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.
▪️ Day’s highlights & lowlights
▪️ Upcoming pitching matchups.
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▪️ Support Box-Toppers.
Royals pitcher Seth Lugo is Friday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Friday, three players rise in Box-Toppers season player rankings top 10 list after each earned Player of the Game honors: Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola rises to third place, Cardinals closing pitcher Ryan Helsley rises to fourth place and Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga rises to seventh place.
Player of the Day
Lugo struck out nine over seven scoreless innings, allowing three hits and two walks, in the 8-0 win over the Tigers.
Lugo earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 3.7 for the season, 17th among all players and ninth among American League pitchers.
National League Player of the Day
Braves pitcher Chris Sale struck out six over seven innings, allowing one run, two hits and one walk, in the 6-2 win over the Guardians.
Sale earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 2.7 for the season, 16th among NL pitchers.
Sale now has 156.0 career Box-Toppers points, rising to 21st among all players since Box-Toppers tracking began in 1995. With his 1.7 points Friday, he passes three players on the “all-time” career points list—Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole (155.3), Mike Mussina (155.6) and Bartolo Colon (155.9). He now trails 20th-ranked player Tim Hudson (157.0).
Sale ranks fourth in career points among active, signed players and second among active NL pitchers, behind Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers (270.4).
National League Batter of the Day
Will Smith of the Dodgers homered, doubled, hit a sacrifice fly and went 4-for-5, scoring three times and driving in three runs, in the 12-2 win over the Blue Jays.
American League Batter of the Day
Martin Maldonado of the White Sox hit a three-run home run and went 2-for-4, scoring twice and driving in three runs, in the 9-4 win over the Rays.
Top 10 players
Here are the top 10 players in 2024 Box-Toppers points (BTP) through Friday, April 26:| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Freddy Peralta | pi sp | Brewers | 5.0 |
| 2 | Logan Gilbert | pi sp | Mariners | 5.0 |
| 3 | Aaron Nola | pi sp | Phillies | 5.0 |
| 4 | Ryan Helsley | pi cp | Cardinals | 5.0 |
| 5 | Ranger Suárez | pi sp | Phillies | 5.0 |
| 6 | Dylan Cease | pi sp | Padres | 4.7 |
| 7 | Shota Imanaga | pi sp | Cubs | 4.7 |
| 8 | Tyler Glasnow | pi sp | Dodgers | 4.0 |
| 9 | Tanner Houck | pi sp | Red Sox | 4.0 |
| 10 | Kirby Yates | pi cp | Rangers | 4.0 |
Rankings
Three players rise in Box-Toppers season player rankings top 10 list after each earned Player of the Game honors Friday:
Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola (8IP 7H 3R BB 10K W in the 9-3 win over the Padres) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 5.0 for the season, rising from sixth to third place, behind Brewers pitcher Freddy Peralta and Mariners pitcher Logan Gilbert. While all three players have 5.0 Box-Toppers points in 2024, Peralta ranks first because he has the most 2023 points (17.7), followed by Gilbert (13.4) and Nola (12.0). Nola also ranks second among NL pitchers behind Peralta.
Nola also now has 106.7 career Box-Toppers points, 73rd among all players since 1995, when Box-Toppers tracking began. With his 1.0 point Friday, he passes four players on the “all-time” career points list—Aramis Ramirez (105.8), Frank Thomas (106.2), Francisco Liriano (106.2) and James Shields (106.4). He now trails 72nd-ranked player Lance Berkman (108.1). Nola ranks 11th among active, signed players in career points and fifth among active NL pitchers.
Cardinals closing pitcher Ryan Helsley (1IP 0H 0R 0BB 2K Sv in the 4-2 win over the Mets) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 5.0 for the season, rising from seventh to fourth place. He is one of five players with 5.0 Box-Toppers points this season, but ranks fourth among them based on his 2023 point total (4.0).
Friday’s highlights & lowlights
Top Friday’s pitchers
None of the three pitchers with the most 2023-24 Box-Toppers points among Friday’s starters earned Player of the Game honors:▪️Chris Bassitt, Blue Jays, whose 22.1 Box-Toppers points was second-most over 2023-24, had -19.8 Box-Toppers game score (2.2IP 9H 7R 3BB 4K L) in loss vs. LAD.
Player of the Game—Will Smith, Dodgers (HR 2B SF 4-5 3R 3BI) with +5.0 game score.
▪️Zac Gallen, Diamondbacks, whose 18.7 Box-Toppers points was seventh-most over 2023-24, had -2.0 Box-Toppers game score (5IP 3H 3R BB 3K L) in loss vs. SEA.
Player of the Game—Emerson Hancock, Mariners (6IP 2H R 2BB 4K W) with +4.0 game score.
▪️Jesus Luzardo, Marlins, whose 17.8 Box-Toppers points was 10th-most over 2023-24, was scratched from start, going on 15-day injured list.
