Julio Rodríguez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Julio Rodríguez |
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Rodríguez with the Seattle Mariners
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| Seattle Mariners – No. 44 | ||||||||||||||
| Center fielder | ||||||||||||||
| Born: December 29, 2000 Loma de Cabrera, Dominican Republic |
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| debut | ||||||||||||||
| April 8, 2022, for the Seattle Mariners | ||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics (through July 12, 2025) |
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| Batting average | .272 | |||||||||||||
| Home runs | 93 | |||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 294 | |||||||||||||
| Stolen bases | 102 | |||||||||||||
| Teams | ||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Julio Yamel Rodríguez (born December 29, 2000), known as "J-Rod", is a professional baseball player from the Dominican Republic. He plays as a center fielder for the Seattle Mariners in Major League Baseball (MLB). Julio signed with the Mariners in 2017. He made his big league debut in 2022. In his first season, he became an All-Star. He also won the Silver Slugger Award and the American League Rookie of the Year Award. Julio has been an All-Star three times and won two Silver Slugger awards.
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Early Life and Baseball Start
Julio Rodríguez grew up in Loma de Cabrera, a town in the Dominican Republic. His father was an engineer and his mother was a dentist. He has three brothers and sisters.
When he was ten, Julio started playing baseball with older kids. His dad coached him when he was 12. He first played as a catcher. After a growth spurt, he moved to the outfield. Scouts noticed him when he was only 12. He hit a ball far against a much older pitcher.
At 14, Julio left home to join a baseball academy. The Mariners discovered him at a tryout there.
Professional Baseball Career
Starting in the Minor Leagues
Julio signed with the Seattle Mariners in July 2017 when he was 16. He got a $1.75 million bonus. He started playing professionally in 2018. He played for the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League Mariners. He mostly played right field. He hit very well, with a .315 batting average. He also had nine triples and five home runs. He was named an All-Star in that league.
In 2019, Julio played for the Class-A West Virginia Power. He broke his left hand and missed almost two months. Later, he moved up to the Class A-Advanced Modesto Nuts. He was one of the youngest players in both leagues. After the regular season, he played in the Arizona Fall League. He was the youngest player there too.
In 2020, the minor league season was canceled. Julio broke his left wrist during a workout. He later played in the Dominican winter league. He also started training to become faster. This helped him play center field and steal more bases.
Julio started 2021 with the Everett AquaSox. In June, he moved up to the Double-A Arkansas Travelers. He was chosen to play in the All-Star Futures Game. By August 2021, he was ranked as one of the best young players in all of baseball. He missed some time playing in the Summer Olympics. In 2021, he hit .347 with 13 home runs and 21 stolen bases. The Mariners added him to their main roster to protect him.
Playing for the Seattle Mariners
2022: Rookie of the Year Season
The Mariners made Julio their starting center fielder on April 4, 2022. He played his first MLB game on April 8. After a slow start, Julio began to shine. On May 1, he hit his first career home run. He was named the American League (AL) Rookie of the Month for May and June. In June, he hit seven home runs and stole five bases.
Julio continued his great play in July. The Mariners won 14 games in a row. On July 15, he hit his first grand slam. Julio was chosen for the 2022 MLB All-Star Game. He was the sixth Mariners rookie to be an All-Star. He also took part in the Home Run Derby. He hit 81 home runs in three rounds, but lost in the final.
On August 23, Julio hit his 20th home run. This made him one of only a few players to have 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in their first MLB season. On September 14, he became the first player to have 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases in his first season. September was his best month, hitting .394 with seven home runs.
In 2022, Julio hit .284 with 28 home runs and 25 stolen bases. He won the Silver Slugger Award and the AL Rookie of the Year Award. He was one of the fastest and hardest-hitting players in baseball.
Postseason Play
Julio helped the Mariners reach the playoffs for the first time since 2001. He played in all five of their playoff games. In Game 1 of the Wild Card Series, he was hit by a pitch twice. He scored the first run in a 4–0 win.
