Best MLB Singles Matchups — Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Top singles spot: Brandon Nimmo
Brandon Nimmo (TEX) tops the board at 100, facing LHP Patrick Sandoval. The lefty is lining singles at .216 1B/PA against lefties this year — and .429 over the last two weeks, an elite bat that turns into a single in about 21% of his trips. And Patrick Sandoval has been getting picked apart by lefties lately — .250 singles per batter faced. The bullpen behind him is roughly average to that side. He's hitting in a spot worth about 4.3 trips, so the volume's there. He's just .167 in 6 career PA against Patrick Sandoval, but that's a tiny sample and the matchup says regression. It all sets up in a neutral park.
The rest of the top of the board
- Lars Nootbaar (AZ) (100) vs RHP Janson Junk: a strong bat at .167 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.227).
- Austin Hays (SD) (98) vs LHP Kyle Freeland: an excellent bat at .180 into an arm with little track record against the same side.
- Brett Bateman (TOR) (96) vs RHP Drew Anderson: an elite bat at .211 into an arm tough to string hits off the same side (.077).
- Josh Jung (TEX) (93) vs LHP Patrick Sandoval: an excellent bat at .184 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.294).
- Jonah Cox (SF) (91) vs RHP Andre Pallante: an elite bat at .190 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.300), hot bat.
- Fernando Tatis Jr. (SD) (86) vs LHP Kyle Freeland: a strong bat at .159 into an arm with little track record against the same side, hot bat.
- Gabriel Moreno (AZ) (86) vs RHP Janson Junk: an excellent bat at .172 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.267).
Platoon edges to target
- Lars Nootbaar (AZ) — lefty bat vs RHP, .148 against righties this year.
- Austin Hays (SD) — righty bat vs LHP, .239 against lefties this year.
- Brett Bateman (TOR) — lefty bat vs RHP, .245 against righties this year.
- Josh Jung (TEX) — righty bat vs LHP, .229 against lefties this year.
- Fernando Tatis Jr. (SD) — righty bat vs LHP, .148 against lefties this year.
Hot bats and bounce-back spots
Swinging hot bats: Jonah Cox (SF), Fernando Tatis Jr. (SD), Steven Kwan (CLE), Drake Baldwin (ATL), Maikel Garcia (KC), and Nathan Lukes (TOR). Cold but due to bounce back: Brady House (WSH), Luis Arraez (PHI), Freddie Freeman (LAD), Osleivis Basabe (SF), and Jeremy Peña (HOU).
How it played out
7 of the top 10 singles matchups landed at least one single. Top play Brandon Nimmo 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.