Latest news with #Rodríguez
Los Angeles Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Angels can't keep pace with home-run hitting Mariners in loss
Julio Rodríguez, Randy Arozarena and Jorge Polanco homered, Logan Evans gave up one run in five innings, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Angels 4-2 on Thursday night. Rodríguez, who stole third base in the first inning, has 15 home runs and 20 stolen bases this season. The 24-year-old is the first player in MLB history with at least 15 homers and 20-plus stolen bases in each of their first four seasons. Evans (4-3), a 24-year-old rookie, allowed three hits and walked three with three strikeouts. Andrés Muñoz pitched a scoreless ninth for his 23rd save. Rodríguez hit a solo shot off Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi (4-7) and Arozarena added a two-run homer to give the Mariners a 3-1 lead in the fifth. Mike Trout doubled and then scored when Nolan Schanuel followed with a single in the first for the Angels. Zach Neto added an RBI single in the seventh. The Mariners acquired first baseman Josh Naylor from Arizona earlier Thursday, ahead of the trade deadline on July 31. Key moment: Trout drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases with two out in the ninth before Muñoz got Schanuel to line out to end the game. Key stat: Trout has 437 total bases and 146 runs scored in his career against Seattle, both of which are records. Rafael Palmeiro and Rickey Henderson hold the previous marks of 435 total bases and 145 runs, respectively. Up next: Seattle's Bryan Woo (8-5, 2.91 ERA) is scheduled to start Friday against José Soriano (7-7, 3.73) in the second of a four-game series.
San Francisco Chronicle
15-07-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Why Giants' Randy Rodriguez is an All-Star players picked, but don't want to face
ATLANTA — San Francisco Giants reliever Randy Rodríguez doesn't much like talking about himself, even at the All-Star Game media event. He's always polite but provides just the briefest answers to both English and Spanish speaking media alike while flashing his boyish smile, complete with braces. The hitters he faces will do the talking for him. Rodríguez, in just his first full big-league season, made it in off the player ballot because opponents know exactly how good he is. Monday at All-Star interview sessions at the Roxy Theater across from Truist Park, Padres third baseman Manny Machado told the Chronicle that he's a big fan of Rodríguez's and he'd made it a point to go introduce himself to Rodríguez right away. 'He's been awesome,' Machado said. 'He's a very nice kid, very quiet, but man — watching him from the other side? We do not want him to come into games. He's really tough, he's got a quick arm, his leg kick is different and obviously, he can throw 101-102 with an elite breaking ball.' Rodríguez made an impression when Machado hit a 109 mph lineout to left on a two-strike slider in a game against the Giants on April 29. 'When I met him, the first thing he told me was 'Why'd you hit it so hard off of me?' I told him, 'But it was an out!'' Machado said with a laugh. Machado marveled that the only two runs Rodríguez gave up over the first two and a half months of the season came in that same game, on a two-run homer by Xander Bogaerts — and it's only been two more earned runs (and four total) since. 'The fact he's an All-Star and he's not a closer? That tells you a lot,' Machado said. 'That guy is very impressive.' Rodriguez isn't even necessarily a traditional setup man — he comes in whenever needed, no matter the inning, and his role makes him something of an anomaly as an All-Star. This is one reason the players' ballot is so welcome — they know how valuable he is. Plus, that 0.86 ERA, second among MLB relievers, is hard to ignore. 'Am I surprised that he's here? No, absolutely not,' Sacramento A's DH-outfielder Brent Rooker said. 'I think I saw about three pitches from him (before flying out) and I was like, 'All right, that's about as good as it gets from a relief arm.' If you looked at his stuff in a vacuum, the profile, the way, the way he pitches with it, he's very deserving to be here.' A's shortstop Jacob Wilson has had the distinct non-pleasure of facing Rodríguez three times. He was hitting a big-league best .372 in June, but Wilson has yet to crack Rodríguez, going oh-fer. 'It's a tough at-bat,' he said. 'He's got such a great arm, and to be voted in by the players means you have a ton of respect from everyone in the league.' The Dodgers, like the Padres, see a little more of Rodríguez than they'd like. Will Smith actually has success against him (he's 3-for-5) but the Dodgers catcher voted for Rodríguez because he's seen how tough he is on everyone else. 'He throws hard, his fastball touches 100 and he's got a good slider and he's been locating it this year,' Smith said. 'He's just good, and I know we'll be facing him again this year. It's cool to see him being honored.' Cardinals utility player Brendan Donovan faced Rodríguez at Rickwood Field last year and drew a walk back when Rodríguez's arm slot was a bit lower than it is now. 