Best MLB Singles Matchups — Thursday, August 27, 2026
Top singles spot: Pete Alonso
Pete Alonso (BAL) tops the board at 100, facing RHP the starter. The righty is lining singles at .144 1B/PA against righties this year — and .304 over the last two weeks, an excellent bat that turns into a single in about 18% of his trips. And the starter has been thin against righties lately. The bullpen behind him is roughly average to that side. He's hitting in a spot worth about 4.5 trips, so the volume's there. No real history against the starter. It all sets up in a neutral park.
The rest of the top of the board
- Bo Bichette (NYM) (88) vs RHP Jacob Misiorowski: a strong bat at .168 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.235).
- Bobby Witt Jr. (KC) (86) vs RHP Spencer Arrighetti: a strong bat at .170 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.222).
- Mookie Betts (LAD) (85) vs LHP Chris Sale: a solid bat at .153 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.231).
- Alec Burleson (STL) (85) vs LHP Trevor Rogers: an excellent bat at .176 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.167), hot bat.
- Jose Altuve (HOU) (80) vs RHP Gerrit Cole: an excellent bat at .172 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.191).
- Alejandro Kirk (TOR) (78) vs LHP Noah Cameron: an elite bat at .192 into an arm tough to string hits off the same side (.051), due to bounce back.
- Jeremy Peña (HOU) (73) vs RHP Gerrit Cole: a solid bat at .145 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.191).
Platoon edges to target
- Mookie Betts (LAD) — righty bat vs LHP, .128 against lefties this year.
- Alejandro Kirk (TOR) — righty bat vs LHP, .219 against lefties this year.
- Luis García Jr. (NYY) — lefty bat vs RHP, .145 against righties this year.
- William Contreras (MIL) — righty bat vs LHP, .181 against lefties this year.
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (TOR) — righty bat vs LHP, .182 against lefties this year.
Hot bats and bounce-back spots
Swinging hot bats: Alec Burleson (STL), Mauricio Dubón (ATL), Jake McCarthy (COL), Carson Benge (NYM), Cody Bellinger (NYY), and Nathan Church (STL). Cold but due to bounce back: Alejandro Kirk (TOR), Ildemaro Vargas (AZ), Buddy Kennedy (SF), CJ Abrams (WSH), and Tim Tawa (AZ).
Lineup watch
126 of today's hitters are still on projected lineups, drawn from each team's last game. Batting order drives the score, so these flip the moment official lineups post — usually about two hours before first pitch. Anyone who doesn't make the official card gets flagged "Not starting" and drops to the bottom.
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.