Both the Detroit Tigers and the Seattle Mariners were in severe risk of missing the MLB Postseason through the stretch run of the regular season. But they rallied to secure their positions, and the Tigers battled through a fight with the Cleveland Guardians in the Wild Card series. Now Detroit and Seattle face off for a spot in the ALCS.
The Mariners open as -202 Moneyline favorites in Game 1 on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Tigers are priced as +164 underdogs, while the total is set at seven runs. Let’s get into my top player props for Game 1 between the Detroit Tigers and the Seattle Mariners.
Best Mariners vs. Tigers player props
Kerry Carpenter 1+ Home Runs (+495)
Mariners starter George Kirby sure has a leg up in this matchup against the Tigers. But Kerry Carpenter will be licking his chops when Seattle’s starter steps to the mound. In eight career at-bats, Carpenter has socked four home runs off Kirby. It’s a wild stat that can only be explained one way: Carpenter sees the ball extremely well off the right-hander. He probably won’t continue to go yard every other at-bat against Kirby, but I’m willing to take the chance that he can do it for a fifth time.
Troy Melton Under 2.5 Strikeouts (+120)
Detroit is throwing out a rookie long reliever to begin this series against the Mariners… talk about getting thrown into the fire. It’s especially bold after Melton’s appearance in the Wild Card Series, when he surrendered four earned runs against the Guardians while only getting one out. Melton, even as a reliever, is a lock to pitch more than one inning. But that hasn’t gone well recently. He’s given up a run in six of his last seven outings while striking out multiple batters just twice. Manager A.J. Hinch won’t hesitate to deploy a quick hook if Melton gets in trouble. I doubt he goes deep enough in this game to get a trio of strikeouts, even against a swing-happy Mariners lineup.
Josh Naylor 1+ Stolen Base (+700)
You want some value? Josh Naylor stole 30 bases in the regular season, far and away a career-high mark. Yet he’s priced as if he were much less of a base stealer. Players like Victor Robles, Zach McKinstry, and Wenceel Perez are all priced ahead of him, despite stealing fewer bags during the regular season. Dillon Dingler is a solid catcher, but has an average pop time when trying to cut down baserunners. Naylor will have his opportunities and I expect him to capitalize
