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How Rangers' Corey Seager is doing his best Juan Soto impression
The post How Rangers' Corey Seager is doing his best Juan Soto impression appeared first on ClutchPoints.
Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager started his team's comeback on Saturday. His RBI double in the fifth inning was one of the four runs scored in the last five innings to tie their game against the Chicago White Sox. He helped set the table while Adolis Garcia stepped in and won the game for the Rangers in the 11th. Seager also walked twice during the game, taking a page out of New York Mets superstar Juan Soto's book.
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Seager's walk in the third inning extended his streak to nine straight games. According to Kennedi Landry, it is the longest streak in Rangers history. Joey Gallo is second on the list with eight straight games in 2023.
Seager's improved discipline at the plate has helped him overcome a slow start to the year. In June, though, his batting average is less than .100, a troubling sign for Rangers fans. His walks have helped him maintain an on-base percentage of .295 this month despite his struggles. Soto had a similar rough stretch with the Mets earlier this season, but still brought value to the team by drawing walks consistently.
While there is a big gap between Soto's league-leading 57 walks and Seager's 18, the shortstop's recent stretch shows growth. However, the Rangers and their fanbase expect more from their All-Star shortstop at the plate. The 31-year-old spent time on the Rangers' injured list in May and has not been the same since his return. Despite that, Texas has won six of their last ten games to re-enter the race in the American League West.
The Rangers are still a handful of games behind the Houston Astros at the top of the division. For now, though, their biggest challenge is getting in front of the Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Angels. In order to reach their goals this season, they will need Seager to be at his best.
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Texas won a title back in 2023, but has struggled with consistency since. This season, their troubles have manifested into frustration. Rangers manager Bruce Bochy was thrown out of the game in the sixth inning. That sparked the comeback, though, with Seager and Garcia leading the way.
Texas has a long way to go if they want to secure a playoff spot. As long as Seager keeps walking as much as Soto does for the Mets, the Rangers should be just fine moving forward. However, competition in the AL playoff picture will demand the a lot from the team, both at the plate and on the mound.
Related: Bruce Bochy moves up all-time ejection leaderboard vs. White Sox
Related: Adolis Garcia gives Rangers huge win with epic walk-off vs. White Sox
