Dodgers: Corey Seager’s torrid spring proves he’s on a mission to be MLB’s best shortstop

Alright, we get it, Corey. Can the Dodgers please ship this guy back to Los Angeles so he can wait for Opening Day?

Corey Seager has been reinventing the word “domination” during spring training. He’s slashing a ridiculous .478/.571/1.130 in his 23 at-bats. He’s got five home runs and 11 RBI in his 11 games.

That’s your World Series and NLCS MVP right there, picking up right where he left off in 2020. You think he’s heard some chatter about the star-studded class of free agent shortstops set to hit the open market after this season?

Maybe Fernando Tatis Jr.’s record-breaking $340 million contract caught his eye. Whatever the case, the man is on a mission to prove he’s the best shortstop in the game.

Dodgers star Corey Seager is in line for a massive payday if he keeps up this play.

There’s a reason Seager didn’t agree to a contract extension at any point over the last year. Truth be told, he still has a lot to prove alongside the other top shortstops across Major League Baseball.

Tommy John surgery knocked him out for almost all of 2018 and he’s only played in more than 150 games in a single season once in his six-year career, but we won’t count his debut campaign or the shortened 2020. Additionally, though his bat has never questioned, his defense has typically been a point of contention.

He’s got -5 Defensive Runs Saved to his name for his career, and though his Ultimate Zone Rating is quite good (8.2), there’s been chatter about him potentially moving to third base at some point. And he didn’t help his case with a lackluster defensive performance during the 2020 regular season.

But oh man, what happened in the playoffs was a different story. Seager didn’t make a single error across 155.2 October innings, which is seemingly serving as a springboard for an epic campaign in which he puts to bed any doubt about his all-around game. Though he might not be as flashy as Javier Baez or as durable as Francisco Lindor, he possesses unrivaled opposite-field power and is the youngest of the group hitting free agency come November.

The Dodgers’ championship drought has ended and Seager has the momentum from the epic World Series run. The timing couldn’t be better. His next challenge? Prove he’s the most valuable shortstop despite many thinking he ranks at the bottom of this expected class of sluggers.

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