Topps Fire is back again this year. In September, I went to a card shop to get some packs of 2022 Topps Fire. For me, I would like to get some cool rookie cards.
After opening some packs, I found a Julio Rodriguez rookie card. It’s my first Julio Rodriguez card. Julio Rodriguez has a great 2022 season to begin his career. And, that makes me think about his future with the Mariners. Is he going to be another great Rodriguez?
Alex Rodriguez made his MLB debut on July 8, 1994. Back then, he was just 18 years old. He played 17 games in 1994, slashing .204/.241/.204 with 2 RBI. A-Rod didn’t crush any home runs in his first season with the Mariners. The next season, he played 48 games for the Mariners, hitting .232/.264/.408 with 5 home runs and 19 RBI. A-Rod’s numbers weren’t so impressive in his first two seasons with the Mariners. However, in 1996, his third season with the Mariners, A-Rod became an All-Star. In 1996, Alex Rodriguez batted .358/.414/.631 with 36 home runs and 123 RBI. Additionally, A-Rod had 15 stolen bases. A-Rod led the majors with a batting average of .358 and he received his first Silver Slugger award. Furthermore, A-Rod finished 2nd in the AL MVP voting. A-Rod did have a fantastic season in 1996 and it was his first time playing 100+ games in a single season. Nonetheless, the Mariners didn’t clinch a playoff berth in the 1996 season.
Now, let’s look at Julio Rodriguez’s performance this year. He made the Mariners Opening Day roster. However, he didn’t collect any hits in the first game in the Mariners uniform. He picked up his first career hit, which was a double, in the second game, but in the first series of his career, the double was the only hit he had. In April, he only batted .205/.284/.260 with 6 RBI. Nevertheless, Julio Rodriguez gradually heated up and was selected to the 2022 All-Star game. In the first half of the 2022 season, he slashed .275/.337/.477 with 16 home runs and 52 RBI in 91 games. In the second half of the 2022 season, Julio Rodriguez hit .303/.361/.576 with 12 home runs and 23 RBI in 41 games. He missed some playing time due to injuries.
Playing in the big leagues isn’t easy. But, in the early twenties, these two players each became an All-Star. In 1996, Alex Rodriguez became a Silver Slugger award winner and was very close to becoming an AL MVP. This season, it’s highly possible to see Julio Rodriguez win the AL Rookie of the Year award and his future looks quite promising. In total, Alex Rodriguez spent 7 seasons with the Mariners, hitting .309/.374/.561 with 189 home runs, 595 RBI and 133 stolen bases. During these 7 seasons, the Mariners clinched a playoff berth 3 times. Julio Rodriguez and the Mariners agreed to a contract extension and it seems that he’s going to be the cornerstone player for years. If he stays healthy, will he surpass A-Rod’s numbers in the Mariners organization? Most importantly, how many times will he and the Mariners play October baseball?
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