Best MLB Runs Matchups — Tuesday, August 25, 2026
Top runs spot: JJ Wetherholt
JJ Wetherholt (STL) tops the board at 100, facing RHP Chris Bassitt. The lefty is scoring at .178 R/PA against righties this year — and .186 over the last two weeks, an excellent bat that turns into a run in about 16% of his trips. And Chris Bassitt has been mostly holding up against righties lately — .108 runs 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 Chris Bassitt. It all sets up in a neutral park.
The rest of the top of the board
- Jeremy Peña (HOU) (96) vs RHP Will Warren: an excellent bat at .162 into an arm getting lit up by the same side (.357).
- Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC) (94) vs RHP Brandon Pfaadt: an excellent bat at .151 into an arm getting lit up by the same side (.185).
- CJ Abrams (WSH) (86) vs RHP the starter: a strong bat at .137 into an arm with little track record against the same side.
- Randy Arozarena (SEA) (85) vs RHP Aaron Nola: a strong bat at .147 into an arm stingy with runs against the same side (.083).
- Munetaka Murakami (CWS) (83) vs RHP Jacob deGrom: an excellent bat at .153 into an arm stingy with runs against the same side (.053).
- Bryce Harper (PHI) (81) vs RHP George Kirby: an excellent bat at .160 into an arm getting lit up by the same side (.182).
- Yordan Alvarez (HOU) (79) vs RHP Will Warren: a strong bat at .150 into an arm stingy with runs against the same side (.080).
Platoon edges to target
- JJ Wetherholt (STL) — lefty bat vs RHP, .178 against righties this year.
- Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC) — lefty bat vs RHP, .167 against righties this year.
- Munetaka Murakami (CWS) — lefty bat vs RHP, .179 against righties this year.
- Bryce Harper (PHI) — lefty bat vs RHP, .187 against righties this year.
- Yordan Alvarez (HOU) — lefty bat vs RHP, .168 against righties this year.
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 runs matchups
Each score (0–100) starts with the hitter's runs scored 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 runs board is
The Runs board projects the chance a hitter scores a run. 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:
- His on-base ability at the top of the order.
- The bats due up behind him.
- The opposing run-prevention.
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?
Like RBIs, runs is a lumpy market that grades efficient once you model the clustering honestly. Transparency board — our number set beside the line, graded.
How to use it
Useful context for top-of-the-order run creation, 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