Phillies are Box-Toppers top-ranked team while NL top-seed Dodgers rank last among NL playoff teams in B-T points
Both National League Division Series begin Saturday.
The San Diego Padres face the Los Angeles Dodgers in one best-of-five game series and the New York Mets face the Philadelphia Phillies in the other. The top two NL seeds, the Dodgers (first) and the Phillies (second) received byes from the first round of playoffs and face the winners of the best-of-three Wild Card series played this week.
NL Division Series: Padres at Dodgers
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While the Dodgers are the top-seeded National League playoff team, they are the lowest-ranked NL team in Box-Toppers rankings. The Padres, meanwhile, are the fourth-seeded NL team, but rank in third place overall and third place among all teams.
Padres players accumulated 121.8 Box-Toppers points in 2024, while the Dodgers have 113.7, eighth overall.
However, the Dodgers have baseball’s best winning percentage (.605), while the Padres (.574) finished five games behind the Dodgers in second place in the NL West.
The Dodgers had the first-round bye to the NLDS. The Padres advanced by sweeping the Atlanta Braves, 2-0, in the Wild Card series.
The pitching matchup Saturday
Padres—Dylan Cease, 21.1 points, third overall, second among NL pitchers.
Dodgers—Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 6.4 points, 121st overall, 48th among NL pitchers.
A look at all four of Saturday’s Division Series pitching matchups
Key Padres players
Four starting pitchers have the most 2024 Box-Toppers points among Padres players:
Dylan Cease, 21.1 points, third overall, second among NL pitchers. Cease is the Game 1 starter.
Michael King, 12.7 points, 12th among NL pitchers.
Joe Musgrove, 9.7 points, 28th among NL pitchers. (Musgrove is out for the series and the season with an elbow injury requiring surgery. He exited Wednesday’s Game 2 Wild Card win over the Braves with elbow tightness.)
Yu Darvish, 8.7 points, 34th among NL pitchers. Darvish is listed as the Game 2 starter.
Among other Padres key players:
Third baseman Manny Machado has the most points among Padres batters, 7.0, 13th among NL batters and fifth among Padres players.
Closing pitcher Robert Suarez, 6.0 points, 57th among NL pitchers, fourth among NL closers.
Starting pitcher Matt Waldron, 6.0 points, 58th among NL pitchers.
Starting pitcher Martin Perez, 5.7 points, 64th among NL pitchers.
Infielder Jake Cronenworth, 4.5 points, 40th among NL batters.
Other notable Padres players include NL batting average leader Luis Arraez (2.0) and outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (2.0).
Key Dodgers players
Of the four players who lead Dodgers starting pitchers in 2024 Box-Toppers points, two of them are out with injuries. Here are the top four Dodgers pitchers:
Jack Flaherty, leading all Dodgers with 12.0 points, 34th overall and 17th among NL pitchers. He is scheduled as the Game 2 starter.
Tyler Glasnow, 11.7 points, 19th among NL pitchers. Glasnow is out for the season with a sprained elbow.
Gavin Stone, 9.0 points, 31st among NL pitchers. Stone is out for the season with right shoulder inflammation.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 6.4 points, 48th among NL pitchers. Yamamoto, who was out injured from mid-June to September, is the Game 1 starter.
Here is a look at some of the Dodgers key batters:
Designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, 11.0 points, first among NL batters. Ohtani earned 7.0 of his 11.0 points from Aug. 30 on and was outside the top 10 batters until Sept. 19. Ohtani has been unable to pitch this season as he recovers from elbow surgery a year ago.
First baseman Freddie Freeman, 5.5 points, 23rd among NL batters.
Right fielder Teoscar Hernandez, 5.0 points, 31st among NL batters.
Third baseman Enrique Hernandez, 4.5 points, 39th among NL batters.
Shortstop Miguel Rojas, 4.0 points, 42nd among NL batters.
Catcher Will Smith, 4.0 points, 49th among NL batters.
Other key Dodgers players include closing pitcher Evan Phillips (5.0), shortstop/right fielder Mookie Betts (3.5) and starting pitcher Landon Knack (3.0).
The Box-Toppers point totals of all players on the teams’ active rosters at season’s end are here. Players who did not earn Box-Toppers points in 2024 are not listed. Players who earned points in 2024 are listed even if they are not on the roster for the upcoming postseason series due to injury or for other reasons.
