Best MLB Walks Matchups — Monday, August 3, 2026
Top walks spot: Yordan Alvarez
Yordan Alvarez (HOU) tops the board at 100, facing RHP Shane Bieber. The lefty is working counts at .180 BB/PA against righties this year — and .167 over the last two weeks, an excellent bat that turns into a walk in about 14% of his trips. And Shane Bieber has been handing out free passes to righties lately — .162 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 owned Shane Bieber too — .500 across 8 career trips. It all sets up in a neutral park.
The rest of the top of the board
- James Wood (WSH) (91) vs RHP Aaron Nola: an elite bat at .155 into an arm handing out free passes to the same side (.125), due to bounce back.
- Geraldo Perdomo (AZ) (83) vs RHP Michael King: an excellent bat at .134 into an arm handing out free passes to the same side (.135).
- Brice Turang (MIL) (77) vs RHP Bubba Chandler: a strong bat at .117 into an arm fairly stingy with walks against the same side (.083), hot bat.
- Trent Grisham (NYY) (74) vs RHP Michael McGreevy: a strong bat at .110 into an arm handing out free passes to the same side (.174), due to bounce back.
- Ben Rice (NYY) (71) vs RHP Michael McGreevy: a strong bat at .109 into an arm handing out free passes to the same side (.174), due to bounce back.
- Corbin Carroll (AZ) (70) vs RHP Michael King: a solid bat at .096 into an arm handing out free passes to the same side (.135).
- Kyle Schwarber (PHI) (68) vs RHP the starter: an excellent bat at .136 into an arm with little track record against the same side, due to bounce back.
Platoon edges to target
- Yordan Alvarez (HOU) — lefty bat vs RHP, .180 against righties this year.
- James Wood (WSH) — lefty bat vs RHP, .201 against righties this year.
- Geraldo Perdomo (AZ) — lefty bat vs RHP, .156 against righties this year.
- Brice Turang (MIL) — lefty bat vs RHP, .140 against righties this year.
- Trent Grisham (NYY) — lefty bat vs RHP, .140 against righties this year.
Lineup watch
144 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.