The Mariners have spent much of their 2026 season trying to make sense of a team that simply hasn’t lived up to the billing. Injuries have played a part, sure, but the bigger issue is that even when the key names are on the field, the production hasn’t been there.
Cal Raleigh has drawn plenty of the spotlight, but Julio Rodriguez has his own share of explaining to do. ESPN’s David Schoenfield pointed to a troubling pattern that reaches beyond this season and into what the Mariners can reasonably expect from Rodriguez moving forward.
“But his batting average and on-base percentage have declined each season as he hasn't made the adjustments we've seen other players make, such as Pete Crow-Armstrong this season," Schoenfield writes. "At times, J-Rod has been one of the top all-around players in the league -- the Mariners can only hope that 2026 won't be a permanent step backward."
The numbers back up the concern. Since his rookie year, Rodriguez has seen both his batting average and on-base percentage slide every single season. He opened with a .284 average in 2022, then went to .275, .273 and .267 over the next three seasons before falling to .245 this year.
The on-base trend has been just as steady in the wrong direction. Rodriguez posted a .345 OBP as a rookie, then dipped to .333 in 2023, .325 in 2024 and .324 in 2025. This season, he’s down to .306.
Even with those declines, Rodriguez has still been a useful offensive player. He owns a .708 OPS and a 104 OPS+, which remains above league average. But the gradual erosion of his production is what stands out, and it’s hard to ignore when it’s happening year after year.
Schoenfield also flagged a defensive drop-off that the Mariners can’t love. Rodriguez went from plus-9 runs saved last season to minus-4 runs saved in 2026, a significant swing for a player the team needs to anchor things on both sides of the ball.
For Seattle, that combination is the real concern. Rodriguez is still young enough to matter for the long haul, but the evidence from this season points in the wrong direction.
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The encouraging part is that X-rays came back negative, which at least removes one obvious worry from the equation. Even so, Seattle will keep a close watch on Montes and decide whether anything else needs to be done, a reminder that the margins for a young player can get thin fast when a hard collision sends him from the field to the training room. [Read more 🡒]
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Julio Rodrguez Got Dragged Into A Viral Yankees Game Rumor
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Rodrguez and Mariners bullpen catcher Justin Novak later cleared up the confusion, saying the ball did strike the pigeon but did not kill it. The bird was only concussed, then looked after by the grounds crew and bullpen members during the game, even as the crowd kept chanting pigeon killer at Rodrguez. [Read more 🡒]