Pair of Seattle Mariners prospects participating in Tokyo Olympics
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics opens next week. Two members of the Seattle Mariners organization are in the six-team field.
At the Tokyo Olympics, baseball is once again on the world stage. The sport returns after a 13-year hiatus. Anyone on an MLB team’s 40-man roster is ineligible to play, but two players from the Seattle Mariners organization, Julio Rodriguez and Eric Filia, are among the competitors.
Julio Rodriguez
Julio Rodriguez will represent the Dominican Republic in Tokyo. According to MLB Pipeline, he is the Mariners’ number two prospect (behind Jarred Kelenic) and fifth overall.
Last time Seattle Mariners fans saw Rodriguez play was during spring training in March. This season, the 20-year-old has come into his own slashing .311/.410/.557/.967 with nine home runs between High-A Everett and Double-A Arkansas.
Playing against older international competition is nothing new for Rodriguez. He spent the most recent Dominican Winter League season with Leones del Escogido and represented the DR during Olympic qualifying. Hopefully, J-Rod picks up a thing or two from teammates Melky Cabrera and Joey Bautista.
M’s fans get the rare opportunity to watch one of the organization’s best young talents vie for an Olympic medal. On his current trajectory, Rodriguez won’t be in the minors for much longer.
Eric Filia
This might be Eric Filia’s last shot at glory. Currently a member of the second-place Tacoma Rainiers (Triple-A West, West Division), the 29-year-old has a chance to impress scouts.
In 2019, Filia tore up Double-A pitching. After a year off due to COVID, Filia hasn’t quite got his swing mojo back. He’s hitting .247 with a .749 OPS at Triple-A Tacoma. During the June Olympic qualifiers, Filia was steady throughout the tournament. He finished 5-for-16 with 3 runs, 5 RBI, and a home run.
In what would certainly be an ironic twist, if Rodriguez keeps up his good work in the minors, Filia’s job in Tacoma and spot within the Seattle Mariners organization could be in jeopardy. That’s why he needs a good performance in Tokyo.
Schedule
The first minute of the following video explains the tournament schedule
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BP3XSeJfD44
Do you plan on watching these Seattle Mariners’ prospects play in the Olympics? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.