Nats' Jordan Zimmermann (8IP 9K) tops players for Thursday, June 20

Nationals pitcher Jordan Zimmermann is Thursday's Player of the Day. Zimmerman struck out nine over eight innings in the 5-1 win over the Rockies.

Zimmermann rises to sixth place in Box-Toppers player season standings (see updated top 10 list on the home page). Zimmermann earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 9.7 for the season.

Tigers closing pitcher Drew Smyly is American League Player of the Day. Smyly struck out four in two innings and earned the win in the 4-3 win over the Red Sox.

Pedro Alvarez of the Pirates is National League Batter of the Day. Alvarez homered, drove in all of his team's five runs and went 3-for-4 in the 5-3 win over the Reds. 

Evan Longoria of the Rays is AL Batter of the Day. Longoria hit two homers in the 8-3 win over the Yankees. 

Standings update: Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn rises to ninth place in Box-Toppers player season standings (see the updated top 10 list on the home page). Lynn (6IP 1R) was Player of the Game in the 6-1 win over the Cubs. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers for being Player of the Game, giving him 9.4 for the season.

Zimmermann receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Smyly receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Alvarez and Longoria 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:

620	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	9.0	Nationals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jordan Zimmermann (W, 10-3)	8.0	6	1	0	1	9
BAT	5.0	Pirates	Pedro Alvarez 3B	4	1	3	5	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	5.0	Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Lance Lynn (W, 10-1)	6.0	3	1	1	2	6
AL	5.0	Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Drew Smyly (W, 3-0)	2.0	1	0	0	0	4
BAT	4.0	Rays	Evan Longoria 3B	3	2	2	3	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Mets	David Wright 3B	4	2	3	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Angels	Peter Bourjos CF	4	3	3	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Padres	Pedro Ciriaco SS	4	2	2	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Twins	Oswaldo Arcia RF, LF	4	1	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Marlins	Marcell Ozuna PH	1	0	1	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Astros	Matt Dominguez 3B	4	1	3	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Rangers	Ian Kinsler DH	3	1	1	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

D-backs' Josh Collmenter tops players for Wednesday, June 19

Diamondbacks pitcher Josh Collmenter is Wednesday's Player of the Day. Collmenter struck out seven over six scoreless innings of relief in the 3-1 win over the Marlins. Collmenter left with the game tied and so was not eligible for the win.

Angels pitcher C.J. Wilson is American League Player of the Day. Wilson pitched seven shutout innings, giving up only two hits, in the 1-0 win over the Mariners. 

Chris Davis of the Orioles is AL Batter of the Day. Davis hit two home runs, drove in five and went 3-for-5 in the 13-3 win over the Tigers. 

Collmenter receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Wilson receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Davis receives 1.5 for being AL Batter of the Day. No NL batter was Player of the Game Wednesday, so no NL batter receives bonus points.

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

619	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	11.0	`Diamondbacks	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Josh Collmenter	6.0	1	0	0	1	7
	10.0	`Nationals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Gio Gonzalez	7.0	2	2	2	2	11
	7.0	Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Chris Capuano (W, 2-4)	6.0	3	0	0	0	4
AL	6.0	Angels	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			C.J. Wilson (W, 6-5)	7.0	2	0	0	2	3
BAT	5.0	Orioles	Chris Davis DH	5	2	3	5	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Yankees	Ichiro Suzuki RF	4	2	3	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Indians	Michael Brantley LF	3	2	2	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Giants	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Madison Bumgarner (W, 7-4)	7.0	3	2	2	4	8
	4.0	Braves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Kris Medlen (W, 4-7)	7.0	6	3	1	0	7
	4.0	`Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Tony Cingrani	1.0	0	0	0	0	3
	3.2	Twins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Kevin Correia (W, 6-4)	6.2	5	2	2	0	6
	3.0	Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jake Westbrook (W, 3-2)	7.0	2	1	0	3	2
	2.0	Rangers	Leonys Martin CF	3	2	2	1	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Brewers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			John Axford (W, 3-3)	1.0	1	0	0	0	2
	1.0	Rays	Desmond Jennings CF	4	2	2	1	1	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Blue Jays	Adam Lind 1B	4	1	1	3	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

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

Red Sox' Felix Doubront, Phillies' Cliff Lee, Mets' Matt Harvey top players for Tuesday, June 18

Red Sox pitcher Felix Doubront is Tuesday's Player of the Day. Doubront pitched eight shutout innings and gave up only three hits (but earned no decision) in the 3-1 win over the Rays.

Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee is National League Player of the Day. Lee struck out nine over eight innings in the 4-2 win over the Nationals. Lee rises to eighth place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season (see the current top 10 standings on the home page). Lee earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for NL Player of the Day, giving him 9.4 for the season.

Matt Dominguez of the Astros is American League Batter of the Day. Dominguez hit a grand slam and went 2-for-3 in the 10-1 win over the Brewers. 

Standings update: Mets pitcher Matt Harvey rises to fifth place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the season (see the updated top 10 list).  Harvey (7IP 13K) was Player of the Game in the 4-3 win over the Braves, earning 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 10.0 for the season.

Doubront receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Lee receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Dominguez receives 1.5 for being AL Batter of the Day. No NL batter was Player of the Game Tuesday, so no NL batter receives bonus points.

All of Tuesday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point:

618	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	11.0	`Red Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Felix Doubront	8.0	3	0	0	0	6
NL	8.0	Phillies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Cliff Lee (W, 9-2)	8.0	5	2	2	0	9
	8.0	Mets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Matt Harvey (W, 6-1)	7.0	3	3	3	3	13
	7.0	`Giants	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Matt Cain	7.0	6	2	2	0	10
BAT	5.0	Astros	Matt Dominguez 3B	3	1	2	5	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.1	Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Charlie Morton (W, 1-1)	5.1	3	0	0	0	2
	4.0	Mets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Zack Wheeler (W, 1-0)	6.0	4	0	0	5	7
	3.0	Blue Jays	Edwin Encarnacion 1B	4	2	2	3	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Twins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Glen Perkins (S, 17)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.1	Cubs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jeff Samardzija (W, 4-7)	8.1	7	2	2	1	6
	2.0	Orioles	J.J. Hardy SS	4	1	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Athletics	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jarrod Parker (W, 6-6)	7.0	3	2	2	2	4
	2.0	Mariners	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Yoervis Medina (S, 1)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	2.0	Diamondbacks	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			David Hernandez (W, 3-4)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	1.0	Red Sox	Jacoby Ellsbury CF	5	3	3	0	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	0.0	Indians	Mike Aviles SS	4	1	2	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

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

Blue Jays' Josh Johnson tops players for Monday, June 17; Cardinals' Shelby Miller rises to 2nd in Box-Toppers points

Blue Jays pitcher Josh Johnson is Monday's Player of the Day. Johnson struck out 10 over 7 1/3 scoreless innings in the 2-0 win over the Rockies. Johnson, however, exited with the game tied, so earned no decision.

