Best MLB Home Runs Matchups — Friday, July 31, 2026
Top home runs spot: Yordan Alvarez
Yordan Alvarez (HOU) tops the board at 100, facing RHP Nathan Eovaldi. The lefty is going deep on .075 HR/PA against righties this year — and .079 over the last two weeks, big-time bat that turns into a home run in about 6% of his trips. And Nathan Eovaldi has been mostly containing righties lately — .031 home runs 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 a fine .286 in 21 career PA against Nathan Eovaldi. It all sets up in a neutral park.
The rest of the top of the board
- Munetaka Murakami (CWS) (99) vs RHP Nick Martinez: elite bat at .071 into an arm keeping the ball in the park against the same side (.000), hot bat.
- Nick Kurtz (ATH) (93) vs RHP Casey Mize: big-time bat at .060 into an arm keeping the ball in the park against the same side (.000), due to bounce back.
- Hunter Goodman (COL) (80) vs RHP Michael Wacha: elite bat at .066 into an arm getting taken deep by the same side (.091), due to bounce back.
- James Wood (WSH) (72) vs RHP Bryce Elder: real bat at .050 into an arm getting taken deep by the same side (.053).
- Esmerlyn Valdez (PIT) (67) vs RHP Hunter Greene: big-time bat at .057 into an arm getting taken deep by the same side (.105).
- Brandon Lowe (PIT) (65) vs RHP Hunter Greene: big-time bat at .053 into an arm keeping the ball in the park against the same side (.000), hot bat.
- Junior Caminero (TB) (63) vs RHP Erick Fedde: big-time bat at .057 into an arm getting taken deep by the same side (.095), due to bounce back.
Platoon edges to target
- Yordan Alvarez (HOU) — lefty bat vs RHP, .075 against righties this year.
- Munetaka Murakami (CWS) — lefty bat vs RHP, .084 against righties this year.
- Nick Kurtz (ATH) — lefty bat vs RHP, .055 against righties this year.
- James Wood (WSH) — lefty bat vs RHP, .063 against righties this year.
- Brandon Lowe (PIT) — lefty bat vs RHP, .058 against righties 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 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.