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
▪️ Wednesday’s highlights & lowlights
▪️ Upcoming pitching matchups
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▪️ Support Box-Toppers
Padres pitcher Dylan Cease is Wednesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day, rising to first place in season player rankings.
Top 10 players
Here are the top 10 players in 2024 Box-Toppers points (BTP) through Wednesday, May 8:| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dylan Cease | pi sp | Padres | 7.7 |
| 2 | Shota Imanaga | pi sp | Cubs | 7.7 |
| 3 | Zack Wheeler | pi sp | Phillies | 6.7 |
| 4 | Ranger Suárez | pi sp | Phillies | 6.7 |
| 5 | Freddy Peralta | pi sp | Brewers | 6.0 |
| 6 | Logan Gilbert | pi sp | Mariners | 6.0 |
| 7 | Tyler Glasnow | pi sp | Dodgers | 6.0 |
| 8 | Tanner Houck | pi sp | Red Sox | 6.0 |
| 9 | Seth Lugo | pi sp | Royals | 5.4 |
| 10 | Luis Castillo | pi sp | Mariners | 5.0 |
Also Wednesday, Juan Soto of the Yankees extends his lead among American League batters in 2024 Box-Toppers points after earning Player of the Game honors.
Player of the Day
Cease struck out 12 over seven scoreless innings, allowing one hit and two walks, in the 3-0 win over the Cubs.
Cease earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 7.7 for the season, rising from eighth to first place in season player rankings, passing the previous leader, Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga, who only took the lead Tuesday. While Cease and Imanaga both have 7.7 points for the season, Cease ranks higher because he has more 2023 points—10.0 vs. 0.0.
Cease also rises to lead National League pitchers ahead of Imanaga.
American League Player of the Day
White Sox pitcher Chris Flexen struck out eight over six innings, allowing one run, three hits and one walk, in the 4-1 win over the Rays.
Flexen earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day, his first points of the season, and ranks 61st among AL pitchers.
American League Batter of the Day
Shea Langeliers of the Athletics homered, tripled, doubled and went 3-for-4, scoring once and driving in five runs, in the 9-4 win over the Rangers.
Langeliers earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being AL Batter of the Day, giving him 3.0 for the season, third among AL batters, behind Juan Soto of the Yankees (4.5) and Andres Gimenez of the Guardians (3.0).
National League Batter of the Day
Teoscar Hernandez of the Dodgers homered and went 2-for-3, scoring once and driving in three runs, in the 3-1 win over the Marlins.
Rankings
Juan Soto of the Yankees increases his lead among AL batters in 2024 Box-Toppers points after earning Player of the Game honors Wednesday.
Soto (HR 3-5 R 5BI in the 9-4 win over the Astros) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 4.5 for the season, ahead of second-place AL batter Andres Gimenez of the Guardians (3.0 points). Soto now ranks 21st among all players in 2024 Box-Toppers points.
Notable
Braves pitcher Chris Sale now has 158.0 career Box-Toppers points after earning 1.0 point as Player of the Game Wednesday.
Sale (6IP 6H 0R BB 10K W in the 5-0 win over the Red Sox) ranks 20th among all players in career Box-Toppers points since tracking began in 1995. He trails 19th-ranked player Miguel Cabrera (159.4). Sale ranks fourth among active, signed players in career points, second among active NL pitchers, behind Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers (270.4).
Sale now has 4.7 points in 2024, 17th among all players and 10th among NL pitchers.
Wednesday’s highlights & lowlights
Top pitching matchup
▪️Chris Bassitt, Blue Jays22.1 Box-Toppers points over 2023-24, 2nd
▪️Aaron Nola, Phillies
17.0 Box-Toppers points over 2023-24, 14th
Result—TOR 5, PHI 3
Bassitt was Player of the Game (6.1IP 3H 2R 2BB 6K W) with +3.1 B-T game score.
Nola had -4.8 B-T game score (5.2IP 9H 4R 0BB 7K L).
Bassitt now has 23.1 B-T points over 2023-24, remaining in 2nd place.
High scores, no points
Highest Box-Toppers game scores for the day among players who did not earn Player of the Game honors:▪️+5.0—Brent Rooker, Athletics (HR 2B 3-4 3R 3BI)
Was not Player of the Game in win vs. TEX.
Player of the Game—Teammate Shea Langeliers (HR 3B 2B 3-4 R 5BI) with +5.0 game score. (Though both Langeliers and Rooker had +5.0 game scores, Langeliers ranked ahead because he had more RBIs—5 vs. 3).
▪️+5.0—Marcell Ozuna, Braves (2HR 2-3 2R 4BI)
Was not Player of the Game in win vs. BOS.
Player of the Game—Teammate Chris Sale (6IP 6H 0R BB 10K W) with +9.0 game score.
▪️+4.0—Reese Olson, Tigers (6IP H 2R ER 2BB 4K ND)
Was not Player of the Game because DET lost to CLE.
Player of the Game—Sam Hentges, Guardians (1.2IP 0H 0R 0BB K ND) with +2.2 game score.
