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
Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal is Monday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Monday, Padres closing pitcher Mason Miller rises to eighth place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors and has the fourth-highest single-season total for a closer since 1998.
Player of the Day: Tarik Skubal, Dodgers
Skubal struck out nine over seven scoreless innings, allowing three hits and one walk, in the 4-1 win over the Reds.
Skubal earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 13.7 for the season, 17th among all players and ninth among National League pitchers.
Skubal led all players in 2025 (22.1 points) and led American League pitchers with the Tigers each of the past two seasons—his 21.1 points in 2024 were second overall.
AL Player of the Day: Jose Siri, Angels
Siri doubled and went 3-for-4, scoring twice and driving in two runs, in the 6-4 win over the Mariners.
Siri earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points as American League Player of the Day, his first points of the season, and is 118th among AL batters.
AL and NL Batters of the Day
There is no AL Batter of the Day for Monday because the overall AL Player of the Day is batter Jose Siri. There is no NL Batter of the Day for Monday because no NL batters won Player of the Game honors in the 10 games completed.
Top 10 players
Here are the top 10 players in 2026 Box-Toppers points (BTP) earned in the regular season through Monday, Sept. 14.| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacob Misiorowski | pi sp | Brewers | 23.1 |
| 2 | Jesús Luzardo | pi sp | Phillies | 23.0 |
| 3 | Cam Schlittler | pi sp | Yankees | 21.7 |
| 4 | Dylan Cease | pi sp | Blue Jays | 21.4 |
| 5 | Cristopher Sánchez | pi sp | Phillies | 17.7 |
| 6 | Bryan Woo | pi sp | Mariners | 17.4 |
| 7 | Braxton Ashcraft | pi sp | Pirates | 16.4 |
| 8 | Mason Miller | pi cp | Padres | 16.0 |
| 9 | Zack Wheeler | pi sp | Phillies | 15.7 |
| 10 | Gavin Williams | pi sp | Guardians | 15.7 |
Rankings: Mason Miller, Padres
Miller reached 16.0 Box-Toppers points in 2026—eighth among all players, fifth among NL pitchers and first among NL closing pitchers—after earning Player of the Game honors Monday (1IP H 0R 0BB 2K Sv in the 8-7 win over the Rockies).
Best seasons by closers
Mason Miller of the Padres has the fourth-most Box-Toppers points by a closing pitcher in any single season since tracking of closers began in 1998. Here are the closing pitchers with the most Box-Toppers points in a single season, led by Eric Gagne of the Dodgers, who earned 19.7 points in 2004.| Player | Team | Year | BTP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eric Gagne | Dodgers | 2004 | 19.7 |
| 2 | Eric Gagne | Dodgers | 2003 | 19.0 |
| 3 | Josh Hader | Brewers | 2019 | 17.7 |
| 4 | *Mason Miller | Padres | 2026 | 16.0 |
| 5 | Billy Wagner | Astros | 1999 | 15.0 |
| 5 | Craig Kimbrel | Braves | 2012 | 15.0 |
| 7 | Troy Percival | Angels | 1998 | 14.0 |
| 7 | Mariano Rivera | Yankees | 2008 | 14.0 |
| 7 | Aroldis Chapman | Reds | 2012 | 14.0 |
| 10 | Brad Lidge | Astros | 2004 | 13.7 |
| 11 | Eric Gagne | Dodgers | 2002 | 13.0 |
| 12 | Billy Wagner | Braves | 2010 | 13.0 |
With his 1.0 point Monday, he now has twice as many points as any other closing pitcher in 2026, ahead of second-place Jacob Latz of the Rangers (8.0). He leads NL closers ahead of Riley O'Brien of the Cardinals (6.0).
Miller has the fourth-most Box-Toppers points by a closing pitcher in a single season since 1998. While Box-Toppers tracking began in 1995, separate tracking for closing and middle relief pitchers began in 1998, and there are only three other times when a closing pitcher earned more points in a season:
2004, when Eric Gagne of the Dodgers earned 19.7 points.
2003, when Gagne earned 19.0 points.
2019, when Josh Hader of the Brewers earned 17.7 points.
Miller’s rise into the season player rankings top 10 list pushes pitcher and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers (15.7 points) off the top 10 into 11th place. Ohtani had been among the top 10 overall players since May 20. Ohtani was the only player who qualified to rank as a batter in the top 10—he earned 7.0 of his points as a batter (and 8.7 as a pitcher). Ohtani was the last player to qualify to rank as a batter who finished a season in the overall top 10; he did it in 2023 with the Angels, earning 19.4 points, finishing third. He earned 9.7 of those points as a batter and 9.7 as a pitcher.
Ohtani is currently on the injured list because of left-knee and right-biceps injuries and is eligible to return Sept. 23, though he is unlikely to pitch again during the regular season.
No player serving solely as a batter has finished in the overall top 10 since 2013, when Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers finished eighth with 16.9 points. Batters routinely finished among the top 10 players in the early days of Box-Toppers tracking from 1995 to 2009, with at least one batter in the top 10 each season except for 2005.
Debut
Two players made their Box-Toppers debut Monday, each with their first career Player of the Game honor:
Braves closing pitcher Juan Morillo (1IP 0H 0R BB 3K W in the 8-7 win over the Marlins) made his Major League debut April 19, 2025, and was playing in his 106th career game. He exceeded rookie limits in 2025.
