Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star Corey Seager fell outside of MLB Network’s The Shredder’s top 10 shortstop rankings for the 2020 season. The Colorado Rockies’ Trevor Story placed first on the list, followed by the Cleveland Indians’ Francisco Lindor and Chicago Cubs’ Javier Báez.
The rest of the group, in order, consists of the Oakland Athletics’ Marcus Semien, the Boston Red Sox’s Xander Bogaerts, the San Diego Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr., the New York Yankees’ Gleyber Torres, the Minnesota Twins’ Jorge Polanco, the Houston Astros’ Carlos Correa and the St. Louis Cardinals’ Paul DeJong.
Though he was excluded from the list, Seager placed seventh and ninth on MLB Network analysts Sarah Langs and Ben Lindbergh’s respective rankings.
The 2019 season was a learning curve of sorts for Seager, who looked to recapture his previous form after undergoing separate Tommy John and hip operations.
He returned to his usual shortstop position on Opening Day and homered in a 12-5 Dodgers’ victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, but otherwise struggled for most of April.
Seager progressively improved as the season went along, and despite being sidelined a month with a hamstring injury, he still led the National League with 44 doubles. In 134 total games, he slashed .272/.335/.483 with 19 home runs and 87 RBI.
Seager went on to struggle during the month of October, however, going just 3-for-20 with eight strikeouts in the Dodgers’ NL Division Series loss to the Washington Nationals.
Seager appeared overmatched at times and frequently chased pitches out of the strike zone. Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman believes pitchers exploited his tendency to swing at the first pitch of an at-bat over the course of the year.
Seager’s name surfaced in trade rumors throughout the offseason, but the Dodgers ultimately held on to him.
If and when the 2020 MLB season is able to take place, Seager will be part of one of the deepest lineups in all of baseball that now includes Mookie Betts to go along with the likes of 2019 NL MVP Cody Bellinger, Max Muncy and Justin Turner.
Seager on the mend
Seager was off to a terrific start this season before missing a brief stretch due to lower back discomfort. Seager avoided a stint on the 10-day injured list and upon returning picked up where he left off.
| Rank | The Shredder | Mike Petriello | Sarah Langs | Ben Lindbergh |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trevor Story (Rockies) | Francisco Lindor (Indians) | Francisco Lindor (Indians) | Francisco Lindor (Indians) |
| 2 | Francisco Lindor (Indians) | Xander Bogaerts (Red Sox) | Trevor Story (Rockies) | Xander Bogaerts (Red Sox) |
| 3 | Javier Báez (Cubs) | Trevor Story (Rockies) | Javier Báez (Cubs) | Trevor Story (Rockies) |
| 4 | Marcus Semien (Athletics) | Javier Báez (Cubs) | Marcus Semien (Athletics) | Carlos Correa (Astros) |
| 5 | Xander Bogaerts (Red Sox) | Carlos Correa (Astros) | Xander Bogaerts (Red Sox) | Javier Báez (Cubs) |
| 6 | Fernando Tatis Jr. (Padres) | Marcus Semien (Athletics) | Carlos Correa (Astros) | Fernando Tatis Jr. (Padres) |
| 7 | Gleyber Torres (Yankees) | Fernando Tatis Jr. (Padres) | Corey Seager (Dodgers) | Marcus Semien (Athletics) |
| 8 | Jorge Polanco (Twins) | Gleyber Torres (Yankees) | Trea Turner (Nationals) | Gleyber Torres (Yankees) |
| 9 | Carlos Correa (Astros) | Paul DeJong (Cardinals) | Fernando Tatis Jr. (Padres) | Corey Seager (Dodgers) |
| 10 | Paul DeJong (Cardinals) | Trea Turner (Nationals) | Gleyber Torres (Yankees) | Andrelton Simmons (Angels) |
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in our shows, and more!
