Best MLB Singles Matchups — Saturday, September 12, 2026
Top singles spot: Brett Bateman
Brett Bateman (TOR) tops the board at 100, facing RHP Kyle Bradish. The lefty is lining singles at .247 1B/PA against righties this year — and .303 over the last two weeks, an elite bat that turns into a single in about 21% of his trips. And Kyle Bradish has been tough to string hits off righties lately — .069 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 Kyle Bradish. It all sets up in a neutral park.
The rest of the top of the board
- J.P. Crawford (SEA) (100) vs LHP Gage Jump: a strong bat at .155 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.417).
- Nico Hoerner (CHC) (100) vs RHP Paul Skenes: an elite bat at .227 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.200).
- Yandy Díaz (TB) (99) vs RHP Peter Lambert: an excellent bat at .183 into an arm fairly stingy against the same side (.125).
- Jackson Chourio (MIL) (94) vs RHP Brady Singer: an excellent bat at .171 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.263).
- Josh Naylor (SEA) (91) vs LHP Gage Jump: an elite bat at .194 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.417).
- Steven Kwan (CLE) (90) vs LHP Connor Prielipp: an excellent bat at .170 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.214), hot bat.
- Elly De La Cruz (CIN) (88) vs LHP Shane Drohan: an excellent bat at .181 into an arm with little track record against the same side.
Platoon edges to target
- Brett Bateman (TOR) — lefty bat vs RHP, .247 against righties this year.
- Elly De La Cruz (CIN) — righty bat vs LHP, .172 against lefties this year.
- Iván Herrera (STL) — righty bat vs LHP, .148 against lefties this year.
- Tommy Edman (LAD) — lefty bat vs RHP, .183 against righties this year.
- Dane Myers (CIN) — righty bat vs LHP, .165 against lefties this year.
Hot bats and bounce-back spots
Swinging hot bats: Steven Kwan (CLE), Cody Bellinger (NYY), Henry Bolte (ATH), Nathan Lukes (TOR), Bo Bichette (NYM), and Otto Lopez (MIA). Cold but due to bounce back: Tommy Edman (LAD), Freddie Freeman (LAD), Luke Keaschall (MIN), Liam Hicks (TB), and Hao-Yu Lee (DET).
How it played out
6 of the top 10 singles matchups landed at least one single. Top play Brett Bateman 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.