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
▪️ Sunday’s sidelights sidebar
▪️ Upcoming pitching matchups
▪️ Subscribe to newsletter
▪️ Support Box-Toppers
Orioles pitcher Kyle Bradish is Sunday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Sunday, Braves pitcher Chris Sale regains the lead in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors.
Player of the Day
Bradish struck out 11 over seven scoreless, hitless innings, allowing four walks, in the 4-1 win over the White Sox.
Orioles reliever Danny Coulombe gave up the game’s first hit to the first batter he faced after replacing Bradish in the eighth inning, breaking up the no-hitter. Coulombe gave up a home run to Danny Mendick of the White Sox.
Bradish earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 3.0 for the season, 74th among all players and 36th among American League pitchers.
National League Player of the Day
Cardinals pitcher Sonny Gray struck out eight over five scoreless innings, allowing one hit and two walks, in the 4-3 win over the Cubs.
Gray earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day, giving him 5.7 for the season, 19th among all players and 11th among NL pitchers.
Gray also now has 103.6 career Box-Toppers points, 81st among all players since Box-Toppers tracking began in 1995. With his 1.7 points Sunday, he passes two players on the “all-time” career points list—Ken Griffey Jr. (102.2) and Miguel Tejada (102.3). He now trails 80th-ranked player Jamie Moyer (104.0).
Gray ranks 13th among active, signed players in career points, seventh among active NL pitchers.
American League Batter of the Day
Matt Vierling of the Tigers hit two home runs, including a ninth-inning, walk-off, three-run shot, in the 14-11 win over the Blue Jays. Vierling went 4-for-6, scoring three times and driving in four runs.
National League Batter of the Day
There is no NL Batter of the Day for Sunday because no NL batter earned Player of the Game honors in the 15 games completed.
Top 10 players
Here are the top 10 players in 2024 Box-Toppers points (BTP) through Sunday, May 26:| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Sale | pi sp | Braves | 9.7 |
| 2 | Luis Gil | pi sp | Yankees | 9.7 |
| 3 | Ranger Suárez | pi sp | Phillies | 9.4 |
| 4 | Shota Imanaga | pi sp | Cubs | 8.7 |
| 5 | Zack Wheeler | pi sp | Phillies | 7.7 |
| 6 | Dylan Cease | pi sp | Padres | 7.7 |
| 7 | Tanner Houck | pi sp | Red Sox | 7.7 |
| 8 | Seth Lugo | pi sp | Royals | 7.4 |
| 9 | Yu Darvish | pi sp | Padres | 6.7 |
| 10 | Garrett Crochet | pi sp | White Sox | 6.7 |
Rankings
Braves pitcher Chris Sale rises from third to first place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Sunday.
Sale (7IP 4H R BB 8K W in the 8-1 win over the Pirates) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 9.7 for the season. He passes the previous leader, Yankees pitcher Luis Gil (9.7). Though Sale and Gil both have 9.7 points in 2024, Sale ranks higher because he has more 2023 points—8.7 vs. 0.0.
Sale also rises to first among NL pitchers, passing the previous leader, Ranger Suarez of the Phillies (9.4).
Sale regains the Box-Toppers season player rankings lead he held for one day, May 20.
Sale now has 163.0 career Box-Toppers points, 18th among all players since Box-Toppers tracking began in 1995. He trails 17th-ranked player Roger Clemens (164.8). (It should be noted that Clemens began his career before the advent of Box-Toppers in 1995. Box-Toppers projects he would have about 320 points if his entire career from 1984 were tracked.)
Sale ranks fourth among active, signed players in career points, and second among active NL pitchers, behind Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers (270.4).
Sunday’s sidelights sidebar
Top Sunday pitchers
One of the three pitchers with the most 2024 Box-Toppers points among Sunday’s starters earned Player of the Game honors:▪️Chris Sale, Braves
8.7 Box-Toppers points in 2024, 3rd
Earned Player of the Game in win vs. PIT
(7IP 4H R BB 8K W), +8.0 B-T game score
He earns 1.0 B-T point, giving him 9.7 for 2024, rising to 1st
▪️Ranger Suárez, Phillies
9.4 Box-Toppers points in 2024, 2nd
Was not Player of the Game in loss vs. COL
(6IP 3H 5R 4ER 4BB 9K L), -1.0 B-T game score
Player of the Game—Cal Quantrill, Rockies (6IP 3H 2R 2BB 5K W), +2.0 game score
▪️Tanner Houck, Red Sox
7.7 Box-Toppers points in 2024, 7th
Was not Player of the Game in win vs. MIL
(6IP 7H R BB 7K ND), +3.0 game score
Player of the Game—Teammate Justin Slaten (1IP 0H 0R 0BB 3K W), +4.0 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:▪️+10.0—Logan Webb, Giants (7IP 3H R 0ER BB 8K ND)
Was not Player of the Game in loss vs. NYM.
