Royals' James Shields, Rockies' Tyler Matzek top players for Friday, Sept. 5

Royals pitcher James Shields is Friday’s Player of the Day. Shields pitched 8 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out six, in the 1-0 win over the Yankees.

Shields earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 11.7 for the season. He ranks 24th among all players and 15th among American League pitchers. He becomes the 43rd player this season with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points. In 2013, 54 players had 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points.

Rockies pitcher Tyler Matzek is National League Player of the Day. Matzek pitched a complete game, three-hit shutout, striking out six, in the 3-0 win over the Padres.

Marcell Ozuna of the Marlins is NL Batter of the Day. Ozuna hit two doubles and went 4-for-5, scoring twice and driving in four runs, in the 11-3 win over the Braves.

Kendrys Morales of the Mariners is AL Batter of the Day. Morales homered twice, driving in four runs, in the 7-5 win over the Rangers.

Notable: Rays pitcher Alex Cobb rose to 25th place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Friday. Cobb (7IP 0R 6K ND in the 3-0 win over the Orioles) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 11.7 for the season. He ranks 16th among AL pitchers.

Shields receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Matzek receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Ozuna and Morales 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, 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

905 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 11.1 Royals James Shields (W, 13-7) - - - - - - 8.1 3 0 0 0 6
NL 11.0 Rockies Tyler Matzek (W, 5-9) - - - - - - 9.0 3 0 0 1 6
6.0 `Rays Alex Cobb - - - - - - 7.0 6 0 0 1 6
6.0 Astros Tony Sipp (S, 3) - - - - - - 2.0 0 0 0 0 4
BAT 5.0 Marlins Marcell Ozuna CF 5 2 4 4 0 0 - - - - - -
5.0 Mets Travis d`Arnaud C 4 2 3 4 1 0 - - - - - -
5.0 `Indians T.J. House - - - - - - 7.0 7 1 1 0 7
5.0 Dodgers Dan Haren (W, 12-10) - - - - - - 6.0 4 1 1 1 6
BAT 4.0 Mariners Kendrys Morales DH 4 2 2 4 0 0 - - - - - -
3.0 Angels Kole Calhoun RF 6 4 3 2 0 2 - - - - - -
2.0 Phillies Ben Revere CF 5 1 3 3 1 0 - - - - - -
2.0 Brewers Scooter Gennett 2B 4 1 2 3 0 0 - - - - - -
2.0 Red Sox Mookie Betts CF 4 3 2 1 1 1 - - - - - -
1.0 Giants Gregor Blanco LF 4 2 2 1 1 0 - - - - - -

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

 

Kershaw, still tops in latest Box-Toppers player rankings report, has chance to break single-season record

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, the overall leader in Box-Toppers points, has a chance to break the “all-time” single season record for points. 

Meanwhile, all four Box-Toppers point category leaders maintained their dominant leads this week.

Top players

Through Thursday, Sept. 4


 OVERALL LEADERS POS TEAM BTP
1 Kershaw, Clayton 2494 pi sp lad nl 27.8
2 Scherzer, Max 2588 pi sp det al 21.1
3 Bumgarner, Madison 2753 pi sp sf nl 20.9
4 Kluber, Corey 3200 pi sp cle al 17.4
5 Cueto, Johnny 2400 pi sp cin nl 17.4
6 Hernandez, Felix 2064 pi sp sea al 16.8
7 Price, David 2593 pi sp det al 16.1
8 Sale, Chris 2806 pi sp chi al 15.7
9 Richards, Garrett 3042 pi sp ana al 15.7
10 Abreu, Jose 3308 1b chi al 15.5
AL PITCHERS POS TEAM BTP
1 Scherzer, Max 2588 pi sp det al 21.1
2 Kluber, Corey 3200 pi sp cle al 17.4
3 Hernandez, Felix 2064 pi sp sea al 16.8
4 Price, David 2593 pi sp det al 16.1
5 Sale, Chris 2806 pi sp chi al 15.7
6 Richards, Garrett 3042 pi sp ana al 15.7
7 Kazmir, Scott 1947 pi sp oak al 14.1
8 Lester, Jon 2173 pi sp oak al 13.7
9 Hughes, Phil 2272 pi sp min al 13.1
10 Hutchison, Drew 3038 pi sp tor al 13.0
AL BATTERS POS TEAM BTP
1 Abreu, Jose 3308 1b chi al 15.5
2 Cabrera, Miguel 1776 1b det al 10.0
3 Jones, Adam 2347 cf bal al 9.5
4 Donaldson, Josh 3144 3b oak al 9.0
5 Encarnacion, Edwin 2098 1b dh lf tor al 8.0
6 Carter, Chris 2828 dh hou al 8.0
7 Cespedes, Yoenis 3008 lf bos al 8.0
8 Trout, Mike 2949 cf ana al 7.5
9 Cruz, Nelson Ramon 2224 lf dh bal al 7.0
10 Seager, Kyle 3031 3b sea al 7.0
NL PITCHERS POS TEAM BTP
1 Kershaw, Clayton 2494 pi sp lad nl 27.8
2 Bumgarner, Madison 2753 pi sp sf nl 20.9
3 Cueto, Johnny 2400 pi sp cin nl 17.4
4 Wainwright, Adam 2150 pi sp stl nl 15.0
5 Greinke, Zack 1871 pi sp lad nl 13.8
6 Strasburg, Stephen 2736 pi sp dc nl 13.7
7 Teheran, Julio 3176 pi sp atl nl 13.4
8 Collmenter, Josh 2863 pi sp ari nl 12.0
9 Arrieta, Jake 2738 pi sp chi nl 11.7
10 Hamels, Cole 2135 pi sp phi nl 11.4
NL BATTERS POS TEAM BTP
1 Tulowitzki, Troy 2308 ss col nl 11.6
2 Freeman, Freddie 2887 1b atl nl 7.7
3 Holliday, Matt 1836 lf stl nl 7.5
4 Duda, Lucas 2818 1b nym nl 7.5
5 Yelich, Christian 3334 lf fla nl 7.5
6 Upton, Justin 2411 lf atl nl 7.2
7 Howard, Ryan 2040 1b phi nl 7.2
8 Murphy, Daniel 2589 2b nym nl 7.0
9 Stanton, Giancarlo 2737 rf fla nl 6.7
10 Lucroy, Jonathan 2744 ca mil nl 6.7
BTP: Box-Toppers points

Kershaw has 27.8 Box-Toppers points to lead all players. With a little over three weeks left in the season—and three or four starts remaining—he has a shot of breaking the record of 33.7 Box-Toppers points in a single season, done twice by Randy Johnson of the Diamondbacks—in 2000 and 2002.

Box-Toppers “all-time” records go back to 1995, when Box-Toppers record keeping began.

Max Scherzer of the Tigers still leads American League pitchers in Box-Toppers points with 21.1. He ranks second among all players, behind Kershaw.

Jose Abreu of the White Sox still leads AL batters in Box-Toppers points with 15.5. He ranks 10th among all players and is the only batter among the top 10.

Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies still leads National League batters in Box-Toppers points with 11.6. Tulowitzki will have played in just over half the season’s games (91) and is out for the season recovering from hip surgery.

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?

Los Angeles Angels dethrone Athletics to top Box-Toppers team rankings

The Los Angeles Angels have dethroned the Oakland Athletics from the top of Box-Toppers team rankings, a spot they held since July 13.

In this week’s report, the Angels have 107.7 Box-Toppers points, passing the Athletics, with 107.4 points.

Top 10 teams

Here are Box-Toppers' Top 10 teams, through the games of Thursday, Sept. 4. 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 in the past week.

