Best MLB Singles Matchups — Wednesday, August 19, 2026
Top singles spot: Chandler Simpson
Chandler Simpson (TB) tops the board at 100, facing RHP Max Scherzer. The lefty is lining singles at .266 1B/PA against righties this year — and .350 over the last two weeks, an elite bat that turns into a single in about 24% of his trips. And Max Scherzer has been tough to string hits off righties lately — .120 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 Max Scherzer. It all sets up in a neutral park.
The rest of the top of the board
- Jeff McNeil (ATH) (100) vs RHP Seth Lugo: an excellent bat at .180 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.191).
- Wade Meckler (LAA) (100) vs RHP Ethan Pecko: an excellent bat at .181 into an arm with little track record against the same side.
- Freddie Freeman (LAD) (100) vs LHP Kyle Freeland: an excellent bat at .175 into an arm tough to string hits off the same side (.059).
- Jake McCarthy (COL) (100) vs RHP Roki Sasaki: an excellent bat at .178 into an arm tough to string hits off the same side (.040).
- Andy Pages (LAD) (93) vs LHP Kyle Freeland: a solid bat at .148 into an arm tough to string hits off the same side (.091).
- Teoscar Hernández (LAD) (91) vs LHP Kyle Freeland: a solid bat at .153 into an arm tough to string hits off the same side (.091).
- Henry Bolte (ATH) (90) vs RHP Seth Lugo: an excellent bat at .182 into an arm fairly stingy against the same side (.125).
Platoon edges to target
- Chandler Simpson (TB) — lefty bat vs RHP, .266 against righties this year.
- Jeff McNeil (ATH) — lefty bat vs RHP, .191 against righties this year.
- Wade Meckler (LAA) — lefty bat vs RHP, .209 against righties this year.
- Jake McCarthy (COL) — lefty bat vs RHP, .159 against righties this year.
- Andy Pages (LAD) — righty bat vs LHP, .138 against lefties this year.
Hot bats and bounce-back spots
Swinging hot bats: Chandler Simpson (TB), Xavier Edwards (MIA), Gleyber Torres (DET), Yandy Díaz (TB), Drake Baldwin (ATL), and Bo Bichette (NYM). Cold but due to bounce back: Miguel Rojas (LAD), José Tena (WSH), Nick Loftin (KC), Ben Rortvedt (LAD), and Jakob Marsee (MIA).
How it played out
6 of the top 10 singles matchups landed at least one single. Top play Chandler Simpson 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.