Best MLB Walks Matchups — Thursday, June 18, 2026
Top walks spot: Nick Kurtz
Nick Kurtz (ATH) tops the board at 100, facing RHP Ryan Johnson. The lefty is working counts at .241 BB/PA against righties this year — and .275 over the last two weeks, an elite bat that turns into a walk in about 19% of his trips. And Ryan Johnson has been thin against righties lately. 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 4.5 trips, so the volume's there. He's owned Ryan Johnson too — 1.000 across 1 career trips. It all sets up in a neutral park, weather helping.
The rest of the top of the board
- Ben Rice (NYY) (78) vs RHP Sean Burke: an excellent bat at .130 into an arm handing out free passes to the same side (.259).
- Juan Soto (NYM) (77) vs RHP Aaron Nola: an elite bat at .152 into an arm handing out free passes to the same side (.194).
- Tyler Soderstrom (ATH) (76) vs RHP Ryan Johnson: an excellent bat at .146 into an arm with little track record against the same side, due to bounce back.
- Jazz Chisholm Jr. (NYY) (68) vs RHP Sean Burke: an excellent bat at .134 into an arm handing out free passes to the same side (.259).
- Cody Bellinger (NYY) (58) vs RHP Sean Burke: a strong bat at .101 into an arm handing out free passes to the same side (.259).
- Iván Herrera (STL) (52) vs LHP Noah Cameron: an excellent bat at .139 into an arm tough to walk against the same side (.000).
- Lane Thomas (KC) (51) vs LHP Matthew Liberatore: a strong bat at .118 into an arm handing out free passes to the same side (.118).
Platoon edges to target
- Nick Kurtz (ATH) — lefty bat vs RHP, .241 against righties this year.
- Ben Rice (NYY) — lefty bat vs RHP, .151 against righties this year.
- Juan Soto (NYM) — lefty bat vs RHP, .169 against righties this year.
- Tyler Soderstrom (ATH) — lefty bat vs RHP, .147 against righties this year.
- Jazz Chisholm Jr. (NYY) — lefty bat vs RHP, .130 against righties this year.
Lineup watch
18 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 it played out
2 of the top 10 walks matchups landed at least one walk. Top play Nick Kurtz finished with 0 walks. 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.