904 Teams BTP BTP
/wk		 Last
wk
rank
1 Angels 107.7 4.0 2
2 Athletics 107.4 2.2 1
3 Dodgers 104.1 3.0 3
4 Cardinals 101.1 7.0 4
5 Tigers 99.4 6.0 5
6 Giants 97.1 6.7 6
7 Orioles 95.4 10.4 8
8 Nationals 94.0 4.7 7
9 Blue Jays 92.0 10.0 13
10 Mariners 88.4 5.0 11
BTP: Box-Toppers points

The Angels have the best winning percentage in baseball (.604). And they’ve had the best winning percentage the past two weeks, but until now, were never able to overtake the Athletics in Box-Toppers points. The Athletics were able to boost their Box-Toppers points total through July trades, especially an early July trade with the Cubs, bringing them pitchers Jason Hammel and Jeff Samardzija.

But the Angels swept the Athletics in a four-game series last weekend, helping them move to the top in Box-Toppers rankings. The Athletics, now in second place in Box-Toppers rankings, have a winning percentage of .568, third-best in the American League and fourth best among all teams.

The Angels leading player, pitcher Garrett Richards, who has 15.7 Box-Toppers points, is out for the season with a torn knee tendon. Richards still ranks ninth among all players and sixth among AL pitchers. The next-highest rated Angels player is pitcher Matt Shoemaker, with 10.7 Box-Toppers points. He ranks 17th among AL pitchers.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are still the top National League team in Box-Toppers points. Dodgers players have accumulated 104.1 Box-Toppers points and remain in third place among all teams. They’ve been the top NL team since the July 3 team rankings report.

The Dodgers are led by overall Box-Toppers points leader, pitcher Clayton Kershaw (27.8) and pitcher Zack Greinke (13.8 Box-Toppers points, who ranks fifth among NL pitchers).

The Dodgers have the second-best winning percentage in the NL (.557), behind the Washington Nationals (.572). The Nationals have 94.0 Box-Toppers points and rank eighth among all teams, fourth among NL teams..

The Baltimore Orioles had the best week of any team, scoring 10.4 Box-Toppers points, rising from eighth to seventh place with 95.4.

The Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners both rose into the top 10 list this week. The Blue Jays picked up 10.0 Box-Toppers points to rise from 13th to ninth place with 92.0 Box-Toppers points. And the Mariners picked up 5.0 Box-Toppers points to rise from 11th to 10th place, with 88.4.

The Kansas City Royals and Milwaukee Brewers both fell out of the top 10. The Royals fell from ninth to 11th place, with 86.6 Box-Toppers points, picking up only 2.0 points during the week. The Brewers fell from 10th to 13th place, with 84.0 Box-Toppers points, after they picked up 0.0 points during the week.

The Boston Red Sox remain the lowest-ranked team with 56.7 Box-Toppers points.

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.

Blue Jays' Buehrle, Dbacks Delgado top players for Thursday, Sept. 4

Blue Jays pitcher Mark Buehrle is Thursday’s Player of the Day. Buehrle pitched eight scoreless innings in the 1-0, 10-inning win over the Rays. Buehrle earned a no decision because he left the game with the score tied at 0.

Buehrle has the most Box-Toppers points of any of Thursday’s eight Players of the Game (listed below). He earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 7.7 for the season. He ranks 68th among all players and 29th among American League pitchers.

Diamondbacks pitcher Randall Delgado is National League Player of the Day. Delgado pitched five shutout innings in the 5-1 win over the Padres.

Robinson Cano of the Mariners is AL Batter of the Day. Cano doubled and went 2-for-4, scoring once and driving in four runs, in the 10-2 win over the Mariners.

There is no NL Batter of the Day for Thursday because no NL batter earned Player of the Game honors.

Buehrle receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Delgado receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Cano receives 1.5 for being AL 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, 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

904 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 6.0 `Blue Jays Mark Buehrle - - - - - - 8.0 5 0 0 1 4
NL 5.0 Dbacks Randall Delgado (W, 3-3) - - - - - - 5.0 2 0 0 0 2
3.1 `Yankees Shawn Kelley - - - - - - 1.1 0 0 0 0 2
BAT 3.0 Mariners Robinson Cano 2B 4 1 2 4 0 0 - - - - - -
3.0 Tigers Victor Martinez 1B 3 2 1 3 3 0 - - - - - -
3.0 Angels Joe Smith (W, 6-2) - - - - - - 1.0 0 0 0 0 2
2.0 Orioles Nelson Cruz DH 3 1 2 2 1 1 - - - - - -
0.1 Cardinals Marco Gonzales (W, 2-2) - - - - - - 2.1 2 1 1 0 2

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

 

Orioles' Gonzalez tops players for Wednesday, Sept. 3; Mariners' Hernandez rises to 6th in Box-Toppers rankings

Orioles pitcher Miguel Gonzalez is Wednesday’s Player of the Day, while Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez rises to sixth place in Box-Toppers player rankings.

Gonzalez pitched a complete game, four-hit shutout, striking out eight and walking one, in the 6-0 win over the Reds.

Hernandez rose from seventh to sixth place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season after earning Player of the Game honors Wednesday. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) Hernandez (8IP R W in the 2-1 win over the Athletics) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 16.8 for the season. He ranks third among American League pitchers.

Adam LaRoche of the Nationals is National League Player of the Day. LaRoche homered and went 2-for-3, scoring twice and driving in five runs in the 8-5, 14-inning win over the Dodgers. LaRoche entered the game as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning.

Dioner Navarro of the Blue Jays is AL Batter of the Day. Navarro hit a two-run homer and went 2-for-2 in the 7-4 win over the Rays.

Notable: Diamondbacks pitcher Josh Collmenter rose to 23rd place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Wednesday. Collmenter (7IP R W in the 6-1 win over the Padres) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 12.0 for the season. He ranks eighth among NL pitchers.

Gonzalez receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. LaRoche receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Navarro receives 1.5 for being AL 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 watches the daily performances of selected star players and Box-Toppers points leaders. To see how they performed, click here.

Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. Players earn Box-Toppers points for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

903 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 12.0 Orioles Miguel Gonzalez (W, 8-7) - - - - - - 9.0 4 0 0 1 8
10.0 Indians Danny Salazar (W, 6-6) - - - - - - 9.0 8 0 0 0 9
9.2 Astros Collin McHugh (W, 8-9) - - - - - - 7.2 4 1 1 0 8
9.0 Yankees Hiroki Kuroda (W, 10-8) - - - - - - 7.0 4 1 1 0 8
NL 6.0 Nationals Adam LaRoche PH, 1B 3 2 2 5 0 0 - - - - - -
6.0 `Cardinals Shelby Miller - - - - - - 7.0 3 0 0 3 5
5.2 Royals Jason Vargas (W, 11-7) - - - - - - 6.2 6 0 0 0 5
5.0 Mariners Felix Hernandez (W, 14-5) - - - - - - 8.0 3 1 1 2 4
3.0 Braves Christian Bethancourt C 4 2 3 2 0 0 - - - - - -
3.0 Rockies Josh Rutledge SS 3 2 2 2 1 0 - - - - - -
BAT 3.0 Blue Jays Dioner Navarro C 2 1 2 2 2 0 - - - - - -
3.0 Mets Kirk Nieuwenhuis RF 1 1 1 2 3 0 - - - - - -
2.0 Twins Eduardo Nunez 3B 6 2 4 2 0 0 - - - - - -
2.0 Cubs Chris Valaika 1B 3 1 2 2 1 1 - - - - - -
1.0 Dbacks Josh Collmenter (W, 10-7) - - - - - - 7.0 5 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.

 

Clayton Kershaw, top player for Tuesday, Sept. 2, stays on track to break Randy Johnson's single season Box-Toppers points record

Box-Toppers points leader Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers, Tuesday’s Player of the Day, stays on track to break Randy Johnson’s record for most Box-Toppers points in a single season.

Kershaw struck out eight over eight innings, allowing one run and three hits, in the 4-1 win over the Nationals. He earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 27.8 for the season. He ranks first among all players this season. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.)

Most BTP single season

Randy Johnson is the all-time leader in Box-Toppers points in a single season—he scored 33.7 twice, in 2000 and 2002. Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers rose into the top 10 list for 2014 on Tuesday, he now has 27.8.

