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Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers is Box-Toppers Player of the Game in Monday’s marathon World Series Game 3.
The Los Angeles Dodgers win 6-5 in 18 innings to lead the best-of-seven-game series over the Toronto Blue Jays, 2-1.
It was a game for the aging. Ages? No, at 18 innings and six hours and 39 minutes, a game in which everyone was much older and much more tired by the end.
Ohtani hit two home runs, two doubles and went 4-for-4, scoring three times and driving in three runs. He was walked five times, including being walked intentionally four times.
Ohtani earned 5.5 Box-Toppers points in 2025, 171st overall, 55th among NL pitchers and 27th among NL batters.
Though he is an National League Most Valuable Player favorite, hitting 55 home runs and starting 14 games as a pitcher, he had a drop-off season in Box-Toppers points. He earned 11.0 points in 2024 (hitting 54 homers and driving in 130 runs), to lead NL batters. But in 2025, he had only half that many Box-Toppers points because other Dodgers players frequently beat him for Player of the Game honors in team wins. Ohtani earned his 3.5 points as a batter on June 27 and before and earned his 2.0 points as a pitcher on July 12 and later.
However, he has now earned Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors three times this postseason, tying him for the most in the 2025 playoffs along with teammates, pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Blake Snell. But Ohtani is the only to win Player of the Game honors both for batting and pitching. His first two Player of the Game honors this postseason came in both of his 2025 postseason starts:
NL Division Series Game 1 on Oct. 4 (6IP 3H 3R BB 9K W).
NL Championship Series Game 4 on Oct. 17 (6IP 2H 0R 3BB 10K W).
Ohtani is the scheduled starter for the Dodgers in Tuesday’s Game 4.
Ohtani is one of six players who have earned Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors more than once this postseason along with Yamamoto and Snell (who have also both done it three times) and these three players who have won twice: teammate Tyler Glasnow, Jorge Polanco of the Mariners and Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski.
How other Dodgers fared in Box-Toppers game scores
Ohtani had a Box-Toppers game score Monday of +6.0. Dodgers reliever Will Klein, who earned the win, also had a +6.0 game score (4IP H 0R 2BB 5K W), but in cases of game score ties, batters rank ahead of pitchers, giving Ohtani Player of the Game honors. Klein entered the game in the 15th inning and pitched through the 18th inning.
Freddie Freeman, who hit the game-winning, walk-off, solo home run to open the bottom of the 18th inning, recorded a -2.0 Box-Toppers game score (HR 2-7 R 2BI).
Besides Ohtani and Klein, four other Dodgers players had positive Box-Toppers game scores:
Reliever Edgardo Henriquez (2IP 0H 0R 0BB 2K ND) had a +4.0 game score, pitching the 13th and 14th innings.
Reliever Justin Wrobleski (1.2IP H 0R 0BB 2K ND) had a +2.2 game score, pitching in the sixth and seventh innings.
Reliever Anthony Banda (0.1IP 0H 0R 0BB 0K ND) had a +0.1 game score, pitching in the fifth inning.
Reliever Clayton Kershaw (0.1IP 0H 0R 0BB 0K ND) had a +0.1 game score, pitching in the 12th inning, forcing a ground out with two outs and the bases loaded.
Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow recorded a -4.8 Box-Toppers game score (4.2IP 5H 4R 2ER 3BB 5K ND). Blue Jays starter Max Scherzer recorded a -4.9 game score in the loss (4.1IP 5H 3R BB 3K ND).
How other Blue Jays fared in Box-Toppers game scores
Four of the five Blue Jays’ late-inning relievers had positive Box-Toppers game scores, holding the Dodgers scoreless for 10 straight innings:
Chris Bassitt (1IP 0H 0R 0BB K ND) had a +2.0 game score, pitching the eighth inning.
Jeff Hoffman (2IP H 0R BB K ND) had a +1.0 game score, pitching the ninth and 10th innings.
Braydon Fisher (1.1IP H 0R BB 2K ND) had a +1.1 game score, pitching in the 11th and 12th innings.
Eric Lauer (4.2IP 2H 0R 4BB 2K ND) had a +0.2 game score, pitching from the 12th inning through the 17th inning.
Picking up the loss for the Blue Jays was Brendon Little, who pitched the 17th and 18th innings, recording a -3.0 Box-Toppers game score (1IP 2H R BB K L).
Top Box-Toppers game score among Blue Jays batters was +2.0 by Alejandro Kirk (HR 2-4 R 3BI).
Five batters in the game recorded -7.0 Box-Toppers game scores. Lowest game scores for batters during the regular season are rarely lower than -5.0. The five:
Mookie Betts of the Dodgers (1-8 BB K).
Tommy Edman of the Dodgers (2B 1-8 2K).
Max Muncy of the Dodgers (0-7 BB 3K), the only one of the five with a -7.0 game score to go hitless.
Nathan Lukes of the Blue Jays (2B 1-8 BB K).
Ernie Clement of the Blue Jays (1-8 K).
