Best MLB Home Runs Matchups — Thursday, July 30, 2026
Top home runs spot: Nick Kurtz
Nick Kurtz (ATH) tops the board at 100, facing RHP Sonny Gray. The lefty is going deep on .055 HR/PA against righties this year — and .500 over the last two weeks, big-time bat that turns into a home run in about 6% of his trips. And Sonny Gray has been mostly containing righties lately — .031 home runs per batter faced. 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. No real history against Sonny Gray. It all sets up in a neutral park.
The rest of the top of the board
- Shohei Ohtani (LAD) (93) vs RHP Bryan Woo: big-time bat at .059 into an arm mostly containing the same side (.031).
- Ben Rice (NYY) (79) vs RHP Sean Burke: big-time bat at .058 into an arm keeping the ball in the park against the same side (.000).
- James Wood (WSH) (75) vs RHP Grant Holmes: real bat at .050 into an arm keeping the ball in the park against the same side (.000).
- Drake Baldwin (ATL) (71) vs RHP Jake Irvin: big-time bat at .053 into an arm with little track record against the same side, hot bat.
- Matt Olson (ATL) (70) vs RHP Jake Irvin: big-time bat at .055 into an arm with little track record against the same side.
- Esmerlyn Valdez (PIT) (68) vs RHP Rhett Lowder: big-time bat at .057 into an arm keeping the ball in the park against the same side (.000).
- Junior Caminero (TB) (64) vs RHP Cole Winn: big-time bat at .057 into an arm getting taken deep by the same side (.200).
Platoon edges to target
- Nick Kurtz (ATH) — lefty bat vs RHP, .055 against righties this year.
- Shohei Ohtani (LAD) — lefty bat vs RHP, .045 against righties this year.
- Ben Rice (NYY) — lefty bat vs RHP, .077 against righties this year.
- James Wood (WSH) — lefty bat vs RHP, .063 against righties this year.
- Drake Baldwin (ATL) — lefty bat vs RHP, .058 against righties this year.
Lineup watch
180 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 home runs matchups
Each score (0–100) starts with the hitter's home runs 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.