Mariners rookie Julio Rodriguez selected to 2022 All-Star Game
The fans at T-Mobile Park rose to their feet as the announcement flashed across the video board Sunday afternoon.
Julio Rodriguez, warming up in his familiar spot in center field ahead of the sixth inning, raised his cap from his head and twirled it in the air as they cheered.
“To see the crowd like that, the standing ovation when I was on the field, to see that on the big screen, it really touched me, honestly,” Rodriguez said after the Mariners closed out a four-game sweep of the Blue Jays in front of a packed ballpark.
The 2022 MLB All-Star Game will be played next week in Los Angeles — and Seattle’s 21-year-old rookie sensation is set to make his way to Dodger Stadium.
Rodriguez, who made his major league debut on Opening Day, and has become a staple in the Mariners’ lineup in the four months since, was selected to the American League team Sunday, when full rosters for the game were announced by MLB.
He is the youngest player and only rookie selected to game this summer, and was the only Mariners player selected during Sunday’s announcement.
He is also the fifth player in Mariners history to become an All-Star his rookie season, and the third named to the game at 21 years old or younger.
“I got pretty excited when I found out I was going to be a part of the All-Star team,” Rodriguez said pregame Sunday. “It’s like a dream. It’s like a dream that I had as a kid, and being able to achieve that right now, in my first year, I’m definitely really excited about the work that I’ve done.”
Rodriguez made his debut on April 8 as Seattle’s starting center fielder, and has played in 86 games this season, starting in the outfield on a daily basis while also providing a consistent spark for the Mariners on offense.
Entering the week, he is hitting .274/.334/.477 with 50 runs scored, 17 doubles, two triples, 15 home runs and 44 RBI, while his 21 stolen bases are tied for the AL lead.
Rodriguez’s runs scored, total hits (89), home runs and RBI currently lead all rookies, and his doubles are tied for the most to this point.
His production in the first half also earned him back-to-back AL Rookie of the Month nods in May and June.
“I feel really proud of myself,” he said. “I feel really proud of the work that I’ve been putting in. I’m happy.”
Rodriguez also leads the Mariners in stolen bases and runs scored, and is tied for the team lead in total hits (89), doubles, triples and home runs.
During Seattle’s recent stretch of victories — the Mariners have won 16 of 19 games dating back to June 21 — he is hitting 22-for-72 (.306) with 20 runs scored, four doubles, a triple, seven of his home runs and 14 RBI.
“I’m really excited for Julio, and I think he was able to really turn it on at a moment that we needed it as a team and an organization,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said postgame Sunday.
The 2022 MLB All-Star Game will be played July 19. Full rosters for both the AL and NL teams are available at MLB.com.
This story was originally published July 10, 2022 at 3:03 PM with the headline "Mariners rookie Julio Rodriguez selected to 2022 All-Star Game."