'I'm mostly just excited for him because this is his first time here and it's extremely hard to do that where he pitches,' Donovan said. 'I'm glad I got to first base against him — not a lot of people do.' Fellow Giants All-Star Logan Webb thinks the All-Star Game is just the first of many such honors for Rodríguez. 'I think the way he's pitching, Randy's going to get some Cy Young votes,' Webb said. Rodríguez was in no way overwhelmed by the hoopla of the All-Star events. He's happy his parents, Martin and Yesenia, flew from the Dominican Republic for the game, and he's just trying to meet as many players as possible. He said he'll be ready to pitch if and when National League manager Dave Roberts calls on him. He's not buying any of the hype, though. Being an All-Star is a nice distinction, but even at 25, Rodríguez knows this is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately sport. 'I don't think that being an All-Star says anything,' Rodríguez said, with Erwin Higueros interpreting. 'The way I look at it, I've just got to perform every single game.'
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mariners OF Julio Rodríguez pulls out of All-Star game, citing rest and preparation for rest of season
Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodríguez is pulling out of the All-Star game, announcing the news on social media on Friday. In the post, Rodríguez cited rest and plans to prepare for the rest of the season — and effectively ended the discourse about whether he deserved to be an All-Star. "I'm really honored that my peers voted me into the All-Star Game — that means a lot to me," Rodríguez 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." MLB has not yet announced who will replace Rodríguez as an AL reserve outfielder, but that decision is likely to be announced soon. In the days since the MLB All-Star roster was released, Rodríguez's name has popped up as one of the most controversial selections. As the center fielder struggles with a slightly down year on offense, Rodríguez's selection seemed more based on his popularity and his previous All-Star bids than his current year. Advertisement Rodríguez, a three-time All-Star, previously received the honor in 2022 and 2023. But his 2025 numbers fall short of both of those years at the All-Star break: With the first half of the season nearly finished, the 24-year-old outfielder has hit 11 home runs off a .244 average and a .687 OPS. Rodríguez's current batting is more in line with his first half of 2024, the only year of his short career that he has not been named an All-Star. Rodríguez's selection this year raised a few eyebrows as a result. But now, Rodríguez is ending the debates by bowing out. Three of Rodríguez's Mariners teammates — catcher Cal Raleigh (who will start), pitcher Bryan Woo and reliever Andrés Muñoz — will still be headed to Atlanta. And it's possible that another Seattle player will make their way to the All-Star game: Fellow Mariners outfielder Randy Arozarena was considered one of the biggest All-Star snubs this year, and could be a potential replacement for Rodríguez.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mariners OF Julio Rodríguez pulls out of All-Star game, citing rest and preparation for rest of season
Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodríguez is pulling out of the All-Star game, announcing the news on social media on Friday. In the post, Rodríguez cited rest and plans to prepare for the rest of the season — and effectively ended the discourse about whether he deserved to be an All-Star. "I'm really honored that my peers voted me into the All-Star Game — that means a lot to me," Rodríguez 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." MLB has not yet announced who will replace Rodríguez as an AL reserve outfielder, but that decision is likely to be announced soon. In the days since the MLB All-Star roster was released, Rodríguez's name has popped up as one of the most controversial selections. As the center fielder struggles with a slightly down year on offense, Rodríguez's selection seemed more based on his popularity and his previous All-Star bids than his current year. Advertisement Rodríguez, a three-time All-Star, previously received the honor in 2022 and 2023. But his 2025 numbers fall short of both of those years at the All-Star break: With the first half of the season nearly finished, the 24-year-old outfielder has hit 11 home runs off a .244 average and a .687 OPS. Rodríguez's current batting is more in line with his first half of 2024, the only year of his short career that he has not been named an All-Star. Rodríguez's selection this year raised a few eyebrows as a result. But now, Rodríguez is ending the debates by bowing out. Three of Rodríguez's Mariners teammates — catcher Cal Raleigh (who will start), pitcher Bryan Woo and reliever Andrés Muñoz — will still be headed to Atlanta. And it's possible that another Seattle player will make their way to the All-Star game: Fellow Mariners outfielder Randy Arozarena was considered one of the biggest All-Star snubs this year, and could be a potential replacement for Rodríguez.
