Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images
Seager made the All-Star team in 2022 and 2023 and helped lead the Rangers to the 2023 World Series, the first title in the team’s history. Before the victory, the Rangers were the oldest franchise that had never won a championship.
Seager and the Rangers are looking to repeat this season. In the meantime, here are seven things you may not know about the Rangers’ star.
He’s the only player ever to win the World Series MVP in both leagues
The Dodgers drafted Seager with the 18th overall pick of the 2012 MLB Draft — and his signing bonus was $2.35 million, far more modest than his current contract. Seager and the Dodgers reached the World Series in 2020, defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in six games. Seager won World Series MVP.
Fast-forward three years, and Seager was once again hoisting another World Series trophy, this time with the Rangers. He won his second World Series MVP, becoming just the fourth player to accomplish that feat. The previous three were in the same league during their awards; Seager is the first to win World Series MVP for both an American League and a National League team.
Photo courtesy of Texas Rangers via Facebook
He presented at the Country Music Awards next to a Houston Astros fan
Shortly after his World Series win, Seager scored another big hit with an appearance at the Country Music Awards. He helped present “Single of the Year” alongside Brian Kelley and Parker McCollum. The latter is a big Houston Astros fan, and you may recall the Rangers defeated the Astros en route to the championship last season. Kudos to McCollum for handling it in style.
Seager was also the only one of the trio not to wear a cowboy hat. He seems much more comfortable in a batting helmet, anyway.
He holds a slugging record among left-handed shortstops
When Seager belted his 31st home run in 2022, he set a new record. The long ball helped him pass Brad Miller for the most home runs hit by a left-handed shortstop in a single season.
Seager finished with 33 home runs for the year and then equaled his record the following season. He’s off to a slower start this season, but based on the last couple of years, we’d expect him to challenge that record again.
He also holds a record with his brother
Seager’s family has produced a ton of baseball talent. Born in Charlotte, Corey is the youngest of three brothers. His oldest brother Kyle played for the Seattle Mariners from 2011 to 2021. The Mariners also drafted middle brother Justin, who spent five seasons in the minor leagues.
Corey has no ties to the Mariners, but he does hold a record with his brother. During the 2016 season, Corey hit 26 home runs for the Dodgers, while Kyle hit 30 homers for the Mariners. They’re the first brothers to hit at least 25 home runs in the same season.
Though Corey is still playing, the elder Seager put up 35 home runs and 101 RBI in his final season. Corey hasn’t hit either of those milestones yet, so Kyle has a few bragging rights.
He digs the shift ban
Before the 2023 season, the MLB changed the rules on how infielders could shift for a specific hitter. In previous years, when a left-handed slugger came up to bat, the infield would move its defense, typically with three players on the right side of the field, with the second baseman or shortstop standing in right field. Since lefties usually hit the ball hard to that side, the defense essentially eliminated a good chunk of the field.
After the rule change, the defending team can’t set up so dramatically. There must be two players on each side of second base, with at least four players standing with their feet on the infield dirt.
Seager has never publicly stated that he’s glad the shift is gone, but his numbers speak for themselves. His batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage all significantly increased in 2023, partly due to the new shift rules.
Photo courtesy of Texas Rangers via Facebook
He can deliver some great trash talk
Among Rangers players, Seager doesn’t stand out as a loud person. He appreciates others displaying emotion, but he’s normally stoic and reserved. However, he’s still shown a propensity for trash talk when the situation calls for it.
After the Astros won the AL West on the final day of the regular season, Houston’s Alex Bregman quipped, “A lot of people were wondering what it was going to be like if the ‘stros didn’t win the division. I guess we’ll never know.”
It was a thinly veiled insult toward the Rangers, who tumbled out of the division lead and into the Wild Card round. Seager internalized that comment all the way through the playoffs. During the championship celebration, he had the perfect comeback.
“I just got one thing to say,” he said. “Everyone was wondering what would happen if the Rangers didn’t win the World Series. I guess we’ll never know.”
He owns two incredibly cute dogs
If you’ve spent time on Corey or his wife Madisyn’s Instagram accounts, you’ve probably spotted Hazel, the couple’s Toy Australian Shepherd. Hazel joined the family in 2019 — coincidentally adopted from Texas at just nine weeks old, years before Corey and Madisyn moved there. Hazel served as ring bearer (or dog-er) at the couple’s 2020 wedding.
Harlow is the more recent addition to the family, getting adopted in November 2022. For an extreme challenge, look at Harlow’s first pictures with Hazel and try to keep your heart from melting. The newer pup fits in quite well, don’t you think?
Photo courtesy of Madisyn Seager via Instagram
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
