Dodgers: Corey Seager Continues to Have an MVP-Caliber Season
There may not be a player in baseball hotter than Corey Seager. There, I said it. And no, I’m not talking about his physical appearance here. Seager has been on a tear in recent games that has vaulted him from conversations about being the team’s best player to being a contender for the National League MVP this season.
A few weeks ago, we debated whether Mookie Betts or Corey Seager had been the Dodgers’ most valuable player thus far based on the numbers. While Corey’s numbers definitely deserved recognition, there was just too big of a gap between his production and the production of Mookie Betts thanks to some missed playing time due to an injury.
Since then, however, Seager has taken his play to another level. Over the past week of games, he is hitting a mere .429 with 3 home runs and 8 RBI, including this pair of bombs in last night’s loss to the Rockies.
Seager smooth. pic.twitter.com/INfiLEDCKj
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 7, 2020
Corey does it again! pic.twitter.com/M4rBQTKVhu
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 7, 2020
These numbers may be surprising to casual baseball fans, but Dodgers fans have known what we have in Seager. He has been one of the best players in baseball when healthy, and that has been on full display in a shortened 2020 season. For reference, take a look at how his current numbers would project over a full 162 games at his current pace.
Current Stats After 35 Games Played (Out of 42)
11 HR, 10 2B, 31 RBI, 1.7 Offensive WAR
Projected Stats Over 162 Games
51 HR, 46 2B, 143 RBI, 7.9 Offensive WAR
These numbers would easily blow away all of his personal records and would make him an easy favorite to be the National League MVP in any season. Unfortunately, we won’t get the chance to see if he could maintain this level of play for the full year. And yes, while it is unlikely that he would continue to hit at a .331 average for a full season, the potential for that kind of year is definitely there in Corey Seager, so it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if he did.
Final Thoughts
It’s been a long road back for Corey after injuries limited his playing time 2018. Last season was a great sign that he was finally 100% healthy, but he was still missing some of that power and speed combination that made him a 2-time Silver Slugger winner in his first two seasons. Now that all signs point to him being back to the best version of himself, baseball better watch out.
I voted for Mookie in the first poll and have changed my selection to Corey. For the Dodgers to win it all this year we will have to ride on the production of Seager and Betts. Cody is lost in space, JT is injured, we never know what Taylor is going to show up at game time. Joc has family problems, Lux looks afraid at times and then he looks confident. Joe Kelly is having his mood swing for September and what a roller-coaster of emotions these poor boys have to deal with. I have said it before and I’ll say it again, pull your heads out gentlemen. It is time to play team in Los Angeles!
This past off-season a lot of people were talking about Seager as expendable. There was even talk about putting Lux over there. That was all nuts. The possibility of moving Seager to third to pick up a guy like Lindor at short, with Turner moving to first, and Muncy to second remains a possibility to fill in the question mark at second. Lux is proving he’s not the answer to that question, at least not for the foreseeable future. I thought Lux should have been traded last off-season, when his stock was high. Now that he has demonstrated his inability to hit at the MLB level, his stock is very low. You may as well keep him now and hope for the best, since he has so little trade value now. Seager on the other hand has shown MVP potential since he got to the bigs. Prior to TJ surgery he had a lifetime BA of 300, and now he is surpassing that. He has one of the best swings I’ve ever seen. He is the opposite of a dead pull hitter (like Bellinger). In fact most of hits and home runs go the other way. With Turner hurt, and Muncy and Bellinger still near the Mendoza line, Seager should be batting in the 3 or 4 spot. Muncy should be in the two spot, where his walks can be driven in by Seager. If Smith continues his recent surge he could move into the 5 or 6 spot. That may be a long shot, but it’s possible. And it’s definitely possible that Seager could be the league MVP, although I would be happy just to see him carry his current high level into and throughout the postseason, where a lot of other Dodger bats (like Bellinger) seem to go into hibernation.
Daniel you make a great case for Seager and I agree. I was NOT in favor of the Dodgers trading Cleveland this winter as I believed Seager being finally healthy over the winter and able to concentrate on baseball rather than rehab would propel him to have a great offensive year.
Seager showed what he was capable of his first year. After that he had an elbow injury and a hip injury.
The rehab for a Tommy John is at least a year to get back your full movement and strength. My Daughter is a PT that treats Olympic and Professional Athletes and had cautioned me that Seager would need a year or better no matter peoples expectations. Athletes want to play the hardest thing about their rehabs is to rein them back to keep them from hurting themselves. Remember Greinke was impressed with Seager and that the Dodgers drafted him. I think once Greinke retires he will be in a Front office or in scouting somewhere he knows baseball.
Glad See her is shutting up a lot of idiots who wanted him traded and I said he would be battling for batting titles and mvp.
Who’d have predicted that Seager would have more HRs now than either Belli or Muncy?… I have to admit, given Seager’s occasional injuries, I was OK with a swap for Lindor before the Dodgers nabbed Mookie… Now hoping Friedman will invest more $$ in securing Seager and Belli in long-term deals before free agency.
Meant Seater notnot se her.
Sorry again,It’s Seager.
There has been discussion about trading for Lindor. There has also been discussion about trading excess bullpen talent for prospects. I think the best thing for LA would be to trade those pitchers and Joc Pederson to Boston for Alex Verdugo. Verdugo puts up good numbers and he is an outstanding addition to the LA clubhouse. He’s doing well in Boston, but they could use a bunch of young, cheap talent for their future. LA has it.
Come post season, Corey Seager will do what he did against decent pitching in the 9th inning on this last Sunday Night……Nothing.
Notice he failed with the game on the line Sunday Night, or do you even allow the truth in the comments section?
Oh hell no. You guys think every Dodger makes all lists and feels snub when they don’t. They might be great in the National West (because the National West sucks) but compared to all MLB…NO WAY choke-sters!