Best MLB Hits Matchups — Saturday, September 5, 2026
Top hits spot: Henry Bolte
Henry Bolte (ATH) tops the board at 100, facing RHP George Kirby. The righty is hitting .240 H/PA against righties this year — and .277 over the last two weeks, a solid bat that turns into a hit in about 24% of his trips. And George Kirby has been tough on righties lately — .188 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. No real history against George Kirby. It all sets up in a neutral park.
The rest of the top of the board
- Freddie Freeman (LAD) (100) vs RHP Cade Cavalli: a strong bat at .258 into an arm tough on the same side (.103).
- Jake McCarthy (COL) (100) vs LHP Matthew Liberatore: a solid bat at .248 into an arm vulnerable to the same side (.263), hitter's park.
- Bryan Torres (STL) (98) vs RHP Mason Adams: a solid bat at .247 into an arm with little track record against the same side, hitter's park, due to bounce back.
- Alec Burleson (STL) (95) vs RHP Mason Adams: a strong bat at .262 into an arm with little track record against the same side, hitter's park.
- TJ Rumfield (COL) (89) vs LHP Matthew Liberatore: a solid bat at .242 into an arm vulnerable to the same side (.263), hitter's park, hot bat.
- Hunter Goodman (COL) (89) vs LHP Matthew Liberatore: a solid bat at .247 into an arm getting tattooed by the same side (.345), hitter's park.
- Randy Arozarena (SEA) (86) vs LHP Jeffrey Springs: a solid bat at .237 into an arm giving up plenty to the same side (.250).
Pitchers getting tattooed today
- RHP Anthony Molina has been vulnerable to righties — .264 hits per batter faced. Bats to target: Bo Bichette (NYM), Francisco Lindor (NYM), and Carson Benge (NYM).
- RHP Chris Bassitt has been vulnerable to righties — .263 hits per batter faced. Bats to target: Roman Anthony (BOS), Mickey Gasper (BOS), and Wilyer Abreu (BOS).
- RHP Sonny Gray has been giving up plenty to righties — .257 hits per batter faced. Bats to target: Blaze Alexander (BAL), Pete Alonso (BAL), and Jackson Holliday (BAL).
- RHP Seth Lugo has been giving up plenty to righties — .256 hits per batter faced. Bats to target: Brett Bateman (TOR), George Springer (TOR), and Nathan Lukes (TOR).
Platoon edges to target
- Freddie Freeman (LAD) — lefty bat vs RHP, .274 against righties this year.
- Bryan Torres (STL) — lefty bat vs RHP, .246 against righties this year.
- Alec Burleson (STL) — lefty bat vs RHP, .279 against righties this year.
- Hunter Goodman (COL) — righty bat vs LHP, .239 against lefties this year.
- Randy Arozarena (SEA) — righty bat vs LHP, .255 against lefties this year.
Best parks to hit in today
Coors Field is playing as a real hitter's park today (+9% hits park). Top bat there: Jake McCarthy (COL) at 100.
Hot bats and bounce-back spots
Swinging hot bats: TJ Rumfield (COL), Dominic Canzone (SEA), Teoscar Hernández (LAD), Bo Bichette (NYM), Thomas Saggese (STL), and Carter Jensen (KC). Cold but due to bounce back: Bryan Torres (STL), Daylen Lile (WSH), Jordan Beck (COL), Zach Neto (LAA), and Angel Martínez (CLE).
How it played out
9 of the top 10 hits matchups landed at least one hit. Top play Henry Bolte 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.
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