Mariners Analysis: Kyle Seager is Back, and it’s Beautiful!

April 24, 2016; Anaheim, CA, USA; Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager (15) rounds the bases after he hits a three run home run in the first inning against Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
April 24, 2016; Anaheim, CA, USA; Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager (15) rounds the bases after he hits a three run home run in the first inning against Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Mariners’ All-Star third baseman got off to a sluggish start in April, but he’s found his stroke since the calendar flipped to May.

It is fitting that Kyle Seager’s middle name is Duerr, because he has certainly been a do-er this month for the Seattle Mariners. The 28-year-old Concord, North Carolina native had a miserable April, but he has turned things around in a big way so far in May.

Seager had another huge night on Tuesday during the Mariners 10-0 rout of the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards. He finished 2 for 4 with a home run and 3 RBI. Seager provided one of the key moments of the game in the fifth inning when he drilled a 90 mph Brian Matusz fastball over the wall in right-center field for a three-run home run. The dinger extended the M’s lead from 4-0 to 7-0, effectively putting the game out of reach.

The Mariners are 9-6 in May, and Seager’s play is a big reason for the club’s success. He has gone 23 for 60, good for a .386 batting average through15 games. Seags has doubled 7 times, tripled twice, homered 3 times and driven in 11 runs this month. He has registered a .406 on base percentage and slugged a remarkable .717.

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Seager’s performance this month has been particularly encouraging because of the dismal results he produced in April. Through the first 22 games of 2016, Seager was slashing just .159/.266/.378. He did homer 5 times and drive in 13 runs, but he was one of the M’s least impactful hitters last month.

Overall, Kyle is hitting .258 on the season with 8 home runs and 24 RBI across 37 games. He has tallied 10 doubles, 2 triples, and posted a 23:13 strikeout to walk ratio in 158 plate appearances. Seager has also registered a respectable .323 on base percentage and slugged .521. Most impressive of all, he has raised his batting average on balls in play (BAbip) from .129 in April to .400 so far in May.

The Gold Glover has also taken significant strides defensively this month. Seager committed a pair of errors while registering a .969 fielding percentage during the opening month of the season. In May, Seager has committed just 1 miscue while posting a .977 fielding percentage at the hot corner for the Mariners.

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2016 is Kyle Seager’s fifth full season in Seattle, and some trends are beginning to emerge about him. It’s becoming clear that he is a slow starter, as April has consistently been a tough month for him. Many of us remember Seager hitting .229 in April of 2014, and he is a .246 lifetime hitter in March and April. However, that figure rises to .285 in May. It’s also worth nothing that after hitting .229 in the first month of 2014, Seager went on to represent the Mariners at the All-Star Game that summer.

The University of North Carolina alum has been remarkably consistent at the plate for the Mariners during his six-year career. He has posted a batting average between .259-.268 every season since 2012, and he has eclipsed the 20 home run threshold in each of the past four seasons. Combine that with his incredible work at third base, and it’s safe to say that Seager is one of the most underrated players in baseball. He plays the game the right way, bringing a blue collar attitude to the ballpark everyday.

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Mariners’ fans know how special Kyle Seager is, and hopefully the rest of baseball will start to take notice. One way we can help Seager get the attention he deserves is by voting him into the 2016 All-Star Game. He was snubbed last year, and it’s up to us as fans to punch his ticket to San Diego this July. Click here to cast your vote for Seags and the rest of the Mariners.

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