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
▪️ Upcoming pitching matchups
▪️ Subscribe to newsletter
▪️ Support Box-Toppers
Braves pitcher Max Fried is Saturday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Fried struck out five over seven scoreless and hitless innings, allowing three walks, in the 4-1 win over the Mets.
The Braves had a combined no-hitter intact with two out in the ninth inning until reliever Raisel Iglesias gave up a solo home run to J.D. Martinez of the Mets. Fried gave up no hits through seven innings, reliever Joe Jimenez gave up no hits in the eighth, but Iglesias gave up two hits and one run to close the game in the ninth.
Fried earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 4.0 for the season, 28th among all players and 13th among National League pitchers.
Top 10 players
Here are the top 10 players in 2024 Box-Toppers points (BTP) through Saturday, May 11:| 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 | Freddy Peralta | pi sp | Brewers | 6.0 |
| 6 | Logan Gilbert | pi sp | Mariners | 6.0 |
| 7 | Tyler Glasnow | pi sp | Dodgers | 6.0 |
| 8 | Tanner Houck | pi sp | Red Sox | 6.0 |
| 9 | Seth Lugo | pi sp | Royals | 5.4 |
| 10 | Luis Castillo | pi sp | Mariners | 5.0 |
American League Player of the Day
Athletics pitcher Joey Estes struck out five over five innings, allowing one run, two hits and no walks, in the 8-1 win over the Mariners.
Estes earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, his first career points in his Box-Toppers debut. Estes’ 1.7 points ranks 64th among AL pitchers. Estes made his Major League debut Sept. 20, 2023, and was playing in his third career game.
Estes becomes the 5,000th player to earn Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors since Box-Toppers player tracking began in 1995.
By comparison, there have been more than 23,000 players who have played in Major League Baseball history, according to Baseball-Reference.com. Saturday marked the debut of Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes, who according to Baseball-Reference.com, is the 23,198th player to make his MLB debut.
The Box-Toppers database of players does not include every player since 1995, only those who earned Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors and earned Box-Toppers points. (Skenes, for example, is not yet in Box-Toppers’ database because he has yet to earn Player of the Game honors.) Still, those 5,000 players in Box-Toppers’ database over 29 seasons constitute 21.6 percent of every Major League Baseball player who ever played. (For comparison, Cap Anson is listed by Baseball-Reference.com as the 38th player to make his MLB debut in 1871.)
American League Batter of the Day
Randy Arozarena of the Rays hit a three-run homer, doubled and went 2-for-3, scoring twice and driving in four runs, in the 7-2 win over the Yankees.
Saturday’s highlights & lowlights
Top pitching matchup
▪️Kyle Gibson, Cardinals11.4 Box-Toppers points over 2023-24, 23rd among NL pitchers
▪️Freddy Peralta, Brewers
23.7 Box-Toppers points over 2023-24, 1st among NL pitchers
Result—MIL 5, STL 3
Neither starter was Player of the Game.
Gibson had +1.0 B-T game score in loss (5IP 3H 2R 4BB 7K ND).
Peralta had -1.0 B-t game score in win (6IP 8H 3R BB 8K ND).
Player of the Game—Rhys Hoskins, Brewers (HR 1-3 R 3BI) with +2.0 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—Jake Irvin, Nationals (7IP 4H 2R 0BB 6K ND)
Was not Player of the Game because WSH lost to BOS.
Player of the Game—Cooper Criswell, Red Sox (5IP 3H 2R BB 9K ND) with +6.0 game score.
▪️+5.0—Hunter Brown, Astros (5IP 5H R 0BB 7K ND)
Was not Player of the Game because HOU lost to DET.
Player of the Game—Mark Canha, Tigers (HR 1-3 R 4BI) with +3.0 game score.
▪️+4.2—Jesús Luzardo, Marlins (5.2IP 4H 2R BB 8K L)
Was not Player of the Game because MIA lost to PHI.
Player of the Game—Bryson Stott, Phillies (3B 2-5 R 4BI) with +2.0 game score.
