Best MLB Singles Matchups — Monday, September 14, 2026
Top singles spot: J.P. Crawford
J.P. Crawford (SEA) tops the board at 100, facing LHP Reid Detmers. The lefty is lining singles at .164 1B/PA against lefties this year — and .241 over the last two weeks, a strong bat that turns into a single in about 17% of his trips. And Reid Detmers has been getting picked apart by lefties lately — .235 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. He's owned Reid Detmers too — .348 across 23 career trips. It all sets up in a neutral park.
The rest of the top of the board
- Fernando Tatis Jr. (SD) (100) vs RHP Tomoyuki Sugano: an excellent bat at .171 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.250).
- Steven Kwan (CLE) (100) vs LHP Sean Newcomb: an excellent bat at .174 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.500), hot bat.
- Bo Bichette (NYM) (98) vs RHP Brandon Young: an excellent bat at .182 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.167).
- Brett Bateman (TOR) (97) vs RHP Troy Melton: an elite bat at .204 into an arm fairly stingy against the same side (.138).
- Elly De La Cruz (CIN) (95) vs LHP Tarik Skubal: an excellent bat at .179 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.295).
- Dane Myers (CIN) (94) vs LHP Tarik Skubal: an excellent bat at .170 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.295).
- Chase DeLauter (CLE) (91) vs LHP Sean Newcomb: an excellent bat at .173 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.500).
Platoon edges to target
- Brett Bateman (TOR) — lefty bat vs RHP, .244 against righties this year.
- Elly De La Cruz (CIN) — righty bat vs LHP, .172 against lefties this year.
- Dane Myers (CIN) — righty bat vs LHP, .163 against lefties this year.
- Ronald Acuña Jr. (ATL) — righty bat vs LHP, .118 against lefties this year.
- Zach Neto (LAA) — righty bat vs LHP, .152 against lefties this year.
Hot bats and bounce-back spots
Swinging hot bats: Steven Kwan (CLE), Nathan Lukes (TOR), Otto Lopez (MIA), Drake Baldwin (ATL), Angel Martínez (CLE), and Nathan Church (STL). Cold but due to bounce back: Aaron Judge (NYY), Jackson Holliday (BAL), José Ramírez (CLE), Tommy Edman (LAD), and Teoscar Hernández (LAD).
How it played out
6 of the top 10 singles matchups landed at least one single. Top play J.P. Crawford finished with 1 single. 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.