The Texas Rangers and Milwaukee Brewers have experienced the steepest declines in the league as we approach the 2026 season.
While both teams have seen their Box-Toppers rankings plummet, the reasons behind their slides are very different.
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The Texas Rangers and Milwaukee Brewers have experienced the steepest declines in the league as we approach the 2026 season.
While both teams have seen their Box-Toppers rankings plummet, the reasons behind their slides are very different.
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Phillies pitcher Jesús Luzardo is Box-Toppers’ most improved player in 2025, becoming just the second player to win the honor in a second season since Box-Toppers tracking began in 1995.
Meanwhile, the consensus 2025 Comeback Player of the Year winner in the American League, Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom, ranks fifth among Box-Toppers’ most-improved players in 2025.
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Box-Toppers points leaders among 2025 free agents include Ranger Suárez, Kyle Schwarber, Zac Gallen and Max Scherzer.
Ranger Suárez has the most 2025 Box-Toppers points among this offseason’s free agents.
Meanwhile, Suárez’s Phillies teammate last season, Kyle Schwarber, has the most 2025 Box-Toppers points among free agent batters.
In addition, two free agent pitchers who were among Box-Toppers points leaders in 2025 have already agreed to new contracts for 2026—Brandon Woodruff and Dylan Cease.
Suárez leads the free agent class, earning 15.8 Box-Toppers points in 2025 with the Phillies, 10th among all players and sixth among National League pitchers.
Schwarber has the most 2025 Box-Toppers points among all free-agent batters, earning 12.0 with the Phillies, fourth among all free agents, 24th among all players in 2025, leading all batters.
Suárez ranked third among all Phillies players in 2025 and Schwarber ranked fifth. Their combined 27.8 Box-Toppers points in 2025 was 21 percent of the team’s 131.4 accumulated point total for the season. The Phillies ranked first among all teams in players’ accumulated Box-Toppers points in 2025.
Two free agents among leaders in Box-Toppers points have already made agreements to join new teams in 2026:
Brandon Woodruff, whose 9.7 Box-Toppers points ranked sixth among all free agents at the end of 2025, re-signed with the Brewers for 2026, accepting the team’s one-year, $22 million qualifying offer, as he continues to build on his comeback after 2023 shoulder surgery. Woodruff’s 9.7 points ranked 20th among NL pitchers in 2025.
Dylan Cease, whose 8.7 Box-Toppers points ranked eighth among all free agents at the end of 2025, agreed to join the Blue Jays on a seven-year, $210 million deal. Cease’s 8.7 points with the Padres ranked 24th among NL pitchers.
Here is a look at other top free-agent players based on their 2025 Box-Toppers point total. The top 25 players with the most 2025 Box-Toppers points are listed in the chart:
Zac Gallen earned 12.7 points in 2025 with the Diamondbacks, second among all free agents, 21st among all players and 11th among NL pitchers.
Merrill Kelly earned 12.7 points in 2025 with the Diamondbacks and Rangers, third among all free agents, 23rd among all players and finishing the season 12th among American League pitchers.
Framber Valdez earned 11.7 points in 2025 with the Astros, fifth among all free agents, 25th among all players and 13th among AL pitchers.
Lucas Giolito earned 9.4 points in 2025 with the Red Sox, sixth among unsigned free agents, 56th among all players and 26th among AL pitchers.
Andrew Heaney earned 8.7 points in 2025 with the Pirates. He was released by the Pirates Aug. 29 and signed by the Dodgers, where he finished the season, but earned no Box-Toppers points for the team, making just one regular-season appearance. Heaney’s 8.7 points ranks seventh among unsigned free agents, 62nd among all players and 25th among NL pitchers.
Edwin Díaz earned 8.0 points in 2025 with the Mets, eighth among unsigned free agents, 75th among all players, 29th among NL pitchers and first among NL closing pitchers.
Adrian Houser earned 7.7 points in 2025 with the White Sox and Rays, ninth among unsigned free agents, 86th among all players and 35th among AL pitchers. (Houser began the 2025 season signed with the Rangers, but did not appear in a game with the team.)
