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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
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Brewers pitcher Dustin May is Friday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Friday, Riley Greene of the Tigers rises to first place among American League batters in 2026 Box-Toppers points, passing Pete Alonso of the Orioles.
Other Player of the Game winners Friday include Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodón, Kyle Tucker of the Dodgers, Nationals pitcher Cade Cavalli and Guardians pitcher Parker Messick.
Player of the Day: Dustin May, Brewers
May struck out six over six scoreless innings, allowing two hits and one walk, in the 20-0 win over the Reds.
May earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 8.7 for the season, 44th among all players and 21st among National League pitchers.
AL Player of the Day: Carlos Rodón, Yankees
Rodón struck out eight over 6.1 innings, allowing two runs, three hits and one walk, in the 6-4 win over the Mets.
He earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points as American League Player of the Day, giving him 4.4 for the season, 68th among AL pitchers.
NL Batter of the Day: Kyle Tucker, Dodgers
Tucker hit a grand slam, tripled, hit a sacrifice fly and went 3-for-3, scoring twice and driving in five runs, in the 6-2 win over the Marlins.
He earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points as NL Batter of the Day, giving him 4.5 for the season, 40th among NL batters.
Top 10 players
Here are the top 10 players in 2026 Box-Toppers points (BTP) earned in the regular season through Friday, Sept. 11.| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacob Misiorowski | pi sp | Brewers | 23.1 |
| 2 | Jesús Luzardo | pi sp | Phillies | 23.0 |
| 3 | Dylan Cease | pi sp | Blue Jays | 20.4 |
| 4 | Cam Schlittler | pi sp | Yankees | 19.7 |
| 5 | Cristopher Sánchez | pi sp | Phillies | 17.7 |
| 6 | Bryan Woo | pi sp | Mariners | 16.4 |
| 7 | Braxton Ashcraft | pi sp | Pirates | 16.4 |
| 8 | Zack Wheeler | pi sp | Phillies | 15.7 |
| 9 | Gavin Williams | pi sp | Guardians | 15.7 |
| 10 | Shohei Ohtani | pi sp dh | Dodgers | 15.7 |
AL Batter of the Day: Riley Greene, Tigers
Greene tripled, doubled and went 3-for-4, scoring once and driving in two runs, in the 6-2 win over the Rockies.
He earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points, giving him 9.0 for the season, 40th among all players and rising to first among AL batters, passing previous leader Pete Alonso of the Orioles (8.2).
Even with Greene’s rise to 9.0 points, the top AL batter is on pace to potentially set a record for the lowest point total to lead a category in a full season since Box-Toppers tracking began in 1995. The record low was set last season when George Springer of the Blue Jays led AL batters with 9.7 points. Greene needs one more Player of the Game honor over the final two weeks to surpass 9.7 points. He has earned 4.0 of his 9.0 points in the past seven days (Sept. 5, Sept. 7 and Sept. 11).
Notable
Two players reached 10 Box-Toppers points in a season, both for the first time in their careers, becoming the 31st and 32nd players in 2026 to reach that milestone:
Cade Cavalli, Nationals
Cavalli now has 10.7 Box-Toppers points after earning 1.0 as Player of the Game Friday (6IP 3H 2R 2BB 9K ND in the 4-3 win over the Angels). He ranks 28th among all players and 15th among NL pitchers.
In his 2025 rookie season, Cavalli earned 2.5 points.
Parker Messick, Guardians
Messick now has 10.7 Box-Toppers points after earning 1.0 as Player of the Game Friday (5.1IP 3H R 2BB 5K ND in the 5-2 win over the Twins). He ranks 29th among all players, 13th among AL pitchers and second among all rookies, behind Sal Stewart of the Reds (13.0).
Messick earned 1.0 point in 2025 but still qualifies to be classified as a rookie in 2026.
Debut
Two 2026 rookies made their Box-Toppers debut Friday, each with their first career Player of the Game honor:
Dustin Harris of the Padres (3B 2-3 2R 2BI in the 7-5 win over the Giants) made his Major League debut Sept. 28, 2024, and was playing in his 51st career game.
Dylan Beavers of the Orioles (HR 2-5 R 3BI in the 7-4 win over the Blue Jays) made his Major League debut Aug. 16, 2025, and was playing in his 127th career game.
Scoring
May earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points as Player of the Day.
Rodón earns 1.7 points as AL Player of the Day.
