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Guardians pitcher Gavin Williams and Brewers’ reliever JoJo Romero earned Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors in Thursday’s League Championship Series games.
Williams earned the win as the Cleveland Guardians edged the Tampa Bay Rays to take a 2-1 series lead in the American League Championship Series. Romero, meanwhile, led the Milwaukee Brewers as they swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series.
Read MoreThe American League’s top two-seeded teams play in the AL Championship Series, but Box-Toppers favors the second-seeded Cleveland Guardians over the top-seed Tampa Bay Rays.
The Rays have far more wins than the Guardians (98 vs. 85) but rank only marginally higher in Box-Toppers team rankings:
Rays: 115.0 combined Box-Toppers points in 2026, fifth overall, second among AL teams.
Guardians: 112.1 points, seventh overall, third among AL teams.
The Guardians hold the Box-Toppers edge over the Rays in several key categories.
Read MoreGavin Williams is Box-Toppers Player of the Game in Saturday’s American League Division Series Game 5, leading the Cleveland Guardians past the Chicago White Sox to clinch the series.
Read MoreMiddle relievers swept Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors Wednesday across all four Division Series games, as three teams advanced to the League Championship Series.
Guardians pitcher Foster Griffin led all winners in Cleveland's ALDS Game 3 victory over the White Sox, staving off elimination and forcing a Game 4.
Wednesday’s other Player of the Game winners:
Aaron Ashby, Brewers: Earned top player honors in Milwaukee’s NLDS Game 4 victory, eliminating San Diego.
Tanner Scott, Dodgers: Earned top player honors in Los Angeles' NLDS Game 4 victory, eliminating Atlanta.
Ian Seymour, Rays: Earned top player honors in Tampa Bay's ALDS Game 3 victory, completing a three-game sweep of New York.
Source: MLB.com
Both American League Division Series begin Saturday.
The Chicago White Sox face the Cleveland Guardians in one best-of-five game series while the New York Yankees face the Tampa Bay Rays in the other. The top two AL seeds, the Rays (first) and the Guardians (second) received byes from the first round of playoffs and face the winners of the best-of-three Wild Card series played this week.
Read MoreTwins pitcher Zebby Matthews is Wednesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Wednesday, Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler rises to eighth place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors.
Read MoreBlue Jays pitcher Dylan Cease is Box-Toppers 2026 All-Star Player of the Game.
Cease started the game Tuesday for the American League, striking out three in his one inning, allowing no runs or hits, walking one, and picking up the win in the 4-0 win over the National League.
Read MoreWith the first phase of voting wrapping up Thursday for the 2026 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, here’s a look at Box-Toppers points leaders at each position in both leagues, through games played Tuesday, June 23.
The first phase of fan voting closes Thursday. The second phase features finalist voting from Monday, June 29 to Thursday, July 2.
Read MoreMarlins pitcher Tyler Phillips is Thursday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Other top Thursday players include Orioles pitcher Tyler Wells, Rangers pitcher Jacob Latz and Seiya Suzuki of the Cubs.
Read MoreAthletics pitcher J.T. Ginn is Thursday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Other Player of the Game winners Thursday include Keibert Ruiz of the Nationals, Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga, Trent Grisham of the Yankees and Guardians closing pitcher Cade Smith.
Read MoreDodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto tops players in Wednesday’s four Wild Card playoff games.
Other Player of the Game winners in Wednesday’s Wild Card series games: Padres pitcher Dylan Cease, Yankees closing pitcher David Bednar and Guardians closing pitcher Cade Smith.
Read MoreReds pitcher Hunter Greene is Sunday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Sunday, Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw now has 279.8 career Box-Toppers points, edging closer to the Box-Toppers-era “all-time” career points leader, Randy Johnson (282.5 points).
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Yankees pitcher Luis Gil is voted AL Rookie of the Year and Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes is voted NL Rookie of the Year. Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga, Box-Toppers’ choice for top NL rookie, finished fourth in voting.
Yankees pitcher Luis Gil, Box-Toppers’ choice for 2024 American League Rookie of the Year, was also voted winner of the honor by baseball writers Monday.
But Paul Skenes of the Pirates, who won the National League Rookie of the Year honor, was second among Box-Toppers’ top three choices for top NL rookie. Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga, Box-Toppers’ choice for top NL rookie, finished fourth in voting.
Read MorePete Alonso of the Mets and Giancarlo Stanton of the Yankees are Box-Toppers Player of the Game winners in Friday’s two League Championship Series games.
In the National League, the New York Mets extend their best-of-seven-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, now trailing 3-2. In the American League, the New York Yankees take a 3-1 lead in their best-of—seven game series against the Cleveland Guardians.
Read MoreAaron Judge of the Yankees is Box-Toppers Player of the Game in Tuesday’s American League Championship Series Game 2.
Judge hit a two-run homer, a sacrifice fly and went 1-for-3, scoring once and driving in three runs. The New York Yankees take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven game series over the Cleveland Guardians.
Read MorePhillies pitcher Zack Wheeler is Tuesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day, rising to third place in season player rankings.
Wheeler struck out seven over seven scoreless innings, allowing three hits and two walks, in the 3-0 win over the Twins. Wheeler did not earn the win, picking up a no-decision, because the game was in a scoreless tie when he exited.
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.