Padres vs. Dodgers
Here are players for both teams in the NL Divisional Series beginning Saturday. Players are listed for both teams ranked by Box-Toppers points earned in 2024. All players listed were on active Major or Minor League rosters at the end of the season—not necessarily all of them will be included on postseason rosters. Players not listed earned no Box-Toppers points in 2024.| San Diego Padres | Los Angeles Dodgers | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Pos | BTP | Player | Pos | BTP | |
| Cease, Dylan 4231 | pi sp | 21.1 | Flaherty, Jack 3971 | pi sp | 12.0 | |
| King, Michael 4549 | pi sp | 12.7 | Glasnow, Tyler 3948 | pi sp | 11.7 | |
| Musgrove, Joe 3705 | pi sp | 9.7 | Ohtani, Shohei 3933 | dh | 11.0 | |
| Darvish, Yu 3003 | pi sp | 8.7 | Stone, Gavin 4942 | pi sp | 9.0 | |
| Machado, Manny 3087 | 3b dh | 7.0 | Yamamoto, Yoshinobu 4964 | pi sp | 6.4 | |
| Suarez, Robert 4750 | pi cp | 6.0 | Freeman, Freddie 2887 | 1b | 5.5 | |
| Waldron, Matt 4946 | pi sp | 6.0 | Hernandez, Teoscar 3713 | rf | 5.0 | |
| Perez, Martin 3213 | pi sp mr | 5.7 | Phillips, Evan 4930 | pi cp | 5.0 | |
| Merrill, Jackson 4977 | cf | 5.0 | Hernandez, Enrique 3541 | 3b | 4.5 | |
| Cronenworth, Jake 4380 | 2b 1b | 4.5 | Rojas, Miguel 3642 | ss | 4.5 | |
| Profar, Jurickson 3665 | lf | 4.5 | Smith, Will 4175 | ca | 4.0 | |
| Scott, Tanner 4292 | pi cp | 4.0 | Betts, Mookie 3404 | ss rf | 3.5 | |
| Adam, Jason 4256 | pi mr cp | 3.0 | Knack, Landon 5009 | pi sp | 3.0 | |
| Kim, Ha-Seong 4373 | ss 2b | 2.7 | Grove, Michael 4774 | pi sp mr | 2.7 | |
| Estrada, Jeremiah 5013 | pi mr | 2.7 | Ryan, River 5071 | pi sp | 2.7 | |
| Arraez, Luis 4219 | 2b 1b | 2.0 | Kiermaier, Kevin 3373 | cf | 2.5 | |
| Tatis, Fernando Jr. 4101 | rf ph | 2.0 | Kershaw, Clayton 2494 | pi sp | 2.0 | |
| Peralta, David 3370 | dh rf | 2.0 | Miller, Bobby 4820 | pi sp | 2.0 | |
| Hoeing, Bryan 4856 | pi mr sp | 2.0 | Kopech, Michael 4385 | pi sp cp | 2.0 | |
| Vasquez, Randy 4841 | pi sp | 2.0 | Muncy, Max 3969 | 3b | 2.0 | |
| Ahmed, Nick 3520 | ss | 1.5 | Edman, Tommy 4255 | cf ss | 2.0 | |
| Brito, Jhony 4761 | pi mr sp | 1.0 | Treinen, Blake 3495 | pi mr cp | 2.0 | |
| Campusano, Luis 4770 | ca | 1.0 | Wrobleski, Justin 5062 | pi sp cp | 2.0 | |
| Bogaerts, Xander 3383 | 2b ss | 1.0 | Buehler, Walker 3943 | pi sp | 1.7 | |
| Wade, Tyler 4487 | 2b ss pr | 1.0 | Outman, James 4699 | cf ph | 1.0 | |
| Kolek, Stephen 5046 | pi mr | 1.0 | Lux, Gavin 4247 | 2b | 1.0 | |
| Matsui, Yuki 4976 | pi mr | 1.0 | Vesia, Alex 4504 | pi mr | 1.0 | |
| McCoy, Mason 5092 | ss | 1.0 | Hernandez, Jose E. 4966 | pi cp | 1.0 | |
| Pages, Andy 5123 | cf lf | 1.0 | ||||
| Totals | 121.8 | Totals | 113.7 | |||
NL Division Series: Mets at Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies have been Box-Toppers top-ranked team nearly the entire season. They face the New York Mets, ranked seventh overall, fifth among NL teams and third among NL teams still in the postseason.
