MLB home run props for 4/12: We choose De La Cruz

That's more like it! Brandon Marsh helped us cash a +600 ticket on Thursday to get us back on track in home run props. Let's keep it rolling with three more HR bets for Friday's MLB slate. 

Elly De La Cruz (+390 FanDuel)

Reds vs. White Sox, 7:40 p.m. ET

Friday night's game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago White Sox is a perfect target for home run props because of the strong wind blowing out to center field. Let's roll with Elly De La Cruz, who's been absolutely on fire over the last week. The Reds shortstop is batting .438 and slugging 1.063 with three home runs and six RBIs over his last five games. He ranks 25th out of 193 qualified batters in average exit velocity (93.1 miles per hour) and 23rd in barrel rate (14.8 percent). He could hit one a long, long way on Friday night. 

Jose Altuve (+550 DraftKings)

Rangers vs. Astros, 8:10 p.m. ET

Jose Altuve is off to a hot start in 2024. The Houston Astros second baseman leads the team in hits (20), batting average (.370) and OPS (1.100) through 14 games. He already has three home runs and the eighth-best OPS in baseball, and he's staring down a great matchup on Friday night. In 14 career at-bats against Texas Rangers starter Dane Dunning, Altuve is batting .500 and slugging 1.000 with two homers and a double. 

Lawrence Butler (+680 FD)

Nationals vs. Athletics, 9:40 p.m. ET

If you look at the advanced hitting stats, Lawrence Butler has been the most unlucky batter in MLB when it comes to power. The Oakland Athletics outfielder is slugging only .194 this season, but his expected slugging percentage is .475. That .281 difference is the largest in the league this year, and he ranks 12th in average exit velocity (94.2 mph), so he's due for some positive regression in the power department. The wind will also be blowing out to left field at Oakland Coliseum, giving Butler a better chance to cash in.