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 2024
▪️ Wednesday’s sidelights sidebar
▪️ Upcoming pitching matchups
▪️ Subscribe to newsletter
▪️ Support Box-Toppers
Astros pitcher Framber Valdez is Wednesday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Valdez struck out eight over seven scoreless innings, allowing two hits and two walks, in the 3-0 win over the Athletics.
Valdez earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, his first points of the season, and ranks 104th among all players, 44th among American League pitchers.
National League Player of the Day
Diamondbacks pitcher Brandon Pfaadt struck out nine over seven innings, allowing one run, two hits and two walks, in the 2-1 win over the Reds. Pfaadt did not earn the win, picking up a no-decision, because the score was tied, 1-1, when he exited.
Pfaadt earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day, giving him 4.4 for the season, 31st among all players and 14th among NL pitchers.
American League Batter of the Day
Aaron Judge of the Yankees homered, hit three doubles and went 4-for-4, scoring twice and driving in two runs, in the 4-0 win over the Twins.
Judge earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being AL Batter of the Day, giving him 4.0 for the season, rising to second among AL batters, behind teammate Juan Soto (4.5 points).
National League Batter of the Day
William Contreras of the Brewers hit a three-run homer, tripled and went 3-for-5, scoring once and driving in four runs, in the 10-2 win over the Pirates.
Contreras earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being NL Batter of the Day, giving him 3.2 for the season, sixth among NL batters.
Notable
White Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet has the most 2024 Box-Toppers points among Wednesday’s 15 Player of the Game winners.
Crochet (5IP 3H 0R 3BB 6K W in the 2-0 win over the Nationals) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 5.7 for the season, 14th among all players and fifth among AL pitchers.
Debut
Rays closing pitcher Kevin Kelly made his Box-Toppers debut Wednesday with his first career Player of the Game honor.
Kelly (1IP 0H 0R 0BB 2K Sv in the 4-3 win over the Red Sox) made his Major League debut April 1, 2023, and was playing in his 71st career game.
Top 10 players
Here are the top 10 players in 2024 Box-Toppers points (BTP) through Wednesday, May 15:| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dylan Cease | pi sp | Padres | 7.7 |
| 2 | Ranger Suárez | pi sp | Phillies | 7.7 |
| 3 | Shota Imanaga | pi sp | Cubs | 7.7 |
| 4 | Zack Wheeler | pi sp | Phillies | 6.7 |
| 5 | Chris Sale | pi sp | Braves | 6.7 |
| 6 | Seth Lugo | pi sp | Royals | 6.4 |
| 7 | Freddy Peralta | pi sp | Brewers | 6.0 |
| 8 | Logan Gilbert | pi sp | Mariners | 6.0 |
| 9 | Tyler Glasnow | pi sp | Dodgers | 6.0 |
| 10 | Aaron Nola | pi sp | Phillies | 6.0 |
Scoring
Valdez earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day.
Pfaadt earns 1.7 points for being NL Player of the Day.
Judge and Contreras each earn 1.5 points for being their league’s Batter of the Day.
All of Wednesday’s other Player of the Game winners (listed in the chart) 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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Wednesday’s sidelights sidebar
Top pitching matchup
▪️Yusei Kikuchi, Blue Jays12.7 Box-Toppers points over 2023-24, 24th among AL pitchers
▪️Kyle Bradish, Orioles
15.0 Box-Toppers points over 2023-24, 13th among AL pitchers
Result—BAL 3, TOR 2
Neither starter was Player of the Game.
Kikuchi had +4.1 B-T game score in loss (4.1IP 6H R BB 9K ND).
Bradish had -3.0 B-T game score (4IP 4H 2R 2BB 3K ND).
Player of the Game—Adley Rutschman, Orioles (HR 2-4 R 2BI) with +1.0 game score.
High scores, no points
Highest Box-Toppers game scores for the day among players who did not earn Player of the Game honors:▪️+5.0—Jordan Beck, Rockies (HR 3-4 R 5BI)
Was not Player of the Game in win vs. SD.
Player of the Game—Teammate Austin Gomber (6IP 2H 0R 2BB 5K W) with +7.0 game score.
▪️+5.0—Casey Mize, Tigers (6IP 2H 2R BB 6K L)
Was not Player of the Game because DET lost to MIA.
Player of the Game—Trevor Rogers, Marlins (5IP 3H 0R 2BB 6K W) with +7.0 game score.
▪️+4.1—Yusei Kikuchi, Blue Jays (4.1IP 6H R BB 9K ND)
Was not Player of the Game because TOR lost to BAL.
Player of the Game—Adley Rutschman, Orioles (HR 2-4 R 2BI) with +1.0 game score.
Lowest Box-Toppers game scores
Out of 421 total players Wednesday, 112 pitchers-21.0—Martín Pérez, Pirates (5IP 11H 9R BB 4K L vs. MIL)
-12.9—Joey Lucchesi, Mets
-9.9—Michael King, Padres
-9.0—Spencer Turnbull, Phillies
Lowest Box-Toppers game scores by batters
Out of 309 total batters Wednesday-5.0—Nolan Arenado, Cardinals 0-5 2K
-5.0—Brendan Rogers, Rockies 0-5 2K
-4.0—Tyler O'Neill, Red Sox 0-4 4K
-4.0—Jarred Kelenic, Braves 0-4 3K
-4.0—Manny Machado, Padres 0-4 3K
-4.0—Logan O'Hoppe, Angels 0-4 3K
-4.0—Keibert Ruiz, Nationals 0-4 3K
Box-Toppers uses Baseball-Reference.com, MLB.com and other sources to compile this information.
