Julio Rodriguez just can’t stop hitting and he’s giving the Mariners a stronger belief as he continues to grow into a superstar.
The Mariners’ 10-3 victory over the Astros on Saturday was important for several reasons, including securing the series with a game to spare. This now represents their 11th series win in their last 14.
In terms of the standings, the Mariners maintain a slim half-game advantage over the Blue Jays for the AL’s last wild card position. They also moved to within 1.5 games of the Astros for the second wild card spot.
In this respect, the Mariners’ win on Saturday ensured they cannot lose the season series versus their divisional rivals. (They are 7-2, with four games remaining.) This is important, because if the two teams finish the regular season with the same record, the M’s have the tie-breaker.
All about J-Rod
With that all said (written), the focus of this article will be on Julio Rodriguez specifically. As much as it’s tough for one player to influence their own team and the opponent alike, he’s been as close to achieving this as possible of late.
Rodriguez is on a four-game run unlike anything seeing before in the history of Major League Baseball. Yes, he’s been that special, and in the process is showing why many have him tabbed as a superstar.
On Saturday versus the Astros, the 22-year-old went 4-for-6 at the plate, with one steal and two runs. And consider, as MLB.com’s Nathan Han put it, this was his ‘worst’ game of the past four days.
With the effort, Rodriguez became just the second player in MLB history to have four or more hits in four consecutive games. Further, his 17 combined hits over the four games set a new Major League record.
Mariners manager Scott Servais was (almost) at a loss for words when discussing the man who would be King. He said:
“Wow, 17 hits in four games. I’ve never seen anything like that and nobody in the history of Major League Baseball has seen anything like it, but what can you say?”
Rodriguez gave an interesting response, when asked about the new record. He said:
“Honestly, I knew when they put it on the scoreboard that I had set a record for a four-game span. Before that, I didn’t know.”
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Hits, hits, hits
During this run, the 2022 Silver Slugger has gone 17-for-22. As a result, his batting average has risen from .256 to .278 – an almost unheard of jump for this stage of the season.
The four-game run is impressive for so many reasons. This includes the first five-hit performance of his career and equaling his career high of five RBI in a game.
Additionally, the Dominican Republic native became the first player with nine combined hits in two games this season. From a historical perspective, he is the youngest to do it since 1936.
Servais spoke for the entire team when complimenting the young star. He said:
“Julio is just smoking hot right now and it is fun to watch. Every time he goes up there, he expects to get a hit. We expect to watch him get a hit.”
A significant factor in respect of Rodriguez’s recent surge, is an adjustment which saw him simplify his approach at the plate. Speaking about it after the conclusion of the Royals series, he said:
“Basically, your eyes are a little more clear. … It feels like you did everything you could to put yourself in that position and just kind of trust it. Once you step to the plate, you’re trusting that you’re going to get the job done.”
Superstar in the making
Everything about the 2022 AL Rookie of the Year screams “Superstar”: his charisma, his impact on games — offensively and defensively –, his ability to inspire his teammates, and so on. Heck, it was even on display during Saturday’s game, when he was the first player to step in during a contentious situation.
The moment came when Astros’ two-time All-Star Framber Valdez hit Jose Caballero on the leg with a pitch. The two exchanged heated words and Valdez started walking towards Caballero.
At this point Rodriguez jumped in, to put Valdez in a bear hug from behind and walk him away from the growing group of players congregating in the area surrounding home plate. One of Valdez’s Astros teammates initially went towards him and Rodriguez, but backed off when they realized the latter was just looking to calm the situation down.
It probably helped that Rodriguez and Valdez are from the same country and share a bound. Although the fact the former is 6 foot 3 and 228 pounds likely played a part too!
Mariners family
Regardless, Rodriguez’s quick thinking saved the day. and Valdez was appreciate of what he did. For some asinine reason there were those who criticized how the center fielder dealt with the situation, but it could have gotten nasty if he hadn’t intervened in the manner he did.
In any event, there should be no doubt about what is important to “J-Rod”. In words which will have warmed the hearts of Mariners fans, he said:
“I feel like this is my family here. I’m not going to let anybody get in between that. I know what it feels like to get hit. I remember in 2019 (in the Minor Leagues), I was out for two months. That’s one of the things you can’t take lightly. I feel like everybody feels the same way, that this is a family and you protect your family. And that’s what we’re going to do. It doesn’t matter who it is. It doesn’t matter what time it is, we’re going to be out there for each other.”
Whether you’re associated with the Mariners in some way or not, it’s tough not to like the young man and admire his game. Rodriguez is on the road to superstardom, with his Mariners family eager to accompany him every step of the way.
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Rodriguez stat check:
- Leads the team in hits, RBI and steals
- His 79 RBI and 33 steals have both set new single-season highs
- The 12 total hits versus Royals are most in a series by a player in club history
- Needs one home run in next 16 games to become fastest Mariners player to 50
- Equaled club record with hits in nine consecutive at-bats, between August 16-18
What’s stood out for you most so far during Rodriguez’s career? When it’s all said and done, how close do you predict he’ll get to Ken Griffey Jr. for the title of best player in Mariners history? Let us know in the comments section below.
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