Cardinals pitcher Shelby Miller is National League Player of the Day and rises to second place among players in Box-Toppers points for the 2013 season (see updated player standings on the home page). Miller pitched five shutout innings in the 5-2 win over the Cubs. Miller, already leader in Box-Toppers points among NL pitchers, earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day, giving him 11.4 for the season. He trails only points leader Justin Masterson of the Indians, who has 11.7 points.

Nelson Cruz of the Rangers is American League Batter of the Day. Cruz hit two home runs, drove in four and went 3-for-4 in the 8-7 win over the Athletics. 

Giancarlo Stanton of the Marlins is NL Batter of the Day. Stanton hit two home runs and drove in all three of his team's runs in the 3-2 win over the Diamondbacks. 

Johnson receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Miller receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Cruz and Stanton 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:

617	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	10.1	`Blue Jays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Josh Johnson	7.1	5	0	0	2	10
	7.0	Angels	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jason Vargas (W, 6-4)	7.0	4	2	2	1	9
NL	6.0	Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Shelby Miller (W, 8-4)	5.0	2	0	0	2	5
	6.0	Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Drew Smyly (S, 2)	3.0	0	0	0	0	3
BAT	5.0	Rangers	Nelson Cruz RF	4	2	3	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.2	`White Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jesse Crain (H, 18)	1.2	0	0	0	0	3
BAT	3.0	Marlins	Giancarlo Stanton RF	4	2	2	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Phillies	Ryan Howard 1B	3	1	3	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Padres	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Nick Vincent (W, 1-0)	2.0	1	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Braves	Freddie Freeman 1B	4	1	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Aroldis Chapman (S, 18)	1.0	0	0	0	1	2
	1.2	Royals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Aaron Crow (W, 3-2)	0.2	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' Corey Kluber tops players for Sunday, June 16; Rockies' Carlos Gonzalez now season leader among NL batters

Indians pitcher Corey Kluber is Sunday's Player of the Day. Kluber struck out eight over eight shutout innings in the 2-0 win over the Nationals.

Reds pitcher Alfredo Simon is National League Player of the Day. Simon earned a three-inning save, striking out six, in the 5-1 win over the Brewers. 

Josh Reddick of the Athletics is American League Batter of the Day. Reddick homered and went 4-for-5 in the 10-2 win over the Mariners. 

Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies is NL Batter of the Day. Gonzalez homered and went 2-for-4 in the 5-2 win over the Phillies. With the Batter of the Day honor, Gonzalez rises to sixth place among players in Box-Toppers points for the 2013 season (see updated top 10 standings on the home page).  Gonzalez earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points for the honor, giving him 9.5 points for the season. He becomes the top NL batter in Box-Toppers points, passing Paul Goldschmidt of the Diamondbacks (8.7). In addition, Gonzalez already has more Box-Toppers points this season than he did in 2012 (9.2).

Kluber receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Simon receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Reddick and Gonzalez 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:

616	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	9.0	Indians	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Corey Kluber (W, 5-4)	8.0	7	0	0	0	8
NL	7.0	Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Alfredo Simon (S, 1)	3.0	2	0	0	0	6
	6.2	Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Doug Fister (W, 6-4)	7.2	2	2	2	2	7
	6.0	Braves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Julio Teheran (W, 5-3)	6.0	7	0	0	1	8
	5.0	Marlins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Ricky Nolasco (W, 4-7)	7.0	3	1	1	1	4
BAT	3.0	Athletics	Josh Reddick RF	5	2	4	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Blue Jays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Chien-Ming Wang (W, 1-0)	7.0	7	0	0	2	5
	2.0	Orioles	Nick Markakis RF	5	3	4	0	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	2.0	Rockies	Carlos Gonzalez LF	4	2	2	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Pirates	Garrett Jones 1B	3	1	2	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Yankees	Travis Hafner DH	3	1	1	3	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Mets	Kirk Nieuwenhuis CF	3	1	1	3	1	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Royals	Alcides Escobar SS	4	1	3	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Astros	Jason Castro DH	4	1	2	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Padres	Kyle Blanks 1B	4	1	1	3	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

Mariners' Felix Hernandez, Cubs' Scott Feldman top players for Saturday, June 15

Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez is Saturday's Player of the Day. Hernandez pitched seven shutout innings and struck out eight in the 4-0 win over the Athletics.

Hernandez rises to 10th place among players in Box-Toppers standings for the 2013 season (see updated standings on the home page). Hernandez earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 8.7 for the season. 

Cubs pitcher Scott Feldman is National League Player of the Day. Feldman struck out six over seven innings in the 5-2 win over the Mets. 

Trevor Plouffe of the Twins is American League Batter of the Day. Plouffe hit a two-run homer and went 3-for-3 in the 6-3 win over the Tigers. 

David Freese of the Cardinals is NL Batter of the Day. Freese homered and went 3-for-4 in the 13-7 win over the Marlins. 

Standings update: Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw rises to seventh place among players in Box-Toppers standings for the 2013 season. Kershaw (7IP 8K ND) was Player of the Game in the 5-3 win over the Pirates. He earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 9.0 for the season. 

Hernandez receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Feldman receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Plouffe and Freese 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:

615	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	9.0	Mariners	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Felix Hernandez (W, 8-4)	7.0	5	0	0	1	8
NL	8.0	Cubs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Scott Feldman (W, 6-5)	7.0	2	1	1	1	6
	7.0	`Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Clayton Kershaw	7.0	3	1	1	3	8
	6.0	Brewers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Yovani Gallardo (W, 6-6)	6.0	3	0	0	2	5
	5.2	Rays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Alex Torres (W, 2-0)	1.2	0	0	0	0	4
BAT	5.0	Twins	Trevor Plouffe 3B	3	2	3	3	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.1	Angels	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Tommy Hanson (W, 4-2)	6.1	5	2	2	1	8
BAT	4.0	Cardinals	David Freese 3B	4	3	3	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Rockies	Wilin Rosario C	4	3	3	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Braves	B.J. Upton CF	4	3	2	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Padres	Yasmani Grandal C	2	1	1	3	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Blue Jays	Adam Lind 1B	4	2	2	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Nationals	Chad Tracy PH, DH	1	1	1	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Astros	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jose Veras (S, 13)	1.0	0	0	0	1	2
	1.0	Red Sox	Jonny Gomes LF	4	2	2	1	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

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

Giants' Madison Bumgarner tops players for Friday, June 14; Indians' Justin Masterson regains Box-Toppers points lead

Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner is Friday's Player of the Day and Indians pitcher Justin Masterson regained the Box-Toppers season points lead among players.