Eugenio Suárez earned 7.5 points in 2025 with the Diamondbacks and Mariners, 10th among unsigned free agents and second among free agent batters. Suárez earned 6.5 of his points with the Diamondbacks before being traded to the Mariners on July 31, after which he earned just 1.0 more point. Suárez’s 7.5 points ranks 89th among all players and 11th among AL batters.
| Player | Position | 2025 team | 2025 | 2021-25 | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suarez, Ranger 4228 | pi sp | Phillies | 15.8 | 43.9 | 44.9 |
| Gallen, Zac 4171 | pi sp | D-backs | 12.7 | 64.5 | 76.2 |
| Kelly, Merrill 4143 | pi sp | Rangers | 12.7 | 41.7 | 53.7 |
| Schwarber, Kyle 3536 | dh | Phillies | 12.0 | 32.5 | 52.5 |
| Valdez, Framber 4048 | pi sp | Astros | 11.7 | 58.1 | 68.5 |
| Giolito, Lucas 3900 | pi sp | Red Sox | 9.4 | 29.8 | 57.5 |
| Heaney, Andrew 3515 | pi sp | Dodgers | 8.7 | 42.1 | 65.2 |
| Diaz, Edwin 3690 | pi cp | Mets | 8.0 | 24.7 | 53.7 |
| Houser, Adrian 4162 | pi sp | Rays | 7.7 | 21.1 | 24.1 |
| Suarez, Eugenio 3355 | 3b | Mariners | 7.5 | 27.5 | 60.5 |
| Alonso, Pete 4118 | 1b | Mets | 7.2 | 42.1 | 50.6 |
| Bassitt, Chris 3413 | pi sp | Blue Jays | 7.0 | 59.5 | 78.6 |
| Corbin, Patrick 3027 | pi sp | Rangers | 7.0 | 29.8 | 104.4 |
| Mikolas, Miles 3034 | pi sp | Cardinals | 7.0 | 29.8 | 47.2 |
| Bell, Josh E. 3682 | 1b dh | Nationals | 7.0 | 23.0 | 40.7 |
| Lowe, Nathaniel 4340 | 1b | Red Sox | 7.0 | 20.0 | 21.0 |
| Martinez, Nick 3430 | pi sp | Reds | 6.7 | 28.8 | 35.5 |
| Littell, Zack 4533 | pi sp | Reds | 6.7 | 21.1 | 21.1 |
| Sugano, Tomoyuki 5163 | pi sp | Orioles | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.7 |
| Buehler, Walker 3943 | pi sp | Phillies | 6.0 | 28.4 | 65.6 |
| Suarez, Robert 4750 | pi cp | Padres | 6.0 | 14.0 | 14.0 |
| Bellinger, Cody 3781 | lf | Yankees | 5.9 | 17.6 | 38.5 |
| Mahle, Tyler 3929 | pi sp | Rangers | 5.7 | 26.1 | 38.1 |
| Ozuna, Marcell 3190 | dh | Braves | 5.7 | 23.2 | 69.9 |
| May, Dustin 4214 | pi sp | Red Sox | 5.7 | 13.4 | 17.4 |
Here is a look at the top free-agent batters based on their 2025 Box-Toppers point total. The top 10 batters with the most 2025 Box-Toppers points are listed in the chart:
Schwarber leads all free-agent batters with 12.0 Box-Toppers points in 2025, first among NL batters.
Suárez is second among free-agent batters with 7.5 points, finishing the season with the Mariners, 11th among AL batters.
Pete Alonso earned 7.2 points in 2025 with the Mets, third among free-agent batters and 11th among NL batters. (Alonso was also among Box-Toppers’ top 10 free agent batters at the end of 2024.)
Josh Bell earned 7.0 points in 2025 with the Nationals, fourth among free-agent batters and 13th among NL batters. (Bell was also among Box-Toppers’ top 10 free agent batters at the end of 2024.)
Nathaniel Lowe earned 7.0 points in 2025 with the Nationals and Red Sox, fifth among free-agent batters and finishing the season 15th among AL batters.
| Player | Position | 2025 team | 2025 | 2021-25 | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schwarber, Kyle 3536 | dh | Phillies | 12.0 | 32.5 | 52.5 |
| Suarez, Eugenio 3355 | 3b | Mariners | 7.5 | 27.5 | 60.5 |
| Alonso, Pete 4118 | 1b | Mets | 7.2 | 42.1 | 50.6 |
| Bell, Josh E. 3682 | 1b dh | Nationals | 7.0 | 23.0 | 40.7 |
| Lowe, Nathaniel 4340 | 1b | Red Sox | 7.0 | 20.0 | 21.0 |
| Bellinger, Cody 3781 | lf | Yankees | 5.9 | 17.6 | 38.5 |
| Ozuna, Marcell 3190 | dh | Braves | 5.7 | 23.2 | 69.9 |
| Flores, Wilmer 3345 | dh | Giants | 5.0 | 18.2 | 35.2 |
| Tucker, Kyle 4277 | rf | Cubs | 4.7 | 34.9 | 39.9 |
| Hoskins, Rhys 3909 | 1b | Brewers | 4.5 | 20.5 | 27.5 |
Zac Gallen has the most Box-Toppers points over the previous five seasons among free agents. He earned 64.5 points from 2001-2025, eighth among all players over that span.
