Best MLB RBIs Matchups — Friday, July 17, 2026
Top rbis spot: Jake Burger
Jake Burger (TEX) tops the board at 100, facing LHP Chris Sale. The righty is driving in runs at .225 RBI/PA against lefties this year — and .500 over the last two weeks, an elite bat that turns into a RBI in about 19% of his trips. And Chris Sale has been giving up runs to lefties lately — .120 RBIs per batter faced. One catch: the bullpen behind him has been stingy to that side late. He's hitting in a spot worth about 4.3 trips, so the volume's there. He's just .000 in 3 career PA against Chris Sale, 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
- Drake Baldwin (ATL) (99) vs RHP Cal Quantrill: an elite bat at .165 into an arm getting lit up by the same side (.158).
- Brandon Lowe (PIT) (90) vs RHP Gavin Williams: an elite bat at .164 into an arm stingy with runs against the same side (.030).
- Pete Alonso (BAL) (90) vs RHP Peter Lambert: an elite bat at .165 into an arm stingy with runs against the same side (.048).
- Jordan Walker (STL) (88) vs RHP Merrill Kelly: an elite bat at .169 into an arm stingy with runs against the same side (.043), hot bat.
- Eugenio Suárez (CIN) (88) vs RHP Gabriel Hughes: an elite bat at .168 into an arm with little track record against the same side.
- Yordan Alvarez (HOU) (88) vs RHP Dean Kremer: an excellent bat at .156 into an arm getting lit up by the same side (.300).
- Manny Machado (SD) (87) vs RHP Seth Lugo: an elite bat at .164 into an arm stingy with runs against the same side (.000).
Platoon edges to target
- Jake Burger (TEX) — righty bat vs LHP, .225 against lefties this year.
- Drake Baldwin (ATL) — lefty bat vs RHP, .156 against righties this year.
- Brandon Lowe (PIT) — lefty bat vs RHP, .192 against righties this year.
- Yordan Alvarez (HOU) — lefty bat vs RHP, .171 against righties this year.
- Justin Foscue (TEX) — righty bat vs LHP, .226 against lefties this year.
Lineup watch
27 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 rbis matchups
Each score (0–100) starts with the hitter's 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.