Bumgarner struck out 10 and allowed two hits over seven scoreless innings in the 6-0 win over the Braves. 

Masterson meanwhile passed Miguel Cabrera atop Box-Toppers points standings as he earned Player of the Game honors in the 2-1 win over the Nationals. Masterson struck out 10 over seven innings and left with a no-decision. He earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 11.7 for the season.  (See updated list of Top 10 players for 2013 on the home page.)

Blue Jays pitcher Mark Buehrle is American League Player of the Day. Buehrle struck out seven over seven scoreless innings in the 8-0 win over the Rangers.

Freddy Galvis of the Phillies is National League Batter of the Day. Galvis hit two triples and drove in four runs in the 8-7 win over the Rockies. 

Billy Butler of the Royals is AL Batter of the Day. Butler went 2-for-4 and drove in three runs in the 7-2 win over the Rays. 

Bumgarner receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Buehrle receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Galvis 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:

614	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	14.0	Giants	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Madison Bumgarner (W, 6-4)	7.0	2	0	0	1	10
AL	9.0	Blue Jays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Mark Buehrle (W, 3-4)	7.0	4	0	0	1	7
	9.0	`Indians	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Justin Masterson	7.0	2	1	1	4	10
	9.0	Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Rick Porcello (W, 4-3)	7.0	3	0	0	0	5
	9.0	Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jeff Locke (W, 6-1)	7.0	2	0	0	1	5
	7.0	Padres	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Eric Stults (W, 6-5)	9.0	2	1	1	1	3
	5.0	Astros	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Erik Bedard (W, 2-3)	6.0	3	1	0	3	6
	4.0	Marlins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jose Fernandez (W, 4-3)	7.0	6	3	2	2	10
MLB	3.0	Phillies	Freddy Galvis SS	5	2	2	4	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Cubs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Edwin Jackson (W, 3-8)	6.0	5	1	1	3	7
	3.0	Angels	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Ernesto Frieri (S, 15)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	3.0	`Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Aroldis Chapman	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Mariners	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Joe Saunders (W, 5-6)	7.0	5	1	1	2	4
	2.0	Orioles	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Chris Tillman (W, 7-2)	6.0	3	0	0	4	3
MLB	1.0	Royals	Billy Butler DH	4	0	2	3	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

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

Tigers' Miguel Cabrera, Reds' Brandon Phillips among leaders in All-Star voting and Box-Toppers standings

Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers and Brandon Phillips of the Reds are among players who are leaders both in fan All-Star voting and Box-Toppers standings.

In fact, Box-Toppers standings roughly coincide with about half of the players currently leading in All-Star voting.

Major League Baseball released All-Star vote standings for the National League on June 9 and released American League standings on June 3. The current leaders by league and by position are listed in the far right columns in the chart below. Note that five of the players currently leading in All-Star voting also rank first in their position in the league in Box-Toppers points. Three others rank second.

Overall, it's either a very good showing by fans or a decent affirmation of Box-Toppers' worth as a measure of player performance. Or it could be that we're all wrong.

Fans and Box-Toppers generally agree on these players: 

• AL 1B: Chris Davis of the Orioles.
• AL 2B: Robinson Cano of the Yankees. 
• AL 3B: Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers. 
• AL CA: Joe Mauer of the Twins. (Mauer ranks second among AL catchers in Box-Toppers points for the 2013 season, but leads among AL catchers when both the 2012 and 2013 seasons are combined.)  
• AL OF: Mike Trout of the Angels. (Trout ranks seventh among AL outfielders in Box-Toppers points for the 2013 season, but leads among AL outfielders over the combined 2012 and 2013 seasons.) 
• AL DH: David Oritz of the Red Sox. 
• NL 1B: Brandon Phillips of the Reds. 
• NL CA: Buster Posey of the Giants. (Posey is second to Brian McCann of the Braves in Box-Toppers points for the 2013 season and the combined 2012 and 2013 seasons, but it is a pretty close race.) 
• NL OF: Bryce Harper of the Nationals. (Harper is second among NL outfielders in Box-Toppers points for the 2013 season.) 

There are a few instances in which Box-Toppers ranked a player lower than fans: 

• AL SS: Elvis Andrus of the Rangers ranks ninth in Box-Toppers points among AL shortstops for the 2013 season. He has 1.0 point this season and only 2.0 the past two seasons. 
• AL OF: Adam Jones of the Orioles ranks 13th in Box-Toppers points among AL outfielders.
• AL OF: Torii Hunter of the Angels ranks 55th in Box-Toppers among AL outfielders. Though Hunter has scored no Box-Toppers points this season, he ranks second among AL outfielders in Box-Toppers points over the period of 2008-2013.
• NL 1B: Joey Votto of the Reds ranks 10th in Box-Toppers points among NL first basemen. 
• NL SS: Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies ranks fifth among NL shortstops. 
• NL 3B: Pablo Sandoval of the Giants ranks seventh among NL third basemen. 
• NL OF: Justin Upton of the Braves ranks 20th among NL outfielders. 
• NL OF: Carlos Beltran of the Cardinals ranks 28th among NL outfielders.

There are only a few obvious snubs by Box-Toppers measures, but there are still a couple of weeks before All-Star voting closes to fix the problems:

• NL 1B: Should be Paul Goldschmidt of the Diamondbacks. Goldschmidt leads all NL batters in Box-Toppers points for the 2013 season with 8.7. He leads NL first basemen in Box-Toppers points for 2013 and over the combined 2012 and 2013 seasons. He is second among NL first basemen in All-Star voting with over 900,000 votes, more than 600,000 behind Votto.
• NL SS: Should be Everth Cabrera of the Padres. Cabrera leads NL shortstops in Box-Toppers points for 2013 and over the combined 2012 and 2013 seasons. He's not in the top five among NL shortstops in All-Star voting.
• NL OF: Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies should be among the top three. He is currently seventh in All-Star voting with 955,000—Carlos Beltran of the Cardinals, currently third in voting among NL outfielders, has 1,550,000. Gonzalez leads all NL outfielders in Box-Toppers points for both the 2013 season and the combined 2012 and 2013 seasons.
• NL CA: Buster Posey leads in fan voting, but Brian McCann of the Braves has very narrow Box-Toppers points leads over Posey. But it hardly matters since Posey has nearly 2 million fan votes and McCann has barely 500,000.

