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Although Julio Rodriguez undoubtedly wishes his club qualified for the 2024 playoffs, the Mariners outfielder is not letting that dampen his offseason. Recently, J-Rod made an appearance in the chic Tokyo area of Shinjuku, drawing copious fan interest.
On Friday, footage surfaced of the Mariners star walking the streets of Tokyo. Accompanied by throngs of enthusiastic fans, Rodriguez gave the crowds a wave as he toured the capital of the baseball-mad Asian island.
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"Seattle Mariners OF Julio Rodriguez was in Shinjuku on Friday" - Yakyu Cosmopolitan
In the past, the 24 year-old Seattle Mariners star has stated his love of manga, a genre of Japanese graphic novels and comic books. Although he is not competing, Rodriguez's visit comes amid the ongoing Premier12 baseball tournament in Tokyo.
Soon after Rodriguez made his MLB debut, the Dominican outfielder was identified as one of the league's top rising stars. In 2022, he hit .284/.345/.509 with 28 home runs and 75 RBIs to win the AL Rookie of the Year Award for that season.
"Julio Rodríguez secures his third straight season in the 20/20 club with a two-run homer!" - MLB Network
Despite his own personal achievements in MLB, Rodriguez is seen as the Mariners' franchise player and is thus blamed for their underperformance. In 2024, despite leading the Houston Astros by 10 games in June, Seattle was unable to stay ahead and failed to qualify for the postseason in the final week of regular play.
Given that he is under a seven-year, $119 million deal that runs through 2029, Julio Rodriguez will be around for the forseeable future. Evidently one of the more acclaimed MLB stars, fans in Seattle will be hoping to see J-Rod help their team in 2025.
Julio Rodriguez wants the Mariners to keep their pitching corps
In 2024, the 3.49 ERA posted by the Mariners was tied with the Atlanta Braves for the best in MLB. As the de-facto leader of his club, Julio Rodriguez has already come out against his team getting rid of any one of their 2024 starters.
"They keep us in the game, they keep us in the game every single time, Rodriguez told the Seattle Times. "What I would like to see, and feel like what everybody would like to see, is just more support for them."
In 2024, pitching kept the Mariners competitive. Even if the core group of arms does remain, it will be up to Rodriguez and the other Mariners bats to improve on the team's offensive performance in 2025.
