The Seattle Mariners announced on Monday that star prospect Julio Rodriguez will make the Opening Day roster.
He will be in an outfield-designated hitter rotation with fellow prospect Jarred Kelenic, new trade addition Jesse Winker, and returning star Mitch Haniger, who hit 39 home runs last year.
The Mariners’ Twitter account published a short clip of a hyped Rodriguez, who is seen celebrating after hearing he will fulfill the dream of playing in the big leagues.
“It’s on baby!”, he said in front of the cameras.
It’s on, baby. #SeaUsRise pic.twitter.com/MTyNXgXXew
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) April 4, 2022
Yes, Rodriguez is a star prospect, and an integral part of the Mariners’ franchise for years to come.
But before anything else, he is a person, with feelings, so seeing him extremely excited about making the team warms our hearts.
On the field, he is a man of many talents.
An Incredible Offensive Profile
Not known for his defense, he has a solid, if unspectacular glove in the outfield corners, and he has good speed, too.
The tools that carry his prospect profile, however, are his contact skills and power.
Prospect evaluators think that Rodriguez can be a .300 hitter with 30-homer power at the peak of his abilities, but he has potential for more.
For now, the Mariners will give him the chance to develop at his own pace: the transition between minor league pitching and MLB velocity is harder than ever, as fellow top Mariners prospect Kelenic can surely attest to.
Kelenic had a failed MLB stint before going back down to the minors and finally showing some signs of life late in the season.
Rodriguez may not have Kelenic’s power, but he may be a better pure hitter.
In any case, those two will be extremely fun to watch over the next decade or so.
It’s definitely a good time to be a Mariners fan.
NEXT: Julio Rodriguez Shares A Past Tweet Predicting Monday's News