The 2026 MLB home run race has three names at the top, and two of them are carrying their teams almost single-handedly.
The leaderboard entering June:
🥇 Kyle Schwarber (Phillies) 22 HR
🥈 Yordan Alvarez (Astros) 21 HR
🥈 Munetaka Murakami (White Sox) 20 HR
Three sluggers. Three completely different stories. All of them must-watch baseball right now.
Kyle Schwarber is chasing history. He's on pace for 66 home runs, ahead of Barry Bonds' pace during his record-setting 73-homer season in 2001. He's carrying a Phillies lineup that ranks near the bottom of baseball against left-handed pitching, and every at-bat feels like a potential home run.
Yordan Alvarez is putting together an MVP-caliber season despite receiving far less attention than he deserves. He's slashing .305/.419/.645 with a 1.065 OPS and just 48 strikeouts in 61 games. The Astros may not look like the powerhouse they once were, but Alvarez is playing like one of the best hitters in baseball.
Then there's Munetaka Murakami, arguably the most intriguing story of the group. The 26-year-old rookie from Japan signed with the White Sox on a short-term deal after much of the league passed on him. He's responded with 20 home runs, 41 RBIs, and a .938 OPS in 57 games. Every extra-base hit he's recorded this season has left the yard.
Three players. Three very different situations.
One of baseball's most entertaining individual races in years.
And Kyle Schwarber still leads them all.
The 2026 MLB home run race has three names at the top, and two of them are carrying their teams almost single-handedly.
The leaderboard entering June:
🥇 Kyle Schwarber (Phillies) 22 HR
🥈 Yordan Alvarez (Astros) 21 HR
🥈 Munetaka Murakami (White Sox) 20 HR
Three sluggers. Three completely different stories. All of them must-watch baseball right now.
Kyle Schwarber is chasing history. He's on pace for 66 home runs, ahead of Barry Bonds' pace during his record-setting 73-homer season in 2001. He's carrying a Phillies lineup that ranks near the bottom of baseball against left-handed pitching, and every at-bat feels like a potential home run.
Yordan Alvarez is putting together an MVP-caliber season despite receiving far less attention than he deserves. He's slashing .305/.419/.645 with a 1.065 OPS and just 48 strikeouts in 61 games. The Astros may not look like the powerhouse they once were, but Alvarez is playing like one of the best hitters in baseball.
Then there's Munetaka Murakami, arguably the most intriguing story of the group. The 26-year-old rookie from Japan signed with the White Sox on a short-term deal after much of the league passed on him. He's responded with 20 home runs, 41 RBIs, and a .938 OPS in 57 games. Every extra-base hit he's recorded this season has left the yard.
Three players. Three very different situations.
One of baseball's most entertaining individual races in years.
And Kyle Schwarber still leads them all.
