Best MLB Singles Matchups — Sunday, September 20, 2026
Top singles spot: Jake McCarthy
Jake McCarthy (COL) tops the board at 100, facing LHP Kade Anderson. The lefty is lining singles at .195 1B/PA against lefties this year — and .250 over the last two weeks, an excellent bat that turns into a single in about 18% of his trips. And Kade Anderson has been getting picked apart by lefties lately — .500 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 Kade Anderson. It all sets up in a neutral park.
The rest of the top of the board
- Jonah Cox (SF) (97) vs RHP the starter: an elite bat at .203 into an arm with little track record against the same side.
- Chandler Simpson (TB) (94) vs LHP Patrick Sandoval: an elite bat at .203 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.429).
- Joey Ortiz (MIL) (92) vs RHP Brandon Young: an elite bat at .201 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.273), hot bat.
- Jackson Chourio (MIL) (89) vs RHP Brandon Young: a strong bat at .166 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.273).
- Jake Fraley (TB) (84) vs LHP Patrick Sandoval: a solid bat at .153 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.429), due to bounce back.
- Steven Kwan (CLE) (84) vs RHP Jack Perkins: a strong bat at .169 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.250).
- Fernando Tatis Jr. (SD) (82) vs RHP Sandy Alcantara: a strong bat at .163 into an arm prone to base hits from the same side (.150).
Platoon edges to target
- Steven Kwan (CLE) — lefty bat vs RHP, .204 against righties this year.
- Dustin Harris (SD) — lefty bat vs RHP, .215 against righties this year.
- Jeremy Peña (HOU) — righty bat vs LHP, .180 against lefties this year.
- Luis Arraez (PHI) — lefty bat vs RHP, .214 against righties this year.
- Kevin McGonigle (DET) — lefty bat vs RHP, .168 against righties this year.
Hot bats and bounce-back spots
Swinging hot bats: Joey Ortiz (MIL), Jonathan Aranda (TB), Dustin Harris (SD), TJ Rumfield (COL), Mauricio Dubón (ATL), and William Contreras (MIL). Cold but due to bounce back: Jake Fraley (TB), Andrew Vaughn (MIL), Nathan Lukes (TOR), Sam Antonacci (CWS), and Thomas Saggese (STL).
Lineup watch
270 of today's hitters are still on projected lineups, drawn from each team's last game. Batting order drives the score, so these flip the moment official lineups post — usually about two hours before first pitch. Anyone who doesn't make the official card gets flagged "Not starting" and drops to the bottom.
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.