Thursday’s shorter MLB slate still brings plenty of home run hunting, with six afternoon games on the board and an 11-game schedule overall. That includes the 12:35 p.m. EST start between the Los Angeles Angels and Baltimore Orioles, a matchup that gives one of the day’s best power angles.
After hitting on Junior Caminero to go deep against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday, the focus shifts to three more long-ball picks for Thursday, Aug. 6. Bobby Witt Jr. leads the way, and the Royals star has a particularly appealing setup in his third game back from the injured list.
Pete Alonso is the first target in Baltimore’s push to finish off a sweep of the Angels. Alonso has handled his first season in Baltimore well, batting .248 with 23 home runs, 71 runs batted in and an .801 OPS. Even better for this matchup, 18 of those 23 homers have come against right-handed pitching.
That matters because he’ll face Angels right-hander Ryan Johnson, who has had a rough season and carries an ERA over 7.00. Alonso’s splits against righties are strong across the board, as he’s hitting .257 with a .851 OPS and a .490 slugging percentage.
Johnson’s recent form makes the case even stronger: he has given up 12 home runs in as many appearances this season, including at least one homer in six straight outings. He did blank the Orioles over six innings of one-hit ball in June, but since then he’s posted a 6.75 ERA and allowed seven homers in six starts.
Baltimore’s bullpen also gives Alonso another path, with Los Angeles relievers putting up a 4.35 ERA while surrendering 56 home runs in 2026.
Witt is the next name worth circling against Minnesota and Bailey Ober on Thursday night. Kansas City’s star returned after dealing with lower back tightness and has opened this week by hitting .375 over his last two games. The power numbers haven’t been huge this season - he has 13 home runs - but the matchup is doing plenty of the talking here.
Ober has allowed 14 home runs in 16 appearances this year and was even more vulnerable in 2025, when he gave up 30 homers in 27 starts. He also ranks in just the 14th percentile in ground-ball percentage this season, which fits Witt and the Royals’ ability to lift the ball.
Witt’s history against Ober stands out too: he is 12-for-28 against him, good for a .429 average and a 1.179 OPS. He has homered once and collected five extra-base hits in that matchup, giving this bet a real track record to lean on.
Bryce Harper rounds out the trio, and the Philadelphia Phillies slugger gets a shot at doing damage against his former team. Harper has homered twice over his last six games and has 24 home runs overall in 2026. On Thursday night, he’ll see Nationals right-hander Miles Mikolas, who has allowed 26 home runs in 23 appearances and owns a 5.67 ERA.
Harper has also produced against Mikolas before, hitting .333 (8-for-24) with a pair of doubles and a home run. His power profile may not look exactly like it did earlier in his career, but he remains elite against right-handed pitching, batting .282 with 20 homers and a .989 OPS this season. Washington’s bullpen adds another reason to look his way, since it has allowed 78 home runs while posting a 4.95 ERA in 2026.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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