Marlins' Eovaldi, Orioles' Hardy top players for Friday, Aug. 8

Shawn Plank August 9, 2014

Marlins pitcher Nathan Eovaldi is Friday’s Player of the Day. Eovaldi pitched eight scoreless innings and struck out six in the 2-1 win over the Reds.

J.J. Hardy of the Orioles is American League Player of the Day. Hardy homered twice, going 2-for-3, with two runs and four RBIs, in the 12-2 win over the Cardinals.

Rickie Weeks of the Brewers is National League Batter of the Day. Weeks hit a three-run homer and scored twice in the 9-3 win over the Dodgers.

Notables: Braves pitcher Craig Kimbrel rises to 19th place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Friday. Kimbrel (1IP 0R 2K Sv in the 7-6 win over the Nationals), earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 11.0 for the season. He ranks seventh among NL pitchers.

Mets pitcher Bartolo Colon rises to 21st place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Friday. Colon (8IP R 6K W in the 5-4 win over the Phillies) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 10.7 for the season. He is the 24th player this season to earn 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points. He ranks eighth in Box-Toppers points among NL pitchers. It is the seventh time in his career he has earned at least 10.0 Box-Toppers points in a single season. He has 133.4 career Box-Toppers points, ranking 21st among all players since 1995, when Box-Toppers record keeping began.

Eovaldi receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Hardy receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Weeks receives 1.5 for being NL Batter of the Day.

All of Friday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

Box-Toppers watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed Friday, 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.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

  
    808
    Score
    Team
    Player
    AB
    R
    H
    BI
    BB
    K
    
    IP
    H
    R
    ER
    BB
    K
  

    MLB
    8.0
    Marlins
    Nathan Eovaldi (W, 6-6)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    8.0
    5
    0
    0
    1
    6
  

    AL
    6.0
    Orioles
    J.J. Hardy   SS
    3
    3
    2
    4
    1
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    6.0
    Mets
    Bartolo Colon (W, 11-9)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    8.0
    6
    1
    1
    0
    6
  

    
    6.0
    Pirates
    Vance Worley (W, 5-1)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    5
    1
    1
    1
    7
  

    BAT
    5.0
    Brewers
    Rickie Weeks   PH, 2B
    1
    2
    1
    3
    1
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    5.0
    Dbacks
    Chase Anderson (W, 7-4)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    6.0
    4
    1
    1
    1
    6
  

    
    4.0
    Yankees
    Carlos Beltran   DH
    5
    2
    2
    5
    0
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    3.2
    Tigers
    Al Alburquerque (W, 3-1)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    1.2
    0
    0
    0
    0
    2
  

    
    3.0
    Astros
    Robbie Grossman   RF
    3
    1
    3
    2
    1
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    3.0
    Royals
    Billy Butler   1B
    3
    1
    2
    3
    0
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    3.0
    Mariners
    Hisashi Iwakuma (W, 10-6)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    5
    1
    1
    0
    3
  

    
    3.0
    `Rays
    Chris Archer
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    6.0
    5
    2
    1
    1
    6
  

    
    3.0
    Braves
    Craig Kimbrel (S, 33)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    1.0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    2
  

    
    2.0
    Athletics
    Coco Crisp   DH
    3
    1
    1
    3
    1
    1
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    0.0
    Red Sox
    Mike Napoli   1B
    3
    1
    1
    1
    1
    2
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

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

Athletics' Jon Lester (CG 0R 8K) tops players for Thursday, Aug. 7

Shawn Plank August 8, 2014

Athletics pitcher Jon Lester is Thursday’s Player of the Day, earning his first Box-Toppers points since being traded from the Red Sox.

Lester pitched a complete game shutout and struck out eight in the 3-0 win over the Twins. He earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 12.0 for the season and moving into 16th place in Box-Toppers player rankings. He ranks 10th among American League pitchers.

Reds pitcher Homer Bailey is National League Player of the Day. Bailey pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out eight in the 4-0 win over the Indians.

Javier Baez of the Cubs is NL Batter of the Day. Baez homered twice and went 3-for-4, scoring twice and driving in four runs, in the 6-2 win over the Rockies. This was Baez’s Box-Toppers debut, the first time he has earned Player of the Game honors. He is the 3,395th player to debut in Box-Toppers since record keeping began in 1995. He made his Major League debut Aug. 5 and was playing in his third game.

Dustin Ackley of the Mariners is AL Batter of the Day. Ackley homered and went 2-for-4, scoring twice and driving in four runs, in the 13-3 win over the White Sox.

Lester receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Bailey receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Baez and Ackley 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 watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed Thursday, click here.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

  
    807
    Score
    Team
    Player
    AB
    R
    H
    BI
    BB
    K
    
    IP
    H
    R
    ER
    BB
    K
  

    MLB
    12.0
    Athletics
    Jon Lester (W, 12-7)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    9.0
    3
    0
    0
    2
    8
  

    NL
    10.0
    Reds
    Homer Bailey (W, 9-5)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    4
    0
    0
    1
    8
  

    
    10.0
    Pirates
    Edinson Volquez (W, 9-7)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    1
    0
    0
    3
    7
  

    
    8.0
    Dodgers
    Hyun-Jin Ryu (W, 13-5)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    2
    0
    0
    1
    4
  

    
    5.2
    Brewers
    Wily Peralta (W, 14-6)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    6.2
    7
    1
    1
    1
    9
  

    BAT
    5.0
    Cubs
    Javier Baez   2B
    4
    2
    3
    4
    0
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    5.0
    Yankees
    Shane Greene (W, 3-1)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    8.0
    5
    0
    0
    3
    5
  

    
    4.0
    Cardinals
    Kolten Wong   2B
    4
    3
    3
    2
    0
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    BAT
    4.0
    Mariners
    Dustin Ackley   LF
    4
    2
    2
    4
    1
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    2.0
    Nationals
    Ian Desmond   SS
    5
    2
    2
    3
    1
    1
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    2.0
    Phillies
    Ryan Howard   1B
    4
    1
    1
    4
    0
    2
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    2.0
    Royals
    Jeremy Guthrie (W, 8-9)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    9.0
    7
    2
    2
    0
    4
  

    
    2.0
    Orioles
    Miguel Gonzalez (W, 6-6)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    6.0
    4
    1
    1
    2
    4
  

Blue Jays' Drew Hutchison (8.2IP R 8K) tops players for Wednesday, Aug. 6

Shawn Plank August 7, 2014

Blue Jays pitcher Drew Hutchison, Wednesday’s Player of the Day, becomes the 23rd player this season with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points.

Hutchison struck out eight over 8 2/3 innings, allowing one run, in the 5-1 win over the Orioles. He earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 11.0 for the season. He ranks 18th among all players and 10th among American League pitchers.

Nationals pitcher Doug Fister is National League Player of the Day. Fister struck out seven over 7 1/3 innings, allowing one unearned run, in the 7-1 win over the Mets.

Corey Dickerson of the Rockies is NL Batter of the Day. Dickerson tripled, doubled and went 4-for-4, scoring three times and driving in three runs, in the 13-4 win over the Cubs.

Mike Moustakas of the Royals is AL Batter of the Day. Moustakas homered, went 2-for-4 and drove in all four of his team’s runs, in the 4-3 win over the Diamondbacks.

Hutchison receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Fister receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Dickerson and Moustakas each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Wednesday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

Box-Toppers watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed Wednesday, click here.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

  
    806
    Score
    Team
    Player
    AB
    R
    H
    BI
    BB
    K
    
    IP
    H
    R
    ER
    BB
    K
  

    MLB
    12.2
    Blue Jays
    Drew Hutchison (W, 8-9)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    8.2
    1
    1
    1
    1
    8
  

    
    7.2
    `Yankees
    Chris Capuano
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    6.2
    5
    1
    0
    1
    8
  

    NL
    7.1
    Nationals
    Doug Fister (W, 11-3)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.1
    6
    1
    0
    0
    7
  

    
    6.1
    Dodgers
    Dan Haren (W, 9-9)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.1
    3
    1
    1
    0
    4
  

    BAT
    6.0
    Rockies
    Corey Dickerson   LF
    4
    3
    4
    3
    0
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    6.0
    Rays
    Jeremy Hellickson (W, 1-1)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    2
    1
    1
    0
    3
  

    
    5.0
    Reds
    Zack Cozart   SS
    3
    2
    2
    4
    0
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    3.0
    Giants
    Pablo Sandoval   3B
    5
    2
    3
    3
    0
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    BAT
    3.0
    Royals
    Mike Moustakas   3B
    4
    1
    2
    4
    0
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    3.0
    Rangers
    Adam Rosales   2B
    4
    2
    2
    3
    0
    1
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    3.0
    Phillies
    Chase Utley   2B
    4
    2
    2
    3
    0
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    2.0
    Pirates
    Ike Davis   1B
    2
    1
    1
    2
    1
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    2.0
    Red Sox
    Junichi Tazawa (W, 2-3)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    1.0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    1
  

    
    1.0
    Mariners
    Kyle Seager   3B
    4
    1
    3
    1
    0
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    1.0
    Padres
    Seth Smith   LF
    4
    1
    2
    2
    1
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

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

Rangers' Lewis tops players for Tuesday, Aug. 5; three pitchers in Box-Toppers top 10 list score

Shawn Plank August 6, 2014

Rangers pitcher Colby Lewis is Tuesday’s Player of the Day, while three other pitchers improve their standing in Box-Toppers player rankings after each earns Player of the Game honors.

