Even though the 2026 MLB season started Wednesday with the New York Yankees defeating the San Francisco Giants 7-0 at Oracle Park, the “real” Opening Day is Thursday with an 11-game slate. Thus, it’s also considered Opening Day in fantasy baseball.
With 22 teams in action, we’ll try to pick some of our best guesses to see which players will go yard in the first game of the season. Here are three players you can target if you’re looking to bet on who will hit a home run in Thursday’s MLB slate.
Why Philadelphia Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber is a Top Home Run Bet (+210)
Schwarber is firmly entrenched as one of the best hitters in baseball and is coming off a 2025 season in which he hit a career-best 56 homers while posting a .928 OPS. There aren’t many hitters who can be a bigger threat to hit a homer every time they step to the plate than Schwarber.
With at least 32 home runs in each of his last six full seasons (excluding the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign) and Nathan Eovaldi on the mound, Schwarber is a strong bet to go deep on Opening Day. Eovaldi had a 0.7 HR/9 last season, but he had a 0.9 HR/9 or higher in the previous three campaigns, so he might be susceptible to long balls. Schwarber is 0-for-3 against Eovaldi in his career.
Can Junior Caminero Go Yard for the Tampa Bay Rays? (+280)
Caminero was one of the most pleasant surprises in the 2025 MLB season and emerged as a reliable power hitter with 45 homers in 154 regular-season games with the Rays. Even though playing home games at a minor-league park certainly boosted those numbers, it’s worth noting that Caminero’s power is real. Even if there’s some regression compared to what he did in 2025, he should still be among the most prolific home run hitters in the majors in 2026.
The matchup against the St. Louis Cardinals looks promising on paper, as they will have Matthew Liberatore on the mound, who posted a 4.21 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and 122:40 K:BB across 151.2 innings and 29 starts in 2025. Liberatore has had issues with homers throughout his career, posting a 1.1 HR/9 in 2025. That bodes well for Caminero’s chances of going yard on Opening Day.
Shohei Ohtani Home Run Prediction for the Los Angeles Dodgers (+200)
Ohtani is coming off an epic 2025 season in which he won the NL MVP after hitting a career-best 55 home runs with a 1.014 OPS. Ohtani has consistently posted elite power numbers in recent seasons, so his power is the real deal.
The pitching matchup is also favorable, as Ohtani and the Dodgers will go against Zac Gallen, who had a disappointing 4.83 ERA in 33 starts during the 2025 regular season. Ohtani has yet to go yard against Gallen in 12 at-bats in his career and is hitting only .250 in that span. If his 2025 numbers are any indication, Ohtani is a massive threat to go yard every time he’s at the plate. Freddie Freeman (+440) could also be a notable option, since he has two homers in 24 career at-bats against Gallen.
Leave a Reply