The Seattle Mariners needed a response on Monday night, and Julio Rodriguez gave them one - with a swing that pushed him into a lane all his own in club history.
After Seattle was battered 19-2 by the Chicago Cubs on Sunday, the Mariners came home to T-Mobile Park looking for a quick reset against the Philadelphia Phillies. They got it immediately in the first inning, and Rodriguez was right in the middle of the surge.
Seattle trailed 1-0 when Randy Arozarena opened the bottom of the first with a seven-pitch walk and Dominic Canzone followed with a single. Then Rodriguez unloaded on the next pitch he saw, launching a three-run homer to center field for his 18th of the season. It was the first home run of the inning for the Mariners and the one that put Rodriguez in the record book as a club of one.
The offense kept rolling after that. Cal Raleigh added a one-out, two-run blast to right field three batters later, stretching the lead to 5-1.
Rodriguez’s blast was another milestone in a career that has already made him one of the defining faces of the franchise. He debuted in 2022, has been an All-Star in three of his five seasons, and has helped the Mariners reach the playoffs twice since 2001, while also being part of their first American League West title since that season.
His career has also come with its familiar early-season bumps, though the second half has often been his stage for a surge. This year has flipped that script a bit. Through 121 games, Rodriguez is hitting .249/.312/.414 with a .726 OPS, along with 18 doubles, 20 homers, 56 RBIs and 16 stolen bases in 19 attempts.
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Mariners Farm System Suddenly Has Three Names Fans Need To Watch
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Seattles system also has plenty going on elsewhere. Reese, the clubs 2026 first-round pick, has been productive in Single-A with a strong batting average and on-base profile, while High-A catcher Luke Stevenson has paired a lower batting average with real impact, including 18 home runs, 74 RBIs and a healthy walk rate. The three names give the Mariners a useful snapshot of why the prospect conversation has picked up again, even if each player still has a different next step to prove. [Read more 🡒]