Julio Rodriguez Rewrites Personal History With Home Run Against Athletics

The Seattle Mariners superstar crushed a go-ahead homer in the series finale on Sunday. The M's ultimately won the game 2-1, splitting the series.

Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez poses for a portrait during media day Feb. 20 at Peoria Sports Complex. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners secured a split in the first series of the season against the Athletics on Sunday. The win came courtesy came of a monster two-run homer from Julio Rodriguez in the sixth inning.

Rodriguez's home run went 113.8 mph off the bat and traveled 438 feet. It was his first long ball of the season and the 81st of his career, but it stood out as one of his best.

Liftoff for Julio! 🚀 pic.twitter.com/a9qinRsGdB

— MLB (@MLB) March 30, 2025

According to a tweet from Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports on "X"), it was the third hardest-hit home run of Rodriguez's career. The two harder-hit homers both came in Rodriguez's American League Rookie of the Year season in 2022. That stat was confirmed by the Marines PR in postgame notes.

JULIOOOO

113.3 mph
81.6 mph bat speed

That’s the third-hardest hit home run of his career. The two harder were both in ‘22 https://t.co/5aQtDjjxDo

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) March 30, 2025

"Julio — the big blast — that ball was crushed," Seattle manager Dan Wilson said in a postgame interview Sunday. "Came very timely. That was really the difference."

Rodriguez hit .273 with 20 home runs and 68 RBIs in 2024.

Rodriguez, last season, was held to 143 games last year after suffering an ankle sprain right after the All-Star break. That injury kept him on the shelf for three weeks and out of the outfield for roughly a month.

The Mariners' franchise star has dealt with slow starts all three years he's been in the majors. He received more at-bats in spring training this season than he has any other year in efforts of avoiding that same situation again. Through four games in 2025, Rodriguez is hitting .167 (2-for-12) with a home run, two RBIs, three walks and two steals.

Rodriguez will have a chance to pick up where he left on Sunday in Game 1 of a three-game set against the Detroit Tigers at 6:40 p.m. PT on Monday.

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