Best MLB Singles Matchups — Saturday, August 1, 2026
Top singles spot: Mike Trout
Mike Trout (LAA) tops the board at 100, facing LHP Robert Gasser. The righty is lining singles at .143 1B/PA against lefties this year — and .333 over the last two weeks, a strong bat that turns into a single in about 17% of his trips. And Robert Gasser has been around league average against lefties lately — .148 singles 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 4.5 trips, so the volume's there. No real history against Robert Gasser. It all sets up in a neutral park.
The rest of the top of the board
- Gleyber Torres (DET) (95) vs RHP Jack Perkins: an excellent bat at .176 into an arm tough to string hits off the same side (.105).
- Jeremy Peña (HOU) (94) vs RHP Jacob deGrom: an elite bat at .201 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.273), hot bat.
- Cole Young (SEA) (92) vs LHP Connor Prielipp: an elite bat at .191 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.333), hot bat.
- Kevin McGonigle (DET) (91) vs RHP Jack Perkins: an excellent bat at .176 into an arm tough to string hits off the same side (.043).
- Jake Mangum (PIT) (88) vs LHP Andrew Abbott: an elite bat at .196 into an arm prone to base hits from the same side (.161), hot bat.
- Fernando Tatis Jr. (SD) (88) vs RHP Tyler Mahle: an excellent bat at .181 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.174).
- Drake Baldwin (ATL) (87) vs RHP Miles Mikolas: an elite bat at .192 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.182), due to bounce back.
Platoon edges to target
- Mike Trout (LAA) — righty bat vs LHP, .143 against lefties this year.
- Kevin McGonigle (DET) — lefty bat vs RHP, .168 against righties this year.
- Jake Mangum (PIT) — righty bat vs LHP, .247 against lefties this year.
- Drake Baldwin (ATL) — lefty bat vs RHP, .181 against righties this year.
- Chandler Simpson (TB) — lefty bat vs RHP, .247 against righties this year.
Hot bats and bounce-back spots
Swinging hot bats: Jeremy Peña (HOU), Cole Young (SEA), Jake Mangum (PIT), Ceddanne Rafaela (BOS), Freddie Freeman (LAD), and Nick Gonzales (PIT). Cold but due to bounce back: Drake Baldwin (ATL), Otto Lopez (MIA), Tyler Soderstrom (ATH), Jake McCarthy (COL), and Max Schuemann (NYY).
How it played out
7 of the top 10 singles matchups landed at least one single. Top play Mike Trout finished with 2 singles. We post the result next to every projection so you can grade the board yourself — and so the model gets re-tuned against what actually happened.
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.