Who has the best walks matchup today (Thursday, June 25, 2026)?

Nick Kurtz (ATH) — top of the board at 100, facing RHP Landen Roupp. An elite bat into a beatable arm is what pushes it to No. 1.

What are the best MLB walks matchups today (Thursday, June 25, 2026)?

The top walks matchups on Thursday, June 25, 2026: Nick Kurtz (100), Kevin McGonigle (100), Michael Busch (93), Yordan Alvarez (93), George Springer (83). The full board ranks every hitter in every game by walks upside.

Which hitters have a platoon edge today?

Nick Kurtz (ATH) — lefty bat vs RHP, .234 against righties this year. Kevin McGonigle (DET) — lefty bat vs RHP, .158 against righties this year. Michael Busch (CHC) — lefty bat vs RHP, .160 against righties this year. Yordan Alvarez (HOU) — lefty bat vs RHP, .186 against righties this year. George Springer (TOR) — righty bat vs LHP, .130 against lefties this year.

How is the walks matchup score calculated?

It's his walk rate against that hand, weighted to recent form over a two-year baseline, set against how freely that arm gives them up. Command and plate discipline carry this board; the park barely moves it. 0–100 across the slate.

What does BB/PA mean?

Walks per plate appearance — how often a hitter draws a base on balls. Around .085 (one walk every ~12 trips) is league average; .12+ is elite plate discipline. The matchup pairs the hitter's walk rate with how freely the pitcher gives them up.

What does the score actually mean?

Higher is better. This board rewards patience and punishes chase — a disciplined bat against a wild arm will out-grade a better hitter who swings at everything.

What's the confidence meter?

It's how much data is behind the call — sample size on both the hitter and the pitcher, plus whether the lineup's official. A high score with low confidence is a thinner read than the same score backed by a deep track record. It's not a probability of a walk.

What is a platoon split (handedness split)?

Walk rates split by hand too, and often the other way round to what you'd expect — some hitters get more free passes against the same hand because the arm won't give in with the platoon disadvantage.

What are park factors?

Parks barely move walks, and the board reflects that. What matters is the arm's command and the umpire behind the plate, not the dimensions. Above 1.00 bumps the score, below 1.00 trims it — the swing is small here.

What do "2W", "SZN" and "2Y" mean?

The timeframes behind each rate: the last two weeks (recent form), the current season, and a trailing two years (a stable baseline). Recent form counts most, and small samples get pulled toward league average so a hot week doesn't fool the model.

What do "≈ est", "Due" and "Not starting" mean?

"≈ est" is a hitter we don't have splits for yet — a rookie or unmatched ID — shown at a league-baseline estimate instead of dropped. "Due" means he hasn't recorded a walk in a while and profiles for regression. "Not starting" means he was projected but didn't make the official lineup, so he slides to the bottom where you can still look him up.

Can I use this for walks props or DFS?

That's what it's built for — pre-slate research. The board surfaces which hitters have the best conditions today, and where one exists, we show the book's "1+ walk" line so you can shop the price. We're not a sportsbook and we don't post picks — we show the matchup data, the line, and the result. (Best-price and all-book odds are a Pro feature.)

How accurate is the model?

We grade every board against the box score. Walks are among the most stable rates in baseball, so this board's record holds up better over short runs than the power boards — the season number is posted either way.

When do lineups update?

Projected lineups (marked "Proj") come from each team's last game. Official lineups usually drop about two hours before first pitch, and the board updates itself as they post. Batting order is a big driver, so it's worth a second look mid-afternoon — rankings shift as lineups lock.

Yes. The full board, every game page, and the daily archive are free, no login. Best-price odds and the betting tools are the paid tier.

Best MLB walks matchups — Thursday, June 25, 2026

Every hitter on the Thursday, June 25, 2026 slate — ranked by who's most likely to draw a walk. Results show how each call played out.

How the model did — Thursday, June 25, 2026

Our top 5 hitters went 1/5 (20%) on 1+ walk, against 37% on the season.

Top 5

1/520%

season 37%

Top 10

5/1050%

season 39%

Full slate

39/14427%

season 28%

Top call Nick Kurtz came through. Kevin McGonigle didn't.

