Best MLB Hits Matchups — Tuesday, July 28, 2026
Top hits spot: Fernando Tatis Jr.
Fernando Tatis Jr. (SD) tops the board at 100, facing RHP Michael Lorenzen. The righty is hitting .245 H/PA against righties this year — and .265 over the last two weeks, a solid bat that turns into a hit in about 25% of his trips. And Michael Lorenzen has been tough on righties lately — .000 hits per batter faced. The bullpen behind him is roughly average to that side. He's hitting in a spot worth about 4.7 trips, so the volume's there. He's just .143 in 7 career PA against Michael Lorenzen, but that's a tiny sample and the matchup says regression. It all sets up in a neutral park.
The rest of the top of the board
- Jake Mangum (PIT) (100) vs RHP Brandon Pfaadt: a strong bat at .251 into an arm getting tattooed by the same side (.360), hot bat.
- Trevor Larnach (MIN) (100) vs RHP Seth Lugo: an excellent bat at .273 into an arm tough on the same side (.080), hot bat.
- Freddie Freeman (LAD) (97) vs RHP Luis Castillo: an excellent bat at .284 into an arm tough on the same side (.133), hot bat.
- Alec Burleson (STL) (94) vs RHP Colin Rea: an elite bat at .306 into an arm tough on the same side (.200).
- Brandon Lowe (PIT) (94) vs RHP Brandon Pfaadt: a strong bat at .264 into an arm getting tattooed by the same side (.360).
- Jacob Wilson (ATH) (90) vs LHP Jake Bennett: a solid bat at .232 into an arm with little track record against the same side, due to bounce back.
- Jahmai Jones (BOS) (89) vs LHP Gage Jump: a solid bat at .232 into an arm getting tattooed by the same side (.344).
Pitchers getting tattooed today
- RHP Brandon Pfaadt has been vulnerable to righties — .274 hits per batter faced. Bats to target: Jake Mangum (PIT), Brandon Lowe (PIT), and Bryan Reynolds (PIT).
- LHP Gage Jump has been vulnerable to lefties — .265 hits per batter faced. Bats to target: Jahmai Jones (BOS), Willson Contreras (BOS), and Romy Gonzalez (BOS).
- RHP Cal Quantrill has been vulnerable to righties — .263 hits per batter faced. Bats to target: Chandler Simpson (TB), Yandy Díaz (TB), and Jonathan Aranda (TB).
Platoon edges to target
- Jake Mangum (PIT) — lefty bat vs RHP, .275 against righties this year.
- Trevor Larnach (MIN) — lefty bat vs RHP, .274 against righties this year.
- Freddie Freeman (LAD) — lefty bat vs RHP, .284 against righties this year.
- Alec Burleson (STL) — lefty bat vs RHP, .293 against righties this year.
- Brandon Lowe (PIT) — lefty bat vs RHP, .234 against righties this year.
Hot bats and bounce-back spots
Swinging hot bats: Jake Mangum (PIT), Trevor Larnach (MIN), Freddie Freeman (LAD), Luis Rengifo (SD), Joc Pederson (TEX), and Tyler Soderstrom (ATH). Cold but due to bounce back: Fernando Tatis Jr. (SD), Jacob Wilson (ATH), Willson Contreras (BOS), Nathan Lukes (TOR), and Yohendrick Piñango (TOR).
How it played out
6 of the top 10 hits matchups landed at least one hit. Top play Fernando Tatis Jr. finished with 4 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