Seattle Mariners rookie Julio Rodriguez joins another impressive list

Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez turned plenty of heads in his rookie season.

Rodriguez became the 12th player in MLB history to hit 20 homers and steal 20 bases in a season as a rookie. He burst onto the national stage with his impressive showing during the Home Run Derby. And he signed a long term extension that could last as long as 20 years and be worth as much as $450 million.

Sky appears to be the limit for Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez

As impressive as all of that has been, it does not match the ranks of all time greats that Rodriguez joined as a rookie. He had become the fifth centerfielder in MLB history to notch at least 5.0 bWAR as a rookie, joining a group of Tris Speaker, Mickey Mantle, Ken Griffey Jr., and Mike Trout.

He joined another exclusive group once the 2022 regular season came to a close. Rodriguez is one of four rookies in MLB history, joining Ted Williams, Albert Pujols, and Mike Trout as the only players to post a 145 OPS+ and 6.0+ bWAR. That is a pretty impressive group indeed.

it should not be a surprise that Rodriguez is joining such impressive lists. He put together an incredible rookie campaign, posting a .284/.345/.509 batting line in his 560 plate appearances, hitting 28 homers and 25 doubles while stealing 25 bases.

It is incredible to think that this is just the beginning. Rodriguez, in one year, has already carved his name into the history books and is amongst some of the greatest players in the game. Considering it is just one season, he is well on his way to becoming a possible superstar as well. The sky is the limit.

Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez joined another impressive list of players this season. He is well on his way to becoming a superstar.