Lewis pitched a complete game shutout and struck out seven in the 16-0 win over the White Sox.

Three pitchers in Box-Toppers top 10 player rankings also earned Player of the Game honors Tuesday: Johnny Cueto of the Reds, David Price of the Tigers and Felix Hernandez of the Mariners (see the updated top 10 player list on the home page):

• Cueto maintained his fourth place spot in player rankings. Cueto (CG 2R 6K W in the 9-2 win over the Indians) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 16.4 for the season. He ranks third among National League pitchers.

• Price, pitching in his first game since being traded from the Rays, rose from eighth to fifth place in player rankings. Price (8.2IP 3R 10K ND in the 4-3, 12-inning win over the Yankees) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 15.1 for the season. He ranks second among American League pitchers. Price also matches his previous season-high total for Box-Toppers points—he also earned 15.1 in 2011.

• Hernandez rises from 10th to seventh in player rankings. Hernandez (8IP R 8K W in the 4-2 win over the Braves) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 14.8 for the season. He is in third place among AL pitchers. Hernandez had a Box-Toppers game score of 9.0, the same as Colby Lewis. However, Lewis won overall Player of the Day honors because he had more innings pitched than Hernandez—nine vs. eight.

Phillies pitcher Antonio Bastardo is NL Player of the Day. Bastardo pitched two innings of middle relief, allowing no runs and striking out six (earning no decision), in the 2-1 win over the Astros.

Daniel Murphy of the Mets is NL Batter of the Day. Murphy tripled and went 3-for-4, scoring a run and driving in two more, in the 6-1 win over the Nationals.

Delmon Young of the Orioles is AL Batter of the Day. Young went 2-for-3, scoring twice and driving in a run, in the 9-3 win over the Blue Jays.

Lewis receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Bastardo receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Murphy and Young 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 watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed Tuesday, click here.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

  
    805
    Score
    Team
    Player
    AB
    R
    H
    BI
    BB
    K
    
    IP
    H
    R
    ER
    BB
    K
  

    MLB
    9.0
    Rangers
    Colby Lewis (W, 8-8)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    9.0
    6
    0
    0
    1
    7
  

    
    9.0
    Mariners
    Felix Hernandez (W, 12-3)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    8.0
    4
    1
    1
    1
    8
  

    NL
    7.0
    `Phillies
    Antonio Bastardo
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    2.0
    0
    0
    0
    1
    6
  

    
    6.0
    Royals
    Danny Duffy (W, 6-10)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    5.0
    3
    1
    1
    1
    7
  

    
    5.0
    Twins
    Phil Hughes (W, 11-8)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    6.0
    7
    1
    1
    1
    9
  

    
    4.2
    `Tigers
    David Price
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    8.2
    8
    3
    3
    0
    10
  

    
    4.0
    Reds
    Johnny Cueto (W, 13-6)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    9.0
    5
    2
    2
    2
    6
  

    
    4.0
    Cardinals
    Pat Neshek (W, 5-0)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    1.0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    3
  

    
    4.0
    Dodgers
    Kenley Jansen (W, 2-3)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    1.0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    3
  

    BAT
    2.0
    Mets
    Daniel Murphy   2B
    4
    1
    3
    2
    1
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    2.0
    Brewers
    Carlos Gomez   CF
    4
    1
    2
    3
    0
    1
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    BAT
    2.0
    Orioles
    Delmon Young   DH
    3
    2
    2
    1
    2
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    2.0
    Cubs
    Carlos Villanueva (S, 2)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    1.0
    1
    0
    0
    0
    2
  

    
    2.0
    Athletics
    Sean Doolittle (S, 17)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    1.0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    1
  

    
    1.0
    Marlins
    Garrett Jones   1B
    2
    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.

Three players in Box-Toppers player top 10 lists involved in deadline trades; Kershaw still overall player ranking leader

Shawn Plank August 5, 2014

The biggest changes on Box-Toppers player rankings have not been among the leaders but rather the uniforms some of the top players are now wearing.

Several players in Box-Toppers’ top 10 lists were traded in the days before the July 31 deadline, including:

Top players
Through Thursday, July 31





  
    

    OVERALL LEADERS
    POS
    TEAM
    BTP
  

    1
    Kershaw, Clayton 2494
    pi sp
    lad nl
    21.1
  

    2
    Scherzer, Max 2588
    pi sp
    det al
    18.1
  

    3
    Bumgarner, Madison 2753
    pi sp
    sf nl
    16.2
  

    4
    Cueto, Johnny 2400
    pi sp
    cin nl
    15.4
  

    5
    Wainwright, Adam 2150
    pi sp
    stl nl
    15.0
  

    6
    Price, David 2593
    pi sp
    det al
    14.1
  

    7
    Greinke, Zack 1871
    pi sp
    lad nl
    13.8
  

    8
    Hernandez, Felix 2064
    pi sp
    sea al
    13.8
  

    9
    Kluber, Corey 3200
    pi sp
    cle al
    13.4
  

    10
    Kazmir, Scott 1947
    pi sp
    oak al
    13.1
  

    
    
    
    
    
  

    
    AL PITCHERS
    POS
    TEAM
    BTP
  

    1
    Scherzer, Max 2588
    pi sp
    det al
    18.1
  

    2
    Price, David 2593
    pi sp
    det al
    14.1
  

    3
    Hernandez, Felix 2064
    pi sp
    sea al
    13.8
  

    4
    Kluber, Corey 3200
    pi sp
    cle al
    13.4
  

    5
    Kazmir, Scott 1947
    pi sp
    oak al
    13.1
  

    6
    Sale, Chris 2806
    pi sp
    chi al
    12.7
  

    7
    Richards, Garrett 3042
    pi sp
    ana al
    12.7
  

    8
    Tanaka, Masahiro 3305
    pi sp
    nyy al
    12.7
  

    9
    Darvish, Yu 3003
    pi sp
    tex al
    12.4
  

    10
    Lester, Jon 2173
    pi sp
    oak al
    10.0
  

    
    
    
    
    
  

    
    AL BATTERS
    POS
    TEAM
    BTP
  

    1
    Abreu, Jose 3308
    1b
    chi al
    12.0
  

    2
    Cabrera, Miguel 1776
    1b
    det al
    8.5
  

    3
    Encarnacion, Edwin 2098
    1b dh lf
    tor al
    8.0
  

    4
    Cespedes, Yoenis 3008
    lf
    bos al
    8.0
  

    5
    Donaldson, Josh 3144
    3b
    oak al
    7.5
  

    6
    Jones, Adam 2347
    cf
    bal al
    7.5
  

    7
    Colabello, Chris 3235
    1b dh rf
    min al
    6.2
  

    8
    Aybar, Erick 2416
    ss
    ana al
    6.0
  

    9
    Carter, Chris 2828
    dh
    hou al
    5.5
  

    10
    Hunter, Torii 1190
    rf
    det al
    5.5
  

    
    
    
    
    
  

    
    NL PITCHERS
    POS
    TEAM
    BTP
  

    1
    Kershaw, Clayton 2494
    pi sp
    lad nl
    21.1
  

    2
    Bumgarner, Madison 2753
    pi sp
    sf nl
    16.2
  

    3
    Cueto, Johnny 2400
    pi sp
    cin nl
    15.4
  

    4
    Wainwright, Adam 2150
    pi sp
    stl nl
    15.0
  

    5
    Greinke, Zack 1871
    pi sp
    lad nl
    13.8
  

    6
    Teheran, Julio 3176
    pi sp
    atl nl
    11.4
  

    7
    Lincecum, Tim 2288
    pi sp
    sf nl
    10.4
  

    8
    Kimbrel, Craig 2825
    pi cp
    atl nl
    10.0
  

    9
    Santana, Ervin 2005
    pi sp
    atl nl
    10.0
  

    10
    Colon, Bartolo
    pi sp
    nym nl
    9.7
  

    
    
    
    
    
  

    
    NL BATTERS
    POS
    TEAM
    BTP
  

    1
    Tulowitzki, Troy 2308
    ss
    col nl
    11.6
  

    2
    Freeman, Freddie 2887
    1b
    atl nl
    7.7
  

    3
    McCutchen, Andrew 2637
    cf
    pit nl
    6.5
  

    4
    Murphy, Daniel 2589
    2b
    nym nl
    5.5
  

    5
    Rizzo, Anthony 3063
    1b
    chi nl
    5.5
  

    6
    Morse, Michael 2020
    lf
    sf nl
    5.5
  

    7
    Yelich, Christian 3334
    lf
    fla nl
    5.5
  

    8
    Upton, Justin 2411
    lf
    atl nl
    5.2
  

    9
    Howard, Ryan 2040
    1b
    phi nl
    5.2
  

    10
    Duda, Lucas 2818
    1b
    nym nl
    5.0
  

BTP: Box-Toppers points 

• Pitcher David Price, traded from the Rays to the Tigers. Price has 14.1 Box-Toppers points, ranking sixth among all players (as of July 31) and second among AL pitchers.

