Dodgers: Corey Seager is this generation’s Derek Jeter… but better

Corey Seager is fresh off of one of the most impressive postseasons in MLB history. Seager put the Los Angeles Dodgers on his back and, as crazy as it sounds, the World Series MVP still did not get the credit he deserved, as he was overshadowed by a (somehow) even better October from Randy Arozarena.

Seager hit .328 this October with 20 runs scored, eight home runs and 20 RBI. His 1.171 OPS was the best on the World Series Champion Dodgers and was behind only Arozarena, Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve for players that had at least 10 postseason games played.

Seager was named the World Series MVP at the age of 26, which is the exact same age as another notable player when he won the only World Series MVP of his career — Derek Jeter.

The parallels between Jeter and Seager are deeper than a singular World Series MVP. Jeter played for the biggest market in New York, Seager plays for the second biggest market in Los Angeles. Jeter won the Rookie of the Year, Seager won the Rookie of the Year. Heck, Seager’s No. 5 may one day be as iconic for the Dodgers as Jeter’s No. 2 is for the Yankees.

Jeter is the most iconic player of the 2000s, and quite frankly, was the last true face of baseball. Seager may not be as popular as Jeter was in the early 2000s, but it is clear that he is this generation’s version of the Miami Marlins’ CEO… and is better.

Comparing Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager to former Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter:

Yes, Jeter had more championships at this point in his career than Seager does. At this point in his respective career, Jeter had four championships, while Seager obviously just has one. However, if the Houston Astros don’t bang on trash cans and Seager does not get hurt in 2018 maybe, just maybe, that number would be much closer.

Let’s look past the team accomplishments and look at the individual numbers. Seager got hurt and played in a reduced 60-game season in 2020, so he has far fewer games played than Jeter through his age 26 season. Jeter played 786 games, Seager has played 541.

Seager has an .863 OPS thus far in his career, while Jeter had a .862 career OPS through his age 26 season. Jeter’s OBP was 32 points higher than Seager’s, but Seager’s slugging is 33 points higher than Jeter’s. Seager has an OPS+ of 129, Jeter had an OPS+ of 122.

Both players have had one full season above a .900 OPS, and both had one season finishing third in MVP. Seager’s resumé features three seasons with an OPS above .800, while Jeter had three seasons with an OPS above .800.

Seager has a much better power bat than Jeter. Seager has 88 career home runs, while Jeter had 78 in 1,264 more plate appearances. If the plate appearances were equal, Seager would have 58 more homers, 63 fewer hits, 79 fewer runs and 61 more RBI — of course, this is assuming that Seager would have compiled his totals at the exact same pace.

There is a massive advantage in fielding here, too. While Seager is not a Gold Glover and Jeter won five such awards, Seager is the better defender. Jeter only posted one positive UZR/150 in a season once the statistic was recorded in 2002 and has a career -6.9 UZR/150.

Zero is considered average and according to FanGraphs, a -6.9 UZR/150 qualified Jeter between below average and poor. Seager has a career 2.9 UZR/150, which is between average and above-average.

And that is what ultimately gives Corey Seager the edge over Derek Jeter in the most telling stat: Wins Above Replacement. Jeter had more fWAR at this point in his career but was accumulating it at a slower pace.

Seager’s current 162-game fWAR pace is 6.02; Jeter’s was 4.76. That 1.36 difference is the equivalent of a full Yasiel Puig’s worth of value (Puig posted a 1.3 fWAR in 2019).

Derek Jeter is an all-time great and was a bonafide first-ballot Hall of Famer, but Corey Seager has been better for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Believe it.