Best MLB Walks Matchups — Thursday, September 10, 2026
Top walks spot: Kyle Schwarber
Kyle Schwarber (PHI) tops the board at 100, facing RHP Cristian Javier. The lefty is working counts at .148 BB/PA against righties this year — and .097 over the last two weeks, a strong bat that turns into a walk in about 12% of his trips. And Cristian Javier has been around league average against righties lately — .087 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. He's just .000 in 3 career PA against Cristian Javier, 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
- Bryce Harper (PHI) (97) vs RHP Cristian Javier: an excellent bat at .121 into an arm around league average against the same side (.087).
- Yordan Alvarez (HOU) (95) vs RHP Zack Wheeler: an excellent bat at .127 into an arm handing out free passes to the same side (.182).
- Aaron Judge (NYY) (91) vs RHP Ryan Feltner: an excellent bat at .135 into an arm prone to walking the same side (.100).
- Munetaka Murakami (CWS) (85) vs RHP Jared Jones: a strong bat at .114 into an arm prone to walking the same side (.105).
- Ben Rice (NYY) (84) vs RHP Ryan Feltner: a strong bat at .102 into an arm handing out free passes to the same side (.130), due to bounce back.
- Cal Raleigh (SEA) (75) vs RHP Jacob deGrom: a strong bat at .119 into an arm handing out free passes to the same side (.128).
- Yandy Díaz (TB) (71) vs LHP Martín Pérez: a solid bat at .091 into an arm handing out free passes to the same side (.185).
Platoon edges to target
- Kyle Schwarber (PHI) — lefty bat vs RHP, .148 against righties this year.
- Bryce Harper (PHI) — lefty bat vs RHP, .172 against righties this year.
- Yordan Alvarez (HOU) — lefty bat vs RHP, .188 against righties this year.
- Munetaka Murakami (CWS) — lefty bat vs RHP, .169 against righties this year.
- Ben Rice (NYY) — lefty bat vs RHP, .142 against righties this year.
Lineup watch
90 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.
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