Each hitter below carries a 0–100 matchup score — a read on the spot in front of him, not a ranking of how good he is, so a star in a brutal matchup can sit below an average hitter in a soft one. Confidence next to it is coverage: how much real data backs the number. Every call here was graded against the box score — wins and misses both, with the record on this page. How this board is built →

Final · 2–13

KCaway

TBhomeTop matchup56 Final · 1–5

SEAaway

PIThomeTop matchup70 Final · 9–6

ATHaway

SFhomeTop matchup100 Final · 2–1

HOUaway

DEThomeTop matchup100 Final · 10–5

PHIaway

WSHhomeTop matchup74 Final · 6–5

TEXaway

TORhomeTop matchup83 Final · 4–3

CHCaway

NYMhomeTop matchup93 Final · 3–6

NYYaway

BOShomeTop matchup65

Not starting39 not in the official lineup — moved to the bottom

PosSort

#Hitter · Matchup · 183 shownScore

40 with a BBLive count — updates as games play

1
Bryce Harper1B
PHI@WSH· 2-for-3
2BBFinal
Proj 0.5 BB, #6
T1
Joc PedersonDH
TEX@TOR· 2-for-3
2BBFinal
Proj 0.4 BB, #8
T1
Corey SeagerSS
TEX@TOR· 0-for-3
2BBFinal
Proj 0.4 BB, #17
T1
Matt Chapman3B
SFvsATH· 1-for-2
2BBFinal
Proj 0.5 BB, #18
T1
Juan SotoLF
NYMvsCHC· 1-for-3
2BBFinal
Proj 0.4 BB, #41
T1
Starling MarteRF
KC@TB· 0-for-1
2BBFinal
Proj 0.3 BB, #138
7
Nick Kurtz1B
ATH@SF· 0-for-4
1BBFinal
Proj 0.6 BB, #1
T7
Cal RaleighC
SEA@PIT· 1-for-4
1BBFinal
Proj 0.5 BB, #9
T7
Kyle SchwarberDH
PHI@WSH· 2-for-4
1BBFinal
Proj 0.5 BB, #10
T7
Paul Goldschmidt1B
NYY@BOS· 2-for-4
1BBFinal
Proj 0.4 BB, #12
T7
Tyler SoderstromLF
ATH@SF· 2-for-4
1BBFinal
Proj 0.5 BB, #19
T7
Masataka YoshidaDH
BOSvsNYY· 0-for-3
1BBFinal
Proj 0.4 BB, #26
T7
Bryan ReynoldsLF
PITvsSEA· 1-for-3
1BBFinal
Proj 0.4 BB, #40
T7
Carson BengeRF
NYMvsCHC· 1-for-5
1BBFinal
Proj 0.4 BB, #44
T7
Josh Naylor1B
SEA@PIT· 1-for-3
1BBFinal
Proj 0.4 BB, #47
T7
Brandon NimmoRF
TEX@TOR· 0-for-3
1BBFinal
Proj 0.4 BB, #48
T7
Jonah HeimC
ATH@SF· 1-for-4
1BBFinal
Proj 0.4 BB, #53
T7
Taylor WallsSS
TBvsKC· 1-for-3
1BBFinal
Proj 0.4 BB, #54
T7
Randy ArozarenaLF
SEA@PIT· 1-for-3
1BBFinal
Proj 0.4 BB, #55
T7
Anthony VolpeSS
NYY@BOS· 0-for-3
1BBFinal
Proj 0.4 BB, #59
T7
Nasim Nuñez2B
WSHvsPHI· 1-for-2
1BBFinal
Proj 0.4 BB, #60
T7
Victor Mesa Jr.RF
TBvsKC· 1-for-3
1BBFinal
Proj 0.4 BB, #61
T7
Mitch GarverC
SEA@PIT· 0-for-2
1BBFinal
Proj 0.4 BB, #62
T7
Luke RaleyRF
SEA@PIT· 1-for-2
1BBFinal
Proj 0.4 BB, #64
T7
Bryce EldridgeDH
SFvsATH· 0-for-3
1BBFinal
Proj 0.4 BB, #74
T7
Francisco AlvarezC
NYMvsCHC· 0-for-4
1BBFinal
Proj 0.3 BB, #75
T7
Willy AdamesSS
SFvsATH· 1-for-3
1BBFinal
Proj 0.4 BB, #80
T7
A.J. EwingCF
NYMvsCHC· 1-for-4
1BBFinal
Proj 0.3 BB, #82
T7
Colt EmersonSS
SEA@PIT· 0-for-3
1BBFinal
Proj 0.3 BB, #84
T7
Kyle HigashiokaC
TEX@TOR· 2-for-3
1BBFinal
Proj 0.3 BB, #90
T7
Nico Hoerner2B
CHC@NYM· 0-for-3
1BBFinal
Proj 0.3 BB, #93
T7
Bryson Stott2B
PHI@WSH· 0-for-4
1BBFinal
Proj 0.3 BB, #95
T7
Jazz Chisholm Jr.2B
NYY@BOS· 1-for-3
1BBFinal
Proj 0.3 BB, #101
T7
Brandon MarshLF
PHI@WSH· 2-for-4
1BBFinal
Proj 0.3 BB, #102
T7
Miguel AmayaC
CHC@NYM· 0-for-3
1BBFinal
Proj 0.3 BB, #103
T7
Nathan LukesRF
TORvsTEX· 0-for-2
1BBFinal
Proj 0.3 BB, #113
T7
Dillon DinglerC
DETvsHOU· 1-for-3
1BBFinal
Proj 0.3 BB, #127
T7
Caleb Durbin3B
BOSvsNYY· 2-for-3
1BBFinal
Proj 0.3 BB, #136
T7
Ceddanne RafaelaCF
BOSvsNYY· 1-for-4
1BBFinal
Proj 0.3 BB, #140
T7
Jared Young1B
NYMvsCHC· 1-for-1
1BBFinal
Proj 0.4 BB

