Best MLB Singles Matchups — Sunday, August 16, 2026
Top singles spot: Jake McCarthy
Jake McCarthy (COL) tops the board at 100, facing RHP Blade Tidwell. The lefty is lining singles at .159 1B/PA against righties this year — and .239 over the last two weeks, an excellent bat that turns into a single in about 17% of his trips. And Blade Tidwell has been getting picked apart by righties lately — .250 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. No real history against Blade Tidwell. It all sets up in a neutral park.
The rest of the top of the board
- Jac Caglianone (KC) (100) vs RHP Ryan Johnson: an excellent bat at .176 into an arm tough to string hits off the same side (.095), hot bat.
- Jose Altuve (HOU) (100) vs RHP Bryan Woo: an excellent bat at .175 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.188).
- Steven Kwan (CLE) (100) vs RHP Casey Mize: an elite bat at .200 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.192).
- Bobby Witt Jr. (KC) (97) vs RHP Ryan Johnson: an excellent bat at .173 into an arm tough to string hits off the same side (.118).
- Wade Meckler (LAA) (96) vs LHP Noah Cameron: an excellent bat at .180 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.188).
- Jeremy Peña (HOU) (95) vs RHP Bryan Woo: a solid bat at .149 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.188).
- Brendan Donovan (SEA) (90) vs RHP Hunter Brown: an excellent bat at .170 into an arm tough to string hits off the same side (.077).
Platoon edges to target
- Jake McCarthy (COL) — lefty bat vs RHP, .159 against righties this year.
- Jac Caglianone (KC) — lefty bat vs RHP, .152 against righties this year.
- Steven Kwan (CLE) — lefty bat vs RHP, .204 against righties this year.
- Brendan Donovan (SEA) — lefty bat vs RHP, .165 against righties this year.
- Drake Baldwin (ATL) — lefty bat vs RHP, .181 against righties this year.
Hot bats and bounce-back spots
Swinging hot bats: Jac Caglianone (KC), Brett Bateman (TOR), Chase DeLauter (CLE), Alejandro Kirk (TOR), Gabriel Moreno (AZ), and Chandler Simpson (TB). Cold but due to bounce back: Jared Triolo (PIT), Jordan Walker (STL), JJ Wetherholt (STL), Freddie Freeman (LAD), and CJ Abrams (WSH).
How it played out
4 of the top 10 singles matchups landed at least one single. Top play Jake McCarthy 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.