As Julio Rodriguez Heats Up For Seattle Mariners, One Thing is Abundantly Clear
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Over the last three weeks, Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez has gotten hot at the plate. He homered in all three games before the All-Star break, and he's hitting .266 with six home runs over his last 15 games.
He recently made history, becoming the first player ever to start a career with four consecutive 20-20 seasons.
monday mood after a weekend series w ⬇️😆 pic.twitter.com/tlHSCsJ0TG
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) August 4, 2025
In addition, at least to this observer, Rodriguez seems to be playing with more joy on the field. Of course, the two undoubtedly go hand-in-hand: He's playing better, so he's smiling more, and vise versa. Regardless, the pure joy was something we often saw previously from Rodriguez, and it's been great to see it back again. It's been present at the plate, on the bases, and in center field.
NO. FLY. ZONE.
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) August 2, 2025
🙅♂️🙅♂️🙅♂️ pic.twitter.com/tXzS6J1F5c
You could just tell, even from watching, that Rodriguez was disappointed by his start to the season, and that the frustration was mounting. His approach at the plate was off, and he was trying to find himself. He even pulled out of the All-Star Game, citing a need to rest and recover for the second half. He looked like a player putting pressure on himself and struggling to find answers, which clearly sapped him of his trademark smile, at least consistently.
The Mariners are a different team when Rodriguez is playing well, and he's a different player when he's playing with energy and joy. It likely helps that he's forged a solid bond with Randy Arozarena, who is also an expressive player. Eugenio Suarez bringing the 'good vibes only' back to Seattle likely helps too.
We talked more about this on the Refuse to Lose podcast, which came out on Tuesday. You can listen to the episode in the player below:
Related Stories on Seattle Mariners
NEW PODCAST IS HERE: Brady is back on a Tuesday, talking about the series win over the Texas Rangers, the history made by Julio Rodriguez, energy around the organization and much more. Furthermore, he's joined by World Baseball Classic expert Shawn Spradling, who talks about the slew of M's that could play in the event next spring. CLICK HERE:
JULIO PASSES A-ROD: Julio Rodriguez just passed Alex Rodriguez for the most 20-20 seasons in team history, a tremendous feat for the 24-year old. CLICK HERE:
LUIS TORRENS SIGHTING: The former Mariners catcher took the mound for the Mets on Monday, making some history, but M's fans have already seen that. CLICK HERE:
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