Marlins lost to Nationals with WSH’s Derek Law (2IP H 0R 0BB 5K W) winning Player of the Game with +6.0 Box-Toppers 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:▪️+8.0—Quinn Priester, Pirates (6IP 3H 0R BB 6K ND)
Was not Player of the Game because PIT lost to SF.
Player of the Game—Kyle Harrison, Giants (6IP 5H 0R 0BB7K ND) with +8.0 game score.
▪️+7.0—Reese Olson, Tigers (7IP 3H R 3BB 8K L)
Was not Player of the Game because DET lost to KC.
Player of the Game—Seth Lugo, Royals (7IP 3H 0R 2BB 9K W) with +11.0 game score, also winning overall Player of the Day honors..
▪️+4.0—Corbin Burnes, Orioles (6IP 3H R 3BB 6K ND)
Was not Player of the Game because BAL lost to OAK.
Player of the Game—Mitch Spence, Athletics (3IP 0H 0R BB 2K W) with +4.0 game score.
Lowest Box-Toppers game scores
-19.8—Chris Bassitt, Blue Jays (2.2IP 9H 7R 3BB 4K L vs. LAD)-16.8—Joe Musgrove, Padres
-11.9—Tyler Holton, Tigers
-10.0—Zach Eflin, White Sox
Lowest Box-Toppers game scores by batters
-5.0—Anthony Rizzo, Yankees 0-5 2K-5.0—Anthony Volpe, Yankees 0-5 2K
-5.0—Bryan Reynolds, Pirates 0-5 2K
-5.0—Gleyber Torres, Yankees 0-5 K
Box-Toppers uses Baseball-Reference.com, MLB.com and other sources to compile this information.
Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga (6.1IP 5H R BB 7K W in the 7-1 win over the Red Sox) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 4.7 for the season, seventh among all players and sixth among NL pitchers.
Notable
Nationals relief pitcher Derek Law (2IP H 0R 0BB 5K W in the 3-1 win over the Marlins) earns his first Box-Toppers Player of the Game honor in nearly eight years Friday.
Law last earned Player of the Game honors June 22, 2016, with the Giants. His only other Player of the Game came just nine days earlier on June 13, 2016. Law now has 3.0 career Box-Toppers points.
In the seven intervening seasons between 2016 and now, Law played for the Giants, Blue Jays, Rangers, Twins, Tigers and Reds, while sitting out the 2020 pandemic-shortened season.
Debut
Three players made their Box-Toppers debut Friday, each with their first career Player of the Game honor:
Mariners pitcher Emerson Hancock (6IP 2H R 2BB 4K W in the 6-1 win over the Diamondbacks) made his Major League debut Aug. 9, 2023, and was playing in his eighth career game.
Athletics pitcher Mitch Spence (3IP 0H 0R BB 2K W in the 3-2, 10-inning win over the Orioles) made his Major League debut March 29 and was playing in his seventh career game.
Joey Ortiz of the Brewers (HR SF 2-4 R 4BI in the 7-6, 11-inning win over the Yankees) made his Major League debut April 27, 2023, and was playing in his 38th career game.
Scoring
Lugo earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day.
Sale earns 1.7 points for being NL Player of the Day.
Smith and Maldonado 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.
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Career Box-Toppers points active NL pitchers
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) April 27, 2024
1—Clayton Kershaw @Dodgers 270.4
2—Chris Sale @Braves 156.0*
3—Yu Darvish @Padres 132.0
4—Lance Lynn @Cardinals 119.5
5—Aaron Nola @Phillies 106.7*
*B-T Player of the Game winner Friday
Details—https://t.co/kpJUO59wcx
Jesús Luzardo @Marlins goes on 15-day injured list with elbow tightness, scratched from his Friday start.
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) April 27, 2024
He had 17.8 Box-Toppers points in 2023, 2nd among NL pitchers.
