JRod on the OD roster?

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D-train
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JRod on the OD roster?

Post by D-train » Mon Oct 11, 2021 6:07 pm

By Corey Brock 5h ago 19
In the spring of 1989, a precocious and supremely talented 19-year-old outfielder played his way onto the Mariners’ Opening Day roster despite only having played in 129 minor league games, including only 17 at the Double-A level.

Yes, things worked out pretty well for Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr.

Not at all drawing comparisons to Griffey, but is there any reason why 20-year-old Mariners’ outfielder Julio Rodríguez can’t kick down the door in a similar fashion and play his way onto the Opening Day roster?

With Rodríguez, who turns 21 on Dec. 29, the Mariners won’t rule that possibility out.

“With Julio, there is no unrealistic expectation,” Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said last week. “I wouldn’t put anything past him.”

Rodríguez is coming off a season where he slashed a combined .347/.441/.560 in 74 games between High-A Everett and Double-A Arkansas. He hit 13 home runs, knocked in 47 runs and stole 21 bases.

“Honestly, I don’t know if he could have had a better year,” Dipoto said. “Among hitters at the full-season level, Julio finish in the top two or three in batting average, on-base percentage, wRC+ … and he did it while being one of the youngest players in the league. It was a remarkable year.”

Rodríguez frequently recorded some of the top exit velocities in the minor leagues in 2021, including a best of 117.4 mph.

Rodríguez was limited to 74 games because he spent time with the Dominican Republic national team — first in the Olympic qualifier and later the summer games in Tokyo, where he hit .417 and earned a bronze medal. But the Mariners don’t think of this as lost development time.

If anything, the international experience — especially playing against older players — actually helped Rodríguez.


“There wasn’t as much volume, but the experiences he had, those are lifetime moments and they probably did more for his growth than another 100-150 plate appearances,” Dipoto said.

The Mariners anticipate going into spring training with Mitch Haniger in right field and Jarred Kelenic in center field — if Kyle Lewis, coming off knee surgery is not in a spot to win that job. That would leave an opening in left field. If Lewis is ready, he could play center, Rodríguez could play right and Kelenic might slide over to left, allowing Haniger to be the designated hitter.

Anyway, there’s a lot to be settled with the roster before Opening Day, as Dipoto stated last week.

But it’s clear the Mariners won’t stand in the way of Rodríguez or place limitations on him at this point.

“Julio will come to spring training with everyone else with an opportunity to make the team,” Dipoto said. “But his real chances will be defined by what we do in the offseason. But we don’t have (many) players who are more talented than Julio.”

Rodríguez, who was in Seattle last week to accept a minor-league award, said he was energized just by watching the Mariners play the Angels in front of three sold-out crowds. He’d like nothing more than to be a part of that in 2022.

“I’m going to go out there and compete, like I do,” Rodríguez said. “Even if they say I don’t got a shot … I’m definitely going to go compete. That’s what I do.”


Rodríguez said he will skip playing this winter in the Dominican Republic and instead train in Tampa and also Arizona, where he is headed this week to take part in the team’s high-performance camp, where the club has eschewed the traditional instructional league format in order to improve the mind, body and character of its participants. There’s even a strong emphasis placed on nutrition.

In February, Rodríguez will report to spring training in Arizona, ready to compete for a job. For as focused as Rodríguez is, he admits he’ll occasionally let his mind drift to the future, where he’s in Seattle, playing alongside his close friend Kelenic, helping the Mariners win important games.

If nothing else, taking in his first Mariners game last weekend before a sold-out crowd got him even more excited about the future and the possibilities.

“I don’t know how close it feels, but it feels good. … This stadium being packed was surreal,” Rodríguez said. “This is my first time coming to a Mariners game. I feel like it was the best thing I’ve seen in my life. This is what I want. All game, I was imagining what it would be like to be out there. I was literally getting chills thinking about myself playing with these guys in front of 47,000 fans.”
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Re: JRod on the OD roster?

