Some choices in baseball are difficult to make. One of these hard decisions has to do with who the Yankees will choose as a shortstop. Do they stick to players they already have and figure out their infield from there? Or will the Yankees go hunting for one? This begs the question: Is Corey Seager or Carlos Correa more valuable to the Yankees?
Background
Seager and Correa have a lot in common. Both were drafted in 2012 in the first round and had their MLB debut in 2015. Although they play for different teams, they both have played for the same team their entire career. Seager was drafted the 18th overall pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers and Correa the first overall pick by the Houston Astros. They both also have brothers that play baseball. Seager’s brother Kyle Seager played for the Seattle Mariners his whole career from 2011 to 2021, but is now a free agent. Corey’s other brother, Justin Seager, played in the minors, making it up to AA. He ended up getting released from the Arkansas Travelers on July 6, 2017. Correa has a brother named J.C. Correa who is in the minors.
Stats
When it comes to which shortstop is better, there are so many aspects to what makes a player great. Looking at both Seager’s and Correa’s stats, it’s no wonder that this decision isn’t easy. Take Seager for example. His career batting average is .297 with a total of 718 hits in 2,419 at-bats. He has 364 RBIs and 255 walks. He has struck out 501 times, which is almost 21 percent of the time. His OBP is .367, SLG is .504 and his OPS is .870. Not too shabby.
Correa has a slightly lower career average at .277. He has more at-bats with 2,824 with an OBP of .356, SLG of .481 and OPS at .837 which is lower than Seager’s. His strikeout percentage is at 23 percent, slightly higher than Seager’s. Correa also stole more bases at 33 compared to Seager’s 12. This can play a significant role on the bases. It is better to have a runner on at second and have only one out compared to that runner being on first with one out. Little things like stealing bases and walks, including hit by pitches, can play a significant role in how the inning or game plays out.
Looking at both Seager’s and Correa’s numbers, either one would be a good choice for the Yankees shortstop. Here is the thing. Although career numbers count, something that may be more important is how the players do in the playoffs. Here are their career numbers for the playoffs.
Playoffs
Seager’s numbers in the playoffs are lower than Correa’s on many levels. Seager’s average, OBP, SLG and OPS drop. His career average is .236, while his OBP is .318, his SLG is .459 and his OPS is .777. His strike-out percentage goes up to almost 29 percent as well.
Correa’s numbers are much better than Seager’s. Correa’s average is .272, while his OBP is .344, his SLG is .505 and his OPS is .849. This shows that Correa is getting on base more through hitting. Although his strike-out percentage increases to 26 percent, he is getting things done at the plate. His 152 total bases with 59 RBIs in 79 games proves it.
Seager vs Correa vs Cheating Scandal
It is tough to figure out which player is better, but playoff numbers should definitely matter in the decision. Although there were many similarities in their backgrounds, there is one thing that stands out between Seager and Correa. Seager wasn’t involved in a cheating scandal like Correa was back in 2017. Yankee fans may not ever accept him. Maybe if he does produce, but that is debatable. That may play a role in who gets chosen, although Brian Cashman doesn’t seem to think so. According to Grey Papke of larrybrownsports.com, Cashman, the Yankees GM, says that fan/player anger is not part of the process for hiring. This may be true, but what will Yankee fans think of Cashman trades for him?
Now it is up to Cashman to assess the situation, figure out who he wants to keep and who he wants to trade. It is not likely that he is going with a player he already has. Looking at the numbers and all things considered, is Corey Seager or Carlos Correa more valuable to the Yankees?
Featured Image Courtesy of Mike Axisa of cbssports.com
Stats Courtesy of MLB.com
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