World Series MVP: Rangers SS Corey Seager makes history with second career award

After decades of waiting, the Texas Rangers finally scaled the mountaintop on Wednesday night, beating the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 5 to capture the franchise’s first-ever World Series title. But that wasn’t the only baseball history being made: Following the game, shortstop Corey Seager was named series MVP, becoming just the fourth player to earn the trophy multiple times.

Seager was an absolute menace all October long, finishing with a postseason slash line of .318/.451/.682. He turned it up a notch in this Fall Classic, however, delivering just about every time his team needed a big swing. His game-tying homer in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 1 set the tone for the entire series, setting the stage for Adolis Garcia’s dramatic walk-off in the 11th and pulling the Rangers out of an early hole.

Seager was held in check in Game 2, but once the scene shifted to Arizona, he caught fire once again. He went yard for a second time in Game 3, providing the eventual winning margin with a two-run homer in the third inning:

He hit his third homer of the series in Game 4, finishing 2-for-5 and helping Texas to an 11-7 win. And as if all that weren’t enough, he sparked Texas’ series-winning rally in Game 5, breaking up Zac Gallen’s no-hit bid in the top of the seventh and eventually coming around to score the go-ahead run.

Seager previously took home MVP honors in the 2020 World Series, where he posted a 1.256 OPS and led the Dodgers to a six-game win over the Tampa Bay Rays. Just three other players have ever won two World Series MVPs: Bob Gibson, Sandy Koufax and Reggie Jackson. Seager and Jackson are the only position players on that list, and the only players to win the award for two different teams.

According to DraftKings Sportsbook, Seager was listed at +550 to take home the hardware entering this series — the second-shortest odds on the board behind only teammate Adolis Garcia.