Seattle Mariners centerfielder Julio Rodriguez (44) waits for a pitch during an at-bat against the Baltimore Orioles at T-Mobile Park. Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

Former Seattle Mariners INF, Current Radio Host, Discusses How Julio Rodriguez Can Grow

Originally posted on Seattle Mariners on SI
By Brady Farkas | Last updated Jul 18, 2025 4:45 PM ET

The Seattle Mariners open up the second half of the season on Friday night, and they'll be looking for Julio Rodriguez to keep up the positive momentum he had before the All-Star break.

Though the first half was frustrating for Rodriguez, he had six hits in three games against the Detroit Tigers, also walking four times. He homered in three straight games to end the first half. If the M's are going to improve upon their 51-45 record and get to the playoffs this season, Rodriguez having a better second half will be a big part of it.

Speaking on the latest edition of the Refuse to Lose podcast, former Mariners infielder and current KJR radio host Bucky Jacobsen talked about Rodriguez and what could help elevate him to the next level:

98% of the approach is proper, and that two percent is the most important two percent. Be on time. If you're not on time, you're not going to have a whole heck of a lot of success. So to me, I don't think he has to pick, am I a .295 or. 300 hitter with 20 homers or am I a .265 hitter with 35 homers? I think the guy's capable of being a .300 hitter with 35 homers. And we've watched him through spurts do that. The difference between big league guys and minor league guys, to me, is consistency, being able to repeat it, being able to be the same dude day after day after day. And he just hasn't figured that out yet at 24 years old, he has not figured it out. That's what his problem is, is consistency. And if he's not going to be on time, he's not going to be consistent. When he arrives at whatever maturity level he needs to get to, to where he understands the ebb and flow of 'I'm inside the baseball but on time is more important.' Once he figures that out, and we see it in spurts, he's going to put together a season and be the superstar that I think a lot of us deemed that he would be.

Jacobsen played with the Mariners in 2004, hitting nine home runs before injuries ended his career prematurely. He can be heard daily on the 'Chuck and Buck' show on 93.3 KJR.

You can hear his full interview in the podcast player below:

This article first appeared on Seattle Mariners on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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