Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez has become one of the most popular players in the majors.
He is charismatic, he is supremely talented, he is always with a smile on his face, and he draws a crowd everywhere he goes.
The M’s will play their first exhibition game of the spring on Friday against the San Diego Padres, and fans were waiting around the complex entrance just to get a chance to see the young star.
Welcome to the J-Rod Show. pic.twitter.com/jKIToNguT7
— MLB (@MLB) February 24, 2023
He was getting a ride in a golf cart around the complex and had time to smile to his fans.
Rodriguez’s career changed for the good as much as any other player in MLB last year.
He struggled right out of the gate, but started making adjustments and was good enough make the All-Star Game.
He put on a show in the Home Run Derby, carried the Mariners to the postseason, and ended up winning the AL Rookie of the Year award over Adley Rutschman.
He is now an icon in his native Dominican Republic and one of the most exciting young stars of the game.
His numbers as a rookie can give us a blueprint of what he can do on a baseball field.
He slashed .284/.345/.509 with a 146 wRC+ and 5.3 Wins Above Replacement (WAR).
With 28 home runs and 25 steals as a rookie, he has 30-30 potential as he enters his prime years.
The best thing of all is that he is not even close to his prime, as he is just 22.
Already signed to a long-term deal, Rodriguez will be a fixture in the Mariners’ lineup for years to come, terrorizing opposing pitchers in the process.
He is the real deal.
NEXT: Photo Shows Julio Rodriguez Learning From A Mariners Legend
