Despite missing the majority of last season after undergoing respective Tommy John and hip surgeries, Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager was ranked the No. 7 player at his position entering 2019 by MLB Network’s The Shredder.
Ahead of Seager on the list are the Cleveland Indians’ Francisco Lindor, the Chicago Cubs’ Javier Baez, the Colorado Rockies’ Trevor Story, free agent Manny Machado, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim’s Andrelton Simmons and the Houston Astros’ Carlos Correa.
In what was an injury-mired 2018 campaign, Seager hit a respectable .267/.348/.396 with five doubles, one triple, two home runs and 13 RBI over 115 plate appearances. He was sidelined from the start of May through the end of the Dodgers’ World Series run.
Looking ahead to the 2019 season, Seager recently revealed that he is feeling healthy for the start of Spring Training.
Dodgers officials have maintained that Seager should be on the field for Opening Day as well, though the 24-year-old declined to offer those same assurances himself.
With Machado unlikely to return to the Dodgers in free agency, Seager will be afforded all of Spring Training to prove he is be able to handle the shortstop position again. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the plan is for him to play some Minor League games in a controlled environment before switching over to the Major League side.
A healthy Seager will represent a major boon to the Dodgers lineup. In parts of four Major League seasons, the 2016 National League Rookie of the Year owns a career .302/.372/.494 slash line with 86 doubles, seven triples, 54 home runs and 179 RBI across 1,528 plate appearances (355 games).
Among shortstops with at least 1,200 plate appearances since the start pf the 2016 season, Seager ranks first with a 130 WRC+. He is followed by Machado (125), Correa (125) and Lindor (119).
| Rank | The Shredder | Mike Petriello | Ben Lindbergh | Vince Gennaro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Francisco Lindor (CLE) | Francisco Lindor (CLE) | Manny Machado | Francisco Lindor (CLE) |
| 2 | Javier Báez (CHC) | Manny Machado | Francisco Lindor (CLE) | Manny Machado |
| 3 | Trevor Story (COL) | Trevor Story (COL) | Carlos Correa (HOU) | Andrelton Simmons (LAA) |
| 4 | Manny Machado | Andrelton Simmons (LAA) | Corey Seager (LAD) | Xander Bogaerts (BOS) |
| 5 | Andrelton Simmons (LAA) | Javier Báez (CHC) | Andrelton Simmons (LAA) | Javier Báez (CHC) |
| 6 | Carlos Correa (HOU) | Corey Seager (LAD) | Xander Bogaerts (BOS) | Corey Seager (LAD) |
| 7 | Corey Seager (LAD) | Xander Bogaerts (BOS) | Javier Báez (CHC) | Trevor Story (COL) |
| 8 | Paul DeJong (STL) | Carlos Correa (HOU) | Trevor Story (COL) | Trea Turner (WSN) |
| 9 | Jean Segura (PHI) | Trea Turner (WSN) | Trea Turner (WSN) | Carlos Correa (HOU) |
| 10 | Didi Gregorius (NYY) | Jean Segura (PHI) | Jean Segura (PHI) | Didi Gregorius (NYY) |
