Best MLB Total Bases Matchups — Thursday, August 27, 2026
Top total bases spot: Pete Alonso
Pete Alonso (BAL) tops the board at 100, facing RHP Gordon Graceffo. The righty is racking up bases at .456 TB/PA against righties this year — and .879 over the last two weeks, an excellent bat that turns into a total base in about 50% of his trips. And Gordon Graceffo has been tough on righties lately — .235 total bases 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 Gordon Graceffo. It all sets up in a neutral park.
The rest of the top of the board
- Rafael Devers (SF) (100) vs RHP Jose Cabrera: a strong bat at .465 into an arm with little track record against the same side.
- William Contreras (MIL) (92) vs LHP Sean Manaea: a solid bat at .414 into an arm getting squared up by the same side (.658).
- Jackson Chourio (MIL) (90) vs LHP Sean Manaea: a league-average bat at .354 into an arm getting squared up by the same side (.658).
- Luis Lara (MIL) (89) vs LHP Sean Manaea: a solid bat at .370 into an arm getting squared up by the same side (.658), hot bat.
- Drew Gilbert (SF) (88) vs RHP Jose Cabrera: a solid bat at .395 into an arm with little track record against the same side.
- CJ Abrams (WSH) (83) vs RHP Gabriel Hughes: a league-average bat at .362 into an arm with little track record against the same side, due to bounce back.
- José Fermín (STL) (83) vs LHP Trevor Rogers: a solid bat at .396 into an arm getting squared up by the same side (.463), due to bounce back.
Arms giving up extra bases today
- LHP Sean Manaea has been getting squared up by lefties — .446 total bases per batter faced. Bats to target: William Contreras (MIL), Jackson Chourio (MIL), and Luis Lara (MIL).
- RHP Jake Irvin has been vulnerable to righties — .399 total bases per batter faced. Bats to target: Jake McCarthy (COL), Willi Castro (COL), and Cole Carrigg (COL).
- LHP Trevor Rogers has been vulnerable to lefties — .392 total bases per batter faced. Bats to target: José Fermín (STL), Jordan Walker (STL), and Joshua Báez (STL).
- RHP Spencer Arrighetti has been giving up bases to righties — .369 total bases per batter faced. Bats to target: Jac Caglianone (KC), Bobby Witt Jr. (KC), and Carter Jensen (KC).
Platoon edges to target
- Rafael Devers (SF) — lefty bat vs RHP, .511 against righties this year.
- William Contreras (MIL) — righty bat vs LHP, .361 against lefties this year.
- Jackson Chourio (MIL) — righty bat vs LHP, .417 against lefties this year.
- Drew Gilbert (SF) — lefty bat vs RHP, .375 against righties this year.
- CJ Abrams (WSH) — lefty bat vs RHP, .484 against righties this year.
How it played out
8 of the top 10 total bases matchups landed at least one total base. Top play Pete Alonso finished with 0 total bases. 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 total bases matchups
Each score (0–100) starts with the hitter's total 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 total bases board is
The Total Bases board projects how many bases a hitter racks up vs the posted total-bases line. 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:
- His extra-base pop vs this arm.
- The park.
- Recent contact quality.
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?
Total bases grades right at break-even even when we tune it to the hilt — the book prices the marginal leans efficiently. Transparency board.
How to use it
See who the model projects for extra-base damage; no systematic edge to bet.
Everything here is a research signal from the model, graded in public — not betting advice, and no outcome is guaranteed.
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