MLB player props October 7: Max Scherzer and Yu Darvish props for NL Wild Card on Friday

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The postseason is here and there is no shortage of MLB player props at leading sportsbooks for bettors to take advantage of in Friday’s four-game slate.

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Max Scherzer props: Over 5.5 strikeouts (-115 or better)

Scherzer racked up eight strikeouts over six innings in his one start against San Diego this season and he boasts 69 K’s overall in 190 career encounters with current Padres bats.

Mad Max collected at least six strikeouts in 18 of 23 starts this past regular season, and he posted a 10.6 K/9 across 64.2 home frames.

As a result, this is a figure he could well eclipse as long as he hangs in the game for at least five or six innings.

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Pete Alonso props: To Hit A Home Run (+440 or better)

With 40 homers in the just-concluded regular season, Alonso naturally is an excellent candidate to take a shot on a home run prop at a number like this.

The prodigious slugger went the last six games of the regular season without a homer, yet he notably averaged one every four games overall on the campaign, theoretically making him overdue for a blast.

Alonso has one round tripper in 11 career plate appearances versus Padres starter Yu Darvish, who gave up 12 of his 22 homers to right-handed hitters this season.

Darvish surrendered an elevated 46.6 percent flyball rate to righty bats and Alonso virtually matches with a 45.5 percent figure, which on heightens the chances of going deep on Friday.

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Yu Darvish props: Over 5.5 strikeouts thrown (+106 or better)

Even if Darvish gets taken deep by Alonso, that hardly spells a poor overall outing for the talented veteran righty.

This strikeout figure shapes up as one Darvish has more than enough talent to eclipse. He already did it in both his meetings with the Mets this regular season, recording nine and six strikeouts in those starts.

Darvish finished the campaign with a 9.3 K/9 across 108 road frames and notched at least six punchouts in 21 of 30 starts, putting this prop very much into play.

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Nolan Arenado props: Over 1.5 hits (+250 or better)

Arenado owns a .357 average over 16 career plate appearances against Phillies starter Zach Wheeler.

The veteran infielder recorded at least two hits in 46 of 148 games this season, plus he hit a blistering .455 in 25 plate appearances overall against Philadelphia pitching.

Arenado also thrived against right-handed pitching at home, posting a .300 and .871 OPS in that split along with a tiny 10.2 percent strikeout rate.

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Raimel Tapia props: Over 1.5 total bases (+195 or better)

Tapia is certainly not the most prominent bat on Friday’s postseason-opening slate, but he could pay off nicely as an under-the-radar play at a great price.

Tapia has punished Mariners starter Luis Castillo nearly every one of the 12 times he’s faced him in his career, posting four singles, a double, a triple, a home run, and a walk.

The veteran outfielder enjoyed a solid first season in Toronto that included 156 total bases in 128 games, as well as 30 extra-base hits out of 109 total hits.

Meanwhile, 22 of the 55 hits Castillo allowed to left-handed hitters this season went for extra bases.

The Mariners’ bullpen also gave up 13 extra-base hits (out of 32 total) to left-handed hitters over the last month of the regular season.

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