Box-Toppers Toppers Box
Today’s key Box-Toppers numbers. Click links to jump to charts elsewhere on this page.▪️ Players of the Game
▪️ B-T points of day’s top players
▪️ Top 10 players in 2024
▪️ Friday’s sidelights sidebar
▪️ Upcoming pitching matchups
▪️ Subscribe to newsletter
▪️ Support Box-Toppers
Marlins pitcher Braxton Garrett is Friday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day, pitching a complete game, four-hit shutout.
Also Friday, Astros pitcher Justin Verlander now has 247.0 career Box-Toppers points—fourth-most since 1995—after earning Player of the Game honors. Plus, Christian Yelich of the Brewers has now earned Box-Toppers points in 11 straight seasons.
Player of the Day
Garrett pitched a complete game, four-hit shutout, striking out six and walking none, in the 3-0 win over the Diamondbacks.
Garrett earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, his first points of the season, and ranks 122nd among all players, 37th among National League pitchers.
American League Player of the Day
Jose Ramirez of the Guardians hit a pair of two-run home runs and went 2-for-4, scoring twice and driving in four runs, in the 10-4 win over the Angels.
Ramirez earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day, giving him 3.4 for the season, fourth among AL batters.
National League Batter of the Day
Jonathan India of the Reds hit a grand slam, doubled and went 3-for-3, scoring once and driving in four runs, in the 9-6 win over the Dodgers.
American League Batter of the Day
There is no separate AL Batter of the Day for Friday because the overall AL Player of the Day is Jose Ramirez.
Top 10 players
Here are the top 10 players in 2024 Box-Toppers points (BTP) through Friday, May 24:| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luis Gil | pi sp | Yankees | 9.7 |
| 2 | Ranger Suárez | pi sp | Phillies | 9.4 |
| 3 | Chris Sale | pi sp | Braves | 8.7 |
| 4 | Shota Imanaga | pi sp | Cubs | 8.7 |
| 5 | Zack Wheeler | pi sp | Phillies | 7.7 |
| 6 | Dylan Cease | pi sp | Padres | 7.7 |
| 7 | Tanner Houck | pi sp | Red Sox | 7.7 |
| 8 | Seth Lugo | pi sp | Royals | 7.4 |
| 9 | Yu Darvish | pi sp | Padres | 6.7 |
| 10 | Garrett Crochet | pi sp | White Sox | 6.7 |
Notable
Astros pitcher Justin Verlander now has 247.0 career Box-Toppers points after earning Player of the Game honors Friday.
Verlander (6IP 8H 2R ER 0BB 9K W in the 6-3 win over the Athletics) ranks fourth among all players in career points since tracking began in 1995. He trails third-ranked player, Rangers pitcher Max Scherzer (251.7) by 4.7 points.
Verlander ranks third among active players in career points, behind Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw (270.4) and Scherzer (251.7). Verlander ranks second among active AL pitchers in career points behind Scherzer.
Verlander now has 2.0 Box-Toppers points in 2024, 52nd among AL pitchers.
Also notable
Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodon has the most 2024 Box-Toppers points among Friday’s 14 Player of the Game winners.
Rodon (6IP 3H 0R 3BB 2K W in the 8-0 win over the Padres) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 4.0 for the season, 56th among all players and 30th among AL pitchers.
Streak
Christian Yelich of the Brewers has now earned Box-Toppers points in 11 straight seasons after earning his first Player of the Game honor of 2024 Friday.
Yelich (2B 3-4 2R BI in the 7-2 win over the Red Sox) earned his first Box-Toppers points in 2014 with the Marlins and now has 64.4 career points, ninth among active NL batters.
His best season was 2019 with the Brewers when he had 11.7 Box-Toppers points, second among NL batters. He led NL batters in 2018 with the Brewers when he had 11.5 points. In 2023, he had 9.2 points with the Brewers, fifth among NL batters.
Friday’s sidelights sidebar
Top pitching matchup
▪️Braxton Garrett, Marlins12.7 Box-Toppers points over 2023-24, 21st among NL pitchers
▪️Zac Gallen, Diamondbacks
19.7 Box-Toppers points in 2023-24, 6th among NL pitchers
Result—MIA 3, ARI 0
Garrett was Player of the Game (CG 4H 0R 0BB 6K W) with +11.0 game score, also winning overall Player of the Day honors.
Gallen had -3.0 B-T game score in loss (7IP 8H 3R BB 5K L).
Garrett earns 2.0 B-T points, giving him 14.7 over 2023-24, rising to 14th among NL pitchers.
High scores, no points
Highest Box-Toppers game scores for the day among players who did not earn Player of the Game honors:▪️+3.0—Andrew Vaughn, White Sox (HR 2B 2-3 2R 2BI)
Was not Player of the Game in loss vs. BAL.
