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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Royals pitcher Michael Wacha is Friday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Friday, two players in Box-Toppers season player rankings top 10 list earned Player of the Game honors: Blue Jays pitcher Dylan Cease maintained third place overall and Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler rose to fourth place.
Other Player of the Game winners Friday include Brewers pitcher Logan Henderson, Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal, Edmundo Sosa of the Phillies, Sal Stewart of the Reds and Cedric Mullins of the Rays.
Player of the Day: Michael Wacha, Royals
Wacha struck out 10 over eight scoreless innings, allowing four hits and no walks, in the 3-0 win over the Guardians.
Wacha earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 9.7 for the season, 29th among all players and 14th among American League pitchers.
NL Player of the Day: Logan Henderson, Brewers
Henderson struck out seven over seven innings, allowing one run, one hit and no walks, in the 6-1 win over the Rangers.
Henderson earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points as National League Player of the Day, giving him 9.4 for the season, 16th among NL pitchers.
Top 10 players
Here are the top 10 players in 2026 Box-Toppers points (BTP) earned in the regular season through Friday, Aug. 28.| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacob Misiorowski | pi sp | Brewers | 21.4 |
| 2 | Jesús Luzardo | pi sp | Phillies | 20.0 |
| 3 | Dylan Cease | pi sp | Blue Jays | 19.4 |
| 4 | Cam Schlittler | pi sp | Yankees | 16.7 |
| 5 | Braxton Ashcraft | pi sp | Pirates | 16.4 |
| 6 | Cristopher Sánchez | pi sp | Phillies | 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 Batter of the Day: Edmundo Sosa, Phillies
Sosa hit a go-ahead, ninth-inning, pinch-hit grand slam in the 5-3 win over the Angels.
AL Batter of the Day: Cedric Mullins, Rays
Mullins homered and went 1-for-4, scoring twice and driving in two runs, in the 9-4 win over the Padres.
Rankings: Dylan Cease, Blue Jays
Cease maintains his lead among American League pitchers in 2026 Box-Toppers points, holding third place overall, after earning Player of the Game honors Friday.
Cease (6IP 4H R BB 8K W in the 8-1 win over the Mariners) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, bringing his total to 19.4 for the season. He trails overall leaders, Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (21.4 points) and Phillies pitcher Jesús Luzardo (20.0 points). Cease leads AL pitchers ahead of Cam Schlittler of the Yankees (16.7 points).
Friday’s Sidelights Sidebar
Box-Toppers review of the day's top pitchers, overlooked top performers & lowest B-T game scores:
⬛ Friday’s 3 top-ranked starters—Cease, Schlittler, Skubal—win B‑T Player of the Game
Rankings: Cam Schlittler, Yankees
Schlittler rises from sixth to fourth place overall after earning Player of the Game honors Friday.
Schlittler (5.2IP 2H 0R 5BB 8K W in the 1-0 win over the Red Sox) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 16.7 for the season. He ranks second among AL pitchers, behind Dylan Cease of the Blue Jays (19.4 points).
Notable: Sal Stewart, Reds
Stewart now has 13.0 Box-Toppers points on the season, 18th among all players after earning Player of the Game honors (HR 2-4 2R 2BI in the 10-8 win over the Cubs).
Stewart ranks second among NL batters, behind Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers (15.7). Ohtani has earned only 7.0 of his points as a batter, while the other 8.7 have come as a pitcher, but he qualifies to rank as both a pitcher and batter with his full 15.7-point total. Stewart has the most points among all players who serve solely as batters in the Major Leagues, ahead of Dansby Swanson of the Cubs, whose 9.2 points rank third among NL batters.
Also notable: Tarik Skubal, Dodgers
Skubal becomes the 28th player this season to reach 10 Box-Toppers points after earning Player of the Game honors Friday.
Skubal (6IP 4H R 0BB 7K ND in the 2-1 win over the Tigers) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 10.7 for the season, 25th among all players and 13th among NL pitchers.
This is Skubal’s fifth straight season with 10 Box-Toppers points. His best season was 2025 with the Tigers, when his 22.1 points led all players.
Debut
Cardinals pitcher Quinn Mathews made his Box-Toppers debut Friday with his first career Player of the Game honor (5.2IP 5H R BB 7K W in the 7-4 win over the Pirates). The 2026 rookie made his Major League debut Aug. 1 and was playing in his fourth career game.
Scoring
Wacha earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points as Player of the Day.
Henderson earns 1.7 points as NL Player of the Day.