Orioles relief pitcher Josh Walker (1.2IP 0H 0R 0BB K ND in the 2-1 win over the Mets) made his Major League debut May 16, 2023, and was playing in his 53rd career game. He exceeded rookie limits in 2024.
Scoring
Skubal earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points as Player of the Day.
Siri earns 1.7 points as AL Player of the Day.
All of Monday’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).| 9/14 | BTG | Game | Player | AB | R | H | BI | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | 12.0 | LAD 4, CIN 1 | Tarik Skubal (W, 10‑7) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 7.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | |
| 6.2 | STL 2, SF 1 | Quinn Mathews (W, 2‑3) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | ||
| 5.0 | CHC 7, ATL 3 | David Peterson (W, 8‑8) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | ||
| AL | 3.0 | LAA 6, SEA 4 | Jose Siri CF | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | |
| 3.0 | `DET 6, TOR 5 | Beau Brieske | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 3.0 | ARI 8, MIA 7 | Juan Morillo (W, 4‑4) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | ||
| 2.2 | `NYY 8, MIN 3 | Will Warren | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 5.2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | ||
| 2.2 | `BAL 2, NYM 1 | Josh Walker | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 2.0 | CHW 7, CLE 3 | Miguel Vargas 3B | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| 2.0 | SD 8, COL 7 | Mason Miller (S, 37) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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.
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 | +/‑ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miller, Mason 4975 | pi cp | sd nl | 16.0 | 23.0 | 28.0 | 28.0 | +9.0 |
| Skubal, Tarik 4414 | pi sp | lad nl | 13.7 | 35.8 | 87.0 | 87.0 | -8.4 |
| Warren, Will 5143 | pi sp | nyy al | 8.4 | 17.8 | 17.8 | 17.8 | -1.0 |
| Vargas, Miguel 5229 | 3b 1b | chi al | 6.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | +5.5 |
| Peterson, David 4347 | pi mr cp sp | chi nl | 5.7 | 11.4 | 27.1 | 29.1 | 0.0 |
| Mathews, Quinn 5454 | pi sp | stl nl | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | +2.0 |
| Siri, Jose 4546 | cf | ana al | 1.7 | 1.7 | 9.2 | 9.2 | +1.7 |
| Brieske, Beau 4680 | pi mr sp | det al | 1.0 | 1.0 | 4.7 | 4.7 | +1.0 |
| Morillo, Juan 5475 | pi cp | ari nl | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | +1.0 |
| Walker, Josh 5476 | pi mr | bal al | 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 Monday’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATH | Perkins, Jack 5225 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| TB | Jax, Griffin 4478 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 11.7 | 11.7 |
| CHW | Martin, Davis 4657 | 9.7 | 12.7 | 17.7 | 17.7 |
| CLE | Griffin, Foster 5317 | 9.4 | 9.4 | 9.4 | 9.4 |
| LAD | Yamamoto, Yoshinobu 4964 | 15.4 | 33.1 | 39.5 | 39.5 |
| CIN | Lowder, Rhett 5107 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| MIL | Misiorowski, Jacob 5200 | 23.1 | 29.1 | 29.1 | 29.1 |
| PIT | Bachar, Lake 5155 | 3.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| PHI | Sanchez, Cristopher 4850 | 17.7 | 33.1 | 48.5 | 48.5 |
| WSH | Kent, Jackson* | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| DET | Anderson, Drew 4559 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| TOR | Fisher, Braydon 5316 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| BAL | Baz, Shane 4560 | 4.0 | 14.7 | 20.4 | 20.4 |
| NYM | Manaea, Sean 3637 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 44.8 | 73.3 |
| ATL | Perez, Martin 3213 | 8.4 | 10.1 | 30.6 | 50.3 |
| CHC | Gausman, Kevin 3191 | 8.0 | 22.1 | 77.2 | 120.2 |
| NYY | Fried, Max 4011 | 11.0 | 25.4 | 75.6 | 92.3 |
| MIN | Ober, Bailey 4441 | 2.7 | 5.7 | 37.5 | 37.5 |
| SF | Tidwell, Blade 5305 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| STL | Pallante, Andre 4656 | 8.7 | 14.4 | 25.1 | 25.1 |
| BOS | Sandoval, Patrick 4357 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 16.7 | 17.7 |
| TEX | Bradford, Cody 4938 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 9.4 | 9.4 |
| KC | Wacha, Michael 3276 | 9.7 | 19.8 | 56.7 | 91.4 |
| HOU | Brown, Hunter 4729 | 4.0 | 17.4 | 40.5 | 40.5 |
| SD | Buehler, Walker 3943 | 1.0 | 7.0 | 29.4 | 66.6 |
| COL | Feltner, Ryan 4635 | 0.0 | 1.7 | 7.7 | 7.7 |
| SEA | Gilbert, Logan 4439 | 14.7 | 27.8 | 75.3 | 75.3 |
| LAA | Johnson, Ryan 5391 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 |
| MIA | Junk, Janson 4697 | 4.0 | 8.7 | 10.4 | 10.4 |
| ARI | Soroka, Michael 3956 | 6.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 22.4 |
* 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.