Lowest Box-Toppers game scores
Out of 441 total players Saturday, 129 pitchers-21.9—Cristian Javier, Astros (1.1IP 5H 7R 4BB 0K L vs. DET)
-16.0—Kevin Gausman, Blue Jays
-13.9—Cole Ragans, Royals
-13.0—Justin Steele, Cubs
-12.9—Simeon Woods Richardson, Twins
Lowest Box-Toppers game scores by batters
Out of 312 total batters Saturday-5.0—Bryce Harper, Phillies 0-5 3K
-5.0—Nolan Arenado, Cardinals 0-5 K
-5.0—Mookie Betts, Dodgers 0-5 K
-5.0—Adley Rutschman, Orioles 0-5 K
Box-Toppers uses Baseball-Reference.com, MLB.com and other sources to compile this information.
National League Batter of the Day
Matt Chapman of the Giants hit a grand slam and went 2-for-4, scoring once and driving in four runs, in the 5-1 win over the Reds.
Chapman earns 1.5 Box-Toppers points for being NL Batter of the Day, giving him 3.0 for the season, eighth among NL batters.
Scoring
Fried earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day.
Estes earns 1.7 points for being AL Player of the Day.
Arozarena and Chapman each earn 1.5 points for being their league’s Batter of the Day.
All of Saturday’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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Joey Estes @Athletics Saturday became 5,000th player to make Box-Toppers debut since 1995. Here are other notable milestones:
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) May 12, 2024
2,000th player—Michael Wuertz @Cubs 5/18/05
3,000th—Steve Lombardozzi @Nationals 4/16/12
4,000th—Joe Jimenez @Tigers 6/17/18https://t.co/RWHZPbrWkx
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).| 5/11 | BTG | Game | Player | AB | R | H | BI | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | +9.0 | ATL 4, NYM 1 | Max Fried (W, 3‑1) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 7.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | |
| +6.0 | LAD 5, SD 0 | James Paxton (W, 5‑0) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| AL | +6.0 | OAK 8, SEA 1 | Joey Estes (W, 1‑0) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 5.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | |
| +6.0 | `BOS 4, WSH 2 | Cooper Criswell | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 5.0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 9 | ||
| BAT | +5.0 | TB 7, NYY 2 | Randy Arozarena LF | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | |
| +4.0 | LAA 9, KC 3 | Kevin Pillar CF‑LF | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| +4.0 | TOR 10, MIN 8 | Davis Schneider LF | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| +3.2 | `CHW 3, CLE 1 | Mike Clevinger | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 4.2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | ||
| BAT | +3.0 | SF 5, CIN 1 | Matt Chapman 3B | 4 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | |
| +3.0 | PIT 10, CHC 9 | Yasmani Grandal C | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| +3.0 | DET 8, HOU 2 | Mark Canha RF | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| +2.1 | COL 8, TEX 3 | Tyler Kinley (W, 2‑0) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 1.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| +2.0 | PHI 8, MIA 3 | Bryson Stott 2B | 5 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| +2.0 | MIL 5, STL 3 | Rhys Hoskins 1B | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ||
| +2.0 | BAL 5, ARI 4 (F/11) | Craig Kimbrel (W, 4‑1) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
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 | +/‑ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fried, Max 4011 | pi sp | atl nl | 4.0 | 13.0 | 56.5 | 57.5 | -5.0 |