Phillies players accumulated 124.9 Box-Toppers points in 2024, most among all teams, and led the final 22 weekly reports of the season. The Mets have 113.8 points and rank just ahead of the eighth-ranked Dodgers (113.7).
The Phillies are the second-seeded NL team in the postseason, receiving a bye in the first round. The Mets defeated the Milwaukee Brewers in three games, 2-1, in the Wild Card round.
The pitching matchup Saturday
Mets—Kodai Senga, 1.0 Box-Toppers point in 2024, 578th overall, 154th among NL pitchers.
This will be Senga’s second appearance in 2024. Early in the season, Senga was out with a shoulder injury and did not make his first start until July 26, when he exited after 5 1/3 innings with a calf strain that kept him out the rest of the season. He did earn Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors in that one appearance. Senga had 12.7 Box-Toppers points in 2023 with the Mets, 10th among NL pitchers and most among all Mets players.
Phillies—Zack Wheeler, 21.4 Box-Toppers points in 2023, first among all players, first among NL pitchers.
A look at all four of Saturday’s Division Series pitching matchups
Key Mets players
Starting pitcher Sean Manaea leads all Mets players with 15.4 Box-Toppers points in 2024, 11th overall, sixth among NL pitchers. Manaea started Game 2 of the Wild Card round Wednesday, limiting his chances to pitch early in this series.
Other notable Mets players include:
Shortstop Francisco Lindor who leads all Mets batters in 2024 Box-Toppers points and is one of six batters in both leagues with 10 or more points in 2024. Lindor has 10.9 points, second among NL batters.
Starting pitcher Jose Quintana, 10.0 points, 25th among NL pitchers. Quintana started Game 3 of the Wild Card round Thursday, also limiting his ability to start early in this series.
Starting pitcher Luis Severino, 6.7 points, 45th among NL pitchers.
Relief pitcher Jose Butto, 6.0 points, 54th among NL pitchers, second among NL middle relievers.
First baseman Pete Alonso, 5.0 points, 25th among NL batters.
Other notable Mets players include starting pitcher David Peterson (4.7), left fielder Brandon Nimmo (4.5), starting pitcher Paul Blackburn (4.0), relief pitcher Ryne Stanek (4.0), closing pitcher Edwin Diaz (4.0), second baseman/right fielder Jeff McNeil (4.0), outfielder Tyrone Taylor (3.0) and right fielder Starling Marte (3.0).
Key Phillies players
Starting pitcher Zack Wheeler leads all players in 2024 Box-Toppers points with 21.4 and is also the Game 1 starter.
Three other Phillies starting pitchers exceeded 10 Box-Toppers points in 2024:
Aaron Nola, 13.4 points, 16th overall, eighth among NL pitchers.
Cristopher Sanchez, 11.4 points, 20th among NL pitchers.
Ranger Suarez, 10.4 points, 23rd among NL pitchers.
Phillies top batters include:
First baseman Bryce Harper, 8.7 points, sixth among NL batters.
Designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, 8.5 points, seventh among NL batters.
Catcher J.T. Realmuto, 6.5 points, 15th among NL batters.
Second baseman Bryson Stott, 6.0 points, 19th among NL batters.
Shortstop Trea Turner, 4.2 points, 44th among NL batters.
Third baseman Alec Bohm, 4.0 points, 47th among NL batters.
Other Phillies players include starting pitcher Spencer Turnbull (6.4), closing pitcher Jeff Hoffman (5.0) and reliever Matt Strahm (3.0).
The Box-Toppers point totals of all players on the teams’ active rosters at season’s end are here. Players who did not earn Box-Toppers points in 2024 are not listed. Players who earned points in 2024 are listed even if they are not on the roster for the upcoming postseason series due to injury or for other reasons.
