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
▪️ Thursday’s sidelights sidebar
▪️ Upcoming pitching matchups
▪️ Subscribe to newsletter
▪️ Support Box-Toppers
Giants pitcher Logan Webb is Thursday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Thursday, Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler maintains third place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors.
Player of the Day
Webb struck out seven over 7 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing four hits and one walk, in the 6-0 win over the Braves.
Webb earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 10.0 for the season, 19th among all players and seventh among National League pitchers.
Webb becomes the 24th player to reach 10 Box-Toppers points this season. It is his third season with 10 or more points and his second straight. His best season was 2021 with the Giants when he had 15.5 points, 10th among NL pitchers. In 2023, he had 12.4 points with the Giants, 11th among NL pitchers. (In 2022, he fell just short of 10 points with 9.7 with the Giants, 26th among NL pitchers.)
American League Player of the Day
Tigers pitcher Kenta Maeda struck out five over 5 2/3 scoreless innings of middle relief, allowing one hit and one walk, in the 2-1 win over the Mariners. Maeda, who came on in relief after Alex Faedo pitched one inning, did not earn the win, picking up a no-decision, because the Tigers trailed when he exited.
Maeda earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being AL Player of the Day, giving him 5.4 for the season, 43rd among AL pitchers.
American League Batter of the Day
JJ Bleday of the Athletics hit a grand slam and went 3-for-5, scoring twice and driving in four runs, in the 7-6 win over the Mets.
National League Batter of the Day
There is no separate NL Batter of the Day for Thursday because no NL batter won Player of the Game honors in the seven games completed.
Top 10 players
Here are the top 10 players in 2024 Box-Toppers points (BTP) through Thursday, Aug. 15:| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dylan Cease | pi sp | Padres | 17.4 |
| 2 | Tarik Skubal | pi sp | Tigers | 17.1 |
| 3 | Zack Wheeler | pi sp | Phillies | 16.7 |
| 4 | Shota Imanaga | pi sp | Cubs | 15.7 |
| 5 | Luis Gil | pi sp | Yankees | 15.4 |
| 6 | Chris Sale | pi sp | Braves | 14.4 |
| 7 | Tanner Bibee | pi sp | Guardians | 13.0 |
| 8 | Bailey Ober | pi sp | Twins | 12.4 |
| 9 | Aaron Judge | dh cf | Yankees | 12.0 |
| 10 | George Kirby | pi sp | Mariners | 11.7 |
Rankings
Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler maintains third place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Thursday.
Wheeler (6IP 3H 2R ER 0BB 6K W in the 13-3 win over the Nationals) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 16.7 for the season. He trails Padres pitcher Dylan Cease (17.4 points) and Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (17.1 points). He ranks second among NL pitchers, 0.7 points behind Cease, whose next scheduled start is Saturday.
Thursday’s sidelights sidebar
Top pitching matchup
▪️Max Fried, Braves17.7 Box-Toppers points over 2023-24, 16th among NL pitchers
▪️Logan Webb, Giants
20.4 Box-Toppers points over 2023-24, 11th among NL pitchers
Result—SF 6, ATL 0
Webb was Player of the Game (7.2IP 4H 0R BB 7K W) with +9.2 B-T game score.
Fried had -3.9 B-T game score in loss (5.1IP 5H 3R 3BB 5K L).
Webb earns 2.0 B-T points as Player of the Day, giving him 22.4 over 2023-24, rising to 9th among NL pitchers over that span.
High scores, no points
Highest Box-Toppers game scores for the day among players who did not earn Player of the Game honors:▪️+14.0—Bryce Miller, Mariners (7IP 2H 0R 0BB 9K ND)
Was not Player of the Game despite having the day’s highest game score because SEA lost to DET.
Player of the Game—Kenta Maeda, Tigers (5.2IP H 0R BB 5K ND) with +8.2 game score.
▪️+4.0—Mason Miller, Athletics (2IP 0H 0R BB 3K Sv)
Was not Player of the Game in win vs. NYM.
Player of the Game—Teammate JJ Bleday (GS 3-5 2R 4BI) with +4.0 game score.
▪️+3.0—Weston Wilson, Phillies (HR 3B 2B 4-5 3R BI)
Was not Player of the Game in win vs. WSH.
Player of the Game—Teammate Zack Wheeler (6IP 3H 2R ER 0BB 6K W) with +6.0 game score.
Lowest Box-Toppers game scores
Out of 204 total players Thursday, 57 pitchers-21.0—Mitchell Parker, Nationals (3IP 10H 9R 2BB 6K L vs. PHI)
-14.0—Jose Quintana, Mets
-13.8—Mitch Spence, Athletics
-9.8—Daniel Hudson, Dodgers
-8.8—Tobias Myers, Brewers
Lowest Box-Toppers game scores by batters
Out of 147 total batters Thursday-4.0—Rafael Devers, Red Sox 0-4 3K
-4.0—Jarren Duran, Red Sox 0-4 2K
-4.0—Justyn-Henry Malloy, Tigers 0-4 2K
-4.0—Matt Olson, Braves 0-4 2K
-4.0—Leody Taveras, Rangers 0-4 2K
Box-Toppers uses Baseball-Reference.com, MLB.com and other sources to compile this information.
