Mariners star Julio Rodriguez plans to do ‘more of the same’ after breakout rookie year
PEORIA, Ariz. — A year ago, Julio Rodriguez could only wait and work out, preparing himself to do what most in the Mariners organization and around baseball weren’t expecting — come to spring training and play his way on to the opening day roster.
Baseball just needed to start.
A precocious talent with a natural charisma and ebullient personality, Rodriguez arrived immediately after the MLB lockout ended, looking slimmer yet stronger from a focused workout routine in the offseason.
He proceeded to wow Mariners staff immediately in workouts, showcasing improved running speed and a more mature approach at the plate. He crushed a mammoth home run in his first spring training at-bat. About two weeks into spring training, it became clear: He needed to be the Mariners everyday center fielder.
Fast forward to Friday morning in Peoria, Rodriguez met with the media for the first time in a sort of “state of the Julio” news conference. In the past, those situations were reserved for the likes of Ken Griffey Jr., Ichiro, Nelson Cruz and Felix Hernandez.
But in that span of just one year — his first at the major league level — Rodriguez has elevated himself to that echelon of stardom at the seasoned age of 22.
“We thought there was a chance that if everything went good he could make the team,” manager Scott Servais said with smile. “It’s an unbelievable year he had.”
Indeed, Rodriguez not only made the Mariners opening day roster, but by the end of the season he was unquestionably the best player on it.
Despite a slow start in April, which was hampered by some unfortunate umpiring, and two stints on the injured list that caused him to miss 21 games, Rodriguez posted a .284/.345/.509 slash line with 84 runs scored, 25 doubles, three triples, 28 home runs, 75 RBI, 40 walks and 25 stolen bases in 132 games.
He became just the third rookie in major league history and the first player in his debut season with 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases. He also became the fastest player in major league history (125 career games) to reach those feats, surpassing Mike Trout (128 career games).
Rodriguez was also named to the American League All-Star team and put on a magical display of power during the Home Run Derby, finishing second to Juan Soto, but establishing himself as a candidate for superstardom.
“There were definitely a lot of things I didn’t think about,” he said. “My whole approach a year ago was just basically to the do the best that I can with my preparation and let everything take over from there. But there were definitely a lot of surprises once it got going.”
And he cemented his place in the city of Seattle by signing a contract extension that could pay him almost $500 million through the 2039 season, making him a Mariner for life. He was named the American League Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year and celebrated the award as the honoree of a massive parade in his hometown of Loma De Cabrera in the Dominican Republic.
“There were definitely a lot of aspects that have changed but at the same time I just keep living my dream,” he said. “I feel I was doing that last year. I’m still doing that today. Outside of the field, a lot of things changed for me and my family and all that. But for me, it’s been the same thing.”
But it’s no surprise that Rodriguez isn’t satisfied with that one season of success. It’s not enough to be good or even great. He wants to be a transcendent player.
“I feel like understanding the game was huge for me throughout the past year,” he said. “That’s where I feel like I gained the most knowledge.”
Whether it was experiencing it himself or picking the brains of teammates or even soaking in advice from Aaron Judge and Mike Trout at the All-Star Game, he has an unquenchable desire to learn more.
“It never ends,” he said, “Never. Ends. And that’s what gets me really excited because I’m looking forward to all the other things that I’m about to learn.”
The Mariners know he still has lessons to learn on and off the field.
“The biggest thing with players is they want to be consistent, right?” Servais said. “We’ve seen the tools and the flashes. He’s put streaks together. It’s awesome to watch and he really carried our team. There’s so many ways he can impact the game other than just in the batter’s box. He’s still young. He’s got things to learn and things to improve upon.”
One priority for all parties is keeping him on the field. Instead of 132 games, he’d rather have played 152 games if not 162 games in the regular season.
In his first 20 games of the season, he posted a .206/.284/.260 slash line with four doubles, six RBI, seven walks and 30 strikeouts. Over the next 112 games, he posted a .297/.355/.550 slash line with 21 doubles, three triples, 28 homers, 69 RBI, 33 walks and 115 strikeouts.
If you had even 30 more games of Rodriguez performing at that level, it would be an MVP-caliber season.
“It’s a huge impact,” Servais.
Rodriguez despised being on the injured list. Playing the game brings him pure joy. Watching the game and unable to participate leaves him irritated. What could he do in 150 games with the best version of himself?
“More of the same,” he said. “I cannot tell you any specific stats or anything. I feel like I will try to do more of the same. If I have more games, I’d guess more results would come out of it.”
Those results will be more difficult to come by this season. Rodriguez isn’t an unproven rookie or an inexperienced prospect. He’s the most dangerous hitter in the Mariners lineup. Opponents realized that by midseason. As an opposing MLB scout said recently, “If he gets more than two or three pitches to hit in a game, then those pitchers are making mistakes, especially with runners in scoring position.”
“I’ve always got to stay committed to my plan,” he said. “I feel like they are gonna try to do a lot of different things because they know me now. But I’ve just got to come up with a plan. If I’m going to face somebody and they have a plan against me, I’ve got to do the same thing against them. At the end of the day, we will be out there just competing. And whoever has got the best plan, whoever compete the best, that’s who going to win.”
With his popularity and his status as the face of the franchise, Rodriguez is inundated with requests with seemingly everyone asking for his time or presence.
“The biggest thing with him, and I talked to him about it yesterday, it really is his ability to manage his time and priorities,” Servais said. “All of this other stuff is great. But No. 1 is baseball. It’s baseball and be a good teammate. As long as those priorities don’t get out of whack, which is no different from a lot of other 21-, 22-year-olds running around the world right now, it’s time management and prioritizing some things. I don’t have any concerns that he’ll be able to do that.”
Rodriguez’s focus?
“I know we went to the postseason,” he said. “I know we ended the drought. But it’s still the same goal being in the postseason and trying to win it. That’s all we’ve got. And that’s all we’re gonna focus on.”