Corey Seager, Marcus Semien off to quiet starts. Texas Rangers manager is not worried.
Corey Seager has an edge about him in the Texas Rangers dugout.
Manager Chris Woodward likes it because it’s a sign that Seager, who was signed as an organizational cornerstone over the winter, cares deeply about the success of himself and his team.
Same goes for Marcus Semien, Woodward said. Both, who make up the middle infield and the heart of the Rangers’ attempt at returning to MLB relevancy, have struggled at the plate through the team’s 5-10 start.
The Rangers open a four-game series against the Houston Astros on Monday at Globe Life Field.
“They’re human beings. They feel like they have an obligation to help us win,” Woodward said. “If you don’t, I’d be worried about you. If we sign you to a long-term contract and gave you a ton of money and you didn’t have that look like, ‘we’ve got to get this thing going.’ What are you here for? They obviously have that. But they also know they’ve been around long enough to not panic and not lose their mind in the process.”
Seager, who turns 28 on Wednesday, signed a 10-year, $325 million deal over the winter after seven impressive seasons with the Dodgers. Semien signed a seven-year, $175 million deal after nine productive seasons, mostly with the Athletics.
Seager is hitting .241 with one home run and eight RBIs in 14 games. His batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS are currently all at career-low levels.
Woodward isn’t concerned.
“Corey is not going to change who he is. He came here to win,” he said. “I talked to him about that prior to Dec. 1, before we signed him.”
Woodward warned Seager what was ahead of him after a lot of winning with the Dodgers.
“This is going to be a grind at times. We’re going to have some tough moments. We know that,” Woodward told him. “’We’ve got to keep these guys fighting. You have to keep up your end of the bargain, and I’m going to do the same.’ He’s been great. No panic at all. Has a little edge to him in the dugout, which I love.”
Woodward compared Seager’s earnestness to Shin-Soo Choo, who signed a mega deal with the Rangers in 2014 and struggled to produce early.
“He cares. Sometimes deeply caring hurts you, because it hurts more when you lose and you feel like you’re not doing your part,” Woodward said. “So I’m not asking guys to not care because that’s the thing that sets a lot of great players apart. The fact that they do give a crap about their team and teammates, but you can’t let it go to a point that it’s affecting you detrimentally.”
Semien, 31, is also staring at career-low averages out of the gate: A .183 batting average, .250 on-base percentage, and .250 slugging percentage. He has yet to homer (after hitting 45 in 2021) and has five RBIs in 15 games.
Woodward is convinced that both will eventually start producing. Their track records are too extensive and productive. They’ve proven the hitters they are.
“I’m always kind of checking in on them,” Woodward said. “They’ve both been awesome. They go through the same routine they go through every day. You can feel the energy from them.”
