsbury CF	4	2	3	1	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Pirates	Jordy Mercer PH	1	0	1	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Giants	Sergio Romo (S, 9)	-	-	-	-	-	-		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.

Orioles' Jimenez tops players for Friday, May 2; Tulowitzki takes lead in Box-Toppers player rankings

Orioles pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez is Friday’s Player of the Day, while Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies takes the lead in season Box-Toppers player rankings.

Jimenez pitched 7 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out 10 in the 3-0 win over the Twins.

Tulowitzki now has more Box-Toppers points than any other player this season after earning National League Batter of the Day honors Friday. Tulowitzki went 3-for-4 and drove in three runs in the 10-3 win over the Mets. He earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being NL Batter of the Day, giving him 7.4 for the season. He rises from third to first place in Box-Toppers season player rankings, passing previous leader Jose Fernandez of the Marlins (7.0). (See the updated top 10 list on the home page.)

Diamondbacks pitcher Bronson Arroyo is NL Player of the Day. Arroyo pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out six in the 2-0 win over the Padres.

Dustin Pedroia of the Red Sox is American League Batter of the Day. Pedroia hit a grand slam and went 2-for-3 in the 7-1 win over the Athletics.

Jimenez receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Arroyo receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Pedroia and Tulowitzki each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

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.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

502	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	13.1	Orioles	Ubaldo Jimenez (W, 1-4)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.1	3	0	0	1	10
	10.0	Brewers	Wily Peralta (W, 4-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	3	0	0	2	7
NL	9.0	Dbacks	Bronson Arroyo (W, 2-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	0	0	1	6
	6.0	Marlins	Tom Koehler (W, 3-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	0	0	2	4
BAT	5.0	Red Sox	Dustin Pedroia 2B	3	2	2	4	2	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	5.0	Tigers	Rick Porcello (W, 4-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	2	2	0	6
BAT	4.0	Rockies	Troy Tulowitzki SS	4	2	3	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	Cubs	Anthony Rizzo 1B	3	2	2	3	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Indians	Michael Brantley LF	5	2	3	3	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Astros	Anthony Bass (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	0	0	0	0	1
	3.0	`Rays	David Price	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	8	2	2	0	8
	2.0	Rangers	Shin-Soo Choo LF	4	1	3	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Pirates	Neil Walker 2B	4	3	3	0	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Nationals	Tyler Moore LF, 1B	4	2	2	1	0	2		-	-	-	-	-	-
	0.0	Giants	Michael Morse LF	4	1	2	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez rises to top of Box-Toppers player rankings

Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez rose to the top of Box-Toppers player rankings this week.

Fernandez has 7.0 Box-Toppers points for the season and has risen from third place last week. Fernandez, who also tops National League pitchers in Box-Toppers points, passed last week’s NL pitching leader, Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals (6.0, second place overall).

