Corey Seager promoted by Dodgers to Double-A Chattanooga

Corey Seager, either the Dodgers top hitting prospect or second-best hitting prospect depending on your source of choice, is on the move. The shortstop was promoted from Class-A Rancho Cucamonga to Double-A Chattanooga. The move will be effective after the All-Star break.

The Dodgers drafted Seager in the first round in 2012, the 18th overall pick. On Tuesday he was rated the 16th best prospect in Baseball America's midseason rankings, and No. 19 by Baseball Prospectus.

Seager, 20, was hitting .352/.411/.633 with 34 doubles, 18 home runs and 70 RBI in 80 games with the Quakes this year, including winning California League Player of the Month for May, hitting .400/.455/.700 with 15 doubles and six home runs during the month.

Seager was among the Cal League leaders in several categories, including first in doubles, total bases (207) extra-base hits (54), slugging percentage, and OPS; second in hits (115) batting average, fourth in RBI, and seventh in on-base percentage.

The left-handed Seager even held his own against left-handed pitching as well, hitting .400/.444/.813 with six home runs and 11 doubles in 81 plate appearances against southpaws this year. Just about the only thing to not go right for Seager so far this season was missing nine games in late April and early May with a slight hamstring strain.

Seager was one of the youngest players in advanced Class-A, and at 20 years, 83 days will be the fifth-youngest player in Double-A when he joins the Lookouts on Thursday.

Dodgers director of player development De Jon Watson spoke with Quakes announcer Brandon Liebhaber in May about various prospects, including Seager.

"Last year was an adjustment period for him. I thought he had a phenomenal year in the Midwest League. He was hitting well over .300 with some power numbers," Watson said. "I think coming here he may have just let his guard down a little bit, and wasn't able to recover before the year ended."

Seager hit .309/.389/.529 with 12 home runs and 18 doubles in 74 games with Class-A Great Lakes in the Midwest League in 2013 before getting promoted to Rancho Cucamonga on Aug. 2. Seager struggled down the stretch for the Quakes, hitting just .160/.246/.320 with four home runs in 27 games.

"It was his first full season, there could have been a little fatigue setting in. I'm not making excuses for the player, they still have to come out and execute and perform. For me, it was more of a growing year for him as far as understanding what he needs to do to be prepared for a full season," Watson explained. "His approach is getting better by the day, and we look forward to him continuing to make progress."

Seager played a total of 74 games at Great Lakes, and 107 games with Rancho Cucamonga.