Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager’s name will forever be next to Jackie Robinson’s after Monday when he was unanimously named the National League’s Rookie of the Year, which was first presented to the man who broke the color barrier in 1947, and is still presented in the legend’s honor today.

Corey Seager, right, celebrates with the team and the 2016 Manager of the year, Dave Roberts, after scoring a run earlier this year.
(courtesy of the Los Angeles Dodgers)

To be associated with Robinson now is “unspeakable,” Seager said. “What he did for the game, what he did to break the color barrier, what he did as a person, as a human being … it’s untouchable. It’s what everybody strives for.”

Sixteen times since 1947 the award found its way back into the hands of young Dodgers – the club with the most Rookie of the Year recipients in the league – until a 20-year gap after Todd Hollandsworth won it in 1996.

Seager, the franchise’s 17th rookie star, credited his approach to every game and the veterans in the locker room who helped him prepare for the long season. He said he never plays for individual accomplishments, only for the World Series trophy for the whole team at the end of the year.

“It’s not an easy game, so it’s one of the things that you never take for granted,” he said. “It’s one of those things where you have to be as consistent as possible.”

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Seager is “everything that is good about our game.”

“I look forward to watching him continue to grow and help lead the Dodgers to a championship,” he said, before he was named Manager of the Year this week.

The veterans on the roster, such as Adrián González, Justin Turner and Chase Utley – who debuted in the league when Seager was 8 years old – recognized that the rookie’s talent “doesn’t come around too often.”

“The Dodgers organization and fans are truly lucky to have him wear their uniform,” Utley said.

The veteran players also hinted at “more to come” in an “award-filled” career, which could start as soon as Thursday. Seager is also a finalist for the National League Most Valuable Player Award.

“To win Rookie of the Year and be in the MVP race as a 22-year-old rookie speaks to the year Corey had,” Turner said. “He’s only scratching the surface and has a chance to be one of the best players in the game, and he’s already pretty close.”

Seager already won a Silver Slugger award this year and was honored with the Players Choice Award for Outstanding NL Rookie.

Seager, the Dodgers’ Hank Aaron Award nominee, finished the season ranked among the NL leaders in hits (193, 2nd), runs (105, 5th), doubles (40, 7th), multi-hit games (57, T-2nd), extra-base hits (71, 7th), total bases (321, 4th), batting average (.308, 7th) and slugging percentage (.512, 10th).

His 26 homers established a Dodger record for a shortstop, breaking the previous record of 22, held by Glenn Wright since 1930. Seager’s 193 hits were the most by a rookie since 2001.

Seager was named to the National League All-Star team and was originally selected 18th overall by the Dodgers in 2012 out of Northwest Cabarrus High School in North Carolina.

Dodgers right-hander Kenta Maeda placed third in voting, as he and Seager became the first pair of Dodger teammates ever to finish in the top three in Rookie of the Year balloting.