Skip to content

MLB home run leader odds: Gallo favored for 1st crown

Tom Pennington / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.

Joey Gallo can absolutely mash the baseball.

The Texas Rangers slugger led MLB last season in barrels per batted ball event (Brls/BBE%) among players with a minimum of 100 plate appearances. He was third in barrels per plate appearance (Brls/PA%) and hard-hit percentage and sixth in average exit velocity, but was limited to just 70 games due to oblique and hamate injuries.

With a clean bill of health entering 2020, Gallo is the odds-on favorite to lead the majors in home runs this season.

PLAYER ODDS
Joey Gallo +800
Aaron Judge +1000
Pete Alonso +1000
Mike Trout +1100
Cody Bellinger +1400
Yordan Alvarez +1400
Christian Yelich +1800
Ronald Acuna Jr. +1800
Eugenio Suarez +2000
Franmil Reyes +2000
Matt Olson +2000
Nelson Cruz +2000
Nolan Arenado +2000
Rhys Hoskins +2200
Alex Bregman +2500
Gleyber Torres +2500
Jorge Soler +2500
Josh Donaldson +2500
Bryce Harper +2800
Eloy Jimenez +2800
Miguel Sano +3300
Trevor Story +3300
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. +3300
J.D. Martinez +4000
Khris Davis +4000

Aaron Judge, New York Yankees (+1000)

Judge, the 2017 home run champion, was limited by injuries during the last two seasons. The Yankees outfielder led MLB in average exit velocity in each of the past three campaigns while posting the league-best hard-hit percentage in 2017 and 2018, and finishing second in 2019.

There's no doubt the ball explodes off Judge's bat, but his inability to remain healthy is a concern. He was set to miss the beginning of this season before it was pushed back, so perhaps a shortened campaign will favor him. Of course, the same can be said for Gallo.

Yordan Alvarez, Houston Astros (+1400)

Alvarez wasted no time after being called up last season, smacking 27 home runs in 87 games - a 50-homer pace over 162 contests. He was sixth in Brls/BBE% and Brls/PA%, all while adjusting to MLB pitching as a rookie. With a half-season of experience under his belt, the Astros slugger may be gearing up to distinguish himself this year as one of the best home run hitters in baseball.

Franmil Reyes, Cleveland Indians (+2000)

Last season was a bit of a write-off for Reyes, who spent the first four months playing for the San Diego Padres at pitcher-friendly Petco Park before being traded to the Indians. He then had to adjust to a new league, new park, and new teammates.

Despite those suboptimal conditions, Reyes still finished among the top five in both average exit velocity and hard-hit percentage, while managing the 14th-best mark in Brls/BBE% and Brls/PA%. Now that he's settled in as the designated hitter in Cleveland, all he has to worry about is crushing the baseball. In a better ballpark, surrounded by a better lineup, he's an exciting horse to back in this race.

Miguel Sano, Minnesota Twins (+3300)

Throughout his MLB career, Sano has struggled to maintain health and consistency. He's never played more than 116 games in a season, but given the fact the 2020 campaign is unlikely to begin anytime soon, it's hard to imagine there will be more than 100 games.

Sano hit a career-best 34 home runs last season despite being limited to just 105 contests, and he led the bigs in Brls/BBE% and hard-hit percentage. He was second in average exit velocity and fourth in Brls/PA%. If he manages to stay on the field, he provides outrageous value at 33-1.

Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox