Julio Rodriguez Makes a Little Personal History With Home Run in Seattle Mariners Win
In this story:
The Seattle Mariners beat the Minnesota Twins 11-2 on Monday night as Julio Rodriguez finally connected on his 11th home run of the season.
Lacing a 1-2 changeup from Bailey Ober in the top of the third inning, Rodriguez rifled the ball out to left center field, making a little personal history in the process.
Per Sarah Langs of MLB.com:
JULIOOO
This pitch was 1.40 ft above the ground, the second-lowest pitch he’s homered off of in his career
JULIOOO
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) June 24, 2025
This pitch was 1.40 ft above the ground, the second-lowest pitch he’s homered off of in his career https://t.co/4HzBcLkaPP
Rodriguez has been guilty of chasing pitches most of the season, so for him to finally connect on something out of the zone is refreshing for everyone to see. Furthermore, it was nice to see Rodriguez hit the ball in the air after a seasons worth of ground balls. (He's in the ninth percentile of chase rate, per Baseball Savant).
Despite his general struggles at elevating the ball, he is still hitting .254 with 39 RBIs. He also has a 113 OPS+ and should be in consideration for his third All-Star Game appearance. He still runs the bases well and plays elite defense in center field.
In addition to his homer, he also had a two-RBI double in the top of the ninth inning, finishing the game at 2-for-5. Cal Raleigh also went 2-for-5, hitting his 32nd homer of the season.
The Mariners are now 40-37 and remain 4.5 games back of the Houston Astros in the American League West. They'll take on the Twins again on Tuesday afternoon at 4:40 p.m. PT.
Related Stories on Seattle Mariners
NEW PODCAST IS OUT: Brady is back on a Tuesday, talking about the impact that Cal Raleigh's season is having, beyond just the box score contributions. Furthermore, he talks about Julio Rodriguez's approach issues and what he wants to see, and we talk about if Raleigh will be able to handle all the increased attention he's going to get. Furthermore, former Mariners infielder Jeff Schaefer stops by with some great stories from the early 1990s M's. CLICK HERE:
FORMER M's SLUGGER FINDS NEW HOME: Mike Ford, who was with the Mariners in 2022 and 2023, will play in Japan again after signing a new deal with the Yokohama BayStars. CLICK HERE:
THE NEW FACE: According to veteran radio host Dave "Softy" Mahler, Cal Raleigh is the face of Seattle Sports. Do you agree? CLICK HERE:
Follow Seattle Mariners on SI on social media
Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on "X" @Teren_Kowatsch and @RefuseToLosePod. You can subscribe to the "Refuse to Lose" podcast by clicking HERE.
