“One of the Most Complete Players in Baseball.” Jerry Dipoto on Julio Rodriguez #Mariners
I’ll go back to the maturity that he showed when he what I think is politely declined to to go to the All-Star game because he he knew he needed to focus on getting his own game right. And and when he did that, you know, it was I I thought it was a big moment for him. He’s 24 years old and and I don’t think that we all in our community and baseball at large, but especially in our community. I I think Julio is regarded as a superstar outside of the Seattle market. And here in our market, we expect so much more out of him. pressure that we put on him while he’s building a resume that would make most people, you know, gush with with praise at his age, but to step back the way he did. And initially, it was to go spend time in the cage, spend time with hitting coaches, work on getting the timing right in his swing. But in reality, all it really took was the mental release to say, “I’m not right, and I need to get right.” and then literally that day he just started raking and has been one of the best players in baseball since then. I think he should win a gold glove. Uh and if he doesn’t it’s a crime. He’s I think as this season has progressed, Julio went from being an electric if inconsistent base runner to being a more intense, thoughtful base runner who can impact the game in in a lot of different ways. His power has always been there. Now I think it’s manifesting in a way he’s he’s getting the ball airborne a lot more and I I think it’s an intentional thing and uh second half Julio has always been pretty awesome but I do think that what we watched from July till the end of the year was kind of you know his the last step of him evolving into the one of the most complete players in the game. And he he does everything. It’s uh and he’s done everything since the day he he lined up on a major league field. he’s just now doing it consistently uh the way the great players do and and he’s a great player. It’s a and I I think what you know excited me most about Julio uh and where he is was the other night when we are celebrating our our clinching victory on the field you know and and everybody’s you know pouring champagne having fun interacting with the crowd Julio if if you had a chance to see him was just staring up at all the you know it’s it’s kind of it’s sellout crowd everybody’s going bananas and he was just calmly soaking it all in And I think that’s where he’s been. He’s uh he’s learned how to to take it to a calm that he’s never, you know, he’s never had before. And and I think that level of of in the zone, you know, however they get there, he’s in that zone. And uh and I hope he stays there for another month, you know, or maybe 15
President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto speaks with media at T-Mobile Park prior to the Mariners regular season finale on September 28, 2025.
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2 comments
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Less baserunning blunders would be appreciated. Those pick offs at 1B and 2B are brutal.