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 2026
▪️ Upcoming pitching matchups
▪️ Subscribe to newsletter
▪️ Support Box-Toppers
Rangers pitcher MacKenzie Gore is Wednesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day, rising to fifth place in season player rankings.
Top 10 players
Here are the top 10 players in 2026 Box-Toppers points (BTP) earned in the regular season through Wednesday, April 8.| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taj Bradley | pi sp | Twins | 4.7 |
| 2 | Max Fried | pi sp | Yankees | 4.0 |
| 3 | José Soriano | pi sp | Angels | 4.0 |
| 4 | Cristopher Sánchez | pi sp | Phillies | 3.0 |
| 5 | MacKenzie Gore | pi sp | Rangers | 3.0 |
| 6 | Sandy Alcantara | pi sp | Marlins | 3.0 |
| 7 | Alec Burleson | 1b dh | Cardinals | 3.0 |
| 8 | Garrett Crochet | pi sp | Red Sox | 2.7 |
| 9 | Gavin Williams | pi sp | Guardians | 2.7 |
| 10 | Chris Sale | pi sp | Braves | 2.7 |
Also Wednesday, Alec Burleson of the Cardinals rises to seventh place in season player rankings after earning National League Batter of the Day honors.
Other Player of the Game winners Wednesday include Giants pitcher Tyler Mahle, Red Sox pitcher Sonny Gray and Taylor Ward of the Orioles.
Player of the Day: MacKenzie Gore, Rangers
Gore struck out nine over five scoreless innings, allowing one hit and two walks, in the 3-0 win over the Mariners.
Gore earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 3.0 for the season, fifth among all players and fourth among American League pitchers.
NL Player of the Day: Tyler Mahle, Giants
Mahle struck out six over 5 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing three hits and four walks, in the 5-0 win over the Phillies. Mahle did not earn the win, picking up a no-decision, because the game was in a scoreless tie when he exited.
Mahle earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day, his first points of the season, and is 33rd in season player rankings.
NL Batter of the Day: Alec Burleson, Cardinals
Burleson went 3-for-4, scoring once and driving in three runs, in the 6-1 win over the Nationals.
Burleson earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being NL Batter of the Day, giving him 3.0 for the season, seventh among all players and first among NL batters. He is the only batter among the top 10 players.
This is Burleson’s second NL Batter of the Day honor of 2026. He also did it March 26.
AL Batter of the Day: Taylor Ward, Orioles
Ward hit three doubles and went 4-for-5, scoring once and driving in two runs, in the 5-3 win over the White Sox.
Streak: Sonny Gray, Red Sox
Active season streaks
Here are the 11 players who have active streaks of earning Box-Toppers points for 13 or more consecutive seasons. Players are listed by the length of their streak and with their current team status. Also shown is the duration of their streak and their career Box-Toppers point (BTP) total.| Streak | Player | Pos | Team | Duration | BTP* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | Max Scherzer | pi sp | Blue Jays | 2009‑2026 | 257.7 |
| 17 | Andrew McCutchen | dh lf | Rangers | 2009‑2025 | 82.9 |
| 16 | Giancarlo Stanton | dh rf ph | Yankees | 2010‑2025 | 82.9 |
| 16 | Aroldis Chapman | pi mr cp | Red Sox | 2010‑2025 | 75.1 |
| 16 | Kenley Jansen | pi cp | Tigers | 2011‑2026 | 73.4 |
| 15 | Freddie Freeman | 1b | Dodgers | 2011‑2025 | 95.9 |
| 14 | Kevin Gausman | pi sp | Blue Jays | 2013‑2026 | 114.2 |
| 14 | Sonny Gray | pi sp | Red Sox | 2013‑2026 | 125.3 |
| 13 | Jacob deGrom | pi sp | Rangers | 2014‑2026 | 152.2 |
| 13 | Christian Yelich | dh | Brewers | 2014‑2026 | 80.1 |
| 13 | Eugenio Suárez | 3b | Reds | 2014‑2026 | 61.5 |
Gray has now earned Box-Toppers points in 14 straight seasons with his first Player of the Game honor of 2026 on Wednesday.
Gray (6.1IP 3H 0R 2BB 2K W in the 5-0 win over the Brewers) earned his first points in 2013 with the Athletics and now has 125.3 career Box-Toppers points, 47th among all players since 1995, when Box-Toppers tracking began. With his 1.0 point Wednesday, he passes three players on the “all-time” career points list—Lance Lynn (124.5), Corey Kluber (125.1) and Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler (125.1). He now trails 46th-ranked player Mariano Rivera (126.4).
Passing Wheeler, Gray ranks seventh among active, signed players in career points, fifth among active AL pitchers.
Gray’s best season was 2015 with the Athletics when he had 17.8 points, sixth among AL pitchers. He earned 14.0 points in 2025 with the Cardinals, ninth among NL pitchers.
Gray is one of 11 players with an active streak of earning Box-Toppers points for 13 or more consecutive seasons. Gray’s 14-season streak is tied for the seventh-longest.
Career Box-Toppers points—Active AL pitchers 1—Max Scherzer #BlueJays 257.7 2—Justin Verlander #Tigers 250.0 3—Gerrit Cole #Yankees 165.0 4—Jacob deGrom #Rangers 152.2 5—Sonny Gray #RedSox 125.3* 6—Kevin Gausman #BlueJays 114.2 *Earns 1.0 B-T point as Player of the Game Wednesday
— Box-Toppers Baseball (@boxtoppers.bsky.social) Apr 9, 2026 at 7:26 AM
Debut
Rockies closing pitcher Zach Agnos made his Box-Toppers debut Wednesday with his first career Player of the Game honor.