Lowest Box-Toppers game scores
Out of 429 total players Wednesday, 136 pitchers-18.0—Peter Lambert, Rockies (3IP 9H 7R 0BB 2K L vs. SF)
-13.0—Nick Pivetta, Red Sox
-12.0—Spencer Arrighetti, Astros
-11.9—Joel Payamps, Brewers
-11.0—Michael Lorenzen, Rangers
Lowest Box-Toppers game scores by batters
Out of 293 total batters Wednesday-5.0—Riley Greene, Tigers 0-5 3K
-5.0—Cedric Mullins, Orioles 0-5 3K
-5.0—Yordan Alvarez, Astros 0-5 2K
-5.0—Christian Yelich, Brewers 0-5 K
-5.0—Alex Verdugo, Yankees 0-5
Box-Toppers uses Baseball-Reference.com, MLB.com and other sources to compile this information.
Scoring
Cease earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day.
Flexen earns 1.7 points for being AL Player of the Day.
Langeliers and Hernandez each earn 1.5 points for being their league’s Batter of the Day.
All of Wednesday’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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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).| 5/8 | BTG | Game | Player | AB | R | H | BI | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | +16.0 | SD 3, CHC 0 | Dylan Cease (W, 5‑2) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 7.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12 | |
| +9.0 | ATL 5, BOS 0 | Chris Sale (W, 5‑1) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | ||
| AL | +8.0 | CHW 4, TB 1 | Chris Flexen (W, 2‑3) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | |
| +6.0 | TEX 12, OAK 11 | David Robertson (W, 2‑0) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | ||
| +6.0 | `BAL 7, WSH 6 (F/12) | Kyle Bradish | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 5.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 9 | ||
| BAT | +5.0 | OAK 9, TEX 4 | Shea Langeliers C | 4 | 1 | 3 | 5 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | |
| +4.1 | MIN 6, SEA 3 | Chris Paddack (W, 4‑1) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 5.1 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 | ||
| +4.1 | LAA 5, PIT 4 | Adam Cimber (W, 3‑0) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 1.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| +4.0 | NYY 9, HOU 4 | Juan Soto RF | 5 | 1 | 3 | 5 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| +3.1 | TOR 5, PHI 3 | Chris Bassitt (W, 3‑5) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | ||
| BAT | +3.0 | LAD 3, MIA 1 | Teoscar Hernández RF | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | |
| +3.0 | KC 6, MIL 4 | Bobby Witt Jr. SS | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| +2.2 | `CLE 5, DET 4 (F/10) | Sam Hentges | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| +2.0 | SF 8, COL 6 | Michael Conforto LF | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| +2.0 | `ARI 4, CIN 3 | Ryan Thompson (H, 6) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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 | +/‑ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cease, Dylan 4231 | pi sp | sd nl | 7.7 | 17.7 | 54.5 | 54.5 | -2.3 |
| Sale, Chris 2806 | pi sp | atl nl | 4.7 | 13.4 | 26.4 | 158.0 | -4.0 |
| Soto, Juan 3994 | rf | nyy al | 4.5 | 13.5 | 30.0 | 37.5 | -4.5 |
| Paddack, Chris 4093 | pi sp | min al | 3.7 | 4.7 | 29.5 | 29.5 | +2.7 |
| Bassitt, Chris 3413 | pi sp | tor al | 3.0 | 23.1 | 60.9 | 66.9 | -17.1 |
| Langeliers, Shea 4715 | ca | oak al | 3.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | +2.0 |
| Witt, Bobby Jr. 4592 | ss | kc al | 2.7 | 10.4 | 12.4 | 12.4 | -5.0 |
| Hernandez, Teoscar 3713 | rf | lad nl | 2.5 | 4.0 | 20.5 | 26.2 | +1.0 |
| Cimber, Adam 4141 | pi mr | ana al | 2.0 | 2.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | +2.0 |
| Flexen, Chris 4368 | pi sp | chi al | 1.7 | 1.7 | 15.4 | 15.4 | +1.7 |
| Bradish, Kyle 4597 | pi sp | bal al | 1.0 | 15.0 | 21.0 | 21.0 | -13.0 |
| Conforto, Michael 3622 | lf | sf nl | 1.0 | 5.5 | 16.2 | 33.7 | -3.5 |
| Robertson, David 2774 | pi mr cp | tex al | 1.0 | 5.0 | 7.0 | 42.0 | -3.0 |
| Hentges, Sam 4406 | pi mr sp | cle al | 1.0 | 2.0 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 0.0 |
| Thompson, Ryan 4401 | pi mr | ari nl | 1.0 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | +1.0 |
About Box-Toppers’ team abbreviations
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A Box-Toppers look at Thursday’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARI | Cecconi, Slade 4913 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| CIN | Greene, Hunter 4651 | 1.0 | 6.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 |
| SEA | Gilbert, Logan 4439 | 6.0 | 19.4 | 40.5 | 40.5 |
| MIN | Lopez, Pablo 4028 | 2.0 | 15.4 | 47.5 | 49.2 |
| SF | Winn, Keaton 4931 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| COL | Quantrill, Cal 4195 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 20.7 | 20.7 |
| HOU | Blanco, Ronel 4959 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| NYY | Stroman, Marcus 3327 | 1.0 | 8.7 | 32.4 | 63.2 |
| CLE | Lively, Ben 3903 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 4.0 |
| CHW | Fedde, Erick 4065 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 18.8 | 20.5 |
| STL | Gray, Sonny 3259 | 4.0 | 14.4 | 52.0 | 101.9 |
| MIL | Myers, Tobias* | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| KC | Wacha, Michael 3276 | 2.0 | 13.0 | 32.5 | 63.2 |
| LAA | Detmers, Reid 4513 | 3.7 | 10.4 | 18.4 | 18.4 |
* Player has yet to earn any career Box-Toppers points.
What are those numbers after players' names?
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