Post by D-train » Mon Oct 11, 2021 6:11 pm

Jesus if Lewis is still out almost a YEAR after that knee injury its all over but the cryin for him.
The Mariners anticipate going into spring training with Mitch Haniger in right field and Jarred Kelenic in center field — if Kyle Lewis, coming off knee surgery is not in a spot to win that job. That would leave an opening in left field. If Lewis is ready, he could play center, Rodríguez could play right and Kelenic might slide over to left, allowing Haniger to be the designated hitter.
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Re: JRod on the OD roster?

Post by D-train » Mon Oct 11, 2021 6:15 pm

This is interesting and a little odd.
“Julio will come to spring training with everyone else with an opportunity to make the team,” Dipoto said. “But his real chances will be defined by what we do in the offseason. But we don’t have (many) players who are more talented than Julio.”
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Re: JRod on the OD roster?

Post by bpj » Mon Oct 11, 2021 6:17 pm

I'm glad Dipoto pointed out his chances to make the roster depend what they do in the offseason. I hope they don't make it easy on him, Mitch is only here 1 year and we should be fighting for the playoffs, not experimenting with more kids, even if they "aren't like other prospects we've had".

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Re: JRod on the OD roster?

Post by D-train » Mon Oct 11, 2021 6:19 pm

bpj wrote:
Mon Oct 11, 2021 6:17 pm
I'm glad Dipoto pointed out his chances to make the roster depend what they do in the offseason. I hope they don't make it easy on him, Mitch is only here 1 year and we should be fighting for the playoffs, not experimenting with more kids, even if they "aren't like other prospects we've had".
Yeah but it sounds like JD envisions a scenario where it would be easy. Like if they don't add to the OF he's in like flint.
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Pharmabro
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Re: JRod on the OD roster?

Post by Pharmabro » Mon Oct 11, 2021 6:51 pm

D-train wrote:
Mon Oct 11, 2021 6:19 pm
bpj wrote:
Mon Oct 11, 2021 6:17 pm
I'm glad Dipoto pointed out his chances to make the roster depend what they do in the offseason. I hope they don't make it easy on him, Mitch is only here 1 year and we should be fighting for the playoffs, not experimenting with more kids, even if they "aren't like other prospects we've had".
Yeah but it sounds like JD envisions a scenario where it would be easy. Like if they don't add to the OF he's in like flint.
ORRR,
JRod is traded / Mitch is traded / Kelenic traded/ Lewis traded

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Coeurd’Alene J
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Re: JRod on the OD roster?

Post by Coeurd’Alene J » Mon Oct 11, 2021 8:07 pm

D-train wrote:
Mon Oct 11, 2021 6:19 pm
bpj wrote:
Mon Oct 11, 2021 6:17 pm
I'm glad Dipoto pointed out his chances to make the roster depend what they do in the offseason. I hope they don't make it easy on him, Mitch is only here 1 year and we should be fighting for the playoffs, not experimenting with more kids, even if they "aren't like other prospects we've had".
Yeah but it sounds like JD envisions a scenario where it would be easy. Like if they don't add to the OF he's in like flint.
And or they trade Mitch

Captain 97
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Re: JRod on the OD roster?

Post by Captain 97 » Tue Oct 12, 2021 4:05 pm

I think if they were going to trade Mitch he would have been gone already. Mitch will be around at least until the deadline next year.

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D-train
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Re: JRod on the OD roster?

Post by D-train » Tue Oct 12, 2021 4:18 pm

Captain 97 wrote:
Tue Oct 12, 2021 4:05 pm
I think if they were going to trade Mitch he would have been gone already. Mitch will be around at least until the deadline next year.
Yeah zero chance he is trade especially after achieving hero status the final week.
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ice99
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Re: JRod on the OD roster?

Post by ice99 » Thu Oct 14, 2021 12:46 am

JRod starting a YouTube channel. I'll be watching. I don't know how to show a tweet.

https://twitter.com/J_RODshow/status/14 ... 4893572098

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