Rank Player Team Pos Year BTP
1 Randy Johnson Dbacks pi sp 2000 33.7
1 Randy Johnson Dbacks pi sp 2002 33.7
3 Pedro Martinez Red Sox pi sp 2000 33.5
4 Randy Johnson Dbacks pi sp 1999 31.5
5 Pedro Martinez Red Sox pi sp 1999 31.4
6 Randy Johnson Dbacks pi sp 2001 29.4
7 Pedro Martinez Red Sox pi sp 2002 28.8
8 Curt Schilling Dbacks pi sp 2002 28.4
9 *Clayton Kershaw Dodgers pi sp 2014 27.8
10 Roger Clemens Blue Jays pi sp 1997 27.4
11 Johan Santana Twins pi sp 2004 26.8
12 Pedro Martinez Expos pi sp 1997 26.7
12 CC Sabathia Indians/Brewers pi sp 2008 26.7
14 Randy Johnson Mariners/Astros pi sp 1998 26.4
15 John Smoltz Braves pi sp 1996 26.1
15 Clayton Kershaw Dodgers pi sp 2011 26.1
17 Roger Clemens Blue Jays pi sp 1998 25.8
18 Johan Santana Twins pi sp 2006 25.7
19 Cliff Lee Phillies pi sp 2011 25.4

* Current season
BTP: Box-Toppers points

Kershaw is now within 5.9 Box-Toppers points of Johnson’s record of 33.7 he set with the Diamondbacks in both 2000 and 2002. Kershaw likely has three or four starts remaining. If he is Player of the Day in three upcoming starts, he would score 6.0 Box-Toppers points and pass Johnson with 33.8.

Kershaw’s 27.8 Box-Toppers points is now the ninth-highest single season total since record keeping began in 1995. He has the most points in a single season since 2002, when Johnson tied his record of 33.7 set in 2000. Also in 2002, Pedro Martinez of the Red Sox had 28.8 Box-Toppers points and Curt Schilling of the Diamondbacks had 28.4.

Kershaw also passed his career high for most Box-Toppers points in a season Tuesday—his previous high was 26.1, set in 2011. Kershaw has 129.9 career Box-Toppers points and ranks 24th on the “all-time” list, 16th among pitchers (record keeping began in 1995).

Previous post about Kershaw's chances for breaking Johnson's single-season record.

Orioles pitcher Bud Norris is American League Player of the Day. Norris pitched six scoreless innings and struck out seven in the 5-4 win over the Reds.

Buster Posey of the Giants is National League Batter of the Day. Posey homered, doubled twice and went 3-for-5, scoring three times and driving in four runs, in the 12-7 win over the Rockies.

Daniel Nava of the Red Sox is AL Batter of the Day. Nava homered and went 2-for-3, scoring twice and driving in three runs, in the 9-4 win over the Yankees.

Kershaw receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Norris receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Posey and Nava 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, 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

902 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 9.0 Dodgers Clayton Kershaw (W, 17-3) - - - - - - 8.0 3 1 1 2 8
AL 8.0 Orioles Bud Norris (W, 12-8) - - - - - - 6.0 4 0 0 1 7
6.0 Phillies Kyle Kendrick (W, 8-11) - - - - - - 7.0 3 0 0 2 4
BAT 5.0 Giants Buster Posey 1B 5 3 3 4 0 0 - - - - - -
5.0 Mets Juan Lagares CF 4 3 4 2 1 0 - - - - - -
5.0 `Padres Odrisamer Despaigne - - - - - - 7.0 4 1 1 0 4
BAT 4.0 Red Sox Daniel Nava RF 3 2 2 3 1 1 - - - - - -
4.0 Blue Jays R.A. Dickey (W, 11-12) - - - - - - 7.0 2 2 2 3 6
3.1 `Tigers Kyle Lobstein - - - - - - 5.1 5 2 2 3 10
3.0 Astros Jose Altuve 2B 5 2 4 2 0 0 - - - - - -
3.0 White Sox Tyler Flowers C 5 2 2 4 0 2 - - - - - -
3.0 Mariners Endy Chavez RF 1 1 1 2 1 0 - - - - - -
1.0 Cubs Luis Valbuena 3B 4 2 2 1 0 1 - - - - - -
1.0 Cardinals Peter Bourjos CF 4 2 2 1 0 1 - - - - - -
1.0 Royals Aaron Crow (S, 3) - - - - - - 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.

 

Phillies' Hamels, Athletics' Hammel top players for Monday, Sept. 1

Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels, who pitched the first six innings in a combined no-hitter, is Monday’s Player of the Day.

Hamels pitched six no-hit innings, allowing no runs, walking five and striking out seven, in the 7-0 win over the Braves. The other three Phillies pitchers who combined for the no-hitter were Jake Diekman, Ken Giles and Jonathan Papelbon.

Hamels earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 11.4 for the season. He becomes the 40th player this season with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points. He ranks 25th among all players and ninth among National League pitchers. Hamels has now earned 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points in each of the nine years of his career.

Athletics pitcher Jason Hammel is American League Player of the Day. Hammel allowed one run over eight innings, striking out five, in the 6-1 win over the Mariners. Hammel earned 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day, his first points earned since being traded from the Cubs, giving him 10.4 for the season. He becomes the 41st player this season with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points. He ranks 40th among all players and 19th among AL pitchers.

Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers is AL Batter of the Day. Cabrera hit two home runs, going 4-for-5, scoring four times and driving in three runs, in the 12-1 win over the Indians. Cabrera becomes the 42nd player this season to earn 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points. He earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being AL Batter of the Day, giving him 10.0 for the season. He ranks 41st among all players and second among AL batters, behind Jose Abreu of the White Sox (15.5 Box-Toppers points). In 2013, Cabrera led AL batters with 16.9 Box-Toppers points.

Josh Rutledge of the Rockies is NL Batter of the Day. Rutledge went 3-for-3, scoring three times and driving in two runs, in the 10-9 win over the Giants.

Notable: Rays pitcher Drew Smyly rose to 21st place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Monday. Smyly (5.2IP 7K ND in the 4-3 win over the Red Sox) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 12.4 for the season. He ranks 13th among AL pitchers.

Hamels receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Hammel receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Cabrera and Rutledge 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, 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

901 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 8.0 Phillies Cole Hamels (W, 8-6) - - - - - - 6.0 0 0 0 5 7
AL 7.0 Athletics Jason Hammel (W, 2-5) - - - - - - 8.0 3 1 1 1 5
BAT 6.0 Tigers Miguel Cabrera DH 5 4 4 3 0 1 - - - - - -
5.1 Cubs Jacob Turner (W, 5-8) - - - - - - 6.1 5 1 1 1 7
5.0 Twins Joe Mauer DH 4 2 3 4 0 1 - - - - - -
BAT 5.0 Rockies Josh Rutledge SS 3 3 3 2 0 0 - - - - - -
4.0 Padres Tyson Ross (W, 13-12) - - - - - - 6.0 6 1 1 2 8
3.2 `Rays Drew Smyly - - - - - - 5.2 3 2 2 2 7
3.0 Royals Salvador Perez C 4 1 3 3 0 0 - - - - - -
3.0 Giants Hunter Pence RF 3 2 2 2 1 0 - - - - - -
3.0 Cardinals Kolten Wong PH 1 1 1 2 0 0 - - - - - -
3.0 Marlins Steve Cishek (S, 32) - - - - - - 1.0 0 0 0 0 2
2.0 Nationals Denard Span CF 5 2 2 3 0 0 - - - - - -

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

 

Braves' Wood, Red Sox' Buchholz top players for Sunday, Aug. 31

Braves pitcher Alex Wood is Sunday’s Player of the Day. Wood pitched eight scoreless innings and struck out 12 in the 1-0 win over the Marlins.

Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz is American League Player of the Day. Buchholz pitched a complete game, three-hit shutout, striking out six, in the 3-0 win over the Rays.