Top players

Through Thursday, May 1

	OVERALL LEADERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Fernandez, Jose 3147	pi sp	fla nl	7.0
2	Wainwright, Adam 2150	pi sp	stl nl	6.0
3	Tulowitzki, Troy 2308	ss	col nl	5.9
4	Greinke, Zack 1871	pi sp	lad nl	5.4
5	Colabello, Chris 3235	1b dh rf	min al	5.2
6	Strasburg, Stephen 2736	pi sp	dc nl	5.0
7	Perez, Martin 3213	pi sp	tex al	5.0
8	Hammel, Jason 2235	pi sp	chi nl	5.0
9	Scherzer, Max 2588	pi sp	det al	4.7
10	Freeman, Freddie 2887	1b	atl nl	4.7
	AL PITCHERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Perez, Martin 3213	pi sp	tex al	5.0
2	Scherzer, Max 2588	pi sp	det al	4.7
3	Chavez, Jesse 2780	pi sp	oak al	4.7
4	Tanaka, Masahiro 3305	pi sp	nyy al	4.7
5	Hernandez, Felix 2064	pi sp	sea al	4.4
6	Kazmir, Scott 1947	pi sp	oak al	4.0
7	Lackey, John 1640	pi sp	bos al	4.0
8	Darvish, Yu 3003	pi sp	tex al	3.7
9	Ventura, Yordano 3294	pi sp	kc al	3.7
10	McHugh, Collin 3316	pi sp	hou al	3.4
	AL BATTERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Colabello, Chris 3235	1b dh rf	min al	5.2
2	Rodriguez, Sean 2729	lf 1b 2b ph	tb al	3.5
3	Abreu, Jose 3308	1b dh	chi al	3.5
4	Murphy, David 2348	rf	cle al	3.0
5	Ramirez, Alexei 2537	ss	chi al	3.0
6	Donaldson, Josh 3144	3b	oak al	2.5
7	Aybar, Erick 2416	ss	ana al	2.5
8	Hunter, Torii 1190	rf	det al	2.5
9	Seager, Kyle 3031	3b	sea al	2.5
10	Semien, Marcus 3302	2b	chi al	2.5
	NL PITCHERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Fernandez, Jose 3147	pi sp	fla nl	7.0
2	Wainwright, Adam 2150	pi sp	stl nl	6.0
3	Greinke, Zack 1871	pi sp	lad nl	5.4
4	Strasburg, Stephen 2736	pi sp	dc nl	5.0
5	Hammel, Jason 2235	pi sp	chi nl	5.0
6	Teheran, Julio 3176	pi sp	atl nl	4.0
7	Gonzalez, Gio 2626	pi sp	dc nl	4.0
8	Santana, Ervin 2005	pi sp	atl nl	4.0
9	Ryu, Hyun-Jin 3139	pi sp	lad nl	4.0
10	Cashner, Andrew 2807	pi sp	sd nl	4.0
	NL BATTERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Tulowitzki, Troy 2308	ss	col nl	5.9
2	Freeman, Freddie 2887	1b	atl nl	4.7
3	Braun, Ryan J. 2300	rf	mil nl	4.5
4	Duda, Lucas 2818	1b lf	nym nl	3.5
5	Stanton, Giancarlo 2737	rf	fla nl	3.2
6	Ruiz, Carlos 2282	ca	phi nl	3.0
7	Alvarez, Pedro 2817	3b	pit nl	2.5
8	Davis, Ike 2715	1b ph	pit nl	2.5
9	Gonzalez, Adrian 2193	1b	lad nl	2.0
10	Upton, Justin 2411	lf	atl nl	2.0

BTP: Box-Toppers points

Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies is the top National League batter in Box-Toppers points with 5.9—he is in third place overall. Tulowitzki passed last week’s NL batting leader, Ryan Braun of the Brewers (4.5).

Chris Colabello of the Twins is top American League batter in Box-Toppers points with 5.2. Last week’s overall leader, Colabello fell to fifth place overall this week.

Rangers pitcher Martin Perez remains top AL pitcher with 5.0 Box-Toppers points. He fell from fourth place overall last week to seventh place this week.

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.

What are those numbers after players' names?

Oakland Athletics supplant Milwaukee Brewers atop Box-Toppers weekly team power rankings

The Oakland Athletics have risen to top Box-Toppers team power rankings for the week.

Athletics players have accumulated 22.7 Box-Toppers points this season, including an American League-high 6.0 points during the past week, to rise from third place last week. This is the third straight week the Athletics have been the top AL team but the first week they have taken the overall points lead.

Top 10 teams

Here are Box-Toppers' Top 10 teams, through the games of Thursday, May 1. The column BTP shows the number of Box-Toppers points players on the team have accumulated so far this season. The column BTP/wk shows have many points teams have accumulated during the past week.

501	Teams	BTP	BTP/ wk	Last week  rank
1	Athletics	22.7	6.0	3
2	Brewers	22.2	4.0	1
3	Rockies	22.1	6.9	6
4	Dodgers	21.4	4.0	2
5	Marlins	20.4	5.7	10
6	Braves	19.7	3.5	5
7	Nationals	19.5	6.0	15
8	White Sox	18.5	3.5	8
9	Giants	18.0	5.0	18
10	Cardinals	18.0	3.0	9

BTP: Box-Toppers points

The Athletics, who have the best record in the AL (.643), are led by pitchers Jesse Chavez (4.7 Box-Toppers points) and Scott Kazmir (4.0).

Last week’s top team, the Milwaukee Brewers, fall to second place overall, but still lead all National League teams, with 22.2 Box-Toppers points. The Brewers, who have the best record in all of baseball (.690) are led by right fielder Ryan Braun (4.5 Box-Toppers points) and pitcher Yovani Gallardo (3.0).

The Colorado Rockies are the hottest team of the past week, picking up 6.9 Box-Toppers points. They have 22.1 overall points, rising from sixth place last week to third place this week, only 0.1 behind the Brewers.

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.

Mariners' Roenis Elias (7IP 10K) tops players for Thursday, May 1

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.

Top player from each game

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.

Athletics' Jesse Chavez (7IP 0R 8K) tops players for Wednesday, April 30

Athletics pitcher Jesse Chavez is Wednesday’s Player of the Day. Chavez pitched seven scoreless innings, giving up only one hit and striking out eight in the 12-1 win over the Rangers.

