There is no doubt that Julio Rodríguez is causing a sensation in his first season in Major League Baseball (MLB). The one from Loma de Cabrera is not only helping the Seattle Mariners to fight for the wild card in the American League, but he is already achieving records.
Despite his team losing 3-1 at home to the Washington Nationals on Wednesday, the 21-year-old outfielder stole the cheers by hitting a home run for the only run scored by his team.
The interesting thing is that, with that sablazo, Rodríguez reached the 20 home runs in his initial season in MLB. That added to his 20 stolen bases, they achieve a record that only his countryman Fernando Tatis Jr. had previously achieved.
As of this day, the one born in Loma de Cabrera became the second player in the entire history of the Majors, along with El Niño, to achieve twenty home runs and stolen bases, although unlike the San Diego Padres player , he did it in more time, with 107 games.
But there is more. Rodríguez is the second player in Mariners history to join the select club 20/20 in MLB, after Mike Cameron in 2002; and he is the fourth to do so in his debut year, along with Tatis Jr., Mitchell Page and Ellis Burk.
data from july 20-20 rodriguez
To put Rodríguez’s 20-20 in context, let’s take into account the following:
- It’s just the 10th 20-20 season in Mariners history, accomplished by just five players: Ruppert Jones (1979), Phil Bradley (’85), Alex Rodriguez (1997-1999), Ken Griffey Jr. (1998-99). ) and Mike Cameron (2001-2002).
- In doing so in 107 games, Rodriguez surpassed Mike Trout (112) as the player to do so in the fewest games in American League history.
- Only three other rookies went 20-20 in their first season: Mitchell Page (1977, A’s), Ellis Burks (1987, Red Sox) and Marty Cordova (1995, Twins).
- Rodríguez is just the ninth player 21 or younger with a 20-20 season, along with Vada Pinson (twice, 1959-1960), Puerto Rican Orlando Cepeda (1959), Dominican César Cedeño (1972), Alex Rodríguez ( 1997), Andruw Jones (1998), Justin Upton (2009), Mike Trout (twice, 2012-2013) and Ronald Acuña Jr. (2019).
- Only one other player has done it this season: Rangers outfielder Adolis Garcia, who arrived Tuesday in Denver.