Best MLB Singles Matchups — Thursday, September 17, 2026
Top singles spot: Roman Anthony
Roman Anthony (BOS) tops the board at 100, facing LHP Tyler Alexander. The lefty is lining singles at .203 1B/PA against lefties this year — and .111 over the last two weeks, a strong bat that turns into a single in about 16% of his trips. And Tyler Alexander has been getting picked apart by lefties lately — .286 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 just .000 in 1 career PA against Tyler Alexander, 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
- Konnor Griffin (PIT) (100) vs LHP Kyle Harrison: an excellent bat at .182 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.318).
- Denzer Guzman (LAA) (100) vs RHP Taj Bradley: an excellent bat at .177 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.167).
- Fernando Tatis Jr. (SD) (100) vs RHP Tanner Gordon: a strong bat at .167 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.210).
- Brooks Lee (MIN) (98) vs RHP Walbert Ureña: a solid bat at .155 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.176).
- Luke Keaschall (MIN) (97) vs RHP Walbert Ureña: a strong bat at .165 into an arm tough to string hits off the same side (.048).
- Elly De La Cruz (CIN) (95) vs LHP Justin Wrobleski: an excellent bat at .177 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.313), hot bat.
- Luis Arraez (PHI) (95) vs RHP Nolan McLean: an excellent bat at .182 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.243).
Platoon edges to target
- Konnor Griffin (PIT) — righty bat vs LHP, .213 against lefties this year.
- Brooks Lee (MIN) — lefty bat vs RHP, .151 against righties this year.
- Elly De La Cruz (CIN) — righty bat vs LHP, .171 against lefties this year.
- Luis Arraez (PHI) — lefty bat vs RHP, .216 against righties this year.
- Dane Myers (CIN) — righty bat vs LHP, .162 against lefties this year.
Hot bats and bounce-back spots
Swinging hot bats: Elly De La Cruz (CIN), Dustin Harris (SD), Juan Brito (CIN), Jackson Merrill (SD), Randal Grichuk (CWS), and Rafael Flores Jr. (PIT). Cold but due to bounce back: Wilyer Abreu (BOS), Bryan Reynolds (PIT), Yandy Díaz (TB), Isaac Paredes (HOU), and Nicky Lopez (TEX).
How it played out
4 of the top 10 singles matchups landed at least one single. Top play Roman Anthony 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.