PROSTATE CANCER FOUNDATION’S HOME RUN CHALLENGE UPDATE
– As of End of Day, June 12th, 2026
Top Headlines
- 246 Total Home Runs (39 total on 6/12 /2026) )
- June 12th was a wild night across the league, with the White Sox continuing to be one of the hottest teams in baseball by stunning the Dodgers 8–2 at Guaranteed Rate Field, Yordan Alvarez going absolutely berserk in Kansas City with two home runs and six RBI in a 10–8 Astros win, the Twins rallying past the Cardinals 9–8 behind a three-homer eighth inning that flipped the game on its head, the Mets beating the Braves 7–5 behind NYM 3B Bo Bichette’s two-home-run, six-RBI masterpiece, and Baltimore cruising past the Padres 7–3 behind home runs from BAL SS Gunnar Henderson and BAL C Samuel Basallo. The Athletics held off the Rockies 6–4 in Las Vegas, with ATH C Shea Langeliers and ATH 1B Nick Kurtz going deep, and the day closed out with a pair of tight games in Anaheim and Toronto that went down to the wire. All told it was another home run-heavy Friday with plenty of late-game drama across the slate.
- The White Sox Are for Real, and the Dodgers Are Finding That Out the Hard Way
- The Chicago White Sox have now won five of their last six games and showed zero signs of slowing down, dismantling the Los Angeles Dodgers 8–2 at Guaranteed Rate Field in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score suggests. CWS DH Andrew Benintendi went deep for one RBI and was one of nine White Sox hitters to reach base, while LAD SP Roki Sasaki had one of the worst outings of his season, giving up seven runs and a home run in just 4.1 innings and taking the loss. Chicago manufactured runs through contact, timely hitting, and a relentless approach at the plate, with CWS 2B Chase Meidroth going 3-for-4 with two RBI and CWS CF Tristan Peters adding a triple and two RBI to fuel the decisive seven-run fifth inning. CWS RP Anthony Kay earned the win with five sharp innings of two-run relief, and the bullpen handled the rest without breaking a sweat.
- Chicago is now 37-32 and sits at 2nd in the AL Central.
- Los Angeles (D) is now 45-26 and sits at 1st in the NL West.
- Henderson and Basallo Go Deep as Baltimore Wins a Laugher
- The Baltimore Orioles jumped on the San Diego Padres early and never looked back, winning 7–3 at Camden Yards behind home runs from BAL SS Gunnar Henderson and BAL C Samuel Basallo, both of whom went deep in the first two innings to stake Baltimore to a six-run lead before San Diego could even settle in. Henderson finished 3-for-4 with one RBI and two runs scored while Basallo drove in two, and BAL 1B Pete Alonso added two more RBI through contact to round out a balanced Baltimore attack. SD SP Griffin Canning was roughed up for seven runs and two home runs in five innings and took the loss, while BAL SP Shane Baz gutted through five innings of tworun ball to earn the win despite allowing six hits and walking two.
- Baltimore is now 34-38 and sits at 4th in the AL East.
- San Diego is now 36-33 and sits at 2nd in the NL West.
- Kurtz and Langeliers Keep Oakland’s Bats Alive in the Desert
- The Athletics held off a late Colorado scare to win 6–4 at Sutter Health Park, with ATH C Shea Langeliers going deep for one RBI and ATH 1B Nick Kurtz adding a home run of his own in what was a two-homer effort for Oakland that proved just enough. COL CF Cole Carrigg provided the big swing for Colorado, launching a three-run home run in the sixth that cut the Athletics’ lead to two and briefly made things interesting, before Oakland’s bullpen held the line. ATH RP Mason Barnett earned the win and ATH RP Hogan Harris closed it out with a clean 1.1 innings for the save, while COL RP Zach Agnos took the loss after allowing three runs on five hits in 2.2 innings.
- The Athletics are now 34-35 and sit at 2nd in the AL West.
- Colorado is now 26-44 and sits at 5th in the NL West.
- Alvarez Puts on an All-Time First Inning at Kauffman Stadium
- If you weren’t watching the Astros and Royals game in the first inning, you missed one of the most spectacular individual performances of the 2026 season. HOU DH Yordan Alvarez went deep twice and drove in six runs, with both home runs coming in a jaw-dropping nine-run first inning that essentially decided a game played over nine innings. Alvarez finished 3-for-5 with two home runs and six RBI in a performance that was simply impossible to look away from, while HOU CF Brice Matthews and HOU 1B Christian Walker each added home runs of their own to give Houston four on the day. Kansas City battled back admirably, scoring five runs in the first and three more in the eighth to make it 10–8, but HOU RP Josh Hader closed the door with a clean ninth for the save, while KC SP Luinder Avila absorbed one of the most painful losses of the season after surrendering eight runs without recording a single out in that catastrophic opening frame.
