Best MLB Singles Matchups — Thursday, August 20, 2026
Top singles spot: Chandler Simpson
Chandler Simpson (TB) tops the board at 100, facing RHP Shane Bieber. The lefty is lining singles at .267 1B/PA against righties this year — and .359 over the last two weeks, an elite bat that turns into a single in about 24% of his trips. And Shane Bieber has been tough to string hits off righties lately — .114 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. He's just .000 in 6 career PA against Shane Bieber, 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
- Jeff McNeil (ATH) (100) vs RHP Randy Dobnak: an excellent bat at .174 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.259).
- Wade Meckler (LAA) (100) vs RHP Peter Lambert: an excellent bat at .180 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.167).
- Henry Bolte (ATH) (94) vs RHP Randy Dobnak: an excellent bat at .183 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.227), hot bat.
- Andrés Chaparro (WSH) (94) vs RHP Jacob deGrom: a solid bat at .148 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.385).
- LaMonte Wade Jr. (HOU) (90) vs RHP Grayson Rodriguez: a solid bat at .154 into an arm tough to string hits off the same side (.120).
- Wyatt Langford (TEX) (89) vs LHP Andrew Alvarez: a solid bat at .154 into an arm fairly stingy against the same side (.125).
- Randy Arozarena (SEA) (87) vs LHP Robert Gasser: a solid bat at .152 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.286).
Platoon edges to target
- Chandler Simpson (TB) — lefty bat vs RHP, .267 against righties this year.
- Jeff McNeil (ATH) — lefty bat vs RHP, .192 against righties this year.
- Wade Meckler (LAA) — lefty bat vs RHP, .207 against righties this year.
- LaMonte Wade Jr. (HOU) — lefty bat vs RHP, .133 against righties this year.
- Wyatt Langford (TEX) — righty bat vs LHP, .144 against lefties this year.
Hot bats and bounce-back spots
Swinging hot bats: Chandler Simpson (TB), Henry Bolte (ATH), Pete Alonso (BAL), Yandy Díaz (TB), Alejandro Kirk (TOR), and Alec Burleson (STL). Cold but due to bounce back: Gary Sánchez (MIL), Julio Rodríguez (SEA), Brady House (WSH), Brice Turang (MIL), and Nick Loftin (KC).
How it played out
5 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.