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This was not the season that Corey Seager and the Texas Rangers had in mind when they came into 2024 to try and defend their World Series crown. Their playoff hopes appear to be completely cooked. Even after a much-needed 4-3 win over the floundering Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night, the Rangers, with a record of 58-68, have a paltry 0.3 percent chance to make the postseason (according to Fangraphs).
Nonetheless, for Seager, that is not an excuse to punt on what remains of the 2024 season. Disappointed as everyone may be in the way they've fallen apart in their title defense, the 2023 World Series MVP remains defiant, willing to give it his all in every minute he spends out there on the field for the rest of the season.
“The game is not easy, it's always going to challenge you. And we've been challenged, and now you see how you respond. You haven't played well. You put yourself in a hole. But that doesn't mean you just give in. And you can still continue to play well and try to play well,” Seager said following the Rangers' win over the Pirates, per Kennedy Landry of MLB.com.
Corey Seager definitely walked the talk on Monday night. He was responsible for driving in all of the Rangers' four runs on the night. His swing was already looking good in the first inning as he launched a monster 449-foot home run off of Luis Ortiz. But he then had an encore of his power exploits, hitting a three-run dinger in the bottom of the third to give the Rangers enough run production to win a ballgame.
Seager has proven time and time again that he is a force that lifts the Rangers upwards with him. The 2024 season may not have gone according to plan, and the most likely outcome is for them to miss the postseason entirely, but the Rangers definitely have the talent to put together another strong season in 2025, so long as they weather this adversity and put this entirely in the rearview mirror.
Assessing the Rangers' lost season
Injuries and the underperformance from key players are the two factors primarily to blame for the Rangers' collapse in form throughout 2024. Adolis Garcia, a World Series hero, has struggled to the tune of a .700 OPS at present, while Jonah Heim and Leodys Taveras, two key everyday players down the middle who were solid hitters not even a year ago, have fallen off a cliff at the plate.
Meanwhile, injuries have made it difficult for the team to integrate their talented young players. Josh Jung has missed plenty of time due to a fractured wrist, while Evan Carter remains on the injured list thanks to a persistent back injury.
But the Rangers can take comfort in the fact that their middle infield remains solid, with Corey Seager and Marcus Semien manning shortstop and second base, respectively. Seager and Semien have combined for 7.0 WAR this season, which is comfortably above-average, but just shy of the elite marks they put up in 2023.
The Rangers will have to figure out whether or not they have to bring in some major outside reinforcements to bolster the team. A team-wide offensive drop-off is very concerning. But at least for one night, Seager reminded the world that he can put the team on his back on any given night.
