Blessed with a smooth left-handed swing, Corey Seager and his rise to being the top prospect in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization is no surprise.
But with a swing that takes advantage of the entire field and the ability to handle southpaw pitching, the 20-year-old prospect possesses key traits that project favorably upon arrival in the big leagues.
The younger brother of Seattle's Kyle Seager, Corey posted 154 wRC+ at Double-A Chattanooga after a midseason call-up from High-A ball in Rancho Cucamonga. Before his promotion, Seager mashed in the California League. The lefty hit .352 with 18 homers and 70 RBI in 80 games.
Bleacher Report's own Mike Rosenbaum, who ranked Seager sixth in his year-end top prospect rankings, was pleased to see the prospect's production continue after promotion.
The hitter-friendly parks of the Cal tend to inflate hitters' numbers, so it was great to see Seager continue his torrid production after moving up to Double-A Chattanooga. In his first taste of the Southern League, the 6'4", 215-pound shortstop batted .345/.381/.534 with two home runs, 16 doubles and 27 RBI in 37 contests.
All together, Seager hit .349 with 20 home runs and 97 RBI between High-A and Double-A this season.
But it hasn't always been sunshine and daisies. He's needed to adapt after struggles at both levels, providing him with an important sense of perspective rare for such a youthful player. In 2013, Seager hit .309 with 155 wRC+ in Low-A after a rough stint in rookie ball. He then struggled mightily in High-A to close the season, recording a feeble .160 average and 46 wRC+.
Here's an interview from the Arizona Fall League with Seager mentioning his ability to cope with adversity, via MLB.com:
What happened in his next season at Rancho Cucamonga? You guessed it, 167 wRC+ and a 1.044 OPS. In a game of immense failure, it's refreshing to see a young player prove he's capable of making the necessary adjustments to be successful.
Obviously the kid can hit, but the most promising sign has to be his success against fellow lefties (as seen below in the AFL). Seager hit .344 against them in 2014, going deep seven times. Normally an area of weakness for most young left-handed bats, Seager has turned it into a strength with a foul line to foul line approach.
The former first-round pick earned the honors of being named the best hitter for average in the L.A. organization in 2012 and the best batting prospect in the California League in 2014 by Baseball America. He also participated in the Arizona Fall League's All-Star Game earlier this month.
Seager's anticipated impact in The Show is simple. He's expected to be a mainstay in the heart of the order for many years to come. The more pressing issue will be his future position at the next level. Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times echoed this in a recent article:
While Seager's size is part of why he is projected to be a middle-of-the-lineup hitter in the major leagues — the scout compared the left-handed-hitting Seager to Joey Votto and Justin Morneau — it raises questions about where he might fit on defense.
Yet according to Eric Stephen of True Blue LA, a SB Nation affiliate, new President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman has quieted the clamoring for a position change. Friedman is quoted as saying, "His hands work really well. We have a number of guys who feel like he has a real chance to stick there."
Seager's stay at short will likely allow the Dodgers to bid farewell to Hanley Ramirez this offseason. Instead of shelling out more cash in a multiyear deal, the club can potentially turn to the young Seager if it's believed he's ready.
The Dodgers are blessed with a litany of talent throughout their organization, and Seager may end up being the best of the bunch. It's hard to project entirely how a prospect will pan out once they break into the majors, but impressive production against lefties and some experience coping with failure sets Corey Seager apart as one of the most exciting prospects we have in the minors.
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