Beginning Monday, fans will have the opportunity to select the top five home-run-hitting clubs for games taking place during the period of Friday, May 23, through Sunday, May 25, and possibly win a trip to the 2025 MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard.
In partnership with Konami -- a digital entertainment company that launched the MLB-licensed mobile game eBaseball™: MLB PRO SPIRIT earlier this year -- Major League Baseball is launching the Konami League Leaders Pick ‘Em to select the top home-run-hitting clubs this Memorial Day Weekend.
Not sure which teams could lead the way in dingers this weekend? Here are some helpful tips based on the season so far.
Enter your picks HERE before 11:59 p.m. ET on May 22 for your chance to win a trip to the All-Star Game.
Top home run team
Yankees (79 home runs)
The Bronx Bombers are one of baseball’s top offenses, pacing the Majors with 79 home runs and ranking in the top three in runs (266), OPS (.822) and wRC+ (132). The Yankees became the first team in AL/NL history to homer four times in the first inning in multiple games in a season and are receiving help up and down the lineup.
Aaron Judge is leading the Majors with a 1.241 OPS and has crushed 15 home runs, but the Yankees captain has received ample help. Trent Grisham is having a breakout offensive season with 12 home runs, while seven other Yankees have hit at least five home runs, including Ben Rice’s nine homers and Austin Wells’ eight home runs.
As if the Yanks needed more help on Memorial Day weekend, they’ll face a Rockies team that is 8-38, and they’ll do it in the hitter-friendly confines of Coors Field.
Hottest-hitting team
Tigers (26 home runs and an .820 OPS in May)
The Tigers are clicking on all cylinders on both sides of the ball, which is hardly shocking given that they have the best record in the Majors. Detroit has been especially dominant on the offensive side of things in May, with the Tigers only trailing the Dodgers in both home runs (26) and OPS (.820).
Detroit has had no shortage of help, with Javier Báez and Riley Greene both homering five times this month, with four more from Spencer Torkelson and three each from Colt Keith and Trey Sweeney. Add in a pair of homers from both Gleyber Torres and Kerry Carpenter and you have seven Tigers that have hit multiple home runs.
Underrated home run team
Athletics (58 home runs, ninth-most in the Majors)
The A’s find themselves in a competitive position because their offense is mashing with the best of them this season. A’s hitters have crushed 58 home runs and are slugging .414, both top 10 figures in the sport.
There has been no shortage of contributors. Tyler Soderstrom and Brent Rooker have each launched 10 long balls. Shea Langeliers has eight of his own, while Luis Urías, Lawrence Butler and JJ Bleday have gone yard six times. Even Jacob Wilson, who debuted as a hit-over-power shortstop prospect, has five home runs along with his .337 batting average.
While the A’s will have to deal with a daunting Phillies rotation, they’ll do so at the hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park, which has played as a top 10 offensive ballpark by runs and home runs according to Statcast’s park factors.
Team in a friendly park
Cubs (65 home runs -- playing at Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park)
Speaking of park factors, here’s an optimal ballpark for a Cubs lineup that doesn’t really need the help.
Over the last three years, no ballpark has a higher home run factor (128) than Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park. Essentially, 28 percent more home runs were observed at GABP than at other ballparks.
The Cubs' lineup has been mashing, regardless of where they’ve been playing. Chicago's offense is one of baseball’s top offenses by pretty much any category you look at and, most importantly in this case, only trails the Dodgers and Yankees with 65 home runs. Expect plenty of firepower from Kyle Tucker, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Seiya Suzuki and company.
Team with a favorable matchup
Angels (65 home runs) vs. Marlins pitching (5.34 ERA)
The Angels are five games under .500 with a 20-25 record, but they’ve been hitting plenty of home runs so far this season.
They enter the week tied with the Cubs for the third-most home runs (65) in the Majors and have a favorable matchup against a poor pitching staff at a surprisingly homer-friendly ballpark. The Marlins have the third-worst ERA (5.34) and are tied for the seventh-worst home-run rate (1.28), while Angel Stadium has the fourth-highest home run park factor (115) over the last three years.
Even with Mike Trout sidelined, the Angels have plenty of hitters who can go yard, like Taylor Ward (12 home runs), Logan O’Hoppe (10), Zach Neto (seven) and Jorge Soler (six).