Sunday’s MLB slate carries plenty of late-season pressure, and that makes the home run market an easy place to focus. With playoff spots still hanging in the balance, there are a few bats that stand out for a big swing on a loaded day.
Bryce Harper is one of them. The Phillies can punch their ticket with a win over the Tampa Bay Rays, or with an Arizona loss, and Harper has long had a knack for rising to the moment in Philly. He has been quiet lately, batting .250 with no home runs over his last 12 games, but the matchup gives him real appeal.
He’ll see Rays right-hander Nick Martinez, who has surrendered 22 home runs in 30 outings in 2026. Harper has done his best work against right-handed pitching this year, hitting .300 with 24 home runs and a .996 OPS.
He has also gone 2-for-5 with a home run and a 1.400 OPS against Martinez in his career. With the Phillies’ season on the line, that’s enough to keep Harper in the mix.
Yordan Alvarez is another strong target, and he already did damage Saturday by going deep against the Athletics to help keep Houston on top in the AL West. The Astros slugger is having a monster season, hitting .316 with 42 home runs, and he has been especially locked in over the last two weeks, batting .390 with four homers in 12 games. Over the last week, that average has climbed to .417.
Houston gets a favorable setup Sunday, too. The Athletics are rolling out a bullpen game led by Seth Johnson, and their relief corps has been hit hard all season.
The A’s bullpen owns a league-worst 5.36 ERA and has given up 96 home runs in 2026. With Houston’s season in play, Alvarez looks primed to stay hot.
Corey Seager is the third name to watch. The Rangers shortstop has dealt with injuries throughout 2026, but he has still put up 19 home runs in 101 games. Texas needs a win, plus a Houston loss, to reach the playoffs, and that puts added pressure on the offense against the already-eliminated Minnesota Twins.
Dean Kremer gets the ball for Minnesota, and the numbers point Seager’s way. Kremer has a 4.97 ERA this season and has allowed 17 home runs in 16 appearances.
Seager has six home runs over his last 25 games, even while batting just .238 in that span. He has also gone 4-for-8 with a walk against Kremer in his career.
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