If you look at the offensive statistics among A.L third baseman so far in the 2014 season, you will find some things that aren’t surprising at all. Sorted by OPS, Adrian Beltre and Josh Donaldson are 1-2 in the rankings. No surprise there at all – both are considered to be among the best in the game, and for good reason. Donaldson already has 17 homeruns on the season, while Beltre has been a perennial standout throughout his long career.
In the third position, however, is a name that many would not have expected to find. Kyle Seager, third baseman for the Seattle Mariners, has an .810 OPS for the season – easily good for third among qualified players in the A.L. Evan Longoria, star player for the Tampa Bay Rays, for example, is fifth at .732. In addition to hitting well for Seattle, Seager also plays excellent defense and takes the field almost 
every day. He certainly isn’t a superstar, but he is teaming with Robinson Cano to form a formidable punch in the middle of the usually meek Seattle offense.
Not a Surprise
While Seager isn’t well known across the country, his performance shouldn’t be seen as that big of a surprise. He has hit 20 homeruns in both of the last two seasons, and has been improving his on base percentage year after year as well. Seager wasn’t as heralded out of college as other draft picks within the Mariners organization, but he has become possibly the best player they have developed from within since Felix Hernandez – and the best home-grown hitter since well before that.
Contract Talks Soon?
Kyle Seager isn’t due to be a free agent until the 2018 season, but he is arbitration eligible next year. For the Mariners, the time might be right to start talking about a contract extension that locks up Seager for the foreseeable future at a fair rate to both sides. As hard as it has been for the Mariners to develop hitting talent, getting Seager under contract at a controlled rate is something that is likely high on their priority list. With Cano in place for the next decade, locking up Seager could shore up half of the infield spots with quality hitting and defense.
A Potential Collectible Target
Outside of the Seattle-area, there likely aren’t many baseball collectors with Kyle Seager pieces in their collection. However, that could be due to change in short order, so you might want to get ahead of the curve and start picking up a couple items when you get the chance. It is not a stretch to see Seager as a future All-Star third baseman in the American League – especially after Adrian Beltre decides to hang it up. With the ability to hit for power in terms of both doubles and homeruns, and to drive in runs in the middle of the Seattle order, Seager could stack up the kinds of numbers over the next few years that finally get him the recognition he deserves.
