Best MLB Singles Matchups — Monday, September 21, 2026
Top singles spot: Jonah Cox
Jonah Cox (SF) tops the board at 100, facing RHP Zebby Matthews. The righty is lining singles at .242 1B/PA against righties this year — and .303 over the last two weeks, an elite bat that turns into a single in about 20% of his trips. And Zebby Matthews has been tough to string hits off righties lately — .000 singles per batter faced. The bullpen behind him is roughly average to that side. He's hitting in a spot worth about 4.5 trips, so the volume's there. No real history against Zebby Matthews. It all sets up in a neutral park.
The rest of the top of the board
- Brett Bateman (TOR) (100) vs RHP Shane Baz: an elite bat at .207 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.189).
- Alejandro Kirk (TOR) (83) vs RHP Shane Baz: an excellent bat at .188 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.200), hot bat.
- Brooks Lee (MIN) (83) vs RHP Blade Tidwell: an excellent bat at .179 into an arm tough to string hits off the same side (.083), hot bat.
- Nathan Lukes (TOR) (79) vs RHP Shane Baz: an excellent bat at .184 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.189).
- Walker Jenkins (MIN) (74) vs RHP Blade Tidwell: a solid bat at .153 into an arm tough to string hits off the same side (.083).
- Luke Keaschall (MIN) (71) vs RHP Blade Tidwell: a strong bat at .164 into an arm fairly stingy against the same side (.136), hot bat.
- George Springer (TOR) (64) vs RHP Shane Baz: a strong bat at .168 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.200), due to bounce back.
Platoon edges to target
- Brett Bateman (TOR) — lefty bat vs RHP, .248 against righties this year.
- Brooks Lee (MIN) — lefty bat vs RHP, .159 against righties this year.
- Nathan Lukes (TOR) — lefty bat vs RHP, .207 against righties this year.
- Walker Jenkins (MIN) — lefty bat vs RHP, .135 against righties this year.
- James Wood (WSH) — lefty bat vs RHP, .112 against righties this year.
Hot bats and bounce-back spots
Swinging hot bats: Alejandro Kirk (TOR), Brooks Lee (MIN), Luke Keaschall (MIN), and Riley Greene (DET). Cold but due to bounce back: Jonah Cox (SF), George Springer (TOR), Drew Gilbert (SF), Christian Koss (SF), and John Peck (DET).
How it played out
5 of the top 10 singles matchups landed at least one single. Top play Jonah Cox 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.