Best MLB Walks Matchups — Wednesday, July 1, 2026
Top walks spot: Shohei Ohtani
Shohei Ohtani (LAD) tops the board at 100, facing RHP J.T. Ginn. The lefty is working counts at .184 BB/PA against righties this year — and .091 over the last two weeks, a strong bat that turns into a walk in about 12% of his trips. And J.T. Ginn has been around league average against righties lately — .093 walks per batter faced. The bullpen behind him hasn't been any better to that side, so there's no relief late. He's hitting in a spot worth about 4.7 trips, so the volume's there. No real history against J.T. Ginn. It all sets up in a neutral park.
The rest of the top of the board
- TJ Rumfield (COL) (97) vs RHP Max Meyer: a strong bat at .107 into an arm handing out free passes to the same side (.154), hitter's park, hot bat.
- Yordan Alvarez (HOU) (96) vs RHP Taj Bradley: an elite bat at .169 into an arm handing out free passes to the same side (.147).
- Kyle Schwarber (PHI) (92) vs RHP Paul Skenes: a strong bat at .118 into an arm prone to walking the same side (.107).
- Junior Caminero (TB) (87) vs RHP Seth Lugo: a solid bat at .092 into an arm handing out free passes to the same side (.125), hot bat.
- Juan Soto (NYM) (86) vs RHP Braydon Fisher: an excellent bat at .148 into an arm handing out free passes to the same side (.231).
- Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC) (84) vs RHP Walker Buehler: an excellent bat at .120 into an arm fairly stingy with walks against the same side (.083).
- Freddie Freeman (LAD) (82) vs RHP J.T. Ginn: an excellent bat at .129 into an arm around league average against the same side (.093).
Platoon edges to target
- Shohei Ohtani (LAD) — lefty bat vs RHP, .184 against righties this year.
- TJ Rumfield (COL) — lefty bat vs RHP, .107 against righties this year.
- Yordan Alvarez (HOU) — lefty bat vs RHP, .191 against righties this year.
- Kyle Schwarber (PHI) — lefty bat vs RHP, .150 against righties this year.
- Juan Soto (NYM) — lefty bat vs RHP, .173 against righties this year.
Where walks come easiest today
Coors Field is playing as a real hitter's park today (+6% walk park). Top bat there: TJ Rumfield (COL) at 97.
Lineup watch
252 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 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.