"Julio Rodriguez's floor is higher than any outfielder outside Mike Trout" - Former MLB All-Star showers high praise on Mariners superstar

Among centerfielders, Mike Trout owned the 2010 decade, and now it seems the next decade may go to Julio Rodriguez, an up-and-coming star from the Seattle Mariners, who hit .273/.325/.409 with 20 home runs and 24 stolen bases last season. That comes after he had missed several weeks in July and August due to a high ankle sprain.

Rodriguez continues to garner high praise as he prepares for another season at the young age of 24. MLB analyst and former All-Star Chris Young believes Rodriguez’s consistency and performance set him apart from his peers, aside from the legendary Mike Trout.

"I think they got it right," Young said on MLB Network, referencing Rodríguez's top ranking among center fielders from The Shredder.

"His floor is actually much higher than any of the outfielders’ floors that we have on this list, maybe outside of a Mike Trout. First year, 25-25; second year, 30-30; third year, 20-20—and that's his floor. He has been extremely consistent."

Despite his consistency, Rodriguez is yet to fully realize his superstar potential, according to Young.

"You just want to see him be that eight- or nine-WAR player," Young added.

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Brian Kenny echoes Chris Young's praise for Julio Rodriguez

Joining Chris Young in his praise for the young outfielder was co-host Brian Kenny, who emphasized that Julio Rodriguez is already among the elite, citing his No. 1 WAR ranking among center fielders over the last three years.

However, Kenny noted the decline in Rodriguez’s offensive metrics, with his weighted runs created plus (wRC+) dropping from 148 to 116 over the past few seasons.

"Still only going into his age-24 season, he's an all-around talent—a top-20 base runner and plus fielder. But his hitting did slide back each of the last two seasons," Kenny said.

Seattle’s pitcher-friendly ballpark may be contributing to the dip in offensive production, according to Young.

"Seattle does hurt him. That’s probably the worst hitting yard in baseball. Sometimes I see him trying to shoot the ball the other way. If he gets away from that and stays aggressive, I think you’re going to see those numbers," Young added.

The analyst said that if Julio Rodriguez wants to unlock the next level of stardom, he must avoid slow starts to the season.