He has 0.0 B-T points in 2024 in 5 starts, in which MIA has won 1 of the 5 games. https://t.co/RBkmyBjYai
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).| 4/26 | BTG | Game | Player | AB | R | H | BI | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | +11.0 | KC 8, DET 0 | Seth Lugo (W, 4‑1) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 7.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | |
| NL | +8.0 | ATL 6, CLE 2 | Chris Sale (W, 3‑1) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 7.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |
| +8.0 | `SF 3, PIT 0 | Kyle Harrison | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | ||
| +6.0 | WSH 3, MIA 1 | Derek Law (W, 1‑1) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | ||
| +5.1 | MIN 5, LAA 3 | Bailey Ober (W, 2‑1) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 7.1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 8 | ||
| +5.1 | CHC 7, BOS 1 | Shota Imanaga (W, 4‑0) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | ||
| BAT | +5.0 | LAD 12, TOR 2 | Will D. Smith C | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | |
| +4.0 | PHI 9, SD 3 | Aaron Nola (W, 4‑1) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 8.0 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 10 | ||
| +4.0 | SEA 6, ARI 1 | Emerson Hancock (W, 3‑2) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||
| +4.0 | OAK 3, BAL 2 (F/10) | Mitch Spence (W, 2‑1) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| +4.0 | `TEX 2, CIN 1 | Nathan Eovaldi | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 8 | ||
| +3.0 | MIL 7, NYY 6 (F/11) | Joey Ortiz 3B | 4 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| BAT | +3.0 | CHW 9, TB 4 | Martín Maldonado C | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | |
| +3.0 | STL 4, NYM 2 | Ryan Helsley (S, 8) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 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 | +/‑ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nola, Aaron 3569 | pi sp | phi nl | 5.0 | 17.0 | 61.1 | 106.7 | -7.0 |
| Helsley, Ryan 4589 | pi cp | stl nl | 5.0 | 9.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 | +1.0 |
| Imanaga, Shota 4960 | pi sp | chi nl | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 | +4.7 |
| Lugo, Seth 3729 | pi sp | kc al | 3.7 | 10.1 | 19.1 | 28.1 | -2.7 |
| Eovaldi, Nathan 2928 | pi sp | tex al | 3.0 | 12.7 | 37.8 | 72.3 | -6.7 |
| Sale, Chris 2806 | pi sp | atl nl | 2.7 | 11.4 | 24.4 | 156.0 | -6.0 |
| Ober, Bailey 4441 | pi sp | min al | 2.0 | 10.7 | 20.4 | 20.4 | -6.7 |
| Smith, Will 4175 | ca | lad nl | 1.5 | 2.5 | 13.5 | 13.5 | +0.5 |
| Maldonado, Martin 3082 | ca | chi al | 1.5 | 1.5 | 9.2 | 23.2 | +1.5 |
| Harrison, Kyle 4914 | pi sp | sf nl | 1.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | -1.0 |
| Law, Derek 3657 | pi mr sp | dc nl | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 3.0 | +1.0 |
| Hancock, Emerson 4985 | pi sp | sea al | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | +1.0 |
| Ortiz, Joey 4987 | 3b | mil nl | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | +1.0 |
| Spence, Mitch 4986 | pi mr | oak 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 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAD | Glasnow, Tyler 3948 | 4.0 | 16.4 | 46.8 | 52.8 |
| TOR | Kikuchi, Yusei 4136 | 2.7 | 12.7 | 30.1 | 30.1 |
| CIN | Greene, Hunter 4651 | 0.0 | 5.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 |
| TEX | Lorenzen, Michael 3479 | 1.0 | 9.7 | 16.7 | 24.2 |
| OAK | Sears, JP 4627 | 2.0 | 6.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 |
| BAL | Irvin, Cole 4140 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 18.4 | 18.4 |
| STL | Gray, Sonny 3259 | 2.0 | 12.4 | 50.0 | 99.9 |
| NYM | Houser, Adrian 4162 | 0.0 | 2.7 | 15.4 | 15.4 |
| CHC | Brown, Ben 4967 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| BOS | Winckowski, Josh 4784 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| WSH | Parker, Mitchell 4982 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| MIA | Cabrera, Edward 4641 | 0.0 | 3.7 | 10.1 | 10.1 |
| HOU | Blanco, Ronel 4959 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| COL | Quantrill, Cal 4195 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 18.7 | 18.7 |
| KC | Singer, Brady 4337 | 3.0 | 8.0 | 26.7 | 26.7 |
| DET | Mize, Casey 4377 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7.7 | 7.7 |
| NYY | Rodon, Carlos 3494 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 35.5 | 58.6 |
| MIL | Ross, Joe 3499 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 11.0 | 24.7 |
| TB | Civale, Aaron 4173 | 2.0 | 8.0 | 30.4 | 30.4 |
| CHW | Cannon, Jonathan* | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| CLE | Bibee, Tanner 4792 | 3.0 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 |
| ATL | Morton, Charlie 2503 | 1.0 | 11.0 | 54.9 | 105.1 |
| PHI | Suarez, Ranger 4228 | 5.0 | 8.7 | 23.7 | 23.7 |
| SD | Cease, Dylan 4231 | 4.7 | 14.7 | 51.5 | 51.5 |
| PIT | Perez, Martin 3213 | 0.0 | 4.7 | 17.5 | 34.5 |
| SF | Hicks, Jordan 3991 | 2.7 | 5.7 | 9.7 | 11.7 |
| MIN | Paddack, Chris 4093 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 26.8 | 26.8 |
| LAA | Soriano, Jose 4884 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| ARI | Cecconi, Slade 4913 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| SEA | Kirby, George 4595 | 1.7 | 15.4 | 26.8 | 26.8 |
* Player has yet to earn any career Box-Toppers points.
What are those numbers after players' names?
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