It was recently announced that three Los Angeles Dodgers players were named to the National League team for the 2016 All-Star Game. It’s the first selection for Kenley Jansen and Corey Seager, while Clayton Kershaw was named to his sixth Midsummer Classic.
Seager’s first trip to the All-Star Game will also include him participating in Monday’s Home Run Derby at Petco Park. This will mark a third consecutive year a Dodgers player participates in the derby.
While the young shortstop has shown some pop during the first half, leading the Dodgers with 17 home runs, the widespread belief that taking part in the annual Home Run Derby has a negative affect on a player’s has many nervous over Seager’s decision.
However, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is not among them, explaining why he doesn’t have any concern with Seager throwing his name into the Home Run Derby, via Joey Kaufman of the OC Register:
“For every hitter that is in the home run contest who has a bad second half, whether it be Joc Pederson or Todd Frazier, there’s another player who was in the home run contest who continued to have a very good second half,” Roberts said. “A lot of times we look at the players who go the other way and go south. That’s not necessarily the norm.”
Seager also dismissed any concern over what may happen to his swing. If there’s an issue, he matter-of-factly said he would simply fix it.
The 22-year-old shortstop is batting .303/.363/.537 with 22 doubles and 41 RBIs this season. He’s currently in the midst of a 19-game hitting streak, one away from tying the Dodgers’ all-time rookie record.