• Pitcher Jon Lester, traded from the Red Sox to the Athletics. Lester has 10.0 Box-Toppers points, ranking 10th among AL pitchers (as of July 31).

• Outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, traded from the Athletics to the Red Sox. Cespedes has 8.0 Box-Toppers points, ranking fourth among AL batters (as of July 31).

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw continued to lead all players in Box-Toppers points as of July 31, with 21.1 Box-Toppers points, nearing the 21.7 points he had in 2013 to lead all players.

Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer continued to lead all AL players with 17.1 points. Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies continued to lead National League batters with 11.6 points. And Jose Abreu of the White Sox continued to lead American League batters, with 12.0 points.

What are those numbers after players' names?

Current up-to-date top 10 player rankings on the home page

Trade deadline deals most help Cardinals, Tigers; Athletics still top rankings

Shawn Plank August 5, 2014

The Oakland Athletics remain atop Box-Toppers team rankings, while the St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers improved in the rankings by picking up star players in deadline trades.

Athletics players had accumulated 87.5 Box-Toppers points through the games of Thursday, July 31.

Top 10 teams
Here are Box-Toppers' Top 10 teams, through the games of Thursday, July 31. 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 since the last team rankings report through July 24.





  
    731
    Teams
    BTP
    BTP
/wk
    Last 
wk 
rank
  

    1
    Athletics
    87.5
    4.0
    1
  

    2
    Angels
    82.5
    6.0
    2
  

    3
    Dodgers
    80.9
    9.2
    3
  

    4
    Cardinals
    78.2
    15.7
    11
  

    5
    Tigers
    75.2
    8.1
    6
  

    6
    Blue Jays
    74.0
    6.7
    5
  

    7
    Giants
    73.0
    3.0
    4
  

    8
    Braves
    68.9
    5.0
    9
  

    9
    Nationals
    68.9
    5.0
    8
  

    10
    Brewers
    68.1
    2.0
    7
  

BTP: Box-Toppers points

The Los Angeles Dodgers remained the top National League team with 80.9 Box-Toppers points, though they are still in third place overall, trailing the second-place Los Angeles Angels, with 82.5 Box-Toppers points.

The Cardinals picked up the most Box-Toppers points during the week—15.7. They rose from 11th to fourth place in Box-Toppers team rankings. They picked up 6.7 of those points in deadline trades. They traded away outfielder Allen Craig (2.0 Box-Toppers points) and pitcher Joe Kelly (1.0 point) to the Red Sox for pitcher John Lackey (9.7 points).

The Tigers, however, picked up the most net Box-Toppers points through trades during deadline week—7.1. They traded away outfielder Austin Jackson (1.0 point, to the Mariners) and pitcher Drew Smyly (6.0 points, to the Rays). They picked up David Price (14.1 points, from the Rays). Price has the highest Box-Toppers point total of any player traded this season.

Recent trades
How did last week's deadline trades affect key teams involved? The Tigers traded away players who had a combined 7.0 Box-Toppers points and picked up David Price, who had 14.1 Box-Toppers points, to gain a net of 7.1 Box-Toppers points. The Red Sox traded away players with 21.7 Box-Toppers points and picked up players with 11.0, losing a net 10.7 points.





  
    Team
    BTP 
lost
    BTP 
gained
    BTP 
net
  

    Tigers
    -7.0
    14.1
    7.1
  

    Cardinals
    -3.0
    9.7
    6.7
  

    Athletics
    -8.0
    12.0
    4.0
  

    Mariners
    -1.0
    1.0
    0.0
  

    Rays
    -14.1
    7.0
    -7.1
  

    Red Sox
    -21.7
    11.0
    -10.7
  

BTP: Box-Toppers points

The Athletics added 4.0 Box-Toppers points at the trade deadline, picking up two players from Red Sox—pitcher Jon Lester (10.0 points) and outfielder Johnny Gomes (2.0 points)—in exchange for outfielder Yoenis Cespedes (8.0 points). Cespedes, the new member of the Red Sox, has the highest Box-Toppers point total of any batter traded this season—he ranks third among AL batters.

The Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox both lost more Box-Toppers points than they gained through trades. The Rays, trading away Price, lost a net of 7.1 points. And the Red Sox, trading away Lester, Lackey and Gomes, lost a net of 10.7 points.

The Dodgers gained the most Box-Toppers points of any team not involved in key deadline trades, picking up 9.2 points.

With the trade, the Red Sox drop to the bottom of Box-Toppers team rankings, displacing the former 30th-place team, the Chicago Cubs. The Red Sox shed 12.7 Box-Toppers points through the week and had 41.0 points as of July 31, falling from 22nd place. The Cubs moved to 29th place with 43.2.

Angels' Richards tops players for Monday, Aug. 4, rises to 6th in Box-Toppers rankings; Indians' Kluber rises to 7th

Shawn Plank August 5, 2014

Angels pitcher Garrett Richards is Monday’s Player of the Day and rises to sixth in Box-Toppers player rankings.

Richards pitched a complete game shutout and struck out nine in the 5-0 win over the Dodgers. He earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points, giving him 14.7 for the season, rising to sixth place in Box-Toppers player rankings. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) He is ranked second among American League pitchers, behind Max Scherzer of the Tigers (18.1 Box-Toppers points).

Giants closing pitcher Santiago Casilla is National League Player of the Day. Casilla pitched a shutout ninth inning and struck out one, earning the save, in the 4-3 win over the Mets. Casilla was the only NL player to earn Player of the Game honors Monday. In the day’s seven games, only five NL teams were active—three lost in interleague games to AL teams—and the Giants were the only team to win.

Tyler Flowers of the White Sox is AL Batter of the Day. Flowers homered, tripled and went 3-for-3, scoring twice and driving in three runs, in the 5-3 win over the Rangers.

Notable: Indians pitcher Corey Kluber rose from ninth to seventh place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Monday. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) Kluber (7.1IP R 7K W in the 7-1 win over the Reds) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 14.4 for the season. He ranks third among AL pitchers.

Richards receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Casilla receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Flowers 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 watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed Monday, click here.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

  
    804
    Score
    Team
    Player
    AB
    R
    H
    BI
    BB
    K
    
    IP
    H
    R
    ER
    BB
    K
  

    MLB
    11.0
    Angels
    Garrett Richards (W, 12-4)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    9.0
    5
    0
    0
    2
    9
  

    
    5.2
    Yankees
    Brandon McCarthy (W, 4-0)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    5.2
    5
    1
    0
    2
    8
  

    BAT
    5.0
    White Sox
    Tyler Flowers   C
    3
    2
    3
    3
    0
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    4.1
    Indians
    Corey Kluber (W, 12-6)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.1
    6
    1
    1
    2
    7
  

    
    3.0
    Orioles
    Caleb Joseph   C
    3
    1
    2
    3
    0
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    3.0
    Athletics
    Ryan Cook (W, 1-1)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    1.0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    2
  

    NL
    2.0
    Giants
    Santiago Casilla (S, 9)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    1.0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    1
  

Tigers' Sanchez tops player for Sunday, Aug. 3; Giants' Bumgarner bolsters 3rd place spot in Box-Toppers rankings

Shawn Plank August 4, 2014

Tigers pitcher Anibal Sanchez is Sunday’s Player of the Day, while Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner bolsters his third-place spot in Box-Toppers player rankings.

Sanchez pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out 12, in the 4-0 win over the Rockies. This was the first time this season Sanchez has earned Player of the Game honors. Last season, he ranked second among all American League players with 17.1 Box-Toppers points. He now has 2.0 Box-Toppers points for 2014.

