Corey Seager Closing in on Unique Texas Rangers Record for Firsts

Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager leads MLB in first-pitch home runs this season and is closing in on the club record.

Aug 19, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA;Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (5) rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports / Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Corey Seager is starting to do Corey Seager things, and the Texas Rangers will gladly take it.

The star shortstop homered twice in Monday’s 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was Seager’s third multi-home run game of the season, with last coming on Aug. 2 against the Boston Red Sox.

He belted a solo shot in the bottom of the first and a three-run blast in the third to account for all four of Texas’ runs in the much-needed victory. Seager homered on a 3-2 pitch in the first before pouncing on the first pitch of his next at-bat in the third, marking the second time he has homered on consecutive pitches seen in 2024 (also May 26 at the Minnesota Twins).

“What a game,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “He pretty much carried the mail for us, didn’t he [Monday night]? That’s what great players do.”

The first-inning homer traveled an estimated distance of 449 feet (Statcast), his second-longest of the season (457 off Davis Daniel on July 8 at the Los Angeles Angels) and the longest homer hit at Globe Life Field in 2024. The previous longest was 441 feet by the Tommy Pham (Chicago White Sox) on July 22.

Thirteen of Seager’s 28 home runs this season have come on the first pitch of an at-bat, easily the most such homers in MLB this season. New York Yankees’ star Aaron Judge in second with nine. It’s also tied for the second-most by a Ranger in a single campaign since pitch counts were first officially tracked in 1988. Juan Gonzalez had 15 in 1996 and Josh Hamilton had 13 in 2008.

According to Stathead:

• Seager’s 17 career multi-homer games as a shortstop are the eighth-most in MLB history: 33-Álex Rodríguez, 24-Ernie Banks, 18-Vern Stephens/Cal Ripken Jr./Nomar Garciaparra/Trevor Story/Francisco Lindor, 17-Seager.

• Seager has hit 198 home runs in his Major League career (104 with the Los Angeles Dodgers and 94 with Texas) and is just 2 shy of becoming the 15th primary shortstop in MLB history (min. 50% of games played at SS) to hit at least 200 career homers.

The Rangers (58-68) have won two in a row and continue the series with the Pirates on Tuesday night at Globe Life Field.

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