Best MLB Runs Matchups — Tuesday, September 22, 2026
Top runs spot: Pete Crow-Armstrong
Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC) tops the board at 100, facing RHP Janson Junk. The lefty is scoring at .184 R/PA against righties this year — and .279 over the last two weeks, an excellent bat that turns into a run in about 16% of his trips. And Janson Junk has been vulnerable to righties lately — .136 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. He's just .000 in 4 career PA against Janson Junk, 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
- Ketel Marte (AZ) (99) vs LHP Kyle Freeland: a strong bat at .142 into an arm getting lit up by the same side (.188).
- Jeremy Peña (HOU) (93) vs RHP Logan Gilbert: an excellent bat at .160 into an arm stingy with runs against the same side (.038).
- James Wood (WSH) (88) vs RHP Drew Anderson: an excellent bat at .166 into an arm getting lit up by the same side (.143).
- JJ Wetherholt (STL) (87) vs RHP Jared Jones: an excellent bat at .153 into an arm stingy with runs against the same side (.036).
- Brice Turang (MIL) (82) vs RHP Zack Wheeler: a strong bat at .150 into an arm with little track record against the same side.
- Gleyber Torres (DET) (82) vs LHP Jackson Kent: a strong bat at .148 into an arm with little track record against the same side, due to bounce back.
- Wyatt Langford (TEX) (81) vs LHP Sean Manaea: a strong bat at .136 into an arm getting lit up by the same side (.182).
Platoon edges to target
- Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC) — lefty bat vs RHP, .184 against righties this year.
- Ketel Marte (AZ) — righty bat vs LHP, .172 against lefties this year.
- James Wood (WSH) — lefty bat vs RHP, .194 against righties this year.
- JJ Wetherholt (STL) — lefty bat vs RHP, .171 against righties this year.
- Brice Turang (MIL) — lefty bat vs RHP, .165 against righties this year.
Lineup watch
288 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 — the WizLine 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