Best MLB Singles Matchups — Wednesday, October 7, 2026
Top singles spot: Sam Antonacci
Sam Antonacci (CWS) tops the board at 100, facing RHP Daniel Espino. The lefty is lining singles at .176 1B/PA against righties this year — and .500 over the last two weeks, an elite bat that turns into a single in about 20% of his trips. And Daniel Espino 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 4.7 trips, so the volume's there. He's just .000 in 1 career PA against Daniel Espino, 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
- Jackson Chourio (MIL) (90) vs RHP the starter: an excellent bat at .186 into an arm with little track record against the same side, hot bat.
- Will Smith (LAD) (81) vs RHP Tyler Mahle: an excellent bat at .175 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.250).
- Fernando Tatis Jr. (SD) (78) vs RHP the starter: an excellent bat at .177 into an arm with little track record against the same side.
- José Ramírez (CLE) (74) vs LHP Sean Newcomb: a strong bat at .166 into an arm tough to string hits off the same side (.111).
- Steven Kwan (CLE) (73) vs LHP Sean Newcomb: a strong bat at .155 into an arm tough to string hits off the same side (.000).
- Chandler Simpson (TB) (70) vs LHP Max Fried: an elite bat at .195 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.167).
- Mookie Betts (LAD) (70) vs RHP Tyler Mahle: a solid bat at .140 into an arm getting picked apart by the same side (.250).
Platoon edges to target
- Sam Antonacci (CWS) — lefty bat vs RHP, .176 against righties this year.
- José Ramírez (CLE) — righty bat vs LHP, .152 against lefties this year.
- Braden Montgomery (CWS) — lefty bat vs RHP, .160 against righties this year.
- Drake Baldwin (ATL) — lefty bat vs RHP, .189 against righties this year.
- Yandy Díaz (TB) — righty bat vs LHP, .158 against lefties this year.
Hot bats and bounce-back spots
Swinging hot bats: Sam Antonacci (CWS), Jackson Chourio (MIL), Brice Turang (MIL), Chase Meidroth (CWS), and Jonny DeLuca (TB). Cold but due to bounce back: Freddie Freeman (LAD), Angel Martínez (CLE), Miguel Vargas (CWS), Ronald Acuña Jr. (ATL), and Cody Bellinger (NYY).
Lineup watch
72 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.