The All-Star Argument For Mariners OF Julio Rodríguez
At best, the Mariners will have just one representative at the 2022 MLB All-Star Game on July 19, and for a while it looked as if that would be Ty France—and it still might be, considering he's second in voting for American League first baseman. But France is currently sitting on the 10-day injured list with a Grade 2 flexor strain in his left elbow and may not be able to return in time for the "Midsummer Classic."
Every team is guaranteed at least one All-Star each season, but if France is selected and winds up not being able to play, he can be replaced with any player from any AL team. In other words: there is a growing likelihood Seattle could end up without a rep altogether.
But instead of going to such drastic measures, allow me to offer an alternative: a highly marketable 21-year old outfielder who's on the cusp of winning his second consecutive Rookie of the Month award.
I am, of course, talking about one Julio Yamel Rodríguez.
Heading into the final day of June, Rodríguez is slashing .275/.334/.460 and ranks fifth amongst AL outfielders in fWAR (2.4), seventh in wRC+ (132), ninth in home runs (12), 10th in RBI (38) and first in stolen bases (19). On top of that, he's been a plus defender in centerfield, placing in the 90th percentile in outs above average, and is in a three-way tie as the 13th-fastest player in baseball based on sprint speed (29.5 feet per second).
He's electric.
He's explosive.
He's a dadgum playmaker.
While the All-Star Game is primarily about honoring players' success through the first half of the season, it's also about putting the best talent—and product—on the field. Rodríguez is a surefire bet to entertain better than many of his peers and introduce himself to a national fanbase that may not truly be aware of just how good he is, which is thanks in part to his club's geographical location and its struggles this season.
That's certainly been reflected in the All-Star voting process, which has Rodríguez 12th amongst AL outfielders. In front him are the likes of Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Teoscar Hernández, Michael Brantley and Andrew Benintendi—good and even great players, to be sure, but none of which have put together a better résumé across the board than Rodríguez has in the first half.
All-Star teams tend to carry six outfielders plus two or three designated hitters. Barring injury, we can assume Mike Trout, Aaron Judge and Taylor Ward will make up the AL's starting outfield trio. It is also likely that Benintendi will be the Royals' lone representative.
Injury wise, Brantley would be a strong contender but was recently placed on the 10-day IL with a shoulder issue.
Therefore, that realistically leaves a group consisting of Rodríguez, Kyle Tucker, George Springer, Byron Buxton, Luis Robert, Andrew Vaughn, Adolis García and Giancarlo Stanton to vie for two spots. While Rodríguez falls towards the bottom of the group in home runs and RBI, he's hitting for a higher average than five of them, getting on base at a same clip or better than five of them, has a higher wRC+ than three of them and has the most steals of anyone.
It should also be mentioned that if the injury that forced Astros outfielder/designated hitter Yordan Álvarez to be carted out of Wednesday's game against the Mets is a long-term issue, Stanton could make it as a second DH alongside J.D. Martinez of the Red Sox. So could Vaughn or Buxton, who've each logged a decent amount of games at the spot this year.
The one thing that could prevent Vaughn, Buxton and even Ward from making it is missed time. While all three have had incredible seasons thus far, they've also played roughly 20 fewer games than the likes of Rodríguez, Tucker, García and Springer. Of course, that makes their accomplishments all the more impressive, especially for those that have registered a higher fWAR than those with 70 or more games played. But it is something that unavoidably winds up being taken into account during this process.
Frankly, in order for Rodríguez to make it, a lot of things will have to swing his way. That possibly includes at least two of Vaughn, Buxton and Ward being dinged for their limited action and Álvarez's injury opening the door for Stanton to DH. Rodríguez hasn't been better than Tucker, who should be an automatic recipient of one of the final outfield spots, but you can make a strong case he's more deserving than Springer, Robert or García.
| Julio Rodríguez | George Springer | Luis Robert | Adolis García | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
AVG | .275 | .258 | .294 | .259 |
OBP | .334 | .334 | .323 | .297 |
SLG | .460 | .496 | .431 | .490 |
HR | 12 | 15 | 8 | 15 |
RBI | 38 | 36 | 38 | 49 |
SB | 19 | 7 | 11 | 11 |
wRC+ | 132 | 131 | 116 | 121 |
fWAR | 2.4 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 2.2 |
The other thing to keep an eye on here is that Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo is picking up ground on France in the ballot, trailing him by roughly 107,000 votes as of June 27. The top two vote-getters at the position are guaranteed to make it, so if France falls to third, that could potentially eliminate the scenario where he gets in and is eventually replaced by a non-Mariner.
That may be the best possible outcome for Mariners fans who care about the All-Star Game and want to see at least one of their players participate in it. If that's how this plays out, considering Rodríguez's big-league success and the star aura he already carries, he should get the nod.