Marlins pitcher Nathan Eovaldi is National League Player of the Day. Eovaldi allowed one run over seven innings in the 9-3 win over the Braves.

Anthony Rizzo of the Cubs is NL Batter of the Day. Rizzo hit a two-run homer and scored three runs in the 9-4 win over the Reds.

There is no American League Batter of the Day for Wednesday because no AL batter earned Player of the Game honors.

Notables: Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke rises to fourth place among players in Box-Toppers points for the season. Greinke (6IP 1R 6K W in 6-4 win vs. Twins) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 5.4 for the season. (See the updated top 10 list on the home page.)

Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer rises to ninth place among players in Box-Toppers points for the season. Scherzer (6IP 0R 7K W in 5-1 win vs. White Sox) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 4.7 for the season. (See the updated top 10 list on the home page.)

Chavez receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Eovaldi receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Rizzo receives 1.5 for being NL Batter of the Day.

All of Wednesday’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.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

430	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	13.0	Athletics	Jesse Chavez (W, 2-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	1	0	0	1	8
	11.0	Angels	C.J. Wilson (W, 4-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	2	1	1	1	8
NL	6.0	Marlins	Nathan Eovaldi (W, 2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	1	1	1	5
	6.0	Tigers	Max Scherzer (W, 3-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	4	0	0	3	7
	5.2	Giants	Tim Hudson (W, 4-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.2	5	2	2	0	6
	5.1	Nationals	Jordan Zimmermann (W, 2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.1	7	0	0	1	7
BAT	5.0	Cubs	Anthony Rizzo 1B	1	3	1	2	4	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	5.0	`Royals	Yordano Ventura	-	-	-	-	-	-		5.0	2	0	0	2	4
	3.0	Cardinals	Allen Craig RF	5	1	4	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Dodgers	Zack Greinke (W, 5-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	7	1	0	1	6
	2.0	Dbacks	Martin Prado 3B	4	1	3	2	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Marlins' Jose Fernandez (8IP 0R 8K) tops players for Tuesday, April 29, rises to top of Box-Toppers standings; Tulowitzki takes NL batting lead

Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez is Tuesday’s Player of the Day and rises to the top of Box-Toppers season player rankings.

Meanwhile, Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies takes the Box-Toppers points lead among National League batters.

Fernandez pitched eight shutout innings, striking out eight and giving up only two hits, in the 9-0 win over the Braves. Fernandez receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 7.0 for the season, passing previous Box-Toppers points leader, Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals (6.0). (See the updated top 10 list on the home page.)

Tulowitzki rises to third place in Box-Toppers player rankings and first among NL batters after earning NL Batter of the Day honors Tuesday. Tulowitzki homered and went 2-for-3 in the 5-4 win over the Diamondbacks. Tulowitzki received 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being NL Batter of the Day, giving him 5.9 for the season. He passes Freddie Freeman of the Braves (4.7) to lead NL batters in Box-Toppers points. It is the second straight day Tulowitzki has earned Player of the Game honors—he was NL Player of the Day on Monday. (See the updated top 10 list on the home page.)

Salvador Perez of the Royals is American League Player of the Day. Perez homered, doubled and drove in four runs in the 10-7 win over the Blue Jays.

Fernandez receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Perez receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Tulowitzki receives 1.5 for being NL 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 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.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

429	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	12.0	Marlins	Jose Fernandez (W, 4-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	2	0	0	2	8
	7.0	Giants	Yusmeiro Petit (W, 2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	3	0	0	0	4
	5.0	Mets	Jon Niese (W, 2-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	1	1	1	5
	5.0	Brewers	Tyler Thornburg (W, 3-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	0	0	0	1	4
AL	4.0	Royals	Salvador Perez C	4	2	2	4	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
BAT	3.0	Rockies	Troy Tulowitzki SS	3	2	2	2	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Athletics	Yoenis Cespedes DH	1	3	1	0	2	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Red Sox	Shane Victorino RF	4	0	4	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Reds	Billy Hamilton CF	4	2	3	1	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Mariners	Dustin Ackley PH, LF	2	1	2	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Tigers	Joe Nathan (S, 5)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	2.0	`Nationals	Gio Gonzalez	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	5	3	3	2	9
	1.0	Angels	Erick Aybar SS	5	1	4	1	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Athletics' Sonny Gray (CG 0R 6K) tops players for Monday, April 28

Athletics pitcher Sonny Gray is Monday’s Player of the Day. Gray pitched a complete game shutout, striking out six, in the 4-0 win over the Rangers.

Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies is National League Player of the Day. Tulowitzki homered, hit two doubles and drove in three runs in the 8-5 win over the Diamondbacks.

Alexei Ramirez of the White Sox is American League Batter of the Day. Ramirez went 2-for-3 with a triple and an RBI in the 7-3 win over the Rays.

Gray receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Tulowitzki receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Ramirez receives 1.5 for being AL Batter of the Day.

All of Monday’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.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

428	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	11.0	Athletics	Sonny Gray (W, 4-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	3	0	0	1	6
NL	5.0	Rockies	Troy Tulowitzki SS	3	2	3	3	2	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Padres	Rene Rivera C	5	1	2	5	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Brewers	Lyle Overbay PH	1	1	1	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	`Angels	Tyler Skaggs	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	3	3	1	6
BAT	1.0	White Sox	Alexei Ramirez SS	3	1	2	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Phillies' A.J. Burnett (8IP 0R 8K) tops players for Sunday, April 27; Cards' Wainwright takes Box-Toppers points lead

Phillies pitcher A.J. Burnett is Sunday’s Player of the Day, while Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright takes the season lead among players in Box-Toppers points.

Burnett pitched eight scoreless innings and struck out eight in the 2-0 win over the Diamondbacks.

Wainwright pitched eight scoreless innings and struck out seven in the 7-0 win over the Pirates. He earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 6.0 for the season and rising to the top of Box-Toppers player rankings, passing previous leader Chris Colabello of the Twins (5.2 points). (See updated top 10 rankings on Box-Toppers’ home page.)

Astros pitcher Collin McHugh is American League Player of the Day. McHugh pitched 8 2/3 innings, allowing only one run and striking out seven in the 5-1 win over the Athletics.

Omar Infante of the Royals is AL Batter of the Day. Infante hit a two-run homer and drove in six runs in the 9-3 win over the Orioles.

There is no National League Batter of the Day because no NL batter earned Player of the Game honors Sunday.

Notables: Cubs pitcher Jason Hammel rises to sixth place in Box-Toppers player rankings. Hammel (7IP 0R 7K in 4-0 win vs. Brewers) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 5.0 for the season. (See updated top 10 rankings on Box-Toppers’ home page.)

Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka rises to eighth place in Box-Toppers player rankings. Tanaka (6.1IP 11K ND in 3-2 win vs. Angels) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 4.7 for the season. (See updated top 10 rankings on Box-Toppers’ home page.)

Burnett receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. McHugh receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Infante receives 1.5 for being AL Batter of the Day.

All of Sunday’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.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

427	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	11.0	Phillies	A.J. Burnett (W, 1-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	5	0	0	0	8
	11.0	Padres	Ian Kennedy (W, 2-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	1	1	0	9
	10.0	Cardinals	Adam Wainwright (W, 5-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	3	0	0	2	7
	9.0	Cubs	Jason Hammel (W, 4-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	3	0	0	2	7
	9.0	`Giants	Ryan Vogelsong	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	2	0	0	2	6
AL	8.2	Astros	Collin McHugh (W, 2-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.2	2	1	1	3	7
	8.0	`Braves	Julio Teheran	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	3	0	0	2	5
	7.0	Mets	Dillon Gee (W, 2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	3	0	0	4	6
BAT	6.0	Royals	Omar Infante 2B	3	1	2	6	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	5.1	Blue Jays	R.A. Dickey (W, 2-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.1	5	1	1	0	6
	4.1	`Yankees	Masahiro Tanaka	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.1	5	2	2	4	11
	4.0	White Sox	Jose Abreu DH	4	2	2	4	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	Mariners	Kyle Seager 3B	4	2	2	4	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Rockies	Jorge De La Rosa (W, 2-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	1	1	2	3

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Nationals' Tanner Roark (CG 0R 8K) tops players for Saturday, April 26

Nationals pitcher Tanner Roark is Saturday’s Player of the Day. Roark pitched a complete game shutout and struck out eight in the 4-0 win over the Padres.

Twins pitcher Phil Hughes is American League Player of the Day. Hughes allowed two runs over seven innings and struck out six in the 5-3 win over the Tigers.

John Ryan Murphy of the Yankees is AL Batter of the Day. Murphy went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs in the 4-3 win over the Angels. This was Murphy’s Box-Toppers debut, the first time he has earned Player of the Game honors. He is the 3,321st player to debut on Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995.

Carlos Ruiz of the Phillies is National League Batter of the Day. Ruiz went 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI in the 6-5 win over the Diamondbacks. It is the second time in three days that Ruiz has been NL Batter of the Day—he also earned that honor Thursday.

