Best MLB Singles Matchups — Thursday, September 3, 2026
Top singles spot: Mookie Betts
Mookie Betts (LAD) tops the board at 100, facing LHP Quinn Mathews. The righty is lining singles at .131 1B/PA against lefties this year — and .235 over the last two weeks, a solid bat that turns into a single in about 15% of his trips. And Quinn Mathews has been getting picked apart by lefties lately — .278 singles per batter faced. 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 Quinn Mathews. It all sets up in a neutral park.
The rest of the top of the board
- Bobby Witt Jr. (KC) (100) vs RHP Sandy Alcantara: an excellent bat at .182 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.273).
- Nick Gonzales (PIT) (100) vs RHP Blade Tidwell: an elite bat at .220 into an arm around league average against the same side (.143).
- Chandler Simpson (TB) (97) vs RHP Cal Quantrill: an elite bat at .210 into an arm tough to string hits off the same side (.040).
- Freddie Freeman (LAD) (93) vs LHP Quinn Mathews: an excellent bat at .172 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.250).
- Steven Kwan (CLE) (93) vs RHP José Soriano: an elite bat at .193 into an arm prone to base hits from the same side (.158).
- Yandy Díaz (TB) (91) vs RHP Cal Quantrill: an excellent bat at .180 into an arm prone to base hits from the same side (.150).
- Tommy Edman (LAD) (90) vs LHP Quinn Mathews: a league-average bat at .136 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.278).
Platoon edges to target
- Mookie Betts (LAD) — righty bat vs LHP, .131 against lefties this year.
- Chandler Simpson (TB) — lefty bat vs RHP, .262 against righties this year.
- Steven Kwan (CLE) — lefty bat vs RHP, .206 against righties this year.
- Tommy Edman (LAD) — righty bat vs LHP, .118 against lefties this year.
- Teoscar Hernández (LAD) — righty bat vs LHP, .165 against lefties this year.
Hot bats and bounce-back spots
Swinging hot bats: Mookie Betts (LAD), Otto Lopez (MIA), Jackson Chourio (MIL), Coby Mayo (BAL), Brandon Nimmo (TEX), and William Contreras (MIL). Cold but due to bounce back: Jose Altuve (HOU), Jake Bauers (MIL), Alex Call (LAD), Vinnie Pasquantino (KC), and Jonny DeLuca (TB).
How it played out
6 of the top 10 singles matchups landed at least one single. Top play Mookie Betts 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.