Mariners Jean Segura: Underrated fantasy baseball shortstop
By Gavin Tramps
The shortstop position boasts some of the most exciting, high-profile players. Don’t overlook the Seattle Mariners’ Jean Segura in 2018 fantasy baseball drafts.
The World Series featured three exceptional shortstop-eligible players in Corey Seager, Carlos Correa and Alex Bregman. The Nationals’ Trea Turner and Indians’ Francisco Lindor will also be taken with early picks in every draft, but if you miss out on these elite options, maybe Jean Segura should be your target.
It was always going to be difficult for Segura to repeat his sensational 2016 when he hit .319 with 102 runs, 20 home runs and 33 stolen bases. The only three other players to hit at least 20 home runs with 30 stolen bases in 2016, were Mike Trout, Jose Altuve and Paul Goldschmidt.
The expected regression coupled with the offseason move to Seattle from the more hitter-friendly environs of Phoenix contributed to Segura dropping in drafts to the ninth shortstop with an ADP of 61.
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Did Segura have a good season?
The Dominican hit 11 home runs with 45 RBI, so based on those two stats alone, he was a disappointment.
Although his total of 80 runs fell short of projections of another 100-run season, Segura was the second-highest run-scorer on the Mariners, ahead of teammates Robinson Cano and Kyle Seager.
For the second straight season, Segura offered elite production in two categories, finishing 15th in stolen bases and 25th in batting average among qualified hitters.
So perhaps he was a success.
And it could have been so much better. Segura was still the batting title leader just after the All-Star break with .349 AVG, but spiraled out of contention with a dismal August, including a 7-for-50 stretch (.140 AVG). He finished hitting .300 to become only the third shortstop in Mariners’ history to end the season with a batting average of .300 or above.
The 27-year-old missed 37 games (nearly one-quarter of the season) with three separate injuries. A hamstring injury kept him out for 12 games in April and an ankle sprain cost him 18 games in June. Segura missed six of the Mariners’ last seven games with a combination of a finger injury and the deliberate decision to keep him out of the lineup to preserve his .300 batting average.
Seattle anointed Segura as their first choice shortstop for the next few years, by signing him to a five-year, $70 million contract in July.
Expect Segura to maintain his position as the Mariners’ leadoff hitter, especially as he gets on-base with .353 OBP at the top of the lineup compared to .269 OBP when he hits second.
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Last season’s 20 home runs could prove to be a career-high, but with power so widespread, Segura offers value in two of the most difficult categories to dominant. If Segura can stay healthy and get 600 at-bats, another 100 runs, 30 stolen base season with a batting average above .300 looks possible.