Fantasy Baseball Third Base Player Profiles: Kyle Seager

Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Over the 2012 and 2013 seasons, Kyle Seager not only emerged as a very good fantasy 3B option, but also a steady one.

A little deviation in runs scored and RBI, but they cancel each other out. The HR, average, and even steals are nearly indistinguishable, and those are the categories that players have most control over.

Seager should be a lock to hit third for the Seattle Mariners in 2014, which bodes well for his all-around production. If he can get back to 80+ RBI production like in 2012 then he could very well be turning a corner from good 3B option to a burgeoning masher type. Of course, that would largely depend on an uptick in the HR category as well.  Also, there are plenty of 3Bs to go around these days, so you consider what you may have to sacrifice for Seager, and that can make him a relative bargain.

Last season, Kyle Seager had an average draft position of 192.  He will of course not slip that low in 2014. So we need to address two questions about Kyle Seager.

1. Where should he go in drafts? Or, in auctions, how much should he for?
2. What are reasonable expectations for him as a fantasy player next season?

Let’s start with the latter as that is going to help get a beat on the former.  What are reasonable expectations for Kyle Seager going into 2014? Seager has had two similarly solid seasons, so your expectations of him should not be too far above what you have seen.

These estimations are of course assuming Seager plays a full season. We could play the, “what if he gets hurt” game, but why bother?  It will only delay us in our efforts for setting our draft strategy.  Take Seager for what he is when healthy and just keep your fingers crossed.  Besides, he has shown no need to worry thus far, playing 155 games in 2012 and 160 in 2013.

So what is Seager’s draft value?

Essentially, I like Seager in rounds 12-14 in a snake draft, or for approximately $5-$9 in an auction in a standard league format.

I think that you could still get Seager later or for less money in a draft, because he is still a little under the radar.  With Guys like Josh Donaldson bursting onto the scene, or big name guys like Pablo Sandoval who always get more fantasy attention than perhaps they deserve, guys like Seager can be overlooked.  This is great, because drafting is all about what get for what you sacrifice, right?

To sum up my thoughts on Kyle Seager, I will leave you with this.

What I like:

He is looking like a guy good for bankable stats.  He is batting third for his team, giving him solid production opportunities.  He won’t cost you too much in draft value, whether it is auction dollars or draft round.

What I don’t like:

He does not have much protection in that lineup, so he may not get the pitches he wants. Also he may not get the RBI opportunities or get anyone behind him to hit him in. So while you may be looking at a 20/10 HR/Steals guys, he may not get you much more than mediocre stats in Runs and RBI.

Early verdict:

It is simple, Seager is a solid 3B option, especially if you can get him for appropriate draft value.  Do not reach for him, do not overpay for him and you will be very happy, maybe even pleasantly surprised.