The chart below shows Box-Toppers points leaders by position so far through the 2013 season. The middle columns look at players over the longer run, seeing who is leading in Box-Toppers points for the combined 2012 and 2013 seasons. And the far right columns show the current All-Star fan vote leaders, with their rank by position in Box-Toppers points in the 2013 season.

The chart also includes Box-Toppers points leaders among starting, middle and relief closing pitchers, even though fans don't get to vote on those.

Voting for the All-Star game is open until July 4.

Here is how the Box-Toppers All-Star teams stand as of today: 

	2013 SEASON				2012-13 SEASONS				ALL-STAR VOTE LEADERS
AL	PLAYER	TEAM	BTP		PLAYER	TEAM	BTP		PLAYER	TEAM	RANK BY POS.
First base	Davis, Chris 2478	bal al	4.5		Davis, Chris 2478	bal al	16.5		Chris Davis	bal al	1
Second base	Cano, Robinson 2092	nyy al	4.5		Kipnis, Jason 2933	cle al	9.5		Robinson Cano	nyy al	1
Shortstop	Drew, Stephen 2210	bos al	4.5		Escobar, Yunel 2331	tb al	10		Elvis Andrus	tex al	9
Third base	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	det al	10.7		Cabrera, Miguel 1776	det al	22.4		Miguel Cabrera	det al	1
Catcher	Arencibia, J.P. 2781	tor al	5.5		Mauer, Joe 1869	min al	13		Joe Mauer	min al	2
Outfield 1	Johnson, Kelly 2018	tb al	4.5		Trout, Mike 2949	ana al	13.5		Mike Trout	ana al	7
Outfield 2	Nava, Daniel 2740	bos al	4.5		Hamilton, Josh 2332	ana al	11.5		Adam Jones	bal al	13
Outfield 3	Raburn, Ryan 2340	cle al	4.5		Rios, Alex 1989	chi al	9.9		Torii Hunter	det al	55
Designated hitter	Ortiz, David	bos al	5.2		Butler, Billy 2330	kc al	13.7		David Ortiz	bos al	1
Starting pitcher 1	Masterson, Justin 2462	cle al	10.7		Verlander, Justin 2112	det al	30.8
Starting pitcher 2	Buchholz, Clay 2363	bos al	10.1		Darvish, Yu 3003	tex al	25.8
Starting pitcher 3	Iwakuma, Hisashi 3048	sea al	9.7		Scherzer, Max 2588	det al	25.7
Starting pitcher 4	Darvish, Yu 3003	tex al	9		Hernandez, Felix 2064	sea al	25.4
Middle reliever	Tazawa, Junichi 3151	bos al	4		Chen, Bruce 1170	kc al	8
Closing pitcher	Perkins, Glen 2506	min al	5		Rodney, Fernando 1803	tb al	10
NL
First base	Goldschmidt, Paul 2935	ari nl	8.7		Goldschmidt, Paul 2935	ari nl	13.2		Joey Votto	cin nl	10
Second base	Phillips, Brandon 1691	cin nl	5		Phillips, Brandon 1691	cin nl	14.5		Brandon Phillips	cin nl	1
Shortstop	Cabrera, Everth 2625	sd nl	4.5		Cabrera, Everth 2625	sd nl	7.5		Troy Tulowitzki	col nl	5
Third base	Zimmerman, Ryan 2180	dc nl	5.2		Freese, David 2710	stl nl	12.7		Pablo Sandoval	sf nl	7
Catcher	McCann, Brian 2179	atl nl	5		McCann, Brian 2179	atl nl	11		Buster Posey	sf nl	2
Outfield 1	Gonzalez, Carlos 2460	col nl	8		Gonzalez, Carlos 2460	col nl	17.2		Justin Upton	atl nl	20
Outfield 2	Harper, Bryce 3011	dc nl	5.9		Braun, Ryan J. 2300	mil nl	16		Bryce Harper	dc nl	2
Outfield 3	Pollock, A.J. 3142	ari nl	4.7		Holliday, Matt 1836	stl nl	15.7		Carlos Beltran	stl nl	28
Starting pitcher 1	Miller, Shelby 3134	stl nl	9.7		Kershaw, Clayton 2494	lad nl	28.8
Starting pitcher 2	Corbin, Patrick 3027	ari nl	9.4		Lynn, Lance 2992	stl nl	26.1
Starting pitcher 3	Harvey, Matt 3075	nym nl	9		Strasburg, Stephen 2736	dc nl	23.4
Starting pitcher 4	Wainwright, Adam 2150	stl nl	8.7		Gonzalez, Gio 2626	dc nl	22.7
Middle reliever	Collmenter, Josh 2863	ari nl	3		Casilla, Santiago 2301	sf nl	6
Closing pitcher	Grilli, Jason 2209	pit nl	4.7		Chapman, Aroldis 2826	cin nl	18
AL top player	Masterson, Justin 2462	cle al	10.7		Verlander, Justin 2112	det al	30.8
AL top batter	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	det al	10.7		Cabrera, Miguel 1776	det al	22.4
NL top player	Miller, Shelby 3134	stl nl	9.7		Kershaw, Clayton 2494	lad nl	28.8
NL top batter	Goldschmidt, Paul 2935	ari nl	8.7		Gonzalez, Carlos 2460	col nl	17.2

BTP: Box-Toppers points

RANK BY POS: Where the player ranks by fielding position in Box-Toppers points for the 2013 season. 

What are those numbers after players' names?

St. Louis Cardinals remain Box-Toppers top team; Washington Nationals jump to 10th

The St. Louis Cardinals remain atop Box-Toppers team power rankings for the sixth straight week.

Cardinals players have accumulated the most Box-Toppers points for the season (57.0).

The Boston Red Sox remain in second place with 50.0 points.

The Washington Nationals picked up the most points of any team in the past week (6.5), moving up to 10th place on the list. The Nationals have 43.5 for the season.

The Cardinals, which also have the best record in the Majors (43-23) are led by pitcher Shelby Miller (9.7 Box-Toppers points), Adam Wainwright (8.7) and Lance Lynn (8.4). 

The Red Sox, which are tied with the Oakland Athletics for the best record in the American League (41-27) are led by pitcher Clay Buchholz (10.1 Box-Toppers points), designated hitter David Ortiz (5.2) and pitcher Jon Lester (4.7). 

