Box-Toppers Toppers Box
Today’s key Box-Toppers numbers. Click links to jump to charts elsewhere on this page.▪️ Box-Toppers Player of the Game winners.
▪️ Box-Toppers points of the day’s top players.
▪️ Top 10 players in 2022 Box-Toppers points.
▪️ A B-T look at today’s pitching matchups.
Astros pitcher Cristian Javier is Sunday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Sunday, Pete Alonso of the Mets extends his lead among National League batters and now has the most Box-Toppers points for any batter in a single season since 2017 and the eighth-most for any batter in a single season from 2010 forward.
Player of the Day—Javier struck out eight over six scoreless innings, allowing one hit and no walks, in the 6-3, 11-ining win over the Orioles. Javier did not earn the win, picking up a no-decision, because the Orioles tied the game after he exited.
Javier earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 14.7 for the season, 14th among all players and seventh among American League pitchers.
National League Player of the Day—Pete Alonso of the Mets homered, doubled and went 4-for-5, scoring three times and driving in five runs, in the 13-4 win over the Athletics.
Alonso earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day, giving him 14.9 for the season, 14th among all players and extending his lead among NL batters, ahead of second-place Mookie Betts of the Dodgers (11.7).
Alonso now has the most Box-Toppers points for any batter in a single season since 2017, when Anthony Rizzo of the Cubs led NL batters with 15.5 points. Alonso also now has the second-most points for any NL batter in a single season in the past 10 years, behind only Rizzo. Plus, Alonso now has the eighth-most Box-Toppers points in a single season for any batter since the start of 2010. Here are the seven times a batter has earned more points in a single season from 2010 forward:
Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers, 16.9 points in 2013.
Prince Fielder of the Brewers, 15.7 points in 2011.
Jose Abreu of the White Sox, 15.5 points in 2014.
Anthony Rizzo of the Cubs, 15.5 points in 2017.
Albert Pujols of the Cardinals, 15.4 points in 2010.
Jose Bautista of the Blue Jays, 15.2 points in 2010.
Ryan Braun of the Brewers, 15.0 points in 2010.
Batters routinely earned more Box-Toppers points in seasons prior to 2010. Of the 36 times in which a batter earned 16.0 or more points in a season, 35 happened in the seasons between 1995 and 2009 and only one (Cabrera’s 16.9 in 2013) has happened since. In 2010 and after, batters share of Box-Toppers points earned plummeted below 50 percent as pitchers earned up to 60 percent and more of all points awarded each season.
Despite Alonso’s comparatively high point total, batters collectively are on track to set a record in 2022 for lowest share of Box-Toppers points earned compared to pitchers. As of Sept. 22, batters had earned 38.43 percent of all points awarded this season, which would break the record-low of 39.14 percent set in 2014.
American League Batter of the Day—Steven Kwan of the Guardians hit a grand slam and went 3-for-5, scoring twice and driving in five runs, in the 10-4 win over the Rangers.
National League Batter of the Day—There is no separate NL Batter of the Day for Sunday because the overall NL Player of the Day is batter Pete Alonso.
Top 10 players
Here are the top 10 in Box-Toppers season player rankings for 2022. Players are ranked by Box-Toppers points (BTP) earned this season through Sunday, Sept. 25.| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Verlander, Justin 2112 | pi sp | hou al | 24.0 |
| 2 | Ohtani, Shohei 3933 | pi sp | ana al | 22.7 |
| 3 | Alcantara, Sandy 4061 | pi sp | fla nl | 21.1 |
| 4 | Cease, Dylan 4231 | pi sp | chi al | 20.4 |
| 5 | Urias, Julio 3652 | pi sp | lad nl | 18.4 |
| 6 | Rodon, Carlos 3494 | pi sp | sf nl | 18.1 |
| 7 | Woodruff, Brandon 3868 | pi sp | mil nl | 17.8 |
| 8 | Gallen, Zac 4171 | pi sp | ari nl | 17.7 |
| 9 | Darvish, Yu 3003 | pi sp | sd nl | 16.8 |
| 10 | Musgrove, Joe 3705 | pi sp | sd nl | 16.4 |
About Box-Toppers’ team abbreviations
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Notable—Yankees pitcher Nestor Cortes now has 13.4 Box-Toppers points in 2022 after earning 1.0 point as Player of the Game Sunday.
Cortes (6IP H 0R 2BB 5K W in the 2-0, six-inning win over the Red Sox) ranks 24th among all players and 12th among AL pitchers in 2022 Box-Toppers points.
Debut—Three players made their Box-Toppers debut Sunday, each with their first career Player of the Game honor:
Dodgers pitcher Andre Jackson (3IP 2H 0R 0BB 3K Sv in the 4-1 win over the Cardinals) made his Major League debut Aug. 16, 2021, and was playing in his sixth career game.
Michael Massey of the Royals (HR 2-5 2R 4BI in the 13-12 win over the Mariners) made his Major League debut July 15 and was playing in his 45th career game.
Padres pitcher Robert Suarez (1IP 0H 0R 0BB 2K W in the 13-6 win over the Rockies) made his Major League debut April 7 and was playing in his 41st career game.
