Julio Rodriguez has put on a show this season.
The Seattle Mariners rookie phenom got off to a bad start, but ultimately kicked it into gear at the right time.
Now, he’s helping lead the Mariners to what could be their first postseason appearance in over 20 years, but it is interesting to see just how far he has come since his rough start.
As pointed out by one MLB insider on Twitter, he was slashing .205/.284/.260 over his first 20 games with no home runs and a terrible 61 wRC+.
In next 80 games, he had homered 18 times, posted a wRC+ of 146, and was slashing .280/.338/.514.
Julio Rodriguez has now played 100 G. Through his first 20, he slashed .205/.284/.260 w/0 HRs, a .245 wOBA and an anemic 61 wRC+.
His last 80 G? .280/.338/.514 w/18 HR, a .365 wOBA and a 146 wRC+.
Here are the first 100 G for others who debuted at 21-or-younger. Elite company. pic.twitter.com/ssgTjMuykK
— Joe Doyle (@JoeDoyleMiLB) August 16, 2022
J-Rod Has Emerged
Just a few adjustments can make a huge difference.
The J-Rod show is in full swing, and he now is the favorite to come away with the American League Rookie of the Year award.
It took about 20 games for him to get into the swing of things, but now, he’s showing the baseball world what kind of player he truly is.
It wasn’t a good start by any stretch of the imagination, but Rodriguez appears to have overcome it.
Again, just a few slight adjustments can make all the difference in the world.
Rodriguez is the likely favorite to be named American League Rookie of the Year at the end of the season, and if he keeps this up, he might just be a lock to win the award.
For the season, Rodriguez has hit .270 with 19 home runs and 62 RBI, while also posting an .807 OPS.
He’s helping lead the Mariners youth movement as they try to end their postseason drought.
They’ll need him to stay hot if they want to reach the postseason for the first time since 2001.
NEXT: Mariners Reveal The 2023 All-Star Game Details