Who has the best singles matchup today (Thursday, August 6, 2026)?

Cole Young (SEA) — top of the board at 100, facing LHP Framber Valdez. An elite bat into a beatable arm is what pushes it to No. 1.

What are the best MLB singles matchups today (Thursday, August 6, 2026)?

The top singles matchups on Thursday, August 6, 2026: Cole Young (100), Jake Mangum (95), Steven Kwan (94), Luis Arraez (91), Drake Baldwin (84). The full board ranks every hitter in every game by singles upside.

Which hitters have a platoon edge today?

Jake Mangum (PIT) — lefty bat vs RHP, .220 against righties this year. Steven Kwan (CLE) — lefty bat vs RHP, .195 against righties this year. Luis Arraez (PHI) — lefty bat vs RHP, .223 against righties this year. Drake Baldwin (ATL) — lefty bat vs RHP, .176 against righties this year. Kevin McGonigle (DET) — lefty bat vs RHP, .170 against righties this year.

How is the singles matchup score calculated?

It's a weighted read of the hitter's singles per plate appearance against the hand he's facing — the last two weeks, the current season, and a two-year baseline, with recent form counting most. Then it folds in the opposing bullpen, his expected plate appearances from the batting order, and park and weather. Scores are set 0–100 across the day's slate, so the best matchup is always 100.

What does 1B/PA mean?

Singles per plate appearance — how often a hitter gets a one-base hit. Around .14 (roughly one every seven trips) is league average. It rewards contact hitters rather than sluggers: a single is the most common hit in baseball, so this board tends to favour high-average bats over power.

What does the score actually mean?

Higher is better for the hitter. 80s and 90s mean the bat, the pitcher, and the park all line up. 40s and 50s mean it's neutral to tough. It's a ranking of how today's spots stack up against each other — not the odds of a single.

What's the confidence meter?

It's how much data is behind the call — sample size on both the hitter and the pitcher, plus whether the lineup's official. A high score with low confidence is a thinner read than the same score backed by a deep track record. It's not a probability of a single.

What is a platoon split (handedness split)?

Most hitters do better against the opposite hand — a lefty bat vs. a righty arm, and vice versa. That gap is the platoon split. The score leans hard on each hitter's rate against the hand he's facing today, which is why the same guy can rank very differently day to day.

What are park factors?

Parks aren't neutral. Dimensions, altitude, and weather make some easier to hit in than others. Above 1.00 bumps the score, below 1.00 trims it — same hitter, higher grade in a hitter's park than a pitcher's.

What do "2W", "SZN" and "2Y" mean?

The timeframes behind each rate: the last two weeks (recent form), the current season, and a trailing two years (a stable baseline). Recent form counts most, and small samples get pulled toward league average so a hot week doesn't fool the model.

What do "≈ est", "Due" and "Not starting" mean?

"≈ est" is a hitter we don't have splits for yet — a rookie or unmatched ID — shown at a league-baseline estimate instead of dropped. "Due" means he hasn't recorded a single in a while and profiles for regression. "Not starting" means he was projected but didn't make the official lineup, so he slides to the bottom where you can still look him up.

Can I use this for singles props or DFS?

That's what it's built for — pre-slate research. The board surfaces which hitters have the best conditions today, and where one exists, we show the book's "1+ single" line so you can shop the price. We're not a sportsbook and we don't post picks — we show the matchup data, the line, and the result. (Best-price and all-book odds are a Pro feature.)

How accurate is the model?

We grade every board against real results, and the top of the board lands a single a lot more often than the slate as a whole. Weights get re-tuned weekly against actual outcomes on a held-out split, and since results sit next to projections, you can audit the hit rate yourself on any past date.

When do lineups update?

Projected lineups (marked "Proj") come from each team's last game. Official lineups usually drop about two hours before first pitch, and the board updates itself as they post. Batting order is a big driver, so it's worth a second look mid-afternoon — rankings shift as lineups lock.

Yes. The full board, every game page, and the daily archive are free, no login. Best-price odds and the betting tools are the paid tier.

