After the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in six games to win their first championship since 1988, Corey Seager was named 2020 World Series MVP. He is the eighth player to earn MVP honors in the National League Championship Series and World Series in the same year.
Seager was locked in all season but took it to another level in the postseason, setting all kinds of records including most home runs by a shortstop in Major League history in a single October.
His dominance really began against the Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship Series when he hit five home runs and drove in 11 runs in seven games, both franchise records for a single postseason series. With the Dodgers erasing a 3-1 deficit to beat the Braves, Seager was also named the MVP of the NLCS.
Seager hit .310/.333/.897 in the NLCS, and then followed it up with an even more impressive performance in the World Series, batting .400/.556/.700 with a pair of home runs and five RBI.
Runs were at a premium in Game 6 when the Dodgers clinched, but Seager drove in the biggest one as he hit a grounder to first in the sixth inning and Mookie Betts hustled home to score and give L.A. a 2-1 lead.
That wound up being the winning run as the Dodgers added some insurance late and held on for the victory.
Seager joins some elite company as Dodgers players to win World Series MVP as the list includes Johnny Podres (1955), Larry Sherry (1959), Sandy Koufax (1963 and 1965), Ron Cey and Pedro Guerrero (1981) and Orel Hershiser (1988). Of that group, Cey, Guerrero and Seager are the only non-pitchers.
This had to have been extra sweet for Seager, who was drafted by the Dodgers in the first round in 2012 and has gone through plenty of ups and downs in his career. He had struggled in past postseasons, but he came through when his team needed it most and is a big reason why they are celebrating their first championship since 1988.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events and more!