Here is a look at other top free-agent players based on their 2021-2025 Box-Toppers point total. The top 25 players with the most 2021-2025 Box-Toppers points are listed in the chart:
Chris Bassitt earned 59.5 points over 2021-2025, second among free agents and 14th among all players.
Framber Valdez earned 58.1 points over 2021-2025, third among free agents over that span, 16th among all players.
Max Scherzer earned 55.5 points over 2021-2025, fourth among free agents over that span and 20th among all players.
Ranger Suárez earned 43.9 points over 2021-2025, fifth among free agents over that span and 40th among all players.
| Player | Position | 2025 team | 2025 | 2021-25 | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gallen, Zac 4171 | pi sp | D-backs | 12.7 | 64.5 | 76.2 |
| Bassitt, Chris 3413 | pi sp | Blue Jays | 7.0 | 59.5 | 78.6 |
| Valdez, Framber 4048 | pi sp | Astros | 11.7 | 58.1 | 68.5 |
| Scherzer, Max 2588 | pi sp | Blue Jays | 3.0 | 55.5 | 256.7 |
| Suarez, Ranger 4228 | pi sp | Phillies | 15.8 | 43.9 | 44.9 |
| Verlander, Justin 2112 | pi sp | Giants | 3.0 | 43.4 | 250.0 |
| Heaney, Andrew 3515 | pi sp | Dodgers | 8.7 | 42.1 | 65.2 |
| Alonso, Pete 4118 | 1b | Mets | 7.2 | 42.1 | 50.6 |
| Kelly, Merrill 4143 | pi sp | Rangers | 12.7 | 41.7 | 53.7 |
| Cortes, Nestor 4160 | pi sp | Padres | 3.0 | 40.8 | 42.8 |
| Tucker, Kyle 4277 | rf | Cubs | 4.7 | 34.9 | 39.9 |
| Civale, Aaron 4173 | pi sp mr | Cubs | 5.0 | 34.8 | 40.5 |
| Anderson, Tyler 3656 | pi sp | Angels | 4.0 | 33.7 | 49.4 |
| Schwarber, Kyle 3536 | dh | Phillies | 12.0 | 32.5 | 52.5 |
| McKenzie, Triston 4303 | pi sp | Guardians | 0.0 | 32.1 | 36.1 |
| King, Michael 4549 | pi sp | Padres | 4.4 | 31.8 | 31.8 |
| Montgomery, Jordan 3814 | pi sp | Brewers | 0.0 | 30.5 | 37.5 |
| Eflin, Zach 3679 | pi sp | Orioles | 3.0 | 30.1 | 54.2 |
| Giolito, Lucas 3900 | pi sp | Red Sox | 9.4 | 29.8 | 57.5 |
| Corbin, Patrick 3027 | pi sp | Rangers | 7.0 | 29.8 | 104.4 |
| Mikolas, Miles 3034 | pi sp | Cardinals | 7.0 | 29.8 | 47.2 |
| Martinez, Nick 3430 | pi sp | Reds | 6.7 | 28.8 | 35.5 |
| Rodriguez, Eduardo 3480 | pi sp | D-backs | 4.7 | 28.7 | 72.9 |
| Buehler, Walker 3943 | pi sp | Phillies | 6.0 | 28.4 | 65.6 |
| Suarez, Eugenio 3355 | 3b | Mariners | 7.5 | 27.5 | 60.5 |
The two players with the most career Box-Toppers points among active players lead the list of free agents with the most career Box-Toppers points.
Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander are both free agents for the second straight season. Last year, Scherzer went from the Rangers in 2024 to sign a free-agent deal with the Blue Jays. Verlander went from the Astros in 2024 to sign a free-agent deal with the Giants.
Scherzer, 41, has 256.7 career Box-Toppers points, first among active players and third among all players since 1995, when Box-Toppers tracking began. He trails Randy Johnson (282.5) and Clayton Kershaw (280.8). (It should be noted that Johnson would have a projected 380 career Box-Toppers points if his entire career from 1988 were tracked.) Kershaw was previously the active leader in Box-Toppers points until he retired at the end of the 2025 season.
Verlander, 42, has 250.0 career Box-Toppers points, second among active players and fourth among all players since 1995.
Both Scherzer and Verlander earned 3.0 points each in 2025 and 2.0 points each in 2024. Both pitchers earned far fewer points than usual in both seasons. In his 17 seasons, Scherzer has 12 seasons with 10 or more Box-Toppers points and six seasons with 20 or more points, including five straight from 2014 to 2018. In his 20 seasons, Verlander has 13 seasons with 10.0 or more Box-Toppers points and five seasons with 20 or more points.
