Best MLB Total Bases Matchups — Sunday, September 27, 2026
Top total bases spot: Randal Grichuk
Randal Grichuk (CWS) tops the board at 100, facing LHP Kyle Freeland. The righty is racking up bases at .601 TB/PA against lefties this year — and .720 over the last two weeks, a strong bat that turns into a total base in about 47% of his trips. And Kyle Freeland has been getting squared up by lefties lately — .788 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 4.5 trips, so the volume's there. He's just .000 in 5 career PA against Kyle Freeland, 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
- Miguel Vargas (CWS) (92) vs LHP Kyle Freeland: a league-average bat at .354 into an arm getting squared up by the same side (.788), due to bounce back.
- Tommy Pham (CWS) (90) vs LHP Kyle Freeland: a solid bat at .370 into an arm getting squared up by the same side (.788), due to bounce back.
- Brenton Doyle (CWS) (83) vs LHP Kyle Freeland: a solid bat at .416 into an arm getting squared up by the same side (.788).
- Jeremy Peña (HOU) (72) vs RHP Seth Johnson: a strong bat at .446 into an arm getting squared up by the same side (.476).
- Brett Bateman (TOR) (71) vs LHP Brandon Williamson: a solid bat at .370 into an arm getting squared up by the same side (.563).
- Yordan Alvarez (HOU) (69) vs RHP Seth Johnson: a strong bat at .469 into an arm getting squared up by the same side (.462), hot bat.
- José Ramírez (CLE) (68) vs LHP Daniel Lynch IV: a solid bat at .378 into an arm getting squared up by the same side (.596).
Arms giving up extra bases today
- LHP Kyle Freeland has been getting squared up by lefties — .498 total bases per batter faced. Bats to target: Randal Grichuk (CWS), Miguel Vargas (CWS), and Tommy Pham (CWS).
- LHP Daniel Lynch IV has been getting squared up by lefties — .435 total bases per batter faced. Bats to target: José Ramírez (CLE), Jo Adell (CLE), and Angel Martínez (CLE).
- RHP Janson Junk has been vulnerable to righties — .418 total bases per batter faced. Bats to target: Ronald Acuña Jr. (ATL), Michael Harris II (ATL), and Matt Olson (ATL).
- RHP JR Ritchie has been vulnerable to righties — .415 total bases per batter faced. Bats to target: Jakob Marsee (MIA), Otto Lopez (MIA), and Javier Sanoja (MIA).
Platoon edges to target
- Randal Grichuk (CWS) — righty bat vs LHP, .601 against lefties this year.
- Miguel Vargas (CWS) — righty bat vs LHP, .442 against lefties this year.
- Brenton Doyle (CWS) — righty bat vs LHP, .387 against lefties this year.
- Yordan Alvarez (HOU) — lefty bat vs RHP, .512 against righties this year.
- José Ramírez (CLE) — righty bat vs LHP, .413 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