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
▪️ Friday’s sidelights sidebar
▪️ Upcoming pitching matchups
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Giants pitcher Blake Snell is Friday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day, pitching a no-hitter.
Snell pitched a complete-game, no-hit shutout, striking out 11 and allowing three walks, in the 3-0 win over the Reds.
Top 10 players
Here are the top 10 players in 2024 Box-Toppers points (BTP) through Friday, Aug. 2:| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dylan Cease | pi sp | Padres | 17.4 |
| 2 | Tarik Skubal | pi sp | Tigers | 14.4 |
| 3 | Luis Gil | pi sp | Yankees | 14.4 |
| 4 | Zack Wheeler | pi sp | Phillies | 13.7 |
| 5 | Shota Imanaga | pi sp | Cubs | 13.7 |
| 6 | Chris Sale | pi sp | Braves | 12.4 |
| 7 | Tanner Bibee | pi sp | Guardians | 12.0 |
| 8 | George Kirby | pi sp | Mariners | 11.7 |
| 9 | Tanner Houck | pi sp | Red Sox | 11.4 |
| 10 | Seth Lugo | pi sp | Royals | 11.1 |
Snell threw 114 pitches and faced 29 batters, two over the minimum.
Snell earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 7.0 for the season, 55th among all players and 23rd among National League pitchers.
Snell recorded a +17.0 Box-Toppers game score Friday, fourth-highest among all Player of the Game winners in 2024. Snell has two of the six highest Box-Toppers game scores for a Player of the Game winner this season. Here are the top six:
+19.0 on June 23—Twins pitcher Pablo Lopez (8IP 2H 0R BB 14K W in the 3-0 win over the Athletics).
+18.0 on April 9—Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow (7IP 3H 0R 0BB 14K W in the 6-3 win over the Twins).
+18.0 on June 15—Nationals pitcher DJ Herz (6IP H 0R 0BB 13K W in the 4-0 win over the Marlins).
+17.0 on Aug. 2—Snell’s no-hitter.
+17.0 on July 11—Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes (7IP 0H 0R BB 11K W in the 1-0 win over the Brewers).
+17.0 on July 27—Snell (6IP 2H 0R 2BB 15K ND in the 4-1 win over the Rockies).
Snell had the highest Box-Toppers game score among the three no-hitters pitched in 2024, ahead of these two:
Padres pitcher Dylan Cease, who pitched a no-hitter July 25 with a +15.0 Box-Toppers game score, 14th-highest of 2024.
Astros pitcher Ronel Blanco, who pitched a no-hitter April 1 with a +14.0 Box-Toppers game score, 23rd-highest of 2024.
American League Player of the Day
Mariners pitcher Bryan Woo struck out six over seven scoreless innings, allowing five hits and no walks, in the 10-2 win over the Phillies.
Woo earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 8.7 for the season, 37th among all players and 20th among AL pitchers.
American League Batter of the Day
Connor Wong of the Red Sox went 4-for-5, scoring three times and driving in one run, in the 11-6 win over the Rangers.
National League Batter of the Day
Blake Perkins of the Brewers went 2-for-2 and drove in two runs, in the 8-3 win over the Nationals.
Friday’s sidelights sidebar
Top pitching matchup
▪️Cole Ragans, Royals8.0 Box-Toppers points in 2024, 20th among AL pitchers
▪️Tarik Skubal, Tigers
14.4 Box-Toppers points in 2024, 1st among AL pitchers
Result—KC 9, DET 2
Neither starter was Player of the Game.
Ragans had +1.2 B-T game score in loss (5.2IP 2H 2R 4BB 6K W).
Skubal had -4.9 B-T game score in loss (6.1IP 7H 5R 2BB 8K L).
Player of the Game—Salvador Perez, Royals (HR 2B 3-5 3R 2BI) with +3.0 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:▪️+6.0—Corey Seager, Rangers (2HR SF 3-3 3R 3BI)
Was not Player of the Game in loss vs. BOS.
Player of the Game—Connor Wong, Red Sox (4-5 3R BI) with +3.0 game score.
▪️+4.0—Oneil Cruz, Pirates (2B 5-5 2R 2BI)
Was not Player of the Game in loss vs. ARI.
Player of the Game—Josh Bell, Diamondbacks (2HR 2-5 2R 2BI) with +1.0 game score.
▪️+3.0—Wilyer Abreu, Red Sox (HR 3-5 2R 3BI)
Was not Player of the Game in win vs. TEX.