Matt Holliday of the Cardinals is National League Batter of the Day. Holliday homered, doubled and went 3-for-4, scoring twice and driving in four runs, in the 9-6 win over the Cubs. This is the second day in a row Holliday has earned NL Batter of the Day, so he has picked up 3.0 Box-Toppers points in the past two days. He now has 7.5 Box-Toppers points for the season and ranks third among NL batters, behind overall leader Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies (11.6 Box-Toppers points) and Freddie Freeman of the Braves (7.7 Box-Toppers points).

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 5-3 win over the Nationals.

Notables: Two pitchers who earned Player of the Game honors Sunday became the 38th and 39th player this season with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points.

Angels pitcher Matt Shoemaker, top player in the 8-1 win over the Athletics (7IP 0R 7K W) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 10.7 for the season. He ranks 35th among all players and 17th among AL pitchers.

Dodgers pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu, top player in the 7-1 win over the Padres (7IP R 7K W) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 10.4 for the season. He ranks 37th among all players and 17th among NL pitchers.

Wood receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Buchholz receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Holliday and Ackley each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

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

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

Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. Players earn Box-Toppers points for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

831 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 15.0 Braves Alex Wood (W, 10-10) - - - - - - 8.0 5 0 0 0 12
AL 12.0 Red Sox Clay Buchholz (W, 6-8) - - - - - - 9.0 3 0 0 0 6
9.0 Angels Matt Shoemaker (W, 14-4) - - - - - - 7.0 5 0 0 0 7
8.0 Dodgers Hyun-Jin Ryu (W, 14-6) - - - - - - 7.0 4 1 1 0 7
7.0 Dbacks Chase Anderson (W, 8-6) - - - - - - 6.0 5 1 1 0 8
BAT 5.0 Cardinals Matt Holliday LF 4 2 3 4 0 0 - - - - - -
5.0 Giants Pablo Sandoval 3B 4 3 3 3 1 0 - - - - - -
BAT 3.0 Mariners Dustin Ackley LF 4 1 2 4 0 0 - - - - - -
3.0 Reds Chris Heisey RF, LF 4 2 2 3 0 0 - - - - - -
3.0 Orioles J.J. Hardy SS 4 2 1 4 1 2 - - - - - -
2.0 Astros Chad Qualls (S, 16) - - - - - - 1.0 0 0 0 0 1
1.0 White Sox Avisail Garcia RF 4 1 2 2 1 1 - - - - - -
1.0 Mets Anthony Recker C 4 1 1 3 0 2 - - - - - -
1.0 Blue Jays Steve Tolleson PR, 2B 0 1 0 0 0 0 - - - - - -


Blue Jays' Hutchison tops players for Saturday, Aug. 30; White Sox' Sale rises to 8th in Box-Toppers rankings

Blue Jays pitcher Drew Hutchison is Saturday’s Player of the Day, while White Sox pitcher Chris Sale rises to eighth place in Box-Toppers player rankings.

Hutchison pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out nine, in the 2-0 win over the Yankees. Hutchison earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 13.0 for the season. He ranks 18th among all players and 10th among American League pitchers.

Sale rose to eighth 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.) Sale (7IP 13K W in the 6-3 win over the Tigers) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 15.7 for the season. He ranks fifth among AL pitchers.

Giants pitcher Jake Peavy is National League Player of the Day. Peavy took a no-hitter into the eighth inning before giving up a one-out single. He pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing just the one hit and striking out eight, in the 3-1 win over the Brewers.

Matt Holliday of the Cardinals is NL Batter of the Day. Holliday hit two home runs and drove in five runs in the 13-2 win over the Cubs.

Ian Kinsler of the Tigers is AL Batter of the Day. Kinsler went 3-for-5, scoring once and driving in three runs, in the 8-4 win over the White Sox.

Notable: Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg rose to 15th place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Saturday. Strasburg (7.2IP R 8K W in the 3-1 win over the Mariners) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 13.7 for the season. He ranks sixth among NL pitchers.

Hutchison receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Peavy receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Holliday and Kinsler 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, 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

830 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 13.0 Blue Jays Drew Hutchison (W, 9-11) - - - - - - 7.0 1 0 0 2 9
NL 11.2 Giants Jake Peavy (W, 3-4) - - - - - - 7.2 1 0 0 3 8
10.0 Astros Scott Feldman (W, 8-10) - - - - - - 9.0 3 0 0 1 5
10.0 Rays Jake Odorizzi (W, 10-11) - - - - - - 7.0 1 0 0 3 7
8.0 `Angels Cory Rasmus - - - - - - 3.0 1 0 0 0 6
7.2 Nationals Stephen Strasburg (W, 11-10) - - - - - - 7.2 6 1 1 0 8
BAT 6.0 Cardinals Matt Holliday LF 3 2 2 5 1 0 - - - - - -
6.0 White Sox Chris Sale (W, 11-3) - - - - - - 7.0 6 3 3 2 13
6.0 `Padres Ian Kennedy - - - - - - 7.0 4 1 1 3 8
5.0 Rockies Tyler Matzek (W, 4-9) - - - - - - 7.0 3 0 0 3 4
4.0 Marlins Jarred Cosart (W, 3-1) - - - - - - 7.0 7 0 0 1 5
3.0 Orioles Zach Britton (S, 30) - - - - - - 1.0 0 0 0 0 2
2.2 `Indians Trevor Bauer - - - - - - 5.2 4 0 0 5 6
2.1 `Pirates Vance Worley (W, 6-4) - - - - - - 6.1 3 2 1 2 4
BAT 2.0 Tigers Ian Kinsler 2B 5 1 3 3 0 0 - - - - - -
2.0 Cubs Logan Watkins RF 3 2 2 1 0 1 - - - - - -
1.0 Phillies Ryan Howard 1B 4 1 1 3 0 1 - - - - - -

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

 

D-backs' Josh Collmenter tops players for Friday, Aug. 29

Diamondbacks pitcher Josh Collmenter, Friday’s Player of the Day, becomes the 36th player this season with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points.

Collmenter allowed one run and two hits over 6 1/3 innings in the 5-2 win over the Rockies. Collmenter left the mound with the game tied and so did not pick up the win. Collmenter earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 11.0 for the season. He ranks 29th among all players and 13th among National League pitchers.

Orioles pitcher Miguel Gonzalez is American League Player of the Day. Gonzalez struck out six over seven innings, allowing one run, in the 9-1 win over the Twins.

Buster Posey of the Giants is NL Batter of the Day. Posey tripled and went 5-for-5, scoring three times and driving in three runs, in the 13-2 win over the Brewers.

Michael Choice of the Rangers is AL Batter of the Day. Choice hit a three-run homer and went 3-for-4, scoring twice, in the 13-6 win over the Astros.

Notable: Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom becomes the 37th player with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points this season after earning Player of the Game honors Friday. deGrom (7IP R 5K W in the 4-1 win over the Phillies) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 10.0 for the season. He ranks 37th among all players and 18th among NL pitchers.

Collmenter receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Gonzalez receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Posey and Choice 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, 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

829 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 7.1 `Dbacks Josh Collmenter 0 0 0 0 0 0 6.1 2 1 1 0 5
BAT 6.0 Giants Buster Posey C 5 3 5 3 0 0 - - - - - -
AL 6.0 Orioles Miguel Gonzalez (W, 7-7) 0 0 0 0 0 0 7.0 4 1 1 1 6
6.0 `Padres Andrew Cashner 0 0 0 0 0 0 6.0 6 1 1 0 8
5.2 `Pirates Edinson Volquez 0 0 0 0 0 0 7.2 3 1 1 3 6
5.0 Cubs Jorge Soler RF 3 2 3 3 1 0 - - - - - -
5.0 Mets Jacob deGrom (W, 7-6) 0 0 0 0 0 0 7.0 4 1 0 2 5
BAT 4.0 Rangers Michael Choice LF 4 2 3 3 0 1 - - - - - -
4.0 Angels Jered Weaver (W, 15-7) 0 0 0 0 0 0 7.0 3 0 0 3 3
3.0 Nationals Anthony Rendon 3B 4 2 4 1 1 0 - - - - - -
2.1 Yankees David Robertson (S, 35) 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.1 0 0 0 0 1
2.0 Red Sox Mookie Betts CF 5 1 2 4 0 0 - - - - - -
2.0 Indians Carlos Santana 1B 4 1 2 3 1 1 - - - - - -
2.0 Braves Justin Upton LF 4 1 2 3 0 0 - - - - - -
2.0 Tigers Justin Verlander (W, 12-11) 0 0 0 0 0 0 7.0 9 1 1 2 8

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

 

Kershaw, yet again atop Box-Toppers player rankings weekly report, achieves 2nd 25-point season

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw added to his lead in Box-Toppers player rankings this week and for the second time in his career passed 25.0 Box-Toppers points in a season.

