2022 Seattle Mariners Season a Significant Step Forward
Julio Rodriguez Makes Opening Day Roster
There were many significant days in Julio Rodriguez’s rookie season. But he most anticipated was whether or not he’d make the Seattle Mariners opening day roster.
Not only did JRod make the team, but he also led the Mariners in hitting, OPS, stolen bases, and several other categories. He accepted an invitation to participate in the MLB home-run derby, losing in the finals to Juan Soto.
His season started so rough there were flashbacks to Jarred Kelenic in 2021. There was talk that Rodriguez would end up back at Triple-A to gain confidence, despite more than a dozen bad called-third strikes against him.
Things changed in May. On the first, Rodriguez hit a mammoth shot in Miami for his first MLB home run. It was one of his 28 homers, behind only Suarez for the team lead.
On August 26, Julio made it official. He will be a Seattle Mariner for life, or at least for a very long time. Rodriguez signed a mega multi-year contract with the M’s that could go as many as 17 years but is likely to be a minimum of 12.
Anyone looking for a sign of things to come should look at JRod’s September. He batted .394 with a 1.202 OPS.