Best MLB Hits Matchups — Monday, August 24, 2026
Top hits spot: Sal Stewart
Sal Stewart (CIN) tops the board at 100, facing RHP the starter. The righty is hitting .231 H/PA against righties this year — and .292 over the last two weeks, a solid bat that turns into a hit in about 24% of his trips. And the starter has been thin against righties lately. One catch: the bullpen behind him has been stingy to that side late. He's hitting in a spot worth about 4.5 trips, so the volume's there. No real history against the starter. It all sets up in a neutral park.
The rest of the top of the board
- Luke Keaschall (MIN) (99) vs LHP Jeffrey Springs: a solid bat at .248 into an arm tough on the same side (.071), hot bat.
- Zach Neto (LAA) (95) vs LHP Parker Messick: a strong bat at .253 into an arm tough on the same side (.188), hot bat.
- Otto Lopez (MIA) (93) vs LHP Ranger Suarez: a strong bat at .264 into an arm giving up plenty to the same side (.242).
- Daylen Lile (WSH) (93) vs RHP Ryan Feltner: a solid bat at .244 into an arm getting tattooed by the same side (.323).
- Abimelec Ortiz (WSH) (91) vs RHP Ryan Feltner: a solid bat at .242 into an arm getting tattooed by the same side (.323), due to bounce back.
- Gabriel Moreno (AZ) (89) vs RHP Kevin Gausman: a strong bat at .268 into an arm getting tattooed by the same side (.357).
- Fernando Tatis Jr. (SD) (87) vs RHP Braxton Ashcraft: a solid bat at .249 into an arm tough on the same side (.036), hot bat.
Pitchers getting tattooed today
RHP Zebby Matthews has been giving up plenty to righties — .256 hits per batter faced. Bats to target: Carlos Cortes (ATH), Henry Bolte (ATH), and Zack Gelof (ATH).
Platoon edges to target
- Luke Keaschall (MIN) — righty bat vs LHP, .243 against lefties this year.
- Zach Neto (LAA) — righty bat vs LHP, .245 against lefties this year.
- Otto Lopez (MIA) — righty bat vs LHP, .344 against lefties this year.
- Daylen Lile (WSH) — lefty bat vs RHP, .233 against righties this year.
- Abimelec Ortiz (WSH) — lefty bat vs RHP, .236 against righties this year.
Hot bats and bounce-back spots
Swinging hot bats: Sal Stewart (CIN), Luke Keaschall (MIN), Zach Neto (LAA), Fernando Tatis Jr. (SD), Jahmai Jones (BOS), and Chandler Simpson (TB). Cold but due to bounce back: Abimelec Ortiz (WSH), Justin Foscue (TEX), Josh Bell (MIN), Zack Gelof (ATH), and Rafael Devers (SF).
Lineup watch
180 of today's hitters are still on projected lineups, drawn from each team's last game. Batting order drives the score, so these flip the moment official lineups post — usually about two hours before first pitch. Anyone who doesn't make the official card gets flagged "Not starting" and drops to the bottom.
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 our number 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