Player of the Game—Adley Rutschman, Orioles (1-1 0R 2BI) with +2.0 game score.
▪️+3.0—Teoscar Hernández, Dodgers (HR 2B 2-2 2R BI)
Was not Player of the Game in loss vs. CIN.
Player of the Game—Jonathan India, Reds (GS 2B 3-3 R 4BI) with +5.0 game score.
▪️+3.0—Josh Hader, Astros (1IP 0H 0R 0BB 2K Sv)
Was not Player of the Game in win vs. OAK.
Player of the Game—Teammate Justin Verlander (6IP 8H 2R ER 0BB 9K W) with +4.0 game score.
Lowest Box-Toppers game scores
Out of 302 total players Friday, 105 pitchers-19.0—Tyler Alexander, Rays (5IP 11H 8R BB 4K L vs. KC)
-18.8—Patrick Sandoval, Angels
-14.0—Reed Garrett, Mets
-14.0—Darius Vines, Braves
Lowest Box-Toppers game scores by batters
Out of 287 total batters Friday-5.0—Abraham Toro, Athletics 0-5 2K
-5.0—Alec Bohm, Phillies 0-5 K
-5.0—Elehuris Montero, Rockies 0-5 K
-5.0—Nolan Schanuel, Angels 0-5 K
-5.0—Sal Frelick, Brewers 0-5
Box-Toppers uses Baseball-Reference.com, MLB.com and other sources to compile this information.
Debut
Colt Keith of the Tigers made his Box-Toppers debut Friday with his first career Player of the Game honor.
Keith (HR 2-3 R 2BI in the 6-2 win over the Blue Jays) made his Major League debut March 28 and was playing in his 44th career game.
Scoring
Garrett earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day.
Ramirez earns 1.7 points for being AL Player of the Day.
India earns 1.5 points for being NL Batter of the Day.
All of Friday’s other Player of the Game winners (listed in the chart) earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point.
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.
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Career Box-Toppers points since 1995†
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) May 25, 2024
1—Randy Johnson 282.5
2—Clayton Kershaw @Dodgers 270.4
3—Max Scherzer @Rangers 251.7
4—Justin Verlander @Astros 247.0*
5—Pedro Martinez 244.8
6—Zack Greinke 224.5
*Earns 1.0 point as Player of the Game Friday
†Player tracking began in 1995
Box‑Toppers Player of the Game winners
Here is the top player from each of the day’s games listed from highest to lowest Box‑Toppers game score (BTG).| 5/24 | BTG | Game | Player | AB | R | H | BI | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | +11.0 | MIA 3, ARI 0 | Braxton Garrett (W, 1‑0) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 9.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | |
| +8.0 | WSH 6, SEA 1 | MacKenzie Gore (W, 3‑4) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 7.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | ||
| BAT | +5.0 | CIN 9, LAD 6 | Jonathan India 2B | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | |
| AL | +4.0 | CLE 10, LAA 4 | Jose Ramírez 3B | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | |
| +4.0 | PIT 11, ATL 5 | Nick Gonzales 2B | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| +4.0 | KC 8, TB 1 | Michael Massey 2B | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| +4.0 | HOU 6, OAK 3 | Justin Verlander (W, 3‑2) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | ||
| +3.0 | SF 8, NYM 7 | Patrick Bailey C | 4 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| +3.0 | COL 3, PHI 2 (F/11) | Tyler Kinley (W, 3‑1) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| +2.0 | MIL 7, BOS 2 | Christian Yelich DH | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| +2.0 | DET 6, TOR 2 | Colt Keith 2B | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| +2.0 | BAL 6, CHW 4 | Adley Rutschman PH | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| +2.0 | NYY 8, SD 0 | Carlos Rodón (W, 6‑2) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | ||
| +1.0 | MIN 3, TEX 2 | Jhoan Duran (S, 5) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
AL—Overall American League Player of the Day, worth 1.7 total Box‑Toppers points.
NL—Overall National League Player of the Day, worth 1.7 total Box‑Toppers points.
BAT—Top AL or NL Batter of the Day, worth 1.5 total Box‑Toppers points.
All other players listed here earn Player of the Game honors, worth 1.0 Box‑Toppers point.
` Pitcher had a no‑decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.