Wheeler Thursday also becomes the 92nd player since Box-Toppers tracking began in 1995 to reach 100 career Box-Toppers points. Wheeler now has 100.3 career points, 91st among all players since 1995. With his 1.0 point Thursday, he passes two players on the “all-time” career points list—Jim Edmonds (99.8) and Larry Walker (100.1). Wheeler now trails 90th-ranked player Jeff Bagwell (100.4). Wheeler ranks 14th among active, signed players in career points, eighth among active NL pitchers.
Scoring
Webb earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day.
Maeda earns 1.7 points for being AL Player of the Day.
Bleday earns 1.5 points for being AL Batter of the Day.
All of Thursday’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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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).| 8/15 | BTG | Game | Player | AB | R | H | BI | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | +9.2 | SF 6, ATL 0 | Logan Webb (W, 11‑8) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 7.2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | |
| AL | +8.2 | `DET 2, SEA 1 | Kenta Maeda | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 5.2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | |
| +7.0 | BAL 5, BOS 1 | Zach Eflin (W, 9‑7) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | ||
| +6.0 | PHI 13, WSH 3 | Zack Wheeler (W, 12‑5) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | ||
| BAT | +4.0 | OAK 7, NYM 6 | JJ Bleday CF | 5 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | |
| +4.0 | MIL 6, LAD 4 | Bryan Hudson (W, 5‑1) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| +3.0 | MIN 3, TEX 2 | Jhoan Duran (S, 17) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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 | +/‑ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheeler, Zack 3204 | pi sp | phi nl | 16.7 | 31.4 | 76.9 | 100.3 | +2.0 |
| Webb, Logan 4258 | pi sp | sf nl | 10.0 | 22.4 | 50.3 | 50.3 | -2.4 |
| Eflin, Zach 3679 | pi sp | bal al | 5.7 | 17.7 | 36.5 | 49.2 | -6.3 |
| Maeda, Kenta 3609 | pi sp mr | det al | 5.4 | 16.5 | 39.3 | 70.0 | -5.7 |
| Duran, Jhoan 4622 | pi cp | min al | 5.0 | 8.0 | 9.0 | 9.0 | +2.0 |
| Hudson, Bryan 4957 | pi mr | mil nl | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | +3.0 |
| Bleday, JJ 5081 | cf | oak al | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | +2.5 |
About Box-Toppers’ team abbreviations
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A Box-Toppers look at Friday’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOR | Rodriguez, Yariel 4979 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| CHC | Hendricks, Kyle 3386 | 3.0 | 8.0 | 36.1 | 76.6 |
| KC | Lorenzen, Michael 3479 | 3.0 | 11.7 | 18.7 | 26.2 |
| CIN | Martinez, Nick 3430 | 5.7 | 13.1 | 18.1 | 24.8 |
| NYY | Cole, Gerrit 3232 | 3.0 | 20.0 | 97.4 | 158.3 |
| DET | Undecided | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| SEA | Gilbert, Logan 4439 | 11.0 | 24.4 | 45.5 | 45.5 |
| PIT | Skenes, Paul 5005 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 |
| WSH | Corbin, Patrick 3027 | 2.0 | 9.1 | 36.2 | 94.4 |
| PHI | Nola, Aaron 3569 | 9.7 | 21.7 | 65.8 | 111.4 |
| ARI | Nelson, Ryne 4728 | 7.4 | 14.1 | 15.8 | 15.8 |
| TB | Pepiot, Ryan 4714 | 7.7 | 12.7 | 14.7 | 14.7 |
| BOS | Criswell, Cooper 4840 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| BAL | Burnes, Corbin 4029 | 8.7 | 20.4 | 61.6 | 64.6 |
| MIA | Munoz, Roddery 4994 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| NYM | Manaea, Sean 3637 | 8.0 | 11.7 | 39.1 | 61.9 |
| MIN | Woods Richardson, Simeon 4974 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.7 |
| TEX | Heaney, Andrew 3515 | 6.0 | 17.4 | 38.8 | 53.5 |
| CHW | Crochet, Garrett 4434 | 9.7 | 9.7 | 10.7 | 10.7 |
| HOU | Arrighetti, Spencer 5022 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 |
| CLE | Williams, Gavin 4865 | 2.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| MIL | Civale, Aaron 4173 | 2.0 | 8.0 | 30.4 | 30.4 |
| LAD | Undecided | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| STL | Mikolas, Miles 3034 | 3.0 | 9.7 | 24.8 | 39.2 |
| SD | Waldron, Matt 4946 | 6.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| COL | Quantrill, Cal 4195 | 5.0 | 7.0 | 22.7 | 22.7 |
| ATL | Schwellenbach, Spencer 5035 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| LAA | Soriano, Jose 4884 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
* Player has yet to earn any career Box-Toppers points.
What are those numbers after players' names?
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