Best MLB Singles Matchups — Thursday, August 13, 2026
Top singles spot: Freddie Freeman
Freddie Freeman (LAD) tops the board at 100, facing LHP Shane Drohan. The lefty is lining singles at .183 1B/PA against lefties this year — and .435 over the last two weeks, an elite bat that turns into a single in about 20% of his trips. And Shane Drohan has been thin against lefties lately. 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 just .000 in 2 career PA against Shane Drohan, 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
- Steven Kwan (CLE) (100) vs RHP Keider Montero: an elite bat at .209 into an arm tough to string hits off the same side (.067), hot bat.
- Wade Meckler (LAA) (96) vs RHP Jacob deGrom: an excellent bat at .176 into an arm tough to string hits off the same side (.118), hot bat.
- Trea Turner (PHI) (91) vs RHP Taj Bradley: an excellent bat at .171 into an arm around league average against the same side (.143).
- Ceddanne Rafaela (BOS) (86) vs RHP Max Scherzer: an excellent bat at .173 into an arm tough to string hits off the same side (.111).
- Luis Arraez (PHI) (82) vs RHP Taj Bradley: an excellent bat at .176 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.226).
- Andy Pages (LAD) (80) vs LHP Shane Drohan: a strong bat at .158 into an arm with little track record against the same side.
- Shohei Ohtani (LAD) (80) vs LHP Shane Drohan: a strong bat at .160 into an arm with little track record against the same side.
Platoon edges to target
- Steven Kwan (CLE) — lefty bat vs RHP, .204 against righties this year.
- Wade Meckler (LAA) — lefty bat vs RHP, .210 against righties this year.
- Luis Arraez (PHI) — lefty bat vs RHP, .212 against righties this year.
- Andy Pages (LAD) — righty bat vs LHP, .134 against lefties this year.
- Chase Meidroth (CWS) — righty bat vs LHP, .176 against lefties this year.
Hot bats and bounce-back spots
Swinging hot bats: Steven Kwan (CLE), Wade Meckler (LAA), Spencer Torkelson (DET), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (TOR), Keibert Ruiz (WSH), and Bryson Stott (PHI). Cold but due to bounce back: Spencer Horwitz (PIT), Jake Mangum (PIT), Bryan Reynolds (PIT), Dillon Dingler (DET), and Byron Buxton (MIN).
How it played out
3 of the top 10 singles matchups landed at least one single. Top play Freddie Freeman finished with 0 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.