With a historic season that culminated in his MLB debut now in the books, Hector Rodriguez is adding another honor to his list of accolades. Rodriguez was recognized by Minor League Baseball as an International League All-Star for the 2026 season.
Named to the International League Postseason All-Star team as an outfielder, Rodriguez is the first Bat to be named an IL All-Star since Rece Hinds earned the honors as a designated hitter in 2025. Rodriguez is the first Louisville player to be named to the All-Star team as an outfielder since Aristides Aquino in 2019.
In his second season with the Bats, the 22-year-old Rodriguez was a force at the top of the lineup. In 104 games, Rodriguez batted .274 with a career-high 27 home runs, 69 RBI, 16 doubles, four triples, 72 runs, and six stolen bases.
On August 4, he was called up by Cincinnati Reds for his MLB debut and finished the season at the Major Leauge level, batting .229 with six home runs, 17 RBI, and 16 runs scored in 41 games.
At the time of his promotion to the Reds, Rodriguez ranked among the International League leaders in at-bats (1st, 405), home runs (2nd, 27), runs (2nd, 72), total bases (2nd, 216), extra-base hits (2nd, 47), RBI (3rd, 69), runs (4th, 111), and slugging percentage (10th, .533)
On May 27, he became the first player in Louisville history to hit an inside-the-park home run as part of a three-homer game, with the three homers powering a 10-5 Bats win over St. Paul. Two weeks later on June 10 against Iowa, he hit for the cycle, adding seven RBI as part of a Bats offensive outburst in a 20-5 win over the I-Cubs. Rodirguez is the only player in Louisville franchise history to record both a cycle and three-home run game in the same season.
Rodriguez produced four multi-home run games for the Bats in 2026, including back-to-back multi-home run performances against Omaha on July 7 and July 8, becoming the fifth player in franchise history to accomplish the feat.
Earlier in the season, Rodriguez was named International League Player of the Week from June 8-14 after batting .370 (10-for-27) with four home runs, 14 RBI, seven extra-base hits, and 26 total bases in six games against Iowa.
Rodriguez was acquired by the Reds along with RHP Jose Acuna in the deal that sent pitcher Phillip Diehl and outfielder Tyler Naquin to the New York Mets on July 28, 2022. He originally signed with the Mets as a 16-year-old international free agent out of the Dominican Republic on January 15, 2021.
Bats baseball returns in 2027, with the season beginning at the St. Paul Saints on Friday, March 26. Opening Night at Louisville Slugger Field is scheduled for Tuesday, March 30 against the Indianapolis Indians.