Best MLB singles matchups — Thursday, August 6, 2026

Every hitter on the Thursday, August 6, 2026 slate — ranked by singles upside. Tap any card for the full breakdown.

12:35 PM ET

LAAaway

BALhomeTop matchup63 12:40 PM ET

ATHaway

CINhomeTop matchup65 1:10 PM ET

NYMaway

CLEhomeTop matchup94 2:10 PM ET

PITaway

MILhomeTop matchup95 2:20 PM ET

TORaway

CHChomeTop matchup77 4:10 PM ET

DETaway

SEAhomeTop matchup100 6:05 PM ET

WSHaway

PHIhomeTop matchup91 7:10 PM ET

CWSaway

BOShomeTop matchup75 7:15 PM ET

MIAaway

ATLhomeTop matchup84 7:40 PM ET

MINaway

KChomeTop matchup66 9:40 PM ET

SDaway

AZhomeTop matchup79

PROJ180 on a projected lineup — updates ~2h before first pitch

Not starting4 not in the official lineup — moved to the bottom

PosSort

#Hitter · Matchup · 202 shownScore

Best MLB Singles Matchups — Thursday, August 6, 2026

Cole Young (SEA) is the top singles matchup on the Thursday, August 6, 2026 board at 100, with Jake Mangum (PIT) and Steven Kwan (CLE) right behind. Every hitter on the slate is ranked by singles upside — the arm and bullpen they face, batting order, park, and weather. It's the read DFS and prop players make before lock.

Top singles spot: Cole Young

Cole Young (SEA) tops the board at 100, facing LHP Framber Valdez. The lefty is lining singles at .194 1B/PA against lefties this year — and .381 over the last two weeks, an elite bat that turns into a single in about 20% of his trips. And Framber Valdez has been getting picked apart by lefties lately — .231 singles per batter faced. The bullpen behind him is roughly average to that side. He's hitting in a spot worth about 4.7 trips, so the volume's there. He's just .000 in 2 career PA against Framber Valdez, 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

Jake Mangum (PIT) (95) vs RHP Dustin May: an elite bat at .193 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.182).
Steven Kwan (CLE) (94) vs RHP Nolan McLean: an elite bat at .199 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.184), hot bat.
Luis Arraez (PHI) (91) vs RHP Miles Mikolas: an elite bat at .211 into an arm prone to base hits from the same side (.163).
Drake Baldwin (ATL) (84) vs RHP Janson Junk: a strong bat at .167 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.240).
Kevin McGonigle (DET) (83) vs RHP Bryce Miller: an excellent bat at .189 into an arm fairly stingy against the same side (.125), due to bounce back.
Jackson Merrill (SD) (79) vs LHP Kohl Drake: an elite bat at .201 into an arm with little track record against the same side.
Nick Gonzales (PIT) (79) vs RHP Dustin May: an elite bat at .200 into an arm tough to string hits off the same side (.087).

Platoon edges to target

Jake Mangum (PIT) — lefty bat vs RHP, .220 against righties this year.
Steven Kwan (CLE) — lefty bat vs RHP, .195 against righties this year.
Luis Arraez (PHI) — lefty bat vs RHP, .223 against righties this year.
Drake Baldwin (ATL) — lefty bat vs RHP, .176 against righties this year.
Kevin McGonigle (DET) — lefty bat vs RHP, .170 against righties this year.

Hot bats and bounce-back spots

Swinging hot bats: Steven Kwan (CLE), Geraldo Perdomo (AZ), Alec Bohm (PHI), Julio Rodríguez (SEA), Dillon Dingler (DET), and Andruw Monasterio (BOS). Cold but due to bounce back: Cole Young (SEA), Kevin McGonigle (DET), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (TOR), Josh Naylor (SEA), and Christian Franklin (BAL).

Lineup watch

180 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.

