Best MLB Hits Matchups — Wednesday, August 26, 2026
Top hits spot: CJ Abrams
CJ Abrams (WSH) tops the board at 100, facing RHP Tanner Gordon. The lefty is hitting .251 H/PA against righties this year — and .130 over the last two weeks, a solid bat that turns into a hit in about 25% of his trips. And Tanner Gordon has been giving up plenty to righties lately — .242 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 just .000 in 3 career PA against Tanner Gordon, 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
- Otto Lopez (MIA) (93) vs RHP Sonny Gray: a strong bat at .262 into an arm getting tattooed by the same side (.308).
- Alec Burleson (STL) (92) vs RHP Kyle Bradish: an excellent bat at .273 into an arm getting tattooed by the same side (.400), hot bat.
- Brandon Lowe (PIT) (89) vs RHP Randy Vásquez: a solid bat at .247 into an arm mostly holding up against the same side (.233), due to bounce back.
- Jeremy Peña (HOU) (89) vs RHP the starter: a strong bat at .259 into an arm with little track record against the same side.
- Ceddanne Rafaela (BOS) (89) vs RHP Ryan Gusto: a strong bat at .260 into an arm getting tattooed by the same side (.348), hot bat.
- Abimelec Ortiz (WSH) (89) vs RHP Tanner Gordon: a solid bat at .234 into an arm giving up plenty to the same side (.242).
- Steven Kwan (CLE) (87) vs RHP Grayson Rodriguez: a solid bat at .242 into an arm tough on the same side (.160).
Pitchers getting tattooed today
- RHP Tanner Gordon has been vulnerable to righties — .279 hits per batter faced. Bats to target: CJ Abrams (WSH), Abimelec Ortiz (WSH), and Daylen Lile (WSH).
- LHP Nick Lodolo has been vulnerable to lefties — .263 hits per batter faced. Bats to target: Jung Hoo Lee (SF), Turner Hill (SF), and Drew Cavanaugh (SF).
- RHP Randy Vásquez has been giving up plenty to righties — .259 hits per batter faced. Bats to target: Brandon Lowe (PIT), Spencer Horwitz (PIT), and Nick Gonzales (PIT).
Platoon edges to target
- CJ Abrams (WSH) — lefty bat vs RHP, .251 against righties this year.
- Alec Burleson (STL) — lefty bat vs RHP, .289 against righties this year.
- Brandon Lowe (PIT) — lefty bat vs RHP, .243 against righties this year.
- Abimelec Ortiz (WSH) — lefty bat vs RHP, .217 against righties this year.
- Steven Kwan (CLE) — lefty bat vs RHP, .239 against righties this year.
Hot bats and bounce-back spots
Swinging hot bats: Alec Burleson (STL), Ceddanne Rafaela (BOS), Zach Neto (LAA), Carson Benge (NYM), Sal Stewart (CIN), and Seiya Suzuki (CHC). Cold but due to bounce back: Brandon Lowe (PIT), Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC), Randy Arozarena (SEA), Trea Turner (PHI), and Nico Hoerner (CHC).
Lineup watch
270 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