Texas Rangers: 4 Matchups that will determine who will win the wild card round

#3 Corey Seager vs the Tampa Bay pitching staff

I think it is pretty clear that Tampa is the better team in this series, but Corey Seager is the best player in this series. That will give Texas a shot to win it. October is where stars shine. We have seen it in the past where a single player can take over a series and lift them to heights that they did not expect. Daniel Murphy in 2015 was red-hot through October and carried the Mets to the World Series. Kike' Hernandez in 2021 carried a less talented Red Sox team past the Tampa Bay Rays in the divisional round and then to a 3-1 lead against the Astros in the championship series.

That pales in comparison to what Corey Seager did in 2020 for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was supersonic hot through all three rounds of the playoffs. He had a .350 playoff batting average, with seven home runs, and 19 RBIs across three rounds. He was the NLCS MVP and then followed that up by winning the World Series MVP. His performance in those games all at Globe Life Field likely convinced him to strongly consider Texas in his free agency a year later.

Seager this season against Tampa had a .320 batting average, with two home runs, and eight RBIs. The one game Texas did win in Tampa was a Saturday night game where he went 5-5 with a home run. In his career he has played 10 games at Tropicana Field and has a .320 batting average and a .943 OPS. He does feel comfortable hitting there. Texas needs him to lead the way and be the best offensive player in this series. If that happens Texas will win.

Next: A battle in the late innings and in the dugout that will play a massive role in the series