Player of the Game—Adrian Houser, Mets (4IP 2H R BB 2K W) with +1.0 game score.
▪️+9.0—Garrett Crochet, White Sox (6IP 3H 2R BB 11K L)
Was not Player of the Game in loss vs. BAL.
Player of the Game—Kyle Bradish, Orioles (7IP 0H 0R 4BB 11K W) with +14.0 game score.
▪️+5.0—Michael Wacha, Royals (6IP 3H 2R BB 7K L)
Was not Player of the Game in loss vs. TB
Player of the Game—Taj Bradley, Rays (5IP H 0R 3BB 6K ND) with +7.0 game score.
Lowest Box-Toppers game scores
Out of 437 total players Sunday, 119 pitchers-15.0—Yusei Kikuchi, Blue Jays (3IP 8H 5R 0BB 0K ND vs. DET)
-12.9—Aaron Brooks, Athletics
-11.9—Casey Mize, Tigers
-10.9—Tyler Rogers, Giants
-9.8—Pablo López, Twins
Lowest Box-Toppers game scores by batters
Out of 318 total batters Sunday-5.0—Josh Bell, Marlins 0-5 3K
-5.0—Josh Naylor, Guardians 0-5 2K
-5.0—Jurickson Profar, Padres 0-5 2K
-4.0—Giancarlo Stanton, Yankees 0-4 4K
Box-Toppers uses Baseball-Reference.com, MLB.com and other sources to compile this information.
Debut
Red Sox relief pitcher Justin Slaten made his Box-Toppers debut Sunday with his first career Player of the Game honor.
Slaten (1IP 0H 0R 0BB 3K W in the 2-1 win over the Brewers) made his Major League debut March 30 and was playing in his 18th career game.
Scoring
Bradish earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day.
Gray earns 1.7 points for being NL Player of the Day.
Vierling 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) 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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Career Box-Toppers points, active players
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) May 27, 2024
1—Clayton Kershaw @Dodgers 270.4
2—Max Scherzer @Rangers 251.7
3—Justin Verlander @Astros 247.0
4—Chris Sale @Braves 163.0*
5—Gerrit Cole @Yankees 155.3
6—Jacob deGrom @Rangers 139.2
7—Yu Darvish @Padres 137.7
*Earns 1.0 B-T point Sunday
Ronald Acuña Jr. @Braves out for the season with torn ACL, left knee.
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) May 27, 2024
His 10.7 Box-Toppers points in 2023 was 2nd among NL batters (behind Pete Alonso @Mets with 12.0).
B-T points by year:
18—9.2, 4th*
19—3.7
20—1.5
21—1.0
22—3.5
23—10.7, 2nd*
24—0.0
*Top 10 rank among NL batters https://t.co/jaXWTSgBr7
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).| 5/26 | BTG | Game | Player | AB | R | H | BI | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | +14.0 | BAL 4, CHW 1 | Kyle Bradish (W, 1‑0) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 7.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 11 | |
| NL | +10.0 | STL 4, CHC 3 | Sonny Gray (W, 7‑2) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 5.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | |
| +8.0 | ATL 8, PIT 1 | Chris Sale (W, 8‑1) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 7.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | ||
| +8.0 | MIA 3, ARI 1 | Ryan Weathers (W, 3‑4) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | ||
| +7.0 | `TB 4, KC 1 | Taj Bradley | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 5.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | ||
| +6.2 | SD 5, NYY 2 | Jeremiah Estrada (W, 2‑0) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | ||
| +6.1 | CIN 4, LAD 1 | Nick Martinez (W, 2‑3) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 4.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| +6.0 | HOU 5, OAK 2 | Ronel Blanco (W, 5‑0) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 7.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||
| BAT | +5.0 | DET 14, TOR 11 | Matt Vierling CF‑3B | 6 | 3 | 4 | 4 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | |
| +4.1 | `TEX 6, MIN 2 | José Leclerc | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 2.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| +4.0 | SEA 9, WSH 5 | Julio Rodríguez CF | 5 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| +4.0 | BOS 2, MIL 1 | Justin Slaten (W, 3‑2) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| +2.0 | CLE 5, LAA 4 | Ben Lively (W, 4‑2) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 7.0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | ||
| +2.0 | COL 5, PHI 2 | Cal Quantrill (W, 4‑3) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | ||
| +1.0 | NYM 4, SF 3 | Adrian Houser (W, 1‑4) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 4.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 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.
