Julio Rodriguez has been a prodigy for most of his professional career. But nobody — not even the Mariners — saw him becoming an elite center fielder. Here's how he did it.
left the center field position in a state of flux for the Mariners after the 2021 season. Rodríguez, already knocking on the big-league door, saw an opening and an opportunity.
"It was impressive because to that point, we always valued him because of his bat and power," Acta said."It was like, perfect. We had a hole here [in center field], and here's a guy now."But just like the Mariners needed time and experience with Rodríguez, he needed the same. told FOX Sports."I tell everyone, you'd think he's been there for like 10 or 15 years the way he handles himself. You forget that he's 22. He takes care of his body so well and that's gonna allow him to play for a very long time."
The first half of this season served a good reminder of Rodríguez's wide-ranging impact . It might be hard for some to remember now given his historic August, but Rodríguez was undeniably underwhelming for the first few months of this season. Sure, he amassed 13 homers and 22 steals before the break, but his .721 OPS did not reflect that of the MVP candidate many assumed he’d blossom into.
The production at the plate will understandably get the headlines — a recent 25-game stretch in which he produced a 1.279 OPS with 10 homers and 10 steals is impossible to ignore — but manager Scott Servais knows how vital Rodríguez’s development on defense is for his team.
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