Bumgarner, Sunday’s National League Player of the Day, strengthens his third-place spot in Box-Toppers player rankings. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) Bumgarner pitched a complete game shutout, allowing two hits and striking out 10, in the 9-0 win over the Mets. Bumgarner earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points, giving him 17.9 for the season, which is now his highest total for any season—in 2012, he had 17.7. He ranks second among NL pitchers.

Danny Santana of the Twins is AL Batter of the Day. Santana tripled, doubled and went 5-for-6, scoring twice and driving in four runs, in the 16-3 win over the White Sox.

Chris Coghlan of the Cubs is NL Batter of the Day. Coghlan homered and doubled, scoring twice and driving in two runs, in the 7-3 win over the Dodgers.

Notable: Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg becomes the 22nd player to 10.0 Box-Toppers points this season after he earned Player of the Game honors Sunday. Strasburg (7IP 0R 10K W in the 4-0 win over the Phillies) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 10.0 for the season. He ranks 22nd among all players and 10th among NL pitchers.

Sanchez receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Bumgarner receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Santana and Coghlan each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Sunday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

Box-Toppers watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed Sunday, click here.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

  
    803
    Score
    Team
    Player
    AB
    R
    H
    BI
    BB
    K
    
    IP
    H
    R
    ER
    BB
    K
  

    MLB
    17.0
    Tigers
    Anibal Sanchez (W, 8-5)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    2
    0
    0
    0
    12
  

    NL
    16.0
    Giants
    Madison Bumgarner (W, 13-8)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    9.0
    2
    0
    0
    1
    10
  

    
    13.0
    Nationals
    Stephen Strasburg (W, 8-9)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    3
    0
    0
    1
    10
  

    
    9.0
    Orioles
    Chris Tillman (W, 8-5)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    4
    0
    0
    0
    6
  

    BAT
    5.0
    Twins
    Danny Santana   CF
    6
    2
    5
    4
    1
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    5.0
    Yankees
    Esmil Rogers (W, 1-0)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    3.0
    0
    0
    0
    1
    3
  

    
    4.0
    `Dbacks
    Trevor Cahill
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    7
    1
    1
    1
    7
  

    
    3.0
    Indians
    David Murphy   RF
    3
    1
    2
    3
    2
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    BAT
    3.0
    Cubs
    Chris Coghlan   LF
    3
    2
    2
    2
    2
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    3.0
    Padres
    Tim Stauffer (W, 4-2)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    1.0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    2
  

    
    2.0
    Angels
    Mike Trout   DH
    4
    1
    3
    2
    1
    1
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    2.0
    Astros
    Matt Dominguez   3B
    3
    1
    2
    2
    0
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    2.0
    Royals
    James Shields (W, 10-6)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    8.0
    4
    2
    2
    0
    2
  

    
    2.0
    Reds
    Mike Leake (W, 9-9)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    6.0
    3
    1
    1
    4
    5
  

    
    2.0
    Cardinals
    Trevor Rosenthal (S, 34)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    1.0
    1
    0
    0
    1
    3
  

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

Nationals' Jordan Zimmermann (7IP 0R 8K) tops players for Saturday, Aug. 2

Shawn Plank August 3, 2014

Nationals pitcher Jordan Zimmermann is Saturday’s Player of the Day. Zimmermann pitched seven shutout innings and struck out eight in the 11-0 win over the Phillies.

Zimmermann earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 9.0 for the season. He ranks 28th among all players and 14th among National League pitchers.

Tigers pitcher Rick Porcello is American League Player of the Day. Porcello struck out 10 over eight innings, allowing two runs, in the 11-5 win over the Rockies.

Chris Carter of the Astros is AL Batter of the Day. Carter homered and went 3-for-4, scoring three times and driving in two runs, in the 8-2 win over the Blue Jays.

Kolten Wong of the Cardinals is NL Batter of the Day. Wong homered, doubled and went 3-for-5, scoring twice and driving in three runs, in the 9-7 win over the Brewers.

Zimmermann receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Porcello receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Carter and Wong 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 watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed Saturday, click here.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

  
    802
    Score
    Team
    Player
    AB
    R
    H
    BI
    BB
    K
    
    IP
    H
    R
    ER
    BB
    K
  

    MLB
    10.0
    Nationals
    Jordan Zimmermann (W, 7-5)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    5
    0
    0
    0
    8
  

    AL
    7.0
    Tigers
    Rick Porcello (W, 13-5)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    8.0
    5
    2
    2
    2
    10
  

    
    7.0
    `Marlins
    Nathan Eovaldi
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    2
    1
    1
    2
    6
  

    
    7.0
    `Indians
    T.J. House
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    5.0
    3
    0
    0
    2
    7
  

    
    5.1
    Mets
    Jacob deGrom (W, 6-5)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.1
    4
    2
    2
    1
    7
  

    
    4.1
    Yankees
    Shawn Kelley (W, 2-3)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    1.1
    0
    0
    0
    0
    3
  

    BAT
    4.0
    Astros
    Chris Carter   DH
    4
    3
    3
    2
    0
    1
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    BAT
    3.0
    Cardinals
    Kolten Wong   2B
    5
    2
    3
    3
    0
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    3.0
    Dodgers
    Hanley Ramirez   SS
    5
    2
    3
    3
    1
    1
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    3.0
    Pirates
    Josh Harrison   2B
    4
    3
    3
    1
    1
    1
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    3.0
    Rays
    Brandon Guyer   LF
    2
    1
    2
    2
    1
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    3.0
    `Padres
    Ian Kennedy
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    5.0
    2
    1
    1
    5
    7
  

    
    2.2
    Mariners
    Dominic Leone (W, 4-2)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    1.2
    0
    0
    0
    0
    1
  

    
    2.0
    Twins
    Trevor Plouffe   3B
    5
    1
    4
    2
    0
    1
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    1.0
    Athletics
    Jonny Gomes   LF
    4
    1
    2
    2
    0
    1
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

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

Giants' Vogelsong tops players for Friday, Aug. 1; White Sox' Abreu extends Box-Toppers points lead among AL batters

Shawn Plank August 2, 2014

Giants pitcher Ryan Vogelsong is Friday’s Player of the Day, while Jose Abreu of the White Sox extends his Box-Toppers points lead among American League batters.

Vogelsong pitched a complete game two-hitter, allowing one run, in the 5-1 win over the Mets.

Abreu rose to 11th place among all players in Box-Toppers rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Friday. Abreu (3-3 2R BI in the 10-8 win over the Twins) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 13.0 for the season, extending his lead among AL batters. Second place Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers has 8.5 Box-Toppers points.

Orioles pitcher Wei-Yin Chen is AL Player of the Day. Chen struck out eight over 7 1/3 innings, allowing one run, in the 2-1 win over the Mariners.

Tommy Medica of the Padres is National League Batter of the Day. Medica hit two home runs and went 5-for-5, scoring four times and driving in four runs, in the 10-1 win over the Braves.

David Murphy of the Indians is AL Batter of the Day. Murphy doubled and went 4-for-4, scoring twice and driving in two runs, in the 12-2 win over the Rangers.

Vogelsong receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Chen receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Medica and Murphy 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 watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed Friday, click here.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

  
    801
    Score
    Team
    Player
    AB
    R
    H
    BI
    BB
    K
    
    IP
    H
    R
    ER
    BB
    K
  

    MLB
    9.0
    Giants
    Ryan Vogelsong (W, 6-8)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    9.0
    2
    1
    1
    1
    5
  

    BAT
    8.0
    Padres
    Tommy Medica   1B
    5
    4
    5
    4
    0
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    AL
    7.1
    Orioles
    Wei-Yin Chen (W, 12-3)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.1
    5
    1
    1
    1
    8
  

    
    7.0
    Royals
    Jeremy Guthrie (W, 7-9)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    6.0
    3
    0
    0
    2
    6
  

    BAT
    4.0
    Indians
    David Murphy   RF
    4
    2
    4
    2
    0
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    4.0
    Phillies
    Roberto Hernandez (W, 6-8)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    8.0
    5
    1
    0
    1
    3
  

    
    3.1
    `Astros
    Collin McHugh
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    6.1
    5
    1
    1
    1
    5
  

    
    3.0
    Brewers
    Jonathan Lucroy   C
    4
    2
    2
    3
    1
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    3.0
    White Sox
    Jose Abreu   1B
    3
    2
    3
    1
    1
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    2.0
    Tigers
    Rajai Davis   CF, LF
    4
    2
    2
    2
    0
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    2.0
    Pirates
    Jordy Mercer   SS
    4
    3
    2
    1
    1
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    2.0
    Cubs
    Kyle Hendricks (W, 2-1)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    4
    2
    1
    1
    3
  

    
    2.0
    Red Sox
    Koji Uehara (S, 22)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    1.0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    1
  

    
    1.0
    Angels
    Mike Trout   CF
    4
    1
    2
    2
    1
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    1.0
    Reds
    Chris Heisey   PH
    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.