Fox Sports
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Who Are The 10 Best MLB Players 25 And Under Right Now?
The youth movement is alive and well in baseball. In fact, many of the 65 players named to the All-Star rosters for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game are only a few years into their big league careers. A total of 13 players aged 25 or younger are on either of the American or National League rosters for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game. There are a handful of others, like Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet or Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vlad Guerreo Jr., who recently turned 26 and have established themselves as stars in the league. For now, let's focus on the players aged 25 or younger and determine which players in that age group are the best in MLB. 10. Hunter Greene, RHP, Cincinnati Reds Greene has been on baseball fans' radars for quite some time. He was able to throw a fastball that traveled at 104 mph during his time in the minors and has since become one of the hardest-throwing starting pitchers in MLB. After a pair of OK seasons to start his career, Greene has settled in and become a force for the Reds. He's recorded a sub-2.75 ERA since the start of the 2024 season, posting an impressive 1.005 WHIP over that time. 9. Julio Rodriguez, OF, Seattle Mariners Rodríguez admittedly hasn't had the best season at the plate in 2025, but the 24-year-old's all-around production over the last few years has been undeniable. He had two top-10 AL MVP finishes in the first two years of his career, winning AL Rookie of the Year and being named a Silver Slugger in 2022. He had a .284 batting average to go with a .853 OPS, 28 home runs, 75 RBIs and 25 stolen bases that year. He was arguably even better in 2023, posting a .275 batting average to go with a .818 OPS, 32 homers, 103 RBIs and 37 stolen bases. And even though Rodríguez hasn't been as great at the plate as of late, his baserunning and fielding still make him one of the most valuable players in the American League. 8. Jackson Merrill, OF, San Diego Padres In many other years, Merrill's 2024 campaign would have won him NL Rookie of the Year. He hit .292 to go with a .826 OPS, 24 homers, 90 RBIs and 16 stolen bases as he seemingly had clutch hit after clutch hit for a Padres team that made the postseason. He was also the first rookie in Padres history to be named an All-Star. Multiple stints on the injured list have caused Merrill to not be as productive at the plate so far in 2025, but it's clear the future is bright with him. 7. James Wood, OF, Washington Nationals When you're one of the centerpieces of a trade involving Juan Soto, you've got big shoes to fill. Luckily for the Nationals, Wood has begun to fill them. The 22-year-old was named an All-Star for the first time on Sunday and is actually the youngest player on either All-Star roster this season. As of Tuesday, Wood is in the top five in the National League in OPS (.940), home runs (23), RBIs (67) and fWAR (3.9), seizing on the momentum of his strong debut season in 2024. 6. Gunnar Henderson, SS, Baltimore Orioles Similar to Rodriguez, Henderson has been underwhelming at the plate in 2025, but his prior production is undeniable. He was one of the best hitters in the American League in 2024, finishing in the top 10 in OPS (.893), home runs (37) and hits (177). He also won AL Rookie of the Year in 2023 with his 28-homer campaign, emerging as one of the faces for a young Orioles team that won the AL East that season. 5. Corbin Carroll, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks Carroll was one of the best all-around players in baseball as a rookie in 2023, hitting .285 to go with a .868 OPS, 25 homers and an NL-leading 10 triples that year. He continued to play at a high level in the postseason that year, hitting two homers to go with 10 RBIs and five stolen bases to help the Diamondbacks win the National League pennant. Following his Rookie of the Year season, Carroll's numbers took a slight dip in 2024, but he's arguably even better in 2025 than he was in 2023. As of Tuesday, he's hitting .250 with a .896 OPS, 20 homers, 45 RBIs, 10 stolen bases and has an MLB-leading 10 triples. 