The Los Angeles Dodgers have a very productive shortstop in Corey Seager, even though he is currently injured.
Over the course of a seven-year career, he has a .293/.362/.495 line with 92 home runs and an excellent 130 weighted Runs Created Plus, or wRC+.
He has quite the resume for a 27-year-old shortstop.
He has participated in two All-Star games (2016, 2017), is a World Series champion (2020), World Series MVP (2020), NLCS MVP (2020); and also won two Silver Slugger Award (2016, 2017) and the NL Rookie of the Year award (2016).
Questions about his defense might have sparked a debate: Is he overrated?
Everybody may have a different opinion, but it’s hard to see him as an overrated asset when he carried the Dodgers for the entire 2020 season, including the postseason.
Between the NLCS and the World Series, Seager hit .347/.439/.816 with seven home runs and 16 RBIs.
Without him, the Dodgers probably wouldn’t have won their first World Series title since 1988.
His Offense May Be Underrated
As an offensive shortstop, Seager’s production may have no rivals in MLB other than Fernando Tatis Jr.
His 2020 season was extraordinary, as he hit .307/.358/.585 with 15 home runs and a 152 wRC+, which means he produced 52 percent more than his peers.
Seager can do it all in the batter’s box: he knows how to get a walk if the pitcher doesn’t give him anything to hit, and he can capitalize on bad and good pitches.
His compact swing allows him to hit for both average and power.
He routinely hits the ball hard.
If we examine just his offense, Seager may actually be underrated because people tend to talk about Tatis, Trea Turner, Trevor Story, Bo Bichette and others when they discuss the elite of the shortstop position.
Corey Seager is one of the most underrated players in baseball. He’s on the baseball equivalent of the Monstars so he doesn’t get the love he deserves. pic.twitter.com/YYhp851BlK
— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) September 7, 2020
Defensive Questions
If there is a part of his game that is overrated, it’s his defense.
He used to be good with the glove, or at least respectable, in 2017 and 2019 when he had five Outs Above Average (OAA) in each season.
But he was atrocious in 2016 (-13), bad in 2018 (-2), and very bad this year (-5 so far).
Corey Seager's defense costs the Dodgers again pic.twitter.com/cVrWgZxM9b
— Blake Harris (@BlakeHarrisTBLA) May 2, 2021
Overall, he has -6 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and his UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating) numbers haven’t been good since 2018.
He is tall and not extremely agile, and it seems to hurt him with the glove.
Overall Verdict
Seager isn’t fast and his defense is not good, but his impact with the bat can’t be denied.
His lack of good defensive work shouldn’t dismiss the fact that he is a difference-maker with the bat.
He plays on a fantastic Dodgers team, perhaps the best in the league, and yet he managed to shine in last year’s season and playoffs and virtually delivered the title to the organization with his excellent offensive performance.
Seager is nearing free agency, and teams should be very interested in him if the Dodgers let him go.
That last part, however, seems unlikely.
Corey Seager’s offense is underrated, and while his defense may be overrated by some observers, he remains a very valuable and desirable piece on a championship team.
NEXT: 3 Reasons Dodgers Are Still World Series Favorites