Roark receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Hughes receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Murphy and Ruiz each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Saturday’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.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

426	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	13.0	Nationals	Tanner Roark (W, 2-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	3	0	0	1	8
	6.2	Brewers	Marco Estrada (W, 2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.2	4	3	3	0	9
	6.0	Braves	David Hale (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	2	1	1	2	4
AL	6.0	Twins	Phil Hughes (W, 2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	2	1	0	6
	6.0	Marlins	Mike Dunn (W, 2-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	0	0	0	0	4
	4.0	`Rays	Brandon Gomes	-	-	-	-	-	-		3.0	0	0	0	0	1
BAT	3.0	Yankees	John Ryan Murphy C	3	1	2	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Red Sox	A.J. Pierzynski C	3	1	1	4	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.2	Astros	Raul Valdes (S, 1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		0.2	0	0	0	0	2
BAT	2.0	Phillies	Carlos Ruiz C	4	2	3	1	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Dodgers	Adrian Gonzalez 1B	3	1	2	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Giants	Gregor Blanco PH	1	1	1	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Rangers	Aaron Poreda (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	1	0	0	1	2
	1.1	Orioles	Zach Britton (W, 3-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		0.1	0	0	0	0	1
	1.0	Pirates	Jose Tabata RF	4	1	3	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Nationals' Stephen Strasburg (7IP 0R 11K) tops players for Friday, April 25, rises to 4th in Box-Toppers player rankings

Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg is Friday’s Player of the Day. Strasburg pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out 11 in the 11-1 win over the Padres.

Strasburg rises to fourth place among players in Box-Toppers points this season. He earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 5.0 for the season. (See updated Top 10 Box-Toppers player rankings for 2014 on the home page.)

Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura is American League Player of the Day. Ventura pitched eight shutout innings and struck out eight in the 5-0 win over the Orioles.

Erick Aybar of the Angels is AL Batter of the Day. Aybar homered, doubled, went 4-for-5, scored four runs and drove in three in the 13-1 win over the Yankees.

Freddie Freeman of the Braves is National League Batter of the Day. Freeman went 3-for-4 and scored twice in the 5-4 win over the Reds.

Freeman rises to sixth place among players in Box-Toppers points for the season. He earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being NL Batter of the Day, giving him 4.7 for the season. (See updated Top 10 Box-Toppers player rankings for 2014 on the home page.) Freeman moves past Ryan Braun of the Brewers (4.5 Box-Toppers points) to take the lead in points this season among NL batters.

Strasburg receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Ventura receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Aybard and Freeman each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

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.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

425	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	9.0	Nationals	Stephen Strasburg (W, 2-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	7	0	0	2	11
AL	7.0	Royals	Yordano Ventura (W, 2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	7	0	0	2	8
	7.0	Dbacks	Josh Collmenter (W, 1-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	4	0	0	0	5
	7.0	`Mets	Zack Wheeler	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	4	1	1	3	10
BAT	6.0	Angels	Erick Aybar SS	5	4	4	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	6.0	White Sox	Jose Abreu 1B	5	2	3	6	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	5.0	Red Sox	Jake Peavy (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	5	1	1	2	7
	5.0	Brewers	Matt Garza (W, 1-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	2	2	1	7
	4.0	Giants	Tim Hudson (W, 3-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	1	1	2	5
	4.0	Cardinals	Trevor Rosenthal (S, 7)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	3
	2.0	Tigers	Torii Hunter RF	5	2	3	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Athletics	Derek Norris PH, C	2	1	2	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
BAT	1.0	Braves	Freddie Freeman 1B	4	2	3	0	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Mariners	Robinson Cano 2B	4	1	2	2	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Rockies	Brandon Barnes PH, RF	1	1	1	0	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Twins' Chris Colabello remains atop Box-Toppers player rankings for second week

Chris Colabello of the Twins remains in first place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the second straight week.

Colabello has 5.2 Box-Toppers points for the season, the same total as last week. He has played first base, designated hitter and right field for the Twins.

