Best MLB Singles Matchups — Thursday, August 6, 2026
Top singles spot: Drake Baldwin
Drake Baldwin (ATL) tops the board at 100, facing RHP Janson Junk. The lefty is lining singles at .181 1B/PA against righties this year — and .238 over the last two weeks, an excellent bat that turns into a single in about 18% of his trips. And Janson Junk has been getting picked apart by righties lately — .240 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. No real history against Janson Junk. It all sets up in a neutral park.
The rest of the top of the board
- Geraldo Perdomo (AZ) (100) vs RHP Walker Buehler: a solid bat at .148 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.333), hot bat.
- Jake Mangum (PIT) (99) vs RHP Dustin May: an elite bat at .190 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.182).
- Luis Arraez (PHI) (89) vs RHP Miles Mikolas: an elite bat at .207 into an arm fairly stingy against the same side (.129).
- Jackson Merrill (SD) (89) vs LHP Kohl Drake: an elite bat at .195 into an arm with little track record against the same side.
- Kevin McGonigle (DET) (84) vs RHP Bryce Miller: an excellent bat at .185 into an arm fairly stingy against the same side (.125), due to bounce back.
- Chase Meidroth (CWS) (83) vs LHP Ranger Suarez: a strong bat at .165 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.227).
- Bo Bichette (NYM) (81) vs LHP Foster Griffin: a strong bat at .158 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.270).
Platoon edges to target
- Drake Baldwin (ATL) — lefty bat vs RHP, .181 against righties this year.
- Geraldo Perdomo (AZ) — lefty bat vs RHP, .140 against righties this year.
- Jake Mangum (PIT) — lefty bat vs RHP, .218 against righties this year.
- Luis Arraez (PHI) — lefty bat vs RHP, .221 against righties this year.
- Kevin McGonigle (DET) — lefty bat vs RHP, .168 against righties this year.
Hot bats and bounce-back spots
Swinging hot bats: Geraldo Perdomo (AZ), Andruw Monasterio (BOS), Alec Bohm (PHI), Seiya Suzuki (CHC), Dillon Dingler (DET), and Julio Rodríguez (SEA). Cold but due to bounce back: Kevin McGonigle (DET), Cole Young (SEA), Dylan Beavers (BAL), Jackson Holliday (BAL), and Ketel Marte (AZ).
How it played out
7 of the top 10 singles matchups landed at least one single. Top play Drake Baldwin finished with 1 single. 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.