Julio Rodríguez crushes first Double-A HR

All season, Julio Rodríguez has done nothing but rake. His productive first two months of the season in Everett warranted his call up to Arkansas, and he has wasted no time introducing his potent bat to Double-A pitching.

MLB Pipeline’s No. 5 prospect crushed his first homer since being called up in Game 1 of Arkansas’ doubleheader, a go-ahead three-run shot in the top of the seventh that would account for all the Travelers’ offense in a 3-1 win over Tulsa. Rodríguez added three base knocks in a perfect showing at the plate in an 8-4 loss in Game 2, his fifth game of the year with three or more hits. In total, he finished Friday night 4-for-5 with three RBIs, one run and three walks.

Rodríguez, who will represent the Mariners at the All-Star Future Stars Game on July 11, showed off his elite patience with walks in the first and third innings of the makeup from Thursday’s rainout. After a groundout in the fifth, the 20-year-old stepped up to the plate in the seventh with the game knotted in a scoreless tie and runners on first and second. In a 1-2 count, he swatted a 93 MPH fastball well over the right-field fence to give Arkansas the lead, and eventually the win.

The Mariners No. 2 prospect wasted no time getting started in Game 2, dropping a single into leftfield on a soft liner in the first. Rodríguez fought a ball off his fists for another soft base knock into left-center in the second. The slugging righty lined his third single of the day to left in the fourth inning but advanced all the way to third after the ball snuck under the glove of Ryan Noda for a two-base error that scored a run to tie the game at three.

In the bottom of the fourth, Rodríguez showcased his defensive range by running a long way to track down a foul ball towards the wall in shallow right field. He added another walk in the sixth to cap a productive day.

Rodríguez’s immense talent has been on display from his first taste of professional ball in the Dominican Summer League to the present day. After posting a .929 OPS in both 2018 and 2019, the Dominican outfielder has upped his production this season. In 32 games across High-A and Double-A, Rodríguez has smacked seven dingers, driven in 25 runs and posted a slash line of .335/.428/.595 with a 1.023 OPS across 152 plate appearances.

With his combination of extremely advanced tools for his age and the Mariners willingness to move their top prospects through their farm system, fans may not have to wait long to witness Rodríguez roam the outfield at T-Mobile Park. MLB Pipeline projects the 6-foot-3 outfielder to reach the majors in 2022, leading the wave of young talent from Seattle’s farm system into the big leagues.