Top players

Through Thursday, April 24

	OVERALL LEADERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Colabello, Chris 3235	1b dh rf	min al	5.2
2	Wainwright, Adam 2150	pi sp	stl nl	5.0
3	Fernandez, Jose 3147	pi sp	fla nl	5.0
4	Perez, Martin 3213	pi sp	tex al	5.0
5	Braun, Ryan J. 2300	rf	mil nl	4.5
6	Greinke, Zack 1871	pi sp	lad nl	4.4
7	Hernandez, Felix 2064	pi sp	sea al	4.4
8	Kazmir, Scott 1947	pi sp	oak al	4.0
9	Santana, Ervin 2005	pi sp	atl nl	4.0
10	Ryu, Hyun-Jin 3139	pi sp	lad nl	4.0
	AL PITCHERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Perez, Martin 3213	pi sp	tex al	5.0
2	Hernandez, Felix 2064	pi sp	sea al	4.4
3	Kazmir, Scott 1947	pi sp	oak al	4.0
4	Lackey, John 1640	pi sp	bos al	4.0
5	Scherzer, Max 2588	pi sp	det al	3.7
6	Darvish, Yu 3003	pi sp	tex al	3.7
7	Tanaka, Masahiro 3305	pi sp	nyy al	3.7
8	Sale, Chris 2806	pi sp	chi al	3.0
9	Buehrle, Mark 1407	pi sp	tor al	3.0
10	Soria, Joakim 2258	pi cp	tex al	3.0
	AL BATTERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Colabello, Chris 3235	1b dh rf	min al	5.2
2	Murphy, David 2348	rf	cle al	3.0
3	Donaldson, Josh 3144	3b	oak al	2.5
4	Semien, Marcus 3302	2b	chi al	2.5
5	Lawrie, Brett 2934	3b	tor al	2.5
6	Schoop, Jonathan 3307	3b	bal al	2.5
7	Lowrie, Jed 2437	ss	oak al	2.0
8	Cruz, Nelson Ramon 2224	lf dh	bal al	2.0
9	Plouffe, Trevor 2869	3b	min al	2.0
10	Rodriguez, Sean 2729	1b lf ph	tb al	2.0
	NL PITCHERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Wainwright, Adam 2150	pi sp	stl nl	5.0
2	Fernandez, Jose 3147	pi sp	fla nl	5.0
3	Greinke, Zack 1871	pi sp	lad nl	4.4
4	Santana, Ervin 2005	pi sp	atl nl	4.0
5	Ryu, Hyun-Jin 3139	pi sp	lad nl	4.0
6	Cashner, Andrew 2807	pi sp	sd nl	4.0
7	Hammel, Jason 2235	pi sp	chi nl	4.0
8	Teheran, Julio 3176	pi sp	atl nl	3.0
9	Gonzalez, Gio 2626	pi sp	dc nl	3.0
10	Gallardo, Yovani 2333	pi sp	mil nl	3.0
	NL BATTERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Braun, Ryan J. 2300	rf	mil nl	4.5
2	Duda, Lucas 2818	1b lf	nym nl	3.5
3	Freeman, Freddie 2887	1b	atl nl	3.2
4	Stanton, Giancarlo 2737	rf	fla nl	3.2
5	Tulowitzki, Troy 2308	ss	col nl	2.7
6	Alvarez, Pedro 2817	3b	pit nl	2.5
7	Davis, Ike 2715	1b ph	pit nl	2.5
8	Upton, Justin 2411	lf	atl nl	2.0
9	Utley, Chase 1861	2b	phi nl	2.0
10	Blackmon, Charlie 2891	cf lf	col nl	2.0

BTP: Box-Toppers points

Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright remains the top overall National League player with 5.0 Box-Toppers points. He rises from third place overall last week to second place this week.

Martin Perez of the Rangers is top overall American League pitcher in Box-Toppers points with 5.0. He was not among the AL’s top 10 pitchers last week, but picked up 3.0 points over the past seven days, to shoot to No. 1. He is in fourth place among all players.

Perez passes previous AL pitching leader, Felix Hernandez of the Mariners. Hernandez, with 4.4 Box-Toppers points, fell to second among AL pitchers and is in seventh among all players.

Ryan Braun of the Brewers is the top NL batter with 4.5 Box-Toppers points, in fifth place among all players. Braun passed previous NL batting leader Freddie Freeman of the Braves. Freeman, with 3.2 points, fell to third among NL batters.

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.

What are those numbers after players' names?

Milwaukee Brewers rise from 2nd to 1st in Box-Toppers team rankings

The Milwaukee Brewers, rising to the top of Box-Toppers team power rankings this week, also have the best record of any team in baseball.

Brewers players have accumulated 18.2 Box-Toppers points this season, including 5.5 during the past week, rising from second place to first in the power rankings. At 16-6, the Brewers also have baseball’s best win-loss record.

Top 10 teams

Here are Box-Toppers' Top 10 teams, through the games of Thursday, April 24. The column BTP shows the number of Box-Toppers points players on the team have accumulated so far this season. The column BTP/wk shows have many points teams have accumulated during the past week.

