"As the Seattle Mariners approach a winner-take-all Game 5 of their American League Division Series on Friday, a lot of the pressure will fall on Rodríguez. He has been nothing but a persistent source of speed and power -- and elite center-field defense -- since baseball fans first fell in love with him as a 21-year-old in 2022. And yet, the conversation about him always seems to come back to what he hasn't yet done, who he hasn't yet become."
"It's amazing. Our expectations are so high because of his physical ability, the heights that we've seen. But he's played four years in the big leagues. He's done things that, in some cases, no other player has ever done in his first four years. If you look at what he's accomplished, it ranks up there with the best 23- to 25-year-old players in history. And yet, we still collectively expect more."
Julio Rodríguez recorded another 30/30 season and joined Bobby Witt Jr. as one of only two players to do that twice before turning 25. Rodríguez is the only player ever to amass 110 home runs and 110 stolen bases in his first four major-league seasons. He provides consistent speed, power and elite center-field defense while carrying significant postseason pressure as the Mariners enter a winner-take-all Game 5. High expectations persist despite historic early-career achievements. Limited exposure from playing in a smaller-market West Coast franchise and a teammate's record-setting season have overshadowed some of Rodríguez's accomplishments.
Read at ESPN.com
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