Mets vs. Phillies
Here are players for both teams in the NL Divisional Series beginning Saturday. Players are listed for both teams ranked by Box-Toppers points earned in 2024. All players listed were on active Major or Minor League rosters at the end of the season—not necessarily all of them will be included on postseason rosters. Players not listed earned no Box-Toppers points in 2024.| New York Mets | Philadelphia Phillies | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Pos | BTP | Player | Pos | BTP | |
| Manaea, Sean 3637 | pi sp | 15.4 | Wheeler, Zack 3204 | pi sp | 21.4 | |
| Lindor, Francisco 3586 | ss | 10.9 | Nola, Aaron 3569 | pi sp | 13.4 | |
| Quintana, Jose 3040 | pi sp | 10.0 | Sanchez, Cristopher 4850 | pi sp | 11.4 | |
| Severino, Luis 3567 | pi sp | 6.7 | Suarez, Ranger 4228 | pi sp | 10.4 | |
| Butto, Jose 4933 | pi mr | 6.0 | Harper, Bryce 3011 | 1b | 8.7 | |
| Alonso, Pete 4118 | 1b | 5.0 | Schwarber, Kyle 3536 | dh | 8.5 | |
| Peterson, David 4347 | pi sp | 4.7 | Realmuto, J.T. 3491 | ca | 6.5 | |
| Garrett, Reed 4963 | pi cp | 4.7 | Turnbull, Spencer 4086 | pi sp | 6.4 | |
| Nimmo, Brandon 3895 | lf | 4.5 | Stott, Bryson 4607 | 2b | 6.0 | |
| Vientos, Mark 5024 | 3b | 4.5 | Hoffman, Jeff 3806 | pi cp mr | 5.0 | |
| Blackburn, Paul 3869 | pi sp | 4.0 | Turner, Trea 3730 | ss | 4.2 | |
| Stanek, Ryne 4014 | pi cp mr | 4.0 | Bohm, Alec 4309 | 3b 1b dh | 4.0 | |
| Diaz, Edwin 3690 | pi cp | 4.0 | Strahm, Matt 3724 | pi mr cp | 3.0 | |
| McNeil, Jeff 4050 | 2b rf | 4.0 | Hays, Austin 4538 | lf ph | 3.0 | |
| Taylor, Tyrone 4393 | lf rf ph | 3.0 | Estevez, Carlos 3641 | pi cp | 3.0 | |
| Marte, Starling 3122 | rf | 3.0 | Phillips, Tyler 5064 | pi sp | 2.0 | |
| Megill, Tylor 4464 | pi sp | 2.7 | Castellanos, Nick 3349 | rf | 1.5 | |
| Alvarez, Francisco 4815 | ca | 2.5 | Kennedy, Buddy 4983 | 2b | 1.5 | |
| Winker, Jesse 3988 | lf dh | 2.5 | Walker, Taijuan 3453 | pi sp | 1.0 | |
| Stewart, DJ 4396 | dh rf | 2.0 | Marsh, Brandon 4670 | cf | 1.0 | |
| Ottavino, Adam 3054 | pi mr cp | 2.0 | Sosa, Edmundo 4495 | 2b 3b ss | 1.0 | |
| Torrens, Luis 4452 | ca dh | 2.0 | Kerkering, Orion 5096 | pi mr | 1.0 | |
| Brazoban, Huascar 4787 | pi mr | 1.7 | Stubbs, Garrett 5091 | ca | 1.0 | |
| Senga, Kodai 4762 | pi sp | 1.0 | ||||
| Martinez, J.D. 2922 | dh | 1.0 | ||||
| Maton, Phil 4287 | pi cp mr | 1.0 | ||||
| Nunez, Dedniel 5042 | pi mr | 1.0 | ||||
| Totals | 113.8 | Totals | 124.9 | |||
About Box-Toppers
Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day. (No Box-Toppers points are awarded in postseason games.)
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Box-Toppers 2024 player rankings leaders
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A Box-Toppers look at Saturday’s League Division Series pitching matchups
A Box-Toppers look at the upcoming day’s probable pitching matchups. Teams are paired below with visiting teams on top and home teams on the bottom. Each team’s starting pitcher is shown with their Box-Toppers point total from 2024 (’24), this year and last year (’23-24), over a six-year period (’19-24) and their career point total.Back to top
| Game | Starter | ’24 | ’23‑24 | ’19‑24 | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DET | Holton, Tyler 4775 | 2.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| CLE | Bibee, Tanner 4792 | 14.0 | 22.7 | 22.7 | 22.7 |
| NYM | Senga, Kodai 4762 | 1.0 | 13.7 | 13.7 | 13.7 |
| PHI | Wheeler, Zack 3204 | 21.4 | 36.1 | 81.6 | 105.0 |
| KC | Wacha, Michael 3276 | 10.4 | 21.4 | 40.9 | 71.6 |
| NYY | Cole, Gerrit 3232 | 9.7 | 26.7 | 104.1 | 165.0 |
| SD | Cease, Dylan 4231 | 21.1 | 31.1 | 67.9 | 67.9 |
| LAD | Yamamoto, Yoshinobu 4964 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 |
* Player has yet to earn any career Box-Toppers points.
What are those numbers after players' names?
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