Game featured top two active players in career Box-Toppers points
One more notable thing about this game: The top two active players in career Box-Toppers points both made appearances: Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw and Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer.
Kershaw, 37, has 280.8 career Box-Toppers points, second-most among all players since Box-Toppers tracking began in 1995 and first among active players.
Scherzer, 41, has 256.7 career Box-Toppers points, third-most since 1995, second among active players behind Kershaw.
Kershaw has announced he will retire at the end of the 2025 season.
A look at Box-Toppers game scores of all Dodgers players in World Series Game 3 (chart).
Top Dodgers in World Series Game 3: Dodgers 6, Blue Jays 5 (F/18)
Here are the Box-Toppers game scores (BTG) of all Dodgers players who appeared in World Series Game 3, listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score. Player of the Game (POG) is Shohei Ohtani.| 10/27 | BTG | Player of the Game | AB | R | H | BI | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POG | +6.0 | Shohei Ohtani DH | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | |
| +6.0 | Will Klein (W, 1‑0) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 4.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | ||
| +4.0 | Edgardo Henriquez | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| +2.2 | Justin Wrobleski | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 1.2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| +0.1 | Anthony Banda | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| +0.1 | Clayton Kershaw | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| ‑0.8 | Emmet Sheehan | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 2.2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||
| ‑0.9 | Jack Dreyer | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 0.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| ‑1.8 | Roki Sasaki | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 1.2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| ‑2.0 | Tesocar Hernández RF | 8 | 1 | 4 | 1 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| ‑2.0 | Freddie Freeman 1B | 7 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| ‑2.0 | Enrique Hernández LF | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| ‑2.0 | Alex Call PH‑LF | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| ‑2.0 | Miguel Rojas PH‑2B | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| ‑4.8 | Tyler Glasnow | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 4.2 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | ||
| ‑4.9 | Blake Treinen | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 0.1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| ‑5.0 | Will Smith C | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| ‑5.0 | Andy Pages CF | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| ‑7.0 | Mookie Betts SS | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| ‑7.0 | Tommy Edman 2B‑CF | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| ‑7.0 | Max Muncy 3B | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ |
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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 (+/-).Back to top
| Player of the Game | Pos | Team | ’25 | ’24‑25 | ’20‑25 | Career | +/‑ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohtani, Shohei 3933 | dh pi sp | lad nl | 5.5 | 16.5 | 76.7 | 91.2 | -5.5 |
About Box-Toppers’ team abbreviations
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World Series Game 4, Dodgers lead Blue Jays, 2-1
Tuesday’s pitching matchup (for more, see matchups chart below):
Both starters are starting to hit their stride after extended recoveries from elbow reconstruction surgeries. Shohei Ohtani had his surgery in September 2023 and Shane Bieber had his April 2024.
Blue Jays—Shane Bieber, 3.0 Box-Toppers points in 2025, 330th overall and 98th among American League pitchers.
Bieber has made three postseason starts. He was Box-Toppers Player of the Game in the AL Championship Series Game 3 win over the Mariners on Oct. 15 with a +5.0 Box-Toppers game score (6IP 4H 2R BB 8K W).
His two other starts:
AL Division Series Game 3 loss to the Yankees on Oct. 7, recording a -6.8 game score (2.2IP 5H 3R 2ER BB 2K ND).
ALCS Game 7 win over the Mariners on Oct. 20, but he was not Player of the Game, recording a -3.8 game score (3.2IP 7H 2R BB 5K ND).
Bieber began the season with the Guardians, rehabbing from elbow reconstruction surgery. He was traded to the Blue Jays on July 31 and made his season debut Aug. 22, winning Box-Toppers Player of the Day honors.
Dodgers—Shohei Ohtani, 5.5 Box-Toppers points in 2025, 171st overall, 55th among NL pitchers.
Ohtani won Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors in both of his 2025 postseason starts:
NL Division Series Game 1 on Oct. 4 (6IP 3H 3R BB 9K W).
NL Championship Series Game 4 on Oct. 17 (6IP 2H 0R 3BB 10K W).
He won Player of the Game honors for a third time this postseason as a batter in World Series Game 3 on Monday (see above).
Ohtani earned 3.5 of his 2025 points as a batter, all June 27 and before. He earned 2.0 points as a pitcher, all July 12 and later. Ohtani only made his 2025 pitching debut on June 16, after rehabbing from 2023 elbow surgery. He started pitching just one inning per game, but was slowly ramped up to five innings or more in three of his last four regular-season starts.
A Box-Toppers look at Tuesday’s World 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 2025 (’25), this year and last year (’24-25), over a six-year period (’20-25) and their career point total.Back to top
| Game | Starter | ’25 | ’24‑25 | ’20‑25 | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOR | Bieber, Shane 4005 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 40.8 | 65.3 |
| LAD | Ohtani, Shohei 3933 | 5.5 | 16.5 | 76.7 | 91.2 |
* Player has yet to earn any career Box-Toppers points.
What are those numbers after players' names?
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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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