Top players

Through Thursday, Aug. 28


 OVERALL LEADERS POS TEAM BTP
1 Kershaw, Clayton 2494 pi sp lad nl 25.8
2 Scherzer, Max 2588 pi sp det al 21.1
3 Bumgarner, Madison 2753 pi sp sf nl 20.9
4 Kluber, Corey 3200 pi sp cle al 17.4
5 Cueto, Johnny 2400 pi sp cin nl 17.4
6 Price, David 2593 pi sp det al 16.1
7 Hernandez, Felix 2064 pi sp sea al 15.8
8 Richards, Garrett 3042 pi sp ana al 15.7
9 Abreu, Jose 3308 1b chi al 15.5
10 Wainwright, Adam 2150 pi sp stl nl 15.0
AL PITCHERS POS TEAM BTP
1 Scherzer, Max 2588 pi sp det al 21.1
2 Kluber, Corey 3200 pi sp cle al 17.4
3 Price, David 2593 pi sp det al 16.1
4 Hernandez, Felix 2064 pi sp sea al 15.8
5 Richards, Garrett 3042 pi sp ana al 15.7
6 Sale, Chris 2806 pi sp chi al 14.7
7 Kazmir, Scott 1947 pi sp oak al 14.1
8 Lester, Jon 2173 pi sp oak al 13.7
9 Hughes, Phil 2272 pi sp min al 13.1
10 Tanaka, Masahiro 3305 pi sp nyy al 12.7
AL BATTERS POS TEAM BTP
1 Abreu, Jose 3308 1b chi al 15.5
2 Jones, Adam 2347 cf bal al 9.5
3 Donaldson, Josh 3144 3b oak al 9.0
4 Cabrera, Miguel 1776 1b det al 8.5
5 Encarnacion, Edwin 2098 1b dh lf tor al 8.0
6 Carter, Chris 2828 dh hou al 8.0
7 Cespedes, Yoenis 3008 lf bos al 8.0
8 Trout, Mike 2949 cf ana al 7.5
9 Seager, Kyle 3031 3b sea al 7.0
10 Murphy, David 2348 rf cle al 6.5
NL PITCHERS POS TEAM BTP
1 Kershaw, Clayton 2494 pi sp lad nl 25.8
2 Bumgarner, Madison 2753 pi sp sf nl 20.9
3 Cueto, Johnny 2400 pi sp cin nl 17.4
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 13.4
7 Strasburg, Stephen 2736 pi sp dc nl 12.7
8 Arrieta, Jake 2738 pi sp chi nl 11.7
9 Fister, Doug 2688 pi sp dc nl 11.4
10 Zimmermann, Jordan 2612 pi sp dc nl 11.0
NL BATTERS POS TEAM BTP
1 Tulowitzki, Troy 2308 ss col nl 11.6
2 Freeman, Freddie 2887 1b atl nl 7.7
3 Duda, Lucas 2818 1b nym nl 7.5
4 Yelich, Christian 3334 lf fla nl 7.5
5 Murphy, Daniel 2589 2b nym nl 7.0
6 Stanton, Giancarlo 2737 rf fla nl 6.7
7 Lucroy, Jonathan 2744 ca mil nl 6.7
8 McCutchen, Andrew 2637 cf pit nl 6.5
9 Morse, Michael 2020 lf 1b sf nl 6.5
10 Upton, Justin 2411 lf atl nl 6.2
BTP: Box-Toppers points

Kershaw has 25.8 points this season and has a chance of breaking the single-season record of 33.7 Box-Toppers points in a single season, done twice by pitcher Randy Johnson in 2000 and 2002 (Box-Toppers record keeping began in 1995). Kershaw had 26.1 Box-Toppers points in 2011, his career high.

Max Scherzer of the Tigers still leads American League pitchers in Box-Toppers points with 21.1.

Jose Abreu of the White Sox still leads AL batters in Box-Toppers points with 15.5. (This week Abreu rose into the top 10 list among all players, rising to ninth. He is currently the only batter in the top 10 list.)

Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies still leads National League batters in Box-Toppers points with 11.6. Tulowitzki will have played in just over half the season’s games (91) and is out for the season recovering from hip surgery.

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 remain atop Box-Toppers team rankings

The Oakland Athletics maintained their spot atop Box-Toppers team rankings this week.

Athletics players have accumulated 105.2 Box-Toppers points, slightly ahead of the second-place Los Angeles Angels (103.7 Box-Toppers points) and the third-place (and National League-leading) Los Angeles Dodgers (101.1 Box-Toppers points).

Top 10 teams

Here are Box-Toppers' Top 10 teams, through the games of Thursday, Aug. 28. 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 in the past week.

828 Teams BTP BTP
/wk		 Last
wk
rank
1 Athletics 105.2 5.7 1
2 Angels 103.7 5.2 2
3 Dodgers 101.1 5.5 3
4 Cardinals 94.1 2.0 4
5 Tigers 93.4 4.0 5
6 Giants 90.4 6.0 7
7 Nationals 89.3 2.0 6
8 Orioles 85.0 3.5 9
9 Royals 84.6 4.0 10
10 Brewers 84.0 2.5 8
BTP: Box-Toppers points

The Athletics are led by pitchers Scott Kazmir (14.1 Box-Toppers points, ranked seventh among American League pitchers) and Jon Lester (13.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked eighth among AL pitchers).

The Athletics have the second-best winning percentage in baseball (.586), behind the Angels (.602), second place in Box-Toppers team rankings.

The Dodgers remain the top National League team. They are led by pitchers Clayton Kershaw (25.8 Box-Toppers points, overall leader) and Zack Greinke (13.8 Box-Toppers points, ranked fifth among NL pitchers).

The Dodgers have the second-best winning percentage among NL teams (.567), behind the Washington Nationals (.568). The Nationals have 89.3 Box-Toppers points and rank seventh among all teams, fourth among NL teams.

The Philadelphia Phillies had the best week of any team, picking up 6.5 Box-Toppers points. They rose from 24th to 20th place in Box-Toppers team rankings, with 71.5 Box-Toppers points.

The Boston Red Sox remain the lowest-ranked team with 52.5 Box-Toppers points.

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.

Giants' Yusmeiro Petit (6IP R 9K) tops players for Thursday, Aug. 28

Giants pitcher Yusmeiro Petit is Thursday’s Player of the Day. Petit struck out nine over six innings, allowing one run, in the 4-1 win over the Rockies.

Indians pitcher Carlos Carrasco is American League Player of the Day. Carrasco struck out seven over 6 2/3 innings, allowing one run, in the 3-2 win over the White Sox. Carrasco has the highest Box-Toppers point total of all nine players who earned Player of the Game honors Thursday. Earning 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day, Carrasco has 6.7 points for the season, ranking 89th among all players and 34th among AL pitchers.

Jordan Schafer of the Twins is AL Batter of the Day. Schafer doubled and went 3-for-5, scoring twice and driving in four runs, in the 11-5, 10-inning win over the Royals.

No player earned National League Batter of the Day because no NL batter earned Player of the Game honors.

