Best MLB Singles Matchups — Saturday, August 8, 2026
Top singles spot: Chandler Simpson
Chandler Simpson (TB) tops the board at 100, facing RHP George Kirby. The lefty is lining singles at .253 1B/PA against righties this year — and .321 over the last two weeks, an elite bat that turns into a single in about 22% of his trips. And George Kirby has been tough to string hits off righties lately — .115 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 4.3 trips, so the volume's there. He's owned George Kirby too — .500 across 2 career trips. It all sets up in a neutral park.
The rest of the top of the board
- Kevin McGonigle (DET) (100) vs RHP Landen Roupp: an elite bat at .197 into an arm fairly stingy against the same side (.130).
- Freddie Freeman (LAD) (100) vs RHP Brandon Pfaadt: an elite bat at .204 into an arm fairly stingy against the same side (.133).
- Jake Mangum (PIT) (91) vs RHP Robert Stock: an excellent bat at .179 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.167).
- Yandy Díaz (TB) (89) vs RHP George Kirby: a strong bat at .162 into an arm prone to base hits from the same side (.150).
- Luis Arraez (PHI) (87) vs RHP Max Scherzer: an elite bat at .206 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.217).
- Jonathan Aranda (TB) (85) vs RHP George Kirby: an excellent bat at .176 into an arm tough to string hits off the same side (.115), hot bat.
- Gleyber Torres (DET) (83) vs RHP Landen Roupp: an excellent bat at .170 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.316), hot bat.
Platoon edges to target
- Chandler Simpson (TB) — lefty bat vs RHP, .253 against righties this year.
- Kevin McGonigle (DET) — lefty bat vs RHP, .175 against righties this year.
- Freddie Freeman (LAD) — lefty bat vs RHP, .186 against righties this year.
- Jake Mangum (PIT) — lefty bat vs RHP, .214 against righties this year.
- Luis Arraez (PHI) — lefty bat vs RHP, .219 against righties this year.
Hot bats and bounce-back spots
Swinging hot bats: Jonathan Aranda (TB), Gleyber Torres (DET), Steven Kwan (CLE), Elly De La Cruz (CIN), Caleb Durbin (BOS), and Yordan Alvarez (HOU). Cold but due to bounce back: Jeremy Peña (HOU), Jackson Holliday (BAL), Cole Carrigg (COL), Jo Adell (CLE), and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (TOR).
How it played out
5 of the top 10 singles matchups landed at least one single. Top play Chandler Simpson 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.