- Houston is now 32-39 and sits at 4th in the AL West.
- Kansas City is now 28-42 and sits at 5th in the AL Central.
- Minnesota Erupts for Five Home Runs in a Wild 9-8 Win
- This one had everything. The Twins and Cardinals combined for 17 runs, 23 hits, and five home runs in a back-and-forth thriller that Minnesota ultimately won 9–8 on the strength of three home runs in the eighth inning alone. MIN CF Byron Buxton was the best player on the field, going 3-for-4 with a home run, two doubles, three runs scored, and an RBI, while MIN 1B Kody Clemens delivered the biggest blow with a three-run shot in the eighth that broke a tie and gave Minnesota a lead it wouldn’t relinquish. MIN 3B Royce Lewis and MIN SS Brooks Lee each added home runs of their own while STL 1B Alec Burleson went deep for two RBI in a losing effort for St. Louis, whose bullpen completely imploded after STL RP Ryne Stanek allowed three home runs in 1.1 innings in the eighth and took the loss. MIN RP Andrew Morris closed it out with a perfect ninth for the save.
- Minnesota is now 32-40 and sits at 3rd in the AL Central.
- St. Louis is now 38-30 and sits at 2nd in the NL Central.
- Bichette Goes Scorched Earth on Spencer Strider
- The New York Mets handed the Atlanta Braves a surprising 7–5 loss at Citi Field, and the story from the first pitch to the last was NYM 3B Bo Bichette, who went deep twice and drove in six runs in one of the most dominant individual offensive performances of the HRC season. Both of Bichette’s home runs came off ATL SP Spencer Strider, who was knocked around for seven runs and three home runs in just three innings in what was a very uncharacteristic outing for one of the best arms in the National League. NYM LF Juan Soto added a home run and one RBI while ATL 1B Matt Olson went deep for Atlanta in a losing cause, with NYM RP Devin Williams earning another save with 1.1 scoreless innings and NYM RP Cionel Pérez taking the win while ATL SP Spencer Strider absorbed the loss.
- New York (M) is now 31-39 and sits at 5th in the NL East.
- Atlanta is now 46-24 and sits at 1st in the NL East.
Important Stats:
| Top Teams in Home Runs during HRC | # of HRs during HRC | Bottom Five Teams in Home Runs During HRC | # of HRs during HRC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. ATH | 20 | 1. TB | 3 |
| 2. DET | 15 | 2. KC/MIA/SD | 4 |
| 3. BAL/MIL/SF | 14 | 3. CLE/ARI/ATL | 5 |
| 4. MIN/WAS/NYM | 13 | 4. LAA | 6 |
| Top Players in Home Runs during HRC | # of HRs |
|---|---|
| 1. Nick Kurtz, 1B, ATH, STL 1B Alec Burleson | 5 |
| 2. Matt Chapman, 3B, SF | 4 |
| 3. PHI LF Brandon Marsh, WSH 1B Luis GaBAL 1B Pete Alonso, LABAL 1B Pete Alonso, LAD DH Shohei Ohtani, PHI LF Brandon Marsh, WSH 1B Luis García Jr., SD C Freddy Fermin, MIL 2B Brice Turang, ATH LF Tyler Soderstrom, BAL RF Colton Cowser, CIN 2B Matt McLain, COL RF Hunter Goodman, LAA SS Zach Neto | 3 |
| All-Time Leader HRs | Player | HRs | Career Span | # of Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Barry Bonds | 762 | 22 years | 2,986 | |
| 2. Hank Aaron | 755 | 23 years | 3,298 | |
| 3. Babe Ruth | 714 | 22 years | 2,503 | |
| 4. Albert Pujols | 703 | 22 years | 3,080 | |
| 5. Alex Rodriguez | 696 | 22 years | 2,784 | |
| 6. Willie Mays | 660 | 22 years | 2,992 | |
| 7. Ken Griffey Jr. | 630 | 22 years | 2,543 | |
| 8. Jim Thome | 612 | 22 years | 2,543 | |
| 9. Sammy Sosa | 609 | 18 years | 2,354 | |
| 10. Frank Robinson | 586 | 21 years | 2,808 | |
| 11. Mark McGwire | 583 | 16 years | 1,874 | |
| 12. Harmon Killebrew | 573 | 22 years | 2,435 | |
| 13. Rafael Palmiero | 569 | 18 years | 2,831 | |
| 14. Reggie Jackson | 563 | 21 years | 2,820 | |