Angels' Skaggs tops players for Thursday, July 31; Kershaw, Cueto improve standing in Box-Toppers player rankings

Shawn Plank August 1, 2014

Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs is Thursday’s Player of the Day, while Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw extends his lead in Box-Toppers player rankings and Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto rises to fourth place in rankings.

Skaggs pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings and struck out seven in the 1-0, 13-inning win over the Orioles. Skaggs left in the fifth inning with a left forearm strain and picked up a no-decision.

Kershaw extended his lead in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Thursday. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) Kershaw (CG R 9K W in the 2-1 win over the Braves) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 21.1 for the season. Last season, he led all players with 21.7 Box-Toppers points.

Cueto, National League Player of the Day, rises from eighth to fourth place in Box-Toppers player rankings. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) Cueto struck out nine over seven innings, allowing one run, in the 3-1 win over the Marlins. He earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points, giving him 15.4 for the season. He ranks third among NL pitchers. This is his highest Box-Toppers point total for any season, beating his previous high, 14.4 in 2012.

Andy Marte of the Diamondbacks is NL Batter of the Day. Marte hit a pinch-hit two-run homer in the 7-4 win over the Pirates. This was Marte’s first Major League at bat since 2010. He last earned Box-Toppers points when he was AL Batter of the Day on Aug. 4, 2010, with the Indians.

Adam Eaton of the White Sox is AL Batter of the Day. Eaton went 3-for-5, scoring twice and driving in two runs, in the 7-4 win over the Tigers.

Skaggs receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Cueto receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Marte and Eaton 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 watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed Thursday, click here.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

  
    731
    Score
    Team
    Player
    AB
    R
    H
    BI
    BB
    K
    
    IP
    H
    R
    ER
    BB
    K
  

    MLB
    9.2
    `Angels
    Tyler Skaggs
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    4.2
    0
    0
    0
    2
    7
  

    NL
    9.0
    Reds
    Johnny Cueto (W, 12-6)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    4
    1
    1
    1
    9
  

    
    7.0
    Dodgers
    Clayton Kershaw (W, 13-2)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    9.0
    9
    1
    1
    0
    9
  

    
    7.0
    Cubs
    Jake Arrieta (W, 6-2)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    3
    1
    1
    2
    7
  

    
    4.0
    Cardinals
    Shelby Miller (W, 8-8)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    6.0
    3
    2
    2
    0
    5
  

    BAT
    3.0
    Diamondbacks
    Andy Marte   PH
    1
    1
    1
    2
    0
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    3.0
    Royals
    Yordano Ventura (W, 8-8)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    5
    2
    1
    3
    7
  

    
    3.0
    Blue Jays
    Aaron Sanchez (W, 2-0)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    2.0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    1
  

    
    2.0
    Phillies
    Grady Sizemore   LF
    5
    1
    3
    3
    0
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    BAT
    2.0
    White Sox
    Adam Eaton   CF
    5
    2
    3
    2
    0
    1
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    2.0
    Mariners
    Fernando Rodney (S, 30)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    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.

Indians' Kluber, top player for Wednesday, July 30, rises in Box-Toppers top 10 player rankings, along with Scherzer, Greinke

Shawn Plank July 31, 2014

Indians pitcher Corey Kluber is Wednesday’s Player of the Day and rises to ninth place in Box-Toppers player rankings, while two other pitchers also improved their standing in the player ranking top 10 list.

Kluber pitched a complete game shutout, allowing three hits and striking out eight, in the 2-0 win over the Mariners. Kluber earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 13.4 for the season, rising to ninth place in Box-Toppers player rankings. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) He ranks fourth among American League pitchers.

Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer bolstered his second place standing in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Wednesday. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) Scherzer (7IP 1R 6K W in the 7-2 win over the White Sox) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 18.1 for the season. He extends his lead among AL pitchers (second-place David Price of the Rays has 14.1 Box-Toppers points). He also matches his career-high season total of 18.1 Box-Toppers points from 2013 with two months to go in the season. Last year, his 18.1 points led all American League players.

Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke, Wednesday’s National League Player of the Day, rises to sixth in Box-Toppers player rankings. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) Greinke struck out 13 over eight innings, allowing one run, in the 3-2 win over the Braves. Greinke did not earn the win because after he left game, the Braves tied the game 2-2 in the ninth inning, before the Dodgers won in the bottom of the 10th. Greinke earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points, giving him 13.8 for the season. He is in fourth place among NL pitchers.

Jedd Gyorko of the Padres is NL Batter of the Day. Gyorko homered and doubled, going 3-for-5, scoring twice and driving in four runs, in the 12-1 win over the Cardinals.

Dioner Navarro of the Blue Jays is AL Batter of the Day. Navarro went 3-for-4 and drove in three runs in the 6-1 win over the Red Sox.

Kluber receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Greinke receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Gyorko and Navarro each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Wednesday’s other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point.

Box-Toppers watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed Wednesday, click here.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

  
    730
    Score
    Team
    Player
    AB
    R
    H
    BI
    BB
    K
    
    IP
    H
    R
    ER
    BB
    K
  

    MLB
    14.0
    Indians
    Corey Kluber (W, 11-6)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    9.0
    3
    0
    0
    0
    8
  

    NL
    13.0
    `Dodgers
    Zack Greinke
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    8.0
    5
    1
    1
    1
    13
  

    
    7.0
    Nationals
    Tanner Roark (W, 11-6)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    3
    1
    1
    2
    7
  

    
    7.0
    Brewers
    Yovani Gallardo (W, 6-5)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    4
    0
    0
    1
    5
  

    
    5.0
    Astros
    Dallas Keuchel (W, 10-7)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    9.0
    4
    1
    1
    3
    5
  

    
    5.0
    Tigers
    Max Scherzer (W, 13-3)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    5
    1
    1
    1
    6
  

    BAT
    4.0
    Padres
    Jedd Gyorko   2B
    5
    2
    3
    4
    0
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    3.0
    Mets
    Daniel Murphy   2B
    5
    2
    3
    3
    0
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    3.0
    `Royals
    Wade Davis (H, 19)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    1.0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    2
  

    BAT
    2.0
    Blue Jays
    Dioner Navarro   C
    4
    0
    3
    3
    1
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    2.0
    Giants
    Gregor Blanco   CF
    3
    0
    3
    2
    0
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    2.0
    Rangers
    Neftali Feliz (S, 3)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    1.0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    1
  

    
    1.0
    Orioles
    Adam Jones   CF
    4
    1
    2
    2
    0
    1
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    1.0
    Dbacks
    Didi Gregorius   SS
    4
    1
    2
    2
    0
    1
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    1.0
    Rockies
    Rob Scahill (W, 1-0)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    1.0
    1
    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.

Rays' Cobb tops players for Tuesday, July 29, White Sox' Abreu takes Box-Toppers lead among all batters

Shawn Plank July 30, 2014

Rays pitcher Alex Cobb is Tuesday’s Player of the Day, while Jose Abreu of the White Sox takes the Box-Toppers points lead among all Major League batters.

Cobb struck out 12 and gave up one run and three hits over eight innings, in the 5-1 win over the Brewers.

Abreu, already the leader among American League batters, rose to become the top overall batter in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning AL Batter of the Day honors Tuesday. Abreu homered, doubled and went 3-for-4, scoring twice and driving in four runs, in the 11-4 win over the Tigers. Abreu earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points, giving him 12.0 for the season, moving into 14th place overall in Box-Toppers player rankings. He passes previous overall batting leader, Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies (11.6), who still leads National League batters. And Abreu extends his lead among AL batters—second place Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers has 8.5 Box-Toppers points.

Pirates pitcher Francisco Liriano is NL Player of the Day. Liriano struck out 11 over seven innings, allowing one run, in the 3-1 win over the Giants.

Matt Kemp of the Dodgers is NL Batter of the Day. Kemp hit two home runs and went 3-for-4, driving in four runs, in the 8-4 win over the Braves.

