Hello everyone, welcome back to another edition of Top Fantasy Keepers.
As we head into the All-Star break, I want to focus on one All-Star who will be making his first appearance in the game but certainly not his last. That player is rookie Julio Rodriguez of the Seattle Mariners.
Rodriguez is the lone rookie All-Star this year, making the roster at the age of 21 – and he won’t turn 22 until December 29! The last Mariners rookie to make the All-Star game was Ichiro Suzuki in 2001, putting Rodriguez into some pretty great company.
Not a Surprise
The fact that Rodriguez is an All-Star shouldn’t be a huge surprise. He was one of the top prospects during the 2017-18 international signing period and eventually signed with Seattle for $1.75 million. In 59 games in the Dominican Summer league that year, he had an OPS of .929. The next year, at the age of 18, he slashed .326/.390/.540 with 12 homers and 69 RBI in 84 games across A and High A ball.
COVID wiped out the 2020 season for minor leaguers, but he put up great numbers again in 2021 at High-A and Double-A, slashing .347/.444/.560 with 13 homers, 47 RBI and 21 steals. The only thing that slowed Rodriguez down while in the minors was a left hand fracture in 2019 and then a broken wrist during Seattle’s summer camp in 2020.
The Mariners have been aggressive in pushing Rodriguez through the system, and after proving he could handle minor league pitchers, Rodriguez earned a spot on the Opening Day roster.
Not everything has been smooth sailing for the rookie. However, as the season has progressed, so too has his production.
Please, blog, may I have some more?
