Best MLB RBIs Matchups — Saturday, August 1, 2026
Top rbis spot: Esmerlyn Valdez
Esmerlyn Valdez (PIT) tops the board at 100, facing LHP Andrew Abbott. The righty is driving in runs at .351 RBI/PA against lefties this year — and .261 over the last two weeks, an elite bat that turns into a RBI in about 24% of his trips. And Andrew Abbott has been stingy with runs against lefties lately — .097 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 owned Andrew Abbott too — .333 across 3 career trips. It all sets up in a neutral park.
The rest of the top of the board
- Drake Baldwin (ATL) (73) vs RHP Miles Mikolas: an elite bat at .172 into an arm getting lit up by the same side (.182), due to bounce back.
- Sal Stewart (CIN) (68) vs RHP Braxton Ashcraft: an elite bat at .170 into an arm getting lit up by the same side (.333).
- Jo Adell (LAA) (67) vs LHP Robert Gasser: an elite bat at .179 into an arm mostly holding up against the same side (.111).
- Hao-Yu Lee (DET) (64) vs RHP Jack Perkins: an elite bat at .162 into an arm mostly holding up against the same side (.105), due to bounce back.
- Manny Machado (SD) (60) vs RHP Tyler Mahle: an elite bat at .162 into an arm stingy with runs against the same side (.043).
- Mickey Moniak (COL) (60) vs RHP Luinder Avila: an excellent bat at .154 into an arm vulnerable to the same side (.130).
- Luis García Jr. (WSH) (57) vs RHP Reynaldo López: an excellent bat at .153 into an arm stingy with runs against the same side (.091).
Platoon edges to target
- Esmerlyn Valdez (PIT) — righty bat vs LHP, .351 against lefties this year.
- Drake Baldwin (ATL) — lefty bat vs RHP, .170 against righties this year.
- Jo Adell (LAA) — righty bat vs LHP, .230 against lefties this year.
- Mickey Moniak (COL) — lefty bat vs RHP, .174 against righties this year.
- Luis García Jr. (WSH) — lefty bat vs RHP, .204 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 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.