4. Elly De La Cruz, SS, Cincinnati Reds From the moment he made his debut in 2023, De La Cruz has been one of baseball's most electrifying players. Not many hitters have the ability he has to hit homers, steal bases and turn routine hits into extra-base hits. That's apparent when you look at his statline from 2024, when he hit 25 homers, 36 doubles and 10 triples to go with an MLB-leading 67 stolen bases. Like Carroll, De La Cruz is starting to show even more power in 2025. He has 18 home runs this season (as of Tuesday), going on a four-game home run streak in June as he's helped the Reds contend for a playoff spot. 3. Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF, Chicago Cubs The Cubs' outfield is loaded with talent in 2025, and the 23-year-old Crow-Armstrong might be the best player of the group. Following a poor 13-game stint to start his big league career in 2023, Crow-Armstrong has only gotten better over the last two seasons. He hit .262 with seven homers and 10 stolen bases in the second half of last season (63 games), using that as momentum to become one of the best players in baseball in 2025. As of Tuesday, Crow-Armstrong is in the top 10 in the National League in home runs (23), doubles (20), triples (four), stolen bases (27) and RBIs (67). He's also .272 with a .859 OPS, helping him lead all NL hitters in fWAR (4.8). If it weren't for Shohei Ohtani, Crow-Armstrong might be the favorite to win NL MVP entering the All-Star break. 2. Paul Skenes, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates If you remove the qualifier for this list, Skenes still might be the No. 1 pitcher in all of baseball. Less than a year after the Pirates selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, Skenes burst onto the scene and seemingly made history in nearly every start as a rookie. He became the first pitcher in MLB history to record 150 strikeouts and a sub-1.00 WHIP in his first 20 career appearances. He also had the second-lowest ERA for a pitcher through the first 20 starts of their career, and had the fifth-most strikeouts by a pitcher through their first 20 appearances in league history. Skenes easily won NL Rookie of the Year in 2024 as a result, earning that honor after he became the fifth rookie pitcher to start an All-Star Game. Skenes might earn the honor of starting the All-Star Game for a second straight year in 2025. Ahead of making his final start before the All-Star break, Skenes is first in the National League in ERA (1.94), second in WHIP (0.922) and fourth in strikeouts (125). Skenes is also the betting favorite to win NL Cy Young as of Tuesday after finishing third in the vote last season. 1. Bobby Witt Jr., SS, Kansas City Royals No player on this list has won an MVP, but Witt came the closest. The Royals star finished second in AL MVP voting in 2024, making a strong case for the award by leading the majors in batting average (.332) to go with a .977 OPS, 32 home runs, 109 RBIs and 31 stolen bases. Aaron Judge's historic season was just too much for Witt to overcome in the voting, but it seems inevitable that the star will win an MVP someday. He finished seventh in the vote in 2023, hitting .276 with a .813 OPS, 30 homers, 96 RBIs and an MLB-leading 11 triples. This year, Witt's hitting .296 with a .849 OPS, 13 home runs and an MLB-leading 30 doubles (as of Tuesday). He's also recorded 134 stolen bases through his first three-plus seasons, making him one of baseball's top baserunners. HONORABLE MENTIONS Jackson Chourio, OF, Milwaukee Brewers Junior Caminero, INF, Tampa Bay Rays Bryan Woo, RHP, Seattle Mariners Jacob Misiorowski, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers CJ Abrams, SS, Washington Nationals Jackson Holiday, SS/2B, Baltimore Orioles Andy Pages, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers Riley Greene, OF, Detroit Tigers Check out all of our Daily Rankers . Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Item 1 of 3 Get more from the Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