Cobb receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Liriano receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Abreu and Kemp 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 watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed Tuesday, click here.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

  
    729
    Score
    Team
    Player
    AB
    R
    H
    BI
    BB
    K
    
    IP
    H
    R
    ER
    BB
    K
  

    MLB
    13.0
    Rays
    Alex Cobb (W, 7-6)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    8.0
    3
    1
    1
    2
    12
  

    NL
    11.0
    Pirates
    Francisco Liriano (W, 3-7)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    4
    1
    1
    1
    11
  

    
    10.2
    Reds
    Mike Leake (W, 8-9)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.2
    5
    0
    0
    0
    8
  

    
    10.0
    Phillies
    Cole Hamels (W, 6-5)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    8.0
    6
    0
    0
    0
    8
  

    
    10.0
    Twins
    Kyle Gibson (W, 9-8)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    2
    0
    0
    2
    7
  

    BAT
    5.0
    White Sox
    Jose Abreu   1B
    4
    2
    3
    4
    1
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    BAT
    5.0
    Dodgers
    Matt Kemp   RF
    4
    2
    3
    4
    0
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    5.0
    Blue Jays
    Marcus Stroman (W, 7-2)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    6
    1
    1
    2
    8
  

    
    4.0
    Yankees
    Mark Teixeira   1B
    2
    3
    1
    2
    3
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    4.0
    Marlins
    Henderson Alvarez (W, 8-5)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    3
    0
    0
    4
    4
  

    
    3.0
    Athletics
    Evan Scribner (W, 1-0)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    1.0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    2
  

    
    3.0
    Padres
    Joaquin Benoit (S, 3)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    1.0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    2
  

    
    2.0
    Mariners
    Mike Zunino   C
    3
    2
    2
    1
    0
    1
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    1.0
    Cubs
    Emilio Bonifacio   3B, CF
    7
    2
    4
    2
    0
    2
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    0.0
    Orioles
    Nick Markakis   RF
    6
    1
    2
    3
    0
    1
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

Braves' Ervin Santana (8IP 0R 11K) tops players for Monday, July 28

Shawn Plank July 29, 2014

Braves pitcher Ervin Santana is Monday’s Player of the Day. Santana pitched eight shutout innings and struck out 11 in the 2-0 win over the Padres.

Santana earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 10.0 for the season. He is the 21st player this season with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points and ranks 21st in Box-Toppers player rankings. He ranks ninth among National League pitchers.

Blue Jays pitcher R.A. Dickey is American League Player of the Day. Dickey struck out 10 over seven innings, allowing one run, in the 14-1 win over the Red Sox.

Travis d’Arnaud of the Mets is NL Batter of the Day. d’Arnaud hit a three-run homer and two doubles, going 3-for-4 with two runs and three RBIs, in the 7-1 win over the Phillies.

Chris Carter of the Astros is AL Batter of the Day. Carter hit a three-run homer and scored twice in the 7-3 win over the Athletics.

Notable: Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish rose to 12th place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Monday. Darvish (7IP 8K W in the 4-2 win over the Yankees) earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 12.4 for the season. He ranks eighth among AL pitchers.

Santana receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Dickey receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. d’Arnaud and Carter each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

All of Monday’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 Monday, click here.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

  
    728
    Score
    Team
    Player
    AB
    R
    H
    BI
    BB
    K
    
    IP
    H
    R
    ER
    BB
    K
  

    MLB
    14.0
    Braves
    Ervin Santana (W, 10-6)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    8.0
    5
    0
    0
    0
    11
  

    AL
    11.0
    Blue Jays
    R.A. Dickey (W, 9-10)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    3
    1
    1
    1
    10
  

    
    8.0
    `Dbacks
    Chase Anderson
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    3
    1
    1
    2
    8
  

    
    7.0
    Pirates
    Vance Worley (W, 4-1)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    9.0
    4
    0
    0
    1
    3
  

    
    7.0
    Rays
    Jake Odorizzi (W, 7-8)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    3
    1
    1
    0
    5
  

    
    5.0
    Cubs
    Tsuyoshi Wada (W, 1-1)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    5
    1
    1
    1
    6
  

    BAT
    4.0
    Mets
    Travis d`Arnaud   C
    4
    2
    3
    3
    0
    1
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    BAT
    3.0
    Astros
    Chris Carter   DH
    3
    2
    1
    3
    1
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    2.0
    Marlins
    Mike Dunn (W, 8-5)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    1.0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    1
  

    
    1.0
    Rangers
    Yu Darvish (W, 10-6)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    9
    2
    2
    1
    8
  

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

Nationals' Fister tops players for Sunday, July 26; Cardinals' Wainwright rises to 4th in Box-Toppers rankings

Shawn Plank July 28, 2014

Nationals pitcher Doug Fister is Sunday’s Player of the Day, while Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright rises to fourth place in Box-Toppers player rankings.

Fister pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing three hits and struck out five in the 4-2 win over the Reds.

Wainwright rose from fifth to fourth place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Sunday. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) Wainwright (7IP 0R W in the 1-0 win over the Cubs) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 15.0 for the season. He ranks third among National League pitchers.

Carlos Santana of the Indians is American League Player of the Day. Santana homered twice, went 3-for-3 and drove in four runs, in the 10-3 win over the Royals.

Travis Snider of the Pirates is NL Batter of the Day. Snider hit a pinch-hit, two-run home run in the 7-5 win over the Rockies.

Fister receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Santana receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Snider 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 watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed Sunday, click here.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

  
    727
    Score
    Team
    Player
    AB
    R
    H
    BI
    BB
    K
    
    IP
    H
    R
    ER
    BB
    K
  

    MLB
    8.0
    Nationals
    Doug Fister (W, 10-2)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    3
    0
    0
    1
    5
  

    AL
    6.0
    Indians
    Carlos Santana   1B
    3
    2
    3
    4
    1
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    4.1
    Mets
    Jacob deGrom (W, 5-5)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    6.1
    4
    0
    0
    2
    4
  

    
    4.0
    Orioles
    Zach Britton (S, 20)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    1.0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    3
  

    
    4.0
    Dodgers
    Kenley Jansen (S, 30)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    1.0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    3
  

    
    3.1
    `Angels
    Hector Santiago
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    5.1
    3
    1
    1
    0
    3
  

    BAT
    3.0
    Pirates
    Travis Snider   PH
    1
    1
    1
    2
    0
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    3.0
    `Twins
    Yohan Pino
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    6.0
    4
    2
    2
    1
    6
  

    
    3.0
    Red Sox
    Koji Uehara (S, 21)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    1.0
    1
    0
    0
    0
    3
  

    
    2.0
    Phillies
    Ryan Howard   1B
    3
    2
    1
    2
    1
    1
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    2.0
    Braves
    Tommy La Stella   2B
    2
    2
    1
    1
    2
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    2.0
    Cardinals
    Adam Wainwright (W, 13-5)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    5
    0
    0
    3
    3
  

    
    2.0
    Blue Jays
    Casey Janssen (S, 16)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    1.0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    1
  

    
    1.0
    Athletics
    John Jaso   C
    5
    1
    2
    3
    0
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    0.0
    Marlins
    Marcell Ozuna   CF
    4
    1
    2
    1
    0
    2
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

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

Dodgers' Kershaw tops players for Saturday, July 26, becomes first to 20.0 Box-Toppers points this season

Shawn Plank July 27, 2014

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, Saturday’s Player of the Day, extends his lead in Box-Toppers player rankings, becoming the first this season to 20.0 Box-Toppers points, the fourth straight season he has reached that milestone.

Kershaw pitched a complete game shutout, allowing two hits and one walk and striking out seven, in the 5-0 win over the Giants. He earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 20.1 for the season and remains No. 1 in Box-Toppers player rankings. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.)

Last year, Kershaw led all players with 21.7 Box-Toppers points—he is only 1.6 points behind that with more than two months to go in the season. Here are his Box-Toppers point totals for the past four seasons:

• 2011: 26.1.

• 2012: 20.8

• 2013: 21.7

• 2014: 20.1 (so far)

Simply projecting his point total out to rest of the season based on what he’s done already, Kershaw would have at least 30.0 Box-Toppers points by the end of the season. But Kershaw was out with injury for about a month early in the season and so has achieved his impressive point total in an already shortened season.

White Sox pitcher Chris Sale, American League Player of the Day, rises to ninth place in Box-Toppers player rankings. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) Sale pitched eight shutout innings and struck out 12 in the 7-0 win over the Twins. Sale earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day, giving him 12.7 for the season. He ranks fifth among AL pitchers.

Kershaw and Sale had identical Box-Toppers game scores of 13.0, but Kershaw won overall Player of the Day on a tie-breaker—he had more innings pitched than Sale, nine vs. eight.

Martin Prado of the Diamondbacks is National League Batter of the Day. Prado homered, went 3-for-4 and drove in five runs, in the 10-6 win over the Phillies.

Dan Johnson of the Blue Jays is AL Batter of the Day. Johnson homered and went 2-for-5, driving in four runs, in the 6-4 win over the Yankees. This was the first time Johnson has earned Player of the Game honors and earned Box-Toppers points in nearly four years. He last earned Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors Sept. 15, 2010.