Keep reading

Frequently asked questions

Who has the best singles matchup today (Thursday, August 6, 2026)?: Cole Young (SEA) — top of the board at 100, facing LHP Framber Valdez. An elite bat into a beatable arm is what pushes it to No. 1.
What are the best MLB singles matchups today (Thursday, August 6, 2026)?: The top singles matchups on Thursday, August 6, 2026: Cole Young (100), Jake Mangum (95), Steven Kwan (94), Luis Arraez (91), Drake Baldwin (84). The full board ranks every hitter in every game by singles upside.
Which hitters have a platoon edge today?: Jake Mangum (PIT) — lefty bat vs RHP, .220 against righties this year. Steven Kwan (CLE) — lefty bat vs RHP, .195 against righties this year. Luis Arraez (PHI) — lefty bat vs RHP, .223 against righties this year. Drake Baldwin (ATL) — lefty bat vs RHP, .176 against righties this year. Kevin McGonigle (DET) — lefty bat vs RHP, .170 against righties this year.
Are any hitters hot or due today?: Swinging hot bats: Steven Kwan (CLE), Geraldo Perdomo (AZ), Alec Bohm (PHI), Julio Rodríguez (SEA), Dillon Dingler (DET), and Andruw Monasterio (BOS). Cold but due to bounce back: Cole Young (SEA), Kevin McGonigle (DET), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (TOR), Josh Naylor (SEA), and Christian Franklin (BAL).
How is the singles matchup score calculated?: It's a weighted read of the hitter's singles per plate appearance against the hand he's facing — the last two weeks, the current season, and a two-year baseline, with recent form counting most. Then it folds in the opposing bullpen, his expected plate appearances from the batting order, and park and weather. Scores are set 0–100 across the day's slate, so the best matchup is always 100.
What does 1B/PA mean?: Singles per plate appearance — how often a hitter gets a one-base hit. Around .14 (roughly one every seven trips) is league average. It rewards contact hitters rather than sluggers: a single is the most common hit in baseball, so this board tends to favour high-average bats over power.
What does the score actually mean?: Higher is better for the hitter. 80s and 90s mean the bat, the pitcher, and the park all line up. 40s and 50s mean it's neutral to tough. It's a ranking of how today's spots stack up against each other — not the odds of a single.
What's the confidence meter?: It's how much data is behind the call — sample size on both the hitter and the pitcher, plus whether the lineup's official. A high score with low confidence is a thinner read than the same score backed by a deep track record. It's not a probability of a single.
What is a platoon split (handedness split)?: Most hitters do better against the opposite hand — a lefty bat vs. a righty arm, and vice versa. That gap is the platoon split. The score leans hard on each hitter's rate against the hand he's facing today, which is why the same guy can rank very differently day to day.
What are park factors?: Parks aren't neutral. Dimensions, altitude, and weather make some easier to hit in than others. Above 1.00 bumps the score, below 1.00 trims it — same hitter, higher grade in a hitter's park than a pitcher's.
What do "2W", "SZN" and "2Y" mean?: The timeframes behind each rate: the last two weeks (recent form), the current season, and a trailing two years (a stable baseline). Recent form counts most, and small samples get pulled toward league average so a hot week doesn't fool the model.
What do "≈ est", "Due" and "Not starting" mean?: "≈ est" is a hitter we don't have splits for yet — a rookie or unmatched ID — shown at a league-baseline estimate instead of dropped. "Due" means he hasn't recorded a single in a while and profiles for regression. "Not starting" means he was projected but didn't make the official lineup, so he slides to the bottom where you can still look him up.
Can I use this for singles props or DFS?: That's what it's built for — pre-slate research. The board surfaces which hitters have the best conditions today, and where one exists, we show the book's "1+ single" line so you can shop the price. We're not a sportsbook and we don't post picks — we show the matchup data, the line, and the result. (Best-price and all-book odds are a Pro feature.)
How accurate is the model?: We grade every board against real results, and the top of the board lands a single a lot more often than the slate as a whole. Weights get re-tuned weekly against actual outcomes on a held-out split, and since results sit next to projections, you can audit the hit rate yourself on any past date.
When do lineups update?: Projected lineups (marked "Proj") come from each team's last game. Official lineups usually drop about two hours before first pitch, and the board updates itself as they post. Batting order is a big driver, so it's worth a second look mid-afternoon — rankings shift as lineups lock.
Is MatchWiz free?: Yes. The full board, every game page, and the daily archive are free, no login. Best-price odds and the betting tools are the paid tier.