Texas Rangers: Five Reasons Corey Seager Will Have a Better 2023

By most measurements, Corey Seager had a solid season in 2022.

For obvious reasons, expectations for his arrival in Arlington were massive after he agreed to a 10-year, $325 million contract shortly before the winter lockout. Seager accepted his deal one day after Marcus Semien secured his own seven-year, $175 million pact with Texas, which left long-suffering Rangers fans eager to see what the duo could accomplish together in 2022.

While the Rangers won eight more games this past year than they did in 2021, the club’s overall performance was disappointing and often puzzling. However, Texas Rangers fans should be optimistic about the team’s outlook for 2023, specifically when you consider a few key reasons why 2023 could be Corey Seager’s best year at the plate so far.

5 reasons Corey Seager will improve in 2023

Reason 1: He won’t be hitting into a shift

In 2022, defenses shifted on Corey Seager in 607 out of his 654 plate appearances for a whopping 92.8%. That number is astronomically high, even for a left-handed hitter considering most MLB teams shifted left-handed hitters between 55% and 65% of the time in 2022. For Seager, the result of the frequent shifts was a wOBA that was 70 percentage points higher when defenses didn’t shift.

Thankfully for Seager and for Rangers fans, the shift will no longer be allowed in 2023. The players and owners agreed to eliminate the shift as a part of the new league Collective Bargaining Agreement. It will be interesting to see how much Seager’s batting average and OBP improve as a result of the rule change.

Reason 2: A full off-season

Despite the injury concerns when his contract was signed, Corey Seager made it through the 2022 season without a single trip to the IL. He played in 151 games, 144 of which were at shortstop. Now for the first time in several years, Seager has a full offseason to rest, recover, and prepare for a new season.

You may remember watching Seager’s Dodgers play well into October each of his first seven seasons, including a 2020 championship run that ended with a World Series MVP trophy. While Rangers fans would obviously prefer to be watching their franchise shortstop on the biggest stage this year, the fact that Corey has a full offseason to get ready for 2023 could set the stage for a massive year.

Reason 3: He knows what to expect in 2023

It’s common for players – even All-Star level players and MVP contenders like Corey Seager – to struggle in their first season with a new team. This is especially true when you switch leagues and don’t have access to team personnel for the majority of the offseason (remember that players were locked out from Dec. 1 until March 10 while a new CBA was negotiated). In addition to having more time to prepare for next season, Seager won’t have to adjust to life on a new team or in a new city in the coming season.

Reason 5: There’s likely to be more at stake

Everyone, including Corey Seager, understood where the Rangers were as a team last year. After five straight losing seasons, including a season in 2021 where they lost 100 games for the first time since 1973, the team was simply looking for signs of improvement. However, the narrative is different for the 2023 season.

GM Chris Young has categorized team owner Ray Davis as “frustrated” and has gone on the record saying the Rangers intend to contend in 2023. Obviously, they will need to spend money on pitching (and perhaps add an outfield bat) if they truly want to play meaningful games down the stretch. However, it’s easy to see how a guy like Seager who played in two World Series and five Championship Series during his time with the Dodgers would be energized by a chase for a pennant.