Closer Hoffman tops players in Monday’s ALCS Game 7, as Blue Jays eliminate Mariners

Blue Jays closing pitcher Jeff Hoffman is Box-Toppers Player of the Game in Monday’s American League Championship Series Game 7.

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Blue Jays closing pitcher Jeff Hoffman is Box-Toppers Player of the Game in Monday’s American League Championship Series Game 7.

The Toronto Blue Jays win the best-of-seven-game series over the Seattle Mariners, 4-3, to advance to the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, beginning Friday in Toronto.

AL Championship Series Game 7: Blue Jays 4, Mariners 3

Hoffman pitched a perfect ninth inning, striking out the side. He struck out three over one hitless, scoreless inning, walking none and earning the save.

Hoffman earned 8.0 Box-Toppers points in 2025, 73rd among all players, 31st among AL pitchers and first among AL closing pitchers.

He recorded a +4.0 Box-Toppers game score, the best of all players on Monday. He just beat the top Blue Jays batter, George Springer, who recorded a +3.0 game score (HR 1-3 2R 3BI), hitting the go-ahead, seventh-inning, three-run home run. Blue Jays starting pitcher Shane Bieber recorded a -3.8 game score (3.2IP 7H 2R BB 5K ND). Kevin Gausman, who pitched in relief for the Blue Jays and picked up the win, recorded a -2.0 game score (1IP 0H 0R 3BB 0K W).

George Springer of the Blue Jays recorded a +3.0 game score Monday, hitting the go-ahead, seventh-inning, three-run home run.

Mariners starter George Kirby recorded a 0.0 game score (4IP 4H R BB 3K ND). Mariners reliever Eduard Bazardo, who picked up the loss, had a -2.8 game score (0.2IP 2H R 0BB K L).

This was Hoffman’s first Box-Toppers Player of the Game honor of the 2025 postseason, in which he has appeared in six games. The Blue Jays have won in five of his six appearances and he earned the save in two of them, including Monday. 

In Sunday’s Game 6, Hoffman recorded the game’s highest Box-Toppers game score (+5.0) but was not Player of the Game (2IP 0H 0R BB 4K ND). He did not qualify for initial consideration as Player of the Game because he did not pitch at least three innings or earn the win or save. Hoffman did not qualify for the save because he entered the game with the Blue Jays leading by more than three runs (they led by four).

The Blue Jays eliminate the Mariners and advance to the World Series. While the Blue Jays were the AL’s top-seeded playoff team, the Mariners (the second AL seed) ranked higher in Box-Toppers team rankings. Mariners players accumulated 117.6 Box-Toppers points in 2025, sixth among all teams and third among AL teams. The Blue Jays had 111.7 Box-Toppers points, 10th among all teams and fifth among AL teams.

Box-Toppers favored the Mariners over the Blue Jays in the series mainly for their pitching prowess. The Mariners’ top three starters have a combined 47.2 Box-Toppers points while the Blue Jays’ top three starters have a combined 24.1 points. Three Mariners starting pitchers are among the top 10 AL pitchers in Box-Toppers points:

The Blue Jays were more rested going into the ALCS than the Mariners. They played four games in the ALDS vs. five played by the Mariners, including a stressful, 15-inning fifth and deciding game on Oct. 10 over the Detroit Tigers. However, despite the rest advantage, the Blue Jays dropped the first two games of the series at home to the Mariners.

The Blue Jays did have the advantage of having Box-Toppers’ top-ranked AL batter for 2025, George Springer, who led AL batters with 9.7 Box-Toppers points. Top-ranked Mariners batter was third baseman Eugenio Suárez with 7.5 points, 11th among AL batters. Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, a favorite for AL Most Valuable Player, earned 6.0 Box-Toppers points in 2025, 24th among AL batters. While he hit 60 homers during the season, he doesn’t have more Box-Toppers points because in Mariners wins, there was often another player who was a more key contributor to the win.

The Blue Jays return to the World Series for the first time since 1992 and 1993, when they won two back-to-back. The Mariners remain the only Major League team that has never advanced to the World Series.

All of Monday’s Player of the Game winners are listed in the chart.

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).
10/20 BTG Game Player of the Game AB R H BI   IP H R ER BB K
  +4.0 TOR 4, SEA 3 Jeff Hoffman (S, 2) ‑ ‑ ‑ ‑   1.0 0 0 0 0 3
No Box-Toppers points are awarded in postseason games.
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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 2025 (’25). Also shown is their point total for this season and last (’24-’25), the period 2020-2025 (’20-25) and each players’ career point total. Also shown is how their 2025 Box-Toppers point total compares with their 2024 total (+/-).
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Player of the Game Pos Team ’25 ’24‑25 ’20‑25 Career +/‑
Hoffman, Jeff 3806 pi cp tor al 8.0 13.0 19.0 22.7 +3.0
What are those numbers after players' names?
About Box-Toppers’ team abbreviations
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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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