Corey Seager crushed a towering solo home run off Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Zach Eflin in the first inning Monday night. The homer was Seager’s 20th of the season, and he now holds the Los Angeles Dodgers franchise record for most home runs in a single season hit by a shortstop.
Seager’s solo blast on Aug. 4 pulled him into a tie with Hanley Ramirez. Ramirez hit 20 home runs for the Dodgers in 2013, but 19 were when he was in the lineup as a shortstop. Glenn Wright hit 22 home runs for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1930.
That Seager broke the record, hit a second homer Monday night, and leads the team with 21 home runs in his rookie season is all the more impressive.
Nomar Garciaparra holds the Major League record for home runs by a rookie shortstop with 30, set in 1997 when he was with the Boston Red Sox.
Seager is on pace to fall just short of breaking Garciaparra’s record. However, he should surpass the National League record of 27 homers, set this year by Colorado Rockies rookie shortstop Trevor Story.
Story’s season has likely come to an end after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ligament in his thumb. Seager would need to catch lightning in a bottle in order to break the Dodgers’ rookie record for home runs — 35 — set by Mike Piazza in 1993.
Seager’s accomplishment comes one night after Adrian Gonzalez slugged the 300th home run of his career.
