Hiram Moreno
Following the All-Star Game, which marked the halfway point of the MLB season, activity in the Major Leagues continues in the second half of the season. Several players will be fighting for the title of 2022 MLB home run leader, but in order to do so, they will have to continue to deliver spectacular runs like the ones they have given us in the first half.
Here, at JefeBet, we will review those baseball players who are in the race for the title, while we will also provide you with their odds in case you are interested in betting on them for the future.
Favorites for the Title of 2022 MLB Home Run Leader
Pete Alonso (+2300)
After a couple of seasons at a regular level, Pete Alonso once again demonstrates his power with the bat. The 2019 National League Rookie of the Year, 2019 MLB homerun leader and 2019 and 2021 Home Run Derby winner is again in the running for the title of MLB homerun leader.
Nevertheless, his chances are low, since with 24 homers he is in fifth place on the list and 12 behind the leader, although the Mets won’t care if he doesn’t win the award since his offensive production has been phenomenal, leading MLB in RBIs with 78.
Austin Riley (+1900)
It was no secret that Austin Riley was a gifted ball-striker, but the Atlanta player has finally realized his full potential this month, hitting nine homeruns to date. To put this in context, Riley had six hits in each of the previous six months of the 2022 season.
With a .400 batting average for the month, Riley has hit a total of 27 homers so far, which places him fourth in the MLB standings, a long way from the top, but if he can maintain a similar pace to this one he could probably finish very close to the top spot.
Yordan Alvarez (+1400)
Ever since he broke into the Major Leagues in 2019 and earned the American League Rookie of the Year award that same year, we all began to appreciate the way Yordan Alvarez put his power behind each of his at-bats, and in this 2022 we continue to witness how the Cuban makes the ball disappear into the horizon.
Álvarez has hit a total of 28 homers during the season, being the second player in the American League to record the most homers so far. However, this is enough for him to be in third place in the favorites, as there is a player in the National League who is also ripping the ball.
Kyle Schwarber (+500)
Is it better to be a power hitter or a contact hitter? Kyle Schwarber is clearly one of the first. The Philadelphia Phillies outfielder has never been known for his defense or for having a high batting average – he’s actually hitting .208 this season – but rather for his ability to hit homers.
The player began to surge in June, with 19 home runs since then.which is more than any other baseball player in that period. This puts him with 30 homers on the season, six shy of first place, making him one of the favorites to take the award should the next player have a slump.
Aaron Judge (-310)
When healthy, Aaron Judge is capable of some really impressive feats. The 2017 American League Rookie of the Year and the league’s home run leader that same year is on track to take the title if he can keep up the level in this second half of the season. His 6 home run lead over his closest pursuer gives him some margin for this.
In fact, Aaron Judge connected for 33 homers with the Yankees before the All-Star Game break, which equaled the franchise record set by Roger Maris in 1961. That season saw Maris finish as American League MVP and connect a total of 61 homers, so projections are good for the lanky outfielder who has currently connected for 36 homers.
