As the series shifted to Arizona, the Rangers took Game 3 of the 2023 World Series by a 3-1 final score. However, the victory was also costly. Max Scherzer pitched just two innings before exiting with back tightness. Meanwhile, slugger Adolis Garcia left the game with an oblique injury.
Still, the Rangers improved to 9-0 on the road this postseason. They are just two wins away from their first World Series in franchise history. Corey Seager and Evan Carter will look to pace the Rangers offense, potentially without Garcia. Ketel Marte and Christian Walker will look to help the Diamondbacks even the series.
Here are my World Series Game 4 player prop bets, find my prediction for Rangers vs. Diamondbacks.
Rangers vs Diamondbacks Game 4 Player Props
Entering the World Series, Corey Seager was among the favorites to win World Series MVP. He only has two hits in the series but both have been massive two-run home runs. In Game 1, Seager's home run tied the game in the bottom of the ninth before Adolis Gacia won it in extras. Last night, Seager's home run put the Rangers up 3-0, and two runs was the deciding margin of victory.
With his two home runs, Seager has hit this line in two of the first three games in this series. He has also hit this line in five of his last seven games. Tonight, the Diamondbacks are starting Joe Mantiply as an opener. They will get the lefty-on-lefty matchup against Seager in the first inning, but Seager is 2-for-4 against him in his career. He has not been fazed by left-handed pitching much anyway, as he hit .314 against left-handed pitching in the regular season.
All season, Seager has been an extra bases machine and one of my favorite players to back for total bases. He has recorded two total bases in 55% of his games this season, averaging 2.5 bases per game. I like his chances of recording two total bases tonight.
Pick: Corey Seager Over 1.5 Total Bases
I took a shot on Evan Carter to win World Series MVP before this series, and while he has done fine, he will likely need a couple of home runs to pass Seager — and Garcia if healthy. However, he has not had much trouble getting on base. Carter has recorded a hit in each of the first three games, including two hits in Games 1 and 3. He is 5-for-12 (.417) with two doubles and a run batted in.
He is now hitting .333 this postseason with a hit in all 14 playoff games that he has started. Like Seager, Carter bats left-handed and will see Mantiply in the first inning. He is not a guarantee to start against a left-handed pitcher. However, between Mantiply being an opener and Robbie Grossman's .105 batting average this postseason, I would assume that manager Bruce Bochy continues riding Carter's hot hand.
Speaking of hot hands, few have been hotter than Ketel Marte. All he has done in 19 postseason games in his career is get a hit in every of them, now the longest hitting streak in postseason history. In this year's postseason, he is hitting .333 with six doubles, one triple, two home runs, 11 runs batted in, and a .908 OPS.
Marte feasts on left-handed pitching and we have backed him a couple of times against left-handers this postseason, Tonight, he gets Andrew Heaney, against whom he is 2-for-6 with two home runs in his career. Heaney may be gone by the fourth inning tonight, but Marte could get two at-bats against him.
Between Carter and Marte, they have hits in every game they have started this postseason. Per Props.cash, the implied odds of this combo is -1400, so we are getting tremendous value. I'll take my chances at -121 here. If Carter does not start, a Seager/Marte combo is -130 on DraftKings.
Pick: Evan Carter/Ketel Marte One Hit Parlay
With Seager, Marte, and Carter, we are backing three hot hitters in this series. Christian Walker has not joined them, and to say he has struggled this postseason would be an understatement. Walker is hitting .173 with a .641 OPS this postseason. I considered taking the under on him last night, but the line was at 0.5, which would have lost with a single, so I passed. However, 1.5 would have lost, too, since Walker doubled last night.
With that double, he now has a hit in each of his last two games and three total bases. I like him tonight because of his matchup against Heaney. Like Marte, Walker has two hits and two home runs against Heaney, but in only three at-bats. He also hit 13 home runs in 141 at-bats and had a .922 OPS against left-handed pitching in the regular season. He had 20 home runs and a .801 OPS in 441 at-bats against right-handers.
This is likely the pick that we will have to sweat the most tonight, but Walker may be out of his slump just at the right time with his team trailing 2-1 in the series. Of the four hitters tonight, I believe he is the most likely to hit a home run. You can take him to go deep at +460 on FanDuel.
Pick: Christian Walker Over 1.5 Total Bases
