Dodgers pitcher Max Scherzer is Saturday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day, extending his lead in season player rankings and becoming the first player to reach 25 Box-Toppers points this season.
Most 25-point seasons
Dodgers pitcher Max Scherzer has now earned 25 or more Box-Toppers points in four seasons, tied for the second-most since Box-Toppers tracking began in 1995. Randy Johnson holds the record, earning at least 25 points in five seasons.| Player | Seasons with 25 BTPs |
|---|---|
| Randy Johnson | 5 |
| Pedro Martinez | 4 |
| Max Scherzer | 4 |
| Clayton Kershaw | 3 |
| Johan Santana | 2 |
| Roger Clemens | 2 |
Scherzer struck out seven over seven scoreless innings, allowing two hits and two walks, in the 5-1 win over the Reds.
Scherzer earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 25.1 for the season, maintaining first place in season player rankings ahead of second-place player, Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole (22.4). Scherzer also extends his lead among National League pitchers ahead of second-place Zack Wheeler of the Phillies (20.1).
This is the fourth time Scherzer has earned 25 or more Box-Toppers points in a single season, which is tied for the second-most of any player since Box-Toppers tracking began in 1995. Randy Johnson had 25 or more points five times and Pedro Martinez also had 25 or more points four times. (See chart elsewhere on this page Most 25-point seasons.)
Previously, Scherzer reached 25 points:
Best seasons
Dodgers pitcher Max Scherzer now has 25.1 Box-Toppers points in 2021. It's the 30th time since Box-Toppers tracking began in 1995 that a player has earned at least 25 points in a single season and the fourth time Scherzer has done it. Here are all players who have earned 25 or more Box-Toppers points in a single season since 1995, ranked by their single-season Box-Toppers point total.| Player | Team | Pos | Year | BTP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Randy Johnson | Diamondbacks | pi sp | 2000 | 33.7 |
| 1 | Randy Johnson | Diamondbacks | pi sp | 2002 | 33.7 |
| 3 | Pedro Martinez | Red Sox | pi sp | 2000 | 33.5 |
| 4 | Gerrit Cole | Astros | pi sp | 2019 | 32.2 |
| 5 | Randy Johnson | Diamondbacks | pi sp | 1999 | 31.5 |
| 5 | Clayton Kershaw | Dodgers | pi sp | 2014 | 31.5 |
| 7 | Pedro Martinez | Red Sox | pi sp | 1999 | 31.4 |
| 8 | Randy Johnson | Diamondbacks | pi sp | 2001 | 29.4 |
| 9 | Jake Arrieta | Cubs | pi sp | 2015 | 29.1 |
| 10 | Pedro Martinez | Red Sox | pi sp | 2002 | 28.8 |
| 11 | Curt Schilling | Diamondbacks | pi sp | 2002 | 28.4 |
| 12 | Justin Verlander | Astros | pi sp | 2019 | 27.5 |
| 13 | Roger Clemens | Blue Jays | pi sp | 1997 | 27.4 |
| 14 | Blake Snell | Rays | pi sp | 2018 | 27.2 |
| 15 | Johan Santana | Twins | pi sp | 2004 | 26.8 |
| 16 | Pedro Martinez | Expos | pi sp | 1997 | 26.7 |
| 16 | CC Sabathia | Indians/Brewers | pi sp | 2008 | 26.7 |
| 18 | Randy Johnson | Mariners/Astros | pi sp | 1998 | 26.4 |
| 19 | John Smoltz | Braves | pi sp | 1996 | 26.1 |
| 19 | Clayton Kershaw | Dodgers | pi sp | 2011 | 26.1 |
| 21 | Roger Clemens | Blue Jays | pi sp | 1998 | 25.8 |
| 21 | Corey Kluber | Indians | pi sp | 2014 | 25.8 |
| 23 | Johan Santana | Twins | pi sp | 2006 | 25.7 |
| 23 | Clayton Kershaw | Dodgers | pi sp | 2015 | 25.7 |
| 25 | Max Scherzer | Nationals | pi sp | 2016 | 25.7 |
| 26 | Cliff Lee | Phillies | pi sp | 2011 | 25.4 |
| 27 | Chris Sale | Red Sox | pi sp | 2017 | 25.1 |
| 27 | Max Scherzer | Nationals | pi sp | 2018 | 25.1 |
| 27 | Max Scherzer | Nationals/Dodgers | pi sp | 2021 | 25.1* |
| 30 | Max Scherzer | Nationals | pi sp | 2017 | 25.0 |
In 2016 with the Nationals when he had 25.7 points, first among all players.