424	Teams	BTP	BTP/wk	Last week rank
1	Brewers	18.2	5.5	2
2	Dodgers	17.4	4.7	3
3	Athletics	16.7	4.5	4
4	Rangers	16.2	6.0	11
5	Braves	16.2	4.0	5
6	Rockies	15.2	4.0	8
7	Yankees	15.1	3.7	7
8	White Sox	15.0	3.5	6
9	Cardinals	15.0	2.0	1
10	Marlins	14.7	6.5	22

BTP: Box-Toppers points

The Brewers are led by right fielder Ryan Braun, who has 4.5 Box-Toppers points (fifth among all players this season) and starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo (3.0 points).

The Oakland Athletics remain the top American League team in Box-Toppers power rankings with 16.7 points. The Athletics are in third place overall, rising from No. 4 last week. The Athletics are led by starting pitchers Scott Kazmir (4.0 Box-Toppers points) and Jesse Chavez (2.7).

The Miami Marlins are the hottest team of the week, picking up 6.5 Box-Toppers points over the past seven days, more than any other team. They rose from 22nd place to 10th with 14.7 Box-Toppers points.

Last week’s No. 1 team, the St. Louis Cardinals, fell to ninth place after picking up the fewest points of any NL team during the past week. Cardinals players earned only 2.0 Box-Toppers points during the week, giving them 15.0 for the season.

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.

Indians' Corey Kluber (CG 1R 11K) tops players for Thursday, April 24

Indians pitcher Corey Kluber is Thursday’s Player of the Day. Kluber pitched a complete game, striking out 11 and allowing only one run in the 5-1 win over the Royals.

Mets pitcher Bartolo Colon is National League Player of the Day. Colon struck out eight over seven innings, allowing only one run, in the 4-1 win over the Cardinals.

Josh Donaldson of the Athletics is American League Batter of the Day. Donaldson homered twice, went 3-for-4 and drove in four runs in the 10-1 win over the Astros.

Carlos Ruiz of the Phillies is NL Batter of the Day. Ruiz went 3-for-3 with two doubles and drove in two runs in the 7-3 win over the Dodgers.

Notable: Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia, in fifth place on Box-Toppers all-time player rankings (record keeping began in 1995) received his first Player of the Game honor since May 31, 2013. Sabathia (6IP 8K W in 14-5 win vs. Red Sox) received 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 173.3 for his career. He is just behind Alex Rodriguez (fourth place, 179.3) on the all-time list and just ahead of Roy Halladay (sixth place, 170.7). Albert Pujols (10th place, 161.3) joined the all-time top 10 earlier this week.

Kluber receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Colon receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Donaldson and Ruiz 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.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

424	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	15.0	Indians	Corey Kluber (W, 2-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	4	1	0	0	11
NL	9.0	Mets	Bartolo Colon (W, 2-3)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	1	1	0	8
	6.2	Dbacks	Mike Bolsinger (W, 1-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.2	4	1	0	2	7
BAT	6.0	Athletics	Josh Donaldson 3B	4	3	3	4	2	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
BAT	4.0	Phillies	Carlos Ruiz C	3	2	3	2	2	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	Tigers	Max Scherzer (W, 2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	7	2	2	1	10
	4.0	Yankees	CC Sabathia (W, 3-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	3	2	2	3	8
	3.0	Twins	Kurt Suzuki C	4	1	3	3	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	3.0	Reds	Tony Cingrani (W, 2-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	6	1	1	2	7
	2.0	Orioles	David Lough LF	4	3	3	0	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	`Padres	Joaquin Benoit	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	1	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.

Red Sox' John Lackey (8IP 1R 11K) tops players for Wednesday, April 23

Red Sox pitcher John Lackey is Wednesday’s Player of the Day. Lackey gave up one run over eight innings and struck out 11 in the 5-1 win over the Yankees.

Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke is National League Player of the Day. Greinke struck out 11 over seven innings in the 5-2 win over the Phillies. Greinke rises to sixth place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season. He earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points, giving him 4.4 for the season. (See updated Top 10 Box-Toppers player rankings for 2014 on the home page.)

Kyle Seager of the Mariners is American League Batter of the Day. Seager hit a two-run homer and then hit a walk-off three-run home run in the 5-3 win over the Astros.

Michael Morse of the Giants is NL Batter of the Day. Morse hit two home runs and drove in four runs in the 12-10, 11-inning win over the Rockies.

Notable: Rangers pitcher Martin Perez rises to fourth place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season. Perez (CG 0R W in 3-0 win vs. Athletics) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 5.0 for the season. (See updated Top 10 Box-Toppers player rankings for 2014 on the home page.)