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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 | +/‑ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sale, Chris 2806 | pi sp | atl nl | 9.7 | 18.4 | 31.4 | 163.0 | +1.0 |
| Gray, Sonny 3259 | pi sp | stl nl | 5.7 | 16.1 | 53.7 | 103.6 | -4.7 |
| Quantrill, Cal 4195 | pi sp | col nl | 4.0 | 6.0 | 21.7 | 21.7 | +2.0 |
| Weathers, Ryan 4388 | pi sp | fla nl | 4.0 | 4.0 | 6.7 | 6.7 | +4.0 |
| Blanco, Ronel 4959 | pi sp | hou al | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | +4.0 |
| Bradish, Kyle 4597 | pi sp | bal al | 3.0 | 17.0 | 23.0 | 23.0 | -11.0 |
| Lively, Ben 3903 | pi sp | cle al | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 6.0 | +2.0 |
| Martinez, Nick 3430 | pi mr sp | cin nl | 2.7 | 10.1 | 15.1 | 21.8 | -4.7 |
| Estrada, Jeremiah 5013 | pi mr | sd nl | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.7 | +2.7 |
| Vierling, Matt 4652 | 3b cf ph | det al | 2.5 | 9.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | -4.0 |
| Leclerc, Jose 3768 | pi mr cp | tex al | 2.0 | 2.0 | 6.0 | 9.0 | +2.0 |
| Bradley, Taj 4780 | pi sp | tb al | 1.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | -4.0 |
| Rodriguez, Julio 4590 | cf | sea al | 1.0 | 5.0 | 12.5 | 12.5 | -3.0 |
| Houser, Adrian 4162 | pi cp sp | nym nl | 1.0 | 3.7 | 16.4 | 16.4 | -1.7 |
| Slaten, Justin 5018 | pi mr | bos 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 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 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BOS | Criswell, Cooper 4840 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| BAL | Irvin, Cole 4140 | 3.0 | 6.0 | 21.4 | 21.4 |
| KC | Marsh, Alec 4961 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| MIN | Ryan, Joe 4539 | 5.7 | 14.4 | 31.8 | 31.8 |
| TOR | Bassitt, Chris 3413 | 4.0 | 24.1 | 61.9 | 67.9 |
| CHW | Nastrini. Nick* | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| CHC | Steele, Justin 4415 | 0.0 | 11.1 | 19.1 | 19.1 |
| MIL | Gasser, Robert 4998 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| CLE | Curry, Xzavion 4875 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| COL | Gomber, Austin 3985 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 16.0 | 20.7 |
| LAD | Stone, Gavin 4942 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| NYM | Megill, Tylor 4464 | 0.0 | 4.0 | 15.7 | 15.7 |
| STL | Lynn, Lance 2992 | 2.0 | 6.7 | 52.9 | 120.5 |
| CIN | Lodolo, Nick 4586 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| WSH | Parker, Mitchell 4982 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| ATL | Morton, Charlie 2503 | 2.0 | 12.0 | 55.9 | 106.1 |
| PHI | Walker, Taijuan 3453 | 1.0 | 8.7 | 31.8 | 58.2 |
| SF | Snell, Blake 3688 | 0.0 | 14.7 | 52.9 | 89.1 |
| MIA | Rogers, Trevor 4311 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| SD | King, Michael 4549 | 3.0 | 12.0 | 17.7 | 17.7 |
| HOU | Valdez, Framber 4048 | 2.0 | 12.0 | 41.4 | 43.4 |
| SEA | Miller, Bryce 4797 | 4.7 | 17.8 | 17.8 | 17.8 |
* Player has yet to earn any career Box-Toppers points.
What are those numbers after players' names?
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