In 2017 with the Nationals, 25.0 points, second overall, first among NL pitchers.
In 2018 with the Nationals, 25.1 points, second overall, first among NL pitchers.
Scherzer began the 2021 season with the Nationals and earned 10.7 Box-Toppers points before being traded at the July trade deadline to the Dodgers. He has earned 14.4 points in less than two months with the Dodgers, which is more than all but 12 players have earned all season.
This is the 30th time since Box-Toppers tracking began in 1995 that a player has earned 25 or more points in a season. Scherzer is one of six players who has done it more than once. Scherzer’s 25.1 points is currently tied for the 27th-best single-season point total in Box-Toppers’ 27 seasons of tracking. (See chart elsewhere on this page, Best seasons.)
Scherzer also now has 226.3 career Box-Toppers points, fourth among all players since Box-Toppers tracking began in 1995. He trails third-ranked player Pedro Martinez (244.8). He ranks second among all active players and second among active NL pitchers behind teammate Clayton Kershaw (247.6).
American League Player of the Day—Athletics pitcher James Kaprielian struck out five over six scoreless innings, allowing two hits and no walks, in the 3-1 win over the Angels.
National League Batter of the Day—Manny Pina of the Brewers hit two home runs and went 2-for-3, scoring twice and driving in two runs, in the 6-4 win over the Cubs.
American League Batter of the Day—Bo Bichette of the Blue Jays went 3-for-4, scoring once and driving in two runs, in the 6-2 win over the Twins.
Notable—Giants pitcher Alex Wood now has 11.0 Box-Toppers points in 2021 after earning Player of the Game honors Saturday.
Wood (3IP 0H 0R 0BB 4K ND in the 2-0 win over the Braves) ranks 27th in season player rankings, 18th among NL pitchers.
Also notable—Two players became the 43rd and 44th this season to reach 10 Box-Toppers points after both earned Player of the Game honors Saturday:
Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola (5.2IP 4H R BB 9K W in the 5-3 win over the Mets) earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 10.7 for the season, 28th among all players and 19th among NL pitchers. It is his third season with 10 or more points. He had 15.8 points in 2017 with the Phillies, sixth among NL pitchers and 21.1 in 2018 with the Phillies, fifth overall and second among NL pitchers.
Indians pitcher Aaron Civale (6IP 4H 0R BB 4K W in the 11-2 win over the Yankees) earned 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 10.7 for the season, 29th among all players and 10th among AL pitchers. It is his first Player of the Game honor since June 21 after being out with a finger injury for two months. It is also his first season with 10 or more points. His previous best was 2019 with the Indians when he had 3.0 points.
Top 10 players
Here are the top 10 in Box-Toppers season player rankings for 2021. Players are ranked by Box-Toppers points (BTP) earned this season through Saturday, Sept. 18.| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scherzer, Max 2588 | pi sp | lad nl | 25.1 |
| 2 | Cole, Gerrit 3232 | pi sp | nyy al | 22.4 |
| 3 | Wheeler, Zack 3204 | pi sp | phi nl | 20.1 |
| 4 | Marquez, German 3788 | pi sp | col nl | 17.4 |
| 5 | Urias, Julio 3652 | pi sp | lad nl | 17.4 |
| 6 | Burnes, Corbin 4029 | pi sp | mil nl | 17.1 |
| 7 | Woodruff, Brandon 3868 | pi sp | mil nl | 17.1 |
| 8 | deGrom, Jacob 3343 | pi sp | nym nl | 16.7 |
| 9 | Ray, Robbie 3502 | pi sp | tor al | 16.7 |
| 10 | Ohtani, Shohei 3933 | pi sp | ana al | 16.1 |
About Box-Toppers’ team abbreviations
Debut—Two players made their Box-Toppers debut Saturday, each with their first career Player of the Game honor:
Rangers pitcher Joe Barlow (1IP 0H 0R 0BB 2K Sv in the 2-1 win over the White Sox) made his Major League debut June 24 and was playing in his 26th career game.