| 15. Manny Ramirez | 555 | 19 years | 2,302 | |
| 16. Mike Schmidt | 548 | 18 years | 2,404 | |
| 17. David Ortiz | 541 | 20 years | 2,408 | |
| 18. Mickey Mantle | 536 | 18 years | 2,401 | |
| 19. Jimmie Foxx | 534 | 20 years | 2,317 | |
| 20. Willie McCovey | 521 | 22 years | 2,588 | |
| 20. Frank Thomas | 521 | 19 years | 2,322 | |
| 20. Ted Williams | 521 | 22 years | 2,292 |
| All-Time Leader HRs (Active) | Player | HRs | Career Span | # of Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Giancarlo Stanton | 456 | 17 | 1,750 | |
| 2. Mike Trout | 418 | 16 | 1,711 | |
| 3. Aaron Judge | 385 | 11 | 1,204 | |
| 4. Manny Machado | 380 | 14 | 1,954 | |
| 5. Paul Goldschmidt | 379 | 16 | 2,112 | |
| 6. Freddie Freeman | 377 | 17 | 2,240 | |
| 7. Bryce Harper | 377 | 15 | 1,848 | |
| 8. Kyle Schwarber | 363 | 12 | 1,351 | |
| 9. Nolan Arenado | 361 | 14 | 1,845 | |
| 10. Carlos Santana | 335 | 17 | 2,212 |
Other Fun Facts:
- The 2019 Atlanta Braves hit more home runs in the month of June – 56 – than any other team in history.
- In 2017, the Cincinnati Reds Scooter Gennett became one of the unlikeliest players to hit four home runs in a single game; Gennett hit his record-tying home runs in an HRC game.
- The Atlanta Braves (2023) and Minnesota Twins (2019) hit 307 home runs each in a single season, more than any team in history.
- Babe Ruth led the American League in home runs 12 times; the first time was in 1918 when he hit 11 home runs (and won 13 games as a pitcher).
- In 2021, Miguel Cabrera became the last MLB player to top 500 home runs; 34-year old Giancarlo Stanton is the current active leader with 408.
- Mark McGwire hit more home runs per at bat – 10.61 – than any player in history. Aaron Judge (11.9) and Pete Alonso (13.27) have the best ratios among current players.
- Sammy Sosa has 3 of the 6 seasons with the most HRs hit, hitting 66 in 1998, 63 in 1999, and 64 in 2001. However, he never once lead the major leagues in home runs. Despite his prowess as a power hitter, he was surpassed in all 3 seasons, in the 1998-99 seasons by Mark McGwire, and in 2001 by Barry Bonds.
- Weirdly enough, no one has ever hit 55 HRs in a season.
- Hitting a grand slam is incredibly impressive enough. Hitting multiple in the same game is nearly unheard of. Even more absurd, multiple grand slams in the same inning? Only one player has accomplished that feat – and that is Fernando Tatis. On April 23rd, 1999, he hit two grand slams as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals, facing the Los Angeles Dodgers that day. His son, Fernando Tatis Jr, is now a superstar outfielder for the San Diego Padres.
- The first Home Run was hit by the Chicago White Stockings infielder, Ross Barnes, on May 2, 1876. Despite being nearly 150 years ago, the Chicago White Stockings are still an MLB team – but not the White Sox. The White Stockings actually became the Chicago Cubs.
- Andy “Pepper” Oyler, known as a small player, had the shortest home run in baseball history – an [astonishing] 24-inch home run. As the story goes, the weather conditions in Minnesota were poor that day, and the hard-hit ball went directly into the mud in front of the plate. By the time they had found the ball, Oyler had cleared the bases, for an inside the park home run.
- What’s perhaps more impressive than hitting any Home Run or Grand Slam? Robbing one! How about Mike Cameron, former All-Star and gold glover, known as being one of the only players to amass 250 home runs and 250 steals in their career. On May 2, 2002, not only did he hit 4 Home Runs in the game, with his 5th hit missing the wall by just feet, making it all the way to the warning track, he also robbed a home run.
