Former Seattle Mariners infielder Kyle Seager recently announced his retirement from baseball.
He retired with a solid .251/.321/.442 line, 242 home runs, and 807 RBI, and played with the Mariners during his whole career.
Here are the best three seasons of his 11-year MLB tenure.
Kyle Seager, a Seattle Mariners legend, has retired from baseball.
Thank you for all the memories! #SeaUsRise 👏 pic.twitter.com/NkhzUCzULz
— Seattle Mariners ON Tap (@MarinersONtap) December 29, 2021
3. 2013
The 2013 season was the third of Seager’s career in the major leagues.
It was also his best at the time, as he achieved 4.2 Wins Above Replacement (WAR).
He hit .260/.338/.426 with a 116 wRC+.
The wRC+ stat means weighted Runs Created Plus, and it describes the player’s offensive performance adjusted to external elements like park and era.
Any value above 100 is considered above-average, and everything lower than 100 is below-average.
Seager’s 116 wRC+ in 2013 means he produced 16 percent more than his peers.
That year, he hit 22 home runs, scored 79 runs, and drove in 69, adding nine stolen bases.
He had positive values in baserunning, defense, and offense.
At the time, he was an up-and-coming 25-year-old slugger on his way to have a nice career.
He ended up fulfilling that promise.
Kyle Seager is retiring, here's the tribute during his final game. pic.twitter.com/WuoZQXaQ8T
— Baseball GIFs (@gifs_baseball) December 29, 2021
2. 2014
One year later, in 2014, Seager managed to significantly improve his 2013 performance.
That year, he finished with a 5.2 WAR, tying a career-high with his 2016 performance.
He slashed .268/.334/.454 in 2014, with a 127 wRC+ (in other words, his offensive output was 27 percent better than the average, which is pretty solid).
Seager hit 25 bombs in that campaign, scoring 71 times and driving in 96 runs.
He also stole seven bases and played some of the best third base of his career.
His defensive efforts earned him a Gold Glove award at the hot corner.
After all, he had 15 Defensive Runs Saved, or DRS, one of the most widely used defensive metrics in baseball.
That was the first and only season in which Seager was elected to the All-Star Game, and he finished 20th in the MVP voting.
Seager officially entered All-Star territory, even if he didn’t make the game again in his career.
1. 2016
Seager didn’t make the All-Star Game or win the Gold Glove in 2016, but many people agree on the fact it was his finest season as a major leaguer.
For starters, his 5.2 WAR tied his 2014 output, although this time his offensive contributions were superior to his defense.
Don’t get us wrong, he wasn’t a bad defender in 2016, but it was his best season with the bat.
He slashed .278/.359/.499 with 30 home runs and 99 RBI.
His 134 wRC+ was his best output in a single season, and he was among the best third baseman in the league.
He achieved his highest finish in the MVP voting that year, which was 12th.
Seager hit 69 extra-base hits in 2016: 36 doubles, three triples, and 30 homers, and came very close to slugging .500.
He had a solid career, and the 2016 season represented his peak.
Seager will be remembered by Mariners fans for his talent and loyalty.
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