Best MLB Singles Matchups — Wednesday, July 29, 2026
Top singles spot: Steven Kwan
Steven Kwan (CLE) tops the board at 100, facing RHP Brady Singer. The lefty is lining singles at .188 1B/PA against righties this year — and .300 over the last two weeks, an elite bat that turns into a single in about 20% of his trips. And Brady Singer has been getting picked apart by righties lately — .219 singles 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 .281 in 32 career PA against Brady Singer. It all sets up in a neutral park.
The rest of the top of the board
- Fernando Tatis Jr. (SD) (92) vs RHP Gabriel Hughes: an excellent bat at .190 into an arm with little track record against the same side.
- Bo Bichette (NYM) (90) vs RHP AJ Smith-Shawver: an elite bat at .194 into an arm with little track record against the same side.
- Nick Gonzales (PIT) (85) vs LHP Eduardo Rodriguez: an excellent bat at .185 into an arm fairly stingy against the same side (.138), hot bat.
- Trevor Larnach (MIN) (82) vs RHP Randy Dobnak: an excellent bat at .171 into an arm prone to base hits from the same side (.158).
- Chandler Simpson (TB) (81) vs LHP MacKenzie Gore: an elite bat at .198 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.182).
- Nathan Lukes (TOR) (79) vs RHP Zack Littell: an excellent bat at .188 into an arm fairly stingy against the same side (.133).
- Nico Hoerner (CHC) (78) vs RHP Dustin May: an elite bat at .200 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.214), hot bat.
Platoon edges to target
- Steven Kwan (CLE) — lefty bat vs RHP, .188 against righties this year.
- Nick Gonzales (PIT) — righty bat vs LHP, .218 against lefties this year.
- Trevor Larnach (MIN) — lefty bat vs RHP, .177 against righties this year.
- Nathan Lukes (TOR) — lefty bat vs RHP, .224 against righties this year.
- Yordan Alvarez (HOU) — lefty bat vs RHP, .149 against righties this year.
Hot bats and bounce-back spots
Swinging hot bats: Nick Gonzales (PIT), Nico Hoerner (CHC), Jeremy Peña (HOU), Freddie Freeman (LAD), Luis Arraez (SF), and Drake Baldwin (ATL). Cold but due to bounce back: Yandy Díaz (TB), Jordan Walker (STL), Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC), Yohendrick Piñango (TOR), and Sam Antonacci (CWS).
Lineup watch
198 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 singles matchups
Each score (0–100) starts with the hitter's singles 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.