Lackey receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Greinke receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Seager and Morse 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 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.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

423	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	10.0	Red Sox	John Lackey (W, 3-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	7	1	1	0	11
NL	8.0	Dodgers	Zack Greinke (W, 4-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	5	2	2	1	11
	8.0	`Braves	Aaron Harang	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	6	1	1	1	11
	7.0	Rangers	Martin Perez (W, 4-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	3	0	0	2	3
BAT	6.0	Mariners	Kyle Seager 3B	3	2	2	5	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	5.0	Orioles	Nelson Cruz DH	4	2	2	5	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.1	Twins	Casey Fien (W, 3-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.1	0	0	0	0	2
BAT	4.0	Giants	Michael Morse LF	4	2	2	4	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	4.0	Brewers	Kyle Lohse (W, 4-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	5	2	1	0	5
	4.0	Dbacks	Trevor Cahill (W, 1-4)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	1	0	0	0	3
	2.0	White Sox	Marcus Semien 3B	4	1	1	4	0	2		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Mets	Lucas Duda 1B	3	2	1	1	1	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	1.0	Indians	Lonnie Chisenhall PH, 3B	1	0	1	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	0.0	Reds	Jay Bruce RF	4	1	2	1	0	0		-	-	-	-	-	-
	0.0	Nationals	Danny Espinosa 2B	3	1	2	0	1	0		-	-	-	-	-	-

` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.

Marlins' Jose Fernandez (8IP 0R 14K) tops players for Tuesday, April 22; Pujols hits 500th HR, moves into Box-Toppers all-time top 10 list

Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez is Tuesday’s Player of the Day, while Albert Pujols of the Angels—who hit his 500th career homer—cracked the all-time Box-Toppers Top 10 player rankings.

Fernandez pitched eight scoreless innings, striking out 14, in the 1-0 win over the Braves. He moves up to third place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season. He earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 5.0 for the season. (See updated Top 10 Box-Toppers player rankings for 2014 on the home page.)

Pujols meanwhile earned American League Batter of the Day honors, hitting two home runs—his career 499th and 500th—and drove in five runs in the 7-2 win over the Nationals. 

Pujols earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being AL Batter of the Day, giving him 161.3 for his career. He moves into 10th place on Box-Toppers all-time player rankings (record keeping began in 1995), passing John Smoltz (160.9). This was Pujols’ first Box-Toppers points of the season and the first time he has earned Player of the Game honors since July 25, 2013.

Astros pitcher Collin McHugh is AL Player of the Day. McHugh struck out 12 over 6 2/3 scoreless innings in the 5-2 win over the Mariners. This was McHugh’s Box-Toppers debut, the first time he has earned Player of the Game honors. He is the 3,316th player to debut on Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995.

No National League batter earned Player of the Game honors Tuesday, so there is no NL Batter of the Day.

Notable: Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright moves into second place on Box-Toppers player rankings for the season. Wainwright (7IP 0R W in 3-0 win vs. Mets) earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 5.0 for the season. (See updated Top 10 Box-Toppers player rankings for 2014 on the home page.)

Fernandez receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. McHugh receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Pujols 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 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.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

422	Score	Team	Player	AB	R	H	BI	BB	K		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
MLB	19.0	Marlins	Jose Fernandez (W, 3-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		8.0	3	0	0	0	14
AL	15.2	Astros	Collin McHugh (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.2	3	0	0	0	12
	8.0	Rays	David Price (W, 3-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	6	3	3	1	12
	6.0	Cardinals	Adam Wainwright (W, 4-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	0	0	0	3
BAT	5.0	Angels	Albert Pujols 1B	4	2	2	5	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	5.0	Reds	Johnny Cueto (W, 2-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		9.0	3	1	1	3	4
	5.0	Rockies	Franklin Morales (W, 2-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	5	1	1	2	7
	5.0	Cubs	Jason Hammel (W, 3-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.0	4	1	1	0	4
	5.0	Royals	James Shields (W, 2-2)	-	-	-	-	-	-		6.0	6	2	1	1	9
	3.1	Yankees	Masahiro Tanaka (W, 3-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		7.1	7	2	2	0	7
	2.0	Tigers	Miguel Cabrera 1B	5	1	3	3	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Blue Jays	Brett Lawrie 3B	3	1	1	3	0	1		-	-	-	-	-	-
	2.0	Padres	Donn Roach (W, 1-0)	-	-	-	-	-	-		2.0	1	0	0	1	2
	2.0	Phillies	Antonio Bastardo (W, 3-1)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	1	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Rangers	Joakim Soria (S, 5)	-	-	-	-	-	-		1.0	0	0	0	0	1