Facing must-win Game 5, why Seattle's other MVP will be crucial to Mariners' chances

SEATTLE -- It went mostly unnoticed and overshadowed by his teammate's battle connected the grounds books, and mislaid amid the excitement of his team's prosperity, but Julio Rodriguez enactment unneurotic different 30/30 play this year. He and Bobby Witt Jr. are the lone players to bash it doubly earlier turning 25, and Rodríguez is the lone one, ever, to accumulate 110 location runs and 110 stolen bases done his archetypal 4 seasons successful the large leagues.

As the Seattle Mariners attack a winner-take-all Game 5 of their American League Division Series connected Friday, a batch of the unit volition autumn connected Rodríguez. He has been thing but a persistent root of velocity and powerfulness -- and elite center-field defence -- since shot fans archetypal fell successful emotion with him arsenic a 21-year-old successful 2022. And yet, the speech astir him ever seems to travel backmost to what helium hasn't yet done, who helium hasn't yet become.

Those astir him can't look to recognize it.

"It's amazing," Mariners president of shot operations Jerry Dipoto said. "Our expectations are truthful precocious due to the fact that of his carnal ability, the heights that we've seen. But he's played 4 years successful the large leagues. He's done things that, successful immoderate cases, nary different subordinate has ever done successful his archetypal 4 years. If you look astatine what he's accomplished, it ranks up determination with the champion 23- to 25-year-old players successful history. And yet, we inactive collectively expect more."

The deficiency of vulnerability that typically comes with playing for a smaller-market West Coast franchise mightiness origin into that. Residing connected the aforesaid squad arsenic Cal Raleigh successful a twelvemonth erstwhile helium acceptable a grounds for location runs by a switch-hitter, a catcher and a Mariner has undoubtedly played a part, too. So person the lofty expectations that came from being truthful good, truthful young. But immoderate underappreciation of Rodríguez's accomplishments mightiness besides stem from however his seasons play out.

They each commencement agonizingly slow, consistently making outsiders wonderment what has go of 1 of the sport's top talents -- conscionable earlier pivoting successful the different direction. It happened again successful 2025, but this time, Dipoto said, "the modulation constituent was different."

"In years past, you could conscionable spot it building, and helium would instrumentality off. This year, determination was nary prep time. It conscionable happened."

It began July 11, earlier a roadworthy bid against the aforesaid Detroit Tigers squad Rodríguez hopes to sound retired of the postseason. The Mariners had conscionable been swept astatine Yankee Stadium, and Rodríguez was slashing .244/.301/.386. Among the 155 qualified hitters astatine that point, his OPS ranked 125th. The players had voted him onto his 3rd All-Star team, but Rodríguez, aft consulting with immoderate of his seasoned teammates, declined. He needed to remainder his body, but besides wide his mind.

"It was a pugnacious decision," Rodríguez said, "but I deliberation that decidedly came with maturity. I would've loved to person been capable to spell to the All-Star Game and person a batch of amusive with the guys, seeing everybody. But connected the field, astatine that moment, I needed a break."

Rodríguez announced his determination connected the Friday earlier that play bid successful Detroit, past went 6-for-12 with 3 location runs and 2 stolen bases successful a three-game sweep. From that constituent forward, helium slashed .299/.356/.589 with 21 location runs and 15 stolen bases implicit a 68-game stretch. His .954 OPS was seventh highest successful the majors. His 3.8 fWAR was tied with Geraldo Perdomo for the astir among presumption players. All told, helium trailed lone Raleigh for the Mariners' pb successful location runs (32), trailed lone Randy Arozarena successful stolen bases (30) and was by acold the team's champion defensi...