After back-to-back games with a single, the heart and soul of the Rangers lineup, Corey Seager, is due for a big one. I was on his bases yesterday and took the loss, but he is so due. I think tonight in Los Angeles will be the night.
Over his last 30 plate appearances on the road, the shortstop is raking—batting .417 with a .533 OBP, 1.580 OPS, and nearly a 70% hard-hit rate, per Handigraphs.
Seager faces Angels right-hander Jack Kochanowicz, who owns the fourth-worst pitcher rating on Batters-Box. He also carries poorly rated matchup metrics across wOBA, ISO, hard contact, and strikeout percentage. At home this season, the 24-year-old has a 6.65 ERA and .329 opponent batting average. Left-handed hitters have crushed him at home, slashing .293/.366/.448 with a .354 wOBA.
Kochanowicz is mainly a sinker-ball pitcher, but none of his pitches grade above league average—not even the sinker he throws nearly 50% of the time. Seager has been destroying sinkers all year, batting .382 with a .958 OPS and 187 wRC+. Against the other 50% of Kochanowicz's arsenal, Seager's numbers are just as dominant.
With Seager hitting .297 with a .568 SLG and .963 OPS over the last 15 days, I think this is a perfect spot to back the Rangers star.
Best Bet: Corey Seager Over 1.5 Total Bases (-115) odds via BetOnline
