Seattle Mariners News: The Return of Kyle Seager
By Todd Pheifer
In spring training, there was some concern that the Seattle Mariners had not done enough to provide Robinson Cano with adequate protection in the lineup. There was talk of bringing in Kendrys Morales or Nelson Cruz, but ultimately the M’s decided to stick with the in-house talent.
The hope was that Kyle Seager would build on a solid 2013 season (.259/.316/.423, 20 HR, 86 RBI) and provide another legitimate threat. Unfortunately, things did not exactly go as planned early on.
In spring training, Seager got off to a very slow start (.191/.253/.265), which only heightened the talk of Morales and Cruz. This obviously led to some concerns, but the hope was that Seager would rebound once the season began.
That did not happen, and after a couple of weeks Seager was hitting .143 on April 17. There were some that suggested a trip to Tacoma might be in order, but ultimately the Mariners stuck with their young third baseman. Since then, Seager has continued to work hard at the plate and slowly increase the average.
Last night against the New York Yankees, Seager was positively dominant. He hit a double, two triples and a three-run home run. Awesome. After that performance, Seager stood at .272/.355/.503, which nine home runs and 36 RBI.
That is more like it.
Now, will Seager keep hitting? Nothing is guaranteed in sports, and Seager may eventually suffer a setup. However, for now he appears to be the hitter that the Mariners hoped would produce in 2014.
Seager is hitting and the Mariners are winning. A good combination. Now if only Brad Miller would have a similar resurgence.