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Box-Toppers point totals of the day’s Player of the Game winners
Here are Box-Toppers point totals of each of the Player of the Game winners. Players are ranked by their Box-Toppers point total in 2024 (’24). Also shown is their point total for this season and last (’23-24), the period 2019-2024 (’19-24) and each players’ career point total. Also shown is how their 2024 Box-Toppers point total compares with their 2023 total (+/-). Back to top| Player of the Game | Pos | Team | ’24 | ’23‑24 | ’19‑24 | Career | +/‑ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rodon, Carlos 3494 | pi sp | nyy al | 4.0 | 5.0 | 38.5 | 61.6 | +3.0 |
| Ramirez, Jose 3436 | dh 3b | cle al | 3.4 | 9.6 | 39.3 | 60.3 | -2.8 |
| Bailey, Patrick 4827 | ca | sf nl | 2.5 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | -1.0 |
| Garrett, Braxton 4341 | pi sp | fla nl | 2.0 | 14.7 | 22.4 | 22.4 | -10.7 |
| Verlander, Justin 2112 | pi sp | hou al | 2.0 | 14.4 | 68.9 | 247.0 | -10.4 |
| Gore, MacKenzie 4582 | pi sp | dc nl | 2.0 | 9.0 | 13.7 | 13.7 | -5.0 |
| Rutschman, Adley 4659 | dh ca ph | bal al | 2.0 | 7.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | -3.0 |
| Gonzales, Nick 4870 | 2b ss | pit nl | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | +1.0 |
| Kinley, Tyler 4617 | pi mr cp | col nl | 2.0 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | +2.0 |
| India, Jonathan 4469 | 2b | cin nl | 1.5 | 5.5 | 9.2 | 9.2 | -2.5 |
| Yelich, Christian 3334 | dh lf | mil nl | 1.0 | 10.2 | 32.4 | 64.4 | -8.2 |
| Duran, Jhoan 4622 | pi cp mr | min al | 1.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | -2.0 |
| Massey, Michael 4749 | 2b | kc al | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | +1.0 |
| Keith, Colt 5015 | 2b | det al | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | +1.0 |
About Box-Toppers’ team abbreviations
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A Box-Toppers look at Saturday’s 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOR | Berrios, Jose 3791 | 4.7 | 15.1 | 47.2 | 74.0 |
| DET | Olson, Reese 4861 | 1.0 | 8.4 | 8.4 | 8.4 |
| SF | Hicks, Jordan 3991 | 2.7 | 5.7 | 9.7 | 11.7 |
| NYM | Severino, Luis 3567 | 1.0 | 5.7 | 15.4 | 59.2 |
| BAL | Suarez, Albert 3870 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 |
| CHW | Fedde, Erick 4065 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 21.5 | 23.2 |
| TEX | Lorenzen, Michael 3479 | 1.0 | 9.7 | 16.7 | 24.2 |
| MIN | Paddack, Chris 4093 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 29.5 | 29.5 |
| ATL | Lopez, Reynaldo 3712 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 25.2 | 32.9 |
| PIT | Keller, Mitch 4230 | 3.0 | 16.0 | 23.0 | 23.0 |
| SEA | Gilbert, Logan 4439 | 6.0 | 19.4 | 40.5 | 40.5 |
| WSH | Williams, Trevor 3792 | 3.0 | 8.7 | 19.4 | 32.4 |
| HOU | Arrighetti, Spencer* | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| OAK | Sears, JP 4627 | 3.0 | 7.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| KC | Singer, Brady 4337 | 5.0 | 10.0 | 28.7 | 28.7 |
| TB | Civale, Aaron 4173 | 2.0 | 8.0 | 30.4 | 30.4 |
| MIL | Rea, Colin 3582 | 1.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 9.7 |
| BOS | Pivetta, Nick 3825 | 3.0 | 12.0 | 27.7 | 47.4 |
| CHC | Taillon, Jameson 3658 | 3.0 | 8.4 | 28.1 | 54.5 |
| STL | Mikolas, Miles 3034 | 1.0 | 7.7 | 22.8 | 37.2 |
| LAD | Buehler, Walker 3943 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 44.5 | 59.6 |
| CIN | Greene, Hunter 4651 | 2.0 | 7.7 | 13.7 | 13.7 |
| PHI | Nola, Aaron 3569 | 6.0 | 18.0 | 62.1 | 107.7 |
| COL | Hudson, Dakota 4035 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 16.4 | 17.4 |
| CLE | Bibee, Tanner 4792 | 6.0 | 14.7 | 14.7 | 14.7 |
| LAA | Soriano, Jose 4884 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| NYY | Stroman, Marcus 3327 | 1.0 | 8.7 | 32.4 | 63.2 |
| SD | Cease, Dylan 4231 | 7.7 | 17.7 | 54.5 | 54.5 |
| MIA | Sanchez, Sixto 4335 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| ARI | Montgomery, Jordan 3814 | 0.0 | 10.4 | 30.5 | 36.5 |
* Player has yet to earn any career Box-Toppers points.
What are those numbers after players' names?
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