Sosa and Mullins 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).| 8/28 | BTG | Game | Player | AB | R | H | BI | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | 14.0 | KC 3, CLE 0 | Michael Wacha (W, 8‑8) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 8.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| NL | 11.0 | MIL 6, TEX 1 | Logan Henderson (W, 9‑2) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 7.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | |
| 8.2 | HOU 3, NYM 1 | Hunter Brown (W, 4‑3) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 | ||
| 7.0 | TOR 8, SEA 1 | Dylan Cease (W, 9‑5) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 7.0 | `LAD 2, DET 1 | Tarik Skubal | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | ||
| 6.2 | NYY 1, BOS 0 | Cam Schlittler (W, 12‑6) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 5.2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 8 | ||
| BAT | 5.0 | PHI 5, LAA 3 | Edmundo Sosa PH‑LF | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | |
| 4.2 | STL 4, PIT 1 | Quinn Mathews (W, 1‑2) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 5.2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | ||
| 4.2 | CHW 7, MIN 4 | Grant Taylor (W, 7‑2) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 2.2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 4.0 | ATL 6, COL 4 | Michael Harris II CF | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| 3.0 | `BAL 4, ATH 3 (F/10) | Brandon Young | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 7.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 2.0 | ARI 10, SF 6 | Tim Tawa 1B | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| 2.0 | CIN 10, CHC 8 | Sal Stewart 1B | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| 1.0 | WSH 9, MIA 2 | Brady House 3B | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| BAT | 1.0 | TB 9, SD 4 | Cedric Mullins CF | 4 | 2 | 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 | +/‑ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cease, Dylan 4231 | pi sp | tor al | 19.4 | 28.1 | 94.0 | 96.0 | +10.7 |
| Schlittler, Cam 5261 | pi sp | nyy al | 16.7 | 24.1 | 24.1 | 24.1 | +9.3 |
| Stewart, Sal 5288 | 1b | cin nl | 13.0 | 15.5 | 15.5 | 15.5 | +10.5 |
| Skubal, Tarik 4414 | pi sp | lad nl | 10.7 | 32.8 | 84.0 | 84.0 | -11.4 |
| Wacha, Michael 3276 | pi sp | kc al | 9.7 | 19.8 | 56.7 | 91.4 | -0.4 |
| Henderson, Logan 5150 | pi sp | mil nl | 9.4 | 12.4 | 12.4 | 12.4 | +6.4 |
| Harris, Michael 4682 | cf ph | atl nl | 8.5 | 10.5 | 21.5 | 21.5 | +6.5 |
| Young, Brandon 5253 | pi sp | bal al | 6.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | +4.0 |
| Sosa, Edmundo 4495 | 3b lf 2b ph | phi nl | 4.5 | 6.5 | 14.0 | 14.0 | +2.5 |
| Brown, Hunter 4729 | pi sp | hou al | 4.0 | 17.4 | 40.5 | 40.5 | -9.4 |
| Taylor, Grant 5207 | pi mr | chi al | 4.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | +1.0 |
| Tawa, Tim 5404 | 1b lf | ari nl | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | +3.5 |
| Mullins, Cedric 4100 | cf | tb al | 3.0 | 5.0 | 14.0 | 15.5 | +1.0 |
| House, Brady 5228 | 3b | dc nl | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 |
| Mathews, Quinn 5454 | pi sp | stl nl | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BOS | Bennett, Jake 5396 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| NYY | Rodon, Carlos 3494 | 1.7 | 15.4 | 60.6 | 85.7 |
| LAD | Snell, Blake 3688 | 3.7 | 10.7 | 65.6 | 115.5 |
| DET | Montero, Keider 5057 | 5.7 | 9.7 | 14.4 | 14.4 |
| CHW | Fedde, Erick 4065 | 7.7 | 10.4 | 32.9 | 37.6 |
| MIN | Ober, Bailey 4441 | 2.7 | 5.7 | 37.5 | 37.5 |
| PIT | Bachar, Lake 5155 | 3.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| STL | Leahy, Kyle 5001 | 5.0 | 8.0 | 9.7 | 9.7 |
| CIN | Abbott, Andrew 4839 | 1.0 | 11.7 | 27.7 | 27.7 |
| CHC | Imanaga, Shota 4960 | 7.0 | 14.0 | 34.7 | 34.7 |
| SEA | Anderson, Kade* | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| TOR | Soriano, Jose 4884 | 11.7 | 24.4 | 28.4 | 28.4 |
| MIA | Alcantara, Sandy 4061 | 10.7 | 18.7 | 56.5 | 65.9 |
| WSH | Cavalli, Cade 5244 | 8.7 | 10.7 | 10.7 | 10.7 |
| ARI | Kelly, Merrill 4143 | 3.7 | 16.4 | 45.4 | 57.4 |
| SF | Wilkinson, Matt* | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| COL | Agnos, Zach 5315 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| ATL | Perez, Martin 3213 | 6.4 | 8.1 | 28.6 | 48.3 |
| HOU | Sousa, Bennett 5164 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| NYM | McLean, Nolan 5255 | 7.0 | 14.7 | 14.7 | 14.7 |
| KC | Lynch, Daniel 4488 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 12.4 | 12.4 |
| CLE | Griffin, Foster 5317 | 9.4 | 9.4 | 9.4 | 9.4 |
| SD | Buehler, Walker 3943 | 1.0 | 7.0 | 29.4 | 66.6 |
| TB | Martinez, Nick 3430 | 8.0 | 14.7 | 36.8 | 43.5 |
| BOS | Undecided | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| NYY | Fried, Max 4011 | 10.0 | 24.4 | 74.6 | 91.3 |
| TEX | Quantrill, Cal 4195 | 4.7 | 11.4 | 30.1 | 34.1 |
| MIL | Drohan, Shane 5359 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| ARI | Bratt, Mitch 5429 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| SF | Undecided | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| BAL | Baz, Shane 4560 | 4.0 | 14.7 | 20.4 | 20.4 |
| ATH | Perkins, Jack 5225 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| PHI | Sanchez, Cristopher 4850 | 15.7 | 31.1 | 46.5 | 46.5 |
| LAA | Johnson, Ryan 5391 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 |
* Player has yet to earn any career Box-Toppers points.
What are those numbers after players' names?
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