Takeaways From Tampa Bay Rays’ Winter Ball Results Part 2

Can Seitzer get back on track? (Credit: Flickr user BeGreen90)

Cameron Seitzer: His 2013 at Double-A is looking more and more like a fluke

The Rays challenged Seitzer in 2013, bumping him from Low-A to Double-A, and he managed to hold his own. In 579 plate appearances, he hit to a .268/.380/.360 line, showing off a strong plate approach that gave him a chance to defy the odds. However, when the Rays gave Seitzer a new task last season–doing a better job harnessing his power–the results were far from the case.

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In 2014 at Double-A Montgomery, Seitzer did improve his homer count from 6 to 14, but his line slipped to .242/.328/.396. His increased power came at the cost of much of his plate discipline. Seitzer hoped to fine-tune his approach in the Roberto Clemente Professional League, but he mustered just a .215/.307/.323 line in 75 PA’s. That small of a sample size can’t mean much, but it only further emphasizes how disappointing his 2014 has been.

Seitzer is set to head to Triple-A Durham this year and he still has a chance to find himself at the plate. If he does, a future as at least a big league bench player could still be a possibility. However, the odds of that happening took a significant hit last year and Seitzer may not be able to recover.