| Stott, Bryson 4607 | 2b | phi nl | 3.5 | 6.5 | 9.0 | 9.0 | +0.5 |
| Kimbrel, Craig 2825 | pi cp | bal al | 3.0 | 7.0 | 16.7 | 91.1 | -1.0 |
| Chapman, Matt 3849 | 3b | sf nl | 3.0 | 6.5 | 24.5 | 31.5 | -0.5 |
| Criswell, Cooper 4840 | pi sp mr | bos al | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | +2.0 |
| Canha, Mark 3454 | lf rf | det al | 2.5 | 6.0 | 18.7 | 25.2 | -1.0 |
| Hoskins, Rhys 3909 | dh 1b | mil nl | 2.5 | 2.5 | 16.5 | 20.5 | +2.5 |
| Paxton, James 3280 | pi sp | lad nl | 2.0 | 7.0 | 21.1 | 62.9 | -3.0 |
| Estes, Joey 5000 | pi sp | oak al | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | +1.7 |
| Arozarena, Randy 4331 | lf | tb al | 1.5 | 7.5 | 19.0 | 19.0 | -4.5 |
| Clevinger, Mike 3707 | pi sp | chi al | 1.0 | 11.4 | 37.2 | 65.3 | -9.4 |
| Schneider, Davis 4890 | lf 2b | tor al | 1.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | -1.0 |
| Grandal, Yasmani 3058 | ca | pit nl | 1.0 | 2.0 | 8.5 | 31.7 | 0.0 |
| Kinley, Tyler 4617 | pi mr | col nl | 1.0 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | +1.0 |
| Pillar, Kevin 3486 | cf lf | ana al | 1.0 | 1.0 | 9.0 | 18.5 | +1.0 |
About Box-Toppers’ team abbreviations
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A Box-Toppers look at Sunday’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARI | Gallen, Zac 4171 | 3.0 | 19.7 | 54.1 | 54.1 |
| BAL | Kremer, Dean 4330 | 4.0 | 13.7 | 25.1 | 25.1 |
| CHC | Hendricks, Kyle 3386 | 0.0 | 5.0 | 33.1 | 73.6 |
| PIT | Falter, Bailey 4473 | 2.0 | 6.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 |
| WSH | Gore, MacKenzie 4582 | 1.0 | 8.0 | 12.7 | 12.7 |
| BOS | Bello, Brayan 4727 | 2.7 | 4.7 | 5.7 | 5.7 |
| MIN | Ober, Bailey 4441 | 2.0 | 10.7 | 20.4 | 20.4 |
| TOR | Manoah, Alek 4424 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 25.8 | 25.8 |
| HOU | Verlander, Justin 2112 | 0.0 | 12.4 | 66.9 | 245.0 |
| DET | Flaherty, Jack 3971 | 2.0 | 6.0 | 34.2 | 47.3 |
| NYY | Gil, Luis 4498 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 5.7 | 5.7 |
| TB | Alexander, Tyler 4196 | 0.0 | 2.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 |
| PHI | Wheeler, Zack 3204 | 6.7 | 21.4 | 66.9 | 90.3 |
| MIA | Garrett, Braxton 4341 | 0.0 | 12.7 | 20.4 | 20.4 |
| CLE | Allen, Logan T. 4789 | 1.0 | 8.7 | 8.7 | 8.7 |
| CHW | Soroka, Michael 3956 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 11.4 | 14.4 |
| STL | Mikolas, Miles 3034 | 0.0 | 6.7 | 21.8 | 36.2 |
| MIL | Wilson, Bryse 4048 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 6.0 | 7.0 |
| TEX | Urena, Jose 3492 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 23.4 |
| COL | Blach, Ty 3754 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 10.0 |
| CIN | Montas, Frankie 3803 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 33.5 | 36.5 |
| SF | Harrison, Kyle 4914 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| KC | Lugo, Seth 3729 | 5.4 | 11.8 | 20.8 | 29.8 |
| LAA | Sandoval, Patrick 4357 | 1.7 | 4.7 | 15.7 | 15.7 |
| LAD | Buehler, Walker 3943 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 42.8 | 57.9 |
| SD | Darvish, Yu 3003 | 3.0 | 10.0 | 60.0 | 134.0 |
| OAK | Wood, Alex 3246 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 23.0 | 63.1 |
| SEA | Castillo, Luis Miguel 3840 | 5.0 | 21.1 | 59.5 | 75.9 |
| ATL | Elder, Bryce 4709 | 1.0 | 9.0 | 13.7 | 13.7 |
| NYM | Severino, Luis 3567 | 1.0 | 5.7 | 15.4 | 59.2 |
* Player has yet to earn any career Box-Toppers points.
What are those numbers after players' names?
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