With New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge sidelined indefinitely with a torn ligament in his toe, the race for the MLB’s home run champion is taking on new dimensions.
As in, different players have become favored to unseat Judge, the defending champion who connected on an AL-record 62 homers last season. He had 19 HRs through 49 games this season.
Judge established the new mark on Oct. 4, connecting off Texas Rangers right-hander Jesus Tinoco. He broke the record held by former Yankees outfielder Roger Maris, who slammed 61 during the 1961 campaign.
Aaron Judge hits No 62! Yankees superstar overtakes Roger Maris with just one game to spare – as homer against the Texas Rangers secures him the all-time single-season home run American League record
via https://t.co/ljoeGq9Lli https://t.co/t9QMfW7pNU— Wills Robinson (@Wills_Robinson) October 5, 2022
Shohei Ohtani, Matt Olson New Frontrunners For HR Crown
As Judge, the heavy pre-injury favorite to repeat, heals, Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani and Atlanta Braves’ Matt Olson became the odds-on favorites to capture the home run title. Entering Monday, Ohtani and Olson had 25 round-trippers, followed closely by New York Mets’ Pete Alonso, who had 24.
Since Judge suffered his injury, Ohtani, who started slowly, has put on a power surge, slamming 22 homers in June. He had the best odds at +250, according to FanDuel.
Olson, meanwhile, has remained consistent during the first three months of the season, clubbing eight dingers in April, nine in May and eight in June. His odds were +260.
There’s no guarantee Judge returns during the regular season and his long-shot +10,000 odds could be tempting if he does end up dressing during the second half.
Another injured slugger, Los Angeles Dodgers’ Max Muncy, is expected to return before the All-Star break. He trailed the frontrunners by seven homers. He also was listed at +10,000.
Shohei Ohtani: 25 HRs, 3.13 ERA
Matt Olson: 25 HRs, 0.00 ERA pic.twitter.com/FtiCD3l2gk— Statfax (@statfax) June 26, 2023
FanDuel Odds For MLB’s Home Run Leaders
Here are the odds to capture the 2023 MLB home run crown:
Player, Home Runs, FanDuel Odds
- Shohei Ohtani, 25, +250
- Matt Olson, 25, +260
- Pete Alonso, 24, +300
- Kyle Schwarber, 20, +1,100
- Fernando Tatis Jr., 15, +1,700
- Mike Trout, 17, +2,400
- Jorge Soler, 21, +3,500
- Rafael Devers, 18, +4,500
- Mookie Betts, 19, +5,500
- Ronald Acuna Jr., 16, +5,500
- Luis Robert, 21, +6,500
- Adolis Garcia, 17, +8,000
- Aaron Judge, 19, +10,000
- Max Muncy, 18, +10,000
* Odds and HR totals entering Monday’s games
#Dodgers Max Muncy taking some live ABs today pic.twitter.com/gEuJx5KCMI
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) June 25, 2023
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