Hoy Park of the Pirates (3B 1-3 0R 2BI in the 6-3 win over the Marlins) made his Major League debut July 16 and was playing in his 35th career game.
Scoring—Scherzer earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Kaprielian earns 1.7 points for being AL Player of the Day. Pina and Bichette each earn 1.5 points for being their league’s Batter of the Day. All of Saturday’s other Player of the Game winners (listed in the chart below) earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point.
About Box-Toppers—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.
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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).| 9/18 | BTG | Game | Player | AB | R | H | BI | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | +10.0 | LAD 5, CIN 1 | Max Scherzer, (W 15‑4) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 7.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | |
| AL | +9.0 | OAK 3, LAA 1 | James Kaprielian, (W 8‑5) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| +7.2 | PHI 5, NYM 3 | Aaron Nola, (W 8‑8) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 5.2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | ||
| +7.0 | `SF 2, ATL 0 | Alex Wood | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| +5.0 | COL 6, WSH 0 | Kyle Freeland, (W 6‑8) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | ||
| +5.0 | CLE 11, NYY 3 | Aaron Civale, (W 11‑4) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | ||
| +4.2 | BOS 9, BAL 3 | Tanner Houck, (W 1‑4) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 2.2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| BAT | +3.0 | MIL 6, CHC 4 | Manny Piña, C | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | |
| +3.0 | TEX 2, CHW 1 | Joe Barlow, (S 7) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| BAT | +2.0 | TOR 6, MIN 2 | Bo Bichette, SS | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | |
| +2.0 | DET 4, TB 3 | Jeimer Candelario, 3B | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| +2.0 | ARI 6, HOU 4 (F/10) | J.B. Wendelken, (W 1‑1) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| +2.0 | STL 3, SD 2 | Giovanny Gallegos, (S 9) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| +1.0 | KC 8, SEA 1 | Michael A. Taylor, CF | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| +0.0 | PIT 6, MIA 3 | Hoy Park, 2B | 3 | 0 | 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.
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 for the current season (’21). Also shown are each players’ Box-Toppers point total for this season and last (’20-21), the period 2016-2021 (’16-21) and each players’ career point total. Also shown is how their 2021 Box-Toppers point total compares with their 2020 total (+/-).| Player of the Game | Pos | Team | ’21 | ’20‑21 | ’16‑21 | Career | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scherzer, Max 2588 | pi sp | lad nl | 25.1 | 29.1 | 120.3 | 226.3 | +21.1 |
| Wood, Alex 3246 | pi sp | sf nl | 11.0 | 11.0 | 32.7 | 51.1 | +11.0 |
| Nola, Aaron 3569 | pi sp | phi nl | 10.7 | 18.4 | 71.7 | 73.7 | +3.0 |
| Civale, Aaron 4173 | pi sp | cle al | 10.7 | 13.4 | 16.4 | 16.4 | +8.0 |
| Kaprielian, James 4416 | pi sp | oak al | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.4 | +7.4 |
| Freeland, Kyle 3763 | pi sp | col nl | 7.0 | 8.0 | 27.4 | 27.4 | +6.0 |
| Bichette, Bo 4233 | ss | tor al | 7.0 | 7.0 | 8.5 | 8.5 | +7.0 |
| Candelario, Jeimer 4025 | 3b | det al | 5.0 | 9.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | +1.0 |
| Houck, Tanner 4342 | pi sp | bos al | 5.0 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 7.7 | +2.3 |
| Gallegos, Giovanny 4104 | pi mr | stl nl | 4.0 | 6.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | +2.0 |
| Taylor, Michael 3447 | cf | kc al | 3.0 | 3.0 | 7.7 | 13.2 | +3.0 |
| Pina, Manny 3769 | ca ph | mil nl | 2.5 | 3.5 | 7.0 | 7.0 | +1.5 |
| Wendelken, J.B. 4089 | pi mr | ari nl | 1.0 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | +1.0 |
| Barlow, Joe 4552 | pi cp | tex al | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | +1.0 |
| Park, Hoy 4553 | 2b | pit nl | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | +1.0 |
About Box-Toppers’ team abbreviations
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