Best MLB Hits Matchups — Tuesday, May 5, 2026
Top hits spot: Jacob Wilson
Jacob Wilson (ATH) tops the board at 100, facing LHP Cristopher Sánchez. The righty is hitting .275 H/PA against lefties this year — and .333 over the last two weeks, a strong bat that turns into a hit in about 27% of his trips. And Cristopher Sánchez has been getting tattooed by lefties lately — .311 hits per batter faced. One catch: the bullpen behind him has been stingy to that side late. He's hitting in a spot worth about 4.7 trips, so the volume's there. He's owned Cristopher Sánchez too — .429 across 7 career trips. It all sets up in a neutral park, weather helping.
The rest of the top of the board
- Xavier Edwards (MIA) (100) vs RHP Chris Bassitt: an excellent bat at .270 into an arm getting tattooed by the same side (.400), hot bat.
- Trevor Larnach (MIN) (84) vs RHP Cade Cavalli: a strong bat at .259 into an arm getting tattooed by the same side (.300).
- Josh Jung (TEX) (83) vs RHP Elmer Rodríguez: an excellent bat at .293 into an arm getting tattooed by the same side (.333), hot bat.
- Jung Hoo Lee (SF) (83) vs RHP Walker Buehler: a strong bat at .262 into an arm tough on the same side (.208), due to bounce back.
- Nico Hoerner (CHC) (80) vs LHP Andrew Abbott: an excellent bat at .274 into an arm mostly holding up against the same side (.229), hot bat.
- Oneil Cruz (PIT) (78) vs LHP Eduardo Rodriguez: a solid bat at .249 into an arm getting tattooed by the same side (.417).
- Otto Lopez (MIA) (77) vs RHP Chris Bassitt: an excellent bat at .273 into an arm mostly holding up against the same side (.219), hot bat.
Pitchers getting tattooed today
- RHP Chris Bassitt has been vulnerable to righties — .281 hits per batter faced. Bats to target: Xavier Edwards (MIA), Otto Lopez (MIA), and Liam Hicks (MIA).
- RHP Cade Cavalli has been vulnerable to righties — .276 hits per batter faced. Bats to target: Trevor Larnach (MIN), Byron Buxton (MIN), and Austin Martin (MIN).
- LHP Cristopher Sánchez has been vulnerable to lefties — .274 hits per batter faced. Bats to target: Jacob Wilson (ATH), Brent Rooker (ATH), and Colby Thomas (ATH).
- RHP Bryce Elder has been vulnerable to righties — .269 hits per batter faced. Bats to target: Julio Rodríguez (SEA), Randy Arozarena (SEA), and Josh Naylor (SEA).
Platoon edges to target
- Jacob Wilson (ATH) — righty bat vs LHP, .275 against lefties this year.
- Xavier Edwards (MIA) — lefty bat vs RHP, .292 against righties this year.
- Trevor Larnach (MIN) — lefty bat vs RHP, .263 against righties this year.
- Jung Hoo Lee (SF) — lefty bat vs RHP, .255 against righties this year.
- Nico Hoerner (CHC) — righty bat vs LHP, .320 against lefties this year.
Hot bats and bounce-back spots
Swinging hot bats: Jacob Wilson (ATH), Xavier Edwards (MIA), Josh Jung (TEX), Nico Hoerner (CHC), Otto Lopez (MIA), and Chase Meidroth (CWS). Cold but due to bounce back: Jung Hoo Lee (SF), Dane Myers (CIN), Gavin Sheets (SD), Nathaniel Lowe (CIN), and Daylen Lile (WSH).
How it played out
9 of the top 10 hits matchups landed at least one hit. Top play Jacob Wilson finished with 1 hit. We post the result next to every projection so you can grade the board yourself — and so the model gets re-tuned against what actually happened.
How to read these hits matchups
Each score (0–100) starts with the hitter's hits per plate appearance against the hand he's facing — weighted toward the last two weeks, then the season, then a two-year baseline. Then it layers in the bullpen, his spot in the order, and park and weather. Higher means more of it points his way. It's context, not a lock — a great spot still goes 0-for-4 sometimes, and a tough one runs into one. The edge is in stacking the odds, and since we grade every board, you can see how often the top of the list delivers.