Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez Just Got Epic Company in Seattle Mariners History
In this story:
The Seattle Mariners turned in a clunker on Friday night, losing 3-2 to the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. The loss drops the M's to 55-49, but more importantly, it means they didn't pick up a game on the Houston Astros, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, all of which lost.
Seattle remains five back of Houston in the American League West and currently sits in the No. 2 spot in the wild card picture.
Despite the loss, it was an excellent day at the plate for Julio Rodriguez, who went 2-for-5 with two home runs and two RBIs. He now has 17 homers for the season, and three homers for the series.
He also joined some franchise legends in team history, per @MarinersPR:
This marks the 5th multi-HR game of Julio Rodríguez's career (last: 9/20/24 at TEX).
He is just the 3rd @Mariners player to record 5+ multi-HR games at age-24-or-younger, joining Ken Griffey Jr. (14) and Alex Rodriguez (14).
This marks the 5th multi-HR game of Julio Rodríguez's career (last: 9/20/24 at TEX).
— Mariners PR (@MarinersPR) July 26, 2025
He is just the 3rd @Mariners player to record 5+ multi-HR games at age-24-or-younger, joining Ken Griffey Jr. (14) and Alex Rodriguez (14). https://t.co/9Ntka8WM3v
Joining Griffey and Alex Rodriguez in any category of team history is a huge accomplishment, considering they are arguably the two most talented players in franchise history.
In total, Junior played 22 years with the Mariners, Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox. Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016, he was also an MVP winner and a 10-time Gold Glover.
Drafted No. 1 overall in the 1993 MLB Draft, Alex Rodriguez made his debut with the Mariners in 1994, staying through the 2000 season. He made the All-Star team four times with the Mariners and won a batting title in 1996. He also hit 42 homers and stole 46 bases in an incredible 1998 season. He helped the Mariners to the playoffs in the 1995, 1997 and 2000 campaigns.
Julio Rodriguez is now hitting .255 for the season. He's a three-time All-Star and a two-time Silver Slugger already.
The Mariners and Angels will play again on Saturday at 6:38 p.m. PT.
Related Stories on Seattle Mariners
NEW PODCAST IS HERE: Brady is back on a Friday, reacting to a win over the Angels and the M's acquisition of Josh Naylor. Furthermore, he talks about Julio Rodriguez's history-making day at the plate and he's joined by Japanese baseball insider @GaijinBaseball, who talks about Ichiro in advance of the Hall of Fame induction. CLICK HERE:
PRIORITIES STRAIGHT: As the trade deadline nears, the Mariners are reportedly zeroing in on a specific target. CLICK HERE:
LEGENDS UNITE: The Mariners will have a full contingent at the Baseball Hall of Fame next weekend, as Ken Griffey Jr. and Edgar Martinez will be in attendance for Ichiro's Hall of Fame induction. 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.
