Best MLB Singles Matchups — Friday, August 28, 2026
Top singles spot: Henry Bolte
Henry Bolte (ATH) tops the board at 100, facing RHP Brandon Young. The righty is lining singles at .198 1B/PA against righties this year — and .245 over the last two weeks, an elite bat that turns into a single in about 19% of his trips. And Brandon Young has been getting picked apart by righties lately — .310 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 Brandon Young. It all sets up in a neutral park.
The rest of the top of the board
- Steven Kwan (CLE) (83) vs RHP Michael Wacha: an elite bat at .206 into an arm tough to string hits off the same side (.049).
- Chandler Simpson (TB) (78) vs RHP Casey Mize: an elite bat at .225 into an arm tough to string hits off the same side (.100).
- William Contreras (MIL) (77) vs LHP Cody Bradford: an elite bat at .192 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.170), due to bounce back.
- Luke Keaschall (MIN) (76) vs RHP Luis Castillo: a strong bat at .170 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.214), due to bounce back.
- Mauricio Dubón (ATL) (74) vs RHP Tomoyuki Sugano: an excellent bat at .184 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.208).
- Pete Alonso (BAL) (74) vs RHP the starter: an excellent bat at .185 into an arm with little track record against the same side.
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (TOR) (72) vs RHP the starter: an excellent bat at .178 into an arm with little track record against the same side.
Platoon edges to target
- Steven Kwan (CLE) — lefty bat vs RHP, .211 against righties this year.
- Chandler Simpson (TB) — lefty bat vs RHP, .265 against righties this year.
- William Contreras (MIL) — righty bat vs LHP, .181 against lefties this year.
- Carson Benge (NYM) — lefty bat vs RHP, .186 against righties this year.
- Bryan Reynolds (PIT) — righty bat vs LHP, .158 against lefties this year.
Hot bats and bounce-back spots
Swinging hot bats: Kaelen Culpepper (MIN), Elly De La Cruz (CIN), Andrew Vaughn (MIL), Luis Lara (MIL), Brooks Lee (MIN), and Lawrence Butler (ATH). Cold but due to bounce back: William Contreras (MIL), Luke Keaschall (MIN), Yandy Díaz (TB), Zack Gelof (ATH), and Nico Hoerner (CHC).
Lineup watch
270 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.