Best MLB Walks Matchups — Thursday, June 25, 2026

Nick Kurtz (ATH) is the top walks matchup on the Thursday, June 25, 2026 board at 100, with Kevin McGonigle (DET) and Michael Busch (CHC) right behind. Every hitter on the slate is ranked by who's most likely to draw a walk — plate discipline and how freely the pitcher and bullpen issue walks, plus lineup spot. It's the read DFS and prop players make before lock.

Top walks spot: Nick Kurtz

Nick Kurtz (ATH) tops the board at 100, facing RHP Landen Roupp. The lefty is working counts at .234 BB/PA against righties this year — and .222 over the last two weeks, an elite bat that turns into a walk in about 17% of his trips. And Landen Roupp has been around league average against righties lately — .087 walks 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 just .000 in 2 career PA against Landen Roupp, 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

Kevin McGonigle (DET) (100) vs RHP Tatsuya Imai: an excellent bat at .145 into an arm tough to walk against the same side (.000).
Michael Busch (CHC) (93) vs RHP Freddy Peralta: an excellent bat at .137 into an arm around league average against the same side (.091).
Yordan Alvarez (HOU) (93) vs RHP Troy Melton: an elite bat at .152 into an arm around league average against the same side (.091).
George Springer (TOR) (83) vs LHP MacKenzie Gore: an excellent bat at .122 into an arm around league average against the same side (.094).
Bryce Harper (PHI) (74) vs RHP Cade Cavalli: an excellent bat at .132 into an arm fairly stingy with walks against the same side (.080).
Ian Happ (CHC) (74) vs RHP Freddy Peralta: an excellent bat at .123 into an arm around league average against the same side (.091), hot bat.
Joc Pederson (TEX) (70) vs RHP Kevin Gausman: a solid bat at .092 into an arm handing out free passes to the same side (.160).

Platoon edges to target

Nick Kurtz (ATH) — lefty bat vs RHP, .234 against righties this year.
Kevin McGonigle (DET) — lefty bat vs RHP, .158 against righties this year.
Michael Busch (CHC) — lefty bat vs RHP, .160 against righties this year.
Yordan Alvarez (HOU) — lefty bat vs RHP, .186 against righties this year.
George Springer (TOR) — righty bat vs LHP, .130 against lefties this year.

How it played out

5 of the top 10 walks matchups landed at least one walk. Top play Nick Kurtz finished with 1 walk. 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 walks matchups

Each score (0–100) starts with the hitter's walks 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.

Keep reading

What the walks board is

The Walks board projects the chance a hitter draws a walk. One statistical model scores every matchup on the slate the same way — a star and a backup judged on the matchup in front of them, not their name — and every number is graded against the real box score once the games go final.

How the model gets its number

It isn't a gut call or a name game. The projection is built from a few things:

His plate discipline.
The pitcher's control.
The count leverage in the matchup.

