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
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Rangers pitcher MacKenzie Gore is Friday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Friday, Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski expands his lead in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning National League Player of the Day honors.
Other Player of the Game winners Friday include Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Travis Bazzana of the Guardians and Ty France of the Padres.
Player of the Day: MacKenzie Gore, Rangers
Gore struck out seven over six scoreless innings, allowing two hits and one walk, in the 2-1, 10-inning win over the Angels. Gore did not earn the win, picking up a no-decision, because the game was in a scoreless tie when he exited.
Gore earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points as Player of the Day, bringing his season total to 10.0 (27th overall, 13th among AL pitchers). He becomes the 27th player to reach 10 points in 2026, marking his first career 10-point season after topping out at 8.7 in 2025 with the Nationals, 26th among National League pitchers.
Top 10 players
Here are the top 10 players in 2026 Box-Toppers points (BTP) earned in the regular season through Friday, Aug. 21.| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacob Misiorowski | pi sp | Brewers | 21.4 |
| 2 | Jesús Luzardo | pi sp | Phillies | 18.0 |
| 3 | Dylan Cease | pi sp | Blue Jays | 17.4 |
| 4 | Braxton Ashcraft | pi sp | Pirates | 16.4 |
| 5 | Cristopher Sánchez | pi sp | Phillies | 15.7 |
| 6 | Cam Schlittler | pi sp | Yankees | 15.7 |
| 7 | Shohei Ohtani | pi sp dh | Dodgers | 15.7 |
| 8 | Gavin Williams | pi sp | Guardians | 13.7 |
| 9 | Kyle Harrison | pi sp | Brewers | 13.7 |
| 10 | Bryan Woo | pi sp | Mariners | 13.4 |
NL Player of the Day: Jacob Misiorowski, Brewers
Misiorowski struck out six over six scoreless innings, allowing four hits and two walks, in the 2-1 win over the Braves.
He earns 1.7 points as NL Player of the Day, reaching 21.4 for the season and widening his overall and NL pitching lead to 3.4 points ahead of second-place Jesús Luzardo of the Phillies (18.0).
Misiorowski becomes the first player to reach 20 Box-Toppers points in 2026. It is his first season with 20 or more points. His previous high was 6.0 in his 2025 rookie season with the Brewers, 50th among NL pitchers. In 2025, three players reached 20 points—Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (22.1), Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes (21.1) and Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler (20.1).
AL Batter of the Day: Travis Bazzana, Guardians
Bazzana went 4-for-5, scoring twice and driving in three runs, in the 9-1 win over the Rockies.
NL Batter of the Day: Ty France, Padres
France hit a home run, a sacrifice fly and went 1-for-1, scoring once and driving in three runs, in the 6-2 win over the Twins.
He earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points as NL Batter of the Day, giving him 8.5 for the season, fifth among NL batters.
Notable: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Dodgers
Yamamoto now has 13.4 Box-Toppers points in 2026, 11th among all players, after earning Player of the Game honors Friday (6.1IP 5H 2R BB 9K ND in the 5-4, 10-inning win over the Pirates). He ranks seventh among NL pitchers.
Debut
Spencer Jones of the Yankees made his Box-Toppers debut Friday with his first career Player of the Game honor.
Jones (HR 1-3 R 2BI in the 3-1 win over the Blue Jays) made his Major League debut May 8 and was playing in his 55th career game.
Scoring
Gore earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points as Player of the Day.
Misiorowski earns 1.7 points as NL Player of the Day.
Bazzana and France each earn 1.5 points as their league’s Batter of the Day.
All of Friday’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.
