Mariners’ Kyle Seager ready for increased expectations

By Shannon Drayer

A successful first full season has only made Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager hungrier. After leading the team in home runs last year, Seager is not worried about the fact that the expectation level will most likely rise.

“I think I have more expectations on myself than anything that can come from the outside,” he told “Bob and Groz” Tuesday afternoon. “But we expect a lot from each other and we have a lot to improve and are looking forward to this year and all aspects of it.”

Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager hopes to build off a solid 2012, his first full season in the majors. (AP)

Seager sees his first full season as something to build off of, and in that regard he went into the offseason better prepared to get ready for the next.

“Last year it was much more broad. I was kind of changing everything,” Seager said. “This offseason, especially with my swing and approach, I had a better idea of what I was looking to gain from it. The intensity was the same as last year because I think if you get complacent in this game you are going to get left behind.
So I think you always have to keep that chip on your shoulder.”

Despite hitting 20 home runs in 2012, Seager sees himself as more of a average/doubles type of player. That said, he is excited to see the fences come in at Safeco Field and thinks there is little doubt it will benefit the Mariners.

“I think it does creep in your head,” he answered when asked if there was a mental aspect of dealing with park dimensions last year. “You don’t want it to and you certainly don’t try to change your swing for the park, that’s one of the worst things you can do, but I think it does get in your head a little bit maybe where if you get in a situation where you think maybe I have to put a little extra on this, where you go outside yourself a little bit.

“When you are doing too much is when you get yourself in trouble. A line drive that one-hops the outfielder is going to be a hit anywhere, it doesn’t matter how big the park it. I think it got in our head a little bit but at the same time it shouldn’t.”

The fences are a thing of the past and Seager likes what he sees in the Mariners’ future. While he wouldn’t give a prediction of what their record would be in 2013, he said that he and his teammates do see things going in a positive direction.

“We don’t necessarily talk about the numbers side of it, but we definitely talk about our feeling and our feeling is we can compete with these guys. We definitely have a tough division but we feel like we are right there with everybody and we played everyone really tough at the end of last year and we think we are a lot better this year than we were last year.”