Notables: Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto rose to seventh place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Saturday. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) Cueto (7IP 0R 9K W in the 1-0 win over the Nationals) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 13.7 for the season. He ranks fourth among NL pitchers.

Braves closing pitcher Craig Kimbrel becomes the 20th player this season with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points after earning Player of the Game honors Saturday. Kimbrel (1IP 0R 3K Sv in the 5-3 win over the Padres) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 10.0 for the season. He is in 19th place among all players and ranks eighth among NL pitchers.

Kershaw receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Sale receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Prado and Johnson 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 watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed Saturday, click here

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

  
    726
    Score
    Team
    Player
    AB
    R
    H
    BI
    BB
    K
    
    IP
    H
    R
    ER
    BB
    K
  

    MLB
    13.0
    Dodgers
    Clayton Kershaw (W, 12-2)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    9.0
    2
    0
    0
    1
    7
  

    AL
    13.0
    White Sox
    Chris Sale (W, 10-1)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    8.0
    5
    0
    0
    2
    12
  

    
    10.0
    Mariners
    Chris Young (W, 9-6)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    2
    0
    0
    3
    8
  

    
    9.0
    Reds
    Johnny Cueto (W, 11-6)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    4
    0
    0
    3
    9
  

    
    9.0
    Angels
    Matt Shoemaker (W, 8-3)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    3
    0
    0
    0
    5
  

    BAT
    5.0
    Dbacks
    Martin Prado   3B
    4
    1
    3
    5
    1
    1
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    5.0
    Rockies
    Tyler Matzek (W, 2-4)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    3
    0
    0
    2
    3
  

    
    4.0
    Braves
    Craig Kimbrel (S, 31)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    1.0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    3
  

    
    3.0
    `Brewers
    Zach Duke (H, 11)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    1.0
    0
    0
    0
    1
    3
  

    
    3.0
    Rays
    Jake McGee (S, 11)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    1.0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    2
  

    
    3.0
    Royals
    Greg Holland (S, 27)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    1.0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    2
  

    BAT
    2.0
    Blue Jays
    Dan Johnson   DH
    5
    1
    2
    4
    0
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    2.0
    Cardinals
    Matt Adams   1B
    5
    1
    2
    4
    0
    1
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    1.0
    Marlins
    Christian Yelich   LF
    4
    2
    2
    1
    1
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    0.0
    Athletics
    John Jaso   C
    4
    1
    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.

Kershaw continues to lead Box-Toppers player rankings; Scherzer, Tulowitzki, Abreu among leaders

Shawn Plank July 26, 2014

No major changes among leaders in Box-Toppers player rankings since the All-Star break.

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw continues to lead all players with 18.1 Box-Toppers points, through the games of Thursday, July 24.

Top players
Through Thursday, July 24





  
    

    OVERALL LEADERS
    POS
    TEAM
    BTP
  

    1
    Kershaw, Clayton 2494
    pi sp
    lad nl
    18.1
  

    2
    Scherzer, Max 2588
    pi sp
    det al
    17.1
  

    3
    Bumgarner, Madison 2753
    pi sp
    sf nl
    16.2
  

    4
    Wainwright, Adam 2150
    pi sp
    stl nl
    14.0
  

    5
    Hernandez, Felix 2064
    pi sp
    sea al
    13.8
  

    6
    Kazmir, Scott 1947
    pi sp
    oak al
    13.1
  

    7
    Richards, Garrett 3042
    pi sp
    ana al
    12.7
  

    8
    Cueto, Johnny 2400
    pi sp
    cin nl
    12.7
  

    9
    Tanaka, Masahiro 3305
    pi sp
    nyy al
    12.7
  

    10
    Price, David 2593
    pi sp
    tb al
    12.4
  

    
    
    
    
    
  

    
    AL PITCHERS
    POS
    TEAM
    BTP
  

    1
    Scherzer, Max 2588
    pi sp
    det al
    17.1
  

    2
    Hernandez, Felix 2064
    pi sp
    sea al
    13.8
  

    3
    Kazmir, Scott 1947
    pi sp
    oak al
    13.1
  

    4
    Richards, Garrett 3042
    pi sp
    ana al
    12.7
  

    5
    Tanaka, Masahiro 3305
    pi sp
    nyy al
    12.7
  

    6
    Price, David 2593
    pi sp
    tb al
    12.4
  

    7
    Darvish, Yu 3003
    pi sp
    tex al
    11.4
  

    8
    Kluber, Corey 3200
    pi sp
    cle al
    11.4
  

    9
    Sale, Chris 2806
    pi sp
    chi al
    11.0
  

    10
    Lester, Jon 2173
    pi sp
    bos al
    10.0
  

    
    
    
    
    
  

    
    AL BATTERS
    POS
    TEAM
    BTP
  

    1
    Abreu, Jose 3308
    1b
    chi al
    9.5
  

    2
    Cabrera, Miguel 1776
    1b
    det al
    8.5
  

    3
    Encarnacion, Edwin 2098
    1b dh lf
    tor al
    8.0
  

    4
    Cespedes, Yoenis 3008
    lf
    oak al
    8.0
  

    5
    Donaldson, Josh 3144
    3b
    oak al
    7.5
  

    6
    Jones, Adam 2347
    cf
    bal al
    6.5
  

    7
    Colabello, Chris 3235
    1b dh rf
    min al
    6.2
  

    8
    Aybar, Erick 2416
    ss
    ana al
    6.0
  

    9
    Hunter, Torii 1190
    rf
    det al
    5.5
  

    10
    Trout, Mike 2949
    cf
    ana al
    5.5
  

    
    
    
    
    
  

    
    NL PITCHERS
    POS
    TEAM
    BTP
  

    1
    Kershaw, Clayton 2494
    pi sp
    lad nl
    18.1
  

    2
    Bumgarner, Madison 2753
    pi sp
    sf nl
    16.2
  

    3
    Wainwright, Adam 2150
    pi sp
    stl nl
    14.0
  

    4
    Cueto, Johnny 2400
    pi sp
    cin nl
    12.7
  

    5
    Teheran, Julio 3176
    pi sp
    atl nl
    11.4
  

    6
    Lincecum, Tim 2288
    pi sp
    sf nl
    10.4
  

    7
    Greinke, Zack 1871
    pi sp
    lad nl
    10.1
  

    8
    Colon, Bartolo
    pi sp
    nym nl
    9.7
  

    9
    Kimbrel, Craig 2825
    pi cp
    atl nl
    9.0
  

    10
    Strasburg, Stephen 2736
    pi sp
    dc nl
    9.0
  

    
    
    
    
    
  

    
    NL BATTERS
    POS
    TEAM
    BTP
  

    1
    Tulowitzki, Troy 2308
    ss
    col nl
    11.6
  

    2
    Freeman, Freddie 2887
    1b
    atl nl
    7.7
  

    3
    McCutchen, Andrew 2637
    cf
    pit nl
    6.5
  

    4
    Rizzo, Anthony 3063
    1b
    chi nl
    5.5
  

    5
    Morse, Michael 2020
    lf
    sf nl
    5.5
  

    6
    Upton, Justin 2411
    lf
    atl nl
    5.2
  

    7
    Duda, Lucas 2818
    1b
    nym nl
    5.0
  

    8
    Stanton, Giancarlo 2737
    rf
    fla nl
    4.7
  

    9
    Lucroy, Jonathan 2744
    ca
    mil nl
    4.7
  

    10
    Murphy, Daniel 2589
    2b
    nym nl
    4.5
  

BTP: Box-Toppers points 

Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer continues to lead all American League players with 17.1 points. He is second among all players.

Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies continues to lead National League batters with 11.6 Box-Toppers points. He ranks 12th among all players.

Jose Abreu of the White Sox continues to lead American League batters. At the time of the report, July 24, he had 9.5 Box-Toppers points. He has since scored again and how has 10.5 points, ranking 17th among all players.

What are those numbers after players' names?

Oakland Athletics remain atop Box-Toppers team rankings; Angels, Tigers, Rays among hottest teams

Shawn Plank July 26, 2014

The Oakland Athletics remain atop Box-Toppers team rankings in the most recent report, through the games of Thursday, July 24.

Athletics players have accumulated 83.5 Box-Toppers points this season. They rose to the top spot for the report ending July 13, at the All-Star break.

Top 10 teams
Here are Box-Toppers' Top 10 teams, through the games of Thursday, July 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 since the last team rankings report through July 13.





