Arlington Rangers’ Offense Struggles Without Corey Seager’s Consistency

The Rangers are 75 games into the season, and their offense has been underperforming. There have been numerous theories as to why this is the case, but it may not be as complex as it seems. The key to the Rangers’ success could be as simple as getting Corey Seager, their best player, back on track.

Seager has been mired in the worst stretch of his career, with a batting average of .143 over his last 18 games. This is the worst 18-game stretch of his career, and it’s not just his batting average that’s suffering. His slugging percentage is also at a career-low .175, and he’s gone without a home run in nearly two-thirds of the longest homerless stretch of his career.

Seager’s Struggles

Seager knows what’s wrong, but he’s struggling to make the necessary adjustments. He’s been working with private hitting instructor Shawn Wooten, and he’s tried out different stances at the plate, including an exaggerated open stance that looked awkward. He’s since discarded this stance, saying it “ran its course.”

Despite his best efforts, Seager’s struggles continue. He’s had 11 hitless games in his last 15 starts, and the Rangers are 4-7 in those games. When Seager gets a hit, the Rangers are 16-8, but that’s less than a third of their games. He’s either not been available or not effective, and the trend doesn’t just apply to this year.

Impact on the Team

Since Seager signed a 10-year, $325 million deal with the Rangers in 2021, the club is 165-86 when he gets a hit and 107-202 when he doesn’t. This makes sense, given Seager’s ability to change a game or a series. The Rangers go as he goes, and manager Bruce Bochy acknowledges that Seager is a key player in their success.

“We don’t count on just one player, but yeah, he’s a key player in our success,” Bochy said. “That’s fair to say. I think for us to get to where we want to go, we need all our guys to do their thing, not just Corey.”

Path Forward

To get back on track, Seager would need to get exceptionally hot for the remainder of the season. He came into the season as a .290 career hitter and .512 slugger, and he’s got about 300 more at-bats left. To get to his career average, he’d need to hit about .315 and slug about .575. The good news is that he’s capable of it, having hit .327 with a .623 slugging percentage in 2023.

Seager isn’t the only one who needs to have a second-half surge to meet his career marks. In fact, it’s probably easier to list the guys who are on pace for career norms. Josh Smith and Wyatt Langford are the only two players who entered the season with at least 500 career at-bats and are within 40 points of their career norms.

Other Struggling Players

After Thursday’s loss, Bochy said some players are “searching.” While he didn’t name names, Jake Burger, Jonah Heim, and Josh Jung have all struggled recently. Burger went 4 for 23, Heim went 1 for 15, and Jung went 1 for 15 during the just-completed homestand.

The Rangers’ best chance for a big inning against Michael Wacha came in the fifth when Adolis García and Alejandro Osuna drew consecutive walks. However, Burger, Jung, and Heim were unable to capitalize, with Burger popping up a slider.

Conclusion

The Rangers’ offense won’t go with any gusto or consistency until Corey Seager gets going. He’s the key player in their success, and his struggles have had a significant impact on the team. To get back on track, Seager needs to make adjustments and start hitting like his old self. If he can do that, the Rangers may be able to turn their season around.

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FAQs

Q: What’s wrong with Corey Seager’s swing?

A: Seager knows what’s wrong, but he’s struggling to make the necessary adjustments. He’s been working with private hitting instructor Shawn Wooten to try and fix the issue.

Q: How has Seager’s struggles affected the team?

A: The Rangers are 4-7 in Seager’s last 11 hitless games, and they’re 16-8 when he gets a hit. Since he signed with the Rangers in 2021, the club is 165-86 when he gets a hit and 107-202 when he doesn’t.

Q: What does Seager need to do to get back on track?

A: Seager needs to get exceptionally hot for the remainder of the season, hitting about .315 and slugging about .575 to get back to his career averages.