Johnny DeLuca of the Rays was Box-Toppers Player of the Game in the March 30 win over the Brewers.

Before meeting in the 2026 World Series, the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers played a three-game regular-season series in Milwaukee, with the Brewers winning two of three.

While their World Series matchup forms the final bookend of the 2026 season, their first meeting served as an opening bookend back in late March, the second regular-season series for both teams. The results:

March 30, the Rays beat the Brewers, 3-2.
March 31, the Brewers beat the Rays, 6-2.
April 1, the Brewers beat the Rays, 8-2.

Here is a look at Box-Toppers Player of the Game winners in each of those games:

March 30—Rays 3, Brewers 2

Player of the Game: Jonny DeLuca, Rays

DeLuca homered and went 1-for-3, scoring twice and driving in one run.

DeLuca earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point with a +1.0 game score as Player of the Game. He earned 2.0 Box-Toppers points in 2026, also winning Player of the Game on April 18.

Complete Box-Toppers results from March 30.

Gary Sánchez of the Brewers was Box-Toppers Player of the Game in the March 31 win over the Rays.

March 31—Brewers 6, Rays 2

Player of the Game: Gary Sánchez, Brewers

Sánchez homered and went 1-for-1, scoring twice and driving in one run.

Sánchez earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point with a +3.0 game score. He earned 2.0 Box-Toppers points in 2026, also earning top player honors on Aug. 6.

Complete Box-Toppers results from March 31.

Brice Turang of the Brewers was Box-Toppers Player of the Game in the April 1 win over the Rays.

April 1—Brewers 8, Rays 2

Player of the Game: Brice Turang, Brewers

Turang homered and reached on an error while sacrifice bunting. He went 1-for-2, scoring twice and driving in two runs.

Turang earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point as Player of the Game and 0.5 bonus points as National League Batter of the Day, recording a +3.0 Box-Toppers game score.

Turang earned 4.7 Box-Toppers points in 2026, 201st overall and 39th among NL batters. He had the third-most 2026 Box-Toppers points among Brewers batters.

Complete Box-Toppers results from April 1.

All three regular-season Player of the Game winners are slated to be active in the best-of-seven World Series beginning Friday.

Preview: Brewers hold Box-Toppers points advantages over Rays in 2026 World Series

Box‑Toppers Player of the Game winners, Rays vs. Brewers in 2026 regular season

The two World Series teams, the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers faced off for three games in the regular season. Here is the Box-Toppers Player of the Game winner in each of those games.

Date	BTG	Game	Player	AB	R	H	BI	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
3/30	+1.0	TB 3, MIL 2	Jonny DeLuca CF‑RF	3	2	1	1	‑	‑	‑	‑	‑	‑
3/31	+3.0	MIL 6, TB 2	Gary Sánchez DH	1	2	1	1	‑	‑	‑	‑	‑	‑
4/1	+3.0	MIL 8, TB 2	Brice Turang 2B	2	2	1	2	‑	‑	‑	‑	‑	‑

BTG—Box-Toppers game score
` Pitcher had a no‑decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.
Back to top

About Box-Toppers

Box-Toppers tracks who contributes most to their team’s victory. Using standard box score statistics, we identify the Player of the Game for every MLB contest. In the regular season, winners earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point, with bonus points awarded to the top overall and league-specific players of the day. (No Box-Toppers points are awarded in postseason games.) More on how Box-Toppers works.

Help us stay accurate! Spot a mistake? Contact Box-Toppers here so we can fix it.

Follow us: Bluesky | X | Facebook | Substack (newsletter)