Mariners' Julio Rodriguez Breaks Silence After Unexpected Decision
Center fielder Julio Rodriguez is in his fourth major-league season after making his Seattle Mariners debut in 2022.
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Rodriguez had an electric rookie season, taking home the American League Rookie of the Year award, finishing seventh in AL MVP voting, making his first All-Star Game and winning his first Silver Slugger.
He played a massive role in ending the Mariners' 21-year playoff drought when they clinched a wild-card spot in late September 2022.
Rodriguez followed that up with another excellent season in 2024, solidifying his status as one of the game's best outfielders by earning another Silver Slugger, his second All-Star appearance and finishing fourth in AL MVP voting.
Seattle Mariners center fielder Julio Rodriguez (44)Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
In 2025, Rodriguez earned his third All-Star selection—but on Friday, MLB announced that the 24-year-old would not participate in the event.
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On a recent post on X, Rodriguez wrote, 'As much as I'd love to be out there, I want to take this time to take care of my body and fully prepare for the second half of the season. It's definitely tough to miss out on the All-Star experience, but I'll be cheering on all the guys and wishing them and their families an amazing week.'
Through 92 games this year, Rodriguez has been productive but sits at the lowest offensive marks of his career with a .244 batting average and a .687 OPS. He's totaled 11 home runs, 15 stolen bases and 44 RBIs.
The Mariners are currently one game back of the third wild-card spot in the American League, so Rodriguez getting extra time to work on being fully healthy and returning to peak form could be a wise decision.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
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