MLB Home Run Props, Bets & Picks: Friday (8/8)
The 2025 MLB season rolls on with another full slate of games on Friday. With 15 matchups and all 30 teams to choose from, let's dive into the top MLB home run props, picks and predictions for Friday's action.
Betting on specific players to hit a home run is a fun and alternative way to get action on MLB games. The plus-money odds can provide bigger payouts if you nail the right batter to go yard. Let's focus on a couple of MLB players worth backing to hit a homer on Friday, August 8th.
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Friday’s Best MLB Home Run Props & Bets
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Nick Kurtz (+260)
Unless you've been living under a rock, you know all about the heater Nick Kurtz is on right now. Over his last 26 games, the Athletics' rookie first baseman is batting .427 with a ridiculous .938 slugging rate and 11 home runs in this stretch. He's on another planet, so let's keep riding the hot streak.
Kurtz is actually on a bit of a home run drought, though. He hasn't gone deep since his four-homer game on July 25th. Yet, he's still batting .323 with an .830 OPS in the nine games since. He is overdue to find the bleachers.
Kurtz will face Baltimore Orioles starter Tomoyuki Sugano, who has a 4.42 ERA this year. The right-hander has had an issue with the long ball all season, with 21 home runs allowed across 21 starts. His 1.66 HR/9 rate ranks sixth-worst in the Majors among 75 starting pitchers with 110+ innings this season.
Sugano has given up 12 homers in 10 home starts so far with a 1.93 HR/9 rate at home. He also has a 4.50 ERA and 5.49 FIP at home. The Orioles starter has allowed 13 of his 21 home runs to left-handed hitters as well. If we put those splits together, Sugano has a whopping 2.60 HR/9 rate at home versus lefties.
This is a great spot for Kurtz, who's hammering right-handed pitching. In the split, the lefty has a .347 batting average, .741 slugging rate and 1.181 OPS this year. He also boasts an unreal .394 ISO against righties, with 19 of his 23 homers this season coming in the split.
If you need more convincing, Kurtz also has some good road numbers. He's batting .319 with a .652 slugging rate and 1.039 OPS on the road this year. Let's back the Athletics' exciting youngster to clear the wall in Baltimore today.
Spencer Torkelson (+400)
Let's now turn our attention to Detroit’s matchup at home against Kyle Hendricks and the Angels. We could go with several Tigers to hit a home run in this favorable spot. Spencer Torkelson is the pick, though, with splits in his favor.
Hendricks is having another shaky season with a 4.59 ERA. The Los Angeles right-hander has allowed 18 home runs through 21 starts. The issues with the long ball have carried over from last year, when Hendricks gave up 20 homers in his 24 starts.
The veteran has especially struggled against right-handed hitters. In the split, Hendricks is allowing a .299 batting average, .532 slugging rate and .855 OPS. He's also coughed up 12 of his 18 homers to righties. Plus, Hendricks has a rough 5.44 ERA on the road this year.
As for Torkelson, the Tigers first baseman is having a resurgent season with 24 home runs and an .810 OPS this year. While he's been better against left-handed pitching, Torkelson has hit 15 of his 24 homers against righties. He's also hitting well lately, with a .295 batting average over his last 15 games.
Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter are also options from Detroit to go deep. However, both are lefty hitters, while Torkelson has the better splits as a righty on righty. Plus, he's hit a solid seven homers over the last month of games.
It's also worth noting that Torkelson is 1-for-3 with a home run in his career against Hendricks. It's an extremely small sample size. Yet, it's just the cherry on top that we know he's already gotten the job done in this matchup before.