Julio Rodríguez (baseball)


Julio Yamel Rodríguez is a Dominican professional baseball outfielder in the Seattle Mariners organization. Rodríguez signed with the Mariners at 16 years of age as an international free agent in 2017 for a signing bonus of $1.75 million. As of September 2019 he was the Mariners' # 2 prospect.
Rodriguez was born in Loma de Cabrera, a town of roughly 20,000 people, in the Dominican Republic.

Career

Rodríguez signed with the Seattle Mariners at 16 years of age as an international free agent in July 2017 for a signing bonus of $1.75 million. He made his professional debut with the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League Mariners in 2018, playing primarily right field and batting.315/.404/.525 with 50 runs, nine triples, five home runs, 36 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases without being caught in 219 at bats over 59 games. He was over three years younger than the average player in both leagues. He was named both a DSL mid-season All Star, and a Baseball America DSL All Star.
Rodríguez started 2019 with the Class A West Virginia Power in the South Atlantic League. He missed part of the season with a fractured left hand. He was promoted to the Class A-Advanced Modesto Nuts in the California League in August, becoming one of only three 18-year-olds in all of minor league baseball to play High-A ball in 2019. Over 328 at bats in 84 games between the two teams playing right field and center field, he slashed.326/.390/.540 with 63 runs, 26 doubles, 12 home runs and 69 RBIs, and was 10th in the South Atlantic League with a.490 slugging percentage. He was named a California League Player of the Week on September 2, and an MiLB Organization All Star. As of September he was the Mariners' # 2 prospect, and the # 25 prospect in baseball.
He played in the Arizona Fall League for the Peoria Javelinas following the regular season, at 18 the youngest player in the AFL, and batted.288/.397/.365 in 52 at bats. He was named an AFL Rising Star.