Those pieces combine into one number, and the model re-tunes itself weekly against how its past calls actually landed.

Is there a betting edge here?

An over-only market with heavy juice; our overs grade anti-predictive and lose to the vig. No edge — transparency board.

How to use it

Spot the patient-hitter-vs-wild-arm setups; not a bettable edge.

Everything here is a research signal from the model, graded in public — not betting advice, and no outcome is guaranteed.

Learn more: How the model works · The picks story · Today's plays

Frequently asked questions

Who has the best walks matchup today (Thursday, June 25, 2026)?: Nick Kurtz (ATH) — top of the board at 100, facing RHP Landen Roupp. An elite bat into a beatable arm is what pushes it to No. 1.
What are the best MLB walks matchups today (Thursday, June 25, 2026)?: The top walks matchups on Thursday, June 25, 2026: Nick Kurtz (100), Kevin McGonigle (100), Michael Busch (93), Yordan Alvarez (93), George Springer (83). The full board ranks every hitter in every game by walks upside.
Did the top walks matchup get a walk on Thursday, June 25, 2026?: Yes — Nick Kurtz got 1 walk.
Which hitters have a platoon edge today?: Nick Kurtz (ATH) — lefty bat vs RHP, .234 against righties this year. Kevin McGonigle (DET) — lefty bat vs RHP, .158 against righties this year. Michael Busch (CHC) — lefty bat vs RHP, .160 against righties this year. Yordan Alvarez (HOU) — lefty bat vs RHP, .186 against righties this year. George Springer (TOR) — righty bat vs LHP, .130 against lefties this year.
How is the walks matchup score calculated?: It's his walk rate against that hand, weighted to recent form over a two-year baseline, set against how freely that arm gives them up. Command and plate discipline carry this board; the park barely moves it. 0–100 across the slate.
What does BB/PA mean?: Walks per plate appearance — how often a hitter draws a base on balls. Around .085 (one walk every ~12 trips) is league average; .12+ is elite plate discipline. The matchup pairs the hitter's walk rate with how freely the pitcher gives them up.
What does the score actually mean?: Higher is better. This board rewards patience and punishes chase — a disciplined bat against a wild arm will out-grade a better hitter who swings at everything.
What's the confidence meter?: It's how much data is behind the call — sample size on both the hitter and the pitcher, plus whether the lineup's official. A high score with low confidence is a thinner read than the same score backed by a deep track record. It's not a probability of a walk.
What is a platoon split (handedness split)?: Walk rates split by hand too, and often the other way round to what you'd expect — some hitters get more free passes against the same hand because the arm won't give in with the platoon disadvantage.
What are park factors?: Parks barely move walks, and the board reflects that. What matters is the arm's command and the umpire behind the plate, not the dimensions. Above 1.00 bumps the score, below 1.00 trims it — the swing is small here.
What do "2W", "SZN" and "2Y" mean?: The timeframes behind each rate: the last two weeks (recent form), the current season, and a trailing two years (a stable baseline). Recent form counts most, and small samples get pulled toward league average so a hot week doesn't fool the model.
What do "≈ est", "Due" and "Not starting" mean?: "≈ est" is a hitter we don't have splits for yet — a rookie or unmatched ID — shown at a league-baseline estimate instead of dropped. "Due" means he hasn't recorded a walk in a while and profiles for regression. "Not starting" means he was projected but didn't make the official lineup, so he slides to the bottom where you can still look him up.
Can I use this for walks props or DFS?: That's what it's built for — pre-slate research. The board surfaces which hitters have the best conditions today, and where one exists, we show the book's "1+ walk" line so you can shop the price. We're not a sportsbook and we don't post picks — we show the matchup data, the line, and the result. (Best-price and all-book odds are a Pro feature.)
How accurate is the model?: We grade every board against the box score. Walks are among the most stable rates in baseball, so this board's record holds up better over short runs than the power boards — the season number is posted either way.
When do lineups update?: Projected lineups (marked "Proj") come from each team's last game. Official lineups usually drop about two hours before first pitch, and the board updates itself as they post. Batting order is a big driver, so it's worth a second look mid-afternoon — rankings shift as lineups lock.
Is MatchWiz free?: Yes. The full board, every game page, and the daily archive are free, no login. Best-price odds and the betting tools are the paid tier.