The difference in game three of the World Series was a two-run blast by Corey Seager, leading the Rangers to a 3-1 win and a 2-1 series lead on Monday night.
The home run was Seager’s fifth of the postseason, and raised his playoff OPS in 2023 to a robust 1.094. It also led Boomer to wonder what could have been with the Yankees.
“Corey Seager is a player, man. That’s a winning player,” Boomer said. “That’s a guy, if you had to do it all over again, you think the Yankees should have gone after him?”
The Yankees were expected to be a top suitor for Seager when he became a free agent after the 2021 season, as the Yankees had a clear need at shortstop. But the Yanks elected for a stopgap in the form of Isiah Kiner-Falefa, swinging a now infamous trade with the Twins that also brought in Josh Donaldson, while Seager signed with Texas. The Yankees pointed to the expected arrivals of Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza as reasons to not commit long-term to a shortstop, but Seager, a proven star, has been an All-Star in both seasons with Texas, including a monster year this season in which he led the league in doubles, crushed 33 home runs for the second year in a row, and posted a career-high 1.103 OPS.
“Corey Seager is a winning ballplayer. Just a winner,” Boomer said. “He reminds me - he’s I guess their Derek Jeter…I just think he’s a great ballplayer.”