For Wend's Pop Finance feed: On July 11, 2026, Forbes highlighted two promising MLB home run bets. Elly De La Cruz, the Cincinnati Reds shortstop, stands out with impressive power metrics and a strong home ballpark advantage at Great American Ball Park. Despite a tough outing the night before, De La Cruz has hit 15 homers this season, including 10 at home, and faces a Chicago Cubs pitcher, Javier Assad, who has struggled against left-handed batters and allowed 10 home runs in just 56.1 innings this year.

De La Cruz boasts top-tier batted-ball statistics, ranking in the top 50 among qualified batters this season in areas such as barrel rate, hard-hit rate, and exit velocity. His combination of power, favorable park factor (114), and matchup against a pitcher with a high home run rate (1.60 HR/9) make him a prime candidate for an over 0.5 home run prop at +358 odds with DraftKings Sportsbook. The article underscores that despite past misses in recommended bets, the overall season profit for these picks remains strong.

Matt Olson of the Atlanta Braves also makes the list for July 11 as a strong homer candidate. Olson has smashed 25 home runs this season, with significant success against left-handed pitchers like Matthew Liberatore, who has conceded 17 homers in 18 starts and struggled especially at home. Olson’s batted-ball profile is solid with high barrel and hard-hit rates, making the lefty-lefty matchup unexpectedly favorable. His odds stand at +400 for hitting an over 0.5 home run with FanDuel Sportsbook.

Both players showcase why savvy bettors might consider these home run props despite overall long-shot records hitting home runs on any given day. De La Cruz benefits from a homer-friendly park and matchup, while Olson’s track record against southpaws and road ballparks positions him well against Liberatore. These strategic picks leverage batted-ball data and pitching splits to maximize profit potential in player prop betting this MLB season.