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
▪️ Subscribe to newsletter
▪️ Support Box-Toppers
Astros pitcher Framber Valdez is Friday’s Box-Toppers Player of the Day.
Also Friday, Cardinals closing pitcher Ryan Helsley rises to ninth place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors.
Player of the Day
Valdez pitched a complete game, striking out eight, allowing one run, four hits and one walk, in the 7-1 win over the Angels.
Valdez earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day, giving him 4.0 for the season, 66th among all players and 27th among American League pitchers.
National League Player of the Day
Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out seven over seven scoreless innings, allowing two hits and two walks, in the 2-1, 11-inning win over the Yankees. Yamamoto did not earn the win, picking up a no-decision, because the game was in a scoreless tie when he exited.
Yamamoto earns 1.7 Box-Toppers points for being NL Player of the Day, giving him 6.4 for the season, 25th among all players and 12th among NL pitchers.
Yamamoto had a +10.0 Box-Toppers game score Friday, same as Valdez. But Valdez won overall Player of the Day over Yamamoto because he earned the win in his game while Yamamoto picked up a no-decision.
American League Batter of the Day
MJ Melendez of the Royals hit a three-run homer and went 1-for-3, scoring once and driving in four runs, in the 10-9 win over the Mariners.
National League Batter of the Day
There is no NL Batter of the Day for Friday because no NL batter won Player of the Game honors in the 14 games completed.
Top 10 players
Here are the top 10 players in 2024 Box-Toppers points (BTP) through Friday, June 7:| Player | Pos | Team | BTP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luis Gil | pi sp | Yankees | 13.4 |
| 2 | Chris Sale | pi sp | Braves | 9.7 |
| 3 | Tanner Houck | pi sp | Red Sox | 9.7 |
| 4 | Ranger Suárez | pi sp | Phillies | 9.4 |
| 5 | Zack Wheeler | pi sp | Phillies | 8.7 |
| 6 | Aaron Nola | pi sp | Phillies | 8.7 |
| 7 | Shota Imanaga | pi sp | Cubs | 8.7 |
| 8 | Tanner Bibee | pi sp | Guardians | 8.0 |
| 9 | Ryan Helsley | pi cp | Cardinals | 8.0 |
| 10 | George Kirby | pi sp | Mariners | 7.7 |
Rankings
Cardinals closing pitcher Ryan Helsley rises to ninth place in Box-Toppers season player rankings after earning Player of the Game honors Friday.
Helsley (1IP 0H 0R 0BB 2K Sv in the 8-5 win over the Rockies) earns 1.0 Box-Toppers point, giving him 8.0 for the season. He ranks sixth among NL pitchers and first among NL closing pitchers, ahead of second-place Reed Garrett of the Mets (4.7 points).
Debut
Brewers pitcher Tobias Myers made his Box-Toppers debut Friday with his first career Player of the Game honor.
Myers (8IP H 0R 3BB 5K W in the 10-0 win over the Tigers) made his Major League debut April 23 and was playing in his eighth career game.
Friday’s sidelights sidebar
Top pitching matchup
▪️Joe Ryan, Twins16.4 Box-Toppers points over 2023-24, 26th
▪️Mitch Keller, Pirates
18.0 Box-Toppers points over 2023-24, 20th
Result—PIT 3, MIN 0
Keller was Player of the Game (6IP 7H 0R 2BB 8K W) with +5.0 B-T game score.
Ryan had +7.0 B-T game score in loss (7IP 2H 2R 2BB 8K L).
Keller earns 1.0 B-T point, giving him 19.0 over 2023-24, rising to 19th overall in 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:▪️+7.0—Chris Bassitt, Blue Jays (8IP 4H R 2BB 7K ND)
Was not Player of the Game in loss vs. OAK.
Player of the Game—Hogan Harris, Athletics (6IP 3H 0R 2BB 3K ND) with +4.0 game score.