Dylan Cease @WhiteSox, 4th in 2022 Box-Toppers points (20.4), does not win Player of the Game Sunday despite +4.0 B-T game score (6IP 4H 0R 3BB 5K ND) because CHW lost to DET.
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) September 26, 2022
Player of the Game—Tyler Alexander @Tigers +4.0 game score (6IP 4H R BB 5K ND).https://t.co/iLaiNEnDNE https://t.co/KNe1sxoRnI pic.twitter.com/G0uWrc2rTd
Scoring—Javier earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day and Alonso earns 1.7 points for being NL Player of the Day. Kwan earns 1.5 points for being AL Batter of the Day. All of Sunday’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).Back to top
| 9/25 | BTG | Game | Player | AB | R | H | BI | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | +13.0 | `HOU 6, BAL 3 (F/11) | Cristian Javier | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | |
| +8.0 | NYY 2, BOS 0 (F/6) | Nestor Cortes, (W 11‑4) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | ||
| NL | +7.0 | NYM 13, OAK 4 | Pete Alonso, DH | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | |
| +5.1 | SF 3, ARI 2 | Jakob Junis, (W 5‑6) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 5.1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | ||
| BAT | +5.0 | CLE 10, TEX 4 | Steven Kwan, LF | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | |
| +5.0 | WSH 6, MIA 1 | Anibal Sánchez, (W 3‑6) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 5.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | ||
| +5.0 | `CIN 2, MIL 1 | Nick Lodolo | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||
| +4.0 | TOR 7, TB 1 | George Springer, CF | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| +4.0 | LAD 4, STL 1 | Andre Jackson, (S 1) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 3.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| +4.0 | `DET 4, CHW 1 | Tyler Alexander | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | ||
| +3.0 | KC 13, SEA 12 | Michael Massey, 2B | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| +3.0 | LAA 10, MIN 3 | Mike Trout, CF | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| +3.0 | CHC 8, PIT 3 | Adrian Sampson, (W 3‑5) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | ||
| +3.0 | SD 13, COL 6 | Robert Suarez, (W 5‑1) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| +1.0 | ATL 8, PHI 7 (F/11) | Dansby Swanson, SS | 6 | 1 | 3 | 3 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ |
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 2022 (’22). Also shown is their point total for this season and last (’21-22), the period 2017-2022 (’17-22) and each players’ career point total. Also shown is how their 2022 Box-Toppers point total compares with their 2021 total (+/-).Back to top
| Player of the Game | Pos | Team | ’22 | ’21‑22 | ’17‑22 | Career | +/‑ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alonso, Pete 4118 | 1b | nym nl | 14.9 | 17.9 | 26.4 | 26.4 | +11.9 |
| Javier, Cristian 4290 | pi sp | hou al | 14.7 | 20.7 | 22.7 | 22.7 | +8.7 |
| Cortes, Nestor 4160 | pi sp | nyy al | 13.4 | 18.4 | 20.4 | 20.4 | +8.4 |
| Springer, George 3337 | cf rf | tor al | 8.0 | 12.2 | 29.4 | 39.9 | +3.8 |
| Lodolo, Nick 4586 | pi sp | cin nl | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | +7.0 |
| Swanson, Dansby 3751 | ss | atl nl | 5.7 | 12.7 | 26.2 | 27.2 | -1.3 |
| Trout, Mike 2949 | cf | ana al | 5.0 | 6.0 | 32.2 | 81.2 | +4.0 |
| Sanchez, Anibal 2187 | pi sp | dc nl | 5.0 | 5.0 | 22.4 | 87.7 | +5.0 |
| Junis, Jakob (Jake) 3857 | pi sp | sf nl | 5.0 | 5.0 | 16.0 | 16.0 | +5.0 |
| Kwan, Steven 4573 | lf | cle al | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | +5.0 |
| Sampson, Adrian 4147 | pi sp | chi nl | 4.0 | 5.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | +3.0 |
| Alexander, Tyler 4196 | pi sp mr | det al | 2.0 | 5.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | -1.0 |
| Jackson, Andre 4748 | pi cp | lad nl | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | +1.0 |
| Massey, Michael 4749 | 2b | kc al | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | +1.0 |
| Suarez, Robert 4750 | pi mr | 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 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 2022 (’22), over a two-year period (’21-22), over a six-year period (’17-22) and their career point total.Back to top
| Game | Starter | ’22 | ’21‑22 | ’17‑22 | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIN | Anderson, Chase 3328 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 26.8 | 42.8 |
| PIT | Contreras, Roansy 4574 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| ATL | Elder, Bryce 4709 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.7 |
| WSH | Abbott, Cory 4701 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| NYY | Severino, Luis 3567 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 46.8 | 51.8 |
| TOR | Gausman, Kevin 3191 | 11.7 | 25.4 | 44.2 | 68.4 |
| BAL | Lyles, Jordan 3100 | 2.0 | 9.0 | 21.7 | 29.4 |
| BOS | Seabold, Connor* | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
* Player has yet to earn Box-Toppers points.
What are those numbers after players' names?
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