Petit receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Carrasco receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Schafer receives 1.5 for being AL 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, 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

828 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 9.0 Giants Yusmeiro Petit (W, 4-3) - - - - - - 6.0 4 1 1 0 9
8.0 Reds Dylan Axelrod (W, 1-0) - - - - - - 5.0 2 0 0 3 8
AL 6.2 Indians Carlos Carrasco (W, 6-4) - - - - - - 6.2 4 1 1 1 7
6.0 Braves Mike Minor (W, 6-8) - - - - - - 7.0 4 1 1 0 5
BAT 4.0 Twins Jordan Schafer LF 5 2 3 4 0 1 - - - - - -
4.0 Astros Jason Castro C 3 1 2 4 1 0 - - - - - -
2.2 Orioles Andrew Miller (W, 4-5) - - - - - - 1.2 0 0 0 0 1
2.0 Angels Fernando Salas (W, 5-0) - - - - - - 1.0 0 0 0 0 1
1.0 Tigers Bryan Holaday PR, DH 0 1 0 0 0 0 - - - - - -

Clayton Kershaw has chance to pass Randy Johnson's record for most Box-Toppers points in a season

SPECIAL REPORT

SPECIAL REPORT

Most BTP single season

Randy Johnson is the all-time leader in Box-Toppers points in a single season—he scored 33.7 twice, in 2000 and 2002. In 20 seasons of Box-Toppers record keeping, players have scored 25.0 or more points in a season only 19 times. They are listed below. Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers reached the 25.0 point threshold in 2014 on Wednesday (he now has 25.8), the second time in his career he has had 25.0 or more points. And with a month to go in the season, he has a chance to break Randy Johnson's record for most Box-Toppers points in a season.

Rank Player Team Pos Year BTP
1 Randy Johnson Dbacks pi sp 2000 33.7
1 Randy Johnson Dbacks pi sp 2002 33.7
3 Pedro Martinez Red Sox pi sp 2000 33.5
4 Randy Johnson Dbacks pi sp 1999 31.5
5 Pedro Martinez Red Sox pi sp 1999 31.4
6 Randy Johnson Dbacks pi sp 2001 29.4
7 Pedro Martinez Red Sox pi sp 2002 28.8
8 Curt Schilling Dbacks pi sp 2002 28.4
9 Roger Clemens Blue Jays pi sp 1997 27.4
10 Johan Santana Twins pi sp 2004 26.8
11 Pedro Martinez Expos pi sp 1997 26.7
11 CC Sabathia Indians/Brewers pi sp 2008 26.7
13 Randy Johnson Mariners/Astros pi sp 1998 26.4
14 John Smoltz Braves pi sp 1996 26.1
14 Clayton Kershaw Dodgers pi sp 2011 26.1
16 Roger Clemens Blue Jays pi sp 1998 25.8
16 *Clayton Kershaw Dodgers pi sp 2014 25.8
18 Johan Santana Twins pi sp 2006 25.7
19 Cliff Lee Phillies pi sp 2011 25.4

* Current season
BTP: Box-Toppers points

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw has a chance to become the “all-time” leader in Box-Toppers points in a single season.

Kershaw, Wednesday’s Player of the Day, now has 25.8 Box-Toppers points this season and has an outside chance of catching the “all-time” single season leader, Randy Johnson, who scored 33.7 points in a season twice when he was pitching for the Diamondbacks—in 2000 and 2002.

Kershaw's 2014 starts

Here are Clayton Kershaw's starts for 2014. BTP/gm indicates how many Box-Toppers points he earned in each game (2.0 for overall Player of the Day, 1.7 for NL Player of the Day, 1.0 for top Player of the Game and 0.0 if he did not earn Player of the Game honors.


 Start BTP
/gm		 Result
1 Mar 22, 2014 2.0 W
2 May 6, 2014 1.0 W
3 May 11, 2014 0.0 ND
4 May 17, 2014 0.0 L
5 May 23, 2014 2.0 W
6 May 28, 2014 0.0 L
7 Jun 2, 2014 1.7 W
8 Jun 8, 2014 1.0 W
9 Jun 13, 2014 1.0 W
10 Jun 18, 2014 2.0 W*
11 Jun 24, 2014 2.0 W
12 Jun 29, 2014 1.7 W
13 Jul 4, 2014 1.7 W
14 Jul 10, 2014 2.0 W
15 Jul 20, 2014 0.0 ND
16 Jul 26, 2014 2.0 W
17 Jul 31, 2014 1.0 W
18 Aug 5, 2014 0.0 ND
19 Aug 10, 2014 1.0 W
20 Aug 16, 2014 0.0 L
21 Aug 21, 2014 1.7 W
22 Aug 27, 2014 2.0 W
* No-hitter
BTP: Box-Toppers points

With a month to go in the season, Kershaw likely has four or five more starts remaining. He would need to earn 8.0 Box-Toppers points—equivalent to earning Player of the Day honors four times—to pass Johnson’s 33.7. While that seems unlikely, he did have a stretch of five starts this season (from his June 18 no-hitter through July 10) in which he scored 9.4 Box-Toppers points, earning Player of the Day three times (2.0 Box-Toppers points each) and NL Player of the Day twice (1.7 Box-Toppers points each).

Kershaw’s accomplishment this season is all the more remarkable because he missed six weeks on the disabled list from late March through early May. In his 22 starts this season, he has been Player of the Day seven times (earning 2.0 Box-Toppers points each time), NL Player of the Day four times (earning 1.7 points each time) and Player of the Game five times (earning 1.0 each time). In only six of his 22 starts has he failed to earn at least Player of the Game honors.

Johnson has the most Box-Toppers points in a single season, however, record keeping began in 1995, so his “all-time” record covers only the past 20 seasons. Only 19 times in the past 20 seasons has a player earned more than 25.0 Box-Toppers points in a season. And this season is the second time Kershaw has achieved that. In 2011, Kershaw had his best season when he earned 26.1 Box-Toppers points.

While Kershaw’s current 25.8 Box-Toppers points is currently tied for 16th place in Box-Toppers highest points for a season, it is only one of five times in the past 10 seasons that a player has reached 25.0 points. The other four times:

• In 2008, CC Sabathia, pitching for the Indians and Brewers, had 26.7 Box-Toppers points.

• In 2011, Kershaw had 26.1.

• In 2006, Johan Santana of the Twins had 25.7 Box-Toppers points.

• In 2011, Cliff Lee of the Phillies had 25.4 Box-Toppers points.

All 14 other instances in which a player had 25.0 or more Box-Toppers points happened from 1995 to 2004. The top eight times happened from 1999 to 2002. Johnson earned four of those top eight top spots in four consecutive seasons, leading all players in Box-Toppers points in each of those seasons. All 19 players on the list are starting pitchers.

Kershaw tops players for Wednesday, Aug. 27, extending his Box-Toppers point lead; Abreu extends lead among AL batters

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, Wednesday’s Player of the Day, extended his overall lead in Box-Toppers player rankings, while Jose Abreu of the White Sox extended his Box-Toppers points lead among American League batters.

Kershaw struck out 10 over eight innings, allowing one run, in the 3-1 win over the Diamondbacks. Kershaw earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 25.8 for the season. He maintains his top spot in Box-Toppers player rankings. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) With about a month to go in the season, Kershaw is only 0.3 Box-Toppers points away from having his best season ever—in 2011, he had 26.1 Box-Toppers points.

Abreu rose to ninth place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Wednesday. Abreu (3-4 R 2BI in the 3-2 win over the Indians) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 15.5 for the season. He becomes the only batter currently among Box-Toppers’ top 10 players for the season. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) He also extends his wide lead among AL batters—second-place Adam Jones of the Orioles is 6.0 points behind with 9.5 Box-Toppers points.

Rays pitcher Drew Smyly is American League Player of the Day. Smyly allowed one run and two hits over seven innings in the 3-1 win over the Orioles. Smyly earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day, giving him 11.4 for the season. He is in 24th place among all players and 13th among AL pitchers. He is the 34th player this season with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points.

