Best MLB H+R+RBI Matchups — Thursday, June 18, 2026
Top h+r+rbi spot: Nick Kurtz
Nick Kurtz (ATH) tops the board at 100, facing RHP Ryan Johnson. The lefty is stacking production at .576 (H+R+RBI)/PA against righties this year — and .725 over the last two weeks, an excellent bat that turns into a H+R+RBI in about 57% of his trips. And Ryan Johnson has been thin against righties lately. One catch: the bullpen behind him has been stingy to that side late. He's hitting in a spot worth about 4.5 trips, so the volume's there. He's owned Ryan Johnson too — 1.000 across 1 career trips. It all sets up in a neutral park, weather helping.
The rest of the top of the board
- Bo Bichette (NYM) (92) vs RHP Aaron Nola: a strong bat at .547 into an arm getting lit up by the same side (.786), hot bat.
- Randal Grichuk (CWS) (89) vs LHP Ryan Weathers: a strong bat at .542 into an arm getting lit up by the same side (.833).
- Ben Rice (NYY) (86) vs RHP Sean Burke: a strong bat at .536 into an arm vulnerable to the same side (.518).
- Chase Meidroth (CWS) (86) vs LHP Ryan Weathers: a strong bat at .506 into an arm getting lit up by the same side (.833).
- Zack Gelof (ATH) (84) vs RHP Ryan Johnson: a strong bat at .532 into an arm with little track record against the same side, hot bat.
- Kody Clemens (MIN) (84) vs RHP Jack Leiter: an excellent bat at .561 into an arm getting lit up by the same side (.676).
- Byron Buxton (MIN) (79) vs RHP Jack Leiter: a strong bat at .537 into an arm getting lit up by the same side (.929), hot bat.
Arms giving up production today
- RHP Ryan Johnson has been getting lit up by righties — .613 H+R+RBI per batter faced. Bats to target: Nick Kurtz (ATH), Zack Gelof (ATH), and Tyler Soderstrom (ATH).
- LHP Matthew Liberatore has been getting lit up by lefties — .552 H+R+RBI per batter faced. Bats to target: Jac Caglianone (KC), Bobby Witt Jr. (KC), and Lane Thomas (KC).
- RHP Shane Baz has been getting lit up by righties — .535 H+R+RBI per batter faced. Bats to target: J.P. Crawford (SEA), Dominic Canzone (SEA), and Josh Naylor (SEA).
- LHP Ryan Weathers has been getting lit up by lefties — .533 H+R+RBI per batter faced. Bats to target: Randal Grichuk (CWS), Chase Meidroth (CWS), and Miguel Vargas (CWS).
Platoon edges to target
- Nick Kurtz (ATH) — lefty bat vs RHP, .576 against righties this year.
- Randal Grichuk (CWS) — righty bat vs LHP, .651 against lefties this year.
- Ben Rice (NYY) — lefty bat vs RHP, .643 against righties this year.
- Chase Meidroth (CWS) — righty bat vs LHP, .613 against lefties this year.
- Kody Clemens (MIN) — lefty bat vs RHP, .484 against righties this year.
Lineup watch
18 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 it played out
5 of the top 10 h+r+rbi matchups landed at least one H+R+RBI. Top play Nick Kurtz finished with 2 H+R+RBI. 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 h+r+rbi matchups
Each score (0–100) starts with the hitter's combined hits + runs + RBIs 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.