613	Top 10 Teams	BTP	BTP/wk	Last week rank
1	Cardinals	57.0	4.7	1
2	Red Sox	50.0	5.0	2
3	Reds	48.9	5.2	3
4	Tigers	48.8	5.2	4
5	Athletics	47.7	5.5	6
6	Pirates	45.8	6.2	10
7	Rangers	45.6	2.0	5
8	Braves	43.9	2.5	7
9	Diamondbacks	43.8	3.0	8
10	Nationals	43.5	6.5	Not ranked

BTP: Box-Toppers points total. Accumulated points of all players on team in 2013 season.

BTP/wk: Box-Toppers points for the team for the past week, through games on Thursday.

Athletics' Jesse Chavez, Cardinals' Adam Wainwright top players for Thursday, June 13

Athletics pitcher Jesse Chavez is Thursday's Player of the Day. Chavez pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings of closing, extra-innings relief in the 3-2, 18-inning win over the Yankees. Chavez gave up only one hit and struck out seven after appearing in the 13th inning.

Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright is National League Player of the Day. Wainwright pitched seven shutout innings in the 2-1 win over the Mets. 

Ryan Zimmerman of the Nationals is NL Batter of the Day. Zimmerman homered and drove in three runs in the 5-4 win over the Rockies. 

Chavez receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Wainwright receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Zimmerman  receives 1.5 for being NL Batter of the Day. No American League batter was Player of the Game Thursday, so no AL batter receives bonus points.

All of Thursday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point:

613	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	9.2	Athletics	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jesse Chavez (W, 1-0)	5.2	1	0	0	2	7
NL	7.0	Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Adam Wainwright (W, 10-3)	7.0	4	0	0	2	6
	5.2	Giants	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Matt Cain (W, 5-3)	6.2	2	0	0	2	3
	5.0	Phillies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Cliff Lee (W, 8-2)	7.0	3	2	2	1	6
	5.0	Cubs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Hector Rondon (W, 1-0)	2.0	1	0	0	0	4
	4.2	Royals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Ervin Santana (W, 5-5)	7.2	5	1	0	0	3
	4.1	`Orioles	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Tommy Hunter	2.1	0	0	0	0	2
BAT	3.0	Nationals	Ryan Zimmerman 3B	4	2	2	3	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	`Blue Jays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Steve Delabar (H, 3)	1.0	1	0	0	0	3

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

Astros' Jordan Lyles (7IP 10K) is top player for Wednesday, June 12

Astros pitcher Jordan Lyles is Wednesday's Player of the Day. Lyles struck out 10 and allowed no runs over seven innings in the 6-1 win over the Mariners. Lyles left with the game tied 0-0 so was not eligible for the win.

Reds pitcher Mike Leake is National League Player of the Day. Leake allowed only one run over eight innings in the 2-1 win over the Cubs. 

Sterling Marte of the Pirates is NL Batter of the Day. Marte was 4-for-5 with four runs in the 12-8 win over the Giants. 

Clete Thomas of the Twins is American League Batter of the Day. Thomas was 4-for-4 and drove in two runs in the 4-3 win over the Phillies. 

Lyles receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Leake receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Marte and Thomas 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:

612	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	12.0	`Astros	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jordan Lyles	7.0	3	0	0	2	10
NL	8.0	Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Mike Leake (W, 6-3)	8.0	3	1	1	1	6
	8.0	Brewers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Alfredo Figaro (W, 1-0)	7.0	3	0	0	0	4
	5.0	Padres	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Edinson Volquez (W, 5-5)	7.0	6	1	1	3	9
	3.2	Mets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Dillon Gee (W, 5-6)	6.2	6	1	1	2	7
	3.2	`Royals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Luke Hochevar	1.2	0	0	0	0	2
BAT	3.0	Pirates	Starling Marte LF	5	4	4	0	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	3.0	Twins	Clete Thomas CF	4	1	4	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Athletics	Brandon Moss 1B	4	2	2	3	0	2			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Diamondbacks	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Josh Collmenter (W, 3-0)	2.0	1	0	0	0	2
	3.0	`Red Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Junichi Tazawa (H, 10)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Angels	Erick Aybar SS	4	1	2	3	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Nationals	Ian Desmond SS	3	0	2	3	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	0.0	Indians	Jason Kipnis 2B	5	1	3	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

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

Mariners' Aaron Harang pitches 2-hit shutout, is top player for Tuesday, June 11

Mariners pitcher Aaron Harang is Tuesday's Player of the Day. Harang threw a two-hit shutout, striking out 10, in the 4-0 win over the Astros.

Pedro Alvarez of the Pirates is National League Player of the Day. Alvarez homered and went 3-for-3 and drove in three runs in the 8-2 win over the Giants. 

Derek Norris of the Athletics is American League Batter of the Day. Norris homered, doubled and drove in four runs in the 6-4 win over the Yankees. 

Standings update: Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer rises to ninth place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the 2013 season (see the updated list of top 10 players on the home page). Scherzer (7IP 3H 6K) was Player of the Game in the 3-2 win over the Royals. Scherzer earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game, giving him 8.7 for the season. 

Harang receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Alvarez receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Norris receives 1.5 for AL  Batter of the Day.

All of Tuesday's other Players of the Game (listed in the chart below) receive 1.0 Box-Toppers point:

611	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	17.0	Mariners	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Aaron Harang (W, 3-6)	9.0	2	0	0	0	10
	6.0	Orioles	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Miguel Gonzalez (W, 4-2)	8.0	4	1	1	1	5
NL	5.0	Pirates	Pedro Alvarez 3B	3	2	3	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Rockies	Tyler Colvin RF	4	2	2	4	0	2			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	4.0	Athletics	Derek Norris C	3	1	2	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Max Scherzer (W, 9-0)	7.0	3	2	2	2	6
	4.0	`Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Zack Greinke	7.0	2	2	2	2	5
	3.2	Blue Jays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Brett Cecil (W, 2-0)	1.2	0	0	0	0	2
	3.0	Rays	Desmond Jennings CF	5	3	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Tony Cingrani (W, 3-0)	7.0	4	2	2	1	5
	2.1	`Twins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			P.J. Walters	7.1	6	2	1	1	5
	2.0	Cardinals	Matt Holliday LF	5	3	3	1	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Marlins	Derek Dietrich 2B	2	1	1	2	1	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Padres	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Andrew Cashner (W, 5-3)	8.0	6	2	2	1	5
	0.0	Indians	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Corey Kluber (W, 4-4)	8.0	6	1	1	3	3

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

Mariners' Iwakuma, Brewers' Gallardo, White Sox' Dunn among top players for Monday, June 10

Mariners pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma is Monday's Player of the Day. Iwakuma struck out eight over seven innings in the 3-2 win over the Astros.

