Best MLB Total Bases Matchups — Friday, September 4, 2026
Top total bases spot: Heriberto Hernández
Heriberto Hernández (MIA) tops the board at 100, facing LHP Shota Imanaga. The righty is racking up bases at .482 TB/PA against lefties this year — and .480 over the last two weeks, a solid bat that turns into a total base in about 41% of his trips. And Shota Imanaga has been getting squared up by lefties lately — .643 total bases per batter faced. The bullpen behind him hasn't been any better to that side, so there's no relief late. He's hitting in a spot worth about 4.7 trips, so the volume's there. No real history against Shota Imanaga. It all sets up in a neutral park.
The rest of the top of the board
- Jackson Chourio (MIL) (98) vs RHP Rhett Lowder: a strong bat at .432 into an arm getting squared up by the same side (.696).
- Mickey Gasper (BOS) (88) vs RHP Shane Baz: an excellent bat at .487 into an arm tough on the same side (.185).
- Roman Anthony (BOS) (85) vs RHP Shane Baz: a strong bat at .440 into an arm tough on the same side (.185), hot bat.
- Dominic Canzone (SEA) (85) vs RHP Kade Morris: a strong bat at .428 into an arm vulnerable to the same side (.400).
- Otto Lopez (MIA) (83) vs LHP Shota Imanaga: a solid bat at .371 into an arm getting squared up by the same side (.643).
- William Contreras (MIL) (82) vs RHP Rhett Lowder: a solid bat at .406 into an arm getting squared up by the same side (.696).
- Coby Mayo (BAL) (80) vs LHP Ranger Suarez: an excellent bat at .491 into an arm giving up bases to the same side (.367), hot bat.
Arms giving up extra bases today
- LHP Shota Imanaga has been getting squared up by lefties — .428 total bases per batter faced. Bats to target: Heriberto Hernández (MIA), Otto Lopez (MIA), and Javier Sanoja (MIA).
- RHP Rhett Lowder has been vulnerable to righties — .419 total bases per batter faced. Bats to target: Jackson Chourio (MIL), William Contreras (MIL), and Brice Turang (MIL).
- RHP Logan Gilbert has been vulnerable to righties — .404 total bases per batter faced. Bats to target: Henry Bolte (ATH), Zack Gelof (ATH), and Lawrence Butler (ATH).
- RHP Walker Buehler has been vulnerable to righties — .404 total bases per batter faced. Bats to target: Cody Bellinger (NYY), Ben Rice (NYY), and Paul Goldschmidt (NYY).
Platoon edges to target
- Heriberto Hernández (MIA) — righty bat vs LHP, .482 against lefties this year.
- Mickey Gasper (BOS) — lefty bat vs RHP, .480 against righties this year.
- Roman Anthony (BOS) — lefty bat vs RHP, .361 against righties this year.
- Dominic Canzone (SEA) — lefty bat vs RHP, .458 against righties this year.
- Otto Lopez (MIA) — righty bat vs LHP, .463 against lefties this year.
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 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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