The Seattle Mariners are now the leaders of the AL West with a 77-60 record.
If you watched them play in the first few months of the season, you wouldn’t believe where they are now.
On June 28, they were 10.5 games out of first place, the Texas Rangers looked invincible, and the Houston Astros were also above the M’s.
That’s why the regular season is so long: the truly good teams will have time and games to overcome difficult stretches.
The Mariners’ resurgence has been directly correlated with Julio Rodríguez’s improvement at the plate.
It’s to be expected, really: J-Rod is by far the Mariners’ best player, and if he is playing well, the whole team will have higher odds of winning.
The 2022 AL Rookie of the Year winner is showing that his numbers from last year were no fluke.
He is showing the same impactful power-speed prowess, if not better, as 2022.
“Julio Rodríguez is the first player in MLB history to have 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases in each of his first two seasons,” ESPN Stats & Info tweeted.
Julio Rodríguez is the first player in MLB history to have 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases in each of his first two seasons. pic.twitter.com/nB9nT9L2eY
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 4, 2023
In 2023, Rodríguez is hitting .284/.342/.485 with 25 home runs, 36 stolen bases, and a cool .827 OPS.
No one in the rich history of the game has started off his career with two 25-25 seasons.
Just him.
In fact, J-Rod has a chance, with a strong finish, of posting a 30-40 campaign, something that very few players have been able to do to this point.
Remember: he is just 22.
The sky is the limit for this megastar, one that is carrying the Mariners into the promised land once again.
NEXT: Mariners Add A Reliever For The Final Push