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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).| 8/21 | BTG | Game | Player | AB | R | H | BI | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | 10.0 | `TEX 2, LAA 1 (F/10) | MacKenzie Gore | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | |
| NL | 6.0 | MIL 2, ATL 1 | Jacob Misiorowski (W, 13‑5) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | |
| 5.1 | `LAD 5, PIT 4 (F/10) | Yoshinobu Yamamoto | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 9 | ||
| 5.0 | HOU 4, ATH 0 | Hayden Wesneski (W, 3‑1) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 5.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | ||
| BAT | 4.0 | CLE 9, COL 1 | Travis Bazzana 2B | 5 | 2 | 4 | 3 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | |
| BAT | 4.0 | SD 6, MIN 2 | Ty France 1B | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | |
| 3.2 | ARI 9, CIN 0 | Eduardo Rodriguez (W, 13‑4) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 5.2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 3.0 | BOS 6, SF 4 | Willson Contreras 1B | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| 3.0 | BAL 5, TB 3 | Rico Garcia (S, 6) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2.0 | PHI 7, STL 6 (F/10) | Alec Bohm 1B | 5 | 1 | 3 | 3 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| 2.0 | MIA 3, WSH 2 | Javier Sanoja PH‑3B | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| 2.0 | CHW 6, NYM 4 | Miguel Vargas 3B | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| 2.0 | SEA 6, CHC 5 (F/10) | Seranthony Domínguez (W, 5‑3) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 1.0 | KC 5, DET 2 | Kyle Isbel CF | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| 1.0 | NYY 3, TOR 1 | Spencer Jones RF‑LF | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ |
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 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 | +/‑ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Misiorowski, Jacob 5200 | pi sp | mil nl | 21.4 | 27.4 | 27.4 | 27.4 | +15.4 |
| Yamamoto, Yoshinobu 4964 | pi sp | lad nl | 13.4 | 31.1 | 37.5 | 37.5 | -4.3 |
| Gore, MacKenzie 4582 | pi sp | tex al | 10.0 | 18.7 | 38.4 | 38.4 | +1.3 |
| France, Ty 4243 | 1b | sd nl | 8.5 | 10.0 | 27.5 | 29.5 | +7.0 |
| Contreras, Willson 3776 | 1b | bos al | 7.0 | 12.7 | 29.7 | 44.2 | +1.3 |
| Rodriguez, Eduardo 3480 | pi sp | ari nl | 7.0 | 11.7 | 35.7 | 79.9 | +2.3 |
| Vargas, Miguel 5229 | 3b 1b | chi al | 5.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | +4.5 |
| Isbel, Kyle 4548 | cf | kc al | 3.5 | 5.5 | 11.0 | 11.0 | +1.5 |
| Bohm, Alec 4309 | 1b 3b | phi nl | 3.5 | 4.5 | 16.9 | 18.9 | +2.5 |
| Bazzana, Travis 5362 | 2b | cle al | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | +2.5 |
| Sanoja, Javier 5151 | 3b lf ph | fla nl | 2.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 0.0 |
| Garcia, Rico 5405 | pi mr cp | bal al | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | +2.0 |
| Wesneski, Hayden 4731 | pi sp mr | hou al | 1.0 | 2.0 | 8.4 | 8.4 | 0.0 |
| Dominguez, Seranthony 3968 | pi cp mr | sea al | 1.0 | 2.0 | 8.0 | 9.0 | 0.0 |
| Jones, Spencer 5445 | rf lf | nyy al | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | +1.0 |
About Box-Toppers’ team abbreviations
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A Box-Toppers look at Saturday’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), this year and last year ('25-26), over six years ('21-26), and their career point total.Back to top
| Game | Starter | ’26 | ’25‑26 | ’21‑26 | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOR | Cease, Dylan 4231 | 17.4 | 26.1 | 92.0 | 94.0 |
| NYY | Weathers, Ryan 4388 | 8.7 | 10.7 | 18.4 | 18.4 |
| ATL | Elder, Bryce 4709 | 6.7 | 11.7 | 26.4 | 26.4 |
| MIL | Henderson, Logan 5150 | 7.7 | 10.7 | 10.7 | 10.7 |
| WSH | Irvin, Jake 4805 | 3.0 | 10.7 | 23.7 | 23.7 |
| MIA | Perez, Eury 4814 | 8.4 | 15.4 | 21.4 | 21.4 |
| STL | Pallante, Andre 4656 | 8.7 | 14.4 | 25.1 | 25.1 |
| PHI | Painter, Andrew 5302 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| TB | McClanahan, Shane 4399 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 37.8 | 37.8 |
| BAL | Young, Brandon 5253 | 5.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| LAA | Johnson, Ryan 5391 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.7 |
| TEX | Bradford, Cody 4938 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 9.4 | 9.4 |
| ATH | Lopez, Jacob 5202 | 2.0 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 |
| HOU | Brown, Hunter 4729 | 3.0 | 16.4 | 39.5 | 39.5 |
| NYM | Scott, Christian 5344 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| CHW | Castillo, Luis Miguel 3840 | 5.7 | 21.8 | 67.6 | 103.4 |
| SF | Tidwell, Blade 5305 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| BOS | Sandoval, Patrick 4357 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 16.7 | 17.7 |
| DET | Anderson, Drew 4559 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| KC | Wacha, Michael 3276 | 6.7 | 16.8 | 53.7 | 88.4 |
| CHC | Peterson, David 4347 | 4.7 | 10.4 | 26.1 | 28.1 |
| SEA | Anderson, Kade* | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| PIT | Jones, Jared 4956 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 10.7 | 10.7 |
| LAD | Skubal, Tarik 4414 | 8.7 | 30.8 | 82.0 | 82.0 |
| CLE | Bibee, Tanner 4792 | 4.7 | 11.7 | 34.4 | 34.4 |
| COL | Hughes, Gabriel* | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| CIN | Lowder, Rhett 5107 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| ARI | Soroka, Michael 3956 | 6.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 22.4 |
| MIN | Kremer, Dean 4330 | 3.0 | 10.7 | 38.8 | 40.5 |
| SD | Mize, Casey 4377 | 5.0 | 12.0 | 19.7 | 19.7 |
* Player has yet to earn any career Box-Toppers points.
What are those numbers after players' names?
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