▪️+7.0—Chris Sale, Braves (7IP 5H 2R BB 10K L)
Was not Player of the Game in loss vs. WSH.
Player of the Game—Jake Irvin, Nationals (6IP 4H 0R 2BB 4K W) with +4.0 game score.
▪️+7.0—Joe Ryan, Twins (7IP 2H 2R 2BB 8K L)
Was not Player of the Game in loss vs. PIT
Player of the Game—Mitch Keller, Pirates (6IP 7H 0R 2BB 8K W) with +5.0 game score.
Lowest Box-Toppers game scores
Out of 392 total players Friday, 106 pitchers-19.0—Reese Olson, Tigers (4IP 12H 8R BB 6K L vs. MIL)
-18.0—Daniel Lynch IV, Royals
-17.0—Bryce Miller, Mariners
-13.9—Humberto Castellanos, Diamondbacks
-10.8—Ryne Stanek, Mariners
Lowest Box-Toppers game scores by batters
Out of 286 total batters Friday-5.0—Adley Rutschman, Orioles 0-5 3K
-5.0—Giancarlo Stanton, Yankees 0-5 3K
-5.0—Ezequiel Tovar, Rockies 0-5 3K
-5.0—Will Smith, Dodgers 0-5 2K
-5.0—Gavin Lux, Dodgers 0-5 K
-5.0—Jason Heyward, Dodgers 0-5 K
Box-Toppers uses Baseball-Reference.com, MLB.com and other sources to compile this information.
Scoring
Valdez earns 2.0 Box-Toppers points for being Player of the Day.
Yamamoto earns 1.7 points for being NL Player of the Day.
Melendez earns 1.5 points for being AL 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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2024 Box-Toppers points—NL closing pitchers
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) June 8, 2024
1—Ryan Helsley @Cardinals 8.0*
2—Reed Garrett @Mets 4.7
3—Trevor Megill @Brewers 4.0
4—Paul Sewald @Dbacks 3.0
5—Jeff Hoffman @Phillies 3.0
6—Jalen Beeks @Rockies 3.0
*Earns 1.0 B-T point as Player of the Game Friday
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).| 6/7 | BTG | Game | Player | AB | R | H | BI | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | +10.0 | HOU 7, LAA 1 | Framber Valdez (W, 5‑3) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 9.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | |
| NL | +10.0 | `LAD 2, NYY 1 (F/11) | Yoshinobu Yamamoto | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 7.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | |
| +9.0 | MIL 10, DET 0 | Tobias Myers (W, 2‑2) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 8.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | ||
| +8.0 | CHW 7, BOS 2 | Garrett Crochet (W, 6‑5) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 10 | ||
| +5.0 | PIT 3, MIN 0 | Mitch Keller (W, 8‑3) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | ||
| +5.0 | CIN 3, CHC 2 | Nick Lodolo (W, 6‑2) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | ||
| +5.0 | SD 10, ARI 3 | Michael King (W, 5‑4) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 5.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | ||
| +4.0 | SF 5, TEX 2 | Logan Webb (W, 5‑5) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 7.0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | ||
| +4.0 | WSH 2, ATL 1 | Jake Irvin (W, 4‑5) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | ||
| +4.0 | `OAK 2, TOR 1 | Hogan Harris | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 6.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | ||
| +3.2 | MIA 3, CLE 2 | Tanner Scott (W, 5‑4) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| BAT | +3.0 | KC 10, SEA 9 | MJ Melendez LF | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | |
| +3.0 | STL 8, COL 5 | Ryan Helsley (S, 21) | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | ‑ | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| +1.0 | BAL 6, TB 3 | Jordan Westburg 2B | 4 | 1 | 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 | +/‑ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helsley, Ryan 4589 | pi cp | stl nl | 8.0 | 12.0 | 18.0 | 18.0 | +4.0 |
