UNC Baseball: Kyle Seager announces retirement

After 11 seasons in the big leagues, former UNC baseball standout Kyle Seager has decided to retire from the sport.

Major League Baseball is currently still in a lockout period, but that didn’t stop a former UNC baseball standout from announcing some big news on Wednesday afternoon.

Via a note that was posted by his wife, Julie, Kyle Seager announced that he has officially retired from the sport of baseball. The now 34-year-old will hang up his cleats after playing 11 seasons in the big leagues.

This was rather surprising news, given that Seager is coming off a career year and appears to have plenty left in the tank. However, the Charlotte, North Carolina native has made his decision to move on and pursue other opportunities in life.

After being drafted in the third round of the 2009 MLB Draft, the former Tar Heel quickly rose through the Seattle Mariners minor league system. In 2011, Seager made his MLB debut, and from there, spent the rest of his professional career in Seattle.

Over his 1,480 games played, Seager recorded 1,395 hits, 309 doubles and 242 home runs, and closes out his career with a slash line of .251/.321/.442. In regards to his WAR (wins above replacement) value, Baseball Reference put him at 36.9, which shows his consistency and above-average play over the years. Seager hit 20 or more home runs in eight consecutive seasons, and if it wasn’t for a COVID shortened 2020 season, it’s very possible that the former Tar Heel would’ve kept the streak alive.

In what will end up being his final campaign, Seager saved his best showing for last. He finished the season with career-highs in home runs (35) and runs batted in (101). His 35 homers are the second-most for a player in their final MLB season, trailing only David Ortiz on the list.

Unfortunately, Seager never saw the playoffs, as the Mariners haven’t earned a postseason bid since 2001. However, Seager was a valuable leader in the clubhouse and served as a cornerstone for the franchise for over a decade.

Although it was very unlikely that Seager would return to Seattle, it looked likely that the former UNC baseball standout would draw interest elsewhere. According to MLB Trade Rumor’s offseason predictions, Seager was viewed as a guy who would earn a multi-year contract on the free agent market.

Instead of continuing his career elsewhere, Seager decided that he wanted to end his career in the same place that he started it. In this day and age, it’s a rare feat to be able to play for one organization throughout your entire career, but Seager became an important figure not only for the Mariners but for the city of Seattle as well.

On behalf of the Keeping It Heel team, we congratulate former UNC baseball standout Kyle Seager on a fantastic big league career. We’re excited to see what the future has in store for you!

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