Best Home Run Picks & Odds Today: July 28

Published: July 28, 2026 at 9:04 am EDT

Arizona Diamondbacks Ketel Marte (4) hits an RBI single against the Chicago Cubs in the fifth inning at Chase Field in Phoenix on April 17, 2024.

Target hitter-friendly venues like Sutter Health Park and Nationals Park to find the best value on today’s massive 16-game MLB slate.
Capitalize on vulnerable pitching matchups by targeting starters with elevated home-run-to-fly-ball ratios who struggle to keep the ball in the yard.
Back sluggers displaying high-volume power and an underdog mentality, including our top prop picks and a high-upside longshot for tonight’s action.

Today’s 16-game MLB slate, including a Cleveland Guardians-Cincinnati Reds doubleheader, gives home run bettors plenty of volume to attack. The best approach starts with venues: target hitter-friendly parks like Sutter Health Park, Nationals Park, and Great American Ball Park while checking the latest MLB park factors before placing wagers.

Below, we break down the top long-ball targets using matchup data, park context, and current MLB odds. These picks also fit naturally into tonight’s MLB player props market, but always confirm MLB starting lineups before locking in bets.

Best Home Run Picks Today

Matchup	Pick	Best Odds
Boston Red Sox vs. Athletics	Jarren Duran	+600
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Washington Nationals	Vladimir Guerrero Jr.	+600
Washington Nationals vs. Toronto Blue Jays	James Wood	+326
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Pittsburgh Pirates	Ketel Marte	+350
Cleveland Guardians vs. Cincinnati Reds	Jose Ramirez	+410

Top HR Props: Picks Analysis for Today’s MLB Slate

Jarren Duran (+600) — Boston Red Sox vs. Athletics

The matchup between the Boston Red Sox and the Athletics takes place at Sutter Health Park, which ranks as the third-best environment for run production. This formidable launching pad averages 3.20 home runs and a massive 11.73 total runs per contest. It provides an elite backdrop for high-leverage power props.

Jarren Duran embodies a true underdog mentality, grinding his way into a premier offensive threat. Today, he faces Athletics starting pitcher Gage Jump, who enters the contest surrendering 1.11 home runs per nine innings. Jump’s pitch-to-contact tendencies make him vulnerable. The extreme hitter-friendly venue combined with this pitching susceptibility creates a prime opportunity to back Duran.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (+600) — Toronto Blue Jays vs. Washington Nationals

Nationals Park stands out as the fifth-best stadium for offense this season, allowing an average of 3.13 home runs per game. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. steps into this premium hitting environment against Washington Nationals starter Cade Cavalli. The high baseline for runs elevates the ceiling for the Toronto Blue Jays lineup.

While Cavalli has managed a solid 0.73 HR/9 rate, the sheer volume of hard-hit balls Guerrero Jr. produces is hard to ignore. His relentless work ethic ensures he is always a threat to clear the fences. The favorable park factors simply offer the necessary boost.

James Wood (+326) — Washington Nationals vs. Toronto Blue Jays

One of the most exploitable pitching matchups on the entire slate belongs to the Washington Nationals. James Wood steps in against Toronto Blue Jays starter Shane Bieber, who is currently bleeding power. Bieber has surrendered a staggering 2.05 home runs per nine innings, giving him the third-worst HR/9 rate among today’s starters.

Wood’s underdog mentality makes him uniquely suited to punish mistakes. When Bieber misses his spots with his pitch-to-contact arsenal, Wood has the raw volume and exit velocity to make him pay.

Ketel Marte (+350) — Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

The Arizona Diamondbacks travel to PNC Park, which ranks as the sixth-best offensive venue in the league this season. Ketel Marte will take aim at Pittsburgh Pirates starter Bubba Chandler. Chandler has kept the ball in the yard at a strong 0.89 HR/9 clip, but Marte’s switch-hitting prowess makes him a formidable opponent.

Marte’s relentless dedication and high-leverage performance history allow him to overcome tough pitching matchups. The stadium’s conditions—averaging 2.33 home runs and 10.62 runs per game—offer a massive boost to the visiting lineup’s power metrics.

Jose Ramirez (+410) — Cleveland Guardians vs. Cincinnati Reds

The Cleveland Guardians and Cincinnati Reds clash at Great American Ball Park, a notoriously ballyhooed, hitter-friendly venue averaging 2.84 home runs per game. Jose Ramirez gets to tee off against Cincinnati starter Brady Singer, who has been highly vulnerable when the ball gets elevated.

Singer carries a 1.83 HR/9 rate into this matchup, ranking as the fourth-worst among today’s starters. Ramirez, known for his gritty underdog mentality and immense volume of extra-base hits, is perfectly positioned to exploit this. This is an elite combination of a struggling pitch-to-contact hurler and a power-boosting stadium.

Daniel Destler

Danny Destler is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A graduate of Marist University, Dan covers a wide range of sports topics, creating engaging and evergreen content for DFS enthusiasts and casual fans.