Julio Rodriguez

Julio Rodriguez's Biography

Julio Yarnel Rodríguez Jr., also known as “J-Rod,” has achieved significant successes in his professional baseball career. Rodríguez was born on December 29, 2000, in a town called Loma de Cabrera situated in the Dominican Republic. This town is small, housing only around 20,000 residents, and it’s here that Julio was raised alongside his three siblings.

His mother was a dentist, and his father worked as an agricultural engineer. His father also had a profound influence on his early career in baseball. Rodríguez began playing baseball competitively at the tender age of ten. Despite his young age, he competed in a local league with children who were three to four years older than him.

When he turned twelve, his father became his coach and began training him in the catcher position given his build. Soon enough, Rodríguez had experienced a growth spurt at the age of thirteen, and consequent to his new physique, he altered his position to outfield.

His talent was undeniable even from a young age. At just twelve years old, during a local tournament, Rodríguez hit a ball to the wall against a 17-year-old pitcher with a hard-throwing reputation. This performance sparked the interest of several scouts.

At 16 years old, in July 2017, Rodríguez signed with the Seattle Mariners as an international free agent, a signing that earned him a staggering bonus of $1.75 million. His professional debut was made in 2018, with the Dominican Summer League Mariners at the Rookie level.

In 2019, Rodríguez started off with the Class A West Virginia Power, competing in the South Atlantic League. Unfortunately, he had to miss part of the season due to a fractured hand but was later promoted to the Class A-Advanced Modesto Nuts in the California League. This achievement positioned him as one of only three 18-year-olds playing High-A ball across all minor league baseball in 2019.

Julio played for the Peoria Javelinas in the Arizona Fall League after the regular season had ended, still 18 and the youngest player in the AFL. In May 2021, his career took a leaps step forward when he started playing with the Everett AquaSox. After a few months, he was promoted to the Double-A Arkansas Travelers and was selected to play in the All-Star Futures Game.

August 2021 held more fantastic news. Rodríguez was ranked No. 1 on the Mariners prospect list and No. 2 on the MLB top 100 prospect list. He was added to the Mariners’ 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft after the 2021 season came to a close. The following year, in April, Rodríguez made his major league debut on Opening Day, starting as the center fielder against the Minnesota Twins.

Rodríguez had a slow start in the season, with the first 21 games earning him one run. However, things took a turn for the better when he smashed his first career home run on May 1, against Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcántara. Rodriguéz’s performance earned him consecutive American League Rookie of the Month awards for May and June 2022.

His phenomenal performances continued, and he was selected for the 2022 MLB All-Star Game roster, a privilege that only five other Mariners rookies had been granted. Alongside this, Rodríguez also partook in the Home Run Derby, hitting 81 home runs across three rounds and emerging second, falling just short of Juan Soto.

Rodríguez was also the first player in major league history to join the 25–25 club in his debut season and the sixth player in Seattle Mariners history to join the 20–20 club. On April 7, 2023, he hit a tie-breaking two-run home run in the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians, becoming the fastest player in Mariners’ history to achieve 30 home runs, in only 140 games.

Rodríguez had an impressive record beyond his baseball career. His inspiration came from watching anime such as Naruto, and he proudly wore a chain with the character Naruto Uzumaki as a tangible reminder of Naruto’s tenacity.

In his personal life, Rodríguez began dating Canadian professional soccer player Jordyn Huitema in November 2022. He also made news in January 2023 when he showed his philanthropic side by donating an ambulance to the civil defense headquarters in his hometown, Loma de Cabrera, a town that previously did not have its own ambulance. In addition to this, he gifted baseball equipment and toys to the children in his birthplace.

Rodríguez showcases not only a promising talent in baseball, but also a character that is admirable both on and off the field. As a Dominican professional baseball player for the Seattle Mariners, Rodríguez has made an indelible mark on Major League Baseball.