Both Scherzer and Verlander rank among the top six free agents with the most Box-Toppers points over 2021-25.
Here is a look at other top free-agent players based on their career Box-Toppers point total. The top 25 players with the most career Box-Toppers points are listed in the chart.
| Player | Position | 2025 team | 2025 | 2021-25 | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scherzer, Max 2588 | pi sp | Blue Jays | 3.0 | 55.5 | 256.7 |
| Verlander, Justin 2112 | pi sp | Giants | 3.0 | 43.4 | 250.0 |
| Corbin, Patrick 3027 | pi sp | Rangers | 7.0 | 29.8 | 104.4 |
| Quintana, Jose 3040 | pi sp | Brewers | 2.0 | 24.4 | 95.1 |
| Kimbrel, Craig 2825 | pi cp | Astros | 0.0 | 17.7 | 94.1 |
| McCutchen, Andrew 2637 | dh | Pirates | 1.0 | 11.0 | 82.9 |
| Bassitt, Chris 3413 | pi sp | Blue Jays | 7.0 | 59.5 | 78.6 |
| Gallen, Zac 4171 | pi sp | D-backs | 12.7 | 64.5 | 76.2 |
| Rodriguez, Eduardo 3480 | pi sp | D-backs | 4.7 | 28.7 | 72.9 |
| Jansen, Kenley 2871 | pi cp | Angels | 3.0 | 21.0 | 72.4 |
| Ozuna, Marcell 3190 | dh | Braves | 5.7 | 23.2 | 69.9 |
| Cobb, Alex 2916 | pi sp | Tigers | 0.0 | 25.1 | 68.9 |
| Valdez, Framber 4048 | pi sp | Astros | 11.7 | 58.1 | 68.5 |
| Miley, Wade 3006 | pi sp | Reds | 0.0 | 16.4 | 68.2 |
| Buehler, Walker 3943 | pi sp | Phillies | 6.0 | 28.4 | 65.6 |
| Clevinger, Mike 3707 | pi sp | Cubs | 0.0 | 17.8 | 65.3 |
| Heaney, Andrew 3515 | pi sp | Dodgers | 8.7 | 42.1 | 65.2 |
| Suarez, Eugenio 3355 | 3b | Mariners | 7.5 | 27.5 | 60.5 |
| Gray, Jon 3634 | pi sp | Rangers | 0.0 | 24.4 | 59.8 |
| Giolito, Lucas 3900 | pi sp | Red Sox | 9.4 | 29.8 | 57.5 |
| Eflin, Zach 3679 | pi sp | Orioles | 3.0 | 30.1 | 54.2 |
| Marquez, German 3788 | pi sp | Rockies | 1.7 | 23.8 | 53.9 |
| Kelly, Merrill 4143 | pi sp | Rangers | 12.7 | 41.7 | 53.7 |
| Diaz, Edwin 3690 | pi cp | Mets | 8.0 | 24.7 | 53.7 |
| Realmuto, J.T. 3491 | ca | Phillies | 1.5 | 23.2 | 53.7 |
Three players currently listed as free agents have announced their retirements at the end of 2025 and are excluded from these lists, though they would all rank among the top 25 players with the most 2025 Box-Toppers points:
Clayton Kershaw, 37, earned 280.8 career Box-Toppers points, second among all players since 1995, behind Randy Johnson (282.5). He earned 8.4 Box-Toppers points in 2025 with the Dodgers, 28th among NL pitchers. He earned 45.6 points over 2021-25, which would rank fifth among all listed free agents over that span.
Kyle Hendricks, 35, earned 7.7 Box-Toppers points in 2025 with the Angels, 34th among AL pitchers. His 87.0 career Box-Toppers points is 136th among all players since 1995.
Charlie Morton, 42, earned 7.0 Box-Toppers points in 2025 with the Orioles, Tigers and Braves, finishing the season 37th among NL pitchers (even though he earned all his Box-Toppers points with AL teams). His 49.5 points over 2021-25 would rank among the top 25 free agents over that span. He earned 120.5 career points, 53rd among all players since 1995, a total that would rank among the top 25 free agent players going into 2026.
Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day. (No Box-Toppers points are awarded in postseason games.)
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Final 2025 Box-Toppers player rankings: Tigers’ Skubal is 2025 Box-Toppers Player of the Year; Skenes rises to lead NL pitchers
A Box-Toppers look at the top free agents at the end of the 2024 season.
