More honors for Julio Rodríguez: Mariners rookie is AL Player of the Week
Jul 5, 2022, 2:01 PM
Julio Rodríguez reacts his walk against the Oakland Athletics on July 1. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Mariners phenom Julio Rodríguez is adding more than just rookie awards to his mantle now.
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Rodríguez, 21, was named American League Player of the Week on Tuesday, just days after he was named the AL Rookie of the Month for the second straight time.
The award covers June 27 to July 3, a time over which Rodríguez posted a slash line of .360/.393/.880 for a 1.273 OPS with three home runs, a triple, two doubles, six RBIs and seven runs scored in seven games. He also stole a base, adding to his AL-leading total of 20.
He led all of baseball during the week in total bases (22) and slugging percentage, and tied for the MLB lead in homers and extra-base hits (six).
The week Rodríguez is honored for doesn’t even include his performance Monday when he hit his 15th homer of the season.
In 81 games this season, Rodríguez has a slash of .275/.335/.489 for an .824 OPS, putting him into contention to be an All-Star when the rosters for the midsummer classic are announced at 2:30 p.m. Sunday. He is the first Mariners player to win back-to-back Rookie of the Month awards since Ichiro Suzuki in 2001, and he became the fastest player in history to reach 15 career home runs and 20 career stolen bases on Monday, beating Ellis Burks’ record of 82 games in 1987 for the Red Sox by one game.
Rodríguez is the second Mariners player to be named AL Player of the Week this season, joining first baseman Ty France in April.
Rhys Hoskins of the Philadelphia Phillies was named NL Player of the Week for last week.
The Mariners are wrapping up a short two-game road trip in San Diego on Tuesday, then will return to T-Mobile Park on Thursday after a day off for a four-game home series against the Toronto Blue Jays. All Mariners games air live on Seattle Sports Station 710 AM beginning with the pregame show typically 70 minutes before first pitch.
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