Best MLB Walks Matchups — Tuesday, July 21, 2026
Top walks spot: Mike Trout
Mike Trout (LAA) tops the board at 100, facing LHP Matthew Liberatore. The righty is working counts at .211 BB/PA against lefties this year — and .125 over the last two weeks, an elite bat that turns into a walk in about 15% of his trips. And Matthew Liberatore has been fairly stingy with walks against lefties lately — .077 walks per batter faced. One catch: the bullpen behind him has been stingy to that side late. He's hitting in a spot worth about 4.5 trips, so the volume's there. He's owned Matthew Liberatore too — .333 across 3 career trips. It all sets up in a park that leans hitter, weather helping.
The rest of the top of the board
- James Wood (WSH) (100) vs RHP Michael Lorenzen: an elite bat at .171 into an arm handing out free passes to the same side (.143), hitter's park.
- Yordan Alvarez (HOU) (98) vs RHP Tyler Phillips: an elite bat at .159 into an arm prone to walking the same side (.095), hot bat.
- Alec Burleson (STL) (93) vs RHP Walbert Ureña: a solid bat at .093 into an arm handing out free passes to the same side (.455), hitter's park.
- Shea Langeliers (ATH) (92) vs LHP Kohl Drake: a league-average bat at .084 into an arm with little track record against the same side, hot bat.
- Lars Nootbaar (STL) (81) vs RHP Walbert Ureña: a strong bat at .118 into an arm handing out free passes to the same side (.455), hitter's park.
- Corbin Carroll (AZ) (81) vs RHP Jack Perkins: a strong bat at .115 into an arm handing out free passes to the same side (.143).
- Elly De La Cruz (CIN) (79) vs RHP Luis Castillo: a solid bat at .099 into an arm tough to walk against the same side (.000).
Platoon edges to target
- Mike Trout (LAA) — righty bat vs LHP, .211 against lefties this year.
- James Wood (WSH) — lefty bat vs RHP, .199 against righties this year.
- Yordan Alvarez (HOU) — lefty bat vs RHP, .180 against righties this year.
- Alec Burleson (STL) — lefty bat vs RHP, .099 against righties this year.
- Shea Langeliers (ATH) — righty bat vs LHP, .089 against lefties this year.
Where walks come easiest today
- Coors Field is playing as a real hitter's park today (+18% walk park). Top bat there: James Wood (WSH) at 100.
- Angel Stadium is playing as hitter-friendly today (+3% walk park). Top bat there: Mike Trout (LAA) at 100.
How it played out
4 of the top 10 walks matchups landed at least one walk. Top play Mike Trout 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.