After working with Ronald Acuna Jr., Mariners coach unveils strategy to fix Julio Rodriguez’s chase issues

Seattle Mariners star Julio Rodriguez had an indifferent year for the team last season. The star outfielder had a slow start to the 2024 season and although he improved in the second half of the season, Rodriguez finished with a career-low season.

Rodriguez's home run percentage (3.3) dipped last season and there was a spike in his strikeout percentage (25.4) compared to the 2023 season. One of the major reasons behind it was the centerfielder's tendency to chase pitches in his plate appearances.

Mariners Hitting Coach Kevin Seitzer discussed the issue ailing the two-time All-Star in a YouTube interaction with Seattle Sports. During the interview, the host highlighted Rodriguez's high swing percentage at 55 while the league averaged around 47. Seitzer said on "Brock & Salk LIVE" (15:00 onwards):

"My focus is to continue to build off the the path, the direction that Edgar put him on at the end of the season because he finished, really strong. He's been a swing guy, he's been a chase guy, but he's also been a damage guy. There's good and the bad, and what I found is all the young kids that came up, the Acunas, Albies, Riley's, those guys, Michael Harris, that as they came through the system, they had their adjustment issues. They had to adjust to Big League pitching.

"When he (Julio) came up crashing on the scene. All of a sudden pitcher started making adjustments. Sometimes hitters can try and make the wrong adjustments to be ready to hit what they're trying to do to you, and I feel like what Edgar did with him is get him locked in on a consistent approach and plan to where he was staying in the middle of the field."

Kevin Seitzer served as the hitting coach for the Atlanta Braves for almost a decade, developing MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. and several other young superstars like Austin Riley and Ozzie Albies. The former All-Star second baseman joined the Mariners' coaching staff as a hitting coach in November.

Julio Rodriguez eyeing ample plate appearances in Spring Training

While Kevin Seitzer highlighted the issue with young dynamic hitters, the World Series-winning coach feels that chasing pitches is a part of the game and hitters should not curb their instincts.

"Guys are gonna have chase," Seitzer said. "That Chase comes with this game because of the electric pitching that we see nowadays. The high exit velocity, the late-breaking stuff. If you get on hitters too much about don't chase, then you're making them late on 90 percent of the fastballs.

They're gonna see, so it is being consistent with the approach. The more you think the middle of the field to the opposite field, the better you see the ball."

Julio Rodriguez registered his first hit in Spring Training against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday. The two-time All-Star is trying to rack up as many plate appearances as possible to prepare himself for the regular season. The 2022 Rookie of the Year is expected to lead the Mariners' offense with the team looking to make the postseason after missing out last year despite a strong start.