Leonys Martin of the Rangers is AL Batter of the Day. Martin homered and went 3-for-5, scoring twice and driving in three runs, in the 12-4 win over the Mariners.

Grady Sizemore of the Phillies is National League Batter of the Day. Sizemore hit a pinch-hit, two-run home run, in the 8-4 win over the Nationals.

Notables: Braves pitcher Julio Teheran rose to 15th place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors. Teheran (6.1IP R W in the 3-2 win over the Mets) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 13.4 for the season. He ranks sixth among NL pitchers.

Blue Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman becomes the 35th player with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points this season after earning Player of the Game honors. Stroman (7.2IP 8K W in the 5-2 win over the Red Sox) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 10.7 for the season. He ranks 34th among all players and 17th among AL pitchers.

Kershaw receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Smyly receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Martin and Sizemore each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

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

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

Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. Players earn Box-Toppers points for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

827 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 9.0 Dodgers Clayton Kershaw (W, 16-3) - - - - - - 8.0 6 1 0 2 10
9.0 `Giants Tim Hudson - - - - - - 8.0 4 1 1 1 8
AL 8.0 Rays Drew Smyly (W, 9-10) - - - - - - 7.0 2 1 1 1 6
7.1 `Athletics Drew Pomeranz - - - - - - 5.1 3 1 0 1 7
6.0 `Padres Odrisamer Despaigne - - - - - - 7.0 6 2 1 1 9
6.0 `Royals Liam Hendriks - - - - - - 7.0 4 1 1 0 5
5.0 Yankees Shane Greene (W, 4-1) - - - - - - 7.0 5 2 2 1 8
4.2 Blue Jays Marcus Stroman (W, 8-5) - - - - - - 7.2 5 2 1 1 6
4.2 Angels Hector Santiago (W, 4-7) - - - - - - 5.2 3 1 1 2 6
3.1 Braves Julio Teheran (W, 13-9) - - - - - - 6.1 3 1 1 2 4
BAT 3.0 Rangers Leonys Martin CF 5 2 3 3 0 1 - - - - - -
BAT 3.0 Phillies Grady Sizemore PH 1 1 1 2 0 0 - - - - - -
2.0 White Sox Jose Abreu 1B 4 1 3 2 0 1 - - - - - -
2.0 Reds Devin Mesoraco C 2 1 2 1 1 0 - - - - - -
1.0 Pirates Ike Davis 1B 3 1 1 2 1 0 - - - - - -

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

 

Giants' Madison Bumgarner tops players for Tuesday, Aug. 26, becomes 3rd player with 20 Box-Toppers points in '14

Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner, Tuesday’s Player of the Day, becomes the third player this season with 20.0 or more Box-Toppers points.

Bumgarner pitched a complete game, one-hit shutout and struck out 13 in the 3-0 win over the Rockies. Bumgarner allowed only one baserunner the entire game, giving up a double in the eighth inning.

Bumgarner earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 20.9 for the season. He maintains his spot in third place in Box-Toppers player rankings and second place among National League pitchers. (See the updated top 10 player list on the home page.) He trails Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw (23.8 Box-Toppers points) and Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer (21.1 Box-Toppers points).

Angels pitcher Matt Shoemaker is American League Player of the Day. Shoemaker pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out six, in the 8-2 win over the Marlins.

Dustin Pedroia of the Red Sox is AL Batter of the Day. Pedroia homered and went 2-for-5, scoring twice and driving in four runs, in the 11-7, 11-inning win over the Blue Jays.

Matt Kemp of the Dodgers is NL Batter of the Day. Kemp homered and went 2-for-4, scoring twice and driving in two runs, in the 9-5 win over the Diamondbacks.

Bumgarner receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Shoemaker receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Pedroia 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 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

826 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 21.0 Giants Madison Bumgarner (W, 15-9) - - - - - - 9.0 1 0 0 0 13
AL 9.0 Angels Matt Shoemaker (W, 13-4) - - - - - - 7.0 2 0 0 2 6
8.0 Cubs Travis Wood (W, 8-11) - - - - - - 6.0 2 0 0 1 5
7.0 `Pirates Gerrit Cole - - - - - - 6.0 3 2 2 1 9
5.1 Indians Bryan Shaw (W, 5-3) - - - - - - 2.1 0 0 0 0 3
4.1 Padres Tyson Ross (W, 12-12) - - - - - - 6.1 4 1 1 2 6
4.0 Phillies Ken Giles (W, 3-1) - - - - - - 1.0 0 0 0 0 3
3.2 Mariners James Paxton (W, 4-1) - - - - - - 6.2 4 0 0 3 4
BAT 3.0 Red Sox Dustin Pedroia 2B 5 2 2 4 1 0 - - - - - -
2.2 `Royals Danny Duffy - - - - - - 6.2 4 1 1 2 4
2.0 Tigers J.D. Martinez LF 4 2 3 1 0 0 - - - - - -
BAT 2.0 Dodgers Matt Kemp RF 4 2 2 2 1 0 - - - - - -
2.0 Mets Juan Lagares CF 3 1 2 2 0 0 - - - - - -
2.0 Orioles Zach Britton (S, 28) - - - - - - 1.0 0 0 0 0 1
2.0 Astros Chad Qualls (S, 15) - - - - - - 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.

 

Phillies' A.J. Burnett (7IP R 12K) tops players for Monday, Aug. 25

Phillies pitcher A.J. Burnett is Monday’s Player of the Day. Burnett struck out 12 over seven innings, allowing one run, in the 3-2 win over the Nationals.

Rangers pitcher Miles Mikolas is American League Player of the Day. Mikolas pitched eight scoreless innings and struck out five in the 2-0 win over the Mariners.

Delmon Young of the Orioles is AL Batter of the Day. Young homered and doubled and went 3-for-3, driving in three runs, in the 9-1 win over the Rays.

Aramis Ramirez of the Brewers is National League Batter of the Day. Ramirez homered and doubled and went 3-for-5, scoring twice and driving in three runs, in the 10-1 win over the Padres.

Notable: Christian Yelich of the Marlins has the highest Box-Toppers season point total of all 10 players who earned Player of the Game honors Monday. Yelich (3-5 2R 2BI in the 7-1 win over the Angels) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 7.5 for the season. He ranks 72nd among all players and fourth among NL batters.

Burnett receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Mikolas receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Young and Ramirez 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, 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

825 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 13.0 Phillies A.J. Burnett (W, 7-14) - - - - - - 7.0 3 1 1 1 12
AL 9.0 Rangers Miles Mikolas (W, 2-5) - - - - - - 8.0 3 0 0 1 5
7.0 Athletics Jeff Samardzija (W, 4-3) - - - - - - 8.0 6 2 2 1 10
4.1 Yankees Michael Pineda (W, 3-2) - - - - - - 6.1 5 1 1 0 5
BAT 4.0 Orioles Delmon Young LF 3 1 3 3 1 0 - - - - - -
BAT 3.0 Brewers Aramis Ramirez 3B 5 2 3 3 0 1 - - - - - -
2.0 Marlins Christian Yelich LF 5 2 3 2 0 0 - - - - - -
2.0 Cardinals Jon Jay PH, CF 1 1 1 1 0 0 - - - - - -
2.0 Rockies LaTroy Hawkins (S, 21) - - - - - - 1.0 0 0 0 1 2
0.1 `Red Sox Clay Buchholz - - - - - - 8.1 4 3 3 2 4

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

 

Cubs' Tsuyoshi Wada (6.1IP H R 8K) tops players for Sunday, Aug. 24

Cubs pitcher Tsuyoshi Wada is Sunday’s Player of the Day. Wada allowed one hit and one run in 6 1/3 innings, striking out eight, in the 2-1 win over the Orioles.

Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer is American League Player of the Day. Bauer pitched six scoreless innings and struck out nine in the 3-1 win over the Astros.

