Best MLB Singles Matchups — Thursday, August 27, 2026
Top singles spot: Drew Gilbert
Drew Gilbert (SF) tops the board at 100, facing RHP Jose Cabrera. The lefty is lining singles at .157 1B/PA against righties this year — and .158 over the last two weeks, a solid bat that turns into a single in about 15% of his trips. And Jose Cabrera has been thin against righties lately. 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 Jose Cabrera. It all sets up in a neutral park.
The rest of the top of the board
- Bobby Witt Jr. (KC) (100) vs RHP Spencer Arrighetti: a strong bat at .170 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.222).
- Pete Alonso (BAL) (99) vs RHP Gordon Graceffo: an excellent bat at .179 into an arm tough to string hits off the same side (.000).
- Mookie Betts (LAD) (97) vs LHP Chris Sale: a solid bat at .153 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.231).
- Tommy Edman (LAD) (95) vs LHP Chris Sale: a solid bat at .143 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.231).
- Gabriel Moreno (AZ) (93) vs RHP Landen Roupp: a strong bat at .159 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.167).
- William Contreras (MIL) (92) vs LHP Sean Manaea: an elite bat at .192 into an arm tough to string hits off the same side (.105).
- Jose Altuve (HOU) (91) vs RHP Gerrit Cole: an excellent bat at .172 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.191).
Platoon edges to target
- Drew Gilbert (SF) — lefty bat vs RHP, .157 against righties this year.
- Mookie Betts (LAD) — righty bat vs LHP, .128 against lefties this year.
- Tommy Edman (LAD) — righty bat vs LHP, .125 against lefties this year.
- William Contreras (MIL) — righty bat vs LHP, .181 against lefties this year.
- Alejandro Kirk (TOR) — righty bat vs LHP, .219 against lefties this year.
Hot bats and bounce-back spots
Swinging hot bats: Alec Burleson (STL), Carson Benge (NYM), Mauricio Dubón (ATL), Jake McCarthy (COL), Luis Robert Jr. (NYM), and Cody Bellinger (NYY). Cold but due to bounce back: Alejandro Kirk (TOR), José Fermín (STL), Miguel Rojas (LAD), Lars Nootbaar (AZ), and CJ Abrams (WSH).
How it played out
4 of the top 10 singles matchups landed at least one single. Top play Drew Gilbert 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.