Baseball’s second-best prospect makes Mariners’ Opening Day roster
Mariners manger Scott Servais left the door open for Julio Rodriguez. Seattle’s top prospect knew – with the spring performance of a lifetime – that a spot on Seattle’s 2022 roster was up for grabs.
By Tuesday morning, Rodriguez had put together the best 12-game stretch of any player in camp. The 21-year-old phenom, who went 13-for-31 and hit three home runs, posted a .419/.471/.839 slash line. He left the Mariners with little-to-no choice; his promotion to baseball’s biggest stage had turned from long shot to expectation.
J-Rod, baseball’s second-best prospect as ranked by Baseball America, has officially secured a roster spot for Thursday’s opening game in Minnesota.
“As I’ve been saying in every single interview, this will be a dream come reality,” Rodriguez told reporters at the club’s Peoria Sports Complex.
Moments prior, Servais had called Rodriguez into his office to break the news. He’s a “fun kid,” and the excitement he plays with is contagious, Servais asserted.
Rodriguez sent out a tweet in the following minutes: “God’s timing is perfect!”
In his first Spring Training at-bat on March 18, Rodriguez crushed a three-run homer to left field in Peoria that traveled 431 feet and left the bat at 117 miles per hour. On March 31, he raced around the base paths and slid head-first into home for an inside-the-park home run after clobbering a ball that hit off of the right-center wall. On Sunday, he put together a 3-for-4 night and finished a triple shy of the cycle to power Seattle over Kansas City, 10-8.
Following the 2019 season, Rodriguez met with his agent, and discussed ways to improve his game. He wanted to become an “all-around player,” and as a result, turned to speed and agility training
“I felt that was the last part of my game I needed to level up to my other skills,” he said.
It wouldn’t take long for Servais to take notice. He watched the 6-foot-3, 228-pound outfielder zip around the bases in the opening days of spring camp.
“Oh my god,” Servais exclaimed. “That’s different.”
Some of Rodriguez’s teammates have approached Servais on the dugout steps to make comments of their own. “This kid’s for real, isn’t he? This kid ain’t bad,” they’ve suggested to Seattle’s skipper, who replied regularly with, “you’re right.”
“That’s all I need to say,” Servais continued. “You know, that’s telling me right away they recognize this guy can help them. He can help us.”
Rodriguez said his family — specifically, his parents and siblings — will make the trip to Target Field in Minnesota for Seattle’s first regular season game Thursday. Teammates are excited for the young phenom’s ascension to the major leagues, after he effectively skipped over Triple-A Tacoma after 74 total games played in High-A Everett and Double-A Arkansas last season. He enjoys the game, and wonders why others take it so seriously, he said.
“It’s a really cool feeling, that acceptance that they bring me,” Rodriguez added, regarding his teammates. “It feels really good. They allow me to be myself, and that’s a really key part for me to be able to play the way I play.”
Rodriguez played on the Dominican Republic national team, and won a bronze medal in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. That experience, alongside seasoned veterans, eased his transition to a big league clubhouse. He asks the right questions, Servais said. And when Rodriguez is approached by the coaching staff, he asks for guidance.
“He’s perceptive,” Servais said. “He’s willing to work, and he’s got unbelievable ability. It all matches up.”
Rodriguez and fellow center Jarred Kelenic are set to split time at the position, particularly while Kyle Lewis continues to nurse a knee injury that has kept the 2020 AL Rookie of the Year sidelined after suffering a meniscus tear in May 2021. Before a return, Lewis will log time in the minor leagues, likely as designated hitter, Servais said.
All-Star outfielders Jesse Winker and Mitch Haniger remain staples in the lineup, though either could end up in a designated hitter role with both Rodriguez and Kelenic in the outfield. Servais said he’d use the slot to provide rest for Haniger, who played 157 games in 2021.
Seattle plans to carry three catchers on their roster: Tom Murphy, Cal Raleigh and Luis Torrens. Infielder Donovan Walton, who played 24 games for the Mariners in 2021, was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma in a subsequent move. Newly-acquired first baseman Mike Ford was reassigned to minor league camp.
This story was originally published April 4, 2022 at 12:28 PM.
