Best MLB Singles Matchups — Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Top singles spot: Brett Bateman
Brett Bateman (TOR) tops the board at 100, facing RHP Keider Montero. The lefty is lining singles at .245 1B/PA against righties this year — and .306 over the last two weeks, an elite bat that turns into a single in about 21% of his trips. And Keider Montero has been tough to string hits off righties lately — .103 singles per batter faced. One catch: the bullpen behind him has been stingy to that side late. He's hitting in a spot worth about 4.7 trips, so the volume's there. No real history against Keider Montero. It all sets up in a neutral park.
The rest of the top of the board
- Jake McCarthy (COL) (100) vs LHP Robbie Ray: an excellent bat at .173 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.222).
- Lars Nootbaar (AZ) (100) vs RHP Ryan Gusto: an excellent bat at .170 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.222).
- Chandler Simpson (TB) (99) vs LHP Brady Basso: an elite bat at .204 into an arm fairly stingy against the same side (.133).
- Otto Lopez (MIA) (98) vs RHP Merrill Kelly: an excellent bat at .184 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.182), due to bounce back.
- Fernando Tatis Jr. (SD) (97) vs RHP Mason Adams: an excellent bat at .173 into an arm with little track record against the same side, hot bat.
- Gabriel Moreno (AZ) (96) vs RHP Ryan Gusto: a strong bat at .170 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.227), hot bat.
- J.P. Crawford (SEA) (94) vs LHP Yusei Kikuchi: a strong bat at .168 into an arm tough to string hits off the same side (.100).
Platoon edges to target
- Brett Bateman (TOR) — lefty bat vs RHP, .245 against righties this year.
- Lars Nootbaar (AZ) — lefty bat vs RHP, .148 against righties this year.
- Wade Meckler (LAA) — lefty bat vs RHP, .209 against righties this year.
- Josh Jung (TEX) — righty bat vs LHP, .229 against lefties this year.
- Yandy Díaz (TB) — righty bat vs LHP, .179 against lefties this year.
Hot bats and bounce-back spots
Swinging hot bats: Fernando Tatis Jr. (SD), Gabriel Moreno (AZ), Roman Anthony (BOS), Steven Kwan (CLE), Drake Baldwin (ATL), and Nathan Lukes (TOR). Cold but due to bounce back: Otto Lopez (MIA), Jackson Chourio (MIL), JJ Wetherholt (STL), Yainer Diaz (HOU), and Dylan Beavers (BAL).
How it played out
5 of the top 10 singles matchups landed at least one single. Top play Brett Bateman finished with 2 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.