(Seattle) One block from T-Mobile Park, a huge mural by Julio Rodriguez occupies the wall of a warehouse. It pays homage to Seattle’s young star, who the Mariners hope to see patrolling their center field for the next decade.
At just 22 years old, he is already the face of the team. His bib number 44 lines the stands night after night, at home and abroad. A lot of expectations are placed on him as the next generation player in the center field of this organization.
Star Week in Seattle would be her party. The “J-Rod Show” at home, so that everyone can enjoy his talent.
It could still be, despite a subpar season so far for both Rodriguez and the team.
Registered in the home run contest, Rodriguez was only added to the all-star roster following the injury layoffs of Yordan Alvarez and Mike Trout. But months after earning Rookie All-American honors and the Mariners ending a 21-season no-playoff streak, the 2023 season is not what it promised to be, both for him and the club.
“The learning curve is very steep,” said Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr., the Mariners’ last-generation center fielder. But he will get away with it. »
Rodriguez is stuck on that learning curve this season. This is not the bad luck of the second season. Not a disappointment either. Rodriguez’s season follows the same trajectory as the Mariners’: It’s remarkably average. The Mariners are 45-44 at halftime.
Does he deserve to be in the all-star game? Averages of .249/.310/.411 with 13 home runs and 49 RBIs are not immediately obvious. Even Mariners fans agree that his first half isn’t on par with last year’s. He did not make the top 10 outfielders by popular vote.
However, for a sport that lacks engaging personalities, having Rodriguez’s exuberance and beaming smile as one of his landmark events is played in his own stadium is a huge win for the MLB.
“Having the opportunity to participate in this event on this field, in front of the Seattle fans and all of my family who will be there, will be so much fun,” said Rodriguez.
The Mariners’ historic lack of success has created an environment in which the club’s passionate fans become attached to the team’s stars. That’s what happened to Griffey, who had a chocolate bar in his image in his first season and became the best player of his generation in his early twenties. It happened to Felix Hernandez, who entered the rotation at 19 and quickly became “King Felix” as one of baseball’s best right-handers at 21.
Being the face of the organization at such a young age brings a certain weight on your shoulders. In just his second season, Rodriguez has several national sponsors and even his own brand of cereal. It’s always his face that we see first whenever the Mariners are mentioned.
“There will always be expectations. There’s probably one for Julio because he plays every day. I would only find myself in the spotlight every five days, Hernandez mentioned. He does a very good job. He is a good young man full of talent. »
When Rodriguez took off in 2022, so did the Mariners. Their center fielder turned out to be their spark plug. If Seattle knew Rodriguez, the rest of the baseball world really knew him in last year’s home run meet, when he hit 81 home runs in three innings before losing to Juan Soto in the Finals.
In addition to participating in the summer derby, Rodriguez is a Mariners ambassador for all baseball festivities, along with Griffey, Hernandez and Edgar Martinez.
Two are in the Hall of Fame and have their statues near T-Mobile Park. Hernandez will be inducted into the Mariners Hall of Fame later this summer, highlighting his 10-year dominance on the mound when the team was fairly common.
Will Rodriguez reach that level? Time, your production and your successes will be the final judges. But it’s an extra weight on the shoulders of a 22-year-old baseball player.
“The only piece of advice I would give Julio is, ‘Take time for yourself,’” Griffey said. Enjoy what you do, but make time for yourself. »
