Best MLB Hits Matchups — Thursday, July 16, 2026
Top hits spot: Bo Bichette
Bo Bichette (NYM) tops the board at 100, facing RHP Aaron Nola. The righty is hitting .235 H/PA against righties this year — and .267 over the last two weeks, a solid bat that turns into a hit in about 25% of his trips. And Aaron Nola has been vulnerable to righties lately — .267 hits per batter faced. The bullpen behind him is roughly average to that side. He's hitting in a spot worth about 4.5 trips, so the volume's there. He's owned Aaron Nola too — .308 across 13 career trips. It all sets up in a neutral park, weather helping.
The rest of the top of the board
- A.J. Ewing (NYM) (77) vs RHP Aaron Nola: a strong bat at .253 into an arm tough on the same side (.182).
- Brandon Marsh (PHI) (70) vs RHP Christian Scott: a solid bat at .250 into an arm tough on the same side (.191), due to bounce back.
- Carson Benge (NYM) (65) vs RHP Aaron Nola: a strong bat at .266 into an arm tough on the same side (.182), due to bounce back.
- Juan Soto (NYM) (65) vs RHP Aaron Nola: a solid bat at .233 into an arm tough on the same side (.182), due to bounce back.
- Trea Turner (PHI) (62) vs RHP Christian Scott: a solid bat at .236 into an arm tough on the same side (.063).
- Bryce Harper (PHI) (49) vs RHP Christian Scott: a solid bat at .225 into an arm tough on the same side (.191).
- Kyle Schwarber (PHI) (45) vs RHP Christian Scott: a league-average bat at .210 into an arm tough on the same side (.191).
Pitchers getting tattooed today
RHP Aaron Nola has been giving up plenty to righties — .259 hits per batter faced. Bats to target: Bo Bichette (NYM), A.J. Ewing (NYM), and Carson Benge (NYM).
Platoon edges to target
- A.J. Ewing (NYM) — lefty bat vs RHP, .259 against righties this year.
- Brandon Marsh (PHI) — lefty bat vs RHP, .299 against righties this year.
- Carson Benge (NYM) — lefty bat vs RHP, .240 against righties this year.
- Juan Soto (NYM) — lefty bat vs RHP, .238 against righties this year.
- Bryce Harper (PHI) — lefty bat vs RHP, .241 against righties this year.
Hot bats and bounce-back spots
Cold but due to bounce back: Bo Bichette (NYM), Brandon Marsh (PHI), Carson Benge (NYM), Juan Soto (NYM), and Gabriel Rincones Jr. (PHI).
How it played out
7 of the top 10 hits matchups landed at least one hit. Top play Bo Bichette finished with 0 hits. 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.
What the hits board is
The Hits board projects the chance a hitter records at least one hit, matchup-adjusted. One statistical model scores every matchup on the slate the same way — a star and a backup judged on the matchup in front of them, not their name — and every number is graded against the real box score once the games go final.
How the model gets its number
It isn't a gut call or a name game. The projection is built from a few things:
- The hitter's contact rate vs this pitcher's hand.
- The starter's hit-suppression and the park.
- Recent form, without over-reacting to a hot or cold week.
Those pieces combine into one number, and the model re-tunes itself weekly against how its past calls actually landed.
Is there a betting edge here?
Hits is an efficient market — the book prices a 1+ hit line about as well as we do, so we publish the WizLine as graded transparency, not a play. Our projection is sharp (the ranking is well-calibrated); the book just isn't leaving room on it.
How to use it
Use it to see who the model likes to square one up, and how that squares with the price — but there's no systematic edge here, so treat it as research, not a lean.
Everything here is a research signal from the model, graded in public — not betting advice, and no outcome is guaranteed.
Learn more: How the model works · The picks story · Today's plays