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, September 26th.
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Friday's Best MLB Home Run Props & Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Kyle Schwarber (+180)
After a brief power drought earlier this month, Kyle Schwarber is back to hitting homers. He just hit two more on Wednesday after going deep on Tuesday. The Phillies slugger has seven home runs over his past 15 games.
Schwarber is up to 56 home runs on the season. He's two away from Philadelphia's franchise record of 58, set by Ryan Howard. With three games at home this weekend, he can certainly get there.
Minnesota Twins starter Joe Ryan has a solid 3.47 ERA this season, but he's ending the year poorly. The right-hander has struggled to a 7.33 ERA over his past six starts, with five or more runs allowed in four of those six starts. He's also given up nine home runs in this stretch, including four last outing against Cleveland.
Ryan has allowed 25 home runs in 30 outings this season. His 1.36 HR/9 rate is the ninth-highest among qualified MLB starting pitchers. Issues with the long ball are nothing new for the Twins righty. He had a 1.27 HR/9 rate last year and 1.78 HR/9 rate in 2023.
Schwarber, meanwhile, has hit 33 of his 56 homers against right-handed pitching. He's also gone deep 33 times at home this season, with a .683 slugging rate when hitting in Philly. As for Ryan, he's allowed 16 of his 25 home runs to lefty hitters with notably worse overall numbers in the split as well.
Christian Yelich (+440)
Zack Littell is on the mound today, which is a good thing for our home run bets. The Cincinnati Reds starter has allowed a league-high 36 home runs in 31 starts this season. His 1.78 HR/9 rate is also the second-highest among qualified MLB starters.
We also get Littell on the road. He's given up 20 homers in 17 road starts so far. The right-hander has a 4.01 ERA and 5.17 FIP on the road as well. It bodes well for the Milwaukee lineup, but picking which hitter to go deep is the tough part.
Christian Yelich is the choice. The Brewers outfielder has 29 home runs on the season, including 25 against right-handed pitching. He also boasts a .509 slugging rate and .867 OPS vs. righties this year.
Though Yelich has only hit two home runs in September thus far, the matchup is too good to ignore. Littell is bound to give one up, and Yelich has the better splits to trust than most of his teammates.
