Rodríguez goes deep in four-hit night

June 10th, 2021
Shari Sommerfeld/MiLB.com

In case anyone forgot what Julio Rodríguez is capable of, he reminded them on Wednesday.

Playing in his second game since returning from a stint at the WSBC Baseball Americas Qualifier, where eight national teams from the Americas competed for one of two open spots at the Tokyo Olympics, MLB's fifth-ranked prospect homered, doubled and drove in three runs during his first four-hit game of the season to lead High-A Everett past visiting Eugene, 9-4, on Wednesday night.

Rodríguez had gone 10 games and 46 at-bats in between home runs after going deep five times in a span of six games from May 11-16. The 20-year-old did go deep twice and batted .457/.480/.708 with seven RBIs during the Americas Qualifier to help the Dominican Republic clinch a spot in this summer's Olympics.

Rodríguez left Everett in the midst of a five-game hitting streak and extended that to six with an RBI double on Tuesday. The No. 2 Mariners prospect opened the scoring in the first inning with his seventh and plated another with a single in the second. He singled in his third at-bat and was retired in his next two plate appearances before going deep for the sixth time this season in the eighth.

Rodríguez's fifth game with four or more hits was his first since he collected a career-high five safeties on Aug. 28, 2019. The performance lifted his slash line to .344/.422/.625 with 14 extra-base hits, 25 runs, 19 RBIs and five stolen bases in 23 games. Rodríguez has been particularly effective at home, where he's gone 16-for-35 (.457) with all six of his home runs and 13 RBIs in eight contests.

In 166 Minor League games spanning parts of three seasons, the 6-foot-3, 180-pound outfielder is a .325/.399/.547 hitter.

chipped in with a double, three hits and three RBIs. The No. 18 Mariners prospect has improved his slash line to .280/.393/.525 thanks to a 9-for-25 stretch to begin June.