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).| 5/15 | BTG | Game | Player | AB | R | H | BI | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | +11.0 | HOU 3, OAK 0 | Framber Valdez (W, 3‑1) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 7.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | |
| NL | +10.0 | `ARI 2, CIN 1 | Brandon Pfaadt | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 7.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 9 | |
| +8.0 | CHC 7, ATL 1 | Javier Assad (W, 4‑0) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | ||
| +7.0 | COL 8, SD 0 | Austin Gomber (W, 1‑2) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | ||
| +6.0 | MIA 2, DET 0 | Trevor Rogers (W, 1‑6) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 5.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | ||
| +5.0 | SF 4, LAD 1 | Logan Webb (W, 4‑4) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | ||
| +5.0 | CHW 2, WSH 0 | Garrett Crochet (W, 4‑4) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 5.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | ||
| +4.1 | SEA 4, KC 2 | Bryan Woo (W, 1‑0) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 5.1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | ||
| BAT | +4.0 | NYY 4, MIN 0 | Aaron Judge CF | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | |
| +3.1 | TEX 4, CLE 0 | Jon Gray (W, 2‑1) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | ||
| BAT | +3.0 | MIL 10, PIT 2 | William Contreras DH | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | |
| +3.0 | PHI 10, NYM 5 | Bryce Harper 1B | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| +3.0 | TB 4, BOS 3 | Kevin Kelly (S, 1) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| +1.0 | LAA 7, STL 2 | Willie Calhoun DH | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| +1.0 | BAL 3, TOR 2 | Adley Rutschman DH | 4 | 1 | 2 | 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.
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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 2024 (’24). Also shown is their point total for this season and last (’23-24), the period 2019-2024 (’19-24) and each players’ career point total. Also shown is how their 2024 Box-Toppers point total compares with their 2023 total (+/-).Back to top
| Player of the Game | Pos | Team | ’24 | ’23‑24 | ’19‑24 | Career | +/‑ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crochet, Garrett 4434 | pi sp | chi al | 5.7 | 5.7 | 6.7 | 6.7 | +5.7 |
| Assad, Javier 4899 | pi sp | chi nl | 5.0 | 9.7 | 9.7 | 9.7 | +0.3 |
| Pfaadt, Brandon 4812 | pi sp | ari nl | 4.4 | 8.1 | 8.1 | 8.1 | +0.7 |
| Harper, Bryce 3011 | 1b | phi nl | 4.2 | 7.2 | 28.2 | 70.1 | +1.2 |
| Webb, Logan 4258 | pi sp | sf nl | 4.0 | 16.4 | 44.3 | 44.3 | -8.4 |
| Judge, Aaron 3767 | cf dh | nyy al | 4.0 | 16.0 | 43.2 | 59.4 | -8.0 |
| Gray, Jon 3634 | pi sp | tex al | 4.0 | 11.7 | 33.7 | 57.1 | -3.7 |
| Contreras, William 4717 | ca dh | mil nl | 3.2 | 4.7 | 7.2 | 7.2 | +1.7 |
| Valdez, Framber 4048 | pi sp | hou al | 2.0 | 12.0 | 41.4 | 43.4 | -8.0 |
| Woo, Bryan 4842 | pi sp | sea al | 2.0 | 10.7 | 10.7 | 10.7 | -6.7 |
| Rutschman, Adley 4659 | dh ca | bal al | 1.0 | 6.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | -4.0 |
| Gomber, Austin 3985 | pi sp | col nl | 1.0 | 2.0 | 15.0 | 19.7 | 0.0 |
| Rogers, Trevor 4311 | pi sp | fla nl | 1.0 | 2.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 | 0.0 |
| Calhoun, Willie 4208 | dh | ana al | 1.0 | 2.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 0.0 |
| Kelly, Kevin 5004 | pi cp | tb al | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | +1.0 |
About Box-Toppers’ team abbreviations
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A Box-Toppers look at Thursday’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 2024 (’24), this year and last year (’23-24), over a six-year period (’19-24) and their career point total.Back to top
| Game | Starter | ’24 | ’23-24 | ’19‑24 | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NYY | Schmidt, Clarke 4581 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 8.4 | 8.4 |
| MIN | Ryan, Joe 4539 | 4.7 | 13.4 | 30.8 | 30.8 |
| NYM | Quintana, Jose 3040 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 23.8 | 84.1 |
| PHI | Walker, Taijuan 3453 | 1.0 | 8.7 | 31.8 | 58.2 |
| TB | Littell, Zack 4533 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 |
| BOS | Criswell, Cooper 4840 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| PIT | Jones, Jared 4956 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| CHC | Steele, Justin 4415 | 0.0 | 11.1 | 19.1 | 19.1 |
| OAK | Estes, Joey 5000 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 |
| HOU | Javier, Cristian 4290 | 0.0 | 7.0 | 30.7 | 30.7 |
| CIN | Suter, Brent 3843 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4.0 | 10.7 |
| LAD | Glasnow, Tyler 3948 | 6.0 | 18.4 | 48.8 | 54.8 |
* Player has yet to earn any career Box-Toppers points.
What are those numbers after players' names?
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