An ESPN look at him, interesting, what he has accomplished and the criticism he gets. He's the first player ever to have 110 home runs and 110 stolen bases through their first four seasons. When he declined the All Star game is when he turned the season around
As the Seattle Mariners approach a winner-take-all Game 5 of their American League Division Series on Friday, a lot of the pressure will fall on Rodríguez. He has been nothing but a persistent source of speed and power -- and elite center-field defense -- since baseball fans first fell in love with him as a 21-year-old in 2022. And yet, the conversation about him always seems to come back to what he hasn't yet done, who he hasn't yet become.
his seasons
They all start agonizingly slow, consistently making outsiders wonder what has become of one of the sport's greatest talents -- just before pivoting in the other direction. It happened again in 2025, but this time, Dipoto said, "the transition point was different."
"In years past, you could just see it building, and he would take off. This year, there was no prep time. It just happened."
It began July 11, before a road series against the same Detroit Tigers team Rodríguez hopes to knock out of the postseason. The Mariners had just been swept at Yankee Stadium, and Rodríguez was slashing .244/.301/.386. Among the 155 qualified hitters at that point, his OPS ranked 125th. The players had voted him onto his third All-Star team, but Rodríguez, after consulting with some of his veteran teammates, declined. He needed to rest his body, but also clear his mind.
"It was a tough decision," Rodríguez said, "but I think that definitely came with maturity. I would've loved to have been able to go to the All-Star Game and have a lot of fun with the guys, seeing everybody. But on the field, at that moment, I needed a break."
Rodríguez announced his decision on the Friday before that weekend series in Detroit, then went 6-for-12 with 3 home runs and 2 stolen bases in a three-game sweep. From that point forward, he slashed .299/.356/.589 with 21 home runs and 15 stolen bases over a 68-game stretch. His .954 OPS was seventh highest in the majors. His 3.8 fWAR was tied with Geraldo Perdomo for the most among position players. All told, he trailed only Raleigh for the Mariners' lead in home runs (32), trailed only Randy Arozarena in stolen bases (30) and was by far the team's best defensive player with 10 outs above average.
he does actually work at it
Incorporating a high-tee drill used by Raleigh -- one that kept Rodríguez's hands steady, prevented him from overstriding and ultimately turned a lot of his ground balls into line drives -- helped sync up Rodríguez's mechanics. But bowing out of the All-Star Game, a decision Dipoto saw as a sign of "huge growth" from one of his franchise players, functioned as a mental and emotional release.
"I just feel like everything started to flow after that," Rodríguez said. "I feel like I put myself in a better position mentally, physically, and I feel like that's where everything really clicked for me."
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