Iwakuma rises to fourth place in Box-Toppers player rankings for the 2013 season (updated list of top 10 players on the home page). Iwakuma earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 9.7 for the season. 

Brewers pitcher Yovani Gallardo is National League Player of the Day. Gallardo threw eight scoreless innings in the 6-1 win over the Marlins. 

Adam Dunn of the White Sox is American League Batter of the Day. Dunn hit two homers, drove in five runs and went 4-for-4 in the 10-6 win over the Blue Jays. 

Brandon Phillips of the Reds is NL Batter of the Day. Phillips hit a grand slam and drove in all of his team's six runs in the 6-2 win over the Cubs. 

Iwakuma receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Gallardo receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Dunn and Phillips 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:

610	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	9.0	Mariners	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Hisashi Iwakuma (W, 7-1)	7.0	4	1	0	1	8
BAT	8.0	White Sox	Adam Dunn DH	4	3	4	5	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
NL	7.0	Brewers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Yovani Gallardo (W, 5-6)	8.0	4	0	0	1	4
BAT	5.0	Reds	Brandon Phillips 2B	4	1	2	6	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	Padres	Will Venable RF	3	2	2	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	`Red Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Koji Uehara	2.0	0	0	0	0	1
	3.0	Rangers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Robbie Ross (W, 3-1)	1.0	0	0	0	1	3
	3.0	Royals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Greg Holland (S, 13)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Orioles	Adam Jones CF	3	1	1	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Diamondbacks	Jason Kubel PH	1	0	1	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

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

Nats' Jordan Zimmermann (7IP 0R 8K) is top player for Sunday, June 9

Nationals pitcher Jordan Zimmermann is Sunday's Player of the Day. Zimmermann struck out eight and gave up no runs over seven innings in the 7-0 win over the Twins. 

Tigers pitcher Jose Alvarez is American League Player of the Day. In his Major League debut, Alvarez took a no-hitter into the fifth inning and gave up just one run and struck out seven over six innings in the 4-1 win over the Indians. Alvarez also makes his Box-Toppers debut as he is named Player of the Game for the first time. He is the 3,197th player to debut since 1995, when Box-Toppers stats began.

Dan Uggla of the Braves is National League Batter of the Day. Uggla hit two home runs, including a three-run homer, in the 8-1 win over the Dodgers.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia of the Red Sox is AL Batter of the Day. Saltalamacchia hit two home runs and drove in four runs in the 10-5 win over the Angels. 

Zimmermann receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Alvarez receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Uggla and Saltalamacchia 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:

609	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	11.0	Nationals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jordan Zimmermann (W, 9-3)	7.0	2	0	0	2	8
	8.0	Cubs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Edwin Jackson (W, 2-8)	7.0	4	1	1	1	8
	7.0	Brewers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Kyle Lohse (W, 2-6)	8.0	4	1	1	1	6
AL	7.0	Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jose Alvarez (W, 1-0)	6.0	3	1	1	1	7
BAT	6.0	Braves	Dan Uggla 2B	2	2	2	4	2	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	6.0	Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Trevor Rosenthal (W, 1-0)	2.0	0	0	0	0	4
	5.0	`Royals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Luis Mendoza	7.0	4	0	0	1	3
BAT	4.0	Red Sox	Jarrod Saltalamacchia C	4	2	2	4	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	4.0	`Rockies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Juan Nicasio	6.0	4	2	2	1	7
	4.0	`Yankees	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			David Phelps	6.0	3	1	1	3	6
	3.0	Giants	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Chad Gaudin (W, 2-1)	6.0	5	2	2	1	7
	3.0	White Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Addison Reed (S, 19)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	3.0	`Marlins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Steve Cishek	1.0	0	0	0	0	2
	2.0	Orioles	Alexi Casilla 2B	3	1	2	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Rangers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Neal Cotts (W, 2-0)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	1.0	Nationals	Roger Bernadina LF	3	2	2	0	2	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

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

Yankees' Andy Pettitte, Marlins' Kevin Slowey top players for Saturday, June 8

Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte is Saturday's Player of the Day. Pettitte struck out six and gave up just three hits and one run over 7 1/3 innings in the 3-1 win over the Mariners, his 250th career win.

Marlins pitcher Kevin Slowey is National League Player of the Day. Slowey, usually a starting pitcher, pitched seven innings of "middle relief" from the 13th to 19th innings in the 20-inning, 2-1 win over the Mets. Slowey struck out eight over seven innings and allowed no runs. 

Buster Posey of the Giants is NL Batter of the Day. Posey hit a two-run homer and went 2-for-4 in the 10-5 win over the Diamondbacks. 

David Ortiz of the Red Sox is American League Batter of the Day. Ortiz homered and went 2-for-5 in the 7-2 win over the Angels. 

Pettitte receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Slowey receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Posey and Ortiz 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:

608	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	8.1	Yankees	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Andy Pettitte (W, 5-3)	7.1	3	1	1	0	6
	8.0	White Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			John Danks (W, 1-2)	8.0	3	1	1	1	6
NL	7.0	Marlins	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Kevin Slowey (W, 2-5)	7.0	8	0	0	0	8
	7.0	Rays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jeremy Hellickson (W, 4-2)	6.0	4	0	0	0	5
	6.2	Braves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Kris Medlen (W, 3-6)	6.2	5	0	0	1	6
	5.0	Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Rick Porcello (W, 3-3)	6.0	3	2	1	2	7
	5.0	`Blue Jays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Brad Lincoln	4.0	1	0	0	1	3
	4.0	Royals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Ervin Santana (W, 4-5)	7.0	5	2	2	0	6
	2.1	Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			A.J. Burnett (W, 4-6)	8.1	4	2	2	3	5
BAT	2.0	Giants	Buster Posey C	4	1	2	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Brewers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Tyler Thornburg (W, 1-0)	2.0	2	0	0	0	2
	1.1	Angels	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Ernesto Frieri (S, 14)	0.1	0	0	0	0	1
BAT	1.0	Red Sox	David Ortiz DH	5	1	2	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Padres	Everth Cabrera SS	4	1	3	1	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Reds	Devin Mesoraco C	4	1	2	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Twins	Chris Herrmann PH, LF	0	1	0	0	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

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

Tigers' Miguel Cabrera leads in Box-Toppers points; Indians' Masterson, Cards' Miller, D-Backs' Goldschmidt among leaders

Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers leads all players in Box-Toppers points so far in the 2013 season.

