Best MLB Hits Matchups — Friday, September 11, 2026
Top hits spot: Jackson Chourio
Jackson Chourio (MIL) tops the board at 100, facing LHP Andrew Abbott. The righty is hitting .262 H/PA against lefties this year — and .269 over the last two weeks, an excellent bat that turns into a hit in about 27% of his trips. And Andrew Abbott has been vulnerable to lefties lately — .269 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 a fine .231 in 13 career PA against Andrew Abbott. It all sets up in a neutral park.
The rest of the top of the board
- Yandy Díaz (TB) (97) vs RHP Miguel Ullola: a strong bat at .268 into an arm getting tattooed by the same side (.500).
- Bryce Eldridge (SF) (93) vs LHP Robbie Ray: a strong bat at .261 into an arm getting tattooed by the same side (.417), hot bat.
- Drake Baldwin (ATL) (92) vs RHP Aaron Nola: a strong bat at .263 into an arm tough on the same side (.095).
- Jake McCarthy (COL) (91) vs LHP Framber Valdez: a solid bat at .250 into an arm tough on the same side (.188), hot bat.
- Fernando Tatis Jr. (SD) (91) vs RHP Anthony Molina: a solid bat at .249 into an arm tough on the same side (.136).
- Steven Kwan (CLE) (89) vs RHP Taj Bradley: a strong bat at .258 into an arm tough on the same side (.171).
- Ronald Acuña Jr. (ATL) (89) vs RHP Aaron Nola: a strong bat at .257 into an arm vulnerable to the same side (.286).
Pitchers getting tattooed today
- RHP Seth Lugo has been vulnerable to righties — .266 hits per batter faced. Bats to target: Roman Anthony (BOS), Trevor Story (BOS), and Mickey Gasper (BOS).
- RHP Chris Bassitt has been giving up plenty to righties — .259 hits per batter faced. Bats to target: Brett Bateman (TOR), Charles McAdoo (TOR), and Alejandro Kirk (TOR).
Platoon edges to target
- Jackson Chourio (MIL) — righty bat vs LHP, .262 against lefties this year.
- Drake Baldwin (ATL) — lefty bat vs RHP, .262 against righties this year.
- Steven Kwan (CLE) — lefty bat vs RHP, .250 against righties this year.
- Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC) — lefty bat vs RHP, .235 against righties this year.
- Andrew Vaughn (MIL) — righty bat vs LHP, .301 against lefties this year.
Hot bats and bounce-back spots
Swinging hot bats: Bryce Eldridge (SF), Jake McCarthy (COL), Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC), Henry Bolte (ATH), Elly De La Cruz (CIN), and Otto Lopez (MIA). Cold but due to bounce back: Hao-Yu Lee (DET), Kaelen Culpepper (MIN), Riley Greene (DET), Michael Harris II (ATL), and Ezequiel Duran (TEX).
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 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