Evan as the Rangers Slide, Corey Seager Is Raking

The FanGraphs Newsletter, September 8, 2023 [READ IN BROWSER]( September 8, 2023 The Rangers have been sputtering, losing 15 of their last 19 since August 15 to turn a 3.5-game AL West lead into a three-game deficit, with the Astros, who just swept a three-game series from them at Globe Life Field, and Mariners both above them. Yet even as the team’s offense has dried up, Corey Seager has been on a tear. Since returning from a sprained right thumb at the beginning of August, the Rangers shortstop has homered 13 times in 30 games; this past week, he finally accumulated enough plate appearances to take over the AL leads in both batting average and wRC+. If not for Shohei Ohtani, Seager would have a pretty decent case for an MVP award, even with his absences. Seager only missed nine games due to his thumb sprain, which he suffered on July 21 sliding into second base in a game against the Dodgers. That was his second trip to the injured list this year, as he also missed 31 games from April 12–May 17 due to a left hamstring strain. Yet the interruptions haven’t hindered him at all. [Even as the Rangers Slide, Corey Seager Is Raking, by Jay Jaffe]( ⚾️ [New Site Feature: Cy Young Award Projections!]( We’ve added a new tool that allows you to see who is [projected to win the Cy Young Award](. These Cy Young Projections utilize a [simple model created by Tangotiger](. The original Cy Young Points model has predicted the top two vote getters with high accuracy through 2020. The FIP Adjusted model may be a better predictor of more recent voting behavior. Along with current season stats (featuring FIP, WAR, and RA9-WAR), you can also use the top nav bar to toggle over to any of the in-season projection systems we carry to show a player’s projected end-of-season stats. New data tools and the entire site are supported by our Members. Please consider [becoming a FanGraphs Member]( if you enjoy our work! [The NL Cy Young Race Is Still Wide Open]( With Spencer Strider taking his lumps and Blake Snell walking the ballpark, there's no clear-cut favorite. | by Jay Jaffe [The Baserunners That Sprint Speed Overlooks]( Sprint speed gets all the attention, but there are other ways to measure how fast a baserunner moves. | by Leo Morgenstern [Abner Uribe, or Else]( Uribe is a hipster favorite. But if he gets any kind of exposure in the playoffs, everyone is going to know his name. | by Michael Baumann [Five Things I Liked (Or Didn't Like) This Week, September 7]( Great defense, bad baserunning, clutch hitting, and superstar pitchers in strange situations. | by Ben Clemens [Does Ronald Acuña Jr. Help His Teammates See More Fastballs?]( The threat to run takes up mental real estate, but does it change what pitches his teammates see? | by Esteban Rivera [Just How Much Do Aaron Judge's Teammates Depend on Him?]( And how much can they reasonably expect to going forward? | by Alex Eisert 🎧 [Effectively Wild Episode 2056: Just-Noticeable Defense]( [DOWNLOAD THE FANGRAPHS APP]( [FanGraphs & Effectively Wild Merch Is Now Available at BreakingT!]( [ORDER HERE]( [Who has the most talent locked in? Ranking all 30 MLB cores]( by Kiley McDaniel, ESPN ($) [The Padres’ Ha-Seong Kim is inspiring the next wave of Korean ballplayers]( by Dennis Lin, The Athletic ($) [Acuña or Betts? Here's what MVP poll says]( by David Adler, MLB [Jack Leiter’s Delivery Tweaks Show Signs of Progress]( by J.J. Cooper, Baseball America ($) [@fangraphs]( [FanGraphs]( [FanGraphs]( [RSS]( [FORWARD]( [SUBSCRIBE]( Copyright © 2023 FanGraphs Inc, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to the FanGraphs Newsletter. Our mailing address is: FanGraphs Inc 1200 N Hartford St. Apt 312Arlington, Va 22201 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](