Best MLB Total Bases Matchups — Friday, September 11, 2026
Top total bases spot: Mickey Gasper
Mickey Gasper (BOS) tops the board at 100, facing RHP Seth Lugo. The lefty is racking up bases at .455 TB/PA against righties this year — and .581 over the last two weeks, a strong bat that turns into a total base in about 44% of his trips. And Seth Lugo has been getting squared up by righties lately — .676 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. He's just .200 in 5 career PA against Seth Lugo, 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
- Roman Anthony (BOS) (100) vs RHP Seth Lugo: a solid bat at .406 into an arm getting squared up by the same side (.676).
- Miguel Vargas (CWS) (85) vs LHP Matthew Liberatore: a solid bat at .380 into an arm getting squared up by the same side (.610), due to bounce back.
- Jackson Chourio (MIL) (83) vs LHP Andrew Abbott: a solid bat at .419 into an arm getting squared up by the same side (.538).
- Konnor Griffin (PIT) (81) vs LHP Shota Imanaga: a league-average bat at .362 into an arm vulnerable to the same side (.405).
- Chase DeLauter (CLE) (80) vs RHP Taj Bradley: a strong bat at .435 into an arm vulnerable to the same side (.390).
- Wilyer Abreu (BOS) (80) vs RHP Seth Lugo: a league-average bat at .352 into an arm getting squared up by the same side (.676).
- Sal Stewart (CIN) (80) vs RHP Dustin May: a strong bat at .425 into an arm getting squared up by the same side (.700).
Arms giving up extra bases today
- RHP Seth Lugo has been getting squared up by righties — .451 total bases per batter faced. Bats to target: Mickey Gasper (BOS), Roman Anthony (BOS), and Wilyer Abreu (BOS).
- LHP Anthony Kay has been getting squared up by lefties — .444 total bases per batter faced. Bats to target: Joshua Báez (STL), Iván Herrera (STL), and Leo Bernal (STL).
- LHP Matthew Liberatore has been getting squared up by lefties — .436 total bases per batter faced. Bats to target: Miguel Vargas (CWS), Sam Antonacci (CWS), and Chase Meidroth (CWS).
- LHP Jeffrey Springs has been vulnerable to lefties — .406 total bases per batter faced. Bats to target: J.P. Crawford (SEA), Dominic Canzone (SEA), and Randy Arozarena (SEA).
Platoon edges to target
- Mickey Gasper (BOS) — lefty bat vs RHP, .455 against righties this year.
- Roman Anthony (BOS) — lefty bat vs RHP, .341 against righties this year.
- Miguel Vargas (CWS) — righty bat vs LHP, .475 against lefties this year.
- Jackson Chourio (MIL) — righty bat vs LHP, .450 against lefties this year.
- Konnor Griffin (PIT) — righty bat vs LHP, .385 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.
Learn more: How the model works · The picks story · Today's plays