Lucas Duda of the Mets is National League Batter of the Day. Duda homered twice and went 3-for-5, scoring twice and driving in five runs, in the 11-3 win over the Dodgers.

Josh Hamilton of the Angels is AL Batter of the Day. Hamilton homered and went 2-for-3, scoring twice and driving in three runs, in the 9-4 win over the Athletics.

Notable: Reds pitcher Alfredo Simon has the highest Box-Toppers point total of all 15 players who earned Player of the Game honors Sunday. Simon (7IP R 6K W in the 5-3 win over the Braves) earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 9.7 for the season. He ranks 37th among all players and 18th among NL pitchers.

Wada receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Bauer receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Duda and Hamilton each receive 1.5 for being top Batter of the Day in their league.

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

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

Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. Players earn Box-Toppers points for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.

Top player from each game

Listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score

824 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 10.1 Cubs Tsuyoshi Wada (W, 4-1) - - - - - - 6.1 1 1 1 1 8
AL 8.0 Indians Trevor Bauer (W, 5-7) - - - - - - 6.0 4 0 0 3 9
7.0 Brewers Mike Fiers (W, 4-1) - - - - - - 7.0 2 2 2 1 7
BAT 5.0 Mets Lucas Duda 1B 5 2 3 5 0 1 - - - - - -
5.0 Reds Alfredo Simon (W, 13-8) - - - - - - 7.0 5 1 1 1 6
BAT 4.0 Angels Josh Hamilton LF 3 2 2 3 0 1 - - - - - -
4.0 Yankees Brian McCann PH 1 1 1 3 0 0 - - - - - -
4.0 Rays Jake McGee (W, 4-1) - - - - - - 2.0 0 0 0 0 2
4.0 `Rangers Shawn Tolleson (H, 6) - - - - - - 2.0 0 0 0 0 2
3.0 Nationals Jose Lobaton C 4 3 3 1 1 0 - - - - - -
3.0 Mariners Kyle Seager 3B 3 2 2 2 1 0 - - - - - -
3.0 Padres Yasmani Grandal 1B 3 1 1 4 1 2 - - - - - -
3.0 Phillies Jerome Williams (W, 2-0) - - - - - - 8.0 5 1 1 3 5
2.0 Tigers Victor Martinez DH 6 1 3 4 0 0 - - - - - -
2.0 Rockies LaTroy Hawkins (S, 20) - - - - - - 1.0 0 0 0 0 1

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

 

Reds' Mike Leake (6.2IP 0R 2H 6K) tops players for Saturday, Aug. 23

Reds pitcher Mike Leake is Saturday’s Player of the Day. Leake pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out six, in the 1-0 win over the Braves.

Athletics pitcher Jon Lester is American League Player of the Day and rises to 14th place in Box-Toppers player rankings. Lester struck out seven over seven innings, allowing one run, in the 2-1 win over the Angels. Lester left the mound with the game tied, 1-1, so did not pick up the win, but earned a no-decision. Lester earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day, giving him 13.7 for the season. He ranks eighth among AL pitchers.

Adrian Gonzalez of the Dodgers is National League Batter of the Day. Gonzalez homered and went 2-for-3, scoring twice and driving in five runs, in the 7-4 win over the Mets.

Joe Mauer of the Twins is AL Batter of the Day. Mauer doubled and went 2-for-3, scoring twice and driving in three runs, in the 12-4 win over the Tigers.

Notable: Nationals pitcher Jordan Zimmermann rose to 25th place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Saturday. Zimmermann (8IP 8K W in the 6-2 win over the Giants) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 11.0 for the season. He ranks 10th among NL pitchers.

Leake receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Lester receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Gonzalez and Mauer 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, 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

823 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 7.2 Reds Mike Leake (W, 10-11) - - - - - - 6.2 2 0 0 3 6
BAT 6.0 Dodgers Adrian Gonzalez 1B 3 2 2 5 0 1 - - - - - -
AL 6.0 `Athletics Jon Lester - - - - - - 7.0 5 1 1 1 7
6.0 `Mariners Yoervis Medina - - - - - - 2.0 1 0 0 0 5
5.1 Cubs Justin Grimm (W, 4-2) - - - - - - 3.1 0 0 0 1 3
5.0 Pirates Pedro Alvarez 1B 3 2 2 4 1 0 - - - - - -
5.0 Nationals Jordan Zimmermann (W, 9-5) - - - - - - 8.0 7 2 2 0 8
5.0 `Indians Danny Salazar - - - - - - 6.0 3 2 1 2 7
BAT 4.0 Twins Joe Mauer DH 3 2 2 3 2 0 - - - - - -
3.1 `Dbacks Vidal Nuno - - - - - - 7.1 2 2 2 2 4
3.0 `Rockies Nick Masset - - - - - - 2.0 1 0 0 0 2
2.0 Yankees Martin Prado 2B 4 1 3 2 0 0 - - - - - -
2.0 Royals Jeremy Guthrie (W, 10-10) - - - - - - 8.0 5 1 1 1 2
2.0 Cardinals Seth Maness (W, 5-2) - - - - - - 2.0 1 0 0 0 1
1.0 Tigers Eugenio Suarez SS 4 1 2 2 0 2 - - - - - -
0.0 Blue Jays Jose Reyes SS 5 1 2 2 0 2 - - - - - -

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

 

Diamondbacks' Josh Collmenter, Rays' Drew Smyly top players for Friday, Aug. 22

Diamondbacks pitcher Josh Collmenter is Friday’s Player of the Day. Collmenter struck out eight over 8 1/3 innings, allowing one run, in the 5-1 win over the Padres.

Rays pitcher Drew Smyly is American League Player of the Day. Smyly pitched a complete game shutout, allowing two hits, in the 8-0 win over the Blue Jays.

Marcell Ozuna of the Marlins is National League Batter of the Day. Ozuna hit a grand slam and went 3-for-5, scoring twice and driving in five total runs, in the 13-5 win over the Rockies.

Eduardo Escobar of the Twins is AL Batter of the Day. Escobar homered and tripled, going 5-for-6, scoring three times and driving in two runs, in the 20-6 win over the Tigers.

Notable: Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta rose to 21st place in Box-Toppers player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Friday. Arrieta (7IP R 5K W in the 4-1 win over the Orioles) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 11.7 for the season. He ranks eighth among NL pitchers.

Collmenter receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Smyly receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Ozuna and Escobar 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, 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

822 Score Team Player AB R H BI BB K IP H R ER BB K
MLB 11.1 Dbacks Josh Collmenter (W, 9-7) - - - - - - 8.1 4 1 0 0 8
AL 11.0 Rays Drew Smyly (W, 8-10) - - - - - - 9.0 2 0 0 0 4
8.0 Dodgers Dan Haren (W, 11-10) - - - - - - 7.0 3 1 1 0 6
5.2 `Braves Mike Minor - - - - - - 7.2 1 1 1 4 5
BAT 5.0 Marlins Marcell Ozuna CF 5 2 3 5 0 0 - - - - - -
5.0 Cubs Jake Arrieta (W, 7-4) - - - - - - 7.0 4 1 1 1 5
5.0 `Astros Brad Peacock - - - - - - 5.0 2 1 1 0 4
BAT 4.0 Twins Eduardo Escobar SS 6 3 5 2 0 1 - - - - - -
4.0 Giants Joe Panik 2B 5 2 4 3 0 0 - - - - - -
4.0 Pirates Josh Harrison 3B 5 1 3 5 0 1 - - - - - -
3.0 Royals Yordano Ventura (W, 10-9) - - - - - - 6.0 4 1 1 3 6
3.0 Yankees David Robertson (W, 2-4) - - - - - - 1.0 0 0 0 0 2
1.0 Phillies Ben Revere CF 4 2 3 0 0 0 - - - - - -
1.0 Athletics Coco Crisp CF 4 2 2 1 0 1 - - - - - -
1.0 Mariners Endy Chavez RF 1 1 1 0 3 0 - - - - - -

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