In 11th season, Seager takes on new role as mentor: “he’s an inspiration”

Kyle Seager’s swing produced two runs for the Mariners on Sunday, and his words produced a third.

When Jarred Kelenic dug his feet into the batter’s box an inning before Seager’s game-clinching two-run blast, he knew that this battle would not be the last. With two strikes and two outs, the 22-year-old found a two-seamer hanging over the heart of the plate, courtesy of Kansas City’s Brady Singer.

His eyes doubled in size. The ball found the barrel. He crushed it.

If not for the words of the veteran Seager, now the longest-tenured Mariner, Kelenic’s swing may not have put the Mariners in front. For all of Kelenic’s big-smiled, bear-hugging moments of jubilation, there were just as many appearances of frustration amid an 0-for-42 slump.

“I’m human, and my emotions are real,” Kelenic said. “I want to do everything I possibly can to help this team win. Obviously, the times that I can’t, it’s extremely frustrating.

“But I know that the team needs me to be locked in for my next at-bat.”

As Kelenic struggled, Seager told him that not every at-bat was a life-or-death situation. It’s such a long season, Seager said. There are hundreds of at-bats to improve on.

Learn from your failure. Apply it to your next appearance.

“That’s what’s going to make you stick around in this game,” Kelenic said. “And I would say that was the best advice I’ve ever gotten from him.”

If there’s one person that Seattle’s young core of young players turn to, it’s Kyle Seager. A massive roster turnover led the 11-year veteran to embrace the role of mentor, especially as players gear up for meaningful games in September — something many of them have yet to face.

The young players aren’t afraid to ask questions, Servais said. But sometimes, it’s not about the questions themselves -- it’s about the regimen. It’s how a veteran prepares each and every day.

It’s about how a veteran handles failure. How they handle success.

“All the different things that go on with the daily routine,” Servais said. “Just being able to see what these guys do, I think, is super valuable.”

Plenty of conversations run through Seager, and if they aren’t, he’s made aware of what is discussed without him. When Servais pulls someone aside for encouragement or for mentorship, he’ll pull Seager aside next, and ask his third baseman to follow up with his teammates.

“Players listen to other players probably a little bit more intently than they do coaches or managers,” Servais suggested.

When questions do arise, Seager’s there to answer.

“And that’s a big trait to have,” Seager said after Sunday’s win. “The ability to ask questions. I think that’s huge for all these young guys. I think asking questions is the only way you’re really going to learn. So if you don’t understand something, I think that’s a strength to be able to ask questions.

“I feel like some people will kind of look at it as, well, ‘if I’m asking questions, it means (I) don’t know anything, (or) I get exposed, or it’s a weakness. I look at it the other way. I think that’s a huge strength.”

You learn to love Kyle Seager, Gonzales said. He’s a “constant.” He’s an inspiration.

In 2017, Gonzales was the new kid on the block.

“At first, I was kind of like, ‘man, this guy is kind of a jerk,’ Gonzales said, laughing. “He likes to stir it up. He likes to talk smack. But once I started giving it back to him, we really got along great.”

With only 12 career starts under his belt, then-newcomer Gonzales practiced with Seager. The 25-year-old Gonzales learned how to face left-handed hitters with Seager’s help. He admired Seager’s work ethic.

“He’s out there every day in infield practice,” Gonzales said of his third baseman. “I mean, you just don’t see that with veteran guys around the league who have ten years of service. You don’t see the work that he does very often, and I think that that’s really cool. I think that’s really special to have.”

And Seager, though his days as a youngster are behind him, remembers the routine of a rookie shortly after their debut. You’re nervous at first, Seager said. You’re intimidated. Every day — every at-bat — is an attempt to prove yourself.

“(You’re) trying to prove to your teammates, your coaches, that you belong,” Seager said of his younger teammates. “And trying to prove to the opposing team that you belong, and that you can compete… (and that is) a genuine energy.”

When Seattle gears up for a September playoff push, their youngest players will play an important role. When players report to Spring Training next February, they’ll have learned from the veteran Seager, regardless of how long he remains a Mariner.

“The consistency that he has is inspiring not only to me, but I’m sure to all of our position guys,” Gonzales said. “You know what you’re going to get from every single day. And I love when he’s in the field behind me.

“I hope he plays for 10 more years.”

This story was originally published September 1, 2021 at 5:00 AM.