Best MLB Runs Matchups — Sunday, October 4, 2026
Top runs spot: Dustin Harris
Dustin Harris (SD) tops the board at 100, facing RHP Logan Henderson. The lefty is scoring at .171 R/PA against righties this year — and .222 over the last two weeks, a strong bat that turns into a run in about 14% of his trips. And Logan Henderson has been thin against righties lately. The bullpen behind him is roughly average to that side. He's hitting in a spot worth about 4.5 trips, so the volume's there. No real history against Logan Henderson. It all sets up in a neutral park.
The rest of the top of the board
- Shohei Ohtani (LAD) (95) vs RHP the starter: a strong bat at .140 into an arm with little track record against the same side.
- Fernando Tatis Jr. (SD) (90) vs RHP Logan Henderson: a solid bat at .124 into an arm with little track record against the same side.
- Mookie Betts (LAD) (88) vs RHP the starter: a strong bat at .130 into an arm with little track record against the same side.
- Ronald Acuña Jr. (ATL) (81) vs LHP Blake Snell: a strong bat at .132 into an arm with little track record against the same side, due to bounce back.
- Matt Olson (ATL) (79) vs LHP Blake Snell: a strong bat at .131 into an arm with little track record against the same side.
- Jackson Merrill (SD) (79) vs RHP Logan Henderson: a strong bat at .136 into an arm with little track record against the same side.
- Drake Baldwin (ATL) (78) vs LHP Blake Snell: a league-average bat at .115 into an arm with little track record against the same side.
Platoon edges to target
- Dustin Harris (SD) — lefty bat vs RHP, .171 against righties this year.
- Ronald Acuña Jr. (ATL) — righty bat vs LHP, .152 against lefties this year.
- Jackson Merrill (SD) — lefty bat vs RHP, .143 against righties this year.
- Ethan Salas (SD) — lefty bat vs RHP, .182 against righties this year.
- Ozzie Albies (ATL) — righty bat vs LHP, .092 against lefties this year.
Lineup watch
36 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