Player of the Game—Teammate Connor Wong (4-5 3R BI) with +3.0 game score. (Though Abreu and Wong both had +3.0 game scores, Wong ranked ahead to win Player of the Game because he had more hits—four vs. three.)
Lowest Box-Toppers game scores
Out of 437 total players Friday, 133 pitchers-21.8—Tyler Phillips, Phillies (1.2IP 5H 8R 3BB K L vs. SEA)
-17.8—Marcus Stroman, Yankees
-16.0—José Ureña, Rangers
-13.9—Luis Ortiz, Pirates
Lowest Box-Toppers game scores by batters
Out of 304 total batters Friday-5.0—Alex Verdugo, Yankees 0-5 3K
-5.0—Bryan De La Cruz, Pirates 0-5
-4.0—Josh Smith, Rangers 0-4 4K
-4.0—Cavan Biggio, Dodgers 0-4 3K
-4.0—Zack Gelof, Athletics 0-4 3K
-4.0—Bryce Harper, Phillies 0-4 3K
-4.0—Jonathan India, Reds 0-4 3K
-4.0—Josh Jung, Rangers 0-4 3K
-4.0—Luis Robert Jr., White Sox 0-4 3K
Box-Toppers uses Baseball-Reference.com, MLB.com and other sources to compile this information.
Notable
Twins pitcher Joe Ryan has the most 2024 Box-Toppers points among Friday’s 15 Player of the Game winners.
Ryan (6.1IP 3H 2R 3BB 7K W in the 10-2 win over the White Sox) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 9.7 for the season, 20th among all players and 12th among AL pitchers.
Also notable
Three players who changed teams before this week’s July 30 trade deadline earned Player of the Game honors Friday:
Josh Bell of the Diamondbacks (2HR 2-5 2R 2BI in the 9-8 win over the Pirates) was previously with the Marlins.
Mets pitcher Paul Blackburn (6IP 6H R 2BB 6K W in the 5-1 win over the Angels) was previously with the Athletics.
Astros pitcher Yusei Kikuchi (5.2IP 3H 2R 3BB 11K ND in the 3-2 win over the Rays) was previously with the Blue Jays.
Debut
Cubs pitcher Tyson Miller made his Box-Toppers debut Friday with his first career Player of the Game honor.
Miller (1.2IP 0H 0R 0BB K W in the 6-3 win over the Cardinals) made his Major League debut Aug. 17, 2020, and was playing in his 51st career game.
Scoring
Snell earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day.
Woo earns 1.7 points for being AL Player of the Day.
Wong and Perkins each earn 1.5 points for being their league’s Batter of the Day.
All of Friday’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.
Box-Toppers strives for accuracy. See a mistake in a post? A wrong name, wrong team, grammar error, spelling goof, etc.? Thanks for pointing it out! Contact Box-Toppers here. Let's fix it and make it right.
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Max Scherzer, 40, placed on a 15-day injured list Friday by #Rangers (right shoulder fatigue).
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) August 3, 2024
He was on IL until 6/23 this season, recovering from back surgery & has 2.0 Box-Toppers points in 2024.
His 253.7 career B-T points is 3rd-most since 1995 & 2nd among active players. https://t.co/mBbcMPM5Ja
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).| 8/2 | BTG | Game | Player | AB | R | H | BI | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | +17.0 | SF 3, CIN 0 | Blake Snell (W, 1‑3) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 9.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 11 | |
| AL | +8.0 | SEA 10, PHI 2 | Bryan Woo (W, 5‑1) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 7.0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | |
| +6.2 | `HOU 3, TB 2 | Yusei Kikuchi | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 5.2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 11 | ||
| +5.0 | `ATL 5, MIA 3 | Spencer Schwellenbach | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 7.0 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 10 | ||
| +4.2 | CLE 8, BAL 4 | Cade Smith (W, 6‑1) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| +4.0 | OAK 6, LAD 5 | Joey Estes (W, 5‑4) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | ||
| +4.0 | TOR 8, NYY 5 | Chad Green (S, 8) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| +3.1 | MIN 10, CHW 2 | Joe Ryan (W, 7‑7) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | ||
| BAT | +3.0 | BOS 11, TEX 6 | Connor Wong C | 5 | 3 | 4 | 1 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | |
