Best MLB Walks Matchups — Thursday, July 30, 2026
Top walks spot: James Wood
James Wood (WSH) tops the board at 100, facing RHP Grant Holmes. The lefty is working counts at .198 BB/PA against righties this year — and .161 over the last two weeks, an excellent bat that turns into a walk in about 15% of his trips. And Grant Holmes has been handing out free passes to righties lately — .182 walks per batter faced. The bullpen behind him is roughly average to that side. He's hitting in a spot worth about 4.7 trips, so the volume's there. He's just .167 in 6 career PA against Grant Holmes, 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) (78) vs RHP Jake Irvin: an excellent bat at .132 into an arm with little track record against the same side, hot bat.
- Elly De La Cruz (CIN) (75) vs RHP Yohan Ramírez: a solid bat at .097 into an arm fairly stingy with walks against the same side (.071).
- Matt Olson (ATL) (75) vs RHP Jake Irvin: an excellent bat at .138 into an arm with little track record against the same side.
- Ian Happ (CHC) (73) vs RHP Andre Pallante: an excellent bat at .144 into an arm around league average against the same side (.087).
- Shohei Ohtani (LAD) (70) vs RHP Bryan Woo: an excellent bat at .124 into an arm handing out free passes to the same side (.125).
- Jake Cronenworth (SD) (70) vs RHP the starter: a strong bat at .114 into an arm with little track record against the same side.
- Nick Kurtz (ATH) (69) vs RHP Sonny Gray: an excellent bat at .135 into an arm handing out free passes to the same side (.125), due to bounce back.
Platoon edges to target
- James Wood (WSH) — lefty bat vs RHP, .198 against righties this year.
- Drake Baldwin (ATL) — lefty bat vs RHP, .126 against righties this year.
- Elly De La Cruz (CIN) — lefty bat vs RHP, .099 against righties this year.
- Matt Olson (ATL) — lefty bat vs RHP, .124 against righties this year.
- Ian Happ (CHC) — lefty bat vs RHP, .155 against righties this year.
Lineup watch
180 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.