The Detroit third baseman has 10.7 points. 

Indians pitcher Justin Masterson also has 10.7 points, but Cabrera beats him in a tie-breaker because he has more points in the 2012 and 2013 seasons combined. Masterson ranks second among all players and first among American League pitchers.

Pitcher Shelby Miller of the Cardinals leads among all National League players with 9.7 points. He is ranked fourth among all players.

First baseman Paul Goldschmidt of the Diamondbacks leads among NL batters with 8.7 points. He ranked eighth among all players at the end of Thursday, June 6's games (when the standings were tabulated), but was passed Friday by a teammate, pitcher Patrick Corbin (who moved from 10th to fifth place). Goldschmidt now ranks ninth overall (see updated standings on the home page).

Individual player standings for the 2013 season were last posted on Box-Toppers two weeks ago. Cabrera also led all players then, but lost the lead to Masterson on May 29, before regaining the lead on June 1.

Previous leader among NL batters, Bryce Harper of the Nationals, has fallen to third place among NL batters. He has 5.9 Box-Toppers points. Goldschmidt and Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies (6.5 Box-Toppers points) have both passed him over the previous two weeks.

What are those numbers after players' names?

	2013 LEADERS
	OVERALL LEADERS	POS	TEAM	BTP
1	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	3b	det al	10.7
2	Masterson, Justin 2462	pi sp	cle al	10.7
3	Buchholz, Clay 2363	pi sp	bos al	10.1
4	Miller, Shelby 3134	pi sp	stl nl	9.7
5	Darvish, Yu 3003	pi sp	tex al	9.0
6	Harvey, Matt 3075	pi sp	nym nl	9.0
7	Sale, Chris 2806	pi sp	chi al	8.7
8	Goldschmidt, Paul 2935	1b	ari nl	8.7
9	Lynn, Lance 2992	pi sp	stl nl	8.4
10	Corbin, Patrick 3027	pi sp	ari nl	8.4
	AL PITCHERS
1	Masterson, Justin 2462	pi sp	cle al	10.7
2	Buchholz, Clay 2363	pi sp	bos al	10.1
3	Darvish, Yu 3003	pi sp	tex al	9.0
4	Sale, Chris 2806	pi sp	chi al	8.7
5	Scherzer, Max 2588	pi sp	det al	7.7
6	Moore, Matt 2975	pi sp	tb al	7.7
7	Iwakuma, Hisashi 3048	pi sp	sea al	7.7
8	Sanchez, Anibal 2187	pi sp	det al	7.0
9	Hernandez, Felix 2064	pi sp	sea al	6.7
10	Cobb, Alex 2916	pi sp	tb al	6.7
	AL BATTERS
1	Cabrera, Miguel 1776	3b	det al	10.7
2	Arencibia, J.P. 2781	ca	tor al	5.5
3	Davis, Chris 2478	1b	bal al	4.5
4	Cano, Robinson 2092	2b	nyy al	4.5
5	Johnson, Kelly 2018	lf	tb al	4.5
6	Nava, Daniel 2740	rf lf dh	bos al	4.5
7	Drew, Stephen 2210	ss	bos al	4.5
8	Raburn, Ryan 2340	rf	cle al	4.5
9	Butler, Billy 2330	dh 1b	kc al	4.0
10	Mauer, Joe 1869	ca	min al	4.0
	NL PITCHERS
1	Miller, Shelby 3134	pi sp	stl nl	9.7
2	Harvey, Matt 3075	pi sp	nym nl	9.0
3	Lynn, Lance 2992	pi sp	stl nl	8.4
4	Corbin, Patrick 3027	pi sp	ari nl	8.4
5	Kershaw, Clayton 2494	pi sp	lad nl	8.0
6	Wainwright, Adam 2150	pi sp	stl nl	7.0
7	Minor, Mike 2894	pi sp	atl nl	7.0
8	Latos, Mat 2644	pi sp	cin nl	6.7
9	Lee, Cliff 1798	pi sp	phi nl	6.7
10	Zimmermann, Jordan 2612	pi sp	dc nl	5.7
	NL BATTERS
1	Goldschmidt, Paul 2935	1b	ari nl	8.7
2	Gonzalez, Carlos 2460	lf	col nl	6.5
3	Harper, Bryce 3011	lf	dc nl	5.9
4	McCann, Brian 2179	ca	atl nl	5.0
5	Pollock, A.J. 3142	cf	ari nl	4.7
6	Zimmerman, Ryan 2180	3b	dc nl	3.7
7	Braun, Ryan J. 2300	lf	mil nl	3.5
8	Phillips, Brandon 1691	2b	cin nl	3.5
9	Carpenter, Matt 2987	2b 3b	stl nl	3.5
10	Mayberry, John 2910	rf cf ph	phi nl	3.5

BTP: Box-Toppers points

St. Louis Cardinals still atop Box-Toppers team rankings, Oakland A's make big jump to 6th

The St. Louis Cardinals are still atop Box-Toppers team power rankings for the fifth straight week.

Cardinals players have accumulated the most Box-Toppers points for the season (52.3) through games of Thursday, June 6.

The Boston Red Sox remain in second place with 45.0 points.

The Oakland Athletics picked up the most points in the past week (7.5), moving up to sixth place on the list. The Athletics have 42.2 for the season.

606	Top 10 Teams	BTP	BTP/wk	Last week rank
1	Cardinals	52.3	4.0	1
2	Red Sox	45.0	4.5	2
3	Reds	43.7	5.0	4
4	Tigers	43.6	5.0	5
5	Rangers	43.6	3.5	3
6	Athletics	42.2	7.5	Not ranked
7	Braves	41.4	6.0	10
8	Diamondbacks	40.8	4.5	8
9	Indians	39.8	1.7	6
10	Pirates	39.6	2.0	7

BTP: Box-Toppers points total. Accumulated points of all players on team in 2013 season.

BTP/wk: Box-Toppers points for the team for the past week, through games on Thursday.

Pirates' Francisco Liriano (7IP 2H 0R 8K) is top player for Friday, June 7

Pirates pitcher Francisco Liriano is Friday's Player of the Day. Liriano struck out eight and allowed no runs and only two hits over seven innings in the 2-0 win over the Cubs. 

Blue Jays pitcher Esmil Rogers is American League Player of the Day. Rogers struck out six over four innings in the 6-1 win over the Rangers. 

Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies is National League Batter of the Day. Gonzalez went 2-for-3 with three RBIs in the 10-9 win over the Padres. It is the second time in three days that Gonzalez has been Box-Toppers' National League Batter of the Day. 

Victor Martinez of the Tigers is AL Batter of the Day. Martinez homered and went 3-for-4 in the 7-5 win over the Indians. 

Standings update: Diamondbacks pitcher Patrick Corbin rises to fifth place in Box-Toppers player standings (see updated standings on the home page) for the 2013 season. Corbin (7.1IP 1R ND) was Player of the Game in the 3-1 win over the Giants. Corbin earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game and now has 9.4 points for the season.

Liriano receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Rogers receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Gonzalez and Martinez 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:

607	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	8.0	Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Francisco Liriano (W, 4-2)	7.0	2	0	0	5	8
	4.2	`Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Hyun-Jin Ryu	7.2	6	1	1	1	6
BAT	4.0	Rockies	Carlos Gonzalez LF	3	2	2	3	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
AL	4.0	`Blue Jays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Esmil Rogers	4.0	3	1	1	1	6
BAT	3.0	Tigers	Victor Martinez DH	4	3	3	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Cardinals	David Freese 3B	3	2	2	2	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.0	Rays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Chris Archer (W, 1-1)	7.0	2	1	1	2	2
	2.1	`Diamondbacks	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Patrick Corbin	7.1	7	1	1	0	4
	2.0	Athletics	Josh Donaldson 3B	4	1	1	4	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Mariners	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jeremy Bonderman (W, 1-1)	6.0	3	1	1	1	2
	2.0	Royals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Kelvin Herrera (W, 3-4)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1
	2.0	Brewers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Francisco Rodriguez (W, 1-0)	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.

Tigers' Max Scherzer, Dodgers' Zack Greinke top players for Thursday, June 6

Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer is Thursday's Player of the Day. Scherzer struck out nine and gave up only one run over seven innings in the 5-2 win over the Rays. 

Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke is National League Player of the Day. Greinke struck out seven and gave up no runs over seven innings in the 5-0 win over the Braves. 

Yoenis Cespedes of the Athletics is American League Batter of the Day. Cespedes homered twice, going 2-for-4 in the 5-4 win over the White Sox. 

John Mayberry of the Phillies is NL Batter of the Day. Mayberry went 3-for-5 in the 5-1 win over the Brewers. 

Standings update: Cardinals pitcher Shelby Miller rises to fourth place in Box-Topper player standings (see updated standings on the home page) for the 2013 season. Miller (6IP 9K) was Player of the Game in the 12-8 win over the Diamondbacks. Miller earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game and now has 9.7 points for the season. Miller is now points leader among NL pitchers.

Scherzer receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Greinke receives 1.7 for NL Player of the Day. Cespedes and Mayberry 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:

606	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	8.0	Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Max Scherzer (W, 8-0)	7.0	4	1	1	2	9
	8.0	Yankees	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Phil Hughes (W, 3-4)	7.0	3	1	0	2	7
NL	7.0	Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Zack Greinke (W, 3-1)	7.0	4	0	0	3	7
	5.0	Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Shelby Miller (W, 7-3)	6.0	6	2	2	0	9
	5.0	Orioles	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Miguel Gonzalez (W, 3-2)	6.0	5	1	1	1	7
	4.0	Padres	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Luke Gregerson (W, 4-2)	2.0	1	0	0	0	3
BAT	2.0	Athletics	Yoenis Cespedes LF	4	2	2	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Royals	Lorenzo Cain CF	4	2	2	2	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	1.0	Red Sox	Jacoby Ellsbury CF	5	2	4	0	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
BAT	0.0	Phillies	John Mayberry CF, RF	5	1	3	1	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

Braves' Teheran (near no-hitter), Blue Jays' Dickey (8.1 IP 2H), Rockies' Gonzalez (3HR) top players for Wednesday, June 5

Braves pitcher Julio Teheran is Wednesday's Player of the Day. Teheran was four outs away from a no-hitter when he gave up his first and only hit in the 5-0 win over the Braves. Teheran struck out 11 over eight innings and gave up only two walks. 

Blue Jays pitcher R.A. Dickey is American League Player of the Day. Dickey gave up no runs and only two hits over 8 1/3 innings in the 4-0 win over the Giants. 

Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies is National League Batter of the Day. Gonzalez homered three times and drove in six runs in the 12-4 win over the Reds. 

Brett Gardner of the Yankees is AL Batter of the Day. Gardner hit a three-run homer and went 2-for-3 in the 6-4 win over the Indians. 

Standings update: Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt rises to seventh place in Box-Topper player standings (see updated standings on the home page) for the 2013 season. Goldschmidt (grand slam, 2-for-5, 4 RBI) was Player of the Game in the 10-3 win over the Cardinals. Goldschmidt earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being Player of the Game and now has 8.7 points for the season. Goldschmidt has scored 3.5 Box-Toppers points in the past week: He also earned 1.5 points on June 1 for being NL Batter of the Day and earned 1.0 point on June 2 for being Player of the Game. Goldschmidt is the current leader in Box-Toppers points among NL batters.

Teheran receives 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day. Dickey receives 1.7 for AL Player of the Day. Gonzalez and Gardner 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:

605	Score	Team	BATTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	-	-	PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
MLB	16.0	Braves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Julio Teheran (W, 4-2)	8.0	1	0	0	2	11
	11.0	Phillies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Cole Hamels (W, 2-9)	7.0	4	1	1	1	11
AL	9.1	Blue Jays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			R.A. Dickey (W, 5-7)	8.1	2	0	0	2	5
BAT	7.0	Rockies	Carlos Gonzalez LF	5	3	3	6	0	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	6.2	`Rays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Alex Cobb	7.2	5	0	0	3	7
	5.0	`White Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Nate Jones	2.0	0	0	0	0	3
	4.0	Mets	Marlon Byrd RF	4	3	2	3	1	1			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	3.2	`Rangers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Alexi Ogando	5.2	3	1	1	3	6
	3.1	Padres	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			Jason Marquis (W, 7-2)	6.1	3	2	2	2	6
BAT	3.0	Yankees	Brett Gardner CF	3	1	2	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Diamondbacks	Paul Goldschmidt 1B	5	1	2	4	0	2			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Athletics	Josh Donaldson 3B	4	1	3	2	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Astros	Matt Dominguez 3B	4	1	2	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Cubs	Cody Ransom 3B	4	1	2	3	0	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
	2.0	Royals	Billy Butler DH	3	1	3	1	1	0			0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

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