Best MLB Runs Matchups — Friday, August 28, 2026
Top runs spot: Drake Baldwin
Drake Baldwin (ATL) tops the board at 100, facing RHP Tomoyuki Sugano. The lefty is scoring at .155 R/PA against righties this year — and .147 over the last two weeks, a strong bat that turns into a run in about 14% of his trips. And Tomoyuki Sugano has been getting lit up by righties lately — .220 runs per batter faced. The bullpen behind him hasn't been any better to that side, so there's no relief late. He's hitting in a spot worth about 4.7 trips, so the volume's there. No real history against Tomoyuki Sugano. It all sets up in a neutral park.
The rest of the top of the board
- Miguel Vargas (CWS) (95) vs RHP Dean Kremer: a strong bat at .143 into an arm getting lit up by the same side (.150), hot bat.
- Matt Olson (ATL) (94) vs RHP Tomoyuki Sugano: a strong bat at .144 into an arm getting lit up by the same side (.220).
- Munetaka Murakami (CWS) (94) vs RHP Dean Kremer: an excellent bat at .153 into an arm letting runs score against the same side (.120), due to bounce back.
- Ozzie Albies (ATL) (94) vs RHP Tomoyuki Sugano: a strong bat at .137 into an arm getting lit up by the same side (.220), hot bat.
- Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC) (92) vs RHP Rhett Lowder: a strong bat at .149 into an arm stingy with runs against the same side (.068).
- Jeremy Peña (HOU) (90) vs RHP Christian Scott: an excellent bat at .162 into an arm stingy with runs against the same side (.000).
- Yordan Alvarez (HOU) (87) vs RHP Christian Scott: an excellent bat at .150 into an arm getting lit up by the same side (.212).
Platoon edges to target
- Drake Baldwin (ATL) — lefty bat vs RHP, .155 against righties this year.
- Matt Olson (ATL) — lefty bat vs RHP, .161 against righties this year.
- Munetaka Murakami (CWS) — lefty bat vs RHP, .178 against righties this year.
- Ozzie Albies (ATL) — lefty bat vs RHP, .151 against righties this year.
- Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC) — lefty bat vs RHP, .163 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