PROSTATE CANCER FOUNDATION’S HOME RUN CHALLENGE UPDATE
– As of End of Day, June 16th, 2026
Top Headlines
- 391 Total Home Runs (30 total on 6/16 /2026)
- June 16th was a full Tuesday slate with some tremendous pitching performances and a Minnesota Twins offense that was simply impossible to contain. The biggest story of the night was the Twins absolutely punishing the Texas Rangers 12–2, MIN 1B Kody Clemens going deep for three RBI and MIN LF Trevor Larnach adding a home run and an RBI as Minnesota pounded out 17 hits and sent the Rangers to their second lopsided loss of the week. The Yankees got revenge on the White Sox in the most decisive way possible, hammering Chicago 12–2 at Yankee Stadium behind four home runs, NYY RF Spencer Jones and NYY 1B Paul Goldschmidt each going deep with two RBI, NYY SS José Caballero adding a home run and two RBI, and NYY 1B Ben Rice going deep as well while NYY SP Gerrit Cole dealt six solid innings to earn the win. The Cardinals swept the Padres out of Busch Stadium with a tight 3–2 win in a game where STL SP Andre Pallante was brilliant for seven innings and not a single home run was hit in either game of the two-game series, with San Diego managing just one hit on Monday’s complete game gem by Dustin May before being held to four hits on Tuesday. The Reds took the series opener over the Mets 5–3 at Great American Ball Park, CIN LF Spencer Steer and CIN 1B Sal Stewart each going deep, with Stewart’s home run being the biggest blow at four RBI, while NYM 1B Mark Vientos answered with a home run and two RBI in a losing cause. The Dodgers edged the Rays 1–0 in another pitching masterpiece at Dodger Stadium, LAD DH Shohei Ohtani’s sixth-inning solo home run being the only run in a game where LAD SP Justin Wrobleski threw six scoreless innings and LAD RP Tanner Scott closed the door for the save while TB SP Drew Rasmussen was dominant in a tough-luck loss. The Angels bounced back from Monday’s loss by blanking Arizona 7–0, LAA CF Mike Trout going deep for three RBI and LAA SS Zach Neto adding a home run as LAA SP Reid Detmers was lights out for seven scoreless innings. The Brewers edged the Guardians 2–1 in Milwaukee behind home runs from MIL CF Garrett Mitchell and MIL 2B Brice Turang, and Colorado pulled off an upset 5–2 win over the Cubs with COL 1B TJ Rumfield going deep for two RBI and COL 2B Willi Castro driving in two more through contact.
- The HRC Crew Witnessed a Pitching Gem in Milwaukee
- The PCF Home Run Challenge crew was on hand at American Family Field for this one, and while the scoreboard was modest, the baseball was as crisp and competitive as any game on the slate. MIL SP Robert Gasser was dominant through 5.2 scoreless innings, and the home run ball provided both of Milwaukee’s runs as MIL CF Garrett Mitchell went deep for one RBI and MIL 2B Brice Turang added a home run and an RBI of his own to give the Brewers a 2–1 victory that felt tighter than the final out suggested. CLE SP Slade Cecconi matched Gasser for most of the night, going 5.2 innings on one earned run with four strikeouts, but CLE RP Hunter Gaddis surrendered Turang’s decisive home run in the seventh and took the loss while MIL RP Trevor Megill closed the door with a perfect ninth for the save. The HRC crew got exactly what the Brewers are all about right now: efficient pitching, clutch home run production, and a bullpen that doesn’t flinch.
- Milwaukee is now 44-26 and sits at 1st in the NL Central.
- Cleveland is now 39-34 and sits at 2nd in the AL Central.
- Reynolds Goes Deep Twice as Pittsburgh Comes Back to Win
- The Pittsburgh Pirates trailed 4–0 after the first inning and somehow walked out of Sutter Health Park with a 6–5 series-evening win, with PIT LF Bryan Reynolds being the entire story of the comeback. Reynolds went deep twice and drove in three runs in a performance that carried Pittsburgh’s offense almost entirely on his own, going 4-for-5 with two home runs that came in the sixth and ninth to erase what looked like an insurmountable early deficit. PIT 2B Brandon Lowe added a home run and an RBI to give the Pirates three on the day while ATH 3B Zack Gelof went deep for two RBI and was Oakland’s best hitter in a losing effort. PIT RP Gregory Soto closed it out with two strikeouts in a clean ninth for the save, PIT RP Mason Montgomery earned the win, and ATH RP Elvis Alvarado absorbed the loss after surrendering a home run in one ugly inning of work.
- Pittsburgh is now 37-37 and sits at 4th in the NL Central.
- Athletics are now 36-37 and sit at 2nd in the AL West.