| Crochet, Garrett 4434 | pi sp | chi al | 7.7 | 7.7 | 8.7 | 8.7 | +7.7 |
| Yamamoto, Yoshinobu 4964 | pi sp | lad nl | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | +6.4 |
| Keller, Mitch 4230 | pi sp | pit nl | 6.0 | 19.0 | 26.0 | 26.0 | -7.0 |
| Lodolo, Nick 4586 | pi sp | cin nl | 6.0 | 6.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | +6.0 |
| Webb, Logan 4258 | pi sp | sf nl | 5.0 | 17.4 | 45.3 | 45.3 | -7.4 |
| King, Michael 4549 | pi sp | sd nl | 5.0 | 14.0 | 19.7 | 19.7 | -4.0 |
| Valdez, Framber 4048 | pi sp | hou al | 4.0 | 14.0 | 43.4 | 45.4 | -6.0 |
| Irvin, Jake 4805 | pi sp | dc nl | 3.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 0.0 |
| Westburg, Jordan 4969 | 3b 2b | bal al | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | +3.0 |
| Melendez, MJ 4615 | lf | kc al | 1.5 | 5.5 | 10.0 | 10.0 | -2.5 |
| Scott, Tanner 4292 | pi cp | fla nl | 1.0 | 3.0 | 9.0 | 9.0 | -1.0 |
| Harris, Hogan 4846 | pi sp mr | oak al | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 |
| Myers, Tobias 5026 | pi sp | mil 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHI | Suarez, Ranger 4228 | 9.4 | 13.1 | 28.1 | 28.1 |
| NYM | Manaea, Sean 3637 | 1.0 | 4.7 | 32.1 | 54.9 |
| ATL | Morton, Charlie 2503 | 3.7 | 13.7 | 57.6 | 107.8 |
| WSH | Gore, MacKenzie 4582 | 3.0 | 10.0 | 14.7 | 14.7 |
| MIN | Woods Richardson, Simeon 4974 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.7 |
| PIT | Mlodzinski, Carmen 4894 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| SF | Undecided | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| TEX | Heaney, Andrew 3515 | 2.0 | 13.4 | 34.8 | 49.5 |
| TOR | Gausman, Kevin 3191 | 4.0 | 22.7 | 53.1 | 92.1 |
| OAK | Medina, Luis 4876 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| BAL | Bradish, Kyle 4597 | 3.0 | 17.0 | 23.0 | 23.0 |
| TB | Bradley, Taj 4780 | 1.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| BOS | Bello, Brayan 4727 | 2.7 | 4.7 | 5.7 | 5.7 |
| CHW | Nastrini, Nick* | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| CHC | Brown, Ben 4967 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| CIN | Abbott, Andrew 4839 | 2.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| MIL | Peralta, Freddy 3965 | 6.0 | 23.7 | 53.8 | 62.5 |
| DET | Mize, Casey 4377 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7.7 | 7.7 |
| SEA | Castillo, Luis Miguel 3840 | 6.0 | 22.1 | 60.5 | 76.9 |
| KC | Marsh, Alec 4961 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| COL | Feltner, Ryan 4635 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| STL | Gibson, Kyle 3312 | 3.7 | 12.4 | 39.5 | 65.9 |
| CLE | Lively, Ben 3903 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 6.0 |
| MIA | Munoz, Roddery 4994 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| LAD | Stone, Gavin 4942 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| NYY | Cortes, Nestor 4160 | 5.0 | 7.0 | 29.4 | 29.4 |
| ARI | Nelson, Ryne 4728 | 1.0 | 7.7 | 9.4 | 9.4 |
| SD | Waldron, Matt 4946 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| HOU | Brown, Hunter 4729 | 0.0 | 10.1 | 11.1 | 11.1 |
| LAA | Anderson, Tyler 3656 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 27.4 | 40.4 |
* Player has yet to earn any career Box-Toppers points.
What are those numbers after players' names?
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