Tucker and Greene 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).| 9/11 | BTG | Game | Player | AB | R | H | BI | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | 9.0 | MIL 20, CIN 0 | Dustin May (W, 7‑9) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | |
| AL | 7.1 | NYY 6, NYM 4 | Carlos Rodón (W, 6‑3) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | |
| BAT | 7.0 | LAD 6, MIA 2 | Kyle Tucker RF | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | |
| 6.0 | `WSH 4, LAA 3 | Cade Cavalli | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | ||
| 3.1 | `CLE 5, MIN 2 | Parker Messick | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 5.1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | ||
| 3.0 | CHC 12, PIT 2 | Alex Bregman 3B | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| 3.0 | STL 7, CHW 3 | Joshua Báez LF | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| 3.0 | SD 7, SF 5 | Dustin Harris RF | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| 2.0 | ARI 9, TEX 1 | Ketel Marte 2B | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| BAT | 2.0 | DET 6, COL 2 | Riley Greene LF | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | |
| 2.0 | ATL 6, PHI 5 (F/11) | Ha‑Seong Kim PR‑SS | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| 2.0 | KC 3, BOS 2 | Steven Cruz (S, 7) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 1.0 | ATH 6, SEA 5 (F/10) | Lawrence Butler RF | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| 1.0 | BAL 7, TOR 4 | Dylan Beavers LF | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| 1.0 | TB 3, HOU 1 | Victor Mesa Jr. RF | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ |
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 | +/‑ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cavalli, Cade 5244 | pi sp | dc nl | 10.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | +8.7 |
| Messick Parker 5266 | pi sp | cle al | 10.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 | +9.7 |
| Greene, Riley 4675 | lf | det al | 9.0 | 18.0 | 25.7 | 25.7 | 0.0 |
| May, Dustin 4214 | pi sp | mil nl | 8.7 | 14.4 | 22.1 | 26.1 | +3.0 |
| Marte, Ketel 3630 | 2b | ari nl | 7.5 | 13.0 | 28.0 | 42.0 | +2.0 |
| Bregman, Alex 3721 | 3b | chi nl | 5.2 | 8.9 | 28.6 | 50.8 | +1.5 |
| Tucker, Kyle 4277 | rf | lad nl | 4.5 | 9.2 | 39.4 | 44.4 | -0.2 |
| Rodon, Carlos 3494 | pi sp | nyy al | 4.4 | 18.1 | 63.3 | 88.4 | -9.3 |
| Báez, Joshua 5439 | lf | stl nl | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.7 | +2.7 |
| Butler, Lawrence 5052 | rf | oak al | 2.5 | 4.5 | 6.0 | 6.0 | +0.5 |
| Cruz, Steven 5398 | pi mr cp | kc al | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | +2.0 |
| Mesa, Victor Jr. 5470 | rf | tb al | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | +2.0 |
| Kim, Ha-Seong 4373 | ss pr | atl nl | 1.0 | 3.0 | 14.2 | 14.2 | -1.0 |
| Beavers, Dylan 5473 | lf | bal al | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | +1.0 |
| Harris, Dustin 5472 | rf | sd 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COL | Gordon, Tanner 5230 | 0.0 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 |
| DET | Sears, Andrew* | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| NYM | Thornton, Zac 5414 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| NYY | Cole, Gerrit 3232 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 69.5 | 170.0 |
| PIT | Skenes, Paul 5005 | 13.7 | 34.8 | 47.8 | 47.8 |
| CHC | Holmes, Clay 4022 | 4.7 | 9.7 | 21.7 | 22.7 |
| BAL | Bradish, Kyle 4597 | 7.1 | 8.1 | 33.1 | 33.1 |
| TOR | Miles, Spencer 5357 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| LAA | Ureña, Walbert 5350 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| WSH | Alvarez, Andrew 5274 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| SD | King, Michael 4549 | 7.0 | 11.4 | 38.8 | 38.8 |
| SF | Perdomo, Cesar* | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| KC | Dobnak, Randy 4263 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 6.0 |
| BOS | Suarez, Ranger 4228 | 8.0 | 23.8 | 51.9 | 52.9 |
| LAD | Glasnow, Tyler 3948 | 6.7 | 11.7 | 48.5 | 72.2 |
| MIA | Phillips, Tyler 5064 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 6.7 | 6.7 |
| CLE | Espino, Daniel* | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| MIN | Prielipp, Connor 5397 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| HOU | Lambert, Peter 4155 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 11.7 | 13.7 |
| TB | Seymour, Ian 5265 | 7.7 | 11.4 | 11.4 | 11.4 |
| CIN | Singer, Brady 4337 | 1.0 | 11.0 | 40.7 | 44.7 |
| MIL | Harrison, Kyle 4914 | 13.7 | 15.7 | 23.7 | 23.7 |
| PHI | Undecided | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| ATL | Mahle, Tyler 3929 | 8.1 | 13.8 | 34.2 | 46.2 |
| CHW | Castillo, Luis Miguel 3840 | 5.7 | 21.8 | 67.6 | 103.4 |
| STL | Leahy, Kyle 5001 | 5.0 | 8.0 | 9.7 | 9.7 |
| TEX | Rocker, Kumar 5108 | 5.7 | 10.4 | 11.4 | 11.4 |
| ARI | Pfaadt, Brandon 4812 | 3.7 | 11.4 | 27.5 | 27.5 |
| SEA | Woo, Bryan 4842 | 16.4 | 34.4 | 54.8 | 54.8 |
| ATH | Jump, Gage 5372 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
* Player has yet to earn any career Box-Toppers points.
What are those numbers after players' names?
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