Agnos (3.1IP H 0R 0BB 2K Sv in the 9-1 win over the Astros) made his Major League debut April 20, 2025, and was playing in his 34th career game.
Scoring
Gore earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day.
Mahle earns 1.7 points for being NL Player of the Day.
Burleson and Ward 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 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. 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)
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).| 4/8 | BTG | Game | Player | AB | R | H | BI | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | +11.0 | TEX 3, SEA 0 | MacKenzie Gore (W, 2‑0) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 5.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | |
| +6.2 | CLE 10, KC 2 | Joey Cantillo (W, 1‑0) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 5.2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 9 | ||
| +5.2 | `ATH 3, NYY 2 | Scott Barlow | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| NL | +4.2 | `SF 5, PHI 0 | Tyler Mahle | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 5.2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | |
| +4.1 | COL 9, HOU 1 | Zach Agnos (S, 1) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 3.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| +3.2 | ARI 7, NYM 2 | Ryne Nelson (W, 1‑1) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 5.2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | ||
| +3.1 | BOS 5, MIL 0 | Sonny Gray (W, 2‑0) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||
| BAT | +3.0 | STL 6, WSH 1 | Alec Burleson 1B | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | |
| BAT | +2.0 | BAL 5, CHW 3 | Taylor Ward LF | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | |
| +2.0 | CHC 6, TB 2 | Nico Hoerner 2B | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| +2.0 | MIN 8, DET 6 | Byron Buxton CF | 4 | 3 | 3 | 0 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| +2.0 | MIA 7, CIN 4 | Griffin Conine LF | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| +2.0 | TOR 4, LAD 3 | Davis Schneider PH‑LF | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| +1.0 | SD 8, PIT 2 | Nick Castellanos DH | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| +1.0 | ATL 8, LAA 2 | Austin Riley 3B | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ |
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.
Back to top
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 2026 (’26). Also shown is their point total for this season and last (’25-26), the period 2021-2026 (’21-26) and each players’ career point total. Also shown is how their 2026 Box-Toppers point total compares with their 2025 total (+/-).Back to top
| Player of the Game | Pos | Team | ’26 | ’25‑26 | ’21‑26 | Career | +/‑ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gore, MacKenzie 4582 | pi sp | tex al | 3.0 | 11.7 | 31.4 | 31.4 | -5.7 |
| Burleson, Alec 4874 | 1b dh | stl nl | 3.0 | 4.0 | 12.5 | 12.5 | +2.0 |
| Cantillo, Joey 5106 | pi sp | cle al | 2.0 | 7.7 | 10.7 | 10.7 | -3.7 |
| Conine, Griffin 5304 | rf | fla nl | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | +2.0 |
| Mahle, Tyler 3929 | pi sp | sf nl | 1.7 | 7.4 | 27.8 | 39.8 | -4.0 |
| Ward, Taylor 4345 | lf | bal al | 1.5 | 10.0 | 24.9 | 25.9 | -7.0 |
| Gray, Sonny 3259 | pi sp | bos al | 1.0 | 15.0 | 56.3 | 125.3 | -13.0 |
| Nelson, Ryne 4728 | pi sp | ari nl | 1.0 | 9.4 | 26.2 | 26.2 | -7.4 |
| Buxton, Byron 3604 | cf | min al | 1.0 | 6.0 | 19.0 | 32.7 | -4.0 |
| Barlow, Scott 3981 | pi mr | oak al | 1.0 | 5.0 | 21.0 | 25.0 | -3.0 |
| Riley, Austin 4144 | 3b | atl nl | 1.0 | 4.5 | 26.5 | 34.0 | -2.5 |
| Castellanos, Nick 3349 | dh rf | sd nl | 1.0 | 3.0 | 23.0 | 53.7 | -1.0 |
| Schneider, Davis 4890 | lf ph | tor al | 1.0 | 2.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 0.0 |
| Hoerner, Nico 4245 | 2b ss | chi nl | 1.0 | 1.0 | 7.0 | 10.0 | +1.0 |
| Agnos, Zach 5316 | pi cp | col nl | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | +1.0 |
About Box-Toppers’ team abbreviations
Chart is sortable. Click a column header to re-sort the chart by the values in that column. Refresh page to restore chart to default view.
Back to top
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 2026 (’26)†, last year (’25), over five years (’21-25), and their career point total.Back to top
| Game | Starter | ’26 | ’25‑26 | ’21‑26 | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIN | Lowder, Rhett 5107 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| MIA | Meyer, Max 4965 | 0.0 | 4.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| ATH | Springs, Jeffrey 4372 | 1.0 | 9.7 | 32.1 | 32.1 |
| NYY | Weathers, Ryan 4388 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 9.7 | 9.7 |
| DET | Flaherty, Jack 3971 | 0.0 | 8.4 | 31.4 | 65.7 |
| MIN | Abel, Mick 5184 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| ARI | Rodriguez, Eduardo 3480 | 0.0 | 4.7 | 28.7 | 72.9 |
| NYM | McLean, Nolan 5255 | 1.0 | 8.7 | 8.7 | 8.7 |
| CHW | Kay, Anthony 4285 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 |
| KC | Lugo, Seth 3729 | 1.0 | 6.0 | 28.5 | 44.5 |
| COL | Undecided | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| SD | Vasquez, Randy 4841 | 1.7 | 7.1 | 10.1 | 10.1 |
* Player has yet to earn any career Box-Toppers points.
What are those numbers after players' names?
Chart is sortable. Click a column header to re-sort the chart by the values in that column. Refresh page to restore chart to default, game-by-game view.
Back to top