Daily Dinger: Best MLB Home Run Picks Today (Jose Ramirez, Pete Alonso Highlight Top Targets)

Jose Ramirez is in a prime spot to hit a home run against lefty Nestor Cortes Jr.

Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez. / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Wednesday brings plenty of afternoon baseball action to bet on, and what better way to bet on it than taking a few players to hit a long ball?

Home run props are arguably the most exciting wagers to place on MLB, as they allow bettors to root for a long ball to potentially cash a bet at some favorable odds. 

With every team in action on Aug. 21, here are the hitters – and pitching matchups – that I’m targeting in the home run market. 

Best MLB Home Run Prop Bets for Wednesday, Aug. 21

• Jose Ramirez to Hit a Home Run (+310)
• Pete Alonso to Hit a Home Run (+370)
• Aaron Judge to Hit a Home Run (+180)

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Jose Ramirez to Hit a Home Run (+310)

My favorite home run prop is for Cleveland Guardians superstar Jose Ramirez against New York Yankees lefty Nestor Cortes Jr.

Let’s start with why we’re fading Cortes.

The lefty has a 4.20 ERA on the season, and he’s allowed 21 homers in 25 starts, including seven homers over his last seven starts. Not only that, but Cortes’ ERA is all the way up at 6.19 since the start of July.

Ramirez has crushed left-handed pitching this season, posting a .360/.393/.712 in 139 at bats. He’s hit 12 of his 32 home runs against lefties, and his OPS is more than 300 points higher against them than right-handed pitching.

I love Ramirez as a pick against Cortes tonight. 

Pete Alonso to Hit a Home Run (+370)

New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso has a matinee matchup with a lefty, Baltimore Orioles starter Cole Irvin, a perfect matchup to take him to go yard.

Alonso is hitting .250 against left-handed pitching this season, smacking nine homers in 116 at bats. Over the last seven days, Alonso has two homers and is hitting a blistering .308. 

Irvin has given up 14 homers in 21 outings this season, and he’s been extremely prone to the long ball as of late, giving up at least one in nine of his last 11 starts. 

Given Alonso’s recent play, he’s worth a bet to go deep this afternoon. 

Aaron Judge to Hit a Home Run (+180)

Aaron Judge could be a bet in this market every night, but the Yankees slugger has an even better matchup than usual on Wednesday.

After smacking his 45th homer on Tuesday, Judge gets to face youngster Joey Cantillo tonight, who has allowed four homers in three starts. Cantillo gave up two homers to both the Philadelphia Phillies and Minnesota Twins despite not pitching more than six innings in either outing. 

Judge is the best power hitter in baseball, slugging an insane .709 with a 1.172 OPS. This prop doesn’t pay out like some others, but Judge is a threat to go yard every time he steps to the plate this season.

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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