In Game 1 of the American League Division Series, he hit a triple and a double. He scored three times in that game.
Big Contract Extension
On August 26, 2022, Julio signed a long-term contract with the Mariners. The deal is for at least 8 years. It could last up to 14 years and be worth $470 million. This contract was a big deal for him and the team.
2023: Another All-Star Season
On April 7, 2023, Julio hit a home run that won the game. He became the fastest Mariners player to reach 30 home runs. On July 10, he hit 41 home runs in the first round of the Home Run Derby. This broke the record for most home runs in a single round.
In August, Julio had an amazing hitting streak. From August 16 to 19, he broke the MLB record for most hits in four games with 17. He had 28 hits in 10 games. He also had five games with four hits in August.
In early September, he became the first player in MLB history to have 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases in his first two seasons. On September 11, he hit his 30th home run. This made him one of the few players to join MLB's 30–30 club.
In 2023, Julio hit .275 with 32 home runs. He led the AL in infield hits. He was second in hits and stolen bases. He won his second Silver Slugger Award. He also finished fourth in the AL Most Valuable Player voting.
2024 Season
Julio had a tougher offensive season in 2024. He hit .273 with 20 home runs and 24 stolen bases. He and Bobby Witt Jr. became the first players to have 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in their first three MLB seasons. Julio missed some time in July and August due to an ankle injury. He finished the season strong in September, hitting .328 with seven home runs.
International Play
Julio has played for the Dominican Republic national team. He played in the 2020 Summer Olympics and the 2023 World Baseball Classic. He also played in qualifying tournaments for the Olympics. He hit very well in the Americas qualifying tournament. He hit two home runs against Venezuela. He also had a game-winning hit against Canada.
Julio was one of the best hitters at the Olympics in Tokyo in 2021. He hit .417 in six games. In the bronze medal game, he hit a two-run home run. This helped his country win its first baseball medal. He said winning a medal for his country meant the world to him.
In the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Julio and his team faced tougher competition. He had five hits in four games. His team lost an elimination game to Puerto Rico.
Popularity and Personality
Julio is known by his nickname "J-Rod." He chose this nickname to honor former Mariner Alex Rodriguez.
Julio started learning English because his mother wanted him to. He began posting videos and texts in English with his hashtag "#JRodShow." He started doing interviews in English in 2018. In 2021, a Mariners executive made a negative comment about Julio's English. Julio responded on Twitter, saying he took it personally. The executive resigned the next day.
Julio was featured on Topps baseball cards in 2023. In 2023, the Mariners created a special fan section for him called the "J-Rod Squad." Julio also appeared in a Mariners TV commercial with Ichiro Suzuki.
Fox Sports made a documentary about Julio called "Welcome to the J-Rod Show." It first aired in July 2024.
Personal Life
Julio says he is motivated by anime. When he was a kid, he would run home to watch Naruto. As a rookie, he wore a chain with the character Naruto Uzumaki. He said it reminded him to never give up.
Julio started dating Canadian professional soccer player Jordyn Huitema in September 2022. She also won an Olympic medal in 2020.
In January 2023, Julio donated an ambulance to his hometown of Loma de Cabrera. Before this, the town did not have an ambulance. He also gave baseball equipment and toys to children there. In 2024, Julio started his own foundation called the No Limits Foundation. It organized toy drives for children in his hometown and in Seattle.
Awards and Achievements
- 2× Silver Slugger Award (AL Outfielder, 2022–23)
- Rookie of the Year Award (AL, 2022)
- All-MLB Second Team (AL Outfielder, 2022)
- Players Choice Award for AL Outstanding Rookie (2022)
- American League Player of the Month (August 2023)
See Also
- List of Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic
- List of Olympic medalists in baseball
- List of Silver Slugger Award winners at outfield
- Seattle Mariners award winners and league leaders
