Best MLB Stolen Bases Matchups — Thursday, September 10, 2026
Top stolen bases spot: José Caballero
José Caballero (NYY) tops the board at 100, facing RHP Ryan Feltner. The righty is running at .076 SB/PA against righties this year — and .042 over the last two weeks, an elite bat that turns into a stolen base in about 10% of his trips. He's hitting in a spot worth about 3.8 trips, so the volume's there. He's just .000 in 2 career PA against Ryan Feltner, 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
- Jorge Mateo (TB) (64) vs LHP Martín Pérez: an elite bat at .075.
- Konnor Griffin (PIT) (59) vs LHP Hagen Smith: an elite bat at .049.
- Ronald Acuña Jr. (ATL) (55) vs RHP Nick Martinez: a high-volume bat at .039.
- Bryson Stott (PHI) (54) vs RHP Cristian Javier: an elite bat at .045.
- Sam Antonacci (CWS) (49) vs RHP Jared Jones: a high-volume bat at .033.
- Oneil Cruz (PIT) (46) vs LHP Hagen Smith: a high-volume bat at .042.
- Chandler Simpson (TB) (45) vs LHP Martín Pérez: an elite bat at .049.
Platoon edges to target
- Jorge Mateo (TB) — righty bat vs LHP, .082 against lefties this year.
- Konnor Griffin (PIT) — righty bat vs LHP, .077 against lefties this year.
- Bryson Stott (PHI) — lefty bat vs RHP, .051 against righties this year.
- Sam Antonacci (CWS) — lefty bat vs RHP, .035 against righties this year.
- Michael Harris II (ATL) — lefty bat vs RHP, .023 against righties this year.
Lineup watch
90 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 stolen bases matchups
Each score (0–100) starts with the hitter's stolen bases 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.
What the stolen bases board is
The Stolen Bases board projects the chance a runner swipes a bag. One statistical model scores every matchup on the slate the same way — a star and a backup judged on the matchup in front of them, not their name — and every number is graded against the real box score once the games go final.
How the model gets its number
It isn't a gut call or a name game. The projection is built from a few things:
- The runner's speed and attempt rate.
- The opposing catcher's arm (we fold in his caught-stealing rate).
- The pitcher's time to the plate.
Those pieces combine into one number, and the model re-tunes itself weekly against how its past calls actually landed.
Is there a betting edge here?
The heaviest-juiced board on the site — longshot prices that our model can't overcome. No edge, but the runner-×-catcher projection is a genuinely sharp ranking. Transparency board.
How to use it
Great for reading steal spots (a burner vs a weak arm); just not a market you beat at those prices.
Everything here is a research signal from the model, graded in public — not betting advice, and no outcome is guaranteed.
Learn more: How the model works · The picks story · Today's plays