  
    724
    Teams
    BTP
    BTP
/wk
    Last 
wk 
rank
  

    1
    Athletics
    83.5
    4.5
    1
  

    2
    Angels
    76.5
    7.0
    3
  

    3
    Dodgers
    71.7
    2.0
    2
  

    4
    Giants
    70.0
    5.7
    4
  

    5
    Blue Jays
    67.3
    6.0
    5
  

    6
    Tigers
    67.1
    7.0
    11
  

    7
    Brewers
    66.1
    5.5
    8
  

    8
    Nationals
    63.9
    4.7
    12
  

    9
    Braves
    63.9
    3.7
    10
  

    10
    Mariners
    62.7
    2.0
    6
  

BTP: Box-Toppers points

The Athletics are led by pitchers Scott Kazmir (13.1 Box-Toppers points, ranked seventh among all players) and Jason Hammel (8.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 13th among American League pitchers). (Hammel earned all his points with the Cubs before being traded to the Athletics.)

The Los Angeles Dodgers remain the top National League team for the third straight week, but fall from second to third place overall, falling behind the Los Angeles Angels. The Dodgers have 71.7 Box-Toppers points. The Angels have 76.5.

The Dodgers are led by starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (18.1 Box-Toppers points, overall player rankings leader) and Zack Greinke (who had 10.1 Box-Toppers points after Thursday, but has since scored another 2.0, giving him 12.1).

The Los Angeles Angels, the Detroit Tigers and the Tampa Bay Rays all tied for the hottest team since the last team rankings report on July 13. All three teams accumulated 7.0 Box-Toppers points over that period.

The Angels rose from third to second place in team rankings with 76.5 Box-Toppers points. The Tigers rose from 11th to sixth place in team rankings with 67.1 Box-Toppers points. And the Rays rose from 16th to 12th place with 62.2 points.

Two teams rose into the top 10: The Tigers, as previously mentioned, from 11th to sixth, and the Washington Nationals, from 12th to eighth, with 63.9 Box-Toppers points. Two teams fell out of the top 10: The St. Louis Cardinals fell from ninth to 11th, with 62.5 Box-Toppers points, and the Cincinnati Reds fell from seventh to 16th place, with 60.6 Box-Toppers points. The Reds scored 0.0 Box-Toppers points since July 13.

The Chicago Cubs remain the lowest-ranked team. Gaining 1.0 Box-Toppers point since July 13, the Cubs have 39.7 points, 5.1 points behind the 29th-place Texas Rangers.

Dodgers' Greinke tops players for Friday, July 25, Rays' Price climbs to 4th in Box-Toppers player rankings

Shawn Plank July 26, 2014

Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke is Friday’s Player of the Day, while Rays pitcher David Price rises to fourth place in Box-Toppers player rankings.

Greinke pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out 10 in the 8-1 win over the Giants. Greinke earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 12.1 for the season. He is in 11th place in Box-Toppers player rankings and is in fifth place among National League pitchers.

Price rose from 10th to fourth place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season after earning American League Player of the Day honors Friday. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) Price (8IP 3R 10K W in the 6-4 win over the Red Sox) earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points, giving him 14.1 for the season. He ranks second among AL pitchers, behind Max Scherzer of the Tigers (17.1 Box-Toppers points).

Luis Valbuena of the Cubs is NL Batter of the Day. Valbuena hit a two-run homer and scored three times in the 7-6 win over the Cardinals.

Billy Butler of the Royals is AL Batter of the Day. Butler hit a pinch-hit, two-run home run in the 6-4 win over the Indians.

Notable: Jose Abreu of the White Sox became the 19th player this season to earn 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points this season, after earning Player of the Game honors Friday. Abreu hit a three-run homer and went 2-for-5 with two runs, in the 9-5 win over the Twins. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 10.5 for the season, putting him in 17th place in Box-Toppers player rankings. He extends his lead in Box-Toppers points among AL batters—Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers is in second place with 8.5.

Greinke receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Price receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Valbuena and Butler 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 watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed Friday, click here

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

  
    725
    Score
    Team
    Player
    AB
    R
    H
    BI
    BB
    K
    
    IP
    H
    R
    ER
    BB
    K
  

    MLB
    12.0
    Dodgers
    Zack Greinke (W, 12-6)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    4
    0
    0
    1
    10
  

    
    7.2
    `Mets
    Zack Wheeler
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    6.2
    3
    2
    1
    2
    9
  

    
    7.0
    Nationals
    Tanner Roark (W, 10-6)
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    7.0
    3
    1
    1
    1
    6
  

    
    6.1
    Marlins
    Brad Hand (W, 2-2)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.1
    3
    0
    0
    2
    4
  

    BAT
    4.0
    Cubs
    Luis Valbuena   3B
    2
    3
    1
    2
    2
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    AL
    4.0
    Rays
    David Price (W, 11-7)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    8.0
    8
    3
    3
    0
    10
  

    
    3.2
    `Orioles
    Brian Matusz
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    1.2
    1
    0
    0
    0
    3
  

    
    3.0
    Rockies
    Josh Rutledge   SS
    4
    1
    2
    4
    0
    1
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    3.0
    Phillies
    Domonic Brown   LF
    4
    2
    2
    3
    0
    1
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    BAT
    3.0
    Royals
    Billy Butler   PH
    1
    1
    1
    2
    0
    0
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    3.0
    Rangers
    Jerome Williams (W, 2-4)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    6.0
    5
    1
    1
    0
    4
  

    
    2.2
    `Angels
    Tyler Skaggs
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    5.2
    5
    1
    1
    1
    5
  

    
    2.0
    White Sox
    Jose Abreu   1B
    5
    2
    2
    3
    0
    1
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    2.0
    Yankees
    Ichiro Suzuki   RF
    3
    1
    1
    3
    1
    2
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

    
    2.0
    Padres
    Jesse Hahn (W, 6-2)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    6.0
    3
    1
    1
    3
    4
  

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

Blue Jays' Stroman tops players for Thursday, July 24, Tigers' Scherzer regains 2nd place in Box-Toppers rankings

Shawn Plank July 25, 2014

Blue Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman is Thursday’s Player of the Day, while Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer rises to second place in Box-Toppers player rankings.

Stroman pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out seven, in the 8-0 win over the Red Sox.

Scherzer rises from third to regain second place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Thursday. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) Scherzer (7IP 11K W in the 6-4 win over the Angels) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 17.1 for the season. He remains top American League pitcher, ahead of second-place Felix Hernandez of the Mariners (13.8). He is only 1.0 Box-Toppers point away from his total at the end of last season, 18.1, when he led all AL players.

Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels is National League Player of the Day. Hamels struck out 10 over eight innings, allowing one run, in the 2-1 win over the Giants.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia of the Marlins is NL Batter of the Day. Saltalamacchia went 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI in the 3-2 win over the Braves.

There was no AL Batter of the Day Thursday because no AL batter earned Player of the Game honors.

Stroman receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Hamels receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Saltalamacchia receives 1.5 for being NL Batter of the Day.

All of Thursday’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 Thursday, click here

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

  
    724
    Score
    Team
    Player
    AB
    R
    H
    BI
    BB
    K
    
    IP
    H
    R
    ER
    BB
    K
  

    MLB
    11.0
    Blue Jays
    Marcus Stroman (W, 6-2)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    1
    0
    0
    2
    7
  

    
    10.0
    `Royals
    Danny Duffy
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    2
    0
    0
    2
    7
  

    NL
    9.0
    Phillies
    Cole Hamels (W, 5-5)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    8.0
    6
    1
    1
    1
    10
  

    
    9.0
    Padres
    Tyson Ross (W, 9-10)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    6.0
    5
    1
    1
    1
    11
  

    
    7.0
    Athletics
    Jeff Samardzija (W, 2-1)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    8.0
    5
    1
    1
    0
    6
  

    
    7.0
    Brewers
    Matt Garza (W, 7-7)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    8.0
    2
    1
    1
    1
    4
  

    
    5.0
    Orioles
    Wei-Yin Chen (W, 11-3)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    8.0
    5
    0
    0
    1
    3
  

    
    5.0
    Tigers
    Max Scherzer (W, 12-3)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    7.0
    6
    3
    3
    1
    11
  

    
    3.0
    Yankees
    Brandon McCarthy (W, 2-0)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    6.0
    4
    1
    1
    2
    5
  

    
    3.0
    White Sox
    Jake Petricka (S, 5)
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    
    1.0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    2
  

    BAT
    1.0
    Marlins
    Jarrod Saltalamacchia   C
    4
    1
    3
    1
    0
    1
    
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
  

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

Top player from each game

Top player from each game

Top player from each game

Top player from each game

Top players

Top 10 teams

Recent trades

Top player from each game

Top player from each game

Top player from each game

Top player from each game

Top player from each game

Top player from each game

Top player from each game

Top player from each game

Top player from each game

Top player from each game

Top players

Top 10 teams

Top player from each game

Top player from each game

Box-Toppers

Tracking who most helps their teams win the most games, based on box score stats. A method to measure & compare baseball's top players.