First pitch: 3 bold predictions for the 2023 World Series no one saw coming

World Series bold prediction 3: Corbin Carroll will steal more bases than he has hits

During the regular season, the Diamondbacks finished second in the National League with 166 stolen bases. Arizona have been thiefs on the basepaths all season, and that continued in the final two games of the NLCS against Philadelphia as the Diamondbacks stole four bases each in Game 6 and 7.

When Arizona records at least one stolen base in the postseason, they are 6-0. It's clear that speed has been a key to Arizona's success all season and wants to keep that trend going in October.

With that in mind, let's go out on a limb and predict Corbin Carroll (who stole 54 bases during the regular season) will wreak havoc on the basepaths, swiping bases at an eye-popping rate. However, he will also use walks to get on base to steal those bases, struggling to get hits against Texas but causing damage when he does get on base via the free pass.

One thing to watch with Carroll's speed is his chance to join an elite group of base-stealers in World Series history by swiping 10 bags during what I'm predicting to be a seven-game classic. If he does that, he will join Lou Brock and Eddie Collins (14 each) as well as Davey Lopes, Phil Rizzuto and Frank Chance (10 each) as the only players with double-digit steals during the Fall Classic.

Could it happen? It's improbable, but not impossible ... and isn't that the theme of this whole postseason anyway?