Julio Rodriguez Shows Signs of Getting Hot for Mariners

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Joe Rutland | Last updated May 17, 2025 12:00 PM ET

Did you think, if you follow the Seattle Mariners , that Julio Rodriguez was just going to not play hard? Rodriguez is a stellar centerfielder, showing time and again that he can patrol the largest part of the park.

Yet he's been a notable slow starter at the plate in his career. But even Rodriguez is working hard to change that narrative. Rodriguez is showing signs of getting hot for Seattle. That would not be a bad thing for the current American League West Division-leading team.

Let's take a look at some of his numbers right now. Rodriguez is hitting .286 with an OPS of .818 in May alone, MLB.com reported. He's even worked hard to cut down on his strikeout percentage. In March and April, Rodriguez struck out at a 23.7-percent clip. In May, though, that's been slashed down to 11.5 percent.

WHAT A CATCH MADE BY JULIO RODRIGUEZ pic.twitter.com/SF9WAMTvmZ
— Dillard Barnhart (@BarnHasSpoken2) May 14, 2025

In his first three MLB seasons, Rodriguez just did not get out of the gate well. His at-bats were not good. At times, Rodriguez looked like he was flailing at anything off the plate. It takes time for a young player to develop true plate discipline.

He's been showing more of that discipline in May. With about half a month left, Rodriguez can set himself up for an awesome summer. All he has to do is keep his strikeout percentage down and his contact percentage up.

Mariners fans want to see Rodriguez succeed. They love his all-out effort and knowing that he can add a productive bat to the Mariners' lineup will bring them lots of joy.

Keep your eyes on Rodriguez throughout the summer. Let's see if he can post even better numbers than previous seasons.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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