- Clemens and Larnach Torch Texas in a 12-2 Rout
- The Minnesota Twins followed up Monday’s 12–2 win over the Rangers with another 12–2 demolition of Texas on Tuesday, making it back-to-back lopsided victories in a series that has been entirely one-sided from start to finish. MIN 1B Kody Clemens was the offensive centerpiece, going deep for three RBI in what was the biggest swing of the game, while MIN LF Trevor Larnach went 4-for-6 with a home run and an RBI and MIN C Alex Jackson went 3-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI to give Minnesota a lineup that wore down Texas pitching from the first pitch. TEX SP Kumar Rocker absorbed the loss after surrendering two home runs and six runs in 3.1 innings before position player TEX C Kyle Higashioka was pressed into pitching duty and gave up two more runs in a rough inning. MIN SP Zebby Matthews earned the win, going seven innings on two earned runs with four strikeouts in back-to-back dominant Minnesota performances at Globe Life Field.
- Minnesota is now 35-40 and sits at 3rd in the AL Central.
- Texas is now 35-39 and sits at 3rd in the AL West.
- New York Explodes for Four Home Runs in a Statement Win
- The New York Yankees made a statement Tuesday night, crushing the Chicago White Sox 12–2 at Yankee Stadium behind four home runs and sixteen hits in a game that was effectively over by the end of the fourth inning. NYY RF Spencer Jones was the early headliner, going deep for two RBI and drawing two walks in a three-hit, four-at-bat performance, while NYY 1B Paul Goldschmidt added a home run and two RBI, NYY SS José Caballero went deep for two more RBI, and NYY 1B Ben Rice launched a home run as well to give New York four home runs on the day. NYY LF Cody Bellinger contributed three hits and two RBI without going deep, and NYY SP Gerrit Cole earned the win in his return, going six innings on two earned runs with six strikeouts in a vintage performance. CWS SP Davis Martin took the loss after a disastrous 3.1 innings allowing nine runs and three home runs, with CWS CF Luisangel Acuña providing the only home run for Chicago, which also pressed Acuña into pitching duty late in the blowout.
- New York (Y) is now 44-27 and sits at 1st in the AL East.
- Chicago (W) is now 38-33 and sits at 1st in the AL Central.
- Wood and Mead Deliver as Washington Takes the Series, HRC Crew Heads There Today
- The Washington Nationals took a 6–4 series win over the Kansas City Royals at Nationals Park on Tuesday night in what was a back-and-forth game that didn’t get decided until a three-run seventh inning broke things open, and the HRC crew will be there Wednesday night for the series finale. WSH 1B Curtis Mead was the offensive star, going deep for a three-run home run in the third that gave Washington an early lead it never fully surrendered, while WSH RF James Wood drove in two more runs through contact and WSH 2B Nasim Nuñez went 2-for-4 with two triples and three runs scored in one of the more quietly impressive individual performances of the night. KC CF Lane Thomas went deep for one RBI and KC LF Isaac Collins drove in two through contact to keep the Royals in it through six innings, but KC RP Daniel Lynch IV imploded in the seventh, surrendering a home run and three runs in one inning to take the loss while WSH RP Paxton Schultz earned the win and WSH RP Gus Varland closed it out despite allowing a late solo shot in the ninth. Washington has now taken two of three from Kansas City heading into Wednesday’s finale, and the HRC crew couldn’t be walking into a better series situation.
- Washington is now 39-35 and sits at 3rd in the NL East.
- Kansas City is now 29-45 and sits at 5th in the AL Central.
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 | 27 | 1. KC/CLE | 6 |
| 2. MIN/MIL | 21 | 2. TB/MIA | 7 |
| 3. DET | 20 | 3. ATL | 8 |
| 4. COL/WAS/STL | 18 | 4. ARI/SD | 10 |
| Top Players in Home Runs during HRC | # of HRs |
|---|---|
| 1. ATH 1B Nick Kurtz | 7 |
| 2. STL 1B Alec Burleson | 6 |
| 3. MIN CF Byron Buxton, SF 3B Matt Chapman, LAD DH Shohei Ohtani, CHC CF Pete Crow-Armstrong, MIL LF Jackson Chourio, COL RF Hunter Goodman | 5 |
| 4. BOS C Willson Contreras, BAL 1B Pete Alonso, PIT LF Bryan Reynolds, PHI LF Brandon Marsh, WSH 1B Luis García Jr., MIL 2B Brice Turang, DET 1B Spencer Torkelson, ATH LF Tyler Soderstrom, DET 3B Colt Keith, WSH RF James Wood, ATH 3B Zack Gelof, LAA SS Zach Neto | 4 |
| 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.
