(Seattle) A block from T-Mobile Park, a huge mural by Julio Rodriguez takes over the wall of a warehouse. It is a tribute to the young Seattle star, whom the Mariners expect to see patrolling their center field for the next decade.
At only 22 years old, he is already the face of the team. His number 44 bib lines the stands night after night, at home and abroad. A lot of expectations are placed on him as the next generation player in center field for this organization.
Star Week in Seattle was to be his party. The “J-Rod Show” at home, so that everyone can enjoy his talent.
It could still be, despite a season below expectations so far, both for Rodriguez and the team.
Registered in the home run contest, Rodriguez was only added to the all-star roster after the injury waivers of Yordan Alvarez and Mike Trout. But months after winning the All-American rookie title and the Mariners ending a 21-season streak without a playoff appearance, the 2023 season isn’t what it promised to be. both for him and for 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 caught up in that learning curve this season. This is not the bad luck of the second season. It’s not a disappointment either. Rodriguez’s season follows the same trajectory as the Mariners’: it’s remarkably ordinary. The Mariners are 45-44 at the break.
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 his first half isn’t up to last year’s level. He did not break into the top 10 of outfielders by popular vote.
However, for a sport that lacks engaging personalities, to rely on Rodriguez’s exuberance and beaming smile as one of its signature events is played in its own stadium is a big win for MLB.
“To have the opportunity to participate in this event on this field, in front of the Seattle fans and all my family who will be there, it will be a lot of fun,” Rodriguez said.
The Mariners’ historical lack of success has created an environment where the club’s passionate fans become attached to the team’s stars. It happened with Griffey, who had a candy bar in his likeness in his first season and became the best player of his generation in his twenties. It happened with Felix Hernandez, who broke into 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 comes with a certain weight on your shoulders. Only in his second season, Rodriguez has several national sponsors and even his own kind of cereal. It’s always his face that we see first whenever the Mariners are mentioned.
“There will always be expectations. There’s probably some for Julio because he plays every day. I would only find myself in the limelight 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 contest, when he hit 81 homers in three rounds before losing to Juan Soto in the Finals.
In addition to participating in the summer classic, Rodriguez is a Mariners ambassador for all the festivities surrounding baseball, 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 pretty ordinary.
Will Rodriguez reach this level? Time, his production and his successes will be the ultimate judges. But it’s an added weight on the shoulders of a young 22-year-old baseball player.
“The only advice I would give Julio is, ‘Take some time for yourself,’ Griffey said. Enjoy what you do, but keep time for yourself. »