The Seattle Mariners may be a team on the rise.
The team has put together back-to-back 90-win seasons and even reached the postseason for the first time since 2001, defeating the Toronto Blue Jays in the Wild Card Series before falling short against the Houston Astros in the ALDS.
Their success was thanks in large part to AL Rookie of the Year Julio Rodriguez.
Rodriguez had a year to remember and gave Mariners fans a feeling they hadn’t felt since the days of Ichiro Suzuki.
However, Rodriguez is still learning the ropes and is taking after the Mariners legend.
On Twitter, the team posted a photo with Rodriguez talking to Ichiro at spring camp with a caption that read, “Learning from the best.”
Learning from the best. #SeaUsRise pic.twitter.com/QxfB15x3kU
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) February 17, 2023
That is indeed what Rodriguez is doing.
He, like Ichiro, has given the City of Seattle something to cheer about and has ignited hope for the future.
While Ichiro was a legend, Rodriguez may be on his way to becoming one himself.
Rodriguez hit for a .284 average and blasted 28 home runs in his rookie season, providing a thrilling opening act for the “J-Rod show.”
But even at this level of stardom, he clearly enjoys taking every opportunity to speak with Ichiro and learn the ropes of the game.
Ichiro is usually the first player that comes to mind when people think of the Mariners, and the reigning Rookie of the Year is hoping to follow in the footsteps of the future Hall-of-Famer.
He’ll also be around for the next 14 years, so Seattle fans will be seeing a lot of him.
NEXT: Mariners GM Shares His 2023 Goal
