ARLINGTON, Texas — Pitchers and catchers had not yet even reported and it was announced that the only World Series MVP in franchise history, Corey Seager, is already nursing another injury.
In between being the best player on the field most nights, the Texas Rangers’ $325 million man went through two stints on the injured list last season. If there’s one knock on the generational shortstop, it’s that he’s been fairly injury-prone during his career, with time missed in each of the previous four seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers before coming to Texas.
Of course, when he’s healthy, there aren’t many players who are bigger difference makers than Seager.
Perhaps because he put up such highly impressive numbers throughout the 2023 season, it feels a little disheartening to see the shortstop on the shelf before the repeat bid can even begin. But it’s worth noting that it’s better for Seager to address his health now during the exhibition of spring training, after a short offseason, rather than let lingering issues leak into the actual season.
The Corey Seager that carried the lineup last year – that’s the Corey Seager that the Rangers need for the entire season.
- 2023 Opening Day Starting Shortstop: Corey Seager
- 2024 Projected Opening Day Shortstop: Corey Seager
It’s not outside the realm of possibility to imagine that if Seager had stayed off the IL last year, and had added to the production that he put up when he was on the active roster, he would have given Shohei Ohtani a run for his money as American League MVP.
As it was, Seager suffered two stints out of action. Within the first month, Seager landed on the IL with a pulled hamstring. Red hot to start the season, Seager missed 31 games recovering from that injury before returning in late May and picking up right where he left off. Then in July, against his old team the Dodgers, Seager jammed his thumb sliding into second base, landing him on the IL again for the minimum 10 days. Again, when he came back, he picked up where he left off.
Before the first injury, Seager was already putting up MVP numbers. With a slash line of .359/.469/.539, seven home runs, four doubles, and nine walks, through Texas’ first 11 games, the shortstop’s abrupt departure from the regular lineup had many wondering if the Rangers could bear the loss of their superstar after they had gotten out of the gate at 7-4.
When he came back, for both he and the Rangers, it was like he never left. Up until he jammed his thumb, Seager was on a tear again, with a .348/.402/.647 line that included 14 homers, 40 runs scored, 25 doubles, 54 RBI and 21 walks.
Only a modern day Babe Ruth was preventing Seager from being the talk of the league, but again, the injury in July had everyone worried that Texas’ season might derail. Seager came back, determined to carry the Rangers on his back as he had all year.
Down the stretch, Seager put up a .295/.359/.600 line with another 17 homers, 13 doubles, 39 runs scored, 35 RBI and 19 walks. It was his least productive line, which, by any other player’s standards, would still be an incredible run. On the whole, Seager put up a .327/.390/.623 slash with 33 homers and 96 RBI. For a man who missed 40 games of the season, that’s simply incredible.
But the problem lies in the fact that Seager did, in fact, miss 40 games. And there’s no guarantee that bench bat Ezequiel Duran, who picked up the slack for the shortstop in his absence, can have the same success that he enjoyed for Texas, especially during Seager’s first IL stint.
In fact, while Duran put up a .303/.339/.532 line with six homers and 21 RBI while Seager was out in April, his second run as Seager’s understudy in July was not as prolific. During that nine-game stretch, Duran struggled heavily, putting up a paltry line of .177/.282/.206. While it could be argued that the entire Rangers’ team wasn’t hitting as well by July as they had earlier in the season, it still stands that Duran seemingly ran out of steam in his first full season in the big leagues.
Seager’s decision in late January to have surgery on a sports hernia this close to the start of the season may have seemed like poor planning, but the injury dates back to late in the 2023 season and Texas simply played more than other teams on their way to winning the World Series which took until the first night of November, which meant that Seager had less time to recover and see if the injury would heal on its own.
If 2023 is any indication, the Rangers’ superstar doesn’t need a whole lot of time to warm back up to in-game action. The expectation is for Seager to be ready for or near Opening Day. From there, the Rangers are hoping that this hiccup will be his last for the year.
And as for that MVP race in 2023? Seager, even after missing 40 games, finished 2nd. If he plays a full slate in 2024, the award might be his for the taking.
With the Ohtani roadblock in the National League, do you think it’s Seager’s year to win MVP? Share your thoughts with Matt on Twitter @FisherWritesMLB.
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