Julio Yarnel Rodríguez Jr., nicknamed “J-Rod” was born on December 29, 2000 in Loma de Cabrera, Dominican Republic. Rodríguez has three siblings. He began playing baseball at ten years old in a local league where the other kids were three to four years older. His father, Julio Sr., began training him to be a catcher because of his build at the time. With a growth spurt the following year, he moved to the outfield. Julio had worked his way to become the No. 10 prospect in the 2017 International Prospect Rankings.
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Julio Rodríguez Signing
Rodríguez signed with the Seattle Mariners as an international free agent in 2017. He was 16 years old at the time.
Julio Rodríguez Professional Tenure
2018
Rodríguez started on the Mariners Dominican Summer League team. In 59 games, he hit .315 with a .929 OPS. He had 13 doubles, nine triples, five home runs, 36 RBI, 50 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases.
2019
In 2019, he started with the Single-A West Virginia Power where he played 67 games. In those games, he hit .293 with a .850 OPS. He had 20 doubles, a triple, 10 home runs, 50 RBI, 50 runs scored and one stolen base. He was later called up to Advanced-A (A+) Modesto Nuts, where he played 17 games. There, he hit .462 with a 1.252 OPS. He added six doubles, three triples, one home run, 19 RBI, and 13 runs scored to his total for the year. Rodríguez went on to play 15 more games in the Arizona Fall League, where he hit .289 with a .762 OPS. He had four doubles, 10 RBI, seven runs and four stolen bases.
2020
The COVID-19 Pandemic canceled the 2020 season. Though, J-Rod was stored at and practiced with the alternate squad in Tacoma. He ended up playing for Escogido in the Dominican Winter League for the 2020-21 season. In 18 games, he hit .196 with a .501 OPS with a double, a triple, seven RBI, four runs, and three stolen bases.
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2021
He started the season with the Advanced-A (A+) Everett AquaSox. In 28 games, Rodríguez hit .325 with a .992 OPS. He had eight doubles, two triples, six home runs, 21 RBI, 29 runs and five stolen bases. He then called up to the Double-A Arkansas Travelers. In 46 games with Arkansas, he hit .362 with a 1.007 OPS. He added 11 doubles, seven home runs, 26 RBI, 35 runs, and 16 stolen bases. He also played in the All-Star Futures Game.
2022
Coming into the season, Julio Rodríguez was the No. 3 prospect in all of baseball, per MLB Pipeline. He had a break-out spring that earned him a spot in the Opening Day lineup for the Seattle Mariners. He made his debut against the Minnesota Twins, on April 8th. It wasn’t an easy start for Julio as he was 1-for-21 with 12 strikeouts before he adjusted. On May 1, he hit his first home run, a three-run shot off Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcántara. Rodríguez was named AL Rookie of the Month in May and June. He stayed hot throughout July, when the Mariners won 14 consecutive games. Rodríguez participated in the Home Run Derby and the All-Star game as a rookie. On August 23rd, he become the sixth player in Mariners history to join the 20-20 club.
He was just the fourth rookie in MLB history to have 20 stolen bases and 20 home runs in a season. In 132 games, Rodríguez hit .284 with a .853 OPS. He had 25 doubles, three triples, 28 home runs, 75 RBI, 84 runs, and 25 stolen bases. Rodríguez helped lead the Mariners to their first postseason berth since 2001. In five games, he went 5-for-23 with three doubles, a triple, two RBI, five runs, and one stolen base. He was named a Silver Slugger and the AL Rookie of the Year. Following the season, Rodríguez signed a long-term contract extension that would keep him in Seattle for the near future. The contract is guaranteed for eight years, valued at $209 million, but could be worth up to 14 years and $470 million.
2023
Following a phenomenal Rookie of the Year campaign, Rodríguez stayed mostly consistent throughout 2023. In 155 games, he hit .275 with a .818 OPS. He had 37 doubles, two triples, 32 home runs, 103 RBI, 102 runs, and 37 stolen bases. He earned his second All-Star appearance and his second Silver Slugger.
2024
In 143 games, Rodríguez hit .273 with a .734 OPS. He finished the season with 17 doubles, 20 home runs, 68 RBI, 76 runs, and 24 stolen bases. It was the first time in his career that he had not been named an All-Star.
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