A look at the top 16 players changing teams for 2025 as ranked by their 2024 Box-Toppers point totals, plus a look at the top unsigned free agents going into the 2025 season (as of Feb. 3, ranked by their 2024 Box-Toppers point totals).
Box-Toppers favors the top-seed Milwaukee Brewers over the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2025 National League Championship Series.
The Dodgers are the third-seeded NL playoff team but rank higher than the Brewers in final 2025 Box-Toppers team rankings—in fifth place overall with their players accumulating 117.9 Box-Toppers points during the season, third among NL teams and most among surviving postseason teams. Brewers players have a combined 112.6 Box-Toppers points in 2025, ninth among all teams and fifth among NL teams.
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Source: MLB.com
The Philadelphia Phillies are Box-Toppers’ top-ranked team while National League top-seed Milwaukee Brewers rank fifth among NL playoff teams in Box-Toppers points.
A Box-Toppers look at both National League Division Series, which begin Saturday.
Read MoreBrewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff is Saturday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Saturday, Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal extends his lead in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning American League Player of the Day honors.
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The Detroit Tigers lead in Box-Toppers team rankings for the second straight week.
Meanwhile, the San Diego Padres maintain the lead among National League teams and the Milwaukee Brewers are the week’s hottest team.
Read MoreWhite Sox pitcher Aaron Civale is Saturday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Saturday, Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal earns Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors, maintaining second place overall and extending his lead among American League pitchers. Other Player of the Game winners Saturday include Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff, Francisco Lindor of the Mets, Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer, Rangers pitcher Merrill Kelly and Trevor Story of the Red Sox.
Read MoreBrewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff is Monday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Monday, two players in Box-Toppers season player rankings top 10 list earn Player of the Game honors: Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler, first place overall, extends his lead, and Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes, rises from ninth to fifth place overall.
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Braves pitcher Spencer Strider had the biggest decline in Box-Toppers points from 2023 to 2024.
Strider led all players in 2023 with 21.1 Box-Toppers points but earned just 1.0 point in 2024, a 20.1-point decline, which is also the fifth-largest decline (in regular-length seasons) since Box-Toppers tracking began in 1995.
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The Los Angeles Dodgers are the top-ranked team in Box-Toppers’ 2024 preseason rankings.
Meanwhile, the New York Mets made the biggest offseason improvement in players’ accumulated Box-Toppers points, while the San Diego Padres saw the biggest decline.
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The Atlanta Braves are Box-Toppers’ top-ranked team going into 2024, with a roster mostly intact from 2023 when they had baseball’s best record.
Meanwhile, the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners are Box-Toppers’ top two American League teams, with the Mariners having one of the best offseason improvements of any team so far. And also, while the Los Angeles Dodgers have made big offseason splashes adding Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow and Teoscar Hernandez, their offseason ranking has actually fallen from third place last season to fourth place now.
Read MoreYankees pitcher Carlos Rodon had the biggest decline in Box-Toppers points from 2022 to 2023.
Rodon had 19.8 Box-Toppers points in 2022 with the Giants, sixth among all players and third among National League pitchers. But moving to the Yankees in 2023, he earned only 1.0 Box-Toppers point. That 18.8-point decline was the biggest among all players.
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Source: MLB.com
The Wild Card round of Major League Baseball’s postseason begins Tuesday with four best-of-three series.
Here is a Box-Toppers look at the eight teams competing in the four Wild Card round series.
Read MoreBrewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff is Monday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Woodruff pitched a complete-game, six-hit shutout, striking out seven and walking one, in the 12-0 win over the Marlins.
Read MoreBrewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff is Tuesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Tuesday, two players rise in Box-Toppers season player rankings top 10 list after both earned Player of the Game honors: Blue Jays pitcher Chris Bassitt rises to third place and Marlins pitcher Jesus Luzardo rises to fourth place.
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The Tampa Bay Rays maintain their lead in Box-Toppers team rankings for the third straight week.
Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Brewers continue to lead National League teams and the Texas Rangers and New York Mets are the week’s hottest teams.
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The Tampa Bay Rays lead Box-Toppers first weekly team rankings report of the 2023 season.
Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Brewers lead National League teams.
Read MoreTwins pitcher Sonny Gray is Friday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Friday, Bryan Reynolds of the Pirates rises to first place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning National League Player of the Day honors.
Read MoreTrayce Thompson of the Dodgers is Saturday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Thompson hit three home runs—including a grand slam and a three-run shot—in the 10-1 win over the Diamondbacks. Thompson went 3-for-4, scoring three times and driving in eight runs.
Read MoreBox-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. Players earn Box-Toppers points for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.