| +3.0 | KC 9, DET 2 | Salvador Perez 1B | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| +3.0 | COL 5, SD 2 | Austin Gomber (W, 3‑7) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 7.0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | ||
| +2.2 | CHC 6, STL 3 | Tyson Miller (W, 3‑1) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| BAT | +2.0 | MIL 8, WSH 3 | Blake Perkins PH‑CF | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | |
| +2.0 | NYM 5, LAA 1 | Paul Blackburn (W, 5‑2) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | ||
| +1.0 | ARI 9, PIT 8 | Josh Bell 1B | 5 | 2 | 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 | +/‑ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan, Joe 4539 | pi sp | min al | 9.7 | 18.4 | 35.8 | 35.8 | +1.0 |
| Woo, Bryan 4842 | pi sp | sea al | 8.7 | 17.4 | 17.4 | 17.4 | 0.0 |
| Snell, Blake 3688 | pi sp | sf nl | 7.0 | 21.7 | 59.9 | 96.1 | -7.7 |
| Kikuchi, Yusei 4136 | pi sp | hou al | 4.7 | 14.7 | 32.1 | 32.1 | -5.3 |
| Estes, Joey 5000 | pi sp | oak al | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 | +4.7 |
| Perkins, Blake 4832 | cf ph | mil nl | 4.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | +2.5 |
| Blackburn, Paul 3869 | pi sp | nym nl | 4.0 | 8.7 | 12.7 | 15.7 | -0.7 |
| Schwellenbach, Spencer 5035 | pi sp | atl nl | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | +4.0 |
| Bell, Josh E. 3682 | 1b dh | ari nl | 3.5 | 8.0 | 23.2 | 31.2 | -1.0 |
| Gomber, Austin 3985 | pi sp | col nl | 3.0 | 4.0 | 17.0 | 21.7 | +2.0 |
| Wong, Connor 4798 | ca | bos al | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | +2.0 |
| Green, Chad 3675 | pi cp | tor al | 3.0 | 3.0 | 12.0 | 19.0 | +3.0 |
| Perez, Salvador 2972 | 1b ca | kc al | 2.0 | 6.5 | 15.0 | 47.2 | -2.5 |
| Smith, Cade 5066 | pi mr | cle al | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | +2.0 |
| Miller, Tyson 5075 | pi mr | chi 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 Saturday’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 | Berrios, Jose 3791 | 5.7 | 16.1 | 48.2 | 75.0 |
| NYY | Rodon, Carlos 3494 | 9.0 | 10.0 | 43.5 | 66.6 |
| STL | Gibson, Kyle 3312 | 5.4 | 14.1 | 41.2 | 67.6 |
| CHC | Taillon, Jameson 3658 | 5.0 | 10.4 | 30.1 | 56.5 |
| MIL | Civale, Aaron 4173 | 2.0 | 8.0 | 30.4 | 30.4 |
| WSH | Herz, DJ 5032 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| KC | Lorenzen, Michael 3479 | 3.0 | 11.7 | 18.7 | 26.2 |
| DET | Undecided | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| ARI | Montgomery, Jordan 3814 | 1.0 | 11.4 | 31.5 | 37.5 |
| PIT | Keller, Mitch 4230 | 8.7 | 21.7 | 28.7 | 28.7 |
| BOS | Houck, Tanner 4342 | 11.4 | 13.4 | 25.1 | 25.1 |
| TEX | Undecided | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| CHW | Crochet, Garrett 4434 | 9.7 | 9.7 | 10.7 | 10.7 |
| MIN | Ober, Bailey 4441 | 8.7 | 17.4 | 27.1 | 27.1 |
| BAL | Eflin, Zach 3679 | 3.7 | 15.7 | 34.5 | 47.2 |
| CLE | Cantillo, Joey* | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| SF | Harrison, Kyle 4914 | 5.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| CIN | Greene, Hunter 4651 | 5.7 | 11.4 | 17.4 | 17.4 |
| TB | Littell, Zack 4533 | 4.7 | 6.7 | 10.7 | 10.7 |
| HOU | Blanco, Ronel 4959 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 7.7 |
| MIA | Tyler, Kyle* | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| ATL | Holmes, Grant* | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| COL | Gordon, Tanner* | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| SD | Perez, Martin 3213 | 1.0 | 5.7 | 18.5 | 35.5 |
| LAD | Flaherty, Jack 3971 | 9.0 | 13.0 | 41.2 | 54.3 |
| OAK | Spence, Mitch 4986 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 |
| NYM | Peterson, David 4347 | 1.0 | 4.0 | 14.0 | 14.0 |
| LAA | Soriano, Jose 4884 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| PHI | Kerkering, Orion* | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| SEA | Miller, Bryce 4797 | 9.7 | 22.8 | 22.8 | 22.8 |
* Player has yet to earn any career Box-Toppers points.
What are those numbers after players' names?
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